MIGHTY OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW

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Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

The old English phrase came to mind as I read this morning’s Key West Citizen. A picture of the then new Pier House Motel circa 1968 appeared on page 2. The seed of today’s magnificent hotel property.

My yesterday began with the anti-gravity treadmill. I keep saying…..love the machine!

Then to another love. Tammy at Lee Nails. Manicure time.

Tammy shared that husband Ricky’s uncle and family had visited for the weekend. Uncle, wife and two children. Lots of people. Lots of cooking and eating. Lots of fun. She was tired, but still enthused from it all.

Tammy was born in Vietnam. She has lived in the U.S. 12 years. Her weekend reminded me of the visits by Italian relatives when I was a child. The same scenario.

The Cuban Coffee Queen my next stop. A Cuban cheese toast and Cuban coffee. Read the newspapers.

Spent the afternoon working on tonight’s blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Topics include the past week’s police fiascos, the U.S. Marshalls who raided the wrong apartment and required a mother and her two daughters to stand naked outside, a GMO update, gangs in America, free college educations, compulsory military service, and more.

The Chart Room first last night. Sheila and Jean there. Lovely people. Great personalities. The three of us a mutual admiration society. I enjoyed my time with them.

Decided to have dinner at Tavern ‘n Town. Struck gold! Met wonderful people.

Sat at the bar per my usual custom. Seated nearby were Bill and Joyce. Bill lives on Sugarloaf and Cindy on Cudjoe.

Bill originally from Pittsburg. He and his family are in the wholesale food business. Publix a customer. Bill’s company is known as Pati Petite Cookies.

Joyce a personality. Full of vim and vigor. Delightful. Beautiful. A contagious laugh. Recently retired.

There had to be a reason for Joyce’s bright honest exuberance. It finally came out. She is from Indiana!

Joyce has part time position. She is a roving security guard at Venture Out, a housing complex near Square Grouper. Roving the operative word. She rides a golf cart.

I felt a soft arm around me. It was Mary Ann Westerlund. A Key West friend of many years. Her husband Roger passed on two months ago. Mary Ann is getting along.

Bill and Joyce left. Mary Ann Westerlund appeared for a moment. Then came Lisa who sat where Bill and Joyce had. Lisa another great meet.

Lisa an orthodontist. Root canal specialist. She is from somewhere on the mainland. Has a Key West office in Perry Plaza that she visits each week.

Excellent company. Tired. Decided to stay overnight at the Marriott rather than drive back.

Lisa is married. Mother of two. Proudly showed me her children’s pictures. Her Dad badly ill. The concern heavy on her.

A lovely young lady. She is friends with my Key West dentist George Linder. I spent a few minutes boring her with the story of my implants which Dr. Linder did. Love my implants!

I finished the evening sitting alone at the bar with a snifter of Grand Marnier. Thinking what a pleasant evening, what nice people.

I wrote yesterday that Terri White would be appearing in New York on October 16 at the Kennedy Center. Did I screw the whole thing up!

Terri is appearing October 16 in Washington, DC in the Terrace Theater Upstairs at Kennedy Center. Thank you Marty from Blue Ridge for correcting me. I have not heard from Donna yet re the mistake. I am sure I will.

Enjoy your day!

WEAPON OF MASS DESRUCTION…..KEY WEST BEACH

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Horror never strikes at home. Or so we believe. It does, it could.

National news today tells the story of a 23 year old Key West area man arrested by federal authorities. Arrested for his intent to bury on a Key West beach a back pack filled with nails. One which could be exploded from a distant point.

The individual arrested lives on Stock Island. Stock island has two parts. The island split by U.S. 1. The Atlantic side less than affluent. Home to Hogfish and Roostica. The Gulf side, the golf course, tasteful homes and condominiums. The man arrested lived on the Atlantic side.

He is reported to be a member of the Islamic State network.

The story was carried this morning on the front page of the Key West Citizen. It also was reported on Morning Joe. Not the type of notoriety we want in the Keys. Nor any where else for that matter.

A beach explosion would have maimed/killed very young children to the very elderly. The FBI and other authorities are to be complimented for their fine work.

Yes, it could happen here. An eye opener!

This sciatica will not go away! Better this morning. And then a shot of pain!

My yesterday busy. Started with a haircut with Lori. She is off to Long Island and Maine this week to visit family. Then a manicure with Tammy. Always a pleasant experience. The sciatica followed me to both places.

Fined tuned last night’s blog talk radio show in the afternoon. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou went well last night. Post show comments indicate all topics hit a nerve. I like that.

Randy Roberts was on America’s Got Talent last night. A premier Key West entertainer. A nice guy. He did not make it. He failed to move to the next level. I feel bad for Randy. I am sure all of Key West does.

I watched the show from 8-9. Had to break to do my blog talk radio show at 9. Randy appeared during that time. I missed his performance. I understand he sang The Lady Is A Tramp. Beautifully and perfectly done.

I had an early dinner at Roostica. Spoke a while with owner Bobby. His family from southern Italy, also. He has never visited Greece. Before I could tell him, he told me he believed he had Greek blood in him. Concluded from readings. The conversation which followed was most interesting.

The two day Lobster Mini Season began this morning. Normally, there is a slew of boats going past my home on the way to the lobster happy hunting grounds. This morning, not so many. I am curious as to why.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

DINNER WITH FRIENDS

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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!