HARRY TRUMAN TIME

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Key West and Harry Truman have a special relationship. Truman made Key West his vacation spot. His place for rest and relaxation.

Yesterday was March 12. Two significant things occurred on that date involving the former beloved President.

By the way, the title of today’s blog is running through my head to the opening tune of the Howdy Doody Show…..It’s Howdy Doody time!

Truman made  eleven visits to Key West totaling 175 days. He arrived in Key West on March 12, 1964 for a 2 week vacation. Nineteen sixty four was well after Truman had left office. In between were eight years of Eisenhower and then three years of Kennedy. If I am correct, Johnson would have been President when Truman made the 1964 visit. If I am off by a year or so re one of the Presidents, I apologize.

The other March 12 was of historical significance. On March 12, 1947, the President introduced what became known as the Truman Doctrine. World War II was over. The Soviet Union was a menace. The free world was looking to the United States for help. The thrust of the Truman Doctrine that day was to give economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey. Truman was of the opinion, and properly so from my way of thinking, that to not help Greece and Turkey would cause them to fall under Communist domination.

I would have made a lousy junkie. The doctor put me on codeine and steroids for a week to get rid of a six week cough in my upper chest. The cure worked. I no longer cough. However, I feel like the patient about whom the doctor told the family the operation was a success, but the patient died.

I have been off the meds for three days. I am totally absolutely without question exhausted. All the time. No exaggeration involved. Not the slightest.

I talked with the Doctor this morning. I was advised I would be ok. It is the steroids, or the lack thereof at the moment, which are making me tired. Some sort of withdrawal. It will be a couple of days more before my body readjusts.

The only thing I can think of is how did athletes like Barry Bonds handle the situation. He had to be on steroids days at a time. When he went off, how long was he screwed up as I am? Was he screwed up? Perhaps there was another pill or shot to enable the body to escape what I am experiencing.

I am so tired at the moment that my arms have become heavy as I type.

I am in no mood to beat myself up. Good bye for today.

Enjoy your Thursday!

 

GEIGER KEY

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Bobby Mongelli owns Hogfish. Bobby Mongelli owns Roostica. Bobby Mongelli owns Geiger Key. The man is a genius! He deserves the success he is experiencing.

I lunched at Geiger Key yesterday. Keith is Bobby’s friend. Keith told me Geiger Key just got its liquor license. I had not been to Geiger Key in ten years. It will not be that long again.

The place is another Bobby Mongelli winner! A shack sitting on the edge of ocean  wetlands. A perfect site. Mongelli has expanded the seating considerably from what I recall ten years ago.

The food was the same as Hogfish. Exactly. Why change what works. I enjoyed fish and chips. Hogfish, of course.

The place is another Key West fun place. The people kept coming in. I could not believe the volume.

When I was last at Geiger Key ten years ago, I was with Howard Livingston. He was then a Chicago industrialist. Beardless, no mustache, no long hair. A conservative American!

We were both with our then wives. Time does bring changes. Howard has since divorced and remarried. To wonderful Cyndy. I too am divorced. Still alone, though.

We danced that night. Guess who was playing? Yankee Jack! His dog lying quietly in front of him.

Geiger Key is about ten miles up from Key West on US 1. There is a Shell station and large convenience store on the corner of Geiger Key Road. Take a right. About 1-2 miles down the road is the restaurant. About a 1,000 yards off the road. You will have to look for it.

I needed gas. I got it at the Shell station just mentioned. Explain the following to me. Regular was $3.70 a gallon at the Shell station at Key Haven. At the Shell station at Geiger Key Road, only $3.55. Ten miles made for a 15 cent difference? How we get ripped off!

Prior to going to Geiger Key, I took a ride on Stock Island. I was looking for the Stock Island Marina. Everyone is talking about it. Lovely! Terrific! Want to dock my boat there! All favorable comments.

I found the place way down on Shrimp Road. It was everything people had said. There are very few places on Stock Island that can be described as lovely. The marina is one of them.

I forgot yesterday to mention an interesting experience at bocce thursday night. I cut my index finger. By the nail. It kept bleeding. I did not have a band aid. I was drinking a Beefeater on the rocks. I stuck my finger in the cold gin. The bleeding stopped! Just like that! A new found cure! Additionally, my drink was now cranberry and gin. I threw it away, of course.

Matteo Renzi is the new Prime Minister of Italy. Latte resigned. Renzi was previously a mayor. He is 39. Renzi and Latte are of the same political party. Latte’s own party dumped him.

