Key West has changed over the years. Everything and everyone changes. Such is life.

I love listening to Steve Thompson talk about the Key West he discovered when he arrived in the mid 1960’s. And others speak of the 1970’s and 1980’s when they arrived. My recollections of the Key West I knew when first I came in the 1990’s. And the changes that have occurred since that time.

Change is like death. A certainty. One can only hope Key West continues to change slowly and some remnants of the old remain.

Which brings me to a Citizens’ Voice comment published this morning: “Key West: Where the iguanas outnumber the rum runners and pina coladas flow like holy water, and the ghosts of Hemingway’s six toed cats judge us from the shadows. Sure, you could focus on the potholes and parking woes, or you could embrace the fact you live in a place where pants are optional, time is an illusion and every sunset feels like a cosmic wink. Please don’t lose your weird – it’s the only thing keeping us from turning into the mainland.”

Another Citizens’ Voice comment today. One that deserves attention. A possible Key West Airport fire: “The Airport is so proud of their record number of passengers. Record number of  flight delays and cancellations? Let’s see those numbers. Do the math, they are exceeding the legal number of people in the holding pen. Add the delayed flights, see the photos. Where’s the Fire Marshall?”

A bit of Key West history. On this day in 1952, Harry Truman arrived in Key West for his 11th working vacation and last as President. As I have written for years, Truman loved Key West and Key West loves Truman.

Wow, did the weather change overnight!

I was up at 4 this morning. Was it cold! Turned on the heat. The temperature was 63 degrees. The weather report said it felt like 54 degrees. The high today projected to be 73. For us locals, still cold. The cold took me by surprise.

Trump is proving unreliable. Europe has no choice. It is rushing to firm up its defenses on its own.

One of Trump’s motivations is to destroy NATO. To satisfy one of his friend Putin’s greatest desires. 

NATO will survive without the U.S. European and other nations will do the necessary to survive and succeed on their own.

The question is how will the U.S. survive if its most powerful friend is Russia? Do not think Putin will not want to take over the U.S. also. Greed and power are at the core of his being. What a feather in his cap should he also end up controlling the U.S.

The word behind the scenes is many Republicans are encouraging Trump to make up with Zelensky. They favor providing money and military aid to Ukraine and also intelligence. Something no one talks about are the jobs. The jobs that will be lost in U.S. defense plants if the 80 percent of American support money which technically goes to Ukraine but spent in U.S. plants making war equipment for Ukraine no longer is available. Because Trump cut off aid to Ukraine!

Trump screwing his own people once again.

 He never thinks beyond step one. There are always further ramifications to everything done.

Democrats are not doing enough to block Trump’s wrongdoings. On the other hand, I wonder what could be done at the moment. Perhaps Trump left alone will destroy himself.

However, one thing does bother me. The censure of Democratic Congressman Al Green because he was interrupting Trump’s speech. I recall when a Republican Congressman at a State of the Union Address called out to the Democratic President: “You lie!” I think it was Presidnet Obama. Whoever, immaterial. The point I am making is no censure of the Republican Congressman was sought by the Democrats at the time.

Republicans never play fair. Democrats generally do. As I consistently have written, Democrats have to begin playing down and dirty as their Republican counterparts do. You do not win wars being a nice guy.

Defense Secretary Pee Hegseth seems to have his hands full with things non-defense. Typical of a Trump appointee.

His recent “gem” is banning images of the “Enola Gay.” As part of his quest to nix all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) from Defense websites and online posts.

Enola Gay was Col. Paul Tibbetts’ mother’s name. Tibbitts was the pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Tibbitts had named his plane “Enola Gay” in honor of his mother.

Twenty six thousand such images have been flagged for deletion so far in the Defense Department. The number could reach 100,000. Doesn’t Hegseth and Defense have better things to do?

I close with blood all over the place. 

The past week has been a time for minor injuries to affect me. There was my infected ankle. Blew up and turned red. Painful. Still on antibiotics which are working. I also broke my nose a few weeks ago. Did not pay any attention to it till I saw Dr. Norris for my ankle. He verified I had broken it. However healing, bump tiny, discomfort slight.

My last problem occurred wednesday morning. My back an ongoing problem. Getting in and out of cars simply stated hurts. Causes me to strike the door jam with my left arm.

I take blood thinners. Already had a half dollar sized blood clot on the arm when I struck it wednesday. Thought nothing of it, other than it hurt a bit.

I was tired so laid on the bed for a nap. When I woke, my sheet and quilt were covered in blood. From where? Turned and saw it was my left arm. The blood clot had opened and was flowing. Yes, flowing.

Ran to the bathroom sink. Blood on the floor trailing behind me. The sink a bloody mess. The shirt I was wearing likewise.

In a matter of two hours following, I bled through 4 large band aids. Called Dr. Norris. Come right over, he said. I drove with my arm wrapped in a towel.

He did not even take off the last large band aid. He wrapped my arm over and over with a large bandage and then one of those things that tighten around a bandage. His instructions were to call him in 6 hours re the bleeding and skip my next blood thinner.

I was still bleeding six hours later. Blood dripping here and there everywhere. Could not believe it!

It was much less than when I had seen Norris, however.

Norris told me to remove the bandages the next morning. I did. What a mess. I bled heavy through the voluminous bandaging he had done and more on my sheets and quilt as I slept. 

It stopped later in the day.

Fun! This getting old has all kinds of bullshit problems built in. The bleeding not serious, but a gross inconvenience.

What next?

Enjoy your day!