Ladies and Gentlemen...Ms. Amy Weiskopf

Within the last week, independent of each other two friends asked me for New Orleans restaurant recommendations as they were both going there for business conventions. Needless to say, they were not disappointed and I, of course, was jealous. Particularly my friend Christine who opted for the cuisine at Emeril's Delmonico. One of my all-time favs. She noted both the exquisite fare and the elegant, yet understated decor of the restaurant. Most notably in her observations, though, were the paintings on display both at the bar area and at various parts of the dining portion itself. In what was a seemingly deja vu encounter, it donned on her that the paintings were somehow vaguely familiar, though she had not been to Delmonico before. Things that make you go....hmmm?

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As it turns out, she has previously viewed the work of Amy Weiskopf at the Hackett-Freedman Gallery in San Francisco some time ago. Viola !! The fog began to clear. When the restaurant was renovated in July of 1998, the current owner wanted stunning paintings to hang in the restaurant, so he commissioned the world-renowned still-life artist to paint oil paintings that showcase the classic elements of Creole Cuisine. Weiskopf's paintings are noted for their visual acuity and tightly controlled compositions, wherein daringly arranged foodstuffs, seemingly poised on the edge of collapse or out of context, push to the forefront of the picture plane. According to the artist, her "paintings are more visual than narrative. They are about opposites, contrasts of tonal structure, color values and varying depths of space, creating a complicated visual experience within the precise format of still life." A unique style but very cool...
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Work Out Report:
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Friday: 5 mile run
Sat: Gym in morning (some people just cannot get up on the weekends...) and 28 miles cycling later in the day
Sun: 34 miles cycling

Mon: Walk 5 miles; Then ran 10x, 200 yard sprints w/ 200 yard active recovery in between

Tues: 6 mile run, at Wm.son County Park w/ Coach Bill's Clan

Wed: Gym and spin class, 20 mile equivalent workout...that spin class instructor is tuff!!

South Padre Bound...

Yesterday was a biz trip day to The Island. After boarding the plane, I began reading the daily Austin American mis-Statemen paper. And here's my horiscope du jour (BTW, Erin's the one who got me hooked on reading this silly stuff) : "There is always an exception to the rule, and today, you're it. You're special, your talent is special, and the world gives you special treatment. Soak it up. This doesn't happen every day or to everyone." I have to admit, I like this one...

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So, here are a few pix from the trip:

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1-Leaving the Austin airport. It's about 40 degrees outside.

2-The view from the client's second story louvered tower. It's about 72 degrees outside, now.

3-The front of the office that burned. Does this look like a $1 million fire to you? Me neither...

4-The back porch view, from the client's beach home. I gotta tell you...it would be uber cool to look out your back window or door, to to see this each and every day.

5-And, (insert circus music...) no trip to SPI would be complete without a stop at Shell World !!

6-H-Town on the return trip. BTW, where is that service attendant with my beer??

Zee Marathon !!

Missy, Cameron and numerous friends, neighbors and acquaintences ran either the entire AT&T Marathon on Sunday or the half. What a truly exciting event to witness. I was also lucky enough to watch the leaders basically fly by me, not once but on four different occasions.

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Missy and Cameron did well, finishing with a 4:12 time on what was their first marathon. Here are a few pix:

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1-Missy and Cam at the beginning, trying to stay warm

2-The start line for the race

3-Cam and Missy (in the back) at mile 19. I met Matt and Donna (my friends and neighbors) on Arroyo Secco to see this part.

4-Missy's brother, Mark, up from Houston as a surprise visitor for the run.

5-Yours truly, Donna and Matt....what great fun it is to live in this town !!

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Work Out Report:

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Thurs: "Rest Day" What, you did something else??

Fri: Real Rest Day

Sat: Gym and spin class, 20 mile equivalent

Sun: 38 Bike miles, cruising around the marathon course....brrrr, a quite chilly 40 degrees, to start

Mon: Yet, another rest day....I suppose I need to get my ass busy, again !! Sheeze...that work thing is starting to materially interfere with my work outs, again...

Grand Champion !

Tuesday evening as I was watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, it occurred to me how riduculous some of these "Champions" look. The Poodles look like some sort of girly Star Wars creature, instead of someone's pet. BTW, who would go out in public with a dog that looks like this...I mean REALLY?

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However, the coolest of the real dogs where the Akita and the Beagle "UNO," the latter of which won Best In Show. The Akita reminded me of my own dog, Rocket, who is part Akita and part Collie. UNO I must say, is a studly dawg and to boot he lives right here in Austin, TX !! Geaux UNO !!

