I've been here since 2001... and I expect I'll be here the rest of my life.

[trumad]

I took a break.. I was glad I did. Place can drive you a bit silly. I may take another break down the road. But I do expect that someday my wife or kids will tell all that I kicked it. It is a weird virtual relationship that I thought I would never have.

I'm 57 and in pretty good shape....so hopefully I have a couple of more decades to hang at my favorite virtual hangout.

OK---disclosure... my wife just drove my daughter to Tallahassee for orientation at Florida State University--- a daughter that was 6 years old when I joined this joint. So with me by myself tonight---Cigar and a Bottle of wine. Needless to say...I'm feeling a bit emotional.

Plus Raindog passing...

Would it be a bit too much to say I love you guys. OK---maybe a bit too much.

Fuck it---I love some of you guys.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

1. ...

[HuckleB]

2. I've been here since early 2002, and, well, I know people will NOT care when I go.

And I'm ok with that. (Of course, I admit that I should have been kinder to some. And some should have been kinder to me.) And, well, I do miss folks like Raindog, because discussion used to be slightly easier, or so I say, as an old fart.

Not as old as you, of course!

[trumad]

5. Huckle... you one of the good guys!

[HuckleB]

8. LOL! I'm glad you think so...

I've always appreciated your input at DU!

You do rock!

[trumad]

11. My input is kind of haphazard.

Kind of one line snark. If I had the time I'd have more input. That's why I admire folks like the Will Pitt's of DU. They offer so much.

[HuckleB]

13. Indeed. Same here.

I took a lot of time on many posts in the early years, but once we had a kid that went to the wayside. And, well, I admit to losing patience much too easily.

Shocking, I know!

[mopinko]

47. i would miss you immensely.

you have schooled me. i appreciate it.

[cyberswede]

3. Sweet post.

I hope you're here for a long time.

Good luck to your daughter!!

[calimary]

78. Me too! I've been here since 2001. Can't pull myself away.

trumad, congrats on the new chapter opening up in your "little" girl's life!

[Uncle Joe]

4. I don't believe it's too much, only love can conquer hate.

Thanks for the thread, trumad.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I hear you, my dear trumad...

I haven't been here as long as you have (Feb 2005) but this place is home.

I've had so many good times here......and a few not so good. But those just make the good times all the sweeter.

I've made some very good friends too.

And people say "it's only the internet." ONLY?

Heh.

Here's to many more years for you, right here.

Me, too.

[trumad]

9. I kind of wish we'd have a big convention type get-together

Not sure why the admin doesn't do something like that. Do a fundraiser for the meeting place...food, etc.

I'd go.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. I would go too.

Every meetup I've been to has been a blast!

Putting faces to usernames is so cool.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

35. that's such a great idea!

Seriously!


I've been in One Line mode lately, myself. Just not feeling too talky.



Very sweet OP and I don't think it's dorky at all.
Sometimes I want to say something similar, but then I don't.

Cuz it feels too dorky.

Oh,....on edit.... I've been here since 2004...or maybe 3? I was FizzFuzz back then.

[cantbeserious]

7. Back At You Trumad - Been Here - Under Different Name - Since 2001

Will be here a bit longer - I hope - as well.

[Armstead]

59. Now youve got me wondering who your earlier alter egos were

[salin]

12. Likewise, Tru

... and RainDog's passing has me shaken up.

Am glad for this community - even when it drives me nuts.

Even love the guy who is sarcastic, funny, and also very human - as is clear by the message written.

Peace,

salin

[trumad]

17. Salin...

see that's what I mean... you been around for a long long time.... it's like I know you but I don't...

I know for a fact you would be cool as all get out in person.

[salin]

53. I feel the same. It's like I know you... but I don't...

Over the years I have read many sites regularly - and participated on some regularly... for a while. There is at least one that I have read as long as I have participated at DU (Jan of 2002 for me), but have not been a participant.

I had no idea I would still be a participant (albeit a rather quiet one.) Even when I don't participate I scan LBN and GD when I start the day and before I end the day.

Who'd of thought it?

I wonder if RainDog knew/appreciated how many people felt connected to her in that way "It's like I know you, but I don't..." and in that space of "knowing" had an effect on many, many people. I hope she knew.

Peace to RainDog - and peace to you - and the added perspective of the uniqueness of this community that has become part of our lives for more than a decade.

And ya - I pretty much know that if we hung out in person for a couple of ours - it would be a pretty cool and appreciated conversation!

