Catch up on Hawks, talk among yourselves

I will be off from Dec. 31 until Jan. 20 when I re-join the Hawks in Portland for a four-game west coast road trip. I will miss eight games, four home and four road contests.

I share this information to let you know that, despite my absence, Hawks coverage will continue in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and on ajc.com. Former colleague Matt Winklejohn, who helped on the beat last season, will cover home games and practices. Matt is a pro. You can also expect coverage from the road games.

During my time away, I will completely shut down from e-mail and Twitter. There may be some company generated tweets from my account but I assure you they will not be from me. I will be catching my breath, hitting a golf ball, maybe sticking my feet in some warm sand and finally getting to that leaky kitchen faucet.

Thanks for your understanding.