I met Libby at a science fiction con a few years ago. We had a nice chat, and I'd run into her at various cons from time to time for a while.
Sadly, after a while, we sort of lost touch with each other, and I rather think some stupid actions on my part have axed the possibility of further friendship.
University of Maryland Student Union, 1983
I never got to know PK very well, but we hung out with a lot of the same people, and I found her intriguing.
Married and living in Pittsburgh with her husband Matt.
Beth hung out with the University of Maryland medievalists, and I saw her at a lot of the events. I quite liked her, but unfortunately we were never close.
World Science Fiction Convention,
Baltimore, MD, 1983
Coop, Steve Haug, Andy Looney, and I would hang around together a lot, doing medieval things, geeking around, basically having a good time.
Brandeis castle dormitory,
1986
Boston Science Museum,
1986
Barbara and I knew each other for years, both living in Bowie and hanging out with the local crowd. Our relationship eventually grew into quite a serious one, and we even got engaged for a while. However, Barbara began to realize her Jewish roots were important to her, to the extent that marrying me was no longer an option. So we split up, more or less amicably. Shortly thereafter, she relocated up north, and reportedly got married.
I got a couple of emails from her, always from an account that was just about to disappear, so apparently she didn't want to hear from me.
Lara's parents' house, Mitchellville, MD,
1984
I met Lara through her friend Fran Suskin and spent a great deal of time hanging out with the local group. Lara's dream was to become the herpetologist for a rock band.
Reportedly has two daughters and lives somewhere in Maryland.
Moved to CA in 1992-3
I met Geneva at a con, and we saw each other from time to time thereafter. Until one Valentine's day, when I was all alone and therefore in a foul mood. In an attempt to cheer myself up, I started calling friends. When I called Geneva and wished her a happy Valentine's day, she told me she'd just been dumped and wasn't happy at all. I offered to drive to Charlottesville so we could comiserate. We ended up swapping stories and having a wonderful night.
I met Sonja through Susan Hammel. We were sorting pumpkins, and had a really good time. That evening, Susan wandered off with her beau, leaving Sonja and me alone with each other. We ended up necking up a storm. We proceeded to date for several months, dealing more or less effectively with the fact that it was quite a journey for a new driver. Unfortunately, we drifted apart. Rumour had it that she dated an obsessive sort for a while. I got one letter from her, apparently from a school address, just before I had to pack away all my belongings until I could move into my new house.
Her old phone number is out of service.
I'd see Jennifer around at the various area science fiction conventions and medievalist events and we got where we'd always be glad to see each other. I tried on multiple occasions to ask her out, but either there would be a bunch of hangers-on, or we'd miscommunicate, and it never came to pass.
Last I saw her was at a Cirque Du Soleil performance in 1998 or so (whenever Alegria came out).
cutting a birthday cake,
circa 1979
Thor was one of the local science fiction club crowd, and lived really close by, so we saw each other a lot. We had a similar low-stress approach to life and got along pretty well.
Last I heard, Thor was attending school out in Ohio.
I met Jamie when I was living in Bowie, we had several friends in common and shared an interest in science and electronics. Sadly, his dad passed away, leaving a bunch of electronic equipment, some of which Jamie gave to me (and I still have). Later, his mom passed away too, and Jamie was left to fend for himself.
I met Ginger through her brother, and we eventually became friends. We'd have a nice time chatting at parties where she or I didn't know many of the other people there. We also shared a very nice kiss once. She was also cast adrift when her parents passed away.
University of Maryland,
1984
Andrea, Steve Haug, and I worked on plays at the University of Maryland Tawes Theatre.
Peter was another one of the geeks at Explorer Post 1275. He enjoyed pretty much everything he did, and was a blast to be around.
University of Maryland
Lab For Plasma And Fusion Energy Studies
1984
I met Peter when working as a technician at the particle physics lab at the University of Maryland. He was very friendly and helpful, and I learnt a lot of useful things from him. He had a knack for finding simple, inexpensive, and effective ways of doing things. In one instance, a $27,000 custom made electron gun stopped working after just a few week's use, and the experiment would have been totally derailed, but Peter's handmade gun ended up doing the job just fine. When it eventually stopped working (after quite some time), another feature evidenced itself, as he demonstrated that the cathode (the part that wears out) is replacable.
Last I heard, Peter was working on free electron lasers at NRL.
We met when I was doing a room share at a con, and really enjoyed each others' company. As she preferred dating women, we didn't date seriously, though we'd hang out together. We lost touch for a while, then I got the bad news. A wonderful person, I miss her a lot.
Said to still live in Maryland.
Godspell,
Bowie, MD, 1981
Stephanie was one of the actresses in the production of Godspell our local charity theatre group, the Bowie Hunger Committee, put on every year. I was sweet on her, but she wasn't interested in a skinny young geek. I went to see her in other plays, such as Waiting For Godot, when I got some last-minute tickets that were comps that didn't get picked up. She later told me those had probably been her comps, and I could have gotten in free if I'd had the brains to ask.
1985
Inner Harbor,
during Balticon XX
Sharon was dating Tom Willeford when I met her, be he didn't mind us hanging out. We got to be quite cuddly for a while. The nickname is an acronym of her real name.
My mom's house,
Bowie, MD, 1985
Barbara Epstein's birthday party in my apartment,
Herndon, VA
Sativa was one of the W and L high school crowd. Glenn Arthur and I tried to date her for quite a while, having a lot of fun, but never really getting serious. I told Sativa once that I expected to see her at random intervals for the rest of her life. Several years later, I ran in to her at a con and she pointed out that this was indeed the case. Unfortunately, I haven't seen her since.
Yvonne and I met at one of the many parties that the medievalists were always throwing. She was a lovely young woman, with a flair for innovative fashion and accessories. She had a hat with fork accents that was really nifty. She also had a clock with feet for hands. We hung out and dated for a while, then she sort of evaporated.
We run into each other from time to time.
I met Mindy while hanging with the W and L high school crowd. She and shared interests in art and anime. We flirted up a storm, but never managed to really get dating. I still have and treasure some things she made for me. We had a really sweet surprise kiss at a video store once when she realized I was into one of the same series she was.
I see Mindy at cons occasionally, but I haven't gotten a chance to catch up on things.
Anna and I knew each other over a span of a few years, at cons, medieval events, and suchlike. I was chatting with her at one Disclave, and found out that not only was she currently taken, but she was moving to Florida. I asked if she was up for a goodbye cuddle, and she was. Having come from the pool, she was wearing a swimsuit, which was conducive to a really nice standing backrub. She commented that this was really enjoyable, and it was a shame she was moving away. She gave me her email address, and we traded some notes, but then that address stopped working.
I honestly don't remember how I originally met Tammy. However, we became pen pals, and had a lot of fun sending each other silly letters. I actually drove up once to visit her in school, posing as her uncle.
Last, I heard, she was still living in Ridgewood, NJ. There's a chance that Richard Segal knows her.
Cutting a birthday cake
Holly was one of the role-playing gamers in Bowie, so I ended up hanging out with him a lot. He had a wonderful sense of humour, and always saw the lighter side of things. And, my mom liked him.
Last I heard, he'd moved to Georgia.
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