[malaise]

14. RainDog's death has really upset me

I mean she was posting this week.

And yes I do love some of you guys - when I croak hubby will let you guys know.
I've been here almost ten years.

This has been an horrific year of deaths of DU members. We lost three DUers in one week this year.

[Mojorabbit]

51. It has upset me also

I have lost a lot of loved ones in the past year and I think I am kind of raw just now. This was so unexpected.

[fishwax]

15. glad your break was temporary, Trumad

I'be been here since 2001 too, and can hardly picture life without it. It's like a favorite watering hole, I suppose.

[trumad]

19. Fish..

I'd like to make it a real watering hole someday.

[fishwax]

27. I'd drink to that, trumad

[Skidmore]

16. Night for reflecting, eh, trumad.

We love you too, brother.

[trumad]

21. Yes it is....

Wine helps get that reflecting going. When I realized that my college bound daughter was 6 when I started opting here..it hit me.

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. I get what you are saying

RD's death has me reeling tonight. Amazing how much a virtual community can feel as intimate as it does some times.

[trumad]

22. Yep---made me think that we are a community for sure.

The list of departed is growing each day.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. You're one of my favorites

Glad to have you back.

Been here since summer 2001 under one user name or another.

[monmouth3]

23. Let's talk about a meet-up/convention of DUrs in the near future. I'd go, it beats my class reunion

[Divernan]

29. For damn sure would beat a class reunion.

Too many of my classmates (small high school - only 110 in my class) are locked in the 50's re provincial, racist, sexist, homophobic, DEVOUTLY religious, lifelong Republicans, and damn proud of each of the preceding qualities. There were some great people as well, but most of them have died, disappeared or have health or financial problems which prevent them from even considering attending. By contrast, it is really a treat to be around a group whose members are involved, informed and passionate about one or more issues - even if we are not always in agreement.

[monmouth3]

31. I would have to fly in to wherever it is but that would be an adventure for me. We must

seriously discuss this. I'm originally from Jersey (folks who voted for Christie so that should tell you something) and put up with the same stuff. Even my aunts and cousins are un-recognizable these days...

[catbyte]

24. I've been here since 2003, but my post count doesn't show it. I will be here until I keel

over too. Although members get into some wicked fights, DU is still my fvorite place on the net.
:hugs:

[Cha]

25. Congratulations on your family's milestone of your daughter

entering Florida State, trumad.

Raindog

[intheozone]

26. I've been here since 2001 or 2002. I too expect to be here

For the rest of my life also. I feel the same way you do about the DU, but I probably don't know other members as well as yo do. I just love having this website to rely on.

Cheers!

[rurallib]

28. I'll be here with you as long as I can

Let's both hope it is a long time......................

I came at the suggestion of cyberswede. I felt immediately at home and frankly very ill informed, but oh so willing to learn
I so loved the intelligence and humor over here I decided right then this was a keeper.

So here's to a great post Trumad - I think many of us feel like you do.

I think we ought to work a national DU meeting into netroots nation - but not in Phoenix next year.

[Raven]

30. Trumad, I don't post much but I read all your posts and

I hope you are around here forever!

[KG]

32. I signed up 3 persons after you (5176 - 5179)

what i get from DU have drastically evolved over the years.

[n2doc]

33. Time flies, doesn't it?

Congrats on your Daughter going to FSU! I hope she has a great time there. Salud!

[Crewleader]

34. Pour me a glass, I'm feeling a bit emotional too

2001 my friend is a very long time and it's people like you and others here that make me always feel at home!

[nolabear]

36. Fond of you too ya daft bastid.

It's so hard when one of "ours" leaves us, whether going off to live a good life or, sadly, dying. I come and go here myself, because, well, you know all the becauses. But it's got that je ne sais quoi.

Nice to see you. Let's take a minute to appreciate one another in this hard, hard, hard time.

[madinmaryland]

37. I thought this was going to one of those "trumad" posts, but apparently it wasn't....

Your daughter is only a year older than ours is. Florida State???

Ours will either end up at Wright State or Sinclair.

[trumad]

40. Mad ... no matter our smack talk... you're one of the best...

[TygrBright]

38. Love you, too, trumad...

...in a wholly Intertoobz-y appropriate platonic spiritual and mental sorta way, of course!

affectionately,
Bright

[Texasgal]

39. I dig you Trumad...

always have.

I've read you forever even when I lurked. I dig the heck outta you. :hugs:

[Triana]

41. Been here since 2001 also.

I'm here off and on (mostly on and definitely almost daily).

