Some people need a cup of coffee or two to wake up in the morning. Me, I just read the morning mail:

“Dear Sir/Madam,

This letter is to notify you to appear before the City of Memphis Alcohol Commission on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. The Commission will meet in the Auditorium of Memphis Police Department (sic) located at 201 Poplar Avenue…”

Well, there’s nothing like a document that seems to be roughly equivalent to a courtroom summons to start off a work week, especially after a long vacation.

Fortunately for me, it turns out that was just the Alcohol Commission’s way of letting me know that the meeting location had changed from its usual spot. As a regular on the commission’s mailing list for agendas, I got the same notice everyone else on their list apparently got.

Which is a real relief. If I had a liquor license, I would at least want to put it to good use before it got revoked.

Anyway, I’ve shaken off the post-vacation blues and I’m now fully engaged. And by that I mean not only am I ready to get back about the business of commenting on news and events in the Mid-South, but I’m also engaged to be married.

It happened on my trip to Washington state last week. And I just want to say thanks to my fiancé Lynn and the 34,000 fans at Safeco Field in Seattle who shared that special moment with us.