I attended the blogbash last night. It was held in Kirkwood, where I was born and raised (I spent my formative years in California) at Two Nice Guys, which is a required dinner stop when my brother comes to town. I arrived early to a bar with three people in it. After asking one guy if he was Juan Gato and getting a funny look, I decided to just enjoy my Bass and wait for Juan to make the first move. Mr. Gato thoughtfully waited for me to get interested in Walker, Texas Ranger before asking me “Did you ask that guy if he was Juan Gato?” When I tore my eyes from Chuck Norris, he added “I’m Juan Gato, and I’m wearing shorts”. I half expected the other patrons to stand and say “I’m Juan Gato”, including the barmaid wearing the slinky top, but my Stanley Kubrick moment quickly passed and Mr. Gato and I began talking about the joys and sorrows of computer programming and then scoping out the fire exits. I don’t know how long Juan had been there before me, but as there was but one empty glass at his table it was either five minutes or the barmaid was far more efficient than she looked. This was the highpoint of the evening, as I had this celebrity all to myself, and I was able to get him to expand on his truly revolutionary plan for mideast peace, but just as he was about to reveal all, all he could get out was “flowers, hugs, and most importantly” before he was cut off by the arrival of Charles Austin.

This was the highpoint of the evening, as I now had the undivided attention (Walker, Texas Ranger was over and JAG was on) of the two most famous St. Louis bloggers all to myself. I was truly shocked as Charles didn’t mention the name Richard Cohen all evening. But the evening wasn’t over yet, and before Charles new beard could be fully commented on, J Bowen arrived bringing the highpoint of the evening along with a 2×4. J is a quiet man in person, but then so was E.F. Hutton. Subdued by such an august assemblage, I was only able to blurt out about Nan Wyatt’s concurrent visitation down the street and my truly, deeply funny story about my father and Phillips furniture (a local Kirkwood institution) was left untold. 

But then the highpoint of the evening occurred when ozman Richard Fennessy showed up. He had just happened to read Tim Blair that day about a party in Kirkwood, and as all good ozmen do, he figured he should go to any party if he could find it. Mr. Fennessy and I got along famously as we are both Mac people (he’s president of the Gateway Area Macintosh Users Group) and we both were involved in the Oberon and Collins submarines. International man of mystery Jim X showed up — I’m not allowed to divulge any details beyond he used to have two blogs and he wants to start another, but has to wait until he can *wink* *wink*. Next came Jeffersonian, a man known to me via the Current Affairs forum on StlToday.com, but only virtually until now. He was followed by Christopher Johnson who was modeling his latest creation, the Midwest BlogBash IV T-shirt “Gato’s Revenge” in tasteful ecru. Here at last was the highpoint of the evening, as a diverse range of insightful men firmly seated on their barstools debated the topics of the day. 

Alas, nothing is permanent and my hour of departure crept up on me (no little cat feet were involved, as I am a dog person). Events were to rapidly overtake me with the arrival of Matt and his delectable wife Vicky, the highpoint to any evening. My participation in the conversation was somewhat limited as I was trying to eat my hamburger as quickly as possible so that I could do the thing I least wanted to do. Now things were really getting crazy, as Charles and Juan had wandered off to try to call Tim Blair. A search of the premesis, interior and exterior, revealed nothing, nor was Jim X able to shed any light on their disapperance. A clean cut Ryan Olson arrived at this juncture to be warned from Charles’ seat. Sadly, I had to leave to help set up for my Pack’s Blue and Gold banquet, but not before another couple (note: second woman) arrived whose names I didn’t catch. Now, just as things were getting interesting, I had to leave. Saying my fond farewells, and before any pictures were taken, I marched boldy forth into the night, leaving the revelers behind, and Midwest BlogBash IV while continuing came to an end for me.