it was a very lovely story about your life, Henk! :)




thanks for sharing your interesting life with us, Gis! :)
Thank you, once I started it just kind of spewed out. ;D

Thank you, once I started it just kind of spewed out. ;D



I know the feeling...it's like you can't type it fast enough!! lol!

Thanks for sharing your story with us,Henk  :)
I wish you only the best because I've realised how friendly,funny and helpful you are..you don't deserve to go through depressions and such even though we all do at some point of our lives (some more serious than others)..and I have no doubt you'll soon find that someone special to start a relationship  :)





it was a very lovely story about your life, Henk! :)




Thanks! Yanno...didn't think I had that much of a story, but I sure am glad I decided to type it anyway. :)

Thanks for sharing your stories.

Thanks for sharing your stories.


Thanks for taking the time to read 'em! :)

Quite a few good stories out here!

One of the things I love most is meeting new ppl, and comparing notes.
Hope to see more!

(C'mon! I won't bite...much...)

As I read all your stories I realized that all the adversities everyone had to overcome, my
life story is kind of boring by comparison. I appreciate all the time and effort you took to
write your stories and I will continue to tell you mine.

Autobiography: Chapter Two ( The Music years)

When I was a freshman in high school a friend of mine wanted to start up a band. He
played guitar and wanted me to play drums. I never sat behind a kit in my life but said,
"What the hell." I asked my parents for a drum set, that didn't go over very well so I
thought that was the end of it. That Christmas my parents gave me a surprising present.
They said if I took lessons they would buy me the drum kit. I agreed and our band was
on it's way.

On the day of my first lesson the teacher asked which style of music I was interested in.
I told him Rock music. With a frown he said," Are you sure." What did I know, I said,
"Of course." he said ok and the lessons began. After three weeks I found out what the frown
was about. Rock drumming was just too easy. I asked if I could switch to Jazz and his eyes lit up.
It was more challenging but a lot mor fun.

It never worked out with the guy who got me started drumming. He moved to North East Phila.
and I didn't see much of him after that. I really liked music and kept at it. In 1980 I some friends
of mine started a garage band. We were drinking fairly heavy at the time so at first we named our band
"The Drunkards." We kept that name for awhile before settling on our final name. In 1981 we renamed
the band "Event Horizon." We played a sort of Punk, New wave mix and we never got out of the garage.

Through the early 80's My lessons progressed. I was taught how to play timpani and how to play
in an orchestra. I was also being taught piano theory. I can't play the piano but I was learning the
theory behind the music. I was also learning to write music. I was a huge M*A*S*H fan so my
teacher had me write the music from the theme song for every instrument I heard in the song.
To this day I can't believe I did it. It wasn't flawless but it was passable.

The only paying jobs I had behind the drums was a Cole Porter Night at the town hall and I played
Timpani in a small orchestra. We performed Handel's "Messiah" and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."
As I have said earlier "Event Horizon" never got out of the garage, well actually my living room, but
we still managed to write over 100 songs. The late 80's were disastrous for us. We all went our
separate ways. The band broke up, I stop lessons and haven't sat behind a kit in 18 years.

I do miss playing. The boy wants to learn to play drums but he is not dedicated enough. I guess
I'll teach him what I can and we'll see from there.

To all of you people who were brave enough to share your story with us: I applaud you! :) Those are really great stories.



I strongly encourage anyone to follow our example.

As I read all your stories I realized that all the adversities everyone had to overcome, my
life story is kind of boring by comparison. I appreciate all the time and effort you took to
write your stories and I will continue to tell you mine.

Autobiography: Chapter Two ( The Music years)

When I was a freshman in high school a friend of mine wanted to start up a band. He
played guitar and wanted me to play drums. I never sat behind a kit in my life but said,
"What the hell." I asked my parents for a drum set, that didn't go over very well so I
thought that was the end of it. That Christmas my parents gave me a surprising present.
They said if I took lessons they would buy me the drum kit. I agreed and our band was
on it's way.

On the day of my first lesson the teacher asked which style of music I was interested in.
I told him Rock music. With a frown he said," Are you sure." What did I know, I said,
"Of course." he said ok and the lessons began. After three weeks I found out what the frown
was about. Rock drumming was just too easy. I asked if I could switch to Jazz and his eyes lit up.
It was more challenging but a lot mor fun.

It never worked out with the guy who got me started drumming. He moved to North East Phila.
and I didn't see much of him after that. I really liked music and kept at it. In 1980 I some friends
of mine started a garage band. We were drinking fairly heavy at the time so at first we named our band
"The Drunkards." We kept that name for awhile before settling on our final name. In 1981 we renamed
the band "Event Horizon." We played a sort of Punk, New wave mix and we never got out of the garage.

Through the early 80's My lessons progressed. I was taught how to play timpani and how to play
in an orchestra. I was also being taught piano theory. I can't play the piano but I was learning the
theory behind the music. I was also learning to write music. I was a huge M*A*S*H fan so my
teacher had me write the music from the theme song for every instrument I heard in the song.
To this day I can't believe I did it. It wasn't flawless but it was passable.

The only paying jobs I had behind the drums was a Cole Porter Night at the town hall and I played
Timpani in a small orchestra. We performed Handel's "Messiah" and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture."
As I have said earlier "Event Horizon" never got out of the garage, well actually my living room, but
we still managed to write over 100 songs. The late 80's were disastrous for us. We all went our
separate ways. The band broke up, I stop lessons and haven't sat behind a kit in 18 years.

I do miss playing. The boy wants to learn to play drums but he is not dedicated enough. I guess
I'll teach him what I can and we'll see from there.




wow Kevin...that's an awesome story...I didn't realize you were so musically inclined! :)

wow Kevin...that's an awesome story...I didn't realize you were so musically inclined! :)


Thanks Erin, It was so long ago.

After I wrote this I pulled some of my music books out of the closet. Wow, it looks like Hieroglyphics. ;D

Thanks Erin, It was so long ago.

After I wrote this I pulled some of my music books out of the closet. Wow, it looks like Hieroglyphics. ;D



I hear ya. I took piano way back in the day...and now I really wish I would have stuck with it. :-\\

I am reteaching myself piano, after many years of disuse...I just lost interest.
However, I have taught myself to play a few other instruments- and have been told I'm good with the following:

-Irish tin flute
-Dounback drum
-Conga/bongo drums
-Slap tongue

I hear ya. I took piano way back in the day...and now I really wish I would have stuck with it. :-\\


I let the boy take guitar lessons and he lost intrest in a year, thats why I'm reluctant to give him
drum lessons. I wish I never stopped but I just wasn't making money at it.




-Slap tongue


Hawk, forgive my ignorance, but does this have something to do with a reed instrument.

I let the boy take guitar lessons and he lost intrest in a year, thats why I'm reluctant to give him
drum lessons. I wish I never stopped but I just wasn't making money at it.




isn't he in a band or something? what does he play?

isn't he in a band or something? what does he play?


If thats what he calls it. He learned enough to get by on the guitar, I've
taught him a thing or two on the kit. He insist on learning on the fly, it's
like he has no time for formal education. he's trying though, I'll give him credit
they don't sound too bad.

If thats what he calls it. He learned enough to get by on the guitar, I've
taught him a thing or two on the kit. He insist on learning on the fly, it's
like he has no time for formal education. he's trying though, I'll give him credit
they don't sound too bad.



that's cool...he seems pretty excited about it! ;)

These are all great.  No matter the whining, the complaining, the heart-felt sadness or depression expressed on this site, i'm impressed by the sample of personalities here...

i love it.

I was born on May 21st, 1982 on a warm, sunny day in Walnut Creek, CA at John Muir hospital. I grew up in Pittsburg, California at our home at 1953 Heatherwood Dr. ....

When I was 14, my parents divorced. This was very painful at the time, but it was clear they were both much happier when all was said and done. After their divorce, the idea of moving from our home was constantly there. Yet, my mom managed to keep making payments although they reached as high as $3,000 a month! We finally realised we needed to move once that started happening.

There will be more... :0)


Thanks for telling your story.  I look forward to the next installment!  Sorry you had to get through the divorce thing but it sounds like you're doing okay.  My parents divorced when I was 14 also.  (A VERY long time ago). 

I was born on January 19, 1980. I pretty much don't remember jack from the first part of my life, except for a certain family member molesting me from the time I was two until he croaked when I was seven. Anyways...

So I grew up in the town of Castroville, in a little sh*tty duplex. When I was in first grade, I got a taste of favoritism and prejudice, thanks to my teacher. I hated her. The next year I switched to a different school. My regular teacher was okay, but my reading teacher (I was in a third grad reading class...so special!) was a b*tch. I didn't care though because I got to read better books AND we got to go to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. That year, I was also blessed with a baby sister. She looked like Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch. Or a bug.

