Five Strong

I have just returned from Savannah, Georgia, where we B-List Bloggers had our Woodstock!!! (Well, it was like Woodstock, but with five people, no concerts, no mud, and a relatively luxurious hotel.)

One of the many greeting cards that I have purchased for Ty in advance of some holiday and then promptly forgotten about long before said holiday actually rolls around says something about falling in love “heart first.” I recently found the greeting card while cleaning out a drawer, and the phrase stuck in my mind.

That’s exactly what happened with my four fellow bloggers. Sure, I knew certain things about them—Wordgirl loves to read! TB loves music! Mignon loves sports! Mrs. Harridan loves to cook!—but I really “fell in love” with the writers, and their souls that came through their work. We got to know each other before we did the “pegging” that humans invariably and unfortunately do when they meet someone, before we became The Jock, The Mom, The Hostess, etc. It was like The Breakfast Club in reverse. Taking this trip really opened my eyes. I think Wordgirl put it best when she called it an "odd mix" and described the feeling of knowing someone well while simultaneously making new discoveries about her. It was an experience that I will treasure. And I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this experience will forever change the way I think of meeting someone new. I will be far more open to the possibilities beneath the surface.

Okay, now for some fun tidbits:

1. We are a group of hotties. Mignon has thick, lush hair and perfect teeth. Mrs. Harridan is slender and willowy, and her carriage is very regal. TB has gorgeous eyes—simultaneously childlike, doeish, and sexy, framed by soft lashes. Wordgirl is tall, blond, fit, and strong--essentially, she's Smart Literary Barbie. And you know what? My butt is actually kind of nice.

2. I am pretty good at hiding my drunkenness. Those margaritas at the haunted Mexican restaurant WERE (hiccup) lovely, weren’t they!!! TB, is that your twin sister standing next to you? And why is the waiter shouting at me? Mmmm, cider.

3. Comfortable sandals, MY ASS. My feet hurt so much now that the leg of my jeans grazing against my toes is painful.

4. This is the second third time I’m writing this post. The first draft—two hours in the making, with pictures, links, and all—was eaten by a blog-hosting website that shall remain nameless.

5. I have the worst taste in music of any young person, ever. The conversation in the car on the way to Tybee Island went something like this (Million Little Pieces-esque warning: the following conversation is highly embellished, and, in fact, much of it never even happened):

[Arabella, listening to the radio, thinks, “Hey, this is a good song. Could it be that this song is officially socially acceptable?”]

Mignon [fidgeting with the radio]: Hey, let’s put on the B-List CD so we don’t have to listen to this crap!

TB: Good idea! That song sucks! The first song on the CD was contributed by [insert name of blogger here] and is by Weaiaohagha Ieaw Erp!

Mrs. Harridan: Oh, I love Weaiaohagha Ieaw Erp! I just saw a local band do a cover of one of the songs on their first album. The lead singer even looked a bit like Nate McCoolster.

Wordgirl: Nate McCoolster is hot! What was the name of the local band?

Mrs. Harridan: Teaoy Bgai Eaiynn. They mostly sound like they’re inspired by Iaosz.

Wordgirl: I just saw Iaosz in concert. They were really good!

Mrs. Harridan: Arabella, what kind of music do you like?

[Arabella frantically searches through the memory banks, trying to recall songs that her husband and friends think are cool that she actually also likes and has on her iPod, so that, if necessary, she can prove genuine fanship of the artists. Soundtrack to The Muppet Movie? No. Original cast recording of Cabaret? No. The Bee Gees? You’ve got to be kidding me. Joni Mitchell? They’ll think she’s a big hippie. Crosby, Stills & Nash? Hmmm, risky. Is Ben Folds Five still cool, or do people think they've gone "too mainstream"? Hey, isn’t “Say Yes” somewhere on my iPod?]

Arabella: I, uh, I like, um….Elliott Smith….

Mrs. Harridan: Elliott Smith is good!

[Arabella sighs with relief and vows to broaden her musical horizons before next year.]