CANADIAN NIGHT AT THE CHART ROOM

The Chart Room was packed like New Year’s Eve last night. Everyone!

My biggest following after the U.S. is Canada. Two separate groups last night. Each religious readers of this blog.

First spoke with Dan and Nancy. They approached me. Advised we had talked in the Chart Room several years ago. Nancy reminded me at one time I was interested in the name of the RCA little dog. The Master’s Voice. She had written me it was Nipper.

They live in Canada one hour north of Detroit. Staying at Banyan Court. Yearly visitors to Key West.

I did not initially recall them. Not til her husband advised he had worked for DOW Chemical. Then the meeting came to mind.

Nice people. Glad they said hello.

As soon as Dan and Nancy left, Jackie and Conrad came by. Canadians, also. Accompanied by Jackie’s sister Donna and Jackie’s daughter.

Jackie I remembered as soon as she related our background. We had not met face to face before last night.

Jackie wrote to me the day Irma hit. Twenty years earlier, she had purchased a toe ring in Key West. Wore it religiously for the 20 years. It cracked the day of the hurricane.

She wrote she was having it fixed. Thought there was an omen involved re Key West

Jackie got the  repaired toe ring back the day the County reopened to visitors following Irma. She wrote again she had it back and was wearing it. Intimating the return of the ring and reopening of Key West had something to do with each other.

I wrote about Jackie and the toe ring episodes.

Last night, she was live in Key West. It was a pleasure to meet her! And her family, also.

Jackie reads me every day. Her sister Donna, also. Love them!

Spoke with Conrad. He and Jackie are frequent visitors to Key West. Conrad said his family has been coming since 1993. They own a condominium at the Galleon.

John bartending. Kevin and Sheila at the bar.

The conversation got into Matthew McConaughey. A major star. In Key West for two weeks making a movie to be released next year. The Beach Bum. McConaughey the beach bum, of course. Movie name Moondog. A marijuana addict.

I left the Chart Room too early wednesday night. Kevin walked Duval around 9 hoping to find the star filming an episode which had been scheduled for Duval.

He saw him! As did his daughter Kati. She videoed him and sent the video to Facebook and her Dad. Kevin showed it to me last night.

McConaughey was attired in a dress, white sneaks, and a sail boat captain’s cap. He was pushing a wheelbarrow full of pot in large cellophane bags. He was eluding the police. He was filmed running from Sloppy Joe’s to St. Paul’s Church and back.

Kevin said when the filming/run was over, McConaughey stood in the middle of Duval laughing his head off.

Naval aviators were in the Chart Room, also. In flight gear.

The Navy is involved in a celebration. The 100th year celebration of Key West Naval Aviation. The first flight was in December 1917. A mere 15 years after Kitty Hawk.

There were more at the Pier House.

I went out to the Beach Bar to get something to eat. Lovely Meri bartending. The Beach Bar can be lonely at night. Not last night. NORMAL had a party earlier. Many were still hanging out at the bar.

NORMAL is short for the National Organization For The Reform of Marijuana Laws. Partying they were. Imbibing. One of the members playing his guitar and singing marijuana ditties.

My day was a bit busy.

Saw my eye doctor. My new glasses a disaster. Seeing clearly impossible up close and at a distance.

He checked the glasses out against his prescription. The right eye lens had three errors. Three situations not consistent with the prescription.

No wonder I could not see!

Immediately went to the optician’s. The man I was dealing with was out sick. I talked with his partner. She thought I was trying to hustle them. It was obvious from her questioning of me. I said, hold up! I’m leaving. I will be back monday when your partner is in.

Then to Publix for diet food. It does not last long. I am on Atkins. High protein, low carb. Protein expensive. Spent $60 for three small bags of edibles.

I am on day 11 of the diet. Eight pounds so far.

I hate dieting! Pure deprivation!

A little later, I was sitting with Tammy. My weekly manicure.

Yesterday’s Key West Citizen editorial page contained an interesting phrase referencing the sexual harassment era we suddenly find ourselves in: “Ghost of harassment past.”

Enjoy your day!

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY, SNOOP DOGG, KENNY CHESNEY…..IN KEY WEST YESTERDAY

Hollywood, Nashville and New York in Key West yesterday.

Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg and Kenny Chesney.

Regarding McConaughey and Dogg, a movie being filmed in Key West. Actually, Miami and Key West. Four weeks in Miami, two in Key West.

Chesney just visiting.

The movie is The Beach Bum. McConaughey plays a rebellious stoner named Moondog. A loving rogue who lives life large. By his own rules.

A critic reported McConaughey was born to play the role.

Filming daytime yesterday at the Key West Golf Course and the Hemingway House. Last night, on Duval.

I got all this juicy information last night at the Chart Room.

Where else? All roads meet at the Chart Room.

It all started with Jean Thornton. She came in and mentioned the filming. Was on her way to Duval Street hoping to catch the evening filming. Not certain where it was. She was going to walk Duval.

