DON’T SLEEP ON THE JOB

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Do not fall asleep when you are supposed to be working! It happened to me last night.

I had an early dinner at Lisa’s. She had me home by 6:30. My blog talk radio show was scheduled for 9. I had time to kill.

Normally, I get ready mechanically at 8:30 for the show. Then at 8:45 connect in with Blog Talk Radio. By 8:50, I am ready. I have 10 minutes to kill till show time. I spend those 10 minutes reviewing my notes for the show.

A few seconds before 9, a female voice comes on. For my ears only at that point. YOUR SHOW BEGINS IN FIVE SECONDS……5 4 3 2 1. There is a brief pause and then the voice returns. This time everyone can hear. WELCOME TO BLOG TALK RADIO!

Back to Lisa dropping me off at 6:30.

I decided to watch some TV. I had two hours to kill. I laid on my bed and inadvertently fell asleep. When I woke, the room was dark. I thought I had enjoyed a deep long night’s sleep. Then it hit me! I slept through the show! I hit the light. It was 8:59. One minute to show time!

The race was on.

I rushed like hell in that minute to show time.  Down the stairs. Completed the 8:30 and 8:45 preliminaries. As I connected with blog talk radio, I heard…..YOUR SHOW BEGINS IN FIVE SECONDS.

God was with me.

I enjoyed an early dinner with Lisa. My car is at the repair shop. Joe’s Auto Repair on US 1. He took care of my Mercedes when I brought it to Key West 4 years ago. I had dropped the Volkswagen off in the morning. He called later and explained the problem. Needed parts from Miami. The car would not be ready till thursday. Which means I am stuck at home till then.

No problem from my perspective. I will hang home for a couple of days and hopefully get my book writing caught up. I am behind.

Yesterday morning, I still had the car. I stopped at Lori’s for a hair cut. She leaves tomorrow for three weeks on Long Island and in Maine. Then I delivered the Volkswagen to Joe’s. He provides good service. Had one of his men drive me home. The car will be delivered to my house on thursday.

I completed writing next week’s KONK Life column. JOHN PAUL JONES Part 1. I had to break it into two parts. There was much to write. Part 1 involves the good he did. Part 2 will follow one week later. Part 2 will center on his shortcomings, most of which are generally unknown, yet nevertheless interesting.

Ain’t no frightful weather in Key West! Another dramatic morning. Another quiet and still morning. Peace abounds. Beauty everywhere.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

JESSE JAMES RIDES AGAIN…..THE MAFIA RETURNS

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In my blog talk radio show tuesaday evening, I referred to ISIS as Jesse James and the Mafia. Last night, CNN also referred to the group as the Mafia.

Jesse James because ISIS robs banks. Perhaps better than most bank robbers. A few days ago, ISIS robbed a bank in Mosul of $429 million. Plus some gold bullion. Further, as ISIS moves from one town to another, it robs the banks.

Jesse James lives again!

The Mafia was well known for extorting business men. The Mafia provided an unneeded protection service for a fee. Refuse to pay the fee and the business was blown up. Generally, with the proprietor inside.

ISIS practices extortion in a similar fashion. Pay up or we’ll blow you up!

It is claimed ISIS grabs $1-2 million a month in this fashion.

All of which proves, history repeats itself.

Yesterday was an easy one. Started with the gym in the morning. I told Albert my right shoulder had been aggravated. I could move my right arm backwards or sideways. He said he understood. He must have. Whatever he had me doing, not once did my shoulder ache.

Last night was sit and chat time at the Chart Room and Don’s Place.

Spoke with a couple from Chicago at the Chart Room. Asked how their mayor Rahm Emanuel was doing. The response was he is not terrible. Not much of a commendation. I inquired how they felt about Obama. They shrugged their shoulders and the wife said he was not around long, he did nothing for us.

Did I note an air of entitlement?

The wife is a special ed teacher. From nowhere another special ed teacher showed up. The two did not know each other. The new special ed lady wrote on the blackboard a Benjamin Franklin quote…..Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

The quote in Key West time as was the lady.

Spent a lot of time at Don’s Place. Chatted first with Hershel. Then with Don and Grant. Enjoyable.

I have to move my butt his morning. I have a hair appointment with Lori.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST & BICYCLES

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Bicycles on the road scare the hell out of me! Especially during tourist season. Each time I drive is a disaster in the making. Ant the funny part of it all is that those riding the bicycles are not even aware of the situation.

Front page in this morning’s Key West Citizen was an article concerning Key West getting a crash course in safety. Turns out the #1 small city in bicycle accidents is our beloved Key West.

Bicycle riding has become an integral part of the Key West vacation package. It must be retained. However, it needs fixing. It needs more than a special police program to assist in making riders aware of the road rules regarding bicycling. It requires the City fathers, the City Commission, to stand up and get involved more deeply than it has in the past. Thought must be given to revamping the scenario. Not to do so is to court disaster.

Note that I am not critical of Key Westers who utilize bicycles as their means of transportation. They are experienced and know how to ride safely.

