Over-Thinking to Avoid Over-Committing

Dear Friends and Family,

8 days. 8 days. I must make it through the next 8 days until Thanksgiving weekend. And, I must commit to not doing this craziness next year. I've been thinking of a weekend calendar so we don't over commit.

Breaking the year into four quarter with 13 weeks apiece... Then,

1:
2: housecleaning, manicure
3:
4: housecleaning
5: haircut, wax, manicure
6: housecleaning
7:
8: housecleaning, manicure
9:
10: housecleaning
11: haircut, wax, manicure
12: housecleaning
13:

Now, I just need to lay this up against our calendar for 2012 and see what other commitments we have. Weekends 1, 3, 7, 9, and 13 are free for travel. The other weekends are local, ideally. I think if we lay it out in advance, then the likelihood of doing something like we did this past month will go down and I won't be chanting 8 more days.


Cheers!
mouse

Piling Up

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been several weekends we've been out of town. And, we have a couple more social commitments to get through between now and Thanksgiving. Which means, Thanksgiving will be our first real break from the craziness that has been our fall. And, after Thanksgiving, we have the holidays coming at us full force - with family visits, presents, more social commitments, stuff for P's teachers, and the list goes on.

It's beginning to pile up and I realize I'm going to need to be meticulous with the to do list to come out of this in one piece.

First to do on the list? Winter boots for P. Time to go look on-line.


Cheers!
mouse

11.14.11: River City Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

We went out to Portland to celebrate the joint birthday weekend.

The flight seemed amazingly short after our Tran-Atlantic trips. And, we had a good two days out there thanks to a vacation day on Friday.

Friday, we hit the food trucks for lunch. Mr. mouse and I had a combination of burger with guacamole and cactus which was delicious, an Indian vegetarian plate lunch which was standard and a Chinese noodle dish with a nice kick of pepper. We bought noodles and chicken for P, but also bought a back-up chicken and rice.

Friday, for dinner, we had conveyor belt sushi followed by self-serve frozen yogurt.

Saturday, breakfast, Voodoo doughnuts. Lunch, Bridgeport Ale House. Snack, Stumptown Coffee. Dinner, L+L Hawaiian. Dessert, birthday cake.

Sunday, leftovers in the hotel room.

In between eating, we enjoyed the book store, the toy store, the park, the hotel pool and walking the rainy streets of Portland's colorful neighborhoods. And, in between the walking and eating, it was nice catching up with our friends and remembering that there is life outside the confines of the here and now here in the Windy City (which beckons with a reminder that it is Monday morning and I do have an early morning meeting).

But, before I leave... The foliage in Portland was gorgeous. Tons of maples in glorious shades of pink, peach, orange, yellow and red. Stunning.


Cheers!
mouse

Short Week

Dear Friends and Family,

One week off. Four days back. Two days off. Four days back. Three days off.

Yes. It's the end of the year and I am determined to use my vacation days this year. And, since it's the middle of November, that means there'll be a couple of long weekends thrown into the mix.

I have to say with the dark and now the cold, I feel like hibernating for a couple of months and resurfacing in spring. I've been giving some thought recently to what my "ideal" day would look like. In my fantasy world...

05:00 - 07:00 my time
07:00 - 08:00 everyone gets ready for the day
08:00 - 08:30 commute and drop off P
08:30 - 05:00 work
05:00 - 05:30 pick up P and drive home
05:30 - 06:30 unwind and play
06:30 - 07:30 cook and eat dinner
07:30 - 09:30 unwind and play
09:30 - 10:00 everyone gets ready for bed
10:00 - 05:00 sleep

Currently, it's:

04:30 - 05:45 my time (-45 minutes)
05:45 - 06:30 everyone gets ready for the day (-15 minutes)
06:30 - 08:00 commute and drop off P (+ 1 hour)
08:00 - 05:30 work (+1 hour)
05:30 - 07:30 pick up P and drive home (+1.5 hours)
07:30 - 08:00 unwind and play (-30 minutes)
08:00 - 08:30 cook and eat dinner (-30 minutes)
08:30 - 09:30 unwind and play (-1 hour)
09:30 - 10:00 everyone gets ready for bed (same)
10:00 - 04:30 sleep (-30 minutes)

Now, I just need to find a way to work towards my fantasy world.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse vs. Food

Dear Friends and Family,

Yes. I am still waiting for the ah-ha moment that motivates me to lose the weight I have put on since becoming a mother. I would call it baby weight, but it isn't. This isn't weight from being pregnant. This is weight from being distracted, low on time, dealing with traffic, putting dinner on the table for P, food is lying around the office when I need a break weight.

I need to face hunger in the face and face it down. I need to be okay with it. I will not starve to death. I will be okay.

I have given myself until the end of my granola bar supply (which is a week or so away) to continue with my current approach - two glasses of milk for breakfast, some carbohydrate with one serving meat and one serving vegetable for lunch, three servings of fruit and one serving of nuts for a snack. After my granola bars run out, I will add two servings of vegetables with cheese and crackers for an afternoon snack.

Who eats this much food and is still hungry?!?!

Today, I will face down hunger and win. I am stronger than you, hunger.


Cheers!
mouse

Entities: Legal and Tax

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, is it ever complicated. When do I get to the fun part?

Somehow, I think a lot of entrepreneurs gloss over this part and then wish they hadn't. So, here's what I've learned so far.

There's two decisions that need to be made in conjunction that define your business. There's the tax entity decision which tax people like the IRS care about. You've got three choices - sole proprietorship, partnership, some variant of corporation. Then, there's the legal entity decision which lawyers care about. As risk adverse as I am, it has to be some form of limited liability company. There's no way I want somebody to be able to go after my personal assets if this fails. Conversely, I don't want somebody to be able to go after my business assets if I fail. And, that's where it gets complicated.

A limited liability company is a legal entity, but not a tax entity. If you're a limited liability company with one member, you're a single member limited liability company. Makes sense. Your taxes are filed as a "disregarded entity" and you go from there. But, it seems like the legal protection of a single member limited liability company is a lot less than a partnership or a corporation. After all, are you really that different from a sole proprietorship, really?

If you're a limited liability company with two or more members, you can be a partnership or a corporation. Only problem is, I'm doing this alone now since my partner bailed. So, a partnership doesn't make a ton of sense.

Which leaves me with a limited liability company filing as a corporation. The paperwork burden and legal burden is the most onerous with this combination. But, I don't think the other two options really give me what I need. Therefore, I think I'll be reading 805 ILS 180 - Limited Liability Company Act in detail to see what I need to know.


Cheers!
mouse

11.07.11: Interim Week

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a busy week in the mouse house. After being gone two weekends there was a ton to do. And, next weekend we're doing Mr. mouse's birthday. And, the weekend afterwards is some combination of play date, children's theater, Trixie's birthday and recuperation. And, the weekend after is Thanksgiving. How did that happen?

Saturday, we got the house cleaned. And, P and I returned library books and played in the park and ate lunch and shopped in a little corner grocery and dropped off our custom t-shirt order.

Sunday, we played in the park, picked up our t-shirts, and I napped while P and Mr. mouse went to Target. Then, while P napped, Mr. mouse and I rearranged the living room - we took down the baby gate and put the couch back to it's pre-toddler position and determined a wedge couch we have needs to go. One bag of old coats down, several bags to go. It's a never ending battle.

Last night, P and I read books on the couch and it felt so good to be in a room that seemed like a semi-adult room vs. a barricaded accommodation for barreling toddler.


Cheers!
mouse

Little Miss Neat

Dear Friends and Family,

P has book called Little Miss Neat. Little Miss Neat lives in Two Pin Cottage. And, her key to keeping things neat is that everything has its place and everything is in its place.

I need that. I desperately need that.

If everything was in its place, I would be happy. So, let's think about this for a moment.

