Yesterday marked another first for me. I went to Key West and drove all the way down, only playing bouncy with one of the poles on the side of the road (thankfully, it was a very forgiving pole). Jeff didn't even freak out! Anyway, after we safely arrived at a prime parking spot, I realized it was almost four & that meant only one thing. ONE hour only to enjoy a tour of Ernest Hemingway's house on Whitehead Street. I was so excited, we walked at a brisk pace and in my humility, agreed to ask for directions to confirm we were headed in the correct direction; not only were we headed right for the house, but we got two coupons for $1. It pays to ask for sure. Then I heard roosters..WHAT?! Seriously I heard them. Then I saw them. Crossing the street. Hanging out near the gutters. Everywhere. Turns out they are protected by the city. THere is something like a $500 fine for messing with them. I am not sure how that works or what is involved with the rooster protection. It definitely was more Mexico or Bahamas than Islamorada or Key Largo. Anyway, we walked right through the front gates, gave our tickets to the tour guide, and were all ready to enter the house to look around before the guided tour started. Well, then I used this opportune time to get my glasses out of the case as I had been wearing my prescription sunglasses this whole time. Hmmm. No glasses case. Oh yes! In my haste, I chose to keep them in the front of the car, so I would remember them (rather than just keep them in my purse where they stay pretty much every other day). It was a dark dark tour.
I learned quite a bit about Ernest Hemingway's wives & travels. I minimally knew about his literary successes and the Hemingway family mental health legacy primarily due to my high school and undergraduate careers; however, his wives, extensive travels, fishing fame & specific familial mental deficiencies were just a few of the things I learned in a very brief 40 minutes. I even got to pet one of the forty-something cats. Some had six toes, but not the one I got to pet. I knew that we had some books and postcards to buy and we went into the bookstore, where lo and behold, there were books everywhere. I chose a book for the most superficial reason of all, but I cared not-it motivated me to ultimately seek and read more Hemingway. Do you remember City of Angels with Meg Ryan & Nicholas Cage? Yes, yes, I think it was based on Wings of Desire by Wims Wender, but that's not the point right now! What is the point is that a book of Hemingway's was mentioned: A Moveable Feast. Bingo! I found it. I bought it. I have no regrets. I have one book ahead in queue. Then it's Hemingway I will be hungry for. I purchased our books (Jeff got To Have and Have Not) and post cards from a very good looking guy. He was very enthusiastic to help us. I do think, honestly, that this had more to do with his opportunity to help Jeff than to help me. He thought Jeff was THAT cute, really.
We headed toward the southernmost point (after I got my regular glasses seeing as the sunset was going to change my visual advantage shortly). I got a photo with my Blackberry for Facebook. Jeff & I headed then to get dinner. We were very hungry. Jeff decided to take the car from our awesome parking space and somehow landed us in a strip mall parking lot. The store fronts advertised (I am too hungry to joke at this point) a family services center, a child support office, a Wesley center for girls and at the end, a nail/salon shop. In this parking lot at this mall for wanting children sat an loudly idling Cadillac with some hood ornament and REALLY big shiny rims. Yes, in the land of children in need was this decorated vehicle WITH REALLY BIG RIMS. Yeah, THAT BIG & SHINY! Jeff says to the guy (of course, behind the protection of our closed window ford escort rental) "sooo I am so hungry...but I needed some bigger rims for my ride". I just started laughing. Horribly politically incorrect and I just started laughing. I couldn't stop. It was really juvenile. It took the hunger pangs away, but it wasn't trendy to be laughing in such a depressed area of Key West and Jeff got me out of there. We somehow got to a restaurant in the one block or so of trendy Key West that Wendy recommended. We found Blue Heaven, a nice little eccentric, independent restaurant somewhere in Key West (don't ask me to find it for you, but I can give them a great review). We had wonderful food (Jeff had scallops; I, of course, had filet mignon) and headed home to our dogs, skipping dessert (though I am sure Blue Heaven would make key lime pie to rave about).
This was my Key West experience. Extremely abbreviated. Extremely efficient. I saw. I bought. I ate. I left!
I probably missed a lot in Key West that more time and warmer weather would have proved more inviting. I will get ya next time Key West!
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