I hope everyone can excuse my absence from this board the past week or so.  As you know, I started a new temp job three weeks ago.  It's a boiler room, and we have a huge number of tax returns that have to be turned by the 20th of this month.  I have not only the load of the tax returns to be prepared (that includes developing the numbers to put on them), I have the learning curve to contend with.  Given my age, and my health limitations, I think that proves I have stamina beyond even my own estimation.  But, I'm here to tell you I have been exhausted.  If the world had ended last week, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

I see we have had some wonderful things posted in my time away.  It is taking quite some time to get through all of it, but let me say there are tears and smiles within minutes because of the wealth of material just posted over the last week.  It is so wonderful to be in a place where you people bring in so many new things for consideration, and so many old things that remind us of our past, present and future.

There has been an issue raised due to something I wrote when my friend the Hunkey came onboard, and I just want to say there has been a huge misunderstanding.  I don't want to blow it out of proportion, so, I hope you will be satisfied with discussing this with me off the board if you have further concerns, baddessi.  But, let me reiterate that this is all a misunderstanding.  It was my fault for not being more succinct when attempting to make a new person feel welcome when feeling saddened by the departure of two people I have considered two of my dearest friends.  I would never say anything I thought would hurt you, baddessi.  I value your friendship far more than that.  You have brought so much to this board for so very long.  The board will suffer due to your parting, and that grieves me terribly.  There were a lot of emotions flying around my head during that time.  Thank you, Mousetrap, and Jim Dandy for picking up on the attempt at levity in my comments, and bringing them to the fore.

As a way of apologizing, let me give to you someone who is very personal for me.  I love him dearly, so much that I have refused introductions for fear a bubble will burst, and I couldn't stand that.  baddessi, this is for you, he was born in Forth Worth, but he's a long time home boy of yours....well close, Houston.  Hence friends in common.  Two pieces follow....one demonstrates the range of his voice, and the sensitivity of his heart (and he's real, I'll guarantee you).  The second one is a very timely piece that says what so many of us want to say to the powers that are. Gentlehims and Gentlehers, Shawn Phillips: