# What were you doing in 2002?



## RedGinger (May 16, 2009)

This forum began in 2002.  What were you doing then?  Had you started collecting bottles yet?  Were you already a bottle junkie?  Did you join the forum in '02?  
 I was in the beginning year of my bottle hobby then.  I knew nothing when I started around 2001.  I discovered the hobby just by finding glass and looking it up on the computer and checking out every book the library had on it.  In those days I brought home everything!


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## cyberdigger (May 16, 2009)

2002 was the year I boxed up my bottle collection and moved to a big old house with lots of storage space.. it took me six years to get around to unpacking them... kind of like the end of "Raiders..Ark" ..my digging heyday was 1995-96, and if this site had been around back then.. heck if the internet was around back then... !!


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## Just Dig it (May 16, 2009)

i was a jr in highscool =) ..had a few bottles didnt start digging until 2004 -2005..i mostly collected vintage atomic era furniture.and anything else from the era ..some earlier bakelite....


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## cordilleran (May 16, 2009)

I worked as an editor for a large circulation daily newspaper in 2002. I started collecting bottles in 1968. I continue to collect historical flasks, inks, bitters and cures. I fear for the integrity of my senses given a number of factors. A cure, short of death, would be a blessing.


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## morbious_fod (May 16, 2009)

I was still on my Star Wars action figure collecting hiatus which would end in April that year with the release of the Episode II figures. I had really just gotten started back into coin collecting. I was also still collecting Records full time. I may be mistaken but this may also have been the year that I bought that dirty little Dr. Pepper for $3 that evolved into all of this, on a record run to Bluefield WV no less. That trip also introduced me to one of my best sources for bottles later on, unfortunately he is closed down now.

 I was still driving an hour to the butt hole of Southwest Virginia, Big Rock, VA, to work for Summit Engineering. Of course this place was five minutes from the Kentucky border. Thankfully, now, I was laid off of that job in early 2003 during the last one of these economic downturns, which resulted eventually in my being hired where I am today.


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## Miles (May 16, 2009)

Sitting around in elementary school having no idea what the significance of an old bottle would be [&:]


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## RedGinger (May 16, 2009)

I empathize Lobey.  Now, it take me quite awhile in the morning just to get around.  I would walk the beach every day I could to find those bottles, marbles, beach glass and pottery pieces.  I was about 24 I think, living in NH and the bottle bug bit.


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## Just Dig it (May 16, 2009)

on september 11th 2001 i got my face beat in by a racist biker who called a friend of mine an uncool word judged on the color of his skin...the guy went after him i was bigger and took the hit for him..then he started kicking me in my face with a steel toe boot ..i lost a dimple half my sence of taste and my eye wigs out  from time to time because he fractured my eye socket and the tip of my temperal pyramid...gave me double vision for 2 months....When the cops came they didnt arrest him even though i was 16 and he was 37..a month later he killed 2 people in a hit and run dui on a nearbye street with a suspended license 4 months later it was 2002...been a little more uphill since []


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## Jim (May 16, 2009)

Ouch, Eric! What you did for your bud is something that only a true friend would be willing to do. Hopefully, that slimebag will not live long enough to get out of jail.

 In 2002, I had a very small collection of mostly junk bottles that I had collected as a kid. It was also the year that I met my lovely soon-to-be wife. I figure that if she has put up with me for seven years, I should be safe now []. I got back into bottles hardcore in 2005, starting with poisons and then expanding into locals, inks, pontils and any other good glass that I can get my grubby mitts on. I joined this great forum in 2005.  ~Jim


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## RedGinger (May 16, 2009)

Geez, Just Dig it, I'm glad you were okay.  That's absolutley horrible.  Now you are enjoying bottles, though and that's something good.  What you did was admirable.  You have my respect on that one.  
 It's weird to think back on what we were doing back then, and I think it's good to share stories.  
 Lobey's story was pretty cute.  Jim, I just don't see how your fiancee hasn't caught the bug yet!  LOL  Congatulations on your engagement ( etiquette says never congratulate the bride to be) []


