Author: Tom Attea
Source: isnare.com
"I never go on vacation," said a Manhattan real estate agent. "And when I do, I have my computer, my Palm, my e-mail and my cell phone with me at all times."
It seems that our tech toys have become the adult equivalent of an umbilical cord. So how can we live without them?
And what about now, when, as a good citizen, who also doesn't want to get arrested, you at least have to endure your plane trip without their nourishment and comfort? Let's do a checklist of tech tonics that can cause us to experience separation anxiety.
Your laptop. No more making the flight a window to catch up with your work or idle the time away with a video game. Even if you're reunited with the high-tech marvel after the flight, what if you're on a tropical island, marooned on the coconut garden without a high-speed Internet connection?
Your cell phone. No more last minute chats before takeoff or immediate reconnection on landing. How bereft can life get?
Your Palm or Blackberry. Can't take either of those on board either, and, as you know, out of phone numbers and email addresses, out of business, worse yet, cut off from your entire social life, at least, for the seemingly eternal length of the flight.
Your MP3 player. No, no, anything but that! How will your soul survive the deafening silence?
And the reluctance to separate from our tech tools isn't the only reason many Americans are reluctant to take the vacations they once flew out of their office chairs for. Most Americans also fret, in these days when what used to be called workaholic hours now seem more like half days, that the employer will use the occasion to replace, last minute weekend breaks, you with somebody who has shown promise of never needing something as irresponsible as a vacation, at least, not one that goes on and on for that long ago and faraway interlude of two weeks.
What's an exhausted and tense person to do? Here's our humble but functional answer. Most years we take long weekends, with only an occasional year in which we indulge in a flagrant week or two away from our day-to-day entanglements. We find the possibility of frequent breaks inviting, and we don't get taken out of our lives the way the extended vacations of yore used to separate us from our usual doings. We also find that most of the world is within reach during these three-day to five-day intervals.
Of course, if you're thinking of heading to Australia or the Far East, you may be doing little more than making a U-turn, so better reserve those destinations for the rare times when you dare a week or - dare we even mention the words? - two or even three weeks?
Then again, you can always decide to move to a vacation destination forever, especially when you compare the length of the idylls in other parts of what we loosely refer to as the civilized world.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as of 2004, in the US full-time employees have 3.9 holiday and vacation weeks off a year, while in the UK they have 6.6 weeks, in France 7, and in Italy 7.9.
But do you really want to part with the good, young USA for an extended or everlasting break? For most of us the thought remains an occasion for separation anxiety that we simply can't endure.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Where on Earth, a Travel Journal
Author: Donald Reese
Source: articleage.com
Hello, and welcome. This month's report takes us to the western U.S. state of Oregon and some fantastic snowboarding. First a little background on the state of Oregon itself. Begin with a little prehistory by following this link to learn about Oregon and the Columbia plateau. Your journey begins with incredible lava flows, volcanic activity and great rains which formed the diverse landscape we now know as Oregon.
Our travels begin very early, o-dark early, did I mention no sleep the night before early...you get the picture. Jesse and I leave home about 3:30 am and head south for the Miami International Airport to begin our trek westward. Even at this early hour heavy traffic was present on the ever under construction roadways of South Florida. The flight westward did leave on time and security screening, sometimes a hassle at MIA went quite smooth. Great! The trip is off to a smooth start. We arrive at DFW on time, and with our connecting gate for the Portland flight immediately adjacent to us, everything appears to be proceeding much better than planned. Skies, for the most part were clear and the air quite smooth making for a pleasant flight. From our seats we can even peer out the window from time to time and see the mountain ski resorts near Sante Fe New Mexico and Salt Lake City Utah, wow! As we begin our descent I am able to catch a glimpse of a magnificent peak penetrating the cloud bank near Portland. The words awe inspiring come immediately to mind...Mt Hood...our destination, and I hope...not my final one.
After deplaning the aircraft, which I have to admit was not the most comfortable I have ever flown on, we proceed to baggage claim and are pleasantly surprised to see both our snowboards and equipment awaiting us at the oversize baggage door. Next step, off to the rental car desk, gotta love this 3 hour time difference, it's only 11:30 am! As we head onto I84 heading eastbound, the wind and the rain begin to pick up substantially, this is the Pacific Northwest you always hear about right...wind, rain, clouds...? We don't care though, because for us it means fresh powder! The drive is an easy one, merely forty eight miles from airport to Hood River. This highway we are on meanders along the Columbia River, and judging from some of the terrain I am able to sneak a peek at thru the rain and clouds, it is rather impressive. As we follow the Lewis and Clark trail ever eastward, the Columbia looks quite impressive as well as imposing with the wind driven rain creating whitecaps, and large swells on the surface as the river winds it's way into the Columbia River Gorge.
As we arrive in Hood River, Jesse is sound asleep and I am wearing thin as this very long day continues to, like the river meander on. But alas, with a few quick twists and turns, our map leads us to our destination, atop a small hill overlooking vast peach orchards. Our bed and breakfast is a two story cabin, with a finished basement. The main floor has two bedrooms, a communal living and breakfast room, and a wonderful outdoor patio. The upper floor includes 3 bedrooms and a single bath. This presents no problem; however, as this weekend, we are the only guests. After meeting Linda, one of the co-owners of our quaint B&B, we decide to venture out into town in search of some much needed nourishment.
After perusing the town a bit, we settled into a brew pub named the Big Horse brew pub. No equine on the menu, but some delicious burgers fill our hungry stomachs. The view from our table is quite beautiful, the town, the river, the bridge and even a few windsurfers venturing out. What happens next though is quite awe inspiring...the sun begins to peak thru the clouds creating a double rainbow, that ends in the river below us. What a way to bring our day to a close. We head back to our lodging, and after a short chat with the other owner, Lee, we climb into our comfy beds totally exhausted, yet looking forward to our day on the mountain tomorrow. As day two of our journey begins, we get to experience the other B in B&B, that being breakfast, and to our delight, it is exceptional! Going downstairs we are greeted by the aroma of hot coffee, a wide variety of teas, and several fresh fruit juices from which to choose. Fresh breads, rolls, butter and jams also await our hungry insides. Following these delights we are presented with a menu of fresh items we may include in our omelettes, accompanied by Canadian bacon, both sweet and hot sausages, and melt in your mouth home fries. Mouth waters even now as I think back on this outstanding breakfast. We will definitely not be hungry or in need of any energy bars this day as we conquer the slopes...and our own bodies. After a gracious farewell from our hosts, we set forth toward the mountain.
The weather is still dreary, a bit cold and rainy, but the drive to our destination for today, Timberline Ski Resort, is uneventful. A two lane road follows the Hood River for most of the drive, as it winds it's way through various orchards in the foothills before beginning it's steady climb to higher altitudes. Due to the cloud cover, we still have not had any direct view of the mountain itself, and we have become a bit worried as we proceed onward, as snow snow has been seen anywhere. Did we make a fatal mistake? Is it much too late in the season? Did that internet website we looked at before departing deceive us in any way? All our fears are aleved though, as we round the final turn and begin our last climb toward the resort. Where the ground behind us was merely wet, the ground to our left and right is now deeply covered in frozen precip...aka snow. We round a bend, turn into the parking lot and then...a break in the clouds. WOW! The upside down ice cream cone reaching toward the heavens is directly ahead. What an awe inspiring sight... As soon as the awe subsides, slightly, the tingle in the back of my neck begins... Would, last minute weekend breaks, I still have a neck that tingles in a few short hours from now? Would we conquer this mountain of white...or would it conquer us? Six hours later, bruised and beaten, we make our final run for the day, and what a wonderful day it turned out to be. Fresh powder, deep snow, over 180 inches plus, a wide variety of challenging runs and trails has made for a perfect day of boarding. Could Mt. Hood Meadows, our choice for the final two days of our winter vacation be any better? What a great day this has been.
We drag our weary bodies back to town and once again have an enjoyable dinner. As we get ready to settle in for the evening, our host and his close friend inform us that they have started a campfire for us to enjoy out behind the B&B and ask us to join them for some marshmallows and some interesting conversation about their travels. Soon, thereafter, we both collapse into our beds with smiles on our faces, food in our tummies, and stiffness in our joints as we prepare ourselves for the next two days.
The snow boarding at Mt Hood Meadows turns out to be superb! It is, without a doubt, one of the finest resorts, which are numerous, that we have ever had the pleasure to visit. The terrain varies widely from bunny slopes for the beginners, to some of the most challenging, adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, I have ever ventured this weary body on. For the snowboarders, numerous terrain parks are scattered throughout complete with jumps of all sizes, rails and very well groomed half pipes. The skies, turned out to be, clear, crystal clear, on both days and the temperature continued to climb throughout the course. We even were able to take off our ski jackets the final day and wear only our light shirts, and of course, much sunscreen, as the sun's rays are very damaging at this altitude and time of year...old story...I'll tell ya about it someday. This, my friends, is LIVING!
Our final day begins early, what else is new, and the next thing we know we are on the road back to Portland and the airport. Where has the time gone? Must we leave so soon? I guess we must, as I have to get back to work, and Jesse to school as Spring Break is coming to an end. We are sad to see the mountain in the background as we pull onto the highway. We have not conquered it, no one really does. We have though, taken a piece of it with us forever, in our memories and that is enough to put a smile on both of our faces. Someday we will once again return.
The airport ahead...the nightmare awaits us... I am certain I had checked the flights just a few days ago. Wide open, lots of empty seats, no problem getting home, or so I thought. I did not realize when planning our trip that Spring Break for Oregon residents was just beginning on the day we chose to leave. After checking our bags to Miami and passing through security screening I was soon to find this detail out. All flights full! All flights, all day, all locations, and just about all airline full, actually oversold. This was not good. What to do? Normally if a flight is oversold, we sometimes have a chance of getting on it, last minute, especially using a higher priority as we chose to use this day. After waiting thru two flights that left and seeing our name dropping on the standby listings, instead of rising I knew we had to make alternate plans. I called my wife on the cell phone and together we pulled our resources to try and find Jesse and I a way home. It just seemed all flights were full, on all airlines that day, in Portland, as well as Seattle, which I was willing to drive us to in order to catch a flight. Finally, after many hours I finally found us a way out of Portland. We would have to wait until 8 pm that night, but a flight was heading for San Francisco on Horizon Airlines that did have some seats available. We didn't hesitate in buying some tickets on this flight. But we did have quite some time to wait. We ate, we slept, we ate some more, we walked around, read, and finally after 10 hours in the airport we boarded our flight. I never felt so good as we broke ground as I did that day, knowing that we were moving forward, even if only a slight amount. We arrived in San Francisco without incident; however, our flight on American to Miami was not departing, until seven the next morning. Only problem, to insure we would get seats on this flight, we needed to check in for this flight at about 4 am, as we had no computer access if we left the airport. So once again, we found some seats and slept, if you could call it that. Nonetheless, we did get on the flight at seven and finally arrived home in Miami at about 8 pm that night. Tired, worn, beaten, bruised, smelling like you know what, we picked up our car and headed for the 2 hour drive to our home...With a smile on our face...That wasn't so bad...was it, let's do it again...next year :)
Please visit Travel-Ascending.com, http://www.travel-ascending.com for more news and articles.
Donald Reese, aviator, travel-agent, and travel author shares his adventures/misadventures as he explores our world.
http://www.travel-ascending.com
Source: articleage.com
Hello, and welcome. This month's report takes us to the western U.S. state of Oregon and some fantastic snowboarding. First a little background on the state of Oregon itself. Begin with a little prehistory by following this link to learn about Oregon and the Columbia plateau. Your journey begins with incredible lava flows, volcanic activity and great rains which formed the diverse landscape we now know as Oregon.
Our travels begin very early, o-dark early, did I mention no sleep the night before early...you get the picture. Jesse and I leave home about 3:30 am and head south for the Miami International Airport to begin our trek westward. Even at this early hour heavy traffic was present on the ever under construction roadways of South Florida. The flight westward did leave on time and security screening, sometimes a hassle at MIA went quite smooth. Great! The trip is off to a smooth start. We arrive at DFW on time, and with our connecting gate for the Portland flight immediately adjacent to us, everything appears to be proceeding much better than planned. Skies, for the most part were clear and the air quite smooth making for a pleasant flight. From our seats we can even peer out the window from time to time and see the mountain ski resorts near Sante Fe New Mexico and Salt Lake City Utah, wow! As we begin our descent I am able to catch a glimpse of a magnificent peak penetrating the cloud bank near Portland. The words awe inspiring come immediately to mind...Mt Hood...our destination, and I hope...not my final one.
After deplaning the aircraft, which I have to admit was not the most comfortable I have ever flown on, we proceed to baggage claim and are pleasantly surprised to see both our snowboards and equipment awaiting us at the oversize baggage door. Next step, off to the rental car desk, gotta love this 3 hour time difference, it's only 11:30 am! As we head onto I84 heading eastbound, the wind and the rain begin to pick up substantially, this is the Pacific Northwest you always hear about right...wind, rain, clouds...? We don't care though, because for us it means fresh powder! The drive is an easy one, merely forty eight miles from airport to Hood River. This highway we are on meanders along the Columbia River, and judging from some of the terrain I am able to sneak a peek at thru the rain and clouds, it is rather impressive. As we follow the Lewis and Clark trail ever eastward, the Columbia looks quite impressive as well as imposing with the wind driven rain creating whitecaps, and large swells on the surface as the river winds it's way into the Columbia River Gorge.
As we arrive in Hood River, Jesse is sound asleep and I am wearing thin as this very long day continues to, like the river meander on. But alas, with a few quick twists and turns, our map leads us to our destination, atop a small hill overlooking vast peach orchards. Our bed and breakfast is a two story cabin, with a finished basement. The main floor has two bedrooms, a communal living and breakfast room, and a wonderful outdoor patio. The upper floor includes 3 bedrooms and a single bath. This presents no problem; however, as this weekend, we are the only guests. After meeting Linda, one of the co-owners of our quaint B&B, we decide to venture out into town in search of some much needed nourishment.
After perusing the town a bit, we settled into a brew pub named the Big Horse brew pub. No equine on the menu, but some delicious burgers fill our hungry stomachs. The view from our table is quite beautiful, the town, the river, the bridge and even a few windsurfers venturing out. What happens next though is quite awe inspiring...the sun begins to peak thru the clouds creating a double rainbow, that ends in the river below us. What a way to bring our day to a close. We head back to our lodging, and after a short chat with the other owner, Lee, we climb into our comfy beds totally exhausted, yet looking forward to our day on the mountain tomorrow. As day two of our journey begins, we get to experience the other B in B&B, that being breakfast, and to our delight, it is exceptional! Going downstairs we are greeted by the aroma of hot coffee, a wide variety of teas, and several fresh fruit juices from which to choose. Fresh breads, rolls, butter and jams also await our hungry insides. Following these delights we are presented with a menu of fresh items we may include in our omelettes, accompanied by Canadian bacon, both sweet and hot sausages, and melt in your mouth home fries. Mouth waters even now as I think back on this outstanding breakfast. We will definitely not be hungry or in need of any energy bars this day as we conquer the slopes...and our own bodies. After a gracious farewell from our hosts, we set forth toward the mountain.
The weather is still dreary, a bit cold and rainy, but the drive to our destination for today, Timberline Ski Resort, is uneventful. A two lane road follows the Hood River for most of the drive, as it winds it's way through various orchards in the foothills before beginning it's steady climb to higher altitudes. Due to the cloud cover, we still have not had any direct view of the mountain itself, and we have become a bit worried as we proceed onward, as snow snow has been seen anywhere. Did we make a fatal mistake? Is it much too late in the season? Did that internet website we looked at before departing deceive us in any way? All our fears are aleved though, as we round the final turn and begin our last climb toward the resort. Where the ground behind us was merely wet, the ground to our left and right is now deeply covered in frozen precip...aka snow. We round a bend, turn into the parking lot and then...a break in the clouds. WOW! The upside down ice cream cone reaching toward the heavens is directly ahead. What an awe inspiring sight... As soon as the awe subsides, slightly, the tingle in the back of my neck begins... Would, last minute weekend breaks, I still have a neck that tingles in a few short hours from now? Would we conquer this mountain of white...or would it conquer us? Six hours later, bruised and beaten, we make our final run for the day, and what a wonderful day it turned out to be. Fresh powder, deep snow, over 180 inches plus, a wide variety of challenging runs and trails has made for a perfect day of boarding. Could Mt. Hood Meadows, our choice for the final two days of our winter vacation be any better? What a great day this has been.
We drag our weary bodies back to town and once again have an enjoyable dinner. As we get ready to settle in for the evening, our host and his close friend inform us that they have started a campfire for us to enjoy out behind the B&B and ask us to join them for some marshmallows and some interesting conversation about their travels. Soon, thereafter, we both collapse into our beds with smiles on our faces, food in our tummies, and stiffness in our joints as we prepare ourselves for the next two days.
The snow boarding at Mt Hood Meadows turns out to be superb! It is, without a doubt, one of the finest resorts, which are numerous, that we have ever had the pleasure to visit. The terrain varies widely from bunny slopes for the beginners, to some of the most challenging, adrenaline pumping, heart pounding, I have ever ventured this weary body on. For the snowboarders, numerous terrain parks are scattered throughout complete with jumps of all sizes, rails and very well groomed half pipes. The skies, turned out to be, clear, crystal clear, on both days and the temperature continued to climb throughout the course. We even were able to take off our ski jackets the final day and wear only our light shirts, and of course, much sunscreen, as the sun's rays are very damaging at this altitude and time of year...old story...I'll tell ya about it someday. This, my friends, is LIVING!
Our final day begins early, what else is new, and the next thing we know we are on the road back to Portland and the airport. Where has the time gone? Must we leave so soon? I guess we must, as I have to get back to work, and Jesse to school as Spring Break is coming to an end. We are sad to see the mountain in the background as we pull onto the highway. We have not conquered it, no one really does. We have though, taken a piece of it with us forever, in our memories and that is enough to put a smile on both of our faces. Someday we will once again return.
