PIER HOUSE SOLD

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The rumors are true. The Pier House has been sold. For $90 million!

What a country, America!

It is worth every penny. A great top shelf hotel. Property and personnel the best.

I hope the new owners do not screw around with the Chart Room. It has been the same for 45 years. One of the last vestiges of the real Key West.

My day yesterday started with Tammy. A manicure at Lee Nails. Always a pleasure.

I received a haircut from Lori the day before. Both at the Lori’s place and Lee nails, there were obviously fewer customers. The same in restaurants and bars. A sign the season is over!

I spent an unusually long time in the afternoon writing next week’s KONK Life column. I titled it Avalanches, A Tsunami And Hot Water. A global warming piece. Similar to the segment I did on my tv/internet show in the morning. With additional facts added.

The Arctic and melting ice are prominent in the article. You will be surprised how much the Arctic ice mass has and does affect everyone in the northern hemisphere. Including Key West.

Greenhouse gases played a prominent role in the article.

This morning, I read in an Internet article that greenhouse gases are affecting the atmosphere at the highest level in years. It was announced by some organization  that studies greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide that carbon dioxide measured 400 parts per million. That is comparable to the stock market having hit 15,000 for the first time this week.

It was further reported that the level has been rising faster in recent decades because of the Industrial Revolution. Something we all knew.

I ate at the bar at Outback last night.

Tina recently reminded me that I was eating there again after blaspheming Outback in a blog a few months ago. I had concluded that Outback was charging an extra $5 for sides. I thought it was outrageous.

I was wrong and wish to publically acknowledge my error. I must have had one drink too many when I surveyed the menu the night in question. I made a mistake! Please……everyone…..enjoy dinner some evening at Outback. The prices are right and the food excellent.

I was at the Outback bar at 6. I planned on seeing the Gatsby movie at 7:20.

I only somewhat enjoyed the movie. The first half moved too slowly. The second half, fast! The acting was superb. Leonardo DiCaprio another version of Gatsby. He played the part well. The movie is worth seeing. I viewed the 3D version. The movie itself will not win an Academy Award for best picture. DiCaprio deserves to be nominated for Best Actor.

Benghazi continues to be in the news. A lot of nothing? A bit of something? I do not know.

What I do know is that the Republicans are being two faced. Typical politicians. The Democrats are equally as bad when they think they have an issue by the proverbial testicles.

Issa and other Republicans voted in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, which included funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions.

House Republicans voted to cut the administration’s request for embassy security funding by $128 million in 2011 and $331 million in 2012.

Just sharing.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour is being rerun today at 4:30. On television via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 all the way up through Miami-Dade County.

The show is now totally You Tubed. You can watch it there anytime.

I watched the rerun of my show yesterday morning. I was impressed! Excuse my modesty! It was entertaining. I was sad, happy, serious, and funny. I should be on television! Ho ho!

Enjoy your Saturday!

PIER HOUSE TO BE SOLD?

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I walked out on the deck first thing this morning. I could smell rain. It is coming. The sky is gray. The sun has difficulty breaking through. A rainy day will not hurt.

There has been a rumor floating about in Key West the past several months that the Pier House was for sale. The grand dame of Key West.

The rumor appears to have legitimacy. This week’s Keynoter reports a sale is imminent. A Dallas corporation is interested. The corporation presently owns Key West’s La Concha. The price is not known. It is thought that it will be in the $60 million area.

Dick Jacobs and his group have owned the Pier House since the 1980s. Jacobs is best known as the owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball tea. I recall several years ago that Jacobs was celebrating some event. He brought the whole Cleveland baseball team to Key West to party with him. The party was held in the Wine Galley.

Jacobs unfortunately died in 2009. His family has been operating the Pier House since.

New owners sometime mean changes. I hope the Chart Room and Wine Galley are left alone. You cannot make better what is already perfect. This includes much of the staff also.

Decided to go to the beach yesterday afternoon. Higgs Beach. Me, my sand chair, and towel. I was able to get into the chair with no difficulty. Getting out was another story. Oh, my back!

My back is actually much better. It generally only hurts when I sit in a straight backed chair or try to sit up in bed.

Stayed at the beach a while. Packed. Lovelies running in and out of the water. Good for my old eyes!

Grabbed a fish sandwich at Salute’s afterwards.

Dinner last night was with Lisa and the family. A good meal!

