Party Line Telephone - My Life as a Brat

I remember that time before my sister passed away nearly twenty years ago when she told me I was brat as a child. I was ticked off and disagreed. That's a terrible thing to say to someone.  But it was partly true. You can judge me by what I did when I was about five or six years old.

Both of my parents worked. Before I went to elementary school I spent the days with Mr. and Mrs. Sorrentino who lived across the street. On warm days he would sit in his wood chair on the front porch watching not much of anything happen on our little street. He would place his hand on the arm rest and dare me to smash it with my powerful little fist. He would usually retract his arm faster than I could hit the top of his hand. He would let me hit his hand enough times not to discourage me however. I knew he let me win. 

One day a man drove his yellow couple car and parked it on the side of our house. We lived on a corner. The man was wearing a suit and fedora hat. This was the very early 1950s when just about every man wore a hat of some type. Mrs. Sorrentino came out to the porch. They either suggested that I go to my house to find out what the man wanted or I volunteered.

I went over to my house. The man asked me if I lived there. Yes, I said. He then said something to the effect that he was an investigator for the telephone company and that I had been on the telephone using very bad language. 

The phone was made of bake lite, a material that preceded plastic. The phone was heavy. It did not have a dial - that came a few years later. I do remember you had to give the telephone operator the phone number you wanted to call. Our telephone was on a "party line". This was a phone line shared by multiple users.  Anyone could pick up the phone and listen to whoever else was speaking. Users were encouraged to keep their phone messages short.

I guess it wasn't hard to figure out who the bad kid with the filthy mouth was. I can remember to this day that man scarred the hell out of little me. He did not threaten me. His being there at that moment accusing me of saying really bad words to women on the phone threatened my existence. My Sunday school boyishness was exposed to the nerve.

He then said that he wouldn't return to my house to tell my parents what I did if I promised not to go on the phone again and say bad words to the other telephone users. I promised!

He went back to his yellow car and left. I returned across the street to the Sorrentinos, both of whom were waiting to ask me who the man was and what he wanted. He was lost, I said - or some thing to that affect. My sister was probably correct. Not only was I a brat but also a liar.

Don't Play with Sharp Objects - A Cautionary Tale

I was at a home inspection a couple of weeks ago with a buyer's agent. We were standing on the rear deck discussing the installation of hurricane shutters - it's a thing in Key West.  The other agent had
a knife in his hand which he kept flailing about as he was talking. I kept telling him not to move his hand around.  He had something important to tell me. He felt compelled to keep moving that damned knife in the direction of my head. He wasn't mad. He was oblivious to the danger he could cause.

I had enough and told him the true story that happened in Denver three decades ago. I owned a bunch of apartments in Denver. I was on a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma to testify in federal court against a guy who owned our bank a lot of money. My partner called me to tell me the story of what happened to Rick.

Rick was a 30 something tall, thin, exceeding handsome gay man who rented from me. He was the captain at the fine dining restaurant at one of Denver's premiere hotels. My partner told me that he had taken some new mini blinds to install in Rick's apartment.  Mini blinds are inexpensive and easy to install. All you need is a nail or drill to create a starter hole and then a screw driver to affix a screw to fasten a bracket to the window frame. Rick saw my partner put up one of the blinds and offered to help.

Within a few seconds of picking up a screw driver, Rick poked a hole in his eye. He screamed. My partner grabbed him and rushed him to Denver General Hospital. The wound was too severe to wait minutes for an ambulance. They were at the hospital in just a few minutes. It didn't matter. Rick lost his eye. It was heart breaking. This was life changing. It was forever.

I tell people this story because people do dumb things all the time without considering the consequences. There is a reason your mother told you not to play with sharp objects.

1217 Newton Street, Key West

Sir Isaac Newton's first law of motion states that an object remains at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The house at 1217 Newton Street in the Meadows Area of Key West is the perfect example of a house at rest, unaffected by the unbalanced world outside the picket fence. All inside is serene, sophisticated, and stylish.

