I
set out to compile 300 memories of
JABB: the newsletters, the web pages, the groups' members, Dyeland,
TBAA watching, etc. Thankfully, I got a little help so I'd like
to thank Liz, Nicole, and Yvette (who also supplied Yva's, Nigel's, and
Willy's) for taking part in what I think must be the longest list ever
posted in a JABB newsletter!
From Jenni:
1. The night JABB came into being. Even though my memories are becoming vague, I remember that being a really fun night and, apparently, an important one!
2. Getting responses back from the 12 Steps we wrote that first night. Without those JABB 1 may not have existed let alone JABB 300!
3. Getting our own url! Long live onthisside.net!
4. And then being able to move everything off of Geocities and never having to read a newsletter with a side banner ad again!
5. Proving that comedy can come out of even tragedy, I remain amused when I recollect having to call 1and1 (onthisside's host company) to ask them to re-instate the site after people looking for Charles Rocket's photo drove us over our site traffic limit, causing it to crash. It's not every day a goody-goody like me gets asked "So where you offering any... video... that may have prompted this increase in traffic?"
6. The time some people with a hardware business emailed me to ask where they could buy buckets. I think they missed the point of the site...
7. Writing "Origins." That's still the only time I've ever outright wept while writing a story.
8. Writing for Andrew on the YG. Somehow that always brightens my mood and often makes me think of things in a more compassionate, optimistic light.
9. All the goofy lil character ticks that have popped into my head while writing like that Adam knows how to knit or Andrew absolutely can't play hopscotch.
10. Writing "In the House of the Lord." Dyeland was created for many reasons but one was to give us a place to play with characters from shows we loved and lost. And that story more than any other made me feel like, just for a few weeks, not only was TBAA back but also "Beauty and the Beast" and "Moonlight."
11. This isn't so much a single memory as a chain of memories. But I've really come to appreciate how strong the female characters in Dyeland are. They're powerful yet gentle women who are just as adept at comforting an AOD as they are standing up to one.
12. Pausing a re-run of "Hearts" to hop online and post to the YG declaring myself in love with Andrew because of his snake ordering ability. There aren't too many places you can do that without people shunning ya.
13. Waking up one morning and finding the Encyclopedia updated yet having no memory of doing it...
14. Figuring out how to take snaps from DVDs so we could have a Photo Gallery!
15. We don't always agree on everything and sometimes that can be difficult. But when I remember those times, I realize that they helped me to find my voice and learn to disagree and defend one's view point in a sane, healthy, and respectful way.
16. Having people join right when I was beginning to think we were at the end of the line. This has happened repeatedly and most often 3 members join at a time. I've never figured out why that happens.
17. Shifting away from animated gifs on every last newsletter page...
18. Shifting away from stale clip art jpgs before that...
19. Being able to include snaps from TBAA in every newsletter thanks to the old "Let's take a photo of the TV" method!
20. Being able to include legitimate screen shots that did not involve my editing out the frame of my TV set.
21. Playing Jeopardy on the YG!
22. All the April Fools jokes. Ha, I love messing with people's minds... in a good way.
23. Being able to put all that random mythology to use. :-)
24. Writing the Vincent and LJA scene in "House of the Lord." For over 10 years I'd wanted Vincent to realize all the worry he sometimes put Father through and, at last, he did. Also, someone needed to talk sense into Juliet Jr. there.
25. Andrew in Renaissance garb.
26. Being able to discuss work woes on the YG and getting constructive, helpful feedback.
27. Being able to feel like you can touch the lives of people a world away.
28. Explaining the remark "That's S4 Andrew's body with S5 Andrew's head!" to Kate and Nicole. I knew I wasn't crazy.
29. Offering photographic proof of the same. :-)
30. Having some random guy show up at a Dye Day chat and politely being very confused.
31. Gently explaining to a potential YG member that we are not devoted to the discussion of actual bucket brigades.
32. Hearing my dad's odd pronunciation of JABB as if he was a stuffy English character in a movie. Jaaahhbb.
33. Hopping online to report that I'd watched "Heart of the Beholder," eaten Haagen Daaz (coffee-flavored, I think), and promptly fallen asleep. It was a traumatic experience, what can I say?
34. Writing Andrew trying to comfort LJA after watching HOTB. Cause everyone knows an AOD is the first person one should go to when struggling with the reality of adultery.
35. Crying about "Tour of Duty" to YG members and on Facebook with members.
36. This one time someone on the YG thought they saw JD on a commercial post-TBAA so we spent way too long analyzing a still from said commercial.
37. Finding out, via the YG, that I'm not the only one who gets depressed watching Andrew walk away at the end of "Elijah."
38. Spending more time analyzing Andrew's and Monica's friendship with you lovely people than I spent writing my senior thesis.
39. All those late night/early morning chats with people that I'm sure consist of 60% "I want Andrew" and 40% idealistic plans for the world... many of which probly involve Andrew.
40. Reporting turkey sightings and knowing that people understand why I'm all at once amused and a lil saddened by them.
41. Being able to use the phrases "and then when he was crying on the stairs..." or "And when he was shaving in the rain..." and knowing people totally get how emotional they make me feel.
42. Among my favorite memories are several that involved tying up loose or disturbing ends from our beloved shows like at last getting Vincent and Catherine married and
43. Mick proposing to Beth and
44. Andrew being happily part of a loving group even after the finale and
45. Giving Josef and Sarah some semblance of a peaceful ending and
46. Dealing with that horrifying and heart-stopping dismayed and broken look Andrew had in "Two Sides to Every Angel" and
47. Redeeming Kathleen and
48. Vincent learning about how he came to exist and that turning out to be really, really normal and beautiful and
49. Andrew being able to spend happy times with Tess post-finale and even a lil bit with Monica, too, and
50. Giving Andrew a dog.
51 Putting lovely, innocent Andrew on trial for murder... finally!
52. Being able to discuss so many topics (ranging from books, dogs, health, religion, morals, etiquette, weather, etc.) with such a wide variety of people.
53. That crazy month we went over 1000 posts on the YG.
54. Putting all of Yvette's wonderful TBAA stories on our site. Not only was it great to know new readers could find them but it's also how I learned to make cool banners.
55. Any time someone else wrote a newsletter or helped write one. I love these things but a break from writing is always, always welcome.
56. Some memories have some pain attached to them but to me they're great memories because through JABB I began to cope with them. At last count, Dyeland stories have helped me confront and deal with my raging emotions concerning: body image, the death of my pet frog, my fear of suicide, the scandal in the Catholic Church, those wackos from that one church in Kansas whose name I will not mention, and more.
57. Being able to come to all of you for advice on keeping my dog amused and obedient-ish.
58. Receiving your advice and understanding when I was having issues with a co-worker.
59. Your counsel and affirmation when I feel hurt by those I love.
60. For a long time now I've had some crazy idea that it'd be really groundbreaking and awesome to have a TV show wherein two people really loved each other but for one reason or another were kept from the usual blessings of dating, marriage, starting a family, etc. Well, ya'll couldn't be expected to give me a TV show but your helping to provide a place where I can explore such an idea is definitely a fond series of memories.
61. Building the CafePress store, especially generating all those nicknames for Andrew with some of you.
62. Writing the last Dye Day JABB with Nicole and Yvette. It was hilarious to come up, rapid fire, with that list of comments to JD characters.
63. Writing "Watching 'The Journalist' with Andrew" with Liz and Jess. I really loved cooperatively turning that one out!
64. The couple of times JABB has allowed me to write Joshua in as a character.
65. The last Dye Day chat just in general. I think totaling up everyone who stopped in, even though they weren't all present at once, it was the best attended chat in years! I had a wonderful time talking to ya'll in real time.
66. Nicole patiently helping me figure out a program so I could make the Charles Rocket/Adam tribute video.
67. December 16, 2006- The first time Andrew ever used the nickname "Laja." Okay, okay. So I didn't remember the exact date and had to look it up. But the event itself is meaningful.
68. Sitting in Psych class and thinking "OMG... that so sounds like poor Andrew. I need to report that to the YG!" And I did.
69. Getting bored in a class on the book of Revelation and then pondering what I would do if someone got really confused and thought Andrew was one of the Four Horsemen and tried to kill him. (Answer: Hide him. And if you think I'm going to post where on a public web site then you're nuts. All I'll say is it has easy access to baked goods.) Then reporting this to the YG and no one suggesting I get my head examined (though they may have thought it.)
70. Knowing that I would be instantly understood when I confessed that English class depressed me because we were studying Wordsworth and Andrew wasn't teaching it.
71. Engaging in a clothes drive with another JABBer which ended with a homeless shelter getting a bunch of flannel shirts because we *may* have decided it would be fun to pretend we were buying the clothes for Andrew...
72. All the excitement with which I'd report on snippets from spoiler magazines before the new TBAA season started and how we'd pick them apart and get so nervous!
73. Turning one of my Anthropology papers into a swoony essay on Andrew's hair and how it's NOT a symbol of unbridled sexuality. Ah, college!
