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Positively Uncertain

In September 2014, after Green Bay dropped to 1-2 on the season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers – during an ESPN radio interview – told fans: “Five letters here just for everybody out there in Packer-land: R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We’re going to be OK.” The team won 11 of the next 13 games… and made it to the NFC Championship before falling to Seattle.

We’re now three weeks since America awakened on November 9 to learn Donald Trump is the president-elect. It’s been a dynamic 21 days as people express their disappointment, excitement, frustration, joy, anxiety, hopefulness, uncertainty, confidence, anger, happiness, fear, comfort, concern, anticipation.

Last night, Mr. Trump had dinner with Mitt Romney – one of his most outspoken pre-election critics – and it appears he’s considering the 2012 Republican candidate for secretary of state. It’s as if there is a disruption in the space-time continuum… one year later than Doc Brown encountered in Back to the Future III. Up is down. Left is right. Backward is forward.

Mr. Trump’s words and actions from years past are well documented. What he said and how he treated people during the run-up to the election were right there for everyone to see. Yet, even some of my closest friends, when telling me why they were going to vote for him, said: “I’m confident he’ll change once he takes office.”

Immediately after the election, my daughters said they are scared. While I know this country is bigger than any one person – we survived the Civil War, assassinations, two World Wars, the resignation of a president, the Great Depression and everything else that’s ever occurred – it’s too soon for me to hug them and say, “Relax, we’re going to be OK.”

We’re 51 days until the inauguration. I’m praying President Trump is different than the man we’ve seen thus far, because in four years we won’t have Marty McFly available to journey back in time and fix things.

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Tough Endings

You hire someone with expectations he’ll be with you a long time. Sometimes that works and he makes it a career – you look like a genius. Other times he leaves for a different position – you’re disappointed. Then there are times things don’t work out – and you decide a termination is in the organization’s best interest. You toss and turn the night before, get into work early to deliver the hard news, and get on with finding a replacement.

Two days ago, my alma mater fired head football coach Charlie Strong after three seasons. While he changed the culture among the student-athletes – every one has received or is on track for receiving his degree – the number of losses on the field were unacceptable at a university that considers itself college football elite.

In my January 2014 newsletter – a few weeks after he was hired – I wrote:

“Five decades after the Civil Rights Amendment, Charlie Strong becomes the first African American coach of a men’s athletic program at UT. ‘I don’t ever want to look at is as being the first,’ he said at an introductory press conference. ‘I want to look at is as I’m a coach and that’s the way I want to be treated.'”

UT-Austin president Gregory Fenves and athletics director Mike Pence wanted their coach to succeed for many reasons – and were patient until the end of this season’s finale. However, like in any business, results matter… and it became clear after three straight losses that a change was necessary.

Sometimes being in charge means making the hard call. That’s a primary role of leadership. It’s also why some days leaders don’t look forward to getting out of bed.

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Glasses Raised

Traveling the trails of California Wine Country last month, what struck me most was the natural beauty: clear water, giant trees, rolling hills, verdant valleys. Blended with the neatly manicured properties of the wineries, it was a journey that touched all the senses.

Within a small radius of the Russian River Valley, there are several microclimates. Grapes grown at one vineyard yield completely different flavors from ones at another a couple miles away. That makes for a unique ability to produce wines for varying tastes.

Should you be looking for a relaxing and romantic getaway with your significant other, I recommend Sonoma County. Kathy spent months preparing our adventure. To make your planning easier, here are the most wonderful things we experienced:

Best Driver: Melissa, Platypus Wine Tours – This mother of two young boys drove us in a new Lexus RX to five wineries, including a surprise that wasn’t on the agenda; at day’s end she provided a delicious treat of local cheese and crackers to enjoy on the way back to our hotel

Best Food: Marimar Estate – The proprietor and namesake of this small vineyard nestled on a hill is a descendant of the Torres family that owns the largest winery in Spain; she personally created the tapas menu that accompanies a tasting of five Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs

Best Town Square: Healdsburg – Frequently appearing on lists of ‘Best Small Towns in America’, this welcoming hamlet is centered around a 19th century plaza… surrounded on all four sides by restaurants, tasting rooms and two boutique hotels

Best Surprise: Clos du Bois – This is the first wine Kathy and I started buying regularly some 18 years ago; at the winery, our guided tour for two included eating different grape varieties right off the vines and tasting fermenting wines straight from the barrel

Best Cellar: Jordan Vineyard & Winery – Take the tour and food pairing, and you’ll end up inside the heart of the beautiful chateau; styled after similar rooms in Bordeaux, it’s accessible through a secret passage that’s hidden behind a bookcase in the library

Best Restaurant: Scopa (Healdsburg) – Serving delicious Italian food with locally grown vegetables in a small setting, this is the town hotspot. Make a reservation, especially on Wednesday nights when an area winemaker visits with customers and pours his/her vintage

