HUMIDITY A KILLER

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The humidity has been unusually heavy the past couple of weeks. Yesterday it was extremely heavy. Coupled with no wind, it was hard to take.

We played bocce last night with the extreme humidity in force and effect. Wow! Instantaneous sweat Even before playing. Just standing around was an effort.

Overall, the team did well. We won 2 out of 3 games. Should have won all 3. Lost the last one 16-15. Won the first two handily.

I woke Don this morning to get the result of the last game.

I only played in the first game. I was beat afterwards. Left at the start of the third game. Even the car was hard to operate by that point.

The first game was interesting. We were up 14-2. Needed only 2 points to win. We had a lapse and the other team a run. Suddenly, it was 14-10. We finally got our heads together and won 16-10.

Enjoyed a great lunch yesterday at Azur. With my publisher, Shirrel Rhoades. A knowledgeable guy. Interesting to talk with. I promised him a book by year’s end. He is a gentleman . He placed no time limit on me. Merely admonished me to keep writing.

Spent my afternoon researching next week’s KONK Life column. I hopefully will write it this afternoon.

Big morning! Jenna is coming to my home to televise a one hour talk show with me. She will run it next week at the scheduled time for her TV show. I am not sure whether she will have the show shot indoors or outside. The humidity at 11 will determine the site.

Yesterday’s blog was title Kayon. I misspelled the name. It is Kavon. Sorry, Kavon. Mea culpa.

Enjoy your day!

KAYON

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Met what I perceive to be an outstanding young man last night.

It was dinner time. I was in the lobby of the Marriott Beachside. A young Afro-American came in with a bundle of newspapers. This week’s KONK Life. I went over to get a copy. My habit is to check my column for printing errors.

The young man said I know you. He thought for a moment. Key West Lou! Louis Petrone! You write for KONK Life. He then went on to profusely apologize for a mistake he made. He appeared embarrassed. I did not initially understand what he was talking about.

His name was Kayon.

Besides delivering for Konk, Kayon also works in house. One of his tasks is to take my weekly column and reprint it in KONK E-Blast one day a week. Last week’s column was screwed up. E-Blast was one big paragraph. No separation of paragraphs. I complained to publisher Guy de Boer in an e mail.

Turns out Kayon was responsible. He explained he failed to hit a key.

I was embarrassed by how embarrassed and sorry Kayon was.

We chatted a bit. Kayon impressed me. He is a winner!

Spent a couple of hours early afternoon yesterday at a business meeting. Two hours is too much time for business in Key West.

Then visited Lisa. Jake was chewing on a branch he brought in from outside. Fortunately, he did not swallow any of it. Just messed up the living room floor with chips.

Spent some time afterwards at home working on Growing Up Italian. I roughed out a chapter. I have a luncheon meeting today with my publisher Shirrel Rhoades. He is going to ask how I am doing. I am two books behind at the present time.

Wanted to enjoy dinner at the bar at Tavern ‘n Town last night. Looked like rain. The Marriott has indoor parking.

There was room for my car, but not for me. The bar was jam packed. I have never seen it that crowded. It was hello to bartender friend Steve and entertainer Mike Emerson. Then I left.

I tried the Chart Room. Emily bartending Had a couple of drinks and chatted with two couples from one of the Carolinas. Repeat visitors. Their next stop was Pepe’s for dinner.

I think the drinks have gotten smaller at the Chart Room.

I was reading USA Today. There was Ron Grossman’s name. Ron was a Utica attorney. Eight to ten years older than me. I have neither seen nor heard of him in years. His name was in USA Today together with his wife Doris’. The article concerned retirees and the places they picked to settle. Ron was interviewed. He and Doris are living in Sarasota.

I always liked Ron. We had a congenial relationship. Professional, not personal. The reflection that sticks clearly in my mind was a job interview with him. The time 1960. I had just graduated from law school. Looking for a position in a law firm. Ron offered me a job. He pointed to a desk off his reception area. He said you will work there and share your fees with me 50/50.

No salary. No way could I accept his generosity. I had one child and another on the way.

Bocce tonight!

Enjoy your day!

