A Job Not for Me

Based on a visit to the dentist recently I was reminded of a favorite show "Inside the Actor's Studio" with James Lipton (see photo). Toward the end of the interview he asks the actor a slew of questions, one of which is "if you weren't an actor what job would you absolutely not want to perform." The answers can be funny, honest, and surprising. Well I just figured out what job would not be for me and that is dentist.

I went to the dentist last Monday for a cleaning and to have two teeth fixed. One had a hairline crack and another needed the cap replaced. Although I was never in pain I was in constant discomfort, feeling like I must have looked like Hannibal Lector form Silence of the Lambs. They used things like a dental dam to make the experience better but it sucked. And this is not a reflection of my dentist. His operation is wonderful. They are thoughtful, quick, constantly aware of you and your discomfort, etc. But it made me realize I couldn't stand having to do work where I had to repeatedly say "are you ok? are you in pain? can I do anything to make you more comfortable?" because you know these questions are being asked because they know they are torturing you.

So I will let dentists be dentists and continue to keep my eye on the IT field. I truly like helping my clients and I don't think I inflict any pain or discomfort during the process.

What job would you abosolutely not want to do?

A Quote

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."

Douglas Adams

Air Companions, the new kid in town

I am so excited for the launch of our newest website for the business Air Companions. And my excitment is over its owner, Sonja Burns. Sonja is truly one of a kind and a dream client. She come to us by way of her daughter, Rachael Umstead of Meandering Maine, another amazing woman and client. Sonja had an idea to explore based on her years of nursing care and time as various facility adminstrators. She was excited about her idea but unsure of the path to take. She came to us with an open heart and mind. We discussed her vision, talked about steps she should take, and worked on a logo that fit her vision. That logo (see above) turned into business cards, business cards to website, and now we are putting the finishing touches on a brochure.

In brief Sonja is "your guardian angel in the air." She will travel with someone from point A to point B, anywhere in the world, for those that need physical assistance, mental assistance or are afraid of flying and cannot be accompanied by a loved one. I know you would see as soon as you met Sonja that your loved one could not possibly be in better care than with her. So think of her next time you have someone or know someone needing company, for whatever reason, during air travel.

For more information please go to: www.aircompanions.com

Collaboration is Key

I had a meeting today in Augusta on behalf of Midcoast Magnet with our partners for Juice 2.0. This was our wrap up meeting to identify success but maybe better opportunities for improvement. The meeting started off with a bang with Donna McNeil from the Maine Arts Commission (MAC), a true whirling dervish of a force, said "we are in for Juice 3.0 with the same resources and financial commitment." What a great way to start our meeting.

In attendance was a good crew from Midcoast Magnet, also a good crew from MAC and then the Maine Development Foundation or more specifically Ed Cervone. We talked about what worked with Juice 2.0 and where were the opportunities to make the next Juice even better. We focused in on goals, opportunities, quality, and direction. Excellent points were made as to how to hone in and produce a better quality conference in 2011.

As much as I suspect we all need a break from Juice, the positive energy around the conference was such that we are all willing to jump on board now. That is amazing to me. And even if we don't each have the drive personally right this second, together Juice 3.0 will be more than amazing. That is energizing, rewarding, and something to look forward to.

Thanks to our Juice partners. Thanks to successful collaborations. Time flies, look for updates for November 11 & 12, 2011.

A Talk

So my mom and I had the opportunity, thanks to a kind request from Mary Bumiller, to speak at the midcoast chapter of the Maine Women’s Network.  Mary asked us to speak about our technology backgrounds, how we got to Maine, and how we came to collaborate. 

The talk was a great opportunity for both me and mom.  I won’t speak for mom, but for me personally, it makes me nervous to talk in front of others.  This seems strange because I did years of training for groups of people from 5 – 40.  But it has been a while and when you are out of practice you are out of practice.  This became clear when I had to be on stage for a very short while during the Juice 2.0 conference.  I thought I would throw up.  But I got through it.

