How many FOFCers Have You Met in Real Life?
 

With people talking in one of the other threads about meeting up, I got to thinking: "How many FOFCers have I met in real life?"

I know there's a global pandemic now, but this place is 20 years old so you've had time to go meet people outside of this wild simulation of reality.

Poll forthcoming and feel free to expound in the comments.

When I started adding it up, it was more than I thought. Also, if I forgot you or someone else, please remind me - I was racking my brain for a couple of days but I feel like I'm still missing one or two

• DataKing - Blame him; I met him in college and he's how I found this place
• MizzouRah - This fellow IT industry veteran helped me get my first "real job" post-college (so, yeah, FOFC as work "networking") and we met at work functions even though I was in KC and he was in StL
• terpkris - Met the resident rocket scientist when living in Richmond up in DC and have been to a couple of PAX Souths since
• Toddzilla, claphamsa - DC-area soccer fans united for a World Cup watch party in June 2010 (along with terpkris)
• ColtCrazy - We two AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego) spent too much money at Brickworld Indy in 2012
• PilotMan - Met him when he was in Houston in 2012(?) for training; Have also gone to an Astros game and went to his home a couple of years ago when I was in Cincy for college friend's wedding
• Cartman - I tried to get together a local meetup in Houston for an Astros game in 2013 and met cartman; everyone else flaked out - you know who you are (actually, I don't remember - I'm not very good at grudges)
• DaddyTorgo - I tried to get together a local meetup in Boston when we were visiting in 2014 and met DT; everyone else flaked out - you know who you ar-- hm... I've heard that "the thing in common with all of your failed relationships is you") but at least cartman and DT put up with me
• Izulde - The multiple Golden Scribe winning writer put up with my wife and I playing tourist when we visited Vegas in 2015
• daedalus - Had a fun lunch and visited with my old late-night hattrick conversation buddy when we were in LA in 2018

SI

Ben invited me to meet up with him at a Cubs game in Chicago back when I lived in the northwest suburbs, but I guess my introverted side won out and I didn't go. He was with about 30 people if I recall correctly, and I feared awkwardness I guess.

Just Pilotman when he was flying through Boise. It was good time and surreal in a fun way - I've never spoken about FOFC things (usernames, board topics, etc.) out loud with a real human, so I felt like I had been transported into an internet message board.

I'm happy to meetup with anyone passing through Boise, though we're not really on the way to anything unless you're a pilot.

Edit: I believe Lathum and I were at the same U of Washington football game once - but I was with my parents and there wouldn't have been a time to meetup, otherwise, that would have been cool too.

At least 14, probably more, but these are the ones coming to mind.

Buzzbee--2-3 times
VPI97--2-3 times, including when he burned the fries at his house
digamma--quite a few
Solecismic--had a work trip near Ann Arbor...got together 2 or 3 times while I was there.
GrantDawg--quite a few
FBPro--OOTP meetup and at least one lunch
Arles--OOTP meetup
Shaun Sullivan--We worked for the same company for a while. (Fun Fact: he called me "SkyDog" at work multiple times in front of people.)
Joe Stallings--OOTP meetup
Celeval--OOTP meetup and I think maybe one or two other times
JIMGA--Dinner at a bar where I was playing at an open mic night (GrantDawg was there as well.)
QuikSand--Work trip, dinner at his house with his fam (back when he only had one kid. We tried to connect one other time when he was in Asheville and I was near Boone, but it didn't work out.
MizzouRah--He came through Atlanta and several of us had dinner (VPI, Buzzbee, and Grantdawg may have been there, not sure exactly, but there were several of us there.)
Draft Dodger--Actually found myself in New Hampshire for work. Dinner with him.

The OOTP meetup in Atlanta was in like 2003. There were, I think, one or two others there that I'm not remembering. Definitely have spent the most time (by a wide margin) with GrantDawg and digamma, probably in that order, though it's relatively close. Then there was an old friend of mine I directed here and he was a regular poster for a couple of years or so. I don't recall the user name he used. I don't recall if we ever told the board that we'd known each other since childhood. That was a good 10-15 years ago.

