Wine, Beer and Bourbon Reviews

Is it beer before liquor and you are OK?

Either way, on the way back from South Bend, I stopped at a few wineries/breweries to get some Christmas gifts. I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, but I thought I would review my selections for you.

I will start with a Christmas Cherry Wine from Buck Creek Winery in Indianapolis, IN. I chose this wine for two reasons. First, my in-laws like a sweet wine and second it had a picture of a red-nosed reindeer on the label. The wine does smell sweet. My first sip reminds me of a Cheerwine with some kick. It goes down smooth. It is probably not good to drink when you are thirsty because my second glass went down as fast as the first.

My second wine is an apple wine from McClure's Orchards in Peru, IN. It has the hint of oak from the barrel, vanilla and is also sweet like apple juice. I bought this wine (Don't tell April) because the sales lady was cute. She tried to show me the correct way to taste and smell wine, but as I drink this wine, you can't just sip it. I mean you need to tip this glass up and try and get every ounce out of the glass. Just drop your finger in there. It taste great on your finger.

At McClure's, they also sold some apple beer. I will try this beer like was in college so I will use a funnel. WOW, It feels so good when it goes down! That is smooth. One more.....Someone tell Brooks to quit kaughing. It's ahrd to tipe when he is makng fun ofme.

My thrd tasting is a shot of bourbon from Town Branch Bourbon in Lexington, KY. I hate the Kentucky Wildcats. Its hard to drink this swill knowing it is close ti tht slimy head bskeball coch. But man that has a smooth brn when it goes down. Whew its's getting hiot in here. "So take your clothes off."

Shut up Brooks I am Nellie!

And for my frth drunk, iam thsjnskfjUGSDmmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

DISCRETIONARY EFFORT

I have a few Leadership blogs that I enjoy reading. One of my favorite bloggers is Kris Dunn and he led me to this site. The video is quick and powerful.

It may be the best video I've seen related to Employee Engagement, and it's from the Employee Engagement Group.

After you watch this, think about who is rowing in your boat and figure out what discretionary effort is worth to your company.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4nwoZ02AJM

It's Time to Take Them to College - Go Ahead and Cry

Every August finds many parents in my age demographic taking their kids to college. As I reflect on taking my daughter Ryanne to Notre Dame last year, I can’t remember my parents having anything but joy in getting rid of me when I left for Wingate. I could almost hear them say, “Finally, some peace and quiet.” But for me, the anxiety in taking a child to college was worse than asking your dream girl out on a date; you don’t throw up, but you come pretty darn close.

I hope it gets easier for the second and third years, but everyone says, “It gets a little easier.” Is that like being “a little” pregnant? That must be code for it’s still hard as H@#$!

Last year I didn’t cry at any graduation events. And I didn’t even get emotional as she would easily exclaim, “this is the last time I will do ______ (fill in the blank).” I smiled through senior days for her sports teams, grad parties, award presentations and even graduation itself. I was as cool as the other side of the pillow. I may have gotten a little misty sitting in a rocking chair looking out over the ocean while on the family vacation, but that was probably the Makers Mark talking.

Last August I wrote a blog about taking her to school. http://ycam.blogspot.com/2012/08/im-not-on-twitter-but-if-i-was-these.html

I was pretty cool the entire time. I was in awe of the beauty of the school. I was making mental notes of certain quality things that I wish our Y team could implement. I thought about converting to Catholicism and I factored my odds in meeting the pope.  I was pretty cool until…..until I found myself standing beside the car and it was finally time to say goodbye.

I couldn’t breathe. I mean I stood there for what felt like the length of an Insurance Seminar and I couldn’t speak, move, or breathe. I wanted to tell her how proud I was of her and how she had surpassed all my dreams in 18 years, and I was paralyzed. I think April and I cried for at least an hour.

Be prepared. It is going to happen to you!

So here is my advice to all the parents taking their kids to college for their freshman year.

1.       Don’t even look at the other students. They all look 28 and your child looks 13.

2.       Enjoy your trip to college and reflect on the great vacations, awesome accomplishments and how wonderful they are.

