ANNUAL PHYSICAL

Posted on by

I had the first part of my annual physical yesterday. Two hours. I will complete the physical next week with Dr. Jackie Lefferts herself. Yesterday, her staff mauled me over.

I have been doing an annual physical since I was 32. Now, 79. A lot of years. I was very sick when 31. Spent four months in bed. Turned me into a hypochondriac of sorts. I worry about my health probably more than most persons.

Physicals have developed over the years. Longer. More detailed.

We started with a urine sample. The nurse used to hand me the bottle and I understood what it was for. Now I get questioned first. Will you be able to do it?

Then an eye test. My eyes have been a problem my entire adult life. I jokingly always say I can’t see. A semi-true statement. I find as one ages, the eyes get better. Yesterday, I did the eye test without glasses and missed not one letter.

Blood pressure, weight, oxygen. My weight a disaster! Blood pressure under control. All the pills I take work.

An EKG. Followed by some kind of a test where both the nurse and I could hear my blood flowing. Tested at both ankles and arms. It was a gusher!

My blood next. I hate giving even a small amount of blood. When I was 21 and ready to marry, New York required a blood test. I passed out. Ever since, I think I am going to pass out again. I look the other way and close my eyes.

It has been years since blood has been taken from my arm. The veins are too soft and move around. It is now from the back of my hands.

The final test involved blowing hard into something. Purpose I assume was to test my lung capacity. You blow till you think your eyeballs are going to pop out.

Two hours of fun. None of it bothered me. However, I was tired when we were finished. I return next week for the results and some doctor prodding.

Stopped at Lisa’s afterwards for breakfast. I was starving.

As a result of the physical work up, I was late doing the blog. Started around noon.

Spent a bit of time in the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. All Ferguson! The show went well. I hit a lot of points big time radio and TV people do not touch. If you wish to listen, the show is archived and can also be found on Facebook and Key West Lou.

Per my usual tuesday pre-show custom,, dined at Roostica’s. Delicious buried in oil wings. Megan came from behind the bar to wait on me. She has taken me under her wing.

One of my observations re Ferguson is that a grand jury had not heard the case yet. Today one will start. I do not understand why we are now 11 days post the shooting and no arrests. If black Michael Brown had shot the white police officer, he would have been indicted by now and sitting in jail awaiting trial.

IS is crazy! They love to behead people. I read yesterday that IS beheaded 700 people in Syria the past two weeks. Last night’s news blew me out when I read IS had beheaded an American reporter who they have held captive for two years. Then posted the video on the internet. the reason given was in retaliation for the American bombings recently in Iraq.

Sick people!

Enjoy your day!

BOCCE…..WE FALTERED

Posted on by

There is a line in Peter Pan…..Dreams do come true. I don’t know.

All week my bocce team has been hyped about playing last night. We had come back from nothing by winning 8 of the last 9 games. We could be heading for the playoffs. We needed to win 4 of the last 6 games of the season.

We played three of those games last night. Against a team that had lost 9 straight.

They done us in! We lost 2 of the 3 games. Which means we have to win all 3 next week.

I was surprised at last night’s result. We were geared up and ready to play. Confident. It was kill time. We got killed!

I spent all of the day yesterday writing next week’s column for KONK Life. It is titled Misuse of Little Ones. The abduction of the 300 girls in Nigeria, coupled with the crucifixions and beheadings, including children, in Nigeria and Syria, motivated the article.

Yesterday was the 69th anniversary of VE-Day. Victory in Europe. The was against Germany was over.

I was ten years old at the time. The event sticks in my mind as if it were yesterday.

The news first came over the radio. No TV in those days. People rejoiced. They stood on their porches banging spoons against pots and pans. They cried. They yelled words of joy to each other. The streets flooded with people. Everyone crying. Everyone kissing.

There have been several wars since. I can recall no such rejoicing when each ended.

Speaking of anniversaries, today is the second anniversary of my Father’s death. He left us on May 9, 2012. He would have been 100 years old today. He had a good life. The second half was better than the first. I loved him and miss him.

