The response to the anouncement of my radio show starting November 5 has been
overwhelming. People may actually listen to it!

I am trying to come up with a name for the show. The intent is to have a talk show discussing legal issues of the day. Sometimes just me. Other times guests. And telephone call ins.

I asked for suggestions for a name for the show yesterday. Twenty eight responses! Thank you. Keep them coming!

Golf yesterday! First time in 3 weeks. Fun! It was good to be back!

I played with Yankee Jack and Randy. The privilege cost me $15. Yankee was the big winner.

For some reason, Yankee became unreasonable yesterday. He was cheap with the strokes. Normally I get 1 on every hole except the 3s and 2 on the 4 toughest holes. He would not give me 2 strokes on the 4 hard ones.

By the end of the match, he was giving me 1 on the 3s and telling me to hit from the yellows.

His conscience had caught up with him!

It was hot on the golf course. Very little breeze. Not true. No breeze! Knocked me on my ass! I went home and spent the afternoon in bed.

Last night I skipped the Chart Room. Went directly to Antonia’s for dinner at the bar. Good drink, good food and good company!

And then home to bed. Still tired from golf.

Don, Kurt and Aaron also played golf. They went out in a separate 3 some. We met afterwards for a drink on the club house porch.

Don is going to have a first at Don’s Place Friday night. An Oktoberfest party! German food and German beer. All you can consume for $20. From 4 to ?.

Besides being intended as a fun thing, it also is a charity fund raiser. For certain kids at Bryant School who exceed.

The bar maids will be wearing appropriate Oktoberfest attire. Don says he will be dressed in leather shorts and hat. To see Don that way is worth the $20 alone!

Friday night is going to be busy. The Chart Room is continuing its Friday night costume parties. Or lack therfeof! Mark tells me that this Friday is Leather, Lace and Feathers. Ho ho! Starts at 9.

Do both parties! Start at Don’s Place and finish the evening at the Chart Room. If you can last that long!

Tonight bocci. Don lectured me yesterday. My game has to improve tonight. Last week was a disaster.

I shall try.

Enjoy!

Guess what?

I am going to do a radio show!

My own. I am going to host a one hour talk show weekly on Konk 1680 AM. The show starts
Thursday November 5 at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon.

The subject matter will be the law. Guests and call ins.

The show will be dedicated to local and national legal issues of interest.

The show will be available locally via radio and nationally and internationally via the internet. It will be able to be heard all over the United States and world wide by my friends and those interested.

I am excited!

We have not come up with a name for the show yet. Help me! If you have any ideas, let me know.

Lunch and the newspapers yesterday at Harpoon Harry’s. Every now and then I feel this need for old fashioned Mom type cooking. Yesterday it was meat loaf. Need I say more.

Then to Borders for some serious reading. I continue to leaf through John Morse’s biography of Abraham Lincoln. Morse lived during Lincoln’s presidency. It is exciting to read about Lincoln from a man who was there!

I woke during the night and flipped on the TV. There was a Civil War movie playing. Robert Duval was General Lee. Jeff Daniels played a Union general. What a waste of life!

Soccer time again last night. Ally was playing. Ally is 4 and this is her first season.

She did well! She ran with the ball and tried to get at it. A few times she was able to kick it a distance. She has one draw back. An intelligent one. When everyone is mixing it up and kicking, she slows up and backs off a bit. Who are these nuts kicking me! She will out grow it.

No question but that she will turn into an excellent player in a couple of years. She is swift. She is focused. And she is absolutely beautiful! A knockout in the making!

The Chart Room was quiet last night. Just Mark, me and a hotel guest.

I went to Kelley’s for dinner. Wings. Always good! Chatted with Chris the bartender. Bob was at the bar. Have not seen him in a while.

I ended up watching the Minnesota-Detroit game on TV. Good game! Something like 12 innings. Minnesota will now meet the Yankees. Some great baseball coming up!

Key Wester Wendy Grom was on Facebook with a message today. This must be that day of the week. She wished everyone a Happy Hump Day! Good girl, Wendy!

Golf this morning. I am anxious to play. I have not played in 3 weeks. I do not care how bad I play nor how much I lose. It is just good to be playing again!

Enjoy your day! I plan on enjoying mine!

I am up early again. Black outside. I cannot hear the water moving by. Which means there is no wind.

It was on the warm side yesterday. Temperature got up to 91. I wonder if the cold spell is leaving us.

I started my day at Blossom’s. Blossom’s is the old Paradise Cafe transported to a new location and new name. It was early so I limited my intake to cuban coffee and toast. And read the newspapers, of course.

