Great Goombay Night

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Show time yesterday morning. The Key West Lou Legal hour. My TV/internet show.

I was shocked at the response to what I believe will be the big issue in the next debt ceiling fight in three months. The response was huge. Instead of Obamacare being the issue, I suggested it might be the result of a marriage between the U.S. Conference of Bishops and the Republicans. The issue: Birth control.

The Bishops want available birth control coverage cut back even more. The far right believe this will bring the mass of Catholics on to their side. No way. Birth control was the issue that first drove Catholics from the Church back in the 10950s and 1960s. I know. I lived it. It was the early years of my marriage.

The ants are gone. I won another battle. My laptop works. I am surprised! I thought they might have feasted on the wires inside.

Spent my afternoon napping.

Last night, Goombay!

Goombay has become a tradition of sorts the past several years. It is a Don Manaher party for his friends. Twenty of us last night.

The evening started At Don’s Place. Then several cabs to 801. 801 is one of the gayest of gay bars in Key West. I suspect everyone in our group are only there the one night of the year that Goombay begins.

We continued the partying that had begun at Don’s Place. I drank Yager for the first time. A bunch of guys were doing Yager shots. I joined them. My eyes teared.

I did the usual walk down Petronia Street. Each year I am amazed at the street’s development. More and more stores and restaurants.

The music was at the far end of Petronia. Reggae. I sat and listened for a while. In the same area as the band stand, there were all kinds of kids’ rides. I have to tell Lisa about them. The grandkids will enjoy big time.

I stopped at the outside bar at Blue Heaven. Packed as usual for Goombay. Had a drink and took in the crowd.

Started my walk back to Don’s Place where I had left my car. A bit of a walk. I was on Duval and passing the Little Room Jazz Club. Only been open about six months. Krystal, my engineer at the TV studio, bartends at night. She is always telling me to stop in. I did last night.

What a beautiful place! Well done! I knew it before when it was an art gallery. Décor totally different. I was further impressed by the number of people. Inside and out. Packed. Mostly tourists. A bad sign from my perspective. I have seen it before. A business cannot survive in Key West without local support. Tourists come and go. Locals are here all the time.

Whatever, it was a fun place last night.

Krystal looked lovely! A beautiful young lady. I enjoyed a drink and some fruit and cheese at the bar. A singer entertaining. Kristen McNamara. Excellent. She and her guitar. Not Key West music, however. It was more of what I would expect to hear in a New York or Chicago hotel bar. Will it go over in Key West? I do not know.

Kristen has an interesting background. She appeared on American Idol in 2009. She was a top finalist on Star Search in 2003.

Met an interesting couple at the Jazz Club. Anne and Glenn Ford. From Lumberton, North Carolina. Celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary! Congratulations Anne and Glenn!

Glen is retired. He used to restore Volkswagens. Anne still works. She is in health care.

This was their first night and first time in Key West. I told them to get over to Goombay. Enjoy a Key West flavor! I mentioned some other places they might also enjoy while here. Hope I run into them again during their visit.

I left the Jazz Club and walked back to Don’s Place. A bit of a hike. I made it without tiring.

Don’s was packed. Most of our group had reconnoitered and were now partying at Don’s. I said my hellos, did not have a drink, and drove home to bed.

I have no idea what I will be doing tonight. May stay in. On the other hand, a little Chart Room and perhaps Irish Kevin’s would not hurt. Fantasy Fest visitors are streaming into town. Some of the ladies will be clad in less than usual clothing. Some topless. I am a voyeur at heart and enjoy looking.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

GOOMBAY…..FANTASY FEST BEGINS

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It is here again! Fantasy Fest! It began last night. With Goombay.

Goombay is a Caribbean street festival. Blocks of food, drink and trinkets. A rap band at one end. The streets very crowded.

My evening started just before 6 at the Chart Room. I was to meet Don and Chris. The bar was empty when I arrived. A table was full. Sheila, David and Ollie. And a woman I did not know. I said my hellos and payed no attention to the strange lady. When I turned to the bar, Emily says that woman is Charlotte and she is waiting for you.

