It was love at first frostbite

Happy chill Friday! 

The calendar may say mid-January, but we all know the Florida Manatee Festival kicks off the year in Citrus County.

It should surprise no one that my favorite Manatee Fest memories involve Deb. Particularly, our first one together.

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Here’s one thing about Manatee Festival weather: It’s often very warm or very cold. Rarely in between. (Today’s photo is clearly the former.)

This weekend, we may get a little of both. Perfect for all weather tastes.

That was not the case for Manatee Festival 2010.

It was cold that month. C-c-c-c-cold. I have a photo somewhere of my then-cat, Friendly, curiously staring at a stream of ice from the outside faucet.

Let me back up a bit.

Deb and I started “dating” on July 13, 2009. A week after my third sober anniversary. Life was bliss.

Deb attempted to keep our relationship somewhat secret that first year. I think she wanted to make sure she’d still have me around after 12 months. (Perfectly understandable.)

See, Deb was the Chronicle’s HR director. A rule follower. Appearances mattered to her. I, on the other hand, couldn’t care less what others think, but I followed her lead on this.

Still, she snuck me little goodies — snacks at my desk, or making sure I got the corner piece of cake at company celebrations. 

Nothing, though, beat that first Manatee Fest.

Deb organized all the employee volunteer activities, including Manatee Fest duty. I, of course, signed up to work the entry gate at Citrus Avenue/U.S. 19 with her.

It’s Manatee Fest morning. If memory is accurate (my disclaimer), temps around freezing. About five or six of us Chronicle guys, all shivering in the cold, hand-stamping hearty festival visitors.

Out of nowhere, Deb walks up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. For me. And me only.

The other guys stared my way. I could hear them mumbling with chattering lips, “What’s up with that? Why is Deb being nice to Mike Wright?”

And that’s when I knew she loved me.

Later on, after our volunteer shift ended, Deb and I wandered over to some entertainment where we sat out of the Chronicle photographer’s line of sight. As if he cared.

We joked for many years about that day’s memory. I’m smiling through tears right now.

The two-day Manatee Festival is a Citrus County staple. Don’t let the icicles keep you away.

— Also, a reminder for the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Liberty Park in Inverness. Don’t know about you, but I could use some community fellowship right now. Count me in.

Have a spectacular weekend, friends.

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