Long Time Off

Well it has been a while since I blogged. But I am getting back into it. The addition of my new iPhone and the easy of blogging on it has re-energized me. Tomorrow you should see an update about my soggy Key West trip last week.

The picture is from Rick's in Key West and the bartender that made the best Bloody Mary I have ever had.

Bob Marley, A True Man

Nesta Robert Marley, born Feb 6, 1945, died 30 years ago today.  Many people think Exodus is the gold standard of music, me be one of those.  But, Bob's greatness doesn't stop there.  I dare you to go check out his Live at the Roxy disc, or Rastaman Vibration, or songs like War and Trenchtown Rock.  It is almost impossible to not be in a great mood when listening to Bob.  

His born name Nesta Robert Marley, was later changed on a Jamaican passport to Robert Nesta Marley, and stayed like that.  I am guessing that was Bob's doing, but not sure.  He had a white father from that migrated to Jamaica from England, and a black mother and lived Nine Mile Jamaica as a child.  

Some interesting facts about Bob: 

The Wailers actually broke up and were not with Bob from 1974 on, even thought Bob continued to record as Bob Marley & the Wailers. 

He was shot in '76, but just received minor wounds.  

He left Jamaica later in '76 and wrote Exodus and Kaya, later to return to Jamaica in '78 for a One Love Peace Concert to unite a civil war torn country.

He died of the spread of skin cancer in 1981 while on his way back from Germany (where he was getting treated) to Jamaica.  On a stop in Miami he was rushed to the U of Miami hospital and died the next day, May 11, 1981 at the age of 36.

His last words were to his son Ziggy "money can't buy life".

He was buried with his Les Paul.

One Love.

references can be found here

What makes Florida such a great state you may ask?  It has it all, or at least everything you need.  It has a rich history from early Native American inhabitants such as the Apalachee, Tocobaga, Clausa, and Tequesta to name a few.  The western Europeans came in the early 1500's, that is when Ponce De Leon dubbed it "La Florida" (flowery land).  Needless to say that name kinda stuck.  The Spanish "gifted" Florida to the US in exchange for American's taking no claims on Texas after the La. Purchase, and a some of $5 million.  It was the 27th state in 1845.  Flagler's railroad also had a great impact on the state, along with some Cubans, a swamp, a tropical folk singer, Crocket and Tubbs, and more.
Florida has a diverse culture, rednecks to the north, blue hairs to the east and west, a mouse in the center, Cubans at the south, and half nude college kids in the panhandle (at least for one month a year).
The weather is fantastic, no snow, breezy, no snow, lots of sunshine (it is the Sunshine State afterall).  It is considered humid subtropical in most of the state, but the coastal areas are considered to have a true tropical climate (via wikipedia).  There are beautiful thunderstorms and waterspouts to be seen all year long.  And the warmth of the summer is an invitation to start drinking at any time of day!  Issues: the bugs, hurricanes, and the BO kinda suck though.  

Some Facts that make Florida fantastic:
Florida also has the distinction of being shaped like a fallals, so thats makes it a manly place to be.
Great college football and baseball teams.
The world's most famous mouse resides in Florida.
The coral canals of Coral Gables
The beautiful vegetation
The ability to see gators while golfing (is that a good thing?)
They brew Landshark Lager in Jacksonville, Fl.
You can get to the Conch Republic by driving through Florida.
The Keys!
You have a cousin in Miami.
Coconut Grove
The Intercostal waterway.
US 1
Daytona International Speedway
The second Yuengling brewery.
I went to college there!


 Even thought I don't live there, I call Florida my home and now you know why.  

The Perfect Beach Guitar

Photo from http://www.brunetteonabudget.com

What makes the perfect beach guitar?  Well first lets discuss why a beach guitar is such a necessity.  Nothing is worse then a party that just can't get off the ground, well a guitar is the perfect cure for that.  Get some tunes rolling and people start to loosen up and the party gets movin.  Or if some new is around and needs an ice breaker, the guitar is the perfect ice breaker.  They can just bust out the music box and start strummin some great beach tunes.  So, here is my guide to what makes a great beach guitar.
First and most importantly it must have a cool vibe.  You don't want something with pictures of skulls, or that is bright red, or is something that doesn't give the beach vibe.  You need something traditional and classy looking.  Second, you don't want something that is overly expensive.  You are at a beach, it is going to get some sand, and some water on it.  So, keep your $2000 Martin's at home and settle for something with no electronics, maybe something made over seas, but something with a solid wood top (you still need it to sound big and be heard!).  Also, you don't want a huge dreadnaught, they are great sounding guitars, but you want something you can pass around and the women and kids have an easier time strumming.  Get a small OOO or parlor body guitar.   Also, they don't take up as much room in the back of the jeep due to their small size.  And keep your straps for your local bar gigs.  The only thing a guitar strap is going to do at a beach party is catch fire.  And last but not least, play it!  Find a guitar you love to play, let it get beat up, let it enjoy its life like you do!

