Mayercraft Carrier: Welcome Aboard!

Welcome to my first post from the Mayercraft Carrier 2! Michelle and I are now aboard the ENORMOUS Carnival Splendor, fully checked in, WITH luggage.





In order to get things off to a fun start, we thought you might enjoy a little cabin tour...consider this my audition for travel TV! You know, in case the trainer gig doesn't work out....



And I finally got Michelle to part with her Crackberry....no work for you, missy!! Only fun allowed on board!



I really think she needs some RR. So far this trip, her shampoo bottle exploded and soaked her toiletries bag, she snagged her necklace and had to fix it, a screw came loose on the back of her luggage, and her hairbrush broke. Get my friend a margarita, STAT!

Now we're off to find a cocktail...and maybe John!

Mayercraft T-1

Michelle arrived this morning, and to welcome her I put together a little goody bag...with stuff provided by the wonderful Mayercraft team!



They think of everything! Here's what we got:

• CD with selections from all the Mayercraft artists
• Autograph/notebook
• Dog tags
• Customized Ernie Ball guitar pick
• Iron-on badge
  

Then we headed to lunch and started the countdown with some Don Cuco's margaritas, before heading off to pedicures....DESPERATELY NEEDED pedicures.



After a little last minute shoe shopping at DSW, we spent the rest of the evening at Nadine's watching the Kings get a much-needed win against the Dallas Stars.

Now off to bed....we've got a big day tomorrow!!!

Honesty

Honesty is such a lonely word,
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard,
But mostly what I need from you....

- Billy Joel

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I found out this week that a friend of mine is no longer employed with my company. He's a manager, and when managers and Progressive part ways, the "official" communication to the masses always sounds something like "Effective immediately, Mr. Former Co-worker is no longer employed with Progressive." And that's it.

The drama which always ensues after this type of announcement is a guaranteed productivity drain. The office where the person works is aflutter with water cooler conversation. People in other offices start calling around, trying to find out what happened. It's a major source of gossip at the lunch table for weeks. What kind of better opportunity did they find, and how much more will they be making? Were they fired? Did they know they were close to getting fired and just found another job first? And in the absence of any credible story why this happened, people begin to draw their own crazy conclusions, and expend a ton of energy doing it.

So why not just tell the truth about what happened and save everyone the agony?

It happens in sports all the time. A coach gets fired, and management tells them, the media and the fans exactly how they effed up. The coach gets to comment on his/her side of the story. And then everyone moves on, and the team either turns it around because the players know their asses are next (this years Pittsburgh Penguins, for example), or they sink into a slump and the team looks entirely new the next year because no one survived he carnage (Montreal Canadiens, anyone....?). Either way, management has accomplished the desired change, there are no hidden agendas. Everyone deals with it and moves on.

Now, the obvious problem with doing something like this in corporate America, one could argue, is protecting both the privacy of the individual involved and more importantly, legal exposure to the company. Of course, we all know the second reason is the more compelling. But let's look at first one. Why do we need to protect someone's privacy? What is so wrong with making a mistake and owning up to it? What do we really have to hide?

The answer is simple. Unfortunately we live in a society where, in spite of all our efforts to accept people as they are, we still judge each other. Recruiters look for flaws in someones resume that might indicate a less than "perfect" candidate . We have to worry about putting our Bachelorette Party photos on Facebook because 10 years from now someone who's looking to hire us might see. We're held to this ridiculous standard of perfection as human beings, when in fact it is our imperfections that contribute to a diverse and vital workplace. Innovation comes from mistakes. And success often comes on the heels of failure.

If we really want the world to be a better place, we all just need to get over ourselves and be honest about who we are.

Then maybe I could find out what happened to my friend...

The Mayercraft Countdown Begins!

I've been home all day today cleaning, doing laundry, packing and tying up odds and ends before my big spring vacation - the Mayercraft Carrier 2!


http://mayercraftcarrier.com/

And in keeping with the "Even Craftier" theme, this year I'm making it more fun and taking Michelle with me!!! So it's gonna be all about girls fun, cocktails, sun, and playing cards on the deck of the Carnival Splendor. She arrives tomorrow, just in time for a last-minute pedicure before we board the boat Friday morning and sail off to Cab San Lucas.

What's a cruise without entertainment? We won't know, 'cause we have music aplenty to choose from for 4 days! SO much to be excited about in this year's line-up.....




And if that isn't enough, we also get some of this.....





Jealous? Yeah, I thought so......

Change

I arrived home from Phoenix last Friday to a changed household. I knew it was coming, but wasn't sure when. But the extra large sneakers by the door told the story...there was a new face at 5026 Peck Road.

My roommate Molly is getting married May 9, and her fiance Magnes moved in with us after making the big hop to the US from Australia. Since Molly's sister Rosie had been sharing a bathroom with Molly, she now moved into my bathroom. Now, I've shared a bathroom with two previous roommates, but it's been a while since I've needed to worry about what time I get up in the morning to make sure the bathroom isn't occupied. Let's just say the first couple of days have been rough.

