A Day in Key West

Key West prepares for the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. The Crazies will be Crazier.

I knew it was going to be one of those days when Kitty woke me up at 5:00 AM wanting her breakfast.  Then I saw we are going to have a Total Lunar Eclipse and it all made sense.

Since Her Highness had me out of bed I decided to get in a little exercise and take my morning walk along the water.  I came outside to see fog over the water which is very rare for Key West but a welcomed sight.  It was very pretty and reminded me of a New England Morning on the ocean.  Te fog was nowhere as thick as a New England for but still pretty on a flat calm Harbor.  The sun came up as I was walking and the for slowly disappeared.

Since Kitty ate before my walk I did something I don't do often after I walked.  I made breakfast at home for myself.  Julia Child had nothing on me this morning.  I made a Ham, Onion, Jalapeno, Spinach and Brie Omelet and some Wheat Toast.  My belly was full and it was time to hit the shower and face the work day. 

I had a bunch of computer work, MLS updating, website changes, emails to return and calls to make.  Not the most exciting of mornings but it is a necessary evil.  Then I had to run downtown to preview a renovation project home, actually two homes on one parcel, for a client from Pittsburgh.  My Pittsburgh clients still like me even after my Patriots spanked their Steelers.  I was quite happy with what I saw.  The houses were in pretty rough shape but the surrounding homes are all in great shape and they are a block and a half off Duval Street.  The Buyer is a General Contractor and wants a project house he can renovate and flip.  The Real Estate Industry Term for a run down house surrounded by high end homes is "Buying Fred Sanford's House".

After my visit to Sanford and Son I was getting hungry as it was well after noontime.  I called a friend who works downtown and met her for lunch at Conch Republic Seafood Company, or,as the locals call it, "Conch Farm".  I really like Conch Farm a lot.  It is one of the few "Tourist Spots" the local's patronize regularly.  The food is good, the service is good, the prices are very reasonable, great view right on the Marina, good Happy Hour and they give a pretty sizable Local's Discount.

I did some errands after lunch while still downtown, Post Office, Property Appraiser's Office, back to Fred Sanford's house to drive around the area and see what all the neighboring houses were like then home to work from my "Pool Office".  I love telling my friends from Boston it is mid February (They already know that part) and I am working outside on my laptop wearing shorts and a tee shirt with my feet in the pool.  I did a few hours computer work and called it a day.  By then Kitty was whining that she wanted her dinner.  I threw a few Shrimp on the grill for her and she was a happy girl.  Whomever it was that decided to call a female dog a "Bitch" never met this Cat.  She's a little spoiled but Kitty is a good girl.

We are going to have a Full Mon and Total Lunar Eclipse tomorrow night but the moon came up tonight abut 6:00 and was pretty full.  I always liked the Full Moon over the ocean.  I went down to the Southernmost Beach Cafe to see it shine down on the water.  Southernmost Beach Cafe is another place that is very much a Tourist place, actually located at the Southernmost Beach Resort, but is another favorite of the Locals.  After a big breakfast and big lunch I wasn't much in the mood for dinner but I ordered some Conch Fritters.  I think their Conch Fritters are the best we have in Key West.  I stayed about half hour looking at the moon as I ate then called it a night.  It has been a long day and I'm tired.

Home now andmy bed is calling me.  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 with a 5K Road Race, I won 1st place Male Walker, and ended with the Superbowl and Overtime Patriots win. Winning Day all around today.

My day started early and eventful today.  The Theme Run "Buddy Pass" Puzzle Run was this morning.  The race was a charity fundraiser benefiting "Anchors Away Club of Key West", the local Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous Clubhouse.  I had to be down at the beach at 7:30 waiting for the starting gun to go off at 8:00 sharp.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for the race.  The temperature was 72 degrees with a wind off the ocean of about 10 MPH making it cool.  The sun was strong and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Not only was it a great, the race fun and a lot of money raised but I won First Place Male Walker.  I tend to walk fast because my morning walking partner is 6'5".  One of his steps are about three of mine.  I didn't care about the trophy but what I did like was I also received a $50 gift certificate for Bruschetta Cucina Italian Restaurant.  As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, I like to eat out.

 

After the race I stopped at Goldman's for a quick breakfast then home to the much needed shower.  I had to go up to Big Pine Key for a work appointment.  I know working on a Sunday is not very "Key Westish", I just made that word up but you know what I mean.  Any way you look at it working on a Sunday in Key West beats the Hell out of a four week vacation in Detroit in February, or any month in Detroit for that matter.

I finished up my appointment on Big Pine Key and went for a late lunch at Boondocks Grill and Draft House on Ramrod Key with my client.  Just a quick appetizer as it was getting late and I wanted t get back to Key West before the Superbowl Traffic and drunks got on the road.  Boondocks has great food but a little pricey for what you get.  Everything is always good and the service is excellent but it is bar food at restaurant prices.  They do get some great musicians in there on the weekends.  I saw an Eagles Tribute Band there a few years back that I would have sworn was The Eagles.

 

Lunch was good, we covered a lot of business and, most importantly, we had a good time.  One of the things I take pride in with my business is almost all of my clients become good friends through the transaction.  I have one gentleman from Miami I have sold several houses to who is now my "Baseball Buddy".  We meet in Miami once a month during Marlins Season and go to a game together.  I love going to Miami with him.  He has lived there since the day he was born and knows all the local hidden secret restaurants.  There are some awesome little Cuban Bakeries in that City.

