Well, I had a little lie-in (as the British say) this morning, so now I'm running behind schedule. I have to leave the house in about 30 minutes. No walk for Olga! (Her dog-walker comes at midday, so she'll be fine.)
My morning lethargy is no doubt a result of the wild night I had with fellow blogger Mitchell and his husband, known to us in blogland as San Geraldo. First we had some drinks at a pub, and then we went to a strip club, and then we went dancing and I was out until 4 a.m.!
OK, none of that is true. Well, except the pub drinks. And the fact that I did meet up with Mitchell and SG, both of whom are generous and charming. I went down to Kensington, where they are staying during their sojourn in London, and met Mitchell at the Gloucester Arms pub, where we sat for nearly four hours talking about our expat lives, learning languages, Palm Springs and, of course, blogs. SG joined us midway through and they even treated me to dinner (the titular fish cakes) which was completely unexpected but welcome!
There we are, about to leave the cozy pub, where none of us watched that football game in the background. (I didn't even realize it was on until I took the picture!) I think I told SG I wasn't going to post our selfie but it's a good one and none of us look silly so I'm gambling that he won't mind.
Blogging is so funny. I'd never met Mitchell in person, but just as when I first met Mary Moon and John Gray, I felt like I'd known him for years. I guess you can't read about a person's life in such detail for so long and not develop a pretty deep sense of who they are. I felt like I already knew not just informational details about Mitchell, but what he's like as a person, deep down. So it was a first meeting, but it didn't feel like a first meeting.
Plus they're good storytellers, which is a skill you need to blog effectively! And I'm just realizing, looking at that selfie, that I was wearing the shirt I bought at the Bad Girls Get Saved By Jesus thrift store while I was visiting Mary in Lloyd -- yet another blog connection.
Anyway, it was a very fun evening, and on the way out of the pub we zipped across the street to take photos of that colorful and ornate pizza restaurant in the top picture. With a lighting scheme like that, who could resist?
And now, off to work!
Not sure if I am relieved or disappointed you didn't paint the town red!!
ReplyDeleteBlogland is a wonderful place. I have yet to be dismayed by meeting a fellow blogger in the flesh and I have a few I can't wait to meet.
A great night out...and good to meet up with fellow bloggers..you deserved a lie in!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely picture of the three of you and a great advert for drinking alcoholic beverages in pubs!
ReplyDeleteTwo of my favourite bloggers, in the one photograph at the same time! How amazing is that! I have been reading both Shadows and Light, and Moving with Mitchell for years and years - can't remember how long now. Like you Steve, I feel like I know Mitchell so well, just as much as I know you too! You are both so generous in sharing your daily lives and do an extremely good job in not only keeping us entertained, but also informed about two amazing places on the planet. All the very best to both of you.
ReplyDeleteThat is so terrific to meet up with Mitchell and Geraldo and it seems you had so much fun chatting. The shirt name is funny.
ReplyDeleteMeeting blog friends is simply the best. I’m so shy beforehand and then the moment we’re standing in front of each other it’s nothing but love. I enjoyed hearing about your meeting with Mitchell. I shall have to check out his blog. Perhaps you and I will meet one day. We have, after all, known each other since 2009, I believe. You were one of my first true friends in blogland.
ReplyDeleteSo very cool,, Steve!!
ReplyDeleteHow fun! That sounds like a great evening even if it didn't last until 4 a.m. I feel the same about meeting blogging friends. It always feels like we've known each other for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking, Wowe, Mitchell and SG really went out on the town with Steven in tow!
ReplyDeleteGlad y'all had a fabulous time!
It's funny that people describe bloggers as total introverts and loners, yet really they're very social people who love to meet. That's a great selfie!
ReplyDeleteI loved this post and I loved the selfie that you took! I am so glad that you got a chance to meet. I also like what you wrote about blogging friends. One gets a chance to "meet someone" and learn a lot about their personalities and lives.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm reading along, ta,da,ta...strip club. WHAT??!!
ReplyDeleteHaha! That was great.
