HOT REUBEN CORNED BEEF SANDWICH

My taste buds were in for a treat last night.

Irish Kevin’s serves a hot Reuben corned beef sandwich. Continued hearing good things about it. Decided last night to enjoy one.

I love corned beef! Like my mother used to make. Boil the meat forever. Arrived at the table juicy and moist. Fat important. We probably ate the cheap cut so there was a lot of fat. Added big time to the taste.

Difficult to get a good corned beef sandwich these days. The meat tough, cold and without fat.

Not last night! Warm, juicy, tender and with a touch of fat.

Do yourself a favor. Go to Irish Kevin’s and enjoy one!

In addition to the great sandwich, you can enjoy the young ladies stepping on stage and exhibiting their breasts.

A perfect evening!

My night began at the Blue Macaw. Crowded. A group of seniors in a long congo line. Either from the cruise ship staying overnight or they were Parrotheads. I could not tell. They were having a good time!

Philadelphia Phil and Montana bartending. Chatted at the bar with Alica, John and Fiona.

Alica was doing her grocery shopping. On the computer. Walmart. Says she saves $500 a month. Buys everything but meat and items that melt. Primarily canned goods, some fruits, paper products and make up. Delivered to her front door, no charge. Of course being from Walmart, everything significantly discounted.

Drove over to the Chart Room. Crowded, also. Standing room only. No one I knew. Nodded at John, turned around and left. It was then I decided to try the corn beef at Irish Kevin’s.

My afternoon was spent watching Syracuse/Wake Forest. Syracuse won 41-24. Now, 7-2. Fantastic! It has been years since we had such a record.

The rankings are not out till tomorrow. I suspect we will go down to around #13.

Jimmy Buffett highlighted a Democratic rally last night in West Palm Beach. Gillum, Nelson and other candidates present of course. Many Parrotheads in the crowd. Some drove great distances to be there. I would not be surprised if some drove up from the Parrothead Convention here in Key West.

Buffett changed the lyrics to Come Monday to fit the occasion. The lyrics sung last night: “Come Tuesday, things will change. Come Tuesday, we’re making a change. Its been two insane years and its time to really switch gears.”

Staying with politics, it was on this day in 2008 that Obama was elected President. The first black person to be so elected.

With the election a few days away, a few random thoughts.

As a society, we are hemorrhaging in violence. Especially gun violence. The remedy is not to arm teachers, priests and rabbis.

Universal health care required/needed. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation to be without it. Universal health care would assure everyone receiving proper treatment and at the same time stop the multitude of personal bankruptcies the result of health care costs.

Immigrants from Guatemala and Honduras have heard the call of the words on the Statue of Liberty. They are looking to the place Reagan called a “shining city on a hill.” It is so inconsistent with our values to send the military to shoot them dead at the border.

Kill someone and that person’s family and friends will not forget. Trump has broken the deal with Iran. Additional sanctions will be imposed today.

Iranian people are dying from shortages of certain necessary items. Insulin being one.

Trump’s actions an abuse of power?

A President cannot unilaterally break a treaty. The Senate approved it initially. Such is the law. The Senate must vote to break it. I also believe Trump broke the treaty to show the world how tough he is. A bully!

There is another reason. Trump and Netanyahu are birds of a feather. Authoritarians. Even before Trump’s election, Netanyahu was crying for war against Iran. He wants the U.S. and other nations to join him against Iran. Especially the U.S.

Netanyahu’s real reason is not that Iran is going to blow up the world. It is that he wants it firmly established that Israel is the power in the Middle East. Neither Iran nor anyone else.

Enjoy your Sunday!

SNOWSTORMS ONCE FAMILY TIMES

The northeast is getting crushed under tons of snow. Most places closed down. Definitely work places and schools.

Means the family is together for a whole 1-2 days.

Time for mom, dad and children to talk to each other. Yesterday, yes. Today, I do not know.

My yesterday goes back roughly 50 years. I loved the 1 or 2 snowstorms a year. Closed the office down before the big storm hit. Went home to join the wife and kids.

No computers, laptops, or cell phones back then. People had to talk to one another. Lite the fireplace and we sat around all day. Chatted about this and that. Played cards and games. Even ate together.

Hot chocolate time, also. My wife prepared hot chocolate. It fit the day.

Today, I sense everyone is engrossed in their computers and cell phones. Even mom and dad. Little personal communication.

Everything has changed. Except for the snowstorm.

I was all over Duval Street last night.

Started with the Chart Room. Should have skipped the place. A drunk obnoxious older woman got on my case. Insultingly. Loud. I don’t think I had said ten words to her. All polite, of course.

She had a hair up her ass. Even her husband could not get her to shut up.

I finally laid a bill on the bar and walked out.

The Chart Room has a new bartender monday-wednesday. Paul. Last employer, the Gecko.

He should have handled the situation. He did not.

John, Emily of days gone by, etc. would have first asked her politely to calm down and if she did not, called security.

I left without even finishing my first drink.

Headed over to Aqua. Should have gone there in the first place. Dueling Bartenders evening.

Tom Luna back. He has been gone for three weeks.

Met Ed. Retired here. We had similar backgrounds. We arrived to this stage of our lives by different paths. But, got here!

Ed a Long Island person. Went to Bowling Green. A track man. He was familiar with Manhattan College which I attended. Manhattan had a terrific track team back then.

Basketball his game, also.

Ed was in ROTC. Took a commission. Did a year in Vietnam. Left the service a captain.

His other life spent as a high school principal.

Today, Ed serves as Adjutant Commander of the VFW on North Roosevelt Boulevard. The one with the good cooking, as he described it. He was correct. I occasionally stop by.

Walked over to Bourbon Street from Aqua. Wanted to hear Bria sing. She starts at 8. I was too early. Two drinks away time wise for me. Too much.

Hunger beset me. Stopped at Mangoes. First time at the new Mangoes. Remodeled beautifully.

Sat at the bar. Met Peter who was sitting next to me. Peter interesting. Originally from Chelsea. For the unaware, part of New York City.

Peter works at Fogarty’s by day.

Enjoyed Peter’s company.

I did not enjoy my meal. Disappointed. Ordered nothing special. Wings. Tough. Over cooked. Difficult to bite, difficult to chew.

I am going to give Mangoes a break and not say I don’t recommend it. A place that beautiful can’t be serving poor food. I will be trying it again soon.

Service was excellent.

The new health care plans sounds like a winner. Fourteen million without coverage in one year. Twenty six million in ten years. Lowers taxes for the rich. Hits the old hard. Many will end up with insufficient care at a time when they most need care. Premiums and deductibles high.

My Facebook video I will be doing in a couple of hours will succinctly express my feelings.

Enjoy your day!