DIDI

Didi is a turtle. She was found early in July floating. Incapable of diving.

Didi was taken to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Impacted internally.

The very competent staff at the Turtle Hospital fixed her up. Didi is recovered. Saturday (tomorrow) she will be released back into the ocean. Sombrero Beach at 10 in the morning.

If you have never attended such an event, go! There will be a couple of hundred people. Everyone cheering as Didi makes her way into the water. A good feeling event.

Erika. The odd feeling in the pit of my stomach getting larger. Erika still a tropical storm. Doing some damage and deaths in the Caribbean. It is expected to hit Key West monday morning. Erika expected to be a hurricane at that time.

The projections are always 99.9 percent wrong. It is that 1/10th of a point that is the problem. You never know.

Today, I begin getting ready. Buy peanut butter and crackers, bottled water, new flashlights, some candles, etc. Some today, some tomorrow.

No one is talking about the hurricane yet. No one is taking it seriously. Properly so. They rarely hit.

Yesterday another inactive day. Spent most of the day writing the “love story” that I continue to believe will never publish. Love writing a first time event for me. Not easy to do.

Bocce last night canceled. The courts still wet. Some with two inches of water.

Bocce is not a sport alone. It is a social event. I shower, shave and wear a clean pressed tee shirt for the event. I did it all in preparation last night and was on my way to the bocce courts. It was then that I got a text from David. Bocce cancelled.

Dressed and no where to go!

Stopped by Don’s Place assuming some team mates would be there. Enjoyed a drink with David, Stan and Clare.

Decided to stop at Tavern ‘n Town for dinner. Forgot that thursday night is 2 for 1 and half price on appetizers at cocktail time. The bar a zoo. Not for me. I left.

It was a sandwich and early to bed for me.

This week’s KONK Life column Legalization of Prostitution run on E-Blast this morning. Also linked to my website Key West Lou.

Part of the column is a rerun of a 2013 article I did titled Germany…..Biggest Whore House in Europe. Germany’s experience with legalization a disaster for the ladies.

Enjoy your day!

 

DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN?

Maureen Dowd’s column appeared on the editorial page of the Key West Citizen this morning. Concerned Donald Trump. The opening sentence…..Some blondes have all the fun.

Erika may be a for real hurricane. Not there yet. Some 1,500 miles from Key West. A tropical storm. Forty five miles per hour. Expected to reach hurricane force soon.

Key West is in the come of error. It is anticipated Erika will arrive over the Keys monday morning. Hurricane intensity.

On the other hand, it may not hit Key West. If it does not hit, it will mean heavy rains for a day.

We have been through this before. Many hurricane warnings. At the last moment, the hurricane moves in another direction. Time will tell.

I must be honest. For the first time this morning, I am getting a bit uncomfortable.

A preview of Erika this morning. Dark and very windy. A flash of lightning came through the window. I walked over and looked outside. Saw another flash. Long and jagged. Shot straight down. Moments later, pouring rain. Palm trees bending. White caps.

The thunder unusual. Ongoing. Intense. For over an hour.

In about two hours, the sun will be shining brightly. Typical Key West weather this time of the year.

After the anti-gravity treadmill yesterday, I stopped at Roostica for lunch. A gnocci special was featured. I ordered it.

Gnocci is macaroni made from potatoes.

What a meal! As good as Grandma made!

The gnoccis were tender. Soft. The sauce red with a body to it. A sausage sauce. Small pieces mixed in.

Bobby Mongelli knows his food. Roostica’s is genuine Italian.

The afternoon was laid back. I settled in a comfortable chair and read. I am into a book about today’s Washington and how we got to where we are. The book discusses the politics of extremism in Washington and its sources.

The tile It’s Even Worse Than It Looks. The authors Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein.

The perfect political junkie’s read. I am enjoying it.

Cocktail time was at Aqua. At the back bar. I was looking for Mark Watson. One of Key west’s most loved guys.

Mark is running for Fantasy Fest King. I stopped by to make my contribution to his race.

It was only Mark and me for a while. A camera man showed up. He was taking pictures for the Florida Keys channel 5 show. I am in the some of the shots.

Christine showed up. Never met her before. Mark introduced us. The three of us had an enjoyable conversation. The drinks were going down too easy. I went straight home afterwards.

