tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7353870692882628222011-11-21T05:12:52.398-08:00This is a blog for sharing ideas. Scroll to the bottom to subscribe. Comment to share topics you'd like to see on this site! And, um, the opinions here are my own and in no way reflect the point of view of my employer. And no, I'm not telling you who my employer is just in case!PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-39968055624366428422011-09-22T16:45:00.000-07:002011-09-22T17:12:55.569-07:00

Beach-combing in Katakolon w/cruise ships in background. This past summer I made a promise to a Museum curator in Greece. My husband and I had been traveling and arrived that morning in Katakolon, Greece. Katakolon might not roll off the tongue, but most of us have heard of Olympia about 90 minutes away. Having spent his traveling cash on airfare when he missed the ship days earlier, he had

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-53472864204311272832011-08-23T15:09:00.000-07:002011-08-24T05:59:44.236-07:00

Sparky awaits his entrance to Walnut Creek - Shramm Park Sparky the boxer-doodle turned four this summer -- 28 years' old in dog years. It was time I let him off leash. He didn't want me to have to drive all the way to Hefflinger Dog Park in Omaha, but wanted to celebrate by finding a park nearby where he could run, play, and maybe make a new canine pal. Sparky doesn't have Facebook so the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1Bellevue, NE, USA41.1586111 -95.9341666999999941.1151721 -96.0033752 41.2020501 -95.86495819999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-49328394956458963482011-08-21T11:23:00.000-07:002011-08-21T11:31:43.934-07:00

I recently attended the Open Innovation Conference in Chicago and was astounded by the number of successful innovators within organizations who were afraid of The Bird. No, no, no! Not the middle-finger-flip-off because you cut someone off in traffic BIRD, or the Angry Birds-bird, but rather the more benign, useful, and perhaps scary bird , TWITTER. Stefan Lindegaard of @15Inno said it best,

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-52673598057999652752011-08-16T14:21:00.000-07:002011-08-21T09:16:54.424-07:00

Business Leaders get it. Innovators get it. So why are traditional R&D Product Development people the last to understand that transparency is key to innovation and market leadership? http://www.millenniumhotels.com/millenniumchicago Organizational fear is what I heard from frustrated innovation managers at Innovation conferences including the Open Innovation Summit held in Chicago, and

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-71367251717999739902011-03-30T15:33:00.000-07:002011-03-30T15:33:34.692-07:00

I was enjoying a casual lunch at Mark's in Dundee with our newly hired administrative assistant when I shared my desire to lose a little weight. As fate would have it, she herself had just gone from a size 12 to a size 4 a few months prior, and eagerly told me of her success with The Meanest Man in Dieting. I was intrigued, and for only $26/month, I signed up. Here's how it's going. Day 1:

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-55854931646072963592010-03-06T08:12:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:44:41.167-08:00

We've been buried in a snow bank for months, and just this week my carpool buddy mentioned she'd found a newspaper, wrapped in plastic packaging, on her driveway when the snow melted this weekend.It was dated, December 8.The dogs don't seem to mind the cold as much as I do, and therefore today's rain doesn't seem to lift their spirits much either. They're always happy - as long as they get to eat

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-47897111970374858692010-03-06T06:44:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:08:56.055-08:00

A while back one of my team members was caught interviewing for a job, when a former co-worker, still friends with her mentioned it. How thankful I was as her supervisor to recognize, before she accepted that position, that she was seeking employment elsewhere. Before the company could steal her away, I was able to negotiate a better position for her within our company, retaining a valuable

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-13941275538472010382009-11-21T19:55:00.000-08:002009-11-21T20:15:56.055-08:00

This short post is just to show a few newly created outfits in http://www.secondlife.com/. The first is my male Avatar, MichaelVincent Nathansohn and the second two are my before and after female Avatar who goes by the same name. Changing Skin changes everything. Now I have several to choose from, and when I change to one that is male, well, you see. I look like my brother. And I swagger when

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-73686550497590580872009-11-14T12:43:00.000-08:002009-11-14T13:27:47.578-08:00

