The Meeting on the Merrimack
And Dr. Flea says: “I saw these two guys get out of a car, covered in tatoos, and I wondered, could that be Moof and Pattie?”
What I never told Dr. Flea or Pattie is that I’m really a guy, and work as a bouncer in a Vegas nightclub …
Earlier this month, when Pattie told me that she and Dave were moving to North Carolina, I told her that I was happy for her, but that I wish we’d been able to meet while she was still so close by. She told me that there was still time to do so … and then echoed my own thoughts by mentioning Dr. Flea …
After a slew of email exchanges … we finally settled on a nice little seafood restaurant in Newburyport. With what I’m sure was major anticipation on all of our parts, we finally made it happen on Sunday afternoon. Dr. Flea and Ms. Flea, the Terminator and Terminator 2, Pattie and Dave, my son Doug and I, all enjoyed a delicious meal out in the bright sunshine (I have a pink nose to prove it!) … and got to actually put faces and voices to what we’d already learned of each other through our blogs.
We gave Ms. Flea and Pattie’s husband Dave a hard time because they haven’t yet joined the elite rank of the BAA (Blog Addicts Anonymous) … of which Dr. Flea, Pattie and myself are charter members … ;o)
When you set out to meet people you only know over the internet, it’s always a bit of a nervous thing. You have no idea what the quantity and quality of the person you’re meeting is really going to be. I have to say that meeting Flea and Pattie was all – and more – than the best of what I could ever have expected.
Flea is a devoted husband and father, who obviously cares very deeply for his family, and lives his medical practice. He’s a man of passion who seems as if he can’t give enough of himself to his greatest loves. Ms. Flea is an amazing lady … she singlehandedly takes care of everything. She’s a lady of many gifts and talents … not the least of which is appearing to be able to be able to juggle a hundred things at once without batting an eyelash. I’m impressed, and hope to get to know her better … :o)
Pattie is a humorous, sensitive, attractive lady – intelligent, well spoken, well presented. She and her husband reminded me of newlyweds! Dave is articulate and extremely interesting … he’s going to make a great addition to any hospital team. That hospital in Charlotte will be lucky to have him. I just wish we could have done this a lot sooner … the Carolinas are looooooooooong ways off … it’s going to be a while before we get to enjoy each others’ company again.
I’m more convinced than ever about something I’ve always thought regarding blogging and other electronic means of communication … when you get to know someone through what they write, you know them without the trappings of age, physical appearance, race, size, shape … any of the external trappings that can distract from who the person really is on the inside. When you meet after knowing a person through writing … you’ve already known each other more deeply than you ever could have by casually rubbing elbows together. Seeing each other in person adds temporal detail to what you already know.
Blogging has been a gift. It’s been an effective form of therapy … of speaking messages that would otherwise not be heard … and of meeting people that you would otherwise never get to know. It’s been worth every moment!
May 29th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Oh Moof! I feel the same way! I had such a good time yesterday meeting all of you. My husband did, too! You are just as warm, funny, and wonderful as I thought you would be. I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you (finally) and I look forward to the next time we meet!
May 29th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Oh I wish I had gotten to meet Pattie!!!! :-(
I’m glad you guys had a good time though!!
Next time you guys get together, I’m coming too!!!!!!
May 29th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Moof–Sounds like a fun day! I especially love what you said at the end: “when you get to know someone through what they write, you know them without the…external trappings that can distract from who the person really is on the inside…” That is so very true. We reveal ourselves more fully in our writing, over time, than we do, or can in any time-limited face-to-face encounter. You see into the heart of a person by what and how they write. You know them on a deeper level, and that provides a shortcut through the social superficialities that commonly occur when people meet for the first time. How wonderful for all three of you, getting to meet “old friends” for the first time.
May 29th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Thats so awesome!
May 29th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
Thanks so much for the photos, Moof, by which I mean the ones without the smiley faces! And thanks so much for your kind words. Finally, thanks for making yesterday happen. Let’s do it again soon!
best,
Flea
May 29th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Adorable
Adorable
Adorable.
Did I say that this post was adorable?
And I love that you respected Flea’s wish for privacy.
~Deb
May 29th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
How fun! I do wish that we were not so far apart! Oklahoma is just a bit far from the east coast.
Maybe we’ll have to go to India to see Scan Man to meet!
Wouldn’t that be fun! (make sure you bring your jello so he can watch you wrestle)
May 29th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Hey Moof sounds like you had a wonderful time!!! Someday when I’m working again maybe we can meet:) Glade you had such a wonderful time and thanks for sharing the pics. Hey Pk Im not to far from you:) maybe I can make a weekend trip sometime….
May 29th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Way too cool!!!! There are many folks from the blogosphere that I would love to meet in person . . .but this will have to do!
May 29th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
Wolfbaby that would be too cool! Wanda’s right here too.
May 29th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
I’m so glad that you guys got to meet each other.
Hey Peggikaye…
I haven’t forgotten about my invitations.