Lunch was at home. Domestication is upon me. I had made a huge bowl of egg salad Sunday. So I am into eating it. I must say, not bad! Perhaps I have a new calling in my old age as a cook.

I had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon. Such appointments become a way of life as one gets older. OK as long as anything found is fixable!

Soccer last night. Robert plays on Monday. It was a big occasion! Robert scored his first goal!

I am proud of him!

Robert is playing better this year. Not because of the goal alone. He is mixing it up and going after the ball. And then there are times he just isn’t with it. He starts day dreaming and looking around when the play is on the other side of the field. I noticed that the other 5 year olds have this problem on occasion also. It is a focus issue. But it is being imporoved upon. In a year or two they will all look like pros.

After soccer, I went over to La Trattoria for dinner. La Trattoria has been closed for a couple of weeks for renovations. They must have been minor because I could not notice any discernable changes.

La Trattoria has good flavor. I am speaking of its atmosphere. That the food is good goes without saying.

Kathy was bartending. I have not seen her in about 3 weeks. She had a one week trip up to Albany for a family wedding before the renovations. She has a great personality. And is a first class human being to boot.

It is a small world. The couple I was sitting next to at the bar were from Syracuse!

Tom and Jeannine are actually from Cicero, a suburb of Syracuse. Tom owns an employee leasing company. Jeannine is manager of a furniture supply chain. Nice people. We spoke of Syracuse football. What else! I loved it!

They have a double time share at the Galleon. Are in Key West every year at this time. Like the rest of us, they will eventually buy here. I could tell. They are hooked on Key West!

I just looked out the window. The sun must have come up. But I cannot see it. There are heavy clouds at the moment. So the sole palm tree and ocean in my view are all gray. A pretty sight.

Lisa continues to work hard on her Key West internet department store. Via Key West will open soon. She is tweaking it ad infinitum!

Enjoy your day!

Good morning!

I am up early. Everything is pitch black outside.

I can hear the water. The ocean is running beneath my window.

I can hear the garbage truck. It is Monday morning pick up time.

After spending yesterday morning lounging in bed and watching TV, I headed for Don’s Place. Sundays at Don’s during football season has become a tradition. Every one shows up! All friendly faces!

Then I was off to Lisa’s. To see my loving daughter, her husband Corey and the grandkids. Robert and Ally are getting big. They seem just a bit taller each time I am with them. I also was able to read the Sunday papers while there.

I went home to catch the tail end of the PGA Turning Stone Golf Tournament. It ended in a tie. Went 2 extra holes when play was suspended. It gets dark in upstate New York early these days. The players could no longer see the ball. They tee off again at 8:30 this morning.

I enjoyed watching the tournament. It is Fall. Turning Stone is about 15 miles from my hometown of Utica. The leaves are turning, just as the name of the resort indicates. They are all kinds of bright colors. Reds, yellows and browns. The tournmanent on TV gave me the opportunity to do a New York autumn without experiencing the cold and rain that accompanies it.

Marty telephoned. My friend Marty Leshaw. Who has been gone from Key West for about 10 days now.

He wanted to know who Garcia was that I mentioned in yesterday’s blog. I told him he/it was a bit confusing. My message from Garcia technically was a message to Garcia. The term had been bastardized over the years. It had to do with Cuba, the Spanish-American war of 1898, Tyrone Power and the U.S. Navy. A story in and of itself and reserved for another day.

Anyhow, Marty will return in 3-4 days. My lonely dinners will be over!

Marty told me he had been in New York City over the weekend. He left Fort Lauderdale Friday and returned yesterday, Sunday. The purpose of his trip was to see Amy Culver in her maiden public performance as a comedian.

Amy is a Key Wester, former owner of Mangoes Restaurant and a much loved woman here in Key West. Marty said Amy was absolutely terrific! She is outstanding as a comedian! A hidden talent revealed!

Good girl, Amy! You broke a leg!

Last night I had dinner at Antonia’s at the bar. Good food!

TK was bartending. Tiffany waiting on tables. And Bart hosting. All good people!

I hurried home after dinner to catch Mad Men on TV at 10. Love the series! What a show! If you are not into it, get into it! It is the 1960s as it was!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was a typical Key West day. A good one! They are all good!

To begin, the weather continues to be perfect. The lack of humidity makes all the difference in the world.

Lisa and Corey came over yesterday morning with the grandkids. They have a Saturday ritual. Yard sales. They religiously do them every Saturday morning.

Robert and Ally are each given $.25. To use to buy whatever they want. But they can only spend a quarter a piece.