During the talk mom and I both spoke how we came upon technology, her via a serendipitous move to Seattle and me through an out of college job with dad.  We talked of influences, experience, and impressions.  I did prepare a Power Point that had old family photos of 2 influences each for me and mom.  But my mom was uncomfortable sharing them with the group, she felt maybe it wasn’t appropriate.  But after the talk, that seemed well received, I had many requests for the photos, especially the one of me and my tutu.  So here I share the photos with you. 

My mom and her grandmother, Ruth Buys. 

Me and my brother! 

My parents, Roy on the left, Lee on the right.

Me in my tutu.

Thank you to Mary and Maine Women’s Network for hearing our story.  It was a great experience that we both enjoyed and are extremely pleased to have had.

Networking Your Business

A goal of any business, regardless of size of community, city or county, should be to network, and network often.  There are so many great ways to do this and many are free (and easy): blogging and getting followers, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, chambers of commerce, networking groups/meetings, board participation and many others.  At LHT we have many conversations about networking and try to divide and conquer.  The great thing is it isn’t a chore, at least not in a small community like mid-coast Maine. 

This morning I was at my twice monthly Camrock Network meeting.  Camrock is a group of women, only one woman per profession, that meets to get to “know, like and trust” one another because you are more likely to work with people you know, like, and trust.  The group was started over 2 years ago by some entrepreneurial women looking to start a group in complete support of women.  We are 19 women strong meeting on Tuesdays in a local coffee shop, sharing elevator speeches, asking for referrals, hearing one of our members speak for 15 minutes or so about their business, and then talking about the referrals we made for other people’s business.  As I left the meeting today, a group of elderly gentlemen meeting for their morning coffee said they wanted to join the fun because we were laughing and carrying on.  I guess that is a good sign of our meetings.

In our 19 strong we have very talented and lovely women that include: a banker, insurance agent, an architect, a structural engineer, doula, day spa owner, unique Maine tourism site, website/database designer, dog care specialist, photographer, nutritionist, cloth diaper service with laundry mat, building manager, car wash owner, jewelry shop owner, finish carpentry business, copier/supply service business, realtor, acupunturist, and accountant.

I welcome you to check out the Camrock website and the talented women involved.  And I encourage you to check out networking opportunities wherever you are.

The New Year Begins

I am very excited to start the new year tomorrow. 2010 is here! Now I realize it is the 4th of January, not the 1st, but I have always viewed the first day of the work year as the new year. I think this is primarily because for better or worse, a lot of my life is around work. I have been fortunate to own my own business for several years now and as the owner I spend time thinking and planning for a more successful next year. This year is no different.

A2 and I spent a little time talking last month about how to make 2010 more successful for LHT. And from that ideas continued spilling out from pen to paper. We have had the great fortune of gaining clients and respect for our work in the community but still have to figure out how to turn that into being a profitable business. Not an easy task. But I have set some goals, dreams, and desires that we will work on toward our success.

I also set some personal goals. I guess you can call them resolutions but I view them as goals. Resolutions seem to have a negative connotation, i.e. easy to break a resolution so I stick with goals, personal and professional.

I should list them here as a marker to check on January 3rd of 2011 but I will keep them in my handy dandy notebook for my reference.

I wish everyone peace, love, success, and prosperity in this year of 2010!

Fernandina Beach 2009

We took off from Georgia to Florida early afternoon on December 28th.  We had a 3.5 hour drive to Fernandina that turned into slightly over 4 due to construction on I-95.  But we drove over the bridge onto Amelia Island and into Fernandina without significant issue. 

We stayed at a hotel right on the beach.  Below is the view from our balcony.  It was an ok hotel, probably wouldn’t stay again, in a great location.  We did take advantage of the location and walked to the end of the island and back each day.  It was a little over 5 miles round trip. 

We took it easy in Fernandina.  Toured the downtown, the island, tried restaurants, did window shopping, walked, napped, read, and the celebrated new year’s with Eric and Suzy who came down for a few days of respite.

