23 POUNDS!!!

I had a routine check up appointment with Dr. Mc Ivor yesterday. My heart doctor.

I knew he would be thrilled with my 19 pound weight loss. On his scale, it read 23. Wow!

Blood pressure excellent, too.

What a good boy was I!

I am going to stick with my scale’s readings for the time being. My nature, way of doing things.

Matters even better this morning. I had been stuck at 19 for 10 days. This morning, 20!

Another 20 to go!

Mary Lou Hoover a special lady. Helpful in many ways. She is running for Commissioner. I am supporting her. I told her she was crazy to run. She said she had to. Thought she could make a difference.

That’s Mary Lou.

Mary Lou’s campaign kickoff party began at 5 yesterday at Salute’s. One hundred thirty people plus or minus. Everyone having a good time. The beach, sunshine, good food, good drink, and good company.

Served as an opportunity also for me to visit with people I had not seen in a while.

Later, I was having dinner at Antonia’s at the bar. Mary Lou and husband Charlie showed up. They sat with me. We enjoyed dinner together. Talked politics, of course. It is on her mind.

Where ever we look, we see young children with touch phones and tablets. The kids all proficient in their use.

An unhealthy situation has developed as a result. Their grip is affected. Finger muscle development. Many cannot hold a pencil by the time they reach school age. Their fingers lack fundamental movement skills.

Pediatricians are also concerned with brain activity. Hand strength and mobile skills are involved with brain building. A right brain, left brain thing. Lack of mobile finger skills causes a failure in transition from right brain learning to left brain learning. The pediatricians claim children become more emotional than logical as a result as they get older.

Too much touch screen and touch tablet use can also result in the need for detoxification. The child having become over stimulated.

Trump time.

Trump said yesterday that if he had been at Douglas High School, he would have gone in. Even if he had no gun.

He fantasizes. Attempting to represent himself as a brave person, a hero.

Captain Marvel he is not.

This is the same person who received 5 deferments so he would not have to go to Vietnam. Four while in college. The fifth purportedly for bone heel spurs.

When first asked why he had not served, he said he had a “high draft number.” He described it as “phenomenal.” Later investigation determined it was the 5 deferments.

Man historically has made every attempt to keep women down. Second class citizens. Even after Congress passed the 19th Amendment which gave women the vote. The vote could not be denied on the basis of sex.

The 19th amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919. Rapidly ratified. On August 18, 1920, it was the law of the land.

Some men could not accept women voting. Lawsuits were initiated for all kind of nonsensical reasons to thwart the Amendment.

The matter was put to rest with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lesser v. Garnett on February 27, 1922. In effect, leave the ladies alone, they have the right to vote!

Interestingly, the ladies did not rush to the polls. Many were uneducated and did not know what to do. Others were stymied by voting restrictions based on identification, location, etc. Similar to the manner in which whites even to this day try to keep blacks from the polls.

Big evening tonight! My podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

The shows get better each week. At least I think so. They must be. I have more listeners and advertisers each week.

Join me at 9 my time. Enjoy a swift moving half hour of interesting topics. Some eye openers.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR DAVID HOGG IMPRESSIVE…..#NEVER AGAIN FOR REAL

 

I watched Douglas High School senior David Hogg on Morning Joe today. Impressive. Articulate and thoughtful. Direct.

These children are not going to go away. #Never Again is for real!

The law moves in strange ways. Confusing even to the trained advocate.

In effect, assault weapons are banned in the United States. As was decided by the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Kolbe v. Hogan decided last year, Second Amendment protections are not extended to weapons of war.

Like an AR-15.

Several other Circuit Courts have similarly decided.

The Supreme Court may never decide. Specific grounds are required to reach the Supreme Court. One is that if Circuit Court decisions exist, they must be contrary. In other words, one Court decides one way and the other the opposite.

To achieve uniformity and a singular controlling “law” under the circumstances, it would require each State to ban assault weapons. I doubt such is possible recognizing the mindset of certain State legislators.

The Supreme Court decision recognizing Second Amendment gun rights is DC v. Heller. The case did not go so far as to recognize assault weapons and weapons of war. Even the conservative Justice Scalia wrote that Second Amendment rights were “not unlimited.”

Sunday a day of rest. I try to make it one.

