It rained yesterday in Utica. A steady drizzle. Sometimes more. No sun. Gray all day.

There is a different greenery here. Obviously not palm trees and mangroves. Woods. Elms, maples and the like. All over the place. Thick and full. A different feeling.

I met with people. I talked with people. And took time to finish Bob Woodward’s Obama’s Generals. A definte must read.

There is no direct message intended in the book. It is a recitation of facts. What has occurred between Obama and the generals since he became President. The facts do the speaking. Beware of generals!

The last few pages were especially interesting. Petraeus comes forth for the first time as a well meaning and seriously intended general. So too was MacArthur, if you recall. Mac Arthur forgot who the commander in chief was. It appears Petraeus may be doing so also.

I had dinner with Gus last night. My friend. My buddy. A fellow attorney.

We used to meet for a drink every night after work. For years.

It was good to see him.

Sushi has hit the Utica area big time. There are now several such restaurants. We ate at the newest one last night. The site of a former Howard Johnson restaurant. It was not called Howard Johnson back then. Something else. The name escapes me.

What a beautiful place! Terrific remodeling! A major investment. Met the owner. A young Asiatic. He told us this is the second one he owns in the area.

The fish was delectable.

Gus drank. I had diet soda. We had a good time.

Let me share a bit more about Utica’s knitting mills. The major industry in this area from the early 1800s till after World War II.

My grandfather Louis, my Dad’s father, worked in the knitting mills. He immigrated to the United States from Italy in the early 1900s. He worked his way up to becoming some kind of a floor boss at the Oneita Knitting Mill on Broad Street.

He lived two blocks away on Jay Street. He bought a three story house with six apartments. One in front and one in back on each floor. Eventually his children and their families occupied the apartments. My grandparents lived in the apartment on the first floor front. My parents and I lived in the apartment on the third floor front.

My Grandfather walked to work every day. As did most of the employees at the Oneita Knitting Mill. Everyone lived in walking distance of their place of work. No one owned cars. At least not the working class.

As I said earlier, my Grandfather was some kind of floor boss. People worked under his direction. He dressed appropriately. A vested suit, shirt and tie. A hat.

At work, he would remove his suit coat and roll up his sleeves. The vest and tie remained. Sometimes the hat. He was a neat and tidy man. A proud man.

He was involved with cutting patterns.

He would take me to work with him on occasion. I had to be all of 3 or 4 years old. Hand in hand we would walk to work. Forget he was proud. I was proud!

I would sit in a corner where he worked or walk around. I can still see my Grandfather laying out large pieces of clothe on a huge table. The table had slots built into it. There were large knives. Almost the size of swords. He would first smooth the clothe with his hands. Then take these huge knives and work them through the slots cutting the material into the intended pieces.

All of his hand work then is most certainly done by machinery today.

Years later my Grandfather was old and senile. Probably in his late 80s or 90s. He was in a nursing home. He knew no one. Not his children. Not his grandson, me.

We were able to take him home for Thanksgiving dinner. He was dressed. Even then. Three piece suit and tie. Looked terrific!

He was seated appropriately at the head of the table. Silent. I was sitting to his side. I was watching him. He took his clothe napkin and spread it flat on the table. Then he started smoothing it with his hand as he had done at the Mill years before.

My Grandfather has been gone some 40 years now. Still think of him. Miss him. Love him.

There is a further recollectiomn I have of the Oneita Knitting Mill. It involves my Mother.

We were immigrant people. My grandparents born in Italy. My Mother also. Though she came to the United States early in life.

It is the late 1930s again. I am 3 or 4 years old. My Mother worked at the Mill.

This was a time of worker unrest. Unions were relatively new. There was a strike at the Mill. My Mother was working there at the time. I have a clear recollection of her being beaten by men with clubs. She tried to escape. Ran and was climbing over a fence. Some of the strike breakers caught her. They pulled her to the ground. As they were so doing, one of them pulled down her bloomers. Yesterday’s name for panties. Then walked away laughing as she lay on the ground.

The interesting part is that the owners of the Mill were children of immigrants. Everyone in America is descendant from immigrants, if you think about it. The difference was the owners’ people had immigrated earlier than mine. From the late 1700s to the mid 1800s. They were of Welsh and German extraction.

The Welsh and Germans had been here longer. They were established. They were the haves. My peope the have nots.