We also played miniature golf.  It was a fun game, Dan ahead on the front 9 and me ahead on the back for a tied game.  Dan wanted a play off.  Maybe tomorrow (not!).

There is interesting vegetation on the island.  The trees are incredible. 

We found an old cemetery on the  island.  I love old cemeteries.  They are fascinating, creepy and captivating.

  

 

 

 

 

 

The beach walk daily was freeing.  Wide open beaches, tons of shells, many varieties of birds, and sharks teeth.  Yes, sharks teeth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the good fortune of having Eric and Suzy in Fernandina for New Year’s.  Here is me and my bro after dinner:

We are both hams. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone.

Georgia 2009

After a few days in Alabama we drove 6 hours to Georgia to see my brother and his family.  They just moved from Leavenworth, Kansas to Garfield where he is now stationed at Fort Stewart, what they hope to be their last base until retirement.

The good news with this transfer for them is it puts them at Suzy’s family farm in Garfield.  It is a 400 plus acre farm, 70 miles from Savannah, with the next biggest town being Statesboro.   The farm was left to Sue, Suzy’s mother, by her grandfather.  It has been in the family since the 1800s.  Sue and Al, Suzy’s parents, make great use of the land by raising quail & goats, harvesting pecans, using part of the land for personal vegetable growing, fishing, and rental of land to others for steer and cotton.  It is breathtaking property from the moment you turn onto their road.  Great big oak trees with Spanish moss failing, pecan trees, ponds, livestock, and charming houses for the family. 

Eric and Suzy are now living in a house that has been on the property for some time that Sue fixed up for their arrival.  In the next year or so they will be building their dream home on the farm. 

See Eric and Will at play in front of the house, and their charming living room decorated for Christmas.

 

 

 

The beauty of being on so much land is the ability to take advantage of the great outdoors.  And we had perfect weather to take advantage of that.

Top left is Will on the way to see the quail.  Al raises them in a “bird farm” for sale to hunting organizations.  They are also a staple at Cox/Heffner family meals.  My brother is one mean quail griller.

  

Above - Eric looking toward the cotton fields.

Me and the boys, my boys.  Can you tell how happy I was to be there?

 

While at the farm I had a perfect day.  Now, I don’t have to complain about in life, and many of my days are great, but I am not sure how many are perfect.  December 27th was perfect. 

We awoke with a knock at the door from Ben wondering where we were.  This got our lazy butts out of bed and over to their house to see what the day had in store.  It was a day of family time, perfect family time.  We played basketball, football, nerf darts, Sorry Sliders, went to feed the goats, chase the steer in the golf cart, go fishing, pick & crush pecans to eat them raw, have dinner as a family with Suzy’s good cooking, and have battles on the Wii of Mario Carts and Galaga.  I went to bed with a HUGE smile on my face with a day well spent.  It made me wish we were going to stay there for a week. 

The new Christmas golf cart, perfect farm transport.

Pecan tree (to right). The goats.

Ben with a freshly cracked pecan.

The start of fishing.

Will concentrating.  Big winner of day!  Will caught the most fish.

Dan and his “big ole fish”.

While we stayed with Eric and family we stayed in the cottage that has been on the property since the late 1800s. 

This cottage belonged to a family that became very special to Sue’s family.  They were like family to Sue and when her family couldn’t find her, she was down at this cottage.  The family passed on and the cottage sat vacant down the road.  As a surprise Al moved the cottage up near their house.  Sue has maintained the history of the cottage, filling it with pieces from the period and maintaining it.  Yet, it is an extremely comfortable place to stay and Dan and I enjoyed it very much! 

I can’t wait to go back to the Cox Farm to spend time with my brother and family.  I had a tear in my eye when I left, a tear of joy.

