Happy Snaps, Old San Juan - Puerto Rico

I had taken some photographs in Old San Juan earlier this month.  It was on the same day as a peaceful protest was being carried out by protestors as a consequence of the Government of the day wanting to cut he jobs of  200 government employees, which I suppose is why the streets were a little empty as people were acting on a cause!

I am unaware of the particular street names/places, just wanted to give a very brief pictorial illustration of the area to show. The architecture and colours are just magnificent, you really have to be there to truly appreciate it.

Some of the streets were undergoing maintenance and repairs, a lot of them in this area are cobbled with a blue glazed type of stone, most are uneven and fun to navigate!

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Halloween Jack O' Lantern

Being of Celtic descent I can recall as a child for many years on all hallows' eve, a carved Turnip or Pumpkin head (Jack O' Lantern) created earlier that day by one of my parents sat on the front door step or porch with a burning candle placed inside to accentuate the face as the night drew darker around it.  I can still vividly recall the smell of these vegetables slowly cooking from the inside out in the cold night air.

I can't quite recall when the ritual stopped for me, but I would guess it would have been around my early teens, you know, when your too old for all that kids stuff!

When I became a father I reinstated this Celtic seasonal tradition, I have each year since my sons were born made Jack O' Lanterns or as we call them in our home "Pumpkin Heads" to pass on a little of my childhood family tradition to them.

Logan as our Jack O' Lantern or Pumpkin Head

Carving a Pumpkin head has always been fun to do, we have had a lot of entertainment with the results.  This year a decision was made not to carve a Pumpkin. The decision came around by a brief but meaningful discussion with my youngest son, Logan, he has several teeth missing at present, and those he does have come with gaps between, and so this year we thought we might just try something a little different!

Have a fun and safe 2009 All Hallows' Eve, whoever you are, wherever you might be, whatever you believe?

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What do I want?

Going through some old papers at our home office I came across a document from 23 January 1996 asking me that question; I recalled at that time I was approaching my mid thirties and embarking on a new direction, owning the business I had worked for since 1989.

I was married, with one son and another on the way.  I owed a substantial mortgage, was a $45K salaried employee, with three weeks annual leave, working an average sixty hours per week and commuting 100 kilometres each day in a small company car prior to my decision to become an entrepreneur, business owner and employer.

I knew of few successful people in business; and so made the decision to research books around business methods, the principles of success and self improvement, which is where I found the nine questions headed 'What do I want'. I wrote them down, and in context to my business (you could change the circumstance) complete with my answers on a lined piece of paper.

I am going to share each of those nine questions with you:

1. Money
2. Working Hours
3. Risks
4. Stress
5. Type of Work
6. Independance
7. Achievements
8. Power
9. Personal Relations

I am also going to share with you my answers:

Money: $120K salary before tax.  Working Hours: less than forty hours, give myself six weeks annual leave.  Risks: calculated.  Stress: learn and lower the effects.  Type of Work:  work I enjoy, delegate that which I did not.  Independance:  equal or better than achievements of my peers.  Achievements: successful business owner, setting new standards.  Power:  enhance my reputation; develop status amongst industry peers.  Personal Relations:  improve relations with troublesome personnel in my business.

I made reference to this document each day; it acted as a map to help keep me on course with the journey I had started.

Did I achieve all my 'wants' on that list? Yes.It's easy to get what you want; you just have to know what it is!

I focussed my attention on my wants each day.  I had included time frames, some specific, some less specific, some having to be revised.  I understood my wants were realistic; it might just be the time frame I had set was unrealistic.  I recall I was never discouraged; knowing that if one way did not lead me to success, then I was not to give up, simply find another way to find that success.

Now I am older and wiser (!) I have again asked of myself those same nine questions, my answers having changed as a consequence of time and circumstance, nevertheless; I am again looking forward to achieving what it is I want.

I have just one question for you, have you asked yourself and answered your 'What do I want'?

Here I am sitting at my desk at our home office along with that  1996 lined foolscap piece of paper with the nine questions and my answers all written in capitals, and pencil!

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My Cigar of the Week

My cigar of the week, has truly been my cigar for the 'fortnight'!  It is the 'Punch Champion' I purchased a couple or three upon my arrival at the Tinderbox in Santa Monica en route to a confrence in Puerto Rico a couple of weeks ago.

