KEY WEST 3 BEDROOM APT…..$63 PER MONTH

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A 3 bedroom apartment in Key West for $63 per month! Impossible! There was a time, however.

The Florida Keys History Section of the Sunday Key West Citizen said it was so 50 years ago. In 1964, there was a 3 bedroom for rent at 16th Street and Duck Ave.

Those were the days! No more! Never again!

Mandy Miles writes a column for the Sunday Citizen called Tan Lines. She wrote yesterday about her experience playing bocce for the first time thursday evening. No way, I thought! Thursday is a league night. Outsiders are not permitted to play.

She was speaking the truth. She played at Turtle Krals. Turtle Krals has constructed two bocce courts. I have to go down sometime this week to see them.

Speaking of bocce, my team played yesterday afternoon at 4. A make up game. It was hot!!! Too hot!!! I left immediately following the second game. My end of the court was a furnace. A building blocking the ocean breeze and no shade. Knocked me on my ass. I was sweaty and did not feel right. Drove home and fell into bed. Air conditioning! Nothing like it! As soon as I had the energy, I took a cool shower.

We won the first game, lost the second. I played the second. I do not know how we fared in the third.

Sunday’s Key West Citizen contained all kinds of goodies. One involved the first US Coast Guard Station located in Key West. 1824. That far back. A 63 foot Coast Guard schooner named the Florida sailed into the Port of Key West.

Florida State Judge David Audlin is retiring next month after eight years on the bench. I met Judge Audlin socially just after he was elected the first time. We became friends. He used to invite me to his office for coffee. If I had been a practicing attorney, it would not have been possible.

Judge Audlin has a special distinction. He was the first openly gay attorney to be elected Judge in the State of Florida.

My friend, I wish you a happy and healthy retirement.

I was glad to see the code violation charges against the White Street Station dismissed. The City is appealing, however.

The White Street Station is owned by the same people who own Michael’s Restaurant and Dennis, a former manager of Michael’s. All good people. Not the type who would flaunt the law.

Key West is a wonderful place. However, it has many warts. One is the fervor of the City Commission. An overly enthusiastic fervor! There is an ordinance for everything. Too many, in my opinion.

A new noise ordinance has just been adopted. The old one was not working as intended. This one will not either. Some things cannot be law driven.

The Wizard of Oz is 75 years old this year. It hit the movie screens for the first time in 1939. I can remember watching the movie at the Rialto Theater in Utica. I was four years old. Since, my children and grandchildren have all watched it. All of us several times. Everyone several times.

On May 14, another Oz movie is coming out. The Legend of Oz. Dorothy and Toto return! New adventures await them!

I visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC last summer. Displayed were Dorothy’s red shoes.

I read a lot. I learn things I was unaware of. Yesterday, tombstones.

I thought tombstones were placed over a grave to identify who was buried under it. Originally, no. Tombstones were originally placed on plots over the dead so that the deceased could not come out and harm the living.

I visited for several summers Block Island. It is off the coast of Rhode Island. There was an old Indian cemetery. Each grave was covered with a large stone. No markings on the stones, however. I always wondered why no names were etched on the stones. Now I know. To keep the dead under the ground!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

YESTERDAY A BANQUET

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Auntie Mame said…..Live! Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!

I had a banquet day yesterday. No hell raising and drinking. I spent the day with family. Lisa, Corey and the grandkids.

I joined them at the new Oz movie.

Robert insisted he had to sit next to me. I was pleased.

The movie was not a remake of the old one. No Dorothy and no Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It kept touch with the old but was a new tale all together.

I did not enjoy the first part. Fell asleep. Robert had to wake me. The second half I have to admit was exciting.

The movie is done in 3D. I had only seen one 3D movie prior to yesterday. The House of Wax back in 1953. I was a senior in high school at the time. Today’s 3D is much better and far more advanced than what I saw back then. As it should be.

The movie I saw in 1953 starred Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk and Carolyn Jones.

Charles Bronson had a part. He was Igor. Igor was comparable to the guy that ate flies in the Dracula movies. Charles Bronson was not Charles Bronson at the time. He had not yet achieved stardom. He was listed in the credits as Charles Buchinsky.

Carolyn Jones later achieved big time notoriety starring in TV’s The Addams Family which had a long television run.

Frank Lovejoy was a dramatic actor. Primarily a second banana, he did star in several movies.

I met Frank Lovejoy two days before he died. It was 1962. I was a young lawyer. Twenty seven. I was in New York City on business. It started to rain. I ducked into the Hotel Warwick to get out of the rain.