In 1991, my grandfather died. We moved in with my grandmother, which resulted in me changing schools again. I hated being the new kid because I was pretty shy and of course, everyone LOVES to pick on the fat kid.  ::) I made it through and went on to middle school where, once again, I had to defend myself. This girl hated me and I have no clue why. I never even talked to her. So through sixth and seventh grade, I had to deal with her threats, taunts, stares, and whispers. She got her ass kicked when she went on to high school, but that's a different story entirely. The seventh grade also brought a teacher who thought it would be fun to tell others in my class what a failure I was. Sucked for her that two of my best friends were in that class, and WHOOPS, they told me. I told my mom and dad, and they went up there with threats of lawyers and ass kickings. Gotta love my parents.

When eighth grade rolled around, I FINALLY felt like I had found my place. I got along with everyone and raised a lot of hell. I did a lot of things that I probably shouldn't have. Ah well, live and learn, I guess...

So I got into high school and hated it. I failed most of my classes and just said, "Forget it." So from my Freshman to the first part of my Junior year, I just goofed off, skipped school, got in trouble, didn't do my homework, and tried to commit suicide. This was brought on by the fact that I remembered what had happened to me when I was younger. So off to therapy I went. I tried to off myself again when I was 17, but my cousin stopped me.

By the beginning of my Junior year, I was done with that school. The people were idiots, the teachers were unqualified, and I really despised the principal. So I said a big, "F*ck you" and moved on to a continuation school. They were way lax and I didn't get anything done, so it didn't do me a lick of good. I did, however, manage to get some college courses in at the local community college, but I didn't have any trouble with those classes. And I PASSED them all. Go figure.

Okay, during all this mess in 1997, my mom got in a bad car accident. It happened two weeks after Princess Diana was killed. Her car was totalled, but she was okay. Or so we thought. The coming months brought her a numb leg and purple toes. Why? Blockage from the accident. So in 1998, they made her go to Stanford hospital for bypass surgery. She was there for 10 days, during which I had to take on the responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, taking care of my sister, and going to school (when I felt like it). I managed though, and my mom came out perfectly fine...AND cigarette free.

After my mom came home, I sort of gave up on school. I finally decided that being a dropout was stupid, so I enrolled at the adult school and got into the independent study program. I loved it. I didn't have to worry about teachers breathing down my neck, kids being jerks, or getting up at the crack of ass. I would also like to say that I got the best grades in my life doing that. I graduated six months later than I was supposed to, but that was fine with me. I then decided to enroll at the college again to take Japanese. I adored this class, and actually stuck with it for a year and a half. Then I got stuck on the verbs and gave it up. Stupid me. I'm thinking about going and taking it again though. But I digress...

In the spring of 2001, I enrolled in what would be my last college course: Art History. I gave up on school after that. I don't know why. I had just gotten more fat and more lazy, I guess. I won't even recall the horrors of 9/11 because we all remember that. I cried. All day long. Two months after that happened, I discovered this messageboard again. It had a new look and all, so I joined up. I met some great people on here, including the person who helped me to lose weight with his support and encouragement. His name? Mark....or as you might know him...RockandRollFan. He never failed to praise me for the small things I did to better myself. And he was quite a jokester. Many of you (or at least the veterans of the board) know what happened, so I'm not even going to get into that part. And if you want to know....archives. I met Mark in 2002, along with two other people who would influence my life, Rice_Cube and DJ Midas.

Rice_Cube started bugging me around the time I really needed a friend. I was pretty depressed, despite having lost a great deal of weight, and I was being used by one of my mom's coworkers. He would keep me laughing with his dorkiness and his Barry White voice on the phone. He only lived 100 miles from me, but he refused to visit. Punk. In 2003, after being depressed as hell, no job prospects, no life, etc., I got a break. My mom's company hired me to work for them part time. It meant that I would have to put up with that one idiot, but at least I'd have something to occupy my mind. And so it went. Then I felt myself falling for Rice_Cube. Understandably, he wanted nothing to do with me in THAT way, but I tried. And all this time, Mr. Midas was around, talking to me as well. I decided that a trip was in order, so in August of 2003, I flew across the country to visit Midas. I stayed with him for a week, just hanging out and doing....stuff.  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/naughty.gif

In October of 2003, Rice_Cube decided that, yes, he did want a relationship with me. That posed sort of a problem, considering I had found someone else. Eventually, after a long complicated story that I'm not going to get into on here, we worked it out, and Rice_Cube got stuck with me. Midas was lucky. ;D So 2004 rolls around, and whoops! A little accident was started. I almost lost that little accident, but he was stubborn even in my belly, so it was all good. Rice decides to move in with me, after a lovely battle with his family. We got married on New Year's Eve of that year and welcomed the demon spawn into the world in February of 2005. During the summer of 2005, Mr. Cube decides to go back to school. So he gets all the necessary paperwork done and all the writing done and gets his interviews. Meanwhile, we are both working at jobs we hate, him at a grocery store, and me at a Target. He finally gets accepted to the University of Chicago.

And this is where my story ends. We are now living in Griffith, Indiana. Jason is almost a year and a half old. Rice is working hard, and I'm thinking of going back to school in a few years.

The silly demon spawn just bumped his head :D

  Just finished reading your autobiography, Jessica. 

  I had no idea you two three moved to Indiana...

  How's Alicia?  She hasn't been around in a long time...

I was born on January 19, 1980.

Wow.  Thanks for telling your story, Jessica.  I'm sorry for the tough parts -- you've been through alot!  But a happy ending is awesome.  Since I"m fairly new here I didn't know all the stuff that went on.  Congrats on your move, your family and all the good that is to come.

   Just finished reading your autobiography, Jessica.   

   I had no idea you two three moved to Indiana...

   How's Alicia?  She hasn't been around in a long time...


Oh yeah. We just moved here like a month ago. Did the whole drive across the country and everything. It was insane. :D I miss California though.

Alicia is doing good. She graduated from high school last year and she's working at the grocery store. She's waiting until she's old enough to join the police academy. She's small but fierce. ;D

Oh yeah, Alicia also has a steady boyfriend. They've been together for almost two years. :) I'll tell her you asked about her. I'm sure she remembers you.

Well, at the request of wife...

I was born on January 16, 1979 (for you it was probably still January 15 because of the International Date Line...unless you were in Australia, in which case it's the same date, but who's counting?) in Hong Kong.  At the time Hong Kong was still a British commonwealth, which meant that I was by default a British citizen, even though I'm not British-looking...this involved learning both Chinese and English.  My parents were big on making me learn all kinds of stuff, so pretty much by the time I was 10 months old I could walk, and by 14 months I could say simple words...which wasn't probably that hard, considering Chinese is composed of monosyllabic words.  This allowed me to transition very well to California Standard English when I immigrated.  I actually went to NYC when I was 2 years old because my dad got transferred there...got a good taste of snow, I love snow now, but being in CA most of my life, I didn't get a lot of it.  Thankfully, a lot of my family lives in Canada and we took tons of road trips, so I still got some snow.  I had to go back to HK for a bit, hung out with my grandparents and aunts and uncles a bunch while my parents remained in the USA to establish a career and a home...and apparently they had enough privacy to make a baby brother for me, so when I finally went back permanently, they had moved to CA and he was almost a year old.  That was good times.

We lived in Concord, CA for the bulk of my elementary school years.  It was nice, pretty blue-collar neighborhood with a diverse population of kids to play with and learn from.  I lost my faux-Chinglish accent and adopted my CA Standard in the course of about five months.  At this point I can barely read and speak Chinese, and don't even ask me to write it because I will fling poo at you.  Anyway, we moved to San Ramon/Dublin (it was like on the city limit line) when I was in fourth grade, to a nicer neighborhood with lots of white people (surprise surprise).  That was fun too, I guess, but I had to commute a bunch to get to school and my mom would sometimes forget that we were waiting after school because she was a big neat freak and wanted her house superclean.  In fact, I swear she has an electron microscope somewhere in her brain because she would hunt down every last speck of dust and eradicate it. 

By the time I was in seventh grade, my mom had decided that I was old enough to take care of my brother and she went back to work.  So that's what I did.  Then my parents decided, when I was in high school, that they would move me closer to school and also so my brother could be closer to his school.  So we moved to Danville, to a house that they still live in today (except I'm in Indiana).  Even nicer neighborhood, since Danville is "White People Land" and is on the foothills of Blackhawk and the San Ramon Valley where the median income is six-figures.  Eeek! 

Now the fun thing about my parents and my family in general is that they are very traditional Chinese, which meant that I learned several things:

--always have good manners
--get good grades to get a good job
--save craploads of money because I'll probably need it later

And unfortunately, my parents were a bit overprotective and domineering, which meant that I was really sheltered and didn't know how to deal with non-academic situations very well.  These are the kind of parents who get PISSED if I got an A-MINUS instead of an A.  Or even an A instead of an A-PLUS. 

