LOUIE’S BACKYARD

My yesterday included a visit to the dentist. When younger, I went with fear and trepidation.

Now, no sweat. I have implants. A once a year visit to check them out.

I left the dentist’s office at 3:30. Diana Millikan was to meet me at 4:30 at Louie’s Backyard. I decided to spend an hour alone and so went directly to Louie’s.

The restaurant not one of my favorite places. The outside bar in the back is. Sits on open water. The Atlantic to the right, center and left. Sun shining bright. A sailing boat or two in the distance.

God’s world!

Dog’s Beach runs along the side of Louie’s. A small beach. No more than 30 feet wide. Really for dogs. They were on the beach and swimming as I entered.

College students also. They had discovered Dog Beach. They have much to learn. Never would I lie or run around on Dog Beach. Animal excrement everywhere.

Chatted with a fellow seated next to me. Involved with Las Vegas casinos. Comes to Key West twice a year to dive.

He was experiencing a problem. He had gone through four masks yesterday. The first three kept filling with water. Thought it was his mustache. Cut it back three times yesterday till he got a tight fit.

Diana showed up. Diana is an excellent researcher. I would describe her as an investigative researcher. Brought a Key West book with her for my scrutiny. Maureen Ogle’s History of An Island of Dreams.

The little I browsed through interesting. Very.

I frequently mention William Hackley. The Key West Citizen runs daily excerpts from his diary. The year 1856.

Ogle wrote about Hackley some 25 years earlier in the late 1820’s and 1830 when he first arrived in Key West.

Some of Ogle’s observations warrant I begin with her overall view of Key West. Then, Hackley.

Key West was described as the crossroads of the Caribbean. World wanderers found their way to Key West. In the 1820’s and 1830’s, it was a man’s world. More men than women. The men mostly tough.

By day, they crowded the taverns, boarding houses, docks, and shops. Waiting for the next new wreck to be announced. Key West was a ship wrecking town.

Lawyers and agents were a different breed. They lounged on shady verandas in white linen suits and straw hats. Smoking Cuban cigars.

Night time, all type men were drinking and boozing. Everyone woke the next morning with a first class hangover.

Now comes William Hackley. A young lawyer. Late 1820s.

Hackley was a bit naive, socially retarded. Not worldized yet.

In 1830, he attended a 20 person dinner party. Four of the 20 were women. It was the first time Hackley had “eaten in the company of ladies.” He reported several of the ladies “got a bit merry.” Whatever that means.

It was not till the early 1850’s that Hackley married.

Callie Morehouse sat next to me. First time I meeting her. She is the Owner/Private Chef of Provisions of Key West. Does large parties and dinner parties.

An interesting lady.

With her was a younger friend from Paris. A beauty!

My eyes still work.

I dropped Diana off at her hotel and was home by 6. I am dieting once again. Wanted to prepare my own meal.

Today quiet. A manicure. Tonight, bocce.

I was shocked to learn Mike Hopkins is the new basketball coach at Washington. He has hung out 22 years at Syracuse waiting to succeed Boeheim. Next year was supposedly the year. I am not sure what happened.

My Trump comment today simple. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. So too will Trump.

I read something re healthcare by Kathryn Norris this morning. She described the health care bill as Reverse-Robin-Hood. Take from the poor and give to the rich. She viewed the bill as trading affordable healthcare for millionaire tax breaks.

Patrick Henry. On this day in 1775, he uttered the famous words “…..give me liberty or give me death.”

Heard from Anna this morning. She is in London. She was in London yesterday during the terrorist attack.

She has had similar experiences including the earth quake near her Novara home and an avalanche near Courmayeur where Anna has a chalet half way up Mont Blanc.

Claims she is “lucky.”

Enjoy your day!

 

JIMMY BUFFETT / KENNY CHESNEY

A lot to cover this morning.

Jimmy Buffett was in Cuba during the Obama visit. There is a photo of him on the internet joking around before the baseball game. Proper that Buffett be in Cuba these recent important days. He’s Key West’s man. Got his start here. He and Key West one.

While Buffett was in Cuba, Kenny Chesney was in Key West. Saturday at Sloppy Joe’s. A free concert. Traffic gridlock. People clogging the streets who could not get in. Sound equipment set up so they could hear.

I approve of Obama’s visit to Cuba. However a sense of hypocrisy overrides the visit. Obama publicly criticized Castro for human rights violations. What about Guantanamo? Our shame, our human rights violations.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Yesterday busy busy.

Spent the afternoon fine tuning last night’s blog talk radio show. Did the show at 9. The Maldives tale drew much interest. Most people 30 and under have been divorced three times. Not a burden, not a cross. Getting married and divorced cheap and easy.

The Maldives have the highest divorce rate in the world. Reason. Horniness. For real.

Did Happy Hour at Martin’s with June. Her friends Peggy and Wayne joined us. Great conversation. Included Catholicism as it affected all of us growing up.

Then to Aqua. Aqua Idol finals. My friend Howard Livingston judging and performing. Stopped by to say hello. He had not yet arrived.

Left June at Aqua. She wanted to see the show. I headed over to Larry and Christine’s. They were having a party. Their parties always good. Everyone there. Including my former bocce team and his. I stayed two hours and left. Had to hurry home to do Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Larry advised he went to Yankee Jack’s memorial service at the Bull and Whistle sunday. A good crowd. I don’t know how he knew. The event was not publicized in the paper. I would have gone. Loved Yankee!

Big day in American history. On this day in 1775, Patrick Henry uttered his famous words: “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Anna back home in Novara. She e-mailed what is happening. The Brussels bombings impacted life in the Mont Blanc area where she had been skiing over the weekend.

Mont Blanc is the highest point in Europe. Majestic. The roads do not go over Mont Blanc. Several mile long tunnels have been constructed beneath the mountain.

To get back and forth between Italy’s Courmayeur and France’ s Chamonix, a tunnel drive. Long.

Anna returned monday to Novara. Part of her trip was driving through the tunnel. Brussel’s explosions yesterday/tuesday. Anna reports authorities thought the tunnel was in danger. Italian and French military and police were all around and in the tunnel. The tunnel closed down , of course.

Immigration a problem Italy. Not so much Muslims from the Middle East. Rather, Muslims from North Africa.

Ann a wrote me of a tragedy which occurred sunday. A Romanian immigrant involved rather than one from North Africa. He tried to rob a 22 year old girl on the train connecting Novara and Milan.

A train I have taken many times. One Anna takes frequently. He hit the girl in the head with a hammer. Fractured her skull. He has been arrested for attempted murder. She operated on for a fractured skull.

The two dead Brussels terrorists must be disappointed. No 21 virgins.

Remember George Carlin. A great comedian in the 1960s and 1970s. Prone to use off color words during his shows. Carlin had a litany of seven dirty words. He described them as “filthy words.”

The words were shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits.

Mom, forgive me!

He was arrested for using them on one occasion

In 2000, a law was passed establishing the U.S. National Recording Registry. To be maintained in the Library of Congress. Today Carlin’s seven dirty words become a part of the Registry. He joins such other memorables as the song I Will Survive and Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream.

Qualification for entry to the Registry is that the recorded words must be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Carlin’s words acceptable on TV and in movies today. Not used often on regular TV. Used as they fit in on cable TV. Legal since 2010.

As with the Virginia Slims advertisement of many years ago, we have come a long way!

Syracuse plays Gonzaga friday in the Sweet Sixteen. Game time 9:40. Hope I can stay awake.

Enjoy your day!