Wanderlust and Drip

By The Refined Wanderer

Some mornings just hit different.

You know the kind — the ones that whisper this is gonna be a good day.

This morning was one of them. I fired up the laptop on the bar, poured a cup of southern sweet tea, and stepped outside with the dogs. The air had that unmistakable crispness that only fall can deliver. The sun was just cresting the horizon, the grass still damp with dew, and a cool snap brushed across my face as I opened the door.

I took a deep breath, let it fill my lungs, and exhaled slowly. Hell yeah, I thought. Let’s do this.

The Ritual of Getting Dressed

There’s something meditative about the morning ritual of getting dressed — especially when the day ahead calls for a little polish. 

A mid-morning meeting at the governor’s office meant one thing: dress to impress.🦚

It’s fall, which to me means corduroy season. I reached for my navy corduroy trousers, buffalo leather horsebit loafers — two timeless pieces that strike the perfect balance between rugged and refined. To sharpen the look, I added a tailored white shirt and a beige Ralph Lauren blazer. The navy tie, knotted in an oriental style, pulled everything together with understated confidence.

But no fit is complete without personality — a peacock feather pocket square for a touch of flair, and two sprays of Baccarat Rouge 540 because sophistication should be as much a scent as it is a style.

Sharp as a tack, I gave myself one last glance in the mirror and smiled. Ready.

The Call from Big Boss Lady

As I drove toward the Capitol, I mentally rehearsed my talking points. Except… I didn’t really have any yet.

The night before, while landing from a leisure trip to Nashville, my phone rang. “Big Boss Lady” — not my boss, but a woman I respect enough to move mountains for — was on the other end.

“J wants to know if you can attend the governor’s drug  meeting tomorrow. He said he sent you an email.”

Translation: J double-booked himself. Happens often with the busiest man I know.

“Yes ma’am,” I told her. “I’ll handle it. Tell him to relax.” 😎

And that was that.

A Morning at the Capitol

I pulled into the back lot thirty minutes early, as always. I decided to take the long way around to the front — to soak in the moment.

The morning light was golden, reflecting off the marble and glass. When it hit my face, I could almost feel the energy of the day charging me up.

Inside, I greeted Mr. Ronald at the door and stepped into the old elevator — wood-paneled, full of character, the kind of craftsmanship you just don’t see anymore. When the doors opened on the fourth floor, there she was: Mrs. Ann, the gatekeeper of the governor’s suite.

“Good morning, Mrs. Ann,” I said. “Any of that famous raspberry sweet tea today?”

She looked up and smiled. “I just put some out”

You see what I mean? It was gonna be a good day.

Flashback: The Gulf Coast, 2005

Taking my seat in the meeting room, my mind drifted — unexpectedly — back to 2005.

That year, I was on my second Navy deployment to the Middle East. We were wrapping up operations when I saw something on TV that made my stomach drop: pieces of a bridge from my hometown were missing. Hurricane. Total destruction.

It took a while, but I eventually got word that my family was safe. A couple weeks later, we were back stateside — but instead of heading home, we were sent to the Gulf Coast for search and recovery operations.

It was brutal. Hot. Humid. Endless hours under night vision goggles, scanning debris and looking for survivors. But in those moments, the bond between us grew stronger than steel.

When it was over, the Navy rewarded us with a pit stop at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Picture a group of young men, exhausted and wired from deployment, finally set loose. The only instruction from Senior Chief Steve: “Stay with your buddy.”

Naturally, we didn’t.

The Lesson in the Loafers

Long story short, I ended up dragging a very drunk Nasty back to base after what can only be described as a one-man vodka Red Bull marathon. Somewhere between frustration and fatigue, he decided to give me a wet willy — and that was it. The line had been crossed.

In a moment of red haze and regret, I turned and dropped him with a clean right hook… right in front of the officer of the deck.

The second my fist connected, I knew I’d made a mistake. I’d just drawn every bit of attention to Nasty — the one man on base currently without his assigned buddy. As “Doc” was called to check on him, I slipped away, already running through scenarios in my head. We were seconds away from disaster — and I needed a distraction.

So, I improvised.

A few minutes later, I strolled into the mess deck wearing nothing but my loafers. The midnight meal crowd — half-asleep sailors digging into their “mid-rats” — froze. I made myself a plate, took a seat, crossed my legs like I was at a dinner party, and casually asked the sailor across from me, “Can you pass the ketchup?”

The room erupted.

But while chaos unfolded around me, Anton — the one who’d wandered off earlier — made it back to his rack undetected. The mission, as absurd as it was, had been a success.

The next morning, Senior Chief didn’t scold or question a thing. He just looked at me, smirked, and gave a slow, knowing wink.

That day I learned two lessons that have stayed with me ever since: 

1. Never lose your buddy.

2. When things fall apart, a little teamwork — and a touch of creativity — can turn even the worst situation around

Full Circle

Back in the governor’s meeting room, my name was called. I stood and spoke on behalf of J — about collaboration, teamwork, and our ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic.

As I looked around the room, surrounded by colleagues and leaders, my mind flickered back to that wild night in Pensacola. Different setting, same lesson: when people work together — trust each other — they can handle anything thrown their way.

Today, I may trade my Navy uniform for corduroy and a Ralph Lauren blazer, but the mission remains the same: adapt, overcome, and execute.

Sometimes, the best strategies aren’t found in manuals or policies — they’re born from the bond of people who refuse to fail each other.

And that, my friends, is what turns an ordinary day into a hell yeah day.

Until next time,

— The Refined Wanderer