Michael

The June solstice (summer solstice in the northern hemisphere) occurred at 7:59 p.m. EDT tonight. Astronomically, it is the time of year when the length of day and night is the same. The sun is at its highest point in the sky on this day and therefore the most daylight hours occur.

Around the world, and throughout history, the summer or June solstice has been a time of religious and spiritual celebration. The ancient Celts, ancient China, ancient Gaul, ancient Germanic tribes in Europe, ancient Rome, ancient Sweden, Christian countries, the Essenes, American Indians, pagans, neopagans, and prehistoric Europe all celebrated this time of year in some fashion or another.

I find it fascinating that a large diversity of cultures around the world recognize this day as significant and then celebrate it in their own way. We are more linked as a species than many of us would like to believe. We share more similarities than differences.

Five years ago I was able to be at Stonehenge for the June 2003 Solstice celebration. There were over 25,000 people there of all cultures, religions and beliefs. It was an incredible experience to be standing on the spot where ancient man stood and watched the sun rise on this most important day.

So, when you are going about your busy day today, stop and put aside your differences with others. Celebrate our diversity as a species and recognize that we are all connected.

Have a great day!

Michael

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. , "Over the Teacups," 1891

A morning without coffee is like sleep. – Author Unknown

I love coffee!

I love the aroma of a freshly brewing batch of a gourmet blend. I love that first sip in the morning right out of my French press coffee maker. I usually drink it black.

I enjoy coffee in all its many forms: straight cup, espresso, latte, cappuccino, in ice cream or chocolate covered coffee beans.

I don’t drink coffee all day. I typically have a couple of wonderful cups in the morning. Other times of the day just don’t seem the same.

Do I worry about the caffeine? No, because I don’t drink caffeinated beverages all day. I try to keep it in moderation. Plus, I believe if I drank coffee all day, the enjoyment I get out of my morning cup of joe would not be as intense.

I think it’s important to recognize the simple pleasures in our lives and then enjoy them when they occur.

Michael

Years ago I worked for a man in California who ended up being one of the best bosses I’ve ever worked for. Our initial meeting way back in 1993 was a chance encounter; actually it felt more like fate, but that is another story.

As the transition out of my old career has been taking place, I’ve been thinking about him a lot. In fact, over the last two weeks, he has been on my mind almost every day.

Today, I left work a little earlier than usual and drove down to the first floor of the parking garage to pay my daily parking fee. I walked into the small lobby where the pay point machine is located. Guess who was standing there? Correct, my old boss.

I smiled and reached out my hand to shake his and he walked up and gave me a hug instead. Wow! It was really great to see him. I told him that I had wanted to contact him to have a long talk. He said that we should have lunch next week. I’ll send him a meeting invite through email tomorrow for one day next week.

I’ve titled this post “Chance Encounters”, but I don’t really believe in them nor do I believe in coincidences. Have you ever been thinking about someone and then they called you “out of the blue?” Did they call you because you were thinking about them? Or were you thinking about them because they were going to call? I know what I believe, what about you?

I’m excited about today’s events. I’ll let you know how my meeting goes next week.

Michael

Having someone wonder where you are when you don’t come home at night is a very old human need. – Margaret Mead

Don’t smother each other. No one can grow in the shade. – Leo Buscaglia

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. – Oprah Winfrey

Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky. – Rainer Maria Rilke

One year ago today, I met Erica at a small restaurant in Newport, RI. One week prior to that I had thrown out my dating fishing line on Match.com. I received several promising contacts and set up four dates for that coming Saturday and Sunday.

My first date was for lunch on Saturday in North Kingstown. Sunday morning was a breakfast date in Newport. I then had to drive up to Providence for my lunch date and then back down to Newport for my dinner date which turned out to be Erica. I drove about 150 miles that day and had to use all my professional project management skills to make sure I was on time and prepared for each date (i.e. I had to review my notes to make sure I didn’t use the wrong name or misspoke a fact from their profile. ) My niece asked me if having four dates with four different women in two days was legal.

Erica stood out from the other dates by a mile. We had a excellent dinner and then decided to go for coffee. After that we went to a movie. Our first date ended up being several hours long.

My relationship with Erica is different than all the rest. I find it much more relaxed and easy. We have many shared interests. We love to travel together. Our quirks don’t bother each other. We both love trying new things and having adventures. Since we are both independent, there is none of that needy “stuff” that some couples seem to be absorbed in.

One year later, I think back at how much we have shared and done together.

One year later, I can’t think of one regret.

One year later, we’re still enjoying the ride.

Do I know what tomorrow will bring? No. But, I do know what today will bring. That’s the most important point.

Erica, here’s to you! Let’s don’t stop having fun.

Michael

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun. – Colleen C. Barrett

Friday the 13th was supposed to be my last day with the company I’m currently working for. An unexpected event occurred which prompted a reevaluation of my last day.

After several discussions, I agreed to stay 63 more days. My new last day is August 15th.

