Yesterday I had a chance to meet up with one of my business heroes, Seth Godin. He was in Chicago for a book tour, and gave a presentation on his latest in a line of bestsellers, The Dip. Ever since reading Unleashing the Ideavirus, I have been a big fan of Seth's blog and books. Yesterday, it finally clicked why I think he's so cool (and successful). He's endlessly curious. …
Delight in the Little Things
The Best Seven Years Ever
Yesterday, Kim and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. As some may know, we have taken up the tradition of doing something childlike to commemorate each anniversary. I'm happy to say that the tradition is still going strong. On Saturday night, Kim took it upon herself to surprise me with the events of the evening. First, we ate dessert, naturally. The Door County Cherry Crumb pie at LMNO'Pies made my mouth dance with joy. After killing time at Target (at which I got myself a sweet new superhero t-shirt featuring Spiderman, The Hulk, Wolverine, AND Captain America), we tried out a …
Playing Hooky With My Hubby
This morning I went for my morning walk and it was one of those perfect days. The temperature was in the 70's, the sky was clear, and the birds were chirping. I think it might have been the smell of fresh lilac bushes on my route that put me over the edge. I had this overwhelming urge to play hooky and enjoy the beautiful weather with my favorite guy. WI gets a bad rap for being cold in the winter, but there is no place I'd rather be in the spring. When we did the Escape Plan last year Jason and I especially enjoyed Challenge #40- Sick Of It Day. Being the last day of the 40-day journey, …
Why Kids See 20/20 But You Need Glasses
I got my first pair of glasses in eighth grade. "Oh great," I remember thinking. "Now I'm going to be one of those people." I figured the least I could do was select a style that would be cool. For some reason, I thought big brown frames with lenses the size of dinner plates fit the bill. Since then, I've gone through quite a bit of frames, including the horribly bad clear plastic cheapos that were the best of the worst in an emergency late night mall trip. I busted lots of frames over the years. I attributed it to my aggressive, living-on-the-edge lifestyle, but it probably had more to …
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Everybody Get in Line
Perhaps some people raised their eyebrows when I suggested in my last post that our American educational system considers curiosity a disease. Well it sure seems like it to me, what with the OVER reliance on standardized tests and the OVER emphasis on fitting everyone into a standardized box. Just the other day I was at a wedding, talking to an old friend who was a relatively new mother. Her daughter is a bit over a year old. I asked my friend what was her favorite part about being a mom. She didn't hesitate with her answer. …
Trading the Cracker Jack Prizes for the Peanuts
What good is life if you can't slow down long enough to enjoy it once in a while? Kim and I had a fortunate opportunity come our way last Friday night. We spent the bulk of the day downtown at a café called Cosi, laptops open, writing, thinking, and dreaming. As we packed up to go home, a young woman (and fellow Mac user) sitting nearby offered us two free tickets to the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Face value was over sixty bucks each. She told us she wasn't able to use them and was hoping to find someone who could. What the heck, we thought. …
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Muting my Inner 5-year-old
Last night we ended up at the Madison Symphony Orchestra. First time ever. Very cool. During the experience my mind was fluttering with thoughts and questions. I felt like I was five again, wondering all sorts of things. Here are a few of the highlights... 1. This is a very long song. Longer than November Rain and Stairway to Heaven combined. 2. The cymbals guy is similar to the kicker in football. You wait and wait and wait and wait, and you better not mess up when your turn finally comes. 3. This hall looks like something out of Star Wars. …
I Saw a Robin
Today as I went on a morning walk I was overcome by spring. It was a feast of the senses. The crisp morning air found it's way deep into my lungs. It was like an internal spring cleaning. The sky was a bright blue canvas with white feathers scattered randomly. …
What To Do When You’re Snowed In
It's snowing in Madison. Lots. We have a chance to break the all-time snowfall record this weekend. We could get close to two feet of snow, and even got some thunder and lightning last night! It seems as if everything is closed and canceled, and today's speaking engagement in Cambridge, WI has been postponed for a few weeks. So, what does one do when one is snowed in for a weekend? Maybe that's the wrong question. …
Adultitis Hospitals
What's the best part of making a snowman? Rolling and shaping the first ball of snow? The contagious excitement of others who happen to see what you're up to? …