Everyone knows what www.harmony.com and www.match.com are. But what happened on the Internet BEFORE those subscription base "dating" sites came about? Let me tell you our story.
As a teen, I was a member of Boy Scouts of America in their explorer program. After my first post closed, I joined the CompuServe Post. This was late 1994-early 1995 when the Internet was something only geeks and nerds really used and most websites were really only accessible by AOL keyword. If you were on line, you usually knew what you were doing, because it wasn't very user friendly and most chat boards were bulletin board type things (you post a message and then you get responses via email) or email.
CompuServe had live chat rooms, where you could enter and type (to talk) to other people. It was fully text based - no video or voice was used but it was live.
Being a member of the CompuServe post gave me a free CompuServe account, and I quickly found myself enjoying the chat rooms in CompuServe. There, I could be myself, and not be shunned or ridiculed. They poked fun at me, but they did that to everyone AND there was nothing evil or cruel in their teasing, just fun.
I found a place in on specific room called "The Village Elders". Many of the regulars were in their late 30's or older, but they welcomed me with open arms, even knowing I was only 16. There was 2-3 other kids my age in that room as well, and one specifically "Zombae" (real name David) and I hit it off well.
Fast forward to April 1997. I was completing my Freshman year of college. Fall term I basically flunked due to me being burned out, stressed out and room mate issues. So I was using CompuServe as an escape (when I became 18, I volunteered to be a chat room moderator called [Helper] mainly so I could keep a free CompuServe account. David kept urging me to get help because I was spiraling down further and further. One of my HS Friends was in some trouble too, so even with all my emotional issues, I was trying to help her out, too. My dad and I were basically at each other's throats since I was living at home, going to a local community college and working. To help me keep my sanity, I applied and was accepted to BGSU, which is about 90-110 min from where my parents lived.
It was May 1997 (I believe!) that I met ^oO^wolfie in The Village Elders. I think I was trying to sign off to start on some C programming homework. He saw that and opened up a private chat between us and asked what I was studying. I told him Comp Sci. He then said (and this is a quote!!) "MARRY ME!" I laughed it off, thinking it a joke. But that laughter was something I desperately needed at the time.
We chatted for 3 hours longer that day. He asked me to marry him I believe another half of dozen times in that first conversation alone.
He and I started exchange emails on a daily basis. Teh_Bagder sent me happy happy Wolfie messages almost every morning. Since he lived near Glagow, and I in Ohio, he was always up before me.
Around my birthday that year (July), there was a very rainy day. I was riding my bike to class, (breaks were wet) and a car stopped through a stop sign. The car hit my bike. I hit the ground hard on my hands and knees - luckily not my head. I limped my way to my class and told the prof what happened. Then I found a pay phone to call home. My middle brother answered, and I told him what happened. I made my way slowly back to my dorm. I called home again and had a bad argument with my dad. He was pissed that I didn't get their license number and never asked how I was doing. (I ended up with a soft tissue injury to one of my hips that forced me to be on crutches for 2 weeks, and it still hurts on occasion)
At that point, I lost all motivation for school. I was put on Prozac to see if it would help my volitial mood swings. The person who lived across the hall (also under 21) has a boyfriend who wasn't and he was easy to convince to buy us vodka and wine-coolers, and we spend most weekends getting smashed.
Then, mid August, Teh_Bagder just disappeared. No emails, not online to chat, nothing. He had my dorm phone number, but I didn't have his. (UK charges even local phone calls per minute I found out later). Two weeks of silence, he calls. Turns out that his phone was turned off because he couldn't pay the bill. He was calling from a payphone to tell me as soon as he got paid, he would pay the phone bill. He was very sorry for all the worry he caused me. I got his number at that time so I could call him if I needed to.
In September, David convinced me that I needed a getaway. At the time, David and I had been talking for over 2 1/2 yrs. he suggested that I fly to Glasgow to meet Teh_Bagder over winter break. If we didn't hit it off, I could spend the remainder of the trip in Edenbough with David, sightseeing.
So, I got plane tickets and a passport. Then, I asked my Wolfie what the weather was like there around new years. One must understand, he is very witty, and always has a comeback This left him speechless. (In the last 14 years, I have only caught him off guard like this a handful of times!)
Needless to say, I landed in Glasgow after 16hrs of flights on December 27, 1997. Upon entry, they gave me a 6 month visitors visa. We married May 20, 1998, and gave birth to Munchkin in the same hospital he was born in on October 1, 1998.
We applied for a spousal visa to the USA shortly there after. We landed in Cleveland in Jan, 1999. Since coming, we have had 2 more children.
