What a difference a day makes!

I played golf yesterday morning. Sun shining brightly. Warm. Raised a bit of a sweat. When I finished 18, my face was red from the sun.

Then yesterday afternoon, it started raining. Big time! And rained, rained, rained! Through out the night. Still raining this morning. Heavy!

So much rain that the street in front of my home is flooded. I may need a canoe to get out of here!

Great golf yesterday! I played well. Played with good guys! David, Larry, Yankee Jack and Tino. Tino is back from Chicago.

There were 3 winners. Three who tied with the most points. I was one of them. Ho ho! Split $12. Which means I pocketed $4. The amount is immaterial! I was thrilled! A win is a win!

Poor Tino was the big loser! He was welcomed back appropriately. Cost him around $14.

My putting is holding me back. When I could not hit, I putted well. Now that I am crushing the ball, I cannot putt. You figure!

My poor Mercedes is sick! I love the car! Bought it new in 1987. I have cared for it as one would a child since then.

It was driven down to Key West from New York about a month ago. After having been in storage for 5 years. Got to Key West with no trouble.

Then I drove it for a week in Key West. The air conditioning went. One of the back windows would not stay up. There was a noise when it was driven that sounded like a loose fan belt. And a few other little things.

I made arrangements to take it to a garage for servicing yesterday. I got in the car and turned the key. The battery was dead. Nothing.

Called the garage. A tow truck with a bed came over. The reason the car was dead was that the fan belt was wrapped around the fan. Oh, well! I hope my Mercedes will be back and well soon. The car has become a friend and item of pride over the years.

Last night I intended to do dine out and then head over to the Bottle Cap to catch the Larry Smith variety hour live. The heavy rains changed my mind. I stayed in. Cooked for myself. I am getting good at it. Then spent the evening preparing for friday’s radio show.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour this friday has some very interesting topics. Like bullfighting!

A province in Spain recently legislated to outlaw bullfighting. Spains highest court is preparing to hear argument on the constitutionality of the ban. The background to the issue is interesting. There is even a touch of Ernest Hemingway involved.

There will also be comment on the three Iowa Supreme Court Justices who were in effect recalled by the voters yesterday for having voted in favor of gay marriage last year. Conservative Iowans fought back on the issue.

Plus, Californians voted down legalizing marijuana for recreational use. A surprise!

Additionally, I will be touching on the New York City car bomber who was sentenced to life in prison, burqa banning in France and other European countries, Islam and two teenage girls executed by a firing squad in Somalia for allegedly spying, dumb criminals, and more.

Listen in. On the radio at KONK 1500 AM. Worldwide on the internet for both watching and listening at http://www.konkam.com/. All at 10 am on friday! Tomorrow!

Bocce tonight! Good luck! I doubt if the rain will cease and desist. Even if it does, I doubt the clay courts will be dry enough to play.

Tonight is a big night otherwise! A proud moment for the Florida keys! An even prouder moment for my friend Howard Livingston!

Howard’s new TV show debuts tonight on national television. Channel 354. DirectTV. At 9 pm.

Howard will be in 32 million homes tonight!

Good for you, Howard!

Watch the show everyone! Howard is the best!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was an ordinary day. Especially by Key West standards.

I basically did nothing but personal housekeeping chores.

My day started with a haircut. Always a pleasure to see Lori. We spoke of the grandkids. She does their hair. They were in last Saturday. Ally is becoming a problem. She is strong willed and of a single mind set. Much like her mother was. Ally does not want her hair cut. Only a trim. She has a tiny face. We are lucky to see it!

Following the haircut, I voted. There were only two of us to vote. Contrasted with two years ago when Obama was running and I had to wait 15 minutes. Even though Florida has early voting, I viewed the lack of voters as an indication of a light turnout. Good for who! Good for which party?

Then to the Coffee House. Sipped and read. Browsed through the New York Times. The place was packed. Surprised me. Fantasy Fest is over. Guess there are a lot of vacationers in town. A good time to be here. Great weather. Peaceful.

I had a heart doctor appointment in the afternoon. Thought it was a routine one. Ended up having some tests I had not anticipated. More scheduled for Novemebr 16th. I have to do a stress test, plus some other things.

I put the stress test off two weeks. I am not in shape. Even my walking has been sporadic. A doctor friend in Utica once told me you have to practice for a stress test. I will be signing up at a gym tomorrow and working out, amongst other things, on a tread mill for two weeks in preparation.

