tablog

Reminder and Farewell

2009-12-20T12:29:00.004-06:00

All, don't forget to go and lend some money at http://www.kiva.org/team/tablog. How cool it is to have an opportunity to help global brothers and sisters become self-sustaining!

On a separate note, I have decided to stop writing this blog after 5+ years. It's been a blast and given me a much needed outlet for my writing and thoughts. However, for several months, I have felt called to start a new blog focused on living simply and how we might be able to end poverty if we all take only our share and relearn what it means to have enough. As such, I have decided to stop writing here.

If you are a friend/family, I'll see you on Facebook. If I don't know you, but you enjoy my writing, please follow my new blog here: http://livesimplyenough.com/

Have a blessed and relaxing holiday! Remember those who have less than you and keep your friends and family near.

Peace,
Tabita

Blog with Heart

2009-11-24T14:32:00.006-06:00

I was thrilled to read a post on zenhabits.net this afternoon with the title "How We Can Help Alleviate World Poverty in Three Easy Steps." As you know, this topic is near and dear to my heart. In fact, the topic of this blog is slowly morphing into living simply so others can have enough. It's a simple concept, really.

Anyway, the blog post mentioned the "Blog with Heart" challenge, which is a great opportunity to lend a helping hand. This is a challenge to blog communities to lend money though kiva.org during the month of December. You may recall that I tried this micro lending site out back in September.

So, of course I'll be one of the first to jump on the bandwagon. Go to the tablog team and lend a hand to an entrepreneur in need: http://www.kiva.org/team/tablog

Thanks!

Note: Picture courtesy of Agnieszka Bialobrzeska at stock.xchng.

Reflections on My Internet Fast

2009-11-14T12:25:00.005-06:00

As you may or may not know, I took the month of October off from the Internet. Well, not completely off, of course. It would be hard to do my job otherwise. I also allowed activities like getting directions, checking email (on occasion), paying bills, and looking up vital information (like how to toast pumpkin seeds).

But I didn't write blog posts, read blogs or other articles, participate in any form of social networking, or shop online.

The motivation: more time, less stress, and just to get away.

I have to say, I didn't miss it a bit. Well, I missed writing, but that was about it. I had some good blog post ideas in October, but I just let them go. Productivity was fantastic. Think about it...

You get to work early (to get things done) and turn on the computer. What is the first thing you do? Work? Probably not. You likely glance at the news headlines, and potentially get sidetracked into an interesting story. You then move on to email where you find a dozen notifications from Facebook, which leads you to that time-sucking site. You see an update from an old friend and go to her profile to see what else is going on in her world and who her friends are. You see a common acquaintance who is not yet your friend, so you send a friend request. Before you know it, it's 9 o'clock, time for your first meeting of the morning and your day is shot.

During my Internet fast, my morning started with my MITs (most important tasks) and allowed me to feel good about my accomplishments by the time 9 AM rolled around. I'm trying hard to maintain this discipline.

I also enjoyed being disconnected for a while. Checking Facebook, especially, can become quite addictive. It's not like I was on there all the time before the fast, but I felt like it was almost a duty to check in several times a day. What if somebody had a baby? What if a good friend was sick? What if, what if, what if...? Like Facebook is now the only socially acceptable form of communication?

The best part was that friends really appreciated what I was doing. Almost like, "wow, I wish I could do that..." Well, you can. It's pretty easy. Even now, 14 days into the world of Internet again, I find myself not using it at all as much. I check personal email once a day. I check Facebook when I feel like it and not out of some weird 21st century cyber duty. I read blog posts when I see a title that looks really, really intriguing, maybe one or two daily.

My fast allowed me to detach from the Internet and find out that it is okay. The world will not end if I don't show up on Twitter for a month (or two).

Nice.

What Needs to Happen to Save our Planet?

2009-11-10T07:12:00.009-06:00

As I was going through my notebooks this morning, making sure that I had captured all my "todos" in a safe place (aka OneNote), I found a page that I had written a while back.

It was titled: "What needs to happen in order to save the planet?"

I am certainly no expert in the field of "Earth Saving," but I do ponder this topic a lot. Our planet is in real danger. We have abused it to no end over the past several hundred years. Things need to change and we know what changes are needed. Yet, we fail to take the steps to make it happen.

So, with no further ado, here is the list from my notebook:

Americans & Europeans need to stop taking more than their share. (This includes housing, transportation, stuff, food, etc)
Stop making poor-quality products that end up in landfills.
Manufacturers must be held responsible for the recycling of their products.
Organic farming must become the norm. (I would add that we should go back to eating local and seasonal food.)
Create sustainable villages where people can bike and walk. (and work!)

I think this is a good start. If we did the above, the planet (and its inhabitants) would have a fighting chance.

Want to help?

Buy only what you need. (This year, I started with clothes... It has been liberating indeed.)
Reward manufacturers of high-quality, low impact products.
Eat organic/local/seasonal and cut down on meat.
Live within walking/biking distance to work/shops/dining.

If this sounds hard and boring, it isn't. It's actually quite a fun adventure to figure out how to live sustainably. And it's amazing to discover how little you really need. Make one small change today, another tomorrow, and pass it on. We need to change our ways to save planet Earth.

It's the only home we've got...

Note: Picture courtesy of Horton Group at stock.xchng.

IKEA and Thoughts on Cheap Food

2009-11-07T18:56:00.003-06:00

I visited IKEA, Shaumberg, IL today. We arrived right around lunch time and headed straight for the restaurant. Todd was excited about meatballs. I was excited about dessert (since I'm not eating meat this year). We marveled over the cheapness of the food ($15 for the two of us) and wondered (once again) how they manage to keep it so cheap. Knowing IKEA's "socially responsible" take on things, I fervently hoped that the beef in the meatballs came from "happy cows" and that my salmon had been caught in the wild (and especially not raised on corn). However, one can never be sure...

So what is a closet food activist to do? Never eat out? Eat only at "Certified Green" restaurants? (Guess how many there are in Wisconsin... One: Cafe Manna)

Well, at least one can try to avoid cheap food (unless it's at IKEA...). Cheap means highly subsidised which means big company which means industrial which means hidden costs. Let's take a McDonald's burger... Imagine the energy and water that was required to produce that burger. Think about the health care costs we incur to treat people who've had one to many burgers and now suffer from diabetes and heart problems. And what about the salaries of the people serving the food so that you can have a $4.00 Big Mac? Not enough to make it above the official poverty line... Cheap food doesn't work.

A complimentary strategy is to support grocery stores and restaurants that are socially conscious and buy local food and meat from farmers who treat their animals humanely. CSAs are another good option for supporting local agriculture.

It's not going to be cheap up front, but you will feel good about putting your money where you're heart is. In addition, your money will help stop the insanity of the cheap food and hidden costs which ultimately ends up costing society more than if we had just stuck with the original small-scale, sustainable, local food economy.

Eat like food matters.

Sugar Addiction

2009-11-02T14:27:00.002-06:00

Sugar makes my stomach hurt... Why, oh why did I have that piece of cake? (Because it was in the hallway and I am addicted to sugar.)

Per "The End of Overeating," I need some cognitive behavioral therapy such as repeating to myself: "This will make me feel sick."

It's good to be back in the blogosphere!

Peace.

Taking an Internet Fast

2009-09-27T05:17:00.004-05:00

I like the Internet. I think it's really cool how it allows people from across the world to connect in seconds (or less). However, at this point in time, I have a strong feeling that I should take a month break from this virtual world and do some more living in the physical world.

What I'm thinking here is no reading blogs, no writing blogs, no Facebook, no mindless surfing, no Twitter, etc. I will check my personal email once a week, just in case. I will also use the Internet for things like buying plane tickets and look-ups that would require a phone book (since I don't have one).

I've unsubscribed to a bunch of emails, set filters for the rest, turned off notifications from Facebook and other such sites so as to avoid inbox pollution.

I'm super psyched about this experiment and hope that you check back in November to read all about it.

Until we "meet" again...

Everyday Efficiency (or I Need Help)

2009-09-19T16:38:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite mental activities is to think of ways that I can be more efficient in my everyday tasks. I'm not sure if this is normal or not (I'm thinking not...). Regardless, I find great pleasure in finding a new process that shaves a few seconds off of any routine.

For example, my evening bathroom routine consists of seven steps (worst case):

Remove contacts
Wash off makeup
Apply toner
Apply moisturizer
Brush teeth
Floss
Use mouthwash

I have devised a process that minimizes the time I have to spend on these activities, so I can get to a more enjoyable activity (read in bed!). Here it is:

After washing off makeup, rather than moving on to apply toner, I brush my teeth, floss, and then while I'm swooshing mouthwash around in my mouth for 60 seconds, I apply toner and moisturizer.

I know! Groundbreaking, isn't it? I mean, over the course of my life (assuming I live to 90, which I plan to do) I will save 167 hours by using this process. That is not a trivial amount of time. Everyday efficiency rocks!

This one's for you, Katie. :)

September Donations (and related Books)

2009-09-19T15:41:00.010-05:00

I recently read the book "Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money" by Woody Tash. This book is all about investing in sustainable agriculture and food companies as if good and healthy food matters. It's an inspiring and fairly dense book which outlines the principles of the Slow Money Alliance. As soon as I finished reading the book, I signed up to become a member of this organization. It makes so much sense to invest in the earth without which we cannot survive on this planet. It's so sad to read about farmers struggling to get by and the big corporations taking over everything. Irresponsible farming and other malpractices are destroying valuable topsoil that takes hundreds of years to build up. Drastic times call for drastic measures. I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in socially responsible investing.

One of my other favorite books of the year is a book called "The Better World Handbook," which I picked up at the Luther College bookstore. One of the authors, Brett Johnson, is a professor there (along with my dear husband). It is a great tool for coming up with more and more ways to make the world a better place. It is specifically geared toward people like me who work full time and probably don't feel like they have the time to really make a difference. But we do! Every little thing matters. From transportation to eating, there are good choices and not so great choices. The one area that I've been wanting to do more with is "money." We've kind of settled for the default options that come with work and the city in which we live. For various reasons, this is not a great time for us to make a bunch of financial changes, but I wanted to do something! So, this month, I tried microlending for the first time. I went to kiva.org and signed up to lend a certain amount of money to Afi Katako in Togo. She is essentially the village cook and needed a loan of $875 to buy more supplies to meet an increasing demand. She is now fully funded and is on a 17 month repayment plan. What an awesome concept!

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

-Chinese Proverb

Note: Farmer image courtesy of Hans Thoursie at stock.xchng.

Poem on Injustice

2009-09-08T13:44:00.012-05:00

Am I So Valuable?

Am I so valuable that I should earn more money each day than many people earn in a year?

Am I so valuable that I should have others do my cooking and cleaning and gardening and childcare?

Am I so valuable that I should have too much to eat while one billion brothers and sisters around the world go hungry every day?

Am I so valuable that I should have a comfortable home while others live in the streets?

Am I so valuable that I should have the right to consume the world's resources to a point of unsustainability?

Am I so valuable that I should have ready access to the doctor of my choice while billions live without affordable health care?

Am I so valuable that I should enjoy a long life while many children do not see their first birthday?

I think not.

-----

I think I am valuable. But I think the single mother who is struggling to raise three children, the teacher working in a rural Afghani school, and the 12-year-old boy who is now head of the household after his parents died from AIDS are just as valuable.

Everybody should be able to eat healthy food, drink clean water, have a cozy place called home, enjoy excellent education, and have access to quality health care.

Anything else should be considered gross injustice.

Injustice is the enemy of peace.

NOTE: Photo by Charlie Balch at stock.xchng.

Cutting Down on Processed Food

2009-09-07T19:35:00.003-05:00

For a long time, I have been thinking that cutting down on processed food would probably be a good thing. The more I read about slow food, local food, and fresh food, the less I want to eat food products that have been processed to the point of unrecognition. However, I was finally convinced when a friend informed me the other evening that processed food actually slows down your metabolism. I did not know this!

I know that sugar and fried foods, as well as lack of sleep, slows down your metabolism. But I didn't know about processed foods. It makes sense. Processed foods are much harder to break down, so the body doesn't have a choice but to slow down.

So, here is another beginning... Eventually to eliminate highly processed foods from my diet. I'll start off with simple stuff like granola bars and factory-made cookies and snacks. The harder part will be Bumpers. I'm pretty addicted. It has nine ingredients. Another processed food I cannot live without is soy milk. This will just have to be treated as an exception.

I'm not sure what the definition of "highly processed food" is, so I'll just make up my own.

Another Beginning - Eating Local

2009-09-06T13:04:00.002-05:00

There was another beginning that I meant to include in my blog post on September 1. In fact, it was one of the key beginnings that I wanted to highlight, so I feel kind of foolish for forgetting.

Anyway, September 1 marked the beginning of the 2009 Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge. The point of this two-week event is to raise awareness for the beauty of local food. The Braise Culinary School summarizes well the top five reasons for becoming a "locavore:"

Helps to support family farms

Retains food dollars in the community

Exceptional taste

Unique varieties not found in stores

Maximum freshness

Grown locally instead of traveling thousands of miles

Helps to sustain the environment

Promotes stewardship of the land

Nutritious and affordable

Promotes healthy lifestyles

The good thing about this challenge, is that it is completely up to you how far you want to take it. Perhaps you want to try to eat 100% local (hard!) or maybe eat one local meal per day. My own challenge is pretty loose... Buy mostly local produce (can't live without bananas just yet) and buy local dairy and meat products.

Just now, I had some of the best yogurt I've ever tasted (at least in the US) from Kalona Organics in Iowa (I am in Iowa right now). It's appropriately named "Cultural Revolution." It's the real deal. Sure, I probably had to pay a bit extra for it, but it was so worth it. I can't even eat the "normal" yogurt you find in the grocery store. It's too sweet and slimy.

Once you get used to eating local, you'll wonder why we ever stopped.

Living in a Messed-Up World

2009-09-03T20:23:00.006-05:00

As I walked through Terminal C at the Atlanta airport the other evening, I saw something that reminded me (once again) of how messed up our world is. An airport employee was taking all the left-over food from one of those "street corner" food stands and dumping it into large, black trash bags. Salads, sandwiches, fruit cups, and the ubiquitous yogurt and granola parfaits. Perfectly good food being dumped as waste into those thick black bags. To be sent to a dumpster. To be sent to a landfill. To sit there and decompose for years.

How hard, I wondered, would it be for someone to come to the airport each evening and pick up all this food and distribute to the city's homeless? Or at least, compost the leftovers and recycle the containers…?

As I returned, a day later, to the Milwaukee airport, I got on the moving walkway to get to the parking garage where Elmer was waiting (Elmer is my car). This got me started on the messed-up world thoughts again. We have created escalators, elevators, and moving walkways to reduce the amount of energy we have to expend getting around at airports, malls, apartment buildings, and office buildings. And rather than using our own energy (which is free and clean), we use electricity (which is expensive and dirty) to power these "human energy savers." In addition, we spend $147 billion annually on treating obesity-related illnesses, the occurrences of which could be greatly reduced if we just moved more.

At this point, the floodgates of my mind were opened and I knew I had to write a post about this craziness. What follows is additional evidence that we're living in a messed-up world with a final plea help for ideas for how we can affect change. (Also, when I say "we," I really mean "we." This is not criticism, but rather reflection.)

The average American meal travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate. That's a lot of CO2. What happened to eating local? When I was growing up in Sweden (not that long ago!), we ate food that was in season. We enjoyed strawberries in June and apples in September. What we couldn't eat, we froze, pickled, canned, or otherwise stored in the root cellar. I didn't even know that you could buy applesauce in the store until I moved to the US.

We have created cities that are so spread-out that some people can't even get to the grocery store without getting in the car. Let alone work, school, the library, shops, place of worship, friends, and family. So much unnecessary disconnection and pollution.

We work long and hard hours to make lots of money to buy what?

Professional-looking clothes required for work.
A nice car to get to work.
Lunch out with colleagues.
A spectacular house to impress said colleagues.
Expensive vacations to recover from work.
Dinners out, because we're too busy to cook.
The latest electronic toys which a year later will find itself in a landfill.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't work, but do we need to work as much and as hard, especially in jobs that are not fulfilling? Is it worth it?