Now it is 80 years later. We are all assimilated. Welsh, Germans and Italians. Together with the Poles and Irish who were immigrants during or around the same era. Now it is the Bosnians, Russians, Asians and those from Muslim countries that are the immigrants. Today. Tomorrow they will all be one in the American fabric.

But oh the problems in getting to that assimilation!

Poppa is in Utica. Grandkids Robert and Ally in Key West. Miss them!

Talked with Lisa last night. She told me Robert is the botanist this week at Montessori. He waters the plants. Last week he was the copy writer. He made copies at the copy machine.

I love it that Robert and his class mates are learning all these terms in the first grade! I am impressed!

Enjoy your day!

Good morning!

I am up early. Actually I have been awake since 3. It is now just after 5.

A lovely day yesterday. The weather is typical perfect Fall weather. A chill in the air, trees turning. The sun bright.

Sun will be a rarity in a couple of months. The winters are gray. Utica is located in a valley. The Mohawk Valley of historical fame. A bank of clouds sits over the valley for 4-5 months during the winter season. No sun. Very demoralizing.

I spent the better part of the day doing some work which brought me here. Then in the evening I had dinner with my Father and his lady friend Frances. My Dad is 96. Frances 63. They have lived together about 10 years. She is good to him. And good for him.

We went to a local restaurant. The conversation was giddy. We laughed much.

My Father has slowed down in his latter years. An aortic valve problem. He cannot walk 20 feet without tiring dramatically. But sit him down and he is vibrant and animated.

We talked of him visiting Key West. It has been years since he did so. His concern is the embarassment of a wheel chair in the airports. Frances wants him to go. She would come with him, of course. I even said, as I have in the past, that I would come to Utica and accompany him both ways.

When we were leaving the restaurant, Frances drove the car up. I assisted my Father in entering the car. He had to step down a curb. He knew the curb was there. He said hold my arm. Told me how.

He effected the step off the curb. But very badly. Mumbling…..curbs bother me.

I realized at that moment he would never visit Key West again.

We talk much these days about America’s manufacturing business which has gone to other countries. The American worker no longer has a plant to go to every day. This scenerio, the export of American jobs, is considered a major contributor to our economic distress.

A similar situation occurred early in our Nation’s history. With a beneficial result to the Utica area!

The time is 1807. Thomas Jefferson is President. The new United States is being buried with cheap goods from Europe. Jefferson signed into law the Embargo Act of 1807. It basically forbad trade with foreign nations. They could not ship in nor could the United States ship out.

The mercantile business boomed. People needed clothes and underwear. Knitting mills prospered.

Utica was one of those places where the knitting mills prospered. The knitting mills of New England prospered for the same reson.

Utica’s knitting mill prosperity had some ups and downs. But it basically succeeded till after World War II when the knitting mills went south. The south provided cheaper labor and the plants were closer to where the cotton grew.

Utica’s leading citizens banded together to bring industry to Utica to replace the knitting mills. The effort was called Loom to Boom! It worked. Companies like General Electric and Chicago Pneumatic opened plants here. GE made its radios in Utica. Utica became known as the radio capital of the world!

Then came the Asiatic markets and cheap everything. Utica and the rest of the northeast lost their manufacturing plants.

Today, Utica is as the rest of the northeast. Economically depressed. It did not need the present recession to make it so. It became that way many years ago.

By the way, Jefferson’s Embargo Act of 1807 was considered a failure. The only areas that benefitted were Utica and New England and their knitting mills. Americans at the time were not happy with the Embargo Acrt. They operated ships back and forth to Europe and delivered and returned goods illegally. The result was somewhat like Prohibition. The public did not accept the law.

The Emabrgo Act of 1807 was also a contributing factor to the War of 1812. The primary reason for the war was conscription. However, underlying the war was Britan’s being upset with not being able to openly trade with the United States.

Dig deep enough and you will generally find money as a cause of conflict. Mideast oil comes to mind at the moment.

Enjoy your day!

Hello world!

I am still in Utica, New York. The foothills to the Adirondacks.

It is cold here! Well, cold to me. About 60 degrees by day. I assume low 50s by night.

The locals are warm.

My body has changed since I began living full time in Key West. The blood does thin! I feel cooler weather more. I walk around saying it is cold. Everyone looks at me strangely.