<aside>Well, part of that was my fault.  I'm a chronic underachiever.  I could have destroyed the curve if I tried an ounce or two harder, but frankly, by the time I was in high school, I just didn't give a sh*t.  Anyway...</aside>

So in the summer of 1996, after my junior year, I got an opportunity to taste "independence" in the form of an accelerated summer session at StanfUrd University.  I met a lot of good friends there, two of whom I still keep in touch with to this day.  I didn't do too hot academically (see: underachiever) by my parents' standards, but a B-average ain't bad.  I think it was just that after being hounded on every day to do my homework and chores and study and never having a chance to really play, I needed time to just veg out and relax.  Got a good experience at the college level though, and oh how I wish I knew then what I know now, because I would have gotten out of high school so much quicker.  I only keep in touch with maybe TWO people from that entire high school.  I hated high school...could've gotten out faster if I had known how, because some of the courses were redundant and seemed to me like a ploy to keep the school funded and teachers employed.  I liked a lot of my teachers though, so I'm glad they were gainfully employed (very qualified and spectacular people) but still, I wish they would have catered a program to me such that I could have graduated two years early. 

Anyway...I graduate fifth in my class of like 450 students (parents were pissed that I wasn't valedictorian...darn me to heck) and got into UC Berkeley (why you no get into Stanfurd or MIT?) and was on my way to a major in molecular biology.  Got another shot at independence, they let me stay in the dorms on the condition that I keep my scholarship.  So what do I do?  I booze it up and toke it up and play Quake 2 into the middle of the night, skipped class (I think I was the first Regents' Scholar in recorded history to not-pass PE :D ) and almost lost my scholarship.  So quite deservedly, the parents pulled me out of the dorms and my GPA went up almost immediately.  Except for the biology class in the spring...I had the most terrible teaching assistant ever leading our lab section.  My friend and I got his punk ass fired but my "C" grade remained.  Suck.

I actually did well after that...I got a lab position, did a decent honors undergraduate project, got into Duke for graduate school (You couldn't get into Stanfurd or UCSF?) in immunology, graduated from Berkeley in 3 years (missed honors distinction, actually, by like a TWENTIETH of a grade point.  Darn underachieving me, parents were pissed again), and off I went to Durham NC. 

I did well the first year...but then it went downhill.  9/11 happened.  I got depressed.  Experiments stopped working.  I started not liking science so much.  Failed my preliminary exam.  Decided to get a master's degree.  Left graduate school. 

That was 2002.  During my unemployment, while I was trying to FIND employment, I was still writing parodies with my friend Watt (you can find our parodies here, we wrote a bunch) and stumbled across the messageboard portion of Chucky's site when I was reading about the parody contests.  Watt never was interested in joining, but I made a bunch of friends and amassed a ton of posts.  I did get a job in research at my old lab at Berkeley but was laid off in July of 2003.  Then I taught science at my old high school starting that August...and started hanging out more with my future wife ( ;)  :-* :D :) ).  I still had to get my teaching credential though...the school just hired me because they had to fill a position in a bind and I knew a lot about science or something :D

Now, when I was a teacher, I received NO training because there simply were not enough personnel to help me along.  So imagine what it was like to be stuck with the worst of the worst kids.  It was like Edward James Olmos in "Stand and Deliver", only I didn't have the gajillion years of experience like Ed.  But I managed to discipline them and rein them in and somewhere along the way, taught a lot of them chemistry and biology in a way that they could appreciate...by blowing a lot of (*#& up :D  Of course, there was only so much that I could handle...the kids finally could not be controlled, and since I couldn't exactly have the admin expel all of them from my class (I had a few full-scale revolts in my classes...I taught five periods, four of which were warzones) and so in March, I quit.  The admin and staff were very supportive and appreciated that I gave it so much effort, and in fact were impressed that I lasted so long (apparently, after I left, they went through five substitutes who couldn't handle the kids either until they found a permanent teacher). 

The most disappointing part about teaching was probably the fact that I was barely EIGHT YEARS removed from my own high school experience, yet it seemed that the kids' learning level had degraded to a point that was worse than laughable.  Some of the kids could barely read...those that could, most didn't comprehend what they were reading.  They could not do simple math without the use of a calculator, and would put down the answer their calculators gave even if it made no sense.  If 2 + 2 = 7 on the calculator, they would believe it.  These kids had no concept of hard work or studying.  They expected me to give them extra credit on a whim and throw in gimme points just because they DEMANDED it.  Yeah right--screw you guys, I'M the teacher!  :P  Anyway...most of the kids I taught would graduate next year, and if they haven't shaped up by now, college is gonna give them a good bitchslap.  UGH!

Anyway...so I was unemployed.  Looked for jobs in science, because I realized I was good at it and I really missed it.  Got a ton of interviews.  Didn't get the job, but did get a lot of references and good connections.  Then a sort of "planned accident" happened, wife got pregnant, parents went off the deep end because I couldn't get a job YESTERDAY (hello, the market crashed!) and so I had to start over with literally nothing.  So with a child on the way and needing a means to support him and wife, I got a job at a grocery store.  Worked hard (I never did mind doing blue-collar work...I think it builds character) but the boss never really appreciated me, and tried to dick me out of premium hours several times.  So I learned a nasty little truth about the union...despite their claims to look out for the little guy, when I went to them to complain about the way I was treated, the boss made up some lame story and I was the one who got into trouble.  So as soon as I found another job, I quit.  That job sucked too, but not as much.  I did have to stop a couple would-be burglars, endured death threats because I wouldn't sell alcohol to 20-year-olds, and told a lot of Mexicans who thought I should learn Spanish that they should learn English (because I had to, goddammit).  Oh yeah, there was that in-store street fight that I tried to stop and the drive-by shooting that almost had the security guard crap his pants.  Made me appreciate the little people who work in retail and service industries that much more, although I always gave them the respect I believe they deserved. 

Around the time I quit my first grocery job, I met a financial advisor who would go on to become a good friend.  He introduced me to a nifty opportunity with Citigroup where I could help people become debt free and financially independent.  I could never get into the groove because I had very limited venture capital, but I learned a lot.  He eventually got me out of the grocery business and allowed me to work in the tax preparation industry and accounting, where I learned a lot about how money worked and how I should use it more wisely.  It was mainly through his efforts that I was able to get back into graduate school, and that is where I am today...working at the University of Chicago, towards my PhD in cancer biology.  A little older, a little wiser :)

If I have one thing to learn from all this, it is that I make my own success and am a victim only of my own failures.  No one else to blame but myself.  It's probably part of my conservative upbringing, but it helps me put things in perspective and I believe it to be true.  So now I have nowhere else to go but up, because I know that I will work hard to bring a brighter future for myself and my family.  It doesn't matter who the President is, or which political party is in power at the moment...if you don't make the most of what you have, you are not taking advantage of what this great country is built on.

And now I step off the soapbox...

Good story, R.C.!

I have to admit, you have an interesting story!
Maybe I should have told mine in an actual story format, as opposed to the one I used...
Just thought I'd say "hello" and "cool story"!

Rice Cube... you described Concord and Danville to a tee! Danville, "White People Land" So funny!  ;D I live in Concord (off of Pinehollow, and I really like it here!)

Since I can't sleep, here goes...

I was born on April 10, 1990 to my loving parents, Donald and Amy L., in Livingston, NJ who were 35 when I was born. My dad was a lawyer at the time (as my dad is now) and my mom had just quit being the head of the education department at the Newark Museum. Right before I was born, my dad was watching the baby monitor and saw that my blood pressure was going down and that I was being strangled by my umbilical cord, and so my dad rushed to the doctor and I had an emergency C-section, though I did turn out okay.

I was sort of a bookish little kid. I was really imaginative and I was always making up stories about imaginary lands and such, and I loved to talk with adults. One of my favorite subjects was nature, and I pretended our front yard was my jungle and that I was the king of it. I loved flowers and gardening from an early age, and drawing, and I watched alot of TV as I recall (mostly Disney tapes and old Nickelodeon, lol.) I also liked classical music alot, and I had a knack for memorizing things. I could memorize whole books when I was about 1 or 2 and recite them at the slightest provocation. I played alot in the park near where I live. I talked pretty early and I was very verbally intense and beyond most other kids, particularly boys, of my age, so my friends tended to be girls who I could talk to for hours on end. I also loved the solar system, intensely. My dad is really great at voices, so he could do like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny and such.

