I'm sure y'all have noticed that recently several of the original TB Twitter accounts have gotten locked and inactivated, basically.  While the reasons for these decisions are the business of the players and not something I'd speak to even if I knew, I will note that I am also going Twitter Silent.

Bear with me while I ramble for a moment.

The reality is that Twitter has changed quite a bit since I noticed there was no Sam.  The TB group was once quite small, small enough that we could hire waitresses (with the shelf life of Spinal Tap Drummers) and have real conversations with people like @smeykunz, @BillohBill, @SheiroQ, and @FranciscoIV.  There are now multiple RP groups, all with their own threads and worlds.

The players' lives have also changed, though again, that is the business of the players and not something I'll speak to.  No one's life is static, and in three years, people can marry, divorce, have a child, graduate from university, buy a house, lose a job, and any number of other events.  All of these things change the interest level they may have in pretending to be someone on the Internet.

And finally, the show has changed.   Mr. Ball and the creative team have built a great show, a show that has captivated fans around the world, but as they build the True Blood universe, they shift from the book world created by Ms. Harris.  That is a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing depending on your perspective, but it certainly affects the way a character is played.

Perhaps it's time for me to put down the bar towel permanently.  At this point, it would be appropriately dramatic for me to storm out or reveal that I'm secretly working for HBO or something, but that's not me, and that's not Sam, so I'll fold my bar towel and quietly walk out of the bar instead.  Being part of this fandom has been one of the most fun things I've ever done, RP-wise. 

Thank you all for following me and best wishes to you all.

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Sam and I will be taking a vacation from Twitter after the Season Finale this Sunday. The length of my vacation is yet to be determined and may be permanent.  I am having serious issues reconciling the new character background from the end of Season 3 and I'm not sure I want to be able to do so.  I respect Mr. Ball for creating this world and HBO for letting us as fans play in it, but I started with the books and my portrayal of Sam has always been as book-oriented as possible while not contradicting the episodes.  That's less and less possible, especially if, as Mr. Trammell has stated in interviews, this particular character progression is going to continue in Season 4.

There's always the alternative of going back to the books after each season of the show ends, but that can be confusing, and the last thing I wish to do is alienate or confuse my followers.  I appreciate your feedback, even the negative feedback, and I am grateful to you all for following me and the other Twitter players.

--"Sam"

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This started out as a comment to this post, but then it got a little long, so I thought I'd put it up here. 

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Merlotte.docx Download this file

That's clear enough, I think.

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Merlotte’s will be closed on Sunday April 12.pptx Download this file

Easter Sunday isn't a real heavy traffic day for a bar in rural Louisiana.

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Just got an e-mail from Blood Supply about my prize - it's pretty interesting, I think, for reasons that will become plain.

From:  dan.arthur @ bloodsupply.com
To:      merlotte @ merlottesbarandgrill.com
Date:   March 22, 2009 14:21
Subject:    More info on your prize

Hi Sam,

I said I'd get back to you about your prize and the answer is...  Blood Supply is sending you to Vegas!  Normally, they'd send you and a guest, but with the current retail climate, they're only sending you.  Not like you have anyone you'd take anyway, right? 

Anyway, the trip is April 2 through the 6th, and it's all set up with the tickets and hotel and everything.  I'm mailing them to you tomorrow. 

Have fun in Vegas!  Don't do anything I wouldn't do and let me know if you need any more extra blood.

Dan Arthur
Blood Supply - Your Local Source of Blood
Monroe, LA

So they wanna send me to Vegas, and it looks like I don't have too much of a choice since they already got it all set up.  Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment the nights of the 7-10 of April, which means I'd be pretty much out of the bar at night for over a week.  I just don't know if that's a good idea.  I trust my staff, but this is Bon Temps.  "Weird Shit Happens Here" oughta be the town motto.

It's a dilemma.

OOC: As I'm sure most of you have surmised already, Sam is going to be out of town the 2-6th because his player is going to be out of town and not consistently near a computer during that time period.   Please don't let the bar get burnt down.

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That should take care of that.

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Today was both a good one and a bad one.  Good because I got my porch roof repaired and it was great weather for it, bad for other reasons.  It was real slow at the bar tonight, which always makes me worried.  I don't remember the last time I closed early on a Friday. 

