We were treated to ridiculous amounts of champagne and caviar, canapes, live entertainment, and thoughtful gift bags at the end of the night. Our hats off to the event coordinators. Job well done. Very impressed.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Monte Carlo SBM's 150th Anniversary Party
We were invited to attend the Monte Carlo SBM's 150th anniversary party on October 25 at the Saadiyat Island beach club. SBM is the Monaco royal family's holding company for all the hotels, casinos, and beach clubs in Monaco, which also owns the Monte Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi.
We were treated to ridiculous amounts of champagne and caviar, canapes, live entertainment, and thoughtful gift bags at the end of the night. Our hats off to the event coordinators. Job well done. Very impressed.
We were treated to ridiculous amounts of champagne and caviar, canapes, live entertainment, and thoughtful gift bags at the end of the night. Our hats off to the event coordinators. Job well done. Very impressed.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Barcelona, Spain
This was our first time in Barcelona and all we can say is wow! It's such a beautiful city. Amazing architecture, great urban design, beautiful courtyards, and countless alleys lined with shops. Jessica's Lonely Planet book came out and she had us running all over the city to see the best that it has to offer. She was even successful in getting Brian on one of those double decker, open air tourist buses, which until now, he's been reluctant to get on for fear of looking like a tourist. Deep down, he really enjoyed seeing Barcelona by bus on our first day.
Some of our highlights: the Mies van der Rohe pavillion, the Antoni Gaudi buildings, the Sagrada Familia church, and the pedestrian promenade along the coast.
We even managed to do some things organically that weren't listed in Jessica's Lonely Planet book (gasp). While walking around, we stumbled upon a wine tasting event that was taking place in one of the many public squares. The price was reasonable and what better chance to taste some local Spanish wine. And the notion of drinking in public has become foreign to us and we simply couldn't refuse the opportunity.
A little factoid about us that you may not know is that whenever we travel, we try to find a single piece of art that symbolizes the city, country, or culture of the place we're visiting. It's a fun task to undertake and adds a unique memory of our travels to our home. The pieces don't necessarily need to be expensive or rare, but they do have to be unique and original. On this trip, we came across a small art collective set up in a public square. We found one artist's work that caught our eye and picked out the piece that would symbolize our trip to Barcelona.
After 4 days in Barcelona and a total of 10 days of travel, we were exhausted and ready for a relaxing holiday on the beach. Hmmm, where should we go next...
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Some of our highlights: the Mies van der Rohe pavillion, the Antoni Gaudi buildings, the Sagrada Familia church, and the pedestrian promenade along the coast.
We even managed to do some things organically that weren't listed in Jessica's Lonely Planet book (gasp). While walking around, we stumbled upon a wine tasting event that was taking place in one of the many public squares. The price was reasonable and what better chance to taste some local Spanish wine. And the notion of drinking in public has become foreign to us and we simply couldn't refuse the opportunity.
A little factoid about us that you may not know is that whenever we travel, we try to find a single piece of art that symbolizes the city, country, or culture of the place we're visiting. It's a fun task to undertake and adds a unique memory of our travels to our home. The pieces don't necessarily need to be expensive or rare, but they do have to be unique and original. On this trip, we came across a small art collective set up in a public square. We found one artist's work that caught our eye and picked out the piece that would symbolize our trip to Barcelona.
After 4 days in Barcelona and a total of 10 days of travel, we were exhausted and ready for a relaxing holiday on the beach. Hmmm, where should we go next...
.JPG)
Montpellier, France
From Paris we took the train down to Montpellier on the southern Mediterranean coast. Brian loves travelling by train and who doesn't love the convenience, comfort, and of course, the cost. It's so cheap to travel by train in Europe and everything works so efficiently.
We arrived in Montpellier and rented the smallest car on the planet and without a map or GPS or data download capabilities on our phones, we drove around the city trying to find our hotel. Whoever planned this part of our journey needs a travel refresher course. Maps are priceless. Anyway, we eventually found our hotel and well, to put it mildly, it was basic. We stayed three nights and it served its purpose. Afterall, coming to Montpellier wasn't necessarily about comfort, relaxation, or even touristy endeavors. We were here to investigate the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France as a potential locale to purchase a vacation home. According to our research, it ticked all of our boxes. Beaches, mountains, vineyards, big and small cities, beautiful countryside, etc. The reality is that after 3 days of driving to Carcassone, Narbonne, through the countryside, and up and down the Mediterranean coast, we realized that this wasn't the place for us. Not that there's anything wrong with Montpellier and the surrounds, it's just not what we're looking for. Alas, that's what this leg of the journey was all about and we considered it a successful few days because now we know to start looking elsewhere in France. We've already found the next region that we want to explore. Hint: it came to us one night while sharing a really nice bottle of Bordeaux wine. Stay tuned.
