KW - Nov 18 Sunset Sailing

Sunday was my first day off in over a week.  It was very nice weather. I got to see my friend Becca, who I had not seen in a couple of weeks.  I talked her into going with me to play volleyball at Smathers beach.  So we rode bikes across the island and of course, like everyone on the island, we were 20 minutes late.  That really didn't matter since everyone flaked out anyways and did not show up!  Becca and I walked the beach for an hour and then went back to Old Town.

At 4pm I met up with Andrea and Erika and went to Conch Farm to meet Tim.  Andrea invited us all to go with her work people from Hyatt on a Fury catamaran Sunset Sail.  It was really neat!  I had never done one of these and we very worth it!  The crew was very friendly.  The trip is all inclusive with dinner and drinks the entire time you are sailing.  I will be highly recommending it!  The pictures below are from motoring out of the marina and then some people getting to help raise the sails!

As the sun began to set, the sky turned a beautiful blue and I got a couple of good pictures of it.  I felt very lucky to be here in this paradise and get to enjoy these things around me!  I spent a good portion of this trip up ion the deck alone just enjoying the scenery!  I am in awe of the things I have gotten to experience in my life.  I am very blessed!

 I hope you enjoy the photos.  I know they do not do justice to the beauty that I got to experience but maybe for just a moment it will transport you there!  I love being out on the water!

~RF

KW - Nov 14

Yesterday was my first day at The Krawl.  It is a pretty cool place.  I had a crash course through everything and the Manager, Matthew, and I organized all of the beer in the coolers and setup a new system so that it is easier to keep up with what is in there.  This week I am working two shifts, Tuesday and Thursday. I am not sure how everything works, but I know they are slow and I will have the time to learn it all.

It is up to each of the bar-tenders to drum up your own crowd.  Yesterday in an 8hr shift I only did $210 in gross retail sales.  I do not have enough experience in bars yet to make any assumptions but I can't imagine that is profitable!  I will be broadcasting my schedule on FB.  I also want to see if I can get some of my friends to pass along the word of where I am working and maybe get some more people talking about the place.  This is going to be an interesting winter!!

Work at Hog's breath is going pretty well.  I am really hoping to work my way up.  Probably will be trapped in Door position through the entire winter unless someone quits or gets fired.  They are all pretty tight and the schedule is always the same!  I did manage to work myself up in the schedule to a prime spot!  I have every Sunday and Monday off.  I will also have both of these days off from The Krawl.  I am stoked about that!! Its Tim's only day off on sundays and I actually get a weekend!

Today, I woke up and it is kind of cloudy here in paradise.  I talked to Tim about going to Harpoon Harry's for breakfast/lunch.  I went to get in the shower and Erika text me.  She said she made a Hungarian vegetarian meal and asked if I would like to come over.  I agreed.  Luckily I was in the mood for trying new things!  This thing was very good and WAY out of my comfort zone.  It was some kind of vegetable bake.  It had mozzerella, sour cream, mushrooms, cabbage, yellow squash, and brussel sprouts.  Out of everything, the only thing I did not care for was the brussel sprouts.  Amazing food!

I came home from lunch about 3pm.  I have to be at work at 6pm, so of course I am watching kayak porn on vimeo and typing a blog!!  What else would prepare me for a night at the Hog?  Evan Garcia and Fred Norquist have done it again!!  Substantial Media House is another fanastic success.  

~RF

KW - Nov 12

Today is my brother Jeff's 30th birthday!  Congratulations to him!  He is in the AirForce and lives with his family in Okinawa, Japan. I am very proud of him and the accomplishments he has achevieved.  He is great brother!!!

Update on the job at The Krawl.  I got it!!!  I start it on Tuesday!!!  I am crazy stoked!  I will be posting the days I work on faceBook so I hope to see some familiar faces. I am only working day shift for them, so I will be there from Noon to 8pm on the days I work!

Here is a picture from my bedroom window, looking out at the sailboat masts, in the marina behind Schooner Warf.  Just another beautiful day in Key West!!

~RF

KW - Nov 9

This is my day off!  I am sitting here at my computer and having  coffee.  I just watched 30 mins of kayaking short films.  Amazing footage!! I keep up with Evan Garcia's blog and his BombFlow videos.  He is an amazing paddler! So yesterday he posted a request for his followers to vote on a short film he did for KayakSessions Magazine.  I watched the 6 films and they are all amazing!  I love paddling and these guys have the skills I aspire to! If you would like to watch these videos and vote for your favorite, here ya go!

