KANSAS’ RAYLENE AND GARY

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Today’s blog going out very late! Sorry! I had a big morning. I had to tidy the house up. Realtor showing it this morning. Then had to get out early because the first group was arriving. Walked around Duval for an hour before my hair appointment. Then walked Duval some more. People watching. By the time I returned home, it was after noon and I was tired!

Began last night at the Chart Room. Glad I did. Met a couple I met sometime last year. Raylene and Gary from  Kansas. Dorothy country. They were staying for four days at the Pier House with their two young adult children. Good looking kids!

Raylene and Gary return to Key West early every October for two weeks. To celebrate their anniversary.

Nice people. I hope I get to see them before they leave this trip and definitely in
October.

Raylene is extra special. She she told me bought my book and read it! Also mentioned she was looking forward to my next book, Growing Up Italian.

The season is in full bloom. I walked the first 3 blocks of Duval. Jam packed! Walking impossible. Everyone moving at a snail’s pace.

Ended up at Kelly’s. Jennifer and Amy working the bar. Two lovely ladies. I enjoyed an order of wings and read the newspapers.

Two fellows sat near me at the bar. They appeared to be Europeans. Speaking English. Jennifer asked if they were from Holland. Yes, they responded. She could tell from their accents. Jennifer’s grandmother was from Holland, also.

The new Netflix TV series I mentioned earlier this week  will start shoting in the next few days in Islamorada. As previously mentioned, Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek stars. I discovered her co-star last night. Sam Shephard. What a combination!

This has been a spectacular lobster season! Not the most lobsters caught in a season. But the most dollar wise. Prices per pound wholesale are up. The Asian market has opened big time. Daily flights take the lobsters live packed in ice to Asian markets.

I find it amazing how the Florida lobster trade has grown world wide.

Frankly, I do not enjoy Florida lobsters. I am a Maine lobster snob. I rarely eat a Florida lobster. They are good. However, once you have tasted Maine lobster, it is  difficult to enjoy local ones.

An American tragedy occurred yesterday. The NLRB announced that scholarship college athletic students are employees and accordingly have the right to unionize. I disapprove of the ruling. The fallout is going to be fantastic. It will in effect be similar to 9/11. Change will take place in college athletics. Big time!

Northwestern was the university involved.

President Obama has been in Italy the past two days. Surprisingly, my Italian friends wish he had not come. They are not happy with him. Much of Europe is not.

Bocce tonight. I am going to cheer my team on. With a glass of gin in my hand, of course. I will not be playing. My back. Besides the pain,  I fear that one of the times I bend over, I will not be able to return to a standing position.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

LOU HARRIS / SUGAR RAY ROBINSON / CARMEN BASILIO

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What a combination of famous names in the title! Lou Harris, the famous pollster and political columnist. Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio, two world boxing champions.

This morning’s KONK Life E-News Blast carried a report regarding Lou Harris. Harris was for many years the leading, if not only, reliable political pollster in the United States. He also wrote political columns for the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune.

Harris is long retired. Ninety three. Lives full time in Key West.

Once or twice a year, Harris gives a talk to The Friends of the Key West Library. His talks are always well attended.

Last night Harris spoke about a danger to our government. He said, “…..the forces of government destruction are at our gates.”  There is a “…..coup to destroy U.S. government.”

Heavy words from a respected man. He blames the Republican right.

I happen to agree with Harris. I have been writing and preaching a similar message for a couple of years in this blog, my former TV show, and radio show.

I guarantee there will be an avalanche of comments tomorrow agreeing and disagreeing with me. Those who will be disagreeing, though not blind, refuse to see.

I am into a newspaper kick this morning. The Key West Citizen in its World Almanac section yesterday made mention that on March 25, 1958, Sugar Ray Robinson defeated Carmen Basilio to regain the middleweight title.

Normally, such an event would receive no attention from me. However, I used to see both during their days of glory and with Basilio, even thereafter. I knew neither man personally. Merely was able to observe them frequently. And not in the ring.

I attended Manhattan College in New York City from 1953-58. Manhattan College was located at 242nd Street and Broadway. Sugar Ray Robinson’s mother lived at 237th Street and Broadway. Robinson frequently visited his mother. We knew. Robinson drove a large sleek pink Cadillac convertible with a white top. It was always parked on Broadway under the subway el. Occasionally, we lucked out and saw Robinson. I would like to say he said hello. He never did. He was sullen appearing and usually walked by with his head down.

