Make Mine a Double

The one thing you will have to be aware of, once you've received your new found wealth, is that friends and family will come out of the woodwork to get their piece of the pie. How you divy up your loot is up to you, but there will come a time where these people will continue to stop by.

As the proper hosts that you are, you will kindly offer them a drink. But, not just any drink - we're talking Single Malt Scotch! Spoil your friends with the best, but be aware that there are many different single malts from a number of different regions ... each with their own "style".

So, here are some excellent suggestions:

1. Highland Single Malts (Not including Speyside) - Refer to a group of distilleries located in the northern highlands of Scotland. They are usually medium-bodied, quite complex and delicate. Distilleries to note are: Glenmorangie (pronounced glen-more-ann-gee) established in 1843, Oban established in 1794 (one of my personal favourites!) and and one of the Classic Malts of Scotland, and Dalwhinnie (another Classic Malt of Scotland) established in 1897.

2. Island Single Malts (Not including Islay) - A general term for single malt Scotch Whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland - except for Islay (pronounced eye-la) whiskies. They can be hard to define as each has its own character, however, they tend to be noticeably peaty - a peppery taste. Distilleries to note are: Talisker (on the Isle of Skye and a Classic Malt of Scotland) established in 1830 is one of the best and Highland Park established in 1798 in the Cask Strength is fabulous!

3. Speyside Single Malts - This area in the northeast of Scotland contains two-thirds of all malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. These whiskies are quite sweet with "estery" tones - light, fruity, floral. Distilleries of note are: The Macallan established in 1824 and probably one of the most loved scotches in the world, Knockando (pronounced knock-an-due) established in 1898, and Balvenie established in 1892, which has a number of different cask "flavours".

4. Islay - Fully quarter of the island's surface is covered with peat and Islay malt whiskies are renowned for their strong peaty flavour thanks to the water used and the peating process. Many describe these malts as "medicinal", but they truly have an exciting combination of tastes to enhance your experience. Look for: Lagavulin (again, one of my favourites and a Classic Malt of Scotland) established in 1816, Bunnahabhain (pronounced boo-na-have-un) established in 1881, and Bruichladdich (pronounced brook-laddy) established in 1881. Some of the best single malts in the world! (Of course this is my personal opinion!)

5. Lowlands - Distilleries, strange enough, located in the Lowlands (southern area) of Scotland. They are light in colour and weight and typically have a dry finish. Strangely enough, Lowland malt whiskies are regarded by many as an excellent aperitif. One distillery to consider is Glenkinchie established in 1825 - it is an exceptionally smooth whisky, as far as whiskies can be smooth.

So, impress your new friends with an amazing selection of fine single malt scotches. Don't forget the cigars, should you be into that! Scotch and cigars go together quite well, but you won't find that combination at my house!

Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (10/10)

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

You're wealthy.

Stinking rich.

And if you've taken my advice and have acquired a number of the luxurious items in my postings, then you've had to sign a lot of paperwork - design approvals, contracts, and even cheques.

These instruments are highly collectable and quite the status symbol, so you don't want to be seen using a crappy old Bic pen, would you? You can choose a number of different writing tips - ballpoint, roller, felt-tip, or fountain. Here's what I suggest you purchase, so you can impress even the most jaded sales person:

1. Montblanc - Established in 1906, Montblanc is the first name in writing instruments. Most pens average approximately $1,000 USD, but this instrument (right) is the world’s most expensive ballpoint pen. With 840 diamonds and 20 carats total in gemstones, it’s made by Mont Blanc and Van Cleef & Arpels. Each pen takes one and a half years to make, and only nine will ever be made. Each pen will cost $730,000 USD.

2. David Oscarson - Amazingly, Oscarson's pens have only been around for just over 10 years, but their quality and design have made a huge impact on the writing instrument collecting world. Due to the time and professionalism applied to each design, most of his collections will only have a maximum of 88 pens available! His pens average approximately $3,000 USD, with the most expensive pen being the Pierrot White Fountain Pen, which costs around $4,900 USD.

3. OMAS Pens - Founded in Italy in 1925, OMAS has gained a high reputation as crafters of high quality writing instruments. Even the most "basic" pen in their collection requires over 100 days of handcrafting to complete. Their pens average approximately $600 USD. Pictured to the left is their Maserati LE pen, which retails for approximately $2,950 USD.

Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (9/10)

SUVs - Transporting in Style

In the very first article, you decided to purchase a sports car - very wise, very macho. Well, guess what? You still have to transport the family around and there's no way you want to do that in a mini-van!

