The Shorg Files

2012-01-08T18:53:00.025-05:00

July-September pics: (1) Hanging out in Cape Cod; (2) Deb and Steph on the shores of Lake Michigan; (3) hot air balloon festival; (4) Deb at Torch Lake; (5) Deb and Maria in Zurich; (6) Deb and Candace in Malta; (7) Deb with her sisters, mum, and grandfather; (8) Deb with her sisters, Dad, and Julie on top of Mont Blanc.

2012-01-08T18:52:00.001-05:00

Episode 56: July-September 2011

Highlights of the quarter:
• Boating, Balloons, Lakes, and Loons – summer fun in Michigan;
• Our friends, Stephanie and Luis, visit;
• Vacation in Cape Cod;
• Deb’s family getaway to Malta and Switzerland.

Summer is a wonderful time in Michigan, and this year was no exception. The Michigan summer usually involves long days with an average of 15 hours of sunlight and consistent temperatures through both the day and night. This combination makes for great outdoor entertaining throughout the season. We took advantage of the weather, our new house, and great friends by spending many nights outdoors. As always, summer brings with it baseball season, and this year the local minor league team, the Great Lakes Loons, provided multiple evenings of entertainment.

Although we have lived in Midland for 5 years now (hard to believe!), we have never attended the annual hot air balloon festival – a spectacle where at least 50 hot air balloons launch into the air simultaneously. The balloons spend a weekend showing off their colors and taking part in competitions that test the pilots’ ability to maneuver the balloon. We finally managed to attend this year, and joined some friends for a tailgate at the “after glow” event where the balloons simultaneous fire their burners after sunset, providing a terrific nighttime viewing. We saw the whole thing while enjoying some delicious snacks, just a few feet away from where the balloons were set up.

I had another hot air balloon experience during the quarter. One of the annual fundraisers for Big Brothers Big Sisters is a raffle where numbered golf balls are dropped from a hot air balloon onto a target, and those golf balls that land closest to the target get a prize. As a Board member, I managed to convince the organizers to let me go up in the hot air balloon, which was my very first hot air balloon ride experience. The only unfortunate thing was that for this event the balloon was tethered to the ground, and therefore, it could not rise very high. Nevertheless, it was a great experience, and I am definitely ready to graduate to a real hot air balloon ride. Convincing Neal to join me will be the challenge!

As we have during past summers, we took a few trips to beautiful northern Michigan this summer. Two of our trips were to Torch Lake, one of Michigan’s most beautiful lakes. First, we spent a weekend at Torch Lake with our friends, Rob and Sue, and their little daughter, Meilin, at their lake house. In addition to enjoying the outdoors on their property, we also had a great dinner with them at a local lake hangout. Next, we spent another weekend at Torch Lake with our friends, Ed and Michelle, and a few of their friends and family. Ed and Michelle have started a tradition of renting a house on the lake for a week in the summer, and kindly invited us to join them, and we were glad that we did. The house was really a mansion: 3 stories plus a basement, 8 bedrooms, each with their own full bathroom, 2 kitchens, multiple living spaces, and a deck that led out to the shore of the lake. We had a great time boating, swimming, toasting marshmallows, and enjoying the beautiful scenery and great company.

Our good friends, Stephanie and Luis, came to visit us this summer, all the way from their new home in Brazil. They have settled into life in Brazil very well, and we enjoyed hearing all the adventures of moving to a new country. While Steph was in town, she led a few NIA classes for her loyal students – and we loved being able to dance with her again. Stephanie and I spent a weekend at Crystal Mountain, a resort in northern Michigan, indulging in spa treatments and then spent a day at the beach in Frankfort (my favorite beach in Michigan) catching up with each other and soaking up some sun.

At the end of July, I had to take a work trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. With both of us having never been there, we decided to make a short vacation out of it, and Neal joined me there for a long weekend. I flew into the “Cape” on a very small 8-seater plane, which was an experience unto itself. Although I could not hear myself think over the loud hum of the engines, the flight gave me a spectacular bird’s eye view of the coastline. Neal took the alternate option – flying into Boston and renting a car for the 2-hour drive to the Cape. The Cape Cod peninsula has been a playground for many Americans, but it was probably made most famous by the Kennedys – and the area is the holiday spot of many of America’s political and corporate elite. It is easy to see why so many choose that place as their summer holiday spot. It reminded us of northern Michigan, with its beautiful coast line, quaint houses and buildings, and rugged landscape. The big difference was the amount of investment and tourism in Cape Cod as compared to northern Michigan. We spent our first night in Chatham, a quaint town with some great restaurants and cute boutiques. From there, we ventured around the peninsula. The highlight of the Cape for us was a day trip to Provincetown. Located at the tip of the peninsula, this gorgeous town is surrounded by ocean and is home to some of the best seafood in the world. While driving through the town, we came across a number of little street vendors selling freshly shucked oysters and the closest things to authentic fish and chips that I have been able to find in the U.S. Provincetown is also known for being “gay-friendly”, and it was really pleasing to see so many same-sex couples, many with children – a refreshing openness to diversity.

The final highlight of the quarter was a solo trip I made to see my immediate and extended family in Malta and Switzerland. Unfortunately, Neal was not able to join due to work commitments with a major investor event that he was leading (more on that in the next blog). So, this trip was a girls’ getaway. For me, the trip started with a week in Switzerland where I spent a few days in the office and also caught up with some of my dear friends. My friend, Vicki, and I ended a day of shopping with a few drinks and a lot of people watching at Baur au Lac, an outdoor bar attached to a luxury hotel at the tip of Lake Zurich that is frequented by a lot of travelers with a whole lot of money. I also caught up with our friends, Cecilia and Steve, and their beautiful sons, Lawrence and Elliot. Hard to believe that I once changed Lawrence’s nappies and baby sat him and now he is almost as tall as me! I also met Natalene, the new addition to Daphne, Pierre and Gatien’s family, who was born at the end of June. I spent some great one-on-one time with Daphne, who is amazing in her new role as mummy of two and is now planning a return to work. My friend, Maria, and I spent many late nights catching up on all that each other have been up to at some of her new restaurant finds around Zurich.

The next leg of the trip began when my little sister, Candace, landed in Zurich. After meeting, we spent a day exploring the city before heading back to the airport to fly to Malta to meet up with my mum and my older sister, Carol. Mum and her partner, Tony, spent a total of three months in Malta this year, and we met up with them in the last week of their trip. Our time in Malta was a week-long family reunion that coincided with the festival of the village that both of my parents were born in. The festival is religious in nature, celebrating the patron saint of the village, and spans four days and nights of celebration. All of my mum’s eight siblings and their families, bar one, live on the island and all joined us each night for the celebrations of the village. Even my grandfather, who does not spend too much time out of the house these days, joined in the festivities, reveling in the bands and dancing in the streets by day and the evening fireworks celebrations each night. The village prepares for this event all year, which was evident in the elaborate street decorations and songs that had been created just for the week (with some very creative lyrics that the locals had been familiarizing themselves with for months). The fireworks were something else – both professional and homemade displays of pyrotechnics that made my sisters and I a little nervous, but had us cheering along when we realized no matter how amateur they looked, the locals were very confident in their ability to put on a spectacular display. For me, the highlight of the festival was on the final day when the village celebrated the patron saint, Maria Bambina (the baby Virgin Mary). The most angelic voice (coming from the bell tower of the church) belted out a gorgeous rendition of Ave Maria while the statue of the Maria Bambina was walked out of the church and paraded for three hours around the village. The choir and bands followed her, with people dancing in the streets, and children and teens sitting on shoulders of people so they could see the festivities. Maria Bambina returned to the church after her tour of the village and re-entered as ceremoniously as she exited. It really was special to experience something that was such a huge part of my parents’ lives when they were growing up – it was an honor to experience the tradition with my family.

Carol, Candace, and I left Malta and headed home via Switzerland where we spent a short, but action-packed, visit with Dad and Julie. The highlight of our two days with them was a day trip to Mont Blanc where we took a series of cable cars up, stopping along the way to take photos and see the view from a slightly higher vantage point each time. That area is super cool – magical scenery and you are at the intersection of three countries (France, Switzerland, and Italy). We all had a beautiful dinner that evening at a restaurant overlooking Lake Geneva, which topped off our very short visit. From there, Carol and Candace headed off to Denmark, and I spent one more night with Maria in Zurich before heading back to the U.S.

That wrapped up a busy quarter for us, both personally and professionally. Until next time, take care!

2011-11-20T14:33:00.017-05:00

April-June pics: (1) the Easter Sunday pinata was a huge hit; (2) Deb and Dad Borg fight the snow in Midland; (3) the Shorgs and the Noacks in Pittsburgh; (4) Luis and Stephanie get ready for lunch in Brazil; (5) Deb looking cool in Shanghai; (6) the gang in Holland, Michigan after the first day of the MS 150; (7) the Shorgs take on Breckenridge, Colorado; (8) the gang gets ready to hear U2 rock it out.

2011-11-20T14:32:00.004-05:00

Episode 55: April-June 2011

Highlights of the quarter:
• Our new home;
• Visits from Dad (Borg) and Mum and Dad Sheorey;
• Road trip to Pittsburgh;
• Neal rides the MS 150;
• Deb’s business trips to Shanghai and Brazil;
• Vacation in Colorado;
• Our 5th wedding anniversary, birthdays, our first Bar Mitzvah, and a concert to remember.

The work on our new house continued through mid-May, at which time we officially became owners of our first home together. The process of selecting finishings and finding furniture and art to make the house feel like a home consumed multiple weekends and state-wide road trips. It also taught us a little more about one another than maybe we had bargained for! We’re glad to say that our relationship survived and thrived through it all, and if anything, it made us look forward even more to moving into the house in July.

Dad Borg made a quick trip to Midland on his way to a business trip across the country. With the nasty weather, we did not get up to much. Still, while he was here, he was able to meet some of our friends, visit the house under construction, and conquer a jigsaw puzzle with us. We were also glad that Mum and Dad Sheorey were able to make it out for a long weekend visit, which was filled with much of the same adventures (minus the jigsaw puzzle) as Dad Borg’s trip. By the time they visited, they were able to see the house in its almost-finished state.

In April, our friends, Michelle and Ed, joined us for a road trip over a long weekend to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We had all heard that Pittsburgh has become a great city – transformed from its gritty past – and we thought it was worth checking out firsthand. The city is only a 6-hour drive from us, so we packed into the car and headed off. The weekend was perfect, filled with exploring the multicultural town, stumbling across different ethnic street markets, and eating great food.

Another highlight of April was Easter Sunday. The day was spent having a fabulous lunch, hosted by Freedom and Jason, followed by an Easter egg hunt that was a highlight for young and old.

During the quarter, I had two long business trips to Brazil and Shanghai that spanned three weeks away from home. While in Brazil I was able to stay a few days with our friends, Stephanie and Luis, in their beautiful new home there. Stephanie’s level of Portugese amazed me and she made a terrific tour guide to the local farmers’ markets, some fantastic restaurants, and a wonderful day in the park. While in Shanghai, I enjoyed a day of sightseeing, exploring some local temples and historic sights of the city, as well as visiting the fabric markets where I had a few garments made.

There were also quite a few celebrations over the quarter. In addition to attending several birthday parties, we were invited to our first bar mitzvah, which was very fun and a great cultural experience for both of us. Neal and I both celebrated a birthday, as well as our 5-year wedding anniversary – all done in low-key style with food as a central theme.

The weather started to warm up later in the quarter, which allowed us to hit some of the local lakes for some boating adventures with friends, as well as spend a lot more time outdoors. We were also able to dust off our bikes. Neal got in some much-needed training time before riding the MS 150 in Holland, Michigan in early June. The MS 150 is a 150-mile bike ride (split over two days) that is meant to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I was so proud of him for completing the ride, despite not having much training time. More importantly, we were proud to raise money for a very worthy charity. Although I did not join in the ride (I didn’t think my butt was up for two days straight on a bike seat), I spent the weekend in Holland to show my moral support for the riders. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.

In late-May, we took off for a week’s vacation to explore Breckenridge, Colorado. The week was really focused on catching up with one another given our hectic work and travel schedules. So, we took the time to relax, take a few hikes, and rented some bikes to explore some of the picturesque scenery. The food scene in Breckenridge is great – lots of quaint restaurants, with a focus on showcasing locally-sourced produce. And of course, the town is surrounded by snow-capped mountains all around, which just naturally makes the food and drink better. It is a beautiful part of the country and well worth the visit!

After waiting a year for Bono to recover from back surgery, we finally got to fulfill one of my bucket list items and see my very first U2 concert – the 360 tour. We were joined by 3 other couples, including our friends, Ed and Michelle. Thanks to Ed’s ingenuity, we did the whole trip it in style – we rented a limousine to take the 8 of us to the concert in Lansing, which is 1.5 hours from Midland. The concert was amazing – everything I imagined it would be and more. Even Neal – who admits that he has never been a huge fan of U2 and was not overly excited about seeing the band live – could not stop raving about it.

That wraps up the first-half of the year. Until next time, take care!

2011-08-08T18:32:00.013-04:00

January-March pics: (1) Will it ever stop snowing?; (2) Winter Adventures with Ed and Michelle; (3) Girls weekend in Chicago with Michelle and Jen; (4) The Shorg's foray into home ownership; (5&6) Girl's weekend at Lake Austin Spa.

2011-08-08T18:29:00.005-04:00

Episode 54: January – March 2011

Highlights:
• Winter adventures;
• Girl’s weekend in Chicago with Michelle and Jen;
• Business trips to Brazil (Deb) and London (Neal);
• Girl’s long weekend and spa with Steph, Anna Mary, and Sharon;
• House guests;
• The Shorg’s foray into home ownership.

Although January was cold, we made the most of the days when the weather was kind with some outdoor activities, like snowshoeing through the local forests. Deb’s business travels to Florida, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Houston gave her some reprieve from the weather. My business trips to Ann Arbor, Philadelphia, London, and New York on the other hand did nothing to provide a break from the winter cold!

We were graced with a visit from our dear friends, Stephanie and Luis, as house guests for five weeks as they were preparing to move to Brazil for the next few years. After all their belongings got packed and put on a ship they decided to stay with us rather than in a hotel, which worked out perfectly as we got to maximize the little time left with them in the country. Between their travel and ours, we counted a total of only six days that all four of us were in the house together, but we still made the most of those days.

Deb took advantage of a business trip to Chicago to stay for the weekend to meet up friends, Michelle and Jen, for a girl’s weekend filled with shopping and eating (plenty of both!). She took advantage of another business trip to Houston to meet up with Stephanie, Anna Mary (Stephanie’s mum), and Sharon (Anna Mary’s best friend). From Houston, the four of them took a drive to Austin, Texas and spent four luxurious days at the Lake Austin Spa. The spa was a sensational experience for them, with plenty of laughter, stories, and great memories. From the gourmet food offerings to the exercise classes, seminars, boutiques, and the spa itself, Lake Austin was the epitome of relaxation. Deb and Stephanie came back refreshed and raving of their time away – and they are already planning their next visit.

Other adventures this quarter centered on Stephanie and Luis leaving the U.S. We had a few farewell gatherings with other friends, and Stephanie had a farewell dance celebration followed by a dinner with our friends at NIA (the dance class Stephanie teaches), which was a wonderful way for many of her friends to say goodbye. Stephanie and Luis left in mid-March – and we miss them very much already.

This quarter, Deb experienced her first ever snow day. The children in Michigan are very familiar with this experience. Schools have multiple snow days in a year on which children are asked to stay home due to poor winter weather. In our four years in Midland, we have never had a day where the weather was so bad that it prohibited us from going to the office – until this season. We actually experienced two snow days this year! On both occasions, Deb’s car could not make it out of the driveway due to the amount of snow that had fallen overnight, and she was captive inside the house until our snow plow service came to free her from her days indoors. I think she quite liked the benefits of too much snow. With our weather experiences this year, we finally succumbed and bought our very first snow shovel. (It only took us four winters!) We are no longer in denial and are finally becoming real Michiganders.

As testament to our newly discovered “Michigander” status, we decided to buy a house here in town and finally move out of the rental we have been in for the last four years. Given our rather transient life together so far, this is the first home that we have purchased together, so we are very excited. The house is a new build that was half-way completed by the time we made our decision. With the house framed and drywalled, we did not have to make some of the bigger decisions around design, but came in at just the right time to choose some of the final fixtures and finishings. The rest of March was taken up with multiple trips to the house, home improvement stores, and to the builder’s offices themselves, not to mention banks, insurance companies, and so on. The house is well under way, and will be finished in the second week of May. We struck up an agreement with the builders, giving them permission to show it as a display home for a few weeks after it is ready. As a result, we won’t take possession of the house and move in until July 1. It is clear that there are a few trips to buy furniture and artwork in our not-too-distant future.

Until next time, take care!

2011-03-12T15:33:00.020-05:00

July-December pics: (1) Deb and Steph at the Corn Festival; (2) Deb and Carol in Copenhagen; (3) a surprise encounter with the Switzerland gang in Copenhagen; (4) Deb and Nat explore Midland; (5) Neal in downtown Toronto; (6) another beautiful picture in Zurich; (7) the Noacks join us for a fall colors bike tour; (8) Deb in front of the world's largest greeting card at ArtPrize; (9) Mom and Dad Sheorey in Savannah; (10) a rainy day on the Gold Coast; (11) the gang in Sorrento.

2011-03-12T15:14:00.001-05:00

Episode 53: July – December 2010

Highlights:
• Neal’s golf trip to Chicago;
• 4th of July celebrations;
• Summer adventures in Michigan;
• Summer vacation in Denmark with Carol;
• Shakespeare Film Festival and Labor Day weekend in Toronto;
• Art Prize in Grand Rapids;
• Thanksgiving with Neal’s parents in South Carolina and Georgia;
• Christmas and New Years in Australia.

Editor’s Note: For those of you who are loyal readers and have missed your fix of the Shorg blog, worry no more! We have been a little behind in our blog writing, so, to get caught up, we present this special six-month-in-one episode.

We start this blog edition with a catch up from the last one. In episode 52, we forgot to mention one important trip that Neal took in June. Neal caught up with a few of his business school friends for a golf weekend in Chicago. Besides being a great way to reconnect and have some fun with friends, the gang learned quite a lot: 1) when it rains in Chicago, it really does pour – and hails and brings 70 mile-per-hour winds as well; 2) bacon fat popcorn really is even better than it sounds; 3) Dave’s wife, Amy, made the right career change by going into cake design – seriously, go to her store – Amy Beck Cake Design – now; 4) if you like steak, there is no better place than Chicago to have one; 5) there’s nothing wrong with playing golf on a Superfund site (for our non U.S. readers, that’s a site that carried hazardous or toxic substances that the government decided to clean up) – in fact, it does wonders for your game. There are plenty of other learnings, I’m sure, but bottom line: Neal’s looking forward to the next reunion.

We started July with a long weekend for the Independence Day holiday. This year, we decided to enjoy the festivities at home and were glad we did. We watched some local fireworks over a nearby lake in Sanford, about 10 miles away from Midland, on the day before the holiday. On the holiday, Neal and I packed a picnic and took it to a park downtown for a prime view of the very impressive Midland fireworks. We made a night of it, playing cards and catching up with some friends until the spectacle began.

The fireworks were just one of many local adventures we enjoyed this summer. Neal got more interested in road cycling, so we went on a few group bike rides with friends, generally followed by a brunch or dinner somewhere. We found that biking is a great way to take in the natural beauty of Michigan. Neal and I both purchased road bikes late in the season – up to now we’ve been trying (not so successfully) to keep up on our mountain bikes – and we are looking forward to riding them this coming summer. After Neal bought his bike, he learned that another essential purchase, especially in Michigan, is a winter trainer which allows you to ride your bike indoors – an investment that Neal made and is putting to good use, so long as he has a movie to watch while he is cycling.

We headed to Flint a few times over the summer. We have heard plenty about Flint – usually not good things – and we were surprised to find some nice areas in the city. One of the more memorable trips was when we joined our friends, Stephanie and Luis, for dinner at a great tapas restaurant before heading to a local theater to see a traveling production of the Broadway musical, Spamalot, which is based on the comedy of Monty Python. The production was hilarious and we highly recommend it – that is, if you like Monty Python. Based on the demographics of the audience (mostly older people), we thought they might find some of the British humor offensive. While a few did, it seemed like the vast majority really enjoyed the production. The four of us definitely did.

For the rest of July, we pretty much stuck around in Michigan. Neal worked a lot on the company’s earnings. We had friends over for dinner. We went to a corn festival in the nearby town of Auburn. Stephanie and I went into northern Michigan for a weekend along the western coast of the state. As soon as Neal was done with earnings, though, we took our big summer vacation trip. For vacation this year, we flew to Denmark to visit my sister, Carol, who expatriated with her company, Vestas, earlier in the summer. She was only a few weeks into Denmark herself, and so we thought this was a great chance to learn about the country along with her. Carol was still living in a temporary apartment, and her things had not arrived yet from Australia, so we could not help her move in – which was our original plan – but instead we got to spend quality time with her as well as exploring Denmark.

We arrived in Copenhagen where Carol met us. We decided to spend the weekend in Copenhagen, since Carol lives in the town of Aarhus, which is a three-hour drive away. (Who would have thought Denmark was that big?!) Copenhagen is a great city, with a tremendous amount of history, and a population that is completely addicted to bike riding. There are bikes everywhere, and tourists are encouraged to rent bikes and explore the city that way. We were happy to rent some bikes and get around as the locals do. We got to see quite a few sights around the city’s neighborhoods…until the torrential rain arrived. Not long after we had started our weekend, the skies opened up to what ended up being the most rainfall Copenhagen has seen in over 70 years! We were absolutely drenched and quickly reverted to a wet weather program, which involved the purchase of umbrellas, followed by visiting the inside of quite a few bars, coffee shops, and stores. During one day in Copenhagen in between rains showers, we were having lunch outside along a large open square. Neal looked up from the table at the square and swore he saw a familiar face. To our utter surprise, we saw our good friends from Switzerland (and Finland now) – Jaana, Marike, Ulrike, and Dan Thanh – all of who were coincidentally having a girls weekend in Copenhagen! It was one of those it’s-a-small-world-after-all moments and was great to see them again.

Before heading to Carol’s town, we took a short drive into Sweden to visit the border town, Malmö, and have some lunch. We were told that the city looks just like someone would imagine a Swedish city to look like (not that we had ever thought about it): old and interesting architecture clearly influenced by the Viking era, large paved city squares boxed in by buildings and very ornate cornices and furnishings, which looked simple but effective. After we looked around, we headed back for the drive to Carol’s new hometown of Aarhus. Aarhus is the second largest town in Denmark, after Copenhagen, with a population of approximately 200,000 and home to a major university. It is a nice small city, centered on a canal that runs through it. Because of its size, Aarhus has a tremendous amount of culture, shopping, and tourist attractions, which gave us plenty to explore while Carol went to work during the day. Unfortunately, the weather we had in Copenhagen followed us for the rest of the trip, so it pretty much rained for our entire stay. We had some grand plans to take a train to the town of Skagen, but we canceled that due to the weather. We did manage to visit the nearby towns of Aalborg and Horsens to have a look around. The public transport made it easy to get around, and the cities were very tourist friendly. We were notably shocked at the cost of living in Denmark on all things from food to transportation. The social policies in the country are noteworthy (there were windmills everywhere) but this also comes at a significant cost to locals on taxes for automobiles and fuel which we learned as we test drove multiple cars with Carol while she was choosing which one to purchase.

After a week in Denmark, we bid farewell to Carol and made our way back to Michigan. Once back, we did not stay in one place for long. At the beginning of September, we had a long weekend for Labor Day, and we used that opportunity to hit the road, this time to Canada. One of the things that we have wanted to do since we moved to Michigan is attend the famous annual Shakespeare Film Festival in Stratford, Ontario, which is only about a three-hour drive away from us. Neal made that a reality this year with a surprise long weekend plan that included a show at the festival, followed by a couple of days in Toronto. He first arranged dinner at a great restaurant in Stratford called The Church (you can imagine what the building used to be), followed by tickets to see the play “Kiss me Kate.” We know what you are thinking – Kiss Me Kate is not a Shakespeare play – and you are right. The interesting thing about the festival is that it features original Shakespeare plays as well as plays that have some kind of relation to Shakespeare. In the case of Kiss Me Kate, the story revolves around a man and woman who are both actors in a Shakespeare play. The production was in an intimate theater, with very impressive acting and sets. If anyone is travelling through Ontario, Canada in August-September, we highly recommend you add this festival to your list of things to do.

After the play we drove about 30 minutes to London, Ontario where we stayed the night so we could get up and explore the next morning. London is a quaint town with Victorian buildings that make the town look like its namesake in the United Kingdom. The highlight of the city is Coventry Market, which is a bustling center for food and flower vendors and is a great place to pick up some unique gifts for people (or yourself), sit down for a coffee and brunch, and people watch for hours – which was exactly how we spent our morning before driving on to Toronto. In Toronto, Neal outdid himself with the planning. The best pick of the weekend was dinner at a restaurant called Colbourne Lane, which dabbles in the art of molecular gastronomy. Being the foodies we are, it was a highlight of the trip for sure. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner that spanned a few hours and was both entertaining and delicious. For the remainder of our time in Toronto, we enjoyed the nice weather and walked through most of the city to take plenty of photos.

Later in September, we were lucky to have a visitor from sunny California. My friend, Nat, flew to Michigan from San Diego to spend a very short weekend with us. We had a great time catching up with her and showing her around our neck of the woods. Unfortunately, Nat only had a weekend to spend with us, so no sooner had she arrived than it seemed she had to leave. Despite the short trip, it was wonderful to have her here in person and be able to look at each other and catch up versus our regular talks on the phone. Hopefully, we will see her again soon and give her a proper tour of the area.

Throughout the second-half of 2010, I had several work trips. The best one was probably my trip to Switzerland in September. Not only did I get a chance to see my dad and Julie and reconnect with all my friends there – Maria, Jen, Daphne – but my sister, Carol, managed to find a flight that brought her from Denmark. It was a great reunion all around!

October brought a few more adventures, but we stayed closer to home this month, as Neal was busy again with earnings preparations. One particularly memorable moment in the month was when Neal and I decided to spend the weekend in Grand Rapids to see the Art Prize competition. Art Prize is a huge open art competition that awards the world’s largest art prize: $250,000. The best part about it is that the public gets to decide who wins. For about two weeks, the city of Grand Rapids is absolutely covered with art, both outdoors and indoors. And the contest attracts some incredibly creative and impressive art. The winner of the 2010 competition was a huge (I mean huge – it was 30-feet, or about 10 meters, wide) pencil-drawn picture of a group of American cavalry officers in the 1920s. We had a great time seeing the art, and it is definitely on our list to be an annual event.

Other activities in October included going apple picking with Stephanie and Luis, taking pictures of Michigan’s amazing fall colors, and dressing up for Halloween – we went as Winnie the Pooh (me) and Tigger (Neal), complete with full head-to-toe costumes.

Because Neal spent much of October and early November at work, we decided to try extra hard to fit in some fun things in the rest of the month. In early November, we took another trip to Toronto. Once again, Neal had arranged a surprise for me. The opening of the musical, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”, was in Toronto and Neal landed us tickets to the show. While Neal probably still does not understand my love affair with this movie, he was no doubt amused by how excited I was to see the show and sing all the songs. Before the show started, the curtain had a huge map of Australia on it – made me very proud to be Australian, and gave me fond memories of home. The musical was well worth the road trip and the cold weather – if you get the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it!

For the long Thanksgiving weekend, we decided with Neal’s parents to take a vacation together. We first flew to Oklahoma to see Neal’s parents and grandparents for a couple of days. From there, we flew to Savannah, Georgia and then drove first to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Hilton Head Island is located just across the Georgia-South Carolina border and is famous as a summer getaway and a great place to play a round of golf. I had wanted to visit Hilton Head for a long time, and the island did not disappoint. In addition to white sand beaches, there is some great seafood there, which we made sure to enjoy. After a couple of days on the island, we did the quick drive (about an hour) to Savannah to spend a few more days there. Savannah is a great city, located on the Atlantic coast. It is well known for its architecture and historic buildings – and also for being the backdrop for the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, an excellent film that we rented and watched on the plane on the way over. The town has a very special place in US history and the city is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the US. Savannah has a lot of really pretty squares and parks, and we saw most of them by taking the hop on hop off bus tour of the historic old town. It was well worth the trip there, and we were glad to see it all with Neal’s parents.

With the arrival of December, the dreaded snow arrived, too. I guess it was bound to happen. The arrival of cold weather provided us with the perfect excuse to leave town. Having not visited Australia together in two years, this was our time to visit my home country. In mid-December, we made the long trip to Melbourne. We were greeted at the airport by quite the posse – my mom, dad, Julie, and my sister, Candace (Candy). After the welcome hugs and kisses, we headed to Williamstown for some lunch and to catch up with dad, Julie, and Candy. After lunch, we headed back to Candy’s house where we were joined by two wonderful visitors: Andrea, and her new, gorgeous baby girl, Olivia. We got in some good cuddle time with Olivia that afternoon and spent the rest of the day catching up. The following day, Candy hosted a birthday dinner at her house that was catered by a company specializing in vegan food. The food was delicious and a wonderful opportunity to catch up with my aunts, uncles, and some cousins that we likely would not have had a chance to see for the rest of the trip if it were not for that evening.

During our time in Melbourne, we caught up with friends, visited the South Melbourne Market (an old favorite hangout of mine), and spent as much time as possible with family and Andrea and her husband, Chris, and baby Olivia. We headed into Melbourne city with Mum and Candy to see the Myer Christmas windows and the Christmas decorations and choir at the Crown Casino – two institutions for this time of the year in Melbourne. Christmas itself was wonderful – Mum and her partner, Tony, hosted our regular Christmas Eve party at their place. It was nice to be home at such a festive time of year.

