MOONLIGHT…..I SLEPT

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Enjoyed a good meal and good company last night. I have little recollection of the movie we saw after dinner.

Dinner was at Jim and Donna’s with my MTV neighbor Andrew. Jim’s son Joey joined us for dinner. Donna cooked a unique meal. Good chatter accompanied the feast.

The game plan was to see Moonlight afterwards at Tropic Cinema. We did. I do not recall much. Ten minutes at best.

I fell asleep. Have not done it at the movies in years. Donna was sitting next to me. She said she bent over several times to see if I was breathing.

I am not ashamed. Andrew fell asleep towards the end of the movie.

My opinion as to the movie? I did not see enough to tell. Did the first 10 minutes boredom put me to sleep? I do not know.

Will I see the movie again? Probably not based on the comments of my friends.

Spent some time working on Growing Up Italian. It had been a couple of weeks. Reworked and tweaked the chapter having to do with making wine. My grandfather did every two years. A family event. He had a huge press in the cellar.

The thing that sticks most in my mind was the crushing of the grapes. First, the press. Then, the women. Finally, the children. My turn. Our feet were washed and we were allowed to jump in and around. Enrico Caruso singing in the background.

Did two Go Live segments on Facebook. Go Live with Key West Lou. One had to do with my impression as to how Trump did in his Address to Congress. The other female genital mutilation.

Sessions doing well so far. Has issued several orders undoing years of civil rights successes. The man a bigot.

Now the question arises as to whether he met with a Russian two times re the election.

The thought occurred when I heard the scenario this morning: Russian ties, Russian lies.

My poetic tendency finally revealed!

The stock market is in ascendancy. Like a rocket to the moon. Trump claiming credit.

I am old enough to have seen/experienced several market failures. All I know is that which goes up, comes down. Regarding the stock market, the fall is swifter and more dramatic than the rise.

Bocce tonight. I go to watch my team play, provide support. I miss playing the game.

Enjoy your day!

 

FRUSTRATING EVENING

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Can’t win!

My blog talk radio show was scheduled for last night. For the third consecutive week, a screw up at Blog Talk’s end. Technical difficulties. My  show did not get out.

Pisses me off. Time spent preparing the program. Then nothing to do with it. Most material quickly aged. Cannot be used the following week.

Sloan working on the problem today. Hope if finally gets resolved.

My apologies to all who tried to listen and heard nothing.

One advantage gained last night was that I could watch Trump’s Address to Congress.

I was not impressed. More form than substance. He spoke in a subdued tone and read from a prepared script. Looked Presidential. Does not necessarily make him Presidential.

Substance was lacking. Barking up the wrong tree in many instances. A number of factual errors.

I am not going to waste my time or yours being specific. Whether pro or negative Trump, you picked up on them also.

The Key West City Commission has had its way once again. Yesterday groundbreaking for the Truman Waterfront Amphitheater took place. Completion expected by the end of September.

We shall see. More importantly, what will we see after completion? Will it be used with regularity? Will it cause all kinds of neighborhood problems?  Etc.

I am for an amphitheater. I believe the City Commission has jumped too fast. Much home work yet to be done.

My good friends from Iowa. Tom and Cindy. Two of the greatest people I have had the good fortune to meet in Key West.

Tom and Cindy live in Iowa. Travel frequently.

What follows was motivated by my President John Tyler story yesterday.

Tom e-mailed he and Cindy were visiting Virginia 20 years ago. Visiting Cindy’s sisters and old historical properties.

Went down a back road. The area referred to as Sherwood Forest. Lovely home before them. estate style. No sign signifying whose home.

Tom did not expect to meet Robin Hood. However, he was curious. Went up and looked through a window.

A man came out. What are you doing, who are you, etc.?

Turned out the occupant of the home was President John Tyler’s grandson. Tom says he is still alive today.

Tom is a history buff. All excited to meet Tyler’s grandson. John Tyler lived during George Washington’s time and here he was talking to his grandson.

Crazies pop up all the time. Through all time.

On this day in 1692, the Salem Witch Hunts began. Before a stop was put to the craziness, more than 150 men and women were accused of Satanic practices. Nineteen men and women were executed. Eighteen by hanging and one by crushing.

Nice neighbors!

Would you believe, even a baby was accused of being a witch.

Even worse, the State got involved. Two special courts were set up to hear the witch cases. For a while, every one believed Satan was about.

My evening fixed. Dinner and a movie with friends. The Academy Award winning movie.

Enjoy your day!

PITTSBURGH JOHN

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Friday night at the Chart Room. A good night! Tons of people. Interesting people.

Sat and chatted with John for a while. From Pittsburgh. In the concrete business. Responsible for concrete sales in several states.

John visits Key West three times a year. Religiously. February, July and October.

His youthful experiences unusual.

John was the bat boy at the Pittsburgh Pirates ball field. For the opposing team. Worked with visiting stars like Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and Mike Schmidt.

Not only was he fortunate to be a bat boy to professional players, he also got to shot hoops with another baseball luminary. Rocco Clemente. John lived in the right neighborhood. The Clemente family neighbors five doors away.

Ron and Tresha from Michigan. Interesting people. Ron a psychologist. Tresha owns a Midas operation. Used to own two, sold one. Between the two, they have 5 children and 3 grandchildren.

From out of the blue came Carol. Carol from New Hampshire. She visits Key West every season for two months. Rents the same apartment on Whitehead. We met the last time she was in Key West. At the Chart Room, of course.

Her downstair neighbor was with her. From Memphis. An annual renter, also.

In between, chatted with John. The best bartender in Key West!

Stopped at Outback on the way home. Prime rib.

Sat next to two interesting people. Husband and wife. Never got their names. The conversation interesting.

He is a retired executive from a pharmaceutical house. Just behind the banks in screwing the American public.

He obviously did not agree. Gave me all the stock reasons why prescription drugs have to be so expensive.

He buys his drugs from Europe. His actions speak louder than his words.

Spent a couple of hours on the deck yesterday afternoon. Reading some Civil War history. I took my first course in Civil War history my second year in college. Have been hooked on it ever since.

Parking for charter buses the brain child of the Key West City Commission. Took away many vehicle parking places in the lot and on the street.

So far, the lot is a failure. From my perspective. I have only seen one bus parked there. One time.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has an article setting forth the glories and successes of the parking lot. My experience not the same as reflected in the article.

The article says City representatives claim 4-5 buses using the lot a day. Again, I have only seen one one time.

The City charges $100 a day to park. The lot has been open six months. The buses still parking all over Key West. Illegally now. The City is going to start ticketing the buses. Fine $250.

I assume more buses will then be parked in the lot.

On this day in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in Key West briefly. He was driven down from Miami. Did a quick tour of the inactive U.S. Naval Base. Then on the USS Houston to watch Caribbean war games.

Trump will not be giving a State of the Union address. A new President does not make such a report his first year in office. Makes sense. He has been President less than two months.

Trump will address Congress, however. His presentation is listed as an Address. February 28.

I worry. Trump is going to go a step too far at some point. Further than any mishaps to date.

It has been reported that a plan is being circulated in Homeland Security to activate 100,000 National Guard. Purpose to round up unauthorized immigrants. In one big swoop.

Don’t know if anything will come of it. Dangerous if done. I remind you once again to recall Germany in the late 1930s and Germany in the rest of Europe during World War II. Nazi soldier driving up to homes/apartment houses to arrest Jews and other enemies of the State.

We are better than that.

Enjoy your day!