Friday, May 22, 2009

Love at First Byte



Confession. I haven't been blogging long. Actually, I believe I started in mid February with my very first post, Twist Top. It is still a favorite of mine. Of course, being a new blogger, I did as all new bloggers and started trolling trawling looking for blogs to read as well. One of the first I found was Love Letters by Cora. Her true to life profile picture lured me in, but it was her bubbly personality and snip wit made me a follower.

Cora is in the process of building a budding, blooming, blossoming a forest fire of a relationship with a tree of a man named Scope. He's quite the gentleman. A real keeper. He's also like over a foot taller than she is and looms over her like a 100 year old oak tree. But get this. She met him here, on Blogger, over the internet.

Internet relationships don't work. You're taking a chance meeting someone you've never actually met. You'll end up with the uni-bomber.

WRONG!!!

Well, maybe not wrong for everyone. Internet hook-ups have a potential for danger danger danger. Yes, it's true. But if you are careful, do back ground checks, make your relationship known to the public, and learn karate...Tae Kwan Do...Pilates...it can also be just as fun, exciting, and rollar coastery as meeting someone the typical way. I met my husband of more years than I thought I would ever stay married over the internet.

Yes. You heard me. Over the internet.

We were both avid gamers. I'll admit, he was way more avid that I was, but I was in the avid field. My baby sister introduced me to this wonderfully medieval, fantasy world called (pause) Everquest. I loved it. Imagine a network where you can not only Instant Message people, but you do that WHILE you are hacking away at some burly monster, wearing fabulous science fantasy...FANTASY people...we're talking big boobs, small waist, and tight butt fantasy...clothing, casting magic spells, drinking mead, and eating bread all at the same time! My brother-in-law was easily annoyed by my ability to meet and greet. Even in the midst of battle, I would always be in the middle of pink conversation (otherwise known as tells or er...instant messaging). I played a healer. Her name was Polnedra (I miss her so so so much). Anyway, to make this book of a story short, one night my sister, who was a druid, was playing with her friend Keiser, who was a dwarf rogue. He invited his friend, Moloc, who was a half-elf ranger ::insert man find whistle::. They needed a healer. She called me. I came a-runnin.

I would like to say that when we met our eyes locked across a room of dead frog people...the world stopped spinning...sappy music filled the air...time stopped. But the truth was, I had never healed a ranger before, so in the beginning my ineptitude annoyed him, and he kinda just ignored me. Keiser, on the other hand, was easily swayed by my elfin big boobs and blonde wit. So, I was invited back. Eventually, I was able to hook my claws...er...get my hands on...shove my way in...um...got to know Moloc. We started out as casual chatters:

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Whats up?"

"killin shit."

"Cool."

"Yeah, Cool."

Obviously, we extended our conversations to include more than one syllable words.

As time went by, we went from casual gamer conversations in guild chat, to talking in tells (I.M.'s), to yahoo instant messaging. Then one night...while lightening crashed and thunder rolled...while the wind shook my window panes like a thirsty vampire struggling to break in...I asked Moloc for his phone number. Believe it or not, HE WAS THE LEARY ONE! He almost didn't give it. I can't say I blame him. I was the freaking older woman that played online fantasy based games. But he gave in, and I not only got his number, but he gave me his real name as well. I guess it would have been kind of awkward calling him by his gaming name. Ta ha. We talked from 9 to 5. Seriously. 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. I had work in the morning. It was crazy insane. I'll be honest, by the time 5 a.m. rolled around, I was crushing hard. Real Hard.

After a month or two of phone chatting (keep it clean, girls), he decided we needed to meet. I freaked. Honestly, I didn't know if I was ready to meet him. My butt was too big, I didn't have boobs like Polnedra, and the hair on my legs have a tendency to grow inches the minute I shave. It was a scary decision to make, but I said, after about a week of pondering, yes. Yes, I said yes. He made plans, let people know he was flying off to meet a mad woman so that if he didn't return, they could inform the FBI, and flew down here. We decided to try it out, just for the weekend. I was so freaking nervous walking to his terminal.

He was just as nervous, sitting there with his suitcase between his knees, although you won't get him to admit it. He said I was hiding behind the pillar (I wasn't...I was trying to figure out which one was him), too shy to walk up to him. He stood up. He smiled. He said, "Hey, you. Come here." and gave me a huge hug...no kisses...no stress...no expectation...just a huge, glorious, hug (the rest came later).

It was one of the best weekends of my life.

26 comments:

  1. Hehe!!! I had always known you two met on Everquest but I'm happy to finnaly have heard the story!! I'm so happy it worked out for you guys! You seem great together!

    It has been about 11 months since hubby and I switched servers but I still miss playing WOW with you guys!! Well I miss playing wow since we quit 2.5 months ago but I all ways missed playing with yas. (And chatting with you!) Say Hi to your hubby for me.

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  2. I KNOW! I miss you, too. We haven't played WoW in months. I don't even think my account is active anymore. However, I'm so glad you made the effort to keep in touch with me, esp. NOW that you're having a little one. I told Wes yesterday, and he was like "What? You mean Cadd stopped playing long enough to make that happen?

    Kidding!

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  3. Are you ready for the comment novel to follow, because OMG! (I know, I sound like a frickin’ blonde, don’t I?)

