A PLEASANT YESTERDAY

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Before getting into yesterday, let me tell you about today. This morning to be specific. It is absolutely beautiful outside! Calm everywhere. No breeze. The water a mirror. A blue and white sky. The MTV house across the way radiating.

If today ended at this moment, it would have been a perfect day.

My yesterday was easy going all day. Just flowed along from one pleasant experience to another.

Lunch at Roostica. With the grandkids. I was babysitting. I have to find a new word. Babysitting does not seem to fit any more. Robert and Ally are big. Ten and 9 respectively. They act like adults.

We decided to order two things and share. A meatball sub and four cheese pizza. We agreed the sub was outstanding. None of us were completely pleased with the pizza. One of the cheeses was gorgonzola. I enjoy gorgonzola on a salad. But heated and melted on top a pizza, too rich!

We tried to figure out what the cheese was that was adversely affecting the pizza. Robert came up with the gorgonzola

The grandkids wanted to make their own pizzas. Unfortunately, there was no room at the bar. Four other kids were seated making theirs. We agreed, another time.

Took a three hour nap in the afternoon.

Started my friday evening at Don’s Place. Always a good crowd fridays. Chatted at length with David. Hellos exchanged with Don, Hershel, Erika, Toni, and others.

Decided to grab the newspapers and have a quiet dinner at Tavern ‘n Town.

As I walked through the lobby of the Marriott Beachside, I ran into two of the nicest people in Key West. Mike and Tina. Love them both. Tina more. They had just finished dinner with friends.

The room was relatively quiet. I sat at the corner of the bar. A few locals nodded hello.

On the way into Tavern ‘n Town, I picked up a copies of this week’s KONK Life and yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. My reading material while eating.

Mike Emerson was playing the guitar and singing. I enjoy his work and him personally. He was playing Cole Porter’s Night and Day. A few days ago, I researched Cole Porter for one of my writings. The music was nostalgic. Not because I researched it. Because it brought to mind Cary Grant and Kevin Kline, both of whom played Cole Porter in separate movies. I preferred the Cary Grant one.

Harmony and Andrew were working the bar. Harmony took care of me so I did not have a chance to chat with Andrew. Perhaps next time.

I read my column in KONK Life each week to make sure there are no printing errors, phrases left out, etc. This week’s column involved the almost 50,000 children who made their way into Texas from Mexico. No mistakes present. A good column. Read it, if you have not.

Early on in this week’s edition, KONK Life had a questionnaire for two candidates for the school board. The first question asked of each was…..How old are you? One was 67 and the other 70.

I will be 79 in two weeks.

I thought how amazing it is that people our age are still out there functioning and doing things. When they say 70 is really 60, I think it might be 50. When I was must younger, I viewed the 60s and 70s as old disabled folk. Not necessarily so today.

KONK Life was followed by the Wall Street Journal. I rarely read the Journal. Too conservatively slanted from my perspective. I was glad I did last night. There was an Opinion article by Rand Paul. Not only do I generally disagree with the Journal, I also generally disagree with Rand Paul. Too far to the right.

The article was titled America Should Not Choose Sides In Iraqi’s Civil War. His thrust was that the United States should stay out unless there was a clearly defined objective and reasonable support from the American people. I totally agreed with what Rand wrote. A rarity. However when a person is right, his position cannot be disputed.

Another article in the Journal involved bocce. Bocce’s popularity is spreading. The Journal reported upscale new apartment buildings in New York City, Cambridge and San Francisco have bocce courts in addition to fire pits, swimming pools, and fitness centers. My Italian relatives of old would be both surprised and pleased.

Today should be fun. I have a pool party to go to this afternoon. I can’t wait. I look beautiful in a bathing suit! A joke, of course.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

UGLY…..

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Ugly. A descriptive title.

I was sitting at the bar at Roostica having dinner last night. The buzz centered around one thing. The shark caught off Stock Island earlier in the day. A goblin shark.

