A Parrothead's Journeys

1 Son Of A Son Of A Sailor

What is your real name (first name only)?
Bob

What is your occupation?
IT Manager, Web Technology for a major telecommunications player.
Also have owned side business Island Images, LLC and its offshoot subsidiary 123Island.com for fun and very little profit for the past 10 years.

What city / state do you live in?
Spittin' distance from Washington D.C. and too damn far from the beaches I grew up on. Currently live in Maryland but I will always consider myself to be a Virginian in my heart.

How old are you?
Born in 1959. You do the math.

Have you ever had a relative live past 100?
nope - not yet that I'm aware of ..... a few had come close though

2 Margaritaville

What is your favorite Buffett song?
"A Pirate Looks At 40", with "Manana" and "Son of a Son of a Sailor" coming in a real close 2nd and 3rd.

Do you have a favorite Buffett album?
"Son of a Son of a Sailor". First JB album (actually an 8-track) that I bought back in '78 or so.

When did you attend your 1st Buffett concert?
Summer of '80. King's Dominion Park outside Richmond, VA.
$6.00 each via a college student ID got me and my college girlfriend admission to the park, all the rides plus a Jimmy Buffett concert in the mid-afternoon. Oh to be young, foolish, broke and in love all over again.

How long have you been a ParrotHead?
Gotta say beginning with my first concert … Summer of '80.  Of course the real nuttiness of tailgating at concerts and all didn't really begin for me until the mid-to-late '80's at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland.

Any plans to see a 2006 show?
2^nd row center orchestra at Nissan Pavilion.  Tickets obtained the hard work way of camping out 24+ hours to be first in line at a non-lottery TM location.

3 FINS!

How many Buffett concerts have you seen?
Let's see ....... 1^st show summer '80 ....... every year since then ....... multiple shows when Jimmy did 2-3 at Merriweather Post + multiple shows at Nissan Pavilion ....... road trips to VA, FL and Carolina several years for shows ....... once in NJ ........ carry the 3 .......
....... Lets call it 75+ give or take a half dozen.

What is your favorite Buffett keepsake?
A personally autographed ("To Bob, Best Wishes, Jimmy Buffett") copy of Jimmy's book A Pirate Looks at Fifty.

What Buffett shows did you go to last year (2005)?
Only one. Nissan Pavilion. Haven't done a road trip to see Jimmy in concert since my kids were born.

Do your non Parrot Head friends "GET IT"?
Mostly.

Who is your favorite Coral Reefer?
Michael Utley I suppose. But I love the Reeferettes as well.

4 Coconut Telegraph

How did you find BN?
Probably a Yahoo! search back 2001 and then again via a Google search in 2006.

Do you post on BN from work or home?
Both. Shhh. My bosses are in Dallas and New York and my reporting teams are in Tampa and Philadelphia. I telecommute frequently.

Have you met any BNers in person?
I had the honor to meet "Auntie" just this summer of '06. At the last minute my wife was unable to make the August 3rd show at Nissan Pavilian, so I quickly logged on to buffettnews.com and offered up a free ticket (and 2nd row center orchestra at that). Lots of volunteers quickly responded but fortunately I was able to learn that Auntie was on her way to the show and did not have a ticket. Her friends nominated her for the ticket and a few hours later we met in the Nissan Pavilion parking lot.

Have you met any of the BN mascots in person?
Guess I'm such a BN newbie that I don't even know what that means.

5 I Heard I Was In Town

Married or Single?
Married happily since 1992. I don't exactly know why I waited so long. Best thing I ever did.

Any keets? Ages?
Two. Daddy's Little Girl a.k.a. Little Miss Magic - girl age 9. And my Surfer Dude - boy age 6.

Do you have any pets? What kinds? What are their names?
We just lost my beloved Golden Retriever .... "Corky" (named after the 1960's surfer legend Corky Carroll) this past year. We had him since he was a pup. He was 13 years old.
Just this summer of 2006 we've adopted another Golden Retriever from GRREAT - a Golden Retriever Rescue organization. He is a wonderful 4 year old golden retriever that we have named "Buc" (short for Buccaneer).
My 9 year old daughter said last year when Corky died .... "You know Daddy? We were lucky to have Corky as our first dog, because he taught us how to love dogs, and I think Corky will want us to get another dog in this family".
Pretty smart girl that daughter of mine.

