A SUGARLOAF EVENING

Posted on by

Sugarloaf is 15 miles up US 1. One of the prettiest residential keys. Lovely homes.

I enjoyed a Sugarloaf evening last night.

June has owned or rented a home in Sugarloaf for more than a quarter century. She invited me to join her for a Sugarloaf experience last night.

First stop was a visit with Ineke and Fritz. Originally from the Netherlands, they have been U.S. citizens for many years. They enjoy two homes. A yearly residence in Connecticut, a winter home in Sugarloaf.

Fritz is a retired airline pilot. Ineke paints. Her works sell. Their Sugarloaf home walls covered with her paintings. All fantastic! Especially the abstracts. Their home lovely.

After an hour of pleasant conversation, we all moved on to Peggy and Wayne’s for dinner. Neva and Jerry joined us.

Another lovely Sugarloaf home. Sugarloaf has its own distinctive flavor. The homes reflect that distinction.

This was my third time with Peggy and Wayne. A fun couple.

A first time meet for me with Neva and Jerry. They stood out. Radiantly. They met eight weeks ago and fell in love. That quickly. It was obvious. God was good.

It was an evening of good company, drink and food. Accompanied by non-stop laughter.

I spent a good part of yesterday morning into the early afternoon writing this week’s KONK Life column. When Education Fails, A Nation Fails. Title says it all.

Our educational system has been on a downward spiral for years. Other industrialized nations have moved ahead of us. My recollection is that the U.S. is #29 among the 66 industrialized nations. A sure bet for more nations to move ahead of us economically and socially over the next 20 years.

The Blue Angels were performing again yesterday at Boca Chica. I did not have to go to the airfield to see them. My bedroom terrace was sufficient. Every time I heard the roar approaching, I ran out.

Outstanding! Beyond outstanding!

A couple of years ago, I came across an article suggesting that Lincoln had a dream that he had been assassinated ten days before he actually was. I doubted the validity of the story. Let it pass without comment.

I have come across the same story twice the past few days. I did a little digging. It seems the story has legs. It is for real.

Lincoln’s dream involved a group of subdued mourners around a casket in the White House’s East Room. Lincoln asked a guard who had died. The response, the President who was killed by an assassin.

Lincoln was bothered by the dream. He mentioned it to a close friend whose name escapes me.

The dream occurred on this day in 1865.

The world gets crazier by the moment. New York City is apparently having a problem with taxi and hired car drivers. Passengers being subjected to sexual comments and acts.

The City is working on a proposal banning the drivers from flirting with passengers or ejaculating on them. Ejaculating? Yes, it has become a problem.

Key West is one human family. Homosexuals and straights live side by side. Work and socialize together. Sexual preference not an issue.

Not so everywhere.

Saudi Arabia a problem place. The same Saudis who claim to be our friends. Those thought to have helped finance 9/11. Seventeen of the 21 persons involved in 9/11 were citizens of Saudi Arabia. Less I forget, the same Saudi Arabia that gave us $4 a gallon gasoline.

Criminal prosecutors in Saudi Arabia are recommending an extreme sentence for those engaging in homosexual acts. The death penalty.

The Saudis blame Facebook and the social media for creating the homosexual problem. They actually believe Facebook and social media are turning people gay.

Enjoy your day!

$13

Posted on by

There is an old proverb…..For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. Followed by the horse, rider, battle and Kingdom being lost.

Yesterday, for want of a $13 payment, my blog was lost.

The blog never appeared.

Last week, one of my credit cards was fraudulently used. The Fraud Bureau picked it up and cancelled the card. I have been using a temp since then awaiting my new card from the bank.

The card cancelled was the one I have used for years to pay a monthly $13 fee to GoDaddy. GoDaddy had the card number and took $13 out of the account each month.

GoDaddy is a domain builder, domain registrar, etc. I am not exactly sure what GoDaddy does. However, it is the beginning of this blog and the foundation/platform for everywhere the blog goes, how it gets there, etc.

GoDaddy shut my blog down because my card was no longer good. All for $13. Therein lies the reason no blog yesterday.

An entity and person died this past weekend. Both renown. Syracuse University and Tom Oosterhoudt.

Syracuse made the Final Four. Lost to North Carolina last night. Beat badly. I am not destroyed. Syracuse overachieved in the tournament. Boeheim and the team outdid themselves.

Whatever abilities carried Syracuse to this point in the tournament were absent last night. The pre tournament Syracuse team was on the floor.

Such is life. Again, I compliment the team and coach for having made it as far they did. Made an otherwise poor season a great season!

