Well another year is almost in the books ...

I was sitting on the sofa eating my sandwich today chatting with a client. She asked what I was up to and was I keeping busy this week. Said yes, but admitted to eating my lunch and trying to come up with perhaps the last blog entry for 2006. Jill agreed that it should be something witty but poignantly reflective.

Most years, I write an annual Christmas letter to be enclosed in the Christmas cards I send. I take "Life Magazine, Year in Review" approach. We like to keep people that are or have been part of our lives up to speed on what has been going on and take a moment to thank friends and relatives for special times we have experienced throughout the year.

I first decided to do this because a college professor and his wife did it so well. Honestly, it saved them hours with all the special students that still keep in touch with the Sayces over the decades.

Perhaps that is why I enjoy putting entries into this blog. With friends and family all over the country, it is a way of keeping it a small world after all. One of the parting phrases in this year's letter was to encourage the people within our lives to take the time to enjoy each other. Create the memories, enjoy the people you get stuck in line with at the mall (tough for New Englanders and New Yorkers... not so tough for my Southern readers).

Maybe this is the time to say it again as we start a new year. Give yourself one last gift and pause for the good times. Take a mental snap shot of your friends ... Remember the goofy stuff you did as kids. Put this on the resolution or goals for 2007.

Although we did a lot of driving and running around over the Christmas holiday. We saw 5 out 6 nephews. My god daughter and her family, my best friend as close to her birthday as possible, spent Christmas day with my whole family for the first time in five years.

You could say I started my journey out early... Just in case I don't post again prior to the New Year. Thank you for your support, your time reading my entries, and your friendship. May 2007 be a journey with taking ...

Funny from the American Brittany Rescue...

for any of you who don't visit ABRs message board......Got this off the message board.
Purina diet:
I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my dog Lola and was > in line to checkout.> A woman behind me asked if I had a dog........ Duh
I was feeling a bit crabby so on impulse, I told her no, I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I had awakened in an intensive care unit with tubes coming out > of most of my orifices and IV's in both arms. Her eyes about bugged out of her head. I went on and on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it. I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package said the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her. Horrified, she asked if something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital. I said no........I'd been sitting in the street licking my butt when a car hit me. I thought the tall guy was going to have to be carried out the door. Submitted by Diana Doiron http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org/

Yes, this is a lazy entry but has the sense of the holiday shopping stress level. That and Seamus purely destroyed a bag of bows recently when I left my office for 5 minutes. Two weekends ago I did a transport for 2 Brittanies going to their forever homes for the Brittany rescue. THis is an amazing thing to be the last hand off for a dog that has traveled from Kentucky to Connecticut to be a Christmas dog for his new family. The best part was the phone call from the new mom crying and telling how much she already loved Max. As Seamus rolled over and looked at me, I said I know.. I know...

View Outside my Window

I have been blessed for a long time with a great view from my office windows. I think back to my first office at Office Specialists in Bedford, NH. There was a mature cherry tree outside my second story window that was a haven for song birds, cardinals, etc. I often turned my chair to face the window to be able to watch the birds play in the tree at all times of the year.

My office window in Georgia looked out on a wooded area between our house and Maria and Megan's. I found myself watching "Harry the Hawk" hunt in the ravine between us daily. We also had a King Woodpecker the size of Woody that called this area home.

My office in Connecticut is ground level and faces a nature preserve. Let's just say is it a busy airstrip .. the Hartsfield-Jackson of Bethel for the Canadian Geese, mallards, and Blue Heron population. I took some pictures to show you. This is a rare shot as there isn't any bird coming in or taking off!

It is cold by these windows! However, I am coming to a balance of how important the view is to me compared to the warmth of putting the desk on the other side of the room for the winter. Part of me can't wait for the freeze and first snow. I will be out snapping pictures wildly!

Sour Pill Going Down ....

On two fronts today, I made decisions that go against my grain. First, I gave in and called the doctor about the plague that has invaded my body for the last week. I am sick of coughing, sounding terrible and wondering when my nose is going to embarrass me. This is the side effects of just feeling lousy. We have good health insurance... A PPO from Blue Cross. This little trip to the doctor and pharmacy has just cost me over a hundred dollars in co-pays and prescriptions. While I was in the doctor's office two drug reps came in, you can always spot them .. They are the ones in the suits. The guy hocking (I can say this I am in sales and use to do this with temp help) something for diabetes... (this guy struck gold when getting a drug to pitch) was booking lunches for the entire 2007 calendar year with my doctor's office. I bet he strickly gives out sugar for Christmas presents in an endeavor to get everyone Type II! This always makes me question if I really need the prescription being given to me?? I wonder how much is medicine and how much is a racket?

The second stop was to infect the nice ladies at the voting booth. We had a referendum here about allocating another 7 Million and change to the fixing of the town high school. Two years ago, while I was snuggly paying less than 2k in property taxes in Georgia and had a brand new high school, the good people of my Connecticut town voted 25 million to fix the current high school in order to maintain the school's accreditation. Currently, they have determined it is really going to be another 7 to do the job right. Only 15 of the 32 million will be going to actual educational improvements. The other is to fix the physical plant and building. I have asked a number of people in town about this. I read the paper on Sunday and the letters to the editor. Sadly, I will tell you I pulled the level for yes to give them the Moo-laaa... Hopefully, this will allow them to start fixing it! My end result is that most of this expenditure is going to deferred maintenance and to come into step with new regulations. The longer we wait, the more it is going to be. The other nice thing in the paper is that the Police Station need to be overhauled as well in a couple of years... Just when the Middle School bond is paid off finally. Did I like doing this, NO! It just seemed that a new high school will improve property values. All the other high schools in the area have gone through this. If I want to sell the townhouse in the next five years, having an high school that is totally upgraded or on the way there will help. So this cheap daughter of a conservative Republican, voted in favor of the expenditure. I am still feeling light headed... or is it light walleted? My hope is the education at the high school is excellent and the children of my town will appreciate their new digs. - Yes, I just took my cough syrup and and am a bit loopy.

From Bethel to the Little Town of Bethlehem

I am not sure if I first saw this in Yankee magazine or a Christmas in Connecticut book my parents gave us but the Town of Bethlehem is Christmas Town USA. They have a tradition of stamping "cachets" on outbound Christmas cards and post marking the cards and sending them out. While Branny, Ivan, and Nancy went out for their ride on Saturday.... I made a trek to Bethlelem from Bethel. Over the hill and through the woods is the best description of the trip. Saturday was one of those early December cold but sunny fair days. Perfect for the trip. It made still being under the weather and not able to ride okay. So the cards are out with the return of the annual Christmas letter.

http://www.ci.bethlehem.ct.us/BPO/BPO.htm

We had a terrific weekend with the Soleros. Eating and sitting around reading papers while Nancy was coding their new website for Solero Marketing Communications. Hopefully no one will catch my cold. We missed seeing other friends that stood us up for exhaustion from redoing their hardwoods. But we will take the rain check...

Now to decorate... I wonder what the move did to our decorations...

Swallowing a Pack of Camels

Well I feel a lot better... but obviously I don't sound it. I was just informed I sound like I swallowed a pack of Camels. Yuck! Well, while the voice lasts.. perhaps it is time to call all of my customers sitting on contracts and play the woe as me card.

Speaking of cards. Christmas cards - personal done! Yippee! Shopping .. well let's just say I am a wee bit behind where I usually am at this point. We need to go shopping for the kids. I have little to nothing for my parents. So send me thy lists!

Oh on a personal rant... Is anyone sick of getting 13 -15 catalogues a day. I seem to be on everyone's mailing list this year. I am getting a catalogue a day from Coldwater Creek, J. Jill and Norm Thompson! Enough! So, I am calling each company and requesting to be taken off the list. I literally have not been able to key open my mailbox because it is sooo full.

Need more coffee to go along with my pack of butts! Have a good weekend! Ciao Bella!

Sniffle

Sick day.. Feel like a truck hit me... Luckily I have furry nursemaids. Bless the sleeping cuddle masters.

Motivational Push

Education:

I was lucky to be a guest speaker in Professor Vara's class last Monday night. We were talking about Affirmative Action and whether it continues to be necessary in the United States and how the advent of the internet and Community technology will affect it moving into the future. The class was primarily continueing ed students that work full time and go to college full time and have lives and families to bout. However, I don't think they have too much time to sleep! Great discussion and class! It made me actually reach out and contact SNHU about finishing my MBA .. only about 4 classes to go ... if I haven't lost credits. If that doesn't work out, Fairfield University has a great MA program on American Studies I just might start. The class work looks fabulous!

FOOD/Fitness:

The hubby and I have tried to start a better eating regement. It has had it's ups and downs. He has done better than I have with a 6 day trip in the middle, a birthday party, and oh Thanksgiving! Back to the gym today is right!

Family:
Seeing everyone over the holidays was terrific but ... oh less than 25 shopping days to Christmas .. Yikes! I also want to give a huge compliment to my cousin, Leslie. I understand she made dinner for 1/2 of our family and all of her husbands and worked on the building site for their new home putting up siding and managed to be a fabulous hostess and mother to 2 kids under 4 years old. WOW!

The Regan Thanksgiving was all that it ever was... terrific food, family and laughter. That is the making for a great holiday. Thank you ..

Work:
It has been a huge month. I have closed more business than I think I ever have in a month... even back to Wireless days. We still have 4 days to go. I am waiting on a big contract to finish off the year with a bang! We have been featured on NPR, WSJ, Boston.com, and BusinessWeek. The flood gates are about to open.