Straight after Christmas, we boarded a flight with Candy to the Gold Coast to spend a few more days with Dad and Julie. (One of the great Christmas presents we got from Candy was a “vacation within a vacation” to the area.) The Gold Coast is in the northeast part of Australia – just south of Brisbane – and is a beautiful part of Australia…typically. Unfortunately, this part of the world was hit with some terrible weather patterns at the time we were there. Although this was not the part of Australia subject to all the flooding (that was further north) they were suffering similar, although milder, weather patterns, and the rain did not let up during our stay. Rather than spend time at the beach (which was all torn up and brown from the mud being dug up with the rain) we enjoyed time with Candy, Dad, and Julie on the wet weather program – bowling, Time Zone (video games), movies, and all things indoor. Julie’s parents, sister, and brother-in-law (who live in the Gold Coast) were very gracious and hospitable during our time there – opening their homes to us and allowing us to be entertained with their pool table, Nintendo Wii, and cane toad explorations. Despite the weather, we really enjoyed ourselves.

Following the Gold Coast, we went back to Melbourne for another week where we spent most of our time relaxing with friends. We took the opportunity to take a day trip to Queenscliff, including a ferry trip from there to Sorrento, which gave a great perspective of Melbourne’s bay and the chance to explore two very beautiful coastal towns. On our last evening there, Candace hosted a New Years Eve party at her house which was a nice, relaxing way to celebrate the start of the New Year. And from there, we headed back to the U.S. the next day.

And that brings us to the end of 2010. Phew! With the New Year, we have made a resolution to not get so far behind in our blogs. Let us see if we can do it! Until the next posting, take care.

2010-10-10T18:40:00.022-04:00

April-June pics: (1) Sunset in Puerto Rico; (2) Deb and some members of her team work on their team building mask project; (3) Deb and her dad in Switzerland; (4) Deb and Stephanie enjoy a night out on the town in Miami; (5) Neal and Brandon reunite after several years; (6) the famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia; (7) the famous LOVE work of art in Philadelphia.

2010-10-10T18:28:00.003-04:00

Episode 52: April, May, June 2010

Highlights of the month:
• Spring Break in Puerto Rico;
• Deb travels to Atlanta, Zurich, Miami, and New York;
• Memorial Day weekend in Oklahoma;
• Weekend in Philadelphia.

Puerto Rico is an amazing island in the Caribbean whose culture, food, and language brings together Spanish, African, Indian, and American influences. In many ways, Puerto Rico shares a lot with the U.S., including the same currency and citizenship. Most importantly, the weather in Puerto Rico is just about as close to perfect as it can get, averaging 83°F (~23°C) in the winter and 85°F (~29°C) in the summer. For that reason alone, Puerto Rico was a top choice for our winter vacation this year. In the schools here, students are given a week-long break during the winter season that is called Spring Break. Puerto Rico was our Spring Break.
With all that had been going on, we took ample time to relax on the beach and catch up on some reading. We stayed in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. The city has a nice old town, and visiting that was a highlight of our trip. The old city reminded me of Valetta, Malta’s capital city, as it had a colonial style and was surrounded by defensive forts. We had a great day exploring the old city, but decided not to do any more day trips, and rather enjoyed our time on the beach reading, swimming, and relaxing. One day, I decided to get a massage from a local who fancied himself as a beach-side masseuse. It seemed like a great idea until I realized that “Juan” was a bit of an amateur chiropractor, which made relaxing a little challenging. The only two words we had in common was “hurts” and “cracks”, both of which he used repeatedly as questions to ask me if he was hurting me (which he was not) and whether that was a crack that he had heard (and he was very pleased with himself whenever I said yes to that one).

Neal did us proud with the culinary picks. In typical style, he had done his research well ahead of time to make sure to get a reservation at the places we really wanted to experience – and we were not disappointed. Our favorite place by far was Budatai, a stylish restaurant featuring Asian-Latino cuisine from Puerto Rico’s most notable chef, Roberto Trevino. We enjoyed the best traditional Caribbean fare at a place called Ajili Mojili. And on another night, we got a taste of Cuba at Ropa Vieja.

After the much needed break, it was back to our busy lives that we try to keep somewhat balanced between work and play. I invited my team from around the world in town for a week-long meeting. This was the first time we had all been together in the 18 months since I took on my new role, and the meeting proved to be a very worthwhile investment. In addition to getting through many workshops, we did a team building event at a local pottery studio where we were split into three teams and tasked with making ceramic masks that told a particular story. I even managed to introduce the team to my love of the hula hoop to break up all the time indoors. Needless to say, it was an energizing week.

In May, I packed my bags and headed to Zurich for 10 days. In addition to work, I was there in time to wish our friend, Peter Paul, farewell as he resigned from Dow to work for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. While I was there, I headed to Dad and Julie’s for a couple of days to catch up with them in their neck of the woods. We had a nice time catching up on all that had been happening in each other’s lives.

While I was in Zurich, Neal was in a different world of his own. Since March, Neal had been working on the planning and messaging for a major investor event that was held in Philadelphia. For three months, he basically worked around the clock on every aspect of the event, from where it would be held, to who would be involved, to inviting the investors, to crafting the slides and speeches for the eight presentations that were given. Needless to say, he was relieved when the event finished up. On the end of the trip, Neal managed to grab a train to Washington, D.C. where he caught up with his parents who were conveniently also in town for the weekend.

I returned from Zurich while Neal was still in Philadelphia and repacked, this time for a girl’s trip to Miami. I was asked to chair a conference there on talent management, so my friend, Stephanie, decided to join me and make it a girls’ getaway. The two days of the conference were great and Stephanie amused herself, even joining the conference dinner one evening. Outside of the conference, we had a wonderful time sampling all the local food, laying out by the pool, and getting spa treatments. While we were there, I celebrated my birthday, which we did by strolling in the famous South Beach area for some serious people watching, laying in the sun, and swimming in the ocean. Later that day, we headed into town for a look at the stores and stopped for a fantastic pizza and salad lunch that was reminiscent of the kind of pizza we used to get in Switzerland (Stephanie and her husband, Luis, have lived there, too). We had a great time, even though the trip home was an adventure we would have preferred to live without (let’s just say it involved a delayed flight, a plane unable to land, and a rental car before we finally reached home many hours later than planned).

I got back to Michigan and repacked again for our long weekend to see Neal’s parents and grandparents in Oklahoma over the Memorial Day holiday. Surekha and Ravi are doing great, and it was wonderful to see them. As an added bonus, Neal’s uncle was in town as was Rohit, a very close family friend who is currently at medical school in Dallas. Neal’s grandparents are doing great, despite a little fall that Grandpa endured a few weeks back. Even over the few days we were there we could see his health improve as the bruising started to heal and he got a little more mobile. We also caught up with one of Neal’s friends from high school, Brandon, and his wife, Krista, who have recently moved back to Stillwater after a number of years away.

The rest of the quarter was packed with events with friends, some of which were formal – such as bridal showers, birthdays, and farewell parties – and others that were informal. There were plenty of active adventures in celebration of the weather getting nicer, including some great bike rides throughout Michigan. We had a few fundraising events for the United Way and Big Brothers Big Sisters, and a few additional fun things, including tapas cooking lessons and watching some baseball at the local minor league stadium.

For the last 10 months, I had been working on a major divestment for Dow which closed in the middle of June. The project took me to New York City for a few day trips – and my very first stay at the Plaza hotel (yes, I felt like Pretty Woman). The lead up to closing was quite grueling, with plenty of long hours on my part, but the whole project was a lot of fun and I learned a tremendous amount about working with private equity as well as all the internal effort needed to carve out the businesses that were grouped together for the divestment. Needless to say, there were many celebrations and much satisfaction at the end of June once the deal was closed.

Our final big adventure of the quarter was a weekend in Philadelphia. Since the acquisition of Rohm and Haas 18 months ago, Dow has had an airplane shuttle that flies between Midland and Philadelphia (where Rohm and Haas was headquartered) three times a week. Neal took advantage of this perk by flying to Philadelphia to meet me there on the tail end of a work trip for me. The temperatures were soaring in the high 90s (low 30s Celsius), but we still took advantage of every minute there to explore as much of the city as we could. The restaurants and history in Philadelphia are most impressive. On Friday evening, we did some leisurely shopping followed by dinner at Barclay Prime, a famed steakhouse in a trendy area called Rittenhouse Square. On Saturday we did some more exploring, seeing some of Philadelphia’s most famous historical sites, including the Liberty Bell. That evening, we headed to a tapas restaurant called Amada where we took advantage of the warm evening by sitting outside and enjoying some of the best Spanish food we have ever had. As we sat outside, we were treated to a fireworks display that was taking place in another area of Philadelphia but could be seen from our dinner seats. The following day we decided not to brave the heat on foot, and instead took the Hop-on/Hop-off bus to see more of Philadelphia’s sights. The bus was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time. My favorite stop was the Eastern State Penitentiary, one of America’s oldest prisons and one with an incredible history. It was last operational in 1971 but is now open for tourists to see what being there would have been like. As one would expect, it was creepy and fascinating all at the same time. Following our bus tour, we stopped at a local artisans market where we were happy to cool down with a cold beer and snack before venturing our way back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Morimoto, one of the premiere restaurants in Philadelphia and home to some funky takes on Japanese food. We were not at all disappointed.

The trip to Philadelphia was a great weekend getaway. With so much history and public art all over the city, there was so much to see without having to go into any of the numerous museums. The city will definitely be visited by the Shorgs again!

And with that trip, we reached the half-way mark in 2010. Here’s hoping that the second-half of the year brings just as many adventures!

2010-05-08T11:31:00.010-04:00

January-March pics: (1) Tony and Julie, with Zurich in the background; (2) a snow carving at a snow and ice sculpture contest in Frankenmuth, Michigan; (3) Deb with the Sao Paulo skyline behind her; (4) Deb's colleague, Lulu, and her husband, Carlos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil; (5) Deb and Daphne ride the carnival rides at the Houston rodeo; (6) the Shorgs enjoy an afternoon painting pottery in Bay City, Michigan.

2010-05-08T11:30:00.003-04:00

Episode 51: January, February, March 2010

Highlights of the quarter:
• Deb travels to Houston, New Jersey, Switzerland, and Brazil;
• Our adventures in Midland;
• Deb and Daphne have a girls weekend in Houston;
• Spring break in Puerto Rico.

The first quarter of the year was a busy one for both of us. The winter weather meant not a lot of outdoor time, but in typical Shorg style, we managed to make the most of the cold months with snowshoe walks and plenty of indoor dinners and activities with friends.

I had a few chances to escape the winter weather with some business trips to warmer places. In January, I spent a week in Houston for a senior leaders meeting where we rolled out a new change management program to the top 200 leaders of Dow. I got to reconnect with many friends and colleagues that I had not seen in a long time, which was great. A few weeks later, I headed to New Jersey to speak at a talent management conference. The conference went well, though I really had to turn it up to engage the crowd as I was the final speaker of the two-day event.

My friend, Stephanie, and I had a belated birthday celebration for her in February where we spoiled ourselves by heading to the newest and most impressive restaurant in town – The Table – followed by the local theater production of The Vagina Monologues, which was an interesting – and rather taboo – play for Midland. Later in the month, Neal and I celebrated Midland’s newly-acquired status of “Best Tennis Town in the U.S.”, which was awarded to the city during last year’s U.S. Open by the U.S. Tennis Association. We celebrated Midland’s tennis prowess by attending a night of matches at the annual women’s tournament held here, cheering on some very talented young players.

With winter in full swing, the nearby town of Frankenmuth held their annual celebration of winter: an ice sculpture competition. We visited during the competition and were once again blown away with what people can create with just snow and ice. We also visited our local gardens, which featured an outdoor glass sculpture exhibition nestled in the snow-filled trees. Also in February, Neal and I also headed to the theater to see a production of Cats, one of the few Broadway plays we had not seen. We typically enjoy Andrew Lloyd Weber shows, but we have to admit that Cats was not our cup of tea – a little too whimsical for our taste.

Later in the month, I headed to Zurich for a week for work. Although the weather was no better there, I got the chance to catch up with many of my friends and Dad and Julie, which is always the best part of going to Zurich. My friend, Maria, has moved into an apartment in downtown Zurich, very close to where Neal and I used to live, so it was great to be back in the old neighborhood and to revisit some of my favorite places.

The month of March was much like the previous two months – lots of indoor activities and plenty of things going on at work to keep us busy. I managed to escape the cold with a week-long trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Upon arriving there, I spent an afternoon with my friend and colleague, Lulu, and her husband, Carlos, who turned up the hospitality with some amazing home-style cooking followed by a few hours of shoe shopping. (Can a day be more perfect than that?) The remainder of the week was great. There were 300 people from around the region attending a meeting, so I got the chance to meet with all our young talent, new hires, high potentials, and senior leaders from the region. The evenings were a tremendous amount of fun, with entertainment, recognition events, magic shows, and of course, dancing!

On the way home from Brazil, I stopped in Houston, Texas, where I spent a weekend with my friend from Zurich, Daphne. Daphne was in Austin for a week for her MBA program, so we were able to coordinate in advance to spend a three-day weekend together. We spent a day at the famous Houston Rodeo, which was a cultural experience for both of us to say the least. The rodeo itself was really fun, a great day of entertainment. The funniest sight by far was an activity where 5 and 6 year-old kids wearing helmets had to hold on to a sheep for dear life while the sheep took off after a target. The kid that got the farthest before falling off his/her sheep won. It was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. After the rodeo, I learned that Daphne has a fear of carnival rides – only after dragging her onto a roller coaster! For the rest of the weekend, we shopped, ate great food, and talked non-stop, catching each other up on all the details of our lives. Daphne became a mother 18 months ago and is half-way done with her MBA, so her life has gone through some significant changes since we left Zurich.

In the U.S., most schools have a week-long break in the winter term called Spring Break. The kids get a week off from school, and the parents take it as their opportunity to vacation with the entire family. Given we do not have kids, we have never really concerned ourselves with Spring Break, but this year, the timing fell during the week of Easter and right in between some key deadlines for both Neal and I. So we also took our own Spring Break and headed to Puerto Rico. More about that in the next edition of the Shorg Files.

Until then, take care.

2010-04-04T13:37:00.015-04:00

December pics: (1) Lunch in Sorrento in the middle of our airplane tour of Port Philip Bay; (2) Natural Born Posers (Deb, Andrea, and Nat); (3) the newly-married couple, Andrea and Chris; (4) the whole crew the day after the wedding; (5) Ed, Michelle, Toya, and Neal get ready for a Christmas day Moroccan dinner; (6) Deb makes a friend at the Henry Ford Museum.

2010-04-04T13:36:00.001-04:00

Episode 50: December 2009

Highlights of the month:
• Trip to Australia;
• Andrea and Chris tie the knot;
• Christmas in Midland;
• Three-day trip to Detroit.

As you may remember from our last posting, in mid-November, I had already taken off for Australia, two weeks ahead of Neal. It was wonderful to be home, catching up with friends, spending time with family, and relaxing under the Australian sun. I spent a lot of one-on-one quality time with my mum and both of my sisters. We did not do too much – dinners, lunches, a little shopping, and generally spending time with each other. I got to meet Carol’s partner, Jo, and Candy’s partner, Sam, both of whom I had heard so much about over the past two years but had not yet met. I also spent time with mum and her boyfriend, Tony, and his kids, Melissa and Joseanne.

Besides family, I also got to catch up with most of my friends individually and in groups, spent a little time in Melbourne city, took care of a few errands (like renewing my working visa for the U.S. with the local consulate), and also did a little work as well. One highlight was that our friends, Tracey and Andrew, hosted a Thanksgiving party to celebrate the birth of their son, Tasman, and show off their renovated digs in a very trendy area of Melbourne, called Brunswick. There were loads of old friends that I worked with at GM there so a great opportunity to catch up with them all. My dear friends Lesley (who lives in Tunisia) and Carina (who just returned from 8 years living in Vancouver and London) were also home, so I had the chance to catch up with them as well. It was refreshing to hear all that they have been up to, their challenges of living away from home, and where life has taken them since we last saw each other in person.

I got to catch up with most of my friends while I was home, met their new additions (boyfriends, babies etc) and caught up on all their adventures since I was last home. Although I keep in touch with my family and friends regularly, nothing beats an in-person catch up – and I made sure to maximize those during the time home.

The festivities continued once Neal arrived in Melbourne in early-December. Neal was only in the country for about 10 days, so we packed our days with plenty of activities. Our friend, Vicki, from Zurich, was also in Melbourne during the same time, and we managed to catch up with her one night over a Greek dinner in South Yarra. Like Neal’s side of the family, many of my family events revolve around food (not a bad thing, eh?!). So, on another night, mum and Tony hosted an early Christmas barbeque in our honor, which gave Neal and I a chance to catch up with my aunts and uncles in one evening.

On another day, my sisters and I took Neal on a touristic adventure that even we had not done before. My dad had organized for the four of us to take a scenic flight over Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay. We boarded a small seaplane in Williamstown (a suburb of Melbourne, very close to where my sisters live). The plane made a water take-off and ascended to about 1,800 feet, flying first over the western side of the bay. The pilot then landed near the mouth of the bay at a fantastic ocean-side town called Sorrento. We landed and literally brought the plane almost onto the beach. In Sorrento, we stopped at a waterside restaurant overlooking the shimmering water. After a great lunch, we boarded the plane, took off, and continued to fly over the east side of the bay and part of downtown Melbourne before landing back at Williamstown. It was so cool to see my hometown from the sky, and I highly recommend the adventure to tourists and locals alike!

After a few days in Melbourne, we were ready for the main event: to celebrate the wedding of Andrea and Chris. I got home early enough to be able to help Andrea with a few of the last minute things she needed done from seating arrangements to picking up the wedding dress and choosing the first dance song. It was so wonderful to share those experiences with her. I was one of the bridesmaids in the wedding, along with our great friend, Natalie, who flew in from San Diego. So, it was a big reunion for Andrea, Nat, and I! Natalie and I hosted a hen’s party for Andrea the day Natalie arrived into the country, which consisted of an afternoon of drinking and crazy games, followed by dinner at a local pub in Port Melbourne. It was a great day and educational for Andrea’s nieces who joined in the games (and had lots of questions about the nature of the prizes that were all R-rated). Nat managed to stay awake the whole time, which was impressive given that she had just come off a 16-hour flight earlier that morning. Naturally, the boys were not invited to the hen’s party, so Neal spent the day bonding with Chris and Dave.

The wedding itself was in Echuca, a town about two hours north of Melbourne, right on the border of New South Wales and Victoria. The town itself personifies country Victoria. It is located on the Murray River, which was an important paddle ship trading route in early Australian history. We headed there a few days before the wedding to enjoy the town and relax with our families (my sisters and mum, and their partners, were all invited, too) and friends. The time there was fabulous – we relaxed, explored the town (and its multiple pubs), and even enjoyed some kayaking along the river.

The wedding itself was gorgeous. Andrea looked like a true princess, Chris looked dapper (and was not surprisingly very emotional on the big day), and Nat fit into her bridesmaid dress (after a brief scare!). After the church ceremony, the bridal party headed around the town for a series of photos, while the guests enjoyed some time floating along the river on an old-fashioned paddle steamer to get a different vantage point of the town. For the reception, we all met up at a restaurant where we danced the night away for the next 6 hours.

The day after the wedding we had a barbeque brunch with the newlyweds before heading back to Melbourne, where we spent the final day with my family before saying our goodbyes and heading back to Michigan. Overall, it was a great trip.

The remainder of the month was taken up mostly with work, a little snowshoeing, and catching up with friends that we had not seen for a few weeks. Christmas day started with present openings, which were placed under our very own Christmas tree. That afternoon, we met our friends, Michelle and Ed, and their foster daughter, Toya, at the movies to see “Up In the Air.” Following that, we all came back to our house to cook up a lavish Christmas dinner together. We all cooked one course of a Moroccan feast, which turned out to be quite good. Overall, it was a wonderful way to spend Christmas day.

The following day, we took advantage of most people being out of the office and headed to Detroit for a three-day getaway. Despite all the problems Detroit has today, there are still many great areas in the city’s suburbs and a lot of history to take in. We spent a day exploring the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. The village is a tribute to inventors in U.S. history, with everything from Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s family homes to the bicycle store that the Wright Brothers owned at the time they designed and crafted their first plane. The Henry Ford Museum is a sprawling tribute to everything mechanical. Under one roof, we saw hundreds of cars collected over decades, full-sized trains, and replicas of famous planes. The remainder of our trip to Detroit was spent shopping and cashing in on a massage voucher that my sisters had given us for our birthdays earlier in the year.

And with that, we saw the end of another year. It certainly had its share of ups and downs. Professionally, we were faced with a wave of corporate downsizing, economic challenges, and plenty of work. But on the flip side, we continued to do the things that make us happy personally – seeing new places, revisiting some old favorites, and building on our great friendships around the world. We welcomed 2010 at a house party hosted by Ed and Michelle, which was a great beginning to what is sure to be a great year.

We wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010. Until the next time, take care!

2010-01-23T14:32:00.017-05:00

September, October, & November pics: (1) the U.S. Open center court during the Federer/Hewitt match; (2) Deb plays the big piano at FAO Schwartz; (3) our obnoxious-colored convertible in California; (4) a typical view along the Pacific Coast Highway; (5) Neal standing in the burned-out trunk of a Redwood tree; (6) Michigan's fall colors; (7) the gang at the UM football game; (8) Deb and Stephanie at the Midland balloon festival.

2010-01-23T14:28:00.001-05:00

Episode 49: September, October, & November 2009

Highlights of the months:
• US Open in New York City;
• West Coast road trip along Pacific Highway 101;
• Fall colors and adventures in Michigan;
• Neal’s business trips around the country;
• University of Michigan vs. Purdue at the Big House;
• Sheorey parents visit for Thanksgiving;
• Christmas festivities begin;
• Start of vacation in Australia.

Life has been so busy lately that we have had no time to sit and write an update on all our happenings…hence, the release of this mega edition. September started with a three-day weekend in New York City where we were lucky enough to get tickets to the US Open tennis tournament. We arrived late Friday night, just in time for a drink and relaxed dinner. The following morning, we took the train to the U.S. National Tennis Center, which is located in Queens, New York. The stadium was fantastic, and our seats could not have been better – Center Court, about half-way up, and almost even with the net. The first match featured Lleyton Hewitt (an Aussie) versus Roger Federer (from Switzerland). I was torn as to which country to root for, so we split it. Neal rooted for Federer and I backed Hewitt. Neal won but it was a great match nonetheless. The second match of the day saw a young American newcomer, Melanie Oudin, beat the favorite, Maria Sharipova, in three intense sets. The look on Melanie’s face when she realized she’d won match point was priceless. It was clearly the biggest match of her career to-date. The third match of the day was another upset – Andy Roddick was beat by John Isner in five sets, with the last set decided by a close tiebreaker. Given that day matches went so long, the night matches did not get started until well past 8 pm, and although we had tickets to stay through the night, we decided we had our fill and headed back to Manhattan for a great dinner of Cuban food.

Sunday was spent shopping through SOHO and lower Manhattan. We were also able to catch up with one of Neal’s good friends from business school, Chris, who joined us for lunch at our favorite Aussie place, the Tuck Shop, and a stroll through the surrounding neighborhood. Chris works in one of the major investment banks in New York and so we got to share horror stories about the year with him and how we have all felt the effects of the economy on our respective industries. Talking to Chris was a great way for us to put things in perspective. As tough as the year has been on us, it has been much tougher for people in the financial services industry where mass layoffs have left many people unemployed for months at a time. After a great afternoon catching up with Chris, we headed back to our hotel in Times Square and then headed out that evening to our favorite Greek café, Kefi, for dinner.

Monday we took a relaxing walk through Central Park, stopping only to play the big piano at the toy shop, FAO Schwartz, and to lay under the sun for an hour or so before heading back to the airport for our flight home.

Later in September, our friends who recently moved to Germany, Patty and Michel, came back to town. It was a bittersweet visit for us, as this trip the end of our cat babysitting duties, and we had to say farewell to Duke. The cat was clearly not nearly as traumatized as we had hoped. Neal was neutral, promptly cleaning up any remnants of his stay. I, on the other hand, am still in mourning and cry at the sight of any ginger-colored animal…

Our next adventure was a ten-day road trip along the U.S. west coast, beginning in San Francisco, California and ending north in Portland, Oregon. We arrived at San Francisco airport and rented what was probably the most obnoxious yellow-orange convertible Ford Mustang. From the moment we saw it, it was clear that we would not have any issues locating our car in any parking lot during the trip. With all safety aspects covered, we hit the road, headed south to our first stop, Half Moon Bay. After a nice lunch there, we drove further south to the quaint, ocean-side town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, which is located at the bottom of the famous Monterey Peninsula (where the famous Pebble Beach golf course is located). We stayed that night in Carmel at a fabulous little bed and breakfast called The Tickled Pink Inn and had dinner at the restaurant Pacific’s Edge, which overlooked the Pacific Ocean – or that is what we were told…the fog was so thick we could see nothing but clouds out of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The following morning the fog had cleared, and we could confirm the view was as spectacular as all the reviews promised. After a breakfast overlooking the ocean, we headed north, back to San Francisco. We drove across the Golden Gate bridge, stopping in the gorgeous town of Sausalito for lunch and a stroll around. From there, our drove took us inland to our next stop for the night, the beautiful wine region of Sonoma/Napa Valley. The wine region is breathtaking, with beautifully manicured vineyards covering rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Naturally, we sampled some of the region’s offerings and neither the wine nor the food disappointed. We stayed the night in Santa Rosa and cruised the wine region the next day, hiking in the hills to get a look at the scenery and tasting a few wines. After looking around a bit more, we got back in the car and drove to our next destination, Eureka, which is located just south of the famous Redwood National Forest. After staying the night in Eureka, we drove into the forest for what was the highlight of the trip. Not only does the road wind along the beautiful, jagged coastline, but the forest itself features the most amazing trees. Redwoods are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth – the trunks of the trees are literally large enough that you can drive through them! The forest had plenty of places where we could stop and hike through the forests and get up close to the trees to appreciate how large they are. Some of the trees had trunks that are 3-4 meters (10-12 feet) in diameter. Each corner of the winding road offered a view more gorgeous than the last and we must have taken at least a hundred photos of the Pacific Ocean during that small stretch alone.

After seeing the forest, we continued our drive across the California-Oregon border. Once we passed the border, we took the inland route to Grant’s Pass, Oregon for the night. The next day, we drove the remainder of the trip to Portland, stopping briefly in Salem for lunch and a walk around the town. We spent the last couple of days of our trip in Portland. While there, we toured the city and, of course, did some shopping. We even supported a local theater troop by seeing their performance of the musical, Company.

October saw me grounded in Michigan while Neal worked on Dow’s earnings release. While he was busy with that, we managed a few adventures:

• The few days Neal was in town, we took a lot of walks, admiring the spectacular changing of the colors on all the trees which never ceases to amaze us.

• Neal became the proud owner of a new car, a Nissan Rogue (the baby sister of the Murano). Neal’s friends have now nicknamed the car the “Palin.” (For those who do not know the reference, Sarah Palin ran for Vice President during the last U.S. election and, though she lost, she has been in the news recently when she released a book called “Going Rogue.”).

• We watched the local hot air balloon festival which was a very impressive sight to witness. At least fifty hot air balloons lit up the sky with synchronized fire bursts.

• One of our colleagues, who is a native of India, opened his home for a Diwali celebration. Authentic Indian catering and beautifully colored sarees transported us to a different country with great company for the evening.

• I went on very well organized road trip with some friends to Ann Arbor where we saw a football match between the University of Michigan and Purdue. Unfortunately, this happened to fall on one of the weekends when Neal needed to be in the office, so he and our friend, Bob, missed out. That did not stop the remaining six of us from going. Our friends, Ed and Michelle, hooked us up, hiring a van, and more importantly, a driver who drove us around the entire day. The two-hour drive to Ann Arbor was filled with breakfast, champagne, coconut muffins, and a whole lot of laughs. The game itself was great. The University of Michigan football stadium, known as the Big House, is impressive (it holds over 100,000 people every game) and offers great acoustics because of its layout. Unfortunately, Michigan lost the game. After the game, we found our driver, who took us into Ann Arbor for a long dinner and then drove us back to Midland.

• My girlfriend, Stephanie, hosted a weekend wellness retreat at her house, which was a lot of fun. Stephanie also hosted her mum during October, and I was delighted to finally get to share a few cilantro margaritas with her after hearing so much about her.

• Fresh off the wellness retreat, I rediscovered my love of craft projects while Neal was busy trying to raise Dow’s stock price. My girlfriend, Anne, and I thought we were very creative by replicating a yoga statue made out of tree branches that we had seen in an art gallery. I also made photo frames for my mum and sisters and finished knitting two scarves that, admittedly, I had started months ago.

November brought some travel for Neal, who had to take a few trips to New York and Boston for different investor events. When he was not traveling, we were gearing up for the holiday season. One of the notable celebrations we went to was a fundraiser called Festival of the Trees. The fundraiser was clever – you paid to get into an auditorium where there was a sea of trees, each decorated with different sponsors’ products. You would admire all the trees and purchase raffle tickets to put in boxes beneath the trees you liked the most. If your raffle ticket was drawn, you would win the tree and all its trimmings. There were trees decorated with Tonka trucks, Barbie dolls, hair products, nightwear, theater tickets – you name it! One of my favorites was a tree dedicated to breast cancer awareness which was decorated with all sorts of pink things – from kitchen mixers to t-shirts. It was a fun day admiring all the creativity. We followed that up by stopping for some local warm apple cider at one of the apple farms nearby.

Later in the month, I began my vacation to Australia to see my family and attend the wedding of my very dear girlfriend, Andrea. (More about the trip will be coming in the next edition of the blog.) Neal did not leave at the same time as me as he still needed to organize some investor events at the end of November before his year could officially be called done. During the two weeks that I was in Australia before him, he had a total of seven days at home, four of which were spent with his parents who made a Thanksgiving visit to Midland. Neal’s parents had a relaxing time in Michigan, with a little shopping, a lot of eating, and catching up with one another.

And that is how we ended November. As busy as these three months were, the month of December was just as action-packed, with a trip to Australia, a wedding, and holidays. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Until then, take care.