I really liked the school I went to from 1992 to 1995. I switched to a public school for kindergarten in 1995, and then I ran into some issues once I was there. I yelled at teachers alot and didn't really have alot of friends, and I sort of got depressed once I got to elementary school. I was one of those kids who spent most of his time reading on the playground. I hated my 2nd grade teacher, she really had it out for me. She tried to convince people that I was mentally disabled or something, and sent me to get fine motor and speech therapy. In retrospect, I think it was anti-Semitism, since some of the other Jewish kids in the class also ran into problems with her. I said I wanted to kill myself in 2nd grade (but was just joking), so they sent me to a shrink. I tended to have my own way of doing things and didn't like it when people got in my way. I was obsessed with Elvira around 1997 and 1998, also. My grandfather died in the summer of 1998 after a long battle with prostate cancer.

So, once I got to 3rd grade and we moved up to a new school, things sort of improved for me, I suppose. I made alot of new friends and started to have a better time of things, in general. In 2000, my parents got divorced, for reasons unbeknownst to me at the time. Afterwards, I went into 5th grade, started on Zoloft, and gained alot of weight, and became best friends with this kid Sam. Of course, really I was in love with him in actuality. I lost a ton of weight and went through puberty in the middle of 6th grade (and grew like 8 inches), but he was manic-depressive and so was out from school for long periods of time, so I got really depressed and skipped school alot and like cried in class and stuff. I came out of the closet in 6th grade, too, for the heck of it. I went to this academic summer camp for gifted kids and learned to like it, though at first I had a hard time.

In 7th grade we went to a new school, the town high school, and since most of my old friends were quite mean I started talking to and hanging out with the popular girls more, playing on my image of being the gay kid, and I got really into gossip. I got into these kids who in retrospect were elitist hipster snobs. During this same period, my mom was sleeping around with alot of guys who were bad for her, and I got in alot of knockdown fights with my parents, particularly over my mom's alcoholism, a major issue. She actually dated a homeless guy for awhile, and she was contemporaneously working at this temple preschool that paid her crap money. My parents would use me in their various divorce battles. Between 7th and 8th grade, in 2003, I went to the second year of this academic camp and made some great friends, who were all 3 to 4 years older than me. The next spring, at the end of 8th grade, my best friend told me that he had a secret livejournal. Of course, I found it, and it was full of vicious lies about me and my other friends. So, I told two other friends of mine, being a stupid 14 year old moron, and they spread it through the school.

Of course, my whole social life was ruined. I was guilty and this guy intimidated and scared me heavily. So I switched around all my classes for 9th grade not to be around him. I went to this summer arts camp that didn't bode well for me, though I sort of had a decent time. At the end of 8th grade, I confronted my dad with that I knew he was transgendered, and planning to transition to living as a woman full time at some point, but still liked girls (so therefore was becoming a lesbian.) Things were very difficult with my parents at that point, and I suffered intensely in fights with them. My mom got a new job at a school with mostly Hispanic kids in Paterson. At the beginning of 9th grade, I was a new person. I had gained alot of weight and no longer dared to gossip or do anything hurtful, and I was hanging around with a different crowd. I would hide around the building alot, and tried to cut myself. Eventually, things smoothed out, since I made new friends doing the high school play, which raised my self-esteem alot. I also started to do the newspaper and the literary magazine. Thankfully, my mom and I got to stay in the house, and my parents' divorce was finalized in Feb. 2005. I realized I hadn't been living my own life forever, and I was just living for my parents and their problems. My dad finally transitioned in April 2005, while I was staying with an online friend I made at the end of 8th grade (during my problems at the end of 8th grade, I made a number of online friends who I became very close to.)

So, this year started out pretty smoothly and has continued pretty smoothly. I'm trying to live my own life now, though my grades slipped in 10th grade since I got lazy, but my PSAT scores were reassuring to say the least, and I'm going to be taking two AP and two honors classes next year in 11th grade. I've been doing alot of writing over the past couple of years, moving towards my goals in that sense...I'll be a lit mag and newspaper big macher editor next year. And there's been some drama and I've been extremely lonely at times, but I'm dealing and looking for the positives in my life.

Yeah, it seems like you've had your fair share of downs, James. It seems you've had to deal with alot for you age, which may have made you wise beyond your years - something I have not failed to recognise. In many ways, we are quite similar - I had a fairly normal childhood, but hated my teen years in lots of ways. I had no friends, had anxiety problems.etc - but don't want to blab on about myself.

I'm heartened to hear you are turning things round and everything is falling into place for you! If you're lonely you can always come here and tell us about your problems.

I was born a poor, black child  Oops, wrong bio.



Ok, ok. I was born in Poughkeepsie, NY in Apr. of 196 :-X (even though many people already know the year, I just hate to admit it out loud).
I was last of 6-1 brother and 4 sisters and TONS of cats. (No joke. At one time we had 24  :o :o). At the age of 8, my parents split up. I went with my mother and 3 of my sisters. First we moved to Mass. And then to Conn. At the age of 13, I went to live with my dad in the D.C. area for about a year and then went to live with my grandmother in Tulsa, OK. The following year (at the age of 15), I moved back in my mother and my step-father-back in NY State and lived with them until I graduated HS and joined the Air Force.

A (short) reflection of my childhood. I can't say it was the best-but I survived it. Yeah, I moved around a lot. I can't say that was good or not. I know I missed out on a lot-my education suffered along with my sense of security.

I went down to San Antonio, TX with the A.F. and met my first husband. (Married him after only knowing him for 4 months-BIG, BIG mistake). I won't go into the gory details about my first marriage. It last for 6 years and that is only because I was a glutton for punishment. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with Retinitus Pigmentosa (RP), which is an eye disease. After my marriage ended, I got station in Greece. It was then that Uncle Sam decided that I was "unfit for duty" because of my vision-or lack of and I was retired at the ripe old-age of 26.

I moved to Vermont because I have always loved it. (We used to come up here all the time when I was kid). I met this guy and one day, I woke up and discovered he was living with me. (Not too sure how that happened but it was a very strange relationship) I got a job doing data entry. I am surprised that I lasted a year at that job but again, that is because I was a glutton for punishment. I found out that Uncle Sam would pay to send me to school so I decided to do that because I knew data entry was NOT for me. So I enrolled. I was a double major: History and Elementary Ed.

My very strange relationship ended when my significant other dropped off the face of the earth-literally. (He had moved into his own apartment by then). He had talked about disappearing and I guess he decided to do it. But it turned out a good thing for me. It was like breaking a habit cold turkey and I could consentrate on school-and healing old wounds.

I was taking a summer course when a professor that I took for another class told me that his wife kicked him out of the house. I felt bad but I couldn't understand why he was telling ME this-until a few days later when he asked me out. A teacher?  :o  I thought what the hell and gave it a shot. Little did I know that he would turn out to be the man of my dreams-yes, that is Carlos. But our relationship at the beginning was very bumpy. He was going through a divorce and a bit of a mid-life crisis. I finished school and graduated "With Honors" in history and I got my teaching certification. I did go on to grad school but Uncle Sam didn't help me out-but my grandmother did. I got burnt out with grad school and dropped out with the intention of going back (I STILL have that intention but so far it hasn't happened)

Carlos finally asked me to move in with him. I did some volunteer work at the local food shelf. I even made a film about the organization.  I really enjoyed it for the most part and thought that I made a difference but I felt that I was driven off by the local "clique" and since I wasn't a part of that, I didn't fit in. I felt that they didn't allow me to do my job so I quit. I still miss it but I don't miss the B.S.

Carlos and I lived together for about 5 years before he asked me to marry him-which we did in 2003-it was the BEST day of my life. So now I am step-mother to 4 and step-grandmother to 2. Carlos retired last year and now, we live our lives quietly-with our 2 cats. We travel a lot and enjoy each other's company.


Ok, that is the short version. The last 10 years or so have definitely been the BEST and I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.



Cat

I like what I see out here!

Damn, I REALLY should tell my autobi like you guys are!
I don't suppose anyone is interested?

I like what I see out here!

Damn, I REALLY should tell my autobi like you guys are!
I don't suppose anyone is interested?


  Interested...

  Type away, man...
 

 

 
 

My autobi was the first one out here, but I'm sure it just got glossed over, because it wasn't in story format, sooooo.....

I (meaning: me- Wayne) was born July 14, 1975, in a burgh about 30 miles or so out of Washington, DC, called Woodbridge, Va. I was born with the most severe case of bilateral clubfoot the US has ever seen, to date. I have had over 25 surgeries, so that I could walk, that I can remember. Most of the techniques now used in common practice were either invented or modified with me. (I have done lots of research over the years- I also have kept my medical papers.) They had to fly a specialist from Egypt in, to work on me.

My mother was the top Dolly Parton Lookalike entertainer for almost 15 yrs. She was also one of the very first, if not the very first, performers to pioneer the "Tribute" show to someone who was still alive. I used to perform onstage with her, doing old Dolly-Porter Wagoner duets, and my signature song was "Take This Job & Shove It", by Johnny Paycheck. Not bad, for a 3 yr. old!

