A Day in Key West

Rain and Cold in Key West is still a Day in Key West

I woke up today and thought someone moved my bed up North in the middle of the night.  It was 63 degrees out and cloudy.  About an hour later the temperature dropped to 61 and the rain started.  I skipped my walk this morning after looking at the weather report.  I was about to call it a bad day when I realized I woke in Key West and some unfortunate people had to wake up in Detroit this morning.  My day instantly got a little brighter.  When Mother Nature gives us rain look for rainbows.  There was a great one over Smathers' Beach today.

 

A put on my layers of Winter Clothes and went to Sandy's Cafe to get a Cafe Con Leche to get me going for the day.  I took the scenic way along the beach t see the storm.  That was where I saw the Rainbow.  The nasty weather didn't keep the regulars from going to Sandy's for coffee today.  I had my Con Leche there and took another for the ride home.  Stopped at Publix on my way home and ended up picking up a Beef Brisket for the Crock Pot for dinner.  I love my Crock Pot.  Especially on a cold day.  It just makes the house smell soothing.  Cut up a couple onions, a few cloves of garlic, grated some ginger, a green bell pepper, a couple jalapenos, beef broth, salt and pepper.  Stir it a little, turn the Crock Pot on low and walk away.  Six to eight hours later a delicious creation has been made.

By this time all the cooking and prep work made me hungry.  As much as I didn't want to go out in the fowl weather I didn't feel like cooking lunch at home.  I decided to go to Goldman's.  Close to the house, quick, home cooked food and delicious.  Goldman's is kind of like "Cheers of Key West".  The same Servers and managers have been there for years.  All the customers are regulars and usually sit at the same table every day.  Sunday is "Beatles Day" where they play nothing but The Beatles from open to close.  Good food, good service, good company, very reasonable prices and The Beatles.  How can you go wrong?

I finished lunch and came home figuring I would do something productive on a day of nasty weather.  A couple times a year I go through my clothes and anything I haven't worn for six months or doesn't fit me anymore I bag up and donate them to the Patterson House which is kind of like a Halfway House for men who have either had some legal troubles or are facing homelessness.  They do a lot of good work and have helped a lot of people get back on their feet.  Since I was on a role I continued cleaning the house some.  After about an hour of cleaning I got fed up, called a housekeeper and gave her a raise after walking a mile in her shoes.  I love a clean house but I hate doing housework. 

By this point it was just after 5:00 so I threw some small red potatoes and broccoli in the Crock Pot to cook for the last hour or so with the Brisket.  Puttered around the house for a bit while dinner was finishing up and it was time to eat.  As a general rule I do not cook well but I have to give credit where credit is due even if I am giving credit to myself.  The Beef Brisket couldn't have turned out better.  It was a great "Comfort Food" meal for a cold rainy day.

Not much else happened today.  Today is Sunday and I am making it an evening of rest.  I did a little preparation work for tomorrow so I don't start Monday off in the weeds.  Not the most exciting of days but that was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Key West loves a Parade and we have lots of them. Diana Nyad was today's "Guest of Honor".

Today was a work from home morning and started the usual way.  I woke up and had my coffee, Baby's of course, sitting outside by the pool.  Kitty sat with me eating her breakfast.  She likes grilled shrimp in the morning.  Today I diced her shrimp up and put it in oatmeal for her so she could have some grains in her diet.  I didn't leave the house until about 11:00 but I got a ton of work done which might actually allow me to take a full day off this weekend.

I needed a break from the computer and I had some work errands to do downtown so when I reached a stopping point I got on my scooter and headed into town.  Parking is tough downtown during Season so I take the scooter whenever possible.  Easy to park, zoom in and out of traffic and it is fun.  I did my errands, stopped to see a friend who works on Duval Street then it was time for lunch.  I was planning on going to my favorite lunch spot, El Siboney, but they has a line out the door.  Since it was a beautiful day out I decided to go over to Garrison Bight and eat on the Marina at Thai Island.  That is another of my favorite lunch spots.  Great food, very authentic Thai food, excellent service, reasonably priced and right on the water and on the second floor enhancing the view.

 

After lunch I came back to my home office to finish up the computer/book work I started this morning.  Paperwork is not my strong suit but it is a necessary evil.  It is one of those jobs like doing laundry.  You can do laundry on a very regular basis and you will still have dirty underpants tomorrow.  A couple hours glued to my computer and I was done, well done for today.  I have a friend from back in Boston who is in town this week with his family so I went downtown to say hello and catch up.  I heard about all the snow in Boston, the rising crime rate, the city traffic and the freezing temperatures.  That reconfirmed I made the right choice when I moved to Key West 28 years ago and never looked back.

Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Key West knows we have almost as many Parades as we have Bars and we have a lot of Bars.  Today was the Parade for Diana Nyad.  Diana is the woman who swam from Havana to Key West.  She had tried and failed several times before but being a fighter she didn't give up.  She was 64 years old when she tried once more and made it.  I went to see her speak after she successfully completed her swim and was I ever impressed.  What an incredible person with a great life story.  Key West is starting a Girls Youth Flag Football Tournament and Diana is helping them organize the inaugural game.  She is very big on Community Events and very giving of her time.  She is truly an amazing person.

 

The Parade came to an end and I called it an early night.  I let the traffic die down some and came home.  I was in the house about 8:00 and ready to unwind.  Of course I had a Cafe Con Leche from Sandy's while watching the Parade and now I'm wired on a caffeine high.  My intention was to go to bed early but somehow I see this being a late night TV night or a 2:00 AM Facebook marathon.  That was my Day in Key West.

 

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

 

Today started off cold and ended up being beautiful outside

I woke up at 5:30 this morning to be ready to walk at 6:00.  I went outside and only got about 5 feet from the door when I realized it was only 61 degrees and I was in a tee shirt.  It woke me up for sure but I thought I was going to get Frostbite.  I ran back in the house faster than I've ever run before.  Put on two sweatshirts and went back outside for "Take Two" of my walk.  The sunrise was very nice as I made my way along the water, up to the airport and back.  Just over 3 miles.

I managed to get home without coming down with Hypothermia.  I have a second cup of tea to get my blood flowing again and got ready for the day.  I had to postpone my regular Tuesday "Breakfast at Tiffany's" also known as Harpoon Harry's because I had a Doctor's appointment yesterday but we got together today for great food and great company.  I have a friend who is somewhat of a business mentor that I have breakfast with once a week to go over what is working, what isn't working, what we want to change and what we want to do away with in my day to day routine.  I'm lucky to have such a friend.  Plus we just have fun.  We will talk, laugh, joke, goof off but always fit in some good business and I leave with new ideas and good ways to improve the old ideas.

  

I came home and spent the rest of my morning and a good portion of my afternoon creating ads and pages on my website marketing a new rental home I am managing downtown.  I even did the unheard of for me and I had lunch at home at my desk while working.  The rental is a beautiful home built in 1902 and has some amazing woodwork.  It has the early 1900's look and feel while modernized like a home built in 2017.  My website building skills are not my strong suit so it took me a little longer than it would others but I got it done.

 


My work was done, well done for the day, about 5:30 and I'm going to really shock everyone here but I cooked dinner at home.  Two meals at home in one day is not the way I normally live but today it just turned out that way.  I knew a couple days ago I was going to be working from home all day today so I bought a nice Corned Beef and made an"Irish Boiled Dinner.  I do mine in the Crock Pot for 6 to 8 hours and it comes out as moist and tender as can be.  The slow cooker process flavors the meat with the onion and I add some garlic for added taste.  The cabbage, carrots and potatoes got the meat flavor in them too with the long slow cook.  I love my Crock Pot.  Put the food in, turn it on and just walk away.  Maybe take a quick peak at it every couple hours and you're good to go.  Lazy Man's cooking and it tastes delicious.  I heard Wolfgang Puck is getting worried I'm coming for him.  Luckily for him I don't cook often.  I think his job is safe.

I had my dinner at home in front of the TV.  Kitty had some with me too.  She actually likes carrots more than the meat.  I talked to an old College friend on the phone for a couple hours and now I'm ready for bed.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until tomorrow.4

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

We survived our one day of bad weather yesterday and had a beautiful day today

They always say "If you don't like the weather in Key West pop into a bar for a drink.  It will change before your cocktail is done".  Last night was one of those rare occasions where the bad weather lasted a little longer than a cocktail but it was over in a few hours.  We had 60+ MPH winds last night and beautiful sunshine with a light breeze all day today.

