All week I’ve been fighting the urge to text my boy over and over again. One I know he’s super busy. Two I know he can’t have his phone with him while he’s working. And lastly, I don’t want to be inappropriately overbearing. Nonetheless, it’s super hard. I know he’ll reach out when he can, but I miss him and I worry. Oh the horrors of radio silence during deployment.
Last night, I had the opportunity to view some amazing art at an art gallery opening in Wilton Manors. The gallery, Negril Art Gallery, was holding its grand opening complete with wine, hor d’oeuvres, music and great company. This event was made even more special as my employee was one of the night’s featured artists. It was an awesome opportunity to enjoy some art while supporting a colleague.
Honestly, I had an inkling that his work would be great, but I had no idea just how amazing they would be. Consequently, I was completely awestruck by his work. His portraits were sublime. If you asked me which one was my favorite, I wouldn’t be able to pick just one. They were that good!
I really enjoyed the gallery opening. First of all, it was the first time in a long time that the Hubby and I were attending something that wasn’t hockey related. Secondly, the art was utterly sublime. Lastly, it was amazing to see our team there to support their colleague. Truly, it was incredible seeing all the people form work that went to support Kwame. It was a great event!
Afterwards, several us went to Padrino’s for some Cuban food and more drinks. Oh yes, the vodka and long islands were free flowing as we waited for the others. I enjoyed Arroz Con Pollo, while the hubby had lechon asada. Fortunately, both of our decisions were pure perfection. Both the chicken and the pork were cooked perfectly and were full of flavor. We will definitely be back! Moreover, our bill was only $200, which for 8 adults that are all drinking is pretty darn cheap.
After Padrino’s, we headed over to Cafe Vico for some more drinks and live music. Unfortunately, the band had finished playing by the time we got there. They had music playing, but the song choices were not fantastic. Fortunately, the DJ/Chef/Owner let us start playing the music from his iPad. We had a fabulous time and shut the place down. We ended our night by committing to go to Reykavik or Zurich for a girls weekend. All in all , we had an amazing night out on the town.
Tonight’s song performed by Prince is “When Doves Cry.”
Today I’ve been sifting through my trip photos and trying to organize them according to city and date. Technology while helpful also frustrates the process a bit. The wifi, while we were in Norway, wouldn’t always support the shutterfly upload process. Consequently, I ended up having to upload half of the photos to my online library through Canon.
Once I completely organize them, I will be adding photos to my blog under a separate page only devoted to photos. I am fairly tech savvy, however, the Envira plugin and add-ons have been frustrating me all night.
At any rate, I am excited to share these photos with the blogosphere. Our Norway trip was magnificent. The country is more beautiful than words could possibly describe, so I hope that comes through in the photos. Some of the pictures look fake like they’re a built model set. If I hadn’t taken the photo myself, I wouldn’t have believe it was real. You can find our photos here.
To be creative and inspired, one must be prepared to invest time in the cultivation of ideas. There is no better way to cultivate one’s creativity than through reading. Norman Cousins, famed American political journalist once said; “A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas – a place where history comes to life.”
If you were to look at the habits of America’s most successful leaders, one commonality would be their passion for reading. Reading can help leaders improve their vocabulary, emotional intelligence, become a more adept communicator and inspire creativity. By and large their reading isn’t necessarily confined to business topics, but rather all types of literature.
I recently took over a new team in my corporate life. Therefore, one topic I have been reading a lot about is change management. Change management done well results in great business outcomes from a KPI and employee engagement perspective. Change management done poorly can undermine an entire business.
Here are some of my favorite reads on change management:
Reading novels is crucial to unleashing your creativity and inspiration. Here are some of my favorites.
What are some of your favorite novels? I’m always looking for something new to read, so please share your favorites in the comments.
Our last full day in Oslo, we made a mad dash through several amazing museums. My favorite as you may recall was the incredible Viking Ship Museum. After an expensive pizza lunch we headed out for our afternoon adventures: the Munch Museum and Vigeland Park.
My motivation of course for going was to see Munch’s masterpiece The Scream. Unfortunately, after its second theft and subsequent recovery, it is not always on display. The painting was damaged as a consequence of the second theft and is undergoing restoration. In hindsight, I would have instead opted to peruse Oslo’s National Gallery that has The Scream on display (there were 4 copies.)
After our brief visit, we headed to a more kid friendly location. The Vigeland Sculpture Garden, which is on the opposite side of Olso was our next stop. Thanks to the Oslo’s incredible public transportation system it is easy to get anywhere in Oslo. We took the T-bane (Olso’s Subway) to the nearest station and walked down the hill to the park.
Vigeland Sculpture Garden is a must see if you ever travel to Oslo. First of all, it is free. This is great because you’ll spend a lot of money on food in Oslo. For other attractions and free public transportation, your best bet is to buy an Oslo Pass. You can buy an Oslo pass for 24-48-72 hours. It definitely pays to have the Oslo Pass.
Back to the Vigeland Sculpture Garden, which displays the life works of Gustav Vigeland. The city of Oslo gave Vigeland a studio, where his eponymous museum is now located. Vigeland Park is home to Vigeland’s sculptures and incredibly beautiful gardens.
The Monolith was carved out of a single block of granite and is located at the highest part of the park. This is where our Vigeland experience began. The kids were able to run free and explore the sculptures surrounding the monolith. There were plenty of giggles emanating from the kids as all of the sculptures representative of man’s life cycle were nude.
While the kids giggled and climbed on the sculptures exploring the cycle of life, we were happy to photograph them as we took in the beautiful sculptures. As they climbed, we ambled through the various sculptures. Vigeland’s sculptures truly captured all of life’s cycles in beautiful and honest depictions. The monolith is truly an exquisite piece of art.
The kids got thirsty quick since it was a bit hot, by Oslo standards, the day we visited Vigeland. Near the bridge there was a tourist shop that sold water. As the kids caught their breath and rehydrated, we were able to take in the beautiful sculptures on the bridge. The sculptures on the bridge depict the children, men, women and their relationships. The most popular sculpture is the one of the crying boy. My favorite sculpture was the one that depicted a father juggling his children because it reminded me of my Hubby and my boys.
If you find yourself in Oslo, Vigeland Park is an absolute must. It would be the perfect location for a picnic lunch between museums. Lastly, Vigeland is great for families with kids. Parents can enjoy the artistry of Gustave Vigeland while the kids can run freely about the park.