Continuing the Journey

Dear Friends and Family,

After a month break, we're back in business.

My partner and I met a couple of times over lunch to talk about progress. And, I've begun capturing my thoughts on paper. It's an interesting exercise. Just writing it down forces you to be more precise about what's in your head. And, it spawns additional questions and thoughts.

The primary question ahead of us right now is one I'm sure many businesses need to work through - tax structure and equity framework. What kind of legal entity do we want to set up? And, how do we want to split the investment in the company and the equity/compensation from the company? Neither are glamorous decisions. But, one we need to tackle before we can hire our first employee.

Our first customer? Well, that's easy. Me. Our second customer? That's easy too. My partner.


Cheers!
mouse

Note to Self: She's Only Two

Dear Friends and Family,

The one thing I can't stand doing with P? Going shopping.

Now keep in mind, I barely can stand shopping in the first place. I'm an in and out as soon as the deed is done kind of shopping person. And, P makes that impossible. She runs around the store like a crazy person and I can't make a half-witted decision to save my life.

Mr. mouse doesn't make it any better. He loves shopping. So, he shops and leaves it to me to run around the store like a crazy person following P. And, since he loves to shop, he then lingers. And, I boil. And, since he loves to shop, he indulges her running. And, I boil over.

That was last night. I was pretty peeved. Then we got home, she was sleeping and I was watching her. And, I remembered, she's only two. And, one day I'll wish she was two again. At the end of a school day, she comes running when I go to pick her up. I get a gleeful, "Mommy!" followed by a giant hug and kiss. And, I guess that trade-off is worth it.

I just need to convince her that running in the store is a bad idea. And, I need to find a way to convince Mr. mouse to give me the space to work with her.


Cheers!
mouse

Less Than a Week and Counting

Dear Friends and Family,

I know when pressed into a corner we always find a way to get to done. But, I just don't see how we're going to pull a rabbit out of this hat.

August 2nd is less than a week away and it seems like the news will be co-opted between now and then unless we can find a solution. And, I want them to find a solution.

Selfishly, I need the economy to pick up if I'm going to either pursue my grand idea or pursue my capstone career move. And, truth be told, I need the economy to pick up if I'm going to retire at all. Otherwise, I see myself continuing on the same trajectory which isn't a bad trajectory, just not the one I would be on if I had my first choice.

And, maybe that's how it happens. We look at others and see where they "end up" and need to remember that so many factors outside of their control might keep them from their first choice. There could be an illness in the family. There could be economic downturns. There could a host of things that add bumps to the road.

But, back to the current mess. I can't see how the current batch of plans is going to come to anything good. My prediction? House Republicans will need to work with House Democrats to pass something that will be palatable to the Senate and the President. It will make the Tea Party madder than mad, but it's the only way I see out of the crazy land we seem to be in.


Cheers!
mouse

Oh, The Places You'll Go

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm not sure. Sometimes I'm convinced I'll do grand things, soar to high heights. But, sometimes I wonder if life isn't better with less ambition. What if my grand goal was simpler? To simply enjoy life, have enough to make ends meet, to be okay with being. Perhaps it's not a bad path.

Speaking of the Dr. Seuss book, P loved it for about three days - asking for it non-stop at home and on the road. Then, one afternoon, I was reading it to her, and we got to the page where the main character hits a lurch, her balloon gets stuck on a tree and the other balloons fly off without her. And, P got really sad. She shed a tear and asked for a hug and didn't want to continue reading the book. Since then, it's been relegated. I don't even see it in her book pile anymore.

She's growing up so quickly. I think this is the last year we get to enjoy of toddler-hood. I think by the time she's three, we'll be well into pre-K land. There's a piece of me that wishes we could press the rewind button and do the last two years all over again. But, there's a piece of me that's okay cherishing the memories and moving on to new adventures with P.

Oh, the places we'll go.


Cheers!
mouse

07.25.11: Record Weather

Dear Friends and Family,

I fell asleep Friday night thinking that the smothering heat we had over the week would make for a miserable weekend. I awoke at 1AM to learn that it would make for a miserable Friday night. We had record rain Friday night surpassing every previous record of a single day's rainfall. Right. More than a hundred years of record keeping. Wow.