I woke up pleasantly surprised to see a nice calm yard this morning.  I made my first coffee, Baby's of course, at home and drank it outside while I was grilling Kitty's breakfast.  She had her normal shrimp today but with a honey and brown sugar glaze.  My next door neighbor was outside this morning.  I still think he finds it to be strange that I cook for Kitty every morning.  Oh well, I find it weird he is a Dolphins Fan but to each his own.  After breakfast I had the pleasure of a Doctor's Appointment.  We all have to do it, even in Key West.  All kidding aside I love my Doctor, Dr. Gerth.  He and I have been together for about 15 years now and as anyone who knows me knows I have had some major health problems over the past 10 or so years.  Doc has helped me through the good, the bad and the ugly.  Today was actually a simple follow up.  I have a full physical with blood work done every year ad we went over the results today.  I actually saw his PA today who I like just as much as Doc himself.  After my appointment I needed more caffeine.  I went to Starbucks simply because it is a few blocks from the Doctor's Office.  Not my Baby's Coffee by a long shot but their Caramel Macchito does taste pretty good.

 

Since my Starbucks was more like a dessert in a cup than a coffee I didn't really feel like lunch.  I have a client in town who I sold a house to a few years back.  He asked me to go to The Butterfly Conservatory with him so I played Tourist for a couple hours.  The Butterfly Conservatory is one of the very few Tourist Attractions I really enjoy here in town.  You step into your own Serene Oasis walking around with hundreds if not thousands of Butterflies of different types.  Usually a couple will land on your head, back or shoulder.  They will stay there for hours as you walk around.  The staff calls them "Hitchhikers".  It is so quiet and so peaceful in there it is hard to believe you are still on Duval Street.

We finished playing with the Butterflies and as soon as we stepped outside we realized, yes, we were still on Duval Street.  By now it was just about 5:00 and I was hungry after skipping lunch.  Today was "Taco Tuesday" at Viva Saloon.  Every Tuesday they have "Make Your Own Taco" for Happy Hour and it is only $1 per Taco.  They give you the Tortilla filled with the meat and turn you loose with a buffet of every type of Taco Topping you can imagine and some you probably never thought of.  It is delicious, fun and you can have dinner for anywhere from $2 to $5 depending on how hungry you are.  I've never been able to put away more than three Tacos myself and as you all know I like to eat.  You can also always count on Viva for having some great Local Live Music.  I am somewhat of a "Raven Cooper Groupie" and she plays there a lot.  If you haven't seen Raven's show put that on your Key West To Do List.

A few hours at the Butterfly Conservatory, a couple hours at Viva Saloon and I was both tired and full.  I said goodnight to my client and friend and home I went.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.keywestinvesting.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Just another Saturday on the Island

I knew it was going to be a good day when my morning started with a trip to Baby's for coffee.  It was an unplanned but welcomed visit to my favorite coffee place in The Keys.  A friend on Big Coppitt Key called me asking me to come up there and Notarize a document for her Husband who fell off his roof and has been laid up with a back injury.  I figured as long as I'm going that far first thing in the morning I might as well go to Baby's.  I called them to get their order and we sat on their dock enjoying a beautiful Key West morning and delicious caffeine fix.  Today's choice was "Death By Coffee.

 

I finished up signing all their documents, visited for a while catching up and made my way back to Key West.  I went grocery shopping.  I know,not real exciting but that is part of life even when you live in Key West.  Got my groceries put away and it was my favorite time of day, Lunchtime.  Being Saturday that meant it was El Siboney Time which is always a great thing.  El Siboney is, in my opinion, the best lunch in Key West.  It also has that "Cheers" feeling where everybody knows your name.  I must have seen a dozen people I know having lunch today.  Sometimes I think I go there too often when they don't even bring me a menu.  I sit down, my ice tea arrives, my food comes shortly after followed by my check and I leave looking forward to the next time which is usually within a day or two.

I wish I could say my afternoon was as eventful as my morning and lunch was but I came home to clean my house.  At least I started doing the outside things and was working in the sun by the pool.  Kitty came out to supervise.  She's good at supervising.  I came inside and started cleaning there too.  After about an hour I admitted defeat and called the cleaning lady.  The very first thing I did was give her a raise now that I saw first hand how hard they work.  Talk about an overworked underpaid job, that is it.

The good news of the afternoon is my house and yard are spotless and looks great.  I got a call from a friend who lived here years ago and moved back to Minnesota.  I won't even try to understand why anyone would move from the Florida Keys to Minnesota but I think Jim Morrison wrote a song about things like that, "People Are Strange".  At least he didn't move to Detroit or Fargo.  

