Perfection!

So much achieved in just one single game...

Single season scoring record for a team. Complete.
Single season touchdown pass record. Complete.
Single season touchdown reception record by a single receiver. Complete.
League record for consecutive wins over two seasons (19). Complete.
The perfect 16-0 season. Complete.

Nothing more exciting than watching history be made.

Perfect Family Christmas

Christmas has come and gone, and it was another good one. The kids are still bouncing around the house trying to spread their time between all their new toys, dolls, and games. Donna and I are still working on the extra pounds earned during the great meals spent laughing and smiling with family.

We started on the 23rd at Mom and Dad Anderson's where we had the whole Anderson family (all 8 of us, not much by Welch standards!) together for a terrific lobster and steak dinner. It is always enjoyable to spend time with all of us together. Gavin and Isabelle especially enjoy getting to spend time with Uncle Ciao and learning Italian over dinner.

Christmas Eve brought Mom and Dad Anderson to our house for lasagna, frosting Christmas cookies, and presents. It was hard to tell whether Izzy enjoyed the presents, or the purple cookie frosting more. Gramma scored the big favs early with Star Wars figures for Gavin, and a cash register, shopping cart, and more play food than you can imagine for Isabelle. Great gift! As expected, it was a terrific night with family.


Christmas Day we almost got to sleep in, as Gavin woke up around 7am, and completely forgot it was Christmas morning. That was soon solved at 7:20 as he bounded out of his bedroom yelling it was time for present! Once the scraps of wrapping paper, empty toy boxes, and stockings had settled, Gavin and Izzy were both very happy with Santa's choices this year.

Gavin did well with the Star Wars, Transformers, Ben 10 trifecta while Izzy was very happy with her Dora Doll House, Princess sleeping bag and tent, and mini-cleaning set to help around the house. Nothing like a 2 yr. old with a swiffer to keep the house clean. Now, Donna and I are working on turning over the "toy tide" to cycle through those less used items from last year to make room for this years treasures.

We hosted Welch Christmas this year. 19 people if you are looking for the Anderson comparison from above. And yes, The Massachusetts Welch's were indeed missed. If you have never experienced the present opening portion of a Welch Family Christmas, well, words just won't do it justice. It's loud. It's fast paced. Frantic, messy, fun, well choreographed, and always an amazing case study for multi-tasking. All in all, one of those life experiences that everyone should have at least once. The lucky ones, get to look forward to it every year.

The dinner was nothing short of a small feast. And, in true Molly fashion, Donna took some pics of the appetizer table to allow others to enjoy it.

Our dining room did a pretty good job of packing everyone in, even including the obligatory "little kids" table. We did have one small mishap during dinner. But, we managed to save enough of the applesauce that not everyone had to be served off the carpet, or the wall.......nice distance Donna.















And just like that, we are looking at the new year. Christmas flew by, but left us with exactly what we wanted. Smiling kids, and a bunch more memories made with our families. Another perfect family Christmas.

Classic Inspriational Words

This Holiday, I thought it appropriate to find a little inspiration from one of the great motivational speakers of our time. Enjoy, and have a fantastic Holiday with family and friends.

Rudolph a la Gavin

Merry Christmas from Gavin. The bouncing caroler.

What is the message?

As is tradition this time of year at many companies, our CEO sent out a "Happy Holidays" email this past Friday. In the email, he decided to give some updates on some of the larger company "news" items that people have been waiting on for quite some time. Unfortunately, the news he delivered was not positive.

Here is a snippet of the email...."While we have made tremendous progress with both domestic and international utilities, we have always known that we, like any company selling enterprise wide solutions in a highly competitive market, will not win all transactions. Unfortunately, SDG&E, where we were a finalist, has notified us they will not be moving forward with Us."

The translation, for those not at the company is, "the deal that we have been counting on to provide the needed revenue stream to sustain our business plans through 2008, will not be coming." I am torn as to whether this type of news belongs in a "Happy Holidays" message.

On one hand, I agree with the philosophy of Senior Management sharing information as it becomes available to equip an informed workplace. Knowing that this deal is not coming will allow those who understand the impact to plan their finances, and Holidays spend accordingly as the bonuses and merit increases may not be coming.

However, the impact of this specific news is such, that it overshadows the Holidays. Instead of ending the year looking forward to relaxing with friends and family, many employees are going to spend the season wondering what to do next, and how long they have in their current jobs.