The main entrance to this home is located mid-way along the west side wall. A high privacy fence separates this home from the place next door. A covered porch protects you from sun or rain at the main entry. As soon as you open the main door you know you are at someplace "special" because most houses in most places don't look like this. The first thing I noticed when I entered was the dark toned walls offset by windows and doors which illuminate this cozy space with light during the daytime. Cozy, yes, but not too small. The rooms have very high ceilings which give the living area a most spacious aura. One of the previous owners was an architect who designed the renovation. The interiors were designed to resemble the efficiencies one would see on a ship which includes lots of built-in storage. While many houses in Key West may have wooden rafted ceilings and/or galley kitchens, you won't find a one that resembles this home. The first floor guest bedroom has built-in bunk beds.

My eyes were drawn to the French doors that lead to the rear covered living area and the pool and spa beyond. A separate built-in seating area is nestled under palms at the rear. This place is just too wonderful for words. Seriously.

The original front porch is the outdoor domain of the guest apartment which takes up the front part of the house. There is a mini-kitchen, full bath, and living area on the first floor. A ladder leads to the second floor loft-style bedroom with knee wall closets. A skylight illuminates this space during the daytime.

A spiral staircase leads to the second level where an office is located on the landing. A door opens into the amazing master suite. The bedroom area has a large built in TV hidden behind paneled doors when not in use. Underneath you will find a fireplace. How warm is that? Doors on either side of the TV/fireplace wall lead to the separate treetop sitting area that is surrounded on three sides by windows that look out to lush palm foliage. It's like a cabin in the sky. A separate TV with fireplace below invite you to lounge in luxury. Another spiral staircase leads to the rooftop deck and outdoor shower. No prying eyes can see up here. Everything up t here (which a lot of people would deem throw away space) was treated just the opposite. Everything is precise and of highest quality. This house will appeal to an artist, a poet, a musician. It is a work of art.

I searched through my old shoebox and found a photo taken in the 1920s to which I added a check mark to show the location of 1217 Newton Street. The large ares to the rear is the former Army Barracks and parade grounds. The broad white colored street on the lower right was previously bounded by water. This area was known as North Beach. That area was later in-filled and became condominiums. Thank goodness the city fathers and mothers didn't let politicians and developers spoil the rest of Old Town and The Meadows.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet of 1217 Newton Street, Key West, offered for sale at $1, 395,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule an appointment to see this one-of-a-kind home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

Easter Sunday Open Houses - Key West

OPEN HOUSE  -  EASTER SUNDAY

12:00 to 2:00 PM

1413 Von Phister Street
Brand New 1924 Sq Ft  Contemporary Conch Style Three Bedroom Home
Pool, Parking, White Picket Fence, Ten Foot Ceilings, Brazilian Mahogany Floors
Landscaped and Move-in Ready
Offered at $1,499,000

619 Virginia Street   Southernmost Cabana Resort  
1394 Sq Ft  Two Bedroom/Three Bath Pool side Town Home
Adjacent Off Street Parking, Wrap-around deck, Private Garden
Successful Vacation Rental History
Offered at $899,000

Another Easter Story

It was Good Friday 1957.  I was ten years old. I lived with my mother, dad, and big brother in a two bedroom house in one of the first Denver suburbs just west of the Denver County line. My dad came home from work. I remember it was dark. He had a box with two Easter presets for me.  I approached and spied a wee bunny and a tiny little duck. I don't think my mother was in on this gift. She did not like any of my dogs and would not let them inside of the house.

I actually remember the first few days of my new pets. My dad and I created a place for them to live in the garage. It was still cold outside. Although Spring had sprung it was still too cold to let the little guys like these live outdoors.

A few weeks passed. The weather got warmer. My dad and I built a place in the backyard for the pets. We lived on a corner lot with a white picket fence encasing the back yard. We used galvanized chicken coop wire to build pen.  My dad placed a small sheet of plywood over a part of the space to provide shelter from the sun and rain. I called my bunny "Bugs" and the duck "Sweet Pea". "Swee
Pea" was the foundling that Popeye and his girl friend Olive Oyl cared for. Sweet Peas was my foundling.

