Did you receive one...a Miracle of the Season?  I pray that you did, because I think I received more than my share.  If you noted my earlier "blahg" about seasonal decorating, you will remember that on the eve of my season of dread, one of those spirits that perhaps visited Ebenezer came my way!

That was the beginning, that was the turning point.  It's been miraculous and inspiring ever since.  I won't bore you with the details.  Few people really want to hear how good it is going for someone else.  Just know this: every wish (humble though they be) has been granted. My primary wishes, only one with an exponent. The best Christmas and Holiday season ever for my wife!

What would that take?

• Her daughter around for two full days, helping with the cooking, playing games, watching movies, and enjoying the seasonal giving, etc.
• Great meals, great friends, and warm Christmas family love and gift exchange
• A movie, a Christmas Home Decoration tour
• Nice but not extravagant gifts and stocking stuffers
• A white Christmas

Check, check, check, check, check. Christina was awesome as a house guest. The meals were fun to make and turned out exceptionally well. The three dogs and a cat that stayed at our house, wreaked very little havoc!

The movie was quite good, and as we came out of the movie at 3 pm.  I said, "sweetheart" take a look outside.  She screamed with glee like a small child, her "little girl" released in full! As she screamed with glee, tears ran down my face...again you know not how many other things have happened to me in the past several days, and it matters not.  Just know, I believe! And know this, I have a responsibility and still time left to make this a more joyful season for others.  I'm sure going to try.

Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year.

Getting in the Spirit

Ding jingaling, jingaling, jing!  I'm in the spirit!  I dreaded this past weekend--the annual (drag out the crates and "trim" the tree, house and everything that gets in the way) decorating weekend.  More negative than usual this year...I'm also thinking about how can I afford the gifts I need to buy.  Certainly I can't afford a decorating service like so many neighbors have.

Saturday morning comes along, and the Spirit of the Season apparently crept into me as I slept.  Up I get and off I go, gleefully to our storage area...happily I start on the outside, my wife and our daughter on the interiors...I pitch-in on that too, during some outdoor attention deficit moments. Check this out...

I put 1,347,989 lights on that little tree at our entry. Well, at least that's my estimate.  I can tell you that I returned to the bargain store twice and loaded up on lights for both the inside and out.  NEIGHBORS, you missed out!  I cannot tell you how much fun I had.  You should be envious of me...professional installations aren't near as much fun.  By the way, my super duper wife, begged the reindeer off of some guy, whose house she passed and thought he had too many! Hohoho (rather than LOL) He agreed!

If you think I am kidding you're wrong.  I've even tuned my satellite music to a couple of happening Christmas stations. I have never understood things of Spirit, but I'm in the grip.

Happy Holiday Season Everyone

The Frosty for City Square

The most wonderful thing happend to me on the way to get a few friends together for golf!  Frankly it feels a bit providencial...kharmish if you will.  One day I wouldn't be surprised to find myself saying "miraculous".  

Only two weeks ago I reached out to several friends and said "hey, let's play golf, let's do it on December 10th and in the spirit of the season, let's each donate a little $$ for charity.  Fast forward two weeks, we have over twenty people signed up for what has become the Frosty Charity Golf Classic! 

We're on a roll and we have a chance to raise some nice money for CitySquare! 

Now that's the best part...that's where Providence seems to have taken the wheel. 

My firm happens to be doing some professional work for CitySquare, formerly know as Central Dallas Ministries, led by Larry James.  In short this is an incredible urban focused organization, successfully addressing the root causes of poverty!  In turn, poverty can lead to so many other problems...drug problems, gangs, and crimes of all types. Fighting poverty has an exponential effect for simply building a better world for everyone, but it is not an easy fight.

Check out http://www.citysquare.org and see what incredible things these folks are doing, particularly on the areas of hunger, housing, learning and hope!  So if your of a mind to have an unusually good time, playing golf AND would like to help a bit with the poverty fight, come join us!  We have a few spots left, so click here to sign up!

Inevitabilites

Abominable inevitabilities...I try not to use either of those words in normal speech, since my tongue seems to get tangled on either word. Ah, but I can type those words and you can hear and understand them without having to try it out loud, a win-win scenario for blog dialogue!

Here are a couple of quick thoughts on why those words are on point just now. Having a major election behind us, we can all reflect on all of the Chicken Little - The Sky is Falling...the world will come to an end, if so and so is elected. The call for pessimism runs high, during election season! GOOD NEWS -- pessimism seems to breed opportunities and opportunists see light...often in the form of silver linings!

Abominable Inevitability #1 -- "Obamacare will ruin and break our country". 

The law is actually called The Affordable Healthcare Act, its focus is three-fold: Expanded healthcare insurance for the population, less expensive healthcare for all, and higher quality delivery of healthcare.  Sound impossible? As a capitalist, I can tell you that most of us in business wake up everyday with that challenge...more customers, better quality deliverables, lower price! Those issues are at the heart of our economic engine.

