Exit 9

Wow, is it gorgeous out. Saturday night was so delightful that Mrs. Fussy and I set off on foot for a casual dinner at a local patio, but we didn’t return until we had walked over eight miles. Walking through neighborhood after neighborhood, we passed many people enjoying the evening outdoors too. Many around fires.

It’s no wonder that year after year blog traffic begins to dip a bit around May. When it’s nice outside, who wants to spend even an extra minute in front of a computer? Fortunately, FLB readers have tended to come back inside to welcome the air conditioning come August.

Generally that means during these late days of spring and early days of summer I try to keep post topics light. But as this summer of 2013 ends, there is going to be a big change here at the FLB, and I didn’t want it to come as a surprise.

Now seems as good a time as any to tell you. Whether this is good news or bad news depends on your point of view.

The Fussies are leaving Albany.

Now, don’t cry. We’ll be back. And while our absence will be for the next academic year, I’m sure the time will fly by for everyone involved. Mrs. Fussy is taking a sabbatical, and our family decided to tag along.

Some people go to great exotic places on their sabbaticals. There was some hope that we might travel to Paris. Palo Alto would have been decidedly less of an adventure, but it too was dismissed after some long and hard consideration. Instead, we’re headed to Jersey.

Come September the FLB will be coming to you live from Princeton.

I fully expect the blog to continue. After all, while it may be anchored in my food experiences around Albany, the thrust of the blog is about improving food in general. There will be new restaurants to explore. Invariably comparisons will be made to similar places up in the Capital Region.

There are major events coming to the area that I’m going to be truly bummed to miss. Whole Foods will be arriving to the region while I’m away. The Supermarket Wars will intensify. And I’m hopeful that in my absence the seeds of a great food, wine, and coffee culture that exist today will continue to blossom and grow.

I’ve got a lot to get done in these next three months before we leave. Not least of which is hoping against hope that I can inspire more people locally to take up their laptops and help spread the word about what’s truly best in the region while I’m gone.

But this isn’t permanent. I promise. We aren’t selling our house. Mrs. Fussy isn’t quitting her job. At the very latest we’ll be back in August of 2014. And hopefully after some time away from the Capital Region, I’ll come back with a fresh set of eyes to comment on the culinary landscape.

Still, it’s a big change. And I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens.