Post gone

I have just typed out a huge post and the blogmonster ate it.. ack.

In essence i was saying Happy Online Friends Day...

I created this on Monday - but couldnt share it because the kit hadn't yet been released - this one is worth grabbing (ok they all are..LOL) SMJ's new Flea Market Baskets kit - www.shabbymissjenndesigns.com Now that the kit is available - I can share!

I have been lucky to have met and 'met' so many wonderful people online.

A friend at uni got me to use a chat room so that we could work on the assignment we were doing together without disturbing her young son with phone calls, and so that we could work at odd hours. It suited me fine - but I thought she was quite mad. She had begun to make friends with some of the people online!! Imagine the fruitloops she must have been chatting to.

Well. three assignments later - I was a fruitloop. ;)

She introduced me to a guy in Sydney. Dave. He came to visit us - I was a lil nervous for about 2 minutes. We look so alike we could be brother and sister and we spent the next few years going back and forth and looking out for each other. He worked at a printers, I was a graphic artist. Match made in heaven and I helped out when they got too busy.

I had a car accident in a hire car and discovered that one of the girls in the chatroom actually worked for our state dept of transport. Little did i know she was the ministers assistant..LOL So after lots of helpful advice I met her IRL and I took her out for breakfast to say thanks. 9 years on she holds a special place in my heart. We spent many many many hours misbehaving together and generally creating trouble.

We had the pleasure of entertaining a greek student who was studying aerospace engineering in England who had an almightly large crush on her. He claimed to be interested in Australia and came to stay. It didnt work out but we had a fab time showing him around and sharing this great land. She married another guy she met online and they have a gorgeous little boy and have moved to sydney for work. I miss her and I miss thinking 10pm meant it was a great time to start the party.

Then of course there are the countless other people we havent met. The guy in Darwin who we are hoping to meet later this year. Sam is very cool and over the last 9 years we have shared the ups and downs of life and growing up. Sam is a few years younger than me but is no longer a young innocent sweet boy. His emails indicate he has discovered the joys of drink and women ;)

I hope to one day soon to do a tour of the states.. a few shoots.. and lots of long conversations and coffee and shabby afternoon teas. I need to cover most of the country to see all we want to and meet all we love. There are photos on our walls of Emily and Angela, there is the artwork of SMJ and SP.. I have watched their children grow all too quickly over the last couple of years and enjoyed their journalling.

of course there is the other guy I met online. He seemed nice enough. geniune... you meet people in a chat room and at first it is hard to tell but spend enough time chatting you can pick the real ones. This guy was interested in moving to Brisbane and working in the same field as my ex - who had just quit his job. Seemed like a good match so I told him about the job and said to send a CV. He didnt have one. So I helped him write one (ok I wrote it)... I also helped him do his tax via MSN..LOL He didnt get the job and decided to come down and hand out CVs to appropriate companies. Again I thought I would help out and showed him around. He moved down 10 days later and found a job soon after. What can I say sometimes you get lucky - being nice to someone for the heck of it pays off in ways you never think possible. I married that nice guy a couple of years later and now I have Lochie. :) :)

Andrew had been chatting to a lady in Canberra for a couple of years. She seemed so nice. REALLY nice. I question that. I am neither a half full or half empty person. I am a realist. It is rare to find someone who really is NICE all the time. So I question it. I was going to Canberra with a friend and we were off to see the Monet exhibition.. fly in sat. see the gallery.. fly out sunday. 36 hours total. Chris offered to pick us up from the airport and come with us. OK! That was nice. She was lovely. We did the gallery.. then we did afternoon tea .. we had dinner with another online friend..She picked us up for breakfast and we went to her home - and before we jumped on the next plane she showed us around. We went to the National Muesum. It wasn't very good IMHO but it had just opened and we were all taking it in. I mentioned that my dad was from the area that one of the displays was about. She said she had family from up that way. We didnt think more of it. I arrived home and found an email 2 days later asking what my surname was (isnt it funny what you dont share online and would in real life). Long story and some working it back and forth. Chris is my Dad's cousin. They had childhood holidays together. They are one year apart and Dad took great delight in teasing his city slicker cousin. Chris is my first cousin once removed and we have had enjoyed getting to know all the families on both sides. She is a great! and she really is that nice!

And then there are cross over friends.. like Sharon and Dee.. who I know online and have met more than once. These people make life richer. Sure I have friends I met 'the normal way'.. but the friends I have met online and the friends I can keep in touch with via email and chat has enriched my life no end.

and lets not forget my fab design team - even tho i dont create much in the way of product - they are always so super supportive and talented... love their work!

So.. Happy Online friends day to all of those mentioned above.. and to you. Blog readers make fabulous online friends too :)

Comments

[Jodie]

LOL at the fruitloop comment... guess I am one as well ;) Gorgeous layout and love your journaling.

[ksharonk]

Awwww, thanks! I have fond memories of meeting you at MacDonalds, kids in tow, just in case you were too strange, lol! Scrapping friends, then online friends, now real life friends! :)

[Penelope]

Some of my best friends started as online friends :-)

[Greta]

Happy online friends day to you too! I'm so glad we have crossed paths online because even though I've never met you in person, you truly are a gem. :)

[emily]

you put the rest of us to shame! lol. you're such a thoughtful, generous, wonderful person. thank you!!! and happy online friends day to YOU too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! some day i really am going to get to australia :).

[emily]

oh, and i HATE it when posts disappear...that is like one of the most annoying things EVER!

[Michelle Filo]

argh, did you have to write all this again? poor thing!

happy online friends day (I had no idea that existed LOL)

make sure to pop by to say hello next time you are in Canberra :)

[Tricia Kennedy]

Lanne you are so sweet! One day I'm sure we'll meet either here or there! I'm hoping for the "there" part...lol!

[Shabby Miss Jenn]

I LOOOVE YOUR PAGE SWEET FRIEND!