Key West weather continues to be great! Sunshine all over the place!

The July 4th holiday weekend is upon us. The town is filling. I could feel it on Duval last night. Happy tourists all over the place.

This is a good time to visit the keys. Everything is cheap! Lodging and food reduced! It’s off season!

I had a quiet lunch yesterday at the Yacht Club and read the papers. Then to Borders to read a bit. Still working through Richard Wolfe’s Renegade about the Obama campaign.

Lisa stopped by after work with the grandkids. Robert and Ally are getting big. Each day one of them seems to grow a bit.

My evening started as usual at the Chart Room. A good place to start a Key West night.

There were quite a few people at the bar. I spent most of my time chatting with Captain Peter and Sean. We zeroed in on 2 topics. The local school board problems and the Catholic Church’s sex issues.

I have had this craving the past few days for chicken wings. The best place for them is Kelley’s. So I walked over to Kelley’s. That is when I could sense the growing holiday crowd on Duval.

Sat at the outside bar. Bob was there. He has been a Key Wester for years. It has been a while since we have been together. I enjoyed our conversation.

Chris came over, also. Chris bartends at Kelley’s. He was King of Fantasy Fest a couple of years ago. A real nice guy! He asked about Lisa and the grandkids. Chris and Lisa are good friednds.

Bob and Chris left to go over to Square One to see Patrick. Patrick bartends at Square One. A good guy also! And a good friend of Lisa’s!

Patrick’s partner of 20 years Les had a stroke last year. Patrick is doing a bang up job of caring for Les.

I have lived long enough to see physical tragedy strike many couples, whether straight or gay. A few times I have seen the wife not do the right thing. Either poor care or walk away. I have never seen that in the gay community.

Erica was bartending. Made the evening even better! A lovely late 20s creature!

Oh, and I did get my wings! Absolutely the best anywhere! Big, juicy and succulent!

When I was at Sloppy Joe’s a couple of nights ago, I noticed a sign sealed into the table top. It portrayed a Sloppy Joe’s Restaurant. The year was 1880. The place Habana, Cuba. Note the b and not the v. I write it as it was written!

It leads me to think the name Sloppy Joe’s originated with the Havana operation. Key West’s Sloppy Joe’s opened sometime in the 1920s or 1930s. Historical lore has it that Ernest Hemingway helped carry the furniture from the old Sloppy’s to its new location on Duval.

Animals get well taken care of in Key West. Very well!

A big sea turtle was found on the island sick on January 19. He/she got an infection from eating garbage. Some turtle group took the turtle in and cared for it.

They named the turtle Obama. In honor of President Obama who was to be inaugerated the day after the turtle was found.

Obama is being released back to the ocean tomorrow on the 4th of July. An appropriate day for a turtle with the name Obama! The event will take place at Higg’s Beach. It will be a big deal!

A British warship is docked in Key West. The HMS Iron Duke. It will be here for 4 months while deployed in the Caribbean.

Turns out certain of the crew members are rugby players. So a match has been arranged with the Key West Rugby Club. I did not even know Key West had a rugby team, let alone that anyone here knew how to play rugby! The game is at 6:30 tonight on Stock Island. I am going to try to make it. I have never seen a rugby match.

Wow, am I long winded this morning! Sorry!

However, there is one more item I want to comment on.

California! The State is so broke it started issuing IOUs yesterday instead of money/checks to pay some of its bills. A couple of hundred million dollars worth. To vendors. For tax refunds. A real wow!

I wish I could issue IOUs to pay my bills!

Enjoy the holiday!