Pictures of my Bahamas Trip

We stayed at the Atlantis on Paradise Island. What a place!!

Won an award

From Conference 2006

Fed the Iguanas

From Conference 2006

Saw a Grouper as big as Becky

From Conference 2006

Fed the sharks

From Conference 2006

Had a great time with my bride

From Conference 2006

Here are all the pictures on Picasa.

"Things Never Before Said by a NASCAR Driver"

Wednesday night's "Top 10 List" on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" was delivered by the 10 NASCAR drivers competing in the 2006 "Chase for the Nextel Cup."

Their offering;

10. KASEY KAHNE:

"Anyone know how to drive a stick?"

9. JEFF GORDON:

"Does this gas taste funny to you?"

8. JEFF BURTON:

"I don't care much for country music or beer."

7. MARK MARTIN:

"Switch the `R' and the `C' in `racing' and you get `caring.'"

6. DALE EARNHARDT JR.:

"Wow, Letterman looks so young in person."

5. DENNY HAMLIN:

"You're looking at a guy who can drive 500 miles without taking a leak."

4. KYLE BUSCH:

"A truly great driver doesn't mind asking for directions, am I right, ladies?"

3. KEVIN HARVICK:

"It would be nice if the guys in the pits occasionally surprised me with a piece of carrot cake or something."

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON:

"The Nextel Cup is great, but what I'm really excited for is the `Late Show' Ventriloquist Week."

1. MATT KENSETH:

"If you think I'm fast in my car, you should see me in the bedroom."

Couch Lou Holtz

The keynote speaker at today's general session was Coach Lou Holtz. A few stats about the legend: Lou Holtz coached Notre Dame to a national football title in 1988. He was a 2-time Coach of the Year (1977,88). He retired after the 1996 season with a 216-95-7 record in 27 seasons with 5 schools— Wm. & Mary (3 years), N.C. State (4), Arkansas (7), Minnesota (2) and ND (11).

Wins, Losses, and Lessons LP

He never took over a winning team - and in every case, was playing at a bowl game within 2 seasons. He was a fantastic speaker that was funny, polished, quick witted, and poignant. Here are a few of my favorite one liners from today:

• "Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law."
• "The true key to happiness is a bad memory."
• "I'm the only guy I know who has written more books then I have read."
• "I don't pray for my wife any more, I pray to her. She's a saint!"
• Referring to marriage: "Opposites attract, then they attack."

What made the biggest impact on me during his 60 minute speech was this summation:

"There are only three questions that everyone wants to know about you: Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence? Do you genuinely care about me?

If you genuinely care about someone, the only way to show it is by the little things. Lift them up, share in their lives, share yours.

Do you want to know who genuinely cares about you? Ask yourself this question: 'If I don't make it back home or back to work – who will truly miss me?' Your answer will be people to whom you have made yourself an asset to. By being trusting, committed to excellence, and genuinely caring about them."

-Coach Lou Holtz

Food and Good Times

There are over 900 people here from my company, and last night an elite 300 or so were at a dinner at Graycliff (www.graycliff.com) which is a 5 star restaurant, cigar bar and, sports the worlds top three private wine collections.

After drinks and hors d' overs around the 2 pools surrounded by Bahamian foliage and a band, we shuffled into the 260 year old building for dinner. I had the Grouper. Post dinner, I hovered over a Cuban gentleman who spoke no English and was about 75 years old and watched him roll Premium Bahamian Cigars that were "99% Cuban".

Today, I was invited to a "first timers" reception where a record-breaking 250 sales reps attended. All I have to say, is - it was done right. The theme was simply 'glad you are here, DON'T EVER MISS IT!'

Then off to the company dinner with all 900 people. The decks of the hotel were filled with lobster tails on the grill, fillet Mignon, fresh mozzarella, fruit, desserts, and beer and wine and more, much more. I was overwhelmed with the number of people there, and these represent the top sales reps in the company! Good company. My favorite? Macaroons with hot chocolate sauce drizzled on top. CORRECT!

After dinner, I mingled and made my way to the casino where $100 kept me busy for 45 minutes at the Black Jack table, had a few drinks and donated another $100 to the Bahamian gods of cards.

Tomorrow 8am - noon is a general session with all reps from all divisions, free lunch and the rest of the day is 100% free. Sleep sounds good to me.

Start of trip

In case you didn't catch it a few posts ago, I flew to the Bahamas
this morning on an incentive trip from work. 7 days in Paradise with
sun, fun, and lots of activities with crazy sales people just like
me!! This trip is legendary among the top sales reps at my company,
and I was lucky enough to be in an elite group of folks attending.

I think I'll blog a little from here, since I already decided that I'd
spend the $10.00 a day for internet access. I figure that $10.00 a
day isn't a lot when you are an addict. At least now I can tell
people that I have a "Ten dollar a day habit."

Beck will be joining me down here next Sunday, so she thought that it
would be a good idea to pack a few (note the use of the word few)
things in my bags. I guess that it was only fair considering that I
was taking the "dead body" bag – named that because a dead body could
fit inside.