The airport ahead...the nightmare awaits us... I am certain I had checked the flights just a few days ago. Wide open, lots of empty seats, no problem getting home, or so I thought. I did not realize when planning our trip that Spring Break for Oregon residents was just beginning on the day we chose to leave. After checking our bags to Miami and passing through security screening I was soon to find this detail out. All flights full! All flights, all day, all locations, and just about all airline full, actually oversold. This was not good. What to do? Normally if a flight is oversold, we sometimes have a chance of getting on it, last minute, especially using a higher priority as we chose to use this day. After waiting thru two flights that left and seeing our name dropping on the standby listings, instead of rising I knew we had to make alternate plans. I called my wife on the cell phone and together we pulled our resources to try and find Jesse and I a way home. It just seemed all flights were full, on all airlines that day, in Portland, as well as Seattle, which I was willing to drive us to in order to catch a flight. Finally, after many hours I finally found us a way out of Portland. We would have to wait until 8 pm that night, but a flight was heading for San Francisco on Horizon Airlines that did have some seats available. We didn't hesitate in buying some tickets on this flight. But we did have quite some time to wait. We ate, we slept, we ate some more, we walked around, read, and finally after 10 hours in the airport we boarded our flight. I never felt so good as we broke ground as I did that day, knowing that we were moving forward, even if only a slight amount. We arrived in San Francisco without incident; however, our flight on American to Miami was not departing, until seven the next morning. Only problem, to insure we would get seats on this flight, we needed to check in for this flight at about 4 am, as we had no computer access if we left the airport. So once again, we found some seats and slept, if you could call it that. Nonetheless, we did get on the flight at seven and finally arrived home in Miami at about 8 pm that night. Tired, worn, beaten, bruised, smelling like you know what, we picked up our car and headed for the 2 hour drive to our home...With a smile on our face...That wasn't so bad...was it, let's do it again...next year :)
Please visit Travel-Ascending.com, http://www.travel-ascending.com for more news and articles.
Donald Reese, aviator, travel-agent, and travel author shares his adventures/misadventures as he explores our world.
http://www.travel-ascending.com
Monday, December 28, 2009
50 Things to do to your Boss that are Fun for you, but not forthem
Author: Dawnell Harrison
Source: articleage.com
1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations
at his favorite restaurant. You know, the one you can't afford.
Call them back and cancel his reservations - say you're his wife.
2. Have a friend of yours make an anonymous call to your boss
saying that they know what he has been up to, possess
incriminating pictures, and hang up. It will scare the bejesus
out of him.
3. Put chocolate ex-lax in your manager's chocolate licorice.
Not only will you feel better, it may wipe that constipated look
off of his face too.
4. Call the local Mormon or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
church and ask that they visit your house soon, only give them
your manager's home address.
5. Every time your boss asks you a question, just look at him
and say "interesting" and go back to what you were working on.
6. Take your eyeliner and smears it in his chair when he's not
looking. His wife will feel needed when she has to heartily
scrub and wash his pants.
7. Turn the pictures on his desk upside down and act overly
sweet and innocent when he asks if you know why they are like
that.
8. When your boss goes to the bathroom, turn his computer off.
When he asks you if you know what happened, say that you don't
and it must have just crashed or something. Smile like the
Cheshire cat.
9. Enlist a friend to deliver papers appearing to be legal
documents that insinuate he is being sued for 4 million dollars.
Put word "joke" on the last page of the 20-page document. It
will be fun to watch beads of sweat form on his brow.
10. Remove all toilet paper from the men's bathroom and put it
in the women's. Shake your head in disapproval of the janitorial
help in your office when your boss complains about it.
11. Put your boss on all of the mailing lists of his most
detested organizations and clubs. When he asks you to call and
have them remove him from the lists, say of course, and never do
it.
12. Replace the vodka in the liquor cabinet with water. You're
doing him a favor, really you are. When he comments that his
vodka tastes like water, respond smartly by saying that it
appears that just about everyone is cutting corners these days.
13. When he comments that the coffee is too weak or too strong,
ask, in a serious tone, if he is sure that his taste buds
haven't, last minute weekend breaks, changed.
14. When your boss mentions a particular food that he does not
like, purchase that item repeatedly and eat it in front of him.
Put your garbage from that food into his garbage can, so that
the smell will linger in his office.
15. When you arrive late, move all clocks back. When you want to
leave early, move all clocks forward. Pretend that all the
batteries need to be replaced.
16. When your boss inquires about your weekend, say you went sky
diving and to Italy. He will hopefully get your sarcasm and not
ask again.
17. When your manager inquires as to what your favorite TV show
is, reply that it is a child's show like Sesame Street. Say it
like you mean it.
18. Out of the blue, say you have an emergency appointment with
your astrologer and it is important that you leave now because
your charts are waiting!
19. For your manager's birthday, hire a palm reader to read your
manager's palm. Pay them an extra $50 to say "Oh My" in the
middle of the reading and not be able to continue.
20. Grind up leaves from your backyard that look like pot, put
into a baggie, and send it to your boss. Stand there while he
opens it and gasp when the contents are revealed. Say "it is
none of my business" and walk out of the room.
21. Call the fire department and pretend you are in the office
next door to yours and exclaim there is a massive inferno in the
building next to yours. It is guaranteed to raise your manager's
blood pressure a few points or more when the firemen arrive.
22. Time your manager when he goes out to run personal errands
and comment that he took an exceptionally long break when he
returns.
23. Run into the office exclaiming to your manager that his car
has a huge dent in the side! Walk outside with him when he goes
out to examine it. After he looks it over thoroughly and asks
you what you saw because he can't see it, apologize that it must
have just been the way the light was reflecting on it that made
it appear that way.
24. Exclaim how sorry you are that your manager's grandmother
died over the weekend and that you read about it in the
obituaries. Declare that it must have been somebody with the
same name when he says he has no idea what you are talking about
and begins frantically dialing his grandmother.
25. Superglue two middle pages of your manager's favorite book
and return to the shelf. He will find it after the glue has
permanently set.
26. When you are simply not in the mood to get out of your
chair, proclaim that the copier is broken when your boss asks
for copies to be made. If your manager attempts to make copies
on his own and exclaims it works just fine, jam a paper clip in
the innards of the copy machine when nobody is looking.
27. When your boss asks you what you would like for secretaries'
day, first of all, reply that you are not a secretary. Request
that he answers the phone on that day as well as having all of
your whims fulfilled that are of inconceivable proportions.
28. Using desktop publishing, relabel a can of bug spray as
vanilla air freshener and place in men's bathroom.
29. Call in sick and leave a message on the company's voice
mail. State that you are ill due to the overwhelming imbalance
of wealth and power within the company's structure and your
illness should subside once you are paid what you are worth.
30. When your boss asks for a donation to his son's little
league fund, ask what the minimum amount is that you can donate
in order to keep your job.
31. When your boss invites you to the company Christmas party,
matter-of-factly state that you'd prefer to spend it with rabid
dogs and wild monkeys, but proclaim your sincere thanks just the
same.
32. Stockpile in your office your manager's favorite type of pen
so that he is constantly bewildered as to where they are
disappearing and continues to order new boxes of pens repeatedly.
33. During your yearly review, exclaim that you would just like
to discuss your raise and not your manager's suggestions or
comments. Also, add that you do have a list of improvements for
him that you'd like to share.
34. Find boss's buttons and push them. If it is his weight, ask
if he has gained weight or do those clothes just make him look
fat?
35. Announce at the next company birthday (cake eating in the
lunchroom) that the boss is giving everyone a 10% raise. When
your manager pulls you into his office to discuss this, say that
he sure is losing his sense of humor in his old age.
36. Stack all incoming unwanted sales related faxes and printed
e-mails on your manager's desk and connect all sales related
calls to him, especially the stock brokers. When your manager
comments that he would like you to screen all sales related
material and calls, comment that you thought he was open to new
ideas and new people and didn't realize he was so introverted.
37. After next company announcement of a marriage or pregnancy,
proclaim that you are getting married and having a child, but
not necessarily in that order.
38. When company phone bill gets passed around asking you to
highlight your personal calls, always state that you would never
do that and never highlight anything. Say your family and
friends all reside in Tasmania.
39. As soon as your boss returns from a vacation, ask where he
went and always state that you vacationed there a few years ago
and how fantastic it was.
40. Five minutes into the weekly company meeting, excuse
yourself to go to the restroom and return twenty minutes later
when it is wrapping up.
41. When the boss is out of town, forward the phones to your
house and take a nap. Run back to the office if something needs
to be done.
42. Position a cup of coffee on your manager's desk so that when
he sits down, you can pretend to fumble for papers on his desk
and easily knock it onto his lap. State that you hope it isn't
hot and that no third degree burns are inflicted.
43. If you are single, place your grandmother's antique diamond
ring on your married finger on the left hand. When boss asks you
if anything new has happened to you recently after he clearly
notices your ring, state nonchalantly "no, not really." If you
are married, remove your wedding ring and state the same answer
when asked the same question.
44. On casual dress day, wear a bathing suit top and the
shortest shorts that you own. When you are called into your
boss's office to discuss this, ask for a list that defines the
parameters of the casual dress day code.
45. Circulate an anonymous memo that this coming Friday is
fetish day so dress appropriately. Add that a $100 prize will be
awarded to the freakiest costume.
46. After your boss gives you an overwhelmingly long list of
items for you to complete, ask if he'd like for you to wipe his
ass as well.
47. Take items out of your manager's sack lunch. When he
comments on this phenomenon, reply that society is degenerating
at an unbelievable rate.
48. When you manager asks you how your day is going, be honest.
Say, well, if people that worked for this company weren't so
dysfunctional and psychotic, it might be a marginally average
place of employment.
49. When your boss says "good morning", quickly reply, "Oh is
it?"
50. Once a week, send an anonymous email to your boss that is
spiteful in nature. To kick it off, the first one should simply
read, "you are pond scum."
Source: articleage.com
1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations
at his favorite restaurant. You know, the one you can't afford.
Call them back and cancel his reservations - say you're his wife.
2. Have a friend of yours make an anonymous call to your boss
saying that they know what he has been up to, possess
incriminating pictures, and hang up. It will scare the bejesus
out of him.
3. Put chocolate ex-lax in your manager's chocolate licorice.
Not only will you feel better, it may wipe that constipated look
off of his face too.
4. Call the local Mormon or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
church and ask that they visit your house soon, only give them
your manager's home address.
5. Every time your boss asks you a question, just look at him
and say "interesting" and go back to what you were working on.
6. Take your eyeliner and smears it in his chair when he's not
looking. His wife will feel needed when she has to heartily
scrub and wash his pants.
7. Turn the pictures on his desk upside down and act overly
sweet and innocent when he asks if you know why they are like
that.
8. When your boss goes to the bathroom, turn his computer off.
When he asks you if you know what happened, say that you don't
and it must have just crashed or something. Smile like the
Cheshire cat.
9. Enlist a friend to deliver papers appearing to be legal
documents that insinuate he is being sued for 4 million dollars.
Put word "joke" on the last page of the 20-page document. It
will be fun to watch beads of sweat form on his brow.
10. Remove all toilet paper from the men's bathroom and put it
in the women's. Shake your head in disapproval of the janitorial
help in your office when your boss complains about it.
11. Put your boss on all of the mailing lists of his most
detested organizations and clubs. When he asks you to call and
have them remove him from the lists, say of course, and never do
it.
12. Replace the vodka in the liquor cabinet with water. You're
doing him a favor, really you are. When he comments that his
vodka tastes like water, respond smartly by saying that it
appears that just about everyone is cutting corners these days.
13. When he comments that the coffee is too weak or too strong,
ask, in a serious tone, if he is sure that his taste buds
haven't, last minute weekend breaks, changed.
14. When your boss mentions a particular food that he does not
like, purchase that item repeatedly and eat it in front of him.
Put your garbage from that food into his garbage can, so that
the smell will linger in his office.
15. When you arrive late, move all clocks back. When you want to
leave early, move all clocks forward. Pretend that all the
batteries need to be replaced.
16. When your boss inquires about your weekend, say you went sky
diving and to Italy. He will hopefully get your sarcasm and not
ask again.
17. When your manager inquires as to what your favorite TV show
is, reply that it is a child's show like Sesame Street. Say it
like you mean it.
18. Out of the blue, say you have an emergency appointment with
your astrologer and it is important that you leave now because
your charts are waiting!
19. For your manager's birthday, hire a palm reader to read your
manager's palm. Pay them an extra $50 to say "Oh My" in the
middle of the reading and not be able to continue.
20. Grind up leaves from your backyard that look like pot, put
into a baggie, and send it to your boss. Stand there while he
opens it and gasp when the contents are revealed. Say "it is
none of my business" and walk out of the room.
21. Call the fire department and pretend you are in the office
next door to yours and exclaim there is a massive inferno in the
building next to yours. It is guaranteed to raise your manager's
blood pressure a few points or more when the firemen arrive.
22. Time your manager when he goes out to run personal errands
and comment that he took an exceptionally long break when he
returns.
23. Run into the office exclaiming to your manager that his car
has a huge dent in the side! Walk outside with him when he goes
out to examine it. After he looks it over thoroughly and asks
you what you saw because he can't see it, apologize that it must
have just been the way the light was reflecting on it that made
it appear that way.
24. Exclaim how sorry you are that your manager's grandmother
died over the weekend and that you read about it in the
obituaries. Declare that it must have been somebody with the
same name when he says he has no idea what you are talking about
and begins frantically dialing his grandmother.
25. Superglue two middle pages of your manager's favorite book
and return to the shelf. He will find it after the glue has
permanently set.
26. When you are simply not in the mood to get out of your
chair, proclaim that the copier is broken when your boss asks
for copies to be made. If your manager attempts to make copies
on his own and exclaims it works just fine, jam a paper clip in
the innards of the copy machine when nobody is looking.
27. When your boss asks you what you would like for secretaries'
day, first of all, reply that you are not a secretary. Request
that he answers the phone on that day as well as having all of
your whims fulfilled that are of inconceivable proportions.
28. Using desktop publishing, relabel a can of bug spray as
vanilla air freshener and place in men's bathroom.
29. Call in sick and leave a message on the company's voice
mail. State that you are ill due to the overwhelming imbalance
of wealth and power within the company's structure and your
illness should subside once you are paid what you are worth.
30. When your boss asks for a donation to his son's little
league fund, ask what the minimum amount is that you can donate
in order to keep your job.
31. When your boss invites you to the company Christmas party,
matter-of-factly state that you'd prefer to spend it with rabid
dogs and wild monkeys, but proclaim your sincere thanks just the
same.
32. Stockpile in your office your manager's favorite type of pen
so that he is constantly bewildered as to where they are
disappearing and continues to order new boxes of pens repeatedly.
33. During your yearly review, exclaim that you would just like
to discuss your raise and not your manager's suggestions or
comments. Also, add that you do have a list of improvements for
him that you'd like to share.
34. Find boss's buttons and push them. If it is his weight, ask
if he has gained weight or do those clothes just make him look
fat?
35. Announce at the next company birthday (cake eating in the
lunchroom) that the boss is giving everyone a 10% raise. When
your manager pulls you into his office to discuss this, say that
he sure is losing his sense of humor in his old age.
36. Stack all incoming unwanted sales related faxes and printed
e-mails on your manager's desk and connect all sales related
calls to him, especially the stock brokers. When your manager
comments that he would like you to screen all sales related
material and calls, comment that you thought he was open to new
ideas and new people and didn't realize he was so introverted.
37. After next company announcement of a marriage or pregnancy,
proclaim that you are getting married and having a child, but
not necessarily in that order.
38. When company phone bill gets passed around asking you to
highlight your personal calls, always state that you would never
do that and never highlight anything. Say your family and
friends all reside in Tasmania.
39. As soon as your boss returns from a vacation, ask where he
went and always state that you vacationed there a few years ago
and how fantastic it was.
40. Five minutes into the weekly company meeting, excuse
yourself to go to the restroom and return twenty minutes later
when it is wrapping up.
41. When the boss is out of town, forward the phones to your
house and take a nap. Run back to the office if something needs
to be done.
42. Position a cup of coffee on your manager's desk so that when
he sits down, you can pretend to fumble for papers on his desk
and easily knock it onto his lap. State that you hope it isn't
hot and that no third degree burns are inflicted.
43. If you are single, place your grandmother's antique diamond
ring on your married finger on the left hand. When boss asks you
if anything new has happened to you recently after he clearly
notices your ring, state nonchalantly "no, not really." If you
are married, remove your wedding ring and state the same answer
when asked the same question.
44. On casual dress day, wear a bathing suit top and the
shortest shorts that you own. When you are called into your
boss's office to discuss this, ask for a list that defines the
parameters of the casual dress day code.
45. Circulate an anonymous memo that this coming Friday is
fetish day so dress appropriately. Add that a $100 prize will be
awarded to the freakiest costume.
46. After your boss gives you an overwhelmingly long list of
items for you to complete, ask if he'd like for you to wipe his
ass as well.
47. Take items out of your manager's sack lunch. When he
comments on this phenomenon, reply that society is degenerating
at an unbelievable rate.
48. When you manager asks you how your day is going, be honest.
Say, well, if people that worked for this company weren't so
dysfunctional and psychotic, it might be a marginally average
place of employment.
49. When your boss says "good morning", quickly reply, "Oh is
it?"
50. Once a week, send an anonymous email to your boss that is
spiteful in nature. To kick it off, the first one should simply
read, "you are pond scum."
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Radical Recovery
Author: Deanna R. Davis, Ph.D.
Source: articleage.com
I'm sure I am not alone. Others have, no doubt, experienced a
fate similar to mine at some point in their lives. Here's what
happened: My husband and I had traveled to one of our favorite
cities with my sister and her husband to spend two days painting
the town a rather striking shade of red, which I have dubbed
"crimson with brick undertones." We were concluding our stay
with a fabulous evening out--dinner and a trip to the theater.
The previous evening's festivities had ended at around 3:00
a.m., understandably compromising the potential for a good
night's sleep. And, as is often the case during town-painting
marathons, none of us had been adhering to a healthy diet by any
stretch of the imagination. Likewise, we were having way too
much fun to take a break for our accustomed workouts. But, life
is short and so are weekends away. So, we valiantly charged
ahead with the evening's plans, lacking a certain amount of
energy and focus.
We felt exhausted and it showed. Truth be told, we looked like
something the cat had only considered dragging in, but after
careful deliberation, had decided to leave in a distasteful and
unflattering pile out on the lawn. I guarantee you that my
sister and her husband will be calling me as they read this,
objecting to this unfair representation of their appearance that
night. That is why I'm not answering my cell phone now or ever
again. But I know the truth of the situation, and now, so do
you.
Despite our ragged appearance, we had committed to our final
tour through the night life, so we set out on our journey. We
started at an artsy little Italian restaurant, where we consumed
what I can only describe as a bakery case full of artisan
breads, which we washed down with heaps and heaps of pasta. We
left for the theater full, happy, and a bit tipsy on
carbohydrates.
Since it was our last night together, we shared a toast to one
another and headed in to see the show. We were awestruck by the
theater itself--ornately decorated and a sight to behold. We
eagerly anticipated what we knew would be a memorable
performance. And indeed, the first fifteen minutes of it was
extremely memorable. Great music, dancing, and special effects.
I was intrigued,, last minute weekend breaks, then impressed. And then, I was unconscious. In
fact, we all were.
