Sights seen in qurky Key West

Parked next to us at the airport

Embracing Peace is a 25' tall installation by Seward Johnson

I was excited to see The W under palm trees

A drag queen will climb into that stiletto and they will drop at midnight on NYE

The Official Drink of Christmas 2017

The margarita, frozen and with salt. This was my standard drink order in Key West. We even stopped and raised a couple in the original Margaritaville Cafe, right there on Duval. My friend Henry suffered brain freeze.

Layover learning

I spent hours and hours in ATL as I waited between flights. I designed it that way. I didn't want to stress over missing my connection because of snow when I took off from Chicago or rain when I took off from Key West. I happily discovered that, if you have to be stuck in an airport for hours and hours, Hartsfield-Jackson is good.

They have a permanent exhibit devoted to Dr. King! Maintained by the King Center, it's case after case of personal items, donated by Coretta Scott King. And harried travelers just barrel past it, concentrating on their phones and roller bags and don't even notice the history right there. I'm grateful I had the time to stop and look and take it in.

These are just the parts of the exhibit that were easiest to photograph

His 60s-style transistor, wristwatch, the glasses he really didn't need but often carried.

The actual suit worn for his Oval Office meeting with LBJ, 1965

The worst of all possible worlds

I'm home from Christmas in Key West. Oh, am I ever home! It was bright and 80º yesterday when I got on the plane, and 0º last night when I landed in Chicago.

But I haven't slept well these last few nights. Not because I miss the sun and the palm trees, but because the Key West No-See-Ums feasted on me. Those welts have literally interrupted my slumber.

From mosquitomagnet.com

So even though I had a lovely holiday, and I'm happy to be home, I feel that right now I'm experiencing the worst the South and the Midwest have to offer.