Skip to main content

Picto Diary - 01, 02 August 2020 - el Contadore

Above: Richard Measelle.

el Contadore, passed 01 August 2020 at his home in Tavistock, Devon, UK. We were fortunate to have Zoom bring Dick back to our coffee klatch for a few speaker sessions in recent months. We were lucky to know him. Major player at international level while self effacing, gracious and polite... not to mention one of LSDM's best joke tellers ever!

Rest in Peace Dick Measelle. 25 September 1938 - 01 August 2020.

Sincere condolences to Alison, Jeff, Millicent, Susana, Lara, Stephen, Luke and Rory.

Image by TIMDT, almost two years ago at Dick's 80th, Madrid, Spain.

Above: TIMDT at Indian Wars Monument. Little Bighorn Battlefield Park, Montana. 01 August 2020.

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux
Out and about on the LT.

Memorial to US soldiers who died subduing hostile native Americans, while making the world safe for democracy.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries."

Above: TIMDT at Last Stand Hill. Little Bighorn Battle Field. Montana. 01 August 2020.

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux
Out and about on the LT.

Here, Custer gets comeuppance from Crazy Horse; underestimates Cheyenne strength, and overestimates Reno's sangfroid.

Little Bighorn is excellent lesson in management.

A big part of Custer's failure was his having inept, incompetent underlings. Reno and Benteen were not his choices. It's one thing to act out Napoleonic audacity, but doing it with losers like Benteen and Reno, and not with winners like Napoleon's underlings, Murat, Messena and Berthiet, was a fool's errand.

As a general rule, if undertaking a challenging task, you are at greater risk of failure if you can't choose your own people. For the four financial services business turnarounds accomplished during my working life, I had my own team for two of the cases and was assigned subordinates by higher ups (for some, not all, key positions) in the other two situations.

Fortunately, in the two management challenges where I had to take people not of my choice, I didn't get "Custered." But, the incompetence headwinds were severe in both situations. I've had to contend with more than my share of Renos and Benteens. So be it. What's the saying? That which doesn't kill you, strengthens you?

Note: Give me one good reason that US Park Service keeps visitors' center closed.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Deer with half horns missing. Sheridan, WY. 01 August 2020.

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux
Deux Magots Walkers

Got horns?

Three mile loop around Sheridan post ribs at Wyoming Rib and Chop House.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux
Out and about in the Camry.

Yes, Camry. Bishop made a 'pilot error' last night and left the lights on on the LT. The battery drained. No help. AAA doesn't charge motorcycle batteries and it was Sunday. Everything was closed. A direct charge from a car battery doesn't work... so its a bit complicated. We decided to leave the bike and carry on in a rental car. Not the first time I have had to leave a bike and travel on. My Triumph Rocket III broke down near Tucson circa 2004 and my Ducati Multistrada had brain problems near Albuquerque in 2015. In both cases, I left the bikes at dealers and flew home. Later, I returned to retrieve the motorcycles. And, so it appears to be with the LT. There is no BMW service in Sheridan. I'll call the Honda dealer tomorrow or Tuesday and get them to pick up the LT and recharge the battery. I left the key at the motel desk. TIMDT was very solicitous and not critical at all of my faux pas. She seemed very disappointed that we would go all the way home in the air conditioned Camry. She wouldn't be able to ride the LT today in 100 degree heat, stay the night at Thermopolis and ride the LT home the next day... 350 miles. I know how she feels, but, she's just going to have to suck it up.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Pilot Butte original Mormon pioneer wagon tracks. Eden, WY. 02 August 2020.

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux.
Out and about in the Camry.

Pilot Butte was an important landmark along the Mormon Trail. Wagon tracks date to 1850's/1860's.

."Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Above: Trucks parked at Don Pedros Restaurant. Evanston, Wyoming. 03 August 2020Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux.

Escaping the Insanity Tour Part Deux
Out and about in the Camry.

Uhh... I understand in other parts of the world people travel by... what is it?..... right, cars, I think.

Don Pedros. Best Mex in Park City area. Seems to be a safer place than Summit County, Utah, as well... no masks required.

"Go to the woods to lose sight and memory of the crimes of your contemporaries." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Addendum:


Love it that you’re with Bill and Julie.

Magnolia,
Miami, FL