Runners

It's what I love doing; making runners. Screaming runners; not all of them out loud, but at least in their heads. Why? I learned while existing here at the asylum, the safest, most holy of commandments: Do one to others before they do one to you. If I'd been left alone with my insanity and sickness, I could have died and been rid of this...  this mess. I could have passed on to Heaven and been forgiven for my sins or cast down to Hell to pay for what could not be overlooked. But no. They wanted to SEE where I had gone wrong. They just had to know why I had pulled those ladies apart. They needed to SEE what my thoughts were when they caught me laughing smeared  and sitting in a puddle of crimson thanks to Mrs. Jones working alone at the general store that Thursday. So one day when I was busy eating belly button lint and dirt, they snatched me up, dragged me kicking and moaning to the infirmary where I spent quality time with Doc, Buzz and the Devil himself. 


They started by drilling a hole in my head. I guess they thought the sickness in me would spill out like maple syrup. It did not. It made my skull itch and the giggling in my head got louder. I gnashed my teeth and took a sizable chunk of Doc's cheek. Round two went to Buzz. He was a thick black coil with a raggedy pair of electrodes that attached to both sides of my syrup factory. They'd pull up their masks, flip the little switch on the wall and Wowee! I'd see lights,  feel a million knives cutting from the inside, and hear Lucifer just hee-hawin in the dark as I tried not to swallow my tongue. Pain? I used to feel it, be afraid of it. Now there's nothing. Silence, except for the voices I hear on occasion, so to stop them, I make Runners. I will not visit Doc or Buzz again. Ever. 


They took the weak shell of skin I was given and threw it in a hole with a shiny granite stone. Someone scratched :"Never should have lived. Thank God for death "on it. It would have been nice if it were true. But I never got to die. The trauma of Doc and Buzz keeps me here, tilted and eager.


All I have to do is wait for you. It seems like and eternity but you always come looking. Sometimes you skip along these old chipped halls and  make a lot of noise. You break already broken things and call out 'Yoooooo HOOOOOOO! Anyone hoooome?"  I get excited but still I must wait. If I appear too soon, it could backfire so I never come up to meet you. I want to see I can coax you down to MY shadows with playful suggestions: a soft cry or a shuffle.   Descending in to my madness, you get quieter; leery. That's fine. It takes some getting used to; insanity, but the curiosity will be too great for you to resist. Your fearless boasting and provocations become tiny whispers and whimpers.  I love that; Lion to lamb. If you come in a group, you might hang on to the cockiness a little longer; just a little. I still win in the end. What's that? Well that is when I introduce you to MY world. I will permit you to come close to me with questions :"Is there someone here with us? Would you like to show us a sign of your presence?"


Haha Oh yes. I will show you much, but for now, just keeeep coming. Down here with me. Yes. I  can throw a childish giggle often times in anticipation. If you should begin to chicken out, I will get mad and dump something on the floor or rush passed you to the door. I don't want to lose you now. I can taste fear as the edges of your minds crack as mine did once; so long ago. It happens so quickly. First, I am a simple farmer and then, I am ... a monster. But I don't reflect on this much. It does no one any good now.  Then I usually short out batteries, cameras maybe the sound equipment. All these toys ... All you really need to know me is an open mind. I will do the rest. Then when I can smell it; that nausea of fragility, uncertainty and the regret that you came down here, with me all alone, I begin to make Runners.  I hear  the reassurance of naive words like "It can't hurt us" or "It won't touch us." This is silly and untrue. I most certainly will.


 I will sit next to you and make the hairs on your arms stand up. I will be that puff of freezing cold air that makes a weak spot between your shoulder blades that you can't shiver off. I am the cobweb you think you just walked through. You want me to share with you? You want to know me? Come closer. I will be glad to. I will sneak in to your head through your ear; a noise you hear, or your nose; a stale sweet stink that makes you pull back and cough. Now we are together. Now I can begin to make you mine; a dark love affair we will have. You will feel a thickness in your head like a cold or water in your ear from a shower. But it's me. I'm just browsing inside your mind. I like that I can feel arms and fingers. I can see more clearly through your eyes and the voice you have? I will want that. I want to hear me. My laughter at one more success. My cries for what never should have been. Welcome. 


