What a wonderful financial weekend

I'm slowly settling back into my routine after a jam-packed weekend in suburban Chicago with hundreds of other personal finance bloggers.

Not to sound all NASCAR-y, but thanks to all the corporate sponsors who supported the inaugural gathering. Their underwriting helped all us financial types follow our own money advice and be able to afford to participate. Please check them out at the Financial Blogger Conference home page.

Thanks to all the great speakers. We all gave up a weekend to get together, but you guys and gals actually worked while the rest of us got to sit back and absorb your wisdom. We really, really appreciated it.

Very special thanks to PT Money who not only came up with the Financial Blogger Conference idea but actually made it happen. Wait, he didn't just make it happen: He nailed it!

He'll tell you had lots of help (and he did), but we all know that nothing happens without a leader's vision and inspiration and that's what Philip Taylor brought plenty of this weekend and well before. Kudos sir.

Thanks to Flexo of Consumerism Commentary for also doing a ton of work on the Second Annual Plutus Awards. This year the awards, which are designed to celebrate the best in the financial blogging and products worlds, were part of the Financial Blogger Conference.

For the second year, the ol' blog was a finalist and I'm not being coy when I say it truly is an honor just to be considered by my peers and readers as worthy of recognition. I was truly surprised and very honored on Saturday night when Don't Mess With Taxes was announced as the Best Tax Blog. Yes, we got trophies!

Which brings me to my final thanks, to you, the readers. You're why I write the blog and your support by visiting the blog every day, not to mention by voting for me in the Plutus Awards, is truly humbling and gratifying.

So thank you, thank you, thank you.

My pledge to you, heeding the words of the Financial Blogger Conference speakers, is that I will do even better in getting you the tax info, alerts, insight, advice and occasional tax laughs that you want and deserve.

And on that note, it's back to work!