VERY ENJOYABLE WINE GALLEY

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It is after nine this morning. I am off to a late start.

I was out last night. Cannot blame my tardiness this morning on the evening. Politics is to blame. The Presidential race. I am a political junkie. Morning Joe this morning was terrific. I was glued to the TV set.

My day yesterday was quiet. Ran a few errands. Researched a bit. Snuck in a nap in the afternoon.

Last night started with Office Max. I needed only a $10 item. I mention the visit because the young person working did not want to waste time on a guy making a $10 purchase. I had questions I could not get answered. The young man will never be a success. $10 today could be a $1,000 buy tomorrow.

I learned early in my law practice that big trees from little acorns grow.

The weather is amazing at the moment. Sun shining. Few clouds in the sky. Started pouring. Just like that. Big drops. The sun continues to shine brightly through the rain.

After my big buy at Office Max, I went to the Chart Room. Lovely Mary bartending.

Met John and Lourdes.

John is an attorney. Does not practice. He is an officer with Fidelity National Finance. Lourdes is associated with the company also. They are in Key West on business.

Lourdes has been to Key West before. For John, it was his first trip.

John is from Orlando. Lourdes from Miami. Lourdes is originally from Cuba. She was there two weeks ago visiting family.

Our conversation got around to the pending U.S. Presidential election. We talked about government helping those less fortunate. I brought up begging in Greece and the homeless here. Lourdes shared an interesting piece of information. The government helps no one in Cuba. If you are broke, sick, or what have you, the family and friends take care of each other. There is no welfare, unemployment insurance, etc.

Interesting. I suspect that is the way it was 100 plus years ago in the United States. The Republicans would like to take us back to that time. I do not believe it possible. We are who we are because of the safety net government provides.

It was time to eat. Decided on the Wine Galley and Larry Smith. An evening with Larry is a delightful experience.

I met a wonderful couple at the Wine Galley. John and Kathy Sudia from New Jersey.

They were sitting at the table next to me. John leaned over and showed me a pic on his cell phone. Two people. One of them was me. He asked…..Are you Key West Lou?

Turns out John has been reading this blog for a year. He downloaded my recent 40 odd day European trip and Kathy is reading it as a novel.

John and Kathy were married two years ago on the beach at the Pier House.Tthey are back on an anniversary trip.

I enjoyed both of them. They will be here for a few days more. I hope we meet and spend some time together.

Last night was Jazz Night. Larry and a few players get together Monday nights . Larry sings in addition to playing. Alex was on the horn. Debra singing.

Peter Diamond stopped in. Peter is a professional singer as well. He entertained us with a song.

I have known Peter for all of the 25 years I have been coming to Key West.

Larry also for that length of time. Larry and I play golf and bocce together. You have not lived till you have participated in a sport with Larry Smith. It is a Key West experience!

Martha Robinson was visiting the Wine Galley also. I have not seen Martha in all of a year. She looked terrific as usual. Martha is one of Key West’s premier realtors.

Two years ago I spoke on my radio/internet show about the python invasion in the Everglades and northern keys. My fear was that since they had moved into the Key Largo area, it was only a question of time before they would invade the lower keys. Fortunately, the invasion has not yet taken place.

This morning’s news carried a lead article on pythons. Especially one. A Burmese python caught recently in the Everglades. The largest ever captured. Seventeen feet seven inches long. Weighed 164 pounds. The python was pregnant, carrying 87 eggs.

The article stated there are tens of thousands of pythons in the Everglades. The exact number unknown. But so many that they never  will be totally eradicated.

From whence did all these pythons originate?

One source were owners. They purchased them small in pet shops. When the python got to big to handle, they dumped the python in the Everglades. Another source were those that escaped from pet shops. Apparently a sufficient number did so.

The worst culprit was Hurricane Andrew back in 1992. The worst hurricane to hit southern Florida in recent years. It leveled Homestead.

Andrew ripped homes and commercial buildings apart. The pythons were freed. Some flew through the air. Others slithered. They found a new home in the Everglades.

I am into the heart tests game again. All because of one big pain I had last week. I have an echo cardiogram scheduled at the hospital this afternoon. A stress test tomorrow.

I am not a happy camper about any of this.

Enjoy your day!

HAPPENINGS…..

