DopeFiles2: What's new with you?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

From this thread, it seems that we don’t really know that much about each other. The Boards don’t offer much of an opportunity to talk about ourselves in depth. So I’m opening this thread to provide an opportunity for those so inclined to describe themselves and/or update us on what’s going on in their lives.

ME:
I’m a middle-aged woman, unmarried, no children. I’ve pretty much given up on relationships because all mine have been disastrous; apparently I’m a very bad judge of character.

I have 2 dogs and a bunch of cats. We live in a small secluded lakeside community that was originally a Boy Scout camp; some of the Scout cabins were converted into houses, and people still live in them. My house is about 100 years old; it was originally a 1-room cabin, but has been built onto extensively and rather haphazardly.
I have a pool. It’s about 50 years old and was hand-made out of concrete blocks by a previous resident. It can be a real pain, but so far (5 years) I’ve been able to get it running every summer.

I’m a data base administrator / systems programmer / technical support person at a Fortune 500 company. It’s a good job, but it doesn’t make good use of my abilities. I’m kind of bored, and I hate my manager.

I’m into astronomy and science in general. I have over 250 undergraduate hours and two bachelor’s degrees.
I sing with a symphony chorus.
I collect pencil sharpeners and make dream catchers.

My parents are fundamentalist Republicans (my father was at one time a minister). I am a liberal atheist, but I stay out of politics because my vote is the kiss of death – I’ve never voted for anyone that won!

2

I had a go at this but describing myself got too depressing.

3

WOW, big decisiond to be made.
I am a single parent, but my youngest turns 21 tommorrow. Both kids live at home. The youngest finally has a part time job, and the oldest (22) is trying to get ssi because of medical and emotional problems. This makes our home an emotional rollercoaster, with the screaming included.
I do level 2 computer tech support over the phone. I enjoy it most of the time.
Eventually I would like to meet someone who is compatible to me, but I fear that I am far to eccentric for that to work.
I share a house with my parents and little brother. I have the basement apartment.

4

I’m a 21-year-old student at UF. I was formally a public relations major but had to switch out because of grade problems early on. Now I’m back on track and headed for an English degree. I intern a day a week at the Gainesville Department of Cultural Affairs, writing press releases and doing other random things. I’m hoping to get a job as a writer down at News and Public Affairs on campus in the Fall.

At the moment I’m housesitting for my parents while they’re taking a weekend in Orlando. I’ve installed Firefox on all the computers here because I keep trying to do mouse gestures in IE and it doens’t work.

5

I’m a 38 year old, soon to be divorced for the second time. I have no children, no pets and no family or friends near where I live. I moved from Michigan to Florida last February hoping to try again for a successful marriage. That failed miserably and I moved into this apartment about 6 weeks ago. I’m doing well, though I now don’t feel like trying another relationship.

I live on the edge of a golf course and it’s quite pretty. This weekend I decorated my walls with maps from AAA and that turned out pretty good. I really enjoyed being a part of the post card exchange we had a couple of months ago. I plan on putting those up on my walls too.

I have a job that requires me to drive up to 4 hours a day and I really like it. The boss is positioning me for a promotion, but at this time, I crave routine. I’m tired of moving and having my personal life bouncing all around. All of this stress is the cause of my hair falling out. I really hate losing my hair.

I hope that for the next 6 months I have the most predictable, stress-free time of my life. During the next 6 months I want a concrete goal of a vacation. One where I will go somewhere I’ve never been and actually do it. It has to be someplace pretty, green, warm and exotic.

I’m also a newly admitted Dummy Doper and wanted to say, “Hi” to everyone else.

I would also like to put up a challenge to Foxymoron to post in this thread too and tell us about herself. :slight_smile: Hey, I just typed a bunch of words, your turn.

6

I am a 21-year-old gal living in NYC. Blissfully married, no children, two cats. Neither my husband nor I are US citizens, but the pressure’s on (our green cards are soon going to expire) and we’ve got to start turning in paperwork. My country allows dual citizenship, so I’ll be fine with a US passport, but Mr. karomon will have to give up his citizenship and the right to own property in his country of origin, which may become a problem in the future.
I work two part-time jobs, both of which I enjoy, and volunteer for a foster care-related organization twice a week. I had started taking college classes last winter, and did spectacularly well in them, but for some reason I’ve chickened out of officially registering at the school.
Almost everyone I’m close to, friends and family, have left NYC for greener pastures. While I’m very attached to the city itself, I feel like I don’t know anyone here anymore, and so the hubby and I are trekking off to another country for half a year or so. We’ve got jobs and an apartment set up, and the main thing that worries me about leaving at this point are the cats - I can’t imagine not being without them for so long, and I’m worried about leaving them with someone who may not coddle them the way I think they should be coddled.

