When I joined the SDMB...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Then: In the same job for 9 years. In fact, I did most of my Doping, including my very first post, at work
Now: Unemployed for 4 months. :frowning:

Then: Have some interesting stories and advice, but no one to share it with
Now: Have teeming millions to share it with!

22

If reading SD on AOL counts, back when it was a keyword, I was the stay at home mom of a toddler. Now I am the stay at home mom of an unemployed college graduate!

23

I’m an AOLer, too. Lessee…that woulda been around '97, '98. I was a junior in college. Living alone in a one-bedroom apartment. No significant other, but lots of dates. Worked at a video store part time. No pets except a parakeet.

Now I’m in my thirties. Married for going on eight years. Stay-at-home Mom to two kids under three, and two cats. Live in a three-bedroom house.

Wow.

24

When I first joined, my only SDMB access was on library computers.

Now I can read and post from work, one of my two laptops, or on my iPod Touch.

25

I joined in 2001.

THEN: My username was Nichol_storm
NOW: Well, look up.

THEN: I was 16 going on 17.
NOW: I’m 25. I’ve spent almost ten years on the SDMB, my entire young adult life. This place practically raised me. :eek:

THEN: I lived in Jackson, MS.
NOW: I live in New York City.

THEN: Two dogs and a cat.
NOW: No pets. :frowning: My mother has custody of our two Siamese cats. All the pets from 2001 have long since passed on.

THEN: I had never gone on a date.
NOW: Had my first serious relationship with a fellow Doper (Agent Foxtrot) and have dated and had relationships since then. Currently single.

26

THEN: Was trying to figure it all out, familiarize myself with the frequent posters and their inclinations and find my “spot.”

NOW: Still trying to figure it all out, familiarize myself with the frequent posters and their inclinations and find my “spot.”

Heh.

27

Joined August 2003

Then: 23
Now: 30

Then: Engaged
Now: Still engaged though we did break up for 2 years.

Then: Crappy condo in old military housing.
Now: 50+ year old log cabin.

Then: Never had surgery.
Now: Have had 2 surgeries.

Then: About 150 pounds - about 20 pounds overweight.
Now: About 200 pounds - you can do the math.

Then: Mid-length natural red hair.
Now: Mid-length natural red hair.

Then: Spilling coffee on electronics and ruining them.
Now: Spilling tea on electronics and ruining them.

Then: CSR for baseboard heater manufacturer.
Now: Unemployed. Starting college in 1.5 weeks.

Then: 1993 Geo Metro (god I miss that car).
Now: Technically no car though my fiancee has a '08 Hyundai Accent and an '87 Jeep Wrangler (just found out today that our mechanic found a motor for it!!!)

Then: Two bunnies.
Now: Two dogs.

Then: Completely stupid with regards to home repairs.
Now: In the middle of re-glazing 15 storm windows, by myself.

28

Then: 1997.
Now: …now.

Then: 19-year-old college sophomore.
Now: 32-year-old almostalmostalmost MPP.

Then: Lived in Santa Cruz, California.
Now: Live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Then: Had only been to one country outside of the US (Mexico).
Now: Have been to 18 countries outside outside of the US.

Then: Broke as fuck.
Now: Broke as fuck.

Then: No pets. (I lived in campus housing!)
Now: One devil cat.

Then: No car.
Now: No car.

Some things never change, I guess.

29

Join Date: March 2002

Then: 28
Now: 36

Then: single for the past several years
Now: dating someone long-distance for almost a year

Then: postdoc in a government lab
Now: government employee overseeing lab work

Then: 1 dog less than 4 years old
Now: that same dog, who is a bit crankier now in her near-dotage.

Then: 2003 Toyota Matrix
Now: 2010 Chevy Equinox

Then: unknown on this board.
Now: still unknown. My lurk to type ratio is high.

30

Then: 44
Now: 47

Then: Learning the rules of the SDMB (i.e. no post-count parties).
Now: Wondering if this isn’t a sneaky way (for some) of getting in a post-count party.

Then: More ignorant.
Now: Less ignorant.

31

Joined: Feb. 2001 (age 25)
Now: age 34

Then: Far right-winger
Now: Centrist

Then: college failure
Now: college graduate

Then: single
Now: married to MsRobyn with an 8-year-old son

Then: hopelessly mired in the present
Now: Technical Sergeant in the Air Force (Master eligible)

Those are merely the tip of the iceberg. Let’s just say that the person I was back then is nothing like the person I am now. I used to be nearly universally reviled here. I dare say that that is not the case now, although I am still living down what I was to some extent. Such is life.

32

I joined the SDMB in September, 2000.

