Good morning friends!

Actually it is the middle of the night. About 2 in the morning. Woke and decided to write.

I am still in upstate New York. Brutally hot. Not hot like Key West. Different. The air is heavy. Difficult to breath. No one stays out doors. Air conditioning is the requirement of the day.

Better than snow, however. The cold here in the winter time is worse. I miss it not since I moved to Key West.

Yesterday was my 75th birthday. It seems like I have been celebrating and mentioning it for the past week. I promise to say it no more after today.

I had a good 75th! Spent it with my 96 year old father yesterday afternoon and evening.

The older I get, the more we seem to have in common. Especially the aches and pains!

Dad, his friend Frances and I had dinner together last night at a local restaurant. A good time! A terrific time! One of the best birthdays I ever celebrated!

We talked and laughed the whole evening. He is sharp for his age. Mind good. Body wearinmg down unfortunately.

I ate badly. For some reason, I was unusually famished. I devoured a whole 18 ounce rib eye. For shame.

My father and I shared a cannoli for dessert. An unusually large one. About 8 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. A cannoli is an Italian pastry. A thin cylinder crispy crust filled with sweetened ricotta, an Italian cheese. It was covered in chocolate syrup.

We devoured it like two kids!

I think the dinner is why I am awake at 2 this morning. Acid indigestion!

It was worth it!

Modern science is wonderful. Lisa sent me a video of Robert and Ally screaming and singing Happy Birthday! over her cell phone to mine. It came in the middle of dinner. My father was thrilled with it! As I! Lisa is the best!

Things like this blog and Facebook also make it possible for us to expand our friendship base and communicate. I received over 200 Happy Birthday messages from around the globe. Wild! Thank you all!

I had assumed in retirement people would forget me. I would just fade quietly into the sunset. It has not been that way. My relationship base has expanded dramatically. Interesting.

Enjoy your day!

My bag finally arrived. My cell phone started working on its own again. All is well!

Today is special. My birthday. A big one. 75!

Wow!

My Father is 96. Will I?

It is amazing the distance this blog travels. Yesterday I received two comments regarding my lost bag and cell phone. One was from Jim Brown who lives on Crete in Greece. The other from Rita Botha who lives in Capetown, South Africa.

Marty wrote last night. He and Tom were partying late in the Key West in the Chart Room. About 10 o’clock. Che and Michael were with them.

In came two lovely women from Massachusetts. Where was Lou? Key West Lou? One of their moms back in Massachusets reads the blog every day. The ladies were there to meet Lou.

Instead they met some Chart Room regulars and visiting Tom. I could say poor ladies. But I cannot. Marty, Che and the rest are all good guys. I am sure a fun time was had by all.

Marty says the ladies will be returning tonight.

May everyone enjoy another Key West evening!

It is amazing the things we learn!

I was watching Moby Dick last night. The classic starring Gregory Peck.

Starbuck was Ahab’s first mate. Starbuck was from Nantucket. He was against Ahab’s destructive pursuit of the whale.

Turns out the owners of Starbuck named their coffee business after Moby Dick’s Starbuck. Originally they wanted to name the business after Ahab’s boat the Peguod. However after some wrangling decided the name was a bit strange.

And so Starbuck it was!

What will this day bring? How will my 75th birthday play out? We shall see.

Enjoy your day!

I’m having fun. Not really.

My plane got into Syracuse late last night. I made it. My bag did not. A big Delta jet and I was the only one not to get his bag. It is after 12 noon today and I am still waiting.

My cell phone works this morning in every respect, except one. I cannot receive calls. People who call get a busy signal. And no message to me that someone has called.

I went to the AT&T store here in Utica. Spent 1 1/2 hours there. Every one very solicitous. They do not understand the problem. So…..I was told I have to go 50 miles to Syracuse for a remedy. To Apple. It is the nearest Apple store. Why? I bought the phone from AT&T. It is only 4 months old. It is one of those sexy 3G things. Does everything. I was told because my contract with AT&T provides that Apple is responsible. No one told me that when I purchased the phone.

Wow!

I bought the phone in Key West. Is there an Apple store in Key West? Or do we have to go 155 miles to Miami for service?

What a screw job!

Go buy some one else’s phone!

Other than those two events, the trip back was ok. Uneventful. Not that many people traveling on Sunday of the holiday weekend.

