As some of you may know, I am in a new relationship. Or at least a new level to an old one. So I will present two points of view here – the first being how my girlfriend sees is and the second, how I see it.
First, her viewpoint:
Hi, folks.
I realized that not everyone was on Facebook to see that I am now in a relationship, and have been since July. So I talked with my love-interest, and decided to tell the Saloon all about it.
First, here’s a link to my blog, which is more elliptical than I’m going to be here but hits the high points nicely:
Now for the rest of the story.
You all know William Katzell. He’s been a member here since the Saloon’s inception. He certainly knew, liked, and respected Michael. But William also kind of pre-dates Michael as a friend, as I got to know William first. (Oddly enough.)
Still, I was floored when about a month or so ago, William asked me if we could try a long-distance virtual date. I agreed. We listened to music together, talked/chatted, and played board games. It was relaxing, and it was also a great deal of fun. I realized right away that William hadn’t lost his ability to make me laugh; in fact, I laughed so
much, my cheeks started to ache. (In a good way, of course.)
We’ve been together ever since as more than friends, even though I can’t go see him and he can’t come to see me due to the borders between Canada and the US being closed due to Covid-19. But I intend to remedy this as soon as the borders open; most likely, I am going to have to be the one to go to him, as a hip replacement is on the very near horizon now, and there’s no way he could get here without jeopardizing his own health and safety.
What’s next? I plan to first update my driver’s license to a REAL ID (which would get me across the border), then apply for a passport. I will do both at the same time, actually, but I know I can get the REAL ID a whole lot faster than the passport. And that way, if the borders open unexpectedly, I can still get across even if the passport isn’t yet ready.
All I can say is, I’m glad William was ready for me now. 
And that I am now ready for him.
I do think Michael would be happy about this, too.
Barb
And now my point of view/reaction to this mail-list posting (I did ask her if she was okay if I posted our messages here, and her response was that I could share them with the world – I love her more for that):
Here is something I feel I must bring forward here. From my point of view, what I saw was a friend who was in pain and I had a choice to make… I could make a series of trite comments to relieve her pain a bit, until the next time; or I could take a risk and try to bring some happiness into her life.
The gamers in the 'Saloon will understand the next bit – I had a 25% chance I’d ruin our friendship; I had a 60% chance nothing would happen and we’d just remain friends; I had a 14% chance of becoming slightly better friends. So guess who rolled a freakishly humongousy long string of natural 100s?!?
If I had been playing an RPG and rolled this, I’ve wiped out 3 evil empires and their armies with a simple level 1 fireball, and I’d be in the center of the conflagration carnage my hand around Barb’s waist and not a scratch on either of us.
With the rest of the players and the DM screaming HAXX!!!
But, I’m happy and my emotions have been freed, and some of the texting I’ve sent her, I cannot share here, but to say that my thumbs are cramping, Barb. Don’t blush now. ;》 
Be happy for me, or not. I’m happy for me and for Barb, all joyous together, and wondering what will happen when we can be together physically.
Chantillary/William
