Good morning world!

Nice day today. At least at its start.

Sun bright, few clouds, water crawling along.

The problem is the rainy season. It is upon us here in Key West. It rained off and on yesterday and last night. No big deal. But it was there. And is here.

Today will probably be the same. However at this point in the early morning, it could not be better weather wise!

Robert appears to have recovered. Lisa just called. No fever. Slept well. Ate breakfast. Good! He wants to go to school. A good sign also. I am awaiting another call as to the school decision. If he does not go, I will be hastening over to baby sit.

Last night was Bobby Nesbitt time at Aqua. A good locals crowd. To listen to great singing!

The locals at Bobby’s Aqua performance are always the same. We are, in effect, groupies. Oh, well! Nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to Bobby! One of Key West’s most spectacular performers!

Then to one of my favorite haunts for dinner. La Trattoria. I was in a carb frame of mind! Lasagna! I wish I could say it was calorie free!

I walked over to the Keys Piano Bar. Terri was scheduled to sing. No Terri! I asked Mark Watson, “Where is Terri?” “Home sick,” he responded. “She threw out her back.”

I was on the telephone calling her. Got Donna. Yes, Terri’s back went out. Remember that Terri is a career dancer as well as singer. Her hoofing over the years has resulted in a lame back.

Donna was on her way to the drug store to get some hot/cold packs. Terri has to sing tonight. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday she is perforfming in a musical at the Red Barn Theater. The show must go on!

I am looking out my open widow here by the desk. I can see the ocean and the top of one palm tree. The sun shining on all. And I can also hear the sound of the water moving by.

What could be better!

God is good!

I am late with the blog today.

Normally I do it early in the morning. However the site would not come up this morning. It was down for some reason.

So I left to play golf. Today is Wednesday. Golf day. Lisa gave me the day off from babysitting. She stayed home to watch poor Robert who is still sick.

I am at Lisa’s now. Robert is sleeping. Still has a temperature.

Golf went well. I played with Yankee Jack and Aaron. Yankee and I played a money game. I won $2! Better than losing!

I baby sat Robert yesterday. The fever keeps hanging in. Doctor says not to worry. I worry. Lisa worries. If it follows Ally’s situation, the fever should break in the next day or two.

My first stop last night was the Chart Room. Sat at the round table with Captain Peter, Sean the reporter and a couple of other locals. Felt like I was at the round table at the Algonquin!

Rain was the main topic of conversation. It has been raining heavy the past two days. I was informed that the rainy season is upon us. About a week early. It normally starts with the hurricane season which is scheduled to begin June 1st.

I find the rainy season amusing. Just last week the newspaper informed us that we had to cut back on water usage. The drought in the keys was the worst since 1932. One of the restrictions was that lawns could only be watered one day a week and only for ten minutes. Now a week later and we are getting buried in rain! And it is anticipated to continue on a daily basis! Hopefully the drought problem will correct itself in short order.

I had an interesting experience at the bar at La Trattoria last night. Not very crowded. I was sitting alone in the corner having dinner. Erin was bartending.

At some point a woman and two men came in. They sat at the bar one seat away from me.

They were visitors. Tourists.

The woman appeared to be in her 50s. The men 40 to 50. The woman was bleached blonde. Attractive.

They were talking loudly and sharing with Erin.

They had just arrived in Key West yesterday. She had rented a home in Key Haven for the week. The two men were staying with her. Between last night and this morning, four more men would be arriving and all six men would be spending the week with her.

I say no more. The intimation was there. Erin was tongue tied.

I live in Key Haven. A family island. The professional and business people of Key West make their homes there.

We never had this before! At least not that I know of! Definately not an only in Key West thing!

I am going to sit with Robert a bit. He just woke up. Lisa is working from home.

Have a good day!

Up early!

Raining outside. Big time! Had to close the terrace doors as the carpet was getting wet.

The weather report indicates showers all week. Yesterday was not bad. No rain by day. Then a big 5 minute shower at dinner time while I was sitting in the Chart Room.

