At the IBM Information On Demand (IOD) conference in Las Vegas, I attended a session where some customers presented a success story about DB2 Query Monitor, a product I support. I had met with their DBA staff last year and apparently made an impression on them. At some point they decided that I resembled the guy in the Dos Equis commercials who says “stay thirsty my friend” and nicknamed me “the most interesting man in the world” after the Dos Equis guy. They asked me to take a picture with a Dos Equis beer to share with their team.

At first I was a little taken aback but soon grew fond of the characterization. After all I do pride myself on being a unique, outspoken individual coupled with a self deprecating sense of humor. That and my new age lifestyle could certainly lead others to make this association.

I found myself asking for a Dos Equis at several restaurants and bars but to no avail. On our last evening in Vegas I had purchased tickets for Pam’s birthday to LOVE, the Cirque du Soliel show about the Beatles at the Mirage. While having dinner before the show I finally found a Dos Equis to satisfy my thirst at Kokomo’s set in a tropical rainforest, surrounded by waterfalls and a sparkling interior lagoon. Both the dinner and show were amazing.

So here’s to Larry, Rob and Ruben,

Stay Thirsty my Friend!

Bon Voyage, Jay

P.S. I received the following comment via email:

I believe the following are applicable.

• His beard alone has experienced more than a lesser mans body
• He never say’s anything tastes like chicken… Not even chicken
• He’s a lover… Not a fighter, but he’s also a fighter, so don’t get any ideas

He doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does…

I journeyed to Santa Cruz a few days ago to drop off the key to my boat as it has come time to upgrade to a larger vessel. Calypso, my 27′ sailboat, served me well as my first boat in three decades. I refreshed my sailing skills and spent many enjoyable weekends dock sailing with my first mate Pam. As I arrived after a busy Monday, I was greeted by this great blue heron waiting next to Calypso.

Dining at the Crow’s Nest that evening, pondering my good fortune when I glanced out the window to see a classic autumnal crescent moon reflecting over the Santa Cruz Harbor. My mid week hiatus suddenly took on a added dimension. As the crescent moon slowly set into Lighthouse Point on the horizon it started to shimmer into a faint, gold, glimmering sliver that sent a shiver up my spine.

At lunch the next day I met with the broker and signed the papers to put Calypso up for sale. Sitting in his office overlooking the harbor, the fog magically rolled in giant puffs that enveloped the harbor within minutes. As my mind wondered to thoughts of a bigger, newer sailboat I was struck that this might be my last stay on Calypso. The serendipity of the fog rolling in as I signed papers seemed to symbolize a transition, to something better perhaps, but certainly a time for reflecting on the wonderful experiences aboard Calypso.

As dusk approached I went for a walk along the beach. The tide was low and the beach was askew with seaweed that crunched under my feet as I strolled along the breaking surf. The point that typically has waves crashing against the rocks was high and dry with a stretch of beach exposed in front of the rocks. I extended my walk to this private little cove east of the harbor. Since I lived close to that beach in the late 70s the scene filled me with warm memories of youthful visits to the beach watching the boats set sail out the harbor.

I dream some day of setting sail out that harbor to cross the immense Pacific Ocean. Selling Calypso may be the next step towards that dream but she will always hold a special place in my heart.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Got my iPhone last week and this is my first ride with it. So far everything is as good as I had hoped except access to the IBM intranet. It appears that the iPhone security is not up to IBM standards so they have capped the VPN usage until Apple and IBM can improve the security. So score one for personal productivity but take the hit on professional productivity.

Here I am on a warm, autumn Sunday afternoon out on my favorite bike trail and the reception is fine even on the outskirts of Morgan Hill. It’s time to hit the road again as the insects have found me. Does mother nature always win out over technology? I guess it’s only a matter of time.

Speaking of mother nature, after the bugs chased me down the trail I had one of those experiences that seems to only happen to cyclists. As I came around a corner on a secluded section of the bike trail, I found myself eye to eye with a six point buck. Now I’ve seen a lot of deer on this trail but this was the first time I had seen a buck. My only regret was that I could not snap a picture before he darted off into the brush.

I continued down the path until I was inspired to take this picture on the right. A few minutes further down the path as I paused for a drink of water, 20 – 30 geese took off from the lake, squawking and honking, passing about ten yards directly over my head.

All in all a great day to spin my wheels.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Several people sent me articles about Contador and the doping scandal in professional cycling. At first I was aghast at the reports of Contador having cheated and the natural assumption that his denials were empty. After several days it appears that there may be substance to the denials. We live in a world where scientific advances drive increased productivity in every aspect of our lives. So why is that we are skeptical when artificial hormones from our agri-livestock industry show up in athletic drug tests?

• The irony of bovine hormones appearing in a world class athlete’s drug test is particularly poignant considering that I’m a pesco-vegeterian.

I watch the Tour de France every year and witnessed Floyd Landis‘ desperate attempt to win after bonking the day before as well as other super-human come backs that later proved to be artificially induced. I also cheered Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire in their own heroes quest for baseball immortality. We live in a world that rewards super-human accomplishments and we assume our heroes will do what ever it takes to reach new levels of achievement. We have become so jaded by scandals and paparzzi that we are too quick to assume the worst and too quick to forget mistakes.