74. Eating TLS (turkey-like substance) and knowing I had to immediately start an email and share my opinion (yummy) with the YG. I'm concluding that a lot of my favorite JABB memories are just life stuff that I was so psyched to be able to share with people who would totally get why I found the thing so interesting or awesome or whatever. Having no one but myself to consider the TBAA parallels with woulda been sad.
75. Making the Dyeland Cookbook with Jennifer, Liz, Nicole, Sorrow, and Yvette!
76. Reading these memories as they came in!
77. Reporting to the YG and then on the Episode Guide the scenes Hallmark cut. It makes me feel like an investigative reporter/archivist. ;-)
78. Meeting a JABB member at a Ren Faire!
79. Meeting a JABB member at an air port!
80. Planning our get-together for Mr. Dye's 50th birthday!
81. Our short-lived Messenger Angels project. It didn't work out exactly like we wished it had but I'd like to think we brightened people's days.
82. Asking Nicole whether or not she felt Rose would be up for ordering Andrew to "man up."
83. Writing Andrew's portion of his and Rose's speaking in the third person game.
84. Writing both portions of Andrew's and LJA's rare adjective game.
85. Yva's explanation of Dyeland family dynamics to the two drunk women in "We Trust to Thee."
86. Making Dyeland ink blots with my water colors. Yay for pretending to be a kid!
87. Watching the Valentine's interview questions come rolling in. They're still among my best resources for writing characters not my own.
88. Talking about the awesomeness that is Converses with people who totally know I mostly bought them cause Todd wore them (and I'm a child of the 80s).
89. Making all those charm bracelets for the old JABB Store. I had a great time picking out charms to symbolize Andrew, TBAA, and Mr. Dye's other characters.
90. The utter glee I felt when I realized some random channel I didn't even know I had ran "Promised Land" thus making it possible for me to put "Civil Wars" and "Mooster's Revenge" on the Photo Gallery. More Andrew!
91. All the music! You all have really expanded my music tastes.
92. Putting together all those (mostly) Andrew-themed mixed CDs and occasionally getting ideas for mixes from you. I wish I still had time for that cause those were happy times! Maybe I best just make time!
93. Collecting the votes that made Andrew president of Dyeland. Yeah, it was a goofy thing that now just plain wouldn't work in Dyeland but, seriously, how often do you get to vote on the president's inaugural meal?
94. Making the mock political ads for that.
95. Making the mock ad for "Nor Iron Bars." Cause it's totally fun to tape you and your sister shouting "Free Andrew now!" and giggling during what's supposed to be a very serious moment.
96. Going through my books for just the right opening quote for a newsletter or the right literary reference for a story. I just don't make the time to idly wander through books any more and JABB gives me an excuse to do that.
97. Seeing what people created to earn the Dye Scouts badges. I still love looking through those pages.
98. Discussing the minutiae of so many TBAA episodes with all of you like pondering what Adam's ring means and
99. How difficult it is to hear Andrew talk about his spirit hurting in "Liberty Moon" and
100. Well, obviously Andrew's not entirely buttoned shirts and
101. The correspondence between Andrew's hair and facial hair and his general mood and
102. Why Andrew seems to have a nervous tic with his hands and
103. Any time Andrew's voice cracked with emotion and
104. Andrew with baby! Yes, I fondly remember fairly lengthy conversations, repeated many times over, about the utter loveliness that is Andrew caring for a baby and
105. Complaining/cooing over Andrew's tasseled shoes and
106. Getting sappy while comparing umbrella dancing Andrew with S9 Andrew and so much more!
107. Venting our shared righteous indignation about people marrying Andrew off to Monica when we know they'd be an awful couple even if angels could get married.
108. Being able to rant about Rafael's ignorant, shameful, and insensitive use of "Sleazy" in "Children of the Night." Yeah, I know it's a minor thing but it makes my blood boil so I was relieved to learn I wasn't alone.
109. First seeing the animated intro to our "Green Pages." It doesn't seem that impressive now but when I first got that package via 1and1... I thought it was so amazing. JABB had a web page with an animated intro!!!
110. First creating the monthly Andrew (and occasionally Adam) themed calendar computer backgrounds. My desktop has been way more lovely ever since!
111. The first YG email, newsletter, and web page update I did from my own home. As much as I loved getting the house ready, I did not cope well with things being in a state of flux. So being able to plug in my computer and finding JABB just as I'd left it and being able to carry on as if everything was normal was really great.
112. Creating the Dyeland map and adding to it as people joined us in playing Dyeland.
113. Also, editing the map with assorted props that showed how much the Dyeland story had evolved. Like adding the monuments to Avalon, Andrew's willow tree, the Tunnel children's tree house, etc.
114. Beginning the Dyeland Cultural References page. It makes me feel smart. :-)
115. The "Who Would You Choose?" questionnaires on the YG.
116. I'm kind of a nerd. I actually like writing papers (IF I care about the subject). And in college I wrote/researched a lot of papers but precious few I was passionate about. So researching and writing "For Thou Art with Me" is a treasured memory for me. I pored over trial transcripts, read a bunch of history and psychology, and it just seemed like the right coda for what I sometimes see as my misspent college career.
117. Dressing as LJA for Halloween one year. Not that I told most people that's who I was... I wore a peasant dress, floral crown, and inner sappiness directed at a certain AOD.
118. Dressing as an Andrew-approved AOD for another Halloween after getting the idea from a Dyeland story. Sometimes life imitates art!
119. Even though I sometimes get nervous and stressed planning the annual Christmas project, I actually really enjoy physically assembling them. Picking out symbols and stuffing Dyeland Christmas stockings was a lot of fun this year!
120. Copying and pasting together the Dyeland Christmas card (with actual signatures!) was a lot of fun, too.
121. But hands down, the Dyeland Christmas ornaments and putting the Dyeland Christmas tree up every year is my favorite recurrent JABB Christmas memory.
122. Speaking of Christmas, I had a lot of fun writing the lyrics to "La Via 'Angel' Fan" for one holiday story years back. RENT and TBAA truly do go together.
123. And I have a special Easter memory, too: The year I created JD-themed gif easter eggs and hid them all around the site for a contest. It was fun thinking of people searching every lil virtual nook and cranny for those!
124. Getting a handwritten thank you note from the National Coalition for the Homeless after giving them our annual Christmas donation in 2009. That was a first.
125. All the emails I've received from people who said they were having a bad day/year but found our site and laughed.
126. All the times I had some "pressing" question about Andrew that TBAA never answered and I felt needed to be answered so asked the YG. Questions like: "Can Andrew ever use violence even in defense of others?" and
127. "What exactly are Andrew and Co.'s sleep needs?" and
128. "Can Andrew become invisible by choice or does God have to make him so?" and
129. "What kind of car do you think Andrew would drive?" (To the best of my recollection, no one answered "a green mini-van," oh well) and
130. "Do you think it's difficult for Andrew that he can intervene more in caseworking cases but on strictly AOD cases he mostly has to watch events unfold?" and ones on Dyelander morals like:
131. "Hey, do you think it's morally okay for a Dyelander to get jealous if some woman hits on Andrew while she's standing there if they look like a couple even though, obviously, they're not a couple?" and
132. "What's a term someone enamored with Andrew could use to describe their relationship to Andrew that doesn't sound romantic but yet implies they're not available to date?" (Still looking. If you know one: email me!)
133. Writing Andrew's "letters to God" excerpts on the last couple Christmas stories.
134. My annual viewing of It's a Wonderful Life morphing from just plain tradition to "What scene can I reference in the Dyeland Christmas story???" (Clearly a lot of my memories involve Christmas.)
135. How excited we were when the TBAA DVDs started coming out. That it morphed into disappointment is unfortunate but it was still fun.
136. Coming to the sobering realization that many of the other JABB members who watched Heart of the Beholder were younger than me yet seemed less shocked... Woo hoo! I win the naivete award!
137. Finally coming to appreciate the tool belt.
138. Discussing the movie Joshua on the list. Prior to that, I was beginning to think my dad and I were the only people who saw it.
139. Sharing in our utter distaste for a fanfic featuring Monica hooking up with someone who was an even worse match than Andrew... something I didn't even think was possible. There's that naivete again. Anyhow, the ranting was cathartic.
140. All the discussions about Beauty and the Beast that I didn't spend worrying would get all unseemly. I've tried to join BatB groups in the past but sometimes things would get a lil... guttery. I always felt safe talking about Vincent on the YG. Still do.
141. Learning how to make text boxes transparent on web pages. I know that sounds nerdy but I really love the look of it.
142. Starting the episode guide! I'd wanted JABB to have one for years and finally, with the DVD releases, decided to go for it. I totally thought I'd lose interest before finishing but I'd now into S6 and there are no signs of boredom so... we shall see.
143. The time someone signed our guest book as John Dye and we freaked out and then kept second guessing whether or not we really thought it was him.
144. Starting the Graffiti Wall. We don't really do much with it any more but I thought it was pretty hysterical and fun at the time.
145. Taking up French knitting again in order to put some things in the old JABB Store. I'd done it as a kid then lost interest and didn't start up again til then. It came in handy when I moved and needed coasters, pot holders, etc. Without JABB, my table settings wouldn't look as nice.