Friday was a good day. Not just because it was a stay-home vacation day, but because I got to travel to new and exciting locations and experience wonderful adventures, even sleeping in a box under a bridge, just to see what it was like.How did the adventure begin? After morning toast and coffee and having checked my bank account balance online in RL, I signed into SL bound and determined not to

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-11745545690029896832009-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:002009-11-12T11:20:03.997-08:00

I just don't sew very well. I learned that you can't turn the side to the back without the zipper sticking out like a tail. So apparently there's a reason a seamstress uses a pattern. I'll spare you all the photos, but here's a litany of lousy stiching projects that started with my jr. high school cheerleading outfit in strechy-polyester and mis-matched thread, and ended last week with shimmery

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-60655373506082422382009-11-08T16:24:00.000-08:002009-11-08T16:42:50.942-08:00

While working from home one day on the laptop loaned to me by my company, I turned around to see Sparticus, the Boxer-Doodle sitting in the entrance to my office, jubilant to have his mom home for the day. I grabbed my camera to snap a photo, and in a sequence of four pictures, got these funny poses. It's typically difficult to photograph a black dog, and this one rarely sits still long enough

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-499227265436871152009-11-08T15:54:00.001-08:002009-11-08T16:24:16.581-08:00

Two wardrobes aren't required of those living in year-round resort-like surroundings. My family and friends in California may even be said not to have a wardrobe as flip-flops and shorts hardly count. However, in my midwest home, the change of seasons provides a welcome opportunity to mix up the color palette, clean out the closet, and look forward to cool evenings in front of a fire.Saying

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-65662522883816788492009-11-08T15:37:00.000-08:002009-11-08T15:53:39.222-08:00

So the weather on the coasts has been wonky at best, and the Nebraska farms had such wet fields in October that the harvesters are just now getting the corn out of the fields. I've never really thought about global warming being real.Perhaps its just global weather distribution, kind of like global wealth distribution only with warm winds and late blooms. Think what you like and do what you think

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-71367277838720715582009-09-12T19:55:00.000-07:002009-09-12T20:16:28.669-07:00

Me: Hey dad, yea, spending some time in Second Life.Dad: What's wrong with the life you have?Me: What? No, it's just an online virtual reality. My life is fine, it's just my avatar is . . .Dad: Avawho? And what the hell is he wearing? What is that?!Me: I'm having a little trouble with the gender . . .Dad: Why is that guy wearing a skirt? Is that supposed to be you? What the?!Me: In Second Life,

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-41467640407201087792009-09-06T16:56:00.001-07:002009-09-06T17:21:03.519-07:00

It's been two years and the concept of a 'flip' has come and gone but we continue to make progress on the house that by habit we still refer to as The Flip.Siding should be done in the next few weeks thanks to Brian's cousin Jim driving up to help. Then it's caulk and stain and the outside will be done. Here's the stain colors we've chosen.Additional Interior Views and Exterior Views are out on

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-13678551730970555832009-09-06T16:42:00.000-07:002009-09-06T16:55:15.362-07:00

Sparticus had been so good all day at the flip house, right until after Brian headed home, and then two squirrels ran down the tree and he bolted to the side yard and ran into the field below the house. I was finishing up watering the plants recently harvested from the forest when he meandered back up the hill, rubbing his face in the dirt. Did he get stuck by a bee? No. Minute little green

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-59477580551917632082009-08-29T06:46:00.000-07:002009-08-29T08:05:49.632-07:00

I hadn't quite recovered from the post Performance Review funk using Success Factors in at the office when an email query arrived from SDSU asking if I'd consider co-teaching EdTec 685 at SDSU with Karen Boyle of LearningGurus this fall. So not everyone hated me, but then again, I hadn't given everyone a '3' out of '5' on communication skills when they thought they deserved a '5'. What part of "

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-3479678937648736912009-07-30T14:50:00.000-07:002009-07-30T15:18:23.915-07:00

