AQUA / MICHAEL’S LAST NIGHT

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Aqua and Michael’s last night.

Stopped at Aqua first. Intended to spend time with Mark at the outside Back Bar. David was sitting at the inside bar. Stopped and chatted with him a while.

Then to the Back Bar. Mark always good company.

Where to eat? Decided on Michael’s.

A fair crowd for off season. I was disappointed Suzette was not bartending. I was also looking for Kim who I had met two weeks earlier at Tavern ‘n Town. Kim’s night off also apparently.

Tried the beef boneless ribs. Good. A bone sticking meal. Though no bones. The meat off the ribs buried in a good tasting sauce covering mashed potatoes and some other vegetables.

I have been thinking of getting off gin after 40 years. Wine has been in my mind. I have never been crazy about wine.

The daily special menu showed a special red. The name I do not recall. The composition on the menu took several lines to describe. All kinds of fruit tastes. I ordered a glass. My discerning tongue tasted no fruit.

I was bored at Michael’s bar. Never got a conversation going with anyone. Unusual in Key West to fail to becoming engaged in conversation at a bar.

My yesterday started with the anti-gravity treadmill. Went well. Still going at a slow speed and half time.

I was hungry at lunch hour. Opted for a cheeseburger and fries at 5 Guys.

The afternoon was spent reading and napping. Napping always the best time of the day.

Received two interesting communications yesterday.

Anna telephoned from Milan. All excited. Told me Italy had just passed same sex marriage. While we were talking, I went online to see the story. Anna did not have it quite correct.

Italy approved same sex civil unions. Everything short off same sex marriage. I was not surprised. What did surprise me was that Italy even went as far as it did in approving civil unions. The Catholic Church in Italy has a strong influence regarding same sex anything.

Nevertheless, the approval of civil unions an historical event.

Argos e-mailed me from Athens. I have never met nor communicated with Argos. However, he advised he has been reading my blog since my first Greece trip several years ago.

I have never addressed how Greek’s economic crisis has affected medial care. Argos brought the situation to my attention.

Things are bad! Don’t get sick! Especially seriously ill. Something like cancer.

Government medical plans are paying nothing or close to nothing. Government employees no longer working have no insurance plans.

Hospitals are short in every area. Painkillers and scissors in short supply. Bring your own blankets and sheets when entering a hospital. Cancer operations delayed four months or longer. Regardless of seriousness of the cancer. Many die before time for the operation arrives.

Five thousand doctors and 15,000 nurses have left Greece because they cannot get paid.

If no insurance, the person is put on a waiting list. Months to wait for hospital admission. If one wants surgery earlier, a bribe is required.

I never gave thought to this area of Greek life. Horrible!

Trump/Ryan meeting this morning. I am anxious to listen to the post meeting comments by both. I am a political junkie at heart.

Hillary has to start hitting back. At least through a surrogate. Trump’s charges are building up. Hillary’s quaint smile is not sufficient response.

My Syracuse University is screwed up athletically. Everything seems to go wrong.

Mike Doyle was hired less than a year ago to be Athletic director. Was on the job 310 days. He is taking the AD job at the University of Minnesota.

I blame central administration for the athletic department’s problems. SU is run like a major corporation. Decisions are made by the higher ups and those below are compelled to accept already made decisions.

One example. Boeheim never knew Syracuse was going to the ACC till after it was a fait accompli.

Read a recent article that said municipalities have received $2 billion in surplus military equipment over the past 10 years. State of Florida the most. $300 million.

We all have a general knowledge of that which makes up the military equipment. One item surprised me, however. Bayonets. 5, 638 of them. To use against demonstrators?

Enjoy your day!

 

QUEEN MOTHER PAGEANT

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A fun filled evening last night! Thanks to Kate Miano.

I was sitting at the bar at Aqua enjoying the bartenders singing when Kate appeared at my elbow. She must have seen me from the street. I was sitting near the open doors.