Of course, I moved around a lot. I have lived in: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, Kentucky, and I believe Louisiana, for a short while. (After awhile, it all kinda blends together.) I never got to establish those "lifelong friends" that I heard so much about. That is one of the very few regrets i have. Kinda hard to do, when you end up moving every 6 mos. to a yr.
Eventually, I settled in Sparks, NV. long enough to finish out my schooling. I was there for 7 1/2 yrs., and then moved to Radcliff, KY. in 1994. My best friend @ the time was stationed in Fort Knox, and he was tired of living onbase. In short, he destroyed in 6 months, what it took 3 yrs. to build. I had to leave, when he chased me around the duplex we were renting with a butcher cleaver. (I guess you could say it was a life-or-death situation: mine.)

One note: while in HS, I re-entered the performance field, with a group called "Skyfire". During my 3 yrs. with them, i travelled to France, Switzerland, Orlando, FL. & the Bahamas. I will never forget those experiences (except when i was in Paris, & got drunk for the 1st time. I don't remember 1/2 of what happened that night. It was my 15th birthday, you see. But that's for another chapter...)

I moved to Elverta, CA. in 1995, then to Antelope, then to Sacramento, and in late 1996, I moved to Oroville, where I've been condemned I mean, living fo rthe past 10 yrs.
The one good thing about living here, is I met my wife, Melissa. We were married May 25, 2002.
Our only child, Teela, was born Feb. 20, 2001. Neither of us were supposed to have any children, with good solid, medical reasons! I regard her as the biggest miracle in my life...bigger than me walking, bigger than me getting married. (You see, when I was in HS, the girls all took a vow that I would NEVER get the chance to reproduce...don't ask how I know this. Suffice to say, my 1st girlfriend didn't happen, until I was 17- she was 25. Another chapter to tack on @ a later date...)

I started drawing SSI/Disability for my feet, in 1999. I underwent a severe depression for almost 2 yrs. I was confined to a wheelchair, and was told by my doctors not to be on my feet, except to get out of bed, and to use the bathroom. I withdrew from everything- even music, which is my first love. My wife was in despair, because I was slowly dying from the inside. (I finally snapped out of it.)
That experience gave me a renewed grip on what I already knew- that I will be in the wheelchair soon enough. I don't plan to help it along- I'm gonna fight while my strength holds out!

Where am I now? Still condemned...Man, I gotta learn to type better! Still in Oroville, with my family, and just newly renewing my career, with a band I recently joined. I have kept my voice in shape by running karaoke/DJ services- I started my own business. I am hoping to try for a son in October or November. (If he comes, his name will be Isaac.)

My humor is offbeat, and my looks fool so many people, but I'm still briefly alive.
(For a companion piece, refer to my "Autobi Cliff Notes, at the beginning of the section.)
Feel free to ask me anything- I am an open book.

Thanks for posting your story, Wayne.  And you're right, I did see it in the beginning of this thread but never got to comment.  You've had alot to deal with and but you seem to be making it through--that takes lots of determination!  I'm glad you're getting back to business and haven't given up on your music.

I like all the autobios, all of you are abnormally interesting.

So, what do people think of mine?

Good story, mate.

I understand what it's like to suffer burnout, man. I almost didn't graduate, because I suffered a 5-yr. burnout. After getting straight A's for so long, I just didn't see the point anymore. I wasn't challenged enough, and what they wanted to study just keep my interest. I gave it up, and finally pulled out my Senior year.

Education IS important...but don't make yourself try to fit the mold...make the mold fit YOU.
If I had been given that chance, I probably would've graduated from college, and be doing something more high-gear with my life.
Such as it is, you can't the world beat ya down.
Follow your dreams, and never give up the hunt!

I like all the autobios, all of you are abnormally interesting.

So, what do people think of mine?




sounds like you've overcome a lot of adversity in your life so far, James....and it seems like it has made you a stronger person.

sounds like you've overcome a lot of adversity in your life so far, James....and it seems like it has made you a stronger person.


Thank you!

Was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, on July 10, 1976, my younger brother was born a year later. The family, moved to Upsala, a small Ontario, before then.  After grade one, I was sent to a school in Wisconsin, for a year an a half. The follwing January, I went back home, to Thunder Bay. The family moved around alot in Thunder Bay, going from one house to the next.  Years later, my brother moved out west, while I stayed behind.

After graduating high school, I went to college, only to leave because things didn't work out as planned. After that, I moved to Oakville (where I still live), where I worked at hardware store, then after a grocery store.

2000 was a very sad year, my dad died of non cancerous lymphoma (he smoked alot), and my grandma died the same year, shortly after, one of my uncles passed away.

Currently, I still live in Oakville, my brother still lives out west, and my mom has pretty moved on with her life.

Was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, on July 10, 1976, my younger brother was born a year later. The family, moved to Upsala, a small Ontario, before then.  After grade one, I was sent to a school in Wisconsin, for a year an a half. The follwing January, I went back home, to Thunder Bay. The family moved around alot in Thunder Bay, going from one house to the next.  Years later, my brother moved out west, while I stayed behind.

After graduating high school, I went to college, only to leave because things didn't work out as planned. After that, I moved to Oakville (where I still live), where I worked at hardware store, then after a grocery store.

2000 was a very sad year, my dad died of non cancerous lymphoma (he smoked alot), and my grandma died the same year, shortly after, one of my uncles passed away.

Currently, I still live in Oakville, my brother still lives out west, and my mom has pretty moved on with her life.




I'm sorry to hear of your father and grandma's death, Jamie...that had to be very hard for you. :(

Oh well.... Funerals are not very fun to go to.

Death is never a pleasant subject...unless it's the IRS.

I've seen my share of death, too.

My mother's mom shot herself. My mom's dad died Dec. 1994, of stomach cancer.
My favorite aunt by marriage was killed in a car wreck.
Another aunt OD'ed & killed herself, one uncle died of Lou Gehrig's Disease.
My 3 best friends died in the 1989 'Frisco earthquake. (On the bridge that split)
My favorite teacher/mentor died in 1998, of heart failure.

Just know that they are in a better place, and hopefully you aren't too bitter about things.

Chapter 3 has been erased due to misconception. I wish I could completely expunge it but I
cannot so read below for an explanation.

wow, Loki. that's quite the pity party you're having there. Join the club.. Most of us are average Joes/Janes. I also blend  in like a chameleon. But I like it that way. I've been away for most of the summer, and I'm pretty sure nobody noticed, but, hey... It's the internet. Not like these people really know me. I'm not trying to tear you down, but hey, life could be worse. We could be starving in the middle of Iraq, or Lebanon. I'll shut up now.. 
Sincerely and Invisibly yours,
Abix

(P.S. for what it's worth, I've given you lots and lots of karmas in the past , without your knowledge and without ever expecting it in return )

Loki, man- That's quite a story you got.

Three (3) things I wish to say, and I hope you don't take them as attacks, as others would...

First- When it comes to mentions (Most Irritating, Buddy List, etc.), not everyone actually cares if they're mentioned or not. In some cases, some ppl would just as soon stomp your face in and fart on you, as look at you. Ask me how I know this to be truth...

Second- Growing up, I wish I had been more ignored, in some cases. But when you're born with a severe birth defect, this tends not to be the case. Example: When I was 8, I had some of the most extensive surgery I had ever had done on my left foot. (No need for Christy Brown jokes, please.)
Therefore, I was in a hip cast for about 4 months. The kids I went to school with did everything they could to trip me so that I fell onto my casted leg, or they would attempt to take my crutches.
One time, a few of the bullies even threw rocks at my cast, and kicked my leg. When I tried to defend myself, I was the one sent home, because I "can't be getting into fisticuffs with other students", and the principal knew damn well that the teachers wouldn't have done anything, anyway.

High school was just as bad. I was the King of the Misfits- I didn't even fit in with other misfits!
I was ignored in the areas I wanted to be noticed, and I was noticed in the areas in which I wanted to be ignored! (Try THAT for a switch!)

Third- Not everyone is gonna care about one's feelings. We all get judged. It's the Law of the Land.
Having said that, I try to take ppl for who they are. If you're cool with me, then I can be a swell pal to hang with. If you're a stone-cold b***h to me, I can be a mean, intolerant cuss.
You, now, have struck me as being an OK person. Therefore, I can hang with ya just fine.
(And yes, I did notice you being gone, FTR.)

Just a note to ponder, for future reference...Pity parties make for bad tofu.
(So says Mr. Miyagi.)

Hey...you know you are my buddy!!! :)  I didn't notice you were around simply because....I haven't been around much either.  Don't worry though..I feel the same way in life.




