Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Chilly and overcast today. Stayed inside all day reading, playing on the computer and watching TV. Floyd called in the afternoon and invited us to join them, Jerry, Char, and Richard for dinner at Braza Lena, a Brazilian steak house on Caroline and we eagerly accepted. We all met there at 6:00 for cocktails and dinner. After dinner they went to Rick’s on Duval and we headed back home. I had had enough alcohol-related evenings the past two weeks.

Truman Annex

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Another chilly, windy day. With no relief in sight. Basically stayed inside most of the day and played on the computer, read, and watched TV. Great day though. If only it would warm up about 20 degrees.

Marine Hospital--circa 1845.......Truman Annex

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Cooler today. The afternoon cleared off and we headed to Key West to see Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges at the Tropic Cinema. Great movie! Hope he gets the Academy Award. After that we walked down Whitehead to the Key West Speedway. And then it was so beautiful we walked around some—down to the Eco Center and watched the schooners heading out for the sunset sails. Back home. The water was beautiful today. Different shades of green, some greys, and a splash of turquoise here and there. And it was really flat. A great day to take a kayak out—except that it was only in the 60s. Want to watch Apollo Ohno race the short track tonight.

Mike's car

Tue, 2/16/10

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Rained during the night. The sun finally came out later in the afternoon. We both felt like hell—mine surely alcohol related. Esther dropped by to see how we were doing. She wasn’t feeling so great either. I made a salad to take over to the dinner tonight at the clubhouse. They’re grilling some pork loins and everyone is bringing something. Think we will eat quickly and leave.

Mon, 2/15/10

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Sunny and nice today—but still only in the upper 60s. Felt pretty good in the sun though. In fact, it was pretty hot in the sun. Mike played shoes in the afternoon. I sat outside reading. Finished “Last Train to Paradise” which was a great book about Flagler and the amazing overseas railroad he built—much of it with his own money. He used to quip that he was a rich man until Florida. This amazing engineering feat was wiped out with the category 5 hurricane that struck the middle Keys in 1935. The eyewitness accounts were horrendous—like bodies found with their faces literally blasted down to the bone by the driving sand. One victim was found the day after the storm, impaled by a piece of two-by-four that had passed completely through him, just beneath his ribs, somehow missing his kidneys. He was still living and appeared very calm as a doctor prepared to remove the length of timber. The doctor offered him a shot of morphine to dull the pain, but he refused, saying that the operation was sure to kill him. He said he’d rather have a couple of beers. They gave him the beers, pulled the timber out, and he died. Jeeze and I thought going to the dentist was bad. After shoes, Esther, Gerald, Sally, Mike and I went over to Mangrove Mama’s for happy hour. Sitting there drinking under the coconut palms, we all got pretty drunk—except for Mike as he was the designated driver.

Overseas Highway--built right on top of the railway--using the rails to make the guardrails

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Well, the big party is over and now our maintenance guys have clean-up duty. I guess there were 1000 or so people from outside the park. Howard Livingston brought his motor home over and put it on a site across the lake from us. He left around 6:00 tonight. Cold again today. Didn’t even make it out of the 50s. Tomorrow is supposed to be the warmest day—maybe high 60s. We just hunkered down all day. I did a roast for dinner and we just stayed inside and watched the Olympics. I love watching the short track—and especially Ohno.

Esther bundled up in front of the stage

Lazy Lakes RV Resort, Sugarloaf Key, FL: Cloudy and cool today—no COLD. We headed over to Jerry and Char’s site on the other side of the lake. Everybody brought something and they had lots of food. The performers were all out in the tiki hut at the end of the peninsula. We drifted around. Got some beer and a hot dog and walked around some. Came back to our site for a while and watched the Olympics and then went back to the peninsula for Howard’s show. It was really cold out there with the wind, but as usual it was a great show. After his show I packed it in. Mike hung around for a while. He really wants to see Jerry Jeff Walker who’s on at 7:15. No way I’ll be there.

Esther and I about to make our way down the peninsula...balmy weather, eh?

Esther with one of the performers--Chris Cook I think

Howard

Howard and the Band