Sloppy Joe's - 2009

January 4 2009 - I left Lastdance secure in Beaufort and drove to New Jersey to my granddaughter's christening and several Christmas dinners and lunches with family and friends and then went to the cemetery to spend some time with Carol. We were joined for Christmas dinner at my mom’s place by my brother Tony, Victoria, Christopher, Michelle, Furi and Alexandria which hopefully made for a great Christmas gift for my mom.

I then drove to Tennessee to meet Lydia for dinner. I found her to be more attractive than her photos but also a really nice woman and we enjoyed a long evening in an Italian restaurant run by a Greek family. Unfortunately, I had to get back on the road by noon the next day so after meeting for a brief breakfast with Lydia the next morning, I then headed south, arriving in Jacksonville late that night. I stayed at the Naval Air Station there, and then went to Fort Lauderdale where I stayed with my friends and old neighbors, David and Linda. The next day I hooked up with Bill in Marathon and we drove to Key West where we picked up my classmate Rich at the airport.

After checking into the BOQ at Trumbo Point Naval Air Station, we pillaged and plundered our way through the many old saloons on Duval Street. At Captain Tony’s I searched the ceiling to no avail for a photo of Carol that I put there back in 1998. Thousands of new business cards and photos must have been added to the zillions that had been already stapled and glued to the walls and ceilings over many decades. We strolled over to Sloppy Joes for several beers and then to the Hogs Breath Saloon for burgers and more beers. Sleeping in a single room with a single bed proved to be a challenge. Bill slept on the floor and Rich and I shared the bed, he under the sheets, me over them as we endeavored to avoid even the slights chance of coming in contact during the night.

We spent the next two nights visiting new bars like Finnagans Wake and revisiting old ones and New Years Eve found us on Duval Street in front of Sloppy Joe’s where a giant conch shell is dropped to ring in the New Year. There, we hooked up with my old friends Ric and Anna from Mears Marina. A couple of hours before midnight Bill wanted to see the giant pink slipper which is used by the gay community to welcome in the New Year and then we went to Jimmy Buffett’s, Margaritaville.  After a margarita, bill and I left to return to Sloppy Joe’s in time to welcome in the New Year but Rick stayed behind with two exceptionally lovely women he had chatted up. He never did give them the Crocodile Dundee crotch test so we’re not really sure they were woman. With Rich enjoying his new friends and the New Years celebrations over on Duval Street, Bill and I went to Schooner's Wharf for a few nightcaps but I got tired and bailed out at 3 am, leaving Bill alone with the ongoing party.

The next few days we went off the beaten path and discovered the “local” side of Key West including Louie’s Backyard, a great bar by the ocean, made famous by Jimmy Buffett’s song “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season.” We also discovered the Green Parrot, a great old saloon where a Blues/Southern-Rock band played as we consumed rum and cokes. We left about midnight and while walking home, we passed Meteor, a bar where Bill spotted Norm and Bill, two friends from our marina in Maryland and we joined them for four more rum and cokes before calling it a night. The next day we moved from the BOQ to a 3BR townhouse for the rest of our stay. It is so friggin good to sleep in my own bed without listening to Bill's snoring! We're here for another 5 days so who knows what damage we may reap...more to follow