For old-timers on ER.org

[tmm99]

NateW.

The last time he posted and the last time he logged on was on 12/28/22. Interesting that his last posts (12/28/22) were about testing positive for Covid a few days earlier.

Oh, no...

 

[latexman]

Oh, no...

Those were dark days.

 

[marko]

I noticed, and I'm guessing others did as well. I have sort of a strange ability to remember names (not faces, though.) And I tend to notice when a name is missing for a while.

This site IS my social media. I'm still learning and hope at least once in a while I can help someone - not just FIRE questions.

Glad you are back. To stay, I hope.

Awwww. Thanks!

 

[gromit]

Trombone Al's Youtube page is "TromboneAl" and has posts of him surfing as recently as 2 weeks ago. The surfing videos don't show him close up, but click "videos" and scroll down a couple of years and you'll see that it is him in the posts. So Al doesn't have time to visit because he's busy trying to catch a wave.


https://www.youtube.com/@TromboneAl

 

[Nords]

TromboneAl. Remember Dory36, Cute Fuzzy Bunny, Nords, Janet H, Martha, Rich by the Bay among others? The only old hands I still see regularly are REW and W2R.

And that maybe the the reason many have departed. I've had a few PM's in the past suggesting that's why they are leaving. At some point it's all been asked and answered. These days I ignore many of those threads.

But sure, I recall all those members names you mentioned above. Nords still stops by and posts occasionally.

Thanks, @Car-Guy. As Barbra Streisand used to sing, "I'm still heah."

I appreciate that people get tired of discussing the same personal-finance questions (see Tess Vigeland's book "Leap") but... not me.

I drop by here every weekend to check the keywords "Nords" and "military", or whenever someone tags/PMs me. I also do the same at the Mustache forums, Bogleheads, and a few subReddits. I'm answering questions daily on Facebook groups about military personal finance and a few FI groups. I'm also in the FB group "Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots", and I've contributed a few sea stories to the other submarine books written by Frank & Charles Hood.

These days I spend way too much of my time at a forum run by ESIMoney, plus a few guest posts on his blog. Someyear I'll write a third book about life after financial independence, based on conversations there with people who already have more than enough. If Paul Merriman is still publishing at age 77, well, then I can keep publishing for a while too.

For now, though, I'm updating The Military Guide (over 12 years old!) and I'll eventually add an audiobook version of it.

In other news, in January our daughter, son-in-law, and nearly-four-year-old granddaughter are transferring back to Oahu. (She's finished with her Reserve service, he's still on active duty.) My spouse and I are spending a sizeable portion of our days getting ready for their return.

 

[Chuckanut]

I'm glad Nords is still supporting our military personnel. I have met several young guys in the military and they really need some financial guidance. I do what I can, but often the meetings are hit or miss, or a one time event. Besides their own ignorance of financial matters (not criticizing just stating a fact), there are some just plain awful rip-offs aimed at them from time to time. A little information could inoculate them against both of the above.

I hate seeing military personnel ripped-off.

 

[Koolau]

DW and I are trying to get our final wishes put together in some sort of official manner (right now - leaning toward a living trust.)

One thing I would like to do is for someone to notify this group of my passing - not too soon, I hope. Should I have time to see the end coming, myself, I think I would convey that instead. (Heh, heh, how's this? "Ko'olau isn't going away mad. He's just going away.")

I so appreciated that imoldernu's son (I think) notified us of his passing. What a very thoughtful thing to do for his many friends. It gave me time to grieve for him and to remember the good times. Very classy exit IMHO.

Here's an odd thing about this whole topic (old-timers.) I've been reading this forum since 2003 and finally joined in 2008. Does that make me an old-timer or just an aging new-comer? YMMV

 

[Car-Guy]

Thanks, @Car-Guy. As Barbra Streisand used to sing, "I'm still heah."

I appreciate that people get tired of discussing the same personal-finance questions (see Tess Vigeland's book "Leap") but... not me.

I drop by here every weekend to check the keywords "Nords" and "military", or whenever someone tags/PMs me. I also do the same at the Mustache forums, Bogleheads, and a few subReddits. I'm answering questions daily on Facebook groups about military personal finance and a few FI groups. I'm also in the FB group "Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots", and I've contributed a few sea stories to the other submarine books written by Frank & Charles Hood.

These days I spend way too much of my time at a forum run by ESIMoney, plus a few guest posts on his blog. Someyear I'll write a third book about life after financial independence, based on conversations there with people who already have more than enough. If Paul Merriman is still publishing at age 77, well, then I can keep publishing for a while too.

For now, though, I'm updating The Military Guide (over 12 years old!) and I'll eventually add an audiobook version of it.

In other news, in January our daughter, son-in-law, and nearly-four-year-old granddaughter are transferring back to Oahu. (She's finished with her Reserve service, he's still on active duty.) My spouse and I are spending a sizeable portion of our days getting ready for their return.

Sounds like you are keeping really busy, and BTW, thank you and your family for their service!

 

[Dreamer]

That is wonderful news that your family is returning to Oahu, Nords. I know how much you both love your granddaughter and they do grow so fast.

