Attention FRLians. The FRL will now come to Order for Official Business.

Jor-el, our fellow FRLian, is off on a Quest to find our beloved Dieter, and has taken a solemn oath not to rest until he does. This is true FRLian spirit, and he deserts our support, even though he can fly like a stealth goose and has a flame-retardant cape. He may even have red socks. Lettuce help him. As Leader of the FRL, I hereby declare and proclaim an Official FRLian Quest for Dieter. (What were you expecting, the Spanish Inquisition?) FRLians are expected to aid The Quest to get Dieter back to us, even if only for a little while, so that we know Dieter is ok  uh, well as ok as Dieter can be! Even if you have never posted to an FRL thread before, you are Welcome to join us in The Quest.

After giving this matter some very long and serious thought, I have come to the delusion that we can help Jor-el lure Dieter back to post here at the FRL if we just follow three simple guidelines.

First, and most importantly, we must post as Dieter posts to make him feel at ease. I know this will take some time to get used to, since most of us have only ten fingers and dont use our toes when typing, but we should at least give it the ol FRLian try. I will start now.

SecONd, wE MuSt NoT bE fOOliSh, aND mUsT Not Be hYeNAs, wE mUSt AppLE sInCErely to DiETeR tO ReTuRn tO Us!! INfiDeLs!!

tHIrD, wE mUSt nOt poSt aNy ReFerEnCes tO cANoNs, neiThER tExt NoR gIF!!! SiLeNCe!!!

FrLiANs, THe QuESt fOr DiETeR beGIns! MAy iT bE suCCessFul!

(THe FrL mAy nOW gO BacK tO BeIng oUt oF oRdEr.)

DieTeR? OH DieEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeTeR? GOOd DiETeR. SainTlY DietEr. PlEAsE CoME BACk hOMe tO uS aND gIVe uS a nICe hAIkU. WE aSK tHIs wiTHoUt fOOliShneSs. We aPplE tO yoU!

-- roB miCHaels (SonOfDust@FRL.qUEst), January 04, 2000

Answers

Please don't post messages when you're drunk.

Thank You

-- (This Must Be@Joke.com), January 04, 2000.

This is panful but i can simulate it if i don't lookat the scren as i type and then don't read what';sleftvoer (or rightfully should have been left back) before posting the messahe.

i stioll think he's ey indisgiuse.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 04, 2000.

DoEs ThE ScReaM OF ThE JAcKaLS DrOWn OuT tHe ROaR oF tHe BaCkYaRD bLaST FUrnACE? I tHinK nOT!

DiETeR,DiETeR,DiETeR. tHE SOuNd iS aKIn tO ThE wALE oF tHE pOliZeI's sIReN, beCkOnInG foR YOuR rEtURn.

-- MoVE IMmEdIaTe (mVi@YepImHerE.CoM), January 04, 2000.

I promise to leash the nutria and the beavers.

i've put my banding gun away....

Oh DEITER?????

CHuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 04, 2000.

PosT aS DieTeR? Is iT Not AbSerd? BuT YeS! CaNNoT yoU hEAr The MarBLes iN YouR OWn HeAD? BuT YEs! JacKLeS! WasTE NoT OUR tiME as DIETer SeRchErs. The OrigGInal GreaT ONe WilL ShOW whEn The MooN iS In THE OUThouSe OF AquAriOUs. WiTH PepErOni! BEgOne, ANd bE FoOLiSh No MoRE!

I HaTE YoU!

-- LoN FrANk (lgal@exp.net), January 04, 2000.

iNFiDels!

aRE wE ShEep tO bE LEaD aROund? roB!! lEadEr oF iNFiDels! SHOckEd iS DietEr mUSt hE Be. iS noT THe WoLRd iN cHAos mUcH alrEAdy?

sHAmeful iS I Of niGHTdrIver frIEnd tO mIKe! chUCk? aRe YoU tOO GoOd FOr DietEr?

mUSt I AWaY!!!!

beGOne!

mIKe

====#&)#)(#)U(%*)@*#)*#UT*&@)#)@#*$)*&%#*&$)*%#(!%&**(@&$)(*#===== ===

-- mIKe taYloR (mTdEsIGn3@aOlX.inFIdel), January 04, 2000.

THis iS nO JokE. TuRD! DO nOt yoU kNOw oF tHE greAT DIEteR!?!?!? wE aRe oN a Quest!!!!