The distribution of wealth and income is getting larger and larger and larger. Woody Tasch asserts that "the top 0.1% of Americans collectively enjoy almost as much income as the bottom 50%...". That's messed up.

The average NFL football player gets $1.4 million per year to chase a ball (and knock opponents to the ground). The average public school teacher gets around $50,000 per year teaching, mentoring, and caring for our children. That's even more messed up.

65% of all grain grown in this country is fed to cows. Cows are not supposed to eat grain. Cows are a huge source of pollution. Yet, we continue to eat beef like everything is OK. While 1 billion people in the world are starving.

We eat "food" that has been processed to the point of unrecognition and contains more ingredients with longer names than players on the Finnish hockey team. And we're OK with paying more for it than we would in its unspoiled and natural form. Because it's convenient.

I could go on, and on, and on, but I won't, because I think you get the point. It's messed up. We need to do something. How does one bring about change at this level? I know it starts at home, but then what?

Is it an unrealistic dream to think that the world could be a better place? (Please say no.) Where everybody has food to eat and a warm place to sleep. Where every child has an equal opportunity to get an excellent education and good nutrition. Where community reigns and loneliness is eliminated. Where we eat when we're hungry and not because we're bored, sad, lonely, or stressed. Where we get to experience nature on a daily basis and breathe clean air.

Is it?

A Day of Beginnings

2009-09-01T14:19:00.003-05:00

Today is a day of beginnings...

A pretty obvious one is that it is the beginning of September. This morning, Rebecka kindly reminded me of this fact and pointed to our "Glimpses of Bangladesh" wall calendar (created by my cousin Jacob) which was stuck in August. Later when I got home, I flipped the page to find a semi-toothless older man and the words "Rural life in Bangladesh." I learned that rural life is slow-paced and families are mostly self-reliant. The main things they purchase are kerosene and tools. I need to visit!

Today is also the first day of school in the fine school district of Elmbrook. Rebecka said goodbye to summer with mixed feelings. She definitely enjoyed lazing around and traveling all over the country this past summer, but is also excited about seeing old friends, meeting new friends, and taking some new classes (including Build a Business!). I packed her lunch, complete with a special first-day-of-school Hershey's bar and relished the realization that our routines are back to "normal."

As I took Sophie for a very early (pre 4 AM) walk this morning (she definitely hasn't caught on to the back-to-school routine yet), I had the privilege of breaking open a new roll of poop bags in the apartment complex poop bag station. Even poop bag rolls have beginnings...

I am also starting to read a new book today. I finished "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert (awesome read) during lunch. Now it's on to "Inquiries Into the Nature of Slow Money" by Woody Tasch. I'm pretty excited about this concept. My understanding of the full scope of the book is limited, but I know at least one of the premises is putting money back into farming and the earth. Makes sense. We need food to live. Shouldn't we invest in it?

Finally, I am flying AirTran on purpose for the first time this afternoon. I haven't had great experiences with AirTran to date, but they had the best schedule, were pretty cheap, and now they have WiFi. Although, one of the things I like about flying is being disconnected... So I may not go there. It's just nice to have the option.

Here's to new beginnings!

Saturday Sabbath

2009-08-29T15:50:00.005-05:00

I'm a big fan of Sabbath. In fact, I think this is one of God's best ideas ever. It's so essential to take a break and relax from the daily grid.

I also don't think Sabbath has to happen on Sunday. Really, just find a day each week when you take a break from work and enjoy spending time with friends and family (or yourself).

Last week, I had a Saturday Sabbath. I woke up at a hotel room in Chicago with Todd and Rebecka. At 6:40 AM, we took the shuttle over to Midway Airport (love Southwest!) to escort Rebecka to her flight to Orlando and Disney World. Once she was airborne, we took the train up to Loyola University, where we started walking to a restaurant that I had picked out for our brunch. It is a place called Uncommon Ground that has the country's first certified organic rooftop garden. How cool is that? We both decided to go with the granola pancakes and it was a good choice. Those may have been the best pancakes I've ever had (it's a toss-up between these and the sweet potato pancakes at the Pancake Pantry in Nashville).

After a leisurely brunch, we took the train even further north to Evanston. This is one of our favorite spots in the Chicago area. It is the home of Northwestern University, including the Kellogg School of Management (I can always dream...). We walked around the campus for a while and then started wandering along the lake shore. We passed through a neat park and continued walking through what must have been one of Evanston's more affluent neighborhoods. The proud old houses are so beautiful and inspiring. Why did we stop building houses like that?

We eventually ended up in downtown Evanston (thanks to Todd - you know me and directions...). It is so nice to see a town with a real downtown. Feels like Sweden. When we started getting hungry, we found the cute little Italian place we went to last time and ordered delicious food off of their ridiculously cheap lunch menu. We sat there for a good while enjoying the atmosphere and the food, of course.

Finally, it was time to go so we could catch the 5:08 PM train back to Milwaukee. Seems like every time we manage to be running late for the train. We were slightly lost (mostly my fault), so I asked some people, who looked like locals, for directions and we arrived at the gate just as the train was boarding. At least we didn't have to wait around in the less-than-attractive Amtrak "lounge."

It was good to be welcomed home by a tail-wagging Bichon and settle in for a calm and quiet evening.

Sabbath at its best.

Biggest Loser Update

2009-08-29T15:46:00.002-05:00

So I was doing really good the first week. I got down to 137.6 lbs. Not bad for one week. Then we went to Chicago (see next post), and I had a business trip, and I stopped by Kopp's yesterday because the flavor of the day was Red Raspberry (my favorite). And it's almost the end of summer.

However, it's all good. I'm back on track today. Will probably be until Tuesday when I leave town again. Travel and eating healthy do not go well together. Any suggestions on this?

Biggest Loser - I Continue Alone

2009-08-16T07:37:00.004-05:00

This morning, I stepped on the scale and the unforgivable happened... The digital display crept up over 140 lbs. It used to be that my max threshold was 135 lbs. After overindulging during several trips to India followed by two years of intense travel, the threshold increased. Last year, I lost some weight and was feeling great. Now my jeans are tight again and I'm feeling heavy during my runs.

Even during our Biggest Loser contest, I got really close to 135 and then I'm not sure what happened since then. I've been pretty diligent about exercising. I've been eating a very small meal consisting of a sandwich and tea at night. What the...?

Well, I suppose there are a few causes... I've been trying the "Eating for IBS" diet over the past week or so. This is pretty heavy on soluble fiber (think white bread, pasta, rice, etc) and does not restrict sugar at all. My stomach has been better on the inside, but is growing on the outside. Hmmm, interesting dilemma. We have also frequented Kopp's (awesome custard place) a bit more than we should this summer.

So, I am now ready, once and for all, to get back to my old threshold of 135 lbs. My goal is to be below this weight (like 134.9) by the time I run the Race for the Cure on September 27.

Here is the plan:

I have started using fitday.com again to monitor my calorie intake, at least for a couple of weeks. This is a pretty awesome site and they've added lots of features over the past few years.
Per fitday.com, I need to reduce my calorie intake by 495 calories per day to meet my goal. What I'll do is increase calories burned by 200 by adding 30 minutes of cardio each day and reduce intake by 300.
Go cold turkey on sweets (candy, cookies, ice cream, desserts, etc)
Start drinking tea without honey (if I can stand it)
Avoid foods with more than 10 grams of sugar per serving
Drink herbal tea at Caribou/Starbucks rather than sugary drinks
Eat less at each meal (isn't it sad that so many people around the world are starving and I have to force myself to eat less. There is something really wrong with this picture.)
Don't eat within two hours of bedtime
Drink more water in the afternoon (I do pretty well in the morning)

I feel confident that I can do this and keep my stomach happy at the same time. Please hold me accountable. I'll provide a weekly status update on my progress.

Off to ride my bike with my beloved husband...

Julie & Julia

2009-08-10T12:07:00.002-05:00

Todd and I went to see Julie & Julia yesterday afternoon. We were in a sold-out theater with mostly retired folks and a few other "young" people like us. It was a totally inspiring and creative movie with lots of laughs, a few tears, and lots of great food. It reminded me that it is never too late to start the process of changing the world.

I must say, I was relieved that I had cooked salmon, new potatoes, and fresh summer veggies as well as an apple crisp earlier in the day. It made me feel like a respectable cook.

"If a pot is cooking, the friendship will stay warm."

- Arab Proverb

Taking the High Road

2009-08-10T12:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, the sermon at the church we attended was something like "Taking the High Road." In the sermon, the minister referenced the website www.ehow.com where there is actually an entry for "How to Take the High Road." Check it out: http://www.ehow.com/how_2063030_take-high-road.html

August Giving

2009-08-08T10:01:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you've heard the expression:

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”

I am a big fan of this concept. I mean, I appreciate the importance of emergency relief in disaster areas. However, I don't think continuously giving people money/food is good use of time and money. Rather, we should educate and empower people so they can make a living (i.e. make enough money to live on) for the rest of their lives.

One organization that is very good as this is Heifer International. Heifer reaches out to depressed areas of the world and teaches people to farm in a sustainable way. They may give a family a few animals to get started and the know-how to care for the animals and create a business. The best part is that recipients of the animals commit to "passing on the gift" to another family in the community. For example, if there is a new baby goat, this is passed on to the neighbors. This way, it is really a gift that keeps giving.

Heifer has a great gift catalog where you can select to give (among other critters) a cow or a llama or a flock of geese in honor of a loved one. We like to do this around Christmas time and for birthdays. You can also fund a project, which is what we did this month.

It's a really neat organization. Check it out!

Ending Hunger, Caring for the Earth

-Heifer International

July Giving

2009-08-01T16:51:00.003-05:00

During Christmas break, I read a most fantastic book called Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is a touching story of a middle-aged mountaineer stumbling into a Pakistani village and thus receiving a calling to make the world a better place. This month, our charitable giving goes to Greg's organization called Central Asia Institute. The organization's mission is "to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan."

July also called for the renewal of our Slow Food membership. It was timely considering our recent viewing of Food Inc. as well as a documentary night at home with Super Size Me. It's a sad state in which we find ourselves. Slow Food is all about enjoying healthy food that is good for the earth as well. It is also about preserving diversity of food and making good food accessible to all. We're looking forward to attending our first Slow Food potluck next weekend!

"He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much."

-Lao-Tzu

Starbucks and Recycling

2009-07-27T12:08:00.004-05:00

Last week, I met up with a friend at a Starbucks in Nashville. We had a good time in the warm evening air, catching up and talking about changing the world. We specifically talked about how crummy the recycling opportunities are in Nashville, especially compared to Sweden, where we both grew up. In Sweden, recycling has basically become second nature. This is a combination of education, convenience, and culture. My parents even receive special green bags for compostable waste. (Btw, my spell checker doesn't recognize the word "compostable." That tells you something.) Heck, McDonald's restaurants have recycling stations in Sweden!

When the time came for us to get out of our seats and go our separate ways, we both looked at our empty plastic frappuccino cups and decided that they were very much recyclable. I was pretty sure this Starbucks did not offer recycling, but we decided to go inside and look. Nope. Just a hole for trash. So we decided to ask the barista.

"Where can we recycle these?"

The poor guy looked at his shoes and indicated that they don't offer recycling. He said they did at one point, but customers didn't properly sort their trash, so it didn't work. We gave him a little bit of a hard time and then ended up throwing our cups away. (Yes, I know. I should have taken them with me, but I was in a different city, so I gave in to convenience.)

I was both saddened and excited about this exchange. I was sad about the huge amounts of trash that Starbucks customers generate every day. I was excited to think about the possibilities for positive change. With over 16,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks has a great opportunity to make a huge difference as it relates to contributing to the trash piles.

I was tempted to boycott Starbucks until they start to provide recycling, but I thought I'd do some research first. When I got back home, I went to the Starbucks website and quickly found that they have an entire site dedicated to social responsibility, called Shared Planet. Very cool! I honed in on the "Environmental Stewardship" section. Here are their main bullets on this topic:

We've always believed in caring for the environment.

Toward 100% reusable or recyclable cups.

Toward 100% recycling in our stores.

Taking on climate change.

It takes all of us. (i.e. bring your own cup)

I read on and discovered that Starbucks has the following goal:

"100% of our cups will be reusable or recyclable. We will significantly reduce our environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and green construction. Starbucks ability to recycle varies based on the level of commercial and residential recycling services offered in our store communities. We are committed to making 100% of our cups reusable or recyclable by 2015. In the meantime, there are two ways you can help to reduce the environmental impact of our cups: ask for your beverage in ceramic 'for here' or use a commuter mug 'to go.'"

This is pretty exciting. The only sad part here is that even if Starbucks wants to recycle everywhere, the communities in which they exist may not offer the available services. This is where local politics become important.

So, I won't boycott Starbucks. However, I will continue to ask about recycling and I will get better about taking recyclable cups back home where I can recycle them in the basement.

"You and Starbucks. It's bigger than coffee."

Slow Down and Pay Attention!

2009-07-24T14:29:00.006-05:00

With the longer and warmer days of summer, I have been doing more walking and running outside in our neighborhood. On fine weather days, Todd and I like to end our day with a brisk walk and a reluctant Sophie (our Bichon Frise) in tow. She likes to stop and investigate EVERYTHING, especially fire hydrants and flowerbeds.

Indeed, we have something to learn from Sophie. In our fast-paced life, we allow the world to fly by and don't really even notice what is going on. Think about it... When you're in an airplane, you pretty much don't see anything that is happening in the world. You're traveling at jet speed (literally) and clouds often obscure your vision. If you slow down to a car ride, you see more things, but everything is buzzing by so quickly, that you can barely register them. How often has your child (or somebody else in the car) exclaimed: "Look, a deer!" and by the time you get around to looking, you're down the road and the deer is out of sight.

When I started biking to work, my appreciation for the route changed drastically. I could smell the trees and the flowers. I saw bunnies hopping across the bike lane. I noticed houses I have never noticed before. It was exhilarating! I also felt my muscles working hard to get up the hills and sweat forming on my forehead as I reached the top. The whole experience created a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction which is not possible with a car ride.

I am able to take in even more of the world when I am running or walking outside. The other day, I was joined by a deer on my morning run. I saw her out of the corner of my eye as she pulled up next to me and then veered off to nibble on a neighbor's landscaping efforts. How magnificent! When I walk, I notice trash on the ground that I sometimes pick up to throw away. I see people that I pass and have a chance to offer them a smile. Perhaps I am able to brighten somebody's day. That is my hope.

The point of this illustration (or is it an allegory?) is to show that the more we slow down, the more we will be able to see the world more clearly and joyfully. This is important for a lot of reasons:

You'll know what's going on with the people around you and be able to act accordingly. "Did you have a tough day at school today, honey?"

You'll know what's going on in your community and find ways to get involved. I've found an organization called Urban Ecology Center that helps restore and maintain neglected parks in underserved areas of Milwaukee. I've signed up for Park Ranger duty (i.e. picking up trash).

You'll know what's going on in the world and may be compelled to help. Have you noticed how many people in the world are starving? Over 1 billion... That's 1/6 of the population.

You'll be a healthier person. "Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness." (Richard Carlson)

You'll enjoy life more!

We live in a beautiful world. Yes, it's a little messed up, but it is beautiful. Slow down and enjoy the small pieces of beauty that are all around you: A child dancing to the music, a blooming tree, fresh strawberries, a flowing river, a warm smile, a cup of Chai tea, a good book. The list goes on.

Slow down and make the world a better place!

NOTE: Photo by Bev Lloyd-Roberts at stock.xchng.

Food, Inc.

2009-07-19T13:57:00.007-05:00

Last fall, I read a powerful and personally influential book on food called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. In this book, I learned about eating local food, the disturbing facts surrounding the food industry in our country, and how to get turkeys to mate.

As a result, I purchased a "happy" turkey (heirloom variety) from Whole Foods for Thanksgiving and on Jan 1, 2009 took the final step in my protest by giving up meat for a year. So far so good. However, I still have improvements to make. I occasionally purchase "regular" roast beef for Rebecka's lunches and we definitely don't discriminate when we go out to eat.