I think it's time for chapter 3.

Chapter 3: The Ups And Downs Of Going Unnoticed and Forgotten.

Throughout my life I have felt as if I were invisible. I always seemed to have just blended in.
Every Spring throughout Elementary school we would have an Activity Day, every student
participating in the events would win a prize but for some reason, every year, they would asked
" have we forgotten anyone?" and sure enough my hand would go up and they would have to
scramble to find a prize to give me.

When we played pick-up games of baseball, football, and such I was usually the last one picked.
Now don't get me wrong, It's not that I was bad at these sports. I was starting 2nd baseman
for Varsity Baseball as a Freshman. I could have played college or at least Minor League Baseball.
Even though I was small in stature, I played both sides of the ball in football, Offensive End (Wide Receiver)
and Defensive Safety. I was picked last because I blended in or was just forgotten.

Being invisible leaves you off quite a few list, good and bad. I was a member of The National Honor
Society but my name was left off the list to be read at graduation. When I was young and stupid
my name was left off the report for writing on the school walls. 8th grade graduation, my name is
is mentioned as "Not Pictured", when sure enough, there I am in the front row. One of these days
I'll find the picture and post it, you'll get a kick out of it.

I have pretty much accepted the fact that I will be ignored, it doesn't bother me too much
anymore. I have forgiven my mother for forgetting my birthday, my daughters for forgetting to
get me anything, even a card on Fathers Day. I will just go through life blending in.

For further proof of my life of invisibility just check out all the threads in the PPP that contain
some sort of members list, most irritating, who do you talk to, who's on your buddy list, I have one
mention there, Thanks to Hawk. You won't find my name mentioned in too many places, now
I don't think it's because I am disliked, I think it's because I just slip everyones mind.

I have accepted the fact that even though I was off the boards 9 days, no one, except Carol,
Thank You Carol, even knew I was gone. See unnoticed.

I think it's time for chapter 3.

Chapter 3: The Ups And Downs Of Going Unnoticed and Forgotten.

Throughout my life I have felt as if I were invisible. I always seemed to have just blended in.
Every Spring throughout Elementary school we would have an Activity Day, every student
participating in the events would win a prize but for some reason, every year, they would asked
" have we forgotten anyone?" and sure enough my hand would go up and they would have to
scramble to find a prize to give me.

When we played pick-up games of baseball, football, and such I was usually the last one picked.
Now don't get me wrong, It's not that I was bad at these sports. I was starting 2nd baseman
for Varsity Baseball as a Freshman. I could have played college or at least Minor League Baseball.
Even though I was small in stature, I played both sides of the ball in football, Offensive End (Wide Receiver)
and Defensive Safety. I was picked last because I blended in or was just forgotten.

Being invisible leaves you off quite a few list, good and bad. I was a member of The National Honor
Society but my name was left off the list to be read at graduation. When I was young and stupid
my name was left off the report for writing on the school walls. 8th grade graduation, my name is
is mentioned as "Not Pictured", when sure enough, there I am in the front row. One of these days
I'll find the picture and post it, you'll get a kick out of it.

I have pretty much accepted the fact that I will be ignored, it doesn't bother me too much
anymore. I have forgiven my mother for forgetting my birthday, my daughters for forgetting to
get me anything, even a card on Fathers Day. I will just go through life blending in.

For further proof of my life of invisibility just check out all the threads in the PPP that contain
some sort of members list, most irritating, who do you talk to, who's on your buddy list, I have one
mention there, Thanks to Hawk. You won't find my name mentioned in too many places, now
I don't think it's because I am disliked, I think it's because I just slip everyones mind.

I have accepted the fact that even though I was off the boards 9 days, no one, except Carol,
Thank You Carol, even knew I was gone. See unnoticed.




wow, Loki. that's quite the pity party you're having there. Join the club.. Most of us are average Joes/Janes. I also blend  in like a chameleon. But I like it that way. I've been away for most of the summer, and I'm pretty sure nobody noticed, but, hey... It's the internet. Not like these people really know me. I'm not trying to tear you down, but hey, life could be worse. We could be starving in the middle of Iraq, or Lebanon. I'll shut up now.. 
Sincerely and Invisibly yours,
Abix

(P.S. for what it's worth, I've given you lots and lots of karmas in the past , without your knowledge and without ever expecting it in return )




I understand COMPLETELY. I have also mentioned a few (hundred) times about being invisable. Yes, I have noticed both of you not being around (even if I haven't mentioned it), and I have noticed how both of you have given me karma (which I now give to both of you). So both of you are not as invisible as you think you are.  ;)



Cat

Chapter 3 was completely taken out of context. Pity party, I think not. It was written with
tongue-in-cheek. To have a pity party you need two things. One,  feel sorry for yourself.
Two, want others to feel just as sorry for you. I have neither. The whole chapter was written
as a lark, everything written was the truth but it was meant for all who read it could have a laugh
at my expense. Unfortunately, it didn't read that way. for that I apologize and applause for those
who responded.

I was saving the real adversity for chapter 4 but after the chastising I received after the last
chapter I will keep that story to myself.

Chapter 3 was completely taken out of context. Pity party, I think not. It was written with
tongue-in-cheek. To have a pity party you need two things. One,  feel sorry for yourself.
Two, want others to feel just as sorry for you. I have neither. The whole chapter was written
as a lark, everything written was the truth but it was meant for all who read it could have a laugh
at my expense. Unfortunately, it didn't read that way. for that I apologize and applause for those
who responded.

I was saving the real adversity for chapter 4 but after the chastising I received after the last
chapter I will keep that story to myself.


Hiya Loki,
For the record, I didn't mean to come across as  'chastising' you. I  guess I  didn't read the humor in your story. It sounded a bit sad and it did make me feel bad for you. However,  given the context of text and the internet, sometimes our point is missed completely.  I was just thinking, that inthe00s is for fun, the internet  isn't always the best place to reveal our innermost truths. It sets us up for debate, criticism and opinions in general. But hey, it's a free cyberworld out there.  Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.  :)  And I say, continue on with chapter 4.  Kudos to you. :)

Hawk, the Slayer- Exhibit "B":

I don't know where I left off, but here is a recent update on events:

As some of you know, I am a musical vocalist. (28 yrs. experience, to be more precise.)
I was seeking out a band who could use me, and I was getting very frustrated, because I felt that I was getting pigeonholed, due to my girth.
Any given band I would solicit who was interested would hear my demo, and be blown away by it. Then, they'd see the head-shot, or in one case, the fellow comped my way into the band's concert, that night. Afterward, we ate some Greek food, before he had to rush off, as someone slipped the lead guitarist a Mickey, and he was in the hospital getting pumped out.

I would later be told that "we don't have any real openings on our roster, but we'll keep your info as a backup", or "you live here, and we're based over here. We have another audition to do, and if the guy is from where we're at, we take him".
I even began to question my own ability and self-worth, afetr about 2 months of this.
I had even attempted to form my own band, but no one wanted to do what I do.

About 6 weeks ago, I was contacted by a guy who was looking for a singer...right up my alley, right?
Only one problem- he wanted someone with Latino experience.
I don't speak a lick of Spanish (unless you count ordering @ Taco Bell!), and my Latin music influences are limited to either mariachi (UAGH!), or groups like Los Lobos and Freddy Fender.

Long story short (too late!)- I took the chance, they took the chance, and we now have about 24 songs we can do, thanks to my quick-learning skills, and wonderful bandmates.
Therefore, if you're in Butte County within the next 3 months, look around for a band called "Salsa Bella".
We do Salsa/Rock/Pop/Country/Latin Jazz. Keep yer ears open, and if I can do it, I'll post recordings when we have them.

(If you're curious as to how I sound in English, I can try to post 5 songs I did for a demo. Be warned- they are ALL '80s covers!)

Hiya Loki,
For the record, I didn't mean to come across as  'chastising' you. I  guess I  didn't read the humor in your story. It sounded a bit sad and it did make me feel bad for you. However,  given the context of text and the internet, sometimes our point is missed completely.  I was just thinking, that inthe00s is for fun, the internet  isn't always the best place to reveal our innermost truths. It sets us up for debate, criticism and opinions in general. But hey, it's a free cyberworld out there.  Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.  :)  And I say, continue on with chapter 4.  Kudos to you. :)


Even if you were chastising I wouldn't blame you. after I read it again I think I deserved it.  :)

Hawk, the Slayer- Exhibit "B":

I don't know where I left off, but here is a recent update on events:

As some of you know, I am a musical vocalist. (28 yrs. experience, to be more precise.)
I was seeking out a band who could use me, and I was getting very frustrated, because I felt that I was getting pigeonholed, due to my girth.
Any given band I would solicit who was interested would hear my demo, and be blown away by it. Then, they'd see the head-shot, or in one case, the fellow comped my way into the band's concert, that night. Afterward, we ate some Greek food, before he had to rush off, as someone slipped the lead guitarist a Mickey, and he was in the hospital getting pumped out.