RoBeRT kOOk: aRE yOu nOT reADiNG thE diReCtIOnS?!?!?!? AnD yOU tOO chUcK! FOOlIshNeSs I sAy. BeGONe HyeNas! ArE yoUz guYZ boTh wiTHoUt pRIdE? JaCKeLS! DiD yoU noT sEE thaT wE arE alREAdY paRTLy suCCeSSful, thAt DieTer hAS aWaKEnED ANd PoStEd a NEw ThRead, IN alL hiS DIEterNeSS????? Huh? DoeS nOt thiS siGN fROm hIM tOUcH yoUR huMANiTEE? ApeS!

DO noT FrIgHtEN dIETEr aWay nOW!!!! He mAy ComE tO uS. GoOd mournINg!!

-- (SonOfDust@FRL.QUest), January 04, 2000.

fOoLs! dIEteR's bRaiN iS TorMEnteD bY suCh FOoliSHNess iS iT nOt? STilL yOu rEacH oUt AccROss tHe DaRkEsT bOweLs of CybERspACe tO TorTure dIEter FuRTheR?!? jACkEls!? yEs?! nO!? dIEteR's cErebRAl COrtEx wOulD heMMoRaGe iF hE wAs eXpOSed tO tHe iDioCy of tB20o tOdaY, yEs?! dARe yOu toRtuRe tHe miGhTy DieTEr?! iFAdeLs! HyEnAs!

I hAte yOu,

-- DeBoRaH (infowars@yahoo.com), January 04, 2000.

The iNFidEl has started a thread:

DiETeR's farewell

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), January 04, 2000.

::::singing falsetto, attempting to sound like Julie Andrews::::

The hills are aliiiiiiiiiive...with the sound of Dieterrrrrrr..."

:-)

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), January 04, 2000.

Just in time I discovered an heretofore secretly patented new device, THE DIETER METER!! Detects non-case sensibly written documents, and has sensor programmed only to detect screams of iNFideL!!!, BuNGhoLe!!!, and other Dieter-isms!

I purchased this patented prototype with 30K in nickels removed from the bank throughout the entire last nineteen months. (my achin' back!)

Dieter sitings will be made more swiftly now and with fewer imposter errors! I knew there had to be a reason for staying up on this hill for all this time. Perfect for recon!

She in the sheet, reporting in from the recon position on her hilltop,...

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), January 04, 2000.

Dieter will be missed

Perhaps Unc will write haiku

To mark this sad time.

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 04, 2000.

hUH??? fOOLIshNESs hAS gONe sKYWarD, No??? yEs??? OFcoURse!!! FoOLisH inFIDel buZZARd bReATH roB!!! THe roAD HaS BittEN YoUR JaCKaSSnESs, HAs IT nOT?? YEs It hAS!!! tHIs INfidEL fEEls iTs BiTE tOO!!! I aM SqUIRMinG oN My SEat!!! BUnGHolE INFiDEl tHAT I Am I, i aM MAkINg goOD UsE oF MY jIGglE JuICe PrEpS tOO!!!

p.S. thIS pOD NeEDs a SeLF-eSTEeeM bOostERInG fRoM hIS dIETerNEsS RIgHT ABouT nOW!!!! yES??? IT hAS bEEn tOO LoNg SiNCe hIS DIEtErneSS HaS ADdREsSEd Me aND tOLd mE hE hATeS mE jUSt A liTTle. i ExPErIENcE mEMORy FrAGmENTAtiON oF hOW gOoD iT FeELS To bE cAllED HyENA!!!!

P.p.S. dIETeR, wHO AMonG US iS tHE MOsT iNFiDEL???? hOW iS OUr CoMmUNICatIOn fORmaTtINg cOMinG ALoNg??? I hATe You ToO!! gOOd mORNIng!!!

-- cHRiS (cATsyNOt@pOND.coM), January 04, 2000.

DieTeR hAS CoME aMong Us tOdAY. wE aRE tHaNKfuL. OUr qUest hAs beEn fuLLfIllEd! wE kNOw noW fOr SUre THAt gOOd, sAInTLY, DieTeR is Well. wE HaTe yOU!!!!

WhaT mORe cOuLd we Ask???? Well?????? Huh????? A HaIkU????? YeS. iT iS NoT FooliSh tO aSk His DieTerNess fOr a HaIKu. iT iS Only SaNiTy IS iT Not?!?!?! Is IT nOT RighT to tRY anD beCOMe DIEterIZED beFORe hE LeaVeS?!?!?! LEt us AsK NiCeLy aNd wE wIlL sEe!!!!