    I saw the picture, thought maybe a new game was coming out, and almost screamed like a little gurl. (Yeah, on purpose.) I’ve never played online Everquest. We played Champions of Norrath (where I was a cleric) and CoN: Return to Arms (where I was a lizard shaman). On the PS2. We even got a multitap so Alexa could play with us. Hmmm, I think I smell a family activity this weekend…

    My previous ex-boyfriend, let’s call him Steve (‘cuz that’s his name), and I met on the internet. In some chat room. We talked on the phone a TON. Then, during Spring Break, I went up to visit him. I was soooooo nervous. My sister took me to the airport, and my nerves were so shaky, I knew I was gonna be sick. It didn’t help that there was a couple of hour delay on the flight. Or that some hungover guy was throwing up in a trash can nearby. But I went. Spent a week in Minnesota. Our running joke was that I was fattening him up to eat him and that he was leading me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me and hide my body. Clearly we were a match made in, well, somewhere…

    In May, he came down to visit me for a week. We drove down to visit my cousin in Biloxi. Took a side trip to Pensacola Beach. And I started planning a move to Fargo, North Dakota. Which I did in August. The following April I moved back, with him to follow the next month, after school was out. He lived with me for 3 years. He grew a lot. He learned how to do things for himself, like drive and pump gas. I learned what it was like to teach someone to live like an adult. We ended up not being compatible. He moved out at my request. To another apartment on the other side of the same complex.

    A few months later, Lee came back into my life from high school, and the rest, as they say, is history. But I refuse to ever meet anyone from the internet again. Not that I'm bitter, just older and wiser.

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  4. Alex, I think that is a great story. Call me crazy, you won't be the first, but I'm very comfortable meeting people from the internet. I've met several and none seemed like stalkers. One of my best friends now I met from a message board, we are separated by many miles but we talk online, on phone, I went to her daughter's Bat Mitzvah, so much more.
    I'm not a gamer.......but I'm a blogger girl now!

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  5. I LOVE this story. Thanks for sharing!
    Dang; updates aren't showing on my sidebar, and my hair is frizzy in this heat, and the tanning place didn't tell me they changed the bulbs so I burnt my rear, there's nothing to eat in this house, and a ton of laundry awaits, it looks like I've been LIVING in my car, and dang; updates aren't showing on my sidebar.

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  6. Aww... what a great story!

    Also, I thought MY legs were the only ones that grew hair that fast! I feel so sorry for you!

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  7. This is hysterical. I don't speak gamer, but I speak fate, destiny and Lifetiome Movie of the week. "aawwww!"

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  8. That's a great story! I used to talk on the phone to my husband for hours also! Don't you love that giddy/sickish feeling it gives ya? Nothin' quite like wanting to puke cuz your in looove. : )
    My cousin met her AWESOME HOT hubby online. She is embarrassed to tell her mom, so she still doesn't know! But everyone loves him! And did I mention...he's hot?! Oh yeah, I think I did...
    THANK YOU for checking my site out! I love when FUNNY people check me out and sometimes even think I'm funny!
    Macey

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  9. What an awesome story. I've met so many great people online (you included). Like Anita, I've even met two in person. Both times it was a great experience. And I know I've said this to you before, but I'll say it again. You have a younger husband?! You go girl!

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  10. LOL... You will have to tell Wes that Cadd quit playing at the same time as me. Actually it was HIS idea and I was the one that didn't want to stop playing. (Funny how roles reverse sometimes!) But I knew it was the best thing for us. I joke around a bit about being a recovering WOWoholic! =P

    I don't think there would be much of anything to worry about if a couple met another couple, which would be the case with many of the people that I have met over the internet that I would like to meet in person. Like you, Wes and a few from my last guild. And if a person were to meet another person... I think that as long as the proper precautions were taken, everything would be fine. But if anyone is like me there would always be horror stories and CSI episodes running through the back of my mind to make me a bit nervous. But that is probably a good thing, keeps you aware.

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  11. I will chime in as the others and say I'm glad you told your story. But for me it's another reason. The Boy. Yup my son plays an online game and has met a girl. They chat online everyday and will talk on the phone for 5 hours at a time. I was very leery at first about the whole thing since she too is older than he. But reading your story has put my mind at ease some. Your awesome!

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  12. Alex, you said the other day over on my blog how perfect Tom and I are for each other? We met through a dating service. Another "oh noes, don't do it, everyone is gonna DIIIIIIIIE" situation. I posted our love story for Valentine's Day, but may repost for our anniversary or something since I have a lot of readers now I didn't have then... Thank you for sharing your romance!!! I love stories like this!

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  13. I used to play EverQuest a long time ago. Before kids, when I had the time. I was a cleric named Restina.

    This was a really sweet story.

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  14. What a lovely story!
    I was so nervous to meet the au pair family I found in the net for the first time. It's always strange/interesting/a bit scary to meet someone face to face after you get to know them online or on the phone.
    Glad it worked out for ye! :)

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  15. aw. what an incredible story! I did try internet dating, and lets just say it ended quite inexplicably horrible. but that's great for you!

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  16. What a wonderful love story !! Write about it more . LOL I love happy endings .

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  17. Thanks everyone, for not thinking I'm a weirdo from another planet, although looking back, I wonder where I got my courage from. I'm glad he came here first, though. It would have been nerve wracking if I had to go there first, instead.

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  18. Ah, now you've gone and made me tear up. What a sweet story...with a happy....well, it hasn't ended, has it?

    Thanks for reminding us taking chances is a good thing.

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  19. A game. That is a interesting way to meet.

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  20. how sweet! and now you're married and living happily ever after! I love it! I'm so glad you joined in the fun with us today! I hope you have a great memorial day!

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  21. Internet love.....great story!

    Happy FMM!

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  22. Great story!! Thanks for sharing!

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  23. I understood none of your gaming talk but the love story I totally got! What a story!

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  24. You guys are cracking me up. I didn't even touch on game speak. Trust me, it's a whole nother language.

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  25. Hi, love hearing all the love stories. Not a gamer here, but I did also meet someone over the interenet once. Crazy...looking back! Glad yours worked out! :0)

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  26. That is the most amazing love story ever! congratulations on finding your soul mate :)

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