She asked me to join her table at 8 for the Queen Mother Pageant. I told her I would be pleased to meet her for the event.

I have enjoyed the Queen Mother Pageant off and on for many years. Last night was the 33rd Annual Queen Mother Pageant. None as much fun as doing it with Kate. Her charm and enthusiasm captivates.

Queen Mother candidates are men in drag. Men such as you have never seen. Absolutely beautiful! Knockouts! All looked like women. Not one indication of masculinity.

I enjoyed the evening and thank Kate for inviting me.

Aqua bartenders singing is a regular monday cocktail hour event. I stopped not only to enjoy the singing. I hoped to run into David. He generally does monday’s at Aqua. No David.

I felt good yesterday.

Started the day at Body Owners on the anti-gravity treadmill. Continued the slow pace. I feel like I am an old man going slow. I am laughing with you.

Spent the afternoon researching for tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Great topics. Like prison profiteers, Saudi Arabia funding Israeli’s Netanyahu’s rise to power, now a violation of Chinese law for a woman to eat a banana seductively.

Also, a Saudi video instructing husbands how to beat wives, major Maduro opponent assassinated, 1.8 million sign a petition to oust Maduro, Poland refusing to take in any further immigrants, thousands rally in Berlin in opposition to admitting more refugees, and more.

The show is at 9 my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Join me. Guaranteed you will enjoy.

I do not favor Trump for President. Clinton gives me concern, also. Not as much as Trump however.

I am confident the Democrats have researched Trump well. His closet has to be filled with embarrassing situations. His financial transactions. The man has money. He has to have lived a high and mighty life. Lots of women. Sex exploits..

Then, there are the four corporate bankruptcies, Trump University, plus I don’t know what else.

He lacks respect for people and things. Like women.

The man lacks character.

Bottom line. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Enjoy your day!

THE WORLD CHANGED

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May 9, 1960 was a spectacular day for women. On that day, the FDA approved the first birth control pill. Envoid-10. The pill granted greater reproductive freedom to American women. Sex could be enjoyed without fear of pregnancy.

The world changed. Women could now have sex with whomever whenever. Wowie from the feminine perspective! Many took advantage.

Some began having sex with the same frequency  as they envisioned men had over the years. They became predators.

Nothing wrong with women pursuing sex for pleasure.

Permit some literary freedom. I am changing the male and female genders in a famous saying so it fits what is being discussed. What is good for the GANDER is good for the GOOSE.

Virginia Slim’s labeled it correctly…..You’ve come a long way baby! The ladies had.

I had a lousy weekend. Under the weather. Suspect I got food poisoning friday evening. During the night saturday, I had chest pains. Would not go away. Sprayed the nitroglycerin under my tongue. Still did not go away. Did it two more times. Each time spraying more than I should. Overdosed.

The result, a first class headache till 5 sunday afternoon. I thought my head was going to explode.

I am fine this morning. Glad to be back among the living.

Turtles back in the news. The Associated Press reported that 4,100 sea turtles have been sucked into the St. Lucie County Nuclear Power Plant in the past 10 years.

The problem was noted 10 years ago. Help was requested. It took 10 years to gain governmental approval for a grate to keep the turtles out. Not ready yet. It will now take 2 years to test and install.

An example of how slowly government moves. The bureaucracy involves too many steps and layers of approval. As with everything.

The greatest love story of all time in my opinion is Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Wild! The mutual love of a high society English woman and a gypsy.

The movie is in the process of being remade. In England, with English actors. Outdoor shooting required. The moors. A problem. Not enough money. Producers are looking for more bucks to finish the picture.

Guy deBoer is the publisher of KONK Life. He departs tomorrow for Cuba. Returns saturday. He is one of a group of sail boaters making the trip.

I envy him.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

SMATHERS BEACH COST $1

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The Key West Citizen ran an interesting article this morning concerning Smathers Beach. The City of Key West bought the beach property in the 1950s for $1. Florida State Representative Bernie Papy made it possible.

