CELEBRATING 4 YEARS
Four years ago we crossed the Santa Lucia Range on the Green Valley Road and caught a glimpse of the wide Pacific expanding on the horizon line, opening the west to our new life. We had taken Greeley's advice and come west, far west. Our home is on highest ridge between the Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean. Its called Top of the World. The mountains, the sea, Monterey Pine forest, our village and its denizens have conspired to make this home.
FROM WHENCE....
I Left being a News Director. My former chair is at the end of the table. Twice a day I'd meet with my staff. In the morning some of the cadre stood along the walls as well as on the floor. Overall some 100 people including artists, directors, engineers and technical staff, reporters, producers, photographers, assignment staff, managers, meteorologists and sports reporters worked to air 6 hours of regularly scheduled news. Breaking news, special coverage, live programs and the Internet added more to the load.
The people were very good and did very well. There were rating victories, awards and accolades.
The office on the left up on the second deck was where I managed. 6 windows over looking the heart of the operation, and 6 on Meridian Street, the primary north south spoke in a L'Enfant city plan, gave the office bookends of energy and motion.
News battles are spirited and the process is a bit like roller skating on marbles. Things are always moving, changing and you have deadlines to hit. It seems now what I did most was make decisions. I told Lana I would give it two years and then we'd head west. It was three years before we made that trip over the mountains.
SMILES AND NOT LOOKING BACK
We came to a village where we were unknown, missing friends to be sure, but we smiled as we crossed the summit and started toward our ridge. This was the sunset that awaited. All of them have been wonderful, even those in fog or marine bank.
Four years ago today, two boomers began a long delayed adventure of living in California. It remains a new and wonderful path. Years before, back when people talked about the color of their parachute, a man some of you know as the Catalyst launched his own journey west. We never forgot.
As she pondered that evening, on the launch of the new journey, Lana could not begin to anticipate the creative exuberance she was to know.
As we begin our fifth year, our toast is one of gratitude.