Hodge Podge Today

ELECTIONS:

I am in total depression over the outcome. That sucks. I am holding onto my wallet for dear life. Daddy where's my shotgun. I think I am going to need it! Stay the blankity blank away from my income! More and more I am leaning Liberitarian. If I want it, I will pay for it. Charity is not the government's job. Governing is! - If you did go and vote, thank you for participating. Feel free to gripe or bubble with joy. (I am sure the latter will be coming from my friend, Steve) lol....

Work:

I am off to our last conference of the year next week in Boston. I am looking forward to the traveling for business coming to a halt for the year except traveling into the office. Next year, already looks busier on the travel side. At a minimum, Boca, Las Vegas, San Diego and Phoenix are on the plate. Oh.. Our company is mentioned in the recent Businessweek magazine. Here is the link. Scan down to the bolded type, Author, Authorhttp://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/nov2006/bs20061108_108901.htm

Health: Well, we are almost through the first week of the new healthy eating plan. I actually heard my husband ask, "How many carbs is in that" The man used to live on carbs only! I have completed 4 spin classes, 1 pilates, and 1 yoga class since Saturday. My plan is to do two more classes prior to heading off.

DOGS: Sleeping after a quickie walk in the park. Seamus is getting his winter coat. It should be fun to watch him in the snow this year. Annie is getting night blindness ... We have to turn on the lights for her to go up and down stairs. But she is still spunky for an old dame.

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

This is a short and sweet entry. You can read the longer one from today below. Tomorrow is Election Day. YOU HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION TO GO TO THE POLLS. If you choose to not exercise this right, please do not whine, carry on, complain, or otherwise pout about the direction your State and Country take over the next two years. Period and can I get an AMEN!

You are allowed to take time off to vote. So choose to go in late or leave early and cast your ballot. Personally, I hope you choose to support the financially conservative candidates. (ie Republican, Independent, and Liberitarian) However, I care more that you simply go to the polls and cast your voice in a ballot. Otherwise, you might as well be living in Iran.

Committed Steps

So I finally fulfilled a promise I made to myself back in March to join a gym here to get back to the spin classes. On Friday night, I signed my life away at a gym about 2 miles from the house. No excuses. Saturday, I did the 9 AM spin class and Sunday the 10AM Yoga class. I figure that instructor isn't going to vote for Lieberman tomorrow. (just a bit on the crunchy side) but very good. Probably the most realistic yoga class I have ever taken. Lights out! Candles lit and holding poses for what seemed like forever. Yup .. Taking a virtual year off from real exercise has taken the toll to my waist and flexibility!

The real kicker was I actually got up this morning and did the 6:15 AM spin class! Honestly, I was 5 minutes late.. but that had more to do with Seamus being picky about his spot than sleeping in...

Both of us have started a new nutrition plan with more lean protein and less complex carbohydrates. Maybe liberal Connecticut is rubbing off on me, I actually purchased a bunch of "organic" food items last week. I am not getting on the scale yet. Give me a week or two .. The good thing is that 2 years ago when I joined the Y in Acworth in late November, I had lost about 7 lbs by Christmas. My goal is steeper this year because I am immediately doing spin classes where I didn't start them for about a two weeks after joining the gym in Georgia.

Seems like there is a good group of people that regularly take the classes and they have double the amount of bikes. AND they have their own room that is set up for just spinning.

Stay tuned for updates!

Mr. & Mrs. Solero

This past weekend we finally made it to Delaware. It only took Ivan marrying his lovely Nancy to wedge us into the car and make the trip they have made at least twice to Connecticut! It was looking like Saturday was going to be a washout and we were going to have to use that old saying" It is good luck for rain on a wedding day" Obviously, the person that said that wasn't wearing white or trying to maintain good hair!

We arrived on Friday night for the rehersal dinner. It was a grand time hosted by Nancy's mother. The families got to know each other as well as friends from out of town. We went back to their HUGE Victorian Manse. To meet their kitties, Otto and Katie. Otto and Jim became blood brothers!

Saturday, my mother's magic and others praying to various rain gods worked! It turned out to be windy but quite nice. This was a special blessing given they were to be married in a lovely park by the Brandywine River. We put the final touchs on the house and checked out the park for the perfect place as the rain the night before had eliminated plan one. Having the cliffs behind them was a perfect symbol of a great friendship being the bedrock of a great marriage.

The ceremony and reception afterwards brought tears of joy and laughter. The house looked like a charming but relaxed bed and breakfast. Which it was for the weekend! Thank God for the coffee and a bagel! The happy couple was just that.. delighted to be with each other and their closest relatives and friends. They are truely a great pair and we are lucky to have them as friends and family!

We all had a very good time. Congratulations to the Soleros!

Who let the dogs out video

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When Stress becomes funny..

I have had a mini zen garden on my desk since the days at DCI in the mill. I bought it at a little gift shop in Andover on Main Street. My cousin Leslie loves this little store too. It is about a 4 inch square. I have personalized my zen space with coloured rocks and a mini Buddha.

As I was just pushing back stuff on my desk to make room, ... and CRASH!!! The Zen garden dumps all over the window sill. What is suppose to cause peace, stress relief, and happiness is all over my window sill and other assorted items. I guess when you don't take the time to file and put stuff away .. life makes it for you.

Tomorrow.... Wedding pictures ....

The Dog's Day

I often look into the eyes of Seamus and Annie wondering what possibly could be going on in there. How do they regard me? Leader of the pack? Mommy? Perhaps a combination of a gentleman's gentleman and chauffeur? What makes their day a Saturday and a Monday?

This morning as I am lying in bed with Seamus occupying the spot left by my husband, Seamus is ready to go. Let's just say he is a "morning dog". Every morning, he greets the world with..

"Yippee, let's go, wow it is morning and I get to go outside, to go for a ride, eat, Whoopiee!, Come on mom get out of bed and play with me!" "Isn't life grand"

Annie on the other hand is more like me. I think she would drink coffee. She lays around in her bed. Watching Seamus jump all over the place and only gets up to go downstairs for two reasons:

1) Lunch is being made prior to work and oooh was that the pretzel bag I heard. (It is better than a whistle)
2) Time to go out for the morning constitutional walk.

They sit in my office most of the day. Total couch potatoes only to perk up when a squirrel comes up on the patio or other wildlife. We have had everything from landscaper to coyotes to bobcats and raccoons.

I think of my sliders as a big screen doggy tv.

So here is my definition of a good day (typically Saturday) for my furry kids.

Get up and go to the park prior to 7 Am for a 1-2 mile walk including off leash time. Perhaps meeting up with Ruger, Bosco, or Stella to play with, or for Annie, have a little kid pet her.

Come home to a wonderful breakfast with leftover steak chopped up with my dry food or some of that yummy canned food.

Be able to be the dog selected to go with mom for errands and be allowed to sit in the front seat.

Come home. Go for another quick walk around the neighborhood when we check for the mail and my pee mail.

Share lunch with mom and/ or dad. Chips, pretzels, cheese, etc.

Afternoon nap in a sunny spot. Only to be woken by a belly rub and a leash dangling in my face .. Back over to the park or a trail somewhere. Spot some deer and beg mom to let me chase them.

Home for the parental units to order in pizza and watch it in the family room where I am allowed to share the sofa... More food. A sneak out the back door for last call. Off to my beddie to chase squirrels or win the Crofts dog show in my dreams.

I hope that is a good day. We can always top that with a trip to Uncle Rob's and Aunt Jen's to play and splash in the pond. But all in all. I hope that is a good day in the life of any dog.. not just ours.

New Wheels vs. New Appliances

We have been making improvements to the townhouse trying to keep the eye to the "flip" mentality in a couple of years when the real estate market comes back (and it will). Honestly, neither of us thinks that we are going to score the type of money that we have made in the past three transactions but, not losing any and making a fast sale is a key thing.

How do you set your townhouse apart from others in the community? (Back to that word community) You make improvements to the kitchens, bathrooms, fixtures, and in the case of a townhouse storage. We have been making changes. Ripping out stuff that is less than five years old and putting in more social accepted and desired stuff. (The dining room fixture was formerly a shiny brass chandlier that was $40 at the Depot). Next on the hit parade, we are tackling the kitchen. The thought is to put in granite and stainless. We already have upgraded cabinets from others, tile floor, and new lighting fixtures (well they are still in the box as of this posting). Branny found a great deal on the web. This is an awesome deal for appliances!


His internal conflict is that it is going to be about the same cost as the new Cannondale bike he wants. For most people, spending close to 4K on a bicycle is stupid. Cough, choke and sputter. However, he puts thousands of miles on his bike a year. I think he actually rode more miles that I drove in the past six months. His LiteSpeed is now 6 years old. We haven't kept a car that long. (or a house but that is fully covered in other entries and rants) .

The argument most women would make is that appliances are used daily. So is the bike. Furthermore, appliances can lead to weigh gain and biking the reverse. In the end of the day, it is a question of ROI. I think the appliances may win. Stay tuned for a photo finish! (Voting is acceptable, but as with National Presidential elections, the electorial college has the final say)

What does the World need from Graduating College Students!

Pauline, this is great -- thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response. I'm going to synopsize parts of this, and it will be printed in a "CLP 7" folder that I use to work with all students, freshmen through senior. In addition, I make take larger excerpts and put them in my annual "wake up and smell the coffee!" email to current seniors.