My Sunday began with a 10:30 breakfast at Geiger Key. Owner Bobby Mongelli suggested I try Sunday breakfast there. The eggs benedict and water view went well together.

Continued researching in the afternoon. Missed Hot Dog Church and Kate Miano’s Gardens. Later in the evening, I stopped at Antonia’s for dinner.

Busy today.

Heart doctor appointment at 1:30. No problem. Routine check up. He is going to be shocked to see I have lost 19 pounds! I feel like Little Tom Horner…..What a good boy am I!

At 5, Mary Lou Hoover’s campaign kickoff party at Salute. Followed by Dueling Bartenders at Aqua. Mary Lou is running for City Commissioner.

Kate Miano, friend and proprietor of The Gardens, has made her bid for Mayor official. This morning’s Key West Citizen notes she has filed. As have 8 others.

Kate will win!

John Glenn made his famous orbital flight in February 1962. A few days after, America’s new hero and his family spent a restful few days at the Key West Naval Base vacationing.

It was announced over the weekend that Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport will shortly undergo an $8.5 billion expansion. The work to include a 75 percent expansion, dozens of new gates, and several additional concourses. Three million square feet of rehab and new construction.

Purportedly will not cost taxpayers a penny. The airlines jointly enter into a long term contract with Chicago. The most recent a 35 year one. Scheduled to expire in May.

A new contract will be entered into. Chicago will pledge the rental fees over an extended number of years as collateral to borrow the money necessary for the new construction.

I wrote a weekly column for KONK Life for many years. One of the first concerned Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare.

O’Hare, a Chicago resident. A Navy pilot during World Ward II. He was stationed on the carrier USS Lexington. Japanese bombers were on the way. He and a handful of other pilots scurried to meet them.

O’Hare became an ace and Medal of Honor winner in 4 minutes. It that short time, he shot down 5 of the 9 approaching bombers.

O’Hare International Airport is named after him.

Trump continues to screw things up. Two of the most recent involve the Agency responsible for Immigration and the new head of the FAA.

The United States is no longer a nation of immigrants. So reflects the printed word as changed by the Trump Administration.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently changed its mission statement. From securing America’s promises as a nation of immigrants to protecting the homeland and honoring U.S. values.

Stripped the mission statement from immigrant assistance to protecting the homeland. I hate that word homeland. Sounds like something out of Nazi Germany.

The intent of the words emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty no longer of consequence…..Give me your tired, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Another concern involves airplanes, airlines and the skies they fly. Trump is in the process of appointing a new head for the FAA. He is seriously considering appointing John Dunkin.

Dunkin has been Trump’s personal pilot since 1989.

Besides safety concerns, the FAA’s budget is $16 billion.

Dunkin qualified? I do not know. What I do know is that the whole thing sounds like Trump appointing his limousine driver of many years to be Secretary of Transportation. Which he did not.

Last but not least, my Syracuse got drubbed by Duke saturday night 60-44. Forget the NCAA! We will not make it.

Probably play in the NIT. I even question whether Syracuse belongs there this year. New York City is replete with Syracuse graduates who will run to the Garden to see Syracuse play. Syracuse a New York City guaranteed box office draw. Ergo, the NIT invitation.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TWO GREAT COUPLES

Last night unusual. Spent time with two great couples. One I had met last year. The other, new.

I was at Aqua for Dueling Bartenders. Crowded. I was sitting alone at a small table. All of a sudden Tom and Clare Keller appeared. Took me a few seconds. We had met last year.

They joined me.

Tom and Clare new residents to Key West. Closed on a condominium in January. All excited. Properly so.

Both retired. Time to enjoy and play. Life without concern. They are ready.

Tom is a former Washington DC attorney. We have a mutual friend. He knows her much better than I. Former Ambassador Amy Bondourant. An Ambassador under Clinton and Bush 2. Amy and her husband relocated from Paris to Key West last year.

Tom and Amy were law partners in Washington.

Tom and Clare two new friends.

The other couple Kristina and John. I stopped at Tavern ‘n Town on the way home. I had not intended. However, my stomach was growling. Enjoyed my diet prime rib.

Sitting at the bar next to me were Kristina and John. A vacationing couple from Mays Landing, New Jersey. Near Atlantic City. A very enjoyable couple. We talked of many things. From the beauty of Jersey beaches and their bikini clad women to whatever.

