CAPTAIN PETER RETURNS

Captain Peter is back. For a visit, not for good. Even for a few days, we are happy to have him.

Peter moved to Washington or Oregon where he had a home he was renting out. He is back in Key West to visit with friends.

I have not seen Peter yet. However tomorrow night, I will. Sheila is having a big Thanksgiving dinner for those who love Peter. I will be there.

Still cold during the night. Heat again. Only got down to 64, however. Going to 74 today. A warming trend in the making. We should be back to normal in a few days.

I was speaking with someone in Utica yesterday. Utica is in upstate New york. I mentioned how cold it was in Key West, that the temperature had dropped to 57 the night before. I was told in effect to stuff it. It was 17 degrees at the time in Utica.

I was pushing my cart around Publix yesterday. Few shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Enjoying the emptiness of it. Music was playing. The words came forth….,.I’m dreaming of a White Christmas. Too early!

Syracuse beat Holy Cross last night 72-68. I could not get the game on TV. It was on ESPN3. Michigan tuesday night. Watched Boeheim on a video this morning. His post game interview. He was not happy with the team’s offensive shooting. Especially the three outside men.

Syracuse football this afternoon. I will not be able to watch the last football game of the season. Syracuse’s record does not warrant TV time.

The game is Boston College. At Boston College. For many years, I used traveled to the Boston game in Chestnut Hills. A party weekend. Out on the town friday evening. The game saturday. Home sunday.

Boston College’s stadium is an outdoor one. Open air. Always cold this time of the year Sometimes extremely cold. I used to sit and wonder what the hell I was doing there!

It was the trip. Not the game. The trip was fun.

After the game, we would head into Boston proper. To a place called the Blue Marlin. A casual fish bar restaurant on the water. Actually on Lewis’ Pier. A couple of blocks from South Street Seaport.

Fresh Maine lobsters and fried clams! To die for!

Today ends one of Syracuse’s worst football seasons. There is only one way to go. Up. I feel sorry for the kids who played this year. A dramatically losing season is hard to take. Going into today’s game, Syracuse has won only 2 games.

I spent most of yesterday researching next week’s KONK Life column. I hope to write it today. I decided on a change of pace. The article will be the story of how Venice came to be.

I did not go out last night. The reason my diet. It is easier to eat at home. In a restaurant, there are too many temptations.

Enjoy your day!

BURN BABY, BURN

I do not blame the people of Ferguson for their reaction to the indictment report. Their political leaders, from the police chief to the mayor to the prosecutor to the governor, should now be investigated to see if some sort of fix was in. My sense is that the thinking of the white fathers was that no dead black man was going to put a white police officer in jail.

Aggressive police work appears the order of the day. Just two days ago in Cleveland, a 12 year old black boy was shot to death by a cop. Look up the story on the internet. Another black dead at the hands of a white officer.

What next? People can only be tread upon so long. Then that rebellious feeling takes hold. Anger vented.

I worry poverty may be the next motivation for violence. The nation’s poor. The 99 percent. A group can only be defecated upon so long. Especially if their children are caused to suffer. 2.5 million children were homeless in 2013. This in the land of plenty.

My blog talk radio show is tonight at 9. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Of course, I will have something to say about Ferguson. Not much, however. The national media has said it all. The 12 year old black in Cleveland will receive comment by me,  as well as the 2.5 million homeless children, GMOs in American foods whose identity will shock you, Russia banning GMOs completely, and more. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I grocery shopped yesterday at Publix. I buy the same thing all the time. I am not an impulse shopper. Yesterday, my bill was $20 higher.

It made me question whether Publix had raised the price of food because this is a holiday week.

There was a time several years back when it was discovered that in larger cities, the chain stores were playing with the cost of groceries. Stores in ghetto/poorer areas increased prices the week welfare checks were received.

Enjoy your day!

JAKE STILL SICK

I am concerned. Jake is still sick. It has been a week thus far.

