Wine, PJ's and 'Friends"

One of my idols is Hugh Hefner, maybe not so much for his bunnies (oh, well...) as for his excentricity, confidence and pathos. It was with those attributes he triple-teamed the stuffy 50's family values and started a revolution that has only begun.

More importantly, he likes to wander around the house in PJ's and fancy monogrammed slip-ons. Guess what I want for Christmas?

The pleasure of being able to stay in on a weekday due to bad weather is a luxury for the few. Add wine, movies, PJ's and an eposide of 'Friends' and the picture is complete.

I actually had scheduled to read 'The Conquest of Happiness' by Bertrand Russell but chose to watch six episodes from Alias season three. The free choice can be a tough challenge sometimes.

Paradise Beach

The missus is down in Cabo and I'll head down in a few days as well. The vision of sitting on a warm beach with a puro and a margarita sooths my soul. Life is at it's best in it's simplicity: on a beach, having dinner with friends or just an afternoon siesta. I hardly remember the fancy times in my life (not that many) but the good, warm times with friends and family. The laughs and the crazyness, that's what the brain registers.

In my solitude I'm cooking lamb chops with sautated potatoes and a light cream sauce. The lamb has been rubbed in Dean & Deluca's Maroccan rub. Lamb demands Rioja so I'm enjoying a 2001 Muga Reserva.

When Everything Feels Dark...

The winter is here and the whole bay area is covered in a thick wet blanket. It's been raining for two days but the memories of a warm and sunny November is still in my heart. And when you thought darkness had taken over, the sun brakes through and the sky cleares up. The emergence of a beautiful California sunset gives hope of better and warmer days.

Patience and Discipline

I look at the charts and discover new signals all the time. In the heat of the moment it's easy to be impulsive and take positions that with some patience and discipline could have been avoided. But it's all part of the learning experience. Sometimes the sidelines can be the best decision. Gives time to other passions.

The Art of The Good Life

This was the first Thanksgiving that the missus and I were in charge of the main culinary event. It went very well thanks to our appreciative and forgiving family members who focused on the tasty stuffing instead of mentioning the slightly undercooked Gratin Daphnois.

It was truly a weekend celebrating the good life; starting with food, then wine and finishing of with the arts. We spent time up in Napa at Bouchon as well at the De Young Museum and at Bimbos for the Los Amigos Invisibles gig. We also had time for wine tasting and knocked of a few St-Julien's and Malbec's.

The Age of Ageing II

Maturity comes when your vanity and ego catches up with reality and you start to spend more time on your inside instead of your outside.

The Age of Ageing

The cool thing about growing older is how some things that seemed important don't anymore. It could be everything from matching socks to being politically correct or just fitting in. The funny thing is that it works the other way around as well in the sense that the really, really important things stand out. The things that matters to you becomes more clear and the things that don't just fades away.

I've never been a big fan of all the pretentious hoopla around etiquette. Agreed, I've mostly complied but in all honestly tried to break the rules when possible. I understand when the etiquette makes sense, when there is a rational reason but not when it's only about showing off or showing that you are in the know.

I admire the people that have the guts to be themselves, dare to explore who the are and express it in public. Eccentricity? Yes M'am. But never to be seen only to live.

"He Looks So Relaxed..."

I get that a lot these days. People in my circle of trust seem to notice that there is a new kid in town, or sheriff. Whichever works for ya.

I think it might be because I'm about to find my next new mission. I can feel how my passion and drive is coming back and that adds energy. But it's also the enjoyment of being inbetween two awesome challenges and having the luxury of growing by additional perspective.

Yeah, that's right. I feel that I'm growing again, learning, assessing and understanding faster and better than ever. My mind feels like a 6-year olds, craving for knowledge and insights.

My new plan is taking shape nicely and I cannot wait to execute it with my traditional force and conviction. To tell you the truth, I have already started.

What Is Happiness?

I've always thought that lifestyle trumps money, status and biceps. If you can choose your lifestyle and enjoy every second of it that has to be as close to happiness as ever possible. Bertrand Russell agrees with me on this one I might add.

Well, maybe not only lifestyle. I would add attitude and confidence as two crucial life ingredients to spice up the walk through life.

It fascinates me how we crave for fortune (money), attention (fame) and status (titles) as well as how we would do most everything - might that be politically correct and well executed - to reach the Nirvana on earth: the altar of Mammon.

Life is too important to have money thrown at you while running naked down the street with people cheering you on. It contradicts every sensible bone in my body and should in yours. That said I do like money but not at any price.

To live your life the way you want it has to be the most gratifying rewards of them all. Miles away from the corporate pad on the back or the "Well done, Sonny!" at the Xmas party.

I tend to use two different hats when I look at life; my present hat (more like a cap) and my 80-year old hat (more like a beret). They work as great perspective and decision-making filters. If something passes through both filters then both the retrospect and the present has concluded that the pursuit is worthy.

Just ask yourself: When you're 80 years old, what kind of life would you have wanted to live? The answer puts things in perspecitve and makes status-whoring the second most despised trade in the world.

Per Inc.

My new life as CEO of Per Inc. is busier than ever. I've now entered into the world of awesome responsibility but also huge returns. Everyday is like a white piece of paper ready to be scribbled on. The powers I've got are sometimes quite overwhelming.

It's lonely at the top and the only person I can lean on is my chairman (the missus). But on the other hand I do have a huge staff across the world, everything from airline pilots, gourmet chefs to car mechanics and bankers. It's a different ecosystem that I'm used to. The pleasure of just calling anyone in my staff up and ask them to do things for me is great. Sure, they need to get paid but who doesn't.

I really kept my staff busy during my last weekend trip to London. What can I say, I'm a tough CEO. I made them cook and pour drinks, clean my room, drive me to different meetings and fly me back and forth. But it was both very productive and enjoyable.

Today, I might give everyone a rest, except for the tech guys since I need a new printer cable for the new Laser Writer. The tech guys aren't as easy to work with since they feel that they know things that noone else does. But as the CEO I need to show them who's the boss.

I usually tell them: The buck stops here, guys! Just follow the plan and execute. One of my favorite ways of motivating them is by telling them the value of trust and how we all are part of the same circle of trust. It works - sometimes!