So, This Is It. Now Let's Go Get A Snack!

My wife tells me that I'm a bit sappy. You'd be hard pressed to see it if you weren't her, but she has me pegged. Today is one of the more emotional, non-wedding/funeral/birthday days of my life. In this year in which more wonderful and natural-feeling changes have taken place since puberty, two more changes take place today.

I'm leaving Waggle Room and I'm moving into a brief blogging purgatory - bloggatory? - before joining the great team with NBCSports.com.

It really is one of the happiest days of my life. A dream is being realized, one I've fought for so long and is coming true. Nothing really will change about how I approach writing, but how I approach getting to write will be. It'll be my full-time job, my responsibility, and my career. Still sounds pretty staggering.

I want to let you know that I swear not to disappoint. Having all my energies dedicated to this will - hopefully - only make me better. We're going to have some cool things up our sleeves at the new blog that I think you'll enjoy. The podcast will come back. Maybe a morning video blog. Weekly chats. There will be more ways to interact than ever, and I hope you'll take the time to join in on them. Again, it's a personal invitation from me.

At the same time, though, this is a bittersweet occasion. I've achieved one of my biggest goals, but it comes at the expense of the place that helped make them a possibility. Waggle Room is in great hands, and I'm sure we'll see each other again, but things will be different. More eyeballs means less chances for me to read the thoughts you all share here that are one of the more entertaining parts of being here. The diatribes about politics and fairness, lengthy debates in the Queen's English that I sometimes simply cannot follow, and TXQ's supreme ability to make me audibly groan at a pun - these I will miss.

So, bottom line is this: please, stay in touch. I'll be off of the radar for a couple of weeks until things get started with the new site. Don't hesitate to find me on Facebook, or e-mail me, or whatever. I'm changing neighborhoods, but don't be a stranger. As I was recently reminded, good neighbors are hard to find.

And to complete the segue/ripoff of Mr. Rogers, it's been a pleasure to be your neighbor. Thanks for everything and see you soon.

Love,

Ryan