In Honor of Our Age

Please settle down at your computer, turn up your speakers, and enjoy the show found here - 

http://www.fark.com/cgi/vidplayer.pl?IDLink=4365716

Keep in mind that this couple has been married 60 years and the gentleman is 90 years old.  This is love and happiness in the truest sense of the word.  When walking into the lobby of the Mayo Clinic they found this glorious piano, and set about to enjoy themselves.  That they did

Ain’t love grand?!

Frustration!

Ah, just to sit alone on a quiet beach and not hear a thing but the waves rippling up to the shore

It’s easy to get frustrated these days…particularly if you, like I am, are over 50 years old.  We have memories of quiet times, uninterrupted with the noise of airplanes, televisions blaring, rap or gangsta’ music fouling up the air, people yakking, babies squalling, or the constant chatter of people talking on cell phones.

Sometimes it seems there is just no peace or quiet around us. 

Remember lazy Sunday mornings when the only motion was that of curtains lightly moving to the morning breeze?  The sounds perhaps of one neighborhood dog barking for a few seconds, the sound of kids skating by on the street in front of the house…

As our world grows, we have more people, more sounds, more activity. . . just MORE. 

I wish for less. 

Perhaps this is a sign of my biological clock ticking into that desire to retire from the craziness. 

We live in a world filled with force, noise, frustration, fear, and the occasional whack-job. 

I wish for less.

…and that, my friend, is my Sunday blog!

Meanness

Have you noticed a tendancy in business lately towards “meanness?”

I have, and I know that I’m not alone.  I see once-friendly businesses screwing (or trying to screw) each other.  I see business partners stealing business from each other…and that’s just stupid AND mean.

 

 

Dishonesty and Meanness? ...it's only going to make everyone's lives worse...

If all this meanness is a manifestation and/or reaction to the present state of the economy or simply the human spirit spiraling downward into nastiness – - I don’t know.  But, I do know that past friends are now enemies, people are angry at each other daily, competition has gotten more ruthless and dishonest, and we as individuals are suffering a lot from the actions that are taking place.

I, for one, am so, so sorry to be in the midst of this CRAP (no, this site is not Sunday school…there will be four letter words now and then!). 

Are there immediate answers to the problems? 

I think there is one answer.  Whether or not we can pull it off or not is to be seen, but the best answer I see to all of the C*R*A*P is to draw back and refuse to participate. 

Don’t cheat others, don’t pull the rug out from under your partners, don’t screw your customers or your vendors, love your friends who are your REAL friends, and live as honestly as you possibly can.  Integrity is the only answer to getting through this meanness that is moving like wildfire through our personal and professional lives.

If we all stand up and refuse to be mean and dishonest, we’ll make a go of this.  If we keep our own values and ethics in-tact, perhaps our world can manage to stand up to the pressures.

I hope so.  By golly, I really hope so!  The economy is in terrible shape.  We all know that.  But, does that mean that we all have to leave our morals and ethics behind while searching for better days?  I believe that we’re bettet than that.  Please tell me I’m not living in a Pollyanna World!

Caught in the Act

There's a reason that we love videos and pictures of animals! They are wonderful companions and can amaze and delight us!

Bubu owns Shiela and Mario.  You might say that Bubu is beautiful until you meet this gorgeous animal.  Then, you’ll say, “Bubu is FABULOUS!”

Blessed with beauty is one thing, but Bubu is smart, caring, alert, intelligent, and has a great attitude.  …one might say that our pets resemble us?  Yes, I think there is something to that.

Linchpin and You

Hey, even your pet will get the message in this important book! ...I could easily see Halo the Wonder Dog or Come Again the Rigging Cat understand Linchpin!

If you have not read this book by Seth Godin, you must, you MUST, race out immediately and get it.  Go to http://www.amazon.com – get Linchpin in hard-copy.  Or, better yet, simply get a Kindle there at Amazon and download your first electronic book!  Seth Godin has written many amazing books over the past few years, but Linchpin tops everything he has written to date.

Excited?!  Do you think?!  My mind is on fire – my hair is set on fire by reading this book.  I’m absolutely crazy about ideas that are smart, on-target, and doable.  If you’re like me, you have sat on your butt for the past several years marveling at the tremendous stupidity and lack of  “forward thinking” of our businesses in the USA (and beyond). 

What Seth Godin does with Linchpin is explain the story of our lives, and then gives us rock solid ideas of just how to make enormous, enlightening change in our lives.  For now and our future.

Buy this book.  If you are broke and want to read it, send me a message – I’ll buy the book for you and send it to you today!

Our lives are pretty short when you think about the big picture of the universe.  I would like to think that this life we are creating for ourselves is one of creativity and empowerement.  We have a chance to wake up and smell the coffee.  Let’s do it!  If we all create wonderous environments and experiences for ourselves and others, we’ll have a pretty damned terrific ride around the block of life.

Richard is getting job offers

Amazing what is out there these days…Richard just got an email from someone asking him “do you want to change your career?”….we’re laughing.

Yeah, how about RETIRED.

Dam it, probably not right now.

The economy and the world is pretty weird right now…we all see it and understand the strangeness of our lives – no matter what country we live in.  Hang in there.  It will change.  THAT MUCH IS ASSURED! 

Change is inevitable.  Don’t you just love it?  We will never be bored.