 

A TYPICAL KEY WEST DAY

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Yesterday was a typical Key West day. What is typical? Not a do nothing day. Such would be referred to as a nothing day. A typical day is one where you do a few things. No sweat or strain things. All pleasurable. All which move the day along in a tortoise fashion.

The morning was quiet at home.

Lunch was outstanding! Food and company wise. I had a luncheon scheduled with my publisher, Shirrel Rhoades. We met at Azur. A one hour lunch turned into almost a two hour one. We were enjoying each other.

Shirrel has a distinguished background in the publishing field. Two notables include his time as Publisher of Marvel Comics and as a Vice President with the Reader’s Digest.

Shirrel wants me to write more books. I had planned on it so we were in accord. I see at least three more by the end of the year. Growing Up Italian, of course. Also a follow up to the The World Upside Down. Shirrel believes a series is in order.

Greece. Recall my first trip to Greece. The plan is to put together the day to day blog reporting for the month I spent in Greece. There will be added material to some to better portray the perils that confronted me. Pictures, too. The book will be fun doing.

I rarely dine at Azur. One does not eat there. One dines. The food commands dining. Why I rarely eat at Azur, I do not know.

For lunch, I had a steak sandwich. Sounds simple. Was not. It was a rib eye pan fried in oil and parsley on a fantastic roll. I repeated myself several times to the waiter and Shirrel how good the sandwich tasted!

Then drove over to Lee Nails. I was overdue for a manicure. It is always a pleasure to share time with Tammy. A beautiful smart hard working young Vietnamese woman.

The place was busy. I mentioned it to her. She said it had become busy just before I walked in. Prior thereto, quiet. The pedicure chairs were mostly occupied. Several ladies were getting manicures.

It has never bothered me to sit among the ladies and get a manicure and/or pedicure. It must be my feminine side.

Stayed in the rest of the afternoon. It was decision time. The subject for my COMMENTARY column in next week’s KONK Life. I am not certain yet. However, I seem to be leaning to something on the genius Putin is showing at the present time and our reactions. The reactions seem to be ineffective.

My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou was last night. Fun time.  I love doing the show!

Two areas seem to have garnered the most interest. One was my dissertations on Putin and Ukraine. The other, the increasing cost of food.

The Courmayeur landslide I reported yesterday is still a problem. The fall is unstable. It consists of dirt and rocks. The fall started below the snow line. It continues to slide and creep down the hillside. A portion of Courmayeur has been evacuated. The tunnel connecting Italy and France was closed several times.

No one is certain yet what to do.

There have been two other significant mountain slides in recent days. The avalanche on Mount Everest and the mud slide in Washington State.

Nature rearing its ugly head!

Enjoy your day!

 

FUDDRUCKERS

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A lot of miscellaneous things  happened yesterday. I am going to take them in the order of their occurrence.

It took me a half hour to get from the Shell Station in Key Haven to Key West. Traffic was backed up all the way. I was fuming. My thought was the boulevard construction was really screwing things up. Turned out I was wrong. There was an accident at the Cow Key Bridge.

Speaking of the Cow Key Bridge, Sheila told me last night there is going to be a race/run over the Cow Key Bridge next month. For those less than athletic. The bridge is at best 500 feet long. I agreed to participate. I will walk, however.

I was heading to see Tammy. Manicure time. I enjoy her company. I admire and respect the business she and her husband have developed.

Lunch was at Azur. Exceptionally fine food. I should go more often. The man I had lunch with was interesting and entertaining. My age. We had many common things to talk about. When we left, we shook hands and expressed to each other how pleased we were to have met. We both felt a new friendship had been formed.

Five hours later, I discovered the man was not one to like. I found him to be duplicit, two faced, and a sneak. That bad!

Will Rogers used to say he never met a man he did not like. I would say that I had never met a person in Key West I did not like. Until yesterday.

Friends we will not be. His identity is immaterial. He has done one good thing. Provided me with a character to include in a future novel.

The Chart Room last night. Packed when I arrived. It was me and Sheila. Lovely Emily bartending. John came in later.

Sheila can only be described as a good person. Concerned for everyone. Honestly so.

Sheila became aware of a lost camera at The Little White House. A good sized one. The White House had had it for a week and no one came in to claim the camera. They let Sheila take it to see if she could discover the owner.

