Favorite Memories

[EK]

Yes, yes... it's all so distant now. But I remember the dreaded international terror cell known as the Incontinent Commandos that we successfully dismantled using a... democracy-deliverance-ordinance. USA USA!

Pseudonym is Q confirmed.

[JesusIsAlive]

It's goood to see ya @JesusIsAlive. If memory serves me correctly, my very first PM was from you when you welcomed me to town during your first term.

That very well could be. You were quite excited to be on the forums, I remember! ^__^

@EK, long time, no see! I hope you are getting along well in life.

[Catspaw]

The poem also reminded me of an old contest (I want to say during Lizzie and Taq's term?) that involved teams coming up with a song, with bonus points for actually recording it, and every now and then I still listen to EK, Trent, and someone (maybe JIA?) singing about the ToO. Sample lyric (from memory): "Come and check the ToO, come and make some money. We're a bunch of introverts but you will find us funny." It's not quite as classic as EK singing about Shadowpaw to the tune of the Spiderman theme song, but still pretty great.

Oh goodness. I do recall something of that sort. I honestly don't remember if I sang that song. I would know if I heard it, though.

I'll have to find a way to share it. Years ago I put some random music files on a CD and I know that's one of them, but my current laptop doesn't even have a CD slot and I don't have a USB-connected external one at home, so I couldn't share it at the moment, unless I find the file on my old laptop maybe. Eventually I will have to make it happen!

[EK]

@EK, long time, no see! I hope you are getting along well in life.

I am I am! Hope you are as well! Haven't heard from a few people here in a long while.

[Pirate Oriana]

Timmy the talking tree.

[Petrichor]

I think about this thread all the time because my sister and I now use "Spatrichor" as our save file whenever we play games together. Team Spatrichor forever!

[bookworm]

I'm temporarily bringing this thread back out so Termite can post (it had gotten archived just before she started coming around again) since she messaged me about it. If anyone else wants to take this opportunity to also share additional reminiscences please feel free, there can't be too much celebration of ToO memories!

[Bren]

It's always nice when old members come back around.

[Termite]

This isn't exactly a 'favorite memory' but it's a distinct memory that I was just recently reminiscing about and wanting to bring up in some appropriate way. This seems like a good time and place.

During the Spring Dance event in 2012, one of the tasks was for the partners to write a poem about the event. Scoring was based on length not necessarily quality, so Termite and I decided we would use this opportunity to cement our lead by unashamedly drawing out our entry to an absurd degree. We did this by actually writing two separate poems, each individually stretching ours as much as we possibly could, then combining them together.

We made no pretense about it being good, unapologetically acknowledging we just wanted to write something ridiculously long. I believed, and in fact stated, that my section was garbage. But rereading it now... is it just me or is this actually honestly not half bad? Despite the primary goal being to pad the line count I put genuine effort into the content, giving an accurate recap of how the event setup had played out.

Something was taking the forum by storm.
An event that was sure to be in top form.

A dance it was called, the first of its kind.
No other like you ever would find.

For the partners in person never did meet.
Nor the dancers keep time to the beat with their feet.

It was all done online, through the computer.
A participant did not need to be a commuter.

Events there would be and they would number three.
From these they would see who the top team would be.

Signups were taken, to see who would come.
To see who the pairs would all be made from.

An even number was needed of ladies and men,
So the list was held open up until then.

Then the signups were closed and the hosts gathered pith
To see who each guest would be partnered with.

For at first it was said they would pick their own date,
But then they decided that idea should wait.

Some might take it wrong, they thought with dismay.
This was meant to be fun, and not a sad day.

So to avoid trouble they did away with that gist,
And instead paired the couples themselves from the list.

When the matches were made the invitations were sent
And the partners then knew for whom they were meant.

They were told now to wait, the big day was arriving.
With each passing moment the excitement was thriving.

They got to know one another during the delay,
Something that would come in handy one day.

All of them wanted to do their part.
They eagerly waited for when it would start.

As the days passed, time flew by fast.
The event was now starting, finally, at last!

A notice went out of a great proclamation
To be read far and wide to all in the nation.

"Come one and come all to the First Spring Dance.
Take part in the games, please come take a chance.

Couples prance at the dance, not fight with a lance.
They glance, take a stance, and perhaps find romance.

Which pair will be first when all has been done?
Who will rise to the top? Who will be number one?

Will it be Joy and Reynard Muldoon?
It could be perhaps, we'll find out quite soon.

