Not so long ago, we started hearing rumblings that

So we issued her an invitation to do the same here on our blog. We asked her to share her random thoughts and discoveries on wellness. Having spoken to her at length, I can tell you these are just a few – so make sure and contact her if you have any questions. And click her breakdown on what to eat at some of the more popular eateries and restaurants as a start. Here’s to our health!

Put a palm tree in the storyboard.

There are very few careers (outside of the travel business itself) where you can sit down and literally write or art direct yourself to a distant part of the world. Advertising is one of them.

If you had a great concept with an execution hinged on a specific location, then bringing that idea to life almost always involved travel. In the early Seventies, we usually went out to L.A. for a shoot because of all the production facilities in and around Hollywood. For many a star struck creative, a week at the Pink Palace, aka The Beverly Hills Hotel, was an almost surreal experience. Whether lounging around their legendary pool or having drinks at the Polo Lounge, famous faces were everywhere. 

Of course, this includes the arts – especially local music. That’s why we reached out to Bobby Lerma, local music long-timer and current drummer for The Father Figures. From time to time, he’ll be sharing his musings on the local music scene and sharing the many interesting groups and venues worth checking out. Happy listening.

The Father Figures. Bobby Lerma, center. Photo credit: Jason Garcia, commcollective.com

I started playing music in the ‘80s. Back then, if you wanted to hear a new band, you picked up a local paper (actually turned a page – exercise!), figured out where they were playing next, and went to physically see them. Concert calendars – that’s what they called them.  

Of course now, when we hear about a new band, all music lovers need to do is hop on the computer (the very one you’re staring at now) and that band is zapped into our living room/bedroom/office cubby. We can instantly know not only what they sound like, but what they look like, when they’re playing next, who their influences are, and even who their friends are. We can buy their music, buy their T-shirts, watch videos of them playing live, and even become their friend! 

Out on a ledge.

From 1983 until 1990, I was the Creative Director on the Tonka Toy business. It was an extraordinary period of time that saw Tonka grow from a well known maker of sturdy, yellow, Mighty Dump Trucks to the company that marketed Gobots, Pound Puppies, Sega Video Games and other imaginative toys created to wow kids everywhere. The Account Director on Tonka was a good friend of mine named Ken Kaess.  Ken was a smart, charismatic leader who ultimately became the CEO of DDB Worldwide. Sadly, Ken Kaess died of cancer several years ago. It was a tremendous loss for DDB and for his many friends and business associates. 

On a bright, spring day in 1987, Ken and I were trying out a prototype of Interstellar Defender, a new, lightweight plane from Tonka.  As far as we knew, there were only three of these unique planes in existence and we were told to be very careful with this one. The plane was launched into the air with its wings positioned at its side by a device that looked much like a slingshot. At the apex of its trajectory, the wings suddenly shot out allowing it soar from great heights down to the ground. At least, that’s what we were told.

To test it out for ourselves, we went out on to 56^th St., right off Park Ave., and shot it up in the air. It literally took off like a rocket, going up at least 7 stories between the skyscrapers. Then, as advertised, the wings of our Interstellar Defender shot out and we both watched as this elegant glider took flight.  Our smiles turned to concern when it suddenly swooped down and landed on the ledge of a building six stories up. Oops!

We couldn’t just leave it there and get another one. There were only three in existence. So counting the floors and the office position, we went up to the large law firm that occupied the 6^th floor of the building. After telling our sad story to a string of receptionists and office managers, we were escorted into a very surprised lawyer's office. Once he stepped away from his desk, we opened his window and looked up and down the ledge. There it was.  And there was only one way to retrieve it. 

While I held Ken's legs and the lawyer looked on in horror, Ken leaned halfway out the window and stretched across to the ledge. With barely a fingertip to spare, he recovered our wayward, winged prototype.      

So what ultimately became of Interstellar Defender? A commercial was produced which was shown at Toy Fair in New York to see how much interest our high-flying projectile could generate. But sadly, even after our daring rescue, it never really took off.

“But he was such a nice guy. We never thought he was even capable of being this other person.”

It’s no secret that I’ve had an interesting year – from finding myself graduating in the midst of The Great Recession with President Obama leading the ceremony to job seeker to, finally, independent contractor. Suffice it to say, now that things were a little more steady in my life, I decided to hitch a ride with some family on a trip of a lifetime.

The actual trip went without a hitch. Who am I kidding? I had a blast! During the week, if I wasn’t eating amazing food or hanging out with family or great new friends, I was SCUBA diving, riding jet skis, island hopping and jumping off a 118-foot yacht. This is how all vacations should be and, ironically, I never wanted to leave.

Great, she thought. Now I can go out with some friends and have a good time.

At that point, she followed typical protocol and went to a convenience store to collect her winnings. This is where I’ll stop and let her take over. Just click on the video to hear her tale.

A visit from E.T.

It was 1981 when I began working at Jordan, Case & McGrath. It was also the year that Steven Spielberg’s cinematic tale of a little, lost alien and an alienated boy captured the hearts of America and the world. It was raining quite hard the night our family saw E.T. and the emotionality of the ending hadn’t quite left me as we all piled in the car. Between the tears in my eyes and the rain on the windshield, it’s a miracle we all made it home. And my kids have never let me forget it.

The point here is that in addition to making an emotional connection to Elliot, E.T. had certainly gotten to me as well. So it was a genuine thrill when Jim Jordan told me I’d be handling E.T. Multi-Vitamins from Squibb. What’s more, he had scheduled a meeting in Hollywood with Amblin Entertainment and Spielberg’s publicity people.

Virgin River THE ASSIGNMENT

SUGGESTIONS FROM XANTERRA MANAGEMENT: The best view of the lodge would be from across the Virgin River, high up on a canyon wall. Another suggestion was to use a cherry picker to get good view of the lodge.

CHALLENGES: Unfortunately, there is no natural vantage point in the park that gives the view everyone hoped to capture in the planning stages. Not even close. The view from across the Virgin River was too far away, even with an extreme telephoto lens, and the summer foliage nearly blocked out the lodge entirely. This was determined after scrambling three hours up a canyon wall in the hot, midday sun.  In addition, the park service would not allow a cherry picker in the park without special permits, and we determined that the only view we would get from the device would be the shingles on the roof of the lodge. That would have been an obvious waste of time and money in renting the necessary equipment.

Q:  Am I at risk for a workplace injury?

• YES. All workers across all occupations and work environments are at risk if proper precautions are not taken.
  
  
• Despite improvements in workplace safety and increased awareness of workplace injury and treatment, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 4.2 nonfatal workplace injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers in 2007. That translates to over 4 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses. Fortunately, that number has been steadily declining over the past decade.
  
  
• Workplace injuries fall into two basic categories: traumatic and repetitive overuse.
  
  
• Traumatic injuries occur accidentally and are usually obvious. They can be the result of improper equipment, improper training or unsafe conditions.
  
  
• Improper technique can also lead to workplace injuries.