146. Being able to see other people's handiwork like Yvette's teddy bears, Jess' drawings, a sign Karen made me, etc.
147. Watching Nicole's super angsty yet somehow addictive "Tour of Duty" music videos. Sigh...
148. Trying to determine all the best ways to keep Andrew from leaving that field at the end of TBAA. To this day it is my favorite physics problem.
149. Phoning/IMing with some of you during a stressful, post-college vacation that didn't go as planned. Ya made me laugh and I needed it.
150. Discovering I'm not the only one who sometimes wanders over to the jewelry counter and just stares at men's pocket watches.
151. Buying/receiving my pocket watches. They do always make me think of Andrew.
152. Voting on the design and inscription for Andrew's new pocket watch. I think we chose very, very well.
153. Making the gingerbread Andrews! Both the gif and plywood ornament versions.
154. Sharing my adventures with the Andrew Door with all of you.
155. Some of my favorite writing memories involve happy coincidences. Like when I was struggling with where to go with a scene in the last Christmas story and, inexplicably, The Today Show played the song "What's the Buzz?" from Jesus Christ Superstar. It solved my block.
156. Another such case was when I was writing "In the House of the Lord" and couldn't think of a title. I happened to watch the film Leap of Faith and the gospel choir in the group began to sing Psalm 27. Not only did I have my title after that but I also improved a couple scenes!
157. Having Nicole assure me that, yes, Andrew probably does have a heart beat.
158. Okay. So this one's kind of weird but it was one of my absolute favorite memories of "scoring" a JABB story. There's a part in the first Valentine's interview story where Andrew learns that LJA's broken up with Eliot and he leaves William's, goes to Willowveil, and runs up the stairs to her room as Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in C Minor plays. For some reason having that classical piece in my head made it seem more "real." It was another case of, for just one minute, I felt less like I was reading something and more like I was seeing some version of my favorite show (with BatB influences) back. Go Bach!
159. Watching "The Journalist" in a big, poofy white princess dress and eating ice cream... just because I could. I sometimes think that without JABB I might not have stayed interested in TBAA after its cancellation and woulda totally missed daffy moments like that.
160. And to bring us to now... I had a lot of fun thinking back and writing these and writing memories for my Dyeland characters!
From Yvette:
161. Easter story with Willy's Easter Bunny Invention and how that went a bit crazy and let lots of suspicion going on.
162. Nigel's visit from God during the Christmas story. (That was one of my favorite bits)
163. The time when Yva and Andrew had their misunderstanding (without this, they would never have resolved the things that were going on and this enabled their friendship to become stronger).
164. When Vincent adopted Yva as his surrogate sister.
165. Adam playing Santa Claus. It was just cute.
166. The time when the Dyeland ladies were able to help Andrew on his case in Missouri. Even though it was a sad situation, it gave a great deal of depth to all the characters who were involved in that.
167. When Willy arrived in Dyeland, adopted Yva and gave her the Yvavator for her birthday (much to Nigel's utter
dismay).
168. The Valentine's Day interviews were also memorable because it gave each person a chance to delve into ideas about love and the vast amount of love that exists in the world.
169. Andi's change, how she evolved and changed and the experiences that enabled her to find forgiveness, not just Yva and Nigel's, but the whole of Dyeland.
170. Henry and Lady Beth's various culinary attempts. (I love food, what can I say)
From Nicole:
171. My first April Fool's Day at JABB was hilarious. I was so confused, but that's what got me started thinking Dyeland looked fun. The rest is history. :D
172. My first Dye Day chat. I had rarely done any chatting before that, but that was such a fun night.
173. The times many of us have spent sitting around on chats and coming up with excellent material for future newsletters. Ah, the things Mountain Dew, chai, and Andrew can inspire...
174. Creating the Andrew's Nicknames t-shirt and then actually buying it. And wearing it. :D
175. Discovering "Beauty and the Beast" and becoming obsessed with it. I blame that on Jenni, of course.
176. Also discovering "Moonlight" and Mick and Beth and Josef and... well, I blame that on Jenni, too. ;-)
177. Getting my onthisside.net email address. I'm an easily pleased person.
178. Also creating some of my first Andrew email backgrounds. Awwww.
179. Along this same theme, getting to actually download and see all the JABB messages with Andrew pictures and backgrounds! I was so thrilled! And I apparently have a lot of good memories about my email... :-)
180. Reading Jenni's story "We Trust to Thee" and becoming too emotionally invested and having to set it aside for a few minutes. Because I'm a sap. But that is still one of my favorites.
181. Every Stupid Question I get to write for the newsletters. I love doing those and trying to imagine the answers they might get.
182. Looking through the TBAA photo gallery and then proceeding to write an email at some ungodly time of the night about my favorite pictures of the evening.
183. Becoming obsessed with the Monkees and blaming Yvette for that, of course.
184. Writing and talking to the Magic 8 Ball. So ridiculous, yet so much fun! Those are some of my favorite newsletters. Hahaha...
185. Sitting in my Humanities class and listening to my professor talk about mythology and such things... and realizing that I recognized many of these names from Jenni already and that she'd made it sound more interesting.
186. Discovering button-forgetfulness and other such JABBerisms.
187. I also discovered Chris de Burgh and his awesomeness and there is absolutely no one that I can put that blame on except for Yvette. :D
188. Going to the store and finding the softest green sweater and immediately thinking of Andrew. Talking myself outta buying that thing was harder than I care to admit. ;-)
189. Welcoming Willy Wonka to Dyeland. That was fun because, really, we can have whoever we want in Dyeland.
190. Creating my first JABB/Dyeland play list and adding to it so that it grows longer and longer.
191. When "Moonlight" got canceled and we JABB Moonlighters mourned together for a show that was apparently before its time. Sniff.
192. Watching "Cry and You Cry Alone" and writing a review for it at the same time as Jenni... and then realizing we practically wrote the same thing at certain parts. Haha, that was hilarious! Accidental plagiarism.
193. The night Jenni got on chat and told me "Okay, I heard this song on the way home..." and my iPod was forever changed by the 3 Doors Down song "Let Me Be Myself".
194. The first time I wrote for Tess in Dyeland. I was terrified. ;-)
195. The night I discovered JABB and realized there were people like me and that at least if I was weird, there were other weird people like me out there too!
196. When I stayed up the next two nights till 3 in the morning reading through every single newsletter and laughing so hard I cried. And tried not to wake my dad up. Reading those for the first time is something I always remember fondly.
;-)
197. When Jenni sent an email to the list with some pictures of Andrew in "A Delicate Balance" and asked about the chain necklace thing around his neck. That's just one of those emails I don't forget. Hee, hee...
198. All our discussions on Andrew and Monica and birth order. I think they are very insightful thoughts! We're smart people, FYI.
199. Every time Andrew comes to visit during the Dye Day chats. Wow, we are such goofs but I am totally okay with that.
200. My solo TBAA marathons that kept me up till two o'clock in the morning, and then those crazed emails that I write afterwards that probably didn't even make sense to an actual awake person. I wouldn't know cause I refuse to go and read them the next morning. :D
201. That time Jenni and I both made new backgrounds that said "Love the lovely angel" on the same night... on accident. Great minds think alike! Haha...
202. Every Dyeland email that gets written teasing Andrew about his age.
From Liz:
203. Meeting new people
204. Looking forward to the next newsletter.
205. Wondering how some of the stories are going to work out.
206. Creating the residences to suit the appropriate people.
207. The parties/get togethers (everyone likes those).
208. Finding new pics of JD.
209. I think a group of us (I don't recall how many) were talking about certain photos and there was a common liking to the green shirt photo (it was one of the top 5 photos if I'm correct).
210. Also, for me anyway, it's been interesting to try to write for an angel especially one who never really appeared in many episodes.
So there's this idea that while we have our newsletters, the Dyelanders' have their own JABB which exists both in the sense of their original group name (later replaced by "Dyelanders") and as a goofy e-newsletter that morphed into their own biweekly publication. Only very seldom do we get to read what they do for their newsletters. Since so many of our actual memories involved these characters, I thought it would be fun to include some of their memories of *their* JABB here. Might just give us an idea of what they've all been reading, writing, and experiencing! ;-)
From Lady JenniAnn:
211. The "Q & A with Andrew" that I published in late March 2000. Previously, I'd just goofed around and made up his answers. But that was the first time I actually got to interview him for real and provide real answers.
212. I still get the giggles (and a lil embarrassed) when I recall reading our security blotter one day and finding "Citizen reported bearded, black clad prowler at door of her residence. Citizen proceeded to open door to investigate. Citizen threw herself at prowler. Prowler was Andrew who had been working with the Amish. He has a beard now. Thought you all should know."
213. So this wasn't our paper but I'm including it. It was late last November and I came down the stairs at the Phoenix and went into the kitchen and Andrew was there with his cup of coffee, reading the NY Times, and it was the first moment that everything seemed normal again.