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Work Out Report:

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Mon: 27 miles on the Bike (Did I mention how I love riding my bike??)

Tues: 5 mile run (actually, an easy run...imagine that)

Wed: Gym workout and 1 hr. spin, 20 mile equivalent (my legs were a little sluggish for some, odd reason)

I Am A Star !!

Last Tuesday, after a run, Erin casually mentions something about doing a small, very casual, 5K on Saturday morning right near her house. BTW, she's kind of sneaky and persuasive like that. Later in the week, as my introduction into 5K's in general, I sign up for the Lil Longhorn and meet both Erin and Maggie there to do the run. The run well, I did a 27.06 and we each go our separate ways afterwards. It was fun...

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The surprise comes later. On Sunday morning, I'm reading the Austin American Mis-Statesmen and what do I find inside of the Metro Section...a picture of Moi, along with all of the others at the beginning of the run. (I am right under the "O" in the white hat and shades) I never was able to locate either Erin or Maggie in the photo (above). Anyway, it's probably for the best...those two already have America's Most Wanted in hot pursuit of them as we speak !! Since they are not visible in the picture near me, I won't have to answer all of those 'Persons of Interest' inquiry calls from the authorities...

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Workout Report:

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Mon: Pas Rien. Rest day.

Tues: 5 mile run. Begin to feel the onset of a nasty sinus thing.

Wed: Sick Day

Thurs: Bike, 27 miles...hacking all the while

Fri: Gym workout for a couple of hours; also, 3 miles on the dreadmill

Sat: 5k (!) or 3 miles + 15 miles on bike with Stephen

Sun: 15 miles on bike at Veloway...discovered that I'm a local celebrity ...lol

What's Wrong With This Picture ??

A friend of mine sent this picture to me. These men are installing and setting solid steel pillars in concrete to stop vehicles from parking on the pavement, outside a sports bar in downtown Norman, OK. Apparently, the Okies are cleaning up at the end of the day.

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So, how long do you think it will be before they realize where their vehicle is parked? And, they wonder why we make fun of them, so !!

Allons a Mardi Gras !!

Horoscope Du Jour: Embrace your weirdness today. Trying to be 'normal' is a pointless waste of time. I think for once, they have me pegged...especially on this day that is so revered and celebrated in my native New Orleans. I suppose my horoscope parallels the addage: you can take the boy out of the City (a term New Orleanians use to refer to their hometown) but you can't take the City out of the boy. Happy Mardi Gras everyone !!

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As you can tell, everyone gets involved in the festivities: Grand Ma's, Cave Men and Women, Dorks Extraordinaire and Indians (a self-described term used by Creole African Americans who have a Taino Indian, Caribbean Native American, heritage). Very fun and interesting stuff even for those NOT intoxicated for the event !!

The Positive: Workplace and Life

Leadership is not about the size of your office or the prestige of your title. And it's not just for CEOs and VPs of sales. We all can lead, in all that we do. For me, true leadership is more about the depth of your commitment and the strength of your character than about the position that you hold. Lead without a title, as it were.

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To me, leadership is a way of being. It's about inspiring all of those who surround you to realize their gifts and stand for personal greatness. It's about taking responsiblility for every dimension of your life, as opposed to blaming others for what's not working. It's about devoting yourself to excellence in every pursuit and making things better, no matter how good they already are. After all, when has "good enough" really ever been good enough?

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Leadership is also about connecting to people. Deeply. Genuinely. Passionately. Because business and life are really all about people. And people can always spot a fake...

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A friend of mine were having a discussion recently, about how incredibly short life can be. How we need to dream, act and be the people we know we can be... right now. How all that we can leave behind, in the end, are the great things we have done and the kindness we have given others. And, how success is powerful. But living with integrity and significance is even better. Those of us who live with all of these elements are those who are superb leaders and human beings. These are goals with the underlining understanding that none of us are perfect.

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The bottom line is any person who wants to lead and live a remarkable life, can. Teachers, entrepreneurs, artists and students can lead. As Mark Twain once wrote, "if everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes."

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Work Out Report:

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Sat: 3 miles...measly, I know but I have friends who are bad influences on me. ; )

Sun: 1 hr, spin class, 20 mile equivalent

Mon: Rest Day (small, family emergencies notwithstanding)

Tues: Gym and 1hr, spin class, 20 mile equiv.

Wed: Gym and 1hr, spin class addiction 'fix', 20 mile equiv.

Thurs: 7 miles on the trails, sans the walk breaks. My longest continous run, to date.

Fri: Happy Hours vs. Gym and a Run? ....hmmm; TBD