What kind of car do you drive?
A 2004 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab half ton pickup truck with personalized license plates HANGTEN (in a Margaritaville Key West frame). Before that I drove a 1988 Toyota 4Runner for 17 years and drove it for over 265,000 miles. Man I loved that truck. It was a first generation 4Runner with the removable hard top and the hard top was almost never on when warm weather was around. My own personal Rag Top Day vehicle. I sold it just last year on eBay. I still wonder if I made a mistake doing that.

How many places have you lived?
Lot's of houses but really only two locations. The first 23 years on the coast in Virginia and the last 23 years in and around the suburbs of Washington D.C. Someday I'll get back to the coast, either Virginia or the Carolina Outer Banks. Florida's always a possibility.

6 We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About

Are you a driver or a passenger?
Oh a driver. 100%. I've got to be in control.

If you wear contact lens and you died with them in your eyes, do they take them out?
Don't care anymore. Threw away my contacts 2 years ago when I finally got Lasik eye surgery. Best damn $$ I ever spent. I don't know why I waited so long to do that.

What are your hobbies?
Working in my woodshop. In recent years I've made a bar for my basement, a dollhouse for my daughter, a rocking horse for my son. I've done a lot of matting and framing. Plus numerous small birdhouse type projects with my kids.

How would someone who knows you well describe you?
I think creative and artistic. At least that's how I see myself. Hopefully also as a friend who will always have your back.

What languages do you speak?
4 years of high school spanish ....... just enough to get me into trouble. See Misunderstanding at the Brothel in Costa Rica for further clarification.

Do you read the newspaper regularly?
Daily and end-to-end .... the Washington Post. National, World, Style, Sports, Business sections all.

Are there pink lemons that make pink lemonade?
And chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows.

7 Growing Older But Not Up

What is your favorite sport to watch?
In person ..... baseball.
Participating ..... surfing and soccer
On TV ..... football. Year-in year-out I always end up being commissioner of my fantasy football league the MAFFL (Major Armchair Fantasy Football League). This is due to a league rule that says the owner of losing team in our league championship game has to be the commissioner the following season. My team the East Coast Surfers, is 0-5 in the championships. I just can't win the damn thing, and every year I end up being commissioner. See our website www.ma-ffl.com.
.

What is a household item you splurge on?
My home office. Good Lord I've got more electrical gizmos in plugged in here than is probably safe. I had to get an electrician in to add multiple 4 plug outlets. Scanners, multiple PCs, printers, wireless LAN, radios, TVs, cell phones and iPOD chargers, lamps, phones and multiple other assorted gizmos and gadgets. Also I suppose my other home retreat ... my basement workshop with all of its many power tools.

What time did you get up this morning?
As I write this it is a Sunday morning. Even though I was up puttering around in my office until 3am last night, I was still up at 7:30am this morning. Had no choice ... the kids were up so daddy had to get up.

You're on a desert island with one book, one dvd and one cd--what would they be?
Book: I'm re-reading CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller right now, so I'll say that.
DVD: Kelly's Heroes. Hands down my all time favorite movie. I've seen this movie 200 times if I've seen it once. Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Gaven MacLeod, Carroll O'Connor, Don Rickles, and scene stealer Donald Sutherland. "Knock it of with them negative waves Moriarty. Why can't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why can't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?" And I defy you to get that great theme song Burning Bridges out of your head.
CD: Son of a Son of a Sailor. Can I have a 2nd CD? John Prine's Anthology Great Days.

Are you a task oriented person or a people oriented person?
That would vary depending upon the task and the people involved.

8 License To Chill

If you were to take a short class for the fun of it, what would it most likely be?
Skydiving. I've done the tandem jump thing a couple of times, skydiving over Key West, Florida. I want to free fall on my own.

Even though it could turn your brain into oatmeal, what "junk" TV show have you seen recently that you enjoyed?
Oh let's take the "recently" out of that question. Remember The Gong Show from back in the '80s? Now that was pathetically good entertainment. The early audition rounds of American Idol look pale in comparison.

I'm also now a big fan of Lost.

The 24-hour day has been extended to 28 -- four more hours! What will you do with the extra time?
Something using the left side of my brain. Work in my wood workshop or maybe paint. Spend more time with my kids.