214. Incorporating a social calendar. I'd like to think that made us more prone to commit to doing stuff as a group whether it be Spin the Bottle karaoke nights, movie nights, crafting sessions, bonfires, or what not. Now some non-newsletters ones...
215. I just get a kick out of every Halloween cause it's so much fun to see what costumes people choose.
216. I have so many treasured memories that fall into this category so I'll just stick to the general: watching the ways the Tunnels and Dyeland (and later L.A. and London) came together. It meant a lot to me to see groups of people who mean so much to me come together.
217. Andrew talking me down after I watched "Heart of the Beholder" and then a bunch of us doing splatter paint.
218. All of our Christmases together, maybe especially the last one. It just seemed enchanted, somehow. And, looking back, Andrew's... unusual attire on Christmas Eve Eve made for a pretty hysterical experience.
219. Andrew getting the Jolly Green. It's not even been that much time and already we have so many great memories in that thing! Like the two of us going to visit Raquel and
220. A bunch of us piling in for that very first drive in the Fields of Gold and
221. Bringing Beth's stuff back to her and Mick's apartment and
222. Seeing Andrew and Adam get out of it with Crystal after they found her and
223. All the times us girls hid presents and pranks in there when Andrew was away. :-)
224. Two Christmases ago was pretty enchanted, too. I still can't figure out how Andrew got on the video we took when he was in Iraq but... wow.
225. Fleeing my grandma's house last Valentine's Day, with Eli supplying the getaway car, running from the willow tree to the Cafe, and then into Andrew's arms in the midst of all of you. Home.
From Mick:
226. Even though my initial arrival was a little scary, looking back I find it pretty amusing. And I'd just like to thank Andrew, again, for not swinging that fence post at me. ;)
227. Watching the Valentine's documentaries with all of you and feeling like Beth, Josef, and I really belonged.
228. Discovering that the nuns were wrong. Angels don't just sing and pray. Apparently they also play pool, dance, and make touch downs.
229. Reading Logan's review of the latest "Star Wars" cartoon in your paper. It's great you all give him a place to do that.
230. Getting to place an engagement announcement in your paper. That was really great.
231. All of us getting our official Dyeland Christmas ornaments!
From Vincent:
232. Being granted the opportunity to meet so many wonderful, kind, understanding people who accept me as I am and welcomed me as a friend and brother.
233. I will never forget the first time I walked with Catherine, for hours, in the sunlight without fear or worry then bought her ice cream.
234. Welcoming you all to our chamber to meet our son for the very first time.
235. I will always treasure and hold onto the memory of how my friends both in the Tunnels and Dyeland stood with me, comforted me, and prayed with me when I met my mother and when I had to tell her good bye.
236. Reading poetry and books with my sister, Yva.
237. Seeing my Psyche grow up and find happiness in a way I never could have without the safety of Dyeland.
238. Helping Rose to search history books for a trace of Andrew. My apologies, Andrew.
239. Meeting Andrew. Though I know I had misplaced reservations in the beginning, it was a blessing to put a face to the person who meant so much to my godchild.
240. Having all of you with us when Catherine and I wed.
241. Watching Jacob pick flowers, play Hide and Seek, roll down hills, climb trees, and make a thousand discoveries all in the light of the sun.
From Yva:
242. The Valentine interviews were a lovely memory for me, as it gave me the chance to have Sir Sven take an active role. That is something that I will always remember.
243. Having the chance to help Andrew on his cases will always be special to me.
244. Becoming Vincent's surrogate sister is something that will always be a fond memory for me.
245. When Nigel came to Dyeland and became an intricate part of the group.
246. When Willy adopted me as a daughter and gave me the Yvavator.
247. The days spent at William's house in Victorian England and when we've been able to have gatherings there.
248. Seeing Vincent outside in the sunlight will also always be a fond memory for me.
From Nigel:
249. Having the Father come to me at Christmas.
250. The Easter celebrations and watching the children hunt for eggs.
251. Helping Andrew build the tree house and watching Yva decorate it.
252. Finding forgiveness with Andi.
From Willy:
253. Building the Easter bunny robot.
254. Having the chance to show the Tunnel children the factory and seeing the enthusiasm that emanated from them.
255. Being able to give a Gobstopper to Logan. That was something that was very bittersweet, and something that I will always remember.
256. Finding out that there are more people who were different in Dyeland, which made me feel not so much like an oddity.
257. Meeting the inhabitants of Dyeland and spending time speaking with and helping them through a few kind words or actions.
From Andrew:
258. Reading LJA's expose about the length of my hair and what it says about my emotional state. Here I thought I just had it cut because I wanted a change. I didn't realize it was a desperate cry for help. I'm kidding, Laja. But it was a good read. 0;-)
259. All those recipes Lady Beth submitted. I had a great time learning them!
260. That time someone hit the wrong button and an entire newsletter was published in Wingdings.
261. Watching the story unfold in Adam's beloved comic strip about Alexander and Co.
262. Going to see Eli as the candelabra in the musical version of "Beauty and the Beast" and writing a glowing review of it. Pun intended.
263. I got a lot of laughs from the article "Andrew: What's the deal with his eye brows?"
264. One of my favorite ongoing columns has to be Rose's "All About Andrew's Age." I particularly loved the time she talked about watching that documentary on ancient Egypt and trying to figure out if it was me in some hieroglyphics. (It wasn't.)
265. Reading Yva's CD reviews. I think I can safely say my musical tastes have been much more eclectic since arriving here.
266. I think one of the greatest memories I had with the newsletter was helping set up Catherine's and Vincent's wedding announcement.
267. Jacob's birth announcement, too.
268. Reading Laja's review of "Up!" and remembering watching it with her. Great movie.
269. OK, so this isn't exactly a memory attached to our newsletter but I think the Dyeland Times saga is close enough. I love that we all banded together to show Eben that his misdeeds would never break us apart. And we got to meet Logan so that was great.
270. All the times we had to publish an updated map of Dyeland. It always meant someone new had come into our group or we'd worked together to create something special.
271. I'll never forget that first newsletter after Monica, Gloria, Tess, and I went our separate ways. The lead story was "Andrew, We're Still Here for You." And it was true. Thank you.
272. Every single time I came back from an assignment, sometimes with my heart aching or my soul hurting, and one (and usually more than one!) of you gave me a hug or held my hand and everything began to seem better.
273. Learning to if not love Halloween then at least see some good in it.
274. Opening my eyes at the hospital and seeing a whole football team worth of friends looking at me with so much love.
275. Getting the cast off and being able to hug all of you with *both* arms again.
276. March 17, 2000. Even though I didn't meet many of you until later, that was the beginning of being a part of a great, loving, talented, amazing group of friends who became family.
277. The first time Laja dropped Lulu into my lap and told me I had a dog.
278. Playing so often with Adam and Henry in the AOD Band and later being joined by Nigel and Mick, too. It's especially great when Yva sings with us and all of you join in on the choruses.
279. All of the help and support everyone has given me during assignments. Whether it was when I was in jail, grieving Dawn, homeless, or just plain hurt and being impossible... you all fought for me, comforted me, and never gave up on me.
280. I think a lot of my favorite memories are little things that happen day to day. Not just parties and momentous life events but things like driving some of you around in the van and looking in the rear view mirror and seeing you smiling at me or just looking content.
281. Sharing meals and looking around the table and thinking "This seems right."
282. Playing football with you or hearing you cheer from the sidelines.
283. Being
in Serendipity and hearing one of you knock on my door
and taking just a moment to thank the Father that I have a place where,
far from trying to run away from me, people actually come looking for
me.
284. Going Below and getting mobbed by kids waiting to give me a hug or tell me about some great new discovery they've made.
285. Sitting around the Cafe talking about anything and everything.
286. Sitting under the stars or in the Fields of Gold or somewhere in our beautiful home, sometimes simply sharing in the calm and comforting silence.
287. All the times we've laughed together.
288. Interviewing all of you about love these last two years and working on the documentary.
289. Celebrating my birthday. That's something I never really thought I'd do but you've all made Sept. 20th very special to me.
290. Showing Tess around Dyeland that first time she visited us. I was so proud of everyone and what we've done and happy to have her see it and meet everyone.
291. Writing and receiving so many heartfelt letters.
292. Simply feeling like a part of a group again.
293. All the holidays we've spent together. If I was gonna list my favorite memories from each, I'd need a list of 300 just for myself so I'll leave it at that.
294. Attending the Renaissance Faire with so many of you, especially seeing Jessie, Shelby, Asher, and Evan really get into the spirit of it!
295. Spending time with all our pets: Lulu, Alexander and Co., Theo, Miss Ellie, Hannibal, Flick, Fawn, and all the others who comforted us and gave us sloppy kisses and pushy nose nudges, curled up in our laps when we needed them, and played games with us.
296. Watching Touched on occasion with some of you. That's always an interesting experience and I usually get a lot of hugs. 0:-)
297. Seeing families and deep friendships form all around me.
298. Learning that I'm Amish Boy and a Swan Boat and someone's Skin Horse and another's Andrewkins and still another's Sweet Boy.
