A MESSAGE FOR THE READERS...

...FROM JOHN DENVER AND THE NERD

I do plan on posting a couple more times before I say sayonara and head for Pakistan but I want to get goodbye out of the way. So, to all of you, my dear friends, enemies, frenemies, stalkers, and strangers—what a wonderful group of readers you are—here’s goodbye for now in the words of John Denver’s “I’m Leaving on a Jetplane” (ironically, he died in a plane crash. I’d rather not think about planes coming down at the moment but, you’ll probably agree, that was an interesting enough bit of morbidity to bring up).

Here’s my “goodbye-I’ll-see-you-later-and-make-sure-to-write-down-everything-that-happens-in-Pakistan-and-transfer-it-all-to-my-blog-as-soon-as-I-return” song. Don’t forget to read the footnotes. They’re essentially disclaimers. Aside from the lines they refer back to, everything else is the truth and I mean it.

All my bags are packed (1)
Im ready to go
Im standin here outside your door (2)
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
Its early morn
The taxis waitin (3)
Hes blowin his horn
Already Im so lonesome
I could die (4)

So kiss me and smile for me (5)
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
Cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again (6)
Oh babe, I hate to go (7)

Theres so many times Ive let you down (8)
So many times Ive played around (9)
but I tell you baby, they dont mean a thing
Every place I go, I think of you (10)
Every song I sing, I sing for you (11)
When I come back, Ill bring your wedding ring (12)

So kiss me and smile for me (13)
Tell me that youll wait for me (14)
Hold me like youll never let me go (15)
Cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you (16)
And close your eyes
Ill be on my way
Dream about the days to come (17)
When I wont have to leave you alone
About the times, I wont have to say

Oh, kiss me and smile for me (18)
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
Cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

But, Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

1) My bags are nowhere near being packed at the moment. I’m stressing about packing them but don’t even know where to begin.
2) Don’t bother looking outside your door. I’m not out there. I’m not a stalker.
3) We’re not taking a taxi to the airport. My brother is driving us.
4) I am kinda lonesome but I don’t wanna kill myself over it. Sheesh. That would be SO melodramatic in a permanent sort of way.
5) You’re a hip, happening and cool lot but I’d rather not kiss you. Sorry.
6) I do know when I’ll be back again. Mark your calendars: January 19th.
7) While I am sad about my oldest brother not joining us and leaving my cat Zanadune for nearly three weeks (the oldest bro is taking care of her in our absence), I’d be lying if I said I hate to go. Because I don’t. I’m excited to go. Very excited. So excited that I’m a bit dizzy actually.
8) Have I ever let you folks down??? C’mon. C’MON!
9) Playing around keeps one young, spry and limber so I’m not sorry for it
10) I don’t think about you guys all the time because, as I said earlier, I’m not a stalker or crazy obsessed person.
11) I have a singing voice that’s reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard; hence, I don’t sing. So, I’m not singing any songs for you. I probably wouldn’t sing any songs for you even if I could sing. I know it hurts and all, but I’m just not that attached... gosh, I’m just being honest...someone needs a time out!
12) You guys are great and all, but I don’t wanna marry you. I’m sure someone will someday. Me, I’m just not that into you. Sorry.
13) I’m still not kissing you.
14) I’m hoping you handful of wonderful people who heart reading my blog will await my return and not fall off the face of my cyber world simply because I’m not posting new entries. Come back and read the old entries. They’re even greater the second and third times around.
15) I’m warning you now: you hold me like you’ll never let me go and I’m hollering out “fire!” as I kick you in the crotch area.
16) I’m still not kissing you.
17) I am not opposed to you dreaming about me.
18) Nope. It’s not happening.