TOGA PARTY…..WHAT TOGA PARTY?

I was sorely disappointed last night. Toga Party. What Toga Party? Hard to find.

I have been a fan of Toga Party since the mid 1980’s. Merely as a voyeur. For me, fun. Last night, there was little to be voyeured. Very little.

The reasons why two-fold from my perspective.

Irma obviously a contributing factor. Who would want to pay $700-$1,000 a night for a hotel room if Key West was still recovering from Irma?

The other is the leadership of the event. New leadership this year. The former head ran the show for many years. Complaints grew in recent years by certain locals that there was too much nudity, perversion, etc.

The squeaky wheel was heard by the new leadership. Advertising for this year’s event was not to the usual sources. Sexually inclined persons and groups.

Fantasy Fest an adult party. Always has been. People want to show off their bodies, play, etc. Hurts no one. The new leadership better study closely the reasons why this year’s event failed. And not be reluctant to accept responsibility where warranted.

I walked Duval in the usual Toga Party area last night. Sloppy Joe’s, inside and out. I would estimate the crowd no more than one-third of its usual number. Sloppy’s not crowded. Could walk the streets without problem. Duval not closed off. Cars driving through.

I saw no more than 10 persons in toga attire.

The failure of Toga Party probably a combination of Irma and the new leadership looking in the wrong places for attendees.

The Parade is saturday night. Normally 60,000 to 80,000 spectators. Terrific! Not this year. It will be significantly less.

Several years ago, there was another Irma/storm. Fantasy Fest was delayed into early December so Key West would be ready. This year greed dictated otherwise. There was a rush to get ready and hold the event timely. Hotels, bars, merchants, etc. needed the business.

The goose that lays the golden egg seriously hurt this year.Let’s hope it does not die not next.

I saw three sets of bare breasts last night. One at the Chart Room. Bugs Bunny. She and her husband from Kentucky. Breasts spray painted.

The other two on the street in front of Sloppy’s. One young, the other middle aged. Both spray painted.

In previous years, there would be hundreds in various degrees of undress. All having a good time. Even voyeurs like me. I sincerely hope the tradition does not end.

Enjoyed stone crabs again last night at Pier One. I was the only customer. Hovi the bartender. From Romania. Has been in Key West 5 years.

The Chart Room had about 15 minutes of activity. Otherwise, few customers.

Met Larry and Cindy. We are neighbors! They live on the golf course, also.

We chatted quite a while. Canadians. Sarnie, Ontario. Sounded like they have a family business. Mechanical contracting. Cindy serves as bookkeeper for the business.

Proud parents of two children and two grandchildren.

Liked them both. Hope to develop a relationship with them.

Problems developing post Irma. To be expected. Not everything works perfectly following a disaster like Irma.

The Monroe County School System announced that 320 students are homeless as a result of Irma. Many would not be had the City fathers and FEMA decided that the Irma homeless could no longer stay in local hotels paid by FEMA following last sunday. It was Fantasy Fest time. Time to make real money! Which I suspect will not be the case when the numbers are released.

If the kids are homeless, the parents also. Where are they living? In cars, trucks, mangroves and under the bridges.

Shame on us all!

Monroe County has requested 9,200 trailers. FEMA provides them. As of yesterday, 10 had arrived.

FEMA advises it only has 1,000 trailers allocated for the entire State of Florida.

How will the problem be solved? Will it be solved?

Enjoy your day!

OREOS

I write about important things. Today, Oreos. Specifically, the new Oreo Thins.

Oreos. That amazing cookie! Everyone loves Oreos! Delicious chocolate hard cake on the outside. Sweet thick white sugar inside.

Oreos recently came out with Oreo Thins. Saw it advertised on TV. Decided to buy a package. Thought I could get the same pleasure with only half the calories.

I was correct as to the calories. Wrong as to the pleasure. There was no pleasure. It tasted nothing like the Oreos I have known for years. The thin white inside taste was barely discernible. The thin chocolate wafers heavy in taste. It was as if I were eating a chocolate cookie.