Last night, Todd and I went to see the much anticipated (at least in slow food circles) movie, Food, Inc. This excellent documentary takes the audience behind the covers of the machine that is the US food industry. As they say in the film, the creators "lift the veil" to uncover the dark and dirty secrets that allow us to buy "cheap" food. It is disturbing, moving, but also provides some hope that things can change for the better. One important take-away for me is that the basic economics 101 principle of supply and demand applies to organic and locally grown food as well. If consumers demand organic food, the mega-retailers will supply it.

Inspired by the film, I returned home and wrote an email to the White House encouraging President Obama to see Food Inc. As I was perusing the White House website, I stumbled across a month-old blog post about the White House garden harvest. I listened to the First Lady's speech and it was encouraging. She obviously gets it.

Here are some other things that you (and I) can do to "vote" with our grocery money and encourage sustainably grown/raised food:

Shop at the local Farmer's Market. Don't hesitate to ask the vendors if the food is organic.

Buy organic, when available. Unfortunately, this is generally more "expensive" than conventional food, but when you think about the gains (health, energy, sustainability), it pretty much makes it all worth it.

Buy local food whenever possible. This includes tuning in to what is currently in season. For example, tomatoes are in season July - early October and apples are in season August - October. If you're hardcore, dry/can/freeze produce to eat during the winter months.

Ask your grocery store to carry more organic/local food. I sent an email to my grocery store this morning letting them know that I appreciate the amount of organic food they already have and encouraging them to carry more local and organic produce.

When the cashier asks "Did you find everything you were looking for?" politely tell them you didn't find locally-grown organic produce (or whatever you are looking for) and that you will have to buy that elsewhere.

Find out where your restaurant food came from. Reward restaurants who use mostly organic/local/in-season food for their menu.

I encourage all of you to see Food, Inc. and tell your friends, family, and coworkers about it. This type of awareness is needed in order to affect change. As the Slow Food USA organization states in their vision: "Food is a common language and a universal right." All people have the right to healthy food which is raised humanely and with the planet's best interest in mind.

Imagine the possibilities!

June Giving (or Better Late Than Never)

2009-07-18T11:15:00.006-05:00

OK, so I know it's already past the middle of July, but I just realized I never blogged about our June donations. I don't like to leave things unfinished, so here we go...

June was kind of a hodgepodge of donations to several cool organizations:

Conservation International: This environment-focused organization does lots of great things to protect forests and other threatened habitats as well as endangered species.
Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC): I learned about this organization from a lady at the "gym." This is a great activist organization that keeps members abreast of environmental problems (such as wolves and polar bears disappearing) and encourages political action.
VHI Save the Music: I cannot imagine what my life would be like without music education. When schools start cutting music, art, and physical education you know it's time to move (or do something about it!).
Zen Habits: Zen Habits got me going in the right direction related to simple living and simple productivity. I owe Leo a lot and want to help support his writing.
Just Hope International: This Nashville-based organization helps end the cycle of poverty by providing basic needs and helping people build micro-businesses so they can take care of themselves. My dear friend Melissa travels to distant lands to do photography and videography. You can see some of her work here.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." [Acts 20:35]

My Weekend and Related Thoughts

2009-07-05T19:03:00.010-05:00

I spent this 4th of July weekend alone with lots of time for introspection, retrospection, and future-spection. Todd and Rebecka left for Washington D.C. early on Saturday morning and I returned to a quiet apartment (aside from an occasion outburst from Sophie when another dog passed by in the hallway).

One of my goals for the weekend was to bake some bread. Good, Swedish bread. I have tried it a couple of times since we moved here and it's never worked out quite right. This time I decided to read the instructions on the yeast packet carefully and follow the directions. Things were going pretty well until I tried to turn on my fancy, red Kitchen Aid mixer. It wouldn't turn on. I tried a different plug. I tried detaching and re-attaching the bowl. I tried detaching and re-attaching the dough hook. No luck. Well, I thought, people have been making bread for thousands of years without Kitchen Aid mixers (red or otherwise), so I'll just do it by hand. It was hard work, but the awesome thing is that the bread turned out just right! We think we're so dependent on our electronic gadgets that do everything from giving us driving directions to letting us know if our guitars are properly tuned. It was a great Saturday morning reminder.

After a delicious lunch consisting of fresh bread with sliced hard boiled eggs and dill, I decided to head over to a nearby mall (more specifically to Barnes & Noble). Since the morning, I had experienced a really strong desire to read the Bible (it had been a while...). I searched around for one at the apartment, but all I could find was an old KJV and the old Swedish version. I wasn't about to suffer through that... It was a nice day, so I decided to bike the three miles to the bookstore. People looked at me kind of funny as I biked through the mall parking lot. Not a common sight, I suppose. I didn't really care. I found the Bible shelf and couldn't find what I was looking for. I was tempted by "The Green Bible," but thought it was a bit expensive. Instead, I started browsing the "Inspirational" section. I wasn't hopeful that I would find anything worth reading, but as I was glancing through the rows of "devotionals," I spotted a book that stood out among the glossy, colorful majority. The front looked like it was make of cardboard. "Promising," I thought as I reached for it. The title said "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical" by Shane Claiborne. That name rung a bell in my brain. I was associating the name with my brother, David. As I read the back cover, it clicked. This is the founder of an intentional community in Philadelphia called The Simple Way. Bingo! This was just what I needed. I bought a Chai Latte (soy milk, no water) and poured over the book for about 30 minutes. It drew me in like a magnet.

I had to interrupt my reading and ride home to get ready for an outing with a friend. We were bound for downtown Milwaukee for dinner and later a concert with The Fray at Summerfest. It was a good time, but when I got home (way past my bedtime) I couldn't help myself but to continue reading my new book. The intentional community concept is extremely intriguing to me. Sharing common spaces and possessions just makes sense. Why does everybody need their own lawnmower, car, washing machine, etc, etc? The answer is, we don't. The thought about belonging to a community like this where love of God and neighbor is the central "mission statement" is even more intriguing.

I woke up early with the chirping birds. It was another beautiful day, so I decided to forgo the treadmill and go for a walk around the neighborhood instead. As I walked past the big houses with their tennis courts and swimming pools, all I could see were prisons and barbed wire. I couldn't shake this vision. I started thinking about that image. We have created these neighborhoods with the over-sized houses and yards and they are really two-way prisons. They do not let people in (or at least not the people from the "bad part of town") and they imprison the people who live there. With a huge mortgage and maintenance costs, these families have to continue to work long hours at jobs they may or may not enjoy to keep up the lifestyle. We are prisoners in our grand homes.

It was a sobering thought. I thought about how many families could fit in each of those houses. Families who could share meals and enjoy that type of community. Sharing responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking, and washing the dishes. Raising each others kids. I've heard it takes a village.

Later on, I packed a lunch and biked over to the park we went to last Sunday. I found a quiet spot on the lake and enjoyed my simple meal and continued to read my book. It was pretty serene until a pesky mosquito (or two) bit me on both my feet. Ouch! However, it didn't deter me from staying a bit longer. Once a bee started buzzing around my head, I decided it was time to go.

I spent the afternoon playing guitar, reading, napping, playing the piano, taking Sophie for a nice, long walk (hopefully she'll sleep well tonight). Once I'm done with this post, I'll continue reading about The Simple Way. I'll leave you with a section from the book that ties in quite well with my morning vision:

"One of the things I think Jesus is doing is setting us free from the heavy yoke of an oppressive way of life. I know plenty of people, both rich and poor, who are suffocating from the weight of the American dream, who find themselves heavily burdened by the lifeless toil and consumption we put upon ourselves."

Note: Image by Miguel Saavedra at stock.xchng

Biggest Loser Winner: Todd

2009-07-01T11:37:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already over! Todd is the man. He lost 11 lbs. in a month. I lost two... Todd gets a new outfit and a romantic dinner at the restaurant of his choice. Ready when you are!

Congrats babe!

Random Biking Leads to Beach

2009-06-29T12:26:00.010-05:00

Sunday is our day off from running. So, on Sunday mornings (weather permitting), Todd and I hop on our bikes and ride for about an hour. Yesterday, we decided to take a new route to check out a park we had seen in the distance while taking our Corolla to the Toyota dealership.

After three miles or so, we arrived at the park. To our delight, we discovered that the park had a little lake with a sandy beach. It also had a trail around the lake, which we circled twice. It was beautiful.

We spontaneously changed our plans for the day (I know, this is unheard of!) and picked up Becka, packed a picnic, and headed back to the park with the sandy beach. Aside from being super windy, it was an awesome time. Rebecka had to take a swim test to get access to the "deep end," which she managed just fine. I got in for a little while, was miserable and goose-bump-covered most of that time, but emerged from the water feeling overwhelmingly refreshed. We had to drag Rebecka from the beach two hours later so Todd could make it home for the soccer game. :)

Moral of the story:

Unknown paths often lead to delightful destinations.

-Tabita Green

Note: Photo by Keith M at stock.xchng.

Exciting Legislation

2009-06-27T13:37:00.006-05:00

The House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey Clean Energy Bill yesterday. Pretty exciting!

If you participated in calling, faxing, or emailing congressmen and women, thank you. It was a close call with a vote of 219 to 212. Activism works.

Here are the details from the government's site (which is currently down):

Requires electric utilities to meet 20% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020.
Invests $190 billion in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy ($90 billion in new investments by 2025), carbon capture and sequestration ($60 billion), electric and other advanced technology vehicles ($20 billion), and basic scientific research and development ($20 billion).
Mandates new energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry.
Reduces carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17% by 2020 and over 80% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Complementary measures in the legislation, such as investments in preventing tropical deforestation, will achieve significant additional reductions in carbon emissions.
Protects consumers from energy price increases. According to recent analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and the Environmental Protection Agency, the legislation will cost each household less than 50 cents per day in 2020 (not including energy efficiency savings).

The green wave is here to stay!

Errand Week

2009-06-18T18:33:00.003-05:00

How many errands can a family fit into one week? Well, here's our list:

Sophie Grooming
Todd Grooming
Tabita Grooming
Rebecka Dentist
Tabita Dentist
Elmer Emissions Testing and Vehicle Registration (Elmer is my green Toyota Echo)
New Contacts
Todd Dr. Appointment
Target (twice!)
Grocery Store (at least three times...)
Sophie Doggy Daycare
Waterpark visit (not sure if this counts as an errand, but anyway...)
Bank

Whew...

Great Post on Raising a Happy Child

2009-06-16T16:07:00.002-05:00

Sean Platt of the Writer Dad Blog has a really awesome post on Zen Habits. Check it out if you have kids, are thinking about having kids, or there is even a slightest possibility that you might one day have a kid.

I especially agree with his thoughts on limiting media. We have observed a direct correlation between excessive computer and TV use and crankiness.

TV is evil...

Biggest Loser - Green Edition

2009-06-15T07:52:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Todd and I both decided that we wanted to lose 10 lbs. And since I am highly motivated by competition, we decided to race. The winner is to get a new outfit and a romantic dinner at the restaurant of his/her choice. Not bad...

Well, two weeks into it, Todd has lost six lbs and I've gained one. Not good (for me). Todd basically just had to stop drinking soda and eat junk food and the pounds melted off. I had unfortunately already cut most of that type of "food" out of my diet.

So what am I going to do to catch up?

I'm going on the Abs Diet. This has worked for me in the past and includes food that I enjoy eating anyway. It is based on twelve "powerfoods" and eating six times per day. Perfect.
I'm going to add an additional (light) workout every day (Todd's idea). For example, a 30 minute walk at lunch or a bicycle ride after work.
I'm going to increase my weight routine from two to three circuits and switch up the exercises every month.

Stay tuned for more on the Biggest Loser.

Windy City - Part 2

2009-06-09T17:36:00.007-05:00

Day two of our visit to Chicago started with a walk up Michigan Ave and an oatmeal breakfast at Corner Bakery. When we returned to the hotel, it was almost time for Todd and Rebecka to head back to Milwaukee. Rebecka had plans and needed to get back for school as well. They took bus 151 to Union Station and I was alone in Chicago.

I spent some time on the computer and then headed out to Millennium Park for the Chicago Gospel Music Festival. The first sets were held at the Walgreen's stage close to Michigan Ave. The first performance was really good. After that, it started going downhill a bit. After the second quartet, I decided to go check out the Youth Stage. Good call. The choirs and groups that sang on that stage were absolutely fantastic. I have never in my life heard that much sound from a children's choir. One of the choirs, Voices of Tomorrow, had a lead singer, Dylan, that cannot have been older than five and was totally amazing and so cute!

After about an hour and a half or so at the Youth Stage, my ears were ringing (it was inside with very large speakers) and my stomach was growling, so I decided to find some food. However, first I went on a mission to scope out the main stage to make sure that I could find it later and get a good seat for the evening show. People were already starting to line up, so I figured I better get there in good time.

I found a good and cheap place to eat across the street and sat there and read a magazine on Obama's first 100 days in office. Since I would be waiting a while, I also went next door to Caribou Coffee (my favorite!) and picked up a soy chai latte.

With tea in hand and the magazine tucked under my arm, I walked back to Millennium Park and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. I found a decent seat and sat down with a sigh of relief. I had planned to continue reading, but there was way too many exciting people and activities going on around me. For once, I realized what it is like to be a minority. I was one of perhaps 100 Caucasians in a sea of African American gospel aficionados. It was great!

The concert finally kicked off and much dancing, singing, raising of hands, and shouting commenced. Dr. Charles G. Hayes and The Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir was followed by an amazing choir called New Direction. This insanely energetic group of young singers blew me away. After a not quite as exciting section called “A Touch of Chicago's Gospel Pioneers/Legends,” we saw the return of Evelyn Turrentine-Agee (she opened on the Walgreen's stage). This lady can dance! She is 63 years old, has 11 living children, and 54 grandchildren. Quite an accomplishment...

While the stagehands got everything ready for the next performance, the MCs brought a 9-year-old girl on to the stage to sing a couple of measures. She had apparently sung on the Youth Stage the previous day and had impressed the festival coordinators. The depth of her voice, the range, and pitch was incredible. She definitely had the potential to be "Chicago's Fantasia."

Speaking of Fantasia, she was next! Another super energetic performance, including a song with her mother and another song with her minister and his wife. Unfortunately, a lady across the aisle from me had a minor stroke during this part of the concert, so there was much anxiety and frantic activity going on around me. It took forever for the paramedics to get there (they came on bikes...), but finally the situation seemed to be under control and the poor lady was wheeled off on a stretcher followed by her somber family. My heart went out to them.

Had it already been four hours...? Apparently so, because before I knew it, it was time for the final (and most anticipated) performance: Kirk Franklin. I've been a fan forever and had never seen him in concert before. It would've been worth coming Chicago just for his hour of the festival. The music was perfectly rockin' and touching all at once. I was also impressed by Kirk's humble nature on scene. He repeatedly pointed to himself while shaking his head, then pointed up to heaven and nodded his head to indicate our praise should go to God and not to him.

The whole experience was surreal, divine, and uplifting. My step was light as I moved (danced) with the crowds toward my hotel and my heart was singing "Hosanna."

Gospel music is the best.

Windy City - Part 1

2009-06-07T09:33:00.009-05:00

Yesterday morning, Todd, Rebecka, and I took the convenient Hiawatha Amtrak train from the Milwaukee Airport to Chicago's Union Station. After a quick bus ride (could've been quicker if I hadn't led us to get off at the wrong bus stop) and an even quicker stop at Dunkin' Donuts to quiet complaints about severe hunger pangs, we reached our hotel on Michigan Ave at the heart of downtown Chicago.

The main objective for the day was to go up to Evanston, home of Northwestern University. After a quick rest at the hotel, we headed out to find the Red Line. It was tricky, but we eventually found it. We headed north for around 30-40 minutes and then switched to the purple line to reach our final destination.

