Meeting CPQ

I knew three things would be true about the Carpoolqueen without benefit of speaking to her face face:

• Although she writes with great humor and friendly sarcasm, I had a hunch she also had great depth.
  

• I knew we would laugh, and have ease of conversation.
  

• I knew she would be generous...I was certain she would bring a gift. 
  

I had anticipated this meeting all week and I was trying, with a great deal of effort, to play it cool. There is something about meeting somebody from the Internet, that say’s “be cool”. 

You never know what a blogger might have in her lovely, green, leather handbag.

As we dined on my favorite Asian cuisine (I always order the same thing, she never gets the same thing twice), we immediately set into rich conversation. We sort of by-passed the niceties and went for the gold. 

We talked about our kids and our husbands; Our churches, our friends, and of course our lives on the blogs.

We would flip from topic to topic without fully finishing each course; getting serious, lightening up.

Eventually we moved from the restaurant to the coffee house. 

The rain poured while we sipped our lattes. She sat leaned back in her chair with great ease. I fidgeted and sat at the edge of my seat, leaning in on the table. 

So different we are. And yet a lot alike.

I liked that. 

Two and a half hours later they were shutting us down.

What is there to tell you about CPQ?

She is adaptive and amenable.

I was a bit worried because I often have periods of time when I am burdened with thoughts that swirl in my head. By nature I am a deep thinker, never more so than when I have these contemplative times.

I’m on the tail end of one of those stages right now, and last night I was easily distracted. I left feeling like I wished I had talked less and listened more, especially when I would literally forget what I was saying in the middle of a sentence. CPQ in her calm, flexibility, seemed to take my flighty brain all in stride. She even remembered what I was talking about so I could finish a sentence.

She’s smart. Not just book smart, but life smart.

She loves the Lord, and desires to live authentically for Him. 

She is funny. I laughed with her as she teased me over brown rice and non-fat lattes. I love the camaraderie of friendly teasers. 

She is personable. We met an eclectic group of knitters having some girl time over yarn and coffee. CPQ immediately engaged them about octopus legs and meeting times, all with friendly ease.

She’s the real deal. Someone I am so grateful to have the chance to meet and to get to know better. Someone I am happy to call Amiga (she’s also bilingual).

And I am not just saying these things because she brought me a present: 

This is a cheesy picture of me and my new stash of Tim Horton’s Coffee. I drank a half a pot of this delicious draft and will say, I’m actually sorry she’s generous. Because now I am going to have to get me a secret Horton Hook-up, to supply my caffeine needs. 

There are a thousand other things I could say, like how we were giddy with excitement as Mer and Gretchen tweeted and emailed from the other side of the nation.  Or about the sweet college girls that helped us take really good pictures, in really bad lighting. And how they made us roll our eyes  laugh with their youthful lists of lingerie. Or about the lady who wore a hat with three-corners…but I need to wrap up this post because I am dying to know what CPQ wrote about this night. 

So, CPQ, it was so fun to meet you IRL. Can't wait to do it again soon.

La Vida Dulce!