Father of Six

X’s and O’s NFL Business news and notes
The Cleveland Browns traded former 1st Round draft pick, Quarterback Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos. Who is excited? Not me. It seems to me that Quinn is interested more in body building than learning to be a NFL starting QB. And he went to Notre Dame. No thanks. (As an aside, the trade for Irish Quinn, means the Donks will most likely release Shorthorn Chris Simms. Bye-bye Chrissy. OU hero Roy Williams still loves you.)

Ex Libris What am I reading, why, and do I like it?
“The Infinity of Lists,” by Umberto Eco. A reference inside the book states that it “is published in conjunction with the exhibition, The Infinity of Lists, presented by the Musée du Louvre, Paris,” as organized by the author. In the introduction, Eco states that the Louvre invited him to organize a seriers of events on a subject of his choice. He chose lists. The collection of lists include Hesiod’s list of the children of gods and Rabelais’ list of things used to wipe one’s bum. This will take me a considerable amount of time to read, and I think it is well worth my undertaking.

Adult cartoons Seasonal Sport – Hockey general
I’ve watched with interest this past week as I’ve learned to enjoy my NHL Center Ice subscription. I find myself more interested in watching the Canadian teams – Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver – than any other divisional or conference race. I’ve made it a point to watch some leading goal scorers this week too. Guys like Steven Stamkos on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals are pretty exciting.

I won’t say combo platter What did I cook this week?
Dutch Oven Chicken. I bought a whole cut up chicken, mixed in an onion, some carrots, potatoes, green beans, chicken broth and red cooking wine, along with some herbs and spices – marjoram, bay leaf, cinnamon, and clove – and put it in the dutch oven on the stove top. Cooked it for a little over an hour. It was awesome.

First Down Upcoming Sporting Event – Soccer
England’s cup squad took a blow this week, as David Beckham is almost assuredly out of the side after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Or did it? While Beckham was hoping to become the first player in England’s storied history to play in four World Cup’s, I wasn’t convinced that he’d make the final roster, given that he hasn’t been starting in International matches for a while now. Now who will take all of those free kicks?

Time Out What did one of my 6 kids do this week that I found remarkable?
Danielle went to San Francisco this weekend. For fun. I know that at some point in every parent’s career, you recognize that your children are adults and will be doing adult things. And this has been true, not only of Danielle, but Eric and Brittany too. Manda and Becca’s time will be right around the corner. But still, when Danielle was off to SF this weekend, I thought to myself a couple of times – Damn, seems like just yesterday she was out on the porch in nothing but a diaper, dunking her hair in a puddle of rain water.

Second and Short Cycling
Don’t look now, but Alberto Contador is making some early season noise. He just won the seven stage Paris-Nice race. He won the fourth stage, in a fashion that should remind everyone that he is the worlds’s best climber. This guy is scary good.

OctoEchos What music I’m listening to, why and do I like it? Or just music.
Jimi Hendrix, Valleys of Neptune. Nearly 40 years after his death, Jimi Hendrix is still releasing new records. The album is well put together. It sounds like a collection of completed thoughts and ideas.The music is good. It’s evident to me that Hendrix loved the blues. It’s also evident to me that bassist Noel Redding played better on non-blues tracks. There is even a new highly produced video of one of the tracks, ‘Bleeding Heart’, from this new release. And ‘Bleeding Heart’ grooves on it’s own. I like it, and the recording is in heavy rotation for me.

Man Coverage Pick One Guy
Ahem. Did you know that the Catholic church employ’s someone as their chief exorcist? Father Gabriele Amorth has been the Vatican’s chief exorcist for 25 years and has recently published a book, “Memoirs of an Exorcist.” Amorth says the recent sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church confirm that “the Devil is at work” inside the Vatican! I read in a Times of London article that Amorth has handled 70,000 cases of demonic possession, including some with “cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon.” The last sentence of the Times piece reads, “He is the president of honour of the Association of Exorcists.” Someone probably beat me to it, but I’m wondering if the Association of Exorcists has a Twitter account and a Facebook page.

Somewhere, (hell, perhaps?) Richard Pryor is working on a new routine.

And … I … am … incredulous.

Halftime What exercise did I get this week and how it correlates to a future challenge?
The Sprint Triathlon is now 12 weeks away. I had three good workouts last week in my swimming training. I did 1500 yards straight without stopping, and then a tough 2000 yard interval workout. I went biking two days, including some tempo riding on the Platte River Trail. Running will still be my great nemesis. This weeks effort had me running two days at the 3 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio for 35 minutes.

Third and Long Local Teams
#1 DU won their opening playoff series, two games to none against Michigan Tech. Now they are on to the WCHA Final five in St. Paul, MN. They play on Friday, and will take on the winner of Thursday’s game between #4 North Dakota and #5 Minnesota Duluth.

