CFL Passed 6000 members the other day.

[dnoblett]

Probably passed that mark a little while ago due to deletion of problem members and spammers of the years.

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[Mick]

For an old timer like me, this is just incredible to comprehend. I can clearly remember the day, in early 2003, when we celebrated our 200th member. I think I am Number 156 or something like that. I joined in December, 2002, about a month after Candle was founded.

[Dennis143]

For an old timer like me, this is just incredible to comprehend. I can clearly remember the day, in early 2003, when we celebrated our 200th member. I think I am Number 156 or something like that. I joined in December, 2002, about a month after Candle was founded.

I am sure you were smart enough to have bought some early shares of CFL stock... gotta be worth a fortune today.

[Dennis143]

For an old timer like me, this is just incredible to comprehend. I can clearly remember the day, in early 2003, when we celebrated our 200th member. I think I am Number 156 or something like that. I joined in December, 2002, about a month after Candle was founded.

So, who's the oldest active member?

[dnoblett]

 

For an old timer like me, this is just incredible to comprehend. I can clearly remember the day, in early 2003, when we celebrated our 200th member. I think I am Number 156 or something like that. I joined in December, 2002, about a month after Candle was founded.

So, who's the oldest active member?

 

Active would be Tonado, 27 Nov 2002, followed by Tine & Ella, also 27 Nov 2002.

 

The Don would hold that title 26 Nov 2002, however has pretty much moved on.

[Dennis143]

This was the first forum I had ever joined, back in 2005. I remember how much an outsider I felt at first with all the banter and camaraderie between the older, established members (good ole boys... aka GOBs) back then. I also remember thinking how, someday, maybe 5, 10 years from then how I might be considered an old timer too. Yes, hang around long enough and you to will become a fixture. Because, back then, in 2005, the site was still relatively new.

 

Now, I just wonder what the site will be like in.. say 10, 20 years from now when many of those original members are long gone... maybe, need to build a shrine to those GOBs who laid the CFL path...

 

then again, maybe not.

[Randy W]

The highest member_id is 70,664 - yes, that many have joined (including spammers and anyone else who fell through the wayside), with only the 6,000 still remaining on the rolls.

 

From the first 100

 

1 PJ , 4 markimwaiting, 10 Mike and Ying, 13 Tom,15 Eric&Yuhui ,18 donahso, 19 LaoMao, 20 La_Diva, 21 bob, 22 tonado, 27 Littlebear, 29 Tine & Ella, 30 danswayne, 31 TimD, 33 sandyyu, 34 April, 38 Myles, 39 blennon, 40 KandY, 50 myeagy, 51 Robert S., 55 dayfood, 56 luckybabe, 58 bobmal99, 59 Dan, 60 AZwolfman, 61 newman, 66 Charlotte, 68 tparrent, 70 hakkamike, 72 sysy, 73 Dawn, 76 JoeLiyan, 79 Kaige, 86 juz, 88 rsun, 89 scott32, 91 rplh66, 92 AngryTexan, 94 hong, 97 tybeaux, 99 skibum

[Yuanyang]

I found this site in 2005 after I had already paid the lawyer fees. But it was a good place to learn about more than the visa process.

[warpedbored]

As I recall I was #384. Tony seldom comes around so I would have to say that Mick is the oldest regular poster.

[Doug]

I was another 2005 guy, though I sure had my issues, besides being an idiot, maybe some forgiveness from the GOBs?

[Mick]

 

 

 

The highest member_id is 70,664 - yes, that many have joined (including spammers and anyone else who fell through the wayside), with only the 6,000 still remaining on the rolls.

 

From the first 100

 

1 PJ , 4 markimwaiting, 10 Mike and Ying, 13 Tom,15 Eric&Yuhui ,18 donahso, 19 LaoMao, 20 La_Diva, 21 bob, 22 tonado, 27 Littlebear, 29 Tine & Ella, 30 danswayne, 31 TimD, 33 sandyyu, 34 April, 38 Myles, 39 blennon, 40 KandY, 50 myeagy, 51 Robert S., 55 dayfood, 56 luckybabe, 58 bobmal99, 59 Dan, 60 AZwolfman, 61 newman, 66 Charlotte, 68 tparrent, 70 hakkamike, 72 sysy, 73 Dawn, 76 JoeLiyan, 79 Kaige, 86 juz, 88 rsun, 89 scott32, 91 rplh66, 92 AngryTexan, 94 hong, 97 tybeaux, 99 skibum

Man, do those names bring back some fond memories. I had the pleasure of meeting a few of those characters as we were living in Guangdong at the time. AZWolfman is back on the board now from time to time, as he is in the visa pipeline again. Kaige lives down in Ft. Myers, Florida and he built a super-sized outdoor grill for his lady as I recall. Eric of Eric and Yuhui was a fixture in the early days. He was a Frenchman with a great sense of humor. Last track I had of him he was down in South Florida. I met the AngryTexan in Guangzhou and Littlebear was a student at the university where Li and I taught. She now lives in California I believe. Robert S. still comes around from time to time here on Candle. We met Robert and his lovely wife Ping Ping on several occasions and she cooked us a fantastic meal that I still think about. Tine and Ella are still around and live in Indiana. Charlotte was a great member and a source of valuable info from a female perspective. Li and Charlotte talked on the phone from time to time. Tony was around from the very beginning and has always been a valuable member. He lives in Boston and I think he works at the airport. Danswayne was living in China if my memory serves me, and was from Tennessee. One other early member not mentioned was Owen Krout, who lived up in northeast China. Owen was my cohort in the infamous meeting with the head of the Visa Unit in Guangzhou in February, 2003, at the height of the Black Hole days. Another guy was JohninDenver, who married his lady at the Denver airport right after she landed. We met her in Guangzhou the day we picked up our visa. And of course there was skibum, who battled a terminal disease with his lady at his side every step of the way. May he rest in peace. Ski was a good, good man.

 

As I think back on those early days, I can't express how valuable Candle was for us. Living in China, we had major difficulty getting any kind of information and if we wanted to contact DOS, we had to stay up at night and call repeatedly, sometimes lucky enough to get through but most times not.

Edited April 19, 2013 by Mick (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Pretty cool, thank goodness for the pioneers. I know Candle sure made it easier to endure the 5 year war with the State Department....they lost by the way!!

 

tsap seui

[True Blue]

In a related story, my wife, "Empress True Blue" passed 6000 cars the other day on the way to the sale at the mall.

I knew I shudda got that 105 hp 2 cylinder hybrid. That lead foot is makin' my heart race quite a bit.

 

 

Congrats to all CFL and thanks again to all here for their advice and common sense!