2009-11-01T13:53:00.015-05:00

August pics: (1) a shot of the Holland, Michigan farmer's market; (2) Deb and Maria reunite in Zurich; (3) Tony and Julie visit Deb in Zurich; (4) a view over Zurich; (5) the kiteboarding crew hanging out at the beach; (6) getting ready to give kiteboarding a try; (7) the Shorgs on firmer ground.

2009-11-01T13:51:00.002-05:00

Episode 48: August 2009

Highlights of the month:
• Weekend in Holland/Saugatuck, Michigan;
• Deb’s week in Zurich;
• Weekend of kiteboarding lessons in Tawas, Michigan.

August’s weather this year was more unpredictable than either of us remember it being in the past in Michigan. The month of August during our last two summers was predictable: long sunny days, warm temperatures…the height of summer. This year, however, the summer season has been unpredictable, and August in particular brought unseasonably cold, rainy days. Unfortunately, most of these days came when we decided to take a few weekends away!

Our first getaway was a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to some of our favorite cities along the west coast of Michigan: Holland and Saugatuck. We left work a little early on Friday and within 2.5 hours we were in the city of Grand Rapids where we stopped for dinner at one of our favorite tapas restaurants, San Chez. After dinner, we drove to the town of Holland where we stayed the night. The following morning, we explored downtown Hollard, which looked very different from the last time we visited when the town was adorned in tulips for their annual tulip festival. Within a few minutes of arriving downtown, the skies opened and it literally poured with rain nonstop for the rest of the day. Undeterred, we pushed ahead and enjoyed strolling around the farmers market and the unique local shops before heading to the next city of Saugatuck, a gorgeous coastal town that comes alive in the summer months, even on the most rainy days like the day we were there. We enjoyed a nice long lunch in Saugatuck and explored some more on foot before deciding to head home rather than stay another night, given the weather.

The following week, I headed off for a business trip to Zurich, Switzerland. I made it there in time for my best friend, Maria’s, birthday and was excited to spend that day with her doing my very favorite things: walking the streets of Zurich, window shopping, and stopping for the occasional coffee and catch-up with some other friends. Dad and Julie came over to Zurich on Sunday so we could spend the day together, and I got to catch up with my friend, Jen, Sunday night. The rest of the time, I was tied up in meetings and business dinners and, unfortunately, did not have enough time to catch up with everyone I would have liked to see. In contrast to Michigan, Zurich was experiencing a true heat wave, with temperatures hitting and remaining in the mid-30 degrees Celsius (high-90 degrees Fahrenheit). Apparently, since living in the U.S., I have become quite the diva and am now very much accustomed to air conditioning, so I did my fair share of sweating and sleeping badly while the temperatures refused to let up.

I returned home on Thursday night, making it to Midland in time for the special event of the month: a retirement dinner for my very dear mentor and the man that hired me into Dow, Ken Jewsbury. After a 42-year (!) career with Dow, Ken came to Michigan for the U.S. portion of his world tour/farewell gig (Ken lives in Shanghai), accompanied by his lovely wife, Elizabeth. We had a lovely dinner that was hosted by our CEO and was attended by about 25 people that Ken wanted to see before he left. People honored him with stories about the impact he has had on them and their careers, all of which were very touching.

The following morning, we got up early and hit the road for the town of Tawas, located along the east coast of Michigan, where we met up with friends, Craig, Yvonne, Ed, and Michelle, for a weekend of kiteboarding lessons on Lake Huron. Unbeknownst to us until that weekend, Michigan is known for being a kiteboarding hotspot, given its huge lakes and ever-present winds that sweep across the water. We came to learn from our instructors, Mark and Kyle, that there is a whole kiteboarding sub-culture across the state. Unfortunately for us, this was yet again another weekend where the weather was uncooperative, which dampened (literally and figuratively) our plans of joining the kiteboarding movement. On Saturday, the weather was not so lousy – mostly cloudy and a little cold, but there were a few moments of sunshine. Unfortunately, there was no wind at all, which meant we could not have our lessons as planned (kiting without wind = forget about it). Instead, we played around for a while on some of the instructors’ other toys, and took a particular liking to the paddle board. We then boarded Ed and Michelle’s boat and watched them do a bit of wakeboarding. From there, we headed to our cabin and played beach volleyball and threw around a frisbee for a few hours before cooking dinner, telling stories and playing cards into the late hours of the evening.

The next morning, we got up and bravely headed back to the beach where we intended to resume lessons. The wind was marginally better, but it was very cloudy and the temperature had dropped another few degrees. The lake water was near freezing, which made it terribly uncomfortable to be in the water for more than 30 minutes or so at a time. Still, we managed to learn how to set up the kite, fly the kite on the beach, and get dragged through the water by the kite. Unfortunately, the weather did not hold up enough for us to try strapping the board onto our feet and seeing if we could put it all together. Although we are far from being kiteboarders, we had a great weekend away with friends and will definitely take another lesson when the weather is more cooperative.

As usual, we also managed to fit in a few more events during the month. We celebrated our friend, Carlo’s, half-century (50th) birthday, which he did in true Aussie style, complete with party pies. We also had some one-on-one time with Ken and Elizabeth before they headed back to Sydney via Shanghai to begin retirement. Also, work and community activity picked up again this month as most people were back from their summer vacations. Between fundraisers for Big Brothers Big Sisters, work dinners, and our regular after work activities, August came and went before we knew it.

Looking back, it was a busy, but productive, month. We hope September holds the same…and some better weather!

2009-09-13T16:03:00.012-04:00

June / July pics: (1) making pottery at a studio near Midland; (2) Deb and Stephanie in Ludington; (3) the Shorgs hit the golf course; (4) Deb volunteers with Habitat for Humanity; (5) Neal gets ready to have a pasty, appropriately drowned in ketchup; (6) the view of Lake Superior from Whitefish Point; (7) the sunset in Munising; (8) Deb on the Pictured Rocks tour boat, with Lake Superior behind her.

2009-09-13T16:01:00.001-04:00

Episode 47: June & July 2009

Highlights of the months:
· Enjoying summer days in Michigan (finally!);
· Deb’s weekend in Ludington;
· Road trip to the Upper Peninsula.

After a very active, travel-filled summer last year, we realized that we have not had the chance to spend much time in Michigan in the best season the state has to offer. So this year, we decided to spend the majority of our summer exploring what Michigan has to offer.

Summer in Michigan is a great season. Given is northern latitude, the days are long – averaging 14 hours of sunlight – and the temperatures are relatively consistent from day to night. Both of these factors lend themselves to spending a lot of time outdoors. The state is very pretty this time of year, the many lakes are filled with people and their “toys” (boats, jet-skis, etc.), the trails are filled with cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts, the multiple golf courses are booked out all season long, and the parks have a constant stream of picnic-goers. It’s certainly Neal’s favorite time of year for sports, as his golf league and ultimate frisbee team come to life after their winter hibernation.

Friends and entertaining happen outdoors, with barbeques and al-fresco dining almost every evening. We spent a good majority of the last two months enjoying the company of friends after work and on weekends. Our friend, Luis, turned 40 in June and chose to celebrate the day with a 60-mile bike ride followed by a barbeque at his place. In true Shorg fashion, Neal and I skipped the bike ride but joined for the bbq and beer in the evening! We also visited some of our local lakes for afternoon picnics, and we even got back in touch with our creative sides and made some pottery pieces at a local art studio.

One of the harder parts of living in a town centered on Dow is saying goodbye to the many friends who take on assignments in different parts of the world. In June, we said farewell to Patty and Michel, who packed up and made the move across the ocean to Germany, Moosa and Roya who headed to Dubai, and the Simpson family who left to start the next chapter of their lives in Belgium.

I volunteered this month to participate in a project to rebuild a rundown part of our community. The project sponsor was Habitat for Humanity, a group which Dow partners with around the world by donating volunteers and supplies to various community projects. My project was to paint the outside of a double story house along with about 20 other people. It was a hard day’s work, but the end result was beautiful, and the joy in the faces of the home owners was well worth all the effort.

Summer in the U.S. is also baseball season. We headed out to see our local team, the Great Lakes Loons, at our local baseball stadium a few times over the last few months. The Loons are much better this season, which makes watching them a lot more fun. We witnessed some great games, including a few nail biters, all of which ended with the Loons being victorious.

We were privileged this summer to get the chance to see two master artists at work at the Elton John and Billy Joel concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Their concert was a fabulous tribute to two amazing careers in music and was as great as we had expected it to be.

Over the summer, typically, the workload lessens a bit. Most people are out of the office on Fridays enjoying time at their cottages up north, and many of our colleagues in the U.S. and around the world are on vacation. The exception to the rule is the crazy workload for Neal and the investor relations crew at the end of our financial second quarter. With all the activity necessary to close the books and report earnings, Neal spent a good portion of July in the office, leaving me to my own devices on weekends and after work for a number of weeks. I have a couple of projects at work that started to build momentum, which kept me busy as well.

My girlfriend, Stephanie, and I spent a weekend away in Ludington, a gorgeous coastal town in the northwest part of the state. Located along Lake Michigan, Ludington is a beautiful city centered around a national park. We started our trip with some hiking through the national park, followed by some great food that evening. The following day we explored the stores and did a little more hiking before taking a coastal drive along Lake Michigan to the small, quaint town of Pentwater which lies on a river that feeds the lake. The drive was absolutely breathtaking and reminded me a lot of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, with the bluffs and rock formations jutting out from the lakeshore.

Our major summer highlight came in July when we took a five-day road trip through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.). Since we moved to Michigan, a trip to the U.P. has been high on our list of must-do trips, so we took advantage of the July 4th long weekend and made it happen. The U.P. is massive – it contains almost one-third of the land area of Michigan but only has 3% of its total population. It is made up of several spread out, small towns that thrive on an economy of timber (there are a lot of trees in the U.P.), mining, and tourism. There are two universities in the U.P. which attract a student population, but for the most part, the locals are surrounded by rugged nature. The U.P. has no natural borders with Michigan. Its only land border is with Wisconsin. Michiganders get to the U.P. by crossing the Mackinac Bridge, a massive suspension bridge that crosses the Straits of Mackinac. The U.P. is bordered by three of the Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, and Michigan) and in our opinion is one of mother nature’s best kept secrets.

We were fortunate to have spectacular weather for the entire weekend, which made the drive in the convertible much more fun. Our first stop was five hours from home at the town of Paradise, a town so small that it needs only one set of flashing lights to direct traffic, and home to the majestic Tahquamenon Falls. The waterfalls are in an impressive state park, and the walk through a forest to get to the falls is just as pretty as the falls themselves. After seeing the Lower Falls, we got back in the car and drove a short distance to the Upper Falls, the larger and more impressive of the two sites. After taking in the sights and multiple photo opportunities there, we drove a bit further north to Whitefish Point, which features a lighthouse, a museum dedicated to Great Lakes shipwrecks, and some spectacular, panoramic views of Lake Superior.

After a good night’s sleep in Paradise, we drove to our next stop, the town of Munising, which is home to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Muldoon’s, a store that claims to be home of the best pasty in Michigan. First, let’s talk about the pasty. It turns out that the U.P. is renowned for its pasties, thanks to the miners who claim to have discovered the culinary delicacy (although the Cornish would claim that they were the first discoverers). And yes, for those of you back in Australia, it is the same as what you are thinking it is. The pasty (pronounced pah-stee) is a succulent pastry pocket filled with mince meat and vegetables that is best enjoyed when drowned in tomato sauce (ketchup). Being Australian, I am a huge fan of the pasty, and Muldoon’s did not disappoint. It was as good as, if not better, than anything I remember from back home.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore contains natural rock formations that make up the coastline of Lake Superior. They can only be seen by water, so we took an informative 2.5-hour boat tour along 15 miles of the beautiful shoreline. It was well worth doing. That evening, rather than have a conventional dinner, we headed to a local grocery store and bought supplies for a picnic dinner, which we had on a beautiful sandy beach in Munising called Sand Point. We stayed there until the sun went down and then headed to our hotel to get some rest before heading further on our adventure.

The next day, we hit the road again, first making a brief stop in the town of Marquette, home to one of the universities in the U.P. As such, Marquette is the largest town in the U.P. at a population of ~20,000. From there, we continued driving all the way up the Keweenaw Peninsula to the northernmost tip of the U.P., marked by the town of Copper Harbor. Along the way, we made a couple of stops at the town of L’Anse and another at a beautiful, off-the-beaten path beach near the town of Bete Grise. Copper Harbor was a cute, little town, bordered by water as far as the eye could see. We explored a little around the town before heading back to the car to enjoy the drive back to Houghton while the sun was still up. The drive along the peninsula was beautiful – Lake Superior to one side and trees as far as the eye could see on the other. The scenery was amazing and we stopped a few more times to explore some waterfalls and take photos of the beautiful landscape.

That night, we stayed in the town of Houghton, which is located at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and is home to the second of the U.P. universities. After dinner, we watched the July 4th fireworks in the small town of Hancock – the show was not spectacular, but it was nice to lay under the stars for a bit. The next day, we started the long drive back home. On the way, we drove again through the town of Marquette and decided to have an adventure. After having lunch in town, we rented a two-person kayak and paddled in the lake. We paddled along the coastline to a secluded beach in the distance where we rested and tried to get in the water – but it was freezing. That is one thing we learned about Lake Superior – it is the biggest, deepest, and coldest of the Great Lakes. After resting on the beach, we geared up for the trip back and noticed that the wind had kicked up quite a bit. Unfortunately for us, the light wind had turned into a pretty constant gust in our faces. What was a leisurely 45-minute paddle to the beach became a 1.5-hour grind on the way back as we tried to overcome the wind and waves! Nevertheless, we made it…and the exercise was good for us.

Following that adventure, we continued driving until nightfall. By that time, we had arrived at the Mackinac Bridge and so decided to stay just across the bridge in the town of Mackinac City. The next day we completed the trip by driving the remaining two hours to Midland. All told, we drove 1,130 miles (1,800 kilometers) over the five days! To be honest, it did not feel like a lot of driving, thanks to the way in which we split up our days. It was great fun, and we were really glad we made the journey. Since being back, we have been surprised by how many people have not been to the U.P. We’ve gotten a lot of impressed looks when we tell people about our trip.

And before we knew it, the end of July was here. We hope you are all doing well. Until next time, take care!

2009-07-19T18:49:00.014-04:00

May pics: (1) Andrea, Natalie, and Deb in San Diego; (2) the girls during their trip on U.S. 101; (3) Deb and Andrea get ready to catch some waves; (4) the Shorgs in Traverse City; (5) the Shorgs celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary; (6) the cherry blossoms around Traverse City.

2009-07-19T18:49:00.001-04:00

Episode 46: May 2009

Highlights of the month:
• Deb’s “Girls Week” in San Diego;
• Our wedding anniversary weekend in Traverse City.

In early March we got the great news that my girlfriend in Australia, Andrea, is marrying her sweetheart, Chris, this December. Andrew asked our friend, Natalie, and I to be bridesmaids in the wedding. I could not be happier for Andrea, and it is my honor to be part of her special day. To be honest, I was a little sad that both of her bridesmaids live in the U.S. (I am in Michigan and Natalie lives in San Diego) and could not help with the planning of the big day. So, we decided to solve that problem by meeting up for a raucous “Girls Week” in San Diego.

I arrived a few days after Andrea, but once I got there, we were inseparable. While Natalie was working a few of the days, Andrea and I did a little sightseeing. We visited an outlet mall for some retail therapy, went to Sea World and even had lunch with the famous killer whale, Shamu, drove to Mission Beach, and took a ferry from Coronado to downtown San Diego.

Natalie lives at YMCA’s Camp Surf, where she is one of the directors. We took advantage of the wonderful surroundings by taking long walks on the beach, surfing, and enjoying the ocean view. The three of us reminisced about our high school days and how much our lives have changed since then. When we were not doing that, we were shopping for the wedding. We spent a day choosing our bridesmaid dresses – most of the fun was trying on every variety and color possible before we found the one that the three of us liked the most. We also bought our shoes and, thanks to one of Natalie’s jewelry-making friends, got our jewelry handmade to match our dresses. After all the shopping, the three of us spent a full day driving the California coast, starting in Encinitas (about 120 miles from Camp Surf’s site in Imperial Beach) and stopping along the way in towns like La Jolla, Pacific Beach, and Coronado to see the sites. Overall, it was a very productive, relaxing, and memorable week spent with two of my dearest friends.

While I was away, Neal had an adventure of his own. Dow took the big decision to restructure its balance sheet by initiating one of the largest (if not the largest) debt and equity transactions in its history. This led to many sleepless nights (literally) for Neal and the small team of people involved in executing the deals. So, Neal did not have as much fun as I did, but on the bright side, he did not have to worry about having time to miss me while I was gone!

The weekend after I got back from San Diego, Neal and I took another adventure. We drove north to the town of Traverse City. Although we have visited the town before, it remains one of our favorite places in Michigan, as it has the perfect combination of waterfront (the town sits on a bay that feeds into Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes), pretty scenery, and a quaint township that comes alive in the summer months. The weekend coincided with our three-year wedding anniversary, and Neal decided to celebrate it by re-tracing our travels in the area when we first visited seven years ago as a newly-dating couple. The weekend was a lovely, relaxing trip down memory lane.

One of our other adventures in the month saw us heading to a baseball game to support our local minor league team: the Great Lakes Loons. We are pleased to report that this year the Loons are actually doing pretty well, compared with horrendous losing records the past two years. The event was a catered recognition event for the finance team that worked on Dow’s refinancing activities while I was in San Diego.

During the game, we decided that I need a new ring tone for my mobile (cell) phone. The competition is officially open to anyone that can come up with a tone that makes me dance while also telling a story at the same time. The leading contender at the moment is Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” If anyone has any ideas, please send them through!

Until then, take care!

2009-06-21T17:31:00.008-04:00

April pics: (1) progess at Ground Zero where the World Trade Center towers used to stand; (2) Julie and Deb at the famous Wall Street bull; (3) Tony and Julie with Central Park behind them; the National Debt Clock -- eek; (5) Duke, the cat.

2009-06-21T17:27:00.000-04:00

Episode 45: April 2009

Highlights of the month:
• Weekend in New York with Dad and Julie;
• Duke joins the Shorg family;
• Eating and bowling for charity;
• Urinetown, the musical.

We started the month with a second, quick trip to New York City, this time to meet up with Dad and Julie for the long Easter weekend. We revisited a few of our new-found food favorites: The Tuck Shop and Kefi. We also took in another show, “Avenue Q”, an adult version of Sesame Street complete with a cast of puppets (yes, puppets). As first time visitors to New York City, Dad and Julie were interested in seeing the most famous sights. Unfortunately, the weather was not so cooperative, with rain most of the weekend, but we did our best to visit sights such as the Statue of Liberty, the site of the World Trade Center buildings, and Central Park. We also managed to take in a view of New York from the top of the Rockefeller Center. Despite the gale-force winds, the views were spectacular! It was another fun weekend away and it was great to see Dad and Julie.

Another highlight of the month was the welcoming of the new addition to the Shorg family: Duke, the cat. Duke’s grandparents (our friends, Patty and Michel) accepted a job in Germany, which saw them packing up and leaving Michigan. During a farewell brunch with them, we discovered that Duke’s mom (Patty’s daughter, Jenna) will not be able to take Duke until August when she moves into a place of her own. So, Neal and I are officially cat-sitting Duke for the summer. It’s been a lot of fun having a pet in the house and after a few days of apprehension, Duke has adjusted well to the house and us.

We also had a few charity events this month. One was a food event put on by Shelterhouse, an agency that provides food for the homeless and less fortunate. A variety of chefs from around Midland volunteered their favorite recipes and cooked up a storm for the patrons’ tasting pleasure. The second event was a “Bowl for Kid’s Sake” night on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters. We got a group of 20 people together to fill up a few lanes and had a great time in friendly competition. (Truth be told, I think the funky shoes are the real appeal of bowling!) We played two games each, followed by a few drinks while listening to dueling pianos at a local bar. The bowling event raised just over $14,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters and was a huge success.

The final highlight of the month was seeing a local production of the musical “Urinetown” that we went to see with our friends, Luis and Stephanie. True to form, the amateur theater of Midland did not let us down and put on an extremely well done production!

And believe it or not, that covers our month. Until next month, take care!

2009-05-31T17:26:00.006-04:00

March pics: (1) view of the bridge that crosses the Royal Gorge in Colorado; (2) the Shorgs in Colorado Springs; (3) Neal in Times Square in New York city; (4) Deb on the Brooklyn Bridge, with Manhattan behind her.

2009-05-31T17:25:00.000-04:00

Episode 44: March 2009

Highlights of the month:
· Deb presents at two conferences
· Weekend in Colorado Springs
· Weekend in New York

March was another busy month at work, but we managed to fit in a few weekends away. At the beginning of March, I presented at two HR conferences in back-to-back weeks. The first was in Houston and the second was in Colorado Springs. The topic I chose for both conferences was “Driving Employee Engagement in Turbulent Times.” It is a topic I am very familiar with, especially given the current environment at Dow. We decided to make the trip to Colorado Springs a family affair, and Neal joined me for a long weekend there. The conference was held at a sprawling resort called The Broadmoor, located at the base of the mountains that overlook Colorado Springs. We enjoyed all that the resort has to offer and made use of the hotel’s spa, pools, and restaurants. Besides relaxing, we fit in a day trip to the Royal Gorge, a massive canyon cut into the earth by what is now called the Arkansas River. There are two ways to cross the gorge: a cable car and a suspension bridge. We did both, much to the delight of Neal’s vertigo!

We followed up the long weekend in Colorado Springs with another weekend trip, this time to New York City. The NYC weekend was much quicker. We flew in on Friday and left mid-day on Sunday. While we were there, we just enjoyed being in the city again. On the first day we were there, Neal surprised me by taking me to an Australian-inspired café in lower Manhattan called the Tuck Shop. I filled up on my favorite traditional Australian snacks, including meat pies, sausage rolls, vanilla slices, and lamingtons. Yum! We continued the day by walking through Soho and doing some shopping. That night we visited what could now be one of our favorite restaurants in NYC, a Greek place called Kefi. The next day, we walked around the city taking in the sights and finished up the day by seeing a Broadway show called “In the Heights.” It was fantastic and we highly recommend seeing it.

On our last day in the city, we visited Brooklyn to have a pizza at Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, a famous place we heard about. The line was about 30 people deep outside, but we waited it out. Maybe it was the wait, but the pizza did not overwhelm us. Neal and I agreed that the pizza place around the corner from where we used to live in Zurich was better. Before heading back to the airport, Neal and I walked lunch off by strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge, something Neal had never done in all his past visits to NYC.

The rest of the month was pretty casual outside of work. We got together with friends for dinners, including a French-themed night where Neal and I tried our hand at our first savory soufflé that did not turn out too bad.

And that was March. Until next month, take care.

2009-03-29T13:33:00.011-04:00

January / February pics: (1) Allen Iverson looking unimpressed by our picture; (2) Deb gives us some perspective on how tall professional basketball players are; (3) the Shorgs enjoy a snowshoe hike; (4) it has been so cold in Michigan that this river froze over!

2009-03-29T13:32:00.002-04:00

Episode 43: January & February 2009

Highlights of the month:
· Courtside seats at a Detroit Pistons game;
· Deb reconnects with her Broadway diva;
· Jewel concert;
· Neal starts a workout boot camp;
· Weekend in Detroit.

Well rested after a relatively quiet return to the office, we welcomed the New Year during a house party with some of our good friends. We spent the night eating, dancing, catching up on our Christmas adventures, playing Jenga, and generally enjoying seeing each other. At the stroke of midnight, we retreated to the living room to watch the ball drop in Times Square in New York. No matter how many times we see it, the ball drop never seems to get old.

January and February were full of small adventures for us, all within Michigan. Neal decided to take on an eight-week body fitness challenge at a local gym. The program was pretty intense, with “contestants” split into teams pitted against each other to see which group can lose the most body fat. Having a competitive element to it has made the program a good one for Neal – he’s been much more motivated to get out of the office and head to the gym! I also got back into a few activities in January. I have become quite addicted to two particular workouts: Zumba, which is a high impact Latin dance-inspired workout, and NIA, which is a low-impact dance/movement workout. I manage to do one of these two classes at least three days a week. When I was not working out, I joined my girlfriend, Stephanie, at a six-week knitting class for beginners. Yes, you read correctly…knitting. Aside from genuinely being interested in learning how to knit, our prime reason for taking the class was to support a friend of ours, Susan, who was teaching the class. We also had secret hopes that we would start a revolution and make knitting cool among people our age. Though we are still working on that, we had a great time at the class, and I have decided to keep it up and have started a knitting project (a scarf) with my newfound skills.

The early months of 2009 also saw us get in touch with our artistic sides. In January, I also volunteered to be part of the backstage crew for a local theater production for a play called “Almost Maine.” The play ran for two weeks, so between rehearsals and the actual performances, most of my evenings were taken up with the play. I really enjoyed it and met some great new people along the way. On one weekend in February, we visited Mt. Pleasant with our friends, Stephanie and Luis, to see Jewel in concert. Jewel was amazing – the stage set involved her, a microphone, and two guitars that she picked from depending on the song. That was all. She still has a terrific voice and it was extremely impressive that she kept up that quality for a two-hour long acoustic set. Later in February, we joined some friends to see Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt perform an acoustic set at the Midland Center for the Arts. Although we are not familiar at all with either musician’s music (all we know is the Lyle used to be married to Julia Roberts), we were very impressed with the musicianship and the stories that each singer told from their long careers in the industry.

One unfortunate part of January and February was that the weather was terribly cold, so we spent most of our time indoors. We did manage to fit in the occasional snowshoe hike or leisurely walk outside when temperatures “warmed” (i.e., got up to near 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or zero Celsius). We spent many of the weekend nights with buckets of popcorn and watching movies with Luis and Stephanie. We agreed with the two of them to a challenge to watch all of the movies that were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Proudly, we got through many of them, including “Slumdog Millionaire,” which we enjoyed and which eventually won the award.

One of the major highlights of February was getting courtside tickets to a Detroit Pistons basketball game. Our friends, Craig and Yvonne, joined us for what was a spectacular way to watch a basketball game. The tickets we got were given to us by an executive at Dow – the tickets are the company’s and are used to entertain customers, so we had a feeling the seats would be better than most. After driving through a pretty good snow storm to get to the stadium, we were sent to a VIP lounge where we were greeted with free drinks and food before the start of the game. We then walked to the court, searching for our seats. When we finally found them we were amazed to learn that our seats were literally on the court, right next to the Detroit players’ bench! We could literally reach over and wipe the sweat off of the players’ foreheads. This was especially exciting for Neal. As the only American in our group, he knew all the major players by name, including Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Chris Paul (who was playing for the visiting New Orleans Hornets). The pre-game entertainment was just as captivating as the game itself, but what we were truly amazed by was being able to watch the coach interact with the players during the game – one of the players even chased a ball out of bounds during the game and ended up in Craig and Yvonne’s lap. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It will surely be hard to go back to watching a game from the bleachers now that we have been so spoiled!

During Valentine’s weekend in February, we headed south for an impromptu weekend in Detroit. We spent the day stimulating the economy by shopping on Saturday and had a great dinner in Royal Oak. On Sunday, we met up with our friends, Roya and Moosa, and went with them to the Detroit Opera House for a performance of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Founded in New York City, the dance troop is known for celebrating diversity and giving a break to many African American dancers. The performance was amazing, and Neal and I will be sure to see them again if we get the chance.

Overall, it was a fun-filled start to the year despite the cold. The weather is certain to warm up soon (fingers crossed!), and we look forward to sharing warmer stories next month. Until then, back to knit one…pearl one. Take care!

2009-02-08T16:53:00.011-05:00

December pics: (1) a typical Dubai skyline; (2) Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai; (3) Neal and his parents at Pune's Purvati Hill; (4) the Shorgs and the extended Sheorey family; (5) the Shorgs at the Hindu temple at the Ellora caves; (6) the Shorgs at the Bibi Ka Maqbara.

2009-02-08T16:51:00.001-05:00

Episode 42: December 2008

Highlights of the month:
· Neal starts his new job in Investor Relations;
· Sheorey family vacation to India.

The month started with us celebrating Neal’s promotion to a new job at Dow Chemical. He moved from the Alternative Feedstocks group to Investor Relations where he is now responsible for managing investors’ and analysts’ expectations of the company and our stock price. That’s no small challenge given the current economic environment! With Neal’s new job and me actively managing a large restructuring program, it was a very busy work month for both of us.

We escaped the cold Michigan winter for a fantastic two-week vacation to India with Neal’s parents. The primary reason for our trip was to attend the wedding of Neel (Neal’s second cousin) and Anna. I first met Neel and Anna at our wedding in Melbourne where they both live. After a wedding of their own in Melbourne, Neel and Anna were headed back to Neel’s home town of Pune to introduce Anna’s Australian family to a true Indian wedding.

Our trip started with a three-day stopover in Dubai with Neal’s mom, Surekha. Along with resting and shopping, we fit in a few of the prime tourist attractions. We visited the famous souks (markets), took a Dhow (river boat) cruise, and made a cultural visit to a local Mosque – complete with a lesson on the religious and cultural beliefs of Islam, which we all found very interesting and informative. Dubai itself was a city not unlike Houston or any modern Western city for that matter. The city is very spread out and quite westernized, with plenty of chain restaurants, Starbucks, and stores that we are used to seeing in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. The one thing that we could not help but notice was the amazing amount of construction going on in the city. It seemed like there were cranes and construction workers everywhere, with each project being something bigger and more impressive than the last. Dubai will soon be home to the tallest building in the world (the Burj), which was under construction while we were there. The tower is located a bit away from other skyscrapers, which makes it stand out that much more. One day we headed to the Palm – a man-made, palm-shaped island – to see the newly-constructed Atlantis Hotel which was impressive, but disappointing also as the hotel did not let guests inside the hotel unless you were staying there (at $600+ per night, no less). So, needless to say, we only saw the shops in the basement level of the hotel.