The Warwick was a hotel that theatrical people frequented.

The bar was small. I entered. Seated at the far end of the tinyl bar was Frank Lovejoy. I recognized him immediately. We sat and talked for an hour. A nice guy. Soft spoken.

I read in the newspaper three days later that Frank Lovejoy had died the night before of a heart attack.

It was ice cream time after the movie! Robert and Ally both wanted a Mr. Softee. A new place near the theater. Robert, Ally and I had cones of soft chocolate. Corey and Lisa wanted nothing.

Then it was back to Lisa’s for the day. We had done the one o’clock show. It was now around 3:30.  Read the Sunday newspapers, watched Tiger, and fell asleep while doing so.

Dinner was outstanding. As usual.

On the way home, I stopped at Publix. Needed food again. It is not that I eat that much. It is that I do not buy enough.

I pulled into a check out counter and was surprised. An old friend was waiting in front of me. Dottie. We had not seen each other in at least six months. I enjoyed talking with her.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesday evening is my blog talk radio show. Available only on the internet. At 9 in the evening. One half hour long. Discuss current events. Listeners can call in. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Join me. I guarantee you will enjoy.

Topics being discussed will include why I believe Obama is hated by so many. An interesting item.

My big thing for today is the dentist. Will it ever end?

Enjoy your day!

GLORY OF CUBA

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The loss of an hour will bother me for a few days…..such is my nature!

Key West’s daily local newspaper is the Key West Citizen. It regularly prints on page 2 Today in Key West History. Yesterday, it mentioned that in 1896 Juana Borrero Pierra, poetess, Cuban patriot and painter, died in Key West at the age of 18.

My curiosity was aroused. Eighteen? I had never heard of her.

I did some research. Her story is a must to be told.

Juana was Cuban by birth. A writer. A poet. She wrote her first poem at 4. Her first published poem was at 14 in the literary magazine La Habana.

Cubans had desired independence from Spain for years. Minor rebellions would start up and stop. In 1895, Cuban rebels were on the move once again. The fight for independence was reignited.

Juana and her family had to leave Cuba immediately following the failure of the insurgency. They were part of the rebel group.

They fled to Key West.

Juana wrote five volumes of poems. One poem was Los Proscriptos. The poem described her last night in Cuba. Most of her other poems described the pain and loneliness of exile.

Juana’s works became popular with Cuban exiles in the late 1950s and early 1960s who were forced to flee Castro’s Cuba.

Juana died of typhoid fever at the age of 18. She was buried in the Key West Cemetery. Her final resting place became lost, so to speak. It could not be recalled specifically where within the cemetery she was buried. Her place of rest was finally discovered in 1972. Her remains were exhumed and buried in a special vault. The caption on the vault reads Glory of Cuba.

As mentioned yesterday, the reaction to my TV/internet show as to why Obama is so hated were well received. I wrote my thoughts up for publication in next week’s KONK Life. Yesterday people were still talking to me about my Obama dissertation. I decided therefore to publish next week’s KONK Life article immediately on Amazon Kindle. Which I did.

Syracuse lost again! Decimated by Georgetown! By around 20 points.

The second half was especially discouraging. Georgetown made Syracuse look like it had never played the game before yesterday.

I have been saying off and on this season, that Syracuse was not the same quality team as in previous years. I am sorry to say it appears I was correct. I hope I am made to look like an ass and Syracuse wins the Final Four!

Georgetown looked great! Like a #1 seed for March Madness.

There was a touching moment at the end of the game. John Thompson, Jr. sought out and found Jim Boeheim. They embraced. Better said, Big John engulfed little Jim in a bear hug!

Two giants who were there at the beginning of the Big East more than thirty years ago. The end of an era that these two greats helped make successful.

The word has always been that Thompson and Boeheim disliked each other. Vehemently. Not yesterday. If animosity existed, it was wiped away by that embrace and the look on their faces. Two old war horses who had been there and done it.

I watched the game at the Big Ten Sports Pub. I arrived just as the game was to start. Two men were sitting near the door. One asked if I was Key West Lou. They were Gordon from Cape Cod and Charles from Oregon.

Gordon told me he reads my blog every day. He and Charles had come to the Sports Pub to meet me. An honor. I was a bit impolite, however. The game was starting. I said my hellos and thank yous and went to a chair at the bar to watch the game.

I figured I would spend half time with them. It never happened. They left soon after we had our brief conversation.