Upon hearing Jean, John and Kevin piped up. They knew about McConaughey, the filming, etc. As did some others at the bar. I got an education.

Jimmy Buffett is in the movie, also. A portion of the story involves the Beach Bum getting on the stage at a Buffett concert and participating illicitly. My research suggests the Buffett portion was filmed in Miami November 29.

Word is McConaughey is staying in a private home. The balance of the cast and film makers at the Ocean Key House under assumed names.

Kenny Chesney has nothing to do with the movie. Not sure why he is in town. Perhaps hanging out. Key West one of his favorite places.

He reportedly was at Schooner Wharf in the afternoon. He also was on a boat with several lovelies. One of those at the bar had a pic on his cell phone showing Chesney and the ladies out on the water. One of the young ladies his daughter.

Anna came in to straighten out the house at 7 this morning. I told her about McConaughey and Chesney being in Key West. She knew all about McConaughey being here.

Anna’s husband is the Chef at Cafe Sole. McConaughey had dinner at Cafe Sole monday night.

NORMAL staying at the Pier House. The National Organization For The Reform of Marijuana Laws. The organizations annual on week convention.

NORMAL’s convention has been held at the Pier House for many years. Began back when pot smoking was not legal anywhere. The organization and legal pot smoking have come a long way.

Today, December 7. The day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. A day President Roosevelt described as one “that will live infamy.”

We live in dangerous times. May we not suffer a Pearl Harbor again.

I have to hustle. A doctor’s appointment at 10. My life…..doctoring.

Enjoy your day!

 

NORML

Title spelled correctly. Did not intend to type Normal.

NORML is an organization whose mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana. Its further mission is to serve as a consumer advocate for access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.

The organization is not a Johnny come lately. It is 45 years old. Its membership consists primarily of marijuana defense lawyers.

NORMAL has a one week seminar each year. Attorneys attend from all over the U.S. It traditionally has been meeting in Key West for many years. Most often at the Pier House. The actual title of the meeting is the NORML Key West Legal Seminar.

This is their week. The Chart Room was packed last night with seminar attendees. Drinking, not smoking.

My yesterdays generally begin the same way. With the anti-gravity treadmill at Body Owners. Yesterday morning was quiet. Unusual. I went at it again with 30 seconds of high speed and two minutes slow. Supposed to strengthen my heart.

Had to rush home afterwards. Every friday at 12:30, I am interviewed on the KONK News Radio Show. The topic is the subject matter of that week’s KONK Life column. Yesterday, The Eiffel Tower.

The Chart Room first last night. Searching for Jean Thornton. She had telephoned earlier and we agreed to meet at the Chart Room for a drink. We ended up a foursome. Sheila and Stephanie were part of the group. Us in the middle of the pot lawyers.

Cheryl and Roger were at the Chart Room also. Sitting at the round table with some friends.

Decided to go straight home afterwards. About half way there, my stomach started to growl. I was hungry. Stopped at Outback for lamb chops. Outback a locals place. Good value for the money. Always packed.

We have had two consecutive days of heavy rain. More predicted for later this morning. Whoever is responsible for the rain apparently is not aware this is not Key West’s rainy season.

The Christmas Parade is tonight. Hope it is not rained out. A terrific event! Especially for kids.

I mentioned some strange nature happenings yesterday. Forgot one.

Each morning on rising, I look out my bedroom window. About a hundred yards distant at the entrance to Cypress Lake sits a buoy of sorts. A warning post. It marks low water. Boats are warned to avoid the area.

I have lived in my Key West home 16 years. Look out the window each morning when I rise. Always see the thing bouncing in the water. A couple of days ago, it was different. I could actually see the ground holding it. The tide must have been out. However, the water level lower than normal for low tide. There was a circle of land exposed around the warning buoy. Ten feet in diameter.

Which raises the question. Sea levels have been rising for years. Why was this the first time I saw land exposed?

I mentioned several weeks ago La Trattoria was closed and would be reopening after Fantasy Fest. It finally opened last night at 5. Remodeling the reason for the closing and delay. There was a sinking problem in part of the first floor not anticipated which required more time for the project to be completed.

Syracuse/Georgetown at 1. On FOX. Georgetown a 5 1/2 point favorite.

This will be the first of 9 games Boeheim will be sitting out. Hopkins will be coaching. Hopkins perfect to assume the responsibility. He has been waiting years. When the time comes that Boeheim retires, the head coaching job is his. It has already been agreed in writing that Hopkins will succeed Boeheim.

OPEC crying about oil prices being dramatically low. Too bad. Let them cry. They got fat off the rest of the world for decades. Never forget, they gave us $4 a gallon gasoline.

The couple who did the shooting in San Bernardino. Something I do not understand. Traditionally, children always come first. One’s own children especially. The couple had a six month daughter who they left with the grandmother when they went out to terrorize.

The couple had to know they would die. Or be jailed for years. Where was their concern for the child? How could their Islamic beliefs outweigh that responsibility?

Enjoy your day!