What a cool weekend. I spent yesterday helping Sonya and Lorraine prepare for last night's Fire Brigade Christmas party. That in itself was lots of fun, but the party was even better. It's always great getting together with this group, but last night was particularly special as it was held at our house. The food was amazing, a few people drank a little to much, but that was harmless, and we sat outside around the fire until the wee hours of the morning talking. Very nice. At 9 am however it was back into professional mode, as we had the important task of transporting Santa around the neighborhood To View More >>

I was walking the dog this morning and it occurred to me how much of the last week has been full of paradox . In no particular order ... 1, Do you find as often as I do that food that's good for you isn't usually as good for your wallet as food that's not? 2, Business is like a snow ball rolling down a hill: it grows faster the bigger it gets. So why don't we focus on getting the small snow ball right and rolling first? 3, I was shocked to realise a while back, and was reminded often last week, that the information (learning) we most need to hear is often the stuff that irritates us the most. To View More >>

If you are in or running a disfunctional team, maybe it is a simple as people do not know who is the boss? Not an unusual situation but one that needs to be quickly and consciously resolved. Here I share my experience with this in the fire service and what can be learnt from it. One of the things the Fire Service does exceptionally well is make it clear not only that there must be a boss but also who that person is. In an emergency situation, control needs to be quickly put in place and priority given to the tasks needing to be completed. Your OIC (officer in charge) might be your best friend To View More >>

It's a sad fact that the only thing we know with certainty in life is that one day we will die. Despite this certainty, a lot of people will be affected by the loss, the only question being, by how much and in what way? It's a sad fact that the only thing we know with certainty in life is that one day we will die. Despite this certainty, a lot of people will be affected by the loss, the only question being, by how much and in what way? Will our passing give cause for celebration, a time to remember the wonderful times together, or will our passing be the beginning of the end for someone else To View More >>

I love my wife: she is brilliant, a beautiful and most incredible person ... She is however a moving freak ... Where some guys might drink beer, watch sports or play video games for fun she likes to rearrange the house. That isn't me in the photo but it's how I feel when any sentence starts with "This weekend I want to ..." because I know the next word will be "rearrange". If she really wants to do something, and I am resisting, that just adds to the challenge, and she recruits her partners in crime, Brenda and the kids. It got so bad that one day when she went away I rearranged the house just To View More >>