The shark was 18 feet long. Appeared to have a double head. Not really, however. It has a long snout. Underneath and hidden, a jaw that comes out like a second head. The jaw comes out when prey is about to be caught. Big teeth and all.

I say ugly because I saw a picture of the goblin shark caught. Nothing you would want to cuddle up to.

The story of its capture is most interesting. A shrimp boat caught it. Shrimp boats fish daily off Stock Island.

The shrimp boat had its nets down 2,000 feet scooping up shrimp. The net was heavy coming up. There it was! This 18 footer! No one knew what it was at the time. It was still alive. All the shrimp fishers knew was they wanted the thing off their boat!

One of the fisherman took his cell phone out and recorded the event. That is how a definite identification was made.

The fish is actually pink in color. Down 2,000 feet, it takes on a black hue.

Before the shrimp fisherman today, it is estimated there are only 10 people alive who have ever seen a goblin shark.

The goblin shark has been described as a living fossil. It is prehistoric looking. Especially its wicked teeth.

The fisherman who took the pictures is to be complimented.

The other fisherman threw the goblin  shark overboard. They hoisted it up and dumped it back into the ocean. They were not going to screw around with the ugly 18 footer!

I babysat yesterday afternoon. Robert, Ally and I did Burger Fi again. They loved the cheeseburgers the last time and wanted to return.

Some things are too difficult for me at 78. Don’t laugh. These machines where you fill your glass with ice and then your soda selection confuse me. I could not figure out the ice nor could I get diet Coke. I kept coming up with an orange drink. I told Ally, you do it for me!

After lunch, we stopped at Joy Gallery. Jim and Theresa Wallace there. Nice people. I am glad to have made their acquaintance.

Robert and Ally could not understand what I was talking about as we headed to the Gallery. They could not put together that my Barons were now hanging in a different place. When they saw them, they understood. They kept pointing out which had hung where in my home.

Crystal Marie is an avid fan of this blog. She was in Key West yesterday to be married. Two in the afternoon at Smathers Beach. She invited me via e mail yesterday morning to stop by if I could. I could not because of the babysitting. Crystal Marie, many congratulations! Next year when you return to celebrate your first anniversary, we will get together.

Tonight, Montessori! Robert and Ally’s school. There is an open house at 5.

Robert and four other classmates designed and built a 9 hole miniature golf course. Even goes upstairs, Robert says! You have to putt the ball uphill from the first to second floor.

Don is coming with me. He is interested, as I am, in the type of job the kids did. Don’s Second Annual Miniature Golf Tournament will take place next year. Don says if the kids did a good job, he might hire them. For real!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

CASSATA

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Italian ricotta cake. I mentioned it yesterday as an Italian Easter favorite. I was not sure of its spelling, so I spelled it phonetically. I even added in brackets afterwards that “gzzad” might not be the correct spelling.

I have been buried in comments. Some from those who could not find it on the internet under gzzad. Most telling me it is called cassata.

What can I tell you? I have eaten cassata every Easter until recently. It was pronounced in my family  with a “d” at the end.

I thank those who corrected me.

I learned something new, also. Cassata is a southern Italian dish. Primarily, Sicily. Its source was outside Italy. Two are suggested. One is an Arab influence deriving from the Muslim Middle Ages. The other Greece. My Greece!

Recall my writings several times in the past that I thought southern Italian cooking had a great Greek influence. It may have with the cassata.

Cassata existed even before the Roman empire. It was a favorite of Magna Grecia, the Greeks living in Sicily. The Greeks who immigrated to southern Italy to establish Greek bases of commerce. They intermarried and remained. Greek customs became established and blended with Italian ones.

Cassata is probably a blend of Muslim and Greek influence. Perhaps Greek alone. Besides the Italian cassata, there is to this day a Greek cassata. It is known as Greek cassata cake.

Celebrated Easter Sunday with Lisa and the family. Brunch at Lisa’s. A big ham and everything that goes with.

It was a last minute thing on my part buying the grandkids Easter baskets. Publix was closed. Walgreen had one. Note, one. A big one. $20. Very little candy. A lot of games. I had no choice. Bought it.

