I'm out of here for a while, and will come back whenever, if ever. It's hard to think ahead. I have been posting here too much, I think, and feel very tired. Thank you to members, past and present, who have been so very kind, and an even bigger thank you to those who have stimulated my thinking and opened my eyes to so many important things that I otherwise would not have known. Especially the White Rabbit himself, aka Jeff.
This is a good chance to get a few small things off my chest: first, an apology to Byrne; I've felt very guilty ever since I responded rudely to you in
this thread; I know it's a small thing, but you certainly didn't deserve it and it's niggled at me. Second, I've wanted to thank Peregrine for that lovely Bach piece that you posted in the "what are you listening to right now?" thread. I downloaded it and it now forms an integral part of my kitchen music repertoire, inspiring me and encouraging me to take my time so that I produce good food. Third, I want to say that it's also a small thing, but I was more discouraged by Joe's "friendly" characterization of what I wrote as "shit" than I was with all the nonsense spewed by what's-his-face. No biggie, but it suddenly struck me as ridiculous to devote so much time and energy to communicate something when all that gets through is "shit" that can be summarized in two or three words.
Nordic, you seem like such a sweet person; also, it's been interesting to follow how your thinking and knowledge have evolved since you first came to RI. I wish you all the best and will pray that everything works out for you and your family. What I've written here is not unique: all the information is available, I did nothing more than post it here, or in some cases connect some dots. You could do the same. Anybody could, and I hope more people do.