Teh_Bagder applied and received his US Citizenship in Dec 2011. It has been a long road, with many detours, potholes and other hazards. I thank all my lucky stars that I have him. I thank every deity that allowed us to cross paths as we did, because, I know, if it hadn't been for him, his love and support, I would just be some headstone that people would visit.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
*sigh*
It seems most of my posts are very depressing. Yes, it is mainly because I am using this to vent my feelings and frustrations. I am hoping if I vent them that they will not fester and then, MAYBE help me feel better.
My counselor has told me on several occasions that I remind her of a circus act. You know the one that puts plates on sticks and spins them? I am balancing so many different things and have to keep everything going just right or everything will come down around my ears in shambles.
The kids - their schooling, keeping the house clean, making sure they eat healthily. My health - my medicines are taken on time, refilled and organized so I don't forget to take one. (and they are numerous! If I miss a dose by an hour on certain meds, it can trigger migraines or other bad side effects about as serous and painful as migraines!)
My stress levels are too high (one of my major migraine triggers). And I really can't do much exercise until my lungs clear out, but I am willing to bet that as soon as I get started, it will help some! With Teh_Bagder out of the house so much until the 2nd week of June, it doesn't help. But, after that, he gets his BSc (thus finishing the need to do school and work at the same time!). Summer, he will just work at his current job, but mid August he starts Grad School AND a GTA position so his only job will be school until he gets his PhD. We are ALL excited about this, because it means he should have most-if not all- weekends free and should have more dinners at home.
A month into my gluten intolerance diagnose, I am not seeing much positive difference yet in my migraines or my other emotional difficulties yet. My guts (IBS, GERD) are feeling better after the 5 weeks it has been since I went gluten free. Yes, there has been 3 or 4 occasions I have accidentally eaten wheat and it HURT for a day or two.
We did talk to our kids pediatrician about my gluten intolerance diagnosis, and that we wanted to test all three kids, because they all have symptoms that *could* indicate gluten intolerance. We finally got them to Children's Hospital yesterday to have their blood drawn. Poor, brave Mr. Monkey had to be stuck 3 times, and we are all hoping that it was enough blood to run the tests. Munchkin and Buddy got their stick and it was enough to fill all three vials. We should know next week if they have it.
One of my elder brothers is going to have the test done on himself, too, because he has some issues that are funky that could be related to gluten intolerance, too. He said we should call our other brother and suggest he get it done as well if my kids or he comes back positive.
My counselor has told me on several occasions that I remind her of a circus act. You know the one that puts plates on sticks and spins them? I am balancing so many different things and have to keep everything going just right or everything will come down around my ears in shambles.
The kids - their schooling, keeping the house clean, making sure they eat healthily. My health - my medicines are taken on time, refilled and organized so I don't forget to take one. (and they are numerous! If I miss a dose by an hour on certain meds, it can trigger migraines or other bad side effects about as serous and painful as migraines!)
My stress levels are too high (one of my major migraine triggers). And I really can't do much exercise until my lungs clear out, but I am willing to bet that as soon as I get started, it will help some! With Teh_Bagder out of the house so much until the 2nd week of June, it doesn't help. But, after that, he gets his BSc (thus finishing the need to do school and work at the same time!). Summer, he will just work at his current job, but mid August he starts Grad School AND a GTA position so his only job will be school until he gets his PhD. We are ALL excited about this, because it means he should have most-if not all- weekends free and should have more dinners at home.
A month into my gluten intolerance diagnose, I am not seeing much positive difference yet in my migraines or my other emotional difficulties yet. My guts (IBS, GERD) are feeling better after the 5 weeks it has been since I went gluten free. Yes, there has been 3 or 4 occasions I have accidentally eaten wheat and it HURT for a day or two.
We did talk to our kids pediatrician about my gluten intolerance diagnosis, and that we wanted to test all three kids, because they all have symptoms that *could* indicate gluten intolerance. We finally got them to Children's Hospital yesterday to have their blood drawn. Poor, brave Mr. Monkey had to be stuck 3 times, and we are all hoping that it was enough blood to run the tests. Munchkin and Buddy got their stick and it was enough to fill all three vials. We should know next week if they have it.
One of my elder brothers is going to have the test done on himself, too, because he has some issues that are funky that could be related to gluten intolerance, too. He said we should call our other brother and suggest he get it done as well if my kids or he comes back positive.
Friday, May 4, 2012
May the 4th be with you
Today is Star Wars day. In celebration, teh_Bagder took Munchkin and Buddy to a friend's house to run a RPG session of Star Wars, leaving me here with Mr. Monkey.
The weather cooperated, by showing us that it is a master of the Dark Side (we have cookies!) making the power flicker and reeking havoc with Mr. Monkey's happiness. Neither of us are fond of electrical storms, and the more active they are, the more it upsets him.
Luckily, the power didn't stay off for more than 5 seconds.