A buy!

All of a sudden I did not feel good yesterday morning. Felt the same all day. Woke uncomfortable during the night. This morning, I am not sure how I feel.

All I did yesterday of any interest was watch the Kentucky Derby.

The Key West Songwriters Festival has once again proven a big hit. Today is the last day of the Festival. I have been reporting more than 100 participants. This morning’s Citizen says 200 plus.

Norm Fowler is a bocce team mate and friend. Intelligent. A graduate engineer. If my memory proves correct, he also has a Masters degree.

Norm has been retired in Key West for years. Into his second home. Follows Key West doings as I do. As most people do.

The Peary Court fiasco bothers him. As it does 99 percent of Key West residents. Norm wrote a Letter to the Editor. It appears on the Editorial Page in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

The letter is opposed to the City Commission’s Plan B. Norm does not merely suggest a bad deal. He spells out factually and numerically why it stinks.

Good job, Norm!

Goofus…..Doofus. My friend Nicky, Nancy. It happens.

This week I have been referring to Trump’s calling Elizabeth Warren a name…..Goofus. Then, I thought I made a mistake. Read somewhere and heard on TV news Doofus. I screwed up again!

Not really.

In the last 24 hours, I have heard heavy TV commentators use Goofus and Doofus. Not sure anyone knows the word actually used. No problem. Both refer to a stupid person.

Trump should enunciate better. We want to be sure he is quoted correctly.

Onward Christian soldiers! Effective today, this blog will also run on Tumblr. Linked.

Enjoy your Sunday!

And lest I forget, Happy Mother’s Day! I almost did forget.

CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE

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I enjoyed a cheeseburger in paradise experience yesterday. Before elaborating, a conflict requires explanation.

I have always been under the impression Jimmy Buffett wrote Cheeseburger in Paradise at a drug store once located on the corner of Simonton and United. An old time drug store. A bar with stools that swiveled. Several tables with old time rubber checkered tablecloths.

Buffett enjoyed cheeseburger lunches there. I did, also. Years later, of course. The cheeseburgers were good. I went however for the Buffett memory.

Recently, I was advised that Buffett did not write the song at or about the drug store. Rather, Buffett was on a Caribbean cruise and only had canned vegetables and peanut butter to eat. He dreamed of a cheeseburger. The first island stopped at, Buffett got himself a cheeseburger. Cheeseburger in paradise!

I do not buy the Caribbean story. I have never heard any other than the drug store one for 25 years.

Which brings me to why I am writing about Cheeseburger in Paradise this morning.

I started my evening yesterday at Aqua’s back bar. Mark Watson and friends.

Then decided to take a walk on Duval. Just a couple of blocks. Walked past Margaritaville. Stopped. Why not go in? In 26 years in Key West, I have only been inside twice.

Sat at the bar. Ordered a cheeseburger, of course.

Seated next to me were Dan and Anna from Grand Rapids, Michigan. We chatted. About Flint water, Michigan’s governor, and many other things.

Dan and Anna are around 70. Retired. Children gone. Seeing the world now.

Dan was involved in the manufacture of furniture. I learned that Grand Rapids is known as the Furniture City. Anna, a retired kindergarten teacher.

A good time.

My morning began with the anti-gravity treadmill. I cut everything back another 50 percent. Even time. Only on the machine 15 minutes. Learned something. I went back to my big time speed too soon. I have to crawl before walking. I was not tired at all afterwards nor any time during the day.

Then a Cuban cheese toast and Cuban coffee at the Cuban Coffee Queen.

It took forever to place my order.

There were two couples placing their order in front of me. Probably my age. They only wanted coffee. They asked the counter girl every conceivable question about each of the coffees. Then the sweeteners. What would she recommend? Finally, one guy and one woman walked away and left the completion of the order to the other two.

