The Coin-Flip Road Trip

Good Morning from Burlington, Colorado. 

For those of you reading this and not wholly familiar with the Centennial State this lovely hamlet is the last stop if you are going east on I-70.  For the Brennan-Conti family it was the first stop as we return home from the Coin-Flip Road Trip and an opportunity to extend our vacation one more night.

Now some of you may be asking, “What is a coin-flip road trip?” simply put it has been just about the best five days I have spent with my family in years. Even though we were in Kansas.  Actually, I am being unfair to Kansas.  It may be because of Kansas this trip was just plain fun.  I’ll get to Kansas in a minute, First, an explanation of the:

Coin-Flip Road Trip.

This is not a road trip for the faint of heart.  Do not attempt this if you are:

• ·      A control freak or type A personality.
• ·      Unable to be spontaneous.
• ·      Lacking the ability to appreciate the oddities in this world.

For clarification this was not my idea. This idea flowed from the mind of my lovely wife, Meg, and I was lucky enough to be allowed to enjoy the fruits of her brilliance. Here are the general rules for the Coin-Flip Road Trip.. (We say general rules because there are times when the decision of the coin just cannot be tolerated.  Like when it wants to send you to Nowheresville Colorado. The occasional veto is acceptable.)

1.       The Coin is flipped as you approach US and Interstate Highways. Do not flip the coin at by-passes or highways that have the potential of making you back track or dead ends.
2.        The Coin is first flipped to determine if you will be turning. (ie. Heads you turn, tails continue on highway.)
3.        If The Coin tells you to turn then you flip The Coin again to determine direction. (ie. Heads you go South, Tails you go North.)
4.        Travelers are allowed to call for detours to towns or points of interest or to investigate historical markers.
5.        Do not drive for more than four or five hour per day.
6.        Coin flipping concludes when you decide to turn for home. But don’t keep this from giving you freedom to be spontaneous.
7.        Have fun

Our trip began Sunday morning with The Coin sending south on I-25. The next flip was Highway 24 and heading East to Limon. Continuing on I-70 into Kansas.  (We did veto one flip that would have sent us south of Burlington, and that was just not acceptable.) Sunday night in Colby, Kansas and then the coin sent us south to Hutchinson, Kansas and the Cosmo sphere and underground salt mining museum. We put the coin away to head North to Concordia, Kansas and a visit with a an old friend of Meg's. We also saw the Orphan Train Museum, World Largest ball of Twine and Nicodemus, KS.   

We did cheat a little, but the spirit of the coin was followed and we went on a grand adventure that would not otherwise been achieved with preplanning etc.

We are headed home now with great memories and already talking about our next road trip.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore”, Reese as we crossed the state line.

PS – I wrote the above in Burlington and posted once I got home. 

Total miles driven 1,033.  Of those Amelia drove at least half, maybe more. Super proud.

Lindsey Buckingham Alive and Very Well

Music at its most basic raw form is about a man and a guitar. And tonight Lindsey Buckingham proved that you really don't need anymore than that. Just a man and his guitar.

You remember Lindsey, right? Lead singer and guitarist for Fleetwood Mac, the poster child for dysfunctional music groups of the 70s, 80s and 90s. He calls it "the big Machine". We know the hit albums, Rumors, Tusk, Mirage. Mic on drum, John and Christine fighting, Stevie Nicks twirling on stage. In 1976 their album and tour broke records and spawned a generation of light rock. Lindsey Buckingham was the engine of that machine and for the next 30 years has jumped in and out of the cauldron.

But take Lindsey out of the arena and away from the soap opera. He is just a man and a guitar,with three more very strong sidemen and this is where Lindsey shines. The "little machine" provided quite nicely in the intimate setting of the Gate Concert Hall at DU.

The measure of a great musician is his ability to just play. Pick-up the guitar and pull out a song stand in front of a mic and sing. Lindsey Buckingham does that best and he proved it in the first 30 minutes his show. Just a man and his guitar. He opened with his best known solo classics Shut Us Down, Go Insane and Trouble. A dash of the big machine with Never Going Back Again and Big Love before he was joined by his backing band.

Songs from his new album "Seeds we Sow" peppered the remainder of show along with more Fleetwood Mac gems including Second Hand News, Tusk, I'm So Afraid and the 70s anthem Go You Own Way. Filling the holes were selections from his other five solo efforts. A two song encore with the band and then a return to the basics. A man and his guitar for the title track of his new album.

This concert was more than just a music icon of the 70s and 80s hitting the road in support of his newest effort. This was a return to a man's roots. He acknowledge this at the opening. Mentioning how he taught himself to play while listening to the albums of his older brother (who by the way won a silver medal at the 64 Mexico City Olympics). Breaking down his classics to just a man and his guitar. Showing not just what the basics are, but also proving to the rest of the musician world that it takes more than just replaying your stuff the same old way. That may sell tickets and give people an opportunity to relive memories. But what Lindsey Buckingham accomplished tonight was more important. He gave new memories and fresh life to old songs, something we tend to miss when the bands of our youth come to town to play their hits.

Lindsey Buckingham may not make the lists of greatest guitarists and that ok because sometimes he is more than that. He proved that striping away all the extra stuff and just being a man and guitar is still a powerful message and more than enough to satisfy a crowd.

Surfing Buffaloes

I’m a traditional kind of a guy. I know that may be hard to believe for some people I know, but deep down inside I like the old ways. When life was simpler. No computers (Yeah, here I am blogging.), kids playing in the yards and parks and not on video games, big newspapers, double headers and looking forward to the Big 8, no Big 12 football season. But even the money grubbers had to ruin that.