Thanks for all you do for us... this is very cool stuff... and I WILL refer recent grads and current seniors to the your career page.

Gene
-----Original Message-----Subject: RE: From NEC: Help Us Teach!
Gene -

This is a terrific undertaking by NEC! I am happy to share my thoughts on turning students into successful Alumni. I would prefer to speak about my own experiences both what I feel has contributed to my success and some of the short comings I see in the Generation Y employees I have hired and work with at clients.

One of the keys to success in my role in sales and marketing is communication. The ability to write, speak via the phone and in front of groups are important skills. Entry level business professionals need to be able to understand their audience quickly and adjust the message to fit. I need to find many different ways to communicate the same information regardless of the forum or audience. In the past 24 hours, I have sent an email blast to my current customers, conducted a WebEX demonstration for Oracle Corporation Marketing executives, sat in a frustrating internal weekly meeting, updated two different forecasting spreadsheets, continuing to train a new sales person, and completed a host of cold calls to new business opportunities(both in French and English). All of this was accomplished from my home office. However, communication is certainly a two way street. Listening and understanding the needs and desires of your customers whether they be patients, internal staff, or paying customers is essential as well.

I think another thing I have seen lacking in graduating students is the understanding they probably won't have a management position directly out of college. Their first position will involve a lot of clerical tasks. They need to be ready to ask how can I help at any time. To summarize, I feel is important is simple flexibility and common manners. Dr. Sayce had a large clip on his desk that read, "Rigid Flexibility". I have quoted that more times than I care to mention. I find it also very beneficial for the understanding of professionalism and manners. What "is and is not" appropriate behavior in a professional setting is a useful skill for new alumni.

It is also important to make sure each graduate has the ability to use the common software packages to office, adobe, etc. I also think that a standard understanding of accounting and entrepreneurship is important. Whether you are a freelance artist or biologist, most professionals must be able to put together a budget or work within one.

All this being said, Generation Y has an incredible grasp of cutting edge technology and will drive the future of business with bringing the Facebooks and Myspaces to the business community. On a separate topic that might be interesting to you, my company is working with the Wharton School of Business and MIT Sloan School on a project about the future of business education and how the knowledge and power of a community is greater. In some respects, you reaching out to Alumni about your own project is a perfect example of using a community of people and experience to learn from the shared knowledge. Check out http://www.wearesmarter.org/. Gene, you may want to share your findings of using the NEC Alumni community to help prepare graduates for the expectations of today's employers. This research project is a book wiki being written by the masses. Your findings would be an excellent case study and great publicity for the college!

If you have more questions, let me know. Best on your quest to prepare students to be my employees and fellow alumni!

Cheers!

Pauline '91
---------------------------------
From NEC: Help Us Teach!
Dear NEC Alum and Career Advisory Network Member:
Greetings from NEC. You'd like it up here at this time of year... BRIGHT fall colors, crisp air. This is the time of the semester when people are suddenly realizing that the honeymoon is over and the work (classwork and our own full-time jobs) isn't going away, so there are some tired faces; but all is very well. And we all wish YOU well.
I'm writing with an interesting request. At the CLP office, we're getting much more focused and intentional about teaching students what skills they'll need in the workforce when they graduate. So rather than guessing, I've decided to ask YOU.
Can you email me back and tell me: what skills are essential for the kind of work you do? I mean, the absolutes? What people skills? What skills with information or numbers or computers? What kind of awareness? To help you out with this, I'm attaching two lists of skills that you can use (if you need it) to remember what is most essential to you in your job. But be brief -- could you give me three essentials?
So, if you can, I'd like a short email or simple list. I'll collect this information, and make sure EVERY STUDENT I TALK TO is aware of what they're going to need. Believe me, we're getting very systematic about this -- we want NEC grads and current students to be aware of their goals.
Thanks. Again, greetings from ALL of us at NEC.
Gene edurkee@nec.edu

Cardinal Rule - Broken

The cardinal rule of blogging is "Thou Shall Update Often" even if it is garbage! It isn't that I haven't had a ton to say just that each of the 20 times I have come out to this site to write something... The phone has rung, my IM goes nuts or I just can't figure out how I can spend another minute staring at the lap top.

Work is very busy with the launch of our new Community 2.0 conference, the CMMC Council, and the We are Smarter than Me project with Sloan School at MIT and Wharton School of Business. The event is again going to be very different. Just when I get comfortable in my box of the format we have, I find myself standing in the box... kicking down the walls and trying to feel comfortable again.

I have been doing a lot of this in the past six years. Move to Massachusetts, find everything - mechanic, doctor, dentist, hair dresser, insurance guy... Then to Georgia. Find a job, bagel shop (not as easy as it sounds), nail salon, accent, house. Move back to Connecticut, place to walk the dogs, my sweaters, close toed shoes, dry cleaner, dog walker.... So I should be used to it. Change is what makes the world and life interesting.

So what has been going on in our lives? Since I last wrote, we went to Newport for our Anniversary - Great time!! Jim has organized the garage. Put up some new ceiling lights.. Organized the closets in the lower level so that the boxes are out of the middle of the floor.

We went to dinner with great friends in Westport. They have a new dog, Olive. We are looking forward to introducing our broods for a puppy play date. Anyone got dibs on how Seamus handles a 110 lb Mastiff puppy?


I am thinking about organizing a supper club. If you are interested, let me know. The rules are have the club to your house 3-4 times a year for dinner. Can either be a joint cook or a meal prepared by you.. Once a month, we go to another house. Goal is 3-4 couples. Pot luck is also acceptable. Bring the recipes.. Have an awesome time...

Lunch time

Lunch is an interesting meal without definition. You can Lunch.. You can Brunch. Eat leftovers, Eat a sandwich. Drink a Slimfast. There are "Liquid lunches". Lunch meetings. You can eat someone's lunch. Personally, my lunch is spent most days having a sandwich away from this computer. I take in a few minutes of TV .. The news, Paula Deen, Millionaire game show or ER depending on the time. Walk the dogs or get the mail. Sometimes, it is when I finally break free from the computer to take a shower (most Fridays because of the early meetings).

I used to be the person that "didn't take lunch". I would eat at my desk. Answer email, do database management, answer the phone, and generally ignore the concept as something that non committed employees did daily unless it was attached to a business lunch. Bill and Steve will agree that this was me.

I find that having this rest bit. Even if it is 20 minutes recharges me. I can pay attention to what I am eating doing and then focus on my tasks for the afternoon. Hold on the phone is ringing .... oh it is Mark.. be right back!

Okay.... Sorry about that .. How do you prefer to lunch?

Making Sour Grapes into a Fine Wine

This weekend we were invited to join our Great friends the Vara's to destroy a large gift certificate at a local bistro in Mahopac. We were all over it. Can't wait to meet up for a great night.

We had a great start to the evening with munchies (solid move by Madam Vara) and a drink at the Vara's and a death defying ride to the restaurant with Jim driving the G35 at a pace to terrify the ladies stuck in the back seat. There are times I am glad that my eyesight without my glasses is not the best at night. (Although, determined legal by the States of GA and CT)

The restaurant is very cute. It is one of those places you go to once or twice a year for a special occasion. It takes a while for the drink order to be taken and a while (30 minutes perhaps for the wine arrives- which in retro respect a good thing). About this time, a lady from a table in the corner stands up and loudly asks if she can have a ta-go box and the check. They have been finished for a 1/2 hour. Umm. hmm. There are about 5 empty tables.

Our reservations were for 8 PM. The waitress pours the wine and says she will be back to take our order. One delicious but slowly drank glass of wine later, we get an opportunity to place the order. Roughly 3o minutes later, a waiter comes out to apologize on the time the starters are taking. They burned ours. Starting over. Now, understand... in a professional oven the bay scallops (small ones) take under 10 minutes under the broiler.

Roll ahead to the second bottle of wine being finished and it is now somewhere between 10:15 and 10:30 PM (I think). The dinner hasn't arrived. The waitress comes over and says to Rob, "We are plating your dinners right now, we apologize for the delay.. we are just waiting for your steak to finish (medium well)" Rob replies, " Let me get this straight, we sat down at 8:15 Pm it is now 10:30 and you are waiting on me" - Classic!!! Darn that patron for wanting a medium well steak.. Wouldn't you put this on first and then put on the others?

I want to say the food was splendid, the service was pleasant and they made accommodations on the bill. Thank God the company was the exact right people we would both want to be eating a leisurely meal with at a great restaurant. If it was clients, I would have been pulling my hair out. We were all just starving. End result, after surviving the slow service and laughing about it. We are now trying to figure out someplace to vacation... Great Friends.. we turned potential sour grapes into fine wine and a wonderful memory. End Result - Fantastic weekend.. it gave me something to blog about. Thanks to the Vara's for a great time! (and birthday present)

Citgo Ban

Timing is always very amazing to me. As I have the UN press conference from the Iranian President on in the background on Fox News, I received an email from my best friend in College and fellow Harvard Model UN Delegate. Today, I want to call on everyone to join in the banning getting Citgo gas. It is a Venzulan government owned product. The station owners are good people. Want a diet coke or bag of chips.. go right ahead. Just don't fill up the tank. Jim and I have been avoiding them for the better part of a year after Chavez started his negative spewing about the United States. This is not a Republican or Democrat thing. Personally, he could offer to pay my mortgage and heating bills and I would tell him to keep his money.

