Wednesday, I headed a couple hours south for my monthly meeting with leadership cohort. Our theme for the day was empowering. We took the True Colors test (I've taken it before, and I'm still a gold ...) and played out associated activities that somewhat humorously illustrated our personality types. Always a good time.
We heard from a young man who grew up as the son of a third-generation grocery store proprieter, and when the family grocer had to close a few years ago -- the result of a new Super Walmart in town -- the young man, who had earned his college degree and become a youth worker, had the brilliant idea to turn the building into a youth center. He saw a need for it in the community, forged partnerships with the schools and businesses to garner support, and remodeled the store into a first-class facility with meeting rooms, a computer lab, kitchen and a common area. In fact, our meeting place Thursday was the remodeled facility. The transformation and perseverance is a great story.
We also took a tour of the city's historic library and heard from its director. She shared with us the story of an $8.5 million estate gift that was recently left to the library and how the library is using the money strategically to implement programs and enhance the library's services.
* * *
Thursday, the university photographer and I headed to Kansas City to interview an alumnus for the cover story of our fall magazine. The subject is the founder and CEO of a corporate strategy firm.We spent the morning with him as he biked through a park -- part of his daily fitness regimen -- before grabbing lunch at an upscale Italian restaurant and spending the afternoon at his office complex.
We rode with him from place to place, of course, in his Porsche.
* * *
Thursday night, I played softball.It started out well. Our bats were hot early and I had a good night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a walk, a couple RBIs and a run scored. On the defensive side, I was stationed at third base and made a couple putouts, including a catch of a foul ball at the dugout fence.
My most memorable play of the night, though, took place late in the game with runners on first and second on a ground ball hit to me. I scooped up the ball and then headed for third base in a foot race with the runner heading from second to third. I dove for him just in front of the base and was sure -- as were my teammates -- I put the tag on his torso, but the umpire called the runner safe. ... In the process of trying to make the tag and sliding on the dirt, I also skinned my knee up pretty good. It looks like I took a cheese shredder to my knee cap and shin. Man, it hurts.
We held a 9-2 lead after three innings. ... Then it all fell apart. The opponent had a monster inning in the fourth and we never recovered. We lost the game by 12 runs.
* * *
The 9/11 museum opened Thursday in New York. Chills again traveled through my body and all of the emotions and memories of that day came rushing back as I watched new coverage about the opening this week.
Add the destination to my bucket list.
Time magazine posted this timelapse video of the construction.
* * *
Friday, I returned to my office after two days away. But I cut out during the lunch break and joined Phoebe at her kindergarten picnic.Tasked with bringing a treat after their lunch, I picked up some popsicles and headed to the local park to meet her class. I had barely stepped out of my car when Phoebe spotted me and was pulling me into a game of tag with her friends.
We played tag. We played duck-duck-goose. We played more tag. We ate the popsicles -- which also involved me helping several of Phoebe's little friends open the popsicle packaging and stick in the straws in their juice boxes. Then we played more tag until one of the teacher's blew her whistle to signal the picnic was over.
I said my goodbye to Phoebe and headed back to my office.
* * *
Here's a review from Paste ...
I was settling back at my desk Friday afternoon when I caught a tweet saying Ingrid Michaelson had taken the stage at the Hangout Music Festival and her show was available to watch through a live internet feed.
Sweet.
I clicked the link, watched an advertise and -- bam -- I was in. I watched her entire set -- a splendid mix of new songs and old ones -- and it was awesome.
Ingrid Michaelson has a large and devoted following alone, but what made her set work at Hangout is how many of her songs the masses knew without realizing it: songs like “Everybody Wants to Love” and “Be OK” are so accessible and pervasive in TV and commercials, even the casual observer on a blanket in the back could have his or her moment to jump up and knowingly shout the words. It was a buoyant, fun set, and Michaelson made plenty of jokes about the “pretty girls in bikinis” getting in trouble for sitting on shoulders to see the show. The high point of the performance was “Afterlife,” a track from Michaelson’s latest release Lights Out. She guided the audience into a momentus sing-along, making for a more upbeat experience than I’d expected from a singer-songwriter.
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Today was wonderful for the simple fact that we spent the majority of it outside. I hung out with the girls on the deck while they shared a bowl of Cheerios. Later, Faye went inside and Phoebe stayed with me on the deck to color.
Now Kates and I are watching "The Vow" on TV. A good movie I liked more the second time.
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