The mornings continue to be absolutely beautiful here in Key West!

Big time sun! Little breeze! A few white clouds! Breathtaking colors!

God is in His Heaven! All’s right with the world!

It does rain every day, however. September and October are the big rain months. Normally it rains once a day. Seems like it is raining more this month. Rained 3 times yesterday. Big each time. Flooded the streets.

I did a late Sunday breakfast yesterday at the Pier House. On the outside deck.

The Pier House is a perfect place to dine anytime. Especially if you are alone.

The Pier House provides free newspapers of all kinds to its guests. So it is easy for me to have something to read.

My only complaint is the menu. Specifically, eggs benedict. They are available up to 11. Then no more. Although the breakfast menu continues till 2 in the afternoon.

I enjoy eggs benedict as a late Sunday morning breakfast. I wish they would change the menu and make the eggs benedict available like all the other egg dishes thru 2 pm.

Pro football is back. That means Sunday afternoons at Don’s Place. Many TV sets. All the games playing somewhere. Every one there to watch and party.

It was a fun afternoon!

Dinner was at Lisa’s with the family. I enjoy the grandkids. Robert and Ally make me happy!

The three of us sat together and watched the end of the pro golf tournamnet after dinner.

Then it was home and to an early bed for me. Watched Sunday night TV from the bed. Especially enjoyed Mad Men. A great show! It protrays things as they actually were in the early 1960s when I first started practicing law. The clothes, men’s hair, women’s hair, smoking, drinking, how women were treated and whatever.

Enjoy your day!

Good morning!

The beginning of a lovely Key West Sunday!

It’s all here! Sun, water, blue sky. Magnificent!

I spent the better part of yesterday morning watching the ceremonies attendant to 9/11. And also watched the film of that day.

It was painful.

When the event occurred 9 years ago, it was shocking. My thoughts at the time were this cannot be happening.

Yesterday the shock was gone. There was only pain. The knowledge that it had happened and could happen again.

Around lunch time I was off to visit Lisa and the family. Corey’s parents are visiting for the weekend. We had some interesting chats regarding this Muslim thing. Did not always agree. However, we were able to talk and remain friends even though we were coming from different perspectives on occasion. As most people are these days.

Then it was the Coffee House for me. A cup of coffee and the New York papers. There were very few people. It was a time of solitude.

I desired cuban toast in some form. So it was over to Lucky Day and a cuban toast with melted cheese and tomato. Satisfying food!

I spent a couple of hours at Higgs Beach in the afternoon. Not too crowded. Enjoyed the sun on my body. Slept a bit.

I had no plans for last night. As I was driving to US 1, I decided to go north instead of south to Key West. I headed towards Big Pine. I decided to go to Boondocks for dinner.

Boondocks is much like Hogfish. Thatched roof. Open walls. Larger. A bit more updated. Because it’s newer.

Boondocks also sits in a better neighborhood. Just off US 1. I am not knocking Hogfish. Hogfish’s location adds to its flavor. The downtown Stock Island bit!

I ate at the bar. A fish sandwich. and potato salad. Boondocks has terrific potato salad! Talked with the people around me. Knew none of them before I went. Now we are all friends. Even exchanged e mails and telephone numbers.

Today is Sunday. Meet the Press shortly. The New York Times. Pro football later at Don’s Place. Dinner with Lisa and the family tonight.

What could be better?

Enjoy your day!

A day of remembrance.

9/11.

Most of us recall where we were on days such as today. I do. As well as where I was when President Kennedy was shot.

I recall on 9/11 speaking with my Congressman and friend Sherry Boehlert. He said the world would never be the same. He was right.

The increased tensions with the Muslim world are one example. I do not buy the argument that our problem is only with radical Muslims. There must be an awful lot of them! Muslims turn out 100,000 people to protest like it was nothing.

I am disappointed that we have failed yet to build a memorial to and rebuild in some fashion the 9/11 site. Nine years is more than enough time!

I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

However, I think the building of the proposed mosque/cultural center less than 2 blocks from 9/11 an insult. A slap in the face. Poor taste.

Then there is this minister who wants to burn the Quran. In poor taste, also. But…..the Muslims burn my flag and hang my President in effigy. So why not!

There is this constant need to accomodate and not offend the Muslim world. They do not reciprocate in kind. They have already murdered 3,000 people in one day. They offend us constantly. They are developing and have developed nuclear weapons.

There comes a time when one has to say no more.

And the way it is said is with actions. Not words. They hear not. They do what they want.