Both at with the FAA. Kristina a research manager with drones. Sounded interesting. John not at liberty to tell me what he did.

Married. Two children.

They return home this morning. I can’t wait to meet up with them again next year.

Now back to Aqua and Dueling bartenders.

Terri the guest artist.

Two weeks ago, Terri received favorable news from her cancer hospital in Tampa. She is in remission. Her singing last night exhibited a gusto I attribute to the news. She also danced and pranced about. Terri was a Broadway hoofer as well as singer.

She was singing a love song. Came over and threw her arm around me in what was intended as a hug. It was not. My face became imbedded in her left breast. I could not breathe. She did not know.

Bear at Aqua also. His first time. Only 10 weeks old. What a good boy! Sat under a chair and ignored everyone. Probably scared seeing all the people. A never before event for him.

Donna came in later. She has been dieting. Looked good. Tall and thin.

I met at the Aqua bar last year a man from Utica. Not Utica, NY. Utica, Michigan. He was back last night. This time with an oxygen tube in his nostrils. Made no difference, he was whooping it up at the bar having a good time.

While at the bar at Tavern ‘n Town, Fred Tillman stopped by to say hello. Tillman a Key Wester for years. Owned Kelly’s and two other restaurants for years. He catered Lisa’s wedding.

His outstanding achievement from my perspective were the years he was married to Hollywood actress Kelly McGillis. The Kelly McGillis of Top Gun/Tom Cruise fame. Kelly lived in Key West with Fred and they operated the three restaurants together.

Now, long divorced.

I last saw Fred in December at David Wolkowsky’s 98th birthday party. Go David!

I have spoken of David many times. He is the father of modern Key West. Key West would not have developed as it has were it not for David.

An example is the Pier House. David built the Pier House. A section at a time. On the gulf end of Key West that was nothing but a mud puddle. On this day in 1967, David began construction of the Pier House Motel. A few rooms to become a gigantic resort. Big trees from little acorns grew.

Tonight, Lynda Frechette’s Aqua Idol. Five thirty at Aqua. Singing galore. A fundraiser for Lynda’s beloved Waterfront Playhouse.

Mary Lou Hoover busier than normal. She is running for Key West Commissioner. She will be the best Commissioner ever! Her campaign kick-off is February 26 at Salute’s.

Tonight, my podcast. What I describe as an internet radio show. You can see my picture and hear my voice. Nothing moves. Somewhat similar to radio.

I am into my third year. Impressed. I have advertisers. Not solicited by me. They come because of the size of my listening audience. Two of my favorites are GEICO, Ins. and Old Navy.

Showtime tonight is 9. The show a quick moving half hour. I talk about everything. A lot of politics. I am a political junkie.

My opinion generally shared. Love being able to share my thoughts on an issue without concern or permission.

Join me. Guaranteed you will enjoy. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

ISABELLA

Met Isabella last night. A lovely lady.

Isabella is a 2 year old Old English Sheep Dog. Her master/owner/caretaker Tim Reynolds.

Tim is an old friend from more than 20 years back. Tim for 13 years was the Chef at Square One. A top chef at a top restaurant. He and owner Michael Stewart a team.

Tim now lives in the St. Petersburg area. In Key West for a few days.

We had dinner together last night at Salute’s. Tim, Barbara and me.

Tim greeted me outside Salute’s with Isabella. I was overwhelmed at first. Isabella full grown. Awesome.

Tim takes excellent care of Isabella. She was decked out in pink bows. Her coat shining. She behaved like a lady during dinner. Laid by the table and rarely moved.

Golf is not a cheap sport to play. Green fees expensive. The Key West Golf Course consistent with the national trend in that regard.

Fifty years ago, Key West golfers complained. The price of a round of golf on the weekend was raised to $3.50.

Al Roker was in Key West last week. For the Today show. Highlighting hurricane relief efforts in the Keys. Fifty one first responders were honored. The event took place at the Margaritaville Resort.

Sexual harassment in the news big time. Will continue to be.

You would assume female sexual harassment unchallenged is centuries old. Not so. I was surprised to learn that in ancient Rome female sexual harassment was not tolerated. Terms used in those days were accosting, stalking and abducting. Female sexual assault was considered contrary to good morals.

Recall last year’s Keystone pipeline furor. In North Dakota. The Sioux Indians involved.