It was more like 80, but who's counting??? :D #UberExtrovertedGeek

I think only 2--neither of whom really post here much anymore

You probably could have carried the conversation for both of us. :lol:

5 but I feel I am missing someone, dang it. I blame too many concussions from playing Football :)

Macroguru - Have hung out a few times and our paths even crossed in Hawaii once when we were on vaca and he was on a business trip. Still needing to hook up for that elusive BYU game though.

Poli - Also a couple of times, first in Chicago when we were attending our sons graduation from Naval basic training, then here when he was in town and went to a coaches clinic with me

Jedikooter - Met up and took in a Padres game and pounded a few beers on one of our near annual pilgrimages to San Diego

Izulde - Had the pleasure of catching up with him for lunch and drinks on one of our Vegas trips, sadly he failed to bring me any exotic Kit Kat flavors :)

Farrah - Joined Macroguru, myself and my wife for a happy hour here in Phoenix

Had tentative plans to meet up with Pilotman and Cartman, but logistics just didn't fall into place. And I still feel I am missing someone :(

Met Rodney/Poli and Hoopsguy a billion years ago on separate occasions. Mighta been a couple more around that same time frame, but that was a lonnnnnnng time ago.

Met Fozzie at Gencon, there were a couple more FOFC's there that was I was gonna meet as well, but logistics failed.

On a depressing note, me and Bucc were set to meet multiple times right after I moved to COS, but stuff always came up ... then, yeah.

I met a small group that included Terpkristin in DC back around 2007 at a bar on a Saturday night to watch football. It was so long ago FSU beat Alabama that night in Saban's first year. I also recall watching UF lose to Auburn for Urban Meyer's first loss at Florida. Who else was there?

I also met Lathum and his wife for drinks in Seattle.

I don't recall any other meet-ups.

Zero.

Saldana and Captain2711(he rarely posts) are my best friends IRL

Neon Chaos/ Barkeep/ Hoopsguy/ Passacaglia- We met up in Chicago once because Neon was in the states for work

KSyrup- Had a lovely lunch with him in Seattle

DaddyTorgo- Met up with him a couple of occasions in Boston

St Cronin- Met up with him and in GF in Vegas. Wonder what happened to him

PAth12- Met up in Seattle for a few beers before a sounders game

Cartman/Jeeber- Met up a couple times in Dallas and Cartman in Vegas.

Never met up with the Cinci/NKY guys despite living there for a long time. Was supposed to meet up with BYUCougar but it didn't work out.

I think thats everyone.

Lathum, Captain2711, and St. Cronin in Vegas
Lathum and Jeeber in Dallas
Antmeister and Lorena at my house a few times
Izulde in Vegas
MacroGuru at the Salt Lick and his wedding in Salt Lake City area
My memory is hazy, but I believe I met QuikSand briefly in Vegas at the WSOP. We were going to play the same event, but I arrived too late to sign up.
PilotMan in Austin during one of his layovers
Emiliano in Houston when he was on a visit to the US
Groundhog and his at the time newly minted fiancee, now wife, in Vegas when they were on their extended trip to the US
sterlingice at an Astros game in Houston. I went to the game the next night as well, and that was when Yu Darvish had 8 2/3 perfect innings

I am certain I am forgetting a few. If so, accept my apology and thoroughly berate me in the thread.

In the Las Vegas airport a couple years ago, I'm wrapping up a work conference, and a stranger walks up and says with deliberate airs, "mister {my work title}." Now, since I've been at a work-related conference the last several hazy Vegas days, I figure this is someone I swapped business cards with at a meeting or somesuch. Took me a solid 30s of awkward not-recognizing-him before he blurts out... "it's cuervo72 from FOFC you dumbass."

Yeah, he lives only an hour or so away from me, we've hung out a couple times. Once at Subby's place in NoVa with Morgado and Simms... was that all? Once in DC for a college hoops game, I think. We got critch, sjshaw, and Buddy Grant roped in once, too. Am I forgetting others?

And, the notorious FOFC-takes-WSOP experience, parts I and II.

BEL at my house for take-out seafood a few years back... geez, that was a long time ago, as I place our one rather young daughter at the time, who's now nearing 16.

I've met Butter when he came up to the Metro Detroit area for a work thing several years ago. 2014, I think?

