There is some question and controversy around the song title – Tube Snake Boogie vs. Tube Steak Boogie. Given the fact that Still Rockin’ plays at local neighborhood events – they stick with the more g-rated version.

Still Rockin’

• Craig Harper
• Dennis Viers
• John Marcinko
• Paul Cvengros sitting in for Anthony

Still Rockin’ will be playing at Keller Williams Realty when they have their grand opening at their new offices in the Rose Garden. I believe the move date is now Sept. 1.

Schools Out! Ready or not – here it is – summer time, AND the living is easy.

The days are warm, the kids are happy – let the neighborhood festivities begin!

Last night, we were over at Kris & Dennis Viers’ house for a block party. The Viers are friends and strategic partners – we sell real estate, they do loans at Wells Fargo.

It’s been a while since I was at a block party, especially one with about 18 energized children between the ages of 2 and 12.

The pics from top to bottom:

• Part of the crowd
• Kris & Dennis Viers, Craig & Tracey Harper, and Jane Favre
• The water balloon fight
• The entertainment with dancing girls

A block party is a great event to hold once or twice a year to help build a strong sense of community. Craig & Tracey, due to scheduling conflicts, are going to have to change their pre-4^th of July party to a post 4^th of July party this year.

Craig & Dennis are part of Still Rockin’, a band of not quite over-the-hill  guys that still love to jam and have fun.

Our buddy and strategic partner, Dennis Viers, wound up in the hospital the other night with a ruptured appendix. I asked him if this was a result of all the hard work and long hours he has put in on the San Ramon Planning Commission and the City Center Project.

He told me it was probably due more to all the celebration around the improvement in the local housing market. I checked the IV and, sure enough, there was a morphine drip attached, so he is seeing things a little differently than some!

He’s in room 3057 at Kaiser in Walnut Creek for those who wish to visit. I don’t know if he wants flowers, but Kris is there non-stop, so take her a cheeseburger, a latte or some chocolate.

Here is a link for those that don’t know what a blog meme is. 

And here is a link if you don’t know about Pay it Forward.

I was thinking that the concept of Paying it Forward would be a great action to initiate during the holidays, so I am going at it from two different angles. On this post, from the perspective of recognizing people that I have met this past year that inspire me. Over on AgentGenius, I am coming at Pay it Forward more traditionally.

As I was reflecting on 2007, my thoughts turned to a few individuals that I had met this year that really inspired me. I wanted to take the time to acknowledge them, let the world know about them and why they inspire me, and encourage everyone to do the same.

Pay it Fourward 2007 – Tell the world about four people you met in 2007 that inspire you.

Jeff Turner – Jeff is a real gift of a person that just keeps on giving. He turns up in my thoughts in the most astounding ways and at the most surprising times. I’ve been wondering why. It seems to revolve around two words – inspiration and integrity.

I don’t have a clue what it is about Jeff that infuses me with inspiration, but I feel like Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets when I talk to or think about Jeff – “I want to be a better person.”

I met Jeff at Inman’s Blogger Connect in San Francisco in July. Since then, I have had the opportunity to brainstorm a few things with him and in all of the interactions there is an aura of integrity and authenticity that pervades the interaction.

Jeff Turner is a great guy to know. I recommend you do.

Joseph Natividad – Joe is one the year’s best surprises. Here is the story of how I met Joe and here is his interview over on Inman News (subscription required).

Joe is an inspiration to me because he is curious, kind, has an interesting mind, is a typical atypical young adult, and is rather shy and modest. Joe is the kind of guy that gives me hope for tomorrow.

In this age of subpar intelligence and mediocre aspirations, Joe is a breath of fresh air. Follow his writings for a few months just for grins.

Dean Guadagni – I may have actually had the handshake and formal introduction to Dean in late 2006, but I can safely say I didn’t really know Dean until he started writing on his blog – DeansGuide.

Dean boggles my mind. He inspires me to attempt the impossible – to write with as much flair and sensitivity as he does. I’m thinking that maybe a week in a sweatlodge with Dean might result in some form of mystical osmosis vis-a-vis my writing skills.

Dennis Viers – Early in 2007, Dennis and Kris Viers approached me with the idea of forming a strategic partnership with The Harper Team. It’s been one inspiring revelation after another ever since.

Dennis lives about 3 blocks from Craig and Tracey (we had no idea). He’s the chariperson for the San Ramon Planning Commission (community activist). He plays a mean bass guitar!

The inspiration I experience around Dennis seems to revolve around aging gracefully, having fun and all of us being good representatives of our generation. Dennis is just plain fun and good company. Dennis’ picture is in the dictionary under – great guy to hang out with. Be yourself, enjoy yourself, others and life is the message Dennis communicates.

These are the four people who come clearly into my mind when I reflect on inspiring people I have met in 2007.

Pay it Fourward – leave a comment with a link to four inspiring people you have met this year. I’ll drop by to read about them and learn more about you along the way.

I read this article on the CC Times site about the release of the Environmental Impact Report on the San Ramon City Center Project.

I immediatley called my friend and strategic business partner Dennis Viers of The Viers Team to see if he could give me more information. Dennis response was immediate and here it is:

I read the article yesterday in the paper.  Unfortunately, I can’t comment on it because it is coming before the planning commission soon.  Our position is always neutral until we have digested all the facts.  Then we vote on it.

I can say that the draft EIR is step one in the process and it has a 45 day review by all interested parties, including the citizens.  The feedback received will be included in the draft EIR.

So much for my hopes of having an inside source! Of course, this is one of the qualities we appreciate most in Dennis and others – integrity. Just one of the reasons we love doing business with him and Kris, his wife and business partner.

Dennis also mentioned that a couple of people had mentioned that The Harper Team is opposed to the City Center project. The only place I can think of where they have gotten that idea is this post where we asked Randal O’Toole for more detail on his views after this article in the East Bay Business Times.

Obviously the people talking to Dennis had not read our follow up comment on our post:

We are not opposed to the project, but have concerns about the impact, cost and process, The majority of what we find on the subject is created by the city and the developer. Opposing views or those that raise questions and thought on the subject we encourage.

And they obviously didn’t read a later post where I, John Harper, author of all the posts about the City Center, wrote this:

When the new City Center is built, I may buy one of the condos – it would cut my gas bill dramatically as I seem to spend a lot of time in this area.

Hardly the view of someone opposed to the development of the City Center.

I think it’s probably another case of “sound-bite fever” – where someone gets a piece of information and then extrapolates from there without asking for more clarification. Such is the way of the world we live in.

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