Keystone people stated the pipeline was safe. Leakage would not be a problem.

Obama had rejected the pipeline on environmental grounds. Trump made Keystone a key plank in his energy policy. A federal permit to proceed with the pipeline’s construction was issued by the Trump administration in March.

The pipeline runs through several States. Last week, an underground leak occurred in South Dakota. Keystone claims the leak only 5,000 barrels and contained. Hopefully so.

In any event, this is only the beginning. All pipelines leak. This one is merely the first of many to come.

Yesterday was the 154th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln’s brief but famous words. He spoke of “…..government of the people, by the people, for the people” not perishing from the earth.

Take heed of Lincoln’s words. We are losing the government he described.

Forget not Irma and Me. The book is available on amazon.com.

Charles Manson died yesterday at the age of 83. Hard to describe the man. He was evil personified. Despicable.

A cult leader, he was responsible for the deaths of seven people over a period of two nights in August 1969 in the Los Angeles area.

His group’s first victim was actress Sharon Tate. Eight months pregnant, she was stabbed 16 times.

Manson received life in prison. Never paroled.

Tomorrow I am undergoing a heart catheterization at a Hollywood hospital. Which sadly means no blog tomorrow and perhaps also wednesday. In addition, my tuesday podcast Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou will not air.

Worry not. I will be back. This is my fourth heart catheterization. Not a big deal unless the doctor screws up.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

keystone people said the l

MUSSELS FOR LUNCH

Many staples of my youth are epicurean delights today. Snails and mussels, for example.

We were an Italian family. My mother had been born in Italy. The cooking definitely Italian.

The snails are now known as escargot. Fancy!

At home, prepared differently than today. My mother would boil the snails in a large pan. The pan had to be large. The snails would try to climb up the sides to get out. The cooked snails were then placed in a huge spaghetti bowl. Sauce poured over. Toothpicks used to snare the snail from the shell.

Mussels. The mussels of today the same as the mussels of yesterday. Boiled. Covered with a tomato or buttery sauce. Bread dunking to clean the plate.

There was a third dish. Tripe. I hated tripe. Most must have. You rarely if ever see it on a menu today. Tripe is a cow’s stomach wall.

My Mother loved tripe. She cooked it. I had to eat it. Ugh!

I enjoyed mussels yesterday at lunch. At Salute’s. Best mussels in town!

I do not eat at Salute’s enough. Don’t know why. Food outstanding. Located on the beach, the view spectacular. Especially of the bikini clad ladies. At my age, the best that can be.

Last night a Chart Room one. Sat at the corner of the bar. Chatted with John.

Two ladies from Des Moines, Iowa seated at the round table. John, I and the ladies chatted away.

Laura and Lisa. Sixtyish. Attractive. One a widow, one divorced. Staying at the Pier House. Leave this morning.

Laura works for an insurance company as a workmen’s comp adjuster. Lisa in logistics for a trucking company.

Everyone expects to enjoy a little deviance in Key West. The ladies were interested where on Pier House property could they have sun bathe topless. I advised not on the main beach. Just to the right, however. under the overhang.

Next year, they will!

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran an article advising that the Navy is training four bottlenose dolphins in Key West waters for a month. The dolphins being trained in underwater detection. Apparently, dolphins are natural discovers of certain type weaponry buried underwater beneath the sand.

I have a dolphin family living in the waters off my house. Used to be four. Down to two now. If I am out on the deck as the sun rises, they will be all of 50 feet away looping up and down in the water.

Big night tomorrow! Don’t forget! The Big Sea Battle. The Conch Republic taking on the forces of the United States. Seven from Mallory Square to Schooner Wharf.

Thirty one years ago yesterday on April 26, 1986, the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in the Ukraine suffered a chemical explosion. Big time bad time. Fifty tons of radioactive material released into the atmosphere.

In 2000, a mother came to me with her baby girl. Eight months old. Lovely. Bubbly. The child had been born with half an arm on one side. The left arm ended just above where the elbow would have been.

Turned out her husband had been working 15 miles from Chernobyl at the time of the event. I did a little digging. The baby was born with one arm missing as a result of the Chernobyl incident.

The mother was not in the area. The father was. It had been established medically that male semen for years thereafter had been affected.

