buckle-up

I've been dreamin' 'bout the West Coast (I've been dreamin') Found some faces that I don't know (I've been dreamin' about it) I'm seein' signs for California Trade the shade for somethin' warmer Business necessitated a trip to Northern California. We would be visiting areas surrounding San Francisco and it would be in two parts. Following one weekend where we would be on the peninsula proper a week or so later, we would be in the city. What to do? Two trips? Or were there other options to consider? In the days preceding our trip the words of this popular song keep playing in my mind. It was stark reminder that it has been two plus years since we last stepped foot in San Francisco, but then we had been dreaming of this trip for some time. All that time ago it was to spend time with our dear friends, Dieter and Chris Monch. You can check out the post that followed that short BizCation with this hyperlink, Going coastal – I hear the call of...

The late blooming of roses lining the perimeter fence reminds us both that summertime is well and truly upon us. Spring may have seen an explosion of color but around our home here in Windsor, Colorado, there is always something throwing off a splash of color. We continue to be surprised at just how well those little plants, bushes and trees have done in the few years we have lived here, but then again, it has been a summer to remember. Good spring rainfall has seen light afternoons rain showers continue deep into summer. Light afternoon rain showers? Well, there has been a lot of atmospheric activity and would be more accurate to say that the evening thunderstorms, typical at this time of year for the Rockies' front ranges, have produced a little more rain than normal such that barely a day has passed without a clap of thunder or two waking us from our early evening downtime. The end result though has been a level of greenery unseen for many years. For those readers who may not ...

The view from our hotel balcony was spectacular. We had just arrived at the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan, part of the Marriott chain of hotels, and were pleased to be given a suite on the fifty-first floor. It had a balcony with outdoor seating no less. As I said to Margo, we could live like this! Perhaps not; then again, maybe the Vegas strip might be a good alternative to winters in Colorado. This proved to be one of the highlights of our excursion to Las Vegas as it came down to business; all-business with few opportunities to step back and unwind. The occasion was the annual HPE conference, the big tent-marketing event that HPE branded as HPE Discover 2022. Margo and I were representing a client and with that came the responsibility of holding down a speaker’s spot on the agenda. Reminiscent of the many street-corner evangelists or up-and-coming politicians you run across in big cities these days, I was to give my presentation within a small theaterette that faced not just a busy corri...

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 ...