In case you’re wondering what happened to me.

I’m peachy-keen, thank you, but I’ve been a little busier than usual with client projects that include designing two logos, letterhead, envelopes, mailers, business cards and another new website. The website project is actually an extremely convenient barter arrangement with our handyman, Gary. I’m designing his website for FREE and he’s painting all the exterior trim on our house today for half price. In blistering 101° heat.

Wednesday is Sam’s birthday. Please click here if you want to send him a Happy Birthday email. Sam is taking some vacation time starting tomorrow and we’re planning a nice drive to Fairfield (about 85 miles south) to have a birthday lunch at a popular barbecue pit called — what else — Sam’s Restaurant. My treat.

I’m sure everybody has heard the news by now that former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been convicted on 17 counts of corruption and fraud ... the same charges the Feds have always used to nail gangsters and mob bosses. This is hugely thrilling for me as a former resident of Illinois, because nearly every high-ranking public official in the state has been — or deserves to be — behind bars with a tattooed cellmate named Bubba. Seriously.

To round out an otherwise stellar post I think I’ll make one final push for everybody to enter our current contest. We’re asking y’all to guess how much money is in Sam’s five-gallon jar of loose change. Click here for all the details. The grand total (and the winner) will be announced on June 30. Good luck, thank you for reading this and can somebody please come over right now to help me kill a fly.