KATHERINE PREGNANT?

Before every one gets excited, I am not referring to Katherine of Katherine and Sean Kinney. This story is about Katherine the Great White Shark.

The Miami Herald reported yesterday that a great white shark was sighted off Key Largo. She was 14 feet long and weighed 2,300 pounds. Her name is Katherine.

Katherine’s dorsal fin has a tracking tag attached. It was implanted last August off Cape Cod. Every time Katherine’s fin is above water, it pings. Repeatedly. Katherine is topside more than normal. The scientists are thrilled with all the pinging she is providing.

At the moment, Katherine’s pinging will help them learn the various directions great white sharks take to get from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.

Pregnancy comes into play. If Katherine is pregnant, she will end of in Gulf waters this summer. if not, she will be back in the Cape Cod area. The Cape apparently is a breeding ground for great white sharks.

Katherine is popular. Even before her recent sighting in the upper Keys. She has a following in the social media world. Her Twitter account has 4,000 followers.

Stay tuned! Hopefully, I will be able to let you know at some time if Katherine was/is with child. If so, the baby will be an instantaneous media star.

The boulevard construction continues to be a gigantic pain. However, I suspect Key Westers have all become adjusted. Each of us have our special streets we take to avoid the construction.

Yesterday, for whatever reason, I decided to use the boulevard on my way home. It was mid afternoon. Suddenly, traffic was jammed up. Movement if at all was in tiny steps. Finally, the police moved us in and out of side streets. The morning paper reports there was some sort of construction accident which caused the boulevard to be closed down for a couple of hours.

We will all be happy when the construction is completed. We are told mid summer. Then the game plan is to reconstruct the first few miles of Route 1. I am sure that will take a year plus. I live 2.5 miles up Route 1. Ain’t no short cuts off Route 1!

I had a quiet dinner reading the newspapers at Roostica. Business very slow. Maybe a half dozen people in the place. More staff than customers. Attributable to the time of year.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

I have been hitting on the lack of transparency in government and the failure of the media to report ALL the news in recent shows. I have a suspicion that on occasion, government may influence the media as to what it reports.

I do not think what I am about to state has anything to do with the preceding. However, it is another shade of the problem. I talked about it last night.

Roughly three weeks ago, we learned of the 30 Nigerian girls who were abducted from a boarding school in Nigeria. The United sSates and most other nations were immediately inflamed. My concern was the timeliness of the news report. The abduction had taken place two weeks prior to the media reporting it.

Within a week after learning about the 300 girls, it was reported 59 young boys were also abducted by the same Nigerian radical Islamist group. The boys’ abduction occurred some two plus months before the female abduction. Whereas, the girls were initially to be sold into slavery, the boys were taken down a different road. All 59 were killed. Some shot. Most burned to death in a building. It was reported only ashes remained.

We never learned about the incident involving the boys till almost three months after it occurred.

Why were we not told of these events as they occurred? Certainly, they were newsworthy. There is a pattern developing as to what we are told and not told. It bothers me.

Don and Chris are returning today! I hope to have a couple of drinks with them tonight at the Chart Room.

Enjoy your day!

DRINK OF THE DAY

Key West has the reputation of being a drinking town. The reputation is warranted.

Last night, I viewed an off the wall example of alcoholic consumption. At the bar at Hogfish while I was having dinner.

A sort of big weathered guy came up to the bar and stood next to me. It appeared he was there just to order and then return  with the drinks to where ever in Hogfish he had come from. His order was a double screwdriver, a double shot of tequila, and a double shot of Grand Marnier.

Erin was bartending. A different Erin. Not the one from La Trattoria.

Erin served him the drinks. They were sitting on the bar. He asked for a lime. I figured for the tequila. As he was handed the lime, I casually mentioned to him how it would be needed after knocking down a double tequila. He looked at me. Said nothing. Merely grunted.

He picked up the double shot of grand marnier, gulped half of it down and poured the rest in the screwdriver. He did the same with the double shot of tequila. Then he picked up the lime and squeezed it in the drink looking over at me as if to say…..You got it now? And walked away.

