I have mixed emotions this morning. I do not look forward to the afternoon and evening.

I will be preparing for tomorrow morning’s colonoscopy.

Reading materials have been stacked in appropriate places.

I am an old pro at this. My seventh colonoscopy. A record I am neither proud of nor unhappy with.

Enough said.

For some inexplainable reason, I spent yesterday inside all day. Except for my outside deck, never left the house. Spent the day reading and writing.

I opened my Amazon Kindle to glance through the Sunday New York Times. Kindle’s opening page contained a picture of John Steinbeck.

Memories.

My parents purchased a home in 1941. I was six at the time.

The home cost $4,000. Financed the house with a 20 year mortgage.

A new home required new furniture. We went from a  small 4 room apartment to a rather large 7 room flat. The house was a two family one.

More rooms required new furniture. Especially a dining room set. A  formal dining room was a new experience for us.

The china was empty. The dishes would come later. My parents initially filled the china piece with books.

Two of the novels were by John Steinbeck. The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

I started reading those books and others by the time I was 7 and in the second grade. I used to sit myself in a large easy chair in the living room. It was twice my size. Lying next to me in the chair was a big thick red book. Webster’s Dictionary. I knew not many of Steinbeck’s words. When confronted with the unknown, I looked the word up in the dictionary.

I read many other books in the same way during my early formative years.

Steinbeck’s Kindle picture favorably stimulated my memory. I wanted to share the experience with you.

That was the highlight of my Sunday. No Don’s Place, Lisa’s for Sunday dinner or Kate Miano’s Gardens. Still, a good day.

Enjoy your today!

There is no joy in Tuscaloosa, mighty Alabama has struck out!

Sorry to use a baseball metaphor, but it applies!

To my friend Jean Thornton, my condolences. Jean bleeds Crimson as I Orange.

One observation. Nick Saban is and has always been a big time coach. He recruits well. Why didn’t he recruit a better kicker? Concededly these were pro ball field goal attempts. Nevertheless, he who wishes to be the best of the best should have the best.

I spent yesterday engrossed in football.

My afternoon with Syracuse. We lost. 28-21 to Connecticut. We are building. Some day hopefully a return to national prominence.

I know both of the coaches in the Syracuse/Connecticut game.

Paul Pasqualoni coached at Syracuse for 14 year some time ago. Now he is at Connecticut. During his coaching days, I was an active alumnus at the University. I got to know him fairly well. Doug Marrone was an assistant coach at Syracuse back when. He is now head coach. I met him on several occasions and was on a hello first name basis. I did not know him as well as Pasqualoni.

Pasqualoni was a good guy. You would want your daughter to marry a some one like him. Clean cut in appearance. Clean cut in attitude. Syracuse was victorious under his coaching. But never seemed to make it to a position of national prominence. He always came up short 1 or 2 victories.

I wish Paul well at Connecticut.

A new day and a new time! My whole life I have been screwed up by the time change. It is a mental thing. It is a bit easier these days. The cell phones, computers and TVs all self correct themselves. My problem remains, however. My head and body.

Jimmy Buffet was in Key West friday for the Parrot Head gathering. No one mentioned it at the Chart Room when his name came up. I was not on Duval during the day.

Buffet flew in and flew out, with generous time afforded in between. He flew from Long Island. Brought his 15 piece musical group with him. Sang for 1 1/2 hours on Duval in front of La Concha. A free concert. Mingled a bit. Then back to Long Island.

I am glad he came. The Parrot Heads were born out of his fame. Besides partying, they do much good charity wise. Buffet cannot make these yearly convention meetings in Key West every year. This was one to show up at, however. The Parrot Heads twentieth anniversary!

In between football games, I drug and grocery shopped. Tuesday I am having a colonoscopy and endoscopy. Needed to buy the goodies to prepare for the colonoscopy. Ugh!

Another beautiful Key West day in the making. Sun bright. A bit of a breeze. Not a cloud in the sky. Powder blue.

Enjoy your sunday!

Sometimes we make mistakes! Big time!

I did yesterday. I am so embarassed.

Angie is my friend from Jakarta, Inodonesia. She reads my blog daily. Religiously listens to my intenrnet show with her friends. I refer to them as my groupies.

Angie obviously speaks English. I do not speak her language. She writes big time on Facebook. Generally in English.

Not yesterday morning. It was in her native Indonesian language.

Several people were emailing back and forth in her native language also.

I figured some big deal fun thing was being discussed.

I was wrong.

I initially wrote, “Whatever…..I hope it was good.”

Angie responded to me in English. She said, “My best friend’s mother just passed away Lou…..and my friends are saying their condolences”.

I felt like an ass. Still do.