Well, maybe not totally unconscious. We had all entered that
state you might recall from middle school when your history
class was held right after lunch and you had the frequent
privilege of watching dry black and white films in a warm, dark
classroom. Such situations are no friend to alertness or
attentiveness. We bravely, and collectively, fought off sleep.
After all, the show was great, and this was our last big hurrah
in the big city. Even more motivating was the fact that we had
nearly required a co-signor to afford the tickets in the first
place.
That being said, just think for a moment about the math equation
here. Four exhausted people minus sleep, healthy food, and
workouts, plus six thousand tons of carbohydrates (more or
less). Add to that one glass of good cheer each, subtract every
molecule of light in a dark, warm, cocoon-like theater, and what
is your result? It equals four reluctantly slumbering
show-goers. We had effectively emerged as the world champion
head-bobbing team.
You know what I'm talking about here. It was one of those times
when you think you're awake but you actually keep hopelessly
sinking into mini-coma states, much to your dismay. So, we would
begrudgingly alternate between what felt like an REM sleep cycle
and a startled state of semi-consciousness. For all I know,
Beethoven's Fifth could have been booming in the background,
with each of our heads taking part in an intricately, if not
disturbingly, choreographed ballet. One that no one would really
want to see.
When the show was over, we stumbled from the theater in a mass
of yawns and blinks. Through drowsy eyes, we looked at each
other saying, "That was good. I think." That night, we learned a
valuable and rather unfortunate lesson. Both the body and the
brain require recovery time, whether you're working hard or
playing hard. And, if you don't provide them the necessary rest
and rejuvenation they need, they will seek these things out at
the most inopportune times, like during a highly anticipated
evening out.
Building adequate recovery time into your life is one great
technique for supporting peak performance and yielding better
results in your life. It is just one of the many topics covered
in Chapter four of Living With Intention. Here are a few ideas
for building more recovery time into your life:
1) Time-outs
Time outs, or regular breaks throughout your day, are one of the
most basic forms of recovery. They help you calm your mind and
relax your body. You may have heard of the term "circadian
rhythms," which are the body's natural system for regulating
your sleep and wake cycles. You are probably less familiar with
the term "ultradian rhythms," which are the energy and focus
cycles you experience throughout the day. Research shows that
your body experiences about 90 to 120 minutes of strong focus
and high energy, followed by a 20-minute low point where you may
feel less motivated, less energetic, and have difficulty
concentrating. These rhythms are built in to prompt us to take a
quick break from whatever we are doing to refresh ourselves both
mentally and physically so that we can continue to perform well
and yield positive results.
Start taking "time outs" every 90 to 120 minutes throughout the
day, even if they are brief, seemingly insignificant amounts of
time. Take a walk around the office. Practice deep breathing for
a minute or two. Step outside and chat with a co-worker.
Actually take your lunch break. Tell a joke. Read a quick
article. Make a phone call to someone you care about. Whatever
you can do to separate yourself from your work and your stress
even for a few minutes will help refresh you, recharge your
batteries, and reorient your mind to what needs to be done.
2) Reset Buttons
It's true that sometimes you will be absolutely be under the gun
with a deadline, a crisis, or an overwhelming volume of
deliverables. That is what can make life both exciting and
challenging at times. What do you do then, when it's not
practical to take structured recovery time? First, you need to
evaluate whether this is truly one of those circumstances, or
whether you are just falling into old patterns by thinking,
"there's no rest for the weary." If you truly have to push
through a period of time without significant recovery time, and
you have made a conscious decision to keep going while the going
is tough, it's time to turn to rituals or habits that provide
built-in recovery time for your brain and your body.
To do this, just identify one or two positive, energy-enhancing
rituals that you can perform without thinking or needing to
exercise any free will. These will be your reset buttons. Then,
over the course of three or four weeks, practice your reset
several times a day to make sure that you have mastered it and
that you can utilize it any time you need a focus or energy
"pick me up." Your ritual might be stretching or breathing in a
certain way, saying a calming phrase to yourself several times,
or performing a simple movement. You can choose any action that
will work for you as a reset button. In general, reset buttons
take less than a minute. Let's get real--if you can't find a
minute to recharge your batteries, you are really in trouble.
I have had clients whose reset buttons involve lying on the
floor for one minute with their feet on their chair, running in
place for 15 seconds when they feel like...well...like they're
running in place, or saying a mantra or singing a few bars of a
motivating song in their mind. Whatever it is that serves as a
reset button for you, choose one or two rituals that can help
you use that reset today. Within a couple of weeks, with regular
practice, your reset button will be both automatic and renewing.
3) Work-free Zones
The final practice of building recovery time into your life is
setting iron-clad times and spaces that are work-free zones. You
get to decide what that means to you but, in general, everyone
needs to be able to look forward to periods of time and places
where they can relish in the rest and rejuvenation that comes
from a significant time out. To do this, you will choose a
combination of evenings, weekends, holidays, vacations, or other
key times to designate as work-free zones.
Accomplished success coaches and peak performance experts
advocate the need for rest or recovery time as a key practice
for achieving great outcomes in all areas of your life. What
these practitioners have found, over many years of work with
their clients, is that increased time off leads to greater
productivity, better results, and often even more income. What a
concept! This suggests that the more effectively you use your
time away from work to truly rest and recover, the better the
results you will have while you are there. You need rest
opportunities to disconnect and disengage from work in order to
effectively navigate the demands of work and life, and to feel
good in the process. Give it a try and notice the tremendous
benefits this practice will yield for you.
These three strategies--Time-outs, Reset Buttons, and Work-free
Zones--are powerful tools for experiencing radical recovery on a
regular basis.
NOTE: You are welcome to use this article online in electronic
newsletters and e-zines as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the "about the author" info). If use of
this article is desired in print, you must first contact Deanna
Davis at Deanna@appliedinsight.net
Copyright 2005 Deanna R. Davis, PhD
Source: articleage.com
I'm sure I am not alone. Others have, no doubt, experienced a
fate similar to mine at some point in their lives. Here's what
happened: My husband and I had traveled to one of our favorite
cities with my sister and her husband to spend two days painting
the town a rather striking shade of red, which I have dubbed
"crimson with brick undertones." We were concluding our stay
with a fabulous evening out--dinner and a trip to the theater.
The previous evening's festivities had ended at around 3:00
a.m., understandably compromising the potential for a good
night's sleep. And, as is often the case during town-painting
marathons, none of us had been adhering to a healthy diet by any
stretch of the imagination. Likewise, we were having way too
much fun to take a break for our accustomed workouts. But, life
is short and so are weekends away. So, we valiantly charged
ahead with the evening's plans, lacking a certain amount of
energy and focus.
We felt exhausted and it showed. Truth be told, we looked like
something the cat had only considered dragging in, but after
careful deliberation, had decided to leave in a distasteful and
unflattering pile out on the lawn. I guarantee you that my
sister and her husband will be calling me as they read this,
objecting to this unfair representation of their appearance that
night. That is why I'm not answering my cell phone now or ever
again. But I know the truth of the situation, and now, so do
you.
Despite our ragged appearance, we had committed to our final
tour through the night life, so we set out on our journey. We
started at an artsy little Italian restaurant, where we consumed
what I can only describe as a bakery case full of artisan
breads, which we washed down with heaps and heaps of pasta. We
left for the theater full, happy, and a bit tipsy on
carbohydrates.
Since it was our last night together, we shared a toast to one
another and headed in to see the show. We were awestruck by the
theater itself--ornately decorated and a sight to behold. We
eagerly anticipated what we knew would be a memorable
performance. And indeed, the first fifteen minutes of it was
extremely memorable. Great music, dancing, and special effects.
I was intrigued,, last minute weekend breaks, then impressed. And then, I was unconscious. In
fact, we all were.
Well, maybe not totally unconscious. We had all entered that
state you might recall from middle school when your history
class was held right after lunch and you had the frequent
privilege of watching dry black and white films in a warm, dark
classroom. Such situations are no friend to alertness or
attentiveness. We bravely, and collectively, fought off sleep.
After all, the show was great, and this was our last big hurrah
in the big city. Even more motivating was the fact that we had
nearly required a co-signor to afford the tickets in the first
place.
That being said, just think for a moment about the math equation
here. Four exhausted people minus sleep, healthy food, and
workouts, plus six thousand tons of carbohydrates (more or
less). Add to that one glass of good cheer each, subtract every
molecule of light in a dark, warm, cocoon-like theater, and what
is your result? It equals four reluctantly slumbering
show-goers. We had effectively emerged as the world champion
head-bobbing team.
You know what I'm talking about here. It was one of those times
when you think you're awake but you actually keep hopelessly
sinking into mini-coma states, much to your dismay. So, we would
begrudgingly alternate between what felt like an REM sleep cycle
and a startled state of semi-consciousness. For all I know,
Beethoven's Fifth could have been booming in the background,
with each of our heads taking part in an intricately, if not
disturbingly, choreographed ballet. One that no one would really
want to see.
When the show was over, we stumbled from the theater in a mass
of yawns and blinks. Through drowsy eyes, we looked at each
other saying, "That was good. I think." That night, we learned a
valuable and rather unfortunate lesson. Both the body and the
brain require recovery time, whether you're working hard or
playing hard. And, if you don't provide them the necessary rest
and rejuvenation they need, they will seek these things out at
the most inopportune times, like during a highly anticipated
evening out.
Building adequate recovery time into your life is one great
technique for supporting peak performance and yielding better
results in your life. It is just one of the many topics covered
in Chapter four of Living With Intention. Here are a few ideas
for building more recovery time into your life:
1) Time-outs
Time outs, or regular breaks throughout your day, are one of the
most basic forms of recovery. They help you calm your mind and
relax your body. You may have heard of the term "circadian
rhythms," which are the body's natural system for regulating
your sleep and wake cycles. You are probably less familiar with
the term "ultradian rhythms," which are the energy and focus
cycles you experience throughout the day. Research shows that
your body experiences about 90 to 120 minutes of strong focus
and high energy, followed by a 20-minute low point where you may
feel less motivated, less energetic, and have difficulty
concentrating. These rhythms are built in to prompt us to take a
quick break from whatever we are doing to refresh ourselves both
mentally and physically so that we can continue to perform well
and yield positive results.
Start taking "time outs" every 90 to 120 minutes throughout the
day, even if they are brief, seemingly insignificant amounts of
time. Take a walk around the office. Practice deep breathing for
a minute or two. Step outside and chat with a co-worker.
Actually take your lunch break. Tell a joke. Read a quick
article. Make a phone call to someone you care about. Whatever
you can do to separate yourself from your work and your stress
even for a few minutes will help refresh you, recharge your
batteries, and reorient your mind to what needs to be done.
2) Reset Buttons
It's true that sometimes you will be absolutely be under the gun
with a deadline, a crisis, or an overwhelming volume of
deliverables. That is what can make life both exciting and
challenging at times. What do you do then, when it's not
practical to take structured recovery time? First, you need to
evaluate whether this is truly one of those circumstances, or
whether you are just falling into old patterns by thinking,
"there's no rest for the weary." If you truly have to push
through a period of time without significant recovery time, and
you have made a conscious decision to keep going while the going
is tough, it's time to turn to rituals or habits that provide
built-in recovery time for your brain and your body.
To do this, just identify one or two positive, energy-enhancing
rituals that you can perform without thinking or needing to
exercise any free will. These will be your reset buttons. Then,
over the course of three or four weeks, practice your reset
several times a day to make sure that you have mastered it and
that you can utilize it any time you need a focus or energy
"pick me up." Your ritual might be stretching or breathing in a
certain way, saying a calming phrase to yourself several times,
or performing a simple movement. You can choose any action that
will work for you as a reset button. In general, reset buttons
take less than a minute. Let's get real--if you can't find a
minute to recharge your batteries, you are really in trouble.
I have had clients whose reset buttons involve lying on the
floor for one minute with their feet on their chair, running in
place for 15 seconds when they feel like...well...like they're
running in place, or saying a mantra or singing a few bars of a
motivating song in their mind. Whatever it is that serves as a
reset button for you, choose one or two rituals that can help
you use that reset today. Within a couple of weeks, with regular
practice, your reset button will be both automatic and renewing.
3) Work-free Zones
The final practice of building recovery time into your life is
setting iron-clad times and spaces that are work-free zones. You
get to decide what that means to you but, in general, everyone
needs to be able to look forward to periods of time and places
where they can relish in the rest and rejuvenation that comes
from a significant time out. To do this, you will choose a
combination of evenings, weekends, holidays, vacations, or other
key times to designate as work-free zones.
Accomplished success coaches and peak performance experts
advocate the need for rest or recovery time as a key practice
for achieving great outcomes in all areas of your life. What
these practitioners have found, over many years of work with
their clients, is that increased time off leads to greater
productivity, better results, and often even more income. What a
concept! This suggests that the more effectively you use your
time away from work to truly rest and recover, the better the
results you will have while you are there. You need rest
opportunities to disconnect and disengage from work in order to
effectively navigate the demands of work and life, and to feel
good in the process. Give it a try and notice the tremendous
benefits this practice will yield for you.
These three strategies--Time-outs, Reset Buttons, and Work-free
Zones--are powerful tools for experiencing radical recovery on a
regular basis.
NOTE: You are welcome to use this article online in electronic
newsletters and e-zines as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the "about the author" info). If use of
this article is desired in print, you must first contact Deanna
Davis at Deanna@appliedinsight.net
Copyright 2005 Deanna R. Davis, PhD
Friday, December 25, 2009
Spanish League - Barcelona Postpones Celebration After 3-3 Draw
Author: Audrey Nolan
Source: articlesbase.com
Barcelona was about to celebrate their title Championship of La Liga as they were winning the match 3-1, when Villarreal scored two surprising goals almost at the end of the game. With 18 minutes left and with more than 95.000 fans at the Camp Nou Stadium, Barça fans and team were already celebrating their victory and title since they were two goals ahead at that moment, but something they were not expecting happened. Villarreal’s effort was very remarkable, even though Barcelona was at home, they did not surrender at them and they fought until the end; the result was positive for them as the game ended in a 3-3 draw, after having been losing most of the game. Seydou Keita's was the man who opened the score for Barça at the beginning of the game but ten minutes later it was leveled by Joseba Llorente. With a winning spirit, the Catalans took the lead of the game again at minute 36 with a goal by Samuel Eto’o and later to make the lead secure, Daniel Alves scored at minute 45 and the team went to the halftime break with a victory feeling. During the second half, Barça didn’t show their usual intensity and effectiveness; they just tried to defend themselves to maintain the lead of the game, but at minute 78 Mati Fernandez converted the second goal for his team â€" a penalty shot after Eric Abidal was sent off leaving Barça with 10 men â€" but this did not scare the local team much since they were still winning the game 3-2. The big surprise came two minutes into injury time when Joseba Llorente scored the last goal to equalize the game when there was not time left for Catalans to do something about it. An imminent silence reigned in the crowd, who suddenly had to stop the celebration. "It is a real shame we couldn't celebrate the title with all the people who came to the stadium today," admitted Barça Coach Pep Guardiola."We did the same thing (scoring a late goal) at Stamford Bridge (in the Champions League semi-final) with Iniesta and today it was Llorente. We have to pick ourselves up quickly, put a smile on our faces and prepare for the Kings Cup final on Wednesday." It seems that the recent matches that Barcelona had against Chelsea and Real Madrid had left the team a little tired and without the condition that we are used to see in the Barça. In addition, this Wednesday final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic de Bilbao would put more pressure on the team as they will have to make an extra effort since Andres Iniesta had an injury in his right thigh that will make him miss this game. The team has yet to analyze how serious this injury is, but their hoping to have Iniesta back for the final of the UEFA Champions League against, last minute weekend breaks, Manchester United, which will be held on May 27 at Rome. Barça is now just one point away from their 19th La Liga title, and they will probably make it on the weekend in the game against Mallorca.
Source: articlesbase.com
Barcelona was about to celebrate their title Championship of La Liga as they were winning the match 3-1, when Villarreal scored two surprising goals almost at the end of the game. With 18 minutes left and with more than 95.000 fans at the Camp Nou Stadium, Barça fans and team were already celebrating their victory and title since they were two goals ahead at that moment, but something they were not expecting happened. Villarreal’s effort was very remarkable, even though Barcelona was at home, they did not surrender at them and they fought until the end; the result was positive for them as the game ended in a 3-3 draw, after having been losing most of the game. Seydou Keita's was the man who opened the score for Barça at the beginning of the game but ten minutes later it was leveled by Joseba Llorente. With a winning spirit, the Catalans took the lead of the game again at minute 36 with a goal by Samuel Eto’o and later to make the lead secure, Daniel Alves scored at minute 45 and the team went to the halftime break with a victory feeling. During the second half, Barça didn’t show their usual intensity and effectiveness; they just tried to defend themselves to maintain the lead of the game, but at minute 78 Mati Fernandez converted the second goal for his team â€" a penalty shot after Eric Abidal was sent off leaving Barça with 10 men â€" but this did not scare the local team much since they were still winning the game 3-2. The big surprise came two minutes into injury time when Joseba Llorente scored the last goal to equalize the game when there was not time left for Catalans to do something about it. An imminent silence reigned in the crowd, who suddenly had to stop the celebration. "It is a real shame we couldn't celebrate the title with all the people who came to the stadium today," admitted Barça Coach Pep Guardiola."We did the same thing (scoring a late goal) at Stamford Bridge (in the Champions League semi-final) with Iniesta and today it was Llorente. We have to pick ourselves up quickly, put a smile on our faces and prepare for the Kings Cup final on Wednesday." It seems that the recent matches that Barcelona had against Chelsea and Real Madrid had left the team a little tired and without the condition that we are used to see in the Barça. In addition, this Wednesday final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic de Bilbao would put more pressure on the team as they will have to make an extra effort since Andres Iniesta had an injury in his right thigh that will make him miss this game. The team has yet to analyze how serious this injury is, but their hoping to have Iniesta back for the final of the UEFA Champions League against, last minute weekend breaks, Manchester United, which will be held on May 27 at Rome. Barça is now just one point away from their 19th La Liga title, and they will probably make it on the weekend in the game against Mallorca.
About the Author
Audrey Nolan is a top senior copy writer on Spanish League Soccer and sports action for the online sportsbetting: http://www.instantactionsports.com. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
PR Crisis Management - Tell It All, Tell It Fast And Tell The Truth
Author: John Hicks
Source: download
I turned on the television news recently to learn that one of our top football teams may have lost an important match because of illness, the story being brought to us by a reporter stationed outside the hotel where the players enjoyed lunch prior to the game.
In the car, this was the lead story on the radio news with the story read by a reporter, again said to be outside the hotel. He confirmed that the Police had collected samples from the restaurant to pass onto the health authorities.
