Not dead yet

Just a short post to let you know that I am not dead yet, just overwhelmed and stressed in my job. I started a new job as a product manager, and am traveling out of town quite a bit. Lots to talk about when I find a few calm moments. Life can be like this, can't it?

For those of you rooting me on in my effort to lose weight with the Southbeach Diet (yes, I'm vain enough to think that the entire world cares about my weight!) here's the latest diet update: Miraculously, I'm still with it. Started at 203 in mid April, now down to 184. 19 pounds and counting my way down to 180. I hit a wall around 186 and stayed there for a couple weeks, but now seem to be on the way down again.

Parade of Caravans, and thoughts about E85

Because my wife was out of town the past week, I got to drive her car: the Dodge Caravan. Most days I drop the five year old off at his school for kindergarten, and she picks him up. In the evening she gathers all three kids from daycare, so thats why she needs to drive the minivan.

Driving the Caravan is not altogether unpleasant, even though I had always dreaded getting a minivan. But after the third child arrived, resistance was futile: we needed the van the port around the kids and their stuff.

Pulling into the school parking lot is like being part of the Caravan parade. Every other vehicle is a Dodge Caravan, and every other Caravan is red (like ours). There is very little individuality in owning a Caravan, but plenty of practicality.

Yet my feelings of individuality took a mighty step forward a couple of weeks ago, when we realized that the Dodge Caravan is a flexible fuel vehicle, going back to at least 2000. This means that we can fuel the van with E85, a fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Minnesota is hot on E85, and a fueling station opened on the road to kindergarten.

Although there are 2 million flexible fuel vehicles on the road in the U.S., most people are not burning E85 fuel, because they simply don't know that the vehicle can use E85.Y ou may be already driving one and not even know it.

Jane and I have always been recyclers. We care about the environment and we've changed some of our routines to be a bit more green, but we're not hard core. The idea of owning energy efficient and alternative fuel cars has always been appealing, but we felt it would not be "practical."

Without even knowing it, we have been driving a car that could not only meet our families needs, but also help meet our need to feel as though we're making some small contribution to society by a) burning a fuel that is made in America by farmers, b) easier on the environment by emitting less pollutants, and c) helping to wean this country off of its dangerous dependence on middle east oil.

And here's the great news: E85 costs 50 cents a gallon less than regular unleaded, at least in our town. That saves us about $7 each time we fill up. This fuel makes loads of sense, folks!

I'm only on the third tankful of E85, but our Caravan doesn't seem to run any differently. There is a slightly degraded MPG, but this is more than offset by the lower price of E85 fuel.

So if you own a Caravan, or if you want to know if your car can burn E85 fuel, visit this site. Try a tankful and let me know what you think.

---
Diet Update: Still stuck at 189. Dang! Might actually have to resort to exercise.

Dear God...

Thanks for my kids. What a blessing they have been in my life. Thanks for the chance to mop up their vomit, wipe their butts, and dab the snot from their noses. I praise you every time they break something in the house, because it reminds me that earthly treasures are fleeting. Thanks for when they are sick and I have to explain to my boss why I couldn't be at that important meeting (again), because important meetings are overrated.

Thanks for the chance to pick up their toys, make their beds, and drive them all over your earth. I'm glad to throw away the perfectly good meal I labored to make for them because it looked or smelled "funny." Although I don't like to waste good food, I'll endure the frustration and insult because of the privilege it is to be their father.

In a world that places so many demands on my attention and time, please keep reminding me that these kids are the most important thing in our lives.

Forgive me for occasionally losing my patience, and for the times that I just flat out screw up. I'm only human, and being a father is a superhuman job. Therefore, I welcome your influence in my life to make me a better father. You know better than anyone that I need your help.

Please work in my kids lives.

Amen.

PS -- Thanks for their mom. I don't know how I could cope with being a father if I didn't have her encouragement, reassurance and help.

Moving On, part II

What a difference a week can make. I've officially accepted a position with a Canadian company, and I start this week. I'll be working out of my home for awhile. This new job ought to be good for the family from a financial perspective (I have some serious pent up consumer demand). If you consider all of the expenses I'm eliminating, I'll probably make 3x my 2004 salary, and about 15% more than I made during my last year at Microsoft (36% more if my bonus kicks in). Bully for me.

The downside will be that I will be traveling again, but the upside is that if this job works out Jane will be able to cut back on her hours and perhaps even leave her job (her wish, not mine). Having a parent at home has been a goal of ours. The plan was always to have her cut back, although for awhile this year it looked like I might be a stay-at-home dad.

Jane is in England this week, and I have all three of the kids. Wouldn't you know, the two oldest kids came down with a bad case of 5-day "late season influenza B", according to the pediatrician. So it has been a bit of a trial, complete with mopping vomit. Sometimes I really miss my wife.

Jane called this afternoon from England. She's enjoying her visit, and I can take heart that she feels so guilty for leaving me at home with two sick kids. She made the trip because her mom is moving into an assisted living facility, and she's there to help her with the move. Before we had such a large entourage, Jane and I would travel together to England. With the British pound so strong against the dollar, and airline tickets up around $700 for the round trip, we just couldn't afford it this year for the family. Maybe next year when I'm making better money...

Diet update: 189. The rapid weight loss seems to have plateaued.