I just want to say I got my account (thanks again JosephM) and as soon as I get invites I'll send them out. So those of you who don't have one yet don't give up and keep posting here and I or someone else will get to you.
Right now I'm still keeping my Hotmail account along with my new Gmail but if anyone is hesitant on dropping thier old email account cold turkey because they're afraid people won't be able to contact them until everyone knows thier new email you might be interested in
Return Path. I have had Return Path since I dropped my dial-up account 4 years ago when I switched to broadband. I was unable to save my dial-up email address because it was specific to my dial-up provider, SNET. I got my Hotmail account when I got broadband and signed my SNET dial-up address to Return Path and that way if I was unable to get the word out to people about my new email address in time I didn't have to worry about losing contact with them.
Jason