 It’s attitude adjustment time.
And that begins with music. Thanks to the magic of Pandora I gather playlists for every calendar year. I’ve already begun the 2024 list but with a specific title: Just Wright Citrus soundtrack.  My 2023 brain is just about zapped. Some odds and ends on the final Thursday of this year:
— There was no Citrus County “story of the year” in 2023. However, if there is a “buzz of the year,” it would definitely be growth and zoning. Zoning battlegrounds have existed since Adam and Eve tried to make Eden snake-friendly. Anytime a landowner wants to do something that runs counter to the neighbors’ way of thinking, conflict arises.  Here’s a question: Did you ever start a project thinking this is a really good idea, only to get halfway through and realize, no, this isn’t a really good idea, but it’s too late to stop?
Welcome to my Tuesday. I had such a simple premise for today’s blog: List some of the most-read blogs of 2023 and discuss their significance.  Ready to roll after four days off.
And the big news is…well, there isn’t any. It’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the unofficial news dead zone. Other than cop-type news — traffic wrecks, arrests, and that sort of thing — news rarely happens this week.  The company president (me) invited the company president’s wife (Deb) to the Just Wright Citrus LLC annual meeting this week at Oscar Penn’s in Inverness.
Last year’s inaugural annual meeting was delightful. We celebrated a full year in business, quite the accomplishment for an old newshound who had always worked for someone else. This week we covered a wide range of delicacies, um, I mean agenda topics.  Many principles drive the sober life, but chief among them is that we have only today.
I hear it all the time: “Yesterday’s history, and tomorrow’s a mystery.” Another: “Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” We speak in a 24-hour language.  It’s Christmas week and we know what that means — photo blog!
(Um…what? Don’t worry, just go with it.) You know my basic rules for photo subjects: Stationary and immovable. Something without expression, like a street or building. I also enjoy scenic photos and we have plenty of opportunities for that in Citrus County.  My earliest recollection of Deb Kamlot is during a Chronicle staff meeting.
It was one of those early morning come-to-Jesus gatherings that Publisher Gerry Mulligan was well-known for in the building. Gerry was soliciting ideas. Deb, Human Resources director at the time, took notes. More than that, her sense of humor eased us all dealing with a grumpy boss.  The idea was simple enough.
It was Deb’s suggestion that Just Wright Citrus have a Christmas card with one of my selfies on the cover. I immediately loved it, and went about looking for that perfect shot. A few weeks ago, I was wandering around the Inverness tree lighting festivities at the Depot District when I came across what you see with today’s blog.  Warning: Today’s blog contains explicit government language. Reader discretion is advised.
Wednesday was one of those days when my focus changed halfway through the afternoon. Fortunately, I was able to save the concept. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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