Great Purple Cheese

I read an interesting article yesterday while getting my hair cut. Normally, a hair cut entails reading People or some other brainless, sugary nonsense. But yesterday, I grabbed Fortune and read an article by Jim Collins - the Good to Great guy.

Now, I don't normally make a practice of reading books like Good to Great, Purple Cows, Cheese Moving, etc. In my last job, the executives would constantly drop those books on my desk and say, "Figure out how we can be the purple cow." 

And I'd enthusiastically (though sarcastically in my head) respond* that it sounded like a great idea and I'd get right on reading all about it. The problem was that they thought this kind of transformation needed to happen in the marketing department with no real backing from anywhere else in the company. So, I basically didn't waste my time with these books because by the time I would have finished it, there would be the new greatest business idea and the old one was long forgotten. Oh, and the real change/remarkableness/corporate identity espoused by the books? Wasn't going to happen.

So now I believe that these business-focused books are the guys version of self-help books. Change the book subtitle from 'Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable" to "Transform Your Life by Being Remarkable" and the whole concept would be shunned as self-help shenanigans for women. (Which in full disclosure, I love.)

Back to the hair salon - I saw Jim's name and photo and thought I'd give his article a shot. After all, he went rock climbing with a college friend of mine and then proceeded to write a grad school recommendation for him (and yeah, the academic world fawned over that letter). So Jim seemed like a good guy and the least I could do was give his article a shot.

The article talked about what businesses should be doing in the midst of the economic crisis we are facing. It was probably the whole Good to Great book distilled down to 2,000 words or less to concisely fit in a magazine format. But it definitely got me thinking.

You see, I don't know about you, but the current economy is freaking me out. I'm paralyzed about what to do. Do we sell the house or not? Do we plan a vacation or not? Do we invest money or save money? Can I count on having a job for the next 6 months? Dear God what happens if I don't have health insurance?

According to Jim, I need to snap out of it or I will die on the mountain because a mountain lion will eat me. I think somewhere in there is the lesson that there's huge opportunity here to make a difference, to be great, if you will. I just wish I could go rock climbing with Jim so he could tell me exactly how. But I will be looking out for mountain lions in the meantime 'cause I think they are hungry.

* I worked with a dear friend, Perrin, who was the master of this technique. I learned from the best. It isn't that either of us were bad employees - we were actually quite awesome. We just needed some coping skills at this job to keep focused on the really important things because otherwise we could have worked 100+ hour work weeks and still not accomplished anything.

Curve Ball

I thought I'd write something today insightful today about the Obama inauguration and how happy I am. But people that are much smarter than I am have got that one covered. So then I thought I'd write about my cat cheating on his girlfriend (the story involves multiple cashmere sweaters and should have a soundtrack straight outta the '70s and maybe a pornstache on the cat). Or maybe I'd write about the freakin' snow pile still on the North side of our block despite almost 70 degree weather. But sometimes, life throws you a curve ball. 

I found out today that a guy I grew up with died in a plane crash last week just outside Wray, CO. He was deadheading on the flight so the FAA records initially only showed the pilot & copilot.  But it was confirmed this weekend that Zach was on the flight too and died in the crash.

I have such a jumble of memories of Zach - mostly from elementary school when I was crazy about him. I remember playing blocks in first grade when he told me he had a girlfriend. 

"Oh, yeah, who is your girlfriend?" I asked, trying to be cool and hide my massive disappointment.

"It's you." Zach said. 

 

A little presumptive, but whatever. I was all about being his girlfriend.  Which mostly meant that I let him catch me when it was boys chase girls on the playground and vice versa. But apparently that was serious enough for 6-year olds because our teacher, Ms. Furnace, introduced our parents to each other as the in-laws at Parent / Teacher conference night. Which, I mean, was inevitable since we were going to get married after high school. Zach was going to play for the Broncos and I was going to be a yuppy lawyer. I really wanted to be a yuppy. 

I remember him dressing as an Ewok for Halloween, a whole bunch of us trying to break dance at Christine's birthday party (a massive fail on my part), school plays, and just a lot of silliness (all set to a soundtrack of Michael Jackson back before he was a giant weirdo). By the time Zach and I were in high school we hung out with different crowds. But we still had a good giggle at high school graduation about our former plans to get married (at 6, high school seemed plenty old enough for marriage).

And really, I haven't seen Zach in a long, long time. Maybe 7 years. I didn't even recognize him in the news footage. But the 6-year old in me feels like I've lost my first boyfriend.

