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.