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Putting on the brakes…

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Life is moving so quickly. Too quickly.

It seems that there’s always that push between Halloween and New Year’s where the remainder of the year simply disappears amidst a sea of preparations for all that is to come. Aside from the major holidays, we have two birthdays in there: Keenan’s at the beginning of November and S’s at the beginning of December. Whew!

So, I really thought that January would bring this sense of calm, a time of peace. I wanted to relax. Only, it really hasn’t been shaping up that way. Nope. We’re still in overdrive.

Rachel has been sick. S and I have been killing ourselves with some of our personal projects. Keenan, thankfully, has chipped in around the house more…almost without complaint. Eh. Close enough.

So the kids went to their father’s this weekend. And we sat on couch after their departure and just breathed. We didn’t hang out with the neighbors, although there was evidence that hanging on was happening. We only managed to think about dinner around 8pm. It was a lazy lazy night. We needed to decompress.

We need to slow things down. Rachel is going to be gone too soon. Keenan isn’t too far back on her heels. (He’ll be a high school freshmen the year she’s a college freshmen.) And I feel time slipping through my fingers like the proverbial sands through the hour glass.

The best we can hope for is that we have built our bonds so that they stay close. I think we’re doing okay. We’re trying.

I’m not sure what the rest of the weekend holds, but I plan to relax…as soon as I fix the printer and clean the house and make our traditional morning meal. I plan to hang out with friends…if they are willing to stop by. And I plan to get some much needed errands accomplished…all things related to our plans and ability to plan. (We need a new calendar in the office and the printer is about out of ink.)

We need to take more time to smell the roses. (Unless they are being made by Rachel.) We need to take more time to admire art. We need to have fun and create wonderful back stories for our life.

And we need to somehow figure out how to keep from being dull as we pursue our dreams. 2011 has come in like a lion. Now we need to master our roar.

PS. If you get a chance, check out my post on Shine for the Yahoo! Mother Board. It’s all about encouraging kids to pursue their dreams.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 4 Comments »

Happiness is being blanketed in love…

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

I’ve always liked purple. It’s a good thing, too. Ever since I started working with Yahoo! last February, I’ve been accumulating A LOT of it. And there is also a growing amount of Yahoo! and Yahoo! related stuff around the house. The best part, all but one item (which was a souvenir for S) I received as gifts!

So, Saturday while I was in Raleigh, I kept checking my email on the phone. It was torture. Every time someone sends anything to the Yahoo! Mother Board email, we all receive it. By 10am, I knew to expect a gift. And not just any gift, if the flurry of grateful emails was any indication, a fantastic blanket.

Well, there was no box when I returned on Sunday. And when I arrived home from work on Monday, I was almost afraid to ask. Then, I saw it. No one else had apparently. The box was still outside.

I carried it in and opened it with a giggle. Inside was the Yahoo! tissue paper. (Did I not mention they are the BEST at branding?) And once I pulled back those layers with the reverence that is due anything that is wrapped with such care, I discovered an incredible blanket, purple with the Yahoo! logo in one corner, lambs wool on one side. And the purple side is some kind of almost micro-suede. Yeah. It’s an incredible blanket.

Like the good mother I am, I draped it over Rachel as she sat in the lounge chair reading. Then, after dinner, it was all mine.

And I have to tell you, even though it was hard waiting for it. The arrival of the blanket couldn’t have been more timely. We had received some bad news in the mail. Tensions were running high. To be able to wrap up in that blanket was like having all my friends on the Mother Board give me this incredible hug.

Hope and happiness come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. These days, my happiness is purple and warm and fuzzy. These days that Yahoo! keeps feeding me opportunities, I manage to remain hopeful.

Life will get better. And I will stay warm. Nothing like a little long distance love wrapped in a cozy reminder that I am appreciated, that I matter. Thank you, Yahoo!, Jeanne, and Amy. I can feel the love from 3000 miles away.

PS. I’m hoping to get a little more love. My Yahoo! Mother Board post for this month was a recap of the top 10 posts of the year on the blog. Looking back over it all, it was quite the roller coaster. Check it out.

PPS. Don’t forget to enter the vacation giveaway. A new winner is being picked each month for some amazing destinations. Extra entries are offered if you Like me on Facebook and Twitter follow me through their entry form.

