Undeniable Genius

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Job died, a lot was written about him--some of it from this book and in the beginning it seemed like this was a rehash of all those articles.  The more I read, the more I learned and it was a tremendous read.

Jobs wasn't a good manager, he was in anger/back-up mode too much of the time but my god the man was a creative genius.  I knew the world lost a lot when he passed but now I believe the world has no idea of his full impact.

A management case study, well written and page after page I highlighted--so simple to do on the iPad 2.  He thought it all through.

Highly recommended

You've Got Mail

I still have an AOL mail account that I check maybe once a month.  I do it more for the humor in the spam mail I get than for any real communication.  Occasionally, an email will come in that isn't spam but it is more and more rare.  I keep AOL just in case someone might pop up that is actually important however the spam is more relevant any more.

Today I cleaned out 422 emails.  The last time I checked this account was 7 December and apparently 421 people, businesses and flotsam needed to be in touch.

I had emails concerning smoking from Cigars.com and Electronic Cigarettes.

And then there were ones concerned about my health--see above for a reason.  I had emails from Healthy Insight,  Lapband Surgery, Bladder Control, Diabetes, and Cancer Concerns.  Of course, there were several ones about the size of a penis.   Do men open these?

Then some were contacting me regarding finances:  For Your Credit Scores, UK Approval Department Credit Scores, Orchard Bank.

Others were wanting to beautify me:  Flat Belly Tips (this was tempting), Hair Club (I should donate), Genie Bra Promo and Lose 20 Pounds in 20 Days.

Then, once I am beautified:  Living Social, e-Harmony, Online Dating all are in contact.

I could also consider going back to school:  Florida Technical University, School Grants, Pell Grants have written.

Once I have more education, Your Hired and Become a Social Worker have contacted me.

And to get me to this new job:  December Clearance Mercedes Benz,
December Auto Deals and Buy a New Car Now, 2010 Auto Clearance, 2011 Auto Clearance and Overstocked Autos have email deals.

And, for some reason Nicole Wetherholtz, Ellen Davis, Kevin Garrett, Julie Gibson and Barbara all have reached out.  And been deleted.

Then I checked the spam folder, where there was  an email from a friend.  Go figure.

Hmmmmm

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me! It has been a great birthday in NYC.

Old friends, new old friends.

And you? How would you celebrate my birthday?

Sushi, Manhattan Style

Christmas, Hotel Style

Santa Barbara, Mission Style

Waterfalls, Icelandic Style

A Ferry Fine Way To Travel

39.9 miles in two days. Done.

Mission Santa Inez, California

Florida

It is a Fight For Freedom

Today I walked over eight miles to train for 'the' walk next weekend.  I will walk a marathon next Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday.  And, yes, that totals 40 miles.  All summer has been about walking and working out to get ready to do this in Santa Barbara.  The Texas heat wave has made it especially charming to do all this.


I am walking because I hope that I can give someone freedom from cancer--any kind but most specifically breast cancer.  And today, 9-11, seemed like a day to hope for that outcome.


It is about raising money to fight breast cancer.  So many inroads have been made in the last 18 years since my closest friend died--I doubt that she would die if she was diagnosed today.  But, that isn't the reality.


My neighbor found out this year that she has Stage III breast cancer.  She was eight months pregnant when she was diagnosed.  How is that for a shit deal?  She is doing fine, but going through a hell reserved for the courageous who fight.

I am walking for so many people:  Patricia, Jan, Anita, Dixie, Debbie, Pam, Christina, Paula, Cindy, Glenna, Shirley, June, Sadie, Michelle and too many more.


This is my third walk and the first two changed my life.  I hope what I am doing can change the outcome for others.






You can read more here

Tulsa Airport 9-11 Memorial

Frank Lloyd Wright

Going Back To Be

And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

Robert Frost

Birches

The Naked Presenter

The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides by Garr Reynolds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars





The most excellent book on presentations skills.  And I have read most of them.  If you read only one book to help you improve when presenting, make it this one.

Strong recommend.

It's Over

Summer Fountain

And I am really sad.

Tomorrow is September 1 which is the first day of not summer. It is a downhill slide into cold weather, crappy holidays and less outdoors in three pieces of clothing. I love the hot. Hot.

Oh, this bums me out.

Trying to be positive, it does lead to better knitting, skiing and my trip to Iceland. That is all good.

Three to Get Deadly

Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars







OK, still love this series.  Anything that can make me laugh out loud I am going to like.

Lori Perry is the reader on this version--I don't like her version of Ranger but everything else is good.

Evanovich was good story teller in the beginning and is still good now but one thing I noticed is that Stephanie seems more proficient in the earlier versions of the series and loses her ability in the later books.

I recommend this in the audio version.

Morning Training Walk

The God of Animals

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old Alice is left to bear the brunt of her screwed up family.  She is left, after her older sister runs away to get married, to deal with her dad, the horses, her mother, her own self doubts and ability to navigate her small Colorado world.

