Wednesday 21 September 2011

Internet Stalkers - a.k.a. Iota

The first time I met an "internet stalker" as the Queenager calls them (bloggy friends to you and me), was several years ago when Brit Girl Sarah visited Chicago with the Hubster. The kids gave me quite a bit of grief for letting them into the house. (Tongue in cheek, you understand.) After all, how many times had I talked to them about strange people on the Internet. You can read about Sarah's visit here.

And then I attended the 2010 and 2011 CyberMummy conferences in London, which I referred to as Writers' Conferences, when grilled by family and friends. You know - those people who don't quite "get" blogging. The same summer of CyberMummy 2010 I also met up with a group of US/UK bloggers including my partner in crime Mike Harling, The American Resident and Smitten by Britain to name but a few. And what do you know, we're all still friends. I saw Micheloui (The American Resident) again this summer and we have since discovered we have Northumbrian connections in common (talk about a small world). Melissa (Smitten) offered to drive the 2 hours it would take to get to Washington DC to take care the Queenager, newly arrived at college and the potential victim of Hurricane Irene. Talk about friends.

And now I have another "stalker" in my house - in the form of Iota, no less. She's here to spend time with her brother C, who lives in Paris. How cosmopolitain are we? He's in Chicago for a conference and she's here to spend time with him and they're staying at my house and we're all having a jolly time. And wouldn't you know, old Charlie and I have a friend in common! ("Typical", as the Ball & Chain always says. "It's such a small island, how can you not all know each other?")

So here's to "virtual, bloggy" friendships. They're real after all!

18 comments:

  1. ....And of course don't forget that Brit Gal Sarah aka MOI, who has also been in your house, was at primary school in the UK with IOTA and we only realised it a year ago!!

    It's a small world at times, have oodles of fun together and tell Iota "Hi"!!

    P.S. The Hubster & I will be back some day, we adored Chi-town.

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  2. You have Iota in your house?! I'm so jealous. I still get comments on the picture of her eating her pizza with knife and fork :). Tell her I said HEY!!! Or something more intelligent.

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  3. Happy mental picture for me of two of my favorite bloggers enjoying some time together!

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  4. HOW COOOOOL! I LOVE INTERNET STALKERS - my kids were the same when I was doing my African trip - thought I was being groomed - ha ha

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  5. One of my best friends in the world is someone I met online, through absolute chance and good fortune, so it was lovely to read your account of long-lasting friendships formed in the blogosphere. :) Hope you have a lovely time!

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  6. We had lunch last year with an Internet friends (from Shelfari, not the blog)—though we did meet at a public place ha ha! We picked a fish shop of course, but it was so bloody awful we decided to have them over the next time--and a great time was had by all.

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  7. Oooh I bet you're having a great time. Is there as much talking as during the Chicago gathering last year? Give my love to Iota.

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  8. Now THOSE kinds of stalkers are quite acceptable. I had visions of a different kind when I started reading this post!
    Glad you are all getting on well.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  9. Back in the day when I did a local show, out of town artists would stay here, and vice versa if I was near their home. it's so good to be with people who understand what you and they are doing with life. Enjoy your visit.

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  11. Totally totally. And I've met Family Affairs, I WAS grooming her....

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  12. You have Iota staying with you. so lucky! I want to come and play!

    PS - you nearly had my OH get in touch, he got stuck in Chicago a few weeks ago...

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  13. Reminds me of the blogger who dragged her entire family on a visit to "an old friend" this summer so I could meet her for the first time...

    You guessed it. Ms Manhattan again. My first real stalker and I'm so glad I did! Hope you had fun.

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  14. Very small world indeed. I found out that Micheloui lives not far from me and we know a lot of the same places. Ones of these days we will catch up face to face.

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  15. Say hi to Iota for me! :-)

    I met my wife on Myspace originally, but that's another story...

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  16. That must be such a fun visit!

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The more the merrier....

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