buckle-up

I truly cannot recall a time when my desk has been messier. Then again, I am constantly multitasking on behalf of my clients and with the return of in-person events, I am working simultaneously on numerous papers and presentations that just have to be completed before a publication or event takes place. On the other hand, I haven’t been a religious follower of the clean-desk principle. Wasn’t it International Telephone and Telegraph Corp CEO, Harold Geneen, who many years ago put down the clean-desk, super-organized manager with the criticism, "If your desk isn't cluttered, you probably aren't doing your job." It is also best left to the coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, who ends his post-game press conferences with something like “he just did his job!” Before you entertain any thoughts that perhaps you are hearing a complaint from me then nothing could be further from the truth as yes, I love my job and I love the people I work with. For someone ...

This wasn't part of the plan; overnight snow fall in Cedar City, Utah It was late afternoon following our ten day mixed business and leisure trip to Long Beach, California. Having left California Monday morning and trekking the 500 miles to Cedar City, Utah, it was now the last dash of 650 miles to Windsor, Colorado, that we hoped to manage covering in about ten hours. Home, sweet home! Or at least that was the plan. With spring time in the Rockies you can never count on favors from Mother Nature and as it so happened she began showing her indifference to our plans the moment dawn broke on our Cedar City hotel. Under all that snow? Our Infiniti X35 all-wheel drive cross-over! The plan was for Margo to drive the first leg; this would be a 150 mile stint which normally she would cover in about two hours. However, looking out at the parking lot the cars were all covered in snow. Winter apparently hadn’t received the memo. Margo did her stint, gave the car over to me and then took he...

For now we are enjoying the brown – bring on the green. It took almost no time at all before the ponds and lakes that surround our Windsor, Colorado, home melted away revealing splashes of blue in an otherwise still brown surroundings. The green of spring may be still a few weeks away but already it is beginning to look like it’s tantalizingly close to happening. There have been numerous snow-days, but by all accounts from those who regularly ski these mountains, it hasn’t been one of those massively over-the-top snowy seasons. Having written this, there is no doubt that sunny skies are back in vogue along Colorado Rockies’ front ranges. And about time, too! I fancy, it is springtime in the Rockies The flowers with their colors are aflame And though I long to be back in the Rockies I'll wait until the springtime comes again We are entering that April – May period when snowfalls in the past have come in late and heavy. Margo thinks that she saw just the tiniest glimpse o...

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west And my spirit is crying for leaving… Perhaps it is not a typical opening to an end of year post but as I took this photo of the western sky with the setting sun putting Colorado’s Rockies in sharp relief I couldn’t help but think of those lines from perhaps Led Zeppelins’ most famous song, Stairway to Heaven. Then again many, many, years ago among the gifts left for me under the Christmas tree I could always count on there being a vinyl LP by that group. As I recall, the card was always signed by my daughter, Lisa. Then again, I could be mistaken but all the same, just looking to the west at this time of year as the lights began turning on, it was difficult separating true beauty from the lyrics of that long ago song. Margo and I have come through the year with much that could have put a damper on our spirits. Even now, Margo’s grandson Aiden is hospitalized in Minnesota undergoing what we hope will be a life altering surgery on hi...

Absolutely a dominating performance to take the pole in Nashville How can we start out with anything less than reminiscing over what could have been at the inaugural Indy Car event through the streets of Nashville. Around the carpark of the NFL Titan’s football stadium, across the bridge, around a tight Nashville city triangle and back over the bridge! Margo and I have been following the Indy racing this year and haven’t missed one weekend watching practices, qualification as well as the races themselves. When you have almost-family members as full time Indy racer it brings with it just that added spice of excitement. Following a brief summer hiatus which we think had a lot to do with the Olympics being televised by the same network that covers Indy races, there were back-to-back races in Nashville and Indianapolis. A twisting and unforgiving street course in Nashville followed by a proper road course in Indianapolis. Before we cover the race at Indy, it’s worth revisiting the wee...