 

[MarieIG]

DW and I are trying to get our final wishes put together in some sort of official manner (right now - leaning toward a living trust.)

One thing I would like to do is for someone to notify this group of my passing - not too soon, I hope. Should I have time to see the end coming, myself, I think I would convey that instead. (Heh, heh, how's this? "Ko'olau isn't going away mad. He's just going away.")

I so appreciated that imoldernu's son (I think) notified us of his passing. What a very thoughtful thing to do for his many friends. It gave me time to grieve for him and to remember the good times. Very classy exit IMHO.

Here's an odd thing about this whole topic (old-timers.) I've been reading this forum since 2003 and finally joined in 2008. Does that make me an old-timer or just an aging new-comer? YMMV

Yes, it was imoldernu's son who notified us. I thought imoldernu was a sweet man and a class act.



IMHO, you qualify as an old-timer.


I lurked before I joined. I forget the wording, but I was initially rejected as being some type of potential spammer, and lurked two more years before successfully joining.

 

[Gumby]

I started out with some of the old timers on the Motley Fool's early retirement board back in the 90's. Then, when MF decided to charge for participation, I followed many of them over to John Greaney's Retire Early Home Page. In the early days, I just read what others had to say. The only post I can recall making was a suggestion you should try to construct your own model, because then you would have a better understanding of all the factors that go into it. Once this board started, I lurked here, but I was very busy working at that time, so I did not actually join and start posting until 2006.

 

[braumeister]

I guess I might be considered an old timer although I just joined the forum in 2010, when I happened to run across it after a Google search of the subject. But I had already been retired for nearly a decade at that time so I didn't have the benefit of all the wisdom that is dispensed here daily. Still, it's working well so far.

 

[Alan]

Gosh, I joined 18 years ago and have seen many members come and go. I took a year or so off myself while doing lots of international travel. In the folder holding my will and various instructions for my heirs, I request that my passing be reported here.

 

[Ronstar]

Some of the old timers may no longer come here because they are no longer early retirees and may have come to the point in their lives when they feel that they no longer need retirement advice. After 10 -20 years of reading threads on when to take ss, there isn't much left to learn on the subject.

Lives change over time and some folks find other interests that are taking more of their time.

Just a couple of observations.

 

[NgineER]

Al has 26 titles on Amazon, so I would be surprised if he has any time left over to show up on forums.

Yeah- is he truly retired if he is churning out books?

 

[Chuckanut]

It's not just the financial information. It's all the other things people at this site know about. Do you want to take a road trip to Bigrock, TX? Somebody here can tell you were to stay, eat, and what attractions are available. Is your garage door opener occasionally opening your garage when you aren't home? Somebody here probably can give you tips on what to check.

This site is so much more than plain old money.

 

[like2]

Bamaman is another long-timer not heard from in a while..

 

[COcheesehead]

Hesperus seems to be gone too.

 

[Dreamer]

I guess that I am an old timer also. I joined in 01/05, but was reading here prior to that. I read more than I post.

I miss several of the people who have come and gone. I miss several who have passed on.

 

[marko]

A few people, myself included seem to be taking steps to notify this forum of their passing.

I suspect that this is unheard of in any other forum on the internet.

It speaks to the real sense of community and quality engendered here, thanks to the mods and the general maturity and thoughtfulness of the membership. What the internet was supposed to be.

Truly something unique.

 

[jfn111]

I miss HaHa. He always had some pithy comments to make.

+1

 

[38Chevy454]

I've only been around here for 10 years so far. I think I'll stick around. Learned a lot here, hopefully helped others out along the way, and generally check in 2-3 times/day depending on what I am doing.

 

[Ronstar]

It's not just the financial information. It's all the other things people at this site know about. Do you want to take a road trip to Bigrock, TX? Somebody here can tell you were to stay, eat, and what attractions are available. Is your garage door opener occasionally opening your garage when you aren't home? Somebody here probably can give you tips on what to check.

This site is so much more than plain old money.

Exactly!! I've learned a ton about everything here. Surprising to me is how much non- financial things I'm learning here.

ER.org is like TripAdvisor, YouTube, Yelp, WebMD and Zillow all in one place.

 

[Car-Guy]

Exactly!! I've learned a ton about everything here. Surprising to me is how much non- financial things I'm learning here.

ER.org is like TripAdvisor, YouTube, Yelp, WebMD and Zillow all in one place.

Me too. I'm a DIY sort of guy and have learned a lot about a lot of different things in my life. But I still find nuggets here often enough to be a "regular" reader/poster. I've only been a registered user for a little over 10 years but I lurked here for several years before joining. Over time, I've learned who are really SME's (Subject Matter Experts) "in certain areas", and those who "let's say" I take with a few grains of salt. But often opinions/experiences are very helpful too.

 

[Alan]

I miss HaHa. He always had some pithy comments to make.

I actually met him in real life. A really nice guy who lived in Seattle and spent several hours showing myself and my wife around while we were up that way on vacation in 2012.