I thought Robert and Ally would be disappointed. To the contrary, they were overly excited. The games! They did not care there was little candy and they were glad to share the basket.

I did good! By accident.

I spent the afternoon working on tuesday’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Great topics. Some revealing. Like Catholic Church activity not founded in the Bible, world banks wanting water to be privatized, China becoming the most Christian nation in the world, America’s 5 per cent population world wide using 50 per cent of all pharmaceutical drugs, and more.

Took a ride to Smathers Beach later in the afternoon. Private enterprise has taken hold. Lounge chairs and umbrellas are available to rent. White lounges with bright blue mattresses in a straight line as far as the eye could see. Reminded me of most European beaches where lounges and umbrellas are laid out in a similar fashion.

Conch Republic festivities began. Saturday the Queen Drag Race down Duval. In heels! Yesterday, Conch Cruiser Time. Cars and motorcycles painted wildly.

I mentioned yesterday some Italian friends who were celebrating the holiday at their Swiss type chalet near the top of Mount Santa Maria Maggiore in Italy. Twenty inches of freshly fallen snow!

What I did not know and learned after the blog had been published is that one does not drive up the mountain to the chalet. Cars are parked in a valley below. A cable car is taken to the top of the mountain. Cool!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BACK HOME IN UTICA

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My personal weather vane was working this morning. One hour ago I got up. The sun was shining. A relatively blue sky. But…..the wind was coming from the south. My palm trees were bending north.  Ripples in the pool were running north.Meant rain!

The weather report mentioned no south wind. Only a WNW one. Also, no rain.

It is now one hour later. It is pouring. Big time! My internal south wind barometer never fails.

Yesterday was fun filled.

Lunch with Robert and Ally. I decided on Burger Fi. They had never been. I told them we were eating cheeseburgers and french fries. They were game!

I know. I gave up on Burger Fi. However, thought I would give it another shot. I was pleased. The burgers were fantastic this time!

Robert and Ally agreed. They said…..Best cheeseburgers and fries ever! They are the experts!

I had a five o’clock visit with Dr. Mc Ivor, my heart doctor. The echo test I took a week ago came out ok. My heart problems had not progressed.

I worry about the aortic aneurysm. Mc Ivor worries about the aortic stenosis. He’s the doctor so I guess I should worry about what he does.

Went straight from Dr. Mc Ivor’s office to the Chart Room. I needed a drink.

Last night was one of the best times I have had at the Chart Room. Met some great people.

The Chart Room was quiet. Sheila, Emily, and another couple. We all started chatting. The gentleman was originally from Utica.

His name is Rocco Maggiore. Lived on Van Buren in Utica. He was with his friend Wendy from Central Square outside Syracuse. Rocco now hails summers from Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks and winters Jackson Hole. He labels himself a ski bum. Whatever, sounds like a good life. Almost as good as mine in Key West.

Rocco and I spent an hour sharing Utica and Utica character stories. We both knew or were familiar with the same people. It was a wild conversation! Sheila and Emily were wide eyed during most of it.

Rocco has visited Key West several times. He was leaving for Syracuse last night. Driving. I look forward to running into Rocco and Wendy again next year.

Rocco and Wendy left. David and Rhonda came in.

Another great couple!

David and Rhonda are from Birmingham. Alabama graduates. I was hoping Jean Thornton would pop in. Jean is from Birmingham and a die hard Alabama fan, also.

David is a retired hospital administrator. Rhonda works for a greeting card business. They have visited Key West several times. Rhonda made noises about perhaps settling here. They visit each year at this time.

Best yet, David and Rhonda read my blog! Love them!

I enjoyed their company. Hope to see them once more before they leave.

Where to eat? I could not make up my mind. Ended up deciding to go home and feed myself. As I turned the corner onto Route 1, I decided to stop at Marriott’s Tavern ‘n Town. Glad I did.

I enjoyed a small pizza and drink at the bar. Met a new Tavern bartender. Harmony. A lovely young lady. Said hello and chatted briefly with an old friend, Andrew.

