Live and in person

Still in Jamesburg

Back in the middle 90s, Prodigy (may it rest in peace) was still a viable online service, and a number of regular chat rooms had coalesced outside the structure dictated by the corporate masters. One of those rooms was sufficiently off-center enough to accommodate the likes of me, and I became a regular some time around 1997.

When the service committed suicide in 1999, claiming Y2k issues as the reason for its demise, we were left temporarily distraught, and an effort by Prodigy's successor service to buy us off with an IRC server proved to be more boondoggle than boon. Eventually, several of the regulars set up shop in AOL, and a reduced version of the room continues to this day; it is their party — our party — which I am attending this weekend.

As always, these events are learning experiences, and today I learned that I will never sing "I've Told Every Little Star" in public again.

While I was vocalizing (I really can't call it "singing"), I was gazing off into space and pretending not to look at She Who Is Not To Be Named, who is, as expected, every bit as bright and brilliant and beautiful as ever.

And, of course, every bit as far out of reach as ever, but I expected that too.

Tonight: not sure yet. These things have a way of developing in unexpected ways.

Posted at 2:46 PM to World Tour '03