In order for there to be some kind of progression to the story, I knew Jimmy's checkered past would have to come back into play. But I was having trouble succinctly interjecting a scenario that wasn't basically a simple misunderstanding that would have felt at home on an episode of Three's Company.

That's why I upped the stakes emotionally by revealing Jimmy and Charlie to have been briefly engaged. I didn't want to make it easy for him to explain it away.

It's no so much the betrayal of this one kiss. It boils down to the difference between saying you're cool with your loved one's past indiscretions and being confronted with it face to face. It's going to be too much for Charlie to handle and you're going to see that in the upcoming strips.

I don't want to get too much more into it. I want the story to reveal itself in it's own time. But I think you guys are going to be pleased not only with how this situation is resolved, but how it continues to play into past events within the Theater Hopper universe.

Switching gears... I wanted to announce that I am at home this morning. Don't worry, I'm not sick. I'm taking the day off! But it's not a day off in the traditional sense.

No. Today is still a work day!

I presume you guys remember my hard drive crash last fall and how I staged a donation drive to help aid in the data recovery? As part of that donation drive, I promised to those that donated original art of various sizes and complexity. Some of those people have received their art, but the majority have not. Between my job, Henry, night school, the holidays and everything else... it was all too overwhelming.

I was feeling pretty bad about myself for making people wait this long when they were so quick to help me in my time of need. So I decided to commit to taking a major chunk out of my artistic responsibility "to do" list and am taking a day off work to get things done!

I'm not saying I'll be able to get all the artwork done that I need to. But I should be able to get a sizable chunk out of the door. This will help not only to take some of the burden off my back, but help me more easily communicate with those of you still waiting for your commissioned pieces.

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay. I will do right by you and your generosity. You WILL get what you paid for.

That's it for me today. Time to belly-up to the artist table and get to work!

With thanks...