You, Sir/Madam, want an SUV - a Sports Utility Vehicle. These 4x4 or AWD (All Wheel Drive) vehicles have, effectively, been around since WWII. They were descendants of the commercial vehicles built around that time for hauling personnel and materials. They weren't, however, officially designated "SUVs" until the 1990s, when they really became popular thanks to the Jeep Cherokee.
Now that money isn't an object to this purchase, what should you consider? Don't forget that you'll need roominess or seating capacity, cargo capacity, style, and .... HORSEPOWER!! Allow me to present the following options for your consideration:

1. Porsche Cayenne - The fastest SUV on the road, the Turbo S model does 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds - that's faster than most sports cars! It's styling may not appeal to everyone, but there's no doubt you could get the kids to school in a fraction of a heartbeat: giving you plenty for the simpler pleasures in life. It produces 550 hp at 6,000 rpms and has a top speed of 174 mph (282 kph)!! The cost for this beast is a reasonable at an MSRP of $124,800 USD.

Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (10/10)

2. Range Rover Sport (see top picture) - My favourite SUV on the market. But, that's me. The Range Rover has evolved from a boxy underpowered brute of a vehicle into the sophisticated and elegant machine of today. One could easily imagine the owners dressed in their finest apparel on their way to enjoy the opera, regardless of the fact they just might be going for groceries. The Range Rover Sport HSE won't win any races - it does 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds, produces 300 hp at 6,000 rpm, and has a top speed of 140 mph (226 kph). It is more cost effective though, having a MSRP of $86,700 USD.

Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (10/10)

3. BMW X6 - A relatively newcomer to the SUV world (2009), the X6 takes on a much sportier look than it's brothers - the X5 and smaller X3. It's effectively a sports sedan body on an SUV frame - the best of both worlds! The x5.0i version will power you down the road with a 408 hp @ 6,400 rpm engine that'll get you off the line and up to speed (0-60 mph) in 5.4 seconds. You'll be able to make that road trip with time to spare, as its top speed is 155 mph (250 kph). Yours for just $67,000 USD. (Wait for the "M" version coming out in 2010!)

Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (9/10)

Remember that these prices are not inclusive of all the different options you might want to include in your SUV ... and, of course, those pesky taxes!

"What a Girl Wants! What a Girl Needs"

So, Cosmo TV has started airing "Sex in the City" from the start in batches of 5 shows every Saturday night. I have never, ever had a desire to watch this show, but when my wife noticed that they were airing, she promptly set up the PVR (Tivo in the US) ensuring she wouldn't miss a single episode. On top of that, she'd watch the shows that were recording on the TV in our bedroom, so I'd be stuck watching them, as well.

Hey, the show is actually not that bad! Some T & A here and there ... definitely a show a guy could get used to!

I've discovered aside from the primary theme of the show on "Men - What makes them tick?" - there is an underlying theme that radiates with an intensity of a thousand suns and that grabs the attention of all the female viewers.

Fashion. Designer this and Designer that. But, especially shoes!

So, in the spirit of the love women have for fashion and kick-ass shoes, I hereby present my wife's "Top 5 Shoe Designers":

1. Christian Louboutin - Launched in France in 1991, these artistic creations are easily identifiable by the bright red soles each shoe sports. Apparently this guy's designs are to die for. So, who am I to disagree? What I can say is Christian's shoes can exceed $2,800 USD, but typically cost around $750 USD each.

2. Manolo Blahnik - THE shoe most talked about and fawned over on Sex in the City. Seems the lead character, Carrie, helped fortify the worldwide celebrity status associated with this designer - forever. Launched in London in 1972, Manolo Blahnik is best known for their "strappy" sandals. Average costs are: $600 - $700 USD.

3. Jimmy Choo - In 1998, Jimmy Choo opened its first boutique in New York followed by Los Angeles in 1999. It sparked an immediate success amoungst young Hollywood and became synonymous with the 'red carpet' shoe of choice and was hailed the lucky charm for Oscar winners such as Cate Blanchett, Halle Berry, Hilary Swank and many other Hollywood actresses. Typical costs are: $600 USD.

4. Prada - If you've watched "Legally Blonde", then you've heard of Prada. So, "don't be tapping your last year's Pradas at me ... "! Originally opened as a leather shop in 1913 in Milan, Prada was transformed into the luxury goods, fashion house recognized today in 1989. Their designer shoes can easily average $600 USD each.

5. Dior - Yes, that Dior. Christian Dior launched his empire in 1946 and is probably more know for his "out of this world" haute couture clothing. However, Dior does do shoes ... apparently very, very well! Their average designer shoe price averages around $750 USD.

There are lots of women who understand Imelda Marcos' fanaticism with shoes and can only dream to have the collection she had. However, owning just one or two pairs of these shoes can an absolutely thrilling accomplishment.

Guys. Take notes!!

Men's Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ (4/10)

Women's Living the Dream Rating: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ (15/10)