This population boycotted Exxon for the supposed mistake of the crew of men. This is a much bigger reason. Find another station!

Endless fur

Are there days in your life you want to declare that the fur covering every inch of the floors, carpets, and bedspreads in your home a new decorating technique? Ahh Fall, it seems that it is again time for my "kids" to rid themselves of the undercoats in clumps, tumbleweed and general hair loss on a moment by moment basis. I could brush Annie every day and come away with a bag o'fur. Seamus hates to be brushed and shakes like a leaf when I am brushing him or giving him a bath at the silcock.

We (notice the collective we) try to keep up with the vacuuming, dusting and floor washing... However, it never seems to be enough. When the headlights shine in from the garage door across the entry into the dining room and living room, you would swear no one had cleaned in months. Yet - it was probably done less than 48 hours ago.... It is enough to send Martha Stewart or any of the Regan family shrieking at the top of their lungs.

We have invested (notice the word) in an Oreck. It does do a pretty good job granted. I wonder when I will resort to vacuuming the dogs and then the house?

I guess you chock it up to the joys of being a fur baby parent. At least there isn't college, a wedding, drivers ed / insurance, and a host of lessons to pay for... Just an extra trip to the groomer and to Oreck for more bags. BTW... Annie just groaned. I think she senses it is time to go outside and be brushed again.

Last Week - The Blur

I mentioned that I was flying on September 11th. I did! It was a bit stressful. The security was extra tight. The carry on bags searched twice. Once at Security and then again at the gate. This was fine in my opinnion. The flights were packed on all legs this trip. I wonder if they took flights off?

Seattle is a great city. I have to say, I have been there twice in the past two years. It hasn't rained at all while I have been there. It is a great walking city. They have a homeless problem but they are not aggressive like they are in San Francisco. The food is great. The traffic isn't a real problem in the city. People actually bike and take public transportation. The strangest thing is there is NO JAYWALKING. For those of you in Boston and New York.. read that again. People wait for the little white crossman. Even if there isn't a car anywhere in sight! I hear the cops hand out tickets. Interesting ...

Trip was good from the business perspective. I am a bit sorry this conference is going to San Diego next year. I like going to Seattle and it is the only one that has been there. I also have another event in San Diego. (I like San Diego too...)

Got back to Hartford sans my checked luggage. I understand this is happening more because of the number of bags being checked vs carry ons. They delivered it the next day to the house.

Friday was a quick trip to Boston to the office and to see a client. GREAT MEETING!!! Then to Melanie and Jim's for a wonderful birthday celebration with my parents. Woke up with a nasty cold and slight hangover. Some how drove home to Connecticut and went to bed for the next two days.

Annie had a medical issue on Sunday night and is recovering from an embarrassing reoccuring gland issue. Did I tell you I have been making what seems to be car payments to my vet in bills since July? Back to the grind this week. My company is on the verge of launching a huge new endeavor that is amazing and cutting edge. Check out www.wearesmarter.com ... This makes blogging seem sooo 2006.

Why does everyone think there is a magic pill?

Okay, I realize there is no magic pill to get rich or lose weight. There are no prince charmings or Daddy Warbucks in 99.9% of people's future. Yes, people hit the lottery and yes people can find the strength within themselves to lose weigh (or some just have that killer metabolism).

Jim keeps sending me links to articles on the ARM crazy in mortgages. I think he is thanking his lucky stars I spent five years earning pennies in a mortgage company. If you haven't bought a house, you are thinking about it, or thinking about refinancing, read this article....

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/mortgagepain_1.html

ARM mortgages are like putting your home on red on the roulette wheel. If a broker talks to you about a 5/1, 3/1, 7/1 or any term that will adjust. RUN AWAY! If you can't afford the following, you can't afford the home:

• Mortgage payment (principal and interest) - $1500
• Property Taxes (annual amount divided by 12) - $5000 / 12 = $416.66
• Home Owners policy (annual divide by 12) - $600/ 12 = $50.00
• association fees if applicable

____________________________________________________

Monthly PI &TI = $1966.66

Now take your Monthly Gross Income. For a couple or individual that grosses $95,000.00 a year, this would be: $7916.66

Take the Monthly PITI $1966.66 and divide it by the Gross Monthly income $7916.66
1966.66/7916.66 = .248 or 25%. If this number is higher than 28%, walk or run away(at least you will burn calories) . Personally, I like to have it less than 24%.

This means that 25% your gross income is going to pay for your home. Uncle Sam and Cousin State are going to take another 25% or more with income taxes. Hopefully, you are putting another at least 10% way into a 401K or similiar investment vehicle. So that is 60% of your gross income... with what is left ($38,000 or $3166 a month), please pay for:

• Electricity
• Heat or A/C
• Water/Sewer
• Telephone, Cell Phone, Internet
• Cable TV
• Cars- Payment, Insurance, Gas, garage bills
• Food - Grocery Store and meals on wheels (eating out or delivery)
• Medical Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Credit Card Bills - Major and Store cards (more than just the monthly minimum payment)
• Student Loans
• Vet Bills/ Animal food
• Vacations
• Misc - hair cuts, manicures, clothes, shoes (we know my thoughts on this), computers
• Repairs and improvements to said home including landscaping and lawn cutting.

Are you depressed yet? So the next time the mortgage officer tells you what you can afford... come with your own knowledge in hand ... they are going to make money off you. Read the fine print and the article attached first ...

September 11th - 5 years later

This day brought the world closer, a nation, and families. People changed their lives afterwards. Some by choice .. Some by force. Many of our friends and family lost jobs (me included) because of the economic down turn that was coming prior to the attack but intensified afterwards. We very lucky not to have lost any directly. Most of you know how panicked I was that one of the co-pilots might have been my cousin Eric. The initial reports were the man flying for American was from the same town in New Hampshire and the same age.

Two people have opened businesses and went to work for themselves as a result. They are both highly successful with them. Others got out of bad marriages.. Moved across the country (us included). 5 years later.. It seems like a life time ago and just yesterday...

There is a question on Yahoo about how you will remember or plans for September 11th. I would have never thought in a million years about my activities for that day... I am flying to Seattle for a competitive conference. I thought about flying out on the 10th but there isn't a good reason.. and flying is the best way to thumb my nose at bin laden and his thugs.

What are your plans? Click the pencil below and list your comments!

Stop and Shop Scam

I think I have discovered a scam by the Cashiers at Stop and Shop. Make sure that if you get "cash back" that you not only get it but that it is the right denomination.

The last two times I have put into the machine to get a $20 back. I have either had to:

1) Ask for it after they have closed the drawer. (the look on the cashier's face was "damn" rather than apologetic.
2) A smaller bill ie. I got a ten back rather than a twenty last night. Only I discovered it this morning.

This same cashier.. Crushed my flowers/ packed raw pork with produce / and cleaning supplies with other food. I didn't notice because I was busy trying to save the rest of my food from being crushed and bagging as fast as I could.

These cashiers seem to be Generation Y. Look for the senior citizen. You have less of a chance to get ripped off!

They are not doing anything about the missing "$10" as her draw was only off by 20 cents.. go figure. I will shop somewhere else for 10 weeks... that is about $1200 in business going somewhere else. That should get my $10 out of them!

One Step ahead and two behind - The Murphy Law dance

Between yesterday and today, I have had a conversation with a friend that once a week at least we commit to a diet and exercise plan and then on Monday/ Tuesday we are back having the same conversation. It flip flops on who is having the issue and bringing it to the surface. It goes something like this...

Okay.. I just don't see any movement. I walk, I try and eat right and then the weekend throws me off kilter. It was a bbq at a friend's pool or a couple of cocktails

I know ... We went out to dinner and I just couldn't get past the (fill in the blank).

Ya and then I didn't get the (walk/run/bike ride) in I promised myself.

Okay well you have to push me... don't let me falter. Okay if you do it for me.. yada yada yada...

This was the boiled down version of yesterday's conversation with me whining excuses on why it was a failing battle and why I couldn't do this or that. She is a no carb freak and I am a calorie counter. Calories are calories.. she is all about no carbs. Whatever - I need to grow up and just do it. I bet she would say the same thing.

This morning, I got up late but managed to get 3 laps in the park. Feeling good about doing extra, I came home to my email. My friend in Georgia was pleased about going over 1900 miles on his bike this summer. Steve - that is great. I haven't taken out the bike in a week with the rain. Thanks for extra push to get off my ... well you know.

So, I figured I could take a short lunch and do another 1.5 miles on the treadmill. IT DOESN'T WORK.... I HAVEN'T USED IT SINCE THE MOVE. Do you really think that Berger-Allied is going to 1) have a good laugh I haven't used the treadmill since April or 2) Believe me it hasn't worked? or 3) All of the above.

I thought I had checked them off the list.... ^*68^%%$#$^@#@@!

So I am now not only battling the extra pounds and the motivation but down one weapon going into the fall and have to go back to war with the moving company. That should take weeks to fix.

Yikes!

What will the arrival of fall bring for you?

Today was the start of school for many schools here in the NorthEast. My nephew Jamie drove off in his car for the first time for the first day of his Senior year. I bet his mother after taking all the pictures including the one of him disappearing up the street wondered if this day would have been ever possible some 17 years ago. It seemed so far off in the future.

Fall is suppose to be a time of the dying of the light and all the spring growth. However, I find it is a time to refocus and perhaps a "new year" as our Jewish brethren do... See,I am Virgo baby. It is a new year for me every September.