I would later be told that "we don't have any real openings on our roster, but we'll keep your info as a backup", or "you live here, and we're based over here. We have another audition to do, and if the guy is from where we're at, we take him".
I even began to question my own ability and self-worth, afetr about 2 months of this.
I had even attempted to form my own band, but no one wanted to do what I do.

About 6 weeks ago, I was contacted by a guy who was looking for a singer...right up my alley, right?
Only one problem- he wanted someone with Latino experience.
I don't speak a lick of Spanish (unless you count ordering @ Taco Bell!), and my Latin music influences are limited to either mariachi (UAGH!), or groups like Los Lobos and Freddy Fender.

Long story short (too late!)- I took the chance, they took the chance, and we now have about 24 songs we can do, thanks to my quick-learning skills, and wonderful bandmates.
Therefore, if you're in Butte County within the next 3 months, look around for a band called "Salsa Bella".
We do Salsa/Rock/Pop/Country/Latin Jazz. Keep yer ears open, and if I can do it, I'll post recordings when we have them.

(If you're curious as to how I sound in English, I can try to post 5 songs I did for a demo. Be warned- they are ALL '80s covers!)


Good luck Hawk, I hope all goes well.

Chapter 3 was completely taken out of context. Pity party, I think not. It was written with
tongue-in-cheek. To have a pity party you need two things. One,  feel sorry for yourself.
Two, want others to feel just as sorry for you. I have neither. The whole chapter was written
as a lark, everything written was the truth but it was meant for all who read it could have a laugh
at my expense. Unfortunately, it didn't read that way. for that I apologize and applause for those
who responded.

I was saving the real adversity for chapter 4 but after the chastising I received after the last
chapter I will keep that story to myself.

You made me chuckle when I read it, but not at your expense! I think I have the same kind of outlook on life. If I'm honest it reminded me of myself too. I'm fairly sure I haven't appeared on any buddy lists etc here either, I've never seen myself on any anyway. I also never got picked at school and was quite often forgotten though I must admit not to the same extent as you.  ;) 

I've been away for most of the summer, and I'm pretty sure nobody noticed, but, hey... It's the internet. Abix


If you go to the members who have left the boards without return thread in the playful penguin place you will see that your absence was actually commented upon....................................

Personally, Abix, I'm glad you're back.

You were missed.
I gave you Karma, and added you onto my list. (See another thread)

And Loki-

You're OK with me, man.
Look me up, if you're in my neck of the woods!

If you go to the members who have left the boards without return thread in the playful penguin place you will see that your absence was actually commented upon....................................


just adding my ten pence worth but I also noticed Angels absence too, but know she has a busy schedule or must be on holidays. Also were did Mr Dick from India go?

    I just started hanging around the board a lot after a little time spent here at the first of the year. I can't sleep and I read through this thread hoping to get some backstory to go with the people who post a lot. Guess I'll add mine as I've got time.
    I was born Jan 8, 1975 in a small town in south GA. My mother was advised not to have any more kids so they adopted a little boy of 18 months when I was three. Apparently the state had IQ tested us both and found that we would both grow up to have very twisted senses of humor so they placed him with me.
    I was a nerdy little princess until age 17, making straight As and playing piano, trumpet and French horn. Skipped a grade. Lived for gifted class, ballet and marching band. First job: lifeguarding. Despite small town beginnings, our parents raised us to be freethinkers. So when I went off to college at 17 I discovered drugs.
    I still managed to be in honors classes, the college orchestra and newspaper as well as college radio while smoking enough to kill an elephant, but I got bored and moved to a bigger college. There I found I didn't see the point in finishing my degree when there were so many rock concerts to attend so I dropped out and instead completed a 6 month massage course. With my dad as a classmate. Quasi hippie parents, remember?
    I was happily a masseuse for four years and my granddaddy offered to pay for me to finish school because it bothered him I hadn't finished, so in 2003 I graduted with a BA in English from the same school I'd begun at 11 years previously. Then I got pregnant and married the guy, who was no intellectual giant but I thought he'd make a good husband. I was still a hippie and we fought a lot because our ldeals didn't match.
    But our son is a precious being and beautiful. He does have some sort of disorder along the autism spectrum but all that means now is that he has a lot of therapy and is way behind in some areas for his age but way ahead in others.
    Right now I'm living with a man, a filmmaker who I met on another board. We could best be described as platonic life partners. We have merged our lives, finances and posessions and have indefinite/permanent plans for the future for living together and producing films. He has written and starred in a very good film which the director is shopping to distribution companies. Now of course my roommate? wants to direct! So he wrote his latest of six scripts which I read and edited as it was being birthed from his fascinating mind (English degree, remember?) and I am working on production design and applying for grants to get the film made. I can see things like how the characters' wardrobe and the sets for their houses should reflect the changes that occur in their lives while he deals with the emotions the actors should display. Oh and the female lead is a photographer but my photos are being used in the film as hers. Ask me about my photos if you like art. I discovered I was a photographer last year and its the third most important thing in my life.
    So, I don't do drugs now because my partner doesn't like it, and that's good. Love has been my least successful arena since I started dating at age 13. I've been in seven count em seven long term shacking up oh my god I'll love you forever Relationships and I broke off every one of them to the crying and begging of the other parties and every time my little brother has to come in his giant truck and move me out. I even lived and loved with a woman for four years; she turned out to be a gender dysphoric man so I guess I'm straight but girls are pretty, chicks n stuff huh huh.
  And for now, this non sexual non relationship is nurturing us both and no mind games are being played. My every eye roll and sigh is called into question and accounted for and as long as I am happy he is happy. Maybe all some people need is a hand to hold and someone accountable to come home to no matter what word you use to describe your love?

  Bravo..!

  That was a fun read.  Can't wait for the movie...

  groove ;) on...

Thanks for sharing AmandaSparks, I enjoyed reading it. Do you plan to stay around on the boards now you have read all these bios??  ;)

  Bravo..!

  That was a fun read.  Can't wait for the movie...

  groove ;) on...



Wow, thanks! It was fun to write and to read everyone's. What a great thread.  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/tshirt.gif

You made me chuckle when I read it, but not at your expense! I think I have the same kind of outlook on life. If I'm honest it reminded me of myself too. I'm fairly sure I haven't appeared on any buddy lists etc here either, I've never seen myself on any anyway. I also never got picked at school and was quite often forgotten though I must admit not to the same extent as you.  ;) 


I am glad you got a chuckle, that's what it was for. The way I wrote though sounded as if I was
complaining. I really enjoy being a face in the crowd. It's real easy to leave a place you don't want
to be when no one knows you're there.




And Loki-

You're OK with me, man.
Look me up, if you're in my neck of the woods!


Thanks Hawk, will do.

Amanda-

Quite a story you got, there!

A New Age hippie, eh? Always wanted to meet one of those!
I was once described as a "New Age Intellectual with Old World philosophies".
(Personally, I think it was because I love Greek food.....who knows?)

At any rate, I hope we hear more from ya!
Dont be afraid to call on me, if ya wanna chat of two.
See ya around the campus!

Amanda-

Quite a story you got, there!

A New Age hippie, eh? Always wanted to meet one of those!
I was once described as a "New Age Intellectual with Old World philosophies".
(Personally, I think it was because I love Greek food.....who knows?)

At any rate, I hope we hear more from ya!
Dont be afraid to call on me, if ya wanna chat of two.
See ya around the campus!

Thanks very much Hawk! I will definitely look you up to chat if you're on at night.

Hmm.. compared to some of you guys my story is reletively uninteresting but here goes:

My name is Bryan, I was born on November 12,1987 in at Sumpter Regional Hospital in Americus,GA. I was a fairly heathy baby, weighing just over 7 pounds at birth. My parents had not long been married(Febuary 21,1987) when I was born. My dad worked for just above mininum wage at the time and my mom(who was just 18) stayed home to take care of me, so we didn't really have much back in those days. At the time immedietly after I was born we lived in a tiny apartment in Montezuma,GA(a small town 20 miles south of Americus). In mid 1988 my dad got a pretty nice pay increase so we moved to across town to a trailer(which wasn't much but was still consideralbly bigger than the apartment). We lived there until 1990 when we moved across town again into a actual house. My brother was born on May 22,1991 in Perry,GA. Not long after being born he got a sever case of bronchitis, which i've been told actually threatned his life, luckily he got through it just fine. The rest of my childhood was mostly uneventful. I did o.k in school but I was far from a star student. This is also whre my intense love for video games began. I picked up my first controller at 5 in 1992 and haven't put it down since,lol. Probably the most tragic thing that occured during my childhood was the death of my grandmother(due to lung cancer) on Feb. 19,1998.