By the time we reached Evanston, it was lunchtime and we were all starving for some good Italian fare. We passed two promising restaurants, but they were not open for lunch. Doh! We finally stumbled across a cozy-looking place, which seemed to have a good menu, called Tattoria Demi. It was exquisite. The food was so good, in fact, that I couldn't not try their Tiramisu (I'm on a quest to find the best Tiramisu in the world). Oh yeah - it is now topping my list. It was a perfect blend of sweet, coffee, liquor, and mascarpone. So good!

After our leisurely lunch, we were fueled and ready to go explore the Northwestern campus. While we were at lunch, the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees, but we zipped up our jackets and started the short walk to the university. The whole area is completely amazing. The buildings express a deep sense of history, dignity, and creativity. The streets are clean. People are walking and biking to reach their destinations. Vegetation is abundant.

One of my favorite spots on the Northwestern campus is the Shakespeare Garden. This time of year, it contains splashes of color from pink to purple to yellow to green. What a great spot for quiet contemplation or for reading a classic. In fact, we left Rebecka to read in this spot (she never leaves home without a book) while Todd and I walked around a bit more. There were nice little paths winding between the trees that made me appreciate landscape designers who take serenity into consideration.

We then headed out toward the lake. It was cold and windy and exhilarating. It's like being by the ocean, because you can't see the end of it. It's just water, water, and more water. Rebecka found a cozy spot on the rocky shore to continue her reading, while Todd and I took some pictures. At this point, we felt the first drops of rain and decided to check out the student union building to see if there was any hot chocolate and chai tea latte available. Todd came to the rescue by finding a Starbucks on the second floor. We sat there for a while sipping our hot drinks and feeling our bodies warm up slightly. I picked up the latest edition of the Northwestern Business Review and enjoyed reading it very much.

Once it stopped raining and we were done with our drinks, we headed back to the CTA station to catch the train back to downtown Chicago. I had planned to go to a concert at Millennium park later in the evening, but it was just too cold (I did not pack for the weather...). Instead, we had a light dinner at the Corner Bakery and then hung out in our warm hotel room for the rest of the evening.

It was a good day.

Bike to Work Update

2009-06-03T06:58:00.003-05:00

I biked to work again today. That's two weeks in a row. I'm pleased.

It didn't rain, but it was pretty cold. But, cold is better than hot.

It took 30 minutes - again. I guess rain or shine doesn't matter.

Next week is "Bike to Work Week."

Perhaps I'll bike to work twice...

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-31T20:35:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. Mother's Day happened a couple of weeks ago. In the US, that is.

Today is Mother's Day in Sweden. So, I thought I'd tell my mom Happy Mother's Day! (I called her as well, but one can't get too many well-wishes...)

I also received a belated Mother's Day gift the other day from my favorite daughter (which she found when she cleaned out her locker). It is one of the most awesome gifts I've ever received. The outside is unassuming (a simple notebook), but the inside holds a 6th grade Poetry Journal.

I thought I'd share one of the poems (haiku style) with you:

Trees
Trees looking peaceful.
Swaying, blowing, and growing.
Birds, leaves, and much more.
By Rebecka Green

I like trees. A lot. I can see the green trees, standing tall and slightly swaying in the wind. Birds are flying to their nests to feed their young ones. The air is fresh with tree fragrance.

What a wonderful gift. I wish more gifts were of this kind. Creative, sustainable, loving, simple, and personal. Think about a gift you can give that is really from you. Perhaps it is a knitted scarf (like I received from my mom last Christmas) or a painting. It could be a tin of homemade cookies or a babysitting gift-certificate for tired parents. Or why not record a CD of yourself singing or playing?

The opportunities are endless. Get creative with your gift-giving, have fun, and make someone feel incredibly special.

Biking in the Rain

2009-05-27T07:33:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday, I didn't bike to work because I had clients in the office. I was worried that my carefully straightened, professional-looking hair would be smooshed by the helmet. (I know, this is an embarrassing confession, but it is the truth.) I was starting to wonder if I would ever meet my goal of biking to work at least once a week.

Last night, I checked the weather and saw to my chagrin that there was a 40% chance of rain for today. I determined that this would not bring me down, but rather went about my preparations for the bike ride like thinking about what my lunch would be (needs to be easily packable) and packing a change of clothes.

I woke up in the early morning hours from the patter of little raindrops on my window. Nooooo!!! I decided to take a quick shower and hope that the rain would stop. And it did! When I took Sophie out 20 minutes later, it was actually looking pretty good. I happily went about my morning activities and got all decked out for the bike ride.

I said goodbye to Rebecka, got my bike out of the storage space, put on my helmet and gloves and cool sport sunglasses, and headed out the door. It was raining just a little. A light spring rain... Definitely not enough to stop me at this point.

Aaaahhhh - there is nothing like being on a bike in the early morning hours when the world is waking up and there are hardly any cars on the road. I biked up and down the hills toward work full of energy and joy. Pretty early on, the light rain turned into heavier rain. Oh well, I was destined to get wet anyway. I kept on going.

I felt the rain wash my face and drip in behind my sporty sunglasses. Around the half-way point, my "fog-proof" sunglasses were quite fogged up and obstructing my sight, so I decided to take the off and stuffed them in my pocket. That was better (aside from now having zero protection from the aggressive drops that continued to splash on my face).

I wondered what the people in the cars were thinking. "Crazy lady!" or perhaps a secret "I wish I could bike to work..." The ride made me think of living in Sweden and my university days when a bike was my only means of transportation, even in the winter. I thought about people who don't even have a bicycle. I felt privileged to be riding my bike in the rain.

Toward the end of the ride (it takes about 30 minutes), I was wet to the skin. I peddled slowly up the last hills to my office, warm from the exercise and chilled from the wetness that surrounded me. I looked around for a place to secure my bike. Nothing. So I hid it as well as I could behind the building and stepped inside. I fumbled through my wet backpack to find my notebook with the code for the alarm (I really need to memorize that code) and finally made it to my desk.

I pulled out my change of clothes (which were only slightly wet) and headed to the bathroom. I looked like a mix between a member of KISS , a troll, and a tired soccer player. Nice. It felt so good to get into an (almost) dry shirt. My pants picked a perfect place to be damp - right in the crotch. I didn't care. Fortunately, I had an extra pair of shoes at the office. Unfortunately, I didn't bring extra socks.

My maiden voyage confirmed and taught me several things:

I should wait and put mascara on at the office to avoid the KISS look.
6 AM is a good time to bike to the office. (Not a lot of cars on the road...)
Rain will not be an excuse for not biking to work.
I need a rain cover for my backpack.
I should keep an extra change of socks at the office.
Biking makes me feel alive!!!

Looking forward to the return trip!

Excursion in the Woods

2009-05-25T19:47:00.004-05:00

This weekend, Rebecka, Sophie, and I drove the four hours to Decorah, IA to spend the long weekend in the country. The air was fresh and smelled like freshly-cut grass, flowers, and happiness. The sun was shining, but it was not too hot. These were the perfect conditions for an excursion in the woods.

Hence, while Todd was at commencement, decked out in his Vanderbilt regalia, Rebecka and I sought out a quiet little piece of the earth to go exploring. We parked by the river and started walking toward a nearby park. There, we found some steps which led up, up, up a wooded ridge. We climbed and climbed and climbed. It was a good workout! At the end of every set of stairs, we stopped to admire the view. It was spectacular. We could pretty much see all of Decorah (and beyond) from up there. When we reached the top, we followed a trail across the ridge. We walked at a moderate pace and took it all in. Flowers, bugs, sticks, and stones. Talk about relaxing!

Eventually, we got hungry and decided to head back the way we came. We made it all the way down safely and went to the local co-op for grilled sandwiches.

It was a perfect morning.

May Donations

2009-05-23T12:06:00.003-05:00

This month, our philanthropy dollars go to the following worthy recipients:

The Divinity School at Vanderbilt University: This is the school where Todd received two of his four post-secondary degrees. One might think that a school like Vanderbilt doesn't need more money, but divinity schools are often strapped for money. Our hope is that our donation may contribute to enabling a student achieve his or her academic goals.

CarbonFund.org: This is a neat site that provides you with calculators for offsetting your home and transportation. Their motto is "Reduce what you can, offset what you can't.™"

“He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.”

- Lao-Tzu

The Story Of Stuff

2009-05-19T11:59:00.004-05:00

I always liked stuff... I figured out at an early age that if I wanted more stuff, I needed to make some money. So I made my bed, sold stuff door to door, washed dishes, waited tables, and babysat little children. I bought a cool bike, clothes, a KORG keyboard, a motorcycle helmet, a camera, a stereo, more clothes, and lots of books. I never spent one minute thinking about where this stuff came from and where it would go when I was done with it.

When I pondered what I should do when I grew up, I focused on what would allow me to make lots of money. Not because I really needed more stuff, but because I wanted to have a big house and a nice car. Because that's what matters, right? You are valued based on your stuff collection, your BMW, and your neighborhood. I also wanted to be able to travel all over the world and not have to worry about money. So I got a college degree which led to a good job. I worked really hard at that job and that led to promotions and more money. (Aka "The American Dream.")

One day I woke up and realized had all the stuff I needed and money to spare. I also realized that I wasn't really happier than I was before, even though I had more and bigger and better stuff. I was living the "money doesn't buy happiness" saying. On top of this, I started to realize that more stuff meant more maintenance work and more harm to the environment. Not cool. So I started to declutter. I gave a lot of stuff away to people who needed it more than I did. I moved to a small apartment. I started to make buying decisions based on need vs. want, environmental impact, and quality. I started researching other ways to help the environment and make the world a better place.

I'm still working on it. I could get rid of more stuff. I could buy less books and use the library more often. I could stop buying bananas (or at least offset the fossil fuels used to transport them all the way to my kitchen). I could bike to work every day instead of once a week and get rid of my car. But that's part of the fun... Getting better over time. Doing more good and less harm one day at a time.

The Story Of Stuff is an awesome 20-minute film that talks about how obsessed we are with stuff and what our level of consumerism really does to our planet. It is wonderfully simple and thought-provoking. Give it a try!

You will never think about stuff the same way again.

Chicago Green Festival

2009-05-17T19:06:00.009-05:00

On Saturday morning, Rebecka and I boarded the "Hiawatha" train in Milwaukee to embark on a fun-filled ride to Chicago. More specifically, we were destined for Chicago's Navy Pier and the 3rd annual Chicago Green Festival. The train is an awesome alternative to driving to Chicago. If you've ever driven through Chicago, you know what I'm talking about. I received a slight scolding on the train for presenting unsigned tickets to the grim attendant, but other than that, the trip was wonderfully uneventful.

After a long walk around Union Station, we found bus 124, which was to take us the final stretch to Navy Pier. We were pretty confident that we were on the right track considering the appearance of our fellow bus riders. Definitely treehuggers... You could tell by the wild beards, stainless steel water bottles, and hemp clothing. Yes, I know these are all stereotypes, but they were valid in this scenario.

We walked and walked and walked through the never-ending corridor of stores and restaurants in Navy Pier and finally reached the festival registration line. Our bus tickets got us $5.00 off, which we donated to recycling efforts. We received our first sample of the day, wonderfully scented soaps from Pangea Organics.

Next followed a hunt for a free tote bag. We saw people walking around with bags that said something like "Smart Home." We searched and searched, but could not find the location of that booth. Finally, I took a closer look and read "Museum of Science and Industry." Aha, this was enough information to look it up in the festival guide. Five minutes later we had our tote bag and could freely walk around and get samples.

We gathered everything from organic makeup to fair trade honey to elephant poo business cards. Some samples we devoured immediately such as Organic Valley cheese, Luna bar pieces, and Divine chocolate eggs (leftover from Easter? I don't mind!). Rebecka was in sample heaven.

We also purchased some goodies including hazelnut butter and a tofu cookbook. The book-selling guy told us he's been vegan for 30 years and that he hasn't taken antibiotics in 25 years and doesn't even have a doctor. Hmmm, perhaps I will try it for a week and see how it goes. The thing I would miss the most would be Kefir. I know that's probably weird, but that's me.

Throughout the day, we gathered information about all sorts of interesting topics like eating veg, responsible investing, eco-friendly vacuuming, fair trade, and how to start your own farm (Todd, don't worry...). It was encouraging to see all the people there, the number of good products that are available, and to experience the joy that surrounds people who live "more good, less harm."

We returned home good and tired and pumped. The event reminded me that every choice matters and that even though the environmental problems we face seem insurmountable, I can make an impact.

Biking Update and 1Sky

2009-05-14T13:04:00.002-05:00

My first week of biking to work didn't go so well. My planned biking day (Wednesday) suffered from lots of wet, stormy weather. I'm not quite equipped for that. I had hoped to substitute with Thursday, but remembered late last night that my dog goes to doggy daycare on Thursdays. Hmmm... What is a bike-loving girl to do?

Well, I woke up, gulped down some water, swallowed a handful of Bear Naked granola and headed out for a bike ride around the neighborhood. I got a good 30 minute ride in and it felt great! My entire backside (and my bike) was covered with mud after the adventure, but that just made it so much cooler.

On a different, but related note, I just joined 1Sky, which is this environmental activist site focused on pressuring local politicians to do something about the current crises. Very cool. I'm the eight person joining from Wisconsin's 5th district...

Go Green!

Star Trek Fun and the Joy of Biking

2009-05-10T19:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, the whole family went to see Star Trek. Todd had reserved tickets for the 3:30 PM showing in the "dinner theater." Instead of normal seating, the theater has tables and waiters walking around taking your orders. It's pretty sweet. We left an hour before the movie was supposed to start so we could get seats together and it was a good thing, because there were already a bunch of people there. The movie was awesome. Star Trek holds a special place in my heart, because during our first year of dating (spring semester), I would leave the library every night at midnight and go over to Todd's dorm room and watch an episode of the original series. Todd wrote an award-winning paper on the social commentary of Star Trek: cold war, feminism, racism, etc... It was a great introduction to US culture.

Anyway, when we were getting ready to leave the theater, I noticed that Todd had left his watch on the table. So I said in a pretty smart-ass tone: "Do you want to keep your watch?" I then spotted Rebecka's iPod on the table. I asked her the same question. They were feeling slightly sheepish and I was feeling pretty smug when Todd picked an object off the table and asked: "And do you want to keep your sunglasses?" Classic...

This morning, I took my bike out for the first ride of the year. I decided to bike to my office to see how long it would take, since I've been thinking about biking to work on Wednesdays. It was awesome!!!! I forgot how much I love biking. It took exactly 30 minutes, which is perfect. That way, I'll get my hour of cardio for the day and transportation to and from work as a bonus. There is one scary part where I have to cross a fairly large road, but I think it will be OK. I'm looking forward to getting the routine started this week. Biking makes me happy.

Live long and prosper.

We Sprout In Thy Soil

2009-05-09T13:07:00.004-05:00

My brother, David, recently released a new album called "We Sprout in Thy Soil." The song with the same name is now on YouTube. I have at least five relatives in this video including an aunt and uncle, my paternal grandfather, a great-aunt, and my mom (right at the end with turquoise dress - at least I think that's her). I'm just a little hurt that I didn't make the cut. I was around 5 months old when this event occured and kept peering out the side of my carriage to take part of the action. Enjoy!

My Husband

2009-05-06T12:23:00.006-05:00

Today marks the 14th anniversary of our wedding day. In honor thereof, I thought I'd dedicate this post to my wonderful husband, Todd.

I first met Todd on the porch of the ATO house at Birmingham-Southern College. He was drinking a beer and I was new, foreign, and fairly intimidated by the whole setting. However, he comfortably lured me into conversation and we ended up debating the difference between "sarcastic" and "ironic." You see, in Sweden, "ironic" is used as "sarcastic" is used in the US. As you can probably tell from this, he was an English major, and a darn good one at that. I had finally met my match as it related to obsessive studying and drive to excel in the academic world. The next day, Todd found me in the library. He was so sweet and gentleman-like. We continued "bumping into each other" in the library day after day. I loved his gentleness, his willingness to help me with my papers (and I needed it!), and his close relationships with his friends.