There can be two problems. Something is not in its place or something does not have a place. Things not being in their place is easy to solve. Things not having a place is what gets me. Like, for instance, the car seat in the living room. It used to be in Mr. mouse's car (which we sold) and now we keep it in case we need it for a rental car.

It's in the living room for crying out loud! On the couch!

Clearly an item with no home. Now, if the car seat had a place I could move it there immediately. But, without a proper home for it, it sits on our couch waiting patiently for a home. What is the proper home for this current irritant?

Well, if placement is determined by where it's needed, I would say somewhere close to the front door makes sense. But, not the couch. I don't want it in sight, which would imply the coat closet is the right place for it, but that's valuable real estate for something that gets used two to four times a year which means it's need to be farther from it's logical home... long term storage... garage or basement... garage... which is full, so we need to find a home there. See, this is why we don't live in Two Pin Cottage.


Cheers!
mouse

Toddler to Pre-K

Dear Friends and Family,

An interesting thing happened while we were on vacation.

P went from toddler to pre-K. I know she's only two and a half, but in the span of a week the talking exploded, she figured out shoes, she leaned out, she told us she was hungry and thirsty, and just so many other things.

When I look at her pictures from a year ago, I see a toddler. When I look at her pictures from the trip, I see a pre-K kid. We're done with the baby years and now I have a sneaking suspicion we're done with the toddler years as well.

What's it like traveling with a two year old? Well, it went remarkably well. The trick, I think, is avoiding the red eyes. They don't sleep well, you don't sleep at all, and everyone's off schedule for a day trying to adjust.

Instead, we took a day flight to Europe that left mid-morning and landed mid-evening. I know, that means we lose a day in transit, but think about it this way...

Everyone gets up and does last minute trip prep. You go to the airport and get on a plane. You spend a long time on the plane. You get your bags, you go to the hotel, you check in, you eat dinner, you go to sleep. Doesn't sound bad, does it?

In comparison. Everyone gets up, spends a full day doing their day routine. You go to the airport and get on a plane. You eat a late dinner. You spend a long time on the plane when everyone should be sleeping, but no one is really sleeping. You get your bags, you go to the hotel, you check in, you should leave for the day because it's morning in Europe, but instead you go to sleep (effectively losing the day you gained by going on the night flight) and when you wake up, you're officially jet lagged because you're still on home time, not on local time.

See my point?

It was never an issue for Mr. mouse and me. We don't get jet lag. But, we didn't want to make that assumption for P. She was off one night (the second night of our trip) when we put her in a pack and play, she woke in the middle of the night and needed care before falling back asleep.

On the way back, we did the same thing almost. We got on a plane mid-morning. We came home. We stayed outside the whole day to avoid falling asleep. We went to sleep earlier than normal, but within the bounds of reasonable. And, we've been on local time since.


Cheers!
mouse

Thanksgiving on My Mind

Dear Friends and Family,

Trip download coming, I promise.

But, today, I have Thanksgiving on my mind because it just dawned on me yesterday that it is just a couple of weeks away. And, I'm thinking about how to make it more healthy.

What's on the menu from last Thanksgiving?

1. turkey (turkey, olive oil, salt, pepper)
2. ham (ham)
3. gravy (turkey drippings, flour, turkey stock, milk, salt, pepper)
4. home baked bread (flour, yeast, salt)
5. mashed potatoes (potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper)
6. stuffing
7. green bean casserole
8. candied sweet potatoes
9. corn (corn)
10. cranberry relish
11. apple pie
12. ice cream (egg, sugar, cream, milk, vanilla)

So, choices on a dish to make more healthy? Let's see... Which ones have processed ingredients? Stuffing has sausage, green bean casserole has cream of mushroom soup and fried onions, and candied sweet potatoes have marshmallows.

Sadly, I guess green bean casserole should be the one to get remade. And, if I'm going to remake it, I might as well think about it and look for some inspiration. Can I make it in five ingredients or else? Can I make it vegan? Can I make it gluten free? Can I make it nut free? Can I make it low fat? low salt? low carb? Yes, I'm sure I can make a vast leap from green bean casserole to a new green bean dish that is going to be a fabulous add to our Thanksgiving feast.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Review

Dear Friends and Family,

No worries. We're alive and I haven't abandoned my journal.

We went... on... vacation!

But, I'm not going to try and write about that today because I have close to a dozen posts in mind that I need to organize.

So, instead, since it's the last day of the month, I'll do a retirement review.

Needless to say, October was a good month for the mouse retirement fund almost erasing the dismal performance of sad September. More than just erasing a month of bad news, it shows a reversal of trend. Instead of decreasing each month, and more disturbingly, decreasing at an increasing rate, October was a sign that it is worth it to keep investing. There will be times where it's tough to stomach, but, with retirement being a long term strategy, retirement planning is a long term exercise as well.

The retirement range? Now it's between January 2019 and January 2023.


Cheers!
mouse

Friday Friday Friday

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday and so far it looks like a manageable day.

I need to make waffles for breakfast for P. I need to pack P's bag and her car food. I need to stop by an ATM. I need to drop off at school. And, then I can head into the office and fill out my expense report.

Then, the madness begins. And, as long as I can make it until 6PM, I can rest easier knowing I have the weekend ahead of me and the work week behind me.


Cheers!
mouse

P.S.: Last night was solo time with P. It's gotten a lot easier now that she's so independent.

Bi-Weekly, Bi-Monthly Retirement Check

Dear Friends and Family,

Contrary to typical advice, I look at my retirement portfolio frequently. How frequently? Twice-a-month frequently.

Yep. Every two weeks, I take a peek at something or other.

I know. The experts say you should look quarterly, but that seems crazy in today's volatile market. And, while I look every two weeks, I don't make "changes" nearly as frequently. I don't change my holdings every two weeks. I change my expectation on retirement date every two weeks.

Yesterday, was one of my two monthly checks. I have a model I built which takes into account inflation because a dollar today won't be worth a dollar tomorrow. And, while in the short run, it's close enough, in the long run it isn't. I know what I want in today's dollar for retirement, but sad to say, I'm not retiring today. And, fingers crossed, I need my retirement to last longer than today because I'm not planning on dying today, knock on wood.

So, inflation needs to be accounted for. And, because it's easier I enter it monthly. And, then I see if it impacts my retirement date. Sometimes, if it's lower than anticipated I can pull my date in by a month or two. Sometimes, if it's higher than anticipated I need to push my date out by a month or two. It tends to even out, but recently I feel like it pushes out two out of three months and pulls in one out of three months... with a gradual creep in retirement date.

Now, my end of month adjustments tend to be more drastic. A good month could pull retirement in three to six months and a very bad month can push retirement out a year or more. That's the adjustment when I look at how our portfolio performed over the month. The last two months have not been pretty. I'm hoping this month is a prettier picture. We'll see in 11 days.

Well, yesterday, I did my inflation math and looked at the numbers and our retirement dates didn't change. Yeah for us!


Cheers!
mouse

Alone and Okay

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday, my business partner told me that she didn't have the time nor the money to commit to our idea. And, while I'm bummed to be working alone again since I work best as part of a team, I'm okay with the idea as well.

When you're alone, it's easy to make decisions and you don't need to worry about how to split the equity or what if one partner wants out or a million and one other things. So, once we get back from vacation, I'm going to begin the task of filling out the paperwork to begin my own company.

How exciting is that? I don't know about you, but I'm super excited.


Cheers!
mouse

Laundry Therapy

Dear Friends and Family,

By the time I got home yesterday I was sick. And, one symptom of sick, for me, is cold - cold on the inside, cold on the outside, cold to the core.

Knowing I was sick, Mr. mouse sent me upstairs to rest. And, I lay in bed under a pile of blankets trying to warm up. And, I eventually did. And, I feel better now.

Now, why is it called laundry therapy? One of my exes was convinced you could stave off a bad cold by lying under a pile of freshly done laundry. And, instead of being sick for days on end, you'd be able to nip it in the bud. Well, I thought he was crazy at first until I tried it once and now I'm a believer.

