Oh Betty Boop - I laughed so hard at your post because I too am a dual addict and a slave to the two masters of Fodor's and Law&Order.

My husband and I have this thing when we watch the Law and Order repeats where we try to guess the whole episode in the first frame of the show. Yes, we are nerdy. And yes, when I say "watch the repeats", it could be like the one millionth time.

And then I get up in the commercials and refresh the computer screen to see whats going on here. Sometimes I cheat on Fodors and go to Trip Advisor and look up hotels for future trips. But mostly this is the monkey on by back.

And by the way, Chris Noth is coming back to Criminal Intent this season.

Beanweb, I have the very same delusion of my husband being amused by the goings-on here at Fodor's. He smiles vacantly and says, "Ira who??"

Like a lot of you, I log on some time during the morning in work and check in from time to time when boredom with the job is setting in. Most nights I get on again while watching television.

I run a business that requires me to be online all day long. Between downloads and giving estimates to customers and dealing with emails from the freelancers who work from me, I check into Fodors - keep it Minimized from about 9 am on every day. It doesn't impede my work in any way, just gives me a chance to change venues for a few minutes every hour. If I'm busy at work or on vacation where I don't want to be bothered, or just busy with household projects, I stay away.

I usually pop in again once in the evening after dinner to see what's going on.

I hate to think of the time I might spend here if I didn't work!

Being a mom of two young kids, I am the queen of multi-tasking. Heck, I can eat lunch, console a sad toddler, and catch up on fodors all at the same time.

Jocelyn, you make me smile.
You go, ya little 'multi-tasker' you.

:)

BettyBoop & chicagolori, my DH and I are also Law & Order junkies. LOVE it. Cried like a baby when Jerry Orbach died. Bless his heart.

Chicagolori, I play that game too, and boy am I good. I must admit the Labor Day marathon of L&O and L&O SVU had me in overload. I think I may out nerd you and yours.

And yes back from exile Mike Logan, of all the cast changes his was the toughest on me, but Ben Bratt, I got over it.

Oh, confession time! I love Law & Order too! I was so sad when Jerry Orbach died. Loved that fellow.

About time on Fodor's? Well I wake up and read all the websites while having my 4 mugs of coffee (after checking my email of course) and then jump over to Fodors. Leave my laptop connected until I go to bed. Uhmmm, refuse to state how many times during the day I check out the threads on Fordors. I invoke the 5th, LOL.

I love this place! Wish I could be here 24/7. I like to watch! Unfortunately, had to implement a non-internet policy at work to prevent employees from burning up their productive hours playing on-line games. So, I can't check in until after dinner at home. Gotta set the example. I'm able to fit in maybe 2 hours a night researching my next escape. Can't always "chime in", but I'm always scanning. Love everyone's input and the variety of opinions and reviews. For the next few months I'll be burning up my time absorbing Italy reviews for my Summer '06 skate. Jabber on Fodorites!

Jocelyn--Oh how I can relate, lol! My kids are older now, but it is mostly all the same mom stuff.

My office is next to the laundry room, so I can be efficient and get laundry done and read Fodors at the same time:)

I've been here less the last few months because the sun's been out, and believe me, when the sun's out in Seattle, I too am out! Plus, I'm also a U.S. Open tennis junkie and am still high on the Agassi/Blake match last night.

But yesterday, before the tennis, DD called from Lipari and was worried about getting a reservation for the Bargello on her way home (less than 2 weeks now!!!), so I told her I'd check into it, posted here, and within an hour had several responses which I e-mailed to her. This place is AMAZING!

I didn't answer the question, did I? Guess denial is one sign...oh dear (and one of these days I'm gonna learn how to make smily faces too--LOL)

artlover

http://www.fodors.com/forums/smileys/

have fun!

I'm not telling...but it's not enough b/c I always find out I missed something--still wondering about that boyfriend post!

OWJ,

LOL, how's the BB going? lots of postcards? Are the students enjoying it? I really does sound like a good idea.

Damn, that reminds me I owe you a Scotland postcard. Will mail tomorrow.

BTW it's the Isle of Bute

I swear...it's a magnet. Everytime I want to leave the site, I get pulled back. It's great to be part of the gang.

Being retired, I spend about 3 hrs every morning doing my "computer work". That includes 1 to 1 1/2 hrs on Fodors. I realize that I am addicted to Fodors, so I have a rule that I am allowed to search under my name only once more per day, usually in the late afternoon. :)>-

Being home a day and not checking Fodors is beyond my imagination.

I'm another muli-tasker. I am logged in most of the day on weekdays, and I check in between things I'm doing at work. I usually have at least four browsers going at my desk between work and message boards, but I ensure that my work is priority. (Well, ok...most of the time). ;)

In the evenings it depends on what I have going on as to whether I'm logged in, and I try to check in at least once or twice on the weekend.

My name is Patrick, I'm a fodorholic. . .