Carmen Basilio comes from central New York. The Canastota area. Some refer to Canastota as the onion capital of the world.

Basilio was a home town boy. During his career and after, central New York was his stomping grounds. He was frequently to be seen in Utica and Syracuse. Always a gentleman, always a warm hello and smile.

I did a first time the other day. Had lunch at the new White Street Station. It is a food truck/stand next to one of the gas stations on the corner of Truman and White.

The new establishment is owned by Dennis and the two owners of Michael’s Restaurant. Dennis was general manager of Michael’s for many years. He left several years ago to return to Chicago He is back in Key West operating the White Street Station.

Good food! Excellent food! No question about it. Gourmet sandwiches. I should not have been surprised. Less could not have been expected from people associated with Michael’s Restaurant.

A cold day in Key West! 64 degrees this morning. High will only be 71. A long pants day.

I am not complaining. Yet. My friends on Cape Cod are being buried in another severe snow storm.

Whenever it is extremely cold up north, it is colder than normal in Key West. The cold wind is blowing down from the north this morning at about 20 miles per hour.

Enjoy your day!

 

BILL GATES…..THE WAY IT IS

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Woke to the big band! Howling wind, thundering sky and monsoon rain! Interestingly, from the south. Very unusual. Occurs only a few times a year. Just happened two times in one week.

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. I am kicking ass! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I am 78. I do not think I am old. I do not feel old. But, obviously I am. The number of years on earth make me feel I have lived through a significant portion of history. I have, as has everyone in my age bracket.

I was born six years before World War II. My parents were poor. I was born on whatever the welfare program was at the time was.  My parents tried to give me everything. They wanted a better life for me. They instilled the work ethic in me. Work hard and succeed. Plus, you MUST get an education.

The generation following mine were the baby boomers. We of my generation screwed up in raising them. We wanted everything for them. Gave them everything. I for one did not want my children to “suffer” as I did in working several jobs in high school, college and law school, in having to pay for most of my education, in not having a car till I graduated from law school and could afford one on my own, etc.

Ergo, I and most of my generation gave our children the world. So much more so than our parents had given us. The baby boomers turned out not such an admirable group. They were the age of entitlement. They wanted everything. They were entitled to everything. They did not want to work for anything. Along the way, most forgot their aging parents.

Now is the time of the children of the baby boomers. They are more world wise than their parents. They believe the world owes them everything. Because they are. Because they exist. For no other reason.

Bill Gates recently gave a talk to a group of high school students. He set forth eleven rules they did not and would not learn in school. His remarks stated that today’s kids were feel good, politically correctly imbued and that such had created a generation of teens with no concept of reality. He said such set the kids up for failure in today’s world.

June Hudson of Key West, Delaware and Jersey Shore fame sent me a copy of Gates’ 11 rules. I set them forth intact and unedited for your reading. The rules say it all.

Rule 1. Life is not fair–get used to it.

Rule 2. The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3. You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.

Rule 6. If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents’ generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in life.

Rule 9. Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. (Do that on your own time.)

Rule 10. Television is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

Enjoy your day!

 

CALABRIA…..THE FOOT OF THE ITALIAN BOOT

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The sky is overcast this morning. Accompanied by a moderate breeze. The breeze is carrying the morning smell of the ocean into my kitchen. Pleasant.

It was back to bed yesterday. My back! Thought I was ok. Apparently not. The spasm takes my breath away. Not much better this morning. Been through this before. At some point, the spasm will cease. I wish it would hurry up!

The Wichita/Kentucky game last night will be remembered as one of the greats. Kentucky squeaked out the win. Coach Louis thought the difference between the teams and the reason for the Kentucky win was conditioning. Towards the end of the game, the Kentucky players were still going up and down the court as if the game had just started. Wichita began making mistakes. Mistakes that seem to have been brought on by the tired factor.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog how much money Patrick raised at the fundraiser. Patrick cut his very long dreds for charity. Raised $12,000! Good for you, Patrick!

A couple of weeks ago, I told you Fuddruckers was opening up next door to Burger Fi. I was wrong. Not Fuddruckers. It is Johnny Rockets.

I have never seen a Johnny Rockets. Most people have, however. They tell me a 1950s place, waitresses on roller skates, etc. A burger joint. I look forward to trying it.

