Last week Pam and I spent a wonderful week in southern France. I have to say that we were both captured by the charm and lifestyle of these wonderful people. The food, the wine, the arts, the history, we were entranced by it all. With the help of a French/English dictionary and some English local maps, we spent a week exploring the quaint town of Montpellier. From the Chateau d’Eau (House of Water) fed by a Roman aquaduct to a magnificent local Arc de Triumph and the medieval Medical University, the sights were magnificent.

But the lifestyle is truely amazing, long lunches, short work days, street side cafes, leisurely dinners with fine wines blends perfectly with green transportation and clean air. Every meal was a celebration! At every turn, was a fountain or amazing architecture.

Valentine’s Day began with breakfast in bed. On the cab ride to work, the driver remarked in broken English that it was the Jour d’Amour in France and was surprised to learn that we celebrated in America also. Later on without dinner plans, we wondered the city streets looking at menus and wondering if we what we would find with out reservations when we happened upon a small cafe decorated with heart shaped balloons who were able to accommodate us. They seated us by the window looking out over the plaza where we watched other lovers following our path. Our quiet romantic dinner was truly incredible.

We also took advantage of the train system and took day excursions to Paris, Marseilles and Toulouse. Each holds special memories. Lunch under the Eiffel Tower along the River Seine with my sweetheart was the fulfillment of a lifetime dream. Walking along the centuries old fortress protecting the harbor at Marseilles inspired images of life during the time of tall ships. We has a leisurely lunch at a quaint old chocolate shop decorated with authentic murals depicting the renaissance and across from the magnificent 500 year old Toulouse City Hall.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Over the past few months I’ve been focused on my career, but GreenWanderer keeps coming back to me. Some things have become more clear while others seem to fade in importance.

My name finally appeared on the Top Ten waiting list for a 40 foot slip in Santa Cruz Harbor. This has been a long time coming, I originally put my on the list in 1977 and then again in 1985, but missed a year update each time and fell off the list. I have been continuously on the list since Jan. 1991 and was excited to finally see my name as they only publish the Top Ten.

It has sharpened my search for a larger sailboat. As I research and chat with various brokers, I realize that I have some conflicting objectives: a fun coastal cruiser, a safe bluewater cruiser and a comfortable live aboard. One boat can’t satisfy all 3 especially given my budget and the 40 foot limitation.

The idea of a coastal cruiser is becoming more attractive. Something that will allow me to practice for a few years, sailing up and down the coast or even to Hawaii, before taking the jump around the world. I also have realized that the selection for boats in the 5 – 20 year range is very limited and dominated by Catalina and Hunter due to boat surtaxes imposed by Regan that forced most manufacturers out of the business in the 80′s.

Given the great experience I’ve had with Calypso, a ’79 Cal 2-27. I have been thinking about a Cal 39. I also have a watch setup on YachtWorld.com for 40 – 44 sailboats, but other than Beneteau’s, nothing has caught my eye. And since its a French boat, you don’t see many Beneteaus on the west coast and they tend to cost more.

Even though I’m in the 40 foot waiting list Top Ten in Santa Cruz, I still have a year or more to make some decisions. With the economy the way it is and positive re-enforcement at work, I’m happy to be patient, let my retirement build and practice sailing a larger boat before embarking on any longer term cruising.

Bon Voyage, Jay

I kept repeating this phrase while in Vegas, from taking a limo to ride X-Scream at the top of the Stratosphere to dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s and a late night Cirque de Soliel showing of Zumanity. Vegas offers a unique insight into a world where the MTV generation is mainstream and the competition for our attention has reached a frantic pace.

I have to say that dinner at the Mandalay Bay was always a fine dining experience. Whether at the ultra chic and classic Shanghai Lilly’s to the more casual and fresh RM Seafood to the sidewalk cafe of Wolfgang Puck’s Trattoria del Lupo. The service was always impeccable, the menus were imaginative and included lots of fresh fish and vegetables and the wine lists featured many of my favorite Napa Valley wines.

Zumanity stood out as a unique and memorable Vegas experience. This adults only, full scale Cirque de Soliel production combines extreme acrobatics with talented musicians and lots of broad based, sexual humor spiced up with tasteful nudity. My favorites were the 2 women swimming in a fish bowl and the couple dancing in the air while swinging from ribbons.

After a week of the larger than life, in your face, over-amped, smoke filled/scrubbed air, I was ready to go. My body and soul reached it’s toxic capacity and I caught a nasty cold. We rushed to leave the gambling, smoke, flashing lights, loud noises, artificial everything, behind. It’s has taken a week to rid myself of what I have been calling the Vegas Crud.

So for those who luv the high flying, fast paced Vegas life style, I’ll leave it to you. Even with the fine lifestyle choices like 5 star hotels, fine dining and world class entertainment, I’ll opt for destinations that embrace sustainability, which are the antithesis of “It’s Vegas Babee”.

Bon Voyage, Jay

On the road again, sitting high in the air overlooking south Las Vegas from a beautiful room in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. This is something like my 10th trip to glitter gultch and some of the glitter has worn off for me. I have been attending the IBM Information OnDemand 2007 Conference for the last 5 days. My schedule has been full and I’ve only had a chance to leave the Hotel/Casino/Conference complex once.

