Post Race!

[dilettante]

Well I opened my trap about "Nigerian sweatshops."

Fire and brimstone! "How dare you accuse me of being a scammer?"

In the end I got a phone number, called, and was treated to lots of bawling about lack of trust and betrayal. Then I found out that I not only single-handedly caused WW I & II, but the last Ice Age and probably eat live babies.

More bawling. "This is just a friendship. I can't believe you do not value my friendship."

Foolishly I replied that of course I do, but as every life coach will tell you... the Friend Zone is permanent.

"Wahhhh!!!"

Gosh, I sure missed being in a relationship!

[Shaggy Hiker]

All that from Nigerian sweatshops? They've been responsible for a whole lot, but this seems extreme.

Are you thinking you were played?

[dilettante]

Are you thinking you were played?

Nope. I never did. I got frustrated by giving answers to questions and getting few in return. So "For all I know..."

Which was immediately taken as an accusation. LOL

[wes4dbt]

If your looking for someone to belittle you and make you feel bad about yourself, there is no need for this 800 mile relationship. We're here for you.

[dilettante]

If your looking for someone to belittle you and make you feel bad about yourself, there is no need for this 800 mile relationship. We're here for you.

Now that's real friendship!

[dilettante]

[dday9]

On a real note, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure the newness and mystery behind it all was kind of fun for a while.

[dilettante]

On a real note, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure the newness and mystery behind it all was kind of fun for a while.

Thanks.

I'm battling a ghost too. She's been windowed for 3 years but the holidays are still very hard on people who have been through such things. So she's up one day and down the next.

I was married 15 years so I should have known what to expect, but that was an even longer time ago. I shouldn't have been surprised when I replied "ok" to "get lost" and ended up dealing with sobbing from the other end and a phone number.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Yeah, that's pretty tough. Not getting lost seems like the right approach, for now. It sounds like she's both legitimate and legitimately has some things she has to work through. I'd say you should keep going and listen a bunch. Could end up being a good thing.

When my mother died, my sister and I agreed that our father needed to find somebody. It took him a while, and I'd have to say that he took a wrong turn along the way, but he got married a few years back, and it's been good.

[dilettante]

Thanks. I'm clumsy being so out of that life scenario for ages.

She did admit I got a smile out of her yesterday (hard to believe, hmm?), so that's something. Today was just one terse message, so I assume it's a down day.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Yeah, you get that, especially if the medium is mostly typed. So much of our normal communication is non-verbal, visual, communication when we are talking face to face. When it comes to typed communication, or intermittent communication, there can be so many other things going on that it is easy to 'under communicate'. It's not necessarily a bad thing at all, as it could just mean that she's a bit comfortable.

Kinda fun, though, right?

[dilettante]

Kinda fun, though, right?

Sure. Today was a cold shoulder day. She went back to re-read messages and got worked up again. I think we might be past that again... until next time. This is all clean chat, none of that cybersex that the young kids love.

Theoretically I should now "become less available" but I don't buy all of the advice or play those games.

[dilettante]

Out of the blue, today was torture day:

... but my friend did tell me he thought I looked good, lol. That was nice. Must be that "glow" I have recently acquired.
Good thing you don't know what I look like cause then I might really be stuck in your head. You know, I may not even be your type. lol

She must have watched some movies last night or something.

[dday9]

Merry Christmas y’all

[Jacob Roman]

Merry Christmas y’all

And to all good night!

[dilettante]

Ho ho ho!

[Shaggy Hiker]

My modem died Saturday morning. I won't be able to get it replaced until Wednesday. I'm not here, and you're not reading this.

[dilettante]

I get that.

[wes4dbt]

Was that a 2400 baud modem?

My ATT router went out a couple of months ago. They got me a new one in two days. It's weird not having internet/wireless access. I use it for so many things. I actually had to turn my lights on/off by hand. Luckily I can use my cell phone as a hot spot so I was able to browse the web with my morning coffee.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Yeah, I was able to tether the Surface Pro to my cell phone. Oddly, though I live in what amounts to a suburb/city in a flat desert area, the cell service in my house has always been poor. To help things out, I positioned my phone optimally, and it was good enough.

[Shaggy Hiker]

As to the modem, it was at least a 9600 baud modem. Those 2400s were so 80's.

Actually, the modem came from the service provider. They're pretty crappy. I did finally have an issue that was resolved correctly the first time, so I thought perhaps they were turning over a new leaf. We'll see tomorrow. Their hardware is sub-standard, as this is the third or fourth modem I've had from them. Not the third or fourth I've bought from them, though. I'm not sure if I've ever bought one from them, as they have managed to screw up delivery several times. At least one time, they charged me for one, but sent me two. I sent back the extra...and they refunded me. Another one just kind of showed up. I still have it, too, cause it failed.

At one point, I went and bought a third-party modem, so that I'd have something reliable...and then the ISP changed their technology and stranded that modem.

[dilettante]

Whew. I've never been a bluewater sailor but I seem to have navigated inward past the reefs. Even got a headshot that matches the description I had, so it seems legit. Now that the dog has caught the car I hope I know what to do from here.

On the Internet every woman assumes you're a dog.

Seem to be past a lot of her insecurities finally. Even past the odd All old men are looking for is a nurse with a purse that I'd never heard before.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I've never heard that one, either. What I have heard is that the odds improve as you get older, simply because men tend to die earlier.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Haven't heard the bluewater sailor reference, either. Hope you aren't just navigating your junk.

[dilettante]

Haven't heard the bluewater sailor reference, either. Hope you aren't just navigating your junk.

Good one!

People have an outer ring of "reefs" and it can take time to do more than make a little headway only to be washed back out or scrape and get hung up out there.

Seems legit. Can't find any factual or behavioral discrepancies.

[dilettante]

It's funny to see people wishing for snow... and just weeks later get all in a panic because it may arrive in earnest.

Maybe suppressing memories helps escape the cyclic nature of life, preventing boredom?

[Shaggy Hiker]

I want snow that I can ski on, but not snow that I have to drive on. I don't have an issue driving on snow, per se, I have an issue being on roads while OTHER people are driving on snow.

[dilettante]

It's surprising how quickly conversations have gotten deeply personal. And no, pervs, we're old so I'm mostly talking about family and medical issues and such. Sheesh!

[Shaggy Hiker]

What ELSE is there to talk about? Family and medical issues start becoming the bulk of anything, unless you are into travel.

[dilettante]

Maybe so. Perhaps it just means the two people haven't gotten bored and moved on or something.

[wes4dbt]

That' better than talking about your SSN, drivers license # and credit card #'s.

[dilettante]

That' better than talking about your SSN, drivers license # and credit card #'s.

Egad. The whole Nigerian thing was dragged up just this evening. They never let you forget.

[dday9]

There once was a man named Michael Finnegan.

[Shaggy Hiker]

No Ashley Madison going on there.

[dday9]

Wasn't that the spouse cheating app?

[dday9]

Yeah, it was.

My boss' name was on the hacked list of users, but he had an out. He had told his wife about it when he signed up and stipulated that it was because he had a client approach him about building basically a copy-cat site.

[dday9]

Even if he was lying, it's a good out nonetheless.

[Shaggy Hiker]

A copy cat of a site that turned out to be something of a scam anyways?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Still, hiding in plain site is a pretty good way to hide.

[dday9]

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