Happy Birthday Eldy :)

Oh drat, you're right, Figgles is gone! How long has it been?

{{ Far too long Halfy. She has choosen to not post for a while before following one of our, disagreements, but this has been a very long time. As I say if the price is she doesnt want anythingt do with me I'll pay that if it means others can enjoy her company again. But I have no means of contacting her to let her know this. }}

Will not a personal message send her an email? I could send one on your behalf if you think she'll just ignore yours.

{{ I honestly dont know if it would help or hinder Halfy}}

Maybe it was the right time for her to leave but sad all the same. With very little to talk about on the original point of this forum I am not surprised most people have moved on.

All good things and all that...

It's just nice to know that the forum is around in some form and that we can stop by and chat about anything, True most of the Tolkien/Hobbit discussion is long exhausted or rare these days (especially considering how limited the interest in Rings of Power is) but it's comforting to know that a few of us are still active posters after all this time. Part of the reason I stayed around all these years is due to how widespread but casual the conversation is here, Forumshire has always felt like a home away from home for me. I never felt truly comfortable posting on TORn for instance, and was still relatively new to social media/internet forums when I first joined here, never had any troubles with trolls or felt like I was being talked down to (some of the TORn lot came across as snobby at times) here.

Whilst my posting/visits have become more infrequent in the last few years, I was a very active participant in the first say 5 years (2013-2018) and the discussions/friendships I made back them meant alot to me to me at the time (and still do). I'd like to think I've grown and matured since I first joined the forum and have maybe even learned the occasional usual thing over the years.

As for Figgs, due to my infrequent visits in recent years I haven't had a proper discussion with her for absolutely ages, but she is one of the core members of the forum and is missed. Infact if I'm recalling things correctly it was due to Figgsy that I registered here in the first place at all, I was posting on the long since dead Hobbit Movie forum (a.k.a 'Bree') at the time and she invited me over here instead.

{{ With regard to Figgs I should state categorically and for the record that although she felt I had accused her of being racist, I have in fact never thought of her as such. In fact its never even occured to me to think that, heck for all I know Mr Figg is a strapping African Italian lad. I am sorry that she took what I was trying to say as a personal accusation of racism, it was not intended as such because, as I mentioned, the thought had never even occured to me.

it was due to Figgsy that I registered here in the first place at all- Malick

And in something that feels at least akin to irony at this point in time I recruited Figgs from another Tolkien forum, which for the life of me I cannot remember the name of now, was it he same 'Bree' you hail from? I think Orwell and I may have organised a raiding party there back in our younger, more daring, quite mad days on the forum.}}

I honestly can't remember now but I think Figgs and me had already chatted on 'Bree' for a quite while before she invited me over here instead, she joined Forumshirre 2 years before I did at least. Though,as I recall it I don't think I ever even bothered to properly introduce myself...I just randomly started posting in the middle of a thread, and here I still am 11 years later...

I've never known Figgs very well tbh* but no I don't think you could or would accuse her of being racist. We've all certainly had disagreements over the years and discussions can naturally get heated but I'd hope that everyone was being genuine and considerate in their replies, Petty you have always struck me as very fair and open minded.

*not that I'm sure I could really claim to know any of you that well! Good online friends yes...but as far as I know Petty it's only you and the much missed Eldy I actually know the real names of!



Perhaps I should have started a 'I'm feeling weirdly nostaglic' thread instead of taking over this one...

{{ I did much the same, no intro I just jumped into a fight (thats a bit strong, strongly expressed argument!) with one of the OG posters and Founders of this Forum, Gandalf's Beard. Back then I was a bit of a lone voice pretty much in my dislike of much of what PJ had done, so my first few weeks here were certainly lively and fun }}

I'm sure they were I watched the Lotr films first then read the book...so you could say Peter Jackson made me a fan of LOTR, the LOTR book made me a fan of Tolkien, then Tolkien made me less of a fan of Peter Jackson I had some issues with the LOTR films but wasn't too critical of them, it was actually partly interacting with you (then watching The Hobbit films) that started to sour me on them.

And on a completely different note I notice, it's gone 2am down here on thr Soth Coast, I'm back on nightshift tomorrow so staying up all night, I guess you are on night mode as well Petty?

(Also, I think today is the most I've posted in a day for a couple of years...I'm finally getting close to the big 5,000 posts...)

{{ Yeah late one for me too tonight, back at it tomorrow night so just swinging it round from days to nights. }}

I know its slightly different for you as you work both days and nights and have two jobs, but how do you find readjusting you body clock? For me it depends on the week really, even after 4 years I don't always get the sleep I need or want to, working nightshift does seem to suit me, if anything I feel more tired on my days off...then again I can operate surprisingily well on very little sleep (I make a morbid joke with my Dad-they say nightshift shortens your life so I'm doing myself a favour as I have to save less for retirement )

Still, it has giving me a good chance to stop by Forumshire for a good chat (something I do intend to do more often)

{{ I dont know if its age or just that I have to switch back and forth more, but I find it harder now than when I was younger- when I worked nights in care I did it for 7 years, and it was anything from 3 to 10 day stretches of shifts at a time, so you were mostly in one routine or another.
I was doing care today, now Im up late as I can stay awake, then up all night tomorrow at work, and I need to back round for care work again first thing sunday morning. It's rare I get it right these days and get decent sleep over those days (and thats not including it beng too hot, too cold, too bright, or the neighbours too loud, or the council workng outside!). }}

I usually wake up around 5-6pm get to work for 9pm and finish at 7am but I don't actually got to bed until 9.30am or so (even after a busy shift and a 20 minute walk home I still somehow don't find myself tired enough to sleep have to wind down first), earplugs and an eyemask or essential no caffiene after Midnight and I usually have the fan on the lowest setting (even if it is cold I find the circulating air helps me sleep). Can never gurantee how much sleep I get, it's usually 5-8 but I've gone to work on no sleep at all before which isn't a fun experience, but as long as I keep moving/busy I can get by ok it's only really when i sit down at home I notice how tired I am.

Most of the people I work with have either been doing nights for years, or are working part-time/second job around childcare commitments, so there isn't too much jumping between days and night mode.

One of my co-workers does 3 shifts a week... he is nearly 74 and has a arthritic knee, great bloke I get on really well with but he dosen't need the money and was already retired but got bored a few years ago, there are easier ways to combat boredom...