Key West Lou / HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLIE BROWN

Missed Charlie Brown’s birthday. It was yesterday. Sorry. Never the less, the loving spirit of the Peanuts comic strip was born in effect when it made its appearance 70 years ago on October 2, 1950.

Happy Birthday Charlie Brown! Happy Birthday Peanuts! Happy Birthday Snoopy! Happy Birthday the security blanket! And most of all, Happy Birthday to Charles M. Schulz who penned the comic strip.

First named Li’l Folks, the strip was later renamed Peanuts.

Friend even to Presidents. Charlie Brown mentioned occasionally by John Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

Today, the comic strip has 330 million readers in 75 countries. It is published daily in 22 languages.

It is thought Charlie Brown has been such a continuing success for so long because of Charlie Brown getting up and trying again after being down. It is called perseverance.

Charlie Brown was a trendsetter in pet relationships. Snoopy. Pets were members of the family and truly best friends and companions.

Schools are open in most parts of the country. I thought the schools were being prematurely opened. I was wrong.

The kids are going. Nothing coronavirus wise of any significance is happening.

In all of Monroe County, there have been only 3 confirmed cases. The 3 located in the northern part of the County.

I got into wearing masks with Robert. He is a Junior at the Key West High School. He said masks were no problem. Everybody wears one and no one complains. The only time they may remove the masks is during lunch.

I checked with an emergency room friend in one of the most northern cities in New York. She says she has not observed any problems. She mentioned a 7 year old who came into the emergency room this week. Not for a coronavirus related problem.

She talked with the 7 year old. The little girl was wearing a mask. She asked her if she liked the mask. The girl nodded a shy yes and then proudly said, “We have a mask break for one minute every morning and afternoon.”

Adults should have adapted to mask wearing as children apparently are doing across the country.

Our President is in the hospital. At his age, coronaviirus could be very serious.

I don’t know what it is, but I feel bad that Trump is ill and may die. My writings clearly suggest I like neither the man nor the way he is running the country. Think he is a bad guy. Recommend everyone vote for Biden.

I must add I doubt Trump feels bad about anyone or anything. He is the original I don’t like prisoners, I don’t like Muslims. His feelings regarding Jews is obvious. He stands for all the bad things America has become.

Yet, I feel sorry for the man and wish him well.

Frank Bruni wrote in a New York Times Opinion piece yesterday about Trump. The column: The Pandemic Comes For The President. Its thrust was no one is invincible. Not even the mighty Donald.

Bruni wrote: “The Presidency and the President are always national mirrors, in many different ways at once…..Trump has shown America its resentments. He has modeled its rage. Now he personifies its recklessness.”

He wrote America is “infected,” it has become a “morality case.”

Every day it is something new about Amy Coney Barrett.

CNN Politics reported yesterday that in the late summer she and her husband were diagnosed with coronavirus. Her husband was asymptomatic. The Judge “felt a little under the weather but recovered.”

My concern is her tendency to be secretive. She has failed in many respects to make full disclosure re professional matters and her religion. Forget not she is 48 and being considered for a lifetime job. Nothing is secret under the circumstances.

The fact that she and her husband had coronavirus may appear non consequential on its face. It probably is. However in today’s climate where the major issue in the election is coronavirus, she should have mentioned it.

Marsha is a long time reader of this blog. From Syracuse, New York. We have never met, except through the blog. We have become good friends.

Marsha sent me a lengthy column she came across. No author. The words intuitive. I share come with you.

“I wonder…..why we all seem to be Russians waiting in line for toilet paper, meat, and Lysol.”

“Why we all look like we are in bad need of a haircut or a facial or a reason to dress up again and go somewhere.”

“There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation.”

“We are rudderless and joyless.”

“We have lost our mojo. Our fun, our happiness.”

“We have lost the challenges and the triumphs that we shared and celebrated. The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for.”

“We are lost.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Do whatever you can to help the cause. Few are they who are not touched by its curse.

There is an urban exodus. A return to the suburbs. A topic I have written about many times.

There are three reasons for the exodus.

The first involves technological improvements. People can work from home. The second the destabilizing threat of rising crime in the cities. Third and finally, people cannot make a living in the cities as they once did. Tied into the fact that city rents and living costs have failed to recognize that fact yet and make city living very expensive.

The urban exodus is expected to be an accelerating one over the long term.

A common example of the financial crush city living is causing, many live in flats with multiple roommates.

Key West is not the only City experiencing the dilemma.

Even great cities sometimes go away. They cannot seem to make it back. Goats were grazing in Rome’s Forum a few decades after the Empire collapsed.

On this day in 1995, O. J. Simpson was acquitted. “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”

I watched the trial everyday for 3 months. Would not miss it.

I had rented a condominium at 1800 Atlantic for the season. Except for 2 days when I had to fly back to Syracuse for a sensitive hearing, I remained in Key West.

My days all the same. Up early. Walked the ocean along South Roosevelt Boulevard. Back to the condo. 1800 had a great pool. I took a cool refreshing swim and laid out on a lounge to sun dry.

Then my day really began. Watched the trial from the comfort of a barcalounge. Exciting! My eyes and ears remained fixed.

The evening was a late dinner somewhere. Generally at Square One. It had become a meeting place. We joined our local and snowbird friends most evenings there.

This is the fourth day in a row that Hackley has written in his 1855 diary about his piles. The poor guy had a real problem!

He wrote, “The piles will not stay up and are very sore. Bathed in the tub yesterday 3 times. Kept a piece of cotton with ointment on the parts and put some more Mustang Liniment on at night.”

I write about poor Hackley’s medical problem because I had a serious hemorrhoid problem twice in my life. Surgery for the first. The problem returned however.

Strangely, nothing seems to have changed as to how to medicate the problem. Every thing today as it was in 1855. I lived in a hot bath, tried all kinds of ointments.

May Johnson continues to fascinate me. I make the following observation for the second time. Conservative school teacher May is not the quiet angelic type. She is not even good looking as the one photo I have seen indicates.

Yet she has the men here in Key West and away chasing her. Or maybe she is chasing them.

She went dancing at La Brisa last night with Charlie and Fritot. They gave her a letter from Everest. He never comes home. Supposedly “her love.” They write and she goes out with others in Key West.

Even her mother appears upset with her meanderings.

After La Brisa, the three “went to Sybil Curry’s, lots of boys and girls there. Charles and I came home at 11 o’clock. KICKING TIRED.”

She warns that a “cyclone is brewing.” If it hits, it will be interesting to read about an 1896 hurricane from a person who was there. An

I have been self-quarantined for way more than 200 days. I gave up counting at 200.

Not a very exciting time.

Tonight is Cocktails at 7.

I met Cathy over the internet. Cathy lived in Key West in 1988. She read the blog and wrote me. We became friends.

A long distance romance, if anything. Cathy lives in Seattle, Washington.

Whatever, I have come to enjoy my one night a week having a drink via Skype with Cathy.

Her dog Lucy is part of the experience. Lucy always on Cathy’s lap. Lucy is blind.

Enjoy your Day!

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