Upon arrival at the counter, the girl pointed to the scale and said
"Why don't you put them up here sir, and we'll weigh them." I was
like "Why – you think they are overweight?"

"By the way you carried them up to the counter – YES!"

OK, that's cool. Profile me.

First: Dead body bag: 57 lbs. Ouch. 50's the limit.

She recommended that I move some stuff to the other bag and all I
could think about was opening it up and moving over lingerie and
bikini's. "No, let's wait and see what the other one weighs."

Hanging bag: 5 lbs under! Yippee.

Wait, that's a net overage of 2 lbs – "I'm good, right?" I say to the
attractive and chipper check in girl.

"Yeah, you're alright – its just $50.00, sir." She mumbled

"What's $50.00?" I said – with my voice going up at the end like a little boy.

"The cost of the bags, it's over the weight limit."

Ok, cash paid and on to the security area. Remember it's September
11th. I'm prepared for full body cavity searches but I am met with
same old, same old.

I forgot to take out my keys and iPod from my pocket, so I beeped.
Back to the start, I pulled everything out of my pockets quickly and
frantically because I was holding up the line. Oh, and I had to walk
in my bare feet in the airport! Ughr.

OK, done with that and all my stuff is packed neatly back where it
belongs. When I arrive at the gate, guess what's missing? I'll give
you a hint: it's white and it plays(ed) music. iPod. Yeah.

Back to the gate and no one saw anything. "What? No".

xI can only guess that someone has a cute new iPod Shuffle with my
name laser engraved on the side of it. I could always file a claim,
so I guess I'll do that when I get back. Riiiiight.

Gotta go so I can fill out my Customs paperwork, but only one
problem: They aren't giving out pens or pencils. The nice couple
next to me was doing a crossword book – so I snagged her red pen.

As I completed the forms, I noticed it read BLUE OR BLACK INK ONLY.

Ezprezzo.com - Paper cut by Peter Callesen

At the link below, there are some really neat 3D paper cut outs.  Really well done!


http://www.ezprezzo.com/crazypics/paper_cut.html

Can a python bite off more than it can chew? Ewe bet | The Sunday Telegraph

http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,,20372915-5006003,00.html

Smart Bird!

What do you get when you cross a bear with a 2400 volt electrical cable?

These photos were recently captured in Alaska.

Warning, graphic for bear lovers.

Wake up call

Ever find yourself without an alarm clock? Want to time yourself to
do something?

How about you just want to watch the seconds click away?

http://onlineclock.net/

Hurricane Tracker

Yeah.  I won the trip for work and will be headed out on September 11th to the Bahamas....

All I do is watch this map all day now. 

http://hurricane.stormreportmap.com/

RIP, Mate: Steve Irwin the "Crocodile Hunter" Killed by a stingray

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5311298.stm

View all my August photos

All August photos here.

Visit from an old friend

For those of you who haven't heard the story: Becky and the girls went outside about a month ago to play on the swings. Becky returned, quite disturbed and asked me to come outside. When I arrived, she pointed out the head of an opossum. And it was f-r-e-s-h meat. Yeah.

Well, our backyard is surrounded by a 6' fence - and I wanted to know how the head got here with no body! I searched for a while and looked on the street side of the fence, but couldn't find anything. On the way in the house, I saw it: The freshly killed and eaten body of this adult opossum. For the longest time, we were really freaked - how did this happen? Who did it?

Dad Storholt gave us a good idea - and when I searched the "crime scene" closer, I located the breast feather of a hawk. Since that day - we have identified two Coopers Hawks that seem to live across the street in a 100 year old pine.

Click here to see the rest of the pictures.

Kaitlyn just being a nut!

 

Barn Spider

A few weekends ago, Beck and I noticed a barn spider making a really big web just off the deck. Gramma Kaine, Becky and I sat on the deck for about 2 hours and watch her make her orb.

If you ever get the opportunity to watch a spider build a web from scratch, watch it! 

Li'l Ray's Birthday

You may also recall when we bought the daycare, that Anastasia decided to have Li'l Ray 2 days later. The best of all? He was a month early!

The next day, Boom and I showed up at the center to open!!! You should have seen the parent's faces and heard the kids cries. :-)

Happy birthday, little Ray - clearly you enjoyed it!!!! 

Happy Birthday Next Level Development!

August 17th was the first birthday of Next Level Development. In many ways it seems like it was 50 years ago and 5 minutes ago all at the same time.

Anastasia has turned the center into a true development based learning center - we are lucky to have her as our best friend and director! 

Kaitlyn on her new table and chairs

What you don't see here is that our little monkey LOVES to climb on top of these little chairs and table. Our little monkey likes to climb on top of just about anything. God, help us!

It was a loooong day for Miss Paige

I looked over after Paige was eerily quiet for about a minute, and here she was. Fast asleep. Say it with me: "Ahhhhhhh."