My Italian friend Antonio spent an interesting few days this past week. Antonio lives in Novara. His wife I love dearly. Mariam from Morocco. A chef, she cooked a birthday dinner for me a couple of years ago.

Antonio and two of his buddies went on what was described as a hiking trip. Into the Sila Mountain range. Still snow covered, much of the trip was made wearing whatever one wears on their feet while walking on deep snow. I am experiencing a mental block. Permit me to describe them as  like tennis rackets. Snow shoes?

Sila Mountain is in southern Italy. In Calabria. Calabria is located in the boot of Italy.

The Sila Mountain range consists of three separate mountains. One of the mountains is called New Greece or Greek Sila.

You will recall that during my first Greece trip, I realized I had to have Greek blood in me. I who thought I was pure Italian my whole life.

While in Greece and especially the small islands, I noticed the Greek food I was eating was exactly like the Italian food I had been raised on. My grandmother and mother’s cooking. Everything. Even down to the bread.

I started asking questions. Then went to the books to verify what I had been told. I wrote a blog about this three years ago and did a segment on my television show.

Greece way back when was a great commercial nation. Way back when means hundreds of years even before the birth of Christ. Greek ships conducted commerce throughout whatever the known world was at the time.

Greece was interested in doing business with southern Italy and Sicily. Hundreds of Greek citizens were sent to these two areas to settle and develop trade with Greece. The Greeks and Italians got along extremely well. The Greeks remained. Intermarriages were common.

We are all aware that northern and southern Italian cooking are radically different. The difference is a result of the Greek immigration. For whatever reason, the Greek food predominated. Ergo, the Italian food I grew up on is the same as the Greek food I ate on the tiny Greek isle of Amorgos for a month.

Interesting.

Enjoy your day!

RIP

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Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Grant them eternal rest, oh Lord.

The season ended for Syracuse last night. The team lost to Dayton 55-53.

It was a game like most Syracuse games this season. If you saw one, you saw them all. Close. The last few seconds everything. Whether against a good team or bad, the games played out that way.

I am glad it is over. I did not enjoy the season. An emotional strain!

Never the less, I congratulate Coach Boeheim and the team for their 28-6 record. The numbers are good. The actuality not.

I watched the game at Lukas’ place with the lovely Stephanie Kaple. Second time in a row I have enjoyed her company. She was cheering for Dayton Her parents went to school  there or live in Dayton.

We both were emotional. At one point, she claimed I hit her. I had not! I pushed her. Anyhow, she text her mother re the abuse. Mom text back…..Hit him! She did.

Everything else that occurred yesterday was non-consequnetial in comparison to Syracuse’s defeat last night.

I am in mourning.

Enjoy your Sunday!

NEW KEYS TV SHOW / SISSY SPACEK

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Big time TV coming to the Florida Keys for filming!

Netflix announced yesterday that a new television series starring Sissy Spacek will be filmed in the Keys. Islamorada to be specific. It is an original series, yet untitled. A mystery. Sissy Spacek plays the mother of a some what dysfunctional family. An old hotel/motel is involved.

Filming starts next week. The series is sixteen weeks. A crew of 125 involved. Each episode will take nine days to film. The cost of each episode $8 million.

Most of the crew will stay in Islamorada, Tavernier, and Key Largo. Star Sissy Spacek at the Ocean Reef in Key Largo. President Obama and Michelle stayed there last week.

The show will be a boon for the Islamorada area. Good for them!  I doubt it will make a dollar impact here in Key West. Islamorada is a one hour forty five minute drive from Key West.

I can understand Islamorada being the site as an old hotel/motel was required. Islamorada is an old Keys vacation spot. Most of the lodgings go back to the 1950s and before. The place is nice, but very elderly. You will recall when I occasionally want to get away from Key West for a few days, I drive up to Islamorada.

An interesting dinner last night at Square One. Darling Jenna. She wanted me to meet Tamara. Jenna is doing a documentary regarding Tamara. The specific subject involves a psychopath. I have an interest in psychopaths and at some time down the road plan a major book involving the subject. Jenna asked me to dinner because of my interest. She also wanted my take on the victim Tamara and her story.

It was some evening!

Afterwards, I stopped at Don’s Place. Chatted with Jeff, Grant, and Angus. Dougie bartending.