Scramble What outdoors activity have I been up to this week?
After one full week of the company sponsored pedometer challenge I find myself in third place, 10,724 steps from the first place guy, and 2,911 steps from the second place guy. Not to worry, boys and girls. After the first weekend of this challenge, I was more than 20,000 behind the first place guy. I’ve closed the gap. I’ve been averaging almost 12,800 steps per day. The event goes on for another 11 days.

Upon Further Review What sport sucks?
Basketball. It’s like the circus. Who can jump the highest, with the added degree of difficulty of trying to place a ball through a hoop? Don’t get me started on palming the ball or the concept of carrying the ball. And traveling? Keep this rule about Traveling in mind if you insist on watching a game – “A player who receives the ball while he is progressing must release the ball to start his dribble before his second step.” Who wants to watch a dunk-a-thon anyway? And shut up already about your brackets.

Special Teams What does my real job have me doing?
Winning. My team and I scored major points last week, and that has carried over to Monday of this week. We are getting great publicity, and taking advantage of invitations to key meetings. People across the company are talking about the things we are doing, and it’s all positive. I need to keep the pressure on.

4th and impossible Who should retire
Here is a Chris Chelios update: Atlanta called him up from the minors and he has played in their last three games, all losses. A note from the Yahoo sports pages has the following quote on the March 11th game – “D Chris Chelios played 13:14 in his debut with the Thrashers and managed one shot on goal in the team’s 2-1 loss to Columbus. Chelios was a factor in both Columbus goals. The first goal deflected into the net off his stick, and the second goal was the result of Chelios’s ill-timed challenge at the Columbus blue line.” Nice work, innit? Are you telling me that Atlanta doesn’t have a young defensemen in the minors that could get some good NHL experience (and help the Thrashers evaluate them at the big league level) for the last 15 games of the season? Atlanta is sitting at 67 points, five points behind in the race for the 8th and final playoff spot. And they’ve lost six games in a row. With decisions like the one to sign and play Chelios, Atlanta deserves to suck.

Lagniappe Something extra
Here’s a little story about, Ivanhoe, the novel written in 1819 by Sir Walter Scott. Ivanhoe is a tale of medieval times about one of the remaining Saxon families of nobility at a time when the English aristocracy was decidedly Norman. The story is set in 1194, as many of the Crusaders were still returning to Europe. The quality of character that Scott gave to the man from Locksley, Robin Hood, in Ivanhoe helped shape the modern image of the “steal from the rich and give to the poor” outlaw.

There is a 35 mile circular walk around the northwestern area of Leicestershire, England named the Ivanhoe Way. The name ‘Ivanhoe’ has been linked to the north west of Leicestershire, as it is said that Sir Walter Scott chose the castle at Ashby de la Zouch and the surrounding countryside as one of the settings used in his novel.

For your bit of something extra this week, have a peek at the map below of the route of the Ivanhoe Way, and tell me if you see anything remarkable. The blue dots show the rough route of Ivanhoe Way.

I don’t have a really good lead in for this post. The one thing that occurs to me each February/March is a hibernation of sorts. So these things and this formula are what I’ve been thinking about. Draw whatever conclusions you will.

X’s and O’s – NFL Business news and notes
The free agency season began in the NFL. The signing I’ve found most intriguing so far was Chester Taylor leaving the Vikings for the in-division rival Bears. I see the Vikes losing about 100 carries and 45 receptions a year. That’s a good sized dent from a reliable back, and a good 3rd down back at that. This might be more about what the Vikes lose, rather than what the Bears gain. Plus, Taylor better not get any designs about my homeboy Matt Forte’s starting job.

Ex Libris – What am I reading, why, and do I like it?
Triathlete Magazine’s Guide to Finishing Your First Triathlon, by T. J. Murray. At various times in my life, I have no doubts that I could have completed a sprint to Olympic distance triathlon. I’ve just never felt compelled to actually enter one. Until now. I picked up a copy of this book to serve as a framework for my preparation. I like the book well enough, but I’m finding that I’ve been writing my own training plan based on my own fitness and experience.

Adult Cartoons – Seasonal Sports
Hockey. There was a free NHL Center Ice last weekend on my cable provider. I watched it all, from Friday evening through Sunday evening. It was compelling enough that I took them up on the discounted remaining season offer and bought the subscription. I have Stanley Cup fever.

I Won’t Say Combo Platter – What did I cook this week?
Thanksgiving. Several times each year, Tami likes to have a full Thanksgiving meal prepared. Works for me, because it allows me to try or perfect my turkey recipes. I stumbled on a new one this weekend, from Alton Brown of Food Network fame, and it was a winner. Here is a hint for all of you who are in charge of turkey preparation at various holiday events: brine the bird. Trust me.

