IRMA AND ME

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I have compiled a book re Irma. May call it Irma and Me. Not sure yet.

The book is a compilation of my daily blog from September 1 through September 15. A few minor changes. Some pictures added. An introduction and an ending.

Obviously not everyone reads my blog. Those that do are daily loyalists or sporadic readers. Most who follow my Key West Lou Live video on Facebook do not read the blog. Those who follow my tuesday night podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou do not generally read the blog.

My audiences are varied.

There are those also who never heard of Key West Lou who will see the book listed on amazon.com or on the stands.

I am excited about the book. My publisher hopes it will be the first Irma book to hit the stands. Could be completed, proofed, printed and available for sale within two weeks.

Started yesterday with a morning business meeting. Then to Bank of America.

During Irma, the Bank screwed up with my Social Security check deposit. I had a $25 charge I could not understand. Wanted to get it corrected.

Went to the Bank of America on Southard. Several waiting to make deposits. No one waiting to see an officer. Only one bank person dealing with those wanting a meeting. Several waiting in line to make deposits, withdrawals, etc.

And the manager.

As I walked in, she asked what I wanted. Standing in the open Bank area. I was standing looking at the empty glass enclosed offices at the time.  It was obvious I wanted to talk with someone.

I told her my problem briefly. She neither understood nor cared. Said I would need an appointment. Too busy to see me today. Would have to be tomorrow.

Her attitude condescending. I was bothering her. Who did I think I was?

I made a one o’clock appointment for today. Just cancelled it. My time, even if I do nothing, is worth more than the $25.

The system in effect sucks. Bank of America in Key West is not big deal. I cannot believe major transactions take place. Its clients working people.  And retirees like me.

I consider it an insult to have to make an appointment for a bullshit item. I consider it an imposition on their working customers who do not have the time to return another day. Especially when there is no one else waiting to be serviced.

Bank of America is one of the banks that gave us 2008. The Bank’s attitude remains the same. It cares not for its customers. Only the Bank’s bottom line.

The mechanic with the new battery did not arrive till after 6. Finished his work at 7:30. I remained outside with him while he worked.

The humidity got to me. I was too tired to shower and go out afterwards. I will tonight!

Being a tenant is not bad. I rent my new home. Never want to own again. Irma and this morning proof of the pudding.

I lost 5 trees. A big one in front, 4 smaller ones in the back. The landlord just had a crew come by to do the cleanup. At the landlords’ expense, not mine.

Nor did I have to worry about finding someone to do the work. A task in itself.

Key West and the rest of the Keys reopen to visitors October 1. RV parks, some hotels and some restaurants may not be ready. But come anyhow! Key West need life breathe into it.

Ted Williams. One of the greatest baseball players ever.

This day in 1941  was the end of the season. Williams was close to batting .400. A feat not accomplished since 1930. The Boston Red Sox were playing a doubleheader. Williams went 6 for 8. Finished the season with a .406 batting average. Not equaled since.

Ted Williams’ retired to Islamorada. He was a fishing enthusiast. An expert. He lived on Islamorada 28 years. He sold his home when he had to wait to cross US 1 because of traffic.

Trump should be ashamed the way he is treating Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They are us. American citizens.

I would like to know what motivated him to treat the island people so poorly. Might be interesting.

Enjoy your day!

MOTEL PRICE WAR…..1955 STYLE

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This morning’s edition of the Key West Citizen reported a rather unique occurrence.

On this day in 1955, there was a motel price war in Key West. Things very competitive back then. Eight motels offered free rooms to tourists.

Never again and never more.

Speaking of the Citizen, I was glad to read in this morning’s edition that beginning October 7 the Citizen would be run as a daily. I assume this means every day. Not twice a week as was recently reported.

The talk on the street clearly indicates how unhappy the public was to learn the Citizen was cutting back to two times a week. You do not miss something until it is lost to you.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. My podcast show. Aired last night for the first time in four weeks. An Irma disruption.

It felt good to do the show again. Hope you enjoyed it.

I had trouble hooking up with the station. Some technical difficulty. I got on with 5 seconds to go. I experienced a rush of adrenalin!

Someone commented she could not hear the audio last night, but was able to do so this morning in the archived version. Did any one else have the problem of no audio last night? If so, please let me know.

Mentioned yesterday my car battery was dead outside Denny’s monday night. Had it charged and drove home. Went to start the car yesterday. Dead again! Battery was tested. It has a bad cell.

Car sitting outside dead. No use.

Difficult to get a Volkswagen Beetle battery locally. Must come from Miami. Takes a week.

Finally found some one locally who had the necessary battery. He is stopping by at 2 to install it.

I have mentioned in the past the Justice Building Blog. Excellent!

Permit me to share a comment contained in the Blog’s 9/26/17 publication. Concerned Trump and people who work for him.

“All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to remain silent and do nothing…..Evil cannot exist without the silence and compliance of good people.”

Trump’s election opened the door to nuts successfully running for office. Yesterday, Roy Moore won the Republican primary in Alabama. You are aware of his background. A radical thinker. Does not seem to believe in the Constitution. Lost his judgeship two times for not adhering to the law.