Love politics! So I stayed in last night to watch the results. Woke periodically during the night to keep up. We are back to split government. Good? Bad? Who knows anymore.

We are screwed up as a Nation.

There is a quote I have repeated on several radio shows recently. Jesus Christ said it. Matthew recorded it. Lincoln repeated it. Matthew 12:25. “…every city and house divided against itself will not stand.”

A house divided cannot stand!

We must come together!

The Parrotheads are starting to drift into town. By the weekend, there will be thousands here. Jimmy Buffett followers! Middle Americans! Wearing their crazy hats from whence the parrothead designation derives. Having a wonderful time!

The fall has been terrific so far weather wise. Especially since no hurricanes visited us! The temperature has consistently been in the high 80s to low 90s. A cold front is projected for the weekend. Our first one in a long while. The cold front was the talk of the town yesterdy. Locals excited. A bit of cool weather is always welcome.

The temperature will drop to the low 70s! Believe it or not, it will be cool/cold to those living in the keys. Perhaps long pants time.

I know this is a joke to those of you up north. Yesterday the temperature was 41 in upstate New York.

Golf this morning! I have a feeling I will play well. Plus the guys I play with are a joy. Good people all!

Enjoy your day!

A relatively quiet day yesterday.

Started with a doctor visit. My internest. Routine. Today I see my heart doctor. Routine also. The appointments just happened to fall close together.

I spent the better part of the day at home doing paperwork and catching up on bills. I hate paying bills!

Dinner was the hightlight of the evening. With Jenna.

The ages separate Jenna and me. She is 25. I am 75. But we have become best friends.

Jenna was a communications major. Television is her goal. She started out well after college. Was a sports broadcaster for a TV station somewhere. I have seen her videos. Terrific!

Then came the recession. It affects every part of American industry. Her TV station was forced to downsize. Jenna was let go.

She has been in Key West for several months. Staying with an aunt and uncle. Seeking a new sport broadcasting job somewhere. Resumes out all over the place.

In the meantime, Jenna has kept busy. She is producing some shows at Konk radio. She co-hosts the Larry Smith variety show wednesday evening at the Bottlecap. The show also airs ad ustreams over Konk radio. She cohosted Pretenders last week with Kathleen Peace. She has done some interviewing work for various businesses and organizations locally.

No grass growing under her feet!

Jenna is a talent waiting to be discovered!

We had dinner at the bar at La Trattoria. Kathy bartending. I had two charming women keeping me company!

This is not the first time Jenna and I have had dinner or lunch together. She is a cheap date. Eats like a bird. An appetizer or salad. Nothing more. And is as thin as a toothpick! I wish I had her will power!

After dnner, we walked Duval to Vinos. Clayton and Valerie’s new wine bar. A good crowd for a monday evening.

Che was there. Sitting out on the porch watching the street go by. I chatted with Che for a few minutes.

Jenna and I sat at the opposite end of the porch. Che called over and wanted to know why I wasn’t joining him. I said who wants you when I have her! Pointing to Jenna. Che laughed.

We idled the time away chatting about Jenna’s professional activities in Key West, her hopes for the future and that sort of thing.

Valerie showed up at one point. It was good to see her. She and Clayton are working had to make a go of Vinos. I think they will.

That was my yesterday. Nothing dramatic. A normal day with an interesting Jenna woven in.

I have to vote today. Forgot to do so.

Enjoy your today!

Yesterday was Sunday. A quiet one. A change from a week of Fantasy Fest events.

I hung around the house most of the day. Read the newspapers. Napped a bit.

In the late afternoon, I stopped by Lisa’s. My intent was to see the grandkids and then head over to Kate Miano’s Gardens.

I never made it to the Gardens.

Lisa convinced me to stay for dinner and then go tricking and treating with Robert and Ally.

I have not done the trick or treat routine in years. The last time was with Lisa and her sisters and brother when they were small. I used to take them out each halloween night. I would stand at the curbstone as the went up to a door to do their thing.

It was like 35 years later last night. It was!

We all went last night with Robert and Ally. Lisa, Corey, Cameron and me.

It was not quite what I expected. I anticipated throngs of kids running the streets. Visitng one house after another. Parents in the shadows.

