This has been the pattern of our communication outside of email. Now, there have been many times when I went to the "you should have stayed" thing (and now I am relieved to know where that came from!), but he would turn angry and use it as a lead-in to justify himself at my expense. I hope my quip took some of the wind out of his sails.
Tragic is a good descriptor. In the same vein as Anakin Skywalker (ok, I'm a geek).
