I have been mostly absent or a-lurking here for a couple of years.
Since I lost direct access to a newsgroup server with my ISP mostly.

In the last few months I have kissed and made up with some of my
erstwhile bandmates and have been recording new stuff with the same
line-up that existed literally 20+ years ago.  I fin d this utterly
astonishing as I really can't believe that the time has flown so.  All
the music has been flying around in cyberspace and we have yet to all
be in the same room at the same time.  Less than optimal but in a
crazy way it has worked.

A few weeks ago I did a calculation and realised it was one thousand
and one days since my last guitar purchase.

Last week I bought a new USA Telecaster from Coda Music in Luton and I
am cock-a-hoop with it.  It's the most I have loved a new guitar in
many a day.  Coda are a smashing shop and their current Fender prices
are excellent.  I am also (a little bit worringly so) deeply impressed
with the new Fender cases.  The nicest case I have.  There, I said it.

Finally, I have been trying out a bit of slide for the first time
ever.  I haven't gone all Rory Gallagher, it was just something I
wanted to try.  I found this video fantastically useful.  Really
concise, clear and simple:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGp48NJ-oQs