I miss her, I miss her, I miss her!! But since I respect her privacy and her right to have a private life, I'm trying hard to be patient til Our Gwen returns to us. In the meantime, anyone want to play a variation...of a sorta hybrid...of Where's Waldo?/Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?--???

I'll go first. Where's Gwen?
Gwen is in Tokyo, dressed in a lovely silky floral kimono that brings out her eyes and doesn't make her look fat. She has these totally cool little Japanese sandals that show off her perfectly polished pink toenails. She is walking through a quiet garden, plum blossoms delicately floating down around her, brushing the parasol she carries over her head. She sits down on a comfortable wooden bench and opens a bag she's been carrying. In the bag are fifty-five new Sanrio toys, exclusively sold in Tokyo, which Gwen got earlier at a closeout sale for just $7 US. Gwen plays with the toys happily for a short time before returning them to the bag and continuing her walk. She arrives at the super-deluxe luxury hotel where she is a guest in the penthouse, and when she gets there, all of her closest friends surprise her with a party and lots of confetti eggs and cake and ice cream and her favorite alcoholic beverages and they all have a grand time for the next week and a half.

Then Gwen heads off to her next destination. So...Where's Gwen?

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Answers

Erika is on the Spanish Island of Ibiza with Russell Crowe. They're laying by the beach drinking Sangria, having the most awesome sex ever, and partying like rock stars all night. Oh, I mean Gwen is doing all that.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Gwen is sitting on a hillside next to a pond in Kensington Gardens, wearing a large-brim hat that filters sunlight into a happy glow on her face. She's making wry comments to strangers as they walk past, but most of them don't get how funny she is until they're too far away and they don't remember how to get back to where she's resting on the grass. But the strangers are few and mostly she's throwing breadcrumbs to the ducks on the pond below her, flashing her chest to someone peeking from the top window of the palace on the far shore, and retreating under the sheltering willows at water's edge when the sun becomes too much.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Gwen is at HEB singing opera insults in the checkout line.

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

i did'nt know gwen was gone!

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

I miss Gwen too! I keep looking in my mailbox for a diary update. Hmm...I always sucked at Where's Waldo, I can't think of anywhere *super fresh* enough to deserve Gwen's presense! (LoL, do I sound like I'm kissing ass? Sorry, but you guys feel it too, don't deny it!)

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Gwen is in the penthouse suite of the fanciest hotel in the world (having just come back from shopping at the craft supplies emporium where she has an unlimited tab), where her date, Paul Rudd, is whispering sweet nothings in her ear and Pavement are in the adjoining room playing a concert just for her. Come back soon, Gwen!

-- Anonymous, August 15, 2000

Gwen is *everywhere*, man.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

Gwen is probably somewhere in front of a computer, reading this thread and being freaked out that there is a bulletin board topic all about her.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

Well, I can't really go so far as to say that because if I didn't like the attention, I wouldn't have my site. But what I was actually doing was sitting here thinking of you, Nicole. Did you check your voice mail? cough, cough

I'm going back home to my trailer today, y'all. Sorry I didn't call the few people whom I said I would call to hang with... I've just been super-busy every night (and day) and then I decided to go home, and so I'm just doing stuff like crazy.

But in a good way. You know.

I figure tomorrow I'll spend most of the day updating my site and maintaining the forum and adding peeps to the mailing list and stuff. So I will catch up with y'all one way or another.

Thanks for all the support and good thoughts and everything.

My answer to the question: Gwen is in Oakcliff, typing this on her friend's iMac, occassionally stopping to glance out the window at the stray cat sitting on the old, abandoned wooden playset covered with dried leaves. The cat is staring up at a squirrel, who is staring through the window at me in my t-shirt, jeans, and horrifyingly orange hair.

Note to self: buy another box of hair dye on the way home. This time, pick something a bit more realistic.

I can't wait to get home. I should go finish packing now.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

No way is Gwen freaking out because we're all describing our fantastic Visions of Gwen. She's freaking out because her hair is orange. :-)

Hey Gwen, how do you like that iMac? Is it a Tangerine version, to match your hair? :-)

Hurry back, we all miss you.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2000

It *was* the tangerine one! How'd you know?

Paul (Paul my husband, not Paul W., in case y'all are new to this forum) says he likes my hair. I'll probably redo it tonight, though. I need to go set up my computer in my new office. (It's my sewing room, redone with new tables and shelves and totally sparkly clean, thanks to Paul, who missed me very much.) Right now I just feel to lazy and worn out from my long sojourn. My tire blew out on I35 and I almost had a wreck and everything. It was the longest day of my life. And the past week and a half was the longest week and a half of my life, too. I learned a lot about myself. Lots of diary material occurred. I'll update soon, I promise.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

You'd better, Gwen. Take a long nap and/or bubble bath so you can get back to entertaining us ASAP.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Gwen sweet pea, your absence really made me realise how much I depend on your site to get me through my days and weeks here in Boring-est Job Ever, USA. And even though the Forums have only been happening for a short time, I very much like the people I've met here, and I really missed having new topics every day (hence my going on a topic-starting bender ;-) ) when you went away.

at the risk of sounding all sick-makingly sappy, I'm really glad Gwen's back, and feel fortunate to be here with all you kewl-o folks.

sincere-ified-ly,

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

I don't want to be too sacharine about it, either, but I'm glad everything's going to OK with Gwen and I'm glad she survived that blowout. Man, this last week's GOT to have sucked!!

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Well said, y'all! Glad to have you back, Gwen, it just wasn't the same without you!

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000

Welcome back, Gwen! You were missed.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000