NO DUVAL CRAWL FOR ME

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There is a Key West tradition known as the Duval Crawl. You start drinking at one end of Duval, continue to the other end, stopping at as many bars as you can on the way.

I have never done the Duval Crawl. One reason is I could never drink that much. The other is I do not drink beer. Can you imagine me stopping at 10 or more bars and having a gin at each one?

I was invited yesterday afternoon to join two lady friends for a Duval Crawl. It was 2 pm. They were at La Te Da. La Te Da is located at the Atlantic end of Duval. I declined.

I received a call from them this morning. They had a wonderful time! Ended up at the outdoor Cuban restaurant at Mallory Square dancing. Following which they attended the sunset. The sunset is at the Gulf end of Duval. Their Duval Crawl lasted all of 4.5 hours. Not bad. They both felt good. This morning, not even a little hangover between them.

I intended to be up early yesterday morning. Number one on my agenda was grocery shopping. The cupboard was beyond bare.

I did not make it. I got engrossed in the Sunday talk shows and stayed in bed till one in the afternoon.

My first stop early afternoon was the Plantation Coffee House. I enjoy reading newspapers. Sundays are the best time because there is so much of them. I sipped coffee and read for more than an hour.

At that point, it was Publix time.

The worst time to grocery shop is sunday afternoon at Publix. It is the high traffic time. The aisles are crowded with carts and stockers. Most of the cart drivers do not know what they are doing. They would never pass a cart driving test. They go in every direction and park their carts in the worst places. The stockers are a similar pain. Why Publix has them stocking the shelves on a busy sunday afternoon, I do not know.

It was cold yesterday and last night. As anticipated! 65 was the day high. Last night it dipped into the high 50s. Today it will be in the mid 60s at best. Cold for Key West! The natives wear winter jackets. So do the tourists, if they have one with them.

I have learned something in the eight years I have been living alone. When it is cold, you need a body next to you in bed. Not for sex! To keep warm!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

TALK WITH LOUIS TONIGHT

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Tuesday again! The week moves swiftly. Tonight is my Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou show. Blog talk radio. Listen or call in on the internet. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Everything discussed. Some of the topics tonight may involve sequestration, what the Italian election results mean, Syracuse basketball, Pope Benedict’s resignation, austerity v. stimulus, and Time Magazine’s recent article regarding outrageous medical bills.

You can call in to chat with me. Disagree or whatever. If you know before hand that you will be calling in, I suggest you do it 10 minutes before. Calls are taken in the order received. If you decide to call in while the show is on, do so. There may not be anyone in line waiting.

The show is a mere half hour. Interesting and exciting. Insightful. You will enjoy!

If you have not read last week’s Time magazine article on why medical costs are killing us, do so. You will be doing yourself a favor. It is an eye opener. Steven Brill wrote it. The article is available free on the internet.

A thought occurs to me. If hospital and doctor bills are so far out of line, why do the insurance companies pay them? A thought inspiring question!

This morning’s news tell us a hot air balloon blew up over Egypt. Twenty one passengers on board. Eighteen killed.

Three years ago while in Arizona, I took an air balloon ride. First time. Looked interesting.

There were 19 of us on board. What appears to be a small bucket under the balloon, is really large. Compared to the ballon, it is small.

Hot air balloons have captains that operate them. The process involves fire and gases. Wind actually is a minor component. I asked the captain if the balloons ever blew up. He said, “No way!”

The Italian election results are in. No clear winner. There will probably be another election in a couple of weeks.

The decided loser was present Prime Minister Monti. His party received less than 10 per cent of the vote. So much for austerity as far as the people were concerned.

Berlusconi and Bersani’s parties ran closely together. It is doubted a coalition government can be formed.

The why  I am sharing this information with you. Fifty seven per cent of the Italian people voted in effect against austerity. Their cry could be labeled as stimulus over austerity in order to recover economically.

The election results will have an immediate heavy impact. The euro is in trouble.  European banking as a whole is in trouble. It is doubtful Germany will be paid back any monies in the immediate future.

My day yesterday started with the dentist. Again. I have another appointment thursday.

I visited with Lisa afterwards.

In the afternoon, I wrote two short stories. The Bakery and Grandpa Asserts Himself. Both will be in the book of short stories I hope to publish at some point this year.

The Chart Room in the evening. David and I had some interesting discussions. Especially regarding the Academy Awards. We disagreed on who looked good and who terrible.

