New approach to life

Our corporate culture is heading for a shake up. I'm pretty excited about it now that we've gotten past the misrepresentations of what is to come. The initial directive was related to the hyper-precise set-up requirements sent along for the training room layout. Once we got to the actual content I was pleased. The watch words are a "culture of accountability" and the process is very positive. I spent a whole day in training this week absorbing the big picture, the watch words, the goals and the steps in the process. I was in one of the early classes but eventually all of our employees in North America will receive this same training. I was particularily impressed with the number of division Presidents and Vice-Presidents in attendence (and teaching portions of the material). What I didn't appreciate at the time was that I would be teaching the class myself by the end of August.

Yesterday I sat through a second day of training this one "Train the Trainer". A small group of us have been selected to champion this throughout the company. We have two weeks to polish up our act and then we have to start training the rest of the employees. I don't do a lot of structured, formal training so this is going to be stretch for me.

Cracked tooth

Out of respect for Sheela's privacy I no longer blog her every comment and action (Sunil isn't embarassed by it yet) but she was pretty proud of her latest "doins".

She broke a tooth biting in to popcorn last night not even a kernal but the fluffy white part.  A molar split right in half.

Today the dentist pulled both halves out by hand.  The root had already resorbed (which is why the tooth was so weak) and the replacement is ready to pop through her gum.

Sunil - Pretournament Shot

Sheela - Pretournament shot

The money pile

Etruscan Money Amphora

The children have been collecting their change (and a fair amount of ours) since Beckie's Holidaze Party back in Feb.  The jar is full.  Tonight is the ritual breaking of the jar followed by the laborius counting of the change.  The intended wish is for a night at Great Wolf Lodge.

The lodge is a camp themed hotel with indoor and outdoor waterparks.  I hope they saved enough.

Spring 2009 Angel Pics

The pics came a little bit late this year and featured a preprinted back drop instead of the pond/fountain at the park. The rain this year pushed the pictures back so often that they eventually gave up and moved the shoot indoors.

Comedy of Errors

Poor Sunil had a difficult time getting himself retrieved from his unaccompanied minor flight tonight.  First I called one time too many to check his arrival time and gate.  The auto voice indicated a 1 hour delay for causes unknown.  So I told Sid to be an hour late.  Either the message was wrong or they said 5:37 but I heard 6:37 or I mistyped the flight number.  Anyhow we now know that unloved, unclaimed children are taken to a holding cell in a different terminal. 

Then when Sid tried to go through security they had a problem either with Sid not being the obvious nickname for Sudhir or the fact that his business card doesn't have his picture on it - depending on how you look at it.  In order to get around this they had to call Mom to get permission to let him pass.  On the official paperwork Mom would be Marilyn but she thinks her name is Lyn which adds another layer of complexity.

Eventually Sid was allowed to retrieve Sunil from the cell (heavily populated with other unclaimed kids) but then they had to back to the original terminal to retrieve the golf bag from the unloved unclaimed baggage holding cell.  In the end it is a happy ending and I'm pleased to have him home.

Camera

It's official my camera is gone.  I'm afraid I let it behind a bush along the trail.  I'm pretty bummed.  It had two years worth of photos still on it going all the way back to Carlsbad Caverns.  Of course the good pics have mostly been blogged or emailed so it could be worse.  Mostly I lost pics from this trip which was pretty well covered by Sheela and Mom.

Nostalgia

We picked up my old viola today.  I gave it to a friend years ago but she still has it.  Sheela is going to use it this year for orchestra.  It's looking a little worse for wear but still has a good sound... If we could tune it worth a darn.

IMG00092.jpg

Future site of my new building!

Texas

Wow, it's hot here!  Back up tp 108 outside and 98 inside.  The A/C was off while were gone.  I cleaned the fridge when we got back as a legitamte excuse to stick my head in for 20 minutes.  Now I'm going to the airconditioned store... It could take hours to choose dinner.

Mt. LeConte

The family survived the trek to and from LeConte Lodge.  Sid and Sheela topped out in the standard 4 hrs.  Sunil and I stayed with GJ and Grammylyn.  It took us 7 hours all told but we made it -- in time for dinner no less.  We spent the night in a pair of cute cottages, enjoyed a great breakfast and headed back down.  Pictures will follow but now we need to clean up and start the drive back to TX.

Tail removal

Sunil takes his turn

Tip 1

A sharp knife is worth its weight in gold.

Fish cleaning 101

Archery set

Sunil finally got to try out his new archery set.  We aren't bothering with targets at this point and just have him aiming at the side of a hill.  He can hit the side of a hill (and presumably the side of a barn).

Grammylyn modifies a bluebird house

It is time to replace the bluebird houses in the cemetary where Grammy and Grandsir are buried.  There used to be one there for each of them but they've fallen apart and fallen down.  Sheela will paint plaques for new ones.

The culvert

My parents always told me to stay out of the culverts under the road.  They are dangerous.  As surely as god made little green apples a storm will break, the creek will rise, disobedient children will be trapped and drowned.  This one is part of the cart path at the golf course.  If I drown -- tell my mother that "I'm sorry!"

Project 1

Item one on our vacation schedule is to restring the hanging chair.  It broke after nearly 20 years.  They've weathered more here than they did in Michigan.  In MI they were taken in for the winter here it's the summer that's rough.  The birds are stealing fibers from the ropes and the wasps are stealing the wood.

Memphis

We made it past Little Rock before stopping but didn't hit Memphis 'till this morning.  We still have 6 hours to go but might be there in time for dinner.

Underway

We are officially on vacation.  In fact we've already hit the Arkansas border.  I think we'll make Little Rock before we stop for the night.

Joy of joys

Its a three-day weekend for me after all!  The operations portion of the conversion is stable (well we can't really stress it until the financials are cleared) but that means finance will work the weekend while I swim and grill and catch up on sleep.  Then Monday and Tuesday Ops will be back in the hot seat.

108 outside means

88 inside.  Most A/Cs are sized to pull the temperature down @20 degrees.  That just is not enough here.