The Winter of 1987 was a cold and snowy one in New England. The first snow storm was in November and it seemed that we would not see our front yard again until June! In late March, I had a meeting with the CEO of Child World where I was given my performance review and a maximum bonus for 1986's performance. At this meeting, I again assured my boss that I was there to stay and had spent the last couple of months working furiously to demonstrate my dedication and loyalty to the Company. The meeting ended after 5:00 and when I returned to my office, my secretary had left for the weekend but had left me a note in the center of my desk. "Call Scott Meadow...IMPORTANT! He has called you 3 times!" I had not talked to Scott since I told him that I was out of the deal in early February and had assumed that the Sporting Goods project (if it was still alive) had proceeded in another direction.
So, I returned Scott's call. No small talk...Scott got right to the point: "We want you to come down to Newark tomorrow morning to meet the guy that is going to be the CEO of the Sporting Goods project." "No thanks," I replied...."I told you that I am out of the deal." It was like he didn't even hear me..." The flight is at 9 AM and Adam Kirsch from Bain Capital will meet you at the airport and fly with you. The meeting is at the Holiday Inn at the Newark airport. You will be back in time for dinner." Hmmmm. After much cajoling, I finally agreed to spend my Saturday in Newark. What could it hurt? It will give me the opportunity to tell them face to face that I was no longer in the deal!
On the flight to Newark, Adam told me how excited they were to be a part of the deal and how he was looking forward to working with me.....all good, if I was actually going to be in the deal! I walked into the conference room in Newark in time to hear Jack Smith pontificate about the value of promotional retailing versus Everyday Low Price Retailing. As he stood in front of the room in his satin Starter 76er's jacket, his silver hair and dark tan signaling a guy that had spent a lot of time on the golf course, he motioned to me and said "Well, this guy is suppose to be a merchant...look at these 2 Ads and tell me which one is best." I looked at the Herman's Ad and then glanced at an Ad for All American Sports Warehouse in California and I gave my honest opinion. "They both suck!" And THAT was my formal introduction to Jack Smith, the future President and CEO of The Sports Authority.
What I later learned was that the VC's had actually approached another executive at Herman's Sporting Goods and was turned down. This executive thought the idea was so outlandish that he told the COO of Herman's about the overture and joked about how foolish the deal was. Jack absorbed the information and called Scott Meadow to admonish him for approaching one of his executives and ultimately threw his own hat in the ring!
The meeting continued in a contentious tone throughout the day. We argued about the pricing policies, the marketing message, the size of the assortments, the layout of the store and any and every other detail of the proposed store. Jack was the COO of Herman's Sporting Goods and he had the Sporting Goods Industry background...but I knew Big Box retail and the challenges and opportunities incumbent in a 40,000 square foot retail store. Jack's background was Operations and Real Estate...mine covered the Merchandising and Marketing side of the business. At one point in the meeting, it became so heated that I left the meeting room and approached Jory Katlin. "Do you really think this is the guy to lead this thing?" I queried. "Why not give me a chance to be the CEO?" "Because this is the guy that can get in financed." Jory retorted. I was unusually quiet for the rest of the meeting. Game, set, match!
Returning home that evening, I was still not convinced that I wanted to be a part of the deal and was not even sure if Jack wanted me to be part of the deal. But he called on Sunday night with an offer....a really bad offer that would require me to take a deep cut in salary but included equity participation in the venture. I turned him down on the spot. No way was I going to take THAT deep of a cut. We went back and forth for a week, with Scott Meadow pulling the strings.
Finally, we came to an agreement...but now I had other BIG problems! How do I tell my boss that I was going to renege on my commitment that I was staying at Child World? How do we break the news to the kids that we were, once again, moving? Am I totally out of my mind leaving a secure position for one so tenuous? After receiving some not so glowing references from former co-workers of Jack's, could I actually have a successful working relationship with him?
These answers and more to come in Part 4.