I wrote to my parents and indicated that I had found "The One." They especially liked the part about "he takes care of me." Which he did, and has continued to do throughout our marriage. He is always available to listen to my trials and tribulations, joys, and hopes. We dream together about the day when we'll all be together again in our little dream house with no geographical distance separating us from each other.

I admire Todd's unceasing dedication to his work and especially his students. He makes himself available to help them through his class in a way that is unprecedented in my experience. He truly cares about teaching them to think critically and be better citizens of the world. I wish I had studied under Dr. Green when I was in school!

Finally, I love Todd, the dad. He literally raised Rebecka on his own for several years when I was traveling all the time and otherwise preoccupied by work. And he did a fantastic job! He connects with Rebecka on a wonderful level and doesn't hesitate to take a break for a Harry Potter game on the PS2, "stuffed animal church," or a trip to the movie theater (Hannah Montana comes to mind...). Rebecka is a lucky girl!

Looking forward to many happy years ahead
and Paris in 2010!

Lovely Decorah

2009-05-02T16:30:00.004-05:00

This morning, I got up at around 7 AM to take Sophie outside. It was a gorgeous morning. The air was just slightly chilly and completely fresh. This is something I love about Decorah and the reason why we tend to come here more often than our original once a month plan.

The air is fresher, the sky is higher, and, yes, the grass is greener.

After a breakfast to fuel our bodies, Todd and I set out for our morning run. We started on the track at Luther College and ran four laps to warm up. At that point, we were ready to leave the confines of the track and find some adventures. We ran across the 5th Ave bridge to look at one of the houses Todd is thinking about renting for the upcoming school year. It looked cozy enough. Then we turned around and ran by the river for a while. We learned that you can rent canoes right there. Next time, perhaps.

At one point, we spotted some kids running down a track on the side of the hill. We decided to check it out. We climbed and climbed and climbed. It was worth it. The view was spectacular. I felt so alive! Going back down was a little harder, but we made it.

We jogged back toward campus and I got a tour of the athletics building where we stopped for bathrooms, water, and a brief stretch. We returned home tired and slightly chilled, but energized and happy.

It was a good morning.

April Donations

2009-04-29T12:02:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a post about giving where I announced that in 2009, our family would be organized about our giving. Since then, I have blogged each month about the recipients of our monthly donations. Today, it is time for the April edition.

Continuing with the March donations' theme, we continue to give our share to institutions of higher education with which we are associated:

Luther College is a quaint liberal arts college tucked away in the small town of Decorah, IA. My husband, Todd, currently serves this college as a visiting assistant professor. He teaches church history and related topics. I have had the pleasure to visit Luther on several occasions and I love it! What I love most about Luther is the culture of sustainability that is infused into every aspect of this school. From a fleet of electric utility vehicles to serving organic food to extensive recycling programs, Luther is in every sense a green school. You can read more about Luther's commitment to a sustainable campus here. With all this greenness, I can't really hold it against Luther that the college was founded by Norwegians (internal Swede/Norwegian joke...).

Columbia Theological Seminary is the Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, GA where Todd received is second (of four) higher education degrees (I'm so behind!). This place holds a special place in our heart as it was the first place we lived as newlyweds as well as the birthplace of our daughter, Rebecka. While law schools and medical schools generally do not lack funding, seminaries generally do not fare as well. It is important to us to continue to give back to this school who provided us with so much, including our first apartment with a real kitchen and friends for life.

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

- Maya Angelou

Cute Houses!

2009-04-28T12:55:00.009-05:00

I know I've written about my dream house before. One of the attributes of my dream house that is quite different from many people's dream house is its size. I want a small house. Not small like 2,500 sq. ft., but small like 1,800 sq. ft. Currently, I live in a less than 1,200 sq. ft. apartment and it works just fine. But it would be nice to have a slightly bigger kitchen and an office.

Small houses/apartments are so cool because they use less energy, are less expensive, and take less time to clean! Several months ago, I was looking at some really nice plans from Ross Chapin Archtects. Over the weekend, I looked at these again, and thought I would share a few of these beautiful houses with you.

The Songbird House (how cool is that name?) is 1,525 sq. ft. It has a cute built-in reading nook and awesome hardwood floors (all of these models do).

The Plumrose House is 1,635 sq. ft. and is just enchanting. It has one of my favorite features, which is a laundry room as well as built-in bookshelves. These architects are really creative when it comes to using space, which is how they are able to keep the square footage down.

Pears and Cherries is my favorite cottage. At 1,061 sq. ft. it might be a tad snug for our family, but it is so cute! I especially love the built-in kitchen table and benches.

See more cute houses here.

Rejuvenation

2009-04-27T13:18:00.002-05:00

Spent the weekend recovering from two weeks of insanity. This included lots of sleep, reading, running (well, a little running), eating good and healthy food, playing the piano, and watching movies.

Every weekend should be a mini-vacation.

Notebook Joy

2009-04-25T12:53:00.004-05:00

On Earth Day, Rebecka and I went to Barnes & Noble to celebrate a couple of fantastic grades that she had received on tests that day. Earlier in the day, I had written a blog post over on Product Management Zen called Treat Everyday Like Earth Day (a play on the Elf quote "Treat Everyday Like Christmas," for those who care...). As Rebecka was browsing for a journal to give as a gift for an upcoming birthday party, I spotted an ecojot notebook that I just had to have. The quote on the front read: "Every day is Earth Day." - Unknown

It made me happy. Just thought I'd share.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T08:00:00.007-05:00

It's pretty amazing how far the green movement has come in just a year. Everywhere I turn now there are utility company newsletters telling me about how to have an earth-friendly party (read more here), new merchandise popping up so I can proudly wear my greeness, sustainable colleges, and banks and investment companies asking me to go green by switching to electronic statements. Isn't it so cool?!?!?

NRDC sent me an entire email with "Ideas and Actions to Help You Celebrate Earth Day." Here are some of the items from their "Earth Day Toolkit:"

A shopper's guide to buying forest-friendly tissue, paper towels and toilet paper. (I like Seventh Generation.)
A Dozen Things You Can Do to Keep Yourself - and the Earth - HEALTHY. For example, eat organic, use non-toxic personal care and cleaning products, put your computer in sleep mode when not in use, and replace those bulbs!
Eat local! (It gets easier when spring rolls along. The farmer's market here opens in two weeks. Yay!)
Take action: Urge the Department of Agriculture to act now to save bees.

These are just a few examples in a large pool of green activism, information, and products that are out there and available for the next budding treehugger.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

*Photo by Flávio Takemoto at stock.xchng.

Winter is Back

2009-04-21T06:51:00.003-05:00

This is just unbelievable... One day you're really, really sure that spring is here and all is well in the world. A few days later you emerge from a non-stop work/sleep/eat routine and find that winter is back. This morning it is sleeting. Yes, sleeting.

Anyway, what do I get for working like crazy to get a major software release out the door, skimping on exercise, and not eating as well as I should? A sore throat. It certainly pays to take care of your body. I'm nipping it in the bud today by staying home and trying to take it as easy as possible. Becka is sick too. Ear infection. Does not sound like fun.

On a happy note, my brother David just released his debut album in his own name (formerly Namur). The record is called We Sprout In Thy Soil and it is just beautiful. You can hear some samples here: http://www.myspace.com/davidahlen.

Congrats bro!

Spring is Here!

2009-04-16T12:07:00.001-05:00

I actually got hot driving in my car to pick up lunch. Yay!

Our New York Adventure

2009-04-14T20:10:00.018-05:00

The adventure started on Friday morning as we reached the Midwest ticket counter at General Mitchell Airport. To read more about our unfortunate events there, please see my other blog. It kind of made us a little late, but not really. The security line was almost non-existent and everything was looking good. Until... "Who does this belong to? We're going to have to check it." It was Rebecka's DVD player. They wiped it down and the machine started going off (I've never seen it do this before). All of a sudden Rebecka was getting the pat-down and a swarm of TSA agents were eagerly looking at the device going through the x-ray (again). They were so intrigued by it that they started taking pictures of the monitors.

In the meantime, our departure time was getting closer and closer. I sent Todd to the gate to "hold the plane" (yeah, right!). At one point, one of the TSA people told us they had called down to the gate. That made me feel better. They finally brought the DVD player out of the x-ray and took more pictures. They also took my ID information (hmmm...).

Finally, Rebecka and I were free to go to the gate. At the gate, Todd was trying to cajole the gate agents into keeping the door open. It was not an easy task. Apparently, a call from TSA means nothing. Todd was waiting at the empty gate when we arrived. The gate agent sourly took our boarding passes and shut the door behind us. Phew!!!

The signature seats were nice and we had a pretty uneventful flight. We took a cab to the Comfort Inn Midtown (free with my 100,000 points) and were able to check in ahead of time (I love diamond elite status!). We were half a block from Time Square, so we decided to hang out there and find some lunch until David and Caroline arrived.

On the way from lunch to the Hershey's store, we bumped into Sponge Bob. He was friendly and more than willing to pose for a tip. The Hershey's store was cool, but the new M&M store was even cooler. And huge! And crowded!! We looked around, but didn't buy anything. We then proceeded to Rockefeller Square and perused the NBC Experience Store. Since I don't really watch TV anymore, I didn't really get half the merchandise, but that's OK.

We had gotten up early that morning, so we decided to go back to the hotel for a little rest time. After a while, David and Caroline showed up and surprised Rebecka with a birthday present. It was a cool, green purse. Caroline is the only person capable of picking out purses which meet Rebecka's approval.

At this point, we decided to head on back to Time Square for dinner at Mars 2112. We stopped by the M&M store (again) on the way and witnessed excessive "sampling" by teenagers and store associates blowing horns and screaming "No sampling!" It was a zoo. We managed to purchase some M&Ms and headed over to Mars. We got to ride in a spaceship to Mars and then were seated in the great dining hall. The food quality was what you would expect at a themed restaurant, but we all survived.

After dinner, we continued to the first must-have tourist attraction: The Empire State Building. Going through the line was like running a marathon in slow motion. However, once we got to the top, it was worth the wait. The view was spectacular. We went all around and enjoyed the sights until we got too cold. That was the end of our first day.

We woke up to a drizzly and cold Saturday morning. However, it did not derail us from our morning plan to take the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. Our rationale was that the lines would probably be shorter due to the weather. This was later confirmed by a friendly street musician by the shore. The line was still long and it was raining. We finally made it onto the ferry and took the short ride over to Liberty Island. We got off the ferry and realized about 5 1/2 minutes later that we would be totally miserable if we stayed on the island in the cold rain. So we ran back to the ferry and made the last call.

During the ferry ride, I used my handy dandy phone to find a pizza place in Greenwich Village. Of course, I picked the first pizzeria in the country, Lombardi's Pizza, so there was a line outside (still raining). The pizzas looked really good though (from what we could tell from gazing in through the window), so we decided to wait. We played random games to pass the time. At one point, Todd and David got into a face-off during the name-a-country-as-fast-as-you-can game. It was pretty entertaining. When we finally made it inside, Rebecka picked up the hot plate to warm her chilled cheeks. The pizza was worth the wait and we took our time and enjoyed every bite.

Our next stop was the famous cupcake bakery, Magnolia. Todd and I got hot chocolate while the others ordered the cupcakes. We enjoyed our cupcakes out on the street (no more rain!) and gobbled them up in no time. Mine was dark chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Oh yum! After dessert, we made our way back to the hotel for nap time. It felt so good to lie down!

An hour later, it was time for Broadway! We had tickets for the 8 PM showing of Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theater. On the way, we stopped at a Brazilian place for appetizers and drinks. I had an excellent Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon. Todd had some scary sweet drink. Rebecka had Pepsi. Soon it was time to move on to the theater. We walked (or rather pushed ourselves) through the crowds in Time Square. It was pretty nuts. The New Amsterdam Theater is beautiful, but has very squished seating. Not too bad for me and Rebecka. Not great for the rest of the party. The show was extremely well done. My favorite scene, Step in Time, went off without a hitch. The cast was amazing. Yay! After the show we stumbled back through the crowds and into bed.

On Easter morning, I decided to snooze while the rest of the gang went to hang out on the set of The Today Show. They picked a good spot and got a lot of air time!! This was definitely Rebecka's favorite New York moment. I got to watch on TV! Todd had a short interchange with Jenna which he described on Facebook:

Todd was emasculated by Jenna during some off-camera banter. When Jenna saw Todd rubbing his hands together to stay warm, she remarked that she doesn't normally see guys doing that. Then she said, "You need to man up." Todd is still trying to think of the comeback he should have had waiting for her.

When the TV stars returned, we headed up to Central Park. Our favorite! We went for a buggy ride around the park and then posed for pictures. It was cold! We vowed that our next trip to New York would be warmer and that we would spend more time in the park. We headed over to Lexington Ave and found a nice little Asian place to satisfy my sushi cravings. On the way out, we stopped at the pet store next door and marveled over the cute little puppies. Rebecka decided that she is going to get her next dog at this store. We took the subway down to Macy's to find that it was closed for Easter. Oh well.

At this point, we were pretty exhausted, so we said sad goodbyes to Caroline and David who had to go catch their bus back to D.C. and headed over to Barnes & Noble for some old fashioned book "sampling" and hot chocolate. I found an interesting book called Wired to Care: How Companies Prosper When They Create Widespread Empathy. I have been thinking about blogging about this topic on PM Zen, so I was intrigued by the title. It was good! It is now on its way from an amazon warehouse to my office.

After B&N, we made our way back toward the hotel, paid one last visit to the M&M store (fresh M&Ms are way better than the stale ones you find everywhere else), and took farewell of Rockefeller Plaza. We found a taxi driver who thankfully did not drive like a maniac and made it safely to La Guardia. The check-in and security process was smooth and we spent our last hours in New York at gate B1. I finished reading Presentation Zen (book review to come) and Todd and Rebecka watched First Contact on above mentioned DVD player. We made it home safe and sound and had a lot of trouble waking up on Monday morning.

New York City rocks!

Pre-Vacation Frenzie

2009-04-09T22:00:00.005-05:00

Crazy day! There was a reason I had planned to take this day off...

Here is the synopsis: work, drive home, pick up child, drive to guitar lesson, run over to Target for Easter Bunny shopping, go crazy on travel-themed Easter basket items, pick up child, sneak Target bounty into apartment, start water for dinner, take/make last-minute-pre-vacation phone calls, cook dinner, eat, wash dishes, assemble Easter basket...

Savor the moment of oooohs and aaaahs as Narnia movie, Anne Frank book, Hershey's bunny, Lindt bunny, and various other goodies are pulled out of the basket by ecstatic 12-year-old.

Exchange hugs and conversation...

Wrap up last minute work stuff on computer, pack (we're going to NYC!!), write list of things to pack in the morning, blog.

Good night!

On Being Mindful

2009-04-08T12:35:00.002-05:00

Read my thoughts about being mindful over on Product Management Zen.

Later!

A Not So Perfect Morning

2009-04-07T12:41:00.007-05:00

My not so perfect morning started at 1:37 AM. I woke up from the sound of my bedroom door opening and saw the fuzzy silhouette of my tall "tween."

"What's going on?" I asked.
"I can't catch Sophie," she responded.
"Where is she?" I continued (hoping that this would not involve me leaving my bed).
"In my room," she advised.
"How can you not catch her in your room?" I said (ooops, did I say that out loud? That wasn't very kind...).

I guiltily got out of bed and followed Rebecka to her room. I had Sophie on her back the the "I give up" position in about three seconds.

"You'd better take her outside," I told Rebecka. "Come see me when you're back inside." I crept back into bed.

My not so perfect morning continued at 3:27 AM. I woke up to the sound of a bichon throwing herself at the bathroom door, hoping to break it down so she could be free to roam around the apartment. I figured she might be lonely, since she'd gotten used to sleeping with humans lately, so I went to get her and put her in my bed. She jumped right off and ran to the living room. There, she waited for me in her "catch me if you can!" pose. I sat down and waited for her to run herself tired and then caught her. We decided to go for a walk. Once we got outside, Sophie started running like she was being chased by wolves (or whatever animal would most frighten her). So I ran. We ran together for a few minutes (me in my striped fleece PJs) until she decided it was time to stop. We returned to the apartment at 3:38 AM. Sophie went to her corner in the bathroom. I went to bed.

