A FEW BAD DAYS

I have not felt well the past few days. It all started three weeks ago with the sciatica attack. Doctor put me on steroids. Worked! Pain disappeared almost immediately.

The problem is I have a few heart problems. One is edema. Water around the heart on occasion which eventually reflects the problem in enlarged water filled ankles. Steroids have a large sodium residue. It happened! My ankles swelled.

The doctor had me on a water pill. One week later, the ankles were still swollen. Would not even go down at night. Doctor put me on a super dooper water pill. In addition to the regular one. One week later, the ankles are down and this morning I feel fine. I pissed my brains out, got rid of the water.

I got rid of so much water that I became dehydrated. Which affected my mind. It was difficult to think. Especially the last three days. I could not do next week’s KONK Life column because of it yesterday.

Whatever, it is a new day and my mind appears to be functioning this morning.

Toga Party was last night. This morning’s Key West Citizen had a couple of pictures of toga at Sloppy Joe’s. Mild. Extremely so. Few people. Had to be taken early in the evening. A hurricane itself would not have resulted in poor attendance. Toga people do not miss the party!

A major Fantasy Fest event is Masquerade Parade. It is today. This is an event that many locals come out for also. People dress. The parade starts at the cemetery. Initially, the parade went up Fleming to Duval. Several years ago, another street was added.

Participants walk up the streets in mass. All costumed. Most drinking. Everyone carries their own.

Observers watch from parties held on porches of homes along the routes. I have never marched. However, I have done a number of porch parties. Fun!

Several years ago, a new party was established. The Pimp and Ho Party. The title is self explanatory. The party tonight at the Bottlecap.

A star attraction is Ron Jeremy. Amazing! The guy is a porn star whose career started in the 1960s. He is not very attractive. However, his male member is purportedly large.

Jeremy has to be old! My age. Around 80. Apparently still going strong. I admire him! No, I envy him!

Sissy Spacek’s new TV show has completed filming here in the Keys. The title is Bloodline. A Netflix presentation. Thirteen episodes can be seen on TV beginning March 15. Sam Shepard co-stars.

Enjoy your day!

 

I’M BACK / FANTASY FEST HIGHLIGHTS

 

No, I did not get way laid at one of those super sexy Fantasy Fest parties!

No blog for two days because some one was trying to hack my personal computer. Had to have it cleaned up. Everything ok now. I caught it in time and did not contaminate anyone. My back up computer (20 years old) refused to type consecutive words as typed. Ends of sentences would all of a sudden be at the beginning.

I could have run to Lisa’s or used anyone else’s computer. However, the computer breakdowns seem to have coincided with a Louis break down. For the past couple of days, I have been tired. Really tired. Bed was the only attraction for me.

I feel alright this morning and hope that whatever was bugging me is gone.

Whether I was actually present is immaterial in describing some of the highlights of this year’s Fantasy Fest. I have seen so many, I know them by heart.

To me, the Toga Party on Thursday night at Sloppy Joe’s and in front on the street is the best! Naked breast time and whatever else. It’s a barter system. The ladies show their privates in exchange for beads. Each woman wants to end up with the most beads. So…..show me your breasts and I will give you a string of beads…..ok!

The interesting aspect of this scenario is that most of the women are middle aged and older. Out of towners. Many from the mid west. Places like Indiana and Iowa. Church goers, school teachers, community leaders, mothers, grandmothers. They visit Key West with their husbands this one week a year and do what they would never think of doing at home. They take off their clothes!

Especially to show their breasts. And  proud to do so. You can see it in their expressions. Even the husbands are beaming. The breasts are not all perky 34-Cs. Some are quite large and drooping. Such is not important. It is the excitement of being a bit risqué in a far away place.

Friday afternoon was Masquerade March time. Tourists and locals join together. Costumed, of course. A lot people. In the thousands. They march from the cemetery to Duval. It got so big several years ago that an extra route had to be added.

I have never done the Masquerade March. However, I have viewed it many times from a friend’s porch on Fleming Street. There are parties going on all over the routes of people observing and drinking. And cheering the marchers on.

The Masquerade March has been ongoing for more than 30 years.

The parade Saturday night was a big deal. Always.  A grand marshal, 50 plus floats, and 60,000-70,000 people watching. The floats loaded with scantily attired ladies. The floats throwing out beads to the viewers. Beads are everything! Yelling and screaming. Hands raised overhead to catch the beads.

I always wonder where the 60,000-70,000 people sleep. There are not that many beds between Key West and Key Largo. I suspect the beaches are full.

The grand marshal this year was Diana Nyad. The lady who recently swam from Cuba to Key West. A big deal in itself.

Diana has become a sort of folk hero already to Key Westers. The town has adopted her with open arms and she has done the same in return. Lisa and family were there to greet Diana when she landed on Smather’s Beach a month ago. Robert and Ally found the experience exciting. Both are serious swimmers.

Yesterday afternoon prior to the parade, Lisa took Robert and Ally to the Tropic Cinema to see Diana. The grandkids were thrilled. Even had their pictures taken with her.

In spite of my dragging ass, I did do my TV/internet show friday morning. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Based on subsequent conversations and emails, Social Security and the U.S. now being the biggest oil exporter world wide were the topics which garnered the most interest.

I keep hitting on the Social Security topic. Most people are unaware that the government has legally stolen $2.7 trillion dollars from Social Security and never paid it back. Social Security is the biggest creditor of the U.S. Not China or Japan.

Social Security is not broke. The U.S. is broke.

Angela Merkel continues to worry me. The woman is dangerous! An opportunist!

Merkel has known for several months that the U.S. was bugging German telephones and emails. She laughed it off each time the issue came up. Now she discovers that her cell phone was bugged. She is upset.

I think it is a too late phony reaction. What I perceive it to be is a reaction to the world perhaps now viewing the U.S. as a weakening power. The recent government shutdown being a major cause. If we cannot govern ourselves, how can we govern/guide the rest of the word.

So Merkel took the opportunity to take a shot at us. She is sending the German intelligence team over to talk with the U.S. Humiliating. The problem should have been taken care of behind closed doors.

I cannot really blame Merkel for taking advantage. I blame those who gave us the shut down debacle. Those who care little or not for the US.’s image. They are too wound up in their selfish ideological interests.

Syracuse did not play yesterday. Fortunately. They needed the extra week to recover from last week’s 55-0 beating. Hopefully, the remainder of the season will be better. I am a die hard fan. I have not been able to stop bleeding orange.

Enjoy your sunday!