DieTeR???? We aRe in nEED!!!! ONLy DieTer cAn wRItE HaiKus to CompLETe tHe DIEterIZING!!!! IS This nOt sO????? YES!!!! Turds!!!! wE asK beFOrE yOu leaVe to gIVe us a HAIKu. SiLeNCE!!!! WE asK WithOuT FooLiShNeSs!!!! KiNdLy DieTer. WE asKs and sAys PlEasE!!!!!! iN moMEnTs of uNcERTaInTy wE wiLL reMemBer DieTers WisE HaiKU, no? huh??? gOOd NiGhT!!!! YES!!!!!

-- (SonOfDust@FRL.qUEst), January 04, 2000.

WeLl, nOW thAt DieTEr haS BeEn FouNd, whERE Is JoR-El?

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 05, 2000.

(((Tricia))) Jorel will find his way back here, don't worry. If he doesn't show up longly, or shortly, we will dispatch the squad of stealth geese (armed with DuctCakes) that are on sit-by, or stand-by, or fly-by!

FRLians: Be proud, FRlians, for within only an hour of the Quest, His DIEterNeSS came to the FOrum and we now know he is doing well! Thanks to all who helped in the effort. Either it was just pure coincidence or he heard the call and was moved enough to de-lurk, or perhaps our Chief FRLian Investigatress had a hand in it? We may never know. Perhaps he will return to us with a Haiku some time - he has before, so ya never know! Anyway, The Quest is hereby declared FULFILLED! We can now go back to posting as we abnormally do.

Long Live our Fruitcake Freedoms.

Long Live the FRL!!!!

Uh, Hmmmmm. Almost forgot - one other thing for Our Lady in the Sheets. I see on DIEters thread that you cast another asperin on my character. I let that 'Bugger' remark slide on the last thread, and now you do this? Sheesh! Oh the pain, the pain... Do you think you should offer to applegize? Well?

-- (sonofdust@quest.fullfilled), January 05, 2000.

Just some housekeeping: According to S.O.B., the Official Keeper of the Count, threads 1 - 16 had 2415 answers and #17 had 70. This means that Tricia's post above was number two thousand five hundred! Printing out all these threads would make any beaver cry.

Congrats Princess Tricia, Dear and Loyal FRLian!! (is it your birthday again?!?!?)

-- (sonofdust@congrats.tricia), January 06, 2000.

Actually dear Rob, I got to celebrate my de-birthday on January 1 along with all of the other fair ladies on this BB. Now I'm 33 again!

Thanks, SOBob!!!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 06, 2000.

Tricia: A be-lated Happy de-birthday to YOU! LOL. Good Sir Cook may have a word to say about this de-birthday stuff - I still don't get it and he has that special way of explaining things to us :)

Still quiet here at the FRL I see. With all of the breaking news it is no wonder I guess. FRL chat seems to be where some are hanging out now. I find it ironic that it was only the three of us chatting there that first night, and now they are there and we are here. If this is our home away from home, then is FRLchat the home away from home away from home? Sheesh!

-- (sonofdust@here.there), January 06, 2000.

Tricia the Canuck,

>Now I'm 33 again!

Thanks, SOBob!!!<

Ms. Tricia,

You are most welcome Ma'am.

But I must say that you don't look a day over 21. Are you sure that you're actually 33? Really? You wouldn't kid around about that would you? You look so young! My oldest daughter is 34 and you look much younger than that. Are you just funnin poor ole me?

Sir Rob The Onest,

I too would like to hear Sir Robert Cook's explanation of how this all works with the aging thingy. All I know is that I temporarily had the power to retard the chronological ages of the Ladies through the use of the "Way Back" machine. I've lost it now of course. It wasn't y2k compliant and it failed just a few minutes ago.

As the "Foo Foo Fairy" explained it when I was given the gift, it had something to do with the theory of space/time/gravity and the eye of a newt, mixed into a ball of it was more gooder back then.

It would only work on the ladies, and they had to be pure of heart and mind, a pillar of strength to all that they knew or met, kind to poor dumb animals, and filled with the love of life. Those are the rules as I was given them.

Oh yeah, and there was something else about some slippers too, but I forget now just what it was.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it until I'm forced to come up off of it by Mr. Cook and his truth serum.

#20

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), January 07, 2000.

i am investigating - the "eye of newt" definitely looked askew and was roving - but that's a politically incorrect story of different ill-repute.....so a substitute needs be mounted - hopefully in more fixed array.