We were out about an hour. Except for one other little girl, we were the only ones out! Never saw another kid!

I started wondering if halloween had changed.

The lack of child compatriots worked to Robert and Ally’s benefit. Everyone gave them extra goodies because no one was knocking at their door!

One home apparently had a young bachelor living there. He was all excited to greet Robet and Ally. Said they were his first halloween visitors in two years.

We hit two theatrically historical homes. Both on Duncan. Both within two blocks of Lisa’s.

One was Tennessee William’s former home. My friends Evan and Barbara live there. They were great to Robert and Ally.

The other was the house where the Rose Tattoo was filmed 50 plus years ago. The movie starred Burt Lancaster and Anna Mangani. The residents there were generous also.

Robert and Ally’s bags of goodies were getting heavy! I asked Ally if hers was too heavy for her. She said, “I’m not complaining!” Like an old lady! And kept saying it the rest of the night. She must have heard it somewhere and it connected. Five years old!

The evening brought back memories of when I accompanied my children. Oh, so long ago. But like yesterday.

Lisa said the reason there were no other kids around is that the parents take them to the more affluent areas like where I live. Key Haven. The goodies are appaently better.

I found out on my way home that Lisa was correct. At least that the kids had been transported to Key Haven to do their tricking and treating.

Key Haven is 3 islands up from Key West. Two and a half miles north of Key West.

As I drove onto the island, it was obvious how right Lisa was. For the first half mile into the island, there was no parking left on either side of the street. Vans and pick up trucks galore. The kids were literally being trucked to Key Haven.

The first two blocks were covered with children in costume and parents. More interestingly, the homeowners were prepared and waiting for the invasion. Most had tables set up on their porches and front lawns. Loaded with goodies. Mom and Pop sitting in lawn chairs behind the tables.

This was the place where all the Key West kids were!

No one has ever come to my home in Key Haven on halloween. Not becaise I am a ghoul. Rather because I live too far in on the island. They never make it.

Shades of yesteryear befell me!

At one point I ran into about 50 kids in the middle of the street. Boys and girls. All covered in white! Each spraying the other with shaving cream. They and the street itself were a mess.

They were older than grammar school kids. Younger than high school. Probaly middle school attendees.

It brought to memory when I did it.

I have to hustle. I have an early doctor’s appoinment this morning. I have another one tomorrow. That is what you do when you get old. You visit the doctor all the time.

Enjoy your day!

Good morning!

Happy Sunday!

Another beautiful Key West day! I am sitting outside writing this blog. In the shade of the tiki hut by the water. Sun bright. Not one cloud in the sky. Colors brilliant.

God is good!

I stayed in bed late yesterday morning. Around noon, I headed over to see Tammy. I was in need of a pedicure.

The contrast businesswise for Tammy from Friday was dramatic. From a full house to literally no customers yesterday. As a result, Tammy spent extra long massaging my feet. Knocked me out! I fell asleep.

Then to Borders to read a bit. Interestingly, very few customers. Fantasy Fest visitors obviously do not visit Key West to read.

I enjoyed the quiet and solitude. It went well with the foot massage after affect.

The cupboard was bare again! Publix time. I enjoy grocery shopping. Something I never did in my other life. I would not waste my time nor would I be seen dead grocery shopping! What I missed! I enjoy seeing friends and making new friends. I have discovered a supermarket is a great place to meet new people.

I had a late lunch at home. After all, I had just bought all kinds of new, fresh foods.

The Fantasy Fest Parade last night!

I rarely see the whole parade anymore. It takes about 2-3 hours. Standing on a crowded street with 60,000 to 80,000 other people and grabbing for beads no longer turns me on. I enjoy watching a very small part of the parade and doing something else during parade time.

Last night it was to be dinner with Marty and his wife Donna at Marquesa at 8. Marquesa is on Simington, one block off Duval. The parade is at one point on Duval.

I got there at 7:30. Walked the one block to Duval. I was directly across the street from La Concha. The parade would not pass by till well after 8.

Duval is cordoned off for the parade. People are permitted to walk Duval in the street till the parade arrives. And they do! Thousands of them! Most in costume. Or lack thereof!

I stood on the curbstone and watched festive party people walk by.