Zach was a good guy and my heart hurts for his family.

You Know What They Did to Jesus?

I went to a 33rd birthday party this weekend and even though I had a fabulous time, I felt old. It isn't the highest friend birthday party number I've been to (I have lots of friends that are older than 33). And well, lots of older relatives, so I've been to their birthday parties too.

But here's the thing. I remember when I was a teenager and my Uncle Mike turned 33. Why was it so memorable? Well, my mom called him up to wish him a happy birthday and then said, "You know what they did to Jesus when he was 33?" And my mom and my uncle laughed and laughed because they grew up Catholic and Jesus and nuns are pretty funny stuff to the Catholics (as far as I can tell). Guilt, on the other hand, they take very seriously.

My parents making fun of religion was pretty darn funny to me too. It was almost as funny as my dad bitching out the Broncos on Sunday afternoons with all kinds of good swears when they didn't do well. My dad is a pretty soft spoken guy, but he has no problem coming up with all kinds of "advice" for the Broncos when they screw up that is best delivered in a tone that can be heard by the neighbors... 4 blocks down the street.

So, I'm at this birthday party with my dear friends from college at an old college hangout. And the guys are drinking beer and the girls are not (most of them are preggers and alcohol = hard times for me these days). Okay, so Will wasn't drinking beer because he hates it and Colleen was because she is awesome. But had this been 10 years ago, we all would have been drinking. Except for Will - he is impervious to peer pressure.

It occurs to me mid-way through dinner that I should ask the birthday boy, Brian, if he knew what they did to Jesus when he was 33. But then I realize that this is a bad idea because a) Brian isn't Catholic; b) it is kinda depressing if you aren't Catholic; c) it might just be depressing in general unless you are my mom and uncle.

And then I felt old for being mature enough not to blurt out a depressing topic, but also because my college friends are now the same age as my uncle once was. I mean, whatever, he was 17 once too but I don't remember that. But 33 seemed OLD when I was a teenager. My hip and cool uncle was OLD at 33.

I still have a few years to get to 33. So maybe it isn't me that is old, it is the people I hang out with. Yeah, that's it. (Shuffles off to take Metamucil and curl up in bed at 7 pm.)

17 Days and Counting

I bought some "airport trash" to read on my plane flight out to Seattle over Christmas. Yes, we finally made it to see Will's family - and there's photographic evidence here.

In my airport trash, there was an interview with the Bush family reflecting on leaving the White House. I have to admit that I've always kinda liked Laura, Jenna and Barbara. I could separate them from the idiot male Bush family member. Plus, a lot of my friends have commented that my mom looks like Laura Bush - and I have a very soft spot in my heart for my own mom.

They talked about showing the Obamas around the White House - and showing Malia & Sasha all the fun hide-and-go-seek spots. But then Barbara made a comment about how she was really excited for her parents to move back to Texas where her dad would be respected again and treated more fairly.  And that comment just made me bristle.

The dude at one point had the highest popularity rating for any president - and he's plummeted to the one of the lowest ratings ever. That's his own fault. And I just hope history judges him harshly for not only his complete and utter lack of leadership for the American people, but also for his incredible inability to take responsibility for his failures. I'd respect the guy a whole lot more if he could go into an interview and identify one thing, just one thing, that he would have done differently in his 8 years as president. Jeebus, I can think of one thing I'd have done differently already today (um, I ate a chocolate bon bon for breakfast, and I'd change that to something healthier).

So sorry, Barbara, that we're so harsh on your dad. It must be hard to love somebody so much and have so much criticism heaped on your loved one. But he volunteered for the job, twice. And he did a really bad job with it. And a lot of people are suffering because of that. 

Also? I'm excited for a president that can talk Engrish better with, you know, complete sentences and stuff.

2009: A Preview

In 2009 I plan to:

1. Rock the world with my song stylings.
2. Get a post in the Obama administration as the "Princess of Awesome."
3. Accomplish all things awesome in said post.
4. Find a cure for my fear of heights and water plants.
5. Sell said cure and make a million billion dollars.
6. Travel somewhere cool (not for work).
7. Breathe in, and then breathe out.  Repeat 18,000 - 30,000 times per day.
8. Take on Venus & Serena Williams single-handedly and show them how tennis is played.
9. Tell people what I'm really thinking.
10. Teach my cat to clean his own litter box.