GoAwayFarm.com is up and running!

The new Go Away Farm web site is officially up and running! Very glad to get it up. You can go there at GoAwayFarm.com. Also, you'll see a blog at the bottom. That Blog isn't this one, rather a blog for the farm itself that I'll keep for the L.A.B. Trainings, events and other interesting stuff relating to the farm. Like a gallery of images that are difficult to keep current on the web site unless you were a web designer, which I'm not. Anyway, go see it and let me know what you think about it. 

There is new content being added to it in the next two weeks. I'm hopeful that we can keep it freshened monthly.

Helen's & Millard's Birthday Present (75th and 80th)

Mikki and me gave Helen and Millard a ballooning trip in Santa Fe, New Mexico for their recent birthdays. Mikki and Darlene joined them on their voyage while Mike and I worked with the crew and took pictures. Helen had always wanted to fly in a balloon. Well now she has!

The custom is to have a champagne toast with the pilot when, and if, you land. This was similar except substituted with water and Coke. The guy on the right is Johnny Lewis, a 40 year experienced pilot and one of the first modern day balloonist. He started with a home-economics course 40 years ago at Mary Hardin Baylor College and a bunch of fabric that he sewed into a balloon. He got his friends to help him inflate it with a blow torch and he rode it up with two ski ropes under his arms. Doesn't seem to be spooked by heights.

Here they come landing. Mike Barnett, me and a crewman named Rick Dodson (and former Nashville bass player) caught them on the ground and got Millard, Mikki and Bitti out, then we got the balloon down and tipped the basket over on the ground and Helen crawled out on all fours and stood up. It was a sight to behold. But the real sight was when we got her in the basket. 

They are off and flying into the wild blue yonder! It was a beautiful sight. Quite peaceful! 

This was as they were going to take off. Everyone was excited to go! To get Granny into the basket, we had to lay it on the ground on it's side where she crawled in. Then Johnny put gas in the balloon and we tilted it up carefully. She just stood up. It was quite the sight to see her crawling in that basket. We had to get up and meet the pilot at 5:30 am. 

The Conference Center at Go Away Farm is Completed!

After much work, we are finished. Well, almost. Other than a couple small plumbing items to complete and getting wireless Internet to the barn, we are complete. And I love the way it turned out. Wayne Sumrall has worked tirelessly up there for the past few weeks helping us get it completed. I don't know what we'd have done without his assistance. I can't wait to see what all we'll have there in the coming years. Next year, we are working on a series of corporate and non-profit courses entitled "Built-To-Serve" Experience at Go Away Farm. Dan Sanders, my former colleague, friend and now best client, has written a new book called "Built-To-Serve". His book is about the fact that Corporate America is in deep trouble. Dan offers some wonderful suggestions and action steps to recover our lost ground. The book is out this next week in the book stores. Instead of doing workbooks, we're going to do workshops. It should be very exciting indeed. We are in the planning stages now. Lots of work, but I think it will just be the beginning of something really great! God is doing some great things! Dan is the co-author of the book I'm working on. It will be entitled "Equipped!" More on that later.

Jack was dedicated last Sunday....

This is Jack and Molly after he was dedicated. Jack goes barefoot almost all the time. Seems to like being scantily clothed:-) 

We're gone from adplex after 26.5 years!

My last time to sit in my office before Charles Ingram, Russell Anderson, John Coats and Mikki helped me get it packed up. Weird feeling, but pretty liberating to think that I don't have to be at work Monday. Or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc. 

Poor Pam. They made her ask me for my key and fob at the end of the move today. I felt bad for her. Here they told everyone that I'm staying around, then asked for my key. Pretty telling what they are considering "staying around." Maybe they meant staying around outside:-)  Pam Coats has been a great team member. She does these sorts of things all the time and seems to do them very well. I left happy. 

Effective Thursday, August 9, 2007, I officially stepped aside as CEO of adplex. I've enjoyed all I can stand of the financial guys never being happy, no matter what you do. Seems there is another life out there that will be more satisfying, or at least less stress-filled.  So with that, I have hung up my spurs and will seek to live a more calm, less traveled life. Mikki and I are very excited about the future. We have so much we want to do. There is a lot of opportunity. I've been hired by three clients already in three days, but none full time, thank goodness! 

So, I'll not be walking around the farm looking for work, but we will be living there and enjoying it a lot more than ever before. Thanks for your support and humoring me for all these years. Those of you who have worked for us there at adplex, thank you for your loyalty and for working like dogs to make me look good. You are all such great workers. I couldn't be more proud. 

And to my kids, Amber and Molly, you both have been great employees and have made me proud. Thank you both for being such great kids. Forgive me for all the times I was on the road or at the office. I meant well for you. I really did.

And to Mikki, I love you and you have been a trooper! I could never imagine finding a mate to spend my life with that could have been more supportive, yet balancing as you. You are a jewel and I love you deeply. I look forward to spending a lot of quality time with you at Go Away Farm and on the road seeing some sights.

Its been a wonderful ride, but as Mikki said today, "You've been on the first car of this roller coaster, but I've been on the back." I still don't know if that was a bad or good statement. Not sure if the front car was always the best vantage point. 

I do not regret a minute of my time at adplex. What a great privilege its been to found and run such an awesome place and get to work with such outstanding talent. I am most blessed!