A Weekend in the Life of a Salesperson

This has been an extremely busy weekend. Early breakfasts, lunch dates, activities with customers, and then evening receptions every night, going from there to formal dinners.
I don’t think I’ve had so much rich food since…last year’s event in Santa Fe!

We’ve had a good time, and I thought I’d share with you the life of a salesperson during an event such as this. (I know you’re dying to know!)

Thursday
Drove to Albuquerque, arriving around 6pm
Went straight to Landry’s, reserving a table for 8
After a long dinner, took customers to casino, stayed out way too late.

Friday
Drove into Santa Fe, checked into La Fonda, a historic Santa Fe hotel, unpacked
Took customers and about 25 co-workers to La Casa Sena, where we dined on excellent fare, and were greatly entertained by our singing wait staff. I recommend this restaurant to anyone!
My boss suggested we help him take customers to the local casino. Rerun of Thursday.

Saturday
10 am Ladies’ Brunch at La Fonda Terraza , where the entertainment was Lisa Trujillo, co-owner of Chimayo Weavers, along with her husband, Irvin. Their work is on permanent display at the Smithsonian, and Irvin was just awarded The National Endowment for the Arts 2007 NEA National Heritage Fellowship. I promise, I will never look at a weaving the same again. These people gather plants, make their own dyes, and put hours and hours into weaving their wares. I am amazed, and plan to make a trip back up to Santa Fe just to visit their facility. Go! See!
12:30 pm – shopping Santa Fe with customers and their wives
6 pm – Attended formal reception for BJ Services (around 500 people)
8 pm – Attended our customer appreciation dinner (around 300 people)
10:30 pm – finally went to bed (left MLH and others milling around the bar)

Sunday
Breakfast at the hotel, talked business (it never ends, really.)
12:30 pm – took customers on a winery tour – what a fun time!

We stopped first at Balagna Winery, San Ysidro Vineyards, where proprietor John Balagna, a retired nuclear chemist, entertained us mightily! And of course, we walked away with a few cases of his wine. If you get a chance, go visit the Balagnas. Their 500 acre homestead includes a beautiful canyon and a great view of the Rio Grande River.


We then went to Santa Fe Winery, where we purchased some port and chardonnay. And someone, namely MLH, goofed off for the camera in the Wine Diva visor.

6 pm – Attended the Devon/Marathon reception on top of the Eldorado Hotel , so crowded we couldn't move (it was too cold for everyone to be outside, so we were sardined up!)
7 pm – Attended the NMOGA kickoff reception (around 1000 people)
8 pm – Went to dinner at The Ore House on the Plaza
10:30 pm – Back to the hotel, where we crashed

Monday
8 am – Up, working on the computer
10 am – Going to late breakfast with customers/friends
Noon – hopefully heading home!

Such is the life of an oilfield salesperson…and you thought all we did was have a great time!
(We did!)

Drive-by Pictures!

This is some of the scenery en route to White Rock...going to our winery tour. I actually took these shots as we were driving down the road. I'm amazed they came out this well!

It was a beautiful trip. More pix and stories to come! Enjoy.

Socorro, New Mexico

These shots were taken as we left Socorro, NM, heading into Albuquerque. Enjoy!

Where in the world is....Janie? (Prizes will be awarded!)

Jen P won the contest and as the winner, will be the recipient of either a cool prize or some great wine from Santa Fe! So, Jen P, let me know what you want! Woohoo! Thanks for playing!

The answer to the contest: The pictures were taken while were driving into San Antonio, N.M. Isn't it beautiful? And Jen P had even been there!

This was fun. I'll try to think of another while I'm here!

Okay. I’m pulling a Jim at Serotonin Rain survey. You probably know where I’m going…but based on this picture, what town am I near in this portion of the journey? I know, if you're like me, you'll say "It's so beautiful, who cares where Janie is?"

First winner with the right name gets an (as yet undetermined) awesome prize straight from some (as yet undetermined, but cool) shopping place somewhere around here (here being where I presently am now)...unless, of course, you want a cool prize from our Winery Tour on Sunday. (Whew, that was one long run-on sentence!) You pick. Are you a winehead? Or do you trust me to surprise you? Okay, Sherlocks, get to it!!

Hints – (1)we got a little off the beaten path; (2) an old Charley Pride tune; (3) Saint Anthony of Padua (4)Texas shares a sister city of the same name. Who knew?

What not to wear made easy...

Wow. What a night. I left the office at 7:30pm, called and begged the cleaners to open up for me since I forgot to go pick up our clothes for the trip. They graciously met me and loaded my truck. MLH is just now coming in from his leases, and we still have to pack. But the neatest thing happened, and I just have to share it!

Around 8:30 p.m., I called Bob and Cherie to see what they were doing. They were having supper with friends, and I asked them to call me when they were done. I guess they heard the panic in my voice…because I was panicking. Around 9pm, they called me back and asked if I needed help.

I knew MLH wasn’t going to make it home before midnight at the earliest. We have to leave early in the morning for Santa Fe, and I had no clothes picked out. We go from breakfast meetings to golf outings to tours to formal dinners, and though I had some ideas of what I was going to take, I hadn’t worked it all out.

Bob and Cherie came through the door and we went to work. (Well, Bob went to work watching a western, which was good – we probably would have driven him to drink.) Cherie made a long arduous task fun and gave great advice. Want to check the status of a friendship? Go through what we did tonight!

Now, all we have to do is get MLH and Zack home from the field, pack our truck, and go west, young man! No way could I have been this far along without Bob & Cherie’s help. Thanks, y’all! You rock!!

To every thing, turn, turn, turn...there is a season...

I’ve not been sleeping well lately. Meetings, schedules, trying to finish projects prior to leaving town – it’s all creeping into my head and pinging my I.P. at the most inopportune times…like at 2 a.m. When I do wake up, I’m wide awake, so I usually just get up. It’s almost not worth the fight to go back to sleep.

This season in which MLH and I find ourselves is different than any prior, and we know it. Nothing is set in stone. Almost as quickly as we discern something, things shift. Each day is a new day. I’ve become somewhat used to the shifting – which is a personal miracle in itself. We want to discern the seasons of the Lord in our lives, the blowing of the wind.

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning." Daniel 2:20-22 NIV

This is a unsettled time for us – there seems to be a lack of firm ground – of definite direction. Our families, our jobs, everything is fine. It’s just that it is a different time. It feels, smells, seems so foreign, yet, so much remains the same; and, we walk on. Amazingly enough, our steps are sure on this shifting sand. Hearts are open, eyes and ears turned towards Him.

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5 :23-24 NIV

We wait on Him. Because He has called us. He is Faithful. And He will do it.

Ace the beautiful Elhew English Pointer...is for sale!

This blog has been paused for a commercial break. I’m showing these pictures of Ace for a friend of mine. (Translate this disclaimer to “I need a website, Eric.” )I have shown pictures of this amazing dog Ace before, but here are more for your viewing pleasure.

Ace is a registered Elhew English Pointer, 4.5 year old light orange and white stud. Ace is fully trained on bob white and blue quail, chukar, and pheasant. This dog has several local wins and, as you can tell by the photographs, is a performing machine. If you know of anyone looking for a great hunting dog, let us know!

Or, for further information, please call Steve at Blue Quail Kennels, 432-561-8228.