Lisa takes him to the vet daily. He receives shots and pills. Also fed intravenously so he does not become dehydrated. He is not eating. He still has diarrhea. He has been x-rayed and had blood work.

Vet does not know what is wrong yet.

Jake was lying on the bed when I visited yesterday. He reminded me of how young children look when they are sick. Sad sunken eyes. No reaction to anything.

My Sunday’s normally involve a visit to Don’s Place to watch pro football. Don set up a special area in back of the outside bar for himself and his friends. The Don’s friends group has grown. The games start 1. People arrive at 11:30 to get a seat.

Not my cup of tea. It does not make sense to arrive an hour plus early to get a seat. It is like staying at a resort. Certain people want the best located lounges by the pool. They are down to the pool at sunrise.

My out of the house time was limited in the afternoon. A visit to Lisa’s. Picked up a prescription at Walgreens. Needed some food. Stopped at Publix. On the way  home, I stopped at the new CVS on US 1. It is close to my home. I wanted to check it out.

I did not like it. Two reasons. The drive in off US 1 is not worth visiting the store. Also, the aisles are set up in a confusing fashion My old head does not want to learn new. Ergo, I will be staying with Walgreens.

I also took a walk. A long one. Along Smathers beach.

Saw my first Syracuse basketball game late in the afternoon. Syracuse played Hampton. Syracuse won 65-47.

The Syracuse team I saw yesterday least impressed me of all the Syracuse teams I have seen this early in the season.  Syracuse’s zone defense in the first half was not there. Hampton was getting inside at will. The defense did improve in the second half, however.

The Syracuse offense did not have the sharpness it has had this early as in previous seasons. There appeared to be uncertainty in the way the team moved the ball around.

Hampton used a zone defense. Syracuse runs into a zone defense rarely. Syracuse has difficulty penetrating a zone defense. As was evident yesterday.

I suspect it is going to be a tough season. That does not mean I contemplate a losing season. It merely means the games will be harder to win and most probably very close.

I discovered something which excited me no end. The game was on ESPNU. I have Comcast. I can get ESPN1. Sometimes ESPN2. Never ESPNU.

I was screwing around with the remote trying to see if the game might be on a higher numbered channel. It was. Channel 396. Mark it well, friends. That is the place.

Enjoy your day!

 

CONCH…..WHAT I DID NOT KNOW

I learn every day. Today about conch. The dish frequently ordered in Key west. Comes prepared in every fashion. Soup, fritters, etc. Key West is also known as the Conch Republic. Those born here are referred to as Conchs. And on and on.

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran a front page news story regarding conch. Turns out there is a federal prohibition regarding the harvesting of conch. Man overfished conch. The prohibition means that the conch served in our restaurants are not native to Florida keys waters. The conch is imported. From certain Caribbean islands and Latin American countries.

A lesson to be learned here. Do not abuse natural resources.

Tonight, my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Current topics discussed. Like the Catholicism of the Pope being questioned, one third of American children living in poverty, the 200 plus Nigerian girls stolen either married or dead, the Japanese celibacy syndrome, police not being able to return military equipment, and more.

I have been redecorating my bedroom. I like the way it is coming. Keith and Jennifer were over yesterday afternoon helping me move things around, hang paintings, etc.

I moved a desk into the bedroom. The room is huge. Needed a new desk chair. For two weeks, I have been admiring one at Office Max.

There are about 30 chairs in the back of the store. I sat in every chair. The only one that was comfortable was the one I liked. I returned to buy it yesterday. Where the chair sat was a space. The chair had been sold. They are no longer carrying the model.

This has happened to me in the past. I never learn.

Yesterday also included a business meeting and shopping at Publix.

I have begun buying organic foods. Strawberries, apples, and lettuce so far. The strawberries are what did it for me. The GMO ones are large and bright red. Tasteless, however. The organic ones puny. Discolored a bit. But taste like strawberries! Even smell like strawberries!

Election day. Today is the day. Be sure to vote. I will concede it is difficult this year. The candidates overall suck.

Enjoy your day!