Came time to pay. Counter girl gave them the check. Oh no, we want separate checks!

Fortunately, I was in good humor. Actually found the whole thing interesting.

I have to compliment the counter girl. Took it all in stride with a never ending smile.

Not the end of the story.

When all four were seated at their table, the ladies took four subs out of their bags. Subs they obviously had purchased elsewhere.

Several years ago, the DC Madam was arrested. Her list of 800 plus prominent Washington big wigs confiscated. Louisiana Senator David Vitter’s name was on the list. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President at the time.  That was the end of that. Though he was reelected to the Senate by Louisiana a couple of years later.

Recently, someone went to court to have the entire customer list released for public viewing. The reason being there were names thereon of persons possible candidates for the 2016 Presidential election.

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the request to release the names. Without opinion.

Greece, my Greece! I love Greece!

Greece has had and continues to have big time financial problems. Greece had to be bailed out by the Eurounion. What was unknown at the time was that the bailout dollars were required to meet bank obligations. Shades of the U.S. We bailed the banks out directly.

A study was released last week showing that 95 percent of the monies loaned went to pay off Greece’s bank obligations. Only 5 percent to help the Greek people in crisis.

I spoke to this in a blog last year. Also, on my blog talk radio show.

Many say Greece placed itself in the debt position. So screw them! All must agree with me however that the Eurounion arranging for the multi-billion dollar loans was only to save the European banks’ asses. Not help the Greek people.

Enjoy your day!

TRUMP…..GOD HELP US!

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Indiana pretty much sewed it up for Trump. Good for him! Bad for America!

I fear he is going to go all the way. The campaign will be dirty. The end will find him left standing. The four years following will tell whether I am correct. I hope I am wrong.

The American people are angered. About everything. Politicians are the first they can get at. They are doing it by nominating outsiders to be their leaders.

Sanders is another example. He has won a lot of States. He won Indiana last night. I suspect he will come up short, however. He will end up the also ran.

Sanders represents an extreme. His not bad in comparison to Trump’s way of thinking.

My blog talk radio show went well last night. I worked during the day fine tuning the show. I went on the air five minutes late. Technical difficulties. If you tried and failed to hear the show, it is archived on Blog Talk Radio, You Tube and my website Key West Lou.

The anti-gravity treadmill later this morning. I am going to cut the time back to 15 minutes. Monday proved to be too much.

Perry Court. Why did the Key West City Commission approve a $12.5 million dollar transfer of land authority money to make the transaction work? I thought the people voted down the acquisition of Perry Court. The Key West political powers are a conniving group.

My column Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction appears in this week’s KONK Life which hits the stands today. Heroin is an issue to which we have closed our eyes. Time to wake up! Read the article. An eye opener.

Audrey Hepburn was born this day in 1929 in Belgium. She spent the World War II years in Nazi occupied Holland with her mother. She is reported to have suffered many hardships.

My friend Anna was born and raised in Navaro, Italy. She lived through a Nazi occupied Italy during the War. Though Anna was probably 10 years younger than Hepburn.

Anna was four when the Americans arrived to free Navaro. Anna’s recollections are many. During the occupation, the German soldiers and the executions against a brick wall not far from her home.

As to the Americans, she distinctly recalls their arrival. She was given gum by one of them. She had never seen gum before. Did not know what it was. She ate the gum as if it were candy.

Enjoy your day!

BACK TO BODY OWNERS

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Today, I return to my beloved anti-gravity treadmill. At Body Owners. It has been more than three months since I last worked out on the machine.

First, it was a broken toe. Then, chest pains. I plan on starting slow. I am going to let the machine do half the work.

Sunday yesterday was the same as always. I wrote my KONK column. Took a little longer yesterday. I had research to complete. The title: Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction. The problem overwhelming.

What stands out is most are not discussing America’s heroin addiction. Do you recall any of the primary candidates mentioning it?

The column publishes wednesday.

