A SPORTS DAY

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What a great day yesterday! Sports and Father’s Day all rolled into one!

I was glued to the TV most of the afternoon and evening. Martin Kaymer shot outstanding golf the whole tournament. Erik Compton became well known to the viewing public not only because of his golf prowess, but also his two heart transplants. The Heat/Spurs game told us what we were beginning to understand. The Spurs were the better team.

In between, it was Father;s Day dinner at Lisa’s.

The family had just returned from the Fort Zach beach as I arrived. Happy Father’s Day hugs and kisses from the grandkids and Lisa.

I missed the Key West Gay Parade. No time. Today’s Key West Citizen reports it was its usual success. Outstanding!

Iraq is beginning to concern me. As I assume it is you. Mass executions of the opposition, mass graves to hold them. Sick people.

Obama has some difficult decisions to make. I am glad it is his job and not mine. The responsibility is ominous.

Dinner tonight with Larry and Christine and daughter Journey. They are soon to leave for a first time trip to Italy. I am playing tour guide.

Enjoy your day!

FRIDAY the 13th

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Be careful! Today is Friday the 13th!

Many have a fear of Friday the 13th. The fear has a name. Friggatriskaidekaphobia. Frigga is the name of a Norse goddess for whom friday is named. Triskaidekaphobia means fear of Friday the 13th.

A mouthful!

Bush 1 only served one term. I believe however that he was one of our better Presidents. If he had not raised taxes after promising not to do so, he would have been reelected.

Yesterday was Bush 1’s birthday. Ninety years old! He has a physical incapacity. I was not aware till yesterday when I read about it. He has lost the use of his legs. Totally. He is either in a wheel chair or a motorized cart.

The President wanted to celebrate his birthday by parachuting out of an airplane. He has had previous experience. He was shot down twice over the Pacific during World War II and made 2-3 jumps in his later years. Barbara was opposed. Son Bush 2, also. Father won!

The President was harnessed to another and together they leaped from a plane. To a safe landing. Everyone was overjoyed. The President that he did it, the family that he survived without additional injury.

A rare man.

A belated happy birthday, Mr. President!

I love the Turner Classic Movie Channel. I woke this morning to Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. Key West is Hemingway country. He lived here 10 years.

I have seen the movie many times. Read the book. Visited several times Lake Maggiore, the primary site of the story.

Lake Maggiore is beautiful. Sits at the northern tip of Italy between Italy and Switzerland. I have visited both ends of the lake and places that Hemingway frequented.

Let me share something I only recently learned. We know Hemingway wrote with a unique style. I describe it as abrupt. Short hard hitting sentences. The words pulled no punches. Things were described as they were.

Early editions of A Farewell to Arms were censored. Yes, censored. Shit, fuck and cocksucker removed. Replaced with dashes. Hemingway did not appreciate the situation. Apparently there was nothing he could do about it.

He took two copies of the book and wrote the words in over the dashes. One of those books he gave to another author of note, James Joyce.

The only other place where the book can be read/heard totally as written is on certain audiobooks that were prepared uncensored.

I enjoyed a quiet busy day yesterday.

Lunched at Geiger Key. It was a rainy drizzly day. Gray. Few customers. The setting pleasant, however. Peaceful. The staff became excited at one point. A number of lobsters were discovered beneath the dock. We all took a look. There they were!

Someone mentioned how large they were. I did not correct her. Everything looks big beneath the water. Not so when brought to the top. I recall the first time I went diving for lobsters. I saw huge tentacles beneath a rock. I rushed to the surface and yelled to my companions on the boat that I had discovered the largest lobster ever. They laughed. I went back down and got it. The body was five inches long and the tentacles not much longer.

Spent the afternoon preparing to write next week’s KONK Life column. I will write it this morning. About the close to 50,000 children that have crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas. What a story! These kids made a Pied Piper trip without a Pied Piper.

Went to La Te Da for an early dinner at the outside bar with Tonto. Tonto was not working. I craved La Te Da’s lacquered duck. It was terrific when last I had it. It was not as good last night. I was disappointed.

I was early to home to watch the Heat/Spurs game. A disaster! I was pulling for the Heat. I have come to the conclusion that the Spurs are unquestionably the better team. Amazing! The Heat have so much top quality talent. Perhaps their time has passed. One or two key additions to the team for next season might be ripe for consideration.

Enjoy your day! Watch out for black cats and ladders!

 

I SURVIVED

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The shoulder was still sore yesterday morning, though better. Should I keep my gym appointment? I decided to stop by and tell Albert and see what he thought. No problem, he said. And it was not. He worked my lower body the whole hour. Nothing above the navel. Felt not a twitch in the shoulder.

Though only half my body was exercised, my whole body was tired afterwards! Big time!

I had a manicure/pedicure appointment with Tammy a couple of hours later. I fell asleep during the manicure. Then fell asleep again  during the pedicure.

Stopped briefly at Don’s Place on my way into town last night. Hellos all the way around and I was gone.

I had a 6:30 appointment at the Chart Room to meet Diana Millikan. Diana is a loyal blog reader.

Enjoyed Diana’s company for about an hour. Her home is outside Flint, Michigan. She visits Key West several times a year. Has a birthday coming up the 24th of this month. She is writing her first novel. A mystery.

It was Hot Tin Roof for dinner. Nothing exotic. Shrimp warmed in melted butter and mashed potatoes. Hot Tin Roof has the best mashed potatoes!

Joseph stopped by to say hello. He is the general manager. He does an excellent job running the Hot Tin Roof. Josh was bartending.

The humidity gets heavier by the day. Rained big time during the night. Woke me a couple of times. Raining right now. Sky black. May rain all day. No question, the rainy season has arrived.

Medical marijuana is going to be on the November ballot in Florida. An opposition group is running a cute ad: Don’t Let Florida Go To Pot.

There was an interesting editorial in this morning’s Key West Citizen. Opposed to medical marijuana’s approval. Claimed today’s pot not the same as Mom and Dad smoked in the 1980s. Today’s is increased in potency fourfold and therefore presents a danger.

This marijuana thing can be confusing. It was used for medicinal purposes during the Civil War. Although banned, use went crazy in the 1970s and has continued in varying degrees. Billions have been spent to catch and incarcerate those who smoke and sell the dirty weed. Jails are expensive. More monies have been spent trying to put growers out of business.

It is realistic to say attempts have failed. Several States permit medical marijuana use. Colorado now allows recreational use. Lets stop chasing a dead horse. Marijuana use is like gay marriage. Its time has come.

A great sport day! The US Open and Heat/Spurs game. I am going to enjoy!

Enjoy your day!

SISSY SPACEK

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I did a foolish thing yesterday afternoon. Took a walk. In the heat of the mid afternoon sun. It was oppressive!

The walk took me over Duval. I was thirsty. Dying for a drink of anything cold. I stopped at the outside bar at La Te Da. Only 3-4 people at the bar. I had a glass of water and diet Coke.

While sitting there, a familiar woman walked by and up into the restaurant portion. She looked familiar. It was Sissy Spacek!

She was looking for someone. Came back onto the bar area and chatted with a waiter. Then her lady friend showed up and they sat together in the outdoor dining section.

Spacek is in the Keys for a while. She is filming a new TV show. Its primary location is Islamorada. The show is yet unnamed. News reports suggest the show will cost $8 million a week to produce.

I loved spacek’s appearance! The woman is 65. No shame. She looks 65. No shame. We all get older each day. What impressed me was how comfortable she appeared with herself. Her walk, her appearance, her smile, her clothes. Especially her clothes. She was in a Key West frame of mind! I cannot accurately describe the outfit except to say some sort of baloony black shorts or skirt with a crazy deigned/colored blouse. Her sneaks and socks were the thing, however! Very Key West. Black, white and I don’t know what else. Sloppily worn. It was the sloppy that was the key.

Spacek has only been in the Keys a couple of months. She has made the transition. She looked terrific! Right at home!

I returned home to review my notes for last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Then an early light dinner at Roostica. Antipasto.

Patricia waits on me. Found out last night she is sister to Bobby’s wife. Met bobby’s wife and Patricia’s son who also works at Roostica. A nice family.

The blog talk radio show went well. I enjoyed the pace last night. I opened with a last minute thought. The 50,000 children that have crossed the border into Texas and some of whom are now in Arizona. More are expected. My thought was I hoped we would not drop the ball. Immigration is a many faceted issue. These are kids, however. Most 10-12. It is our responsibility now that they are here to take care of them. Very well! The world is watching. Let’s not drop the ball.

After the show, I ran to the TV set. The Heat/Spurs game. I could not believe the score. The Spurs had a bang up night. No team shots as well as they were. They made 19 of the first 21 shots they took. Miami has its work set out for themselves.

I woke to the news this morning that Eric Cantor was defeated by a Tea Party candidate in a primary. Good! I am not in tune with Tea Partyers. Nor have I been in tune with Cantor politics. He looks like a mean guy and generally acted like a mean guy. Not the type to be in a leadership position in Congress.

Key West’s chickens. The Key West Citizen reported this morning that many have chicken pox. Technically called avian pox. The pox is an annual event. Generally, during the rainy season. We are in the rainy season. It is initially caused by mosquito bites. The pox is dangerous to the chickens. Not all will survive. It is not contagious as regards humans.

My shoulder still hurts from my monday night fall. I sat up in an easy chair all night with my feet on an ottoman.

Enjoy your day!