A drinker! No question!

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A quick half hour of revealing material. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I will be touching on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki symposium I wrote about in yesterday’s blog, as well as Islamic justice, global warming and the Nomad way of life, a Florida couple fined for feeding the homeless, the spike in meat prices, the 59 Nigerian boys killed, General Motors coming out on top with a mere $35 million fine, Gaddafi and Mubarak, and more.

You will enjoy. Guaranteed!

I apologize for the length of yesterday’s blog. The one concerning Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The only way the story could be effectively told required more words than usual.

Apparently, it was read by many. The comments received are among the most ever. One comment  described the blog as “…..compelling reading.” If you missed it, you may want to go back and read it. I believe you will find it most interesting.

Enjoy your day!

INSIGHTS…..HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

The Harry S Truman Little White House sponsors a symposium every year involving a topic of importance. The title this year was Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I attended the final discussion on the last day of the Symposium.

The topic drew me to the event. I was ten years old at the time Truman ordered the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Old enough to recall the events. Even a ten year old knew it was world altering.

Two of the speakers were survivors of the bombings. Relatively close to me in age. Setusko Thurlow is today 81 years old. At the time the bomb fell on Hiroshima, she was 13. Yasuaki Yamashita is today 74 years old. At the time the bomb fell on Nagasaki, he was 6.

Moderating the event was Clifton Truman Daniel. Daniel is President Truman’s oldest grandson.

President Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The two survivors are part of the Hibakusha Stories Group. Hibakusha is Japanese for atomic bomb survivors, a bomb affected group. The group is anti-nuclear weapons. It seeks the destruction of all nuclear weapons. Ban the bomb!

The personal stories of both survivors were compelling. They were there. Their lives thereafter significantly affected by the bombings.

Setsuko Thurlow again was 13 years old and living in Hiroshima at the time. She was an eighth grade student. However, she and other young school children did not attend school any longer. The men and young lads were fighting in the islands. Japan was losing the war. Only young children and women were left in Japan proper. They had to help in the war effort.

Setsuko was part of a group of thirty girls who were working at Army headquarters. Setsuko’s job was decoding secret messages from the front lines. She was attending an assembly meeting when the bomb fell. The time was 8 am. Suddenly, there was a flash. Beyond description.  All she said of the bombing itself was “…..a real catastrophe.” She added, “No human being deserves that kind of experience.”

She did not share precisely what happened to her physically. Whether intentional, I do not know. Perhaps too painful to articulate even after so many years.

She wished governments would “…..stop wasting money on how to kill each other.” She could not understand how a group of people could plan and conceive a weapon to kill so many.

God/religion was a problem for her. Her words…..”If god is a God of love, how could this happen.” It took her years to reconcile the situation. Finally, she worked it out and became a Christian.

She made a promise to herself in 1954 to do whatever necessary to make sure an atomic/nuclear bombing never occurred again.  As she said, “It became my responsibility, my mission.”

In the 1960s, Setsuko came to the United States to study. She openly expressed her anti-nuclear feelings. People around her did not take to her opinions too well. She sounded anti-American. Her feelings for the United States were questioned. It was a painful time for her. During that time she spoke at a Peace Conference in Cleveland. When she left, people were calling her Communist and spitting on her.

She believes that the decision makers of today are not doing their job. Of Obama, she  said in effect he talks a good game, but does not walk the walk. Apparently Obama in a 2009 Vienna Conference said something should be done about ridding the world of nuclear weapons, but from her perspective he never followed up. She stressed Obama’s leadership was needed.

Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Too early, she thought. He did nothing to deserve it and has done nothing since to deserve it. She was especially distressed that Obama was modernizing the United States nuclear arsenal rather than working to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Setsuko provided some insight into the years immediately following the blast.

Many doctors and nurses were killed at the time of the blast or died within weeks following it. Medical help was scarce for survivors..