I think my reaction to change is the same as most people - initial discomfort, followed by a period of bitching about it, and then finally acceptance. Right now I would say I'm firmly between stages 1 and 2, and I'm expecting more change in my life before I get to number three. Because in addition to getting married Molly and Magnes are planning on having kids, and her engagement announcement to me was followed by, "...but you don't need to move out right away."

In fairness, I never thought I would be here this long. I moved in January 2003, right as my management career with Progressive was imploding. I needed to drastically reduce expenses in case I was out of a job, and I didn't want to be committed to a lease for the same reason. Molly took me in and has been charging me insanely low rent for the last 5 years, which has enabled a lot of my travel, concert-going, and hockey habits. But for a while now, I've wanted to get back in my own space. I like my alone time, and right now I'm feeling a tad claustrophobic. And living with 3 other people who are soon going to be related is a little like being an adopted child - everyone is nice, but you just never really feel like you fit in.

So my project for April is apartment hunting and getting ready to move. Maybe change is good after all...we'll see how it goes.

Arrested Development

Back in the '90's, the band Arrested Development http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrested_Development_(group) fused pop, rap and danceable grooves, making some of the most thoughtful music on radio at the time. One of their biggest hits was Mr. Wendal, and I've heard it at least twice in the past couple of days on the Sirius 90's channel (currently my car radio favorite).

Listening to the lyrics, I was struck by how well this song holds up almost 15 years later, and how relevant the themes are to what's happening in the world today - poverty, a society dominated by people making hasty and often incorrect judgments about others, wastefulness, and the true meaning of knowledge.

It got me thinking. Hopefully it does the same for you....

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Here, have a dollar,

in fact no brotherman here, have two

Two dollars means a snack for me,

but it means a big deal to you

Be strong, serve God only,

know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits

That's the poem I wrote for the first time I saw

a man with no clothes, no money, no plate

Mr. Wendal, that's his name,

no one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one

Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum,

until I had the chance to really get to know one

Now that I know him, to give him money isn't charity

He gives me some knowledge,

I buy him some shoes

And to think blacks spend all that money on big colleges,

still most of y'all come out confused

[CHORUS:]Go ahead, Mr.Wendal (2x)

Mr.Wendal has freedom,

a freedom that you and I think is dumb

Free to be without the worries of a quick to diss society

for Mr.Wendal's a bum

His only worries are sickness and an occasional harassment

by the police and their chase

Uncivilized we call him, but I just saw him eat off the food we waste

Civilization, are we really civilized, yes or no ?

Who are we to judge ?

When thousands of innocent men could be brutally enslaved

and killed over a racist grudge

Mr.Wendal has tried to warn us about our ways

but we don't hear him talk

Is it his fault when we've gone too far,

and we got too far, cause on him we walk

Mr.Wendal, a man, a human in flesh,

but not by law

I feed you dignity to stand with pride,

realize that all in all you stand tall

[CHORUS]Mr.Wendal, Lord, Mr.Wendal

The Plan

One of the few things I accomplished this past weekend was a closet purge. In addition to taking a trunk full of old clothes, shoes and miscellaneous crap to Goodwill, I went through 10 3-ring binders of stuff I've saved over the years. In my life before Google, I was an avid magazine reader, and saved a ton of articles (mostly from Martha Stewart Living) on everything from drought resistant plant varieties to tips on cleaning hardwood floors. You know...for that time in the future when I needed that information.

Since I haven't looked at most of it since I filed it (in some cases over 10 years ago), and now I can Google search and find more and better information even faster, I threw most of it out. Then I came across a binder full of crazy e-mails, work and relationship related humor, etc., I had printed and saved. Most of it has been recycled several times through (I still get e-mails defining my Zodiac sign) so it got pitched. But there were a few nuggets too priceless to throw away. And this is one of my favorites. I got it from a volunteer friend of mine back when I was with the March of Dimes, and I haven't worked there since 1994. In spite of it's age, this is still relevant. Amazing how very little changes in corporate America....

Enjoy your laugh for Monday!

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The Plan

In the beginning was the plan

And then came the assumptions

And the assumptions were without form

And the plan was without substance

And darkness was upon the face of the worker,

And they spoke among themselves, saying

"It is a crock of shit, and it stinketh!"

And the workers went unto the supervisor and said,

"It is a pail of dung, and none may abide by the odor thereof."

And the supervisors went unto the managers, saying

"It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."

And the managers went unto their directors, saying

"It is a vessel of fertilizer and none may abide by its strength."

And the directors spoke among themselves, saying to one another,

"It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

And the directors went unto the vice presidents, saying unto them,

"It promotes growth and is very powerful."

And the vice presidents went unto the president, saying unto him,

"This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company, with powerful effects!"

And the president looked upon the plan, and saw that it was good,

And the plan became policy.

This is how shit happens.