Donkey Ahead

The Loneliest Road in America is U.S. Route 50 in Nevada, according to a Life Magazine article published in July 1986. The name originates from large desolate areas traversed by the route, with few or no signs of civilization. The highway crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors. I have been along a section of the route in Delta, Utah, and I can verify that the landscape is isolated and barren.

Today, I wasn’t on Route 50 in Nevada, but on a similar road just 80 miles north of it on Route 140. It is a land of tumbleweeds and sand, without a tree for miles and massive wind tunnels. The straight road narrows to a dot disappearing over the horizon.

In the fall of 2007, we travelled this same road. The wind was so strong that it was a constant struggle with the steering wheel to keep the car on the two-lane road. We attempted to get out of the car, but it resulted in gritty sand in my mouth. The only photos we could get of the massive dust devils were through the windshield of the car. On that day, we kept our eyes turned toward the sky because Steve Fossett’s plane had disappeared over the Nevada desert. We had only passed six cars going in the opposite direction on a 120-mile stretch of highway, so we hoped that we would be reporting that he had landed safely. Sadly, they found the wreckage over one year later and the wind likely contributed to the crash.

The wind today was not as forceful as that fateful day. However, it took an owl, which flew from from the side of the road, in an unexpected direction almost hitting the front of our car. On the edges of the road were yellow warning signs that were a black shape of a transfigured animal—a cross between an antelope, deer and horse. I guess they were trying to cover all of the bases with one sign. Then we saw one of those unusual animals.

We topped a hill and three huge, wild donkeys were standing on the side of the road poised to run in front of us. I have seen wild horses roaming the deserts, but not wild donkeys. After that scare, we stopped at the only rest stop on the 200-mile section of deserted road.

Today’s gift was to warn the only other couple, who was also at the rest stop, of the danger that was less than 10 miles down the road. When I said, “Donkey ahead,” they said, “Thank you.”

In Giving,

Robin

An Olympic Medal Winner

Recently, John Morgan won three medals in the Olympics in tennis—a silver and two bronzes. It is an accomplishment that would be exciting for anyone, but especially for John because he proudly told me that he just turned 90 years old. 

Besides tennis, one of his many passions is giving away scholarships to high school students. John and my speaker friend, Kathy Loveless, arrange two programs each year to award scholarship to more than 800 deserving high school students. Kathy and John coordinate the event by securing the donors who give the money for the scholarships, arranging speakers for the event and enlisting high schools to select the deserving recipients.

John needed a new photo for the brochure. I asked if he would allow me to video him talking about the American Free Enterprise Scholarship Program and his involvement in the Senior Olympics. Watch the video here.

Today’s gift was to capture this amazing man’s enthusiasm in a photo and on video. John is such an inspiration. Even though I may not ever match the number of medals that he has won in the Olympics, I certainly hope that I am as excited about life as he is.

In Giving,

Robin

Dude, Where’s My Car?

If you are like me, you’ve gone to the mall to buy something and forgotten where you parked the car. In the days before the remote control horn alarm, it was much more difficult. When traveling, I have learned to memorize the details of my rental car—the state name on the license plate, color of the car and any special features, although, that may not be enough to find the right car.

Several years ago, John, one of my colleagues was attending a conference in St. Louis. The attendees were staying at a large downtown hotel with an attached parking structure. John parked his black Chevrolet Impala with Kansas license plates and made note of the location. That evening he and three other people were on their way to dinner. John pressed the unlock remote for the car and the three of them got in. One of the people asked where he would like him to move the huge shopping bag sitting on the backseat. John adjusted the seat, side and rearview mirrors, put the key in the ignition and drove to a nearby restaurant. When they arrived back at the hotel, he pulled in to the same parking space.

One of their colleagues was in the lobby talking to the police. John stopped and asked what had happened. His friend told him that his car had been stolen from the parking garage. About that time someone came running into the lobby and exclaimed that the car had been returned. The story unfolded that unbeknownst to John, he had mistakenly taken his colleague’s car. The car was the exact same make, color and state license plate. They discovered that both keys operated both of the vehicles! The rental car company said that it was impossible, even after John demonstrated to them that it was true.