I would like to sit and chat with Gordon and Charles a bit. Share a drink or two. They are visiting Key West for a month. I am sure Gordon is reading the blog this morning. Gordon, please stop by the Chart Room and visit with me. I am generally there every evening from 5:30 to 7, except thursday when I play bocce. I will not be there tonight, however, I am having sunday dinner with Lisa and the family.

My car was parked in the lot next to the Big Ten Sports Pub. When I left after the game, I noticed five roosters nearby running around and under a pick up truck. Only roosters. No hens. I thought this strange. Roosters are always seen cock a doddling and chasing after hens. The thought occurred…..these roosters must be gay!

I am going to the movies this afternoon. Playing grandfather. There is a remake of the Wizard of Oz. I am going with Robert and Ally and Lisa and Corey.

Enjoy your sunday!

A PROUD GRANDPARENT

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I saw them last night! Robert and Ally. Playing munchkins in the Key West High School production of the Wizard of Oz.

They were absolutely magnificent! For real! They sang and danced like pros.

What impressed me before and after the show was how calm they were. Taking everything in stride.

There is a third component to the grandkid thing. Cameron. Cameron is not young, however. He is a high school senior. Off to college in September.

Cameron played the Straw Man. He was the best performer by far. I was impressed.  He should seriously consider pursuing dramatics as a career.

Needless to say, Lisa and Corey were proud parents..

My day yesterday started with the dentist once again. When will I finish?

Then to the Plantation Coffee House. The lovely Diane working.

I enjoy reading newspapers. Especially free ones. I spent about two hours drinking coffee and plodding through various newspapers.

Show time this morning. At 10 my time. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. In addition to topics already shared with you, I am going to comment on this week’s Time article on how medical costs are killing us. The article is an outstanding piece of investigative journalism.

My show is available on television and the internet. It may be viewed on TV via Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19 from Key West through Miami-Dade County. World wide on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Join me for an interesting and fast moving hour.

Ran into an old friend yesterday. One I had not seen in several months. She looked terrific! Where have you been, I asked. I had a stroke, she replied.

We never know.

Celebrities keep popping up in Key West. Last week it was Robin Roberts. Half of the host team on Good Morning America. She was diagnosed with cancer several months ago. Had some heavy treatment. Including bone marrow transplant.

She was vacationing in Key West prior to returning to work this week. She was back on Good Morning America this past monday morning.

Good for her!

Remember my show at 10.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

I’M OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD…..

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Tonight the theatrical debut of Robert and Alley. On the big stage at the Key West High School. Playing munchkins in the high school’s Wizard of Oz production.

I will be third row center with the rest of the family watching. Proudly so.

Another bocce season starts tonight. Nothing is more important than bocce. Except the grandkids. I will be missing bocce this evening.

After running a few errands yesterday morning, I decided to treat myself to lunch. Hogfish!

I forgot to bring newspapers with me. Found an old local one to read. The hostess Debra saw me reading it. She came over and handed me the day’s Key West Citizen and Miami Herald. Thank you, Debra. You made my lunch!

Although I have been off the diet 3-4 weeks, I continue to lose weight. Another 5 pounds. I attribute it to not eating. I am watching myself. Lunch for me was a lobster roll and french fries. Ate the lobster. Left the bread. Ate about 5 fries. And spent two hours reading the newspapers.

Syracuse basketball last night. Stopped at Don’s on the way to the Sports Pub. Don said he wanted to join me at the game. Off we went to the Big Ten Sports Pub.

Syracuse won easily. 84-59. The first easy win in a while.

I was hungry. Don said he did not want to eat. I ordered a sandwich and french fries. Fries come with everything in Key West. Don became hungry as soon as he saw my food. He ate half the sandwich and most of the fries.

Met an interesting couple at the bar. Gary and Jennifer McAdams. Gary is one of Key West’s premier realtors. Nice people. I hope to run into them again.

The last game of the regular season for Syracuse is Georgetown. A rivalry going back to around 1980 when the Big East was formed. The rivalry has been a blood war.

I have enjoyed many Syracuse/Georgetown games.

Syracuse is leaving the Big East at the end of this season. Syracuse and Georgetown will never play each other again, except in some tournament play off game.

It was announced by Syracuse yesterday that the Syracuse/Georgetown game in a couple of weeks at Syracuse is a sell out. More tickets have been sold than for any other basketball game at the Carrier Dome. In excess of 35,000. Everyone wants to see the last game in what has been a thrilling series.