More Adventures from Halo the Wonder Dog

Last night, I took Halo on a ride, we were only gone about 45 minutes. When we got home, she was sitting in the back seat, looking out the window. I opened the car door, picked up my purse, picked up her leash, and still the Halo was sitting in the back seat, looking out the window. I called her name and turned around to look at her. She glanced at me and returned to looking out the window. So we sat there for a few minutes, with the car door open. The Halo did not move from the back seat.

Finally, I gave in, closed the car door, put down my purse and her leash, and started the car. As soon as I put the car in gear, the Halo was back in the front seat for more ride. I drove her around the block twice. This time, when we pulled into the parking lot, she got out of the car.

The moral of the story: you can get your way without saying a word

Ann and Halo the Wonder Dog

Thank you…

If we all kept civility and thanks stuck on MAXIMUM, I think we would all have better days!

Yesterday a client of ours brought me lunch…you could have knocked me over with a feather!  Richard and I, rarely, if ever, even go out to lunch.  But, never in the history of my working life has a client brought me lunch.  (George, you know who you are! …thanks so very much).

Funny thing about humans and being grateful. 

I always know when a four legged friend is grateful and thankful for something I’ve done for them – they’ll either purr, rub against my leg or in my hair if I’m sitting in my favorite chair.  We used to have a fish in the office that would actually come up to be petted. 

But, we as human-beings don’t find enough time…or rather…don’t make enough time to thank others around us for the wonderful things they do for us. 

We have a terrific IT guy who keeps us up and running on our computers and server, there’s our ever faithful Mike from the post office, the guards at the gate of our complex where we live, and sooooo many other people who deserve a “thank you – I appreciate you.”  I have a new goal – I will thank at least one person specifically for something they do or have done each day this year.

That’s the least others deserve.  And think about it, when is the last time someone sincerely thanked you for something you did to help them?!  It felt pretty good, didn’t it?

Living Alternatively

Richard and I live in a 35 foot Class A motorhome.  We love the small space.  It’s just big enough for two people.  And, we know if we want to take off at a moment’s notice, we can pull in our slide-outs, unhook the utilities, and be down the road within 30 minutes (we know…we’ve timed it!).

Here's the rig somewhere in Arizona...no utilities - just gorgeous views from every direction and peace and quiet!

Here’s a picture taken in 2007 at an “undisclosd spot” in the beautiful state of Arizona.  We met up with some full-timer friends, Jim and Karen, for a Thanksgiving weekend.  It was a wonderful time – catching up with each other and enjoying nature, a little sun, fresh air, a walk up the creek (that used to be a river!), and doing a little four-wheel driving.

We ate well and happily, and enjoyed the time together. 

Unfortunately we missed getting together this past year because of business committments that we couldn’t get out of.  It’s great to get together with Jim and Karen, kick back and enjoy nature in all it’s glory.

Hey guys – - maybe this next year?!!!

We have come to love living in an RV full-time.  We collect very little because there’s no space to keep all that junk that we human beings tend to add to our junk piles.  That keeps our pack-rack mentality down to a minimum.  One bummer is changing tires – at a thousand dollars to change them all in one whack, that’s killer!  However, I think we have less than 15,000 miles on the motorhome.  We are planning to have the inside refurbished over the next year instead of trading it in for something else.  Hell – we like the ole’ gal! 

Karen and Patti hanging out in the desert next to our motorhomes

What do you do in your life that is considered “alternative style?”  I’ll bet there is something that you do that is just a little different from the average “Joe Six Pack” …shame on you, Ms. Palin…

Write those individual differences down one day and Be Proud!

We all have unique, different ways of looking at life.  Some of us live in motorhomes, some stash their cash under their mattress, others find interesting ways of solving problems…we are all unique and special in one way or another.

We so enjoy our get-together’s with our friends Jim and Karen – - an opportunity to have a campfire or two or three, talk around the campfire, eat “smores,” and catch up with news after not seeing each other for months and in some cases … years.

Jim and Karen are retired – we are SO JEALOUS!  Jim never lets an opportunity go by without thanking us for contributing to his social security.  If I were in his place, I would too!

So what  alternative things in your life have you picked?  Bravo to anyone who decides to pick a different lifestyle or alternative way of living.  We deserve and need the alternatives.  My only hope now is that we can keep those alternatives.

On Work….and perhaps a little more reflection is due?

For those who know me well, you know that me not being at work today is something like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!  But, after the past few days, I realize not only am I taking today (Wednesday) off, but I’m also not going to the office tomorrow. 

I’m hoping by Friday I’ll feel well enough to get my butt back to work.

Meantime, I have a quote I’d like to share with you.  Some of you may have read or heard it before, but it bears repeating. 

Does it matter what we do?! Whatever we do - let's do it with pride and selflessness

Monday was Martin Luther King Day.  Our company does not  ”celebrate” this day – cause, well, we work every day we possibly can – the economy sucks enough to make us realize that taking days off for any of us can possibly make or break the business.  But, somehow, we must, and will pay tribute to an incredible and inspired man.

So, here is a quote that I hope you remember and understand:

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry.  He should  sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

The author:  Martin Luther King, Jr.

It makes absolutely NO difference what we do in life to help propel ourselves forward, to put food on our table, to help our family and friends – be it taking out the trash or making billion dollar deals in an upscale conference room high above the skyline. 

It’s simply imperative that we have honorable intentions and carry them out to the best of our ability. 

There’s my slice of life for today. 

I wish for all my It’s a Rats Nest readers an understanding of a little history, historical quotes, and the understanding that we can and will do the best in our lives for ourselves and those around us.  Let us look at honor, learn honor, and create a life of honor!  Much love, Patti