Robert was sick yesterday. It was baby sitting time again. I am getting good at this. And making macaroni and cheese for lunch!

Someone asked me yesterday if I made it from scratch or out of a box. I am a pro! I do it all myself! Robert was duly inpressed. Without goading or asking on my part, he commented that my macaroni and cheese was better than his mother’s! A compliment! Of course, it has to be. I load it up with everything I can find!

Drinks at the Chart Room last night. With friend, Captain Peter. A wise man. I enjoy conversing with him.

Later, dinner at the outside bar at La Te Da. Met an interesting individual. Allen. Originally from Poland, he is into house rentals. I got an educatiuon.

People can’t afford to buy. People can’t afford to sell. Nor can they afford long term rentals like one month. So one week rentals have become the big thing. Most of the clientle are from Miami and points north in Floida. They hop in their cars and drive down for a week. A cheap vacation!

Allen told me his company gave up sales and long term rentals. They are devoting themselves exclusively to the weekly rental market. And their numbers are up significantly from previous years!

It is called adapting to the market.

Then across the street to the Keys Piano Bar. Terri was singing. Donna watching. A kiss from both. One drink. And home I was!

In between all this baby sitting, I continue to read a book on Harry Truman’s life.

There is a saying…..like father, like son. True in Truman’s case.

When Truman was President, his daughter Margaret was trying to forge a career as a professional singer. Semi classical and popular stuff. She was not that good. One critic really lambasted her in his column. A very unfavorable review.

Truman was highly irritatedf. He knocked the hell out of the critic who had knocked the hell out of his daughter. Said the critic deserved a punch in the nose and he would be happy to give him one!

Harry Truman grew up in Indedpendence, Missouri, as we all know. A typical family. Father, mother, sisters and Harry. His father’s name was John. John was built like a modern day jockey. Short and thin. But a tough honest person in every respect. The in your face type.

And very protective of his lady folks. If any one spoke ill of his wife or daughters, John Truman was quick to confront them and physically knock them on their asses.

Thus did Harry Truman acquire his defensive nature as regards his daughter.

The things we learn at home. They are the best!

I suspect I have one last day to baby sit. Today. I promise one thing. No macaroni and cheese. I am getting sick of it!

Ho, ho, ho! Yogi bear!

We won the golf tournament yesterday!

My team shot a minus 8! Big!

To the victors, go the spoils. $348 a piece! Wow!

$150 each for coming in first. I bought back 10 per cent of my team that had been auctioned off the night before in the morning. Cost me $12. Returned $151. Then we each got $17 for something else. And finally David’s girl friend Karen gave each of us $20. Karen had bought our team the night before for $125. We bought back 40 per cent of it before teeing off. So she had $72 invested in us. By our winning, she won! Almost $800!

Did I have fun? You bet! Did my team have fun? No question!

I played with 3 great guys. Two I had never met before tee time.

Our A player was Nate. All week I have been asking Don who this Nate is that he stuck me with. Now I know! One hell of a golfer!

Nate is the bartender at Bagatelle, a Duval Street restaurant. Prior to bartending, he took a shot at golf as a career. He has a couple of amateur titles of some significance. He also played in the Nationwide Tour. He told me everyone on the Nationwide tour has a handicap of between 1.4 and 1.8. Another wow! I can’t get below 35.0!

What a long ball hitter! The longest I have ever played with. We were basically putting for a bird on every hole. His drives were spectacular. On one par 4, he drove 10 feet over the green!

So it was a drive, pitch and putt on most holes.

And Nate is a nice guy! First class!

Then there was Angus. I had never met Angus either. He is a bartender at Schooner’s Wharf. Another terrific guy. And he could hit the ball long, also!

Finally, David! My friend for many years. Best friend to Don. We had never played golf together before. He had a new driver. It worked well. He hit some long ones.