Mary was bartending. She joined in the talks on occasion.

I wanted to do more after I left the Chart Room. I walked over to Sloppy Joe’s. Sloppy’s is not one of my favorite places. I rarely go there. Too crowded and too noisy for me.

I had a drink at the bar. The place was packed with tourists. It is the music that bothers me. I guess  have gotten old. I left after one drink.

A reminder again. My blog talk radio show this evening at 9. Please join me, if you can.

Enjoy your day!

 

FRANKIE BENEFIT A SUCCESS

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Key West is full of surprises!

Frankie the Plumber had heavy duty heart surgery in November. The bills were overwhelming. A fund raiser was thrown for him yesterday at Don’s Place.

A success! I do not know the final dollars. However more than 1,000 people attended. Don’s parking lot was full of colorful tents. It was like a street feast. Food and drink galore. Music.

Frankie looked good. A bit on the thin side. Says he will return to bocce next thursday. He is one of my bocce partners. His wife Sandy was her usual beautiful sedate self. A woman of class.

Jill is to be credited with the success of the event. Jill is Don’s outside bartender. She is also the hoola hoop queen I talk about on occasion. Jill recently started a band. It has a strange name. 40 Ft. Sharpie. I doubt anyone could forget such a name.

The band was there and played. Sounded good. I see success in the offing.

Jill was running around coordinating everything. Wearing a dress. First time I had seen her in a dress. Lovely.

Larry Smith was there. Larry is a Key West character and icon. He is on his annual Lenten diet. No alcohol and no food for 40 days. Tough. He lives on some liquid concoction. Larry does not necessarily do it to lose weight. He says it is to clean himself out.

Larry and Christine told us about the rooster fight the day before. There were two roosters fighting on their front porch. One was killed. Larry wanted Christine to pick it up, clean it  and cook it. I sometimes think the lack of food is affecting Larry’s brain. No way was Christine going to touch the dead rooster or eat it.

Larry telephoned his mother up north. How do I cook it, Mom? Pick it up by the legs she tells him and hold it in a pot of boiling water. Then remove the feathers and so on.

Larry figures Don might know so he telephoned Don. Don says are you crazy? The chicken is fill of germs inside and out.

The chicken ended up where it belonged. In Larry’s trash can.

I stopped at the Old Island Days Art Festival on the way home. The festival is held every year at this time on Whitehead in front of Truman Annex. It has grown over the years. Now it runs into Truman Annex, also.

I enjoy a quick walk taking in the booths of art work, jewelry, clothing, etc. All consistent with island living and folklore.

The Little White House is located on the grounds of Truman Annex. Harry Truman vacationed there many times while President. Every year at the Festival I have seen Harry Truman walking along Whitehead viewing the booths and nodding his head in a hello to the spectators.

The guy looks like Harry Truman! For real! Dressed as the Presidnet had. Including straw hat and cane. I missed him yesterday. I was disappointed.

The Academy Awards last night. Enjoyed the show from the comfort of my bed. I thought it was one of the best produced Academy Award shows ever. Pure pleasure and nostalgia.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesday is Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My blog talk radio show. Nine in the evening. A half hour of current events discussion. Call in and chat with me. We will probably cover sequestration, the idiots in Washington, Syracuse basketball, the Vatican, and whatever else might tickle your fancy. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I have to run. Another dentist visit.

Enjoy your day!

 

TALK WITH ME AT 9 TONIGHT

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Tonight! Tonight! My blog talk radio show at a new time. And with a new name.

Tuesday Talk With Key West Lou premiers for the first time this evening. A one half hour talk show. A current events show. Call in and lets talk. Should be fun!

Find the show on the internet the same way as the 7 am one. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. If you desire to call and talk with me, there is a telephone number listed. If not, sit back and enjoy.

If you desire to call in and chat, I suggest you call in about 10 minutes before show time. Calls are accepted in the order received. This suggestion does not preclude you from calling in during the show.

I shop at Publix. My supermarket of choice. There is one item I rarely buy, however. A lottery ticket. Maybe once or twice a year.

I should purchase them more often!

The Florida Lottery had a $17 million winner this week. Guess where the lottery ticket was purchased? You got it. Publix in Key West.

The winner has not yet been announced. Either a local or tourist. Whoever, I am thrilled for them. A lifechanger!

My day was relatively quiet yesterday. I woke to a temperature in the 50s. Had to turn the heat on. Laugh you northerners!