It will be interesting to see if Renzi can pick Italy up out of its economic doldrums.

A Milan friend wrote yesterday that American bonds are selling well in Italy. A recent thing. Italy is supposedly in recovery and is considered in some circles to be an emerging market. Another reason for the Italian investment is that South America is no longer considered a good place for one’s money.

I got into fracking yesterday afternoon. Spent several hours researching Florida and fracking. Fracking appears to be on the horizon. It is coming. Sooner to Florida than most think. Three counties are already doing it. Collier, Hendry, and Santa Rosa. Not yet Monroe.

I have a concern.

I am not opposed to fracking. We need cheap fuel, we need jobs. With appropriate safeguards, problems should be minimal. There will be problems. Nothing is without. The government has to strictly oversee and control the fracking.

My concern has to do with transparency. A bill recently came out of the Florida House’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee. The bill exempts from public disclosure the chemicals used in the fracking process. An immediate red flag! The public should be aware. Specify the toxins. Then all can make sure appropriate safeguards are put in place. To legislate silence is to tell Floridians that there is a problem and the government does not want you to know about it.

The people’s right to know continues getting kicked around.

Tonight, tonight…..Syracuse and Duke. At Duke. Seven o’clock. Should be a battle. It is a test of Syracuse, especially after Syracuse’s defeat this week at the hands of Boston College. I will be at Lukas’ Big Ten Sports Pub watching the game.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

There are certain givens in any community. In Key West, chickens and cats.

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There are certain givens in any community. In Key West, chickens and cats. Chickens running up and down the streets. There are also an unusually large number of cats. The reason is the rodent problem.

Any island is encumbered with rats/mice/rodents. Whatever you wish to call them. Key West is no exception. You hardly ever see them. However, they are there.

Common wisdom tells us that if there is a living cat in the house, the rodents stay away. I do not have a cat.

Friday night I was sitting at the kitchen counter working on the computer. I began hearing a whinny scratchy noise. It got louder. It was coming from a closet in the kitchen. Sounded like mice.

Understand that I am a coward. No way would I open the closet door to check. Instead, I called Adam. Adam takes care of my property. Mice removal falls within his job definition.

Adam came by yeaterday morning to check. No mice or rodents of any nature visible. A couple of new holes heading to the crawl space under the house, however. The mice probably came and went.

I told Adam of the shrill noise I had heard. It was like scratching on metal.

My only use for the small closet is to store wine. There is a metal wine rack. There were roughly a dozen bottles sitting in the rack.

Adam told me my nocturnal visitors had tried to get into the wine. Every bottle had the paper covering torn away. Every bottle had the cork chewed in  some fashion.

The dirty things were trying to get at my wine collection!

Adam left traps in case the vermin return.

I babysat yesterday morning. Early. At least for me. 8:30. I had told Robert and Ally we were going to breakfast. I left the place up to them. They have been everywhere. They decided upon Harpoon Harry’s. We had a great breakfast. No child portions at Harpoon Harry’s. Robert ate 3 stacks of pan cakes. Ally eggs, bacon, potatoes and whole wheat toast. They order for themselves. I drank coffee. Still not chewing.

We had a good time! Talked the whole time.

Afterwards, we walked the waterfront. They like to look at the boats. They have been there many times with their Dad. Robert pointed to a boat in the distance and told me it was a glass bottom boat. So people could see under the water. We walked over and examined the boat. Robert was correct. It was a glass bottom one.

Last night was Geiger Key. I have not been to Geiger Key in ten years. I stopped going because the customers all seemed to live on Geiger Key. They were snooty and clickish. I was an outsider who never was given the opportunity to become one of the gang. Geiger Key is the only place in the keys where I have found this attitude.

I gave it a shot last night. Several people recently have told me how great it is. Friendly, also.

Bobby Mangella (I probably spelled his last name wrong) bought Geiger Key last year. Bobby also owns Hogfish, one of my favorite spots. Bobby did some remodeling and changed the menu to coincide with Hogfish.

It was different! People were nice. Everyone talked with each other. A couple of my fishermen friends from Hogfish were there. I had a good time. The food, a given. Good.

It is raining this morning. A slow steady drizzle.

The weather has gone back to being fantastic. Low 80s by day. 70s by night. No humidity day or night. No need for air conditioning. Sleep with the windows open. The only thing that might interrupt my sleep is the sound of the water.

Enjoy your Sunday!