This is supposed to be about me?

[Mari Sloan]

Blogging is something I've never done, but I have been part of an ongoing e-mail group for more than eight years. I imagine this is somewhat like that, only a little more. Although I hate being boring, it might be fun talking a little about what I do IRL (In Real Life). IRL is versus here, cyberspace, virtual reality, whatever the catchword of the moment is.

I've survived a lot in cyberspace the last eight years. I was a regular in the AOL Author's Lounge during it's infancy,.when it was all fun and flirting and hosted to prevent cursing, overt mention of the s act or the f word...the bad element. Unforunately the "bad element" broke through, and I have friends who have been swindled, moved in with cyber lovers who were real buggers IRL, and eventually my husband and I made some cyber history of our own. Many of these early cyber friends are IRL friends now, very precious IRL friends.

My husband and I met online and fell in love, and in the year 2000 he traveled an extra thousand miles in a rented Ryder truck to meet his "AtlantaMari" when he moved to California from NYC, coming back three months later to get me and drive me and all of my earthly possessions across the USA to be with him. But those are stories for another time.

As to our life here in the Land of Fruits and Nuts, steering as hard right as we can in the Fast Lane...now let's see, how many other cliches can I use? It's an eternity away from what I now call "My Past Life". Tonight, when I left the office, I walked carefully around two fully assembled bunk beds, complete with mattresses, sitting in the parking lot as I made my way to my car.

"Wait!" I stopped to wait as the Store Decorator flew out of the corridor. "Are these going out?"

Dozens of replies jockeyed for the starting gate as she approached. I eliminated the ever cute Gee? I didn't know they even knew each other and the more practical Out where? and settled for a more whimsical approach.

"Nah! They're for the party! Didn't anyone tell you about the party?" Jan looked crushed. "No one invited you?"

"What party?" I really had her attention now.

"The warehouse party! The warehouse Spend the Night Party. No one told you?"

"Oh Mari!" (I get that al lot. They can't get rid of me because I'm the AdMin and no one would ever be able to find anything. :-) Yes, the delivery company was loading up late and the beds were, indeed, going out to find their way to their new home.

I am much more mellow tonight than this morning,when I intended to start "The Blog." I was counting this morning...three minutes to brush my hair and teeth...45 seconds to put on boots, exactly 120 seconds to the parking lot and how many red lights can I have to stop for this morning and still make it on time? Exactly 65 MPH on the 101. I know right where the spider hides, on the dirt space under the 23 ramp at Rancho Rd. FULL stop before making the turn onto T. O. Been there, gotten THAT ticket before. Exactly 35 MPR and right. Just because I'm here first doesn't mean I shouldn't be on time. Log in and THEN to the breakroom for breakfast. Mornings are all about time. Evenings are all about sleep.

Weekends! Thank God for weekends. God made readers and weekends. Life is good.