It warms you up and it forces you to rest. And, while I now use extra blankets in lieu of laundry, I still practice it whenever something bad hits me.

Thanks, J, for the tip. I owe you much.


Cheers!
mouse

10.17.11: Fall Colds

Dear Friends and Family,

P caught her first cold of the fall season which means I caught my first cold of the fall season. Her runny nose started on Saturday and my sore throat started last night.

Feeling under the weather made for short tempers all around. But, hopefully, we turn that corner and begin to function again before... vacation.

Yes, long awaited, much overdue vacation. What was supposed to be a spring trip to Asia, but then got delayed to a summer trip to some undetermined destination may finally metamorphosis into a fall trip to Italy.

I've determined there's just too much going on. Uh-oh. I know! This is a perfect moment for a Top 3 Update.

1. Trip Planning. If you're going to take vacation, you might as well throw yourself into the planning so that your precious time off is well spent.
2. Survival. I have a conference. Mr. mouse has work meetings. Mr. mouse has a haircut. P has school pictures. Just need to power through.
3. Recuperation. Must get better.

But, when I get back...

1. My weight. I went shopping for clothes for my trip and realized I've got two choices. I can take the time to manage my food and be happy with everything I try on in the store because I look good (this was me, pre-P) or I can let food happen and then join the ranks of people who are looking for the perfect "thing" that makes them look good because the clothes have to hide my myriad flaws. I'm going to really focus on the former.
2. Time with P. Even it it's dropped to number 2, it's still important to me. It's important to spend the time with her. She's only going to be this little for a short while and then she's not going to want to spend every waking moment with Mr. mouse and me.
3. My business idea. Time to get with the lawyer and open the account and get things rolling. I'm so glad graduate school recommendations are over. Three recommendations, three weekends that I could have spent focused on me.

And, then, before I know it November will roll into December will roll into the holidays. Definitely time to focus before things get too far.


Cheers!
mouse

Fantasy Football Take II

Dear Friends and Family,

A team "came available" and there are five of vying for it. I enjoy it, but it's a time sink. I want to win, but I'm not sad when I'm out. Huh.


Cheers!
mouse

The Less Obvious Option

Dear Friends and Family,

I've decided to concede defeat. I am willing to invest $50 a week in help. $50?!?!

I know, it sounds profligate. But, $217 a month (on average) is a small price to pay for my sanity. I cancelled our never used gym memberships. That's $130 a month right there. Then, $20 a week doesn't sound like it's too much to pay for a little more peace.

One option would be for the person to help on the never-ending war. Namely, places like the kitchen island that never seem to be done, or when they get done, I turn around and they get undone on me.

Or, I can get them started on things that once they're done, they stay more-or-less done. An example would be our gate... P's outgrown her gate, but we have it up still... there were thoughts that we might need it again (no, not for a second child, for when friends with toddlers visit) and then there were thoughts that we can sell it either to a friend or on Craigslist and then we just got lazy and it's sitting there. That's something once it's taken care of it's taken care of for good.

I think I'll continue to fight the good fight on the kitchen island front and have my helper take on the one-and-one things.

Now, I just need to find time to find a helper. Add that to the list under whenever or yeah, right. Still, it's nice to imagine the possibility.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Planning

Dear Friends and Family,

Nothing like bad financial news month after month after month to prod a mouse into action. Realizing that stocks and bonds probably will do a lot of ups and downs and not much of anything in the next couple of years, I've been thinking through a different approach.

Step 1: Readjust my expectations on when we'll get to retire. December 2017 just isn't going to happen given The Great Recession. It's more like June 2023 given the current math. That's okay. I just need to manage my expectations.

Step 2: Begin investing the pile of cash we have. Each month we've been saving, but lacking any good options, we've been leaving the money in cash. This time, instead of investing in index funds which probably won't be the answer we need, I'm looking for individual stocks. Yes, I know that's riskier. But, I'm not out there actively trading in odd stocks. I'm looking at companies like Costco and Wal-Mart (neither of which I have purchased, both of which I have looked at).

Step 3: Continue to work on my idea. At best, it's a source of wealth. At worst, it's an intellectual exercise. Hopefully, it'll be cash positive and contribute to our retirement.

Step 4: Look at other ideas. A friend asked if we'd would be interested in investing in his business. We've got a long list of things to look at. But, if at the end of it, it looks interesting, we may.

Step 5: Look at rental properties. Real estate is depressed. Mortgage rates are low. This may be an option if we see something good on the market.

I was super excited about 2017. I'm less excited about 2023. Still, I guess I should consider myself fortunate. Some families when they do the math see a number much larger than 2023 and some families never think to do the math.


Cheers!
mouse

10.10.11: Picnic in the Park

Dear Friends and Family,

You couldn't have asked for nicer fall weather. Actually, it was beautiful summer weather with fall colors for a backdrop. Too bad P had a giant bug bite on her eye. Or, maybe that was a good thing. We could enjoy the weekend without Mr. mouse badgering us to take fall photos.

Saturday, P asked if one of her friends was free. He was. And, we met up for a picnic. We ate. We picked crab apples. We blew bubbles. We threw balls. We watched a bird at a pond. We looked at cars. We ran into P's teacher. We lazed in the sun.

Sunday, P went for bagels with Mr. mouse. We went to the park. Then, P played at home while I had lunch with a friend. She went for a walk afterwards with Mr. mouse. And, after her nap, she ate dinner at the table before we all went out for a supermarket run.

And, that was our weekend. Simple. Fun. Nice.

I was talking with a girlfriend over lunch and it reminded me how important life is - how important happiness is. People make choices all of the time. And, there may be a point in the future when I regret the choices I have made. But, for now, I am happy with the choices I have made - balancing work and life so I have my free time, pursuing moderation so my wants do not exceed my means, maintaining simplicity so I can focus on what's important to me.


Cheers!
mouse

Apples, Apples Everywhere

Dear Friends and Family,

Our kitchen island is back out of control. What's on it? And how do I tame it again?

1. P's lunch box: should be on a cart
2. granola bars and cookies: should be in the cabinet
3. pasta: should be in the cabinet, did we lose track while putting groceries away last week?!?!
4. old cookie: should be tossed
5. P's papers: should go in the pile of P's papers
6. P's art work: should get labeled and put away
7. old bagel: should be tossed
8. plastic bag: huh?!?!
9. black cable: WTF?!?!
10. peanut brittle: should be consumed, there's one piece left
11. nougat: should be tossed
12. bills: should be paid and filed
13. 18 or so apples

Apples. This is what gets you in trouble. No home. And, they look so pretty when the island is bare and you first put them on the island. But, then, those sneaky little things give out permission slips and waivers for all sorts of other things to hang out on the island, and before you know it, chaos has consumed the place.

What to do? Can't let things linger. They need to have a home. Then, they can't go and give out a bunch of permission slips.


Cheers!
mouse

RIP Steve Jobs

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, we went out to dinner. We drove home. We drew P's bath. We put P to sleep and Mr. mouse and I went straight to bed. And, this morning I woke up, made my coffee and logged on to see what there was to see... And, of course, realized that Steve Jobs had passed away.

I feel like the world is a little emptier today. He made such a difference in all of our lives. And, it seems a little less human today without him. I've worked in technology. I know where bad product development and bad technology can lead. And, I just think it'll be a little less exciting now.

Well, time to go get ready. And, to remember all the amazing things he did. I must be Irish. We need to celebrate his accomplishments, not be sad at his passing.


Cheers!
mouse

10.05.11: Apple Picking

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a most wonderful weekend.

Saturday was the usual routine. I took P to the bakery and then to breakfast and then to a local grocery store then to the library and then home. I think she enjoys the Saturday morning routine - going out with me every other week while Mr. mouse spends time getting the house cleaned.