This swollen 'Perfecto' gained my attention amongst the others in view initially because of its unique shape (I have since heard this shape referred to by another as 'a python swallowing a pig', if you can imagine that!). The other attraction for me was the dark brown colour and the oily sheen of the wrapper, hopefully indicating a rich flavour and highly suspected quality.

The cigar is firm to the touch and I was a little concerned that it might prove to be a little tight to draw, but all fears of that soon dissapeared on my very first smoke. The tasty woody smoke delicately changed balance through out, but always left me feeling satisfied, the ash burned light in colour and stayed tight (well below the line where the cigar band had originally been toward the cap). The dense heavy smoke that filled my den with a nice tobacco aroma.

The 'Champion' is an authentic Honduran full bodied blend, using only the finest Honduran, Nicuraguan and Dominican fillers, incorporating Ecuadorian  grown Sumatran wrappers.

How, I hear you ask, could this be my cigar of the fortnight when I had only originally purchased three, well, I enjoyed the initial cigars so much that when I returned to Santa Monica after being in Puerto Rico, I bought a box of twenty five to enjoy upon my return home!

If you enjoy a rich flavoured medium to full bodied cigar, then I recomend the 'Champion' for your next 35 - 45 minute smoke. Go find one, light up, and enjoy.

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Manifesting

I do not usually make a habit of downloading free ebooks, although whilst I was trolling the internet over the past couple of days something about this particualr one caught my attention, and I just had to have it and now share this with you.  It is entitled 'the principles of successful manifesting'  the quantum method for manifesting your life dreams.  It covers spiritual, money, health, relationships and consciousness. I can't get enough of it!  It has brought me great satisfaction this morning whilst reading it for the first time, and I am sure it will continue to give each time I read it and undertake the excersises.

I am going to recomend that you obtain a copy of this practical ebook, and challenge you to put into practice the excersises that are contained, I am positive improvement in your life shall come your way as a direct result.

Contact , Thomas Herold tom@dreammanifesto.com to obtain your copy.

Enjoy.

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Montecristo Operation Hope

I had been in Puerto Rico on conference recently, and on my day off from the conference I took a day trip into the wonderful city of Old San Juan. It was there that I came across a cigar store (yeah, like I wasnt looking) that had a veritable treasure trove of smokes and paraphanalia!  It was whilst inside the humidor, I noticed amongst many treasures something that I had not been aware of before, it was a box set containing three excellent cigars, a Montecristo Classic, a Montecristo Reserva Negra and a limited edition Montecristo 75th Anniversario along with a quality Montecristo cutter with leather sleeve and Cigar Savour double torch lighter with punch cutter, all that for only US$39.95!

The cigar afficienado in the store I talked to about this box set informed me that this particular purchase would benefit The Montecristo Relief Organization, which is working to rebuild the hopes and dreams of victims of hurricanes and other natural and economic disasters in the Caribbean and the United States. After his explanation and another look at those excellent Montecristo cigars, I just had to make the purchase, after all, as I bask in the subtle and complex flavours of the 'Classic', the sophisticated and well rounded 'Reserva Negra' and the sensual and fuller bodied '75th Anniversario' I shall have added satisfaction by knowing my passion for cigars in each of those instances had benefited an organization that in turn will benefit the lives of many people in need. In fact the reminder shall be continued long after the cigars have gone, each and every occasion I use my my double torch lighter, and should I use the cutter (as you know if you follow my blog I am now a 'Trilogy' fanatic).

I urge you to find one of these Montecristo Operation Hope boxes, and make the purchase, even if you do not smoke cigars, I am absolutely certain you will feel good about the decision to do so as it shall be assisting others less fortunate. It is my only regret that in hindsight I did not have the foresight to have purchased another of these boxes to pass on to an equally appreciative friend!

