Oh, the fabulous Samantha returns at last, and I am so pleased to see your effervescent presence again showing through to our side of the monitors. I'm off to give a few quiet tours later on (architectural emphasis for the winter months - my favorite topic these days) but I could talk with you non-stop until then of Europe and... Huh? What's this??... Uh-oh... Got to, um... run away.......!
[This message is now actually being sent by the Grim Reaper:]
Ah, Ms. Brown, I'm afraid I have to step in at this point to explain to you and others that I've come with scythe in hand and great regret to retire Capt. Tuttle from service on this site for now. He was, after all, only supposed to have appeared once or twice upon first discovering this forum merely to express his appreciation for you and then to quietly slip away into the mists of forgotten time. But of course, gentle readers (and let me put this scythe down here; it's pretty heavy), such was his enchantment by Ms. Brown that a couple of years passed and still he could not bring himself to leave. And who could blame him? Even I must admit she's an absolute charmer, and I go back to before Helen of Troy.
Samantha, however, has many other e-mailers among the living as you can see, and only so much time at her laptop to give, and Capt. Tuttle had become repetitive in his praise and was approaching senility anyway, staring mournfully at his screen as the tumbleweeds rolled so emptily by. So I've come to take matters into my old cold hands (especially cold this morning) to allow others, particularly new visitors, to have their valued time here instead, and he does after all have other venues now to happily talk with his Samantha Forum friends and belabor them with his travelogues and talk of leaning on the stage of the Globe in London and etc.
Still, Capt. Tuttle (aka captuttle
) does want to pass along that he did indeed have one of his finest trips ever to England last summer and fervently hopes Ms. Brown enjoyed the UK as well, perhaps even delighting in some of the same locales, though certainly not the same hotel. In fact, he hopes she's experiencing fabulous times throughout all of Europe, including having wondrous Samanthan adventures entirely of her own, away from prying cameras and mikes where she can wander about in her own private contentment which she'll always fondly remember.
He remains, as ever, a devoted admirer of Samantha's, of her performances so light of touch, felicitous of phrase, deftly intelligent, perpetually inquisitive and {that word of hers again} whimsical of mind and being. And of course irrepressibly brown of eyes - he'd be sure I included that last one. He would compulsively watch her do a series on Great Rest Stops of the New Jersey Turnpike if he had to, although is far, far happier she's giving us Europe instead (perhaps Great Houses of Britain and America could follow suit; he'd be entranced by that prospective series).
And yet he's most especially enjoyed and appreciated simply watching her blossom and grow right before us on the 21 inch screen (there being no plasma at Tuttle Manor) into the sublime person, endearing human frailties and all, we so admire. And he will continue to watch, as he knows she will continue to grow with new series and opportunities. But he happily has his (impishly playful) photo now - which he greatly values - and has received more than his share of (also impishly playful) responses from her on past forum visits to justify any further superfluous babblings to her here. So Capt. Tuttle thanks her profoundly for her kind attentions, wishes her the very, very best, and a most happy holiday season as well, but should also get out of the way on this particular venue. And there you have it. Now if I can only find the guy (picking up scythe again - pretty sharp, too). But he must have just stepped out...
P.S. Oh, by the way, Ms. Brown, your own dispatch is not on my "to do list" at present, and I believe you have a very long and happy life awaiting you. Although you're pushing your luck with some of those bad jokes, you know. That "fahrfugpumpkinnugen" line of yours last year almost got you the instant hook. So watch it there, fair lady. One day, a broken toe, but the next, well... As for the rest of you, as you were. Do carry on.
Inexorably Yours,
Reaper, the Grim
Travel Channel Discussions 
My play went very well. There was a packed house all 3 nights that it ran. I have no desire to be a professional actress. I will keep acting locally though. 
Shall he return, or is this the true end of our friend?