I'm Facebook friends with Pilotman, so I kinda feel like I've met him, even though I never have.

There is someone else I've met but I can't for the life of me remember the screen name. We work in related industries and met at a couple of conferences. Now I'm going to be racking my brain. I can picture him, oddly enough, but can't remember either the real name or user name.

jbmagic

cartman/Lathum - Beers in Dallas (Addison, technically) at the Flying Saucer
Macroguru - Beers in Dallas (Las Colinas, technically)...I think cartman was supposed to meet up too, but bailed
Cap Ologist - He lives in the same small-ish town as me (or at least he used to)...but the one time I "met" him is when I waited on him and his wife at Olive Garden. He didn't tell me who he was, but he left a note saying hi when he paid the bill

I'm friends with a bunch on y'all on FB, so there's that.

When you guys have gotten together do you call either other by your FOFC usernames?

haha. No.

I can't remember, it's been a while. But I have close friends and family that call me Jeebs or Jeeber, so it wouldn't have been that unusual for me.

I miss going to Tucker games. We also got to see the Falcon's blow out the St. Louis Rams in the playoffs. Good times.

VPI97 and I met twice.
First time coffee at the airport near Amsterdam, he had to switch airplanes there and I took the train up north for it. I remember wearing the IHOF t-shirt he had arranged for me, but I actually forgot to mention it (I think it was cold that day).
Second time was in Maassluis. I showed him around the old part of Maassluis for a bit and we grabbed dinner at a bar on the dyke (named De Dijk). He was in the Netherlands for work and his hotel was a short taxi ride and a 5-minute ferry away. We talked about IHOF for a good bit.

Jughead Spock and I met once.
He was supposed to fly with 3 back from the UK to Germany, but due to a volcanic eruption in Iceland, there was no plane travel possible for about 2 weeks throughout the northwest of Europe. He was playing in IHOF back then as well and seeking some advice. They ended up taking my advice and the ferry from the UK to the Netherlands gtting on shore about 10 miles from where I live, which appeared to be the best alternative. I offered to welcome them there into the Netherlands at the ferry harbor. We then the took the train to Rotterdam, I went off in Maassluis, while they continued their journey.

Let's see. Most of you have gotten mine already, but:

Izulde-- We've had dinner a couple times when he was in Vegas.
cartman--As he said met on a layover Austin.
Butter--He used to work 15 minutes from me and we've met for business lunches a few times.
daddytorgo--Met on Boston layover a couple different times for meals over the years.
molson--as he said, on a Boise layover. That was a good time.
MacroGuru and Render-- Got together on a Buffalo layover a couple times.
sterlingice--as he said, went to an Astros game in 2013 while I was in Houston for training and they stopped by the house and met the Mrs when they were in town for a wedding.
BillJasper--Met in a restaurant by total chance, only said hi.
bjceac--met him in Hattrick and got him here and eventually pulled him into the CJBL with me. We've gone to an NDSU/Ball St football game, visited his house in STL on a few layover and generally been amigos for years.

The worst is that I haven't gotten together with any of the Cincinnati crew. From crimsonfox, to Lathum (when he was here) cougarfreak, damnMikeBrown, korme, Warhammer and I'm sure that there's some others in the close area. It just hasn't happened. I actually feel pretty bad about that. Like we've had this chance and missed it. We were supposed to go to an indoor football game and see Jared Lorenzen, but he had just broken his leg, and then bad weather blew the whole thing up.

I've had informal plans to catch up with BYU 14 and H_B, but layovers haven't worked out for those yet. I know that Lorena has brought it up too. CW is really pushing for a simulator ride, speaking of that, CW if you see this PM me, because September and October I'm spending copious amounts of time in Denver. I should try and catch TK sometime in DC when I get another layover there. I'm FB friends with a bunch of others, and always willing to try and get together. It's a nice diversion from the work grind. I'm sure there's an LA get together that's possible. I mostly just need to find where people are and connect from there. FB is a pretty good point of contact in general. Lately with the international schedule there's not much of that going on. Once I get back to a different plane with more domestic flying there will be different opportunities.