Jake is loved by the entire family and he loves them. What a lucky dog!

Jake and I are having bonding problems. I tend to move towards him too fast when I come in. He jumps and barks in defense. And he does not stop! I am going to have to crawl in on my hands and knees. My deep voice is a problem also. Lisa keeps telling me to talk soft.

My blog talk radio show tomorrow night. Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. Nine in the evening. www.blog talkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I am never sure what I am going to talk about till the last minute. News changes by the minute and my thoughts with those changes. Tomorrow’s topics may include the aftermath of the Boston bombings, the dirty Tulsa dentist who gave over 60 people HIV, the news that food poisoning is on the rise, and/or  kilt wearers having a higher sperm count. One of them, all of them. Whatever. Join me.

My friday morning Key West Lou Legal Hour is available on You Tube. The Tuesday evening blog talk radio show is archived. If you miss either show at the scheduled time, you can still catch it through either of these sources.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

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Key West is unique in many respects. One is the abundance of musical talent residing on the island.

Last night was the 29th Annual Christmas Concert. It is always held at St. Paul’s Church on Duval. A large Episcopalian church. The Concert is held on the altar. The pews the seating area.

All kinds of music are played. The connecting thread  being the Christmas season. The best of Key West’s best perform. Most are professional entertainers.

Included in the array were Larry Smith, Christine Cordone, Kathleen Peace, Peter Diamond, Carmen Rodriguez, JodyRae Campbell, Melody Coope, Michael Thomas, and Maj Johnson. They are all friends.

The Key West community turns out for the event. St. Paul’s normally holds 500 people. Extra chairs were provided last night. In addition, a huge number stood in the back of the Church.

It was Christmas! The feeling was there from the time one arrived till long after the Concert had concluded.

After the Concert, I headed over to the Pier House’s Wine Galley. It was Sunday night. The Larry Smith Sunday Showcase was being presented.

The Wine Galley was packed as St. Paul’s had been. Many of the performers from the Concert joined Larry. It was a gala evening! More Christmas singing plus.

It was joy to the world time!

Two songs played particularly affected me. By the manner in which they were sung. Jingle Bells was one. Performed by Christine Cordone and Kathleen Peace. The other was Oh Holy Night sung by Nancy K. Hoffman. Nancy sang the tune in Yiddish.

Steven the bartender sings also. He got involved.

My good friends and annual Christmas time visitors John and Allison Blenkinsoop were at the Wine Galley. They are from Leeds, England.

Tonight Santa Claus!

Santa is my personal friend. We talk via telephone with each other off and on during the year. As a special favor, he is coming to Lisa’s home at dinner time to sit a bit with my grandchildren Robert and Ally.

I have been doing this for years. Not only with Robert and Ally, but also with my children and other grandchildren. You can’t beat having Santa Claus for a friend in the eyes of the young ones!

Tomorrow at 7 in the morning my time, the Key West Lou Blog Talk Radio Show. One half hour. Via the internet. Need your computer and telephone. If you like, you can even call in and wish me a Merry Christmas, discuss current events, etc. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Join me with your egg nog and coffee.

Enjoy Christmas Eve!

 

 

 

WHY?

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Why?

That is the question yesterday, today and for many days to follow.

The title to Devon Corneal’s blog in Huffington Post says it best: The “…right to bear arms is not more important than a child’s right to grow up.” In the blog itself, Corneal stated  children are not “…shooting galleries.”

After yesterday’s events involving the Newtown school shooting, everything else seems unimportant. However, forward movement is required.

My TV/Internet show the Key West Lou Legal Hour went well yesterday morning. I got the attention of the ladies with my comments regarding Michigan’s proposed restrictions to a woman’s reproductive rights. The ladies were aroused!

Tonight, the Lighted Boat Parade! An annual Key West Christmas event. Boats decorated to the hilt with lighted Xmas decorations. Most having a Key West slant.

I could have watched the parade from the Pier House deck with lovelies Stephanie Kaple and Jean Thornton. I declined. Too cold and too late for me.

Tuesday morning my first blog talk radio show! I am excited! One half hour. Seven in the morning my time.

Disregard all previous instructions given. Tomorrow I will have a new and simpler set for you to listen and/or call in. Call in! If not, I am going to feel foolish not having any one to talk with on a talk show.

One of the topics will be the Newtown school disaster and Second Amendment gun rights.

Enjoy your Saturday!