Friday 12 Dec OT Thread - Who Are You?

[KMIELKE123]

I started this thread early perhaps too early - but its the only one I'll ever start so perhaps 'they' will forgive my impetuosity.

I'm very interested to hear more about you who posts here at Virtual Dr.

What job do you do in the 'Real World' ?

What hobbies do you have ?

What areas of computing interests you ?


Any input welcome - I only posted this Q. as I'm inherently nosey - but it might encourage other 'Lurkers' like me might to give some feedback on themselves and what brought them here.

[Fuelm@n]

I am the terror that flaps in the night...

I am the auditor who wants to look at your books

I am the batteries that aren't included

I am the blown fuse that blacks you out

I am the bubble gum that sticks in your hair

I am the bubble gum that sticks to your shoe

I am the burned out bulb you can not reach

I am the butter that burns in your pan

I am the cat that should be let out of the bag

I am the check that overdraws your account

I am the check writer in the cash only lane

I am the chill that runs up your spine

I am the clock cleaner who will ring your chimes

I am the cloud that rains on your hit parade

I am the cold sore that stings your lips

I am the combination lock on the vault of justice

I am the current of vengeance gurgling through your sewer

I am the editor that cuts your scene

I am the editor that leaves you on the cutting room floor

I am the fast food that comes back to haunt you

I am the feathery phantom that haunts your nightmares

I am the fingernail that scrapes the chalkboard of your soul

I am the flea you cannot flick

I am the ghost of a chance that you don't have

I am the grade curve that gives you an 'F'

I am the hairball that clogs your drain

I am the hair in the lens of your projector

I am the ham radio operator that scrambles your reception

I am the headache in the criminal mind

I am the Heimlich maneuver for the choking victims of crime

I am the hero that every culture needs

I am the icky bug that crawls up your trouser leg

I am the ingrown toenail in your paddy pumps

I am the ingrown toenail on the foot of crime

I am the itch you can not reach

I am the jackal that gnaws at your bones

I am the jailer who throws away the key

I am the limestone that petrifies your bones

I am the little mouse that eats your cheese

I am the lollipop that sticks in your hair

I am the low point in your sine wave

I am the low rating that cancels your program

I am the metal key on the sardine can of justice

I am the meter on the taxicab of justice

I am the moth that seeks your porch light

I am the muddy shoes that track the linoleum of crime

I am the neurosis that requires a $500 an hour shrink

I am the number ninety sunblock that'll stop your burn

I am the onion that stings in your eyes

I am the original Mr. Fix-it

I am the paper cut that ruins your morning

I am the parking meter that expires while you shop

I am the pebble in the shoe of ignominy

I am the pencil that breaks from signing too many autographs

I am the pimple that forms before a really big date

I am the pin that will burst your bubble

I am the pitbull that bites the ankle of crime

I am the plot twist in the second reel

I am the principal you are sent to see

I am the pustules blister that bursts in your boot

I am the quality time that ruins your play time

I am the raspberry seed you can't floss out

I am the repairman who tells you your warranty just ran out

I am the rhinestones on the jump suit of justice

I am the rust in the pipes of crime

I am the sandtrap on the fairway of evil

I am the schnauzer that digs up your petunias

I am the scrubbing bubble to criminal scum

I am the single career man all women want to date

I am the slug that slimes your begonias

I am the smoke that smokes smoked oysters

I am the soap scum that lines your bathtub

I am the special news bulletin that interrupts your favorite show

I am the spinach that sticks in your teeth

I am the squeaky stair that gives away your presence

I am the squashed bug on your flying saucer windshield

I am the stain that can't be rubbed out

I am the substantial and inescapable penalty for early withdrawal

I am the super nova at the center of the universe

I am the surprise in your cereal box

I am the switch that derails your train

I am the $10 service charge on all returned checks

I am the termite that devours your floor boards

I am the thing that goes bump in the night

I am the tube of cadmium yellow that's impossible to open

I am the water balloon that lands right on your head

I am the weedwhacker in the garden of evil

I am the weirdo that sits next to you on the bus

I am the widget missing from the easy to assemble swingset

I am the winged scourge that pecks at your nightmares

I am the wrong number that wakes you at 3:00 a.m.