Mike Emerson was playing and singing. He has been doing so at Tavern ‘n Town for four years. I enjoy listening to him. He came over during break and we had a terrific conversation involving Key West. Mike is a talent and nice guy all wrapped into one.

The Conch Republic Independence Celebration is about to begin. A week long event. The best part is the Great Naval Sea Battle next friday night. Weapons include marine grade toilet paper. Means biodegradable. Unfurling toilet paper rolls are bombs dropped by the Conch Republic Air Force’s bi-planes.

Since tomorrow is Easter, today is egg coloring. Love it! Always enjoyed it with my children. I am enjoying it a second time around with Robert and Ally. I hope to join them for the egg coloring. I am a kid at heart. It all depends on timing. Robert and Ally’s timing. They have become old enough to have schedules and I must fit into theirs.

Enjoy your day!

 

TONGUE IN CHEEK

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Yesterday’s blog was entitled Breasts Neither Genitals Nor A Sex organ. The article was concerned with Fantasy Fest and nudity. What a reaction! Based on comments received, many enjoyed the breast analysis by Key West officials. Which proves most people get a healthy laugh out of a bit of nonsensical sex talk.

Finally! Robert and I sat down at Lisa’s kitchen table to look at my photos of Greece. Ally joined us for a short while. She is a year behind Robert and not into Greece yet. Her attention span was limited.

Out of over 300 photos, I only shared a dozen with Robert. Ones having to do with the Parthenon, Acropolis and Hadrian’s Library. He already knew from school half of what I talked about. He enjoyed viewing those places. He further enjoyed the other half as I presented those with short side stories added. He was particularly taken with the first photo. Louis standing near the top of Acropolis with the Parthenon above my left shoulder. No question Poppa had been there!

Lets skip over to China for a moment. Three years ago, I started  warning in writing and on my TV show that China was on the bubble of a big bust. Though China’s problem had to do with  real estate, it was not exactly similar to the U.S. mortgage problem.

China does things in a strange way. China wanted a middle class. What they did was provide educations cheaply and then good paying jobs on a volume basis. The emerging middle class was earning unwarranted big bucks.

A middle class needs housing. China built tons of houses. There were not enough people to buy the houses. Many lay empty for years while the building never the less continued. They still lie empty. The same with office buildings. Huge ones constructed. Floor space never rented.

I predicted the bubble would burst and in a few years there was a good possibility China would be in trouble. The trouble has begun. China is cracking. As predicted, the bubble is bursting. I have a curious concern. The U.S. owes China lot of money. What happens if China demands payment? We do not have the resources to pay back. An interesting scenario in the making.

Keith went in the pool yesterday to remove the umbrella and ceramic jar. The weather was cold. The water freezing. The umbrella easy. The ceramic jar full of water and difficult to remove. He got it all done, however. Thank you Keith!

The same storm this past week that knocked the umbrella and chair into my pool, broke free from its mooring an unoccupied sailboat. The sailboat drifted into the waters off Key Haven Road and snapped and burned the electric cable.

Keys Energy spent $1,200 repairing the cable. They are now seeking the identity of the owner of the sailboat so they can recover the monies.

This morning’s Key West Citizen reports the Island House is for sale. Something in the $13 million area. Well worth it! I unfortunately have never visited the Island House. It is purportedly Key West’s premier gay guest house. Extremely well run I am told. The two men who own it have done an outstanding job creating a glamour spot for their guests. I will not be surprised if the Island House sells for the asking number or close to it.

Speaking of sales, there is an open house today from noon to 4 at my home in Key Haven. I am not leaving Key West. Merely wish to size down. I now live in 3,300 square feet alone. Too much house for one man. My intent is to move somewhere near downtown Key West into a small apartment. I want to walk or ride a bicycle  wherever I go.

Syracuse this afternoon at 2. Against Florida State. Florida State a one point favorite. I have no further comment to make. I will watch and cheer my team on.

I will be watching the game at Don’s Place.

