In celebration of my 20th Blogiversary, I'm having guest posters every week to help prepare us for the big day. (Note: I still have nothing prepared for the big day. This may be a run up to absolutely nothing happening.)
Let's welcome Anne!
Anne lives in Wisconsin near me, just received tenure at a university (we had a back and forth about whether this should be in her introduction, but it was officially approved LAST WEEK, so everyone congratulate Anne), and has had to go on adventures with me that almost always include arts and crafts. She blogs about her life and serious existential questions over at My Commonplace Book and you should go over there to read her wisdom.
Wayback Machine
When she contacted me about a guest post for her TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY (I sit in awe...), Engie expressed surprise that no one had yet said no. I expressed surprise that she was surprised. I think we all know how beloved Engie is in the blog world. She is a force. She's blogged through life changes and challenges for twenty years. She runs the CBBC, navigating the (sometimes stormy) seas of opinions that all of us offer, without any of us taking on the difficult task of...deciding. As someone who is relatively local to me, she's connected with me offline, too, despite my reluctance to be out in the real world. She's one of my - one of our - favorite people in our little blog community.
So of course I, too, agreed to write a guest post. What I didn't *quite* get was why she included me (not the most prolific blogger out there, and one who is notoriously behind on reading/commenting on others' blogs). But I agreed, because it's Engie. So today, you get my best attempt at a ride in the Wayback Machine, to Anne's life in 2004. It was... well, it was a different time, my friends. I still had a Nokia candy bar phone and my Hotmail account, which kind of tells you A Lot. [Note from NGS: I STILL use the exact same Hotmail account for my primary email for communicating stuff for this blog.]
- I had just started my PhD program.
- Related, I had just moved to Iowa after growing up on the East coast, and then living on the West coast for a few years as a traveling nurse.
- I caucused for the first time! (For Kerry, in case you were wondering.)
- I had just bought my first home (a two-bedroom two-bath condo that I still - STILL - miss...).
- I had just become an aunt for the second time. (That tiny baby just turned 20. TWENTY.)
- I was balancing a job in the DC area with being in that PhD program. Which, I'll just remind you, was in Iowa.
- I was still a runner.
- I ate meat.
- I didn't drink coffee (!!!).
- Instead, I drank this amazing chocolate chai from Trader Joe's. Humor me here as I wander down memory lane a bit. I loved that drink so much that I would buy it in bulk when I was back east, near a TJs, and would bring it back with me to Iowa. And then I'd ask my mother to mail me more when I ran out. For real. For those wondering, as far as I know, they no longer carry the chocolate chai. Alas. Whether it was the caffeine or the sugar that kept me awake... who knows? What I do know is it was amazing.
- I had never had tofu. I don't think I knew what tofu was.
- I had just purchased a bunch of furniture at Ikea, put it together by myself, and still own 3 of the pieces. I don't plan on getting rid of them anytime soon.😉
- I had never heard of the term "ope". I had certainly never used "ope" myself. Ha. This term is now nearly as familiar to me as "youse". If you're not a Wisconsinite, see here. If you're not a Philadelphian, see here or here. I'm sure Julie knows what the heck I'm talking about. (Julie! HUP and CHOP make the Drexel list! Also "wooder", "Schuylkill", and the "Iggles". I hope you feel at home now. ;>) Also, unrelated, I just fell down this rabbit hole. Please join me if regionalisms are something you enjoy, too.🙂 [Note from NGS: I have so many thoughts about this. I don't say "ope," but I do say uff da unironically after living in Minnesota. My mom's relatives say "yinz guys" and it slays me every time.]
- I had just visited Madison - and Wisconsin! - for the first time.
- I was active on an online dating site. I am not going to share which one, but it is still active. No, it was not an app. It was 2004, people. [Note from NGS: It was Match, wasn't it?]
- I had just started a relationship with someone I met on that site.
