So my life is kind of a mess. There's a lot of personal stuff that's going on and I'm making bad decisions. But the paper published this piece by Anne Lamott and that referenced Salon.com so I gave it a shot. And it has message boards!

Currently I'm hanging out on an IRC channel talking Buffy but I miss having an online community. The one I belonged to imploded when the person who owned the site redsigned it and then packed up and took her things. There was very little warning and people scattered to the wind. They were not Buffy people however.

So I found the Table Talk Buffy thread after I found all the other stuff in Table Talk and I'm so gald it's not like those other boards with the weird looking threads and tons and tons of sub topics.

I don't have a boyfriend, I have a cat. I'm under employed and I always had this childhood dream of moving to New England, possibly Maine and live on the rocky coast.

(Instead I got Vermont, I'm underemployed I have a black and white cat and am dealing with mental health issues. But I have an awesome boyfriend and my life is actually a lot better).

After writing down post numbers of how far I had read (a completist even then), I finally got myself an account.

I did the same thing!

Hi! I followed the Buffistas from TT, via PeoplesForum. I've recently started a job with the federal government. I have a boyfriend(relationship also kinda new) and a cat. I'm probably going to lurk a lot.

I'm almost 30 and have been with my partner for 5 years. We travel and see bands and love independent film. We live in LA and will NEVAH EVAH leave! Mostly still closeted and it sucks.

(My how things change...)

Posting to check something. Back in a mo.

ETA: I'd just been to a writers conference in Charlotte, where Annie Lamott spoke about the column she wrote for an online magazine, Salon. Her talk was quite good, but made spectacular by the ESL translator, with whom she had a mock banter-battle while he was signing. In any case, I had just barely dipped a toe into the murky waters of teh internetz, and went looking for Salon. Saw a strangely attractive silhouette and link for a section of Salon called "Tabletalk" and went exploring. Found the Agnes Bertiz thread and lurked a bit before posting on June 2, 1999, post, #1617 of 4014, on that motherthread.

I'm married, two teenaged sons, one living with his girlfriend and trying to work and put himself through community college on his own. The other working and amassing a gaggle of friends. I've left the office I managed for more than ten years under the increasing demands and diminishing rewards of corporate-style reorg. The husband and I decided now is the time to devote to that novel I've been pecking away at. Part-time work at B&N keeps me in coffee and discount books, but it's the clever people in the lighty box who broaden my world to other cities in other parts of the country, and other countries. All of 'em interested in this clever and witty Buffy show.

Aww, I love that this took off! It's amazing to think how much we have all changed. I'm so glad I'm not the person I was then, though I want to squish her cheeks and tell her it's really, truly going to be okay. And the people here will be a huge reason why.

Re-hashing some previous posts, but:

I'm a champion lurker -- I first came across Buffista posts at WorldCrossing (following a link from Dana Stabenow's website to a post about an analysis of how many vampires Sunnydale might reasonably support), but didn't visit often because the site worked sooooooo slowly on my dial-up connection. Buffistas.org is an amazing improvement.

I almost de-lurked after the first few episodes of Firefly, because I started to think I might have something to say, but then I read that the show had been cancelled. I almost de-lurked mid-way through BtVS season 7, because I liked the first half and started to think I might have something to say, but then I disliked most of the second half of the season and de-lurking just to make negative comments struck me as rude. I almost de-lurked during the fundraiser for Nilly's visit, but I was a little too slow, and the goal was met while I was dithering.

I'm finally de-lurking because Tim has called out the lurkers to show some support for Wonderfalls.

I enjoy the watch-n-posts for various shows. I like seeing the hive-mind in action, I like the variety of topics, and I like the idea that every once in a while I might be able to contribute something to the conversation.

This place is always entertaining and often informative. For that I thank you all.

edited for TMI

I went archive diving and found what I think is my first post. Also remembered my original username - Amber0268. Anyway, first post was April 18, 2001. Nillytour was 2004 - so I was mostly lurky during those first years. So, let me try this agian...

I was 33 when a friend mentioned Salon and I ended up finding the Buffy thread. I lived in California at the time. I also considered myself stuck in a marriage that wasn't good anymore and was trying to work out how to ask for a divorce. (This would be put on hold when my FIL killed himself the following January). CJ was in pre-school and K-Bug was just finishing up 5th grade.

My 10 year work anniversary was fast approaching. We had been in our Alameda house for 4 years and my mom's health was strong.

I found my first post! Feb 24, 1999! (And almost immediately I start advocating for a separate spoiler thread! ha!)

I know I must have lurked for a while before that though but, basically, winter '99 I'm 31 and have been living in Baltimore for a year and a half. I'm renting a house in Hampden (a whole two bedroom house for $500 a month). I am working as a publications designer for a public health research company and I have an office with a window and a nice wooded view but thee job is not very challenging and I know I'm not going to get anywhere in the company unless I go out and get an MPH (and I've got terminal degree and am kind of over being in school). I have Frank, my terrieresque dog of undetermined age, and my two ginger brother cats who are just about 4. No boyfriend and not really dating and sad about it. I'm just starting to make a few friends here, aside from the friends I knew here already or met through them.

(And almost immediately I start advocating for a separate spoiler thread! ha!)

I think the second thing I ever posted was a spoiler to which Dana responded, "My eyes!!"