BACK CONTROLLED MY SATURDAY

Everything went to the side yesterday. My aching back determined my activities. Which amounted to little.

I left the house to go to Walgreen. I was out of certain heart pills. Did not want to screw around and go a day or two without. Stopped at Lisa’s on the way home for lunch and to visit with Robert and Ally. Had an afternoon scheduled with friends. Canceled it. Dinner planned with other friends. Called that off also.

I spent most of the day in bed trying to find a comfortable position. Watched college football off and on. Had a good deep sleep at one point.

Georgia impressed me. I forget the player’s name, but he was fantastic. Running, scoring, doing everything.

I noticed that the State has added an additional feature to the Boulevard. Pedestrian island stations. That is how they are called. Concrete islands in 3 or 4 spots in the center lane so people crossing have an island of protection.

A benefit? I am not sure. People have been getting across for years. I worry that the stations will invite accidents. Some turns will be difficult because of the concrete slabs.

There are no traffic lights to stop traffic so pedestrians can cross. The islands will mean people running across to a station in the middle and then waiting for an opening to hurry to cross the other half of the highway.

I am beginning to wonder whether it is old age that is causing me to be upset with new portions of the Boulevard. It could be I am reluctant to change.

IS keeps bothering me. We are told within a month London and the U.S. will suffer a terrorist attack. Obama seems to be vacillating. Maybe not. Perhaps merely a cover. Whatever, I say wait not for the terrorists to attack us on our home soil. Wait not for another 9/11 and close to 3,000 lives lost. Hit them now and hit them hard. Destroy them. Worry afterwards how a strike might appear to help Assad. Our primary concern should be for our people here in the USA.

Enjoy your Sunday!

MADONNA AND CHILD

Jack Baron’s art is as Key West as Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway’s writings.

This morning’s KONK Life E-Blast published a story about Joy Gallery’s soon to happen Jack Baron exhibit. Some fifty pieces. I am excited! I own 14 pieces. Several will be for sale.

E-Blast ran a picture of one of Baron’s more famous works. The Black Madonna and Child. Black is how Baron described the painting. The Madonna and Child is my painting. The first I ever bought from Jack. The picture on E-Blast presented the piece well. Jack was a genius when it came to painting!

Key West weather continues to be outstanding! 85ish with a touch of humidity. Blue skies and water. Nary a breeze. A special time in Key West.

Sloan was here quite a while in the late afternoon. We are having mechanical problems with my blog and commentary which are being carried on E-Blast. We will have them worked out in due course. The problems exist because I am a pain in the ass. I require perfection!

The Chart Room first last night. Enjoyed Jean and Victor’s company. I learned two very close friends will be leaving Key West in two weeks. I am not at liberty to share their identity with you at this time.

I continuously write and talk about food and the prices thereof. I also frequently refer to genetically modified organisms.

Publix bananas have always concerned me. I would buy them green today and they would be browning tomorrow. The label said Chiquita.

The last two times I bought bananas at Publix, they were not green. There were no green ones. Only yellow. I was stuck, I thought. They would spoil even sooner.

The recent bananas had no Chiquita label. No label, in fact. Whatever, these bananas are still yellow 3-4 days later. I suspect genetically modified.

Tonight, Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. Nine in the evening my time. A quick paced half hour of political and social goodies.

Tonight, topics like 49 million underfed people in the United States. Muslims and Jews now entitled to halal and kosher food in food banks in case of an emergency, five reasons why poverty is on the rise in America, the Brits revealing they will not send troops to Ukraine, Russia’s presence in the Arctic, China becoming the most Christian nation in the world, and more.

Join me. You will be glad you did. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-com.

Sunday’s bocce continued to bother me till around four yesterday afternoon. Wow! I was beat!

Enjoy your day!

HOW DID MAGELLAN DO IT?

Magellan sailed around the world hundreds of years ago in a boat constructed of wood.

