• 12:00 AM
  At the U Village, we rackin' up Hats

So, this Sunday I went to my very first Livejournal MEETUP. Only, instead of an official MEETUP where I would meet THESE FOLKS, apparently at the hot dog shop on Pike, I met up with a single Livejournal person, at the B&N cafe. It was this person who is known as Levenator.

Helen and I motored down to the cafe after tracing the mileage for her run (Helen runs a lot. Like, more than I like to think about. She gets bored with her route and has to find new ones, with even GREATER mileage).

We got there early and wandered around the U Billage mall for a while, wondering if we'd run into our target prematurely. Would we recognize her if we did? All we had was a Christmas photo to go by. We finally went into the packed cafe (which I believe I made a small flash cartoon about earlier and didn't recognize ANYBODY. How embarassing! Fortunately she wasn't there yet.

One other funny thing is, this isn't the first time I've met someone from online at U-Village. With Helen! Years and years ago, before we really knew each other at all, I met Jen Wade at the most profitable starbucks in the world (seriously; it's the one at U Village), and called the other online journal person I vaguely knew in the area, which was Helen. Was I already sweet on her? I don't know about that, but I was on purposely requesting her presence, so there must've been something.

Levenator turned out to be neither chatty nor silent. Pretty much the same as me or Helen. We had casual conversation at Johnny Rockets (also in aforementioned flash cartoon), and discussed journal entries and flash cartoons. I knew that writing about this meeting would be hilariously self referential. ARGH! We also discussed skiing, snorkels, and those inconvenient coke glass->mug converters that seemed designed to trick you into dropping part of your cup. (they serve shakes with those at J.Rockets)

Well anyway, we had expected that Levenator would bring her fiancee, but he did not make an appearance that day. He has a livejournal too, but like many people who have better things to do, his is for the express purpose of interacting with his real-life friends in their online incarnation. (exactly like Helen's LJ.) My overall impression of Levenator? Knowing that she will read this? I can be honest. She's a truly nice person, has very good manners, and a perfect complexion. She also volunteered to pay the tip, which totalled more than her shake cost, I think. Helen paid for everyone's food. I paid for.. uh.. well I used my B&N card to get a small discount at the cafe. See, I had the worst manners and skin at the table!

We parted with a brief photo shoot, so I could keep produce a goofy flash cartoon I had thought of earlier involving Levenator's disembodied head. Seriously! It will be great!

So now what should we do? Call her when we're in her area? Randomly ask her if she wants to wander around Bellevue Square with us? I'm not really sure how or when to make new friends. If this is how, then Levenator (and most likely her Fiancee) would be the first in-person friends I've made in Seattle for half a decade, who wasn't already one of Helen's friends. I do need friends - I've just been losing them for the past few years, to death and estrangement. Levenator, be my friend! Oh man - that sounds really desperate. I meant: lets chat more on YIM!

Afterwards, Helen and I had a discussion about what I feel comfortable about writing online. It's a recurring issue in my life: People that don't want to be written about, people that would be written about. Issues that I feel are too stupid or private to share.

When I started out, Sept. 96, it was just an at-will thing where I would write whatever I wanted. It didn't matter if I wrote that I hated someone or omitted mention of something - ridiculous, really, to even notice! Now it seems much more grim and serious. I can't write about work, or I'll get fired. I can't write about my friends and how awful they are (just kidding, friends), since they read it. It annoys me GREATLY that I can't do these things. I do understand why people rename their journals, hide from their friends and relatives, and password protect things. I thought I would be different. I wanted to be honest, and to say what was on my mind. Why can't I? It's just me, right? Jobs can be discussed without identifying information. Friends might understand that my honest opinion reflects badly on me, not them.

If there's anything I'm striving toward in my life, it's honesty. Ability to be honest in my expression and understanding of myself. This journal is the Jerkcity of my honesty.