So, agree, or disagree, the impact remains the same in the office. The wind is out of the sails heading into the Holiday week, and whether he intended it or not, our CEO did not give most people the Holiday they were looking for.

I feel the need, the need for...

Speed! 130MPH speed. Not a bird, not a plane, it's a bike?!?!? Okay, so world records are just that. World records. And, well, crazy people, are just crazy people. Take a seemingly simple world record like the "bicycle speed record" and add a crazy Austrian, and you get this....

Yep, the new bicycle speed record of over 130MPH has been set by 33 year old (lucky to make it to 34) Markus Stoeckl on a standard issue mountain bike down a ski slope in Austria. I am sure, this made sense to someone when he first pitched the idea.

To see the full effect, and to hear what a 130MPH mountain bike sounds like as it roars past you, check out the video.



And, not worries family, I will continue to stick to my MUCH slower pace.

No skis needed

Who needs skis? And who said bikes had to go away in the winter. I'm still riding. I love this!!

Christmas time is here.

Christmas has come to our house early this year. The lights are glowing on the outside of the house and welcome me home every night. The tree is up, and Gavin and Isabelle had a wonderful time decorating it this year with all of their favorite ornaments.

The stockings are hung, by the chimney with care and lots of other festive decorations are scattered about making the house glow with holiday warmth and cheer. The kids are very into Christmas this year, and love everything about the holiday. The lists are ready for Santa, and they have already paid him one visit at the mall. Christmas carols are on the radio daily, and both Gavin and Izzy have learned their favorites.

We have spent a family evening by the fire watching the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, and it is just as amazing as the first time I watched it. If you have not seen it in a while, I highly recommend it, if for no other reason, to remind yourself how cool Vince Guaraldi's music is.



Donna and I finished the Christmas shopping today, and neither of us can believe how early everything is done this year. We now have the entire month of December to enjoy the sights, sounds, warmth, and laughter of the season. Just the way it should be.

In the immortal words of Tiny Tim.....

Secrets

I read a post on Lisa Haneberg's blog a while back that discussed secrets. It included a link to this site, which I just find amazing and incredibly addicting. Seeing other peoples secrets makes me log-on first thing every Monday morning and go straight to this site to see the latest updates.

We all have secrets. What is it about a secret that makes it so hard to keep? As soon as we have one, we want to share it. And as soon as we know someone has one, we want to hear it. Post Secret, and the four books (I warn you in advance, you will not be able to put them down) that Frank has published, prove that we love to learn other peoples secrets.

More than that, I believe we are looking to learn that we are not the only person keeping our personal secrets. Everyone needs to feel like they belong. Possibly even with their deepest secrets.

So, I encourage you to check out the site, and to stop in to your local bookstore to check out a copy of the books. Maybe, you will find the same thing that Donna and I did when we stopped to read a copy at Borders.
Just like the video shows, people had placed notes with their secrets in between the pages of the books filled with secrets. What an amazing project.



I guess everyone really does love knowing, and telling, a secret.

Tour of Cali

There are three international professional cycling events hosted each year in the United States. The Tour de Georgia, the Tour of Missouri, and the Tour of California. The Amgen Tour of California will once again kick off the professional cycling season this February with another spectacular eight days of racing that will wind through the redwoods, wine country, and pacific coast of California.

Another thing that I just LOVE about the Amgen Tour is that, in parallel to providing an amazing cycling event, the tour will raise funds and awareness for Cancer care and treatment. Amgen has launched Breakaway from Cancer to "raise awareness and funds to support valuable services and programs, provided free of charge, that help people living with cancer".
So, I am already planning my trip to catch the first few stages of this amazing event starting Feb 17th. Anyone want to experience it with me??

What are you thankful for?

This is a great time of year. Most workplaces start to slow down, freeing up some valuable time for the employees. Families come together, and at least for the months of November and December, people re-focus on what is important in life. So, as I am sure you have been thinking about it while sitting in the airport, riding in the car, or on the train to wherever you are headed this time of year, what are you thankful for?

Each time I ask myself that question, the list gets longer (which is, of course, a good thing). Here are a few of the highlights. Feel free to send me some of yours.

Absolute, #1 on my list.....is family.

I am thankful... for the health and happiness of my wife and kids.

I am thankful... that I grew up an Anderson, with all the love, learning, and strength that comes with it.

I am thankful...that I married into that crazy Welch clan. There is no better family for love, fun, and support in good times and bad.I am thankful...for Gavin, because everyman needs a junior version of himself to grow up with. I am thankful...for Isabelle, because now My Little Girl makes me mushy.
I am thankful...for Donna, who, without any formal training, turned into the best wife and mother in the world. I am thankful...to all my friends and family who, though may not understand my passion, support it, giving the Lance Armstrong Foundation another record breaking year.

