Heading for...

Not, you understand, on the board for Selchow & Righter's long-lived "Backgammon Game of India," though the events of the past year have been rather Parcheesi-like in some respects, what with sometimes being blocked in my attempts to land at "Home," plus other leaps forward, steps back, and adventures both bad and good.

All y'all are probably aware that I have a rather specific definition of the word "home," and have sometimes gone through contortions to use other words and phrases to describe my residences: house, place where I'm staying, and so forth. Home is where one is wanted, where one wants to be and feels most comfortable.

So this time, judging from all external indicators and, most of all, that little voice deep inside that tries (not always successfully) to warn me when I'm about to commit a major act of dumbness, I can happily say I'm headed home.

All of my problems are not magically solved by this move. Just some of the most important (mainly involved with such issues as happiness, mental comfort, and the like) will be taken care of by the 1500-mile excursion. Still, I'll have a lot of effort to put out -- yes, work is starting to dribble in, and more seems to be headed my way -- and some sacrifices to make before everything is straightened out properly.

It is, however, a positive move, one I'm looking forward to with more enthusiasm than any I've made in, well, many years.

I hadn't intended to write about this yet, but it appears my computer will likely head out tomorrow via truck to make the journey I will soon be making by air. That's going to drive me temporarily nuts, as I use the little gadget quite a bit, for work and play alike, and wasn't quite ready to yank its cable and stuff it in a stout box.

You may notice I'm not saying where I'm going. No real reason for that, except I'm not there yet. It's a superstition of mine, I guess, to not talk much about things before they happen. When I'm settled in and start posting photos and stories again -- more often than I have of late, I think -- it will be immediately obvious to some where the Secret Operations Center is located. All will be revealed at the proper moment....

Am I going to miss Where I Am Now? Not too much. I knew it was a transitional place and, in time, realized the day would soon arrive when I'd need to be moving on.

Which is what I will be doing in just a few short days.

Home. I like the sound of that.

Too bad it has taken me 60 years to get there, Jim. But better late than never.