Yesterday, James and I had a progressive lunch in Ann Arbor.

• We ate our main course at Jerusalem Garden.
• Fabulous lentil soup.
• Enjoyed their new decor.

Walking back to the car we decided to stop at another place for desert.

• We saw a fairly new coffee shop.
• The sun was streaming in the window.
• An empty table called our name.

We walked in and claimed the table.

• We chatted about what to order.
• I noticed the woman at the next table scowling at me.
• Wasn’t sure why.

Went to the counter to place our order.

• Several minutes passed.
• No one showed up.
• We could hear someone making noise in the back room.

We decided to wait at our table for the help to appear.

• We continued our conversation as we got situated.
• I had a weird feeling.
• Looked across the room and saw several people glaring at me.

Between the lack of attention and evil eyes, we agreed it was a sign to leave the coffee shop.

• We went to Zingerman’s Deli for a treat.
• They are always happy to see us.
• Plus the food is over the top!

I won’t be going back to that coffee shop any time soon.

Makes me think of chapter leaders…do your first-time guests get evil eyes or warm welcomes when they show up at your events?

  But Mom and Dad saved me.

Raindrop here - and alive.

This morning, Mom and Dad were ignoring me.

• They ate breakfast.
• Started talking about goals for 2009.
• How boring!

I decided to find something more fun to do.

• And hit the jackpot.
• You’ll never believe what I found.
• A bag of Zingerman’s brownies!

Life was good!

• Two pounds of pure, high-quality chocolate.
• Balanced with the best sugar.
• All for me!

I grabbed the bag.

• Snuck it into my kennel.
• And inhaled.
• Yummy in my tummy!

I was happily licking the crumbs off the bag.

• Then the explosion happened.
• Mom caught me red-handed.
• Mom and Dad got in a heated conversation and made a call.

Next thing I knew, Dad swept me into his arms.

• We ran to the car.
• Mom was driving.
• Oh boy! I love car rides!

We pulled up to that place.

• I could smell the other dogs.
• Dad ran in with me.
• What was happening?

A nice lady grabbed me gently.

• When she heard Zingerman brownies she ran me to the back.
• They called me “the chocolate dog.”
• A whole bunch of people circled me.

I don’t remember a lot after that.

• They poured stuff down me.
• I threw up tons.
• (They petted me a lot too.)

Mom and Dad were really pale when my new friend Stephanie took me to them.

• “Raindrop would have died if you didn’t bring her in right away…”
• Died? You’re kidding, right?
• I just ate the most scrumptious chocolate on Earth.

Why did they put four brownies in one bag if I wasn’t supposed to eat that much?

• That doesn’t make sense!
• Is it possible have too much of a good thing?

Like Mom always says, makes me think of chapter leaders…is too much of a good thing hurting your chapter somehow? How do you know?

  And you would too!

Raindrop here.

I’m so excited!

• My t-shirts are finally in!
• Didn’t the artist do a great job with me?
• My autograph is part of the design.

Dad has my shirt on and is taking me downtown to see Dr. Alice.

• We buy my food from her at her store Dogma.
• She’s got some of the best treats in town!

We may stop at the Bank of Ann Arbor too.

• They always give me treats when I come in.
• Plus I was in their TV commercial.
• I know they’ll want to see my shirt!

My friend Ari, from Zingerman’s, said he wanted one too.

• I ran the shirts in black because that’s all he wears.
• Plus the design is very cool.
• Can you tell my ears in the shirt are just the shirt - no ink?

This is sooo much fun!

• There are so many people I need to show.
• Plus I’m hoping they’ll give me extra treats because I’m so cute!
• (You can get one of my shirts too at the Chapter Leaders Playground Leadership Shop.)

As mom always says, makes me think of chapter leaders… how do you share exciting news about your chapter with others?

Yesterday we celebrated James’ 29th birthday.

I offered to take James any place in the world for dinner.

Paris was a strong contender, but…

• The corporate jet was being washed.
• James wanted to save the gas.

So we went to his Ann Arbor favorite restaurant - Zingerman’s Roadhouse.

• They treated him like a king.
• The food was amazing - as usual.

The evening was topped with a special Zingerman’s birthday cupcake.

• Chocolate cake with whipped cream on top.
• James took his time making his wish.
• And then admired the confection in front of him.

I tried a touch of the whip cream - what a symphony on my taste buds!

• No chemical flavors.
• No bitter aftertaste.
• It was the real deal.

What a perfect way to end a wonderful celebration!

(Happy Birthday James!)

Makes me think of chapter leaders…do you give prospective members the real deal - or an artificial sales pitch that leaves a bad taste lingering?