Actions does not necessarily mean war. But if it must be war, so be it. We are already fighting two wars in the Muslim world. To no realistic avail. If we are to fight, then lets fight as in World War II. To win!

And whatever we do, we must do as a united people.

There is too much dissension in this country. We have to come together. To be one again.

Jesus Christ said it right. Matthew recorded it. Lincoln repeated the words at the start of the Civil War. Mathew 12:25. “…..every city and house divided against itself will not stand.”

A house divided cannot stand!

One person’s thoughts from Key West.

I am up early. Dark outside. Black.

I spent yesterday fine tuning today’s radio show. Join me, if you can.

Stimulating topics. Some new. Some old. Most in our faces newswise.

Today’s topics include the Koran issue, gays in the military, the American flag, the Iranian woman scheduled to be stoned to death, a Proposition 8 update, use of federal stimulus funds in mortgage foreclosure court cases, a funny lawsuit involving Turkey and Batman, Craiglist adult services, an impeachment trial, a marijuana purchase in Montana, and more.

The time is 10 am. The place radio and internet. The rado at KONK 1500 AM. On the internet to be seen and heard world wide at http://www.konkam.com/. The Key West Lou Legal Hour.

Last night was bocce.

We did OK. Won 2 out of 3. A fun night and of course always better with a winning evening.

Afterwards I was off to Don’s Place. Kurt bartending. Sat and chatted with Rob abd Beebe for a while. Kissed Joanie good night. And was off to home and bed.

Enjoy your day!

Golf yesterday was enjoyable. Fun on occasion. Even restful on occasion.

And a disaster otherwise!

The women of Womenfest were in our way!

This is their week. Part of the festivities included a golf tournament. Yesterday morning. No one knew anything about it, except Womenfest and the golf course personnel.

We were told of the event when we arrived just before 9 to tee off. We were instructed by the pro to go off the back side. The ladies had been shot gunned off the front. About 40 of them.

We moved around the back swiftly. No one there. We played the back nine in 1 1/2 hours. Excellent time!

Then we made the turn. And ran into the tournament ladies. The ones we ran into were playing slowly. They obviously were not golfers. Not even my kind of hacker. They were participating to have fun. And they were.

It took us roughly 4 1/2 hours to play the front nine.

The sun was gruelling. We were waiting generally for two four somes to hit at every tee.

I blame not the ladies. I blame the pro. The tournament and its method of teeing off could have used better planning.

Of course, I played poorly. I blame only myself. Not the ladies.

I read a short book this week on golf. I announced to all concerned on the first tee that I was trying a new swing. I did each and every step the book had laid out for the perfect drive. My swing was magnificent. Only one problem. I never hit the ball. I whiffed!

So much for the golf book! My game sucked the whole way round.

Don shot an 84, Kurt 87 and Robert 88. I shot 113.

There was no talk of taking storokes from me yesterday.

After golf, I went straight home to bed. I was dead tired! My face beet red from the sun. I was beat!

Lisa is sick. Saw the doctor yesterday. She has some sort of bronchial condition. I stopped to see her before I went out last night.

Poor Lisa! My baby was lying in bed motionless. Looked very sick. Was. She is on antibiotics. Hopefully she will be better today. I hope the bug does not run throuh the house.

Dinner was at the Yacht Club. With the same group from the night before. I had so much fun with them the previous evening, I decided to try them again.

It was fun once more! Marty, Mick and Tom. A conversation for the ages. Should have been recorded and shown on TV.

Marty and I headed over to the Bottle Cap afterwards to catch Larry Smith’s show. Larry had Jody Rae as his guest singer. Jody Rae digs down deep when she blares out a tune. Love listening to her!

The show was excellent! Once again. Larry and his team appear to have it down.

Carmello is one of the owners of Bottle Cap. He used to own La Trattoria. He stopped by to chat a bit. A good guy. A smart guy. A hard worker. An Italian immigrant who has prospered in Key West.

My radio show is tomorrow morning. At 10 am. The Key West Lou Legal Hour. KONK 1500 AM radio. Better yet, watch and listen any where in the world on the internet at www.konkam.com.

Many interesting topics this week. Some controversial. The Koran burning scheduled for Saturday, the Iranian woman sentenced to a death by stoning for adultery, Craiglist and adult services, an impeachment trial scheduled for next week in the U.S. Senate, a marijuana purchase in Montana, a Propoisition 8 update, an American flag flyng issue, Montana weird dumb laws, a funny lawsuit involving Turkey and cartoon character Batman, and more.

Have fun today!

Enjoy the day!

Good morning!

Last night was special!

It had a bit of everything!