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A windless Monday morning. Bright sky. Few clouds. Mirror looking water.

I could not wait for Meet the Press to come on yesterday morning. I anticipated the show  would be devoted to Paul Ryan. It was.

Ryan is starting with a  bang. To be expected. He is the new kid on the block. The new flavor of ice cream.

It is a long way to election day. Let us see how he holds up.

Sloan spent a couple of hours with me. There are people who understand computers, printers, cell phones, and the like. Everything simple to them. Sloan is one of those people. I on the other hand am an illiterate when it comes to machinery. I need a Sloan.

Sport TV watching was top shelf yesterday morning and into the early evening.

The finals of Olympic basketball. Great basketball! Le Bran James looked terrific in the last two minutes in leading the USA to victory.

I was flipping channels throughout the game. The PGA was on another channel.

Rory McIlroy was the best of the best in winning. Tiger Woods still could not make it. Goes into the final day tied for the lead and ends up either seventh or eleventh. I doubt Woods will ever return to his former playing ability. He lost whatever is required to be a constant winner when the wife episode occurred. He has paid a heavy price for his meanderings in many ways.

I published another article on Amazon Kindle yesterday. The title: Cockfighting. A sport of the ancients, some Presidents, and some  back mangrove florida keys residents.

Stopped into the Chart Room last night. Quiet. One drink and I was gone.

Dinner at the Hot Tin Roof. The restaurant was basically empty when I arrived. Joseph greeted me. I was told Saturday night was big. Just like in season.

Before I finished dinner, the place was packed. Small and big parties alike. Sunday turned out to be a good business evening also.

When I got in the car to return home, there was a terrible stink. Like a dead animal. It went away after a few blocks of driving. It returned when I turned the car off in the garage. A terrible smell!

I looked under the car. Nothing. Looked under the hood. Nothing. Looked in the trunk. Something. A sick package of cheese. Oh, the smell! It must have fallen out of one of the grocery bags when I shopped a couple of weeks ago and fermented in the hot trunk since then.

I threw it in the garbage bin in the garage. No good. Still stunk. In fact, the whole garage was bad. I finally took the garbage bag out to the street. Garbage pick up was this morning. I feel sorry for the garbage man. The pick up was riper than usual.

The morning news reports that Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi has fired or caused to resign some top generals. Apparently the younger officers are supporting the President.

The move is unquestionably a coup. The military have been the actual rulers for sixty years. Even under Mubarack.

Is Mursi’s move good for Egypt and the rest of the world? Definitely not.

Mursi is an Islamist. A memeber of the Muslim Brotherhood. A supporter of the radical Muslim clergy.

Not nice people.

Recall that during the uprising several months ago, women  were in the forefront. Not today. They are not any significant part of the new government. Women are women under Muslim rule. They sit in the back seat of the bus. The new government they helped into power has turned its back on them.

The United States supported the overthrow of Mubarack. Our friend of 40 years. An Arab supporter of Israel. A mistake. In the future, we should not be so quick to support revolution in the name of democracy when a true friend is under siege. The United States turned its back on Mubarack as the new Islamic radical government has turned its back on women.

The new rulers of Egypt are bad people. I do not believe the generals will go quietly into the night. Time will tell.

Enjoy your day!

 

Fun in Key West!

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Billy and Cindy shared pictures! Thanks guys!

 

PART D AND DONUT

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The Boulevard construction in Key West changes, at least for me, where I go and how I get there and return.

I had three stops yesterday around lunch time. Publix, Office Max, and Walgreens. Because of the hour, I normally would have driven into town for lunch first at the Plantation Coffee House, Blossoms, or some other place.

But I did not want to fight the rerouted traffic and traffic itself. Ergo lunch had to be in new town rather than old town.

I decided on Goldman’s in the Winn Dixie Plaza. Directly across from Walgreens.

Goldman’s is a deli. I am usually there with Robert and Ally. This time alone. They are on vacation.

Ordered a cheeseburger. Fantastic!

After the errands were run, I wanted to go to Don’s Place. That meant taking on the construction, detours, etc. Turned out that for Don’s Place I would endure the negatives.

David was at the bar. Watching the PGA. I joined him. Further down the bar were Jimmy and Joanie. I had dinner with Jimmy and David the other evening. Joanie was in Colorado. She has returned. Looked rested from the trip. Gave her a hug and kiss.

