I had a coffee date last week with my Internet friend M&Co–a THREE AND A HALF HOUR coffee date! On a weeknight, even! It was, as she said, like a blind date, except that I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be disappointed by my tragically small boobs. Because I’ve been on THAT blind date before (haven’t we all?).

I have to admit I was a little nervous; I’ve always scoffed at people who proudly announce, ‘Oh we met on the Internet!’ It seems a little . . . wierd . . . to me. I mean, how do you really KNOW what this other person is like? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think long and hard about what I write here (although I’m sure it doesn’t always look that way). What if it turned out that, in person, I needed a lot more editing and spell checking? But there was nothing wierd or awkward about my three hours of chit chat with M; we have a lot in common, and she’s so very very funny and thoughtful and kind–just like she is on her website. (And Crayonz, she DOES have brown hair, although it is short and curly, which makes me desperately envious. She also has her own law practice, which I envy, and the cutest pedicure ever. Maybe she should post some pictures of those toes? Everyone go ask her to post pictures!)

It was so nice to talk to another adult–a smart, funny adult to boot–without any kids around. It was also nice to talk to someone I made friends with on my own, without the intervention of my spouse or children. And can you believe we talked for THREE AND A HALF HOURS? In the end, it was less like a blind date and more like catching up with someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.

And her account of our meeting made me smile–although she did fail to mention that when she showed up, I was reading The Washingtonienne, the ‘novel’ based on Jessica Cutler’s blog. Dont’ bother reading the book–the blog is shorter and frankly, better written. (Have I mentioned how much I hate that word, ‘blog’? And yet I just keep right on using it, and all it’s horrible forms–blogger, blogging, blogitty . . . ugh.)

Today’s unrelated BLOG trivia: did you know that the first weblog was started in 1994 by a student at Swarthmore College? Well, it was. Where were YOU in 1994?