CASA ANTIGUA / KEY WEST ROOM ESCAPE

The Casa Antigua is an integral part of Key West history.

One of Key West’s first built hotels. In 1919. By Benjamin Trevor and George Morris. Constructed with bricks from Fort Zachary Taylor and a building torn down at the time across the street. The Casa Antigua located at the corner of Simonton Street and Rose Lane.

The facility was named the Trev-Mor Hotel. On the first floor was a Ford distributorship also called the Trev-Mor.

Ernest Hemingway is primarily responsible for the building’s historical notoriety.  He and wife Pauline arrived from Paris. they were on their way to New York. Intended to drive. Pauline’s uncle had bought them a new Ford which they were to pick up at the Trev-Mor distributorship.

The car was not waiting for the Hemingways. Late in arriving. They were told it would be there in two days. Ernest and Pauline put into the Trev-Mor Hotel to await its arrival.

Two days turned into ten before the car arrived. In those ten days, Hemingway discovered Key West. He fell in love with Key West. Remained ten years.

During the time, he wrote A Farewell to Arms.

There are other stories concerning the Casa Antigua. They remain for another day to tell. Except for the most recent one.

A new Key West attraction opened two weeks ago on the first floor. The Key West Room Escape. Sound’s like a fun place!

Sort of a search and find items of Key West historical significance.

Teams of up to eight customers are locked in a room. The room filled with all kinds of objects. The team has sixty minutes to find a hidden item. Like the missing page of a manuscript.

Clues are given. An announcer behind a window gives hot and cold clues.

The cost is $35 for an adult and $25 for 16 and under.

Sounds like a fun place. My game plan is to take Robert and Ally.

Did a late Hot Dog Church yesterday afternoon. The Back Door empty, except for Donna, Terri and Laurie. Spent a couple of humorous hours before returning home.

I continue to run tired. Kept to home basically the past few days. See the heart doctor at 5 today for the results of last week’s tests.

The semblance of a storm forming in the Gulf 50 miles off Tampa. Not a hurricane. Right now a tropical depression. Result of low pressure. Not expected to become a big deal.

There will be big time rain today and tomorrow however as a result. Winds will not be of consequence.

Appears hurricane season as a practical matter is around the corner.

East Martello Fort is going to get a $2 million repair job. Money coming from grants.

East Martello is a Civil War Fort. Built by the Union to help in warding off Confederacy ships. The Confederacy ships never arrived.

One hundred fifty five years old. Time again for a touch up.

Two strange events of a similar nature occurred in 1975.

On this date, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. On September 9, Key West Fire Chief and convicted drug dealer Bum Farto disappeared. Both swiftly swept off by third parties never to be seen again.

Farto’s disappearance left Key West with a famous saying. On tee shirts, in the media and conversation: Bum Farto Where Are You?

Multi-talented Terri White coming over later to change a shower fixture and put together a new desk chair for me. The benefits of having a lesbian wife.

Enjoy your day!

 

NEW NEIGHBORS

New neighbors in Key West! Amy Bondurant and David Dunn. Wife and husband. Welcome!

Some 200 hundred homes were visited by Amy and David the past few days. They have been in Key West canvassing door to door for Hillary Clinton.

Amy and David have homes in Washington, DC and Paris. They recently purchased a home in Key West. 1920s vintage. Undergoing remodeling. They plan on moving their furniture down here in December and becoming official Key West residents at the time.

Both have distinguished backgrounds. Amy was the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development in Paris from 1997-2001. She served under Clinton and Bush 2. David is an attorney specializing in international law.

This blog brought us together. David has been reading it. We were supposed to meet for a drink this week. Our schedules would not permit it. We intend to get together when they return in December. I plan on introducing them to the Chart Room at that time.

I have some Trump comments. I apologize. However, we are getting close to election day. I feel compelled to vent my anti-Trump feelings. A number of pro-Trump readers will comment. It will be like the roof falling in on me.

More than a year ago, I referred to Trump as a Pied Piper. Both in this blog and on my blog talk radio show. His followers were blindly following him. Gabriel Schonfeld writes for the New York Daily News. He referred to Trump this past week as the Moronic Pied Piper.

Right on!

In a Washington Post article yesterday, Trump was described as a huckster and charismatic demagogue.

Nicolas Maduro has been Venezuela’s President since 2013. His country ran out of toilet paper under him. Now, food. Even pets and zoo animals have been eaten. I have commented adversely re Maduro many times since the toilet paper incident. In this blog, on my podcast show and in my KONK Life column.

The same Washington Post article suggested Trump was very much like Maduro. The article noted Maduro jailed his political opponents. As Trump has suggested be done with Hillary.

I’m not done with Trump yet.

George Will described Trump well in a recent Washington Post column titled “Putin Buying Back the 1930s.” The last paragraph spoke volumes. “In many worrisome ways, the 1930s are being reprised. In Europe, Russia is playing the role of Germany in fomenting anti-democratic factions. In inward-turning, distracted America, the role of Charles Lindberg is played by a presidential candidate smitten by Putin and too ignorant to know the pedigree of his slogan America First.”

A little more.

I have described the relatively new President Rodrigo Duterte as the Donald Trump of the Philippines. Rodrigo has a dirty mouth. More filthy than even Trump.

Now to Key West. Exciting days ahead!

Friday night marks the beginning of Fantasy Fest. Goombay! I will be out on the street with Don and the bocce team. An annual event for us.

Fiona. Fiona is the sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle who at the end of July was found dying. By a 12 year old boy. Fiona was emaciated, entangled in a fishing line, had ingested a portion of the fishing line, and her blood was low.

On death’s door.

Fiona was hurried to the Marathon Turtle Hospital.  She has recovered. Even gained 15 pounds.

Fiona is being returned to the ocean this saturday at 10 am. Sombrero Beach in Marathon. A couple of hundred will be there to see her off.

I will be home in bed by 9 this evening. Comfortably watching the last of the Presidential debates. Love this stuff! I am a political junkie at heart!

This is take care of Louis day. A manicure and pedicure at noon with Tammy. Then to my heart doctor’s office. Have to give blood. Hate it! Cannot look! When I was 21 and preparing for marriage, New York required a blood test to make sure a person did not have syphilis. I passed out!

Tonight, a couple of drinks at Don’s Place. A quick bite to eat somewhere and then home.

Enjoy your day!