299. Being able to share the Father's love with all of you and sometimes having you remind me of His love, too.
300. My favorite memory will always be simply discovering that I've found a home that, while not Home, often seems not very far from it at all due to the love I feel here. Thank you, Dyelanders. Thank you, Father.
From Jenni:
1. The night JABB came into being. Even though my memories are becoming vague, I remember that being a really fun night and, apparently, an important one!
2. Getting responses back from the 12 Steps we wrote that first night. Without those JABB 1 may not have existed let alone JABB 300!
3. Getting our own url! Long live onthisside.net!
4. And then being able to move everything off of Geocities and never having to read a newsletter with a side banner ad again!
5. Proving that comedy can come out of even tragedy, I remain amused when I recollect having to call 1and1 (onthisside's host company) to ask them to re-instate the site after people looking for Charles Rocket's photo drove us over our site traffic limit, causing it to crash. It's not every day a goody-goody like me gets asked "So where you offering any... video... that may have prompted this increase in traffic?"
6. The time some people with a hardware business emailed me to ask where they could buy buckets. I think they missed the point of the site...
7. Writing "Origins." That's still the only time I've ever outright wept while writing a story.
8. Writing for Andrew on the YG. Somehow that always brightens my mood and often makes me think of things in a more compassionate, optimistic light.
9. All the goofy lil character ticks that have popped into my head while writing like that Adam knows how to knit or Andrew absolutely can't play hopscotch.
10. Writing "In the House of the Lord." Dyeland was created for many reasons but one was to give us a place to play with characters from shows we loved and lost. And that story more than any other made me feel like, just for a few weeks, not only was TBAA back but also "Beauty and the Beast" and "Moonlight."
11. This isn't so much a single memory as a chain of memories. But I've really come to appreciate how strong the female characters in Dyeland are. They're powerful yet gentle women who are just as adept at comforting an AOD as they are standing up to one.
12. Pausing a re-run of "Hearts" to hop online and post to the YG declaring myself in love with Andrew because of his snake ordering ability. There aren't too many places you can do that without people shunning ya.
13. Waking up one morning and finding the Encyclopedia updated yet having no memory of doing it...
14. Figuring out how to take snaps from DVDs so we could have a Photo Gallery!
15. We don't always agree on everything and sometimes that can be difficult. But when I remember those times, I realize that they helped me to find my voice and learn to disagree and defend one's view point in a sane, healthy, and respectful way.
16. Having people join right when I was beginning to think we were at the end of the line. This has happened repeatedly and most often 3 members join at a time. I've never figured out why that happens.
17. Shifting away from animated gifs on every last newsletter page...
18. Shifting away from stale clip art jpgs before that...
19. Being able to include snaps from TBAA in every newsletter thanks to the old "Let's take a photo of the TV" method!
20. Being able to include legitimate screen shots that did not involve my editing out the frame of my TV set.
21. Playing Jeopardy on the YG!
22. All the April Fools jokes. Ha, I love messing with people's minds... in a good way.
23. Being able to put all that random mythology to use. :-)
24. Writing the Vincent and LJA scene in "House of the Lord." For over 10 years I'd wanted Vincent to realize all the worry he sometimes put Father through and, at last, he did. Also, someone needed to talk sense into Juliet Jr. there.
25. Andrew in Renaissance garb.
26. Being able to discuss work woes on the YG and getting constructive, helpful feedback.
27. Being able to feel like you can touch the lives of people a world away.
28. Explaining the remark "That's S4 Andrew's body with S5 Andrew's head!" to Kate and Nicole. I knew I wasn't crazy.
29. Offering photographic proof of the same. :-)
30. Having some random guy show up at a Dye Day chat and politely being very confused.
31. Gently explaining to a potential YG member that we are not devoted to the discussion of actual bucket brigades.
32. Hearing my dad's odd pronunciation of JABB as if he was a stuffy English character in a movie. Jaaahhbb.
33. Hopping online to report that I'd watched "Heart of the Beholder," eaten Haagen Daaz (coffee-flavored, I think), and promptly fallen asleep. It was a traumatic experience, what can I say?
34. Writing Andrew trying to comfort LJA after watching HOTB. Cause everyone knows an AOD is the first person one should go to when struggling with the reality of adultery.
35. Crying about "Tour of Duty" to YG members and on Facebook with members.
36. This one time someone on the YG thought they saw JD on a commercial post-TBAA so we spent way too long analyzing a still from said commercial.
37. Finding out, via the YG, that I'm not the only one who gets depressed watching Andrew walk away at the end of "Elijah."
38. Spending more time analyzing Andrew's and Monica's friendship with you lovely people than I spent writing my senior thesis.
39. All those late night/early morning chats with people that I'm sure consist of 60% "I want Andrew" and 40% idealistic plans for the world... many of which probly involve Andrew.
40. Reporting turkey sightings and knowing that people understand why I'm all at once amused and a lil saddened by them.
41. Being able to use the phrases "and then when he was crying on the stairs..." or "And when he was shaving in the rain..." and knowing people totally get how emotional they make me feel.
42. Among my favorite memories are several that involved tying up loose or disturbing ends from our beloved shows like at last getting Vincent and Catherine married and
43. Mick proposing to Beth and
44. Andrew being happily part of a loving group even after the finale and
45. Giving Josef and Sarah some semblance of a peaceful ending and
46. Dealing with that horrifying and heart-stopping dismayed and broken look Andrew had in "Two Sides to Every Angel" and
47. Redeeming Kathleen and
48. Vincent learning about how he came to exist and that turning out to be really, really normal and beautiful and
49. Andrew being able to spend happy times with Tess post-finale and even a lil bit with Monica, too, and
50. Giving Andrew a dog.
51 Putting lovely, innocent Andrew on trial for murder... finally!
52. Being able to discuss so many topics (ranging from books, dogs, health, religion, morals, etiquette, weather, etc.) with such a wide variety of people.
53. That crazy month we went over 1000 posts on the YG.
54. Putting all of Yvette's wonderful TBAA stories on our site. Not only was it great to know new readers could find them but it's also how I learned to make cool banners.
55. Any time someone else wrote a newsletter or helped write one. I love these things but a break from writing is always, always welcome.
56. Some memories have some pain attached to them but to me they're great memories because through JABB I began to cope with them. At last count, Dyeland stories have helped me confront and deal with my raging emotions concerning: body image, the death of my pet frog, my fear of suicide, the scandal in the Catholic Church, those wackos from that one church in Kansas whose name I will not mention, and more.
57. Being able to come to all of you for advice on keeping my dog amused and obedient-ish.
58. Receiving your advice and understanding when I was having issues with a co-worker.
59. Your counsel and affirmation when I feel hurt by those I love.
60. For a long time now I've had some crazy idea that it'd be really groundbreaking and awesome to have a TV show wherein two people really loved each other but for one reason or another were kept from the usual blessings of dating, marriage, starting a family, etc. Well, ya'll couldn't be expected to give me a TV show but your helping to provide a place where I can explore such an idea is definitely a fond series of memories.
61. Building the CafePress store, especially generating all those nicknames for Andrew with some of you.
62. Writing the last Dye Day JABB with Nicole and Yvette. It was hilarious to come up, rapid fire, with that list of comments to JD characters.
63. Writing "Watching 'The Journalist' with Andrew" with Liz and Jess. I really loved cooperatively turning that one out!
64. The couple of times JABB has allowed me to write Joshua in as a character.
65. The last Dye Day chat just in general. I think totaling up everyone who stopped in, even though they weren't all present at once, it was the best attended chat in years! I had a wonderful time talking to ya'll in real time.
66. Nicole patiently helping me figure out a program so I could make the Charles Rocket/Adam tribute video.
67. December 16, 2006- The first time Andrew ever used the nickname "Laja." Okay, okay. So I didn't remember the exact date and had to look it up. But the event itself is meaningful.
68. Sitting in Psych class and thinking "OMG... that so sounds like poor Andrew. I need to report that to the YG!" And I did.
69. Getting bored in a class on the book of Revelation and then pondering what I would do if someone got really confused and thought Andrew was one of the Four Horsemen and tried to kill him. (Answer: Hide him. And if you think I'm going to post where on a public web site then you're nuts. All I'll say is it has easy access to baked goods.) Then reporting this to the YG and no one suggesting I get my head examined (though they may have thought it.)
70. Knowing that I would be instantly understood when I confessed that English class depressed me because we were studying Wordsworth and Andrew wasn't teaching it.
71. Engaging in a clothes drive with another JABBer which ended with a homeless shelter getting a bunch of flannel shirts because we *may* have decided it would be fun to pretend we were buying the clothes for Andrew...
72. All the excitement with which I'd report on snippets from spoiler magazines before the new TBAA season started and how we'd pick them apart and get so nervous!
73. Turning one of my Anthropology papers into a swoony essay on Andrew's hair and how it's NOT a symbol of unbridled sexuality. Ah, college!
74. Eating TLS (turkey-like substance) and knowing I had to immediately start an email and share my opinion (yummy) with the YG. I'm concluding that a lot of my favorite JABB memories are just life stuff that I was so psyched to be able to share with people who would totally get why I found the thing so interesting or awesome or whatever. Having no one but myself to consider the TBAA parallels with woulda been sad.