3.       On Sunday or the day you finally leave, don’t be embarrassed about crying….every parent is crying. Maybe go Hollywood and wear your sunglasses all the time.

4.       And don’t beat yourself up over not being able to say how proud you are, THEY KNOW.

God speed, Go IRISH and Pass the Kleenex!

The All T-Mac Team

In case you don’t like to read my sports related ramblings you can stop reading now.
In the wake of all the NBA discussion of “Who signs a free agent contract for millions of dollars,” I thought I would share my All Tracy McGrady Team.

McGrady put up tremendous stats. Had some remarkable plays and tried to carry around a swagger that he was one of the all-time greats. But in reality, he never won. At least not anything significant. Did he make all-star teams? Sure. Did he make ESPN videos? Of course. Big Shoe Contracts? Check. Long term mega-million contracts? Yup!

Did he ever win a playoff series? Only the first round insignificant games. Oh he did win this year as a water boy for the San Antonio Spurs. But his teams never made it to the second round!

My son and I decided to create a team of guys who command millions of dollars but truly are useless for winning. Big stats and big contracts but they are more concerned for themselves than the success of the team. They would rather get 20 points and 10 rebounds than win. Their teams perform better when they are out or even after they get traded. They demand attention versus sharing the accolades. They are coach killers. Prima donnas since they were 13.

Straight from the Home Office in South Bend, IN!

The Post Players

·         Andrew Bynum – You might as well take all of your money, put it in a nice pile and just set it on fire. Why pay this guy anything is a mystery. He once was reprimanded for taking a long jump shot. Went back in the game and took the same shot again. Idiot.

·         Zach Randolph – He puts up 20 and 10 every night. Once asked to miss a game to go to a funeral only to go to a strip club on his way out of town. (Hey, they had good wings)

·         Josh Smith – Would rather have a high-light dunk than win a game.

·         Dwight Howard – I am just tired of hearing about him. 3 years ago he could have been the face of the NBA, but his immaturity has made his public persona spiral to the bottom. He’s complained about every coach he has ever had.

The Wings & Shooters

·         Monte Ellis – Golden State got remarkably better when he was traded. If you want someone to score, you should get him. He may be the last person on your team that will lead you to a championship.

·         Rudy Gay – Maybe I am biased because he is a graduate of UCONN

·         Carmelo Anthony – I know this will get some eye rolls, but winning at Syracuse doesn’t count anymore. The Nuggets improved without him. The Knicks play better when he’s hurt. And he must take 30 shots a game to be happy. Coach Killer!

The Point Guards

·         John Wall – I sat on a plane beside an employee of the Wizards when he was a rookie and they said then that he wasn’t physically or mentally tough enough. He was always too hurt to practice. Oh sure he will have the occasional big game or high-light play, but he can’t win.

·         Brandon Jennings – Ditto

·         Deron Williams – Showed so much disrespect for his Hall of Fame Coach that the coach quit and his team traded him. He was fat and out of shape for the Olympics. Coach Killer.

After I read this list I noticed something….Deron Williams played college basketball for 3 years, Rudy Gay had 2 years at UCONN, Carmelo, John Wall and Zach Randolph all played 1 year. Jennings, Bynum, Ellis, Howard and Smith all came from High School. Maybe this is a maturity issue.

Who is on your “Most Over paid and Can’t Win List?”

My Sports Mt Rushmore

Recently I had a discussion around my personal favorite sports stars. The question on sports radio was, who would be on your personal sports Mt Rushmore?

I have a scrap book I kept on Andre Dawson when I was in the 9th grade. I loved the Montreal Expos and he was their best player. When he left for the Cubs I finally got to watch him regularly on TV. He is now in the Hall of Fame.



 
Cal Ripken was on my other favorite baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles. I had VHS of the game where he broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. I converted to DVD a few years back. Occasionally when I need to wax nostalgic, I break it out. He is in the Hall of Fame.

Pete Maravich was my first sports hero. I had a poster of him on my wall as a kid. The day he died, my brother called and told me to sit down and close my office door, because he knew I would be upset. I have the USA Today news articles in a box.