But it did screw up the tv. We have BASIC-basic cable (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, TBS and some of those pointless shopping networks) and we used to get [fuzzily] USA and Nick, now-about 2 hours after the worst of the storm, we don't have any kind of signal from those two channels. :/ can't really complain about it as we weren't supposed to be getting those channels anyway, but we did watch them. I don't think it's worth the $25 call out fee plus the $15 a month per box (times 2 for both tvs) plus the $10 a month to upgrade us to just Basic cable.
Oh well.
The weather cooperated, by showing us that it is a master of the Dark Side (we have cookies!) making the power flicker and reeking havoc with Mr. Monkey's happiness. Neither of us are fond of electrical storms, and the more active they are, the more it upsets him.
Luckily, the power didn't stay off for more than 5 seconds.
But it did screw up the tv. We have BASIC-basic cable (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, TBS and some of those pointless shopping networks) and we used to get [fuzzily] USA and Nick, now-about 2 hours after the worst of the storm, we don't have any kind of signal from those two channels. :/ can't really complain about it as we weren't supposed to be getting those channels anyway, but we did watch them. I don't think it's worth the $25 call out fee plus the $15 a month per box (times 2 for both tvs) plus the $10 a month to upgrade us to just Basic cable.
Oh well.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Bronchitis <i>STILL</i>
Two weeks ago I went to see my GP about my chest and getting tested for asthma. In March we were talking and he thinks it's a good idea that after my chest clears out that I get tested for asthma. Since my mother has adult on set asthma due to allergies, it is not a stretch that I could be at risk of getting it myself. I first had bronchitis in September,I suffered through October and November with it and I kind of felt better in December and most of January.
The last weekend of January I started feeling really bad again so I went back to my GP and he said that my lungs were congested again. In December of my lungs had sounded clear so I thought I was good to go. So February I was back on inhalers full-time, and I was put on antibiotics just to make sure that it wasn't a bacterial infection since it was a reoccurrence of bronchitis within six months and I have been running mid grade temperatures every time I came in to see him.
I believe it was mid-March when the congestion in my lungs actually had moved down to my lower chest which is when he put me on a salfa antibiotic (which put me in the ER with a severe reaction to it, that wasn't fun)
At the beginning of April I got diagnosed with a gluten intolerance and so I went to see him to talk about that and have him listen to my lungs cause I was starting to feel better. He told me that I needed to be off of all of my inhalers for about two weeks before we could do a asthma test or the asthma test would not be accurate. So I started to walk myself off of the bronchial dilator and the albuterol inhaler slowly. I had been down to about half dose on the bronchial dilator which was one puffs twice a day instead of two puffs twice a day when all of a sudden, two days ago I couldn't breath. It was the elephant on the chest feeling so I immediately took my albuterol inhaler and my next dose of the bronchodilator I want backup to two puffs. I went back to my GP doc yesterday because of it. He says that my long's sound really really raspy and my wheezing has increased again. He wants me to increase my goes back to full strength on my bronchodilator and keep my albuterol inhaler handy. He says not to worry about the asthma test until later in the summer, hoping that the congestion in my lungs will have cleared out by then.
So now my bronchitis is almost up to nine months and counting. I am really getting very frustrated with the pain in my chest because it hurts to breath. And the problems breathing isn't helping my migraines much either.
The last weekend of January I started feeling really bad again so I went back to my GP and he said that my lungs were congested again. In December of my lungs had sounded clear so I thought I was good to go. So February I was back on inhalers full-time, and I was put on antibiotics just to make sure that it wasn't a bacterial infection since it was a reoccurrence of bronchitis within six months and I have been running mid grade temperatures every time I came in to see him.
I believe it was mid-March when the congestion in my lungs actually had moved down to my lower chest which is when he put me on a salfa antibiotic (which put me in the ER with a severe reaction to it, that wasn't fun)
At the beginning of April I got diagnosed with a gluten intolerance and so I went to see him to talk about that and have him listen to my lungs cause I was starting to feel better. He told me that I needed to be off of all of my inhalers for about two weeks before we could do a asthma test or the asthma test would not be accurate. So I started to walk myself off of the bronchial dilator and the albuterol inhaler slowly. I had been down to about half dose on the bronchial dilator which was one puffs twice a day instead of two puffs twice a day when all of a sudden, two days ago I couldn't breath. It was the elephant on the chest feeling so I immediately took my albuterol inhaler and my next dose of the bronchodilator I want backup to two puffs. I went back to my GP doc yesterday because of it. He says that my long's sound really really raspy and my wheezing has increased again. He wants me to increase my goes back to full strength on my bronchodilator and keep my albuterol inhaler handy. He says not to worry about the asthma test until later in the summer, hoping that the congestion in my lungs will have cleared out by then.
So now my bronchitis is almost up to nine months and counting. I am really getting very frustrated with the pain in my chest because it hurts to breath. And the problems breathing isn't helping my migraines much either.
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