7

Hmmm…

Thirty-seven-year-old male American expat living in London. Married, no kids, no pets. We share a house with several other musicians including a professional opera singer and an award-winning concert pianist. I recently finished an MA in Arts Administration and am currently temping and job hunting; the Spouse is a university lecturer in Historical Musicology. Like laina-f, I sing in a large symphony chorus (although not the same one, I’m pretty sure); we just had a concert Friday night, and the next one is this coming Sunday.

I’m agnostic and politically sort-of-leftish, but have attended various churches regularly for various reasons and think most political parties and politicians are self-serving weasels. The longer I spend outside America, the more I realize how fundamentally warped certain elements of American society are. On the other hand, every country is warped in its own unique way, so I suppose this is nothing to worry about.

In my spare time I…ah, who am I kidding? Between working, job hunting, choir rehearsals and the various other commitments of everyday life, I have no spare time.

Cats dig me.

8

I’m 35 years old, married to fellow Doper Suburban Plankton for just over 11 years. I have one wonderful little boy who will be 6 in August. I am 4th generation Californian. Last summer, I retired from an the internet start-up/online brokerage firm I worked for since it’s early days. I have two dogs, one cat and a horse.

My hobbies include riding and training my horse, sewing, scrapbooking and bike riding. I am fortunate to still be best friends with my best friend from high school. We just got back from a week long stay at her parents house in the Tahoe Keys. A lazy summer vacation of swimming, biking and just hanging out. I love to travel. The 3 of us went to London in '03 and I’m planning for Italy with my mom in '05.

I recently took a very part time job at an engineering firm. Just a few days a month, to keep my busy when Charlie goes back to school and to help defray some of the money I spend on my horse.

9

Ok I’ll bite:

I’m 24years old and female(obviously). Been married for 4 years. Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Arkansas in '99. Met my husband over the internet in a Xena chat room of all places.

No children, except for two huge dogs and one small cat. Maybe not so small. I’m stuck at a dead end job at J.C. Penney, doing something I HATE.

I’m doing school through the mail for medical transcription because in such a small. middle of nowhere town, there isn’t much here.

Currently my plumbing is fucked up in the house that we RENT. The landlord went on vacation without telling us, and won’t return my phone calls. She is aware of our situation, but is ignoring us. For a week now, we can’t flush the toilet because it backs up in the tub, and sink. Last night I took a ho bath.

The situation is very aggrivating, and I’m trying my best not to make this a pit thread.

10

You’re on! heh.

I’m 31, which freaks me out, but I’ll adjust. I’ve been married to fellow doper leenmi for nearly ten years (anniversary in November). We have a hilarious and incredibly cute four year old son. I’m a stay-at-home parent, partly because I enjoy it, and partly because I have no job skills beyond retail/barista level. I’m not interested in going to school at this point. After 6th grade, I found very little joy in school of any kind and am not eager to go back to it. (Graduated high school and had some office skills training, but that’s it.)

I grew up in Seward, Alaska, and lived most of my life there (and some in Anchorage) before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, courtesy of the US Air Force. When Lee got out of the service five years ago, we just stayed in Omaha because of the low cost of living, and also because we’re lazy and didn’t want to move and start over elsewhere.

This past Spring we bought our first house. Some of our neighbors told us that this house (built in 1914 with an addition circa 1970) was originally the farmhouse for this area, which makes it the oldest house in the immediate vicinity. It’s large and brown and incredibly quirky, and I am thrilled to bits that it is our home.

Two weeks ago I convinced Lee that it was time to adopt a dog, so we went to the Humane Society and found a 1-year-old terrier mix who complements our family. We brought him home and named him George, and we are very happy with him (as he is with us, I think).

My parents and sister all live far from me, and I’m sad about that. Lee’s family is far from us too, but I’m not as sad about that, because we get to go to Florida in the winter to visit his folks.
My mom and step-dad and my sister were all here to visit last week, and it was the first time we’d all been together since my sister got married nearly nine years ago. (Sis lives in Vermont, Mom in Oregon. My dad still lives in Alaska, so I don’t see him very often either.)

Some random things about me:
I used to collect purses (mostly vintage) but lost interest after three or four years. Now they’re mostly in boxes in the basement, but I still use three or four. My favorite one is a pristine vintage seal-fur one that reminds me of Alaska.
If I drink something with caffeine in it after 4:30 or 5:00 pm, I will inevitably be awake until at least 1:30 in the morning. Even if it’s only as much as 1/2 a can of Coke.
When I name Disney’s Seven Dwarves (and I can), it has to be in this order: Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Dopey, Doc. Anything else is just wrong.
I can recite the alphabet backwards, quickly.
I own more than 40 pair of socks, all different, most of them striped.
Sometimes I wish I had learned to play tennis when I was a kid. I think I would have been good at it.
I’m really stressed out most of the time, about big things and little things, but I try really hard to act like everything’s fine.
I don’t wear a watch anymore.
My posture is terrible.
My name is Stephanie, but I think it should be Meredith.
I love to talk about myself. Can you tell?? :wink: Ask me anything!

