If you caucus, they will come

Have you ever wondered why Iowa is so important during a presidential election? There are only two things I know about Iowa, Field of Dreams and American Pickers. Based on just those two things, Iowa seems fairly cool. However, hearing voices in corn fields and buying antiques out of some guy's barn are not good reasons for presidential stardom.

The truth is that Iowa is important because it is the first state to hold a caucus. Candidates spend a ridiculous about of time in Iowa, because of the press attention received and the first real test to voters.

I would argue that Iowa is no more important than New Hampshire or South Carolina. Why? When I think of the average American voter, I do not think of Iowa. Every state adds its own character to the election process and totaled, the best candidate is chosen. It is like saying one of your kids is more important that the other because they were first. The fact is that only 5 times since 1972 has a candidate who won Iowa also won the presidency. Of those 5 times, 3 of those were unopposed votes. That means that since 1972, when there was competition, the Iowa winner has only won the presidential election twice. These were George W. Bush in 2000 and Barack Obama in 2008.

So, lets take a step back from the political jockeying for one minute and ask a question that matters. If it is Thursday in Samoa and tomorrow is Saturday, but you had bills due on Friday are they late on Saturday and early on Thursday?

"I took off for a weekend last month Just to try and recall the whole year"

This Jimmy Buffett quote is a great Way the start this post.

As we are closing out 2011, there is a lot to reflect on. This has been a year of stress, achievement, setbacks, growth, and faith. This has by far been the most challenging year of my life. I am glad that this year is ending, however I am also glad that I had this experience.

2011 started out with slow volume in the mortgage business and focused training for my first triathlon. In February, I got the exciting news that I was a top producer in 2010 and Linds and I would be going to Palm Springs, CA! Within the next 30 days, I completed my race, Linds completed her first half marathon, and Wells Fargo shut our office down laying off over 250 people. Talk about a roller coaster! In less that a month, I was training with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Representative. Even though my time at Northwestern was short, I am glad that I went there. There is a saying that no experience is wasted if you learn something. This position showed me what I did not want for my career. With no regrets, I resigned from this position in September and began to focus on what I Did want to do.

I will pause in the career timeline to go back to August. One morning in late August I was riding by bike at 5:30am in training for an upcoming race when a 82 year old man crossed the center line and hit me head on. Thankfully, nothing was broken on me. The bike on the other hand, according to the bike guy at Try Sports, "Wow, looking at that bike, you should not be walking!" Unfortunately, because there were no witnesses and the cop did not take a detailed report, the driver's insurance company denied the claim. After about a month I got back on the bike and finished the bike leg of the Beach 2 Battleship half iron triathlon. My time was not great, but I was just glad to be back riding again.

October brought me back to the Credit Union as a Sr. Financial Services Officer. I was very excited as it felt like I was coming home.

The Grateful Dead said it best, "What a long strange trip its been".

If I had to sum up my year in one word, I think it would have to be self-discovery. I learned a lot about who I was, who I wasn't, and what I am capable of. So bring on 2012! My goal is to keep challenging myself in all aspects of my life. I am looking forward to my 2nd year of triathlons, growing with my new job, and spending time with Linds and R without the 2011 stress!

Santa, the IRS is on the phone. They claim that you have exceeded your lifetime gift tax exemption.

There was a story that I read about a US Mail carrier who has worn a Santa Suit while delivering mail for the last 10 years. People love it! This started apparently, because the carrier already had all white hair and a full beard. I think it was a great idea as it got a lot of smiles from people on his route. Then, he received an "order" from the powers that be that he could no longer wear the suit because it was not an official uniform. Really? This was eventually retracted, but what kind of person cares if their postman is wearing a Santa Suit? They should be grateful, based on the current state of the postal service that he delivered the mail at all. This is a great example of wasting time on details that do not make a difference in the running of a business. I mean it is not like he threw a flat screen tv over someone's fence like the Fedex guy!

My hope is that in 2012 those in our government and corporate management will think before they act. I know this is asking a lot, that is why it is only a hope. If this actually happened, Santa could still deliver your mail, congress would make a decision (any decision would be progress), and customer service would once again be a priority and not an after thought.