Check out major healthcare publications these days and you will read story after story of hospitals, physicians, and more, who long ago saw the natural requirement to deliver better quality to more "customer-patients" at lower costs, as an inevitability, law or no law!  Guess what, it's working!

You might want to read-up on the truths about Canadien healthcare and their economic health to understand the possibilites for "light" that exists.

Abominable Inevitability #2 -- Global Warming 

(Mitigation and Reversal Opportunities, coming soon!)

Slang for Swag, Seriously?

Slang fads are all the rage, all the time, right? You can't have swag if you don't have current slang, right?

I've always found it fascinating how slang fads come and go. Most become part of our language for a while then fade (but not soon enough), right? If you're using an outdated slangerization you're not cool.  It's hard to keep up...I know, right? 

Neat, keen, bitchin', groovy, bad, bad a__...on and on ad nauseam. Groovy sucked from the start and didn't last long...until Austin Powers revived it to help us see how stupid we are capable of sounding...wait suck and all its derivatives, that's more yet, right? seriously?  Get out!

It does seem that cool has some kind of classic sense to it though, right? I'm not sure if cool's cousin chill is considered a classic, NOT! I wonder if this is just an English language phenomenon or is it universal.  Certainly the word cliche is of French derivation, so perhaps at least the romantic language speakers are into it, right?

After all the French have forever said n'est ce pas, roughly meaning "isn't it", right?  The Spanish have said "verdad" after just about every other sentence forever, translated loosely as "correct", right?

Perhaps your getting the point...I am sick to death of "right" at the end of every statement.  Do we need that much affirmation? 

By the way, who initiates these fad terms? Probably high school students. I gave credit to a sixth grade classmate for coming up with "neat", but my reach was rather limited at the time. Nonetheless, Roland started neat!

NOW, I would like to start a new American slang term for 2012, but I am not creative enough to do so, so I am borrowing from the French.  Let's finish sentences with d'accord, pronounced dahcore, meaning of accord or agreement, d'accord? You can add some emphasis if you like and say, "Je sais, d'accord" -- in other words, I know, right? D'accord is really cool, d'accord? BTW the French often say "oui, d'accord" if you would like to increase your international swag!

I'm looking forward to viral adoption of this 2012er. We will all sound so cool, d'accord? 

The Art Cowboy

Said with a western drawl for effect...It would have been 'long about 2000 and 3 as I recall, when my fine young son, Rob, graduated from college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  From my perspective (prejudiced as it may be) he was already a fairly accomplished painter and sculptor. I must say that much of his work from that time, appeared to have been inspired by drug induced hallucinations! Definitely unique stuff...very cool monsters, with some equine features.

Soon after graduation, Rob gave me a call and advised me that his first career move would be to work at a guest ranch in Colorado for the summer, where he would be a "wrangler" (horse manager and trail ride leader) by day and a "troubadour" (mandolinist in a bluegrass band) by night.  "Works for me", says I, as long as I am not providing funding, enjoy!" Following the summer gig, Rob called to let me know he would be working as the Wrangler for an Elk Hunting Guide in the fall!  "Sounds good, have fun" I encouraged.  I have some intricate and interesting watercolored sketches he did, during that adventure (making fine use of the investment in his education).

In January of the same year, Rob gave me a call. (I've always been pleased that he calls from time to time, frequently to ask for advice, which is occasionally heeded! Rob announced that he had made a career decision (finally).  The general leaning had been toward teaching art full-time and continuing to paint and so on, and I presumed that was what I was about to hear. 

Rob said, "I think I want to be a Cutting Horse Trainer"!  Whaddaya think Pop?"  LONG PAUSE...and I have forgotten exactly what I said, but I believe it was something encouraging to whatever he wanted to do, but I suspect the tone was missing.  I know I was thinking deep inside, "is something wrong with my boy?"

Fast forward 10 years, Rob is in fact managing and showing Cutting Horses. If you're wondering what a Cutting Horse is, well that's one in the photo below and Rob is the fellow atop.

Cutting horses are especially trained quarter horses and the "Cutting Events" are very competitive AND the sport is rather expensive, no scratch "rather", replace with "significantly" expensive!  It's a wealthy person's game.

Rob entered this world by searching the web for the best trainers in the country...the epicenter for 'Cutting" happens to be in Texas, near Fort Worth. So Rob worked for a couple of the top people in the sport for a few years, then was hired by some fine folks to manage their horses.  Those fine folks happen to be a couple from California (the husband is a major film producer) think The Dark Knight and about 100 other films.

Rob splits his time between their ranch in the Santa Barbara area and another near Fort Worth, and traveling all over the place to show the horses, including his own mare.  Last show (10-2012): Lyon, FRANCE, Yep you heard it right. (He called ol' Pop for attire advice for dinner at a famous chef's 5- star restaurant while there.)

Finally to wrap up this proud Pop rant, Rob is still finding time for art. How I can't imagine. He won an award and the placement of one of his pieces in the Western Modern Art show, currently exhibiting in Tucson. It's called Traffic...

