Cuba Libre is my favorite 5:00 adult beverage while I am in Key West. For those unfamiliar, it is a mix of rum, coke and a squeeze of lime. To say the least it tickles my fancy. Especially when sipped from an old fruit jar :) Allegedly, it was named at the dawn of the 20th Century by an American Captain stationed in Havana during the Spanish-Americ …
This past week has been epic for my grandson Shawn Atom. One could describe it as a "Hat Trick" as he culminated his 7 year quest to become an Eagle Scout (achieved by only 4% of all Boy Scouts), decided to attend the venerable engineering program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and and is attempting to find a vocalist so his band can enter Got …
There is a unique dive bar in Key West called The Chart Room. I learned of it reading Key West Lou's blog. It is hidden away in the bowels of The Pier House at the end of Duval Street. It has quite a storied history, including Mel Fisher, Jimmy Buffet and many other Key West characters and luminaries. To me The Chart Room is the closest approxim …
Recently my friend David Berger commented that I'm relentless. He said it almost as a throw away line, because it wasn't directly on point. I heard it and it got me thinking that he was right on. One of my Rules for Success is to never quit and to out work the competition. David's "relentless" comment resonated so much in my mind that I am now h …
Tomorrow is my birthday and over the last 10 years I have developed a tradition of memorializing it with a photo standing next to the applicable highway mile marker. We "Snow Bird" in Key West which is the southern most point in the continental United States and US Highway 1 begins there at mile marker Zero. Each year we venture up US 1 to the …
I am enamored by the word Puppy (and puppies too)! It is such a positive, loving, warm word, as in "Puppy Love" and all things sweet and adorable ❤️ By strict definition a Puppy is a young (less than 1 year) dog. Yet in my mind our Charcoal (an 11 year old Schnoodle pictured) is still a puppy and, yes, I am still in puppy love with her. She is swee …
Recently we bought a new mattress. The process was a complex one during which we were tested and we tested many mattress options. Price aside (inflation is real), it was a complicated trial and error process. Eventually we decided on a thick pillow top mattress with new (full) box springs. Then it happened, our new bed was delivered and assembl …
Have you ever been asked by a friend to make a donation to their cause? Do you dignify the request with a response? If you comply, what motivates you to do so? Also, what equation goes into the amount of the donation? Lastly, do you remember the amount? I'm not sure if there has been a scholarly study on this subject or that the answers to my above …
In addition to this blog appearing on the Gotham City Networking platform, it appears in the Key West on line newspaper KonkLife. As a consequence, there are a few more readers and, unexpectedly, I have engendered three new (Key West reader) friends. I call them The Three Wise Men. They are Larry, Rick and Lou. Each one smarter, more interestin …
Last week when my turn came at the joint Queens/Westchester Zoom networking meeting, rather than do my usual presentation, I "Spit":My name is Fred, most people my age are dead. This Rap shows my Cred and my quest is to make you bread! You should have seen the stunned faces on the full Zoom screen and some who weren't paying full attention evenas …
The Stones famously sang (I can't get no) Satisfaction. Well, respectfully, I disagree. Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations or needs. I, for one, feel that my striving, dreaming, working and doing have pretty much achieved it by. As someone once said "You get what you pay for"! How about you?
Last Friday we saw our friend, Erin McKenna, a Long Island girl transplanted to Key West, perform at iconic Williams Hall. It was the first Williams Hall theatrical production, "Bombshell", a 5 act, one woman show starring Erin and directed by her friend Jeremy (The Cat) Zoma . During the arc of the show, Erin transforms herself from a competiti …
If you could choose between Fame, Money or Power, which one would you pick? All are extraordinary and out of the reach of most. To me the choice is obvious: Fame has so much hidden downside, Money has its negatives too, but Power, if wielded correctly for good, is my overwhelming choice. Imagine if you had The Power!
As you may know, this blog is written from far away Key West (an Island under the protection of Uncle Sam) and, to let you in on a secret, it's a little different down here. They call it the KONK Republic based on a bizarrely unsuccessful attempt to secede from the Union. It was fueled by a populist pervasive passion for non conformity. Do …
Just as there are 3 sides to every story: Your side, My side and the Truth, there is usually a bright side in every situation. Where many complain or express anxiety as to their situation, I always endeavor to see and express a possible bright side as so many of us, on balance, are SO fortunate. Don't suffer the small stuff. See the Bright Side!
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend