I awoke at precisely the right moment this morning. A bright orange sun breaking over the water!

Yesterday was relatively quiet. I cannot do two big days in a row.

Halloween is upon us. I had to get something for the grandkids. I ended up buying each one a Halloween card. And for the both of them, a chocolate house they had to construct. Like the Christmas cookie ones.

The cards were musical. Well, sort of. Each made scary sounds.

In the store, the noise was at an accaptable level. The store was large and the sound disipated. Home in their kitchen, the noise was blasting! Ghosts and goblins screaming!

Robert and Ally kept opening and playing their musical cards constantly. Lisa and Corey were looking at me strangely. I realized the cards were a mistake. The noise was horrendous! But the grandkids loved them!

I could not handle Fantasy Fest last night. Too much two nights in a row. So I went to Hogfish to have dinner. I suspected the place would be empty. Every one would be in downtown Key West partying rather than in downtown Stock Island dining.

I was correct. Very few people at Hogfish. I had a quiet dinner and read the newspapers.

And then home to an early bed.

Tonight may be different for me, however. We shall see.

Back to Terri White.

By now most of you are aware that Finian’s Rainbow which opened Thursday night on Broadway is a success. Rave reviews! From the New York Times, Bloomberg News, New York Daily News, New York Post, USA Today, Associated Press and on and on.

And Terri received special laudatory comment in several of the reviews.

Tuesday’s New York Times story of Terri’s homelessness a year ago to Broadway stardom this week found its way to television news. Last evening Terri appeared on CBS. On Katie Couric’s show. I cried as I watched Terri’s story being told.

You broke a leg, Terri! In life and on Broadway! God love you! He does!

Enjoy your day!

I have returned!

Yesterday afternoon. Just in time for Pretenders and Toga Party last night.

It’s all in the scheduling!

Key West’s Fantasy Fest this year appears to be one of the best ever. Thursday night is the big night from my perspective. Even better than the Saturday night float parade.

The two main events on Thursday are Pretenders in Paradise at the Pier House Resort and Sloppy Joe’s Toga Party.

I hit Pretenders first last night. It is a gala affair! The grounds are crowded. Costumes galore. Beads on everyone.

A stage was set on the beach just off the ocean.

The music last night was arranged and directed by Larry Smith. The Pier House is his domain.

Featured was the music of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. Band members included the fabulous voice of Kathleen Peace. Love her singing! And Christine Cardone. Love her singinging also! Kim Wroble and Chris Burchard in support. And the premier drummer and good heart, Skipper Kripitz.

The show itself was absolutely spectacular. Costumes extraordinaire. Very extravagant. The headpieces defy description. Ten to fifteen feet tall.

After enjoying Pretenders, it was time to walk the two blocks to Sloppy Joe’s. I am a voyeur at heart and look forward to the Toga Party every year.

It was impossible to get into Sloppy Joe’s. They were falling out of the windows and doorways. But the street in front was crowded as usual. Crowded does not aptly describe the scene. Jam packed is better.

And in that bevy of humanity were small pockets of people surrounding some lovely female wearing nothing but her white toga. The game is for the toga clad lady to expose her privates. But not for nothing. Beads are the coin of the evening. The more intimate the body part shown, the more beads required.

A fun time! An adult time!

You have to see it to believe it!

Only in Key West!

Some things are a big deal! Some people are!

Terri White is!

Terri opens tonight in a starring role in a new Broadway musical. A revival of the 1947 success Finian’s Rainbow.

Tuesday a major article appeared on page 1 of the N.Y. Region section of the New York Times. It was about our Terri White!

The article is written by Susan Dominus. Interestingly, I knew her mother.

The story basically traces Terri’s early Broadway successes, then her fall into poverty, her becoming a homeless person and sleeping in Washington Square Park. Then Terri’s trip to Key West last year and a job singing at the Keys Piano Bar.

While singing in Key West, she met my dear friend Donna Barnett. They fell in love. They are being united in a partnership marriage Sunday on the stage of the Broadway theater where Terri is appearing.

Love them both!

But this is more Terri’s story. Success, a fall and then a climb back to the heights.

Of Terri’s singing in Finian’s Rainbow, Susan Dominus describes it as “…one of the crucial moments in musical theater.”

Good luck tonight, Terri! Break a leg!