What is your favorite water activity?
Longboard surfing. Used to be short board surfing but I retired from that after an embarressing session in Virginia Beach a decade ago when I realized my surfing skills had waned from lack of use and my single fin 1970's style surfboard was 15 years older than the ages of all of the kids in lineup with me. But after taking a longboard lesson in Costa Rica last year, I've decided to get back into the sport I enjoyed when I was a teenager. Now I have to convince my wife that $1200 is not too much to spend on a classic 10 foot longboard that I may only use once per year. Wish me luck with that.

What is your favorite beach?
Outer Banks, North Carolina ... where you can drive on the beach.

9 Piece Of Work

If you have a tattoo, what/where? If not, would you get one, what/where?
Don't have one, though I've thought about it many times. If I ever do get one, it will be Surf and/or Pirate themed and on my bicep.

What is your favorite color?
Green. For no particular reason.

If they made a movie of your life, who would you want to play you?
Keanu Reeves. Can we timewarp the making of this movie? Not the Matrix Keanu Reeves but rather the Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Keanu Reeves ... for the teenage years at least. Maybe a 1970's Donald Sutherland for the adult years.

Have you ever sung Karaoke?
Only once. It was taped and the tape circulated among my friends for a few years, reappearing at parties whenever anyone needed a laugh at my expense. I heard it too. It's funny now, but I learned I have absolutely no singing voice.

Have you ever ridden a horse?
Yes, though my 9 year old daughter is now better than me. She's been taking horseback riding lessons since she was 6 years old.

Have you ever broken a bone?
Only once. Broke my collar bone playing coed soccer when I was about 30 when this out of control fireplug of a woman came crashing into me. Of course the referee gave me the yellow card. It was here fault!

10 Coastal Confessions

What is your most embarrassing moment?
Probably a decade and a half ago, when I foolishly decided once again to rekindle my fantasy daydreams of surfing glory. I headed out to Virginia Beach one weekend to tackle some 6-8 foot surf. Now I never was a very good surfer even in my younger days, but I was determined to try again. I had absolutely no business being in 6-8 foot surf with my 20 year old single fin 1970's surfboard. I was in the lineup with a bunch of 15 years olds who were laughing their asses off at me as I wiped out miserably time and again. I was lucky to survive. I finally had to admit to myself that I never was going to be a great surfer as I humbly left the beach that day.
Fast forward to today ..... I have discovered the laid back style of longboard surfing! If I start now, I can participate in the Grand Masters (50 and older) division of the 2009 East Coast Surfing Championships! I'll show those young punks yet.

Have you ever flown in something other than an airplane?
Does free falling while skydiving count? If so, then yes.

If you could be a home appliance, what would you be? Why?
A blender. These questions are definitely getting very "Barbara Walters like".

What event in your lifetime got you in the most trouble?
I don't know about the most trouble, but one troublesome incident took place at the 1989 Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour concert at RFK stadium in Washington, D.C. Let's just say that I was absolutely positive at the time that I could scale that 15 foot fence at the end of the concert. Hey! It was a dare.

Have you ever dreamed in color?
If I have, it's not been in vivid technicolor. I do however dream in dolby 6:1 surround sound.

11 That's What Living Is To Me

What song reminds you of high school?
Plenty. But one would be Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John.

Your great aunt dies and leaves you $10,000 that must be spent in six months. What would you do with the money?

Do you collect anything? If so, what?
My wife absolutely hates my many collections. What don't I collect is more like it.
Surf memorabilia. I once had my surf collection displayed all summer in a surf museum in Virginia Beach as a part of the 30th aniversay of the East Coast Surfing Championships.
Magazines. I've got every Playboy magazine going back to about 1975. I've saved hundreds of Mad Magazines that I had as a kid. I've got Surfer magazines going back to about 1970. I've saved newspapers from major history and sports events going back to the Apollo moon landings.
Matchbooks and coasters from bars around the world.
Sand from beaches around the world. Displayed and labeled in small glass viles in my basement bar.
Sports memorabilia - particularly tickets from games I've been to - Orioles, Redskins. Cal Ripken's 2131 game.
Concert tickets from shows that I've gone to going back to the 1970's.
Beer bottles from around the world.
Jimmy Buffett items. Concert tickets. Books. CDs, Album covers, etc.
Books. Thousands. I hate throwing away books. I may have close to 90% of all the books I've ever owned going back to my childhood.
T-shirts. Hundreds. All more or less organized so that I can find the one I'm looking for at any given time. Concert shirts. Surf Shop shirts. Souvenir shirts. All kinds. Sadly I still hold on to some favorites that are a size that I will never, ever fit into again.
Of course you should see my basement. Most of the stuff I listed above is neatly displayed in some way, shape or form in my basement bar. It's kind of a tropical/sports/parrot/pirate/surf/music themed environment. I think it works, but my wife may offer you a differing opinion.

