GEIGER KEY

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Bobby Mongelli owns Hogfish. Bobby Mongelli owns Roostica. Bobby Mongelli owns Geiger Key. The man is a genius! He deserves the success he is experiencing.

I lunched at Geiger Key yesterday. Keith is Bobby’s friend. Keith told me Geiger Key just got its liquor license. I had not been to Geiger Key in ten years. It will not be that long again.

The place is another Bobby Mongelli winner! A shack sitting on the edge of ocean  wetlands. A perfect site. Mongelli has expanded the seating considerably from what I recall ten years ago.

The food was the same as Hogfish. Exactly. Why change what works. I enjoyed fish and chips. Hogfish, of course.

The place is another Key West fun place. The people kept coming in. I could not believe the volume.

When I was last at Geiger Key ten years ago, I was with Howard Livingston. He was then a Chicago industrialist. Beardless, no mustache, no long hair. A conservative American!

We were both with our then wives. Time does bring changes. Howard has since divorced and remarried. To wonderful Cyndy. I too am divorced. Still alone, though.

We danced that night. Guess who was playing? Yankee Jack! His dog lying quietly in front of him.

Geiger Key is about ten miles up from Key West on US 1. There is a Shell station and large convenience store on the corner of Geiger Key Road. Take a right. About 1-2 miles down the road is the restaurant. About a 1,000 yards off the road. You will have to look for it.

I needed gas. I got it at the Shell station just mentioned. Explain the following to me. Regular was $3.70 a gallon at the Shell station at Key Haven. At the Shell station at Geiger Key Road, only $3.55. Ten miles made for a 15 cent difference? How we get ripped off!

Prior to going to Geiger Key, I took a ride on Stock Island. I was looking for the Stock Island Marina. Everyone is talking about it. Lovely! Terrific! Want to dock my boat there! All favorable comments.

I found the place way down on Shrimp Road. It was everything people had said. There are very few places on Stock Island that can be described as lovely. The marina is one of them.

I forgot yesterday to mention an interesting experience at bocce thursday night. I cut my index finger. By the nail. It kept bleeding. I did not have a band aid. I was drinking a Beefeater on the rocks. I stuck my finger in the cold gin. The bleeding stopped! Just like that! A new found cure! Additionally, my drink was now cranberry and gin. I threw it away, of course.

Matteo Renzi is the new Prime Minister of Italy. Latte resigned. Renzi was previously a mayor. He is 39. Renzi and Latte are of the same political party. Latte’s own party dumped him.

It will be interesting to see if Renzi can pick Italy up out of its economic doldrums.

A Milan friend wrote yesterday that American bonds are selling well in Italy. A recent thing. Italy is supposedly in recovery and is considered in some circles to be an emerging market. Another reason for the Italian investment is that South America is no longer considered a good place for one’s money.

I got into fracking yesterday afternoon. Spent several hours researching Florida and fracking. Fracking appears to be on the horizon. It is coming. Sooner to Florida than most think. Three counties are already doing it. Collier, Hendry, and Santa Rosa. Not yet Monroe.

I have a concern.

I am not opposed to fracking. We need cheap fuel, we need jobs. With appropriate safeguards, problems should be minimal. There will be problems. Nothing is without. The government has to strictly oversee and control the fracking.

My concern has to do with transparency. A bill recently came out of the Florida House’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee. The bill exempts from public disclosure the chemicals used in the fracking process. An immediate red flag! The public should be aware. Specify the toxins. Then all can make sure appropriate safeguards are put in place. To legislate silence is to tell Floridians that there is a problem and the government does not want you to know about it.

The people’s right to know continues getting kicked around.

Tonight, tonight…..Syracuse and Duke. At Duke. Seven o’clock. Should be a battle. It is a test of Syracuse, especially after Syracuse’s defeat this week at the hands of Boston College. I will be at Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub watching the game.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BOCCE PLAYOFFS THIS MORNING

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Big day!

Bocce playoffs this morning!

Whether we win is immaterial. We are thrilled to be in the playoffs.

We have been a team for about 8-10 years. Some additions and deletions along the way. We always got beat at the beginning. It takes 15-20 years as a team to become extremely good.

A few years ago, we came in last. The next season we came in 4th. Made the playoffs! A very big deal!

We got crushed that first time 16-0, 16-0. We did not score one point! We did not care. We were thrilled to be there.

Two seasons ago, we made the playoffs again. We won the first game, lost the second two. To the team that eventually won.

We have been making progress. Today, we hope to do better.

I enjoyed doing the Key West Lou Legal Hour yesterday on TV and the Internet. A professional setting. I have a producer and engineer.

Post show comment indicated interest/discussion involving two topics.

The first was the Chinese woman who sat on the toilet and ejected her new born baby into the toilet. The baby disappeared down the drain. Firemen saved the baby. I thought this was a unique situation. Turns out it was not. Several people told me it was common place and not newsworthy. Interestingly, one such comment came from an Italian viewer and another from a Chinese one.

Teen pregnancy and the rise of HIV among 13-17 years old drew much attention. A serious topic. A scary one.

The TV station is located at the beginning of Stock Island on Route 1. I decided to walk a bit of Stock Island immediately following the show. I walked streets rarely seen. Streets I had never seen when driving through Stock Island.

The streets were a disgrace. Monroe County should be ashamed that people are permitted to live in this fashion. I could not believe what I saw. Run down homes and buildings, filthy streets, on an island in between two rather nice living areas. Key West and Key Haven. There is no question affordable housing is needed.

Where is it? Why is  it not getting done?

Syracuse basketball last night. On ESPN, so I was able to watch from my bed at home.

Syracuse won 91-82. Beat Arkansas.

I was disappointed in the Syracuse team. They do not have it together yet. They were missing easy shots and having the ball stolen from them. Syracuse’s fabled zone was being penetrated. Except for a 12 point run in the middle of the second half, they did not look like a Syracuse team. Many times I thought Arkansas did.

Big sports day today. Bocce this morning. The Alabama/Georgia football game this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!