Guess what? The story was also the lead in the tabloid newspapers sat on my desk when I reached the office. Photographs of the hotel in question usually supported the story.
As a public relations professional, I reflected on what the hotel's PR people are going through this morning. This is a prestigious hotel group with a well-crafted brand image of quality at the premium end of the market. Here they are, in the spotlight for all the wrong sort of reasons!
They will surely have a documented Crisis Management Plan or, in softer terms, a PR Communications Plan. But it is not only global companies who need to devise a plan in advance. Being in business, or even running a not-for-profit organisation, exposes everyone to the risk of a PR crisis.
No organisation is very far from crises and their resulting media attention. Their reputation can be washed away or seriously damaged in an instant. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually brought on by adverse or negative media attention.
These situations can be any kind of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or manmade disaster that could be attributed to your company. It can also be a situation where in the eyes of the media or general public your company did not react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. This definition is not all encompassing but rather is designed to give you an idea for the types of situations where you may need to follow this plan.
Crisis management is a complex subject, but here are five tips to get you started. And, start, you must.
1. Don't wait. Many organisations only get their crisis plans underway once a disaster has struck. Instead, brainstorm possible scenarios or types of disasters that could happen, and start planning for them. In fact, I have found this to be a positive process as bringing together key executives to share ideas and examine scenarios often brings out a range of issues that they can take forward.
2. Realise that crises take a wide range of shapes. As I say, this can be anything from the hotel's crisis to a legal dispute getting out, last minute weekend breaks, of hand to customer dissatisfaction aired on the Internet. I even recall a weekend phone call from a Scout leader whose campsite had been washed away in storms with some children being injured; the media were on the telephone badgering her for the story! They will all require slightly different responses. Brainstorm and prepare for as many as you can imagine.
3. Develop a PR communications plan. A barrage of media attention may swamp you within minutes of the news breaking. Also, think about how you will get information out to staff, supporters & investors, and customers - yes, remember to get your side of the story out to customers as soon as you can. Internal communication is as important as communication to the general public.
A physical plan has to do with getting everyone out of the building in case of an earthquake. A communications plan involves identifying a spokesperson, developing press releases, setting up a media hotline, and finding a place where you can have a press conference.
4. Be prepared to speak to the media and to your constituents. Even if you can't say much because your lawyer is concerned about liability, plan to say what you can as soon as you can. Be concerned, show concern, speak concern, and always tell the truth. That doesn't mean you have to tell everything all at once, but never, never lie.
5. Provide media training for senior management. Do this before a disaster strikes. Make it a regular part of board and senior employee training. Media training needn't cost a lot if you have someone on your board working in public relations or someone who is a member of the media. The key is to do it regularly so that new people are always trained and others don't grow stale.
Don't delay your crisis planning. Don't ruin your hard-won reputation by handling difficult situations badly! The directors and PR team of that hotel this morning went to bed last evening little knowing the blast of unwelcome publicity that was facing them this morning. Hopefully, their PR Communications Plan will be a trusted aide today!
Suggested reading
1. "Crisis in Organizations: Managing and Communicating in the Heat of Crisis," by Laurence Barton.
2. "You'd Better Have a Hose if You Want to Put Out the Fire: The Complete Guide to Crisis and Risk Communications," by Rene A. Henry.
John Hicks is a Marketing and Press & Public Relations Consultant supporting small to medium sized businesses in the UK. He specialises in the manufacturing, leisure and retail sectors. His company is Headline Promotions Press & PR.
Source: download
I turned on the television news recently to learn that one of our top football teams may have lost an important match because of illness, the story being brought to us by a reporter stationed outside the hotel where the players enjoyed lunch prior to the game.
In the car, this was the lead story on the radio news with the story read by a reporter, again said to be outside the hotel. He confirmed that the Police had collected samples from the restaurant to pass onto the health authorities.
Guess what? The story was also the lead in the tabloid newspapers sat on my desk when I reached the office. Photographs of the hotel in question usually supported the story.
As a public relations professional, I reflected on what the hotel's PR people are going through this morning. This is a prestigious hotel group with a well-crafted brand image of quality at the premium end of the market. Here they are, in the spotlight for all the wrong sort of reasons!
They will surely have a documented Crisis Management Plan or, in softer terms, a PR Communications Plan. But it is not only global companies who need to devise a plan in advance. Being in business, or even running a not-for-profit organisation, exposes everyone to the risk of a PR crisis.
No organisation is very far from crises and their resulting media attention. Their reputation can be washed away or seriously damaged in an instant. A crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually brought on by adverse or negative media attention.
These situations can be any kind of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or manmade disaster that could be attributed to your company. It can also be a situation where in the eyes of the media or general public your company did not react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. This definition is not all encompassing but rather is designed to give you an idea for the types of situations where you may need to follow this plan.
Crisis management is a complex subject, but here are five tips to get you started. And, start, you must.
1. Don't wait. Many organisations only get their crisis plans underway once a disaster has struck. Instead, brainstorm possible scenarios or types of disasters that could happen, and start planning for them. In fact, I have found this to be a positive process as bringing together key executives to share ideas and examine scenarios often brings out a range of issues that they can take forward.
2. Realise that crises take a wide range of shapes. As I say, this can be anything from the hotel's crisis to a legal dispute getting out, last minute weekend breaks, of hand to customer dissatisfaction aired on the Internet. I even recall a weekend phone call from a Scout leader whose campsite had been washed away in storms with some children being injured; the media were on the telephone badgering her for the story! They will all require slightly different responses. Brainstorm and prepare for as many as you can imagine.
3. Develop a PR communications plan. A barrage of media attention may swamp you within minutes of the news breaking. Also, think about how you will get information out to staff, supporters & investors, and customers - yes, remember to get your side of the story out to customers as soon as you can. Internal communication is as important as communication to the general public.
A physical plan has to do with getting everyone out of the building in case of an earthquake. A communications plan involves identifying a spokesperson, developing press releases, setting up a media hotline, and finding a place where you can have a press conference.
4. Be prepared to speak to the media and to your constituents. Even if you can't say much because your lawyer is concerned about liability, plan to say what you can as soon as you can. Be concerned, show concern, speak concern, and always tell the truth. That doesn't mean you have to tell everything all at once, but never, never lie.
5. Provide media training for senior management. Do this before a disaster strikes. Make it a regular part of board and senior employee training. Media training needn't cost a lot if you have someone on your board working in public relations or someone who is a member of the media. The key is to do it regularly so that new people are always trained and others don't grow stale.
Don't delay your crisis planning. Don't ruin your hard-won reputation by handling difficult situations badly! The directors and PR team of that hotel this morning went to bed last evening little knowing the blast of unwelcome publicity that was facing them this morning. Hopefully, their PR Communications Plan will be a trusted aide today!
Suggested reading
1. "Crisis in Organizations: Managing and Communicating in the Heat of Crisis," by Laurence Barton.
2. "You'd Better Have a Hose if You Want to Put Out the Fire: The Complete Guide to Crisis and Risk Communications," by Rene A. Henry.
John Hicks is a Marketing and Press & Public Relations Consultant supporting small to medium sized businesses in the UK. He specialises in the manufacturing, leisure and retail sectors. His company is Headline Promotions Press & PR.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Presenting: Toronto's WinterCity Festival - Culinary Treats, Arts and Entertainment
Author: Susanne Pacher
Source: articleage.com
There is no doubt that Canada is a northern country and that our winters here in Toronto can sometimes be a little harsh. But that's no reason to hold anyone back from getting out there and enjoying the city to the fullest.
To ease the winter blues, the City of Toronto has developed a series of special events dedicated to bringing the city to life in the middle of winter. The WinterCity Festival is a city-wide celebration of Toronto's culinary offerings (the popular Winterlicious restaurant promotion), a wide variety of free entertainment events and a showcase of Toronto's vibrant arts scene, featuring live music, dance, theatre, spectacle shows, rink-side concerts and even aerial acrobatic performances. Throw in a number of child-friendly events, and WinterCity has something for everyone in the family.
I had a chance to talk to Grant Ramsey from the City of Toronto who is one of the key people behind WinterCity and he is providing a much more detailed overview of all the special events, artistic and culinary treats on offer.
1. Please give us an overview of Toronto's WinterCity Festival. When did it come into being? When and where is it held?
This year will be the fourth WinterCity held. Prior to the name change, it was called WinterFest, which took place on one weekend. Since expanding the festival, it now runs for two-weeks and is held primarily at Nathan Phillips Square from, Jan. 27 to Feb. 9
2. Please tell us more about the "Wild on Winter Series".
The Wild on Winter Series (WOW!) combines some of the best performances in Toronto. Two large outdoor spectacle shows, "Walk the Plank" and "Il Corso", which take place on Saturday and Sundays of both weekends, feature some of the best pyrotechnic, special effects and sound displays in North America. Other WOW! Series performers include, stellar Canadian talent presenting the best in dance and live music all at Nathan Phillips Square.
3. Please tell us more about the "Warm-up Series"? Where does it take place, what events does it include?
The Warm up series offers great discounted events at some of Toronto's hottest destinations. For those who just can't brave the cold, The Warm Up Series offer excellent interactive entertainment at The Toronto Eaton Centre and other venues around the city.
Toronto Eaton Centre Schedule: - Spin Cycle Monday, January 30: 12:30 & 5:30 pm The international vaudevillian duo of Greg Tarlin and Kristi Heath combine their talents as award-winning circus performers, Second City comedy veterans and skilled writers to engage, amaze and entertain with skills that include juggling, unicycling, stilt dancing and more.
- The Silk Road Acrobats Three Man Acrobats & Hula Hoop Act Tuesday, January 31: 12:30 & 5:30 pm This performance combines the grace, delicacy and poise of the Chinese acrobatic tradition with the power and athleticism of Russian acrobatics. Three professional acrobats perform multiple towers, falls and strength poses along with an up-beat performance using a multiple hoop apparatus.
- The Silk Road Acrobats Seven Man Acrobats & The Female Contortion Duo Wednesday, February 1: 12:30 & 5:30 pm Professional acrobats perform an amazing group demonstration of strength, coordination, group dynamic and impeccable timing. While balancing delicate vases on their hands and feet, the acrobatic female duo perform graceful contortions and remarkable poses, creating an effect that is truly enchanting.
- High Strung Aerial Acrobats "Dy-no-mite" Thursday, February 2 & Saturday, February 4, 12:30 & 5:30 pm A two-woman high energy aerial show with a sassy disco flair. Performed to hits from the 70s, like Disco Inferno, Ring My Bell and Macho Man, the show features aerial straps, a swinging ladder and trapeze. Throw in some audience participation, acrobatics and a kick-ball change or two, and you have a spectacle like no other.
- High Strung Aerial Acrobats "Impressed" Friday, February 3 & Sunday, February 5: 12:30 & 5:30 pm Witness aerial dance artistry, superior and surprising manipulations, and skills that seem to defy gravity. Wonder and marvel as these two breathtaking airborne lovelies perform startling acrobatic feats. Events & Shows hosted by some of Toronto's top attractions
Don't miss this series of special WinterCity events at Toronto's top urban destinations. For more details, contact each attraction directly.
4. Please tell us about the WinterCity Weekend SeeSaw at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People.
WinterCity Weekend SeeSaw at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People Meet four ordinary kids coping with the ups and downs of their lives. Paige, the popular yet insecure girl. Adam the tough bully who is also a budding artist, shy Josh who learns magic tricks in order to become invisible and Charla the new girl who wants to be everybody's friend. (recommended for ages 9-12)
Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29, 2 pm Kids and adults WinterCity price just $12 each. Regular price $15-20 each 165 Front Street East 416-862-2222 www.lktyp.ca
6. You also have an event planned that involves "Franklin the Turtle", "Elliot Moose" and the CN Tower. Please tell us more about that.
Franklin the Turtle, Elliot Moose & friends visit the CN Tower Join Franklin the Turtle, Elliot Moose and their author friends, Elizabeth MacLeod, Irene Luxbacher and Aubrey Davis, at the CN Tower. Enjoy winter crafts, no-bake chocolate recipes, storytelling and more.
This fun filled event is included with your special CN Tower coupon admission of 3 people for $30
Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29 11 am - 4 pm 3 people for $30 301 Front Street West 416-868-6937 For full details on this event please visit, www.cntower.ca
6. You also offer special free skating events, beer tastings, a big band event, discounted opera events and theatre performances, please provide an overview of those.
DJ Skating Night @ Harbourfront Slide down to Harbourfront's beautiful rink and skate to music including house, progressive and breaks with DJs Phantasm, Simon Jain and Tommy Gunners!
Free hot chocolate! Skate rentals, sharpening, lockers, snacks and drinks all available.
Friday, February 3, 2006 8-11 pm FREE 235 Queens Quay West, South of York Quay Centre 416-973-4000 www.harbourfrontcentre.com
A Bite before Twilight Under 30? Join the Canadian Opera Company for a feast of traditional Bavarian fare at the exciting Bier Markt Esplanade and a quick update of "the story so far" before gorging on the dramatic final installment of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle - The Twilight of the Gods (G๖tterdไmmerung). Meet other young opera lovers and fortify yourselves with beer and worst, fine food and good cheer in preparation for the experience of a lifetime.
Saturday, February 4, 2006 $60 for opera ticket and meal (includes taxes and gratuity) 4 pm dinner Bier Markt 58 The Esplanade www.thebiermarkt.com
6 pm performance of G๖tterdไmmerung Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts 1 Front St. E. www.coc.ca To order tickets, call: Ticketmaster at 416-872-2262
A Return to the Golden Era of Swing at Casa Loma Dance the night away in one of Toronto's most beautiful rooms with the Toronto All-Star Big Band. Resembling a Mediterranean Courtyard, Casa Loma's The Conservatory is a spectacular setting with its gleaming brass doors, opulent marble and 30-foot stained glass dome. One of the most exciting bands around, the 17-piece Toronto All-Star Big Band, "cooks" with its powerful tributes to the heady hits of the 1930s and 40s. It's like watching Goodman, Dorsey, and Miller live.
Saturday, February 4, 2006 8:00 pm $25.00 per person (includes G.S.T. and finger foods) Tickets available on-line at www.casaloma.org One Austin Terrace 416-923-1171 www.casaloma.org
Letters from Lehrer CanStage offers a 20% discount to the February 9th performance of Letters from Lehrer - written and performed by Richard Greenblatt featuring the words and music of Tom, last minute weekend breaks, Lehrer.
There will be a Satirical Lyric Writing workshop for the closet songwriter. This pre-show workshop will run from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, followed by the performance at 8 pm.
Thursday, February 9, 2006 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm (workshop) 8 pm (performance) 20% discount on regular priced tickets Regular price range: $26 to $51 Berkeley Theatre 26 Berkeley Street Box Office: 416-368-3110 www.canstage.com
Coupons for discounted rates are available by visiting: http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/coupons.nsf/coupons?openform where they can be printed.
7. Please tell us about "Winterlicious", Toronto's winter restaurant promotion.
The phenomenally successful restaurant promotion Winterlicious, presented by American Express, returns to Toronto January 27 - February 9, 2006. The fourth annual Winterlicious is part of the WinterCity Festival, an award-winning 14 day city-wide celebration of Toronto's culture, creativity and cuisine.
More than 120 participating restaurants will offer a special three-course prix fixe menu where patrons can sample the establishment's tasty fare at fantastic price points. Prix fixe menu price categories are $15 or $20 for Lunch and $25 or $35 for Dinner. Prices are per person, plus taxes and gratuity. Beverages are additional. In addition to the hugely popular prix fixe menus, 10 establishments will be offering unusual food-related events. These culinary experiences allow guests to savour delectable meals followed by dancing, unique tours and other rare experiences. To obtain details on the Winterlicious Culinary Experiences, the public can visit www.toronto.ca.
In past years Torontonians and tourists alike have enthusiastically celebrated Toronto's diverse and innovative cuisine with delicious menus available at restaurants city-wide. Winterlicious 2005 sold more that 183,000 meals over the 14 days - an increase of 67% from the previous year and resulting in an estimated $6.4 million in economic activity.
8. Please tell us about the family entertainment offered in the American Express Cool Ice Lounge, including ice sculptures, carving demonstrations and live entertainment.
The third annual WinterCity Festival, the City of Toronto's city-wide celebration of the world's coolest winter city, presents the most fun one family can have with 200,000 pounds of ice at temperatures below -5 C — the American Express Cool Ice Lounge.
Created by Custom Ice Art and managed by the Liberty Entertainment Group, The American Express Cool Ice Lounge is Toronto's first ice lounge ideal for the whole family.
During the day, stroll through the Ice Lounge enjoying contemporary ice sculptures, carving demonstrations and live entertainment. Stop for a beverage and snack at the ice bar and relax on the frosty furniture. Catch ice carving demonstrations twice a day at 2 & 5 pm on January 28 & 29 and February 4 & 5, 2006.
By night, this venue is transformed into a frozen night club venue complete with icy seating, an ice bar, and Toronto DJ's spinning the latest tunes.
During the day, the American Express Cool Ice Lounge will include live family entertainment, including:
The Magical Comedy of Stephen Elvay Sunday, January 29 & Saturday, February 4 at 12 noon & 6 p.m. Witty, engaging and supremely entertaining, Elvay is one of Canada's funniest and most popular entertainers. His fast paced and visual extravaganza of comedy and magic is expertly interlaced to provoke mystery and laughter.
Flying Debris Show Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29 at 1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Kansas, USA native Richard Holmgren brings his hilarious comedy, amazing magic and unmatched juggling skills to the WinterCity festival. You'll be amazed by the wide variety of objects flying through the air during his show.
Flyin' Bob Saturday, February 4 & Sunday, February 5 at 1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. This one man three ring circus from Red Deer, Alberta has been entertaining audiences across Canada and around the world for the last seventeen years. Flyin' Bob's action packed show showcases his own brand of physical and verbal comedy, energetic juggling, spectacular balancing, and audience participation.
Scot Free Daredevil Stunt Show Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, February 5 at 12 noon & 6 p.m. One of Toronto's favourite performers! Check out this skillful mix of character comedy, exciting daredevil stunts, sharp improvised wit and audience interaction. Fun for all ages, come see if this daredevil gets off … Scot Free!!
9. Please tell us about "Soup's On!" - a special event offering cooking demonstrations and soup tastings.
"Soup's On!," presented by Liberty Tax Services, offers cooking demonstrations and soup tastings from Toronto's top chefs matched with live performances from some of Toronto's most diverse bands.
The world of soup is vast and sophisticated. There are thick soups such as bouillabaisse that nearly cross the line from soup to stew, thin clear consomm้s, and everything in-between. Nearly all cultures have their own soup specialties: hearty Russian borscht, garlicky Spanish gazpacho, and Pot-au-Feu, a French clear soup made from boiled beef and vegetables.
