HEMINGWAY EVERYWHERE ONE LOOKS

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Getting out of the house yesterday started with a mid afternoon appointment with Dr. McIvor, my heart specialist.  I was almost an hour late. McIvor said you should not have worried…..it took me 45 minutes to get in from the hospital!

The Boulevard construction has us totally screwed up. Now only one lane each way into town. Yesterday’s problem was at the triangle at the end of US 1 and the beginning of Key West. They were rewiring and otherwise working on the triangle. Police trying to help. Directing traffic. It took me 40 minutes to travel 2.5 miles. From where I enter onto US 1 at Key Haven until I reach Key West.

Part of my examination was my blood pressure. The nurse took it. It was high. To be expected! Took it 15 minutes later and everything was ok. McIvor said I was in good shape…..see you in 3 months.

It was well after 5 by the time I left the doctor’s office. Headed over to Don’s Place. Enjoyed time with Jimmy and Joanie, Erika and Hershel, and Grant.

My next stop was downtown. Duval! I wanted to see how Hemingway Days was doing.

Everywhere I walked there was a Hemingway. More than 130 are entered in this year’s contest. There was one or more in every bar and on the streets. Sloppy Joe’s had quite a few holding court.

Hemingway was a bit of a drinker. Quite a bit. He also was a bit paunchy. Today’s Hemingway Days activities  besides drinking include two athletic events. A 5K race and a paddle boat race. Not Hemingwayish.

Most of the contestants actually look like Hemingway. Not just his famous beard. The paunch!

Today is the actual look a like contest. Sloppy Joe’s at 1. Today also the famous Run of the Bulls. A sight to see!

Soapbox time again! Something is bothering me.

The 50,00 plus children who immigrated here. Washington is not doing enough. The Republicans are bucking the President. In the meantime, the children are in a downward spiral situation. Katrina all over again.

Don’t believe me. Go to the internet and search through the many photos appearing of the children. A picture does say a thousand words. We should be ashamed!

Illness is creeping in. Some of the kids are not getting proper physicals or follow ups. More children will get sick. What ever the bugs, they will find their way into our lives.

We need a better system/organization to deal with the situation. Obama’s $3,7 billion request would help.

My grandfather came over from Italy at the age of 12 around 1910. Alone. He never knew his parents. He grew up alone on the streets of Naples. When he arrived at Ellis Island, he had some communicable disease. Typhus, I think. Though I am not sure. Ellis Island had a hospital. My grandfather was hospitalized for three months before he was permitted to enter the United States.

The 50,000 plus children are living in makeshift facilities without proper care. There are those trying to help. Trying soon will not be enough.

I became aware that Florida is starting to receive some of the children. The Governor and his people are concerned. About communicable diseases.

Today is the anniversary of Don’t ask, don’t tell. Clinton put it into effect in 1993. I thought he was crazy at the time. He was avoiding the issue. I have since changed my mind. He was correct. He sensed the country was not ready to accept gays. His program turned out to be a bridge to today. Smart guy, that Clinton!

Tomorrow is the anniversary of man stepping on the moon. July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong. I shall never forget. The greatest happening in my 79 years.

Enjoy your day!

COW KEY BRIDGE RUN A SUCCESS

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The first time was yesterday. The Cow Key Bridge Run. More than 1,000 participants. A hundred plus dogs. Most humans and dogs costumed. The racers started in groups because of the large number number. The last participant crossed the finish line one hour fifteen minutes after the run started. Everyone completed the 360 foot route.

Jean and Sheila were dressed in some sort of short dress costume with hats and shoes. Saw them on FB. Looked Dutch to me. I don’t know. Twenty five Golden Cows were given as awards. Jean received one. The Golden Girl added to her gold collection.

US 1 was never closed. The runners/walkers used the concrete path on the left side of the bridge going north.

A new Key West tradition has been born.

I never made it. The thought of the race alone tired me. I stayed home in bed and watched TV.

Great basketball last night! The big guns went down. Such has been this basketball season. Unique!

I was at the Chart Room last night. Sean and I discussed the games. They were yet to be played. He was confident Florida was going to win it all. I told him I thought so, but this has been a topsy-turvy season and anything could happen. It did.

#1 Florida went down to defeat by #7 seed Connecticut. Florida had won 30 games prior to last night. Kentucky eked out a win over Wisconsin with a three pointer in the last seconds to win by one point. Kentucky was a #8 seed. My condolences to John Lukas.

It should be a terrific game Monday night!

I did not see the Connecticut/Florida game. I was having dinner with Jean Thornton at Hot Tin Roof. I did see the second game, however. What excitement!

Shane and Jessica came by while Jean and I were having dinner. Bocce friends. They had stopped for desert. A terrific couple.

Stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Chatted a bit with Don. The topic was the basketball games. Bocce came into the conversation. One of the best bocce teams is Hell’s Rangers. A fearsome group! They beat everyone! We beat them thursday night. Two games out of three. A major win!

Enjoy your Sunday!

VICTORY AT LAST!

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We are already 6-7 weeks into the bocce season. Until last night, our team had not won one match. Don’t ask me why. None of us know. We are not that bad. It just has not worked for us till last night. Our team won all three games.

