"Where are they now"

[Icebrc]

I love that show on VH1. Is it still on? Heck, I don't watch much TV (thank you Hulu..you have saved me a cable bill).

I thought I'd start a "where are they now" thread for C+F

Me, I live in Indianapolis. I am a High School teacher. And I love it.
Some of you may remember that I was experimenting with HS teaching right before I left. Well, I didn't enjoy it and I left it. Soon after a couple students contacted me from college thanking me for the impact I had had on them and how successful their first semester was because of me.

I know that many teachers wait their entire careers to get rewards like that. I realized that my problem was probably me and not the job itself and decided to try it again with a much more serious approach. No more chips on my shoulder because I had biology degrees and not education degrees.

Just started my 3rd year here in Circle City urban schools. It is a challenge I couldn't have imagined and I love it. Every part of it.

On the personal side, a little over a year ago I met a young lady that thought I was interesting enough to get a cup of coffee with. That cup of coffee took 7.5 hours to drink and lead to another meet up for a cup of coffee....this time...14 hours. I've never met somebody I could talk so deeply and freely with. Since, we have become virtually inseparable (virtually..well because if we were literally inseparable then she would probably be a Goa'uld and I would have bigger problems than my lesson plans for the week).


I have redefined myself in many ways. Some of it was forced, some of it was by choice. Either way I believe I am a better person than I have ever been. I have some amazing friends earned through the fires of life as well as the test of time.

So..."Where are you" now?

peace

[Magnus Vile]

I'm here, which is to say, I'm where I was before, only a bit older.

Really, except for the passage of time, not much has changed at all, which is a really nice thing, since I was pretty happy with the way things were, which is, primarily, my being in a continuing state of mild confusion as to why my wife hasn't dumped me to find someone nicer and less annoying.

So, above all else, I live in a state I think would be called happy. Which is in the sunny hellscape known as south Florida, on account of me hating the sun. Which I am considering declaring war on, as soon as I can figure out how to land my death troopers on it.

And where one gets death troopers.

[grant]

Oh, but the evenings are lovely here.

[writerguy]

I'm still hanging out here in Springfield, Missouri, trying to be one sort of "writerguy" or another. I'm having some online success with a couple of blog-based sites that I've had up for awhile now.

My good wife, St. Shirley the Encourager (St. Shirl for short), our now almost 15-year-old cat, and our two grown children all live here. Happily the grown children are both out and on their own, more or less.

We're a few years older, probably a few pounds weightier and not quite so "spry" as us Old Folks might say. (We might, but we rarely do.)

I don't know when I was here last, nor what's kept me away. But I'm hoping the community here will continue, and I'll drop back in from time to time to see what's going on.

God's rich blessings to you all!

Gary (formerly Pentecostal-fundamentalist, formerly Episcopalian, presently ELCA Lutheran, on this happy faith journey!)

[jonesy]

This is an excellent idea Ice!

Sheesh I looked at a lot of my "last posts" and they're from 2008???

Physically I'm in the same city. We rent our friend's bungalow. It was her fathers. Sadly he passed away not too long ago. He was a wonderful man. But he was 85 and his heart was weak and I guess it was just his time.

I lost my Grandmother also recently (she was 99 going on 100). We love her greatly but we didn't mourn too hard for her because at 99 she has had a lot of bonus time. She was a wonderful woman and we will miss her but hey, she had a long long run.

I guess if I'm going to keep on the death theme I'll mention that my Dad passed away in 07 from Cancer, he was 71.
In 2008 I lost my dog "Molly".

What is really sad or weird or something is the only one I cried for was my dog. ???? Well I have been a long way aways from my family for almost 30 years now. I loved and miss all of them but Molly was the one I was closest to I suppose. She was ten and my heart still aches when I think of her.

Ok so off the gloomy stuff...

I'm getting fatter Wow do I need to lose weight bad. I am looking at quitting smoking FINALLY because I actually hit the point somehow recently where I honestly do not enjoy it any more. So hopefully next time I talk to ya'll I'll be a non smoker.

I'm working as the supervisor of security at the Alberta Gaming & Liquor --- it is a humongously huge facility by anyone's standards. Keeping my boys in line keeps me busy plus they let me setup and use all this cool hi tech equipment like CCTV and other things that no one else knows how to operate. Because of that the director kind of likes me.

Isn't it amazing how some slightly advanced computer skills can really increase your value as an employee?

My wife is doing awesome.
My daughter moved out of our house and in with her boyfriend over a year ago now. They fight sometimes and I don't think they're very good at communicating with each other, but it's their relationship so we both try to just give constructive advice when asked and sit back and watch. They have to figure it out themselves.

We have two new dogs now, Zoey we got from a pet store, but she was really bad with separation anxiety, so we adopted a mature rescue dog and it was the best thing for the both of them. They're both small and cute.

Politically I have no particular affiliation anymore. It seems like no matter who's in gov't - they all stink. lol I'm giving more serious thought to some form of Libertarianism as a viable alternative to the mess we have that calls itself a government now.

My eyes are tired and I have to be in bed soon, I work 12 hour day shifts.\

I can't tell you all how much I've miss you and how grateful I am that some of you haven't given up on Cross and Flame.