Featuring soups from Spain to China and Jamaica to Greece, the "Soup's On" pavilion will have something for everyone. Hosted by food enthusiast Marty Galin, chefs from Toronto-area restaurants will provide live cooking demonstrations in a heated pavilion on Nathan Phillips Square with the public able to taste-test the results while listening to music from the themed country.
10. Please tell us about the "Tower of Light" performance.
Toronto's 14 day city-wide celebration, the WinterCity Festival, presented by the American Express Philanthropic Program, presents the North American premiere of The Tower of Light, a large-scale outdoor production blending fireworks and fire sculptures, music, lighting, special effects and spectacular visual images. The production is performed January 27, 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. outdoors at Nathan Phillips Square.
Framed by the silhouette of Toronto's City Hall, this 30-minute production features a 15m tower of light and a carefully orchestrated outdoor performance of vibrant special effects and atmospheric music. Buckets of fire rise up into the sky as the lighthouse pulses with flares. Fireworks erupt from every level as the performers dance beneath the silver rain. The show comes to a dramatic close with a spectacular fireworks finale.
Walk the Plank is widely recognized as one of the UK's leading producers of innovative shows and magical spectacles. The company was established by John Wassell and Liz Pugh, its current management team, in 1991. Site-specific shows and fireworks have been a feature of the company's work since the beginning, but this area of work has expanded and developed over recent years. In 2001 Walk the Plank undertook its first international work with shows in Singapore and Portugal. The Tower of Light has been performed at the Singapore Arts Festival, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and Stockton International Riverside Festival. 10. Please tell us about "Il Corso", a 60-minute open-air theatre spectacle.
11. Please tell us about "Il Corso" performance, based on a book by Pablo Neruda.
WinterCity presents the North American premiere of Il Corso, a 60-minute open air theatre spectacle featuring actors, acrobats and musicians from Germany's Theatre Pan-Optikum. The production is performed February 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. outdoors at Nathan Phillips Square.
Il Corso will take place all over Nathan Phillips Square as the venue is transformed into a stage. Individual spectators will continually change their positions as they are caught up in the movement and, ultimately, even become part of the performance. Featuring a wall of fire, dancers on 10 ft. sway poles and huge metal structures including a human propeller, the production combines dramatic movement, installations, music, text, huge expressive images and pyrotechnics.
Il Corso tells the story of a human being in search of fulfillment and happiness and is based on "The Book of Questions" by Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda. The 74 short poems contained in the book are structured as two-line verses raising 316 puzzling questions. Many of Neruda's questions are ones children sometimes pose such as "Where do shadows disappear to?" and "Why are leaves green?" These questions often expose the fact that adults cannot explain everything they claim to know. As Neruda says, "What we know is so small and what we assume so great."
In 2001, the "Kunstfest Weimar" art festival opened with Il Corso. In 2002, Il Corso was chosen from 80 invited open air productions and awarded 1st prize at the street theatre festival in Holzminden, after which Il Corso played 27 times in Germany and the Netherlands. Il Corso is currently the most played open air production in Europe.
10. What about the "Winter Moves" dance performances?
As part of the WOW! (Wild on Winter) Series, The WinterCity Festival presents Winter Moves - dance performances from four of Canada's top contemporary dance companies. Performances take place outside at Nathan Phillips Square on Festival weekends. Participating companies include:
• Company Blonde - Company Blonde has a unique and vital presence in the independent dance scene in Canada. Since it's inception in 1999, Company Blonde has been dedicated to creating dance works that are accessible to a vast audience of all ages blending comedy and theatre with classical modern dance. Company Blonde will perform:
• Awright, Awright, Awright! — Clad in bright 70's style one-piece snowsuits this highly energetic piece was designed for the outdoors but has found its way onto many small stages. The dancers (Monica Dottor, Michelle Debrouwer, Jennifer Helland, Sunny Horvath and Nicole Rush) arrive in a car, music blaring, put out a few plastic palm trees and dance with all their heart to the pop music of Outkast. It is nearly impossible to resist shakin' it along side them. Awright, Awright, Awright! premiered at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in March 2004 and has been performed many times since, at schools, on stages indoor and out and always in snowsuits.
• Binder Twine — This hilarious Wild West piece features outlaws, saloon girls, line dancers, tumble weed and baked beans! Featuring dancers Monica Dottor, Michelle Debrouwer, Jennifer Helland, Sunny Horvath and Nicole Rush Binder Twine premiered at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in April 2005 and was performed at the T.O Twang Festival at Harbourfront in August 2005.
• CORPUS — Founded in 1997, CORPUS is devoted to creating original work for broad audiences including children. Led by Sylvie Bouchard and David Danzon, CORPUS is known for its precise and surrealist humour, the company combines contemporary dance and physical theatre. CORPUS will perform:
• Les moutons (The Sheep) — Les moutons is a humorous "live installation" where reality meets fantasy. Meet Julie, Marie-Louise, Bernadette and Cesar, three healthy young sheep and an old ram. The Shepherd is here too, talking you through a carefully studied overview of sheep behavior.
• Tina Fushell / Choreographer / Dancer — Born and raised in St. John's, Nfld., Tina Fushell studied at the Quinte Ballet School and the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. In 2002 Tina co-founded Ambitious Enterprises (AE) with Kate Franklin and Samm Higgison, producing the "At the Wrecking Ball" series, a now yearly event which has garnered much praise for the young company and ushered in a new generation of choreographers and collaborators from various disciplines. Tina Fushell will present:
• sTOries — sTOries is performed to live jazz music. This contemporary dance piece is inspired by Torontonians stories about Winter. The highly physical sTOries features a trio of dancers (Tina Fushell, Anisa Tejpar and Kate Franklin) dressed for Winter in full wool skirts, blazers and boots.
• Larchaud Dance Project is known for their strength-testing choreography and gravity defying movement and are certain to captivate, provoke, and entertain all audiences. Larchaud Dance Project's upcoming June 2006 production is based on the world and culture of videogames. Each piece in the show is based on a world/level of the game, albeit a jungle, a labyrinth, underwater, etc. At the WinterCity Festival, Larchaud Dance Projects will present:
• Ice World — Of all the levels of a videogame the ice world proves to be the greatest challenge. Not only must the players overcome the treacherous conditions of their environment, but they must conquer the evil Queen and her Henchman. It is she who controls this world, and in her defeat, they may progress onto the next level.
11. Toronto's WinterCity Festival will also feature a number of live music performances. Please tell us about those.
The WinterCity Festival, presented by the American Express Philanthropic Program, the award-winning 14 day city-wide celebration of Toronto's culture, creativity and cuisine, will feature two weekends of FREE live music and DJ's on an outdoor stage at Nathan Phillips Square as part of the WOW! (Wild On Winter) series. The WinterCity Festival takes place January 27 - February 9, 2006.
Friday Jan. 27
Opening Concert
Les Batinses, 7:30 p.m.
This young sextet plays world music with a Qu้b้cois slant. They embrace music from anywhere and everywhere to marry old-style folk and roots ballads with funk-driven acoustics.
Saturday Jan. 28
Sizzling Hot! Latin Dance Music
DJ Billy Bryans, 12 noon
Get on the ice and move! DJ Billy Bryans drops the latest in Latin music, reggaeton, salsa and the hottest timba cuts directly from Havana.
Chiva featuring Brownman, 12:30 p.m.
Toronto's Chiva fuses seductive Colombian rhythms with funk grooves and urban hip-hop beats against a Latin-jazz backdrop.
Latin Roots Orchestra, 2 p.m.
With a nod to the golden age of Latin music, this Toronto group blends the hottest sounds of classic salsa with the latest hip-shaking Latin grooves guaranteed to burn up the dance floor.
Tumbao Inc., 3:30 p.m.
One of Toronto's newest Latin orchestras, Tumbao Inc. offers catchy lyrics and memorable melodies combined with powerful percussive beats in merengue music and electronica.
Brownman & CRUZAO featuring Fito Blanko, 5 p.m.
Led by multi-award-winning trumpeter Brownman, CRUZAO mixes authentic Latin rhythms, jazz harmonies and modern urban grooves. CRUZAO is joined by special guest Fito Blanko, Toronto's rising star of reggaeton.
Ricky Franco, 6:30 p.m.
Talented singer/songwriter/composer, Ricky Franco delivers slick vocals layered over powerful Salsa Descargas with a soulful edge and the popular dance rhythms of Bachata.
Between sets, DJ's will spin. Following the final band, DJ's will spin club music outside until 11 p.m.
Sunday Jan. 29
Cool Blues
Ndidi Onukwulu, 12:30 p.m.
A new voice in Toronto's blues community, singer/songwriter Ndidi Onukwulu was born in BC and grew up listening to a variety of music including Nigerian juju. Set for release early in 2006, her eclectic debut album defies labels.
Tyler Yarema, 2 p.m.
Originally from Thunder Bay, Toronto pianist-vocalist Tyler Yarema dishes up high-energy boogie-woogie complemented by a smooth, fiery vocal delivery.
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.
Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.
"Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons". The story with photos is published at Travel Stories and Photos (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_regional_history_center.htm)
Source: articleage.com
There is no doubt that Canada is a northern country and that our winters here in Toronto can sometimes be a little harsh. But that's no reason to hold anyone back from getting out there and enjoying the city to the fullest.
To ease the winter blues, the City of Toronto has developed a series of special events dedicated to bringing the city to life in the middle of winter. The WinterCity Festival is a city-wide celebration of Toronto's culinary offerings (the popular Winterlicious restaurant promotion), a wide variety of free entertainment events and a showcase of Toronto's vibrant arts scene, featuring live music, dance, theatre, spectacle shows, rink-side concerts and even aerial acrobatic performances. Throw in a number of child-friendly events, and WinterCity has something for everyone in the family.
I had a chance to talk to Grant Ramsey from the City of Toronto who is one of the key people behind WinterCity and he is providing a much more detailed overview of all the special events, artistic and culinary treats on offer.
1. Please give us an overview of Toronto's WinterCity Festival. When did it come into being? When and where is it held?
This year will be the fourth WinterCity held. Prior to the name change, it was called WinterFest, which took place on one weekend. Since expanding the festival, it now runs for two-weeks and is held primarily at Nathan Phillips Square from, Jan. 27 to Feb. 9
2. Please tell us more about the "Wild on Winter Series".
The Wild on Winter Series (WOW!) combines some of the best performances in Toronto. Two large outdoor spectacle shows, "Walk the Plank" and "Il Corso", which take place on Saturday and Sundays of both weekends, feature some of the best pyrotechnic, special effects and sound displays in North America. Other WOW! Series performers include, stellar Canadian talent presenting the best in dance and live music all at Nathan Phillips Square.
3. Please tell us more about the "Warm-up Series"? Where does it take place, what events does it include?
The Warm up series offers great discounted events at some of Toronto's hottest destinations. For those who just can't brave the cold, The Warm Up Series offer excellent interactive entertainment at The Toronto Eaton Centre and other venues around the city.
Toronto Eaton Centre Schedule: - Spin Cycle Monday, January 30: 12:30 & 5:30 pm The international vaudevillian duo of Greg Tarlin and Kristi Heath combine their talents as award-winning circus performers, Second City comedy veterans and skilled writers to engage, amaze and entertain with skills that include juggling, unicycling, stilt dancing and more.
- The Silk Road Acrobats Three Man Acrobats & Hula Hoop Act Tuesday, January 31: 12:30 & 5:30 pm This performance combines the grace, delicacy and poise of the Chinese acrobatic tradition with the power and athleticism of Russian acrobatics. Three professional acrobats perform multiple towers, falls and strength poses along with an up-beat performance using a multiple hoop apparatus.
- The Silk Road Acrobats Seven Man Acrobats & The Female Contortion Duo Wednesday, February 1: 12:30 & 5:30 pm Professional acrobats perform an amazing group demonstration of strength, coordination, group dynamic and impeccable timing. While balancing delicate vases on their hands and feet, the acrobatic female duo perform graceful contortions and remarkable poses, creating an effect that is truly enchanting.
- High Strung Aerial Acrobats "Dy-no-mite" Thursday, February 2 & Saturday, February 4, 12:30 & 5:30 pm A two-woman high energy aerial show with a sassy disco flair. Performed to hits from the 70s, like Disco Inferno, Ring My Bell and Macho Man, the show features aerial straps, a swinging ladder and trapeze. Throw in some audience participation, acrobatics and a kick-ball change or two, and you have a spectacle like no other.
- High Strung Aerial Acrobats "Impressed" Friday, February 3 & Sunday, February 5: 12:30 & 5:30 pm Witness aerial dance artistry, superior and surprising manipulations, and skills that seem to defy gravity. Wonder and marvel as these two breathtaking airborne lovelies perform startling acrobatic feats. Events & Shows hosted by some of Toronto's top attractions
Don't miss this series of special WinterCity events at Toronto's top urban destinations. For more details, contact each attraction directly.
4. Please tell us about the WinterCity Weekend SeeSaw at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People.
WinterCity Weekend SeeSaw at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People Meet four ordinary kids coping with the ups and downs of their lives. Paige, the popular yet insecure girl. Adam the tough bully who is also a budding artist, shy Josh who learns magic tricks in order to become invisible and Charla the new girl who wants to be everybody's friend. (recommended for ages 9-12)
Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29, 2 pm Kids and adults WinterCity price just $12 each. Regular price $15-20 each 165 Front Street East 416-862-2222 www.lktyp.ca
6. You also have an event planned that involves "Franklin the Turtle", "Elliot Moose" and the CN Tower. Please tell us more about that.
Franklin the Turtle, Elliot Moose & friends visit the CN Tower Join Franklin the Turtle, Elliot Moose and their author friends, Elizabeth MacLeod, Irene Luxbacher and Aubrey Davis, at the CN Tower. Enjoy winter crafts, no-bake chocolate recipes, storytelling and more.
This fun filled event is included with your special CN Tower coupon admission of 3 people for $30
Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29 11 am - 4 pm 3 people for $30 301 Front Street West 416-868-6937 For full details on this event please visit, www.cntower.ca
6. You also offer special free skating events, beer tastings, a big band event, discounted opera events and theatre performances, please provide an overview of those.
DJ Skating Night @ Harbourfront Slide down to Harbourfront's beautiful rink and skate to music including house, progressive and breaks with DJs Phantasm, Simon Jain and Tommy Gunners!
Free hot chocolate! Skate rentals, sharpening, lockers, snacks and drinks all available.
Friday, February 3, 2006 8-11 pm FREE 235 Queens Quay West, South of York Quay Centre 416-973-4000 www.harbourfrontcentre.com
A Bite before Twilight Under 30? Join the Canadian Opera Company for a feast of traditional Bavarian fare at the exciting Bier Markt Esplanade and a quick update of "the story so far" before gorging on the dramatic final installment of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle - The Twilight of the Gods (G๖tterdไmmerung). Meet other young opera lovers and fortify yourselves with beer and worst, fine food and good cheer in preparation for the experience of a lifetime.
Saturday, February 4, 2006 $60 for opera ticket and meal (includes taxes and gratuity) 4 pm dinner Bier Markt 58 The Esplanade www.thebiermarkt.com
6 pm performance of G๖tterdไmmerung Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts 1 Front St. E. www.coc.ca To order tickets, call: Ticketmaster at 416-872-2262
A Return to the Golden Era of Swing at Casa Loma Dance the night away in one of Toronto's most beautiful rooms with the Toronto All-Star Big Band. Resembling a Mediterranean Courtyard, Casa Loma's The Conservatory is a spectacular setting with its gleaming brass doors, opulent marble and 30-foot stained glass dome. One of the most exciting bands around, the 17-piece Toronto All-Star Big Band, "cooks" with its powerful tributes to the heady hits of the 1930s and 40s. It's like watching Goodman, Dorsey, and Miller live.
Saturday, February 4, 2006 8:00 pm $25.00 per person (includes G.S.T. and finger foods) Tickets available on-line at www.casaloma.org One Austin Terrace 416-923-1171 www.casaloma.org
Letters from Lehrer CanStage offers a 20% discount to the February 9th performance of Letters from Lehrer - written and performed by Richard Greenblatt featuring the words and music of Tom, last minute weekend breaks, Lehrer.
There will be a Satirical Lyric Writing workshop for the closet songwriter. This pre-show workshop will run from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, followed by the performance at 8 pm.
Thursday, February 9, 2006 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm (workshop) 8 pm (performance) 20% discount on regular priced tickets Regular price range: $26 to $51 Berkeley Theatre 26 Berkeley Street Box Office: 416-368-3110 www.canstage.com
Coupons for discounted rates are available by visiting: http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/se/coupons.nsf/coupons?openform where they can be printed.
7. Please tell us about "Winterlicious", Toronto's winter restaurant promotion.
The phenomenally successful restaurant promotion Winterlicious, presented by American Express, returns to Toronto January 27 - February 9, 2006. The fourth annual Winterlicious is part of the WinterCity Festival, an award-winning 14 day city-wide celebration of Toronto's culture, creativity and cuisine.
More than 120 participating restaurants will offer a special three-course prix fixe menu where patrons can sample the establishment's tasty fare at fantastic price points. Prix fixe menu price categories are $15 or $20 for Lunch and $25 or $35 for Dinner. Prices are per person, plus taxes and gratuity. Beverages are additional. In addition to the hugely popular prix fixe menus, 10 establishments will be offering unusual food-related events. These culinary experiences allow guests to savour delectable meals followed by dancing, unique tours and other rare experiences. To obtain details on the Winterlicious Culinary Experiences, the public can visit www.toronto.ca.
In past years Torontonians and tourists alike have enthusiastically celebrated Toronto's diverse and innovative cuisine with delicious menus available at restaurants city-wide. Winterlicious 2005 sold more that 183,000 meals over the 14 days - an increase of 67% from the previous year and resulting in an estimated $6.4 million in economic activity.
8. Please tell us about the family entertainment offered in the American Express Cool Ice Lounge, including ice sculptures, carving demonstrations and live entertainment.
The third annual WinterCity Festival, the City of Toronto's city-wide celebration of the world's coolest winter city, presents the most fun one family can have with 200,000 pounds of ice at temperatures below -5 C — the American Express Cool Ice Lounge.
Created by Custom Ice Art and managed by the Liberty Entertainment Group, The American Express Cool Ice Lounge is Toronto's first ice lounge ideal for the whole family.
During the day, stroll through the Ice Lounge enjoying contemporary ice sculptures, carving demonstrations and live entertainment. Stop for a beverage and snack at the ice bar and relax on the frosty furniture. Catch ice carving demonstrations twice a day at 2 & 5 pm on January 28 & 29 and February 4 & 5, 2006.
By night, this venue is transformed into a frozen night club venue complete with icy seating, an ice bar, and Toronto DJ's spinning the latest tunes.
