Well, I’m back. I wasn’t really planning on taking almost two weeks off from blogging, but being off from work means less use of the computer – and that turned out to be a good thing. Aside from checking email and news, I used the computer very little and blogging suffered. Such is life.

Happy New Year. 2007 ought to be really interesting, to say the least. I mentioned in a previous post that 2006 was a pretty transformative year for me. Well, 2007 is shaping up to be more dramatic. I actually have what I consider to be a good idea for a book (non-fiction). I’m not sure it’ll get fully written this year, but the idea is there, it’s solid, and I’m trying to figure out how to pursue it, especially since I already have a full-time job that cannot get in the way. I’m not sure it will see the light of day, but my sense is that I’ll get the ball rolling.

I’m even considering self-publishing (similar to my friend Brian Coleman, who turned his self-published book into a larger book deal). I get the sense that book publishing will soon move the way of music in the new media world: stay in control of your own destiny and property as much as possible. Look, I’m not heading towards becoming a full-time writer or anything. I don’t have an agent and I’m not out looking for book deals. That could be career suicide! I’m still a pretty nasty capitalist when it comes to things like work and income and I doubt that will change anytime soon. It’s no secret that writing for a living is rarely a financially rewarding path. But writing is an exercise that helps me and the book thing is something I’ve wanted to do since sixth grade, when I wrote a painfully embarrassing ripoff of “The A-Team,” complete with red and black van. This particular idea doesn’t have any timing requirements, either, so I very well might write only one chapter this year. But one way or another, progress will be made. it might come at the expense of blogging, too, but it’s going to happen. If I cut blogging time by 50% (30-60 minutes a night), that’s a start. I’ll post more info here as things progress….if they progress.

Of course, the concept of “having time” will undergo a true revolution this year as my wife is pregnant and expecting in June. Now you’re probably saying “well, there’s goes ANY time Jeff might have for a book.” Maybe you’re right. Maybe. But like I said, I’m in no hurry at all.

So this is the year. I had this rattling around in my head for most of the latter half of 2006 and that’s that. A post my friend Leo wrote recently made me feel a little better about it. For so long, I’ve been afraid. Afraid a book won’t come out good. Afraid I don’t have the talent to accomplish it. Afraid nobody will want to release it. Afraid nobody will READ it! Afraid of the commitment. Afraid of people not liking it. Whatever. It’s time to put fear to bed. I want to do this for myself. One way or another, I’m taking more control of my own destiny and preparing for major changes.

Oh, and by the way, that pregnancy thing? It’s twins! Of course, more on this later.