Other bad things were a conversation I had with Nicole regarding some things she found in my office desk drawer.  Now, I freely admit I probably ought not to keep that kind of thing in my office since all the staff stores their stuff in it (and you better believe I've moved those letters now), but at the same time, I don't think anyone would be too pleased to have their mail read, especially mail that was of a personal nature, which this was.   She wanted an explanation for the contents, and I said I'd tell her sometime, but I wasn't feeling like sharing at that time, so I didn't.

Plus, Sookie didn't call and didn't show tonight.  I was worried she was hurt till I found out she was probably with Eric.  I started out happy she was okay but now I'm pretty damn annoyed, and while I know it's partially other stuff leaking over into this situation, I don't need waitresses that are unreliable.  Not even waitresses I like a lot and trust and consider to be one of my closest friends.  If you don't call and don't show up at other jobs, you get fired. I'm not sayin I'm gonna do that, but that's how it works at most places.  I'm talking to her tomorrow.  We'll see how it goes.

Okay.  Got that outta my head.  I'm gonna try to sleep again.

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Hey Tara,

I hope you're feeling better after having a nap.  I know we still need to have that talk.  I haven't forgotten.  Just seems like the timing's a little bad right now with you just getting out of the hospital - again.

I'm over at the bar - if you need to go to the pharmacy or want to go home or something, come get me and I'll have Terry take over for a little while.

Sam

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Started out okay - got up and headed down to Alexandria to talk to someone about a cheap used cooler - mine's makin strange noises.  Next thing I know, Tara's tellin me that Nicole got kidnapped by the FotS to hurt me and that she and Tina need help.  I couldn't get outta that meeting till later, but as soon as I could, I headed out to Kisatchie National Forest to help.   After some effort and callin in a favor from someone, we got Nicole outta there and Tara took her home while my friend gave me a ride.  We had a nice talk on that trip - Jim thinks those FotS types might get a federal trial since it was on federal land, too.

Soon as I got home, I changed and went over to the bar since we had that rally tonight, and for awhile everything seemed like it'd be okay, even with havin the vampire king of Louisiana in the bar.  Of course, it couldn't stay that way.  The bar got attacked by fifty or so FotS types and everything went to hell, almost literally.

In the end, Tara got stabbed, Nicole maybe punctured a lung, Miss Chaos got staked and I don't even know what else.  Tara's outta surgery, and Nicole's restin pretty comfortably.  Looks like they'll both be okay eventually.

Now I'm home after takin Nicole to the hospital and I don't even wanna face cleanin the bar tomorrow.  I can't make Terry do it, though.  He doesn't react well to blood or anything like that and it's my responsibility anyway.  At least the gas'll have gone away by then.  And I'm gonna have to give statements to Alexandria PD and Sheriff Dearborn.

I'm so tired in every way I can possibly imagine and some ways I can't.

Wonder if that bar's still for sale?

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Given that, I've found myself in a little predicament that hasn't ever actually happened to me before.  Bein two-natured means I tend to keep to myself romantically, if only because it's damned hard to explain to an "outsider" why I have to be gone three nights a month - three nights that just happen to coincide with the phases of the moon.  My mom seems to make it work with my stepfather, but I really think he's in serious denial more'n anything else.  There's only so often she can go visit my aunt in Waco.  I spose I could find another of the two-natured, and it's true that I've dated one or two in the past, but that's got its own set of complications.

Anyway, that's kinda a side note.  The real issue here is that there are two very lovely women around that I wouldn't mind spendin more time with but I don't know what to do about either of em, and I can't spend time with both of em.  Maybe some men could, but I can't. It's not fair to anyone. I'd like to get to know Nicole a little better cuz we really seem to have a lot in common and she's a real fun, feisty lady.  But then there's also Tara.  I care about her and we left things at a pretty strange spot before she disappeared to New Orleans, and I still kinda feel like there's somethin there, although I couldn't define it for the life of me.  Maybe it doesn't need a definition, but it'd be nice if it had one.