He may win the election in November. He will neither dance to Trump’s tune or anyone else’s. The Senate will be a crazy place.

Moore’s election following Trump’s is going to encourage other radical/defectivess to run. In today’s society, most will win.

Where is our country going? What is happening? Why?

An Irma update. Post Irma happenings.

Schooner Wharf is throwing a Thank You BBQ party tonight. Five to 9. For first responders, relief workers, and locals. Those who answered Key West’s call for help.

Food free.

Debris everywhere. Extensive clean up underway. Takes a while. In the meantime, the debris is beginning to smell. The smell not nice.

Lobster fishermen are taking a beating big time as a result of Irma.

Lobster fishermen in this area put down 1,000 to 5,000 traps. The fishermen I am referring to the ones who work in the Atlantic off the Middle Keys. Irma took most of the traps. They are nowhere to be found.

Some of the fishermen lost their boats also. One referred to Irma as “…..the storm of the century for us.”

Cudjoe took some hit. Some say Irma hit heaviest at Cudjoe.

Cudjoe’s clean up will be long. An odor permeates the Key. Not from debris. Sewage. One canal appears to have become a total drain for sewage.

We are two weeks post Irma. People still in need. Especially food and clothes.

Star of Sea opened a distribution center at Key Plaza. The lines of people waiting to get in continue to be long. As many as 50 persons on occasion.

Help comes in many forms and from distant places. Help not expected, but welcomed.

The Red Cross has established a base camp on Big Pine. It houses 80 disaster relief workers and volunteers. The base camp was brought to Big Pine and assembled by Red Cross volunteers from Copenhagen, Denmark. The Danish workers remain and continue to help.

God bless them!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT…..AN IRMA SHINING STAR

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I was not a fan of Governor Rick Scott till Irma. His performance during Irma has turned me. One hundred eighty degrees.

The man has performed outstandingly. And continues to so perform.

He knew Irma was coming and his State was in danger. He prepared. Florida could not have been more ready.

That alone turned me. However, his performance subsequent to Irma proves my change of mind to have been correct.

Scott was in Marathon yesterday for a meeting with various public groups working to help Keys’ residents. Expeditiously. Matters such as debris removal, temporary housing, small business assistance, etc.

He announced at the meeting that 400 Florida National Guard were being deployed to assist with debris removal. Six thousand tarps were on the way also.

Scott’s coordination with FEMA has been spectacular. Twenty seven thousand have registered for assistance already. Ten thousand approved thus far. Those approved have been funded to the tune of $14.9 million.

More has been accomplished.

Most telling is that yesterday was Scott’s seventh visit to the Keys because of Irma. Few of the visits receiving any notoriety.

His assistance each time more than handing out a few sandwiches.

The man performs.

Duval Street. Did the tour last night again. Conditions improving, though slowly. More store fronts visible. A few additional businesses open.

The trend re open for business is running from the Gulf towards the Atlantic. The bars and restaurants closer to the Gulf the first to open. By mid-Duval, a few more. At the other end of the spectrum, La Te Da opened sunday.

It will take till Fantasy Fest for things to return to normal.

The tree/foliage debris is beginning to stink. Awful. Especially after a rain fall. The humidity adds to the odor.

The Key West Citizen is only publishing two editions a week. Not because of Irma. A business decision. Its printing shortly moving to Miami.

I miss the Citizen! I subscribe on the internet and it was one of five publications I read first thing every morning. Local news is gone. Even where the weekly publications will pick it up. Not an everyday thing.

Started my evening last night at Aqua. Jean Thornton called from Alabama to advise there would be no Dueling Bartenders, though Tom Luna might sing a tune or two.

I needed to get out. Monday is Aqua night for me. So I went.

The bar itself filled with locals. A peppy group. Tom did not sing.

Met Ray and Tom. Ray a former Virginia judge. Look forward to running into he and Tom again. Good company.

Then to the Chart Room. Shaun bartending. Met Amy. An insurance representative from the midwest somewhere. Sent to Key West to do an informal report and evaluation of damage to certain of her company’s insureds. Preparatory to the claims people coming down.

Stopped at Denny’s on the way home for a bite to eat. Denny’s not my kind of place. However, I was there for breakfast with Robert and Ally a month ago and was impressed. Big, clean, shiny and new.

Good for a quick sandwich, I figured.

Sat at the bar. The only customer at the bar most of the time. Robi the bartender. We chatted a while. She has a son now 19 who has had significant heart problems since birth. Her war stories re not having insurance on occasion and her inability to get proper medical care for him tragic to hear.

I overstayed my time with Robi. When I returned to my car, the battery was dead. I had left the lights on. Thank God for AAA. I waited only 30 minutes to get a boost.

My cell phone’s Voice Mail apparently a victim of Irma also. I woke this morning to find 8 new messages running from 9/19 to 9/22. I assume lost in never never land because of Irma.

Puerto Rico being ignored. It appears Trump and Congress have forgotten that 3.5 million American citizens live there.