My first observation was that those walking the street were more attractive than the day time reveleers I had been observing. Then it dawned on me! Those a bit younger preferred to party by night. Those a bit older by day. I am in bed asleep by 10 most evenings. So I had missed this group of partyers.

Some terrific bodies! Especially the females! And a distinct and obvious lack of clothing.

Most women had only spray painted a small portion of their nipples. In previous years, the whole chest would have been spray painted. Another difference was their privates. A fig leaf painted or a fig leaf itself. Nothing more! Probably illegal. However, if the police were to arrest, they would have had to arrect 20,000 women.

One woman particularly impressed me. She was absolutely beautiful! Stunning! And she knew it!

50ish. A terrific body. A lovely face. She walked upright and proud. A bit of paint on her nipples. A fig leaf painted below. Strutting on high heels. Every 10 feet or so, someone would shout out and she would turn and stand proudly to have her picture taken.

Everyone well behaved. Whether participant or spectator.

At 8 I walked into Marquesa. Just as Marty and Donna were arriving. Marty’s cousin Billy was with them. They call the cousin Cousin Billy.

Dinner was terrific. Good food. Good company.

Donna is a spectacular woman. Marty is lucky. Now in her 60s, Donna is originally from Poland. Her true name is Donata. She is lovely and warm. And takes no guff from Marty! She frequently gives him a shot. He takes it well. They seem happy.

Marty still has the gout. But he was drinking last night. He did not care.

Cousin Billy is from Washington, D.C. He has been here before. Not his first Fantasy Fest.

Cousin Billy is Bill Banner. He is in the courier business in Washington. His stepfather has taught at the American University Law School for 55 years. At one time he was Dean.

At a point during dinner, I mentioned that someone had told me that the pool at Dante’s on Sunday was the place to be. Packed with naked bodies. Marty, Donna and Billy laughed. What do you mean Sundays? Every day during Fantasy Fest! They took out their cell phones and showed me the pictures they had taken. Wow! What I have been missing!

Next year, Dante’s!

After dinner, I walked the one block back to Duval. I knew the parade would still be ongoing. It was. Float #35 was going by. That would be mid point in the parade. I watched a few floats. All interesting. And then started walking back to Marquesa.

Parking is a pain on parade night. Recently my car got towed two consecutive years. So last year I started a new process for parking. Which is only possible because I have the best son in law in the world. I park at Lisa’s. Corey drives me to Marquesa and then returns and picks me up when I call him.

I called him at 9:30. I was home in bed sleeping by 10.

I had a good time last night.

Today is Sunday. Things will quiet down quickly. There are few Fanasy Fest events remaining. Most of the party goers/vistors will leave early today. US 1 will be one way traffic north!

I have no idea how I am going to spend my day. Isn’t that nice!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was a big day for me personally. An anniversary. My first one.

It was one year ago yesterday I was laying in a Miami hospital and told you have heart problems young man! This was after a heart catherization and some other tests. Ok, I said. What do I do? Stop drinking and smoking was the response.

I did at that moment. I have had neither a drink nor cigarette for one year.

I am proud of myself.

It has not been easy. I still miss both. I still crave both. Some days more than yesterday. Even now. But I hang in there! There is no choice when the option is death.

I do feel better. I am stronger. That is why I am hitting the golf ball farther!

The radio show yesterdy was a hit! So I am lead to believe by those who communicated with me afterwards. Three topics received the most interest. Terri White. A story for the ages! And Social Security and the comparison of stimulus packages between Eisenhower and Obama.

After the show, I had to hurry over to Lisa’s. Robert and Ally did not have school. I was needed to babysit for an hour. The grandkids were engrossed in a kids’ movie. After my kisses and hugs, they settled back to continue watching the movie. I read the newspapers.

Babysitting again was only for one hour. I was a fill in between Lisa and Corey being available.

Then it was to the Pier House for lunch.

Gerg Lindeberg is from Forest Lake, Minnesota. He reads this blog. He wrote and told me he and his wife Cady would be in for one day. They were planning on walking in the Masquerade Parade. They are staying with friends up in the Key Colony area.

He asked if we could meet. We planned a 12:30 luncheon.

Greg and Cady brought friends. Ted and Sue Kolbe from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.

We had a fun luncheon.

Greg is a financial planner. Though he is not happy with that title. He refers to himself as a “Social Security Alternative Model Representative.” Quite a mouthful!

Cady works at Home Depot in bookkeeping.

