Hi everyone.
AARoads most prolific poster kphoger has not posted since the early part of September. I reached out in November through PM but received no response. I understand people can take breaks from the forum, but I just wanted to know if anyone knows him and if he is OK.
Thanks.
He's taken long breaks from the forum (and probably the Internet in general) before, so I'm guessing he's just doing that and will resurface later. I hope he's doing well and enjoying himself too.
I think this question has been asked before, though a search isn't helping me find it, and I recall the answer then being much the same as what Scott5114 says.
In my mind he's taken a break from the forum to go on a quest to rocket up the "lowest route you haven't been on" leaderboard.
Quote from: cabiness42 on December 21, 2021, 03:53:13 PM
In my mind he's taken a break from the forum to go on a quest to rocket up the "lowest route you haven't been on" leaderboard.
I think I'm going to imagine anyone who takes a break from the forum to be doing this from now on.
This isn't out of the ordinary. kphoger was absent from the forum for at least the first few months of 2014.
Quote from: Alex on April 05, 2014, 09:57:39 AM
kphoger routinely disappears for months at a time from the forum.
In fact, we've already had a thread about kphoger during this absence, back in October:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30393.msg2673407#msg2673407
He's disappeared for long stretches numerous times in the past. He even forgot his login information one time.
A far-fetched but possible conspiracy is that he secretly has two accounts, and hasn't logged into his "main" one since September. He could be posting among us as we speak and we don't know it.
Quote from: thspfc on December 21, 2021, 05:06:27 PM
A far-fetched but possible conspiracy is that he secretly has two accounts, and hasn't logged into his "main" one since September. He could be posting among us as we speak and we don't know it.
He used a kphoger2 account he created to let the mods know that he forgot his password to his real account. The dude doesn't strike me as someone who would go all Marf Sock Puppet.
Yup, this normal for him. He volunteers a lot of his time and periodically takes breaks from the forum.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 21, 2021, 05:08:39 PM
Quote from: thspfc on December 21, 2021, 05:06:27 PM
A far-fetched but possible conspiracy is that he secretly has two accounts, and hasn't logged into his "main" one since September. He could be posting among us as we speak and we don't know it.
He used a kphoger2 account he created to let the mods know that he forgot his password to his real account. The dude doesn't strike me as someone who would go all Marf Sock Puppet.
He made a dummy alternate in order to build an alibi and draw attention away from his real alternate.
FritzOwl is away too....
I am assure people do take long breaks
Quote from: 1 on December 21, 2021, 05:23:37 PM
FritzOwl is away too....
(https://i.imgur.com/HhC0DWj.jpg)
^^^
Or, are we all FritzOwl?
Quote from: 1 on December 21, 2021, 05:23:37 PM
FritzOwl is away too....
Considering I saw what the host website Fritz was originally housing his images on entailed I just assumed there some sort of mad scientist dynamic there.
Knowing my luck he's going to come back later today and see that heinous accusation I just posted.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 21, 2021, 05:41:40 PM
^^^
Or, are we all FritzOwl?
I believe we can look to The Walrus for the explanation: "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together."
I can only assume that this means that not only that we are all FritzOwl, but FritzOwl is all of us. Maybe this also applies to kphoger?
Goo goo g'joob.
Or maybe we all are Devo. I dunno ...
The good news when he comes back is he'll see how genuinely missed he is.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 21, 2021, 06:02:30 PM
Knowing my luck he's going to come back later today and see that heinous accusation I just posted.
kphoger? Damn.
Ok thanks everyone! Glad to know this isn't unusual.
Quote from: dlsterner on December 21, 2021, 06:03:13 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 21, 2021, 05:41:40 PM
^^^
Or, are we all FritzOwl?
I believe we can look to The Walrus for the explanation: "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together."
I can only assume that this means that not only that we are all FritzOwl, but FritzOwl is all of us. Maybe this also applies to kphoger?
Goo goo g'joob.
Or maybe we all are Devo. I dunno ...
You've spent too much time in Alanland...
Users take long breaks from the forum sometimes. And sometimes they don't come back. That's normal.
I took breaks from April-August 2021, then December-January 2021-22. I just wanted to take a break from the forum. :colorful:
Quote from: snowc on January 20, 2022, 09:09:40 AM
I took breaks from April-August 2021, then December-January 2021-22. I just wanted to take a break from the forum. :colorful:
You wanted a break? Revisionist history?
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.msg2685627#msg2685627
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 20, 2022, 09:20:44 AM
Quote from: snowc on January 20, 2022, 09:09:40 AM
I took breaks from April-August 2021, then December-January 2021-22. I just wanted to take a break from the forum. :colorful:
You wanted a break? Revisionist history?
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.msg2685627#msg2685627
With all due respect, don't bite the users.
Quote from: formulanone on January 20, 2022, 09:45:32 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 20, 2022, 09:20:44 AM
Quote from: snowc on January 20, 2022, 09:09:40 AM
I took breaks from April-August 2021, then December-January 2021-22. I just wanted to take a break from the forum. :colorful:
You wanted a break? Revisionist history?