Today marks the end of the Big 12 as my beloved Colorado Buffaloes and the despised Corn split from tradition and begin life in new conferences. Now in the big scheme of things this really doesn’t matter. In fact for the Buffs it is a good thing. Sure no more trips to Manhattan, KS, Stillwater, Norman or even Lincoln. Instead we are going west to LA, Tempe, Tucson, Berkley, Palo Alto and Seattle. The money will be better and perhaps this will renew a program that hasn’t had the best of years. So maybe this isn’t so bad. But it is still hard to swallow for a kid that was brought up on the toughest college football in the US. The Big 12 and before the Texas invasion, the Big 8 was the best football conference in the US.

Gone are the days of CU and Nebraska on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It may have been lopsided in Nebraska's favor, but in that rivalry there were some great games. CU and Oklahoma had some fun Saturday afternoons also. But no more. The all mighty dollar has won the war. Time to move on, I guess.

So here’s to new traditions. Instead of Eskimo Joes we’ll go the Hooters in Tempe, we’ll go to the beach instead of cow tipping, and we have to come up with new jokes for our opponents cheerleaders. (No more grazing jokes.)

But let’s face it. The mountains are better than the ocean, we we don’t have the heat or earthquakes and we still have the sheep to beat up on.

GO BUFFS!!!!!

The Geekiest Summer

By the name of this blog you know that I am a geek. A term I am proud to carry and this summer I am going to be carrying the banner loud and proud and with my children by my side. Well at least my son. My 13 year-old daughter is not following us, at least she is claiming she isn't. Now all this geekness is for what promises to be a great movie summer and very cool geek-like activities. It started this last Saturday with Thor, will continue with Pirates of the Caribbean and Kung Fu Panda later this month. June has X-Men First Class, Super 8, Green Lantern, and Bad Teacher (not for the kids). July is the biggie with Harry Potter, Captain America and COWBOYS & ALIENS. This looks like the star of the year.

But in all honesty the greatest three nights in the theatre this summer will be in June as I sit with my kids and watch the Lord of the Rings on consecutive Tuesday nights. I am just giddy with anticipation for these movies to return to the big screen. Its even better that I get to see it with my kids. This is a dream come true because on the big screen is how these movies should be seen, at least the first time, and in their full extended edition glory. This is GEEK HEAVEN.

Other additional geek activities this summer. Lego engineering camp and a junkyard wars camp for my son. So jealous am I on that one. They never had that for me and I know I would have been a much better person because of it. For my daughter it will be cheer leading and rock climbing. OK maybe not that geek like. But that is not the point.

The point is there are some great GEEK movies this summer and I can't wait. Also a ton of Geek books to read. But more on that later, off to read.

Shirts and the people that wear them

I have to admit this started off as a sappy blog about my wife getting a new job because I am failure BLAH BLAH BLAH. But then I got a package in the mail from our friends the Ballingers. They sent us cool things from Hawaii.

Now I am the first to admit I'm no Tom Selleck. The truth is I bare little resemblance to "The Mustache". In fact the only things we may have in common is copious amounts of chest hair, a love of beautiful woman and this very cool Hawaii Shirt.

According to my sources this brand new shirt I am wearing is an exact replica of the famous shirt Mr. Thomas Magnum, PI wore as he tore through the islands fighting bad guys and picking up the hottest chicks on 80's TV. These sources further claim the original shirt is now in the Smithsonian. This further proves my point that Hawaii shirt are the coolest shirts in the world. I love these kind of shirts. Big oversized shirts. I have a couple from the islands, several bought from Kohls, Costco, (I shop only the highest fashion retailers) and one very fancy bowling shirt. My favorite is my CU Hawaiian shirt.

When it comes to shirts I have one simple rule, The Uglier The Better. I love to wear them year round. I've been know to wear them in the middle of winter to brighten up the office. I have a couple I can get with wearing in the middle of week, not having to wait for "Casual Fridays" and nothing make me happier than people taking a second look just to make sure their eyes are not deceiving them. I wear them with nice slacks, sports coats, jeans, shorts, pajama bottoms, to meetings, ballgames... I think you get the picture. I love these kinds of shirts.

Mark Twain told us "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." So be happy that I have found clothes that I like to wear and really speak for who I am. Because the other option would be walking around naked. Not even Magnum would want to see that.

A Great Song is Just a Great Song

I am not a big country fan, but I do love live performance and last night at Fiddler's Green my wife and I, along with 15,000 other crazies got sucked into the vortex that is Tim McGraw. The opening act, Lady Antebellum was nothing short of spectacular as well. But I think to call this a “Country Show” is to miss the reality of what these artists have achieved and are contributing to the current music scene, across all genres.

Let's start with “Lady A” as the die-hards call them. They are not a traditional country bad, no fiddle player, steel guitars or cowboy hats. To be honest I had only heard one song of their's prior to the show. The hit from 2009 Need You Now. While the songs sounded country at time, the vast majority of songs could easily be heard on any radio station in, no matter what the format. The group also did an outstanding version of Tom Petty's Free Fallin' that was as good as the original. The entire set was full of tight song writing and the standard fare of country lyrics. (You can never go wrong with the lyrics of a good country song. ) The backing band were all great musicians, including a lead guitarist doing an outstanding impression of Willie Nelson's former hair braids.

