When I joined the Dope...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

INTRO: I started a similar thread a couple years ago, and just discovered it among my subscriptions. I enjoyed re-reading it so much that I thought I’d try it another one!

When I joined the Dope in July 2004…

THEN: I was about to turn 33.
NOW: I’m 41.

THEN: I was a technical writer.
NOW: I’m a proposal coordinator.

THEN: I was just about to start grad school.
NOW: I’ve had my master’s degree for four years.

THEN: I’d been floundering since my rock band broke up in '99: I had no idea what I wanted to do, or where I “belonged” musically.
NOW: I’m a working jazz singer. ♫ :heart:

THEN: Chronically single (unhappily).
NOW: Recently single (happily).

THEN: I had an 18-year-old cat.
NOW: I have a 4-year-old dog.

THEN: I drove an '02 Nissan Sentra sedan.
NOW: I drive an '11 Honda Accord V6 coupe (and there was an '08 Maza RX-8 in between).

How about you? :slight_smile:

2

When I joined the Dope in April 2012…

THEN: I was about to turn 51.
NOW: I am 51. And a half!

THEN: The SF Giants were in 4th place, and their record was below .500.
NOW: The Giants are World Series Champions - again! Twice in three years - after suffering many decades as a Giants fan, my life is more complete.

That’s about it for me.
:wink:

3

Okay, I’ll play.

When I joined the SDMB in mid-1999…

Then: working as a technical writer.
Now: college student studying web development.

Then: 36.
Now: 49.

Then: Living in Toronto, working in Mississauga.
Now: Living in Whitby, studying in Oshawa.

Then: single.
Now: single.*

Then: no car.
Now: no car.*

Then: monolingual.
Now: bilingual.

*though, in between, things were different.

4

Depends a bit on what you mean by ‘joined the Dope.’

If you mean this website forum, I joined right about the time it was created but drifted away when it went pay-only. (A blessedly short status, but by the time non-subscribers were allowed to post again I’d lost the habit.) (I think my account must have been purged, as I was unable to recall/locate it; hence the noob join date.)

If you mean the AOL predecessor, I never did AOL.

And if you mean AFCA, let’s see, what *was *I doing in 1988… erm, I’ll take the Fifth here.

5

Sing it, bro.

6

That made me laugh. Each time. :slight_smile:

However you choose to define it: those who were around during the AOL days can certainly count them, if they’d like.

I don’t know what AFCA is/was… :confused:

7

When I joined the SDMB in 2002…

Then: Working at the puzzle factory
Now: Wordsmith for hire (freelance writer/editor/social media maven)

Then: Had one cat (Elvis, 1988-2007, RIP)
Now: Have two cats (littermates Zebulon and Jezebel, b. 2007)

Then: Single but dating pretty regularly
Now: Can’t be bothered

Then: Needlepointer
Now: Knitter

Then: Just a faceless member of the TM
Now: Much-loved/much-hated moderator

8

When I joined the SDMB in 2002:

Then: I was 16 years old.
Now: I am 27 years old.

Then: I was in high school, finishing up the 11th grade.
Now: I’m four and a half years removed from graduating from university.

Then: I made something like $6 an hour as a softball umpire.
Now: I’m salaried, but it works out to about $44 an hour.

Then: I didn’t have a cell phone, and wouldn’t be getting one until 3-4 years later. I had a couple friends with cell phones.
Now: My (much younger) cousin got her first cell phone when she was about 13 years old.

Then: I think that my computer had a 50GB hard drive.
Now: I own a computer with 96GB of RAM.

9

In January, 2000…

THEN: I had a secure job with a multinational corporation.
NOW: The multinational corporation off-shored my job, and now I work for a 113-year-old nonprofit corporation.

THEN: I lived in L.A.
NOW: I live in Northern Washington.

THEN: I was flying helicopters.
NOW: This activity is precluded by a mortgage and a car payment.

THEN: I was a 13 years younger than I am now.
NOW: I am 13 years older than I was then.

THEN: The economy was doing well.
NOW: Not so much.

THEN: The World Trade Center was still standing and I could fly commercially without taking off my shoes.
NOW: The towers are gone, and I feel I should wear pyjamas and slippers when I fly commercially.

THEN: I used a 233 MHz PC.
NOW: I use a 2.2 GHz MacBook Pro.

10

I was around in the AOL days. Mostly for Cecil’s columns. I know I asked at least one stupid question. I know I lost my way for a while before I found this place again. I could have sworn it was earlier but my profile says 4-2003 so there you go.

When I joined the Dope in April 2003…

THEN: I was about to turn 36.
NOW: I’m 45.

THEN: Police officer.
NOW: Police officer.

THEN: Married with two daughters
NOW: Separated for more than three years with the divorce final next month. Also in an almost 2 year relationship.