Then: Newly married
Now: Separated, divorce pending

Then: Two cats
Now: Seven cats (including one from the original two)

Then: 1990 Jeep
Now: 2000 Chevy

Then: Ontario
Now: Alberta

Then: Technical writer
Now: Lawyer

Then: Long hair, clean shaven
Now: Long hair, beard

Then: Middle-aged
Now: Older

33

Then: Didn’t know I was ill
Now: Almost recovered

Then: Bored, looking for something to read
Now: Bored, writing posts

Then: Arrogant, immature
Now: Arrogant, immature, older

Then: No animal companions
Now: The best dog ever

Then: Flip phone
Now: Droid

Then: Hated iPods
Now: Hate iPods, iPhones, and iPads

Then: Thought George Bush was a moron
Now: Think George Bush and Sarah Palin are morons

Then: Low def
Now: High def

Then: Only Vodka
Now: Sometimes Rum

Then: Stick welder
Now: Mig welder

Then: 32 bit
Now: 64 bit

Then: Couldn’t believe the Philles would ever win the Series again
Now: Can’t believe the Phillies will ever win the Series again

34

Joined May 09

Then: engaged.
Now: married.

Then: working for a bank.
Now: unemployed.

Then: renting.
Now: homeowner.

35

Joined Usenet alt.straightdope (or whatever it was called) in mid-1997.

Then: 23
Now: Ugh.

Then: D.Phil candidate at Oxford.
Now: Teaching/working at a small university in the northeast US

Then: engaged to another D.Phil candidate, from England
Now: married to tygre, who actually knew me from my posts as early as 2000, but we didn’t meet for another four years

Then: living in a run-down house in north Oxford, but spending almost all of my time at my fiancee’s dorm
Now: living in a house in a quiet suburb, paying the mortgage down

Then: very shy, really hoping my relationship with my fiancee, the first one I’d ever had, would work
Now: realize I knew from the beginning it wouldn’t. But I don’t care because I’m very happy with tygre

Then: deeply devoted to my family, especially my mother and grandmother
Now: Both my mother and grandmother are gone. Rebuilding every day I can with my dad (we never were estranged but we were distant before my mother passed away)

Then: debuted for the first XI of my college cricket side with almost zero experience after a stellar tryout, became cricket mad
Now: still cricket mad but only read and write about it now

Then: gamer, but the only one I knew
Now: gamer, but less of a gamer than most of my friends

Then: thought I was a completely boring guy who was dead lucky to have attracted any woman, and my now-ex was the best I could do
Now: realize I could have done so much better than my ex all along, and tygre is the proof :wink:

Then: thought my career path lay in being a quiet archivist, supporting my supernova of a scholar ex
Now: doing so well as a fundraiser I’m already teaching one course in it and will probably be teaching more soon

Then: 6’2"
Now: 6’3". I’m not sure how that happened either.

36

I always measure as taller (nearly 5’3"!) when I’m feeling happy and healthy. Maybe you were always slouching in 1997 but now you stand more erect because you’re in a happy place.

37

Joined Oct 2000:

Then: Worked as Engineer, in a job I hated.
Now: Barely making a small living, but much happier, trying to make it to age 55 when I can start collecting a pension from 25 years on the job. (5 yrs away)

Then: Dating my neighbor
Now: Now longer dating my neighbor, but we are best friends

Then: Two Dogs, one cat
Now: One Dog (and she won’t live too much longer :()

Then: Avid golfer, 1 handicap, played 4-5 times per week
Now: Barely golf anymore, can’t afford it (about 5 times a year)

Then: Living in a small house
now: Living in the same house

Then: Driving a new SUV and small car for my long commute
Now: Driving a 8 year old car

38

I joined the Dope in April 2000.

THEN: I was 33.
NOW: I am 43.

THEN: I had a six cats and two rescued Greyhounds.
NOW: I have three cats (all different) and two non-rescued Italian Greyhounds.

THEN: I was working for a political publisher.
NOW: I’m work or myself.

THEN: I’d been married almost 7 years.
NOW: I’ve been married more than 17 years.

THEN: I was commuting 3+ hours per day in Virginia.
NOW: I’m don’t commute at all in Ohio.

THEN: I was vaguely political in a smart-ass way.
NOW: I’m running for office on the democratic ticket.

THEN: Nervous expectant parent with less than two weeks to go.
NOW: The oldest is 10 and just started fifth grade.

THEN: I drove an old Explorer in the Blue Ridge.
NOW: I drive a little Aveo on brick streets.

39

People you want to throw things at? Your only friends? Your sock puppets? :confused:

However you choose to define “joining the SDMB.” :slight_smile:

I’m a tech writer, and can’t imagine becoming a lawyer – not being a lawyer, mind you, just doing the schooling and all of the work to become one. I will stay a writer/editor for as long as I can, but I have a feeling that project management is in my future.

Hmm, maybe becoming a lawyer wouldn’t be that bad…

40

That is so very kind of you to say. I’ve been having a rough patch from time to time and it reminds me that actually I am so much happier now…and I can prove it!