I wrote and offered my aplogies to Angie. Never again shall I comment unless I know full well the meaning of that which was written.

I saw another doctoor today. I am in need of a colonoscopy. It was the pre-colonoscopy physical. We are going to do a double header. Tuesday at 8. A colonoscopy and endoscopy.

I worked the early evening with Sloan for a while. We are making progress. Creeping towards a book!

Afterwards, I headed to Don’s Place. Chatted with my friend Kurt for a while. Everyone there. Angus, Jeff, Rob, etc. Spent some time with Don. We ended up talking to a woman new to me but not to Don. One of his loyal customers. Lisa. She works at the outdoor restaurant on Duval accross from Hard Top Cafe.

Joanie was there. Withr Jimmy. Love Joanie! We talked.

Bocce tonight. I will definitely be playing. Unless, I am benched for recent poor playing.

Enjoy your day!

Jean Thornton, the Key West golden girl, an admonition. Buy a new furnace!

Jean lives up north, also. Presently there. Cold and colder. Furnace broke down again.

Even better, sell your northern home. You and Joe move down here to Key West full time.

The weather continues to be a steady 80 degrees. Overcast. A few drops of rain each day. Humidity back. I thought it was gone. Yesterday was sticky.

I started yesterday with the dentist. Thought I was near the end of the road with implant replacements. I have been at it since January. Not yet. Shocking. I was told at least another four months.

Vanity has its price and is expensive in more ways than one!

Today I see a new doctor. Time for a colonoscopy. Colonoscopy every five years. The visit today only a pre-colonoscopy physical.

I hate all this doctoring. It seems that is all I do in my old age. If I were having sex as much as I doctor, I would at least die happy! With a guaranteed smile on my face!

All I did last night was the Chart Room. Me and four ladies. Sheila, Myra, Bobbi and Mary. I knew them all previously, except for Bobbi.

Sheila drives a trolley car, Myra sells tickets from a street booth for all kinds of Key West events, Bobbi is front desk manager at the Southernmost white guest house, and Mary bartends the Chart Room one evening a week.

A nice bunch of ladies. Savvy.

We talked of many things. I shared with them my thoughts on post divorce dating by a male senior citizen. Based on my experience. They looked at me shocked when I finished. No one seems to believe what I say. Basically, it sucks!

I had a very good time with the girls and hope we get to do it again.

Then to Don’s Place for a night cap. Herschel and Erica at the bar. Erica’s birthday. Gave her a birthday hug and kiss.

How old, I asked. She said 28. Hell I said, you do not look a day over 22!

Erica and Herschel are heading up to Tampa this morning. Someone tried to rob Erica’s Mother. In her home. Mother got beat up pretty badly. In the hospital with some broken bones. They expect her to remain hospitalized for two weeks.

Sad.

No golf this morning because of the doctor visit. Things are really bad when I let doctoring interfere with golf. The problem is it is hard to schedule a colonoscopy in Key West. Only one or two doctors and too many people requiring the procedure.

Enjoy your day!

It is amazing what I am able to share with this blog.

This morning, Dante.

Dante had two impacts in my life. One minimal. The other major.

Dante was the famous writer of the 1300s. His major work was Dante’s Inferno. The story of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Rodin was a sculptor who came later. One of his major works, of many significant works, was Dante’s Inferno.

Yesterday, I was communicating with a Chinese friend. Zhaoyao. The conversation involved bath tubs/jacuzzis. I described my Key West bathroom to her. It is quite unique. She mentioned…..something like Dante’s Beatrice.

Her comment put me on a search. Who was Beatrice? Turns out Dante had a girl friend. Beatrice. She became a character in many of his written works. In one, Beatrice is bathing.

Dante of the 1300s’ Beatrice was further memorialized in the 1600s by the painter Rossetti. Rossetti had a girl friend also. Lizzie. Rossetti painted Lizzie as Dante’s Beatrice. A painting of Beatrice lying/floating in a tub of water.

That is how I got back to Dante. My modern day jacuzzi precipitated a response involving Dante’s Beatrice.

Which brings me to how Dante had some impact with my life.

I went to college in the mid 1950s. Studied Spanish for three years. My teacher was Professor Cantatore. Italian, from the old country. Accent and all. Short. Salt and pepper hair standing upright. Uncommon in those days.

Professor Cantatore often shouted out to us, as was his way, to read one page of Dante’s Inferno each day! Had nothing to do with Spanish. Again, just his way.

I never took his advice.

Scroll ahead some thirty odd years. I am now an attorney. My practice took me to New York City often. By this time, I was also a failed former painter and now a collector of fine art.

Whenever I was in New York City, I made time to visit some museum for a while. One of my favorites was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was a frequent visitor.

