When Yobbo Met Lacey
This is the story of the start of what is a quite amazing relationship.
Poor Yobbo was a net newbie, as he later found out.
He had been introduced to chatting by his son, of all people. Up until that fateful night, he had glommed around a site or two. WBS was his usual haunt.
But, even he had the sense to know a clunky site when he saw one. Of course, the place he went first, a nasty semi pornographic place, was no better, but for different reasons.
There, he had met his very first net friend, an Ozzette named Jo, with whom he still exchanges an occasional Email.
While in that place one night, someone posted the name of a chatroom named jazz. Of course, our hero copied it and went about his biz of avoiding the lunatics in the room he hung in.
Then, one night in May, 1997, he wandered into this jazz place and ran across two guys bemoaning their fates. That made him wonder why anyone would recommend the place. After all, wasn't chatting supposed to be fun?
Then, he went in the next night and all changed.
Yobbo met Lacey.
This is where the two's memories diverge. Interviewed by this author, Yobbo, a man gifted with an incredibly sharp memory contends that the night went like this:
"Well, I went into the room and kept my mouth shut, which was to be a custom for me in public. There were a lotta people in there and I wanted to see what was what, as any prudent man would do."
"But, I saw this one girl in there who intrigued me no end. Everyone talked with her and she talked back. I admired the way she could virtually run a room. As I later learned, it's quite a talent to be able do that."
"Anyway, on she want and I just had to talk with her. Sooooooooo, I sent a private message, nothing earth shattering. Something like, "Hiya, wanna chat?" As luck would have it, I got caught in what I later found out was called lag. I tried again. Same thing happened. I was, as one might say, at the heights of my pisstivity over this development."
Jazz was reknowned for its lag problems. They would cause lots of probs for the star struck couple. But, that's another story for another time.
Yobbo continued, "All of a sudden, she messages me! Ummmmmmmmm. What to do? I gave a sly smile and led her into my carefully planned trap, Plan B. However, truth be told, there was no plan, aside from running like hell if I made an ass of myself."
"I guess I didn't, bacause we talked long into the night and morning. There was a food fight which I got into with absolutely no knowledge of what to do, no great surprise. Lacey led me along, as she'd do a lot. She was great to play off of. We made a pretty good couple, I thunk!"
"As she told me, years later, she was getting private messages asking who I was! That surprised me. As it was, I was lost there and to think that people were worried about ME was stunning. I guess the usual thing would have been to chat for a bit and then go about my business."
"I left that night with a smile on my face and a woman in my heart. I was rolled over. Never had I met a person with her sense of humor and wit. I have yet to meet her match, actually."
He was quite smitten by that first night. He still is, actually.
"I was stunned. I had to get to know her. There was one small problem. I was and am still quite shy. How did a guy like me get to know a woman like her? I was gonna, just didn't know how."
Sooooo, the next day, our bumbling hero went into jazz again and guess who was there? That girl Lacey was! Whatever the reason was inconsequential at the time. They talked more and he was even more smitten.
Many more times would follow over the ensuing weeks. He planned a romantic evening and they danced . Of course, that turned into a complete fiasco, except that one of their most heartwarming moments, the banging pots and pans, came of it. Only they could find a moment like that from one of the many bonehaded things Yobbo did. At times, he seemed bent on self destruction.
Of course, there was the night before his trip to Montana and they stayed up late chatting and crying. A song that still brings tears to his sentimental old eyes came out of that night.
He loved her.
He still does.
xoxoxoxoxo