A friend emailed this question to me suggesting I email it to see how people would respond. Here are the answers from some of my friends. Now you know. If you saw ME in a police car what would you think I got arrested for?Stealing flowers from some nursery to put into your own yard. Thief!If I saw you, I’d think you were doing observations for a project. You know. A ride along.Disturbing the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-74465487824148841552009-07-30T14:33:00.001-07:002009-07-30T14:49:32.962-07:00

A week to set up. Two days to tear down. Wet towels and mattresses, sandy floors and sticky cabinets. It was great to have the kids here for a week of Oma Camp Omaha. And now that we've done that, let's consider a cruise next year. I can hear it now, quiet ocean, kids arguing, door 'click'ed and locked. Peace at last.Here's what we did and didn't do. We went to the Zoo, we went to FunPlex, we

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-51705336783790114442009-06-25T18:37:00.000-07:002009-06-25T19:54:49.647-07:00

After participating in my first #lrnchat session on Twitter I realized that maybe there's a topic after all that ISD'ers need my help with. Or maybe not. The question being answered is this: How do I talk to C-Suite about $ Needed for Learning & Development? (ok, I'm paraphasing). Consider the following examples in scripted format as if you are the ISD:THE BAD EXAMPLE:ISD: "We need $10K for an

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-56877175532583969792009-06-24T16:53:00.000-07:002009-06-24T17:57:29.667-07:00

At the request of management and for the record, the opinions expressed here are my own and no reflection of my employer, I've begun working on a Social Media policy with the best and brightest and youngest of our management talent and have found that the best social media policies address most of the following six (6) key items. Do you hear that lawyers, only six!There's the IBM policy, the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-1780554274964086562009-06-05T19:57:00.001-07:002009-06-05T20:11:16.685-07:00

You'll have to let me know if video from new THEFLIP camcorder works. It's my first YouTube video and shows my carpool partner Lisa as I pull up in the parking lot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-2AQ1YiPH8Lisa contacted me last year on Omaha Rideshare and our schedules coordinate most days, saving us each about $50/month. The best part? The 45-minute commute seems so much faster when there's

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-65260736430777864732009-06-03T19:38:00.000-07:002009-06-03T19:38:00.782-07:00

Have you noticed yourself spending less, mending more, or saving those things that in better times you might have tossed into the Goodwill bin? After 40 days of giving up 'shopping' for lent, I feel guilty now, in a good way, spending on anything not absolutely necessary. A tear in the comforter ?. . . I now fix it. A loose button, sew it on. Landscaping? Well I've always done that myself, but

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-41878843360082411182009-06-01T20:17:00.000-07:002009-06-01T20:17:00.875-07:00

I hate to admit that after my daughters grew and moved away, I slipped into a fashion coma. No longer was I able to ask Kristen whether my shoes matched my dress. Or whether my shirt should be tucked in or left loose. Upon the gentle advice of a former manager, I sought the assistance of a 'fashion' consultant, a local expert who was willing to spend 3 hours with me, my wardrobe and my quirky

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-82492337079718311862009-06-01T19:20:00.000-07:002009-06-01T19:20:01.155-07:00

We're making progress on the Flip house this summer thanks to my brother Steven's recent trip. He installed the fireplace, and did a beautiful job tiling the shower with the $1.99 marble I found at Menards. But what he did most was inspire us to continue. He helped identify the products to buy, cedar trim, brick molding, slate flooring and shared his tools so that we could sand and stain the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-55992911639792235582009-05-31T19:08:00.000-07:002009-05-31T19:20:21.311-07:00

With flowers like these there's not much to say. We've enjoyed a lovely Spring which in some years is as short as a day. This year it's lasted weeks, but just to be sure, I've captured the photos to enjoy the flowers all year long. My favorite? The black (purple) iris, found at our lot on Riverside lakes (home used to be owned by a woman whose father was an iris hybridizer). It had been moved to

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-25559312588965188612009-05-02T18:51:00.000-07:002009-05-02T19:24:07.660-07:00

