December 04, 2005

Polar Bear in person

A snowstorm Friday night dumped about a foot of snow onto my front lawn, making it seem like winter at last. My gang of teenagers have been at work already with snow shovels, building a snow ramp in front of the house. A bad cold kept me home for the last three days, drinking hot tea and moping about the house in my most comfy clothes, brown fleece pants with a brown fleece hoodie. The next month will bring a surge of activity: many Christmas parties, several holiday concerts, and a constant stream of friends and relatives stopping by. So this weekend was the moment of calm before the holiday busyness of cooking and cleaning begins.

Saturday afternoon, I did leave the comfort of my warm house to venture to a small cafe in Snowstorm City to meet a blogger who was driving through. Even a bad cold could not make me miss the chance to meet someone whose writes so beautifully: PPB! We only had an hour to talk but it was just wonderful to see her in person and discover that she is just as warm and friendly and sparkly as she seems on her blog. I kept looking out the window hopefully for a storm that might snow her in. My family would have been thrilled if I had brought home an unexpected guest, but to my disappointment, the roads stayed dry and she was soon back on the highway.

One of the interesting things about meeting another blogger is that at first your conversation is simply filled with pseudonyms. I realized after a moment that it was ridiculous to be calling the city Snowstorm City; after all, she had read the real name of the city on the sign when she got off the highway. And I tend to switch back and forth between real names and pseudonyms when I talk about my own kids. It's a bit like being bilingual and having two words for everything.

Otherwise, though, I have to say that the most strange thing about a blogger meet-up is that it doesn't feel strange at all. Sitting and talking to PPB felt completely normal and comfortable. Her warm energy was just what I needed to brighten my cold winter weekend. Next time I will make sure she gets snowed in and has to stay for a week.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

That it explains it...I tried looking up 'Snowstorm City' in a web atlas but couldn't find anything in the Northeast that seemed to correlate. D'oh! I have not a clue where you are -- some cold, snowy northern part of America. It could even be Narnia. It makes interesting reading from a southern hemisphere desert, at any rate.

So I guess Train Track Village doesn't exist either?

Jane Dark said...

Oh, I am jealous! I would like to meet PPB. But I'm glad you had a good time.

Phantom Scribbler said...

I'm jealous, too! Because PPB really is as cool as jo(e) says she is.

Unknown said...

It was 78 degrees in central Florida today.

I'm allergic to the mention of snow.

St. Casserole said...

Lucky! I want to meet PPB, too!!!
It was almost 80 here today, December 4. I'd really like to need to wear a light sweater at least one afternoon this winter...

Sue said...

Ok, I'm entirely jealous. How wonderful that you had a real live blogger meet up.

Cold? Now I could tell you about cold... but I won't bore you with things like MINUS 20 CELCIUS!! Nah, I wouldn't do that....:)

Do you suppose my weather report will completely eliminate the possibility of anyone dropping in to see me waaaaaay up here in the North?

Scrivener said...

I would be literally turning green with envy if I hadn't been promised a visit from that same polar bear myself in February. So glad you two finally got to meet.

halloweenlover said...

I'm jealous too! I want to meet both of you!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Hope your cold is better and you are back to your own normal sparkly self.

It's just like you to be welcoming to a blogger--how fun!!!!

Wish I could sit with you in your warm kitchen drinking tea and eating some of your yummy soup or meet with you at a restaurant!!!! YAY! Love, Mary :-)

Anonymous said...

me too

so glad you could meet. Imagine a real live polar bear arriving on the tail of the snow storm

lucky you :)

Yankee, Transferred said...

Do you see my green skin? At least I am related to the totally cool, ultra brilliant, cute-as-a-button Phantom. I would love to meet you and PPB!