Perhaps Jesus' Princess and JCGJ?
Let's just wait and see. What else could we say?

It could be Aeva and Blessed Cheesemaker.
Perhaps one of them will be a risk taker.

And then there's Termite and her partner bookworm.
Each of those two will most likely stand firm.

Next up is Bren with Danielle Maxwell.
It may be this pair, only time will tell.

There's also Blitz with Graces4You.
Of course both of them will have a chance too.

Peachy Keen and his partner God's Daughter are here.
If they get on a roll then you'd better stay clear.

How about Sunshine and Jehoshaphat?
They could hit a home run when they come to bat.

Sapphire and Monty make up the next pair.
When you look to the lead you may see them there.

Marvin D is here too with Shennifer.
If they rush to the top all you'll see is a blur.

Joanne and Astronomer, don't count them out.
Those two have a shot, don't you have a doubt.

The King's Daughter and American Eagle are last.
Together their wits could be doubly fast.

So, who will win it? There's really no telling.
A tip to all teams, keep an eye on your spelling.

After all the events we'll see who has won.
But whatever the outcome, it will surely be fun."

Now all of the last minute plans would be laid,
And all the final preparations be made.

All of the details were being worked out
To ensure the success of what would come about.

The guests chose their outfits all with great care
Hoping to be the most well dressed pair.

With great anticipation all looked forward now
To when they and their partner would take their first bow.

A new forum was made to hold all the fun,
And to save it away when the party was done.

All was now in order, everything set.
All the requirements needed were met.

The hosts sighed with relief as they surveyed the scene.
They knew exactly what all this would mean.

The guests would be joyful, the games all amusing.
And for good measure, their brains they'd be using.

Not only fun, but educational too.
The best kind of event I would say, wouldn't you?

This would be enjoyable to all involved
And all of the problems they saw had been solved.

It was very well planned and all ready to go.
The pace would not be too fast, but neither too slow.

Enough time would be given for each event
To be sure that some well thought out entries were sent.

No pressure, just fun, that was the goal.
Some lighthearted enjoyment to lift up the soul.

And later they hoped people remember this
As something you definitely don't want to miss.

If this was a hit it may be held again.
The interest in it probably would not wear thin.

Now all that was left to be done was to wait
Until the day got to the opening date.

Everyone wondered what was in store.
Whatever it was, it would not be a bore.

One final wait and then they would see
Just what exactly this event would be.

(Original context, and Termite's subsequent section are found here.)

It's amazing what things we recall! I remember the dance and how bookworm and I subsequently became an indomitable duo in a couple other games of Scattegories, but it just goes to show the fun side of "the internet is forever."

Honestly, reading the whole thing in it's entirety again after so many years was mind-boggling. I had ZERO memory of the poem until doing so, and the entire time I was going "we did that?? wait, I wrote that??" xD I wheeze-laughed my way through it. But I agree - it's not that bad! I think we had less than a week, so taking that into consideration it turned out fantastic!

I know I accomplished my half by rewriting "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and after thinking about it more I'm fairly certain that only happened because I'd had to do the same thing for a school assignment a few months earlier. If it ain't broke and all. . .

But now all I want to know is were there any other dances?? Are bookworm and I the reigning champions???

-

Moving on: one of my all-time favorite memories was spending one evening in the Chatroom with StrongNChrist. Mabel came ALIVE and started TALKING to us So thanks to Tim for orchestrating that nonsense by bribing Mabel with leftover cookies or whatever. I treasure that memory.

Then there was the Randoms. . .I actually only joined the ToO so I could chat with an IRL friend, BrokenButBeautiful (one of the founding members of the Peanut Butter Randoms) before I was allowed social media. Then I got sucked in to an incredible online friend group :') Never mind how this board helped me survive/develop during my teenage years!

Also, due to LizzieG (I think it during her mayoral run of IQ with her and Taq?? idk where that came from but it feels right so leaving it), I now own most of Ted Dekker's bibliography. Or at least I did; my mom even kept collecting them after I moved out, but there are 46 (just counted off Wikipedia) at her house. There was a summer reading event, and I don't know if I won the entirety or just part of the event, but my reward was an actual book. I chose Adam by TD, and the rest, as they say, was history.

I also remember being involved in some contention after the ToO moved servers or something, because I had just completed a summer fitness thing and got a ridiculous monetary reward with the new banking system because of the HOURS I spent at a couple of soccer camps. Oops. I wasn't the only person though; other people on here were definitely over-achievers as well, and there had to be concessions made so there wasn't immediate inflation or something, hah.

