Geoff Thatcher's "The CEO's Time Machine"...A Book Review

I have many friends who have published books--it comes with the territory of being an author myself and getting to know scores of talented people who write and publish books.

But, I don't have many friends who I have known since childhood who have accomplished this feat. When Geoff Thatcher, a friend and fellow Davis High Dart alum announced his book The CEO's Time Machine, I wanted to read it, mostly because Geoff is one of the most accomplished people I know, especially in the area of creative business ideas. Also, the fact that his daughter illustrated it intrigued me. This past weekend, I saw Geoff post on social media about visiting his family. I quickly jumped on-line and asked if he was in town and if he had a copy of his book that I could buy and that he would sign.

He said he did and to come over to his parent's house.

I did.

I got the book.

And it is a delight.

Geoff, along with his daughter Zoe, have crafted a story that's powerful, a story of two business leaders and how one wishes to pass along his wisdom and experience (and philosophy...) to his hand-picked replacement. He invites her to a garage--a building associated with some of the greatest business success stories in the history of the planet.

Interestingly enough, in this CEO's garage, the possibility of not only another great business success story, but multiple success stories can be found inside. For inside the garage is a time machine, a way for people to go both back and forward in time to learn from the lessons of history.

The genius of Thatcher's story is its simplicity. The book is short--it took me only an hour or so to finish--but don't let that discourage you from its message. There's a beauty found in the pages that doesn't require chapters of back story, or tangents to add flavor. No--this is an energy bar when you need quick nutrition. 

This book is for any business professional to help them look at their organization and personnel in a different light. The message can also touch everyone else because it reveals a universal truth about how humans see the world and each other.

You can order the book by clicking the Amazon link: HERE. The CEO's Time Machine is a simple story, and like the Tardis, it's a small package that is much bigger on the inside.

Remembering...Our Last Family Vacation

I got a call a few weeks ago from a cousin. She needed to ask me a question. She did. I answered. We chatted. Inevitably, the topic of coronavirus and the quarantine came up. She asked if things had changed much for us due to the pandemic. She said families had to look at things differently, like if they wanted to go on vacation in the summer, would they go to the east coast, or the west coast, or out of the country? Many plans would be changing.

Then, I told her something I'm not sure she believed.

I told her that going on vacations is something our family doesn't consider, and that the last vacation our family took was in 2013. The one we took before that was in 2005.

I know that's not normal for others, but, for us, it is. So, at least a few weeks ago, our normal of staying home was becoming everyone else's normal, too. If places open up this summer, perhaps families will continue their traditions and enjoy a vacation away from home. Whether that happens or not, our tradition of staying home will most likely continue.

I was on my computer today and I ran across a YouTube video I posted that I made a few months after our trip in 2013 ended. It was fun to produce and it brought back a ton of memories. Also, the music I used is killer! It's hard to top Pat Leishman.

I've included the video and copied some shots from the trip. The kids have grown so much since then--for our youngest, he's almost doubled in age since our trip. Since we're on a "one vacation every eight years" timeline, looks like we'll be needing to go somewhere next year.

We'll see.

Putting Myself Out There...Again

Last year I wrote a short five-page screenplay. I thought maybe a few friends and I could film it using cellphones. It never materialized, but it was fun to write.

I find, sometimes, the writing part is a lot of fun.

A couple of weeks ago, another idea hit me so I fired up the laptop, opened the Final Draft program and wrote it down. It's slightly longer (eight pages...) and definitely meaner. 

I like both stories, each have their strengths, and their weakness. I can see both actually being filmed--it wouldn't take much, few locations, few actors, one-day shoots.

I'm part of two writing groups, one for traditional writing and the other for screenwriting. There's been times--months, actually--when I haven't attended the screenwriting group. I'm doing more of that now, especially since we're holding on-line meetings. As he does often, Blake, the group's leader asked us if anyone had any stories to submit.

I spoke up.

I sent them in.

Next week we're discussing them.

This is a tough group. They don't hold back when it comes to critique and their opinions, and that's a good thing. False praise from friends will do you no favors in the long run. I've submitted to the group several times before. Each time the group's helped in many ways. Each time I come away with more knowledge than I had before. You'd think, after doing this a few times, I'd be used to the process. But, there was still that feeling in my gut when I had to make the decision of whether or not I would submit my stories, if I would put myself out there.

I did.

Now, let the carving begin!

Sometimes I Feel Like...Somebody's Watching Me

A few years after we built our house, a shih tzu pupply stole our hearts and she came to live with us. Her name was Patch, and we had to put her down earlier this year. It's always tough saying good-bye to a loved member of the family, especially one that has been with us for so many years.

Two years ago this month, my son rescued a standard poodle. Let's just say almost everything about a standard poodle and a shih tzu is different, different sizes, different personalities (that goes for all dogs...), different intelligent levels, and different ability to see out the big windows that grace the side of our house. I don't know if Patch ever looked out those windows. As time passed, she was unable to jump up on the couch to see out, then she lost her ability to see.

The poodle sees all.

The poodle has a front-row seat to the neighborhood looking south and a little west and east. The poodle is our sentinel, our protector, our lookout, our canine lighthouse for all things, be they threat or not. Bec, the Poodle watches from above.

The other day I walked down in front of the windows. The light was just right for me to get a couple of clear pictures of him as he watched me, and I watched him. Unless Bec is sleeping or downstairs, if the blinds are open and you're on our street, there's a good chance you will be spotted. You may be met with barks, or simple curiosity, but you will be seen.