A 75 foot replica of the ship Magellan sailed broke its rudder near Cudjoe Key. The Coast Guard came to the rescue. Minimal repairs were made. The ship is now docked at the Outer Mile Pole for further repairs.

How did Magellan make it without a Coast Guard? What did he do if and when a rudder broke? Did any repair facilities exist in the parts of the new world he explored?

You must admit. Quite a feat Magellan accomplished!

I finally got out yesterday!

Lunched at Geiger Key. Sat at the bar. Enjoyed looking at the people and view. In between sightings, read the newspaper.

Dinner was at Roostica. The last time there, I noticed the ladies at an adjoining table consuming an antipasto. The ladies and the antipasto both looked good! I ordered the antipasto last night. I suggest you order it the next time you are at Roostica. Beautiful to look at. Tasty to eat. Much too large for one person.  I took more than half of it home.

The Keys History section in this morning’s Key West Citizen contained an interesting note. Fifty years ago this March, total house sales for the month were $1,638,250. Today, many of the larger homes sell for that amount and more.

I am on my soap box again. Two short comments.

History does repeat itself. Many fail to recall. George Santayana said it best: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The Supreme Court decision this week triggered much discussion re the financing of political campaigns. There is a simple solution. Have the government finance campaigns and limit the time for campaigns. It bothers me that the wealthy are able to exert so much influence in a campaign. Additionally, limit campaigning in a Presidential race to two months. We now are into a two year cycle for Presidential campaigns. Too much!

My book! My book! My book! Available for purchase on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. The World Upside Down.

The Cow Bridge Race at noon today. My enthusiasm is waning. It is not the distance. It is the parking. I will probably have to walk a mile each way from where I park and return. Too much!

Enjoy your day!

EARTHQUAKE AGAIN

I was surprised when I walked into the Chart Room last night and Emily asked me about the earthquake. What earthquake? Turns out there was another one about 8 miles off the coast of Cuba wednesday night at 10:20. About  seven miles below the water’s surface. I who read the newspapers all the time had failed to read yesterday’s Key West Citizen. I was unaware.

The earthquake was a 5.1 on the Rector scale. Apparently no damage anywhere. I did not feel it in Key West. Nor did Emily and others at the Chart Room last night.

I have a concern. Earthquakes in this area are uncommon. Now there have been two off the coast of Cuba in a month. Do these two earthquakes portend something? Is there a big one in the making? Should we be concerned about a tsunami?

Don’t laugh! So far the weather media has not discussed this aspect. I am not overly concerned. Such thoughts occur to me, however.

Conch Republic Admiral Frankie was part of our bar discussion last night. Besides the earthquake, the discussion involved the Olympics and skiing. Turns out Emily was/is a skier and a pretty proficient one at that. I thought she was born and raised in Key West. Not so. She was born in Indiana, spent time in Virginia and elsewhere. She developed her skiing prowess in those places.

Before heading to the Chart Room, I stopped at Christine’s opening night of her art exhibit. Christine Cordone has risen to a new level. She now has people in her paintings. I was impressed. Her water colors warm the heart and brighten a room!

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. A baseball great! Played many years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then spent even more years as the Mets broadcaster. He is a Hall of Famer.

My recollection goes back to the mid to late 1940s. Baseball was everything. My buddies and I used to spend some summer afternoons sitting around on the floor in someone’s living room listening to major league baseball games. One of our heroes was Ralph Kiner.

Listening is the operative word in the previous paragraph. There was no television back then. It was radio!

Enjoy your day!

SYRACUSE / DUKE BASKETBALL

There is nothing more important today than the Syracuse / Duke basketball game. Big time! Syracuse undefeated. Duke has lost 4. However, Duke has played strong in its last six games.

The morning line is Syracuse by 4 1/2 points.

I have no prediction. My heart will be in my throat the entire game.

Change of venue! I will not be at the Sports Pub watching the game. I will be at the outside bar at Don’s Place.