Sunday, we finally got out of the house by lunch time and headed out to the apple orchards. P had a great time. We weren't sure how she'd do with it because she doesn't like new experiences. But, she loved the wagon ride, she fed apples to her friend Monkey, she tried to pick up every apple off the ground to take home, she ran, she laughed, she smiled for the camera, she fed me apples, she picked apples off of the trees, she went on the wagon a second time, she ran among the pumpkins. It was a most wonderful trip. I love when P spills over with unbridled happiness.

And, now, it's Wednesday. If you're wondering what's going on and why I've been sporadic, it's because I'm working on a Rubik's cube.

I want to sleep. I want to leave on time. I need to weigh my fruit and measure my milk. And, I've got a bunch of things on my mind - a college recommendation I'm writing, my business plan, a business I'm thinking about investing in, a trip we're taking this month, a trip we're taking next month, and Halloween. Yes, my one brain cell is building up a queue here.


Cheers!
mouse

The Timed Approach

Dear Friends and Family,

I've realized the flexibility of Weight Watchers is more than I can handle. Sometimes, too much choice is not a good thing. It forces you to evaluate and make decisions and life is too complicated right now to do that. Plus, I just don't have time to enter all the stuff in.

So. I've been following a different plan for the past two weeks. One that doesn't require me to make many choices.

5AM. I measure out two cups of milk in the morning. I drink some with my first cup of coffee. I drink the rest with my second cup of coffee. Then, I must make it to 11AM. Add water as needed.

11AM. Time for lunch. Pack it in advance. I packed a week's worth on Sunday. Don't think about it, pack it. Then, don't think about it, eat it. This week? 5 oz rice, 2 oz random chicken from the refrigerator, 3 oz random vegetables from the refrigerator/freezer. Reset the water clock by refilling the water bottle.

2PM. Time for snack. 15 oz fruit, 1 oz almonds. Chug whatever water is left from lunch and refill. Then, I must make it until 4:30 PM. Add water as needed.

4:3PM. It's open season on food.

Once I feel like I'm ready, I'll add a 4:30 snack and then tackle dinner and post dinner. But, for now, my brain can handle this. No thinking, just doing. Maybe Nike was onto something when they were on their Just Do It kick.


Cheers!
mouse

Fun Night

Dear Friends and Family,

As promised, P had her fun night. Now, it's back to the mix of fun and games that is our life. Tonight, our friend from the Winter Cabin is visiting and we have mail and dinner. Tomorrow night, I have a board meeting. So, it's odds and ends until Friday for P.

I know life happens. But, why does it seem to happen all at once?


Cheers!
mouse

Ctrl-Alt-Del, Shut Down

Dear Friends and Family,

P's been on a bender since Saturday and needs a reboot.

Ever since we had haircut, we've been bombarding her with new people and adult activities and modified hours and girlfriend just wants to play a little bit.

Today, I think I'll let P have her equivalent of a perfect evening.

• We'll stay for group time at school
• We'll stop at Panda Restaurant for some noodles and chicken
• We'll have three songs when we get home
• We'll play security and read books with Surprise
• We'll have milk and stories in bouncy chair
• We'll have stories in bed

Hopefully, that'll make up for all of stuff we put her through the past couple of days.


Cheers!
mouse

09.26.11: The Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Turns out you sometimes can't predict what your toddler is going to do.

Things P is afraid of:

1. haircuts
2. the dark
3. new people sitting next to her in the car

Things we thought P would be afraid of, but is completely fine with:

1. a new park
2. a play date
3. going over a new friends house for dinner

So, we're 1 for 6 this weekend. (We knew she wouldn't like the haircut.)

And, now, it's time to get ready for work. Sigh.


Cheers!
mouse

09.21.11: Weekend?

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend? It's Wednesday and I'm writing about the weekend? That's not a good sign.

Okay. Weekend.

Highlight of our Saturday? a trip to the bookstore

Sunday? a last minute purchase of School House Rock tickets

The rest of the weekend? Saturday was a typical start with a trip to the bakery, followed by breakfast, a trip to the library and a trip to the park.

Saturday night, we took P to the bookstore and she fell in love with the train set. And, she didn't want to leave. And, she saw another mother cave and spend an additional 30 minutes with her son at the store letting him play with the train.

I wasn't going to set a precedent. I picked her up and gave her a couple of seconds to calm down. Then, I gave her two options. Option A: we can leave now. Option B: we can put down the train, go over to the benches, read some books, see which books we like, and buy the books we like - three books. She thought about it for a moment and picked the latter option. I put her down. She put down the train. We walked away. I was bursting with pride!

Sunday, we went to see School House Rock. P has been watching some of the old videos. She's allowed up to three a day for nine minutes of screen time. Yes, we meter screen time by the minute. She's been learning the preamble, conjunctions, adverbs, nouns and the legislative process - although if you ask her, she'll say preamble, freight train song, lolly, grandma song and Mr. Bill. The show was a huge success. P loved it. She wants to go back, but it was a one-time showing. Sigh.

And, last but not least, a "friend" had a post on Facebook that I read about. Her 18 month son finished his nap, took off his pants, took off his diaper and the proceeded to pee onto the floor. Her thoughts? Time for toilet training. Mine? Definitely time for training - parent training and toddler training come to mind.


Cheers!
mouse

40 Minutes Later

Dear Friends and Family,

I was curious so I looked. And, then because I found something I kept looking. And, forty minutes, four gift cards later, I placed my order.

En route, if we're lucky, is one Missoni for Target sweater for P, one Missoni for Target set of gloves for me, and two boxes of diapers.

I refuse to pay anything near the prices being asked for on eBay, but $10 for a pair of gloves for me doesn't seem too unpalatable. And, the diapers P will work through. And, the sweater, well, that was the original impetus for looking for $50 of merchandise to qualify for free shipping.


Cheers!
mouse

Anti-Medication Mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

It's slowly dawning on me (or it's something I've known forever, but just don't write about) that I dislike medication. I'm concerned that as a whole we're an over-medicated society. And it may be how the risk-reward incentive system is set up.

I went to the hospital yesterday and the doctor looked at my hand and recommended Benadryl or Claritin to ease the swelling if it was bothering me and he wrote a prescription for antibiotics because he thought I might have an infection.

I filled the prescription, but I have yet to take it. I did cave last night and took a Claritin for the swelling.

My thoughts? What's the risk associated with prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if the FDA is doing it's job, the short term risk should be minimal. Reward? Patient goes away feeling like they have a solution to their problem. What's the risk of not prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if there's no infection, at worst the patient might feel like going to see a doctor is a waste of money. If there is an infection, then that's where all heck can break loose. Therefore, the system is set up to prescribe the antibiotics.

On to the Claritin and Benadryl. Somehow, those don't seem as malignant as the antibiotics. The perception might be because I've taken it before. It might be because it's over the counter. It might be because the list of short term and long term side effects seems to be more clear cut - I'm not creating super-allergens, at least not to my knowledge. It might be because he left it up to me to manage my care - take as needed. Risk to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Risk to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Therefore, it feels less motivated since there's nothing either way for him in giving the advice.

To be clear, this is different, in my mind, than my friends parents who tried to pray away her Type I diabetes. There's medication and there's over-medication and everyone draws that line at a different point. My line is drawn well before skipping on the insulin shots, but well after taking a pill just in case.

I think that's one of the most important life skills I can impart upon P - to think through how motivations can incent certain behaviors in people and to think through what that means for how they are interacting with her.


Cheers!
mouse

Turning into a Country Song

Dear Friends and Family,

I one or two calamities away from having the lyrics to a country song. A couple of weeks ago it was the concussion. And, now, it's the bee/wasp sting. I got stung on the hand while waving goodbye to P on Tuesday.

Tuesday, it was a little red dot that stung for a couple of minutes.

Wednesday, it was an angry red blob that itched and was beginning to swell.

Today, it's a hand that looks like it's made of sausage stuffed into casing - swollen to the point where it's impossible to make a fist.

