A stuttering (re)start

It never fails. After a vacation, however, brief, restarting work occurs at a stuttering pace. I doubt I'm unusual in that regard.

A client once stated he had a boss who firmly believed that every vacation should last at least three weeks: the first week to forget about work, the second week to enjoy, and the third week to finally relax and recuperate. Or something like that. I can empathize.

I accompanied my youngest brother and his wife to the Universal Studios amusement park in Orlando, Florida. I spent Thursday traveling. Friday and Saturday we went to the park where, as my sister-in-law promised, they walked my legs to nubbins. We returned Sunday.

I enjoyed the trip. My brother and sister-in-law made for good companions. It helped that they're seasoned travelers. We toured everything Harry Potter, rode roller coasters, and get better acquainted with computer graphic magic and 3-D glasses than I ever expected. (The King Kong ride is exceptionally well done.) What did meet our expectations was the overpriced food. Really, $5 for a cup of soda is ridiculous. But, they have a captive audience and capitalize on that.

Every amusement ride exited into a gift shop stocked with cheesy themed tee shirts, mugs, key chains, and more stuff that I did not need and had no desire to buy. This was one trip, rather like spelunking, which I can say that I enjoyed and now never need to repeat.

I do have some other short trips coming up this year, all for book-related events. I'm headed to Lexington, KY on Saturday, March 21. In October, I return to Louisville, KY. This year I'll make my first appearance at MARCON 55 in Columbus, OH. Wish me luck.

Speaking of events, registration for the 2020 Springfield Book Fair is open. The fee is $75 per table, which, yes, is an increase over the past three events. The increase is to pay for enhanced marketing. No, participating authors should not expect television commercials, but maybe we can spring for a radio spot. Fingers are crossed.

Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot going on this week and not much preying on my mind. I'm in that recuperation phase of the vacation, but at an accelerated pace because I don't have a third week to throw away on doing nothing.