It does say something about the crossover of genres within music. The song used by the band to come out onto stage was 1901 from the French band Phoenix. Perhaps one of the best songs and albums from 2009. just shows to me at least the diversity in the marketplace of music.

I will tell you this. Lady A is definitely on the list of albums to buy the next time I am on iTunes or at the used CD store. They have got my attention and perhaps we will even try to get to there next gig in Denver, sometime in the fall at the Paramount.

Now to Tim. First off there was the ramp up music when the lights dropped Genesis In the Air Tonight, visions of Mike Tyson air drumming, and then the preview to his next movie with Gweneth Paltrow, as a spiraling down country star, Country Song. The video of him on a Harley, walking up on stage, Lights Shadows and here we go. The next 1 Hour and 45 minutes of fun.

(For the record Tim McGraw is just 3 month older than I am and my wife does not look at me the way she looks at that guy. Just saying.)

I have not had that much fun at a show in years. Even seeing Iron Maiden at Fiddlers in June, was not as light hearted and fun as this. I knew maybe three songs in the set, but that did not take away any of the enjoyment. McGraw is a great showman and I hope I can see him again. I have enjoyed McGraw the actor in Blindside and a couple of other flicks, and he is just as charismatic on stage. (I know this is going on a limb, but is he our modern day Frank Sinatra?)

This brings me to the point of this babble. It really doesn't matter the genre, but a great song is a great song. McGraw has ton of them, and it was especially true when he and the band played the Elton John classic Tiny Dancer. The song is almost 40 years old and he made it sound fresh and a hit that you would here on any radio today. It's a great song, just like the Petty tune played by Lady A, great songs are great songs. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years of McGraw will give us and I hope this is not the only time I see him. Same with Lady A, I look forward to hearing what they will come up with next.

Speaking of great songs, Rush in just 15 days, Those are some great songs.

Hey, want to hear the story about my back

Boy, did I F**K UP my back.

I'm feeling OK now, and hopefully will avoid a second back surgery this year. But the last 7 months have not been easy. Just ask my lovely, caring, thoughtful, beautiful, pure of heart, wonderful wonderful wife. Let's start at the beginning.

A year ago I was in the midst of a HUGE kitchen remodel. Tore out walls, floor, a bathroom, cabinets, filled in a door and installed a window. This was a big job, especially for a 42 year-old wise-ass of a man-child who, whenever questioned by the aforementioned loving, courageous, and trusting wife, would reply, "Yes!", "No problem.", "Don't worry about it.", "That's easy!", "I can do this with out anyone's help!", "It's only a flesh wound.", "No one will notice.", " I need a bigger band-aid.", BEEEERRRR Please.", "It's still connected with the piece of skin. Just get me more duct tape." never doubted his will and ability. The countless man hours, long weekends, used up favors, friendships strained, and a marriage strengthened added up to the best kitchen in the neighborhood and a sense of pride that is shared by our whole family. (Mother-in-law included.)

But as will happen to soon-to-be middle-aged men who bite off more than they can chew, "No good deed goes unpunished." I ended up with a herniated disc. An issue that started small and grew and Grew and GRew, and GREw, and GREW until finally my heroic, clever, and magical wife had to call the paramedics (I just think she likes to look at them) and had my sorry ass carted to the hospital.

I could give you the grisly details of my hospital stay, (three days with no pooping, crapping in bed, peeing in a bottle, a constant brain haze and monotony, the food was good though.) surgery that was nothing less than miraculous, my convalescence under the love of my wife, PT with an evil angel, and my triumphant return to work. But I will spare you the drool. (Sorry to those that have to endured the recorded version in person.) I will also spare you the details of my re-injury and minor set backs.

Things could be worse. The challenge ahead of me is to stay off the OR table and work hard to make sure this doesn't happen again. Also to get my body back in good physical condition so I can be a help around the house, and not be a hinderance and hassle to my wife, who really deserves all credit for not plunging a knife into my chest and skinning me al la Hannibal Lector. (Something she could get away with because no jury would convict her. )

So, is there a lesson in all this? I'm sure there is somewhere. Patience, compassion, sympathy, empathy, and maybe even endurance. But I have to say it was all worth it as I sit here in this beautiful kitchen and will always know, We did this.

I'm a Mac

After months of pestering and in no small part thanks to my daughter quick thinking at the computer store, we finally convinced my lovely bride to allow us to buy a new computer. We have purchased a MacBook. This is a new adventure for my family as we have been PC folks but over the past 6 months my buddy Russell has made the turn to Mac and by gosh and by golly here I am pounding away on beautiful white keyboard with a nifty screen and interface that in many ways feels somewhat foreign, yet very comfortable and natural.

Now, I know the Mac is still somewhat an enigma to many people. Many of us have iPods, a few have iPhones and we stare across the room at those people that have leapt onto the iPads and we say to ourselves, “Wow! That looks like a lot of fun.” So the question now is by having a Mac are we now part of the “in crowd”? I'm not to sure, but I do know this. I am going to have a lot of fun creating on this.

That is really the reason for this move. The last computer we, the kids and I, had was an old Acer and it really had come to the end of its functioning capability. IT was frustrating. Having an idea going to the computer and waiting 5, 10 or 15 minutes for it to come on, catch-up with itself and allow me to start typing. (Really, I can only write so fast and make it legible.) But with the Mac all I have to do is lift the lid and it springs to life as if to invite me in and dare to begin a journey.