Posted in Happiness is..., Yahoo! Mother Board | 3 Comments »

The Yahoo! Kindness Project: how good grows

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

yahoo mother board Once again, I am deeply honored to work with Yahoo!. As a member of the Mother Board, I was given some money to participate in their newest project, spreading a ripple of kindness. And, I’m hoping you will not only help me decide how to spread the kindness, but will also be inspired to create some ripples yourself.

So, if you had $100 to work with, how would you make a difference in someone’s life?

Some of the women…

Purchased and passed out Starbucks gift cards.
Bought donuts for people at a donut shop
Picked a charity to gift
Paid for postage at the post office
Sent money to a family in need

But you know me. I don’t want to necessarily be like everyone else. I had this desire and determination to be original. And I have been struggling because I personally know some families who could use the money. Should I be a secret Santa and send them money orders? Will that make enough of a ripple? Do I find random acts of kindness to perform in every day life? (Think Pay it Forward…) Every once in a while that will happen in a drive thru around town and there will be a report about people inspired to pass it on for hours. That could be cool.

Or maybe I should do a combination of things. If there’s anything I feel compelled to do, it’s make a big ripple. I’d love some ideas! If you have any, please share them.

And more importantly, remember that creating your own ripple doesn’t have to be costly. Go to the Yahoo! Kindness Project page and simply get inspired. And then, as you create your own ripple, be sure to go back and post about it. I’m excited to see how big this grows.

Thank you for your input, your support, and hopefully for your action. I want to hear all about it.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 3 Comments »

Feeble attempts at healthy eating…

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

As much as I love food, as big a foodie as I am, you’d think that I would have been instantly inspired by the Yahoo! Mother Board September blog topic: healthy eating. I think it was that one word, that qualifier that threw me for a loop. I think that one word had me re-thinking my approach to meals, to how we were doing in our attempts to eat healthy.

After some careful analysis, I feel better. Really, we’re not doing that bad. Okay, so we eat more fried chicken than any fifty people should. In the scheme of things, we are also frying it in canola oil. I’ve heard good things about canola oil. Lots of good things.

And okay, maybe we could stand to eat more vegetables and fruits, but we can’t be doing that badly. The fruit disappears from the basket almost as quickly as I stock it. And there are rarely vegetable left overs after our meals. We have a lot of salads. Lots. And we try new kinds all the time. Some are big hits…like the Pacific something one with poppy seed dressing and edamame. Some are failures…like the strawberry one with the strawberry vinaigrette dressing and dried strawberry bits.

There is evidence, however, that I have managed to ingrain some good habits. The kids are eating before they leave the house. That’s huge, considering that they are in high school and middle school. I never ate breakfast those years.

And the other night, my daughter made a pronouncement:

Rachel: Mom, this meal is the best idea you’ve had in a long time.

Yes, in an effort to have meals on the table before bedtime after working all day, the meals may get a bit stale, a bit lacking in creativity. So what were the kids so excited about? Well, it was simple really.

I created a baked potato bar.

Yup. Simple. The potatoes were baked in the oven. I steamed broccoli in a bag. There was butter and sour cream and cheese. There was bacon left over from breakfast that I sliced up and crisped in the microwave. We even had some chicken to throw on top. The kids were so excited. And it made me feel guilty.

If it was so simple to make them happy and to spice up our big meal together, what else could I be doing?

I guess this means I’m going to have to dig deep this fall. I’m going to have to find some new and intriguing crockpot recipes. And…my kids have specifically requested that we partake in some red meat once in a while. (Where did I go wrong!?)

They’ll probably live. They’ll survive mealtime. Whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and all that jazz. And this has merely served to prove that meals should be more of a joint effort. I’m thinking if they could start dinner before I get home, we could eat more impressive and exciting meals. Guess what the topic of our next family meeting is going to be? Mwah ha ha.

This post was inspired the Yahoo! Mother Board September blog topic.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 9 Comments »

It’s too soon…

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

I know that there are tons of parents who eagerly await the start of each school year with the same enthusiasm as Christmas. These are the parents who struggle to find day care, or sometimes it’s the ones who are stay at home parents, those that find the organizational structure of the school year simplifies their life. Me, I’m struggling.