We fell back asleep by around four. And, we slept until P woke us at 8:30.

Saturday? Birthday party for a friend's toddler followed by a nap, errands, and time at home with P. We decided to eat in to save money.

Sunday? Brunch and F1 with Auntie Janet followed by a nap for P and time at home with P. We decided to eat in again to save money.

Actually, I'm not sure if Mr. mouse's motivation is to save money. He may just be acquiescing to my request to eat in without realizing my motivation.

Now, we need to prepare for the barrage of mosquitoes that will come with the standing pools of water from Friday's rain. Sigh. And, Mr. mouse needs to wake up. His alarm is ringing like mad. Ah. He just did. Yeah.


Cheers!
mouse

Paying the Piper

Dear Friends and Family,

Three months in a row where the cash left over at the end of the month equals zero. Time to come up with a plan so August doesn't turn into a repeat of the prior months.

Now, all is not stark in the mouse household. We still saved each month. It's just usually, we have something left over after our savings. These three months, we haven't.

Just need to refocus on our expenses. Make sure we have our act together before it creeps into something bigger.

I think I'm going to give us a daily budget, but not the same amount each night.

Monday: 13% (base + a little extra for gas and lunches at work)
Tuesday: 8% (base)
Wednesday: 17% (base + gas + dinner out)
Thursday: 8% (base)
Friday: 8% (base)
Saturday: 25% (the big day - since it's when we do our food shopping)
Sunday: 20% (a smaller day - since it's the weekend)

Excuse the rounding - Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are the same amount (8.3%).


Cheers!
mouse

Heat Wave

Dear Friends and Family,

The weather does this to the best of us.

We have a top three. We work on them. We have ups and downs. We work on them. Things come up. We work on them.

Then, the heat hits. And, everything changes.

It's like it becomes your new top 3 - right there - just dealing with the heat. And, if bad news comes? Sorry. Already irritated with the heat. There's no room for bad news. Good news? Sorry. Already irritated with the heat. It doesn't make anything feel any better because whatever news it was didn't solve the heat. And, when things come up? Sorry. Don't have any coping mechanisms left... You know... The heat.

Yes. It's that bad around here. And, we're fortunate. Mr. mouse and P and I are cryogenically preserved during the day thanks to our respective caregivers' generous policy with central air conditioning. We only need to deal with a passable home unit and the car.

I can see why crime goes up when the heat goes up. People are just in a foul mood and it becomes pervasive.

So, time to take a step back and remember, summer is a brief joy. There will be smothering summer days and there will be picture perfect summer days.

I just need to keep telling myself that.


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Belated Birthday, Mouse Journal

Dear Friends and Family,

Um, ask me how I missed it, and I'll plead total ignorance. But, Mouse Journal turned 5 this year. Yes, 5.

Five years ago, this past April, I started keeping this journal. And, in that time so much has changed. We finished getting the mouse house ready for sale. We sold it right before prices started dropping. We moved in together. I started a new job. The economy took a decided turn for the worse. We decided to start a family. Mr. mouse started a new job (well sorta). And, yet, here we all are. And, life goes on.

Congratulations to all of us for doing what we do best.


Cheers!
mouse

07.19.11: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 139.4

Uh huh. Down over 2 lbs from last week!

Not that you can let one number get you up or get you down, it's all part of a trend. But, I can't resist being a little happier today because of it.

My goal for the upcoming week? Simply to stay at 139.4 or under. There's always time for more loss, but this week feels like a week where simply maintaining isn't a bad thing.


Cheers!
mouse

07.18.11: Lazy Summer Weekends

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes, a weekend without any obligations. I know there are loose ends we'll need to tie up this weekend, but it was worth it.

Friday, I took the afternoon off and went to see Harry Potter before picking P up from school. It was fun to have an afternoon off. I had a great seat with the seat on each side of me open. It was my first 3D movie, and I like that it added to the movie without becoming the movie. That's what technology is supposed to do. And, I received a foursquare badge surprise to boot.