- I was absolutely addicted to CSI, Lost, Cold Case (anyone else remember that show??) and Buffy reruns. [Note from NGS: This was shortly before my now-husband, then-boyfriend started renting the DVDs of old Buffy and Angel seasons from Blockbuster. How times have changed.]
- I was not a regular reader. This stuns now-me. I had moved away from reading while in college, and hadn't yet made it back to reading as a hobby. See above, re: addiction to CSI (and other TV shows).
- I was (already) completely out of touch with music and knowing what was popular. I think I had a relatively persistent addiction to women in country (something I share with Engie, yay, but I wish she'd share her playlists...). [Note from NGS: The link to my Spotify is on the right sidebar of this very web log. -->]
- I lived in a group house the summer of 2004, while I worked at that job in the DC area. It was... interesting. A shared fridge, and shared bathrooms, that were cleaned daily by someone who was kind of sort of "in charge" of the house. They always smelled like Clorox. I chose to be reassured by this. I also chose to not spend a lot of time in the house - pretty much sleeping, showering, and dressing. There was a padlock on my door. 'nuff said.
- Bonus! I watched my last movie in a movie theater (by myself, the last Lord of the Rings movie).
There you have it. 20 supremely boring facts about me, in 2004. Perhaps it has sparked a few memories for you... perhaps you are now wondering just how old I am (spoiler: old). I sincerely hope that Engie also provides us with a ride back in HER Wayback Machine, although since she's been posting for TWENTY YEARS, we could just dig up her first post. [Note from NGS: Don't read those early entries. Apparently I didn't know what a paragraph break was.]
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What's something about your life from 20 years ago that is crazy different from today? Did you watch Cold Case or Buffy? Did you do online dating before the apps?
This was so fun to read! My random ramblings from 2004 are that I was rocking the Nokia candy bar, but I think I had ventured from Hotmail to Yahoo by then. I was years away from doing the grad school thing. I wasn't yet a runner.
ReplyDeleteSorry hold the phone you didn't drink coffee????????? Wha??????
Yeah, tofu was pretty scarce back in the old days. In 2004 I had heard of online dating but was still too scared to try it...and of course 9 years later when I finally took the plunge I met the hubs right away. Buffy was epic, and I seem to remember that Angel was pretty good as well.
Yahoo! You rebel. ;) So glad I wasn't the only Nokia candy bar phone user. I'm so glad to find my Buffy-loving peeps here. Whew. I thought I might lose a few people with that. (I thought I might lose you with the movie bit! :>)
DeleteI feel like I knew what tofu was, but tempeh was brand new to me in the early 2000s. I remember quizzing a server at a restaurant once tryign to figure out how it was different from tofu. Oh, well. I was young.
DeleteAnne! I loved reading this as I know almost nothing about Anne's life, despite being an avid reader of her blog! I thought I had never heard the word OPE although when I clicked on those links, I realize that I have, just in movies or on podcasts, I guess.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I feel like I've always drank coffee, although of course there would have been some time in my youth when I didn't!
20 years ago I had a newborn and was on maternity leave for my job, and my life felt like baby-related chaos!
You're right, Nicole, I don't tend to share as much about my life on my blog. This felt, oddly, a bit "safer" since it was me-20-years-ago. It's fun to see where people have similar memories to me, and where they differ. I'm glad Buffy was a hit with others! ;)
DeleteI forgot to say - CONGRATS ON THE TENURE! That's huge news and so wonderful!
DeleteI liked this glimpse into Anne's previous life, too. It just reminded me so much of how much my life was different twenty years ago! Although I certainly did NOT have a newborn at the time. I think you win on the huge differences in life, Nicole, in that time period.
DeleteOh you did take me back memory lane for sure. Thanks Anne. I idnt watch Buffy and Angel in 2004 but a bit after. The then boyfriend now husband introduced me. I have a rewatch on my bucketlist for those two shows.
