The above are just two of the many, many pictures I did not take while in New Jersey. LOL! Sorry, I'm not a photographer, but from the time I left the airport, I have been blown away by the beauty of the Garden State.

I have been watching the sun gently rising over huge fields from the window of my kind colleagues' home in Franklin Park, and feeling deeply blessed.

Yesterday far exceeded my expectations, which were already high, given my experiences with meet ups in Toronto and Montreal.

First, some humour. I have blindly arranged to meet at the Red Roof Inn, but when the taxi took me there I discovered they have no restaurant! So I laughingly explained this to rederick and
morningstar before they arrived together, and then we chatted as we waited for richtali

Rich suggested we go to Bandito's, which was perfect, very close and had what we call in Montreal a "terrace" or an outdoor dining area. We ordered drinked, snacked on nachos and talked and talked and laughed and talked...
and laughed...
and talked...

The waiter kept coming back, then another waiter and another, and we did order more drinks and even a snack or two but most just enjoyed each other's company tremendously.

We learned some surprising and interesting things about each other:

Lisa has had some hair-raising camping experiences but is still game to try again soon! Get her to tell you about it sometime :)

Lisa was a dangerous girl with a video camera and created two videos of us talking and me laughing and laughing, I was so giddy, you can hear me laughing even when the camera is focussed on others. :) Read her new jersey meet blog here including exciting video footage of me rolling around laughing :)

Rich works for "a small local paper, you may have heard about it..." - wow, we all nearly fell off our chairs when he casually mentioned the name of the paper, this guy is quiet but still waters run deep, he is full of life and wisdom - as a news editor, and had fascinating insights about the political situation as well as cool insights about journalism in general, here and abroad. We got great tips on chocolate from his time in Brussels :) here for his nj meet blog

Eric is a nerd's nerd. I knew him for a math type bred true when he started waving his hands in the air to make less than signs, comparing the time each of us spends on Gaia - of course I spend way more than anyone else LOL! He was constantly bringing in very apt metaphors from the computer world like error 403 - that action cannot be completed (referring to a relationship glitch). here for his nj meet blog

Oh! Parting was such sweet sorrow 4 hours after we met up. Eric and Lisa drove off together - they are co-workers who have worked at the same community college for 5 years but now are supportive friends of each other through getting to know each other much better on Gaia over the past weeks. Rich kindly dropped me to the very nice home of my Kumon colleagues, a married couple who are both instructors, who put me up for the night. On the way there, we continued to talk but much more relaxed...

Oh that reminds me, during the day I mentioned the Walrus and the Carpenter, but they didn't seem too familiar with it, so here it is:

The Walrus and The Carpenter

Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.