Truth be told…

Of all the seasons of motherhood, I like being a summer mother best. Summer means a break from the normal stresses of life. Summer means that I can drop phrases like, “Hurry up and brush your teeth before you miss the bus!” I no longer have to be so alert to homework. Instead, we focus more on housework. (And I LOVE the help.)

In summer, we relax more. We go to the movies during the week! We have sleepovers during the week! We work less and play more even during the week!

Ahhh, sweet sweet summer!

This is the time that I’m a better mother. I don’t have to be so stressed and tense and on top of every little detail. It’s no big deal in the summer of laundry lags. It’s no big deal in the summer if dinners are light and less organized…and late. I’m not inundated with last minute projects that the kids forgot were due TOMORROW. I’m not stuck going to mandatory parent meetings or teacher conferences or open houses that are never at a good time.

No, during summer we are closed for business. We adopt the motto that the place be clean enough to be healthy. We bask in the quality time, the longer hours of sunshine, the neighborhood that has come alive.

Ahhh, the joys of being a summer mother.

And yet here it is again. Here it comes, ready or not. It’s time for another school year. It’s time to batten down the hatches, and focus on school shopping and summer reading assignments and getting back in routines.

Oh, summer! Where art thou?

Seriously. Where have you gone? Why did you leave so quickly?

And I know there are a few more reasons that I’m not eager for this school year. Rachel will be a junior. Yes, as in one year from being a senior. Yes, as in she’s going to go off to college soon and leave me.

*sniffle*

So, I guess I should be reveling in these fleeting moments. I should be soaking in what good times remain. I should be savoring these moments.

I guess I’ll put on my big girl panties and try. I won’t like it though. I want more time. I want more time to prepare. I need to prepare myself for the inevitable, for the kids growing up and getting their own lives. And more, I need to make sure she’s prepared to begin that life. I need to believe that she’ll be just fine on her own. I need to know that I raised her right.

Only time will tell. Time…you fickle fiend. Grrr.

It’s no use fighting it. I might just as well embrace it. Time marches on with or without my permission or approval. Guess that we might as well meet it head on, with book bags filled with paper and notebooks and pens and the like. Guess we must accept it while garbed in fresh outfits and stiff new shoes. Guess we’ll have to face it with new hair cuts and freshly waxed brows.

I’ll bide my time. Soon enough, I’ll be a summer mother once more.

This post was inspired by a topic provided by the Yahoo! Mother Board. The only thing hurt in the writing of this post and the preparing for the new school year was my wallet.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 19 Comments »

Happiness is a Yahoo! Mother Board Dinner at Nola’s…

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

When the buses pulled up in front of Nola’s, I knew I was in for a treat. I like a place that isn’t guilty of false advertising. In the wall over one of the windows was a sign that said: Booze.

Oh, and the booze was FLOWING. It was amazing. I knew we were going to have a great time there. No, not because of the seemingly limitless supply of alcohol, but because of the atmosphere and the company.

Nola’s is a Cajun restaurant, modeled after New Orleans. All the napkins are decorated with beads. Yes, THOSE beads. And if that wasn’t enough, they were going around passing out tons of beads. I came home with so many beads, by the way, that it caused him to remark upon my return…

HIM: So, what did you have to do to get all those beads?

me: Mwah ha ha!

Seriously? I stood there and had them thrown around my neck. Easy peasy.

Well, we had the entire top floor of the restaurant. And it was really cool because there was this central open courtyard area that we looked down on and could see everyone there. On our floor, we spent forever simply mingling.

It was so nice to have an opportunity to talk with everyone, to wind down from such an amazing day, to get one last chance to build a bond with some seriously cool and inspiring chicks. I can’t imagine a better meal.

There were appetizers laid out. I didn’t touch any. I was still full from the other food I’d been eating all day. And because I don’t do a lot of Cajun dining, all I can say is that it looked really good, even if I didn’t recognize it all.

What I did recognize was the alcohol. There were Mojitos and Hurricanes galore. In fact, they kept bringing us pitchers of the Hurricanes. Yay! And they had to be the strongest Hurricanes I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

There was a buffet for dinner consisting of Caesar salad, some Cajun pasta, Cajun fried chicken, flank steak, and some kind of Cajun rice. I know I’m forgetting something. Just trust me when I say there was plenty of food choices. And…despite the fact that I really was not hungry, I did manage to choke down some food. I’m such a trooper.