Greg and Cady are not strangers to Key West.. They visit here 5-6 timnes a year. I told them that eventaully they will buy. It is the pattern.

Ted and Sue both work at Penn State. What a great place to be employed!

Greg is a Construction Manager. He oversees the outside contractors to make sure they do their jobs properly. Sort of like a clerk of the works. Sue is employed in the Psychological Clinic.

This was Greg and Sue’s seventh visit to Key West and their fourth Fantasy Fest.

All four were walking later in the day in the Masquerade Parade.

Nice people! Key West types! Locals to be!

I hope they keep in touch. I am sure they will. And we will be visitng together again on their next visit.

I needed a pedicure. It was over to Lee Nails. Good luck! The place was packed! Tammy asked me to return tomorrow.

The Masquerade Parade was fun! I did not march. Never have. Some year I must.

I watched the parade on Fleming Street. Walked around a bit. Popped into a couple of house parties and watched from the porches.

Great costumes! Happy people! Everyone waving! No rowdiness! Of course, it was only five o’clock!

After the parade passed me by, I headed for Duval.

The key spot for merriment from my perspective on friday night is the corner where 801 and the Bourbon Street Pub sit. Kiddy corner from each other.

Both are gay estgablishments. Drag queens abound. Tourists and locals packed into the intersection like sardines.

There is a scaffold. Two stories high. In the middle of the intersection. Music on top. At least one guy in leather pants with his butt exposed at all times. Bare breasted ladies climbing the scaffold to dance on top.

A place to stand and watch. Which is what I did.

Then I returned home to bed. Before 8! It had been a full day for me!

This is the big night! The parade! The Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. Sixty thousand to 80,000 people will line Duval watching the parade. I am amazed every year that the island does not sink! I also wonder every year where they all sleep! There is not enough room in Key West for all of them!

My friend Howard Livingston has the honor of being the Grand Marshall of the parade. He will be on the first float with his Mile Marker 24 band. I recall 4 years ago when Howard put his own float together for the parade. He asked me to be on it. I was thrilled.

Howard was relatively new to his musical career at the time. Not everyone was aware of him. My recollection is that our float was # 57 out of 64 that night. No respect. By the time we started into the parade, some floats had already finished the parade.

Four years later Howard is numero uno on the #1 float!

Go Howard!

Enjoy your day!

Radio show this morning!

The Key West Lou Legal Hour!

10 am.

Listen in on KONK 1500 AM radio through out the keys and Havana, Cuba. Better yet, watch and listen on the internet world wide at http://www.konkam.com/.

Stimulating topics! One on Social Security that hits you right in the face! A mortgage foreclosure issue no one is talking about. Another Terri Whie success. Virginia weird dumb laws, a walk back in history with Theodore Roosevelt, the funny dumb lawsuit of the week, civilian cops and corporately employed soldiers, quotes by famous persons regarding banks, Thomas Jefferson’s take on banks, an Arizona update, and more.

Yesterday was costume day at Montessori. Robert’s class was required to dress as some historical figure that the student admired. Robert opted to be Theodore Roosevelt. Ally’s class merely dressed. Ally was a pink power ranger. A very cute one!

Robert selected Teddy Roosevelt because he had studied him in class. As Robert told me, Roosevelt was a conservationist and wanted to save the earth. I want to saved the earth, said Robert. So Roosevelt it was!

Lisa showed me a picture of Robert costumed on her cell phone when we had lunch together yesterday. Robert was Teddy Roosevelt! Hat, glasses. Even a moustache! Terrific!

Last night was one of those nights of nights at Fantasy Fest. Much going on. The best was of the best was Pretenders and Toga Party.

Pretenders each year is at the Pier House. A stage on the beach. Thousansds of people. Beads galore. Contestants wearing huge tall headpieces. Like 10 feet and better! Great music!

What made it especially good this year were the two hostesses. The lovely and vivacious Kathleen Peace. And the charming and beautiful Jenna Stauffer. A winning duo! The pefect combination for a premier event.

Then it was to the street for the down and dirty. Toga party time!

Toga Party is an annual event also. It is held inside Sloppy Joe’s. Impossible to get in. The place is jam packed early. The party overflows into the street. Duval. Jammed also. Just a little room to move about.

I did the street action. Watched, that is.