The gender equality parade was yesterday in Key West. Because of my trip, I did not see it. However, Marty and many other people did. Marty reported to me.

Only about 8 women showed up with bare breasts to march. Each had their nipples covered. One was arrested. But not for bare breasts. There apparently was an outstanding warrant against her.

I am disappointed that the women covered their nipples. Not for viewing reasons. This was a nationally hearlded female bare breasted demonstration to support a woman’s constitutional right to go bare breasted. If a man could do it, so could a woman. It is called gender equality. NOW supported these ladies.

Local Key West law provides the nipple area has to be covered.

The ladies apparently opted to back off from the issue. They had been publically clamoring for weeks of their constutional right. When push came to shove, they did not put their nipples where their mouths were.

All to avoid arrest.

The blacks in the 1960s faced confrontation when they marched in support of civil rights. Worse confrontation. Not just arrest, but also water hoses, beatings and slurs.

You cannot stand for an ideal or right unless you are willing to go the route for it. These ladies backed off. For shame!

The weather here in Utica is delightful. Just like Key West. Warm and humid.

I have to deal with the phone issue. Rest assured I am not going to Syracuse. I plan on seeing my Father. And I don’t know what else.

Enjoy your day!

A Happy Fourth to one and all!

Remember what it means! With all that is going on in our contry today, I have concern.

My morning started with a smile. A telephone call from Robert and Ally. Happy 4th of July Poppa! Lisa said they ran into her bedroom this morning with the same greeting. The good things they learn in school!

I received another Happy Fourth greeting on Facebook. From my friend Jim Brown. Jim is a Scot living on the island Crete in Greece. Thank you Jim for remembering.

A freedom confrontation of sorts is going to take place later this morning in Key West. The police announced yesterday that they will be arresting the women who will be marching at 11 on Duval with their breasts exposed. It is a gender equality issue. The police will first warn them to cover. If they fail to do so, they will be arrested.

I researched the issue for my radio show The Key West Lou Legal Hour. Did a whole segment on it 2 weeks ago.

Florida has a state statute which lists body organs which may not be publically displayed. Female breasts are not listed.

Key West has a statute which requires female breasts to be covered from the tip of the nipple back. I did not write the law. Some very precise person did. I understand the law was written as a result of female bare breasting during Fantasy Fest.

There is an obvious conflict between state and local law. I suspect in the end that state law will prevail.

There is another legal issue. A Constitutional one.

If men can go bare breasted, why can’t women. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander. It is called equal rights.

Key West will be in the evening news. A constitutional confrontation is in the making.

This local march by the women today is supported by NOW. This demonstration has national backing. I susupect the issue will be prominent as it runs its course through the courts.

It is another gorgious day outside. A good day to walk around bare breasted!

I had dinner with Lisa and the family last night. Lisa says Robert and Ally are going crazy over golf. They especially love the real golf balls I gave them the other day. She says Robert is really into it. He is getting the language down. Par, birdie, eagle, etc. And only 6 years old!

After dinner, I headed over to Louie’s Backyard. Marty had called to tell me he and Tom were there.

Louie’s has one of the best views in Key West. It sits over the wide Atlantic.

Next door to Louie’s is Dog beach. A small beautiful beach. It is so called because it is for dogs. People bring their dogs. The dogs run around, sun bathe and swim with their owners.

And poop all over the place! Humans must walk the beach with care.

Only in Key West!

I had a couple of drinks with Marty and Tom. And some good laughs.

We were talking real estate. Marty told us Jimmy Buffett used to live next door to Louie’s. I told him I looked at the same house 20 years ago to buy. It was only $70,000 at the time. Today, even in this depressed market, you could not touch it for $1 million!

Then it was home to bed for me. Marty and Tom left for dinner somewhere.

I leave for Utica, New York later today. You will hear from me tomorrow from the foothills of the Adirondacks.

Enjoy your day!

The rainy season must be moving in. It rains in the summer once a day. Around 1 in the afternoon. For about 5 minutes.

I was having lunch yesterday at Hogfish. Fried calamari. It was a few minutes before 1. It poured! Just like that! Buckets of rain. Heavy. Five minutes later it was all over.

On my way into town last night, I stopped at Lisa’s to visit the family.

They had had take out chinese for dinner. Egg foo young and ribs left. I sampled a bit. Just a little as I had plans for dinner.