Here are some recommendations for a good beach guitar:

Epiphone Masterbuild EF-500R - small body, great tone

Guild GAD-30 -small body, great looker, plays fantastic

Fender Kingman - has that old school Cali vibe.

Coastlines & Cuba Libres

The picture above is from Conch Republic Bikinis and their Hottest Collection taken at Blue Heaven (the best sign in the world!)

So on this Good Friday I sit at my desk and it appears that Columbus, OH has floated to Seattle.  We are going to set a record for rain in the month of April, and close to a record for most rain in a month ever.  That comes off of this past winter as the coldest winter on record, and the winter before with the most snow on record.  Global warming my ass, bring some icebergs to Ohio, they won't melt here.  But, summer is right around the corner and that means tan lines and coastlines.  Or laymen's terms, sun and the water!
My friend Carl, or cyber friend till i get to Key West in Oct, owns Conch Republic Bikinis (http://www.conchrepublicbikinis.com)  and just started a new blog called Coastlines and Tan Lines found at http://blog.conchrepublicbikinis.com.  I highly recommend his Cuba Libre blog post.  I almost wrote a blog post last week about Cuba Libres, but he did a hell of a job.  It is twice as good as I could have written, very informative about the Cuba Libre and its history.  The only thing I would add is that I would give Myers Rum a try with your Cuba Libre, right now that is my favorite Cuba Libre rum.  I would like to give some Atlantico a try next, but the dark tantalizing flavors of Myers just sits great with the Coke.
I have kept this post short so you have time to read Carl's blog and please visit his store.  If you buy a bikini from his store(if your female) or for your girl as a gift (to you or her???), make sure you pass a picture on to me!

Now i just have to convince my wife to get a bikini off Carl!

"I Love Cajun Martinis and Playing Afternoon Golf"

On this sleepy, wet, cool, Monday morning in mid April I was listing to some 80's music.  Not just any 80's music, I was listen to Jimmy Buffett play Miami in 1985.  "We are the People Our Parents Warned Us About" came on, and one of my favorite lines in the JB catalog was sang, "I love cajun martinis and playing afternoon golf".  Now, I have never had a cajun martini, but it have read about it and it sounds great.  Sipping on something spicy in the shade while the afternoon sun beats down on the land (or water) around you is always a good time.  Spicy food is a part of almost all Caribbean cultures, because the spiciness makes you sweat which cools you off.  Sounds a little backwards, but it works.
The second part of this JB line is one that really strikes a chord with me.  Afternoon golf!  There is something just perfect about playing a mid-week game of afternoon golf.  The course isn't as crowded, so things are more peaceful and the pace is slowed to an "island time".  There are usually a few cold beverages to be consumed while sitting in the shade of your golfing chariot, then followed by a few more post-round adult beverages.  You really don't care how you score, you are actually enjoying the day, the game, the drinks, and the people.  It is almost a zen like state, pure bliss.  If you have never played a mid-week round of afternoon golf.  Do yourself a favor and put one on your summer bucket list and enjoy the perfection that afternoon golf is.

Bacardi Rum, Papa H, and Two Great Cocktails

So, I am back to my favorite spirit again, rum.  After my little history lesson yesterday in Red Stripe (http://baldparrotbar.blogspot.com/2011/04/red-stripe.html) I decided to do a little research into Bacardi.  I have alluded to in an early blog that I met Tito Bacardi, and executive at Bacardi in the Coral Gables, FL office.  I was a pitcher at the University of Miami and we had a Sunday afternoon game.  Before the game this dapper looking man came into the dugout with two highly attractive women wearing really small baseball jerseys with the Bacardi bat logo on the back, and even smaller shorts.  Tito, also dressed in a Bacardi baseball shirt, his not quite as tight fitting as his blonde and latin arm candy, threw out the first pitch that day.  But, before he toed the rubber I was introduced to him by our head coach and have a brief conversation with him and the lovely ladies.  From that day forward I have kind of favored Bacardi rum.  I have tried others, liked others, but my day in and day out mixing rum has always gone back to Bacardi.  I just grew to enjoy the flavor. 