And The Journey continues............
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Real Story, Part 2
As I got ready to go to Chicago for the New Year's Eve meeting, I assured my wife that the meeting would settle whether we actually have a deal to start the Company or whether we were going to move! After all, our daughter's Bat Mitzvah was scheduled for Spring and we had to decide the location...Boston, South Florida or Atlanta! And, of course, there was the matter of my position at Child World. Although the CEO was being quite accomodating, he was not going to wait forever for an answer as to whether I was staying or leaving. The schedule was a whirlwind...early flight to Chicago, meeting and fly back the same day as we had New Year's Eve plans with friends in Boston.
The meeting started out much like we had choreographed. Present were the principals of the targeted Venture Capital firms, Jory from Maurice Sporting Goods, his attorney and the proposed Executive team. I presented the overview of merchandising and marketing; the pricing strategy, advertising strategy, merchandise categories, store layout, gross margin strategy and merchandising and marketing staffing. The VP of Operations gave an overview of the store construction, and the CFO presented an overview of the initial financial projections. Then disaster struck...the proposed CEO, Bob Mead began to talk and he literally fumbled the ball. It became quite apparent that he had no real vision and was not the right person to lead the operation....actually, it was somewhat of an embarrassment to the entire effort. Venture Capital firms make investment decisions based as much on the leadership team as on the concept itself. It was obvious that this operation would never get funded with Bob as the CEO!
So, I flew back to Boston and assured my wife that we were staying put...that this deal was never going to happen. However, I soon received a call from the lead investor, Scott Meadow, who asked me to sit tight...the plan was to look for another CEO and then finalize the financing. I then proceeded to avoid my boss at Child World for the next few days...until he button-holed me on a flight from LA to Vegas, where we were attending a trade show. In his show of faith, he awarded me a 25% increase in salary, and a guarantee of my 50% bonus if I would drop the Sporting Goods project and commit all of my efforts to Child World. The provision was that I had to give him an answer by the end of January...when I returned from a Buying Trip to Hong Kong. I was on top of the world - Child World wanted me to stay and high powered Venture Capital firms wanted me to help start this new business. I immediately called Scott and told him that if the deal was not finalized by February 1st, then I was out of the deal...and off to Hong Kong I went!
Upon my return, it became apparent that nothing further had been done to secure the financing for the Sporting Goods project. I informed Scott that I was out of the deal and had to devote all of my focus on my current job. I accepted the generous offer of the CEO of Child World to stay in my present position and my wife proceeded to plan our daughter's Bat Mitzvah in Sharon, Massachusetts. As far as I was concerned, the Sporting Goods project would never get off the ground and I was much better off concentrating on the job at hand.
In the next post...the project is resurrected, meeting Jack and making the decision.
And The Journey continues.......
The meeting started out much like we had choreographed. Present were the principals of the targeted Venture Capital firms, Jory from Maurice Sporting Goods, his attorney and the proposed Executive team. I presented the overview of merchandising and marketing; the pricing strategy, advertising strategy, merchandise categories, store layout, gross margin strategy and merchandising and marketing staffing. The VP of Operations gave an overview of the store construction, and the CFO presented an overview of the initial financial projections. Then disaster struck...the proposed CEO, Bob Mead began to talk and he literally fumbled the ball. It became quite apparent that he had no real vision and was not the right person to lead the operation....actually, it was somewhat of an embarrassment to the entire effort. Venture Capital firms make investment decisions based as much on the leadership team as on the concept itself. It was obvious that this operation would never get funded with Bob as the CEO!
