MMDLVI Diebus, vel VII Annis

For those of ye who dinnae ken Latin and for those who don't grok Scotticisms, it's been 2,556 days, or 7 years, since the Chant du Départ opened for business. Along the way Tuna joined up (little does he know that his contract states "for the duration"), then juvat (he insists that it starts with a little "j" and not a capital "J" for various and sundry reasons) signed on (his contract states "for the duration plus five years"), then Your Humble Scribe's very own daughter LUSH volunteered to "maybe, someday, if I feel like it" write the occasional post (hasn't happened yet for those of you keeping score at home), and lastly (though certainement not leastly) some guy named Andrew joined up whom I quickly began referring to as "Beans" (said moniker having stuck with everyone except PLQ, for reasons known best only to PLQ) and his contract is so open ended that I think the word "infinity" may be in there. Somewhere.

Now Tuna's postings are rather sporadic. But it's okay, he's in for the long haul, he posts when he can, and it's always worth waiting for. As for juvat, he owns Monday. He's like my old VW Beetle, starts up every time, don't have to worry. But as of late his browser is messing with his fonts. Changing the size, all sorts of "interesting" stuff. (I think his browser knows he's retired now so has "time" to mess with that sort of thing. Uh, no, he doesn't. He probably works harder now than when he was actually drawing a paycheck!)

LUSH may, or may not, post some day. She claims she will, then Big Time will deploy, both daughters will have things they have to go to, then...

If it happens, it happens, I ain't holding my breath, but I do get the odd story from her now and again. So she does provide blog fodder from time to time.

Now Beans, (sigh, "Andrew" to you Paul) is on and off again. He's like the George R.R. Martin of blogging. He'll post this huge, magnificent rant, and then *poof* he's gone for a month or two. But the man can always be counted on to leave wicked awesome comments. Kind of a "hair club for men" sort of thing, he's not just a blogger, he's a commenter too.

So yeah, seven years and it's been awesome. The reason I started doing this ain't so awesome (death of Lex) but it's been a good outcome. I mean it's tough thinking of how it began but I've made a lot of new friends along the way, some of you I've even met in person. (Tuna, juvat, LUSH, obviously, and one of these days I will get to Florida. I mean Beans can't live in isolation forever. And yes, juvat, I plan on getting down to Texas, someday...)

I will be picking up the Who They Are series tomorrow (think WWI), but I couldn't let a blogoversary go by without saying something.

And if you hear that those F-117s that have been spotted belong to me, don't believe it. (Heh, like I could afford a stealth jet. No, really you guys, those aren't mine, er, ours. No, Tuna, you can't have a raise... Stop looking at me like that juvat and Beans, I don't actually pay Tuna. Well, he does get free meals when he visits Little Rhody. Not that he does that a lot, and he doesn't eat all that much...)

See you mañana.

P.S. And all the language lessons are free!

P.P.S. I left out the squirrel this year, the Cap'n wanted him back...