Yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen cooking some bok-choy / beef stir fry recipe that I found on Cooks Illustrated (Mecca), and I realized I didn’t have any Chinese Pepper Paste. Now, back in Orlando if this happened I’d have had to shut down the cooking process, get in the car and drive miles to Publix to get my paste and be back home. (That is if they even had it.) This would have resulted in over-cooked Bok Choy, mushy noodles, and dry and chewy beef. But here in Old Town, all I had to do was walk out the front door, go around the corner and walk into my local Fausto’s Food Mart.
Just an aside here; I really love Fausto’s. I’m a complete grocery store SNOB, and though I have in fact lowered myself to shop in Winn Dixie over the past few years due to unemployment woes, I historically shopped at Publix, and before they went out of business, drove 20 miles to frequent Goodings. We still do the majority of our weekly grocery shopping at Publix in New Town, but I’ve been comparing prices, and I’ve found that if Im not buying things like beer and wine, Fausto’s really isn’t THAT much more expensive than Publix. I’m still not convinced I’d want to do all my bulk shopping there, but I just can’t stay away.. they have the cool and fancy food stuffs that I crave. They have Cole’s Peace Bread and Baby’s Coffee.. those two items alone make it worth it! Anyway, I digress, this post isn’t about Fausto’s…
As I was walking back to the apartment from Faustos; a trip that takes maybe two minutes), I had a revelation that this is the way things really should be! The sun was going down on a beautiful day, people were stopped at the corner chit chatting while holding their bikes with their dogs in padded baskets over the front wheels, and the palm fronds were rustling in the late-afternoon breeze. I had one of those ‘moments’.
How cool is this I thought! I ride my bike to work every day – a lengthy 7 block commute, and go literally weeks without even getting into a car. We ride our bikes everywhere, and in the event that we do walk, like when there’s a group of us moving about, it takes at most 10 or 15 minutes no matter where we might be going in old town from our apartment.
The friends I’ve made here in Key West are among some of the coolest folks I’ve ever met. People here really are different. They all come here for similar reasons. It’s like there’s a big polarizing filter over Key West. It only lets the cool, mellow running-away-from-it-all people in.
You might think that the people who live here are are all party animals and high functioning alcoholics, and you’d be right to an extent, but what I’ve noticed after being here almost a year is that these people are not here to drink themselves to death. This is not leaving Las Vegas. They are running away yes, but not from responsibility and reason. They are running away from polite society. Read that last sentence any way you like, and if I were feeling feisty and adversarial right now, I’d elaborate on my idea of what that means, but for now just fill in your own version.
Another very important thing I’ve noticed: The people I meet here are GENUINE. They are here because Key West allows them to be comfortable in their own skin, to let their freak flag fly so to speak. And as far as I’m concerned there is nothing better than that.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Key West isn’t without its issues.. there are a few. But they pale when you stand them next to the brightness of the locals and the culture and the all-around coolness of the place.
OK, I’m being beckoned… time for dinner.
M
Edit!: I just re-read this and realized one would get the impression that I am saying that there are no truly alcoholic escapists down here. There certainly are. But I think a lot of people think of Key West as an island populated by those people, and it surely is not. People here get up in the mornings, go to work, take their children to school, attend church.. just like any where else. They just do it all with a little titter because they know something about life most people don’t 
.
That is all.
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We ventured out Saturday morning at about 10:00 AM, after dragging our worn-out asses out of bed. Trying desperately to shake off the previous night’s alcoholic indiscretions, we boldly opened the door and walked into the bright morning light of another day in the Conch Republic. There was after all a Conch Crawl to attend!
We walked down to Green street, and met up with a couple friends at the Official Conch Republic Crawl tent on the corner of Duval to buy t-shirts and get our punch cards. Shaking off the last of our trepidation, we steeled our wills and waked across the street to enter the first bar on the crawl, Guy Harvey’s… Well, first bar for us. This was a different pub crawl than most, as there was no one large group wandering from bar to bar.. you just made your own way in whatever order you liked. Not really what we were expecting, but hey.. we’d bought our t-shirts, and we were going to do our best!
From there we hit Schooner Wharf, 801 Bourbon, and the Bull where we figured it’d be just about time for the bed races to begin.
Turns out the races were running a little late, or we were a little early.. (who can keep track of time around this place?), so we left The Bull and went to Rick’s to get our next bar crawl rum drink. We eventually wound up in front of the Red Garter when the races started.
What fun! I’m definitely building a bed and entering it next year. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it running the 4 blocks down the street though, I may just have to be the eye candy in the bed while I have my star athletic crew push me to victory.
After the races we went to the grand opening party at Ilona’s Garden Cafe on Applerouth Lane right off Duval. We’d been there once before during the last big pub crawl for St. Patty’s day, they were one of the stops on the crawl that day. As before the food was fantastic! It’s a really cool new place, be sure and check it out if you get the chance. They have a really nice outdoor eating area, and a cozy little bar. I’m definitely adding this place to my list of places to eat at soon.