So, I flew back to Boston and assured my wife that we were staying put...that this deal was never going to happen. However, I soon received a call from the lead investor, Scott Meadow, who asked me to sit tight...the plan was to look for another CEO and then finalize the financing. I then proceeded to avoid my boss at Child World for the next few days...until he button-holed me on a flight from LA to Vegas, where we were attending a trade show. In his show of faith, he awarded me a 25% increase in salary, and a guarantee of my 50% bonus if I would drop the Sporting Goods project and commit all of my efforts to Child World. The provision was that I had to give him an answer by the end of January...when I returned from a Buying Trip to Hong Kong. I was on top of the world - Child World wanted me to stay and high powered Venture Capital firms wanted me to help start this new business. I immediately called Scott and told him that if the deal was not finalized by February 1st, then I was out of the deal...and off to Hong Kong I went!
Upon my return, it became apparent that nothing further had been done to secure the financing for the Sporting Goods project. I informed Scott that I was out of the deal and had to devote all of my focus on my current job. I accepted the generous offer of the CEO of Child World to stay in my present position and my wife proceeded to plan our daughter's Bat Mitzvah in Sharon, Massachusetts. As far as I was concerned, the Sporting Goods project would never get off the ground and I was much better off concentrating on the job at hand.
In the next post...the project is resurrected, meeting Jack and making the decision.
And The Journey continues.......
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Real Story, Part 1
When I started this blog, I said that it didn't really matter if anybody read it. That is still true...I am writing as an outlet and if one day my grandchildren want to know more about their Saba, then they will have the opportunity to read the collective writings.
When we sold The Sports Authority to Kmart in 1990, I said that one day I would write a book about the "real story." In fact, at the closing dinner, one of our partners signed a memento of the event to me with "to Roy, who knows the real story." So, this is the first installment of The Real Story....for no other reason than sometimes the real story is a lot more interesting than the myth that has been perpetuated for 25 years!
The year is 1985...As a young (34 years old) executive with Child World Stores, I had just been promoted to Vice President and General Merchandise Manager when I got a call from a Headhunter. It seems that there was a group of grocery executives that were putting together a team to start-up a new retail chain, backed by several prominent venture capital funds. Since they wanted me to interview for the Chief Merchant position, I was curious to get more details. "They endeavor to start a chain of Office Supply superstores...a virtual grocery store of office supplies!" Being the self-proclaimed retail expert that I envisioned of myself, I declined to even be interviewed because I couldn't imagine how a superstore could possibly do enough business in paper clips, legal pads and pens and pencils to be successful. Not one of my more brilliant assessments as the chain turned out to be Staples...one of the most successful superstore chain start-ups of the 80's.
Fast forward a year or so and in a conversation with an old friend and former supplier from my days at Richway Stores, I learned of "a group of retailers and VC's" that were putting together plans for a Sporting Goods Superstore concept and their search for a chief merchant. No sooner did Jory get the words out of his mouth that I jumped all over the opportunity to interview. (I try to never make the same mistake twice!). Jory put me in touch with Bob Mead and Chet Howard, the 2 executives working full time on Warehouse of Sports in South Florida. Since I had already scheduled vacation with the family at Disney World, a quick 1 day trip to West Palm Beach would be easy.
The trip to meet Bob and Chet confirmed my suspicions...that Jory, his Dad and Uncles were the impetus behind the idea and had assembled the Venture Capital groups and seed money to get the project rolling. But their involvement had to be kept quiet because their family business, Maurice Sporting Goods, was the supplier of Fishing and Hunting gear for the biggest chains in Retail...they couldn't be seen as competitors to their customers. I loved the concept but had reservations about the leadership...Bob seemed to be way behind the times, a retail relic, and I doubted his leadership ability. BUT, I loved the opportunity. Always a risk taker, I forged ahead.......
Next, were meetings with the perspective Venture Capital partners...Scott Meadow of William Blair, Bill Hunkler of First Chicago, Don Phillips and Cece Smith of Phillips-Smith, Chip Ruth of Marquette and Mitt Romney (yes, THAT Mitt Romney) of Bain Capital. I hit it off with several of them...especially those with a retail background and I got locked in as the newest member of the Executive Team.
