that's how we could all stay in touch! It was good to read your post and find out what's new in your life!
A few things-
1)maybe i shouldn't have said anything about the "incomprehensible monolgue", but since i did, i guess i should make it clear *exactly* what i was talking about so that there's no confusion. Here's an example:
http://www.eboards4all.com/279263/messages/55991.html
When I come here and see stuff like that, I just close the page, feeling badly that the old days are gone. Maybe I shouldn't just close the page. Maybe I could look around and make a comment to the Cusack things that are new- EVEN THOUGH I'M TOTALLY OUT OF TOUCH ON WHAT JOHN IS WORKING ON NOW!!!! Again, I'm really sorry that I offended Cusack fans with my comment.
2)Tricia sent me a link to join Facebook too, but I didn't. There are a couple of reasons that I didn't. The first one is that I never got into blogging, it seems too time-consuming. I read blogs, but was never interested in making one, or a page of my own. When I ask my kids questions about it (facebook), they get vague with me because they think I want to know so that I can be their *friend* or something. That's not what I want to do! My daughter has her facebook account set up so that everyone at her high school can see her page and anyone else has to request to be her friend. (that's my best understanding of it) I'm only concerned about her safety and personal information getting out to people she doesn't know. She lets me see the page enough and we talk about the safety aspects all the time... I don't actually need to be her friend on facebook! Also, I used to think it was a thing for young people but slowly I'm becoming convinced that that's not true. I'm thinking about it. Maybe I'll set one up - especially if I could convince one of my children to help me set it up the way I want. Will you be my friend? that's how we could all stay in touch!
3) I'm so happy to hear about your job - with pay!!! Wow. That makes it real!!! 
I hope the weather has gotten warm enough to start walking to work. Spring is so beautiful, huh?
4)Yes, N is deciding where she'll be going to college next fall. I'm glad all of her top choices are within the state. I feel so much better about her going off to school when I know that I can jump in the monkeymobile to see her, or that she'll come home more often than just holidays. The time goes by so fast... Her brother, D, is finishing his second year. He loves his school and what he's studying. He's doing very well and he'll be home looking for a summer job in 2 weeks. The little kids are in 6th grade and 4th grade now. Everyone's doing fine. Now the kids aren't so little anymore but my parent's are aging and needing care. They are in their mid-80s and they live just a few miles from us. We spend time taking care of them and I drive them to their doctor's appointments. (My dad had a brief hospital stay recently and that's why I didn't get back here until now.) They want to stay living in their own home, but it's becoming too much for them, even with our help. Building an apartment for them on our house is a consideration right now. We'll see...
It's good to see you 'round here. Take care and enjoy spring. I'll try to catch up on Cusack News and setting up a Facebook account!
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: Firstly, I will say I'm sorry Pinky Anne you did not feel "welcomed" here... You know what? Being part of "the old gang", honestly, I did not noticed...
: As I mentioned before, it took me months before I dared posting here... I read the posts of all those girls who seemed to know everything about JC and also seemed to know everything about each others... Very intimidating...
: But then again, there was not only the message board... there was an incredible site called "Cusack 101" that had everything about The Man...
: Going through the site made me more familiar with his movies and his life...
: And Molly had those contests...
: Eventually, after nearly 8 months of lurking, I finally posted...
: Was I welcomed, was I ignored, honestly, I don't remember...
: I was a newbie and just took it and kept on reading and eventually took my place...
: Eventually, I made friends here... Friendship is not an instant thing... You have to work on it...
: Pinky Anne, after a year of posting, if you still do not feel welcome here, you have two choices. either you keep on posting or go to "James Dean Anderson's site" and be happy there... (By the way, I'm a huge MacGyver's fan )
: If you decide to stay here, you have to understand that things happened before you...
: I think JAM was simply trying to be tackful when she referred to an "incomprehensible monologue"... Because for whomever who was not here then, it's almost impossible to realised how it was...
: Tricia was before your time... She had a big impact on the posters then. And what we are doing here is simply saying our "Godbyes" to her...
: That you feel excluded from it is only normal, you were not here... Please just let it be... It does not take anything away from you, but it does a lot for /the old gang" to heal...
: Now, Dear JAM...
: Is this already time "N" is going to college? How time flies! I can still see us back at the fireworks... I can still see big brother carrying the young one on our way back to the metro... What a lovely family you have...
: Funny you mentioned it... When Judy sent me an email with Tricia's death, I just did not know what to say... but one of the things I did was to search for Tricia's old posts on this board...
: Now, you know I have been doing volunteer work in a hospital since I lost my work... Well, here in Lachine, the hospital is twinned with a center for elderly... As I was "working" (we are not going back to this, are we? ) in the activities department, I always saw our residents in a joyful situation...
: And, although we had numerous conferences on how to deal with death and mourning, I never was able to really cope with the loss of a resident...
: And this is how I felt with Tricia... I still feel very uncomfortable with finding some of her writings here...
: Well... When I sent my brother'a B-day whishes (he was also borned on March 9th)... My thoughts were also going to Tricia... I also sent her silent whishes on her birthday, because she had seemed a little taken aback with the birthday card I had sent her last year... As I mentioned before, there were a few times we did not see eye to eye...
: But, she accepted my oliver branch and then invited me to her Facebook... and I did... But, being who I am, I never went to look in there...
: Tricia's death triggered a few things... I have been in touch with people I love... Without delaying...
: OK, now about what is going on with my life...
: Jam, you said we should posts with what is going on with our lives...
: Well, it took me 5 years to finally find a job!
: Believe it or not, a job actually found me!
: Someone at the hospital asked me if I would be interested in...
: I am glad to report I now have a full time job, with a pay!!!
: I work with handicapped people, right here in Lachine... a mere 5 minutes bus ride... I'm waiting for good weather to simply walk there...
: Saying I'm happy is an understatement... 
: Liz 
: *****************
: : I'm sorry Pinky Anne, but I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about many posts that can be found on this board that seem to have nothing to do with being a fan of John Cusack, nor are they messages that seem in any way to be directed to conversation with any other people that come here.
: : As I said in the message, I am happy to see that new fans are still finding their way here.
: : ****************************
: : : Though I’m sure it’s as disconcerting to everyone else as it is to me to find huge patches of the board filled with a running incomprehensible monologue… hey, we could brighten the place up a bit… We could each take some time to describe what’s going on with us lately or something?
: : : ~~~~~~~~
: : : I don't know who you are referring to as generating
: : : "a running incomprehensible monologue…" but I guarantee you just hurt several people's feelings by saying that. There is nobody here, hence the monologue. "Incomprehensible?" Well maybe they have something going on that you don't understand.
: : : New people are not welcomed here. I've been here a year, so I know.
: : : I'm just saying this because if John ever does read this board, I know he feels sorry for me, but he shouldn't. I recognize that almost nobody is welcome here.
: : : I do think that if you like this board, you should go lurk on other older boards-ie the Richard Dean Anderson board and see how the older boards survive. They do end up talking to each other.
: : : That's just my two cents.
: : : And if I misunderstood, I am sorry, but even if it is someone else that you refer to as "incomprehensible", I am sure you hurt her feelings.
: : : There's nobody here. All this concern about the quality of the posts, and the appropriateness of content seems odd to me. And maybe I am writing for anyone else out there who has fallen for John and is worried. It's not exactly healthy to fall for someone you will never meet.