First Down – On an upcoming sporting event – Soccer
The FIFA World Cup Starts soon. There are eight groups of four teams in the final tournament, set to begin round one play in South Africa on June 11th. Looks like Group G, comprised of Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea, is considered the “Group of Death,” which refers to the toughest World Cup group with the strongest teams, thusly making advancement to the second round precarious.

Time Out – What did one of my 6 kids do this week that I found remarkable?
Manda and Becca got jobs at the local Fox & the Hound. Becca is a hostess, and Manda is a waitress. Both seem to like the work. This is remarkable because Becca was the first to gain employment, and then in turn, referred Manda to them.

Second and Short – Cycling
So the professional bicycling season is well underway in Europe. Lance Armstrong is racing, having just finished 7th in the Vuelta de Murcia. He entered the event as a training competition. These early season races are important to follow, if only to gauge how one’s fitness is coming. In the most telling stage of the five day event, Armstrong finished 7th, at 1:18 back in the individual time trial, behind the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Denis Menchov, and Andreas Kloden. I read nothing into that performance, but will be filing it away in the memory banks for retrieval after his next competitive time trial.

OctoEchos – What music I’m listening to, why and do I like it? Or just music.
I found a new music store to visit. Second Spin. It carries a massive inventory of used CD’s and DVD’s. I spent an hour in there browsing and came away with two Maceo Parker discs, and one each from Ahmad Jamal, Grant Green, and The O’Jays. The five discs cost me about $30. What a treasure trove that place is.

Man Coverage – Pick One Guy
Michael Owen – striker for Manchester United. I’ve enjoyed following Michael Owen’s career since he made a big splash at the 1998 World Cup. He’s had the injury bug and really hasn’t been fully healthy since his days with Liverpool. Disaster struck again for Owen in Man U’s Carling Cup final victory over Aston Villa last Sunday. He popped a hamstring again, and this one will require surgery. Poor lad.

Halftime – What exercise did I get this week and how it correlates to a future challenge?
Have I mentioned that I’m training for a sprint distance triathlon? That’s a 500 yard swim, followed by a 12 mile bike ride, and finishing up with a 5k run. Last week, I cycled four times, swam twice, and ran twice in what I would call my acclimation and base-building phase. The event is June 5th, so I am 13 weeks out.

Third and Long – Local Teams
Did you know that the Denver University (DU) Pioneers Men’s Hockey team is ranked number one in the country? Did you know that DU just concluded the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) regular season by winning the league championship?
The WCHA playoffs start this Friday (March 12th) and DU faces off against Michigan Tech. One more note: DU is a NCAA Men’s Hockey 7-time National Champion – 1958, ’60, ’61, ’68, ’69, 2004, and ’05.

Scramble – What outdoors activity have I been up to this week?
So the company I work for decided to give out free pedometers and access to a website that tracks your walking activity and other fitness activities. It’s a neat little tool, and the website encourages you to challenge your co-workers to set periods of performance goals, and have you compete against one another. My group of five guys decided to give the challenge thing a try. The goal is to walk the most steps from March 5th through March 26th. I decided to set a daily target of 10,000 steps for myself, and then adjust based on what the competition was doing. After three days of reporting, I find myself in 3rd place, a full 20,000 steps behind the first place guy. Apparently I need to adjust my target a little higher.

Upon Further Review – What sport sucks?
Golf sucks. I can’t say it any better than this guy, and as a couple of people remarked, watching it on TV just might be worse than playing it.

Special Teams – What does my real job have me doing?
A lot of baby sitting, and soothing the savage beasts. I’ve spent the past three to four business days educating people about what my team does, and defending my larger organization while being the least tenured leader in the group. I feel like I might have created a few enemies in the past week, but on principle, I think I can be proud of myself.

4th and … – Who should retire
Chris Chelios. I’ll admit it; there are probably some people who love Chris Chelios. Me? Give me a break. He played for Wisconsin – a rival in the WCHA for DU. He played for the Detroit Red Wings when Scotty Bowman terrorized the NHL’s Western Conference, and in particular, Marc Crawford. I have strong suspicions that Chelios was the reason USA Hockey flamed out in the Nagano, Japan Olympics, and then melted down and tore up a hotel, rock star style. He is still playing minor league hockey at age 48, and the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL (really, there is a NHL team in Atlanta? he asked incredulously) signed him to a contract on March 2nd, “just in case.” In case of what? C’mon son, retire and go open a restaurant somewhere.

Lagniappe – Something extra
I bought tickets to see the Gipsy Kings on July 9th at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. We’ll be sitting in the 14th row, center stage. I hope it doesn’t rain.