They are getting quite good at it. Both have learned bartering. At 5 and 4 years old, they negotiate if something costs more than they can afford. Occasionally they will luck out and get a $2 item for twenty five cents.

Yesterday, Ally was all excited. She bought a toy plastic hair dryer. Pink. Pink made it all the more special. It is her favorite color. She made believe she was drying my hair!

Robert had some space war soldier toy. He loves those things.

After they left, I drove into town for a walk. I walked the waterfront again. It was lunch time. The tourist places like Conch Republic, Schooner’s and Half Shell Raw Bar were busy. I ran into Captain Peter. He was sitting by the water sharply dressed wearing his straw hat.

I stopped at Harpoon Harry’s for cuban toast and to read the newspapers.

Then home to watch college football and golf on TV.

The PGA is at Turning Stone this weekend. Turning Stone is a gambling casino and resort in Verona, New York. Verona is about 20 miles from my home town Utica.

Turning Stone is a big time operation! The fact that they have a PGA tournament speaks for itself. Five golf courses! All in great shape. A pleasure to play. And terrific restaurants, spas and what have you. I never visited for the gambling. Gambling never turned me on. I had to work too hard for my money and had too much respect for it. However, the amenities that surrounded the gambling attracted me to Turning Stone. It became my social place evenings when I was still back in Utica practicing law.

It is Fall up north. The seasons are changing. Summer has slipped into Fall. It was evident yesterday watching the golf tournamnet. The leaves have changed! They were aflame in color!

Last night I hit the Chart Room first. Michael was bartending. Mike and Tina were there. Mike and Tina are from Hartford, Connecticut. They own a home in Key West also. Near the cemetary. They seem to be down here once a month. Good for them!

Last night they were with Mike’s parents. The parents were having a good time! Very personable people.

While we were at the bar, two guys came in dressed strangely. Even for Key West.

They had to be in their 50s. They were both wearing what I would describle as faux fur coats. Long. Heavy appearing. One pink and the other light blue. Both were also wearing huge hats made of similar material. The hats were like large pancakes sitting in their heads.

What the event they were to attend, what the party, I do not know. Again, it was strange attire even for Key West.

They were already fairly inebriated. They had a couple of quick drinks and were on their way. To where, we knew not. They had one complaint in the short time they were with us. They had been required by someone or some authority to wear shorts under their coats. They wanted to go bare. They were confident that before the night was over, the shorts would be gone.

Little did they know, that their night was probably going to be a short one. It was not even 8 o’clock and they were already shot. I would be surprised if they made it to midnight!

I had a need for a steak. So it was off to the Strip House at the Reach. I enjoyed an excellent strip steak with creamed spinach and potatoes. Shades of a New York steak house!

Fred Kulzer is a friend on Facebook. He resides in Munchen, Germany. He wrote today something to the effect that daydreaming is a harmless vacation. It struck me. How true!

Today is Sunday. Always a big day. The Sunday papers, Meet the Press, Don’s Place for professional football, Lisa and the grandchildren and the Gardens. What could be better!

There is a message from Garcia to Jean and Marty. Where ever you are, hurry back to Key West. You are missed!

Enjoy your Sunday, also!

What a beautiful morning!

The sun is shining. The water still. No breeze. And best of all, no humidity! This cold spell, which has dropped the Key West temperature to about 88 degrees, is wonderful!

Late yesterday morning, I took a walk along the waterfront. Key West beauty never ceases to amaze me!

Afterwards I opted for lunch at Harpoon Harry’s. It has swiftly become a new favorite of mine.

Earlier in the week, I saw a lady eating potatoes and eggs covered with a sausage gravy. Our eyes met. She gave me that smile indicating that her meal was to die for!

So yesterday I had scrambled eggs and potatoes covered with sausage gravy. So good! Orgastic!

And filling! Fat may taste good, but it sits in the tummy all day.

I took another walk. I needed it.

Last night I skipped dinner. I knew I could handle no more food.

Instead I stopped at the Chart Room. Chatted with friends. Talked with Mark the bartender. Mark has started friday night parties. First, it was a pajama party. Last week a half shirt party. Last night a movie star party.

Although the party was 2 hours off, Mark was already partially dressed. He had a red/purple false punk hair wig on top of his head. He was to be some female movie star. Forgive me Mark, I forget who.

While enjoying my drinks, I noticed the antlers were missing. The ones that Che had hung. I asked Mark what had happened to the antlers. He said Captain Peter had hung his straw hat on the antlers. The antlers fell. Che did not get mad. However he took the antlers home and was putting together some sort of board to atttach the antlers to that would then be screwed into the wall.

