Apparently we went on a little hiatus around here without planning to do so. Sorry about that.

But The Man has been kicking my ass recently, so I wound up shutting everything down for a while. There are major decisions to be made, as the situation at work has reached the breaking point. So I have spent the last week, including many sleepless, late-night hours, developing a solid list of options (including the percentage of likelihood for each):

1. Suck it up and continue in my current situation (15 percent)
2. Quit my job, get in my car and drive around the country, come back and get a new job (30 percent)
3. Quit my job and start my own business (18 percent)
4. Hope rumors of a pending Springsteen/E Street Band tour are accurate, quit my job, and follow the band around the country for a few months (28 percent)
5. Win the lottery, quit my job, move to the shore and operate a duck pond on the boardwalk (9 percent)

Outside of developing this list, my five-day weekend was spent hanging with the crazy nephews and riding my bike around the Jersey shore. When you're working through major life drama, might I recommend lots of gritty, reflective Springsteen on the iPod as you wheel away the miles.

But things are looking up a bit. Late last night, I flew to Seattle, where I led a quick media day this morning before heading south on I-5 for Portland. And that's where I am now, visiting one of my dearest friends and her eight-day-old daughter, which is providing another nice break, along with a little perspective.

I hope to return to the regular shtick-filled programming soon.