It is that time for my daughter... braces! She is actually looking forward to getting them so she can show off that perfect smile. I am also since I am fed up with her scared to show her teeth in photos. There have been a lot of advancements since I had braces many years ago (not going to say how many). No more bands around the teeth and the mounts are smaller so you don't look like Jaws from Moonraker. Now they actually use a screw in your jaw to anchor the bands and when they are done they just unscrew it. Sounds awful but is supposed to hurt less. Now the time they need to be worn is about half what it used to be, but somehow the price has remained the same.

Tally for the summer so far:
Band Camp: $400
Teeth Extraction: $530
Braces Down Payment $1000
Straight teeth and a summer to remember: Priceless (or else)

I have been acting as a single parent for the past 2 months. My wife is on an extended work assignement out of town. I have to say that keeping up with 2 busy kids/teenagers is more than a full time job. To all the single parents out there, I always knew it was tough for you, but it is harder than I imagined. I have family nearby that can help out.. I can't imagine being able to cope without them. One more month and my wife is back. I plan on not getting out of bed for about a week.

After a trip to San Francisco, I made a few observations on the drivers there. There have been many stories of road rage on the overcrowded highways of California, more so in LA but in SF is not much different. In particular I would like to talk about rush hour traffic in and out of the city. The number of people commuting into the city is mind boggling, but I noticed a distinct lack of aggression. Everybody seemed to work together to move the whole at the best rate possible. Let’s compare this to a similar commute into Austin. The distance is the same, the number of lanes may be 1 or 2 less than their CA counterparts, but there are half as many cars on the road. Then why is it so much more dangerous in Austin. The drivers are much more aggressive; change lanes more often, cut corners and generally drive with no consideration of the ones around them. Why is this so? Are Californians more laid back, are they smarter, are they more skilled drivers? Or, are they just more experienced. They have been where we are and learned to handle the situation positively. So, does this mean Austin is on its way to better days, I can only hope. In any event I will start. I will change: Slower speeds, less tailgating, less lane changes. I trust it can work, I have seen it.

You know those lessons you learn (possible the hard way) that you figure you will never forget.

Write them down.

So here's one...

When dealing with a stubborn tie-rod end, use a pickle bar.

And that's all I'm going to say about that so don't ask, just mind your own business.

Hope 2009 is treating everybody well. The holiday season can be so stressful. A time when you should really be slowing down a bit to catch up with family and friends seems to be so frantic that you forget to actually slow down. You work so hard to have a great holiday that you work right on through and miss it in the end. For our family the holiday season keeps rolling right on through January. Last count of birthdays and anniversaries celebrated by my family in January is up to around 7. So things really get back to normal in February, but being the shortest month of the year it never seems like it is enough. So everybody that feels there is never enough time, I feel your pain. Let’s make 2009 a year for planning ahead, reconnecting and taking a few deep breaths. Think about it and get back with me, you know, when you have time.