DINNER WITH FRIENDS

Dinner last night with friends. Karen and Dan Visnic. Karen a Pittsburg Shaklee distributor.

We met through this blog. Karen and Dan are loyal readers. Have been for years. Also frequent visitors to Key West. Three to four times a year. Renting a home on Olivia for the month of June.

We met about a year ago. Lunched at Salute’s where we dined last night. They were in Key West during Fantasy Fest. Their daughter and son in law joined them.

I am ashamed to admit, I had never read anything by John D. MacDonald. Their daughter when she returned home shipped me MacDonald’s The Deep Blue Good-By.

Karen and Dan return for another visit in July. I look forward to seeing them again.

Yesterday began with a late morning session on the anti-gravity treadmill. I swear by this machine. Whereas I recently lost 35 pounds, my gut remained. The treadmill is removing or redistributing my belly. Thrilling!

Then to Lee Nails and Tammy for a manicure. Tammy the best! Her keen sense of humor frequently peeked out yesterday.

It was lunch time. The Cuban Coffee Queen. It is becoming a habit. Parking is easy. I love Cuban pressed bread and coffee. The setting perfect.

This morning’s Key West Citizen carried an interesting front page article. Key West hotels are doing terrific. Occupancy up. Hotel rates have increased 55 percent over the past six years.

Key West is an expensive place. Whether a resident or tourist. The major hotels have been taken over by the big corporations in the last five years. My fear is the ever increasing cost of a hotel stay is going to hurt the chicken that lays the golden egg. Gluttony a terrible thing.

I write frequently about turtles. We are crazy for anything having to do with the water.  The keys fortunate to have a turtle hospital in Marathon.

Two Marathon Turtle Hospital staff recently visited Cuba and met with a primary gamekeeper of turtles there.

The Marathon team brought simple medical tools with them. Medical equipment such as microscopes and a box of slides. Simple is not available in Cuba. Basics of any kind not available.

The trip impresses me. Another step in reuniting the bond between the U.S. and Cuba. These little things move ahead more swiftly than government interaction. It appears it is going to take a long time for the U.S. to become friends with Cuba again. People to people appears more effective.

I am unhappy with the Trans Pacific Pact vote yesterday. A victory for Obama and the Republican Congress. History repeats itself. Rarely do nations learn. Ten years from now the bad will be obvious, the damage already done to the U.S.

Clinton had his NAFTA. Cost the U.S. millions of jobs. Jobs alone are not at stake this time. Foreign control of American businesses is. Obama way off base on this one.

I woke this morning to a gray Key West. Even gray, the vista beautiful to behold. The gray is now lifting and the sun coming out.

I always have had a problem re the spelling of gray. Gray or grey? I looked it up this morning. Both spellings correct. Merely different spellings of the same word. Gray commonly used in the U.S. Grey in England. Take your pick!

Enjoy your day!

YESTERDAY MICHAEL SHIELDS, TODAY JOE BIDEN

A parent should never bury a child. An all time truth.

Yesterday, I mentioned  that Michael Shields’ son Jason had died. Today, Joe Biden’s son Beau.

Such sorrow for both men.

Permit me to dwell on Biden for a moment.

Back in the 1980s, I was Chairman of the Board of Visitors at the Syracuse University College of Law. Joe Biden was a Syracuse Law graduate. A United States Senator, he was a frequent visitor to the law school. If there was a football or basketball game when he was in town, he watched the game from my private box at the Carrier Dome.

I got to know him a bit. A good man then I thought. A good man today.

Biden’s first wife and daughter were killed in an automobile crash just after he was elected to his first term in the Senate. A heavy in and of itself. Now comes the death of his son Beau from brain cancer. Another heavy. How much can one man take?

Michael and Joe, may God give you the strength to get through these days.

I went out last night! For me, a big deal!

I decided on dinner at Roostica. The place was jam packed. There was not a seat anywhere. Left and went to Hogfish. Packed also, but a small table was available for me and the newspapers.

I ate. My first for real meal in two weeks. I had been building up to it. Lobster roll and one gin. The lobster roll did not particularly turn me on. It was me, not the food. Interestingly, the french fries did. I am not particularly crazy about french fries. Last night, they were gourmet food.