Alabama 2009

Dan and I arrived in Ashford on December 23rd.  We made amazing time on our road trip, 24 hours exactly, 14 day one, 10 day two.  We checked in our hotel and then went over to Dan’s parent’s house.  We got there to Donnie and Dennis making dinner for our arrival.  The one thing the Cosby’s all know how to do is to supply food in enormous amounts.  And Dan (Danny to his family) coming home was reason to get everyone in the kitchen cooking. 

Our first meal, dinner on the 23rd, is chronicled in my blog “Observing Differences'”.  It was mesmerizing to me how differently people eat regionally.  And it also brought me back to many meals at my maternal grandparent’s house.  All home cooked, starch laden, fried, and greens. 

Our visit to Dan’s parents was so much fun.  It is amazing to me with Dan home, the ENTIRE extended family was there.  Even more amazing is they ALL live in the area except for black sheep Dan.  I made a little fuss about getting pictures.  We had to while everyone was there.

Here are all the Cosby men/boys: Dennis, Richard, Dan, Donnie, Kyle, Chris, Collin, Tyler, Eli, and Gunner is hiding somewhere.

 

The Cosby women: Gloria, Amber, Christal, Heather, LaWanna, Miley, and Clara.

Dan’s immediate family: Dan, Dennis, Donnie, Earl, Gloria, Clara.  Earl and Clara are his parents.  Dennis is the oldest, then Gloria, then Dan, then 11 months later, Donnie.

The little ones: Miley in back, Eli in middle, Gunner in front.

  

Gloria’s family (grandma Gigi), Gloria is the only one of Dan’s siblings to have children, she has two grown sons, Kyle and Chris, they have lovely wives, Christal and Heather, and children.  Gloria also has a teenager, Collin:

Time with Gigi:

Riding Uncle Donnie:

  

Did they really need Christmas presents or just play time in Earl’s empty truck bed:

The goats:

Oyster time – oysters are amazing in Alabama.  They are a tradition in the Cosby household.  Get a bushel, for so cheap it will make your head spin, shuck, serve with hot sauce and a saltine cracker (ok, I did without the cracker most times).  It is a family love.  Collin had never had one and Donnie said it was time.  I honestly thought he would puke.  But with better news, Christal attacked them and loved them.  She was surprised and pleased.

Collards – ok so I am in a green revolution (thanks Holly) and in Alabama things can still be grown successfully in December.  Earl had rows of beautiful greens, collards, turnips, mustard.  We went out into the garden, picked greens and then cooked them to be served at many of our holiday meals.  Yum!

We had a great time, and look forward to our next visit with the Cosby clan.  I had so much fun visiting with the family, watching Dan interact with his family, playing with the kids (I could have taken Gunner home with me), and eating southern food.  Until the next time…

The 2009 Holiday Road Trip

Dan and I embarked on a 10 day road trip for the 2009 holidays.  The idea started from Dan understanding that his parents are not getting any younger, and in not superb health so he wanted to go to Alabama.  Except for the driving part I jumped on board right away. 

It took us 24 hours over two days to reach Ashford, Alabama (near Dothan).  Dan drove every mile and I tried to stay awake with the help of a relatively fast moving book on tape “Arctic Drift” by Clive Cussler.  I took some cat naps and helped supply sustenance to my driver.

We stayed in Alabama over Christmas and left on the 26th for a 6 hour drive to Garfield, Georgia.  Garfield is about 70 miles from Savannah and where my brother, sister-in-law, my two nephews, and her parents all live on a 400 acre farm.  We arrived to clear skies and excited kids. 

We spent two days at the farm (I easily could have stayed longer) and then moved on to Fernandina Beach, Florida.  Fernandina is a little known town on Amelia Island, the northern most tip of Florida that looks directly across to Cumberland, Georgia.   Dan and I both love Fernandina and consider having a winter home there some day. 

All in all we had a great trip.  I flew home on January 1, 2010 to the start of a blizzard.  But I was ready to return to midcoast Maine, my dog, my house, my work, and seeing what is up for 2010.  Please see individual blogs on each segment of our trip.  I hope you enjoy our trip as much as I did.