What will this year bring me? Could I have predicted everything that happened this past year? Living for 4 months thru the holidays by myself? Dad's heart attack? The horrid unfriendliness of the community (okay well it is New England.. I shouldn't have been surprised)? The terrific success professionally? The friends we have found or rediscovered? I am not sure... Certainly couldn't in mid July last year!

I look forward to Fall ... New clothes. We already know about the new shoes. Hopefully, a new approach to nagging problems. I am cautiously optimistic about my 2006-2007. What is new for you? What do you want to lose yourself in next?

Shoe Safari Aug 2006

As mentioned, I had two goals for the weekend. Only one was possible due to the weather. Saturday morning with directions from the DSW website in hand and a quick conference from my husband about did these directions make sense. We made some changes and I set off alone with my trustee blackberry and a vision of what lay ahead. My first thought was that on this trip through yuppie CT I would be able to make a quick pitstop at a Starbucks to get my vision clearly focused.

That didn't happen as a result and several incorrect turns including missing the exit onto the Merritt. I found the "supposedly" closest DSW. About an hour away in Orange/Milford CT. The stars finally aligned and there was a Starbucks in the parking lot. However, I thought the coffee would only hamper my quest for shoes at that point. It would be a reward for good hunting!

When you approach a shoe store, you have to set your mind on the method. This was a bit screwed up since they had moved a set of the discount racks to the front of the store. My usual process is to wind my way back there. I like to give a once over on the regular stock prior to hitting the sale racks. It gives me a better appreciation of what is back there. I got delayed and dazzled by a cute pair of flip flops... hmm.. Not yet. We are here for fall and winter shoes. NO Sandals NO Flip Flops!

So I did a quick turn around the sale racks. I found a pair of sneakers 50% off. Sneakers check (they were on the list). Again not finding what I made my trip really for, I trucked my way out to the aisle of other shoes. I became depressed and snapped at a sales person. Did I come all that way to not find anything but a pair of sneakers? Nothing struck me as take me home!!!

Well, I come from a hearty line that never gives up on a shoe quest! Heck my great grandmother Parker had bushels of shoes (size 4 AAAA) removed from the house after she died. Shoes are in my blood!

Back to the sale racks and I hit pay dirt. I found 4 pairs of terrific flats including a pair of black flats made by Coach for only $62 and a comfy pair of Joan and David brown pumps. As I walked proudly up to the register, I had captured 7 pairs of shoes. I only spent $214 total. I had achieved victory! The receipt said I had saved over $397.

The conquering heroine proceeded to Starbucks for a Venti ice coffee and trekked home a different way that saved time (if she didn't go the wrong way on the Merritt again for 2 exits). Home in time to put a quick dinner together to take over to the Vara's. No Mars but great company and conversation as usual!

Sunday was a rainy blah day. Dogs out between the rain drops and old movies on TV.

Google and the Internet Delivered Me!!!

Many of you know my father had a relapse this week and found himself right back in the cardiac ward of CMC with Congestive Heart Failure. That is a pretty scary set of words to a family that has a lot of heart related problems. Never fear, I set about not to panic but to find out all I could on the web.

There are some great articles from the American Heart Association and in particular a great series from the University of Maryland's medical Center. They set a road map from describing the damage to the leftside and how that can progress / present CHF. The symptoms are very similar to a cold with congestion in the lungs and coughing. HMMM..

They suggested a recovery plan and a couple of diets that have shown good results and great things to watch out for. This was especially interesting describing the differences in relapse in women and men 6 months down the road. Women are more likely by 8 fold to have a hospitalization especially if they don't have a care giver or are living alone. Makes sense given the longevity of women to men and that most women marry older men than the other way around.

Google is my hero for this information. Fear of the unknown has always been a great motivator. It is what the entire insurance industry relies on daily! Google searched the web and delivered me from my fear with a matter of key strokes.

The internet also allowed me to notify the rest of my family and friends to what was going on quickly. This blog allows me to stay in touch with my readers. What is next in the wild world of the web? At my company, we are buiding hosted communities to enable the next generation of web usage called "Web 2.0". We offer ways for companies to let there customers engage and collaborate with each other. After reading an article on Generation Y and the IM language... Understanding the attractiveness and addicitiveness of blogging. Many blogs are the new Dickens. Many of his initial books were written as monthly or weekly installments in journals. I have read that he rarely missed a deadline!

The good news is Dad came home from the hospital last night. While Mom was out filling prescriptions, he decided to load the truck to take the garbage to the dump. I guess that means he feels better. The Captain certainly sounded 100% better than he did on Sunday!

Weekend Plans: Trying to figure out a good place to see Mars tomorrow night! Otherwise I am determined to have a restful weekend and go shoe shopping! I have seen some great new styles on the internet and need something besides my flip flops I have lived in Georgia for the past 4 years! Time to Google where the closest DSW is to me. Mecca is calling.........

San Francisco and Back again

Last week's lack of blog activity was because I was in San Francisco on business. We had a launch conference on Self Service technology. My team on site was terrific! We are a great well oiled machine. Hopefully, it will translate into a stellar product and a great money maker in the future.

I got to see Stacy when I was out there. She was my airport shuttle both ways and we got dinner on Wednesday night. It was so good to see her. I cherish being able to travel and see friends like that on the company nickel!

Got home and had taken the day off because we had originally planned to go to Delaware and see Ivan and Nancy this weekend. Dad's heartattack put the stop to those plans and Jim's parents decided this was the weekend they were going to visit. We had them here for a lovely visit and went to a family birthday party on Saturday. Thanks to Michael and Dianna for a lovely gathering. Especially, since it was her birthday!!!

Many of you have been terrific asking about Dad's health. He is slowly getting used to the changes in his diet and medication. He seems to have a summer cold on top of everything which is causing some real trouble in being able to breath. Your best wishes and thoughts, offers for help with the dogs and everything are terrific. It means the world to them and Jim and I to know you are there.

I am sorry not to have profound thoughts on anything. I am just trying to keep my head above water with the daily chores.

homestead bound

Well... I understand he is on his way home. Back to the homestead where he is the 4th generation to live there. I am sure he and the dog will be estatic! I am not so sure my mother will be after 24 hours.

I am off for our Customer Self Service Conference in San Francisco on Sunday. I can't wait to stand in line with out food or water ... or more importantly...lipstick. At least they are allowing me my trustie computer and blackberry.

I am hoping for a child free, terriorist free, and stinky overweight smelly shoe guy free flights. I have two lay overs in the ATL. Bets on whether I take the return flight to Westchester on Thursday night? I will....

Oh.. if a doctor's office doesn't confirm regular appointments... what do they confirm? Medical science... where all surly condescending waitresses find work after retiring from the airline industry. The receptionist at Jennifer Holloway, MD in Newtown CT needs a good ol' lesson in being polite and common sense. I am naming names! The heck with political correctness..

Update

I want to thank everyone for the calls and emails. I brought them to the hospital and shared them with Dad aka the Captain. He wanted to make sure everyone knew he appreciated the thoughts of good will.

Status: Day 6 in the hospital. Concerns.. He is diabetic and medication they have him on for the heart issues has switched the other medications for the diabetes requiring more shots and less oral medication. They hope to spring him by tomorrow. He was thinking about stringing bed sheets together and scaling down the three stories for an escape last night.

His other concern is that he hadn't been able to show in now 6 days. Wants to get home and bath. I can't blame him!

Everyone has been great to ask what they can do... I am not sure at this point. If you are in the area... Visiting or spelling my mother so she can go to the grocery store and her exercise classes might be it. They have to watch everything he eats and know the carb/protein/fat content so.. food is not the best thing. Otherwise stay tuned for updates. I have been cleared to leave on Sunday for San Francisco.

-PB

2 for 2

Back to the subject of being 20-30 lbs heavier than I want to be.. My father had a heart attack over the weekend. Mom had one at 49. My Grandmother had her first one at 36 and died at 72. If my father hasn't woken up, I have

They got him to CMC in time and we are waiting for him to be taken out of ICU.

We are such wimps!!!

Our power came back on this morning after being out for over 12 hours. No A/C, no computer..(needed to save the battery for work today just in case), no TV... no light to read by... cause the candles were not cutting it. Went to bed with the Sun and woke up with it.

We are such wimps!!

Education in America ... Is it time for Education 2.0

I am now hooked on reading the highlights for the Oprah show online. It is about a 13 page transcript of the most important points made. I was extremely interested in the piece she has done this week on the Crisis in the American school system. The huge dropout rates and actually calling some schools in the SF Bay area "feeder schools" for get this ... the PRISON SYSTEM! I am not surprised because of the stories Stacy has told me about being a social worker in a high school in Oakland. Stacy - please correct me if I am wrong - There are 3 adults in some class rooms. One Social Worker, One Teacher, and One disciplinary person. These are not large classrooms. I think she has mentioned they are under 20 students. Oh - this is also the middle level high school in Oakland meaning there is one that is worse.

The two part episodes also discuss some revolutionary ways to attack the growing problems of drop outs and the dumbing down of American education to teach to the lowest level. This has been occurring in American schools since at least 1978. I remember our elementary school vice -principal, Mr. Tierney telling my mother, " We have some students start 1st grade here (hand at eye level) and some students start first grade here (other hand at the stomach level) and by Third grade we have everyone here (hands meet at chest level). What is wrong with this ... The bright kids are not challenged. They are brought down to chest level. Instead, of this expecting each student to go to college from day one. Realizing that they come in with 101 reasons why they can't and having to combat that with 101 reasons why as adults we believe in them and that they can succeed. My teachers knew my name (even the middle one), knew my parent's names, and some of them knew my grandparent's names. How much power is there in believing in success? There is more power than an atom bomb. Every business owner, every successful athelete and star personality must believe in their ability to succeed.