During the day, the American Express Cool Ice Lounge will include live family entertainment, including:
The Magical Comedy of Stephen Elvay Sunday, January 29 & Saturday, February 4 at 12 noon & 6 p.m. Witty, engaging and supremely entertaining, Elvay is one of Canada's funniest and most popular entertainers. His fast paced and visual extravaganza of comedy and magic is expertly interlaced to provoke mystery and laughter.
Flying Debris Show Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, January 29 at 1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Kansas, USA native Richard Holmgren brings his hilarious comedy, amazing magic and unmatched juggling skills to the WinterCity festival. You'll be amazed by the wide variety of objects flying through the air during his show.
Flyin' Bob Saturday, February 4 & Sunday, February 5 at 1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. This one man three ring circus from Red Deer, Alberta has been entertaining audiences across Canada and around the world for the last seventeen years. Flyin' Bob's action packed show showcases his own brand of physical and verbal comedy, energetic juggling, spectacular balancing, and audience participation.
Scot Free Daredevil Stunt Show Saturday, January 28 & Sunday, February 5 at 12 noon & 6 p.m. One of Toronto's favourite performers! Check out this skillful mix of character comedy, exciting daredevil stunts, sharp improvised wit and audience interaction. Fun for all ages, come see if this daredevil gets off … Scot Free!!
9. Please tell us about "Soup's On!" - a special event offering cooking demonstrations and soup tastings.
"Soup's On!," presented by Liberty Tax Services, offers cooking demonstrations and soup tastings from Toronto's top chefs matched with live performances from some of Toronto's most diverse bands.
The world of soup is vast and sophisticated. There are thick soups such as bouillabaisse that nearly cross the line from soup to stew, thin clear consomm้s, and everything in-between. Nearly all cultures have their own soup specialties: hearty Russian borscht, garlicky Spanish gazpacho, and Pot-au-Feu, a French clear soup made from boiled beef and vegetables.
Featuring soups from Spain to China and Jamaica to Greece, the "Soup's On" pavilion will have something for everyone. Hosted by food enthusiast Marty Galin, chefs from Toronto-area restaurants will provide live cooking demonstrations in a heated pavilion on Nathan Phillips Square with the public able to taste-test the results while listening to music from the themed country.
10. Please tell us about the "Tower of Light" performance.
Toronto's 14 day city-wide celebration, the WinterCity Festival, presented by the American Express Philanthropic Program, presents the North American premiere of The Tower of Light, a large-scale outdoor production blending fireworks and fire sculptures, music, lighting, special effects and spectacular visual images. The production is performed January 27, 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. outdoors at Nathan Phillips Square.
Framed by the silhouette of Toronto's City Hall, this 30-minute production features a 15m tower of light and a carefully orchestrated outdoor performance of vibrant special effects and atmospheric music. Buckets of fire rise up into the sky as the lighthouse pulses with flares. Fireworks erupt from every level as the performers dance beneath the silver rain. The show comes to a dramatic close with a spectacular fireworks finale.
Walk the Plank is widely recognized as one of the UK's leading producers of innovative shows and magical spectacles. The company was established by John Wassell and Liz Pugh, its current management team, in 1991. Site-specific shows and fireworks have been a feature of the company's work since the beginning, but this area of work has expanded and developed over recent years. In 2001 Walk the Plank undertook its first international work with shows in Singapore and Portugal. The Tower of Light has been performed at the Singapore Arts Festival, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and Stockton International Riverside Festival. 10. Please tell us about "Il Corso", a 60-minute open-air theatre spectacle.
11. Please tell us about "Il Corso" performance, based on a book by Pablo Neruda.
WinterCity presents the North American premiere of Il Corso, a 60-minute open air theatre spectacle featuring actors, acrobats and musicians from Germany's Theatre Pan-Optikum. The production is performed February 3 and 4 at 7 p.m. outdoors at Nathan Phillips Square.
Il Corso will take place all over Nathan Phillips Square as the venue is transformed into a stage. Individual spectators will continually change their positions as they are caught up in the movement and, ultimately, even become part of the performance. Featuring a wall of fire, dancers on 10 ft. sway poles and huge metal structures including a human propeller, the production combines dramatic movement, installations, music, text, huge expressive images and pyrotechnics.
Il Corso tells the story of a human being in search of fulfillment and happiness and is based on "The Book of Questions" by Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda. The 74 short poems contained in the book are structured as two-line verses raising 316 puzzling questions. Many of Neruda's questions are ones children sometimes pose such as "Where do shadows disappear to?" and "Why are leaves green?" These questions often expose the fact that adults cannot explain everything they claim to know. As Neruda says, "What we know is so small and what we assume so great."
In 2001, the "Kunstfest Weimar" art festival opened with Il Corso. In 2002, Il Corso was chosen from 80 invited open air productions and awarded 1st prize at the street theatre festival in Holzminden, after which Il Corso played 27 times in Germany and the Netherlands. Il Corso is currently the most played open air production in Europe.
10. What about the "Winter Moves" dance performances?
As part of the WOW! (Wild on Winter) Series, The WinterCity Festival presents Winter Moves - dance performances from four of Canada's top contemporary dance companies. Performances take place outside at Nathan Phillips Square on Festival weekends. Participating companies include:
• Company Blonde - Company Blonde has a unique and vital presence in the independent dance scene in Canada. Since it's inception in 1999, Company Blonde has been dedicated to creating dance works that are accessible to a vast audience of all ages blending comedy and theatre with classical modern dance. Company Blonde will perform:
• Awright, Awright, Awright! — Clad in bright 70's style one-piece snowsuits this highly energetic piece was designed for the outdoors but has found its way onto many small stages. The dancers (Monica Dottor, Michelle Debrouwer, Jennifer Helland, Sunny Horvath and Nicole Rush) arrive in a car, music blaring, put out a few plastic palm trees and dance with all their heart to the pop music of Outkast. It is nearly impossible to resist shakin' it along side them. Awright, Awright, Awright! premiered at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in March 2004 and has been performed many times since, at schools, on stages indoor and out and always in snowsuits.
• Binder Twine — This hilarious Wild West piece features outlaws, saloon girls, line dancers, tumble weed and baked beans! Featuring dancers Monica Dottor, Michelle Debrouwer, Jennifer Helland, Sunny Horvath and Nicole Rush Binder Twine premiered at the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival in April 2005 and was performed at the T.O Twang Festival at Harbourfront in August 2005.
• CORPUS — Founded in 1997, CORPUS is devoted to creating original work for broad audiences including children. Led by Sylvie Bouchard and David Danzon, CORPUS is known for its precise and surrealist humour, the company combines contemporary dance and physical theatre. CORPUS will perform:
• Les moutons (The Sheep) — Les moutons is a humorous "live installation" where reality meets fantasy. Meet Julie, Marie-Louise, Bernadette and Cesar, three healthy young sheep and an old ram. The Shepherd is here too, talking you through a carefully studied overview of sheep behavior.
• Tina Fushell / Choreographer / Dancer — Born and raised in St. John's, Nfld., Tina Fushell studied at the Quinte Ballet School and the School of Toronto Dance Theatre. In 2002 Tina co-founded Ambitious Enterprises (AE) with Kate Franklin and Samm Higgison, producing the "At the Wrecking Ball" series, a now yearly event which has garnered much praise for the young company and ushered in a new generation of choreographers and collaborators from various disciplines. Tina Fushell will present:
• sTOries — sTOries is performed to live jazz music. This contemporary dance piece is inspired by Torontonians stories about Winter. The highly physical sTOries features a trio of dancers (Tina Fushell, Anisa Tejpar and Kate Franklin) dressed for Winter in full wool skirts, blazers and boots.
• Larchaud Dance Project is known for their strength-testing choreography and gravity defying movement and are certain to captivate, provoke, and entertain all audiences. Larchaud Dance Project's upcoming June 2006 production is based on the world and culture of videogames. Each piece in the show is based on a world/level of the game, albeit a jungle, a labyrinth, underwater, etc. At the WinterCity Festival, Larchaud Dance Projects will present:
• Ice World — Of all the levels of a videogame the ice world proves to be the greatest challenge. Not only must the players overcome the treacherous conditions of their environment, but they must conquer the evil Queen and her Henchman. It is she who controls this world, and in her defeat, they may progress onto the next level.
11. Toronto's WinterCity Festival will also feature a number of live music performances. Please tell us about those.
The WinterCity Festival, presented by the American Express Philanthropic Program, the award-winning 14 day city-wide celebration of Toronto's culture, creativity and cuisine, will feature two weekends of FREE live music and DJ's on an outdoor stage at Nathan Phillips Square as part of the WOW! (Wild On Winter) series. The WinterCity Festival takes place January 27 - February 9, 2006.
Friday Jan. 27
Opening Concert
Les Batinses, 7:30 p.m.
This young sextet plays world music with a Qu้b้cois slant. They embrace music from anywhere and everywhere to marry old-style folk and roots ballads with funk-driven acoustics.
Saturday Jan. 28
Sizzling Hot! Latin Dance Music
DJ Billy Bryans, 12 noon
Get on the ice and move! DJ Billy Bryans drops the latest in Latin music, reggaeton, salsa and the hottest timba cuts directly from Havana.
Chiva featuring Brownman, 12:30 p.m.
Toronto's Chiva fuses seductive Colombian rhythms with funk grooves and urban hip-hop beats against a Latin-jazz backdrop.
Latin Roots Orchestra, 2 p.m.
With a nod to the golden age of Latin music, this Toronto group blends the hottest sounds of classic salsa with the latest hip-shaking Latin grooves guaranteed to burn up the dance floor.
Tumbao Inc., 3:30 p.m.
One of Toronto's newest Latin orchestras, Tumbao Inc. offers catchy lyrics and memorable melodies combined with powerful percussive beats in merengue music and electronica.
Brownman & CRUZAO featuring Fito Blanko, 5 p.m.
Led by multi-award-winning trumpeter Brownman, CRUZAO mixes authentic Latin rhythms, jazz harmonies and modern urban grooves. CRUZAO is joined by special guest Fito Blanko, Toronto's rising star of reggaeton.
Ricky Franco, 6:30 p.m.
Talented singer/songwriter/composer, Ricky Franco delivers slick vocals layered over powerful Salsa Descargas with a soulful edge and the popular dance rhythms of Bachata.
Between sets, DJ's will spin. Following the final band, DJ's will spin club music outside until 11 p.m.
Sunday Jan. 29
Cool Blues
Ndidi Onukwulu, 12:30 p.m.
A new voice in Toronto's blues community, singer/songwriter Ndidi Onukwulu was born in BC and grew up listening to a variety of music including Nigerian juju. Set for release early in 2006, her eclectic debut album defies labels.
Tyler Yarema, 2 p.m.
Originally from Thunder Bay, Toronto pianist-vocalist Tyler Yarema dishes up high-energy boogie-woogie complemented by a smooth, fiery vocal delivery.
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.
Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.
"Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons". The story with photos is published at Travel Stories and Photos (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_regional_history_center.htm)
Saturday, December 19, 2009
How-to Get Those Weekend Projects DONE in One Weekend!
Author: Colleen Langenfeld
Source: free-articles
Your weekends are valuable! Plan ahead and successfully complete what you begin.
Don't you just love the magazine spreads?
Beautiful home decor projects complete with lavish photos and step-by-step instructions. The headline promises...Done in One Weekend!
Ever tried this?
Ever accomplished this?
Let's face it: some 'weekend' projects cannot be finished in a month of weekends! Nevertheless, the real question is, can yours?
Maybe.
The key is in separating the planning from the doing. Both are actually part of the project, but the planning needs to be accomplished well in advance of the weekend 'doing'.
So, begin your planning...
- and start with the end in mind -
A photograph, a magazine article, a drawing you've made yourself. You need to see where you're going to be able to identify it when you get there.
- what will it cost? -
This one is vital. We're talking about both financial/supply costs as well as time costs. Grab a sheet of paper and start some lists: first, the ingredients or parts you must have to complete the job. Actually walk yourself through the project from beginning to end. Visualize yourself doing the work. What tools will you need? Do you have them or do you need to borrow/buy them? Do the same for the necessary supplies.
Now calculate the time it's going to take to complete this project. If you've broken the project down step-by-step, simply estimate each step and then add them all up. Be generous! Interruptions occur. You'll need rest breaks. Tools may break down. This part of planning allows you to seriously consider if this really is a weekend project. If more time is needed, schedule accordingly.
- are you still interested? -
By this time you've thought through the project quite thoroughly and probably had to solve some problems or overcome a few obstacles. Still want to do it? If not, you've just saved yourself a weekend of frustration. Still game? Your planning has simply whetted your appetite for the real thing!
- assembling the parts -
With your lists in hand, gather everything you'll need to complete your project from beginning to end, including preparation and clean-up. This is the area where most frustrations occur. For example, it's Saturday night and you just ran out of paint. But that won't happen to you, because you've planned thoroughly!
After assembling all the parts, take a few minutes to organize them so they'll be at hand and useful on the big weekend. Take a few paper bags, mark the outside to reflect the inside ('clean-up tools', 'cutting supplies', etc.) and sort your stuff.
- plan your environment -
Neglect this one and your project is doomed. Planning to stencil a beautiful floral design on the old wooden floor of your deck? Do you have kids? Pets? They will need to find another route into the kitchen this weekend. Planning to use some chemicals that need plenty of ventilation? Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly.
- take a day off beforehand -
You'll be much more excited and ready-to-go if you give yourself a break right before the big event.
- go, go, go! -
Your day has arrived and you are ready! Dive in and make that weekend project happen!
One last idea; enjoy the time you spend creating and improving your life. Whether it's your home, garden, career or yourself, you now have the tools to make conscious improvements and achieve the satisfying results, last minute weekend breaks, you desire.
Source: free-articles
Your weekends are valuable! Plan ahead and successfully complete what you begin.
Don't you just love the magazine spreads?
Beautiful home decor projects complete with lavish photos and step-by-step instructions. The headline promises...Done in One Weekend!
Ever tried this?
Ever accomplished this?
Let's face it: some 'weekend' projects cannot be finished in a month of weekends! Nevertheless, the real question is, can yours?
Maybe.
The key is in separating the planning from the doing. Both are actually part of the project, but the planning needs to be accomplished well in advance of the weekend 'doing'.
So, begin your planning...
- and start with the end in mind -
A photograph, a magazine article, a drawing you've made yourself. You need to see where you're going to be able to identify it when you get there.
- what will it cost? -
This one is vital. We're talking about both financial/supply costs as well as time costs. Grab a sheet of paper and start some lists: first, the ingredients or parts you must have to complete the job. Actually walk yourself through the project from beginning to end. Visualize yourself doing the work. What tools will you need? Do you have them or do you need to borrow/buy them? Do the same for the necessary supplies.
Now calculate the time it's going to take to complete this project. If you've broken the project down step-by-step, simply estimate each step and then add them all up. Be generous! Interruptions occur. You'll need rest breaks. Tools may break down. This part of planning allows you to seriously consider if this really is a weekend project. If more time is needed, schedule accordingly.
- are you still interested? -
By this time you've thought through the project quite thoroughly and probably had to solve some problems or overcome a few obstacles. Still want to do it? If not, you've just saved yourself a weekend of frustration. Still game? Your planning has simply whetted your appetite for the real thing!
- assembling the parts -
With your lists in hand, gather everything you'll need to complete your project from beginning to end, including preparation and clean-up. This is the area where most frustrations occur. For example, it's Saturday night and you just ran out of paint. But that won't happen to you, because you've planned thoroughly!
After assembling all the parts, take a few minutes to organize them so they'll be at hand and useful on the big weekend. Take a few paper bags, mark the outside to reflect the inside ('clean-up tools', 'cutting supplies', etc.) and sort your stuff.
- plan your environment -
Neglect this one and your project is doomed. Planning to stencil a beautiful floral design on the old wooden floor of your deck? Do you have kids? Pets? They will need to find another route into the kitchen this weekend. Planning to use some chemicals that need plenty of ventilation? Check the weather forecast and plan accordingly.
- take a day off beforehand -
You'll be much more excited and ready-to-go if you give yourself a break right before the big event.
- go, go, go! -
Your day has arrived and you are ready! Dive in and make that weekend project happen!
One last idea; enjoy the time you spend creating and improving your life. Whether it's your home, garden, career or yourself, you now have the tools to make conscious improvements and achieve the satisfying results, last minute weekend breaks, you desire.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My History With Multiple Sclerosis, Part One
Author: Rich Ursini
Source: ezinearticles.com
I am not going to moan about my childhood. Overall, it was great. I was a chubby little kid that did not like to be made fun of. When I was 12 years old I saw the Mr. Olympia contest on Wide World of Sports. That is where everything began. I was suddenly very excited. That summer, Johnny Bennett gave me a bench and the following Christmas I received a set of weights. My life was in my hands and control. I was highly motivated.
I didn't know anything about working out. All I had was an instruction sheet that came with my concrete filled weights. I followed the instructions meticulously and after a few months, I started to see results. I thought they were results anyway. People in my junior high school saw my arms started to grow and everyone wanted to arm wrestle me. I was still a chubby kid, but everybody suddenly wanted to be my friend and I was motivated. I now had goals.
I played football in junior high school and knew that I wanted to play in high school. I always played sports and girls liked athletes. Near the end of my ninth grade (15 years old), my transition to high school began with Spring Football Practice at Hamden High School.. We only had one week of it for ninth graders, but it was a chance to show the coach what I could do. How could I be intimidated by people in my own grade? I could not and was not. I was very motivated to kick some butt since kids from the other junior high school in my town would be there. They were still a massive rival, none of them were my friends yet and I wanted to do some damage. I did. The coaches had expectations for me come the fall.
Triple sessions began in late August. It was incredibly hot and humid. I thought I was going to die. It wasn't the first triple session day that was hardest either, it was the second. That is the day when you are unbelievably sore and tired. None of us knew it, but a transformation was taking place in our minds and bodies. As we got through the week, we started to believe that we could make it to the end. On Saturday, we had a scrimmage. That was our first opportunity to hit someone other then our NEW friends.
The following Wednesday was the first day of school. I did not realize it but triple sessions caused me to lose pretty much all of my chubbiness and I had a new set of large Traps. I couldn't believe it. Suddenly, girls were interested in me. I was interested right back. Football had some of the greatest and worst moments of my short life. None of my friends could ever say differently about them.
It is now 29 years since I graduated from high school. Some of my best friends from back then are my best friend's now. When we see each other now, it's like it was yesterday. Nothing is different - Which Is Great!
Now for the greatest and worst parts Of the rest of my life.