My not so perfect morning officially arrived at 5:15 AM when I woke up and realized that I had missed my window of opportunity to go to the gym (at least for any substantial workout), so I stayed in bed until 5:45 and then got ready, ate breakfast, and went to work. I did get to work at a decent time, so that was good.

And I forgot to start the laundry...

A Perfect Morning

2009-04-06T07:37:00.004-05:00

Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything goes exactly according to plan? Meaning no dog pee to clean up in the bathroom, no forgotten laundry in the dryer begging to be folded, no emergency homework assistance, no sleeping too late, etc, etc.

I had a perfect morning today. Check it out...

Woke up at 4:30 AM (no alarm needed these days)
Ate my pre-workout snack of Cheerios, 1/2 banana and soy milk and finished chapter 1 of "Presentation Zen"
Assembled Rebecka's lunch and did a quick tidy of the living room
Got to the gym right at 5 AM
Worked out for exactly an hour
Showered & dressed
Cooked oatmeal and tidied the kitchen
Ate breakfast and started chapter 2 of "Presentation Zen"
Put on makeup
Washed the dishes
Drove to work and walked in the office door exactly at 7:30 AM

I wish this could be every morning.

Simple Weight Loss Tips That Work

2009-04-04T07:33:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in the last couple of posts, I am working on getting back to my normal weight after having had just a few too many "special occasion" desserts and forgetting about weight management best practices.

The good news is that after three days, I'm just a pound away from my normal weight (lost about 2.5 pounds)! I am by no means a proponent of rapid weight loss. I'm actually quite surprised that I was able to shed the pounds this quickly. But I thought I'd share my techniques, because if you're also looking to lose a couple of pounds, this really works...

Reduce sugar intake. This is key. Sugar is evil and does bad things to your body. I did this by cutting out obvious sweets (ice cream, candy, desserts) and replacing higher sugar foods with lower (or natural) sugar foods (Cheerios instead of Bumpers, banana instead of granola Bar, peanut butter instead of butter and preserves, etc). The first day is hard, if you're an addict like I am, but then it gets progressively easier.
Drink water before and after each meal. Water fills you up and also helps with digestion. You'll feel great!
Make dinner your smallest meal. Load up on breakfast and lunch and eat something light for dinner. I like to toss spinach with whatever is available in the fridge (left-over peas, avocado, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, feta, apples, pears, cucumber, carrots) and top it with a tablespoon of Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette. It's better than most restaurant salads out there. Add a slice of toast and some cottage cheese, and you're all set.
Eat dinner at least two hours before bedtime. This is another key best practice that I've found works like a charm. Your body needs some time to break that food down before it goes into hibernation mode.
Don't eat anything after dinner. This may seem obvious based on the previous bullet, but I wanted to call it out. The late-night snack can ruin an entire day of "being good." Not worth it!
Get enough sleep. This is the one I have the hardest time with (there just aren't enough hours in the day!), but something that experts claim to be true. Good, quality sleep actually helps you burn more calories. There are many studies on this, like this one from Web MD.

Pretty easy, right? Try it for a week and see how you feel. You obviously want to continue with whatever exercise program you're on or start moving if you're not. Exercise is good for both the body and the soul. You're depriving yourself if you don't allow your body to move and get your heart pumping.

Well, I'm off to the gym with Todd.

Day 2 of Less Sugar Habit

2009-04-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

No sweets aside from the little mint in the restaurant lobby after dinner. I'm having less cravings already. Life is good!

Sugar is Evil

2009-03-31T12:38:00.003-05:00

This is not the first time I've blogged about the evilness of sugar. Back in October, I wrote a post simply titled Sugar in which I talked about some of the obvious dangers of eating too much sugar and also my resolve to cut the sugar.

I did a really good job of this until my birthday in the middle of January (even through the holidays!). I had dental surgery right before my birthday and was not feeling so hot. Ice cream felt really nice in my sore mouth. It was a special occasion, so not a big deal, right. Well, apparently we've had quite a number of "special occasions" here lately (Yay! Rebecka got an A on her math test, let's go get some frozen custard for dinner...), because my stomach has not been feeling well and my tight jeans are a little too tight.

Time for a reset!

Tomorrow, I'm starting my new 30 Day Habit on The Power of Less Challenge forum and it's going back to the basics. "Cold turkey" on obvious sweets, switching from Bumpers to Cheerios (whaaaah!!!!), replace granola bars with fruit, eat more protein, etc.

I'm really looking forward to feeling fantastic again!

My New Blog and More...

2009-03-30T17:17:00.002-05:00

I took a break from my obsessive reading today to get my new blog, Product Management Zen, up and running. This is, after all, one of the reasons I took a four-day weekend (along with the fact that Todd was home for Spring Break, Rebecka had a birthday, and today was a Teacher Work Day). I'm really, super excited about Product Management Zen. My goal with this blog is to encourage product managers around the world and get an outlet for my passion for writing about productivity, cool products, design, etc. I plan to post 2-4 times per week and hope that it will be a huge success!

This afternoon, Rebecka and I went shopping. I was rather surprised when she asked me about it the other day (she likes malls just about as much as I do, which is not so much). However, once we got down to the details, it made more sense. She's plain out of warm-weather clothes. We made it to four stores (and actually bought two pairs of capris and two t-shirts) before she was worn out and wanted to go sit at Barnes & Noble and read. I didn't have any problems with that. I got through a few more chapters of the fourth book in the Twilight Series, "Breaking Dawn."

The book is now sitting right next to my laptop on the kitchen table calling out to me: "Read me, read me, read me!"

I must obey.

Happy Birthday Rebecka!

2009-03-28T18:21:00.007-05:00

Twilight, the DVD version, came out one week ago. Once the news was out (via an early morning text from an ecstatic new owner of said DVD), our plans of giving it to Rebecka for her birthday were over. We were at Target an hour later to pick up the coveted movie. Of course, we watched it over the weekend and it reminded me that I should really read the next three books.

So, this is where I've been the past week... In the world of vampires and werewolves (and travel and board meetings and birthday cake making). I am now somewhere in the middle of the third book (Eclipse) and it's taking a lot of willpower to pull myself away from it for some much anticipated blogging.

Rebecka is 12 today! We started the celebration activities yesterday with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory followed by cake at home with one of her little friends. We all kind of fell asleep around midnight to "the making of" section of the three-disc Twilight DVD special/deluxe edition.

Today, according to tradition, we woke the birthday girl up in bed with more cake and presents. After workout and chores, I proceeded to cook the requested birthday meal: Swedish meatballs! This is both Todd and Rebecka's favorite. I must say, it's the first time I've been slightly tempted to eat meat since I quit three months ago. However, I abstained. At 3:30 PM, we found ourselves sitting at the movie theater to watch the latest hit, Knowing. Yikes! This was a bit too scary for my taste. My motto, "The World Will Not End," doesn't seem to have the same punch after suffering through that film.

Anyway, we're eating more cake and watching Star Trek tonight to lift our spirits a bit. Captain Kirk & Co are singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as I write this. Feeling better already...

The weather people are predicting 4-8 inches of snow tonight. Sounds like we'll have a cozy day at home tomorrow to round off the birthday weekend. I'm good with that.

Here's to another beautiful year!

My Personal Mantra

2009-03-21T08:03:00.004-05:00

I've been reading several books and blogs lately that talk about the benefits of having a personal mantra. This is what wikipedia has to say about mantra:

"A mantra (Devanāgarī मन्त्र) can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation."

A mantra is useful for having something to focus on when meditating or simply doing deep breathing to help alleviate stress. It is also something you can repeat to yourself throughout the day to help remind you of your goals.

When I selected my mantra, it was based on what personal characteristics I wanted to work on. I sometimes lose my temper and get impatient with people around me. I get self-absorbed and forget to think about other people's needs. On occasion, I snap and don't think about how this might hurt other people (until it's too late).

Based on this, I came up with my mantra:

Love, serve and be kind.

I keep it on my post-it on my desktop, so I can see it every day. I repeat it to myself when I am sitting quietly and breathing to help me relax. I remind myself of it when I pick up Rebecka's boots and put them in the closet for the 256th time. I close my eyes and mumble it under my breath when somebody is driving me crazy and I really don't feel like being kind.

I don't always live up to my mantra, but I believe it is slowly but surely getting me closer to my goals of becoming a more caring and loving person.

What's your mantra?

What Do You Think About When You Run?

2009-03-18T12:45:00.004-05:00

I read an interesting article in Runner's World this week. It's called "Train Your Brain: Knowing how you think on the run can improve your workouts - and your mood." It talks about how most people (excluding elite runners who focus on form and breathing) do a lot of varying thinking when on a run. No big news here. It's pretty common knowledge that running is great for thinking and problem solving.

The interesting thing is that they grouped the thoughts into four categories and provided tips for how to avoid negative impacts from your thoughts. Here are the categories and what to watch out for:

Organizing - if you start feeling tense, think about something else.
Problem-solving - no negatives here... My favorite!
Wandering - Don't stay in "la-la land" for the whole run.
Pondering - Don't let anger or anxiety consume you.

My brain activity usually goes something like... "OK. 1 mile warm-up. Hmmm, what's on my todo list today? Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm... Increase speed. I really need to talk to X about Y. Interval time! Woah - that's fast. Wonder if my knee will hold up? Am I running at the optimal stride? Slowing down... Whew - I need some water. Gulp, gulp, gulp. I need to remember to book travel for Z meeting. And get a sitter. (this repeats for the rest of the interval training) Cooldown! Yes. Blog idea, blog idea, blog idea... Decrease speed. That felt good. Time to stretch."

Running is cool.

Donations of the Month: Baylor University and Birmingham-Southern College

2009-03-16T12:16:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in a post earlier this year, I believe giving is a gift and a privilege. This is why I have taken great care this year to make sure that our charitable donations are clearly thought out and well planned. Every month, we have one or more designated recipients of these funds.

This month, the recipients are the two institutions where we received our undergraduate degrees:

Birmingham-Southern College is Todd's alma mater. He enjoyed four years of liberal arts education at this fine institution. The classes are small and the professors really care. This is also where we met and fell in love. For those of you who know us, you won't be surprised that much of the courting took place in the library. We hope that our humble donation will help enable the education of someone who otherwise would not be able to afford this type of school.

Baylor University is my alma mater. I only spent two years here, but they were two of the best years of my life. I loved my computer science professors and how much I learned every single day. I also made friends for life. I was honored to receive a scholarship from the Computer Science Endowed Excellence Fund when I was at Baylor and I am so thrilled to be able to give back.

Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.
- John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Spring is Here!

2009-03-15T17:06:00.006-05:00

I have tulips in the kitchen to prove it...

I know my Wisconsin-born friends and colleagues would tell me that I'm jumping the gun on this announcement. However, I feel that declaring the arrival of spring makes it more real.

This afternoon, Todd, Rebecka, Sophie, and I drove to the park to get some fresh air and soak in the warm sun. Once we arrived, we all set off for a stroll. Rebecka dropped off after about five minutes and went to find a cozy spot to read her book. Todd, Sophie, and I continued. Sophie was very busy. She ran around and sniffed everything in sight. After about 15 minutes, she grew weary. But I wanted to keep going forever! I got the idea to walk home from the park. Todd was kind enough to offer to drive the tired ones home in Elmer (our green Toyota Echo). I walked and walked, took deep breaths and smiled at the world. It was magnificent to be able to take a walk and not be freezing. It made me feel alive and ready to tackle anything! I arrived home refreshed and hungry.

Walking is good for soul and body.

Two More Awesome Themes

2009-03-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

Titan (Aaaahhhh...)
Vigilance (Nice!)

How will I ever choose!?!?

Wordpress Themes and Annoying Up-sell Tactics

2009-03-15T07:14:00.006-05:00

I spent the entire day yesterday looking for a good Wordpress theme (no joke!). I'm creating a new blog (more on that as the time of launch gets closer) and decided to go with a Wordpress blog hosted by GoDaddy. I've heard a lot of rave about GoDaddy's hosting services and they have good integration with Wordpress (and I know someone who works there). The one thing I didn't like about the whole process was their over-the-top up-sell methodology. It's almost impossible to check out. They bombard you with additional options and it's extremely annoying.

Anyway, back to the WP themes. I am looking for a very simple, clean, well-written, easily customizable, white, stylish theme. When people come to the site, I want them to feel relaxed and have a terrific user experience. The user should be able quickly to find relevant content, easily read desired content, and want to look for more. Here are a few templates I found that I rather like. What do you guys think?

Copyblogger (very common theme, but oh so nice)

Blueprint Theme (simple, with clean lines)

Green Grass (I would get rid of the green grass though...)

Rihanna (aren't those puppies so cute??)

Skimmed Milk (I love the simplicity of this)

Elements of SEO (SEO is good)

Plainscape (organized, airy, clean)

Love The Orange (not sure if I love the orange, but that's easily changed)

As an extra bonus, I'll also share a couple of neat sites I ran accross that would be a good asset for any blogger:

Free Webpage Headers (lots of headers in multiple categories)

stock.xchng (tons of free pix)

Color Hunter (upload a photo and it gives you the matching color palette!)

Blogging is fun.

Defying Winter

2009-03-12T19:39:00.003-05:00

Last night, I decided to take Sophie the Bichon for a walk around the block. It takes about 25 minutes (it's a large block). Ten minutes into it, I realized just how freezing cold it was (around 10 degrees with an ungodly windchill). It would have been OK if I'd been wearing my long johns, but I got out of the habit of wearing them a couple of weeks ago when it was 60 degrees outside. Fifteen minutes into the walk, I could no longer feel the tip of one of my fingers. Sophie was dragging, so I picked her up so as to expedite the return home to the warmth of our apartment.

We finally arrived at home with all fingers intact and very chilled legs. I slipped into my fleece PJs and drank some hot milk to warm up. All in all, it was I very refreshing walk and I was pleased to have defied winter. I won't let freezing winds keep me from taking "lovely" neighborhood walks when it is supposed to be spring.

Today, I'm wearing a pair of pink long johns...

Winter vs. Spring

2009-03-11T07:33:00.005-05:00

March in Wisconsin is a very curious experience. One day it's 60 degrees and sunny and wonderful. The next day it's 18 degrees and cloudy and miserable. One day it's raining, the next morning there is a white sheet of snow covering the limp grass, which longs for sun and rain to help it become radiantly green again.

It's like Winter and Spring are in a very even arm-wrestling match. One day Winter is stronger and pushing Spring down, saying "Wait, wait! I'm not done freezing the world yet." Another day Spring is pushing back, saying "But everybody is waiting for me! Let me return with my sun and rain and flowers and birds."

Today, winter is stronger. Cold, howling winds rattled my window all night making it fairly impossible to sleep. It's 18 degrees outside.

Come on Spring, you can do it!
You can beat that Winter.

Welcome Adam!

2009-03-11T07:31:00.002-05:00

My cousin Rebecka and her husband Anders recently welcomed a little Adam into the world. Congratulations! Your lives will never be the same...

In a good way.

More on Notes

2009-03-11T07:23:00.001-05:00

My cool and sweet friend Katie passed this link along from Dooce:

http://www.dooce.com/daily-style/2009/02/17/lists-or-collections-dirty-thoughts

I love notebooks. :)

Cousin Visit

2009-03-06T12:59:00.003-06:00

My cousin Daniel is coming to visit today. I'm excited! It's not often a cousin comes to visit. This is not because my cousins hate me, but rather because I only have two cousins in the US. And when Daniel moves to Bangladesh here soon, I'll just have one left.

Cousins are cool.

Random Acts of Kindness

2009-03-05T12:09:00.002-06:00

When I arrived at the Hertz pick-up location at the Nashville airport earlier this week, I quickly glanced at the board, found my stall number, and started walking to my car. It was a silver Chevy HHR. I opened the back door to throw my sizeable suitcase in there and found an interesting double decker space for luggage. As I was trying to figure out whether to put it on the top or the bottom rack, a friendly Hertz employee walked up and offered to put my bags in the car for me. I graciously accepted. He then proceeded to explain how to exit the parking garage. Very helpful for directionally challenged people like myself. Finally, he bid me good day and walked off.

