Dear Diary . . . day by day

Sunday November 19th - It's a small, small world
Burning Man
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2000 I went to Abbycat's going away party. I went late, as I'm not really good with large groups of people I don't know these days. I'm so glad I went.
At first I stood around, people watching. What an eclectic group of people! What color and energy! I was immediately sorry I'd dressed conservatively; last night was certainly and opportunity to show off more flamboyant corners of my closet, and instead I went for something I could wear to work: dress pants and a mock-turtle (the mock-turtle is tight and shows off my, er, torso well without giving offense, which is why I wore it). Anyway, soon I was sitting on a couch, thanks to Abbycat's diligence as a host, and I was chatting with several interesting people. I got withdrawn for awhile as booze and in-jokes overwhelmed me a bit, but this is not the sort of in-group that enjoys holding others outside; I was so very comfortable so very quickly with this group that I had to hold myself back from flinging myself across a row of laps and crying out, "take me in! Meow, meow! Adopt me into your group!"
As it happens, I think some of them had already decided to do so. It's what was being said to me as I left ("come back; let's see you again at more parties; you should hang out with us").
I met a nice woman at the party all on my own (I was hovering around the kitchen, and she and I started talking). Her name I cannot tell you (you'll see why in a minute), so I'll call her Barbara. I immediately liked her; she was easy to talk to and without even comparing notes, I felt like she and I had a lot in common.
Later, Abbycat came up to us and re-introduced us: "Barbara Shaw, meet Heather Shaw!"
Oh! we said, we didn't do last names, how odd. Where's your family from?
Turns out her part of the Shaw family lives 20 minutes from my part of the Shaw family (both in Ohio)! Isn't that weird? Add to that the fact that I know there's a section of the Shaw family only my grandmother knows (and stopped talking to about 20 years ago) and, well, it seems we must be related somehow. As the night went on, she commented to me, "You look a lot like my niece." "I know how it is," I said, "You have my sister Barbara's eyes." Isn't that so very strange? That someone in my extended family could be unknown to me, but we bump into each other at a party in Oakland? What a small, small world.
Anyway, I ended up having a good time at the party. I am intrigued by many of the cool people I met there. I hope to see them again; I think I shall.

Exercise log:

Writing log:
The Many Masks of Halloween in Strange Horizons.
I'm currently reading:
Finished this morning: Patternmaster by Octavia Butler
Reading now:
Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler
Born with the Dead by Robert Silverberg
Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier

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