Another group that was trying to make a difference said that it was time for teachers, administrations, parents and students to stop pointing the fingers at each other and realize the whole system has critical flaws. We need to step back and re think how we are engaging the students, parents, and teachers. We keep giving them books but is it better to give them laptops? Are we embracing the Web 2.0 and community 2.0 into the school system? Our kids text message, are on myspace.com, and are plugged into their iPods and video games. Why not teach them through the tools they embrace? What is wrong with CD rom text books? Pod casts lectures? Time to move education into the next century.... If we don't we risk losing the grip on what has made this country the economic and moral success over the past two hundred years.

Wedding Bells

We had a delightful message this weekend our dear friends have set a wedding date for October 28th. Terrific!!! 3 months to create a boot camp for myself. I rode this weekend over 23 miles and did about 13 miles last night in the blistering heat here in the NorthEast.

Since the happy couple are cyclists, it gives me an extra kick in rear to get better, faster, and more comfortable with long rides.

Congratulations!!! Thanks for the motivation!!

on a side note... my mother has been struggling with a huge weight gain since she had a heart attack in 1993. I am please to report that she has lost over 40lbs. I am so proud of her!!

Feel like You are living a in Dan Brown or Tom Clancy novel?

In my morning review of the news, Landis - Beirut/Israel and the story of "What would Jackie Do?", I came across a quick little article on ABCNEWS.com about Iran give Hugo Chavez an award. They are calling for the elimination of the United States. Okay that is fighting words... More importantly we now have issues that could bubble to World War III in all of these areas:

1) North Korea
2) Iraq
3) Venezuela - Hugo Chavez
4) Afghanistan
5) Pakistan/India
6) Iran
7) Israel/Lebanon

God speed Condie ... God speed...

Landis tests positive

Floyd...

Please tell me you haven't broken the hearts of all cyclists and the American population. This is one prediction I want to be wrong....

Sniff..

The Chicken Soup has come home to roost!

Many of you know I studied International Relations at NEC. I spent a good deal of time with a cup of tea in my hand debating and more importantly listening to other students discuss the Middle East crisis. You have to understand... my college was small but had two campuses. One in Henniker, NH and One in Arundel England. As a result, we had a high foreign student population for a total student body of roughly 1000 students. My best friends came from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, New York City, Florida, France/China and Maine. Two of the highest populations came from the Middle East and American Jews. In fact, there was a very close set of friends that lived together, an American Jew and a Kuwaiti. I helped them put up their first Christmas tree. Enough on the background.

The point is ... after my Holocaust class, my Middle East Studies Seminar, my African Seminar, and my World Religions class. ... I fail to understand the creation of Israel where it is. I know I am Monday morning quarterbacking. But really folks, lets put a population of people that have been brought to the point of near extinction in Europe and put them in the historical hot bed of turmoil. Has there ever been true peace in this area? The Ancient Egyptians, Alexander, the Roman Empire, the Crusades and the current day conflicts are all great examples of the most fought over terrain in the world. It seems the fault actually lies with the British on this one. If you look at the conflicts that have faced the world they are along lines drawn by British map makers during the colonization of the World by the British. What would the world political map look like if Israel was a bunch of Caribbean islands rather than in the Mediterranean? Say we gave them, St. Barts or St. Thomas? (Probably they would have changed the name) Would we be staring down the barrel of World War III? Al Quaida calling for a Holy War from Spain to Iraq. I feel like we are back to the Crusades again. Now will someone tell people that history is important... here we go deja vu all over again.

Beyond this, I want to be perfectly clear that I am not an anti-Semite. I believe that the survivors of the death camps deserved a place to call their own where it was a peaceful exististant.

What should have been done? Perhaps this hotbed area in the Middle East should have been a UN zone and area governed like DC is in the States. We could have put the UN building there. Make it a large international park and historical center that no one can own property. It belongs to the people of the World. How would that have been? Socialistic? Perhaps? Again, I am looking at this with the luxury of 60 years documented "I told you so" historical episodes. I just don't know if there is a solution to all of this?

Miss Scarlett's Day

So after writing the entry yesterday, wouldn't you think I would be good? Well, I succeeded with a couple of items. No white stuff with the meal. I did have crackers and hummus prior. Why not just carrots? The world will never know ... to quote a wise old owl. My lunch was fine and dinner as well.

I tried to eat 3 hours prior to going to bed. But if you fall asleep in the recliner, does that count? I did better with the water. Ate an apple. Yes .. fruit that didn't come in a bottle with a cork or sliced up in my martini.

So maybe this is baby steps. Cold turkey however as good it is with a bit of mayo and a slice of Avocado.. it is a bit harder as a metaphor going down.

On the exercise front, my time went to a family member that had just come home from surgery. Dutchess had a hopefully beign lump removed and two teeth. Poor Dutch, she is currently in the guestbed room really upset with us and in a lot of pain.

Miss Scarlett pronounced that "Tomorrow is Another Day"... However, Katie Scarlett ... Today is the present. In other words a gift... Mine for the taking. Let see what it may bring.........

Bootcamp? I am not talking about Jimmy Choo's

Yesterday, I clicked on Oprah for a minute while I was waiting for a conference call .. and she was talking about this "bootcamp" she had done for her staff and viewers/readers/listeners. I didn't get to watch more than about 5-10 minutes but was impressed about the philosophy. Let's face it. Oprah gets struggling with weight. She gets the wow I am in the skinny clothes and yikes ... now what do I wear cause that isn't fitting this week!

So I went to Oprah.com later to read up on this program of hers. I know as we all do weight loss is a recipe of determination, drinking water, eating the right amount of calories, and exercise. I think everyone that has ever had an issue with this will rank one of those four items as their demon. I was reading along and nodding my head saying okay that is nothing new when I read the following paragraph and it hit home. This wasn't the first time I had heard it. It wasn't the first time I acknowledged the idea. It is however, the underlying reason why I continue to struggle. My clients, family, pets, home, co-workers, home, strangers, and bad angel internal voice all come first sapping time away from this.

http://www2.oprah.com/presents/2005/bootcamp/commit/commit_oprah_d.jhtml

The first thing I told my team was, "I want you to think about why you're overweight. But let me save you a lot of time: The reason you're fat is that you give more to other people than you give to yourself, because you don't feel you're worth it." The bottom line is, you cannot lose weight until you make yourself enough of a priority to do the things you need to do to make it happen. People always say, "I'm too busy to exercise," "I have to be there for the kids," "I've got too much work." You know what? These are little lies you're telling yourself, and they go against the laws of self-preservation, because the more whole and healthy you are, the more fully you can give to other people. And that's the truth. I'm not asking anyone to abandon her children. I'm just saying: Put yourself at the top of the list so you can treat your body with as much care and respect as you'd give to someone else's—and when anyone needs something from you, you will be operating from a full cup.

Copied from Oprah.com TM & Copyright 2006 Harpo Productions, Inc. .... All Rights Reserved.

My challenge to lose the weight, get into shape and as a result be a better person in the long term comes down to this. Determination. I used to say it was water getting the water into me. That is a cop out. I give up too easily. This dosen't make sense because no where else do I allow this to happen in my life. Why do I let the part that will keep me around and healthy fail? I need to succeed here where I have in my career. I have an hour a day to exercise. Time to make sure it is slotted into the schedule. No excuses. What is your demon?

Attitude Adjustment

I am sick of being angry and upset. The smallest things have been bothering me which means two things... My to do list is too long and my patience is on vacation. I am starting to work on the to do list and calling my patience back to work. I have to realize living in a socialistic state like Connecticut means more rules for the greater good, more taxes, and less social graces. Done... Check that off the list.

The weekend was fabulously relaxing and also productive. Jim raced. We had a terrific day and evening at Camp Rob soon to be renamed Resort Vara. We can't wait to see the finished kitchen they are installing. The four bird dogs had a fabulous time in the lake and running around. Two Brittanys, One German Short Haired pointer, and a Golden Retriever make for a lot of laughs and fun. Annie had a great ride with Uncle Rob in the Kayak. Jen put together an amazing spred without a fully operational kitchen bless her!

Sunday was spent completely small projects and some relaxing accomplished. I hung my hammock swing off the back deck, re mulched the front beds, and organized the garage. Then fell asleep in the swing reading my book. Jim changed the pulls on the kitchen cabinets and vaccumed. We enjoyed a meal out off to dream land.

I am committed to start the week on a positive note. I look back at last week as the start of getting a lot of things accomplished and working to finally feel settled. Here is to a very successful new week both personally and professionally for everyone!

Dept of Motor Vehicles

There has to be a better way to do this. I finally decided to shake off my final ties to Georgia today and go to the DMV ... thinking it was the middle of the week, middle of the month and prior to lunch .. but not the first thing in the morning. I have to say my plan worked because the actually weren't too busy. However, the process of a new driver's license and tags (plates for the New Englanders) took 2 1/2 hours. I had to stand in the same line 4 times to pass go... write another check for $100 and go to another line. It basically cost me... $1.75 a minute I stood, sat, explained etc. Oh.. They almost didn't except my "TAX BILL" and proof I lived here. They wanted the envelope with a postmark... huh?

