Ok, I'm finally ready to get back to the Blogosphere, and just wanted to give everyone an update on my absence.  The beginning of the year, with some personal issues got a little worse before getting better.  Recently my mother was in 4-car pile up on the freeway - thank goodness she wasn't seriously hurt.  Physically that is.  Psychologically she was very shaken up and needed a support system.  And then I was in no shape to do serious thinking in the past week as I had been struggling with a strep throat, which is only today a little bit better.

So those are the primary reasons for my absence.  I want to thank the contributors here for keeping this place going in my absence, and I want to thank you all for sticking around.

Here's to being back. :-)