Do not even try Oreo Thins. A waste of time and pleasure. It would surprise me if they were still be on the shelves in six months.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. Then a bit of banking. Followed by lunch at the Marriott Beachside Beach Bar. I enjoyed my time there earlier in the week.

I was looking forward to chatting with Simon, the bartender. No Simon. Must have been his day off. No loss, however. I enjoyed the view, a cheeseburger and read the newspapers.

For whatever reason, I was tired. Went home to bed. Slept all afternoon.

Last night began with the Chart Room. I was hoping to run into Bob Dennard. Emily bartending. Her eyes much better.

Chatted with some tourists and snowbirds till Bob showed up.

Spent an interesting hour with Bob. He is much traveled. Writes about places he has visited. Especially, Asia.

Dinner was alone at the Hot Tin Roof bar. Chatted with Joseph. The place was filled by the time I left.

I understand La Te Da is entirely closed down for the month of September. Not uncommon. Many establishments close for September. The hottest month of the year and the fewest visitors.

My head is hung in shame. I knocked Syracuse’s football team yesterday. They played their first game last night against Rhode Island.

I should not have. Syracuse beat Rhode Island 47-0. A score from days of old. Unfortunately, starting quarterback Terrel Hunt hurt his ankle in the first quarter. He may not be able to play the rest of the season. A freshman, whose name escapes me, played the rest of the game. He obviously did well.

My KONK Life column Private Prisons was published this morning on E-Blast. Someone screwed up in printing the title. PRISON became PRISON’S. Nothing I can do at this point. Add it to what some perceive as my grammatically incorrect writings.

I have to write my KONK column for next week. Decided on a certain phase of Tennessee Williams’ life. He called Key West home for well over thirty years. My research not complete. There are certain facts I have to verify. Impossible for me to write the column today.

At this moment on saturday morning, I have no idea what the subject matter will be of the column I am to write this afternoon.

Enjoy your day!

WE WON!

I called it wrong. I was sure we were going to lose last night. We did not. God was good! We won 2 out of 3 games. Against the #1 team for most of the past 10 years.

I am glad I was wrong. Me of little faith!

We lost the first game. We were down 11-3. Came back. Lost by one point 16-15. The next two we won. By two or 3 points each game.

It took forever to play. We were the last to finish. Everyone was done and had gone home. It was a point at a time. Both sides grinding it out.

My day began with a haircut yesterday. Lori has been cutting my hair for 15 years. We have become friends.

Then it was Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch. I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before a manicure appointment. The time was some of the best I have spent recently.

Bob Dennard came up to me and said…..You’re Key West Lou! After acknowledging my existence, Bob said he was in Key West for a few days and had been looking for me. The Chart Room evenings and the Cuban Coffee Queen at lunch time.

We finally met! Bob, one great  guy!

We could have talked all afternoon, but I had to get to Tammy’s for my manicure.

Bob presently from Fort Walton Beach. Started off in California. A career service man now retired. Widowed. Sixty four.

He has written five books. I was impressed! Two historical in hard back covers. The other three involving cruising. One of the cruise books centers in southeast Asia where Bob was stationed.

He writes a blog. kokoman.com. Not every day. Once a week, once a month. Whenever the mood strikes.

In addition to searching me out, Bob is researching to write a book about the Chart Room. I shared with him whatever I knew.

No question, we are going to meet again. Hopefully over the weekend.

Got to Tammy’s just in time. I keep repeating. She and husband Ricky personify the American dream. Tammy was born in Vietnam. Ricky in the U.S. Both work 6-7 days a week, 8 in the morning till 8-9 in the evening. No complaints. Expect nothing from anyone. Do for themselves.

Overseas Market is being remodeled. Cosmetically. New trees, new signs, things of that nature.

I remember when the site of Overseas Market was nothing but  a large empty field. The shopping center was built in 1992. I started coming to Key West in 1989. Those early years, there was no Overseas Market.

