Greetings Zwinksters! Some of you have been asking where I've been lately, and at least a few of you have openly wondered whether I might have become stranded on that desert island again. But fear not, Metro Legion! I am still here. I've just been holed up in my dorm for the past month or so working on my long-awaited book and spending countless hours in the pharmacy stocking up on cold medicine, worried about how Swine Flu might find its way into Zwinktopia.

I know, I know...it's a bit of a stretch. But in Mr. Metropolitan's world, you can never be too careful. So if that person next to you on the bus starts coughing and sneezing, feel free to glare at the person, disapprovingly, before breaking out that portable can or bottle of disinfectant. Tell 'em to stay home next time.

But enough of the talk about illness and public transportation tips. The old mailbag is overflowing with your questions...so let's break it open and tackle a few of them, shall we?

First up is a nice girl known as stephie204, who writes:

hey! do u love my outfit? i look like the princess of zwinktopia, do i not? hehehe! people have been calling me cheesy. but i love wearing this dress! hehe i feel like a true princess! lolzz. whats ur favorite food? mines mac-and-cheese.

Well, I can't speak for how others feel, but personally I like your outfit a lot. I don't think it's cheesy at all – and trust me, I've seen a lot of cheese in my time. But I see you do like some forms of cheese. I love mac and cheese, too. But as far as my favorite food, many people expect that given my sense of style, I would naturally be a fan – or shall I say, aficionado – of fine cuisine. Not so. The foods that I absolutely can't live without are pasta, pizza and ice cream. Not together, mind you, because that would be gross. And if you're lactose intolerant, just stay far, far away – as something cheesy can turn into something downright painful.

Up next is a Zwinkster known as sugarysweets, who avoided another trip to the dentist and wrote in to say:

um metro, just a suggestion do u think that zwinkys could possibly get anything more besides unlocking more clothes in their wardrobe with their zchievements?

Great question. And since you call me "Metro," would it be okay if I call you "Sweets"? Indeed, this question has come up before, and Mr. Metropolitan is on record as saying it would really be awesome if your Zchievements led to other unlockable awards and privileges. I'm certain that the Zwinky team is in fact currently discussing some options for potential Zchievement-related earnings, so I'd urge you to hang in there. I know it must be frustrating to hear me constantly say things like "Hey, trust me...the team is working on it," only to discover that months later, nothing has changed. But in this case, trust me. The team's working on it. It's just a matter of time before we have something to announce.

Then there's a concerned friend known as cute_lilsophie, who writes in with this question:

my friend has met this guy that she really likes and wants to date, but she put it off for years and then later on found out that the guy she liked was friends with her brother... should she push the feelings aside that are mutual? or should she pursue them?! i don't know what to tell her?!

Hmmm. Overall, if the feelings are mutual, I don't see why your friend couldn't date this guy simply because he's friends with her brother. I mean, if the guy she liked in that way was her brother, I'd say...hey, no, that's not going to work. Or if her brother was in jail, I might say that she should be hesitant. But as a friend, you probably have an instinct as to whether or not this relationship would be good for her. So forget her brother – heck, I always do – and let her know what you think.

Finally, there's our old friend and yours – mer508 – who wrote in to offer the following:

Mr Metro, i read your last mailbag, and i simply love the way you write, really you should write a book lol, please continue writing that very cool articles. Bye!

Well, thank you so much for the compliment. As I've mentioned above, I've been hard at work on a book for many moons now. Unfortunately, I can't reveal any details about the plot. I can say, however, that contrary to what the rumor mill will have you believe... the book has absolutely nothing to do with Miss Thang or Ms. Information, or love triangles of any real or imagined kind. I'm sorry if that disappoints some of you, but I'm sure once it's published that each of you will be immensely entertained by it.

Having said that, I just realized that I'm fresh out of printer paper and hand sanitizer – so I'm off to the mall yet again. Until next time, take care and be safe out there!