...and a Happy New Year, too!

As you can see by the blurb at the bottom of today's strip, I'll be taking my annual Christmas week off a little late this year. I didn't want to interrupt the story so close to the end, plus I need some time to freshen up this site as well as my studio site for 2007.

This is a cliche because it's true, but if you had told me this time last year that I would have walked out on my day job and gone out on my own - in addition to publishing 3 dead-tree editions of Suburban Tribe* - I would told you that you were half-nuts.

I'm likely jinxing myself by telling you all this, but for quitting a job cold turkey back in April and starting my own company, the last year has been (technically) financially successful; something that many people and a lot of research told me not to expect until I had been at this for 3 to 5 years.

None of this would have been possible without the endless and encouraging support of my wife. (They say that behind every great man is a great woman; My wife is surely wondering where her great man is.) Since I've been working out of my home for the last 8 months, I've taught myself how to cook as a kind of ROI for her support. I can make one mean pizza folks, I ain't shittin' ya. We haven't set foot in Clifton's since June and we don't miss it.

Lots of things are planned for 2007. They're written down on paper and I intend to follow through, but you'll have to find out about them as they happen. I just don't believe in spilling the beans about those kinds of things, because that's a surefire way to make sure that they don't happen. I doubt that it will lead to my own publishing deal or an animated series, but if I'm lucky, maybe they'll point me in that direction.

I remember this time last year, several articles were published and broadcast in the news about what an awful year 2005 was in terms of world events and states-of-the-union(s). Doesn't seem like 2006 was much better, but maybe 2007 will be better for everyone, so here's hoping.

*Issue 3 has been delayed. One week or two by me, and two or three weeks by my printer. But it should be on sale by January 2.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Or as our friends at Fox News prefer it, "Happy Holidays!"

I had a big blog planned for today that reflected back on 2006, but the site fell into a black hole for most of the day on Thursday and I spent all that time trying to get it back online. My friend and ace ASP developer, Darren McGee, stepped in around 5pm and was able to convince my hosting company that the problem was on their end. Things finally came back around 8ish, so you have him to thank for a strip being here today.

This story arc will end next Friday (I'll have my big 2006 blog up by then) and after that I'll be taking a week off to line up a few ducks before plunging into 2007's comics.

In the meantime, I thank all of you for the gift of your readership and I hope you will all enjoy a restful and fun Christmas week.