Should you be interested in making a donation to Operation Hope, information can be obtained by taking a visit to http://www.montecristorelieforganization.com/

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Gratitude

Recently I had the opportunity to listen to a speaker whilst in Puerto Rico.  The speaker was a man by the name of Yossi Ghinsberg, an adventurer, who talked of a particular journey he had taken into the Amazon with three other men.
I am not going to relay his story here (you can find more about Yossi and his story by 'Googling' him on the net) I am just going to share with you a few notes I had resonated with, which I trust shall assist you as they have me:

Gratitude - Q. Where are we? A. Here! Q.What time is it? A. Now!
Dreamer Fool - A person who dreams and acts upon his dreams
Responsibility yields power, take responsibility

There was one last note that I had taken, - 'if somebody knows your dreams, you will follow them'. The context that this was delivered in was based upon an individual knowing your dream then presenting you with the opportunity to fulfil that dream by following them. 
After having reviewed my notes, I found I had departed from that initial context, and viewed the statement from another, that being, if you make bold enough to allow someone to see your dream, because you have openly declared your dream, you shall pursue your dream with vigour.

I live in the 'Here' and 'Now', dare to be a 'Dreamer Fool'  whilst 'Taking Responsibility' .  I am also very appreciative to have attracted and become surrounded by so many similar individuals who also choose to live with 'Gratitude' .

'Gratitude' is not exclusive, anyone can have it, share it, express it and live each and every moment with it, I do, how about you?

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The Trilogy - Product Review

Whilst in LA (Sant Monica) recently,  I made my pilgramage to the Tinderbox, located at 2729 Wilshire Boulevard to catch up with some of the guys who work there and take stroll around the humidor, gaze at the wonderful contents before making my selection for the duration of my stay, and select the cigars I would be taking back home with me.

Whilst in the store I made the purchase of a little product to aid my smoking pleasure called the 'Trilogy'.  It is a cigar piercer which allows the head of your cigar to remain closed and was designed by a gentleman named Ed Kolpin, Sr.  This little device is designed to enable the smoke comes out at an approximate angle of 45 degrees hitting your taste buds instead of the tip of your tongue as the head of the cigar is left closed.


Today I have tried this little device on a 'Punch Champion', 3 holes screwed into the head after lightly moistening (to avoid unravelling) and I can confirm that this little instrument and method has made my smoking experience that much more pleasurable.  The 'Punch Champion' is a personal favourite of mine and has never been a bad smoke with the end clipped or punched, although by adding this device and method has heightened my cigar smoking pleasure and delivered perfect draft control.

I shall from now on be using the 'Trilogy' when I partake of my cigar delictation, I am a convert and highly recommend the use of this little device to each and every one of you, so what are you waiting for? Go buy one and try for yourself now!

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NZ Whitebait

After speaking recently to some friends about my whitebait activities, I came to realise that I did not know a lot about these little fish; what species did they originate from, what might they grow into if they were not caught at this stage in the life cycle?

After a little research I have come up with following which I hope shall answer some questions for those of you also with an interest.

My results have found that there are six adult species of whitebait:
Inanga (Galaxias maculatus), Banded Kokopu (Galaxias fasciatus), Koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis), Giant Kokopu (Galaxias argenteus), Short Jawed Kokopu (Galaxias postvectis) and the Common Smelt (Retropinna retropinna).
The whitebait catch consists primarily of the following: Inanga, Koaro and the Banded Kokopu, although Inanga are the most commonly caught species.

Occasionally present are the young of other species of fish such as Eels, Bullies and Trout.

All whitebait species spend part of their life cycle in fresh water and part in the sea.  These tiny fish hatch in the late autumn are carried along rivers out to sea where they live and grow over winter.  In late winter early spring they migrate back up the rivers and streams to finally settle in bush covered streams and swamps.

The start of their migration is thought to be influenced by by river flows and phases of the moon.

Good luck and many fritters . . . . .

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Burley Recipe

I have found much success when salt water fishing with 'Burley' or 'Chum' and thought I would share my recipe for success.  I typically use my old bait that has been placed back in the freezer from previous trips or stuff I know is a little too old to be used on its own and goes a little like this:

10Kg of old bait (Pilchards, Mullet, Bonito)
2.5Kg of dry Burley (Pig Pellets, or Old Bread Crusts)
1litre of Fish Oil additive (Bonito)
200ml of Pheromone (Stimulate UltraBite)
Add enough water to suit desired consistency

Mince the Bait, add the dry burley, fish oil, pheromone and water, stir well in a large 20Litre bucket and then pour into 2Litre plastic milk containers (handles allow you to tie your warp around securely).  Place in the freezer to set. Thats it.

