Are you on Facebook?  If not, in my opinion, you should be. Why?  Because it is a great connectivity tool. We talk at meetings about the need to have one on one meetings and participation in Gotham committees and events, in addition to attendance at regular meetings, inorder to maximize the networking experience. However, in my opinion, the secret ingredients are memory and personal info tid bits to fuel relationship building and bonding. What better source than Facebook where folks are at ease and having fun telling stories and sharing images.

The hostess at one of our favorite restaurants in the Berkshires led us to our “quiet” table in the back dining room. Only a few tables in the room that was usually reserved for private parties -- one table of six, a table of four, another two at one table, and us. I learned a long time ago to never talk about private matters in public and never, never assume that nobody knows what you are talking about.

As you read this, I'm having surgery on my nose to remove a spot of something I don't want growing on me. So to cheer me up, I am replaying my first blog to remind of the greatness of being a part of a bigger whole. Thanks, tribe. First, I must say, how grateful I am to be joining the bloggerettes here at Gotham. I am quite honored. Lucky me.

If you and I have ever talked about my blog, you know that I write on Monday nights. Each of the seven of us has our own time to create. Some plan days, even weeks, in advance. Even with the pressure of coming up with a topic on deadline, I like thinking about what is current and present just when it is time to post my blog.

Over the past few years, I have read with interest Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of the Year. Most years I have found that I agreed that most of the people on the list deserve to be there. It has also been interesting to see the names of people who have been on the list more than once, such as Hillary Clinton, President Obama, Lorne Michaels, and Mark Zuckerberg.

I just started David McCullogh's new book on the Wright Brothers. When I was in fifth grade I did a specialty report on them though I can't say I remember much about it. I do remember though my mother coming to class that day and sitting in the back while I nervously gave my presentation. The book is filled with a number of quotes from brother Wilber.

It's quite a large volume of fluid. To put it in perspective, that's four of those big 2 liter bottles of soda. Not that I drink much soda but the amount is significant.   And that's precisely the quantity of liquid they drained out of my stomach last Wednesday. I know...I can't believe it either. I watched as a catheter, that was inserted into my right side, sucked out fluid for over 45 minutes. What a feeling. My belly got smaller and I felt my insides relax. I could take a full breath once again and my internal organs were pretty happy too.  

Something that can make a defining difference in one's life is drive. Drive might not make one happy, but it helps make one be the best that they can be and enhances the prospect of success (and happiness). I didn't have much drive when I was coming up and there were a number of disappointments and failures along the way. At some point, however, I'd had enough and those experiences help fuel the drive which I still have to this day.  One can be driven to triumph by will. Or in the words of Nike: Just do it!  Just find a way to get it done.