One more calamity and I'm going to put it to verse and publish it on YouTube.


Cheers!
mouse

D-O-L-L Spells Doll

Dear Friends and Family,

We have three toy rules in the house...

1. no battery operated toys
2. no licensed characters
3. nothing gender specific

So, you might be wondering why we gave P an early Christmas gift last night, specifically, a battery operated licensed doll - a true triumvirate of breaking all three rules in one fell swoop. It's like salted caramel, fatty, sweet and salty all at once, but that's another blog post altogether.

Well. It came down to this. She likes playing with dolls at school. While we enjoy Lego and other toys at home it seemed silly to deny her any dolls at home just because they're dolls. Back to the first two rules. Yes, it can sing if you put in batteries, which surprisingly we did not. And, yes, it's licensed, but she doesn't know the brand because it's not a US brand. I had to let Dora and Elmo into the house to a degree - they're on her diapers. And, her friends at school taught her Mickey Mouse.

She was giddy when I gave her the doll. She wrapped her in a blanket and played with her all night. She gave her a pretend bath and she took her upstairs to read books. Hopefully, she doesn't play with the doll to the exclusion of all of her other toys. We'll have some plush friends with hurt feelings if she does.

This will stymie any guilt at vetoing any dolls she does get for Christmas. I hate to be that parent, but I almost wish I could put out a list of idea generators for the grandparents. I hate that they spend money on stuff that I then prefer for P not to have. My parents fare better than Mr. mouse's since my sister keeps them in check. I'm staring around the living room to see if I can figure out what they got her, but I'm drawing a blank. Mr. mouse's folks got P a purple dollhouse. Time for that puppy to go back down into the basement, I think. Done.

Oh, and if you're wondering what our deprived child got for non-battery operated, non-licensed, non-gender-specific birthday... well, she got several puzzles, several board games, a large yellow ball, a duck puppet, a zoo set and lots of books. It is possible, it just takes a little more imagination.


Cheers!
mouse

09.12.11: More Time at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Asked what we did this weekend, and I couldn't remember. It must be the concussion.

Even with my foursquare crutch, I needed help from Mr. mouse. Saturday, we went for bagels in the morning. Then, we took turns showering before heading out for a walk. We took P to the library and then a neighborhood market where she fell in love with the shopping cart and then to the park. We blew bubbles, kicked a ball, and ran in the playground. Then, we came home for lunch and afternoon nap.

Dinner? We tried a new pizza joint and then walked over for ice cream.

Sunday... We took our sweet time getting out of the house. Then, more bagels followed by art fair followed by macaroons at the bakery. P fell asleep at the art fair, so we had the afternoon to clean and then we capped off the evening with a supermarket run.

And, delight of delights, our kitchen island is clear again. Now, to regain the rest of the kitchen... We'll see, my to do list is beginning to grow again. It always seems like I get ahead only to fall behind. One day I will figure this out.

Oh, and football started. So, while I don't watch any games, I do watch my fantasy football stats. Looks like Ravens DST and Drew Brees will pull me through in one piece this week. Unlike other leagues, our league eliminates the lowest team each week. Then, the remaining team pick apart the spoils. It's quite vicious.

And, I have a hypothesis going. There's the theory of outliers and a magical 10,000 hour point beyond which your expertise grows non-linearly. Well, I think it applies to much of child development. And, because P has such a long commute and such helicopter parents and such good teachers at school, I think she's hitting that 10,000 hour point in verbal development and that's why we're seeing such an explosion in her verbal skills.

Well, we all hit that point sometime in our life. With her, by hitting it earlier, it gives her a chance to "move on" to other things. My job? Keeping the white lab coats away and keeping Mr. mouse from filling her head with uselessness.


Cheers!
mouse

Doctor's Appointment

Dear Friends and Family,

After going in for my concussion, I realized I was woefully out of date on my regular check-ups. So, I'm going in today for a check-up.

I know my health won't be as good as it was the last time I went in 2006. For one thing, I'm five years older and close to 25 pounds heavier. But, more important than that, I haven't been sleeping as much or exercising as much. So, it's bound to be worse than last time.

But, still, it'll be good to check. Perhaps this is the wake-up call I need to be more mindful.


Cheers!
mouse

Four Day Work Week

Dear Friends and Family,

I like short work weeks. It's already Thursday!

Our toddler is quickly becoming a pre-K. P's feet had a growth spurt. And, she's looking taller as well. A lot of her clothes from last year fit from a width perspective, but some are simply too short. Mr. mouse tried to convince her that one piece was a "cropped hoodie," but she simply said, "I don't like cropped hoodie. P want sweater."

Then there's the more amazing growth spurt. She's beginning to recognize sounds like words that begin with or have the letter S in them. She's got two or three sight words down. And, she can get the concept of reading a sentence, like last night when I wrote P sleeps on cot on Mr. mouse's white board and she pointed to words as she recited the sentence.

She's got a good handle on her puzzle which is marked for ages four plus. And, she's got a good handle on her mix and match cards - you flip 20 cards face down and flip them over two at a time matching them. And, her memory is oddly good. She remembers that our friend has two guitars - a red one and a green one - even if she only saw the guitars for a couple of moments. And, she remembers that Mr. mouse has sushi pieces on a grey cabinet even if it's been over a month since she was there.

Like I keep telling Mr. mouse, my job is to keep the freaks in the white coats away.


Cheers!
mouse

When McDonald's Is a Good Idea

Dear Friends and Family,

I was leaving work yesterday, tired, hungry, frazzled. And, I made a brilliant decision with the few working neurons I had left in my head. An afternoon snack. Yes, a snack, so that I don't get home and find myself famished and eat half of the refrigerator before realizing that that was a bad idea. Brilliant. An afternoon snack.

Since I was already walking to my car, I reached into my bag for one of two granola bars I keep in there for just such an emergency. And, I pulled it out and realized a rodent had gotten to it.

Now, I realize my journal is called mouse journal. Ironically, I HATE mice. And, to have evidence of one in my bag is more than my mind can take. I think I need a new bag and a new house and a new everything. It's all mouse infested as far as I'm concerned.

Fortunately for my Weight Watchers plan, P was hungry on the way home, and after getting gas we stopped by a McDonald's. I got a hamburger for 7 points and P got a small fries. Afternoon snack problem solved.

Too bad we have a much larger rodent problem to deal with.


Cheers (or not)!
mouse

09.06.11: Quiet Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Long weekend. No travel. No major plans. Not a bad idea.

Saturday, P and I did our usual routine while the house was being cleaned. We went for breakfast, P ordered her usual ham, pancakes, syrup and dip. Then, we bought bread. And, last but definitely not least, we went to the library to return some books and get some new ones.

Then, we came home and ate lunch and played until it was time to get ready for our play date. Mr. mouse walked P until she fell asleep. Then, he loaded her in the car and I drove while he showered. Yes, it's that complicated sometimes.

We drove to the edge of the earth to go to an amusement park/petting zoo/arcade/paintball/water park coming soon/go kart coming soon place that is clearly trying to define its reason for being. No surprise, P hated all of the animals. She was interested in all of the rides, but only enjoyed the ones she could ride with Mr. mouse. But, in the end, she was glad she went. We went for dinner afterwards and then hit the grocery store for milk.

Sunday? We went to the park and surreptitiously fed the ducks and not so surreptitiously blew bubbles. Mr. mouse snapped some pictures. We ate some plate lunch. Nap in car and in crib.

And, Monday? Brunch with Auntie Janet!

The highlight of the weekend? Mr. mouse built P a simple Lego plane. While he was playing with her, I built a simple security station with a belt, two benches and the TSA agent played by P's bus driver. Next came a gate. And, that was the weekend. The Lego people went through security and went to the gate and got on the plane all weekend long. P even let a giraffe through security, once.



