Can you believe we’re all still here?

[4speedy]

The college thread has me laughing at myself.  I have a distinct memory of posting while in bed at our old house.   The thread was a bunch of us wondering how long we would stay on “The Nest” and a bunch of us talking about how wild it would be if we were still there 10 years later.  We haven’t lived in that house in over 18 years, lol.  I’ve been here (all of the various iterations of the Knot and then the great exodus over here) for almost 20 years.  Holy shit!  I was here for wedding planning, house buying, babies, illness/death of a parent and now my own cancer diagnosis and college planning for my kid.  At this point, I think we should all be planning to retire in the same old folks home because I think we’re together forever.  Anyone feel like a trip down memory lane?  Favorite memories, wonder what happened to old posters?  Post it here.

I’ll go first:  One of my favorite moments was not even on the board.  back before smart phones, my DH and I shared a personal laptop (different ones for work).  I had been emailing back and forth with GoodHeartedWoman about her son’s medical diagnosis.  I guess I must have copied and pasted her email address and it was still still in my computer memory.  My DH was shopping on Craig’s List, completely unbeknownst to me, for some ATVs.  He was trying to email a listing with questions but accidentally pasted GHM’s email address.  So she emailed me right back and asked if this guy was related to me and why did he think she had ATV’s to sell to him.  So we decided to have some fun with DH.

This is the email my DH accidentally sent to GHM (yes, she forwarded it to me and I have kept it all these years)

do you still have the two hondas?
can you give descriptions and a couple more pics?
thanks,
4Speedy’s dumb-ass husband

And this was her reply

I don't have any pictures. I just want these damn things out of my garage. My jackass ex husband decided to screw around on me and I'd like to pay him back a little, if you see what I mean. I'll sell them both for $350 total, which will cover the cost of the divorce. I know he was planning on selling them for a lot more, so this is a great deal. Thank you. Let me know when you can come get them.


My DH came home from work so excited, he thought he had hit the jackpot.  I almost felt bad for him but it did lead to a discussion about him not making major purchases without at least running it by me first.

I remember GHM left the board with a little drama but I can’t remember what it was.  Does anyone know whatever happened to her?

[VillainV]

I was more off an on. On The Knot for wedding #1 and a few years after, then took a break, and came back right around the time of the migration. I’m not a spreadsheet person, and I have a horrible memory, so I don’t remember a lot of individual posters unless there were MAJOR events associated with them.

[wanderingback]

Yep, been around since 2006. Oh man, I have the worse memory. But I started on money matters, it was very active from what I remember. And then every Friday there would be a coupon post. Who remembers that? Then, people got sick of all the kid talk so MM Moms was born. And ML was not a fun place to be (won’t rehash all the drama, racism, fucked up stuff), but here we are and there’s definitely been a shift.

I guess one poster that just randomly popped in my head, Bliss (I think that was the name). Were they a troll or just young and naive? I wonder what they’re up to.

[underwaterrhymes]

Two favorite days:

The day I was called a bitch by some rando. 😂

The day everyone here rallied to help me recoup my missing baby clothes before they finally were returned to me after almost two years. ❤️

[chilerellanos]

I’ve been on and off since about 2006. More on, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciated all of the support I have received from so many of you over the years about my kids.

Ironically when my own life fell apart I had to step back for about 3-4 years when I went through my divorce. I mostly lurk now. But I still cannot imagine having gone through life without the group through all of its good and bad and changes.

[4speedy]

Apr 7, 2023 6:24:09 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Yep, been around since 2006. Oh man, I have the worse memory. But I started on money matters, it was very active from what I remember. And then every Friday there would be a coupon post. Who remembers that? Then, people got sick of all the kid talk so MM Moms was born. And ML was not a fun place to be (won’t rehash all the drama, racism, fucked up stuff), but here we are and there’s definitely been a shift.

I guess one poster that just randomly popped in my head, Bliss (I think that was the name). Were they a troll or just young and naive? I wonder what they’re up to.

Yep, I was mostly on the parenting board on The Nest before they spun off The Bump because I was terrified of Married Life.  OMG, so many mean girls back then.  That place was brutal.  I lurked on ML for a long time before I was brave enough to jump into the fray.  Glad it’s become so much nicer and supportive.

[4speedy]

Apr 7, 2023 6:25:36 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Two favorite days:

The day I was called a bitch by some rando. 😂

The day everyone here rallied to help me recoup my missing baby clothes before they finally were returned to me after almost two years. ❤️

I remember this but I had totally forgotten it was you.

[CurlyQ284]

I joined the Blended Families group when H and I got engaged, maybe 2008ish. We started dating when they were tiny but they were 7 and 8 when we decided to get married and I wanted to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to be a stepmom. Now my SDs are 20 and 21, no more child support and we almost never see Hs exW anymore. We've done 2 cross country moves since then and added DS to this crazy circus and he's 10 now. It's wild how much time flies.