Enjoy your day!

I DID IT AGAIN

Posted on by

It was after 6 last night and I was working away at friday’s tv/internet show. The phone rang. It was Don of Don and Chris. They were back in Key West for a few days. We had made tentative plans to meet at the Chart Room. Where was I? I begged off. Told him I had spent most of the day babysitting and never got to work on the show.

He told me Chris was concerned I was sick because I had not published my blog yesterday.

I forgot! This is the second time in two weeks it has happened. Old age is setting in!

Plain forgetfulness. In the seven years I have been doing the blog, I do not think I have missed more than six times.

My excuse a simple one. I had a 9 in the morning appointment with the foot doctor. No time to do the blog before. I intended to do it afterwards. Afterwards for the blog never came. Lisa telephoned and asked me to babysit. Robert and Ally were off from school. They take all of my attention when I am with them. The blog never entered my mind.

My apologies.

Chris was not the only one concerned. I went to my emails and found….. where is the blog?…..are you sick? inquiries from all over. Crete, Portofino, Falmouth, Toronto, Des Moines, and Syracuse. It is nice to know people care.

The grandkids and I did Pepe’s for lunch. Robert and Ally had never been there.

Tina bartends at Don’s outside bar several evenings. I discovered she also waits tables at Pepe’s. Has been doing so for 8 years. Some days she is up at 6:30 in the morning and not to bed till after 2 in the morning. Those days when she works both places.

Typical Key West. Everyone works 2-3 jobs.

I told Robert and Ally the pirate story associated with Pepe’s. I do not know if they believed me. Robert made mention that the construction of the building appeared more recent than the 1700s. An observant young man.

By the way, my foot appears healed. Boot and everything off. I have had no pain for a week. Ever since boot, etc. put on. Doctor says it was a tendon injury.

Late in the afternoon when I was free, I started working on friday’s show.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will be an especially good one this week. I am taking on the super markets. The prices keep going up. Corporate America now owns and operates huge ag-farms. Special laws have been passed to protect them from lawsuits for the food products they produce. Interesting information! Surprising!

I will also be discussing how lousy our economy is for the 99 per cent, some interesting Saudi Arabia information, how we upset Brazil, why Larry Summers dropping out was good for America, and more.

Join me. Ten in the morning Friday my time. Via television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Via the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

This morning’s Key West Citizen announced front page that Diana Nyad would be Grand Marshall of the Fantasy Fest Parade. Diana is the woman who recently swam from Cuba to Key West.

Bocce tonight! I can play! I missed not playing last weed. Besides the game, the comradeship combines to make bocce a fun evening.

The Seven Mile Bridge is a part of US 1. A part of the bridge was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1935. One of the worst. A category 5. Hundreds killed.

A portion of the old part of the bridge remains standing. The State has been caring for it. People use it for walks and biking. A popular place.

The State wants our county, Monroe County, to take over the bridge. Renovate and maintain it. The initial cost is projected at $62 million. I say, forget it! Let the bridge remain the State’s responsibility. And headache.

Enjoy your day!

SYRIAN SETTLEMENT, SUMMERS, NAVAL YARD SHOOTING…..TONIGHT

Posted on by

What a week! Already! Unanticipated developments world wide!

Tonight, I do my blog talk radio show. Come join me. It is simple to locate. Turn on your computer and enter www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. I will be there! At 9. A one half hour quick moving talk show. Listen to me via your computer as if it were a radio.

I will be discussing the folly of the Syrian settlement and why it will not work as anticipated, the good fortune for the United States that Larry Summers withdrew from Federal Reserve consideration, and the Washington Naval Yard shooting.

Spent yesterday researching and writing all day. Conferred with my publisher.

Last night was the Chart Room. David and I were at the end of the bar. I enjoy his company. We talked about everything from mountain bikes to billiards. We agreed to meet some Saturday afternoon soon at the Monkey Bar to shoot a few games. I have not played billiards since I was in high school.

Peter and Mary at the Chart room, also.