Robert and Ally were practising putting. They are into golf big time since they took four hours of lessons at the golf course.

They were down to one plastic golf ball. No good, I thought. So I took them out to the car. I had 2 for real golf balls on the front seat. I gave them each one.

Excited! Wow! And they could keep them!

I anticipate a broken window shortly.

Many friends at the Chart Room last night. Marty is back. He brought a buddy Tom with him. Tom is a retired trial attorney from the Fort Lauderdale area. Che was there. And Sean and Katherine. All good people. I received a warm Happy Birthday! from all.

Marty, Tom and I headed over to La Trattoria for dinner.

Erin was bartending. I had seen her at Outback with some girl friends the night before. I told her she looked like a school girl at Outback. I observed she was wearing no make up when I saw her. She said I was right. And smiled. She will probably go without make up from now on.

Becha. Lovely Becha. She came over and hugged me and kissed me. I whispered in her ear as she held me…..marry me and run away with me. She walked away mumbling and laughing. Probably saying to herself…..this old nut!

It was the start of the 4th of July weekend last night. Key West was filling up. La Trattoria was packed.

Going to be a big weekend.

Enjoy your day!

What a beautiful morning!

Everyday is glorious in Key West!

The whole world should live here!

The sun is shining already this morning.

Across the water from me is the MTV house of 3 years ago. You know. That TV show that annually tracks the living style for a week or so of young people living in some exotic place. Three years ago it was Key West.

My neighbor rented his home to MTV for 3 months for outrageous money. It took 3 months to prep the house for the show and finally run the show.

A group of young people arrived. Lived in the home for a month.

I never heard nor saw them except on two occasions. Both involved the show participants diving off the dock into the ocean during day time hours. Whatever occurred for show purposes happened inside and late at night or in town. Times when I was sound asleep.

The house is bright yellow on the outside. Trimmed in pink and a pastel blue. When the sun is upon it, as it is now, the place is a knockout! Great on the eyes! A sight everyone should behold.

I have that view every morning.

Lunch yesterday was at Harpoon Harry’s. A locals place. An old time diner sitting in a large store front.

Management and staff are friendly. The food good. Portions large. It was a late breakfast for me. Ham, eggs and whole wheat toast.

Afterwards, I took a walk over to the watrerfront. All of one block away. To the Turtle Museum. Glanced around a bit.

I was into turtles yesterday for two reasons.

First, Ally discovered turtle eggs in the sand at Fort Zach beach Sunday. She was all excited! This is nesting season.

Yesterday, the local paper reported a turtle crisis because of the oil spill. 70,000 eggs are in danger because of the Gulf oil spill. The eggs already dropped into the sand on beaches and awaiting hatching. The turtle egg period is about 60 days.

I am referring to the eggs in the Louisiana, Alabama and Northern Florida areas. Areas already devestated by the oil.

A plan is underway to carefully recover the eggs, place them in a lab somewhere in northern Florida and have them hatch thusly. Thereafter, they will be returned to an appropriate beach and allowed to walk as nature intended into the ocean.

It is an attempt to save a species. If it fails, there will be turtles no more in the Gulf area.

Last night I was at Outback for dinner. Salmon and fresh steamed vegetables. Healthy. What a good boy am I!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday…..one of the best days of my life!

Two big events!

A great round of golf. First in many years.

Then my 75th birthday party with Lisa and the family.

I have never hit the ball better than yesterday! Pared 3 par 4s. Birdied one par 3. I am lucky to get one par every 3 months!

Unfortunately, I coupled those great holes with four 9s, one 8 and one 7. Consistency is next on the agenda.

I hit the ball straighter and longer than in some time. My putting was outstanding. Dropped every one I should. Deadly from 5 feet.

I played with Kurt, Don and Larry. All superior golfers.

Kurt shot 81, Larry 87 and Don 91. Don had a bad day. I shot 103. Not bad for me. I am usually around 115-125. If I can avoid those 9s, I will finally break 100.

Kurt and I tied as big money winners. $22 each! Winners buy afterwards. Drinks cost us $19.50 each. So I netted all of $2.50. I did not care! Joy was in my heart! I was excited!

Tuesday I will be 75 years old. Wow! Since I will not be in Key West then, Lisa decided to celebrate my birthday last night.