The sun had gone down, it was getting cooler out and I was getting hungry.  I had a craving for Kung Pao Shrimp so I went to Hong Kong.  The restaurant here in Key West not Hong Kong the region of China although it is quite beautiful over there too.  I ordered the meal instead of just the Kung Poa Shrimp and I thnk they must have thought I had 15 people under the table.  The food was outstanding and I will be having leftovers for a week.  Great food, good service and very reasonable prices. 

I waddled out of the restaurant, drove home and have been sitting on my couch like a beached whale.  Going to call it a night here soon.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Even in Key West we have to go to the Dentist

The first part of my day was spent having my mouth pricked with needles, violated by drills, my lip stretched all of which resulted in me being unable to feel my face until a little after noontime.  That necessary evil known as Dental Work.  I had two Crowns put on today.  All kidding aside, my Dentist is the best.  Only Dr. Claude can make going to the Dentist fun.  Not the most exciting morning but a day at the Dentist in Key West beats a day in the Park in Detroit.

I came home afraid to eat or drink anything out of feat I would wear it.  I finally got brave and had Oatmeal with diced Strawberries and a cup of Tea I drank with a straw.  I must say it hit the spot.  Kitty liked hers too.

By now I could feel my face and didn't sound like I was drunk so I made a few work phone calls then went downtown to meet a cient who works at the Mel Fisher Museum.  Mel Fisher is one f the very few Tourist Attractions I enjoy.  No matter how many times I am there I am still amazed picking up the Gold Bars and seeing the artifacts from his salvages and discoveries.  Most people only know Mel from The Atocia but he was involved in dozens of salvages and wrecks.  The Atocia was his most well known accomplishment but there were many others just like it. 

As long as I was downtown I did a few boring but necessary work errands; banking, Post Office, Clerk of Courts to look up a Foreclosure, Registry of Deeds.  Yes, I know this probably doesn't excite you but it is part of everyday life as a Realtor in Key West.

It was abut 5:00 by the time I finished and I was getting hungry since the only thing I was able to eat all day was a bowl of Oatmeal around 11:00 AM.  I went over to 2 Cents Restaurant for Happy Hour and an appetizer.  They have a pretty neat Happy Hour.  Since gambling and drinking tend to go hand in hand every time you order a drink during Happy Hour you roll two dice.  If you get certain numbers your drink is free, if you get other numbers it is half price, if you get other numbers it is 25% off and if you get other numbers it is full price.  2 Cents is a small little restaurant tucked away on time Applerouth Lane and is quite good.  Not sure I would call it "Fine Dining" but upper end for sure.  Good food, great service, quaint garden setting, priced fair and almost all Local Clientele.   Well worth checking out.

 

I had a couple appetizers at Happy Hour which turned out to be my dinner but that was OK with me as my mouth is still a little sore.  I came home, got in my sweatpants and tee shirt and I was in for the night.  I returned a few work emails, organized some files then parked in front of the TV for the night.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Gave a restaurant I didn't like the first time a second chance and am glad I did

Today started off like every Tuesday does.  I have a standing breakfast appointment every Tuesday at 8:30 with a friend who is also a life mentor to me.  We have our weekly breakfast at Harpoon Harry's.  No, that is not the restaurant I mentioned in the title of this post.  In fact, Harpoon Harry's was my top pick on the "Best Breakfast in Key West" page of this Blog.  We have been having weekly get together's there so long they don't even bring us a menu anymore.  Some call me a creature of habit but I like the idea of "If it isn't broken don't fix it".  My Omelet has been delicious every time for the last 10 years so why change?

I came home to take advantage of a beautiful Key West day and work in the backyard at my Poolside Office.  You have no idea how much I like telling my friends up North that I am working outside with my feet in the pool in Mid-January.  There are millions of good reasons to live in the Florida Keys but this is one of the top ones.  I was actually working on a house I am buying myself up in Ocala which is about 10 minutes from my Parents' house in The Villages.  No, I'm not moving to Ocala.  I just wanted to have something close to them.  I will use it as an investment/rental for now but it is nice to have something close by in case I ever had to relocate unexpectedly. 