Cheers!
mouse

Hard Brain

Dear Friends and Family,

I don't know if it's the concussion or if I'm getting old or it's my analyst, but his way of doing Excel is impossible for me to follow.

I consider myself an above average Excel user. But, I also try to make my work easy for someone else to pick up, probably because I've picked up a file or two in the past that were bears to wrap your arms around.

But, his Excel sheets are IMPOSSIBLE to follow. He uses one formula over and over again to do a multiple row, multiple column combo vlookup hlookup which really is kind of nifty but is impossible to easily audit.

I just can't bring myself to begin writing formulas that way. Like I said, I'm not sure if it's the concussion or I'm getting old or I just refuse to pick up something that the next person can't follow.

Perhaps I should change my name from mouse to dinosaur.


Cheers!
tyrannosaurus mouse

I Need an Attorney

Dear Friends and Family,

Normally, no good comes of those words.

But, we do need an attorney and it is something we are excited about. My partner is setting up time with the two of us and an attorney to discuss setting up a limited liability company (LLC) for our new company.

And, for me, that makes it real for a very simple reason. An attorney costs money. And, until you fork over the first dollar, it's just an idea, a mental exercise. Once money's involved, it's for real.

Next on the list, setting up the entity and then opening a bank account. There's so much stuff that has to be done before we get to the fun stuff of actually opening our business. Huh.


Cheers!
mouse

Getting Closer

Dear Friends and Family,

Our dream of starting a small business is getting closer.

We have a name. We have agreement on the basics of our partnership agreement - how we split the money, what happens if a partner wants out, and what happens if a partner dies. We're looking for a lawyer and we're looking at software to manage our finances.

My goal for September is to have a legal entity created, have a bank account opened and be able to process transactions. The first transactions will be dummy transactions - just to make sure we can do the simple things right (like bill a client and pay a vendor) then we'll add on more complicated things like pay an employee. And, then the fun begins.

I'm not sure if this will be a viable business which is why it's currently a weeknight/weekend venture. If it grows into something big, then I'll take the leap into it being a full time job. We'll see.


Cheers!
mouse

Consumer Sentiment?

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, it's not the end of the month yet, but I had a sneak peak at the retirement portfolio and it's not a pretty picture. And, the short term cash picture is better than it was a month ago, but still not feeling particularly fine there either.

Add to all of that lay-offs at the office and contemplating starting a small business and it's no wonder I've got the jitters.

Last September was surprise good news. Then, we had seven months of good news which left me feeling pretty buoyant. Then, May looked like a bump in the road. Then, June looked like a pot hole. Then, July looked like we would be on the cobblestones for a stretch. But, August, well, August looks like a sink hole.

August looks like we'll be working several more years than we wanted to. The light at the end of the tunnel? Don't have to worry about it being the train because it just went out.

Time to adopt a hunker down and retrench strategy because it's going to be awhile to wait this one out.

On a positive note, several friends seem to be moving so the job market seems to be loosening up. But, I'm not sure I want to make a bunch of changes. P likes her school. I am working on my business idea.

Time to hunker down and retrench.


Cheers!
mouse

08.29.11: Birthday Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

It's my birthday today. Happy Birthday, mouse!

The birthday weekend was a mish mosh of events. We went to a food truck social on Saturday - bust - incredibly long lines for some trucks and no food left for other trucks.

Sunday, we went to bruncher - as in breakfast, lunch and dinner all rolled into a single meal. Then, we went for a walk in the zoo. P actually enjoyed the zoo - looking at the flamingos and the ducks and the penguins and even the giraffes and the ostrich. She's still not a big fan of the lion, but it's a definite improvement over the last couple of visits. Perhaps it's time for a return trip out to San Diego or at least back to the local zoo.


Cheers!
mouse

Diagnosis: Mild Concussion, Prognosis: Continued Improvement

Dear Friends and Family,

I went to the doctor yesterday to have my head looked at since it was still bothering me from Monday. Given my condition on Wednesday, he was tempted to send me in for testing. But, given my improvement on Thursday, he was also inclined to send me home and have me watch for additional changes.

Well, I continue to feel better. Headache is mostly gone. Tenderness is mostly gone. Things still not feeling 100% up there, but I feel functional which is better than I've felt all week. So, I'm hoping I'm on the mend.

And, because I was there, I made an appointment for a follow-up general appointment. I'll be going in next Friday to get a check-up. Other than (or is it then? see, I'm still not 100%) my head, I feel like I'm in okay health. I know I need to lose some weight, but nothing's bothering me. Here's to hoping it's just a check-up.


Cheers!
mouse

Toddler Discipline

Dear Friends and Family,

I know sometimes Mr. mouse and I take helicoptering parenting to new levels. This is one of the reasons why we're probably only going to have one child. I can't see us upping the ante and doing this twice.

I try not to be too proud of P, knowing that there will be times, when I least expect it, that she'll let me down. I don't complain too loudly if she gets bitten in school, knowing that at some point she, too, may bite a classmate.

But, Monday, I got clocked on the head by one of her classmates. Bad enough that I'm going to see a doctor today. Headaches, sleepiness, nausea, dizziness - seems like a doctor's visit was in order.

I told my colleagues at work that P would at most do something like twice. Twice? Well, the first time we would say something like we don't throw things at people. Then, we'd monitor. If P were to hypothetically throw a second object at a person, it would be a non-stop 24/7 barrage of why we don't throw things at people. As in...

"I see my flag. American flag. My country flag." "In America, we raise our children to be polite. It's not polite to throw our toys." "Last light." "That's right, we're almost home. When we get home, we'll play with our toys. We'll play nicely. It's not nice to throw our toys." "P like brown ice cream." "Ice cream is for good little girls. Good little girls don't throw their toys."

And on and on until we thought the message had sunk in. She's a smart one, but more importantly we're determined ones.

I'm not sure if some kids are feistier than others. I'm not sure if it's a gender thing. I'm not sure if it's a parenting thing or if P gets special treatment in school. I don't know. I just know we wouldn't have much tolerance for it in the mouse house.

We did have a throwing incident at home once when she was much younger. She was learning to throw a ball and we were giving her smiles and words of encouragement and having a fun evening. Well, she picked up a ball-shaped toy and threw that next and we had to explain that not all round toys were balls. It hasn't happened again since so we didn't have to test our discipline theory.

Here's to hoping that we won't have to.


Cheers!
mouse

Stock Purchasing

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm making my first re-entry into the stock market. We spent a bunch of months paying down the house, building up the emergency fund, etc. And, then, we spent a bunch of months sitting on cash because the market seemed like such a crazy place.

Why the change? I had a conversation with a friend yesterday. And, I'm not sure I agree 100% with everything he does. But, sometimes he says things that make sense. And, yesterday, it did. The concept is to invest in strong companies which bring a "buy high" implication which is counter-intuitive, until you think about it in a people context, where if you were investing in people, you invest in good performers, not in mediocrity.

So, I took a very "bold" move and decided to invest less than what some people spend on a new outfit. At the same time, I'll be entering in a stop sell later today which should theoretically further limit my losses.

We'll see. It won't make us wealthy, but it's something to continue looking at.


Cheers!
mouse

08.23.11: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 140.4

A loss is a loss is a loss and one I'm not complaining given that I had cake before heading to the game, kettle corn at the game and wine with the neighbors after the game. Sunday, I got to indulge in my love of thin crust pizza. Given all that a couple of days before weigh-in, I'll take a 0.2 pound loss.

I have to admit, I've fallen in love with a new service they offer at work. It's a concierge service, but without any service fees. There is a minimum purchase requirement of $20 for which they do your "shopping" for you. Yesterday, I got my Diet Cokes, a couple of Lean Cuisines, paper towels, dried blueberries, diapers and P's crackers all boxed up and dropped off at my desk. I don't use it for fresh foods (remember, I need to cross oceans to get home from work), but it does reduce the temptations, having someone buy exactly what you need. Plus, it saves time and money. See why I've fallen in love?


