Key West is fortunate. A new couple has opted to purchase their dream home away from home in Key West. Directly across the street from Steve and Cindy’s home on Olivia Street where I am blessed to reside. Our good luck.

We met them last night at The Grand. They reside in Tampa. Originally from my neck of the woods in upstate New York. Chuck originally from Gloversville, Karen Camden. Amazing how we from small towns in the back woods of New York have found our way to one of the nation’s paradises!

Chuck graduated from St. Bonaventure. Interesting. My undergrad work was done at Manhattan College in New York City. Back in our college days, the two schools played basketball against each other. Chuck has the same fanaticism for St. Bonaventure that I have for Syracuse University. If my recollection is correct, Chuck and Karen have two pets . One was or is named Bonnie. The other, I am not sure.

Karen my apologies for not knowing more about you. We spoke of Camden and Fourth Lake. In due course, you will appear here again and I will make up for it.

I look forward to getting to know them better. No question, great people.

Blog late again today. Another hospital test this morning. Then neurophysiotherapy. I needed it today. My back and pelvic area continue to be painful.

On the way home stopped at Publix to pick up a few things. I no longer am surprised at the prices. Everything continues to go up. Nothing down. I take that back. The only thing I saw go down this year was the price of bananas. From 71 cents a pound to 61 cents. They have stayed down a month so far.

Pepsi Cola irritated me today. The six-pack has gone up about 40 cents. And no 2 for 1 available!

Washington is working to balance the budget. Needs to be done in the next few days. They have worked out a plan that is full of goodies for themselves. The new budget if approved is only good till March 14.

Congresspersons have finally given themselves a raise. They have gone without since 2009. My sympathy is with them. They are only paid $174,000. At a time when the average earning salary of Americans is $59,000.

The raise is considered a Cost of Living one. Words used so taxpayers will not consider it a raise. The COL in the proposed budget is 3.2 percent.

My sympathy is lacking because most of them leave Congress far wealthier than when they went in.

The Mayflower arrived this day in 1620 at Plymouth Harbor.

The Bayview Park Christmas Tree is a beauty!

Mother Goose Melodies for Children are older than the U.S. First published in 1719.

Key West’s Nutcracker is enjoying another great Christmas reception. The Nutcracker itself premiered for the first time this day in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the recipient of Trump’s wrath. Why? Because he opposes Trump’s threatened 25 percent tariff. Trudeau even went to Mar-a-Lago and explained his position face to face.

Canada and the U.S. are huge trading partners. Trump is blind. The U.S. imports 60 percent of its crude oil from Canada as well as 85 percent of the electricity it imports. Canada is the largest supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. Note that $2.7 billion worth of goods and services cross the border each day.

Reversing things, Canada is the top export destination for 36 American states.

I have visited Canada many times. Know many people there. Consider them friends. They are a humble people. Recognize they live in the shadow of the “great” United States. I have never heard any of those I know speak ill even slightly of the U.S.

This tariff thing Trump threatens against many nations is a bomb. Its explosion hurts both sides. Not something that should be toyed with.

Enjoy your day!

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