What Did You Do With Your Extra Hour?

There was a time in my life when rewinding of the clocks by one hour in the fall represented an extra hour of sleep.  Unfortunately my two little girls can’t tell time.  I was up a little before 6 am this Sunday to put milk in a cup, a S’mores Pop Tart on a plate, and to turn on Little Einsteins. 

It was still dark.

That’s fine with me.  I’m usually an early riser and the whole getting an extra hour to get stuff done is fascinating to me.  I spent my hour making spreadsheets for one of my MBA classes… exciting, I know.

I don’t like the sun going down earlier, but I love the one 25 hour day of the year.  As I go through the house turning those clocks back, I feel like I have somehow cheated the space-time continuum.  I feel so much more efficient and wonder why every day can’t be 25 hours long.

Aside from the fact that this would require the rotation of the earth to slow substantially, I’m not sure if it would be such a good thing.  Although I got a lot done and felt great all day long, I woke myself with a loud snore in my chair at 9:15 that night.

Maybe more time isn’t the answer.  It seems that my mind and body can only take a 24 hour day.

 

Class is in Session

I am now elbow deep in my MBA classes as well as teaching math at a nearby college.  It is becoming more and more obvious that academics is the place for me.  My job doesn’t feel like work at all.  I enjoy interacting with the students and am honored to have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.  I don’t get up dreading the day.  I don’t spend my whole week yearning for the weekend to come.  I don’t feel like I am compromising my time and talents just to make a buck.

I spent most of my early career hating my job.  I just want everyone to know – it doesn’t have to be that way.  You can let your gifts, talents, and discernment offer some guidance, but you also have to rely on guidance that is not within yourself.  You have to take a chance.  You have to be “irresponsible” sometimes and give up the “security” of your current lifestyle.

I’ll have more on this later, but for now I have to do some studying.

 

The End of Summer?

Put away your white shoes, Labor Day has provided the unofficial closing of the summer season.  We look forward to summer every year, but by August, I’m usually ready for some cooler weather, fall colors, and football.  Then again, it seems like summer just got here.  I haven’t done a poll in a while, so I am curious to know your thoughts on the waning summer season.

 

Dealing With a Bug

This week’s posting has been cancelled on account of a stomach bug I am still trying to recover from.  It hit me first on Sunday night, then my wife in the middle of the night, then my oldest daughter yesterday.  We’re all doing much better today, but were pretty miserable yesterday.

I’ll spare you the details, but I’ll just say I’m not very good at being sick.  Sara said I sounded like a cat being strangled throughout the night.

 

Bragging on My Girls

This past weekend was perhaps the most beautiful weekend I have ever experienced in July. Typical summer days here in Hotlanta hover around 95 degrees and are humid enough to allow fish to breathe on land. This weekend; however, was more like October – 75 degrees, dry air, blue skies… the perfect weekend for a hike.

My family went to Raven Cliff Falls in northern GA for a nice little 5 mile hike. Amelia got a free ride in the backpack, but Olivia hiked the entire way – all 5 miles and she is only 3 years old!

Me and the girls

Sara and Olivia - I honestly don't know where Olivia got this new pose

Yeah, I’m a proud papa. The scary part is that we almost didn’t make the trip because I thought there was no way that both girls would be so good on a 3 hour hike. I fully expected to get to the falls and have to carry both girls back.

Cooling off the piggies in a mountain stream

Future Hiker

I know I will never forget this trip.  I think the girls will look back on it fondly as well (at least Olivia will).  Many of you are trying to figure out what to do in the face of reduced hours and layoffs.  Why not do something really important?  Take this economic turmoil and turn it into an opportunity to improve other areas of your life.  Spend time with your family, get in shape, volunteer, do the things that you always wanted to do but never had time for back when you had your nose to the grindstone.

 

Book Discount – Today Only

Today only, Barnes & Noble is offering a 20% discount with this code:  P8R3B8C

You can buy my book for $10.78 with this discount, but it is for today only.  Just click on the link to the right for Barnes&Noble.com and enter the coupon code when you check out.

 

I Caught You a Delicious Bass

There are certain memories in a dad’s life that will always be locked away for safe keeping.  I had one of these last week when I took my 3-1/2 year old daughter on her first fishing trip.

 

Outfitted with a Scooby Doo fishing pole and a Mystery Machine tackle box (which was full of bubble-blowing toys), we went to Lake Lanier to seek out my little girl’s inner Bill Dance.    The area we went to consists of a parking area with a cove used for fishing on one side and a sandy beach for the sunbathers/swimmers on the other side.

