Day 111, "on the loop", 1/27/2023

We had another great weekend with friends (Stan & Kendall Jesionowski). They arrived Friday afternoon just in time for dinner at Hogfish Grill. Stan and Kendall were able to see and enjoy some of what this "looper" life is all about.

Our looper friends, Anna Dee (Boat Name), Tommy & ME and their boater buddy Donna Lynn (Boat Name), Patti & Corbin arrived here in Stock Island (from Marathon) on Friday also. They are staying at the marina (Safe Harbor) located directly behind the Hogfish restaurant. Anna Dee & Donna Lynn were at Hogfish and saved us a seat for dinner. It was great to introduce the Jesionowski's to this group.

After dinner, Anna Dee invited us to their marina and their boat for drinks. Their marina has character! Note: Last time we visited with Donna Lynn and Anna Dee was in Carrabelle, FL (right before Thanksgiving). We did see them briefly in Tarpon Springs, after that VERY memorable Gulf crossing.

Picture below, from left to Right: Jesionowski's, Anna Dee (Tommy & ME), Donna Lynn (Patti & Corbin) and Us.

Kendall and Me - we had Bahama Mama's and great Tacos at Hogfish Grille.

Saturday, the Jesionowski's, Joel and I spent the first part of the day at the pool. We spent time at the other pool and discovered it is "heated" - Now, guess what, we are truly spoiled. Not that the pool we have been using is uncomfortable, it is nice and we will now go back and forth between the two pools.

After pool time, we went into the town of Key West and enjoyed dinner at Old Town Tavern, watched the Jacksonville / KS Chiefs (Congrats KS!) football game before walking around to people watch. We checked out a few of the tourist shops, stopped at the Halo Rooftop Lounge and listed to a local singer.

Old Town Tavern - The Jesionowski's treated us to dinner, we even had Creme Brûlée! Thank you, Stan & Kendall.

Kristen McNamara, a singer, songwriter:

As we walked down Duvall Street, we heard this incredible voice! It was Kristen McNamara, singing at the top of Halo Rooftop Lounge, 326 Duvall Street. We made our way up to the bar area. It is very small, with about 6, four top tables. Check her out on Spotify, she has a song called "Meet me on Duvall Street" that she wrote and sings.

- According to google, she auditioned for American Idol in season 8 (but was not televised). I am surprised she didn't make it to the televised portion.

- She gave a little background regarding her song "Meet me on Duvall Street". Long story, short, she met a military man (pilot) in Key West who basically broke her heart. She indicated she has grown a lot since the experience, even finding love again.

- Based on a google search, she only plays at the Halo Rooftop Lounge in Key West; however, you can also find her doing shows in Nashville as well. Side note: She has performed at Tootsie's in Nashville!

We couldn't let the Jesionowski's leave without stopping by Irish Kevin's Bar. Kevin (the owner) entertains at the bar with his quick wit and songs. At one point, Kevin invited about 8 people to the stage to participate and "act" out a song. People were eliminated when they missed part of the moves. Well, this 85 year old woman participated, we called her "Spring Break Margaret". Everyone LOVED her, she is living her best life. Side note: The winner gets to select their choice of a shot: Whisky or Tequila. Spring Break Margaret won and opted out of the drinks. Kevin usually makes everyone take the shot; but he gave her a break. BUT, Kevin didn't let her leave the stage empty handed. He gave her one of his T-Shirts "Irish as F***" shirts, provided she promised to wear it on St. Pat's day. Something tells me this Margaret will be wearing that shirt, lol.

And NO!, we didn't have their signature drink, the Green Alligator, we learned our lesson from the last time we were there!

Picture Below: Margaret is the one in the middle, the two people with her made an effort to ensure she won!

Jello shots at Irish Kevin's

The Jesionowski's was supposed to leave Key West on Sunday; however, they were not able to get out. We were fortunate to have them for another day! We took advantage of their extra time and went to The Docks for lunch. We walked over (2 miles) to get some exercise. Stan & Kendall treated us to lunch, it was delicious (Thank you!). The waiter suggested an appetizer that tasted like dessert, it was a pastry filled with Brie cheese and drizzled with honey.

After lunch, as we were leaving, we noticed an emergency situation taking place on the nearby dock. It appeared to be an older couple, perhaps a man in cardiac distress. There were approximately 6+ people (paramedics, police officers and firefighters) working to revive / help this person. We didn't feel comfortable "watching" things unfold, it was heart wrenching. We said a silent prayer regarding the situation before walking back to our boat.

Joel and I went back to Dock's on Wednesday for lunch. We met Taylor, the bartender for Dock's, at the Mount Gay Rum tasting event. Taylor prepared some drinks for us (a daiquiri for me and key lime drink for Joel). While there, we asked about the person from Sunday.

His name was Pete, a local fisherman. He fished for swordfish and sold to Dock's. Unfortunately, Pete did passed away. Pete had been sick with the flu or covid for the past 3 days and had a history of heart problems and surgeries. It is uncertain if he was under doctor's care. His poor body couldn't fight it off with his health issues. Side note: This is all according to the restaurant staff. A marker was taken (with permission from Pete's son) from Pete's boat and placed in the bar in memory of Pete. Most people will not know what it means; however, the locals will.