I am one of the few Detroit Lions fans (story for another day) Barry Sanders is their greatest all time player. He had some Thanksgiving games that were unbelievable.

Who is on your sports Mt Rushmore?

 

Ten Pieces of Advice to High School Graduates

Adapted from a sermon I heard from David Chadwick several years ago:

1.     I pray that you find that spiritual connectedness to God that becomes your core!

2.     We are bombarded with the notion about looks and beauty. The reality is that we should look for the content of a person’s heart and character

3.       Don’t chase the dollar

4.       Your job does not define you

5.       Be a GIVER (Note how close the word miserable is to miser)

6.       Give value to the oldest generation.

7.       It is that awesome connection to faith and scripture that gives us strength 

8.       If it is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true

9.       Read the bible!

10.   Remember those less fortunate!

Sports Teams Need an HR Department

Can you name the BUST?

I think Professional Sports teams need strong HR (Human Resource) presence in their front office. Some NFL teams pick a player based on how fast he runs or how many times he can bench press a Buick. The NBA has become a draft based on potential. The NBA would rather pay $5 million over a 3 year period to evaluate whether a 19 year old can run and jump like a deer, eat McDonald's 3 times a day and spend every frickin last dime he makes versus paying that amount to a player who can help them win immediately. Major League Baseball is just as bad by looking at how fast they can throw a ball or how fast they run to first base.

Whatever happened to the premise of “Past Performance is the indicator of Future Performance?” For the sports teams that make these judgments based off of a combine or a Pro Day Workout is the equivalent of an employer making a hiring decision based solely on the interview.

I can see the YMCA combine:

Child watch- How fast can you change a diaper

Welcome Center – How fast can you answer the phone

Lifeguards- How quick are you off the stand and into the water

Maintenance- How quick are you running down the hallway with 100 keys dangling 

(Disney does this and they call it AUDITION)

More sports teams need to follow the San Antonio Spurs, the New England Patriots and the Washington Nationals.

Combines (and interviews) are for show and make for great theater. But selecting a player or a candidate just off the performance of that one day is for suckers!

GREAT CHURCH

I asked the question on Facebook, “If your church amazes and inspires you on Sunday, where do you go? And I got great comments. Here are a few thoughts about GREAT CHURCH

1.       I had a few pastors say their church. That’s like Barak Obama saying he’s the best president! Also why you should never play golf with a pastor. Fill in your own analogy.

2.       It has a lot to do about the leader. Great in the pulpit. Able to relate to the congregation and knows how to stuff the ballot box!

3.       The Church body must be about Love – Love thy neighbor as thyself

4.       The Church body must be about discipleship and service

5.       You have to be willing to invite people to church

6.       Young families and kids create a lot of energy in a church

7.       The church must pray

8.       When it comes to being amazing and inspiring there also must be some entertainment value involved.

This is not exactly George Barna, but to all of my Pastor friends, what do you think?

Top 10 Comments from this weeks Blog Readings

1.   Next generation donors want meaningful, hands-on engagement with the causes that they care about and want to develop close relationships with the organizations they give to, giving their time and talent as well as their treasure. – Katya Andresen

2.   Starting the team journey is perhaps the easiest part. The real difficulty is staying the course. The temptation to retreat is real and pervasive. – Mark Miller

3.   What I came away with from my trip with Michigan State Basketball was that Russell Byrd is a natural leader. I called him the mayor, the entire trip – I might be his biggest fan now! He never missed an opportunity to engage with those traveling with him – his teammates, his coaches, the team managers, us tag-along donors, the hotel staff, etc. It might be a handshake, eye contact with a wink and a smile or putting his arm around you and joking around. He was encouraging, always, he kept a positive attitude even when his own performance, that night, wasn’t what he would have wanted. While not having a good game, he set his own feelings aside, to pick up those on his team, who were more skilled, who needed some picking up. He put his team, before himself. – Tim Sackett

4.   "He's got to understand that lazy and crazy isn't going to make it work," Denver Nuggets Coach George Karl said about Javale McGee. You can have amazing potential. You can have great talent. At some point you have to produce results. If you have great potential and are perceived to be lazy, the mothership starts becoming less patient with your "quirks". – Kris Dunn

