Sunset Near Place of Refuge, Hawaii

Sunset near Place of Refuge, Hawaii.

Picture taken with an old but reliable Kodak DC280. I don't think they make them anymore, but I got a lot of use out of it.

The Secret to Success

A long time ago on an island far, far away, a series of very fortunate events resulted in me pet sitting for the summer in a tiny apartment on the Big Island. As the string of fortunate events continued, one night I found myself at a lavish party at an extraordinarily expensive house overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Keep in mind that at the time, I was just an 18 year old kid from Maryland, dead broke and way out of my element. I stood there a little overwhelmed on the deck of this multimillion dollar house gazing past the pool and the koi ponds mesmerized by the rainbow out over the Pacific Ocean. A couple of big Hawaiian guys were playing Bob Dylan tunes on their ukuleles behind me.

Suddenly, I was approached by what turned out to be the owner of the house and the host of the party. After introductions and small talk, he posed the question, “Do you think I am successful?”

Under most circumstances, a question with such an obvious answer would demand some sort of smart ass comment, but at the time I was still too stunned to generate one. So I took another look at the house, the pool, the koi, the happy friends and family that surrounded him, the great party and the grin on his face and I admitted, “Yes. I think you are successful.”

A couple moments of silence passed after my response and then he followed up with another question, “Do you want to know the secret to success?”

This time my answer came quicker, “Sure.”

“There are two secrets to remember in order to be successful,” he began. “Number one is: Don’t sweat the small things.”

I thought about that for a minute and saw that it made sense. It didn’t seem to be an earth shattering discovery and I found myself wondering what this second secret was. I looked expectantly at the man and finally when it didn’t seem that he would ever reveal the final secret, I asked, “Okay, so what’s the second secret?”

He took a slow draw from his glass of single malt, looked me in the eye and finally said, “Don’t sweat the big things either.”

Drinking a Venom Pale Ale on the waterfront in Fells Point.

DuClaw Brewing Company

Go for the beer not the food or the service. The Venom Pale Ale is darn good. The tasting sampler is a great bargain and a fantastic introduction to a lot of good beer.

I like IPA. These folks make one of my favorites.

BridgePort Brew Pub

These people make great beer and serve excellent food. If you are planning on being anywhere near Portland, OR, you owe it to yourself to savor their offerings.

The brewpub is in Northwest Portland and is currently being remodeled. This is a classic public house with great pizza and pub grub. It should reopen in late 2005.

The ale house is in Southeast Portland and serves a higher caliber of food. All of the entrees are consistently good and the fresh brewed beers compliment each dish perfectly.

I highly recommend the India Pale Ale. It is my favorite type of beer and these guys do it right.

My Favorite Jimmy Buffett Songs - Mellow Edition

Here is a list of my 20 favorite mellow Jimmy Buffett songs. I actually threw in a bonus so there are 21 songs to compliment my previous post of upbeat favorites. This list is in alphabetical order because it was too hard to pick favorites. Enjoy. Format: Song (Album)

• A Pirate Looks At Forty (A1A or B, B, B & B)
• Banana Republics (Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes)
• Come Monday (Living and Dying in 3/4 Time or B, B, B & B)
• He Went to Paris (A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean or B, B, B & B)
• I Have Found Me a Home (A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean or B, B, B & B)
• In the Shelter (Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes)
• It’s My Job (Coconut Telegraph)
• Little Miss Magic (Coconut Telegraph or B, B, B & B)
• Lone Palm (Fruitcakes)
• Love in the Library (Fruitcakes)
• Margaritaville (Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes or B, B, B & B)
• Something So Feminine About a Mandolin (Havana Daydreamin')
• Son of a Son of a Sailor (Son of a Son of a Sailor or B, B, B & B)
• Steamer (Somewhere over China or B, B, B & B)
• Survive (Volcano or B, B, B & B)
• That’s What Living Is to Me (Hot Water)
• The Captain and the Kid (Havana Daydreamin' or B, B, B & B)
• Treat her like a Lady (Volcano or B, B, B & B)
• Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season (A1A or B, B, B & B)
• West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown (Living and Dying in 3/4 Time)
• When the Wild Life Betrays Me (Riddles in the Sand)

My Favorite Jimmy Buffett Songs - Upbeat Edition

Here is a list of my 20 favorite upbeat Jimmy Buffett songs. These are the fun songs. There will be another posting that contains the list of mellow favorites. I am well aware that I left off some of the more popular tunes, but I strongly believe that many of these songs are underrated. I tried to put these in some sort of best to worst order, but found it impossible so I give them to you in alphabetical order. Enjoy. (For those of you counting along at home, you will find there are actually 21 songs listed because I threw in a bonus.) Format: Song (Album)

• Boat Drinks (Volcano or B, B, B & B)
• Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes or B, B, B & B)
• Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants (Volcano)
• Cliches (Havana Daydreamin')
• Coconut Telegraph (Coconut Telegraph or B, B, B & B)
• Dreamsicle (Volcano)
• Fruitcakes (Fruitcakes)
• Gypsies in the Palace (Last Mango in Paris)
• Last Mango in Paris (Last Mango in Paris)
• Life Is Just a Tire Swing (A1A)
• Livingston Saturday Night (Son of a Son of a Sailor or B, B, B & B)
• Love and Luck (Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads)
• My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don’t Love Jesus (Havana Daydreamin')
• Nautical Wheelers (A1A or B, B, B & B)
• One Particular Harbour (One Particular Harbour or B, B, B & B)
• Smart Woman (In a Real Short Skirt) (Hot Water)
• Take It Back (Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads)
• The Great Filling Station Holdup (A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean or B, B, B & B)
• The Pascagoula Run (Off to See the Lizard or B, B, B & B)
• The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful (Coconut Telegraph or B, B, B & B)
• The Wino and I Know (Living and Dying in 3/4 Time or B, B, B & B)
• We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About (One Particular Harbour)

Songs for Pirates Big and Small...

If you ever find yourself in Portland, OR, take the opportunity to check out the band Captain Bogg and Salty. These guys are fun! If you can't make it to Portland, buy the CD. You will love it and your kids will thank you.

The CD takes you on a journey of song and adventure as a new pirate recruit. The lyrics are good spirited, creative and funny. These fine musicians don't pander to the young, they offer much to amuse, educate and entertain buccaneers of all ages.

The best part of this CD is that my 1 year old son can listen to it for hours day in and day out and I never get sick of it. It is simply infectious and will leave you wanting more.


Captain Bogg & Salty: Bedtime Stories for Pirates