2 nights ago, after a mixer on the Mandalay Bay “beach”, we ventured out into the night in true Vegas style by taking a Limo to the Stratosphere. It was my first time in a Limo and it was fun to splurge. The Stratosphere is a 100 story tower with thrill rides on the top like Big Shot and X-Scream. The Big Shot was exciting enough, but when I took the front seat in X-Scream I amazed myself as I overcame my fear of heights to dangle 1000 feet in the air while bouncing up and down. I still can’t believe I did it, but after all, it’s Vegas Babee!

Pam arrives in an hour with her mother soon behind her. My work is just about done here, so we will take a few days to play and celebrate 10 years of being a couple. Pam’s mom, Barbara Johnson is a true Bostonian gem who has deep roots in the New England community and a wonderful accent to match. I’m looking forward to spending some time with Pam and I’m sure we’ll have great time over the next few days.

More to come…

Bon Voyage, Jay

I remember the day vividly, actually it was night.
I remember the feeling of hitting bottom; what the hell am I doing with my life?
I remember getting angry, at everything in my life, but mostly at myself; didn’t I know better?

da plan came together quickly and was very simple:
1. Loose 100+ pounds
2. Buy a sailboat
3. Start my own business

You see I had a life long dream of cruising around the world that I had given up on. That night I realized that I could live my dream but it would be hard work. I realized that I had lost my passion, I needed something to reignite me.

So here I am sitting on my sailboat, blogging away, 30 months later and 80 pounds lighter. I still have a ways to go but its been an amazing journey. Here are some of my secrets:

• 50 miles a pound: I bought the nicest bike I could afford and spend about 4 hours a week in the saddle, remember it’s hard work
• pesco-vegetarian: beyond the health, environmental and philosophical benefits, it’s a great way to avoid fattening fast foods and mega meals
• low fat, high fiber, organic whenever possible: always skip the chips or fries and never super size, always pick the salad
• non-fat lattes: I once heard that low fat dairy was good for middle age men but more importantly it helps avoid the morning muffins and afternoon cookies but it’s still a treat
• find exercise opportunities: avoid elevators and escalators and take the stairs, park as far away as possible and sailing counts as exercise
• you know that craving feeling that you get when you are hungry? that’s your body telling you that you are loosing weight, it’s a Good Thing!

Bon Voyage, Jay

We had the good fortune of knowing some local New Orleanians who gave us some excellent recommendations. After wondering around Bourbon Street and sampling the latest pop drink, the Hand Grenade, we were ready to sit down and sample the legendary New Orleans’ cuisine. Our friends had recommended two local favorites: Nola Restaurant and Irene’s Cuisine. We were fortunate to experience both.

Nola is a local shortcut for “New Orleans, Louisiana” and Nola Restaurant is several blocks off Bourbon Street and is owned by emeril. The wait was very long but we were fortunate to grab a couple of seats at the bar. The food and service were excellent and we enjoyed the banter at the bar. The Crab Cakes with smoky eggplant puree stand out in my mind as we consider ourselves crab cake connoisseurs.

Irene’s Cuisine is a local secret and even has some juicy gossip. They claim they do no advertising and are totally word of mouth and don’t even have a web site. We were told to expect a wait, so we arrived early and put our name on the list and went for a walk. We were seated early upon our return and were greeted with a wonderful Bruschetta. I had the Crevette and we finished with the home made Gelato and Berries per our server’s recommendation. Everything lived up to it’s glowing reputation.

We wandered over to Jackson Square, had our cards read and then took a horse and buggy tour of the local neighborhoods with a colorful, local, self proclaimed Creole. Our guide was full of stories both historical and recent tales of recovery and seem to know everyone on the street. It was a peaceful break from the New Orleans party atmosphere.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Pam and I just returned from New Orleans where Pam was co-chair of the Sustainable Brands ’07 Conference. I joined Pam for the last few days for some much needed rest and relaxation. New Orleans is an amazing place and served as a poignant backdrop for this inaugural event which featured industry leaders such as Aveda, BP, GE and Wal-Mart. It’s exciting to see corporations supporting sustainable business models. My employer, IBM is also a leader in this space with the Big Green Initiative. The conference even included some energy offsets for the air travel.

Forever New Orleans … Forever New Orleans … Forever New Orleans.

Powerful words symbolizing the rebirth of a city. Rising from the waters, New Orleans serves notice to the world that we need to change our ways, both as individuals and as a society. The New Orleanian spirit reminds us, as a popular local tee-shirt says, that “soul is waterproof”.

Our stay in New Orleans was amazing and although the rebuilding of New Orleans is still ongoing, everyone should consider taking the opportunity to (re)visit the crescent city, partake of the food and music, and help the recovery of this American gem.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Over the last few months, my journey has taken some interesting turns. I have been presented with exciting new opportunities only to have them slip from my finger tips. Questions about my life goals are constantly floating around my mind. The lessons of the past few days seem clear, I need to keep my focus in the here and now.

GreenWanderer is a powerful magnet, drawing me towards a path that is aligned with my higher purpose. My corporate career path should also align with my higher purpose until the transition is complete. The challenges of the moment reinforce that the real opportunities are in the human interactions. Passing on the insights gathered through the lens of our lives is the true measure of success and a key to immortality.

Right here, right now, life is abundant and rich. Right here, right now, my path is clear. Right here, right now, my journey unfolds in ways I can not imagine. Right here, right now, I embrace GreenWanderer as my lighthouse in my corporate career as well as my personal life.

Bon Voyage, Jay