A situation! The father refused to accept it was his semen that was responsible. The mother always crying as her husband beat on her and in her desire to protect/help their daughter.

I tried to put the case together. Beyond my experience and capabilities. Worked with experts in New York, London and Milan.

Sadly, we could not do it. For a number of reasons not pertinent to this portion of the story.

The Trump tax cut that is being bandied about the past 24 hours confuses me. Republicans for years have been decrying the national debt. Has to come down!!! All they would say. No, not say. Shout!

The proposed plan will increase the national debt anywhere from $3-10 trillion over the next ten years.

The Republicans are quiet.

Enjoy your day!

WHERE DID $500 MILLION GO?

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. More than 200,000 killed. The island devastated.

People responded. The American Red Cross alone received $500 million from donors.

It is now 2017. Seven years later. Where did the money go? Apparently not for new homes, roads and schools. Such a legacy not evident.

The Red Cross provided shelters to 130,000. New homes, only six. Food and blankets provided by the Red Cross, also.

The Red Cross has refused to provide a list of specific programs it ran, the cost and expenses related to each. Only provided was a pie chart showing percentage of money that went to each pie slice sector.

Haiti’s Prime Minister does not know where the money went.

I am not casting aspersions on the Red Cross. I would not expect  the Red Cross to be experienced in rebuilding a developing country. However, there are experts who do know and could be hired. The money went somewhere. The donors and people of Haiti have a right to know.

Stopped at the Cuban Coffee Queen for lunch yesterday. It had been a while. Cuban cheese toast and a cold Cuban coffee. Read the newspapers. The USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

Three months ago, I became interested in female genital mutilation. Especially in Europe and Asia. I prepared notes to be used as the basis for a topic involving the mutilation on my podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

I could see a discussion of the topic would take more time than normal. As much as 15 minutes. I put the notes aside for use another date when I had room for it.

Two weeks ago on April 11, I led with the subject on the show. It was interesting. Received many comments.

The USA Today I was reading at the Cuban Coffee Queen took me by surprise. The lead front page article concerned female genital mutilation. USA Today referred to it as “demonic.”

The USA article was primarily devoted to the problem as it exists in the United States. Exists meaning today. Note that I had dwelled on Europe and the Middle East.

Young girls are being mutilated in the United States. The female offspring of Muslim families. By a doctor or woman sworn to secrecy. As are the children.

What surprised in the article was the claim that fundamentalist Christians are also involved. To what degree not indicated.

Fundamentalist doctors available.

The story of a three year old girl was reported. She was taken by her fundamentalist mother to a fundamentalist doctor for the procedure. Clit removal. The mother told the doctor she feared her daughter would masturbate in later life. The deed was done with a swift cut of the scalpel.

Not to be left out, the article suggested some Catholics were believers/followers of the procedure.

Spent part of the afternoon fine tuning last night’s podcast show.

Dear friend, everyone’s friend, Patrick “Patty Cakes” Hayes is in Key West visiting. Bartender some 20 years at Square One, now the Ocean Grill. He retired and left a few years ago.

A good man. The best of the best.

Patrick, where are you? I want to run into you.

Lunch today at Salute’s with Amy Bondurant and her husband David Dunn. New to Key West. Recently bought and renovated a home.

Amy was Ambassador under Clinton and Bush 2 to a European organization. Her husband, a Washington attorney.

We have never met. Today the first time. Not sure how we have come together.

Medical science is amazing! Something new and beneficial everyday. Last friday in the Netherlands, a robotic arm was attached to a man. A mind controlled prosthetic arm. Snaps on to the bone. Clicks on. The wearer controls the arm by thought alone.

Enjoy your day!

 

MISSED A GREAT GAME

I completely forgot about Syracuse/North Carolina State last night. For shame! Especially since Syracuse scored a great victory!

Syracuse was down 16 points with 8 minutes to go. Gillon threw in a 3 pointer with 2 seconds to go to tie. Syracuse won in overtime 100-93.

Gillon a double star. Scored 43 points.

I first was to have dinner with Liz last night. Cancelled because of Steve Attis’ death. Wanted to go to Don’s Place to learn more about it and details re Steve’s funeral saturday.

Spoke with David. Steve died in an automobile accident. I cannot say at 81 he should not have been driving. I am 81. However, our physical conditions dramatically different.