My pink eye appears to be cured. I decided to stay in in the evening to make sure. I know. Sounds crazy. Ran errands in the afternoon and stopped at Don’s Place. Did not even think about my pink eye problem. In any event, it was a sandwich and TV last night.

Just my luck. A good portion of the PGA was rained out.

I woke early this morning. Around 5. Watched from the comfort of my bed Julius Ceasar. The black and white version. Marlon Brando as Marc Anthony. Love Brando’s Marc Anthony eulogy to Julius Ceasar…..I have come to bury Ceasar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Ceasar.

As one ages, the number of prescription drugs taken increases. The drugs are costly. As a senior citizen, I buy them via Part D and a private insurer.

The cost is relatively cheap. Till you hit a certain point. That point is called the doughnut or donut. It is spelled both ways in the articles describing it.

The donut is a real hole! Other than the initial $350 drug cost, you pay 25 per cent of the cost of the drugs initially. Till you reach the donut. The donut begins at $2,800. It runs to $4,550. You pay 100 per cent of the drug cost while in the donut. After $4,550, the charge drops to 5 per cent.

The 100 per cent cost during the life of the donut is a killer!

One of the reasons is the cost of prescription drugs. I cannot believe they are so expensive. Sometimes I seriously believe the insurance and drug companies exaggerate the cost. This leaves more money in their pockets based on the increased cost the senior citizen pays.

Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act is supposed to help ease the burden. Not relieve it totally however for a while.

Recipients are to receive a $250 refund check from the insurance company this year. It was supposed to have been paid in June. I am still waiting for mine.

Over the next couple of years there will be deductions in the donut. The plan also provides for the total elimination of the donut by 2020. May I live that long!

This donut thing I am merely sharing. It came to mind yesterday. A prescription costing roughly $200 came up for reordering. I had to pay $200 during the donut.

I am now out of the donut. That $200 prescription yesterday cost me $10.

Imagine the burden on the senior citizen when in the donut. $200 is too much for most people. Remember there are other presecription drugs the seniors require. For some, it means skipping a few meals to pay for the drugs. Not the way in the USA.

Enjoy your day!

INTERNET SHOW THIS MORNING

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Friday again! Time for the Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Ten this morning my time. World wide. www.konkbroadcasting.com.

Join me. Interesting and challenging topics. Like a chastisement of the Presidential campaigns of both candidates, an insight into the Sikh Temple shooting, a shocking triple tragedy, FDR and polio, birthday of the electric chair, gay voters in the coming election, discrimination in a bakery, Boy Scouts and pedophilia, Catholic nuns at a cross road, the financial advantages of being a babysiter, a strange bigamy case, and more.

Did what I had to do yesterday morning. Haircut with Lori. She also trimmed my beard a bit. Banking. Finally was able to pickk up the prescription drops for my pink eye. The drops must be working. My eyes are significantly better this morning.

On the way home, I noticed work men gently removing the palm trees along Northern Roosevelt Boulevasrd. They were pushing hard at the trunk after having dug a bit around the base. Suddenly the roots would pop out. Much like a dentist pulling a tooth. Palm tree roots are surprisingly short. The palm trees are being saved somewhere in a holding pen till construction is complete. They will then be replanted.

Stayed in last night. Pink eyes made me uncomfortable. Addionally, I did not want to infect any one. Pink eye is very contagious.

For whatever reason, I had a good night’s sleep. The best in a long time. Feel energized.

Again, please join me this morning by watching my internet show. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoy your day!

DOCTOR DAY YESTERDAY

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I now have pink eye in both eyes

I cannot recall having had pink eye since I was in grammar school.

My prescription for appropriate eye drops not yet filled.

I am doing good! Said with tongue in cheek, of course.

Received a call yesterday afternoon at 2 from Walgreens. My prescribed drops are no longer produced/made. Company went out of business. What to do? We agreed Walgreens would call my doctor and work it out. A couple of hours later I heard from Walgreens and my doctor’s office. Publix has it. Go to Publix. The prescription has been called in.

It was dinner time. I was not eating. I was propped up in bed. Both eyes were running like faucets. A friend had stopped by with left over eye drops for pink eye. I started using them. Decided Publix could wait till this morning.

