Wednesday, March 18, 2009
How I Spent St. Patrick's Day 2009...
03/18/2009
Supposedly I am a third Irish. The other two-thirds of me is made up of some English bloodlines and Scottish bloodlines. Now this may get me in a wee bit of trouble, but other than an accent, what the hell is the difference between the Brits, the Potato People and those Haggis eaters? The answer is more than simple. There is no difference, except the Scots and the English do not have a special day set aside so I can drink Guinness or any other of my favorite brews. And that my friends, is all I really need to say about that, but…
As I looked around the world yesterday I could not help but notice nearly everyone was wearing green clothing of some sort– shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, you name it and someone probably had it on in green. Even I had a little green clothing adorning my body, though the green is more bone colored than real Irish Green. The Nancy mocked me into it. I don’t usually give into dressing for holidays, not even Halloween.
The Nancy and I did manage to get can get to Beautiful Downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, population 711, and down couple of a pints of fake Guinness – which means the bar didn’t have it so we had to consume another stout. That was my goal the evening.
Mission accomplished!!! St. Patrick’s Day 2009 ended just as St Patrick’s Day 2008, which basically means it was just Another Day in Paradise for me. Like is good!
And that is all I have to say about that…
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Another Job Well Done...
03/12/2009
Okay, my company meeting is over and I did not fall apart while doing my 90-minute presentation. I know it is kind of weird for me to get worked up about doing a presentation at a company meeting. In the twenty-six years I have been with this company, I have had a part of the meeting to conduct in at least twenty-three of these. I suppose it is just human nature to get a little weirded out about having to do a presentation in front of people you believe to be your peers.
One thing I have found is that if I start my presentation by singing a song or part of a song, I am almost immediately put at ease. I began this one by singing “Impossible Dream” from “The Man of LaMancha.” I have loved this song since the first time I heard it. It has always been one of my favorite shower songs, especially when no one is home and I can sing it at the top of my lungs. The lyrics are:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
This song speaks to me of commitment and of intent, though I didn’t pick up on it until my adventure in Dallas (though I won’t mention http://www.millennium3education.com). It fit right into subject of my presentation, and I was able to tie it in during my concluding remarks.
Some people were kind enough to say kind things about both my singing and my presentation. While I have no misconception about my ability to carry a tune, I did appreciate the accolades. I had fun. The presentation went well, as always, and once it was complete, I knew I nailed it. I am one Hell of a Guy.
And that is all I have to say about that…
Friday, March 06, 2009
I Am Feeling a Little Weird Today
03/06/2009
While this is absolutely the best day ever, I am feeling a little strange. Next week I am attending a company Regional Sales Meeting in Baltimore. I have to do about an hour and a half presentation on a segment of our company’s business and on some products I have never sold. One of the hazards of having been in sales management for the last twenty-three years is, as the years have gone by, I sense my selling skills have atrophied. I don’t know the products we sell these days as well as I should, but then I don’t see them, don’t touch them, and don’t really have to know them other than have a general knowledge of them. I am an idea guy, a motivator, a problem solver. Knowing we sell them is good enough for me.
Anyway, having to do these presentations always makes me nervous. After all, these people are my peers, and most of us deep down believe our peers have it all together and know all there is to know and are laughing their asses off at us as we make complete fools of ourselves talking about stuff of which we do not have a clue. Am I correct?
So here’s the deal, I know why I do this to myself. I know all will be well in the end, but I get to enjoy the misery of knowing I have to do it and will torture myself off and on until 3pm Wednesday afternoon when it will be over. It will be done and I won’t have to do another until 2010.
Whew! I needed that. I just needed to get my head on straight. Thanks for being here for me. I am going to spend some time going over my notes and practice this thing a couple of times, and then I am going to drink beer in copious quantities.
And that is all I have to say about that…
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Up Chucking...
03/01/2009
The title isn’t quite what immediately comes to mind here. Yesterday The Nancy and I got together with family to celebrate two birthdays, her dad’s eightieth and grandson Jared’s tenth. The entire group consisted of, in addition to The Nancy and me, daughter Jackie and son-in-law Ken, The Nancy’s mom and dad, Jessica, Justin, Jared, Jon-Luke, Jessica’s BFF Anna Kay, and a couple of Jared’s buddies and nephew Ben. Last among the guests, but not at all the least, The Nancy’s younger brother Charles and his wife Michelle.
Charles, aka and affectionately known as “Chuck” is a piece of work, a one of a kind, a man of a certain “Je ne sais quoi.” Chuck is a rotundish, middle-aged, burly, John-Goodmanesque, good natured man. He appeared yesterday on February 28th wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and shorts, which is the standard year-round dress code for this forty-nine year old boy. Not long ago I wrote about maturity and “You are never too old to be immature,” and how I fit the mold. Well, Chuck fits the mold with me, and I think it is why I love him so much. An evening with Chuck is nothing but grins and giggles spiraling down to belly laughs. The company arrived at the house at 4pm. At 4:05, Chuck had a beer in hand, at 4:15 he had another, and so on and so on. This Hell-of-a-Guy joined the fray and began to indulge – mistake #1.
There in not a human on this earth that can keep up with Chuck. I have never met a man who can down beer after beer with no visual effect. Every time I was about finished with one beer, another was waiting to take its place. I attempted to hang with the big guy throughout the evening, but as darkness descended upon the earth, I had to give it up. No mas! Shortly after the company left, I was more than ready for bed. It was 7:30. I just can’t hang with the big boys anymore, and, God knows, I just cannot up Chuck.
And that is all I have to say about that…