The sculptor Rodin had always turned me on. One of his greatest known works is The Thinker. That huge unclothe man sitting with his chin on his hand.

I read that Rodin’s Dante’s Inferno was on loan to the Met from I believe the Louvre in Paris. I had to see it.

It was a special showing. Required much space for viewing. Huge crowds were anticipated.

The work was displayed in the extremely large garden entrance to the American exhibit. The American exhibit was new at the time.

The sculpture blew me out! Overwhelmed me! Instantaneously took my breath away!

I had never seen any thing like it.

It was huge. Rodin did .many works on a large scale. The Inferno required it. It was a large rectangular piece. Tiny figures of people were sculpted into the body of the work. Each had a face. Those involving Hell especially impacted me. The pain was excruciating! I could feel it in every sense of my body.

I sat on a bench for hours just looking at it. Some times I would walk up and inspect a small portion. Then return to sit again.

I hope I have not bored you.

Yesterday, an ok day. Heart doctor in the morning. Blood pressure 110/60. That is where we are leaving it. Now attacking g the fluid problem. Change of some pills. We shall see.

Visited with Lisa. Then spent the afternoon at home writing.

Yesterday was Halloween. I was to do trick or treating with the grandkids.

They were ready to go after dinner! Robert especially excited. I would descibe it as hyped!

Robert a ghoul. Ally a witch.

They attacked the streets. Off and on porches. Did well. Each had a heavy bag of goodies afterwards.

 Lisa, Corey and I stood in the shadows as they knocked on each door.

Dentist this morning. I am anxious to bring the implant thing to a conclusion. I started January 7.

Enjoy your day!

Halloween!

I am reliving my youth with my grandchildren. Actually the kids today have more fun than I did at their ages. Everything is a shade different or a lot different. The influences are different.

I go tricking and treating with Robert and Ally tonight. Love it! I did it with my children. Loved it then, too! My parents never did it with me. I do not recall parents walking closely or in the shadows back then. Probably because there was nothing to worry about. No one would even consider harming a child.

Montessori is having a costume parade this morning at 9:30. I will be there! The children selected their own historical figures. Robert is Ben Franklin and Ally Cleopatra. I can’t wait to see them!

Patrick is a snowbird. He must be back in Key West. Patrick commented following yesterday’s blog that he was surprised how clean the Key West streets were the morning following the Fantasy Fest parade. Yes, they are always that clean! Key West is organized for things like that. It does not surprise me. However, we who have been here forever tend to take such things for granted. I compliment Patrick for picking up on it.

Dinner at a new place last night. Vito’s Pizzeria on White Street.

A family event. Lisa and the family. Plus, the in laws. And me, of course.

We ate outside. I don’t know if there is an inside. Beautiful! Charming! Loved the atmosphere. Peaceful and calm. Green all over.

The music my kind. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the like.

The only problem, we had to wait two hours to be served. So did every one else. Not nice. Not easy. Especially when you have kids with you.

The pizza cook failed to show up for work. The restaurant was filling up. Delivery orders were coming in. A disaster!

The food is ok. Especially for the money. The service a problem. I will give the place another shot. The atmosphere compensated.

It does not surprise me the pizza cook failed to show. That’s Key West! The night before was the Fantasy Fest parade. He probably got loaded. Contractors have a similar problem. If it is a nice day and the fish are biting, workers just do not show up. They would rather fish.

The biggest problem for Key West employers is employees showing up for work each day.

I skipped over to Don’s Place after dinner. Don there. Had a couple of drinks with him. The discussion? Bocce.  What else!

I see my heart doctor today.

Blood pressure under control. Fluid a problem. Big ankles every 4-5 days. Takes two days of water pills to bring them down. This, too, we shall conquer!

Enjoy your day!

Sunday!

Best day of the week!

This Sunday…..last day of Fantasy Fest 2011.

The big parade was last night. Floats and costumes. Thousands of people along the route. Jammed together. Screaming and reaching for beads. Beads thrown by the thousands from the floats.

Last night’s parade was called the Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. Named after the pirate of old who planned his raids from right here in Key West.

I did not make the parade last night. Stayed in again. Early to bed.

I have done Fantasy Fest for many years. Some years, I do many of the events. Others, few. This year very few. In deciding to stay in last night, parking was one problem. I would have had to park too many blocks away and walk long distances back and forth. I was not in the mood for the stifling heat caused by thousands of bodies thrown together in a small space. I was not drinking.

I have seen it all. Done it. This year opted not to participate. Next year is another story.

I dressed the night of the parade once. An interesting experience.

My costume was nothing special. I threw on a judge’s black robe and a black eye mask. Wore shorts and a tee shirt underneath.

The beauty of the experiece was walking up and down Duval Street for two hours before the parade. Parade watchers are permitted to do so before the parade starts.