From Dubai, we flew to Mumbai where we met up with Neal’s dad, Ravi. We arrived somewhat late in the evening, so we stayed that night in Mumbai. After a nice rest, we were picked up from our hotel by a private driver who then took us on the four-hour journey to Pune. The drive was uneventful and relatively quiet compared to what both of us had expected based on previous trips to India. However, the city driving was exactly how we remembered it. Traffic in India is something else! The only road rule that drivers seem to obey is that if the nose of your car is in front, you get to go – coupled with a courtesy honk of the horn, of course. The only beings that get their way on the roads are the animals (yes, animals) – they get a lot more respect than the other drivers on the road. Needless to say, we had some nail biting experiences in the car! Check that…the car rides were nothing compared with the rickshaws. These tiny, three-wheeled scooters are by far an easier way to navigate through city traffic, but they make for a hair-raising experience as they weave in and out of traffic, with their occupants crammed into the back seat, “comforted” by the fact that there are no doors to protect them from falling onto the street.

The wedding was an amazing experience that covered four days. Fortunately, both Neal and I have been through an Indian wedding before (our own!), so we knew what to expect. The first day was the mehendi (henna) ceremony. This was also my first introduction to many of Neal’s relatives as well as the bride’s Australian family, so we spent the evening meeting many people and listening to some local musicians entertain us while Surekha and I got our hands painted with henna. Day two was the wedding ceremony itself. The ceremony went for a few hours, filled with beautiful Hindu rituals. After the wedding and a lunch, Neal and I got the opportunity to go with the bride and groom to four ancient temples where the couple were blessed by different gods before being allowed into the groom’s house. Upon arriving back at the house, we were welcomed with beautiful sand sculptures and rose petals that paved the entry way to the house. On the third day, we attended a nighttime reception. The groom’s family had reserved a huge open-air garden that was filled with tables and chairs and multiple buffet stations with different types of food. The bride and groom and their families were standing on a stage in one corner of the garden where onlookers could greet them and take a few pictures before mingling with the other 600-odd (!) guests. It was a perfect evening – even the weather was very nice – and we enjoyed time learning more about Neal’s extended family and spending time with them.

In addition to the wedding festivities, we enjoyed many meals with immediate and extended family as well as family friends of Ravi and Surekha’s. We were fortunate enough to be invited into some homes for home-cooked dinners which gave us a glimpse at how people live in Pune and allowed us to enjoy learning more about how Neal’s parents grew up in India.

With the wedding festivities over, we made a few sightseeing trips in Pune itself. The city is enormous – like any other Indian city – and I was in my element when we hit the streets to see all the craziness and chaos that makes up a normal day in India. The smells of wonderful food being prepared by the street vendors, the thousands of people walking the streets, the loud cars and rickshaws packed onto tiny street, the small street stalls and large stores, the vibrant colors – it is definitely a city that appeals to every sense.

We visited the highest point in Pune, Parvati Hill, which gave a panoramic view of the city and is also home to four famous temples: Devdeveshwar, Lord Kartikeya, Vishnu, and Vitthal. Every temple has a place in the history of the Maratha Empire and were quite a sight to see.

After a week in Pune, we continued our Indian adventure, this time only with Neal’s parents. We drove another four hours east to a city called Aurangabad, home to the famous Ellora caves. These caves were one of the most impressive things either of us have ever seen. Carved from a single piece of rock and dating back in the 4th century, the caves are home to 36 Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples. No longer inhabited, they are now a major tourist attraction, and impressively showcase how three religions lived in harmony alongside one another for many years. Each cave had multiple sculptures of respective gods and each was a work of art in its own right. The most impressive cave by far was the Hindu temple, Kailasanatha Temple. The temple – also carved from a single piece of rock – features hundreds of intricate carvings, some depicting ancient Hindu stories. The proportions of the temple are simply astounding, and then when one considers that it was carved by hand, from a single piece of rock, over the course of 150 years, the temple becomes awe-inspiring.

In the following two days, we visited a few more attractions around Aurangabad. One such visit was to Bibi Ka Maqbara, a tomb built in the 17th century that looks much like the Taj Mahal. In fact, it has become known as the poor man’s Taj. We also spent plenty of time with Neal’s parents, enjoying each other’s company over some delicious Indian tea, snacks, and meals. One thing was for sure on this trip: we did not have a bad meal the whole time. We ate some of the best Indian food we have ever had at some rather ordinary looking places.

From Aurangabad, we flew back to Mumbai. We arrived in Mumbai that night before we were to fly back to the U.S. To give us a place to rest, Neal’s parents booked us into their favorite airport hotel, the Leela Kempinski. Neal’s parents had stayed at the hotel when they visited India in 2004 and have been raving about it ever since. Neal and I did not quite understand their excitement until we experienced it ourselves. The hotel is magnificent – much like many of India’s finest hotels, it takes luxury to a new standard. Once inside the hotel, we had no idea we were in Mumbai. The property had a series of excellent restaurants, a wonderful pool area where Neal and I sat and read our books and magazines, and a seating area for “proper” tea. We had a very nice, relaxing time, even if it was for barely 24 hours.

The next night, at midnight, we all packed up our suitcases and headed for the airport. Neal’s dad was flying by a different route than the rest of us, so the other three of us headed to the airport first. Our flight was supposed to take us from Mumbai to Atlanta – direct. That’s right…an 18-hour flight. I say “supposed” because we did not quite make it to Atlanta. As we got to the U.S., our captain announced that there were some delays in Atlanta and our plane did not have enough fuel to be able to circle in Atlanta until we got clearance to land. So, we had to make an unscheduled landing in Washington D.C. to refuel. After an hour of refueling, we got back in the air and eventually landed in Atlanta. Of course, the three of us all hand connecting flights to take us home, so we had to run like monkeys through the airport to get to our connecting flights. In the end, we all made it back home safe and sound.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to India. Seeing the country now that we are older gives us a new appreciation for the country, the people, and the history. We have a lot of great pictures from the trip and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. It was a great way to finish up a busy 2008 and get ready for a fruitful 2009. We wish all our readers a Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:27:00.009-05:00

November pics: (1) THE largest Thanksgiving turkey; (2) the gang at Susan's Thanksgiving table; (3) at the Madonna concert; (4) a hall inside the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History; (5) view of the Washington monument and reflection pool from the steps of the Lincoln monument; (6) at the Library of Congress with the Capitol building behind us.

2009-01-01T17:26:00.002-05:00

Episode 41: November 2008

Highlights of the month:
• Pre-Christmas festivities with friends;
• Madonna Concert at Ford Field in Detroit;
• Deb’s first traditional Thanksgiving dinner;
• Thanksgiving weekend in Washington D.C.

We started the month with a Swiss-inspired weekend thanks to our friend, Yvonne, who recently moved to Midland from Switzerland with her partner, Craig. Yvonne just happened to have her 30th birthday this month and we celebrated it with a surprise party with several common friends. After dancing into the wee hours of the morning at the party, Yvonne and Craig returned the favor by hosting a gathering at their house the next day in which they prepared the traditionally Swiss Christmas drink, gluwein (warm wine), and snacks. Huddling around the fire, snow falling outside, and the air filled with the smell of warm wine has become very symbolic to us of Christmas. This is a pretty big mindset change for me given that I spent the first 26 Christmases of my life having barbeques in the sun at the beach.

During the following week, the queen of pop (and fishnets), Madonna, came through Detroit as part of her latest tour. We headed to Ford Field in Detroit with our friends, Patty and Michel, to see the Material Girl. After battling traffic to get there, we were disappointed to find that we had to wait in line – outside in the freezing cold, no less – for nearly two hours before we could get into the stadium thanks to some pretty serious security measures. Fortunately, long gone are the days where we consider fashion and image over comfort and we were warmly dressed and in much better shape than the skimpily clad teenagers alongside us in the queue. The line was worth the wait – the concert was fantastic. Both Madonna and I are 15 years older than the last time I saw her in concert – the Girlie Show tour in Melbourne – with my girlfriends. Despite all the music she has put out since then, Madonna still played some old songs, which was fortunate given that neither Neal nor I know many of her new hits. As expected, she was highly entertaining and put on a very energetic show.

Although we have been in the U.S. now for over two years, I had not (until this month, that is) had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings (turkey, pumpkin pie, etc.). This year, I had the chance to enjoy my first foray into a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, which was hosted by our friend, Susan. Everything that the movies tell you about Thanksgiving came true that night – the dressed Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, the patriarch of the family (substituted by Susan’s friend, Frank) carving the turkey, a table full of “fixins,” and great conversation among the 12 of us who were gathered around the dinner table. I must say the most enamoring thing to me was the size of the turkey – I have never seen a cooked bird so big!

Later in the month, another friend, Bob, celebrated his birthday by hosting cocktails and a game of Monopoly at his house. I remember playing Monopoly as a kid with my sisters, and we never played a game all the way to its end, as we always gave up once we got bored with it. Now I know why – the game can literally go on forever! Neal and I finally left Bob’s house – though the game was still in progress – at 3am. While neither Neal nor I won the game, I did snag the position of banker, the role that my sisters and I always fought over!

My monthly book club catch-up has become something I look forward to very much – it is a great group of friends and we always have a good time when we meet up. Book club this month was held at Kate’s house where, as usual, there was more general catching up and drinking wine than there was talking about the book. Speaking of books, I got the opportunity to read Christmas stories to children at Midland’s local Barnes and Noble bookstore this month. The event was organized by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), and it was a lot of fun to see the kids’ little faces as they mouthed the words of their favorite Christmas stories while they were being read. In addition to the book reading, BBBS kept me active this month with a Board meeting, two finance committee meetings, and a fundraising dinner.

After a very busy work month, we were grateful for Thanksgiving – and its four-day holiday weekend – to come around. At the last minute (literally), we decided to spend that time by taking a trip to the nation’s capital: Washington D.C.

Washington is a fabulous city filled with history, interesting architecture, and great food, all of which we packed into our weekend. As always, when visiting a new city, we like to find and eat great food. This trip was no different, as we stumbled on some fantastic restaurants. Our favorites were The Source, Wolfgang Puck’s new Asian inspired restaurant, Bistro Bis, a French bistro that served us a not-so-traditional-but-still-delicious Thanksgiving dinner, Poste, an eclectic American restaurant with interesting and delicious interpretations on old classics like the pot roast, and Oyamel, a Mexican tapas-style restaurant.

When we were not stuffing our faces, we were burning calories by doing a lot of walking to see the city’s major landmarks and museums. We basically did most of the tourist things over two days. On our first day in the city, we first stopped at an outdoor sculpture museum and then visited the National Gallery, which is home to the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase agreement, and other historic documents from America’s past. We also toured around the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History before heading to the Washington Memorial, an impressive spire that stands 555 feet tall and is a tribute to America’s first president, George Washington. From there, we walked to the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, both of which were nearby. We then walked a bit farther to Arlington National Cemetery. This cemetery is home to multiple memorials and monuments in tribute to American veterans of past wars and family members of active-duty men and women. The most impressive monuments there were the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the resting site of John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, and two of their children who died at a very young age.

We started the next day with another museum: the Smithsonian Museum of American History. From there, we walked to the White House. We did not take the tour of the White House but did take a few photos from the fence line and watched as crews built the huge stage for soon-to-be-President Obama’s inauguration ceremony in January. From there, we made a quick stop at the Vietnam War Memorial, a moving tribute not only because of the time it remembers but also because of the sheer number of names of those who died that are displayed at the memorial. We then visited another impressive building in the city and arguably the country’s most important: the Capitol. Designed in 1792, the most notable feature of the Capitol building is its dome that stands nearly 300 feet high. The dome is a feature that is replicated on most U.S. state capitol buildings around the country. Following our Capitol visit, we went inside the Library of Congress, which houses many artifacts from America’s history, including the famous “I Have a Dream” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Jefferson’s personal book collection, and the original Ken and Barbie dolls! From there, we took a few pictures in front of the Supreme Court before heading back to our hotel and back to the airport for our trip home.

And so November came to an end. It was a great month for us, with some traveling adventures, plenty of action at work to keep us busy, and good times with friends.

As we are now in the holiday season, we hope you are enjoying this time of the year and wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

2008-11-30T13:51:00.015-05:00

September / October pics: (1) the Michigan football stadium; (2) Rose's retirement party on our deck; (3) typical fall colors in Michigan; (4) Deb in front of the Midland "tridge" during one of our weekend walks; (5) Deb and her friends, Jen, Daphne, and Maria in Switzerland; (6) Tony and Julie during a hike with Deb in Switzerland.

2008-11-30T13:47:00.003-05:00

Episode 40: September & October 2008

Highlights of the month:

• University of Michigan football;
• Seeing the musical “Chicago”;
• Deb’s trip to Switzerland;
• Neal’s trip to Oklahoma.

September was a relatively quiet month for us. It started with a visit to Ann Arbor with some friends to see the University of Michigan football team play the team from Miami University (not the one from Florida, but rather the one located in Ohio). The weather was perfect for watching an outdoor game and having a few beers. The atmosphere of college football is something we both really enjoy and we had great seats for the game. Our poor friend, Christy (a Miami graduate), was clearly outnumbered in the stadium, though this did not stop her from proudly wearing her red Miami shirt amongst the sea of Michigan maize and blue. After the game, we grabbed a few drinks and dinner. After saying goodbye to our friends, Neal and I stuck around and caught up with Neal’s business director and his wife who were in Ann Arbor also that weekend visiting their daughter.

One of Deb’s friends from work, Rose, announced her retirement earlier in the year and we had the opportunity to host a retirement party for her at our house. It was a really fun evening, with many of Rose’s colleagues and friends joining to “roast” and wish her well on her retirement in her home state of Iowa.

Since mid-summer, work has been busy for both Neal and I and the month of September was no different. Many of our evenings were consumed with work-related events. Outside of work, Neal resumed his schedule of tennis and Ultimate Frisbee games a few nights a week. I kept active with my Latin dance class two nights a week and a weekend dance class on Saturdays. The weather was very cooperative throughout the month, giving us the opportunity to take the occasional long walk or bike ride. We also enjoyed watching the leaves on the trees slowly change color, from greens to intense yellows, reds, and oranges.

The Broadway musical, “Chicago”, made its way to our part of the country in September as well. Being the avid theatre supporters that we are, we went to see it, of course. It was a great show, so much so that afterwards we added it to our list of the top five musicals we have seen!

October brought more busy work days for both of us. It also brought some traveling into our schedule. I decided to take a break from the office politics and headed to Switzerland for a 10-day trip. Unable to totally get away from work, I worked from the Zurich office while I was there but also got to catch up with friends and family and had a fantastic getaway. Immediately after arriving, I headed to Lausanne to meet up with my dad and stepmom, Julie, for a long weekend. The fall colors in Switzerland were even more impressive than what I left behind in Michigan, and it was amazing how quickly my memories of Switzerland came back – almost as though I had never left! Dad, Julie, and I took a rather long hike through Les Pacot, a town that is a short drive from their house. The next evening, we were fortunate enough to get tickets to the Ukranian Philharmonic Orchestra, who put on a beautiful performance in Montreaux. I headed back to Zurich on Sunday and spent the ensuing week catching up with friends. I got to meet Gatien, Daphne and Pierre’s beautiful baby boy, and Eva, Ana and Adrian’s adorable baby girl, for the first time. My friend, Vicki, spoiled me with a fabulous, home-cooked lunch of mussels and fries (my favorite!) while we caught up on all the gossip of the past twelve months. Our friends, Ces and Steve, and their beautiful boys, Lawrence and Elliot, hosted a dinner for me where I got to see some of the regular “gang” in one place. I also spent time with my friends, Jen, Michelle, and Maria, revisiting some favorite places and discovering new ones. It was wonderful just to spend the day shopping in Zurich, exploring some of my favorite places in the old town and along Bahnhofstrasse with Maria. Overall, I had a wonderful mini-break reconnecting with Dad, Julie, and some of my dearest friends.

While I was in Switzerland, Neal decided to take a weekend trip to see his parents and grandparents in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His timing was perfect to enjoy the festivities of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Neal’s trip was shorter than mine, at three days, but he managed to squeeze in quite a bit. He spent time with his parents and grandparents as well as visiting with family friends and attending a Diwali celebration and dinner.

The end of October brought some calm back to our schedules, though we filled our calendars reasonably well with many after-work and weekend activities, including card nights, pedicure parties (not so much for Neal), dinners, and even a wine tasting. All in all, September and October blended many things: calm and busy moments, local and international adventures, and family and friends!

2008-10-12T10:06:00.014-04:00

July / August Pics: (1) George Michael entertains the crowd in Montreal; (2) In Montreal, Deb stands next to a reminder of where we are; (3) the Shorgs at the beach in Ludington; (4) Deb prepares to throw a frisbee at Higgins Lake; (5) the Shorgs in Toronto; (6) the Toronto skyline.

2008-10-12T10:04:00.001-04:00

Episode 39: July & August 2008

Highlights of the month:
· George Michael Concert in Montreal;
· Day trips to Caseville, Ludington, and Higgins Lake;
· Counting Crows/Maroon 5 concert near Detroit;
· Long weekend in Toronto.

Fresh off our trip to Alaska, we packed again for a long weekend – this time to the beautiful French-Canadian city of Montreal. The main reason for our trip was to see one of Deb’s favorite artists, George Michael, in concert on Friday night.

After arriving late on Thursday night, we worked from the hotel for most of the day on Friday. Friday night, we got dressed up and headed out for a pre-show drink and snack before going to the concert. George Michael has been one of Deb’s favorite singers since she was a little girl, so she could hardly contain her excitement about seeing him live for the first time. Even I have to admit, the concert was pretty good. I forgot how many George Michael songs I know from my childhood or the radio. He is quite the entertainer and had an impressive stage setup. There were people of all ages there, and we had a really good time.

On Saturday we hit downtown for some exploring. We did a walking tour of downtown to take in the dramatic Montreal skyline. Like most downtown areas, this area houses luxurious hotels, corporate headquarters, some very stately homes, and many stores. We walked to the northern edge of downtown where we found McGill University and took a walk through the campus before stopping for lunch. That evening, we headed to Vieux-Montréal (the old town) for a wonderful long dinner. Following dinner, we watched a fireworks display that was put on over the river. The fireworks were part of a festival in which each night a different country executed the fireworks show. That night, coincidentally, was the Australian team’s night!

On Sunday, we went back to Vieux-Montréal for another walking tour. In the center of the old town is Place Jacques-Cartier, which is the home of many street performers who happened to be in town as part of the Just For Laughs comedy festival that was on that weekend. The old town has a number of outdoor cafes, very quaint paved streets, and many old stone buildings dating back to the 1700s. We stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant called Le Jardin Nelson, which added live jazz to its large outdoor terrace to create a very nice ambiance. That evening we headed out for another great dinner. On our walk back to the hotel we ran into the funniest parade/festival that covered at least six city blocks, complete with lots of confetti, blow up dolls, and rave music. We learned from a local that it was a festival celebrating light. To be honest, we could not really hear the local very well given all the rave music in the background but still enjoyed watching the parade.

The rest of the month we stayed close to Midland most of the time. We spent a number of evenings and weekends catching up with friends and making the most of the wonderful Michigan weather. Deb returned to the dance class she goes to on Saturdays, which is usually followed by her catching up with girlfriends for the remainder of the morning over coffee. We even did a number of long bike rides during the month, taking advantage of the great bike trails that Midland has to offer.

As you may remember, Deb serves on the Board of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) chapter. This month, BBBS organized a number of activities that we took part in. The first was a trip to see the local baseball team with a number of the “littles” and their “big” volunteers. One of the “littles” threw the first pitch of the game and there were events at the top of each innings for them to participate in, including a group of them (Deb included) singing “Take Me Out of the Ballgame” from the field during the 7th inning. The agency also hosted its annual Golf Ball Drop that Deb helped organize. This event involved selling raffle tickets in advance. Then, golf balls (each numbered with a corresponding raffle ticket) were dropped out of a hot air balloon onto a target. The balls that landed closest to the target were awarded prices. (In fact, we donated some money on behalf of my parents…and they won!) The event was a success and a lot of fun. In addition to BBBS activities, Deb was involved in fundraising for the city’s United Way campaign. Over a two-week period, her activities helped raise slightly more than their goal, so well worth the effort!

We also took a few day trips during August. One was to the annual Cheeseburger Festival in a town called Caseville. This town is about 1.5 hours south east of Midland, along the shores of Lake Huron. The festival is a kitschy street festival, honoring the music of Jimmy Buffet and, as the name suggests, the cheeseburger. While driving to Caseville we noticed that we were driving right toward a pretty large storm system. (Oops, forgot to check the weather before we left home!) Undeterred, we braved the pouring rain and horrible winds to stop long enough for a cheeseburger (which was quite good), while listening to a CD of Jimmy Buffet tunes. As entertaining as the locals were, the weather did dampen our enthusiasm. We ate as quickly as we could and then went straight back to the car and headed home to warm up.

The following weekend we headed two hours northwest of Midland to the shores of Lake Michigan and a town called Ludington. Having beautiful weather this time, we grabbed a picnic lunch and headed to the beach. The shores of Lake Michigan are beautiful, with long white-sand beaches and fresh lake water (albeit very cold!). We took a long walk through the state park and visited a famous lighthouse that is no longer in commission. On our way out of town, we stopped for a round of mini golf followed by some dinner before driving back home. Michigan has some beautiful little towns and Ludington is on our list as one of our favorites.

Our final day trip of the month was to Higgins Lake, a large lake about an hour northwest of Midland. The lake was simply beautiful. Unlike the previous weekend, the water was warm enough to swim in and there were lots of people swimming, boating, and tanning. That was exactly our plan, too – we spent the day reading our books, swimming, and playing Frisbee on the beach. It was a great way to spend a Sunday!

The final weekend of August was a long weekend in the U.S., with Monday being Labor Day. That Friday night, we had tickets to see the Counting Crows and Maroon 5 at an outdoor amphitheater near Detroit. The concert was better than we ever imagined it would be. Both bands were fantastic, but the highlight for us was definitely the Counting Crows. We stayed that night in Detroit and headed out the next morning for the rest of our weekend in Toronto, Canada.

Stopping for lunch at the border town of Sarnia along the way, we arrived in Toronto in the mid-afternoon, giving us enough time to do a little exploring before that night’s events. We started the night with dinner at an amazing place called Perigee in Toronto’s Distillery district. The restaurant’s seating area surrounded the kitchen, which was enclosed by glass so that patrons can literally see their dinner being prepared. The main event of the evening was seeing a stage production of “Dirty Dancing,” based on the movie of the same name. The movie is one of Deb’s all-time favorites and while she did her very best to not recite the play line for line, she could not help but jump up and clap loudly when Baby and Johnny executed the lift at the end of the show. (I was not really moved, but Deb tells me that all you die-hard Dirty Dancing fans out there can relate.)

One of the areas of Toronto that we had not been to on previous trips was the harbor area along Lake Ontario, so we spent most of our day on Sunday exploring that area. The harbor front area, though a little tricky to get to, is well worth visiting. As well as the sights we could get to by foot, we took a harbor cruise to get a different vantage point of the city. That evening, as we were heading back to our hotel, we came across the Second City comedy club just in time to stop in and see the show. Both of us enjoy improvisational comedy and the show did not disappoint.

On Monday, we headed back to the Distillery district to take a look at the stores and have some brunch before driving back to Michigan. Toronto remains one of our favorite cities in North America – it was a great long weekend getaway.

Overall, July and August were wonderful months for us to enjoy the summer and explore Montreal, Toronto, and Michigan. Until next month, take care!

2008-08-22T22:07:00.021-04:00

Alaska pics: (1) the view from the plane just outside Anchorage; (2) the Shorgs on a glacier at Denali; (3) a family of grizzly bears at Denali; (4) a typical view at Glacier Bay National Park; (5) hiking on Perseverance Trail in Juneau; (6) Granville Island in Vancouver; (7) the Seattle skyline.

2008-08-22T22:06:00.003-04:00

Episode 38: Alaska / Vancouver / Seattle, Summer 2008

This summer we decided to spoil ourselves with a long (two and a half week) vacation to Alaska. We started the trip in Anchorage. A relatively modern city, Anchorage’s beauty was in its natural surroundings of snow-capped mountains and pristine water. We explored the city on foot for the first two days of our trip, enjoying the summer flowers and wild salmon sculptures that decorated the streets. We came across a number of quaint little stores, ate some great food (yes, including reindeer), and got ready for the real adventure that was about to begin. The one striking thing about Alaska at this time of year that we noticed right away was the amount of daylight. It was surreal to walk out of a restaurant at 11 pm to find it completely sunny outside! During the trip, we regularly got 20+ hours of sunlight per day.

Given everything that we wanted to see in Alaska, we decided that the best way to get it all in was to do an organized tour. We chose to do a land and sea cruise with Holland America. The cruise/tour started in Anchorage where we boarded a scenic train for an eight-hour trip north to beautiful Denali national park. The train itself was awesome – very comfortable and equipped with wall-to-ceiling windows so that passengers can watch the scenery go by. The train traveled through the picturesque Matanuska-Susitna valley, and we saw sights such as the starting point for the famous Iditarod dog sled race. Upon arriving at Denali, we took a helicopter ride over a part of the park and then landed on a field of ice glaciers where we took a hike around before taking the helicopter back to base camp. The scenery was amazing…the mountains were still capped with snow and the valleys were a lush color of green. We even saw a fox dashing across the ground during the helicopter trip back from the glacier. Walking across the glaciers was very much like walking on snow and ice and the shades of blue created by the pure ice in the glaciers were spectacular.

The next day, we boarded a bus (much like an American school bus) that took us on a six-hour ride through Denali National Park. The park is enormous – about 600 million acres – and we were surprised to hear that the park is very sparsely populated with wildlife. In hindsight, I guess it is not that surprising given how harsh the living conditions are in this part of the world, particularly in the winter months. For our tour, we were truly fortunate from a wildlife sighting perspective. We saw nearly all the major species – fox, hares, moose, caribou, eagles, and bears – only missing the very elusive wolf. The most impressive sighting by far was that of a mother grizzly bear and her two baby bear cubs. On our drive out of the park, we found these three bears literally walking along the same road. Our driver stopped the bus and we waited as the bears walked to the side of our bus and stopped at a wooden sign at the side of the road. There, they furiously scratched themselves on the wood for the next ten minutes, while all the people in our bus madly took hundreds of pictures. Finally, the bears lost interest in the sign and continued walking down the road, into the wilderness. It was a magical sight.

The scenery in the park was gorgeous -- beautiful colors, rolling mountains, and plenty of types of vegetation. The prettiest part of the ride was through the Polychrome mountain range – named so because of the vast array of colors present in the mountain range from red rock to deep green grasses. Unfortunately, we were not able to view the namesake of the park, Denali (literally translated as “the Great One” and also known as Mount McKinley) as the clouds were too low. Apparently, the mountain is only in view approximately 25 days throughout the year. Mount McKinley is the highest mountain peak in North America at 20,320 feet (nearly 6,200 meters). Although the peak of Mount McKinley is not the highest in the world (that award goes to Mount Everest), it does have the highest vertical rise from its base at about 18,000 feet. Hard to imagine, but we did get a glimpse of Mount McKinley on one of our days in Anchorage, which is eight hours away from the mountain!

Our final adventure in Denali took us to Stampede Road, which was made famous by the movie “Into the Wild.” For those who have not seen it, “Into the Wild” (directed by Sean Penn) is the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who decided to leave his entire life behind and “rough it” in Alaska. He started his journey just off of Stampede Road and, about four months later, was found dead of starvation (I guess there’s no point in you renting the movie now). The movie tracks his adventures in getting to Alaska as well as his four months in the wild.

Our journey near Stampede Road was also rough…but in a different way. We took ATVs! We took a tour with a company that offers off-road ATV trips into the bush…and they did not sugarcoat the trip for us visitors! We ran our ATV along a narrow track and through some decent mud and water puddles. At the half-way point, we stopped for a nice campfire dinner with our tour guides and the other tour participants before switching drivers and driving back to our starting point. It was really fun (and a little treacherous at times!). Needless to say, we had quite a bit of mud to wash out of our clothes when we got back to the hotel.

The following morning, we packed up and boarded a bus to head south to Seward (south of Anchorage) where we were to board our cruise ship. The bus ride was majestic – the coastal road along the Cook Inlet is lined with mountains and made for a very pretty drive. One of the stops along the way was at a natural wildlife park that had an open air zoo full of Alaska’s finest wildlife, including deer, elk, an eagle, and bears. This gave us an up-close view of the animals that we had seen from a distance in Denali.

Our home for the next seven days was on board the Zaandam , our Holland America cruise ship. This was our first cruise and we had no idea what to expect. The facilities on the ship, including our room, were fabulous. The first two days of the cruise were spent at sea, cruising through Glacier Bay National Park. Glacier Bay was our primary reason for choosing Alaska for our summer vacation, and it did not disappoint. The enormous glaciers were a spectacular sight, and to be able to witness them calving (when their ice breaks off and falls into the ocean) was really amazing. The bay surrounding the glaciers was full of floating icebergs and home to hoards of sea lions and whales. During dinner one night we even saw a humpback whale breach (when the whale flings its body completely out of the water) a few hundred meters from the back of the boat.

Day three of the cruise marked our first stop on land in the town of Haines. After exploring the quaint little town, which is home to many Alaskan artisans, we chose our very own four-foot totem pole to purchase and send back home. As we continued to walk along the bay, we became intrigued by some Canadian fisherman who had docked in the bay and were cleaning some fish. We ventured closer and watched them clean their (substantial) catch of salmon. After a bit more exploring, we headed off on our own adventure: a sea kayak trip on Chilkoot (meaning Land of Big Fish) lake. After an invigorating and thoroughly enjoyable few hours on the pristine glacier-fed lake, we headed back to the cruise ship. As it seems is frequently the case in Alaska, our ride back was interrupted by some wildlife, this time a local bear named Stockings. Since the bear was a few feet away from the road (and clearly not interested in the tourists taking its picture) we willingly jumped out of the van and took multiple photos of Stockings going about his own business.

