EARTHQUAKE AGAIN

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I was surprised when I walked into the Chart Room last night and Emily asked me about the earthquake. What earthquake? Turns out there was another one about 8 miles off the coast of Cuba wednesday night at 10:20. About  seven miles below the water’s surface. I who read the newspapers all the time had failed to read yesterday’s Key West Citizen. I was unaware.

The earthquake was a 5.1 on the Rector scale. Apparently no damage anywhere. I did not feel it in Key West. Nor did Emily and others at the Chart Room last night.

I have a concern. Earthquakes in this area are uncommon. Now there have been two off the coast of Cuba in a month. Do these two earthquakes portend something? Is there a big one in the making? Should we be concerned about a tsunami?

Don’t laugh! So far the weather media has not discussed this aspect. I am not overly concerned. Such thoughts occur to me, however.

Conch Republic Admiral Frankie was part of our bar discussion last night. Besides the earthquake, the discussion involved the Olympics and skiing. Turns out Emily was/is a skier and a pretty proficient one at that. I thought she was born and raised in Key West. Not so. She was born in Indiana, spent time in Virginia and elsewhere. She developed her skiing prowess in those places.

Before heading to the Chart Room, I stopped at Christine’s opening night of her art exhibit. Christine Cordone has risen to a new level. She now has people in her paintings. I was impressed. Her water colors warm the heart and brighten a room!

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. A baseball great! Played many years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then spent even more years as the Mets broadcaster. He is a Hall of Famer.

My recollection goes back to the mid to late 1940s. Baseball was everything. My buddies and I used to spend some summer afternoons sitting around on the floor in someone’s living room listening to major league baseball games. One of our heroes was Ralph Kiner.

Listening is the operative word in the previous paragraph. There was no television back then. It was radio!

Enjoy your day!

CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE

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I ate last night at the Beachside Cafe. It is part of the Southernmost complex. Sits on the Atlantic. I could taste the salt in the air.

Ordered a cheeseburger. As I devoured it, my mind went back to the Dennis Drug Store. Corner of United and Siminton. Gone several years now. A bank in its place.

I occasionally stopped by for lunch. A cheeseburger, of course. Bar stools at the counter and oil cloth covers on the tables. A from yesterday place.

Dennis had gained notoriety because of Jimmy Buffett’s Cheeseburger in Paradise. He wrote the song with Dennis in mind. He was a customer.

Don’s Place first last night.

Met Hershel’s sister. An attractive woman. Apparently here visiting. Chatted with Don. Talked with Jimmy. Said my hellos to Grant, Clara, Stan, Tony, and more.

While I was talking with Don at the bar, Dan showed up. My Skaneateles/Syracuse friend. He stopped in to say hello. Saw my car in the parking lot. Was on his way to the gym next door. As I was leaving Don’s, I decided to walk over and see how hard Dan was working out. I caught him seated at a table reading a magazine. His back was to me. I said…..Uh, uh, caught you doing nothing! Dan turned around. He was soaking wet. Sweaty as could be. Water running down off his forehead. He had just finished some machine. He was working out!

The Chart Room was relatively quiet. Emily, Che, Sean, and I talked. We agreed we all missed Peter. We are concerned about his well being.

I spent yesterday afternoon researching next week’s KONK Life column. It is going to be about the recently passed farm bill which is on its way to the President to sign. There is no question the President will sign it.

I consider the bill a rip off in many respects. A disgrace. Devious. You will find my thoughts interesting.

Christine Cordone has an exhibition this evening of her water colors. In her senior years, she has become a Key West fixture in the art field. Her exhibit is at the gallery next door to Harpoon Harry’s on Caroline. I will be there.

My recently published book continues to be on sale. The World Upside Down can be ordered from Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!