Longing for my old Model 100

All is well from Stress Central.

That’s how I think of these Tallahassee visits. Been coming up here for three decades and am still overwhelmed by the intensity of this town during Session.

Because I know where NOTHING is, I have but one goal: Wherever I’m headed, get there early. I’ve attended these Citrus County Legislative Days meetings with state higher-ups when someone from our group shows up late and I tell ya…I don’t want to be that late person.

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It’s bad enough that I feel like a hanger-on anyway. What, exactly, is the Just Wright Citrus role in Legislative Days? Stay out of the way, that’s what. Folks from Citrus County are here for two days of intensive lobbying. They don’t need me muddying the waters.

I mentioned on Wednesday there’s little actual news taking place during Legislative Days. I glean plenty for future blogs but, as you can tell already from today’s attempt, I stand along the outer edge and observe. These aren’t Cattle Dog chats. Mike isn’t getting a word in edgewise.

So, with that in mind, some takeaways from Tallahassee:

— I’m staying at the Doubletree with a fairly impressive view from my room. The Doubletree is a five-minute walk to the Capitol, which probably justifies its rather healthy nightly room rate. That’s cool, though. It comes with a cookie. (No kidding.)

— Some stuff requires a short drive. I'm taking the JWC Malibu. I know I’ll get yelled out for this, but I’m just not an Uber person. Last year I walked to one of the meetings about 20 minutes away. Just my preference, I guess.

— I’m pretty sure I couldn’t survive in this town for one major reason: Suits. I thank the good Lord I never had a job that required me to dress in a jacket/tie every day. This place is crawling with suits.

I opted for the ever-popular Three Stooges tie for Wednesday’s dinner at the Governor’s Club. The politicians always appreciate it.

— Every Tallahassee trip reminds me of my reporter days at the Chronicle. Covering the Legislature was a hit-and-miss kind of thing. We didn’t send a reporter for the entire session, so someone would come up for a day or three, gather what he/she could, and head home.

Talk about stress. It’s not like today. The Capitol press corps was strong 20 years ago with media representatives from across the state. Little ‘ol Citrus County Chronicle fitting in with that gang was always a challenge.

I usually played the small-town newspaper reporter to my advantage. That “aw shucks” approach worked very well with politicians, but not so much with the other reporters who could spot my motives a mile away.

— Transmitting stories from Tallahassee was always fun, but never so much as when we had the Radio Shack Tandy 100s. These little babies were durable as a Frisbee, but the electronics could fail at any moment.

Sending stories required attaching the phone receiver to a set of couplers, where we’d dial in and send like a fax. Great if there's a phone handy. I’d be on a pay phone in the Capitol lobby, praying that the entire story would send before a gentle breeze disrupted the signal.

One year, frustrated by numerous interruptions, I wandered into the press box on the House side. It was late in the day and all the reporters were gone. I looked at a phone that said, “Miami Herald.” Taking a quick look in all directions, I sat down and attached my Radio Shack to the Herald phone, dialed the Chronicle number and hit send.

I shoulda left a dollar or two on the desk, or even a note. I didn’t. So, Miami Herald, if you’re wondering about that unauthorized call from 1994, it was probably me.

— Dinner at the Governor’s Club is the coolest part of this entire visit. Not only is the food incredible (beef tips, yum), conversation is off the charts. Such an energy, a vibe, that it makes me proud being a Citrus Countian in our state’s capital.

“We’re the bomb!” chamber Chair Stacey Worthington said, and the room roared in agreement.

What a team. Good times, indeed.

Have a great Thursday, friends.

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