Katharine! The great white pregnant female shark making her way into the Gulf of Mexico. I stopped at Schooner Wharf in the afternoon for a drink. Chatted with some old time fisherman who were standing at the back end of the bar. They all said the same thing. Each had thought that large fish such as sharks lived in one area as part of a group. The GPS tracker affixed to the dorsal fin told another story. Great whites travel great distances. They can cover a 100 miles in one day. Astonishing! The GPS tracker had radically changed their knowledge/view of  how great whites live and their traveling habits.

Old time crucifixions are on the rise in the Middle East. Renounce your Christian faith and accept Islamism…..or be crucified. This weekend it was first announced that the Sudanese women who was sentenced to death because she would not reject her Christian faith was to be released. Twenty four hours later it was reported not so. The government made the initial decision. Now the government has backed off and said it is up to the courts. In the meantime, it was also reported that the woman was required to give birth in jail while her legs were chained/shackled.

We think we can teach these people democracy? The crazies are in Washington, not the Middle East!

An article I wrote re the crucifixions appears in my COMMENTARY column published in today’s KONK Life E-Blast. Read it if you have the opportunity You will find it interesting.

Ally’s birthday party last night! Fun as anticipated. Worked out just as I had predicted. Ally was thrilled. Ran the whole show. Lights out, sing, Robert don’t get in the way! My Princess!

Gym time this morning at 11. I walked the past three days. Once on a tread mill and the other two times around my house. Twenty minutes each time. I am trying.

Enjoy your day!

A WONDERFUL EVENING

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Every Key West evening is good. Some are just better. Last night was one of the better ones.

The early evening was at Joy Gallery. The Jack Baron exhibit. Over 50 paintings. Several mine.

The gallery was packed when I arrived. Owner/curator Jim Wallace and his wife Theresa. It was the first time Theresa and I met. She was aware of me initially from the devastating operation I underwent in Key West about nine years ago. I lost 25 per cent of my colon needlessly. She had recently undergone some sort of stomach surgery with the same doctor. A disaster also from her perspective.

Some of my friends were in the crowd. Tom and Kathy from Connecticut. Larry and Christine with England’s John and Ali. I was honored Christine attended. She is a for real artist. Her works are selling well. Whereas, I did not paint. I merely collected.

People were taking pictures of me with their spouses or alone in front of some of the Baron’s. I met Ed Krane for the first time. He took pictures of me with Jim and Theresa Wallace. Ed was at one time with the same TV station I had been. We had interesting war stories to share.

I ended up explaining certain of my Baron acquisitions and how they came to be. Everyone  had an interest in Jack Baron.

Jim Wallace did an excellent job showing Baron’s paintings and bringing out the crowd he did last night.

My next stop was the Chart Room. No one I knew. A bunch of younger guys whooping it up. I had one drink and left.

Last night would have been Emily’s night to work. She is in Lexington for the Kentucky Derby later today. She has attended many. She is originally from the area. She told me before she left that she was making the hat she will wear herself.

Larry let me know as he left Joy Gallery that they were heading over to the Key West Pub. A new place. Across the street from La Te Da. In my 26 years in Key West, I have seen several businesses come and go in the building. They all start with a bang. Hard to survive, however. The rent! The last tenant was paying $14,000 a month. You have to sell a lot of booze to cover that nut!

Perhaps this place may make it. I hope they do The inside is different. Multi colored walls and bright lights.

The Pub was jam packed. Fortunately, there was an empty seat at Larry’s table. The booze was flowing. Food was free. Huge sliders. Everyone spoke well of the sliders.

I was impressed with the greeting crew. There were two men standing on the sidewalk outside the entrance. One said hello Louis. The other…..Key West Lou. I do not recall having met either before.

Met Sean the manager inside. A hug and big kiss on the cheek. He was kissing everyone. As I was leaving, the owner came up and introduced himself. Stephen Pointer. Garbed in a sharp tuxedo. He is from England. I wished him well. Time will tell. The fact that La Te Da is across the street does not hurt. People tend to enjoy both. They will move from one bar to the other several times a night.

Then it was across the street to La Te Da. There was new owner Christopher standing in the entrance. Christopher is the former owner of Antonia’s. You will recall I stopped going to Antonia’s several years ago. It had nothing to do directly with Christopher. It was, if you will excuse the vernacular,  his asshole manager at the time. Christopher gave me a big hug.

It had been several years since I was at La Te Da, also. No reason. Just stopped going.

I ate at the outside bar. I have been a customer at La Te Da off and on for 25 years. Tonto has always been the outdoor bartender during that time. Love Tonto and her partner. Old friends, we generally meet in Publix while grocery shopping.

Twenty five years ago and ten years ago, I always enjoyed La Te Da’s lacquered duck. I enjoyed it again last night. Wow! Outstanding!

After dinner, I grabbed a snifter of Grand Marnier and walk into the inside bar. Sassy no longer bartending. He was a mainstay. A Key West icon. Casey is the new bartender. A lovely. She said Sassy now lives somewhere in Pennsylvania.

