Rhonda if you can read this, hear me out.

I was shocked when I got the text message from you after the fire. Someone who hasn't uttered a word to me in almost a year now sends me a message showing she is thinking about me. I never thought that would happen! When I got it I paced around my living room nervously, thinking about whether or not I should respond. I decided I would respond, and anyway I have some explaining to do.

When you first came to Buffalo I immediately thought back to something your mother said to me almost 8 years ago. When we were 18 and broke up, your mother told a heartbroken boy that one day maybe 5,6,7 years down the road we would meet again, and maybe in the future we would have another chance after we grew up. So when you came here I thought, "Holy crap, could this be possible? Is this really going to happen?" Rightly or wrongly, I took what she said to heart and thought for sure that it was meant to be that way. I was overjoyed. Beyond overjoyed, actually.

For some reason or another since you've been here, all the guys who mistreated you, used you, mislead you, made you cry.....got the benefit of the doubt from you - yet I feel like you always looked at me with a cynical eye, never quite allowing me to know you. I've wanted to know you again since you came here - I want to know you now. I was upset that we got at each other's throats - you needled me and I needled you. You see Rhonda I can only say it as plainly as possible - I love you. No, not in some horny I-just-want-to-bone-her kind of way. It's so much more than that. It's a deeply rooted respect, admiration and caring. It transcends the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing, actually I think it transcends even our own battered friendship. It doesn't matter how mad at me you get, or how mad at you I get, okay? I'll always feel that way, and will never hold a grudge. I've always thought you were an amazing woman. One of the best around.

So in case you were wondering, I've been over you not wanting to be with me for a long time now. I'm a guy - being rejected is a part of life for us that we deal with and move on as quickly as possible. I know I'm not prestigious enough. But I cannot stand us not hanging out anymore, or going to dinner anymore, or the museums, or any of the fun stuff. I want to be a friend to you and start over from scratch. I miss you so much. Life is too short to not let the people you care about know how much you care. I care a lot, and hopefully one day we can be civil to each other and resume our friendship. Anything else and we are cheating ourselves.

Jason

Keep your eyes peeled to the local news stations. I'm hearing some interesting things and I hope to god they aren't true.

Jason

I am about to admit some things about myself here. I realized it's been 2 years since I broke up with my last girlfriend. The time has gone by very quickly. It was a sad day, but in the end the pink slip is the only thing she deserved from me. The only thing I regret is that I didn't give her the boot sooner. I have not gone on one single date since that day. I mean, yeah I have female friends who like to mother me and such, been out to dinner with them, but not gone on an honest to god date. Part of the reason is fear of getting cheated on again, the other part is Everquest. About that time is when I started playing the game more and more. It's cheap entertainment, the time goes by quickly (important when you want to get your mind off of something), and I've been able to virtually meet people from all over Asia and Europe. I can speak a few simple phrases in German now. My spanish is a lot better. I've been playing a lot less since I got my new job but I still like to log in and blow shit up every now and then.

Anyway Terry I am intrigued by that game. I downloaded a promo video for it and the game looks great. What kind of PC/Video card do you have right now, and how is the game performing? Do you get lots of lag? Does it take forever to level up? It sounds like you are having lots of fun with it. Based on what I saw in the video I may consider giving it a shot if my system meets the requirements. The graphics look great, the boss encounters look great, and it looks like a fun game. Let me know how you like it as you keep on playing. Thanks for the screenshots.

Sir Dorkimus Maximus (aka Jason)

About the lot next to Globe Market - I have lived here for a while now, far longer than Brodo, the Yoga place, and Globe have been at their current locations. I understand that parking is at a premium - believe me I know because for years now I have understood that when I drive home from UB every weekday I'm going to have a tough time parking. That's just part of living in the city and we all know it's a pain, and we all know that we have to just deal with it.

I got a written "warning" put under my wiper saying that the lot is only for customers of certain commercial establishments, and that if my car gets towed to call such and such a number. Towed? It has been a lot where residents of the 700 block have parked their cars overnight for years. It's one of the very very few places that people on my block have been able to park their cars *period* as we have alternate parking on Cleveland, etc. and parking on the street is extremely limited (not to mention illegal overnight during the winter). More business, more need for parking, I understand. But for God's sake please have some consideration for the residents as well. We pump plenty of money into your businesses.

I'm not asking for a lot - only for somewhere to put my car when I come home. I live here and spend money at these establishments all the time. Instead of threatening me coldly, please do me the service of talking to me and my neighbors so you can understand where we are coming from. Please let us open up a dialogue so we can come up with a solution that will answer the needs of the residential and commercial community as a whole.

Thanks,
Jason

Does anyone else park in the lot next to Globe Market? If so, did anyone else get a nice orange note from the authorities tucked under their wiper? More commentary on this, but not now as I have clients in Texas to attend to.

Jason