11

Lesse…I’m 36 (but I keep thinking I’m 37 for some reason), live in Jersey (but not in Joisey), and am married to fellow Doper kittenlm (with whom I am happier than should be legally allowed). I have a terrific job with a successful dot com company, and I love my work. We live in a nice townhouse with our four idio…errr…cats and two turtles.

Likes: Roller coasters, football, tinkering with my web site , traveling, video gaming, movies, TV crime dramas.
Dislikes: Morons.

Other factoids: Non-practicing Roman Catholic. Card-carrying Libertarian. Trying very hard to have kids. Owns a mini-van even though said kids aren’t here yet. Can juggle. Drinks a can of Pepsi with breakfast. Owns a ridiculously large television. Handy with a paintbrush. Smokes too much. Once walked through a crowd of 250,000 wearing nothing but sneakers and a strategically-placed fanny pack. Has been to 47 of the lower 48 states (still got to get to Florida one of these days). Will think of many more items right after hitting “submit”.

12

I’m a student at University of Illinois, currently studying French and Psychology (and a little German and Cinema Studies on the side). I’m thinking of dropping Psych and just getting a degree in French. I want to go to grad school and eventually teach French at a university, preferably one in a big city like Chicago or New York.

I play the violin. I’m trying out for the university orchestra this fall. I’ve been taking lessons with a gentleman who used to be in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He’s awesome. I, sadly, am not.

This summer I am a counselor at a day camp. I am working at a living history museum; my mom works there also, and I used to volunteer there. I’m pretty familiar with the grounds and I can give decent tours in 7 buildings.

Within the past year and a half, I’ve started to really get into photography. I still have a lot to learn, though.

As of July 15, 2004, I have seen myself naked.

I really like talking to people online, so IM me! I can’t guarantee that I’ll have a lot to say at the moment, but I love meeting people.

13

Ok, I can do this.

I’m 30, about six weeks from 31. I used to be an internal auditor, a job I just fell into without ever meaning to. About two and a half years ago, I realized that I was miserable, burned out and I hated my job. So I went back to grad school to do what I wanted to do when I first finished my undergraduate degree. I finished library school this past May, and I’m still looking for a job. Meanwhile, I’ve got to find a way to convince the financial aid office to give me enough money for the upcoming semester - I might as well work toward a second master’s while I’m job hunting.

I’ve never been married, and it’s been a long time since I was in a serious relationship. In fact, it’s been almost 9 years exactly since I broke up with the last fellow I was seeing seriously. It’s not a matter of not wanting to date - but I had a lot of healing to do from that relationship, and once I got that done, I hated what I did for a living - and that does a lot to influence the desire to go out and date, at least from my point of view.

I’m pretty optimistic, even when I’m upset. I know I’ll have a job before too long. Really, I do. (Even though I had huge major breakdown last week and sobbed in my apartment and in front of my boss and a coworker. I’m really ok - just frustrated.)

Meanwhile, I’ve asked my parents for help with my August rent (and I hate doing that - I’ve not asked since I moved out on my own back in 1997), and I’m incredibly hopeful that I won’t have to do the same for September!

14

Here goes…

I’m a 31 yo woman. I have spent my entire life in central FL ( I live about a half hour from where I grew up). I was raised by my Mom only, 'cause my Dad :wally, who never paid child support, left when I was 2 weeks old. I was a robust 3 pounds, 11 ounces when born 2 months early (in 1973, this was a death sentence). My Grandma, who had had a stroke in '70, lived with us until she died when I was 7. After many years of living with my Mom, she now lives with me due to financial hardship related to a job related injury in '68.

I was a Gifted child and spent a lot of years involved in a Masonic Youth organization called The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. I was a state officer, an advisory board member, and Mother Advisor.

I graduated 2nd in my HS class (East Bay High School), but my academics bombed when I moved away to go to college. I borrowed $ for my last 2 years at Florida Southern College in Lakeland (BA in English). I planned on marrying my College sweetheart, but he broke it off 2 months after we graduated. After arguing for almost 5 years, we finally patched things up and are now really close friends.

I married my husband about 2 and half years ago. We met on the Internet and he has had many job problems since we got married. He finally decided to live his dream of being a long haul truck driver last fall. He loves it, and I am adjusting to the life. Having my Mom here helps.

After teaching for 6 years, I decided to go back to school to get my Master’s in Guidance. I now have my degree and believe that 8 years in the classroom is enough, and am presently looking for Guidance jobs.

I enjoy listening to music (favorite- Billy Joel), reading (favorite-Stephen King), and watching sports (Bucs, Braves, Devil Rays, Lightning, Noles).