Love,

[writerguy]

Jonesy, really good to hear what's going on with you and yours.

Indeed, it's a pleasure to see a bit of life here in the last few weeks. Maybe it'll catch on again after all ...

I find it infinitely easier to communicate via forums and email rather than Facebook or -- UGH! -- Twitter. Facebook is simply too devoted to games and silliness, and Twitter, well, "Tweet" or "Twit" either one describe it well for me.

Always interesting to hear you, Jonesy, a Canadian, complain about politics. You must realize, don't you, that we Americans have the science and black art of politics seriously down pat here. Many's the day, and indeed entire weeks at a time, that I tell myself a bit more income and a bit less family to keep me tied down here in the U.S. and it wouldn't be hard for me to look to moving right up there with you happy neighbors to the north!

Gary

[jonesy]

Jonesy, really good to hear what's going on with you and yours.

Indeed, it's a pleasure to see a bit of life here in the last few weeks. Maybe it'll catch on again after all ...

I find it infinitely easier to communicate via forums and email rather than Facebook or -- UGH! -- Twitter. Facebook is simply too devoted to games and silliness, and Twitter, well, "Tweet" or "Twit" either one describe it well for me.

Always interesting to hear you, Jonesy, a Canadian, complain about politics. You must realize, don't you, that we Americans have the science and black art of politics seriously down pat here. Many's the day, and indeed entire weeks at a time, that I tell myself a bit more income and a bit less family to keep me tied down here in the U.S. and it wouldn't be hard for me to look to moving right up there with you happy neighbors to the north!

Gary

Gary my friend you are always welcome this side of the border.

I facebook, but for a reason, usually to communicate with others in a charity that I work with and sometimes say hello to someone. I have never yet twittered however.

As far as politics go, I've been giving some consideration to some type of a libertarian like party. We do have a libertarian party in Canada but they only comprise a few people and don't stand a snowball's chance in h e double hockey sticks of every getting elected me thinks.
I just want the government to stop meddling in every facet of my life!

I'm gonna try to keep coming around and hopefully trade stories with my awesome friends like yourself here.

Love,

[comradeinchrist]

Well the most recent news is that our battle with our school division has found ministerial attention. This ended with mediation with a person from the ministry of justice. We ended up with all we wanted for our daughter.

The thing that disturbed me the most about this process, was the power waged by the director of education for the school board. She was on long term leave, yet the people we dealt with were terrified of her. They were willing to do what needed to be done, but could not act without contacting her. How scary is this person?

[UMSonOfMan7]

Since tryp called me out in another thread, I figured perhaps it is time to step out of the shadows for a moment and do more than just lurk. I continue to come by from time to time and check in on things.

I still live in Manhattan and work for a Methodist-related organization, currently in a program related to substance abuse ministries, but where I used to fill some of my free-time by conversing on C+F, I don't have much in the way of free time anymore, which is why I come by so infrequently.

Much of my time outside of work now is still spent on church-related activities. Some of that is within my local church, much of it is with Methodist-related groups that work in the social justice arena in various ways--at this point, primarily in regard to full inclusion, eradication of racism, and immigrant rights/justice. I have yet to lose faith in the idea that the church can become more Christ-like and that I can most effectively work for change from within, though I have seen a lot of examples of how power corrupts.

Anyway, so I don't have the kind of time that I once did, and the little bit of personal time that I do have I guard kind of jealously, which keeps me from being very active here or anywhere else online, but I said I said, I still look in on you all and it's good to see some familiar faces and hear how folks are doing.

Jonesy asked about Cross. He is pastoring a church in OK now. It keeps him exceptionally busy also, but he is doing well.

[tryptophan]

Well, it's good to hear from you again. You don't have to post links to 2 dozen articles on a daily basis. Two or three ought to work.

[crossandflame]

I am doing well, as UM said above. I'm pastoring a church in Oklahoma and it brings me lots of joy, stress, tears, and laughter. I'll post more of an update soon of my travels over the past few years and why I've dropped off the face of the planet.

Where are YOU now?

[tryptophan]

I am doing well, as UM said above. I'm pastoring a church in Oklahoma and it brings me lots of joy, stress, tears, and laughter. I'll post more of an update soon of my travels over the past few years and why I've dropped off the face of the planet.

Where are YOU now?

I've been here the whole time. Haven't you been reading my superfluous list of Simpson quotes?

[Icebrc]

Perhaps C+F has lost its niche in the net....perhaps a new venue is required to keep us alive.
Facebook groups seems to be a very, non-intrusive, low maintenance solution.
thoughts?

[jonesy]

hate to be a wet towel but I won't use facebook anymore, last time I checked they were publishing peoples phone numbers

[mamabear]

hate to be a wet towel but I won't use facebook anymore, last time I checked they were publishing peoples phone numbers

You can remove yours by editing your info. I don't even have my email address showing.
Oh, and Hi!! Gotta go to school now!!

[tryptophan]

hate to be a wet towel but I won't use facebook anymore, last time I checked they were publishing peoples phone numbers

You can remove yours by editing your info. I don't even have my email address showing.
Oh, and Hi!! Gotta go to school now!!

Long time no see Mamabear. Good to see you again.