She pulled the picture card out of the camera and ran the film. She placed some of the pictures on Facebook and asked…..Do you know these people? Within one half hour, she had 14 replies. Everyone helpful. Who was going to run her message on other sites. One said a woman’s tee shirt in one of the pictures was from Fort Lauderdale. She was going to check with the store there.

Emily has become involved. Sheila and Emily are on a quest to discover the owner.

The beauty of Key West people! All except the one I discovered earlier that I did not like.

A major announcement. Sheila’s birthday is next tuesday. Forget her not! Monday is Charlotte’s birthday. Charlotte from the Carolinas. Her boy friend is Skip, radio 104.9’s premier announcer. A big party week in the making!

I have spoken well of the new Burger Fi. No more. My burger was great the first time I went. I returned three times, last night being the third. The last few burgers have been close to terrible. I will not be returning to Burger Fi.

Finally, to Fuddrukers. Twenty five to thirty years ago, I did Coconut Grove. It was my place before I discovered Key West. There was a great burger/steak sandwich place in Coconut Grove. Fuddruckers. Their steak sandwich to die for. On soft butter soaked bread. Screw the cholesterol time!

I have neither seen nor been to a Fuddruckers since. I learned yesterday a Fuddruckers is coming to Key West. Fantastic! Unless the quality of the beef has changed, it will be a winner! Interestingly, it is opening next door to Burger Fi.

So much for yesterday.

Bocce tonight. I look forward to playing. I am scheduled to play the third game. Last week, it was the first game. Scheduling. I hope we win the match. This is the third week of the season. We lost the first two weeks. None on the team can understand why. This is like the fourth consecutive season we have not been winners. We are good. No question about it. But whatever it takes to win, we lost. We keep searching for it.

Enjoy your day!

SHIRREL RHOADES

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I had lunch yesterday at Azur with an extremely interesting man. Shirrel Rhoades.

After an exciting life in that other world, Shirrel retired to Key West. Busy his whole life, he needed to fill in his time a bit doing something productive. Sitting around and contemplating his navel was not an option.

Shirrel delved into his bag of experiences. One was publishing. Shirrel started a publishing business in Key West. Actually two. One is Absolutely Amazing e Books. The other The New Atlantian Library.

Shirrel’s publishing concept is simple. He publishes via e mail. As more and more people leave hard copy and go to the internet to read, he may be at the forefront of the transition’s publishing phase.

His background varied and professional. Shirrel has been a writer, publisher, professor, film maker, and movie critic. He has held high level executive positions with the Reader’s Digest, Marvel Comics, The Ladies Home Journal, and Harper’s Magazine.

He was the man who brought us the Captain Marvel comic book for many years.

I enjoyed Shirrel’s company.

I enjoyed Azur, also. I do not eat there enough. The food is outstanding. I am still on my Italian trip kick. I enjoyed a dish of rigatonis.

Stephanie Manaher was having lunch with some lady friends. Stephanie is a school teacher and wife to the infamous Don of Don’s Place. A lady.

Last night was the Chart Room. I was there for several hours. JJ bartending. Peter and I talked most of the time.

Peter can be found every morning at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach. He has a special spot near the tree line on one side of the Beach.

Female turtles have been coming onto the beach, digging large holes, and depositing their eggs. Then covering the eggs with sand. The mother is then gone, never to see her young ones.

It takes 60 days for the eggs to hatch. Each female drops about 100 eggs. Three or four will survive the hatching, trekking and swim out into the ocean.

There was a hole nearby Peter. It had been there for more than 60 days. The Park Rangers carefully removed the sand from the turtle nest in order to determine what was going on. Turns out nothing. No eggs. Whatever the mother may have done, it was a dry run.

Met an interesting couple. Cory and Brieanna. Vacationing at the Pier House. They hail from somewhere on the Florida mainland. Nice people.

Cory is an insurance broker with Allied Solutions in Boca Raton. His company deals with insurance programs for financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. Brieanna is a doctor. She specializes in end of life problems. She does much work with Hospice.

Tonight, I return to the air! After nine weeks! Blog talk radio. Nine this evening. One half hour. The entire half hour will be devoted to the rising Nazi power in Greece. You will be amazed by what I learned on my trip!

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!