TUTU PARTY

I was at Goldman’s for a late lunch yesterday enjoying a pastrami sandwich. A friend walked in. Came over to say hello. A big guy. Probably a lineman on a football team in his younger day. Bearded.

He was all excited. He was going to a tutu party last night. I am old and retarded. I did not know what a tutu party was. As he talked, I figured it out. Men in dresses.

As I later found out, tutu dresses are short, generally chiffon, perhaps with a bit of crinoline so they flair out. He had the dress. Even a brassiere, which he was going to stuff. He was going to be the Bearded Lady.

He said I should try it next year. I can’t see me doing it. Something does not set right in my mind. Additionally, I doubt I would look good in pink chiffon.

Less I be misunderstood, this guy is perfectly straight. Straights dressing as women is not uncommon in Key West for party purposes. A tutu party is one example of life in Key West during Fantasy Fest.

I hope my friend did not get his hair wet. It poured like hell all day yesterday. It will rain today and tomorrow. Some kind of tropical storm developing off Mexico. The rain is supposed to let up saturday during the day. I hope so. The big parade is saturday night. Sixty thousand people will be lining Duval watching the parade. I do not know where they all sleep afterwards. There are not 60,000 beds in Key West. Not even close.

The weather will only minimally detract from festivities. The parties are mostly inside. Everyone has at the least ponchos. No one will permit the weather to dampen their spirits.

I went shopping for two new lamps yesterday. I need a floor lamp and a table lamp. Pickings were slim. I went to K Mart, Ross, Home Depot, and Sears. Found nothing I liked. Stock was limited.

I don’t know anywhere else in Key West to buy a lamp. If you do, let me know.

Fine tuned my blog talk radio show in the late afternoon. Hosted the show at 9. I thought one of my better shows. It did not matter. Audio was cut off after two minutes. I did not know. Kept going in my usual excited manner. It was only after the show that I learned I was the only one who heard me.

The problem was at the Blog Talk people’s end. Sloan is trying to figure out why this morning.

In between prep and doing the show, I watched the Crist/Scott debate on TV. A disgrace. Too much personal mud slinging. What ever happened to issues?

I had not seen Scott before. I was not impressed.

There are two Fantasy Fest events which I especially enjoy. Toga Party and the Pet Masquerade Parade. The Pet Parade is this afternoon at Casa Marine. The Toga Party thursday at Sloppy Joe’s.

The Pet Parade will have pets galore. All dressed in costumes. Beautiful! Most of the owners dressed also. I will talk about toga tomorrow night. Not a family event.

There are times when the powers to be in Key West do things the wrong way. This time it is price gouging. The City parking garage on Caroline will have a flat rate rather than an hourly on friday and saturday. $30. The City is copying the hotels who jack their prices for special events. Key West biting the hand that feeds it.

Enjoy your day!

 

BALL BUZTERS

Last night was a most pleasurable bocce evening. And I did not play! My back made me a spectator/coach.

We played Ball Buzters. The best! Always #1 or 2. These guys must have started playing together while they were in their mothers’ wombs. They play that well.

Our team Don’s Place played that well last night, also. We were competitive. All three games were decided by a point or two. We won the first and lost the next two. But happy we were. It was a fun evening. We played the best and were able to hang in  there with them.

My parking comments yesterday hit a sensitive chord. Many responses. Both sides of the issue venting. All arguments had merit. My sense is parking will still be a problem 10 years from now.

Started yesterday with a haircut. Always good to see Lori at Blown Away.

I spent the afternoon writing next week’s column for KONK Life. The Al Qaeda Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. There is a new al Qaeda group. They ventured out recently on their first escapade. They wanted to capture or damage the United States carrier the USS George Washington which was in Karachi harbor. Instead, they attacked a Pakistani frigate which they mistook for the carrier.

Poker Run begins today. An annual event in its 42nd year. A big deal.

Ten thousand bikes will roar into Key West today and tomorrow morning. They will leave Sunday late afternoon or monday early morning after a weekend of fun.

Many bikers bring their wives or girl friends. Generally perched sitting behind them.

The bikers are not the bad guys of Marlon Brando fame. They are doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs disguised to look bad having a weekend of fun.

The event is sponsored by the Key West Sunrise Rotary. It is a fundraiser. The charities benefiting are a national diabetes organization and certain local charities. The funds raised will be between $80,000 and $100,000.

I seriously question  who the Federal Reserve works for. The American people or the banks?

The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that household wealth had risen 1.7 percent in the 2nd quarter. The rise was attributed to stock and mutual fund increases and the rise in household values.

Did your stock portfolio go up? Do you have a stock portfolio? Do you own a home?

It is primarily the stock portfolios of the 1 percent that enjoyed the upward gain. Not the 99 percent.

Enjoy your day!