75. Making the Dyeland Cookbook with Jennifer, Liz, Nicole, Sorrow, and Yvette!
76. Reading these memories as they came in!
77. Reporting to the YG and then on the Episode Guide the scenes Hallmark cut. It makes me feel like an investigative reporter/archivist. ;-)
78. Meeting a JABB member at a Ren Faire!
79. Meeting a JABB member at an air port!
80. Planning our get-together for Mr. Dye's 50th birthday!
81. Our short-lived Messenger Angels project. It didn't work out exactly like we wished it had but I'd like to think we brightened people's days.
82. Asking Nicole whether or not she felt Rose would be up for ordering Andrew to "man up."
83. Writing Andrew's portion of his and Rose's speaking in the third person game.
84. Writing both portions of Andrew's and LJA's rare adjective game.
85. Yva's explanation of Dyeland family dynamics to the two drunk women in "We Trust to Thee."
86. Making Dyeland ink blots with my water colors. Yay for pretending to be a kid!
87. Watching the Valentine's interview questions come rolling in. They're still among my best resources for writing characters not my own.
88. Talking about the awesomeness that is Converses with people who totally know I mostly bought them cause Todd wore them (and I'm a child of the 80s).
89. Making all those charm bracelets for the old JABB Store. I had a great time picking out charms to symbolize Andrew, TBAA, and Mr. Dye's other characters.
90. The utter glee I felt when I realized some random channel I didn't even know I had ran "Promised Land" thus making it possible for me to put "Civil Wars" and "Mooster's Revenge" on the Photo Gallery. More Andrew!
91. All the music! You all have really expanded my music tastes.
92. Putting together all those (mostly) Andrew-themed mixed CDs and occasionally getting ideas for mixes from you. I wish I still had time for that cause those were happy times! Maybe I best just make time!
93. Collecting the votes that made Andrew president of Dyeland. Yeah, it was a goofy thing that now just plain wouldn't work in Dyeland but, seriously, how often do you get to vote on the president's inaugural meal?
94. Making the mock political ads for that.
95. Making the mock ad for "Nor Iron Bars." Cause it's totally fun to tape you and your sister shouting "Free Andrew now!" and giggling during what's supposed to be a very serious moment.
96. Going through my books for just the right opening quote for a newsletter or the right literary reference for a story. I just don't make the time to idly wander through books any more and JABB gives me an excuse to do that.
97. Seeing what people created to earn the Dye Scouts badges. I still love looking through those pages.
98. Discussing the minutiae of so many TBAA episodes with all of you like pondering what Adam's ring means and
99. How difficult it is to hear Andrew talk about his spirit hurting in "Liberty Moon" and
100. Well, obviously Andrew's not entirely buttoned shirts and
101. The correspondence between Andrew's hair and facial hair and his general mood and
102. Why Andrew seems to have a nervous tic with his hands and
103. Any time Andrew's voice cracked with emotion and
104. Andrew with baby! Yes, I fondly remember fairly lengthy conversations, repeated many times over, about the utter loveliness that is Andrew caring for a baby and
105. Complaining/cooing over Andrew's tasseled shoes and
106. Getting sappy while comparing umbrella dancing Andrew with S9 Andrew and so much more!
107. Venting our shared righteous indignation about people marrying Andrew off to Monica when we know they'd be an awful couple even if angels could get married.
108. Being able to rant about Rafael's ignorant, shameful, and insensitive use of "Sleazy" in "Children of the Night." Yeah, I know it's a minor thing but it makes my blood boil so I was relieved to learn I wasn't alone.
109. First seeing the animated intro to our "Green Pages." It doesn't seem that impressive now but when I first got that package via 1and1... I thought it was so amazing. JABB had a web page with an animated intro!!!
110. First creating the monthly Andrew (and occasionally Adam) themed calendar computer backgrounds. My desktop has been way more lovely ever since!
111. The first YG email, newsletter, and web page update I did from my own home. As much as I loved getting the house ready, I did not cope well with things being in a state of flux. So being able to plug in my computer and finding JABB just as I'd left it and being able to carry on as if everything was normal was really great.
112. Creating the Dyeland map and adding to it as people joined us in playing Dyeland.
113. Also, editing the map with assorted props that showed how much the Dyeland story had evolved. Like adding the monuments to Avalon, Andrew's willow tree, the Tunnel children's tree house, etc.
114. Beginning the Dyeland Cultural References page. It makes me feel smart. :-)
115. The "Who Would You Choose?" questionnaires on the YG.
116. I'm kind of a nerd. I actually like writing papers (IF I care about the subject). And in college I wrote/researched a lot of papers but precious few I was passionate about. So researching and writing "For Thou Art with Me" is a treasured memory for me. I pored over trial transcripts, read a bunch of history and psychology, and it just seemed like the right coda for what I sometimes see as my misspent college career.
117. Dressing as LJA for Halloween one year. Not that I told most people that's who I was... I wore a peasant dress, floral crown, and inner sappiness directed at a certain AOD.
118. Dressing as an Andrew-approved AOD for another Halloween after getting the idea from a Dyeland story. Sometimes life imitates art!
119. Even though I sometimes get nervous and stressed planning the annual Christmas project, I actually really enjoy physically assembling them. Picking out symbols and stuffing Dyeland Christmas stockings was a lot of fun this year!
120. Copying and pasting together the Dyeland Christmas card (with actual signatures!) was a lot of fun, too.
121. But hands down, the Dyeland Christmas ornaments and putting the Dyeland Christmas tree up every year is my favorite recurrent JABB Christmas memory.
122. Speaking of Christmas, I had a lot of fun writing the lyrics to "La Via 'Angel' Fan" for one holiday story years back. RENT and TBAA truly do go together.
123. And I have a special Easter memory, too: The year I created JD-themed gif easter eggs and hid them all around the site for a contest. It was fun thinking of people searching every lil virtual nook and cranny for those!
124. Getting a handwritten thank you note from the National Coalition for the Homeless after giving them our annual Christmas donation in 2009. That was a first.
125. All the emails I've received from people who said they were having a bad day/year but found our site and laughed.
126. All the times I had some "pressing" question about Andrew that TBAA never answered and I felt needed to be answered so asked the YG. Questions like: "Can Andrew ever use violence even in defense of others?" and
127. "What exactly are Andrew and Co.'s sleep needs?" and
128. "Can Andrew become invisible by choice or does God have to make him so?" and
129. "What kind of car do you think Andrew would drive?" (To the best of my recollection, no one answered "a green mini-van," oh well) and
130. "Do you think it's difficult for Andrew that he can intervene more in caseworking cases but on strictly AOD cases he mostly has to watch events unfold?" and ones on Dyelander morals like:
131. "Hey, do you think it's morally okay for a Dyelander to get jealous if some woman hits on Andrew while she's standing there if they look like a couple even though, obviously, they're not a couple?" and
132. "What's a term someone enamored with Andrew could use to describe their relationship to Andrew that doesn't sound romantic but yet implies they're not available to date?" (Still looking. If you know one: email me!)
133. Writing Andrew's "letters to God" excerpts on the last couple Christmas stories.
134. My annual viewing of It's a Wonderful Life morphing from just plain tradition to "What scene can I reference in the Dyeland Christmas story???" (Clearly a lot of my memories involve Christmas.)
135. How excited we were when the TBAA DVDs started coming out. That it morphed into disappointment is unfortunate but it was still fun.
136. Coming to the sobering realization that many of the other JABB members who watched Heart of the Beholder were younger than me yet seemed less shocked... Woo hoo! I win the naivete award!
137. Finally coming to appreciate the tool belt.
138. Discussing the movie Joshua on the list. Prior to that, I was beginning to think my dad and I were the only people who saw it.
139. Sharing in our utter distaste for a fanfic featuring Monica hooking up with someone who was an even worse match than Andrew... something I didn't even think was possible. There's that naivete again. Anyhow, the ranting was cathartic.
140. All the discussions about Beauty and the Beast that I didn't spend worrying would get all unseemly. I've tried to join BatB groups in the past but sometimes things would get a lil... guttery. I always felt safe talking about Vincent on the YG. Still do.
141. Learning how to make text boxes transparent on web pages. I know that sounds nerdy but I really love the look of it.
142. Starting the episode guide! I'd wanted JABB to have one for years and finally, with the DVD releases, decided to go for it. I totally thought I'd lose interest before finishing but I'd now into S6 and there are no signs of boredom so... we shall see.
143. The time someone signed our guest book as John Dye and we freaked out and then kept second guessing whether or not we really thought it was him.
144. Starting the Graffiti Wall. We don't really do much with it any more but I thought it was pretty hysterical and fun at the time.
145. Taking up French knitting again in order to put some things in the old JABB Store. I'd done it as a kid then lost interest and didn't start up again til then. It came in handy when I moved and needed coasters, pot holders, etc. Without JABB, my table settings wouldn't look as nice.