Og, what an attention ho I am!

15

I am a 37 year old SAHM with two kids who lives in Michigan. If that isn’t a coma-inducing, conversational stopper, I don’t know what is.

What I lack in regionally interesting locale, I make up for in sarcasm and making fun of my life. Can’t change it, so might as well make fun of it.

I’ve been here for over 8000 posts which means I a) Have no life b)am pudgy c) am a certified know-it-all in real life d) A certifiable goober here e) like pie

16

Okay, I’ll play. I’m 39 years old, and I’m a nursery school teacher during the school year and a SAHM during the summer. I have a husband, two kids (7 & 16), 2 cats and one dog.
We live in the Baltimore suburbs in a 50-year-old ranch house that was a mess when we bought it 10 years ago, and we’re still working on fixing it up. We’ve completely gutted and renovated the basement and bathroom, and added a full bathroom in the basement. We added baseboard molding, chair rail, ceiling fans, tore up the basement floor to move the sump pump, and installed a French drain. We installed new basement steps and have laid new vinyl flooring. We put in an attic fan and installed an attic floor so we could use it for storage. We rewired the whole house, put in a new furnace and added central A/C. I should note that we’ve done nearly all this work ourselves, with our very own hands. (We had pros install the furnace and A/C.)
Now we need a new roof.

I’m not a real girly-girl. I can shower and do my make-up and hair and be out the door in under thirty minutes. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt and boots over pantyhose and high heels and a dress. If I ever meet the man who inverted control-top pantyhose, I will beat him to death.
Having said that, I do like getting dressed up every so often.

I’ve been dyeing my hair since I was about 24, since I have inherited my father’s prematurely gray hair genes. If I let it grow out, I’d be nearly all gray.

I don’t like sci-fi, and I’ve never seen a single episode of The Simpsons, Buffy or any of the Star Trek shows.
I do like CSI, Navy NCIS, Third Watch, Monk, Without A Trace and (despite my usual dislike of sci-fi) The Dead Zone and The 4400.
I also like Seinfeld and Friends reruns.

The only reality shows I like are Survivor and The Amazing Race. I think the “meet your true love” type of reality shows are incredibly stupid.

I like to read, and almost always have 2 books going at the same time. I have a stash of books in the back of my car in case I get stuck somewhere and have to wait and have nothing to read. These are called “emergency backup books”.

When I name them it has to be in this order: Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc and Bashful. Anything else is just wrong.

17

I am anonymous. I have nothing else to add :smiley:

18

I’m one of the older Dopers, 56. I live near Phoenix and work for a helicopter manufacturing company. I’m a Viet Nam Vet. and I own and drive a 1962 Studebaker as a hobby.

For sport and exercise, I snow ski and ride my bike. I recently started playing racquet ball again after a 15 year lay-off. I fish, but I don’t hunt anymore. I have never watched a reality show and in general don’t watch much TV. I like the Blues, Rock and Roll, Jazz, and Swing music. I like to cook and have been on a championship (Arkansas and Louisana State Champs) Chili cooking team. I’ve travelled a lot and have lived and worked overseas. Beer is my adult beverage of choice, but I also like bourbon.

I’m engaged to a beautiful woman that I’ve nicknamed “Killer” and we will be married later this year. I have a daughter, 25, who is serving in the US Navy and currently deployed to the Far East.

I have an old dog, 15, Rusty and I am cat-sitting my daughter’s two cats while she is at sea. I had two mini Dachshunds that now live with my former girlfriend, so on Saturday, Killer and I adopted a Golden Retriever pup to keep Rusty company.

19

I am a 23-year old single male living with my mom and her boyfriend in San Jose. I am a Senior in San Jose State University, majoring in English.

I work at a tutoring center 5 days a week helping K-8 students on both review and enrichment work. I am very close to being promoted, which would put me among the highest-ranking worker bees there, but what I really want is to become a Director there after I get my degree because I love the job so much.

For nearly three years I have been working as a Crossing Guard during the school year. The hours are so short that it is a very flexibile job. It is also 5 minutes away from my house :smiley:

I also teach beginner piano at a local music store, where I am a piano student myself.

Hopefully once I graduate I will be able to get a full time job and move out finally. I’m looking at both apartments and full-time jobs now so that I have some leads once I finish school.

20

[hijack]

Can I have one? I’ve been having really bad nightmares for quite a while.[/end hijack]
ME: I have lots of medical issues that I’m dealing with at the moment. I’m a yougin with 1 brother, 4 dogs, and a guinea pig. I have been in ballet for 10 years, and I’m on Pointe. I am into Harry Potter and Stephen King, and I have a funny little accidental add-in for the 1st Harry Potter movie, if anyone wants to know. I’m getting a CT scan tomorrow. Oh, and I have blonde streaked hair.