Fun. Crazy. Etc.

I was to meet Marty at the Chart Room. On the way in, I ran into Mick Barnes. Mick is one of Key West’s finest lawyers. He is the attorney who settled a case last year for $8 million. Speaks for itself!

He and Marty have been very close friends for years. Travel together. Breakfast together almost every day.

Obviously, Mick was joining us for the evening.

The Chart Room was crowded. Some Key West Lou friends were there. They were waiting for me.

I recognized one at once. From last year. His face. I could not recall his name. It was Tom Wiederin from Indianapolis.

Tom is a true fan. His wife Stacey says he stalks me. Tom religiouisly reads the blog every day. And is proud of it! He listens to the radio show every friday. He eats in my restaurants. Even made a trip to Stock Island to Hogfish. And he and his wife took a drive to Key Haven to view my home.

He even remembered the specific date we last met, as well as the date of the blog where I spoke of him. 12/1/09.

Once we stared talking, I recalled Tom clearly. He is an HR person with a chain of car washes. His wife Stacey has started an event planning business. She has business with the Reach while in Key West.

Tom and Stacey were with their friends Barb and Greg. Barb Sheets and Greg Wheeler. Married. A modern couple name wise. Barb was on the vivacious side. She runs a house cleaning business back in Indianapolis. Gerg is a master carpenter.

Barb lost her son to cancer 3 years ago. I said how sad. She said, no. She did not feel that way. She had him for 32 years and enjoyed him. God love you, Barb.

Tom and Stacey were married at the Pier House in June 2003. Before the remodeling. Just outside the Chart Room in the old lobby. They return for a few days each year.

Tom showed up. Another Tom. A friend of Mick and Marty.

Tom #2 is an American Eagle pilot. Lives in Miami.

Marty, Mick and Tom have partied together many times in the past. Have even taken trips together. The three to Ecuador. Mick and Tom to Amsterdam. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed being on the Amsterdam trip with them.

They were together yesterday and today for a lawsuit. Mick the lawyer, Tom a witness to be deposed and Marty videoing it.

We headed to La Marquesa for dinner. Marty and Mick had mopeds. Tom rode with me in my car. Tom and I had an interesting conversation about Mercedes. He used to own one.

We could not do Marquesa. Turns out the opposing attorney from Fort Lauderdale and the court reporter traveling with him were inside having dinner. Mick stayed to have a drink with them. The rest of us went over to Square One.

This is Womanfest Week in Key West. Lesbians and their friends from all over the world are gathering for a week long meet. Two were sitting at the end of the bar.

I don’t know what Marty said or did, but one of them became quite irritated with him. She was upset! I thought she was going to knock him on his ass! She finally said to Marty…..your table is ready! Short for shut up and sit down!

Which Marty did. Which we all did.

Eventaully Mick showed up.

Dinner was excellent. As usual at Square One. The conversation even better. The drinking added to the flavor of the conversation.

Mick kept goading Marty to return to the bar and either make amends or stand up to the lady. I am not sure which. Marty took the bait. He returned two times.

It had become a challenge for Marty. He did not know what he had said that had offended the woman. He is not the type to offend. There is not a mean bone in his body. So it was a martter of principle with him. Fueled by the booze as well.

Finally on the second try, the woman warmed up to him. Marty and the ladies left the restaurant friends.

The conversstion at our table was wild! Besides Marty and the offended lady at the bar, it included everything from dog poop to the Iranian woman to be beheaded to the burning of the Koran to Marty’s boobs. You heard me correct. Marty’s boobs.

As it turns out, Marty is over endowed in that area. Tom had pictures on his cell phone of them. They were rather large. At one point I have a recollection of the picture being shown to the ladies at the bar. Sort of I am one of you type thing.

Maybe that is why they finally accepted Marty.

It was that kind of an evening.

A ton of laughs.

I enjoyed it.

Golf today. I intend to enjoy the round. Regardless of how I play.

Tonight is Larry Smith’s variety show. At 9 at the Bottlecap. It can also be viewed world wide at http://www.konkam.com/. Watch, if you can. The show is developiong into a winner.

Enjoy your day!

It rained during the night again. Big time, again! Noise and lightning! Wake you up rain!

This morning eveything is lovely. As usual. Sun climbing over the horizon. Colors waking up. The only difference between yesterday and today at this time is the breeze. There is a bit of wind this morning. The palm tree branches are moving. As is the water.

I walked yesterday morning. I need to get back into the habit of doing it daily.