Syracuse basketball this evening. 7:10. Against Dayton. Syracuse a 6.5 point favorite. Means nothing. Syracuse has lost several games where they were favored. Also, the mighty are falling in the tournament. Dougie told me last night Mercer beat Duke.

I shall be watching the game at Lukas’ Sports Pub.

Stephanie Kaple telephoned me yesterday. To give me a hard time. I sometimes think she has no one else to beat on. She is a Dayton grad. I invited her to join me tonight. She said she would call. I am still waiting.

Note that my enthusiasm for Syracuse’s chances at the moment are non-committal. I am taking each game as it comes.

A magnificent morning! Sun out. No wind. Absolutely none. The water still. The tide is out. Very much so. I can see the roots of the mangoes across the way. It is a silent time. Dead silent. Generally, the only noise is the moving water. It is one of those God’s in His Heaven, all’s right with the world times!

My book! If you like political, historical and social commentary, buy it. I guarantee you will enjoy the book. The World Upside Down is available on amazon.com and barnsandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day!

PATRICK “PATTY CAKES” HAYES

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I am alive and almost well. Blood pressure ok. My back has 20 per cent to go. However, the back is sufficiently better that I am able to move around experiencing only an occasional twinge of pain.

I am stir crazy. I have been confined to bed and home a few days. Have to get out! Tonight!

Today’s KONK Life E News Blast features a picture of one of Key West’s most beloved persons. Patrick Hayes, aka Patty Cakes. Patrick was at a charity fundraiser yesterday afternoon at Square One and shed his dreds to help with the fund raising. They were almost down to his butt. I will not say Patrick looked good in them. From my perspective, he did not. He was like a wild man from Borneo. I am glad they are gone. The Patrick I knew has returned!

Patrick is a good friend. For more than 20 years. He is also Lisa’s friend. Her best friend after her husband. Patrick is also unofficial godfather to Robert and Lisa. They know him well and love him, also.

Patrick tells the story that he came to Key West straight and ended up gay. He lived with Les for many years. Les made Patrick an honest person two years ago. They ran off to Iowa and married. I attended their wedding reception on Shark Key when they returned.

Patrick seems to have worked forever as Square One’s bartender. He is pure goodness and always available to lend a helping hand.

I am having dinner tonight at Square One. I look forward to seeing the new Patrick with normal hair.

On this day in 1956, Italian actress Anna Magnani won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie was The Rose Tattoo. The screenplay and movie were written by Tennessee Williams when he lived in Key West.

The Tennessee Williams’ home is on Duncan Street. Two blocks from Lisa’s home. A lovely well maintained house presently owned by my friend Evan Roberts.

The Rose Tattoo was filmed in Key West. Probably at Tennessee Williams’ insistence. The house it was filmed in is on the same block as the Tennessee Williams home. Williams is at one end and The Rose Tattoo home the other. The filming  took place in Key West and on the same block as Williams’ home probably for Williams’ convenience. All he had to do was roll out of bed in the morning and walk less than 100 yards to his place of work.

I do not believe Key West had anything to do with the movie. Magnani played a Sicilian widow. Her co-star, the great Burt Lancaster, a lusty truck driver.

Williams insisted Magnani have the starring role. He said at the time she was “…..the most explosive emotional actress of her generation.”

Burt Lancaster was one of the outstanding male actors of his day. His day being in my life time. He was a contemporary of Kirk Douglas who is still alive. Lancaster was a man’s man and played such roles. He died about 15 years ago. I was disappointed that many younger than me were not aware of who he was. How soon  a great can be forgotten!

The Rose Tattoo house has not been well maintained at all. Run down. Someone started renovating it two years ago. However, it appears the renovations stopped in their early stages.

Syracuse won its first game in the big tournament yesterday. Easily defeated Western Michigan 77-53. Tomorrow at 7, Dayton.

Notice how calm I am.

Enjoy your day!

POLITICS MAKES FOR STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

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I did absolutely nothing yesterday. My back kept me confined to bed all day. Such was my day. Ergo, nothing to report activity wise.

However, there is something I would like to share. It involves neo-Nazis, Ukraine, the United States, the American media, and anti-Semitism. Read on for a most interesting blog.

The sole purpose of this article is to ask why our government and the media fail to keep us informed about that which I am to relate.

