Week 2

Week 2 without a Nanny, that is, if you count the week she was out "sick." We had a phone interview today, and face-to-face Thursday, and a couple other potential phone interviews this week, so I'm feeling better about our place.

It is amazing the number of people who will respond to an ad for a Nanny for newborn triplets who aren't comfortable caring for more than 2 kids. Are you not reading the ad? It's triplets. Are you now comfortable but haven't updated your online profile? What?

It also happens to be week 2 of the Push-Up Challenge. Day 1 went pretty well, considering I did the push ups at 10:30 p.m. It's a ladder like set up, where you do a small number, rest, do a larger number, rest, then do two more sets of a middling number, rest, and do a max. I couldn't do the max all the way, but still.

And somehow, I'm actually getting stuff done at work. Luckily we are slow during this time.

Because I don't have anything else going on

Honestly. Not like triplets are much or anything. Oh, or like our Nanny quit. Which she totally did. Or that I have Christmas shopping to do. Or 100 things to do around the house.

Anyway, because I don't have anything to do, I'm learning how to code in Javascript at Codecadamy. It is a free online site that supposedly teaches you the Javascript langauge. Here is to hoping. I think it would be neat to learn another langauge, one that would be more useful than say, Mandarin, which everyone seems to want to learn.

Also, I've restarted my 100 Pushup Challenge. Friday (tomorrow) is Day 3 of Week 2, which I started this week. I started on week 2 because I'm that freakin strong and awesome.

Back to the salt's mine

After NY and other places went on a tear and tried to ban salt, or at least reduce its use, and after years of government programs shouted from the rooftops regarding the hazards of the white crystal, it turns out that lowering your salt intake can be harmful. And these weren't crazy reductions to like 600 mg per day, these people were still eating - after the reduction - 3,800 mg, which is much much higher than the 2,000 mg the government recommends.

Meanwhile, out on the left coast Los Angeles is busy preventing new fast food chains from opening, on the premise that they locate in poor neighborhoods and make the poor fat. Ignoring the personal choice issue, it turns out that - OMG - middle class people eat more fast food and in fact, the richer you are, the more fast you eat, up to about $60,000 in income. The availability of healthy food in poor neighborhoods, and health and obesity in general in those areas, is an issue, but simplifying it down to "fast food = bad" is not the way to solve it. But it makes some people feel like they are helping, so who cares who it hurts.

Oh, and after needlessly worrying parents for the last 5 or so years, it turns out that your fat baby probably isn't going to grow up to be the blob.

I'm expected to raise my kids in this world?

Two Florida school children suspended after they were caught... doing drugs? No. Having sex? No. Vandalizing property? Again, no.

Hugging. Yes. Hugging. According to Reason.com the principle "admits it was an 'innocent' hug, but the school has zero tolerance for hugging."

Wait. "Zero tolerance for hugging"? What?

I'm generally an enthusiastic supporter and believer that the times we are living in now are better than any time in the past; and that my kids' future world will be an infinitely better place than today.

Sometimes though, I have to wonder. To the extent that things like this make our world worse, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

And be careful, next time your teen kid smiles at someone, they could end up married, pregnant and full of STDs.

Two other things, while I'm at it

1) do unto to others as you would have them do unto you. Its a seflish code, being as its focused on what you would want and all, but its a great way to live life...

2) Start with the man in the mirror. So many things in this world would be better if people took this advice.

A message to my sons, and daughter

There are two things that I've learned in life that I think are incredibly poignant and true and that I hope to impart on my kids. I wish I could claim to have arrived at them on my own, but the one I read in the Bible; and while I'm not sure where I picked the other up at, I know its origin isn't with me.

So here we go:

1) There is a difference between being frugal and being stingy. Know the difference. A frugal person eats Ramen at home and skips the dinner at the swanky Ramon's Restuarant. A stingy person orders the surf & turf at Ramon's and then wants to split the bill equally among all the diners

2) You should never be shy about what you like, but you should never under any circumstances be finicky. Find that drink, or meal or entertainment you like and make it your signature; but you should never put off if it isn't available. "Real men (and women) are discerning, but they're not disabled if things are not just so."

I hope you three realize them earlier in life than I did.

Over/Under: Day 10

If you took the over on Day 10, you would have won. The clock continues.