I have to make it brief because today is my pesto run day. [See below for explanation.]

For a few months, I have hinted from time-to-time about some changes that we're making at PCC related to this blog. Even though we expected to be done in June, we're only now broaching the unveiling of our new pediatric resource. What the heck am I talking about?

For years, pcc.com has been a challenge because we have mixed our business information with our "community" resources in a way that makes it difficult for folks who don't know us well to understand what we do and how we keep our meager company in business. Some of those resources - especially PedTalk - have made it very difficult to work on our WWW site (PedTalk has GIGAbytes of archives to maintain and attracts tens of thousands of people a month).

We realized that, for the better of both our business AND the pediatric community, we needed to split the two. Have pcc.com focus on our core business (pediatric software, consulting) and create a new site - with new and different tools - to create the best on-line pediatric community in the world. Like Winston says at the end of the first Ghostbusters, "We had the tools, we had the talent!"

More concretely, the plan is: move PedTalk, the various PCC resources (pediatric benchmarks, form letters, white papers, etc.), and this blog over to a new site and allow the community to contribute. Take advantage of the many new community building resources available that were not around when we started PedTalk. And see what happens.

Like I said, the door isn't open yet...but I'm allowing blog readers a SNEAK PEAK. That's right. If you want to see where we're headed in a week or two, check out PedSource! You can't sign up yet - in fact, please don't. And you'll see lots of little things that we're cleaning up - we're not open yet for a reason. And most of the goodies require you to log in, but you can't yet. But you'll be able to get a good sense of where this blog will be in a few weeks (don't worry, I'll make sure to minimize any changes you have to make). Yes, it's going to remain free - PCC is stupid that way. Check it out, get ready, and sometime in September, expect a big change!

What's pesto run day? My family belongs to a local community farm that raises, among other things, a lot of basil. Every year, I make a few giant pesto batches and freeze them. Frozen pesto is about 95% as good as super-fresh. At least it seems that way when it's -20F in January. Today, I figured I'd whip together lunch for the rest of PCC while doing so - in theory, all I have to do is cook some pasta and slap it on. Oh, here's my advice: most pestos call for pine nuts. They're good, but they're also $20+/#, often. My Vermont/Irish cheapskate kicks in and I have discovered that much-less-expensive CASHEWS not only work well, but are more interesting. You don't end up with a overpowering-cashew taste at all, just a sweetness like the pine nuts.

Now, exactly how many blogs do you know combine such high level pediatric practice management advice with cooking tips? Tell your friends!

Off to the farm. I'll have to fight mosquitoes, but it will be worth it.