Back onto the cruise ship and the next day we arrived in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. (An interesting fact: Juneau is completely surrounded by sea, so the only way in and out is by boat or plane.) Our day trip for this leg of our trip was a four-hour guided hike along the Perseverance Trail. Once again, the scenery was magical. The views reminded us very much of Switzerland – tall mountains, lush greenery, raging glacier-fed rivers, and traces of snow everywhere. The hike was very informative and a whole lot of fun. Before getting back on the ship, we walked around the city for a little more exploring of the stores and even managed to take a peek inside the Capitol building.

Our final land stop was at the town of Ketchikan. Another interesting fact: Ketchikan is technically located in a rainforest. It rains a tremendous amount there and, not surprisingly, it rained while we were there. Knowing this ahead of time, it was during this stop that we decided to take a cultural adventure rather than one that involved a lot of outdoor time. We took in the antics of four local lumberjacks who put on a very well choreographed lumberjack competition/show and then toured Totem Bight National Park – home to over 25 totem poles and a preserved historic site for Alaska’s native people.

Finally, after a wonderful cruise experience, we docked in Vancouver. Not ready to head home yet, we arranged to spend a few days in Vancouver and Seattle. We spent the next two days exploring the sights of Vancouver, including several areas of the city such as the Gastown neighborhood, Chinatown, Granville Island, and Stanley Park. It was not the first time there for either of us, but the first time together. It is a great city – the locals love the outdoors as well as their food and café culture, making it the perfect Shorg getaway.

From Vancouver, we took a three-hour bus trip across the border to Seattle. Our first venture in Seattle was to Pike Place Market, a huge food market in the center of the city (for our Australian readers, it is similar to the food section of Queen Victoria Market). The market is fantastic and we spent time watching the famous fish throwers and taking in the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the bustling market. Seattle is also known for its coffee (it is the home of Starbucks) and we made sure to enjoy that aspect of the city as well. In addition to shopping, exploring, and eating, we also took a daytrip to nearby Bainbridge Island where I had some of the best fish and chips I have ever had (a big statement for an Australian!)

Fully relaxed, we traveled back to Michigan, re-energized for the second-half of the year. We had a wonderful time and highly recommend Alaska to all nature and adventure lovers. We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we do! Until our next edition, take care!

2008-07-13T20:14:00.009-04:00

May / June Pics: (1) the relaxed Shorgs in Cancun, Mexico; (2) the impressive Temple of Kukulkan at the Mayan ruins, Chichen Itza; (3) Deb and Nat against the San Diego coastline; (4) Deb and the girls catch some drinks before seeing the "Sex and the City" movie; (5) a beautiful day at the local baseball park.

2008-07-13T20:11:00.001-04:00

Episode 37: May & June 2008

Highlights of the month:
· Vacation in Mexico;
· Our clay mask project;
· Long weekend in San Diego;
· Kayaking in Michigan.

After a relatively quiet April, we fit in a few adventures over May and June. The first highlight of May came in the second full week of the month when we headed off to Mexico for a five-day vacation in celebration of our second wedding anniversary. The resort we stayed at was half-way between Cancun and Playa del Carmen and was on the Mayan Riviera. The closest village to us was a tiny fisherman’s village called Puerto Morelos, which we ventured into a few times for lunch, coffee, and to take in a snorkeling trip at what is supposedly the second largest reef in the world (second to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which we have both been to).

The only other adventure we took during our time in Mexico was to see Chichen Itza, a Mayan ruins site that is over 2000 years old and is considered one of the remaining wonders of the world. For those of our readers who have traveled in Mexico, you may not find it surprising that our travel to the ruins was an adventure unto itself! After waiting more than 30 minutes after our scheduled pick up time of 6.30am (!!), our minivan arrived at our hotel. We were the first tourists to be picked up which worked out great because we could choose our seats in the van. This small point became evidently important after the tour company piled another 12 people into the van over the course of the three-hour (!!) pick up. After a brief stop for coffee and another stop at a local handicraft store, we arrived at the site around midday and walked around the ruins with a tour guide who explained to us the purpose of all the structures. The most impressive building by far was El Castillo (the Castle), formally known as the Temple of Kukulkan. This square-based, stepped pyramid stood about 75 feet (~25 meters) tall. It was originally built for astronomical purposes and during the vernal equinox (March 20) and the autumnal equinox (September 21) at about 3 pm the sunlight creates seven isosceles triangle shadows to form along the pyramid steps, imitating the body of a serpent that creeps downwards until it joins a huge serpent's head carved into the stone at the bottom of the stairway. Flocks of visitors turn up to see this happen twice a year. Even without the equinox, we were in awe of the structure, a true masterpiece of mathematics and very well-preserved. It definitely reignited our interest to see the Egyptian pyramids sometime soon.

We continued to walk through the ruins where we saw more temples – each one very impressive in its own right – and an enormous ball court that measures 166 meters by 68 meters (545 feet by 232 feet). The walls of the court were 12 meters high and in the center, high up on each of the long walls, were rings jutting out from the wall. The tour guide explained to us that the premise of the game in those times was to scoop a ball from the ground through the ring. The captain of the winning team was awarded with…his own beheading! Apparently, this was considered an honor. The tour guide pointed out hyrogliphics along the ball court that depicted the typical scene of a winning team’s captain getting beheaded at the end of the game. Now that is what I call a bittersweet victory!

Following the tour of the site, we headed off to lunch with our group before our final stop: a much-needed cool down in a freshwater pool inside a cave, known as a cenote. Revived, we boarded the van for the long trip home. Of course, because we were the first to be picked up, we were also the last to be dropped off. We returned back to the hotel at 10.30 pm. Tired, yes, but glad we went on the adventure.

The remainder of our time in Mexico was spent relaxing. The hotel was situated right on the beach and so we spent a lot of time sitting by the pool or the ocean, reading our books, and working on our tan (well, I was working on my tan…Neal was born with one). We took an evening trip to Playa del Carmen. We decided that this was our favorite city of the trip as it had a more laid-back feel to it and was not horrendously overrun with tourists. We also took a day trip to Cancun, which we did not enjoy very much. Cancun is nice, but the main areas have become overrun with tourists and have lost much of their Mexican feel and ambiance.

The weekend after we returned from Mexico, we decided to do a craft project. One of my friends, Stephanie, was leading a workshop in clay mask making. Actually, Stephanie helped us make the plaster molds for the masks. After that, the molds were passed to an artist would filled the molds with clay and fire-hardened them. In our session, we made masks of our faces and one hand. The process begins by smearing Vasoline (a lot of it) on our face and hand to prevent the plaster from ripping any skin and hair off when removed (not a pretty scenario from what we hear). After that, we soaked strips of plaster in water and then applied them to each other, let them harden for a few minutes, and then removed the mask and set it aside to let it harden a bit. It was like paper maché-ing each other. It was a really neat experience and we cannot wait to see the final products.

The following weekend was Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. (similar to Anzac day in Australia) and was a three-day weekend. In a last-minute idea, we decided to fly to San Diego that weekend to visit my friend, Natalie, who has worked for almost 10 years there as a camp director for YMCA’s camp surf. We had a great time hanging out with Nat, seeing the camp where she works, eating some great Mexican food, and touring the city. Besides seeing Nat and living her life for a few days, one of the highlights was visiting the famous San Diego zoo, which has a lot of animals that we never knew existed. Those that know me well know I am mad for a zoo trip – so this was my idea of a perfect outing. The trip was a very quick one, but we are glad we got a chance to visit our very gracious host Nat, if only for a long weekend.

After all these travels, we decided to spend the next few weeks in Michigan, especially because our big summer vacation (to Alaska) was going to start near the end of June. Over the next three weeks, we spent a lot of time working (as usual) and snuck in a few social events as well. I watched the Sex and the City movie with my girlfriends (loved the movie, by the way), and Neal and I went to a couple of summertime parties at friends’ houses. The summer days in Michigan are beautiful – perfect temperatures and an average of 15 hours sunlight each day making it perfect for outdoor parties.

One weekend, Neal and I spent the afternoon having a leisurely kayak along the Cass River, about an hour away from Midland. We even managed to catch a game of our local minor league baseball team – my chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters was given box seats for our board, management team, families, and our volunteers and their “littles.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters held one of their major fundraisers through the month – our annual Golf outing – which kept me busy leading up to and during the day. The event was a great success, raising more than $30,000 for the agency, so the effort was well worthwhile.

We had a surprise visit through the month from our friend, Eveline. She came to Midland from Switzerland on a work trip and was able to come over for dinner to catch us up on all that’s been happening with our friends back in Zurich as well as her adventures as a (relatively) new mother. Truth be told, her husband, Peter Paul, visited in April and was also able to come for dinner – but he didn’t make the blog….so this entry is for the Van De Wijs/Kooiman family unit. It was great to see them both while they were in town.

In the final week before we left for our big summer vacation we spent a lot of time at work. I was invited to attend our two day Senior Leaders meeting, a face-to-face gathering of the top 300 executives in our company. It was a chance to network with colleagues and also hear several presentations from our top executives and functional leaders. It was a busy few days, but I really enjoyed the chance to catch-up with my colleagues from around the world and get some insights into the future of our company.

That leaves us at the last week of June, which is when we began our Alaska trip. There is so much that happened in Alaska that the trip deserves a blog of its own, so we will stop here for now and post a special Alaska blog soon. In the meantime, take care!

2008-06-08T10:07:00.006-04:00

April pics: (1) a visitor at the Midland Butterfly House; (2) Deb in front of Chicago's Vietnam War memorial; (3) Deb along the coast of Lake Michigan at Northwestern University (that's downtown Chicago in the background); (4) the Baha'i temple in suburban Chicago.

2008-06-08T10:06:00.004-04:00

Episode 36: April 2008

Highlights of the month:
- Hanging out in Midland;
- Weekend in Chicago.

By Shorg standards, this month was very quiet. We had a number of big things going on at work that kept us grounded in Midland for most of the month. Looking back, it was nice to spend some extended time at home, as it gave us a chance to reconnect with friends. I got into the Saturday morning habit of joining some girlfriends at a 9a.m. NIA class -- NIA is a form of aerobics that encourages free-flowing, dance movements -- followed by a coffee and gossip session. One of my friends, Stephanie, teaches the class, and it is a great way to get some exercise as well as catch up with friends at the same time.

At work, in addition to the daily activity within the Marketing and Sales function that I have the HR lead role for, I have been working on some pretty interesting projects for the HR function, all focused on driving some transformational changes for Dow. These projects are giving me a lot of exposure to senior management (which can be good and bad). During the month, I was invited to join Dow’s Board of Directors and executive leadership team for dinner with a handful of other “high potential” Dow colleagues. It was quite interesting to spend one-on-one time with the Board members and hear their perspective on the company.

I joined a second book club this month, although this one was a “temporary” club. Oprah is hosting a 10-week, online book club which Stephanie and I decided to join. We met each week at my friend’s house with another five ladies from the area to discuss the book. It was a really nice way to meet other people. My “permanent” book club met this month as well and , as usual, it involved 10 minutes of talking about the book followed by hours of laughing, drinking wine, eating, and catching up!

Neal and I decided to re-connect with Midland this month by visiting a couple of local attractions for the first time: the butterfly house and the Dow Museum of Science and Art. The butterfly house is a seasonal exhibit held at the Dow Gardens (which we have visited a few times before) and the temporary home to hundreds of butterflies from North and Central America. Visitors are allowed to walk into the house where they are literally surrounded by all kinds of butterflies. We followed this with a visit to the museum, a shrine to Midland and mid-Michigan history. On the day we visited, the museum was also hosting two temporary exhibits: one featured several Chinese artifacts (including three terra cotta warriors) as part of a cultural exchange with a company Dow is doing a project within China and a second exhibit called Grossology, which featured fun facts about the human body. It was very cool!

Neal resumed playing tennis on Monday nights and , assuming work doesn’t get in the way, catches the occasional Ultimate Frisbee game on Thursdays. He’s also been taking guitar lessons weekly and really enjoying reconnecting with his musical self.
The spring finally made it to Michigan, so we skipped the gym most days this month and replaced it bike riding after work to enjoy the longer, slightly warmer evenings. It was on one of our bike rides that we discovered a great little Mexican restaurant in town called Elvira’s. The place is only open until 8 p.m. each night and features close-to-authentic Mexican food. It even has outdoor seating, which is perfect for a mid-bike ride stop.

Keeping on the food theme, we tried our hand at cooking some Indian food for Stephanie and her husband, Luis. The cooking took most of the day on Saturday but was well worth it. On another weekend, we and some of our friends cooked ribs and took them over to our friends, Patty and Michel, who had assembled all the side dishes for a great dinner party.

For entertainment, we headed to the Temple Theatre in Saginaw one weekend to see the movie In Brugge. The theatre is a beautifully restored 1930s building that hosts indie films, concerts, and other arts-related events. The highlight of that day came before the movie even started. As we walked into the theatre, we saw a lovely old lady playing an organ near the front of the stage, welcoming us to the theatre! It seemed like something straight out of the 1930s.

I learned this month that while America prides itself on being a capitalist society, this apparently does not translate to the Midland medical profession. I wanted to make a doctor’s appointment for a regular check-up and so phoned a recommended doctor. Much to my surprise, I was told that the doctor “was not taking new patients.” I found this quite an interesting concept – a doctor that does not want new patients. Thinking that this was just an unusual clinic, I made my way down the phone book only to hear the same excuse from four more doctors’ offices! Finally, after many more calls than I had planned, I finally found someone who would see me, but the earliest appointment they had was in June! What would I do if I was really sick?!

Both Neal and I traveled to Chicago for work this month. Neal’s trip was to visit an entrepreneurial start-up. My trip was to attend and present at a celebratory dinner for our top sales professionals in North America. The morning after the sales event happened to be Anzac Day in Australia, which honors our war veterans. Not being a morning person, I never made it to the dawn Anzac Day service that back home is hosted each year at the Shrine. To my surprise, I found out that the Australian expat association in Chicago was putting on a dawn service for Anzac day. So, after two hours of sleep following the sales event, I woke again, got dressed, and walked to the Vietnam War memorial in downtown Chicago to join the service. Due to windy conditions, I could barely hear the service itself, but I must say that I was literally moved to tears to hear at least 30 people sing the Australian national anthem together – something I have not heard for at least five years. It was a very touching ceremony.

That evening, Neal came to Chicago to join me for a weekend in one of our favorite cities. A looming storm caused havoc at the airport, so Neal made a last-minute decision to forfeit his flight and drive to Chicago instead. He made it in time for our dinner reservation on Friday night at a new restaurant called Brasserie Ruhlman, which turned out to be a fabulous French brasserie. On Saturday we did a little shopping, followed by a trip to Evanston, the town that is the home to Northwestern University where Neal studied for five years for his chemical engineering degree. We took a stroll down Neal’s memory lane – saw the apartment he lived in, ate at one of his favorite lunch time spots, the Noyes Street Café, and took a walk through the beautiful campus. Heading back into town, we stopped at an enormous and very impressive Bahai temple, a building that looks out of place in Chicago. The Bahai religion is a neutral one, teaching the oneness of religion and human kind. Its followers believe there is only one god, independent of the religion people choose. Their temples are open to people of all religions and are usually masterpieces of architecture (for example, the temple outside of New Delhi, India was built in the form of a gigantic lotus flower). The Chicago temple was truly spectacular – its carvings featured symbols of several major religions from Islam to Christianity to Hinduism. That evening we went out for yet another culinary experience, this time to a Chinese fusion restaurant called Ben Pao. On Sunday, we caught up with Jorge and a very pregnant Letty for what will likely be the last time we see them in Chicago. They are planning a move to Dallas, Texas this June to have more room for their twins that are on the way. After a long brunch, we took one last walk through the city before driving back to Michigan.

That trip ended the month of April. We enjoyed every minute of relaxing at home and planned plenty of adventures for the month of May. Take care!

2008-04-13T14:37:00.009-04:00

March pics: (1) Deb in downtown Birmingham, Michigan; (2) the girls weekend crew; (3) the world famous Eskimo Joe's logo in Stillwater, Oklahoma; (4) in front of the Michigan state capitol building in Lansing.

2008-04-13T14:36:00.001-04:00

Episode 35: March 2008

Highlights of the month include:
- Red Wings hockey game and weekend in Detroit;
- Girls weekend in Traverse City;
- Long weekend in Oklahoma;

To start off the month, we spent a weekend in Detroit. Although we have lived in Michigan for almost 18 months and ventured across the state, we have not yet spent much time in the biggest city the state has to offer. We started the weekend by watching famed ice hockey team – the Detroit Red Wings – and thoroughly enjoyed the craziness of a large ice hockey game with our friends, Anne and Keith. The city of Detroit itself has clearly and visibly been affected by the plight of Michigan’s economy. At the height of the U.S. automotive industry, Detroit was the hot-bed of activity for the three “majors”: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. In fact, there is still a lot of “old” car money in town. But as the U.S. car industry has faded so, too, has Detroit. The city now claims to have one of the highest (if not THE highest) crime rate in the nation and it has lost most of its luster. You can certainly tell how impressive the city must have once been, but its current state is a pretty sad sight to see. After the game, we headed off to a bar to finish off the evening with a few beers and snacks before heading to our hotel just out of town in the suburb of Southfield.

For all the shortcomings of the city of Detroit, its suburbs are quite pleasant. We spent the following day exploring the suburb of Birmingham, which is a very cute town with plenty of activity. We enjoyed a day of eating, shopping, and people-watching (my idea of a perfect day). That evening, we hit the suburb of Royal Oak, another diverse town, where we had a fabulous Thai dinner to end the day. The next day held more of the same before we made the two-hour drive north to Midland.

The weekend after, eight girlfriends from my book club decided to have a girls weekend in Traverse City, a town located two hours north of Midland. We spent our first evening catching up over dinner and martinis. On Saturday, we indulged in some spa treatments at the hotel we stayed at for most of the day, followed by a late lunch and some relaxing shopping. We ended the day with a fabulous antipasto and wine tasting evening back at the condo we had rented, and in typical sleepover fashion, the furniture got moved around to make way for dancing and singing to all that our iPods had to offer. It was a wonderful weekend, connecting with friends and relaxing in a very pretty part of the state.

This month did not hold much work-related travel for either of us. Neal did not have any trips, while I spent a week in Houston. The key purpose of my visit to Houston was to present at an HR conference on the topic of corporate reputation in recruiting campaigns. The presentation went well – I was invited back to present at next year’s conference – and the other presentations were very thought-provoking.

A day after arriving back from Houston, we returned to the airport, this time to head to Stillwater, Oklahoma where we spent Easter weekend with Neal’s parents. We explored some of the town, revisited some of Neal’s favorite places, took a nap at Boomer Lake, and walked around the university campus. Besides looking around the town, most of our time was spent enjoying the company of Neal’s parents and grandparents whom we had not seen in a while. We are pleased to say that all are doing great.

Work was crazy-busy for the two of us in March, so our weeknights were spent unwinding for the most part and trying to get in some exercise at the gym whenever possible. We spent a mid-week evening at the theatre to see a series of acts that were brought over from the Xian region of China. The performance was part of cultural exchange between Midland and the Xian region and it involved local dances, songs, and acrobatics. The show was very nicely done, and it is always nice to see how appreciative the Midland audience is of cultural events both via their turnout and their standing ovations.

On the final weekend of the month, we decided to take a daytrip to Lansing, Michigan’s capitol city. The primary purpose of our trip was to check out the capitol building. Oddly enough, we arrived there only to find a sign on the door that read: “Due to budgetary constraints, the Capitol will be closed on Saturdays until further notice.” That pretty much sums up the current state of Michigan’s economy.

After exploring a little more of the town, we headed back towards Midland, stopping at the town of Mount Pleasant, which is about 30 minutes away from Midland. Mount Pleasant is the hope to two landmarks: Central Michigan University and a huge casino. The university was hosting an international film festival that we wanted to check out, which was our main reason for stopping. To fill the time until the movie, we visited the casino to try our luck (which was not very good), and have a pre-show dinner at a surprisingly good restaurant called Waterlilly. From there, we went to the Broadway theatre to watch the movie Paris, je t’aime. The movie had a very interesting concept: several movie directors were asked to make short films about an aspect of Paris. Some of the directors were famous, and some of the acts featured famous actors. In total, there were 18 short films, each of which was a different interpretation of love in Paris. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

So, from Detroit to Oklahoma and China to Paris, the month brought some fabulous local and international experiences. The weather has finally started to get more reasonable, although the snow has not quite yet melted. Surely, April will see the end of the winter (we can only hope). Until next month, take care!

2008-03-08T16:56:00.012-05:00

February pics: (1) Deb with some Mardi Gras characters; (2) the view down Bourbon Street; (3) Deb shows off the pile of snow that has collected at the end of our driveway -- it is almost up to her shoulders; (4) Boyne "Mountain"; (5) "Speed Racer" Deb on her snowmobile; (6) the snowy view of the bay near Petoskey -- Deb is standing on ice over about 3 feet (1 meter) of water.

2008-03-08T16:55:00.002-05:00

Episode 34: February 2008

Highlights of the month include:
· Mardi Gras in New Orleans;
· Tennis tournament in Midland;
· Spa weekend and snowmobiling at Boyne Mountain.

This month brought the most challenging weather conditions yet this year, as we faced bitter cold temperatures, plenty of snow, and very little sunlight. So what do the Shorgs do in weather like this? That’s right…we get away from it! We started the month off with a trip to New Orleans to see our very first Mardi Gras. We took advantage of our company’s daily shuttle flights to get from Michigan to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a couple hours drive, we were in the heart of it all: New Orleans.

It might be helpful to our non-American and non-Catholic readers to explain what Mardi Gras is all about. The words Mardi Gras are French for “Fat Tuesday.” Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent). Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, the three-day period immediately before Ash Wednesday. In New Orleans, the city puts on multiple parades over the five days leading up to Fat Tuesday. Almost all of the parades begin with a King and Queen leading the parade, followed by many floats carrying members of a “krewe,” the organization that sponsors the parade. The krewe members – dressed up and wearing masks to hide their identities – throw trinkets, or “throws," to the crowds lining the streets. The throws are usually cheap, plastic beads, drink cups, and other items that become collectibles each year. Okay…back to the story.

We arrived in New Orleans on Friday night to find a city already well into party mode. Several major roads in the city were closed off for the parade routes, which forced us to park a few miles away from our hotel after working through some jammed traffic. Dinner was on our mind first, so we dropped into a place near Bourbon Street called Mr B’s. Louisiana is well known for its great food and Mr. B’s did not disappoint. After dinner we walked to the heart of the parade scene along Canal Street and got our first taste of Mardi Gras. The floats themselves were slightly less impressive than we had imagined them to be but some were pretty creative in their design. The krewe members threw strings of beads to the parade spectators, invoking a competitive spirit in some that bordered on being a little disturbing. We were amazed by how crazy people go for a bunch of cheap plastic beads that you can buy from any convenience store! The beads themselves have a story so maybe that explains it. They are traditionally colored purple, green, and gold to represent justice, faith, and power. Somehow, I do not think those were the virtues going through many of the party-goers’ heads.

On Saturday, we watched some more parades and enjoyed more of Louisiana’s great food and warm weather. We even managed to walk down Bourbon Street, the heart of all the debauchery that happens during the Mardi Gras. Bourbon Street was an eye-opening experience. There are so many people crowded onto the street, all of them looking up to the decks above where people are throwing beads down onto the crowd. It is a weird mix of alcohol, college kids, and perverted old men. Our time on Bourbon Street was pretty short because the big event of the weekend was that night. We were invited by one of my old team members to attend the largest Mardi Gras ball of the weekend, called Endymion. In fact, this ball was so big that it was held at the Superdome, a huge indoor football stadium that seats over 70,000 people. That night, there were about 12,000 people at the ball. What made it more exciting was that the ball was a formal affair, so Neal and I had to get dressed up in our best. Neal was happy that he found yet another occasion to wear his wedding suit – still as dashingly handsome as the first time he wore it!

The inside of the Superdome was fitted with a huge stage where a regular rotation of bands was playing for the crowd. There was a cleared path that snaked through the main floor, which marked the parade route that the floats would later take through the Superdome. And what a parade it was! The Endymion ball is famous for attracting reasonably famous stars to be the parade marshal, and this year we got Kevin Costner. The parade went on for at least two hours, and the floats were truly impressive. Some were 60-70 feet long (20-23 meters long), double-storied, and held over 100 people. The krewe members threw heaps of beads and trinkets into the crowds – we must have collected at least 50 pounds (25 kilograms) of throws. It was essentially the same madness as in the streets, only everyone was dressed up in party frocks.

Following the parade is the “Endymion Extravaganza,” a party/concert that goes on into the wee hours. The concert started with some really good local cover bands who got the crowd going. Then, to our dismay, they allowed Kevin Costner and his band onto the stage. Regardless of what you think about Kevin Costner the actor, trust us when we say that you really do not want to bother listening to Kevin Costner the musician! After Kevin sunk the crowd’s mood, the Go Gos came onto the stage and I got that version of “We Got the Beat” that I was waiting for. In fact, Belinda Carlisle and band were on one of the parade floats, and Belinda threw some beads specifically to me! My inner-80s child was beside herself.

The next day, Neal and I walked around the city and tried to avoid the parade crowd for the most part. We stopped for lunch at a famous restaurant called “Mother’s Restaurant” that makes a darn good sandwich and, based on the photos plastered on every wall, has been visited by pretty much everybody who has ever been to New Orleans. By early afternoon, we were back on the road, heading to the airport. I dropped Neal off so that he could fly back to Michigan. I stayed in Baton Rouge that night and then flew to Texas the next morning for some work meetings in Houston. Weather challenge number one presented itself on Neal’s trip back to Midland. After reaching Detroit fine, it came to bear that his flight to Midland was significantly delayed. Rather than wait, he decided to rent a car and drive the two hours back to Midland. Half way through the drive, he soon realized why the flight was challenged, finding himself in blizzard-like conditions with close to zero visibility. The drive home took an additional two hours (a total of four hours driving) and made for one very tired and frustrated traveler!

The next weekend we spent some time in Midland. The weekend started with a dinner on Friday night with my colleague, Lisa, and her husband, Leonard. Lisa and Leonard have just moved to Midland from Shanghai, China and there wanted to keep up their traditions for Chinese New Year. So, they invited us over for a traditional Chinese dinner. The food was exotic (for us, at least) but very well prepared and tasty. It was a great experience!

The next day, Neal got us tickets to a local tennis tournament. Despite its small size, Midland has a thriving and well-equipped tennis center. For years, Dow Corning has sponsored a professional women’s tournament there and has attracted some young names that have made a mark later on: Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, and Justine Henin. We attended on the night of the semi-finals and watched what was, to be honest, a lop-sided match. The favored seed won in straight sets and fairly easily. Still, we had a great time, and it was a great way to get out of the house while not having to face the frigid weather outside.

The next day, we decided to finally face the weather. We took a fairly long hike along a path in one of the city’s parks and got in some good exercise.

Weather challenge number two brought us both a terrible strain of flu which left us bedridden, weakened, and sickly. Hence, the following week and a half were uncharacteristically quiet for us. I joined my book club one night for an end-of-week get-together, and Neal and I drove to Saginaw to see “Rent,” a Broadway play that was touring through the area. While things were quiet outside of work, we were very busy at work with both of our respective new jobs taking up lots of our time.

In the final weekend of the month, Neal planned a weekend for the two of us to visit Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan. The word “mountain” is a huge overstatement. Boyne is really more of a big hill. But leave it to the Michiganders to make the most of it. The Boyne Mountain resort is situated at the base of the “mountain” and is like a mini city, with a few restaurants, some entertainment, and a spa. Neal arranged for us to have an afternoon at the spa. We both got massages and I added a manicure to the package. Afterwards, we chilled out by the pool, had a little nap, and read our books. The next day, Neal had organized a couple of snowmobile rentals! I was a little apprehensive about the snowmobiles at first because I did not know how easy they would be to handle…and I am not that big a fan of speed. But was I ever wrong! They are loads of fun and the ride is not that rough. It helped that we rode on a beautiful trail that weaved through forests and by snow-covered rivers. On the way home, we stopped in the lakeside town of Petoskey, which we visited last summer. The temperatures have been so cold that the bay on which Petoskey sits is now completely frozen over. We could not resist taking the opportunity to walk on the thick ice that now covers the water.

We both came back from the weekend relaxed and ready to take on another week. Good thing, too, as both of us had to travel to Texas once again for meetings.

And that brings us to the end of another fun (and cold) month. Until next month, when we will hopefully be able to report warmer weather conditions, take care!

2008-02-16T21:58:00.009-05:00

January pics: (1) Deb at the famous Fishermans Wharf sign in San Francisco; (2) the Golden Gate bridge; (3) the Shorgs and the Sandhus; (4) Deb in front of the Texas state capitol in Austin; (5) looking up in the dome of the Texas state capitol; (6) baby Meilin with mother, Sue (and father, Rob, working the camera).

2008-02-16T19:52:00.001-05:00

Episode 33: January 2008

Highlights of the month include:
· Christmas Vacation Continued: Traveling back home via San Francisco;
· Theatre: Enchanted April;
· Weekend in Austin, Texas.

We ended 2007 in Melbourne, Australia, ringing in the New Year at my sister, Carol’s, house where she held her “Aloha 2008” party. After recuperating from the big party, we prepared to finish up our big vacation. On January 1 – our last full day in Melbourne – we went to the beach with Carol to escape the heat, got some sun, and had some fish and chips (a must do when in Australia!). After a few hours, we went back to Carol’s house to prepare for yet another party, this time our farewell shin-dig. My relatives and friends came over for dinner and to say their goodbyes to Neal and me before we headed back to the U.S. We also said our goodbyes to Carol that night as we spent the night at mom’s house. The next day, mom and my little sister, Candy, took us to the airport and said their goodbyes before we boarded our flight. The goodbyes were tearful – it seems to get harder to say goodbye every time we see each other – but we had a wonderful time in Australia and it was nice to be back and to see everyone.