Visited the dentist once again. Not there yet. I am to return thursday. Some day.

I played babysitter. From 11 to 4. I think Robert and Ally baby sat me.

We lunched at 5 Guys. We had not been there in a while. I ordered and paid. Then sat down. The grandkids insisted on doing everything else. Getting the soda, ketchup and straws. Picking up our order.

It was bacon cheeseburgers for them. A plain cheeseburger for me. Plus, fires.

We talked a long time. They are both in the Wizard of Oz this week. They are taking their involvement calmly. Though their excitement is not evident, I know they consider it a big deal. Especially Robert. He has 25 talking lines. He is the Barrister. The one who directs Dorothy to the yellow brick road.

We spent the balance of the afternoon in the warmth of my home. They played with their tablets and watched TV. They watched me, also. I fell asleep.

I stayed in last night. Though no longer on the diet, I watch what and how much I eat. Since I had a big cheeseburger for lunch, I was reluctant to eat out.

Again, please join me this evening for my blog talk radio show at 9. Simply type in www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou and I will be there.

Enjoy your day!

 

KEY WEST DURING CIVIL WAR

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Spent three hours with Lisa and the family around lunch time yesterday. Read the Sunday newspapers and visited with Robert and Ally.

There is some sort of Civil War Days celebration at Fort Zach. Robert and Ally had been there the day before. They were excited in telling me about it.

Key West was a strange duck during the Civil War. Florida went with the Confederacy. Key West however remained with the Union. An unusual situation. Understandable when you realize how far Key West was from the rest of the Florida. There was no railroad or roads from the mainland. Water vessels were the only contact.

The Union constructed two forts to ward off invading Confederate vessels. They stand to today. East Martello and West Martello. They were never needed. The war never came to Key West.

Key West’s primary function on behalf of the Union was to take in captured Confederate  vessels and do whatever had to be done with them.

After the Fort Zach Civil War treat, Corey took the grandkids on a trip through the woods. Which, I do not know. Key West has all kind of woods. All kind of mangrove growings.

Corey is an archeologist. Educated and work wise. He was educated at Indiana University. Worked in the Middle East in evacuations. For the last 25 years has served as Mel Fisher’s Chief Archeologist.

I find it strange that Corey grew up never seeing the ocean. Yet in his adult life, makes his living exploring the ocean bottom.

Corey has told me many times that as a child when other boys were playing baseball, he preferred to walk in the woods looking for strange items.

Therein I suspect  lies the reason why Corey takes Robert and Ally on wood expeditions.

The Saturday trip proved fruitful to Robert. He found a dried snake skin. Head and all. He was all excited  as he showed it to me. Ugh! Made sure I touched it.

Ally discovered nothing of interest. Ally is taken with spiders. Would you believe! She picks them up outside her home.

I was coming down with a cold. Went home to bed for the rest of the day.

Watched the Syracuse/St. John’s game from the comfort of my bed. Syracuse won handily. They looked good. Southerland won his appeal and is back playing. He contributed his 13 points.

I have been down on the team. Perhaps I have been too harsh. The nice way of saying I was probably wrong. I was impressed with their play yesterday. Especially on defense. We shall see.

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday) is my blog talk radio show. The Key West Lou Talk Show. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Seven in the morning my time. Early! If you are up and around, join me. Exciting stuff. Tomorrow I want to know what you think of drones killing Americans, Senator Lindsey’s rumblings re Benghazi, and whatever else tickles your interest. It is a fun show!

Have to hustle. Dentist again at 10 this morning. Feeling much better. Some minor problems yet to be resolved. I think my dental work is like the Jaguar of the 1960s. A lot of money and a lot of problems.

Enjoy your day!

 

BLACKBIRDS

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The world is too serious. There is not enough humor. We need to lighten up a bit.

My friend Sukiyong Kim in Soeul, South Korea, emailed me the following which was received this morning.

Once upon a time, blackbirds were white. It was freezing cold outside. To avoid death from the cold, the white birds flew inside a chimney. They came out black and ever since have been black.

The simplicity of the tale. The absurdity. It made me laugh. I hope it did you, also.

I thought the Super Bowl was terrific! Some did not. What more could a fan want. One team goes far ahead, the other catches up, a defensive play with minutes to go.

I was at Lisa’s for dinner. A big deal dinner. Yesterday was Corey’s 50th birthday. Lisa prepared a big meal. We sang Happy Birthday! The cake was delicious.