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=30634.msg2685627#msg2685627
With all due respect, don't bite the users.
The dude is kind of asking for it trying to inject himself into this conversation. I know it is in line with his other posts but come on, is there not even the slightest filter?
Just for the heck of it, I found him on Facebook and sent him a message that his absence here had been noted, and included a link to this thread. He and I aren't friends on Facebook, so who knows if he'll see it in his message requests, but at least he'll know his contributions are missed.
I'm still alive.
When I first disappeared, it was because I couldn't afford the downtime at work. That's still true, really. I've got projects on the back burner, so I need to tend to them whenever I find myself looking for work to do. I'm just popping on here because I finally saw HB's message on Facebook.
Could I surf the forum from home? Well, yes. But you may recall that I switched from a smartphone to a dumbphone a year ago or so, because the internet was taking my attention away from my family. So, suffice it to say, sitting in front of the PC for hours at a time wouldn't be any better.
In the meantime, my family and I did a camping trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in October. We camped at the very north end of the park, right by the New Mexico state line.
Southbound route here (https://goo.gl/maps/jtvo2eQkCrsSLe5C9) Northbound route here (https://goo.gl/maps/mpDCwZMBdfVHvTLL8)
Here are some pictures.
↓ This is our new car and new cargo box. It has a lot more space than our old car, but its suspension isn't as beefy. I like the JEGS cargo box, although I had to purchase aftermarket crossbars in order to install it: there's no way to ratchet-strap anything to this car's rails.
(https://i.imgur.com/60dPtrm.jpg)
↓ This is the area near our campground. It was well protected from the wind, and the weather was gorgeous. We saw black widow spiders and tarantulas and scorpions, but never in our tents. My boys and I got some good hiking in. Considering their age, I was proud of them.
(https://i.imgur.com/9huUK64.jpg)
On the way back, we hit some crazy winds and, on NM-483 heading north toward Lovington, we had a tumbleweed adventure. There were strong sustained winds from the west that day, and a good stretch of NM-483 must lie in a slight depression between the fence lines. So here's the situation that was created:
The wind would blow tumbleweeds up against the western fence line. Eventually, the weeds would pile up to form a sort of siege ramp, which then allowed all the ones after them to just roll up the ramp and down onto the highway. Some of them made it across the highway to the eastern fence line, and the same thing would ensue on that side. However, down on the highway depression itself, the wind was substantially less strong, so a lot of weeds simply piled up on the pavement.
When I say "a lot", I mean it! For probably a mile or more, it was literally impossible to see the pavement at all, and we "waded" through a sea of tumbleweeds that reached up to the grill. Every so often, we'd catch a glimpse of the edge line or the center stripe, but most of the time it was guesswork to stay on the road. With tumbleweeds cascading over the hood of our car, we plowed through at 15 to 25 mph. Occasionally, a trucker would roar by in the other lane, sending an avalanche of weeds over our car; at that point, we'd switch over and drive in the left lane, in the tracks of matted-down weeds left by the trucker, until we came upon another oncoming vehicle and would switch back to the right side again. I say "we", but my wife was driving that stretch; I guess my role was moral support and technical advice.
When we finally made it out of the "sea", we pulled to a stop in the middle of the travel lane. Barehanded (ouch!), I had to reach up under the grill and pull out mats of wedged tumbleweeds. Then I went around to the side of the car and had my wife drive very slowly while I pulled weeds out from inside the wheel wells and behind the wheels–trusting that she wouldn't suddenly accelerate and rip my forearm off. When we got into Lovington–wind whipping dust and tumbleweed bits and chaff all around–we pulled into a parking lot and did another round of weed pulling. Days after returning home, while I was checking the air filter, I found myself pulling tumbleweed pieces out from on top of the transmission.
↓ Here is a picture of the beginning of the adventure. This is before it got "really" bad.
(https://i.imgur.com/NXuyHUy.jpg)
From there, the winds didn't stop. Heading north from Plains (TX), we drove through sustained 25-35 mph crosswinds. Because that part of Texas seems to grow a lot of dirt in their fields rather than crops, that meant driving through periodic dust storms that reduced visibility by as much as a snowstorm. Then, just as dirt farms gave way to crops, the rain started. By the time we stopped for gas at Vega, the wind had ripped the decal off the windward side of our cargo box.
In Friona, I drove a specific route in order to pass through the intersection of TX-214-Business and FM-2397-Spur, with the intention of taking a picture of the assembly (https://goo.gl/maps/p2abZjasCSuRFFXc6) to share on this site. But the rain was still strong, so I didn't feel like stopping and getting drenched.
The last day of driving, from Guymon to Wichita, however, the weather was beautiful. A lovely autumn day through the Great Plains.
↓ And here are my wife and I, taking a break during a hike.
(https://i.imgur.com/hSIjdf4.jpg)
Welcome back kphoger!
Welcome back to the forums.
Quote from: kphoger on February 24, 2022, 12:35:27 PM
I'm still alive.
Glad to have you back, even if it's short lived. The forum is a more interesting place when you're around.
And thanks for sharing your trip... that sounds interesting/exciting to say the least!!
