THE SEA-ESTA SAGA

A few months of ago my pal Garrett and I bought a boat. She was rough around the edges, required some TLC and we spent a few months getting her back into running condition. Neither Garrett nor I had much experience with boats so the 1st few voyages where a comedy of errors. A few weeks ago after a weekend of non-stop rain we got a call from Rich the harbor master requesting us to get to the lake ASAP because Sea-esta was sinking…!!!!Sure enough, when we arrived there she was submerged in the water… Apparently some of the rubber seals around the engine valves were cracked and when the heavy rains came the large amount of water pushed the engine down until the level got to the cracked seals which led to her sinking…Oh and the fact we did not have her covered…It was a sad sight to see her in such a condition and after a few attempts at towing her into shore and having the ropes snap we had to call our insurance company for assistance. Their review of the situation and sea-esta was that she was totaled and we would get our full insurance claim. After a period of mourning we set out for Sea-Esta’s replacement which we now have. Sea-Esta II is a serious upgrade and we pray for smooth sailing….RIP Sea-Esta I

Below is Sea-Esta’s eulogy written by my Co-Captain Garrett Lister:

Her spirit lives on- Sea-esta was pronounced dead at the scene on May 26th at 4pm mtn time at sloans lake by the honorable Justin from Progressive Insurance Specialty Lines Claim dept.She will now ride the clouds of heaven like others before her. So take some time (when the weather is better) to lay in the grass and look up in the sky and find that cloud that reminds of you Sea-Esta. My cloud will look like a tear, a champagne bottle, a destroyer battleship all rolled into one. Do not fear Justin (from Progressive) said that boats can and do reincarnate themselves (with the help of an insurance settlement). So, look for my smiling mug to be piloting another craft in the near future. But, this time a proper christening party will take place to ward of the voodoo of Sea-esta and welcome in her worthy replacement - possibly named La Pesadilla- The Nightmare. Let one of your captains know if you see or know of a worthy replacement as we are looking to mend the voids in our hearts as quickly as possible.

Regretfully yours,

Captain Garrett

Turning pages and starting a new Chapter

In May of 06 I left the States and moved to India to work for a company named Satyam and for my own personal development. This experience is one I am extremely grateful for and impacted my development on all levels on self. Professionally we were able to create amazing results and impact for the organization. Unfortunately on January 7th the CEO of our company announced that he had cooked the books by over 1 billions USD!! The news rocked India and the 53,000 employees of Satyam. Only a handful of executives knew this was going on. This article and video give a good summary of what transpired: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7818220.stm

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=988857939

Since the 7th of January the companies board of directors was replaced by Indian government appointed business leaders and subsequently was acquired by another Indian company Tech Mahindra. Trying to help the organization manage this crisis and go through the acquisition process has been an undertaking our team has been focused on. There have been rich learning's from the process and on the 14th of August I will end my end my tenure with the company.

As a capstone to this professional chapter I have decided to backpack through South America starting in mid August. I look forward to the opportunity to decompress from the last 3+ years of working for Satyam and clear space for my next professional chapter, whatever that might be.

Back to the Future

In the summer of 1997 I moved out to Virginia City, MT to help my Aunt Paula open a restaurant, bakery, and deli in the historic gold mining town. That summer was one of my 1st experiences out west and I loved the wide open space and big sky culture. Fast forward to present day and here I am in VC after 12 years. Much has changed in my life however Virginia City for the most part has remained the same.

Recently my Aunt has opened an Art Gallery in town which has great art from well known Western artists. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHcpgVp5Png

SOJA

It is great to see people you know develop and shine. A band from Arlington, VA where I grew up called Soldiers of Jah used to play at local bars and now have an international following. They recently played a show at Cervantes in Denver for a packed house. If you are into Reggae there is no doubt that you will enjoy Soldiers of Jah’s music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE5XuF_CB90

http://www.sojamusic.com/