I was hungry. Craved a full meal. Went to Outback. A rib eye steak, baked potato with butter and steamed vegetables. I always smile at the inconsistency in my vegetables when I eat there. A baked potato buried in butter and steamed vegetables. I am satisfying my desire for the bad and need for the good when I eat them.

Enjoy your day!

BANDAR bin SULTAN

Posted on by

I spent the better part of Sunday yesterday working on my next KONK Life column. The one that will be published next thursday.

The article traces Bandar bin Sultan’s Middle East involvement and importance. He is part of the Saudi Arabia hierarchy. He has been a behind the scenes player in the Syria situation. Bandar is the man pulling the strings. The one seeking to orchestrate developments.

The column took six hours to complete. During that time, it was raining (actually pouring).

It was dinner time. I threw on my yellow slicker and headed over to Lisa’s for Sunday dinner.

Jake was not very welcoming. Our friendship may not be as solid as I thought. He was barking like crazy and confronted me in an attack mode. I think it was the bright yellow slicker. On the other hand, I thought dogs were color blind. I do not know why he did not like me. It took a while for him to settle down.

It was still raining when I left Lisa’s. I headed straight home. A little TV and then to bed.

A quiet day.

Tomorrow night my blog talk radio show! Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me. It will be a fast hard hitting half hour. Syria and Bandar bin Sultan will be discussed. As well as Larry Summers. I was glad to hear this morning that he had withdrawn his name from consideration to head the Federal Reserve. I have always thought Summers was out of step with the American people. He consistently favored the banks to the detriment of the public.

You can hear the show at www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

AN EXCITING DAY

Posted on by

Yesterday was far from exciting. The title misrepresents the day.

I went to the doctor for my ankle. I left his office with a soft cast from my toes to just below my knee. Covered with a couple of ace bandages. And a large black boot. The boot goes from my toes to just below my knee, also.

I have to live this way for one week. Boot comes off when I sleep and shower. One good thing. No pain since I got wrapped up and booted.

For those of you who have worn such a boot, you know it is heavy and uncomfortable.

Doctor said no fracture, no bone chip, no gout, and no shingles. Also, no arthritis. My thanks to all of you who were concerned and suggested such maladies. The doctor believes it is a nerve problem. Two nerves run right over the pain area.

I had planned on going out last night. It became too much work to get ready. I have to shower wearing a garbage bag kept tight with duck tape. I went to bed instead.

I have to record my tv/internet show this afternoon at 2. The TV station has yet to correct the cable problem preventing a live feed.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour will run at 10 tomorrow morning my time. As always, interesting topics. How I see the world. Subject matter will include my take on Syria, Obama blinked, Putin looking good, a chicken airlift, food stamp recipients up 13 million since Obama first took office, Chinese have language and sex problems, the Beatles and Key West, and more.

Join me. You will enjoy.

The show is available on television from Key West through Boca Raton on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. On the internet world wide. www.weyw19.com.

The show is also You Tubed 24 hours a day. Enter Lou’s Legal Hour.

No bocce tonight. One, I would get clay all over my toes, cast, and boot. The other is I would probably fall over at some point.

Enjoy your day!

PAIN!!!!!

Posted on by

My yesterday was not normal. I was in pain. PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!

The worse ever? I do not know. The previous big time bad occurred when my back went out and I suffer spasms for several days.

I have occasionally of late been getting a pain in my lower right ankle. On the outside to the rear of the ankle bone. A sudden sharp pain. Extreme. However, it went as soon as it came so I gave it no concern.

Yesterday, it came big time! From about one in the afternoon to late evening. Off and on. A wild pain in the area described. Lasted from 20 seconds to a couple of minutes. Let me say…..It hurt, I hurt!

After a while, a residual pain developed. The heel. It hurt to just walk to the bathroom.

This morning so far, nothing.

I called my doctor. I have a 4 o’clock appointment.

Due to the pain, I never left the house. I did not read or write. The pain was disconcerting. I could do nothing.

Ergo, I have nothing special to report. My day was spent in bed waiting for the next shot of pain to occur.

