Post Race!

[dday9]

Can I get a bump of that nothing man?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Not nothing, whatever.

[dday9]

Ohhh, that good stuff.

[wes4dbt]

I don't know about you guys but my posts bring enlightenment and joy into the lives of the lucky people who read them. Your welcome!!!

[dilettante]

I don't know about you guys but my posts bring enlightenment and joy into the lives of the lucky people who read them. Your welcome!!!

[dilettante]

After several "no contact" days, got whipsawed back and forth in PM posts on another forum site. "You're great, you suck, I hate you, call me, it's over we shouldn't speak again" and on and on. Supposedly had thrown away my phone numbers.

11:30 PM I get a call. Very tentative, yet conciliatory. Discussed meeting, details down to where I'd sleep and whether her mom being there is a problem (why should it be?), etc.

"Can't eat, can't sleep five days now" yadda, yadda. "I was sure you had moved on, I noticed a coincidence between you and [some random female member] being online and then leaving at the same times." Stalker much? Nuts?

I'd said "I don't want the risk of being pushed out of a moving car into traffic."

She came back "Why would you say something like that?" And the good part: "You could just get an Uber."


Does any part of this sound normal? If so, which?

[wes4dbt]

Does any part of this sound normal? If so, which?

Seems normal behavior for her.

[Elroy]

Goodness gracious. Helter skelter in this thread.

Dil, it's good to see you're still posting. I've missed you.

---------------

It's certainly a ***** getting old. I've pretty much completely retired these days (only getting the occasional call for support). Figuring out what I'm going to do for the day, and then finding the motivation to actually do it, is interesting. Clean out the garage? Clean out the attic? Clean out the shed? Go boating? Go camping/hiking? Work on expanding my solar panel project? Change the oil on my truck? Dabble with figuring out windows visual styles? Dabble with making some DxD3d wrapper functions?

Decisions decisions.

---------------

It's interesting that the thoughts of "what am I going to be when I grow up have pretty much dissipated", pretty much turning into thoughts of "what am I going to do until I die" thoughts.

---------------

But Dil, it's good to see you're still alive and kicking.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Retirement is a bit more than a year out, for me. I leave to go on a roughly 500 mile hike in a few weeks. I'm pretty nervous about this one. My back has been getting sore at kind of random times. I feel fine most of the time, then I get up from sitting and have to stretch it out to get going. Will I be able to cover 20 miles in a day? Will I wear out half way through? Will ibuprofen help? So many questions.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Dil, I was trying to be encouraging about that relationship, but I'm changing my mind. She sounds nuts. Those games don't sound like they will ever end. I would be very hesitant about meeting at this point.

[dilettante]

But Dil, it's good to see you're still alive and kicking.

Alive? Yes. Kicking? Maybe getting kicked around. I've somehow ended up with a "hobby" (or would that be a "project?") of a sort I hadn't anticipated so late in life. On good days I can feel as mystified as Doc Brown in the Old West.

Very good to see that you still roam the planet yourself.

Quite retired myself now, taking only a rare contract job, not for money, but just to stay in the game a little. Very mundane, and more often updating training docs for companies, and even then mostly Java training. Though most of my time does get spent puttering and sputtering around the old ranch.

Truth is, I've mostly bailed on the VB programming forums. As the Usenet dregs and aging hackers rolled in, the character of things seemed to radically change.

So Elroy... it is comforting to see you around again. That wasn't meant to be as awkward as it might sound.

[dilettante]

Dil, I was trying to be encouraging about that relationship, but I'm changing my mind. She sounds nuts. Those games don't sound like they will ever end. I would be very hesitant about meeting at this point.

I hear that, believe me I do.

Just had a talk though, and for the first time she seems to be willing to reflect on her behavior and admit to those extreme reactions and bizarre comments. The goal is to nip "problems" in the bud before they descend to overreactions. Especially things that stem from wild jealousy over trivial and even entirely imagined actions.

Yes, I'm leery of meeting now that the matter is finally back on the table. Kathy Bates?

I don't think people change, but going completely "no contact" for several days seems to have made some difference.