Government, get your ass in gear! They are our people!

My podcast tonight. The first in four weeks. Irma prevented me from doing the show during that time.

The show a quick half hour of interesting topics. Some eye openers. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou at 9 tonight. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics include Irma, past Keys hurricanes, China’s new credit card the customer’s smile into a screen, killer robots, opioids top tobacco use in U.S., the kneeling sport dilemma, Trump’s ignoring of Puerto Rico, North Korea, healthcare, and more.

Guaranteed informative. Many times from a different perspective.

Enjoy your day!

SYLVANUS JOHNSON…..AFRICAN AMERICAN TREATMENT YESTERDAY AND TODAY

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A story of white man’s justice as regards blacks in 1897.

The event took place in Key West. Representative of justice at the time for people of color throughout the South.

It was June 1897. Sylvanus Johnson resided in Key West. An African-American. A United States citizen. Johnson was accused of raping a white woman.

He was brought to trial immediately. The rape charge a capital crime. Death the expected sentence, if convicted.

Johnson was assigned counsel. He could not afford one on his own. A kangaroo court and an all white jury decided his fate. The judge a good old boy. He would not permit Johnson’s attorney to cross examine witnesses.

A lynch mob formed during the trial. Daytime outside the court house. Night time, outside the jail. The mob wanted white man’s justice immediately. Hang him!

Blacks formed outside the court house by day and jail by night to protect Johnson.

A confrontation.

The Sheriff panicked. Stood his ground, but knew he needed help to keep Johnson safe from the lynch mob. Asked the Governor for assistance. The Governor viewed the situation as a black insurrection. He immediately asked President McKinley for federal troops. McKinley considered the matter not worthy of assistance.

A local reporter described the African-Americans as a “tough negro element.” Portrayed them as troublemakers.

Johnson was convicted. Took the jury one hour forty minutes.

When the verdict was announced, Johnson turned to the jury and said, “If God was black and came before this jury you would find him guilty. You may take my black body, but you cannot harm my innocent soul.”

Johnson was hung within a matter of days.

There is a reason why I recall the Johnson story. It has to do with Irma and retrospectively Katrina.

African-Americans have come a long way since Johnson’s days. Not far enough, however. They have equality in name. Not in fact.

FEMA had tents erected in the public parking area behind the Key West fire station on Simonton. A place for people to seek and receive governmental assistance. I noted the people applying were all persons of color. Tan. Blacks, Cubans, etc. No whites.

Saturday evening, I drove down Duval. Somewhere in the middle of Duval was a FEMA truck. It was handing out food packages. All the people waiting for the packages were black. No tans,  no whites.

Katrina had similarities. Blacks ended up in the huge sports arena. Nary a white.

My point is African-Americans and other persons of color have come a long way since 1897. Not enough, however. Equality and opportunity not yet fully theirs.

How much longer must these people wait?

Understand what I have written here and you will understand why we continue to have turmoil in the streets involving blacks and whites.

There was a concert in Mallory Square over the weekend. A locals event. To celebrate survival and exhibit the community will come back. A huge crowd in attendance whooping it up in Key West fashion.

My yesterday quiet. Worked with Sloan in the morning. Under the weather the rest of the day. Heavy sweating and a runny nose. Stayed in bed. This morning, I feel fine.

Comcast has finally completed its responsibilities. Late last night, I got back wi-fi and hard line.

Like being reborn! Computer, wi-fi and hard line all at one time!

Consistent with most positions he takes, Trump is totally off base as regards the NFL. He fails to realize that freedom of speech includes spitting, urinating, defecating, burning, and dragging through he dirt the American flag. Constitutionally guaranteed free speech.

The United States has survived over 200 years recognizing the right.

Trump understands neither the history of this country or the Constitution. He prefers standing before a huge American flag Patton style denouncing the NFL and its players. Shouting words he is most famous for…..You’re fired!

I feel good this blog has returned to normalcy. Irma is behind us, except for recovery.

Tonight Louis will be at Aqua for Dueling Bartenders. I suspect many others will also.

Enjoy your day!

IRMA AFTERMATH

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Irma came, did her thing, and left. She left behind ruination, despair and hope.

How things stand today.

I drove down Duval yesterday. From the Gulf to the Atlantic. Not a pretty sight. Most storefronts and buildings still boarded. Physical damage on a varying scale to some buildings.

The most significant observation was the desolation. Few on the street. Very few. Like death had visited.

The bars are starting to open. Rick’s, Sloppy Joe’s, Irish Kevin’s, the Bull, and Jack Flats. More employees than customers. Except for the gay bars in mid Duval. Bourbon Street and 801. Packed.

There was a FEMA truck on Duval. Handing out food packages. Only the minority community evident.

I mentioned the FEMA sign up tents behind the Simonton fire station yesterday. Only minorities evident there. It appears we have left racial/ethnic groups behind. Same as Katrina. Not in assistance today. Rather in becoming part of the American dream.

