Epic. He used the word epic.

Not only was it an epic topic drift but, if my memory serves, I changed sex halfway through it.

Picky, I was as shocked as you were to discover you were actually a woman.

----Picky,

Aah! Those were the days.

We really did give the term 'continental drift' a whole new meaning, didn't we?

Picky, I don't recall you going for the entire radical sex-change around the halfway juncture of that "London beckons" marathon post last year.

Perhaps you were merely getting more in tune w/ your feminine side, as the discussion 'dragged' on? (Pun intended. HA!)

Hmm.... but then again, there was that curious little hiatus you took last year. Hopefully it wasn't to Denmark, or Thailand.......... if you get my suggestive drift.

I realize we regulars on this site have sacrificed a lot ---- loss of dignity, scruples, brain cells, and such. But giving up the 'family jewels' would be the unkindest cut of all, I'm afeared. But as they say, different strokes, for different folks, old lad.

But to be serious here, I hope this new shift in formats doesn't make too many waves, or cause too much added grief for us loyal bloggers. Since they'll only be revealing the first bits of each post, maybe there will be no need for folks to click on "Read on" w/ my offerings, since they can often ramble on ad nausea. Just a thought.

Picky, hope you have a super week as we approach the new month, w/ an extra day (Feb. 29th) for the leap-year allowance, no less.
My mum's 87th birthday falls on Feb. 28th, so she could very easily have been a rare leap-year child; which technically would have made here 22 years of age. She looks awfully youthful for her chronological age..... but not THAT young. But I digress.

Ta! Ta!

ALEX

P.S.: ---Picky, just discovered a very talented young Brit pop chanteuse who goes by the performance moniker of Rumer. She has a tremendously sultry, bluesy voice, not unlike your other great British singing upstart, Adele. Her engaging vocals remind me a lot of the early Dusty Springfield, and our Roberta Flack. Very special talent, indeed. (Don't know if you are into current music fare, or just hark back to the tunes of your youth?)

Rest assured, Laura Lee, we were both shocked, although Alex took it in his stride.

Alex, I'm afraid Rumer rings no bell, but then neither does Adele. You might as well leave me for dead, I fear. As to the changes to the blog, I'm surprised the Sun hasn't done ths before, but it will make things all the more difficult, all the same. Hey ho.

Your mum has done well. My father lasted until over 100, so hopefully she's plenty of time.

Does this mean that feed readers will only get the first part of your posts, and will have to click through to read the whole thing?

If so, for the sake of free-loaders like me, could you please either say nothing interesting in the second half of any month, or add a marker to the first paragraph advising that this particular post is worth using up one of our free views to read?

If I have misinterpreted, please continue to be interesting at all times!

"Page views" in the Empire of the Paywalled Sun have been especially punishing to me as a blog follower. An individual blog entry opens as a new "page view." Then, if I click to see comments for that entry, it counts as another "page view."
Will this be fixed in the next go-round? Is a better day coming? Hope so.

I'm damn sure I ddn't comment anonymously, but, lo!, I am Anonymous.

It's okay, Picky--your succinct prose style identified you.