BusterStronghart@Gmail.com

Sunday, December 26, 2004



My Dear Stephen,


I received your New Year’s missive this morning. I recognized your firm, manly hand immediately, and avidly opened its envelope eagerly expecting a jolly note, and I wasn’t disappointed.

But, dear Stephen, an assertion that a check is enclosed is not the same as actually enclosing one. Perhaps it has something to do with appearance and reality. This is usually discussed in Philosophy 101. There are people who think that saying something makes it true. I believe that it was Kant who wrote several volumes discussing this problem—or it may have been my mother.

Search as I may, even after carefully inspecting every corner of the envelope, even calling Sam the Bloodhound, Mrs. Garamond’s affable pet, and even after resurrecting Sherlock Holmes and putting him on the case—no check was found.

Sherlock mentioned the ideograms at the bottom right-side of your letter. Watson has been unable to find a dictionary in any language with which to decipher them. Any clues that you might share will be appreciated.

Another mystery to be solved is the regular alternation of lines in bold with lines in regular font in my letters. Please take no ill meaning, friend, in fact, take no meaning at all. My printer is out of control, mischievous, and needs a good thrashing—or, perhaps, defenestration.


I remain your devoted servant, sir,