Bacardi was first distilled in Satiago de Cuba in 1862 by a Spanish immigrant named Facund Bacardi I Masso.  And the signature Bacardi bat comes from the fruit bats that lived in the rafters of the original distillery.  After some issue with Castro and his people, the fact they were nationalize all private property, the Bacardi family moved production off the Cuban shores permanently.    It has grown to become the largest rum producer in the world producing 200 million bottles a year, with US sales of excess of $5 billion. 

It is also well known that Hemingway liked his mojitos and daiquiris with “Bacardi white label rum”.  And please don’t spoil your mind thinking a daiquiri is one of those fruity things that come out of machines that the office secretary drinks.  A daiquiri is a fantastic drink comprised of 2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, .5-1 oz of simple syrup and crushed ice.  This is my favorite drink, the thing that blows is most bartenders have no idea what a daiquiri is, they all want to serve me the red or green stuff that is made in a machine or blender.  Note that Papa Hemingway preferred his a little different, partially due to the fact he was diabetic, he had cherry liquor and grapefruit juice instead of the simple syrup.  Another classic is the mojito.  Made by mixing 6 sprigs of fresh mint (5 muddled in the bottom of the glass, 1 for garnish), 1 oz lime juice, ¾ oz of simple syrup, 2 oz white rum and a splash of club soda.  I learned something today about the mojito while doing research for this post, the original recipe above says the club soda is optional.  I have changed my version slightly, I reduce the simple syrup slightly, otherwise I find it to sweet. 

These cocktails that usually contain Bacardi rum at my house are summertime favorites.  They transport you to a southern latitude where nothing matters but you and your drink.  I encourage you to round up a bottle of rum and mix yourself one or both of these beauties on a nice sunny day and waste away in the day. 

PS: One of these days we will hit up the tail of the Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke)

Photo above courtesy of Tommy Bass, is a vintage Bacardi bottle from the days it was distilled in Cuba.

Red Stripe

Red Stripe is an interesting beer.  First, i have never tasted any other beer that is so distinctive, yet so drinkable.  Even if you aren't holding that squat little brown bottle (more on that in a second), you can tell by the taste it is Red Stripe.  Most distinctive beers like that only allow for a few drinks until the lack of carbonation, or the hoppy-ness, or the bitterness, or something gets to you.  Not Red Stripe, you can nock those babies back all night.  As I did on my honeymoon in Negril, and those were draft Red Stripes, and very yummy at that.
The Red Stripe recipe we drink how was originally brewed in 1938 in Jamaica.  They had a recipe before that, but it was a slightly heavier beer and as I can imagine didn't go over well in the warm climate of Jamaica.  It was first imported into the United States in 1985, and it was imported in a normal long neck green bottle.  No shit!  American's didn't take to it, and those that had traveled to the home of the rastafari didn't think it was the same thing due not being the stubby brown bottle they drank on the island.  Soon Red Stripe changed to there original painted label short brown bottle and the rest is history.  It has gone on to become a great selling beer in the States.
I can remember my first Red Stripe on native soil like it was yesterday.  We flew into Montego Bay and had to take a two hour bus ride to the western side of Jamaica.  About 1/3 of the way there we stopped at a little house that served beer.  Which is very common down there, it seems every 5th house along the main road is a pseudo bar.  We had a beer there and took some road pops for the ride.  Man did that first Red Stripe in Jamaica taste great, ice cold with a view of the ocean.  I preceeded to drink my fair share of Red Stripe for dinner, snack, lunch, breakfast, and evening for the balance of that week.  Red Stripe is still one of my favorite beers to drink.  Come to think of it, I am not sure if there is another beer I like better then Red Stripe, I need to start drinking it more!   "Hooray Beer!"

Key West Trip

What a highlight yesterday was.  I had a shed built at the house to clear out some space in my garage, and I booked a mini vacation down island.  Key West vacations are the greatest release for me.  I have blogged about it before, and will blog about it again.  The island is just fantastic.  And eclectic mix of Cuban culture, Bahamian culture, artists, pirates, booze, and perfect weather.  A combination of those bits equals a great place to be.  My wife keeps telling me she isn't sure, but I keep telling her I will call Key West home one day.  I read some of the other blogs(http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/ and my favorite http://thisweekontheisland.blogspot.com/) and the lifestyles they live are envious.  So, instead of spending all my days in Key West (I am sure the topic of another blog) I will be consumed (as will Tanya, my wife) in thinking about my 4 days I will get in Key West in October.  Whether is be sipping on some cuban coffee from 5 Brothers or a boat drink from an Old Towne haunt my thoughts will be merry.  Now, if I could only hit the lottery so I could get a "winter" house down there life would be perfect!