In the picture below, you can see the bumper pulled from "Pete's" boat, it is beside the ship artwork.

Pic 5 - Taylor, the bartender, at work!

The Jesionowski's werewas able to fly home on Monday (1/23), it was hard to say goodbye; however, we hope to see them again... maybe in Canada with the full family! They left me the sweetest and most useful gifts, some Easter lights and fun napkins!

Some more pictures of our time with Stan & Kendall:

Monday, Jan 23rd we played Bingo at the Green Parrot, what a fun place. Green Parrot only serves drinks (they have a signature rum drink). You are allow to bring food in from other vendors. A group of us loopers played Bingo, what a fun evening! Kelly and Howard (our Canadian friends, they didn't do the loop; however, they are honorary loopers :-) and friends of Aquaholics. Rep & Karen, Gold Loopers, also joined us.

We played about 10 rounds of Bingo, Tommy (Boat name: Anna Dee) from our table won a round. Every other round, a random number was called, if you had the number; then, you earned a Jello shot. Several from our table won the jello shots. Alain marked Joel's bingo card (when Joel wasn't looking), so Joel thought he had bingo. I didn't realize that Alain did this, so I pointed out that Joel had bingo and yelled really loud, Joel ran to the front (of the VERY crowded bar), dancing with excitement ONLY to learn that he had marked his card incorrectly. Joel was so embarrassed and claims he will get Alain back - lol.

If you are ever in Key West, check out Monday nights at the Green Parrot. They do weekly Bingo and all the funds gathered go to a local charity. The charity is different each week.

Below are some pictures from our Bingo outing:

Pic 1 - Waiting on the shuttle for Bingo, from left to right:

Rep & Karen (Gold Loopers), Danielle & Alain (Breakaway), ME & Tommy (Anna Dee), Corbin (Donna Lynn and his spouse Patti was resting back at he boat, due to a foot injury) and Joel (Summer Place and I was taking the picture :-)

Not pictured: Graeme and John (Aquaholics) and Kelly & Howard (boat friends), they were waiting for us at the Green Parrot.

Bob & Bonnie Hendershot, our neighbors from St. Louis were in Key West (on vacation), we were able to meet them for lunch at Kaya's. We took the "free" shuttle from Perry Hotel and Bob drove us back to the boat. We gave them the 2 minute boat tour, showed them around the marina, visited for a bit and chatted. We had a wonderful visit with them. Thanks for stopping by!

Some Random information, you may be interested in:

Coconut Row at the Perry Hotel & Marina

- Coconut Row is the pier where "long term" boaters (also called "live aboard") live year round. People keep their boats here year round and may only live on their boat 1 month or 12 months. They have various transportation (cars, motorcycles, bikes) to get around the town.

- These people decorate the area around their pier / slips (the area where their boats are stored). They have plants, BBQ Grills, tents to allow shade. It is cool to see the area.

Looking at Coconut Row from our side of the marina / docks.

Parent Fail (hate to admit this):

Joel and I forgot to pack a check book, mainly because everything we do is on-line. Three months in, we realized there are some people that ONLY take checks (believe it or not). Jonathan was home for the holiday break and since we are here for the month, we had him mail us a checkbook. Check out how he sent it, thank goodness we received it. Guess beggars, can't be choosey!

Look what Kendall and Stan left, Thank you so much. We will definitely use! What a thoughtful gift. We use these type of lights for when we are looking for our boat in the dark (returning from dinghy outings). Napkins are cool for docktails!

Marina's:

I mentioned in a previous post that every marina has its differences. See below pictures of Stock Island, Safe Harbor Marina and Perry Marina & Hotel. We have friends staying at both locations.

Safe Harbor Marina has the following amenities: Hot tub, shower house, laundry room , power and water (they can purchase a day pass to enjoy the amenities at Perry Hotel & Marina).

These are pictures from Stock Island, Safe Harbor Marina:

Pic 1 - Hot tub @ Safe Harbor

Pic 2 - Walking down dock to our friends boat

Pic 3 - A boat on the pier

The below picture is looking at Safe Harbor from Perry Hotel & Marina. Donna Lynn is the blue bottom boat (to the right of the building) and Anna Dee is the beige boat next to Donna Lynn.

Perry Hotel & Marina:

This marina has a lot of perks, 2 swimming pools (one heated), 3 restaurants on the property, ice cream, coffee shop, gym, salon, shower house, laundry room, 2 ship stores and free shuttle to and from downtown Key West. We can also invite a guest to enjoy these amenities with us.

See picture below: Large yachts like this, can be googled for information.

In this picture, the boat name is Ziggy, owned by Harold & Bonnie Zeigler. The Zeigler's are the owners of several car dealerships. I believe Ziggy, the boat, is kept in Ft. Lauderdale. Evan K. Marshall is the interior and exterior designer of this boat. It has a crew of 5 people and can accommodate 10 overnight guest. Cost of this boat is: $12,500,000 (Yes, $12 million+)