I was hoping to catch Debra and Patrick. Regulars at La Te Da for more than 20 years. They were away for the weekend. Instead the Spectrelles were entertaining. If I recall correctly, they used to appear in the Utica area at the Turning Stone casino. Absolutely outstanding. I stayed at the bar listening to them longer than I had intended. The three ladies wore wigs. The bouffant style of the late 1950s and 1960s.

Randy Roberts was at the other end of the bar. We nodded hello to each other. He is a female impersonator at La Te Da. He has been performing there more than 20 years. It must have been his night off. He was dressed casually. He looked amazing! Younger than when I first met him years ago.

Today, the Kentucky Derby. I have not paid attention this year. Have no idea who is running. I will watch the race at Don’s Place. The ladies will all be wearing bonnets of sorts.

Sorry this blog is a bit long. It was a long evening, however. Filled with all kind of good happenings.

Enjoy your day!

 

EARTHQUAKE AGAIN

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I was surprised when I walked into the Chart Room last night and Emily asked me about the earthquake. What earthquake? Turns out there was another one about 8 miles off the coast of Cuba wednesday night at 10:20. About  seven miles below the water’s surface. I who read the newspapers all the time had failed to read yesterday’s Key West Citizen. I was unaware.

The earthquake was a 5.1 on the Rector scale. Apparently no damage anywhere. I did not feel it in Key West. Nor did Emily and others at the Chart Room last night.

I have a concern. Earthquakes in this area are uncommon. Now there have been two off the coast of Cuba in a month. Do these two earthquakes portend something? Is there a big one in the making? Should we be concerned about a tsunami?

Don’t laugh! So far the weather media has not discussed this aspect. I am not overly concerned. Such thoughts occur to me, however.

Conch Republic Admiral Frankie was part of our bar discussion last night. Besides the earthquake, the discussion involved the Olympics and skiing. Turns out Emily was/is a skier and a pretty proficient one at that. I thought she was born and raised in Key West. Not so. She was born in Indiana, spent time in Virginia and elsewhere. She developed her skiing prowess in those places.

Before heading to the Chart Room, I stopped at Christine’s opening night of her art exhibit. Christine Cordone has risen to a new level. She now has people in her paintings. I was impressed. Her water colors warm the heart and brighten a room!

Ralph Kiner died yesterday. A baseball great! Played many years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then spent even more years as the Mets broadcaster. He is a Hall of Famer.

My recollection goes back to the mid to late 1940s. Baseball was everything. My buddies and I used to spend some summer afternoons sitting around on the floor in someone’s living room listening to major league baseball games. One of our heroes was Ralph Kiner.

Listening is the operative word in the previous paragraph. There was no television back then. It was radio!

Enjoy your day!

BOCCE, BLUE ANGELS AND EUGENE ROBINSON

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A spectacular bocce evening last night!

We won all three games. We played well. On top of which, I shot what has to have been the best bocce of my life! They were falling in for me. I could do no wrong.

Thank you, Lord!

Frankie and I were partners. He is recovering well from his heart surgery. Frankie mentioned in passing that five years ago he was in Rome, NY and played in the International Bocce Tournament . An annual event.  His team played a team from Italy. The team had been the overall winner the year before. Frankie said his team got killed! So bad that he could not wait to get out of Dodge the next day.

Rome is 15 miles from my home town of Utica. The bocce tournament is a big deal.

The Blue Angels arrived in Key West yesterday. The US Navy daredevils of the sky. They arrived by flying low the length of Duval Street. Then up the road to the Naval Base at Boca Chica. They will be performing this weekend.

My other bocce partner Erika is Controller at the Key West Citizen. The Citizen is one of the sponsors of the Blue Angels event. Tomorrow Erika will be flying in a two seater pursuit plane which will be overseeing the Blue Angels. Excited she is!

Once again Key West is blessed with the presence of a person of fame and reputation. Eugene Robinson. Pulitzer Prize winner, syndicated columnist, Associate Editor of the Washington Post, round table member of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and whatever else. Robinson is speaking this evening at 6 at The Studios of Key West. The event is free and open to the public.

Robinson’s wife brings him to Key West. She is a painter. Her work has been showing all week at The Studios.

Another person of repute arrived in Key West yesterday. Terri White is back! With wife Donna Barnett. They are in Key West to celebrate Passover with family.

Terri and Donna refer to themselves as my lesbian wives. They are. I can’t wait to see them. They are not staying with me this visit. I have been abandoned.

Syracuse won its first tournament game last night. Beat Montana 81-34. Big! Syracuse plays California saturday. May Syracuse continue to be victorious!

I had intended to lunch yesterday at Hogfish. Never made it. Final preparations for today’s TV/internet show took more time than I expected.

This morning the Key West Lou Legal Hour. Ten my time. Available on television all the way up through Miami-Dade County on Comcast Channel 87 and U-Verse Channel 19. Available world wide via the internet. www.tvchannel19.com.

Join me. A good show. I am going to beat up the banks a bit, discuss the tragedy of Cyprus, and make comment regarding a 1349 massacre of Jews. Plus more.

Dee, where are you?

Enjoy your day!