I’ll let the noders who came tell the stories. I am writing to say that I was paying attention, sometimes, and these are some of the things I remember.
People have said what a good host I was and blah blah denmother blah blah, but really it was the gang that made it work, because they were all willing to put up with my denmotherly requests. They were the ones who came to me, from many hours driving, flying, and waiting on the train to come here. Without them it would have been just me in my apartment, watching movies and drinking beer.
Apatrix
Decided to come at the last minute and was going to bring me a monitor. Challenged us to get his last name right, and Byzantine was very close, you said. You were quiet and attentive, sitting quiet like a vapor at times. I often wondered what you were thinking.
bozon
As usual, you were the pleasant surprise for all, the only god among us, older and wiser but very, very cool. You brought me a fossil that you found yourself and a pendant of lapis lazuli and turquoise. You hung out through the most random day of the gathering, through all the stops and waiting for others to catch up. People say you are ideath in the future tense, and you were always trying to get me to relax. I tried, I really did. It was really good to see you again and for you to be seen.
brassmule
Helped me so much with the reservations for the brunch and fronted the deposit when I couldn't afford to. Brought me a monitor, keyboard and scroll mouse. You were so kind and helpful in your silence, and you slept like a dove. You have such a good smile. We dressed you up like a hillbilly, and you even puffed on a cigarette for us, trussed up in my backwoods wares. You told me about working for Good Time Ice, and what it's like to work in blue collar land. You made me miss my old job.
briiiiian
The eternal bad influence. The man in golden light. Disappeared on us a few times, once for a chick (I'd heard), once to tune up disofever's bike (so I was told). This is the third time I'd seen you in person, yet you are as real to me as my own hands. You were lucky I didn't scam that sweater.
C-Dawg
Clearly the quietest one who arrived second to latest on that awful train ride. I hope you got to see some sights with Jurph and Jason, that you had something good to bring home. You left behind a baseball hat and yes, you are welcome for my hospitality. I hope it brought you safely (and quickly) home.
cahla
I had no idea what to expect, really. You have the cutest scrunched-nose face when you laugh, all open in the mouth and weetle cheeks. You and some others framed the circumference of the round little rug that Byzantine had lent me, drawing us in with your smile and your poofy stuffed elephant with the dirty paws. You were the one that asked jaubertmoniker, when he pulled a JayBonci on us and called, a question your team was stumbling over in Trivial Pursuit where the teams were basically two halves of a full room of people on the floor. You brought me a monitor and have enabled me to write from home again.
You brought me a magnet from mkb. You brought me more than you know.
ccunning
I was glad I got to goof on you this go around. I hope you like those glasses amd that you managed to keep them after you left. Always the willing butt of jokes, always laughing unless you were sleeping. You convinced me to steal that Lambic glass from DBA, you bastard. Hope you enjoy that too and that we see you again. How many times did we say you could, um, you know? I think it was 3.
dann
You have a great smile and wild hair. And what cool corduroy. You were quiet a lot, as I am usually, and I wondered what it was you thought of the whole mess.
Since you stayed with discofever, I didn't have to worry over you, and I'm sure you were glad, because you seem to take care of yourself just fine.
Dataknife
Quiet, and not able to stay at my place after all because of all the smoke at my place. Tall dude. Told me how he has to dangle his legs outside the tub when he takes a bath. Made a mix CD, a copy of which got left at my place. Instigated the umbilical connections of laptops on the floor, swapping photos from the weekend. I hope it was worth the trip, all this silliness.
Indra363
When you first arrived, I worried that you would have a good time, because you were quiet and we didn't know each other really at all. I was so glad to have a space in time to talk to you one on one, because I got to see what you were like and how you saw things. You brought me a cute cow magnet from Iowa and we talked about hating our jobs. I am also glad that we all went to DBA and found space in the back to see each other. You did mind erasers and a shot of flaming Vodka. Jesse Jackson once called you darlin' and you got see Rocky Horror at the 735 Club. I do hope you get to visit again.
