Holiday Lights Bike Tour

December 17, 2009





Kathy

Holiday Lights Bike Tour



I don’t think that I have ever been to a place where people seem to get more into putting up Christmas lights than here in Key West. I think it is over-compensation for not being able to experience the cold, snow and general feeling of the holidays that one finds up north, but maybe we are just a festive lot. There is also the matter of the highly competitive lights contest held each year… whatever the reason; Key Westers do it up for Christmas.



Scott & Wendy

Eric, Rosie & Betsy

Kathy & I are not immune and this year we added even more lights to our growing holiday display. We are now a regular drive-by spot on the conch train and trolley holiday lights tours. Of course, the best way to experience the lights is to get up close and personal which we did again this year by participating in a Holiday Lights Bike Tour organized by our friends Nan & Mark.







The tour seems to grow in popularity every year and this year we had a huge throng of bikers that took over the streets of Key West to cruise around and look at lights. This year we even had an electric car join us, to carry an injured participant who could not bike.







As always, the crowd gathered at Nan & Mark’s home for some pre-tour festivities that included Mark’s delicious White Russians which warmed the soul before heading out into the frigid 75 degree evening.

Arlo & Tom





Despite the large crowd, we managed to snake our way around town, all the way up through New Town and back, without losing a single rider. We made a few planned stops along the way and generally had a fantastic time with our friends. It was just about a perfect evening. The post tour party was held by our friends Haven & Elena and by some accounts got a little out of hand. Only in Key West can a joyous evening of holiday cheer end up with drunken, naked swimming in the pool.

Facing Unafraid the Plans That We Made…

December 13, 2009

India & Santa

Suenalo at the Parrot

Facing Unafraid the Plans That We Made…

Tom Prasado Rao



I don’t know if I can recall a time in Key West that has been as packed with events as the past few weeks have been. There has been so much going on that I feel at times like we have been on auto-pilot zipping from fun event to fun event. As my friend Joel likes to say, the Key West season is one continual conversation among friends stretched over months’ worth of parties and events.



India...recovering

Things got off to a bit of a rough start this weekend as our 13 year old dog India fell victim to an attack by a Rottweiler that lives around the corner. Sadly, the owner had inadvertently neglected to latch their gate allowing the dog to burst through and grab India as we were on our evening walk. Thankfully I was able to separate the dogs with the help of my friend and hero Tara, who just happened to be driving by. India needed an emergency visit to the vet to get patched up, getting a dozen stitches on the nasty wound on her back. It may take longer for her damaged psyche to recover, but hopefully it will. The other dog’s owners were great about taking responsibility for their dog and checking on India.

Santa, India & Inga



Only the night prior to the attack, we had taken India out to visit Santa Claus at not one, but two fundraising events. The first at Dog 30, a pet store on White Street, was a benefit for the Xena fund and featured Santa and a drag queen who posed with India. Then it was down to the Key West Bight for another Santa. Both were for good causes and India seemed to enjoy the treats and attention, though she was less sure about Santa.



Key West Burlesque *photo by Sheelman

Wednesday night, we also attended the opening night performance of the annual holiday extravaganza by Key West Burlesque. Despite some slight opening night mishaps and some new performers, the show was another huge success. Kathy & I have become such huge fans of the Burlesque troupe that we became VIP supporters. One of the best and most entertaining evenings you can have in Key West is a KW Burlesque performance. This year the holiday show was a sing-a-long of holiday favorites and we had a great time. If you haven’t had the chance to catch a show, you should do it soon.

Girls Night Out at the Burlesque Show!



Thursday night, we were out again, this time for a performance at The Studios of Key West by Tom Prasada Rao as part of the Old Town/ New Folk series of Folk music performers. It was another stellar show of acoustic music by a gifted and talented performer who held the crowd at rapt attention. Jay & Carolyn Scott hosted a fantastic post concert party at their beautiful home that put a festive holiday cap on the evening.





It was more music on Friday, as one of our favorite Miami bands returned to the Green Parrot to celebrate the release of their new live CD. Suenalo played most of the songs found on the new “Live at Transit” CD as well as a bunch more in front of a jam-packed Parrot crowd on both Friday and Saturday night. The new CD is great, but you really have to experience the vitality of the actual live performance in person. The band is spectacular and had the crowd dancing in the streets.









Finally we wanted to give a shout out to our friend Jim Smith, who has been busy basically rebuilding a new bathroom in our house from scratch after it was gutted when our lateral lines failed and the leak was found under the bathroom. The work is nearly finished and we have a beautiful new bathroom. Thanks Jim!!

Jim