I am the zit that forms when you got a really big date

"Who am I?"

Actually those answers to your question maybe found in my or others profile...

[BIG JOHN]

Originally posted by Fuelm@n
I am the terror that flaps in the night...

I am the auditor who wants to look at your books

I am the batteries that aren't included

I am the blown fuse that blacks you out

I am the bubble gum that sticks in your hair

I am the bubble gum that sticks to your shoe

I am the burned out bulb you can not reach

I am the butter that burns in your pan

I am the cat that should be let out of the bag

I am the check that overdraws your account

I am the check writer in the cash only lane

I am the chill that runs up your spine

I am the clock cleaner who will ring your chimes

I am the cloud that rains on your hit parade

I am the cold sore that stings your lips

I am the combination lock on the vault of justice

I am the current of vengeance gurgling through your sewer

I am the editor that cuts your scene

I am the editor that leaves you on the cutting room floor

I am the fast food that comes back to haunt you

I am the feathery phantom that haunts your nightmares

I am the fingernail that scrapes the chalkboard of your soul

I am the flea you cannot flick

I am the ghost of a chance that you don't have

I am the grade curve that gives you an 'F'

I am the hairball that clogs your drain

I am the hair in the lens of your projector

I am the ham radio operator that scrambles your reception

I am the headache in the criminal mind

I am the Heimlich maneuver for the choking victims of crime

I am the hero that every culture needs

I am the icky bug that crawls up your trouser leg

I am the ingrown toenail in your paddy pumps

I am the ingrown toenail on the foot of crime

I am the itch you can not reach

I am the jackal that gnaws at your bones

I am the jailer who throws away the key

I am the limestone that petrifies your bones

I am the little mouse that eats your cheese

I am the lollipop that sticks in your hair

I am the low point in your sine wave

I am the low rating that cancels your program

I am the metal key on the sardine can of justice

I am the meter on the taxicab of justice

I am the moth that seeks your porch light

I am the muddy shoes that track the linoleum of crime

I am the neurosis that requires a $500 an hour shrink

I am the number ninety sunblock that'll stop your burn

I am the onion that stings in your eyes

I am the original Mr. Fix-it

I am the paper cut that ruins your morning

I am the parking meter that expires while you shop

I am the pebble in the shoe of ignominy

I am the pencil that breaks from signing too many autographs

I am the pimple that forms before a really big date

I am the pin that will burst your bubble

I am the pitbull that bites the ankle of crime

I am the plot twist in the second reel

I am the principal you are sent to see

I am the pustules blister that bursts in your boot

I am the quality time that ruins your play time

I am the raspberry seed you can't floss out

I am the repairman who tells you your warranty just ran out

I am the rhinestones on the jump suit of justice

I am the rust in the pipes of crime

I am the sandtrap on the fairway of evil

I am the schnauzer that digs up your petunias

I am the scrubbing bubble to criminal scum

I am the single career man all women want to date

I am the slug that slimes your begonias

I am the smoke that smokes smoked oysters

I am the soap scum that lines your bathtub

I am the special news bulletin that interrupts your favorite show

I am the spinach that sticks in your teeth

I am the squeaky stair that gives away your presence

I am the squashed bug on your flying saucer windshield

I am the stain that can't be rubbed out

I am the substantial and inescapable penalty for early withdrawal

I am the super nova at the center of the universe

I am the surprise in your cereal box

I am the switch that derails your train

I am the $10 service charge on all returned checks

I am the termite that devours your floor boards

I am the thing that goes bump in the night

I am the tube of cadmium yellow that's impossible to open

I am the water balloon that lands right on your head

I am the weedwhacker in the garden of evil

I am the weirdo that sits next to you on the bus

I am the widget missing from the easy to assemble swingset

I am the winged scourge that pecks at your nightmares

I am the wrong number that wakes you at 3:00 a.m.

I am the zit that forms when you got a really big date

"Who am I?"

Actually those answers to your question maybe found in my or others profile...