ReplyDeleteAlso I had no idea what tofu was back then.. I was in the middle of my advertising apprenticeship. What else... I moved out of my parents home that year.
Another Buffy lover! I thought I was really going out on a limb there. Whew. I'm also glad that I wasn't the only one clueless about tofu. My big move was obviously the one halfway across the country, but I was already out on my own (well, living with friends) before that. I still remember getting in my car and starting the drive out... such a vivid memory!
DeleteBuffy and Angel 4 LYFE. I mean, NOT Buffy and Angel because those two kids should not be together, although Xander and Anya should have been together and I'm still in super denial about the episode "Hell's Bells" and it turns out that I have too many thoughts on these shows.
DeleteThanks for letting me take people back, Engie! :) So much fun to wander down memory lane. And I know. I know. No coffee? How was I *human*?
ReplyDelete(Now to get a post up on my own blog lest others think it is, well, defunct... )
Ha! You should at least write a post letting folks know that you wrote here, so your readers who aren't my readers can find it!
DeleteAnne, congrats on the tenure thing! This was a fun list. I remember my brother was big into Buffy back then; he and his friends and housemates got together to watch every episode, and it was a no-interruptions time period.
ReplyDeleteYou really got me thinking about me of 20 years ago. I was back in Massachusetts after ~8 years in Charlotte NC, and had just gotten laid off for what would be the first of 4 times in my career (so far, I feel I should say, while knocking wood). It was an interesting time in my life.
And Engie, no one would blame you if the final post is just a list of links to all 20 guest posters! But I'd guess you'll find something more to say.
Thank you, CCR. And now, another blog for me to visit! I don't think I have been to yours before but could be mistaken (I have a very visual memory so usually I have to visit to remember...).
DeleteIsn't it astonishing how long ago 20 years is? And yet, it seems as though it *just happened*. Sigh. I am Old. With a capital O.
I am fascinated by all of us who lived in different states. It's so true that we moved around a lot, isn't it? I remember Stephany writing that she had always lived in Florida and I remember being astounded by that fact! That seems rare to me!
DeleteI'm going to link to all twenty guest posts, for sure. But maybe I should do some lists myself?
Congratulations on achieving tenure, Anne. That's no small feat.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I love analyzing the different dialects and regional sayings of the US. I can usually place someone if I hear them speak for a little while. My mother's family uses a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch terminology, and it's pretty entertaining--very niche.
Twenty years ago I was still teaching highschool English and Creative Writing I and II. My kids were teenagers and living at home. We were juggling four cars in the driveway constantly because there's no parking allowed on our street. I was writing curriculum and serving on textbook committees and I think I was still on the board of our county vocational school, too. Busy times.
I drank a lot of coffee at school (and at home), but I made the switch to decaf upon retirement. What did I need all that caffeine for after I stopped teaching?
Isn't it amazing how things can change in "just" 20 years" Nicole's comment blew me away! I grew up in PA Dutch country! Now I will have to navigate to your blog - not one, to my knowledge, I have visited? - and see if you share a bit more there. My parents still live there and when I go to visit them, the accents are unbelievably obvious to me. It's even more pronounced among my extended family members. But yes, I do know how to speak a bit "Dutchy". :)
DeleteAnd thank you - tenure was a long time coming.
My mom grew up new Altoona, which isn't Pennsylvania Dutch exactly, but she has moments where I have no idea what she's saying because she's using weird slang. LOL.
DeleteI love regional accents. I love quizzes that tell me what regional accent I have. I love it all.
First of all, congrats on your tenure, Anne. You deserve it and I am so happy for you.
ReplyDeleteI also loved reading this list of "Anne in 2004". :)
I did not know the word "ope" or "youse", which is probably a) because I am not native and b) don't live in the Midwest.
I did not know about the Chocolate Chai from TJs, even though I shop there frequently (it's my go-to grocery store), but I wouldn't be surprised if it was discontinued... because TJs seem to always discontinue some of the most popular items (WHY??).