At one point, there was also a recording of me singing Pizza Angel from Veggie Tales on here. . .for another contest. Maybe that same one you remember, @Catspaw?? But that time I failed </3

So. . .what I'm now realizing is that I may need to apologize for my competitiveness

I know there were also times where I was challenged on my communication ability, forced to think of things from a different perspective, etc., etc. I was in middle school when I joined. It's crazy how much the ToO impacted my life, and I'm super grateful for those years and the inordinate amount of time I was able to be on here

It's always nice when old members come back around.

It's really nice to be back around I really did miss this place. And the emojis Obviously


EDIT: ahaha that just made me remember something else. Aeva and I brought over from the Dragons in our Midst fan forum lol. We both have this gif-ed on our phones to this day xD Also, I'm pretty sure we took and got it listed on the DioM board lol.

EDIT THE SECOND: Also, every single time WITHOUT FAIL, whenever I see, hear, or think of the word "engaged" I immediately swap it to "enraged ;" yes, with the mental image of the emoji. So thanks for that, Top.

[bookworm]

were there any other dances?? Are bookworm and I the reigning champions???

The Spring Social was a similar concept event, but there wasn't an overall winning pair there.

[Catspaw]

At one point, there was also a recording of me singing Pizza Angel from Veggie Tales on here. . .for another contest. Maybe that same one you remember, @Catspaw?? But that time I failed </3

I don't think it was the one I referred to because I think the song was supposed to be about your team for the event...but maybe not, or maybe Pizza Angel was just the base for your song? I remember there being a "Worst Singer" contest a super long time ago that never ended up being judged - would you have entered something like that? Honestly, my memory isn't always great so there could have been lots of events that slipped my mind.

I loved reading all your memories and thoughts, Termite.

[bookworm]

I'm glad I brought this thread back out, because a few more memories have come to me that I want to reminisce about. Unlike what I mentioned before, which is something I remember very fondly but doesn't really fall in the 'favorite memory' area, these are very much in that category.

The first is my entry for snubs' My AiO Short Story event.

I didn't originally plan to participate in this event, and when I later decided to go ahead and send something in I wasn't inclined to put in the time to write a 'real' story. The entry I eventually submitted makes that very obvious, but contrary to how it may appear from just reading it with no background explanation it wasn't something done with absolutely no effort put into it.

I wrote it the way I did on purpose. It wasn't being lazy, it was deliberately a joke of a submission. I certainly didn't take it seriously at all, and I didn't expect anyone else to, but there was intention behind it. I wanted to write something that would authentically fit in the AiO model, yet be entirely devoid of any genuine substance, so it would somehow be at the same time both the most and least AiO story you could read.

So I strung together some AiO cliches that came to mind which would tell 'a story', then intentionally bypassed adding any details that would elucidate on what the story actually was. The result was an utterly bare minimum writing which as a narrative was both technically complete yet blatantly lacking, precisely as I intended. I was about to submit it when I had the last minute inspiration to add one more line.

That changed everything! It transformed the 'story' from something kind of silly but mostly dumb to something that genuinely made me laugh out loud even though I was the one that wrote it. I knew I had something here.

I gave it the entirely appropriate yet completely vague title "Marvin's Dilemma" and sent it in.

Marvin Washington had a problem. He talked to Mr. Whitaker about it.
Mr. Whitaker told Marvin a story that related to his problem.
Marvin learned a very valuable lesson from the story and went to put what he learned into practice.
Marvin’s problem was solved and he was very happy. He returned to Mr. Whitaker and thanked him.
Mr. Whitaker laughed and said “The best is yet to come.”
Then Dr. Blackgaard showed up and took over the town.
THE END

I was very pleased to see the highly positive responses it received!
(Story reveal and initial reactions here, Poll results and additional reaction here)

That final line is what caused the story to get the attention it did, because it added pure absurdity from that unexpected escalation to what was already ridiculous in a different way because of the farcical terseness - and it was entirely an afterthought!
I'm so thankful I threw that in at the last second, to allow the creation of this memory that I still laugh out loud about when I revisit it all these years later. If I hadn't this would not have had the same lasting impact, it would have just been a silly thing that induced some chuckles at the time but no one would probably bother to recall again later.

[Catspaw]

Haha, I had forgotten about that, bookworm. I can see how that would be a fun memory for you. I love the story behind the story. You're right that the last line really sells it!