Interestingly, the regular season ends today for the ACC and Syracuse. Wednesday is the start of the ACC tournament. Then the big tournament. Two weeks ago, Syracuse was touted as a #1 seed in the big show. After losing 4 of the last 5 games, sports writers are describing Syracuse as a hopeful #3 seed.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

LEARNED AS CHILD, FORGOTTEN AS ADULT

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Blog is being written late today. It is noon. Sorry. I had an early morning appointment in Key West which took up most of the morning.

Mandy Miles is a colorful writer. She pens a column each Sunday for the Key West Citizen. Front page. Always interesting.

Yesterday’s was titled Who In their Right Mind?

Mandy was at the corner of Duval and Caroline. Her car had the light. Someone walked against the light in front of her. Fortunately, Mandy was paying more attention than the pedestrian and no accident occurred.

Mandy was sufficiently upset to write the column mentioned. She referred to the walking wrongdoer as a color blind pedestrian.

I want to add my two cents to her comments.

What I am about to say pertains to locals and tourists alike. As adults they have forgotten the rules of the road they learned when young. Simple things. Like look before you cross.

Pedestrians forget there are cars on the road. As mentioned, they rarely look before crossing. Bicyclists are equally as bad. Guilty of all the same things as pedestrians, plus running stops signs and lights. Mopeds are guilty of everything. However, on a lesser scale.

Driving a car downtown can be a nerve wracking experience. I drove a cab in New York City while in college. It was a hell of a lot easier than driving Key West streets.

I rarely agree with Key West Citizen editorials. Yesterday, I did. The Citizen said it was time for America’s iron curtain to fall as regards Cuba. I have written and spoke recently to the same effect. Enough of the punishment. What happened was 50 years ago. It is time to end the embargo and travel restrictions.

I can understand the pain of the families who were forced to flee Cuba and who came to our shores penniless. That was two generations ago. The Cuban society succeeded. It is time to move on.

Bebe Rebozo. A name I have not heard in years. Bebe was President Nixon’s buddy. They traveled and fished together. Most of the time in south Florida.

I read this morning that Bebe bought a home in Key West some fifty years ago. An old conch house at 513 Whitehead Street.

Robert and Ally came over yesterday. To swim. The pool is not heated. It did not bother them. Ally wanted to go in the canal, also. Not yesterday. No one wanted to go in  with her.

It was close to the mid 80s yesterday and very humid. Great February weather! Jake looked like he could not handle the humidity. He stayed inside my air conditioned home with me. This was the first time Jake had been permitted to roam free in the house. He appeared hesitant to move about. Lisa carried him from room to room on the first floor acclimating Jake to the house. Everything was fine thereafter.

I had a dinner date tonight. Key West’s Shoe Girl Stephanie Kaple. I was unaware Syracuse was playing this evening. Called Stephanie to cancel. This is the second time I have. She knew when she heard my voice that I was backing out. We have rescheduled for Wednesday evening.

Syracuse and Maryland at 7. At Maryland. We lost 2 games last week. We have lost a total of 2 games. Maryland has lost 12. Means nothing. Boston College that had lost 19 beat Syracuse earlier last week. I suspect/hope that Syracuse will be sufficiently aggravated over the losses and come out strong against Maryland.

I will be watching the game at John Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub.

Enjoy your day!

MARY AND MIKE FROM BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI

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Sean Kinney likes to write. It is his career, his job. He is the Miami Herald’s man in Key West.

I met Sean’s parents yesterday. Second time. Last year, also. Mother Mary and I chatted at the bar. I could see Sean in her. Her mind, her love of  reading, etc. She was interested in my recently published book The World Upside Down. Had me write the title on the back of a bar bill so she could order it. Love you, Mary!

Met Sean’s Dad at the table. Unfortunately, we only had time for a quick hello. Sean and Katherine were taking Mary and Mike to dinner at the Conch Republic.

Mary and Mike reside in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mary said she caught my blog talk radio show a few times in Biloxi.

