Yup.

The last two months or so in my life have generally been like a new puppy: very exciting and new, but also rather disobedient. While I've had a lot of fun with the puppy, it also managed to chew up my slippers and piss all over the carpet. You know, the carpet of my life.

If I was to continue this hideous metaphor, I could tell you that I have purchased a choke chain for the puppy, and the puppy is learning some discipline. But instead I'll just say that things in my life are getting consistently more awesome and generally back on track. You'll be seeing more of me on the ol' blog, hopefully with fewer dog-based metaphors (no promises).

2008 has been a wonderful, surprising, and productive year filled with good friends, interesting work, and wonderful comedy. Shit, I'm sounding sappy. That must mean it's time to keep riding the stereotypical year-end train and post a round-up of some of my favorite stuff I wrote in 2008:

• Tales of a Home Shopping Employee
• Gallagher? Seriously?
• 23/6 Posts
• The Trouble with Truffles
• Building a Better Bagel
• Meg & Rob sketches, such as this one:

And if you haven't already, check out the fantastic year-end lists from Philly comedians at Comic vs. Audience. Happy 2009, folks.

A new issue of Table Matters, the food/drink/culture magazine I write for, is up. This week: respecting (and making) English muffins, the Cantankerous Cook complains about mac 'n' cheese, living close enough to Wendy's to smell the Baconator at all hours, spending months to learn to make noodles, and more.

Read it here: Table Matters

I keep telling people about this video. Now here it is for the BLOG WORLD.

Chef Cooks 'Dream Omelet' From Recipe That Came To Him In A Dream

TONIGHT at the People's Improv Theater, Rob and I will be performing awesome sketch comedy with The Pippens. 11 p.m., 154 W 29th Street. Get tickets here. IT WILL BE FUN.

1. Who has a better sense of humor: liberals or conservatives?
2. Obama will not answer whether he likes boxers or briefs (with good reason)
3. While the life of novelist Carolyn Chute is by no means typical of people who live in northern New England, reading this profile reminded me a little bit of home
4. A collection of classic disease-warning posters

Also, this story wasn't in the NYT, but Obama won in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, NH. Residents of these two tiny towns have historically voted at midnight and closed polls early. This is the first time they've voted for a democrat since 1968.

But seriously, go vote today. And please, please, make it for Obama.

Also, I have a new 23/6 piece up.

Sorry about that, folks. I'll try to get that fixed soon.

Featuring the grossness of the drinkable bacteria byproduct known as kombucha, a tasting of Zima's demon spawn, the phrase "timz is hard, thighs iz cheap," and much more! Take a look.

1. The Weekend Update guests on this season's third episode of SNL
   
   I'm finally catching up on full Saturday Night Live episodes from this season, and I have to say, almost every sketch on the episode Anna Faris hosted was pretty disappointing. However, the two guests during weekend update, Kristen Wiig as travel writer Judy Grimes and Darrel Hammond as Bill Clinton, were absolutely fantastic:
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. A New York Times blog linked to one of my Table Matters stories
   
   Pretty neat.
   
   
3. Cheese
   
   Seriously though, now that the weather is getting colder, am I the only person who wants to eat warm cheese all of the time? I doubt it.

I've been dropping hints about a big project on this blog, and here it is: Table Matters. We launched yesterday. I'm absolutely thrilled.

From our About page:

Table Matters is an online publication about the intersection of food, drink, and culture from people who dream about lunch during breakfast, dinner during lunch, cocktails during work, dessert during dinner, and breakfast before bedtime. We recognize that food is more than just what we put in our mouths — it's a political statement, a commodity, a status symbol, a declaration of love. It's entertainment, seduction, fantasy. We realize that food is becoming more politicized, more precious, and more divisive than ever. But too many foodies have forgotten that food and drink can (and should) be fun. This is why we get excited when we hear food and drink discussed in news and pop culture. And it's why we celebrate eating an adventurous, gourmet eight-course meal as much as sharing grilled cheese sandwiches with friends.

The site looks a lot more amazing than a screenshot can do justice. Our designer and photographers did a really fantastic job, and we have a lot of wonderful people (and me) writing about everything from terrible Halloween candy to classic cocktails to the awesomeness of fake meat and much, much more. I do hope you'll take a look.