Year: 2008

Graduating from high school in 1992, means that I (by law I think), knew every line from Wayne’s World. There was not a single conversation between my friends and I that didn’t reference it in some way. In fact, (sadly) we still do today. While it ranked up there as one of the most quotable movies of the 1990s, there are a couple life lessons that Wayne and Garth can teach us. [more] “Live in the now”, Garth I see friends and family suffer from “plan-atitis” all of the time. At points in my life, I to have suffered from it. Life does not have a “perfect destination”. You can plan, scrimp, save, align, whatever, for that house, baby, debtless living, but do not do so at the expense of the present. This is the only time you will be so-and-so years old. This is the only time you will …keep reading …

Every December we work diligently to plan for the following year’s Summer vacation.  We go over all the options, costs, ideas, etc. until we work out a preliminary itinerary.  This year the plan was an adventure vacation to New England, to include rafting, kayaking, and more.  But that all changed…

The day after Thanksgiving, each year, Orlando SpeedWorld holds their semi-annual Crash-A-Rama event.  Imagine normal round track races, with a twist. Instead of simply racing, each race has variables added to them to make it more difficult for the drivers, and more entertaining for the spectators. For instance…

I have, like a lot of people, been taking a good hard look at my fuel consumption and cost for my car.  I drive a 2001 Nissan Xterra on my daily 30 mile round-trip commute.  This vehicle also serves as the tow vehicle for my boat.   My current gas mileage in the Nissan is ranging between 15 and 18 MPG. Over the past couple of months, I've been exploring various options to help reduce costs.  I've looked at swapping cars with my wife (Chevrolet Venture), getting a smaller commuter car, and a motorcycle. [more] My wife's commute is slightly shorter than mine, but she encounters much more traffic than I do.  So trading would provide no net gain.  A smaller car would lower fuel costs, but the fact that I need to maintain the Xterra for a tow vehicle, simply adds to overall costs due to insurance. Lastly is the …keep reading …

How do you know when you are “grown up”? Is it when you turn 18? Is it when you buy your first house? I don’t think so. To me being grown up is that point when you make the best decisions for well-being of your family, not what appear to be best to others. It is that point when you ask and truly listen to the advice of your peers. It is that point when you realize your children’s lives are more important than your own. It is that point when you choose sacrifice over comfort. It is that point when others are able to learn from your mistakes, because you let them.