 

Mom and baby sister went to the beach side while the little angler and I climbed down the bank to fish.  It was about 87 degrees, so I knew that I would not have much time before the fisher would become the fish.  Olivia watched intently as I tied a little jig head onto her line and was excited that she got to pick out the color jig she would use.  Her casting still needs some work, but she can reel in the line like a pro.  Every time her bait came back, she would say, “Hey, I didn’t catch a fish.”

 

Altogether, she probably did 10 or 15 minutes worth of fishing before she decided she wanted to go swimming on the other side.  She spent about an hour and half on the beach side building sand castles, picking up shells, and playing in the water.  Apparently beaches are more appealing than fishing to a 3-1/2 year old.

 

Later that evening, exhausted from the day’s events.  I asked Olivia what her favorite activity was.  Her reply was, “Going fishing with you, daddy.” 

 

Totally worth it.

 

I’m sure you did a lot of things last week.  I bet you completed a lot of tasks that were related to your career, furthered you education, improved your home, or allowed you unwind from the stresses of your life.  How many of you created a memory that will last a lifetime?

 

 

By the way, I have no idea who the kids portraying Napoleon and Pedro in the photo are.

 

Out of Town

There is no posting this week because I am out of the country.  I’ll update you on my trip when I return next week… unless I’m still sleeping off the jet lag.

 

Going on a trip

I’ll be out of the country for a little over a week, so I won’t be able to approve comments or post info until I get back… and I’m recording the Super Bowl -  at least I won’t miss the Titans.

 

‘Twas the Post Before Christmas

 

‘Twas the post before Christmas,

            with no gift for my spouse

My mind was whirring,

            not another lame blouse;

 

The stockings were hung

            by the chimney like a dare,

In hopes that by morning

            they’d be filled with more than just air.

 

The children just wrestled

            with the thoughts in our heads,

We’ll buy them some gifts

            if there’s a rate cut by the Feds;

 

Ma, with spit up on her kerchief

            had the baby in her lap,

As I began to frown

            at a gift I could not wrap-

 

It was almost dawn

            when I heard a little patter,

I wanted to stay in bed

            but the kids began to chatter.

 

I looked out the window

            and there was not even a dash,

Of light on the gutters

            I felt my teeth gnash.

 

I lazily got dressed

            more slowly than slow,

I wanted nothing more

            than a large cup of joe;

 

When, what to my wandering eyes

            should appear,

 But my daughter’s little face

            that filled me with cheer,

 

With little bright eyes

            and a smile laid on thick,

I knew in a moment

            she’d done just the trick.

 

More rapid than eagles

            the gifts all became

Scattered, strewn, and ripped open,

            so I jumped in the game-

 

Now, Barbies!  Now, Books!

            And toy bowls to mix in!

On, Cars!  On, Trucks!

            And football helmets to blitz in!

 

Now under the tree,

            the children all crawl,

To tear into the remaining gifts,

            and just have a ball!

 

I know deep inside

            no matter how hard I try,

Most of the gifts will be forgotten,

            before next July.

 

So what can I give?

            It must be true,

A great gift for your children-

            is the gift of you.

 

And then in a instant,

            I realized my goof

If you don’t believe me

            here is the proof.

 

The toys and the presents

            that lay on the ground,

Were nothing compared

            to the gift that I’d found.

 

When looking for gifts

            to lay at your child’s foot,

Try giving something that won’t tarnish

            and will always stay put.

 

A bundle of toys

            are not what kids lack,

They need time with their parents

            without a panic attack.

 

My eyes they now twinkled!

            My future less scary!

I knew what was important,

            and had been living contrary!

Careers are less important

            than children we know,

Yet we spend most our time

            making more dough!

 

We work very hard

and give ourselves grief,

But this just piles up more

money to bequeath.

 

I’ll spend time with my kids

            and savor peanut butter and jelly,

Instead of only paying attention

            when diapers are smelly.

 

I’ll ignore selfish ambition-

            putting my ego on a shelf,

And focus on something other

            than the advancement of myself.

 

This Christmas will not be filled

            with anxiety and dread,

But with peace and meaning

            and purpose instead.

 

I will not waste my life

            focused solely on work,

High-strung and stressed out;

            and acting like a jerk.

 

So don’t be the person

            who sticks up their nose,

At the brave few

            who find some repose.

 

Even though this world

            is filled with thorn and thistle,

There is no need

            to shoot through it like a missile.

 

Stay true and stay strong

            and fight the good fight,

Remember what Christmas is about

            and you’ll be alright!