Here I am, five days of early mornings and late nights as The Evening Sun's interim managing editor and - if nothing else - I'm happy that we, as a team, were able to put out a paper that looked remarkably like the real deal over the course of the week.

Minus, that is, the major train wreck that was Monday's crossword puzzle; my nifty little slice-job on Melissa deCordova's column on Tuesday (sorry, MDC); and several other minor and not-so-minor cosmetic errors that I missed throughout the rest of the week.

Such is life, I suppose, but this is an undertaking I am taking very seriously, so I suppose you can understand my trepidation. Attempting (no matter how futile the effort is) to fill our long-time editor's shoes is a monumental task; a humbling responsibility; and certainly a position I never thought to find myself in.

As for you, our readers, I can only hope (and pray, at times, thanks to the '30 Seconds’ crowd) that your patience equals my determination; hopefully we'll all meet in the middle as time goes on.

My goal, if you’d like to know, is simple. To see this newspaper thrive in a market where many such publications are - sad to say - calling it a day, so to speak. Personally, I sometimes wonder if people realize just how lucky we are to have this paper (not to mention we'd all be out of a job without it, here in the newsroom).

But I digress (I've never used that particular phrase ... it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I thought it would be). This week has been ... interesting ... to say the least. It’s had its ups and downs (and everything in between). It’s meant breathless mornings spent sweating that 10 a.m. deadline, doing everything I possibly can just to get the paper put to bed on time. It’s been surprising in so many ways, extremely rewarding, and – as stated – all of this came as a complete shock nearly three weeks ago when Jeff Genung first dropped the news (no pun intended, Jeff).

The best part, however, is that I’m happy ... besides the fact that our former editor’s absence has created quite the void here on Lackawanna Avenue (and Friday lunch is going to be downright surreal, I have a feeling). And I’m sure many – if not all – of you are kind of feeling the same way. Jeff was a fantastic editor; an even better writer, if that’s possible; and a good friend. He was also a huge part of this community, and those shoes – once you put it all together – are simply going to be hard to fill.

But I promise to give it my best shot.

Regardless, I’m going to have to cut this short, as there’s still a Friday paper to get out there on the streets (and online, for those of you who like to peruse our publication from the comfort of your home or office). Needless to say, your feedback and advice mean a lot here at The Evening Sun, and I’m looking forward to working within this community, keeping this ship afloat and – hopefully – keeping my sanity intact as well. I’m sure things will be rolling more smoothly as time goes on and, again, I ask for your patience. This is a big change for all of us here at the paper, as I’m sure you all understand, and it’s going to take some getting used to.

Until next time, signing off from the Ivory Tower.

Follow me on Twitter ... @evesunbrian.