No Yacht Club dinner as planned last night. I was scheduled to have dinner with Sean and Katherine. I missed their wedding as I was in Europe at the time. Wanted to celebrate the event with them a bit. Last night was the time.

I would have cancelled on my own by late afternoon. Sean saved me the trouble. Sean is a loyal blog reader. He telephoned in the morning saying they would have to cancel. Sean wears contacts and cannot get near any one with pink eye.

I had a noon appointment with the heart doctor. When one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong.

I am having a good morning. The blog was much longer. When I went to publish, I somehow lost more than half of it. So I am ending here. Note that I experienced a severe chest pain that required nitroglycerene to releive. Doctor ran some tests. Blood pressure 120/75. Stress and echo tests scheduled for next week. I am not concerned. Yet.

Enjoy your day!

CAPTAIN TONY AND MARVIN HAMLISCH IN THE SAME BREATH

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I was correct. I have pink eye. Dr. Lefferts confirmed it yesterday morning.

Prescribed drops. She had her office call the prescription into Walgreens to be ready for pick up at noon. I received a recorded message around 11 that it would not be timely ready and they would call to tell me when.

It was six in the evening. No call from Walgreens yet. My eye was no better. Perhaps worse. I drove to Walgreens to see if the prescription was ready. It was not. I was told the drops were rarely used and they did not stock it. The clerk told me he did not know when the prescription would be filled.

I got upset. My problem is today I told him.

I asked to speak to the pharmacist. He tried to be helpful. Said he would call around to other drug stores to see if they had it. I played that game once. A pain in the ass! And not successful.

In the end, the pharmacist screwed around on his computer a while and told me the prescription would be available tomorrow (today) at one.

Not the way to run a business! Especially one that makes Walgreens a ton of money daily.

I spent some time at the Chart Room last night chatting.

Michael bartends at Smokin’ Tuna. He recently turned 40. He was enjoying a bus man’s holiday at the Chart Room.

A few days ago Michael was watching the sunset somewhere at Mallory Square. He saw two people a distance out in the water. They were in the water waving their arms. Obviously in distress. Michael dove in and swam out to them.

It was good that he did.

One of the persons in the water had scrapped his thigh against something. It had to be a hard blow. He had ruprured his artery. Blood was flowing out rapidly.

Michael got the person to shore. He ripped a branch of a tree, took off his tee shirt and wrapped both tightly around the guy’s thigh. Soon the Coast Guard arrived and the injured person was helicoptered to Miami.

Michael does not know who the person was that he saved. The injured person does not know it was Michael. Perhaps they will learn of each other through this blog.

Michael…..A genuine hero!

JJ was bartending. Leslie at the bar aslo.

Captain Tony Days start today and run through Sunday.

Captain Tony can best be described as a son of Key West.

His biggest claim to fame was Catain Tony’s Bar on Greene Street. He ran it for almost 30 years. In addition to being a bar keep, Captain Tony was a charter boat captain, gun runner, gambler, politician and at one time Mayor of Key West. Along the way, he married four times and fathered thirteen children.

Captain Tony ran for Mayor four times before being elected. One of his unsuccessful campaigns was headed up by Jimmy Buffett. Buffet and Captain Tony were obviously close. Buffett wrote a song about Captain Tony. Last Mango in Paris. The opening lines of the song…..I went down to Captain Tony’s / To get out of the heat / Heard a voice call out to me / Son come have a seat.

The girls leave today. Donna and Terri are packed and ready to go. Their ultimate destination is Los Angeles. They are moving there permanently. They came to Key West to get their furniture out of storage. The next stop is New York to get their furniture out of the apartment there. Then onward to Los Angeles.

They rented a huge Budget truck. They are driving the furniture from Kest West to New York and then Los Angeles themselves. Their car hooked on the back.

Crazy! I wish them good luck. They will make it. I told them this morning to record the events of each day. The trip has the makings of a good book.

Marvin Hamlisch died yesterday. I feel the loss of a contemporary. The world, including me, enjoyed his music all our lives.

I was aware Terri knew and was a personal friend of Hamlisch. When I read the news of his death on the internet, I telephoned Donna. She and Terri were at Aqua. Terri was judging a singing contest.

Terri took the loss hard. She got up on the stage and sang one of his songs. What I Did For Love from Chorus Line. With tears running down her face.

May he rest in peace.