I have to tell this is a thing of beauty, and I have only been using it for about 4 hours. Now there will be some things that I will have to get used to. First off the delete button on the Mac works differently then on a PC. More like a backspace I think. No “Crtl”, end, home buttons or a mouse. A couple other funky things. No simple way to make a window full size, getting used to the different positions of menu items minimize etc, and the efficiency of iTunes. Oh wait, that's a good thing especially as I listen to the Cowboy Junkies.

The touchpad on the old laptop stopped working two years ago and on the MacBook the touch pad is AWESOME. Just very intuitive. In fact the whole machine is intuitive not to mention just more efficient.

Last night at 9:45 I just closed the lid and went to bed. This morning at 6:30 I opened the lid and “Pow!” it was ready to serve. Not the waiting around thinking that the PC goes through. All I had to do was sit down and open Safari (internet browser) and I was reading the NY Times. I haven't been able to do that with the last laptop....ever.

So overall, two days into it I am happy with the decision to go Mac. At this point I don't think I will ever go back. The few items will require some getting used to, but I have to say we did the right thing. And am proud to join the crowd that says “I'm a Mac”

So now give me your thoughts. Have you gone the way of the Mac, or are you staying with the PC world.

I am a Golden Retriever --

I am nearing the end of my second year in my first sales job. Things are going very well and I am still telling friends and family “you were right, I should have been in sales”. But what they were telling me is the reason I should be in sales is because I am the right breed. The fact is we all fit certain breeds of dogs. Friendly and playful dogs like a golden retreiver, working dogs, companion dogs, mutts etc. I’m not saying we have to liken ourselves to dogs, we just have to be accepting of who we are and where we sit in relationships with others we work with. I think it is easier to think in terms of dogs. They are “man’s best friends” after all.

My wife and I have two kids and when my daughter was about four or five years old her great-grandmother compared her to a golden retriever and her cousin to a doberman. You get the picture. Both of our kids are golden retrievers, very much chips off of my block.

My wife first called me a golden retriever about three years ago while I was in a marketing/sales job for a restoration/construction company. She said it was the perfect jobs for a golden retriever because I “can lunch for a living.” The job lasted a year and I was let go as the economy was starting its fall. Fortunately I found my current job rather quickly (actually had seen the writing on the wall) and have found success. I took my wife’s comment as more than a compliment, I made it my mantra.

“Be the Golden Retriever” and it works like this.

My job is to identify perspective clients. I liken my job as a dog running free in a park and going from person to person with the goal of getting a scratch on the ears first. The ear scratch, a telephone conversation. If they like scratching my head, what I have to say on the phone, maybe they will throw a ball for me by agreeing to a meeting. Well, we all know that when you throw the ball once, the dog is going to want you to throw I again. To a dog time means nothing and he will be patient waiting, just hoping for another throw. That’s me. I am just waiting for another throw.

A few days ago I got another throw, actually it was a meaty bone rather than a ball. The prospect, a wonderful woman that I have come to know pretty well after our first meeting more than a year ago, just changed companies and was finally in a position where our company can be a solution. She and I talked for about 15 minutes before even getting to the business at hand. She commented on my “tenacity” and appreciated the fact I “didn’t give up on her”. I gave her my golden retriever line and explained that is was more than just patience. It was that dog (she understood, she has three of her own) that sits at your feet in the kitchen as you are making dinner waiting for that tiny morsel to fall on the floor. It has happened before and the dog knows it will happen again. We laughed, got to the business of the call and made our plan for the meeting.

Now I know I am a Golden retriever, I am not a working dog. I understand my role in this process and will now step out of the way. Because of some personal issues I will not be able to attend the meeting. At first the woman offered to accommodate my issues, but I declined. I am placing my faith in my co-workers, the working dogs in my company. I used the analogy with her. “You don’t want a golden pulling the sled in the Iditarod. You want the sled dogs.” I am the fun dog, the dog to go play fetch with, or to lunch etc. You want the smart dogs being your solution.

I like being a golden retriever, and here is where my prospect, hopefully soon to be client, will also better respect me and my company. I know what my role is. After learning about her company, challenges and goals I can identify the people in our organization that will best fit her needs and will be there for that meeting. The golden retriever in the room just wants to play or fall asleep in the corner. Let the working dogs get it done. Then all the dogs can go for a romp in the park.

Let's Talk a little Politics -

I was searching for some quotes the other day when I came across the musings of Thomas Jefferson. In my mind he is one of the wisest men in American History. Given the challenges we are facing I thought i would share a few of his thoughts and hope you spend a few minutes thinking of them and how we can take these to heart in this time.

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.

When the founding fathers must have been thinking about this grand experiment they surely must have thought this one out. Did they see the Parliamentary system in England many times as ineffective and rife with indecision. There is something to be said for a two-party system. I would have to say though, with one party in charge of the whole thing we do lose out on some of our checks and balances. I quickly see that we are moving towards the same problems with Dems in charge that we had when the GOP was in charge. I kind of like do nothing government or leadership that is forced to compromise.

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

This is where the Libertarian in me come out and goes "Damn Straight! Stay the hell away Mr. government." The problem is, and it is all to true given the actions of a few over the last 10 years. An unregulated commerce gives into greed and gluttony. I am all for allowing business to build upon successes, but at what point do they need to take off the blinders and look at the world around them.

All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.

Let's hear it for the little guy. Just because the majority says so, doesn't make it right. (Hello California.) The right of the individual is the most important and sacred right we have. We have far to many laws that place a fist around a person. We need more open hands.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

Ok, maybe not the blood, how about just a few bodily fluids. These idiots in Washington have been in charge too long. Time for a change. Never vote for an incumbent and let's get people that really understand how the real world works.