I continue to be a busy beaver. Tomorrow my television/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten in the morning my time. Available on television through out the Keys and Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. World wide, on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Interesting topics. Like women earning more than men in Key West, a $50 million diamond theft, a 104 year old woman and her Facebook problem, some interesting 911 calls, rabbits damaging the Denver International Airport, a new born baby declared dead who cried 90 minutes later, sequestration, Pope Benedict XVI, the conclusion of the Florida python hunt, China stealing American business secrets via hacking, and more.

Interesting subjects. Join me for a fast moving hour.

Enjoy your day!

 

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW…..

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It is all about Oz! The Wizard of Oz!

Key West High School is presenting the show next week. Grandson Cameron has a lead role. Strawman. Grandkids Robert and Ally are all excited. Practicing away. They are munchkins. I am excited. Cannot wait to see them perform!

I stayed in last night. State of the Union time.

The State of the Union has become ritualistic. The President comes before both houses of Congress and spells out his agenda for the year. He also comments on the health of the Nation. Congress sits and listens. The President’s party smile. The opposition look grim. Contrast Boehner and Biden last night behind the President.

The best part of the State of the Union from my perspective is the gate keeper who enters the Congressional Chamber and speaks in a loud voce, just short of yelling…..The President of the United States!

What did I learn last night? The President’s program is ambitious. He needs only to accomplish a small part for it to be a great year. Jobs are key. I am for infrastructure. I wish the Republicans would bend on  this point. It is a sure way to jobs and positive cash flow.

The Republicans have to give some. Being the opposition does not mean opposing everything. On occasion, cooperation for the good of the country is required.

Senator Cruz was making news on all the TV channels this morning. A new Senator. He has the good fortune of being on the Committee passing judgment on Hagel. Cruz went a step too far in tuesday’s discussions. He accused American war hero Hagel of cozying up to Iran. Not just absurd. Stupid! Even McCain came to Hagel’s defense.

Comcast is in the news big time this morning. My favorite internet provider. Said with tongue in cheek. Comcast bought out GE’s 49 per cent interest in NBC and Universal. Comcast now owns all 100 per cent of NBC. Comcast is also the largest provided of internet services. They became the same in 2002 when they bought AT&T Broadband.

Two thoughts.

First, I hope Comcast does not screw up NBC as it has its Key West internet service. Sometimes top management becomes too distant from its people in the trenches.

Second, is this purchase a step too far? Corporations like Comcast get larger and larger. Just like the banks did. At some point too big to fail? I sometimes think banks and major corporations are our shadow government.

Friday is two days away. My TV/internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. The show is developing well. Interesting topics. Like the Pope’s resignation, the State of the Union message, wrestling and the Olympics, a Vienna Museum nudist showing, an Akron police chief and DNA, and more.

Join me friday morning at 10. I guarantee you will enjoy!

Syracuse basketball again tonight. Seven o’clock. It is being carried on ESPN. I am not sure whether I will be watching from bed or John’s Big Ten Sports Pub.

I hope Syracuse wins. I am not sure this season. Every game is a nerve wrecker.

Enjoy your day!

DON’T SIT UNDER THE APPLE TREE

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Weather change in Key West can be dramatic. Just like that.

I woke two hours ago. The sun was shining. Little breeze. Everything calm. The start of another 80 degree day.

I stayed in bed an additional two hours. Got hooked on an old movie starring Mario Lanza and Katheryn Grayson. Great singing! When I got up again, the weather had changed. Dramatically!

The wind was blowing at least 30 miles per hour. The sky was laden with black clouds. The wind off the ocean was cool and made everything on land cool. White caps on the water.

The surprise will probably have left us in an hour. That is the way it is in the keys. Someone sneezes hard and the weather turns. The weather blows its nose and everything is back to normal.

Patty Andrews died yesterday. Ninety four. She was one of the Andrew Sisters. A singing trio from World War II days. Patty was the last of the Andrew Sisters.

One of their contributions to the war effort was participating in war bond drives. In order to raise money to conduct the war, the US government sold war bonds for $17.50 which were redeemable after 10 years for $25. Everyone purchased war bonds.

It was 1943 or 1944. I was 8 or 9 years old. The Andrew Sisters were appearing in downtown Utica as part of a war bond drive. My friends and I rode our bicycles to the event. The street was mobbed in four directions in front of the Savings Bank. The Andrew Sisters sang. Songs like Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, and Rum and Coca Cola. The crowd listened and then many rushed up to purchase war bonds.

The Savings Bank had a huge chain link fence around it. The links were at least 4 inches and thick as your thumb. It was announced as part of the war bond drive that day that the Savings Bank was donating their chain link fence to the war drive. A big deal! The US needed metal from where ever it could get it to make guns and ships, etc.

