I'd have blogged earlier, but I just spent over an hour talking on the phone to Maria and Will! Maria far more than Will, but he said hello and chatted a bit, in a veddy British way. SQUEEE! I was so excited. Yes, I KNOW!: some 132 years after the invention of the telephone, Helly is amazed to discover that she can talk! in real time! to her friends! in another country!

It was lovely to talk with them. They are both as intelligent and witty as their blogs would indicate. I'd heard Will's voice before, on his video blog posts, but Maria had a far lighter accent than I expected. One of my best friends, Jorge, came over here from Cuba when he was 11 or so, and even twenty years later he has a much heavier accent than Maria. They said I sounded more "melodious" than they expected - apparently they didn't think I'd sound all cuuuuntry southern "Dukes of Hazzard" but thought my CDO (that's like OCD, but in alphabetical order, as it should be) would come through and I'd sound more...stentorian, less laid-back and happy. But I'm happy.

Except I want to go visit them now, or have them visit us! That would make me very happy!

Oooh, something hysterically funny Maria said, when we were being all catty about a man we think is (categorically opposite to Robert Downey, Jr., who we agree is teh hotness) most unattractive: "but his teeth are all in different area codes!". BWAHAHAHA! I *heart* Maria. And Will.