I decided to go to the movies. The Tropic was showing Inglorious Bastreds. So I walked over.

A good movie. Strange ending. Worth seeing.

Ran into Don and Stephanie in the lobby before the show. Don thought the movie was a comedy. He was serious. I told him no. Actually supposed to be a bit gruesome. It was.

I was walking Duval on the way back to my car when I ran into Jennie. She was with her boy friend. Jennie plays bocci when I do and works the drug counter at Walgreens where I purchase my prescription meds. I was the recipient of a happy hug and kiss.

Lisa just telephoned. She worked late into the night on her internet department store Via Key West. The weekend will be the same. She is in the home stretch to her opening.

Enjoy your day!

I am up early this morning. Still dark outside. Black.

I had a busy morning yesterday.

A visit to the doctor first. Spider bite check up. What a difference a week makes! Last friday I stayed in bed all day with pain. My thigh had balloned up and was flaming red.

Modern science is wonderful, however. The pills worked. The doctor says I must stay on the antibiotics yet for a few more days.

Then to see Lori for a haircut. Always a pleasure! She is lovely and good company! I am pleased to see her business flourishing. She has been open less than a year and is doing well. Lori says hair care is the one of the last things to go in a poor economy.

I bought a bunch of newspapers and lunched at Hogfish. Spent a couple of hours there.

Then home to continue with Lisa’s painting. I screwed up!

You will recall that the birthday painting I had done for her the day before was damp and I could not finish it. I could not figure out why. I was using acrylics and the paint should have dryed immediately.

I figured out why! I have oils and acrylics. I used the oils instead of the acrylics to do Lisa’s painting. It takes a week for an oil painting to dry!

So much for paying attention!

I then took a nap in preparation for bocci later.

I should have stayed up!

Bocci was a disaster! I played terribly! The worst in a long time!

We lost all 3 games.

None of us played that well. But I will take responsibility for my shortcomings last night. I shoot first. My job is to get the ball on the polina. Good luck! I was not even coming close.

Sorry fellas!

I was so despondent that I did not even go over to Don’s Place for a drink afterwards. Home and to bed, instead. I must have continued to be bothered. I slept poorly all night.

Enjoy your day!

It is after 7 and the sun is just rising. Gray clouds overhead. The sun is sneaking through causing silver streaks on the water. Cool to view.

Key West is in its first cold spell of this season. It was only 88 yesterday!

I spent the morning sitting on my deck reading. The book is about my former home town, Utica, New York. It is a history of Utica written by Judge John Walsh. It is one of the books that Ann, my reporter friend of yesteryear, gave to me last week.

I knew Judge Walsh. He was a big burly Irishman. Soft spoken. An easy going personality. He was a judge most of his professinal life. First as a City Court Judge. Then as a County Court Judge.

County Court judges tried the big criminal cases. Then and now. And that is how I first met Judge Walsh.

It was 1961. I was a new lawyer. Had yet to try my first case. The telephone rang. It was Judge Walsh’s secretary. The judge wanted to see me. I ran to his office. This was the first time any judge had requested my presence.

The Judge assigned me to represent an indigent in a criminal case. A murder case! There was no public defender in those days. The Judge generally assigned a young attorney to represent the poor in criminal cases. It was supposed to be a good way for the young attorney to gain experience. The issue of justice and how an inexperienced lawyer impacted on the accused never came up. It was years later before the system recognized the need for competent counsel to be appointed.

In any event, I was assigned to represent an indigent black. The scenerio alleged was that my defendant murdered a white man while the white man was orally copulating him in an alley. And that my defendant robbed the man of something like $5 thereafter.

We tried the case for 5 1/2 weeks. It was my first trial. That is probably why it took so long. I was incompetent! But persevering! My cross examinations were long.

The charge again was murder. The jury was out for 25 hours straight. No sending them off to a hotel for the night. There probably was not enough money in the budget.

The jury returned about 4 in the morning. The verdict was guilty of robbery in the second degree. My defendant was found not guilty of the murder charges and robbery in the first degree. He was found guilty of the least charged offense, robbery in the second degree.

When the jury verdict was read, my defendant looked at me and said, “You shit bum!” So much for saving him from the elecric chair!

Judge Walsh sentenced him immediately. Things were different in those days.

The Judge gave him the maximum. 18 months. He had already spent 24 months in jail awaiting trial. With credit for time served, he was a free man to walk out of the courtroom. My defendant looked at me again and said, ” You’re terrific!”