A cruise ship coming in today. Why? Key West today not the Key West of yesterday. Key West needs time to recuperate. Downtown looks like hell.

Three more cruise ships expected this week.

Some say we have to get business going again. Bring the cruise ships in! Locals need to work. Rent is due the first of the month. Only one week away.

I spent yesterday afternoon resting. Actually, sleeping. The return drive killed me. Just as the drive to Birmingham had. My 82 years very evident in the tiredness I am experiencing.

Hit the Chart Room first last night. First time the Chart Room has been open since Irma.

I was the sixth person to arrive. An hour later when I left, I was the only customer remaining.

Shawn bartending.

Peter Petro manages 40 properties. One is the home I live in. I have been bugging the man ever since Irma was on the horizon. Even now since I have returned. Cleanup time. I am a tenant, not an owner. A wonderful experience!

Peter does his job well, even though I am a bit too anxious at times.

Peter was at the Chart Room when I arrived. With his wife Rebecca who I met for the first time. A nice lady.

Rebecca marries people in Key West. She is a Notary and notaries are permitted to do so. In fact, most marriages performed in Key West are by a Notary such as Rebecca. Rebecca also performs live theater at the Red Barn. She is featured in a show opening next month.

Then to Don’s Place to watch the Syracuse/LSU game. Don, David, Stan and Claire there.

Sitting next to me watching the game were Troy and Jenny. Troy a die hard Michigan fan. He was watching Michigan on one screen as I was watching Syracuse on the one next to it.

Syracuse looked good the first half. Gave up 10 points they should not have. Still in the game, however. Syracuse defense played well.

LSU got another touchdown at the beginning of the second half. Syracuse was basically 3 touchdowns behind. I viewed it as the beginning of the end. Went home to bed.

Never even tried to find out the final score till this morning. Syracuse came back. Sort of. Final score had LSU winning 35-26. A late 4th quarter LSU touchdown led to LSU’s 35 points.

Syracuse was a 23 point underdog going into the game. Syracuse played well. They did better than LSU stat wise. Note LSU was a ranked team going into the game.

This is not going to be a Syracuse year. Better than most in recent years I suspect. Perhaps glory will return a few years from now. It has been a long time.

Yesterday was the first day Don’s was open its full hours.

Ice is a problem all over town. Bar owners and restaurants are running all over looking for some to buy.

Our animal and fish friends are of concern also.

A Sugarloaf homeowner was looking out his window. Thought he saw a porpoise stranded in the mangroves. Called the Sheriff’s Office, who in turn contacted Wildlife Conservation and the dolphin hospital Dolphin Plus.

Representatives of all three groups hurried to the scene and effected a rescue. Two veterinarians involved. They waded out to the porpoise. A female. Slightly burned from the sun. Otherwise, ok. Carried her to deeper water and let her go.

I received a red flag call this morning from Jeanne H. Stevenson. Not a Key Wester. Her sister Anne is, however. She can’t reach Anne. Concerned. Wants to know if I could help.

Anne sells newspapers outside the church. All I was told about her.

Anyone having any information re Anne, please let me know so I can convey it on to her sister.

Key West’s curfew was lifted yesterday. Stay out all night folks!

The remainder of the Keys still have curfews.

Comcast making progress. A step at a time. Too little from my perspective. I had TV when I returned home last night. Still no land line or wi-fi.

Sloan due soon. A ton of catch up work to do.

Enjoy your Sunday!

GOOD TO BE BACK AGAIN

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Stealing from Mac Arthur…..I have returned! Gene Autry…..I’m back in the saddle again!

It is good to be home.

I got in at 4 thursday afternoon after two days of driving. Birmingham to Key West. Eight hours each day.

No question, a few days does make a difference. Specifically with regard to traffic. Little traffic. Very little. Only spots crowded were Orlando and Miami. I used the Florida Turnpike.

No waiting in line for gasoline. Pumps available at all times.

The second day was depressing, however.

I spent all day listening to the radio re the Mexican school collapse and the search for Frida Sophia and perhaps several other children. Drama! Heart wrenching!

Yesterday, we were told by Mexican authorities that there was no Frida or any other children beneath the wreckage. Alive or dead. The situation “not a reality.”

There has to be more to the story. Does not make sense to me.

The search for the children weighed heavy. To it was added another sadness. I saw what Irma did to the Keys.

Beginning with Florida City, a relatively small tree down here and there. Just outside Marathon, you could sense things were going to get bad. They did.

Beginning at the Marathon point and down to Sugarloaf, everything got consistently worse. Debris piled on the side of US 1. Furniture and mattresses. Refrigerators. Boats upside down. Cars on their sides. Roofs off. Buildings down.

Big Pine, an absolute disaster. It was as if King Kong had stomped all over it.

Summerland, Cudjoe and Sugarloaf hit badly, also.

I had been informed I would see many refrigerators. Apparently they fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I even saw one in a tree. A big one. About 15 feet up, laying sideways on a couple of big branches.

The damage itself was too much to take. Coupled with the little girl under the Mexican school, both scearios combined too much to take. Tears were actually slowly rolling down my cheeks at one point.