Tom Oosterhoudt a Key West icon and legend. Died early friday morning in a Miami hospital at age 65.

Tom a former City Commissioner and presently editor/publisher of Conch Color. Tom started Conch Color 11 years ago. He and his mother Mary Ann Worth own Casa Antigua on Simonton.

The Casa Antigua carries with it a piece of Key West history that Tom was proud of. Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway came to Key West by ship from Paris in 1928. The Casa Antigua then known as the Trev-Mor Hotel. Where Pelican Poop was located for years was the Trev-Mor Ford dealership. Hemingway had ordered a Ford to drive north from Key West.

The Ford had not arrived. Hemingway and his then wife were put up by the Trev-Mor people at the Trev-Mor Hotel. Two weeks later, the car arrived. By that time, Hemingway was sold on Key West. He did not leave till years later. He spent the next two years living at the Trev-Mor Hotel. Then bought his famous home on Whitehead Street.

While living at the Trev-Mor those two years, Hemingway finished A Farewell to Arms.

 

Last night was Tavern ‘n Town early with June. Had to be home before 9 to watch the Syracuse game. Bobby Nesbitt entertaining. Ran into Harrell Odom and Barry Cook from Nashville. Snowbirds. Harrell a heart doctor. I met Harrell several years ago at a dinner party at Donna Barnett’s.

Research complete for this week’s KONK Life column. Writing the column next. Will do it this afternoon. Not sure of the title yet. The column has to do with he failure of America’s educational system. Education being something more of us should pay attention to rather than merely giving lip service.

Temperature 88 yesterday. A one day cold spell upon us. High today only 78. I hope you find amusing my representation re the drop in temperature.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

Posted on by

It comes around every year without fail. April Fools’ Day. A fun time for many. Much joking around. Each of us will probably experience a small part of it today.

As usual, the Key West Citizen has outdone itself with its special April Fools’ Day publication. Unbelievable. It had to take a week or more to put together.

I recall the first time I read a Citizen’s April Fools’ Day publication. Some 25 years ago. My first April Fools’ Day in Key West.

Read the Citizen over breakfast. The main story was that the City Commission had banned smoking on sidewalks and beaches. Absurd, I thought. Stupid. They can’t do that.

I expressed my feelings to my then wife. She knew about the Citizen’s special April Fools’ Day edition.

She laughed. I laughed. If it was gotcha, I had been got.

Visited with my heart doctor yesterday. Dr. McIvor. I walked into his office and he hit me with something to the effect he should not talk with me. I figured it had to do with my stress test results. My heart dropped. He laughed.

The good Doctor is a Virginia graduate. I forgot he was a Virginia grad. He was referring to Syracuse beating Virginia last weekend. An interesting discussion unfolded. My stress test results forgotten by both of us.

Test results ok. I am going to live. He could not tell me the cause of the two pain hits I experienced in one day. I was advised not to be concerned.

My blood pressure better. Not where we both want it. Half way home at this point.

June and I had dinner last night at Michael’s with Wayne and Peggy. A couple I met last week. Fun people. A good time.

Michael and Suzette were glad to see me back. Twice in a week!

This week’s KONK life column Ma, Ma, Where’s My Pa? hit the stands wednesday. It was carried in today’s E-Blast News. Also linked this morning to my Key West Lou website. .keywestlou.com.

Two visitors of world wide fame arrived in Key West this past weekend.

The Blue Angels who will be performing this weekend. The Blue Angels announced their arrival yesterday by flying low the length Duval.

The Budweiser Clydesdales visited schools and trotted proudly up Duval.

Everyone does Duval!

Conch Color’s Tom Oosterhoudt in a Miami hospital again. Not good. A prayer in oder.

Some crazy things going on in the outside world. Not unusual.

A petition bearing 50,000 plus signatures was delivered to the Republican National Committee. The signers requested that delegates and visitors to the National Convention be permitted to bear arms. Pistols.

A shoot out guaranteed if permission is granted. Gun fight at Ok Corral time.

Guns in the news a second time.

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill permitting churches to form militias. Members would be permitted to bring guns to services. The bill further provided that a killing at a church or place of worship would be considered justifiable homicide.

A big night tomorrow! Syracuse/North Carolina in the Final Four. North Carolina a 9.5 point favorite.

I am pleased with Syracuse’s performance thus far. The team has overachieved. At this point, I do not care whether Syracuse wins or loses. Not true, really. I do care.

What will be will be.

Weatherwise, it looks great outside. However, the wind is blowing from the south. Generally means a storm some time during the day. Not always. Most of the time.

Enjoy your day!