This week’s KONK Life hit the stands yesterday. My column is titled the Legalization of Prostitution. At some point today, it will be linked to my Key West Lou website. I believe you will enjoy the article. Some interesting revelations.

Bocce tonight. If there is no further rain today and the sun comes out as I anticipate, the courts may be dry enough to play.

A big match this evening. My team Don’s Place is playing Not Don’s Place. A Larry Smith joke when he named his team a couple of years ago.

A money game.

Enjoy your day!

 

HURRICANE ANDREW

Twenty three years ago on this day in 1992 Hurricane Andrew demolished Homestead. A category 5 hurricane. They don’t come any worse.

Three weeks later, I drove through Homestead on my way to Key West. I had flown into Miami and intentionally opted to drive so I could see Homestead. What I saw was not nice.

Not a building standing. An occasional wall. Everything else ground rubble. Berlin looked better at the end of World War II.

Andrew has been described as the most fearsome and costliest storm.

I did not drive through Homestead streets. The elevated highway still stood. The same one we drive over today.

Danny is weakening. Good! Wind is fickle. Fortunately so in this instance.

A strange weekend for me. Sunday, monday and tuesday are hard working days. Writing the KONK column and getting ready for my tuesday night blog talk radio show. This weekend I am a day ahead. My column was done saturday instead of sunday. Monday is generally spent preparing for tuesday’s radio show. I did it yesterday. I have one hour of fine tuning which I will do tomorrow.

Which means, today a screw off day for me!

I was able to sneak some golf watching time in. Pleased for David Love III’s winning. He is 51. Unusual for a senior to come out on top.

Tiger Woods played the best he has in years. Came in tenth. Was in the run for the title till he took a triple bogey on 11 yesterday.

It was 7 by the time the golf tournament was over. My sunday nights usually include Roostica for spaghetti, meatballs and sausage. I decided to stay in and cook. Made rigatonis. No sauce. Some oil with salt, pepper and a few ground herbs. Delicious.

Watched Singing In The Rain on TV lat night. Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. An old time musical. The great dance and singing scene by Gene Kelly.

The rainy season is upon the Florida keys. It has been raining heavy at some point in the afternoon every day. Not for long.

I sent this week’s KONK Life column to the publisher yesterday morning. Legalization of Prostitution. The column is actually a combination of two. Two years ago, I wrote an article re the effects of Germany’s having legalized prostitution in 2002. I combined the two writings for this week’s column.

I did not cover the moral aspect. Except for a comment by St. Augustine. Something to the effect that prostitution was immoral, but a necessary evil.

Nor did I take a position on the legalization issue.

New Hartford, NY is next door to my home town of Utica. The two actually touch. Cross the street and move from one to the other.

A New Hartford resident made the sports news big time yesterday. His name, Derek Bard. Bard is a junior at the University of Virginia. He was in the finals of the US Amateur. He lost to Bryson De Chambeau, an SMU senior.

I do not know Derek. However, I congratulate him. There is always next year. And then the pros if he is so inclined.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

LEGALIZATION OF PROSTITUTION

Normally, I write my KONK Life column on Sunday. This week I got a day ahead. Did it yesterday. Title…..Legalization of Prostitution.

The topic was selected because rumblings can be heard that it is time. Germany thought it was the time in 2002. I wrote an article three years ago re Germany’s post legalization experience. I added that article on to yesterday’s. The two tie in well together..

The column publishes Wednesday.

Dinner with Eddie last night. Eddie is a friend of many years from the bocce courts. We never had been out together before. Decided to get together for dinner last night.

Interesting the things you learn about a person once you have the opportunity to chat a while.

We were dining at Tavern ‘n Town. Michael Emerson on the guitar and singing. Eddie said I know Mike….. I was a musician by trade before I came down with MS. Sure enough. Mike stopped over and the two chatted like long lost friends.

I enjoyed Eddie’s company. I am sure we will do it again.

I was able to sneak some time in while writing yesterday to watch golf. Tiger Woods is doing well. Tied for second going into today’s final round. Hope he wins!

His problem yesterday was putting. He missed a few he has to make if he is to win.

My yesterday was simple. This blog therefore simple.

Enjoy your Sunday!