buckle-up

There was a lot to consider. Should we keep the BMW i8 Roadster for one more road trip? Given how it would be a transit across several state lines before we make it to Las Vegas and with the price of gas having passed through US$5.00 for a US Gallon, electing to take the hybrid sports car seemed quite logical. Then again, the car was coming off lease and the potential for mishaps to occur along the way was enough deterrent from taking it for this trip. With heavy hearts we turned the roadster in, a couple of weeks early, and in taking that option off the table, we still had a decision to make. Faced with choices all of which would work, we arrived at the obvious conclusion. Let’s drive the Corvette. The F Pace came a close second and for a short while was the leading candidate, but when we looked at how large a volume of baggage space existed in the Corvette, it won the day. Now it’s all about the route and behind the wheel of a Corvette it will not include a lot of interstate driving....

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 ...

It’s back! Yes, winters hold on us has truly lessened and trees are blooming, flowers blossoming and more to the point, we hear the siren call of the highways once again. Ignoring our last outing that saw us battling snow, after a couple of local trips up and down our favorite canyons, we can safely say that we will be spending time looking over maps and familiarizing ourselves with routes we truly like to revisit. West coast? East Coast? Canada? It doesn’t really matter at this time of year so long as it is an opportunity to take in that vast vista that is America. It was while perusing our local furniture store that I passed this picture and I just couldn’t help myself. I had to snap off a quick photo.  It just seemed so appropriate. Maybe not the VW van, although there was the one time my father drove home in one and proceeded to take us for a trip between our home in Lindfield, Australia, back up to his workplace in Hornsby, another part of Sydney, Australia. Sitting in the fro...

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...