Let me share one thing I am sick of. Listening to the Syria talk. A mess!

Tonight, I have two things on the agenda.

I am babysitting. I will be with Robert and Ally from 6 to I do not know when.

I will be doing my Tuesday blog talk radio show, also. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I will be doing it from Lisa’s home. I will pack up and bring everything with me.

Robert, Ally, and Jake all go to bed at the same time. 8:30. Lisa says the grandkids can stay up till 9:30 to watch me do the show. Jake will probably be with us. I hope he does not bark.

Robert and Ally have been with me a few times when I have done my TV show. They quietly sit on high stools behind the camera and watch. After the show concludes, I let them get on camera a bit. They can see themselves on a screen. We take turns making believe the show is live. We interview each other. They love it!

Tonight’s blog talk radio show is interesting. I will mention Syria briefly and what I think about where we are at. Then some global cooling. You read it correctly. Cooling. The Artic was much colder last year. The ice bank grew. A bit about Saudi Arabia and their permitting death row prisoners to fight in Syria. Saved them from death by the sword. Plus more.

Join me at 9 this evening. A quick moving half hour of timely topics. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

WHERE DO I BEGIN…..

Posted on by

Several disjointed items to share.

Today’s blog is being done even later than yesterday. I was up and out very early this morning. A friend was in distress. Needed help. When I returned home, there was only time to shower and rush to the TV studio to do my show.

It was a terrific show! One of the best I have prepared!

No one got to see it, however.

Technical difficulties. Audio was good. No visual, however.

It was decided to record the show. Different equipment from televising. I started again. The show has been recorded. It will run on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 at 4:30 saturday afternoon and 3 sunday afternoon.

Sorry the show did not air today as scheduled.

A special sorry to Valarie from Delaware. Valarie wrote and said she would be watching the show. Valerie, I hope you can get to it this weekend.

The lead item in the show was the hacking of the New York Times website. Even more important than Syria from my perspective. I view hacking as the new way to wage war. The issue is sufficiently heavy in my mind that I have decided to do next week’s KONK Life column on it.

Bocce last night! We won all three games. Everyone was on. The courts swift. We destroyed the opposition. Humbled them.

You will recall we were destroyed last week. Badly. The team we decisively beat last night killed the team that beat us last week two weeks ago.

That’s bocce!

At the present, my television show is available in 325,000 homes. Beginning next week, that number increases to just under 600,000. My station is expanding its coverage area up through Boca Raton.

As you may recall, my tv/internet show is You Tubed. It has been You Tubed as part of the station and Jenna’s shows. I have graduated. I now have my own You Tube account.

Because of name problems, I cannot use Key West Lou as the site name. Lou’s Legal Hour is the title/name. Merely go to You Tube and enter Lou’s Legal Hour. There will be my shows standing alone. The past three weeks are in. Earlier shows will not be entered. However, they still can be viewed by entering the Key West Lou Legal Hour and searching for them from the station’s other shows and Jenna’s shows.

Please do not let me confuse you. Lou’s Legal Hour is solely for the purpose of going to my You Tube account. It has no other purpose. Key West Lou lives on!

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

WE LIVE IN CHANGING TIMES

Posted on by

I have gained a few pounds since I returned from Europe. It is not the eating. It is the lack of exercise. I walked a lot on the trip.

Guilt has been added to the pounds. I decided to walk yesterday. Did the Home Depot for a while.

I have been writing three books at one time for the past couple of years. One is a series of short stories. I wrote a new short story yesterday afternoon. It is the tale of a deaf man who heard for the first time at age 40. Touching.

Following which I spent some time reviewing and finalizing my notes for last night’s blog talk radio show. It is all in the refining.

The show went well. I had some technical difficulties at the beginning. Started about 3 minutes late. It could be me. Sloan will be here this afternoon and we will run through the get on the air process again.

Topics last night included transgenderism as a civil rights issue, the Syrian problem which began as a civil war and now has the added dimension of being an oil battle between certain world powers, China owning all pandas in U.S. zoos, and Florida’s proposal to urine test high school athletes.