We lived there until Feb. 2002 when we moved out here(the middle of nowhere,lol). High school was decent for me, but not great by any means. I always prefered my childhood to my teenage years(who dosen't). I didn't have alot of friends but that didn't really bother me, I mostly just did my thing and stayed out of everyone's way. I graduated in May 2005 from Macon County High. I currently plan to attend South Georgia Technical College this fall. I'm gonna take classes in disel mechanics and enginering. And thats it pretty dull huh ;D

Btw, loved reading you guys stories ;)

Check you out, mh!

I think it's cool that you're going into Diesel Mechanics...that's a relatively tough field!
Hope ya make it!

BTW, how far are you from Stone Mountain?

Check you out, mh!

I think it's cool that you're going into Diesel Mechanics...that's a relatively tough field!
Hope ya make it!

BTW, how far are you from Stone Mountain?



Thanks alot Hawk ;).

Yeah, i've heard the same things about DM. I guess the difficulty is what's drawn me to it. As far as Stone Mountain, I live a pretty good ways away from there(probably at least 100 miles or so).

Hmm.. compared to some of you guys my story is reletively uninteresting but here goes:

We lived there until Feb. 2002 when we moved out here(the middle of nowhere,lol). High school was decent for me, but not great by any means. I always prefered my childhood to my teenage years(who dosen't). I didn't have alot of friends but that didn't really bother me, I mostly just did my thing and stayed out of everyone's way. I graduated in May 2005 from Macon County High. I currently plan to attend South Georgia Technical College this fall. I'm gonna take classes in disel mechanics and enginering. And thats it pretty dull huh ;D

Btw, loved reading you guys stories ;)


Your story isnt dull to me.  And remember -- you're still quite young.  You've got lots of time for drama! lol!

It's cool that you're doing into diesel mechanics and engineering.  This is something I know nothing about and am totally incapable of so...I'm impressed.  Thanks for joining in!

Wow, how many of us Georgians are on here? I'm from St Marys but I've also lived in Statesboro and Athens. I never lived out of Georgia until this March.

Wow, how many of us Georgians are on here? I'm from St Marys but I've also lived in Statesboro and Athens. I never lived out of Georgia until this March.


Originally, I'm a Virginian.
Currently, I'm a Californian.
I have also been a: Texan, Nevadan, Utahn, Pennsylvanian, Ohioite, Louisianan, Kentuckian, and Arizonan.

Originally, I'm a Virginian.
Currently, I'm a Californian.
I have also been a: Texan, Nevadan, Utahn, Pennsylvanian, Ohioite, Louisianan, Kentuckian, and Arizonan.



You have lived in more states that I have.  :o :o


For me it was NY, Mass, Conn, MD, VA, OK, TX, VT, (I don't know if you can count Greece as a "state" but I lived there for a short period of time), and of course the State of Confusion.


Cat

Well, Cat, you have done something I've yet to do: live abroad.

My first fiancee was Greek.
I love Greek food.
I know who Nana Mousskouri is.
I study different mythologies.
I watch the Olympics.
That sums up the majority of my knowledge of Greece.

BUT! Can you name 10 different Greek myths?
:D

Well, Cat, you have done something I've yet to do: live abroad.

My first fiancee was Greek.
I love Greek food.
I know who Nana Mousskouri is.
I study different mythologies.
I watch the Olympics.
That sums up the majority of my knowledge of Greece.

BUT! Can you name 10 different Greek myths?
:D



1. Jason and the Argonaunts (the Golden Fleece)
2. The battle of Troy (the Trojan Horse)
3. Pandora and the box (curiousity killed the...I'm not going to say it  ;) )
4. Demeter and Persephone (a mother's love for her daughter and was in mourning when Persephone was in Hades for 6 months)
5. The Odyssey (Odysseus' return from the Trojan War)
6. Oedipus Rex (You really shouldn't kill your father and marry your mother)
7. Eurydice and Orpheus (a VERY sad love story)
8. Tantalus (always hungry, never being able to eat)
9. Medusa (turning men to stone)
10. Achilles (his mother dipped him in the river Styx so he would become immortal-but missed his heel-where she held him).


How's that? And I want you to know that I did not cheat (but I did look up the spelling). Those are only some of the stories I know off the top of my head. I even know some Norse, Roman, Egyptian, Native American, and many other myths (I LOVE mythology)



Cat

1. Jason and the Argonaunts (the Golden Fleece)
2. The battle of Troy (the Trojan Horse)
3. Pandora and the box (curiousity killed the...I'm not going to say it  ;) )
4. Demeter and Persephone (a mother's love for her daughter and was in mourning when Persephone was in Hades for 6 months)
5. The Odyssey (Odysseus' return from the Trojan War)
6. Oedipus Rex (You really shouldn't kill your father and marry your mother)
7. Eurydice and Orpheus (a VERY sad love story)
8. Tantalus (always hungry, never being able to eat)
9. Medusa (turning men to stone)
10. Achilles (his mother dipped him in the river Styx so he would become immortal-but missed his heel-where she held him).

Cat


Wow.  Nice Job!

Quite so.

We should start a Mythology thread!

Excuse me.....
*runs like a bat outta Oroville*

Repasted from the "So What's Your Deal" thread in the PPP:

Well, a *bit* about myself: I just turned 31, and on the 30th of August I will celebrate my third wedding anniversary with my wife, Nicole. We currently have 0.0 children, though I still get an A for effort.  ;) We have one pet, a 90% Maine Coon cat named "Chris", who is exceedingly lazy, and likes to sleep on my head. On occasion, I use him as a pillow, but since he hasn't been declawed those occasions sometimes end with facial lacerations.

My main hobby right now is writing parodies. I also edit for AmIRight and head up a few contests on another section of this board. When I'm not doing that, I enjoy watching comedy routines. And MUSIC! I love music, and even though my collection isn't too large (perhaps 200 CDs, 40 albums, and 600 MP3s), it spans over 40 years and nearly every genre. Grunge/alternative, heavy metal, and classic rock are my favorites though.

When I'm bored, I tend to visit the arcade here. Apparently, I am often bored.

My career. Well, I'm employed full time+ at a large hotel working in maintenance. I have worked mostly in service jobs since I was 14, and I don't see that changing any time soon. I have worked everywhere from McDonalds to operating wastewater plants, the latter of which is where my main training lies. Since I already know a bit about plumbing/electrical and HVAC (mainly, how not to get electrocuted or cause a fire or flood), I plan on getting certified in one of those fields in the next few years. Not only is it good money, and plenty of work, but I don't have to worry about a damned robot or automation taking my job.

I currently live in southern Virginia, and have so for most of my life, though I did spend a few years in Florida and New York. If you ever visit this part of the country, know that the weather forecasts have a 90% chance of being wrong. Humidity rarely drops below 70% throughout the year, which explains this giant mold colony growing on my ceiling. Okay, so I'm joking about the mold, but the weather here, combined with the tourists, can, at times, make this a seriously sucky place to be. Not to mention that 7-11 is about the only thing open past 11pm: not good if you work evening shifts.

As far as what I'm into, simply put: Anything between two consenting adults that doesn't involve death, permanent injury, children under the age of 18, farm animals, mimes, or some kitchen appliances, is okay in my book. That might sound really wild, but most of the time, when I'm not doing something with music, we just play Scrabble or Cribbage.  ;)

I enjoy debating. Some have even said I'm a Master Debator, but unless they looked through my bedroom window, I doubt they know that for sure. I love puns, word play, paradoxes, science, math, and so on.

Occasionally, my free-spirited nature gets me into a wee bit of trouble. But hey, everyone has a 100k lawsuit filed against them once in their life, don't they? If not, disregard this paragraph.

I have a blatant disregard for proper grammar, though I am trying to better myself there. I still manage to butcher a'post'ro'p'hees and m,ur,der, comma,s, and, occasionally, do other things which would earn me a F in 8th grade English. My handwriting is downright horrible, but the bank still accepts my deposits, so I guess it's good enough.

And, if anyone actually reads all of that ^, they'd still only know the tip of the iceberg.

i'll follow your lead,Jack.. :)


i'll kick it off by saying i'm a happily divorced outgoing kinda chick living in a fairly small city in canada with a high maintenance cat named olivia spaceboots,working in the hospitality/tourism industry,hitting the dancefloor to get my groove on as often as possible and doing freelance test-solving for Dell Crosswords as a fun gig now and thenwith one finger :-

beyond that,i'm way into music of most kinds.I have a huge collection of vinyl..albums and 45s,mainly from back in the day and i'll never part with it.

i love nostalgia,shopping,run/walking,cooking/baking,hanging out with my amazing friendsand enjoying life in general.. :)