Do you smell that? I think I smell a challenge, or has the milk gone bad?

What is better than a New Year's Resolution? A challenge! Why? Simple, accountability and fun. I don't think I would have completed my first race had it not been for Ben and Linds also training for a race. I enjoy doing things more when I can talk to others who are doing them too. So, I am throwing out a challenge to everyone for a healthier 2012. There is a sprint triathlon in Wake Forest, NC on June 24th 2012. This would be a great first triathlon for someone who has never done one. It is a 250 yard pool swim, 10 mile bike, and 3.1 run. I would love to see all of my Wake Forest peeps there to complete the course.

I know, I know, there are a million excuses that you can think of. "I don't swim, I haven't ridden a bike in 15 years, I should not run on my knees, I am too old, when would I have the time to train, I don't like to exercise, I can't do that".

So, lets list the reasons why you should:

1. Why not? Remember Smokey and the Bandit, "We ain't never not made it yet, have we?"
2. Exercise is easier to do when you have a deadline and a reason for doing it
3. Bragging rights (nobody cares about your time. The point is to finish)
4. Health care costs are increasing, so you need to stay healthy anyway
5. When was the last time you finished something that you didn't think you could do? (how good did that feel?)
6. You have 6 months to get ready. That is plenty of time!

Here is the line in the sand

____________________________________________________________________________



Who is with me?

Why is it so quiet?

Hey!!! Don't leave me hanging. You, sitting at the computer. I am talking to you. Step away from the eclair cake.

I know you should blow bubbles when you swim, but your bubbles are coming out the wrong end!

I got back in the pool this morning and it felt great! Now, I had to do some serious convincing to get my body out of bed this morning, but it was worth it. Why is it that we procrastinate doing those things that we know will make us feel better?

I feel more relaxed when the house is clean, but is it always clean? No. I always feel better after a workout, but do I always workout when I should? No. I always enjoy working in the garage on a project with a nice organized workbench. You see what I am getting at.

Why do we not take the time to do those things until we have to? My guess is because the act of doing it is not as enjoyable as the reward. I am reminded of R giving up the chance to make and eat cookies (reward), because eating her dinner is too much work.

Most of these acts mentioned are things that we know we need to do. So how can we make the actions more bearable, so we can get the reward? Work tends to go by faster when you are having fun, so lets make these things fun! The next time you need to clean the house (for me this is very past due), crank up the music, put on an old pair on socks, spray the bottoms with Pledge, and do your best Olympic speed skating impersonation. Getting motivated to get back to working out is a tough one, so we need something over the top. Plug your Internet router, and tv powerstrips into a timer. Set them so that they will shut off for at least one hour every day. Now, this one does require you to be on the honor system, but this should cut off the distractions for you to workout.

In the end, there will always be those things that we struggle to get motivated to do regardless of the reward. Just remember, the only people that can get by without doing the tasks that are needed but not fun are politicians. We see where that has left us!

"Wrote a song about it, like to hear it...here it go"

Remember "In Living Color"? That was a great show. There where so many funny sketches from Fire Marshall Bill and Hommie The Clown, to Clavell, Howard Tibbs III, and Al MacAfee. On of the characters was Calhoun Tubbs. He was a blues singer who stared every scene with; "Wrote a song about it, like to hear it...here it go".

Riley is into singing. If she is not talking, she is singing. Quiet, does not seem to be an option. The other day, after singing every song she could think of, she starting asking, "Daddy, sing the Angel song. Daddy, sing the juice song. Daddy, sing the sofa song." Basically, she thinks that there should be a song about everything. Now, I do have to take some of the blame on this one, as I tend to make up songs that are as short as they are random (doughnut song). The concerning situation is that 3/4 of Riley's songs are Christmas songs. This begs the question, do we let her continue to sing Christmas songs all year or do we try to explain that these are seasonal and people look at you funny singing Jingle Bells in May at the beach when it is 85 degrees?Thankfully, I have a few more days to figure out my strategy.

So, until then.....OOHHHHH...you better watch out, you better not cry......

I got up at 3am to buy this TV for $100......then I took it back.