Jurph
I was so looking forward to meeting you. The magnets of Ocean City and Bethany Beach made me so happy, you have no idea. And you simply must know what a hottie you are. Some of us girls were giggling about you. To talk about home with someone is such a gift. You made your visit here totally your own, and bless you for bringing me duck from NOLA. It will be a long time before I see Delaware plates again.
your friend Jason
Yes, you indeed did raise the bar for non-noder friends, and you made me appreciate the cool addition they can bring. Your friendship was refreshing to hear about, the closeness and unity of it, make me smile. While I'm sure we didn't make you feel left out, you fit yourself right in, like you were always there. Since neither of you had been here, I am glad to know it was such an awesome first time. I remember you saying something like, "there's all the drinking and drugs and shit and then, there's college." I admire your focus. I remember passing you two in your L-shape fortress by the window and how peacefully you slept. You brought a pair of horns you bought at a ren fest. You fell asleep waiting for some things, and I tickled your node once, but you likely didn't know it was me.
jethro bodine
You were the one that woke the gang Saturday morning. At first I worried that you would miss out on things because you slept all that day, and most of that night. When I returned the next morning, you were in the kitchen dormer, your head facing the window. You said you could see Orion in the sky. You and that mane and steely eyes. I liked standing on the steps with you outside, and I loved the $3.50 suit you wore to the brunch with black Chucks. With the pinstriped vest, you looked like such a skewed gangsta, when we photographed you with the cash wad from the brunch tab. Knowing you like to walk barefoot, see some road rash from your bike, all of this made sense on you.
karmaflux
My one image of you is you and your girlfriend facing each other, sitting on the floor in the kitchen dormer, sharing touches and coffee. At first you weren’t going to attend the brunch, but I’m glad you did. I remember how puzzled you were trying to find Suzy’s apartment, and how little time you got to sleep. I hope next time I can actually talk to you more, or that you and Carson can talk shop, or whatever it is you boys do.
your girlfriend, duffski
You have such a cool smile. I remember seeing you passed out in the back of Medieval’s car, and how sleepy you must have been. I remember you leaned against your boyfriend in the living room because you were tired and there was nowhere else to sit. Again I wished I could have talked with you more. Maybe you can come visit again and take part in the longest distance double-date in the history of noder-dom, or something like that.
Li_Kao
You have an evil grin. You told me of siouxsie’s recent losses, and how hard things must be right now for her. I wondered what you thought of all this madness erupting, and hoped you had a good time.
Medieval
Your party headcount changed so many times, I’m surprised anything worked out. Grr. What on earth did you do while you were here? You disappeared so many times. You were the lucky one who got to read the cards for your team in the Trivial Pursuit game. Your preowned police car got C!ed, and luckily nothing bad happened to it.
your friend servious
I told some people you looked cherubic with your long lashes and pale skin. You were the one who got the other geeks to doing something with Linux with cuss words. That was too funny. Like Medieval, you were not around much, but I hope you enjoyed what time got spent here.
Mitzi
First thing you did, silly bird, was step in an ashtray and then on the carpet with your big feet. You have such a big smile. There you were, always frettin’ that we would never really get to talk. The thing is that for gatherings, people seldom want to have heart-to-heart conversations. If you were able to get any out any of the gang, you were lucky. I remember you telling me about your friend who is paralyzed (gosh I hope I got the right chick) and how it happened, how sad and fortunate life it when it teaches you something. You fretted about money and almost losing your wallet, but we got you drunk anyway.
m_turner
One of the first ones to arrive. I had no clue you were coming from California until you got here. You taught me about infared film and what it does to pictures. You're also the reason, I think, that I have an entire cheescake in my fridge. I was glad to got to go touring with Jurph and Jason. You got an antique map of your home state. You have hair down to your butt and a goofy smile. Someone once told you, that with your beard, you looked like Brad Pitt from Snatch. You are a sweet geek.
