# Hello there. It's been a while... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323 "2007-10-28T11:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/1 "2007-10-28T11:28:34Z")
Hello. It’s been almost 3 years since I was last here, so I don’t expect many of you johhny-come-lately whippersnappers have a clue who I am. And yet, here I am. Did I miss anything important? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/2 "2007-10-28T11:51:31Z")
Nice to see you back. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/3 "2007-10-28T12:30:53Z")
Welcome back! The main thing you missed is that all returning members must provide snacks for the rest of us. Plus you get moved to the top of the dusting rotation. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/4 "2007-10-28T12:43:08Z")
Welcome back. Enjoy your stay! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/5 "2007-10-28T13:29:45Z")
Hey! Welcome back! Just the other day I was looking at the _Voices of the Straight Dope_ page. Tripler 3 years, eh? Wow . . . ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/6 "2007-10-28T13:30:51Z")
Holy fuck yes you missed a ton of good shit, let’s see, first there was \*\* [Content removed by Moderator]\*\* And then the last thing I can remember, and I think we’re up to #105, is the return of **Francesca**! (Yes this is a joke 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/7 "2007-10-28T13:40:26Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] Hey! Welcome back! Just the other day I was looking at the _Voices of the Straight Dope_ page. [/QUOTE] The what? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/8 "2007-10-28T13:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] The what? [/QUOTE] Sorry. . . the [Voices of the Teeming Millions](http://www.geocities.com/voiceofthetm/). . . (not the ‘Straight Dope’). ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/9 "2007-10-28T13:48:11Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] Hey! Welcome back! Just the other day I was looking at the _Voices of the Straight Dope_ page. Tripler 3 years, eh? Wow . . . [/QUOTE] It’s still there? Blimey. So what’s everyone been up to? In the last three years I have: - Got engaged (to Alex B). Wedding’s next May. Bought the dress last weekend, v. exciting. - Changed job 3 times. I am now a studio director at a big TV company. - Set up a fairly popular cookery blog - [101 Things Every Cook Should Cook](http://101things.wordpress.com) - which has taken off this year (I’m interviewed in a national cookery magazine this month!) - Got fat. - Got a cat. - Watched a lot of cricket (Alex B is now a trained umpire). - Been to Sicily twice. - Acquired about a dozen more small sheep. Now you go. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/10 "2007-10-28T14:42:37Z")
Hiya Franny!! Nothing new here. Almost burned up a few days ago, but other than that… nada. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/11 "2007-10-28T14:56:20Z")
[QUOTE=Francesca] So what’s everyone been up to? In the last three years I have: \ - Acquired about a dozen more small sheep. [/QUOTE] So, you just came back to taunt Hal Briston, right? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/12 "2007-10-28T15:03:41Z")
[QUOTE=Francesca] Hello. It’s been almost 3 years since I was last here, so I don’t expect many of you johhny-come-lately whippersnappers have a clue who I am. And yet, here I am. Did I miss anything important? [/QUOTE] It’s almost like I’ve read your posts all the time since! Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/13 "2007-10-28T15:26:56Z")
Hi! Welcome back and congratulations on the engagement (and all the other good stuff)! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/14 "2007-10-28T15:33:28Z")
Hi **Francesca**. Good meeting you at DopeToberFest in '01. How many Dopers did we have there? Seventy? We need more of those. Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/15 "2007-10-28T16:47:21Z")
Hi Frannie! Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/16 "2007-10-28T17:04:28Z")
[QUOTE=Francesca] Now you go. [/QUOTE] Oh… [ul][li]I was Director of Photography on a movie a two years ago. The director/writer ran out of steam halfway through it. Lots of problems making an indie film, mostly actors who couldn’t or wouldn’t show up when they were supposed to, the Director breaking up with the Producer, blahblahblah. Then he moved across the state to get back together with her. He still wants to make it, but wants to replace the lead with someone with more range. Unfortunately the lead is a friend with a fragile ego, and also co-wrote the script.[/li][li]Got engaged[/li][li]Got unengaged[/li][li]Finally got my MGB back. The body guy didn’t fit the lids, so that will have to be addressed eventually.[/li][li]Remodelled the back bedroom[/li][li]Getting a new wood-burning stove for the living room to supplement the propane furnace and electric heaters[/li][li]Working in Seattle 100 miles from home. 4/40 schedule and I telecommute one day so I only have to make the drive three days a week[/li][li]Inherited a ton of airline miles and have been adding to them, but no time to use them. I need to learn Italian anyway.[/li][\*]I learned to make pie[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/17 "2007-10-28T17:19:44Z")
So…um…does this mean that our old newbie gets the squidding? Do we not do that for returning members? What about foot in face? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/18 "2007-10-28T17:28:29Z")
Not much. How 'bout you? StG {At least _I_ got the song reference) ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/19 "2007-10-28T19:38:34Z")
Welcome back! It’s a good week for it, doncha think (I just returned after a hiatus myself)? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323/20 "2007-10-28T20:19:40Z")
[QUOTE=StGermain] {At least _I_ got the song reference) [/QUOTE] I got the reference. And the earworm. I fear the only thing to get it out of my head may be a certain obnoxious Disney boat ride tune… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hello-there-its-been-a-while/424323.md?page=2)