I am the administrator that says Holy Moly. BJ

[Leurgy]

I am the Dreaded Leurgy that always thinks, "Did you have to quote the whole thing?"

I am the Eggman
I am the Walrus

[eddds40]

Ed in real world. Live central USA Been a cowboy all my life . Started record keeping on cattle about 1970 this led to needing a puter to keep track of things, first one a 32k raido shack. Got interested in what made them work never been to school day one on puter's. All self taught I now do repairs pc and LAN and sell pc's to friends. My cowboy days aren't as active as they used to be but still run a cow herd, do a lot of bovine proctology work for other's AI preg test and test Bulls ect. Still do some cattle roping ect but has slowed a lot with age , don't compete in Rodeos anymore, just general ranch work. My hobbie is 8 Ball Pool as I am capatain of 2 teams for league play. APA and a local League also.

[jmtjet]

I am,what I am.

Actually:

I'm retired

I'm married, with grandchildren

I boat-with a 40 year old classic cruiser of 28 feet.

I read-but,not enough.

I run, but not enough

I ski, when their's good snow.

I don't drink,smoke or do drugs, but I gamble a little(man's gotta have some vices)

I enjoy working with and on computers(I'm typing this in Linux-SuSe 9.0.)

I like living in the north, I like the winters and only go south for vacations.

I like football,baseball,college basketball and, of course, hockey.

That's about it.

[Murray S.]

Howdy:

I am a career Deputy Fire Chief for the last 13 or so years and a career firefighter for 10 years before that..

For relaxation, my wife and I like to get away camping (tent, campstove, the "real" camping)

As for hobbies, playing with/working on my computer and those that friends want me to look at !!

Murray

[TJolly]

I'm what I am aswell, married, three children (all grown up and left the nest), two dogs, two cats, two goats called Thelma and Louise.

I'm also retired.

Most of my time is spent looking after horses. At present we have 4, one large gelding who is in competition and doing ok. Similar horse now retired and suffering from arthritis but it's under control and two rescue jobbies, all doing well even though winter is now with us.

I like a bit of a small gamble aswell but only on horses when ridden by a jockey.

It's amazing how my wife and I can identify an outsider at least coming in the first three.

I also think I spend too much time on Vdr, at least the wife says I do but she doesn't really object aslong as I've done my chores.

[Train]

Tjolly, tell her at least you are not in the local pub. That shut mine up.


6 fixin to be 8 grandkids in a few months.
Llike messing with computers and helping folks. Besides, if I can read and understand folks, they then do not need to scream for me to hear them.


Working on my second retirement now. Not old enough for social security yet.

[BIG JOHN]

Im recently retired after working as an engineer at local hospital for 15 years. Im single, after being married for many years, have one daughter & two grandsons, whom I love dearly. Have been into computers since about 1997, had to because my work, place all went computerized. Now I spend much of my time here helping people when I can & trying to keep the forums up & running as smooth as possible. Thru my work & hanging out here I have learned a lot & enjoy sharing what I have learned with all of you. BJ

[Ridgerunr]

Considered just saying something 'cute',but what the hey...

Born n' raised up in a mill town here in Oregon. Graduated High School and became a 'sliver picker' for Georgia Pacific here in their plywood plant. Uncle Sam blew his whistle at me 'bout the time we got into it in Southeast Asia(Nam). Lost a' couple years and a' bit of flesh over there. Several more years pickin' the slivers then school. University life not for me. got a degree in drafting(long before CAD)and one in water quality control from comm. colleges. Spent 15 years as a State Park Ranger, then 10 as a leased operator in Interstate Trucking. Maintenance Supervisor for hospitals 'til '98. Triple bypass,knee surgery and Docs and my Attorney screamin' at me to retire finally sunk in. Bored stiff in '98. Daughter asked why i didn't get into computin'. Decided,aww what the h--l and bought a shop made 'Frankenstein'. Never entered that 'shop' again but it was a real learning experience replacing the out-of-date hardware and such to keep that monster running. Started building my own after that and now build and repair for family and friends as a hobby.
Love to fly fish and tie my own flies,build my own rods. Marriage went bye-bye long ago,but have a great Daughter and two beautiful Grandaughters 13 and 5 years.
Guess it goes without saying that i'm re-tired??