I have been known to have buyers remorse a few times. Spending money is not something that I enjoy. There was a story on the news this morning that 27% of all electronic purchases during the holidays last year were returned. That is a crazy number. Why buy something if you just take it back?

I think that people get caught up in the gift giving excitement and sometimes forget that they went too far. To these folks I say, good job! You are the smartest one in the crowd because you realized that you could not afford it and you saved yourself the pain. As I stated in my post yesterday, don't start with price when thinking of the perfect gift. However, price does have its place in the final decision.

For those of you looking for a good low cost Christmas gift, I have completed an extensive survey of a politically correct cross-section of our community to bring you this top 5 ideas list.

#5. A potted rose bush (that you transplanted from your neighbour's house after dark)

#4. Dinner for 2 and childcare (Chik-fil-a has a great playland and you don't have to pay $20 an hour)

#3. Car detailed (There is always a group of kids with signs that say "free" car wash. Oh you wanted a tip? Don't write free on the sign if you didn't mean it.)

#2. Weekend at a bed and breakfast (Your dad can make good pancakes, right?)

#1. Jewelry (Hey, remember that necklace you lost? Well I found it, sold the gold for scrap, and bought you these earrings!)


Happy shopping.

Slipper Socks. Oh, you shouldn't have...you really shouldn't have

Choosing the perfect Christmas gift for your spouse or significant other can be tough. I have never been allowed to forget one of the first Christmas gifts that I gave to Linds after we got married. I am a functional thinker when it comes to gifts, so naturally I remembered something that she had mentioned she would like to have. Unfortunately, when she unwrapped the laundry sorter she was not as excited to have one. Since that year, I have learned that these gifts are like chicken. Without something to add to it, the result is plain, dry, and unsatisfying.

As a holiday token of goodwill to those that may need some assistance, I will walk you through my Christmas gift selection process and reveal what I decided on this year.

Rule #1. Don't start with price! I am a very cheap person, but this is not a good place to start. If you do, you may miss a really good idea. You can determine price once you have a good list to choose from.

Next. Think of what they need, want, want but will not buy for themselves, and don't know that they want but would enjoy. I am a big fan of the last two.

3rd. Always give clues before Christmas. This is regardless if they want them or not. You need to be excited about the gift, so that the clues just keep coming. There is one big rule regarding clues. The clues need to be true, but very misleading. For example, if a chocolate diamond necklace is on the list, a good clue might be "its edible and you can listen to it." Neal Diamond and chocolate, sounds like a good time to me!

I had several good ideas for Linds this year but decided on....OK, on second thought I will just leave you with a clue. It feels good and and it will keep you warm.

If your glass is half empty, you should have tipped your waitress more!

If you could see the future, would your actions be different? There was a book by Bronnie Ware that listed the 5 most common regrets of the dying. They are:

1) “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

2) “I wish I didn’t work so hard.”

3) “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”

4) “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”

5) “I wish I had let myself be happier.”

WOW! I bet there are too many people out there that are doomed to have these on their list in old age. I am blessed to have learned early on in life that money, climbing the corporate ladder, and doing things because "that is what you should do", was not that important to me. Money comes and goes. You should be wise with your money, but if you run out, you can always make more. Careers are important, but your kids don't know you as a VP or a "big shot", you are Dad.

So, how do you live without regrets? I have no idea. Hence why I have been trying to finish this post for well over a week now. The best answer that I have is to have fun. It is hard to have regrets when you are laughing, smiling, being silly, and spending time with those that you care about. I have never finished an evening, weekend, or vacation with the family, or even a sick day with Riley and said; "well that was a waste".

As Mark Twain put it:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

I blew a fuse but I don't need anger management

This weekend was quite busy. One thing that got checked off the list was the outdoor Christmas lights. Well that is to say, until one of the strands blew a fuse. OK, so I had 11+ strands chained together, I was simply trying to be as efficient as possible with the extension cords.

On Sunday we went to the Old Wilmington candlelight tour with Grandma and Pop Pop. Everyone had a great time checking out the decorations and the home renovations. There were several take aways from this tour. Number 1, our yard needs a lot of work. Number 2, Civil War reenactment folks are very hardcore. Anyone who is willing to reenact losing a war year after year is just sad.