I’ve been wanting to write this post for several days. But lack of internet connection and my general inability to maintain a course of action has gotten in my way. There was one very special thing we did when LightHusband and I were out in Colorado. I had to keep it to myself for a while, because it was magical and special and I wasn’t to certain about how to write about it. Then our internet went down and life sped up. So now that we have dial-up (poo) I am able to write again.

The special thing we did was that we got to meet some friends from on-line, in the brick and mortar world. Now they are friends IRL. We drove from Estes Park where we were staying, up through the Big Thompson Canyon (which is a magical drive all to itself) and through Loveland, into Fort Collins, Colorado. Via our NeverLost companion we found their apartment and met Makeesha and David Fisher and their two lovely young daughters. I’ve gotten to know them via a couple of e-mail lists I’m on and through the blog-o-sphere during the last 6 or 7 months.

They showed us their home town via a wonderful old timey trolley that we walked to. We rode the trolley to downtown Old Ft. Collins. This part of town really reminded us of Burlington, Vermont and we felt right at home. We felt at home with Makeesha and David too. Their girls were are really wonderful. They joyfully walked and talked for great long distances with us adults without complaining or whining.

It was really wonderful to have people who I’ve known in the two-dimensional virtual world step into the three dimensional brick and mortar world. Walking up the stairs to their apartment almost felt like a fairy tale … you know the one? Where the main character becomes real and pops off the page. I wanted to soak up every moment of the day; make it stretch out and last. Because it was just one day and they don’t live around the corner. It’s going to be a terribly long time before we get to see them again.

And having to say good-bye at the end of the day made it the worst of times.