Our first day back at the FLIP and in spite of days of rain, the inside is completely dry. The tarp still covers the french door and the siding is 3/4ths done, just the way we left it last fall with the exception of a wasp nest which Brian took care of, thank you!It only took three of us about four hours to rake and clean up the property, vacuuming indoors after sweeping. The off-balance

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-68554406478513203122009-05-02T18:34:00.000-07:002009-05-02T19:15:09.718-07:00

My youngest daughter sent these MoneyGrams with a note to reimburse for her car payment. After several attempts at community college and trade schools, Nursing and Esthetics, she's finally working at a job she loves. She's selling "Boots" cosmetics. The best part is that she's able to work part-time, care for her 5-year old son and still have spending money and the self-esteem that goes with

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-92092433565173161732009-05-01T19:24:00.000-07:002009-05-02T18:34:04.684-07:00

My friend Sharon remarked bluntly that my flip, having taken over 2 years so far, is "not really a flip now is it?!" I love that kind of honesty.True, and tomorrow is the first time in five months that we've visited the property. In fact, here's the last photo taken last fall before winter kept us off the gravel road for 5+ months.So I'll be finishing this post AFTER I see the house and learn

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-70877311931087624912009-05-01T19:05:00.001-07:002009-05-01T19:43:43.324-07:00

Nobody wants to think of themselves as invisible, but I've gone to the wild side exposing myself on Twitter, FaceBook, this blog and now even as an expert in Women's Day magazine. Mind you, my expertise is dust, apparently, and my mom would probably agree. Getting a call from my husband's cousin, from Texas, saying "hey, I saw you quoted in the April edition of Women's Day," was a bit of a

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-41845196949477456232009-05-01T18:51:00.000-07:002009-05-01T19:03:29.559-07:00

For a sunny introvert like me, the chance to socialize vicariously is nearly just as nice as hanging out in person. Here's a photo of Nathan, for instance, taken in San Diego around the fire ring in Mission Bay. I was not there, but my daughter was and two direct reports who were in town for a Lectora conference.So even though I wasn't able to travel in April, learn Lectora or participate in the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-32221863536912008132009-04-08T17:18:00.000-07:002009-04-08T17:30:28.906-07:00

This is a screenshot of my first set of 'tweets'. I'm following Twitter founder, Jack, as he travels to Europe and finding it, um, wierd actually. Twitter would have come in handy for my parents back when their 14-year old was traveling Europe as part of People-to-People, or it may have been helpful to get cervical cm updates while my daughter was in labor, but I haven't figured out what I,

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-984984595400186342009-03-28T10:40:00.000-07:002009-03-28T11:15:41.251-07:00

Last year, at the National Convention for my company, the reviews of my presentation we're mixed. So imagine my joy to receive 5 out of 5 ratings for a local presentation to the IABC (Communications Council) in Omaha. I have 3 presentations on schedule for this year's convention in April, so needed this morale boost. A February 2009 presentation to the local ASTD chapter netted $100, and they

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-64742590078789474082009-03-28T09:55:00.001-07:002009-03-28T10:17:17.154-07:00

It's no easy task to photograph a black dog, but for those of you curious to see what a Boxer Doodle looks like when full grown, here are some shots. We call him "Sparky" and he's a mix between a boxer and a standard Poodle. It was all a mistake really, at the Labradoodle puppy mill, when a stray boxer broke rank, and we got Sparks!Sparky has adapted very quickly to his new parents, our purebred

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-13141704680319238912009-03-28T09:14:00.000-07:002009-03-28T10:44:46.347-07:00

It's too cold to garden today and I've been up since 6 a.m. so decided to update my social networks and write my 2009 family newsletter. I've accepted Plaxo invitations, Linked In connections and peered into a friend's Facebook account. I got caught up on ASTD, ISPI, PINOT and other industry-related sites and took time to read some of my favorite blogs like eClippings and Indexed. Then I paid

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-58629271385352979692009-02-06T17:48:00.000-08:002009-02-06T18:24:17.388-08:00