Another train and another city. We're off to Barcelona, Spain.
We arrived in Montpellier and rented the smallest car on the planet and without a map or GPS or data download capabilities on our phones, we drove around the city trying to find our hotel. Whoever planned this part of our journey needs a travel refresher course. Maps are priceless. Anyway, we eventually found our hotel and well, to put it mildly, it was basic. We stayed three nights and it served its purpose. Afterall, coming to Montpellier wasn't necessarily about comfort, relaxation, or even touristy endeavors. We were here to investigate the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France as a potential locale to purchase a vacation home. According to our research, it ticked all of our boxes. Beaches, mountains, vineyards, big and small cities, beautiful countryside, etc. The reality is that after 3 days of driving to Carcassone, Narbonne, through the countryside, and up and down the Mediterranean coast, we realized that this wasn't the place for us. Not that there's anything wrong with Montpellier and the surrounds, it's just not what we're looking for. Alas, that's what this leg of the journey was all about and we considered it a successful few days because now we know to start looking elsewhere in France. We've already found the next region that we want to explore. Hint: it came to us one night while sharing a really nice bottle of Bordeaux wine. Stay tuned.
Another train and another city. We're off to Barcelona, Spain.
Paris, Part Trois
We had a week off from work in celebration of the Eid holiday on October 12 and spent it travelling around France and Spain. But because of the holiday in the Middle East and a school holiday taking place in most of Europe, flight and hotel prices were extremely high. Fear not loyal followers, we did not succumb to the astronomical prices being served up to us. We have become savvy travelers and used one set of air miles to book flights to Paris on Air France and another set of air miles to book our return tickets on Air Berlin from Barcelona. As for the hotels, we stayed in a total dive in Montpellier to bring our total trip per night room rate down to something within reason. Jessica was less than thrilled with our hotel choice in Montpellier (and its lack of any star rating), but sometimes you have to make travel sacrifices.
So, we began our journey in Paris. Two days in the best city in the world sounds perfect and romantic, right? Not so much. Jessica got a touch of a stomach flu en route and spent the better part of our time in Paris in the hotel bathroom. Without going into too much detail on that subject, we did venture out into the streets one day and took in some art exhibitions and had a lovely lunch at L'Avenue. We hit up a few of our favorite shops, but had to forgo most simply because we didn't have the time to do everything on our list.
No time for Parisian regrets, we're off to Montpellier, France.
So, we began our journey in Paris. Two days in the best city in the world sounds perfect and romantic, right? Not so much. Jessica got a touch of a stomach flu en route and spent the better part of our time in Paris in the hotel bathroom. Without going into too much detail on that subject, we did venture out into the streets one day and took in some art exhibitions and had a lovely lunch at L'Avenue. We hit up a few of our favorite shops, but had to forgo most simply because we didn't have the time to do everything on our list.
No time for Parisian regrets, we're off to Montpellier, France.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Brian's US Visit
Brian ventured back home to Des Moines in September to visit family and to take care of some business in Kansas City. It was a short trip and unfortunately, he wasn't able to see everyone on his list.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The Failing of GNP Measurement
Gross national product does not allow for the
health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their
play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our
marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public
officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor
our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it
measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.
Robert F. Kennedy Address, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, March 18, 1968
Robert F. Kennedy Address, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, March 18, 1968
Deepak Chopra - The Soul of Leadership
On September 18, 2013 Brian was invited to attend an all day lecture from Deepak Chopra on the Soul of Leadership. He was speechless when he returned home that night. It was apparently an amazing speech and quite enlightening. Deepak autographed one of Brian's books and inscribed it, "All the answers exist inside of you." Brian's ego didn't exactly need that kind of existential boost.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Five Ways of "Waking Up" Your Life
“When one realises one is asleep, at
that moment one is already half-awake.” ― P.D. Ouspensky
Asleep at the wheel is an expression that can too easily become an accurate description of how we move through our days and show up in our relationships. Our senses become dulled and we don’t smell or taste what we consume, we hurry through the simple practices of hygiene never feeling our hands running across our own bodies in washing. It’s no wonder that so many sex lives turn into a rut of repetitive actions enclosed with ever narrowing boundaries of acceptable. Breaking out of our own internal prisons is a bold act of revolution and whether it applies most to your work, your relationships or your sex life the following list of tips practiced consistently will shake your internal chains free and wake you up to a life that will surprise you.
1. Take risks. Living on the edge of our own comfort zones is prerequisite to both truly appreciating what you have and opening up to new possibilities. Not knowing what might happen next is edgy, and in many ways, more exciting than watching a scary movie because the consequences are yours. The rising popularity of reality TV shows reflects an unquenched desire in most of us to dare to be great. You can start small — maybe try a new kind of food or going to a new place to grocery shop. Placing yourself in the midst of not knowing what will happen next wakes you up to what you do know.