I'm so glad that you got to meet up with those two very handsome men. All together you are a sight for sore eyes. Isn't it wonderful when we meet up with folks we've "known" forever?
And it is a sweet little kiss from the cosmos that you're wearing that shirt.
That is excellent! I was totally taken in by your report of what you did until the dancing until 4 a.m. - for whatever reason the strip club didn't faze me, but that did. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI've only met two bloggers in person over the years but both were enjoyable experiences. Like you said, I felt like we skipped the first couple weeks of get togethers by simply reading their blog for so long.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to meet up with Mitchell. I think it would be fun to have a giant gathering of all of the bloggers I follow. It would feel like a reunion even tho we have never actually met!
ReplyDeleteThe bloggers I've met have been just as I expected and easy to talk to since we already "knew" each other quite well. It's a great photo! If you're ever in Seattle...
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun photo of the three of you! I'm glad you were able to connect in real life. My late sister and I met up with two online friends and spend a weekend at a B&B together. Like you said, we felt like we already knew each other and it was a wonderful experience. I'm glad yours was, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this with us!
Ha! As soon as I read 'strip club' and 4am, I thought ' that does not sound like Steve at ALL!' I guess it just proves your point hat you cannot read a blog for years and not get a sense of who the writer is!
ReplyDeleteWell Outstanding - Rather Pleased For This New Trio - Well Done Gents
ReplyDeleteCheers
I'm so glad you got together -- it sounds delightful and great fun. I love meeting up with other bloggers when I travel (or they do, but hardly anyone ever comes here!). And I've never once been disappointed -- they "are who they appear to be" through their blogs and I love that! What a terrific evening.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve, for partying the night away with us. SG and I slept in. What a delight to get to spend time with you, and I felt exactly as you did. I hope it’s the beginning of many times together. By the way, SG never has a problem with us sharing his photo. Thanks for sending it to me because I shared it, too.
ReplyDeleteCaro: I feel the same. I've met many bloggers over the years and we've all gotten along fine.
ReplyDeleteGZ: I did! I wish I had a longer one!
YP: And Mitchell and SG didn't even drink! (I, on the other hand, had two pints, which is why I'm slightly blurry. :) )
David: So glad you like the picture and it's great to hear that people out there appreciate our obsessive daily ruminations. :)
Andrew: All credit to Ms Moon for the name of the thrift store (which isn't its real name -- that's just what she calls it).
37P: I remember almost meeting you when I live in NYC and Sally ("Lettuce") was visiting. But then the meeting didn't happen for some reason. One of these days we'll get together!
Marty: It was fun!
Sharon: Yes! It felt the same with you and with Elizabeth in LA and many others I've met over the years.
Bob: Ha! Yeah, we are no longer 25.
Boud: Yeah, I haven't met an introverted blogger yet! I think you have to have some degree of extroversion in order to share your life this way.
Michael: It's always good to meet people in the flesh!
Ms Moon: It was totally unintentional that I wore that shirt but yes, if felt like yet another little connection.
Bug: Ha! It's funny that the strip club seemed totally normal! LOL
Ed: Yeah, exactly, we can bypass all those initial getting-to-know-you niceties.
Ellen D: I've often thought the same -- a blogger meet-up would be a blast!
Margaret: I will definitely give you a holler if I come to Seattle! :)
Kelly: Well, a weekend is quite a commitment, particularly if you haven't met before. What if you hadn't gotten along?! Or had you met them already?
Debby: I was counting on all of you to know that's not something Mitchell or I would ever do! (Well, not since college, but that's another story...)
Padre: Just wait for my trip to Grand Junction! :)
Jeanie: We're actually in Michigan every couple of years, since Dave's parents live there, but yeah, we're never quite where you are. One of these days!
Mitchell: Oh, good. Some people don't like having their photos posted but since you'd done it in the past I figured it would be fine.
It was our first time to meet in person and people thought we were crazy! I blogged about it on the now defunct 360 blog, but might have to do a new post about it at some point. You've got the wheels turning in my head!
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