Key West was a different story. Damage, yes. A roof gone here and there. Most signs blown through. Trees the real problem. Toppled. Size immaterial. Big and little ones.

My new home is in an area covered with large trees. A cathedral type appearance over the streets.

No more. I was shocked! at least half the trees down. The roads one lane. Piled debris on road side heavy.

My new home survived. No damage. Except for a big tree in front and 5 little ones (20 footers) in the back.

I thought I was returning to full services. No Comcast television, computer and landline. All three I discovered have been off since September 7. One day after I left, three days before Irma hit.

Comcast no help. Comcast’s attitude always the same. Don’t care/don’t bother me.

I called to ask when I would get service. The operator did not know. Asked if I was aware there had been a hurricane.

I am getting wi-fi from my cell phone. A special app. Extra cost.

I went out thursday night. Duval Street a ghost town. Places still boarded. No one on the street.

Met up with John, Kevin and Molly at Bourbon Street. Very few bars open. Food, forget it!

On the way home, I stopped at the Marriott Beachside. Asked for a menu. No food! Enjoyed a drink, met some nice folks who live on the golf course, also.

Yesterday a busy one. Up early. Stopped at Verizon and Publix. Only one Publix open. Customers looked sad. Heads down, asses dragging. A remnant of Irma?

Also got a haircut, manicure and pedicure.

I was energized all day. Assume it must have been the time I spent at Jean and Joe’s. Restful.

Dinner last night with Don and David at Pepi’s. One of the few restaurants open. They were only serving off the luncheon menu and did not have all of the items listed. I enjoyed a huge cheeseburger.

The tree in the center of the outside dining room did fall. Big time! Never more to stand. Destroyed part of the roof portion. The roots pulled up half the concrete floor.

One thing bothered me. The FEMA presence in the parking lot on Simonton behind the fire station. Two huge white tents. took up 2/3’s of the parking. Roped off. A couple of hundred people going in and out of the tents signing up for FEMA. Mostly Bahama Village residents. Everyone happy.

What bothered me were the two Homeland Security guards/officers. Uniformed. Never saw one before.

Tall, thin, crew cut hair, blue uniforms and guns on the hips. Reminded me of the neo-Nazis in Greece I have written about many times.

Their appearance bothered me. I asked myself why does this agency need its own military force.

A fire yesterday. 717 Duval. Reported flames engulfed the building. Fire Department got the fire under control. the building housed a tattoo shop.

Food is a problem. There is  scarcity. Monroe County announced free breakfasts and lunches to all school children till October 25.

I compliment Senator Mc Cain on his Obamacare stand.

Two observations.

Google maps. First time I ever used the service. Off my cell phone. Where have I been? Wow!

The Key West Citizen. Could be the beginning of the end. The Citizen is downsizing. Henceforth the Citizen will produce only two editions a week. A weekend edition on saturday. another edition on wednesday. The Citizen will also soon be moving its operation to Miami.

Sad. A Key West tradition.

Syracuse/LSU tonight. LSU favored by 23 points. Would like to watch the game, never the less. Jack Flats still closed. Might watch at Don’s Place.

I will be doing my Key West Lou Live video on Facebook later this afternoon. A quick few minutes. Interesting dialogue.

Enjoy your day!

 

CASABLANCA / 18 NEW 15 FOR SEX / TEETH WHITENED AND VAGINA REJUVINATION

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Time to lighten up. Things have been too heavy for more than a week. Even an evacuee experiences stress.

Last night an experience. I watched Casablanca with three women. Jean, Joanne, and Ann.

A great love story. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The ladies cried throughout. Jean and Joanne had seen the film many times before. For Ann, the first time.

They bawled!

A new study recently released. Concerned teen age sex. When do the kids start having sex. Used to be 15. No longer. Now, 18. Described as 18 being the new 15.

Attributed to parents and children spending more time together. Parents thereby exercising more influence over them.

Michael Robinson I believe is a Key Wester who escaped Irma, also. I do not know him personally. However, his name and picture were familiar.

Robinson reported in Facebook an advertising sign he saw in Miami: Teeth Whitened and Vagina Rejuvenation.

Could both procedures be done at the same time?

Now to the serious.

Apparently everyone in Key West now has power, except for me and 44 neighbors. Anna called yesterday that my power was not working. Called Peter the realtor who watches over the house and is also a golf course resident. He had power and so did the people on his block.

He checked into it. I was without power. Turns out 45 homes on the golf course are with another electric company or two companies share the responsibility.

The two companies are arguing over who has to pay for the repairs.

I am not returning without power, water not having to be boiled, food and whatever other calamity remains.

Poor Jean. She may be stuck with us for a long time. I had to think before I shared the no power situation with you. I wanted t be sure the reason I have not left is no power, etc. and not that I have become comfortable living with Jean and Joe.

Looks like Key West is getting a pass as far as Maria is concerned. The projection is it will turn north while still in the ocean.

Florida electrical utilities screw the public. This includes our local Keys Energy. Charge for everything (including using a credit card to pay), frequently increase prices in spite of making significant profit.