The best part, however, was the conversation, the mingling. I had a great time talking to everyone. And it was nice to be somewhere that everyone else was as into taking pictures as I was. And it was funny that I knew all these pictures had the same purpose. They would be shared on Flickr and imported into blogs all over the country.

After dinner, and the dessert that I skipped, we made our way to the shuttle stop. It was full and it seemed like I was going to have to wait for an hour with Lisa and MJ before getting back to the hotel. It was 8pm by then and I had to be up at 4am to get ready for the flight back. I would really only be able to hang out for another couple of hours and I didn’t want to waste a minute of it.

Luckily, Sheila came to the rescue. She drove us back to the hotel. Some of the ladies were getting together for Karaoke at a Korean bar. I didn’t see me doing that for sooo many reasons. I can sing, but I’m shy. (I’m the reigning champ on our American Idol video game at home. And we know how accurate that is… Video Simon Cowell is just as brutal as the real one.)

We were given a tour of Palo Alto on the way back. Sheila drove us by the office where Facebook began. That’s right. And she showed us some faulous houses. I only managed to get one blurry picture as we were driving by. Sorry. But trust me, nice houses.

And it was there in the car on the way back that Lisa made the funniest comment out of nowhere. She had been playing with her long dark locks all day, reveling in how smooth they were, frizz-less, nothing like back home. Like so many of the women at the conference, she had attributed this to the magic of the Four Seasons hair dryer. And she had sent a tweet and purchased one, like so many others.

Lisa: Oh my God! I just spent $40 on a hair dryer. And it isn’t the dryer, it’s the lack of humidity. Great!

We all laughed. Still, I did try the dryer the next morning before leaving. It seemed faster, even if I knew the results wouldn’t last the minute I reached Charlotte. Oh, but to dream…

The rest of the evening was a blur. I spoke to the kids. I spoke to HIM. I hung out with Lisa and MJ. We had an impromptu Passion Party in Kim’s room. We went to a pool party where wine flowed. There was much laughter. It was precisely what I needed.

Then it was over. Only, it’s not. I’m still in touch with Lisa. I’ve officially followed all the moms on Twitter, and all the Yahoo! people we worked with. And I feel different. I’m focused. (I try at it more often than I succeed.) I’m determined. I have a plan. I’m moving forward.

Watch me go…

Posted in Happiness is..., Yahoo! Mother Board | 7 Comments »

Friday at Yahoo!

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Let me begin by saying, I wasn’t my best on Friday. It was a stretch. I managed to get about six hours of sleep, which was actually pretty good for me…except that the sleep was very interrupted, not exactly restful. I couldn’t relax without HIM near me. I know, sounds silly, but we are constantly touching in bed, we are ridiculously attuned to one another. And I like that. A lot.

So, I did my best to be alert and perky, but I was running on fumes…until all that caffeine. Yummmmm. Caffeine.

We gathered in the lobby of the Four Seasons and were then herded onto two shuttle buses. Oh, but these weren’t ordinary shuttle buses. These were really macked out shuttle buses, complete with televisions, tinted windows, and tables and drink holders and leather seats and EVERYTHING. Very nice.

Then we drove and arrived on campus. That’s what Yahoo! calls it. And I have to admit, it does have a feel of college life. There are so many cool things, I’ll never be able to remember them all. Oh, but the pictures help. And the first picture I took on campus was of the purple carpet they rolled out for us. Seriously. That and the welcome stickers everywhere we would see them. It made us feel so special and so welcome.

There were more gifts. We checked in and grabbed our name tags, complete with our URL and Twitter. That’s when we were handed another bunch of gifts. Each of us received a Yahoo! laptop bag. And the bag was filled with goodies. We have Yahoo! stickers, and a Yahoo! leather notebook, complete with a Yahoo! ballpoint pen. One of the many great gifts that I treasure is the new Yahoo! Style Guide. It is a huge resource. And later in the day we met the author. He even asked for our feedback after we read and work with the book. Too cool!

