Hi Sandy.
Old DIS'er here, old guy too, LOL.
I am a financial planner by career, a Disney nut in my off hours. My DW, Marie (DIS name is Lady M), is a homemaker by trade, and enjoys life in her off hours. We have two 'kids', Vince, age 30, just married this past week to our new DIL, Katlyn, and Natalie, married to Ken, and they have one son, our first and only grandchild, Jeremy, who just turned one a few weeks back.
We will be married 37 years, this coming September 11th. We live in the same home we purchased when we got married, in northwest suburban Chicago.
As to my Disney stuff, I 'discovered' Disney World while on a business convention back in early '98. Marie was fighting Stage III breast cancer at the time. I was taken aback by WDW, even though I only did MGM for a half day. We had never been to WDW, always the normal excuses....too expensive, too hot, too crowded, 'it's only a theme park, we have 6 Flags nearby', etc, etc. The kids were older by then, 18 and 21. When I left to come home, I vowed that if Marie survived the cancer, we would all go there, as a family, to celebrate her return to health.
In the meantime, early '99, I came across the DIS, while doing Net searches for information. I registered and started to learn, a lot. Marie did beat the cancer (just completed 10 years in remission earlier this year) and we did go to WDW in Dec of '99. It was fabulous, we all had a super time.
I wanted to go back the following year, I was bitten by the Mouse. Marie had a super time, though apparently was not bitten, LOL. She said I should go solo, fine with her, she was not ready to head back. All told, in the following years, I have returned about 20 times, solo, other than one dad/daughter with Natalie four years ago. I typically go in May and December; did just return two weeks ago. Hoping to maybe get Marie there this December, time will tell.
Not too long after returning from our family trip, I became one of the five moderators on this board (they used to have people, not that 'team' thing they have now). It was a fun (most of the time, LOL) stint, did it for about two years. When I quit that in early '02, Marie registered here as Lady M. She enjoyed the place quite a bit. We both have been to many, many Chicago area DIS meets over the years (seems like there are none anymore), and have met up with Sandy on a number of occasions. This board got quite snarky and ruled quite heavy handed, back in mid '03, and Marie, thinking it not her type of place to chill out, pretty much gave up posting ever since. But if a meet is around, she still enjoys those.
I have always enjoyed hanging out on this board, the community, till about two years ago. At that time, so many threads were hijacked, for weeks on end, for the private playground of a small group of posters, that it too, for me, became not the fun place it once was for me. I enjoyed the DIS overall, great information, great people, for the most part, but this board just lost its appeal for me. So, for the past couple, I have spent most of my DIS time, less for sure than it used to be, mostly on the Theme park and Photography boards (I enjoy taking and posting pictures....though with little time here, don't post many anymore) and try to help a bit with questions, if I can, on the Tech board. I do have a number of long running threads here subscribed to, so do keep up reading here and there, maybe a post once in awhile saying hello.
With Sandy's thoughts in the OP, it sure seems as though the board still is not the flavor I prefer, so probably will keep doing as I am, keeping my distance, LOL. I must say though, I have met many, many good people from here over the years, many I count as good, personal friends. Heck, while at WDW earlier this month, I met up with over 20 folks from here the eight days I was there. And I always meet up with folks there, so never really solo.
Overall, the DIS is a pretty good place, certainly with flaws. For me, it works okay.
Nice thread, Sandy.
PS: Oh, I can get verbose also, if given the opportunity.
I've met so many wonderful people here both in person, and just online, and I'm proud to call them my friends 
, and many of you know me by the mega threads that I have started 
(I miss them), but I'm hoping that we, as a DIS community, can get past this sad time and have fun again 
arty:!!!
My next WDW trip is with DH in October for Food and Wine. 
. Turns out it was Extreme WPASADI, and I was sucked in. Met a great girl on my team who introduced me to some of her friends. Long story short, I now hang out on the Community Board. I post primarily in one thread, but often lurk and read.
