me: so, i have an idea
friend: k
friend: puts chin on hands
me: there’s this blog
me: called A Prolific Squalor
me: http://prolificsqualor.wordpress.com/
friend: otay
me: it’s all about IM chats
friend:LOL
me: so i was think it’d be clever if I did a blog post
friend: funny
me: that was, you know
me: you and me
me: IMing about the IM blog
me: clever, yes?
friend: lol
friend: you mean all meta and shit?
me: yeah

me: like how you’re not really laughing up there
me: you’re just doing reflexive “i’m paying attention” loling
me: which isn’t laughing
friend: lol serves many functions
me: oh?
me: waits and listens
friend: tis a conversational lubricant, tantamount to an eh? or too often
friend: a transitional thing
friend: it’s like….tuckpointing
friend: fills in cracks a l il
me: one of the IMs on the blog is about fucking elmo
me: we need to step up our game here
me: like, literally fucking elmo
me: sexually.
friend: oh!
friend: I thought….right
friend: you want us to write about fucking elmo?
me: No
me: but we have to be at least that clever
friend: we get there
friend: just need to stay loose
friend: and not wait for brilliance…just let it come
me: I found it on this blog, btw
me: http://www.artsjournal.com/quickstudy/2008/03/instant_message.html
me: Scott McLemee, D.C. book critic
me: i think i’m a little insecure about the whole LOL thing.
friend: I kinda hate that I do it too
friend: but…it’s 2008
me: awesome. I’m dragging you down with me.
friend: my right index finger won’t stop now
friend: no, ring finger
friend: fourth finger, whatever
friend: you know…the LOL-typing one
me: I’m sure that’s what they call it on Mavis Teaches Typing now
friend: it’s reflexive muscle memory at this point
friend: LOL
friend: I snickered
friend: I bet you LOL without even….thinking
friend: just…typa typa typa
me: so that’s the takeaway here, yes?
me: IM = way to mildly amuse ourselves?
me: under the guise of presenting valid information?
friend: Cor, I dunno how to answer that.
friend: Are we on the record?
me: Yes.
me: This is going to be a Blog Post
friend: Shit, I should have gotten my hair done
friend: so…Elmo
me: meh.
me: we’re done, i think
me: camera’s off.
friend: LOL