At least he spelled Bermuda correctly...

This just in from the Department of Education and Irony: A "Bermuda Goverment" van was spotted on the island's roads this week, which has raised more than a few eyebrows on Facebook since the person who affixed the sign forgot to include the letter n. Commenter Oba Swan asked, "Does it say Ministry of Edumacation on the side?" While Shelia Marshall suggested the sign-smith may have gone to "the Department of Edu-vacation" for his or her schooling. Both valid points, although lets just hope the same guy wasn't painting signs on Fire Department vehicles, unless of course Bermuda is in need of folks extinguishing pine trees (Fir Department, get it?).

Calling All Bartenders

It’s no secret that I enjoy my rum. It’s also no secret that I’m pretty darn good at inventing cocktails—after all, I was a professional bartender long before becoming a television and magazine journalist. Had I not been named the Best Bartender in Fire Island, New York after creating a drink called the Tooty Fruity Banana Booty made with Cruzan banana rum, I might never had met my wife-to-be in St. Croix a few months later (trust me it’s all true; just read this story from Caribbean Travel+Life). That’s why I’m particularly jazzed about the latest promotion from the recently rebranded Rosewood Tucker’s Point and Bermuda’s own Gosling’s Black Seal rum. Wanna win a vacation to Bermuda including airfare for two on Continental and a three-night stay at swanky Tucker’s Point? Then put on your bartending aprons and get creating. Here’s the deal: Invent a Bermuda-themed cocktail made with Gosling’s Black Seal rum then upload your recipe, a photo and your story to Tucker’s Point Facebook page for a chance to win. The five drinks with the most votes plus a judge’s pick each week will advance to the finals round where the Grand Prize winner will be determined by a team of judges from Rosewood Tucker’s Point and Gosling’s Rum. Easy enough, right?

Now, since I’ve got a little bit of experience in this department I’ll give you a few tips on how to create a great cocktail. Number one: It needs an amazing garnish. My winning drink featured a banana straw, which means you sucked the rummy deliciousness through a hole bored through the center of the fruit. Genius, I know. If that’s a little too intense for you however, try rimming the glass with something fun, like cinnamon sugar or graham cracker crumbs. Number two: Make sure it’s not too sweet. Judges and professional drinkers hate, hate, hate treacly cocktails laden with grenadine and syrups. Add a splash of curacao, sure, but don’t forget to add the citrus. Number three: Add a secret ingredient. Because you always need a secret ingredient. You wanna know mine? Tough, it’s a secret. And finally, number four: It needs an amazing name, like the Tooty Fruity Banana Booty. Enough said.

The contest is currently open to any and all interested parties and ends Tuesday, June 28 (for more information visit Tucker's Point Facebook page). And in addition to winning a fantastic trip to Bermuda, your drink will also be served on property at Rosewood Tucker's Point. Bottoms up!

Catch of the Day

Nope, it’s not a yellowfin tuna. Nor is it a wahoo or even a mahi-mahi. After six hours on 10-foot seas—a blissful half-day charter spent trawling Bermuda's Challenger Bank aboard Paradise One—my best bite of the day was the toothy silver fish I’m holding above: a 20-pound barracuda that I happily took home and ate for dinner. Which is not to say the bigger swimmers weren’t biting. We hooked at least three major-sized wahoo while motoring about 12 miles off shore, but unfortunately they bit their lines and got away (because of course, there always has to be a story about the one that got away, right?). Bottom line, if you’re headed to Bermuda and are at all into fishing, this is a trip that shouldn’t be missed. After all, where else in North America can you motor just 30 minutes off shore and be in waters more than 400 feet deep? In the meantime, a major thanks to first mate Delvin and Captain Allan at Paradise One Fishing Charters for a stellar day at sea!

On The High Seas

You know what's so great about the internet? At this very moment I'm on a fishing charter in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, setting my reel and casting my rod in search of some major marine life off the coast of Bermuda. So before we get ahead of ourselves know that this post will be brief—after all, I'm on a boat! That said, if you want to see a picture of me with a giant wahoo, mahi-mahi or tuna hoisted in the air in glorious victory, then make sure to tune in on Monday when I plan to post photos of my very best catch. In the meantime, I'll be clearing out my freezer and firing up my grill. Lines down!

Back In Business

Wowsa. See what happens when you go away for a little while? Sun tans fade, families miss you and worst of all, blogs get neglected. But at least you were warned. The good news is I'm back. Finally. And looking forward to again keeping you updated on the best, weirdiest and newsiest stories coming from my very own twenty-one-square mile archipelago. Ya know, like how funnyman Stephen Colbert finished second in the Charleston-Bermuda sailing race, winning a swanky suite at The Reefs (sorry I missed ya Steve-a-roo); or how a local eight-year-old girl is selling her book, "A Different Kind of Bermuda," at Wednesday Harbor Night celebrations (you go girl!); or my current favorite, how a short film about Bermuda's own Johnny Barnes—a documentary called Mr. Happy Man—played at Mountainfilm in Telluride, a film festival yours truly hosted for Outside Television recently (the real reason why the blog was so silent!). See, I told you I was up to some good stuff. Anyhow, that's all for today, but be sure to tune in tomorrow your daily does of tropical news and island updates.