Cheers!
mouse

08.22.11: Quiet Weekend at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Actually, it was a quiet weekend at home with our old friends from the Winter Cabin. We went to visit for a baseball game and because FB seems to be my scheduling nemesis, we had a quiet weekend with our old neighbors which isn't a bad thing.

The game wasn't even close. But, it was nice to spend the evening out watching a game, watching the sunset and enjoying the times. And, while it took longer than you would have thought humanly possible, Mr. mouse crossed another item (vaguely) off of our "yeah, right" list. We have a third cell phone. Three people still call us on it. I have already contacted one of the three people. It's a personal mission to contact the other two in the next year. Because, yes, my clutter hoarder husband also hoards phone numbers in the off chance that someone somewhere will try to reach him and be stymied by a disconnected phone number. Somehow, these long lost people will not think to check google and find him on facebook or linkedin. Yes, this is the world I live in.

Well, I had harbored a secret hope that we would FINALLY lose this number. AT&T had discontinued the phone and the rate plan. And, if we did nothing by 8/31 we would be minus an extra number and plus $60 a month that we pay for this lunacy. $720 a year for the off chance someone needs to find us. Yes, this is the world I live in. Instead of letting the madness end, Mr. mouse spent an hour and half on Sunday at the AT&T store converting his sad appendage into a prepaid plan with a new phone. I hate myself and am torn as to whether or not I should cross this off of the list or leave it on there and tackle it next year. As in, what do you want for your birthday? I want you to cancel that effing third cell phone number.

Seems a little melodramatic. I don't know. For now, it's still on my list... We'll see if I continue copying it over each time or if at some point I cave and let it go. If only Mr. mouse wasn't sure a hoarder.

On a completely non-related thread, I had a moment of inspiration while on the plane. Dinner needs to be addressed. I pick up P by 6PM. We hit the road and get home somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 to 7:30PM. Before you know it, it is 8PM and I am starving (since I eat lunch at 11AM). Dinner is on the table somewhere around 8:30 on a good night. And, then, by 9, we're trying to get P to sleep. Yes, I know the real problem is the fact that it takes an ungodly amount of time to get home - and we have three options there - stop working, move work closer to home, or move home closer to work, but I'm ready to cross any of those bridges quite yet. So, back to dinner.

In a perfect world, Mr. mouse would also leave work at 6 and get home and cook and we'd have a hot meal when P and I get home. Folks, we don't live in a perfect world. So, here's my draft at something that may work.

This would involve much prep in advance, but it would free up weeknights for spending time with P while keeping food on the table.

4 meals prepped in advance, 1 night out (in no particular order):

Sandwich and Soup: one sandwich on good quality bread with two extra ingredients thrown in so that it's not just meat on bread and a bowl of soup

Salad and Soup: one salad with two extra ingredients thrown on top so it's not a bed of mixed greens with meat and a bowl of soup

Fried Rice: exactly what it sounds like

Rice with Meat and Vegetables: rice with stir-fry

Dinner Out: because realistically, we need a night out each week

What I would need to prep in advance:

1. plan the menu
2. shop for ingredients: stop by the bakery for good quality bread, mixed greens, whatever is on the plan for the week
3. prepare the stuff: make ahead meat, two sandwich adds, two salad adds, soup
4. pre-portion it out: pre-portioned meat for the stir-fry, pre-cut vegetables for the stir-fry, 6 oz sandwich meat, 6 oz salad meat, 2 oz fried rice meat, rice for fried rice, two sandwich adds, two salad adds, two fried rice adds, four servings soup in two containers

What's left to do on the weeknight:

Soup and sandwich night: heat the soup, toast the bread, assemble the sandwich

Soup and salad night: heat the soup, wash and dress the greens, assemble the salad

Fried rice night: heat the pan, toss it all in with an egg, stir and serve

Rice with meat and vegetables night: heat the pan, toss it all minus the rice, stir and serve with rice

Huh, I need to continue to revisit this. I'm exhausted just thinking about this.


Cheers!
mouse

Yeah, Right

Dear Friends and Family,

I made it through another week at work. And, while it wasn't a fun week by any measure, I think I made a difference this week. We had to let someone go in our department and two people were taking it really hard. I think I made a difference for them in making the week more bearable.

On a personal note, we crossed an item off of our "yeah, right" list. You're thinking, huh? I sort my to do list into three buckets:

• NOW!
• whenever
• yeah, right

Mr. mouse had a camera that stopped working. It sat in a bin for months on end. He finally sent it in to be repaired. They couldn't repair it and sent it to level 2 repair. They couldn't repair it. He researched the crazy list of options of cameras available (new and used) to come up with a list of price, feature, benefit, etc. And, he bought a new camera which just arrived. That's why it's on our "yeah, right" list.

Other stuff on that list?

• our dead desktop
• digitize wedding video
• the dead watch
• the marginal air conditioning
• the third cell line that we don't need
• our decrepit gym membership
• our sad money market account which earns almost no interest
• the worn out deck table

Yes, it's a sad list of stuff that usually gets copied from week to week to week, untouched, with little faith it will ever get touched. When it does, it's an extra dose of feeling good.


Cheers!
mouse

Yikes!

Dear Friends and Family,

There's a mouse in the house. I saw it this morning. And, so did Mr. mouse. I can't think of anything else at the moment.


Cheers!
mouse

Mormonism Meets Buddhism Meets mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

First and foremost, I'm not even considering converting to Mormonism - raised a Catholic by a mom who once considered entering a convent, I've found my comfort level with religion in being a Buddhist of sorts.

Being a Buddhist, I am 110% comfortable with the idea that there are useful concepts and constructs to be found everywhere and if you find something that works for you, it's fair game to pick it up and adapt it to your use.

One of the things I do like about Mormonism is the approach to money. Replace "tithe" with "donate to charity" and "replace 10% of your income" with "what you think makes sense to you" and we have a workable solution of sorts.

Another tenet is to avoid debt - to live within your means and to recognize the difference between wants and needs. Amen.

Followed by use a budget. This one I've gotten a little slack on. We used to have a very strict budget. Now, we know how much we need to save for retirement and as long as the monthly budget balances, I don't get too hung up on the details. Last month and the month before were tight, but this month is shaping up better.

Let's see... Build a reserve. Yes! This is a tough one and one we took a couple of years to do. I'm still not sure if it's the "right" amount, but it's enough so that I can sleep soundly at night. If one of us loses our job or decides to try something new or both, then we can last indefinitely on the other income although retirement will slip out several years if that were the case. If both of us lose our jobs (I'll assume we don't both decide to try something new spontaneously and simultaneously as that seems like poor planning) then we have one or more years of reserve depending upon how much we cut back on our expenses. Again, not sure if it's the right amount, but it's enough so that I can sleep soundly at night.

And, last but not least, get the word out. Family? Not very successful on this front as I'm concerned any conversation on the above makes several family members begin to believe I am an angel investor and they are a worthy start-up. Friends? Yes, especially ones with a natural interest in managing their finances.

See? Totally fine adapting and using good stuff from everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

08.16.11: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 140.6

Well, at least the number is going in the right direction - down (in case you were wondering). Actually, this is tied to my happiness map. I have a lot less interest in eating out - it's a good way to save money and to help with the weight loss.

There's still a place for eating out in our routine. It's just not as often and when we do eat out, it's for something more worthwhile. Realistically, we'll eat out at least once each week on a weeknight - when the traffic is bad or we're picking up mail or something comes up. Then, I think twice on the weekend is a reasonable goal - once on Saturday, once on Sunday. That might seem like a lot, but it's down from our current trends.