The electric utilities and their lobbyists have had laws passed guaranteeing they can play fast and loose with customers.

One example involve solar panels. Florida unquestionably a great place for their usage. The power companies can stop a customer from using solar panels during an emergency by merely flipping a switch.

They do. The companies claim to permit the solar panels to operate could be dangerous to those doing power repairs.

For real?

Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly today. Never know what he is going to say. He will say something that will enrage most. I hope not something like: North Korea, one more test and we will bomb you.

Republicans are taking one last shot at repealing Obamacare. A Graham-Cassidy bill will be introduced to repeal and replace. Similar to the one that went down to defeat in July, except tougher. Takes away even more things.

Congressional passage and the President signing into law has to occur by September 30. Otherwise, 60 votes will be required in the Senate to pass instead of 50.

On this date in 1881, President James Garfield died. He had been shot in the back and arm 80 days earlier at the Washington railroad station. By an unhappy office seeker, Charles Guiteau.

The back bullet was the cause of death.

Actually, it was several medical mishaps. Malpractice by today’s standards.

Garfield was on the dirty railroad floor a long time before being removed. During that time, a nearby physician tried to prod the bullet out. Unsuccessfully. Other persons were touching the wound.

Infection was inevitable.

Subsequent to that day, doctors continued to prod with fingers and instruments for the bullet. They prodded on only one side of his back.

An incompetent doctor was put in charge of the President. The doctor who happened to be present at the railroad station when the President was shot. He insisted the bullet was on one side, the side it had entered, and only that side could be prodded.

Clean doctor’s hands not a practice at the time.

The bullet had to be found. It was causing the infection killing the President.

Even Thomas Edison was called in. He had recently invented a new machine that could detect foreign objects in the body. The machine had been successfully tested on numerous Civil War veterans.

The machine could locate nothing.

The reason was the President was laying on a metal spring mattress. The mattress having only recently been invented. One had been given to the White House free for the President’s use.

The metal springs screwed up Edison’s machine. It did work properly. However not on metal springs.

When Garfield died, it was found the bullet was not on the side of his back where the doctors thought. It was on the other side. The prodding had caused it to move. The doctors were looking in the wrong place.

Guiteau was placed on trial for murder. His defense was he did not kill the President, the doctors did. Technically correct. Never the less, he was found guilty and executed.

I apologize for being long winded re the Garfield story. I wrote a lengthy column several years ago for KONK Life concerning the shooting and the President’s death.

No Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou tonight. The podcast requires my land line in Key West to do the show.

Enjoy your day!

ANTI-SEMITISM HAS ANOTHER BROTHER

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Moving on a step at the time. First with world news.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump both facing possible criminal charges. Birds of a feather.

Netanyahu’s wife is reported to be close to indictment.

Netanyahu’s son Yair recently made anti-Semitic comments on Facebook. A prominent neo-Nazi leader referred to Yair as “…..a total bro. Next he is going to call for gassings.” Yair succumbed to political pressure and removed his comments from Facebook.

Prominent families. Affluent and influential. Both screwed up!

The food continues to be excellent at Casa Thornton.

Ever hear of Blue Apron? I had not till last night. Blue provides prepared meals. Sent by mail. Prepared as to ingredients. Food provided and how to fix. Preparation and cooking the responsibility of the purchaser.

The quality of the meal impressed me. The work involving preparation did not. It took Jean and two ladies a half hour of chopping and cooking.

We enjoyed herb crusted rock fish, chicken ragu, greens in oil, and mashed potatoes. Accompanied by fine wine, of course.

Dessert consisted of three different packages of Keebler cookies. Wine accompanying.

Entres and dessert opposite ends of the spectrum.

When do I return to Key West? A minimum two day trip. I am getting all kind of messages from friends there. Stay / go. My decision will be like flipping a coin.

Everyone has water. Dirty water. Boil first rule. Toilets flushing. Water available fifteen miles north to Shark Key.

Gasoline available. No lines.

Power is sketchy. Comes and goes. I have power thanks to my new residence being near the local hospital. Means air conditioning. Impossible to live without in the Keys.

Three problems of concern remain.

Food continues to be limited. The old Publix is open a few hours a day. A limited number of people allowed in at a time. Government officials advising buy a seven day supply. The alternative for those returning is to bring a one week supply with them.

Flats galore on US 1. From debris rudiments remaining. Warning is be prepared to change a flat. I have not changed a flat since law school. Either the car will fall off the jack or I will get a heart attack removing the lug nuts.

Interruption: Re power. I had power. Do not have it now. Anna went to clean. Just called. Ninety five degrees.

Final concern is mosquitoes. I am told they are breeding in the pools. Ergo, many mosquitoes. I was told to return with bug spray. Lots. Also advised some are getting sick from the bites. One person said dengue fever. We had a case or two a few years back. I hope we have not returned to the problem.

