Topic: Just When You Thought You Could Browse the Forum in Peace...
...BOOM. Yeah, I know. Tried to put together an explanation to open with, more than once, nothing but FAIL. So, instead, you get this:
My deepest apologies to my friends here for leaving so abruptly, and staying absent for so long. You folks deserved better, and I hope you know you weren't the reason I vanished. I just...had to go, is all. But I am sorry for any hurt or worry that may have caused.
If I mess up again, please blame Patty! She's the one who has been conducting a stealth campaign via backchannels for months to lure me back into the fold. And it worked, 'cause here I am. But here's the thing: You don't blame the fish for winding up in the boat, you blame the fisherman. And that would be my dear friend not far to my east here in beautiful Iowa. (I think she may have splurged a little at Bass Pro Shops to get the job done, too.) Love her I do, but blame her you must if I turn to the Dark Side up in here. Is all I'm sayin'...
Of late I have been spending my time doing this ( http://shuinexile.blogspot.com/ ), and if you have kids still in school, or know and care about a K-12 teacher in your life, or especially if you're in that racket you should please stop in if you get a chance. Everything you could ever want to know about what is going on in my world is right there. Also, if you have an anteater fetish by any chance, you won't be able to stay away once you've been in for a visit. And, of course, there are periodic shout-outs to Joe that I slyly drop in whenever I get the chance as well. Speaking of Joe...
To Joe, if he should happen to read this: I owe you the biggest apology of all. This place is a wonder and a treasure, and if it or your reputation got hit by a ricochet from my childish exit, please know that am sorry, more than I can say. That said, if you don't come back to my neck of the woods at least once more before I croak, I will totally haunt you, including going poltergeist backstage and driving the techs nuts trying to keep up with all the guitars that keep mysteriously going out of tune...
Come back to Iowa soon, Joe. Do it for the children, your children (those beautiful guitars we all love nearly as much as you do)...
I obviously have a staggering amount of catch-up reading to do, but before you know it I'll be back to trying to make a positive contribution to the site with some posts, resuming my snail-like crawl toward Bonametal-dom (also on my Bucket List, bee tee dub). In the meantime...
20 pounds of love in a 10-pound sack to one and all,
Shu
Terrance Shuman
Atlantic, Iowa
http://shuinexile.blogspot.com/
Kansas City, MO