Saturday, we went out for lunch (pizza) and then stopped off to buy bread and pick up library books. I filled the pool while Mr. mouse took P on a nap/walk. Then, P took a quick dip in the pool before we went to the grocery store and got ice cream.

Sunday, we swung through the farmer's market en route to brunch (diner). Then, because P was awake, we swung through the park on the way home. We took a longer wade through the pool, played inside, napped and then had dinner before walking to the local ice cream shop for more ice cream.

Before you think I've gone crazy, I've been indulging in sorbet - same cold sweetness at a fraction of the points. I know. I know. There's something about the creaminess of ice cream, but I'm okay with sorbet. In fact, I may pick up the chocolate sorbet that Whole Foods carries. It's quite good.

Last night, I was up because of my nap and some work. So, today, I need to keep a handle on my food so I don't blow weigh-in tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Taking Children Out to Dine

Dear Friends and Family,

This is where I turn into one of those parents.

I never liked hearing other people's children. And, frankly, I'm not a big fan of hearing my own child if she's screaming and whining and being a public nuisance. I am not one of those parents who are able to "tune it out" when it's their kid or someone else's kid for that matter.

And, fortunately, due to some luck and some hard work, P is generally not one of those kids. She wants to participate in the conversation. She wants to be a part of the meal. She likes going out to eat.

Now, let's layer on the completely self-centered arrogant layer. I'm going to preface it by saying we've been fortunate and we're grateful for the life we are able to lead. We have a security that comes with years of saving and two wage earners who work very hard at what they do. So, forgive me if I come across as a completely self-centered arrogant SOB here.

But, what's a "special treat" out for you might be just a typical night out for us. So, there's no way of knowing what your expectation is. I get it. I've seen it. Go out on Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve for dinner and it's like amateur night at the improv. I'm willing to concede those two nights as special nights and generally we steer well clear of restaurants on the former and accept that everyone's going to be a little rowdy on the latter.

But, every other night in between? Seriously? Do you really believe restaurateurs want to see your sorry @$$ once a year vs. my equally sorry @$$ once every two months?

I get that there's behavior that makes parents with kids unwelcome. But, be realistic, money is money and people have a right to spend it as they see fit especially if the kid's not doing anything wrong.

Okay. Off my soap box.


Cheers!
mouse

I Survived

Dear Friends and Family,

Contrary to what the data implies, we humans can exhibit discipline and control if we want to. And, yesterday was a personal victory for me. One that I celebrate because it gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I went to lunch. I had a Diet Coke (standard drink for me). I ate four chips and salsa from the appetizer plate instead of mindlessly munching. I ordered my steak and broccoli and fruit. I cut my steak in half when it arrived. I ate half my steak with my broccoli and my fruit. I boxed the leftovers. I had a fabulous lunch chatting with my teammates. And, we drove back to the office afterwards.

No excitement. But, a quiet sense of accomplishment. And, a reminder to myself that food can be a social event without it becoming the social event.

For dinner, Mr. mouse grilled burgers and I tossed a side salad. The scale shows nothing criminal this morning. And, I didn't "blow" my points "allowance" on lunch.

Victory.


Cheers!
mouse

Team Lunch

Dear Friends and Family,

It's a friend's birthday and we're taking her out to lunch. And, now, I'm realizing Weight Watchers is like a bicycle. You never really forget. But, like a bicycle, you don't really remember by thinking about it, you remember by getting on it and wobbling around the block once or twice before taking it out for a ride.

There I was, yesterday, looking up nutritional information on the restaurant's website instead of relying on the item descriptions to try and discern what is healthy. And, of course, I was shocked at the lack of correlation between item description and its actual nutritional content. Some salads had more points than entrees. Some sandwiches were worse for you than burgers. Some items, in spite of sounding decadent, were actually not bad.