Thanks to the willingness of my employer to support my development, I'm heading home to San Diego next weekend to attend the International Franchise Association's (IFA) Annual Conference. I'll be attending training to begin my education as a, uh, um, Certified Franchise Executive, OK.What's even more exciting than the fact that there's no snow is that my family lives there and I'm staying over

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-2348573532399060392009-01-26T10:16:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:33:03.665-08:00

I was told that Oma stands for Grandma in Spanish, so am thinking Oma Camp Omaha makes a good title for the would-be summer camp being created in my mind. Imagine a camp that lasts for one week, hosted by Grandma (that's me). We spend days hiking the river, swimming in the lake, visiting the art museum, riding horses and volunteering at the soup kitchen. The participants are 3 grandkids, ages 5,

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-71593306767555422192009-01-26T09:57:00.000-08:002009-01-26T10:16:33.675-08:00

There's this bird, see, that keeps pecking at the front window. It's a female cardinal in her dull reddish brown winter plumage and she pecks away, all day while her brighly colored red-feathered spouse watches nonplussed from the leafless lilac shrub. We don't want her to break her beak. He's watching with the passion of male spouse outside the dressing room while his wife is trying on the 10th

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-14836348459686204302008-12-15T17:19:00.001-08:002008-12-15T17:39:57.868-08:00

Money is tight, time is short and there is stuff all over my house. I know the solution - Ebay! So on a Sunday, while hubby is golfing in 40 degree weather, I take inventory. No longer use that sofa, check, found those dolls at a garage sale, yep, don't use that comforter any more, sure, put it on the list. 10 Days later I find myself swamped with packaging, satisfied that people from Ohio to New

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-55958712216965542792008-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:002008-12-15T17:08:49.831-08:00

Budgets are tight this holiday season so I was only half joking when I told mom she's likely to get a sock monkey for Christmas. It was Sparky's idea anyhow. Sparticus, our 1-year old boxer-doodle loves the soft fleece blanket so much that he's chewed both the ivory and the chocolate brown throws clean thru with holes. I think he enjoys the pop-feeling as his teeth break thru the squeeky fabric.

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-17393462893776033472008-11-13T17:57:00.000-08:002008-11-13T18:14:40.638-08:00

Thanks to the Trip a Day giveaway on a Jazz station in San Diego, my daughter Kristen invited me to share in her 'trip for 2' won to Cabo San Lucas. Too bad no one warned us of the timeshare culture we were about to step into upon clearing customs. The 5 day 4 night trip ended up with 2 days of adventure, 2 days of travel and 2 'half' days sitting thru timeshare presentations. Here's what we

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-73872225541178104042008-11-01T17:56:00.001-07:002008-11-01T18:03:35.149-07:00

First you were born. Today you are 5!

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-77110551108605713992008-11-01T17:29:00.000-07:002008-12-15T17:15:19.869-08:00

A few days before the election and I'm in a panic once I realize my plane leaves at 8:30 a.m. on 11/4 and the polls don't open until 8:00 a.m. The airport is 30 minutes away. It's too late to apply for an absentee ballot.On the news, the lines are already long by Friday before the election, so imagine my suprise when I call the registrar of voters, and she says, "come on down". It was halloween

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-8998248511705640732008-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:002008-11-01T17:28:14.468-07:00

It turns out buying two homes before the real estate market crashed was a bad idea. So our waterfront home is now for sale.Custom designed and built, we puchased the land 10 years ago and drafted the floorplan on graph paper before finally asking our brother-in-law, Mike Koch of the Flooring Studio to built the house. People ask me, how can you sell after all the landscaping you've done? To

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-5778053938495757352008-10-29T17:47:00.001-07:002008-10-29T17:56:31.168-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I had all but given up searching for my old Nikon camera, and then by chance found it. I had looked in every basket, toy bin and bucket in the kids loft. I had looked in every tool box, under car seats and in every drawer in the house. And then, while looking for something else in the laundry room, there was my camera! I had shoved everything into a small basket in the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-27625013132740215272008-10-29T17:36:00.000-07:002008-10-29T18:02:06.317-07:00