Oh, but first (and the first of many many meals that day) BREAKFAST. Yeah. I’m a huge foodie. And Yahoo! constantly delighted my eyes, tickled my taste buds, and fulfilled my dining desires. The attention to detail is what truly impressed me. There were flowers with meals and snacks. At breakfast we had a huge buffet with pound cakes, bagels, fruit, three different times of croissant sandwiches, yogurt, granola, and an array of juices, coffees and teas that would make Starbucks green with envy. Wow. And I tried to be good, really I did.

But I talked to Christina on the bus and we agreed that we have a problem when we go to these things.

Christina: I’m always hungry!

me: I think it’s because our bodies worry about where the next meal is coming from and we feel the need to stock up.

She laughed after admitting the truth to that statement.

And we ate. Then there were opening remarks and breakout sessions. Oh how I loved loved loved our morning breakout sessions. We worked with Flickr and Shine. How many people can say that? And everyone wants to help us be even bigger and better. How often do you have a corporation like Yahoo! urging you on to success, backing you and supporting you every step of the way. We were given one year complimentary Flickr Pro memberships. Yay! (I still have to set mine up. If only they have given me a way to control time or create more usable hours in the day…) And the Shine people want to get us on the Yahoo! front page. Long story. Very exciting.

There was a break in there. And we had snacks. Yeah. It had been a good hour and a half since we’d eaten. We were practically starved. So, I had a mini Milky Way from one of the Yahoo! buckets that lined the counters. They have everything imaginable. There were granola bars and protein bars and candy and breakfast bars and chocolate and well, EVERYTHING! And I grabbed a Coke. (My first of many.)

Then after the morning sessions it was time for lunch. I mean, almost an hour had passed since our snack. Duh. It was back to the buffet. This time there were two different kinds of salad, fancy ones, with champagne vinaigrette dressing. And there was a huge selection of rolls and butter or margarine. And there was an angel hair pasta dish and orzo and apricot chicken. For dessert, rice krispie treats with purple m&ms. These people know how to brand. Seriously.

Lunch was a bit hurried. And during it we had a discussion on online safety for our kids. We watched a movie about a family who lost their daughter to suicide after she became the victim of one silly decision: sexting. It was so sad. We all felt acutely that it could happen to anyone.

Luckily, it was soon time for more breakout sessions. And that’s where it becomes a little tricky. Yeah. There are a lot of new things coming out, new products, new programs. And we have a gag order. Yes, we were Tweeting like fiends during the presentations, a Tweet Deck showing in the main room. Only, we can’t talk about so much stuff. Don’t worry. I’m keeping all my secrets from those sessions. Dammit. Or am I supposed to say…’wine?’ (Inside joke for the Mother Board. Sorry. Guess you had to be there…)

Well, then it was time for afternoon snacks. Again, we hadn’t eaten for a good hour. This time…cupcakes. Yahoo! Mother Board cupcakes. And they were soooo good. Heck. I was soooo good. I limited myself to one, had to have a little chocolate on chocolate action. Yum.

This snack time caused one mother to remark…

Mom: It’s like being on a cruise. All we do is sit and eat.

Too true. Oh, and thank you, Yahoo! My belly, butt, and thighs thank you. (Not HIM so much, but he’s just a guy. What does he know?)

We shopped in the company store. We checked out the campus. We saw people playing basketball during a normal work day. We saw people working out in the gym. We saw them using the foosball tables, the pool table, the air hockey, the free espresso bar, relaxing in the cafeteria and lounging outside. I want to work there. Shoot, I could move in!

Some of the moms thought that people could get a little caught up there and that it might be a tad damaging to their personal lives. I could see where that would happen. I know I didn’t want to leave. Guess that’s why they also sold flowers and had a gift shop. Nothing greases the way to a pleasant evening like some flowers and chocolate. Trust me.

We loaded the buses to head to the restaurant at 5pm. Our heads were spinning. We were on sensory overload. And we were dying to get to work and implement all we had learned.

Come back tomorrow to read about Dinner at Nola’s and the final hours in California…

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 15 Comments »

My first trip to California, courtesy of Yahoo!…

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to organize this. I mean, there is so much to talk about. The Four Seasons in Palo Alto is a post entirely of itself. The entire Yahoo! experience merits more than a few words. Then there are all the many people that I met. And let’s not forget the food. Om nom nom.

Do I tell it to you in chronological order and just be done with it? *sigh* That seems so ordinary, so unlike me. Yet, if I want to get it all in…that seems to be the way to go…

Here it is.