If you missed the show last night, it is archived and available 24 hours a day. Merely go to www.blogtalkradio.com, hit the archive button and enter Key West Lou or Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

We live in changing times. Dramatically changing times. I fear that most world leaders and people do not realize it. There is a danger in failing to recognize changes which are rapidly occurring.

Two examples.

Syria. I say the United States should stay out. That is not the point of this comment, however. It is that our major support is from two nations who are no longer world powers. Great Britain and France. We are the only big guy left among the three. We must open our eyes and form alliances also with real major powers. The world is not only changing, it has changed.

The New York Times. I could not get into the Times on my tablet yesterday. I found out in the evening that it was off the air because it had been hacked. Hacked by the Syrian Electronic Army. The same army that successfully hacked in the recent past the Financial Times, the Washington Post, and Huffington Post. The same Army that sent out Twitter messages from Obama and Oprah Winfrey supporting Syria’s Assad.

The Times hacking and others mentioned are clear examples that wars need not be fought on battlefields to be effective.

Enjoy your day!

CHINA OWNS EVERYTHING

Posted on by

Joyous news! The giant panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a baby panda that survived! Weighed just under 5 ounces. Amazing that such a huge mother delivered such a small baby.

It is reported mother and child are doing well.

The delivery was at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

This is one of those did you know items. Were you aware…..China owns all pandas in United States zoos? China does. As well as us. The United States owes China so much money. We will never be able to pay it back.

Stopped at the Bank of America ATM yesterday. Out of order. I tried the drive in one and fortunately it worked. I was down to $2. I can recall an occasion when all of Bank of America’s ATMs in Key west were down. A tragedy.

Interestingly, Bank of America does not own and operate its ATMs. Nor do most banks. Brinks owns and operates them. I found out once when the ATM would not return my card. Bank of America was no help.

Stopped at Salute around 5 for a drink. A change moment.

Good crowd! Busy! Especially out doors.

I was impressed at the cost of my drink. $6 for a Beefeater on the rocks. Good sized. A bargain in Key West. Most places are in the $8.50-$10.00 range. Except for Don’s Place. $4.50.

Stopped next at Don’s. Only 5:30. Nate bartending. Only 4 people at the bar. I did not know any of them. Chatted with Nate a bit and left. Did not have a drink.

The Chart Room was next. Mary bartending. Me and tourists.

I enjoyed the parting conversation between two couples. They had made plans to meet tonight at Garden of Eden. They were all giggly and excited.

I have only been to the Garden of Eden twice in the many years it has been open. It is a clothing optional bar for adults on a roof top on Duval. I am a voyeur. I was disappointed. Never saw anyone without clothes! Not even a topless woman!

Since Larry Smith has stopped playing, I have not been to the Wine Galley. I walked to the back side of the Pier House to visit last night. The outdoor hostess asked if she could help. I asked if the Wine Galley was open. She said, yes. It is our formal dining room. She insisted on entering with me.

What a joke! A sad one.

The room is the same. Except for three tables and the piano. Gone. The room was deserted. It smelled strongly of disinfectant.

She was gracious. Asked if I wanted a drink. A bartender had suddenly appeared. I said thank you, but no. It would not have been the same.

The front page of this morning’s Key West Citizen had a photo of the drone the Mosquito Control Board is trying out. Small. Weighs only 2 1/2 pounds. I was impressed. Our Mosquito Control Board does a hell of a job. Were it not for them, people would find it difficult to reside in the lower Keys.

Another lapus lingua. I referred to Bradley Manning recently as Bruce Manning. Second time in a week I have made a mistake. The prior one was referring to George Clooney as Robert Clooney.

Dementia must be setting in.

Tonight Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. At 9. One half hour. Fast moving and interesting. Revealing on occasion, also. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I intend to speak about Bradley Manning and transgendedrism, China owning all pandas in the United States, and a proposal to urine test all high school athletes in Florida.

Join me.

Enjoy your day!