In spite of Nate’s unique ability, it was a team effort. There were times when he called the wind wrong and his ball never came back from over the houses. Even Tiger Woods screws up on occasion! We played ham and egg golf. We were each there to help at a certain time. It was perfect scramble golf!

I want to play with these same 3 guys next year in Don’s tournament!

It did rain. Three times. Each time started as a light drizzle. Then turned into a heavy drizzle. Lasted a whole hole each time. We got wet. Then the sun came out and a hole later we were dry.

A hot day yesterday, in between the brief showers. Sweaty. My face got burned. A small sacrifice to pay for such a great day!

The party afterwards at Don’s Place was fun also! Good food and good company! Tenderloins, baked potatoes and all the trimmings.

I cannot say it enough. Don is a great host and a great business man. He does good things! One was the golf tournamnet yesterday.

On the way home, I stopped at Lisa’s. Robert is sick sick with whatever Ally had. I will be baby sitting Robert today. Ally is all better and heading back to school. I asked Robert what he wanted for lunch today. He said macaroni and cheese. Must be the All American kids’ dish!

Have a good day! If you need me, you know where to find me!

Big day yesterday! Big day today!

Yesterday started quietly. I bought the newspaper and went over to Hogfish for lunch.

Owner Bobby is remodeling. Has been for a few months. Some new benches were evident yesterday.

All this fixing up is good. The place needed it. But time to stop! Any more remodeling and the place will lose its flavor! Beat up and dirty is good!

Robert’s birthday party at dinner time. Five years old! He was born only yesterday. How big he has gotten. And healthy! He was born with cancer of the liver and had 2 major surgeries within the first 8 days of his life. He is extra special to us.

Lisa cooked a great dinner. Robert got tons of presents.

I sent him ballons. He mentioned during the week he wanted ballons. So, ballons he got!

He is into super type heroes. Batman, Spiderman and the like. His most recent hero is Bakgun. I do not know if I even spelled it correctly! Anyhow, I bought him an assortment of Bakgun toys. He was happy with all of them! And the ballons!

His other grandparents gave him some sort of Star Trek helmet. A real cool toy! Big! Changes Robert’s voice when he talks. Talks to him. A wow!

We have a custom in the family that if there are other little kids in the house, they get a small present or two so they will not feel left out. I got Ally beads and a puzzle map of the United States.

Ally loves beads. She makes necklaces all day. The puzzle was of the 50 states. When I was baby sitting last week, I asked her if she knew the names of the states. She recited all 50 without hesitation. Three years old!

I ate too much. Much too much! Especially the chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Two helpings!

Then it was off to Don’s Place. Don’s Golf Tournamnet is today. There was a pre tournament party last night. Part of the event was a team auction.

There are 8 teams of 4 players signed up. A scramble. Any one could buy a team. Open bidding. A real auction. Whoever owns the winning team, gets all the money raised in the auction. About $1,500!

The auction was a riot! Almost non describable! People taking a piece of each other. Low bidding and then suddenly the sleeper opens up with a big bid. Every one loud and boistrous, of course!

I did not bid. Like buying a pig in a poke! I do not know most of the people playing. Don and Kurt made up the teams based on their knowledge of each player’s abilities. Not very scientific!

Tino and Yankee Jack were big in the bidding. They each have all or a piece of several teams. One guy has a piece of 5 teams.

All very confusing!

We tee off today at noon.

My team consists of Nate, Dave, Angus and me.

I do not know Nate nor am I aware of his golfing abiliites. Dave I know. However, I have never played golf with him nor am I aware of how good he is. Angus–I have absolutely no idea who he is! And finally there is me! The worst golfer in the world! Now can you understand why I would not bid on my team or any other at the auction?

After the tournament, it is drinking and eating at Don’s. A fun day ahead!

One negative. It is supposed to rain today. Most of the day. A 60 per cent chance of rain.

It has not rained in the day time for months here in Key West. Today it has to start!

The weather man is rarely correct here in the keys. I hope he is wrong today.