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## madman (May 17, 2009)

around 2002 i started getting back into bottles found a dump, i had a 8 year break with a bad drug addiction, i found my first dump in 1977 i was in the 4th grade, and amased a large collection pretty fast, any way the bottle bug AND THIS FORUM, helped me to recover from my addiction, been digging ever since,  been clean 15 years bet you werent ready for that..................    mike


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## blobbottlebob (May 17, 2009)

Great commentary on this thread. From all of the beatings, tangled hair, drug use, and coin colecting, things are sure looking up nowadays. I got married in '02 and we had our little guy four days shy of our first anniversary. I proposed to my wife underwater (in the hopes that she would love scuba diving). The whole scuba thing didn't catch on but it is an interesting story which I'll tell in greater detail sometime.


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## Jim (May 17, 2009)

Thanks, Laur. She likes my bottles, and once in a while she'll stop by my dig sites to take a few pics and hang out. I'm still working on getting her to actually dig in a pit [].

 Mike, Way to go, buddy. It takes a lot to beat a nasty addiction like that. I have three very good friends who have kicked bad drug and/or alcohol problems. That stuff does bad things to good people. Sadly, I had another close friend who lost his battle with alcohol. I like to drink a few (OK, sometimes more than a few) occasionally, but I'm thankful and fortunate that I have never had to deal with an addiction problem.  ~Jim


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## Just Dig it (May 17, 2009)

Different Strokes for different folks..
 the kid grew up to be a horrible person..
 you meet alot of people in life ..the kid was 14 at the time
 I was just bigger then him thats just how it is. .
 He ended up moving to a different city stabbed a guy who was a father of 2 .he died
 kid got Life
 if he wrote me in 20 years after hes thought about what hes done
  i might write him back and tell him of the potential i thought he had

 .madman.Mike..ive lost a good friend to heroin. ..but never in my life would i look down on you buddy.
 people are born amazing .no bump in the road.ever takes that away ..keep on digging

 Lobey Rockos Modern Life is so good Where do you stand on Pete&Pete?..or salute your shorts.? 

 I could see you being very Ed Bighead over your lawn....jk[]
 Thanks for sharing the Memory

 RedGinger Thanks For the concern i act like it all never happened..dudes gone cant hurt anyone else..he was just a loose cannon..  Later     JDI-thanks for the abbreviaton lobes


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## RedGinger (May 17, 2009)

Good for you Madman.  When I dig, I forget about problems and it's great exercise.  You guys are all so candid.  I think it's great.  A very positive thread.  I've never heard of that kids' show.  Thanks for your kindness Lobey.  Everyone look under my name![]


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## RedGinger (May 17, 2009)

First pic is what used to be on the menu after a day of digging, or just any old day in New Hampshire[]. Second is pretty dark, but me in my kitchen so proud of my screwtops lol. These pics are from 2002 I am pretty sure.


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## RICKJJ59W (May 17, 2009)

I can relate Mike.I was lost on that crazyyyy road my self but thank god I made it back, and check it out, I'm still kinda sane today[8D] It has been 23 years clean  for me,maybe more,I lost track of time.[] I have been digging bottles since I was 15,even a few times while I was on the crazy road. In 2002?  hmmmmm  I was probably planing my next dig []


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## RedGinger (May 17, 2009)

Congratulations Rick and Mike.  That has to take a lot of strength.  One day at a time even works for someone like me with an addiction to worrying.  []  I found this picture of me at my very first digging spot, the beach.  It was so exciting at the time!  Lost a few pounds since then[]  Aren't all women a little self- concious? LOL  I'm working on it!


