Happy 50th birthday to my friend Jack. I spoke with Jack today by phone. He was piloting the Raging Queen near Bird Key, where they were shark fishing. Bird Key is near Sand Key, which is a place I like to visit. You can only get there by boat. You can then walk to Bird Key from Sand Key because the ocean between the two rarely exceeds waist deep.
Actually, I’m not sure if Bird Key and Sand Key are the correct names, but that’s what we call them. These islands are about a 1/2 hour boat ride from Ramrod Key, which I just discovered used to be called Roberts Island. According to that link, the name Ramrod Key is derived from the “(British?) ship Ramrod, which was wrecked on a reef south of here in the early nineteenth century.” I also discovered the body of water that our house overlooks is called “Newfound Harbor,” according to this excellent Flash-based map of the Keys.
I’ll be there Wednesday, Jack, and your first five drinks will be on me — one for each decade, you old man.
Called and sang happy B-day to Jack (left it on his cell) and talked to Jan Sunday evening. Great day of fishing on the Raging Queen. I got home and noticed she had called but didn’t leave a message. So I rang her back and it turns out she called from the boat. It seems everytime they called someone, they caught a fish. They were fixing them up for dinner. Maybe you already knew this, perhaps she called you right before she caught her bonnet head shark.
Is it Thursday yet?!?!?!?!?! See ya there.
Do you think Jack will like his birthday present? I got him a commemerative 3 cigar set. The first one for the re-election of W, and the other two in honor of the Republican gains in the house and senate respectively. Kinda sweet and sour, pain and pleasure. A gift that leaves a bad taste in your mouth that has nothing to do with the cigars themselves.