BERLIN’S WITH FRAN AND TOM

I am not a happy camper at the moment. Hit the wrong key and lost today’s blog prior to publishing.

Here I go again. Breviated, however.

A great evening. Dinner with Buffalo’s Fran and Tom at Berlin’s. Wonderful people! A fun evening!

A hug and kiss from Janyne. Always a pleasure to be on the receiving end.

Sloan there, also. Introduced me to her twin sister. Don’t look that much alike. However, Sloan has a unique voice. Her sister has the same unique voice.

Discovered Sloan’s daughter hosts at A & B. An absolute beauty and charming young lady.

Bria her usual lovely self. Sean and Gage bartending. They remind me of New York City bartenders. The best! Great personalities!

Fran lost 30 pounds. Atkins. I hate her!

Fran continues to care for me. This trip she brought me three frozen containers of sauce, meatballs and pork. Three meals. She forgot the homemade pasta in Buffalo. She carries the frozen sauce in her suitcase.

Also brought me a container of her home made candies. All kinds.

I think she likes me. Feels sorry I lead a bachelor’s existence.

I was their guest last night. Tonight, Donna and Terri are taking me out.

Must have done something right in my life.

Weather sucks. Fourth day in a row. Heavy rains today all day.

The Conch Republic Drag Race on Duval at 2 this afternoon. The guys will have to lift their skirts as they run to keep them dry.

The Great Sea Battle friday night. I can’t wait. Love it!

Even Harry Truman involved in Conch Republic Days. The Little White House is sponsoring a Truman Legacy Symposium this weekend. At the Little White House, with a few of the talks at the San Carlos Institute.

I was with my bocce team mates thursday night. My cheering them on did not help. They lost two games.

Hard to understand. For five consecutive years, the team has done exceptionally well. Fighting for first place some seasons. All of a sudden, nothing works right.

Keys History section of today’s Key West Citizen carries a picture of Robert Wagner and Peter Graves standing on Duval. This day in 1953. They were here with several other actors making the movie 12 Mile reef.

I was a freshman in college at the time.

The picture shows a very young Robert Wagner. Graves went on to have a successful cowboy TV series.

Other notable stars included Terry Moore, Gilbert Roland and J. Carroll Nash. The big stars Moore and Wagner. The others well known character actors.

They all stayed at the Casa Marina.

Amazing how many movies have been filmed in Key West over the years.

Enjoy your day!

BREAKWELL AND ROUSH THE BEST!

The Waterfront Playhouse’s fund raiser at the San Carlos last night a hit! It could not miss! Laurie Breakwell and Vicki Roush entertained. Their singing representative of the best Key West has to offer.

I stopped at La Concha for their happy hour before the show. Sliders and flat bread. A half block from the San Carlos.

A private party afterwards at Mangoes. Opted not to attend. I was not in the mood for a crowd. Stopped back at La Concha for a night cap and then home.

The weather sucks! No other way to describe it. Cold and rainy. Rain and strong winds comparable to a monsoon. Long pants, slicker and an umbrella time.

Sixties during the night. Tonight in the high 50s. At the moment, the winds are driving right into and through my bedroom wall. Cold projected through friday.

Key West enjoys a variety of crimes. Those with an odd twist are reported daily in the Key West Citizen. Page 2, under the title Crime Report. This morning’s a bit different.

Told of a woman who lost her driver’s license. She was walking from her home on Eisenhower to see the sunset. She put her driver’s license and a credit card in her bra. The credit car made the trip. The driver’s license did not. She called the police to report it missing.

Such was the “crime” of the day.

Florida’s state capital is Tallahassee. Tallahassee is located at the northern end of Florida. Key West, the south. Many miles apart.

I sometimes wonder if State officials ever make their way to Key West. I think Key West is considered by them as a Siberian outpost.

US 1 is the State’s responsibility. A State road.

The State took three years to redo Northern Boulevard in Key West. Northern Boulevard is US 1. The State screwed up as to crossing points for pedestrians. No lights, except for one yellow blinking one. Problem is it blinks all the time. Even when no one crossing..

Accidents guaranteed. A pedestrian death to occur.

Key West wants a button and a red light. The State says nothing needed. They did a good job in the first instance. However to satisfy local clamor, they will add a button and blinking yellow lights.

Assholes!

The State official involved should visit Key West and try to cross Northern Boulevard at different times of the day. His life will be in danger!

Super Bowl tonight! I will be watching at a private party of two.

On this day in 1964, the Beatles landed in New York. Two days later on February 9, they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. Seventy two million watched them on TV.

It was a moment in American musical history.

Money/value was different in those days. The Beatles signed to appear on three Ed Sullivan shows for a grand package of $10,000.

The Beatles made it to Key West later in the year. They were flying to Jacksonville and had to put down in Key West to avoid Hurricane Dora. They stayed at a Southern Boulevard motel.

It is reported that after the Beatles left, people were going onto the property to fill small bottles of water from the pool the Beatles swam in.

Between this morning and late afternoon, i will be writing this week’s KONK Life column. A Li’l Abner introduction. Joe Btfspik and the cloud always over his head.

Enjoy your Sunday!