However, if like dogs, the political types were fixed, there'd less straying in Washington......

To the subject at hand, or the verb and interjective adjective - if one were a English teacher - except then you couldn't read this in Canadaianain - where they only think they speak Canandianainainan - and now have to write box labels on three languages instead of just one....oh well, I digress - which is short for cows do to after they eat hay.

I am concerned about trouble-shooting the madams' birthday reversion of negative birthdays occuring after the random swing date of perhaps June 19th, one should test the inclusive factor of January 01, 0000 and February 31, 0000 - if read incorrectly to the reverse integrator with a negative bias factor related to the current spate of dates being used as January 01, 19100 - the results could be disasterous to all concerned - and cause one's sheets to be blowing three sheets to the wind.

(A sight to behold, for sure!)

Also - for the younger (blue-haired) generation of the gentle persusion - though one could doubt that the missing week between Christmas Day (December 25, 0000 AD or December 25, 0001 BC and New Year's Day, January 1, 0001 AD could cause unintended consequences.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 07, 2000.

Thanks, Robert! Now it's as clear as mud! :-) BTW, when were you going to stand on that stage in your hometown for all to see?

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), January 07, 2000.

(((Gayla)))

You mean Our Good Sir Robert, Bearer of the Metal of Fruifulness, is going to be upstaged? Wow. I gotta see this. Can I get tickets? If I can't get tickets, can I be part of the show? I wanna be on the stage too! I can sing and play geetar or pianee purdy good. Please?

-- (sonofdust@on.stage), January 07, 2000.

SOBob, how do you know how young I look - has someone leaked my picture? Although if you think I look that young, maybe they leaked Carla's and called it me.

Robert, I haven't a clue what you said, but now I'm worried about possible repercussions that may tend to cause me to be 2000 years old, again. Nah - SOBob wouldn't do that to me, would he?? Is Atlanta the home town where you get to stand on a stage? And as far as I know we only have 2 languages to write in here in Canuckia - English Canuckian and French Canuckian. I do okay in English Canuckian, but you'll have to refer to Chris for the FC version. My daughters are in French immersion at school, so they are back up versionists :-)

Rob, it's nice to see you still peek in here frequently. We could always start a new chat to be over run by BBers ;-)

Gayla, are you selling tickets to Robert's stage debut? If so, you need to time it to coincide with Unc's bash. June did I hear? Jeff says if we drive down it'll take us a month, but I think maybe we'll get to meet lots of BBers that way ;-) Problem is, the kids are still in school until the end of June, and Carla writes the provincial exams at the end of grade 9 this year. I'll be really disappointed if I have to miss the fun, again. I remember reading Chuck's post about BBers he wants to meet, and thinking "I don't want to have to choose!"

.

Y2k whimper

Means the chance to meet some friends

Down in Florida!

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 09, 2000.

>SOBob, how do you know how young I look - has someone leaked my picture? Although if you think I look that young, maybe they leaked Carla's and called it me. Robert, I haven't a clue what you said, but now I'm worried about possible repercussions that may tend to cause me to be 2000 years old, again. Nah - SOBob wouldn't do that to me, would he??<

Ms. Tricia,

Did I not mention my special split screen monitor? I'm so very sorry, I really thought that I had. It provides me a full 360 degree view of the head of whoever I type at, in real time. Color of course. That's how I know that your hair is slightly mussed a little in the back, behind your left ear.

No, Ms. Tricia, I could never let you age again. That is why I stressed that all of you ladies who would use that option must choose very carefully before you used the "Way Back" machine. That is because the effects are not reversable, and it was just a one shot deal.

So, you are forever stuck at whatever age you chose at that time.

Sorry, but it is the truth, as told to me by the "Foo Foo Fairy" at the time of the gift. At least you had the chance, which is more than I had.

Enjoy your ageless beauty Ms. Tricia, but, Please, fix the ruffled hair. OK? You look so much better when you do.

Enjoy your upcoming Florida trip Ma'am.

#25

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), January 09, 2000.

*Whew* never to see 2000 again!

(BTW, thanks for the grooming tip - I could've embarrassed myself! ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 10, 2000.

Well, Rob, if you can play the "geetar or pianee" as well as you can mow lawns, you might just have a future on the stage! ;-) Sir Robert of the "I don't COOK unless it's 3 ingredients or less" was going to get on the stage and admit he was wrong about Y2K. Maybe he will coordinate the time with Uncle Deedah's party so Ms. Tricia won't miss it? :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), January 10, 2000.

