By which I don’t mean heroin, thankfully. No, 2019 has begun and this past weekend was our first convention of the year at the Long Beach Comic Expo. I think I’ve mentioned before that last year was kind of rough for us, but I’m not sure I admitted that our final convention of 2018 was the first time I can remember my mindset going in felt like, “Let’s just get this over with.” I felt exhausted. We made it through, and there were bright spots, but all in all I worried the spark had finally gone out, maybe for good. I figure all creators go through cycles like this sooner or later, and if we don’t appear to it’s just because we’re better at hiding it. It wasn’t the first time, but that particular time was at the end of a long slump and both Dawn and I were feeling it simultaneously, whereas at other times we’d have the luxury of leaning on each other. Okay, anyhow, enough of that! The good news. We got through that show, chugged ourselves along through the end of that year and the beginning of this one, and I’m finally looking forwards to the rest of 2019. It’s not that the Expo went super amazingly well, but it was at least a reminder of all the positive things and, perhaps more importantly, felt like it. People smiled and I smiled back, and sometimes they bought things but if they didn’t they were at least having a good time and I was having a good time. It’s always a hesitation for me to admit to any bad times because I figure you folks come around here for escape from your own troubles. Also I don’t want to seem like some gratification junkie that needs constant kind words… I feel like we do get plenty of those — in fact I think another hesitation creators have in admitting any sad times is being anxious your fans will feel like their expressed support is so much chopped liver. Nothing could be further from the truth, so I hope none of you who have supported us these past several months will believe that. It does matter, even if sometimes it’s not so much instant succor as just keeping us afloat until we swim. 2019 is our tenth anniversary of the Ranch, so… I’m glad to feel like swimming again.