I'm a staunch believer in the necessity of vacation time, and I guess I took the idea of shore leave literally, so ... to the beach we go. And yes, you're right about Spock's role in Kirk's (and Bones' life) in the future, although I do think that will alter in the AOS!verse, although certainly not the way I've spun the thread out here. In any case, I thank you very much for all of your kind words throughout this long process.