A friend called me and asked me if I wanted to go to lunch at Azur.  I almost declined because I have only eaten at Azur once for dinner and I was very unhappy.  I'm glad I went and happy to report lunch was amazing.  They have outdoor seating in a very quaint but tropical garden setting as well as indoor seating which is where we sat.  The server was very friendly and pleasant.  The menu had quite a variety and the prices were very reasonable.  I had the French Dip Sandwich which was different from any French Dip I have ever had but was excellent.  The beef was more like a Pot Roast and the sandwich came with Dijon Mustard and an Onion Ring on top.  It also had the side of Au Jus that normally comes with a French Dip.  When I first saw the Pot Roast type beef I thought "Here we go again, another bad meal" but was I ever wrong.  I loved it from the very first bite.  I am used to a French Dip normally looking like a Philly Cheese Steak with Swiss Cheese but this was different and was great.  I will be back to Azur for sure.

 

I left the restaurant feeling very full and very happy.  I was on my scooter so I took advantage of the nice day and took some pictures with the scooter making it easier to pull up on the sidewalk.  I just look like a Tourist who doesn't know any better.  I think Fleming Street is one of the nicest streets on the Island (Azur is on the corner of Fleming and Grinnell) so I drove the entire length of the street taking pictures of various houses to use for marketing pieces.  I got some great pictures and went back to the Pool Office to do some more work.

I decided I had enough about 5:30 and called it a day, well called the work day over.  I had to go downtown to pick up a Margaritaville Sweatshirt for a friend back in Boston.  In 28 years living in Key West I have never once been in the actual Margaritaavile Restaurant/Bar and don't want to but they give locals a 20% discount in their retail store and their stuff makes great gifts.  As long as I was down there I went next door to Starbucks, not my favorite coffee, for a Caramel Macchiato which is more like a dessert than a coffee but it was cold out and I needed something warm.  I took my Macchiato fr a walk down Duval Street where I ran into a friend.  We hung out goofing off being silly with an umbrella.  Did a lot of nothing but had a lot of fun. 

 

After my huge lunch and my dessert in a cup from Starbucks I didn't feel like dinner so I came home.  I was in my pajamas by 9:00 but I'm OK with that.  That was my day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow.

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Key west was the warmest place in America today with a high of 89 degrees

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, it has been a cold couple weeks by Key West standards but we made up for that today.  At 12:30 PM the temperature reached a high of 89 degrees which was the warmest it was anywhere in America at any point during the day.

My day started with my regular walk along the water.  It was already in the mid 70's at 6:00 AM but we did have winds of about 20 MPH coming off the ocean.  I had the wind at my back making the first half of the walk seem like I was sailing.  Of course when I turned around to come back it still felt like I was sailing but sailing into the wind.  I got my exercise for sure this morning.  The sun was starting to come up as I passed Thompson Island just before getting home.  If you like what you see in the picture Thompson Island is for sale for a mere $12.5 Million.  I'll be happy to show it to you.

 

I had several errands and appointments downtown today which kept me there until after lunchtime.  I ran into our local "Mama Hen who had another group of Baby Chicks that didn't look to be more than a couple days old.  She was showing them how to scratch and dig for food.  This old girl has been on Duval Street for years and has new babies every time you turn around.  Many of the local merchants feed her and keep an eye out for the babies.  The Key West Chickens are truly as much a part of our community as the people.

 

Lunch today was a quick run into Subway as I made my way across town to show a house over in New Town.  The buyers seemed to like it but the proof will be when they make an offer.  After the showing I had to run back downtown.  Luckily the entire Island is four miles by two miles so when I say I have to go across town I am talking about a drive that is less than 10 minutes.  I finished up my appointments downtown and the Martin Luther King Day Parade was starting so I decided to stay a while and watch it.  It was a small parade but mostly local neighborhood children which made it a lot of fun.  The look on the kids' faces is always fun to see as they were so serious marching down Duval Street.  It only lasted about 20 minutes but it was fun.

 

After the Parade my mind was on Dinner and the first thought that popped into my head was Tavern-N-Town which I feel is the very best Fine Dining Key West has.  It is located in the Marriott Beachside Resort and it is amazing.  If you go ask for Roy as your server.  He is the best.  Normally I am a creature of habit and start with the French Onion Soup then have the Filet Mignon but tonight they had Duck Breast on the menu and Roy said it was excellent.  He was right as always.  It was outstanding.  Having a server you trust is sometimes as good as having a Doctor you trust.  I usually get the best of both worlds at Tavern as my Doctor of 25+ years eats there almost every night. 

 

Dinner was delicious, the day was fun and I was full.  It was time to come home, get out of my work clothes and sit out in the yard taking advantage of a beautiful night.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

Today was a day of leisure, boating, lunch and sunset. Sunday in Key West.