I had this book sitting on my reading pile for a long time--I don't remember where I picked it up and threw it in my briefcase for a long flight.  2:45 AM the next morning I was still reading.  The haunting feel of the book, the need for me to hope for the situation to get better and the reality that it wasn't going to kept me reading well into the night.

Compelling read.  The violence towards the horses repelled me and I learned about taking care of horses.  This book is sad from start to finish and it grows with intensity so be aware.

Recommended, but not if you are depressed.

Hurricane Irene and Me

Well, my stay in New York is not going to plan.  The news reports of Irene heading this way are meant to terrify and impress.  Seriously--do reporters have to kick up the drama so high?

Normally, I can ignore those over the top reports but since this involves Mother Nature, a kick ass woman in her own right, I am getting the hell out a day early.

So, there goes my plans for Saturday in my favorite place on earth.

Next time.

A Life in Stitches

A Life in Stitches by Rachael Herron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book of essays.  I am not sure if you need to be a knitter to fully appreciate these writings but it helps.  Each essay was wonderful, full of heart and soul.

I have been reading Rachael's blog for years, and knew some but not all of many of the stories.  I knew about Lala, and watched the relationship grow on the blog, little Mama and the love and sadness when she died, the blanket that was sent to heal, and Digit.  I don't know how many times I have read the post about Digit's return on the blog.  It is what every animal owner who has lost a pet wants to read.  It gives me a lump in my throat every time.  I was one of the people who contributed to his vet bill, and it was nice to read appreciation.  The essay's in the book gave me more 'back story' and more of the impact on Rachael's life.  I could have read many more and hope she continues to write this way.

Rachael's voice is true in these stories.  Lovely, and loving.

Highly recommended

Oh, Great.

I am flying, at this very moment to NYC for three days with a client.  I love NYC.

Except.

Except,  I logged in on the airlines wifi being a good corporate consultant and found out that the East Coast has experienced a 5.6 earthquake.

Fabulous.

Where is the flight attendant and the alcohol?

The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book takes place in Hong Kong during and after WWII.  The stories were told simultaneously making it interesting to play out the before and after.  I had a hard time connecting emotionally with the characters throughout the book, and maybe that was by design.  The characters never emotionally connected with each other, except in review.

The book seemed rushed at the end trying to tie up too much, and at the same time, didn't end.  More was written, and my attention waned because I was over the story and the people involved.

I do recommend this book for those who like books set in Asia and want to know more about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.  The book is lovely in word choice.

Oklahoma 6:38 AM

My Latest Grievance

My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story of the daughter of two PhD's.  She grew up on the college campus, and the story springs from there.  I liked the twists and the dialogue.  On the recommend list.

The Image of Friendship

Oh, how I love this man.  He is my best 'guy' friend and knows me better than anyone.  A crazy Aussie, by way of Britain and can make me laugh until I am happy.  Chicago hasn't known what hit them this week.

I love you, Stu.  You are too cool.

Chicago From The Water

Chicago

Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved it.

A fan, through and through.

But I do wish Evanovich would let Stephanie get smarter.  She can be just as charming and funny being good at her job.

Well, I Know It Isn't Heaven

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars





Snark.  A talent and a skill, to do it well.  Here is the definition from the Urban dictionary:

snark-noun
Combination of "snide" and "remark". Sarcastic comment(s).
Also snarky (adj.) and snarkily (adv.)
His commentary was rife with snark.
"Your boundless ineptitude is astounding," she snarkily declared.



Chelsea Handler has it honed and perfected and most of her snarkiness is pointed at herself.  This is a collection of stories about her life, her friends, her parents and affection for dwarfs.

That is why I like this book. And miss my snark, which has been lost somewhere.  Yes, I know some people would disagree, and some would be glad but me?  I miss the fucker.

Recommended if you like to laugh and wonder if there is any truth in what she writes about--I mean REALLY--can her life be this way?  


"If your Snark be a Snark, that is right: 

Fetch it home by all means—you may serve it with greens, 
And it’s handy for striking a light. 
You may seek it with thimbles—and seek it with care; 
You may hunt it with forks and hope; 
You may threaten its life with a railway-share; 
You may charm it with smiles and soap—” 

Lewis Carrol

Four To Score

Four to Score by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars







I loved this.

The quick lines, the character development.  The revisit with the same people in a series that I have listened to rather than read.  The Stephanie Plum series makes me laugh out loud over and over.

I am listening to the series in no order and know that I like the reader later in the series more than the earlier reader.  She captures the voices better--both are good.

Recommended if you want to laugh and like series with the same characters and plot--yes, it gets redundant but waiting for lines like 'if Mickey Mouse could fly, he would be Donald Duck" is worth the wait.

Thinking

We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. 

Carlos Castenada

I Still Dream About You

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting into this book and then caught fire.  It became a mystery with a good twist and then.....twisted right out of interest.