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## morbious_fod (May 17, 2009)

> ORIGINAL:  Just Dig it
> 
> on september 11th 2001 i got my face beat in by a racist biker who called a friend of mine an uncool word judged on the color of his skin...the guy went after him i was bigger and took the hit for him..then he started kicking me in my face with a steel toe boot ..i lost a dimple half my sence of taste and my eye wigs out  from time to time because he fractured my eye socket and the tip of my temperal pyramid...gave me double vision for 2 months....When the cops came they didnt arrest him even though i was 16 and he was 37..a month later he killed 2 people in a hit and run dui on a nearbye street with a suspended license 4 months later it was 2002...been a little more uphill since []


 
 That cat sounds like another very good candidate for public ritual beating. It's scum like that that give the rest of humanity a bad name.

 Dang Madman I never figured, glad you found your way off of the drugs man. Personally I'm still addicted to collecting, whether it's action figures (which I lovely call plastic crack), coins, records, bottles, etc., and now you are too. Welcome to the sickness brother! LOL!


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## Angelpeace (May 19, 2009)

*2002 was a year of firsts for me because of what happened in 2001. I had back surgery in May, and my mother passed away 5 days after 9/11. So, in 2002 I was learning to use a cane for the first time, and I was going through all the first year blues-----first mom's birthday without her, first Mother's Day, first Memorial Day, etc. It was a tough year, we had been close. My family was the kind that got together for everything. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, my mom, my sis, and me and , of course, all our spouses and children. This has been a tradition for us that goes back to my grandparents. They still gather, but 2005 brought about circumstances where I don't go as much, but that's another story.*
*Thank goodness I had Jamie n 2002. He kept me busy and didn't let me wallow in the depression that seemed to envelope me. We did a lot of walking, talking, and reading during the year. We had a little extra money back then and we would visit neighboring towns' flee markets and antique malls. Occassionally we found a good bargin, and Jamie added a few pieces to his bottle collection, but as I remember it was pieces to his revolving collection that he sells pieces out of all the time at bottle shows. Good idea. This got me started thinking about some of the good old days again. Thanks for the memories.*
*Peace*


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## RedGinger (May 19, 2009)

Congartulations Antiquenut on your hard earned accomplishment!
 Nina, that is a great story. I'm sorry about your Mom.  I would not be able to overcome it if I lost mine.  I think the things you and Jamie did are just the remedy for going through things like that, not to mention your back surgery.  After my divorce, I did a lot of walking, antiquing, and reading too and it helped me to have hope.  Every Sunday, I'd set up at the flea market with my Mom and we'd meet new friends and have fun doing something productive.  That helped a lot too.  
 What a great man Jamie is to devote himself to you and your recovery.  You make a great couple.  Thanks for sharing your story.


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## mr.fred (May 19, 2009)

Let's see in 2002 i was still at my same job since 1986--counting the days until i could call it quits. I got the digging bug in the middle 70s------been sober going on 25 years July 4 09-------been a long road---never let my guard down!!! i always think of a saying and old timer told me----Kiss----Keep it simple Stupid----it works.    [][]


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## RedGinger (May 20, 2009)

Way to go Fred!  Just got back to this post.  Look forward to digging with you.


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## glass man (May 20, 2009)

> What a great man Jamie is to devote himself to you and your recovery


   THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS LAUR,BUT I AM ONLY A AVERAGE BUTT HOLE! IT IS EASY TO LOVE AND CARE FOR NINA GIRL,SHE IS WONDERFUL!!!!![&:]           BESIDES WHAT NINA HAS ALREADY SAID,IN 2002 BOTH MY PARENTS WERE ALIVE AND FINE! WILD THING WHAT A DIFFERENCE JUST A FEW YEARS CAN MAKE! JAMIE


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## sloughduck (May 21, 2009)

In 2002 I had been collecting and digging bottles for 31 years.


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## ncbred (Aug 28, 2009)

Lets see...I was 25.  Single, going to a party/bar/club/strip joint 3 to 4 nights a week.  [8D]  Its amazing what getting married will do to ya.  I went from having plenty of money and doing what I want when I want to being broke and not able to do spit.  I had dug my first bottle long before then when I was a kid.  It was a Dr. Caldwells Diarreah med.  The lip was sticking up from the ground in my grandmas back yard, so I dug it up..  Still sits on my mothers kitchen sink window seal to this day.