Where'd I land? Ultimately, I narrowed down based on points. Then, I chose based on sodium content. And, if all goes to plan, I'll be eating half of a steak with broccoli and a fruit cup. Now, if that sounds as boring as hell, well it is. My initial option was a stir-fried Kung Pao chicken with rice. But, then I looked at the sodium content and decided the steak was a better option for today. I can always go back and have the Kung Pao chicken another day.

And, that's another thing I'm remembering while on Weight Watchers. Seriously, think about it a moment, is it an absolute once in a lifetime opportunity, or is it just food? When we went to London (during my last Weight Watchers foray) and when we went to Turkey (again, last Weight Watchers foray) I decided it was worth it. I would make conscious decisions, but I would be okay with a gain for the week. If it took me a week or two or a month or two more, it was worth it, for those trips.

But, lunch at work? Definitely not worth it. The restaurant is down the road. We go approximately once a month. The food, while good, is not great. I can get any of the dishes anytime. Not worth batting an eye, much less breaking a sweat.


Cheers!
mouse

07.12.11: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 141.8

Down 0.6 lbs in two weeks. Definitely slower the second time. That's okay. I'd love the pounds to melt away, but I'm okay with slow and steady weight loss. I guess the way I need to think about it is... if I hadn't been on Weight Watchers the last two weeks, I would have made worse food decisions and I wouldn't be down any weight, I'd be neutral or up.

And, I refuse to try to think ahead and extrapolate my weight loss to say... okay, at 0.3 lbs a week, I'll be at goal weight by... because it doesn't work that way. Sometimes you get lucky and it goes faster. Sometimes you hit a rough patch and life takes over and it goes slower. And, sometimes you end up right were you thought you would. And, that is why I refuse to try to think ahead.

I have plotted out my day's food. And, happy day, I've got sushi on the agenda for lunch and polenta with mushrooms from the farmer's market on the docket for dinner. Yeah for mouse!


Cheers!
mouse

07.11.11: Terrible Twos

Dear Friends and Family,

This weekend was a weekend of battles. We had our good moments and our not-so-good moments.

Moments we wish we could bottle and replay? swings at the park, breakfast at P's favorite breakfast stop, smiles at the baseball game, pizza for breakfast, blowing bubbles on the deck, typing on the computer and playing with P's puzzles

Moments we wish we never had to go through the first time? diaper changing battles, holding hands when walking battles, being carried when crossing the street battles, getting dressed battles and getting buckled/unbuckled into the car sear battles

Well, we had a fabulous meltdown Sunday evening. And, after rolling on the floor crying for several minutes, P got her act together and was a model toddler afterwards. We'll see how today goes.


Cheers!
mouse

U2 Set List - Soldier Field Chicago

Dear Friends and Family,

Before I forget...

• Even Better Than the Real Thing
• The Fly
• Mysterious Ways
• Until the End of the World
• Out of Control
• Get on Your Boots
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
• Stay
• Beautiful Day
• Elevation
• Pride
• Miss Sarajevo
• Zooropa
• City of Blinding Lights
• Vertigo
• I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Scarlet
• Walk On

First Encore

• One
• Where the Streets Have No Name

Second Encore

• Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
• With or Without You
• Moment of Surrender
• One Tree Hill

As always, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. In a perfect world, the concert wouldn't have been delayed and we would have gone last year on a weekend night with a one year old instead of on a Tuesday night with a two year old. But, I don't think I would have gotten the same things out of the concert a year ago. I was too scattered mentally. But, this year, the message of all that's going on it the world, and being grateful, and taking action really resonated with me.

More to stew on.


Cheers!
mouse

Kitchen Reboot

Dear Friends and Family,

I've figured out the obvious. When you do things a little bit each day, it's a lot easier than tackling it all at once. And, it's the "new" stuff that tends to kill me - like returning from a trip and having to go through all the stuff Mr. mouse accumulated to see what stays and what needs to leave.

I'd give our kitchen a 6 out of 10 right now. Overall, it's presentable. But, there's a pile of food we brought home from the trip. There's a pile of postcards and stickers and random paper that needs to GO AWAY this weekend before it spawns and becomes a full-fledged random pile of stuff. There's artwork that needs to be carried upstairs. There's ear plugs that need to be carried upstairs. There's plastic ware that needs to be put away. There's bottles that need to be cleaned. There's pots that need to be put away. There's sunscreen that needs to be carried upstairs.