Ally was especially cute. The event excited her. She took charge of everything. Including running around and turning all the lights off before Corey blew out the candles. Her excitement with each gift opened. The joy of youth!

Corey is a lucky man to have such a loving family. Lisa and Corey are lucky to have each other.

By the time festivities had concluded, it was half time at Super Bowl.  I had intended to watch the game at Don’s Place after dinner. Never made it. Went home to bed instead to watch.

My early morning blog talk radio show tomorrow. Seven in the morning my time. Available world wide.

My friends…..Get up you sleepy heads! Listen in. Call in. It is a talk show. Subjects tomorrow will include the Super Bowl game, whether Mc Cain has had it, the NRA, and whatever you might like to discuss. Call in and let me know.

Listen to the Key West Lou Talk Show at www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

You may call in any time within 15 minutes prior to show time. You will be placed on a list for me to chat with when the show begins.

Enjoy your today!

 

 

A FRIEND IS DEAD

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My friend Jim Van Sickle is dead.

Sorrowful. The knowledge of his death has affected me.

Jim was an up north friend. The Utica area. We first met in the mid 1960s. There was an instantaneous bonding/attraction. We continued to be close till sometime in the early 1980s. Then for whatever reason, we drifted apart. This occurs with relationships.

Jim was 88 at the time of his death. His wife Sara survives, plus a daughter Joyce and some other child/children and grandchildren.

Sara was a charming woman. Lovable. Tough. The stand up type.

I loved them both.

Jim owned a motel at the time we first met. Van’s Motel. In a Utica suburb, New Hartford. Nothing fancy. Sort of a strip building with 4 or 5 units on each side of the office. There was a small apartment upstairs where Jim and Sara lived.

They worked hard at the motel. Did their own washing and cleaning. Both did it. The motel was a shared responsibility.

Sometimes God does good things. Jim experienced one of those things.

A major shopping center was to be built. Jim’s motel sat in the center of one of two main entrances. It was  a natural. Jim scored! Made some money!

Jim and Sara then went into the grocery store business. A neighborhood grocery store. A pound of bologna and loaf of bread type.

The store was part of a two story brick building on a corner in a middle class neighborhood. The store downstairs. Jim and Sara lived in the upstairs apartment.

Jim was a street smart old time business man. The time is around 1980. Newspapers were cheap to buy. A nickel or dime as I recall. Every thursday, Jim would buy an extremely large number of newspapers. Then he and Sara would cut all the grocery coupons out.

The grocery chains at the time were playing games with their vendors. The grocery chain would buy back the coupons at a discounted price and then charge them to the vendor for their true value. Jim might sell a certain brand of coupons back at $ .25 a piece. The grocery chain would receive $ .50 or more from the vendor.

A win/win situation.

Jim did not want the money. He wanted groceries to stock the shelves in his small grocery store. So the grocery chain gave him equal value in can goods, toilet paper, etc. for the coupons.

Time moved on and the grocery business became a bit too much for Jim and Sara. They sold the store and building. They then purchased a lovely one family brick home two blocks away. For the first time in their lives, they had nothing to do. Sara became a house wife and grandmother full time. Jim had a little shack in the back where he puttered around.

For twenty five years Jim and I were close. Talked to each other by phone at least once a day. Visited with each other to sit and talk 3-4 times a week. Then for no reason at all, we drifted. I still loved him and I am sure he loved me. But the communication was gone. Since the 1980s, Jim and I have only visited on two occasions.

Jim and Sara were good parents. Especially as concerned their daughter Joyce. The sun rose and set on her.

Joyce was shot while in the store one evening. Sara was away at the time. The bullet did a number on her. Traveled through several organs. She was on the operating table. It was questionable whether she would survive.

Sara was flying back from a trip. She was in the air. She knew nothing of the shooting. Of course, I was at the hospital with Jim. Jim said you (me) have to go pick Sara up at the airport…..I have to stay here.

I went. I met Sara as she came of the plane. She knew instantaneously something was wrong. Why was I meeting the plane? She thought some thing had happened to Jim.

I sat her down and told her in a calm simple straight forward manner that Joyce had been shot, she was presently being operated on, and there was a quation as to whether she would survive.

Sara looked me in the eye. Stood and calmly said let’s go. There was not another word said between us on the half hour trip to the hospital.

A tough woman.

Joyce survived. Is a mother and I assume a grandmother today.

