Duty calls, but Buddy comes first

If it’s County Commission Tuesday that’s where to find me.

Every other week I’m in my seat in the last row of the Courthouse chambers for another day of local government.

It’s what I do. 

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County Commission days are sacred. That’s the only government meeting I attend with any regularity. The County Commission is Citrus County’s Legislature. That’s how I see it.

For me, that means in person. None of this watching the County Commission online thing.

Listening to it in the car, that’s another story.

Tuesday’s schedule included two morning workshops prior to the regular 1 p.m. meeting. The first workshop started at 9 a.m., and the second workshop at 10.

Attending workshops in person does not carry the same weight as the full board meeting. Workshops are discussion settings. Nothing official ever takes place.

Well, it so happens that I spend many mornings with friends in Spring Hill. I’m rather fond of these friends and that time is quite valuable to me. I set up the entire Just Wright Citrus work schedule to block out that 7-10 a.m. slot unless it can’t be avoided.

I came up with this brilliant idea Tuesday morning that I could LISTEN to the County Commission’s 9 a.m. workshop in my car (that or Bob Seger) on the way home from Spring Hill, watch the 10 a.m. workshop online, and then be there in person for the 1 p.m. meeting.

Perfect.

Enter Buddy.

Buddy and I have an agreement. If he wakes up before I leave for Spring Hill, he gets a morning stroll. If not, he has to wait a few hours. I’m not one to interfere with a pup’s right to snooze. We both know the drill.

Buddy was sleeping peacefully when I left the house around 7. I arrived back three hours later to a wicked thunderstorm. I walked in the house, and there’s Buddy underneath my desk, shaking.

That dog. God knows I love that dog.

I sat on the floor and cozied up to him, just as he has done for me during my difficult moments. We sat there for a few minutes, and I could feel him calming down.

Food always does the trick. I’ve been scrambling eggs for Buddy (I probably shouldn’t, but too bad), so I was able to coax him from under the desk for breakfast.

It’s situations like this when I wonder about Buddy’s life prior to me finding him wandering on U.S. 41. His age is estimated at 7 to 10, so he’s been through years of Florida weather.

Perhaps he was an outdoor dog in a kennel. The image of him cowering during a loud thunderstorm makes me sad.

Yeah, so that was an easy choice. I stayed home with Buddy and watched the County Commission on my laptop — always a risky move because internet service in Inverness ranges between poor and the Flintstones.

Two big stories from Tuesday. One has to do with the airports and is a very big deal that unfortunately is way over my head (ha!). I’ll get to that soon.

The other was our sheriff and his boorish behavior before the County Commission because he didn’t get what he wanted.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a politician who so badly plays the room as Mike Prendergast. Reading from a statement he accused commissioners of trying to “defund police” — an outrageous remark for a man with a $39 million budget. 

(Here’s my Florida Politics story if you’re interested.)

Enough of that. My best friend is sleeping on the floor next to my desk. He is safe and peaceful.

As it should be for us all. Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends.

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