IRMA AND ME

Posted on by

I have compiled a book re Irma. May call it Irma and Me. Not sure yet.

The book is a compilation of my daily blog from September 1 through September 15. A few minor changes. Some pictures added. An introduction and an ending.

Obviously not everyone reads my blog. Those that do are daily loyalists or sporadic readers. Most who follow my Key West Lou Live video on Facebook do not read the blog. Those who follow my tuesday night podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou do not generally read the blog.

My audiences are varied.

There are those also who never heard of Key West Lou who will see the book listed on amazon.com or on the stands.

I am excited about the book. My publisher hopes it will be the first Irma book to hit the stands. Could be completed, proofed, printed and available for sale within two weeks.

Started yesterday with a morning business meeting. Then to Bank of America.

During Irma, the Bank screwed up with my Social Security check deposit. I had a $25 charge I could not understand. Wanted to get it corrected.

Went to the Bank of America on Southard. Several waiting to make deposits. No one waiting to see an officer. Only one bank person dealing with those wanting a meeting. Several waiting in line to make deposits, withdrawals, etc.

And the manager.

As I walked in, she asked what I wanted. Standing in the open Bank area. I was standing looking at the empty glass enclosed offices at the time.  It was obvious I wanted to talk with someone.

I told her my problem briefly. She neither understood nor cared. Said I would need an appointment. Too busy to see me today. Would have to be tomorrow.

Her attitude condescending. I was bothering her. Who did I think I was?

I made a one o’clock appointment for today. Just cancelled it. My time, even if I do nothing, is worth more than the $25.

The system in effect sucks. Bank of America in Key West is not big deal. I cannot believe major transactions take place. Its clients working people.  And retirees like me.

I consider it an insult to have to make an appointment for a bullshit item. I consider it an imposition on their working customers who do not have the time to return another day. Especially when there is no one else waiting to be serviced.

Bank of America is one of the banks that gave us 2008. The Bank’s attitude remains the same. It cares not for its customers. Only the Bank’s bottom line.

The mechanic with the new battery did not arrive till after 6. Finished his work at 7:30. I remained outside with him while he worked.

The humidity got to me. I was too tired to shower and go out afterwards. I will tonight!

Being a tenant is not bad. I rent my new home. Never want to own again. Irma and this morning proof of the pudding.

I lost 5 trees. A big one in front, 4 smaller ones in the back. The landlord just had a crew come by to do the cleanup. At the landlords’ expense, not mine.

Nor did I have to worry about finding someone to do the work. A task in itself.

Key West and the rest of the Keys reopen to visitors October 1. RV parks, some hotels and some restaurants may not be ready. But come anyhow! Key West need life breathe into it.

Ted Williams. One of the greatest baseball players ever.

This day in 1941  was the end of the season. Williams was close to batting .400. A feat not accomplished since 1930. The Boston Red Sox were playing a doubleheader. Williams went 6 for 8. Finished the season with a .406 batting average. Not equaled since.

Ted Williams’ retired to Islamorada. He was a fishing enthusiast. An expert. He lived on Islamorada 28 years. He sold his home when he had to wait to cross US 1 because of traffic.

Trump should be ashamed the way he is treating Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are us. American citizens.

I would like to know what motivated him to treat the island people so poorly. Might be interesting.

Enjoy your day!

KATHY CAWLEY

Posted on by

Another star shines bright in the sky. Kathy Cawley. She left us yesterday at age 77.

Kathy was in Greenwich at the time. Her husband Tom with her.

Kathy and Tom have been spending eight months in Key West and four in Greenwich for years. A team. Loyal attendees at every Key West cultural and social event.

Kathy’s personality a bubbly one. The  tiny woman always with a smile on her face.

She and Tom traveled the island on their motor scooter. One scooter, two bodies. Kathy seated behind Tom holding tightly on to him.

Kathy will be missed.

The front page of the Key West Citizen has a large picture of a turtle nesting place on a beach. The Pier House beach. Stakes and ropes squared around the area to keep humans from stepping on the shelled babies hidden under the sand.

The Citizen reported the Reach also has a turtle nest on its property.

It is unusual for nests to show up on the two hotel beaches. The beach area of both small.

Pati Flowers. Lovely lady. A special person. A bartender at Hot Tin Roof.

She is Citizen of the Day.The designation and her photo appear in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

Last night was Sq. 1 for a drink and dinner at the outside bar at La Te Da. The evening uneventful.