"People who can, can; people who can't run for political office."

The Obituary of Izzy Weekus Brennan-Conti

Izzy Weekus Brennan-Conti was euthanized by his loving parents Meg Brennan and Ted Conti the morning of December 30, 2008. Izzy had fought a strong battle after suffering a stroke on Christmas Eve that rendered him blind and somewhat confused. Izzy's suffered two severe seizures in the morning of the 30th and his parents decided to end his suffering shortly thereafter.

Izzy, originally named "Inky", was rescued by Meg and Ted in February of 1995 from the Denver Dumb Friends League. Upon meeting Meg for the first time Izzy promptly "marked his territory" by peeing on Meg. It was decided immediately he should become a part of the Brennan-Conti Family. Following his "Big Snip" Izzy joined the family at their first home in Aurora, Colorado.

It didn't take the young pup long to get accustomed to his new home. Thanks to a very quick smack from Misty the Cat that left some scars physically and emotionally Izzy found immeadiate appreciation for the status of cats in the home. After short time Izzy and Tashi, the younger feline at in the Brennan-Conti House, soon forged a friendship that would find them rough housing and as "Dogs and cats living together."

In February of 1996 the Brennan-Conti family moved to Walnut Hills where Izzy enjoyed a HUGE backyard and further explored the aspects of inter-species (cat and dog) love with his beloved Tashi.

Izzy's life was turned upside down on March 13, 1998 and the birth of Amelia Brennan Conti, the first child of Meg Brennan and Ted Conti. This family addition was at first difficult on the dog as he had to learn to share his parents, grandparents and friends. Izzy soon warmed to Amelia after he was joining her on a daily basis at the home of Meg's parents, Peter and Cindy Brennan. This change in attitude was do primarily to the constant availability of bacon in the morning provided by his Grandpa Brennan and the swift smack from his Grandma Brennan when he attempted to show his displeasure towards Amelia. Izzy enjoyed many years of "going to Grandma's" with Amelia, and for a short time his friend Herder Dunn, while enjoying the wonderful handouts from his Grandpa and the cooking of Grandma.

Izzy did suffer a personal loss in April of 1999 with the loss of his beloved feline friend Tashi. His despair was deep as he wallowed with his socks and bones for at least a week.

The dog's life was turned upside again on April 11, 2002 with the birth of Meg and Ted's second child, Reese Brennan Conti. It was at this time that Izzy discovered the power of kids and accepted Amelia as a playmate and was soon accepting of pets, pats and ball throwing. Izzy could also be counted on when a dog tongue was needed to clean up after the young and "urpy" child.

Further turmoil was unleashed on the dog in the Spring of 2003. First was the introduction of "Daisy" the young and sexy Shit Tzu (Spelling is correct as she is still prone to poop in the house.) Shortly after Daisy's arrival the Brennan-Conti family moved to their current home in Heritage Place. Izzy enjoyed the home's new backyard, the other canine neighbors and smaller steps.

In the Spring of 2004 Izzy and Ted embarked on an ambitious weight loss program that resulted in significant changes to both. For Izzy this meant daily morning walks. Many a morning sunrise came with Izzy and Daisy whining at Ted to get him out of bed and on the road. This daily routine was followed, weather permitting until about a month before Izzy's death. Cold winter weather and Izzy's failing eyesight made it more difficult for the pup to safely complete the 1.4 mile loop around the neighborhood.

Izzy will be fondly remembered for his horrible under-bite, love of the games "Sock" and fetch, constant begging at the table and in the kitchen, his great love form his Grandma Brennan and Mommy Meg, and his tolerance of his life companion Daisy. Izzy lived a great many adventures in his 14 years. He was a companion on camping trips and Rendezvous adventures, the first dog in Sammaw's house, an occasional playmate to Josh, Katie and Fergus, occasional visits to his daddy's office following trips to the groomer and his constant search for a spot of sun in the house.

Beyond his immeadiate family Izzy's favorite people were Auntie Catherine, Grandpa Brennan and anybody that came into our home with a friendly greeting and a warm hand.

His entire family will greatly miss the old guy and we are grateful for being able to share his life with him.

We Love you Izzy Dog.

40 year-old 7th grader.... or How old R U?

The movie "Big" was on last night ( I think it is my favorite Tom Hanks movie with "Forrest Gump" number 2. but I digress) and it got me thinking about what my real age is.

On paper I am 40, but sometimes I feel more like 14, sometimes 20, occasionally 25 and this morning 60. (Because I have been doing hard physical labor and am very sore. But I digress, again.) But the age thing is something that I have been considering my mind lately, even before seeing Big.

Yes, I know Big is a movie and in no way real. But it has some interesting things to say about how "adults" work and live. I think it may even be more appropriate for todays work environment.

When Josh begins his job in the data entry group he sits on his knees in the chair, then he plays with the toys in the office and with the kids in the "research room". As he "matures" he is in a suit. The 13 year-old then gets it, understands he doesn't need to grow-up, yet, and goes back home. But my attitude is we don't all have to be the Paul (the John Heard character) guy. All stick in the mud and uptight. (butt-hole all puckered up from windy day. Thank you Boo Weekly. ) We need to make sure that 13, 20 and 25 year-old in us gets out more often than we do now.

On occasions I may not act age appropriate. I have kept Star Wars figures on my desk and posters on office walls, made the inappropriate poop joke, or turned the occasional practical joke. I keep a bowl of peanuts at my desk to snack on through out the day and encourage sharing. While some people may not look at this as "age appropriate" I say it is LIFE appropriate. Life is too short not to take the opportunity to laugh, smile, have fun, share with other people or just take a nice long deep breath.