Best Tribute: Francis Ford Coppola Winery – When we walked up, I told Kathy it reminded me of Disneyland… including a large swimming pool that’s available by reservation only; many of the director’s awards and movie props are located in a museum next to the restaurant

Best Hiking: Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve – A site to behold, with 805 acres of preserved giant trees – 1,400 years old, 300-feet tall and 16-feet in diameter; make sure you choose the right trail or you might wind up on a long trek with a 500-foot climb … just sayin’

Best View: Trattore Estate Vineyards – If we lived in Sonoma County, I’d come often to sit on the balcony with a glass of 2011 Grenache and watch hawks soar by as the sun sets over the Dry Creek Valley; has the added bonus of an olive oil tasting with a dozen blends

Best Garden: Lynmar Estate – Bees, birds and butterflies darted among colorful perennial flowers and heirloom vegetables at this hidden retreat; it was just the two of us at the tasting… and an entertaining serving duo who could make a living doing standup about wine history

Best Lawn: Sonoma-Cutrer – There are two pristine croquet courts here with nary a weed in site nor a blade out of place; each year the winery hosts the nation’s best players for the North American Open – or locals throughout the summer for monthly Croquet and Chardonnay

Best Server: Alan, St. Francis Winery & Vineyards – Most servers poured an extra glass once they identified our preferences; at our final stop, this Canadian transplant indulged us with five additional pours, topped with a delightful 10-Year Tawny Port (We bought several bottles)

Best Non-Wine Moment: Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa – It’s a terrific tribute to the late creator of Peanuts, complete with original sketches and the office where he drew the comic strip for 50 years; if you’re a fan, visit the gift shop next door at Snoopy’s Home Ice rink

Best Wedding Venue: Vintners Inn by Ferrari-Carino – With three children who might be married someday, I’m hoping one chooses this boutique property right next to a vineyard for a romantic outdoor exchange of vows… primarily so I can go back to Wine Country

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Overzealous Acts

I’m watching the Ryder Cup while I write this blog. (Great thing about switching to Uverse recently is one of our receivers is wireless, so I can move that TV anywhere in our house, including next to the keyboard in my office. Works great on football weekends when I put it next to our main set and watch two games at once.)

As the matches got underway, I heard a rabid U.S.A. fan shout, ‘Miss it!’ as soon as the player for team Europe hit his putt. While I understand the emotion that arises during these matches every other year, rooting so hard against the opponent goes against the spirit of the game.

Of course, that was nothing compared to what Kathy and I experienced two weeks ago at the end of the Texas-Cal football game. We were in the stands at Berkeley when a call went against the Longhorns during the last two minutes. When the game ended and Texas lost, at least 15 disgruntled fans tossed water bottles onto the field. It was one of the worst displays of sportsmanship I’ve witnessed.

Walking (a long way) amidst thousands of people to meet our Uber driver, we happen to come alongside UT-Austin president Greg Fenves. I told him how much we appreciate the way he sat in the stands during the game, instead of in a luxury suite – and suggested the next monthly newsletter he sends to alumni should address the proper way to act at games.

Then again, given the raucous crowds that attend one of our presidential candidate’s appearances, maybe I’m setting my expectations too high.

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Head Games

Golf is my favorite sport to play – ever since I was nine years old hitting rock-hard Top Flites with my dad’s old red-grip clubs around a four-hole course that had plastic greens. As a teenager my friends and I toured the munis in the DFW area. Green fees: $10. I even have the scorecard from the first time I broke 100.

Sometime around age 20, my friends named a shot after me. The ‘Handler Shot’ – which they still use all these 36 years later – comes out whenever someone hits a fat flub into the water. That was a regular occurrence of my youth… and a sarcastic tribute that lives on.

I became a pretty good player in my late 20’s, then gave up the game – save for the occasional scramble – when our kids were young. I started playing again a few years ago, and have my handicap back in single digits.

That said, I still struggle with the game playing inside my head. While I’m typically a ‘glass half full’ guy, on the golf course negative thoughts dance around my mind… especially whenever a foursome behind us catches up on a crowded tee box, or we play through another group. Something about eyes watching causes my muscles to tense up.

So, at age 56, I’m reading ‘Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect,’ by noted sports psychologist Bob Rotella. He makes a lot of interesting points that resonate with me:

‘A little doubt or a little indecision is sufficient to impair performance.’

‘People by and large become what they think about themselves.’

‘We are endowed with the most marvelous computer system imaginable, and it is wired to maximize physical performance and grace if a person simply looks at a target and reacts to it.’

Come to think of it, those are good reminders for business, too. Glad I discovered this book. Of course, it was written in 1995.