Some of you may have noticed that I was basically absent from this forum for a few years, despite being a very active member and moderator in the past.

Most of the reason I was generally not around was that I had a job that got me fairly far up the corporate ladder and that absorbed so much of my time that I didn't have much time to chit-chat online.

Anyway, one of the things I did quite a bit for those years was travel the world for various reasons. I often went to Eastern Europe - Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, Romania, etc. and while there I made some good friends and had plenty of laughs and vodka.

One of the jokes I learned from a colleague while out to dinner with him in Minsk was as follows:

In Eastern European culture, a pessimist will say, "Things are so terrible, very bad, and could not possibly get any worse."

But in response, the Eastern European optimist will say, "Oh, don't worry so much, of course they could get worse!"

My Eastern European ancestors are nodding sagely at this. Glad to have you back around.

Welcome to 2021!

Jeanette Isabelle

Howdy, Martin! Seems like all the old guard is showing up again. I wonder if that means anything.
-Blast

Hey Martin, I'll bet you have stories to tell. Re optimists: that makes me chuckle; it's that essential black humour that keeps people going as they wend their way through a slightly insane world.

@ Blast - Yeah, it's quite pleasant to find a place in the lee of the twitter/social/media hurricane. Sort of like a krummholz in the subalpine -- you can brew up a cup of tea in peace and enjoy the view as the wind howls by.

Welcome back. We're gettin' the band back together!

Welcome home!