When I first got on the island, I searched out a craft beer bar and found that there are really only two.  The Krawl and The Porch.  The Porch is a full bar with liquor and a ton of bottled beers.  The Krawl has 24 taps and does some quality wines. No liqours.  So I decided I would inquire about maybe working there.  They did not need anyone, and I ended up getting hired at Hog's Breath.  I stop in about once a week and have a pint or two and I know most of the people who work there now. 

So for the past two weeks I have been trying to figure out what to do about money.  I am running in the red living down here by about $500 per month.  The cost of living in paradise is steep!  So I have been looking for a day job.  I stopped in Wednesday, and was chatting with Elizabeth.  She said that she had an interview with a law firm and might be quitting if she landed the new job.  So Thursday, I waited till 2pm and walked over to see Matthew the manager.  I talked to him and told him I was still looking for some part-time work.  He told me to come in on Saturday, meet Peter the owner, and learn some stuff behind the bar. A working interview!!  I am stoked!!  I have fingers and toes crossed!!  This would be the coolest opportunity to learn bar-tending.

Two years ago I was considering opening a bar.  My thoughts were to open a craft beer place that does live music on Thursdays-Saturdays.  I knew it was not an option until I had some bar experience. I tried like hell in Greenville, to land a serving, bar-back, or security job and I could not get so much as a call back.  I come down here with hopes to get a paddling job and the same thing happens!!  I get nowhere fast!!  However, I land a job at Hog's Breath and I have an interview at The Krawl.  I still like the idea of opening a small music bar.  This is a great learning experience for me, just in case I get the opportunity, later in life, to pursue this dream.

~RF

KW - Nov 4 Food & Boats

I love breakfast!  It is my favorite meal and I love everything about breakfast!!  So yesterday I wake up and join Tim, Andrea, Erika, and Mike for breakfast at Blue Heaven.  This place has some of the best breakfast food on the island and they bake all of their breads fresh! Expensive? Yes, but very good! 

Blue Heaven - Mushroom and cheese omlet with banana bread

 Russ - Ham, turkey sausage, mushroom and cheese omlet with wheat toast

After breakfast, Mike and I went to Tattoos and Scars and watched the Colts vs Miami game.  Just as the game was ending we got invited to go to Mad Rooster and sit on the balcony to watch the Boat Parade.  I was very interested!  I have never seen boats this big before!!  Really cool!  I am stoked to see them on the water later this week!!  Here are some pics of the Parade!  Enjoy!

~RF

KW - Nov. 2

So I survived Fantasy Fest. If you are unaware of what this is, click here.  This week is when the population and sales for the Keys is the highest.  Needless to say, I worked a ton and pulled a 15hr day!  I did manage to meet some very interesting and entertaining people!  I made it through unscathed though!!

Today I am sitting listening to some good ole Tim Barry and enjoying my coffee and eggs.  I read some blogs and caught up on my Green Race info.  I am terribly upset about missing it this year.  The other day I watched 3hrs of kayak porn and got a little teary-eyed at how long it has been since I have rolled or boofed anything!  The best video I watched was this one.  Not that I want to leave here anytime soon, but I can't wait for april and spring creeking in WV.

I can't remember how much I have posted about my work down here, but I am security for a bar.  The bar is Hog's Breath Saloon and it is one of the most popular spots on the island.  Security is a fancy way of saying I am $10 per hour insurance against fights and underage drinkers.  I am also in charge of trash removal.  Very glorious work I have to admit!! LoL  So in short, I left a career in SC for a near minimum wage where I get to wear shorts year round!  What can I say, you only live once.  I called about a job doing kayak rentals and jet ski tours, so now I am just waiting on a call back.  I have my fingers crossed.

~RF

KW - Oct 22

The old me and the new me have arguments daily. I have stepped WAY out of my comfort zone by coming down to the islands to live.  The weather is amazing! The people are so happy! I am loving meeting so many new people and the constant change of scenery. I miss my paddling family, fellow Hashers, Monday nights at the HandleBar.  I had a pretty solid scene in Greenville.  Down here I still take the wrong street to get home and point in the wrong direction to get to restaurants!!  There are a ton of things I want to do and do not have the money for!  I had to miss the Zombie Bike ride because of work.  I am not going to Kelly's Kinky Karnival tonight because of money!  It seems it is always something!  Like I said I go back and forth daily on this adventure.