From Melbourne, Neal and I first flew to Auckland again. After a two-hour layover there, we boarded our long-haul flight to San Francisco. Like our journey on the way to Australia, we decided to break up our return journey with a short stop in San Francisco. Upon arriving, we checked into our hotel, got cleaned up, and then headed into the city to explore (and try to beat the jet lag). We walked down Market Street to the waterfront and followed the Embarcadero all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf. Along the way, we stopped to buy tickets for a tour of Alcatraz (to be taken two days later). While at Fisherman’s Wharf, we saw a hop-on/hop-off bus nearby and decided that it would be a nice way to see other parts of the city. So, off we went!

The bus took us all over the city, including Chinatown, the Golden Gate bridge, the Haight/Ashbury district (famous as a gathering place for the hippies of the 1960s), and Market Street. After taking a round on the bus, we got off near our hotel, got changed, and then headed to Chinatown for an authentic Chinese dinner. After checking out a few restaurants, we settled on one on a side road that had a lot of Asian patrons inside – a sure sign that the food must be good and authentic. And, indeed, it was!

The next day was a rainy one and so we kept indoors for most of the day. We did a bit of shopping along Market Street and boarded our hop-on/hop-off bus again to tour the city again and take more pictures. We even managed to return to Chinatown for a nice dim-sum lunch.

The following day – our last in San Francisco – we experienced an amazing storm. Heavy rains and 80 mph winds created a surreal sight – windows blown out of buildings, streets blocked off to traffic, and umbrellas being turned inside out within seconds of being outside. The wind was so strong that we could hear our high-rise hotel creak as it swayed slightly in the wind! This was supposed to be the day that we were taking our tour of Alcatraz. When we woke up that morning, we thought it would be highly unlikely that the tour would still go – visibility was dismal, the water was supposed to be very choppy, and the wind was a force to be reckoned with. But just to be safe, we called ahead and, to our surprise, were assured that the tour was still proceeding! So, we grudgingly got ready and headed into the storm. After only five minutes outside we were completely soaked and our umbrella was rendered useless. We navigated our way down to the pier using a combination of walking and taxi only to find, once we got there, that the tour company had finally decided to cancel the day’s tours! We made it back to the hotel and, after changing into warmer and dryer clothes, spent the remainder of the day catching up on work – much needed after three weeks away – and staying dry. That evening (after weather conditions calmed significantly), we caught up with some of Neal’s family friends: the Sandhus. Dr. and Mrs. Sandhu and their son Teji live in San Francisco, and their other son, Ken, was coincidentally visiting from Canada at the same time. So we all enjoyed a wonderful dinner together at a nice seafood restaurant in Union Square. It was great to see the Sandhus and for me to meet Teji for the first time. Although our trip to Alcatraz was foiled by the weather, we really enjoyed San Francisco nonetheless!

After arriving back home on Saturday night, we spent Sunday relaxing at home, taking care of the unpacking, and not doing too much else. On Monday, it was back to work for the two of us. Before leaving for Australia, both of us were offered new jobs and promotions to begin the New Year. Neal is now the Finance Manager for our Alternative Feestocks business. His focus is now on driving the economics of mergers and acquisitions and projects that Dow is exploring to get access to feedstocks that are not closely tied to natural gas and oil. My new job is the Global HR Director for the Marketing and Sales and HR functions. It is more like the role I had in Switzerland, focusing on partnering with the business/function leaders to drive HR strategy to get their businesses where they need to be. The largest focuses of the role are organizational design, talent management, and change management. I have responsibilities for the HR graduate program, which means I have 12 direct reports – our recent graduates who are working across the HR function on projects until their rotational period ends and they get “real” jobs in the function.

I began the working year boarding a plane to Houston for a series of meetings over the following two days. Later that week after I had returned to Midland, I went to the first of an eight-week belly dancing class held at the local community center for an hour each week after work. It was great fun but much harder on my shoulders than I imagined it would be. My book club girlfriends met during the week also, and it was great to catch up with them and hear all about their Christmas celebrations. We also caught up with our friends, Marcelo, Dave, Patty, and Michel, that weekend for a few cocktails followed by dinner and also ventured out to see Sue and Rob’s new baby, Meilin, who was born while we were in Australia.

Late last year, I was accepted as a board member of the volunteer association Big Brothers Big Sisters of Michigan. The agency aims to pair up children (up to 17 years old) with volunteer mentors. It is a very worthy cause, and they are doing some wonderful things in the community, so I am proud to be a part of it. We had our first board meeting of the year this month. In addition to being on the board, I am a member of the finance sub-committee, whose focus is on the all-important element of a not-for-profit agency: funding and income generation.

Neal surprised me with an evening out, including a wonderful dinner followed by a play at this very cute little theatre that we had never been to in Saginaw called The Pit and Balcony. Once again, the talent that exists in this country for amateur theatre is really amazing. The play we saw was called Enchanted April and we really enjoyed it. The other notable thing about the evening was the extreme cold temperatures that we experienced. Temperatures got down to a bitterly cold -17C (-4F), which left the only unexposed part of us (our faces) feel like they were going to freeze and fall off! The rationale behind fashion items like knee high boots and fur coats all of a sudden became very clear to me. Having now experienced such cold, I, too, would forego fashion for the sake of being warm in these temperatures. Humans should not be allowed to live in these conditions! This was to be the beginning of a cold spell in Midland which we were glad to get out of the following week when both of us had to travel south to Houston.

I went to Houston for a North American sales meeting for one of our two largest groups. The meeting involved some fun evening activities, including a comedy night, karaoke, and a team building drumming session with a great group called Drum Café leading the way. Neal went to Houston for meetings on a potential acquisition deal and a project evaluation, so we took advantage of both being in a warmer climate and headed to Austin, Texas for the weekend. It was my first time to Austin (Neal has been a few times), so we did the typical tourist things. We enjoyed the sun and the open, college atmosphere of the city by walking around most of the weekend looking at the architecture and doing some window shopping. We took a trip to the capitol building (the capitol of each state in the U.S. has a capitol building where the state government meets) – a very pretty building on the inside and out. We explored the noted shopping district of South Congress and generally had a wonderfully relaxing weekend (and we very much enjoyed the liberating feeling of not having to walk around in our coats and snow boots). Austin is home to some great food, which we took advantage of while we were there – our favorite place was a tapas restaurant called Malaga on 4th Street. It is also a city famed for its band scene, which we took time to experience as well. We went to one of Austin’s most famous bars, the Continental Club, where we saw a really great unknown band with very impressive talent. Our weekend in Austin was a great little getaway – for those that get the chance, it is a city worth visiting.

So far it has been a great start to the New Year and our new jobs. Hope you enjoyed your own New Year celebrations and got 2008 off to a great start, too. For those of you in the northern hemisphere, stay warm! Until next month, take care.

2008-01-12T18:33:00.001-05:00

December pics: (1) Deb at L.A.'s Venice Beach; (2) Deb in Auckland's SkyTower, with the city behind her; (3) Deb with her mom and sisters; (4) the gang at mom's Christmas party; (5) us in our sea kayak in Melbourne; (6) Deb and her friends at our farewell party.

2008-01-12T18:32:00.001-05:00

Episode 32: December 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Christmas parties/festivities in Midland;
• Travel to Australia via L.A. and Auckland, New Zealand;
• Vacation in Melbourne, Australia (including Christmas and New Year).

The “season to be jolly” began with a series of Christmas parties in Michigan. In the U.S. (or at least where we live) it is customary for people to have house parties to celebrate Christmas. So in that spirit, we enjoyed many of those with my book club, our friends, and work colleagues. We even held a celebration of our own, hosting my department’s Christmas party at our house two days before leaving for our Australia vacation. Although we had vowed not to decorate the house for Christmas, those plans went out the door when we decided to have the party at our house and out came the Christmas tree and decorations to put the house in a more festive spirit. In addition to food and drink, we put on a “white elephant” (similar to a “kris kringle” except that participants can “steal” and swap gifts from other people if they like someone else’s gift better, so the event goes on for quite a while). It was a fun night and worth putting up the Christmas decorations, if only for a couple of days.

We took a weekend trip to the town of Frankenmuth, located about an hour south of Midland, which has a heavy German influence in both its culture and architecture. One of the reasons we made the trip was to visit Bronners, the world’s largest Christmas store. True to its status, the store was enormous. It is difficult to describe – imagine a regular-sized shopping mall absolutely stuffed full of every imaginable Christmas/holiday decoration known and that will give you a rough idea. Of course, being the month of December, the place was a zoo!

After a crazy couple of weeks of Christmas parties and finalizing things in the office (both of us are coming back to new jobs with Dow, but we’ll explain that next month), we packed our bags for a three-week adventure to the southern hemisphere. Leaving the snow and cold behind, our travels first took us to Chicago and then L.A., where we had a six-hour layover before our flight to New Zealand. In that time, we left the airport and went to Venice Beach and enjoyed a nice dinner before heading back to the airport.

After a 13-hour flight, we found ourselves in Auckland, New Zealand. Since this was the first time we had been to New Zealand together, we decided to stay for three days and get over our jet lag before proceeding to Australia. Upon arriving in Auckland, we were committed to not letting jet lag get the better of us. After checking into our hotel, we dropped our bags, showered, and headed out for a little exploring. We walked thru downtown Auckland – stopping for my first taste of fish and chips in a long time – and got to the waterfront, which is lined with boats. Auckland is very proud of its water-based activities, and the city boasts a boat for every four households! We found that the city is not that easy to explore, as it is quite spread out, so we chose to board a hop-on/hop-off tourist bus to see a bit more of the surrounds. Our first stop was a craft market where we looked at the native Maori carvings and eventually bought a relatively large (1.5 feet tall) hand-carved statue. Our next stop was an area called New Market, which is the main, trendy shopping area. Our final stop was the SkyTower – Auckland’s highest structure that offers a viewing platform and wonderful views of the city. After walking around a bit, the effects of our travels were finally getting to us. Weary and tired, we got back to the hotel and collapsed into bed. We managed to get ourselves up just long enough to grab a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant before going back to our room for some much-needed sleep.

The next day, being much more relaxed, we embarked on a planned side trip to the town of Taupo, located three hours south of Auckland. To get there, we rented a car, which Neal drove after getting used to being on the “wrong” side of the road. The drive to Taupo was very pretty, as New Zealand’s countryside is rural, lush and green, and sparsely populated. Though the distance from Auckland to Taupo is quite short (only about 250 kilometers), the journey took us a while since the highways in New Zealand are mostly only one lane in either direction and they pass through towns. Along the way to Taupo, we stopped in the town of Rotorua, a popular tourist attraction due to its heavy Maori influences and its thermal areas. New Zealand is well known for being made up of many inactive (and a few active) volcanoes and, therefore, the country has many natural thermal areas. We visited one of these areas, which has been converted into a mud bath/spa, known as Hell’s Gate. After touring the thermal area and seeing the bubbling water and mud there, we took a dip in the warm mud that they extract from the area every day. The mud supposedly has healing properties and is very good for the skin, as long as you do not mind its overpowering stench of sulphur that infuses your skin and the clothes you wear immediately after the bath (as we found out later on) or the freezing cold shower you are forced to have after exiting the baths to get the mud off…yikes! Truth be told, the mud dip was great and our skin did, indeed, feel great (and smell stinky) afterwards.

Leaving Rotorua behind, we finally got to Taupo, which is a small town (boasting only one set of traffic lights) set along Lake Taupo, the largest freshwater lake in the southern hemisphere. Our accommodation was actually in a home situated in the hills overlooking the lake and town. The hotel owners were a couple from – of all places – Texas. They had given up the corporate rat race and started up their own bed and breakfast in Taupo. After checking in, we had a very nice dinner in Taupo before turning in for the night. The next day, after a made-to-order breakfast, we went back into Taupo to see the town and shop a bit (Neal even got a haircut there). As we walked among the shops, I spotted a café/jewelry store where customers can make their own jewelry. Jewelry-making has become an interest of mine recently, and I loved the idea of making something for myself, my sisters, and my mom. So, Neal and I spent the morning in that shop making several necklaces which, if I must admit, turned out quite nicely. After that, it was time to bid Taupo farewell and make the drive back to Auckland. The drive to Auckland was fairly uneventful except for one thing: we realized that Auckland has, quite possibly, the worst traffic in the world the size of the city. The city has roughly 1 million people and is quite spread out and yet we got stuck in the most horrific traffic imaginable – it took us 45 minutes to get through five kilometers! We might understand something like this happening in a much larger city but not in Auckland.

That night, we met up with Ken, a friend of ours who also works for Dow and lives in Midland. Ken is originally from New Zealand and was coincidentally in Auckland at the same time to visit his family for the holidays. Ken picked us up from our hotel and took us to the suburbs where his brother and partner live. After introductions over a glass of wine, we had a nice dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant, after which Ken dropped us back off at the hotel. The next day, Ken came by again, this time to play tour guide as he took us around some of his favorite places in Auckland. He drove us to the top of Mt. Eden, an extinct volcano from which we got some spectacular views of the city and ocean. After that, he drove us along the coast to a waterfront village where we had a nice lunch. Going far beyond the call of duty, Ken even drove us to the airport in time for our flight to Australia!

Having had a relaxing three days in New Zealand, we arrived in Australia ready to celebrate the holidays. We arrived in Melbourne after a four-hour flight from Auckland and were picked up my by sisters, Carol and Candace (Candy), and my dad who was also coincidentally in Australia for the holiday season with Julie. After welcoming each other, we split off from dad and drove to my mom’s new house in Hillside, a far-north suburb of Melbourne. Mom was so happy to see us and was very proud to show us the new house. It is a beautiful home, much larger than we had imagined, and we were surprised by how “at home” mom already felt in her new place. That night, we had a house full of people, including my sisters, Uncle Sam, Auntie Mary, my cousin, Elvin, his wife and daughter, and my good friend, Andrea. While everyone was there, we got them to help us put up the Christmas tree and decorations.

The next day, Carol had organized a family adventure with us, Candy, my dad and Julie. Carol refused to reveal the adventure to us, but she did say that we needed to wear tennis shoes and jeans. Finally, a few hours before we left, Carol told us that the adventure would be horseback riding on the beach! We crammed into two cars and drove near a town called Angelsea, which is located along the ocean and about two hours west of Melbourne. The weather was quite mild for the time of year – in fact, temperatures were very chilly for the first five days we were there – and the clouds were gloomy-looking, but we were assured that it was dry along the coast. Upon arriving at the horse farm, we donned helmets and boots for protection and then were introduced to our horses. I got a shorter horse named “Chuckie” and Neal got one of the more mature horses named “Bam Bam.” Our journey took us through the forests along the coast, up a hill where we could view the ocean, and then finally down to the beach. The trip was fantastic, except that as we approached the beach, the clouds opened up and the rain began. We arrived at the beach and trotted along the water’s edge. The instructors gave some riders the chance to put their horses into a more aggressive gallop. While Neal and I chose to skip this step, Carol and Julie went for it. From a distance we watched them dash ahead in the rain and then, frighteningly, we saw Carol fall off her horse! Our group finally caught up with the others to find Carol catching her breath on the beach and struggling to get to her feet. She was clearly in pain – not hard to see why when you consider that wet sand is much harder than dry sand. Trooper that she is, Carol got back up and mounted her horse again, though she was not in good shape. Adding to our situation, the rain had not let up and was actually falling harder! We were completely soaked to the bone by this point and, unfortunately for us, we still had a 1.5-hour journey back to the farm! We managed to make the trip back to the farm safely, at which time the rain stopped (of course it did!). Once we were off our horses, we started changing out of our wet clothes and into every dry piece of clothing that we could muster. Although the rain damped the event, we still had a lot of fun and enjoyed the spectacular views of the outback and coast. And, on the good side, the rain was a welcome sight to the area as Melbourne has been suffering through a four-year drought!

That night, we celebrated Christmas early with dad and Julie at Carol’s house. Carol was still in a lot of pain from her fall – the bruises were beginning to show and she had some really nasty ones on her legs, hips, and back – so we all banded together to put dinner on. We got spoiled with some wonderful gifts and had a great early Christmas celebration.

The next day, we went shopping with mom and look for some new accessories for her house. Mom had mentioned that she wanted some new furniture and so we agreed to help her find new items for her bedroom and living room. It was a fruitful trip, as we found a new bedroom set for her and got her thinking about an attractive sofa that we saw. After a morning of shopping, we drove back to Carol’s house to say goodbye to dad and Julie, who were both traveling to Brisbane to spend Christmas and the remainder of their vacation with Julie’s family. On our way back to mom’s, Neal and I decided to take on a project for mom. In addition to furniture, mom had mentioned that she wanted to do something with the walls of her house as they were all bland and white. So, we picked up some paint on our way to mom’s house so that we could transform the walls. Over the next couple of days, Neal painted two feature walls in mom’s house, which added a nice bit of color and warmth to the house.

Over the next several days, we spent our time with my family and friends. We had a large gathering of all my high school friends at my friend, Andrea’s, house and another friend, Lesley, was kind enough to host a dinner party at her house where we also caught up with Tracey, Pat, and Glenn. We spent a day with my friend, Melissa, and her husband, Paul, and got to meet their gorgeous new baby, Noah, who was born in June.

We celebrated Christmas in my family’s tradition by starting the party on Christmas Eve and celebrating the start of Christmas (rather than the day of). This year, the Christmas party was at mom’s new house, so we helped her get everything organized. There were about 30 adults and kids at the party, and we had a great time catching up and sharing presents. Santa (Carol dressed up) even made an appearance! After everyone had left, Candy, Carol, mom, and us exchanged gifts. This year, everyone went out of their way to give gifts and there were far too many of them – once again we really got spoiled!

In addition to all the gifts, Santa got us a couple of adventures to take while in Melbourne. One was a massage at the Crown Towers, a large casino/hotel in downtown Melbourne, and the other was a sea kayak adventure along Melbourne’s Yarra River, which winds through downtown. For the sea kayaking, we joined our tour guide along one of Melbourne’s harbors where we put our kayaks in the water, went through some safety tips, and then got in. The tour was terrific and took us through some areas that even I had not seen. Neal and I were in a two-person kayak, but there was still a fair bit of work for us to do! The trip was about three hours long and took us around two of Melbourne’s harbors and then up the Yarra River and into downtown Melbourne. It was a fantastic experience. As we returned to our starting point, we saw my sisters waiting for us. They had come by to pick us up and take us out to dinner. We all headed into downtown to the Crown Towers area and had dinner at Koko, a fantastic Japanese restaurant there.

The next big event of the trip was New Year’s Eve. This year, Carol was holding a party at her house, titled “Aloha 2008.” The weather was certainly helping Carol’s theme – after starting our journey with cold weather, the Melbourne heat had arrived and the temperature on New Year’s Eve was over 40 degrees Celsius (roughly 110 degrees Fahrenheit)! We decorated Carol’s house with pictures of Hawaii, set up an outdoor bar on her patio, and had a karaoke area in one corner powered by one of Carol’s Christmas gifts: a PlayStation game console and a collection of Sing Star karaoke games. The party was another good one, with plenty of drinks, food, and singing. We welcomed in the New Year with a lot of noise and finally wound things down around 3am.

We ended the year on a high note and had a lot of great adventures to reflect on. Here’s to an action-packed 2008. Happy New Year!

2007-12-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

November pics: (1) Deb on the campus of Rice University in Houston; (2) the entrance to Disney World; (3) Neal's parents in front of Epcot's Chinatown; (4) us and Neal's dad looking cool in our 3-D glasses at Epcot; (5) the Disney Magic Kingdom; (6) Deb meets Jaws.

2007-12-09T19:14:00.001-05:00

Episode 31: November 2007

Highlights of the month include:
· Weekend in Houston
· Thanksgiving at DisneyWorld (Orlando, Florida) with Neal’s parents

As soon as Halloween ended, the Christmas decorations hit the stores and the streets. Neal thinks this is getting out of hand! He remembers the days when he did not see a Christmas decoration until well into November or even December. Now, he cannot believe the sight of Santas in late-October! Nonetheless, I found it funny to see the transformation – from ghosts and ghouls to fairly lights and Santas – take place seemingly overnight.

In the first week of November, I happened to be in Texas on a graduate recruiting trip and so, in typical Shorg style, we decided to make a long weekend of it. Neal flew down to Houston on Dow’s Michigan-Texas shuttle on Friday afternoon, and we spent that afternoon enjoying all that Houston has to offer. For the most part, we were just grateful to be in warmer weather, so we hung out in our favorite park – Hermann Park – and read our books. Over the next two days, we did some shopping in Rice Village, enjoyed some great dinners (there’s no shortage of food in Houston), and explored the beautifully-groomed grounds of Rice University. We even managed to catch up with some colleagues and friends of Neal’s who had a get together on Saturday night, mainly to watch the big college football game between Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama. The host of the party was an Alabama grad and, not surprisingly, was quite disappointed when they lost in a very close match. Neal flew back to Michigan on Monday, while I stayed on for the rest of the week to finish up the graduate recruiting efforts.

The following weekend, a few of the people that work for me were hosting a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament and invited us to play. Unfortunately, the cards just were not in our favor and we both got kicked out of the tournament very quickly. Still, it was loads of fun. There were about 24 players, split up among three tables. As players were eliminated, the tables consolidated. Fortunately for me, Neal is very familiar with the rules – he is quick to mention a tournament he won while in business school – so he gave me a quick debrief on how the game is played so that I at least appeared to know what I was doing. For the rest of the weekend, we caught up with our friends, Patty and Michel, for dinner, met another couple of friends, Rob and Sue, for lunch and a movie (“American Gangster” – highly recommended), and relaxed.

Aside from weekend activities, we had a number of mid-week events this month. One was a visit to the Dow Event Center in Saginaw to see the Blue Man Group. After all the hype the show has received – as well as rave reviews from people we know who have seen the show, in some cases multiple times – we were quite disappointed. We likened the show to going to a rock concert where you do not know the artist or any of their songs. There were some mildly entertaining bits but, on the whole, it was well overpriced in our opinion. The opening act, however, was worth seeing. He was a DJ named Mike Realm who mixed music to film in a very artistic and funky way – very cool to watch. Mike Realm aside, our review of the Blue Man Group is best summed up in three words: save your money.

In another mid-week adventure, we caught up with friends, Darrell and Kathy, for drinks followed by dinner in Saginaw’s old town. This was a part of Saginaw that we had never ventured into. We had a nice time there and have added this area onto our list of places worth visiting again.

We hosted a dinner party this month that featured a twist – a barbeque rib cook off. Everyone who attended the dinner had to bring their own prepared and cooked ribs to enter the competition (and, of course, be eaten as the main course). Personally, I think Neal’s ribs took the prize. One could argue that the competition – our friends – did not want to upstage the host, but I think they were just outwitted this time!

The biggest event of the month was our Thanksgiving week trip to Orlando, Florida. We flew south and met up with Neal’s parents for the four-day getaway. This was my first visit to any of the Disney theme parks, and I was truly blown away by the magical atmosphere. We spent our first day at Epcot, a theme park that lets visitors explore the world in a day. While neither Australia nor India are represented, it was a great showcase of different countries and their cultures, with architecture that replicated each location very well. The rides at Epcot were not that spectacular, though we did go on one pretty good ride that simulates a shuttle launch to Mars. What was more spectacular was the park’s nightly fireworks and laser show.

Day two was spent at Magic Kingdom – the true Disney experience where storybook fantasies come to life. I do not know what was more entertaining: soaking in all the sights and sounds ourselves or watching the faces of the children who were so filled with awe and excitement at any glimpse of Mickey that we thought they would explode from the thrill of it all. In addition to walking all over the park and watching the infamous Disney parade, we tried out most of the rides there. Our favorites were Big Mountain, an outdoor roller coaster, and Splash Mountain, a water toboggan ride that ends with a huge plunge and soaking wet riders. After 10 hours of exploring the park, we watched the spectacular 20-minute firework display over the castle. The park does a great job of keeping young and old entertained. It was such a great experience and, indeed, the happiest place on earth.

On our last full day, we visited Universal Studios. This park was more geared toward movie-related themes and rides. Our favorite ride there was Return of the Mummy, an indoor roller coaster – Neal and I rode it four times in a row! We ended that night with a great dinner at a Latin-inspired restaurant located along the Universal City Walk, a string of shops and restaurants located next to the park.

On our final day in Orlando, we spent some time shopping at a nearby mall and soaking up some more sun before Neal and I had to get back to the airport for our flight to Michigan. After being blessed with temperatures in the high-70s Fahrenheit (mid-20s Celsius), we landed in Flint, Michigan to the sight of snow on the ground and frigid temperatures. And with that, we were swept from a magical paradise back to reality rather quickly as we scraped the ice from the windscreen of our car. In fact, the following Thursday was the official beginning of the winter snow season, with temperatures falling below zero Celsius and us getting our first big dump of snow!

Besides our own adventures, it has been a big news month for the greater Shorg family. Momma Borg moved out of the house we kids grew up in and into a brand new house this month, and our little sister, Candace, got certified as a naturopath after a long and difficult five years of university. Congratulations Momma Borg and Candy – we are so proud of you both!

2007-11-17T16:33:00.000-05:00

October pics: (1) Neal, Michelle, and Ed enjoy the tailgating festivities; (2) the University of Michigan marching band gets the crowd ready before the game; (3) the stadium scoreboard with the game's attendance -- 108,415; (4) our Halloween costumes.

2007-11-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

Episode 30: October 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Deb’s first college tailgate and football game
• Halloween

This month was quiet by Shorg standards, which was a refreshing change from the last few months. We were so busy with work-related activities that we left our weekends empty so that we could have some down time. I was busy with U.S. university recruiting season, which gears up in fall. I find it odd that this is the time of year that companies are frantically selecting students to join their graduate recruitment programs given that – besides the handful of students that graduate in December – the majority of students do not graduate until May of the following year. It certainly makes planning/forecasting efforts interesting!

The first weekend of the month was one of the highlights. We were able to secure tickets from a work colleague for a University of Michigan (UM) football game against Eastern Michigan at UM’s gigantic home field in Ann Arbor - famous for being the largest stadium in the U.S. We started our day by meeting at a friend’s place for breakfast before following each other to Ann Arbor (about two hours south of Midland). We arrived at the stadium two hours before the game started to an amazing sea of colors (navy blue and yellow for UM and green and white for Eastern Michigan) as far as the eye could see. Thousands of cars, RVs (motor homes/caravans), and people had descended on the area around the stadium to tailgate – a necessary start to any college football game. A tailgate can best be described as a pre-game party where everyone gathers with their friends to eat and drink before the game. Our friends, Michelle and Ed, knew some people who were tailgating so we took our beers along and graciously crashed their party for a while before the game started.

On to the game itself. I have never seen anything like this before. I couldn’t really understand the hype that was associated with college football - after all, this wasn’t even the professional league. One of the things that makes it so huge is that Americans have an amazingly strong affiliation to the school they graduated from (so it really was a lesson in graduate recruiting too), something that doesn’t really translate in Australia or Europe. So, scholars past present and future are all exceptionally keen to see their school conquer during college football season. The “Big House”, as UM’s stadium is called, holds a whopping 100,000+ fans. For this particular game, the stadium had just over 108,000! In addition to the game itself, each school has its own cheer squad and marching band that entertain and rile up the crowd before, during, and after the game. It is a sight and sound fiesta! I had a fabulous time – despite the temperature being over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) and exceptionally warm in the tightly-packed crowd – and can now understand what all the hype is about. UM won the game pretty easily, but it was not their best showing of the season. Following the game, we headed into downtown Ann Arbor for a stroll through the shops and a relatively early dinner before heading back home.

During the first week of October, I took part in a two-week leadership development program in Saginaw, Michigan along with a group of Dow colleagues from around the world. The program involved a few days of lectures from some well-renowned professors on strategy and self-reflection on leadership styles. That was followed up by the participants breaking off into four teams and working on a project for the next six days. My team got a project focused on identifying how to shorten the time to gain value from a joint venture. My team’s finished products were a presentation to an auditorium full of people, whitepaper, leadership toolkit, joint venture strategy rollout proposal, and a leadership “boot camp” structure. Overall, the program was a great learning experience but involved long days and late nights for two weeks straight, with the exception of one Sunday when we got a much-needed day off. Moreover, having to take the training while trying to coordinate my team through the graduate recruiting efforts during every break I had led to a tiring couple of weeks!

While I was busy with training, Neal was volunteering his services to recruit at his undergraduate (Northwestern) and graduate (University of Michigan Business School) schools, in addition to his normal job. With me being the leader of Dow’s recruiting operations in the U.S., one might think that I forced my husband into recruiting for Dow, but in all truth, Neal was very keen to do it on his own accord. During the month, Neal traveled to Chicago twice to recruit at Northwestern for full-time and summer intern chemical engineering students. He also traveled to Ann Arbor once to recruit full-time MBA students from the University of Michigan Business School. Overall, he really enjoyed the chance to interact with students again and his trips were successful in finding candidates who were good fits for our company.

On the personal front, during the month we caught up with our friends, Andrew and Caroline as well as Sue and Rob. We also found time to join some friends at a martini bar called Stables in Bay City. The bar has a really interesting concept. The building used to be – literally – horse stables in the 1960s. So, the owners kept the structure the same but cleaned it up and converted it into a bar. Large groups can reserve a stable so that they have their own room for themselves. It is a quirky, but cool, place.

Of course, we cannot talk about October without mentioning Halloween. People go crazy for Halloween around here. They decorate their gardens and office spaces with pumpkins, ghouls, cobwebs, and ghosts. On the day itself, lots of people dress up, even at work! We were invited to a Halloween party, and we struggled mightily to decide how much to dress up. Our memories raced back to the 70s party we attended in Switzerland where we and our friend, Maria, were the only three people dressed up! Naturally, we were apprehensive about overdoing things. In the end, we decided to dress as Austin Powers (Neal) and a witch (Deb), both of which were safe choices, showed that we put some effort into putting a costume together, and were easy enough to ditch if we discovered that no one dressed up. To our surprise, we arrived at the party to find people dressed up in the most elaborate costumes!

October 6 marked the one-year anniversary of the Shorgs being in the U.S. As we read back through our adventures, we sure have covered a lot in the year! We look forward to even more US adventures. Stay tuned!