So I am here to ask you. How old are you? Do you take time to live life? When times are tough or sticky do you make sure that you laugh and blow off steam? Not just at home, but at the office. Do you act stupid in front of your kids and their friends? Do something in front of your co-workers or subordinates that shows you are human, and not just an EBITDA focused manager, leader or coach.

Let's not call it "Age appropriate" let's call it "Life appropriate". What is going on in your life at that time and how are you responding to it that is appropriate.

My challenge to you is to start acting "Life Appropriate". Do things that add to the richness of life.


"Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice; Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice."
Sidney Freeman , Psychologist MASH 4077.

Getting smacked in the face a third time....or hey losing a job ain't that bad considering.

AS you can probably tell from the previous posts the month of March really challenged our family. It was topped off by the loss of my job on March 31st.

I cannot say it was that big of a surprise. My now previous employer had seen some difficult times with the "parent" or holding company in bankruptcy but all the muckity mucks said things were ok. I knew otherwise with the number of calls I would get from sub-contractors (my friends) regarding late or no payments on invoices. I also was concerned when they let my counterpart in another city go. Hence the writing was on the wall and I began to take some precautions. But you always want to make it on your terms and I did hold out hope that thing would work out. I had just been selected as a preferred contractor with a couple of property management companies and was seeing inroads in other sectors. But the company gave up on me. (They didn't even let me keep my cellphone number. I had it for 12 years.)

This is not the worst thing to happen to me in my life, nor even in the month. The loss of our dear friend Ann is tragic and we (our expanded family) is just now beginning to come to grips with and understand the challenges ahead. We are just now preparing for the coming storms.

The questions now are...What do I want to do to provide for my family and the world? and What color is my parachute?

If you were to look at my resume (You can if you like, just send me a e-mail.) you would see that my last five plus years years of employment have not been very stable. I have been laid off, left a job for family reasons, got hit with the entrepreneurial bug and lost money and now have been laid off again. I have learned a ton in this time and believe that I have a great set of skills and experiences that would fit in may many different locals.

Early on in my last job I found it cute to put quotations in my weekly reports. They would be about money, goals, success, achievement..all those things that are supposed to prop you up. In doing this I found one that really spoke to me. It is from Albert Einstein and talks, at least to me and my personal philosophy.

"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value."

I love that line and I am trying to make this my mantra, for lack of a better term. But I definitely want this to be my underlying theme as I go on this journey for a new job. But what is it that I want to do?

For years friends and family tried to push me towards sales. I finally listened last year and that landed me with my last job. It wasn't really a sales job in the true sense, it was a relationship job. But that is what sales is all about, relationships. I was just starting to get those relationships to work when I got let go. Now I find myself at another starting point.

I AM A PEOPLE PERSON. I like being around all people. Honestly, I like everyone. I am more golden retriever than rotweiler. I am good at making friends. I can hold conversations, I find most any topic interesting and will talk politics with anyone. So maybe the sales thing is for me.

Who knows!?

But for now I am just trying to sell myself. Maybe the relationships I was just starting to build over the last year are the place to start. I have had a couple of interviews and am working the network.

Here is what I do know...I want to make time for my wife, kids, Ann's family and the rest of the world.

I'l up date you in a week or so when I have more.

What You Leave Behind Matters Most

Last week our family lost a dear and prized family member. My best friend's wife died suddenly at the age of 44. She leaves behind a husband, 9 and 10 year old daughters, a dog, cat, a brother, 2 sisters, 4 nieces, a nephew, and hundreds of friends.

Since Ann's (I will not give her last name for privacy) passing I have obviously been thinking about my own impact on this earth. There are some things that just don't seem as important as them once were. But what is important are the relationships with people that, while I have always prized them, seem even more important and relevant in my life.

In the span of 24 hours after Ann's passed I must have made 50 plus telephone calls on her husband's behalf to tell people of her passing and pass along other important information. This was by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. Calling personal friends of mine who knew her husband directly and Ann on the periphery. Or those that knew only her children. The one thing that truly amazed me were the responses. In today's world we forget how compassionate and caring a single human being can be and how when a whole bunch of people respond it can be amazing.

Every person I talked with asked first about the rest of the family, no good answer there, and then what they could do to help. Every single person. Follow-up calls and/or e-mails focused on the family and their immediate needs. As the days moved on towards the memorial service friends and family focused on the needs of the survivors foremost. Each phone call made and received asked first about our friends.

Then it came time for the service, and the true measure of Ann and the influence she and her husband had on those around her.

To be honest I didn't know what to expect. I knew we would have family and close friends in attendance. I knew a few people from Ann's husband's work relationships. But to fill the church with more than 300 people and nearly half of those attending the reception afterwards was mind blowing. It really made an impact on me and it has got me thinking about how many people I will have when my time comes for people to come and remember me.

We have all seen those bumpers sticks “He with the most toys wins” and laughed. I think I may have even had this at one time slapped up in my garage. But now it holds very little meaning to me. Life has nothing to do with toys or anything physical that we collect in our garage, living room, or kitchen . Life has everything to do with the relationships we hold in our hearts and the impact we make on the world around us.

I am the first to admit I have a bunch of stuff and at times I would like more toys. But those things don't stand up for you when “shuffle off this mortal coil.” It is the people that come to celebrate your life that really matter.

