A Dear John Letter to Hampden

Dear Hampden:

I loved you. I hated you. Then, I loved you even more. Now, I miss you.

Hawker's radio silence is because she moved. As I said to all my friends, "I'm not dying; I'm just moving to New Jersey." I've been without Internet for a while and then there was that whole unpacking thing.

And although New Jersey made Hawker & her family an offer they couldn't refuse, you should know two things: a) I miss you and b) I'll be back.

Hawker would like to offer some personalized parting words (without links, because I'm sad):

To The Hon Bar: Thanks for kicking me out that one time. I deserved it.
To the bathroom at R2V: I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry.
To Frazier's: Thanks for every night that ended in madness that began with the sentence, "Hey, let's go to Frazier's for one more!"
To Oh! Said Rose: Thanks for letting every woman in my family get the coolest Christmas gifts for a few years.
To The Wine Source: Thanks for all the free booze!
To Atomic Books: I think I'm going to miss you most of all.
To The Golden West: You have the best pancakes in the world, and for the last time: your service is FINE. Damn the whiners.
To Budget TV: Shine on, you crazy diamond.
To Form: I was too scared ever to talk to you. You intimidate me.
To Hampdenfest: For one shining moment every year, Keyboard Man united us. This gives me hope for the human race.
To the junkies on Falls Road: I hope with all of my being that you get some help. I know someone somewhere loves you and misses the person you were and could be.

I could go on and on, but these are the parting thoughts that come to mind this morning.

You know, now that I've moved to a new place, I remember when my best friend first came from the midwest to visit me in Hampden. We spent an afternoon shopping on the Avenue & at just about every place we entered, I either knew someone else in the store and/or new the store owner. She asked me if I was super popular in Baltimore. "No," I said, "that's just Hampden. Everybody knows everybody." I miss that already.

What's to happen with Hawker is still up in the air.

Be nice to each other while I'm gone, ok?

Sincerely,
Hawker