Fun, Fear, and Fortune Cookies

If you search for the definition of “Fortune” you will find a variety of answers. One is: “chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting human affairs.” Another: “position in life as determined by wealth.”

OK, so what’s the deal with the fortune cookies we get after our meal at the local Chinese restaurant? Are they supposed to tell our future? I love Chinese food and visit my favorite establishment weekly, sometimes more often. But, I don’t remember ever getting a “fortune” in my cookie that said I would have a rotten day. Will I always have a good day, as long as I eat Chinese?

I know lots of people who would never read a horoscope or consult someone who says they can tell your future by looking at your hand, etc. I understand that, but I’ve never seen anyone pass on opening his fortune cookie to gain access to the day’s words of wisdom.

Looking up the history of fortune cookies brings another surprise. Fortune cookies are not found in China. In fact, Chinese call them American Fortune Cookies. Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia are the major manufacturing locations of the 3 billion fortune cookies produced annually. Of course, there are opposing views, suggesting that fortune cookies were introduced to America by the Japanese.

All of this brings us to the day that I was in the Chinese restaurant enjoying my favorite foods. I always save room for my fortune cookie. I think it’s fun to read the slogans which are usually very generic. This day was like no other. I opened my fortune and it was blank. I turned it over and the other side was blank. OK, I understand manufacturing and how things like this can happen, but could it be that I have no fortune because I have no future? Could I gather the courage to walk out of the restaurant? Certainly, don’t be foolish. But, I was very careful walking across the parking lot!

Street Artists - Key West

On my travels, I enjoy watching and visiting with street artists. They all are unique, having such a diverse set of skills, personalities, and interesting stories of the past. I try to purchase at least one piece of art when I travel to my favorite locations.

Our recent trip to Key West allowed several opportunities to get to know a couple of artists who market their creations to visitors of the island town. On our walk to breakfast, we passed Bob Surrett who had his artwork set up on the sidewalk along South Street within a block of the popular destination known as “The Southernmost Point.”

He told me that he’d heard of Gallipolis and I thought he was blowing smoke until he mentioned that Gallipolis had been settled by a group of people from France. He told me he had a special technique using a custom made paint pallet knife. I looked closely as he painted and asked, “Isn’t that a piece of cardboard?” With a wink and a grin he said, “Yes, it is, but I tore it to a custom size.”

I couldn’t resist purchasing a small painting he’d made of the moon rising from behind the Key West Lighthouse. He had framed it with small pieces of wood. It is quite a unique piece of art.

One morning as we were having our breakfast, I spotted an artist set up on the pier painting a likeness of “The Southernmost House.” When we finished eating we walked out the pier to examine his work. William C. Sasser introduced himself and welcomed us to watch as he worked. He had several pieces of art on display for sale. William had a degree in art and was very precise with his brushstrokes. 

I chose the painting above because of the sign hanging on the palm tree. Go right and you get to Key West; go left and you return to reality. Very appropriate for my personal attitude. Like Jimmy Buffett says, “The lower the latitude, the better the attitude.” 

Friday the 13th - the Day My (electronic) Brain Died

I know I can be old fashioned (unwilling to change) so I do some things the same as I have for years. I use a Palm Z-22 every day! Friday the 13th it died. Black screen, no response.

I spent the better part of three days attempting recovery by following every silly suggestion on the Internet. Hold the "up" button while pressing the "reset" button, while standing in an inch of fresh-mowed grass. Take off the screen protector and run a business card around the perimeter of the screen while chanting "Apple will never make it" (even though they have more cash on hand than the U.S. Gov't).

No big deal, I backed-up the info...eighteen months ago (I may be late for class). Let’s see…everything I have scheduled for the next year, address and phone number of every person I know, and most important is every password of every website I use. (Don’t fuss at me, they are all in code – a hacker would never guess that my name backwards would be my password for EVERY site).

Well, today I was inspired to try plugging the charger into a different outlet. It's now working fine! Ok, the next half-day was spent backing-up my info on all my computers.

My friends suggest repeatedly that I need an i-pod, i-pad, i-phone, i-tunes, and more. i think i need to get on e-Bay and find a couple more Z-22’s in case this one dies for-real.

Sunset Celebration – Key West

A must-see for Key West visitors is the nightly Sunset Celebration held at Mallory Square. The Square is the docking area for visiting cruise ships. Daily the ships stop and drop off their passengers for a day of fun in Key West. There is one important rule for the huge ships:  they must be gone before sunset so the sunset view is not blocked. I read somewhere that there is a fine that cruise captains must pay if they’re not gone before the nightly festivities begin.

Every evening performers and artists come early to secure their space on the Square. There is no charge, but limited space has made the city hold a daily “lottery” to see which performers and artists can set up for the evening.

I’ve witnessed some spectacular performers, and also some that, shall we say, could use more practice? During my visits, there have been gymnasts, bagpipe players, tightrope-walking dogs, cats jumping through flaming hoops, escape artists, singers, and even a one-man band.

Do they do this just for fun, or to give you something to do in the evening? Nah! You don’t have to look too closely to see the strategically placed tip buckets. That’s OK with me; I don’t mind leaving a couple of bucks for those who offer entertainment for the evening.

Artists usually set up around the perimeter of the Square to sell their work. Jewelry, seashells, photographs, paintings, and sometimes CDs and books seem to be the regular items for sale.