Neil Boortz's "The Fair Tax Book" - High recommended read - wants to do away with the IRS. There has to be a way to improve or do away with the DMV as well. At least, I will be saved this pain until 2008 for the car and 2011 for the driver's license.

Promised rant....Lexington Meadow is a HORRID PLACE TO HAVE PETS - WARNING !!!

As I read back through the postings, I see a common promise and rage in my blog about the community we live in currently. I am going to give you a bit of back ground today.

1) My husband and I have lived in successful with Annie a townhouse community prior with more units and in New England.
2) Our pets = our children .... Like it or leave it ... I don't have to think your kids are cute have rights or anything more than my dogs. Under the law they are treated equally as property. Unfortunately, your human children cause me a terrific burden in taxes.
3) Prior to signing putting in a contract on the property, a -we called b- our realtor called multiple times to the property management office asking about the "pet friendliness" and ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HAVING TWO LARGE DOGS prior to purchasing the property. See we realize that many communities are geared to the smaller lap breeds... We had another property we were on the fence with and were weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.
4) Nothing was mentioned about the issue at hand ... There was conversation about appropriately picking up after them. no problem. See my kids will never grow out of diapers.. the good thing is that they are free at the grocery store.

State of the Community:

Three Issues:

I) Pets - not able to walk, void (1 or 2) on the grass anywhere in the community but two roughly 300 sq ft areas of bark mulch that all canines in the community use. IE - dirty toliet. Okay, well here is the kicker... letter received because Seamus went out the door on a leash and urinated on the grass beside our end unit that abuts a wildlife preserve. We constantly have the following doing the same thing: Turkeys, geese, snapping turtles, bobcat, coyotes, deer, groundhogs, muskrat, ducks, blue heron etc...

Now I task you to find the "areas" in our community by walking or driving around. They are not posted and shielded by evergreens .. much like you might do to disguise a sewer pipe or an air conditioning unit etc. No one ever came over to welcome us from the Board etc.

II) Leaks - We have a window leaking that has caused internal damage and getting them to respond and fix it is like pulling teeth.

III) Garbage pickup - Got a letter because I didn't put the recyclables in a "blue" bag the first week we moved in and "tie up the cardboard" - BTW - Nothing in the rules about this regulations and on my call to the err "Mis - Management" company they couldn't find anything to tell me how to do it either. So I now truck it to the Town Transfer station twice a month..

So this is what we are living with here. The Space and lay out, location, and our direct neighbor are terrific. I have become somewhat friendly with the board president. I met her in the park with her chocolate lab. Is it getting better, perhaps.... However, the wound refreshes itself every morning at o'dark hundred when Annie and Seamus have to go out. I have to get them into the car and bring them to the park. Fine know.. wait until the winter... At least, I hear they plow the path.

Happy Monday

Can I tell you I am having one of those streaks of bad luck? It is so bad.. that last night I refused to go out to dinner because I didn't want to leave the house with the car. Pizza you say? Well for upper crust Connecticut, there isn't a decent pizza joint open on Sunday night. I am scared for football season.

Perhaps, it all started on Wednesday morning. I got up at my parents house in New Hampshire to go into my office in MA for a day of meetings. As I was towel drying my hair, I tweaked my back a la Miranda Hobbs in a Sex in the City episode. Forced 2 Aleve down the throat, changed into something I could wear with the closest thing to flats I brought and somehow got into the office. Drove back to New Hampshire. Retrieved my dogs and gear .... back to Connecticut.

Thursday was a dead day. I somehow got through the work day to die from pure exhaustion of going back and forth from MA to CT to Florida back to CT to NH to MA to NH to CT in a week. I have to say I wasn't really expecting to do much this weekend. I really thought it would be a quiet one with my husband racing on Sunday. However, it started off with a bang. Literally!!!

Friday afternoon, I decided to take a lunch hour and run to the town hall and update the dump sticker, get the dogs their licenses, mail my receipts, a present, and some bills at the post office (I needed stamps), and drop off a form to our insurance company for the house insurance.

Got to the town hall, for some particular reason.. They couldn't give me a dump sticker without my tag number - which is still a Georgia one. I also needed their rabies certificates from Georgia ... Well okay, I am trying to give you money. (Understand we have garbage pick up, I just take the recyclables and cardboard to the center so the town gets the money rather than the carting company). Also, they want to charge me a late fee for not registering the dogs in June - Helloooo New to the state... no clue there was a cut off told to do it after June.... Town of Bethel 1 - me 0

On to the post office, after making two trips into the building because I forgot an address in the car. Mission accomplished until a Trophy wife in her Jaguar decided that the best way into her parking space was throught the back end of my Mazda. I was in reverse... my fault.. More damage to the Mazda. On to the insurance company, see the irony.

Saturday was spent cleaning and doing laundry. All in all bad day. We still haven't finished unpacking from the move. Mostly because we don't feel welcome and comfortable in the townhouse community and town. I give our stay here as long as the capital gains tax time limit. I am depressed and hate walking out the door for fear of getting fined yelled at for something. Our biggest problem is the dogs. The community isn't pet friendly at all. I will get to that some day.

Sunday - Still in a bad mood from the day before. We need to leave for a bicycle race in New Britian by 7:45 AM. On the road and going up I84 almost hit a deer crossing the highway! Get to the race. Jim does better than he thought he would 39th out of 92 racers in a Masters race. Our friend, Steve Badger got 3rd. Day is getting better until we go to get the car and go home. Walk/Ride back to the parking lot - NO CAR ... Panic call 911 - Yes Jim, I thought enough to grab my phone out of the car! Not stolen but... It was towed!!! We parked in a bank parking lot on a Sunday. The signs say "Bank Customer Parking Only" - Hello - This was a Bank of America Parking Lot.. Branches everywhere. How did they know we weren't customers? AND the kicker ... they were CLOSED!! Do you think I will ever EVER EVER do business with them?
They towed about 3 cars including the winner's M5 from our race. $108 later and a great conversation with the towing company ... why do you need a ride? Hmmm Georgia plates... in CT you have my car with our wallet and purse! Bad Mood Rising!!

Time to put the weekend behind me and come out smiling. I need to find a way to make it in New England again. It is Monday, it is not raining, and I have a great ice coffee to drink. On with life... Time for me not to Give a S*(*!

50 Years ...

This past weekend we flew South to celebrate my in-laws' 50th Wedding AnniversaryJune 30, 1956. As I was emailing back and forth with their best man about a toast, it occurred to me the changes in technology and travel in a short 50 years. We were buzzing along on an Interstate I-84 (the interstate system was established under Eisenhower and signed by him June 29, 1956). We were driving a Japanese automobile. I was on my blackberry emailing back and forth as we were running late for a flight that would have us in Florida in 3 or so hours rather than most of the day.

In 1956, we would have been driving to New York City to fly rather than Hartford. No cell phone, I might have had a telegram at the hotel. We both would have been dressed differently.. Picture me in gloves and a hat. Stop Laughing. And so forth..

As soon as I download the "colour" pictures from my digital, I will post one of the happy couple.

More on the weekend later...

Ark Needed

It is still raining. Flooding from Maryland to Connecticut. Listening to the weather... It will clear perhaps on Friday. I took the dogs out this morning and we all got soaked to the skin. Took a shower and felt like deja vu all over again.

Note to self: Regain Kayak sent to NH... Maybe very necessary!

Balance ... Life beyond the Teeter totter

As mentioned in the last post, we are quickly coming up on the mid year mark. If you doubt me, look at the champagne flutes. They probably have a nice coating of dust that has settled on them. This year with re-locating to CT from Georgia I haven't pulled up my goals as much as I tend to do. I am ashamed of where I am with my personal goals. I didn't change a ton of them from the previous year except to expand and go to the next step.

I am on target and nailing the professional goals. I am on track with the financial sales figures, proactive with promoting the company vision of peer networking. (Heck - just establishing this blog gives me brownie points).

It is the personal goals I am missing on:

1) Health Goals ... not even close to dropping the weight.. In fact, have gained since I wrote them in December.

Actions - Joined an online program .. found out the method behind the madness is 1200 calories and a discussion board that doesn't work.... cancelling my membership.

I am getting better at the exercise goal on this that doubles with spending quality time with Annie and Seamus. We are forced to do laps in a local park because of the curbing rules here in the townhouse community. - That is a subject for a several part blog series to come...

Metric century ride. Well, I have been riding on the road more since the move. I have my own 18 mile loop and feel stronger doing it each time. The clip-in pedals are on the bike and I am about to leave the trainer and try it on the road. All steps toward doing 62.5 miles. I don't think that will happen by September though. We will see.

2)Clean home and keep up with laundry - Okay well that was easy in Georgia. I had the Silvas to clean for me It was only my laundry when I wrote the goal etc.

We do try but there are still boxes around. The dogs bring in soo much dirt. And I don't have a handle on getting rid of junk mail here yet.

On the plus side, I have established a cleaning routine for Saturdays and most of the time WE get it done... which helps to check off another goal.

Goals that need to change:

Go on vacation to Europe. Nice idea if I plan to go by myself. Hubby has no vacation with the job move. Looks like 2007 for that one.

2 sets of friends outside our group: Well - joint friends no... I have met a couple of people in the park and through the Brittany rescue league. We also have a great group of friends and family here that we are seeing ... Revise to one set... See how it goes.

