TT: Far from Times Square

On Sunday morning Mrs. T and I flew south from New York City to Florida, where we took up residence on Sanibel Island in a modest, affordable little cottage (there are such things!) that is steps away from the Gulf of Mexico. We came here in January of 2011, loved it so much that we came back the following year, and are now making our third consecutive visit.

For Mrs. T, this is a vacation, pure and simple. We weren't able to take one last summer--life got too complicated, to put it very mildly--and she is much in need of a break. So am I, but it isn't going to be that simple. Not only will I be filing columns and reviewing shows in Fort Myers and Sarasota during our three weeks here, but I plan to write several chapters of Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington as well. On top of all that, I'll be flying up to New York on my own next weekend for a two-night stay, in the course of which I'll see no less than four plays, three on Broadway and one off.

So yes, I'll be working like a man possessed--but at least I'll be doing it in a tranquil and beautiful place where it isn't cold. Longtime readers of this blog have watched me learn by installments how to take vacations. I also learned that even if you can't take a full-fledged vacation, it's almost as therapeutic to go somewhere nice to work. Coming to Sanibel for the first time drove home that lesson, and our annual visit is now an important part of my life.

Since all work and no play is a recipe for frenzy and collapse, you can rest assured that I'll be going well out of my way to eat tasty meals, stroll up and down the beach with Mrs. T, read a few irrelevant books, and knock off at the end of each day to watch the sun set over the ocean. That said, I know perfectly well what I'm here for, as do my editors at Gotham Books and The Wall Street Journal, so don't expect to hear from me as compulsively as usual. If you're somewhere cold, try not to be too jealous. Remember what I'm up to, and wish me luck.

Happy New Year!