VERY ENJOYABLE WINE GALLEY

 

It is after nine this morning. I am off to a late start.

I was out last night. Cannot blame my tardiness this morning on the evening. Politics is to blame. The Presidential race. I am a political junkie. Morning Joe this morning was terrific. I was glued to the TV set.

My day yesterday was quiet. Ran a few errands. Researched a bit. Snuck in a nap in the afternoon.

Last night started with Office Max. I needed only a $10 item. I mention the visit because the young person working did not want to waste time on a guy making a $10 purchase. I had questions I could not get answered. The young man will never be a success. $10 today could be a $1,000 buy tomorrow.

I learned early in my law practice that big trees from little acorns grow.

The weather is amazing at the moment. Sun shining. Few clouds in the sky. Started pouring. Just like that. Big drops. The sun continues to shine brightly through the rain.

After my big buy at Office Max, I went to the Chart Room. Lovely Mary bartending.

Met John and Lourdes.

John is an attorney. Does not practice. He is an officer with Fidelity National Finance. Lourdes is associated with the company also. They are in Key West on business.

Lourdes has been to Key West before. For John, it was his first trip.

John is from Orlando. Lourdes from Miami. Lourdes is originally from Cuba. She was there two weeks ago visiting family.

Our conversation got around to the pending U.S. Presidential election. We talked about government helping those less fortunate. I brought up begging in Greece and the homeless here. Lourdes shared an interesting piece of information. The government helps no one in Cuba. If you are broke, sick, or what have you, the family and friends take care of each other. There is no welfare, unemployment insurance, etc.

Interesting. I suspect that is the way it was 100 plus years ago in the United States. The Republicans would like to take us back to that time. I do not believe it possible. We are who we are because of the safety net government provides.

It was time to eat. Decided on the Wine Galley and Larry Smith. An evening with Larry is a delightful experience.

I met a wonderful couple at the Wine Galley. John and Kathy Sudia from New Jersey.

They were sitting at the table next to me. John leaned over and showed me a pic on his cell phone. Two people. One of them was me. He asked…..Are you Key West Lou?

Turns out John has been reading this blog for a year. He downloaded my recent 40 odd day European trip and Kathy is reading it as a novel.

John and Kathy were married two years ago on the beach at the Pier House.Tthey are back on an anniversary trip.

I enjoyed both of them. They will be here for a few days more. I hope we meet and spend some time together.

Last night was Jazz Night. Larry and a few players get together Monday nights . Larry sings in addition to playing. Alex was on the horn. Debra singing.

Peter Diamond stopped in. Peter is a professional singer as well. He entertained us with a song.

I have known Peter for all of the 25 years I have been coming to Key West.

Larry also for that length of time. Larry and I play golf and bocce together. You have not lived till you have participated in a sport with Larry Smith. It is a Key West experience!

Martha Robinson was visiting the Wine Galley also. I have not seen Martha in all of a year. She looked terrific as usual. Martha is one of Key West’s premier realtors.

Two years ago I spoke on my radio/internet show about the python invasion in the Everglades and northern keys. My fear was that since they had moved into the Key Largo area, it was only a question of time before they would invade the lower keys. Fortunately, the invasion has not yet taken place.

This morning’s news carried a lead article on pythons. Especially one. A Burmese python caught recently in the Everglades. The largest ever captured. Seventeen feet seven inches long. Weighed 164 pounds. The python was pregnant, carrying 87 eggs.

The article stated there are tens of thousands of pythons in the Everglades. The exact number unknown. But so many that they never  will be totally eradicated.

From whence did all these pythons originate?

One source were owners. They purchased them small in pet shops. When the python got to big to handle, they dumped the python in the Everglades. Another source were those that escaped from pet shops. Apparently a sufficient number did so.

The worst culprit was Hurricane Andrew back in 1992. The worst hurricane to hit southern Florida in recent years. It leveled Homestead.

Andrew ripped homes and commercial buildings apart. The pythons were freed. Some flew through the air. Others slithered. They found a new home in the Everglades.

I am into the heart tests game again. All because of one big pain I had last week. I have an echo cardiogram scheduled at the hospital this afternoon. A stress test tomorrow.

I am not a happy camper about any of this.

Enjoy your day!

4 comments on “VERY ENJOYABLE WINE GALLEY

  1. Lou, I have heard you talk about Larry Smith in your blog a lot. Is this the same Larry Smith that used to teach school? If it is, next time you see him, tell him that Chuck and Gwen said “hello.” Chuck worked at Horace OBryant with a Larry Smith.

    Enjoy your blogs tremendously!!!!

    Thanks,
    Gwen

  2. We will be in Key West in a couple of weeks (coming from Portland, OR). It has been almost five years since we visited last ~ can’t wait! We’ve added a bunch of restaurants to our list thanks to your blog posts. I will keep an eye out for you while we are there and buy you a drink if I see you ; )

    V

    • Lou loved the blog today!! Kathy was thrilled. She and i would love to talk to you in length sometime but alas, we leave Wednesday morning. I do have to tell you your blog is a great font of KW info. When we got in last wednesday we were tired and hungry. Didn’t want to stray far from the hotel. We went to the Hot Tin Roof, had a wonderful meal and treated royally!! We went there solely on what Iwe had read in the blog!! Keep up the good work. Hope all works out with your tests. Best regards, Kathy and John Sudia.

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