You, of course will not feel well. You will be queasy and confused. That's all right. It's not new to me and I can show you what you said you wanted to see. I will begin to show you the others that were here before you. You can see their naked distorted bodies and malicious activities. You can meet Margaret.  She used to eat bugs in the nude. Michael love to chew fingernails, but not his own and he rarely could find the  self-restraint to stop. It made nap time in his ward a bit tricky. Then of course there were the pinchers, the wailers, the criers and me. We all want to meet you; know you. We want to sing and dance inside your mind. We will share you with shadows of the past; the horrors of those who lied and said they would fix us. We'll tell you of the experiments, the failures. We will make you wonder who the monsters really were.


 You will eventually break. Your mind will fight back. Some will run, like a drowning man swimming for the light, air and what's really yours; your soul. You will pray to a God and you will have nightmares but you will forget me; us.   But some? Some of you will escape with much greater damage. As you run, and your mind "snaps", a piece of me breaks off, like a broken candy and it remains with you broken, jagged and decaying in your thoughts. You will always see or hear me. It won't stop when you sit up and sob at night or when you childishly say "I'm sorry". It will be too late. You and I will always be connected and I will come to see you in your dreams. I will haunt your days with a darkness and a fear that will chill your belly and shake your core. You can pray. You can seek help either with someone to talk to like my good old Doc or with pills.. a new kind of Buzz. I will always be there though. I will continue to show you my black and blood red thoughts. You will scream and wish it wasn't ever true. 


And you will continue to run.






Did I getcha? This one is dark even for me. A rash of nightmares and a lot of nighttime wanderings has left me this little ditty.  Being a believer in the paranormal, I have to confess a belief of good and an existance of evil. The two can be hard to distinguish whether in the flesh or in the shadows.


I'm glad we got to huddle together while I scared myself into turning on the lights. Better? Yes. I think so too.


Thanks for stopping by. I love our time together. See you soon.

Along the Bridge

He waited impatiently at the edge of the path; pacing back and forth. Eric wished at the moment he'd never given up smoking. He was pretty sure he could kill one with a single drag. His stomach twisted and knotted itself with nervous energy. He raked his hair and tapped his foot, checking his watch. It seemed to shout the seconds as they ticked by: after eleven. The bridge was silent. He hated when she was late. It made him wonder if she wasn't going to come along this time. He smelled her perfume on the breeze and sighed, a quiet smile trickled across his mouth.  He'd want her to see her "wonderful Eric". He raked his hair again and smoothed his shirt.  A chill of excitement sent goose flesh dancing along hisskin. He couldn't wait to set eyes on his lovely, perfect, Alora. The sound of her name, even in his head, caused him to shiver and warm in anticipation.


Her voice was soft but it tickled his ears. "Hello Eric." He turned to see her toying with a berry branch; almost shy to approach.


His smile widened as his heart roared.  "My oh my. You are such a sight for these sore eyes." he breathed and gulped at the vision before him; her pale skin, flashing green eyes and pouty lips. Her lavender sweater clung lightly to her breasts, scooped low enough to hint at the flesh he wanted to taste.  Her jeans fit well over her thin hips and strong legs. He missed touching them; feeling them around his body. He fought the urge to run and scoop her up. "You look so pretty."


"I look as I always do." she said lightly and tugged a few leaves, letting them slip from her long fingers and flutter to the ground. She seemd mesmerized by them.  Returning to his face, she bit her lip playfully and exteded her hand. "Come and walk with me along the bridge?" She wiggled her hand.


"Can't we go along the river?" he pleaded. "We ALWAYS walk along the bridge."


Alora pretended not to hear and turned in the direction of the old stone structure. She wandered slowly to let him kick a few rocks, throw his tantrum and then rush to join her.  She held her hand out waiting.


"That's better Love." she smiled and swung their arms lightly in the cool night air.


"Alora..." he began.


"No Eric." She finished. Her voice was thin, almost watery. He was disappointed that she wouldn't speak of it. 


"Well, could I explain?"


"No. You cannot. What's done cannot be undone." she sighed a little sadly and traced his hand with her thumb.


"I love you." he said quietly.


"I loved you, too." and a soft remembering smile gave him hope.


"We could start again. I would be better to you. I wouldn't get mad or run around I would love you right this time. I know how. I've been without you for too long and I want to love you right. I swear I've changed." All his poetic words spilled out in a heated rush.