Upcoming stage appearance on Saturaday, Jan 15, 20100 in downtown Kennesaw at noon at the old Railroad Depot, across from the General's Train Museum. (You can't miss it - it's at the same place where they stole the train in '62: turn right at the second red light in downtown going from the south going north on Old Highway 41. Of course, if you're coming into downtown Kennesaw from the north on Old Highway 41, turn right at the first red light downtown.

If you're on Highway 41 in Chicago - go south - you're not there yet.

If you're on Highway 41 someplace else - you can't there from here or here from there - (where you aren't there already because you're not there yet) so don't go there - get off onto Old Highway 41 after you get to the right place and go the other way, unless you're going the right way in the first place. Then you don't have to turn around, so stay in the right direction on the other road ...

Coffee afterwords (which will be few in number!) at the Kennesaw restaurant across the tracks. Biscuits and eggs, sausage or bacon as required.

Of course, it's not a very big

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 10, 2000.

No FRL chat this morning? :-( MSN says the room doesn't exist. Say it isn't so!

((((Lovelies))))

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), January 10, 2000.

Robert, after that masterly summation of anti-directions, I fully expect Unc to contact you and make you the official direction-giver for the party at his place :-) (since we all know how anxious Unc is to have us show up on his doorstep). Besides, 20100?? You expect to still be alive then?? The stolen train will be ashes and rust by then!

Donna, I hope you found someone to chat with. I'm not chatting much these days, but I'm always willing to trade e's :-)

.

Navy down jacket

resembling Michelin man

But it's toasty warm!

.

Furry mukluks too

My feet are always cuddled

Massaged as I walk.

.

So maybe winter

Is not so bad after all

If it's short enough! :-)

.

Odd problems at work

No spaces available

At least not in LAN.

.

Rob, oh Great un-Honoured Leader, have the Cascade crew reported in lately on geese sightings (or lack of them in the event of stealth reconnaisance)? I've missed their melodious postings lately (here at least).

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 11, 2000.

Where did everybody go? (Plaintive sigh, pouting, lip touching the ground)

.

Beauty greets my eyes:

Brilliant sun, bright snow, black trees

Winter wonderland :-)

.

Learning to see

By opening up my heart,

Feeling others' pain

.

Missing you all

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 12, 2000.

For dear, sweet Tricia,
Sending some sunshine your way...
You sure deserve it! :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), January 13, 2000.

Salutations fellow FRLians! Posting the last few days has been a terrible chore because we spilled herbal tea on the keyboard, and have to delete strange strings of characters to make typing readable. We've been using the hair dryer frequently which helps but only for a few minutes at a time.

Stealth geese are hiding, but we have seen flocks of plump Canuckian geese along rivers. They really get along well with the other critters.

Rumor has it that the flybys were able to Wrap the Bug with Stealth Warp Shield Cloaking Devices. Under the Cloak they are pecking away and early birding the worms, bugs, roaches, and other pesky pests. They plan to clean it all up and then swoop off the Cloak when nobody is looking. They've already declared victory so nobody is inclined to look too closely.

FRLian vigilance is still advisorial since the fowls are winging it and get their feathers ruffled every now and then.

The Big Bird pulled a humingdinger Weave too, so the layers of Veil are multiple and fine. We watch and enjoy the shimmering tapestry.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), January 13, 2000.

Just checking in, oh esteemed Lovelies. A chance for a hug.

((((FRLians))))

Those who keep the master contact list, please note new email below....

Vive la Resistance!

-- Donna (moment@home.com), January 13, 2000.

Thanks for the haiku, Gayla :-)

Nice to hear from you again, Ashton and Leska, sorry about your computer :-( If you had anything in your tea, ie sugar or cream, you'd be wise to have your keyboard professionally cleaned or you'll have continuing problems.

Glad to hear from you again, Donna! How goes the adolescent girls supervision job? Here's a hug - hope you get lots of physical ones, too! ((((Donna))))

.

Working nights tonight

Too cold, half our patients 'no show'

Home to sleep instead :-D

.

GoOD nIghT!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 14, 2000.

Clear, blue skies overhead today, highs in the mid 60's (real degrees - not those faux cillygrade temperatures!) - but a bit more chilly two days ago.....had to put on the long sleeve shirt to work outside.

I think I might accidently be the cause of the spilt tea problem....Ooops. Comes from dotting one's tee's and crossing the eye's at the wrong in the right sylable. Or from dotting one's eye's while crossing one's tee's in the middle of the block, instead of walking all the way down to the end of the street.