146. Being able to see other people's handiwork like Yvette's teddy bears, Jess' drawings, a sign Karen made me, etc.
147. Watching Nicole's super angsty yet somehow addictive "Tour of Duty" music videos. Sigh...
148. Trying to determine all the best ways to keep Andrew from leaving that field at the end of TBAA. To this day it is my favorite physics problem.
149. Phoning/IMing with some of you during a stressful, post-college vacation that didn't go as planned. Ya made me laugh and I needed it.
150. Discovering I'm not the only one who sometimes wanders over to the jewelry counter and just stares at men's pocket watches.
151. Buying/receiving my pocket watches. They do always make me think of Andrew.
152. Voting on the design and inscription for Andrew's new pocket watch. I think we chose very, very well.
153. Making the gingerbread Andrews! Both the gif and plywood ornament versions.
154. Sharing my adventures with the Andrew Door with all of you.
155. Some of my favorite writing memories involve happy coincidences. Like when I was struggling with where to go with a scene in the last Christmas story and, inexplicably, The Today Show played the song "What's the Buzz?" from Jesus Christ Superstar. It solved my block.
156. Another such case was when I was writing "In the House of the Lord" and couldn't think of a title. I happened to watch the film Leap of Faith and the gospel choir in the group began to sing Psalm 27. Not only did I have my title after that but I also improved a couple scenes!
157. Having Nicole assure me that, yes, Andrew probably does have a heart beat.
158. Okay. So this one's kind of weird but it was one of my absolute favorite memories of "scoring" a JABB story. There's a part in the first Valentine's interview story where Andrew learns that LJA's broken up with Eliot and he leaves William's, goes to Willowveil, and runs up the stairs to her room as Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude in C Minor plays. For some reason having that classical piece in my head made it seem more "real." It was another case of, for just one minute, I felt less like I was reading something and more like I was seeing some version of my favorite show (with BatB influences) back. Go Bach!
159. Watching "The Journalist" in a big, poofy white princess dress and eating ice cream... just because I could. I sometimes think that without JABB I might not have stayed interested in TBAA after its cancellation and woulda totally missed daffy moments like that.
160. And to bring us to now... I had a lot of fun thinking back and writing these and writing memories for my Dyeland characters!
From Yvette:
161. Easter story with Willy's Easter Bunny Invention and how that went a bit crazy and let lots of suspicion going on.
162. Nigel's visit from God during the Christmas story. (That was one of my favorite bits)
163. The time when Yva and Andrew had their misunderstanding (without this, they would never have resolved the things that were going on and this enabled their friendship to become stronger).
164. When Vincent adopted Yva as his surrogate sister.
165. Adam playing Santa Claus. It was just cute.
166. The time when the Dyeland ladies were able to help Andrew on his case in Missouri. Even though it was a sad situation, it gave a great deal of depth to all the characters who were involved in that.
167. When Willy arrived in Dyeland, adopted Yva and gave her the Yvavator for her birthday (much to Nigel's utter
dismay).168. The Valentine's Day interviews were also memorable because it gave each person a chance to delve into ideas about love and the vast amount of love that exists in the world.
169. Andi's change, how she evolved and changed and the experiences that enabled her to find forgiveness, not just Yva and Nigel's, but the whole of Dyeland.
170. Henry and Lady Beth's various culinary attempts. (I love food, what can I say)
From Nicole:
171. My first April Fool's Day at JABB was hilarious. I was so confused, but that's what got me started thinking Dyeland looked fun. The rest is history. :D
172. My first Dye Day chat. I had rarely done any chatting before that, but that was such a fun night.
173. The times many of us have spent sitting around on chats and coming up with excellent material for future newsletters. Ah, the things Mountain Dew, chai, and Andrew can inspire...
174. Creating the Andrew's Nicknames t-shirt and then actually buying it. And wearing it. :D
175. Discovering "Beauty and the Beast" and becoming obsessed with it. I blame that on Jenni, of course.
176. Also discovering "Moonlight" and Mick and Beth and Josef and... well, I blame that on Jenni, too. ;-)
177. Getting my onthisside.net email address. I'm an easily pleased person.
178. Also creating some of my first Andrew email backgrounds. Awwww.
179. Along this same theme, getting to actually download and see all the JABB messages with Andrew pictures and backgrounds! I was so thrilled! And I apparently have a lot of good memories about my email... :-)
180. Reading Jenni's story "We Trust to Thee" and becoming too emotionally invested and having to set it aside for a few minutes. Because I'm a sap. But that is still one of my favorites.
181. Every Stupid Question I get to write for the newsletters. I love doing those and trying to imagine the answers they might get.
182. Looking through the TBAA photo gallery and then proceeding to write an email at some ungodly time of the night about my favorite pictures of the evening.
183. Becoming obsessed with the Monkees and blaming Yvette for that, of course.
184. Writing and talking to the Magic 8 Ball. So ridiculous, yet so much fun! Those are some of my favorite newsletters. Hahaha...
185. Sitting in my Humanities class and listening to my professor talk about mythology and such things... and realizing that I recognized many of these names from Jenni already and that she'd made it sound more interesting.
186. Discovering button-forgetfulness and other such JABBerisms.
187. I also discovered Chris de Burgh and his awesomeness and there is absolutely no one that I can put that blame on except for Yvette. :D
188. Going to the store and finding the softest green sweater and immediately thinking of Andrew. Talking myself outta buying that thing was harder than I care to admit. ;-)
189. Welcoming Willy Wonka to Dyeland. That was fun because, really, we can have whoever we want in Dyeland.
190. Creating my first JABB/Dyeland play list and adding to it so that it grows longer and longer.
191. When "Moonlight" got canceled and we JABB Moonlighters mourned together for a show that was apparently before its time. Sniff.
192. Watching "Cry and You Cry Alone" and writing a review for it at the same time as Jenni... and then realizing we practically wrote the same thing at certain parts. Haha, that was hilarious! Accidental plagiarism.
193. The night Jenni got on chat and told me "Okay, I heard this song on the way home..." and my iPod was forever changed by the 3 Doors Down song "Let Me Be Myself".
194. The first time I wrote for Tess in Dyeland. I was terrified. ;-)
195. The night I discovered JABB and realized there were people like me and that at least if I was weird, there were other weird people like me out there too!
196. When I stayed up the next two nights till 3 in the morning reading through every single newsletter and laughing so hard I cried. And tried not to wake my dad up. Reading those for the first time is something I always remember fondly.
;-)197. When Jenni sent an email to the list with some pictures of Andrew in "A Delicate Balance" and asked about the chain necklace thing around his neck. That's just one of those emails I don't forget. Hee, hee...
198. All our discussions on Andrew and Monica and birth order. I think they are very insightful thoughts! We're smart people, FYI.
199. Every time Andrew comes to visit during the Dye Day chats. Wow, we are such goofs but I am totally okay with that.
200. My solo TBAA marathons that kept me up till two o'clock in the morning, and then those crazed emails that I write afterwards that probably didn't even make sense to an actual awake person. I wouldn't know cause I refuse to go and read them the next morning. :D
201. That time Jenni and I both made new backgrounds that said "Love the lovely angel" on the same night... on accident. Great minds think alike! Haha...
202. Every Dyeland email that gets written teasing Andrew about his age.
From Liz:
203. Meeting new people
204. Looking forward to the next newsletter.
205. Wondering how some of the stories are going to work out.
206. Creating the residences to suit the appropriate people.
207. The parties/get togethers (everyone likes those).
208. Finding new pics of JD.
209. I think a group of us (I don't recall how many) were talking about certain photos and there was a common liking to the green shirt photo (it was one of the top 5 photos if I'm correct).
210. Also, for me anyway, it's been interesting to try to write for an angel especially one who never really appeared in many episodes.
So there's this idea that while we have our newsletters, the Dyelanders' have their own JABB which exists both in the sense of their original group name (later replaced by "Dyelanders") and as a goofy e-newsletter that morphed into their own biweekly publication. Only very seldom do we get to read what they do for their newsletters. Since so many of our actual memories involved these characters, I thought it would be fun to include some of their memories of *their* JABB here. Might just give us an idea of what they've all been reading, writing, and experiencing! ;-)
From Lady JenniAnn:
211. The "Q & A with Andrew" that I published in late March 2000. Previously, I'd just goofed around and made up his answers. But that was the first time I actually got to interview him for real and provide real answers.
212. I still get the giggles (and a lil embarrassed) when I recall reading our security blotter one day and finding "Citizen reported bearded, black clad prowler at door of her residence. Citizen proceeded to open door to investigate. Citizen threw herself at prowler. Prowler was Andrew who had been working with the Amish. He has a beard now. Thought you all should know."
213. So this wasn't our paper but I'm including it. It was late last November and I came down the stairs at the Phoenix and went into the kitchen and Andrew was there with his cup of coffee, reading the NY Times, and it was the first moment that everything seemed normal again.
214. Incorporating a social calendar. I'd like to think that made us more prone to commit to doing stuff as a group whether it be Spin the Bottle karaoke nights, movie nights, crafting sessions, bonfires, or what not. Now some non-newsletters ones...