I briefly mentioned it in my post, but Shaun used to call my SkyDog at work, and at least once it was in front of, oh, 400 people. We were having a big division-wide retreat/meeting and he had been the last speaker before a short break, so he was at the podium trying to get everyone quiet to restart: "OK, that's 10 minutes. Everyone please find your way back to your seats so we can get this last session finished and get on to the fun stuff...Hey, SkyDog in that bright red UGA jacket, have a seat!"

Let's just say that Shaun is NOTHING like the polite, unassuming character he plays on the internet! :lol::lol::lol:

At least he didn't say "Get those patriotic undies in your seat!"

SI

I've met one person who's posted already, but apparently I was so boring he doesnt remember it.

Other than that, a selection of current and past FOFCers, all FOBL related. And Cuervo at a cat show or two. And Subby when he was still podgy.

(if it was me and it was in DC, I had to go look at who I wrote down was there because that was like 10 years ago and it was incomplete knowledge at best - I've slept since then and I'm awful with names; if it was not me, phew - I dodged a bullet but I'm pretty sure I missed a couple of people)

SI

Just one - MrBug and I went to the NCAA Championship Soccer match back in...2004, I think?

I didn't even try to list them. Basically my list is the ones from the Meet up in 2003 or so, and Jon. There were a good many people at the OOTP one, but if I start listing I am going to forget 50% of them at least. Ben has the better memory.

Same here, and it wasn't a group meetup either :(

ah crap I knew I was forgetting someone.

I met bhlloy in Las Vegas, the same night I placed 2nd in the world record setting wing eating competition at the Amazon Web Services conference.

I was wondering whether I should drop a wing related pun in there somewhere :D

I remember that - at a sports bar in Fairfax. I had my daughter with me at the time (she was 8). I remember it vividly because at the time we were on the lam running from my (now ex) wife who was in the middle of a full psychotic breakdown and were staying in the hotel across the street.

Did you mention that to us? It seems like something I would have remembered but, again, more than a decade ago and, frankly, I was working 60-80 hour weeks most of the time in Richmond so sleep was in short supply and a lot of my time living in Richmond is a bit of a blur now.

SI

I might have met 1 member about 15 years before I ever joined the board. I was applying for a job at a small radio station in north Georgia and I believe Jon was the one running the station at the time. We spoke for all of about 2 minutes. I can't swear it was Jon, because when I returned a couple of weeks later he wasn't working there anymore, but I know he worked at that station about that time.

I'm pretty sure I ran into Cam Edwards a few times in the neighborhood. He and I lived very close to each other.

I definitely remember Toddzilla's story. I remember following along the thread and couldn't believe everything had unfolded like that.

I still remember that, still in the area, how about you?

We've never met in-person, but in the pre-FOFC mid 90s I was in a Front Page Sports Baseball league with Butter and Z²+. Also in that league was one Dave Dial.

Cap! Yep, still in the FloMo, no plans to leave any time soon. We love the schools...well...so far this year we're having our issues...but probably will stay where we're at at least until both kiddos graduate.

Dang, I'm within 30 minutes drive from at least 3 FOFCers here. And I still haven't met them (we are friends on FB however).

Two that I can recall. WSUCougar twice (once in his state and once in mine) and JHandley (had lunch in the airport together). I spoke with Breeze on the phone once back in the 2000’s for some reason, maybe related to a golf simulation he was working on?

Izulde visited my city in Spain (Toledo) a few years ago and we had a good time walking around as he loves medieval history and my city is famous for that. I bet it inspired some of his CK dynasties! :)

met daedalus at Gameworks (where he worked) when my family and I went there for my 21st.

Took in a Dodger game with MrBug around that era. I think daedalus might have joined us for that one.

Worked with Tony at GameSpy for a bit in the early 2000s.

Have invited a couple FOFCers to my impending nuptials next year, so that list'll probably double'ish sooner or later.

Oh, and I guess Izulde lives near me now. We're supposed to grab a beer at some point.

Got to knock Coffee Warlord off the list today. I think he had a good time in the box. No crashes, and only some scared Japanese farmers. I'm happy that it worked out for him to come get a ride along on today's sim flight. He's commanding a 787 there.

Yep, that was a blast.

Japanese villagers near mount fuji will forever remember the day a 787 buzzed them.

That is so cool! was that in CO?