Will probably be here as long as DU is - or as long as I am.

It's always heartbreaking to lose a fellow DUer. We've lost too many!

Trumad - you went away from here for a bit then came back an old sap.

[MADem]

42. I may not be your favorite, but you're one of mine.

It's never easy to let them go.

Be it kids off to college, or internet pals with whom one shares an affinity....

Enjoy the cigar, and the wine. Life is short; try to live it sweet as you can manage!

[progressoid]

43. Like most families, DU is great and frustrating.

Even the ones we don't like we still love.

[Half-Century Man]

44. I've been here a little over a year.

One small part in the totality of my life, yet a very important part. I found DU at just the right time. My perception of my personal worth was at an all time low when I found this haven of kindred sprites.
Thank you all.

On Rain Dog.....that hit a little hard. I liked what she said. I truly will miss her voice (posts).

To trumad....I'm jealous, a cigar would probably hulk out my COPD....But G*D I want one....

[Hekate]

45. Oh, trumad.

Congrats on The Kid heading off to university. That's a milestone, for sure.

Seeya

[mackerel]

46. I really curious as to what kind of wine?

[trumad]

67. a cheap wine called Middle Sister

Malbec... my wife's sister bought it for my wife... because my wife is a middle sister...

[pinboy3niner]

69. Thoughtful gift!

[mackerel]

83. I saw that in Raley's the other day and wonder about the wine. I was trying to

figure out where it was produced. (From wine country always curious.)

[trumad]

86. Not really sure where it was made...

but it was pretty good for 11 bucks.

[libnnc]

48. Love most of yous too. Eom.

[scarletwoman]

49. Trumad, I don't know if you like me or not - I know I pissed you off royally a few years back.

In any case, I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate you, I'm glad you're here, and I would greatly mourn your passing if it comes to that.

I've been here since 2001 also, I'm older than you (64), and I also expect to be here until I die. I've instructed my kids to make sure one of them logs in here to report my demise when it happens. I'm quite sure I'm nowhere near as well-known a DUer as you, but I think maybe at least a few DUers would want to know.

Mortality - I guess it's good to be reminded now and then. Helps put things in perspective.

Live long and prosper, Trumad - yeah, I love you, man.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

50. "I'll be here the rest of my life."

Safe bet considering we've been dropping like flies.

[Major Hogwash]

52. I can't remember who said that years ago, "I expect I'll be here the rest of my life."

Oh yeah . . it was Durwood Kirby.

Good-night!

[seabeyond]

54. I hear you. I will probably be the same. I have met a lot of really good people and plan

On more real life meetings.

The best to your daughter and her new and exciting journey.

[peabody]

55. I've been here since

2001 also. Even though I have a low number of posts, I'm still here everyday reading all the topics and chiming in when I feel the urge to. Despite all the bickering that goes on around here (way more now that in the early 2000s), there are still a lot of people that are very knowledgeable and well informed. I learn a lot here while having a lot of fun reading. I too will be hanging around a lot for the foreseeable future.

[davidthegnome]

56. Not sure if I'm included in that some

But I love you too. 2005 for me... but I also plan to hang out here till I die. I'm 30 and in pretty bad shape, but I figure I've got another thirty years or so, at the rate I'm going.

I did not know Raindog very well, but I mourn the passing of any DUer. I have come into contact with so many wonderful people here, shared so many stories and read so many. We're kind of like one ridiculously big somewhat dysfunctional family.

[Solly Mack]

57. ...

I'd miss you.

[woodsprite]

58. I'll be right here with you, Trumad!

I know it gets rough sometimes around here. I'm coming up on my 10 yr membership anniversary in December. Sometimes though, it feels like you all are more an extension of my family than say my in-laws, brother, etc. just because we can say what we feel here and talk about what we want for our country and ourselves in the future. I can't do that with anybody but my immediate family, a few close friends, and you all. I've told my kids more than once when discussing something political/historical or current event, "I don't know the answer to that, but let me check in with one of your 200k aunts and uncles."

[hfojvt]

60. "not all men"

Only some.

For some reason I thought you were younger than that.

I don't remember you as an old-timer here either.

If I passed tomorrow I doubt if my siblings or parents would know to notify DU. Maybe some DUers would hear about it on FB. I've spent much more time on DU, but my family hasn't.

[Armstead]

61. There is a lot of memories here for sure

I sort of fade in snd out here, but always come back (like a bad penny some might say.)

