Vacation means vacation dammit.

I spent half an hour last evening chasing the Tan Man as the sun sank low over the horizon. I accused him of having a shadow taller than me and I resolved to yank it off his feet, a la Peter Pan. This is one of the reasons you’ve had so little to mine in Lincolndemocrat for the past couple days. I’m on vacation and unlike so many other vacations when I lugged some darned campaign errands with me this time I’ve done my level best to be a family man first. (All I can remember of a family trip to New York in 1992 is how eager I was to get back and collect 2000 signatures on a petition to allow me the privilege of having my arse whipped by Jim Oberstar.

We’ve had two lovely jaunts to Ottertail County metropolises. Tuesday we stopped at Pelican Rapids to see the world’s tallest free standing sculpture of a Pelican and Wednesday we took the Tan Man to race turtles in Perham. Our turtle didn’t have much pick up and go. We took the train ride through town and bought a pair of sock monkeys at the Red Barn where we ate delicious pork chops on a stick. The monkeys are named James and Percy after two of our grandson’s favorite steam engines from the Thomas the tank engine series.

We also traveled the scenic route to Inspiration Point which to my surprise is the second highest point in Minnesota just behind a hill on the North Shore. Its built on debris pushed up by the last glaciers before they skedaddled ten thousand years ago. This countryside is as thick with lakes as any region in Minnesota and between each lake lie a half dozen marshes and ponds.

But after turning my back on politics and the blog I finally had to find time to draft a fundraising letter. I stayed up late Wednesday and worked on it from 10 pm to 2:30 in the morning. I’m afraid I woke the baby, the Tan Man’s little brother, and that meant his Mama had to attend to him. We’re in tight quarters and the wee one slept in the living/dining/kitchen room. It was the only time I could find a long stretch to work uninterrupted without missing out on the good stuff during the day.

I also answered a come on for a more professional campaign website. I might try to put one in place for the last three weeks of the campaign as my other sites have been panned. (Rightfully I might add)

About the author