No toga. Just me and my shorts and a tee shirt. I am a voyeur, not a participant.

The females were extremely attractive in their togas. Scanty and skimpy.

Negotiations were on going. The men want the ladies to bare their breasts for a peek. Also their privates and butts. Beads are offered. The women set the price. Two for a breast peek, more for privates and so on. Once the price has been determined, a quick flash!

Such negotiations were ongoing all over the place all night
An adult party! All in good fun!

One of the big events today is the Masquerade Parade. An annual event. It starts at 5 pm. Everyone dresses in costume. The parade starts from the cemetary entrance. Two different routes. Stops at guest houses along the way for refreshment. Parties in private homes along the way. People on their porches drinking and watching. Everyone having a good time!

I have the radio show at 10. Babysitting at 11. The grandkids do not have school. Later I will be out on the street enjoying more of Fantasy Fest!

Enjoy your day!

Good morning!

Another lovely Key West day in the making!

I played golf yesterday morning. A disaster!

The best description of my game is what occurred on the very first hole on the first tee with my first shot. My drive. I did not even make the ladies’ tee!

I was the big loser, of course. $14.

Played with Rob who bartends at Don’s place, Mike who bartends at Schooner’s Wharf and Yankee Jack who sings at the Bull. Mike was the big winner. $23.

It was hot! I got tired! Not an excuse. Just a recitatation of the facts. After golf, I hurried home and napped most of the afternoon.

Dinner last night was at the Yacht Club. With Marty and Kurt. A good time.

Afterwards, we sent over to the Bottle Cap. It was wednesday. And wednesday is the Larry Smith variety show which is broadcast radiowise at KONK 1500 AM and ustreamed over the internet worldwide at http://www.konkam.com/.

Great show! The best yet!

Larry was into a halloween frame of mind. He was wearing a bright orange beret with a tiny green stalk on top. Jenna was excellent and lovely to boot. A true professional. Alec did his usual great stuff.

And then there was Petra. Petra is a diamond in the rough. A talent in disguise. A blossoming flower. Cute. Petite. Formerly of the Czech Republic. A developing talent!

Tino and Maria are back! They have returned to Key West from Chicago for several months. I ran into them at Larry’s show. Love them both!

Tonight is the best evening of Fantasy Fest from my perspective. The best of the ten day event.

Tonight…..Pretenders! At the Pier House. The classiest show of the evening…..of the week! Don’t miss it! You will be cheating yourself if you do. Larry, Kathleen and Jenna are hosting the event. Howard Livingston is involved. Plus a spectacular and colorful show.

Then there is the street. Sloppy Joe’s. Tonight is Toga Party!

When I went to college, the kids neither knew nor had toga parties. Tonight Sloppy’s and the street in front of Sloppy’s will be replete with males and females attired in nothing more than a white sheet of sorts. Some a bit skimpy.

The toga party is an adult one. The ladies show their wares for a bead or two. So disgusting! Not really! A sight to behold! A voyeur’s paradise!

Further down Duval, Cowboy Bill’s is sponsoring a wet t-shirt contest. Speaks for itself!

It is like March Madness. I call it Fantasy Fest madness!

Enjoy your day!

It rained yesterday morning. Heavy. Unusually heavy. The rain was different in two fashions from previous downpours.

First, it was prolonged. Started in the night and continued to late morning. Key West is a small island. Generally, a rain storm moves over us rapidly.

The second unusual feature was that it rained straight down. Never rains straight down. Always some manner of sideways. The angle of the rain is caused by the wind. A rain storm in Key West is like a monsoon. The rain blows horizontal. There was no wind yesterday morning.

I spent the day inside. Had to catch up on paper work and started preparing for friday’s radio show, The Key West Lou Legal Hour.

I met Marty at the Chart Room last night.

For all the people in town for Fantasy Fest, the Chart Room was empty. It was Marty, me and Michael the bartender for an hour.

As I was walking to my car to drive to dinner, I ran into Sean and Katherine. Dressed for the occasion. For Fantasy Fest. Terrific costumes.They appeared to be Swiss mountaineers. Sean was in shorts with suspenders and a billowy shirt. Plus an appropriate cap. Katherine was in a fluffy dfress. Slightly short. And one which accentuated her breasts. She looked darling!

I expected them both to start yoddling at any moment!