[jenae]

Hi This is Angel for those humans not bright enough to know I am a cat, and my Mum was also in the volunteer bush fire brigade, got caught in a firestorm once and made me glad that cats don't have to fight fires. I have been treading the keyboards of computers for nearly twelve years and I am proud to say I have caused at least three reformats in my time. The person who feeds me is an Economist by profession and now runs an IT company, having been helped through the long nights of study by yours truly to learn Computer Science. Whats this "something wicked this way comes" is it Calpitor, Fuelm@an, OH no it is Jenae.

[photolady]

Who am I?

I'm old. I have one beautiful daughter who gave me two beautiful granddaughters 10, and 20. And I have two beautiful great grandchildren, a boy 4 and a girl almost a year. I am widowed, and still single by choice.

My hobbies are computers and photography. I started college at age 42 graduated with a B. A. in journalism and a minor in computer science. I got interested in pc's when a boyfriend said I should buy a "real" computer when my Mac wouldn't handle ICQ. Now I still work on, and build pc's but the boyfriend is gone by the way.

My only other hobbie is fly fishing, although, I don't tie my own flies, I think maybe I'd like to try sometime. When fishing: I take my cameras, and if they ain't biting, I shoot birds, and deer, and moose....or what ever catches my eye.

[Calpitor]

Janae? "something wicked this way comes" is it Calpitor? Glad to know I've made a new friend. Had to read that twice BTW And now on to my favourite subject ME!

Who am I? I spent several years and too much money at Queen's University asking just that question after I established that I did indeed exist and didn't really come up with a satisfactory answer. Somehow I managed to escape with a B PH, a MA ENGL, a wealth of knowledge of hoticultural skills devoted to growing a certain green leafy substance, and my true calling in life: cooking.

At the time my parents were less than amused to say the least but they were supportive enough to see their professional student off to cooking school. A year later I was apprenticing at the Chateau Laurier, Ottawa's premier hotel at the time, two years later I lost my father and I spent my inheritance on another two years education at the Cordon Bleu in Paris France. I came back to Ottawa and made a tour of the local hotels and finer restaurants until I landed a position as personal chef to the British High Commissioner to Canada. Looking to expand my horizons I accepted a position as Sous Chef at the Beverly Hills Hilton for a couple of years and then moved to San Diego's Hotel Del Coronado and then to the Princess Cruise Lines where I got to see nothing but the inside of the ship while we set sail to exotic ports like Alaska, Fiji and Hawaii. Well that's a bit of an exageration but a few hours in Honolulu out of the four days we were docked just weren't enough. I tell you I had never worked so hard in my life and haven't since. Ten hour shifts: ten hours on, ten hours off. Those of you who have taken a cruise will atest to the fact that aboard ship you can eat 24 hours a day. It is literally a buffet that never closes. YUM!

I came back to Ottawa for a much deserved rest. After about a month of being a lay about I did contract work for various hotels and restaurants creating ice sculptures. The last sculpture I was working on was close to fifteen feet high and it collapsed with me under it. In addition to a year of therapy I went, you guessed it, back to school. This time I was destined to be flying a desk and I took up computer science. My disability status got me a job right away with the federal government and my degrees all of a sudden didn't sound like such a waste of time and money. About 3 years ago I took a "Golden Parachute" and opened a small, but successful, business repairing P.C.s.

Somewhere along the line I found the time to have a life. I've been married for almost ten years to a beautiful woman. Forgive me if this offends you but if I were to ask you that after all this time together it is still only her I picture when I fantasize does this sound normal? We have only one son he's smart as a whip, articulate and healthy who could ask for more? The three of us go fly fishing as well my wife is doing a great job of teaching us how. In the winter we support the Senators and I sit in the chalet while my wife teaches my son how to ski. I sit on my son's school council, do good works with the local Big Brother and Sisters Agency and help organize the local soccer and hockey leagues.

