Florida Peninsula, our insurance company for wind/hurricane coverage, just sent us a notice telling us they were not going to renew this policy. It ends August 2. They are not willing to take the risk. Isn’t it interesting how the vultures gather ‘round when the going gets tough?

The client pays for coverage and as long as everything is rosy the insurance companies are happy. They insure based on a 100 year curve. In other words, they are (presumably) happy if there is only one hurricane every 100 years, but the catch for the client is that right after that "once-in-a-lifetime" disaster, the insurers are suddenly unhappy again and start canceling coverage, or raise premiums 300 percent.

These letters always come on a Friday and by the time you open the mail, it’s too late to call anyone. So on Monday we have to start looking around for another company to insure us. Citizens is the legally designated company of last resort – they must insure us – but they are very expensive. Get it? We were with Citizens to start with and then Florida Peninsula bought our contract from them and now they are canceling out. I’d just as soon not have any coverage and have a contingency fund we put the money into, but if you have a mortgage, you don’t have that option.

There must be a special hell for people who feed off others for profit.

Ed’s cousin and wife came by yesterday and we had lunch. (Ed said I couldn’t use names.) They live in Naples, about 80-90 minutes south of us, depending on traffic, and had an appointment in Fort Myers, near enough for them to come by. I’m so glad they were able to visit since I am very fond of them. We went to a new little place and had brisket of beef that was unusually good for these parts. Ed was thrilled. He loves brisket.

Said relations have a 26-year old daughter they refer to as “Comrade Corey” who is a major union organizer. She was such a hotshot in college that this union broke a leg recruiting her. She loves her work. She is also very idealistic – Frank Capra idealistic – some of you will know what I mean – think “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” – “It’s A Wonderful Life”, etc. She went to dinner at a friend’s home and got upset because they had servants. (I’m pretty sure the servants were just happy to have a good job.) It’s hard to hang on to that kind of idealism because it’s a jungle out there, so I wonder how long she’ll have stars in her eyes.

On another matter, Bill Maher had an incredibly tasteless photo montage of how Susan Boyle would change while the entertainment people made her over. The paste-ups were gross. I know he is supposed to be maddeningly “out there” and cute, but if he is going to do this, he should choose truly horrid people to “get”. The only way to get a comment to Maher is to write him via regular mail c/o of his agent. I did that and took him to task, although I addressed the letter directly to the agent.

If any of you ever wish to comment to Maher, here is the info you need:

Bill Maher
c/o Marc Gurvitz
Brillstein-Grey Entertainment
9150 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 350
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Phone: 310-275-6135

Meanwhile, two cats sleep with us and Toots sleeps "somewhere". Chewy is such a hardass that Toots hasn't joined us. That is probably okay, else we'd have to get a bed larger than a king. Ed said "California king" beds are larger. Toots usually comes by the minute I get up and he didn't this morning and I didn't see him last night, so I had a moment of panic, wondering if he'd gotten out of the house somehow. But he surfaced when I opened the pool door. He is addicted to going out.

Life with kitties can be nervewracking.

xx, Teal