Such is life!

We celebrated Lisa’s birthday last night.

Lisa wanted to have dinnner and cake at home. I had wanted to take them all out. So it was Lisa, Corey, me and the grandkids at Lisa’s kitchen table.

A good time was had by all!

Corey baked the birthday cake with the help of the grandkids. Robert and Ally were thrilled. The cake was absolutely delicious.

Lisa is happy and I am happy for Lisa.

My birthday gift to Lisa was a painting. I started it yesterday afternoon. Since I was using acrylics, I assumed I could do it all in an afternoon and it would be dry.

I was mistaken. I had to so some painting over and could not because the paint was still damp. So I told Lisa the painting was a work in progress. She will get it in a few days.

Tonight bocci. We are on a high. We have won all 3 games the last 2 thursdays. Tonight we play the number 2 team. We are cocky. We think we can beat them!

Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Enjoy your day!

I woke to pouring rain this morning. Heavy!

The talk of the town yesterday was today’s weather. A cold spell was going to hit Key West today! The first of the season.

Every one was happy. Cool weather is always welcome here in Key West.

Yes, the high today will be 88. Imagine. That is a cold spell! 88 is lower than the low or mid 90s, so I guess it is cooler.

The real impact of this cold spell will be the absence of humidity. Significant.

I will dress the same today as yesterday and the day before and the day before that day. Shorts and a tee shirt. The rain will not be a factor. It will stop before I finish this blog. It will be a typical Key West day. Sunny. And only the locals will know we are experiencing a cold spell!

I lunched at Blossoms yesterday. Blossoms is the former Paradise Cafe at a new location. Cuban toast with melted cheese and tomato. Always the same meal. Read the news papers.

Then to Lisa’s. Lisa stayed home from work yesterday. Little Ally was sick. A temperature, sore throat and cough. She had taken a 2 hour nap before I arrived. Always the sign of illness in a child.

Other than being a bit quiet, she seemed OK. She was playing checkers on the living room floor with her mother. I am amazed that at 4 she can play and understand checkers. Why not! Ally can play chess also! Great school that Montessori.

Ally finally got hungry in the middle of the afternoon. A good sign! She wanted macaroni and cheese. Lisa made it. I ate it with Ally. It was good!

Last night I had a quiet dinner alone at the bar at Hogfish. Not too many people. Read the local papers and chatted with the barmaids.

It has stopped raining. The sun is coming out.

And now for a most important piece of information. Today is Lisa’s 45th birthday! Happy Birthday Lisa! I love you!

Enjoy your day!

I saw the doctor yesterday. I am going to live. It’s a spider bite. But not the bad brown recluse one. The swelling is down 90 per cent. There is a black area about the size of a half dollar behind the bites. The doctor says it is blood accumulation. I have to see her again thursday.

My doctor still claims there are no brown recluse spiders in the keys. They are not indiginous to the area. Some one wrote a comment yesterday and pointed out that Governor Crist got bit by one at County Mayor De Gennaro’s home last week. The commentator also pointed out that pythons are not indiginous to this area. Yet we all know they have been found in recent years in the upper keys.

So much for indiginous!

After the doctor visit, I went over to Harpoon Harry’s for cuban toast. A first! Glad I did! Great cuban toast!

The medications I am on for the spider bite are heavy. Note the “s” on medications. I am taking 3 pills. They make me drowsy. So I spent most of the afternoon in bed sleeping.

Last night I had dinner with Rob abd Bebee. They invited me to join them at Santiago’s. Another first for me! I had never been to Santiago’s before.

Santiago’s is a tapas restaurant. It is located in Bahama Village. At the far end of the commercial area. You really have to go deep into Bahama Village to find it.

The place was packed. People were standing outside and on the street sipping sangrias waiting for tables. Rob and Beebe had arrrived early and secured a nice outside table.

The food was excellent! We picked on lamb chops, filet, roman meatballs, shrimp, grouper, special breads and onion soup. Oh, so good!

Afterwards we stopped at Don’s place for a drink. Michelle was there. She had a ton of money in front of her. And she was all smiles! She had won the football pool from the day before.

We all chatted for a while and then it was home to bed for me.

Lisa is working industriously on her internet department store Via Key West. It is slated for an opening in 7-10 days. She is continuing with her tweaking on the site. It is amazing how much work is involved in setting up this site and venture. She has over a year invested in it.

The morning is beautiful. The sun has come up since I started writing this morning. Another beautiful Key West day in the making! Sun shining. A few white clouds. The palm tree sparkling. Little breeze.

Enjoy your day!