This Week on the Island 05/15/2005
'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------- My 61st Birthday Week ----------------
The Weather: Spring continues with beautiful days of low humidity and nice nights.
My 61st birthday was this week and I am in pretty good health. I am retired, living on a tropical island. I am 6' tall and weigh 185 lbs. My cholesterol is below 200. I ride my bike and paddle my kayak. I walk the dogs about 5 times a day. My wife and my dogs love me and when I walk around town people wave and speak. What more could you ask for? Life is good.
Last week I peddled my bike to Walgreen's on North Roosevelt (3 miles) to get a cable to connect my new printer to my PC. On the way back I ran into 2 Parrot Head club members and they invited me to their boat at Garrison Bight for Margarita's. Life is good.
Sunday I took the dogs and had lunch at Schooner Wharf and listened to Michael McCloud. Then we went to the new dog park near White Street Pier, so the girls (Wyleigh and Sassi) could check it out. Later another Parrot Head dropped by to show me his new cycle. Life is good.
Monday, while sitting on the front porch listening to Buffett's A-1-A CD, the Corona truck stopped to deliver some product to the Caroline Street Market. I invited Rob (the truck driver) to join me on the front porch. He was working and couldn't at the time, but he gave me a cold Corona to go with the music. Monday night I got invited to a birthday party for Madeline, she lives on the Pirate ship docked by Schooner Wharf. Life is good.
Tuesday my wife got home after being out of town for almost a month. Life is REAL good.
Wednesday was my birthday. Each birthday I try to do something I have never done before. This year I went for a jet ski tour around the island. We started at The Buccaneer in the Key West bight, out to the Gulf and then went all the way to Boca Chica and back. At Boca Chica we visited the sub docks that were dug out in WWII. The water is about 4 foot deep except for the channel and the sub docks. We went under the bridge and out to the Atlantic to visit the sand bar. Then down the Atlantic side and back to the Key West bight. In the Gulf the jet ski ride reminded me of my old motorcycle days, but in the Atlantic it was like riding a dirt bike. I must have spent 1/3 of the trip airborne between waves. Wednesday night there was a Parade down Duval Street and past our house. It didn't have anything to do with me, it was a tribute to Wilhelmina Harvey, The Great Dame of Key West. She past away at age 93 just last week. Life is good.
On Thursday, Sassi, Wyleigh and I went back to the dog park by the White Street Pier to run and play a while. There were lots of other dogs there and I think the girls had a good time. After lunch I went kayaking. It was a little windy and it really wore me out paddling. Went home and took a nap. Life is good.
Friday my wife and I went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to do something different so we went to Outback. We actually went out without the dogs. Life is good.
Saturday, some friends and out of town Parrot Heads came in to visit for a week. Spent most of the day at Schooner Wharf. Life doesn't get much better.
Key West, You have got to love it
'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conch Token's- Jimmy Buffett
Doug Bennett
-------------------------------------------------------Key West---------------------------------------
Papa's on Duval Street (the same block as Sloppy Joe's) has been sold and will be a Cheeseburger's. Pepe's on Caroline Street has also been sold. The owner said it was time to leave the island. The old Key West Electric Company at the end of Caroline Street is being demolished to make room or yet another condo complex. The condo complex behind Schooner Wharf is still fighting to begin construction. The condo construction across the street from me has installed the roof this week and will sell their 6 condos for about $1.5 million each. They will be a little less than 1,000 sq ft each. That's more than $1,500 a sq ft. The Photo Lab on Lazy Lane has closed, Walgreen's and Eckerd's has put them out of business. The VFW is for sale and will move to North Roosevelt. Homeland Security has purchase some land on North Roosevelt to build some offices.
----------------- My 61st Birthday Week ----------------
The Weather: Spring continues with beautiful days of low humidity and nice nights.
My 61st birthday was this week and I am in pretty good health. I am retired, living on a tropical island. I am 6' tall and weigh 185 lbs. My cholesterol is below 200. I ride my bike and paddle my kayak. I walk the dogs about 5 times a day. My wife and my dogs love me and when I walk around town people wave and speak. What more could you ask for? Life is good.
Last week I peddled my bike to Walgreen's on North Roosevelt (3 miles) to get a cable to connect my new printer to my PC. On the way back I ran into 2 Parrot Head club members and they invited me to their boat at Garrison Bight for Margarita's. Life is good.
Sunday I took the dogs and had lunch at Schooner Wharf and listened to Michael McCloud. Then we went to the new dog park near White Street Pier, so the girls (Wyleigh and Sassi) could check it out. Later another Parrot Head dropped by to show me his new cycle. Life is good.
Monday, while sitting on the front porch listening to Buffett's A-1-A CD, the Corona truck stopped to deliver some product to the Caroline Street Market. I invited Rob (the truck driver) to join me on the front porch. He was working and couldn't at the time, but he gave me a cold Corona to go with the music. Monday night I got invited to a birthday party for Madeline, she lives on the Pirate ship docked by Schooner Wharf. Life is good.
Tuesday my wife got home after being out of town for almost a month. Life is REAL good.
Wednesday was my birthday. Each birthday I try to do something I have never done before. This year I went for a jet ski tour around the island. We started at The Buccaneer in the Key West bight, out to the Gulf and then went all the way to Boca Chica and back. At Boca Chica we visited the sub docks that were dug out in WWII. The water is about 4 foot deep except for the channel and the sub docks. We went under the bridge and out to the Atlantic to visit the sand bar. Then down the Atlantic side and back to the Key West bight. In the Gulf the jet ski ride reminded me of my old motorcycle days, but in the Atlantic it was like riding a dirt bike. I must have spent 1/3 of the trip airborne between waves. Wednesday night there was a Parade down Duval Street and past our house. It didn't have anything to do with me, it was a tribute to Wilhelmina Harvey, The Great Dame of Key West. She past away at age 93 just last week. Life is good.
On Thursday, Sassi, Wyleigh and I went back to the dog park by the White Street Pier to run and play a while. There were lots of other dogs there and I think the girls had a good time. After lunch I went kayaking. It was a little windy and it really wore me out paddling. Went home and took a nap. Life is good.
Friday my wife and I went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to do something different so we went to Outback. We actually went out without the dogs. Life is good.
Saturday, some friends and out of town Parrot Heads came in to visit for a week. Spent most of the day at Schooner Wharf. Life doesn't get much better.
Key West, You have got to love it
'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conch Token's- Jimmy Buffett
Doug Bennett
-------------------------------------------------------Key West---------------------------------------
Papa's on Duval Street (the same block as Sloppy Joe's) has been sold and will be a Cheeseburger's. Pepe's on Caroline Street has also been sold. The owner said it was time to leave the island. The old Key West Electric Company at the end of Caroline Street is being demolished to make room or yet another condo complex. The condo complex behind Schooner Wharf is still fighting to begin construction. The condo construction across the street from me has installed the roof this week and will sell their 6 condos for about $1.5 million each. They will be a little less than 1,000 sq ft each. That's more than $1,500 a sq ft. The Photo Lab on Lazy Lane has closed, Walgreen's and Eckerd's has put them out of business. The VFW is for sale and will move to North Roosevelt. Homeland Security has purchase some land on North Roosevelt to build some offices.
posted by Doug Bennett at 11:00 AM
