It's time for a cool change . . .

It's time for a cool change. Remember this song by the Little River Band? I was thinking about it the other day. Turn it up, listen to it. :)

I started the Grapevine years ago because I wanted to try out blogging. As fate would have it, it took off right away, I had no plan, no expectations, and my daily columns ended up being the daily news. Everything that happens in Coconut Grove is in here, before, during and after. It's all here. The stories appear in The Miami Herald and all over the world really, we are mentioned and copied on blogs, newspapers and all sorts of places.

But I have had enough, I need a break. My real love is cartooning. I like being alone, drawing my funny pictures and jokes and as much as I seem like I am a social animal, I like solitude. I attend all the events around here and participate in committees because it's a job at this point and I need to be there.

I would like to sell or hand over or make some sort of deal with someone or some group to take over the Grapevine. I would like to be out by summer. I have been thinking of this for a long time and I have been telling people this in person for quite awhile.

I want to live part of the year up north. I want to be a spectator and not in the middle of everything. I want to attend events without a camera and pen and pad. I want to be a "real guest" not a reporter all the time.

My goal is to be in the newspapers as a syndicated cartoonist by mid year. If this is not to be, I will publish my cartoons online daily, like I do the Grapevine. I already have one newspaper who agreed to publish me daily, too, so that will be the case if a major syndicate does not give me a contract, but of course, I am hoping for the contract.

Anyone interested in making some sort of deal with me, please get in touch. I don't want to just make this go dark and I think Coconut Grove deserves a daily newspaper, even though there are people out there who don't think this is journalism or work. It is work, a lot of work, so a dedicated party needs to be serious about taking it over.

I know it may sound selfish, but let me breathe the air . . . .