She giggled lightly. "You're being childish, Eric. Leopards don't change their spots, you know. Love me? You couldn't. You didn't. It's why you cheated on me."


"I'm sorry Alora..." 


"Only that you got caught Eric. I've had a long time to think about our relationship. It was always broken. i was just fool enough to believe I could fix you...it...ah...what's the difference? It's too late." She sniffed and wiped her cheeks.  


"If you are crying, you remember that it wasn't all bad." He quickly tossed in. "Remember when we used to come here? We didn't walk on the bridge. Alora, we went down along the side and we camped on that silly old blue blanket. Remember? We used to pack picnics and watch the stars come out. We used to sleep here. We've made love here Alora. It's STILL here."


"Not as it was.  I DO remember those things. I remember how I shook when you touched me. I remember how my mouth watered at the thought of your kiss. God, how I wanted you. Night after night."


His hand grasped a little tighter as he relived those memories too.  He breathed in her scent, stepping closer to her. She did not push him away.  He stepped in front of her and took her other hand.  His heart was pounding as he gazed into her gentle face. 


"Mistake. I let you go."


"You can certainly say that." she laughed bitterly


"Don't be mean Alora. It's ugly."


"And you would know. You were wrong.  You slept around, lied and then when I had had enough...you.... got .... mean. Ugly."  She waited


"But it's different now. I'm different."


"And so am I" she finished in a huff.


"Alora..."


"Eric, if you are going to whine about this again, I'm leaving.  Enjoy what I am willing to share with you, or get lost. I don't need you to come around and keep hurting me."


He reached for her face, feeling the coolness of her breath, the warmth of her skin under her clothes.  He missed her so very much. "Don't pull away from me Alora. I feel it still between us. Let me just..." and he leaned in to kiss her mouth. He remembered how warm and inviting she had been to his touch. He wanted to feel her push against him, wrap her arms around him and ask him to touch her. He wanted to relive any one of those nights they had gotten tangled up in the blue blanket; giggling, kissing, whispering. He craved the sweetness of her tongue and the intoxicating passion she could unleash. He wanted her to desire him, say his name in the shadows as he gently reaquainted himself to her. He longed to hear her say" yes."


Alora stood very still. Her lips were cold and unyielding. Her body did not move to meet his, nor did she close her eyes. She blinked almost as if she didn't understand what he was doing


"Eric?"


"Alora." he whispered in a husky voice.


"Eric." her tone was flat. He opened his eyes.


"Why can't we try again?"


"We are living in two different worlds. How can you stand there and tell me these sweet things? You love me, you miss me... Did you forget our last night together? Those photos of you and Janine? Did you forget, Eric, just how mean and ugly it got?" now there was a sting in her voice. Her eyes flashed with hurt and anger.


He lowered his head and winced. "I'm trying to make that all up. To save.. fix it."


"Save your breath and effort Eric. You can't save me." She wiped tears from her eyes and sniffed, turning and looking out over the dark shifting water. "You will never change."


He reached for her out of frustration. "Alora!" he barked and pulled at her shoulder.  She wiggled from him, yanking away. He only wanted the chance to prove he HAD changed. Every night, he wished that last night over. Every night he came and tried to fix it; pleading, explaining, begging for another chance.  Every night he watched her body slip from his angry hands over the rail where it broke against the rocks. Every night he lost her. She disappeared into the night; her lavender sweater ripped where the arms that hugged him had torn through cloth and flesh. Her full lips that laughed and said "I love you" stained crimson. Her hair that was like silk to his touch, matted and brittle. Her gemstone green eyes now always brimming with hurt, disappointed tears. The ghost of Alora disappeared under the sobbing, rushing water.


"I will change." he hissed through his own tears.  Dashing back to the car he, tugged the blanket from the back.  He raced to the bridge, stopping where Alora had fallen.  He glanced only for a moment into the deep dark sadness that hushed the night.  It beckoned him. Dared him. Eric clutched the musty blue cloth, leaned over the rail and closed his eyes.  There was no sound save for the gentle applause of wave over rocks.


He waited impatiently at the edge of the path, pacing back and forth.  He tapped his foot and raked his hair. He hated when she was late. It made him wonder if she wasn't coming. He felt the chill as she approached.  He smelled her perfume on the air. Her voice tickled his ear. 


"Hello Eric." 