I know this is the kind of problem that makes other people roll their eyes, like my life is so hard for having two women I'd like to get to know. I'm not askin for advice or nothin either, since this is kinda one of those things you gotta sort out yourself and with the people involved.  I guess I'm just usin this thing like I think it's intended - to let my thoughts out so they stop bouncin around in my head.

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via flickr.com

Good thing the state troopers aren't out tonight.

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So I was watchin the late night news yesterday and they start talkin about an "incident" at a vampire bar in Shreveport.  Far as I know, there's only one of them, so I kept watching.  It was real convoluted but from what the news said there was a big attack or fight or something - with bombs? I checked a few things this mornin and they're saying there were 100 people who got attacked by the vampires, which doesn't make sense at all from the pictures  - looks more like they attacked the vampires, which proves they just weren't too bright.  I guess we'll get a few more details in the next couple days.  I heard from Sookie and Nicole that it was the FoTS and that Bill and Hoyt had gotten arrested, but I don't know anything else.  If anyone knows pretty much what happened, could you let me know?

I left voicemails for a few people in Bon Temps and I've heard back from most of em sayin that they're okay.  I'm glad to hear it, but I'm also a little worried that I haven't heard from the one in particular, so if anyone sees Tara Thornton, could you ask her to check her voicemail?

Thanks for all the good messages, folks.  I don't really have the time to reply to every one of em, but I see em and I appreciate em, I really do.  Craig's not off the respirator yet like they were hopin, but maybe today.  Oh, and one of the nurses bandaged my shoulder again after she noticed me favorin it.  I wonder if Amy has any sisters in DFW, cuz I swear that voice was exactly the same.

Gotta go have breakfast now - my sister made homemade waffles.

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I've been up since 5 - can't really sleep too well on this hideacouch.   Gonna have some breakfast and then head up to the hospital, I think.  Craig's fiancee keeps pacin - I like her, but I think she should lay off the fancy coffee.

Craig's doin better - they're hopin to get him off the respirator today, and after that they're hopin to get him out of the ICU.  I might go home after he's in a regular bed - I'm worried about the bar and the folks in Bon Temps.  I know Tara and Sookie and Lafayette and everybody are good folks (or I wouldn't have hired em), but I'm still worried.  If somethin happens, it's my lookout, not anyone else's.

My mom and stepdad're tryin to convince me to stay in DFW - there's a little bar for sale near their house that's pretty reasonably-priced.   I can't do it, though.   I got too many ties to Bon Temps, personal and professional.

Thanks for all the messages, folks, especially Sookie, Tara, and Nicole.  Brightens my day to see em.

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 I'm worried about what's happenin in Bon Temps.  I hope I have a bar to come back to, although I know some people'd probably consider it a good thing if I didn't, which doesn't stop em from drinkin my beer, of course.  I might be in a serious bind with Alcide, what with turnin a member of his pack over to the vamps knowin full well what would happen to him if I did.  I hurt, too - think I did somethin to my shoulder again, which is gonna get me yelled at by at least one person.  I'd still do it all again and then some to keep Sookie safe, though. 

Hey!  Just got a call from my mom at the hospital - Craig woke up for a few minutes.  He ain't outta the woods yet, obviously, but he woke up.

Nevermind all that whinin - my night's just fine.

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I don't think I'd understand some things even if I was educated, though.   Like why people want to destroy other people for being different.  There was an attack in the parking lot of my bar last night, one that meant my waitress and my customer got hurt, and that pisses me off, especially since both of em were only attacked because of what they are, which isn't something they can do anything about.

I'm not gonna lie and say I'm always fond of vampires, and I'll even say I flat out don't like them sometimes, but people like those FotS creeps don't make any sense to me at all.  They seem to hate everything that's different, which leaves me outta luck too, although I'm hoping that they weren't aware enough to realize why there was a lion roaming around northern Louisiana.

I just want to live my life and run my bar, and I know if you asked that waitress and that customer, they'd say the same.  They're a little different, sure, but they still just wanna go about their business, not get trapped under a silver net or have a rib bruised or get staked or shot or anything like that.

And now I gotta go talk to Bud Dearborn and hope my version of the story matches everyone else's.  I'm planning to leave out the lion.

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