What's happened since you joined CUK?

[eek]

I could get from NL to the South of England quicker than getting from the North of England to the South.

Why do you think I was and am happy to fly around Europe - it was less hassle than getting to sodding Reading... I used to be able to get to Copenhagen for lunch at 11:30...

[ladymuck]

I joined 15 years ago

I used to drink vodka but learned to drink gin. I've had 18 contracts (one of which was with 4 different agencies!) Bought my car in 2008. Dropped a partner in 2012, picked up the current one in 2016. Went for a recce to NZ in 2013 with a view to moving away for a few years but decided it was too quiet for me. Instead I moved to London in 2014, selling a ropey house in Sussex and swapping it for a rental in Kensington. I am now on my second rental and very happy I moved. I joined PCG, it became IPSE, I joined the CC, was sad to see it disbanded, left IPSE. I am grateful to IPSE/the CC for introducing me to HWMBO

[eek]

I joined 15 years ago

I used to drink vodka but learned to drink gin. I've had 18 contracts (one of which was with 4 different agencies!) Bought my car in 2008. Dropped a partner in 2012, picked up the current one in 2016. Went for a recce to NZ in 2013 with a view to moving away for a few years but decided it was too quiet for me. Instead I moved to London in 2014, selling a ropey house in Sussex and swapping it for a rental in Kensington. I am now on my second rental and very happy I moved. I joined PCG, it became IPSE, I joined the CC, was sad to see it disbanded, left IPSE. I am grateful to IPSE/the CC for introducing me to HWMBO

So we finally have 2 good things from IPSE - Arctic's S660 validation and your relationship...

[xoggoth]

I was old, miserable and a bit of a when I joined.. What's changed? A lot more people know I'm old, miserable and a bit of a .. HTH

We are kindred spirits!

[NotAllThere]

Since August 2007...

One sprog married, left home and provided two grandchildren so far.
Two other sprogs became adults and Swiss, and still in further education.
Went from one full-time contract to multiple concurrent clients on part-time basis for each of them, developed a product for a client for a share of gross sales income for a few years, worked for a monthly (large) stipend for another client, back to one client, then one client 50% and employee, and come January will have closed my company down (After fifteen years) and be a full-time permie.
Had cataracts removed
Was disenfranchised from UK elections
Visited as a tourist around 12 different countries.
Learned German
Learned Swiss German
Got good at skiing.

Other than that, it's been dreadful!

[SimonMac]

I joined 15 years ago

I used to drink vodka but learned to drink gin. I've had 18 contracts (one of which was with 4 different agencies!) Bought my car in 2008. Dropped a partner in 2012, picked up the current one in 2016. Went for a recce to NZ in 2013 with a view to moving away for a few years but decided it was too quiet for me. Instead I moved to London in 2014, selling a ropey house in Sussex and swapping it for a rental in Kensington. I am now on my second rental and very happy I moved. I joined PCG, it became IPSE, I joined the CC, was sad to see it disbanded, left IPSE. I am grateful to IPSE/the CC for introducing me to HWMBO

We all did drink a hell of a lot then

[Halo Jones]

Turns out I have been loitering in general since 2008!
In that time, still not done any IT work or become a contractor

But I have:
Got married – to BGG
BGG & I brought our 1st home, after renting for a decade or so
Celebrated 30yrs of being with BGG
Finished my degree
Got chartered x3
Gone as far up the corporate ladder as I want to go
Learned many new crafting skills
Discovered WGT in Leipzig & been every year since
Lost both parents & got diagnosed with cancer..

So all in all, apart from that last one, it’s been a good time

[Whorty]

A recent thread saw the conversation turn to how long some have been on this site, I've just hit 10 years on CUK when I started contracting to get myself out of a hole I had gotten myself into with debt.

When i signed up my son was 6 months old, 10 years later we are in the process of applying for his place in High school, I have got married and moved house twice. I have lost a very dear family member, and had 15 contracts (as well as two very short unsuccessful attempts are permiedom). I've visited 4 countries (one with a few good denizens of this parish, I have learned to drink and love gin and bared my arse on Bishopgate.

Most importantly I've made some bloody good friends

Just checked and I only signed up Dec 2014 - I know I referred to the site when I first went contracting late 2007 so I must have been just reading for the first 7 years Some might say that I should have remained that way

Soooo, since joining I've ...

- Had 6 contracts
- Now work 2 days a week
- With work I was lucky to travel to USA, Germany, Oz in this period
- Fell in love with Tim-Tams
- For fun travel only included Kenya, Spain, France
- Moved out of London to the sticks
- I've owned a lake
- I've done the man thing and driven a small lawnmower tractor (great fun the first few times ... but mowing the lawn is always a chore!!)
- Seen my wife's health drop off a cliff
- I've learnt what being a carer means and I have so much more respect now for people who choose this as a career
- Lost contact with quite a few people as I struggle to get wife out the house now. I've missed the last 3 boys catch-ups in London
- Learnt how to catch mouse/vole/shrew that my lovely cat has a habit of bringing in (always alive!) - hint, shoe along the wall, they like to stick to the wall and hide in the shoe!
- Found a passion for cycling and lost quite a bit of timber (I blame the Tim-Tams). Who knew cycle racing in the virtual world of Zwift could be so much fun?
- Annoyed a lot of people on CUK

[LondonPM1]

Why do you think I was and am happy to fly around Europe - it was less hassle than getting to sodding Reading... I used to be able to get to Copenhagen for lunch at 11:30...

You must have worked at the highly successful nordea digital transformation. You know the one they spent nearly 1 billion euros on before writing most of it down

[fullyautomatix]

Since I joined I have watched DimPrawn, SAS and ScooterScot become overnight millionaires by shrewdly investing in gold, bitcoin and sledges. I ignored them as snake oil salesmen and have remained a poor contractor scratching by on day rates while they are smoking cigars on a yacht somewhere.