And good luck to both Terri and Donna Sunday when they marry! And for the rest of their lives!

No question! Fantasy Fest has arrived!

There is a spirit in the air. I could feel it last night. If it continues, this is going to be one of the best Fantasy Fests ever!

Per my usual custom, I started my evening last night at the Chart Room.

When I arrived, there were only a few people. Michael was bartending.

Sheila was there. With two nieces from Indianapolos. Jeni and Angie. Young lovelies. Both school teachers. Jeni teaches kindergarten and Angie first grade. They are here for Fantasy Fest week.

They were getting into the mood. Having a good time.

Then Sean and Katherine came in. It was my first sense that Fantasy Fest was off and running.

Sean was dressed as a pirate. Terrific costume. Well done.

Katherine was spectacular! She was wearing some sort of black body outfit. Like a one piece bathing suit. Leather. And wings! Beautiful full black wings. Long blond hair. Eyes darkened with shadow.

A knockout!

Sean and Katherine were just dressed for the night. No where in particular to go. They intended to walk Duval.

They each have a different costume for each evening. They are really into Fantasy Fest!

Then about a dozen women came in. In their 20s and 30s. All lovely. All dressed in some sort of black costume.

When I saw them it dawned on me that last night was BD/SM evening. 801 and Kelley’s were having their annual whip and leather Fantasy Fest parties. And these ladies were apparently heading to one of them. Probably Kelley’s, as 801 is a gay men’s party.

The Fantasy Fest flavor really became evident when two of the women exposed their breasts, which did not take much to expose. A few sparkles covering their nipples. That was it!

I thought Fantasy Fest is really here!

I headed over to Antonia’s for dinner. Relatively quiet. The street was busy, but not the restaurant. It was not a sit and dine evening.

I chatted with owner friend Christopher. Christopher grew up in Turin, N.Y., about 15 miles north of my home town Utica. A nice guy. A hard worker.

When I left Antonia’s, there were a bunch of men dressed in black leather. I knew some of them. They were headed over to the party at 801.

Duval was full of people walking around. Many costumed. There was a giddiness in the air.

Again, Fantasy Fest was here!

I did the BD/SM party scene last year for the first time at Kelley’s. Went with friends Donna Barnett and Terri White. An interesting experience! I lasted all of an hour and a half.

It was a one time experience for me. Interesting is the best way I can describe it. Whatever rocks a person’s boat.

Those last comments sound judgmental. I do not mean them that way. Leather costumes are very expensive. The parties are extremely crowded. Hard to even lift your arm to enjoy your drink. And seeing people getting their asses whipped does not do it for me.

I went home to bed to watch the end of the Philadelphia/Washington football game. A good game. Philadelphia and Donovan McNabb won.

Enjoy your day!

Sunday was another relatively quiet day for me.

Layed in bed in the morning. Watched Meet the Press and Chris Matthews. And a rerun of a Sopranos show.

Then to Don’s Place for pro football and socialization.

The whole world is at Don’s Place on a Sunday afternoon. The names are too many to mention. But it is the place to be. And fun!

Poor Angus! Angus works at Schooner’s Wharf. More importantly, he was one of my team mates in the golf tournament Don’s Place sponsored several months ago. The tournament we won! Angus was on crutches and had one leg casted. He fell at work and broke his ankle.

A tough break! I like that statement. It works two ways.

Later in the afternoon I went to Lisa’s. I was scheduled for Sunday night dinner with the family. Corey and Lisa were taking Cameron, Robert and Ally to the Fort Zachrey Taylor haunted house. A Fantasy Fest/halloween event.

I was not in the mood. I wanted to continue watrching football and then golf. So off they went. I stayed at Lisa’s hunched down is a very comfortable easy chair watching TV.

A couple of hours later the family returned. Ally was non stop talk telling me all about the scary things she saw. With such excitment! As only the young can tell you something.

Dinner was terrific. Lisa cooks well. I stuffed myself.

Then I hurried home. I intended to stay in last night. The Yankees game!

I was up till after midnight watching the game. The Yankees won! Now to the World Series!

I should be rested because I stayed in. But I stayed up late…..for me. So I am tired this morning.

I can’t win!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was quiet and not as planned.

I was up early to babysit. Spent the morning with Robert and Ally. Quiet and uneventful.

