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!