Monday, November 5, 2007

Still in Texas

Alright - so, I haven't posted in a while, mainly because there hasn't been much movement. As always in this line of work, we have to be prepared for the unexpected. We have to plan as if we're leaving tomorrow, but not get frustrated when the start date is pushed back at the last minute.

the lastest is that we have yet to get a signed contract from the client - so, it makes it very difficult for me to book a flight. If all goes well, we'll get it signed tomorrow (we've heard that before) and I might be headed over there for the first phase next Wed (the 14th). In all likelihood, however, I will probably not be going until after Thanksgiving.

On other fronts - life is actually going pretty good. My friend Kelly invited me to an art exhibit for her friend Mikki at the Continental Lofts Gallery. What a fun time, Mikki is very talented. The exhibit was entitled 'I See Dead People - The Dearly Departed Uniquely Depicted'. She painted twenty deceased celebrities/famous people in a way that represented their lives. I'll have to say that my favorite was a depiction of Billy Holliday - it was amazing. In addition to the art, Mikki choreographed a dance number to a mix of popular eerie songs (think Thriller and the like). Check Mikki out at www.mikkimallow.com We celebrated Mikki's success (just about all pieces sold that night) at Monkey Bar off Exposition. Congrats Mikki!!!

The rest of the weekend was spent with friends enjoying the weather, watching football and eating very yummy (albeit not the healthiest) food.

Until next time.....

Thursday, September 20, 2007

The Anticipation

OK - so here is the deal. I've been told that we are definitely going to Dubai on October 17. While I understand that it is still three weeks or so away, I have not been given the go ahead to book air travel or lodging. This is incredibly unnerving for me. If you guys know me, you understand that I am a planner by nature. I enjoy being spontaneous and welcome the unplanned, but for such a huge move, I WANT TO KNOW DETAILS!!!

Having that said, the process begins. There are several things that have to be taken care of before I go. Por ejemplo - I need to finalize the sale of my interest at Infiniti Health (the gym I opened early 2006). Also, need to figure out what the hell I'm gonna do with my house. Do I lease? Rent? Finally, and probably most important, is what I'm going to do with my Dog, Armand, for the three months I am in Dubai before being able to take him at the start of the new year. And so it goes....until I am told to pull the trigger, all of this is simply for conversations sake.

As I embark on this blogging phenomenon, I'm hoping that it takes a life of it's own and that I can contribute posts that are interesting, thought provoking, humorous and REAL. That you, as friends, can experience alongside me as if you were here also!

Until then - take care of yourself and each other!!

How it Became

Hi! Since this is my first post, I guess I should introduce my reason for creating this blog. About a month and a half ago, a Director at my company approached me and asked if I would be interested in being the manager on a project we were about to launch. The project was primarily based on Enterprise Risk Management, a product offering I'd been working on since February. I liked the work and wanted to get deeper experience and a more thorough knowledge base of the product. Natrually I was intrigued. He then says that the project is in Dubai, and I would have to commit to being with the project for at the very minimum 12 months.

As I got off the phone and walked into Sushi Zushi with my friend, Emily, neither of us could come up with a reason why I SHOULDN'T go. We are both pretty logical people and thought about it with emotion removed. There has been alot going on in my life over the last three months personally and professionally (more the come on that later) and it just felt like it was the right time to do something this big.

And so, after consulting with family, my mentor and Leadership at my company - indeed, there was no reason for me to say no. I accepted!!

In a nutshell, that's how this opportunity came about. And so it begins.