The sun is up. Gray outside. A heavy bank of clouds. Black clouds!

We shall see.

Whatever, this is going to be a fun day!

Good morning world!

Rained all night! Poured! Gray this morning. But, oh so comfortable. A cool breeze!

Some nut has been telephoning me a couple of times in the middle of the night the past 2 days. Like 2 in the morning! The phone rings and no one is there!

I am tired from it! Once awake, it is difficult for me to get back to sleep. My head is heavy this morning. I feel like I was up all night partying! When actually I was in bed asleep by 10 last night!

Babysitting Ally was only till noon yesterday. Then son in law Corey took over. Poor Ally still has a temperature. Lisa took her to the doctor’s later in the afternoon. He said what he said last week. A virus, the flu. Gives her no medication. Says it will pass.

Lisa telephoned this morning. Robert now has it. Could be I will be doing double duty next week.

Next I will have it!

Dinner at the bar at La Trattoria last night. Every one was there. I had a good time!

Then I stopped in at La Te Da for a quick drink. Debra and Michael entertaining. I had not heard them for a while. Good people! Great entertainers!

The next stop was home and bed. But a good night’s sleep was not mine to be for the reason set forth earlier. Some nut is aggravating me!

Don Manaher is one of the smartest business men I have met here in Key West. He is owner of Don’s Place on Truman. A bar. Not a very elegant one! To even use the word elegant in the same sentence as Don’s Place is to insult the establishment!

Don is having a golf tournament tomorrow. A scramble. Eight teams of 4. I am playing.

Tonight there is a pre tournamnet party at Don’s Place. I will be going after dinner. Dinner is at Lisa’s. We are celebrating Robert’s 5th birthday!

Don’s party will put everyone in proper condition to play tomorrow. They will all be hung over! Tee off is at noon. Then followed by a steak cook out at Don’s Place.

Should be a fun event!

I am going back to bed. I need more sleep!

Enjoy your day!

Big day yesterday.

I started my day with an early morning visit to the doctor.

You will recall that 2 months ago I had my annual physical. My blood work came up with a couple of problems. High triglycirides and low iron.

Doctor said cut back on your drinking to correct the triglyciride problem. I did. By 2/3rds. It worked! My triglyciride count dropped over 200 points and well into the average level.

What a good boy am I!

She told me to eat spinach and an occasional steak to correct the iron problem. I have been eating spinach like Popeye! At least 1 small can a day! It worked. No iron problem.

What good living will do for you!

Then to Lisa’s to baby sit Ally. She was still running a low grade fever.

I continued teaching her how to tell time. Does not seem to be working. I think she might be a bit too young to accept the concept. We played cards. She beat me each time! We played chess. She beat me!

I made macaroni and cheese again at her specific request. Her favorite dish! I sexed it up a bit by using 3 different cheeses. She did not know the difference. Tasted quite good! We both ate 2 plates full!

She only napped for 1 hour. She seemed better.

I took her temperatue occasinally at Lisa’s direction. The low grade fever remained.
However, Ally seemed fine to me. We played all day. She was active all day. Never stopped!

I took her temperature several times at Lisa’s direction. The fever was always there. But her body was cool and again she was active. Extremely active!

I telephoned Lisa and told her that the thermometer was broke. Ally had no fever as far as I was concerned. Buy a new thermometer on the way home to confirm my judgment.

Five minutes later Lisa telephoned again. She said I should take my temperature and then Ally’s. If mine was normal and Ally’s not, then Ally had a temperature! It was not the thermometer!

I took my temperature. Normal. Took Ally’s. 100.7.

Mothers know everything!

Bocci last night. The last matches of the season.

I am glad the season is over. My whole team is. We sucked! The last place team!

We won 1 out of 3 games last night. All were close. But the result was no big deal!

Only 3 showed up on the other team to play. It takes 4 for a match. The game still goes on. What happens is the low numbered team loses 2 balls a round. That means we were rolling 8 balls to their 6 each time. We still lost! We could not beat a team with 2 broken legs and 1 broken arm!