• Of course I am one of the hoards that was inspired by Lance Armstrong both on the bike and off and never believed any of the doping accusations.

Recently I was asked how I keep motivated to spend hours in the saddle spinning my wheels. I responded with something about taking motivation a day at a time and over time it becomes easier and eventually fulfilling. I added that you have to be very forgiving and always look forward rather than focusing on past failures. Perhaps this is true for all hero journeys, whether it is riding over 100 miles on a 3 day weekend or achieving Olympic Gold. The key is to Embrace your Journey, for the only true measure of success is how you get there.

Bon Voyage, Jay

P.S. After writing this post I spun my wheels on the Coyote Creek bike trail in south San Jose.

Nearly three decades ago my life took a path that led to an internship at IBM. I found myself working on mainframes and was given an opportunity to learn a new relational database called DATABASE2. Over the next years the name evolved to DB2 for z/OS. The z/OS part of the name means the SystemZ / Operating System. The Z stands for Zero-down-time and refers to IBM mainframes. DB2 has been a part of my life for a quarter century.

These days my professional life revolves around DB2 for z/OS. Early this year IBM announce the beta program for DB2 10 for z/OS. My team has been heads down enhancing the IBM DB2 Tools to support the next version of one of IBM’s flagship products.

As we drive to develop advanced technology for leading corporations around the world, we just delivered a brand new product, DB2 Sort for z/OS V1.1 that can lower the cost of running a global transactional database. The successful launch of DB2 Sort for z/OS is just in time for our 2010 Information On Demand Conference in Las Vegas on October 24 – 28. I look forward to Las Vegas and talking to friends and colleagues about the exciting new technology that we have developed.

Bon Voyage, Jay

It has been awhile since I have posted here and I miss it. I have continued my travels over the last year and have encountered new challenges. True to GreenWanderer, things have a way of working out. I find myself rediscovering my joy of life.

I am writing this post on my new iPad which is part of my overall technology upgrade. I got the iPad before my trip to South America which deserves a post of it’s own. It was a great traveling companion with video, email and internet access. I was disappointed when I tried to use at poolside, but overall I am very happy with my new venture into Apple-land.

My next step is an iPhone and then some new ideas for GreenWanderer. Watch for some new stories, pictures and who knows what else!

Bon Voyage, Jay

During my last trip to Europe I spent a day wandering around the Volksfest in Stuttgart, Germany. The “People’s Festival” is an annual event that proceeds the better known Oktoberfest in Munich. I arrived early on an unseasonably warm autumn day and parked the rental car for the day between the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Volksfest.

I began my day at the Mercedes-Benz Museum learning about the evolution of the automotive industry in Germany. From the first Mercedes, named for the purchaser’s daughter, through the “German Economic Miracle”, I marveled at the innovation and engineering. After several hours of looking at cars, listening to the audio guide and watching historical videos, I gained new insights into these industrious, hard working people.

I walked several kilometers to Volksfest and found myself in a huge carnival complete with 2 Ferris Wheels and every kind of spinning, accelerating and dropping contraption imaginable. Being content with walking and people watching, I explored until hunger prompted me to stop at one of the many beer pavilions that popularize these historical festivals.

I was hoping that I could find something obviously vegetarian but the only option seemed to be table service and menus. The waiter did not speak english but he got some help from a nearby table. I soon bought a round for my new friends who helped me order and spent several hours exchanging stories and toasting world peace. Unfortunately I had to leave early to catch a plane but we exchanged facebooks and pix. All in all it was a wonderful day.

Click here to see the rest of my pictures from Stuttgart.

Bon Voyage, Jay

There are those days when the rigor of regular cycling becomes overpowered by lethargy. But I find if I just put my gear on, I can eventually overcome the resistance and roll the bike out the door. Yesterday with a cold, brisk wind in my face, I took a path I had not traveled for some time.

As I fought against the head wind I remembered riding that bike path in my early days of cycling. The parts of the ride that I used to struggle with now seemed easy. What once was the end of the path had been extended and now connected to another bike path. I took a short break at my old rest spot and ate a snack bar, remembering the first time I was there nearly 20 years ago. As dusk was approaching I was quick to remount and head back home.

The golden light heightened the autumn colors as the brisk wind, now at my back, swept me down the path. There were several groups of slower riders ahead of me. As I drafted and then cleared the last group, the wind caught me again and I accelerated down the path. The leaves swirled around me in the wind accentuated by my wheels kicking up leaves on the path. I dropped down into an aerodynamic position and pushed hard to pick up speed, muscles straining with each pedal stroke. The scene became surrealistic like out of a classic movie. The rush of the wind and the crackling of the leaves added to the drama while flashbacks of past rides floated through my minds eye reminding me of my progression and growth over the last two decades.

It is times like these that makes me appreciate cycling even more, providing a exhilarating blend of aerobics, meditation and incredible imagery.

Bon Voyage, Jay