Our biggest worry?

I was listening to a radio show this morning here in Houston that referenced some university study that found that more people in developed countries lose sleep over money than ANY OTHER issue. They went on to explain how we can try to deal with this by thinking positive thoughts about money and thinking about how to solve the money problems in our lives before bed...

My thoughts actually went a different direction: what is wrong with us that we are only concerned about this?

I have lost a great deal of sleep in the last few weeks, because my 7 month-old son needed a heart operation. I worry about my wife and children a lot more than money... and I have an MBA and worked in Private Equity (as the poor person that does all the leg work). You would think I would be more concerned with money...

I think the developed world needs to start thinking about what truly provides joy and happiness. Is it really something that can be purchased? Will a person's life become "complete" with that 80" flat screen? I think there is a fundamental flaw in our reasoning if we think that those... things... will provide joy. I think we have an addiction to material objects.

What do you all think?

Do women have different pituitary glands?

We just had our second son less than a week ago... Which means we don't sleep much.

But somehow no matter how groggy and beat up I feel when I have to get up with the baby, my wife is completely awake. She may not be chipper and happy, but she has all faculties up and firing on all cylinders. Whereas I spend the first ten to fifteen minutes trying to understand what is happening. I think this is because she has a malfunctioning pituitary gland that doesn't register what time of day/night it is. This is the only way a person can be "awake" when they are aroused from deep slumber at 3am. I am guessing it is a side effect of the pregnancy.

Cover Letters?

I have been applying for summer internships and am getting a wee bit tired of writing cover letters. To have a really good cover letter, they all have to be custom, so you can't use the same one over and over. I almost used the below letter out of sheer frustration, but then thought better of it. Wouldn't want to burn any bridges.

Sir/Madam:

You have asked me to provide a cover letter for my application to (company name). Said letter is meant to have the applicant show how the skills and knowledge they possess could be used - usually in respect to your company. However, the irony was not lost, as I read that one of the talents/skills that are desired in this position is a desire to do things "a new way" and to have a "keen understanding of new media," etc.

A cover letter is truly just an ancient trope that should have ceased at the advent of the new millennium (if not the early nineties). In this new age of computers and "new media" all they really do is restate what can be gleaned from the attached resume by a person of average intelligence. They are rarely read by a hiring manager and are generally just extra work.

Is the purpose of having the applicant write something enable the hiring manager to see if they are able to communicate? If this is the reason, I apologize, though this could easily be accomplished - with less annoyance on both sides - by having the candidate write a short essay on a subject related to the company or industry. If this is not the reason for the letter, I must assume it is to continue an obsolete institution for no other reason than: we always have.

Best Regards,

What do you think? Would it burn bridges or scale mountains?

Our imminent doom... and salvation

So I am the leader of a local Boy Scout troop. As part of Scouting you are supposed to live by the motto "be prepared." My boys were having a tough time of this, especially when it came to learning how to navigate by the stars and determining directions without a compass or GPS. They complained that they would always have a GPS so why have to learn these things?

So I asked what was the worst case scenario that they could think of.

One said being lost in the woods with a broken leg. (I had to embellish this, because that just isn't that bad...) I added that is was early spring and there is a mother bear with two cubs nearby as well.

One said having your boat sink in shark infested waters and no flotation device. (I added that they have a deep puncture wound in their thigh).

They listed a few other situations of lesser concern... Finally I was through. I asked the most important question EVER. "What about the Zombie Apocalypse?" Seriously, that got their undivided attention. They now go into every single situation and merit badge with the thought of how this will aid in the Zombie plague that is bound to happen eventually.

In that light, I thought I would share a great idea that I found floating (pun intended) around on the web. It could work and I bet this was thought of by a Boy Scout.

It must be a conspiracy...

I have noticed that whenever I am in need of NyQuil (aka "the greatest drug eva!") there is only a little left in the bottle. Not enough to actually let me sleep... just enough that I am left irate. Which means that I have to go and get some more. I never notice that I am almost out of ambrosia... I mean NyQuil... until I am sick and need it again.

Upon returning from the store, I believe I just discovered the reason. There is only enough in each bottle for about 4 or 5 nights of blissful rest. Roughly the number of nights you would have a cold bad enough that you can't sleep... They do that on purpose. I know they do.

Damn you, Vicks marketing group!

Can you believe that she has been with me for 30 years?

Tomorrow is our anniversary. Yeah, 3 years (though I swear that I am really old, so it must be more like 30, but 30 years of bliss!).

Who would have thought that my wife would be able to put up with my negative attitude for this long? I would say that 90% of everything I have to comment on is negative. It took her an entire year to realize that I am a jerk to everyone (except her). Another year to realize that I am cantankerous, ornery, and short tempered when I am hungry (30% of my day), tired (80% of the time these days), or don't get my football game on TV (1% of my life). Yet she remains steadfastly supportive and caring.

It never ceases to amaze me.

Honey, I love you! And I know that you are the perfect woman for me! Happy Anniversary!

Morning jog?

I hate running. I have NEVER felt that "runner's high" that people talk about. Though that could be because I have never gone much further than 2 miles... Instead I just feel tired out, sweaty, and cranky after I run. My knees hurt, my back hurts, and my hip hurts. Generally I am just a whiner after I run. And no one likes whining, so I try to avoid running.

However, running is good for you. You gotta get some exercise, right? So, I dragged my butt out of bed at 5:30 this morning and made my neighbor go run with me. In an effort to avoid aching joints I thought we should avoid pavement and go run some trails at Lick Creek park...

The problem: There was something following us. I am fairly certain it wasn't a cougar, they don't make noise when they are going to eat something. So, I think it was a hyena... or maybe a small tiger? Big dog? I don't know, it was dark, in the woods, before the sun was up, I was still sleepy. I don't know what it was. I do know that it was as tall as mid thigh (I am 5'10") made lots of noise as it ran through the undergrowth at us and scared the crap out of me (a razorback? they have those in Texas, right?).

My neighbor told me when we got back to the car that he was surprised that I was such a fast runner, considering how little I run. I just told him, as long as I am faster than him, whatever it was would eat him instead.