Cushe Drift Review

Well, I have had my Drifts for a while now.  I had been in the tireless search for a "business casual" shoe to wear to work that was comfortable and had a cool vibe.  After some a blog post at rumshopryan.com i decided to look at the Cushe website and found the Drift.  A costal shoe if I have ever seen one.  If you check out my first blog post http://baldparrotbar.blogspot.com/2011/03/boat-shoes.html  you will see my original thoughts behind getting this shoe.  The weather has finally broken here in Ohio, so I busted these bad boys out and all I can say is wow!  I am a tennis shoe (or flip flop) and blue jean wearing (or board short) kinda guy, and these feel just as comfy as most tennis shoes I have owned.  They have great arch support, very flexible, and the outside material seems to be very durable.  I have a wide foot, and these don't crush my feet.  I also have a high instep, they are a little snug there, but any shoe without laces is always tight on me there.  I really dig these shoes, they have such a great feel when wearing, and give off a great vibe.  I highly recommend them.  My next Cushe shoe is probably going to be a flip flop, cause flip flop season is almost upon us here in Ohio.

Rum

It is approaching the time of year that my consumption of rum goes up.  Rum and cokes, daiquiris(the real ones, not those fruity things that come out of a machine), mojitos, and the occasional pina colada.  Over the years I have really grown to like rum.  Like most gen Y-ers, my first experience with rum was the Captain.  Capt and cokes were a way of not drinking beer when I was younger.  Later in life I met some members of the Bacardi family and decided to give their rum a try.  So, I started to drink Bacardi, a lot of people think it is bad rum, i would have to disagree.  When I drink Bacardi I feel like I am drinking rum.  It isn't rum for the Mrs., or the occasional drinker, it is the the rum drinker that likes a good punch in the mouth of rum.  Makes me feel like Hemingway would have drank it, a man's rum.  My tastes have graduated though, but I still like Bacardi.  When I was in Jamaica on our honeymoon I won a bottle of Appleton and bought another bottle, and that is a very unique tasting rum.  I really like Myers Rum in my rum and cokes and as a floater on girly drinks.  10 Cane is good for mojitos and daiquiris.  Speaking of daiquiris, lets discuss those for a second.  A daiquiris is not a red colored thing that comes out of a machine, that is a frozen daiquiri, and they aren't even close to the same.  A real daiquiris has a few simple ingredients and it is somewhat related to what Papa Hemingway drank.   1.5 oz of rum, 1 oz simple syrup, 1 oz lime juice, and club soda and ice to the top of a high ball, that is it.  I prefer mine a little different.  I prefer 3 oz rum, 2/3 oz simple syrup, 1 oz lime juice, and the club soda and ice.  My version of the Papa Doble(the drink of Hemingway).  I am going to graduate to try some different rums this summer to make sure I am not missing anything.  I am so glad drinking rum is back in season for me!

Below is Hemingway at El Floridita in Cuba.

Baseball Season is Upon Us

Tomorrow is Opening Day in the big leagues.  Having baseball start really means the start of spring to me.  It conjures up thoughts of sitting on my chair in my living room, warm breeze blowing through the house, bowl of ice cream, watching some baseball on TV.  Baseball is a warm weather sport for more then just the obvious reasons.  You don't want to be yelling and screaming at the TV for a huge hit in football, or sitting nervously for the last 45 seconds (that take 10 minutes) during a tie basketball game or hockey match when the weather is warm.  You want to be chill, and baseball is the ultimate chill sport.  Whether at the ballpark or at home, you can have a drink, some food and just chill out and watch one of the greatest sports ever.  Castro was good at it, Buffett blew he knee out playing it, Caribbean kids play it with sticks and balls in the streets, it isn't made to be played in the cold, and you can catch some kind of game almost anywhere in the world.  It is simply the greatest summer game ever.

On a side note, it isn't summer here in Ohio, and the local AAA team is playing their big league counterpart and it is snowing out.  Baseball is the greatest summer sport, but it is not a fun winter spectator sport!

Mobile Beach Office

Today I am posting for the first time from my cell phone, so forgive the spelling, or should I say auto-correct, errors. We have all dreamed of living in a remote beach in the Caribbean or South Pacific and working over the internet to do all of our business. Sitting on a beach chair, sun beating down on you wide brimmed hat, cold drink just in reach off your right hand, clicking away at your keyboard as the waves crash a 100 ft away sounds like the perfect office. With mobile broadband, smartphones, and modern business practices this isn't too far out of reach. I am not sure how good mobile broadband coverage is on remote islands, but most of the Florida Keys have good 3G coverage and would make for a perfect office. Just think, your breaks could consist of a dip in the ocean!  Now that is work to me!

