Parting Gifts
I’m not back. Really. I’m not.
Think of this as just an addition to The Last Post.
I just had to acknowledge and thank a couple of people who each created a cool project in my honor. Both are really amazing and obviously took time and talent. And for both I am so touched and overwhelmed.
First is the drawing you see above. It was done by a fellow named Goran. (CLICK TO SEE THE FULL DRAWING) He based it on THIS PHOTO.
Second is a video tribute done by my buddy Todd at IMNOT2BZY. Knowing how much trouble it was for me to put together the pitiful little video for The Last Post, it’s obvious that Todd has been VERY busy. You can see the video HERE.
Thanks to both you guys. No one has ever done something like this for me before. I am undeserving, but very grateful.
I am also grateful to all of you who who stopped in to read The Last Post, and to those who left such incredible comments. Ironically, my last day was the most active in traffic in the four years. By far.
I guess people wanted to make sure I was good and gone. 
September 5th, 2008 at 4:32 am
Tony, the tributes are beautiful . . . just like you. We all responded to the last post because we DIDN’T want you to go. I thought if I kept on talking you couldn’t just walk away. Like my godson, when he was five, always had one more thing to tell me, one more thing to show me, one more thing for me to help him with, just so I wouldn’t leave. That’s me now.
Thanks for all the times you wrote back to me too.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:36 am
You’re Welcome. I enjoyed doing it
Thank you as well for your video. Great job!
September 5th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Truly remarkable the creative talents of people. Speaking as an artist, they both show the beauty that is Tony and how you have touched our lives.
Thank you……… thank you.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Thank you Tony for touching my heart once again, I will sincerely miss your blog, every time I read one of your stories, about Granny, in a small way I feel like my Granny is still with me. Growing up, in rural Louisiana, I relate to all of yours stories
Todd thank you for the beautiful tribute, you must have spent a lot on time working on this, also thank you, for using one of my comments, this is as close as I will get to immortality LOL.
Tony, I hope your life will continue to be blessed and you have all the joy and happiness, you so richly deserve. I look forward to reading your articles and/or books, in the very near future.
September 5th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Oh, we’re still here…..crying, moaning, gnashing our teeth, but we’re still here.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
You are certainly a gift from the universe and I am so thankful to have been able to experience a small but meaningful part of your life through your blog!
Please don’t be a stranger. The world needs a lot more people like you!
~richard
September 6th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Maybe you just need to accept that you’ve been quite popular in the blogworld.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Sexy pic, sexy guy…. we’ll miss you!
September 6th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Lovely, lovely, and yet still lovely.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Excellent vid! Tony take care!
Jim
September 6th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
You are a lucky sob–figuratively speaking. I wish I had been able to make such a video. I am glad to know the difference between “final” and ” last.’ I do intend to come back here often–daily. Hope springs eternal….
September 6th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I have to agree with Paul. I will be back often also. I do have a couple of years to catch up on, and wouldn’t want to miss anything new.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
The pic is awesome but the montage was overwhelming. I admit it, I cried a little.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I came by expecting The good bye post and am rewarded with a treat. Thanks Tony, and thank you for two years (of my world) one of the best blogs I visit on a daily basis. I will miss knowing the future you as you mature and grow, but I am proud to have known you if even from an anonymous view. Thanks again.
September 7th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Hi Tony
I only came across your blog through aussielicious and unfortunately you were on your last post………
I wish i had off gotten to know you sooner
What a great blog and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours
I will keep this in my favourites and keep checking …let us know what you get up to in the future and also i hav a lot of reading to do and look forward too reading all of this blog
Best wishes Peter in Melbourne Australia
September 7th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
hehehe….i can see your wiener. (truth be told, i’ve seen it elsewhere!)
But it’s all a very nice tribute.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Oh well, can I be the grinch that stole Christmas? The video, as nice a touch as it may be, is just plain wrong. The pinup boy pics should have come first. And the words at the very end. As for the music, excuse me while I puke. Atrocious. It’s not Tony. It’s not Tony at all. This is Tony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMITF0DWJyE
September 7th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Very well done, you are truly going to be missed. East TN here also. Would love to meet you.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Will miss the blog. All the best in life to you, Granny, and the Attorney.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:54 am
What a cool surprise! The drawing and video are awesome. They truly are gifts to us, as well as to you, Tony.
I think you should have a weekly “one more thing to add to the last post”, just so we don’t all implode from missing you!
September 13th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I’m sorry I didn’t find your site sooner! But I understand that every chapter must end, followed by a new beginning on the other page. Wishing you all the best!!! Thanks for sharing you with us. You’ll be missed!!
September 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Spectacular tribute.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Get back to blogging. You are being missed.
what a fantastic drawing too.
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:38 am
dude you truly deserve every tribute you receive! to me LARGE TONY is still the “best” of all the blogs! like Tina belted out in Todd’s LT video, “simply the best!” LT is warm, funny, giving, intimate, reflective, and insightful! always a joy to read, reread, and reflect on. your ramblings about your experiences along the road of life are simply eloquent. they’ve made me laugh, cry, howl and most of all smile – thanks!
October 12th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Hay! I stumbled on your blog from “joemygod” (I’m a faithful reader). When I read you’re from Tennessee, I had to stop a browse a moment. (I’m a native Mississippian, but live in Tennessee now–we are everywhere).
What joy it’s been reading your blog thus far! I’ll send you an email when I finish.
I’m saddened that I you are no longer posting, but KNOW you will evolve to your next level of being Tony.
For now, I want to savor each posting, as I read them from start to finish!
Hugs…..
October 15th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I gave you a parting gift too. You failed to acknowledge that. No matter. Your friendship blows hot and cold. Only the popular guys seem to warrant your attention. I still wish you only the very best.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:22 am
You know Curtis? You need to get over yourself. This is one of the best sites we ever got to go to. We wanted more but must accept that he did say last instead of final. When Bill died, that was the end of that. And it will never end. Hope–a popular word these days–springs eternal. And f+++ you, Curtis.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Merry Christmas Tony, miss you