November 21, 2002.
Name-Dropping


Last spring, when I discovered that Jessie and Geoff were considering coming somewhere south of Chicago on their honeymoon, somewhere warm, I launched a full-scale campaign to try to get them to come to Atlanta. I wrote Jessie long e-mails extolling the virtues of this fine city. I picked up touristy brochures and quoted them extensively in my messages. I gave her scads of suggestions on spots to visit here in town, and wrote lengthy journal entries praising the city for all its convivial charm.

Meanwhile, I unearthed a snake in the grass, as my very own husband Tom came along right behind me each time I wrote Jessie, and attempted to brush away all the pixie-dust I had just sprinkled into her eyes. "Atlanta is a decent place to live," he said, over and over, "but it's a terrible place to visit."

Whether or not he's correct, his gestures opened the floor up for a little marital strife....

Well, for whatever reason, my campaign worked. Jessie and Geoff got married, and they came to town this week. I wasn't expecting to meet them until Saturday, when we have arranged to meet for breakfast, but Jessie called me at work on Monday afternoon and said, "Hey! Want to get together tonight for dinner?"

Allright, so I haven't ever met anyone off the internet before. This is all quite new to me. We arranged to have dinner in Decatur, and I met her and Geoff, and was very happy about how real they were, and then I kept poking her, as if to reassure myself that she was an actual person. (She just smiled benevolently and said, "You haven't met anyone from the internet before, have you?... Yeah, you get used to it." Oh, okay. I'll stop poking you.)

They are a wonderful couple, she and Geoff. I am genuinely impressed with them both. They both seem very sincere and warm and down-to-earth.

One of the things that I like most about Jessie (at least so far) is her voice. It doesn't take long for you to recognize that she has a background in dramatic arts. Before our first phone conversation, I expected to hear a soft, delicate voice on the other end of the line, like a fine seltzer. Instead I found her voice to be full and rich and clear, like red wine.

Here's a photo for all those who have been itching for your Jessie fix.





(Okay, okay. No more name-dropping in my next entry. And no more poking.)