I walked at Home Depot. The humidity was too heavy to walk outside. A lot of people at Home Depot. The most crowded I have seen it. People must have decided to do some home repairs this Labor Day.

I had a late breakfast/lunch afterwards. Cuban toast at Lucky Day.

Lucky Day was also crowded. More people than I have ever seen there. Jana, one of the owners, was impressed and happy with the crowd. Jana is a Czech. She has been here in the United States 8 years. Busting her butt to make the American dream work for her. She will.

Then I was off to the Coffee House to read the New York papers. The Coffee House was strangely quiet. Ok by me. I prefer quiet when I am reading.

I finally had some company. Marty. He was out and about and figured he would find me there. We chatted a few minutes and decided to meet at Louie’s Backyard at 7 to start our evening.

When I finished the papers, it was after 1 in the afternoon. I telephoned Corey to tell him I was coming by to pick up the grandkids. I wanted to take them to play real golf at the golf course.

No way. Corey told me they were at the beach with him at Bahia Honda. A lovely beach. A State park. About 40 miles north of Key West.

So much for golf with the grandkids yesterday afternoon.

I met Marty at the outside bar at Louie’s at 7 as planned. Absolutely beautiful! Sits on the Atlantic. A specatcular view!

Valerie was there. She had just finished bartending the day shift at Louie’s. Soon her husband Clayton showed up. They had a party to attend. Clayton had spent the day painting at the new wine bar they are opening on Duval. The opening is anticipated in about 3 weeks.

Clayton and Valerie are good people. I wish them well in their new endeavor. If friends can help, the wine bar should be a great success. Every one loves and likes the both of them.

Dinner was at the bar at Michael’s.

Michael’s is one of Key West’s finest restaurants. Thought by any to be the best steak house in Key West. Michael and Melanie are the working owners. Two great people. Rlatively young. Somewhere in their 30s. They have a couple of young children. Who by the way attend Montessori with my grandkids.

Quiet last night at Michael’s. September is the worst month for business in Key West. Tourists stay away because of the start of school and the humidity.

Emmett was bartending. A nice guy. Terrific sense of humor. Dry. I would describe him as witty. Occasionally and too infrequnetly, we play golf together.

Owner Melanie was sitting at the bar. She was conducting a hands on inventory of the liquor supply. I asked why she did not rely on the computer. She says you still have to follow up with an actual count.

Two bottles of white wine appeared to be missing. It took a few minutes to locate them. They were in a cooler in the back.

Bart was at the bar also. Bart is good friends with Michael and Melanie. He may also be helping them out at the restaurant. Bart used to be one of the owners of Alice’s for many years. A jovial guy. A good guy.

I enjoyed Melanie’s commnets. Last night everything was either before BC or after BC. Before or after children.

How we measure our lives!

Marty and Emmett were engaged in a night long discourse. They were throwing barbs at each other non stop. If one did not know they enjoy these exchanges, you would think they were enemies about to engage in fistcuffs.

Womenfest Key West starts today. It will run through Sunday the 12th. Lesbians and their friends from all over the world will gather here in Key West to meet and party. The event is more than 20 years old. The town will be crowded with lovely ladies every day and every night for almost a week.

Haircut time again! I see Lori at 10.

Enjoy your day!

There was thunder and lightning and rain again during the night. The band upstairs was playing big time!

And yet except for the puddles in the street, you would never know that an intense storm had passed over Key West.

The morning is absolutely beautiful! No wind. Water still. Sun bright. Colors vivid.

Yesterday afternoon the family came over to swim in the pool. Love it! Robert and Ally are fish. Always excited. Corey plays with them in the water. Lisa lies on a lounge poolside. Seldom entering the water.

I was upstairs in bed watching golf.

Such an exciting life I lead!

Last night I took the tribe to dinner at the Yacht Club. Sunday buffet. Everything!

We talked much about Robert and Ally. Lisa, Corey and I could remember when taking them out to dinner was an ordeal. Now, they are young adults at 5 and 6. No problem. They select their own foods. Know how to eat. Converse.

We used to have to rush out after dinner because the kids would get edgy and become a problem for us and others. Not last night. We were able to sit around after dinner and talk.

Lisa lets them select their own clothes. Last night Robert proudly wore a shirt like Poppa’s. I wear Polos. With the polo player on the horse on the chest. Robert was wearing a similar long sleeved shirt with a lion on the chest. He wanted to dress like Poppa.

Made me proud.

Later I went over to Lisa’s for a while.