I recall an update some years later. The whole shopping center was repainted. My recollection is the original color was some shade of pink. The new color yellow.

Time moves on.

This week’s KONK Life column Private Prisons was linked this morning to my Key West Lou website. keywestlou.com.

I have been critical of the judicial system in recent years. I feel a special entitlement as I spent my life as a lawyer. My faith in the system has been restored a bit by two very recent decisions. The Tom Brady one and the Kentucky clerk Kim Davis who refused to marry same sex couples. Both decisions correct based on the issues involved. Right on. Additionally, both courts went no further than required.

I am sick of hearing Trump and further sick of hearing about Hillary’s e-mails. Neither speak to the issues. We are not being told where each stands. I blame the media. We are not being educated as to their respective positions.

College football! Syracuse plays Rhode Island tonight.

How the mighty fall! Syracuse has not fielded a good football team in way too many years. We would never have scheduled a Rhode Island in days of old.

Further discouraging is that in the friday spreads in the newspaper, the Syracuse/Rhode Island game is not even mentioned.

Whatever, go Orange! Loyalty never diminishes.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

POST ERIKA

Sorry to feature Erika three consecutive days. However when you live on a sub-tropical island subject to all kinds of tropical storms, weather is all important.

No more Erika after today. I promise.

Key West was supposed to experience heavy rain and winds yesterday. Can’t always trust the weather man. There was a heavy rainstorm for about 10 minutes in the morning. That was it. Gray all day. Minimal wind. No more rain.

I stayed in and lounged around all day. I did not want to be somewhere with streets flooded and I would find it difficult to get back home.

It appears it did not rain during the evening. The sun is breaking out this morning,.

Two banks of clouds. A white one on top. A gray one below. An hour ago, the white ones were moving south and the gray north. Just now, both moving north. Direction important. Most adverse weather comes from the north. Rarely from the south. Yesterday and today so far, most items moving south to north. The remnants of Erika.

Fred is still off the coast of Africa. Over the Cape Verde Islands. A category 1 already. Expected not to make the U.S. Anticipated it will peter out somewhere over the Atlantic.

We shall see. Wind is fickle.

Part of yesterday was spent composing this week’s KONK Life column. Private Prisons. Publishes wednesday.

Interesting material. The column covers prison slave labor as constitutionally protected by specific words in the 13th Amendment. The observation that private prisons are proving not to be financially feasible for governmental agencies. Wall Street investing heavily in private prisons.

Corruption. A judge recently sentenced to 28 years because he took $1 million in bribes to send over a five year period 2,000 plus youngsters to private detention centers. The 2,000 plus young people did not commit anything warranting detention time.

Gene Thornton wrote a comment to yesterday’s blog re American Pharoah. Note, not Jean Thornton. Gene Thornton.

I used to enjoy Saratoga when I lived up north. I enjoyed betting at the track. Generally losing. The cost to watch beautiful horses run.

Gene gave me an education. I thought when a horse was put out to stud, he wandered around grass fields having fun impregnating female horses. I was wrong.

What I learned. Gestation period for a mare is 11 months. Most mating takes place in February. Mating takes place in a special stall inside, not outside in the fields. There was wisdom in continuing to run American Pharoah after his Triple Crown victories. American Pharoah should be run through the Breeders Cup late in October.

I would repeat the comment in its entirely. However, it is too long. If you wish to read it, it can be found under Comments following yesterday’s blog on WordPress.

Thank you, Gene Thornton.

We are into lobster season. Eighty percent of the spiny lobsters caught in the Keys are shipped to China and other Asian markets. Big business!

This morning’s Key West Citizen in The World Almanac section published its quote of the day. William Sayoran in one of his writings said, “Good people are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success…”

True. From my experience. I have always maintained that you have to be a loser before you can be a winner. Winning is a learning process. We learn from our mistakes. So it was in my life.

Enjoy your day!