My First Trip to California , Courtesy of Yahoo!

We all know I was a little freaked out at the prospect of flying to California . It’s not the flying part that bothers me as much as the possibility of flaming death from a bad landing. Glad that part is over with.

And before I left, Rachel cursed me.

Rachel: Remember to put the oxygen mask on your face before you place it on the face of the screaming kid next to you.

Sure enough. I was seated next to a nine month old nightmare. They should never have scheduled a non-stop flight. Kids need breaks to run around. A one or two stop flight would have been much better…especially for me.

And we all know I was excited at the prospect of some serious rock star treatment upon arrival. Sure enough, there was a man dressed completely in chauffeur garb, holding a sign with my name. I wish I had thought to yank the camera out of my bag. It was too cool.

Rich was very nice, very friendly, super chatty as he guided me to my waiting vehicle. Yes, I was driven to the Four Seasons in the back seat of a black Lexus SUV. It was awesome! Seriously. I had a little difficulty adjusting to the courtesy, the opening of doors, that kind of thing, but man, can I adapt. Mwah ha ha.

Soon enough, I arrived at the Four Seasons in Palo Alto . It was just about 12:30pm PST. And I was struggling with the three hour time change. My room wasn’t ready yet, but I managed to meet the first two Mother Board members while attempting to check in. Naturally, I started the conversation when I noticed one of them holding the From Left to Write Book Club selection. We chatted and went our separate ways…since their rooms were ready.

I grabbed lunch at a place around the corner. I have learned NOT to eat in hotels, since it can be prohibitively expensive and I tend to be positively on a tight budget. Not knowing any better, I carried the pizza back to the hotel pool with me. And this brings me to something I really like about fancy hotels. They may have rules, but they tend to bend them a tad just to keep their clientele happy. So, while I wasn’t supposed to have outside food, they didn’t do anything about it. Yay! And my belly was happy.

I hung out at the pool until 3pm, which is when they closed it to prepare for our private party starting at 5:30pm. And that’s when I saw my room for the first time. By the time I reached the desk, I discovered that my luggage was already in my new room. Too cool. And the room was worth the wait.

I had more amenities than I knew what to do with. It was a case of sensory overload, since I hadn’t stayed in a room alone for 20 years and a hotel room alone EVER. My personal favorite touch…the television in the bathroom that meant I could ‘watch’ while I readied myself. Too cool.

Well, I dressed for the pool party reception in a purple sarong. That’s my style. And I worried that I would be too casual. I shouldn’t have. These women are so diverse, so extraordinary, that anything I chose would have been just fine. I’m glad I went a few minutes early to take pictures. The décor was incredible. The food was divine. The company was exceptional. The open bar and desserts were a special treat. And I met a woman that could easily become a true friend for life. Yes, Lisa, I mean you!

We laughed, we joked, we carried on for two hours. And when the cocktail party was wrapping up, we received the first of many gifts from Yahoo!, as if the flight, reception, and fabulous digs weren’t enough. They gave each of us a pair of Shine slippers and a Four Seasons Palo Alto Spa toiletry bag, with toiletries! I was already getting waaaaay too spoiled.

It was time to change for a night out in San Francisco with David of Dad’s House. So, I rushed to my room on the 9^th floor. (It was practically the penthouse, since there were only ten floors…) That was when I had my first Sleeping with the Enemy moment. Remember how Julia Roberts would walk into a room and it would be magically straightened? Uh huh.

It was like that. Only they called it turn down service. The blinds were closed, the music playing lightly in the background, the bed readied for me, my jeans were folded on the bed instead of laid out like I left them, the toilet paper was re-triangled, and the toiletries were organized neatly at the sink. Creepy. In a nice way.

As for David, he’s just as funny, intelligent, and witty as he seems on his blog. Oh, and very punctual. We drove to San Francisco and I did my best to dig deep and be myself. (I was ridiculously tired since it was 11pm my time and I’d been up since 5:30am.) Dinner was sushi at Unami. Sooo good. The bathroom freaked me out. I was hearing voices, thought people were in there. Nope. They were piping in Japanese language tapes in male and female voices.