He opened his arms and she went to him.  He kissed her mouth, relishing her body as it folded in to his arms.  He turned and took her hand, carrying the blue blanket across his other arm. They spoke of their forever as they strolled along the bridge.

An effin drink for effin Andy

Cheech's bday is coming. I wanted to surprise him. I thought of an intimate dinner party where my ensemble was a negligee, but I DID say surprise, not frighten ;) heehee. As Phyllis Diller once said "I wanted to spice things up a bit, so I put on one of those peek-a-boo nighties. Well, he peeked and he booed." Ahahahaha I loved that old bird! Then I thought of a new camera lens. I asked my dear friend and he helped me get in the ball game. Then I asked Cheech. He said..."Nah. I wouldn't know what to do with it." grrrr! THEN we talked about a telescope. "Naaaaah.... not really.  I guess just birthday dinner and a great night". He wiggled his eyebrows as I laughed and blushed...even now. Really? Could it be ? He wanted to peek and CHEER? heehee well that's enough of that and no I won't be blogging that portion of the birthday celebration.

So I bought him AND installed a new kitchen faucet. TaDAH!!

Oh yeah, out of left field. Are you blinking? Rereading perhaps? haha. Well, I rolled up my sleeves, got out some tools and began fiddlin under that there sink area. Yes I DID remember to shut off both hot AND cold valves as well as the one feeding the dishwasher. I hadn't been under there too awful long when I felt it.  My shorts began to sneak down from all the scooching. Holy shit! I had plummer's crack! WELL, that just gave me license to talk like one.

 If you know my plummer Andy, you know EXACTLY what I'm saying.  That man is a master plummer and could make a drunken sailor blush! He works with his sons and with their first visit ~my kids were wee tiny, I heard him yelling at his boys "I effin told you there were effin KIDS in this house! Now watch your G*****n MOUTHS!" Ahhhh GOOD times! So on behalf of effin Andy I grunted, groaned, sweated and swore as those twenty year old effin oxidized copper fittings tried to beat me back. I begged them and explained this would make the king of the castle VERY happy (effin ecSTATIC). They resisted at first.  But in the end I won. I disconnected the old leaky effin faucet and began to pull it the eff out.  The original plummer must've had some effin issues because the effin connector pipes were bent in order to reach the fittings for the effin water supply. hmmm okay. It's called effin anger management. I sure hope that guy effin got some, later in his life. But I shrugged and puttied up, screwed in and fed through my new effin FAHNSAY faucet. It has a sprayer thingie (that IS the actual faucet...so you pull it out and there's a HOSE! WEee HOOO) with either a stream OR a shower option. I know. I was all effin smiles. Well at least until I ducked back under into the cave. That is when I realized there was NO way. Too effin short. Not me the pipes. I couldn't effin believe it. So I had to EFFIN HURRY to put all the old crap BACK in and hide the NEW one while trying to figure out how to effin fix this. I understood why those old pipes were effin bent.

I let it go for a day or two and was wandering in the Hardware Hell store when I saw it (Yeah, I know you macho men...it's an effin connector hose but it was) the Holy Grail to me. I snatched them up and snuck them home. I waited until he went to work and I got out my Dental tools again: wrench, screw driver, putty knife and channel locks. I dunno. I just always grab them. That and a utility knife. I yanked up my effin drawers to an extremely high and uncomfortable level and scooched back; revisiting those old bent pipes and almost stripped bolts.

"Off ya go." I sang and moved. My drawers gave.  I shoved and refitted.  My drawers gave.  I screwed and turned the valves praying I wasn't about to create an "I love Lucy scene" where water floods my effin floor. Oh... and my drawers gave.

It was effin over. All was done. Not one effin drop slipped between my fittings and when I turned that sexy effin new sprayer/faucet on? It worked effin FLAWLESSLY.  I raised my effin wrench in victory and said just like my plummer Andy:

Effin RIGHT. DRINK UP boys!

The birthday gift

It was my birthday... yesterday? Is it still today? I dunno anymore. I'm confused. I went with them to the bar; the hottest club in the area because it's the ONLY one in the area. Sad isn't it? We had dinner there so we wouldn't have to pay the cover later and I wouldn't get carded. Thomas was going to meet us. All that was fine.  But then I just wasn't feeling well. I felt so sick and woozy. I guess it was too much celebrating.  There was this girl in the ladies' room who asked if I was okay.  I told her to get Shelly or Thomas. They came to get me and carried me... to the car? I must have been SO wasted. Happy Birthday to me. ugh. But that was a long time ago and it's still really dark. I'm scared. I didn't think I drank that much. Maybe it was the crab cake? Stupid seafood. Never again I swear. My head is beginning to hurt; really spinning.  maybe if I just close my eyes and sleep...