As the project progressed, I had the opportunity to add input to the Business Plan and overall Merchandising, Marketing and Operations strategy. My experience in Big Box Retail served the team well. And then, I got blindsided!!!
It seems that in checking me out, Scott Meadow of William Blair sought input from the analyst that covered the Toy Industry for Blair....sensing an opportunity to get sales info from Child World during the Christmas Season (normally an info blackout period), this analyst traded the info that I was working with this Sporting Goods group with the CEO of Child World for sales information! So, I was confronted by my boss and decided to come clean...yes, I was entertaining the opportunity but that the New Company was not yet a reality and might not even happen. I also confided that there was a New Year's Eve meeting in Chicago that will help decide if the project would even get off the ground. In this case, honesty worked...my boss gave me the room to "figure it out" but let me know that he didn't want me to leave.
In my next post...the New Year's Eve Meeting, I drop out of the project, the deal falls apart and gets resurrected!
And The Journey continues...................................
When we sold The Sports Authority to Kmart in 1990, I said that one day I would write a book about the "real story." In fact, at the closing dinner, one of our partners signed a memento of the event to me with "to Roy, who knows the real story." So, this is the first installment of The Real Story....for no other reason than sometimes the real story is a lot more interesting than the myth that has been perpetuated for 25 years!
The year is 1985...As a young (34 years old) executive with Child World Stores, I had just been promoted to Vice President and General Merchandise Manager when I got a call from a Headhunter. It seems that there was a group of grocery executives that were putting together a team to start-up a new retail chain, backed by several prominent venture capital funds. Since they wanted me to interview for the Chief Merchant position, I was curious to get more details. "They endeavor to start a chain of Office Supply superstores...a virtual grocery store of office supplies!" Being the self-proclaimed retail expert that I envisioned of myself, I declined to even be interviewed because I couldn't imagine how a superstore could possibly do enough business in paper clips, legal pads and pens and pencils to be successful. Not one of my more brilliant assessments as the chain turned out to be Staples...one of the most successful superstore chain start-ups of the 80's.
Fast forward a year or so and in a conversation with an old friend and former supplier from my days at Richway Stores, I learned of "a group of retailers and VC's" that were putting together plans for a Sporting Goods Superstore concept and their search for a chief merchant. No sooner did Jory get the words out of his mouth that I jumped all over the opportunity to interview. (I try to never make the same mistake twice!). Jory put me in touch with Bob Mead and Chet Howard, the 2 executives working full time on Warehouse of Sports in South Florida. Since I had already scheduled vacation with the family at Disney World, a quick 1 day trip to West Palm Beach would be easy.
The trip to meet Bob and Chet confirmed my suspicions...that Jory, his Dad and Uncles were the impetus behind the idea and had assembled the Venture Capital groups and seed money to get the project rolling. But their involvement had to be kept quiet because their family business, Maurice Sporting Goods, was the supplier of Fishing and Hunting gear for the biggest chains in Retail...they couldn't be seen as competitors to their customers. I loved the concept but had reservations about the leadership...Bob seemed to be way behind the times, a retail relic, and I doubted his leadership ability. BUT, I loved the opportunity. Always a risk taker, I forged ahead.......
Next, were meetings with the perspective Venture Capital partners...Scott Meadow of William Blair, Bill Hunkler of First Chicago, Don Phillips and Cece Smith of Phillips-Smith, Chip Ruth of Marquette and Mitt Romney (yes, THAT Mitt Romney) of Bain Capital. I hit it off with several of them...especially those with a retail background and I got locked in as the newest member of the Executive Team.
As the project progressed, I had the opportunity to add input to the Business Plan and overall Merchandising, Marketing and Operations strategy. My experience in Big Box Retail served the team well. And then, I got blindsided!!!