People gather, it seems by the hundreds, but the main attraction is the sun lowering itself slowly into the gulf. Many discuss, but few have seen the spectacular “Green Flash” as the last edge of the sun disappears from sight. The atmospheric conditions must be just right for this elusive occurrence.

When you visit Key West, be sure to put the Sunset Celebration on your to-do list. Just be sure to bring several “ones” with you. 

Our Quest for the Best – Key Lime Pie

Any trip to the Florida Keys must include a sampling of Key Lime Pie. On our recent trip, my son Jesse and I decided to attempt to find the best. I must confess something up front. I do like Key Lime Pie, but it’s not my favorite. My preferences lie not with the tart, but with the super-sweet when it comes to dessert. Give me pecan, chocolate, sweet cherry, peanut butter, and especially graham cracker when I have a choice.

Jesse and I couldn’t wait until we hit the Keys to begin. Our first sample came from a restaurant in Orlando. We should have known better. The little one and a half by two inch sample with a dab of whipped cream the size of a Hershey kiss and a gummy, fake-lime slice just didn’t cut it. At $6.25 per slice, I expected more.

Our next stop was at the Islamorada Fish Market. The Key Lime Pie servings there are made in individual bowls. The pie tasted great as did the lunch that preceded the tart dessert. At the risk of burning out we had to try another slice after dinner at The Rooftop Café in Key West. The dinner was fantastic as was the Key Lime Pie. We dined with friends from Gallipolis, the Carmichaels. We live about eight miles apart, but had to travel 1000+ miles to get together. John and I were both members of the famous “Rodney Rangers” 4-H Club. Comments back and forth on Facebook led us to realize we would be in the Keys at the same time. Pictured below are Jesse and me with our Key Lime desserts.

John and Loralee recommended we try the Blue Heaven Restaurant while we were in the Keys. Jimmy Buffett has a song called The Blue Heaven Rendezvous and there are pictures of him singing from the platform that holds an old wooden water tank above the bar.

Jesse and I rented bicycles to get around the island and we biked to the popular eatery. We arrived at what we thought would be a slow time but had a 45 minute wait. We explored the neighboring area and also spent a little time in the gift shop. At Blue Heaven, the tables are outside and there are patio umbrellas above them. Chickens can be found wandering between the tables, scratching in the dirt and hoping for a handout. The décor kind of reminds me of Hillbilly Hotdogs.

Again the food and service was great, but the Key Lime Pie was beyond compare. Built on a graham cracker crust foundation, the pie was an engineering marvel. Added to the crust was a layer of tasty, tart Key Lime, but the best is yet to be described. I’ve seen deluxe meringue before, but none like this. The total height of the pie had to be approaching eight inches.  I’m pretty bold when it comes to dessert, but I suggested that Jesse and I split one of the towering treats.

OK, this is the winner. This is truly the best Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys. But wait! Did we try them all? No way. If you've been to the Keys, you know everyone claims to have “The Best Key Lime Pie”, Grandma’s recipe, Dad’s Favorite, etc.

We must continue the quest on our next visit! We’ve been home less than a month, and Jesse is already talking about how he is ready to return to Key West. I wonder who makes the best Conch Fritters?

Mystery Writers in Orlando

Recently my son Jesse and I were fortunate to be able to attend Sleuthfest in Orlando Florida. It was a writer’s conference sponsored by the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. There were about 300 writers and mystery fans in attendance.

There were so many programs offered that four were often presented at the same time. Choices, choices! It was the perfect place to learn from successful writers and to “rub elbows” with agents and publishers.

One of the highlights was the Saturday night banquet at The House of Blues at Downtown Disney. It was only a mile or so from our hotel so we decided to walk. 

There was a costume contest and Jesse and I went as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Jesse was surprised when I asked him to be Sherlock; he thought I’d want to be the famous detective. I explained that Dr. Watson was the one who wrote the journals of Sherlock’s experiences, so it would be natural for me to portray the writer.

Heather Graham’s band, The Rock-bottom Remainders played the music for the party with author Don Bruns guest-performing. Don does a great job with Jimmy Buffett tunes.

Jesse and I kept the costumes on for the walk back to the hotel and were surprised by six groups of people wanting to have their pictures taken with us. I guess even at Disney you just don’t see Sherlock Holmes every day.

Fly or Drive?

My son and I started making plans to travel to Florida a couple of months ago. I had a conference in Orlando and we planned to spend a few days in Key West “on the way” home. The big decision was, do we fly or drive.

Flying would be quicker, but there are many limitations. We must consider the two hour trip to the airport, arriving early to go through security, having to rent a car to get around in Florida, and of course the cost. A major problem with flying is the luggage limitations. I like to travel well equipped for any photographic opportunities that may arise.

So, we drove. The trip through the edge of Ohio, all of West Virginia, and most of South Carolina was rainy. About a third of my windshield wiper tore loose making it difficult to see unless I sat up very straight. No big deal, it was probably good for my posture. We watched and watched for a store that may have wiper blades. No luck.

Within five feet of the Florida state line the rain quit and the sun was shining. I guess that’s why it’s called the “Sunshine State.” I’ve not bothered to try to find a wiper blade since we arrived at Downtown Disney. I can’t imagine that wiper blades are a popular item at the Disney Store, or even Lego Land.

It doesn’t matter; we only need the wipers when it’s raining.