In advance to fishing (a day or two) take out of the freezer and place in a cool spot. The Bait, pellets, oil & pheromone will have soaked together like a good old fashioned stew!

Whilst out on the boat, after anchoring, I attach my Burley to a weighted line, pierce the milk bottle several times (allowing the mixture to disperse when submerged).  My Burley line is then attached to the stern of the boat and dropped to the sea bed, then raised about a metre and a half off the floor to help put the trail into the 'zone'.

The beauty of the milk containers is that you can carry as many as you like on a trip, store them conveniently, and of course you are recyling a bit of landfill one more time before discarding back in your rubbish bin @ home.

Good luck and tight lines . . . . . .

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The Law of Attraction

Recently I attended a presentation by Chris Prime in Hamilton entiteled 'Attract More Success, Money and Abundance With Law of Attraction'. It was enlightening for me, and this was not Chris' one day workshop, this was his free evening presentation!

Essentially Chris over a 3 hour period (a short and enjoyable 3 hour period) outlines 4 steps after first defining 'LOA'.

I am not going to give away what the definition or steps are, because if you you really want to know you can make contact with Chris and arrange to attend a free presentation to find out for yourself, plus be the beneficiary of his 13 page worksheet, and seminar resource CD also for free!

I am going to advise you that the aim (which Chris rightly and unashamedly promotes) is for you to attend his 'Empowerment Workshops', which is exactly what I shall be doing at the earliest opportunity, because if I can gain similar amounts of knowledge and self empowerment from attending as I have from his free presentation I would consider it priceless in both personal and monetary terms.

What Chris does is provides you with a gift, all you need to do is be ready to receive.  My gift to you is his web address: http://www.thelawofattractioncentre.co.nz/, are you ready to receive?

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Beautiful Destinations

It dawned upon me this morning that I am only 5 days away from another journey across our globe, and this shall be my fourth of five trips overseas in the span of twelve months.  Never before have I travelled so frequently and so far!

Our destination this time is Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, via a short stop to meet with friends and relatives in LA on both the way in and out.  It was only at the end of August we had been in Brisbane, Australia and in mid July we were on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Prior to Hawaii, we had been in Denarau, Fiji late in November last year, and yes we shall be spending time in Denarau, Fiji mid November this year.

These opportunities to travel has been helped along by other events, both our Fiji trips are as a consequence of a friendship, one that had stemmed from our youngest sons school.  The Fiji trip was the top prize at the school Gala Dinner and Auction, which I had the winning bid and gifted to my wife for her tireless efforts on behalf of the school PTA. The owners of the property are good friends of ours and they were pleased we had won the auction and glad we would be able to share in a place they both enjoy.  We have this time been invited to share the property with them whilst they shall be in residence, and we are looking forward to spending time away with our good friends.

The Big Island of Hawaii, Brisbane and Puerto Rico  have come about as a consequence of a home business opportunity that my wife and I have become involved in, conferences in beautiful locations, with talented associates, international speakers and motivators, and most important a much needed product to help develop the individual reach their true potential.

Travel recently for me, has strengthened my friendships, created many new friendships and once again broadened my horizons, I am now looking further afar than I have done for many years, I can again see opportunities and I am focussed on living to help myself and help others who might want my help.

Puerto Rico here I come!

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Opening Day - Waitawheta

Opening day 2009 has come and gone.  It was a first for me, as normally I would be working during the week and not have taken out valuable vacation time on this opportunity.

Despite the best efforts of the weather, I decided I would still be going to my favourite river, so packed the car and headed off after first walking my dog.

I would reach my destination in around an hour, and along the way made note that there was no one else fishing the Ohinemuri, water level was high and running fast, so expectation of dirty deep water was going through my mind when I got to my destination, meaning fishing was going to be tough!

Without going into too much detail, I had a great day on the river, I found a couple of great spots I had not explored before, I got a couple of touches, and yes, I also ended up 'skunked'.  Regardless, I was out there on opening day 2009, I have fished the first day of the season - there will be many more days to fish in the season ahead.

Heres looking forward to many more opening days in my future.

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