In 2004, I had just returned to the US for my internship (that would eventually lead me to the job that I have to this day) and I lived with Jon for the first time. It was a good year. BTW, I think I also still have IKEA furniture that was bought during that time. You can say what you want about Ikea, but for me, things have held up tremendously well.
Thank you, San. As you know, it was not a short or easy process. <3
DeleteI strongly suspect that a) your lack of time in the mid-Atlantic or Midwest and b) your lengthy time in CA have contributed to your lack of knowledge of "ope" and other regionalisms. Come to Wisconsin and you can hear it for real! :)
Truer words were never spoken about TJs. Sigh.
Can you believe how long ago 20 years was? And also, how well IKEA furniture has held up? I mean, why would I buy anything else at this point? (Other than the challenges of transport and assembly...)
There are so many reasons San needs to come visit the Midwest. She needs to eat a real Jello salad, hear ope and uff da used in regular conversation, and enjoy a dinner at a supper club. You can stay in my guest room, San!
DeleteI'll let you be in charge of the Jello salad. I'm hear for the rest of it. ;)
DeleteCongratulations Anne! I love these guest posts because I learn so much about bloggers that I only started reading relatively recently. 2004 seems so far away and yet so close! Maybe it's because I'm still living in the same house- we had just moved into this house 20 years ago. My son was one year old and now he's a hulking giant, so things have definitely changed.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of "ope"! How is that possible???
Ha! Ope is hilarious when you first hear it and then it just becomes something people say! Like asking where the bubbler is. At first I was a bit taken aback, but now it's just life.
Delete20 years is SO LONG. Entire people grew from babies to college-aged. How did that happen?
I thought I didn't say ope, but... um, I do. I also throw in the occasional Yiddish-ism and say things in a Philly accent. Clearly I lived a bunch of places! I should do a post but I'm debating how to do that without revealing too much. You know me. :)
DeleteI have a magnet - from the State Historical Society museum (Engie, have you been there? Because if not, then that should be our next date...) - that says "It's a bubbler." HA!
Yes! We should do a tour of the capitol and then do the Historical Society museum. Soon!
DeleteThanks for this time capsule from 2004, Anne! And congrats on tenure! Will it change anything for you apart from the sense of security? I hope you'll treat yourself to something you enjoy! Some of my friends have bought themselves a vacation or jewelry to commemorate tenure.
ReplyDeleteI remember 2004 being stressful because my grad school advisors had moved from Oxford to NYU and were trying to convince me to switch as well--so I was zooming between the U.K. and NYC on my grad school stipend (which was quite cushy all things considered--certainly more than I made at my first full-time professorial gig).
Oh, I want to know if Anne did something special for her tenure promotion, too! My husband bought himself a fancy custom-made bicycle. It's yellow and looks like a bumblebee.
DeleteUnfortunately, Anne is far too cheap to splurge much. But but but! I will be leaving my apartment in August on a brief road trip around Lake Michigan! Not super-expensive (road trips ftw) but something I have wanted to do for a long time. And thank you, Maya. Tenure is a process, for sure. And omg, so glad I did not have to shuttle more than the distance from Iowa to DC. That was enough for me! Oxford to NYC would have probably done me in. ;)
DeleteIt should be your Tenure Trip! And you should splurge and stay at a fancy place! And buy all the ice cream you want! (Ummm...clearly I am projecting here.)
DeleteThis was such a fun post. Love this idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat's something about your life from 20 years ago that is crazy different from today? Hmmm. Cell phones. It's cliche, but true. It was just...not a thing. Also, the price of gas and groceries. I wish things were the same price as they were 20 years ago...
Did you do online dating before the apps? Nope. Fun fact, I only officially dated one person in my life...and now I'm married to him. I suppose there might have been online dating apps at that point? Maybe? But definitely not a main-stream option!