2007-10-28T11:03:00.000-04:00

September pics: (1) the Shorgs in Times Square; (2) the Mamma Mia theater in New York City; (3) sea lions sunning themselves near Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco; (4) the Shorgs with Jorge and Letty in front of the Chicago skyline; (5) Deb takes a break during the Harbor Springs Cycling Classic; (6) Deb and Pappa Borg prepare to climb the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes.

2007-10-28T10:58:00.001-04:00

Episode 29: September 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Weekend in New York City;
• Deb’s work trip to San Francisco;
• Weekend in Chicago;
• Harbor Springs Cycling Classic;
• Pappa Borg visits Midland.

The first weekend of the month was a three-day one, thanks to U.S. Labor Day. We celebrated work by not doing any (woohoo!) and instead flew to New York City for the weekend. We arrived late on Friday night and immediately turned in after a long day of work and travel. The fun started on Saturday. Being the avid sightseers that we are, we decided to explore the city by foot and took a long walk from our hotel – located close to Times Square – all the way to Chinatown. (For those of you who are familiar with New York City, I hope you agree when I say…dang, that is a long walk!) Lucky for us, the weather was perfect, allowing us to take in all the sights of the city and work on our tans.

As one does after a workout, we worked up a hunger once we got to Chinatown and stopped for a fabulous yum-cha (a.k.a. dim sum) lunch at a very authentic little restaurant packed with locals and natives (not a word of English was heard). Within seconds of being seated at our table (which we shared with another patron), we were indulging in all sorts of delicious bite-size samples of food. We spent the next hour trying all the offerings that came around, including the things that clearly were not from parts of animals that we are used to eating (though we never got up the courage to try the BBQ’ed chicken feet).

That evening, we hit Broadway to have a few mandatory pre-show drinks and saw the long-running musical, “Mamma Mia!” For those that have not seen it, we highly recommend it, regardless of your thoughts about ABBA. The musical was light-hearted fun, complete with great acting and (yes, even Neal admits it) catchy ABBA songs. (To Neal’s embarrassment I sang and danced in my seat through the entire show.) After the show, we caught a taxi (driven by a seemingly suicidal driver) to a restaurant in the meat packing district called Spice Market, suggested to us be a colleague of mine. The restaurant is part of the collection of famed restaurateur, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The restaurant did not disappoint. The food was innovative and, better yet, tasted great. The décor made us feel like we were walking through a preserved Tibetan palace with huge ceilings, Asian artifacts, and a cool, dimly-lit interior.

The next day, we spent most of our time seeing the usual sights, many of which we have visited in past trips. By this stage we had mastered the subway (which our legs thanked us for), which gave us more excuses to venture farther from the hotel. We took the subway to the southern tip of Manhattan Island to see the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center memorial site, Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, and the Brooklyn Bridge. Then we traveled back uptown to Central Park where we spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping under the sun.

That evening we headed downtown to the Lower East Side of Manhattan where we met up with some of Neal’s friends from business school who are now living in the city – Chris and his wife, Olga, and Hart. The meeting place was a restaurant called The Stanton Social, which was a surprisingly beautiful little place in the middle of a rougher neighborhood. We had a great evening – good food, great company, and lots of laughs – as we caught up on all that had happened in each other’s lives over the past two years.

The last day of our trip was a relaxing one. It started with brunch in Soho at a place chosen by Neal call Balthazar. We munched on a great meal, looked around the shops a bit, and then headed to the airport for our flight back to Michigan.

We ended the short work week with a movie on Friday night with a friend of ours (“Superbad” which, unfortunately, lived up to its name), followed by a night out at a local bar to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of my team members. On Sunday, I took off for a work trip to San Francisco. It was my first visit to that city, and I spent three days there for a recruiting conference along with two colleagues of mine. While there, we took the opportunity to explore as much of San Francisco as we could, including Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Union Square. The city is fabulous, vibrant, and extremely diverse.

The following weekend we took another trip, this time to Chicago. We originally planned to go to Chicago so that we could see one of Neal’s friends from business school, Rado, who was going to be in town from London. Unfortunately, Rado’s plans fell through, but Neal and I decided to go ahead with ours.

We were graciously hosted that weekend by Neal’s business school friend, Jorge, and his wife, Letty. Jorge and Letty are originally from Mexico and when we told them that we were in the mood for some “authentic” Mexican food, they took up the task. As soon as we had arrived at their apartment, we headed to the Adobo Grill. To add to the atmosphere, it was the weekend of Mexico’s Independence Day and the city and its people had Mexico on their minds. True to Jorge and Letty’s word, the restaurant was fantastic. After dinner, we went dancing…but not just any dancing. In keeping with the Latin theme, Jorge and Letty took us to a salsa club. It was a little nerve-wracking being on the dance floor among people who were clearly much more coordinated that us, but we still found time to get down with our bad selves (those cha-cha lessons we took sure came in handy)!

The next day Neal and I decided to visit an area of Chicago that neither of us had seen. So, we hailed a cab to an area called Bucktown. This area of Chicago is better known for its alternative lifestyle shops. There are lots of odd-ball boutiques there, and lots of piercings and tattoos on patrons. It turned out to be a great place, as we got in some shopping and a nice lunch. We finished up our daytime adventure at a reasonable hour because we had tickets that night to see “Wicked,” a Broadway musical that was in the midst of a very long run of sold-out shows in Chicago. “Wicked” has a clever plot – it is supposed to be the prequel to the Wizard of Oz, explaining how the Wicked Witch became what she became. The show was fantastic – go see it if you have the chance.

On Sunday, Jorge and Letty joined us for brunch at a restaurant near their apartment. Then, the four of us went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, yet another Chicago attraction that both Neal and I had not visited. The zoo is free to the public and is surprisingly good for a free zoo. Helping things, the weather was tremendously good and we had a great day seeing the animals. We even found some time to walk to a nearby fair that was showcasing local artists. Finally, after a full day, it was time for us to get back to the airport for our flight back to Michigan.

Following another busy week at work, we spent another weekend away from Midland (seeing a trend yet?). This time we drove two hours north to the town of Harbor Springs to take part in the Harbor Springs Cycling Classic. The ride was 42 miles (68 kilometers) long that featured gorgeous scenery and some brutal hills. The Cycling Classic is an annual event put on to give riders the chance to cycle through the countryside and experience Michigan’s famous “changing of the colors,” the time in autumn when the leaves on all the trees turn from green to amazing shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. The most famous part of the ride is along the Tunnel of Trees which, as its name suggests, is a tree lined with trees all around it. (It reminded me a lot of the Avenue of Honour in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, only a lot longer and with a crystal-blue lake on one side.) Beautiful scenery aside, our legs were crying for help by the end of the ride. Good thing we did not sign up for the 60-mile option!

We rewarded ourselves with a stroll through the town of Harbor Springs, followed by a nice dinner at a restaurant that looks out onto the harbor and the lake. Sunday was part recovery day and part travel day where we explored the nearby towns of Charlevoix and Petoskey before heading home.

In the last weekend of September, we welcomed Pappa Borg to Midland. Dad was in Chicago for work during the week leading up to his Midland visit and he came over to us before flying back to Switzerland. After a relaxing catch-up on Friday evening, we drove back to northern Michigan on Saturday, this time to the Traverse City area. We went there to show Dad the same changing colors that we had seen the weekend before as well as massive Lake Michigan (one of the five Great Lakes of the U.S.). The final stop of the day was Sleeping Bear Dunes, an immense set of sand dunes (yes, sand dunes) that have formed along Lake Michigan. The Dunes can be climbed and, once you get high enough, they reward you with a view of Lake Glenn on one side and Lake Michigan on the other. The view is spectacular and worth the painful climb up several steep hills of sand.

And dropping off Pappa Borg at the airport ended a very busy, and fun-filled, month!

2007-09-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

August pics: (1) the Aussom Aussie BBQ stand; (2) the Pig Gig baby pig races; (3) Mike, Faith, and Hannah; (4) Deb executing a trapeze move; (5) Deb and the girls showing off their circus skills; (6) the Shorgs in a kayak.

2007-09-09T14:06:00.000-04:00

Episode 28: August 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Bay City Pig Gig
• Mike, Faith, and baby Hannah visit Midland
• Neal completes his first duathlon
• Deb’s trapeze and spa weekend
• Canoeing in Oscoda, Michigan

Someone told me that if you want a true slice of the Midwest, go to a festival. So that’s exactly what we did. On the first Saturday in August, we attended the Bay City Pig Gig, a festival dedicated to, well, pigs. It features everything from racing baby pig, petting animals (pigs included), eating pork ribs and other barbeque, and watching local variety performances. The festival attracted an “interesting” slice of humanity – you could pick out any of the festival workers by their haircut (mullet) and the occasional missing tooth.

The highlight of the festival is the rib cook-off, which attracts contestants from all over the U.S. Each barbeque company sets up a large outdoor kitchen where they cook up their best barbeque for the competition and for sale to the public. My decision about which company to try was made easy when we saw the Australian contingent: Aussom Aussie BBQ. All the way from sunny Sydney, the one token Aussie on the team, complete with Acubra (wide-brimmed hat), greeted patrons at the cooking station, laying the accent on thick, and then called out the orders to the many Americans who were actually doing all the work. Now that is what I call Aussie entrepreneurial thinking! Regardless of the “authenticity” of Aussom Aussie, we had to admit that the ribs were wonderful! After getting our fill of the Midwest, we met up with our friends, Patty and Michel, at their new house for dinner.

The following weekend, our good friends, Mike and Faith, came to town to attend the wedding reception of some friends of theirs. For those who have followed the Shorgs from the beginning, you may remember Mike as the friend of Neal’s who traveled with him to Australia in 2002 just after Neal and I started dating. Since then, Mike has left Dow Chemical, gotten married, and welcomed a new baby (Hannah) to the family. We caught up with them on Friday night for dinner and then had them and some other friends over on Sunday for brunch at our place. The rest of the weekend was relatively quiet besides a round of golf and watching some movies at home.

We have been maintaining a fairly consistent exercise program this summer through a combination of Ultimate Frisbee, cycling, golf, and the occasional jog. Neal decided to take things one level further this month by completing his first duathlon. A duathlon is like a triathlon but without the swimming leg. Neal’s duathlon had two running legs (the first was two miles, or 3.2 kilometers, and the second was five kilometers) and a biking leg (10 miles, or 16 kilometers). The race was in Sanford, about 15 minutes from Midland, and was impressively well-organized and well-attended. Neal did great! He said that his goal was just to finish the race, which he did while even hitting his target time. Me, being the good wife that I am, did not join him in the race (out of fear of totally embarrassing myself given that I am not in the greatest shape), but I did cheer him and the other competitors on. I was proud as punch when he crossed the finish line!

Immediately after celebrating the race, I headed into northern Michigan for a girl’s weekend away with my friends, Lynn and Stephanie. Our destination was Boyne Mountain, a resort that boasts a spa facility, small village, and one of Michigan’s largest mountains. I personally chuckle at the fact that it is called a mountain – it is a hill at best – but it does offer the locals a place to ski in the winter and some great hikes and mountain bike trails in the summer. We were grateful for its fabulous spa facilities and very impressive trapeze set. Yes, you read correctly. The girls and I specifically went to Boyne Mountain for a two-hour trapeze lesson, which provided another reason for why I did not opt for a life in the circus. But it was so much fun to try! By the end of our lesson, all 11 of us in the class were able to grab the bar, swing, hang upside down with our knees over the bar, and get caught by one of the instructors while hanging upside down. After getting over the initial fear that one has when jumping to a bar that is hanging over a 30-foot drop to a net below, I found it to be totally exhilarating. We finished our lesson with hugs and high-fives for everyone (I think we were amazed we were all alive and, besides a few bruises, relatively unscathed) and headed off to a restaurant for dinner. Lynn drove back that evening while Stephanie and I stayed the night so that we could complete the weekend the next day with a few spa treatments before driving back to Midland. We vowed that we would make the trapeze class and spa an annual girls’ weekend away, provided that the resort gets the trapeze people back.

Regarding work, I took a day trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee this month. Travelling in style, I hitched a ride on the corporate jet along with five members of the HR leadership team, including our Executive Vice President. We went to Tennessee to visit the electricity provider Tennessee Valley Authority to discuss benchmarking with their team. The trip was relatively uneventful, though I wonder how executives ever go back to travelling on commercial planes after being spoiled with no waiting lines, immediate take-off on demand, and the ability to fly into small towns rather than major airports. That is the life! Outside of travel, I was quoted for the first time in a major publication. Business Week magazine wrote an article about the U.S. recruitment market and contacted yours truly for an interview. Okay, so they spelled my name wrong initially and got my job title wrong, too. Still, it was a great experience! (If you are interested, click here to see the article.)

The final weekend of the month began with a lovely night out for dinner followed by a viewing of “The Bourne Ultimatum.” The next morning, we awoke to the sound of a rain storm and, therefore, decided to give our credit card a workout at the Birch Run shopping mall. Located about 45 minutes from our place, the mall is home to literally hundreds of shops, including some of our favorite brands. Naturally, we bought far more than we needed!

We had an early start the next day as we decided to take another drive, this time two hours north of Midland, to the town of Oscoda. After a stop at the Lumberjack’s Memorial (complete with statue and gift shop), we arrived at our destination: a kayak rental shop along the Au Sable River. Home of the best trout fishing in Michigan and a popular spot for water enthusiasts, the Au Sable is the most famous river in the Midwest (or so we were told). We chose to rent a two-person kayak and paddle our way down six miles of the river. The paddling was easy given that the river’s current is quite brisk and pretty much did all the work for us. Along the way, we witnessed first-hand the water sports that the river is famous for, most of which consisted of tubing down the river while drinking cans of beer! Unfortunately we did not see any animals along the river besides two families of swans, but the two-hour cruise was very scenic, with beautiful trees and flowering reeds as far as the eye can see.

Following our river adventure, we visited the town of Oscoda and had an ice cream cone while sitting along a perfect sandy beach that went as far as the eye could see. I had to keep reminding myself that the massive body of water in front of me is actually a fresh-water lake and not the ocean…though it looks the same to me!

While the drive to and from Oscoda is not really worth writing about, we did drive through some very questionable cities where we decided it best not to stop. Two stops of note were Omar, where the locals proudly display a sign that says that the city is the smallest in Michigan (now that’s saying something), and Standish, a non-descript town that, oddly enough, is the home of an awesome roadside taco stand!

2007-08-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

July pics: (1) Deb shows her July 4th spirit; (2) Neal and his parents at Dow Gardens; (3) a typical canal in Amsterdam; (4) Mont Blanc and its surrounds; (5) the castle in Foix; (6) the newlyweds and a couple of their dapper guests.

2007-08-19T10:56:00.000-04:00

Episode 27: July 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• July 4th celebrations
• Sheorey parents’ visit to Midland
• European vacation (Amsterdam and Switzerland)
• Daphne and Pierre’s wedding in Cadarcet, France

The number 27 is an auspicious number in the Sheorey – and now Shorg – household. Neal proposed to me on the 27th day of the month, our birthdays are 27 days apart…the list goes on and on. Not surprisingly, this episode being our 27th installment, July was a great month!

On the tail-end of our weekend in Chicago, we started July with an action-packed week at work, thankfully broken up by a holiday in the middle of the week: July 4th, the Americans’ Independence Day. The evening of July 3, we drove to Bay City for what was advertised as the best firework display in the region. True to form, the 45-minute show did not disappoint. Something that continues to astound and inspire me is the national pride that Americans have, and the celebrations of the country’s independence brought out the best of this patriotism. The crowds were a sea of red, white, and blue, with children and elderly alike stopping to salute the flag and sing the anthem.

On July 4 we were invited by some friends to their house on Sanford Lake (about 10 minutes away from Midland) to enjoy an afternoon outdoors. And what would a day of patriotism be without a barbeque and a sacrifice of one’s digits by putting on a display of personal fireworks in the backyard?! Thankfully, no one lost a finger.

Over the next week, our schedules settled down and allowed us to catch up on some hobbies. I have joined a book club which is made up of a great group of girls who get together each month to discuss our book of the month. July’s book was “Eat, Pray, Love,” a great biography by Elizabeth Gilbert. This time the club met at our place for the monthly debrief, which ended up being more about pop-culture gossip and the wine than the book itself.

We also kept up with our fitness activities, although we are not training for any major events at the moment. Neal and I are now both playing Ultimate Frisbee two nights a week. It is a great sport that allows us to run around and get a decent workout while having fun. Neal is also playing in a weekly golf league, and he and his partner are on track to finish in first-place this season.

In the second weekend of the month we were visited by Neal’s parents who made the trip up from Oklahoma. Although they had been to Midland before (when Neal previously lived here), they had yet to see our new digs and we had not seen them since our Hindu wedding in January. We spent the weekend cooking, playing cards, and spending time with each other. We also took the opportunity to check out some of the local sites. One nice outing was for an afternoon stroll through the Dow Gardens, a wonderful park that has been meticulously manicured. We also made it to the movie theater to see Michael Moore’s new film, “Sicko,” which we thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend. Overall, it was a relaxing and fun weekend together.

Two days after Neal’s parents left, it was our turn to travel, this time for a two-week European summer vacation. After 11 hours of flying we arrived in Amsterdam where we stopped for, literally, 24 hours. As soon as we checked into our hotel we dumped our bags, showered, and set out to explore Europe’s largest historical inner city. We came away very impressed with Amsterdam. The city has many facets: impressive architecture, featuring grand gabled houses, history housed in hundreds of museums (none of which we had the time to visit), old world charm, cozy bars, and a great culinary scene. We took in as much of the city as we could by foot, then caught a mandatory boat ride to see many of the 160 man-made canals. The canals give the city an incredible feel – narrow streets, tiny bridges, and waterfront property everywhere you look. We followed up our boat tour with a snack of über traditional fries and mayonnaise and then dinner overlooking one of the canals. Before heading back to our hotel, we waited for nightfall to arrive before making one last tourist stop at Amsterdam’s famous red light district, which we found fascinating and disturbing all at the same time. The district features hundreds of scantily-clad women on display in window fronts with red fringed curtains, attempting to entice passers-by to stop in. The openness and legality of the whole scene were rather shocking, as were the ages of some of the women who looked every bit like teenagers. And, yes, it is true that purchasing and smoking marijuana is perfectly legal in Amsterdam when done in sanctioned shops and “coffeehouses.”

The next day we were back on a plane, this time to Zurich. Upon arriving in Zurich, we were greeted by our dear friend, Maria, who kindly picked us up and hosted us for our four days in town. During that time we caught up with friends, shopped, ate, and enjoyed walking the streets of Zurich again, reminiscing about the places we used to frequent. It was wonderful to be back again and reminded us how fortunate we were to have lived there and made such fantastic friends.

After four days in Zurich, we boarded a train to Lausanne where we were picked up by Dad and Julie for the next part of our journey. We spent two days with them at their home in Vevey and took day trips exploring some of the local sites. On the first day, we visited a very impressive waterfall, Gorge du Denard, and saw an old amphitheatre in Martigny. We topped off the day by driving along a very impressive mountain road that has been literally carved into a mountain and made just wide enough for only one vehicle to pass through in most places – despite the sheer drop on one side and the two-way traffic. At the end of the road was the picturesque town of Deborance, a village of some 10 houses set in a very rustic and pristine setting. The drive back down the mountain was equally interesting (and nerve-racking)! On day two, we drove to the famous ski town of Chamonix, France. Despite the ski season being several months away, the town is just as popular in the summer with hikers, mountaineers, and tourists coming to the area to catch a glimpse of the massive Mont Blanc, an impressive mountain that spans into three countries (Italy, France, and Switzerland). We spent the day looking around the town and then went to the top of Brevant (2,532 metres, or approximately 7,000 feet), a mountain on the other side of the valley from Mont Blanc, to get some good pictures of the mountains and a bird’s eye view of the valley below. It is an extremely beautiful part of the world!

The next day we packed up again and continued our adventure by car, with Dad and Julie in tow, to the south of France to attend our friends’ wedding. Along the way, we made a few stops. The first stop was a delightful little town just across the Switzerland-France border called Annecy. The town dates back to the 1400s and has a beautifully-preserved old city comprised of a maze of lanes, passages, and arcaded houses that are lined below and between the branches of the Canal du Thiou, which ultimately flows into the River Fier. It was a great place to stop for lunch and to absorb some history before continuing with the remainder of the eight-hour drive to our final destination, Foix, in the Ariege region.

The Ariege region is at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains in southern France. The truly rustic French countryside offers a glimpse of the past, with rolling hills, quaint towns, caves, and many Cathar castles. Surprisingly, there was more to see and do in the area than our four days would allow. We toured around the town of Foix, which was our favorite town in the region. We also visited the nearby town of St. Giron, a pre-historic cave called Mas de Azil, and even had a relaxing canoe one afternoon along the river just outside our hotel.

That Saturday was the wedding of our friends, Daphne and Pierre. The wedding was held at Pierre’s family’s estate in the small town of Cadarcet. I had the honor of being a witness at the civil wedding, which was a small ceremony held in the mayor’s office. Following that was a full church ceremony in the local cathedral, conveniently located about 20 steps from the mayor’s office. Following the wedding, all the guests returned to the family estate for aperitifs, dinner, and an evening of dancing. It was a wonderful wedding. The bride and groom looked fantastic and the setting was incredibly romantic as the estate overlooked beautiful gardens and the rolling hills of the Pyrenees. A great time was had by all!

The next day we loaded up the car again and the four of us (Dad, Julie, Neal and I) drove one hour north to the city of Toulouse. Along the way, we stopped in the old fortified towns of St. Martin d’Odysses and Carla Bayle, the latter having an amazing view of the valleys below as it was strategically positioned on a hill. We also stopped at a small town called Lezat s/Leize, a quaint village that had the coolest display: on the front door of each house in the village was a professional black-and-white picture of the family that lives inside! As we looked at each picture we were reminded that a picture really can say a thousand words.

Toulouse was a very interesting city, with a history dating back over 2,000 years. We spent most of our time exploring the old district, winding through streets until we came upon the impressive Place du Capitole, the home of the Capitole Theatre and the Town Hall. The architecture of the city was very beautiful and somewhat Parisian. Being a Sunday, most things besides restaurants were closed, but that did not stop us from walking through the city, admiring the buildings, visiting the inside of some wonderful churches, and enjoying our final dinner in Europe (which did not disappoint).

And so ended our vacation in Europe and the month of July. During our two weeks in Europe, we managed to catch up with family and friends, relax, see the sights of Amsterdam, western Switzerland, and southwest France, and celebrate the marriage of two of our dear friends. Who could ask for a better vacation?!

See you next month!

2007-07-17T22:53:00.000-04:00

June pics: (1) lunch with Paul, Shalaka, and Wendy, (2) starting the MS 150; (3) the lighthouse at Tawas Beach; (4) the boys at the ninth hole; (5) Ulrika and Dan Thanh; (6) the Taste of Chicago entrance; (7) the beautiful Chicago skyline.

2007-07-17T22:52:00.000-04:00

Episode 26: June 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Day trip to Saugatuck, Michigan
• MS 150 bike ride for charity
• Neal’s birthday weekend
• Weekend at the Taste of Chicago

June was yet another adventure-filled month in the Shorg household. It began with a weekend at home. We drove two hours south to a suburb of Detroit to have lunch with some of Neal’s friends who went to the same business school as him. It was great to see Paul, Shalaka, Wendy, and the newest member of the King family, baby Mallory. On arriving back in Midland, we visited the local art fair that showcased craftsman from all around Michigan. The heat, however, restricted the amount of time we spent outside. The following day, we invited a few friends over to join us for a casual barbeque lunch. I spent a few days of the following week in Texas before getting back in time to celebrate our friend, Patty’s, birthday at a martini bar in Bay City. We were joined by our other good friends, Dave and Marcelo, for what proved to be a fun – and late – evening.

The following morning we drove 2.5 hours west to Grand Rapids, Michigan (a town you may remember from our May adventures). Rather than stop in Grand Rapids, we kept on driving to the beautiful lake-side town of Saugatuck. A quaint little town that comes alive with the summer tourists, Saugatuck was full of gorgeous boutique stores, restaurants, and plenty of yachts in the harbor. Some of the specialty stores which we just could not resist stopping at included a store that specialized in olive oils and balsamic vinegars – it had its own tasting center set up with several urns filled with different kinds of infused olive oils and vinegars – and another that specialized in every imaginable dry spices from all over the world. Both stores seemed to be out of place in this tiny Michigan town, and we were very happy to stumble across them. That particular weekend was especially busy in Saugatuck because the town’s annual film festival was on. Somehow, the film festival in Saugatuck attracts crowds in the thousands each year, including the occasional indie movie star. Although we did not have time to catch a flick, we were impressed with the selection of movies on hand.

We spent the evening back in Grand Rapids where we re-visited our favorite tapas bar for dinner. We got to bed fairly early to build up some energy for the next day. On Sunday, we rode in the short version of the MS-150, a bike ride that raises money to fight against multiple sclerosis. The full ride is 150 miles (~250 kms) over two days. Having not exactly trained for the event (and each fighting some nagging injuries), we opted for the abridged version – a one-day, 30-mile ride (~50 kms).

We got to the registration desk at a local high school in Grand Rapids at 9 am to begin our journey. The ride was very well-coordinated and organized, with rest stops planned along the way and a cook-out at the finish line. The ride itself consisted of rolling hills (ouch) and some great scenery of the green lands and farm houses of mid-Michigan. Though we did not break any land speed records, Neal and I finished the ride in a personal-best time of 2 hours, 50 minutes (including rest and photo stops). At the finish line, we were welcomed by the organizing committee who loudly cheered us in, a Dow-sponsored masseuse, and a nice lunch. We came away from the weekend feeling proud of ourselves for completing the 30-mile race and looking forward to working up to the full 150 miles next year.

Upon returning to Midland, we got cleaned up and then headed back out to a colleague/friend’s house to attend his farewell party. He has decided to leave Dow and return to Switzerland to work for a new company. This was the same colleague who brought me to Switzerland from Australia to work for him, so I was quite sad to see him and his family leave. However, I am happy for him as he is off to head up HR at a very large private company, so we wish him all the best!

The next weekend we sought out some relief from the hot weather, taking a long-overdue trip to the beach. Yes, the beach. Michigan has the next best thing to the ocean: the great lakes, which offer amazing masses of fresh water that in some cases go as far as the horizon and feature white-sand beaches and their own tides. We drove to Tawas City with Dave, Marcelo, Patty, and a friend of Dave’s, Nicole. The Tawas beach was wonderful and clean, with sand that rivaled any beach in Victoria, Australia. I must admit that the water was a little cool, and I was not quite ready for the feeling of fresh water. We had a great day soaking up the sun, swimming, and enjoying a picnic lunch on the beach. We even found time to sneak in a few games of Yahtzee!

The next weekend was Neal’s birthday weekend. As a surprise for him, I arranged for a few of his friends from business school to come over and spend the weekend with us. They were not going to arrive at our house until later in the evening, so I had to keep Neal busy. After a day of work, Neal and I went to the golf course and snuck in a round at the par-3 course before going home and cooking dinner. To Neal’s surprise, the doorbell mysteriously rang at about 11 pm. The look on Neal’s face was priceless as he answered the door to see his friends that he had not seen in over two years. There was a lot of catching up to do, and we stayed up until 3 am chatting and hearing about what has been happening in each other’s lives.

The following morning, we went back to the golf course and met up with another friend, Paul, who drove up from Detroit that morning. Letty and I only played nine holes, while the boys played a full 18. That evening, we continued the festivities with a barbeque dinner at our house where more friends from Midland joined us. After great food, good company, and a marathon round of Texas Hold ‘Em poker, we got into bed in the wee hours of the Sunday morning.

On Sunday, after saying goodbye to Steve, Jorge and Letty, we welcomed two friends from Switzerland for lunch, Ulrika and Dan Thanh. Both of them happened to be in town for work reasons, and it was wonderful to see them and catch up on all our friends in Switzerland.

The final adventure of the month was the Taste of Chicago, a Chicago tradition in which local restaurants set up stalls in a park in the city and cook up all kinds of food. The event features cuisine from more than 70 restaurants in the city plus entertainment and other side attractions. We arrived in Chicago on Friday evening, and I had one more birthday surprise planned for Neal. For dinner that night, we went to Charlie Trotter’s, a famous restaurant (listed in our 1000-places-to-see-before-you-die book) and well renowned for its chef and his artistic culinary creations. The restaurant did not disappoint. The fun part of it was that we got a chance to don our party frocks, as the restaurant required formal attire. The restaurant itself was very discreet from the outside, looking more like a well-lit house than a famous restaurant. It was not until we got inside that Neal realized where we were and I got the full value of the surprise. The food – presented in a nine-course tasting menu – showcased the freshest and most unusual ingredients, presented in a way that resembled art more than dinner. It was a very memorable dinner experience.

The following day, we hit the Taste. We started by walking down Michigan Avenue for the obligatory stroll through some of our favorite stores. Eventually, we joined the crowds at the Taste. The set-up was fantastic. There were stalls everywhere for the different restaurants, which each shop offering four dishes to showcase their cuisine. Each restaurant prepared a “taste” portion which allowed us to taste small samples of many dishes. Besides the obligatory slice of Chicago pizza and a Chicago-style hot dog, we tried to stay away from the ordinary food that we could get everywhere. A few favorites of ours were Polish pierogies, Puerto Rican plantain sandwiches filled with steak, tenderloin and blue cheese sandwiches, Mexican tacos, and African goat with coconut rice. Delicious!

For me, the highlight of the Taste was the free concert put on by the one-and-only Kenny Rogers. Kenny continues to be a hot favorite of mine and my friend, Andrea, so there was quite the nostalgic factor associated with listening to him. It was great fun to sit in Grant Park under the sun and sing along with the crowd (and Kenny) to his hits!

That evening, we met up with Neal’s friends Jorge, Letty, and Steve for dinner. This time, we were joined by Steve’s wife, Tara, and daughter, Megan. It was another great evening.

On Sunday we treated ourselves to a boat tour along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, which was a wonderful way to see what we think is one of the best cities in the world. From there, we visited the Taste again to stock up on more delicious food before heading to the airport for the flight home.