After graduating from high school, I went to Boston College in the fall of 1980. It's a very strange transition again, going from big man on campus to nothing/no one. I knew I could blast through that wall. I just had to figure out how. First semester freshman year was tough. I did not do as well as I did in high school and everyone seemed smarter than me. When that semester ended, I spent a lot of time thinking about the rest of my days in college. I could do it and do it much better than I did during first semester I also spent a lot of time during Christmas break drinking with my high school friends.
During Christmas break I went over every note, exam and chapter from my chemistry, physics and calculus classes. When I got back to school, I was rested and very ready. My apprehension was pretty much gone and it was time to make Boston College aware of what and who they were dealing with. I studied and studied, rewrote my notes every day and asked a lot of questions. Professors only slightly intimidated me. I was scoring big on all of my exams.
Back to first semester. One day this guy in my dorm named Kurt saw me and said "hey, you got some big arms". I looked at him with disdain and said thanks. In my mind I actually said "thanks, tell me something I don't already know". Kurt did not know it, but I admired his size. He was the big one. A bit of a block without shape but, he was very big and strong. I was happy that he thought what he did. Kurt did not live on my floor. I was now totally out of shape because the Sports Complex (plex) had been closed for a long time for renovations. Where could I lift weights? Luckily, Kurt knew.
We would hitchhike to the YMCA in Watertown, Massachusetts. I was finally lifting again, feeling bigger again and I had a friend that thought like me. Actually, he was bigger, stronger and more adept at finding a place like this. I could learn something from him. Kurt also made me laugh and had these same taste in music. Loud and Hard.
College went on and on. We were best friends and roommates during our final two years. We used to sneak into the football player weight room to work out. It was easier than hitchhiking. Suddenly, the trainers for the athletes gave us both jobs as strength training coaches. We didn't do anything, we just lifted and grew. We were extremely happy.
Early in my senior year I was accepted into the Navy Nuclear Power Program. After graduation, I would go to The Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. I was going to be a submariner.
Officer Candidate School was not what I expected. I got there in the absolute best shape of my life. I saw the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman many times and I was not going to be caught off guard. Well, I was. The physical aspect of OCS was not really there. No obstacle course, no Dover Dunker- just morning runs and Saturday morning Mandatory Fun. During my first liberty, I was walking down the street with my ice cream suit on and a car load of hot looking girls drove up to me, pause and yelled SQUID! Couple that with the fact that we were in Newport and I could hear all of the fun being had down in the wharf and the heat. My focus did not seem to be with me. I left OCS a little over one month after getting their. Looking back, I probably should have given it more time. I just couldn't miss another workout.
Later that summer, I didn't have a job for the fall or any prospects. And this was definitely not me. I was always squared away. I was now bartending at a resort called Holiday Hill. Technicon was having their company picnic. I spoke to a few people about what they did and took some advice. I paid a lot of attention to the personnel manager. He gave me his business card and told me to attach it to my resume. 10 days later I had an interview.
Being freshly out of the Navy, and having no time to buy a suit, I borrowed one from Kurt. Now, Kurt was larger than me and had a much wider waist so, I was not totally comfortable doing the interview. Brian Taylor, my interviewer was very understanding and they did call me back for a second interview. This time, I had a suit. The second interview went very well and I had a job offer the next day.
My parents house was exactly 65 miles away from Technicon. It would be tough, but in 6-9 months I would have a sales territory and that issue would be gone. I got into the grind of commuting, working out, little bits of going out on the weekends. I was having a great time. I met a lot of new people at work and at the gym. Most of them were helpful.
OK -- --Now, being a grown up slowly and forcefully kicks in.
Right around December, 1984 I started to feel a little bit different. Not bad, not better just different. I had a slight tingling sensation in my legs. I notice that I gained a little weight and wanted to lose it to look my best for traveling. Technicon paid for my lunches because I was training customers. I was always into nutrition and lost some weight. Correctly, or so I thought. I noticed that my strength was diminishing. I squatted 600 pounds early in December 1984 and late in December, that wasn't possible. I also noticed that my bench press was going through the floor in a hurry. I didn't have a feeling of strength running through my body anymore..There was some type of disconnect. Very strange. I knew what the problem was, I just lost some weight and my body was adjusting to that. Probably only minutely correct.
Well, over the next couple of months I lost more strength. What was going on? I just didn't know and didn't want anyone else to notice.
Line in the Sand Day
Late February/early March 1985. We were playing a quick game of basketball. I slipped and tore the ligaments in my ankle. I just kept moving forward. Nothing was going to stop me from being successful. I went to the Pittsburgh Conference held in New Orleans during late March. It wasn't much fun to stand up for eight hours with a cast on, but I did it. New Orleans was fantastic. Great food. I worked out at the YMCA and it was a scary place. My attitude, cocky or whatever made me feel right at home.
After 6-8 weeks in a cast, it was removed. Actually, I removed it myself with a branch cutter. I did that because I had a date and my foot really smelled. Guess what, I never walked perfectly again. Was it my ankle just taking its time getting strong again? Maybe, I needed a little comeuppance. Was it something else? People noticed and asked me about things a lot. I started to get self-conscious and would always change the subject. Who cares what's wrong, I can still walk - RIGHT?
I was asked to spend a lot of time in Wisconsin and Minnesota to sell to the butter and cheese manufacturers. I was very excited about going. I would be spending April, May and part of June out there. It was beautiful. I sold a little bit, saw the sites and came home every weekend. Strange company policy. I was eating correctly, my ankle healed and I was ready for the next stage of my career.
Late June, 1985 I moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I had a great apartment. There were three other units, two of which were occupied. The first, by a couple that were reporters for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the second with 2 girls that just graduated from the University of Michigan.
Punch in the Face Day - I was not gaining any strength and I was losing some coordination. I thought the orthopedic that put the cast on my ankle must have screwed up and screwed me up. I went to an orthopedic in New Jersey. He did all of these tests and told me that there was no screw up. He referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist recommended that I get an MRI done to get a better look at things. I had another appointment when the results were in the doctor's hands. The doctor told me that I had MS, Multiple Sclerosis. What the hell is that? He told me that it is a neurological disorder where the body eats the myelin sheath off of the nerves. Those points scar over causing a disruption in the neurological flow. This results in my loss of coordination and strength. Do you have a pill that will cure me? No, one does not exist. In fact, nothing exists. I wanted a second opinion. That appointment was made for me at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. I was told the exact same things. This time however in a much colder way. I left, last minute weekend breaks, without paying.
What am I going to do? I need to get out of New Jersey to somewhere safe.
One day I was working on the road when my seemingly annual flu came to call. I went home and got into bed shivering. I went to sleep and about eight o'clock that night I woke up sweating. Nothing new right? Well, I could not move my legs. I was incredibly scared and crawled out of bed dragging myself across the floor to my office. I pulled down the telephone and called for an ambulance. That was the only thing I thought I could do. I was taken to the hospital and given several glasses of water. Within a couple of minutes, I was perfectly fine. I did not feel sick and I could walk. The couple from upstairs came to the hospital when they saw the ambulance. They brought me home.
I am not going to spend a lot of time here, but I was alone in a different state. I did not know the best ways to manage a sales territory. I did not have all of the skills required-Yet. Then one day my telephone rang. It was a headhunter who told me about Leybold Heraeus and their Inficon Division. They sold mass spectrometer's. I took a research course in college and we built one. Great fit. I got the job and moved back home, but into an apartment. Most of all of my friends and family would be closer.
My job at Inficon was great. I was selling mass spectrometer, helium leak detectors and vacuum gauges primarily to IBM. It was a great fit and I was very successful at it. One problem, IBM is a massive facility in East Fishkill and Yorktown Heights, New York. Could my legs and coordination deal with the walking? I believe that I trained all of my adult life for the war that was in front me. I was ready for the battle.
Battle I did. I was very successful. My legs started to really bother me. Meaning, walking was very difficult. I had to urinate frequently. Finding a bathroom at a convenient time while at a customer site is very often difficult. I was not an office person. I needed to be on the road and with customers. I felt like it was my calling to troubleshoot and solve problems.
I was working with a neurologist at Yale. The latest thing was a blasting of Cytoxan, chemotherapy. I thought I would be cured so, I did it. Once I got in my hospital room, I was overcome with fear and apprehension. Wouldn't you be? I looked out the window, gripped my crucifix and said, "God, if I ever needed you, I need you right now! Please help". He Did. Still looking out the window I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and it was a priest asking me if I would like to be blessed. Yes, yes yes yes I do. Kind of a freaky moment, but it did happen.
They came to my room and did a spinal tap. It actually did not hurt that much. A few minutes later, a large nurse came in my room and told me they had to insert a catheter. Sticking something inside my private parts was not going to happen if I had anything to do with it. I would not let her and even went so far as to give her my express authorization not to. My doctor came in the room and yelled at me and told me that it was not an option because they did not want any Cytoxan to take residence in my body. It was that toxic.
Well, the catheter went in and the pain was incredible. Not a day goes by where I don't think about the Catheter. If someone is going to punch you in the stomach, you would tense up prior to that punch. With a catheter, never do that - NEVER DO THAT. About 10 minutes after the insertion, my nurse returned and told me that they inserted a short-term catheter instead of a long-term catheter and would have to remove and replace it. Again, my authorizations to not do that was never given a second thought. After a massive amount of pain, it was done. Someone either hates me or is testing me. This event is forever stamped into my brain and the brains of everyone I know because I never stop talking about it.
The next day rolled around and my favorite nurse, Rita came in and said that it was time to start infusing the Cytoxan. After a two hour round, I still had hair and I did not vomit. Victory! The afternoon of my third day of Cytoxan treatment, I did throw up. It was not violent, I did not feel sick afterwards and I did not vomit again during my 10 day stay. I did a very good job of making my friends and family feel guilty that I was in the hospital with all of that terrible food. Because of that, they all brought me massive amounts of great food. I absolutely hated the hospital food, was not throwing up and needed my strength - I told them. Thanks to everyone, my hospital visit was fairly smooth.
On the last night in the hospital, I had a male nurse. He told me that it was time to remove the catheter and to make sure that I could urinate naturally. If I could not--back in it goes. It hurt a lot removing the catheter, but not nearly as much as inserting it. I found myself feeling like I was urinating all over the room. I was not and was told that that was natural. Next step - urinate. I told the nurse, no problem. Just get me a lot of cranberry juice and ice. I did not stop drinking it and sure enough the wiz began to flow. As a matter of fact it flowed for four or five days, every few minutes. I don't know the exact reason why, it just did.
After a week of rest and relaxation, I went to the gym. I felt great and was walking perfectly. Wow, I have been cured. I was lying on my stomach doing leg curls. I was wearing a rotten old white sweatshirt when it happened. I noticed a hair on my shoulder. I touched my head and hair began to fall out. In order to minimize this embarrassment, I went to the Barber. Tony buzzed off my hair and did not charge me because there was no effort required.
All of this happened during September/October 1986. I went back to work, everyone was happy to see me and nobody mentioned my bald head. Things went quite well for a while. Funny story, while driving south on Route 7 in Wilton, Connecticut a youngster in a small pickup truck pulled out to go in my direction. He hit the rear quarter panel on the drivers side causing me to go into oncoming traffic. I had a near head-on collision. I touched myself all over to make sure that nothing was broken. I got out of the car only to see all of the rubbernecking traffic. A police officer came up to me and spoke to me like I caused the accident. The woman told them that I was not the cause at all. She did that while strapped into a gurney. Now I am extremely pissed off. I am pacing up and down Route 7. A car load of girls goes by and yells out "Nice ASS!". Why did they say that? I put my hand on the seat of my pants and found that the force of the impact caused my pants to blast open. My nose was broken and I immediately got it looked at. Next I went back to the gym and got a new membership card. It was stupid, but funny.
Next month I felt like I did before the chemotherapy. I called my doctor and said I can't believe this is happening. What can you do short of chemotherapy? He told me we could do a round of prednisone, a steroid. It's not that I wanted to. I needed to. A couple of pills each day for a couple of weeks. Everything went off without issue. In fact, I was cured AGAIN!. The weights and the exercise bike were going unbelievably.
Things were going OK for a while. Prednisone never worked as well as it did the first time I used it. The side effects were still there, just not the good feelings. My doctor told me to try a round of Solumedrol. That is the liquid form of prednisone. Instead of pills, it was infused using an IV for about two hours per day for five days. Things were great again and I was cured. Dead Wrong! The first round was wonderful and further rounds were not quite as good and ultimately ineffectual. Admittedly, I did not know anything about steroids of this kind. I did not know because I read nothing about them. Because I felt like I was cured.
Stupid Stupid Stupid - all of the time.
In 1988 I began working for MKS Instruments. I was always impressed with their equipment. I would compete with them and lose very often. The reason why I left Leybold is because my manager was not managing. Alan Bird was my first manager at MKS. He and I hit it off immediately. Upper management was not confrontational. They simply wanted to help me get the order. I felt like I was at home with this company. My career flourished. I was feeling great.
Things were going well with my job. I was able to save some money and bought a boat in 1989. On one extremely hot day in 1989, all of my friends were sitting around sweating in the boat. That didn't make sense to me. The heat has an extremely bad effect on MS. Rather than being effected, I jumped in the water and began to swim. I felt great. I felt as good as I ever did on prednisone. So, I began to swim as often as possible-like a maniac. Sometimes, I would go to the beach at Branford Point. On an extremely hot day, I would be in my car sweating and feeling incredibly bad - like moosh. I would somehow get off the wall to the sand. All I could do was to crawl to the water where I would get my good juice and feel 1000% better. That feeling is due to the coolness of the salt water as well as the buoyancy. Crawling across the sand, I felt like a baby turtle on National Geographic, struggling in the sand and reborn in the ocean. It was incredible. I found something that I could do. In the colder months I would swim at the Town Pool in North Haven near my office. I became a very good swimmer. I would go for long swims, feeling totally reborn upon their completion. The pool was great, but nothing like the ocean. No salt in the pool water. I worked with it anyway. The pool water was quite warm. I definitely did not feel like I did when I swam in the ocean, but it was still great.. This was my latest cardiovascular exercise meaning. I couldn't walk, run or bike due to MS. This was a great something else. MS always made me improvise.
After 10 years with MKS I could not hide things any longer. Things got that much worse. One morning in 1998, I was driving up 395 to visit customers in Massachusetts. I was drinking a cup of coffee and went to put the cup in the cup holder. I accidentally put the cup on the rim. As soon as I let it go the cup fell. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. As the cup fell, I stupidly tried to catch it. I leaned over to the right and my left hand was on the steering wheel. That lean cause my left hand to move to the right which caused the car to go off the road. Well, there was much damage to the car. I was fine, but my ego was mangled again. MS did not cause this accident, stupidity did. If I was normal, I would have gotten a slap on the wrist and a major talking to from my boss. Instead, I had to go through the complete personal checking out again. In my opinion, that incident set the ball in motion. I could not stop it anymore.
November 1998, eight months after the accident came. My cell phone rang and it was my boss. He told me that they were changing my position. Once 1999 rolled around, I would be an inside salesperson, working with universities instead of the key accounts that I was handling. I asked for and was granted the ability to work out of my house
I felt like there was a bull's-eye on my back. We never had an inside salesperson in my company. They were making an accommodation for me. The first half hour of my new job saw my ego pop up again. "I am not going to lower myself to work with these customers", I said. Then I realized that the company was helping me and work was work. I was not going to give anyone the opportunity to look down on or speak badly of me. I initially noticed that universities were not getting the attention they needed. Yes, some were, but not all. We also were not providing the pricing level that they required. Given all of that, business was not where it should have been. I worked out the proper pricing levels, got the internal support that I needed and sat on top of these customers. I was always there for them and they knew that a telephone call or e-mail would be responded to faster than they ever were. The people covering universities would just incredibly busy.
During 1999 and 2000 things went extremely well. Because I was working out of my house, my physical issues were not there. I made the University market a market to look at again. A University customer that ordered and received great support from me would graduate one day and would always remember MKS. That would be a customer for life.
Reward Time
During the winter of 2001, overall market conditions had slowed. Because of that, I was moved to an applications engineering position. Everything I did for universities was stopped. Ultimately, when the market returned my position returned. There were changes however. I would be in sales support, instead of direct sales. This meant that I would no longer receive commissions, my great motivator and I wouldn't be directly going after University customers. So, another change. I could not explain it. To me, my time away from direct sales, my mailing list was obliterated. Students graduate and professors move around. I was never again able to stay on things like I did. This was a supreme failure by the people above me.
Back to 2001. It was July 5 and Lesley was going shopping for the day. I thought I would roll down to the pool and work out. Not so fast. It was a very hot day so I was getting mushy. No problem, just spend the day in the water and everything will be fine. Unfortunately, my transfer from the chair to the pool lift was a failure. I ended up on the pool deck. The sun was oppressive and I could not move. I was out there for over five hours lying on my stomach with my right arm tucked under me. Nobody was around and nobody could hear me until around five o'clock. A neighbor I did not know was able to hear me, came over and called 911. That event caused another move to the down side for me. I spent every day from that point feeling extremely tight in the shoulders and I was losing my gripping strength at the gym. So much so that I would tape the bars to my right hand. Also, my strength was falling more and more every day. What happened?
Lesley was always there. She never wavered. We met on May 10, 1991. My friend Mike asked me to go out so he could meet up with Lisa. I knew her since we were little kids. I was at the end of my rope. MS is a big wall and 5 girls in a row dumped me. I was all done. Well, that night I did not care about meeting Lesley. I thought I was giving her a very good "I really don't care" attitude. However, we were talking and talking and I thought I would give it another try. I felt good and was walking expectantly well. I asked Lisa for Lesley's telephone number. She said she would ask and let me know.
-- -- End of Part One -- --more to follow in a short while
Source: ezinearticles.com
I am not going to moan about my childhood. Overall, it was great. I was a chubby little kid that did not like to be made fun of. When I was 12 years old I saw the Mr. Olympia contest on Wide World of Sports. That is where everything began. I was suddenly very excited. That summer, Johnny Bennett gave me a bench and the following Christmas I received a set of weights. My life was in my hands and control. I was highly motivated.
I didn't know anything about working out. All I had was an instruction sheet that came with my concrete filled weights. I followed the instructions meticulously and after a few months, I started to see results. I thought they were results anyway. People in my junior high school saw my arms started to grow and everyone wanted to arm wrestle me. I was still a chubby kid, but everybody suddenly wanted to be my friend and I was motivated. I now had goals.
I played football in junior high school and knew that I wanted to play in high school. I always played sports and girls liked athletes. Near the end of my ninth grade (15 years old), my transition to high school began with Spring Football Practice at Hamden High School.. We only had one week of it for ninth graders, but it was a chance to show the coach what I could do. How could I be intimidated by people in my own grade? I could not and was not. I was very motivated to kick some butt since kids from the other junior high school in my town would be there. They were still a massive rival, none of them were my friends yet and I wanted to do some damage. I did. The coaches had expectations for me come the fall.