 Had not started collecting bottles or metal detecting yet.  My only hobby was pretty much collecting sportscards and anything NY Yankees related.  Have cards ranging from Mantle, Munson, Mattingly and Jeter.  

 When I get my new barn set up with bottles and sports memorabilia I'll have to post some pics.  Still have to insulate and board the walls first.


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## bottlenutboy (Aug 28, 2009)

in 2002 i was 13, and hadnt even thought twice about a bottle... it wasnt until 2006 when i was 16 that i started collecting bottles


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## RedGinger (Aug 28, 2009)

> ORIGINAL: ncbred
> 
> It was a Dr. Caldwells Diarreah med.  The lip was sticking up from the ground in my grandmas back yard, so I dug it up..  Still sits on my mothers kitchen sink window seal to this day.


 
 Maybe it would be better displayed in the bathroom than the kitchen[]


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## pyshodoodle (Aug 28, 2009)

[sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif][sm=lol.gif]


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## RedGinger (Aug 28, 2009)

[][:'(]


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## sweetrelease (Aug 28, 2009)

lets see ,in 2002 i was a new dad to little mattjr . i quit my job in sales and went into union construction for the money and perks of it[]. it was not long after i started that job that i saw the first of many bottles "dug" up. i took everyone home and it started my road to collecting. i have learned so much since then and i am still learning today . ~matt


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## Angelpeace (Sep 1, 2009)

Just remembered that 2002 was the year I got my settlement from the car wreck that resulted in my last back surgery. My mom had passed away in September of 2001 and I used part of that settlement money that year to vacation in Savannah for 10 days. Jamie was in better health at that time and we did a lot of flea marketing (looking for bottles and old records.) I think that was the year we traveled the 400 mile yard sale they have in August down here. At the time it stretched from Alabama to Kentucky. Didn't do the whole route, but did travel a big chunck of it. Jamie found some nice bottles, and we bought a bottle of homemade salad dressing that was so good I wish we had bought 10 of them. This was also just shortly after I found out I was diabetic, so that was the year I spent getting used to living with the disease and learning how to control it.
 Peace


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## RedGinger (Sep 1, 2009)

That sounds like a nice trip Nina, and a good way to relieve the stress!   The salad dressing thing sounds just like me!  What was your favorite part of Savannah?  I'd like to make it there someday.  I love Paula Deen from the food network.  She has a restaurant there.  Glad to hear you got something from your accident.  I was too scared of the drunken creep policeman who hit me to pursue my accident.


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## Angelpeace (Sep 1, 2009)

I liked the Trolly tour of the city that we took, but I have to say Tybee Island was my favorite part. I just love the ocean! If I get anywhere near it, I have to go, even if it's just for a few hours. Tybee Island holds such wonderful childhood memories for me. We lived in Savannah for a few months when I was three. My dad would take me to the ocean almost every day. I can still remember riding on his back while he swam out. While we were there, I begged Jamie to take one of the nighttime walking ghost tours, but he wouldn't do it. So I wouldn't go trampling through the old cemetaries with him.[][][]
 As to the settlement----there wouldn't have been one if it hadn't been for my insurance company. The accident was a hit and run, and even though I got the tag number of the other vehicle, the police didn't persue the matter because the other driver was Hispanic. They told me that he probably didn't have insurance anyway. I really pushed them, and six weeks later the chief of police told me they found the vehicle but it had been sold to someone else and that person said the driver had gone back to Mexico. That wasn't true. I've seen the guy around town several times since then, but every time he sees me, he'll turn around and walk away. My insurance company said that they would cover everything and then sent me money for pain and suffering as well. I wasn't expecting that. Of course I had to sign a paper saying I would testify for the insurance company in case their lawyers decided to persue the police department for not doing their job. Sure was glad they decided not to. If I had had to testify against the police department I wouldn't have been able to walk out the front door without getting pulled over.
 I hate it that you didn't get anything out of your accident, but if it's anything like here, the other cops would have just sided with him and you would have ended up at fault.
 Peace


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