Recently I took the opportunity to shower my wife with gifts. While I have moments of creativity in our marriage, this idea came surprisingly easy, and thankfully with the proper amount of time to pull it off. This year I gave her a "12 Days of Christmas". I first Googled the title of the song to find a complete list in order, so that I could use it as a template. I found that there were several variations of the song which gave me a little leeway to arrange them in the order I wanted. Obviously I did not get everything on the list as it was sung, but I tried to capture the spirit of the lyric so as to keep in theme. The following is the order I used and what I got her. Clearly, these gifts are tailored to her liking, so other gifts may work for other people.
1st Day Partridge in a pear tree - I got her a pear
2nd Day Turtle doves - I got her a box of Chocolate Turtles and a bag of Doves chocolate
3rd Day French hens - I got her a hen mug from Crackle Barrel and a La Madeline gift card
4th Day Calling birds - I got four of her best friends to call her
5th Day Golden Rings - I got her 5 wreaths of gold tinsel (Wal*Mart and returned them) and Fable III an Xbox360 game she wanted.
6th Day Geese of Laying - I took her to the Blue Goose Mexican Restaurant
7th Day Swans of Swimming - I gave her a coupon to a trip to South Padre Island
8th Day Maids of Milking - I gave her a Chick-Fil-A calendar
9th Day Ladies Dancing - I gave her a Wii game "Just Dance 2"
10th Day Drummers Drumming - Really wanted to get her the drummers, but had to settle for a $15 iTunes gift card (enough for her to purchase 10 songs)
11th Day Lord of Leaping - I gave her a gift card to get a pedicure
12th Day Pipers Piping - I gave her an iPhone 4
Clearly, I had to manage money to pull this off. I had to spend more money in some places, but I did Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10 all under $20 a piece. Seven will clearly cost me more later, but later is better. Days 5 and 9 combined for about $90 after taking the wreaths back to Wal*Mart, and I consider Day 6 a wash because we had to eat anyway, we might as well have eaten at Blue Goose. Day 11 was the cost of a pedicure (that is under $30), and the iPhone not surprisingly was the most expensive gift. The presentation of Day 12 was really what tied it in to the day. It turns out you can go to any Up In Smoke store and they will give you empty cigar boxes. I used one for my gift box, and bought two corn-cob pipes for about $15 and hot glued them to the top in a cross. All of these gifts were accompanied by a card and put in multiple locations including her stocking, under the tree, in the bathroom, in the car, etc. I tried to vary it up to keep her on her toes. Maybe someone else can use this again. Hope it inspires you to think out of the box.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Urban Dare
I had one of the coolest experiences in my life this past weekend. This week is my birthday, and my wife and brother signed me up for a community challenge that spanned over the downtown Dallas area and parts of uptown. It was essentially an "Amazing Race" on a much smaller scale, however more than 150 teams competed for $50 and a spot on the Super Dare to be held on a cruise ship near you. In any case we did not win, but we did come in 8th place which I believe to be a very impressive feat. In any case, one of the most intriguing parts to the challenge was that we could use everything at our disposal in the way of technology, friends and family, but the only thing we could not use was our own car or a taxi.
When my brother and I received out list of clues, we skimmed through to see what might be blatantly obvious. Quickly I surmised that blatantly obvious did not make the list, and turned to my iPhone for help while my brother called my wife who was at the ready with wifi at her disposal. I began to fear that we could spend the next two hours just trying to decipher the clues when we hit our first big break and we were on our way. Before we left I took a picture of the list and emailed to Molly so that she could continue knocking out the clues. We were searching for unique destinations and historical markers where we took pictures of ourselves in front of statues and plaques as well as completed an assortment of physical and mental challenges. All the while, we were getting text updates from Central Command (Molly) telling us of upcoming destinations and the most logical order to take them by.
I was swept away into my own little Intelligence tale, where we were racing against the clock and the enemy to capture our quarry. I was Jack Bauer, or Jason Bourne using my gadgets and colleagues to complete our mission. I guess at the end of the day I would love to be apart of something that really matters, and something that is so much bigger than me. I really enjoyed the urgency that I felt about making the right decisions, and going the right directions in order to stay ahead of the other teams. This may be the closest I get to such an experience and that may be okay, but it was neat to participate in a challenge that was both physical and mental like that.
