Hello, my name is Mitsy, and I am addicted to yard sales.

There are things in life that we do because we have to. Then, there are those things that we secretly love, even if we act like they are a nuisance. About every 6 months, my wife decides she will have a yard sale. When this topic comes up, I flashback to "yard sale people" in your driveway one hour before you are going to start. They hover like vultures to get the first picks. Then they haggle with you over a .50 Christmas ornament.

I remember growing up each Christmas, as a family, we would go select a real tree. Once we got it home, my dad and I would put the tree in the stand and get it level. At this point, my dad would ask my mom to be the judge on which direction the tree needed to be adjusted. For a average size tree this might be an easy process. However, most years we went for a "Griswold" size Christmas Tree. Like clockwork, 15 minutes into the leveling process, Dad would start to get frustrated as the tree was still not set. Mom would respond by saying; "that's it! Next year we are just getting an artificial tree.". To this day, my parents are still buying real Christmas trees.

The point of this is, even the things that we enjoy will test our patience and sanity from time to time. We need to learn to embrace the stress as part of the process.

So as a final tip, Christmas tree will never be level. They are grown on the side of mountains. After a few glasses of egg nog, no one will notice anyway!

Underwear is not the only thing that should be supportive

There is not one time that someone interviewed after a victory does not thank all of those that supported them in their pursuit. No great achievement can be done without support. Those that support us give us the confidence to push beyond where we thought we go.

Mitsy is training for a half marathon. I am extremely proud of her taking on this goal. I plan on being there for support as she is training as well as being there cheering her on at the finish line.

Motivation starts the ball rolling, determination keeping it rolling, but support helps to prevent the ball from rolling back on top of us.

Catch me I'm Falling.

Why do you think people get so excited to see the fall colors? Is it because brown and orange remind us of how much we love candy corn? Is it because colored leafs are fun to put under wax paper for art projects? Or is it because it reminds us of a good Robert Frost poem?

For me, Fall colors remind me of one of my favorite books at this time. It goes something like this; " Red shirt, blue shirt, yellow shirt, oops.". Ok, this is not a book about fall per say, but one of the main characters is a turkey!

So in honor of Fall, I will make a commitment to rake all of the color leaves every week until they are gone. Wait, never mind.....I only have palm trees.

Come to vote, we have cookies

I heard this story today. Apparently, in several areas around the country, one party or another was providing free meals and rides to and from the polls.

The first rule that I learned in economics was; "There is no such thing as a free lunch". No matter what party it is, I am suspicious of this type of voter turn out. It reminds me of Chicago, where voters would be rounded up, paid, and told who to vote for.

The right to vote is very important. That being said, it is my hope that there are more educated voters than not. There is nothing more frightening than a voter without a clue. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. So, don't believe everything that you have seen on the Internet, TV, or heard on the radio. If so, you are probably only receiving 1/2 of the truth.

Facebook will not control my life..no...I mean, Facebook will not control my wife.

There was an article in the Charlotte Observer on Saturday that caught my attention. It said a mother bet her daughter $300 that the daughter could not stay off of Facebook for 30 days. The daughter won. Thinking out loud, I said "There is no way that Mitsy could go 30 days without Facebook". Not one to shy away from a challenge, she agreed. Now, this was a "no money" challenge, because I don't think I would win once she set her mind to it.

The sad part about these social media sites, is that people have started using these in replacement of actually talking to others. There was a news story on NBC that said people that spend time more time on social media, have less "real friends".

Now, in full disclosure, I am on Facebook. However, that being said, I do not think that I have posted anything on my wife's wall. Why? If I want to say something to her, I will call her if I am not home. If I am at home.....get ready for it.......I will talk to her. I know, that is a crazy thought.

Facebook like beer can be satisfying. But, moderation is the key.

Put some socks on, my feet are cold.

This is a statement at first thought seems a bit odd. I remember my mom saying this to me growing up. I got the point, but looking back it is does make you think. The point was simply that if she was cold, it would be in my best interest to have something on my feet. As a parent I get it. But, imagine if you will that your boss said; "I am getting pressure to produce, so you need to work harder." How about the government saying, " we have spent all of our budget so we need more of your money."

Wow, these last two statements sounds ridiculous, but they are all too common today. I think that all too often people in leadership positions are leading based on their best interests, not the best interests of those they represent.

We are moving you to make room for other people

This week at work, we were told that the we will be moved to the second floor and the third floor would be leased out to another company. When this was announced, I couldn't help but think of this scene from "Office Space".

The question becomes, do you let yourself become a "Milton", or do you act like the CEO of "you inc." and work on your long term plan. You see, companies act in the best interest of the company. Therefore, you need to act in your best interest. Exploring your options and keeping your resume' polished does not make you a bad employee. It makes you responsible and practical.