[masraum]

My condolences, Byron. It's tough, and as we get older and more of our friends will move on. The good news is that you've got and have had a ton of friends. Kind of like the "better to have loved and lost..." thing going on in that regard. Also, presumably, that means that in these tough times, you still have friends that you can talk to and hang out with that will do what they can to comfort you or just be there for/with you.

We, here on the board, may not be as close as you were to the folks that you've posted about, but we are your friends and do wish you the best, so we're happy for you to be able to "talk" about what you're going through if that's what you want/need. It's not venting. And absolutely no apology necessary!

Think on the good times, and make the most of the folks that you still have.

Hang in there, sir.