[lucybrown]

I was on the knot for a bit since maybe 2007. Mostly the local boards, but definitely well before we got engaged. I’ll never forget that my photographer called me out for telling someone else what I paid on TK. He gave me a “super special” discount that I was certain everyone received. It was embarrassing that he identified me on an anonymous internet board.

I lurked on the nest and was pretty active on the bump with my firstborn. I don’t recall exactly when I migrated over. I actually found GBCN by googling a poster’s name that had a blog I followed. ML was a much more cliquey, mean place then. I lurked for a long time, but am glad I finally jumped in.

ETA: my profile says I registered in 2015. Definitely lurked for a few years.

[gummybear]

I joined TK in Jan 2002 when bc we got engaged. It totally blows my mind.

[abs]

I mostly lurked the knot way back in 2003-2004. I would post on my local board some. I didn't start regularly posting until the bump in 2010. It's now 2023 so I guess I'm not going anywhere.

[rubytue]

Apr 7, 2023 6:24:09 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Yep, been around since 2006. Oh man, I have the worse memory. But I started on money matters, it was very active from what I remember. And then every Friday there would be a coupon post. Who remembers that? Then, people got sick of all the kid talk so MM Moms was born. And ML was not a fun place to be (won’t rehash all the drama, racism, fucked up stuff), but here we are and there’s definitely been a shift.

I guess one poster that just randomly popped in my head, Bliss (I think that was the name). Were they a troll or just young and naive? I wonder what they’re up to.

Same. I avoided ML for years and years. It was scary, they would eat you alive. 

Bliss and her 6 minute mile. The Ruby-Tuesday who had triplets (pretty easy why this one sticks in my head). There are others from MM who stuck in my head. 

I was on another board pre-knot. It actually started on ivillage, and then moved private. That eventually faded away, a couple of us ended up on nest/bump. There is one person I’ve known online since the late 90s that did a flaming exit from CE&P. 

[bex1973]

underwaterrhymes, for some weird reason I was thinking about the clothes situation a few weeks ago but couldn't remember who had posted it LOL

It is weird to think about how long we've been hanging out. I started on the knot in 2010 and then migrated over here with the crowd. I'm so glad that we have moved on from the drama and shenanigans that were so obnoxious and have grown to a much more supportive place.

[HoneySpider]

I've been here in some form since 2008. More on other boards like MM, MMMoms, WC, GetP, GotP because there was too much crazy on ML for me lol.

My most cherished memory of the boards is all of the love and support I received after my losses, and eventually, the birth of my first son. I started my nonprofit Through the Heart after my TFMR and we just celebrated 10 years - and I have so many people here to thank for that! So many of you helped me get it off the ground and keep it going and I will be forever grateful for that.

[chickadee77]

I lurked through TK and TN since about 2002 or so (scandal when TN split off and no one wanted to move).

I remember the beginning of the usage of twatwaffle and asshat as general insults.

There was a poster whose name was "Corny"-something-or-other who would always say she was "cornfused" instead of "confused" which always cracked me up, and I say it occasionally.

I missed a lot of drama because I was working my first-ever big job after grad school, so I didn't keep up with everything, lol.

[amandakisser]

I started on NEY back in 2005-ish. I was a total lurker because they were MEAN on that board. When I finally did post, I got flamed to high hell and back for having overdue library books lol.

I remember star*sapphire who got married because she was pregnant, and eventually split from her husband because she had an affair with a woman who gave her what she dubbed a "mechanic's bracelet" LOL.

They used to make fun of the "bebe brides," of which I was one, lol. I also remember someone posting boudoir pics with absolutely filthy feet, so everyone dubbed her "dirty feet bpic girl" lol.

[circa1978]

My husband was part of The Well, which was one of the very first online communities, and over the years (I started posting in 2006 😳) I've thought of this space as the modern equivalent of a well or market in a town square or other place where women have gathered to talk and build relationships out of the mundane and the random and the life changing moments. This is the only exclusively feminine place in my life. I can't count the number of things I've learned about being a parent here but also just the knowledge that at any time of the day there is someone "here" - I think that's meaningful and I really value you all!

[wildrice]

Yes and no - I can't really see how I'm ever going to quit at this point, so I'll probably be posting here until we are all in retirement homes. I joined the Knot in 2009 when I was engaged to my first H, though I am not sure how many of you were on those boards with me at the time. I moved over to the Nest not too long after the wedding when I found I still wanted to engage with message boards but was over all the wedding related stuff. This group has seen me through multiple major problems with my XH, a divorce, meeting my current H, a layoff, an out of state move, the deaths of two dogs, and a million other joys and stressors in between. I am not always great at confiding in or relaying on my support network in person (whatever that even looks like these days) so it's been wonderful to have a relatively objective place to vent and get feedback - even if some of it has been flames from time to time.

I love how the vibe has evolved over time to become even more supportive. I think there have always been sources of support here, but I'm glad most of the people looking for drama or cattiness have moved on (either by choice or by force).