How do I feel about this change? Excellent question. The simple answer is that I wouldn’t have agreed to this new direction if I didn’t like it. I let it sit with me for a few days before making my final decision. The bottom line is that it felt right. I didn’t have any thoughts or feelings of "this is a bad decision."

So, here I am ramping up to manage the workload for the next two months. It feels a little strange as I had been heavily ramping down the last three months.

You just never know exactly how your life will go or the plot twists that will happen. All I know is what I want and desire. I just let the universe figure out the details.

Michael

The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Clouds and steady rain greeted us this morning. The air was close to being chilly. All of our plans for the day were going to need changing.

Were we disappointed? Not really. A slight change of attitude was all that was required. It’s easy to get angry or frustrated with the weather, but I’ve found just adapting to the situation is not near as emotionally draining.

We ate a lot, played card games, watched movies, read, took naps, played with Tony the beagle, watched the clouds constantly rolling by, talked, visited some friends and ate homemade ice cream.

The day seemed to go by really fast and it was a lot of fun. It was relaxing and apparently just what everyone needed.

Sometimes if you can let go of the plans you have, life will jump in and give you exactly what you need.

Michael

After a lazy morning, fueled with eggs, turkey andouille sausage and coffee we headed out on our bikes for a 15.3 mile tour from Truro to Provincetown and then through the dunes in the Cape Code National Seashore. The temperature was a nice balance between not too hot and not too cool. A steady cool breeze blew continually and helped to keep us from getting overheated.

According to historical records, the Pilgrims actually first landed somewhere on the beach between Truro and Provincetown and not where Plymouth Rock is located. I didn’t know this. It’s funny how facts get distorted in their re-telling over the years.

We headed first to Provincetown for an iced coffee and then we took a short detour out to McMillan Pier and watched the boats for a little while. Following the road through town took us to Herring Cove. From there it was about three miles through the sand dune trails to Race Point Beach where we relaxed for a bit on the sand and had some lunch.

I love to bike ride, especially downhill, but it was a struggle as I’m not in shape as much as i would like, but, I was able to push through it.

After the beach, we had about a six mile ride back to the house in Truro. It wasn’t quite as intense as the dune trails as it was mostly roads. Thank goodness!

The evening consisted of playing cards and eating a lot. Hard to beat that, especially when you are winning almost every hand.

Overall, it was a fantastic day.

Michael

Yesterday I was in Warsaw, Poland. Today I’m on Cape Code between Truro, Ma and Provincetown, MA on the beach. It’s a slight change of pace. Well, more than slight.

Erica and I are spending the weekend here with friends. The place we are staying at is right on the beach. So after a short walk you are face to face with Cape Code Bay. To northwest lies Boston, but it is too far away to see from here.

I’m glad to be out here this weekend as it is an excellent contrast to the fast paced week that I’ve had. The air here is crisp and I love the smell of the ocean. I’m already starting to unwind.

Taking periodic breaks is very important for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. I’m learning to make time for these periods of re-charging. Life is supposed to be fun not stressful.

The sunset was quite beautiful today with very saturated colors and some nice clouds. I found it very relaxing. It’s a great way to start the weekend.

I have three other sunset photos in a larger format here. The third photo is a special image where the clouds are radiating out from a central point. Very unusual and inspiring.

Michael

I went to my “Last Day at Work” party tonight after flying in from Warsaw, Poland. And yes, I was a little bit tired as you can imagine.

A lot of my co-workers showed up. We had a fun time at Dave & Busters playing games, laughing, drinking, eating, reminiscing about old times and sharing “war stories.” It’s always hard to leave a place that you have been with for a long time. In this case, since 1992.

The people I’ve met and worked with are the most difficult reason to leave. I’ve been fortunate in meeting some of the most amazing people working at this company. It’s been a fantastic ride. I hope to keep in touch with many of them.

As I wind down, the winds have shifted slightly foretelling a slight extension in my time here. Nothing confirmed yet, but this chapter could go on for another 60 days or so. We’ll see how it works out. Either way will be just fine.

Michael

After a long day of trouble shooting problems at work, several of us took a long walk to a great Polish restaurant in Warsaw called Folk Gospoda. They served a variety of traditional Polish dishes containing lots of new flavors and textures.

The starters were two types of pirogies; one Russian and the other filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms. One of the other guys also tried some red borscht or beet soup. I’m not a big fan of beets but the soup was quite tasty. Frankly, I was surprised.

My main dish was called Peasant Sausage which was a smoky grilled kielbasa with an onion/mustard paste on the side. I believe it was the best sausage I’ve ever had which is a bold statement for me. Horseradish sauce supplemented the other flavors and added some spice to the meal.

For the latter half of our meal, a live band playing traditional folk music from the region ignited our sense of being immersed in the true Polish culture.

Good friends, great food, new flavors, good music and a long walk back to the hotel all combined to give us a very pleasant evening. These are some of my favorite things to do while traveling.

Michael