Go Live with Key West Lou attracting a following of its own. Comments moving up dramatically. Take a look. Facebook. Enter Key West Lou. See and hear me for short periods several times a day.

Stopped at Chart Room after Don’s Place. John bartending. An interesting evening. Couples from everywhere. England, Iowa, Chicago and Hempstead, Long Island. All previous visitors. One couple presently renting for 3 months.

Unquestionably, insanity prevails in Key West. Craziness. We are having a Polar Bar Plunge. I am laughing as I type this. So stupid! A polar bear plunge in relatively warm water.

Noon sunday behind Salute’s. The event officially titled the Conch Republic Polar Bear Plunge.

A couple of This Day items in this morning’s Key West Citizen.

This day in 1936, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was in town. Fought several exhibitions. Then continued his trip to Havana.

This day in 1953 found band leader Guy Lombardo and his family visiting. An extended vacation at the Casa Marina.

Guy Lombardo was big in the 1940s. He played to a sell out crowd every New Year’s Eve at the Waldorf Astoria.

My Uncle Gus and Aunt Louise lived in the Bronx. Each year Uncle Gus and Aunt Louise dressed for the occasion. My Uncle in a tuxedo, Aunt in long. They took the Jackson Ave. subway to Manhattan. The subways were safe then. Many dressed as my aunt and uncle.

Uncle Gus was well liked. A quiet man. A barber. Aunt Louise did hair in their apartment.

Ruben Navarette in a recent Washington Post column had some interesting words re Trump. His article titled Trump the Rocky Balboa of U.S. Politics. He wrote that with all the abuse thrown at Trump during the campaign and now as President, Trump is still standing.

James Joyce wrote many books. Most long. Big time long. I was glad I never took a course where I was required to read one of his books.

Joyce commented about someone he had had words with. Joyce said the individual should “…..devote his whole life to reading my books.”

Punishment, in effect.

His most famous work Ulysses had 265,000 words.

Enjoy your day!

 

HELEN MIRREN FILMING MOVIE IN KEY WEST

The great English actress and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren filming parts of a movie in Key West. Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The movie involves a retired couple taking a trip on their RV. Donald Sunderland plays Mirren’s husband.

The Key West Citizen ran a photo of Mirren being driven in an electric cart in this morning’s paper..

Mirren filmed in front of Salute’s yesterday. Today, she will be shooting at the Hemingway House. Tomorrow, I do not know.

My podcast last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I enjoy doing the show. I assume people enjoy listening. I base the last sentence on the numbers and fact that I now have a few national advertisers. Like Geico and Walgreens.

I decided not to discuss politics. We are getting bombarded. I a political junkie am getting tired of listening. The worse Presidential campaign I have experienced. A lot of gutter snipping. Little policy discussion.

Ergo, I did not get into politics at all. Explained to the audience at the beginning I would not be and why.

Wells Fargo was the biggest item in my judgment. Especially with the news that the high echelon person responsible for the unit doing the bad deeds had retired in July. Her walk away payout $124.6 million. My point, crime pays.

A 4th case of Zika has been discovered in Monroe County. In Big Pine. Travel related.

Babe is now 3 months old. Daddy Hackley says she is “quite well.” Weighs 14 pounds.

Last year I fell many times. In one series, five times in seven days. All while going up or down stairs. I was sent to physiotherapy. Spent three months learning not only how to climb stairs, but also walk.

The key is to pay attention. Look where you are walking. Remember to lift your feet. Take your time.

It works. As simple as the instructions sound, I have only fallen once since. The reason I did fall was that I was not looking, not picking up my feet, and moving fast.

Falls Prevention Awareness Day is September 22. A notice re  the Day set forth facts with which I was not aware. The numbers apply to persons over 65. In 2014, 2,400 persons were fatally injured from falls. Fifty thousand hospitalized for non-fatal injuries.

Syracuse/South Florida saturday. South Florida a two touchdown favorite. After the beating Syracuse took from Louisville friday, I fear what might happen.

Enjoy your day!

UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER

The 99L tropical wave was supposed to dump rain and wind on Key West sunday. Nothing happened. Not one drop of rain.

Yesterday, an 80 percent chance of rain. Wind from the south. I thought also we would have rain. Not a drop.

Today, an 80 percent chance of rain. I give up. I don’t know. Neither do the weather professionals.