I was with my friend Peter yesterday. He was wearing a tee shirt and jeans. I had on long pants. And a shirt, sweat shirt and leather jacket.

I bought Bob Woodward’s new book Obama’s Wars to read on the plane.

The book came out last week. Read it! A frightening revelation!

When Eisenhower retired from the Presidency, he warned of the industrial military complex. Beware he said.

Things have gone beyond the makers of guns, tanks and planes. Woodward’s book suggests that we must be concerned with the military itself today.

I am only half way through the book. One thing is clear, however. The generals are toying with the President. They have their own agenda. They forget he is the ultimate boss. It is their way.

I am concerned.

I have always been with the military.

You will recall, both via this blog and my radio show, that I have commented several times regarding a professional army. The United States presently has one. They are noble warriors. Nevertheless I fear a professional army. The time can come and may come when a general or generals might seek to take power in this country.

Don’t say it cannot happen. If it can, it may. It will. Peter’s Law, Murphy’s Law or something.

Just like the banana republics of Central America and Africa.

I do not see the danger as a today thing. Although we do live in troubled times. It is something to be concerned about and on guard against.

Woodward has done the correct thing with his book. He has exposed the infection. Hopefully it will not turn into a cancer.

After such solemn comments, I still say…..enjoy your day!

Good morning!

From Utica, New York!

Utica is from whence I come. My former home. Always home in my heart. Even though now I am proud to call Key West home.

The plane trip yesterday was uneventful. Seemed long. Probably because I was tired from lack of sleep.

Lisa picked me up before 7 in the morning to drive me to the airport. It was still dark outside. Robert and Ally were hiding in the back of the van. All of a sudden they jumped out and yelled…..surprise!

A joy!

I left Key West at 8. It was 80 degrees. I arrived in Atlanta at 10. It was 55 degrees.

I was dressed for it however. Even a leather jacket which I needed!

People look different once you get away from the sunny keys. Pale. Brow lines. Appear unhappy. Smile less.

It is fall in upstate New York. The trees have started to change. They are about 25 per cent into the process. The colors are not bright yet. Dull. In a week they will be blazing red and yellow.

I feel the chill here. Sixty degrees. People are into using heat. Good!

I visited with my 96 year old father last night. He is in better shape than all of us! We watched the Yankee game together. He is a die hard fan. I am not into baseball. I got a Yankee education last night. How they have lost 6 out of their last 7 games, are tied for first place, only a handful of games left.

I caught the last few minutes of the Wisconsin football game before I left for Dad’s. Wisconsin was playing Michigan or Michigan State. Both were undefeated at 4-0. Wisconsin lost by 10 points.

I felt bad for friend John at Hot Tin Roof. A Wisconsin grad and die hard fan. Not their year, John! Wisconsin will end up with a good season and go to a decent bowl. But #1 remains elusive!

I was in bed around 10 and slept the sleep of the dead till 6 this morning. I needed it!

One of the blog readers from another country e mailed me. Said…..carpe diem!

I had never heard the term before. Did not know what it meant. So I googled it.

Carpe diem is Latin for seize the day. Horace used the term in a poem. Horace was saying the future is unknowable. There may not be one. Life is sudden. So…..drink the wine today!

Good show, Horace! A wise admonition, if one thinks about it. Unfortunately most of us do not live that way. It is always tomorrow…..when tomorrow may not be.

Two former big time stars recently died. Tony Curtis and Eddie Fisher. Sad. Both talents in their own right.

I always enjoyed Tony Curtis. He was a flexible actor. Played many rolls.

Eddie Fisher was a terrific singer in my earlier days. He sang primarily love ballads. He married Debbie Reynolds. She was young and beautiful. America loved Debbie Reynolds! America loved the marriage!

Then Eddie Fisher did the unforgivable. He fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor! Divorced Debbie for Elizabeth.

America hated Edddie Fisher for it! His fame and acceptance dropped like a lead ball off a building. He never was held in high esteem again. He never enjoyed the same success as a singer again.

I have house guests back in Key West. Donna and Terri. They arrived after I left yesterday morning. To both I say welcome. And please take out the garbage tommorrow. I forgot to do it.

Enjoy your day!

THIS IS SATURDAY’S BLOG. I AM DOING IT LATE FRIDAY EVENING SINCE I HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY IN THE MORNING TO CATCH A PLANE TO NEW YORK STATE.