I'm thankful to have a wife who knows me well enough to plan something like this for me and a brother who was willing to accept the challenge with me. Until next time. This message will self destruct.
When my brother and I received out list of clues, we skimmed through to see what might be blatantly obvious. Quickly I surmised that blatantly obvious did not make the list, and turned to my iPhone for help while my brother called my wife who was at the ready with wifi at her disposal. I began to fear that we could spend the next two hours just trying to decipher the clues when we hit our first big break and we were on our way. Before we left I took a picture of the list and emailed to Molly so that she could continue knocking out the clues. We were searching for unique destinations and historical markers where we took pictures of ourselves in front of statues and plaques as well as completed an assortment of physical and mental challenges. All the while, we were getting text updates from Central Command (Molly) telling us of upcoming destinations and the most logical order to take them by.
I was swept away into my own little Intelligence tale, where we were racing against the clock and the enemy to capture our quarry. I was Jack Bauer, or Jason Bourne using my gadgets and colleagues to complete our mission. I guess at the end of the day I would love to be apart of something that really matters, and something that is so much bigger than me. I really enjoyed the urgency that I felt about making the right decisions, and going the right directions in order to stay ahead of the other teams. This may be the closest I get to such an experience and that may be okay, but it was neat to participate in a challenge that was both physical and mental like that.
I'm thankful to have a wife who knows me well enough to plan something like this for me and a brother who was willing to accept the challenge with me. Until next time. This message will self destruct.
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Light-Weight Escape
I carry a backpack with me on my travels. Whether I leave for one day or for three, the same red and black Swiss Army pack accompanies me and is fitted to carry my every need along the way. Two days of clothes including two dress shirts and slacks to match, tie, two changes of underwear, socks and the like, toiletries in a 1 quart zip-top bag suitable for airport security, my laptop with presentations loaded, and all of my handouts neatly filed in each clients very own accordion file. Of course I have my accessories, i.e. my USB drive or drives, standard issue iPhone headphones, GPS unit with car charger, laptop cord and book for reading on the plane. No roller bag, no checked baggage, nothing for hanging clothes. Everything on my back.
Oh the folly of man (and woman) travelers along the road. We really do need for so little, but as I look around, it seems everyone has brought their clutter with them. Small, mid-sized, large roller bags with smaller bag on top, arm bags and backpacks to accompany all of their other stuff. How long will they be away, and where are they staying? It really doesn’t matter. I started here, but it has only taken so many marathons through the airport before I wanted to put a gun to my head, or ditch the dead weight. How fast can you run through a crowded airport with a roller bag trailing behind? Forget it. Travel light or get ready for a workout.
I also tend to leave a trail of items behind wherever I go, so the more things I have to maintain, the more chances I have of losing something. One of the things that helps me pull off my condensed departure is that I try to wear things that I will need for my trip. For example, I wear the same belt when I depart as I will be wearing with my slacks and tie the next day. I wear the same shoes and often times, the same pair of jeans I will eventually recline in the next evening. If you are thinking “icky”, then I suggest you pump some iron before you go on your next trip. It’s this light-weight escape that keeps me moving.
You’ve seen me before, but not for very long. I was the guy that zipped through security, passed you on the non-moving steps (yes those still exist) while you set up your barricade on the escalator. I was the guy that whirred past you at the rent-a-car counter and sped off without opening my trunk, or digging through my bag for my itinerary. The things I need most often are in easy access pockets within my Swiss Army pack or they are on my person.
Wanna catch up? Try this out. First off, find a pack that has pockets for all of your needs. Before I sported my Swiss, I had another backpack, that was pretty good, but really had some fatal flaws. If you’re carrying a laptop, you definitely need a pocket that will protect your computer, but your large pocket must be wide. In my first pack, these spaces were the same size, but in the Swiss, the laptop portion is far smaller which leaves more space for bigger items such as clothes and shoes. I didn’t mention, but when I am only going over night, I sometimes pack a pair of shoes instead of wearing them on the plane.