The story is about a former Miss Alabama and her sad life.  I am not sure where the title fits in, but it wasn't what I thought.  The ending seemed too convenient, without explanation.

A disappointment, over all.

It's Hot In Tulsa Too

The World Is Better With Smiling Kittens

It's Summer in Texas

4th of July

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. ~William Faulkner

I travel to Oklahoma a lot now, and in the small mall where I see movies is a war memorial that is striking.  The first time I walked by, I was stunned by the boots of Lance Corporal Tommy Blair.  It impacted me in the same way the Vietnam Memorial and the Oklahoma City Memorial did the first time I saw them--it was personal.

The boots.  The dog tags. The gun, bayonnett in the sand in a lone glass case.  Solitary.

Then the next time I was there, I stopped and really looked at the display.  Looked at the laces and the boots.  I noticed that the boots were barely worn.  He wasn't in them long before enemy/friendly fire killed him while he stood the line for me.

We have our freedom because and for this young man.  So, this 4th I think of him and say thank you.

Joy Weighs 2.7 Pounds

Oklahoma Evening

This is a good Romance Book-if you like romance novels

How to Knit a Heart Back Home by Rachael Herron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of the romance genre--because it just doesn't work for me.  Too redundant, too obvious what will happen and it takes waaayyy too many pages to get you what was going to happen that many pages ago.

So, why did I read this?  Because I have been have been reading Rachael Herron's blog (yarnagogo.com) for years.  She is a knitter, a very good writer and  it has been really fun and interesting following her on her journey of dreaming of being an author to publishing her second book.  When she writes another I will probably read that too.  Being such a loyal reader, it feels like a friend has 'made it' and I am very, very happy for her and will keep buying her books.

This is the second in the series about the California town of Cypress Hollow and the typical romance formula is at work:  unrequited love gets requited.  Herron puts a few more current twists in it, and that is good.

It is well written, I would rate it higher but for my dislike of the forgone conclusion of romance wiriting.

If you like the romance genre, read this book!

A Visit From the Goon Squad

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another book that I have read on the iPad and not sure if it is affecting my appreciation of the book or not.  I did confirm I like to go back and reread parts before I move on and that isn't as convenient in electronics.

The story intertwines over years of friends and acquaintances who are in the music industry.  I jumps a bit back and forth, and characters who are introduced in chapter one reappear many chapters later.  The story at one point in written using powerpoint--at first irritating me because I deal with too much .ppt but then intriguing me with the creative use of dialogue and movement.  And, now I will listen for the pauses in rock and roll.

Read recommendation?  Probably yes.

The Noise Inside My Head

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yeah, I liked this book.  Steven Tyler tells a good story, as if he was talking right to me.  He is a crazy man, talented, focused, drug addled and definitely has LSD.  Love the title, too.  It sets the tone for the book.

He is likable and dedicated to his music--and that has come through consistently in the three rock autobiographies (Keith Richards, Sammy Hagar and Tyler) I have read in the last few months.  No doubt these guys were into drugs in a big way but the music was everything to them--at the expense of their relationships, kids and health.  Tyler talks about writing, and getting the music right.  Huh.  I just thought it was rock and roll, not a process.  I am listening to music much differently now.

Recommend if you want to know more about the rock and roll lifestyle and read a fantastic tale.

Wilmington, Delaware 5:33 AM

The stillness of the approaching morning is often the only part of the day I see before diving into a client building.  And when I pause and wait to see it, I am not disappointed.  Slow, notice, appreciate and wonder at the world right outside my window.

Dawn of a New Way

Today is the last day of this trip to India.  I arrived last Saturday night and am leaving just barely this Saturday morning.  It has been all work with the exception of an excellent dinner of briyani at Viv's house on Sunday.  It is always a nice time with Viv and Judy--and this time I was able to get my hair trimmed by Judy's mom.  She can cut hair beautifully, and is used to thick hair like mine.  That is the India commonality I have with most of the women here.

I have packed like it is going to be my last trip--I leave a bag here with essentials like sneakers, casual pants, a hair dryer, toiletries, and small things.  This time I have cleaned out that bag and am only leaving things I don't need to have if I don't come back.

There is joy and sadness in all of this as it has been an adventure of a lifetime and I have been so lucky to have had this experience.  But, it is time for me to move.  I am not good at maintaining the status quo and love the start up so need to find that e-ticket.

There may be a trip 18.  I just don't feel it.

17

I cannot believe I have been to India 17 times.  I think that each trip that I am here--how did I get to this many?

But I think I am done.   Somewhere the fun has gone out and it is too much about work.  The team is stable--actually more than that -- they are awesome, so really my job is done.

If I do come back I have to add adventure to keep me learning things.  All I have learned this trip are things I don't really want to know-- the bs of clients that are dull.

But, I love the street and the unexpected moments like the peddle cab kid waiting for a fare.