Good to see you, Karl and Fern!

GOOD on your brother, Fern! That's great!

I am also squeaking in under the wire. I've been planning to de-lurk here all month, and it's perfectly in keeping with my personality that I wait until the very last day.

Hi, all. I'm Jean. I was a fairly regular poster many years ago, but I could never keep up. I lurk in Natter, Bitches, Literary, and Non-Fiction when the subject is SYTYCD or The Sing-Off. It would feel really weird to de-lurk in one of those threads, because, well, it's weird to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to drop the veil in this thread.

I live in Minneapolis with my cats, Leo and Matilda. Two years ago I quit my job to go back to school full-time (studying music), but couldn't afford to keep going, so now I'm just plain old unemployed. Except for the whole lack-of-money thing, it hasn't been a bad experience -- I've had time to volunteer at my church, help out friends, take morning walks, and do a lot of thinking (probably too much). But at this point I'm really tired of unstructured time. I'm also starting to feel really boring because I can't afford to do anything.

I really admire the support you all give to each other, and I'm going to try to actually participate in the conversations from now on rather than just sit on the sidelines. It's not like I don't have time ...

Oh! And for you SYTYCD fans, I actually won tickets to the touring show a couple of weeks ago, and it was awesome. So much fun!

Jean, feel free to delurk in Non-fiction! We couldn't care less!

Thanks! I will!

Oh! And for you SYTYCD fans, I actually won tickets to the touring show a couple of weeks ago, and it was awesome. So much fun!

JEALOUS! You should totally de-lurk in Nonfiction--threads that go more slowly or that you can easily skim the bits you don't do (like if you don't watch Amazing Race) are perfect for that!

Never worry about being perceived as a stalker. You just have to jump in at some point, like playing double dutch.

Jean, yay!

I'm also starting to feel really boring because I can't afford to do anything.

I know this feeling well.

it's weird to eavesdrop on other people's conversations

I remember feeling like that, but I totally agree with Ginger, which is not unusual. No worries - jump in!

I wish we'd had this thread back when I delurked. It would have been smoother with a set place to do an intro., etc. Whoever came up with this idea, and it's probably recorded in Bureau somewhere, you are brilliant, and thank you.

I suck at double dutch -- I suck at *single* dutch, if such thing exists -- but jumping in here never results in scraped knees or meeting the sidewalk facefirst.

It's so nice to see everyone! I love this thread and this tradition.

Attempting actual, rather that metaphorical, double dutch at this point in my life would probably mean a trip to the ER. I could do it in its simplest forms when I was about 8, though.

I too will join the line of late delurkers. I am still a steady lurker but last year managed to procrastinate right through the end of October.

The life report is pretty much the same as it was back in 2009. I am still living in Boston with my 4 cats. I had an insane six months where I had six as I took care of my best friend's 2 cats while she dealt with severe post-partum depression. She got the help she needed and the guest cats were able to go home in September. It is so much quieter and peaceful with just four.

I still have the same job, which isn't quite as fabulous as it was two years ago but it is a job.

Otherwise there's not much to tell, which is probably why I excel at being a lurker.

On a final note, I must thank everyone in the SPN thread. You got me hooked!