After the blade

Mr. Clean

Preston Kilzer, is the Bomb!!!

Not too shabby, before the Blade

Reese the Bald

The Giving Child

A parent is never more proud of their children than when they do a selfless act. Even if that child was pushed into the act.

Last Friday my son Reese and I participated in the St. Baldrick's Day activities at Fado Irish Pub in Denver. This was the culmination of 6 weeks of fund raising for the foundation. My son raised more than $1600 to fight childhood cancer. (Together we raised more than $3,000. ) Now who can deny a five year -old you ask? Not many, but I have to say there is still something special about a child putting himself out there for a cause.

Several weeks after we started this journey one of Reese's fellow kindergarteners was diagnosed with Lymphoma. This gave the cause more meaning and really gave my son some clarity into the cause.

Yes he is five years-old, but he does understand life and death (Especially after event of the past week, but that is for another blog.) and Reese really took this seriously. He talked with adults and fellow kids alike about his efforts and why it was important. He really put in the effort and worked to make this successful.

Friday morning we got up early and picked up Preston and his mom and headed down to Fado. I have to give a HUGE shout out to my wife. She is not a morning person, but really got into the event the last couple of weeks and has really given us a great deal of love and support. She did not like the fact that her husband and son would be bald, but understood the needs and appreciates the cause. I also want to say thanks to my daughter Amelia. She was a great boy wrangler and is excited about next year. She will donate 12 inches of hair to the Locks of Love.

Back to the event. We arrive and get to see members of the Colorado Avalanche shaving their heads, get pictures with the kids, and enjoy the festivities. An Irish breakfast down the hatch and then it is time to shave. Prior to our team the "The Snow Balds" taking the shears Preston's mom brings the crown to tears and laughs with a short speech. Then off with the hair. Reese was a trooper and I think is happy to have shared this experience with his dad and his friend Preston. I just can't convince Reese to take the blade and go to the skin.

I want give a special thanks to Melanie, organizer of the event and to Paul Miller, Captain of "The Snow Balds" we have raised nearly $20,000.

As a thank you to those that gave, not just to Reese and I, but to all those that support the St. Baldrick's Foundation we have posted a video on YouTube that were have made in honor of Preston. We hope you enjoy it. Click on this link.

Check out a few of the photos as well of Preston, Reese and I.

Hair today...gone on Friday

Let's call it blog infatuation...two in a row. It won't last.

There are more important things in this world than hair. That has been my mantra the last 6 weeks to my son and daughter.

My son and I are raising money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. They are the worlds largest charity organization raising funds to support research to fight childhood cancer. I have watched this organization from afar for several years and this year, thanks to a friend, jumped into the fun and dragged my 5 year old with me. Check out the website www.stbaldricks.org

Through March 14th we are raising money for the foundation and on Friday will be shaving our heads in support of kids fighting the cancer challenge. Our combined goal is $3,000.

This cause has taken new meaning after we started as one of my son's fellow 5 year-olds was just diagnosed with stage 3a Lymphoma. this has given new meaning to our cause.

There is more to this than a fund raiser. I am hoping to impart some wisdom onto my kids. This is about imparting on my kids a sense of proportion. Hair can grow back, raising money for kids that can't come back is more important.

My daughter has told me she wants to do this next year and make a donation to the Locks of Love group by donating 10 plus inches of hair. Kids in my son's class want to join now, but it looks like we will wait till next year and make it a full school project.

Our hair, clothes, cars and houses are not the important things. It is the choices we make on the rest of the world that is the true impact on our souls.

To Blog or not to Blog...and how do I get rid of this stone

As you can see I have not done a very good job in keeping up with my blog. Sure I posted a cutesy little poem that I hopes would have won me a super fancy bike. But since then...nuthin'.

In the last couple of day I have added a banner and a picture, refined a few items and now feel it is time for me to start blogging. The question is what do I blog about. My wife has a blog about marketing http://www.qgenisys.com/blog/ that she shares with some co-workers at the consulting business. I occasionally reads the blogs of Wil Wheaton, Bruce Cordell, Orson Scott Card and others. But really how much time does one have to read all there is to read out there in Blogland.

So here is the deal. My goal is to blog once maybe twice per week. It may just be a couple of lines, it may be a whole lot of nothing. But let's try this and see how it goes.

First item up for discussion --- KIDNEY STONES

For the last 4 days I have been fighting the mother of kidney stones. This isn't my first and I know it won't be my last. The thing about this one is that it has really kicked my ass.

It started on Wednesday morning. i had a meeting downtown and wasn't feeling that well. Drove home and literally collapsed in bed. I knew it was a stone and logically concluded that it would pass within an hour and all would be fine.

WRONG

Fortunately my wonderful daughter was home and proved to be of great support. At noon I had to call my in-laws and neighbor for assistance and requested that wife come back home. At 12:30 my wonderful wife, rushed me to the ER and after a glorious round of pain medication and some fancy pictures of my guts I was informed by the physician I did have a kidney stone that was 6 to 8 MM in size. (They thought it was a girl.) We were back home by 4 with a bottle of "happy pills" and an appointment at the nearest urologist set for the next day.

I felt good, ordered some Indian food and invited the neighbors to grub out and laugh off the days eariler excitement.

WRONG AGAIN

Back in the ER for more pain medication and a stern lecture from the other attending ER Physician about the importance of following directions about taking the drugs perscribed.

Back home at 10 PM and a restless and painful night of sleep. A "happy pill" every 3 to 4 hours lots of water, groaning, laughing, cursing and tears.

