KEY WEST CHICKEN’S SHADOW

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Someone reported in this morning’s Citizen’s Voice: The Key West chicken saw its shadow yesterday, which means six more weeks of tourists.

Skipped the anti-gravity treadmill yesterday. It competed with a doctor visit. Followed by Walgreens and Publix.

Did my blog talk radio show last night Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Cost of a college education a winner!

Mentioned the attack on college loans was misplaced. The universities themselves should be attacked. High administrative and professorial salaries, new buildings. Chastised the federal government also. The U.S. is averaging $40 billion a year as their piece of the action re college loans. A finder’s fee, a commission. I do not know what it should be called.

I thought I could watch the first half of the Syracuse/Virginia Tech game on TV last night. It was not to be. Not available in Key West at all. Dan Reardon called me a few minutes after 8 asking where the hell was the game! I told him the sad news.

An exciting game missed. Syracuse won 68-60 in overtime. Syracuse loosing by 7 points with 1 1/2 minutes to go. Tied the game and blew Virginia Tech out in the overtime.

A case of legionnaires disease discovered in Key West. A resident. He is now hospitalized in Miami. Health officials in a quandary where he got it. Investigation on going. No further cases reported.

Stepin Fetchit. Spelled correctly. Never heard of him. This morning’s Key West Citizen notes Fetchit was born this day in 1893 in Key West. His real name Stephen Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry.

Fetchit went on to become a comedian and movie star. Big in the 1930s. First African-American to achieve such a height. The first American black actor to become a millionaire.

Thirty five years ago, I was in Rome. With the family and my parents. A memorable one month trip.

My then wife and daughters were shopping on the Via Condotti. The Via Condotti is Rome’s most expensive commercial street. Especially for clothes and other female paraphernalia.

At the time, the dollar was strong. One American dollar was worth 2,200 lire. Legalized thievery whenever you bought something.

My wife said give me $3,000 and I promise you the girls and I will not bother you for clothes for a year. $3,000 turned into lires made a person a semi-millionaire!

While the ladies were shopping, I walked around. I hate shopping.

At one end of the Via Condotti are the Spanish Steps. Next door to the Spanish Steps was a two or three story building. Sign said Keats-Shelly House. I went in. An experience!

John Keats was a respected poet during his time. His time was not long. He died this day in 1821 at the age of 20 or 21. In the bedroom on the top floor. In a room next to his bedroom were a number of artifacts and writings that were his.

I came across a rumpled sheet of paper titled A Thing of Beauty Is A Joy Forever. The lengthy first stanza. Encased in glass.

The poem well known even today. Keats’ most famous work. I had studied the poem in college in a third year English class.

Viewing the hand written poem brought tears to my eyes. I was viewing a document for the ages.

Enjoy your day!

IOWA SURPRISES

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Late night!

Iowa surprised. No question about it.

Trump came in second. Cruz won. Rubio one point behind Trump.

Rubio has the momentum. New Hampshire going to be interesting..

Sanders deserves all kinds of accolades. Ran a dead heat race against Clinton. I think Clinton won by two tenths of one percentage point..

The polls were off. Lets see how they do in New Hampshire.

My friend Tom in Iowa was correct. He always is. He told me yesterday Rubio would make an excellent showing.

Last night a run around. No question. Season is here. In full force.

I went to Hogfish for dinner. A line waiting to be seated. Went into the bar. I generally can find a seat there. It has always been catch as catch can. The bar has some tall round tables. Sure enough, got one.

Sat down. Hostess came over and said all tables in bar now seated by list. I talked to her a bit and thought I had sweet charmed her. She walked away.

Two minutes later this big waitress with a distinctive harsh voice told me to sign up and wait. She made it clear I would not be waited on.

Not wanting to wait, I took a chance on Roostica a few minutes down the road. Anticipated the same problem. I was lucky. Walked in and a table available in the bar room.

I will be making reservations from this point forward till the season ends.

Too many people! I fear the island will sink from the sheer weight of them.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Interesting topics. Iowa, of course. In addition, the danger of anti-American citizen groups, military spending, destruction of the middle class, cost of a college education, and more. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Syracuse/Virginia Tech tonight at 8. I will be able to watch most of the first half. Vegas spread has Virginia Tech winning by 10.

Short blog. Have to move my ass. An early morning visit with one of my doctors. I wish I was being paid for these doctor visits.

Enjoy your day!

THE DELAWARE LEARYS

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Valarie and Mark Leary have visited Key West over the years. Residents of Delaware. Valerie works as an EMT. She understands medicine. Mark is in air conditioning.

Valarie is a loyal blog reader. She wrote they would be down this week and asked if we could get together. We met yesterday at Martin’s Happy Hour.

Great people. Especially Valarie. Vivacious best describes her.

We spent two hours having a wonderful time. They return home today. I am sure we will get together on their visit next year.

Busy yesterday. So busy, I missed lunch. Breakfast was toast and coffee at 6. Then Meet The Press. At 11, I sat down to compose this week’s KONK Life column. Took me till 3 to complete, without a break.

The title of this week’s column is Things That Concern Me. I vented. Selected eight topics bothering me for one reason or another. There are more. However space limited the number I could cover.

I know without question many of my positions are controversial. I expect many comments.

Topics discussed: Trump, Flint water, immigrants, Zika, Key West tourists, citizen groups hurting the United States, military spending, and the destruction of the middle class.

Something for every one.

Following the Leary visit, I returned home. Spent the evening reading and watching TV.

The weather has turned. Finally. 76 yesterday. Supposed to be warm all week. Rained all night. Looks like more rain coming today. I do not care. As long as it remains warm. The sun will get its turn and come out.

Sometimes, I am behind the times. New things occur and I am not aware for several years. Pickleball the latest.

I never heard of pickleball till this past week. A sport that has taken hold in Key West. Especially popular among the elderly. Though all ages participating.

It is a form of badminton/tennis. A paddle and plastic ball used. The ball has holes.

The game has been around a while. There are 2.46 million players nationwide.

I have been considering retiring from bocci. I would spend thursday evenings working on one or two chapters of Growing Up Italian. A good substitute for bocce might be pickleball. The only problem is I am not sure I am physically up to it.

An interesting piece of legal history. On this day in 1790, the United States Supreme Court sat for the first time. Six Justices. A law had been passed the year before establishing that number. The Court now has nine justices. Subsequent legislation over the years increased the number.

The reason I make mention is that it took the Senate only two days to approve the six Justices. Never again!

Enjoy your day!