You become dictator, not president, of the United States. What is the first law you enact?
Let me give this some more thought and I'll get back to you. Probably some punishable spamming and telemarketing offenses will be involved.

Have you ever blown a tire while driving?
Yes - and yet lived to tell the tale.

I'm worn out answering 1 - 11 above. I'll work on answering 12 - 25 below at another time.

12 Baby's Gone Shopping

Are you a price conscious shopper?

Do you prefer to shop online, by catalogue, or in person?

Do you like to shop for yourself or others?

What was the last thing you bought for someone else? Where did you buy it? Why did you buy it?

How important is it for you to be up to date with the latest fashions?

13 Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

Do you have a favorite vacation spot?

How many of the 50 states have you visited? Name them.

Ocean or The Pool ?

Have you ever traveled outside of the country? If yes, where?

Have you ever been to a Tiki Bar? If yes, where?

14 Everybody's Got a Cousin in Miami

Could you live in another country for the rest of your life?

Have you ever spent time in Miami?

Do you have a swimming pool?

Do you have a hot tub?

Do you prefer baths or showers?

Why don't you just move to Florida already?

15 Cheeseburger in Paradise

If you had to compare yourself to a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would you be?

What is your favorite boat drink?

What do you normally eat for breakfast?

What's the weirdest thing you eat at home?

What Would We Find in Your Refrigerator?


16 Fruitcakes

Do you like fruitcake?

Have you ever eaten frog's legs?

Do you like oysters?

What is your favorite dessert?

Will you try any food once?

What is your favorite fast food?

What is your favorite meal to cook?

17 The Captain and the Kid

What is your earliest childhood memory?

What was your favorite childhood TV show?

What was your favorite game to play as a kid?

What happened on your 18th birthday?

Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?


18 School Boy Heart

What was your favorite subject in school?

Who was your favorite teacher?

How many schools did you attend?

Who was the person you had a crush on in 9th grade?

What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up?

Can you juggle?

19 Off To See The Lizard

Do you prefer summer vacations or winter vacations?

Have you ever hitchhiked?

If you were going on a camping trip for a week, what 10 things would you bring?

Do you think this song may be about Jimmy wanting to see Jim Morrison?

What countries would you like to visit? Why?

If you could choose one place to go this weekend, where would it be? (could be anywhere in the world)?

20 Woman Going Crazy on Caroline Street

Have you ever been told you look like someone famous & who?

I really crack up (laugh hysterically) when…

If you could have dinner with someone famous, who would it be?

What is your favorite television cartoon?

What goofy or funny thing does anyone in your family do to make you laugh?

21 Only Time Will Tell

Have you ever been arrested? If so, for what?

Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?

Have you ever broken one date to go on another date with someone else?

Describe your mother in one word.

22 He Went To Paris

What is your most prized possession?

Who is the one person who has most influenced you
and how?

Do they put underwear on corpses?

What are you most proud about yourself?

My tombstone will say . . .

23 Jamaica Mistaica

What are you scared of?

If you could push the "rewind" button on anything in your life, what would it be?

What part of your body do you love?

Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?

Do you think you've turned out the way your parents expected?

24 Come Monday

True or False...and WHY????

I consider myself to be very organized.

I tend to get more done when I'm pressed for time.

Multi-tasking is something I do often.

I enjoy Mondays as much as I enjoy Fridays.

If I didn't make a list (or hang a post-it note) I'd forget what it is I need to do.

25 Why Don't We Get Drunk

1. Do you drink adult beverages?

2. Do you mix or drink the same thing all night?

3. Favorite shot?

4. Does tequila make your clothes fall off?

5. Can you always remember last night?