Friends, allow me a little personal note: Yes, I had been gone for some time. The reasons, I assure you, were completely personal in nature, and while I’d rather not go into too much detail at this point, they included death(s) and sickness in my family as well as a few other miscellania like a car accident (not my fault, though, according to a recent judgement).
On a much more pleasent note, our baby daughter Sophie—which you can see in my new avatar to the left—kept me and the wife busy at times, too. Well, I am back. A few pieces still need picking up, so to speak, but at long last my life is back in balance. A heartfelt “Thank you” to everyone who inquired into my state of affairs, via email and otherwise. If sometimes I didn’t have the strength for a meaningful reply, no offense was meant by that; it still meant a lot to me.
Well, enough of that. You now know where I’ve been, more or less, but the important thing is: I am back—and it feels good.