Great radio show yesterday morning! Really this morning!

Terrific topics!

The most feed back after the show concerned the segment on mortgage foreclosures.

I touched on J. P. Morgan Chase’s announcement yeaterday that it was putting a temporary freeze on foreclosure matters. Apparently the bank is concerned with flawed paperwork at its end.

I also commented on the recent article in the Sun Sentinel advising Florida Congressman Alan Grayson had asked the Florida Supreme Court to look into the activities of certain law firms that were representing banks in foreclosure actions.

I finished the segment with comment regarding what I perceive as a misuse of federal stimulus funds by the State of Florida. The Florida legislature has taken a chunk of the monies and given it to the Court System. The purpose is to assist the Court System in resolving the large number of pending mortgage foreclosure cases. The claim is the cases are backlogging the courts.

My thought is the stimulus dollars are being used to assist Wall Street over Main Sgtreet once again. The banks and courts are suddenly moving expeditiously to clear the court calendars of these cases. All to the detriment of taxpayers, many whom will be evicted from their homes.

The blockbuster to all of this is the announcement this afternoon by Bank of America that it was tempoarily putting a halt to its foreclosure proceedings in 23 states. To examine the paperwork involved at the bank’s end which some feel might be a bit shoddy. A bank employee recently testified at a deposition that she signed affidavits in some 8,000 foreclosure matters indicating that she had examined certain documents involved in the foreclosures. She had not. She said there were just too many foreclosures.

There seems to be a snowlballing effect to alleged bank errors and misdeeds.

I lunched alone at Hogfish. Sat in the shade by the water. Read the newspapers.

Later packed for my trip.

My farewell evening in Key West had for its first stop the Chart Room. Where else!

Michael bartending. Chatted with the patrons.

Then it was off to the Hot Tin Roof for dinner.

Manager John was all excited! His alma mater Wisconsin is 4-0. Ranked 9 and 10 in the polls.

Wisconsin plays Ohio State in 3 weeks. John assumes both teams will be 6-0 going into the game. And, of course, he expects Wisconsin will win! This is their year! So John says!

Stopped at Don’s Place on the way home. Relatively quiet. Erica and Herschel there. My bocce team mates!

Erica has a new hair do! She is a red head! Said she had it done today. She looked terrific!

Kurt was bartending. He surprised me. When I told him I was traveling to Utica tomorrow, he told me he had worked there 10 years ago. He knew the motels, restaurants, the old Chicago Pneumatic and the Turning Stone Casino. What a small world!

I leave tomorrow morning for Utica. Donna and Terri arrive tomorrow morning for a 3 week visit. My house guests, of course! Love to have them here! Sorry I will not be with them the first week of their stay.

I will write the next blog Sunday morning. From Utica! In the center of New York State.

Weather conditions are around 60 degrees. Means socks, long pants, real shoes and a jacket.

I miss Key West already!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Good morning!

Welcome to Friday!

And my radio show! The Key West Lou Legal Hour!

10 am this morning. Available for listening on the radio. From Key Largo to Havana, Cuba. KONK 1500 AM. Everywhere else world wide, on the intertnet http://www.konkam/, where you can see as well as hear.

A good show today! Intertesting topics! Like a Senegal court that recently forbade children from being used as beggars, the saga of Albert Greenwood Brown on death row, the case of the cell phone secreted in the villan’s butt, Ohio weird dumb laws, a walk back in history with Harry Truman and a letter to his daughter Margaret, some odd ball things about Indonesia and how it treats its women, a Muslim offering you his left hand, a look at mortgage foreclosure lawusits, the weird dumb lawsuit of the week, Russia and neo Nazis, a Rutgers freshman jumps off the George Washington bridge, stimulus dollars from Eisenhower to Obama, and an Arizona update.

A full program. Much to talk about.

I am glad Nicole was fickle and decided not to visit Key West. From the looks of Washington, DC and New York this morning, Key West would have been flooded. Boat time on the island. Not in the water.

Key West has had more than its fair share of hurricanes and tropical storms over the past 10 years. It is good to finally be ignorred.

I started ysterday with a haircut. Lori! At Blown Away! A nice girl. Lovely. Always cheerful.

Then I hurried home. I had not completed preparations for today’s radio show. I was only half way there. Worked till almost 3 when I had a dentist appoinment.