Started the day off back to normalcy in Key West.  The temperature was already 78 degrees and rising when I woke up at 6:30.  Well, I should say Kitty woke me up at 6:30 wanting her breakfast.  I made my coffee and went outside to turn on the grill.  Kitty and I sat in the yard me drinking my Baby's Breakfast Blend while she eagerly awaited the grill to warm up and me to cook her shrimp.  We had breakfast and came inside for me to get ready for the day.

I was scheduled to go on the Island Adventure, a Snorkel/Kayak Eco Tour with Fury Water Adventure.  I got in the car to head down to the Key West Bight to meet Barbara.  See, when you see my signature line of "Barbara Anderson Realty" she does exist.  I totally forgot the Key West Half Marathon was today and I had to dodge runners in the street as I drove downtown.  I usually run the Half Marathon but I tore my Rotator Cuff a few months back and haven't been exercising as much so I skipped it this year.  We got to the Fury check in to find out the morning trip was canceled due to not enough people and we were scheduled for the afternoon trip.  They tried to call me but had the wrong number.  Luckily he ride home is only about 5 minutes so i went home and got a start planning my Monday figuring I'd return about lunchtime to do it all over again.

I got back downtown a little after noontime because I thought the boat left at 1:30 with a 1:00 check in.  Come to find out it was a 2;00 departure and a 1:45 check in.  Since it was a beautiful sunny afternoon and we had over an hour to kill we walked up the dock to Turtle Krawls Tower Bar.  The Tower Bar is on the second floor with the highest view of the Historic Seaport.  It is a mostly local crowd with great service and good food.  If we had to kill an hour we might as well do it sitting outside watching the boats go by.

 


About 1:30 we walked down the dock to where Fury checked in and got on the boat.  There was a very small crowd.  Maybe a dozen people on a boat that can accommodate 50 or more.  We left the marina looking at the Sailing Schooners and a few Mega Yachts that were docked.  The Crew, who were amazing, gave everyone the legally required safety briefing then turned the mood back to fun.  The first stop was snorkeling for about an hour.  Barbara and I elected to stay on the boat for that.  t may have been a nice day out but I don't get in the water between September and May.  Water temperature of 74 degrees might be warm to someone from Minnesota but if it is less than 85 those of us who live here won't get in.  We stayed on the boat and visited with the Captain and Crew.

Next was Kayaking through the Mangroves of Archer Key which we did partake in and words can't describe how beautiful that was and how much fun it was.  We were in and out of little alcoves of Mangroves so tight we had to hold the kayak paddles in and just pull our way through to get to the next opening.  Most of the time we were in less than two feet of water.  There were crabs, lobster, birds, fish, rocks, plant life and we even saw a baby Barracuda that couldn't have been much more than 6 inches long.  I'd be lying if I said we didn't also make fun of the tourists trying to get the Kayak to go straight and into the current when it was just Barbara, Emily (The very cool and fun Crew Member) and I ahead of the rest of them on the way back to the boat.  Words can't describe how beautiful and fun the Kayak tour was.  Emily and Stevie, the other Crew Member, did an amazing job.

 

We got back to the boat with the Kayaks to be greeted by Captain Pat, who was also awesome and a lot of fun.  He got us in the boat and took care of our Kayaks.  Barbara and I were the first two back and we got to watch the entertainment of the tourists who had never Kayaked before try to approach the boat without hitting it or Captain Pat.  Luckily we could tell Pat had done this a few thousand times and he got everyone on board without falling in the water.  Poor Stevie had to tow one couple about 500 yards while he was riding a Paddle Board.  That entertainment was an added bonus.  No guarantee you'll see that if you go out on the Island Adventure but I do guarantee if you request to go with Captain Pat, Emily and Stevie they will show you a good time.

Everyone was on board and accounted for and we slowly cruised in watching the sun go down.  We got just outside of Sunset Key and idled around Key West Harbor watching the Schooners and Sailing  Catamarans as we watched the sun go down.  There were just enough clouds around to make the sunset unique but few enough clouds to make it beautiful.  No matter how many times I see the Key West Sunset it still amazes me.

We got back to the dock and it was the end of a great day.  I can't say enough about what a great time we had and what a fantastic Captain and Crew we had.  Having been a Professional Boat Captain myself I am usually critical about the way people run a boat but these people were true professionals making it so everyone had fun and each person felt as if we were the most important person on the boat.  Although Pat was the Captain he ran the boat as if they were all equals and everyone had a fantastic time.

