You Know What They Say

Cold hands--warm heart...or something like that. Ok, I'm bragging.

And no, this isn't a do-it-yourself kit from George Cleverley or John Lobb. But it is my response to a request from the really nice people at Quoddy. I've probably already posited, mused or ranted here at my drivel depository about service as a strategy. It worries me when my clients over-rely on it. History for good reason, teaches us that it's too easy to replicate. Service however, has fallen to such all time lows in most aspects of our society that even when I sniff a mere transient waft of it, I'm impressed. The bar for average service is low. Very low. I'm talking swing low sweet chariot kinda low. Low down. Down low. Ok, I take the chariot thang back. That's kind of a positive twist on low-ness. Stay tuned for chariot lows. Harold Camping now declares October 21, 2011 as the day the chariot will swing low and take us, some of us...home.

So what motivated me to reach out to Quoddy...to ask that they consider doing a one-off for me? Some of you did. The crap that a few of you gave me about the pink, fleshy colored soles on the above Quoddy Venetians was the motivation. I'd have never noticed the sole color if you hadn't had such a visceral reaction to it. And usually when I evoke such dry-heaving primal reactions, I'm good with it.

Once y'all focused me on the sole color, I began to see things that I hadn't noticed before. Baby aspirin. Yep, those little pinky-orangy pills that my sister and I used to enjoy when we had whatever malady, pox, plague or condition that my mama deemed aspirin-worthy. Now I was walking on baby aspirin.

Or generic Adderal color. I was thinking this morning about how tricky the generic drug business model is. I'll be speaking on it at the Anaheim Convention Center this Thursday. It's a one-day-only show. If I was performing all week, I'd suggest that you join me...and try the brisket. Shut up.

So the nice people at Quoddy agreed to craft for me a less offensive version of their camp moc venetian. I sent them the photograph above and straight away, a very nice Quoddy lady emailed me back and promised to put a pair in the works for me. Darker traditional sole and a deeper tanned brown leather upper. Stay tuned, the ETA is late June 2011. "Well of course the ETA is 2011 man...you didn't have to mention that." Perhaps you're right but my Cleverley contrivance, fortunately, from an "I'll have to pay the balance" perspective, will gestate till 2012.

Ok, enough about shoes. Let's talk Snow Leopards. LFG's spring soccer season concluded yesterday and what a difference one season makes. I love her soccer efforts. Dance is her core passion but she's a stalwart  on the soccer field and a solid contributor to her team's success. Last season's finale saw players and parents slinking off to our cars warbling sulky little mumbles about "seeing you next season". There was no suggestion of pizza or presents. That's kinda how our soccer gang rolls when they end a season having won only one game.

What a difference one season makes. Our Snow Leopards only lost one game this season. Everything came together and these little gals just clicked. Providence and serendipity count too. Luck. The Snow Leopards were joined by a little gal from Sweden whose dad is here on a foreign service assignment for two years. She didn't carry the team but she complemented them in ways synergistic. And her dad and I mused maudlin about the demise of Saab. Shut up.

So our gals won their Division and we ate pizza till tumescent.

Onward. Pitching a new project with a new client this morning. Five makes ten that I get it. Now if I can just keep LFG out of the Perrier.

ADG, II. Proud daddy and Quoddy customizer.