My dentist is Dr. George Lindner. A nice guy. Great staff.

I had lost half a cap. The diet! I am supposed to eat nuts. I did. Cracked a cap.

Easy to fix. No big deal. Just time consuming. I had no time yesterday. The radio show preparation was not complete.

I hurried home after the dentist to work on the show some more. I had decisions to make. Bocce was last night. It was Lisa’s birthday. Bocce lost.

I telephoned Don and told him I would be a no show for bocce. Completed my work on today’s radio show.

Then hurried out to celebrate Lisa’s birthday. We did it big time! At the rib place on the boulevard behind Checkers.

I colored with Ally. We played tick, tac, toe. Tied. She is getting good!

Then they went to their home and my mine. I had more on my plate before bed.

My supplemental insurance and drug program had been cancelled this week. Just found out yesterday. So I needed to get some coverages. Opted to try AARP programs.

Six telephone calls and 4 1/2 hours later, I had the drug coverage. After the radio show today, I will work on the doctor part.

Nothing is simple in this world today. All 800 and 888 numbers. No one person knowing everything. Time wasted waiting for a body to pick up at the other end. I think I ended up in India. My last and best person to deal with was named Pim.

I leave for New York tomorrow morning for a week. Actually, Utica in upstate New York. My hometown. I will be writing from Utica starting Sunday morning. I hope to do my radio show next Friday from there also.

Enjoy your day! Try to listen to the radio show at 10 this morning!

Nicole never made it!

She stood Key West up!

Fortunately!

I was so certain tropical storm Nicole was going to hit Key West yesterday. The weather reports made it a certainty.

I told you in yesterdy’s blog it was coming.

It never came!

Nicole entered the keys around Marathon. Marathon is 45 miles north of Key West. Key Largo was flooded big time. Miami and north had large amounts of water and flooding.

Key West, nothing.

I said I was not going to play golf because of the rain. Don telephoned. We are going to try to play. Ok.

I went to the golf course. Gray. Don, Rob, Kurt, Larry and Aaron there. I ended up playing in a two some with Aaron.

It sprinkled a bit on the first hole. I put on my rain gear.

On the second tee, the sun came out. And never went away. It was a glorious day! A bit windy. Kept things comfortable.

There was no one on the course except us. Larry and I played 18 holes in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Dinner last night was at the Yacht Club. I entertained Don, Kurt, Larry and Aaron. We had a good time! Joked and laughed all through dinner. These are some of the best guys in the world!

Afterwards we went over to the Bottle Cap to see Larry’s internet radio variety show live.

Permit me to digress for a moment.

Key West has some of the best and most talented musicians and musial venues in the world. Among them, Bobby Nesbitt, Howard Livingston, Larry Smith and the Keys Piano Bar.

In my walk around Truman Annex a few days ago, I ran into Bobby Nesbitt. He had just returned from some cruise gigs and European travels. We chatted a bit. He was to begin his Wednesday night thing at Aqua last night. I was excited. His singing touches the heart. Makes one happy.

I did not make it to Aqua last night unfortunately. I worked on Friday’s radio show and then rushed to dinner at the Yacht Club.

Tonight Bobby is playing at cocktail time at Kate Miano’s Gardens. A great setting for a great performer! Catch him, if you can. I cannot. I will miss him again. Bocce. Life is all about priorities!

Howard Livingston is just big time! No other way to describe him. Obviously talented. His new Direct TV show into 34 million homes validates my admiration of his talents.

Larry is one of Key West’s premier musicians. Perhaps numero uno. A technician. A craftsman. Between his Wine Galley shows and now the radio internet show, he is a major contributor to the Key West musical scene.

I loved the Keys Piano Bar. Notice the past tense. It will be no more. The Keys Piano Bar closed for six weeks. Now it has been announced it will not reopen. Sad. I enjoyed the New York piano bar music it provided Key West.

Things may be changing. It may be that a bar or night club is no longer the primary venue for musical offerings. I sense a transition. I believe Howard and Larry have tapped into the new mode for enjoying visual music. Internet sourced.

Economics may have a lot to do with it. It is cheaper to sit home and sip your own vino and watch internet produced music. Bar tabs have gotten increasingly larger in recent years.

Larry’s variety show last night was terrific! The best yet! Each show is increasingly better.