We had a terrific meal. And a special chocolate cake was baked for me. Robert and Ally helped with the white frosting.

I walked into the house before dinner and the grandkids were all over me shouting Happy Birthday Poppa! They helped me blow out the candles. No, not 75. Twelve. Ally always insists on removing the candles afterwards. She licks the frosting off the bottom of them.

I ate too much. Includinjg two large pieces of cake. Two pounds extra on the scale this morning!

In between golf and the birthday dinner, I went to Borders. Continued reading Kitty Kelley’s Oprah. Started falling asleep again as the time before. I could not understand. I was not tired when I arrived at the book store.

I put Oprah down. Selected another book. Read it with no problem for a half hour. Then returned to Oprah. Same problem. I was soon very tired. Eyes narrowing. Getting heavier and heavier.

I have decided it is the book. Sounds strange. I am a big reader. Read everything. Have never had this experience before. I think Oprah is written in such a fashion to put its readers to sleep. Or maybe it is just plain boring. It befuddles me.

I am done with the book. I do not plan on returning to it. No pleasure in reading it.

I blame not Oprah. She had nothing to do with the book. It has to be Kelley’s style in writing the book. Whatever. It is no fun fun to read and will not be completed by me.

Today is a sorrowful day for Key West. Julie and Jim Nevius are leaving Key West for their home in New Orleans. A great couple. Jules was my bocce partner for 4 years. They will be missed.

I wish them well in New Orleans. They plan on buying a bar. Don’s Place type. We will all have place to visit in New Orleans!

Enjoy your day!

Good morning world!

It is still dark outside. I got up earlier than normal this morning.

Humid. More so every day. It is that time.

Yesterday started with a walk. I decided to walk Duval. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and back. Do not be impressed. It is only 20 minutes at a fast clip each way. I jazzed the trip up with ventures onto some of the side streets.

One thing was obvious. Key West has more ice cream stores this year than last. I counted 6. Last year and for many years prior, there were only 2.

Two of the stores sell only gelato, the Italian ice cream.

Some of the new stores are large and in high rent areas. Around $10,000 per month and more. Have to sell a lot of ice cream to pay that kind of rent!

Then it was to the Coffee House. No coffee for me, however. I needed water to cool my body down. Read the newspapers.

I had lunch with Lisa at her home. She goes home for lunch every day. Nice and quiet. No grandkids. Sometime that type solitude is required.

Borders was next on my list. I am reading the new Oprah biography by Kitty Kelley. Unauthorized. No cooperation involved.

So far I am unimpressed.

I have read two of Kelley’s previous works. Nancy Reagan and Frank Sinatra. Reagan I thought was terrific. Sinatra only so so.

I had a first time experience at Borders. I fell asleep. Sitting in one of those black chairs. While reading Oprah. Slept for about an hour. Head down. Book in lap.

Who is this drunk people probably thought!

No one bothered me. I am a fixture at Borders. Customers think I work there. They ask me directions. The staff treat me like one of the family. Maybe I should move in!

Dinner was at Hogfish alone. Picked up some local weeklies to read.

My dinner was unique!

I am still on a good health kick. Watching my food. Dieting a bit. Needed protein. Wanted to stay away from fried foods.

Hogfish had a fajita special. Chicken and shrimp. Good protein.

I rarely eat fajitas. Last night was the first time I ever ordered one out. Usually I will eat them at Lisa’s.

I ordered the fajita special.

One of the best meals I have ever eaten. What taste!

My Cuban waitress could tell how much I was enjoying the meal. She joked about having prepared it herself for me.

Golf this morning. Good! I have not played in two weeks. Miss it. Love to play. Competence has nothing to do with desire!

Tuesday July 6 is my birthday. I shall be 75. Wow!

I neither feel it nor think I look it. Vanity! The years have been good to me appearance wise. I do tire more easily. Forget why I walk in a room on occasion. Take a lot of pills daily. All part of the aging scenerio. Appearance a different item, however.

James Cagney was a movie star of old. Yankee Doodle Dandy was one of his more memorable flicks. Back in the 1930s he did a gangster movie. He played the bad guy. He had a line…..Live fast, die young and have a good looking corpse!

I have not lived fast. That is why the body is still in good shape. I obviously have not died young. Will I have a good looking corpse? Who cares!