NightShadow
Despite your tummy, the fact that Suzy never did get around to shaving your head, and the fact that Carson almost killed you twice getting in and out of his car, I hope you had a good time. While I was on round one of cleaning up the aftermath, you went on what sounded like a Beat rant about Café Coco to the audience leftover from the primary evacuation, afterwards discofever snapped his fingers in what I believe is Beat applause. You told me two things: that I am a kick ass denmother and that this isn’t all there is. I hope you are right, on both counts.
oenone
You told me about your struggle in solitude. You fell asleep on zot-fot-pig and played with WonkoDSane’s hair. You were 8th in the shower line once and likely got mostly cold water. I think you still have my sweatshirt I lent you so you wouldn’t get cold from the Tool show, but you can have it if you want, just mind the safety pins holding one pocket on. I loved hearing you talk, your accent. You were so cute when you were sleeping. You brought me an armadillo magnet from Texas and gave me your butterfly ring, which I now lovingly wear. You need to come back here, soon.
panamaus
I was so glad you came! It’s like meeting some long lost friend. Like bozon, you worried that I was worrying too much. You brought me a Florida magnet you'd been holding on to for a few years. You bought all these postcards and then left them here, silly. I hope I got a picture of you smiling, cause you gots a purdy one. We didn’t mention Adam; maybe it wasn’t on our minds, but he did (kinda) bring us together, because we both loved him. I am seeking to learn more about you.
your friend Lee
You introduced panamaus as a doctor, a gynecologist, even. You are a trip, dude. I did roll my eyes at your from time to time, but you were a bona fide hoot, all the way to your flamey dragon shirt. We talked about growing up on the beach; you read the letter to the editor I sent in. You made the dirtiest martini that I could barely stand it. You told me about your family, your children. You said you lost your soul on Bourbon Street. Well, I still think you got some soul, brother.
Pyrogenic
You have the most intriguing eyes, though they are hard to see under your brow. You were hoping to get your hair hit with Suzy’s clippers. You wore my redneck clothes too. You stretched out over the girls for a photo shoot at DBA. I loved the green shirt you wore to brunch. Now that I've met you, I'm reading all your nodes. I read your last daylog, and I don't get it. Every guy not with a girl is always the one I would have gone for, but it will never be me.
sauth
The token newbie that managed to fit in so well it was scary. I went to pick you up near Loyola and you're wearing an "I Am an Opera Singer." You were pale and bald headed and maybe a little nervous, but it didn't last long. You brought over video games and stayed just to be around all the noders coming and going in my apartment. You learned what we already knew: noders rock!. Since you're local and all, I am sure we will see one another again.
Toastido
The first thing you said to me when we woke you up from a nap in Bryan and Suzy’s bedroom was, “I thought you were a guy.” I didn’t know if that was in the Matrix sense or if I was looking particularly guy-like that day, but I forgave you. You have a cute smile. Like me, you feel old at too young an age. You brought me a bottle of wine as a thank you.
WonkoDSane
At the last gathering, I guess I got the wrong impression you were evil and awful and scary, but whether that is accurate or not, you were a teddy bear while you were, helping me not worry about the noise level at 3am. Still, you did coerce Jurph into stealing that pitcher from that bar on Bourbon, you smoking jacket wearing minx. So you’re evil, but it’s a good kind of evil. I hope I belched enough this time to make your trip worthwhile. You, I believe, were the one that brought me a magnet made of a small framed picture of a street sign with my username, Templeton. Handpainted all around it says "Home of the Wonkoalition, Nashville, TN." That is way fucking too cool.
zot-fot-pig
2001.10.30@16:48 zot-fot-piq says I am also missing a tape I made of the trip for tandex and the remote for my fighting robot. I probably have them both, but if you stumble on them...
Yes, I think you were the one who bought the battle robots. We swore one of them was actually saying the word “pussy” in a sentence. And Lego kits, one of which had a wee Chewbacca. You made an audio tape for tandex, who sadly and at the last minute, couldn’t come. I remember being lucky enough to be awake for the creation of Our Lady of Nocturnal Emissions as a patron saint for God knows what. And yay for flamey shoes!
Note: If I didn't mention you, tell me, dammit! We had 32 people total. I'd like to see you not leave anyone out. Also, I only wanted to put a snippet in about each person. You want me to plug you more, you gots to come visit like, 2 or 3 at a time or something.