PIGS

I am upset this morning. Venting time.

Pigs does not refer to the four legged kind. Rather, those two legged. Man.

Two items in this morning’s Key West Citizen tick me off. Both have to do with the constant gouging of Key West Citizens.

One article concerns Stock Island’s Sunset Marina. Slip fees are being raised $5 a foot. The fees were raised last year also.

Most live on a boat because it is cheaper than buying or renting a home. Significantly. However with slip prices shooting up as they are, such will eventually no longer be true.

The other concerns towing fees.

The City Commission wants to raise towing fees from private properties by 35 percent. Increase other items also. Like allowing towers to charge up to $135 an hour where extraordinary effort is required. Everything will be extraordinary!

People are forced to leave Key West. More and more each year. They cannot afford the cost of living. The cost of living is much like the hills and steps which confront me in Greece and Italy. Everything up, nothing down.

Salaries contribute to the problem. Most are low paid hourly jobs. As time progresses, it is inevitable that a shortage of available employees will occur. Then, salaries will go up.

Getting back to the towing situation, the City Commission should be ashamed the way it handles Key West’s parking problem. It takes space away and raises parking fees for the limited space available. People are forced to park where ever they can. Such results in towing.

My yesterday began with a doctor visit. Another kind. Doctoring almost an every week thing. Then to Publix for a few things.

I had to hurry home after Publix. I was scheduled to be interviewed for 15 minutes on KONK News by Don Riggs. I had moved the time up to 12:45. Just made it.

Don and I had an interesting discussion re the Holocaust and the survivor Helen Sperling.

The evening was the best! The VFW on Northern Boulevard for dinner.

A big sign sits in front of the VFW building. Public Invited. I decided to try it. Glad I did.

Food good. Prices reasonable. Company excellent. A different breed of Key Westers. Veterans. They openly enjoy themselves. A happy group. They did their time in the military. Most fought. They have earned the right.

Met Schmegly. Spelled correctly. Looks like a thin santa Claus. A magnificent beard.

Schmegly has spent thirty years working Mallory Square at Sunset. Initially making creatures for children out of ballons. He considers such work an art. Today, he plays a banjo or guitar and sings.

Schmegly also walks Duval later in the evening playing the banjo. He refers to himself as a troubadour.

He makes his living from tips.

Schmegly’s real name is Richard Sloat. I never did find out how he got Schmegly out of Sloat.

He looks like an old timer you would find at Schooner Wharf.

Lighted Boat Parade tonight. An experience. Watch it from Schooner Wharf.

Tomorrow, the Parade of Paws. In the morning. Starts at Higgs Dog Park. Santa Claus will be there. The dogs will parade.

Key West loves dogs. Not only do we have Dog Park, we also have a Dog Beach. One of the best beaches in town. Right next to Louie’s Backyard.

A Saudi Arabian Prince referred to Trump as a “disgrace to America.” The Prince should talk. The pot calling the kettle black.

Saudi Arabia has much to answer for. The largest number of beheadings a year. No competition world wide. They abuse women. Do not permit them to drive. If an adulteress, stoning the penalty. Or, let a family member kill her and not prosecute the family member.

Enjoy your day!

RAINED OUT

The bocce playoffs were rained out. They have been rescheduled for next weekend.

A disappointment.

Don called around noon to say out 3 pm start time had been moved up to 6. They were trying to dry out the courts. Mother Nature did not cooperate. It rained heavy in the afternoon also.

All was not lost. Now I had time to research this week’s KONK Life column. It will be a step beyond the terrorist fear.

Muslims in European nations have failed to assimilate. They do what they want. Even to having their own court system. The governments of these nations turn away. They do not want trouble.

The media fails to tell us of these things

I fear the assimilation problem ultimately is greater than the terrorist one. It is based on a desire to take over governments.

You will find the subject matter interesting. I will be writing the column this afternoon.

Bocce was not the only thing that left me disappointed yesterday. I stayed home to watch the Syracuse/Elon game at 7. Could not get it on TV. And I generally get everything. The game apparently not that important.

Syracuse won 66-55. No big deal. Syracuse was playing a non-entity school. Syracuse was losing 39-37 in the second half when it went on a 21-6 run.

Next game wednesday. Play Charlotte in the Bahamas in the Battle for Atlantis.

The rain left many streets flooded. It is not merely that the sewers cannot take the extra rain flow, higher ocean levels now come into play. Streets not before flooded are now flooded. Like Truman and Flagler. The water being ocean contains salt. Not good for cars. I am not referring to the bodies. The engines themselves are in danger if salt water gets in.

Dave Talpasz till recently was the Manager of Tavern ‘n Town. He also recently was designated Marriott’s 2014 Restaurateur of the Americas. A big deal.

Spottswood Management owns and operates Key West Marriott and two other facilities in the Keys. Spottswood Management has promoted Talpasz to Corporate Director of Food and Beverage Operations for all facilities.

A major step up. Dave is well deserving. Highly competent. A good personality. I also compliment Robert Spottswood for making the choice. Robert is a quality person who can recognize the quality attribute in another.

Keys History this morning mentions that on this day in 1964, direct dial long distance phoning became available. Seems like yesterday. I remember. A big deal. I was four years in the practice at the time.

I also recall when few homes had phones. We did not have one for years. The corner grocery store did. My parents would call from that phone.

I recall also that our first phone was a four party line. Which meant three other households were tied into your line. If you heard voices speaking when you picked up the phone, one of the other parties was using it. You had to wait.

Then we had a two party line. Finally, our own line. My parents were thrilled!

Getting back to long distance calling before the direct dial hook up, if you wanted to make a long distance call you had to speak to the operator. You gave her the city and number and she did the dialing.

Who would ever have thought back then that some day we would be carrying our phones in our pockets and basically could call and receive calls anywhere.

Enjoy your Sunday!