Deborah Lipp

If you’ve been hanging around this blog long enough, you know Tom, who guest-posts here when I’m out of town. Tom and I have known each other for ten years. Ten. Years. And until yesterday, we had never met face-to-face. Tom and I are two of a group of about a dozen that met on the very first IMDb message boards (which were obscurely linked to and therefore self-selecting for persistent, smart people who read instructions with unusual skill) and are still friends. Tom was one of the last three I hadn’t met in person, and one of the remaining two is in Australia.

So about a month ago, Tom let the gang know he’d be in town for the holidays, and honestly? I never thought that would happen. I thought we’d meet when I visited the Left Coast. I mean Tom? In New York? Get real! But he came and he brought Jody and I’m not sure who I like better.

It was great. I met Denice (from the IMDb gang) and her husband Rich in New Jersey and we drove into the city together. Great weather, bad traffic. We drank at The Dead Poet (which has OMGZ! BEER!) and ate at Cafe con Leche (OMGZ! PAELLA!) and I think I persuaded Tom to write an interesting series which I won’t tell you about in case he doesn’t do it.

So. I guess this isn’t a great story. It made me very happy but it lacks colorful anecdotes. Just, y’know, stare at the picture of paella. (OMGZ!)