The List: 8. Learn Another Language

I picture this situation in my head were I am able to save someone because I am the only one in the area who can speak the same language as this person in a desperate situation. Or, I am able to eavesdrop on a conversation simply because people assume I can only speak English.

I know the odds are that scenario one won’t ever happen… and scenario two will probably only have me listening to a couple discuss their grocery list, but I still think learning another language would be useful. One of the biggest problems is I don’t know what language to try to learn.

While I am always jealous of people that know multiple languages, I also know my own limitations. I can probably pick up a second language, but a third or forth isn’t going to happen. So, I need to be selective.

I have a base of Spanish from a year of it in high school… but that was longer ago than I would like to admit. And outside of some profanity and asking where the bathroom is, it’s all but gone. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law are fluent in German, and in turn, I’m sure their daughters will be as well. So, I would theoretically have someone to converse with, although I don’t know if my ego could handle having my diction corrected by a three year old.

There is also Creole. I visited Haiti a little over a year ago, and I have intentions of going back. Creole would obviously be useful for the trip, but of little use outside of Haiti. I guess I could use it in some parts of New Orleans… if I’m ever back there.

I just don’t want to be the guy who saw the wave of the future and invested everything in betamax. At the same time, I’m not getting any younger. Sitting around and thinking about learning a new language is not learning a new language. It’s probably time to stop considering and start doing. I know there is a great Latin saying that fits here, but that would only further prove my point… who speaks Latin anymore?

Deer Lord

Some people feel the day should start with exercise. If you don’t get your workout in first thing in the morning, you will inevitably find excuses to not exercise as the day goes on. Others feel the day should start with prayer. Visit with God first, then deal with everything else. This morning, I thought, why not both?

A little before dawn, I hopped on the bike for a 20 mile ride. It’s exercise to start my day, but also and opportunity to think and pray and just take in the world around me. There is only a little bit of traffic at this time of the day. A few cars, a couple of school buses. Around the 8 mile mark, I turned onto a local bike path which is empty in the morning. I may see one other cyclist, maybe a walker or two the entire time I’m on it. So, I have it all to myself.

The sun is coming up, poking through the trees. There are squirrels and rabbits along the trail, even the occasional duck. As I round a bend, there is a deer standing on the path. It’s a good distance up the trail. As I approach, it sees me and begins to gently bound away. It prances along a tree line, then turns into the woods. With the sun and slight fog, it truly is a glorious morning. As I’m taking in the moment… HOLY BUCKETS!

While watching this deer, I failed to see its buddy following behind, and it crosses the path close enough for me to reach out and touch it. Well, probably not that close. It was in the range of 3-5 meters way, but it felt much closer than that.

Before I even had a chance to turn and see where this second deer was, it had vanished. I slowed my bike, grabbed some water and tried to catch my breath. Have you ever had a moment in your life where you question… did I just take a huge shot of adrenaline into my body, or have I literally crapped my pants this time?

Living the first 25 years of my life in Michigan, I’ve seen what deer can do to the front of a car, a sliding glass door or a store window. They are everywhere in Michigan. There isn’t a patch of grass for miles, but you’ll see one on the side of the Lodge during your morning commute. Admittedly, I don’t ride at 65 mph, but I can only imagine what that deer could have done my bike and more importantly to me. And let’s face it, who wants to explain they were injured when they hit a deer on their bike?

There was a chance a friend of mine was going to ride with me, but he wasn’t able to make it. I am both disappointed he wasn’t there, and very happy at the same time. I’m disappointed, because it would be great to have a witness to confirm just how close this deer was. But, I’m glad he wasn’t there because he may have seen this incident a little differently than I am recalling it. To me, I was like Neo in The Matrix. I slowly applied the proper amount of brake, gently leaned the bike to narrowly miss the dear, all while dodging three bullets and a couple of ninjas. In actuality, I may have looked more like Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber. My arms flailing, veering off the path and screeching like a girl. And like any good friend, he would make sure to correct me when I tried to retell my version.

But, he wasn’t there. So, it looks like it’s the cool, calm and collected version of the story that will get retold.

Happy riding… and watch our for the second deer.

I’ve Arrived?

“Dad makes the best macaroni and cheese!” Unfortunately, I asked what else he likes me to make to eat. He said, “just this.”

My three year old is a very picky eater. I mean the cut your own ears off to not hear him complain about dinner anymore kind of frustratingly picky eater. We know it’s dinner time when we hear him say, “I don’t like this.” And he doesn’t say it after he has tried it. He says it the moment he starts to climb into his chair at the table… even if he has had it before… and enjoyed it. So to get a compliment on a meal I have prepared is beyond rare. I’m both proud and extremely disappointed at the same time.

Of all the things I have cooked, this is my best?!?

For the most part, I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating the food I have prepared, and it is fun to create a delicious meal for others as well. There are the days when it is tedious and more of a hassel than it is worth, but 90% of the time I can even find it relaxing. I’ve cooked various genres with a mixture of meats, poultry and sea foods. Sometimes it is a big breakfast for the family or a nice summer spread for some out of town guests. Now, I’m not claiming to be Jamie Oliver or Emeril Legasse, but am I to think I’ve peaked with a box of boiled noodles and fake cheese powder?

My only comfort is in his follow up statement, “and mommy makes the best toast.”

The List: 6. Fly in a Private Jet

The big money guys on the PGA tour, Fortune 100 companies, the team on Criminal Intent… they all get to roll in a private jet, and yes it seems so cool.

I fly a couple of times a year, and each time it is in coach. Drive to the airport, park the car, take the shuttle to the terminal, check in, bags get x-rayed, I get x-rayed, security gets awkwardly too personal with the pat-down, walk to gate, wait for boarding, board the plane, find my seat, get up when the person sitting next to me boards the plane, back in my seat, flip through useless crap in the Skymall magazine, listen to what to do if the plane is about to crash, flip through Skymall again in hope there might be something great I missed the first time… finally take off.

