What a combination! Peter Max, Christopher Columbus and Tennessee Williams! The three are totally unrelated. They just happened to come up for comment on the same day.

Peter Max will be in Key West this weekend. Exciting! I have three of his works. Used to have four. Gave one years ago to one of my daughters.

Max will be appearing on saturday and sunday at the De Rubeis Gallery at 511 Duval. See the man and his work! I hope to.

Tennessee Williams will be appearing. However, not live. He left us long ago.

Williams lived in Key West some 30-40 years. His Key West home was on Duncan, one block from Lisa’s. He is known for his writings. It is not the writings which bring him to our attention at this time. It is his paintings!

I did not know that Williams painted. He did in his later years. The Custom House presently has on exhibit of  his paintings. Another must to see!

While sitting at the Plantation Coffee House yesterday, it dawned on me how tourists dress when Key West is cold. They throw anything on that they can find. Nothing matches. They don’t care. Just trying to keep warm. None would ever dress that way back home.

Stopped first at Don’s Place last night. Enjoyed David and Jeff’s company. Grant showed up just as I was leaving. Briefly chatted with Jimmy. Joanie rebuked me for passing her by without saying hello. She was correct. It was not intentional. My mind was somewhere else. She gave me a kiss and hug after hollering at me.

Especially enjoyed my evening at the Chart Room. The place was packed. Locals and tourists. Emily earned her keep last night. She was moving!

Sheila, David and Peter were there, also. I like David. He keeps telling me we are going to play billiards together. I think he is just talk (not meant offensively). I can never pin him down for an actual game.

Jim Cox was at the Chart Room. I had met him some two years ago briefly. Last night, we talked for quite a while. He is an attorney who works in house for a Dallas bank. Capital One Bank. He had a court appearance in Key West on a mortgage foreclosure case.

Jim is important? Special? I am not sure how to describe his claim to fame. Simply stated, he is one of the two remaining persons who has a  hole ready in the Chart Room bar rail for his ashes when he dies. The other is Che. The rest are gone.

Jim’s Dad Jim is already there. The two are the only father/son combination.

I suspect Jim will be the last to make it. He is about 45 years old. Che is 80.

We got into my recently published book. The World Upside Down. I suspect he is going to buy it. I told him to check Amazon.com and Barnesandnoblecom.

I read in one of the New York papers this morning that the National Security Agency bugs and stores 2 million texts a day. A disgrace! What bothers me is very few seem upset with this sort of thing. It is part of the ongoing erosion of our freedoms. Once lost, they are difficult to get back.

I started working on this week’s KONK Life column. It is going to be about Christopher Columbus. Revealing. You will not believe what I will be sharing with you. Aristotle and Washington Irving are involved also.

Enjoy your day!