That's a very nice story. I wonder if it's her first meeting with Joss.

impalergeneral | August 01, 14:13 CET

Day made.

Pointy | August 01, 14:17 CET

Pointy, just "stole" my line.

Numfar PTB | August 01, 14:29 CET

*so sweet!* wanna hug the fan! some more *sniff*

bookworm | August 01, 14:44 CET

Awwww. You know they say to use the word is to damn with faint praise but that is just so ... nice. Damning be damned ;).

And what a lovely thing to write, all the lovelier because you kinda get the feeling he means it.

Saje | August 01, 15:26 CET

Sweet.

I've had the crappiest day, and really needed something to lift my spirits.

Thanks Tiffany, and thanks Joss!

missb | August 01, 15:55 CET

And I love the fact that Tiffany is a name like Buffy - not to be taken seriously. Not like "Jane" or "Gertrude" or something.
Great writeup. Great way to start the day.

Lioness | August 01, 16:00 CET

Joss is a snipe?! No way!
(psss...Simon, what's a snipe?)

Madhatter | August 01, 16:03 CET

Oh. *teary smile* My day looks much better now. Great story combining good luck, a strong heroine with friends, and awesome Joss-ness.

I think I'm potentially ready to be strong myself...

Maeve | August 01, 16:10 CET

I was with her right up until the kitties thing. I am so not a cat person. And on a side note apparently I went to the wrong college because there wasn't a single woman in any of my CS classes after the freshman year.

war_machine | August 01, 16:19 CET

'Hatter, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... OK, it's actually a bird. Quite small, quite fast-moving, apparently very hard to hunt which is why, when the British army in India would canvas for the best shots they'd first take those men skilled at snipe hunting. Or 'snipers' as we call them now.

Saje | August 01, 16:24 CET

If you shy them away with your cat hate ;-) Girls love kittens, at least as much as they love the tall purple one!

bookworm | August 01, 16:25 CET

Oh, we called them bobtails. Yes, quite hard to hit.

Madhatter | August 01, 16:34 CET

Well, at least they didn't bond over LOLcats ;) KIDDING flickr-ati, kidding! Cute story. Some girls love little dogs or little dogs and birds together.

zeitgeist | August 01, 17:14 CET

Aww, fantastic story and so well written. *sniff*

Caroline | August 01, 17:23 CET

[ edited by Pumps on 2007-08-01 18:01 ]

Pumps | August 01, 17:35 CET

I knew this would end with cats and dogs sleeping together.

Madhatter | August 01, 17:53 CET

Pumps-He said at his Comic Con panel that he would love to, but he just doesn't have the time. At least that means more goodies in store!

And with the way the site has been acting lately, I thought the Purple One himself might have posted. :)

Hex | August 01, 17:55 CET

Now, that is just fantastic.

UnpluggedCrazy | August 01, 18:18 CET

That's really sweet - and not just the moment but how she got there.

Craig Oxbrow | August 01, 19:01 CET

So how does someone as eloquent as Joss on themes of isolation and social awkwardness become so socially adept? I was thinking the same thing about the My Dinner With Joss write-ups. That's so neat.

Music | August 01, 19:05 CET

That was utterly beautiful .

the FAT indian | August 01, 19:13 CET

Great story well told.

Damn. I thought CS had gotten better than it was back when the Manager of Computer Operations where I worked was quoted as saying "women don't belong in the computer room." So many women in my most recent former company work in IS&T...

zeitgeist, great pictures.

newcj | August 01, 19:23 CET

Day *totally* made! I'm tearing up here. Joss is just made of awesome.

Spikesgurl | August 01, 19:48 CET

I'm tearing up, too...and, I've had a crap of a day. Lovely story that just made my day *so* much better!

ctofine | August 01, 19:55 CET

That was just wonderful. Dang it, I *will* meet that man some day!!

rockgoddes | August 01, 20:02 CET

*sniff!* is right. What a fantastic story!