It seems that in checking me out, Scott Meadow of William Blair sought input from the analyst that covered the Toy Industry for Blair....sensing an opportunity to get sales info from Child World during the Christmas Season (normally an info blackout period), this analyst traded the info that I was working with this Sporting Goods group with the CEO of Child World for sales information! So, I was confronted by my boss and decided to come clean...yes, I was entertaining the opportunity but that the New Company was not yet a reality and might not even happen. I also confided that there was a New Year's Eve meeting in Chicago that will help decide if the project would even get off the ground. In this case, honesty worked...my boss gave me the room to "figure it out" but let me know that he didn't want me to leave.
In my next post...the New Year's Eve Meeting, I drop out of the project, the deal falls apart and gets resurrected!
And The Journey continues...................................
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Clear Eyes, Full Heart
Last night, on DirecTV, the final episode of Friday Night Lights was aired. For those that have to wait until Spring for the series to play out on NBC, don't worry...I am not going to reveal any storylines or spoil your enjoyment of this final season.
FNL has been on for 5 years and is, by far, my favorite drama over that time. It was NOT a series about football. It was a Trojan horse, using a football vehicle to showcase small town Texas (America) and its treatment of race, class, religion and family. Yes, some of the plot lines were not realistic but the emotions the stories elicited were realistic. The Finale wrapped up almost all of the plot lines, but the most important message was "you are family."
The pre-show montage showing clips of all of the various characters over the years featured a voice over by Coach Taylor who was presumably addressing his team before the big game:
" Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable and we will all at some point in our lives fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts....that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us and then when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will now all be tested. It is these times, it is this pain that allows us to look inside ourselves."
Clear Eyes, Full Heart....Can't Lose!
And The Journey continues......................
FNL has been on for 5 years and is, by far, my favorite drama over that time. It was NOT a series about football. It was a Trojan horse, using a football vehicle to showcase small town Texas (America) and its treatment of race, class, religion and family. Yes, some of the plot lines were not realistic but the emotions the stories elicited were realistic. The Finale wrapped up almost all of the plot lines, but the most important message was "you are family."
The pre-show montage showing clips of all of the various characters over the years featured a voice over by Coach Taylor who was presumably addressing his team before the big game:
" Give all of us gathered here tonight the strength to remember that life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable and we will all at some point in our lives fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts....that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us and then when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will now all be tested. It is these times, it is this pain that allows us to look inside ourselves."
Clear Eyes, Full Heart....Can't Lose!
And The Journey continues......................
Friday, January 28, 2011
My Grandson, Elie Lev Cohen
I thought that this blog posting would be the easiest one to write because of the joy and love I feel for our first grandchild, Elie Lev Cohen. But I was wrong. Sometimes one is so filled with emotions that mere words cannot describe the intense feelings of love, pride, and joy. I never thought it was possible to equal the feelings I had when our children were born, but the news of Elie's arrival and the first time I held him were two of the most powerful moments of my life.Elie was born on January 17, 2011. Numerically, that is a pretty cool date...11711...eleven -seven-eleven. Seven or Eleven is the desirable roll of the dice, on the coming out roll, when you are playing the pass line in craps (as I always do!). He weighed in at one-half ounce shy of 8 pounds and a healthy 20 inches. And, did I mention that he is absolutely gorgeous? He is definitely his Father's son as baby pictures of Brad could be mistaken for Elie!
We've just returned from a wonderful week visiting in Baltimore and I can't wait until we go back! It was very special celebrating his first Shabbat. And it was truly a blessing to have four generations of Cohen's there to celebrate!
The Bris and welcoming of Elie into the community was outstanding and was highlighted by Brad and Claire's wishes for their son. With their permission, I am posting it below:
Our Dearest Elie:
Chickey Monkey, Chickey dough, Cookie Monkey, Little Bubba, Elie-belly, Elie-bean, Smelly Elie, Levvie......these are only some of the endearing names you'll be called. But today, we wanted to take a moment to explain to you the significance of your given name, Elie Lev Cohen.