No one really knew anything about radiation at the time. Many pregnant women at the time of the bombing delivered deformed babies. She claims the occupational forces kept people in the dark about radiation effects. They were told that only women who were pregnant at the time of the bombing could have deformed babies. Any who became pregnant after the bombing, could not. She claimed this was a falsehood. Radiation is still affecting some births almost 70 years after the bombing.

The burns and resultant scars were not beautiful. The scarring was scarring upon scarring. Many young girls had difficulty marrying. Many would only leave their homes in the dark of night.

She feels that the Japanese governments since the end of the war have been subservient to the interests and dictates of the United States. She believes Japan, the only nation who actually suffered atomic damage, should take the lead world wide in any anti-nuclear movement. She claims however that Japan does not because it refuses to sever its ties with the United States over the issue.

Setsuko subsequently married a Canadian and has lived most of her adult life in Canada. She was a social worker.

Now comes Yasuaki Yamashita.

Yasuaki has spent most of his adult life in Mexico. He is an artist.

He was 6 years old when the bomb fell on Nagasaki. It dropped on Nagasaki three days after the Hiroshima bombing. He was playing outside his home. Air raids were uncommon over Nagasaki. Earlier that morning, the air raid siren went off three times. Few ran to shelters. Even though the siren went off, there were no planes.

Then one plane flew over. The siren went off. He could see the plane. His mother came outside and told him to be careful and then returned inside. There was no concern.

Suddenly, there was a “…..tremendous flash.” His sister was standing near him. Her head was burning. The “…..moment of the blast was terrible…..a totally grotesque scene thereafter.”

Yasuaki spoke of discrimination following the bombing. People did not want to associate with anyone who was at the Nagasaki blast scene. Radiation was the problem. Though no one knew it was radiation caused at the time. Persons unrelated to the blast were getting sick if they came into contact with blast people. The radiation apparently could be transferred from one person to another.

Yasuaki kept his involvement hidden. He knew he had to leave Japan if he was to lead a somewhat normal life. He finally was able to get to Mexico as a reporter to cover the Olympics. There he stayed.

His affliction from the blast was a form of anemia. It began 20 years after the blast. He was living in Mexico at the time. He suddenly began bleeding big time. And continued to do so every six months for a long period.

Yasuaki shrugged his shoulders and said no one knew about or had any knowledge of an atomic bomb. Nor its radiation affects. Then in 1955, the doctors started talking about this thing called radiation. As described earlier, it was considered contagious. There was no treatment. Those who suffered from the blast were ostracized.

Yasuaki’s father was not in the area of the blast. However, afterwards he spent days piling the corpses up for removal. His father subsequently died from the radiation.

He, too, felt Obama has failed to help so far with regard to abolishing nuclear weapons.

What was strange to me was that this anti-nuclear discussion was taking place on the grounds of the Harry S Truman Little White House. Truman ordered the dropping of the bombs. Additionally, Truman’s grandson Clifton Truman Daniel was part of the presentation at what could be described as a Truman Symposium.

Was the grandson being critical of his grandfather?

Not at all.

Daniel said he was not second guessing his grandfather. He also was not apologetic for his grandfather’s decision to drop the bombs. However, he was committed to work to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

He explained that his desire for a nuclear free world came from a book his son brought home from school a couple of years ago. The book was titled Sadako And The Thousand Paper Cranes. The author was  Sadako Sasaki. The book moved him. It was the story of a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. Sadako, who died in 1955 from radiation caused leukemia. Since the reading, he has become an advocate for a nuclear free world.

I found the presentation interesting. However, I did not agree with most of the positions taken. In today’s society, a nuclear weapon free world is altruistic. It does not fit. If the other nations who have nuclear capability all got rid of their nuclear weapons, then I would agree the United States should also. There are too many nuts out there to do otherwise. Self protection comes first.

I suspect that more than one country having nuclear capacity acts as a deterrent. During the cold war, Russia and the United States never took that last step. Each side knew it was utter destruction for both sides if one dropped the bomb. Hopefully, even present day radical nations who have the bomb think the same way.