Something to Ponder

What if the world had not lost some of the great musical artists at such a young age.  What kind of music would Bob Marley be putting out right now?  Would reggae be even more popular, would Bob Marley ever been as popular as he is now?
How many times would Jimi Hendrix changed they way we think of guitar playing?  Would we have fallen in love with Stevie Ray Vaughn, would Jimi be busting out the Star Spangled Banner after 911?
Would Led Zeppelin still rock?  Would Plant be playing bitch music with Allison Kraus?  Would they be washed up but still cool like the Stones, or would they still rock hard?
What about Elvis, would he beat out Jack Nicholson as the coolest old dude alive?  Would he still be bustin moves in his late 70's?  Would we have had those bad Elvis remix songs?
How about Guns and Roses, what if Axel would have died, would they have gone down as a top 5 band of all time instead of a wacky Days of Our Lives episode?  Just some thoughts for a weekend pondering.

There are a lot of days where I have just had it at work.  I get so close to losing my mind and going all Charlie Sheen on the world.  As was sitting here doing some mindless work and Kenny Chesney's "Reality" came on my iPod.  Very interesting thoughts in the song.  He speaks of needing an escape from reality.  Often I daydream of Key West or the Caribbean to escape reality and leave my worries behind.  The thought of sitting at an open air bar, drinking a bunch of cold drinks in the middle of the day can really ease my mind.  This doesn't even have to be in the southern latitudes for me, it can just be a hot day and a cold drink anywhere.  I sat one afternoon just past noon at the Margaritaville Vegas rooftop tiki bar, it was perfect.  I was drinking Fat Tire drafts, it was breezy and about 95 degrees out, but somehow i stayed cool enough to make it the perfect 45 minutes.  I was with other people and we had "places to be", so that is all the longer it lasted.  But, those 45 minutes were as perfect as they could have been north of Dade County (the southern most county in the US).  Here is to hoping to meet that perfect few minutes again soon...

Spring in the Mid-West, should be in Key West!

The weather in the mid-west is miserable this time of year.  You get days near 70, like today.  Then you get snow, like tomorrow.  We all have a severe case of cabin fever, and my freezer has 6 holes i shot in it.  This is the time of year I had wish I had made some reservations for Key West...
I would start my day around 9am with a cup of cuban coffee and guava pastry at 5 Bros.  From there, head to Fort Zach beach for a few hours of sun.  Lunch is the perfect time to hit of Kelly's(owned by Kelly Mcgillis of Top Gun fame) and have some mango BBQ pulled pork sandwich with a draft beer to wash it down, then back to the beach or maybe jump on the Conch Train for some sight seeing.  If you go to Key West you have to hit up the Conch Train, it is how a newcomer learns all about Key West and what makes it so weird and wonderful.  If I wore a watch in Key West, I don't, when it would strike 3pm I would be at the Green Parrot for some afternoon beers.  I just love that place, has such an old school feel to it.  You get the warm breeze blowing in, usually a couple locals hanging at the bar, and just the chillest afternoon atmosphere you could ask for.  Appetizers would be eaten at the Half Shell Raw bar, "oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year" as Jimmy says.  I love raw oysters, and I really love them at the Half Shell.  Then around to Capt. Tony's for some pirate punch before sunset, that is when Captain Tony used to show up, so that is why I like that time there.  I just see that old man sitting in the corner watching the world turn.  Catch the sun set at the carnival at Mallory Sq and hope for a green flash.  Then off to Pepe's for a nice dinner, man that place is awesome.  Just a great vibe and great food.  I would finish the night at Schooner Warf, my dream bar.  This is the bar I think of when i think of a pirate bar, there is just something awesome about it.

Boat Shoes

So, I caved and bought a pair of boat shoes all thanks to @rumshopryan and his review of his Cushe sandals.  I had a pair of these when i was a kid back in the 80's when everyone wore the dark brown "Dockers" and the girls had that little curly cue, loopy lace tie job.  I have wanted a pair of Cushe shoes for a while but couldn't find anything that was "dressy" enough to wear to work.  Well, two things happened, one my standard of business casual is getting lower and lower, and these look cool.  They are called Drifts, and I will post a review on them in the next week or so or whenever the weather gets warm enough to wear them.