play, REWIND, play, REWIND, play, REWIND, REWIND, REWIND

Birthday celebrations for TB tonight, one of my dearest and most loved. I can’t believe how long I have known him now, and how much life has changed for the both of us. As always, it was wonderful to see the group of friends that are in that crowd, with the except of four of five people in other walks of my life, the people I love and trust most were there tonight. I got to spend a long time talking to TH. It’s been a long time since we have really gotten to talk, and it was wonderful. Of course, I did most of the talking and him the listening. However, he did the kind of listening where it seemed he really wanted to hear it. It was also the kind of listening where I knew he understood and truly cared. He even understood how stupid I feel still talking about it. It is one of the reasons I have spent so much time with ‘new’ friends the past several months and less with those who have been in my life for so long. Conversations with me come in certain cassette tapes, and you can pick: the black cassette plays all my hurt, confusion, anger, and hope around Chad (fun, I know, however it gets played the most), the clear cassette blabbers on about this book I’m writing and that book I hope is getting published and on and on about the blog which ultimately will lead you to replay the black cassette one more time (one, if you’re lucky, that is), and, finally, the rainbow camouflage cassette that plays self-deprecating humor, mildly amusing sarcastic repartee, and brief grumblings or gushings of being back at work. There you go, folks. You want to talk to Brandon (or Mr. Witt, as he is known from 7-3:10)? Well, pick a tape, those are your only options. You might as well start with the clear or the rainbow one as they both lead back to the black tape. Just in case you’re wondering where the black tape leads, it goes right back to itself. What? You’ve already played those tapes with the fabled Mr. Witt? Oh, too bad. Try them again. Of course, you could just put them down and walk away. I hear it’s fun. Seems to be the thing to do this year. Then, of course, walking away is best paired with immediately going out to the bar and having a rip-roaring good time. Wha, wha. Please insert black cassette into player. At the loud beep, please turn the tape over and hit play.