I am thankful...for my bike, and all the wonderful opportunities and people it has introduced me to.

I am thankful...that I have reached a point in my life where I can start to teach those that have taught me.

I am thankful...that the Internet exists to offer this forum, and people like you are willing to read what I have to say.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

TNUA

Starting in October, I have been dusting off my old mountain bike, and joining a group of 40-60 other cyclists on Tuesday nights for the Tuesday Night Urban Assault ride. We meet at the Adams Street Community Center in Corn Hill, and head out for our ride promptly at 6:15pm. The rides are lead by Scott Page of Full Moon Vista Bike Shop, and Saturn of Rochester Twilight Criterium fame.

Each weeks route is different, and we never know where we are headed until we get under way. But, one thing is always known. We will find new and interesting places to explore in the city, and we will always get a great work out.

The TNUA rides are amazing. I have now seen beautiful areas of the city of Rochester that I would never have seen from a car. In addition, I have visited sections of the city that, since we are such a large group, would not be considered safe normally. The rides along the sides of the river, through the wooded trails, Highland Park, Mt Hope Avenue, Monroe Ave, Lake Ave, St Paul Blvd, U of R, and over countless bridges, walkways, stairways, and trails have opened my eyes to the fact that Rochester truly is a beautiful city. Especially after dark. Did I mention that part?? It is in the dark, and goes all winter long. October through March.

Those that attend the TNUA rides are there for the love of cycling. The group is never the same from week to week, but the spirit and atmosphere always is. A group of men and women. Old and young, who absolutely love to be on a bike. No matter the weather. I have found yet another way to love my sport of cycling.

So, if you are in the area on a Tuesday night and have 2 1/2 hours free, I encourage you to come along. I promise you an experience that will change a lot of things, both physical and mental.

For Love of Sport

I love the sport of cycling. But, even I will admit that this past year of doping scandals, team foldings, and rider firings has done nothing but continue to degrade the public opinion and image of a pure and beautiful sport.

So, as the cycling world spends the off season tending too its flattened tires, scratched paint, bent frame, and bruises, I felt the need to remind myself what cycling is truly about.

Passion. Commitment. Pain. Respect.

Enjoy.

Transformers

Gavin has turned into an absolute Transformers nut. I love it!! Luckily, he has learned to respect the classics.



Good thing I saved my old toys....

Happy Birthday Izzy

My baby girl turns 2 today. Happy Birthday Isabelle.

Daddy loves you.

Perception of a man

I have been in the Telecommunications industry for about 10 years now. To be more specific, I have been a Telecomm Engineer for about 10 years now. I have moved around in the industry, holding various Engineer and Management positions at different companies. But always maintained the working title of something, something Engineer something.

I never really thought about how I was defining myself within the industry with the positions I held, and how this definition impacted how I was perceived within the corporation. "Oh, he's an Engineer", "Charlie? He's in Engineering". The stereotypes of an Engineer, became the perception of who I was due to my longtime association with the Engineering department. What stereotypes? C'mon, you know them. Geek. Loner. Doesn't interact well with others. Can't speak the same language as other humans. Technical. Engineers.

The difference? Other than a title, I am anything BUT an Engineer. I am just as comfortable in a network lab as I am in the Board Room. I can troubleshoot an equipment outage and then complete the departments yearly budget. I can teach both a CEO and a Professional Engineer how to work the same piece of equipment. I guess that's why I have always sought out the non-Engineer roles, within the Engineering Department, and relished in the fact that I can succeed as the anomaly to the standard. But, recently I have been in a position that I didn't enjoy, and have been looking for other opportunities.

So, what does an Engineer, who is not really an Engineer, do when they run out of places to not be an Engineer in the Engineering Department? They go into Marketing of course. Now, I led you through my perception discussion for a reason, and it is this, perception impact is not realized until you try and move to where your perceived traits are NOT the traits of the masses. Meaning? Engineers are not in Marketing. And to get into Marketing, I had to prove that I was not an Engineer.

To cross company lines, I had to validate to the Marketing Department that I was more than 10 years worth of various Engineering titles on my resume. That I was not the perception of an Engineer, but rather someone that could walk, talk, socialize, and speak a language that they could understand. Someone capable of doing their job. Able to live in their world. And don't think it was one sided. To the Engineers I had to defend my decision to "move to the dark side". To join the land of the non-thinkers. To voluntarily lobotomize myself and my career.