Jenna was lovely and perfect as Larry’s co-host. The cast excellent. Gee Gee, Alex, Doc Covan, Petra and Peter Diamond all did their thing perfectly.

The show is experiencing some techincal difficulties. Professional though it may be, there are always bumps in the road. Last night it was the cameras. They were not getting the show to stream onto the internet for a while. Larry, worry not. Everything in due course.

I watched the show with Don and Kurt. Somewhere along the way, we lost Don. I turned around for a second and when I turned my head again, he was gone.

Bocce tonight.

And, oh I almost forgot! Today is Lisa’s birthday. Happy birthday Lisa! I love you!

Lest you think poorly of me, I already telephoned her about 6 this morning to wish her a happy birthday.

Enjoy your day!

Key West is getting a visitor today. Her name is Nicole.

Her entourage has already started arriving.

Nicole will be better known before the day ends as Tropical Storm Nicole.

It is still dark outside.

I can hear the wind. It will get stronger. 25-35 miles per hour. Gusts projected at 40 miles per hour. Not bad.

I can hear the water. The waves have to be pretty good. Probably small white caps. By later in the day, they will get bigger. No time to be out on a boat. No one will be out on a boat.

Rain today is projected at 100 per cent. To be believed. How much seems a question. Projections are anywhere from 1 inch to 1 foot.

Nicole is a tropical depression. A step below a hurricane. Not necessarily dangerous.More of a pain. A lot of wind and rain. The problem is these storms at this time of the year are unpredicatable. A tropical storm can easily turn into a hurricane.

I am not a weather expert. The little I know is that these tropical storms are caused by a tropical depression. Whatever that is. I know the term, but not the meaning. What I do comprehend is that the waters this time of the year are extremely warm. Even faucet drinking water is warm. Hot water is not required to shower. The warm water is sucked up into the atmosphere and causes/contributes to these storms.

Nicole is coming to us from the northwest Carribean. Another oddity. Hurricanes generally initiate off the coast of Africa and travel this way. Nicole started in the immediate south compared to an African bred hurricane. Ergo it is coming upon us swifter that an African storm. There is less distance to travel.

All in all, Nicole should not be a big deal. Just 24-36 hours of big rain and wind. However, you never know!

Many consider the hurricane of 1935 the worst ever to hit the keys. It was not. The hurricane of 1846 was. And…..it came from the Carribean to the south! At relatively the same time of the year as now. October 5, 1846.

The winds were horrendous! Homes and buldings were generally of wood. Some stone. Neither built to withstand such force. One survivor reported that “…the air was full of boards, timber, slate…buildings falling in every direction.” Another “…the air was filled with missles-the slates were driven with deathlike celerity, giving dreadful wounds.”

There was a surge. The next day. The ocean covered the island. There was no escape. As low as 5 feet. As high in some parts as 7.5 feet.

Worry not. Our trials and tribulations, if any, over the next 24 hours will not compare.

Golf this morning. I will not be playing. It will rain heavy at some point. The winds will pick up. The game will be no fun.

I walked yesterday. At Truman Annex. A touch of difference. The area was developed roughly 15 years ago. Lovely white homes. Picket fences. Well foliaged. Quiet. Nary a person on the streets.

I had to return to Publix. I am eating up my supply of food rapidly on this diet. Needed more veggies and fruit. I bought a piece of salmon which I had for lunch. Delicious!

Dinner last night was with Lisa and the family. Lisa has been a vegetarian for years so I had no worry about eating. Her meals are the family’s meals.

Robert and Ally showed off a bit. Their golf putting prowess. On the living room carpet. I continue to be impressed!

At one point Ally was absorbed in a magazine. It was a catalog for halloween costumes. They were terrific! So were the prices! Roughly $50 to $60 each. I told Lisa and Corey to go to K-Mart. They agreed.

I was listening to the radio in the afternoon. Howard Livingston was guesting on KONK radio. He has signed to do a televison show beginning November 4. A one hour show to be aired 3 times per week. On Direct TV. Channel 354.

It will reach 34 million homes!

God bless, Howard! You deserve it!

I plan on spending the day finalizing friday’s radio show and writing a bit. Hope the power stays on!

Enjoy your day!

I wrote yesterday that it was a gray morning and looked like rain. I was wrong. An hour after I wrote that statement the sun came out! Big time! It was a glorious day!