After skiing, I saw a fiftyish-year-old man wandering around the parking lot in ski boots looking for his car. On his third time walking by, we asked if we could help him. Today’s gift was to give him a ride around the parking lot to try and find his older model Suburban with California tags. He arrived at about the same time as we did, so it was reasonable that he would have parked in close proximity. We drove around for almost thirty minutes, but to no avail. Finally we took him to where his family was waiting for him to pick them up. Although we were not able to help him find his car, at least we were able to relieve his tired ski legs from the uncomfortable boots. He seemed mesmerized by the mysterious disappearance of his vehicle as he mumbled over and over, “Dude, where’s my car?”

In Giving,

Robin

A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words

This video is of one of my speaker friends, Jeanne Robertson.

I was reminded of the importance of videos to convey a message. Today’s gift was to help a colleague’s son-in-law prepare an introduction video to potential employers. It may not be humorous like Jeanne, but he has an infectious smile. I’m sure it could land him a great job opportunity.

In Giving,

Robin

The Ultimate Gastronomical Experience

In 2006, I experienced an incredible gastronomical experience. During this event I was told by the experienced meeting planner to pace myself, but I foolishly didn’t pay attention to the good advice.

We started planning the National Speakers Association Workshop that was to be held in Denver, Colorado, two years prior to the event. One of my responsibilities as co-chair of the conference was to evaluate the speaker applications for the concurrent sessions. I also had regular telephone calls with the planning team and met them at the conference hotel—the Marriott in Denver.

One of our team’s tasks was to sample all of the food that would be eaten by the attendees during the three-day conference. This was to be done in just two hours! The first course was four different types of salads. I didn’t eat too much of any of the scrumptious salads from which we chose two. Cautiously, I only took a few bites of each of the breads. We selected five. My food consumption seemed reasonable, until the main courses arrived.

One at a time the small plates were set in front of me—salmon, prime rib, shrimp, three kinds of chicken, pork chop. Each included a starch of mashed potatoes, boiled red potatoes or pasta. Then the vegetarian dishes were served—Eggplant Parmesan, Fettuccini Alfredo and pasta marinara.

We were served small portions, but it was like sniffing too many perfumes—they began to smell (and taste) alike. Each time we had to vote on the dish to serve, it became more difficult. When we thought we’d survived without popping buttons on our clothes, the desserts arrived—a chocolate fountain and every type of chocolate cake, pie, cookie and ice cream that I could ever imagine. Any other time I would have been in chocolate heaven, but I can’t remember a time when I had felt so full. Somehow I managed to taste the goodies but I didn’t eat again until the next day.

Today’s gift was to fix a big dinner for a friend. The shrimp artichoke fettuccini was positively delicious, but unfortunately the fresh green beans were tough and tasted really earthy. Although this wasn’t the ultimate gastronomical experience like I had once experienced, it is one we will laugh about when we think of the inedible green beans that no amount of boiling would soften up.

In Giving and Eating,

Robin

Whole Paycheck

Consumers give nicknames to companies based on individual experiences. Although some of them are not complimentary, others have become a marketing tagline for the organizations. Some of the recognizable monikers are:

Target

Popular Nickname: Tar-zhay

Did You Know? In a Washington Post article, staff writer Yian Q. Mui wrote, "Fans of Target stores long ago nicknamed the retailer 'Tar-zhay' for its cheap and chic clothes, the French accent lending the discounter a certain je ne sais quoi that made it acceptable among fashionistas."

Walmart

Popular Nickname: Wally World

Did You Know? The term "Wally World" comes from a fictional amusement park in the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation. The sheer size and "everything under the sun" mentality of the park set the stage for the Walmart store name to be altered to "Wally World" soon thereafter. A parking lot depicted in the film also resembles a cement desert without end.

Microsoft

Popular Nickname: Mister Softee

Did You Know? The nickname Mister Softee comes from Microsoft's stock symbol: MSFT. As you see, it has some of the same letters as the beloved soft ice cream vendor, Mister Softee. And so, a bit of Wall Street slang was born.

Whole Foods

Popular Nickname: Whole Paycheck

Did You Know? Not surprisingly, the company is chagrined about its pricey moniker, especially in an atmosphere of rising food costs and growing discontent among consumers. In a New York Times article, co-president Walter Robb was once quoted as saying, "I'm getting a little tired of that tag around our neck. We are a lot more competitive than people give us credit for. We challenge anyone on like items."

I discovered that Whole Foods gives back through their foundation. Today’s gift was to give money to the Whole Planet Foundation. They support entrepreneurs in 39 countries including about 900 micro-entrepreneurs in the United States. In the future I will not be concerned about my “whole paycheck” going to “whole foods” because proceeds are given to a good cause.

In Giving,

Robin