Bugs and Sweet Pea shared the same space. They got along fine. I decided to build a pond so that Sweet Pea could swim. I dug a hole which I filled with water. The water seeped into the earth. Later  I took my wagon up to the lumber yard on 38th Avenue and bought a bag of cement which I brought back home.  I mixed the cement and put it around the hole. After the cement dried I filled the pond with water. That did not work either. In the end I would use the garden hose to give Sweet Pea a good hose down. She would flap her wings and quack her little head off. She loved that.

I let the guys out of the pen so they could run free in the back yard. Bugs hopped around exploring. We had three gooseberry bushes, an apple and cherry tree, a rock garden with rocks collected from every place we went. My dad had a vegetable garden located opposite the incinerator. My mother made the very best pies ever. I remember her making a cherry pie and a gooseberry cobbler. She also canned vegetable from that garden later that year. My parents were survivors of the Great Depression. They savored the bounty of their little back yard.

Bugs proved to be a rascal and escaped through a hole in the white picket fence. I remember walking the nearby streets and alleys looking for him and calling out his name, as if he would respond like a lost dog. That didn't work out. Sweet Pea on the other hand seemed to love her life at our house. She even worked her way into my mother's heart, if there was one. She actually let me bring Sweet Pea into the house - a duck. I remember the day Sweet Pea was standing on a dining room chair when the call of Nature occurred.  I freaked out and cleaned up the mess. Surprisingly my mother did not create a scene.

It was around this time my dad told me about his youth. He grew up in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. He told me was a long distance runner in school which I found inspiring. Later I remember going outside to run around the block. I have a weak heart and that did not work. I couldn't make it to the end of the block without gasping for breath.

Instead of running I decided a different form of exercise for me and Sweet Pea. I put one of my mother's old red aprons on Sweet Pea and placed a string around her neck and then walked her around the block. I did this several times in fact. I'm sure the neighbors had a laugh.

Fall arrived. I knew it was time for Sweet Pea to find a better place to live. I asked my best friend if his grand parents would let Sweet Pea move to their farm and to live with other animals. It seems strange to refer to her as an animal. I would cuddle with her and she would coo. She was as dear as a dog.  She really was a Sweet Pea. 

It was a gray Friday afternoon when Bruce's grand parents showed up at my house to pick up Sweet Pea. Bruce was there. I didn't cry. I loved my duck but I knew this was best for her (or him). I didn't know about sex back then. Maybe Sweet Pea was a he and not a she. Who cares?  Sweet Pea was a treasured part of my little life! 

1413 Von Phister St Key West - OPEN HOUSE - Forget the Beach

Instead visit the Open House on Sunday, April 14th, at 1413 Von Phister Street between 12:00 to 2:00 PM where you can check out the brand new 1924 square foot two story home with a big sunny pool.

This home was designed to resemble the historic Conch houses in Old Town with wrap-around porches many of which had some of the porches enclosed to provide additional interior living space. You won't find another recently constructed like this in Key West. It's an original. And unlike many of the old houses in the historic district, this house has large bedrooms, ten foot ceilings, two large walk-in closets, and bricked off street parking (Old Chicago Brick - it costs more).

Additional features include real Brazilian Mahogany floors, recessed lighting, Trex decking, first and second floor porches on the front and rear of the home. The pool is heated. There's an outdoor shower too! The yard is newly landscaped with palm trees and other tropical foliage. There is even a white picket fence in the front. Click ----> 1413 Von Phister Street is offered by Gary Thomas at Preferred Properties Key West for $1,499,000.

Follow me on TWITTER for MLS updates and smart alec remarks about life on this island out in the middle of the ocean.

619 Virginia St, Key West - Open House Today

• New Construction - Completed in 2015
• 1324 Square Feet - End Unit
• 2 Bedrooms - 3 Baths
• Large Wrap-around Deck
• Big Private Side Yard
• Adjacent Off Street Parking
• Located in X Flood Zone
• Low Insurances - Just $2007 per year
• Low HOA Fees - Just $199 per month
• Old Town Location 
• Four Blocks to South Beach
• Successful Vacation Rental History
• $899,000