When we were done stuffing our faces with delicious goulash and other fantastic things I don’t even know the names of, we’d decided we just didn’t have the energy to head back to Schooner Wharf for the Pirates Party and Pig Roast. The sun and the booze and the food were all working furiously to bring us down. So what do you do at a time like that? Go see a movie! We went up to new town and spent a couple hours in a dark, cool theater watching ‘Kick Ass’ and snarfing cokes like we had just walked the Gobi.
Even though we missed the Pirates Party, and the subsequent Pig Roast, I really had a great day. I couldn’t have asked for much more. It’s all about good food, good friends, a cool city to wander around in, transvestites pushing beds down the street, topless, sunburnt, fat men sweating and chuffing beer from metal cans, a drunk skank stumbling in front of the racing beds as she tries to fumble open her little can of amyl nitrate for a huff while trying to keep her braless flapjack titties in her shirt and failing… In short, it’s all about Paradise!
I’d like to say I’m not an old fart and can power through these 4 day celebrations Key West is famous for, but I’d be lying. I’m good for about two days of that kind of high activity, then it’s time for a week of down time! That’s OK though, we can’t all be young and spry… or even close. I’ll be on my couch in the fetal position for the next few days, but by the weekend I’ll be good as new. After all I gotta be ready for the next set of fun Key West activities that I’m sure are awaiting us.
I realize that I’d make a horrible news journalist because I just can’t seem to remember all the proper names and such for these events, or bring myself to look them all up. Many of them, if not all of them are for some charity or another, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least try to promote that kind of good behavior. Key West is quite fond of it’s charity events, and I think that’s great! So if you’re interested, check out the official page of the Conch Republic Independence celebration, you’ll find all sorts of good info there.
Here’s some photos from the Parade. Enjoy!
RRBedRace2010 (28 photos)
24 April 2010
Note: To see the pictures in the original Picasa album, click here
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Well all I have to say about this is you get an A for effort Bloody Battle People whoever you are.
But I have to admit that after all the buildup I’d heard about this event, I was expecting something that didn’t exactly land on the ground and just lie there twitching. Apparently the powers-that-be banned the use of tomatoes and bread in the fray, leaving a rather unimpressive and half-hearted battle. The toilet paper rolls streaming out of the planes overhead were a nice touch I thought, and were by far the more entertaining of the battles high points. But seriously, what’s a Conch Republic revolution without the throwing of the loaf of Cuban bread? I mean, COME ON!
I have nothing to base a comparison on, but friends who have seen this event (and even participated) in previous years, tell me that it’s nothing like it used to be, and some even suggested that the Conch Republic secede all over again so we can derail the power-hungry elite who robbed this event of it’s color and zest! Hey, who am I to stand in the way of revolution.. bring it on!
That being said, we had a good time watching the battle despite it’s lackluster performance, and we followed the crowd to Schooner Wharf afterwards for the official surrender on stage.
Here’s a few photos for your perusal..
BloodyBattle2010 (12 photos)
23 April 2010
Note: To see the pictures in the original Picasa album, click here
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Last night was the annual Conch Republic Independence Parade, one of the many activities this week celebrating the secession of the Conch Republic from the United States 28 years ago.
Christina and I met up with our friend Eric and his wife Kelly at their place right off of Duval, grabbed a couple of chairs from around the pool and parked ourselves on the sidewalk with some frosty adult beverages.
In true Key West fashion, the parade started about an hour late, but it was a grand good time. Key West certainly loves it’s parades, and this was no exception. You gotta love a parade where people just join in and walk carrying their coolers and beers with them.
I love this city!
CRParade (38 photos)
22 April 2010
Note: To see the pictures in the original Picasa album, click here
I was out of town last weekend when this whole celebration kicked off with the Drag Queen Races on Duval on Saturday, so I missed all of that madness, but there’s no way I’m going to miss the upcoming events this weekend!
Friday starts off at 5:30 at Mallory Square with a Giant 7-foot Key Lime Pie. Then at 6:00 everyone gathers on Sunset Pier for the Bloody Battle Non-Combative Shore-Side Viewing Party. At 7:00 comes the main event; The Conch Republic Naval Parade & Great Battle for the Conch Republic Reenactment in Historic Key West Harbor, followed by the Victory Party at Schooner Wharf Bar. Definitely sounds like a promising Friday night in Key West!
Saturday is the The Conch Republic Craft Show and Food Fest, the Conch Crawl, and the 28th Annual Red Ribbon Bed Race down Duval St followed by The Conch Republic Fiddler’s Contest at Green Parrot Bar. The day’s events wind up with the Pirates Ball and Pig Roast back at Schooner Wharf.
Phew! How is it possible to cram all of that into a day and a half? Well, I’m going to find out. Stay tuned for a special report!
If you’re interested in the full list of events, you can find it here at the Conch Republic Website, along with a lot of other cool Conch Republic Stuff. Don’t forget to get your Conch Republic Passport!
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