We typically ate out 1-2 times during the weeknights and maybe 3-4 times on the weekends. Toss in 5 lunches at work and it adds up. I've been taking Lean Cuisines in for lunch so lunches at work are down to a more manageable 1-2 per week as well.

before: 11X per week
after: 5X per week, still a lot, but a lot better

Eating out is mindless. You order, play with P, and someone brings you your food. It's an easy routine to fall into. Eating in takes work. But, we've come to realize P rarely eats what we eat for dinner, so the bar gets set lower. She can have rice and beans and we can have leftovers. It can be equally mindless if you want it to be.


Cheers!
mouse

08.15.11: Smorgasbord Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Highlights and lowlights. The weekend had them all.

Mr. mouse's best friend flew out to see a concert with Mr. mouse sparing me the need to go to the concert and sparing us the expense of an extra ticket and baby sitting money. P and I got to spend the evening at home reading books in bed.

On the flip side, we discovered a new leak in the house. This one, we think is caused by a leaky pipe. We closed off the main and the leak went away. We have a plumber coming in today to diagnose. In the meanwhile, we're bringing to bear a lot of lessons we learned travelling overseas on how to conserve water.

P's weekend was a huge success. She got to go through airport security twice. And, she got to play at the indoor park avoiding the crowds on Saturday and the rain on Sunday. She got to go to the supermarket. She had chocolate for dessert on Saturday night. She avoided her haircut (until Tuesday) and had pasta for dinner, not once, but twice. If she could have gotten on the plane with her uncle, she would have gotten everything she wanted this past weekend.

Added bonus for me, because we've spent a good piece of the month entertaining instead of travelling, the credit card bill came in lower than typical increasing my happiness. We'll continue the eat out watch and see if we can continue on this happy trend.


Cheers!
mouse

Happiness Map II

Dear Friends and Family,



(Note: click on map to see a legible version)

It's draft 1.0 so there are probably many things missing. Both squares and ovals and arrows. But, here's my happiness map. How to read it? Square are "stocks" things that have levels. Ovals are "flows" things that increase or decrease stocks. Red arrows show decreasing stocks, blue arrows shop increasing stocks. Got it?

Next disclaimer. Not in any particular order. This is just a way to get it to fit on a single diagram with no crisscrossing lines.

Now, please don't think I'm vain for the "when things look good" stock. I don't need things to look great. But, honestly, there's something to when my house is in order and I am at my goal weight that just makes me happy.

It's funny. Even a day in, I started making decisions based on my map. Will this activity make me happier? Yes? Okay, then I should do it. No? Then, I shouldn't. It might be revealing to draw your own.


Cheers!
mouse

Happiness Map

Dear Friends and Family,

I sketched out my first draft of my happiness map yesterday and no surprise the two constraining factors are time and money. I'll post it on-line later when I have more time to write about it.

For now, I had two ah-ha's, eating right is an unconstrained activity - there's no downside to it and there's not limit to good for you food. Truth be told there are constraints - eating right does technically take time and money, but in smaller increments than what my high level map is capturing so for now I'll consider it good.

And, the second ah-ha is eating out. There's two types of eating out. There's the saves time eating out and the being relaxed eating out. They both cost money and they both take away from my goal of being in shape. So, while I can semi-justify the being relaxed eating out, I'm going to take a sharp look at the saves time eating out. It may be more "expensive" than I realize.


Cheers!
mouse

Inertia

Dear Friends and Family,

Today is "the" day. According to rumors, we'll be "right-sizing" our department and today is when we'll find out who is "impacted." Well, we'll see. Nothing I can do can control this at this point, so I don't want to fret a lot over it.

And, today is another day. Yesterday, my boss, or rather my boss' boss' boss challenged everyone in the meeting to draw a map of what makes them happy. I will try drawing that map. It may prove enlightening.


Cheers!
mouse

08.09.11: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 143.8

The weigh-in from hell. Up 3 pounds. Seriously?

Well, I'm going to try a couple of things this week - 3 servings of fruit, 2 servings of milk, and most importantly, 1 multi-vitamin.

Hopefully I have better news next week.


Cheers!
mouse

08.08.11: Where Did the Weekend Go?

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Monday and I'm in a bit of a daze trying to put together the past 48 hours.

Let's see. Saturday, we went to the library and then to the salon to get our eyebrows done and then to the park to let P ride the swing and then to the car to go to the grocery store. Oh, it's all coming back to me now. Then, P fell asleep in the car and I did as well. Mr. mouse went the rounds while we slept in the back seat.

Saturday evening, we had a boat load of people over for dinner. The weather turned out perfect. We had appetizers in the house and then headed to the deck for dinner. A jaunt over to the local ice cream shop rounded out the evening.

P had a lot of fun playing with everyone. She isn't as territorial around adults. It's only other kids that get her on edge.

Sunday. Sunday. Um. Sunday. How does my memory fail me on these trivial instances?

We went out for brunch which turned into lunch. We were going to go for Hawaiian, but instead went for fusion Korean of the kimchi taco variety. Then, we split for the afternoon. P and Mr. mouse went for a "walk" to get her to nap while I took the afternoon to work on the house - got some laundry folded, some papers organized and the gate down. Yes, we're down to one gate and one plexiglass barrier. I'm tempted to put the gate up (the one we just took down) at the top of the stairs once P's crib rail comes down. That way she won't be able to go downstairs without us. But she shows no interest in having the railing removed, so for now, I'll store the gate in the basement.

We spent the evening playing with P - she rode her elephant (it's a good thing I didn't give that away) and putting zookeeper to bed using the kitchen towels and looking at pictures of herself on TV. P didn't want to eat, but when we finally convinced her to sit down at her table, she wolfed down her goldfish and her pasta. She looked like she couldn't get the food in fast enough. I felt guilty, like we had starved her without realizing it when in reality we spent the entire evening trying to get her to sit down for dinner.

And, now, it's Monday and time to get ready for work.


Cheers!
mouse

Organization Hold

Dear Friends and Family,

I've gotten slack about getting the house in order.

For awhile I was making really good progress. Then, I started sleeping. And, now, it doesn't look so good. I'll have to reboot my efforts.

Tonight doesn't seem like a particularly auspicious night to begin organizing. And, our weekend is chock-a-block with stuff to do. So, I may begin Sunday night. Hopefully by the end of next week I'm back where I started and can continue to make progress on taming the CHAOS that is our home.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse? Here!

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm a little off schedule because I'm a little off schedule.

Tuesday, I took a quick day trip and I wanted to have my computer with me with a fresh battery so I didn't turn it on in the morning.

Wednesday, I woke up late so I was in a scurry to get to work.

And, now, I'm back. I feel like a kid at roll call in school.

In the interim, I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which I enjoyed. I've decided not to read The Girl Who Played with Fire for the moment because the plot line is a little nerve wracking and I would like my free time right now and the book ended at a good stopping point for me.


Cheers!
mouse

08.01.11: Things We Take for Granted

Dear Friends and Family,

Our neighbors are in town. Yay! May the food begin.

Saturday, we got the house cleaned. Then, we played at home, out of the heat, until the neighbors came over. The daughter and I stayed at home while Mr. mouse and the dad went to the airport for pick up duty.

P did the cutest thing when she got up from her nap. Instead of crying or calling out for Mr. mouse or me, she called out, "Mommy, Daddy, I'm awake!"

Dinner? Barbecue followed by ice cream.

Sunday, we went to the farmer's market. Then, had brunch followed by deck time. It was brutally hot so we huddled under the umbrella. P got a couple of dips in the pool and got to enjoy a popsicle stick for a snack. P called, "Daddy, P have pink shoes on in bed!" when she woke up from her nap.

Dinner? Tacos followed by frozen yogurt.

The highlight of the weekend? When the generator powering our house was finally removed. Yes, starting Friday night it was on-again, off-again power. There's nothing more irritating. Well, I guess off-again, off-again power would be more irritating. But, still, it was nice to have the generator gone.

And, P discovered directions on Sunday, as in, No Mommy, restaurant all over there, and, No Mommy, our home all over there - in response to when I turned the "wrong" way when pushing the stroller.


Cheers!
mouse

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