kyburg | Good night, dear heart

Voyager Still Going Strong After 25 Years

Somewhere out there, Cliff is still at work.

With so many people getting ready for September 11th, it seems odd that I would getting ready for September 18th.

It will be four years.

Almost as long as it took to kill him.

Such a disaster. Such a tragedy.

And few days have ever passed that I don't think of him - rarely without regret. He was so incredibly smart - there's some Fortran code on Voyager that he put there when he was only 14 years old.

The changeable message signs being utilized with Amber Alert in Anaheim are his. He was always so frustrated that he was never allowed to use them - he would be so proud to see them being used today as they are.

I wouldn't have him back - we were in each other's way. And I am happier now, with someone far more suited to me.

But I owe him my life as it is -- and it just plain sucks that he died at the age of 36. There was so much in him, I can only dream of how magnificent he would have been at 69, 80 - his family has the genetics to live into their nineties and over a hundred isn't rare.

But he was diabetic in an age that refused admission to him to public schools and didn't have blood testing or support. The complications were monstrous.

And I loved him enough to marry him in spite of it. Whatever time we had - I wanted.

I'm now with someone more suited to me....but I am certain he had a hand in us finding each other.

We found each other using computers, after all. His little pets...his children.

Be well. Wherever you are, I'm sure you're busy.

It couldn't possibly be heaven for Cliff without a machine to build to take over the world.