PETER AND HOLLY

One of the reasons I enjoy grocery shopping at Publix is that I run into friends. Many whom I have not seen in a while.

I came around the corner of an aisle yesterday and there was Holly! Holly of Peter and Holly or Holly and Peter fame. Whichever you are more comfortable with.

Holly quickly brought me up to date. Either her mother or Peter’s is in rehab here in Key West. A bad fall at 88. Holly said her afternoons are spent with the mother. Said by Holly with a smile on her face, nary a complaint. You are a good person, Holly!

I reminded Holly that such a life might be around the corner for me. I was 78, a mere 10 years younger.

Holly jumped into my newspaper columns, the ones that have been running in KONK Life. Praise poured out of her. She told me she cuts out three columns each week and mails them to Connecticut to her sister who enjoys reading and sharing the columns.

Humbled and thrilled was I!

Holly is partnered with Peter Diamond. Technically, Peter Diamond Ilacqua. For more than 20 years. A terrific couple!

I run into Peter with more frequency than Holly. Each time he has seen me in recent years, he tells me how much he enjoys the column. Does not mean he always agrees with me. Such does not bother me. I am pleased he is reading the column and further pleased that I have aired an issue of sufficient merit which has resulted in discourse.

Back in my mind is the thought that Peter and I were some sort of neighbors back when. If my recollection is correct, Peter is either from Syracuse or has family there.

Peter is one of Key West’s premier entertainers. A singer. His style and voice remind me of Frank Sinatra.

Peter and Holly, love you both!

I walked till I was tired yesterday. Too long. Knocked me on my ass.

I am on a diet again. I have kept it secret. I am a yo yo. On and off diets all my life. This diet is different. I made it up myself. All I am sharing at the moment. Lets see how it works before I go further. Note however that my Key West Diet has resulted in me losing 11 pounds in 10 days. For real!

All it takes is a bit of starvation.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. An especially enjoyable experience last night. World events were so heavy this week, I opted to open the show with several lighter and distinctly happier happenings. Before getting into Ukraine.

Opening remarks involved Jacob Barnett. Born with autism, a failure in early elementary school, a child who was receding into his mind and had become non-communicative, is today at age 15 studying for a Ph.d in physics. His mother had been told several years earlier he would never be able to tie his shoes. His mother saved him! It has been discovered Jacob’s IQ is higher than Einstein’s.

I plan on doing a Jacob Barnett column shortly.

The bottom half of the show had to do with quirky happenings in Ukraine the past two weeks. Interesting tidbits.

Remember my bartender friend Dougie from Burger Fi? I ran into him at Lukas’ Pub sunday He is bartending there, also.

The President and Michelle vacationed this past weekend in the Keys. The northern Keys. Key Largo. At the Ocean Reef Club. Ocean Reef is nothing like Key West. It is the vacation haven of the rich and famous. The one per cent.

The President is entitled to rest and relax where ever he desires. Ocean Reef has built in safety factors which are necessary to protect a visiting President. However, critical I must be. At a time when we are constantly referring to the 1 % and 99 %, it would have been better for the President and Michelle to have stayed at one of Key West’s fancier hotels and perhaps participated in the Duval crawl.

I am sure the previous paragraph is going to draw many comments. Most probably disagreeing with me.

A Bob Saraceno from Buffalo wrote yesterday. We do not know each other. However, Bob is of Italian extraction also.

Bob is aware from my many comments that I am working on book #2. Growing Up Italian. He sent me a list of 42 Italian things that are purported to have happened to those growing up during our time. The list was titled Things In the Life Of An Italian Child.

Number 19 stood out like a sore thumb: You were beaten at least once with a wooden spoon or broom. I was shocked! I thought it was only me who sustained an occasional beating thusly at the hands of my mother. Turns out not. One difference, however. I wrote back to Bob and told him I had never been beaten with a broom. Instead, spaghetti/macaroni bowls were broken over my head.

I always thought I was the only “bad boy” so disciplined. I was not aware my male contemporaries were suffering the same fate.

Enjoy your day!