Where have I been? Well, you know. I've been busy.

No, I never finished the novel-in-a-month novel. My problem, I think, was going at it from a third person omnipotent point of view. Everything I've ever done that's been worth a damn was first person. Learned a little lesson. And if I wasn't going to finish that there wasn't much point in posting anything in November, was there?

And then there were holidays. Thanksgiving and my mom had a new boyfriend she brought by for the family to see. Sonya and I had a monstrously successful Christmas shindig for my Books and Drinks cohorts. Back to Memphis for a few days for Christmas and my mom had married her new boyfriend, so the family was in an uproar over that.

I've got a stepdad now. Weird.

New Year's and our friends Shawn and Christopher came over to drink gallons of champagne and play video games as we ushered in the new year. That was 2001. I think everybody was glad to see the ass end of that particular year, huh?

And then it was Mardi Gras. This year, Mardi Gras was a full and rich experience. You missed a good time.

You know what was daunting about the old layout? All the little extra bits in the left hand column. Once I had all of them filled in I had to write enough to make the right hand column at least as long, or else I felt like I was cheating.

Now, though, I can dash off a thoughtless paragraph and have that count for a whole day. Effortless! Will I do it?

Who can say?

But I know you're glad I'm back.