This is insane. Where the Hell are they? This isn't funny anymore.  I'm a good sport but I don't understand why they left me here..for so long. We went to the car. We talked. Well, wait... that isn't right. They kept telling me to STOP talking. They told me to shut up. They ... were mad. at. me. Yelling. Why? What did I do? It was MY birthday? Thomas gave me a drink and said to finish it quick, we had to go. I didn't want to leave but Shelly said she was tired anyway. Whew that drink was strong. They said happy birthday and then I started... oh my God... to feel sick... That's crazy talk. He's my sister's boyfriend. She's my sister and best friend. They would carry me through thick and thin.


But where are they? Oooo wait! I hear them. I hear someone. I am moving. What? Why am I moving? Am I in a trunk?  My arms ache and my lungs feel hot. I'm being pulled up? It's darker than pitch and where did that smell come from? Oh Good Lord it's AWFUL! I want to be sick. Inside my mind there is this little laugh. Insanity knocking? I want to pop up and yell surprise. I hope they have something for me to drink. I'm so thirsty. Yes. I want a drink. Ohhh I can feel me moving up. This will be such a relief to get out of here. I am jittery. tired of being in here...wherever here is. I want to hear what they are saying...

"Just leave her. Let her go."

"Why can't you just help me. This is all your fault anyway."

"MY fault?"

" You are the one who likes "little girls" you sick pig."

"You are the one who offered up your own sister."


"You killed her. I thought you just wanted some sick sexual thing..."

"That sounds so much nicer."

"Shut your disgusting mouth and pull her up here."

"Leave her. She is carrying enough weight in the bag to pull her to the bottom. She'll stay there."

"I CAN'T leave her here. It's gross and wet and cold and..."


"Shelly, she's dead. She doesn't know any of that."


"Pull. Her. UP."

"You're such a bitch."


"Do it or I'll tell."

"You won't."


"Yes I will."

"No Shelly. You won't. This is true."

They talking stopped. Why did it stop? Did I hear that right? I'm dead? I am DEAD? I'm thinking so I can't be dead. I want to see but it's too dark in here. Weight. I'm weighted down. I'm drowning? I drowned? Oh God Shelly. What have you done? I'm straining to hear..some one's coming. Oh Shelly hurry up and pull me up. Talk to me Shelly! TELL ME I'M OKAY

"Why are you shouting?"

"What? Shelly?"

"Why are you shouting at me?"

"Because Shelly...you and Thomas... you drugged me and then God knows what happened and now I'm in a BAG or something and...."

"Wait. How do you know this?"


"I JUST HEARD YOU!"


"What?"

"I was waiting for you to pull me up and tell me "haha funny joke... and then it got quiet and.."


"Oh No."

"What's oh no. don't say oh no. that's not good Shelly."

"You're dead."


"You can hear me. We're talking aren't we? Then if I'M dead and you're talking to me, Shelly..."


"Shush your mouth."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm thinking."

"You can't. You're dead."

"SHUT IT! ~ We can yell real loud and kick and scream. Kick up some water and someone will see us or hear us and ..."

"Great idea if they are mediums. We're dead."


"Stop saying that."

"Well, Shelly, you DID say you were going to tell sooooo you kinda set yourself up for this. He had to kill you, Don't you EVER watch crime shows?"

"Oh so it's all MY fault?"


"Let me think...yes. It falls squarely on you this time Sis. Let me ask three things: Have I been gone long?"

"About a week."

"WEEK? And  you wanted to MOVE me? Okay okay...DID you tell anyone?"

"No, but I did keep a journal and it's all there. Someone has to find it though."

"Please don't tell me it's hidden somewhere."

"No. It's on my bed."

"Okay. Okay good. I don't think you've been gone that long so we might be luck~"

"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"


"Stop yelling. Forever is closer than you think. Yes! Someone's coming!"


"HERE! WE'RE OVER HERE!"

"Shelly?"

"Why won't you HELP me get us out of here?"

