Visitreno

[stan_allen]

Sorry, folks, it took the detective work of good ol' BCDave to remind me that I hadn't been on the visitreno.com message board in quite a while...

I must apologize for my rank desertion, which was largely inadvertent.

Why 'largely', you may ask? Good question: while I never completely *forgot* the board, the problems started with a new computer, which I failed to import "favorites" from, which is how I used to start my day with visitreno.com - so the most obvious path was lost.

Here's where it becomes just plain negligence: I knew I needed to restore that link so as to remember to come to our board, but I somehow got into a pattern, every day, of remembering, but only long enough to put it off until later.

Somewhere along the line, "later" apparently blossomed into - what? - six months, or something?

Now.

I'm a fan of taking personal responsibility, and while ordinary laziness may have initiated my journey away from the board, I failed to realize that all the camraderie I'd built up with my 'virtual' colleagues at visitreno.com resided with *real people*, and by having inserted myself into this wonderful community back in - what - 2004? - I took on the responsibility of being an actual member.

So it is with intense shame and regret that I must return and apologize to anyone who wondered at my absence, and attempt to assure anyone affected that I in no way meant to cause a disruption.

I have failed you, perhaps not in a way that will cause children to go hungry or something serious, but by ignoring my own responsibility to check in with people whom I have come to care about (in some virtual way, at least), and who have presumably cared enough about me to say, "Hey, where's that incomprehensible guy?"

So, to resume my original dialectic, I am now thoroughly penitent, and I beg you to vindicate my trespasses.

Hmm, what exhausted cliche could best be trotted out to illustrate this? Oh, I know: "It's not you, it's me". Hey, it's accurate!

My fault, folks. Sorry!

However, there is one consolation prize, for those of you who have read this far: One of the things I've been doing with my time is finally committing my doodling inclinations to paper, and then the internet.

The cartoony side of Stan's absurdist humor outlook is now documented and available for your viewing pleasure at http://www.sadlaff.com - the drawing style is the same stick-figure expressiveness I nurtured in grade school (instead of studying), and the humor is sometimes even borderline R-rated - which I know everyone on this board can handle.

This is most likely an insufficient missive for dealing with an absence so gross as mine, so I should probably just shut up. In sum: thank you again, BCDave for the heartfelt reminder, my apologies to ANYONE who thought I was missing for any reason other than my own negligence, and please - when you want a sad laff, think of sadlaff.com - its humor is meant to induce the groaning kind of chuckle, rather than laugh-out-loud guffaws, a style of humor which I think might be well-suited to many of our board members.

And visitreno.com is back on my "Favorites" list - I promise to spend next week catching up.

-Stan

[BC Dave]

Hey Stan, it's wonderful to hear from you again! I checked out your cartoons - a little bit like "Pearls Before Swine". Funny Stuff!

Thanks for thanking me for tracking you down. For my encore I gonna make Jerry and Hawk reappear and get Alison to post her trip report.

[john]

Hey Stan, good to hear you're OK and haven't left us for greener pastures. I was afraid you had moved south to Las Vegas message boards, or something equally unthinkable.

BC Dave called me last night with "really good news". Here's a transcript taken from the recording of the call:

BCD: Hey, John, I have some really good news!
John: You're coming to Reno?
BCD: Oh, better than that!
John: You won the lottery?
BCD: Oh, much better than that!
John: You found the Fountain of Youth?
BCD: Better than that!
John: You're going to the international space station?
BCD: You're an idiot. I contacted stan_allen and he's coming back to the board!
John: stan_allen?

Well, it wasn't exactly like that, but not even close. Anyhow, welcome back to the board. You were sorely missed.

[BC Dave]

Stan, I don't know if you'd want to go to this length, but here's how I remember....



John, do you really think I need that desktop organizer?

[LilyJDragonfly]

Welcome back, Stan!!!

[john]

[BC Dave]

John, I tried the Desktop organizer. I need to study it a little further before I'll give it the nod.

[stan_allen]

There's no reminder so good as your own memories of good friends, and good times.

Thanks for the 'welcome back', all; I might just try the shortcut thingy, but a different version of the same concept is what lulled me into complacency in the beginning of this period of dormancy...

John, sorry BC Dave's news wasn't anywhere as good as what you were hoping for, but I have some good news, too: BC Dave reminded me that I hadn't been on the board for a while, so I'm going to start posting again!

[john]

Stan, "good" is a relative term. Having your fun and informative posts again is excellent!