Still being new to MN I had never visited the social lounge yet I basically stayed in the teaser section. Then Jinx told me about the gathering and to check out the folder. So I enter the social lounge for the first time in mid May. Once I started posting there Miss Tif, Jinx, and myself decided to meet since we live fairly close to each other. This is the first time I ever met anyone from being online. We all had a good time even though I think I made Miss Tif nervous at first, until she realized that my being quiet had nothing to do with being bored or not enjoying the company. Sometimes I'll be right in there gabbing away like everyone else but I usually am quieter, I'm an observer, I listen.

Two months go by and about a week and a half before the gathering I realize I can't take Friday off like I had planned. I run around at work trying to find someone who will switch shifts with me for the day. (We work 3 shifts 24 hours a day.) I finally find someone who will. (Yea) But now that means I have to be at work 7:30am(oh my god). Now it's Wednesday, 2 days before the gathering and I still haven't baked anything like I promised. So I go shopping to get what I need and get started. Oops, getting late so I rush out the door and make it work just on time. (Yes unlike many of you I have to punch a time clock!) Now there's another problem and I have to stay late at work until I can fix it. Finally get home about 4:45am Thursday morning. Of course being all wound up from working 12 hours I can't manage to get to sleep till about 6:30am. Wake up at 9:30 to get the baking done. Had to make 3 cakes, I brought a chocolate layer cake and a cheesecake but I also had to make one to leave at home for my brother since I hadn't baked in a long time. After work on Thursday I try to get to sleep early since I have to get up early on Friday morning. Of course I just lay there wide-awake. Just as it seems I get my eyes closed the alarm goes off, 7:00am. Well that was a refreshing two hours of sleep! |-o What is all that annoying stuff coming in my window? Oh. It's the early morning sun! Haven't seen that in a looong time. After a quick shower, walk the dogs, then grabbing some pop tarts on the way I'm out the door by 7:15. In the afternoon I call to check on Jean's flight and find out it's delayed an hour and a half. (Curious why Jean didn't call my cell phone) OK no problem. I'll just get my self washed and changed before picking her up instead of after. Call Jinx at her office and leave a message about Jean's delay. When I get home I check on the flight again, now it's a two-hour delay.

I take a nice long shower because I know it's going to be a long day. (Wondering why Jinx hasn't called back yet) Just as I'm getting ready to leave Jinx calls me on the house phone. We talk a little about Jean's flight (I hear a lot of giggling in the background) and decide that I'll take her from the airport right into NYC to try and save some time. I also get yelled at for giving out the wrong cell phone number. OOH! I guess that's why no one called. oops I check on the flight one more time and now they don't even answer the phone. uh-oh! I get to the airport and check the baggage area but there is nothing there yet. Go up three floors to check the monitors and find out the plane has just landed. Head over to the gate, nope everyone left already. Start to head back to baggage until I remember I have Jean's cell phone number. I call her and find out she is on the floor above me. So while we are talking I get on the escalator. And Jean is going "What escalator?� I pop up about 50' from where she is standing and recognize each other right away since we are the only two people in the area using cell phones. I get her down to the car and call Jinx to let her know I've got Jean, but there is another problem, that's when I tell both of them that I heard on the radio there is an hour delay getting into NYC because of a crane accident. Right about now my right ear starts buzzing. After a little while Jinx calls.

Me � Hello
Jinx - Where are you?
Me - Stuck in traffic. :-)
Jinx - I know that but where?
Me - Well I can see the Holland Tunnel.
Jinx - You're in the tunnel ?!?
Me - NO, I can SEE the tunnel.
Jinx - Well, never mind seeing it, get in there!
Me - I'm trying, I'm trying!

We finally make it through the tunnel. Now I have to head uptown about 90 blocks. So I work my way to Broadway and start to fly uptown. So here I am zipping through Manhattan at about 50 mph in Friday night traffic. But I didn't hear any complaints from my passenger so I just stay in my NYC mode of driving (Largely offensive with quick defensive moves.) About six blocks from the club Jinx calls again. Telling me to hurry up because two parking spots just opened in front of the club. Now I'm giving her my turn by turn position. She is getting so excited I have to ignore her directions because she is trying to send me the wrong way down a one way street. Finally I turn a corner and see the club. I zip across four lanes of traffic but don't see them until I'm almost there. Park the car right in front of the doors to the club. Jean says it's because of her, she always gets great parking spots. So what should have been about a 40-minute ride took over 2 hours. We all say hi and Aleja and Melantha confuse my right away by introducing themselves with their real names. We head into the club to wait for the others since the show has already started. The buzzing in my ear has stopped. We are enjoying the show when a woman comes over and then a guy comes over right behind her. Well he would obviously be Jack and since they're sharing a room she must be Chrebet. Then Miss Tif shows up with someone. Since there is only one person left it must be Mimi. After the show everyone starts talking until they kick us out. So we hangout on the sidewalk for a while then head back to the Hotel. The buzzing in my starts again. We get to the hotel and get Jean checked in. Just as we get her stuff into her room Mimi shows up. She changes into something more comfortable and we head down to Chrebet and Jack's room. The ringing in my ear has finally stopped for good. Remember when I said I was a listener. Well I did ALOT of it. From the time I picked Jean up until we got to the club and again from the club to the hotel, her mouth never stopped. TALKTALK TALKTALKTALK!!!. I don't think I have ever seen anyone talk for over two hours none stop before. ;~}