That was last night. I spent most of Sunday writing this week’s KONK Life column. Guaranteed you will enjoy! It is a mixture of Columbus, Ferdinand and Isabella, Plato, and Aristotle. The story of a gigantic lie perpetrated on us by ignorant politicians.

I planned on meeting Peter Max yesterday. He was at an art gallery from 1-4. My day was too full. Never made it. By the time I finished the KONK Life column, it was after 5.

This is Quantum Key West Week. Top shelf sailing. The world’s finest professional sailors crewing for captain’s of industry. Big money sport enthusiasts. As exciting as the sailing may be, it is going to be especially uncomfortable out on the cold Atlantic and Gulf. No matter how well dressed everyone may be!

Busy day today. Sloan at 10. Lunch with Guy de Boer. Dinner with the grandkids. I am taking Robert and Ally out. Just the three of us.

My blog talk radio show tomorrow night at 9. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Topics will include a stupid Florida gun law, Hawaii battling genetically modified foods, the NSA bugging Congress, a further example of bank hypocrisy, the Christopher Columbus lie, the NSA being able to get your medical records without authorization, and more. Revealing information!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

MY 15 MINUTES UP

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My 15 minutes of notoriety are gone. This week’s KONK Life hit the stands yesterday. There is a new face on the cover.

I once again thank Guy de Boer for featuring me on last week’s cover. Every where I went, people mentioned it to me.

I wrote about condoms and government waste yesterday. I spent time researching the issue in detail yesterday afternoon. My thought was to do next week’s KONK Life column on condoms and government waste. The research educated me. I learned a few things I was previously unaware of. I also realized there was not enough background material upon which to build a newspaper article.

Some pieces of unrelated information stuck out. Permit me to share them with you.

1. The grant was made to a Georgia condom manufacturer. I tried to figure out the name. Turns out there are several condom  manufacturers in Georgia. Maybe Georgia is the condom capital of the world.

2. Trojan manufactures 75 percent of all condoms. Whether in the United States or world wide, I could not figure out.

3. Trojan produces 1 million condoms a day. I did not realize there were that many in use.

4. China and India are the biggest users of condoms in the world.

5. The government grant was to design condoms in various sizes. Like 95, I read some where. I thought this better fit thing was baloney. Turns out it is not. There is a problem. Especially among African-American men. It is claimed they have more problems with fit and feel than Caucasians. The result is condom failure while in use.

I babysat late yesterday afternoon and into the early evening. Robert had fallen behind in his homework. Lisa’s marching orders to me were to keep him working at his homework…..do not believe him if he says he’s done. I did not have to follow instructions. Poor Robert stayed buried at his desk working hard. Ally had no homework. She watched TV with me.

Jake got into the picture. He likes me. He was up on the couch lying next to me. Of course, I had to rub his head and back.

Stopped at Don’s Place afterwards. Several people commented in effect that my picture was all over town. I suggested they should buy the book.

Chatted a bit with Don, Jimmy, Hershel, Rob, Frankie, and Grant. Grant is the Bad Boy Burrito cook. Soon to be famous when the cooking show that filmed him airs.

You can tell bocce is around the corner. It is THE topic of conversation. We have too many players, who should play the first game, do we want to win or have a good time, etc. Don, Frankie and I had the discussion last night.

It was an early evening. I was home in bed by 9.

Enjoy your day!

CHRISTMAS DAY

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A late morning brunch at Lisa’s Christmas day. The grandkids all excited. Ran outside to greet me when I arrived exclaiming…..Santa brought us new bicycles for Christmas!

That is what it is all about.

Brunch was everything! And then more!

After brunch, I remained at Lisa’s to do yesterday’s blog. My computer kaput again. The old computer at home is only good for research and reading. I cannot type on it.

I returned home early afternoon. My Christmas day was done.

I am writing/researching two books at the same time. One of them includes Lyons, France during World War II. I was into Lyons yesterday big time. The underground blowing up roads and bridges, killing specific German officers, identifying collaborators, getting into Gestapo maintained prisons to save people, and the torture and execution of underground members.

