Writing Into the Sunset

Dear Members and Constituents,

I think corporate America’s obsession with efficiency is generally healthy. Companies create competitive acumen as waste goes by the wayside. Product prices drop as productivity proliferates. Granted, it’s not all goodness. Change can be disruptive and it seems people seldom stay in the same post for long. Institutional memory can easily evaporate and re-formed teams can sometimes struggle re-building their chemistry. Standing as an affront to the unintended negative side-effects of continuous improvement is Level 3’s own Friday Donut Club. It was 489 weeks ago today that I started this ragtag band of sugar seekers. Although the club has moved up (one floor) and around (four offices) and grown from fifteen to fifty members (with a hundred and fifty having gone through the ranks at various points in time), it has always had two constants: donuts and my fingerprints. For the past nine years and change it has been my honor to preside over this “vice”. The time has come for me to take a break from managing the affairs of the FDC and make room for a new “vice” president (get it?). This morning, as Laura Serna Macia makes her debut as “donut girl” (donuts are here!), Ed Stocker has gracefully agreed to take-over our beloved club’s reins. Before you protest or inquire about my plans, let me assure you I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here at Level 3, in the same office (and I reserve the right to “guest write” the Friday Donut e-mails from time-to-time). Please join me in thanking Ed for stepping-up and keeping this tradition going.

Happy trails!

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BIrds of a Feather

Friends, The early bird catches the worm, however, as the sun rises I’d much rather have a Denver omelet than a diet of worms . Ready to fly the coop, my ducks all in a row, I ponder one more time whether a bird in hand is truly worth two in the bush. Egged-on by my quest to tuck away a nest egg, I’ve decided to change industries and hope that, like the phoenix, my career will also rise from the ashes of change. After all, I’m no spring chicken –my crow’s feet and gray bely my age – however, I have to trust my judgment and believe you can’t catch this old bird with chaff (whether or not folks think me an odd bird for my actions). And so I shall attempt to soar like an eagle, aware that counting my chickens before they hatch would be ill-advised. As I learn to talk turkey in the language of cybersecurity, I will endeavor not to hide my head in the sand, choosing instead to be like a duck – calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath! And while my excessive use of bird-inspired

Love and Marriage go together like a Horse and... Donut!

Friends, My family gained a new daughter last week. As I welcome the freshly minted Mrs. González, I wish the new couple a lasting, loving, happy and tranquil marriage. I am also reminded of a special delivery I received at the wedding. A few weeks ago, my niece/goddaughter held a “go fund me” and offered to stitch something for the donors. I, of corse, asked for a horse jumping through a donut. The completed masterpiece depicting this unlikely combo now has a special place in my office, and brings a smile to my face every time I see it. That said, I may forgo the obligatory donut today and opt for some of the leftover cake we still have at the house. Happy Friday! New addition to the Family Horse through donut with the artist Horse through donut at it’s new home shelf P.S. The donut wall in action.

Life is Smiling!

Friends, You know life is good when even dinner smiles at you. That said, digging into smiley soup can pose a dilemma. At a conscious level, you know it’s just inert food. Inanimate, unsentient, incapable of emotion or feeling. Still, those cute cross eyed egg eyes and that little pepper smile are saying ”I’m your friend” —and friends don’t eat friends. Naming your anthropomorphic dish only makes matters worse. Eventually, being the monster I am, hunger wins. Mmmm, delicious! (Sorry, Sally). Speaking of which, maybe skip the smiley faces on that next dozen donuts. Happy Friday! ;-)

Friday Donuts

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