I will be in Utica next tuesday. I am leaving saturday for a week.

So we are celebrating my 75th birthday tonight at Lisa’s. Lisa, Corey, Robert, Ally and me. Dinner, cake and the works! It will be fun! I do not plan on dieting.

Because of the trip to Utica, my radio show this friday and next will not be live. Tapes of previous shows will be rerun. Still listen in. The news and stories remain interesting and exciting, though a week or two old.

I do not know which tapes the station will be running.

This blog will run new every morning, however. The tale of my upstate New York exploits.

Enjoy your day!

A weather man I apparently am not!

I predicted rain yesterday. It did not rain.

Defensively, I might add that my rain prediction was based on the wind blowing from the south. Yesterday morning as I wrote the blog, it was. Then turned around. Noon it switched and came in from the east.

Oh, well.

Syracuse Universtity’s basketball team this past year was the best ever. We may have had more talent on certain teams in the past. And cetain teams did make it to the Final Four. However, this past year’s team had talent, played together and had it all going for them. Most of the time.

A star of this year’s team was Wesley Johnson. He only stayed 2 years at Syracuse. On the bench one year as a transfer. Then played last year. What a player! The star! High scorer!

No more will he be at Syracuse.

He was drafted by Minnesota. # 4 pick overall. Big time! Millions of dollars to sign.

I am happy for him. He is economically sound at a young age. Don’t blame him for going pro for the money.

But…..I think it is wrong for college students to be drafted before they finish school. True, some can’t finish academically. Whatever, there should be some rule that forces them to stay in school 4 years. Life is long. Money gets dissipated. Especially without knowledge or experience as to how to handle it.

Key West has a flagship. The Schooner Western Union. 130 feet long.

The vessel was first launched 71 years ago in Key West. Near where the Pier House sits today.

The boat has history. Laid the first telegraph cable from Key West to Cuba. And later did similar work between Florida and Latin American countries.

Now you can understand where the name Schooner Western Union came from.

The vessel fell into disarray. Needed restoration badly. About $1 million worth.

A group of locals got together to do the restoration. A non profit group was formed. Monies came in from several sources. Ed Swift and Historic Tours of America helped. First State Bank also. Plus grants from other sources.

The restoration is complete. The Schooner Western Union will be relaunched in Key West once again. Tomorrow, in fact. At the Truman Waterfront at 9 am. Attend, if you can. It should be an interesting event.

Guy deBoer is the owner of KONK 1500 AM radio station. My station. Guy sits on the board of the non profit group that directed the restoration. He and his fellow board members are to be congratulated.

Guy is to be complimented for another reason, also. KONK radio just celebrated its first birthday. It is a community radio station heard world wide over the internet. A terrific accomplishment! Just think. My Key West Lou Legal Hour is heard in Canada, Cuba, Mexico, England, South Africa, Greece, Italy and Indonesia, as an example.

A major accomplishment, Guy!

Key West was quiet yesterday. Things will pick up as the weekend approaches. It will be July 4th weekend!

I did the Chart Room last night. Very quiet. I was the only one there when I stopped in for a drink. That is quiet!

Dinner was at the bar at Outback. I am watching my weight. Outback has a 6 ounce sirloin steak with a baked sweet potato and steamed vegetables. Just right for me at this time!

Golf tomorrow morning. I am excited. I could not play last week. I am playing and riding with Kurt. A big deal! A top notch golfer. The best and the worst will be playing together. He will have to give me a ton of strokes!

Enjoy your day!

The wind is from the south this morning. The humidity heavy.

When the wind is from the south, it rains. Normally the wind is from the north or east.

Does not look or feel like rain at the moment. We shall see. And we shall see whether my weather forcasting abilities are correct.

Yesterday was Sunday. I did nothing.

Layed around the house. Watched the morning talk shows. A little sun bathing by the pool. A nap or two.

It was Lisa’s for dinner.

Robert, Ally and I watched the PGA playoff together. Robert is learning. Everytime the ball goes in the hole, he normally shouts hole in one! We were watching a par 4 being played. The pro got the ball in the cup in 3. Robert yelled…..birdie! I asked him what that was. He said he got it in the hole in 3 instead of 4.

Impressive! Wow!

Then it was home to bed and tv for me.

Nothing dramatic yesterday. Just a restful Sunday.

Enjoy your day!