But even with all the fussin and fighting, there is still a camraderie here, especially among those who shared the Bush years her.

[Demobrat]

62. I've been here on and off since then

Not that you would know from my post count. Most were made the first year, when this was a safe place for people who were not about to "get over" a stolen election. Now I just lurk occasionally and rarely post.

[texanwitch]

63. Been here since 2004, ten years now.

I depend on DU for my news.

I will be here forever also.

I mostly hang out in the Lounge but I get my news from the rest of DU.

Yeah DU is home.

[Iris]

64. FSU is my alma mater.

Just one reason this post makes me smile.

[Enthusiast]

65. Cigar and a Bottle of wine?

Sounds like a party!

[onethatcares]

66. yep, what a long

strange trip it's been.

thanks for being here and thanks for being Floridian.

[deutsey]

68. I've been here since the spring of 2001

As batty as this place can be at times, DU helped to make the Bush years ( ) a lot more bearable for me. I survived the Reagan years, too, but I felt a lot more alone and isolated back then.

I could list a long litany of how much DU has informed me, consoled me, provoked me, enraged me, etc., but I really need some caffeine at the moment.

I'll summarize how I feel with this smilie:

[Peacetrain]

70. Its its a huge milestone in our lives too

when our "babies" start going off too college.. love your posts!!

[underpants]

71. GO BUCKEYES!!!

Glad to see you back. Yes DU has seen many changes in our lives.

[Rex]

72. Yeah same here.

No matter what, this place always has been an anchor for me...a place to find sanity in an insane world.

[BumRushDaShow]

73. Congrats on your daughter's pending new phase

Hope she does well and learns alot... and takes her parent's exhortations to succeed, to heart.

[redwitch]

74. My virtual dysfunctional family too.

Here since 2003 and it is rare that a day goes by and I don't check in. I have learned from you, laughed and cried with you and I am so grateful to have you all in my life.

[Jamastiene]

75. You are well loved here.

I enjoy reading your posts and look forward to them. I don't know if I have ever told you that before.

You know, I had a heart attack recently and ended up in the hospital for a few days. No one visited. The only phone call I got was from my good ex-boss (I had a bad ex-boss but I wouldn't want a call from that one, she was mean). My good ex-boss was REALLY a good boss and he's a nice person. So, hearing from him cheered me up more than anyone can possibly know. I was glad to hear from him. Hospitals can be lonely places.

It made me take stock and finally decide to make a few changes so I will matter to more people and it also made me realize I need an heir for my hovel here in the jungle. It's not exactly an "estate" because it's truly a hovel, but I would like to have family to leave it to. Also, I am going to start letting people know I appreciate them more, even if I'm not high on their list of favorite people. I figure spreading love instead of just general chitchat might be a better plan for life. I tend to clamp down on my feelings and don't show them. It was how I was raised to be. I still don't like the effects of that system of raising a kid. Swallowing your emotions, good and bad, can lead to an early grave. I don't know why I was raised that way, but my mother insisted, no PDAs and no displays of emotions. She said it makes people see you as weak and disciplined me harshly until I learned to swallow my feelings, good or bad. Maybe my next hospital stay won't be so lonely and miserable if I break with some of my raising. Well, it would be miserable still, but maybe not as lonely.

Facing possible death at an early age really makes you take stock and think about things differently.

[redstatebluegirl]

76. It is so hard when they leave the nest...

We joke that we cannot wait but when the time comes it is bittersweet. Raindogs death has hit a lot of us hard. Even us newbies, she had such deep and prfound posts. Sending good thoughts to her loved ones.

[plcdude]

77. Hey

been here a long time too and have enjoyed the creativity thoughtfulness of many here including you. I generally ignore the other shit which there is a growing amount here. Love ya man.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

79. May you live to be 100 and sane.

[dballance]

80. Fuck it, I think we all love some of you too! /nt

[mahina]

81. Love you too brother in democratic electrons, no joke.

aloha.

[greatauntoftriplets]

82. I've been around since February of 2001.

Didn't register until October of that year because I could only get online at work. I'm not going anywhere.

Best of luck to your daughter!

[H2O Man]

84. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.,

will be fighting Manny Pacquiao on the first Saturday in May next year. (Unless either of them is upset this fall.)

You definitely need to be here for that!

[csziggy]

85. Good to have you around!

Tell your daughter "Welcome to Tallahassee!" If I can ever help her with anything, PM me and let me know. I've been here since 1972 and know the town pretty well - though not campus anymore.