Then to the coffee shop on Duval to read the New York papers. Sat outside. Had a double cafe mocha. Watched the people going by. There are a lot of tourists. Fantasy Fest has begun.

I had lunch at home. Watched some college football on TV. Decided to stay in and watch the Yankee game last nighjt.

Made myself a light dinner. When finished, crawled in bed. Turned on TV for the baseball game.

No game!

The Yankee game had been rained out. Rescheduled for today.

I had already eaten. Was in bed. Had no desire to get up, dress and go out. So I spent the evening watching old movies and falling asleep early.

It was a welcome easy evening.

Today will be different. Unless the whole world gets rained out.

It is Sunday. Sunday is Meet the Press, Don’s Place for pro football, the grandkids, Kate Miano’s Gardens and Larry Smith at the Wine Galley. Plus all the Sunday papers to read.

Enjoy your day!

Great time last night! Fantasy Fest has arrived! Goombay!

Goombay is a Caribbean street festival. Food, music and drink. And tons of people.

When I was a kid, I lived in East Utica. The Italian section of the city. There was a similar street festival every year.

It was called the Feast of Saints Cosmo and Damien. Just like Goombay, but everything Italian. Goombay took me back to the Italian feasts of my youth.

Everything was perfect last night. Including the weather. A bit on the cool side. A relief when you were in the middle of a jam packed street with tons of body heat surrounding you.

The evening started at the old Crabby Dick’s on Duval. I was meeting Don and a bunch from Don’s Place.

Crabby Dick’s has reopened and is now known as the Bilmar Station. I asked, but could not get an answer as to where the name came from.

Bilmar Station is a sports bar. The booze is reasonably priced. The menu interesting and cheap. Large heated salted pretzels went over big last night. And locals get a discount.

Jerry Freshko is the general manager. He is originally from Orange County in New York. Near Newburgh. A good guy with a good personality.

We were a pretty large group. Don and Stephanie. Michael and Nancy. Jimmy and Joanie. David. Keith and his girl friend. Jules. And others.

We had a few drinks preparatory to the street walk.

Goombay is held in a several block area of Petronia Street.

Our group was too large to make the trip together. Too many people. We had agreed to meet at Blue Heaven when each of us was done wandering around. Blue Heaven is at the other end of Petronia Street. A perfect location to reunite.

I met tons of people I knew along the way. One was Jean Thornton and her husband Joe. Love Jean! Saw many faces I had seen in a while.

There is only so much I can take of a crowded street scene. Especially since I am a bit claustrophobic. So I was the first to arrive at Blue Heaven.

The place was packed tight! No relief from claustrophobia.

Blue heaven is an outside restaurant and bar.

Somehow I lucked out and immediately grabbed an empty corner seat at the bar. The right place at the right time sort of thing.

I was wearing a Key West Lou T-shirt that Lisa had made up for sale on her internet department store Via Key West. Some guy was starring at me from about ten feet away. He came over to talk. His name was Harry and he was from Cleveland. He asked if I read Key West Lou. He told me he reads it every day. I told him I was Key West Lou! He brought the wife and another couple over to chat. Nice people.

Harry visits Key West a couple of times a year. At some point, he and his wife will buy here. They love Key West!

At one point a young girl came up to the bar and stood next to me. All of 12 or 13 years old. Turned out to be Donna Barnett’s granddaughter. Her mother is a manager at Blue Heaven. Donna’s granddaughter remembered me from a Jewish holiday I celebrated at her home and dinner parties at grandma Donna’s home.

Don and the rest of the crew finally showed up. Jimmy and Joanie were lugging a heavy dark statue of an African woman. Joanie told me she once was in Ghana. The statue cost them $50. The vendor initially wanted $500. Not typical of Key West. I have to believe the vendor was from outside the area.

I stayed a couple of hours and had a wonderful time drinking and chatting with everyone. Then I had it! I said my good nights and headed to my car. Which was parked many blocks away! The walk did me good. I drove home with the top down. And would you believe, it was only 11 o’clock when I climbed into bed.

I have to huistle now. Babysitting this morning. Lisa is getting her hair done and Corey has to work.

Remember to take a look at Lisa’s internet Key West department store. www.viakeywest.com.

Talk with you tomorrow!

