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| Wendy B and Mikaela. Great seeing you Wendy! |
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Julie...thanks!
Thanks for the past 6 years! The friend, the mentor, the colleague, the confidante...you were all of these. Thanks for your trust and confidence. What a fun ride.
Half way there.
I am sitting in the KLM Lounge in Amsterdam. My final leg launches in about 90 minutes. The flight so far has been smooth but I only slept about two hours. The next time I post, I should be in Manama.
Thanks to everyone out there that I may have missed. A lot of people have helped make this possible so if you were left out, my apologies!!
Thanks to everyone out there that I may have missed. A lot of people have helped make this possible so if you were left out, my apologies!!
The Farewell Begins
This is being written just before sunrise sitting on the patio of Jeff and Cheryl Southard's fabulous home in Phoenix, AZ. The hint of blue in the sky is just becoming visible. Since my days in the states are waning, I finally took Jeff up on his offers to visit him and Cheryl down in Phoenix. Mike Dwyer was already there on business so it made sense to come this weekend. The golfing was great (Troon North Monument Course...shot an 88...back-to-back birdies on the back 9)! It was upper 90s but didn't feel hot since there was no humidity. It really didn't get me ready for Manama where the temps will pass 120 and the humidity will be Minnesota-in-August high. Thank you guys for a wonderful sendoff! See photo tab for pix of American desert versus Bahraini desert.
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| l-r: Mike Dwyer, Jeff Southard, me on the first tee at Troon North Monument Course. |
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| Rock formation at Troon North. |
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| Look closely for golf balls in this saguaro cactus. |
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| Look closely...that's a real life lynx in the fairway at Rancho Manana |
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| My gracious hosts Cheryl and Jeff. Thanks for a great wekend! |
The Farewell Continues
KG was in town to interview my replacement so we took the opportunity to spend some time together and enjoy a little bowling. Jo and I tied for high game but Jo was the overall winner by A LOT! Butter had low game and overall score...anyone surprised by that? I kid...Jason is like the little brother I never had so I am getting even for the older brothers I did have. I thanked KG for the nearly 6 years of our business relationship/friendship with a very nice Orefors crystal bowl with the MP logo. A good time was had by all.
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| Thanks KG! |
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| front l-r: Butter and Jo; back l-r: Gordo, KG, me, Tami, Julie |
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| Action shot |
This was a great team and I wish them all well. It rarely felt like work with these folks.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
The Beasts
The hardest part of me leaving the US was my three friends (Deuce, Digit, and Dritte [DRIT ah]) staying behind. They were more than pets, they were companions. They are safely with my sister in AZ. Thank you Lorelei!
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| The long car ride. Mikaela and Tanner drove them 28 hours from MN to AZ. It was an adventure. Thanks you two! |
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| Deuce staring at a toy...his favorite passtime, Dritte, the princess, looking cute as always, and Digit in the background at their new home. |
Farewell in Duluth
Mikaela was in a play at UMD this week. It was a student production and actually very funny. She finds out this week if she was selected to the BFA program..."GOOD LUCK KID!" Mikaela's boyfriend Tanner joined us...poor kid...two aunts and a dad...the gauntlet. By pure coincidence, my sisters, Lorelei from Arizona and Margaret from Idaho, were in town as well. We had a good time and it was fun to see them. Lorelei's son's father spent time in Bahrain in the 1980s and Margaret's husband spent time in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s. I guess I am completing the circle.
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| Mikaela and me in Duluth May 5, 2012 |
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| l-r: Margaret, Lorelei, Mikaela, me, Tanner |
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| M and Tanner |
The Beasts get a new home
Mikaela and her boyfriend Tanner drove 3,200 miles round trip to bring Deuce, Digit and Dritte to Chandler AZ. Thank you both so much! Tanner doesn't know it yet, but I am buying him a ticket to visit me in Bahrain when Mikaela comes in December!
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| Starting out in Minneapolis Sunday May 20, 2012. |
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| Route 66...how cool is that? |
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| DEUCE and Tanner. |
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| Yikes! |
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| Made it on Monday evening May 21. |
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| My theater ham. |
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| Mikaela and the trio. Their new home. |
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| DOG PARK!!! |
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| It's hot in AZ! |
Lots of golf before I leave! But NOT enough.
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| L-r: Jo L, KG, me, Brent W (replacing me at MP which you can make out just behetween KG and me) Brookview GC 5-9-12 |
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| Front l-r: Dick S., Sandra S., me, Tim J. Back: Goldy U of M Golf Course April 14, 2012  Como Golf Course May 5, 2012 |
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| l-r: Me, Paul W., Tim J. U of M Course May 12, 2012 |
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| l-r: Fridog, me, Mike B., Greg W. Hiawatha May 26,2012. Rain ended our round after 15 holes. I was playing for a personal best on the course. Oh well. |
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Team Metropoint
The staff sent me off with a nice lunch and photo of the property. You made the last 6 years enjoyable. You are a great team and my successor will enjoy working with all of you!!
Accomplishments: $18,000,000 in Capital and tenant improvements, fitness and conference centers, dining facility, new lobbies and building entrances, 11 modernized elevators, 4 new chillers (on rooftops), 2 new cooling towers, a new boiler, landscaping resulting in: 3 local and 3 regional TOBY Awards and the International TOBY, NAIOP Award of Excellence for Renovations, MREJ best 3rd Party Managed Property, LEED Certification, national C&W award for energy conservation and knowledge and satisfaction that we did it as a team!
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| l-r: Diane M., Tami S., Charlie G., Jeff A., Scott C., Mike M., Charles W., Dick C. |
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| Front to Back, l-r: Scott, Diane, Mike, Jeff, Dick, Charlie, Tami, me, Charles. |
And Continues...
My last 'formal' farewell was held on my last day, May 24, at Kip's.Thanks C&W|NM for a great send off!
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| Me, our friend 'the donger', and Charlie. |
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| The engineering team at MP. Mike C., Dick C., Charles W., Scott M., and the 'chief' Jeff A. |
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| Ryan (Sam), Nisck and Jo. |
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| The leasing team: Jason B., me, Gordie H. |
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| Cindy H. and me. Cindy helped me with so many things: newsletter, 7 TOBY submissions, NAIOP Award of Excellence, and MREJ Award...we won ALL of them. |
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| Jo and make...thanks for everything! |
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| Diane M. and me. Diane was the glue in our office. She did everything we needed and more. I wish she could come with me! |
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| The stragglers. |
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| Random shot. |
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| "Get over here!" |
Friday, May 25, 2012
And Continues...
The BOMA TOBY Committee threw me a bash on Thursday May 17, 2012 at Zelo. We had fun. Thanks everyone! Since this committee began in 2008, 7 Minneapolis properties have earned the BOMA International TOBY. Minneapolis had zero before that. This committee works hard and plays harder! Nice cliche, right?
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| Another photo of the group. Mike H front and center! |
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| Jill E. and me. |
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| Sandra S. and me. We are...never mind...long story |
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| Julie S and Sandra S |
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| Jill and Bruce |
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| Jill and Sandra |
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| Bruce and Sandra |
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