 

 

 

 

A UNIQUE FUN DAY

It was bocce playoff time yesterday. Our team participated in the Big Pine portion. It was my first time playing in the Big Pine Tournament. I labeled it the NIT of bocce. Like we were second class citizens.

Turns out the Big Pine Tournament is one of the finest Key West events I have participated in over the years. I would be pleased and proud to play in it again next year!

As in Key West, Big Pine has four nights of bocce. The top team of each night’s competition comes to participate in Key West in what is labeled the Big Pine Tournament. One team from each of the four Key West nights is added to the Big Pine Tournament. The number 6 team from each evening. The top five teams play in the regular play offs. Which I would label as the big guy playoffs.

There was a difference between the two playoffs. The Big Pine one was fun. Big time fun!

Each team played til it incurred two losses. We played 6 games. Our second loss came in game six. Had we won, we would have played in the final game for the championship.

We won 4 out of 6. Not bad. Too bad we did not win the last one. It would have added to the day to have come out the overall winner.

One of the things that makes the Big Pine Tournament more fun is the competition overall. It is a step down from the big guys. More competitive in the sense that everyone has a chance to win. In the regular playoffs, only the very best have a chance to win. And they are the same teams every year.

There was an ambiance to the event. It was like an old time family picnic. Whole families came. Babies included. The league provided the goodies. Free hamburgers, hot dogs and ribs. Beer and soda. Everyone brought their own alcohol in addition.

Chairs were necessary. Many brought their own or sat on a blanket or grass in the shade. Don sent back to the bar for chairs. Made the day more comfortable. We sat around and watched the other games when we were not playing. We chatted and drank. Some of us slept. I usually nap from 3-5. I did not miss my nap. I fell asleep sitting in one of Don’s chairs under a palm tree.

There was a strong ocean breeze that made the day easier to handle.

Everyone on our team played well, except for me. Seriously. As those who were there would attest. As well as I played Thursday night, I sucked Saturday. I could not get the ball to the pollina. I constantly came up short. I played in the second game which we lost. No one asked me to play in the other games. I don’t blame them. I had no desire either to play after my performance in the second game.

It was a day long event. I arrived at 10:30. The first games started at 11. I finally left at 7 after our second loss.

It was a fun day! A different kind of Key West day!

I snuck out at 5:30 for Robert’s birthday dinner and cake. Always enjoyable. Afterwards, I returned to the bocce courts to watch my team play.

The annual Truman Symposium is this weekend. Tonight at 5 at the Little White House, there will be a discussion regarding Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb. The event is titled Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Several survivors of the bombings will speak. I plan on attending.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

BIG PINE TOURNAMENT

I am not looking forward to bocce this morning. We play in the infamous Big Pine Tournament at 11. The NIT of bocce. It is for the also rans. Our team missed the big time playoffs by one game.

While we will be rolling on two courts at the end, the regular playoffs will be ongoing on the other courts.

The best part of the day will be lunch. Free burgers and chicken for the players. The burgers are the best! I ran into Frankie last night at Square One. He agreed, the burgers to die for!

I started yesterday with a noon manicure. Tammy at Lee Nails. I have to say it again…..What a business! She and her husband have captured the American dream.

Then to Publix for groceries This time the refrigerator was really empty, as was the freezer. My breakfast yesterday consisted in a cup of green tea and two old frozen pancakes. Publix got me good. I spent a ton of money stocking up.

The price of groceries is ridiculous. And nothing to indicate it is going to reverse itself and go down. I read somewhere this week that the cost of meat experienced the largest one month increase in years last month. Add on the 19 percent increase for 2013. We are taking a beating!

Dinner last night was with Stephanie Kaple at Square One. Dining with Stephanie is always  interesting. Stephanie is young, vivacious and full of drive. Her life is totally committed to the homeless.

I met a couple at the bar who also play bocce. They play in the tuesday night league. They came in first this season. They understood Big Pine Tournament background. Meeting them was like pouring salt on an open wound.

Betsy had dinner at the bar with friends. Betsy and I have spent the last eight Christmas Eves and Days together. Betsy is a good friend of Lisa’s and is always a guest at Lisa’s home for the occasion.

