FANTASY FEST ALMOST OVER

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All good things come to an end. This is the last day of Fantasy Fest. A children’s party this afternoon. The grand finale is a tea party at La Te Da. Called this year It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.

Last night was the major event. The Fantasy Fest Parade. Fifty some odd floats making their way down Duval. Exciting!

I did what has become my normal Parade evening. I no longer stand for a couple of hours to watch the parade and get tousled around. I do what I call The Marty Leshaw evening.

Marty is a dear friend who spent many years in Key West. He has been away so long now it is beginning to feel like many years also.

Marty had had it with the Parade. As many of us after a while. On parade evening, he used to go to Marquesa and enjoy a long slow dinner at the bar while the parade was moving along. I joined Marty on occasion.

Marquesa is one block off Duval. I still had the itch to see some of the parade, feel the atmosphere. etc. After dinner, I would leave Marty for a short time and walk to Duval to see some of the floats and people.

I did that routine again last night, except no Marty at Marquesa.

I watched 20 minutes of the parade. The floats were fantastic. Those on the floats jovial. Thousands of people on the sidewalks. Most costumed. Many bare breasts.

It rained big time most of the week. Not last night, fortunately. The rain did not dampen the spirits of visitors. Not in the least!

Babysat yesterday afternoon. Don’t know why I use the term babysat. Ally and Robert are 9 and 10 respectively. Their Mom and Pop were costumed and downtown working the Montessori booth. Fundraising for the grandkids’ school. Both looked terrific.  They spent two hours selling jello shots, beer and water. Said they did well.

I had things to do. The grandkids were stuck doing them with me. First was Publix. I needed a lot of things. Took time to shop. Robert and Ally were bored. I felt bad.

Then to Pier 1 to look at some lamps. Pier 1 has great lamps. I thank the person who suggested Pier 1 to me. I bought none. Merely shopped. I will return tomorrow to purchase. I am sure I will be buying a table lamp. All lamps are on sale. Beautiful and reasonably priced.

Robert remained bored. Ally brightened up. She helped me select a lamp. She had a comment for each of the 20 odd we looked at.

Sloan is due soon this morning. We have work to do. I have to hustle.

Enjoy your Sunday!

FICKLE WIND

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There was a time when I sailed frequently. Generally off the north shore of Long Island. Sometimes in the Tampa area. A few times off Key West.

I learned that wind is fickle. It blew this way for a bit and then changed suddenly. The bottom wind went in one direct. Ten feet above in another direction.

Tropical Depression Nine broke up over the Yucatan yesterday. That should have been the end of it. Apparently not. Weather reports suggest it could regroup and turn into a hurricane. The amusing question being where is Nine going next.

This is funny! Some believe it will end up in the Pacific Ocean. Others, that it will end up between Cuba and Key West. A wide range. Never saw one reported that far apart.

If it turns into a hurricane and ends up between Cuba and Key West, Key West will be in trouble. So far, no one is concerned. After several years of living here, one becomes expert re hurricane predicting. I am not concerned.

The big parade tonight. The Fantasy Fest Parade. Some fifty floats covered with party goers. Most of the females close to nude. Seventy thousand people standing on both sides of Duval cheering and begging for beads. A good time!

Weather should be ok. Weatherman says mid 70s. Which means at least ten degrees warmer. The body heat at times is oppressive.

I am not sure I am going. This afternoon I babysit. Lisa has to work at a Fantasy Fest Montessori fundraiser from 2-4 somewhere. I have to drive and pick her up. There is no parking anywhere. Whatever, I will have a happy afternoon with Robert and Ally.

I miss WeBeFit. My trainers. Especially, Albert. I was his charge. My torn rotator cuff negates any gym type activity for a while.

Albert and his wife Jill had their first child wednesdy. Angelina. Congratulations!

I came across a couple of interesting pieces of information yesterday.

We fought a war in Afghanistan. A military one. Spent billions of dollars and lost many American lives. We fought a second war. One to combat opium growth. Afghanistan’s opium ultimately finds its way to our streets.

Recent figures indicate the United States has spent $7.6 billion on the drug war. At the same time, recent figures indicate opium production at a record high. 516 planted acres last year yielding $3 billion.

I was under the impression that people joined al Qaeda and ISIS for religious reasons. Maybe for al Qaeda. Not ISIS.

ISIS is attracting members because of sex and aggression. Not religion. Most are young men. They join to fight. Youthful aggression finds a way out. Sexually, not a bad deal either.  If a young girl is other than an Iraqi, she can go to to a center where she signs up to marry one of the fighters. If the fighter does not want a wife, a sex slave is provided. Generally from captured Iraqi women.

