ROGER WESTERLUND

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We come and go. Death a certainty. Inevitable.

July 6 was a major milestone in my life. My 80th birthday. It was a sad day in Roger and Mary Ann Westerlund’s lives. Roger died. He was 83. The world lost a good man. Key West one of its favorite persons.

Roger was a retired anesthesiologist. He retired from the NYU Medical Center. He and Mary Ann moved to Key West sometime in the late 1990s. They were already here when I bought my Key West home in 1998.

My wife at the time and I were strangers. Knew few people. The Westerlunds were always quick to introduce us to others.

It is sometimes hard to describe the real person. Roger can best be understood by his plaque at the Tropic Cinema. The Tropic was raising money for the new location. Roger made a donation. A urinal donation.

There are two urinals in the men’s room. Roger paid for one of those urinals. On the wall over the urinal is a plaque. Eye level. It reads…..THIS STATION FOR YOUR RELIEF PROVIDED BY ROGER WESTERLUND.

Roger will be remembered by those who use the urinal and those who do not. Robert was a well known figure around town. Loved and respected by all.

My day began with my friend the anti-gravity treadmill. A real work out. I have increased the miles per hour and inclines. Thirty minutes and my tee shirt was sticking wet.

It was lunch time. The Cuban Coffee Queen. A cheese toast and large Cuban coffee. Sat there a while reading the newspapers.

The new location of the Cuban Coffee Queen in Key Lime Square behind Antonio’s has turned into a gold mine. Good for them!

Dinner last night at Hot Tin Roof with Rick and Cynthia. Wonderful people. We are relatively new friends. It was at their home three months ago that I suffered the first of my three consecutive days of falling. Not their fault. My body’s fault.

Rick writes. For KONK Life as I do. He is openly against anything he senses is wrong. He brings lawsuits on his own to fight what he perceives Key West injustices. No lawyer. Rick feels he is qualified, however. He did a year at Yale Law School.

Charlotte and Skip stopped by our table. I have seen neither in a couple of months. Skip is a premier radio broadcaster. Was the man in Key West. Relocated to another station in Islamorada where he and Charlotte now live.

Charlotte is from one of the Carolinas. She worked for United Health Care. I beat her up many times with my complaints about the company. United Health Care my AARP supplement.

If my recollection is correct, Charlotte is now associated with the dolphin facility in the Keys.

Charlotte lived many years on her boat in the Carolinas. Not taking well to apartment living. She intends to bring her boat down to Islamorada for her and Skip to live on.

Charlotte runs. The big marathons all over the country. She told me when last we met that she was going to do the 50 mile run from Marathon to Key West. She told me last night she did. Completed the run with no difficulty. I who cannot walk very far! I hate her sometimes!

Jean Thornton back in town. I looked for her before and after dinner last night. Could not find her. Emily at the Chart Room told me Jean and Sheila were participating in the Mel Fisher Treasure Hunt. The winners received $5,000. I don’t know if Jean and Sheila won.

Jean already won. Some years back, Jean was diving with Mel Fisher. She was either his guest or paid a small fee to do a one day dive. Jean found emeralds and gold. Changed her life! No more the Indiana school teacher. She and husband Joe now live in Birmingham and Key West. They have a condo in Truman annex.

Jean has come to be known as the Key West Golden Girl because of her find.

This morning’s KONK Life E-Blast carries my KONK Life column for the week. Illegal Human Trafficking. Not about prostitution. About Uber. An historical walk re a relatively new company.

You have picked up I am sure that I have not written re Greece the past few days. The situation confuses me at this point. My lips are sealed till there is a result/conclusion.

Enjoy your day!

CHARLOTTE IS BACK

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I generally can be found at the Chart Room at cocktail time. Last night was different. I did not arrive till 9:30. Emily was shocked to see me.

I am glad I decided to stop in for a late night drink. Seated at the bar was the lovely vivacious Charlotte. Charlotte from the Carolinas. Charlotte who has lived on a boat for years. Charlotte worked for United Health Care. I used to beat her up with my United Health Care complaints.

The same Charlotte who is and has been in love with Skip. Skip is well known to Key West. He is a premier radio announcer and entertainer. Charlotte was with Skip at the bar.

Turned out they were visiting Key West last night. Sort of. Skip is now affiliated with an Islamorada radio station. They are living in Islamorada. Charlotte is looking for a job. She has an interview monday with the local Chamber of Commerce.

Charlotte runs. A marathon runner. Travels all over the country to participate. Oh, were I she. My body would look terrific.

A month from now Charlotte is running in a 50 mile marathon. From Marathon to Key West. She figures it will take her about 12 hours. It would take me 12 days! I admire her.

Prior to my Chart Room visit, I went to the movies. Saw Woman in Gold at the Regal Cinema. An excellent movie! I recommend it. Helen Mirren was her usual outstanding self.

I had a distasteful experience before the movie started. Buy pop corn, soda and candy was on the screen. I was chatting with the person next to me. There were a total of six of us in the theatre.

All of a sudden, I hear a voice yelling at me. A gentleman two rows behind and on the other side was upset that I was talking. I was talking quietly. However, apparently too loud for him.

I turned around and immediately apologized. He continued his ranting and raving. I politely said I apologize a second time. The guy would not stop. I was ready to say…..Asshole, go f–k yourself! I bit my tongue instead and turned around. He kept mouthing off another 30 seconds.

There is poetic justice in this world. Just before the movie started, about 10 ladies of senior vintage came in. They sat in two rows ahead of the bellower. They talked from the minute they sat down and throughout the movie. Bozo said nothing. He was screwed!

Lunched at Geiger Key. A beautiful setting!

Gasoline prices perplexed me. The Shell station on the boulevard was $2.75 per gallon. The Shell station at Key Haven $2.80. The Shell station at Geiger Key $2.65. Does not make sense.

Sheila Cullen’s brother died. Sad. Sheila is in Indiana for services. I feel bad for Sheila. I can’t wait for her to return so I can wrap my arms around her for a few moments.

The casserta I received is becoming a problem. I love the stuff! It is killing my diet, however. I ate it three times yesterday.

The casserta received was huge. I have only consumed 25 percent so far. I intend to freeze the rest to make it more difficult for me to get at it.

Today is memorable in history. On this day in 1942, Doolittle led American bombers over Japan. Our first significant retaliation of World War II. A dangerous…..you might not return…..type mission.

Enjoy your day!