I can’t stop writing  about Venezuela. A disgrace. A sorrow. Vivid starvation.

The government cannot be believed. It announced yesterday it was confiscating guns and ammunition. Destroying them by crushing and chopping. The excuse the rising murder rate in the country.

Bullshit!

The government fears the coming revolution. There will be one. People have no food to eat. Zip. Nothing. They are out rioting, stealing, etc. Watching your children starve to death is reason enough to conduct themselves as they are. They are looking for food!

The guns old and rusty. The pistols home made.

The government fears the people. I would not be surprised if Maduro ended up hung from a pole at a gas station. Shades of Mussolini.

Things are at an extreme stage in Venezuela.

Socially correct. Politically correct. Sometimes, I wonder.

The State of North Carolina has forbidden its teachers to refer to their students as boys and girls. Transgenderism the reason. A desire not to offend anyone. Henceforth, students or scholars are to be used in place of boys and girls.

Parents are upset. I would be. They refer to the action by the State as “cultural Marxism.” A happening arising out of a radical sexual revolution being forced on their children.

Enjoy your day!

 

DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN?

Posted on by

Maureen Dowd’s column appeared on the editorial page of the Key West Citizen this morning. Concerned Donald Trump. The opening sentence…..Some blondes have all the fun.

Erika may be a for real hurricane. Not there yet. Some 1,500 miles from Key West. A tropical storm. Forty five miles per hour. Expected to reach hurricane force soon.

Key West is in the come of error. It is anticipated Erika will arrive over the Keys monday morning. Hurricane intensity.

On the other hand, it may not hit Key West. If it does not hit, it will mean heavy rains for a day.

We have been through this before. Many hurricane warnings. At the last moment, the hurricane moves in another direction. Time will tell.

I must be honest. For the first time this morning, I am getting a bit uncomfortable.

A preview of Erika this morning. Dark and very windy. A flash of lightning came through the window. I walked over and looked outside. Saw another flash. Long and jagged. Shot straight down. Moments later, pouring rain. Palm trees bending. White caps.

The thunder unusual. Ongoing. Intense. For over an hour.

In about two hours, the sun will be shining brightly. Typical Key West weather this time of the year.

After the anti-gravity treadmill yesterday, I stopped at Roostica for lunch. A gnocci special was featured. I ordered it.

Gnocci is macaroni made from potatoes.

What a meal! As good as Grandma made!

The gnoccis were tender. Soft. The sauce red with a body to it. A sausage sauce. Small pieces mixed in.

Bobby Mongelli knows his food. Roostica’s is genuine Italian.

The afternoon was laid back. I settled in a comfortable chair and read. I am into a book about today’s Washington and how we got to where we are. The book discusses the politics of extremism in Washington and its sources.

The tile It’s Even Worse Than It Looks. The authors Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein.

The perfect political junkie’s read. I am enjoying it.

Cocktail time was at Aqua. At the back bar. I was looking for Mark Watson. One of Key west’s most loved guys.

Mark is running for Fantasy Fest King. I stopped by to make my contribution to his race.

It was only Mark and me for a while. A camera man showed up. He was taking pictures for the Florida Keys channel 5 show. I am in the some of the shots.

Christine showed up. Never met her before. Mark introduced us. The three of us had an enjoyable conversation. The drinks were going down too easy. I went straight home afterwards.

This week’s KONK Life hit the stands yesterday. My column is titled the Legalization of Prostitution. At some point today, it will be linked to my Key West Lou website. I believe you will enjoy the article. Some interesting revelations.

Bocce tonight. If there is no further rain today and the sun comes out as I anticipate, the courts may be dry enough to play.

A big match this evening. My team Don’s Place is playing Not Don’s Place. A Larry Smith joke when he named his team a couple of years ago.

A money game.

Enjoy your day!

 

MS13

Posted on by

I wish to return briefly to the Milan train attack of 48 hours ago. The one where the conductor almost had his arm totally severed with a machete. Police reports yesterday suggested the people involved were from Central America. Did not make sense to me. I thought it was connected to Italy’s immigrant problem

It has been established not to be immigrant caused. The two assailants were from Central America. One from Ecuador and the other San Salvador. Both 20 years old.

They are part of a gang. An international gang known as MS13. Short for Mara Salvatrucka. A transnational gang.

MS13 got its start in the l980s in Central America. Immigrated to other parts of the world, including the U.S. Originally in Los Angeles. Today other parts of the U.S. Places like Washington. DC, Fairfax and Prince George Counties, Maryland, Long Island, Boston, Houston and Charlotte.

