Life with The Swell Guy!

The coolest toothbrush ever!

We do a secret friend thing at the office that lasts all year long.  My secret friend gave me a bag of Christmas gifts that included this toothbrush.  I've got to say it is the coolest toothbrush in history! 

It's almost Christmas

It's almost Christmas.  The world is closing in.  It is a warm time.  Greetings are exchanged.  Heartfelt wishes are given and received.  We are not afraid to say kind words that may seem a little hokey or odd the rest of the year.  It feels good.

But, I know quite a few people going through the tough stuff in life.  Some of them I talk to often and some are out of touch or I hardly know, but I know the difficulty they face.  So Butch & Marilyn, Don & Don, Sandy & Sandy, Joe & Donna, Todd & Penny, Pastor Lin, Dwight & kids...you are in my thoughts and prayers.  Godspeed and I wish you hope in this Christmas season.

Oh Christmas Tree

"Adopted" son, Tristan takes his first swipe at dropping the Ziegler family Christmas tree. 

Better than a fortune cookie!

I picked this free bookmark up in a book store close to my hotel in Taiwan.  A nice message is universal!

By the way, I am happy to be home after a super trip.  Thanks to all of you who checked on Denine and the kids and asked about me while I was away. 

The farewell dinner

Ivan's whole family came out Saturday night for a farewell dinner and to see me off.  They are good people who care for each other and who enjoy conversation.  We all had a pretty good laugh when we got the waitress to take a group photo.  I think she must have taken the same photo with six different cameras!

Ivan and Little Karl

It was hard to believe a while back when Ivan told me that he and Vivian had named their little boy after me and Chris Davies from England.  Little Karl Christopher Dean is part of a warm loving family and the son of a great friend! 

IRIS Trucks

Most vans and trucks in Asia are either white or blue.  Who can argue that our clean, well kept black IRIS vehicles are not the sharpest on the road?

Hi Denine!

IRIS goes to China

Ivan and I went to China on Tuesday to tour several factories and meet with his cousin, Tom and his wife Echo as well as the rest of the family.  Tom and Echo have come onboard with IRIS Lanyard Pro to manage operations in mainland China.  We had dinner at a Chinese teahouse and the kids (Angel and Coco) had fun practicing English with the American.  And by the way, we spend a lot more time working during the day than we do eating! 

A nice story from Hong Kong

Sometimes things just are quite what you think they are.  When I retired for the evening I called the front desk to request a "wake up call" because I am leaving for China this morning and I don't want to miss the boat.  Really, it is a boat!

Anyway, I awoke early after a good sleep and returned a bit of e-mail.  About five minutes after my "wake up call" was due I realized that it did not happen and I was thinking I would have been in trouble if I had overslept. I was also thinking the hotel was not trying very hard to have good service.

About that time, I here a gentle rapping at my door.  I peered through the peep hole and saw a small elderly Chinese man gently rapping as he began saying "Mr. Karl, wake up!  Mr. Karl, it is time to wake up and go!".

It is the small things.  My thoughts about the hotel were reversed and I started the day with a smile on my face.  It's time to wake up and go!