Sometimes, I sit on the couch and look out--he and I side-by-side--looking at the view. I wonder what he's thinking. I wonder if he feels the protector or prisoner, and I wonder if he wonders what I'm thinking about as I watch with him.

That last one...I doubt it.

Maybe It's Time I Dust Of..."The Tank"

I can't remember exactly when I bought my Raleigh Competition G.S. road bike from my good friend and cousin's husband, but I'm sure it was in the late 1980s.

And the bike was already old at that time.

I had it in college. One night my roommate Matt and I were talking to Jay, a friend and bike racer, and the subject of modern bikes came up. Now, I can't be 100% sure if Jay called my bike a tank, or not--it's hard to remember a single conversation that took place thirty years ago. Jay had raced on some of the most advanced bicycles of the day, bikes that weighed almost nothing. They made my old Raleigh look like...well, a tank.

Because I was raised by parents who both lived through the Great Depression, I'm wont to keep things, especially when I'm unable to upgrade.

I kept the bike for the next three decades.

And for most of that time, the bike has sat in a basement or a shed.

Tonight, I hauled it out, pumped up the tires, and rode it around the cul-du-sac. Seeing as how I haven't sat on a road bike since I put the Raleigh into storage, I have no idea what new bikes are like, but I suspect it must be something going from a 1965 VW Beetle to driving a 2021 Porsche.

To me, the old bike still felt good. And the biggest surprise was how light the bike was. Oh, I know it's still heavy compared to both the bikes of today and the bikes of 1990, but it's lighter than I thought it would be. Plus, a quick internet search has similar bikes costing anywhere from $500 to $1k. Those are in better shape, but still...

Once I get a rack to put it on my car, I'm thinking I'll take the Tank out and do some exercising. Since it's been locked away for years, it's the least I could do.

I Mean, I Knew I Liked The Movie...Apparently, A Ton Of Others Do, Too

Since I post a picture a day on social media, sometimes how a particular photo gets chosen for that picture can be interesting...well, interesting to me.

I never know the exact response a picture may get. There's a couple of different types of photos I post. Occasionally, I'll take a quality shot, either a beautiful sunset or a cool black and white picture and post it. Other times, if I see something funny I'll use that as my Pic Of The Day.

Then, there are times when I need a photo--any photo--to post and I'll pick something random, something from the internet, a funny meme, an old picture from my high school yearbook. The main thing is, that I continue my almost decade-long streak of daily postings. I'd hate to see that stop.

Last Saturday night, after being inundated with crappy news all day, we decided to watch a movie, a comedy that would hopefully brighten up our evening. We started the film, and when I saw the scene where a travel bag glides down an airport baggage conveyer, I decided a photo of that shot would be my Pic Of The Day.

After all, it's just a picture of a travel bag and only those who knew the film wold recognize its significance. 

Boy, I guessed right. I was flooded with agreeing comments, and quotes from the show, quotes I say all the time.

What's Up, Doc? is one of my all-time favorite films. I can't remember exactly when I first saw the movie, but I was young. And, even at a young age, I was blown away by the humor, the craziness, the hilarity...the genius that is What's Up, Doc? And I thought the film would be perfect to take our minds off the troubles at hand.

I posted it to Facebook with a caption stating it was the funniest film of all time and it was a great time to watch it.

It seems many many people agreed. 

With so many films out there, and many more being made all the time, What's Up, Doc? has not been seen by everyone, but those who've seen it seem to love it as much as me.

I didn't think that was possible.

If you haven't seen it, please check it out. It really can make your day better, if only for a short time. Considering how things are going nowadays, even a short break is much appreciated.

Avoiding...Your WIP

I have a confession to make...

I haven't worked on, edited, looked at, or even opened my latest WIP (work in progress) story in over a month.

Now, for some of you, that may seem like no big deal, as if no progress on something that is a side interest and something that generates almost zero income for a month is nothing to worry about. But, to a writer, that's almost unimaginable. 

I've been working on this particular story for years. I jumped right in--as I usually do--when I first came up with the concept. I wrote about 20k words and then I got stuck. That happens a lot with me. Last year, I blew the electronic dust off the story and jumped in again. I added a new storyline to run concurrent with the existing one and got another 10k words. I even did something I almost never do--I outlined where I wanted the story to go.

A few months ago I added another 10k words, and then...

Nothing.

I know it's been more than a month because I haven't even implemented the notes from my writing group for early May. 

I remember when I got stuck writing my middle-grade novel that came out in 2018. I was working to complete the 50k word in one month and there were a couple of times when I just wrote and wrote--all to keep writing. I wrote stuff that didn't make sense. I wrote things that I had not researched or knew they'd be in the story. But I kept at it. On my current WIP, I've been doing that for the past 15k words. The problem is, it's not working out the way it did before, and I think I expected it to do that, to come together the way my novel did.

And since it's not...it's just sitting there, being avoided.

I know me. I know how I write. I know that there'll be something that kicks me in the butt and gets the gears moving again. The problem is, I don't know when that'll be. I still like the story and think it has legs, so much so, one of the reasons I've been avoiding it is because it's not reaching its potential, the potential I believe it has.

Theoretically, I can get it finished in a few weeks time, that is, if I do attack it. If so, I would be one happy writer. But, for now, it's not going anywhere, as long as I continue to avoid it. Looks like it's time to get to work.