First off, thanks to the folks who commented and e-mailed regarding my little crisis of confidence; your support is much appreciated. I was feeling burned out for a variety of reasons, and I felt that I needed to step back from this weblog for a while, look at why I'm doing it, and decide whether or not it can continue in its present form.

I've come to the conclusion that this is something I enjoy doing, but I need to do it on my own terms and in my own style; that may seem self-explanatory, but it isn't. I felt a subtle pressure to post more often than I probably should, and consequently I created entries that I consider substandard, or not totally true to my own interests...that had to change.

In the meantime, due to some unforseen schedule changes at work, it looks like I'm going to be on a semi-hiatus by default. I was tapped to teach a two-week class in Boulder later this month, so my course-development schedule has now become compressed accordingly. Planning for my family trip to Spain in August has to go onto the front-burner also, and our failed attempt to sell our house is going to require some mop-up as well.

So here's the skinny: if I come across something that's unique, wonderful, true to my interests, and if time permits, I will post it here. Otherwise, I'm going to concentrate on family, work, and the outside world.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a yearling buck, who still has velvet on his horns, standing outside my window. I'm going to go have a closer look.