Healthcare the right way! (not an ad)

Wouldn't be awesome if healthcare facilities felt more like resorts or at least cool hotels? Well, the good news is it is beginning to happen all over the world.  Healing as a process progresses better in better environments for the patients and their families. Not a breakthrough, thought, right? It's, like well yeah! Figuring out how to do it is another story. Let me tell you, the team that put this project together up near Princeton, NJ, got it right!

The owners and operators at Capital Health turned to the programming and project development professionals at Anchor Health Properties. Paula Crowley and her team led a collaborative design and construction project that by all accounts is one of the best projects in this category EVER!

Bistro, spa, coffee bars, quality and varietal dining, are part of the "hospitality feel" that is so evident. Medical office suites neatly connected to acute care and outpatient services, private entrances and gardens for oncology patients, on and on it goes.  Water features, parks, children's indoor and outdoor entertainment areas AND multiple "things to do" venues for everyone. (Guess what, it keeps the loved ones around more...yep, aiding in the healing process.)

Here is the part that got me...the art collection and murals (all wisely chosen) and benefactors cited for each piece, which of course made it all possible. I said "if I need a healthcare procedure, I'm coming here, and I refuse to be an outpatient!"  I want at least two days to spend in the museum like collections on every floor!" The place is incredible. Hat's off to HKS Architects and Array Healthcare Facilites Solution, particularly Shane Williams and Marsha Whitt. 

Capital Health Hopewell, New Jersey

Siri and me

If you don't have Siri or her cousin, Googlette, you are missing a special relationship opportunity. Seriously, she is an excellent assistant, text, call, make appt, search, etc. Warning, she is all techno and deals with what she is given!  Check out this experience:

Me: Siri, you are so cool! You never cease to amaze me.
Siri: No problem, Hal
Me: What are my appointments for today?
Siri: this and that, blah, blah 

(All perfectly enunciated and detailed for me, freaking awesome!)

Me: New appointment to Visit Mom on the 17th
Siri: Okay, shall I search contacts for Mom? 
Me: Sure, Mary Matthews
Siri: Okay, got it.
Me: Remind me...
Siri: Shall I remind you that Mary Matthews is Mom.
Me: No thanks, I think I can remember that one!

Now what?

I promised myself just to be fun here, but I decided to compromise for just a moment!

The talking heads are talking a lot about what the numbers say to the two parties, and how they will find their relevance, but here's the real Kennedyesque question: What does the incredible close popular votes mean to each of us as individuals? In other words, "ask not what your country can do for you..."

Well, you could say we have a balance of opinion, or you could say we are quite polarized, or even gridlocked!  On the other hand you could say that we need to find some way to get past all of this rhetoric (thank goodness the ads have stopped) and make some progress. 

In fact that maybe exactly what we need to do as individual committed citizens. Think compromise, think moderation. First step, talk to our neighbors and friends without a mindset of I'm right and your wrong; and discuss creative solutions to our challenges. 

Second step, think about sharing those creative ideas and take the time to write our representatives and say, "hey you, walk across the aisle, would you? Find some civility, and look for ways to get things done!" Our elderly and our young NEED you to do a good job of finding common ground."

BTW - I talk to my Dad from time to time.  He died when I was very young, so he only talks back when he has something profound to say or is struck by sincere curiosity. I mentioned that our President, who happens to be an African American was re-elected and defeated a strong contender who happens to be a Morman. Dad said, "very cool, but I don't know what religion African American is."

Transcendental Coordination

730 breakfast meeting with an alliance group of mine, Mrs. Boss and Mr. Boss in tow! Take a look at these clowns, the Tres Lavenderos! Fact is we are all very different, but we do seem to be in harmony most of the time. So, I figure, during the night, my people talked to their people transcendentally and laid out our clothes. 

Problem is we can't get our office mates to believe this wasn't planned.  Moreover, we are conspicuously goofy looking together. Oh well, we're headed to lunch, trying to find a place that doesn't clash with our outfits!

Why blog?

Here's the thing, I need to talk to you, and you know who you are. I just don't know where I am going, I am pushing the accelerator, but I'm too young and small to see over the dashboard!

There are things I want to say, and laughs I want to elicit...at least from myself at myself.  Or maybe it's just fear.  I worry that if I don't blog, I'll miss out. I do not want to miss out! I have a driving need to be relevant, a part of the conversation, even if it is a monologue.  So, here I am, even if I am the only one listening to what I have to say!

BTW, I'm at a design conference in the U.S. desert, where thousands of people have journeyed to ponder the future (well a small sector of the future). I have an hour to kill before I return to "networking" -- Help! I'm choking on my own schmooze out here around the saguaros (giant pricks). Anyway, I just needed to get started on this blog stuff...a yoke of burden has already been lifted. 

I'm off!  I'm following my friend Jules' plan, just talking, just laughing at myself and those around me. If you are entertained as well, yahooty! Mission exponentiated! If not, who gives a poop! I'll be back.