I can see those in the cold areas of the country smiling already. Yes, it will be cold in Key West for the next 2 days beginning tonight. I will be cold. I am complaining.
Today’s temperature 80 degrees. Tonight, it will drop to 64. I will have the heat on.
Tomorrow, 69 by date and 63 in the evening.
Then a return to normalcy. Eighty degree weather
Yesterday proved my body is finally back to normal. Ran a few errands by day. Last night out.
Aqua first for Dueling Bartenders. Not “dueling” for a while. Tom Luna on a 6 month sabbatical. Rick Dery ran the show alone. Spectacular! However had to be tired at the end. He sang every song!
My dear friend Liz at the bar. Liz is waning. Hurts. I like her so much. Wish I had met her 15-20 years ago. My friend who was Dean of 2 law schools. I chatted with her a while. Each word she spoke took effort.
Josefina, Linda and Mary singing along with everyone else.
Afterwards, Mary and I had dinner at the bar at La Trattoria. Where I really put my body to the test.
I had limited myself to 2 drinks at Aqua. Enjoyed a third at La Trattoria. And a plate of lasagna. Oh, what a night it was!
Sat next to Dink Bruce. Dink a Key West legend. Everyone likes Dink. That kind of guy.
Dink and some of Hemingway’s artifacts, writings, etc. related.
Dink’s father Toby Bruce. He and Hemingway tight. Together every day.
When Hemingway died, he left behind a pile of boxes in Sloppy Joe’s back room. Hemingway’s fourth wife Mary Welsh Hemingway visited to go through the boxes. She took with her what she thought valuable. Gave the rest to Toby and his wife Betty.
No one bothered to categorize the contents of the boxes till 15 years ago. Most importantly, Hemingway’s first writing. One he did at the age of 10. Other items included additional writings, photos, notes, pieces of his hair, and prints.
Bruce and Betty long gone. Contents now the property of their son Dink.
Dink told me last night Penn State is interested in the contents. He is in negotiations at the present time with Penn State.
Love tuesday nights! My podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me at 9 for a fast moving half hour of me venting and raving about things. Fun to do! Guaranteed you will enjoy. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.
I slammed Trump hard yesterday for the use of tear gas at the border. Wrong place, wrong time for such an horrendous act.
Blame has to be spread. Obama’s use of tear gas at the border makes Trump look like an angel.
I was not aware of Obama’s use yesterday when I wrote.
Obama used the same type tear gas frequently. Twenty six times in 2012, 27 times in 2013. Then its usage dropped off. In 2016, only 3 times.
Obama authorized pepper spray on occasion, also.
The Trump administration has come up with another bright idea. Credit scores to be used to determine who may become a citizen. Anyone with poor scores would be ineligible.
The purpose is to prevent immigrants from becoming a burden on the welfare system.
Makes me wonder how my family would have fared under such a rule.
My people came from Italy between 1900 and 1915. Peasants. Third class steerage. Not a pot to piss in, as the saying goes.
This first group worked hard. Most succeeded in living a step above the poverty level.
My mother a most interesting story. She came over as a child. Lived in New York City. Her father had a stroke. She had to leave school while in the third grade to work 14 hours a day in a shoe factory.
They all became citizens. Their children became the stars. Only because of the stringent upbringing which pushed them to do better.
None would have become citizens if the credit score rule were in effect. What would have happened to me and my many cousins?Would we have been able to become the successful professional and business people we did?
Trump campaigned big time on the representation he would bring jobs back. He has done a poor job so far.
It was announced yesterday that General Motors would be getting rid of 14,000 jobs and closing 5 plants. A winner, Mr. President!
Recall he also promised that coal plants would return. Where?
Aluminum companies, also. Good luck!
And then there is the farming industry. Totally mucked up because of the tariff wars. Soybeans, wheat and corn hit especially hard. Soybean sales down 94 percent this year.
Then there is the stock market. Down 2,500 points since early October. Erratic. Up and down hundreds of points each week. If it drops another 2,500 point, we will be in a recession big time.
I believe a recession possible. Between now and late spring. The world is too turbulent.
And so on.
Enjoy your day!