You will have to make good on at least one of them sooner or…
later…
;+ )
May 29th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Sounds like you all had a great time :)
I agree totally with Moof & Tundra PA. Here is what Moofie had to say in one of her early emails to me…
and a great compliment in a later mail :)
& for those who are wondering what’s with Peggikaye’s reference to jello & wrestling… it is NOT what you are thinking.
That was about the mound of jello that Moof had to prepare for a lunch over the Easter weekend.
May 29th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
TJ … I hadn’t forgotten either!
That will be so cool to have you take me up on one of those!
Blogger party at Wallraising! lol
Oh, and I think the jello and wrestling comments can be read on the Easter postings, or was that in the chat box? If it’s in the chat box their gone. But I think it was in the comments.
May 29th, 2006 at 11:53 pm
We could always have a bloggers convention somewhere in the middle wouldn’t that be fun!!!!
May 30th, 2006 at 1:16 am
Pattie … I’m so seriously looking forward to the next time … !!! Yesterday has sort of “clung” to me all day, and made the day so much more pleasant than it would otherwise have been! Thanks so much for making it possible … !
—
Sarah, I really wished you could have been there too. You’d have loved Pattie even more than you do now! I have a feeling you’d have taken a hankering to everyone else too! (Pssst! Terminator and Terminator II were quite the “DUDES!” ;o)
—
Tundra PA – thank you for dropping in! You left a beautiful comment – and I must say that loved reading it. The following line is very “affective,” and will probably be used quite a bit in the future:
How wonderful for all three of you, getting to meet “old friends†for the first time.
Thank you!
—
Amie … yes! I agree! :o)
Are you settled into your new home yet?
—
Dr. Flea! Thanks for stopping in! And YES! Let’s do it again QUITE soon! :D
—
Deb, that was really sweet of you. Thank you! About Dr. Flea … don’t you think there’s an uncanny family resemblance there? ;o)
—
Pk … jello wrestling in India! HEY! That sounds like fun! You don’t mind if we come to visit and bring our jello, do you Dr. Scan Man? *grin*
—
Wolfbaby … dear heart, you just say when … would be really nice if you and Pk could meet though! Maybe TJ could get in on that too – she and Pk aren’t far, I don’t think. And Wanda is there too …
—
Scan Man – that was about the nicest comment anyone has ever left me. Thank you, my friend! You know … it’s all quite true! Writing to you has been a really amazing experience for me! Suddenly, the world became a very tiny place.
One night, I went to bed with a feeling of absolute awe … I had just spent about an hour talking to Dr. Scan Man in my shout box as he was getting ready for work. Here I was, on this side of the world, getting ready to turn out the light and go to sleep – and there was Scan Man, getting up to go to work — and we had just had a wonderful chat … clear across the globe. He wasn’t even living the same day as I was … for him, it was my “tomorrow morning!
The internet is the most incredible communication tool ever created!
He also sent me some exotic music in Tamil … I’ve gotten rather addicted! :D
Thank you so much for all of that!
—
Pk and Wolfbaby … you know, that could happen … :o)
May 30th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Man am I jealous!!! I wish I could meet the Moof! Dang… Hopefully someday.
Thanks for sharing the pictures You can really see the Flea family resemblance.
May 30th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Shucks I came over here to see the Flea…artfully blotted out by his instrument of choice (bass or electric that is!)….
Love the photos. Even more impressed that I know the place you ate! Have a lovely photo of a friend and her husband in a similar shot as the ones you show!
Now how is that for BIZARRE, coming from a Canadian reader?!
Must read more of your blog now….
k
May 31st, 2006 at 12:08 am
Dr. IBear! But we’re GONNA meet! We’re going to go to a Pink Floyd concert together, and then we’re all going to get silly on my homemade Grateful Deads!!! Right? Right!!! :o)
We’ve just got to make it happen!!! w00t!
—
K … I’m glad you came over to see the Flea. He’s such a handsome fellow! Strange resemblance between he and his wife, wouldn’t you say? And his two little people are just chips off the ol’ block! >;o)
It is, indeed, amazing to learn that you know the place we ate! *LOL* Bizzare doesn’t even begin to cover it!
Thanks for visiting me! Don’t be a stranger! :o)
June 1st, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Without the internet and writing as communication tools, I wouldn’t be where I am now, or with my beloved Chris. I truly got to know Chris “from the inside out” and even though the outside is sexy, gorgeous, and awesome, the inside is even more so. I don’t criticize those who take caution to extremes and mistrust everyone online because “they could be ANYONE!”. But I know for myself, my life would be so much poorer without not only my Chris, but Moof and Sarah-Jean, Wolfbaby, and SO many more.
July 18th, 2007 at 7:48 am
[...] Flea, Mrs. Flea and the two little “Terminators,” and my son Dougie and I, all had a meeting in Merrimack, MA. It was great! The sun was shining, the food was plentiful, and we enjoyed each other’s [...]