I'd like to extend a heartfelt welcome to... ME.

Unfortunately, there are other tasks which require my time this evening, so I will not be writing about anything with *substance*.

You see, this whole "responsibility" thing is raking me over the coals lately, and I'm a bit tired (and burned, of course).

But, please let me introduce myself. I'm a Minnesotan - now recently expatriated.

Yep, I'm sure that says a lot right there. A Minnesotan. Home of Prince, Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegon, bitter winters and 10,000+ Lakes. It's a beautiful place --- for about five months out the year.

After working for three years at a "Coporate Retail Giant," which I'll allow you to identify by yourself, I uprooted and headed to Chicago to attend graduate school. Now, after two months, it lends a feeling of "so far so good," or in a loose translation: "Thank God someone ripped me from the pathetic inanity of Corporate America and put me to work refining the skills necessary to carry out the noble task of disseminating information freely to the public."

Also, I've recently been engaged. A lovely girl is patiently awaiting my return in Minneapolis, where she teaches 7-year-olds to speak French. She must only wait a year, lucky for us, as the program in which I'm enrolled requires only 12 months of training.

I intend for this journal to be boring, funny, unintelligent, witty, consistently well-written and full of controversy.

Not too good of a start.

But, look for some quality entries starting later this week, and thanks for checking in.

PS --- Say 'hi' to Dickie for me.