A serendipitous event

Do you ever sit and think "I wonder whatever happened to so-and-so..." and then decide to Google them to see if you can find anything? How many times have you found absolutely nothing? How many times have you found everything you could possibly want to know about someone else with the same name? And how many times have you actually found only items related to the person for whom you were looking, even though previous searches done sporatically over the years came back with nothing?

The latter is what happened to me this past week. I actually found a friend of mine, whom I have neither seen nor heard from in (*counting on his fingers...and toes*)...17 years (WOW!!! Has it really been that long?). I have done Google searches for her before, always finding nothing.

Now, you may think "That's amazing!", and you would be correct. But wait...there's more...

It turns out that my family just happens to have plans to go spend a few days during Memorial Day weekend in a little town about 20 miles from where she lives.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "No way Tuba, you MUST be joking!". No, I am DEAD serious. It's true, I tell you - every word.

I was absolutely, totally, and completely giddy. I could feel this huge grin on my face and there was nothing I could do about it. Ah, but all is not roses and champagne - at least not yet.

While I did find an e-mail address, and I sent an e-mail, querrying whether or not she actually WAS the person I knew, as of this writing, I have yet to recieve a response. Of course, even if she IS the person I knew, there's no guarantee that she would remember me. Hard to believe that anyone who meets me could forget me, but it is possible.

I have since found a different e-mail address for her, and based on the date of the web page in which it is posted, it should be current. But I have not sent anything to that one, yet. It's only been a day or two since I sent one to the other e-mail address - if she does happen to check that one and then found another one at the new address, how would that look? I mean, if that would happen to me, I'd think "cool - someone's looking for me" - but then, I'm a guy. I mean, I don't want to come accross as a "stalker" or anything - what if she DOESN'T remember me? What if she DOES, but doesn't want to have anything to do with me? I'm pretty sure that last one is just my insecurities popping up - I don't think she'd have any reason to think that way...then again, she IS a woman.

Now, don't get all huffy on me for that statement. I have, through personal experience, seen first hand how SOMETIMES, some women can, and do, come-up with what we simple-minded men-folk would consider the most minor of offences and blow them so far out-of-proportion that a molehill comes out looking like Mt. Everest. Be honest - you KNOW it does happen. Yes, men do this on occasion as well, but let's be honest - you hear more stories of women doing this than men. At least I do. But I digress...

My hope is that I will hear from her in the next few days, it will actually be her, she will remember me (in a positive light). If so, I hope that she will be available and open for us getting together for lunch or dinner or "whatever" while I happen to be up in her area. That would be way cool.

I still have a few days to try and connect with her. I'm going to wait until tomorrow before I send an e-mail to the other address - I want to give her a chance to answer my first one, afterall. I hope it works out.

I'll let you know...