Robert and Ally have completed two weeks of school. Robert in first grade. Ally in kindergarten. Both read. Robert always read well and is doing terrific. Ally had difficulty last year. She would sit on my lap and tell me a story based on the pictures. She did not read the words. Last night Ally sat on my lap and read two whole books to me. Like a pro! With cadence! She’s got this reading thing down!

I was supposed to meet Marty after dinner. I was still tired from the day before. We spoke on the telephone. He was heading over to Salute’s. I begged off. And went home to bed.

The Key West Rotary is sponsoring a brewfest this weekend. First time. It is at Lisa’s hotel The Southernmost Complex. Lisa was responsible for the event from the hotel end. She worked on it for a month.

Saturday was the first day. 1,000 tickets were sold! I am impressed!

My game plan today is to take the grandkids to play golf. At the for real golf course. Only 2 holes. I suspect it will take at least an hour. They are both excited. More so about riding in the cart. I promised them they could each take a turn at driving. By sitting on my lap and steering. They are too small to reach the pedals.

Enjoy your day!

A quiet Labor Day Weekend so far. At least for me.

It rained all morning yesterday. Finally cleared in the early afternoon. Turned into a beautiful Key West day.

I went over to Lisa’s to visit the grandkids. Love them!

We played a while. Putted golf on the living room carpet. Talked. Especially about school. They just finished their first week.

Lisa had to work. Corey was taking Robert and Ally to the movies at 4. I was invited. No, thank you. It was some kid movie and I was not in the mood.

I also started getting very tired while at Lisa’s.

They went to the movies. I went to Borders. Could not keep my eyes open. Kept falling asleep while reading.

So I went home.

I was exhausted. And it was not even 5 o’clock yet.

I was supposed to have dinner with Marty. I telephoned him and said no way. Something was wrong with me. I was going to bed.

I went to bed. And fell asleep immediately. I woke at 10 and felt OK. Fell back to sleep and woke at 6 this morning.

Let no one say I did not get enough sleep last night!

I suspect my problem is a new pill that was prescribed by my doctor Wednesday. I take so many now. I think it caused me to get tired. Abnormally tired.

We shall see what happens today.

Such was my exciting Saturday of the 2010 Labor Day Weekend. I hope my Sunday is better.

Enjoy your day!

Good morning world!

It is raining! It has been raining all night. Thunder and lightning. The kind that flashes through your windows. The weather channel says it is going to continue to around 2 this afternoon.

The wind is from the south. I have learned that whenever the wind blows in from the south, it rains. Interesting. Normally the wind blows over Key West from the east or northeast.

Lisa has a new line of jewelry. It is handcrafted from beach glass. Looks like and is island style jewelry. Take a peek. www.viakeywest.com.

Good radio show yesterday! I love doing the radio show!

I covered a multitude of items.

The top item being discussed after the show was that our little radio station KONK 1500 had been awarded the ranking as Florida’s #1 radio talk station. A big deal!

Video voyeurism also was a hit. The moral of the story is don’t use your cell phone to take pictures up an unknowing woman’s skirt. You can be arrested. As a man was at a Publix frozen food counter in Coral Gables.

The hurricane of 1935 also created much comment. It was a category 5 and occurred 75 years ago on the Labor Day weekend.

After the show, Larry Smith showed up at the studio. He and I and the station’s producer Jenna Stauffer chatted for a while.

I needed a manicure. Ovedue. So it was off to Lee Nails and Tammy.

Busy. Like every one was getting prettied up for the weekend. Even me, obviously.

Cocktails were at Louie’s Backyard last night. So beautiful! Louie’s sits on the ocean. An outside bar. The view was magnificent!

Marty and I had dinner at the bar at La Trattoria. No Becha. I was sad. Erin said she had an engagement.

I told Marty that one of the books I was reading involved Mormans. The book is Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.

I am half way through the book. I shared with Marty my thought that in some regard Mormans are a bit wacky. Said with all due respect. A couple of today prominent figures are Mormans. Mitt Romney and Glenn Beck. Romney switches sides to his convenience on most political issues. Beck I think is just plain crazy. Though he is getting rich at being so.

I shared with Marty that the Morman Church prescribes underwear for it members. Yes, Mormans have Church recommended undergarments. For men and women.

Marty did not argue with me. Though he did look at me with sort of a jaundiced eye.

He said he had a female friend in Utah who was a Morman. He pulled out his cell phone and called her. He asked her whether I was correct. She said I was.

The path of religion is sometime weird.

I can recall a time when certain orders of Catholic nuns required their members to flagellate themselves during evening prayers prior to bed.

That’s the way it is.

Enjoy your day! Be selective in your choice of underwear! And do not beat yourself up!