So we talked in the hotel room until a phone call told us we were making more noise then we realized. So we go to Bennigan's were we talk some more. And for the first time in about ten years I get proofed! Then the waitress actually looks shocked when she sees my birthday! What a cutie. Maybe I should stop in there more often. Here is were I find out that Chrebet and I are the drinkers of the group and the only ones interested in the baseball game. But I'm not nearly as bad as she is about it. Everyone gets back to the hotel and I go out to a Karaoke bar by myself since no one else wants to go. :-( No biggie. I know everyone there anyway. Went to the diner after the bar closed and got home about 5:00am

Saturday we meet in the hotel lobby. It was agreed to meet an hour later then originally planned. Not what I would have suggested but I guess the youngsters just can't keep up with this old man. Well older then everyone that was there Friday night. I stop on the way over to get a bagel sandwich for lunch and a nice warm freshly baked bagel for breakfast. Get to the lobby and Mimi and Jean are there. They said Chrebet and Jack went to find some breakfast. When they show up they have bagels from Dunkin Doughnuts. (You don't buy bagels from Dunkin unless it's the only thing open) I told you guys to call me if you wanted to know where anything was. Everyone finally shows up and there are two new arrivals. Bren and Helen made it in from Long Island. So we head off, and then we hit more traffic on the parking lot, I mean the turnpike. During the pit stop I wave to Mimi as she walks by me twice but she doesn't see me.(blondes!) :~P We finally get to Great Adventure. I go on every ride that anyone wants to go on from Batman and Robin to the spinning cows. Now since this was my third time there in three weeks you would think that when it was time to go to the cars and some jackets when some people where getting cold. That they would follow me when I say the exit is this way. But I guess women don't like listening to men. (As if we didn't know that already) So we make a right instead of a left and end up in a dead end. (I told you it was the other way) :-} I think we all had a good time until the final ride, Batman and Robin. There were mixed reviews about the ride and they were to the extremes, it was either the best ride we went on or, I'll never do that again. Most got off just feeling dizzy except for Jinx who got a little bang up. Now we head home and I ride with Bren this time. Once again you would think that the person who knows how to get to the turnpike would be in the front car but I'm in the last one. Chrebet and Jack get lost and when we get to the hotel Bren and Helen are all checked in and in their room before the others make it back. (That's twice I had someone checked in before the others made it back) We hang out talking for awhile, and then those people not staying at the hotel go home.

Sunday we're not meeting until noon so I get to sleep late! Wrong! My brother left at 6:00am to go play golf so at 9:00am the dogs wake me up because they have to go out. Since I'm up and I was going to do it next weekend anyway I mowed the lawn and reseeded over the bare spots. I then cleaned the mess I made from baking on Thursday. I showed up at the hotel around 12:15 and we sat around talking until Miss Tif, Aleja and Melantha showed up. We had to take an extra car up because Chrebet was going to load her car with the cooler and tubs she gave Jinx for the BBQ. So off we go and I have to drive up there all by myself. :-( nobody likes me. As soon as I walk into Jinx's house the first thing I'm thinking is that there is way too much food. We unload Miss Tif's car and then we are introduced to Tracy who is eyeing us kind of funny. I guess she doesn't quite know what to make of a group of people who met online. But a little while later she becomes one of the group. Things go surprisingly smooth considering there are two different groups of people there at the same time. Then we all get our goodie bags. Which is why there are so many more pictures on Sunday then the rest of the weekend. We go out back and start the BBQ and get Chrebet busy with the drinks. And of course all day long everyone is talking to everyone. It was nice that no one formed a little group. Then I'm asked if I want to play darts, OK. Even though I have a bad game I still kick butt. Next Jack and I play foosball and I kick butt again. Which wasn't hard since Jack scored half of the goals against himself. Eventually we're back inside doing post cards. I don't know most of the people they're being sent to but OK I'll sign it. Things start to wind down and we saw goodbye to Bren and Helen. Now everyone starts to just kick back and is actually kind of quiet. (Well compared to the rest of the time anyway) No one eats any of my cakes. :-( I told you no one liked me. It's time to leave now and good-byes are said between those who won't see each other on Monday. I think this is when we decided to hate each other (online that is). We get back to the hotel and Chrebet, Mimi, Jean, and myself talk while Jack goes to sleep. Then it's time to leave and go to sleep. But not before making a post on MN about these awful people! :~}

Monday I check MN again and discover that Bren and Helen have joined the fight. I print up everything that was said so far and get myself over to Miss Tif's house to take Aleja to the airport and who is there? Miss Tif. It seems she decided to play hooky from work. So after more talking Aleja gets in Miss Tif's car and Melantha in mine and we go to drop Aleja at the airport. We make it all the way to Newark then get separated. Oh well. Everyone who is left is suppose to meet for lunch so we head back to the hotel and Miss Tif shows up a few minutes later. Off to Bennigan's again. It's not the best place but it's convenient and we are pressed for time. By now everyone has read the printouts and is thinking of something to say. Next it's over to Dairy Queen so Chrebet can get her fix (Just like a junkie!) Then it's time to say goodbye to everyone. Chrebet has to hurry to get Melantha to the airport on time. Mimi heads for the parkway for her long drive home. Jinx and Miss Tif have some time before they have to take Jean to the airport. And I have to go to work. WORK! What a dirty word! Well it's taken me about four days to catch up on my lost sleep but it was worth it. Already trying to see who wants to get together for Halloween.