Then it hit me that you were *the* Jared of “The Tiger Eating Roy” fame! I’ll have you know that while I liquidated nearly all of my worldly possessions, the cherished painting is safely on loan (and on display) at a friend’s house (another Davis, btw) until my eventual return to the states.

And I don’t think I’ve been *too* unkind to Maryland. My friends were getting married off and settling down and I was finding myself more and more burnt out on the local offerings. That said, and this is coming from someone that loves hosting parties and gatherings, your Halloween party was the single most well-thrown party I’ve ever been to. Nearly every room was a party unto itself, and you guys somehow managed to combine exhibition, game-show, dance party, karaoke singalong and casual soiree in a way that seemed effortless. When I’d bitch to people about the rut I’d found myself in back at home, my biggest complaint was that in any given year I’d be hard pressed to come up with more than 4 or 5 significant memories, and I swear, I feel like I remember several hours worth of rich material from a party I went to four years ago — from Slobodan’s grave in the front, to Vanilla Ice in the basement, to winning enough tokens to get that painting by crooning out “Part of Your World” from the SwanHeart stage in the back, to that beautiful girl in the red dress that I flirted with for over half an hour then failed to get a number.

So thanks for the compliments, but please accept mine in return!