Although to us you will always be Chickey Monkey, your first name is Elie. There have been some important Elie's in the world including, Elie Wiesel, Elijah the prophet, and Elie Zarem, your Aunt Lisa's first boyfriend. The name Elie literally means "high", "ascended" or "my god". Our hope for you is that you always strive for big dreams and have the confidence to be your best and highest Elie. We hope that you have the strength, heart and ability to impact the world in your own creative and unique way.
Your middle name and Hebrew name is Lev. Lev is short for your Emmie's family name, Levitch. Your great grandmother, Ruth, who would have loved to be here today and have you call her Bubbe, carried the Levitch name with Yiddishkeit & joy. She loved to laugh .. may you smile with her lips. Lev in Hebrew means heart. May you have the love in your heart of Bubbe Ruth. May you have the strength, determination and wit of your great grandmother, Nana. May you appreciate music as did your great grandma Sylvia. May you give of yourself, as did your great, great grandmother, Mimi, who at the age of 90 volunteered at an old-aged home. May you cherish and value family with warmth and care, just like your Poppi & Sharon.
Know that you are loved so much by so many. Know that you are blessed to be surrounded with such incredible support and affection. Know that you are so lucky to have such kvelling grandparents; Saba, Grams and Mumah.
A doctor, a lawyer, a rabbi, an educator, a chef, an artist, a football player or even a garbage collector.....we wish for you that whatever your passion, you follow your dreams with integrity and find happiness in all that you do. We love you, Elie.
One of the great things about having a grandchild is that my son now can truly understand the depth of love that Connie and I have always had for him and his sister. But, he also has to understand that per Saba (grandfather) rule number one, I will always side with Elie!!
And The Journey continues..........
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The World's Neediest Dog
There have always been pets around. Growing up, we always had a dog in the family. My early childhood pet was Boots, a Heinz 57 variety mutt that might have been the coolest dog ever. In those days, the dog was only allowed in the house when the weather was absolutely dreadful. Otherwise, she slept outside by the back door. Boots was a tough old bitch. Because she was kept in the fenced-in backyard, chasing cars was just too inviting when she escaped her confines! Hit by cars numerous times, Boots survived albeit with only one eye and several operations. Although Mom always insisted that Boots was "the Boys" dog, we all knew that she was my Mom's dog. Unfortunately, Boots met her demise when, mostly blind, she ran between the front and back tires of a moving car in our driveway. She was followed by Yogi and Candy ....more mutts that considered Mom their master. In between those dogs, there was Jett, a head strong mean German Shepherd that was given away after he bit my younger brother.
Eight and a half years ago, I was prodded by a friend to go look at a puppy at the animal Shelter in West Palm Beach (a kill shelter-the dogs are euthanized if homes cannot be found). A puppy would be a terrific Mother's Day present for Connie! After almost leaving without a dog, this little 7 week old Australian Shepherd/Black Lab fur ball rubbed against my leg, looked up at me with "take me home" eyes and crawled into my heart. Upon presentation to Connie as her Mother's Day gift, she announced that she didn't want a dog! Uh oh, I guessed that finally, I was the proud Master of a dog. Little did I know that Bella was going to actually be the Master of me.
Bella is the sweetest, smartest and most needy dog in the world. I am convinced that she understands everything I tell her and, in fact, understands hundreds of words. One of her problems is that she doesn't know that she is a dog. She sleeps in our bed and is positive that everybody that comes to the house is there to see her and to play with her. Nearly every morning we start the day together with a 2 to 3 mile walk and then she "rests" most of the afternoon. Bella would much rather interact with humans than with other dogs. In fact, she severely dislikes small dogs - especially those that incessantly yap! When we kept Brad and Claire's dog, Rudy, for
the year they were in Israel, Bella loved having a playmate and was depressed when Rudy left. However, she got over that and became convinced that I, rather than other dogs, should be her play pal. She is always around - under my feet at my desk, next to my recliner while we watch TV, curled around my feet in bed, on my chest as my wake-up call, bringing me her ball to throw when I am trying to relax and sitting by the table during meals. If I go upstairs, she goes upstairs...if I go outside, she wants to go with me...and she always wants to go in the car - until we actually go in the car, then she cries the whole time!
