INTRODUCTION

Preparing this book of John and Marsha's romance has
been a whole lot of fun for me. But, my gracious, what a
daunting task it turned out to be! John and Marsha are
friends, and when they asked me to do their book, they
presented me with more than 300 pages of e-mail,
chronicling their cyber-courtship. From those pages, I've
tried to select the letters which were the most meaningful
to them both for inclusion in the book.

I've edited John and Marsha's love story for length,
and have disguised their whereabouts out of respect for the
privacy a new love needs in order to grow. But every cyber-
syllable on these pages is their own.

I hope you will enjoy reading this tender story of a
love that was launched through the powers of a higher
realm. Cupid's arrow came streaking through cyberspace, and
targeted the hearts of good friends.

Kindest Regards,

Kathi Purnell, Editor



THE BEGINNING

DATE: Fri, 24 May 1996
FROM: kitty@DATING/COM/Anon
TO: nimrod@DATING.COM/Anon
SUBJ: Hello Nimrod!

Hello West Texas -

Where in West Texas are you? What do you do in West
Texas? What do you like to do with other people?
Would you care to correspond?

Kitty

-----///-----

DATE: Mon, 27 May 1996
FROM: nimrod@DATING.COM/Anon
TO: kitty@DATING.COM/Anon
SUBJ: New York

Dear Kitty..

Well, you are about as far from me as you can be and
still be in the USA. I guess Maine is father but not much.
I am in the farthest western corner of the Great State of
Texas, "out in the West Texas Town of El Paso" as the old
song goes. But I don't spend any time at Rosa's Cantina - I
don't think that there is a Rosa's Cantina any longer. Used
to be one out by the race track but it closed.

I was very surprised to get your e-mail. I haven't
been on DATING.COM for several months. Computers are still
something of a mystery to me but I enjoy all the goings-on
with the `Net. I came across DATING.COM and thought I'd
register. But, as I say, I haven't used it much. I called
up your Personal Information Form and I seem to match your
desires except that I am not 7 ft. tall . . . more like
5ft7in. I used to be 5'8" but I've settled some as I've
aged. I hope this is normal or else I'm in deep doodoo. The
Incredible Shrinking Man!!!! I am in sales out here in El
Paso and have been for a good number of years. I am getting
tired of the life, however, and may be looking for a new
beginning sometimes after the end of the year.

I have become enamored with the computer and all it is
capable of. I am fascinated with the Internet and have
begun to read a few books and magazines on designing and
building web pages and web sites. I don't think you ever
get too old to begin a new interest or project or career,
for that matter. This computer field is not just for the
young and wired. It can also be done quite well by older
people with a little more common sense and intuition. I
feel that I fall into that category.

If I'm not sitting in front of this stupid machine
then I am out in the country on a week-end camping trip. We
are kind of close to several national forests in southern
New Mexico and eastern Arizona. The Lincoln Nat'l Forest,
The Gila Nat'l Forest, the Cibola Nat'l Forest and the
Apache-Sitgrave Nat'l forest are all within four to six
hours drive from here. That may sound like a lot of driving
to a New Yorker but here in Texas, you must drive 850 miles
to go to Houston. That's 100 more miles than it is from El
Paso to San Diego, CA.

Hey, I've kind of run on and on with this e-mail
stuff. Hope I haven't turned you off or anything. I'm glad
you broke the e-mail ice and said howdy. I would really
enjoy hearing back from you and learning what you're like
and what you like.
So long for now,
Nimrod.

-----///-----

DATE: Wed, 29 May 1996
FROM: kitty@DATING.COM/Anon
TO: nimrod@DATING.COM/Anon
SUBJ: West Texas

Nimrod -
I used to live in Arizona, so I know where all the
places are that you mentioned in your letter. And I miss
Arizona! These New Yorkers are weird people.

What do you sell? What are you going to do with
yourself if you quit selling it? What does your name
"Nimrod" mean?

When you were active on DATING.COM, did you meet many
interesting people? I'm having a lot of fun with it, and
meeting nice folks. What was your experience with the
thing?
Your turn to write..

Kitty

-----///-----

DATE: Thu, 30 May 1996
FROM: nimrod@DATING.COM/Anon
TO: kitty@DATING.COM/Anon
SUBJ: West Texas

Hey Kitty..

So you used to live in AZ, did you? A pretty state to
be sure. I camped in the Chiricahau Mountains a few months
ago. It's where the Indian Geronimo ran the US Army around
for a few years. There is also a ghost town named Paradise
up in those mountains. An interesting area. Arizona has
some really nice wilderness and camping areas. Too bad
you're 2000 miles away. UpState NY is very pretty, too. I
have not been to that part of the US but do read about it.
I sell flooring - carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile, wood.
In our business, our motto is, "We lay anything" - (just
joking). Been doing this for nearly 20 years and am getting
tired of the grind. I work with very nice people but it's
still getting old. As I told you in the last message, I
think I might get into computers in some capacity or other.
I am reading some books on web pages and the construction
of same. You know, HTML and VRML languages, JAVA Scripting
etc. I think I know just enough to be dangerous when it
comes to talking about computing but it is interesting.