Arctic Circle Flyover

Flights from the eastern part of the USA to Asia often take a northern route over the Arctic Circle. I was able to get a good seat on this Boeing 777 flight, flying out on Halloween. Note the "sunrise" (on the Russian side of the Arctic Circle) in the final segment after a brief sunset.

Year On The Fly: China Part 2

Our company is constantly working on, improvising and developing new product lines -- sometimes on the fly, and a last-minute product line idea by one of the sales people had me flying over to China again this past June. I rode six airplanes in the space of one week: Cleveland to Newark, Newark to Shanghai, Shanghai to Qing Dao (and back); Shanghai to Detroit and then back to Cleveland. I think I was en route more than I was actually working! Now they're talking about sending me back... more videos to come eventually. (Click on video to see full size.)

Hong Kong Toy Fair and China Factory Trip

One of the perks of being a designer for my company is the opportunity to visit the Hong Kong Toy Fair and see global trade in action. The Toy Fair is a showcase for various manufacturers to display their wares and make business connections with buyers. After four days at the Toy Fair, we were then flown to mainland China to discuss forthcoming product designs with our manufacturers.



Hong Kong:




Shanghai:




Here's what a plush toy factory looks like:

Carlos Creek Wine Label Signing -- Nov. 28-29th, 2008

Thanksgiving weekend, I was invited to sign wine bottles for Carlos Creek Winery's unveiling of their latest "Minnesota Nice" wines, which I had done label illustrations for. The event took place in Alexandria, Minnesota. Many thanks to Tami Bredeson and family for their hospitality. Very good wines as well!