Once I was married, we adopted another mutt...Peanut. I say "we" but Peanut was really Connie's dog. Peanut died young and was followed by Sadie, the hero dog. Sadie is generally credited with saving our lives as she woke us up early one morning because our apartment building was on fire. Although we were rescued by firemen with ladders from our 3rd floor apartment, Sadie was nowhere to be found and presumed dead. Two days later, Sadie was found alive in an adjacent wooded area by neighborhood kids. She evidently escaped the fire through the front door and although slight charred, survived to accompany us to our new house in Atlanta, our 4 years in Boston and a few years in Boca Raton. Sadie was a Damn Good Dog whose Master was, again, Connie!
After Sadie's demise, Lisa prodded us into a cocker spaniel pup...Tootsie. After promises from Lisa that she would take care of the new puppy, Tootsie settled into also being Connie's dog! Tootsie lived to a ripe old age and we decided that she would be the last dog that we would own. So, dogless, we babysat Lisa's dog, Kota, for a year while Lisa was in Africa. Kota and I bonded and I was convinced that he had become MY dog and would want to stay with me once Lisa returned. How wrong I was! Lisa walked into our house after 11 months away and Kota immediately returned to her side as if I didn't even exist.
Eight and a half years ago, I was prodded by a friend to go look at a puppy at the animal Shelter in West Palm Beach (a kill shelter-the dogs are euthanized if homes cannot be found). A puppy would be a terrific Mother's Day present for Connie! After almost leaving without a dog, this little 7 week old Australian Shepherd/Black Lab fur ball rubbed against my leg, looked up at me with "take me home" eyes and crawled into my heart. Upon presentation to Connie as her Mother's Day gift, she announced that she didn't want a dog! Uh oh, I guessed that finally, I was the proud Master of a dog. Little did I know that Bella was going to actually be the Master of me.
Bella is the sweetest, smartest and most needy dog in the world. I am convinced that she understands everything I tell her and, in fact, understands hundreds of words. One of her problems is that she doesn't know that she is a dog. She sleeps in our bed and is positive that everybody that comes to the house is there to see her and to play with her. Nearly every morning we start the day together with a 2 to 3 mile walk and then she "rests" most of the afternoon. Bella would much rather interact with humans than with other dogs. In fact, she severely dislikes small dogs - especially those that incessantly yap! When we kept Brad and Claire's dog, Rudy, for
the year they were in Israel, Bella loved having a playmate and was depressed when Rudy left. However, she got over that and became convinced that I, rather than other dogs, should be her play pal. She is always around - under my feet at my desk, next to my recliner while we watch TV, curled around my feet in bed, on my chest as my wake-up call, bringing me her ball to throw when I am trying to relax and sitting by the table during meals. If I go upstairs, she goes upstairs...if I go outside, she wants to go with me...and she always wants to go in the car - until we actually go in the car, then she cries the whole time!Those that meet Bella instantly recognize her needy manner...always wanting to be the center of attention and never giving up easily. Bella is MY dog and I love her. And for that, her middle name is "the last one."
And The Journey continues.......
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Goodbye 2010..Hello 2011
At the end of each year, most of the mainstream media publishes their Best of the Year, Top Stories of 2010, Person of The Year, Top Movies, Best Books, Top TV Shows, Sexiest Person, Most Intriguing People, Best Restaurants, Best Images, Sportsman of The Year, and even "Coolest Person of The Year." 2010 has certainly been an interesting year.