First let me say I do not know what I would do without Emily. She has become Key West Lou’s personal assistant.

I immediately recalled Charlotte. She is a loyal reader of this blog. We have been communicating on Facebook. We ended up in each other’s arms and exchanged excited greetings.

Charlotte is extremely lovely. Turns out last night was an evening of all lovlies. Charlotte lives somewhere in North Carolina. Lives on a boat. The past ten years. She works for United Health Care. My supplemental and drug policies. Travels a lot for her company. This was her fourth trip to Key West this year. Her Key West trips are on her own. She is a Key Wester at heart. I enjoyed her company and look forward to seeing her at the Chart Room again during the week.

Don and Chris arrived. My Syracuse friends. They both travel a lot for business. Key West is their second home, though they still stay at the Casa Marina. Don looked shot. Chris terrific, as usual. They both had returned from a China business trip the day before.

They arrived with two lovely ladies. One was either Don or Chris’ sister. I cannot remember exactly. Marla is the sister. Her friend Kathie was with her.

Both ladies work for Phillips Distilling in Minneapolis. Marla is Design Director. She is in charge of all labeling. Kathie is Director of Marketing. More importantly, Marla is a loyal blog reader. Thank you Marla!

Phillips is the producer of UV Voldka. All those flavors! The proud distiller of Old Grandad back when.

Marla and Kathie recently did a TV show for Lifetime Network. They were the stars! Promoting Phillip’s products, of course. They even had Joe Biden on the show.They showed me a photo taken of the Vice President holding a bottle of beer Phillips named after him. The Vice President had a broad grin on his face.

Before our time together ended, we had circled the bar stools and were all talking. Charlotte included.

I had an appointment to meet Don of Don’s Place. I was off and away. Walked to Petronia Street where Goombay is held. Stopped into 801 looking for Don. No Don. No one I knew. 801 is Key West’s premier gay bar. Don and friends were to meet there and then head into the mass across the street that was Goombay. I missed them.

I walked the several blocks of Goombay. Said hello to many people I knew. Stopped and chatted a few minutes with some. Ate and drank a bit. Finally ended up at the bandstand at the end of the street. Everyone enjoying rap.

Made my way back to Blue Heaven. The second designated meeting place for Don and friends. Don and everyone were at the bar.

Goombay is Don’s party. Everyone is his guest at 801 and then Blue Heaven. Don has a heart of gold.

It was Don’s Place and the bocce team transplanted to Blue Heaven. Don, Stephanie, David, Joanie, Herschel, Erika, Keith, Angus, Sandy, Frankie, and I cannot recall who else.

Frankie is a man of many talents. He is Key West’s premier plumber. He is the man when a toilet is plugged! He is also my bocce partner. Probably the best bocce player in Key West. Last night I discovered he was a musician, also.

The band was on a second level. Up there in the lights was Frankie beating the drums.

It was hot. I was hot. A humid evening to begin. Add the mass of people to the humidity and it could become unbearable. It did for me. So much so that when I arrived at Blue Heaven, I ordered a cold bottle of beer. A Budweiser. David was shocked. He had never seen me drink antything but gin.

I do not like beer. Have never liked it. It did cool me a bit. However, I had that sour after taste. I shall stay with gin from now on. Last night was my first deviation in 45 years. There will not be another.

On the walk back to my car, I ran into Ollie. Ollie is a recent friend. He is a candidate for the Mosquito Control Board. An important position in the Keys. He was with two lovely ladies. I told you earlier, it was an evening of lovely ladies. They were his sisters.

The Key West Lou Legal Hour went well yesterday. Many today topics discussed. The one that garnered the most interest was my discussion of the NFL’s tax status. It is tax exempt. You read it correctly. It has 501(c)(6) status. It is considered a not for profit for tax purposes. Since 1966. Another biggie that does not pay income taxes. The NFL’s cash flow is in the billions. The NFL pays its President Roger Godell $11.6 million. I do not believe professinal baseball and basketball enjoy a similar exemption.

My evening began at 5:30. It was over at 9:30. I was dead! Slept well last night.

Enjoy your day!