I'm not one who believes that we're required to explain "absences." We're like players. We come and go. For me, it's for reasons that have nothing to do with the Bucs, with MLB, or any member.

I've been away and will be after this for a while. It could be a while.

I have a loved one who is dealing with a tough hand of cards. At first, we had a lot of hope. As time's moved on, we still have hope, but the odds aren't nearly as much in our favor. When I received that news, I decided that I need to make certain changes because I don't handle things like this well. I'm OK when it's me. I'm not as OK when it's someone I care about.

So, I've gone close to cold turkey from all sports for the past three weeks or so. I glanced at the standings and see that the Bucs have been doing well. I read that Mr. Skenes has been impressive as all get out. I saw this morning that the Bucs are over .500. All are nice to see.

I've decided that it's best for me to take better care of myself, so I've been concentrating on physical fitness to help me unwind for what we think will be a long, tough journey for our family. So, I've gone back to swimming and hiking for a release.

I hope to return to the board when I'm more up to it. Wish I could say when that will be. When I do, I surely hope that I'll have good news to share.

Best of regards to all,

GW