[beerlover]

underwaterrhymes, I was lurking back during the clothes situation. I followed the whole thing! I wonder whatever happened to that woman... I'm so glad you got the clothes back.

[pinotgrig]

I joined in 2006 after I got engaged. Was super active on my wedding month board, then TN (Nestie of the week at some point, lol), then the baby boards and now here! I mostly lurk these days.

Fave memories include the Halloween AE posts and the time katfco made a stuffed roomba for my kiddo. He still loves it and roombas. 😆

[sent]

There was a very slow either board or thread about South Asian weddings so I didn't read the forums very much on The Knot. I couldn't relate to most of the wedding stuff people stressed about. I only remember sometimes reading and barely posting on the old MM boards until one day I saw a post that said "everyone is over here" with a link and here I am. I'm also shocked it's been more than 10 years. I got flamed in the beginning over here about covering my grays. I remember being confused, mad and hurt.  I was shocked everyone thought it was ok to be so savage toward a stranger. I'm not really sure why I didn't leave. I seem to recall it's because I needed to prove a point to the flamers that they were not going to be successful in driving me away because I wasn't weak. I probably needed the moral boost that I was still a strong person even if it was on an anonymous internet place because at the same time, people IRL were also on my case trying to mentally beat me down for my weaknesses and refusal to conform. Ten years later, not much has changed except my perspective.

I haven't done this in a while, but occasionally I go in and click on an old post from when DD was tiny just to relive a memory from that day. I try to post things about the kids from time to time in randoms thinking I'll probably do this in the future too.

ETA - I am also glad that MMM and ML became more accepting over the years. The days of the "queen bees" were just harsh.

[underwaterrhymes]

Apr 7, 2023 9:18:29 GMT -5 beerlover said:

underwaterrhymes, I was lurking back during the clothes situation. I followed the whole thing! I wonder whatever happened to that woman... I'm so glad you got the clothes back.

I know everyone thought I was naive (and maybe a little dumb) for having empathy for her, but I still think she had good intentions and life just got in the way of making the quilt. I just wanted my baby clothes back! (No excuses for her lack of communication, though.)

[madringal]

I was thinking that the other day. I used to love clicking on everyone's profiles and looking at all the pics their homes. So many PB swirl votive candle holders, lol! I think I joined in 2003 when I was dating DH. 20 years! Bananas.

[smock]

Oh man, the day Bliss/AM+PM said she could just "run to work" to save money and it would only take her 10 minutes to run 2 miles . . . That was a fun one. I wonder what she's up to now. It's kind of hard to imagine her in her 30s; she'll always be, like, 22 in my memories.

[scm1011]

Apr 7, 2023 9:47:50 GMT -5 smock said:

Oh man, the day Bliss/AM+PM said she could just "run to work" to save money and it would only take her 10 minutes to run 2 miles . . . That was a fun one. I wonder what she's up to now. It's kind of hard to imagine her in her 30s; she'll always be, like, 22 in my memories.

looks like she's doing well! (her website name always stuck in my head - she linked it here multiple times so I don't feel bad posting it)
mandavision.com

But yes, her digging in her heels on her supposed 4 min/mile is one of the more memorable gbcn posts for me lol

[was5]

4speedy , I remember you from the TK Detroit board. I joined TK in 2003 and my user name was the month and year of my wedding date (November2004). There was a slow migration of people on the Detroit Knot board to the Detroit Newlywed board. I can't remember if I joined The Nest and The Bump, but I became pretty active on TTC, Trouble TTC and the Home/Decorating board.

The T-TTC board was so supportive. Very few people talked about pregnancy loss in real life back then (2006) so it was nice to be able to "talk" honestly about how I was feeling. It also showed me how lucky I was.

In 2008 my regular board became Election 08. I really loved that board and had some really interesting discussions. I stopped posting or even visiting TN around 2009 because of my job change so I missed the big migration when it happened. When I tried to engage again with my second pregnancy in 2012, I realized nobody was posting on TN anymore. I think I found ProBoards because I Googled The Nest  a year or 2 later and it came up in the results.

Over the past 4 years or so I mostly lurk. I don't ask for advice because I don't contribute much myself, but I still like to come here to see other people's perspectives on things.

[underwaterrhymes]

scm1011 - good for her for creating such a great career for herself.

[macmars45]

I found the knot while planning my wedding back in 2008/2009. I was 22/23. Some days it's hard to believe I got married at 23.

Anyways, I quickly found my way to the nest while I was still engaged because the knot was crazy. So many people obsessing over a wedding! I just wanted to be married. :-p

[smock]

I'm glad Bliss is doing well! So weird that the Guinness Book of World Records still doesn't list her record-breaking 4 minute mile . . . 🤪

[loira]

I lurked forever on the knot, nest, and through the migration. One day I was lurking and read Blue Moon's posts about her ectopic pregnancy and realized I had very similar symptoms. I hightailed it to the ER and it turned out I did need emergency surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. This place saved my life! So I had to create an account to thank her and here I am still all these years later.