Marketing thought they knew what to expect from me because I was an Engineer. I proved them wrong. Engineering thought they knew what to expect from a Product Development Manager. I proved them wrong also. Seems a lot of our believed truths are based on perception, rather than fact. Maybe, given a little more open-minded living in the world, we can prove ourselves wrong a few more times as well.

I know I am sure having fun doing it.

God Bless the Nation

The Red Sox Nation!!

Click on the picture to watch a montage of the run to the world series title.

Happy Halloween

He's strong, handsome, and stands up for everything that is the American dream. She is a beauty, with strength to take on both man and beast. And, with warm weather in the forecast, and plenty of treats to keep their engines and legs running, I see an action packed Halloween adventure in our future!

Happy and safe Halloween from Captain America and Belle!

Пойдем Команда Astana!

Or, for those of us not so familiar with the Russian language, Let's go Team Astana!

I did a post last month entitled Discovery is Gone, mourning the end of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team after the most successful run in professional cycling history. Well, as often happens when a great organization unexpectedly closes up shop, several of the riders and staff of Discovery Channel have found a new home together.

Team Astana Pro Cycling is headquartered in Switzerland, but backed by the Kazakhstan government. Team Astana ended the 2007 season in disgrace after having several of it's members convicted of doping, and having the entire team kicked out of the Tour de France after failed drug tests. Despite all this, the Kazak government has committed to continuing it's sponsorship and funding of the team, and has brought in the former Discovery Channel management, Directors, and star riders to clean up the program, image, and restore the race reputation of the team.

The new look Astana will be headed by none other than Johan Bruyneel who brings with him the proven team of Assistant Directors Sean Yates and Viatcheslav Ekimov. The riders making up the Astana roster for 2008 will include 2007 Tour de France Champion Alberto Contador, as well as 2007 Tour de Georgia winner Jani Brajkovic, grand tours specialists Benjamin Noval and Sergio Paulinho and sprinter Tomas Vaitkus. In addition, Levi Leipheimer, third place finisher in this years Tour de France, and overall champion of the 2007 Tour of California will provide a great leadership role for the team.

So, what were once blue's at the loss of Discovery have turned to joy at it's resurrection under new colors and a new flag. Although my heart and cheers will still be with American based Team Slipstream this season, it is great to know that my "old friends" at Discovery have found a home, and will provide many more years of great competition.

Soapbox

I am not a very political person. I am a democrat by affiliation, and by vote. I am not a person to publicly question any one's views or beliefs or to seek out a soapbox to distribute mine. Recently however, I find myself fighting back the urge to yell. To grab the American media empire and shake them. To take all of the Executive Producers and Senior Editors and ask them, "what are you thinking?", "where have your brains gone?". Maybe then, someone will explain to me how our priorities have gotten so incredibly out of whack.

Let's face it, our World is pretty damn screwed up. Scary, even. Take this week. Our soldiers continue to die in a war that has gone on so long, most people have forgotten the reasons (insert your favorite Bush-ism here) why we are in it. Such a huge section of California is burning, that just about everyone in the country knows a family member, friend, or colleague impacted. Gas prices are back on the rise (ride a bike. it's free and a lot greener than your Prius). And, a new deadly Staph based super-bug is moving through our schools.

With all of these true, terrible, things happening to real people around us, what did the media determine was the priority for America this week? Marie Osmond faints on Dancing with the Stars. With the video (if you are looking for the link to the video here. Not a chance.) and interviews played over, and over, and over. No interviews with mothers who lost their sons in Iraq. Wives who are raising kids alone. Just an outpouring of concern for Marie's fainting on live TV. Priorities people!!

Ah yes, priorities. I must be speaking of Britney and her ever evolving legal battles. According to the news this week, she got to spend last weekend with her kids AND paid off the other driver to nullify the hit and run charges. Wonder how many California families are all spending time with their kids in the shelters this week?? Ain't reality a bitch.

Okay, so my point. I really do have one. I want to know what happened. Where's my Walter Cronkite? Is the media driving us, or are we driving the media? When did the American people stop wanting to hear and feel reality? Maybe, if we all paid a little bit more attention to the reality around us, we would all be inclined to impact a little bit more change. Maybe the daily news is the one place in our lives we DON'T need distractions? Tell us what happened. Tell us how we can help. It can be that simple. It can be whatever we want it to be.

