Andy Smallman

If you’re ever in Nantes, be sure to visit Le Nid. It’s a swanky bar atop the highest building in town, affording you 360 degree views of the city.

As it pertains to today’s secret agent of compassion mission, it has to do with recognizing an acquaintance through an act of kindness. Learn more.

It’s true, I regularly (perhaps too often) reflect on our year in Nantes and get this mixture of sadness and joy. Sad because I’d really like to be there – right now and via a time machine back to 2010. And joy because so much happiness is associated with Nantes.

I just found this little video of Nantes. It’s only a minute so go take a look so you can enjoy Nantes, too. And the image here today is a screenshot I took of my computer while the video was playing.

While at that site, I discovered an iPhone app called Nantes Live that I am this very minute downloading to my phone. 🙂

And just in case you were wondering what important discovery Ella and I made in Nantes five years ago today, I suggest you check out this.

Click here for today’s secret mission of compassion.

After Celeste’s successful soccer playing debut yesterday, we went out for a Mexican dinner. Yum!

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for today’s mission in the Secret Agent of Compassion game currently taking place, you can find it right here. As a hint, here’s some of the text: Your mission today, should you choose to accept it, is to further shift your focus to being a producer of renewable compassionate power rather than a consumer of inefficient forms of human energy.

Secret mission #3 on Day 3 of the Compassion Games can be found here. Are you playing?

Melinda and I went to our friend Lynn Shelton’s 50th birthday today. Without question, this is one of the most inspired birthday parties I’ve ever been to. Lynn asked the guests to bring a potluck item, food or beverage, instead of a gift. She somehow secured an incredible place, the Fremont Abbey where Melinda and I have seen some wonderful local bands perform. She got a number of local musicians to perform a song or two. And in many of these cases, Lynn got up on stage and sang with the band, thus fulfilling what I assume has been one of her life’s wishes.

I say this because Lynn has an amazing singing voice. Her lead on the Johnny Cash classic “Jackson” was stunning. She also led all of the attendees in a fun sing-along version of “The Octopus’s Garden.” I took this photo of Lynn singing with Kevin Murphy of the band The Moondoggies.

In case you didn’t make the connection. Lynn has gained a fair amount of fame the last several years as a movie writer and director. She also has made the switch to directing for TV programs, with directorial credits on such shows as “Mad Men,” “New Girl,” and “Fresh Off the Boat.”

Side note – Find today’s secret mission, the second in the eleven day Compassion Games, here.

The Compassion Games begin tomorrow and I’ll once again be facilitating the Secret Agent of Compassion game. It’s a lot of fun, but with school starting this week, too, it makes for some busy days.

Tomorrow night I’ll be part of the Opening Ceremonies at the Seattle Center. I’m to give a 10 minute pep talk to all the secret agents in attendance, swearing them in as members of the International Kindness Team. It sounds like fun, but I wonder what I’ll be saying…