I do not know if Jim is of any interest to you. He was to me. He was a friend. A true friend.

This is going to sound strange. We talk about meeting our parents and grandparents again when we die. I would want Jim there, also. I would enjoy spending eternity with him.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

FORGET ABOUT #1

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Last week I was irritated Syracuse was not ranked #1 after beating Louisville. Only #3 and #4.

Yesterday Syracuse played unranked Villanova. A few nights ago, Villanova defeated Louisville who was ranked #5 at the time. Yesterday, Villanova beat Syracuse.

Two top 5 teams in one week!

An accomplishment!

Syracuse limped away.

Excuses/reasons. Two of our starting 5 fouled out. The bench gets smaller in height as you move down it. In the first half, the ball just would not go in the basket. That simple. Too many shoots missed. Many were lay ups.

Syracuse played better in the second half. But not good enough to win. Villanova came out on top in overtime.

Such is life!

I watched the game at the Big Ten Sports Pub. I was the only Syracuse fan there until the overtime when Dan and Lisa came in. Where were the 20-30 Syracuse fans who usually show up? They were there for the first two Syracuse games. The crowd has dwindled till yesterday it was basically only me.

Why, again? I doubt it is me. I shower before each game. I have concluded it has to be the Big Ten Sports Pub. The fans may not like the way it is configured, the noise, etc. I do not know. All I know is that something is wrong.

I also do not know where they are watching the game. John’s place is the best venue in town for sports viewing in my opinion.

Remember the former college guys at the Chart Room the night before raising hell. They were celebrating their ten year reunion. They were at the Big Ten yesterday during the Syracuse game. They were not watching the game. They were playing foosball. Had a competition going. Yelling and screaming same as the night before. Downing shots every few minutes.

Gentlemen they were. They asked me to play foosball with them. I declined. I am too old for the sport. Ho ho.

The Wizard of Oz will be playing a major part in our lives for the next month. Robert and Ally are munchkins in the high school play to be performed at the end of February.

Robert has graduated. He is playing a munchkin with a speaking role. Robert has 25 lines. Wowie!

Chittenango is a little town between Utica and Syracuse. It is on Route 5, a two lane New York State highway. Route 5 runs right through the center of downtown chittenago. Downtown is modest. All of 5,000 people.

Lisa said she had a vague recollection that Chittenango had something to do with the Wizard of Oz. I did not know. I knew the town was famous for hams. It is the Ham That Am town.

I checked Lisa’s comment on the internet. She was correct. Chittenango and the Wizard of Oz are tightly related.

L. Frank Baum wrote the Wizard of Oz in 1900. He was a resident of Chittenango at the time. To commemorate the event, Chittenango has a yellow brick road. The sidewalks on both sides of downtown Route 5 are painted yellow. There is a store called Auntie ‘Ems. There is also an annual three day festival. Several of the surviving munchkins show up each year. Munchkins from the 1939 movie which starred Judy Garland.

A small world!

Enjoy your Sunday!

FRED CABANAS RIP

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Fred Cabanas is dead. At 60. His plane went down somewhere over Mexico’s Cozumel Island.

Fred was a Key West icon. A legend. His mark is well imbedded in Key West. He will be long remembered.

Some of Fred’s accomplishments were his family life, his business Cabanas Aeronautics Unlimited, his daredevil flying, being the Marlboro Man for the smoke designs he made from his bi-plane, being the General of the Conch Republic Air Force, and his movie parts. He also had a rare distinction. He was a Conch. Fourth generation.

It would be remiss not to mention one other item. Fred flew a bi-plane in the bloody Conch Republic Battle for Independence which occurs each year. The bi-plane bombs the US Coast Guard vessels. With biodegradable rolls of toilet paper! You have seen nothing till you have seen toilet paper tossed by Fred unrolling as it hurries down to do in the US Coast Guard.

Fred will be buried tomorrow. At sea. Somewhere on the gulf stream. He will be buried from Key West’s tallest and best known ship the Wolf. Afterwards, there will be a celebration of his life at a hangar at the Key West Airport. Roast pig and alcohol will be consumed. The desire is for a party as Fred would have enjoyed it.

I stopped dieting. I did not shop. I was without food this morning. Nothing for breakfast. At 8, I was at Publix picking up a few things. A good time to shop. There was no one in the store. I was all alone with the help.

Today is Inauguration Day. There is a more than normal excitement. I sense it over TV and in conversations with Key Westers. The last time I recall this degree of excitement was when John Kennedy was inaugurated. I was a young practising attorney at the time.

