a landmark for TK

A few years ago, at a library conference in Denver, I almost threw away something incredibly important without yet knowing how very important it was. Scurrying away to the safety of pretzels as soon as I could, I essentially blew off TK when first I met him.

Let me explain. Yes, for all my bluster and blogging, I'm actually a little shy. No, really. And I get intimidated by people I think are waaaay out of my league somehow: looks, talent, smarts. So picture it, meeting Todd for the first time at a conference social, and frankly being awed by him. He's articulate, he's got it all together, he's (let's be honest here) a handsome man. Whoa, why is this guy talking to me, of all people? Where are those pretzels?

We joke about it now, but once in a while I stop to think, what if. What if TK hadn't made an effort after that (thanks to the magic of Facebook) to get to know me? What if he'd not bothered at all?

You've seen the blog, you'll know how things turned out. TK and I got to know each other better and better, roomed together at conferences, visited each other in Baltimore (where he lives with his partner, Michael, and their two wonderful dogs that I adore so greatly) and Chicago (where I live with Conrad, of course!), and even spent time together in Vancouver last fall where he was a part of my wedding party and where he offered a reading. We're in touch pretty much daily. On top of all of this, I must add, he is an excellent librarian, and I value his professional insights immensely.

In the few short years I have known him, he has become my closest, most treasured friend, and it's hard now to imagine how things were before I knew him.

Todd, you are 40 today, a landmark birthday. A very happy birthday to you, and may our friendship bring us many more to celebrate.