MARIO SANCHEZ BAG SKETCHES

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My evening yesterday began at the Custom House. The Mario Sanchez Bag Sketch Exhibit.

I was interested for a number of reasons. I had never seen the bag sketches. They were being shown from  the collection of David Wolkowsky. David was to attend in the company of Christina Oxenberg. Christina is a new writer for KONK Life. Her writings exciting. I was looking forward to meeting her.

Sadly, David and Christina did not appear.

The exhibit was scheduled for 5:30. I arrived at the Custom House at 5:20. The humidity heavy. No breeze.

The Custom House doors locked. Opened precisely at 5:30.

I got in line to enter. Noticed a charming cheerful woman at the door marking names off as people entered. I had not made a reservation. Then it dawned on me, the showing must only be for members.

I found out when it was my turn to be signed in. The first half hour was members only. I politely explained I did not want to stand outside in the humidity for a half hour.

Genius touched me. I said, I join! She was thrilled. I was handed over to another lady who gave me an application and told me to mail it in with my check.

The exhibit. A wow!

Much of Sanchez’s work involved wood carvings. The carvings had first to be sketched on paper. Precisely. Sanchez used unfolded grocery paper bags. Rudimentary sketches of what would ultimately be a lovely wood carving.

Seventy one bag sketches. All interesting.

Ran into Carl at the exhibition. Last saw Carl at the bocce party a couple of week’s ago. His wife Nancy a loyal blog reader. We chatted a bit. Nancy in New York so I did not have the pleasure of seeing her again.

Sheila was there. Sheila worked at the Custom House at one time.

My day started at Body Owners. Anti-gravity treadmill time. My speed increased a bit more. I am pushing myself. The next time I work out I shall reach the speed where I was when I had to stop. Then I work on time. I am only at 50 percent time wise.

Lovely Jenny worrying about me.

From the treadmill to the Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch. My usual. Cuban cheese toast and an iced Cuban coffee. Read the newspapers.

Ruby continues  to impress me. I watched her handling the customers. All kinds of people and dispositions. Ruby does well.

Felt like doing something different. Decided to visit the Butterfly Museum. The Key West Butterfly and Nature Observatory. Had not been there in a couple of years. Last time with the grandkids. This time alone.

I think I was looking for peace. Motivated my visit. My recollection was that it was peaceful to walk through the foliage with butterflies fluttering around. Some setting on your shoulder for a minute or two.

I was right. It was a calming experience.

After the Custom House, I stopped into the Chart Room. Victor bartending. Met Jimmy Riggins from Pensacola. Jimmy in the pharmaceutical business.

We were the only persons in the Chart Room.

Victor is a Libertarian. We got into a discussion of values. Victor contributing the Libertarian views and Jimmy and I the opposite side. Victor beat our asses! He had an intelligent response for each issue raised.

Duffy’s for dinner. A prime rib.

Duffy’s has changed its menu. No more prime rib in three different cuts. I used to get the small one. One cut only now. The large one. I could not finish it. Left almost half. A waste of money. I will have to examine the new menu and find some dishes I can finish. I hate waste.

Kari waiting tables. Had not seen her in a while. She and Boomer were off somewhere visiting family for 2-3 weeks.

Sarah bartending. Someone I met for the first time sitting at the bar. Jane. Jane works the Fury. She has a Captain’s license. I was impressed.

Her boy friend is up in Jersey working this summer. She is off to visit him soon. First time visit to the Jersey shore. Told her one of my favorite places. She will enjoy.

As the world turns. Things change with time.

West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard has become over the years a shady undesirable place. Drugs, prostitution, etc. The derelicts of society.

Hustler’s Larry Flint’s flagship store was located on the Strip. It was recently sold for $18.3 million to make way for the Arts Club. The Arts Club being an elite members only social club. Rents will range from $3,500-$22,000 a month. No cheapy. Other extremely expensive projects under construction.

Enjoy your day!

 

BUSY DAY

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My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Still going slow. Cut the speed and time by 50 percent.

David Wolkowsky was not at Body Owners. He is sometimes there. Others, not. He is on the treadmill before me.

David is 96. I worry when he does not show up.

Shot down to the Cuban Coffee Queen after working out. Cuban coffee and a steak sandwich. Sat an extra hour reading the newspapers.

Spent the afternoon preparing for tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Interesting topics. A brief review of the Kentucky primary results. Followed by comments concerning Trump’s attitude and women, that Melania would be the first first lady to have posed nude, Trump’s tax returns, and Hillary’s transcripts.

Also, the FBI enabling Church leaders, social workers and community leaders to  spy on you and me, Obama at war longer than any other President, whether Zika is another Ebola, Hillary’s two $100,000 a plate fundraisers the same evening, and more.

My blog talk radio show has taken off. In only two years. I now have advertisers. Like GEICO, Walgreens and Amazon.com. Surprising!

Started my evening at Aqua. Monday the bartenders sing at cocktail time. Always enjoyable. Looked for Chart Room friend David. Not there.

The bartenders sang Where The Boys Are. They meant boys!

The song brought back memories of the early 1960’s spring break movie of the same name. Dolores Hart one of the stars. A young beauty. She made ten films. Starred as leading lady in each one. With male stars such as Elvis Presley, Stephen Boyd, Montgomery Cliff, George Hamilton and Robert Wagner.

Then at age 24 left the movie business. Entered a nunnery. Still there all these years later. Now, the abbess of her order.

Got into a discussion about Sal Rapisardi and his parents with one of the bartenders. Sal and his family were successful business people when I first came to Key West. I bought the parents’ home.

Sal was a graduate engineer from RPI. Smart. Never worked as an engineer. Motels, bars, night clubs became his specialty Especially those appealing to the gay community. At one time, he and his family owned Atlantic Shores and La Te Da.

Sal opened Diva’s on Duval. Diva’s was the predecessor of Aqua. It all started with Sal.

Sal now lives in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Lisa dated Sal for a while. I told her to marry him. He was a nice guy, rich and straight. A winning combination. Especially in Key West.

My suggestion fell on deaf ears.

Duffy’s for dinner. I am turned on to Duffy’s prime rib.

Jennifer hosting. Jana managing. Kari waiting. Mark bartending.

Mark is Mark Yeoman. Learned that several years ago he tried his hand at painting. A success! His work sold successfully at Joy Galleries. In the four figures. He showed me photos of some of his works. Magnificent!

On the way home, stopped for a nightcap at Don’s Place. Boomer bartending. Duffy’s Kari and Boomer have lived together for years. Both nice people.

Syracuse University announced the Carrier Dome is getting a new roof. Cost, $105 million. Another $100 million for overall improvements. At the same time, major improvements would be done to Archibald Gymnasium. Cost, $50 million.

Impressive numbers.

Joining the ACC has to be the reason. The move from the Big East to the ACC was done for economic reasons. Apparently working out as intended.

George Washington. No one will argue he was not a smart man.

The British were taxing the colonists several years prior to the Revolution. On this day in 1769, Washington argued the impropriety of taxation without representation. The tyranny part would come several years later.

Today, we have taxation with representation. I see no difference between 1769 and today.

Enjoy your day!