5.   Trust flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

6.   Don't ever apologize because you have big dreams of seeing people rescued from darkness and brought into light. Don't you EVER apologize for having a vision so huge that you know you can only get there if God gets involved. Don't you EVER allow those who have no enthusiasm make you feel bad for your excitement and belief that greater things are coming. – Perry Noble

7.   Conservatives and Republicans feel a bit under siege these days because their views are not officially in style. But the Cringe is not the way to deal with it. If you take a stand, take a stand and take the blows. Many people would think that paying more than half your salary in city, state, county and federal taxes is unjust. Mr. Mickelson is not alone. – Peggy Noonan

8.   Every day, whenever the issue of ethical behavior confronts you, ask this question: “How would I like to be treated in this situation?” Then take the advice of nineteenth-century novelist George Eliot, who said, “Keep true, never be ashamed of doing right, decide on what you think is right and stick to it.” – John Maxwell

9.   On the day of my wedding, the pastor said, "Tomorrow hundreds of people will be watching you on the most important day of your life. Try to remember this: It's not a performance; it's an experience." – Peter Bregman

10.                Talking about when his youngest daughter sleeps in his bed,”Those big blue eyes are difficult to argue with. My heart is warmed by her sweet “got daddy wrapped around my finger” request. It’s sweet alright, until 4 AM. That’s about the time I wake up to pee and discover the Blanket Bogart has stripped me of any and all covering I might have started with when Jimmy Kimmel bid me goodnight.” - Bruce Hamm

11.                Talking about his dog that had just died – “Backer loved rabbits, napping, peanut butter, Nicholas & Ellie. He was not a fan of people, bikes, the other dog in the house, and the Invisible Fence Installer, who was the only person he successfully bit. One of his fondest memories was traveling with twelve guys to his master’s Bachelor’s Party in 2003, which he may or may not have consumed a small bit of tequila.” – Steve D’Avria

Standing Ovations at Work

I love coming to work! I realize that having that excitement about going to work puts me in the minority, but working at the Y is fun.

We had our annual meeting this week where we celebrated some of the Y’s accomplishments from 2012. One of the highlights of the meeting was when I got to call forward all of the Y staff and the volunteers gave them a standing ovation! That was a goose bump moment for me. Hopefully the staff felt loved, appreciated and encouraged.

We also just got new spin bikes at one of our branches, and I walked into the spin class yesterday to see how they were being received and the 25 people applauded me. (All I do is approve the purchase and sign the check but yet they were thanking me!)

We should have more ovations at work. I know it doesn’t happen every day but I hope everyone gets to experience that Rudy moment when you walk into work. If YOU have never had that feeling at work, you should send me your resume because you need to work at the Y!

Click here for scene from Rudy

Resolutions, Confessions and Just Stuff

 

Watching the Food Network when you are hungry is like looking at Food Porn. My fantasy job is hosting Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.

I am coming out of the closet! In 2013 my resolution is not to hide the fact that I am a Taylor Swift fan. Oh I hear all you haters out there trying to beat her down. You’re just jealous. I thought about that Wednesday…at Café…Again!

This may get me kicked out of the Man Club, but the older I get, the more I cry. I can’t turn it off. I see a sweet picture on Facebook – misty eyed. I read a touching story in Sports Illustrated – water works. A friend shares a wonderful family moment – big lump in the throat.

2^nd resolution for 2013, and I need help on this one…..I want to do a youtube video to the song Call Me Maybe.

Of all the famous people who died in 2012, I think I will miss Andy Griffith the most. Jack Klugman is second because I loved the show The Odd Couple and my mom called me Oscar Madison when I was a kid. (Note to remember to tell therapist about mother’s criticism)

Can anyone play Words with Friends and not cheat?  

I love listening to Andy Stanley’s sermons.

Our theme at the Y for 2013 is that “Hope is Not a Strategy.”

My final New Year’s Resolution for 2013 is to bring more HOPE to my world!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. – Mark 12:30-31