Oh, Elisabeth. It's sort of charming that you only dated one person, but I feel like you missed out on having some very formative experiences of going out on terrible dates!! Imagine the stories you could tell at parties!
DeleteI had some memorable match.com dates in the DC area. I believe I shared the circus-guy-who-loved-cats story with you and Birchie, right, Engie? That and the guy with the pointy head. I think Elisabeth's comment really highlights the tech "advances" since 2004. And your mention of groceries, Elisabeth, reminded me that one of my favorite treats in 2004 (other than, you know, midwestern cheese) was peppermint patties straight from the freezer. Heaven. Seriously. Try it.
DeleteI've been spending time thinking about the circus guy. Imagine if that date had WORKED. Imagine if you were ALL IN on the circus. I mean, that could have been the start of a beautiful relationship between two circus loving people. In some ways, I say this was a SMART plan of that guy because he weeded you out quickly as not his type. Right? Is this too generous a reading of this guy?
DeleteCongrats on tenure, Anne! That is such a big deal! I actually could not figure out how to get to Anne's blog until Birchy sent me the link to her blog when I saw her earlier this month but then I forgot to add it to Feedly as I got distracted - but now I have it added so will see her posts when she posts! Anne leaves the most thoughtful and reassuring comments on my blog!
ReplyDeleteOh boy, Lisa of 20 years ago was a very different person. I was 23 so was really growing and figuring out who I was an what I wanted out of life. I really stumbled around in my 20s trying to figure things out so it was kind of a trying decade? Sort of like another round of the growth that we go through during puberty but instead of physical growth, I went through a lot of emotional growth and became far more self-confident and self-assured (although I still had/have work to do in those realms). In 2024, I became an aunt/God mother for the first time and I moved into my own apartment for the first time after having a kind of crappy roommate situation for the prior year. I accepted a job that spring which was the first of many "pivot" type of moments until I found my current role/career at age 30.
Sometimes I call myself an old married lady, but twenty years ago I wasn't married. I didn't have a cat or a dog. Or a car. I mean, think about how much has changed! I'm definitely more self-confident now and that's a good way of reframing it - I'm not older, I'm more self-confident.
DeleteThank you, Lisa! I am happy to get to this point, for sure. I'm so glad you found my blog and hope you find it something you enjoy. I love reading your posts - but always worry you won't see my late (LATE) comments. I am glad they've still come across your radar.
Delete20 years seems so long and so short at the same time. Wasn't I just setting up that furniture, not dusting it for the 1000th time? :) I'm glad that you made it through your early-20s transition and that you've found your place in this world, geographically and career-wise. <3
CONGRATS ON THE TENURE, ANNE!!!! That's a huge accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteHmm... should I talk about what life was like for me 20 years ago? Because in 2004, I was still in high school! HA. I was finishing up my sophomore year and starting my junior year, if you can believe that. I also had a Nokia brick phone at this time and I remember it had a GREAT bright pink flowering cover that you had to click into place. Also, I think I had MySpace at this time and a friend brought her parents' digital camera to school to take a photo of me so I could have one on MySpace! Oh memoriessss.
MySpace! I remember when I taught at the performing arts high school how all the music people had MySpace profiles because it was better with sound/audio than Facebook. It was all the rage at that high school.
DeleteWelp, that seals it. I AM OLD. :) I just love reading your blog, Stephany, because your perspective is so different from mine in some ways, and so similar in others. <3
DeleteNokia brick phones were great! Indestructible, practically. Your case sounds very, very You. :)
I love this, and yay, I got a Philly shout out! Two things that are Philly to me are saying 'MAC' instead of ATM, and getting fast food from WAWA. And of course, that yummy wudder ice on a sticky day. Yay HUP and CHOP!
ReplyDeleteBUFFY! We LOVE Buffy, and actually own all 7 seasons on DVD. If they get dropped from streaming for some reason, I will still have them, because I NEED THEM. I tried to get into Angel, but never could manage to do so. I have a couple of Buffy thoughts...maybe someone here has thoughts?
