let's go back, one more time...

On my most recent trip to Olympia, which seems long ago now, there was one last little nugget of gold to show you all. A very good friend of ours(Ours meaning you all reading along and me), Tod, was travelling in this part of the world at the same time as me. EEEK! We had made some plans to meet when he, G and their friends were passing through Olympia. Imagine taking time out of your honeymoon travels to visit me...and Olympia. Such pressure! EEEK! So, that morning, while waiting for "the call," I must have changed clothes twelve or so times, finally ending up in the jeans and white teeshirt I had started out in anyway. Why?!? Folks, I just don't know! Washington state created GRUNGE, for goodness sakes. We're not known for trying too hard!
And then...the phone call. EEEK! They were waiting for me at the Spar. Jumped in the car and found parking...free parking, by the way. That's a good sign, isn't it?
Walking through the doors, I saw Tod immediately, and fluke of flukes, they were all seated in my booth...the booth we all used to sit in every time as a kid! How cool is that?!? Pretty cool, if you ask me! First off, a hug! That felt right! Sssso, then moment of truth had arrived...we sssspoke. And I wasss nervousss and held my sssses a beat longer than normal people do(feels like 10 beats longer to me), but other than that, I waylaid any fears they might have had that I was...what was it you were worried I might be, Tod? A secret crazy internet axe murderer, was it? Mwuhahahaha!
After that initial awkwardness of first meetings, and the distraction of very bad service from the waitress, it seemed we all fell into an easssy converssation. Whew. And then my esses were normal again. Double whew.
We decided to bail on the Spar and wander the downtown for a while...and I was supposed to be giving a bit of a walking tour of Olympia...but I realized half a block into it, I don't really know too much about it. I could tell you which bar I was kicked out of for singing Sinead O'Conner, or which buildings used to have unsecured fire escapes(great for watching fireworks over the lake), I could point out the better of the glut of coffee shops, and where the best sparkley makeup is, and can finally, lead you into the Farmer's Market...but don't ask me for much in the way of history. So we wandered the market for a while, the smell of greenery and fruit, baked goods and sweet treats permeating the air and then we found ourselves at Sorento's for lunch...where the service started out about like the Spar, but I think the waiter really like the accents at our table because he started coming around a lot! Must have made him feel Olympia was cultured!
Around the lunch table, it was easier to really talk, and the conversation was good. Everyone was gabbing, joking, teasing each other, involved in serious conversations and frivolous ones, talked about fellow bloggers(don't you wonder what we said?)....it felt like I had known Tod,G, Paul and Irene much longer than a couple of hours. In a sense, I guess I have. Tod is just as funny, if not funnier in "real life." He can deliver a one-liner with a straight face...a trait I hope to have one day, too. He has that same sweet side that comes through, as well, and it was comforting to meet, physically, the same person I see in his writings.
All too soon, it was over and time for them to hit the road. Just like that.
Thanks for lunch, you guys, and for stopping to meet. When I go home to Olympia, it always feels a bit like visiting the past. It was such a delightful treat to add of dash of the "here and now" to those hometown ghosts. It was a highlight of my trip. Thank you so much.
Next time maybe it will be longer...when is the next trip to Vegas?!?