I did not play because of my back. I sat and cheered the team on. Plus, two players from the opposing team.

Last night was unique. Florida schools are on vacation this week. Kids and their parents traveling all over the State. My Robert and Ally are in Cape Coral visiting the other set of grandparents.

Only one player showed up for the other team. An automatic win for us. However, the player had a visiting friend and his two children. Visiting from Point St. Lucie. Our team agreed to let the visitors play. Including the children.

I have to mention the visitors were black. Normally, it would make no difference and I would not mention color. However, last night it contributed to what was an All American evening.

Emma is 9 and her brother Julian 7. They had neither seen a bocce court nor played bocce before. They played well!

Neither bashful. Both well behaved, however. They threw like they had been playing for years. Especially, Emma. She understood the mechanics of the game immediately. She killed us! She even took the wind into consideration. There was a heavy breeze off the ocean. She yelled at one of her balls that was dying that the wind should take it. I might add she gave Hershel a hard time in the second game. She frustrated him. Hershel would throw a good shot. Emma would follow it with a better one.

Emma and Julian were kids and behaved like kids. Children having a good time. They jumped around excitedly each time something happened.

The best description of the evening…..A scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.

The big tournament moves on.

Stephanie Kaple is all excited. Would not leave me alone. Came over to our court several times to let me know Dayton was winning last night. Telephoned me when I was home in bed to tell me Dayton had won. I told her not yet. I was watching the game. There was still 2 minutes to play.

I am happy for Stephanie and her parents. May Dayton go all the way! Tomorrow night is Dayton’s hardest game so far. Florida. #1 in the country, #1 in the seeds.

Then there is my friend John Lukas. John is as much a Wisconsin fan as I am a Syracuse one. I am thrilled his team won last night, also.

There has been a war going on for several months involving sound and Duval Street. Duval is noisy. Always has been. Neighbors are complaining the noise is too much.

There is a sound ordinance. The neighbors want a tougher one.

I do not know what the Key West Commission is going to do. They have been arguing the issue for several weeks. They will do something.

My opinion is the neighbors should not complain. They should put their tails between their legs and back off. When they purchased their homes, they knew they were in or close to Duval Street. They were aware of the noise coming from the bars. They should not complain at this stage.

Enjoy your day!

DRAGON

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Today is a first. A first in a long time. Two years ago, I purchased Dragon. Dragon is the system whereby you speak and the computer types. Fingers are not required. I wear headphones with a microphone.

I tried the system two years ago. I could not get adjusted to it. I put it aside. I took it out again last week. Sloan has been working with me. She understands all these things that I do not. I wrote a chapter to my new book yesterday using Dragon. This is the first time I am doing a blog.

It’s like giving birth to a child!

If I can make it work and get adept, it will save me a lot of time.

The weather started off well yesterday. The morning was warm. Then it started raining. Off and on. Poured big time. Yesterday evening was a bit cool. Today definitely will be cold. The high today will be 64°. The low tonight 59.

I spent a part of yesterday finalizing last night’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. The show went well. I suspect I may have to enlarge the show from a half-hour to a full hour at some point. There does not seem to be enough time to do the type of show I want in a half hour.

My only venture out of the house yesterday was dinner at Roostica. Lasagna.

I have not been to Roostica  in a couple of months. The last time there I had a sorry experience with one of the waitresses. I usually sit at a table for 4 because I enjoy spreading out my newspapers. She had me move to a small table for two where the newspapers, glasses and dishes did not fit. Ergo, I have not been back in a while.

I was prepared to do battle with the waitress last night. No more moving. If I did move, it would be out the door. Fortunately, there was no confrontation. She was not there. My waitress was Patricia. A nice lady. She remembered me. She says you always order lasagna. I was happy. I had a friend.

Guns and gun laws continue to be screwed up. Where normally we have been averaging one school shooting every 11 days in the United States, the numbers have changed in the new year. For the worse. During the first 17 days of January, there were four school shootings. Additionally in the last 72 hours, there have been two university shootings.

One of the problems as we all know are the laws. The NRA, the legislators beholden to them, and people of the United States who do not understand what is involved, contribute to the problem. Florida is a state that is pro-NRA and pro gun.

The Key West Citizen ran an article a few days ago talking about a gun problem existing in the keys. The Key West Citizen reported that it is legal to shoot guns in Florida on residential properties if not done in a reckless manner, over a public road or occupied dwelling. Someone living in the Keys built a home made gun range in the back of his home. The gun range has been used by the property owner and his friends for three weeks. The neighbors are concerned. They have safety concerns. They have complained to the police. The police can do nothing

Florida’s a concealed carry state. Additionally, there are other laws which make it easy to use handguns most anywhere. In 1987, Florida passed a preemption law. The law said that only the state could determine laws with regard to guns. It prohibited local governments from having any say or regulation with regard to the use of guns.

The 1987 law had no teeth in it whereby local governmental officials could be punished if they tried to do something which would deviate from state gun laws. In 2001, good Governor Scott signed what might be described as the teeth law. The law provided that local elected leaders and police officials could be fined $5000 and/or be removed from office if they established gun regulations. Any gun regulations.

Thank you, Governor Scott!

When will we learn.

Enjoy your day!