Mayor Cates was interviewed on TV yesterday. Key West has a population of 25,000. Twenty thousand left, 5,000 remained. Yesterday residents were permitted to return for the first time. Cates anticipated 8,000 would return the first day. I am anxious to see how the returnees make out today and tomorrow.

Good luck contacting Bank of America. On the phone an hour listening to crappy music waiting for someone to pick up at the other end. A national number. I finally hung up. Both Bank of America branches in Key West closed. It is going to take a few days before my credit card problem is resolved.

Maria, Maria, Maria! She’s on her way! Almost the same track as Irma took at this point. A category 3.

Hope it takes that turn north out into the ocean.

Will I ever leave Birmingham? Nice place. Good company. Excellent food. Excellent wine. Jean is at the store at the moment purchasing another half gallon of Beefeaters.

It is embarrassing being an unexpected house guest this long. Already over a week.

Enjoy your day!

MARIA, MARIA, MARIA…..MAY MEET A GIRL NAMED MARIA…..THE NAME MAY NEVER BE THE SAME

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The most beautiful sound I ever heard: Maria, Maria, Maria…..I’ve just met a girl named Maria /And suddenly that name / Will never be the same…..Maria!

The West Side Story’s music happy. Irma has not been. Now comes Maria. The song resonates. However, Maria may make us unhappy. As unhappy as Irma.

Maria on her way. A category 3 at the moment. On a path similar to Irma. Could come right over the Keys and Florida. Maybe not. Maria has a slight bend to the east.

Jose in between. The male meaningless. Expected to downgrade to a tropical storm. If it landfalls, probably the northeast coast of the United States.

For some, Keys’ living is a dream. Paradise. The reason they located here. Irma destroyed that dream for many. The Keys will recover. The time in between will be difficult.

As Irma approached, the issue for many was whether to stay. Significantly more left than stayed.

A woman who stayed regrets her decision. To those returning at this time, she suggests they do not: “To paraphrase Sheriff Ramsey, bring enough resources…..to last a week. If you can’t do that, then get back in your car and get the hell out. It’s not fun. We have no power. It’s hot. We’re rationing ice, and the water is brown out of the tap…..We wouldn’t stay again.”

My friend called me again this morning. Continues to be impressed with 801 and Bourbon Street. Air conditioning, ice and free food. Tells me the same person owns both establishments.

He recommended I not return yet. Very little power, no water, little gasoline, sewer problems continue, the smell/stench abominable, air thick with humidity, ATM machines covered, etc.

He told me I misspoke in yesterday’s blog re roadside debris. Could be seen all the way to Cudjoe Key, not Islamorada. From Cudjoe to Key West, merely bent trees.

US 1 opened for residents and business people all the way to Key West 7 this morning. Traffic heavy. Flat tires frequent.

US 1 has only one checkpoint. At Florida City.

Side roads apparently a problem. There are 21 side road checkpoints between Marathon and Key West due to unsafe conditions.

Someone reported on Facebook this morning 2 accidents already on US 1. One of the accidents a head on. One person dead. I have not been able to verify this information.

My admonition. Drive carefully. Do not speed. An extra half hour in getting to Key West will make no difference.

A personal calamity. Pisses me off.

I have a debit card with Bank of America. About four days before I left Key West to avoid Irma, I received a letter from Bank of America advising some one got into a series of card numbers. They were issuing new cards and I should receive one by the 14th. To use it when received. Ok to use old card in the meantime.

Hurrying to leave Key West, I gave the card no thought. Know I did not receive the new card as of the date I left.

Took Jean and Joe and my fellow evacuees to dinner last night. First time I have trued to use the card since 9/3. Card no good. The recorded wording something to the effect my number not registered with them. I tried every which way to get a human to speak with. No luck.

I had other cards to pay for the dinner.

Figured I would run over to a Bank of America tomorrow morning to get a temporary card. No Bank of Americas in Alabama.

I’m doing good!

I cannot talk to a human bank person till Monday morning during bank working hours on the phone.

I have a feeling I will be returning to Key West at some point this week without the card.

Suppose I needed the card? Suppose it was the only card I had? Suppose I was facing a 1,000 mile drive back to Key West without a card for gas and a motel one night?

In view of Irma, someone at the bank end should have made the decision to keep the old cards good at least till the end of the month. It had to be obvious not all would have received the new card before escaping Irma.

Robert and Ally’s dog Jake a Jack Terrier mix. Looks and acts like a Jack Terrier. Took a while, but we finally bonded.

Joanna is an evacuee staying with the Thornton’s, also. Johanna is a manager at the Audubon House. She has a Jack Terrier mix. Ralphie. Yesterday, I was sitting in a chair watching television and he jumped on my lap. Stayed. I rubbed his head, back and tummy of course.

Ralphie and I are bonded. He follows me around. Makes me play with him.

I live and learn. Teddy Roosevelt was fond of Jack Terriers. The White House had a rat problem. Jack Terriers are the natural enemy of rats. Roosevelt had several brought into the White House to live. It was the end of the rat problem.

Enjoy your Sunday!

IRMA AN EXPERIENCE

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Irma an experience! No question about it!