Larry Smith’s team had a one game play off later in the evening to determine the victor of our small 4 team tournamnet. Many stayed to watch the event. Everything on the line in one game! Larry’s team won! They are to be congratulated!

I then stopped at Don’s place for a drink. The bocci players were all there. A good time was had by all!

I wish it noted I consumed only 2 drinks all night. One at the bocci matches and 1 at Don’s Place. I intnend to continue being good boy!

Lisa just called. Ally still has a fever and now is coughing and has a running nose. My services are required again today! Sorry for Ally, but good for me. I have enjoyed this whole experience with her this week!

Today is a special day. Robert’s birthday! He is 5 years old! I just telephoned and congratualted him!

Time moves swiftly! I remember his birth. I helped deliver him. Lisa insisted. An experience! My generation never was admitted even on the same floor at the time my children were born.

Enjoy the day!

I never got to play golf yesterday. Lisa called. Ally still had a fever. So I baby sat again!

Ally was better than the day before. Though still running a low grade temperature. No long spans of sleeping for her. She kept me going! Ran me into the ground! From 9 to 4!

I was tired when I left. Like I had played 36 holes of golf! Which I never do!

Fun, though! Ally talked non stop. One topic after another.

Two items were big on our agenda.

I had taught her the day before to be able to tell her left foot from her right. Helped in getting the correct shoe on the correct foot. Prior to yesterday, Ally generally walked around with her toes turned out.

Yesterday we worked on telling time. Harder than the shoe bit!

She knew her numbers, 1-12. We worked on the big hand and little hand. The second hand kept screwing her up. I wish I could have ripped it out of the big wall clock!

We came close to understanding time telling, but not quite. Needs a bit more work.

Chess was the other big education item!

I do not know how to play chess. Tried once when I was in law school. Never returned to the game. It was too hard for me!

Ally, at 4, knows how to play chess. Thanks to Montessori pre school!

She set up the board. She identified each piece by name. Told me their names. Explained the moves to me. And we played. Actually, she did! I tried!

I hope Ally is better today and goes to school. Two days of baby sitting is enough. I am tired! Need a Louis day.

I have a 9:30 appointment with my doctor. I did blood work last week. Time to find out if 2 months of reduced drinking and increased spinach eating has corrected my triglyciride and iron problems.

In spite of being tired when I left Ally late yeaterday afternoon, it did not keep me in last night!

My first stop was Aqua. Bobby Nesbitt time! A good crowd.

I ran into Michael Fatica at the bar.

Michael and I have been friends for 2 years. We are on the same bocci team! We have suffered through this season together!

Michael used to own the Red Pepper Company. Not its exact name. He owned a spice company thats featured product was a red pepper spice. He used to drive around town in a car the shape of a large red pepper! Cool!

He lucked out and sold out a few years ago. Good for Michael!

Now boredom has overcome him. Something I understand. So he is in the process of opening a new business. The Key West Island Salt company. The specialty of the house will be bath salts.

Michael spent time in his kitchen and over the period of a year came up with a great smelling bath salt. He put together the salts, perfumes and whatever else. He had a sample jar with him last night. Oh, what a great smell! Made me want to take a bath! Something I have not done in 30 plus years! I am a shower guy!

And the presentation of his product is catching and beautiful! A simple transparent glass jar. With a dainty label identifying the Key West Island Salt Company.

The bath salts will be sold in all the best Key West venues. Watch for it and buy it! I have a sense Michael has another winner! From hot red pepper to cool white bath salt! Only in Key West!

Marty is back in town! We met for dinner at the bar at La Trattoria. A good conversation.

Fred Tillman was there with his wife for dinner. Fred owns Kelly’s. The best wings in town!

I was home to bed early.

Lisa just telephoned. Ally still has a fever. So no school for her today. I am babby sitting again! After my 9:30 doctor’s appointment!