Some of you may have seen on the internet last night news reports regarding a television CEO in the Ukraine who was beaten by some far right politicians and forced to resign. Note I said internet, not television. The far right individuals were members of the Ukraine Svoboda Party. The beating itself was shown on two internet sites.

I could be wrong about that which I am about to relate. I do not think so. I did not see any similar news report in/on any American media. Why?

Note that I have been discussing the Svoboda Party and the issues contained herein for three weeks.

The Svoboda Party is far right. It is actually the neo-Nazi Party in Ukraine. It is one of Ukraine’s five largest political parties It was nothing till the 2012 elections when it won its first Parliament seats. Ten per cent of the vote got the party 37 seats in Parliament. Since Ukraine has coalition government, this gave the Svoboda Party major clout in the new government.

The leader of the Svoboda Party is Olah Tyahnybok. He believes in violence as a way of capturing the minds and souls of  people. Just as Hitler did in the 1930s. Personal brutality, beatings, breaking of store fronts, synagogue bombings.

The Svoboda is anti-Communist, anti-Russian, and anti-Semitic.

Anti-Semitism is part of the Party platform. The Party was first named the Social-National party. An intentional reference to Adolph Hitler’s National Socialist Party.

The Ukraine neo-Nazis have a youth program. Uniforms and all. At a recent rally, a Svoboda youth leader distributed Nazi propaganda written by Joseph Goebbels.

The Party platform calls for “…..one race, one nation, one Fatherland.”

Tyahnybok has called in the past for Ukraines to fight against the Muscovite-Jewish mafia. Another Party leader referred to the Holocaust as “…..a period of Light in history.”

As I have written over the past three years, neo-Nazism is on the rise in Europe. Hungry people will follow radical leaders who promise and provide more. Greece has an especially strong neo-Nazi party. Italy’s less strong, but growing. Ukraine’s neo-Nazis have been developing strong ties recently with the Italian group.

A prominent Ukraine rabbi is Hillel Cohen. He was recently attacked in Kiev by anti-Semitics. He was beaten and stabbed in the leg. He was called anti-Semitic slurs. He was referred to as zyhd. Ukraine for kike.

Also recently, a synogauge in eastern Ukraine was firebombed. Damage was slight and there were no injuries.

The neo-Nazi Svoboda Party are part of the “good guys” opposing Russia. They are part of the group that the United States and the Euro nations are supporting. It is reported money has already been sent by the United States to this group.

Recently, Senator Mc Cain had his picture taken with Tyahnybok. As has Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. The photos appeared in European newspapers. I am not aware of them appearing in American newspapers or television news reports.

My question again is a simple one. Why are not the American people being made aware of what is going on regarding the Svoboda Party? We hear nothing from the government or news media. We should know who our government is supporting and more importantly, why? There is no transparency.

I am merely sharing. Draw your own conclusions. Ask your own questions. Do your own research.

As always, enjoy your day!

ALMOST NO BLOG TODAY

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My body periodically has problems. Most due to aging.

Yesterday, it was low blood pressure. Last night and today, my back. Threw it out again. Spasm time. Cannot sit, stand, lie down, etc. It is almost 1 in the afternoon. I could not sit to do the blog before now.

My bottle of gin sits a mere 10 feet from me. Looks better by the moment.

Blood pressure seems to have rectified itself. Back to normal today. Dr. Jackie Lefferts a genius. Sent me over to Publix to buy Gatorade. Told me to drink a couple of bottles. My electrolytes might be low. I drank two. Appears she was right.

My back really hurts! I have a call into Dr. Lefferts for something to take. Advil is not touching the problem.

I did my blog talk radio show last night. Fortunately, no one could see me. I rolled with the pain for the half hour. All sorts of body contortions. Sitting was definitely out.

There are some little things that have been bothering me. I vented last night in the first part of the show.

The military and transgenders. A panel recently recommended lifting the ban in the military. It is claimed there are 15,500 transgenders in the service. I don’t know the answer. I am not sure how I feel. I have seen our country go through the women and gay issues, and properly resolve long standing wrongs. . Transgenderism is the new kid on the block. How will it be dealt with?

Social Security is stockpiling bullets. Why? To shoot up the nursing homes? 174,000 hollow point ones.