Rainy days are rare in Key West. Generally only a five minute shower here and there. However, this past August and September seems to have had more rain than normal.

I had some paperwork to do. Some business. Some writing. I opted to do it ouside. Put on a bathing suit and took my laptop with me. Sat at the bar beneath the tiki hut. Whenever it got too warm, I walked over to the pool and jumped in for a few minutes.

That is how I spent my day. Not bad.

Part of the writing was in preparation for friday’s radio show.

It is amazing the world wide following the show has developed. Via the internet, of course. The internet in and off itself amazes me. People watch and listen to me from Indonesia, India, South Africa, France. Italy and England, for example.

One of the persons watching and listening from South Africa is Rita. Rita lives in Calitzdorp. Calitzdorp is the port wine capital of South Africa. Its soil and weather are conducive to the port grape.

Rita and her family own and operate a restaurant. In the middle of Calitzdorp. Not a small one. Meals are served in three areas. On a spacious front porch, inside a large rom with a fireplace and outside in a garden. Two hundred patrons a day for lunch and 200 more for dinner. Not a small operation by any description!

Lunch ends around 3. Dinner begins at 6.

My 10 am radio show from Key West is aired at 4 pm in Calitzdorp.

Fifteen to 30 people listen to the radio show. Rita has the voice piped over the loudspeaker system. Some come intentionally to listen. Others just happen to be there.

Wild!

I stayed in last night. And cooked!

I am on a diet again. This one more healthy I believe.

I was watching former President Clinton on TV last week. He lost weight for his daughter’s wedding and now continues to eat a healthy life style. He has become a vegetarian. It is called the Mediterranean/planters diet. Fruits, vegetables and nuts.

I am into cooking! I call it cooking. It really is not a big deal. But more that I have been accustomed to doing.

Last night it was egg whites, fresh broccoli and low fat shredded cheese in the frying pan with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. It tasted terrific!

I blame my doctor for having to diet again. She said I am periodically unhappy because I have given up all the crutches in life. Alcohol, smoking, sex (not my idea!) and eating. I cannot drink or smoke because of my heart. Sex is not that easy to come by. So I ate! Big Time! Went on a food binge!

I even walked more yesterday. Two times. Around the house. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

Enjoy your day!

Overcast this morning. Rained during the night. Looks like it may rain more this morning.

Even gray, everything looks good! Sky, water, palm trees, mangroves, house across the way.

My Sunday morning yesterday started with Meet the Press and the Chris Matthews Show.

Boring.

I am getting sick of the Democratic/Republican diatribe. Same thing week after week lately.

I walked. Downtown Key West. Duval Street. From the Atlantic to the Gulf and back. Took all of 40 minutes.

It was quiet. Except for Poker Run and the bikers, September is a dead month in Key West. Actually it is a good time to visit. No crowds. Many restaurants at half price. Hotels with cheaper rates.

The ambviance remains the same, however. A good time can be had by all!

After my walk, I headed to the Coffee House. It was time for the New York Times!

I am a born reader. Especially in retirement. When I worked, I had little time to read to the degree that I do now. Actually had no time. It was law, law, law. As it was supposed to be. This is another time and different activity.

Then to Lee Nails. To see Tammy and get a manicure. Tammy and her huband bought Lee Nails about a year ago. Tammy is 28. Her husband a bit older. Even her mother in law works in the business. The mother in law is 38. Tammy and her husband have 2 children. They are hard workers. An example is that they decided a few months ago to open on Sundays. A smart move! The place was busy yesterday.

I had intended to go to Don’s Place. Sunday afternoons are fun during pro football season. But I had my druthers. I preferred watching the final round of the Fed Ex golf tournament. So I went home.

Good golf! Even without Tiger. Jim Furyk did himself proud. Walked away with a total of $11 million!

This coming week is big time in the golf world. The Ryder Cup. In Wales. The best of the best playing!

Dinner was with the family at Lisa’s. Robert and Ally dominate the house. It is always an experience being with them.

Montessori is having a race next Saturday to raise money. One of the festivities is a one half mile race for kids. Robert is going to run in the race. He has been training in his physicval eduction class at Montessori for it. There will be a pasta dinner Friday night for the runners and whoever else wishes to attend. Robert is going to feel like a big deal! At the same time that he is being introduced to a new and healthy life activity.

Enjoy your day!