The one gin was tasteless. Had no effect whatsoever.

I spent yesterday afternoon writing this week’s KONK Life column. Corruption of Politics and Banks. My solution in a nutshell…..Public financing of Presidential elections and break the banks up. An interesting piece. A lot of history involved.

Remember Tiny? The 300 pound 50 year old turtle I wrote about last week. He was front page news in this morning’s Key West Citizen. He was returned to the ocean at Higgs Beach. A large crowd cheering him off.

Peggy Noonan in a column last week in the Wall Street Journal asked this question regarding Hillary Clinton…..Is her victory inevitable or impossible? Food for thought.

Years ago, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window came out. Starred Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart.

Kelly took a silk negligee out of a briefcase. Or what I thought at the time was a brief case. I still do.

The brief case has been reproduced and is on sale. Referred to as an “overnight case.” Cost, $3,995. Someone has to be crazy out there!

Congress and the Patriot Act. What will be, will be. Personally, I think certain provisions should not be renewed. Senator Rand Paul has it correct. During debate, he said…..This is a debate over your right to be left alone.

Back to the treadmill at 11 this morning. The anti-gravity treadmill. I plan on going slow.

Today is Ally’s birthday. I think 10. Happy birthday Ally! Tonight, dinner and cake with the family.

Enjoy your day!

FARMERS MARKET

I was on the road yesterday. Tried to be up and about more than the day before. Got four hours in. 10:30-2:30. Exhausted at the end.

One of my stops was the Farmers Market. Believe held weekly at Bayview Park. A first time visit. Ashamed I had not visited before. A winner!

I have visited Farmers Markets in upstate New York, Alexandria Bay, San Diego, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Athens, Milan, and probably more. The Key West one absolutely the best!

Set in a large u shaped fashion, each tent pleasant appearing and welcoming. Everything! Breads, cakes, honey, Mel Fisher Atocha items, apple juice, candies, fruits, vegetables, jewelry, etc. Vendors a happy bunch.

The food vendors did particularly impress me. Each offered a sample. Next time I visit, it will be at lunch time. I did not partake yesterday. I would the next time. The samples are a lunch in themselves.

My day began with a business meeting. Then a haircut with Lori. Lori and several friends leave today for a week’s vacation in Arizona. They have rented a large house boat. They will be traveling on some lake that meanders through the Grand Canyon. Lori showed me pictures. Wow! The  rust colored rock mountains tall and endless. Their tiny house boat thousands of feet below.

Lunched at the old Lobo’s. Now Conch Island Queen. Best described as a Cuban sandwich place. Situated in tiny Key Lime Square behind Antonia’s.

Cuban toast and water. Still need to watch what I consume. I questioned if the Cuban toast was proper. However, I said screw it and went for it!

Then grocery shopping at Publix. My food intake consists of three levels. Each a different type food. I am entering the third phase. Needed new foods.

My article in this week’s KONK Life is Saudi Arabia And The Hypocrisy Of It All. It became available yesterday on my Key West Lou and Louis Petrone Facebook websites.

This week’s KONK Life carried two new items. The first a photo section which I am told will be part of the paper henceforth. The other a detailed story about Peter Diamond. One of Key West’s nicest persons and premier vocalists.

I close today with the Marathon Turtle Hospital. I frequently mention the turtle hospital because it does such great things.

This weekend two formerly very sick turtles will be returned to the ocean.

 

Saturday at 10:30 am in Marathon, Patti. Patti is a sub adult sea turtle. She was brought to the turtle hospital months ago emaciated with pneumonia, lock jaw and eye ulcers. Now, cured.

The other is Tiny. A very good time awaits him.

Tiny is a 50 year old 300 pound adult turtle. Turtles live to 100 or more. He was struck by a boat. Beat up badly. Now recovered, he will be released to the ocean sunday at 12:30 off Higg’s Beach behind Salute’s. He is returning to the ocean at a very good time. The hospital manager said…..He is just getting out there in time to start dating and make baby turtles.

What a life!

Enjoy your day!