I suppose I can do better than that.

My debut on this blog – while extremely clever and witty – fell a little short of spectacular. But hold on to your pantaloons this time because you’re in for an emotional and winding journey on this excursion. (Point of clarification: By pantaloons, I’m referring to your baggy trousers and not your foolish old Venetian merchant.)

Let me start at the beginning, which in this case for this blog means addressing my name. Timing can be vitally important when deciding a blogger’s pseudonym that will reach the eyes of undoubtedly millions across the Internet. Let me just say, the timing was perfect for “Tommy Jayhawk.” Of course, Tommy is timeless and what all my fans call me, but the Jayhawk has reached new heights of late. I received great inspiration from the exploits of my fellow Jayhawks over the past year. And who wouldn’t be overflowing with tremendous pride for their alma mater after witnessing the triumphs of 2008? Fresh in our memories is the amazing run to the national championship in basketball. In January, the KU football team claimed an Orange Bowl championship against all odds. And unbeknownst to many of you I’m sure, my Jayhawks finished the debate season at No. 1 in the nation – above the likes of No. 2 Emory and No. 3 Harvard. I can think of no better pen name than one that celebrates such a fine institution – one that excels both athletically and academically.

Here’s where this “excursion” slows down a bit. Unfortunately, the excitement level in my life pales in comparison to that of the Jayhawks. When the big news of the week is the purchase of a cheap charcoal grill, it becomes a lot easier to focus your attention to national championship talk. But, because I rarely talk to some of you (or perhaps all of you – sorry Mom), here’s a brief synopsis of the life of Tommy Jayhawk and his significantly better half.

Mrs. Jayhawk and I are still crammed in our little apartment and will be there for one more year. We are on a financial plan to buy a house in April 2009. It’s funny how your perspective can change in a relatively short period of time. Living in Ellsworth, housing was still the most expensive purchase you were probably going to make, but it’s fractions of the cost of a house in Kansas City. For awhile after making my move to the City of Fountains, I just couldn’t imagine spending the kind of coin a house in Kansas City was going to cost. However, in the past year, we’ve been watching HGTV, which has several programs that illustrate the cost of housing elsewhere in the U.S. Now, I’m thinking to myself, “Self, I’m so glad we live in Kansas City. It’s so cheap to live here compared to other cities in this country.” Anyway, if any of you are free in April 2009, we could use some help moving.

In other news, we’re both still working at our jobs – marketing for me and publishing for her. I’m still pleased with my career path; Mrs. Jayhawk considerably less so. I still commute to Lawrence, so I too feel the crunch of almost $3.50 a gallon for gas. I play basketball twice a week time permitting. We don’t watch much TV, but our one vice is back on air tonight with a new episode – “Lost.”

Okay, this undoubtedly has gotten way too long and that’s about all I really have to say, so I’ll close for now. Have a pleasant day, Fiddler Kin.