How great would it be to walk across the tarmac, climb a few steps, then sit in a chair nicer than the recliner in my living room? And, I wouldn’t have to move every time someone in my row needs to use the bathroom.

Now, I am not looking to own a private jet. I don’t even want to think about the cost to purchase one, the upkeep, paying a pilot and then gas prices, no thank you. The maintenance on our Camry can be frustrating enough. But one time… I would love to fly in a private jet.

Difficult Shopping

Getting the best product for the lowest price is as American as… well, that is America. Capitalism at its finest, baby! It’s what has made the offspring of Sam Walton billionaires. It’s why a few years ago a plasma tv was $5000, and today I can get a bigger, better tv for a quarter of the price. It’s what drives our economy… and that’s a bit of a pun because all of this applies to the auto industry as well. But, now this is getting more difficult than ever.

With three kids, my wife and I are trying to be as budget conscience as ever. This make sense and fits in well with the general principles already discussed. I don’t know anyone who wants to spend more than they need to for an item. Everything was running smoothly under this setup, except….

I do like the environment. I enjoy hiking in the mountains, swimming in the ocean, breathing fairly clean air. We try to buy products that are green. Products that will recycle or compost. Items that were recycled from previous items. And of course, all of this comes at an increased cost. The cheapest paper towels, cereal and diapers are not going to be made of biodegradable materials and produced in organic, solar-powered factories. Again, I like the environment, but I don’t think my mortgage company will care one bit about my carbon footprint if I am behind on payments to them.

Add to that our current economy. If I make sure to buy an American made product, then I am purchasing an item in a US store, that was shipped within the US, buy a US shipping company, from a US factory, where it was made by a US citizen. My dollar is going further in helping the American economy. However, like everything, there is some downside. There is still the bang for the buck factor. I will probably be able to buy a t-shirt printed in China and shipped here for less than buying a t-shirt printed in the United States even if it was only shipped 20 miles to the store. This won’t be true of everything I need to buy in a week, but it would be that way for most things.

The balancing act can be headache inducing  It’s true, you just can’t serve three masters (I believe that is biblical).

I Want A Car Seat

We have recently needed to replace two of our boys car seats, well a car seat and a booster seat. A couple of weeks ago, my wife was rear-ended on her way into work. Fortunately, everyone is okay, and she didn’t have any of our boys with her at the time. But, there was a booster seat and a car seat in the back seat of the car. The recommendation is to replace any car seat involved in an impact. So off to Babies-R-Us we went.

It has been a few years since we have actually shopped for a car seat, and all I can say is WOW! In just a few years, they have really changed… new comfort features, new safety features, new convenience features. Our two year old now has a car seat with more padding than my mattress, a pillow for his head, specially wrapped straps for over his shoulders and a cup holder. (Mind you, we didn’t even buy the fanciest ones. While the other driver’s insurance company was picking up the tab, we didn’t want to take advantage of them. We decided to buy what we would have if we would be replacing the seats out of our own pockets.) My six year old’s new booster seat has a cup holder that can fold out of the way when not in use and a special head rest that will bend around his head to support it better when he falls asleep.

Do you know what my seat has? A metal bar that I can pull to move the seat forward and back depending on if myself or my wife is driving. It also has a headrest, but I don’t know how useful it is. It will adjust up and down, but only if you can find that tiny button and get it pushed in far enough while simultaneously trying to raise or lower the headrest. And don’t push or pull to hard because you will easily over shoot your desired height. And don’t push on that little button too hard, because then it won’t adjust at all.

When is Lay-Z-Boy going to start making cars? I can just picture it… a couple of recliners for seats and a plush couch for the bench in the back, heated with back massagers, speakers built right into the seats, and a mini-fridge for a center console. Yes, this would probably lead to spike in the number of accidents caused by people falling asleep ten minutes after they pull away from their house, but a guy can still dream.

Soapbox Warning: If you have been in an accident and there are car seats in your vehicle, get them replaced. It’s what is recommended, and not worth taking the risk to save a few dollars.

30 Days to Clean Water

What if I drank only water for 30 days? What if I took the money I saved by not buying coffee and soda and juice and beer, and gave that money to an organization that is providing clean water to people in impoverished nations?

I did the math. In the course of 30 days, I could probably save about $40-$45. That’s not much when you think of the number of people who don’t have access to clean water.

Every day I get to walk into my kitchen, turn on the tap and get water that is clean, water that is safe to drink. If that isn’t good enough, I can use our water purifier for arguably even cleaner water. If I’m out, I can buy any of an assortment of bottled waters with the money in my pocket. I have never had to walk miles to get water. I’ve never had to miss school to wait in line for water. I’ve never handed a container of water to my child hoping to myself that it doesn’t make him sick.

Maybe that $45 can make a bigger difference than I think. And what if I got ten people to join me… or one hundred… or five hundred… or dare I dream, one thousand people?

So here is the challenge. For 30 days, don’t drink anything other than water. Collect up what you save by not buying lattes or diet soda or juice… and give it away. April 1st, it gets underway! You can join with others or show support on Facebook.

Just in the United States, we consume about $48 billion dollars a year in soda… or approximately $4 billion a month. $4 billion could provide a lot of clean water. And that’s just soda! Throw in the money spent on juice, coffee, tea and alcohol and we would have the estimated $10 billion to solve the world’s water problems.

Yeah, it’ is just that simple. On April 1st, start drinking only water, save the money you don’t spend on other beverages. Then on May 1st, send your money to an organization like Water.org or Charity Water.

Simply drinking water could make the world a different place.