Christmas greetings were received yesterday from all over the world. Included in the group were Rita from Calitzdorp, South Africa, Anna, Antonio and Miriam from Novara, Italy, Flora from Albania, and Jenna from Indiana. Several were received from various parts of Greece.

The world keeps getting smaller.

Christmas has changed over the years. This Christmas was different from the Christmas of my youth. As many have been over the years. Square One’s Carmelo and I had this discussion last week. Nothing is the same. The only constant seems to be change. With everything.

I asked Novara’s  Anna what Northern Italians eat on Christmas day. Not a turkey. Beef is a rarity. The traditional choice is a capon.  The denutted/castrated male chicken. Big breasted, much meat. Tender and juicy.

Anna told me she boils the capon. What a waste, I thought. Why not stuff it and shove it in the oven? Not the custom, I was told. The capon is boiled and then served covered with milk. She claims it tastes good!

My grandmother would prepare two capons on the holidays. They were cheap to buy. Meat never saw any table I was at back then. I assume because of cost.

There were no Publixs or Winn-Dixies back in the late 1930s and through the 1940s. Chickens were purchased at a chicken store. There were three within a four block radius of where we lived. Only chickens sold. The customer picked out the chicken desired. All chickens were live. A person working the store would take the chicken behind the counter and start the process. It began with chopping the poor chicken’s head off.

I have no idea where a person in the United States would buy a capon these days.

Tomorrow is my TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. In addition to the items forth yesterday, I am going to talk about the VA hospital that refuses to accept Christmas cards with the word Christmas anywhere thereon. No Merry Christmas at that VA hospital! Stupid political correctness. A step too far. Not representative of the United States I grew up in.

Another issue involves genetically modified fruits and vegetables. The big corporations who own the mega farms are pursuing legislation permitting their label on the foodstuffs to read “Natural.” If successful, the U.S. will be the only country in the world to so do. All other countries label genetically modified foods as being genetically modified.

The show is at 10 in the morning my time. It can be viewed on television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. The show is also available worldwide via the internet. www.weyw19.com.

Enjoy your day!

A WONDERFUL DINNER PARTY

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The dinner party I attended last night was one of the best. I have gone to many. This one turned out to be special. From the people to the food to the conversations.

Larry and Christine Smith were the hosts. The party at their lovely home. About 20 people. Christine dressed in season attire. A red dress and Santa cap. A  great hostess. The martini glasses were chilled. I was impressed.

There was one more hostess. Kathleen Peace. Kathleen is visiting and staying for a few days with Larry and Christine. Kathleen did the cooking. Everything tasty. Especially the best chicken I ever tasted which turned out not to be chicken. It was pork! At that point, I only had had one drink.

Kathleen prepared a special sauce. It would have made steak taste like chicken! She cooked the roast seven hours.

I was back at the buffet table for my second helping of the “chicken.” Kathleen was nearby. I told her the best chicken ever! What chicken, she asked. I pointed. She laughed. It’s pork!

John and Ali are visiting Key West once again. They come every year at this time for one month. They reside in Leeds, England. Great people.

Larry is getting along well. He can stand. He can walk with a cane. He is driving. Still in pain on occasion.

There came a time when there was only Larry, Don, and I sitting outside by the pool. Don and I had overstayed our welcome. Everyone else had left. The three of us were having a fun conversation. A lot of Roger Bell talk. I knew I should have left earlier when Kathleen came out of the kitchen and announced she was going to bed.

The party conflicted with the Christmas Boat Parade. I made the wise choice. As good  as the boat parade generally is, the party was much better.

I babysit today at noon. Lisa is going Christmas shopping for Robert and Ally. Gifts from Santa Claus. They still believe.

I never made it to the turtle event yesterday. A once very sick turtle now healthy was being returned to its natural habitat. The Atlantic. I did find out the turtle’s name. Hunter. The Turtle Hospital people want Hunter to go forth and make baby turtles. For real. It is the season.

Enjoy your Sunday!