Huh, I guess the biggest thing to tackle is the innocent pile of paper from our trip. Then, the rest of it is easy. I'm cautiously optimistic.


Cheers!
mouse

Technology Rant

Dear Friends and Family,

Well. I was ready to rant about technology (hence the title) but then Facebook got their act together and fixed their news feeds rather than demanding my cell phone number to log in.

I still want to rant, though, so I will.

We went to a concert last night. And, I'm going to reveal how old I am, I remember a time when people would light their lighters and commune through the particular song that ignited the emotion within. Well, at the concert last night, it was that moment. P was sleeping on my shoulder and I was thinking about all the people I miss - people who are gone forever and people who might never be. And, at that moment Mr. mouse felt compelled to show me an app on his phone to make a lighter - your choice on color.

And, there went my moment. And, I was ticked. And, he knew it. And, now, you do too.

Those moments are so ephemeral. Somehow, even after he put the phone away, the moment had passed. A little bit of the magic was lost. And, that's why I hate technology today - for intruding in on my special moment.

My goal for the rest of the week? Get P back on schedule, get the house organized, and get some rest myself.


Cheers!
mouse

07.05.11: Discombobulated

Dear Friends and Family,

After a long weekend, we should have our act together, but we don't.

1. We took a quick trip to Mt. Rushmore over the weekend which was a lot of fun, but also chewed up our long weekend. We flew out Saturday night, spent Sunday at Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore. Then, flew back Monday.
2. I had a crap weigh-in this morning. I stepped on the scale, it was flat to last week. I stepped on again. It went up 0.2 lbs. I stepped on again. It went up another 0.2 lbs. I stepped on a third time and got weigh-in for the week - up 0.4 lbs.
3. P was a mess yesterday, refusing to nap, falling asleep at 8PM, waking from the fireworks at 11. I was assuming Mr. mouse had nap duty, he didn't realize nap duty even existed. I should have been more explicit.
4. The house is a disaster since P did not nap, then we chose to dwaddle over the fireworks, and then P woke. It's tough to balance dwaddling and being efficient. One gets stuff done so that you can enjoy life. But, the other reminds you that you need to enjoy life.
5. We have a concert to go to tonight which I could do without since I'm annoyed it got rescheduled to a weeknight. I need to leave work early. P still needs a bath tonight. I'm sure the concert is only going to throw her MORE off schedule.
6. For some reason my bank account has the bill to wrong on a new credit card and I need to get it sorted out. Technology is nice, but sometimes it lets me down. Then, I'm annoyed until technology wows me again.
7. Oh. And, we're on a budget through next week since June was a rough month for us. I have a sneaking suspicion Mr. mouse over-adjusted his tax withholding amounts, but better safe than sorry. Or, at least I keep telling myself that.

Hence, the feeling of discombobulation. I'm sure I can sort through all of this over the week and land on my two feet by the weekend. I just need to take the time to sort through it.


Cheers!
mouse

The Car Bug

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse wants to buy a new car. No, not a new car for him. He wants to buy a new car for me. And, I don't want a new car.

His arguments? My car is old. My car needs work. My car guzzles gas. The cost of the repairs will equal the car payment - a new bushing, new tires, new snow tires, key repair, oil leak repair, etc.

My arguments? We'll still have two cars. I like my car. I can drive my car in my sleep. Our insurance will go up. We're still saving up from our tax hit this spring. Our savings took another hit this past month. Our checking account isn't feeling particularly flush. I don't want to rack up miles on a new car and kill the resell value in the first two years.

For now, we'll continue to punt on the issue. Basically, it comes down to Mr. mouse convincing me because we're not going to buy a new car without it being a joint decision. And, we're not going to trade-in my car unless I want to. It is my car after all.

This is an interesting quandary - something we've been talking a lot about. What takes a person from ready to buy to active buying. What is the trigger? Time for some navel gazing, I guess.


Cheers!
mouse