Way down upon the lazy river

Received a phone call Tuesday morning from a commissioner very excited about an announcement coming this week.

I took the call in my room at the Seafarer Resort in Key Largo. Don’t let the fancy name fool you. Apparently, everything down here with a room key and speck of sand is a “resort.” The Seafarer would be just another $50-a-night bungalow along the Pinellas beaches.

I’ve spent the last two days on vacation, or what counts for vacation these days. It has an entirely different meaning the last three years than the prior 40.

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You see, I used to work for someone. A company. The company decided how much paid vacation I received each year, and I asked permission from a boss when I could take those days off.

I retired from that job and started my own one-person business. Well, guess what? No vacation policy! No sick policy! No time off policy! What kind of crazy setup is that? 

I didn’t notice it at first. Actually, that’s not entirely true. About three months into writing the blog I awoke one day and thought, “My God, I have to write EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.” Or something like that. A panic set in. Loved the business, very much enjoyed where it was headed, but writing is taxing. 

It was a year into Just Wright Citrus when I looked back and realized I hadn’t taken a vacation in 15 months. And now three years into it, my only real time away was a November 2022 weekend in Detroit for my niece’s wedding.

The only way for me to really appreciate Citrus County, the World Headquarters, and all the blog offers is to step away from it every so often.

The Primary offered me that excuse. By the end of the week, I was ready to disappear. Once the big game’s over, I can’t just jump into the next one without a break.

But it’s not that simple. I have obligations to loyal readers and advertising sponsors. I’ve learned my escape need not be as lengthy or detailed as in Chronicle years. For one thing, this blog has become my alter ego, so we’re one in the same. I don’t leave Just Wright Citrus at home when on the road.
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And I search for mini-escapes. All counties to the north that hug the Gulf Coast are perfect. I appreciated your guesses Monday with the photo from another coastal community. It’s Suwannee, straight down Hwy. 349 from Old Town. Roughly the same distance off U.S. 19 as Cedar Key, but, unlike Cedar Key, I wouldn’t necessarily call Suwannee a tourist destination.

Which means I’ll be back again real soon.

Last Thursday, I took a drive to Flagler Beach. You can park right along A1A and walk down to the beach. I strolled the shore as purple clouds gathered nearby, hinting at the threat of a thunderstorm but not enough to spoil my walk. I stopped and stared out into the ocean, emptying my mind of political clutter.

Well, I know me. And I knew this particular primary was going to need more than a break to Flagler, which is like Inverness on the ocean. 

So I planned a little longer venture. I wanted to go somewhere I’ve never been and see things I’ve never seen. I crammed it into two days, and wrote today’s blog early Tuesday morning while relaxing in the Florida Keys. By 8:30 p.m., I was home at the World Headquarters posting it.

I no longer panic about writing every day. I take time off here and there, but not too often. It doesn’t take nearly as much time to recharge the batteries. I love what I’m doing and where I'm doing it, so there’s no reason to escape. 

Some readers jumped right from the Primary into Library Guy and other assorted issues. Me, I needed a break. Sometimes, I just want to dim the switch on the thinker, you know?

We’re not going soft, only resting a bit. Don’t worry. Politicians will be angry at us again before you know it.

Just not today. Have an awesome Wednesday, friends.

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