Thank you for listening.

What a day.....

Man, am I ever tired. What a Sunday! The Red Sox are headed back to the World Series after coming back from a deep series hole. Go Sox!!!

Oh yeah, and the unstoppable force Patriots moved to 7-0 with a simple little Tom Brady 6 TD effort against Miami.

Great time to be a fan of the Bean Town boys.......

Time to Rally

Break out those rally caps, the Bo-Sox need some help!! Coincidentally, in researching the origin of the rally cap, come to find out that the boys from Bean Town are at the heart of the inception of the rally cap. According to the obvious online experts at rallycap.com, the Rally Cap was born during the 1986 World Series when the New York Mets were playing the Boston Red Sox. The Mets were losing Game Six and already down 3 games to 2 in the series; it seemed almost certain that the Red Sox were going to be the 1986 World Series Champs! In the 7th Inning of that game, something amazing happened; the Mets all started wearing their caps inside out while sitting in the dugout. Catching on, the fans also started to sport their caps inside out and called it the "Rally Cap".

After that, the Mets rallied back and went on to win Game Six in the Tenth Inning-forcing a Game Seven. Then, in Game Seven, the Mets found themselves falling behind again by a score of 3-0 and in need of a little more magic. Once again, the players and the fans put on their Rally Cap. The rest is Baseball History; the Mets rallied back to win Game Seven by a score of 8-5 and became the 1986 World Series Champs! (Boo!!)

So, in keeping with apparent Bean Town history, c'mon Boston fans, flip those hats inside out, and lets get a little of that rally cap mojo working our way this time.

The Funk

No matter how hard we try, regardless of the job we have (traveler, desk jockey, middle-management, CEO, or Mom) the funk seems to roll around every now and then. You've been there. You find yourself questioning if you are in the right position, does what I am doing really matter, have I achieved my goals, and is this all there is?? And when the funk comes, it impacts work, home, family, your whole life.

When I get the funk, I inevitably find myself soul searching and looking at what I am presently holding as priorities. What I usually find, is that a contributor to my funk, is that a high percentage of my daily effort, is NOT being applied towards those tasks that I would consider a priority in my life. This high effort, low reward recognition helps to keep my priorities in check, and refocuses my efforts on those priority items that will tip the scales back to a favorable low effort, high reward state, thus moving me out of the funk. It sounds easy, but in practice is a tough mental game to play in today's business world with longer hours, tight deadlines, and limited staffing.

I enjoy reading the postings of Management Consultant and Instructor Lisa Haneberg. She recently posted a useful tool to help visualize the very exercise that I have been using for the funk. She calls it The Clump Grid.

Lisa instructs that to use The Clump Grid, and gain the most benefit, you must:

1. Include as many activities as possible. Take the time to be thorough.
2. Define "reward" wisely. This is the key, isn't it? We will each define rewards differently, but we need to be clear so we can put activities in the right boxes. And what you find rewarding might change over time. How you define rewards ought to align with your goals and how you define success.

So the next time the funk finds you, take a look inside, and give The Clump Grid a test. I bet you will find that a simple (not so much) shift in your daily effort:reward practice will make all the difference in the world.

The Unstoppable Force: Defined!!

LIVING STRONG

This has been another amazing year of Cancer support and awareness. With the support of family, friends, and colleagues who share the recognition of what an important goal it is to rid the world of Cancer, we again raised over $5200 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. All I can say to each and every one of you, is Thank You.

It will take more than one event each year to win this fight. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I encourage all of you to make the fight against Cancer a year long event. Promote awareness within your communities, and remember what it means to LIVESTRONG.

Consider riding along side me next year, and sharing in a life changing experience for yourself. LIVESTRONG means having the courage to try.

Bidding a Co-worker Farewell

Very few people working today will spend 20-30 years with the same company. Longevity is just not possible with the volatility present today in industries big and small. Those working today, myself included, feel lucky to get 5-7 years at a company before some inside or outside force induces a change. In addition, companies rarely put up permanent structural roots, with the moving of office space as frequent as the change over in employee base.

