Elaborate exculpation or lame excuses... you be the judge

I really apologize for the lack of posting and for my woeful performance in responding to your comments lately.  Here are some reasons (pick any that sound plausible):

a) Family Time 1: I've been spending time with my parents that would normally be spent online.

b) Family time 2: The big kids off from school for Hanukkah all last week. 'Nuff said.

c) Poor equipment: I lent Gilad's clunky desktop computer to my parents for their apartment... so he hijacked my beloved wide-screen Mac G4 Powerbook, leaving me with a borrowed IBM Thinkpad that is perfectly suited (IMHO) to serve as a doorstop.

d) Professional obligations: Preparations for an imminent business trip abroad have found me in the 5th or 6th level of Powerpoint and Excel hell during my 'free time' when I would normally be responding to your thoughtful comments, writing new posts or taking pictures for Photo Friday.

e) Looking back:  Late December is when I started treppenwitz 3 years ago.  This time of year always gets me nostalgic for my early days of blogging/journaling.  Don't get me wrong... I love that the Blogoshpere has blossomed the way it has.  But I miss the 'golden age' of blogging  when there weren't quite so many of us doing this.  Nostalgia has its place in the creative process... but looking in the rear-view mirror can sometimes impede forward progress.

f) Fitting in:  It may sound strange as an excuse, but looking back at my first couple of years keeping up treppenwitz I see that I was much more attuned to cultural peculiarities and 'new immigrant moments'.  I guess it's a good sign that I don't notice this stuff much any more... but it certainly removes a whole genre of potential post topics.

Happy Sunday all... and thanks for another great year.