A Holiday Break; A Look Back; And Mo’ Mo-town!

Gracious Friends,

As per the orders strictly worded in my 70 page WD blogging contract, I am going off air from now until January 6th, when I shall reappear in the New Year stronger, more emotionally appropriate, and in need of a trim around the back of my neck. The thinking is this: You are, also, going on vacation, and vacations don't involve sitting around your office trying to think of something to do before the morning meeting and post getting coffee, then realizing that you once accidentally subscribed to my blog on your RSS reader, and deciding that you wouldn't mind clicking on some links to the Stone Temple Pilotz. That's called forward-thinking, friends, and we at the esteemed instituiton of Digesting Writers basically only think in the forwarding sense.

Before I disable the Wi-Fi in my apt while I go off to my mother's house and then the sweet shores of Nor and SoCal, allow me to look back on the year on that was:

We did 57 blog entries, 15 of which happened during the months of February and March, in which I did a 4 part So-Cal Exile Series AND a Two Question Novel Quiz, that was, like, really good.

We fought through my Quick(ish) Descent to Thesis Insanity in April, which was neither quick nor a descent, and much more like a free-fall into sleepless consumption of mint flavored teas and bad, bad poetry.

We talked about Mad Men, the loss of David Foster Wallace, the re-birth of James Frey, my acquisition of a job, Tom's eleventy billion pumpkins, and the crazy ideas behind murketing chicken sausage.

We enthusiastically embraced the Choose Your Own Commenting Adventure (171 comments!) and then we kind of liked it, and then we sort of thought: okay, Kevin, we get it, you don't feel like writing a whole blog entry.

We saw the tragic end of my column in the magazine, the departure of the editor who "found(!)" me in the slushiest pile of queries, and a frustrating re-up on my novel, which needs like two weeks-- oh, don't get me started.

But most of all, friends, we did it. We made it through another year of random asides, crippling self-doubt, passed deadlines, and hilariously thought-out musical sign offs. And we're so happy about that, that-- as a gift-- I'm providing you all another E-Card! I know, I am too generous!

Seriously though, thank you so much for being a part of whatever it is we've got going here-- I hope you get gift certificates to all the places you shop, and a restaurant that you've never tried, but heard (pretty) good things about...
Enjoy the splendor of my father's favorite Christmas song, and we will resume our intensely satisfying 'lationship in '09. Comments may be placed in the green bin labeled "Comments."

Hey Rudolph!,
The Red Nosed Reindeer

The Temptations.