Which brings to mind the question of why did the chicken cross his eye's?

Aye - there's the rub.....whether tis nobler to dot the tee's or cross the eye's, or to duck and dodge (or Ford) the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune .. unless the arrows point to the other side of the road.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 14, 2000.

Couldn't go without one more last.....

.

Fruitcake family

Cherished times, fond memories,

choking up...Fare well.

-- Missing you all (ready) (you@know.who), January 14, 2000.

Unk, I wish you all the best in your retiredment. You can still FRL, without BBoarding - keep that option in mind.

And Happy Birthday!!!!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 15, 2000.

Chris, am I too late to wish you a happy birthday, too? May this be your best year so far!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 15, 2000.

All my friends run off to chat

And so I guess that that is that

This thread is toast

I'll miss it most

It was a great place to hang my hat!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 16, 2000.

Tricia, Happy, Happy, belated Birthday, Sweetie.

((((Tricia))))

-- Donna (moment@home.com), January 17, 2000.

Donna, should that be Happy De-birthday (which happened at rollover) or addressed to Chris, whose birthday is some time in January (I don't remember the exact date)? If it's happy de-birthday, you get one, too. SOBob's fairy gave all the FRLian women a one-time-only de-birthday upon which we can pick the age we want to be, and we stay that age for an indefinite period of time - not to exceed our natural life span :-)

(I may not have that exactly right, if I don't I'm sure SOBob will be happy to set the record straight; he's good at record straightening.)

SO, Happy de-Birthday to you, too, Donna ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 17, 2000.

Well then, I'm 20! That was a really good year; I'll take the eternal extension :-)
Course not giving up all that's been gained since then, cept some of this, err, Y2K walkable storage ...

FRLians enjoy your January slumber ;^)

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 17, 2000.

No, you're actually 18 today. The 20 is Thursday.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 18, 2000.

Leska, if you can credibly call yourself 20, you are much younger than I! The de-birthday effect doesn't seem to extend to looks, unfortunately. Maybe another good fairy will extend that pleasure to us in future years :-)

What's happened to our fearless leader? Has he gone into retiredmentness without warning? Should we start a "Search for Rob" thread?

.

Rob Michaels missing

Our fearless leader is gone

Quick, someone find him!

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 20, 2000.

Okay - you're 20 today.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 20, 2000.

oops! Sometimes a quest can become, well, you know... a qUEsT! or a question to ask. Look what happened to Arthur (or at least to Gwen & Lance while he was away too long), to Pellinore after his Questing Beast, and to Monty Python upon encountering the Knights Who Say NeAP. Odysseus must ask himself how many ships were launched in quest for this hELeN ?

I truly did search -- all the Dieters I found were, amazingly, Germans! Few of them admitted to hosting jackals or hyenas on their websites. And none of them were infidels!

No, my trajectory took me over many lands, several defunct operating systems, and two weeks of merely printing out the threads menu every two days, with no time to look at it let alone click into anything around Jan. 4, which shall be forever memorialised: D-dAy.

No time for Y2k! Now that's a sad state. Of affairs or of anything. Especially since my wife gave me that look on January 1 that said "I've reverted to a DGI for at least a month now. Youve noticed? Good. If I hear one Y2k bug problem out of your mouth you're gonna make me a DWGIA: Divorcing Wife Gets It ALL!"

So I went pretty much cold turkey. IOW, whatever disasters might befall from the Y2k direction were trivial compared to the HORROR that was a-brewing right under my own roof! Smart cookie that I am, I decided to take my chances with TEOTWWhenever. Never fight on two fronts simultaneously a certain Field Marshall tried to warn a certain Fuhrer, who to our eternal gratitude, ignored the advice.

In WW2 it was Kilroy, I'm sure George Washington had "Yankee Doodle Dandy" graffiti scribbled on the outside of his tent in the morning, though what he thought it referred to is still outside the realm of historical recollection. However, we are fortunate to still have the entire extant body of DieTEr'S werke in hand! Exegetic scholars are even as we write poring over and boring into the delicate sonnet-like verses, Joycean metres, and Yeats-like eschatology. We SHALL reveal der D-MAN in all his glory. What low beast slouches toward Badenheim waiting to be born?

OOPS oh no gotta go -- my browser is crashing, the Net is going down, Bill Gates is quitting to become a day trader, aaaaghh! is it my last 2 am visit? Perhaps hE knows?!? I am not lost, for hE has found me...

-- jor-el (jor-el@krypton.uni), January 21, 2000.