Wake up at 7 AM and I feel great. Thinking the stone has passed I start breakfast for the kids, coffee for the wife and prepare for a day of work. All I have to do is catch the stone.

STRIKE THREE.....I'M OUT...

at 8:30 I am knocked to the floor again and with pain the exceed the previous two incidents. More "happy pills" and semi-consciousness till two and the trip to the urologist. Good News and Bad news from this guy.

Good News - "We know why you haven't passed the stone, it is actually in excess of 1CM in size and stuck"

Bad News - "Probably can't get you relief until Monday because the BLAH BLAH BLAH."

The sight of a 40 year old man crying is not pleasant. I am not proud but the thought of this pain continuing until Monday and me missing a weekend of family planned activities was not good. My tears worked and an d we were sent the "The Kidney Stone Center" in downtown denver for blood work, additional consultation and advised to return Friday Morning at 11AM for Lithotripsy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithotriptor

Another restless night of sleep, more couch time in the morning, then off for treatment. Not to mention I now haven't eaten for 48 hours and couldn't any water since Thursday at midnight. I was beginning to get cranky. Put the pain was getting in the way of my foul mood.

Let me just say that "The Kidney Stone Center" is a wonderous place. They confirmed the size, (one big mother of a stone) location(not good) and sent me off to sleepy land. I woke up some time later in recovery. Can't leave until I pee, (Never peed blood before, but they said it was a good sign.) and ate two graham crackers. Bliss, sweet bliss. Off to home and recovery.

Send the kids to the neighbors, wife to her Friday night work function and I lay around for a bit, over to the neighbors for a light dinner, back home and a great night sleep.

Saturday morning the birds were singing, the sun was shining and I was again my joyful happy self. The battle is fought, the war against the stone is won and I will be able join my daugther for Pinewood Derby and my wife and friends for an evening of fun.

WRONG AGAIN...WRONG AGAIN...WRONG AGAIN...

Pain..."happy pills"...pain..."happy pills"...Three hours later I am back to the zoned out zombie. I am still peeing blood, urine filled with gravel, and more couch and down time. This is not fun anymore.

So no Pinewood derby...no fun time with the wife and friends.

I do have to say this. Even as a 40 year-old man, there is something comforting about having your mom around when you are sick. My mom had previously planned on coming up for a conference we had been expecting her. But it was nice to have some "Mommy care". I think my wife was grateful for the assist and a chance to get away from me for a night.

So here it is Sunday afternoon, 10 minutes to four. I am feeling human. Still peeing gravel and waiting for the big chunks to show themselves.

For those that don't know the real pain from kidney stones comes from the the stone leaving the kidney and going to the bladder. Leaving the bladder and out is uncomfortable also, but minor in comparison. So for the next week I will pee through a strainer and on March 20th or so, return to the urologist for a follow-up.

My father has dealt with stones for 30 years and the "experts" are always changing his diet. Hopefully we can figure this one out. He has been a guide for me in my struggles. He has had the Lithotripsy done several times before and still fights the stone battle on a yearly basis.

If you have ever fought the stone let me know. Have they returned on you? if not what changes have you made?

Pleading for a Seven Cycle

At the end of June of this year Outside Magazine held a essay contest for a Seven Cycles Bike. Not that I am worthy of this great machine, but I still put forth my effort. I have yet to discover who won the damn thing, I know I didn't although I certainly believe I deserve it. In a search for the winner I came across several other worthy entrants (Not as good as mine though) and believe you should check them out.

I have shared my entry with many, and all are shocked that I did not win. I am anxiously waiting to discover who the winner is, so I can hunt them down and...um, shake their hands.

So here is my entry. I am also posting the links to other essays I have found on the web.

PS. If anyone from Mariah Media/Outside Magazine reads this, please tell me who won.

Thanks


'Oh the Bike I must have
Apologies to Dr. Seuss
*
There is a guy in Colorado named Ted
His right knee is mush, His left knee near dead
Three years ago Ted could then be called fat
Through running and diet he lost 50 pounds flat
But after running miles and miles he's now peddling a bike
An old Trek Aluminum7000 that's as fast as a trike.

Poor Ted has gained weight
cannot pound ground anymore
His new love is biking
and calisthenics on the floor

Now here I sit at the computer a pounding
Dreaming I'll soon have a bike with “filament wounding”
I am ready to answer 108 questions
about my legs and my trunk and make other suggestions
On how Seven Cycles can make the perfect bike
for riding the plains or the Peak of Pike

The couch has been calling
“Come and watch Sports”
I must stay on the bike
to keep looking great in those shorts

A Seven Cycles bike is a gift from the gods
To be be ridden alone or with cycling squads
With this wondrous beast I will travel Colorado
From Durango, my home town, to the canyon of Eldorado
My fat will melt away with this magical bike
It will enhance my gluts, something my wife won't dislike

I'm stuck with an old beast
I need a new ride
This twenty year old bike
nicks at my pride

I beg you I do, I must win this prize
Think of my children, my wife and my thighs
If I don't get this bike, I'll continue to suffer
when riding I look just like an old duffer
You must understand I need a new bike
My new mantra will be “If I could be like Lance” Apologies to Mike

I'm desperate you see,
Don't mean to be contrite
but if the new bike is not mine
I'll be riding at NIGHT!!!!

Check out these great essays as well:

http://www.dobovedo.com/?p=799

http://idrunkthepunch.blogspot.com/2007/08/literary-attempt-at-winning-seven-cycle.html