In the news, we have suffered through the tragedy in Haiti, reveled in the dramatic rescue of the miners in Chile, endured the midterm elections and all of the hubris of the "Tea Party," despaired over the Gulf Oil Spill, delighted in the engagement of Prince William and Kate, viewed the volcano eruption in Iceland and its effects on worldwide travel, been amazed and even amused by the revelations of WikiLeaks, continued to wonder if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will ever end, worried over the slow recovery of the worldwide economy, cheered when The Saints won the Super Bowl for a beleaguered New Orleans and watched sports heroes like Tiger and Brett and Clemens and others embarrass themselves and play a disservice to the young that looked up to them. And of course, there was all of the tabloid fodder that seems to creep more and more into our daily lives - Sandra Bullock's marital woes, OctaMom, Heidi Montag's addiction to plastic surgery, the Leno-Conan Tonight Show mess, Oprah's last year, and who the hell is Snooky, anyway? And this list is only a microcosm of the important (and not so important) stories of the year.
Nonetheless, my personal Top Stories of The Year focus on the good stuff...Lisa buys a house in Denver, Brad gets his Masters Degree and lands a great job in Baltimore, and Brad and Claire buy a house in Baltimore. It was also a great year because our little family got to celebrate together several times during the year...first in Mexico to celebrate Brad's graduation, in Boca for Labor Day and my godson's Bar Mitzvah, then in New York to celebrate Connie's Big Birthday, and finally in Atlanta with the entire extended Cohen family for Thanksgiving. In between were trips to visit Lisa in Colorado and visits with Brad and Claire in Baltimore. We also got to go to Atlanta for a wedding and a wonderful week in New Hampshire with close friends.
But the very TOP STORY of the YEAR was the news that Claire and Brad are expecting a baby ...our first grandchild! It was in Mexico that they broke the news to us and we have been counting the days until the blessed event. With a due date of January 10th, the next two weeks will be very exciting!
My New Year's resolution is to focus on the good things.....and let the crap take care of itself! Hello 2011 - nice to have you here!
And The Journey Continues.................
In the news, we have suffered through the tragedy in Haiti, reveled in the dramatic rescue of the miners in Chile, endured the midterm elections and all of the hubris of the "Tea Party," despaired over the Gulf Oil Spill, delighted in the engagement of Prince William and Kate, viewed the volcano eruption in Iceland and its effects on worldwide travel, been amazed and even amused by the revelations of WikiLeaks, continued to wonder if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will ever end, worried over the slow recovery of the worldwide economy, cheered when The Saints won the Super Bowl for a beleaguered New Orleans and watched sports heroes like Tiger and Brett and Clemens and others embarrass themselves and play a disservice to the young that looked up to them. And of course, there was all of the tabloid fodder that seems to creep more and more into our daily lives - Sandra Bullock's marital woes, OctaMom, Heidi Montag's addiction to plastic surgery, the Leno-Conan Tonight Show mess, Oprah's last year, and who the hell is Snooky, anyway? And this list is only a microcosm of the important (and not so important) stories of the year.
Nonetheless, my personal Top Stories of The Year focus on the good stuff...Lisa buys a house in Denver, Brad gets his Masters Degree and lands a great job in Baltimore, and Brad and Claire buy a house in Baltimore. It was also a great year because our little family got to celebrate together several times during the year...first in Mexico to celebrate Brad's graduation, in Boca for Labor Day and my godson's Bar Mitzvah, then in New York to celebrate Connie's Big Birthday, and finally in Atlanta with the entire extended Cohen family for Thanksgiving. In between were trips to visit Lisa in Colorado and visits with Brad and Claire in Baltimore. We also got to go to Atlanta for a wedding and a wonderful week in New Hampshire with close friends.
But the very TOP STORY of the YEAR was the news that Claire and Brad are expecting a baby ...our first grandchild! It was in Mexico that they broke the news to us and we have been counting the days until the blessed event. With a due date of January 10th, the next two weeks will be very exciting!
My New Year's resolution is to focus on the good things.....and let the crap take care of itself! Hello 2011 - nice to have you here!
And The Journey Continues.................
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