As I age, I realize it has become harder for me to bounce back from … well, just about anything.  
Celebrating Christmas, New Year’s and my wife’s birthday in a span of less than 20 days has just about worn me out. Family and guests visiting our house and the preparation that comes both before and in between visits has caught up with me.
Not to mention that I deal with S.A.D. — Seasonal Affective Disorder. Yeah, sounds pretty bad, but it really means I hate the cold, dark, short days of winter and can’t wait for warm sunshine and summer nights to reappear. Give me a big dose of the movie “Grease” and I should be OK for a while.
Must be why I still have my Christmas tree up with all 29 strands of lights. Yep, this year we went over the top with the size of our tree since family and friends would be visiting throughout the holiday and birthday seasons. Of course, it would have been a tad easier with a smaller tree, but we would have missed out on all the fun of watching it fall over three times. I finally got smart and tied it up with some nylon line I found in an old Weed eater I had in the garage. I knew if I kept that thing long enough, it would come in handy.
Now all you fire-safety people out there don’t worry about my tree catching a spark and lighting up the whole place. Yes, it’s real and as brittle as fine china, but I, too, worried about the thing going “poof,” so I moved it outside onto my deck in the backyard.
OK, it’s a wooden deck, so maybe I didn’t think this through long enough. Oh well, it is raining so maybe that will bring the tree back to life.
That’s what I need — to be brought back to life. Seriously, these next couple months are excruciating for me. Thank God for football playoffs, Valentine’s Day and shamrocks.
By the way, did you know that St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Montserrat?  The Caribbean Island has both rich Irish and African heritage. I’m thinking road trip.  
OK, I need to think that through too since we will need a plane or ship to get there.  But I still like the idea of going somewhere warm. The average annual temperature in Montserrat is 81 degrees. I think I just heard Kathy Lee Gifford singing my song.
Let’s go back a second to Valentine’s Day. My mom loves V-Day. I think for her it’s remembering all the fun cards we used to get as kids. I can remember making a special mailbox in art class that I would set on my desk and then hope for Valentine’s cards from all my friends. It really didn’t matter who I received a card from as long as I got one from Susie Steigerwalt; she was the only reason that fourth grade made any sense to me.
This year, Valentine’s Day is on Saturday, and it just so happens that the Rotary Club of Richmond Hill is planning a special night out for all you love birds. The tribute band ABBA Girlz will perform that night at the City Center, and a special “Mamma Mia” menu will be served. Sounds like fun, and you even get to dress up. Tickets can be bought online at www.rotaryofrichmondhill.org.
This may be just what we need to beat the winter blues. Who’s with me?

Call DeLong at 912-531-7867 or go to www.thesuitesatstationexchange.com.