Not just the hurricane itself. The peripheral, the tangents. The whole picture.

Dinner the big event of the day for we evacuees at the Thornton home in Birmingham. A lengthy telephone call from a Key West friend this morning and other information I have obtained re Irma.

There is another world besides Irma. Time for me to begin a return to it. Slowly. ergo, I will write about a couple of non Irma items.

The  friend who made it back to Key West telephoned this morning. Key West not yet ready for people to return. Not unless they can do with out electric power, sewers, food, and gasoline. Which means as a practical matter, no air conditioning, toilet flushing, eating, cars to drive, and working generators.

I start with this morning’s phone call.

He and a lady friend ran off to Boston. Made their reservations to return to Fort Lauderdale. Plane reservations honored. $99 deal when made. Airline honored the price, also.

They had a hotel reservation in Lauderdale made a week ago. Honored, no gouging.

People trying to return to the Keys who do not have reservations have difficulty getting a room. The hotel permitted them to sleep in their cars in the hotel garage.

My friend rented a car to drive to Key West. No gouging here either.

Florida City the re-entry point. They attempted re-entry yesterday. His lady friend is a nurse and medical emergency trained. She has an identification card to that effect. She was going down to help. She was a go. My friend had nothing.They let him through because he was driving her.

The roads clear and repaired all the way to Key West. From Florida City to Islamorada, debris stacked on side of road and in the center. Anything that could float or be blown. More refrigerators than anything else. Many boats, also.

From Islamorada to Key West, no debris visible anywhere. The trees were bent from the wind. Items did not fly around. Wind significantly less than elsewhere. A reason why Key West missed the brunt of the storm. Fifteen miles closer and Key West would have been like Cudjoe Key and Big Pine.

In Key West itself, little property damage. Many trees down, however.

My friend owns a home in Key West. Very minimal damage to the outside of his home. None inside, except the house smelled big time. He opened the windows to get the smell out. His pool water was black. Trees in the pool.

Adding to the smell was the fact he did not clean out the refrigerator and freezer before he left.

Few gas stations open. In and on the way to Key West. In Key West, certain gas stations were pumping gasoline from the gas trucks. Not going through the pump.

The two businesses who appeared prepared for Irma were the primary gay bars. Bourbon Street and 801.

He enjoyed the evening with a friend at Bourbon Street. They had air conditioning, alcohol, food and ice. The air probably provided by large generators. The ice delivered.

He told me a large truck showed up in front of Bourbon Street. Dumped bags of ice at the front door. Then went across the street to 801 and did the same thing.

Curfew is from dusk to dawn. Bourbon Street locked its doors at dusk and was not bothered by the authorities.

End of the friend report.

Since the end of the call, I have learned other things which change or may change certain portions of my friend’s report. His report through last night. What follows from this morning.

Two people have died and 10 injured as a result of Irma in Key West.

Gasoline. Continues to be scarce.

Sewer treatment facility functioning. Some house toilets backing up, however. Those that have water or a bucket of water are able to flush toilets. Water still a problem.

Power. Remains a problem. From the Seven Mile Bridge to Key West, only 7 percent have electric power. The upper Keys, 30 percent. The power people are giving special attention to Cudjoe and Big Pine which took the worst beating. Overall, there are 300 downed polls which take time to fix.

Airport. Still closed to commercial and general aviation flights. Expected to reopen tuesday for all flights.

Food. Old Publix opened for a few hours yesterday. Other Publix and Winn-Dixie in Key West remain closed. Publix in Big Pine opened only a few hours yesterday.

Evacuees. People like me. Though what I report is not how I feel. there is a rising tension being reported. Evacuees want to return to their Key West homes. In spite of the negatives I have reported. Believe officials too cautious. I do not want to get on the road till I have motel reservations where needed, know I can get gas all the way back. And when I get back, I have power, air conditiong, gasoline, food, etc.

Return date. Just heard US 1 to Key West opens tomorrow. People are being permitted to return even though things still not as they should be.

Some other bits of information.

Key West is located in Monroe County. Monroe County has one of the most stringent building codes in the United States.

Florida’s citrus industry took a beating. The loss statewide is estimated at 50-75 percent.

Re-entry stickers are being forged.

A rumor has spread that a truck was found in the Keys full of dead bodies. Not true.

Now to last night.

Dinner at the Thornton’s again. Two guests. Dan and Paula. Not related or connected in any fashion. Both Birmingham residents.

Dan an IT person for a hospital conglomerate that has hospitals from Birmingham south to Broward County. He visits Key West 1-3 times a year. Is a good friend of Jean and Joe.

Dan provided the meal. Bags of Mexican food. The dining room table could not hold all the food.

Wine consumption remained consistent. Tequila added. I missed the tequila. I was tired and went to bed early.

Paula joined us. A friend of the Thornton’s. Lovely and charming. Never been to Key West.

Dinner tonight at an Italian restaurant. My treat.

I was going to write of other things. The Irma report took too many words. Already over a thousand. I will save the non Irma news for another time.

Enjoy your day!