To all to whom it may concern,

I have been posting here for ten years. A lot can change in a persons life in ten years. In the late eighties and throughout the nineties I had a great job with a niche software company. I was making really good money, enjoyed my job and traveled all over North America and Western Europe. Unfortunately after the debacle of the Y2K scare in the software world, business in that niche and some other areas of the industry came to a screeching halt.

I had gotten in on the very ground floor in that industry in 1988 and rode it to the pennacle. It was a great ride up and a long, slow, agonizing trip back down. I hung on longer than almost anyone and when the industry was almost completely soaked up by big companies and made into a commodity to give away with more profitable products, I was too old to start the climb again in another industry.

I even went through a short stint as a Fork Truck mechanic, and then made it back into a related industry in a much lower level job. In the course of everything falling apart I even got my ASE Master thinking I might have to work on cars for a living.

Feburary of 2009 my Dad, a World War II Naval combat veteran who spent the last year of World War II as a member of the Secretary of the Navy staff in Washington, DC, started a decline in health that led him into a nursing home with severe health problems and Dimensia. He passed away just a few short months ago. My Mom is still living and requires some very difficult care that my wife and I try to provide.

I never knew that I was so dependent on the conversation and encouragement of my Dad. His loss has effected me very drastically.

I like to think that in my early days on MShop I offered lots of help to folks. I don't think there are very many people remaining here that were around at that time. I was on top of the world in my life and at such times it's easy to be helpful and respectful of others. When life is not so easy, that's when keeping your head up and helping others is a challenge. This has been a challenge that I very obviously have not met.

I am not an MB bigot. When I was driving 60 to 70K miles a year, MB's were the ideal car for that application. The subject of cars is one of the few in which I am very open minded, liking all kinds of cars of all types and makes. As a result I have freqented many Car Discussion Forums and NONE OF THEM compared to this site in it's formation years, and most of them can't compare to this site as it is today.

So with that preface I offer my apologies for going astray on this site. My life has changed for the worse, but there's no excuse for me taking it out on anyone here, even the challenging ones among you.

I offer my best wishes to all,
Larry