THEN: I drove an '01 Mazda Protoge
NOW: I drive an '12 Subaru Impreza. No car in between

11

When I joined the Dope…

THEN: I was a six-or-more-year lurker on the message board, who finally decided to join.
NOW: Not much has changed. :slight_smile:

12

I joined in August 2003

I’ve been here almost ten years!

Then: 23, single, living with Mom in Montreal
Now: 32, married, homeowner in Maryland

Then: About to start med tech school because grad school applications were rejected
Now: Working for the Red Cross and making more money than I was in my stressful hospital job two years ago.

Then: Public transportation everywhere
Now: Honda Fit

Then: Trying to fit in with the cool kids
Now: Content to be a geek

Then: Listening to Norah Jones and Beyonce
Now: Listening to the Black Keys and Jonathan Coulton

Then: Taking great precautions against pregnancy
Now: Trying my damnedest to get (and stay) pregnant

13

When I joined in Aug 2000:

Then: Working as an aerospace structural engineer for the Dept of the Navy
Now: Retired from gummint work, instead, I’m a temp doing drafting for a company that makes systems for UAVs

Then: Living just south of Jacksonville, FL in a crowded development
Now: Living in southern Md on 3 acres in a mostly rural county

Then: Driving a 1997 Ford Aerostar van (I sold it in 2010 with 231K miles on it)
Now: Driving a 2006 Scion xA that I love - it’s just over 103K miles.

Then: Had 2 dogs (one ran away, the other was put down in 2011)
Now: Have 2 cats (there were 3 other cats in the interim) and a new pug puppy, plus a 125 gallon salt water aquarium

Then: Had a 37’ sailboat
Now: Boatless for the first time in 29 years.

Then: 46
Now: Closing in on 59

All in all, life is good.

14

I’m singing! I’M SINGING!

Let’s sing it together!

15

“It was a VERY good year…”

16

Joined in 2000.

THEN: 40
NOW: 52

THEN: single, never married
NOW: widowed and engaged to be married again

THEN: psychologist, working at a hospital in MI
NOW: psychologist, private practice in TN

THEN: renting, moving every 2 to 5 years
NOW: homeowner, here to stay

THEN: 2 cats
NOW: 6 cats

17

Joined September, 1999

Then: I was 33
Now: 46

Then: My son was 9 and in grammar school.
Now: My son is 22 and in the Navy.

Then: Single but living with someone
Now: Married. Same someone

Then: Worked as an administrative assistant for a large, mulitnational company.
Now: Work as a temp doing adminstratrive stuff for a large, multinational company.

Then: Lived in a townhouse in Palatine, IL.
Now: Live in a townhouse in Palatine, IL. Different townhouse.

Then: Had a black, half Coyote, half German Shorthair dog that I adopted from a roofer friend of mine.
Now: Have a huge German Shepherd that I adopted from a shelter. He moos.

Then: Drive a 1985 Chevy S-10 pickup.
Now: Drive a 2000 Chrystler Town and Country van.

Then: Husband was working fairly steadily.
Now: Husband not working hardly at all.

Then: Favorite TV Show was Bonanza.
Now: Favorite TV Show is Adam-12. And Bonanza.

Then: Had never attended college
Now: Have about a 1/3 done towards a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts.

18

The Usenet newsgroup alt.fan.cecil-adams.

19

Joined August 2003 (lurked before that)

Then: 23
Now: 32

Then: Living in a condo in Chicopee, MA
Now: Living in a log cabin in Southbridge, MA

Then: Working customer service for a hydronic baseboard manufacturer
Now: Working as a necropsy tech (work study)

Then: One time college dropout
Now: Community college graduate and current University student

Then: Had a bunny
Now: Have 3 dogs and a goldfish

Then: Engaged to Sweetie
Now: Engaged to Sweetie

Then: Drove a 1993 Geo Metro
Now: Drive a 1989 Jeep Wrangler

Then: Fat
Now: Fatter

Then: Never had surgery
Now: Lower back and elbow surgery

20

When I joined the Dope in June 2000

THEN: I was about to turn 21
NOW: I’m 33.

THEN: Substitute teacher, bouncer, and security guard.
NOW: US Army Drill Sergeant.

THEN: Completed my AS degree in criminal justice and graduated the police academy.
NOW: Working on my BS as a full-time student.

THEN: Unable to get a job after the academy. I would soon be working at a gun range, eventually becoming a manager. About a year later I would get a job selling machine guns and tactical gear. No money; living paycheck to paycheck.
NOW: Successful military career. Own two houses, two late model cars, a motorcycle and jet ski. Not rich, but living comfortably. Traveled around the world to over 30 countries. Would never have guessed it 12 years ago.

THEN: Happily Single.
NOW: Very Happily Married.

THEN: No pet.
NOW: No pet.

THEN: I drove a 1994 Camaro.
NOW: I drive a 2010 Tahoe, a 2012 Mini Cooper S Conv, and a 2009 Buell 1125R
How time flies.