All of that being said, I am looking out my bedroom window at 20 sailboats in the harbor.  The sun is shining and it is 84f.  This is paradise.  I am blessed to have the ability to say fuck it and be here!  The world is a very large place and I want to see more of it.  I don't have to be rich to do it!  I just have to want to!!

Yesterday I met some new friends and had a blast spending the day at the pool!  

KW - Oct 14th

To say something generic like, Key West is a little different, would be a gross understatement!!  Let me run you through my day so far!

Noon-  Wake up have some water and take a shower.
12:30- Talk to Tim about plans for the afternoon
1:00- Discuss brunch options
1:15- Decide on Blue Heaven
1:20- Tim gets in shower I wait because he is paying!! LoL
1:45- We leave and they stop serving at 2pm and I am on a skateboard! LoL
2:05- Arrive at Blue Heaven and they have a 20min wait!!
2:15- Get seated and they serve us breakfast!! (small victory for me)
2:50- We leave and head for Dante's because we have some friends hanging out there and they have a DJ
3:10pm- Arrive at Dante's and there are 200 people there all my age or older and DJ is playing club music.  Drinks all around and into the pool I go!
3:45- Tim leaves for work.  I meet Tony and Teresa.  They were having brunch next to us at Blue Heaven and they are now here at Dante's!!  She is in a thong and the smallest bikini i have ever seen!  They are in the early 50's!!  i am shocked and very happy! Confidence is a huge thing in my head!! I love them immediately!
4:20- I leave to write this and go to work.
4:30- Tim texts from Captain Tony's and all of Greene St is shut down and they have multiple poles setup and people stripping in street!!  I am now leaving to join in the festivities until my work shift starts at 5:45 at Hog's Breath!!

PS. This is a normal Sunday in Key West!!!  Have fun with your fleece pants and football games!!!

KW - 1st Week

So, I decided to take the plunge and move to Key west with my friend tim.  Everything in Greenville was going fine and I really love it there, but I felt like I needed a change of pace for a bit.  so I sold or gave away everything I had and packed the Jeep for the Keys!  Melissa bought a plane ticket so that she could ride down with me.

Thursday, sept 27th I loaded the Jeep up and went to my last Hash in the upstate.  I got named HearschBrown Beatdown and had a great time.  We partied for a while and then went home to the apartment for the last time.  Friday morning, I went to work and then had lunch with Chris.  We said goodbye and Melissa and I took off for the Nantahala for the weekend.  This was the first weekend of scheduled releases on the Upper and I was able to get a lap in Saturday and sunday!!  It was great and I had a blast both days!!  The birthday/going away party saturday night was awesome and I loved seeing all of my friends!  

Monday morning, Melissa and I slept in and got a late start. All was well anyways and we had a nice ride to Hudson, FL.  We got a cheap room and had breakfast with my grandparents.  We hung out with them for about 3hrs.  We then started our drive down to Key west.  It went smoothly the rest of the day and we got to do all of the bridges in the day light!  We arrived and went to hear tim finish his show at Captain Tony's.  The new life began then!!

Melissa and I spent the next three days being tourists.  We rented mopeds and walked a lot.  we ate at a bunch of different resturants.  We slept in and had a blast.  I hated putting her on the plane on Friday!  It was very hard to walk away at the security gate!  I miss her a lot.

Saturday I just explored the island a little more and hung out with Tim.  Sunday Tim, Elicia, and I went to the Dry Tortugas and had an amazing day!!  I snorkeled and did some diving.  Saw a ton of fish and spent the evening at a Nick Norman band concert.  It was a great way to end my vacation.

Monday I started job hunting and got a few leads.  Tuesday was better and by the end of the day I had at least one job lined up!  Now sitting here on Saturday, I work as a doorman at Hog's Breath and Irish Kevin's.  I am also hoping to be doing some bar-backing at Willie T's one or two nights a week.  Willie T's is still up in the air though!  Today I got up at 11am and went to the pool and laid out with a friend till 1pm and then came home for brunch.  I am now about to get ready for work tonight!

Life is good in the islands!!  

~RF