Then we drove all over. Ask me what I saw, and in a word I’ll tell you: everything! And I was really alert for most of it. There was the Golden Gate Bridge, Candlestick Park, The Haight, Pacific Heights, Lombard Street, Palace of Arts, just about anything I could have hoped to and more. The funniest part was my tour guide.

David: See that building there?

me: Yeah.

David: That’s something. Oh, and that building where it juts out?

me: Yeah?

David: That’s something, too. Oh and the building next to that…

There are a lot of somethings in San Francisco . Good news. There was also great conversation. There was a feeling a familiarity far from home. There was laughter. (And I couldn’t stop giggling as he struggled with driving the roller coaster roads.)

He dropped me off at midnight. I was horrible company on the ride back. I could barely stay awake. Still, I wouldn’t have passed on a chance to meet David for anything. Many thanks, friend!

Come back tomorrow to hear about Friday at Yahoo!.

Posted in Travels, Yahoo! Mother Board | 7 Comments »

Keep them safe…

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

computer safety It’s moments like these that I start to feel old, moments where I begin a thought with this phrasing: when I was a kid…

The truth, however, is that life is different from when I was a kid. There are numerous reasons for that, but the biggest is most definitely the advancements in technology. Like every generation before me, my children have things that I didn’t have as a kid. We went from the excitement of having a VCR to VCRs becoming obsolete in such a short period of time. We invested in DVDs, and they are now being outdone by BlueRays. Cassettes and walkmans have gone the way of the dinosaur. Now, it’s all about CDs, MP3s, and iPods. Computers have moved from being a luxury item to a necessity.

And because of their popularity, their mainstream acceptance, their usefulness, kids are trained to use computers almost from infancy. Like everything else in this world, the machine itself, technology…not bad, but how it is used can be. It all depends on how it’s wielded, just like something as rudimentary as a bat or as sophisticated as a cell phone.

As much as we work to keep our children safe out in the world, we often hit an epic fail when it comes to their safety within the home. We forget that our days of child-proofing aren’t over because we no longer need outlet covers and Mr. Yuck stickers. Nope. Kids can be in even more danger when left to their own devices around computers. We all comfort ourselves with…not my kid. Rest assured…even my kid.

Several years back, my sweet innocent son was encouraged to check out Girls Gone Wild by some older boys. Yeah. I was NOT impressed. And my daughter snuck around and signed up for MySpace behind my back, lying about her age. Oh, not a happy night in my household. Excuses like, ‘but all my friends have one’ do not fly. Instead, I begin channeling my mother: And if all your friends jumped off a bridge…

Maybe I’m not as evolved as I thought I was. Ouch.

It’s scary to find out that we’re not as in touch and involved. It’s hurtful to think we have somehow managed to drop the parenting ball. And yet it happens so easily. Danger lurks everywhere. Don’t believe me? Read the newspaper…online, or watch MSNBC and their Catch a Predator series.

Suddenly, I’m longing for the days the kids fit in a Snugli and could be worn around my neck. Shoot, maybe even farther back when they were safely ensconced in my womb. Since I know I have to cut the cord, since I have to admit that my babies are growing up between two households with very different rules, the absolute best I can hope for is that I raise them right, teach them to be savvy, that it’s enough to keep them safe.

I had to forget about their ideas of privacy, their views of boundaries, and go with my gut. If I hadn’t checked the history on the computers, I’d never know what was happening in my own house. We’ve always had an open door policy, as in…my door is always open to you. The new open door policy meant that if you were on the computer, the door would be open. Anything you felt had to be done behind a closed door, you probably shouldn’t be doing. I have their passwords. If at any time I don’t have their passwords, they no longer have computer privileges.

Oh, and the computer is a privilege. There’s no law that says they have to be online at all. The Child Protection Agency will not reprimand me for the kids not being able to check on Facebook or email. As much as I want them to be happy, I want them safe even more.

We’ve had our challenges with bullies at school, with bullies around the neighborhood. Now with cyber-bullying, I have one more area to worry about. So, as I was writing this piece, inspired by the Yahoo! Mother Board, I asked my daughter if she had any problems with that.

Rachel: Mom, are you kidding me? We’re barely online.

*inner sigh*

Maybe I have one less thing to torture myself with. Maybe I don’t have to worry about packing up the family and moving to some remote island. Maybe for now, we’re safe right where we are.

Posted in Yahoo! Mother Board | 7 Comments »