As many of you know, I had surgery on December 19, 2007. The deal was, part of my brains were falling out of my head and into my neck. It pretty much sucked. In any event, the surgery was a complete success, and I’ve been just fine ever since. Well, more or less.

I was in the hospital for about 5 days, then stuck around the house for the next couple of weeks, then I came back to school, where I’ve been since about January 6. I realize that I haven’t posted in quite some time, and while I would like to blame it on the surgery, and recovery, and bad internet at my parents’ house, I really can’t. The single largest reason I haven’t posted is because, quite frankly, I’ve been speechless.

Since late August of last year right up until the surgery, I was in more or less constant agonizing pain, which probably came through in a number of my posts throughout the month of November. If it did, and I was perhaps a bit more cynical than usual, or I said some harsh things about anyone or anything, then, well, I’m not really sorry, but it may or may not have been entirely in my nature.

In any event, since the surgery, I’ve been, incredibly, without pain. It’s renewed my view of the world in so many ways. When I wake up (on any day but Monday. Mondays are still rough), I don’t feel like it takes all my energy just to get up, much less face the day. I can pay attention in class. I can read without having to re-read and re-read and re-read. My thoughts are clearer. I’m quicker and funnier, and I appreciate humor much more.

Life’s just been one big reopening, and I’ve been trying to be a little better at grabbing the horns, instead of letting them toss me every which-a-way like a rag doll toy of a Doberman. I’ll get to posting more, I promise. Probably not every day, but I’m getting back into the swing of a life not lived in pain.

I’ve got a few posts stewing in my head, so you’ll hear more. I just wanted to let everyone know I’m not dead, and I am still lurking in the shadows of the Internet, but I’ll be back in full force, filling your blogs with inane comments that only moderately apply to what’s going on in the post, but you’ve got to laugh because you know, in your heart of hearts, that “Ole sport, he’s a good kid” in the Beaver Cleaver sort of way, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.