Lisa’s Key West internet department store Via Key West has been open less than a week. Sales are starting to come in. Biggest seller to date? Key West Lou T-shirts! 17 ordered so far. Orders for the T-shirt have been received from all over the world. Crete, India, England and France. And several States.

Wow! Amazing!

Take a look at Via Key West. http://www.viakeywest.com/. It’ll only take a minute. Lisa did a great job! Interesting Key West pieces. All price ranges.

Bocci last night! We did good. Won 2 out of 3 games.

We won the first decisively. Lost a close second game.

The third game was interesting. We were down 11-5. Not good.

I was playing poorly in the third game. As bad as I play golf. I just lost the touch!

My team members were playing well. It was me. When one player is off, it is like playing with 3 team members instead of 4.

Jules was my partner. She was doing her thing. But it was no good if I did not set her up with my shots. David and Don at the other end of the court carried us in that third game. They super achieved.

David is our captain and was visibly upset with me. As he should have been.

We got close.The score was 15-14. We had 14. The game and match were ours to lose. Jules and I. The polina and balls were at our end of the court to throw.

I redeemed myself. Two great shots! Two points! We won the game and match. My prior poor play in the game was forgotten. All was forgiven. It was like hitting a home run with the bases full in the bottom of the ninth!

Afterwards was drinking time and watching the Yankees get beat. Sad they lost. I am a Yankee fan.

Yesterday morning I stopped at KONK 1680 AM. Had my picture taken for publicity purposes. Chatted a bit.

The radio show starts Thursday Novemeber 5 at 1:00 pm. It will be a weekly one hour talk show. The subject matter will be the law. There will be guests and telephone call ins. And me. Hope it works out well. I never did this before.

A name for the show has been decided on. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. What else!

KONK 1680 AM radio is located on White Street across from Fausto’s. There was a building next door to the radio station till about 2 months ago. It burned down.

After the clean up, an empty lot remained. No longer. It is now Sand Isle.

Someone has opened a huge sand box. Adults play in the sand. Actually, they work. Sculpting beautiful statues of people and things. Impressive.

Besides sculpting for sale, a school is being conducted. And the facility is also available for sand box parties.

Me thinks Sand Isle is a success story in the making!

I had lunch with Ally yesterday. She is still ailing, but getting better. Kids are always sick. Sad.

Tonight is the start of Fantasy Fest! It will be crazy time in Key West for the next 10 days!

Each night has different events scheduled. Tonight is Goombay! A street festival on Petronia Street. Caribbean food, drink and music will abound.

I am doing Goombay tonight with a bunch from Don’s Place. We are meeting at 6 at Crabby Dick’s. A few drinks and then onto Petronia Street!

It will be fun!

Have a good day!

Dinner time was crisis time last night!

Some hacker got into my Facebook site and gave me a virus. And in turn the virus was spread to many readers.

A tragedy! A pain!

It took about 2 hours to remedy the problem. Every thing supposedly ok now. But scarey. I guess some peopel just do not have anything better to do than screw up other people’s lives with their intelligence. I say this because from my perspective it takes a talented person to hack and plant a virus.

Golf was fun! Even though I played poorly as anticipated. Shot 10 strokes worse than the week before. Felt like a 100!

I played with Don, Aaron, Norm and Yankee Jack. Don and Norm are A players. Aaron and Yankee C players. And Louis a D player. However, Aaron excelled yesterday. He joined Don and Norm in shotting in the high 80s.

My ineptness cost me $12.

Golf tires me out at my age. So I generally go home to bed for a nap. Did so yesterday for 3 hours.

Upon arising, I discovered and delt with the hacker/virus problem.

Then off to the Chart Room. A good crowd again.

Chatted with Marty, Sean, Katherine and Captain Peter.

It was Marty’s last night in Key West. He is leaving again. He is off to Hallendale for a week.

We ate at the bar at La Trattoria. Erin bartending.

Duval had a good crowd. Noisy. Partying. Fantasy Fest starts friday. Perhaps they were early arrivers.

Then it was home to bed for me. And a good night’s sleep.

Ally is still sick. Running a fever. Will probably stay home from school today again.

Gandhi stood up to the mighty British and helped create a nation. His life molded a wise mind. Gandhi was an intellect, as well as fearless.

Many were his words of wisdom. For those out there who might be fraught with animosity, think of the following which Gandhi stated. “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Enjoy your day!