We exchange modest gifts. My gift to Betsy this past Christmas was a copy of my then recently published book The World Upside Down. I did not have a copy to give her, however. The book was back listed / wait listed till January 15. I told Betsy I would get it to her.

I am ashamed to say, I have not delivered the book yet.

As luck would have it, I ran into Betsy twice this week,  Square One being the second time. Where is the book, she asked. I promised this week.

Enjoy your day!

 

GRANDSON ROBERT 10 YEARS OLD

Robert was 10 years old yesterday. Happy birthday, Robert! Poppa loves you very much!

Robert’s birthday might not have been. He was born with cancer of the liver. Fortunately discovered at birth. He had two major surgeries at Miami Childrens Hospital within the first eight days of his life.

We thank God all went well.

There has been no Happy Birthday celebration as yet. Robert is in Disney World and some other such places for three days with his Montessori classmates. Wonderful!

Even for animals, mammals and fishes there has to be an almighty overlooking them. One who provides them with a sixth sense.

The Turtle Hospital in Marathon has a new patient. An injured green seas turtle swam into the boat basin of the Turtle Hospital yesterday. The turtle weighed 46 pounds. A fishing line was wrapped around the turtle. He had lost his left flipper. The other was cut to the bone. He also had swallowed some of the fishing line. Additionally and not related to the fish line, he had ten herpes type internal tumors.

The turtle is obviously in critical condition. The hospital will work hard to save him.

This was the second time a turtle showed up at the Turtle Hospital boat basin on its own for medical attention. The last time was 1986.

Bocce last night. We had to win all three games to make the playoffs. We won only two. I played in the one we lost. I had one of my better evenings shooting. However, I missed a basketball 3 pointer at the end. My last throw was an open shot a bit long. I came up short. Way short. A few throws later by the opposition and we were yesterday’s news. One game short of making the playoffs.

We were on the bubble re the playoffs going in. There is a consolation prize. We are eligible for the Big Pine Tournament. We play tomorrow morning at 11.

The Big Pine Tournament is comparable to the NIT in basketball. A hollow victory having been invited.

The Players Golf Tournament was last weekend. I played in a pool. I rarely gamble. Came in first. Won $340. Those afternoons I lie in bed watching pro golf paid off.

I shaved my beard last friday. No one noticed till wednesday evening. Emily finally did at the Chart Room.

Cool today. Overcast. Strong wind from the north. No tee shirt today.

Enjoy your day!

 

WAMPSVILLE

Wampsville is Indian derived. Wampsville is a community in central New York. It is the county seat for Madison County. It basically sits between Oneida and Onondaga Counties. My hometown Utica is located in Oneida County.

In addition to Wampsville, note that Oneida and Onondaga are Indian derived names. The Oneidas and Onondagas were members of the Iroquois Indian Nation.

I tried many lawsuits in  the Madison County Courthouse in Wampsville. The Courthouse had a unique Supreme Court Room. It was round. Everything in the courtroom was round also. Counsel tables being an example.

Why the Wampsville history this morning? Blame Ted Kane. I ran into Ted Kane at the Chart Room last night. The third consecutive year we have met there.

Ted is an attorney from Wampsvile. He does not practice law per se. He is Confidential Clerk to Judge Di Stefano.

Ted updated me on what is going on in Madison County lawyer wise. We spoke again of my old friend Hugh Humphrey. Hugh and I are relatively close in age. Ted, also. Hugh and I used to try cases against each other in the Wampsville Supreme Court Room. We had other legal matters together which did not entail the court room. On occasion following a hard day’s work, Hugh and I would share a drink or two together. We were lawyer friends.

Hugh’s abilities were rewarded later in his career. He was elevated to the bench. He became a Judge in Madison County. He oversaw cases in the same court room we had opposed each other.

Joe Thornton was at the bar. Jean was off at Schooner Wharf for some event with Megan. They eventually showed up. The three were then off to dinner at La Trattoria.