Is it sexual herassment if an extent day trader swaps a stock-in-hand for a sextent in the bush while looking for a Night that goes Kneap?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 21, 2000.

I hope Old Git catches this thread - she loves Pythonesque humour.

And we all like Robert's humour on those rare occasions we actually GI! ;-)

And to make all those living south of cold feel smart and good :

.

The day dawns brightly

Sun shining warmly on us

High near -9!

.

(15F for those using the antiquated scale)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 21, 2000.

C'mon, y'all. I know that you're still checking in here. So write me some haiku, a limerick or even just some prose....

.

The lonely old figure peers out of his tattered tent. Did he just hear someone whistling in the dark? Naw. The old circus is deserted. Even the Fruitcakes have packed it in and gone away. He sighs and returns to stitching another patch onto his size 47 shoe.

.

Imitation is still the most sincere form of flattery, Lon :-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 23, 2000.

zzzzzzzzz, ACK, SNARF!

Did someone rub the lamp?

Oh, hi, Trish. I just got back from two weeks mostly on the road. Too busy to even develop any snapshots for ya'll, but I'll get better in about a week. Thanks for holdin' down the fort while I been gone.

Lot's of new folks on the forum, it seems. maybe we oughta have a nother membership drive. I just know there's some new talent for foolishness out there.

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), January 23, 2000.

Power back up now after that little (obviously Canadianainaian-inspired) ice storm this weekend. Everybody here okay, everything worked fine. Inverter, batteries, and backup heat were fine. Water stayed up, natural gas stayed up, so the heater worked okay from the batteries. Very, very little power from the solar cells - they remained covered by 3/8" to 3/4" of solid ice and just didn't melt. No significant structural damage from falling limbs (to our house, roof or panels), but the porch cover has a few new "ventilation" holes and "skylights".... but no damage to cars.

Neighborhood still has several thousand tree branches down in various yards, streets, and lots; and many tens of thousand other busted and twisted upper limbs that didn't completely fall off. As stuff melts, most limbs (that didn't break completely) seem to straighten out okay.

Felt funny: I strongly disagreed with Mr. K's "3 day winter storm" analogy: believed most people would not treat it seriously (they didn't!) and would therefore not prepare seriously for any potential disruptions (they didn't!).....so, we got a little more ready for more problems lasting longer than many, though for as much (as long) y2k-induced disruptions as some.

Then, three weeks after the rollover, we get hit by a three-day ice storm! Over 350,000 lost power in Atlanta area alone, about half were back up in 12 hours,most back up within 24 hours, some still out today though. (North GA, South Carolina has more than 150-200,000 still out, but are recovering even more slowly.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 24, 2000.

Whew! Robert, I'm glad to hear you're alright! (Except for your porch) I plan to always be a little more prepared for disaster than I was before I discovered this forum. Life has a few things up her sleeve, and you never know which one is going to be pulled out next. (An ice storm?? In Georgia??? Bizarre!)

Lon, glad to hear you're back from... wherever. I hope you had a great trip. I'll look forward to reading your snapshot - at your convenience, of course.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 24, 2000.

Hoping against hope

To find friends still talking here

I visit again

.

Lonely old woman

Sitting talking to herself

And her cats and bird ;-)

.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 26, 2000.

We proud FRLians have not forgotten! Just bizzy and still tea in the keyboard problem. Really good to see the Bored-resistant Remnant! :-)

Where is our ChiefTin hiding?

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), January 26, 2000.

Wow, CPR he's-a goin' nuts and could use a little Dieter?

Dieter is a fine man.

He'll be siphoned back in as surely as we all have been.

Man, and I was ready to polly-out.

-- nobody you know (somebody@employed.presently), January 26, 2000.

So how is our translated-to-the-freezing-South-from-dear-old-warm-UK Miss Git going?

Or did she get got before she could get gone?

If so, who's gone and does her hubby know? But if it gone, do we know it's gotten there, or is it still there because it didn't get gotten? (These stealthy questions always confuse me...perhaps I should go to the other side of the road.... and think about this side of the road, which, of course, from that side of the road is this side of the road, which I never should have left in the first place...unless it was the right side of the road in the second place......but who's on first and what's on second, not in the third place.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 26, 2000.

Hmmmn. No answer from the Miss Git - maybe she got got?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 28, 2000.

Thought I'd stop by just to say hello,
Poor Ms. Tricia gets lonely, you know.
Most FRLians are 'MIA'
Seems we scattered after 'Y2K'.
Is it time for the rest of us to let go?

