I am ashamed. Embarassed is a better word.

I forgot Kate Miano’s birthday party!

It was Friday night at the Gardens.

I never went out Friday night. I was tired and went to bed early.

Sorry, Kate. I now wish you a Happy Birthday! I understand your party was terrific! Good for you! You are a class person! Everyone loves you! Deservedly so!

I visited with Lisa and Corey yesterday afternoon for a bit.

Lisa was excited. She started featuring Terri White’s new CD on her internet department store Via Key West a couple of weeks ago. The sales are going crazy! CD sales overall seem to move slowly. So this is a phenomenen! http://www.viakeywest.com/.

Robert was home and playing. Wow, is he getting tall!

Ally was away for the afternoon enjoying a play day with some girl friends. At the age of 4! They were having a tea party. Ally had dressed for the occasion. A dress. And jewelry and a purse. And even white gloves!

The Chart Room last night was packed. Tourists and locals combined. I visited briefly with Captain Peter. He is looking well and was his usual charming self. Che there also. Holding up his end of the bar. Che is an icon. A Key West legend in his own life time. And one of the two remaininig empty holes in the bar awaits his ashes when he leaves this world. Che considers his ashes in the bar will be his greatest accomplisment, even though the time for them has not yet arrived.

The charming Michael was bartending. A good guy! A former Marine. And proud of it!

I lucked out. I ran into Mike and Tina.

Mike and Tina are from Hartford, Connecticut. Mike is a business consultant and Tina works in the insurance industry. They have a home here in Key West also. Across the street from the cemetery. Tina said last night she keeps a small bottle of holy water nearby in the event there are ever visitors from the cemetary. For real!

I spent a lot of time with Mike and Tina last night. I enjoy their company. Good people. I hope they enjoy mine as much. We seemed to have chatted endlessly last night.

Two large international companies are merging and Mike has been offered the job of running the new company’s Japan business. In fact, he only returned from Japan a few days ago. He was still suffering from jet lag.

The conversation regarding whether to take the new position was interesting. By the way, be impressed. It’s a big deal! They would live in Japan.

What happens to Tina? She has a very responsible position in Hartford. In Japan she would not be working for a number of reasons. I enjoyed listening to them analyze the problem. It was a today one.

Then we got into Italy.

Tina was born in Italy. Just outside Naples. Her Dad still lives there. He is my contempoary. 72 years old. I visited Italy many years ago with my family and parents for a month. I shared some memories of the trip with them.

I decided on steak. Went to Michael’s for dinner. No room at the bar. So I waved good bye to Emmet. I decided to try old reliable, La Trattoria. Packed. Erin said no way.

Saturday night and I was all alone by the telephone. Poor me.

I ended up at Hogfish. Ate fish and chips. Read the local papers. And watched the Kansas/Kansas State basketball game. Great game! In fact all of the college basketball I snuck a peek at yesterday was outstandig. Some great teams out there this year!

I woke this morning to Saratoga Trunk. A 1945 movie. Starred Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman.

I remember seeing the movie when I was a kid. The movie takes place in Saratoga, New York. It is set in the Saratoga Hotel. I remember and know both Saratoga and the hotel well. I have done August during the racing season and have also had a satellite law office in Saratoga. I even built and owned at one time a shopping center in Saratoga, as well as having constructed some 250 units of housing. I have even sat on the large front porch of the Saratoga Hotel in a rocking chair.

A great movie that recalled a lot of memories!

There are some who think that all Key West is is the 200 and 300 blocks of Duval. The tourist section. These same people think that Sloppy Joe’s, Hogsbreath and Schooner’s Wharf are the only places to go.

Well, wrong they are. These people are generally tourists themselves who have only spent a few days in Key West. They never discover the other places that offer beauty and enjoyment in Key West.

They miss much. There is more to Key West than Sloppy Joe’s.

Those who limit themselves to the tourist area never get to know the joys of Louie’s Backyard, Debra and Patrick at La Te DA, the great singers at the Keys Piano Bar, Patticakes and Square One Restaurant, the great German food at Martin’s, Antonia’s and La Trattoria for fine Italian food, Virgilio’s on Monday nights for $5 martinis, Michael’s buried in the heart of Old Town for steak, Kelly’s on Whitehead for wings at cocktail hour, Larry Smith at the Wine Galley, the Hot Tin Roof for pure pleasure, Don’s place for real people, the Strip house at the Reach for steak and pictures of bare ass women and Barb Grob’s Art Slut Bar.

I rarely visit Sloppy Joe’s or Hogsbreath. Too touristy for me. I don’t like being joustled around by a bunch of partying drunks. Schooner’s I do stop at on occasion. Another tourist place. But I love Angus the bartender who I occasionally get to play golf with. Also Schooner’s is some what across the street from Pepe’s and I like to stop at Schooner’s for a drink before going over to Pepe’s.

It is Sunday morning. Raining. TV says rain all day. I hope not.

I will stop at some point at Don’s Place. Then to the Coffee House to free load read the Sunday papers, including the New York Times.

Dinner at Lisa’s tonight. Publix had a sale on turkeys. We are doing Thanksgiving again tonight!

Enjoy your day!

6 comments on “

  1. There are many "tourist traps" in Key West. Sloppy Joes,Hogs Breath, Latrattoria and Antonias are just a few.Chek out Google…..Key West restaurant reviews and talk to the locals for the truth.

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