For those of you who still check to see if I’m ever going to blog again, I am. After all, it’s been over two weeks since I’ve done anything. It’s also been two weeks since I started teaching again. Working full time really detracts from your blogging time. To be honest, I really should be working on lesson plans. Those of you who know me know I don’t work at 7 PM on Saturdays. Usually I don’t blog either, but I’m flying solo tonight (more on that to come).

Anyway, I wanted to take some time to let you know that I plan on changing things up around here. I really loved doing the Wino thing. It was cool to sit around and spend a summer immersed in wine. I learned more than I ever imagined. Wine has become a part of my life. One that I embrace. As I write, I’m working on my third glass of some cheap, but very refreshing French white table wine. I have a red Bordeaux in the kitchen begging me to cook that porterhouse steak marinating on the counter. All in due time.

When I started this blog, I wanted to become the “wine guy”. Hell, I even renamed myself JohnnyWino. I was The Weezer for 25 years, why change? I had a couple of comments wondering if I had abandoned my former self in favor of a new, updated version. I guess in some ways I had. But I’ll always be Weeze. Right now, I feel I should say something about old dogs and new tricks or leopards and spots. But, contrary to outdated cliches, I really could have changed. Thing is, I’ve decided I don’t want to.

The best part about writing is that you can express yourself without having to deal with outside commentary. Right now, it’s just me and the keyboard. A monitor doesn’t tell you your ideas are shit. I don’t have to screen my thoughts to make sure I’m not offending someone, because there’s no one here. If I don’t like what I type, I can backspace or even delete. I don’t even have to share it with anyone if I don’t want to. I control all the variables. I like control.

Wine writing offered me a release. It may sound strange, but I get the same rush from both activities. Drinking wine allows me to shed any built up tension or frustration. In its own way, writing produces the same effect. Throughout the summer, I was able to combine the two. Because of this, I was one laid-back motherfucker. It was incredible.

Writing JohnnyWino was easy. There’s so much out there. I still have stories I never published because there were better ones out there. I’ll have to admit, some of it was quite boring. I was going for content. I was putting a product out there consistently and making the best of what I found. Quality suffered. Pick two posts and ask yourself, “Which one was more important to JohnnyWino?” and it’s obvious. I felt a pressure to produce.

The new blog should produce better posts. I’m going to write about what I want, when I want to. No pressure, only release. I’ve never written just for me. It’s always been for someone else, usually a teacher of professor who had his/her own biases, preferences, and deadlines. I work well under pressure, but there’s no need for that now. I’ve finally reached a place where this is a luxury rather than a necessity.

So, what’s in store for JohnnyWino? To be honest, I can’t answer that just yet. Right now I’m thinking a heavy dose of fiction, current events commentary, and pop culture. These are things that I know and feel comfortable writing about. I’m even considering doing a political piece. I’d like for this to be a place where everyone can find something that interests them. That would be somewhat narcissistic, because I will be writing about things that have meaning to me. Even so, this is my therapy, so bear with me.

Expect longer, less frequent pieces. I’d like to add substance rather than volume. Wino published plenty of fluff in his early days. Sure, it passed the time, but did it really matter? I’d like to make an impact. Positive or negative, it doesn’t matter. I want comments. I’m sharing with you, please return the favor. Granted, this is my release, but I want your feedback. I need ideas and opinions. Otherwise, I’m just some guy typing. Let’s make this worthwhile.

I’m keeping the name because I just had 250 stickers made. Plus, I have two JohnnyWino t shirts. Most of the good URL’s are taken anyway. It really doesn’t matter. I’m just letting my shit out, and you’re reading it. I think that’s cool.