Worthwhile Donuts

Friends,

“I have plowed in the sea and sown in the wind”. These are the words a disillusioned Simon Bolívar allegedly used to describe his legacy. If the man who liberated five South American nations; the George Washington of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú and Bolivia could feel this way, I suppose we mere mortals can be forgiven for occasionally indulging in such thoughts. We come into work, power through innumerable meetings, work on accomplishing our goals, push the company forward and when we take stock of our progress, wonder whether there has been any. Are our efforts truly appreciated, fully valued and properly rewarded? When these thoughts come, I find it helpful to take a step back and put things in perspective. While weekly progress may seem glacial, these small contributions add-up over time. Looking at a quarter –or a year—can open our eyes to the magnitude of our achievements. Our work makes a difference. Our teams and stakeholders rely on the small contributions we make every day. So, the next time you feel like Sisyphus pushing the proverbial rock up the hill, take a break, grab a donut and put things in the perspective of time. Or, to quote Aldous Snow, “If the world slips you a Jeffrey, stroke thefurry wall” (if you haven’t watched Get him to the Greek, you can disregard this last sentence)

Happy Friday!

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Donut Doodle Dandy

Dear Members and Constituents, In trying to figure-out Wednesday’s cool-looking Google Doodle ( Jorge Luis Borges’ 112 th birthday ), I stumbled across a list of Google Doodles you’ll never see. This, and a Rockies game later that day, were sufficient inspiration to get my head spinning around what other doodles Google might never noodle? I’m sure you’ll probably have a few ideas of your own, but I was able to come-up with a couple. How about a former Colorado Rockies player whose unfortunate encounter with a moth put him in the news this week? The Matt Holliday doodle might look something like this… Another item which, surprisingly enough, has not been made into a doodle are donuts. Although I was slightly taken aback to find this delicious pastry has not been featured, after the initial disappointment, I decided to take matters into my own hands and take a stab at one (perhaps Google can use it next year for national donut day )… or to celebrate Greek police having “ blown a ho

Donut Hole Alignment

Friends, My predawn attempts to watch the planetary alignment have thus far been met with cloudy skies. The weather forecast through the end of the cosmic event suggests I shall not witness it. And yet, my futile attempts have been rewarded in other ways. The chorus of birds, frogs and insects singing in anticipation of the sun’s glorious rising complement the river’s steady churning. The crisp, fresh air in a desolate town whose citizens are still bidding Morpheus “adieu” caresses my skin while the sweet aroma of petrichor fills my lounges. Deep shadows of centenarian eucalyptus trees slowly recede and give way to the imperceptible progress of the brightening skies. Sure, witnessing those tiny bright spots lined-up in the sky would be pretty cool —like sprinkles on a donut. Speaking of donuts, if you’re ever in Cuenca around the feast of Corpus Christi (which ended yesterday) you need to try the Huevos Chilenos (Chilean Eggs) —think of them as less sweet donut holes. And, if like me t

Donuts Without Borders

Friends, I believe going anywhere in the world (so long as you abide by the local laws) should be a human right. People should be allowed to wander freely (or vote with their feet whenever a government alienates them). In this, I fully support Doctors Without Borders’ decision to no longer accept funding from the EU due to their immigration policies. Good for them! That said borders can be useful. Take, for instance national sports teams. If there were no borders, events like the summer and winter Olympiads would not exist. Closer to home, those of you who follow soccer are probably tuning-in to the hundredth edition of Copa America , currently under way. Last night the quarter final opener featured both of the teams for which I've been rooting. Who do you cheer for when you know only one of your teams will advance? You can't root for both or you risk becoming a dispassionate observer, so, you either pick one or choose to narrate the game in English (i.e. no 100 MPH narra

Friday Donuts

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