Will he ever write again?

It's for shame that I have left my blogs untended for so long. This happened the last time that I changed jobs, too. It's difficult to figure out how everything fits together, time-wise, and I have to change a couple of habits to get back in the swing of things. Plus, the guitar playing is starting to sound like something that resembles guitar playing, and it's demanding my attention. Way back, more than 25 years ago, before I had any clue that there was a writer inside waiting to get out, there were dreams of rock stardom. It's far more of a pipe dream now than it ever was back then, but the dream never really went away. I bought my first guitar three years ago, which was more than 20 years too late, and dammit, I'm going to learn how to play! So I've been practicing quite a bit during the evenings, and not attending to my blogs.

But I digress. However small it may be, I do have a fairly dedicated audience, and I will be writing for you again. I'm thinking of writing a holiday gift guide sometime next month, for example. I also hope to write about how the Red Sox are shaping up. There are some big changes in place - an entirely new (if not yet complete) infield, for starters. And, speaking of starters, a new one of them, pitcher Josh Beckett. (I did manage to write about that trade).

There are even rumors that the Rocket will return. Wouldn't that be a pisser, having Clemens finish his career in Red Sox?

I was joking a moment ago about the holiday gift guide coming in January, but I do have a suggestion. For those interested in small-town culture and local baseball from a time gone by, check out Jim Baumer's When Towns Had Teams. Things weren't always better 50 years ago than they are today, but this book brings forth the senses of community, cameraderie, and competition found in Maine's town team baseball leagues a half-century ago. It's a worthwhile read, and a terrific gift for the baseball fan on your list.

So if you want to read baseball, go buy Jim's book. But keep checking in, as the blogs will be back in full swing following the holidays.