[user595212]

Wow. You folks have done so many different things. Ridgrunr, sliver-picker and long-haul trucker. Calpitor! Chef/ice sculptor (the most unusual workplace accident I think I've ever heard of, sounds terrible)/perpetual student/world traveler/official chef to important government official (so cool of you to say how your wife still is jailbait for you!!). eddds40, zowie. Never knew we had a cowboy on here. How incredibly cool. I liked the part about cattle proctology too, sounds, er, deep (ha ha).

By comparison I'm sure I am very boring. I'm a 54-year-old woman married 23 years to a 55-year-old public defender in Philadelphia. After 15 years there, he worked his way up to the glorious (prestigious) or inglorious special-defense unit: nasty cases, high-publicity (one day he left court after a hearing and was stunned to have a flock of reporters jump out in front of him). Eventually he'll try murders after some orientation as "second chair" (with another veteran). Ugh, huh? It's high-stress, but gets the blood of a lawyer racing, believe it or not.

Hubby used to be a reporter at a suburban newspaper, then an organizer for the Newspaper Guild in Philadelphia. Went to law school at age 36. Fits him to a T. He's that showman type.

Me, I've mostly been a journalist for 25-plus years, and mostly a copy editor (in Britain they call them subs editors). That means a whole bunch of different things: Working with a reporter to clarify things, find missing facts, tweak the tone of a story. Sometimes one might say the story is lame through and through and must be held out of the paper.

One has to almost know everything. That in addition, of course, to grammar, spelling, style. I also write picture captions (hate it!) and headlines (love 'em!). I work with a great group of people many of whom I've known since the late '70s. We have fun and I can tell you it almost never is boring.

And then there was the 6 years in the 1990s when I worked as a social worker (adoption for a year, then psychotherapy the rest of the time) after going back to school for a master's in social services (like an MSW really). It was the best school experience I've ever had, I loved it, I loved the subject matter (it was a very clinically oriented school, that is to say focused on clients and patients and how they ticked; a great deal on mental health and mental illness).

I worked at one point for a large managed-care mental-health practice and over 4 or 5 years had a core of about 10 clients with whom I worked long-term. They are wonderful people. I feel privileged to have had them. Some of them had stories to tell that would curl your hair or shock you. Some of them weathered incredibly horrible personal circumstances. I can never, ever feel sorry for myself again knowing these people; compared to them (and I never would have believed this 20 years ago), my family was/is functional, loving and nurturing. I don't have a problem!

It's like I told one person, you couldn't make this stuff up. You just never knew what a person is going to come to your office with.

But at any rate, managed care has managed (!) only to make a mess of the American health-care system, which is a long way of saying that I just couldn't make a living at it really. I didn't have the longer experience and supervision to be able to go out on my own; I didn't have the time to try and get that so I could survive. All the old structures for social service are just gone. I just kind of said oh, whatever, and drifted back to my old newspaper. I was there 8 years in the '80s and early '90s, and now have been back 5 years (4 of them as a fill-in). Life is too short and I needed to help send my boy to college someday.

And yes, my boy! How do I describe him. He is the love and joy of my life. We tried for 10 years to have a baby (5 tries at IVF), and in the 11th year (as I told Nick), we found his wonderful birthmother, Angie, and she consented to having us become his parents. We are still close to Angie and her ups and downs and her two children since then. We plan to go see her in 2004. We shared so much of the end of her pregnancy and his birth.

Nick is 11 now, a funny (in training to open for Billy Crystal; loves Mr. Bean), tender, kind boy, somewhat rowdy (boys! They must all be), loves animals (I don't want to tell you how many pets we have, it would take too long), babies and small children (he just finished a 4-H baby-sitting course! They gave him a certificate and everything!) (he routinely plays with the smaller kids in the neighborhood, and is very good at looking after them while their moms take care of household chores). Has the voice of an angel, I am trying to get him more involved in the school chorus. Desperately wants an ATV, a PlayStation 2 (coming this Christmas), a Mazda!! He is Mommy's Sweetheart!

Sigh. I'll try to attach pictures below.

Cheers,
Wendy