So, picked up my cousin at the airport. On the way home, we decided we’d grab some lunch. We went to Gregoire’s, a place Colin had recommended. I was wearing my Sega jacket. The guy at the register asked me if I worked on the DC, and I told him I worked on Seaman, which he didn’t recognize. Happens a reasonable amount of the time when I’m wearing the jacket, so no big deal.

As we’re waiting for food, he asks us (my cousin and me) if we *both* work in game development. I mention he’s my cousin. The guy at the counter says he’s interested, ’cause his girlfriend’s a game journalist. I figure, what the heck, there aren’t too many of ’em, there’s a good chance I’ll recognize the name. He says, “Jane Pinckard.”

So, I knew Jane Pinckard years and years ago, when I was in Japanese school with her and her sister. We played when we were kids. About seven or eight months ago, I somehow ran into her name on the internet, and found out she was now an editor at 1up.com. At the time, I couldn’t place the name or the face, and e-mailed her, asking why I might know her from way long ago. Weird and stalkery, yeah, I know. But I found out the next day where I knew her from from my mom, and sent her a followup explaining WTF was going on. She didn’t respond, as was expected (yeah, I knew even then that the e-mail I was sending was odd). But then today, we meet her boyfriend at a random restaurant, as the result of a nearly random conversation.

Yes, the links are all there, and they all make a certain amount of sense. But still, it’s a small damn world.