I Couldn't Say it Better

Friday evening I received the call I knew would come eventually--but just not exactly when. Bill Cook, the founder of the great company I work for had died of conjestive heart failure. Everyone knew he was very sick. But all was well as long as he was seated at his favorite table outside the cafeteria, enjoying his 11:30 lunch almost like clock-work.

Since Friday, I've been reading all the condolesence messages posted on the Cookmedical.com, Twitter, our local newspaper, the Indianapolis Star and Facebook. People from as far away as Muscat Oman have posted rememberances of this incredible man, who alongside his wife Gayle, built a multi-billion dollar company whose products have saved thousands of live--all from a humble beginning in a Bloomington two-bedroom apartment.

I've been giving a good deal of thought about what I could write that would articulate my personal appreciation and gratitude for being part of Cook Medical and more important, Mr. Cook's culture. The truth is, I couldn't. The more I read, the more I realized I was just one of thousands who were deeply saddened and felt his loss.
But one post said it all. Written by my dear friend and colleague Lynsey Randall, her words were the sum of all my feelings. So I repeat them for you here.  Lynsey, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Lynsey Randall and her family

Because of Mr. Cook...

I have an amazing job that I thoroughly enjoy.
I go to work every morning with purpose.
I learn something new and incredible everyday.
I work with honest, caring and compassionate people.
I understand what selflessness looks like.
I learned what it means to be a responsible corporate citizen.
I can put forth a hard day of work, spend quality time with my family and sleep at night.
I will never be afraid to run fast, jump high and fall hard.
I, my husband, Josh, and our children will forever be changed for the better.
My family is living a better life.We can live in vibrant, small-town America (Bloomington), and still feel like we are changing the world everyday.
Btown is alive and growing today.
I now have family in every corner of the globe.
I have seen and experienced the world.
I understand, admire and respect different cultures.
I realize our similarities greatly outnumber our differences.
Physicians have revolutionary treatment options for patients they were once unable to treat.
Patients have hope. Lives have been changed.
My list could go on and on. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will be greatly missed.









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Last Night at the IU Ballet

Last night was the end my eleventh year as a IU Ballet Theater season ticket holder. I think that qualifies me to write a critical review of the performance of New York. New York, a trilogy of ballets. The first act, titled Cloven Kingdom, was very difficult for Mother and me to understand. I just couldn't get my arms around male dancers in tuxedos performing like animals or female dancers wearing strange headgear that kept reminding me of Blue Man Group. Conversely, the dancing spotlighted not only the performers' ballet skills, but the gymnastic abilities as well. With all that said, I just couldn't figure out the story. Whew, intermission.

On to act two, the Lilac Garden that thank goodness was a return to toe shoes and more classical ballet. The featured solosist, Brett Benedict's parents were sitting next to me and I could sense her mother holding her breath as the curtain went up and Brett began to dance. As the dancers performed,  I couldn't help but pay particular attention to the beautiful music they danced to. The featured violinist, Benjamin Hoffman, had a starring role in his own right. The act ended as perfect as it began, and I could hear the muffled sigh of relief, as Brett's mother relaxed and began to breath normally.



Caitlin Kirschenbaum,
 Principle, Who Cares?



The last act was a George Ballanchine ballet peformed to George Gershwin. I can't say it any other way, I loved it. And I could sense the audience did as well as applause errupted after each performance. But I have to say that over the 11 years, I have never seen a ballerina more expressive and graceful as Caitlin Kirschenbaum, except for Julie Kent a professional lead dancer from the American Ballet Company. I loved watching Caitlin dance and her body language was so easy to interpret. At times, as I watched her with her partner Paul Danndridge, I was having mind flashes of Gene Kelley and Leslie Caron as they too danced to Gerswin in "An American in Paris." Caitlin, I will miss you and your toe shoes will be difficult to fill as you move onto what hopefully will be a stellar career in professional dance.

So the curtain fell on the 2010/2010 Indiana University Ballet Theater season. To all the students, if you're leaving IU, goodbye and good luck. You've given my Mother and me many hours of pleasure. If you're staying for another year, we'll be back in the center of row 11 and look forward to more great performances.



A Bloomington Classic



Many times in our search to find something new or change a routine, we overlook restaurants where the food is consistently good with stellar service. The one restaurant in Bloomington that always comes to mind particularlySaturday brunch is Uptown Cafe at Kirkwood and Walnut Street. It's Mother's and my favorite spot. When the weather's cold and dreary, we always choose to eat in the bar area where Mark the bartender/waiter greets us with a bright smile and promptly brings a mug of fresh coffee. We were there just this morning and saw a number of familiar faces, so they too, know the secret of eating behind the saloon swinging doors. Many times, the seats at the bar are taken by locals coming in for a cappuccino and the European soccer matches. The pub-like atmosphere at breakfast time is like to no other cafe I know in Bloomington

Along with the ambiance, the breakfast menu is an eclectic mix of creole and standbys with a few surprise specials like huevos rancheros and Indonesian corn fritters. Like all restaurants in Indiana, Uptown has biscuits and gravy, granola, lox and bagels and eggs. But it's the extras that make breakfast so enjoyable for me. The "home fries" a.k.a. red skin potatoes browned with onions and mushrooms are to die for! The potatoes are always well-seasoned and caramelized. I'm also a big fan of the fresh salsa on top of a vegetarian Popeye omelet. It's a three-egg omelet with fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Regardless of the fillings, the Uptown omelets are always perfectly flipped, done in the middle and never browned around the edges like so many omelets in town.

Another tasty looking dish my mother prefers is the creme brulee French toast--especially on a summer morning at a shaded outdoor table. The menu describes it as slices of baguette baked atop a layer of custard infused with vanilla. It's way to sweet and sugary for my morning taste, but it looks like a sweet tooth pleaser.

Mom and I may venture to new places, try new things but always circle back to the classics. Uptown Cafe is no exception.





The Arrogance of Power

Once upon a time in Liberalville Indiana, there were elected government officials who thought they knew what was best for their misinformed, ignorant constituents. After all, these elected officials believed thety were the smartest and brightest in all the land. The officials knew that once the constituents learned their reasons for controlling the use of personal land, keeping all growth to a few square miles and minimizing economic opportunity, that the people would embrace and accept the officials' wisdom.

But alas, it wasn't to be. The people weren't stupid. They did understand. And guess what--they didn not agree. So they spoke out. They created a website. They signed petitions. They attended public meetings. They tried to get their issues heard.  But the question is, did the elected officials listen? Will they try to find common ground and room for compromise? Or will the arrogance of power prevail?