In addition to all these activities, we fit in two theatrical/cultural events this month. The first was a great circus performance by the troupe, 7 Fingers of the Hand. The performance was put on by five young adults who all met one another during their time at Cirque du Soleil and decided to go solo. It was a highly entertaining show! The second event was Midland’s celebration of the summer solstice on June 21 during which the town blocked off its downtown streets and opened them up to street parades, musicians, and performers.

And that ends our month of June. July looks to be another active month, with our summer vacation to Europe. Stay tuned!

2007-06-17T12:35:00.000-04:00

May pics: (1) Neal at the entrance to Rosie's Diner; (2) the tulips in Holland, Michigan; (3) a view of the Mackinac Bridge; (4) the famous Cheers bar in Boston; (5) the stamp of Boston's Freedom Trail; (6) Deb with our local mascot, Lou E. Loon.

2007-06-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

Episode 25: May 2007

Highlights of the month include:
- Tulip Festival in Holland, Michigan
- Anniversary weekend on Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Long weekend in Boston

On the first weekend of the month we headed to the Midland Center for the Arts (a regular trip for us) to see a fantastic comedy/mystery called “Red Herring.” Once again, we were not disappointed with the quality of the volunteer theater. The following morning, we put the roof down on the Eos for the first time this season and began a road trip to Holland, Michigan (thanks to Ulrika, our friend in Switzerland, for her “Power Ballads” CD, which kept us company for most of the trip). Holland is about two hours east of Midland, along Lake Michigan, and is home to an annual tulip festival.

On the way, we stopped in the tiny town of Rockford for lunch at a diner that we had seen featured as one of the best diners in the U.S. on the Food Network television channel. Rosie’s Diner is actually three old style American diners linked together. One of diners was shipped from New Jersey and is famous for having appeared in television advertisements in the 1950s. Rosie’s was worth the stop. While the food was nothing sensational – typical diner fare of hamburgers, hot dogs, milk shakes, and so on – the experience was like being transported back to the 1950s.

After filling up on shakes and burgers, we arrived in Holland to see the spectacular sight of over 750,000 tulips (according to the brochure—we lost count at around 600,000) of all colors in full bloom. The city of Holland is home to Hope College, which brings a university “vibe” to the town, giving it a nice creative, eclectic side. And as the name of the town suggests, there is a distinct Dutch influence in the area and among the people and their family history. We explored the town, the art and craft fair that was put on in Centennial Park, and witnessed a Klompen Dance exhibit and costume parade featuring costumes from the past 500 years of history in The Netherlands. As we ventured further away from the main festival area, we stumbled on a celebration of a much different kind: Cinco de Mayo (May 5) the annual Mexican celebration that commemorates freedom and liberty. It traces back to May 5, 1862 when 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City.

Walking thru the Cinco de Mayo festival was like walking into a different world. From the well behaved, genteel festival of the Dutch, with their clogs, long skirts and suspenders, we were transported into a world of cut-off t-shirts, short shorts, tattoos, pit bulls, a “pimp my ride” car exhibition, and taco stands galore. Of course, we made sure to enjoy a taco before leaving the celebration and were happy to find that they were “muy bueno.”

That night, we stayed in Grand Rapids, a large town about 30 minutes away from Holland, which boasts a lot of Michigan’s industry and employment opportunities. Like all big cities, Grand Rapids is home to some great restaurant options – one which we discovered was a wonderful tapas bar that had a Spanish/north African influence called San Chez. The following day we did a little more exploring of downtown Grand Rapids before heading back to Midland for an Australian-esque barbeque at a fellow Australian colleague’s house.

That week, I had my team (all 23 of them) in town for a meeting that I was hosting. Each evening was filled with activities, one of which was a trip to Midland’s newest attraction, the baseball stadium, to see our local team, The Mid-Michigan Loons. The Loons belong to a professional team’s “farm” system – teams that exist to grow and develop young talent for the professional league. The Loons are associated with the professional baseball team, The Los Angeles Dodgers, and are considered a Single-A team, which is three steps away from the professional level (there are also Double-A and Triple-A teams and the talent level rises with each one). In many cases, the players on the team are practically kids – young men drafted out of high school and now being groomed to someday play on the professional stage.

To finish up a hectic and tiring week, and to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we took another road trip, this time about two hours north of Midland to beautiful Mackinac Island. Located in the middle of Lake Superior, the island is only accessible by ferry, which depart from Mackinac City. Mackinac Island banned the use of automobiles in 1898, which keeps it an exhaust free, quiet, and quaint village with a unique, charming, and historic ambience. Besides bike (and foot), the most popular way to get around the island is by horse and carriage. In preparation for the trip, we decided to take our bikes along and spent the weekend riding around the island. In addition to history, and tourism, one of the island’s claims to fame is chocolate fudge. There are more than a dozen fudge shops, which are entertaining to watch as they make fudge (and they offer samples!).

That evening we stayed in the historic Grand Hotel, featured as one of the top ten hotels in the world that one should visit. Our room had an amazing view of the lake and the hotel’s famous gardens. We enjoyed dinner that night at the hotel (for which, in keeping with tradition, the hotel requires patrons to dress in formal attire), followed by showcasing our newly-learned dancing skills to the tunes of a great local band. It was a wonderful weekend and a great way to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

The following weekend, we went to a friend’s place for a martini party. The company was great (as were the martinis) so a good time was had by all. To continue the martini theme, we headed to our friend, Patty’s, place for dinner the following evening where we were joined by my hairdresser and good friend, Marcelo, and his partner, Dave. It ended up being a great evening, complete with dancing on the deck outside until the wee hours of the morning. We ended the weekend by going to the movies to see “Shrek The Third.” The movie was funny, but not as funny as the first two.

My birthday happened to fall on the last weekend in May, which was a three-day weekend due to the annual Memorial day holiday. We took advantage of this and spent a four-day weekend in Boston, Massachusetts. This fabulous city in the northeast of the U.S. is home to many historic sites. It is the home of the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere, the oldest university in the nation (Harvard University), the oldest restaurant in the nation (Ye Olde Oyster House), and, of course the Cheers bar from the television show. The most historic sites in Boston are presented along a 2.5-hour walk that is known as “the Freedom Trail.” Along the trail, there are many occasions where old and new stand side-by-side. 18th century history sits next to 21st century neighbors. One cemetery along the trail houses the bodies of many historic figures, but the grave I was most delighted by was not Paul Revere’s but rather the grave of Mother Goose! We stopped for lunch along the way at America’s oldest restaurant, Ye Olde the Oyster House, for some traditional New England chowder and delicious fish and muscles. The trail ends at Bunker Hill, which honors the Battle of Bunker Hill where American revolutionaries lost but significantly crippled the British side. We climb the 293 steps to the top of the monument for a bird’s eye view of Boston.

Besides getting a history lesson on the U.S. (just ask me anything about “no taxation without representation”), we also took advantage of Boston’s great shopping on Newbury Street and enjoyed the shade of the nearby public gardens. We also had some sensational culinary experiences in the city. Neal set himself a challenge of finding restaurants that offered slightly “different” cuisine than what we are used to having and he did a great job of finding some. Our first night’s dinner was at an Afghan restaurant for some delicious palaw (spiced-up rice) with kofta. The second night’s restaurant was my personal favorite, a place called Craigie Street Bistrot, which is a French-influenced restaurant that is tucked into a residential neighborhood in Cambridge. One thing I found interesting about the restaurant is that it writes its menu daily based on the organic ingredients the chef is able to find that day. Our final evening’s meal was another great find, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant called Oleana.

Aside from the above adventures of the month, I also took up a new sport. As you might remember from last month, I mentioned that want to follow Neal’s lead and take up golf. Well, my vision is becoming a reality. For my birthday, my wonderful husband bought me a set of golf clubs. I even took my first trip to the golf course with Neal, as the two of us played nine holes at a local par-3 course. Let me just say that my game is clearly in its early stages….

And that brings another month to a close. Thanks to all of you that sent us anniversary and birthday wishes through the month. We greatly appreciate them. Take care!

2007-05-20T19:06:00.002-04:00

April pics: (1) Beignets at Cafe du Monde; (2) Neal and his reptile friend; (3) our mosaic project; (4) Deb among the palm trees of Miami; (5) biking near Midland; (6) playing frisbee in a Midland park.

2007-05-20T19:06:00.001-04:00

Episode 24: April 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Easter weekend in New Orleans;
• Long weekend in Fort Lauderdale and Miami;
• Adventures in the Midland area.

On the first of the month, we welcomed the sunshine to Michigan with our first outing at a golf driving range in Saginaw where we hit a few golf balls, followed by a relaxed lunch at a nearby restaurant. I have decided to follow my husband’s lead and take up golf as my summer sport. The hit at the driving range was fun, and with a bit of practice, I could end up being more graceful!

The following day, Neal headed off to much colder temperatures in Calgary, Canada. He went to Calgary this time for a very short trip – only a couple of days – to attend a few business meetings. Neal said that the weather there was far from good: overcast and still very cold. Good thing it was a quick trip, I guess.

On the Tuesday of the same week, I headed off on my own business trip. Lucky for me, I headed south, toward warm weather, into Louisiana, a state I had never visited before. One of Dow’s four sites in the state is in a town called Plaquemine, located just outside of the larger town of Baton Rouge. Upon arriving, I was happy to be welcomed with temperatures in the mid-80’s (25 degrees Celsius), which was a lovely change from Michigan’s weather. I arrived at the plant, but did not stay for long. Within a few minutes, I turned back around, this time with two of my teammates in the car, to another of our Louisiana sites called St. Charles Operations, approximately one and a half hours from Plaquemine. The drive was very picturesque – beautiful shades of green, open roads, and sugar plantations as far as the eye could see. It was like nothing I have seen before. Local families were sitting on their front porches, children of all ages were casually crossing highways – it was like a scene out of “The Color Purple.” (They tell me that Mississippi, where “The Color Purple” was filmed, is very similar to southern Louisiana.) My teammates, keen to showcase the great food that Louisiana is famous for, took me to a local favorite called Deanies. The seafood was amazing! I learned that Louisiana is the only state where there are parishes instead of counties, as they are known throughout the rest of the U.S. (a.k.a. suburbs in Australia or cantons in Switzerland). Here’s another piece of useless trivia: it is the birth state of Britney Spears (there might be some readers who are impressed by that).

Meanwhile, back in Michigan, Neal arrived back from his meetings in Canada by mid-week. After a day of work in Midland, he returned to the airport to travel to New Orleans and spend Easter weekend there with me. After meeting Neal at the airport, we headed into town, dumped our luggage, and searched for a place for dinner. The Brennan family, noted for their monopoly on the local restaurant industry, did not disappoint with our first meal in N’Awlins (as locals say it with their fabulous Southern drawl). From there, we took a stroll along the famous Bourbon Street, which can be likened to Amsterdam (only not quite as clean). It is a fascinating cross section of society where good music, lots of booze, and strip clubs all converge. New Orleans is an “open container” city, which means that one can casually walk in the streets while drinking alcohol, so long as it is carried in a plastic cup. We stopped for a few hours to watch (and sing along to) the amazing dueling pianos at Pat O’Brian’s Piano Bar, home of the famous cocktail, the Hurricane, which was every bit as potent as we were warned.

On the first full day of our adventure, we strolled along the riverfront, taking in views of the Mississippi River and stopping for another famous bite of food (it is all about the food in New Orleans). This time we stopped at Café du Monde, the city’s oldest coffee shop and famous for its café au lait and beignets (fried dough topped with powder sugar). With our bellies full, we walked along Jackson Square and visited St. Louis Cathedral, both of which sit on the outer edge of the French Quarter. It was at the cathedral that we realized how spoiled we were by our travels in Europe. The oldest Catholic cathedral in the U.S., the St. Louis Cathedral was nice but it was nowhere as grand and gorgeous as a European cathedral.

Walking through the French Quarter, we took in the sights of some wonderful buildings, mostly residential now, and got to peek inside a few beautiful courtyards. We explored the antique stores, art galleries, and boutiques on the way to our next food adventure: a muffaletta sandwich at Central Grocery, the spot where it was created. It was well worth the wait in the queue!

To get a better explanation of the French Quarter and its history, we took a horse and carriage ride through the area. Of most interest to us were the homes of Francis Ford Cuppola and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The most impressive part of the city was the street entertainment, which was every bit as good as the entertainment we would pay for in the evenings. The city is blessed with some very talented musicians!

For a late afternoon snack, we stopped at another local food staple, the Acme Oyster Bar, for some chargrilled oysters and cold beer. The oysters were the biggest I have ever seen, and our shucker made us have one raw. I did not think I would like oysters, but these were wonderful tasting and incredibly fresh!

On day two, after a great breakfast, we went off on a swamp tour! It may sound hokey, but it was a fantastic way to see southern Louisiana’s cypress-studded wetlands and get up close and personal with the alligators that live there. Our tour guide was Captain Kyle. He took us on an air boat – basically a flat boat with a massive fan on the back, powered by a huge V8 engine. Captain Kyle stopped along the way to point out all the highlights – in his very hard to understand southern accent that sounded just like Bubba’s from “Forest Gump”! He found a nest of baby alligators that must have had about 20 or 30 alligators in it, ranging from 3/4 of a foot to 1.5 feet long (15 - 40cm). Then, he sprang into action, nearly falling out of the boat, and caught one of the babies to tell us all about its anatomy. Neal was brave enough to hold it, me not so much. Farther into the trip, we saw a cute little guy called a nutria – it looks much like a beaver or even a wombat – which is a native of the swamps and comes out when temperatures are mild.

Then, Captain Kyle took us to an area to see some big alligators, one of which was about seven feet long and curious enough to swim over to our boat. Dinner that evening was at another famous New Orleans hangout called the Commander’s Palace. It was fine dining at its best – the food was wonderful and the surroundings lived up to their palatial name.

Our last day in New Orleans was a relaxing one. We explored a bit more of the city, had a long lunch at Nola, a restaurant started by Emeril Lagasse, and headed to the airport for our trip home.

The southern hospitality we found in New Orleans was very welcoming. We were not sure how much of that friendliness we would see since the city is still picking up the pieces after the pounding it took from Hurricane Katrina two years ago. It was amazing just how many things were referenced as pre- or post-Katrina – clearly the hurricane was a defining moment for the city. To the naked eye, we could not tell what the hurricanes had done to the city, but we were told that business hours are still limited due to the lack of tourists and two-thirds of the population still has not moved back to the city.

After a week back in Midland, we headed off for our next weekend adventure, this time to sunny Florida. I had a conference to attend in Fort Lauderdale, and Neal met me at the tail end so that we could spend a few days there together. Fort Lauderdale is located along the east coast of Florida and is about 30 minutes from Miami. The city used to be known as a hotspot for college kids looking for sun and sand during their Spring Break vacations and is still a popular destination for beach-goers.

The first day we were there, Neal and I headed to the beach of course! We laid out under the sun, swam in the ocean a bit, and lounged by the pool. All in all, it was a tough day! On our second day, we walked thru downtown Fort Lauderdale and had a look at the shops. One of the places we found was especially interesting. It was a place called Joe Picasso’s. The shop is dedicated to do-it-yourself arts and crafts, specifically painting and mosaics. Customers can either paint their own ceramic figurine or they can make their own mosaic. To sweeten the deal, the shop also has a coffee bar so that customers can truly spend an entire afternoon there being creative.

We got totally sucked into this concept. In fact, we ended up spending the better part of a day at the store. We chose to make mosaics. We made one for ourselves – a large sunflower and a round stand to put it on – and a trivet and picture frame for our Mother’s Day gifts. The team at Joe Picasso’s got us all set up with mosaic pieces, glue, and instructions to get us started. After cutting and gluing down all our pieces, the staff would help us with making and then applying the grout to finish the piece. Great concept for a shop!

One of the days we were in the area, we managed drove to Miami to see what that city is all about. True to what people say, Miami certainly has a very superficial vibe to it. We headed toward the South Beach area, which is the hub of the surf, sand, and plastic surgery. It is also home to one of Miami’s art deco districts. We walked around the area, had some lunch, and even laid on the beach for a while. To be quite honest, we were not that impressed with Miami – it was much like any other big city and it felt a bit too touristy for us, especially coming from Fort Lauderdale where there seemed to be fewer tourists.

In the final weekend of the month, we chose to slow things down and stay in Midland to enjoy the beautiful weather that was finally beginning to emerge. The changing of the seasons has been a spectacular sight to see. We visited the theater once again, this time to see a local production of “The Wizard of Oz.” We also took advantage of the great weather by going for a long bike ride and enjoying a picnic in a local park. Neal has been taking advantage of the weather more than me, playing Ultimate Frisbee on Mondays and Thursdays, tennis on Tuesdays and golf league on Wednesdays. I guess I should get into the outdoor fitness, too, now that the weather is getting better. Let us see what I can manage next month!

2007-04-14T16:06:00.000-04:00

March pics: (1) Snow "art" in Midland; (2) us on a bike ride; (3) Deb and her team in Texas; (4) Deb on the corporate jet.

2007-04-14T16:05:00.000-04:00

Episode 23: March 2007

Highlights of the month include:
• Yee-haw: Deb visits the Houston Rodeo;
• Ice Hockey: Our first experience at a Saginaw Spirit game;
• Theatre: “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”;
• Daytrip: Ann Arbor.

The month started with me in Houston, Texas at a week-long leadership team meeting. The highlight of the week – second only to the Hawaiian-themed karaoke night – was a team outing at the famous Houston Rodeo. My team consists of my colleagues located in the other regions and our director, altogether seven of us. We headed to the large fairgrounds where the rodeo is based and toured the site to see the prized animals and all the paraphernalia for sale associated with the rodeo. I even witnessed my first live bull ride. It was quite the introduction to cowboy country!

As soon as I arrived back in Midland on Saturday, Neal and I headed from the airport to Saginaw, a town that is about 20 miles (30 kms) south of where we live. You may remember reading about Saginaw before in an earlier Shorg Blog. The town is located in the center of mid-Michigan on the Saginaw River. Saginaw was once a bustling lumber town, but today it is a shell of what it used to be, having suffered quite a bit from the Michigan automotive industry’s downturn. Still, being a larger city, Saginaw does have quite a few restaurants, retail stores, and a number of theatres that attract several events.

Upon reaching Saginaw, we met up with my work colleague, Darrell, and his wife, Kathy, for an early dinner of sushi before going to an ice hockey game. Being a Canadian, Darrell is a huge ice hockey fan, no matter what form it takes. (To say that ice hockey is the national game of Canada is an understatement.) Darrell was kind enough to offer us tickets to a game of the Saginaw Spirit, a local semi-professional team that showcases young hockey talent, mainly sourced from Canada. The level of play is very good, as many of the players move on to the professional circuit. Being new to hockey, I needed some help in understanding the game, and luckily, Darrell was there to give me a running commentary of the game. Here are some things I learned:

• A typical ice hockey game is played in three periods of 20 minutes each.
• The game is played on a hockey rink. During normal play, each team is allowed six players per side (five players and one goaltender) on the ice at any time, each of whom moves around on ice skates.
• The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber puck into the opponent's goal, which is placed at the opposite end of the rink.
• The players may control the puck using a hockey stick, and can also redirect the puck with any part of their bodies, subject to certain restrictions.
• The game is extremely fast-paced, with the players getting quite the workout moving themselves and the puck to either end of the rink.

The game turned out to be a good one. The first two periods were quite tight, but the Spirit broke the game open in the third period, coasting to an impressive victory. The last period also brought on a huge fight (another “tradition” in ice hockey) that ended with 3-4 players from each squad being ejected from the game.
My next week was filled with evening work activities, as many of my international colleagues were in Midland for the week, having just been in Houston for our leadership team meeting. On one of the evenings, we hosted a few people from the team at our house for a sushi dinner. We also made time during the week for dinner with some Australian friends of ours, Tony and Melissa, and their two children, Alexander and Sarah, and learned that Tony had accepted a new assignment with Dow that will take him and the family to Hong Kong in the middle of the year.

That weekend, we supported the local theatre again, this time to see a musical called “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” It was a very funny Seinfeld-ish rendition of the ups and downs of relationships, and as always, we were impressed with the quality of the actors, all of whom are volunteers.

At work, I accepted the volunteer role of Chair of our North American women’s network. As part of this role, I spent a day in New York City the next week, attending a conference sponsored by a company called Catalyst. Catalyst’s mission is to find ways to get women into more prominent positions in Corporate America. Following the conference, there was a grand dinner at the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel. (The hotel was not as grand as I had imagined it would be, but there were clear signs of extreme affluence in the room’s fixtures and fittings.) I was joined at the dinner by seven female colleagues from Dow who are in various stages of their careers. Following the dinner, Dow sent its corporate jet to bring us back to Midland. That was quite the experience! My team had just recently hired one of the pilots of the jet and when he recognized me, he invited me to sit in the jump seat behind the pilots for the one and a half hour flight and get a first-hand view of what the pilots see. Very cool!

Following my trip to New York, I spent the next week in Texas visiting my team there. I find myself spending a lot of time with my team in Texas, mainly because the team is experiencing significant difficulties in filling Dow’s open positions along the Gulf Coast. The local shortage of engineers, coupled with the highly competitive labor market, has highlighted the war for talent that Dow is engaged in with other companies in the region. (Incidentally, for any engineers reading this that are interested in working for a chemical company in the Gulf Coast – or know anyone that does – please feel free to drop me an email!)

That weekend we stayed in Midland. In fact, in an unusual turn for us, we spent every weekend of the month in Midland. Thankfully, the weather gave us some incentives to stay in town. Warmer temperatures in the beginning of the month melted the snow, brought in some rain, and even gave us a few bright, sunny days. There were even a couple of days when the temperature reached the low 70’s (25 degrees Celsius). We used our weekends in Midland to catch up on some much-needed work at home, including finishing our dreaded tax returns, which seem to be getting more complicated with each passing year, and biking and jogging outdoors.
This month, we also met a lot of new people. I liken it to dating for the first time. It is amazing how nervous I get before going out with people for the first time, and I find myself asking Neal questions like: “Do you think they will like us?” and “Do you think I will be overdressed if I wear this?” It is amazing how the process of making new friends later in life can be so nerve-racking. One of our “dates” was a lunch with a couple who work at Dow, Andrew and Caroline. Andrew is originally from Australia, and his wife, Caroline, is from Singapore. They moved to Midland from Singapore about four years ago. We met for brunch at a great restaurant called The Cracked Egg in the nearby town of Bay City and then took a stroll around the city. Like Saginaw, Bay City was once the home of heavy industry, including sawmills and shipbuilders. Today, it is going thru some rather tough economic times. Still, some of the town’s historic buildings serve as a reminder of how beautiful it once was.

In the third weekend of the month, we took another day trip to the town of Ann Arbor, which is a two-hour drive south of Midland and the spot where Neal spent two years getting his MBA. Ann Arbor has everything we wish Midland could have: great restaurants, lots of boutique shops, and a lively downtown. Plus, the town is home to the University of Michigan, a massive university that offers all kinds of activities in addition to the town itself. While in Ann Arbor, we had a nice lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and then walked around and did some shopping.

In the final weekend of the month, we kept things fairly relaxing and stayed at home. We did manage to get away on another “date”, this time with some friends, at a restaurant in Saginaw that we had never heard about. The food was great, and they even had a live jazz band there providing the background entertainment. It was definitely a soothing way to end another busy month!

2007-03-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

February pics: (1) Deb in her new snowshoes; (2) Neal in deep soup-preparation concentration; (3) Deb preparing the bread to go along with our soups; (4) the Shorgs at Hermann Park in Houston; (5) Deb tests her balance at Hermann Park; (6) Deb conquers the climbing wall.

2007-03-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

Episode 22: February 2007

The highlights of the month include:
• Snowshoeing in Midland;
• Cooking soups in Traverse City;
• Working and relaxing in Houston;
• Indoor rock climbing in Midland.

As we ended January, the weatherman was predicting more cold weather in our future. Man, was he right! February was an absolutely frigid month in Michigan. The high temperature never seemed to get above 20 degrees Farenheit (-5 degrees Celsius), and the nights were very chilly, to say the least. In spite of the weather, Deb and I managed to find plenty to do to enjoy or escape the winter. For our first weekend of the month, we decided to explore an area of Midland that is new to both of us. On the outskirts of town in a large park that has lots of trails for hiking, bicycling, and other summer activities. In the winter, the same park converts is trails into tracks for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Having just gotten a new set of snowshoes each from my sister-in-law, Carol, we got our gear together and headed out for a test run.

The park itself was surprisingly well-equipped for outdoor winter fun. Lucky for us, it turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun came out – though that did not help the temperature much – and there was a relatively calm wind. Deb and I had our best winter gear on as well, which definitely took a lot of the bite out of the cold. We donned our showshoes – a perfect fit in both our cases – and took a two-hour hike through the forest. At one point, we walked alongside a river and saw teams of snowmobilers driving along on the ice-covered river!

The next weekend we cashed in on one of my Christmas presents. For some reason, I have a fascination with cooking. I certainly like to eat – evidenced by my growing belly – but I also enjoy trying my hand at cooking new things, and I fall into a trance when I watch someone else cooking. Imagine my surprise when Deb presented to me on Christmas Day the gift of an afternoon cooking class in Traverse City, Michigan!

Traverse City is a medium-sized town about two hours north of Midland. The town is situated along a bay that is an extension of Lake Michigan. It is a very nice town and a hot-spot of tourism in the summer months. People come to Traverse City for its boutique shops, beautiful lake views, cherries (it is home to the annual National Cherry Festival), and its wine. Yes, its wine! The area is dotted with several wineries and, though, Michigan does not come close to rivaling France, Italy, California, or Australia, it is very proud of what it can produce.

We got a chance to get close to the local wine industry during our weekend in Traverse City. The cooking class Deb booked for us was held at a winery in the hills around Traverse City, called Chateau Chantal. Our class revolved around winter soups and stews, and we covered the spectra of possibilities. There were six people (three husband-wife teams) in our class, and together we made 11 soups! We made everything from a lentil soup, to coq au vin, to a Thai coconut soup, to French onion soup and more. Deb and I made three soups: the Thai coconut soup with chicken, a provencale fish soup with a tomato base, and a cabbage soup. After whipping up all the dishes, we got to sit down and try them. They were, if we must admit, spectacular.

The winery itself was a very charming place. Half of the property was a winery and the other half was a bed and breakfast with about 20 guest rooms. Guests literally had a run of the place and were allowed to walk downstairs into the wine-making area or help themselves to a bottle of wine at the tasting bar. The winery was located on top of a hill, offering great views of Traverse City, the lake, and the other hills in the distance.

After a full day of cooking, Deb and I spent the next day walking around downtown Traverse City and doing a bit of shopping at the local stores. After a few hours of that, we decided to head back to Midland so that we could have an early evening before the next week of work.

Speaking of work, the next week our jobs took us away from the Midland cold. Both Deb and I had to travel to Texas for different reasons. Deb needed to visit some of her team members at our manufacturing facility in Freeport, which is about an hour away from Houston. I, on the other hand, had to go to our business office, which is located in Houston. So, the two of us flew down to Texas in the middle of the week on the corporate plane and then parted ways at the airport. After a few days of work, Deb drove up to Houston to meet up with me and spend a weekend in a city that did not have snow. Woohoo!

Deb came up to Houston on Friday night, and we started the weekend by having drinks with some of my colleagues who work in Houston. (What a great way to start relaxing, eh?) The next day, we went shopping and then visited a park that we spent a lot of time in when I was working in Houston during my business school years. The weather was great (around 65F/18C) – a little chilly, but a heckuva lot warmer than Michigan – and it was so nice to be able to sit outside in the sun again. For our last day in Houston, we visited Rice Village, the area around Rice University, and then gorged ourselves on a Texan dinner of steaks.

During that next week, we followed thru on yet another Christmas gift, this time one of the gifts I got for Deb. Deb has wanted to try out a dancing class for a long time. So, I got her the gift of Latin dancing classes and, to sweeten the deal, I signed myself up, too! Yes, that’s right, I convinced myself that even I can learn to dance. I suppose it is about time – I have no moves and no coordination. There is no where for me to go but up! In our first class, we learned the basics of the Cha-Cha. As a non-dancer, I must admit that the basic dance is pretty easy to pick up. We will see how I cope when we start adding other elements to the dance, like spins and whatever else. Still, after one class, I have to admit that I am enjoying it.

For our final weekend in February, we did not do that much. Deb was scheduled to fly back to Texas on Sunday so we really could not stray too far from Midland. On Saturday, I took my first tennis lesson (another Christmas gift from Deb) and then we met up for lunch. After that, we went to the local Community Center and tried our hand at their indoor climbing wall. Long-time readers may remember that I tried my first climbing wall in Switzerland. That taste was enough to make me give it another go. The climbing wall in Midland has been built inside an old racquetball court and, I must admit, they have done a nice job with it. After a 30-minute instruction on how to wear the equipment and belay our partner, we were on our own. It was a fun experience but really showed me that 1) I lack the proper climbing technique and 2) I really need to build some upper-body strength!

The next day, we got up early in order to get Deb to the airport for her flight. However, when we woke up we noticed that we had gotten quite a bit of snow overnight. In fact, it was still falling. We immediately checked on Deb’s flight status and saw that both her flight out of Midland and her flight from Detroit were canceled due to the weather. So, we went to Plan B. We lazed around the house for the day and got a bit of work done, too.

All in all, February turned out to be an adventurous month, despite what Mother Nature tried to throw at us. As we look ahead to March, we are definitely excited about the possibility of warmer weather (puh-leez!) and daylight savings time (the U.S. government kindly moved up DST by three weeks this year). Until then, stay warm or enjoy the sun, depending on what part of the world you are reading this from!

2007-02-10T08:27:00.000-05:00

January pics: (1) the Mehendi ceremony before the Indian wedding; (2) the tying of the knot ritual; (3) Momma Borg and Deb inside the Venetian hotel; (4) us in front of an impressive ice sculptures; (5) tobogganing in Midland; (6) Dad, Julie, and Deb in front of the Chicago skyline and the Chicago River.