Did my podcast broadcast last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Interesting. I covered happenings in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Indonesia, Russia and China. Plus, occurrences in four States. A fast moving half hour.

Revealing material. Some sad, some humorous.

A busy day ahead. An early business luncheon at Salute’s. I am looking forward to it. Salute’s has great mussels at lunch. Martin’s Happy Hour with Joseph from Hot Tin Roof. Then, Donna and Terri at Back Door.

No laying around today.

Anna, where are you?

Anna reports this week she is in three different villages hanging off the side of Mont Blanc. Traveling with friends. They presently are at her chalet in Courmayeur. Tomorrow, they cross the border into France. they will be visiting Chamonix and Megeve.

What a life!

Everywhere they go,   there will be chic chalets and cobbled medieval streets.

An historic morning! At 9:45, the first commercial flight between the U.S. and Cuba takes off. Fort Lauderdale to Santa Clara. Santa Clara in central Cuba. A Jet Blue flight. The last commercial flight was 50 years ago at the time of the Cuban missile crisis.

Trump knows how to get publicity. He lets little slip through his fingers in that regard.

This afternoon, he will be in Mexico City for a meeting with the Mexican President. Tonight, Trump is in Phoenix giving his much awaited immigration speech. I am curious what this version will be.

The Mexican President is as foxy as Trump. I wonder who comes out ahead. He could make Trump look bad. Not that Trump needs help.

Hillary was in California last night at a fund raiser. At Jimmy Buffetts’ home. Hillary and the Beatles’ Paul McCartney danced.

Enjoy your day!

POPE FRANCIS ARRIVES

Pope Francis’ plane lands late this afternoon in Washington. He meets tomorrow morning with President Obama.

As a Catholic, I am pleased the head of my Church is meeting with the head of my country. Note however that I am a fallen away Catholic. Once a Catholic always a Catholic, however. The nuns drove Catholicism into our heads!

Francis is impressive. He stands for change. Matters such as a welcoming approach to gays, cohabiting couples and divorced Catholics. He believes in global warming and the need to do something about it.

Many in the Catholic Church oppose the changes he recommends. The division is obvious.

A synod is a meeting of Bishops to deal with Church affairs. The last Synod was in October 2014. The next October 4-25 in Rome. Many bishops opposed him at the last Synod. It is expected they will again at the October one. They consider the changes the Pope wishes to implement heresy.

There also are lay persons in the United States who oppose the Pope’s recommended changes. Many sit in the U.S. Congress. They view the Pope as a politician and feel he is fair game to take on. Perhaps exhibiting disrespect, also. I hope not. However, respect has become a waning virtue in the U.S.

My day started on the anti-gravity treadmill yesterday. Then a stop at the Marriott Beachside to read the newspapers. Followed by a too heavy lunch at 5 Guys.

I need a new pair of sneaks. My recollection was there was a sneak store at the Winn-Dixie Shopping Center. No more. Still need sneaks.

Spent the afternoon researching for tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Join me for a fast moving interesting half hour of political and social commentary.

Topics tonight include a recent study indicating 75 percent of Americans consider their government corrupt, Afghan sex slaves, generic drug rip offs, an imminent Saudi Arabia crucifixion, comment re this week’s KONK Life column U.S. War Ready?, Pope Francis and U.S. Representatives, Trump immortalized in a painting done with unusual type paint, and more.

I mentioned yesterday that Poker Run appeared to be highly successful. Since that time I have heard rumblings to the contrary. I am interested in what the Citizen will report.

Had dinner last night at Salute’s. A long time since I dined there. Sat outside. Devoured a tasty piece of grouper.

My companion was Nancy Miracle. First time I met her. She authored a biography of Marilyn Monroe a couple of years ago titled From Sardi’s To Sicily. She gave me a copy. It is on my reading list.

Ran into old friends at Salute’s. Bob from Sugarloaf. At least three years since we last saw each other. Bob was a successful television producer in his other life. Ran into John. John has hosted at most of the upscale restaurants in Key West.

Key West loves Harry Truman. Truman loved Key West. He vacationed in Key West 175 days over 11 visits.

Truman visited Great Britain  in 1956. The London Daily Telegraph wrote following Truman’s visit re Truman: “The Living and kicking symbol of everything everyone likes best about America.”

Enjoy your day!