Goals are balancing the future with the flack that gets thrown at you. Professionally - GREAT JOB.. Personally - I have work to do.

How are you doing with the New Year's stake in the sand... Are you flying high or stuck with your feet on the ground?

Rainy Days and Mondays

Yuck... Here it is Monday... It has been raining since 5:30 (quitting time) on Friday and just awful. I know the time because I had stepped outside to finish a call when Jim had come home and was playing with the dogs. It started to rain and then pour all night ... The dogs are bored out of their minds. We tried to get a quick walk in the park on Sunday morning only to have the mist (English Sunshine) abrupt into a downpour as soon as we got to the backside of the trail. I got home to have Mr. Sunshine himself ask, "Wet T-Shirt contest" ... Funnyman.. Dry the dogs off Mister.

Here is the weekend count:

• 1 hour on the trainer
• 1 lap around the 1/2 mile loop in a sort of run interrrupted by bio breaks
• 2 pizzas
• 1 bottle of wine
• 1 book finished
• 5 loads of laundry
• 1 successful trip to Macy's
• lots and lots of TV - including some terrific specials on the History Channel
• Learned how to rip music CD's onto the computer...
• Recyclables to the dump and returned to the bottle center
• Realized my husband wasn't crazy about an old hang up of his and will drop the subject
• Pedicure
• Three ice coffees
• No Naps - Big Mistake (maybe less ice coffee)

Back to work to put the push on for the last week in the quarter/half year. I have owned my car for a year this week and have about 11K miles including the trip North from Georgia. Time to look at the goals I laid down at the start of the year and see how I am doing. Perhaps that will be my next entry.

Find a Burnt out Cellar Hole- Investment and Saving Advice

My Grandfather was a story teller. He probably would have loved being able to get on line and tell the world his investment wisdom. Moreover, his saving strategy. Pauline, pay your self first. I got my first bank account when I was about 6 years old. I think I had over $100 in pennies, nickels, quarters and dollars squirreled away on my 25 cent a week allowance.

Grandpa taught or rather hammered into his two sons, 4 grandchildren and anyone else that was bright enough or even if they weren't his advice of saving first or pay yourself first. I will tell you he retired early in today's terms after spending 40 years with a major insurance company. He was well off for a man with 2 days of nineth grade education. You might say he and Peter Jennings had a lot in common that way.

Okay what does this have to do with a burnt out cellar hole?

Grandpa's favorite advice for anyone that was in the market to buy a house or God Forbid take out a mortgage was this... Find a burn-out cellar hole... buy the land and build. Rational? The chances of a house burning down in the same spot unlikely... the foundation hole was already there... chances are their was a working well or public water system already there... etc. Do you catch my drift? Build it yourself as much as possible.. Well Grandpere.. I didn't do it.. I have moved three times since you passed on. However, the saving advice allowed me to purchase my first home at 23 years old. Two of your grandchildren have built (or are building) there own homes and did much of the work themselves.

Why does this come to the front of my brain? Jim has sent me two articles that he said I had predicted the unfortunate outcome of in terms of trends in America.

Savings - only 4 of 10 people have an emergency savings account in case of the loss of a job, illness or other castrophy. WOW! That is three months rent, food, and bills... Shocking and very scary given the state of the Social Security situation.

Mortgages - or should I say Foreclosures - are on the rise because people can't afford the ARM raises in their payment. Ouch.... ARM Mortgages are only for people that are investing or only going to live in the property for two years because their company will move them again. This is the same for those weird mortgages that you can pick the payment or interest only. Stick with fixed. Look at least you know what the payment is ... your taxes will go up ... why should you be playing the slots with your interest rate?

The real kicker is this... If you have, know or employ a teenager... listen up! Statistics show if you have 16 year old that is able to SAVE $4000 a year between the ages of 16-21 and invests it in growth for the long term.... It will be well over a million by the time they hit their sixties. I know good luck getting that through any teenagers head. However, if you have grandchildren ... what a way to leave them a legacy.... I guess you could revise this to $1100 a year from the time they were born? As Grandpa would say .. Are you with me now?

I thank God for my Grandpa each time I make a sale, make my mortgage payment, and send that little extra off to the investment portfolio.

How do you make the Buffalo Scream?

Old Dog Finds New Tricks and Energy

My Golden Retriever, Annie has taught me a lot about life over the past 10 years. She has just turned 10 and that is 70 in dog years. She has taught me about love, patience, forgiveness, and much more.

Lately, the years have been beginning to show in the white muzzle and she has been showing the signs of arthritis. After being confirmed by her doctors here and in Georgia, we finally put her on Cosequin for her joints.

Within a couple of days, both cooler temperatures and her energy seem to come back to full strength. She actually raised up on her hind legs at the park to give a stranger a kiss on the face. Where as this is behavior I am not in favor of with strangers, it made my heart sing to see her feeling better.

The last week the temperatures soared back to the 90’s and even at 7 AM it was muggy and hot out for our morning 1.5 miles in the Park. She started pulling the old tricks again of lying down after the first ½ mile lap and refusing to go any farther. This was much to the dismay of Seamus (her younger brother, Brittany Spaniel) and myself. She has a unique way of telling us this by rolling over onto her back and not moving until she gets a fully belly rub and personal attention.

Today, I violated the park rules. It was only a couple of walkers we know and love the two dogs. I snapped off her leash and let her go free. Come to find out, she wasn’t exhausted… She needed to let out the inner puppy and telling me to do the same. She raced off to the swings and then flopped down on the ground to roll around on the grass. TOUCHDOWN ANNIE!! She didn’t want to walk around in circles. Annie wanted to play, be free from the leashes of life and smell the fresh cut grass.

After a couple of times around the playground kicking up those arthritic heels, she was ready to go back on lead and finish the laps.

I have been so busy with the move, my career and travel associated with it, and my in-laws 50th anniversary… I haven’t had a chance to do a lot for myself. Taking time to walk down to the pool and plop. Check out the gym with spin classes. Etc. So I urge everyone to look to their dogs for the little life lessons.. Naps, Exercise, plenty of water and toys, cuddle with the ones you love, and never lose your inner puppy.

Favorite Books by the Geek

I sent this link off to a couple of my best friends and family members yesterday and got a phone call from an individual that qualifies under both catagories. Between the peals of laughter (not at the content but at me), calling me a geek and what the heck was I listing all of the books under my favorites ... when I read mostly trash novels. Yes... I do read them along with Business books, political books, and a lot of historical fiction... However, the premise was my favorite books.

Recently, Real Simple magazine had a reader question "What is your Favorite Book" - the responses were all over the map from Charlotte's Web to the Bible to Gift from the Sea.

When I think of favorite books, I think of those that I go back to and use over and over again. I also remember a line I think Hawkeye Pierce said in M*A*S*H .. His favorite was the Dictionary because all the other words were in it. ... Here are why I listed some of mine....

Roger's Thesaurus - I purchased my copy at the Oxford University Bookstore. I use it daily because I can't spell and have always loved words and it reminds me of my time at Oxford. I don't know how to spell something, I look up a word that means the same thing...

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - I have seen 16 of his plays and read most of the others including the Sonnets. The book reminds me of my mother's love of Shakespeare and the Theatre and blessed me with the same passion for great writing and plays.

Emily Post - My grandfather gave me this book on Etiquette when I turned 20. I think it was the last gift that he picked out and personally gave to me. He wrote inside the book. I have always used it to set the table and figure out ways to handle difficult situations. It gives me the thought of "how would Grandma handle this" and the answer is always in the pages.

Getting to Yes - This is a book on negotiation. It was a text book and a best seller on the art of negotiation. Okay, where as I don't do foreign policy. Some of the customers requests and contract processes I go through are less stressful having read it over and over again...

Finally Better Homes and Gardens - The New Cookbook - I love this cookbook. Every great comfort food is in there. As well as what temperature to cook a Turkey and many many other receipes.... It is my never fail cookbook. However, rarely do I stick to a receipe in it without my own twist to it.

Currently I am reading three books - SeaBiscuit, The Martha Rules (business) and finishing a Nicholas Sparks book I bought in Vegas. Next on the pile after these is the Mayflower..

What are your favorites ? Hit the Comment tab!

Weekend that felt Like a Weekend

Okay .... Recently I have been speaking with a friend of mine and the conversations tends to fall... did that feel like a weekend... boy .. not really - This one did !

Spent Friday night and Saturday morning with the typically cleaning and shopping routines. We had friends coming in for the Southbury Road Race. Shortly after 1Pm, Ivan (our Best Man), Nancy, and their teammate and friend Bob arrived for the weekend. Off to Southbury to preview the 27 mile loop ( done twice) both days were in the 90's. Not easy. .. nope I didn't even strap on the shoes! I went shopping to the Loft for a workout on the Amex card instead.

Back to the house for dinner and swapping of stories. Both Nancy and Bob were patient and great listeners to the tails of Ivan, Branny, Keith and the famous Rob. We went to bed too late and got up to get the racing trio off to Southbury on time. I give everyone credit for making it to the start line in that heat. I personally napped with the pets.

My wish is to come back as my pet!

After the racers were home and showered... off to the Redding Roadhouse for lunch and beverages. Thanks Iv for a great meal. We can't wait to come to Delaware. Nancy is fantastic. It is so great to see you smiling. This was the first of terrific times we can share again. ... I promise to work hard to be able to limp along on rides with all of you stellar cyclists!

What a weekend !!