Second, I see many people make it up to the security line in the airport only to unzip their roller bag and go fishing for their big toiletry bag that has their smaller zip-top bag inside. The TSA wants to see your liquids at every airport, every time. I know you think it makes sense to pack them with your other bathroom items, but it really doesn’t, unless you plan on doing your make-up and hair in line. Keep them in a pocket that is easily accessible, and on top of everything else in the bag. Know the drill. The airport security wants you to take out these things and put them through the x-ray machine every time:
• Your laptop goes into it’s own bin through the x-ray machine (everything else can go together)
• Cell Phone
• Belt (if it has metal, and I’ve never seen a ladies belt that didn’t)
• Keys and loose change
• Coats and sweatshirts (even if you’re wearing them)
• Liquids, gels and aerosols
• Any heavy metallic jewelry
• Shoes, flip flops, crocs, sandals, boots, and anything that you would put your foot in (and this one does NOT go in the bin)
If you get confused, they have signs. If you can’t read them, ask someone who is wearing business attire and little to nothing with them, or better yet a TSA agent. Beware if you are carrying the following items. No big deal, but most people don’t know the protocol when bringing them on the plane. These also, go in a bin by themselves through the x-ray machine:
• Xboxes, Playstations, Wiis, or other gaming systems
• External Hard Drives
• Handheld video camera
All of these things are computers. Welcome to the 21st century. So to recap, the shoes you are wearing, your liquids, gels and aerosols and your laptop computers (or other items with a hard drive) are the only things that need to be taken out every time. Anything else can be contained in a coat pocket or bag going through the x-ray machine. Don’t go fishing through your bag for your cell phone or keys; they don’t care for that.
Finally have your ID and your boarding pass ready when you step up to the security line. After you pass through security, you don’t need your ID again unless you are buying alcohol and you look under 35.
Knowing all of this changes my perspective of what I wear when I travel. I don’t normally wear a lot of jewelry, but if you do, don’t do it when you travel. I also own a couple of belts that won’t set off the metal detector in the airport. Why? Well they’re probably cheap (Target or Wal*Mart brand), but I’ve never lost a client for wearing a cheap belt. Keep the footwear simple, and if you are funny about walking in your bare feet when going through the secure area, be sure to wear socks that day.
This will get you moving in the right direction. In the words of my favorite TV boss, Michael Scott (via Dwight Schrute), K.I.S.S or “keep it simple, stupid.” Ask yourself this question before you leave. Am I going on a trip, or am I moving in? Take what you need, and leave the rest. It will be there when you get back.
Oh the folly of man (and woman) travelers along the road. We really do need for so little, but as I look around, it seems everyone has brought their clutter with them. Small, mid-sized, large roller bags with smaller bag on top, arm bags and backpacks to accompany all of their other stuff. How long will they be away, and where are they staying? It really doesn’t matter. I started here, but it has only taken so many marathons through the airport before I wanted to put a gun to my head, or ditch the dead weight. How fast can you run through a crowded airport with a roller bag trailing behind? Forget it. Travel light or get ready for a workout.
I also tend to leave a trail of items behind wherever I go, so the more things I have to maintain, the more chances I have of losing something. One of the things that helps me pull off my condensed departure is that I try to wear things that I will need for my trip. For example, I wear the same belt when I depart as I will be wearing with my slacks and tie the next day. I wear the same shoes and often times, the same pair of jeans I will eventually recline in the next evening. If you are thinking “icky”, then I suggest you pump some iron before you go on your next trip. It’s this light-weight escape that keeps me moving.
You’ve seen me before, but not for very long. I was the guy that zipped through security, passed you on the non-moving steps (yes those still exist) while you set up your barricade on the escalator. I was the guy that whirred past you at the rent-a-car counter and sped off without opening my trunk, or digging through my bag for my itinerary. The things I need most often are in easy access pockets within my Swiss Army pack or they are on my person.
Wanna catch up? Try this out. First off, find a pack that has pockets for all of your needs. Before I sported my Swiss, I had another backpack, that was pretty good, but really had some fatal flaws. If you’re carrying a laptop, you definitely need a pocket that will protect your computer, but your large pocket must be wide. In my first pack, these spaces were the same size, but in the Swiss, the laptop portion is far smaller which leaves more space for bigger items such as clothes and shoes. I didn’t mention, but when I am only going over night, I sometimes pack a pair of shoes instead of wearing them on the plane.