He didn't have to do that. It's not part of his job description. But he did it anyway. He executed a random act of kindness. The coolest part about random acts of kindness is that they keep giving. When I am the recipient, I am encouraged to be the provider the next time around.

What random acts of kindness have you received or provided recently?

Checking Things Off the Someday/Maybe List

2009-03-04T12:52:00.002-06:00

If you're one of those people who have embraced the GTD methodology for freeing up your time and your brain, you may have a Someday/Maybe list. This is the list of stuff you would like to do some day, when you get around to it.

For years, I've had the following things on my Someday/Maybe list: Record a Swedish album, learn to play the guitar (beyond D, G, and Am), and get an EMBA. And for years, I've done very little about it aside from gaze longingly at my list and turn to the "must happen now" list with a sigh.

During my last vacation, I decided that I was done sighing and ready to do something about this list. I got in touch with my dear friend Melissa in Nashville and told her I was coming down for some recording fun. One month and two sessions later, we have the guitar and vocal tracks for seven Swedish folk songs recorded and ready. Some instrumental tracks and mixing remain, but it feels like we're 80% there. Melissa, you rock!

Todd knows about my Someday/Maybe list, so he got me a Fender for my birthday. It is beautiful. I am paying for Rebecka to take lessons and then the plan is that she is going to teach me. I'm giving her piano lessons in return. I like the concept of trading services. :)

Once I can effortlessly play any number of songs on the guitar, I'll start worrying about the EMBA.

One thing at a time.

Light A Candle

2009-02-27T16:54:00.007-06:00

When I was last in Sweden, I was re-inspired to light candles. Everywhere I went, people were lighting candles. Taper candles, tea candles, scented candles, and every other candle you can imagine. My new philosophy is that candles are not just for special occasions, but should be lit as often as possible. For example, eating by candlelight should not be reserved for your anniversary dinner.

One morning last week, I could sense that Rebecka was having a horrible, terrible, very bad, no good day. As she stomped off to take Sophie for her morning walk, I decided I would cook her a nice breakfast and light the tea candles in our Ittala candle holders on the kitchen table. When she returned from the walk and saw the prepared table, her sprits lifted and suddenly, life wasn't so bad.

Lighting a candle before bedtime creates a calm that's required to help everybody wind down after a busy day. I like to light a scented candle on our bar in the kitchen and turn out the lights after dinner to help soothe the mood and get ourselves centered for sleep.

Sometimes, I light a candle in the bathroom and take my shower in its flickering light. It's a pretty serene experience.

And the best part is that you can create insanely cozy moments with very little investment in time and money.

All you have to do is light a candle!

Royal News Flash

2009-02-26T12:28:00.004-06:00

My dad informed me yesterday that the Swedish Crown Princess, Victoria, is engaged to be married to Daniel Westling in 2010. Click here for more info and the announcement video on YouTube (yes, Sweden is progressive...). Congratulations to the happy couple!

This may be surprising, but I definitely have a soft spot for the whole monarchy concept. Being from a country with an active and popular royal family makes life just a bit more fairytale-like.

I understand the concerns around the expense that is the royal family with their castles and gowns and expensive educations. Indeed, their lifestyle doesn't exactly gel with the voluntary simplicity philosophy to which I strive to adhere. At the same time, there is something to be said for history, tradition, and national pride. If a royal family stems from a line of respected leaders, helps us carry on rich traditions and make the people feel proud and happy, then it may just be worth the expense.

Long live the King!

A Chocolate A Day

2009-02-25T12:32:00.003-06:00

Do you sometimes (or always) feel like eating something sweet after a meal? I do! In order to satisfy this craving, I would often eat a full-fledged desert (which I still do on occasion, btw) or head down to the snack machine for some peanut m&ms. Not healthy!

My new trick is to eat one piece of chocolate after meals - especially after lunch. And it has to be good chocolate. Godiva and Lindt are examples of good chocolate. There are also some excellent organic varieties. This little nibble of goodness takes care of the craving and doesn't add hundreds of calories to my daily intake.

It's a win-win situation!

Pace Yourself!

2009-02-24T18:37:00.003-06:00

As I was driving the 4+ hours from Decorah, IA to Milwaukee, WI yesterday, I decided embark on a little experiment. I had brought a granola bar from Todd's snack stash for my mid-morning snack. In the spirit of enjoying everything down to its essence, I challenged myself to make the granola bar last for 20 minutes. I took a small bite, chewed until there was nothing more to chew, waited for a minute, took another small bite, carefully chewed, and so on. I have never experienced a granola bar this way before. It was as if I became intimately familiar with each little oat and nut as I slowly crushed them into swalloable fuel.

In fact, it was so much fun that I tried it a couple of hours later when Rebecka and I decided to share a banana to hold us over until we got home and could eat lunch. Yep - I made half of a banana last for 20 minutes. I wonder if a banana has ever been savored in this manner (at least in the US).

This little food experiment made me think about how the concept of "pace yourself" really is always a good idea. Think about it:

Pace yourself at work: Nobody wins when good employees burn out.
Pace yourself when you run: You don't want to have to quit the race before you reach the finish line.
Pace yourself when you eat: You will enjoy your food more, you will know when you've had enough, and your stomach and intestines will thank you.
Pace yourself in life: Take a day off every week, don't try to do everything at once, focus on one goal at a time per Leo's advice.
Pace yourself when you brush your teeth: Three minute rule!

I spent 20 minutes eating dinner tonight - and enjoyed every bite.

Nature Gym Fun

2009-02-21T13:53:00.005-06:00

I am in the process of enjoying the book The Simple Living Guide: A Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joyful Living by Janet Luhrs. One of the chapters is called Health and Exercise. The most interesting concept in this chapter is that of the Nature Gym. This is where you get a new attitude toward chores like mowing the lawn or mopping the floors by realizing the health benefits of physical activity. Or said a different way, the gym does not have monopoly on calorie-burning opportunities.

I had an opportunity to visit the Nature Gym today. Decorah, Iowa experienced a fair amount of snow fall last night (which I drove through and almost slid off the road at one point...) and we woke up to a winter wonderland (once again!). Todd took the first shoveling shift to get us out of the driveway and to the gym (pretty ironic, right...?). However, when we got back, the plow truck had dumped a bunch of snow back onto the lower part of the driveway. Inspired by the Nature Gym concept, I volunteered to take care of it. It was an awesome workout. I'm pretty sure I'll be sore tomorrow in muscles I didn't know I had. And it was fun and refreshing at the same time!

OK, I'm not giving up going to the gym (especially since it currently comes "for free" with our apartment), but it is good to keep in mind that there are other ways to stay in shape and get work done at the same time.

I work out, therefore I am.

Going Green Tips for Various Industries

2009-02-19T12:29:00.007-06:00

When I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Toronto Hilton was definitely taking steps to "Go Green." I fact, I was so impressed, I took a couple of pictures:

Notice the recycling bin under the desk?

Anyway, it got me thinking about the fact that there is a lot that can be done right now, this very minute, immediately to conserve energy. We don't have to wait for a stimulous package (although that is very exciting), a smart grid, or general adoption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Here are some ideas for different industries:

Hotels: Aside from the items described pictorally above, hotels can also provide an option to guests to keep using their towels and sheets if they spend multiple days. I have also seen shampoo/soap dispensers in European hotels. Think about all the plastic that could be saved if hotels didn't carry all those little bottles...

Schools: Don't offer pre-packaged food and require students to sort their trash. I went to school in Sweden and never once ate food that was packaged. Rather, the food was served out of large pans and we poured milk into reusable cups from a milk dispenser. At Rebecka's elementary school, Granbery, the lunch room supervisor was a real tree-hugger and required complete sorting of trash. It can be done!

Retail: OK, I'll call out the obvious here... Charge for bags! And charge a lot. This will teach people to bring their own. Also, if you must continue with plastic bags, make sure they're the quickly decomposing kind.

Offices: This is the one that bugs me the most, because it's so easy. Turn off the lights at night! How often do you drive through a downtown or business park at night and see at least half the lights turned on? It's crazy! At our offices, we have motion sensors which turn the lights off and on. This way, if you're not in the room, the light knows to turn itself off. It's so easy and saves so much energy. Another fun idea is also to set the default print mode to print double-sided. Pretty easy.

You get the point...
The're so much that can be done right now.
Let's do it!

Cherish Downtime

2009-02-18T12:26:00.002-06:00

You know about downtime, right? Those pockets of time when there isn't much going on and you may not even be in a position to do anything productive. Some examples are...

Waiting at the doctor's office
Using public transportation
Saturday afternoon in Decorah, IA (my "retreat home")
Sitting in the car pool line
Waiting for someone to get ready for an outing

If you are like me (that would be Type A), downtime can be stressful. I remember when I was in college and happened to mistake the starting time of a class. I had to wait for about 20 minutes for the class to start without having any materials to read or study. At first, I started to freak out, because I was "wasting time" doing nothing. Then I decided to pull myself together and just closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander. It was fun and relaxing!

Every Tuesday, I take Rebecka to her theater class at a nearby cultural center. I could drop her off and attempt to run errands during this time. However, I have chosen to take this time to sit in the comfy chairs in the lobby and do some recreational reading or just sit and reflect. It is so relaxing. I think I look forward to theater class more than Rebecka does!

How can you be creative and come up with great ideas if you don't take time to sit and think? How will you know yourself? Next time you find yourself in a downtime situation, take advantage of it.

Chillax! (as Rebecka would say...)

You Want to Get Work Done? Try a Productivity Day.

2009-02-17T17:01:00.007-06:00

One of my top productivity tips is taking one day a week to work off-site (ideally disconnected). I have been doing this for several months now on most Tuesdays (doesn't quite work when I'm traveling). There are several reasons to do this:

Getting into the groove of writing something like a requirements document or a proposal or a presentations takes time. In general, it takes more undisturbed time than most people have. So we never get started.
If you are lucky enough to get in the groove, you need at least 1-2 hours of good, focused time to accomplish your goal. This is not going to happen at an office with an open door policy, phones ringing, and Outlook notifications popping up on the screen.
If you really take advantage of your off-site day, you can make a big dent in your personal "todo" list and be readily available to serve everybody else for the rest of the week.
It's good for you to know that the world will not end if you are not in the office for one day.

This practice was reinforced at the Pragmatic Marketing seminar I attended last month. Our instructor, Steve Johnson, emphasized the importance of this habit, especially as it relates to product management professionals. He has declared Thursday as National Product Management Productivity Day. Obviously, it is a good idea for any job where you have to spend significant time focusing and your reality does not allow for this.

So how do you do it?

First you should ask your supervisor. If he or she is hesitant, suggest a trial period followed by an evaluation. With all the awesome work you'll be getting done, it will be a no-brainer.
Second, book the entire day in your calendar for the rest of your life so as to discourage scheduling of important meetings on this day.
Third, say no to any invites (unless you deem the meeting a life or death matter - not likely) that still come through threatening to ruin your productivity day.
And last but not least, find a good, quiet place where you can get some serious work done. I like to work part of the day at home and part of the day at a coffee shop. The library and book stores are other excellent options.

Happy Productivity Day!

Email Processing Habit - Week 1

2009-02-16T12:51:00.004-06:00

One week down and a lifetime to go in my new habit of processing email only three times per day. It is awesome! You will not believe how much work you get done unless you try it for yourself. No pesky email notifications to zap your concentration, no tactical tasks spread out over the course of the day to distract you from higher priority work. Give it a try!

Follow my progress on The Power Of Less forum: click here...

Charity of the Month: The Foreman Fund

2009-02-15T15:41:00.008-06:00

Today, I'm going to tell you the story about how I went to college for free...

I actually went to four different colleges. The first one was Birmingham-Southern College. That's where I met Todd. I had tuition covered here thanks to a scholarship from the Swedish organization "The Sweden-America Foundation." They selected 40 students each year for studies abroad. My scholarship lasted for a year, so I returned to Sweden after a year with Todd in tow. :)

The second college I went to was Linköpings Universitet in Sweden, so that was free by default (isn't socialism cool...?). After a semester studying religion, I decided to drop out so I could work and save up money for our wedding and upcoming move back to the US.

When we moved to Waco, TX (post baby), I decided to go back to school. There was a community college called McLennan Community College (MCC) that seemed like a good starting point. It was cheap, but we had no money. That is when our fabulous church, First Presbyterian Church of Waco, TX, came to the rescue. I applied to The Foreman Fund (run by the church) and received a scholarship that covered the MCC tuition. I went to school two days a week while Rebecka was at Mother's Day Out and attended an evening class or two. MCC was awesome. The teachers loved me because I studied. I learned a lot, especially in History, Social Studies, and English.

However, I couldn't go to school forever at MCC. The only four-year college in town was Baylor University. It was expensive. Really expensive. We were not that hopeful that we could make it work financially, but I applied anyway. One day in the spring of my last semester at MCC, I received an unforgettable phone call. It was the US Ambassador to Sweden, Lyndon Olson Jr. I had met the ambassador on a few occasions since we had common friends (he was from Waco). However, I never imagined that he would call my house. He explained that he had just given a talk at Baylor (he's an alumnus) and that he wanted to give his stipend (around $3,000) toward my education. He continued to say that he would talk to his friend in the development department and see what else he could do. I was speechless and had to fight to hold back my tears. We were not ready to leave Waco and this would hopefully allow us to stay for at least two more years.

When I received my financial aid package from Baylor, I had to do a retake. Full tuition! No, that can't be right. But it was. I was going to Baylor! I ended up with a degree in Computer Science with a 4.0 GPA. I received a comp sci scholarship after my first year at Baylor, which helped with miscellaneous expenses.

The Foreman Fund continued to support me through the Baylor years allowing me to pay for fees and books. I even had enough money to eat lunch at school one day a week! (This was a treat.) It is such an honor to be able to give back to the fund that really changed my life and the life of our entire family.

Thank you First Pres and Ambassador Olson!

Jesus and the Beatles

2009-02-14T14:56:00.005-06:00

Today, my parents sent me a very lovely Valentine's eCard which read:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

The context is John's Gospel and Jesus is giving his disciples final instructions before his death. This is shortly after Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as an example of how they should serve one another.

I think this is a fantastic reminder that we are called to love and to serve. In fact, if everybody in the world took this approach, imagine the possibilities. No wars, no extreme poverty, no gunfights, no domestic violence.... the list goes on.

Like the Beatles sing: "All you need is love."

Think of one way that you can show love toward your neighbor or serve someone today. It will have a beautiful ripple effect that hopefully, one day, will make this world a better place.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Essential Notebook

2009-02-13T12:20:00.002-06:00

I love notebooks. I go to Barnes & Noble and Borders to browse the notebook section and discover what new models are available. (Way cheaper than going to car dealerships, btw...) Whenever I'm in a new city and walk past a store that looks like it might have cool notebooks, I have to stop in. I love to open up a brand-new notebook and think about all the notes that will one day fill the pages. Will it be idea notes, reminder notes, hate notes, love notes, journal notes...?

I love the act of writing notes in my notebooks. The feel of a smooth pen against the paper. Words forming under my touch. Page after page filled with notes that I have composed. Combinations of words that have never before been written. Just for me.

I have an ecojot notebook for work. Here I note down summaries of conversations, reminders, ideas, outlines and drafts for documents, agendas, etc. I also have a smaller notebook that fits in my purse. This is for personal reminders, on-the-go ideas, songs to download, and everything else.

Recently, I added a third notebook to my arsenal. I realized that I have so many great ideas while I run. However, if I want to remember them, I then have to repeat them over and over in my head until I'm back home and can write them down. This clutters up my brain and prevents further exploration for the rest of the workout. Most of the time, I just forget half the ideas by the time I have a chance to write them down. So, I decided to bring a little notebook to the gym. It fits in the cupholder on the treadmill for easy access. When a fabulous idea enters my head, I simply take a quick walking break and jot it down.

