Start of a letter: "I hope you are fine."

[Tom]

Hi

I am terribly fed- up with writing the same run-down-the-mill sentences at the start of an informal letter,i.e. How are you?, I hope you are fine etc.

Could you please give me a few 'innovative' sentences to start an informal letter with? Something short and interesting please!

Tom

[Yankee]

.
Sup', dude?
Translation: "What's up/What's new, (male person)?" --> very informal

A few other informal greetings (US):

Howdy.
Hey.

How's it going?
What's shaking?
What's happening?
Howyadoin? (How are you doing?)

So, now that we have assorted greeting alternatives out of the way, I'd like you to look at these Google results.
http://www.google.de/search?q=run-down-the-mill+definition&btnG=Suche&meta=

Then look at this:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/run-of-the-mill

Amy

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

Just a point about something you wrote:

[Yankee]

[Conchita]

Hey wassa matta you face?
Heya/hi ya!!
Heyall!
Heyo!
Hi-diddly-ho! (this one's funny)

(I'm not sure I'd ever use any of these myself, though!)

[Tom]

Many, many thanks to all of you!