For a few months in 1996 I worked as a barback and bartender at Penrod's Beach Club in Miami South Beach. On Saturday's they held their famous Bikini Contest. The large and raucous crowd (mostly men) always seemed to enjoy the festivities.

But for the two barbacks, it was truly back breaking work. Setting up bars, tearing down bars, hauling kegs of beer, and carrying out ice which would soon vanish in the mid-day Florida sun would be the bane of our Saturday existence.

When the contest was over and we were completing our labor, Lucky Balan would roll in. Lucky was a chubby middle-aged man with a smile that seemed to extend beyond the reaches of his face. His countenance suggested that his parents had chosen the right name. We all brightened when he arrived and he was quickly surrounded.

Lucky always carried a shirt pocket full of Balam (no relation) cigars. He would always hand me one. They were not very great cigars. They burned crooked and sold for $3 a piece on South Beach, but it was always a pleasure to smoke one with Lucky.

One day Lucky turned to me and said, "Chip, you know I'm in the printing business?" I Said, "Yes." Lucky continued, "Well, I want to give you one of my cards. I'll do any job, no matter how small - even if it is just printing off resumes. My philosophy is: A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing."

Every now and then I have to dust off Lucky's philosophy and apply it. Sometimes I try to do everything at once or attempt to hit one out of the park, when I should take the pitch the other way for a bloop single.

And maybe, if I apply this principle with beauty, then I can indirectly re-pay Lucky for all of those $3 cigars.