YouveGotMail

Subject: Brinkley
Date: 9/15/98 8:14:14 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Brinkley is my dog. He loves the streets of New York as much as I do-- although he likes
to eat bits of pizza and bagel off the sidewalk, and I prefer to buy them. Brinkley is a
great catcher and was offered a tryout on the Mets farm team, but he chose to stay with
me so that he could spend 18 hours a day sleeping on a large green pillow the size of an
inner tube.

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would
send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the
other hand, this not knowing has its charms.

Subject: RE: Brinkley
Date: 9/16/98 7:28:50 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

I like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend
that we're the oldest and dearest friends -- as opposed to what we actually are, people
who don't know each other's names and met in a Chat Room where we both claimed we'd
never been before.

What will he say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots
up. I go on line, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've
got mail.

Subject:
Date: 9/29/98 7:50:21 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

My father is getting married again. For five years he's been living with a woman who
studied decorating at Caesar's Palace.

Subject:
Date: 9/30/98 7:52:20 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today I saw one. It got on at 42nd
and off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomingdale's to buy a hat that will turn
out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are.

Subject: H&H
Date: 10/05/98 9:46:12 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Did you know that every night a truck pulls up to H&H Bagels and pumps about a ton of
flour into underground tanks? The air is filled with white dust that never seems to settle..
why is that?

Subject: Pride and Prejudice
Date: 10/15/98 8:15:42 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

Confession. I have read Pride & Prejudice about 200 times. I get lost in the language.
Words like "thither", "mischeif", "felicity." I'm always in agony over whether Elizabeth
and Mr. Darcy are really going to get together. Read it. I know you'll love it.

Subject: Starbucks
Date: 10/20/98 10:11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

***The whole purpose of places like Starbuck's is for people with no decision making ability
whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark,
caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or
who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely
defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino!****

Subject: life
Date: 10/21/98 9:18:36 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, valuable, but small. And
sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So
much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the
other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question
out into the void. So goodnight, dear void.

Subject:
Date: 10/31/98 11:10:38 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Do you ever feel you become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's Box of all
the secret hateful parts -- your arrogance, your spite, your condescension -- has sprung
open. Someone provokes you, and instead of just smiling and moving on, you zing them.
Hello, it's Mr. Nasty. I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Subject:
Date: 10/31/98 4:50:11 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

No, I know what you mean and I'm completely jealous. What happens to me when I'm
provoked is that I get tongue-tied. My mind goes blank. Then... then I spend all night
tossing and turning trying to figure out what I should have said. What should I have said,
for example, to the bottom dweller who recently belittled my existence. Even now, days
later, I can't figure it out.

Subject:
Date: 11/1/98 8:27:18 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could pass all my zingers to you and then I would never
behave badly and you could behave badly all the time and we'd both me happy? But then,
on the other hand, I must warn you that when you finally have the pleasure of saying the
thing you mean to say the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows. Do
you think we should meet?

Subject: RE: Advice
Date: 12/9/98 8:31:27 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

Can you help? I wish you could help. And I wish

Subject: RE: Advice
Date: 1/10/98 9:57:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

I need help. Do you still want to meet me?

Subject:
Date: 1/10/99 11:53:09 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

I would love to meet you. Where? When?

Subject:
Date: 1/13/98 8:21:41 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

I've been thinking about you. Last night I went to meet you and you weren't there. I wish I
knew why. I felt so foolish. And as I waited, someone else showed up, a man who has
made my professional life a misery, and an amazing thing happened-- I was able, for the
first time in my life, to say the exact thing I wanted to say at the exact moment I wanted
to say it. And of course, afterwards, I felt terrible. Just as you said I would. I was cruel,
and I'm never cruel. And even though I can hardly believe what I said mattered to this
man-- to him, I am just a bug to be crushed-- but what if it did? No matter what he's done
to me, there is no excuse for my behavior.

Anyway, I so wanted to talk to you. I hope you have a good reason for not being there last
night. You don't seem like the kind of person that would do something like that. The odd
thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing
than something. But I just want to say, that all this nothing has meant more to me than so
many somethings. So, thanks.

Subject:
Date: 1/14/99 9:55:47 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Dear friend: I cannot tell you what happened last night, but I beg you from the bottom of
my heart to forgive me for what happened. I feel terrible that you found yourself in a
situation that caused you additional pain. But I'm absolutely sure that whatever you said
last night was provoked, even deserved. And everyone says things they regret when
they're worried or stressed. You were expecting to see someone you trusted and met the
enemy instead. The fault is mine.*** Someday I'll explain everything. Meanwhile, I'm still
here. Talk to me.***

Subject: Elevator
Date: 1/25/99 11:36:04 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

I came home tonight and got into the elevator to go to my apartment. An hour later, I got
out of the elevator and Brinkley and I moved out. Suddenly everything had become clear.

It's a long story. Full of the personal details we avoid so carefully... Let me just say, there
was a man sitting in the elevator with me who knew exactly what he wanted and I found
myself wishing I were as lucky as he.

Subject: change
Date: 2/10/98 10:30:13 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

***People are always telling me that change is a good thing. But all they're really saying is
that something you didn't want to happen at all has happened.***

My store is closing this week. I own a store. Did I ever tell you that? It's a lovely store--
and in a week it will be something really depressing, like a Baby Gap.

Soon we'll just be a memory. In fact, someone, some foolish person will probably think
it's a tribute to this city, the way it keeps changing on you, or the way you can never count
on it, or something. I know, because that's the sort of thing I'm always saying. But the
truth is, I'm heartbroken. I feel as if a part of me has died, and my mother has died all
over again, and no one can ever make it right.

From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

I've been thinking about this and I think we should meet.

Subject:
Date: 2/21/99 7:05:22 50 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

We should meet. And we will meet. But I'm in the middle of a project that needs...
tweaking.

Subject: change
Date: 3/2/98 9:30:08 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shopgirl
To: NY152

I know this is probably a little late to be asking, but are you married?

Subject:
Date: 3/3/99 9:25:40 50 PM Eastern Standard Time

From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

Am I married? What kind of a question is that? How can you ask me that? Don't you
know me at all? Oh wait, I get it. Your friends are telling you the reason we haven't met
is that I'm married. Am I right?

Subject: Saturday
Date: 3/10/99 9:12:17 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: NY152
To: Shopgirl

How about meeting Saturday? 4 o'clock. There's a place in Riverside Park at 91st Street
where the path curves and there's a garden. Brinkley and I, will be waiting.

*** Personal Favorite Quotes

Below are the e-mails between Kathleen and Joe in You've Got Mail.. Regretably, I am aware that there are a couple missing.. I hope to include them soon, but for now they are almost all here. Enjoy...