My step-mom suggested it might be good if I let people know I was still alive while encouraging me (along with my aunt and cousin) to get something up on the Mess. So, I’m here to say that yes indeed, I am still alive and yes indeed, I do need to get something posted. It’s difficult when you don’t have quite the chops of a Dave Barry, a P.J. O’Rourke or even an Erma Bombeck to pull humor from the air and when your writing is presumably based mostly on humor (with the occasional rant thrown in to mix it all up). I figure you don’t want to hear about my daily hangnails or maybe you do (I need a manicurist, fyi).

I tried sending out a note to some close friends and relatives asking for ideas. What I got back was an interesting mix of suggestions that really said a lot about the people I was asking, although I think I can pull some of those suggestions together and hopefully churn out a few entries.

Sooo… without any further adieu, I’ll try to have something up in the next half hour. Since I’m writing on the fly, I again reserve the right (as I always do) to edit and revamp for the next 24 hours. I’m going to start toting my journal around that Anna suggested I keep to better help contain and develop my ideas… when I can find it again.