There are ways. Camping alone on Kauai with nothing but a surfboard and a backpack, I boiled water for ramen and huddled in a small covered area around two concrete tables with a group of fellow campers. Each dusk, as the Pacific lapped at the sand a few feet away, a motley crew prepared their separate meals, then ate in a cluster, making small traveler talk. Where you from? Where you been? Where you going? This particular night, as we scarfed sub-satisfying dinners, the vibe

A fellow painter invited me last week to be one of four artists at a South Beach corporate event. Live painting feels a bit like being a monkey with a brush, but there are worse ways to earn $500 in 3 hours. Each artist was asked to create a 5’x3′ S. Beach themed canvas which convention guests could enhance as their hearts desired. My cocktail glass filled with ice had the working title $20 With a Straight Face, which is what the shameless bastards charge around here for a vo