I have never thought of myself as a "hot commodity" but something is going on. She's right that the women are coming out of the woodwork lately. It must have something to do with their age. Perhaps there are a lot of windowed and divorced women feeling lonely and too close to the end to waste time, facing more limited options as they age?

[Elroy]

Well, I've been married for 30+ years. Not going to talk about that in a public forum, but I will talk about my changing life's philosophy as I've gotten older.

As stated above, the thoughts of "what I'm going to be when I grow up" are pretty much gone. Along with it, a certain sense of hope has faded, as I do feel that hope has to do with our vision of the future. I suppose most of my hope is tied to my grown children in one way or another these days.

For me, my philosophy is much more about a day-to-day thing. I wake up thinking, "what can I do to have a good day today?" And I also take responsibility for that happening.

Now that the weather is nice, I've been hiking a couple of times a week, taking my dogs, and having a wonderful outing, often combined with a nice meal on some restaurant patio where my dogs are allowed.

Today, I've already changed the oil, checked all the other fluids, and taken my air-compressor and blown out the engine compartment of my little Ford Ranger side-step truck. One of my sons is coming up next week, and we're going to see if we can finish up the phase-two of my solar farm. The truck "tune-up" was actually in preparation for that, as I'll be hauling many 40lb bags of ReadyMix home from Lowes to get the job done.

I do also enjoy keeping my mind active. That binary tree project I recently posted in the CodeBank was quite enjoyable, and done entirely just for my own edification, and for sharing, and it had some social aspects as well.

---

I too am a bit frustrated with the "quality" of posts in the forums, asking how to move a circle, how to make a clock, or how to create a new folder on the first of every month. It just sometimes seems that there's as much beseeching and pleading for others to do their work, as there is desire to learn how to do it. I suppose you call this "cargo-culting". But, whatever it's called, it's very distasteful.

However, I often wonder if this point-of-view is as much about me changing (and becoming more jaded as I grow old) as it is about the true changing complexion of these forums.

I do still enjoy the programming aspect of these forums, but I do pick-and-choose what I participate in.

---

Anyway, just some thoughts and ramblings.

[wes4dbt]

I have never thought of myself as a "hot commodity" but something is going on. She's right that the women are coming out of the woodwork lately. It must have something to do with their age. Perhaps there are a lot of windowed and divorced women feeling lonely and too close to the end to waste time, facing more limited options as they age?

If you feel there are other possible relationships available, I'm at a lose as to figure out why you wont let go of this toxic relationship. I could understand trying so hard to make it work if you were thinking "this is my only chance" but that doesn't seem to be the case. The only other thing I could think of is you don't want to let go because you've invested so much time and effort. Accepting you've wasted your time and effort can be hard.

[dilettante]

If you feel there are other possible relationships available, I'm at a lose as to figure out why you wont let go of this toxic relationship.

Er, I've peeked behind door number 2 and door number 3. Married/paired folks here should appreciate that a great many of the "good ones" are taken.

[wes4dbt]

Well, almost made it through May without a mid 90's day. Suppose to reach 96 today. Was nice while it lasted.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I need a bit more snow to melt in the mountains of Oregon.

[Peter Porter]

After several "no contact" days, got whipsawed back and forth in PM posts on another forum site. "You're great, you suck, I hate you, call me, it's over we shouldn't speak again" and on and on. Supposedly had thrown away my phone numbers.

11:30 PM I get a call. Very tentative, yet conciliatory. Discussed meeting, details down to where I'd sleep and whether her mom being there is a problem (why should it be?), etc.

"Can't eat, can't sleep five days now" yadda, yadda. "I was sure you had moved on, I noticed a coincidence between you and [some random female member] being online and then leaving at the same times." Stalker much? Nuts?

I'd said "I don't want the risk of being pushed out of a moving car into traffic."

She came back "Why would you say something like that?" And the good part: "You could just get an Uber."


Does any part of this sound normal? If so, which?

Dil, maybe I missed it or forgot, but have you two met in person yet?

[Peter Porter]

Retirement is a bit more than a year out, for me. I leave to go on a roughly 500 mile hike in a few weeks. I'm pretty nervous about this one. My back has been getting sore at kind of random times. I feel fine most of the time, then I get up from sitting and have to stretch it out to get going. Will I be able to cover 20 miles in a day? Will I wear out half way through? Will ibuprofen help? So many questions.