215. I just get a kick out of every Halloween cause it's so much fun to see what costumes people choose.
216. I have so many treasured memories that fall into this category so I'll just stick to the general: watching the ways the Tunnels and Dyeland (and later L.A. and London) came together. It meant a lot to me to see groups of people who mean so much to me come together.
217. Andrew talking me down after I watched "Heart of the Beholder" and then a bunch of us doing splatter paint.
218. All of our Christmases together, maybe especially the last one. It just seemed enchanted, somehow. And, looking back, Andrew's... unusual attire on Christmas Eve Eve made for a pretty hysterical experience.
219. Andrew getting the Jolly Green. It's not even been that much time and already we have so many great memories in that thing! Like the two of us going to visit Raquel and
220. A bunch of us piling in for that very first drive in the Fields of Gold and
221. Bringing Beth's stuff back to her and Mick's apartment and
222. Seeing Andrew and Adam get out of it with Crystal after they found her and
223. All the times us girls hid presents and pranks in there when Andrew was away. :-)
224. Two Christmases ago was pretty enchanted, too. I still can't figure out how Andrew got on the video we took when he was in Iraq but... wow.
225. Fleeing my grandma's house last Valentine's Day, with Eli supplying the getaway car, running from the willow tree to the Cafe, and then into Andrew's arms in the midst of all of you. Home.
From Mick:
226. Even though my initial arrival was a little scary, looking back I find it pretty amusing. And I'd just like to thank Andrew, again, for not swinging that fence post at me. ;)
227. Watching the Valentine's documentaries with all of you and feeling like Beth, Josef, and I really belonged.
228. Discovering that the nuns were wrong. Angels don't just sing and pray. Apparently they also play pool, dance, and make touch downs.
229. Reading Logan's review of the latest "Star Wars" cartoon in your paper. It's great you all give him a place to do that.
230. Getting to place an engagement announcement in your paper. That was really great.
231. All of us getting our official Dyeland Christmas ornaments!
From Vincent:
232. Being granted the opportunity to meet so many wonderful, kind, understanding people who accept me as I am and welcomed me as a friend and brother.
233. I will never forget the first time I walked with Catherine, for hours, in the sunlight without fear or worry then bought her ice cream.
234. Welcoming you all to our chamber to meet our son for the very first time.
235. I will always treasure and hold onto the memory of how my friends both in the Tunnels and Dyeland stood with me, comforted me, and prayed with me when I met my mother and when I had to tell her good bye.
236. Reading poetry and books with my sister, Yva.
237. Seeing my Psyche grow up and find happiness in a way I never could have without the safety of Dyeland.
238. Helping Rose to search history books for a trace of Andrew. My apologies, Andrew.
239. Meeting Andrew. Though I know I had misplaced reservations in the beginning, it was a blessing to put a face to the person who meant so much to my godchild.
240. Having all of you with us when Catherine and I wed.
241. Watching Jacob pick flowers, play Hide and Seek, roll down hills, climb trees, and make a thousand discoveries all in the light of the sun.
From Yva:
242. The Valentine interviews were a lovely memory for me, as it gave me the chance to have Sir Sven take an active role. That is something that I will always remember.
243. Having the chance to help Andrew on his cases will always be special to me.
244. Becoming Vincent's surrogate sister is something that will always be a fond memory for me.
245. When Nigel came to Dyeland and became an intricate part of the group.
246. When Willy adopted me as a daughter and gave me the Yvavator.
247. The days spent at William's house in Victorian England and when we've been able to have gatherings there.
248. Seeing Vincent outside in the sunlight will also always be a fond memory for me.
From Nigel:
249. Having the Father come to me at Christmas.
250. The Easter celebrations and watching the children hunt for eggs.
251. Helping Andrew build the tree house and watching Yva decorate it.
252. Finding forgiveness with Andi.
From Willy:
253. Building the Easter bunny robot.
254. Having the chance to show the Tunnel children the factory and seeing the enthusiasm that emanated from them.
255. Being able to give a Gobstopper to Logan. That was something that was very bittersweet, and something that I will always remember.
256. Finding out that there are more people who were different in Dyeland, which made me feel not so much like an oddity.
257. Meeting the inhabitants of Dyeland and spending time speaking with and helping them through a few kind words or actions.
From Andrew:
258. Reading LJA's expose about the length of my hair and what it says about my emotional state. Here I thought I just had it cut because I wanted a change. I didn't realize it was a desperate cry for help. I'm kidding, Laja. But it was a good read. 0;-)
259. All those recipes Lady Beth submitted. I had a great time learning them!
260. That time someone hit the wrong button and an entire newsletter was published in Wingdings.
261. Watching the story unfold in Adam's beloved comic strip about Alexander and Co.
262. Going to see Eli as the candelabra in the musical version of "Beauty and the Beast" and writing a glowing review of it. Pun intended.
263. I got a lot of laughs from the article "Andrew: What's the deal with his eye brows?"
264. One of my favorite ongoing columns has to be Rose's "All About Andrew's Age." I particularly loved the time she talked about watching that documentary on ancient Egypt and trying to figure out if it was me in some hieroglyphics. (It wasn't.)
265. Reading Yva's CD reviews. I think I can safely say my musical tastes have been much more eclectic since arriving here.
266. I think one of the greatest memories I had with the newsletter was helping set up Catherine's and Vincent's wedding announcement.
267. Jacob's birth announcement, too.
268. Reading Laja's review of "Up!" and remembering watching it with her. Great movie.
269. OK, so this isn't exactly a memory attached to our newsletter but I think the Dyeland Times saga is close enough. I love that we all banded together to show Eben that his misdeeds would never break us apart. And we got to meet Logan so that was great.
270. All the times we had to publish an updated map of Dyeland. It always meant someone new had come into our group or we'd worked together to create something special.
271. I'll never forget that first newsletter after Monica, Gloria, Tess, and I went our separate ways. The lead story was "Andrew, We're Still Here for You." And it was true. Thank you.
272. Every single time I came back from an assignment, sometimes with my heart aching or my soul hurting, and one (and usually more than one!) of you gave me a hug or held my hand and everything began to seem better.
273. Learning to if not love Halloween then at least see some good in it.
274. Opening my eyes at the hospital and seeing a whole football team worth of friends looking at me with so much love.
275. Getting the cast off and being able to hug all of you with *both* arms again.
276. March 17, 2000. Even though I didn't meet many of you until later, that was the beginning of being a part of a great, loving, talented, amazing group of friends who became family.
277. The first time Laja dropped Lulu into my lap and told me I had a dog.
278. Playing so often with Adam and Henry in the AOD Band and later being joined by Nigel and Mick, too. It's especially great when Yva sings with us and all of you join in on the choruses.
279. All of the help and support everyone has given me during assignments. Whether it was when I was in jail, grieving Dawn, homeless, or just plain hurt and being impossible... you all fought for me, comforted me, and never gave up on me.
280. I think a lot of my favorite memories are little things that happen day to day. Not just parties and momentous life events but things like driving some of you around in the van and looking in the rear view mirror and seeing you smiling at me or just looking content.
281. Sharing meals and looking around the table and thinking "This seems right."
282. Playing football with you or hearing you cheer from the sidelines.
283. Being
in Serendipity and hearing one of you knock on my door
and taking just a moment to thank the Father that I have a place where,
far from trying to run away from me, people actually come looking for
me.284. Going Below and getting mobbed by kids waiting to give me a hug or tell me about some great new discovery they've made.
285. Sitting around the Cafe talking about anything and everything.
286. Sitting under the stars or in the Fields of Gold or somewhere in our beautiful home, sometimes simply sharing in the calm and comforting silence.
287. All the times we've laughed together.
288. Interviewing all of you about love these last two years and working on the documentary.
289. Celebrating my birthday. That's something I never really thought I'd do but you've all made Sept. 20th very special to me.
290. Showing Tess around Dyeland that first time she visited us. I was so proud of everyone and what we've done and happy to have her see it and meet everyone.
291. Writing and receiving so many heartfelt letters.
292. Simply feeling like a part of a group again.
293. All the holidays we've spent together. If I was gonna list my favorite memories from each, I'd need a list of 300 just for myself so I'll leave it at that.
294. Attending the Renaissance Faire with so many of you, especially seeing Jessie, Shelby, Asher, and Evan really get into the spirit of it!
295. Spending time with all our pets: Lulu, Alexander and Co., Theo, Miss Ellie, Hannibal, Flick, Fawn, and all the others who comforted us and gave us sloppy kisses and pushy nose nudges, curled up in our laps when we needed them, and played games with us.
296. Watching Touched on occasion with some of you. That's always an interesting experience and I usually get a lot of hugs. 0:-)
297. Seeing families and deep friendships form all around me.
298. Learning that I'm Amish Boy and a Swan Boat and someone's Skin Horse and another's Andrewkins and still another's Sweet Boy.
299. Being able to share the Father's love with all of you and sometimes having you remind me of His love, too.
300. My favorite memory will always be simply discovering that I've found a home that, while not Home, often seems not very far from it at all due to the love I feel here. Thank you, Dyelanders. Thank you, Father.