Che showed up. Che, Emily and I were chatting away. Emily’s cell phone rang. It was Peter aka Captain Peter. Peter left us a couple of months ago. He went to live in his home on Wibey Island in Washington State. His venerable aged van made it!

Emily put Peter on speaker. Peter had just finished cutting the grass. He told us he intended to plant a garden. He prefers his food organically grown.

The organic thing got Emily wound up after the Peter call was completed. She and Che are organic food nuts. Emily insists I eat poorly, that I should imbibe organic foods. She even wrote me a list last night of what to buy when I go grocery shopping.

At the end of the bar sat a tourist couple. They got into the organic discussion. Both claimed to be organic addicts and proudly so. One of the reasons Emily wants to change my eating habits is so I will lose weight. The tourist couple at the end of the bar individually were much fatter than I. Each was at least two of me.

The organic food discussion made me hungry. I went to Outback for a prime rib and baked potato with butter. Emily will throw her arms up in frustration when she reads this.

I spent most of the day time yesterday writing next week’s COMMENTARY column for KONK Life. Titled it Screwing America. About Timothy Geithner and the banks, off shore banking by major corporations, and the pharmaceutical industry big bucks operation.

I bruised/cut my arm. No big deal. I read somewhere aloe was an excellent healer. I have two urns loaded with aloe on the terrace outside my bedroom. They have sat there for 15 years. Never touched by man.

I decided to try the aloe cure. Cut half a stalk off. Messy. Drippy. Smelly. I applied the aloe to my minor wound. I let it sit for a half hour. Even after drying, the smell was terrible. The odor would not easily wash away. I had just taken a shower. Took another one. Still the smell. Used shampoo on it. That got it!

Bocce tonight. This is the last night for bocce this season. We have to win all three games tonight to make the playoffs. My confidence factor is lacking after the beating we took last week.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WESTERN EDUCATION A NO NO / SEXUAL SLAVERY OK

Needless to say, the 300 young girls abducted in Nigeria is disturbing. Watching the scenario play out difficult to understand.

First, it took two weeks for the international media to pick up on the event. After the oh how terribles, the four week search has yet to find and recapture the girls. Whereas millions were spent and are still being spent on the Malaysian plane that went down, the dollars to find these youngsters does not compare.

The 5/13/14 Miami Herald had a column by Frida Ghitis on the abduction issue. Ghitis is a world affairs writer for the Miami Herald. Certain portions of Ghitis’ column were directly to the point informationwise and otherwise.

Re the Islamic radical group Boko Haram responsible for the abductions, she wrote: The group’s name Boko Haram means “Western education is a sin…..but …..the kidnapping and selling of girls – most likely into sexual – is somehow acceptable.” She further wrote, “The gang of radicals want to impose…..their twisted version of Islamic law, Sharia.”

Why do I write about this situation. Simply, it bothers me. As it must you. The girls are reportedly 3-17 years old. Even if all were women, it would be bothersome. Certain interpretations of Islamic law permit young girls to be married and permit sexual slavery. Such situations in Nigeria and the Middle East are religiously motivated and/or justified.

How can the Western world combat such beliefs which are in direct contradiction to their own? I do not know. The problems reflected have been ongoing for many years. Attempted solutions in the past have failed. The differences may not be reconcilable.

Enough. Off the soapbox!

It was Blossom’s for lunch yesterday. I was the only customer till I was leaving. I lunched there two weeks ago and noticed fewer customers. I suspect a problem.

One problem is the new owners are not making the sandwiches the same as the former ones. The former ones made them as they had been prepared for some 20 years at Paradise Cafe. There is an old adage…..Never screw around with something that works.

My Cuban toast with tomato is never the same. Different size, never enough butter, sometimes on the cool side, not always crushed. The same with the Cuban coffee. Sometimes warm, sometimes luke warm. Never hot.

A greasy sandwich to eat. Fingers become licking good. Two napkins  before, only one now.

I have not had the courage to share my experiences with the new owners. They seem so happy and confident in what they are doing. As a result, I have gotten into the habit of going to Blossoms for lunch less frequently.

