Yikes?!?! I have failed to inform you that the new is up?!?!? I am currently begging my good friend DPowell for forgiveness for such a cold and heartless oversight...but it does not look good....to quote DP "I'm inconsolable..." It's gonna be a long day...and then DP portrays me as a crab...and he's inconsolable?

Greetings folks, boy it's been a long time since I wrote ya! If there's one thing these past two weeks have taught me...or reminded me perhaps is a better way of putting it...is that no amount of planning can possibly prepare you for all the things that are inevitably going to end up in your way. I think they call it "life" Initially, I thought this would perhaps be the best possible time of year to make this move from a virtual server to our very own server...perhaps it really was. I figured I'd be done fishing...you'd be done fishing...and SurfTalk would be very busy while we all lament not being fishing. What I hadn't expected was that everything else here at StripersOnline would be so busy! Thank God it has been...I took some really big financial shots with all the "stuff" going on lately, substantially more than initially expected...again, I think they call that "life" as well God has a way of coming through for those that trust Him to do so, I've seen it a thousand times. Still, He pulls strings, puts opportunity in our paths, and opens doors we didn't even know existed....the guy's got some connections and it's still awe inspiring to watch Him work.

So, who here's tired of hearing about server changes, script problems, and other assorted propeller head speak? $50 says both my hands are raised higher! Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to jump in line for a lil' learnin' but this has got to be the toughest class yet?!? If there's one thing I'll retain from the past 100 or so hours in "DOS mode" it's that no matter how many companies and how many software packages that there are, nobody documents this stuff well enough?!? I'd hit a snag and then spend hours trying to sort through the sometimes contradictory "support" documents. See???? There I go again, gettin' all in the very stuff that's been attempting to separate me from my last remaining shreds of sanity!?! No more....Scout's honor.

I'm exceedingly pleased to be able to tell you that the vast majority of the server stuff is but a (still sore ;-) memory now. Things are rolling along on both servers, the major features here are all fully functional...at least as far as I know....I'm hoping you folks are keeping me up to date with any problems you are running into! Please, if ya find a link that doesn't work or a page that doesn't load or some script that's givin' you a beatin', you gotta let me know about it and I'll wrassle that puppy right back into shape for ya! SurfTalk is really on fire these days...of course it started right in the middle of that "thing" above that I'm not gonna talk about anymore. Regardless, it's really going well on the board. People seem to be finding their niches there with all the new forums. I haven't heard any complaints about the number of forums since the initial shock wore off on that fateful morning almost two weeks ago when this new format was introduced. There were initially concerns that the Main Forum would become diluted and the folks that only read a forum or two would be missin' out on some of the good stuff to which they've become accustomed. Other than them LI boys plotting a super-secret NY Wing Fling without tellin' anybody else, the Main Fourm is still the hang out for the majority. I knew there'd be trouble when them New Yawker's got their own forum...and all along I figured it'd be them DelMarVa guys!?!?

SurfChat's been really busy lately as well and it breaks my heart to not be able to hang there with the crew....but I'm going to make certain that I get to spend a few nights a week chattin' with everybody in there....that's a whole lotta fun! Some of the guys had a chance to meet Mike Laptew up at the Ft. Washington outdoors show this past weekend...sadly, I wan't among them. I was told Mike's show was excellent, I will indeed have to see it this winter! And congratulations to BobPop and Ed Jaworowski on the amazing (yet well deserved) success of their new book "Pop Fleyes"! The responses have been nothing short of outstanding from anyone that I've heard comment on the book....now I just need to put aside a bunch of hours and devour this future classic for myself ;-)

Now lets see if I can squeeze enough time outta tomorrow to write this page again ;-)

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent