HURRICANE HOLE

My Saturday was quiet. As was Friday, the day before.

Slowing down in my old age.

I spent a part of yesterday afternoon continuing research for this week’s KONK Life column.The subject mater sand. The world is running out of usable sand. Comparable to the world’s water problem.

So bad, a black market in sand already exists in certain countries.

I look forward to writing the article this afternoon. Few are aware of the sand problem.

Got out last night! Dinner with Donna and Terri at Hurricane Hole.

Hurricane Hole is a hole. Therein lies its charm. A small marina on a small bit of water surrounded by mangroves. An open air bar and tables. Nothing fancy. Food good, however.

Not easy to find. Hurricane Hole sits on US 1. Less than .2 of a mile outside Key West. Just over Cow Key Bridge going north on US 1.

My ladies were tired. Getting ready to move. In a week. Still packing boxes. Their new abode will be in Bahama Village. At the corner of Whitehead and Petronia Streets.

Terri is doing well and not so well. Her eyes get worse by day. She needs assistance walking. An arm on her arm. She has a walking stick. Uses it well.

Some vision available for minor uses. Like eating. She wears two sets of glasses. One upon the other to get minimum vision. Soon, there will be no vision.

They have had Bear to the seeing eye dog trainer to determine if he qualifies. He does. Soon, the training will begin.

BOB an excellent learning tool, as well as informative.

Bob and Ann Smith were having lunch at Road Kill Cafe. Before my time. Never heard of it.

The waitress an acquaintance. She came up to Bob and asked if he had a smoke. He offered a cigarette. She was looking for a joint.

A conversation ensued re the high cost of grass. The question arose as to why? Because of golf, Bob said.

Bear with me. I am not sure even after reading the chapter several times how the two are interconnected. The story however interesting.

Bob explained that when they lived in Buffalo, there was a lot of snow. Everyone carried jumper cables in their cars. In the middle of the night, Bob’s front door bell rang. It was the police. A passer by had seen someone steal Bob’s jumper cables. The police were able to quickly apprehend the culprit. They wanted to make Bob aware.

Bob obviously was pleased. He asked the officer to hand him the jumper cables. The officer refused, explaining that the theft of jumper cables in New York was a Class A Felony and had to be retained for evidence.

Two weeks later, Bob received a notice to appear in court. The notice further advised that if he failed to do so, a warrant for his arrest could be issued.

Bob appeared. Directed to a large court room and told to take a seat. Bob estimates 300 people in the room. Bob was dressed suit and tie for the occasion. Most others, not.

Soon several of the others began asking him about the proceedings. Bob explained he was not a lawyer. Merely like them. Which he was not. Most were defendants waiting to go before the judge. Bob had been directed to the wrong room.

He went into the hall. Saw the public defender representing the man who stole his jumper cables and the arresting police officer. He went over and chatted with them.

Bob was anxious to get out of the place and asked them what had to be done. They said the action was on the floor above. Nothing really moved on the floor they were on.

So upstairs the three went. Into a maze of offices with a lone secretary sitting in the middle. Several assistant district attorneys plea bargaining cases. Bob described the scene as chaos.

The public defender and police officer knew what to do. Soon the guy who stole Bob’s jumper cables case was resolved.

Bob was free to leave.

He asked how plea bargaining came to be.

At first plea bargaining was used to get one defendant to turn on another in order to get a sweet deal. Flipping. The system worked well. Cases moved.

One judge said, in effect, hey this works terrific! Why don’t we use it to negotiate sentences so a sole defendant will agree to plead to a lesser charge. His motivation was that judges could get out of work earlier and have time each afternoon to play golf. In fact, he thought they could be out by lunch.

Plea bargaining born to provide judge’s with the opportunity to play golf. What all this had to do with the high cost of pot, I still do not understand.

Children separated from parents at the border. Commonplace recently in the United States. We read and talk about the impact on the children. To hear about it first hand from a person it actually happened to impactful.

The New York Times began an OPINIONS section this morning. It will run every Sunday. People writing about first hand experiences.

Victoria Smolkin today a history professor at Wesleyan University and an author. Thirty years ago, 8 years old. She, her parents and family were escaping Communist Russia. They had necessary papers. They reached the crucial point at the border. Theirs bags searched. The mother’s contained an inexpensive broach that was a family heirloom. The Russian guards thought she was taking expensive jewelry out of Russia.

The mother was taken away. The problem resolved two days later and her mother returned.

Here it is 30 years later. Victoria recalls how she developed a huge bald spot on the right side of her head and wet the bed for two years.

Trauma? You bet. Imagine what the immigrant children in the U.S. are experiencing and will suffer therefrom  for years.

Victoria wrote: “…..separating families at the border…..not about law and order…..about power, and the abuse of power – because if, in the collision between border and body, no one protects the body, the border always wins.”

Enjoy your Sunday!

ISABELLA

Met Isabella last night. A lovely lady.

Isabella is a 2 year old Old English Sheep Dog. Her master/owner/caretaker Tim Reynolds.

Tim is an old friend from more than 20 years back. Tim for 13 years was the Chef at Square One. A top chef at a top restaurant. He and owner Michael Stewart a team.

Tim now lives in the St. Petersburg area. In Key West for a few days.

We had dinner together last night at Salute’s. Tim, Barbara and me.

Tim greeted me outside Salute’s with Isabella. I was overwhelmed at first. Isabella full grown. Awesome.

Tim takes excellent care of Isabella. She was decked out in pink bows. Her coat shining. She behaved like a lady during dinner. Laid by the table and rarely moved.

Golf is not a cheap sport to play. Green fees expensive. The Key West Golf Course consistent with the national trend in that regard.

Fifty years ago, Key West golfers complained. The price of a round of golf on the weekend was raised to $3.50.

Al Roker was in Key West last week. For the Today show. Highlighting hurricane relief efforts in the Keys. Fifty one first responders were honored. The event took place at the Margaritaville Resort.

Sexual harassment in the news big time. Will continue to be.

You would assume female sexual harassment unchallenged is centuries old. Not so. I was surprised to learn that in ancient Rome female sexual harassment was not tolerated. Terms used in those days were accosting, stalking and abducting. Female sexual assault was considered contrary to good morals.

Recall last year’s Keystone pipeline furor. In North Dakota. The Sioux Indians involved.

Keystone people stated the pipeline was safe. Leakage would not be a problem.

Obama had rejected the pipeline on environmental grounds. Trump made Keystone a key plank in his energy policy. A federal permit to proceed with the pipeline’s construction was issued by the Trump administration in March.

The pipeline runs through several States. Last week, an underground leak occurred in South Dakota. Keystone claims the leak only 5,000 barrels and contained. Hopefully so.

In any event, this is only the beginning. All pipelines leak. This one is merely the first of many to come.

Yesterday was the 154th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s brief but famous words. He spoke of “…..government of the people, by the people, for the people” not perishing from the earth.

Take heed of Lincoln’s words. We are losing the government he described.

Forget not Irma and Me. The book is available on amazon.com.

Charles Manson died yesterday at the age of 83. Hard to describe the man. He was evil personified. Despicable.

A cult leader, he was responsible for the deaths of seven people over a period of two nights in August 1969 in the Los Angeles area.

His group’s first victim was actress Sharon Tate. Eight months pregnant, she was stabbed 16 times.

Manson received life in prison. Never paroled.

Tomorrow I am undergoing a heart catheterization at a Hollywood hospital. Which sadly means no blog tomorrow and perhaps also wednesday. In addition, my tuesday podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou will not air.

Worry not. I will be back. This is my fourth heart catheterization. Not a big deal unless the doctor screws up.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

keystone people said the l

FLORIDA WEEKLY…..Key West Edition

An enjoyable time at Sq. 1 last night. The company!

I was seated at the corner of the bar sipping a gin and reading the newspapers. All of a sudden, they came in. Five of them. Four women and one man. Lively and interesting.

I could not help overhearing their conversation. Felt sorry for the man. A tough night with four ladies.

The conversation that caught my attention was one re botex, eye lifts, and other facial corrections/updates. The two women really into it surprised me. Claiming they had to do something. Neither needs now nor will need facial work for at least 20 years.

Female vanity.

Let me introduce you. The gentleman, Louis Spelios. Anyone with the name Louis has to be a good guy. He was. Once a dentist in Miami, now a retired dentist in Key West working two days a week. A golfer. Plays every wednesday morning. His group follows Don Manaher’s. A story unto itself.

Louis’ wife was Jenna. One of the two beauties discussing facial work.

Jenn was another one of those who thought she needed help. No way! Her name, Jenn Doll. Jenn is the Publisher of the Key West edition of Family Weekly. A new paper on the island. Only six weeks old.

I was given a copy. Read it later at home. A winner! Great articles. Excellent writers. Tons of colorful advertising. Perfect layout.

The remaining two ladies Dawn and Marsha. Can’t say anything about them. Jenna, Jenn and the two Louis’ monopolized the conversation.

I enjoyed their company. Had a good time. Would enjoy running into them again.

Walked over to La Te Da for dinner at the outside bar. I wanted crispy duck.

As good as the company was at Sq. 1, it sucked at La Te Da. Two women sat next to me. Fortyish. One a snowbird. Has owned a Key West home 12 years. The other her house guest.

Both know it alls! Pains in the ass! I could not wait till dinner was done and I could leave.

Fantasy Fest is a specified adult event. There is now another in Key West. Kamp Key West. Two years old. A summer camp for adults. The purpose is to get people in touch with their inner child.

Ongoing this week. Water sports, dances, bar hopping, etc. Sounds clean in comparison to Fantasy Fest. Different strokes for different folks.

The Kamp ends sunday with La Te Da’s Tea Dance and Drag Bingo at 801.

This morning’s Key West Citizen noted that on this day in 1940, Thelma Strabel took out a building permit to construct a house at 400 South Street. The home when constructed was considered the southernmost point in the United States.

I wrote an article about Strabel three years ago. She authored Reap the Wild Wind. Made into a movie starring John Wayne. Serialized in the Saturday Evening Post.

Strabel used her earnings from the Saturday Evening Post to build the house.

The house is long gone. Someone tore it down to build a larger one.

Saturday. Tonight, I will be at the bar at Tavern ‘n Town. Bobby Nesbitt time.

Enjoy your day!