Today is Martin Luther King Day, also. I recall his killing. It was inevitable. He was in the forefront of the civil rights movement. Actually, he had his nose in everyone’s face. You just knew his life was on the line.

Today has another significance historically. The Key West Citizen reported this morning that President Ulysses Grant visited Key West this day in 1871. The paper included a picture of Grant in a horse drawn cab on Duval Street waving to the crowd.

Syracuse basketball again today! At 3:30. Against Cincinnati. Cincinnati has only 3 losses. I worry about this game, also.

Where are the new national rankings? I thought they came out sunday evenings. Guess not. I hope Syracuse is #1. It is deserved after the Louisville game.

As usual, I will be at the Big Ten Sports Pub watching the game. With Don and Chris and Dan and Lisa and I do not know who else.

Show time tomorrow morning. The new blog talk radio show I am trying to get off the ground. Tough! I suspect 7 am may not be the best time. However, for those of you who are hearty and up, join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Call in and ask questions, if you are so inclined. Lets have a good talk or listen.

I have another radio show later in the afternoon. I will be appearing weekly on tuesday afternoons on Ryno’s Show. Pirate Radio. Somewhere around 3:45 and 4. The time is flexible. Ryno has me on the air as soon as I walk in the door.

Enjoy the holiday!

 

SYRACUSE NUMERO UNO

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Syracuse won yesterday! Beat #1 ranked Louisville.

It was a game of games! March Madness! The Final Four! Great basketball!

What a game!

Sixth ranked Syracuse won 70-68.

One of the finest basketball games I have seen. And I have seen many.

Does this make Syracuse #1 nationally? I think it should. Syracuse has only lost one game. There are about three other teams left who have lost one game, also. Syracuse should come out on  top of the heap because of the Louiville victory. Many prior to yesterday’s game considered Louisville man for man the best team in the country.

I watched the game at John’s Big Ten Sports Pub. John had 3 TVs set up for the Syracuse game.

I watched the contest in the back bar room with Don, Chris and Dan. Plus, several other Syracuse fans. It was high fives all around at the end!

Don has a friend, Ed. I have never met Ed. Ed was in Des Moines, Iowa yesterday. Ed apparently a die hard Syracuse fan, also.  He kept calling and texting Don every few minutes during the game.

Prior to yesterday, I thought Syracuse would lose. I am glad I was wrong. The reason Syracuse won was they made their foul shots, controlled the defensive backboard, and Trisch scored 18 points in the first half. Syracuse finally blended and played as a team.

I say Syracuse has earned the #1 ranking. We shall see.

Stan Musial. A baseball immortal. Member of the Hall of Fame. A giant. Musial died yesterday.

Today, he is sits with other comparable baseball greats in the heavens above. Persons like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, and Ted Williams.

I have a Key West friend of many years who lives on Cape Cod. Musial is her uncle. He is her father’s brother. Dee. Dee also has a home on Cudjoe Key. Dee is most likely with the family in St. Louis today. My condolences, Dee.

When I was a grammar school kid, baseball was big in my life and that of my friends. We were all die hard Yankee fans. A few also liked Stan Musial. So we would listen to St. Louis Cardinal games too. Note the use of the word listen. We would lie on a living room floor and listen to the games on a radio. No TV back then. It was the mid 1940s.

We headed over to the Chart Room after the game. JJ bartending. Captain Peter, Sheila, Frankie, Sean and Katherine, plus a big tourist crowd, present. We celebrated the Syracuse victory.

Captain Peter is 70 years old. I am 77. He always offers me his seat when I arrive at the Chart Room. Makes me feel ancient!

Friend Anna in Novara is celebrating the Feast of San Gaudenzio today. In italian, Fiesta San Gaudenzio Novara. The holiday is some what like the Feasts of Sts. Cosmo and Damien that my family celebrated in my youth. Fanfare, food. Roasted chestnuts are a favorite.

Anna will visit today the Basilica of Saint Gaudenzio. The Church. Then home to cook a big holiday meal for the family. The same as was done back in Utica on the feast days of old.

Do not forget. My blog talk radio show tuesday morning at 7. Current events, plus anything that comes to mind. A talk show. Call and chat with me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

It’s sunday. Don’s for football playoffs this afternoon. Maybe a stop at the Gardens afterwards. I have not been in ages.

Enjoy your day!