I'm So Famous, Part 1

Those of you that know me personally have probably never realized how famous I actually am. Some of this fame is shared with Jamie and thus deserves it's own special post, so that will be Part 2.

My family always had a computer while we were growing up, thanks to my dad. I remember playing these really cool games on our TRS-80 Radio Shack computer, one of which I still pine for (the one with the 5 or 6 pixel monster coming toward you through the box maze, and each turn different doors would open, and you had to get from point A to point B without the monster getting you. I kid you not, it was intense. Wish I knew the name, but I probably couldn't read back then). We would learn C programming on our Commodore 64, in exchange for equal game time (Pitfall, Montezuma's Revenge, Paper Boy, Boulder Dash - all the goodies), which was very helpful when I was a computer science major. Long story short, we were always up on technology.

I don't remember when it was that I first got set up on e-mail (sophomore/junior year in high school?), but my e-mail address was smilinsue@aol.com. For some reason I had to set up another one later so then I was smilinsue2.

I had a lot of fun playing in AOL chat groups, pre-online predator times of course, and got involved with an online LDS group (won't drop names of who else was involved, but you would recognize them.) I stayed in the youth area mostly, and got to know a lot of really great kids and met a few in person here and there. At some point I was asked to be the 'president' of the youth group, and we set up a day/time every month when we would all meet online.

At one of these meetings someone suggested we write an article about our group and send it to the New Era. Several of the kids mailed me pictures, I wrote up some great stuff, and mailed it off. A few months down the road I heard from the New Era saying they were going to be publishing our story, September 1995. We were all so excited!

Until the artcile came out. It was all just about ME!

I feel terrible to this day, and wish Emily, Geoff, Dallin, Rusty (racking my brain for more names) could have all shared in the glory. So here's the article, straight from lds.org. (To prove how back in the day this was, they didn't even know how to write "online.")


Friendship On-Line

Marni Adams has friends all over the United States. Every month, they get together and talk about gospel subjects, ideas for Mutual activities, and what they’ve read in the latest issue of the New Era. No, Marni doesn’t travel a lot, and she doesn’t have a huge phone bill. Every month, Marni and her friends “chat” on their computers
“Our group includes people from all over the country,” says Marni, a student at Ricks College. “Only a few have actually met in person, but even those who haven’t are still great friends with each other.”.

Known as “Smilin’ Sue” on the computer, Marni says that through advanced technology, people who would have never become friends otherwise now really love each other.

“Probably the best thing about making friends on the computer is that appearances and age don’t matter. It’s a lot easier to really get to know people,” says Marni.


So there you have it. That's me in all my big hair, big glasses glory. Bring on the comments. I can take it.