That was my yesterday.

Enjoy your today!

A SAD STORY…..THE WORST

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I spent all day Monday writing. From morning to early evening. Initially outside in the shade of the tiki hut. When the rains came in the afternoon, they were of the monsoon type. Blowing side ways. I moved inside. It was better anyhow. The air conditioning was a relief.

I spent a considerable amount of time working on Friday’s internet show. It is coming along. When I tired of it, I wrote ten pages of the book I am working on. Ten pages is a lot. I was in the right frame of mind and the material poured out.

One of the topics for Friday’s show involves an Ashley Moser. Ashley was in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado last week. Her six year old daughter was killed. Ashley was shot. Ashley was pregnant at the time. She miscarried. She was advised this week that she will be paralyzed the rest of her life. The doctors are not sure whether she will be a paraplegic or quadraplegic. It depends on whether she will have the use of her arms.

They say God never gives any person more than what that person can handle. The statement does not apply in Ashley’s case. What mental strength this woman will require to go on.

I woke in the middle of the night with a red and sandy eye. I think I have pink eye. I have an appointment this morning to see Dr. Lefferts.

Enjoy your day!

YACHT CLUB BARBECUE

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The humidity envelops. Swallows a person. Thank God for air conditioning.

Yesterday was Sunday.

I started with an early morning breakfast at Pepe’s. Never ate breakfast there before. Dinner, yes.

Ham and eggs. Delicious. Especially the ham. A ham steak. About a quarter of an inch thick and huge.

It is claimed that Pepe’s is the oldest restaurant in Key West. Key West was the home port of pirates back around the 1700s. The story is that the pirates would meet at Pepe’s to plan their raids.

Then home to work with Sloan. There are too many pictures of my trip. Six hunded. Trying to narrow the number and organize them by location and event is a task. A tedious process. It is taking a lot of time. I want it correct, however.

Spent some time by the pool in the sun. Actually in the pool. The humidity was overbearing. I probably stayed out all of a half hour. I could not take it.

Lisa came over. To escape the humidity. To swim. She chatted a while in the shade of the tiki hut with Donna and Terri.

Last night was barbecuse night at the Yacht Club. Donna, Terri, and me.

We had a couple of drinks at the bar first. Kate Miano came in. Love her! She is the proprietor of the successful Gardens Hotel. Always has a hug and kiss for me. For every one actually. I like to think it is for me only.

Tosh was at the bar. At least two years since I had seen him. He has been away.

Tosh is short for Jon McIntosh. He is an artist of significant stature.

The barbecue was excellent. Especially the beef brisket.

I returned home after dinner. The girls went out. They were heading for the Monkey Bar first. Wherever they were, they must have had a great time. I woke when they came in at four this morning. Theatre people have strange hours.

Enjoy your day!

DATE NIGHT…..LISA AND ME

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A terrific Sunday morning! Sun, sky and water magnificent! A God is in His Heaven, all is right with the world morning.

Did a noon visit yesterday with Tammy at Lee Nail’s. Needed a manicure. The place bustling with customers. I was glad I had an appoinment. I think I am the only customer who is not asked to pick out a color upon arriving.

Afterwards visited with Lisa for a while.

Dinner last night was a big deal! A date was daughter Lisa. Just me and her. Tavern ‘N Town. A long slow meal. No pressures or distractions.

Lisa insisted on paying the bill. I let her. A thoughtful end to what had already been a very pleasant evening.

Bobby Nesbitt was performing at Tavern ‘N Town. An added pleasure.

I was home early. Before nine. I had no desire to drive into town. The construction is a pain in the butt.

Donna and Terri were sitting outside. We chatted a bit. They are in the process of moving to Los Angeles. They are in Key West to get their furniture out of storage. Then to New York City to empty their apartment out there. Finally the drive cross country to Los Angeles. They are driving the van themselves. One in the car and one in the van. Unless they decide to hook the car to the back of the van. Going to be a hell of a trip!

Once Donna and Terri are settled in in their new apartment in L.A., they have to hop a plane to Germany. Terri is performing two evenings with a German Symphony.

Sloan will be here at 10:30 this morning. I hope we will be able to conclude our work re the trip pictures.

Tonight is Donna and Terri night. They are my guests at the Yacht Club.

Enjoy your Sunday!