Sunday, 18 November 2007

I Met a Man on the Internet

As far as strange things go, this might just be one of the strangest things to ever happen to me and my family.

I've been doing this blog for nearly a year now. On the back of this, my sister started one and my extended family (Janell and her crew of siblings) proliferated too many to link to here. In a stranger twist of fate, one of my sister's university/college roommates/sorority sisters (Leah)decided to start one.

Now hang on for this. Leah has married a man named Adrian. 'sbest friend and best man at his wedding is a man named Joe. Joe would regularly comment on Leah's blog and you could count on us disagreeing. Before I knew what had happened Joe was a regular visitor to my blog.

Inevitably, Joe disagreed with what I wrote and would express himself passionately all over my comments. Other regular visitors to my blog assumed I knew Joe. He visited Janell's blog and her family's catalogue of blogs. You can see the passionate opinions he has incited on the current post about my new boss.

So, the really strange thing is I barely know Leah. I've never meant Adrian. Joe has met my sister because she was Leah's maid of honour and Joe was Adrian's best man but they aren't buds and haven't really had more than a 10 minute conversation. But Joe visited my home Friday evening.

Yes, you read that correctly. A man I had never met and vehemently disagrees with me on just about everything had dinner with me and my family in our home. How does this happen, I ask myself (and you are probably asking me as well)?

Joe works for an international company and just recently gained responsibility for the patch that has an office near our home. When he found out he was going to be in our neck of the woods (so to speak) he dropped me a note and we arranged a time to get together.

Janell will be pleased to know that there was no physical violence. We didn't even have a single argument. We marvelled at the photographs of Joe's beautiful family and his homes (both soon to be old and soon to be new). We ogled his technology gadgets. We giggled at his Americaness. We shared a meal of traditional English curry take away. We drank more and stayed up later than we should have. We got up way too early and met up for coffee and a whistle stop tour of Windsor and the castle. Then we dropped him off at the airport.

My husband is revelling in telling people that "my wife and I had a man over that we met on the Internet." I've asked him to stop saying that.

Joe will be returning to England on a regular basis and he is more than welcome to visit us. We hope he brings his family one of these times and stays for a wee bit longer than a couple of hours late at night. We hope to show him a bit more of my adopted country.

Anyone else planning a visit?

10 comments:

Janell said...

So glad to know no blows were exchanged. It sounds like a good time was had by all!
Wish I could come, but don't see it happening in the forseeable future.

Anonymous said...

I had a great time. Seb and Abi are great (Abi is a doll). I was pleasantly surprised that you had Argentinian wine, which happens to be my favorite. I buy it by the case, everytime I go down there.

The only points of sarcasm, was when Ladawn offered to have Seb show me his ballet dances. Ladawn clearly cringed when I mentioned, un-intentionally by the way, cutting down trees.

The Indian food was great, the hotel she recommended was awesome and right across from Windsor Castle.

In sum, I'd do it again. Perhaps next time we make it a dinner party or something. Invite other people and we can inject some passionate debate. My wife and Son will make it over to London, I just don't know which trip.

Anonymous said...

One other comment/correction, I wasn't the best man in Adrian's wedding.

Adrian and I are "buds", in fact I consider him a very close friend of mine (even though he's been out of touch lately).

Janell said...

In looking at this again, describing Joe's connection through the sister's best friend's wedding's best man... etc. sounds like and Abbot & Costello routine! How about if we just call each other "blogospherites?" ....or not.... There has to be a simpler way to say it.

Anonymous said...

Love it Janell! Blogospherites!

Anonymous said...

That's great! This is one thing i REALLY love about blogging; the ability to connect and interact with people that we may not have come across before. I actually met my business partner online which is definitely a crazy story and when my husband tells it people just look at him wondering if he has lost it.

I'm a new reader to LaDawn's blog, but it's nice to meet you Joe and I hope to see your feisty comments in the future!

Sue said...

I think I have become addicted to blogging. It gives those of us that think later "I should have said" time to think of what we should say. Also time to bite your tounge before putting you foot in your mouth.
Sue

LaDawn said...

Job - Steph (my sis) has a distinct memory of walking down the aisle with you. what were you doing?

Anonymous said...

One hand on her breast and the other on her but. She was lovin every minute of it. I think we made Heather Jealous!

Ses5909 - I like to think of them as passionate, not feisty.

Janell said...

Joe - if you were really doing that (you rascal) maybe she whacked you uoside the head so hard, you forget you were best man?

How about "Blogospherians?" Rolls off the tongue a little easier.

Or "Bolg-o-Ramas..." okay I'm done now.
Maybe...