Have you arranged a full medical check-up for the hike and discussed your plans with a doctor?

I could never do a 500 mile hike with my feet. I'm hoping to bike more this year than I've done in the past, but right now I'm waiting on some results from my doctor to see if it's possible.

[Shaggy Hiker]

My feet are not my concern. My back is a bigger issue. It's wearing out. No damage that I'm aware of, so nothing that could be 'fixed'. I'll just have to see how it goes. Twenty mile days may be a thing of the past for me...at least on foot. I just need two good years, then I can switch to shorter hikes and lots of biking. I have a 3600 mile bike ride laid out. Plenty of things can get in the way of that, as it's a bit far off in the future...but it would be pretty cool.

[wes4dbt]

I need a bit more snow to melt in the mountains of Oregon.

Well, I don't know about Or but we got ourselves a heat wave here in the Ca central valley. 103 today and tomorrow. You might get that snow melt you wanted.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Yeah, it's happening. I expect it will be all gone in a couple weeks.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Snow is gone, and tomorrow, I will be as well. Off to walk for a few hundred miles, hopefully.

Don't let the post race be lost in the meantime.

[2kaud]

Missing you already........

[dday9]

Baby come back!

[dday9]

Any kind of fool could see.

[wes4dbt]

Don't beg!!!

He left us, we give and give and he just walks out.

[dilettante]

We need to adjust the spring on that screen door.

[dday9]

My storm door (similar to a screen door) lost it's hydraulic openers in the hurricane. It's been a pain in the you-know-what. One of those things you can certainly take for granted, that's for sure.

[wes4dbt]

My storm door (similar to a screen door) lost it's hydraulic openers in the hurricane. It's been a pain in the you-know-what. One of those things you can certainly take for granted, that's for sure.

Having a hard time picturing this door. Screen doors are pretty light. Why would it have a hydraulic opener?

[dday9]

It's a storm door, not a screen door. Here's a pretty good explanation between the two: https://www.windowworldathens.com/ar...s-screen-doors

[wes4dbt]

Yeah, I basically have a storm door but we never refer to them that way. The lower half of mine has glass and a screen so you can let air in if you want.

But it's very light, no hydraulic opener, seems like over kill. Unless your talking about the hydraulic closer, lots of them have that.

Edit: I probably shouldn't have said "we" never refer to them as storm door, I really don't know what other people call them. They don't seem like much protection from a storm. lol

[dday9]

You're right. I meant closer, not opener.

But I think it has to do with how the glass shatters if its compromised. Although, I could be wrong. But it survived Hurricane Ida and the eye of the storm passed directly over my town (about 40 miles north from where it made landfall) so all I know is that they work!

[dilettante]

Yeah, those are more "dampeners" to help close while keeping doors from slamming closed... or sailing and slamming opened if a gust catches them.

In more rustic times there were sometimes two springs or a single multi-tensioned spring rigged to accomplish the same job... instead of just a simple closing spring. The pneumatic (not hydraulic) "spring" serves the same purpose.

[wes4dbt]

Yeah, I remember those. When DD said hydraulic door opener I was thinking WOW that's cool, just press a button and the door opens, that's fancy. lol

[wes4dbt]

Wow, I just came on the forum and I was the only one listed under "Current Active Users".

It's scary here all by myself!!!

[2kaud]

You are amongst friends

[dday9]

I'm thinking about creating a CSS file that only adds media queries for mobile screens that redesigns VBForums and handing it to Steve. The forum is just short of unusable on phones.

[wes4dbt]

Yeah, using this site on a phone is terrible. A well designed mobile app would probably significantly increase the usage.

[dday9]

I've thought about that, but this website doesn't use traditional API's to build the pages. Instead, it is built using PHP basically using server-side rendering to display the page as-is which is probably why we're getting all these timeouts too.

A better design would be to setup API's to fetch the necessary data and then use client-side operations (like fetch) to build the page.

So the only thing I can think of is to just provide the owners with CSS that makes it look responsive.