That’s all, folks. Have fun.

Wow. I’m pretty lame.

The millions of things I’ve done in the past month haven’t been significant enough to write about? I think everyone would agree that that is complete rubbish. And yet, here we are, the 10th of May, and my last entry was the 12th of April.

Will you trust me when I say to you that I have done some fantastic things in the past month? Can you believe that I’ve seen some beautiful sights, ridden my bicycle, exercised, eaten some wonderful food, watched my children do amazing things, watch it rain from the hotel window, built a fence, laughed at the silliest things, loved, been loved, breathed, sang, danced, and woke in the middle of the night, and still felt like I was dreaming? It’s true.

So here I am again. Writing an entry that doesn’t tell a story, but merely generalizes about the uniqueness of my existence. You should feel ripped off. I do.

Hello. Happy February. Not much news to share.

I’ve fully recovered from the Sooners losing in the BCS Championship game, and from the assassination attempt.

I finally got back in the pool this week. I’ve been riding the indoor trainer quite a bit during the week, but I have managed to get out on my bike the past two Saturday’s.

Tami and I went with Mom and Vern on Wednesday evening to see a production of Richard III at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It was great. I love Shakespeare.

I’ll be traveling a bit over the next two weeks. My normal trip to San Jose next week may be pre-empted by a trip to Huntsville, Al. I already have plans to be in San Jose again Feb. 16-20.

Cheers.

Me at 2:06pm
Trying to finish “The First 90 Days” so I can move on to more action oriented tasks.

Niece at 2:17pm
What’s “The First 90 Days?”

Me at 2:25pm
It’s a book from the Harvard Business School Press, by Michael Watkins, about “critical success strategies for new leaders at all levels.” I’m transitioning to a new leadership role in a different organization, and I’m trying to make sure I “do it right.”

Niece at 2:27pm
Wow, impressive

Me at 2:30pm
Well, I try to be a good leader, but what I really aim for is being a perfect leader. I can use all the help I can get.

Niece at 2:35pm
That’s great…so what exactly are you leading?

Me at 2:39pm
I’m the Senior Manager of Facilities Risk Management. My group is responsible for investigating accidents that cause issues to the things we build (rockets, spacecrafts, and satellites.) We are also responsible for performing Risk Assessments, and eliminating bad conditions before accidents happen. Sounds thrilling, right?

Niece at 2:41pm
Sounds pretty intense actually. That’s really cool. Do you like your job?

Me at 2:47pm
Intense is a good way to describe the condition. What I like about my job is being a leader who can guide the team through strategy, helping them achieve success, and add value to the company. Accidents and failures cost money. We want to eliminate those conditions, or at the least minimize the potential for bad things to happen.

Niece at 2:51pm
Did you just read that in your new book? haha Just kidding. I’m glad you can appreciate and enjoy your job.

Due to special request, here is a new post. Let’s see what kind of interest the content of this entry generates.

As of this time tomorrow, I will officially have a new job in a new field.

Chew on that for a while.

Feel free to post your inquiries through the comment function. Or contact me direct, if you are so inclined.

On Tuesday past, me, Tami, Becca, and Boomer went to Pagosa Springs for a mid-week vacation. Our hosts we Greg and Chris George, up from Dallas.

Two old friends, together again.

We had a picnic in a park (eating has always been a big deal for us.)

We manage to play a round of golf.

This was Boomer’s first round too. Here I am giving him a lesson.

Greg and I played guitars together.

The Blues Brothers of Slidell, Louisiana.

I went to the Philadelphia area this week. I like traveling to Philly. My extracurricular excursion this time was a run up to Princeton and a walk about the university campus. I love the library.

Tami is in Minneapolis this weekend. Boomer and I did the grocery shopping this morning, and we’ve spent most of the rest of the day indoors. It’s been over 100 for three or four consecutive days. Yuck.

There are two boxing matches on tonight that I’m going to watch. None of the combatants are particularly appealing, but there is some potential for serious violence. The bouts are on HBO and Showtime.

Yesterday was my birthday. Here’s how I spent the day.

I got up early, got dressed and did the grocery shopping.

Then I changed and went for a 60 mile bike ride.

Then I had a shower, got dressed and had a bbq in the back yard.

Thanks, everyone, who helped make this occasion special. I had a great day.

Every thing went pretty much as I described in the previous post.

I got into Philly at about 8:30 and was on the road in my rental car headed towards DC by 9.

I got to DC around 11pm, turned in the rental car, took the shuttle to the terminal, found my luggage, caught a taxi, and arrived at my hotel at 12:30 am.

14.5 hours of travel. Loved every minute of it.