It was not always this way. Fresh faces from college would walk into the doors of a building for their first day on the job, and walk out 35 years later having lived their entire lives within the same corporate walls. My father spent his entire career with Kodak. 32 Years. Kodak brought him and my mother to Rochester from Maine to start their lives. All I have ever known is being a Kodak family. For 29 of his 32 years, my father was in Kodak bldgs 65 or 69. Starting in the Color Print Processing division of bldg 65, he was one of the first 4 people to move into bldg 69 when it opened in 1968. Beginning with bldg 69s Photographic Technology group, and ending with Marketing Technical Support, my father spent time on 7 out of 8 floors in bldg 69 throughout his career. Kodak was his employer, but bldg 69 was a trusted co-worker.
As with many industries these days, Kodak is changing. No more the film and photopaper giant, they are transforming into a Digital provider. With this change, comes the shedding of assets, both human, and physical. To dispose of some of their largest physical assets, Kodak has spent this summer imploding buildings around Kodak Park that are now vacant due to the downsizing and elimination of film and paper production. This morning, at 7:30am, I joined my father to watch buildings 65 and 69 come down.

Istood by my fathers side as he gathered with past co-workers to reminisce about their years in bldg 69. I heard the people around us discussing their offices, their favorite floors, how many years they spent in the building, and who was missing from the gathering. I was picturing all of the times growing when I would visit my father in his office. The semi-circle entrance drive. The guard station in the lobby. The marble floors, and the elevator ride up to his floor. The pictures on the walls. The table I would sit at in his office. Those who sat around him. I couldn't help but think that I will never know a co-worker as long and as well as my father knew bldg 69.

Then, with 8 quick bangs, my fathers buildings were gone. A trusted co-worker said good-bye, leaving all of us standing there with only our memories. My father has 29 years worth as one of the first and last in the history of bldg 69. And I have mine. From my days growing up, and of today and the experience I got to share with my father. Times change. Corporations change. And the Rochester skyline is again changed forever.

10/2

Today is 10/2. The eleventh anniversary of Lance Armstrong's cancer diagnosis. Imagine how many lives have been changed in the past eleven years.

Why not log on to www.livestrong.org and see what you can do in the fight against cancer.

The Good Stuff

A few years ago, I read the following quote by an anonymous author that literally provided the clarity of direction that I had not had before.

"One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child."

It has since become the cornerstone for all that I do, and is my reference point whenever I feel I need a sanity check on my priorities. I grew up blessed with parents that were guided by similar priorities, and took time to make sure the family enjoyed the good stuff. I am filled with memories of family trips to Maine, Vermont, Tennessee, and countless camping trips to various states and parks. To them, I say thank you.

The world we spend our days in today is too connected. Whether we are in or out of an office, the stresses, requests, and temptations of our jobs can find us on our cell phones, Blackberry's, or Wi-Fi laptops, making finding time for the good stuff that much harder. That is why I am so incredibly thankful that Donna, Gavin, and Isabelle all enjoy camping as much as I do. Once we are in the campground, I have one request of my time, and one priority. To be Dad. Unplugged, unconnected, unwired, and so completed satisfied.

So, to anyone who feels they may have their priorities a little mis-aligned, I say grab a tent, borrow a camper, pack a cooler, and head into the woods. I promise you, it will be therapeutic, and contagious. And, I can bet, you to will find yourself looking at your kids across a campfire and thinking, ah.... the good stuff.......

My Generation

Gavin has started describing anything that is old, as having happened or been built "way back in the eighties". Of course, being a proud member of the Eighties generation, I take offense to my generation being used as the new, old. Especially when so many great things were brought about during this time. Lets look back, shall we?

I graduated with the Webster High School class of 1989. I have very fond memories of walking the halls of dear old Webster High in my acid washed jeans, Izod shirt, and my Swatch watch (complete with Swatch guard) on my way to band practice. Of course, the band I was in at the time was not playing any of the great songs by the timeless artists Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club, A-Ha, or Falco. I would have to wait until I was back in my car and could pop in a Memorex to listen to these greats.

Once I was home from school, I'd clear my sisters Cabbage Patch and Strawberry Shortcake dolls off the couch so I could catch the latest wisdom being sold by Bartles & James. Once into the latest episode of the A-Team, I would hate the frequent questioning of those wanting to know "where's the beef"?

Friday nights would always be something special, as my friends and I would put on our shiniest pair of parachute pants, comb back the mullet, throw on the Members Only jacket, and head over to the movies to check out what was showing. Ghostbusters, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, Caddyshack, and Valley Girl we always big hits.

Then, it would be back to the house to curl up for some quiet time with my Rubiks Cube (check out this cool online version).

With all of these great, lasting contributions from my generation, I still can't figure out how Gavin can think of any of it as old. Maybe I just need to get him some parachute pants....

Favorite Time of Year

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. The sights, the sounds, the smell, and of course the leaves.