For over 20 years, the daffodils on our front lawn have signaled a new beginning. This year the conversation at the Beach Bar is about how this spring is special.

After a year of Covid winter, today is a spring rebirth – a rebirth that is not to be wasted. This spring has given us energy for a deep spring cleaning. We’ve filled one and a half dumpsters of “stuff” that was cluttering our house, the Eureka! Ranch and the Brain Brew Distillery.  

We are also cleaning our mindset. 

We’re cleaning up our home cooking habits – enjoying healthier, fresher foods. We’re cleaning up our exercise habits – enjoying fitness outdoors. We’re cleaning up our work habits – creating smarter work systems. I’m cleaning up my guitar learning habits – making time for it each day.

CONSEQUENCES

I’m tired each night. But it’s a good tired. It’s a tired from having made my world and the world around me a little better each day. 

So what are you waiting for?

Get Up – Get Out – Get Going!

Cheers,

Doug

When STRESS hits you, your mind goes through a chain reaction….handled properly it’s a bit like what happens in the following computer program:

1. PRINT “STRESS”
2. PRINT “ACKNOWLEDGE STRESS”
3. END & MOVE ON

If you ran the above BASIC program, the word STRESS would appear on the screen once – and nothing more would happen. 

Frequently, what occurs is more like this next program:

1. PRINT “STRESS”
2. PRINT “Thoughts that confirm why I should be stressed.”
3. GO TO 1
4. END 

In this example, the STRESS is followed by a little story – by thoughts about why your stress is justified.  The story itself, the imagining, then becomes the cause for deeper frustration. The command in line 3 takes you back to line 1.  

If you ran this second program, the screen would fill with the statement, then scroll indefinitely as the statements repeat over and over again. This scrolling continues until you turn the computer off or reset it. The program never reaches line 4.  It’s a continuous loop of never ending frustration. 

The simple answer – “note” the stress – it is what it is – take action if appropriate – let it go if you can’t or shouldn’t do anything about it. 

This post was inspired by a mentor of mine, Copthorne Macdonald, from his book Toward Wisdom. 

Cheers,

Doug

I SHALL FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE – Admiral Peary of Maine – the first to successfully reach the North Pole – wrote this in Latin on the  wall of his shelter in Greenland as he recovered from a broken leg. It’s also carved on his tombstone at Arlington Cemetery in Washington. 

The Admiral was one of the most tenacious and innovative explorers in history. His inventions on relays, cooking systems, team management, base camps, etc. are used today by virtually all explorers. 

This week, Admiral Peary’s quote came up at the Beach Bar as I was telling the story of trying to MAKE A WAY to get the COVID Vaccine.  

In Ohio, my wife and I became eligible for the vaccine on Thursday.  Within 4 hours we both had appointments for our first and second shots. 

We got the appointments by innovating or MAKING A WAY. 

The first 3.5 hours were painful as we ran into dead end after dead end.  

Then, we decided to think differently. Ohio is a big state.  Vaccines are distributed to every town. 

On pharmacy websites… we entered zip codes of areas where the population was less likely to be interested in getting the vaccine. These would be counties where the republican candidate won by 3 to 1 (74% to 24%) 

Eureka!  We got the appointments for the next day Friday!

Photo from my book North Pole Tenderfoot.

Cheers,

Doug

This past week I got very frustrated with people living in yesterday!   

Throughout the week it seemed every other phone call or zoom was rooted in reliving the good old days.  OR it was focused on where people are going.   

Interestingly – it didn’t seem age related. 

Young people were just as guilty of focusing on the past as older people were to be focused on living in the now and tomorrow. 

When sitting at the Brain Brew Beach Bar – I’m ok with a few stories of the past.   But before long, I yearn for talk of the future – about possibilities, dreams and aspirations. 

My life has been and hopefully will always be about living forward and not looking back. I get it – COVID craziness can get us caught in a spiral of thinking on what we’ve “lost.”

My advice – as I’ve said before is to “Get up, Get out & Get Going!”

Cheers,

Doug

“Have Fun Playing in the Snow” was on my mind this week.

It was written by my daughter Tori (Victoria) on a piece of scrap paper and hidden inside my backpack when I participated in the Aspirations Expedition to the North Pole years ago. It was one of a number of notes my wife Debbie and our kids had left me to find.

I opened one note every other day or so. “Have Fun Playing in the Snow” was opened the morning after a horrible day. We’d been traveling in a white out… stumbling on our skis while we chased the dog sleds. The day had been tough on me physically but even more so on me emotionally.   

Tori’s note gave me a new energy. Instead of wallowing in my pains and frustrations, I approached the day with a new outlook. I became light on my skis and took to the pressure ridges and rusty ice with youthful energy. 

This past week as snow fell and fell at the Beach Bar at the Eureka! Ranch in Cincy, I cross country skied around the lake to have fun playing in the snow. 

Today – just like at the pole – it’s all how you look at things. We can let the pandemic frustrate us or we can find ways to have fun playing during the pandemic. 

I’m writing this Saturday morning. Morning has broken – it’s time to get up, get out and have fun playing in the snow.  

If you’re interested you can learn more about this adventure in my book North Pole Tenderfoot.

Cheers,

Doug

This week the Brain Brew Crew spent some time crafting romance cocktails. Said another way – it was an excuse to put ourselves under the constraint of creating drinks that are red in color :). 

I Bring the Party Mocktail  (left) 

This is mocktail with attitude. It’s a ton of fun with just enough bubble and just enough depth to ignite the mood!  

Add the following to a mixing glass:

• 1/2 Oz Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz  Cranberry Juice
• 1 oz Club Soda
• Squeeze of Lime

Next, stir gently with ice, strain into a glass and garnish with lime. 

I Love You Berry Much (middle) 

This is a romantic version of a whiskey sour crafted by Sue Hogan. The strawberries bring some sweetness and hopes for spring and the lemon juice gets you ready to pucker up. 

Muddle the following ingredients in a cocktail shaker:

• 3 Strawberries
• 1/2 ounce (or one Tablespoon) Vermont Maple Syrup
• 3/4 Ounce of Lemon Juice
• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Next, shake with ice, strain into a glass and garnish with strawberry.

You’re the Zest  (right)  

This is a romantic version of a Belmont from John Ferris. It’s a complex yet clean cocktail that will open you to love.

Add the following ingredients to a cocktail shaker:

• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 1/2 oz Pomegranate Juice
• 1 oz of Lemonade
• Squeeze of Fresh Lemon & Some Lemon Zest

Next, shake with ice, strain into a glass and garnish with lemon.

If you’re looking for something fun to do at home and enjoy these cocktail recipes, check out the The Raptor Center’s Love is for the Birds Live Program this Friday, February 12th. The event is a fun Valentine’s Day special informational program hosted by the Minnesota Raptor Center and features these fun recipes with bird-themed names.

Enjoy,

Doug