Helloooo Patrick!

I'm a Fodorholic too...although like most addicts, I believe I can "quit any time I want." :)

Jules

Definitely addicted! I don't always spend a ton of time posting, but lurk almost daily. I'm always scanning and planning for our next trip (currently, London over Christmas/New Year's and Switzerland/Northern Italy in June). I also love all the trips I get to "take" vicariously through you all (thanks St. Cirq, Marilyn, et al)!

I usually check Fodor's sometime in the morning and in the evening. When around, I check in during the day. My schedule is a little sporadic....so, sometimes I'm fairly up-to-date and often I can't keep up. I often miss blocks of posts. Love to read all that I can.

Funny about the Law and Order thing. I like it, but DH is totally hooked. I usually carve out my evening Fodor time while he is watching. We each have our obsession. :-d

I've learned my lesson while in Switzerland. Having a free Internet in a hotel, I was unable to join as I forgot my password - one of those crazy passwords Fodor's assigned.

I could only send an e-mail to LoveItaly and she posted "hello" on my behalf.

Sure, I've changed the password to an easier one which I'll remember for sure!

Suki and Beanweb -

I am not under the impression my DH is interested in the Fodors board.

Or, maybe I am. I caught myself reading your posts aloud to my husband and instantly thought "Uh, oh. Addicted."

(BTW: He laughed at "Ira who?" Seems we all have a lot in common.)

Alya,

Thank you for linking those funny threads.

I hadn't read the Viking one and am still laughing about it.

LOL!!!!!

I've become a fodorholic. It starts innocently enough...Just seeking a little travel info, some friend of a friend knows this special site....I'll just lurk a little, there's no harm in that. Soon, you can't make a travel move without consulting the board, every trip is fully researched, various threads printed and packed into your luggage. Every day you come to the board to research the dream, to remember the dream and sometimes, to help those poor unfortunates recently sucked into the Fodor addiction. The real reply is... I can only hope to achieve the prowess of Ira, Patrick, LoveItaly, Cingalechanta (sp?) and so many others who have unknowingly helped me plan this trip to London and Paris (leaving today after work and, yes, I will write a report), but that only leaves room for improvement. Seriously, you can't hope to "keep up with it all", so just do what you can.

Probably WAY too much!

But it's fun!

Like Patrick said, it helps to be retired. I find myself checking often and even then realize I'm missing posts.
ozarksbill

I want you to know I only post to keep this board from becoming too saccharin.

My wife thinks I'm monitoring and researching investments.

I owe Fodors a great deal. At a time when life was getting tough and I found myself housebound I reached for anything that would take my troubles away. I lurked for a few months. I was lucky it was not something addictive, or so I thought.

Well, I am OK now and I can type again, but about the addictive part, I am a fodorholic.

Fodorville? Is that in Molvania?

"Fodorville"

" OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Fodorvile, that's where I go,
when I just got to know"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Fodorville, what can I say,
I just want to play"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Fodorville, that's where I go,
when I hardly know"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Fodorville, there's no other
way, what can I say"

I love Fodorsville. It has been the route to the best planning I have ever done for a trip! My son said to me today "I have never seen so much information printed out mom - you are going to know more than any Travel Agent!"
I don't go to Fodors site every day but often enough to pick up a few more tips.
Oh! I could never do it at work, my boss would fire me ( even though I am the bosses wife!

I asked myself "was I adicted or not"? Did I spend too much time at the computer? What would be the signs? Did I:

1. Read the posts with a spreadsheet open so I could add restaurants, hotels, cafes, sights etc to my evergrowing collection--which got so big I had to split it into country specific sheets?

2. Keep Word open so I could copy and paste Fodors posts to the many country and city files I have saved, like "Como and the Italian Lakes", "Malta, Malta, Malta" and "Scandinavia-all Over"?

3. Try to read Fodors and watch CSI at the same time? (Sorry L&O fans-I am into forensics!)

4. Even worse try to read Fodors and do needlework?---not too successful on that front!

5. Spend hours at my desk at work reading Fodors (and copying thread titles to cut and paste when I get home) or eat lunch at my desk to read Fodors when I could be eating outside on the office balcony on the perfectly beautiful days we have had in DC?

6. Spend a beautiful Sat. afternoon reading-and writing-Fodors?

I think Fodors has taken over a portion of my brain-I think about travel all the time. When we aked each other at work (one dull day) what was it you like to do most life I said "Travel! I am ready to go anywhere, any time. I have a new passport and I want to fill it up!"

I am not sure there is a program with enough steps to cure me; first, you have to want to be cured. I have TravelLust and I am proud of it!

Judy and her traveling Panda Bear

For certain, I come here much more than I should!

It really depends for me. If I am planning a trip I am here several hours copying and pasting, and posting questions, then researching more. If I am not planning a trip, I'll pop by once a week and skim the top 50 to see if anything catches my eye.