"I dunno either because I'm lazy or we're dead."

"Are you going to be a downer all your life?"

"Yes until I die Shelly. Thanks to you."


"You better shut up."

"Why? You gonna kill me?"

"Oooo we're moving! Ow! hey! Those are some big ass hooks!"

"Shut up. You're moving."

"What's that smell?"

"One or both of us. I'm guessing we are pretty -"

"HOOOOOOWEEEEE! Lookee here what we snagged! Garbage!"

"I beg your pardon Mister! I am NOT..."

"You are Shelly. You were lovely once but now you're gross. Dead."

"I hate you."

"Unzip it Hank."

"HANK?! WE were rescued by a HANK?"

"No Shelly, our bodies were discovered by Hank."

"Oh Jesus."

"Who said that?"

"Shelly... I'm the only one who can hear you. Hank can't hear us."

"Walt. WALT. Call somebody. We got bodies here. Nasty stank old bodies. Lookin pretty wasted...."

"Think we'll get him?"

"Shelly, we can't do anything anymore but yeah I think we might have an influence on Thomas's life yet."

"Let's go haunt him."

"Shelly...c'mon, no. We'll just get up and go find something or some angel to point us to..."

"We'll do it just for a little while until he goes insane."

"What? no. Shelly I think we lose our ticket to Heaven for that."

"Vengeance sayeth the Lord.."

"Cheeks. Turn em."

"I can't they're gone."

"What? Shut up how do you know?"

"I just floated up here ...wait til they unzip your..."

"Whoa.....that's me?"

"bag."

"Wow."

"Yeah, sorry. Not your best side"

"Who did that? Did you do that to me Shelly? Cut me up like that?"

"No. Thomas."


"Are you lying?"

"NO! I would never..."

"Pardon me for the cynical laugh inserted here..."

"You're such a bitch."


"Yeah, ever since you got me killed, I've been carrying this chip on my ..well carrying this chip where my shoulder USED to be."


"We could still haunt him."


"Where is he?"


"Who?"

"Who do you think you idiot?"

"I didn't say that."


"Well it wasn't Hank or Walt."

"Hello?"

"Hello."


"I can't see."

"You;re new here too? Ah. Give it a minute or a month we don't know for sure."

"Don't talk to strangers. You could get hurt."

"Worse than dead?"

"Who's dead."


"We are."

"Who's we?"

"Okay let's play the Micky Mouse club and sound off. Who's here in the graveyard today.... ME!"

"SHELLYYYYY"

"Thomas."

"WHAT did you say your name was"

"Thomas."

"What are you doing here?"

"They found you and your sister. They brought me in for questioning. I was going to jail. so I killed myself."

"Oh MAAAAAN we were going to HAUNT you."

"No we weren't Shelly."

"YES yes we were! We were SO looking forward to driving you insane."

"You already did that you nagging bit..."

"ENOUGH. I can't listen to you anymore. I'm going to go away and don't follow me."

"We can't. We can't see you."

"Oh. Okay. Well let's stick together but not talk."

"at all?"


"Well for a while."

"How long?"

"Hey that's not fair! I just got here."

"TOO baaaad. You pedophile."

"Hey don't be mean."

"Because you're fragile?"

"Well I think we should be quiet."

"And why is that baby sister?"

"because you ruined my birthday. Think of it as the gift you owe me."

......

"Is it over?"

"What? The quiet game?"

"Yeah and your birthday. I'm tired of hearing about it."

"Oh yeah. It's over. WAY over."


"Does anyone want to play cards?"

"Really Thomas? Cards?"


"Go fish?"

"You're sick."

"Got any sevens?"


"Uh No but I've snake eyes."


And so this is my eternity. My nagging sister, her pedophilic boyfriend and me. Drink up and join me for my birthday, won't you?








I've been marinating this one for a long time. I've reworked it a dozen times at least. I enjoy the dark humor and though choppy, the bantering conversation.  I needed to work on it anyway. Perfect? No but, I like it nonetheless.  I researched it from a murder case from the 80's. Very warped indeed. I hope I at least brought a simple smile to your face.  It's been so long since we've been able to sit together. Busy hasn't been the word for it.  I hope you are all well. Thanks for the fun email and chats. I've missed all of you here and am glad to be back. Well, I hope so.


Come again soon. I enjoy even the smallest amount of time with you. Have a good day.