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!

 

HARRY TRUMAN TIME

Key West and Harry Truman have a special relationship. Truman made Key West his vacation spot. His place for rest and relaxation.

Yesterday was March 12. Two significant things occurred on that date involving the former beloved President.

By the way, the title of today’s blog is running through my head to the opening tune of the Howdy Doody Show…..It’s Howdy Doody time!

Truman made  eleven visits to Key West totaling 175 days. He arrived in Key West on March 12, 1964 for a 2 week vacation. Nineteen sixty four was well after Truman had left office. In between were eight years of Eisenhower and then three years of Kennedy. If I am correct, Johnson would have been President when Truman made the 1964 visit. If I am off by a year or so re one of the Presidents, I apologize.

The other March 12 was of historical significance. On March 12, 1947, the President introduced what became known as the Truman Doctrine. World War II was over. The Soviet Union was a menace. The free world was looking to the United States for help. The thrust of the Truman Doctrine that day was to give economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey. Truman was of the opinion, and properly so from my way of thinking, that to not help Greece and Turkey would cause them to fall under Communist domination.

I would have made a lousy junkie. The doctor put me on codeine and steroids for a week to get rid of a six week cough in my upper chest. The cure worked. I no longer cough. However, I feel like the patient about whom the doctor told the family the operation was a success, but the patient died.

I have been off the meds for three days. I am totally absolutely without question exhausted. All the time. No exaggeration involved. Not the slightest.

I talked with the Doctor this morning. I was advised I would be ok. It is the steroids, or the lack thereof at the moment, which are making me tired. Some sort of withdrawal. It will be a couple of days more before my body readjusts.

The only thing I can think of is how did athletes like Barry Bonds handle the situation. He had to be on steroids days at a time. When he went off, how long was he screwed up as I am? Was he screwed up? Perhaps there was another pill or shot to enable the body to escape what I am experiencing.

I am so tired at the moment that my arms have become heavy as I type.

I am in no mood to beat myself up. Good bye for today.

Enjoy your Thursday!

 

TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big night last night!

I stayed up late. Past midnight. Drank a bit too much. Never felt the drinks. However, I am a zombie today. Which accounts for why this blog is being written so late.

I am permitting myself one night a week to drink on the diet.

My internet show yesterday was a pleasure to do. Hopefully, it was an equal pleasure for all who watched.

Post show comments indicated the most well received topic to have been the Harry Truman story. The one where his campaign train was halted between stops and the conductor told Truman he could go no futher till the train bill was paid. An insult to the President. His campaign was cash short. He had to take up a collection from people on the train before the conductor would permit the train to proceed.

A Republican owned the railroad!

Part of the afternoon was spent writing next week’s KONK Life column. I developed one of the topics I spoke of on the show. The one involving a Rhode Island school district and gender discrimination. The ACLU was involved. The ACLU’s arguments consisted of such things as school girls should no longer be treated as if it was thought they wished to be Cinderellas, and the days of Ozzie and Harriet were over.

I had to FAX 16 pages. Went to Office Max. Long distance. $2 a page! Cost me $32 plus tax for a total of $36. Wow!

My long evening last night started with the Chart Room.

Emily back from her two week vacation. It was a pleasure to see her again. I love her wit and charm! I love her!

Met with my new friends Len and Heidi Bloom for drinks. Both relatively new to me personally. However, Len has been a blog fan for quite a while. They are serously considering resettling in Key West. They owned a Mexican restaurant back in Wausau. Just sold it.

Sean and Katherine showed up. Introduced them to Len and Heidi.

Catain Peter was holding court at the other end of the bar. He had a new cell phone. May be his first. Everyone was trying to help him understand it.

Moved over to the Wine Galley. Larry Smith playing. Lu Kramer there. I joined Lu and her friends. Enjoyed the company very much.

Met John DeSantis for the first time. John is the #1 reporter for the Key West Citizen. Love his writings. I am not sure whether it is his style or the Key West material. Whatever, he writes well.

Turns out John is also a crooner. What a voice! Sang all night. A double bonus. Larry and John!

On the way to my car, I had to pass the outside bar. Maurice and Dottie sitting there. Joanie bartending. I stopped for a while. Maurice is a retired orthodontist.

Dottie was intertested in my Greek trip. She told me something I never knew. Joanie is an actress. Has appeared in many performances at the Red Barn. One role she played two times, ten years apart. It was a take on the movie where a London house wife goes off to Greece to vacation, falls in love with the place, and decides to stay. She leaves her husband of many years back in London. The name of the movie escapes me at the moment.

Stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Kurt bartending. Had one drink and chatted with Kurt. Kurt is like going through a life change. He is into guitar playing. When not bartending, he is down town playing with the musicians.

I was in bed after midnight. Woke at 7. Had to hustle. Lisa had me babysitting at 8. Robert and Ally took me to I HOP for breakfast.

Later this morning I had a manicure appointment. Tell you how tired I was. I dozed off while Tammy was giving me the manicure. The tired is really a hangover.

I had plans for tonight. Cancelled them. After I complete this blog, I am going to bed till tomorrow morning.

My friend Cheryl Keast from the Chicago area wrote. Wake up! was her comment. Claims her day cannot start till she reads the blog. I was screwing up her day! Love her!

Enjoy whatever is left of this day!

WHAT A BOCCE NIGHT!

There are times when you can do no wrong. Last night was such a time for my bocce team. We won all three games. Could have beat any one!

We played a very good team. Excellent players. They hung in there. But when you are flawless, no one can can touch you.

Each game started close. Then we would break out and end up beating them decisively.

Jimmy of Jimmy and Joanie fame captained the opposing team. Bocce captains play as well. Last night for whatever reason, Jimmy opted not to play. He decided to manage, as he put it. Jimmy, you were a disaster as a manager. Go back to playing. Good players do not sit on the bench.

Got a haircut first thing in the morning. Told Lori she was fired from trimming my beard. I had purchased the equipment and was doing it myself. She thought I was doing a good job. Mine was the first beard she had ever trimmed.

Then to the Plantation Coffee House. No Diana. A Loretta. Turns out Loretta is Diane’s sister. Diane is in Yuma, Arizona with girl friends on a holiday. Loretta was filling in for her.

Show time this morning! The Key West Lou Legal Hour! On the internet. Ten am my time. Broadcast world wide. www.konkbroadcasting.com.

In addition to other topics already shared with you yesterday, I have discovered an interesting Harry Truman story. You will also hear about a $7.2 million verdict for “popcorn lung” caused by a chemical in artificial butter, and Florida having fallen victim to the West Nile Virus. Ten cases, with one dead.

Join me, if you can. I would enjoy sharing my hour with you.

Met Len Bloom last night. From Wausau, Wisconsin. A retired restauranteur, he is in Key West on vacation. He has been vacationing here one week a year for years. He sought me out at bocce. Len is a loyal blog fan.

Len is niow retired. He sold his restaurant. Plans on relocating to Key West. Soon.

Len, you will be a welcome addition!

Have to hustle. Must get showered, etc. and get to the studio on time.

Enjoy your day!