If it's one thing devoted readers of O.H.M know all too well, it's that I'm shameless and not generally prone to being mortified. And perhaps nothing put those character traits on starker display than last year's Open Letter to Cute Dude at the Post Office Store (CDATPOS) and the series of blog posts it engendered.
For those who need a quick bringing-up-to-speed, I wrote CDATPOS--then a complete stranger to me--an open letter on O.H.M. about his cuteness at the post office store. He wrote me an open letter back, cooked my family dinner, the local radio station did a story on it, and Geoff wrote a hilarious closing epilogue, in which he effectively dropped the mic on the saga. Meanwhile, a small but vocal minority of O.H.M. readers both near and far watched in amusement. A friend of mine who passed through Juneau on a cruise last summer even insisted upon making a pilgrimage to see CDATPOS in person, thus prompting a call (by me) for CDATPOS to be placed on Juneau's register of historic places.
Today, it came to my attention that my 70-something year-old Aunt Susan in Cambridge, Massachusetts took more than a passing interest in the drama from afar. Background: My Aunt Susan is one of my most favorite relatives. She is generous to a fault, a brilliant, Harvard-educated psychologist, volunteers in grade school classrooms, writes very detailed letters, and knows how to enjoy a glass of wine and a delicious meal. Fun fact: she was also Margaret Atwood's roommate in college, and always sends me Margaret Atwood novels as gifts. She is all-around amazing. But tech-savvy she is not.
I know this, but what I did NOT know was the lengths to which she was willing to go for technological assistance, until I was copied on an email chain between her and none other than CDATPOS himself! The subject of the email was "Foxiest Cougar in Town: Request for Access" and what it was, was Susan emailing CDATPOS for direct tech help with opening Google Docs! I DIED!! The photo below basically captures my general reaction at that moment.
I have no idea how she found his email, as I was not copied on the first communication. But CDATPOS being CDATPOS, he charmingly responded and told her exactly how to open Google Docs on my blog to access ancient installments of our witty repartee. Susan responded to both of us with:
OK, thanks. Will try. There's obviously a lot more about Google.docs I have yet to figure out. Am home now and not being observed by the school librarian so will take the opportunity to say how much my husband (i.e. my Uncle Jake) and I enjoyed the entertainment you and Libby provided earlier.
The feeling was redolent of one of the many moments you have in adolescence when your parents do something insanely embarrassing in front of a member of the opposite sex. Like you're trying to look super cool at the beach, and then your dad rolls up in a Chrysler and shouts that it's time for you to come home and feed your gerbils or take your antibiotics or something. That was the general feeling. And I have to say, having that feeling at 38 was . . . well . . . unexpected, and highly entertaining.