It is estimated MS13’s numbers are 8,000-10,000 in the U.S. Thirty thousand to 50,000 world wide.

The group is described as merciless. They distinguish themselves with violence, revenge and cruel retribution. Their cause is partially financed by child prostitution. They have a prostitution ring composed of runaway young girls. They search them out for the purpose.

MS13 sounds like a small time ISIS. Equally violent. The distinction between the two is that MS13 has not grown as swiftly as ISIS. MS13 is not connected to ISIS nor was it to Al-Qaeda.

I make mention of MS13 because I had never heard of it till yesterday. Even though it has been a problem in several parts of the U.S. over the years. I doubt many of you have heard of MS13. Why have we not? Is it another example of the media being selective in not sharing MS13 activity with us?

I wrote by day yesterday. Last night, I stopped at the Galleon’s Sunset
Tiki Bar for a drink. Tourists galore. Then to Pepe’s bar for dinner. I like Pepe’s. I especially like Pepe’s food. Good healthy stick to your bones food.

Big party tonight! In the hundreds. The bocce league’s party. All 56 teams attending. Always a good time. The party is at the new Waterfront Restaurant. The building where the Waterfront Market was located for years. This will be my first time there. I am anxious to see the layout and taste the food.

I woke with a bang this morning! The kind from the sky. With it came a bolt of lightning. Lit up my bedroom. Announced a rainy day ahead.

I was so engrossed with my writing yesterday that I forgot my noon manicure appointment with Tammy. Rescheduled for today at noon.

Enjoy your day!.

HELEN BASINGER

Posted on by

I have been meeting some of the most charming and interesting women lately. Last night, it was Helen Basinger.

I was sitting at the Tavern ‘n Town bar having dinner when she and her husband Joel sat next to me. Joel was busy with a guest that had accompanied them. Ergo, I had Helen all to myself.

There was an instantaneous match! Helen wrote a book! It was published last month. Quit Smoking Now and Forever – Conquering the Nicotine Demon. The title speaks for itself. The book is available on amazon.com.

Helen was born and raised in England. She has a distinctive British accent. Lived in France a while. Then Turkey for a number of years. Came to the USA in 2008. She and Joel have been residents of Key West for two years.

Helen operates a business. Freedom Healing. Its purpose to help people break free from negative habits and emotions. I suspect I am ready made for her professional talents.

Her Turkey time lead to the waters between Turkey and Greece and the ferry boats. We agreed ferry boats are buses.

I enjoyed our exchange tremendously. I would like to meet with her again.

It was Bobby Nesbitt time at Tavern ‘n Town. Bobby is a premier entertainer. Tonight and tomorrow night he is appearing at Tennessee Williams doing a one man Fred Astaire show.

I never appreciated Fred Astaire till recently. I caught 24 hours of his movies on the Turner Classics Channel. A talent! A joy to watch!

Tavern ‘n Town was not crowded crowded. About three quarters full. A noisy bunch. I suspect that most were New Year tourists who will be leaving Key West today.

Lynda and Bob Frechette were on the other side of the bar. We raised our glasses to each other in a New Year toast.

Earlier in the day, I watched the Syracuse/Virginia Tech game. Syracuse was winning by 19 points at half. The team looked good. Very good. I started thinking maybe. Syracuse won by two points. No more maybe. I am back to disappointment and I do not know.

Villanova has a terrific team this year. Ranked in the top ten. Beat yesterday by Seton Hall. I still think Villanova will be a Final Four team.

I forgot to share with you yesterday that I wrote this coming week’s KONK Life column. Rank Insubordination. I pressed the button and it was off to the publisher. The column obviously concerns what is going on with New York City’s Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD.

Patrick is from upstate New York. He is a snowbird. He is also a constant commentator to this blog. Almost daily. Tough to handle most times. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum philosophically regarding many things. I consider him the indispensable opposition and even though I rarely agree, I am happy to have his comments.

Patrick can be helpful.

Yesterday’s comment was brief. It contained the name Warren Wilhelm. Who is Warren Wilhelm? I did not know. I Googled the name. The result interesting. Different.

Warren Wilhelm is New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio. His trip to de Blasio unusual.

The Mayor was born Wilfred Wilhelm. He legally changed his name in 1983 to Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm. He legally changed his name again in 2002 to Bill de Blasio.

I do not know what to make of this. However, I thank Patrick for piquing my curiosity.

Enjoy your Sunday!