A passing thought. We used to pay for our wars on a pay as you go basis. Not like the last two wars that were not financed in any fashion. Wars don’t come cheap. The unfinanced two wars are part of today’s national debt.

May Patty Andrews rest in peace.

I had to grocery shop again yesterday. I needed more. I  bought more. More than the day before.

Spent a few hours afterwards at home writing. Finished a short story I have been working on. A Daughter of the American Revolution. I have written several others. I intend at some point this year to publish them. I promise.

I fine tuned tomorrow’s Key West Lou Legal Hour. Added additional topics like the prostitute who was not too bright, the Vienna Museum’s Naked Men show, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a bit about Trygve Lie who was the first Secretary General of the United Nations, and David Letterman.

With all due modesty, it is a good show! Join me. You will find the comments made interesting and in some instances provocative.

The show is aired on television from Key West to Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. It is also available world wide on the internet. www.tvchannel19.com. Ten in the morning my time.

I babysat at dinner time. Robert and Ally performed for Poppa their parts as munchkins in the coming Wizard of Oz presentation. Ally skipped. Robert recited his 25 lines. He already has them down pat.

Then it was off to Don’s Place. Billy was intensely watching TV at the bar. Don, Tom, David, and Herschel were at the end.

Don’s grandson is in the Wizard, also. He is a clown munchkin. We will be two proud grandfathers at the event.

We talked about our beloved friend Frankie the Plumber. He is still recovering from big time heart surgery.

Larry Smith also occupied our conversation. He is having a terrific show next monday and tuesday at the Pier House’s Wine Galley. Entertainers coming in from all over the United States. I am going with Don, Steph, and Erika. Erika is my date. Her husband Herschel cannot attend.

Enjoy your day!

 

FORGET ABOUT #1

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Last week I was irritated Syracuse was not ranked #1 after beating Louisville. Only #3 and #4.

Yesterday Syracuse played unranked Villanova. A few nights ago, Villanova defeated Louisville who was ranked #5 at the time. Yesterday, Villanova beat Syracuse.

Two top 5 teams in one week!

An accomplishment!

Syracuse limped away.

Excuses/reasons. Two of our starting 5 fouled out. The bench gets smaller in height as you move down it. In the first half, the ball just would not go in the basket. That simple. Too many shoots missed. Many were lay ups.

Syracuse played better in the second half. But not good enough to win. Villanova came out on top in overtime.

Such is life!

I watched the game at the Big Ten Sports Pub. I was the only Syracuse fan there until the overtime when Dan and Lisa came in. Where were the 20-30 Syracuse fans who usually show up? They were there for the first two Syracuse games. The crowd has dwindled till yesterday it was basically only me.

Why, again? I doubt it is me. I shower before each game. I have concluded it has to be the Big Ten Sports Pub. The fans may not like the way it is configured, the noise, etc. I do not know. All I know is that something is wrong.

I also do not know where they are watching the game. John’s place is the best venue in town for sports viewing in my opinion.

Remember the former college guys at the Chart Room the night before raising hell. They were celebrating their ten year reunion. They were at the Big Ten yesterday during the Syracuse game. They were not watching the game. They were playing foosball. Had a competition going. Yelling and screaming same as the night before. Downing shots every few minutes.

Gentlemen they were. They asked me to play foosball with them. I declined. I am too old for the sport. Ho ho.

The Wizard of Oz will be playing a major part in our lives for the next month. Robert and Ally are munchkins in the high school play to be performed at the end of February.

Robert has graduated. He is playing a munchkin with a speaking role. Robert has 25 lines. Wowie!

Chittenango is a little town between Utica and Syracuse. It is on Route 5, a two lane New York State highway. Route 5 runs right through the center of downtown chittenago. Downtown is modest. All of 5,000 people.

Lisa said she had a vague recollection that Chittenango had something to do with the Wizard of Oz. I did not know. I knew the town was famous for hams. It is the Ham That Am town.

I checked Lisa’s comment on the internet. She was correct. Chittenango and the Wizard of Oz are tightly related.

L. Frank Baum wrote the Wizard of Oz in 1900. He was a resident of Chittenango at the time. To commemorate the event, Chittenango has a yellow brick road. The sidewalks on both sides of downtown Route 5 are painted yellow. There is a store called Auntie ‘Ems. There is also an annual three day festival. Several of the surviving munchkins show up each year. Munchkins from the 1939 movie which starred Judy Garland.

A small world!

Enjoy your Sunday!