This is dedicated to the one that got away...

Hey! Happy Birthday! I guess you'd be, what, 32 today? Hope things are going well for you.

So, what's new? I haven't heard from you in, gosh, over 10 years now! Time sure does fly...

Well, this is new, the whole blogging thing. Usually, I just write you letters, keep them for a couple days, re-reading them, and then toss them in the trash. I think this will be different, though, and not just because it's a semi-permanent letter. I think it's my last letter. I don't even know why I write them. I guess it just became a habit.

Are you even out there? I know that M (our mutual friend) said that you aren't, but I've never tracked down the obituary, and M was in a bad place at the time. He might not have known what he was saying, or maybe imagined it. Maybe he made it up for my benefit, so I'd finally get past you. How embarrassing would that be? If I've thought about your untimely death for all these years, and you're living life in Massachusetts with nary an inkling of any of it! Ah, well, I'll never know, and in some ways, it's better not to. I've managed to move on, and having you back in my life would be awkward at best.

I apologize (again) for what happened that weekend. I was young, immature, and not prepared for what happened. I guess I always did tend to get the wrong impression. I hope that my actions have never reflected upon you in any way. None of it was your fault.

I never have lost my appreciation for soccer, though! :)

Well, guess I should get going. The world keeps moving, and I need to try to keep up. If you're alive and well, I hope it continues. If you're dead and gone, then I am can state with confidence that you have made a positive impact on some of us, and that's no small feat. Not many people can say that!

Shine on, you crazy diamond!

Aaron


MiracleASSassin

Aaron Shurtleff uses this area as a dumping ground for his random thoughts... Read more »

13-VII-2014 or What The Hell Am I Doing With My Life

Title refers to a line from the Lonely Island song "After Party" as I have no questions about what I am doing with my life. I feel like I have three or so on-line communities that I post to, apologizing for the long absence, and claiming I'm going to start coming back and not ignoring the valuable friends I haven't spoken to in ages. And, typically, this lasts a few weeks to a month, and then I am doing other things, or getting busy, or just feeling blah, and there I go dropping off the face of the Earth for another extended absence. Go »

10-VII-2017 or Petty Vengeance

Dear Scott Hardie, So. Reading the latest in geek news. Oh, what is this? Go »

25-IV-2007 or Ze pearl is in ze river

That's a quote from a weird movie I saw back in the day. I think it had Chevy Chase and more vertically challenged people than I can count (including the famous Billy Barty!). The details are sketchy at this point, but I believe there was a secret message to be passed to the person who gave the code phrase, "The pearl is in the river." Go »

15-VI-2007 or Feeling Like a Monday...

...but someday I'll be Saturday night. Another crazy Bon Jovi song...got Go »

22-VIII-2006 or PC Load Letter?! What the #@$% does that mean?!

I caught the tail end of Office Space the other night. Always improves my mood, somehow. I almost wish I worked in an office, so the jokes would be funnier. Go »

4-VIII-2006 or Dogs and Ponies and VP's, Oh, $h!t!

Heh. Today, the new VP of Agricultural Research or whatever is touring our facility, so ain't squat gonna get done. I had to spend most of the day yesterday cleaning up and making the lab basically look like no one does anything. Go »