Will I be able to draw unemployment after my baby sitting duties are no longer required?

Talk with you tomorrow!

Good morning!

It is getting a bit warmer each day. I have recently started using air conditioning by day. The past few evenings, I have been gertting up in the middle of the night to turn it on.

We are moving into summer in the keys!

Baby sat yesterday. Poor Ally! She had a fever all day.

Ally was a trooper. Not a problem. Could she ever be a problem?

The fever tired her. She layed on the couch 2 times on her own and each time took a 2 hour nap.

I made her lunch. The macaroni and cheese she wanted. She showed me where the pasta was, the pan and told me what I had to use out of the refrigerator. I must say, the final product tasted good. To me! She did not eat. Picked at her food. I had trouble getting fluids into her. Some water and a bit of ginger ale.

Her personality was good. A winner! We played cards. Crazy 8s. I beat her twice! She does not like losing. Then I taught her war. She beat me! Badly! She was happy! She rested in my lap. I read to her. She read to me.

The major accomplishment of the day turned out to be my teaching her how to put her shoes on the correct foot. We were having difficulty discerning left from right. She always had the wrong shoe on the wrong foot. She now knows! If she remembers nothing else about me, it will be that Poppa taught her how to know her right foot from her left when it came to shoes!

Ah, the important things in life!

This morning golf. Unless Lisa calls and says I am babysitting agasin.

I had a quiet evening last night. Went to Hogfish for a late dinner. Around 8. The place was empty. Maybe a half dozen people. The bartender told me it had been quiet all night. At one point I was the only one sitting at the bar.

I had a hogfish sandwich, some fries and only 1 gin. Read some local papers. What could be better!

Oh! I stopped at K Mart before heading out to Hogfish. Needed golf balls. They sell 48 of them for $21. A deal! Even better, they are colored. Green and yellow. It helps me to find my ball. Also, there never is an argument as to whose ball I am hitting. It shames me not to use cheap and colored balls!

Have a good day! I am going to try!

Duty calls! The telephone just rang! Ally is sick. Temerature 104. I am baby sitting.

Poor Ally. She was sick all last week with some sort of sore throat. Then she got better and Robert came down with it. Typical. Now Robert is better and she is sick again. Such is life!

Ally also telephoned me. Her favorite meal is macaroni and cheese. Good that the fever is not affecting her appetite. She wanted to know if I knew how to cook it. Frankly, I never have. But it sounds simple. I am sure I can handle it.

I was with the grandkids last night. Had dinner at Lisa’s. Every one was fine at the time.

Afterwards, I stopped at the Chart Room. Had a couple of drinks with Captain Peter. Good man! Good company!

I spent the afternoon finishing reading Elizabeth Edwards’ book Resilience. Read it! One of the best I have read in my lifetime!

John Edwards cheating is actually only a small part of her writing. The book basically deals with the many kicks in the ass we all take during our lifetimes. She had many. Her son’s death at 16, her father’s illness, cancer conquered, cancer’s return, terminal cancer, her husband’s infidelity and on and on.

Life is not the cheery straight path we all envision early in life. There are many crooks and turns. All unexpected.

I admired an analogy Edwards used. Life is like being on a sail boat. A strong wind comes and turns the boat. You cannot change the wind, but you can alter course. And so dealing with life’s blows is to get up and move on, though in a different direction. Change is inevitable.

If one does not alter course, that person will be mired in the unhappiness of the disastrous event for the rest of his/her life.

Such is her message.

Elizabeth Edwards has been on TV much this past week discussing her book. She looks terrible! You can see the ravishes of the cancer in her face. Very obvious. And her hair. Straw.

Sad.

I get irritated at each of the TV news people. They all dwell on her husband’s infidelity and tend to miss the main thrust of the book. But she is a strong determined woman! Her message gets out one way or another: Alter course!

Time to shower and run. Duty calls. No, love. Ally and I today!

Tomorrow I will probably have a fever!