I apologize for being absent the last several days.  I've had some kind of stomach flu (or other GI affliction) and have spent the last four days in absolute misery.  The bathroom and I have become close friends due to the excessive time we've spent together lately.  I woke up very early New Year's Eve with a terribly upset stomach — and it went downhill from there.

For those of you who know me well enough, consider this — I've not had my morning Starbucks since Thursday.  If you don't know me well enough to understand that reference, I never miss going to Starbuck's to get my morning coffee — unless the world is ending, every Starbuck's in the DFW metroplex is closed, or I'm too sick to drive one block to our neighborhood coffee shop.

I'm still not over it but am feeling a wee bit better (the operative term being "wee bit").  I'm hoping I'll have some kind of appetite today and will be able to hold down some food, something I've not been able to do since I woke up Friday.