Notebooks are essential if you want to use your brain at its full capacity. The reason is that your capability to think creatively is drastically hampered when there's a lot of stuff to remember cluttering your brain. If you force your brain to remember to get the dry cleaning, write the rent check, make an appointment with the CPA, schedule a grooming appointment for your dog, etc, there is not much room left for strategic thinking, creative composition, focused research or whatever brings you closer to your overall life goals.

Fashion experts talk about the essential little black dress...
I'm all about my essential little black notebook.

Above All, Exercise

2009-02-12T12:44:00.003-06:00

I know that exercise doesn't technically fit into the "essentials" of life like water, sleep, food, and air. However, I firmly believe that if you or someone you care about is depressed, sick, unhealthily overweight, or otherwise not enjoying life, the first habit to change is to start exercising on a regular basis.

Think about it... Numerous studies show that exercise is good for the phyche. A 30 minute walk each day can be the salvation for someone suffering from depression. Personally, I know my mood is affected after a few days of not working out. People around me know when I haven't been running. I even read a story once about a psychologist who takes his clients for runs. And it works!

Everybody knows that exercising is good for physical health, but many people still do not exercise because of various reasons. But there is no good reason not to exercise. It's OK start small with just 10 minutes of walking. The beauty of exercise is that it will lead into better sleeping and eating habits, which also contribute to better health. When you exercise, you feel like eating food that is good fuel for your body. When you exercise, you have an easier time sleeping and you crave sleep.

If I encounter anybody with problems or who has a loved one with problems, the first thing I ask is: "Are they exercising?" If not, that is the place to start.

Everything else will follow...

Smart Grid 101

2009-02-11T19:50:00.002-06:00

Click here for the PDF...

Listen To Your Body

2009-02-11T12:37:00.005-06:00

I have a secret...

My body talks to me. It really does. Not with human words, per se, but it definitely has very effective means of communication. Let me give you some examples:

I have a specific amount of food (and types of food) that I should eat each day to feel good. When I don't eat enough, my body tells me with a very growly sound. When I eat too much or the wrong kind of food, my intestines say: "Please stop!" Just last night, I could tell I had eaten just a tad too much by how my body was communicating with me. It was no surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and weighed 2 two pounds more than the weight I generally maintain. So I evaluated what I ate the previous day and determined that I probably shouldn't have had that hot cocoa at Caribou Coffee. Next time, I'll go for the hot tea (except I always forget!).

When I'm in a bad mood (or Rebecka greets me with a "Is somebody having a bad day?"), I stop and try to determine the cause. Is it that time of the month? No... Did something frustrating happen at work? No... Then I'm probably overtraining. Time to take a day off or modify the training plan a bit. My knees will also let me know when it's time to take a break or get new shoes.

My head is hurting. Hmmm... It normally doesn't hurt. Oh, I probably haven't been getting enough sleep. Think back... Yep, 7 hours here, 6 1/2 hours there. That's not enough. Time to be more diligent about getting to bed on time.

Lack of sleep is also not good for running... This morning, my body was telling me: "I'm feeling pretty tired. Could we take some walking breaks during the run today?" So I modified my workout to include a 1/20 mile walk break every half mile. It helped me do all five miles.

Last week, my body was telling me that something was not quite right. "I'm feeling a little hot and tired. I may be coming down with something. You should take a day off and nip it in the bud." I stayed home for a day and felt much better.

You may already be an expert listener to your body. That's awesome. However, if you tend to ignore the communications from your body, make a habit of listening and you'll be able to live in harmony with yourself and the rest of the world.

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen."
-Ernest Hemingway

Doing the Unknown

2009-02-10T20:43:00.005-06:00

You may find this hard to believe, but I actually dread doing the unknown. This coming from the person who permanently moved to a different country at the tender age of 21 and decided to major in computer science without knowing anything about computers other than Juno email and Microsoft Word. But when it comes to everyday life, I generally shy away from new activities if I think there is a chance that I will mess up.

Back in college, It took me months to work up the courage to step on a treadmill when I first started going to the gym. It looked fun and all the really fit girls were on the treadmills, but there were just too many possibilities for me to mess up. After too many workouts on the elliptical machine, I finally decided to try this unknown contraption. I didn't fall off. In fact, I never have.

The other week, Todd and I went to Whole Foods in Milwaukee. It's a fantastic store with an underground parking garage (which is especially awesome in the dead of winter!). When we were done shopping, we needed a way to get our cart down to the lower level. I started walking toward the elevator (I know how to operate an elevator), but Todd suggested we put our cart on the newfangled cart escalator and ride down next to it. My first instinct was not to do it. What if I did it wrong and the cart tipped over?? What if somebody saw me doing it wrong??? Todd convinced me to try it and the cart made it down safe and sound (as did we).

Yesterday, I had a breakthrough in the "doing the unknown" department. I had just reached the workout room and was about to fill up my Klean Kanteen bottle at the water cooler when trickle, trickle, trickle, gone! Here's the kicker: I have never replaced the water jug in a water cooler. I have encountered many empty water coolers at work, hotels, gyms, etc. But I have never replaced one, because I don't know how they work and I might spill water all over the place. This time (since there were no witnesses), I decided I would give it a try. I removed the empty jug. No problem. I removed the cover on one of the jugs sitting on the floor. Aha, I was starting to get it now… when I placed the jug onto the water cooler, the tip on the water cooler would punch a hole in the top of the jug and water would start to flow. Ingenious. Five gallons of water is pretty heavy, but I managed to hoist it up there and soon I had fresh water from Mountain, WI pouring into my water bottle. What a success!

Fortunately, my struggle with doing with the unknown seems to apply mostly to small, everyday activities rather than big, life-impacting endeavors. However, imagine if this applied to all aspects of your life. How limiting it would be. It may tie you to the same job forever or to a city that you hate. An interesting "take-charge-of-your-life" book that I just read, Career Renegade, speaks to this topic and indicates that fear of the unknown is often a factor that prevents people from realizing their dreams and doing what they love. Leo at zenhabits wrote a similar post today talking about facing your fears. It's so liberating.

Now that I am aware of this limitation, however small, I am going to be a lot more cognizant of my attitude toward doing the unknown. It will be an interesting journey with some "mess-ups" along the way.

Wonder what I'll try tomorrow…

New Habit: Email Processing

2009-02-09T12:55:00.004-06:00

Today, I started my first 30 Day Power of Less Challenge via zenhabits. My goal is to check work email only three times per day. This is to improve focus and concentration as well as save time by processing email in batch. I don't have a limit as to how many emails I read/respond to/etc. I think getting it down to just three times a day is a big enough challenge to start with. My schedule is as follows:

9:00 AM
1:00 PM
4:30 PM

I have blocked my calendar during these times so I can make sure to stick with the regular schedule. In between these times, I keep Outlook on the "Offline" setting. I can already tell that I am being more productive and using alternate (and better) means of communication such as picking up the phone or walking down the hall to resolve simple issues or ask a question.

More time for me...

Pajama Day (aka Remember the Sabbath)

2009-02-08T19:45:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, I read a chapter in The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs called "Time." The main theme of this chapter was "reclaiming your time," discussing everything from "Do One Thing at a Time" to "Leave Your Job at Work." It was a lot of information I already knew, but you know how you learn things and then stuff it into a few cells somewhere in the back of the brain and then forget? Reading these types of books and articles are good reminders.

The most important reminder for me was "Religious or Not, Rest One Day a Week." God wasn't kidding when God gave this commandment to Moses way back when. It is a really good idea. In fact, humans need the break. I'm not a fan of the Little House in the Big Woods style "sabbath," where you have to sit on a chair all day and read the Bible. I am, however, a believer in the "go with the flow and do only relaxing activities" style sabbath. But I had forgotten.

I used to think my parents were crazy for not wanting to go shopping on Sundays. I mean, wouldn't that be the perfect after-church activity? Now, I totally get it. I have a friend who refuses to cook on Sundays. Instead, she takes her family out for Sunday lunch every week. Others may go for a walk around the lake or make sure they don't mow the lawn on their day of rest.

I decided to remember the Sabbath today. Rebecka and I had a "stay in your pajamas" day and did exactly what we felt like doing. I worked out, enjoyed a leisurly breakfast with Becka, read, took a nap, cooked salmon, and watched the coolest movie of 2008 - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I do have to admit that I also did two loads of laundry, but only because I felt like it and I knew it would prevent stress in the days to come. It was a good Sabbath.

Coincidentally, while I was still composing this post in my head, Rebecka created a new blog and wrote her first post. Guess what it was called...

Pajama Day
I think she enjoyed it too...

A Great Saturday Morning

2009-02-07T12:07:00.003-06:00

As soon as I woke up, I knew something was different. As I gained consciousness, I realized what it was. First, I wasn't exhausted and second, I wasn't freezing. I literally jumped out of bed, got dressed in my workout clothes and went to release Sophie from her captivity in the bathroom.

I decided a walk with the dog was in order. I bundled up as usual and stepped outside. It was amazing. For the first time in months, I didn't feel cold outside. In fact, it felt just right. Sophie and I jogged merrily down streets wet from the melting snow. I took some deep breaths and marveled about being able to inhale without coughing from the cold.

Next, it was time for the pre-workout snack of bumpers, banana, and milk. I enjoyed reading a few chapters of Power of Less by Leo Babauta, the author of the zenhabits blog. Once the food was at least somewhat digested, I headed over to the workout room. It was empty (that's the way (aha aha), I like it (aha aha)). I enjoyed a leisurely workout accompanied by VH1 (love the song Lucky - Rebecka is downloading it for me):

10 minute warm-up on treadmill
abs
10 minute run on treadmill
preventive physical therapy for my finicky knees
10 minute cool-down on treadmill
2 x upper body weight circuit
stretch

Aaaahhhhhh...

When I got back to the apartment, I fixed breakfast and ate it while finishing a chapter called "Time" in The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. More on that tomorrow. By this time, Rebecka had crawled out of bed and it seemed like a good time for a "15 minute tidy." It's amazing how much you can get done very quickly if you give yourself a time limit. I ended going over the time by a few minutes, but within 30 minutes our entire apartment was decluttered and clean. I love living in a small space more than I can express.

The shower was waiting for me, so I lit a candle, turned off the overhead light and took a soothing shower. Aaaaaahhhhh... (again) At this point, it was time for more food, so I made smoothies for me and Rebecka. Smoothies are such a good power food, because they fill you up, taste great, and are good for you. How's that for a great Saturday morning?

If only Todd were here, this would be a perfect morning.

Charity of the Month: Fair Trade

2009-02-06T12:27:00.009-06:00

OK, so this is really January's charity, but I'm a big believer in the "better late than never" methodology.

When we lived in Nashville, one of my favorite stores was the Ten Thousand Villages in Green Hills. Their vision is as follows:

One day all artisans in the developing countries will earn a fair wage, be treated with dignity and respect and be able to live a life of quality.

The way it works is that Ten Thousand Villages markets products made by artisans in developing countries in North America and pays these manufacturers a fair wage in return. It's such an awesome idea.

When we moved up north, I was thrilled to learn that there was a similar store nearby called Plowshare Center. For our January charity, we joined this non-profit with a family membership. In addition, I have a goal this year to buy as many gifts as possible at this store. They have something for everybody! Here is my favorite personal purchase:

Of course, the RFPD (Rebecka Fashion Police Department) will not be seen in public with me wearing this hat, but I enjoy it. I also very much enjoy fair trade chocolate.

For more information on fair trade go to the Fair Trade Federation's website.

Shopping never felt so good...

The Smart Grid Dream

2009-02-05T12:24:00.004-06:00

Our current "grid" is not smart. At least, that's what GE indicated during their recent Super Bowl ad. Others agree. The organization, Repower America, indicates that our grid is "...old, balkanized and too limited in its reach." They are right. It doesn't encourage use of renewable energy sources and doesn't know how to store energy for use at peak energy consumption times.

The good news is that there are a lot of smart people out there working on fixing this problem. The solution is a modern network that can efficiently and quickly transport electricity all over the country. It is a smart grid that can store energy when there is an abundance and use it elsewhere. It is a smart grid where consumers can control their usage levels and sell energy back to the electricity company. Sounds like a win-win situation.

It is excititng to see big and well-established companies like GE taking large steps toward solving this problem. They have an excellent and fun website where you can learn more about what they are doing to help create the smart grid: Eco Imagination

Another cool company working on the consumer and utility company side of things is GridPoint. Their mission is "to make the Smart Grid a reality by aligning the interests of electric utilities, consumers and the environment." Pretty awesome.

Obviously, this will also require some help from Washington D.C. We need regulations that encourage investors to pour money into renewable energy and the smart grid. This is where you can help. Go to this site to learn more and raise your voice for clean energy.

Additional resources:
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
http://www.gridwise.org/
http://www.smartgridnews.com/

Dream, be smart, and save the planet.

Product Management Habits

2009-02-03T18:12:00.002-06:00

Leo over at zenhabits wrote a good post yesterday about "Groundhog Day Resolutions." His point is that New Year's Day does not have monopoly on being the day to start new habits and generally engage in life-improving activities.

Along these lines, I have laid out a plan for my team to make a monthly resolution to embrace a new Product Management habit. Some of these "tasks" we already do, but perhaps not on a regular basis or not as well as we could if we tried really hard.

Here are some of the habits on our list for 2009:

Weekly customer/potential interviews
Surveys to quantify feedback obtained in interviews
Win/Loss analysis
Validation process (ties in with surveys)
Create a positioning document for each product/persona/industry
Competitive Analysis (do it and store it all in one easy-to-reference location)
Work offsite one day per week

The trick with habits is that you can't create a bunch of habits at once. Leo would say that you should do one at a time. It is so true. The good news is that once you've got a habit down, it becomes second nature and you can start focusing on the next habit without losing the habits you gained previously.

One step at a time...

Practical Product Management

2009-02-02T12:27:00.002-06:00

Product Management is an interesting field. It is a profession that people generally end up in by accident and then figure it out on the job (or not...). I don't know many children who say: "I want to be a product manager when I grow up."

I definitely belong to the category of accidental product managers. I was introduced to product management almost five years ago when I went to our then SVP of Engineering to ask for a software engineering job. He talked to me for a little while and then said: "What I really need right now is a product analyst. You seem to have people skills. I think you would be great at it!" I didn't know at all what a product analyst was or did, but I decided to go for it. I learned a lot along the way (and even taught some people about product management along the way), but I also felt that there was still more to learn (isn't there always?).

In order to make sure that I immersed myself into the most current thought-leadership as it relates to product management (and didn't miss anything), I decided to attend a Pragmatic Marketing(R) seminar called "Practical Product Management." I was lucky enough to have as my instructor Steve Johnson, a "recognized thought-leader on the strategic role of product management." He was extremely funny in a very sarcastic way and definitely understood the plights of your average product manager.

Steve introduced the group to the "Pragmatic Marketing Framework" which systematically walks through 37 aspects of product management from the strategic, to the "geeky," to the "fluffy." I won't get into the details here, because if you're interested, you should attend the seminar. However, I will give you the highlights of my experience:

Determine and focus on distinctive competence.
Make sure to ask the question: "Who are we not?"
Product managers should be experts on the market, not the product.
You have to understand the "day in the life" of your customers and potential buyers/users.
Nothing Interesting Happens In The Office (NIHITO).

As a fanatic of productivity tips and practice, I also appreciated that Steve provided some techniques around email management and my favorite tip: "Thursday is National Product Management Productivity Day." For me it's Tuesday, but the important point is that product managers need time away from the office to get their product management work done every week. More than any role, we get pulled in a million directions every minute of the day and need the block of focused time to work on white papers, market research, or any number of other activities which require space and time for thought.

I highly recommend this seminar to anyone who is in product management or product marketing. There are other seminars available on the Pragmatic Marketing website as well.

"Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant..."
Pragmatic Marketing

Six Red Roses

2009-01-30T21:25:00.015-06:00

When I arrived home late last night after a week of travel, the first thing I saw when I walked in the door was this beautiful bouquet of red roses saying "I love you!" and "Welcome home!" It made me happy.

What I didn't know at the time, is that the arrangement and the vase with its red bow was not a packaged deal. My beloved husband actually arranged it himself and tied the ribbon around the vase. He is sooooooo sweet!

I love you, babe!