I enjoyed an early afternoon manicure at Tammy’s. Love that girl! Yesterday was the Asian New Year. We exchanged Happy New Years. She explained to me the celebration (7 days), what people do, etc. A big party! Male oriented, however. The men do much of the partying, eating, and drinking. The women stay home. She and her husband are Vietnamese. Sounds like the husbands are southern Republicans!

Researched a bit for my next book Growing Up Italian. You will love it!

I am doing some minor house repairs. Things I have let go too long. Jimmy and John were over yesterday painting. Keith and Jennifer working, also. I have the house up for sale. No, I am not leaving Key West. Would like to move into town, however. Tomorrow there is an open house. I have some further things to clean up on my own today. Getting ready for the open house is a pain in the ass!

Stopped at Don’s Place first last night. I was late. Usually I am out around 5. It was after 7. I had a good time. Enjoyed the company of Don, David, Jimmy, Hershel, Erika, Tom, Nancy, Tony, and Rob. Don convinced me to watch the Syracuse game tonight at his place.

The Chart Room was next. Emily noted it was not my usual arrival time. Lots of tourists. They came in and out in droves. Met Mike and Kathy. Never met them before. They live in Key West. Mike is one of John Lukas’ partners in the Big Ten Sports Pub. A couple came in. Only to buy drinks and run off with them in hand. In plastic, of course. They were all excited. Properly so. They were having dinner at L’Attitudes.

On the way home, I stopped at Publix to pick up a few things. Met a very nice lady. At the cold cut counter. She was working behind it.

Her name is Ann. She kept looking at me. Do I know you, she asked. What is your name? We finally figured it out. She reads KONK Life and my columns. Not religiously, but frequently. She was also aware of my book The World Upside Down.

I liked Ann. Not because she read my column, though it probably contributed. I may be buying cold cuts more frequently just so I can talk with her.

I have to move my ass. Sloan will be here soon. We are having audio problems with the blog talk radio show and are speaking directly with blog talk and doing test runs this morning.

Enjoy your day!

THE DAY AFTER

 

This is the day after. I loaded up on garlic yesterday. Jean Carper’s home remedy for a bad cold.

I had to go to Publix to buy the garlic. I do not keep it. Lots for sale. Two different types. One more expensive than the other. I bought the cheaper one.  A nice hard big one. I could not wait to get home to try it! Ho ho!

Was not bad! I cut out a couple of cloves and chewed away. Not the best thing I have ever tasted. Not the worse, either. Got it down.

The garlic worked. I did it four times yesterday. Kissable I was not. But must tell you, the garlic kills everything! The sneezing, runny nose and sore throat. Two cloves good for 2-3 hours.

I feel better today. Cold still with me. The worst behind me, however.

On top of it all, I fell. In my garage. I was on my knees checking out the numbers on a tire. Need a new one. Went to get up. Difficult for me to do in my old age. Pushed too hard. Shot forward before falling on my right side. Head to toes. Head ok. Shoulder and arm sore this morning. Right hip sore. Scrapped my right knee good. Have it covered with several band aids.

Way to go, Louis!

Today Syracuse/Miami basketball. At one. Syracuse should win. Who knows. I appreciate Syracuse will lose a few games before the season is over. But as I die hard fan, I am always wishing the team does not.

I will be viewing the game at the Sports Pub. I assume Dan will be joining me.

I love Southern old white men. They are at it again with women’s bodies. They should make love to the ladies  rather than dominate them. Huckabee said a couple of days ago in a speech that Democrats believe women need government to control their libidos and reproductive systems. To the contrary Mr. Huckabee, they need you guys to stay out of their vaginas and bodies legislatively and recognize the inherent right of women to control their own bodies.

It was reported this past week that a kindergarten teacher locked one of her pupils in a closet. It was a time out for something the 5 year old had done. The teacher forgot the child in the locked closet and went home early because she was not feeling well. The child’s mother wants blood! My recollection of my early school days was that if you were bad you were made to sit on a stool in the corner with a dunce cap on. Both screw up the child’s mind to a degree. The dunce cap one is easier on the child from my perspective.

Enjoy your day!

 

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