Don't turn me in to the labor law folks for putting Nathan (4) to work in the compost heap. Thanks to Omaha's yard waste recycling program, enormous piles of this sweet-smelling compost are available to the public for about $8 a truckload. Helper Will, and grandson Nathan took turns shoveling "Omagrow" compost into the truck.We then spread this lovely soil amendment into garden areas in the front

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-49542598897621164692008-08-26T18:50:00.000-07:002008-08-26T20:02:07.184-07:00

So here's what I do know.The Wales-side of the family (West) migrated through England about 1670 to the then English Colonies and we are officially considered patriots of the American Revolution. The German side (Schmidt) arrived about the same time, and anglicized their name to 'Smith' so that makes our family tree with our 'John Smith' quite common. We arrived in Pennsylvania, made our way

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-77911391282203808682008-08-26T17:49:00.000-07:002008-08-26T18:35:11.854-07:00

Beth is such a better mom than I was. At 29 she's keeping fit, running triathalons and volunteering in her spare time to manage the yearbook for her Jerebek in Scripps Ranch. Kristen manages to get Nathan in Swim and Karate classes, even though she lives on spare change. She takes Nathan to the beach or the park each day. Did I mention with pride that Beths'an Engineer and owns her own company?

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-85770204181873580892008-08-24T18:00:00.000-07:002008-08-24T18:20:10.784-07:00

Without new photos, posting on a blog is like eating toast dry. We've searched high and low for that Nikon camera and perhaps it's time to upgrade anyhow. Here is an image of Nathan at the tourmaline mine in Pala, CA taken by co-worker Jane, seen here with Nathan and Kristen in La Jolla. Thank goodness for that business trip that took me home to San Diego.Below is my younger daughter Kristen, a

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-47118315561251480762008-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:002008-06-10T11:03:07.260-07:00

Actually, I never slept. We had lightning in the sky, a frightened puppy on the bed, and my head spinning with all the cool ideas gleaned from the ASTD International Conference and EXPO in San Diego last week. At 1:30 a.m., with Sparticus at my heels, I searched all the 'junk' drawers in the house for a notepad. The only one found said ONE with the ConAgra Foods logo, from a failed effort years

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-12729501104782965892008-06-10T10:21:00.000-07:002008-06-10T10:42:43.751-07:00

In 2005 2nd Life was new to me, introduced at the Learning 2005 conference. I set up my first account "Learner Hiam", get it? 'learner I am'? Anyhow, I never logged on. This year I attended a symposium at SDSU sponsored by our EdTech alums and SAGE (the student arm of ISPI). So now I have an Avatar, MichaelVincent Nathansohn. We've already gotten through 'orientation island' and flown around the

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-32793334614496940262008-05-21T19:45:00.000-07:002008-05-21T20:22:15.399-07:00

Cocking a gun doesn't come natural to most women, and setting the hammer was the easy part. (The hard part was figuring out that a bullet is needed to launch the nail and frankly, figuring out what size nail to use in the first place.) My first nail was shot into a 2x4 stringer on the block wall and the kickback was thrilling. Nonetheless, I gave the Remington back to Will to finish installing

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-76364601298413617852008-05-21T19:33:00.000-07:002008-05-21T19:44:42.096-07:00

When visitors arrive the dogs have to be on their best behavior, and that means it's kennel time.Too bad that I didn't lock both doors on the dog crate when putting the dogs in the downstairs bathroom before work.Our 10-month old boxer-doodle Sparticus even jumped into the shower and pulled the shampoos off the top ledge. Our Scotty dogs Toby (11) and his wife Missy (7) were horrified I'm

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-77259127046402915192008-05-21T19:24:00.000-07:002008-05-21T19:33:21.809-07:00

This is the 2nd year that Pelicans have landed on our lake here in Nebraska. Last year there were a few Pelicans and hundreds of Cormorants. This year, well, take a look. On the coldest days they huddled together, hundreds of them, like a huge mound of marshmallows. Other birds showing up about the same time included Blue Herons, a White Egret. A few weeks later the Green Heron showed up and we