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), January 28, 2000.

Hi gang! Happy Super Sunday! I have been busy on a new project at work, now that my company declared y2k to be 'over' :)

It is snowing like crazy, again. We got a foot in the storm last week. Too bad I don't ski! Ice fishing is good though. The lake has been frozen and safe most of this month. Yummy perch and trout.

Hope all are well. (((FRLians)))

Tricia: Check for my 'e' :)

-- (sonofdust@super.bowl), January 30, 2000.

The Super Bowl "media whether storm" proves again that Southerners shouldn't be trusted with that da*m Canadaianuckinan weather.....they shut down schools here Friday on the "threat" of some ice and snow on Friday afternoon....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 31, 2000.

A busy weekend - 3 whole posts ;-)

Gayla, I think you may be right; we may have to let the FRL go *sigh*

Robert - I apologize for sticking you with our weather - but better you than me! We've had a fabulous week or two. And for our 21st anniversary, we went to Jasper in the Canuckian Rockies. We had fabulous weather - warm (near freezing) and sunny, not busy - January is their slowest month, and No Kids!!! What a blast :-D

Rob, so good to hear from you again! I'm glad you're busy at work, job security is a good thing ;-) but you need to peek in now and then - we *missed* you! I hope you're equiped to handle all that snow you got. You may be grateful for your preps, but I'll bet that Robert's even more so.

.

Incredible views

Mountains, snow, blue sky and trees

Nourishment for souls!

.

Hope you all had wonderful weekends, too!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 31, 2000.

Trish,

Wash your mouth out with soap! The FRL SHALL rise again!

We are mostly still here, I think. Just taking a breather or getting some work done, ike me and Kit. I got a new contract at the first of the year, and have been hustling all over Texas for three weeks. But we are gonna take a break next week and go to Florida. Maybe visit some, maybe just knock around. No plans really, except to get really warm.

I hope to have more time, and perhaps can write a few rhymes to take the load off of you. Hang in there, we'll see the likes of the Circus looniness yet again!

BTW, the "quiz" thread is pretty good.

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), January 31, 2000.

Consider my mouth washed :-P

I have no objection to sitting here talking at myself and waiting for someone to show up as long as someone *does* show up eventually. (I'm very good at talking to myself and only rarely answer 'Huh?' to the questions ;-)

Hope you have a wonderful trip, Lon!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 01, 2000.

We watch, and we're always here ... ;^)
Just Invisible ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), February 01, 2000.

Speaking of watching.....what are/were/will be/used to be the results of the groundhog surveillance programs this fine Febrewugly (though I've never seen a fine brew be really very ugly fro very long) 02, 20100.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 02, 2000.

Well, Robert, I'd be happy to look up the ground hog day results for you, but I can't reach that century's historical records yet :-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 02, 2000.

Unless you're in the fair (hot) lands of OZ, NZ, or SA ... you'd have to look down groundhog records....but you could look up squirrel records.

Looking up elephunt records is possible, but not highly recommended for short people (nor lowly recommended for high people - but they (being high) might not notice or know it) .... the elephunts tend to get nervous when looked up into..

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 02, 2000.

:-D

I'll settle for the record of Muscrat Love, by the Captain and Tenille

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 02, 2000.

Just a note to say hi, and keep the thread alive.

Speaking of which, oh great and glorious leader, how 'bout a new one? Another membership drive, per Lon's suggestion above?

And Lon, where are my 'snapshots' :-( Did you post them on a separate thread and forget to tell me? I miss poetry, and even your prose is poetic.

Have a great weekend, all!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), February 04, 2000.

The FRL crowd has been increased by one 7 lb 9 oz 19.50" boy (first grandchild of poster) as of Saturday...mother and baby both fine, just extremely tired.

PS It might be a while before he posts his first mesage though.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 07, 2000.

COngrats to the grand parents!!

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 07, 2000.

SOBob yer duty calls. Here and on the new recruiting drive thread.

C

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 07, 2000.

CONGRATULATIONS
GRANDPA! :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), February 07, 2000.

Congratulations "Paw Paw Cook" on the birth of the first of the newest generation of Engineers. I teust that both mother and son are well. I know that the Dad wasn't at the time.

I have once again returned from where I was to where I am, so you unlucky souls will have to put up with me once again. Sometimes life is just plain out unfair isn't it?

I shall return later.

Have fun and enjoy the peace and quiet that we have now.

TTFN

#75

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), February 07, 2000.