Second, I see many people make it up to the security line in the airport only to unzip their roller bag and go fishing for their big toiletry bag that has their smaller zip-top bag inside. The TSA wants to see your liquids at every airport, every time. I know you think it makes sense to pack them with your other bathroom items, but it really doesn’t, unless you plan on doing your make-up and hair in line. Keep them in a pocket that is easily accessible, and on top of everything else in the bag. Know the drill. The airport security wants you to take out these things and put them through the x-ray machine every time:
• Your laptop goes into it’s own bin through the x-ray machine (everything else can go together)
• Cell Phone
• Belt (if it has metal, and I’ve never seen a ladies belt that didn’t)
• Keys and loose change
• Coats and sweatshirts (even if you’re wearing them)
• Liquids, gels and aerosols
• Any heavy metallic jewelry
• Shoes, flip flops, crocs, sandals, boots, and anything that you would put your foot in (and this one does NOT go in the bin)
If you get confused, they have signs. If you can’t read them, ask someone who is wearing business attire and little to nothing with them, or better yet a TSA agent. Beware if you are carrying the following items. No big deal, but most people don’t know the protocol when bringing them on the plane. These also, go in a bin by themselves through the x-ray machine:
• Xboxes, Playstations, Wiis, or other gaming systems
• External Hard Drives
• Handheld video camera
All of these things are computers. Welcome to the 21st century. So to recap, the shoes you are wearing, your liquids, gels and aerosols and your laptop computers (or other items with a hard drive) are the only things that need to be taken out every time. Anything else can be contained in a coat pocket or bag going through the x-ray machine. Don’t go fishing through your bag for your cell phone or keys; they don’t care for that.
Finally have your ID and your boarding pass ready when you step up to the security line. After you pass through security, you don’t need your ID again unless you are buying alcohol and you look under 35.
Knowing all of this changes my perspective of what I wear when I travel. I don’t normally wear a lot of jewelry, but if you do, don’t do it when you travel. I also own a couple of belts that won’t set off the metal detector in the airport. Why? Well they’re probably cheap (Target or Wal*Mart brand), but I’ve never lost a client for wearing a cheap belt. Keep the footwear simple, and if you are funny about walking in your bare feet when going through the secure area, be sure to wear socks that day.
This will get you moving in the right direction. In the words of my favorite TV boss, Michael Scott (via Dwight Schrute), K.I.S.S or “keep it simple, stupid.” Ask yourself this question before you leave. Am I going on a trip, or am I moving in? Take what you need, and leave the rest. It will be there when you get back.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Cleaning out the Office
With the arrival of our new baby coming soon, we have quite the list to accomplish ahead of time. In addition to painting the baby room, registering for a new crib, getting a ceiling fan and finding a pediatrician, we have the dubious task of cleaning out our office. More specifically, we need to clean out the junk in our office. Remember when you moved in, you had a place for everything, and the stuff that didn't fit anywhere else landed in one cramped space. Well, welcome to our office. Up until two days ago, we had never stepped foot inside this room to work on anything productive because even our office chairs were holding up our extra stuff.
Having put off the task for some time now, we have employed the services of one of our good friends. Apparently there is a market for this, and having lived in my own apartment, I can see why. I have joked several times about lighting match on my desk whereby eliminating the needless paper that has no home. I seem to be paralyzed by the stacks for which I cannot categorize on my own. What I didn't know is that there is a philosophy that fits my way of thinking. Until hearing that, I thought I was just a lost cause.
I look forward to the process. We are setting goals for progress, and knowing there is a plan is comforting to us both. What is it about a plan that makes us feel better? Perhaps it's the illusion of control. Well...here's to progress!
Having put off the task for some time now, we have employed the services of one of our good friends. Apparently there is a market for this, and having lived in my own apartment, I can see why. I have joked several times about lighting match on my desk whereby eliminating the needless paper that has no home. I seem to be paralyzed by the stacks for which I cannot categorize on my own. What I didn't know is that there is a philosophy that fits my way of thinking. Until hearing that, I thought I was just a lost cause.
I look forward to the process. We are setting goals for progress, and knowing there is a plan is comforting to us both. What is it about a plan that makes us feel better? Perhaps it's the illusion of control. Well...here's to progress!
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