2. Move your body. The statistics on the number of people who are relatively stationary even in sex is appalling. How we learn about whom we are in the most primary way from the time we are born is through our ability to move. Little babies spend their entire waking life reaching beyond their capacity to experience the world. Tap into that little baby still living somewhere inside you and be willing to risk the physical discomfort of arduous exercise, longer walks and new sexual positions. Truly the pain associated with using your body fully is way more interesting than the slow atrophy of sitting on a couch.
3. Use your senses. Be deliberate about learning more about your capacity to see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Adopt an attitude of savoring, which will add at least a couple of moments to every sensory experience. Look at colors around you and imagine what it would be like to paint them. Start listening for the subtle noises around you; it will entrain you to hear the quieter voice in your own mind. Take the time to taste the individual ingredients when you cook. Slow down the eating process and linger over a single bite. Smell the air where you are. Try to remember the last time you smelled a summer evening just like this one. Really feel how it feels to have a hand trace slowly up your back. Stay longer in a hug and feel the weight of someone leaning into you.
4. Build Better Habits. We are what we do every day. Choose to be challenged by your daily activities, which could be argued goes against human nature, but also elevates our human nature to our best selves. Developing daily practices that heal us become the framework for everything else that happens to us. Add a few minutes of meditation- any kind of meditation- to your days and be amazed how turning your attention inward focuses all the noise around you. Exercise routines that become habitual are harder to break and the sense of accomplishment associated with strengthening the body travels into everything else that happens.
5. Make Love More. Any kind of love. Explore and expand the pleasure centers in your own body. Give things away. Pay full attention to whoever is interacting with you. Allow people to be who they are and take that permission for yourself. Feel the visceral truth of gratitude even for the smallest life experiences. Get over yourself and ask for more love. Look for the love coming at you every day. It will wake you up.
Asleep at the wheel is an expression that can too easily become an accurate description of how we move through our days and show up in our relationships. Our senses become dulled and we don’t smell or taste what we consume, we hurry through the simple practices of hygiene never feeling our hands running across our own bodies in washing. It’s no wonder that so many sex lives turn into a rut of repetitive actions enclosed with ever narrowing boundaries of acceptable. Breaking out of our own internal prisons is a bold act of revolution and whether it applies most to your work, your relationships or your sex life the following list of tips practiced consistently will shake your internal chains free and wake you up to a life that will surprise you.
1. Take risks. Living on the edge of our own comfort zones is prerequisite to both truly appreciating what you have and opening up to new possibilities. Not knowing what might happen next is edgy, and in many ways, more exciting than watching a scary movie because the consequences are yours. The rising popularity of reality TV shows reflects an unquenched desire in most of us to dare to be great. You can start small — maybe try a new kind of food or going to a new place to grocery shop. Placing yourself in the midst of not knowing what will happen next wakes you up to what you do know.
2. Move your body. The statistics on the number of people who are relatively stationary even in sex is appalling. How we learn about whom we are in the most primary way from the time we are born is through our ability to move. Little babies spend their entire waking life reaching beyond their capacity to experience the world. Tap into that little baby still living somewhere inside you and be willing to risk the physical discomfort of arduous exercise, longer walks and new sexual positions. Truly the pain associated with using your body fully is way more interesting than the slow atrophy of sitting on a couch.
3. Use your senses. Be deliberate about learning more about your capacity to see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Adopt an attitude of savoring, which will add at least a couple of moments to every sensory experience. Look at colors around you and imagine what it would be like to paint them. Start listening for the subtle noises around you; it will entrain you to hear the quieter voice in your own mind. Take the time to taste the individual ingredients when you cook. Slow down the eating process and linger over a single bite. Smell the air where you are. Try to remember the last time you smelled a summer evening just like this one. Really feel how it feels to have a hand trace slowly up your back. Stay longer in a hug and feel the weight of someone leaning into you.
4. Build Better Habits. We are what we do every day. Choose to be challenged by your daily activities, which could be argued goes against human nature, but also elevates our human nature to our best selves. Developing daily practices that heal us become the framework for everything else that happens to us. Add a few minutes of meditation- any kind of meditation- to your days and be amazed how turning your attention inward focuses all the noise around you. Exercise routines that become habitual are harder to break and the sense of accomplishment associated with strengthening the body travels into everything else that happens.
5. Make Love More. Any kind of love. Explore and expand the pleasure centers in your own body. Give things away. Pay full attention to whoever is interacting with you. Allow people to be who they are and take that permission for yourself. Feel the visceral truth of gratitude even for the smallest life experiences. Get over yourself and ask for more love. Look for the love coming at you every day. It will wake you up.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Boys Day Out
Greg and Brian took Jules out to celebrate his birthday a couple of weeks ago. What better way to celebrate than a boys day out on the waverunners and a trip to Al Maya Island for a few beers.
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