ISIS also pays its soldiers.

These fighters have it made. They have frequent sex, give vent to their natural fighting aggressions, and get paid besides.

Enjoy your day!

I’M BACK / FANTASY FEST HIGHLIGHTS

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No, I did not get way laid at one of those super sexy Fantasy Fest parties!

No blog for two days because some one was trying to hack my personal computer. Had to have it cleaned up. Everything ok now. I caught it in time and did not contaminate anyone. My back up computer (20 years old) refused to type consecutive words as typed. Ends of sentences would all of a sudden be at the beginning.

I could have run to Lisa’s or used anyone else’s computer. However, the computer breakdowns seem to have coincided with a Louis break down. For the past couple of days, I have been tired. Really tired. Bed was the only attraction for me.

I feel alright this morning and hope that whatever was bugging me is gone.

Whether I was actually present is immaterial in describing some of the highlights of this year’s Fantasy Fest. I have seen so many, I know them by heart.

To me, the Toga Party on Thursday night at Sloppy Joe’s and in front on the street is the best! Naked breast time and whatever else. It’s a barter system. The ladies show their privates in exchange for beads. Each woman wants to end up with the most beads. So…..show me your breasts and I will give you a string of beads…..ok!

The interesting aspect of this scenario is that most of the women are middle aged and older. Out of towners. Many from the mid west. Places like Indiana and Iowa. Church goers, school teachers, community leaders, mothers, grandmothers. They visit Key West with their husbands this one week a year and do what they would never think of doing at home. They take off their clothes!

Especially to show their breasts. And  proud to do so. You can see it in their expressions. Even the husbands are beaming. The breasts are not all perky 34-Cs. Some are quite large and drooping. Such is not important. It is the excitement of being a bit risqué in a far away place.

Friday afternoon was Masquerade March time. Tourists and locals join together. Costumed, of course. A lot people. In the thousands. They march from the cemetery to Duval. It got so big several years ago that an extra route had to be added.

I have never done the Masquerade March. However, I have viewed it many times from a friend’s porch on Fleming Street. There are parties going on all over the routes of people observing and drinking. And cheering the marchers on.

The Masquerade March has been ongoing for more than 30 years.

The parade Saturday night was a big deal. Always.  A grand marshal, 50 plus floats, and 60,000-70,000 people watching. The floats loaded with scantily attired ladies. The floats throwing out beads to the viewers. Beads are everything! Yelling and screaming. Hands raised overhead to catch the beads.

I always wonder where the 60,000-70,000 people sleep. There are not that many beds between Key West and Key Largo. I suspect the beaches are full.

The grand marshal this year was Diana Nyad. The lady who recently swam from Cuba to Key West. A big deal in itself.

Diana has become a sort of folk hero already to Key Westers. The town has adopted her with open arms and she has done the same in return. Lisa and family were there to greet Diana when she landed on Smather’s Beach a month ago. Robert and Ally found the experience exciting. Both are serious swimmers.

Yesterday afternoon prior to the parade, Lisa took Robert and Ally to the Tropic Cinema to see Diana. The grandkids were thrilled. Even had their pictures taken with her.

In spite of my dragging ass, I did do my TV/internet show friday morning. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Based on subsequent conversations and emails, Social Security and the U.S. now being the biggest oil exporter world wide were the topics which garnered the most interest.

I keep hitting on the Social Security topic. Most people are unaware that the government has legally stolen $2.7 trillion dollars from Social Security and never paid it back. Social Security is the biggest creditor of the U.S. Not China or Japan.

Social Security is not broke. The U.S. is broke.

Angela Merkel continues to worry me. The woman is dangerous! An opportunist!

Merkel has known for several months that the U.S. was bugging German telephones and emails. She laughed it off each time the issue came up. Now she discovers that her cell phone was bugged. She is upset.

I think it is a too late phony reaction. What I perceive it to be is a reaction to the world perhaps now viewing the U.S. as a weakening power. The recent government shutdown being a major cause. If we cannot govern ourselves, how can we govern/guide the rest of the word.

So Merkel took the opportunity to take a shot at us. She is sending the German intelligence team over to talk with the U.S. Humiliating. The problem should have been taken care of behind closed doors.

I cannot really blame Merkel for taking advantage. I blame those who gave us the shut down debacle. Those who care little or not for the US.’s image. They are too wound up in their selfish ideological interests.

Syracuse did not play yesterday. Fortunately. They needed the extra week to recover from last week’s 55-0 beating. Hopefully, the remainder of the season will be better. I am a die hard fan. I have not been able to stop bleeding orange.

Enjoy your sunday!