Dinner last night at Roostica. Spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce as my grandmother made it.

I intended to go to Publix afterwards. Absolutely nothing to eat in the house! I was too lazy. Have to get there sometime today.

Big Key West week ahead! The Key West Songwriters Festival. Twenty first year. Wednesday through sunday. More than 100 participants. Singers and music emanating from every nook and cranny. A music lovers delight!

My Canadian friend Suzan Hebditch leaves this morning. One of the items we discussed over dinner friday night was the immigration issue. Suzan believes the U.S. is screwing up. Disgracefully so. Besides her Canadian friends, she is in constant touch with many Europeans. All think we should be doing our part and taking in more immigrants.

I disagreed. This is an unusual group seeking asylum. I believe taking more than the 10,000 projected for this year would throw our lives and economy into disarray. Not a selfish position from my perspective. We have to be concerned for our own first. God bless Germany who is willing to take in one million more.

Sounds like I am American First. Not so. No way. However, I find nothing wrong with being concerned for me, mine, and my country re this point.

Suzan can be emotional. Strong in disagreement. Did everything but hit me.

On this day in 1933, the Loch Ness monster was sighted. Its first modern day sighting. Is the monster for real?

Enjoy your day!

 

SYRACUSE KIM

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Last night was exciting and fun filled. All at Tavern ‘n Town.

Sitting next to me at the bar were Kim and Cecil.

Kim is originally from Syracuse. Made us instantaneous friends. Utica is 50 miles from Syracuse. I went to law school in Syracuse. Tried many cases in Syracuse.

Kim of Italian extraction, also. We talked of Utica’s restaurants. Purported to have the best Italian restaurants outside of Italy.

Cecil, her husband. Not from Syracuse. It blocked him out of the conversation on occasion.

Kim is a waitress at Michael’s. Cecil a sales representative for BREAKTHRU Beverage, a liquor distributor.

Nice people.

I was reading the newspaper when I heard behind me…..You’re sitting at a reserved seat. A seat at the bar? It was Tom. I did not recognize his voice at first.

Tom was with his lovely wife Nancy. Nancy always charming. Tom a former bocce team mate.

With them were Dan, Betty and their daughter.

Dan and Betty only visit Key West. They are here so often one forgets they are visitors. Their home is in Tampa or Fort Myers. They keep running down to Key West for fun times with the many friends they have made here over the years.

I joined the group at their table after I finished dinner. Enjoyed a couple of drinks with them. A lot of political talk. No one seemed to like Trump. Amazing! Very few like him. Nevertheless, he constantly wins.

Another part of the discussion involved Dan’s heart. He recently had three stents placed. God bless him! Should be good for another 15-20 years.

I was up at 5 this morning working.

My KONK Life column this week very interesting. Involves Afghanistan and heroin. The title Afghanistan and America’s Heroin Addiction. An eye opener.

I researched about five hours yesterday. Not enough. That is why the five o’clock starting time this morning. Took another three hours to complete the research. I will begin writing the column at one this afternoon.

My day is an all writing one. I hope to get out tonight. Absolutely out of food! Have to eat and shop for groceries.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

BAILEY HOUSE NOVA SCOTIA

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Fourteen years ago, my former wife and I were seated at Virgilio’s bar. Next to us was a lovely lady. We started talking. Her name Suzan Hebditch. From Toronto.

Suzan mentioned the next day was her 50th birthday. We invited her to dinner the next evening to celebrate. We had an enjoyable time at Pisces.

Suzan had and still visits Key West once a year. Occasionally, she will e-mail…..Wanna have dinner? Every third or fourth year.

This was to be my year. She remembered me. We had dinner last night at the Hot Tin Roof. Prior to dinner, we stopped at the Chart Room. Suzan had never been there.

When we first met, Suzan was the CEO of the lawyers’ library system in Canada. The law libraries are owned by the bar and not the state as here in the U.S. A big job.