At this point I was tired from a day on the water.  I came home, cooked dinner and parked myself on the couch in front of the TV and now I'm ready for bed.  That was my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com

The weekend is here. I went to Happy Hour with a client and got to call it a "Business Appointment".

Today started off like any typical day on the island.  Well typical of the last week.  I was awoken by a hungry Cat wanting her breakfast.  I rolled out of bed, my bare feet hit the floor and said, although I used a few additional expletives, the message was "Kitty, it's cold again today".  She didn't care though.  She expected breakfast.  Whomever it was who named a female Dog a "Bitch" has never met that Cat.  I made my coffee, Baby's of course, and steamed Kitty some shrimp.  There was no way I was going outside to grill them in this cold weather.  If Key West were New York City Kitty and I could play the role of Holly Golightly and Cat.  I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's, both the book and movie.  If you read this blog regularly you will often hear me saying "I had Breakfast at Tiffany's".  That is Harpoon Harry's.  Not really sure how or why I started calling Harry's that but it started about 20 years ago and I'm sure their famous Bloody Mary's influenced the naming of it to Tiffany's.

After breakfast I got dressed and ready to face the world.  I had an appointment downtown at The Galleon and Marina, a Luxury Timeshare Resort.  A client of mine owns 16 weeks and is thinking about selling them.  I normally stay far away from Timeshare Sales but this gentleman has bought four houses from me and is planning on buying another if he sells his Galleon weeks.  We sat and had a Cafe Con Leche on the dock and discussed a plan on whether to try to sell them all in one sale, which would be my preference, or sell them one at a time.  Luckily he agrees with me on one sale, one buyer, one closing.  Nice and simple.  The Marina at The Galleon is exquisite and blends into A&B Marina which is, in my opinion, the nicest Marina in Key West.

I finished up my meeting and had to go over to FedEx to send out some packages.  Since FedEx is at the airport which is about a mile from my house I decided to work the rest of my day at my home office.  By this time it had actually warmed up enough to sit outside and work by the pool.  Not quite warm enough to work with my feet in the water like I usually do but it was nice to sit in the sun while working.  Since it was Friday I even broke out the iPod and an afternoon of David Bowie as I suffered through getting things ready for tax time.  I'm not sure which hurts more, writing the check to the IRS or doing the paperwork I need to do in order to write probably the largest check I write all year.  Oh well, I survived.  Ziggy Stardust got me through it.

About 5:00 I went back downtown to meet a past client at Alonzo's for Happy Hour.  Anyone who hasn't been to Alonzo's for Happy Hour put it on your "Must Do" list for Key West.  All appetizers are 50% off and every drink, rotgut or high end call brands are also 50% off.  One appetizer is big enough to be dinner and the food is to die for.  Tonight two of us shared three appetizers and we left feeling fat and happy.  He has two beers and I had a club soda.  Our bill total for the three appetizers, the two beers and my club soda was $28 including tip and we tipped pretty heavy due to the outstanding service Alonzo's is also known about.  Some places around town have great Happy Hour for drinks.  Some places around town have great Happy Hour for food.  Alonzo's Happy Hour is great for both food and drinks.  Plus a picture perfect view of Sailboats heading out for sunset.  The topper of the evening was I was with a client so I got to call it business and take the amount of the bill off my taxes I so dislike doing.  Tonight's bill will go towards the 2017 taxes but I have plenty of receipts for 2016 as well.

I drove home looking at an awesome bright orange full moon still colored from the sun that had just gone down.  I wish I had pulled over to get a picture of it.  By the time I got home the orange from the sun was gone and a big cloud covered half of the moon.  Seeing things like this every day reconfirms for me how lucky I am to live on an Island.  I got home, got into my comfy clothes and spent the night sitting in the yard returning emails and chatting with a friend from High School who is coming to Key West for the first time in February.  I haven't seen him since Graduation Night 1987.  He went right into the Marines two days after we Graduated.  I'm really looking forward to seeing him and catching up.    That is the story of my Day in Key West.

Until Tomorrow,

Gary

Gary McAdams, P.A.

The Key West Life

Barbara Anderson Realty

305-731-0501

garymcadams@realtorgary.com

www.realtorgary.com

www.adayinkeywest.com