In my drive to the Chart Room and then to Michael’s, I had occasion to see other Fantasy Fest participants. Last night must have been plaid night. Most of the ladies were wearing short plaid skirts.

Marty and I had dinner at the bar atMichael’s. A good crowd. Emmett bartending.

We stayed a long time. Chatted with Emmett about his Italy trip. Chatted with a couple sitting next to me.

The couple were Mike and Holly Mele from Tampa. Mele is a name I am familiar with. My hometown of Utica had a Mele family. The husband ran a huge successful jewelry box business. Interestingly, Mike knew of the Utica Mele manufacturing business. He had come across the name and its history previously via the internet.

Mike is a commercial realtor in the Tampa area. His specialty is storage units. Those things people rent by the month to store what does not fit in their homes. He said business was especially good this year. I thought to myself it is probably all these mortgage foreclsures which are forcing families out of their homes. They need a place to store their goods as they size down.

Holly does interesting work. She is employed by a company called Tower which is somehow tied into either the drug or MRI industry. She is presently involved in a gout study. Previously she worked on an alzhiemer study.

Her present gout study proved interesting to Marty. He is still suffering from the gout. The pills are not doing it yet.

Mike and Holly haved visited Key West four times previously. They are ardent Fantasy Fest participants. I asked if they would be costumed up at all during the week. Yes. They had brought their costumes to Key West with them. Each would be wearing plaid. Though not last night. They were dressed in typical Key West attire. Tee shirts and shorts. When they do costume up, Holly said she will be wearing a plaid skirt. Short? Yes. Skimpy was the word she used to describe it. Mike said he would be wearing plaid shorts. We never got into length. Who cared!

Golf this morning!

I am anxious. It has been two weeks since I played. The group this morning will be sparse. Don is on his way north to visit his daughter and grandson. Larry has a rehearsal scheduled. He is playing at Pretenders tomorrow night. Kurt was in an automobile accident three weeks ago and hurt his shoulder. He is not healed yet.

Enjoy your day!

Great news!

Donna and Terri telephoned me yesterday. Terri has a new show!

She opens in the spring in Washington, D.C, in Follies. A musical about the Broadway musicals of the 1920s. Terri will be a principal in the show. Which means she has a starring role.

With three other ladies of the theater.

Linda Lavin of TV Alice fame. Bernadette Peters, the diva of the American musical theater. And Elaine Paige. Paige is an English singer and actress who was the first Eva Peron in Evita.

What a group to star with!

Terri White’s story is unique and interesting. Three years ago she was down and out. A homeless person in New York city sleeping on a park bench. Then she was rediscovered. Finian’s Rainbow. Followed by a stint on Broadway in Chicago as Mama Morton.

Go Terri! Continued success!

I was tired yesterday. Stayed in bed till 4. Then had to hurry to the dentist for a 4:30 appoinment. I am heading for some heavy dental work after the first of the year. I am not looking forward to it.

I was tired from my vacation. I was on the go every day all day. Not my style. I like to lay in bed awhile each day. Nap a little.

Dinner with Lisa and the family last night. The best!

I brought presents back for the grandkids from Arizona. Crocs and some other goodies. Robert and Ally were thrilled. I showed them the pictures of my ballon ride and the zoo animals. Really excited them!

Robert lost a tooth during dinner. A baby one. His second. He was excited. Robert considers the loss of his teeth as a rite of passage into manhood. Lisa was excited that I was there to share the experience with Robert.

I met Marty at La Trattoria later in the evening. He ate. I merely had an appetizer.

It was good to be back at an old hunting ground. Sometimes even a week away is too long. I received my usual hug and kiss from Becha. Kathy was bartending. She even kissed me.

Marty has the gout. On medication. He could not drink. Depressing for him.

This is Fantasy Fest week in Key West. No question about it last night. The town is packed. The streets full. Many in special attire. Perhaps lack of attire might better state it. Even the men. Unquestionably an adult party. Thongs prevailed. Male and female. Butts out all over the place. Not all that attractive. As Marty observed, a lot of cellulite out there!

Female breasts were particularly prominent. Some with pasties. Others painted over.

Everyone having a good time!

The amazing thing I have discovered over the years is that many Fantasy Fest visitors are conservative Americans. They come from middle America. Would never dress this way back home. Come to Key West to let it all hang out. Which is precisely what they do!

Enjoy your day!