Lady Brick | August 01, 20:59 CET

Hex, he just needs to drop all those silly comics and get back to doing what matters: Moving pictures ;)

Pumps | August 01, 21:02 CET

Awww. Her description sounds similar to my experience, only it was grad school in biology. Overwhelming day--> Buffy time--> Go back tomorrow and keep trying.

Sunfire | August 01, 21:10 CET

So how does someone as eloquent as Joss on themes of isolation and social awkwardness become so socially adept? I was thinking the same thing about the My Dinner With Joss write-ups. That's so neat.

Music | August 01, 21:44 CET

LOL Pumps! Don't worry, if Comic Con was any indication, he's keeping himself quite busy. But between the Buffy comics and Sugarshock (Kissy th' face! I love it!) I couldn't tear him away from comics!

Hex | August 01, 21:53 CET

The way he signed the comic is awesome.

theonetruebix | August 01, 22:02 CET

This story gave me enough of a boost to make it through the rest of my work week.
Hearing that Joss, one of my heroes, is as nice to his fans beyond anything I can imagine just underscores the fact that I pick only the bestest people to put up on a pedestal.

Traevynn | August 01, 22:38 CET

Music,

The Joss we see today is the sum of all previous Josses, from birth to yesterday. He's undoubtedly experienced personal pain and alienation beyond what he's shared, since I simply don't believe anyone is really *that* good of a listener--although that's obviously another of Joss's strengths. My point is that we don't need to see those areas to know they exist; we can deduce them from the body of work he's assembled.

jclemens | August 01, 23:57 CET

Writing about social awkwardness and isolation convincingly requires understanding the barriers to communication that we all face. So I'm not surprised that someone who writes both very well is good at talking to people.

It also helps that he's a telepathic alien. Or so I've heard.

[ edited by Sunfire on 2007-08-01 21:42 ]

Sunfire | August 02, 00:39 CET

I heard that too ! Well, not heard exactly, more like "heard".

I think any writer worth their salt has experienced some darkness they can draw on (because any person has) and if you're kind of a sensitive kid to begin with then even growing up's normal figurative bumps and grazes can leave a mark. Into every life a little rain must fall, maybe writers are just better at describing the sound of the drops ;).

(more generally I think it's kind of an interesting question: if we're so changed by our experiences - and I think we are - then what does it even mean to say you're the same person - or not - that you were when you were 5 ? Is there actually a new 'you' 'born' every day ?)

Saje | August 02, 01:22 CET

I wish Joss would take ME seriously!

embers | August 02, 01:40 CET

How utterly wonderful that Joss is able to put fans at ease like that (great story, Tiffany!). You know, we talk about how much we love Joss, what he does for us through his writing, we've read of the niceness, but to meet someone in person that you've only seen on video talking or reading his comments, seeing his posts here perhaps, how do you prepare to actually ... meet him? It must be very intimidating, not because he is scary in any way, but because the depth of feeling for him and his work could be overwhelming, overwhelming to the point of not wanting to speak for fear of rambling stupidity escaping your lips. Bless him for making it easy for Tiffany, and us, should that day come.

Last year when I went to Comic-Con, I walked through that courtyard thingie where you can sit at tables and eat your food. Also the place where celebrities set up their tables and booths to do signings. I waited in line to say hello to Ken Foree, who was in the original Dawn of the Dead. I've always liked him, and damn, I really felt calm and natural, but also with the butterflies in the stomach at the same time. With Joss, it would be a million times more nerve-wracking (maybe thinking, "Suck it up you WUSS!" as you approach the signing table would help).

Tonya J | August 02, 05:50 CET

I loved this story, from the kitty-bonding to the friends with tickets to the Joss-as-Certified Empath - and it was well-written. It gave me a bit of a lift, worth fighting through today's jumpy Whedonesque gassy hiccupy server behavior.

As much as Joss makes me laugh, I totally take him seriously.

QuoterGal | August 02, 09:24 CET