1. When Buffy was working at the Double Meat Palace, and everyone else was eating home made dinners at home, what the hell? Did they always just leave ALL of the responsibility for her? Answer, YES, they did.
2. When Buffy died, how did they all just assume she was in Hell? I mean, really? No consideration that PERHAPS the slayer might go to Heaven? Come on people.
Congratulations on your Tenure being finalized! That is awesome news. And you're right, Engie is the best. Without her coming by my blog tenaciously, I would not have found San and the NaBloPoMo group, and the Cool Bloggers.
We have Buffy on DVD, too! And a DVD player mostly so we can watch in case of an apocalypse. Because what would be more fitting, I ask?
DeleteWhy did they assume she would go to hell? I assume because of all the killing she did? I mean, the writers were sure to make her different from Faith, who did kill humans, but I wonder if maybe her friends didn't consider that particular nuance. I mean, in a more charitable reading of the situation, maybe her friends just missed her and wanted her back. Who here can say that they wouldn't have done something similar to bring a loved one back if they had the magic?
Oooooohhhhh...forget CBBC. I will not rewatch Buffy and Angel and write a recap of each episode instead! Everyone wants recaps of a twenty-five year-old television show! (Note: I will not be doing this.)
Did you ever say "I need to tap MAC" though? I did. ;) Also, Wawa and FOOD TRUCKS. Especially the Greek food truck outside of CHOP. Best pita ever, particularly on a Sunday night shift at 2300.
DeleteI'm so, so glad I am not the only Buffy lover. Dawson's Creek, now... if I had brought that up, it might have received some pushback. ;) I don't have the Buffy DVDs, though - no way to play them, alas. I'll just invite myself over to Engie and Dr. BB's house. (HA!)
But Engie, Buffy only killed demons, seems like that should not count against her. And clearly it did NOT, since she was at peace and happy until Willow sucked her back into our world. Regarding bringing back loved ones, didn't Dawn try to bring Joyce back? Sigh. I'll bet there's a podcast out there where someone is watching all episodes. Did you try Season 8 in comic book form? I did. TRIPPY. I had to bail after that, because they did the unforgivable. I will spoil it for you if you want, but not without your consent.
DeleteAnne, my husband loved the food trucks, though he mostly got turkey hoagies. Philly was where I first saw real food trucks. When I was in college at SF State, they had what we lovingly called 'the roach coach', but it didn't have a stove, it was just cold sandwiches, soda, bananas, candy bars, that kind of thing.
I know she only killed demons. I know! But maybe her friends didn't know. Or just conflated the demons with people? I don't know.
DeleteI never did try the graphic novels. I realllly struggle with graphic novels because I can never figure out what is going on. I want to know what unforgiveable thing they did because they already KILLED ANYA. I might add a spoiler tag to this post that there are Buffy spoilers in the comments. LOLOLOLOL.
What a fun list - and CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What an accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteLoved reading about how different your life is now. Twenty years does offer up a lot of opportunity for change, doesn't it? The most striking thing on your list was the baby who is now an adult. When I think back on 2004, it doesn't seem THAT long ago, but your nibling was born and grew up in that time!
I too was addicted to CSI. And Chasing Amy, and Gilmore Girls. In 2004, I was in grad school so life felt very unfettered and free. But I also feel like I was much more volatile, emotionally, so I prefer 2024 me!
Oh, man, Suzanne, me too. I was such a ball of stress in 2004. Now I'm slightly more chill and don't take things as seriously! I definitely like 2024 me better, although I would enjoy 2004 NGS's strength and flat stomach.
DeleteIsn't that insane? I mean, 2004 seems like it was yesterday and...yeah...no. The nibling is going to be a junior in college. Cue head-explody emoji... I just can't believe I'm still in the midwest. Who woulda thunk?
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you. I got the official official letter on Friday - whew. You never know.