I got home to Key West about 4:30 which gave me enough time to go grocery shopping and be back to the house in time to catch the Superbowl Pregame Shows.  Any time the Patriots make it to a Superbowl is a good thing but when they come back from being 25 points down to win it is a GREAT thing.  The Cheese Heads can claim Aaron Rogers is the best Quarterback all they want but only one Quarterback in NFL History has won 5 Superbowl's.  I'd be a liar if I said I didn't thing the Falcons were going to crush the Pats but as Sir Churchill once said, "I have only been wrong once in my life.  I thought I made a mistake but realized I hadn't.

 
 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

Flu is gone and I'm back in full force

I woke up this morning feeling like a whole new person.  It seems like I went to bed last night feeling like Hell and after a 10 hour sleep I woke feeling great.  The weather was even perfect too.  It was 70 degrees when I woke up, close to 80 all day and low 70's tonight.  This is more the Key West I signed up for 28 years ago.

With my appetite back I was ready for breakfast.  I went over to Sandy's Cafe for a Cuban Egg and Ham Sandwich and a Cafe Con Leche which were delicious.  Sandy's is one of the best coffee shops in Key West and we have some great ones.  It is a local gathering spot in the morning where people meet before work for a "Social Hour".  I have often said if you need to hire a Carpenter, Plumber, Painter or Electrician just hang out at Sandy's for an hour between 6:00 and 8:00 AM.  They all stop in for coffee and/or breakfast.  It's a Happy Hour for coffee drinkers.  I had my breakfast, caught up with some friends, read the newspaper and was ready to face the day.

After breakfast I went to Moped Hospital, the local scooter mechanic, to get my scooter back.  She had been in the hospital a waiting for a part for over three months.  I can't say enough about how good Moped Hospital treated me though.  They gave me a loaner scooter for the entire time at no charge and they even filled the gas tank for me, also at no cost, every time I needed it.  They said they have had some incidents where someone got bad gas so they prefer to fill it themselves.  I felt like I was at an old full service gas station from the 80's.  Their gas pump is back in the service area and nobody who doesn't work there is allowed in that area.  I would pull up in front to be greeted by one of their mechanics.  She would drive the scooter around back and return it to me a few minutes later with a full tank of gas.  I got there today to pick my scooter up expecting a huge bill and was very pleasantly surprised.  They told me that they were waiving all labor cost because they felt bad it took them so long to get the part.  My scooter is Korean made and they had to order the part direct from Korea.  I understand it took a long time but they gave me a scooter identical to mine free of charge the entire time.  One of the many advantages to living in a small town and great community like Key West.  I always thought highly of Moped Hospital before but today they earned my business for life. 

  

I felt like a kid with a new toy having my scooter back.  Even though they gave me a loaner scooter it wasn't quite the same as my own.  I took the beach route back home to work from my poolside desk for the afternoon.  After a huge and delicious late breakfast at Sandy's I didn't stop for a full lunch.  The next couple hours were spent looking for houses for a friend from Boston who wants to buy his retirement home now and rent it out until to become a Snowbird.  He has a place on Cape Cod now and wants to Summer there and Winter in Key West.

I had a couple quick appointments downtown this afternoon.  I strategically timed them to finish about 5:00 and went to Alonzo's For Happy Hour.  Alonzo's has, by far, the Best Happy Hour in Key West.  All their appetizers are 50% off and an appetizer is big enough to easily be dinner.  Their drinks are also all 50% off whether you choose the rot gut from the well or the high end call drinks they are all 50% off.  I like the idea of the drinks being 50% off rather than "Buy One Get One Free" because you can go in for one drink and still take advantage of the Happy Hour Price.  The Buffalo Shrimp at Alonzo's is amazing.  The Conch Fritters are great too.  I met a friend there today and we got an order of each and shared.

 

I left Alonzo's with a full belly and was ready to call it a night.  I jumped on my finely tuned scooter and once again took the scenic way home driving along the beach.  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 flu hits everywhere, even Key West

Its been a few days since I have written.  I'm sure you've all missed me but I have been down and out hard with a flu.  I was going to blog about what a great job Nurse Kitty was doing guarding my bed while I slept but she is very humble and doesn't want everyone to know about her outstanding Doctoring skills.  Today is the first day I have been out of bed since Sunday other than to run to Publix (Our local grocery store) once to get my prescription and some ingredients for homemade Chicken Soup.  My Doctor told me we have one of the worst flu's he's ever seen going around Key West.

Although I was up and about today I was moving slow.  I got up this morning and had my tea sitting in the sun working on the computer from my poolside office.  Natural sunshine will cure almost everything.  Got a lot of much needed book work done that I had put off the past couple days then had to arrange for an Insurance Agent to get inside one of the rental houses I manage to take some photographs.  Luckily he is a guy I know well and I was able to just give him a key to go by himself.  I used the line "I'll be happy to meet you there but I have a miserable flu.  If you'd rather not be around me I can leave you a key in my mailbox and you can go let yourself in".  He agreed that would be best and I didn't have to drive 30 miles each way for a three minute appointment.  Instead I stayed home and had more of my Chicken Soup.  As a general rule I don't cook well but I must say my soup turned out pretty tasty.

After lunch I made my way downtown to take care a long list of work appointments that I had been putting off for days.  That filled up several hours a lot of which was finding parking in between appointments.  I should have known better than to try to park downtown during the hours that most of the restaurants are getting their deliveries during season.  I finished up just before 5:00 and was finally getting my appetite back.  I felt like wings and a burger rather that the tea, toast and Chicken Soup I have been living on the last few days.  I went to Waterfront Brewery which has, in my opinion, the best wings in Key West.  I didn't stay long but I left with a full belly and actually feeling better.  I came home and called it an early night.

Not the most eventful 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