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-76296218813025254722008-05-21T19:10:00.000-07:002008-05-21T19:22:23.600-07:00

Last Saturday night, mom and I were worried when we returned home after seeing Jim Kalhorn in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Glenwood community theater. My husband and grandpa were missing at 11 pm. Grandpa has Alzheimers and is usally in bed by 8, but my husband had offered to take him to dinner and they hadn't returned. Mom and I headed into town, found the truck parked in front of a local

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-81218211760373524462008-05-14T17:52:00.000-07:002008-05-14T18:23:48.062-07:00

We finally got our utility company Aquila to come out and bury the gas line after our grader hit it in the fall. Hey, we're all for calling Diggers hotline (we did that), but is it our fault the gas line was buried 6 inches below grade when it's supposed to be burried 3 feet deep? So the grader got a bill for over $500 and we'd fight except it's already been turned over to collections. This

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-25021525299520893972008-04-30T16:40:00.000-07:002008-04-30T17:12:11.442-07:00

The adventurous do-it-yourselfer in me is learning the hard way. God has his own timetable, and perhaps is pleased to look the other way as I make one big mistake after the other.Take for instance the poison ivy. It seemed to me that I am strong enough to haul cut-down tree limbs. Too bad I'm not smart enough to realize that the urisol oil from the poison ivy that grows around the branches lasts

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-59902487726675686412008-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:002008-04-30T16:13:27.245-07:00

In house flipping, the experts tell us to find a dream team. So after weeks of calling contractor ad and phone book listings and receiving overpriced bids from arrogant experts, we posted an ad on Craiglist and within 2 days found 3 wonderful AirForce military men who have construction experience, and some free time after their work on base. We call them our dream team. Tony has landscape

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-79793531817662762732008-04-21T18:41:00.000-07:002008-04-21T19:08:59.456-07:00

The feedback is in on my April keynote presentation, and it's not good. My supposed-to-be innovative presentation with origami, game choices, voting paddles, internet links and group activities was loved by some but hated by more. I had a sinking feeling the presentation had belly-flopped (maybe it was the way folks ran from the room) but I wasn't sure until the data came in today. 20%

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-48240089548716572032008-04-20T17:14:00.000-07:002008-04-20T18:39:27.096-07:00

Daughter Elisabeth calls it 'flip college' since we started the project a year ago, and haven't finished it yet. Grandpa Bernie was a general contractor in his day. He's 87 and visiting this month with mom so we'll want his advice on fixing up our investment.Mom and I launched into renovating the house by securing a car loan to purchase the property outright (a loan on my daughter's car and yes,

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-19694451147544743632008-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:002008-04-13T18:41:16.627-07:00

At a craft fair in Missouri, Sparticus, who hadn't yet been named, popped his head out of the box and came to me. He was one of 10 OOPs puppies from a Labradoodle breeding farm. Apparently the Poodle got out and mixed with a boxer. The ten puppies as evidence were being sold at a craft fair for $30 a piece. I bought one and gave one to my contractor Juan and his family.What does a boxer doodle

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-74357109301538177182008-04-13T17:51:00.001-07:002008-04-13T18:18:34.322-07:00

Here is a photo taken the first weekend in April 2008 just south of Omaha Nebraska. The first Pelican arrived and swam near a large group of cormorants. More joined until hundreds covered the lake. The next day it snowed large flakes that fell onto the ground and covered Sparticus' coat of fur. Last year, a group of about 12 Pelicans arrived around Easter. This year there were many many more.

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-735387069288262822.post-88937278242075036112008-04-13T17:04:00.000-07:002008-04-13T17:18:54.451-07:00

I've been reading and some of these books have been out for decades. Where have I been? Check out Flow and Cluetrain Manifesto and Learning is Fun. I had something to say as a Keynote on Innovation and Training last week - mostly about the importance of Flow and our ability to bring joy into people's worklives. I read and ordered props and made a spiffy linked PowerPoint. The mic squelched and

PearlFlipperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10945017106325527409noreply@blogger.com0