Quote from: JayhawkCO on October 21, 2021, 02:16:34 PM
Maybe went down to Mexico.
Nope, I haven't been to Mexico since March 2020–when the world went sideways. Due to the virus, I just haven't trusted the border situation to be reliable enough for travel plans.
However, I now have upcoming plans for another trip to Mexico. This one, though, won't be a road trip, and it will only be our pastor and I. The plan is to fly into Monterrey by way of DFW, then our friends will pick us up at the airport. For the return trip, we'll take intercity buses from Saltillo to Nuevo Laredo, cross the border by taxi or on foot, then fly out of Laredo to come back home. The reason for the convoluted travel plans–which include two sets of one-way plane tickets–is that all air passengers arriving into the USA are required to present a negative test result from within the same or previous calendar day as departure. I'm just not confident enough that we could obtain such a test result within that specific window of time, especially not knowing a whole lot about how and where such tests are administered in the town we'll be staying in. US citizens crossing by land, however, are under no such requirement.
I'm not thrilled at the prospect of wearing a face mask for hours on end during travel, but I'm also not thrilled at the idea of sitting mask-less in a moving sardine can with a bunch of rando passengers either. So I got four N95 masks to use on our trip–the only masks I've gotten since the original three handmade cloth ones back when everything first hit the fan. I tell you what: even before the virus, I never felt all that healthy sitting on an airplane, and I definitely don't
now! Rationally, I know that planes do a really great job of filtering and circulating their cabin air, but, well, I'm not a 100% rational person. Besides, I'm not exactly in a position to afford having to take a few weeks off from work (and neither is my wife), so better safe than sorry.
This should add two new one-off airports to my list: MTY and LRD. I was kind of hoping to fly into TRC instead of MTY–arriving on that airport's only daily international flight–but that's not the way it worked out. A downside of the itinerary is that both departing flights leave at 6 AM, which means I'm probably not going to be in any mood to enjoy LRD.
Quote from: kphoger on February 24, 2022, 12:35:27 PM
I'm just popping on here because I finally saw HB's message on Facebook.
Quote from: tolbs17 on February 24, 2022, 01:00:52 PM
Welcome back kphoger!
Quote from: BlueOutback7 on February 24, 2022, 01:04:25 PM
Welcome back to the forums.
I'm not really back. As I said, I just popped on today in order to answer the question of what happened to me. You should fully expect me to disappear again after this.
In fact, I'm logging off as soon as I post this reply.
Quote from: kphoger on February 24, 2022, 01:16:03 PM
I'm not really back. As I said, I just popped on today in order to answer the question of what happened to me. You should fully expect me to disappear again after this.
In fact, I'm logging off as soon as I post this reply.
Well, I can't possibly pass this up...
Quote from: kphoger on January 18, 2019, 05:58:00 PM
Maybe he'll be back. This forum is like porn: you just can't keep away for too long, no matter how you try.
:-D :-D
DGP Grey has a video about tumbleweeds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsWr_JWTZss
Glad to hear you're doing all right! ...Even if you don't see this message for several more months. :D
Welcome back. Safe travels.
Hey glad to see you back! You look a lot younger than I thought you were! :-D :-D
Just so you guys know...
It's been a fun three weeks (sort of) being back on the forum. But my work life and personal life are both getting busier again now. So, as soon as someone guesses correctly in the 'Guess the country challenge' thread, I'm going to bow out again. Don't worry: if I die, I'll be sure to let y'all know.
Quote from: kphoger on March 17, 2022, 11:44:49 AM
Just so you guys know...
It's been a fun three weeks (sort of) being back on the forum. But my work life and personal life are both getting busier again now. So, as soon as someone guesses correctly in the 'Guess the country challenge' thread, I'm going to bow out again. Don't worry: if I die, I'll be sure to let y'all know.
I'm confused about how you plan absences. I don't plan absences, I drift on and off the forum with some periods of increased activity. Even when I'm busy I can still check into the forum every once in a while.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 17, 2022, 04:05:29 PMI'm confused about how you plan absences. I don't plan absences, I drift on and off the forum with some periods of increased activity. Even when I'm busy I can still check into the forum every once in a while.
Some people (I am not necessarily saying Kphoger is one of them) find it easier to manage time and attention, both of which are scarce resources, by engaging with online platforms like social media and Web forums only in a structured way that short-circuits the dopamine feedback loop. For example, I have a rule of checking Facebook just twice a day.
Quote from: J N Winkler on March 17, 2022, 05:16:10 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 17, 2022, 04:05:29 PMI'm confused about how you plan absences. I don't plan absences, I drift on and off the forum with some periods of increased activity. Even when I'm busy I can still check into the forum every once in a while.
Some people (I am not necessarily saying Kphoger is one of them) find it easier to manage time and attention, both of which are scarce resources, by engaging with online platforms like social media and Web forums only in a structured way that short-circuits the dopamine feedback loop. For example, I have a rule of checking Facebook just twice a day.
Valid. It might be a good idea. Smartphones make that impossible for me. I check Instagram way too much. Maybe 100 times per day.