Creepy Internet Friends

Ive been stalking, uhh, reading blogs for about 5 years now. Its pretty weird how you feel a connection with the bloggers. One of my favorite haunts is Busymom. If you havent read her yet, you must do so STAT, she is pretty darn funny. Well, when you get through here I mean. She is a nurse, has kids, is an only child (hold the spoiled kid comments, thanks), and lost a parent to lung cancer. I had commented on her blog and we had emailed several times, so when I found out I was going to be passing through her town, I asked her if she would like to meet. Much to my surprise, she said yes!

This trip that took me through her town was actually an annual trip I take every year with the handbell group at church. Its a handbell festival, and we try to squeeze in as much handbell ringing that we can while shopping. Ok stop laughing it really is fun. So we are on the bus headed to festival and I tell my peeps that Im meeting a friend from the internet at our first shopping stop. They pretty much proceeded to freak out. "YOURE WHAT?" "What if its not really a woman? What if its a 20 year old loser guy who lives in his mom's basement?" This was just a mom like me, not an axe murderer! They were most concerned, especially for my safety. I wasnt. We were meeting in the middle of a mall, for crying out loud! What could go wrong?

We made phone contact and made a meeting time and place in the mall. She was delightful to meet and we sat and talked for about 45 minutes on a bench at the mall. Meanwhile my friends were circling like vultures around some roadkill. They made me promise to use a secret codeword in case I felt like I was in danger. One of them suggested the codeword and just said to work it into my conversation and they would hear me and come rescue me. The secret codeword? Sickle cell anemia! "Well, Busymom, I gotta run. Im feeling bad and I might be coming down with sickle cell anemia."

Glad I didnt have to use it.