Nazism has a secure place in Ukraine society. They are part of the good guys. The ones we have sent or intend to send monies to. Senator McCain even had his picture taken with the head of the Nazi Party. Why is the American media silent about the Nazism involvement? The European papers are not.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced this morning an end to a criminal investigation against Toyota. The result appears to be a civil settlement. Toyota buried the fact they were knowingly selling autos with undisclosed safety problems. Many accidents. Some deaths. Toyota agreed to pay $1.2 billion.

Holder has done an outstanding job of bringing to task wrongdoing corporations, including banks. In years to come, his work in this regard will be recognized and applauded. More so than today.

My problem is that Holder’s Justice Department seems reluctant to put some high ranking corporate chiefs in jail for the wrongdoing of their companies.  Not one major banker has gone to jail for the mortgage scam. The Toyota settlement is another example of getting the bucks but not proceeding with criminal action to its conclusion. In the Toyota scenario, Toyota has literally gotten away with murder in exchange for money.

Let me crystallize my thought. A man is drunk, drives his auto and kills someone. Good for 10-20 years in jail. Toyota’s top people hide safety problems, people die (more than one) and no one goes to jail.

Something wrong here!

Enjoy your day!

CAROL AND GINGER

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Tonight is blog talk radio time! My blog talk show! Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine o’clock. A quick half hour of interesting and revealing material.

Tonight’s show will hit upon the Catholic Archbishop with a $1 million retirement home, corporations that pay no taxes, the Queen of England’s wealth, Beijing fog and Paris air pollution, the Social Security buying 174,000 hollow point bullets, Inspector General saying FBI and DOJ lied about mortgage frauds, and more.

Fun time! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Two new women entered my life last night. Carol and Ginger. Actually, Carol and I have been connected for a long time.

I was at the Chart Room enjoying a drink when this woman leaned over and said…..You’re Lou, I read your blog every day. My love for her was instantaneous!

Her name was Carol.

she has been reading this blog for years. Carol is a snow bird. She has been in Key West this year since January.

Carol is from New Hampshire. A retired State employee.

Carol introduced me to her lady friend Ginger. Ginger like wise is a snow bird. Ginger hails from Memphis. She is retired from Fed Ex.

We chatted  a bit. I enjoyed the ladies. I look forward to running into  them again.

I was at the Chart Rom with Jenna. It was “date night.” I should be so lucky! We stopped into the Chart Rome  before heading over to the Hot Tin Roof for dinner.

Don and Chris were at the Chart Room. I wanted to say good bye to them. They return to Syracuse tomorrow. Don and I lamented on the Syracuse game thursday. I am keeping my calm. I refuse to get excited over Syracuse basketball any further this season.

Dinner at Hot Tin Roof was excellent. Sheila waited on us. I had some shataki and baked vegetables. Stayed in my diet! Except, I did drink two gins. My moral fiber was weak.

We followed dinner with tea on the porch. A peaceful setting.

Jenna and I had not seen each other in more than a month. It was catch up time.

Stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Enjoyed two glasses of water. Boomer bartending. We talked some basketball. I cannot get away from it.

Grant was shooting pool. My chef friend from Bad Boy Burrito. I told him how I was at Don’s friday night to watch  the cooking show Dives, etc. with him. Where was he? Never got the answer. Grant was a bit upset. They never ran any of the footage they took of him. Grant cannot be insulted! Guy whatever his name will be short on friends if he ever returns.

My blood pressure is out of whack. Most of my adult life, the problem has been it was too high. Now, it is too low! Like 85 over 55. No wonder I am tired periodically every day. I thought it was the steroids. Doctor now does not think so. One way or another, it will ge worked out.

My weather man credentials survived yesterday. The wind was from the south. I predicted a rain storm. With the emphasis on storm. It did not rain all day. Nor had it yet rained when I returned home at 10 last night. Did not make sense to me. I have always been correct about the south wind thing.

As I settled in bed around 11, my faith was rewarded. Bing, bang, boom! A big storm! The street in front  of my house was flooded this morning. A testament to the storm.

New York’s Senator Kristin Gillibrand was in Key West last night. The Senator is a Democrat from New York. She spoke to a group at Dan Bready’s home on Olivia Street.

I am disappointed I was not there. Democrats are rare in the Keys. The event was not well publicized as I had no knowledge of it.

In any event, welcome senator Gillibrand to Key West! She has Presidential aspirations. Perhaps some day we will have the opportunity to vote for her from Key West.

Enjoy your day!