I have been thinking about this thread since it was first posted. There are so many great moments it is hard to pick a "Favorite" but the first one that came to my mind was the moment when I decided to go to the PIP. I can remember looking at the seating chart and wondering how it would feel to walk onto that upper deck filled with strangers for a five hour flight.
After signing up, I actually had some other favorite moments of meeting FlyerTalkers in real life:
First, the "Wily Women Webflyer" secret meeting in Chicago, July of '99, where I first met AnnaS, ComicWoman and Mauld, and we explored the challenges of Glass Ceilings.
Kokonutz (a/k/a MattWald) meeting me with a sign at DCA and chauffeuring me to my meeting in Alexandria.
Quiet Lion and I meeting Kokonutz with a sign at SEA for his 1k initiation celebration.
Meeting newself and jamiel at SeaTac.
Meeting and kidnapping my fellow Wiconsinite TransWorldOne for a three hour tour of Seattle.
Oh my God, what could compare with going to the Circus/Dinner Theater with Rudi and my family in full regalia.
OK, I know what compares: Meeting the SFO crew plus Quantum Leap and Marie at the Top of the Mark and then walking to The Moose with Rudi, again in full regalia. Funny thing was that in SFO, nobody looked twice.
Sitting with the most gentlemanly and charming dgolds and financially wizardly (and also charming and gentlemanly) johna at dinner at The Moose.
The Seattle FT Party where we first met Catman, AusTXHiker, auh2o, mweiss (what a sweetie), MileageAddict, Shadow, the incomparable Jackie, TravelWeary and Michael. Sailing on Puget Sound. Laughing our "aren't we a sick bunch" heads off on the way to and from Blake Island. Watching auh20 convince our neighbors at dinner that we were doing them a favor by drinking their wine for them. Is this guy a salesman or what?
The October Big Apple with PremEx, Catman, Burkey, and AnnaS.
All this before the PIP. Funny thing was that when I walked into the RCC in LAX for the PIP it was to meet a bunch of old friends, not a bunch of strangers.
This was capped off with receiving my official and greatly treasured "Punki" tag from Old Gold. I always have it on my bag, wherever I travel.
Then there was the PIP. So many wonderful new people Kyklin, the gorgeous Danielle, TropicalFlyer, Helen and wingless, Randy, NJDavid, Counsellor, Flyme2, BlondeBomber, and all the rest of the gang at the PIP.
The FlyerTalk Community is too wonderful and it just keeps getting better with each get together. What marvelous silliness. Doing "on-line" research with Burkey and the gang in our condo in Manhattan during the CatmanDo2. Wandering around Manhattan with RichG and later with JimB. Stuffing Kononutz into the back of my sister's Jeep in Tampa. The dinner party at Berns. Shopping with Gisela and Karen2 in SFO, inhaling SFO with Gisela as we walked around the park. Meeting Geo1004, SMeisser, Richard and Jetsetter at Landini Brothers for dinner. PDX with essxjay et al. The impromptu dinner with PremEx and QuietLion at LAX.
How much fun we have had. In addition there are dozens of small (and sometimes not so small) acts of kindness and generosity that pass back and forth between FlyerTalk members on a regular basis. Like Catman I really love this community and look forward to the many more wonderful experience yet to come.
Just waiting for Montreal.
[This message has been edited by Punki (edited 06-24-2000).]