Triple sessions began in late August. It was incredibly hot and humid. I thought I was going to die. It wasn't the first triple session day that was hardest either, it was the second. That is the day when you are unbelievably sore and tired. None of us knew it, but a transformation was taking place in our minds and bodies. As we got through the week, we started to believe that we could make it to the end. On Saturday, we had a scrimmage. That was our first opportunity to hit someone other then our NEW friends.
The following Wednesday was the first day of school. I did not realize it but triple sessions caused me to lose pretty much all of my chubbiness and I had a new set of large Traps. I couldn't believe it. Suddenly, girls were interested in me. I was interested right back. Football had some of the greatest and worst moments of my short life. None of my friends could ever say differently about them.
It is now 29 years since I graduated from high school. Some of my best friends from back then are my best friend's now. When we see each other now, it's like it was yesterday. Nothing is different - Which Is Great!
Now for the greatest and worst parts Of the rest of my life.
After graduating from high school, I went to Boston College in the fall of 1980. It's a very strange transition again, going from big man on campus to nothing/no one. I knew I could blast through that wall. I just had to figure out how. First semester freshman year was tough. I did not do as well as I did in high school and everyone seemed smarter than me. When that semester ended, I spent a lot of time thinking about the rest of my days in college. I could do it and do it much better than I did during first semester I also spent a lot of time during Christmas break drinking with my high school friends.
During Christmas break I went over every note, exam and chapter from my chemistry, physics and calculus classes. When I got back to school, I was rested and very ready. My apprehension was pretty much gone and it was time to make Boston College aware of what and who they were dealing with. I studied and studied, rewrote my notes every day and asked a lot of questions. Professors only slightly intimidated me. I was scoring big on all of my exams.
Back to first semester. One day this guy in my dorm named Kurt saw me and said "hey, you got some big arms". I looked at him with disdain and said thanks. In my mind I actually said "thanks, tell me something I don't already know". Kurt did not know it, but I admired his size. He was the big one. A bit of a block without shape but, he was very big and strong. I was happy that he thought what he did. Kurt did not live on my floor. I was now totally out of shape because the Sports Complex (plex) had been closed for a long time for renovations. Where could I lift weights? Luckily, Kurt knew.
We would hitchhike to the YMCA in Watertown, Massachusetts. I was finally lifting again, feeling bigger again and I had a friend that thought like me. Actually, he was bigger, stronger and more adept at finding a place like this. I could learn something from him. Kurt also made me laugh and had these same taste in music. Loud and Hard.
College went on and on. We were best friends and roommates during our final two years. We used to sneak into the football player weight room to work out. It was easier than hitchhiking. Suddenly, the trainers for the athletes gave us both jobs as strength training coaches. We didn't do anything, we just lifted and grew. We were extremely happy.
Early in my senior year I was accepted into the Navy Nuclear Power Program. After graduation, I would go to The Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. I was going to be a submariner.
Officer Candidate School was not what I expected. I got there in the absolute best shape of my life. I saw the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman many times and I was not going to be caught off guard. Well, I was. The physical aspect of OCS was not really there. No obstacle course, no Dover Dunker- just morning runs and Saturday morning Mandatory Fun. During my first liberty, I was walking down the street with my ice cream suit on and a car load of hot looking girls drove up to me, pause and yelled SQUID! Couple that with the fact that we were in Newport and I could hear all of the fun being had down in the wharf and the heat. My focus did not seem to be with me. I left OCS a little over one month after getting their. Looking back, I probably should have given it more time. I just couldn't miss another workout.
Later that summer, I didn't have a job for the fall or any prospects. And this was definitely not me. I was always squared away. I was now bartending at a resort called Holiday Hill. Technicon was having their company picnic. I spoke to a few people about what they did and took some advice. I paid a lot of attention to the personnel manager. He gave me his business card and told me to attach it to my resume. 10 days later I had an interview.
Being freshly out of the Navy, and having no time to buy a suit, I borrowed one from Kurt. Now, Kurt was larger than me and had a much wider waist so, I was not totally comfortable doing the interview. Brian Taylor, my interviewer was very understanding and they did call me back for a second interview. This time, I had a suit. The second interview went very well and I had a job offer the next day.
My parents house was exactly 65 miles away from Technicon. It would be tough, but in 6-9 months I would have a sales territory and that issue would be gone. I got into the grind of commuting, working out, little bits of going out on the weekends. I was having a great time. I met a lot of new people at work and at the gym. Most of them were helpful.
OK -- --Now, being a grown up slowly and forcefully kicks in.
Right around December, 1984 I started to feel a little bit different. Not bad, not better just different. I had a slight tingling sensation in my legs. I notice that I gained a little weight and wanted to lose it to look my best for traveling. Technicon paid for my lunches because I was training customers. I was always into nutrition and lost some weight. Correctly, or so I thought. I noticed that my strength was diminishing. I squatted 600 pounds early in December 1984 and late in December, that wasn't possible. I also noticed that my bench press was going through the floor in a hurry. I didn't have a feeling of strength running through my body anymore..There was some type of disconnect. Very strange. I knew what the problem was, I just lost some weight and my body was adjusting to that. Probably only minutely correct.
Well, over the next couple of months I lost more strength. What was going on? I just didn't know and didn't want anyone else to notice.
Line in the Sand Day
Late February/early March 1985. We were playing a quick game of basketball. I slipped and tore the ligaments in my ankle. I just kept moving forward. Nothing was going to stop me from being successful. I went to the Pittsburgh Conference held in New Orleans during late March. It wasn't much fun to stand up for eight hours with a cast on, but I did it. New Orleans was fantastic. Great food. I worked out at the YMCA and it was a scary place. My attitude, cocky or whatever made me feel right at home.
After 6-8 weeks in a cast, it was removed. Actually, I removed it myself with a branch cutter. I did that because I had a date and my foot really smelled. Guess what, I never walked perfectly again. Was it my ankle just taking its time getting strong again? Maybe, I needed a little comeuppance. Was it something else? People noticed and asked me about things a lot. I started to get self-conscious and would always change the subject. Who cares what's wrong, I can still walk - RIGHT?
I was asked to spend a lot of time in Wisconsin and Minnesota to sell to the butter and cheese manufacturers. I was very excited about going. I would be spending April, May and part of June out there. It was beautiful. I sold a little bit, saw the sites and came home every weekend. Strange company policy. I was eating correctly, my ankle healed and I was ready for the next stage of my career.
Late June, 1985 I moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I had a great apartment. There were three other units, two of which were occupied. The first, by a couple that were reporters for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the second with 2 girls that just graduated from the University of Michigan.
Punch in the Face Day - I was not gaining any strength and I was losing some coordination. I thought the orthopedic that put the cast on my ankle must have screwed up and screwed me up. I went to an orthopedic in New Jersey. He did all of these tests and told me that there was no screw up. He referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist recommended that I get an MRI done to get a better look at things. I had another appointment when the results were in the doctor's hands. The doctor told me that I had MS, Multiple Sclerosis. What the hell is that? He told me that it is a neurological disorder where the body eats the myelin sheath off of the nerves. Those points scar over causing a disruption in the neurological flow. This results in my loss of coordination and strength. Do you have a pill that will cure me? No, one does not exist. In fact, nothing exists. I wanted a second opinion. That appointment was made for me at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. I was told the exact same things. This time however in a much colder way. I left, last minute weekend breaks, without paying.
What am I going to do? I need to get out of New Jersey to somewhere safe.
One day I was working on the road when my seemingly annual flu came to call. I went home and got into bed shivering. I went to sleep and about eight o'clock that night I woke up sweating. Nothing new right? Well, I could not move my legs. I was incredibly scared and crawled out of bed dragging myself across the floor to my office. I pulled down the telephone and called for an ambulance. That was the only thing I thought I could do. I was taken to the hospital and given several glasses of water. Within a couple of minutes, I was perfectly fine. I did not feel sick and I could walk. The couple from upstairs came to the hospital when they saw the ambulance. They brought me home.
I am not going to spend a lot of time here, but I was alone in a different state. I did not know the best ways to manage a sales territory. I did not have all of the skills required-Yet. Then one day my telephone rang. It was a headhunter who told me about Leybold Heraeus and their Inficon Division. They sold mass spectrometer's. I took a research course in college and we built one. Great fit. I got the job and moved back home, but into an apartment. Most of all of my friends and family would be closer.
My job at Inficon was great. I was selling mass spectrometer, helium leak detectors and vacuum gauges primarily to IBM. It was a great fit and I was very successful at it. One problem, IBM is a massive facility in East Fishkill and Yorktown Heights, New York. Could my legs and coordination deal with the walking? I believe that I trained all of my adult life for the war that was in front me. I was ready for the battle.
Battle I did. I was very successful. My legs started to really bother me. Meaning, walking was very difficult. I had to urinate frequently. Finding a bathroom at a convenient time while at a customer site is very often difficult. I was not an office person. I needed to be on the road and with customers. I felt like it was my calling to troubleshoot and solve problems.
I was working with a neurologist at Yale. The latest thing was a blasting of Cytoxan, chemotherapy. I thought I would be cured so, I did it. Once I got in my hospital room, I was overcome with fear and apprehension. Wouldn't you be? I looked out the window, gripped my crucifix and said, "God, if I ever needed you, I need you right now! Please help". He Did. Still looking out the window I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and it was a priest asking me if I would like to be blessed. Yes, yes yes yes I do. Kind of a freaky moment, but it did happen.
They came to my room and did a spinal tap. It actually did not hurt that much. A few minutes later, a large nurse came in my room and told me they had to insert a catheter. Sticking something inside my private parts was not going to happen if I had anything to do with it. I would not let her and even went so far as to give her my express authorization not to. My doctor came in the room and yelled at me and told me that it was not an option because they did not want any Cytoxan to take residence in my body. It was that toxic.
Well, the catheter went in and the pain was incredible. Not a day goes by where I don't think about the Catheter. If someone is going to punch you in the stomach, you would tense up prior to that punch. With a catheter, never do that - NEVER DO THAT. About 10 minutes after the insertion, my nurse returned and told me that they inserted a short-term catheter instead of a long-term catheter and would have to remove and replace it. Again, my authorizations to not do that was never given a second thought. After a massive amount of pain, it was done. Someone either hates me or is testing me. This event is forever stamped into my brain and the brains of everyone I know because I never stop talking about it.
The next day rolled around and my favorite nurse, Rita came in and said that it was time to start infusing the Cytoxan. After a two hour round, I still had hair and I did not vomit. Victory! The afternoon of my third day of Cytoxan treatment, I did throw up. It was not violent, I did not feel sick afterwards and I did not vomit again during my 10 day stay. I did a very good job of making my friends and family feel guilty that I was in the hospital with all of that terrible food. Because of that, they all brought me massive amounts of great food. I absolutely hated the hospital food, was not throwing up and needed my strength - I told them. Thanks to everyone, my hospital visit was fairly smooth.
On the last night in the hospital, I had a male nurse. He told me that it was time to remove the catheter and to make sure that I could urinate naturally. If I could not--back in it goes. It hurt a lot removing the catheter, but not nearly as much as inserting it. I found myself feeling like I was urinating all over the room. I was not and was told that that was natural. Next step - urinate. I told the nurse, no problem. Just get me a lot of cranberry juice and ice. I did not stop drinking it and sure enough the wiz began to flow. As a matter of fact it flowed for four or five days, every few minutes. I don't know the exact reason why, it just did.
After a week of rest and relaxation, I went to the gym. I felt great and was walking perfectly. Wow, I have been cured. I was lying on my stomach doing leg curls. I was wearing a rotten old white sweatshirt when it happened. I noticed a hair on my shoulder. I touched my head and hair began to fall out. In order to minimize this embarrassment, I went to the Barber. Tony buzzed off my hair and did not charge me because there was no effort required.
All of this happened during September/October 1986. I went back to work, everyone was happy to see me and nobody mentioned my bald head. Things went quite well for a while. Funny story, while driving south on Route 7 in Wilton, Connecticut a youngster in a small pickup truck pulled out to go in my direction. He hit the rear quarter panel on the drivers side causing me to go into oncoming traffic. I had a near head-on collision. I touched myself all over to make sure that nothing was broken. I got out of the car only to see all of the rubbernecking traffic. A police officer came up to me and spoke to me like I caused the accident. The woman told them that I was not the cause at all. She did that while strapped into a gurney. Now I am extremely pissed off. I am pacing up and down Route 7. A car load of girls goes by and yells out "Nice ASS!". Why did they say that? I put my hand on the seat of my pants and found that the force of the impact caused my pants to blast open. My nose was broken and I immediately got it looked at. Next I went back to the gym and got a new membership card. It was stupid, but funny.
Next month I felt like I did before the chemotherapy. I called my doctor and said I can't believe this is happening. What can you do short of chemotherapy? He told me we could do a round of prednisone, a steroid. It's not that I wanted to. I needed to. A couple of pills each day for a couple of weeks. Everything went off without issue. In fact, I was cured AGAIN!. The weights and the exercise bike were going unbelievably.
Things were going OK for a while. Prednisone never worked as well as it did the first time I used it. The side effects were still there, just not the good feelings. My doctor told me to try a round of Solumedrol. That is the liquid form of prednisone. Instead of pills, it was infused using an IV for about two hours per day for five days. Things were great again and I was cured. Dead Wrong! The first round was wonderful and further rounds were not quite as good and ultimately ineffectual. Admittedly, I did not know anything about steroids of this kind. I did not know because I read nothing about them. Because I felt like I was cured.
Stupid Stupid Stupid - all of the time.
In 1988 I began working for MKS Instruments. I was always impressed with their equipment. I would compete with them and lose very often. The reason why I left Leybold is because my manager was not managing. Alan Bird was my first manager at MKS. He and I hit it off immediately. Upper management was not confrontational. They simply wanted to help me get the order. I felt like I was at home with this company. My career flourished. I was feeling great.
Things were going well with my job. I was able to save some money and bought a boat in 1989. On one extremely hot day in 1989, all of my friends were sitting around sweating in the boat. That didn't make sense to me. The heat has an extremely bad effect on MS. Rather than being effected, I jumped in the water and began to swim. I felt great. I felt as good as I ever did on prednisone. So, I began to swim as often as possible-like a maniac. Sometimes, I would go to the beach at Branford Point. On an extremely hot day, I would be in my car sweating and feeling incredibly bad - like moosh. I would somehow get off the wall to the sand. All I could do was to crawl to the water where I would get my good juice and feel 1000% better. That feeling is due to the coolness of the salt water as well as the buoyancy. Crawling across the sand, I felt like a baby turtle on National Geographic, struggling in the sand and reborn in the ocean. It was incredible. I found something that I could do. In the colder months I would swim at the Town Pool in North Haven near my office. I became a very good swimmer. I would go for long swims, feeling totally reborn upon their completion. The pool was great, but nothing like the ocean. No salt in the pool water. I worked with it anyway. The pool water was quite warm. I definitely did not feel like I did when I swam in the ocean, but it was still great.. This was my latest cardiovascular exercise meaning. I couldn't walk, run or bike due to MS. This was a great something else. MS always made me improvise.
After 10 years with MKS I could not hide things any longer. Things got that much worse. One morning in 1998, I was driving up 395 to visit customers in Massachusetts. I was drinking a cup of coffee and went to put the cup in the cup holder. I accidentally put the cup on the rim. As soon as I let it go the cup fell. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. As the cup fell, I stupidly tried to catch it. I leaned over to the right and my left hand was on the steering wheel. That lean cause my left hand to move to the right which caused the car to go off the road. Well, there was much damage to the car. I was fine, but my ego was mangled again. MS did not cause this accident, stupidity did. If I was normal, I would have gotten a slap on the wrist and a major talking to from my boss. Instead, I had to go through the complete personal checking out again. In my opinion, that incident set the ball in motion. I could not stop it anymore.
November 1998, eight months after the accident came. My cell phone rang and it was my boss. He told me that they were changing my position. Once 1999 rolled around, I would be an inside salesperson, working with universities instead of the key accounts that I was handling. I asked for and was granted the ability to work out of my house
I felt like there was a bull's-eye on my back. We never had an inside salesperson in my company. They were making an accommodation for me. The first half hour of my new job saw my ego pop up again. "I am not going to lower myself to work with these customers", I said. Then I realized that the company was helping me and work was work. I was not going to give anyone the opportunity to look down on or speak badly of me. I initially noticed that universities were not getting the attention they needed. Yes, some were, but not all. We also were not providing the pricing level that they required. Given all of that, business was not where it should have been. I worked out the proper pricing levels, got the internal support that I needed and sat on top of these customers. I was always there for them and they knew that a telephone call or e-mail would be responded to faster than they ever were. The people covering universities would just incredibly busy.
During 1999 and 2000 things went extremely well. Because I was working out of my house, my physical issues were not there. I made the University market a market to look at again. A University customer that ordered and received great support from me would graduate one day and would always remember MKS. That would be a customer for life.
Reward Time
During the winter of 2001, overall market conditions had slowed. Because of that, I was moved to an applications engineering position. Everything I did for universities was stopped. Ultimately, when the market returned my position returned. There were changes however. I would be in sales support, instead of direct sales. This meant that I would no longer receive commissions, my great motivator and I wouldn't be directly going after University customers. So, another change. I could not explain it. To me, my time away from direct sales, my mailing list was obliterated. Students graduate and professors move around. I was never again able to stay on things like I did. This was a supreme failure by the people above me.
Back to 2001. It was July 5 and Lesley was going shopping for the day. I thought I would roll down to the pool and work out. Not so fast. It was a very hot day so I was getting mushy. No problem, just spend the day in the water and everything will be fine. Unfortunately, my transfer from the chair to the pool lift was a failure. I ended up on the pool deck. The sun was oppressive and I could not move. I was out there for over five hours lying on my stomach with my right arm tucked under me. Nobody was around and nobody could hear me until around five o'clock. A neighbor I did not know was able to hear me, came over and called 911. That event caused another move to the down side for me. I spent every day from that point feeling extremely tight in the shoulders and I was losing my gripping strength at the gym. So much so that I would tape the bars to my right hand. Also, my strength was falling more and more every day. What happened?
Lesley was always there. She never wavered. We met on May 10, 1991. My friend Mike asked me to go out so he could meet up with Lisa. I knew her since we were little kids. I was at the end of my rope. MS is a big wall and 5 girls in a row dumped me. I was all done. Well, that night I did not care about meeting Lesley. I thought I was giving her a very good "I really don't care" attitude. However, we were talking and talking and I thought I would give it another try. I felt good and was walking expectantly well. I asked Lisa for Lesley's telephone number. She said she would ask and let me know.
-- -- End of Part One -- --more to follow in a short while
Rich Ursini
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