 [Festivus] I put up my festivus pole today. It’s not supposed to be decorated, but 2020 is an exception. And toilet paper seemed appropriate. If you don’t want to celebrate the holidays in the traditional sense, you might enjoy celebrating Festivus. With Festivus, you can resist holiday commercialism (no shopping required) and stresses while still getting together with your loved ones….or not, this December 23rd. “Festivus for the rest-of-us” was popularized on the TV show Seinfeld and continues to draw fans each year. Get a Festivus pole, have Festivus (TV) dinner, air your grievances, and participate in the feats of strength (mental or physical) to celebrate Festivus like a true Seinfeld enthusiast. |
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 [Teresa] For more than two decades, Teresa Valdez has brought the joy of books and reading to the children of Big Pine Key. Valdez, assistant branch manager and librarian at the Big Pine Key branch of the Monroe County Library system, was named Monroe County’s 2020 Employee of the Third Quarter for continuing to provide outstanding service to the citizens of Monroe County despite COVID-19 challenges. Some of the children she read to as the storyteller at the Big Pine Key Library have gone on to become parents and now bring their children to story time. “Talking about making you feel old,” Valdez joked about a recent run-in with one young mother. “That was awesome. It was super special.” |
Rainbeer |
| [The Old Days] Another young businessman and myself were standing on a corner and he had a cocktail in his hand and the patrol cop, a young blond guy, did a double take, held out a hand, and demanded, “Is that liquor?” and took the drink, drank it down, returned it with a stern admonishment, “Yes, it was. Don’t do that again.” And left on his foot patrol.
Back then the same cops were always on the same patrol on Duval St so you could screw up and you wouldn’t get arrested because they recognized you as being okay. Just misplaced sobriety. |
 [“For sale by owner“] “Free or almost free online sites”. I researched a couple of those sites and the downside is you don’t get the multiple listing service that realtors provide or that costs you a lot through the online sites. Most of what you get is a lawn sign. The deal breaker is that you have to hire a lawyer or realter to close the deal and pay them a commission too. |
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Fabulous Christmas lights last evening at 28784 Miami Ave. Turn left at Higgs Rd from Key Deer Blvd, just before the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key, bear right to (6th St), and you’ll see the lights. |
| [Official: Biden won, Trump lost] The Electoral College decisively confirmed Joe Biden on Monday as the nation’s next president, ratifying his November victory in an authoritative state-by-state repudiation of President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede he had lost. |
(Editor: I found these cats that were filed in the wrong folder. I don’t know whose they are but they’re worth posting. Don’t you think?) |
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[Crow] I was eating a sandwich in the parking lot and this bird tried everything to get pass the windshield. He stayed there the whole time. Crows are the only bird I hate, but they sure are smart. |
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| [Man Arrested in Boating Death] Authorities have charged David Brandon Werning, 27, of Marco Island, with vessel homicide, by killing a human being by the operation of his vessel in a reckless manner, likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to, another, The accident occurred about 5:30 p.m. July 17 in the area of Yacht Channel, five miles north of Long Key Bridge. Werning was operating a 34-foot Contender boat with four occupants, from Marco Island to Islamorada. While in route to Islamorada, they observed severe weather conditions on the radar and were experiencing mechanical issues with the engines
As they continued transit to Islamorada, the vessel was traveling on-plane, southwest at approximately 50 knots. As the vessel approached Yacht Channel, it was experiencing a very rough sea state and encountering severe thunderstorms. While traveling on-plane, the operator, Werning, took a sharp turn to enter the channel. Due to the speed at which Werning was operating the vessel and the sharp turn during a rough sea state, three of Werning’s occupants were ejected, killing one of them, Sean Hurley, 25. Werning was operating his vessel through an area highly transited by vessels,” Dube wrote. “During multiple stages throughout the investigation it was documented that Werning was experiencing mechanical issues with his vessel, was encountering severe weather which caused him limited visibility. He still decided to traverse at a high rate of speed. |
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| [Camera] Does anyone have the new iPhone 12? If so, would you take a photo of Christmas lights at night and send it to the CT. I’m looking to buy a new phone and the camera is the most important feature for me. I heard the 12 has exceptional low light capabilities. |
[Luther] Who remembers Luther. That was his real name. He was different characters on the radio. He did every benefit that came along. I saw him at Boondocks when it was still a real bar. He was doing a benefit for someone. He was black faced. Must have been singing the blues. I spent a day talking with him at Geiger Key. He lived on a sailboat and had cancer that finally took him out. The good Lord needs Luthers. He is still missed. |
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| If the pandemic has taught America one thing, I’d be stunned. |
[Name That Detailer] What is the name and phone number of the mobile car detailer? Trevor? |
| [Paradise Does Not Come Easy] ] Some say it is Paradise, others are more realistic. The realists are the single people with nobody. The dreamers are usually people who hatch brats. Why the Keys are so miserable is because they are a bar oriented escape for the lonely and the drinkers who sit for hours hoping someone will talk to them. Meeting the opposite sex is a challenge down here. On the average there is one available female that walks upright to every 21 horney males who don’t. Sad to say, but Paradise here is no better than any tropical island habitat and at times worse. I highly recommend to anyone thinking of retiring or just moving here to escape the depressing cities, to rent a place for at least a year, and learn all the ups and downs offered before committing long-term. Prices of supplies are high and availability gets weird sometimes. Good vehicle repair is next to none. If you cannot fix your stuff yourself, you can pay some shmuck carpenter $20 to $100 per hour to drive a nail. Greed is a major disease in the Keys. Taxes are nuts too.. Life is not bikinis and coconut drinks, but hard work to stay sane and financially sound. |
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[Poop] Here are three neat piles of deer poop for your perusal. Enjoy. |
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| [What Could Go Wrong Department] The biotech company that will release genetically modified mosquitoes as part of a mosquito eradication and limiting project will host its ninth webinar next week. The Oxitec public educational webinar will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16. The topic is “What’s in the Box?” and will be about how Oxitec’s just-add-water technology helps control the Aedes aegypti population. The webinar will last for one hour and the company will have time at the end reserved for questions. http://www.keysmosquito project.com |
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[Name that Snake] This pencil thin serpent is about two feet long. Is it a garter snake? I thought they were green? |
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