This is a great post Marsh!
I've been having many of these same thoughts lately. I posted a lot for a year or so but now I mostly read threads and make sure all is going well.
I've made some nice Friendships on here with some people that I've met and some that I hope to meet in the near future. Schro, SimplyRed, SaintC, Warhawk, PBurke, BaldRob, Stu, Tyler, RazorX ....... all great guys. Some I've met and some ... regretably, not yet.
Hopefully that Chicago meet up will happen and I can make it!!