A law librarian no more. She is now the owner of a bed and breakfast in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Bailey House Bed and Breakfast. Her life.

A stay at The Bailey House is a uniquely Canadian experience. The facility sits on the ocean. Thirty foot tides coming in. Gardens in the back. Special. Different. Beautiful. Planned and planted by Suzan.

The property consists of the main house and a coach house. The coach house is comparable to a Key West mother in law’s abode.

There is history to the place. Built in 1770 by John Easson. He sold it to Joseph Totten in 1783. Totten was a bit of a scoundrel from an American perspective. A Tory. Described by Canadians as a refugee loyalist. He fled Westchester County. He left in the dead of night with his wife, six children and four slaves.

The small community where the now Bailey House is located was and still is known as Annapolis Royal. Totten became a prominent figure. Bailey House once guested Prince Edward. The Prince was the father of Queen Victoria.

Suzan has revamped the property. Pictures show a lovely place to spend a few days. Suzan has a reputation for being an outstanding cook. Pictures reflect the same, also.

Take a look at The Bailey House website. www.baileyhouse.ca. E-mail info@baileyhouse.ca.

Should you get the itch to visit Canada and spend a day or two at the Bailey House, Suzan can be reached at 1-877-532-1285. Toll free. The property’s address is 150 St. George St., P.O. Box 368, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Canada BOS 1AO.

Suzan’s beauty is only excelled by her toughness.  She tries odd ball things. None easy. She relishes in doing the difficult.

In 2013 and again in 2014, she walked the 500 mile pilgrimage known as the Camino del Santiago.  Started in France and ended at a shrine in Spain. The walk took many days. Something like 6 weeks. Though my recollection might be wrong in this regard.

I sense Suzan did it as a challenge. Not so much from a religious perspective.

Suzan’s Camino del Santiago is my Santorini volcano. She succeeded where I failed. Hers a much longer and arduous adventure.

I anticipate seeing Suzan in 3-4 years. It will be my time again.

Enjoy your day!

KEY WEST SCHOOL SEGREGATION

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I came across an item concerning Fats Navarro this morning. The world famous trumpeter. He had a Key West connection. I checked it out.

Fats was a Conch. Born in Key West. Resided here through high school. Then departed for what turned out to be an exciting career.

He attended Douglass High School. I thought the name strange. Had never heard of a Key West high school by that name.

There was. It no longer exists.

It was the high school for blacks. At a time Key West, as much of the South, was segregated.

Today, there exists the Frederick Douglas Gymnasium in Bahama Village. A gym and community center. Serves the youth of Bahama Village. Many of whom are African-Americans. I could not ascertain whether the gym today was the building that housed the segregated high school of yesterday.

My yesterday a lot of running around. With little accomplished.

Tried to get an appointment for a manicure and pedicure. Tammy was all excited on the phone. No appointment till next week. I could not understand. I always get a timely appointment. I have been a weekly customer for years. Plus, this is not season.

I suspect something must be wrong at her end. I will find out next week.

A doctor appointment at 1. Then to the Cuban Coffee House for lunch. It was 2. A Cuban cheese toast and large Cuban coffee.

No way.

All the tables were occupied. The line waiting to place an order several deep.

I decided to go to the Pier House Beach Bar. Enjoyed fish and chips while observing the lovely ladies in swim attire. Never tires me.

On this day in 1945, Dachau was liberated. Hitler had killed 6 million Jews. It was supposed to be the last genocide. The world deceived itself. Genocides have been frequent since the end of World War II. Especially in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Dinner tonight with an old friend. Suzan Hebditch. A Canadian true and true.

I met Suzan many years ago. At Virgilio’s. She was vacationing here. As she does every few years.

I have not seen Suzan in 6-7 years.

She owns a guest house in Nova Scotia. The Bailey House Bed and Breakfast.

We are dining at Hot Tin Roof. I am sure it will be a fun time.

Enjoy your day!