Subject: And a hello from Laffman

Date: Mon Feb 13 14:01:44 2017
User: Laffman
Message:
I don't want to threadjack the thread about SlowPoker, but since it has been a while since I dropped by, I thought I'd say hi and give a little update about me. I'll always have a fondness for Netcell, but it's a little like some people always have a fondness for heroin. I made friends here who I will never lose my fondness for, but for several years, I devoted more time than was healthy (for me) to freecell and freecell-related activities. I have not sworn an oath to never play again, but I've barely played any in the last several years. I think I popped into a tournament once when I saw mabb there as a little shout-out to her. More than mere willpower, I've resisted the lure of Netcell because for the last several years, I've also been a father to twin daughters who will be 8 in April. Long gone are the days when I could sit down for a tournament and end up playing a 6-8 hour block focused on nothing but the game. I doubt I've lost all of whatever knack I once had for the game, but I also suspect that the long layoff and being more than a decade beyond my frecell prime would knock me down several pegs. It looks like the board has slowed down here (Facebook, amirite?), but I see lots of familiar nicks and if old patterns hold, some of the unfamiliar nicks are people I'd recognize with different names. Greetings to you all of you, and I hope you're well. Maybe I'll see you in a tourney again some time. :) -- Laffman --

Date: Tue Feb 14 10:53:46 2017
User: joeygray
Message:
.hugs Laffman Yeah, it's been forever since you and I met back at the netcell gathering at Libby's in 2004. I hadn't even met my wife then... and now we been together over 10 years. So happens my daughter was ten then- now your two are almost that age, and it's a fun fun age so I hope you are enjoying it! Life trumps freecell. I have to say I feel you when you acknowledge it was hard to let that happen; I cut back a lot though I've never really stopped and still do play 20 to 100 games or so a week. But I'm glad i got to know you and many others here. I'm a richer man for the freecell relationships.

Date: Mon Feb 27 10:20:22 2017
User: outskirts
Message:
Hey laffman! We video chatted once, about 10 years ago? (with a different name)

Date: Mon Feb 27 16:02:06 2017
User: joeygray
Message:
Hmm. Wasn't outskirts also at Libby's in 2004? Or perhaps more realistically, I'm wrong about who outskirts is. Ugh.

Date: Mon Mar 13 23:00:21 2017
User: Snowguy
Message:
Good to see you, Laffman.

Date: Sun Mar 26 20:47:40 2017
User: mabb
Message:
Hey, Laffman! Very odd that I, too, have not been to the site in ages, but popped in tonight to stir up a little trouble in the Masters, under an alias (mwhaahahahahahaaaa!) And there was your howdy post! Co-inky-dink, huh? So howdy back. My story is similar, minus the twins. Between Freecell and related activities such as discussion boards, etc, I just had to go cold turkey from all of it. Not a very graceful exit, I know. But I too share fond memories and fondness for those days when W. was president.... just kidding-- just kidding! ;) But that was the decade of freecell for me. My kids are in college now, so I've had to retire from the luxury of stay-at-home mom. Gotta get those college bills paid! So I'm working a lot and then, well, CandyCrush in the downtime. No plans to go back to the hours of playing and discussing, as I formally did here, which is probably best. So howdy to all the freecell gang, and especially to you 3 who were furiously trying to pull off that winnable 7x4 in the Master's tonight! ;) mabb

Date: Mon Mar 27 17:00:27 2017
User: calicokid
Message:
Oh Mabb! That 7x4 was a beast from hell. Magically my solving powers kicked in after the final bell rang! I was scanning the leaderboard looking for Mastermind, assuming he had beaten the game... Nice one. Glad to hear you're ok. I know freecell pales in comparison to the duties of real life. I'm just glad that I can still fit it in when I can.

Date: Sat Apr 1 18:08:53 2017
User: mabb
Message:
Good to hear from you CK! Also, secretly glad it was YOU (the winner) who got the 7x4, even just after the finish, instead of WRAC. I know we both have struggled with our share of chronic WRAC pain through the years! Take care... :)

Date: Sun Apr 2 11:46:38 2017
User: calicokid
Message:
Yep mabb, WRAC often gives me the blues! I'm glad he still plays though, it has made me a better solver. See ya around...Or not, take care of yourself ;)

Date: Sun Apr 2 17:46:38 2017
User: WRAC
Message:
Big congrats to both of you on solving that 7x4. I went back later and finally got it... after 37 tries, perhaps a record in near futility. So you were in no danger of suffering WRAC pain last week... but maybe this evening? Most likely not, I'd guess. Wins over calico are rare, and mabb probably won't be playing, but I'll be there and will welcome the competition!