 I saw everything. No one knew me. Because half my face was covered, no one recognized me. I could look at anything and everything I wanted. Do whatever I wanted. And no one would know it was Louis.

A WOW trip!

I also missed bocce Thursday night. Spoke with Don yesterday. We lost all three games. To Larry’s team. Bad! We were way ahead of them in the rankings. Still are. Does not make sense. It was also a money game.

Maybe I was missed ????? Just joking!

Donna telephoned. Good to hear from her. She wanted to say hello, how are you, etc. She knows from this blog I have not been feeling well. Love her concern! Love her and Terri!

Donna reminded me that their third anniversary was coming up. What anniversary? You have not been married that long!

The third anniversary of Donna and Terri’s meeting. Not marriage. Ah, women! They met three years ago at the Keys Piano Bar.

The Occupy thing becomes more interesting. There is turbulence in the ranks. The Wall Street group is fighting with each other. Physically.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Ho ho ho! Yogi bear!

It is a lovely morning!

Will it be a lovely evening? This is the last day of Fantasy Fest. The big parade tonight. About three hours long. Floats, floats, floats!

Eighty thousand people watching! I always wonder where they sleep. Key West is a small island, 1.5 x 4 miles. If you take all the motels/hotels in Key West and 100 miles up the keys, there is still not enough room for these people to sleep. Yes, some will sleep on the beaches. Otherwise, where do they stay? I wonder every year.

Getting back to the weather. Eighty degrees at the moment. Eight In the morning. A nice day ahead. But…..60 per cent chance of rain tonight. Would be a disaster if it rained on the parade!

I understand up north has had snow for two days. Some really heavy in the last 24 hours. Hard to visualize when one is basking in 80 degree weather.

Terrific feed back on yesterday’s internet show. The Key West Lou Legal Hour.

People hate banks. Especially Bank of America. Significant feedback on the Bank.

No other specific issue created a huge out cry in and of itself. Many of the topics commented on, however. Airport security and a woman’s personal vibrator and tampons aggravated some ladies. People expressed an unusual interest in Gadhafi and his virgin bodyguards.

So it went.

I spent some time after the show with Lisa and the grandkids. Robert and Ally had no school in the afternoon.

Lisa and Corey had teacher visits for both of them the day before. Robert is in the second grade. A ok in everything. No problem. Ally is in the first grade. Same thing. Lisa told her teacher she seems to be having a difficult time with math. The teacher said no wonder. She was so good at math that they now have her doing third grade math! Wow!

I am a lucky man. I get love from the grandkids coming and going.

Robert is the greeter. He is all over me hugging and kissing when he first sees me. Ally, I get a simple hug and kiss. But when I leave, Ally is almost chasing the car down the street. Her I love you Poppa and miss you Poppa resonate.

There was locals parade yesterday at 5. A big deal each year. Locals and tourists dress and march from the cemetery to Duval. The porches of the homes along the way are crowded with people watching and partying.

I have never seen nor particiatesd in the locals parade. Yesterday was my chance big time. I was invited to a party at a home on Fleming. I never made it. Opted to stay home and rest. Bad!

I stayed in throughout the evening. Wanted to watch the final game of the World Series. Baseball over Fantasy Fest! A great game. St. Louis won. David Freese was the MVP.

Freese is interesting. He has not played much the past two years. Injuries. Not much of a player either. Of course, he has not had an opportunity to show his skills. He was the hero of the Series, however. Unquestionably. Especially in games 6 and 7.

Freese only makes a paltry $416,000. Nothing for a pro baseball player. I think the minimum they can receive is $400,000. Not next year! Freese is the next instant millionaire! And well deserved

Occupy whatever. Will it grow? Will it peter out? I am not certain yet. I sense it is catching on. But I cannot grasp what is success, where is it going, etc.

Oakland was a problem this past week. I suspect the police over reacted. An Iraqi war veteran, Scott Olsen, was injured. Olsen is a two duty Iraqi veteran. He was shot in the head by a projectile fired by the police. Skull fracture. Still hospitalized. His condition a problem, though he is recovering.

A weapon should not be carried openly or unholstered, unless it is going to be used. It was used in this instance.

Where are we going?

Herman Cain is the man of the moment. His 15 minutes is up to an hour. The media now reports his support is growing in the South. Hard to believe. A black man being supported strongly in southern conservative Republican States.

We are a changing society. The problem is not enough people recognize this fact. Ergo, partisanship continues to be the problem in government.

Tonight is the night of nights in Key West! Fantasy Fest parade! Floats! Eighty thousand people along the parade route. I intend to go and wander about. But then again, this has not been a Fantasy Fest year for me. We shall see.

Enjoy your day!