I spent the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. The show went well. I spent the first half beating up Tim Geithner, banks, big corporations with off shore deposits, and insurance companies. Deservedly so.

Robert’s picture was in the Key West Weekly. There were a series of photos of the miniature golf event last week. Robert and a classmate were responsible for erection of hole 9. The hole was described as “…..one of the most artistic.”

A proud grandfather am I.

Enjoy your day!

 

A TALKING NIGHT

Last night was different.

I went to Tavern ‘n Town for dinner. Grabbed a newspaper and sat at the bar. The bar was crowded. Surprising for a  monday night in off season. Only one empty seat at the bar. It was mine!

Was sipping my first gin and reading the newspaper. The menu sitting on the counter to my side. A brief glance at the menu was all I got. I spent the entire evening chatting with new and old friends. Never got to eat.

I was sitting next to a charming couple. David and Pam. Their first time in Key West. They were staying at Marriott Beachside. They hail from Roswell, New Mexico. The home of the first UFO crash.

Dave was inin the paper business. Retired now. Was a dealer of paper towels, toilet paper and the like.

Dave and Pam drove to Key West from Roswell. They stopped at several places on the way down the length of Florida to Key West. They are looking for a place to stay for a month next year and if they like, perhaps permanently.

I explained to them you cannot just stop and go. It is necessary to stop and stay and then return and return some more. You must be sure before you buy.

They have only been in Key West a few days. They missed much of what they should have seen. I suggested they do the one month thing here next year to see if they like Key West enough to eventually settle here.

Then an angel descended upon me! Lee Anne. I have not seen Lee Anne in a couple of years. She was with her realtor friend Suzanne. We talked quite a while.

Lee Anne’s condominium in Truman Annex comes to mind. One of the loveliest in the complex. A beauty.

Spent the daytime yesterday working on the Greece book. My first days in Santorini. The cave I lived in, the donkey trail, and the volcano. Only the view of the volcano. I have not yet reached the part of my ill fated attempt to climb the volcano.

David Kaufelt recently passed on. A Key West resident who loved and lived Key West. A man who touched many lives.

My blog talk radio show tonight! Listen in! Nine my time. A quick half hour covering political and social matters requiring a bit of exploring. Many things discussed are revealing. Eye openers. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Amongst other things this evening, I will be discussing some excerpts from Tim Geithner’s recent book. Did he miss things! He failed to see what was to be seen! Blinded by his bank background and bank friends.

I will also be talking about a Spanish judge who sent the CEO of a large bank to jail for wrongdoing. The CEO was out in days. The Judge, also. He is now in court fighting for his job and reputation. A good guy getting screwed!

Also, the recent federal court decision finding drug testing of Key West  municipal employees unconstitutional.

Enjoy your day!

 

GREECE REVISITED

I revisited some of my Greek days yesterday from the deck of the Pier House.

It was open house again. About the sixth Sunday the realtor has had one.  I had to disappear for four hours.

I grabbed my computer and headed out. Not sure where I was going. Ended up at the Pier House.

Merri working. The Beach Bar crowded. Grabbed a Beach Bar table, ordered a diet Pepsi and went to work. The noise and the entertainer’s singing did not bother me. I was working on my Greece book. Editing and rewriting some of the days from the first trip.

I felt guilty after a while. I was taking up a whole table and drinking soda. The waiter was losing money on me. Tourists spending money and tipping big could be sitting at the table.

I went up on the deck extending out from the Beach Bar. Took a table on the side under the awning. People rarely sit there.

Opened the computer again and went back to work.

There were constant distractions. Pleasant ones. The view. Blue water and white boats. Bikini clad lovelies running around.

Hard as it was, I was able to work. Got a lot done in the four hours I sat there.

Spent some money. I got hungry. Ordered a Cuban sandwich pressed and hot.

There I was. Sandwich in one hand and the other hitting the keys. Like riding a bicycle with one hand and eating an ice cream come with the other.

Such was my exciting Sunday. It was ok by me. I was still tired from the day before’s bowling. Age!

Enjoy your day!