Running (or not) in a Storm…and a great friend

As you may know, I’m in training for a Tough Mudder race (less than a month away) and I’ve really gotten into running (again).

Rediscovered the fun of it.

The other night, I went out and about 1.2 miles into my loop, I noticed the skies darkening…rapidly.

Then, a thunder crack…and off in the distance, a flash of lightning.

From the way things were progressing, I wouldn’t make it home in time and while in my youth, I would have made a run for it, playing the odds, fatherhood changes you.

The trade off of an extra 3.8 miles (to finish the run) or even to go back just wasn’t worth the cost of getting hit by lightning (even though the odds are slim).

Factor in that I would be somewhat exposed and near trees (flying limbs or whatever), and it just seemed like the right idea was to find shelter.

Problem was…I had no cell phone and no money (lesson learned).

On the corner, however, was a Police station. Just as I was entering, it started to come down hard.

And by hard, I mean, torrential.

I was debating whether I would share the fact that just at this moment, the song “It’s Raining Men” was playing on my playlist. What can I say? I like the beat and it pumps me up while I’m running.

Laugh away.

I asked the Police Officer if I could have a ride home—my tax dollars at work, right?

Alas, no.

She pointed me to a room where I could make a free local call.

Now, the NFO was out with the kids at an event. Too far away for a pickup, so I had a judgment call to make

Wait out the storm or call someone.

The problem with waiting out the storm was the fact that I had to meet said NFO at a precise time in the future. So I had to be at home to change and get back out.

I went through my mental rolodex, thinking, “who would both pick me up and like to laugh at me at the same time?”

Answer was obvious…I called David Price.

His wife, Daphne answered and I proceeded to explain my predicament.

“Where do you need me to pick you up?” (Mind you, she didn’t even ask “where’s the NFO?”)

She just came and got me (good thing she did because it started hailing.)

What a friend.

When I got in the car, I said, “yes, this will be on the blog.”

And so it is…a testament to a bit of wisdom (not running through a thunderstorm) and a great friend (no questions asked).

ON the way back, we had another wise move…electing to take an alternate route when we saw this massive flood in front of her car.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves…

In marketing, we know that the best way to convince or persuade someone to act is to help them create their own narrative as to why they want/must buy something.

We do this in almost all parts of our lives.

Case in point..my recent (insane) travel schedule.

It’s tough on the NFO and tough on KKR. No doubt.

Now, I love travel. I love marketing. And I love getting paid to do both, BUT…part of the story that I tell myself is that I am ultimately going to be a BETTER father by taking these trips to distant lands, taking me away form my kids.

Why?

Well, it’s no secret that globalization is a powerful force.

It’s no doubt that it’s only starting and we have ways to go.

So, I reason, the more I can understand some of the different factors that affect globalization, some of the countries involved, and the issues they face…many or all of which will (I don’t think it can be argued) have an impact on the future lives of my children, the better I can prepare them for that world.

True? False?

It doesn’t really matter.

It’s the story I’ve convinced myself is true, so I can live with it.

The $3 TV Repair OR another reason why I LOVE the Internet

You will recall my frustration with Panasonic over my non-functional TV

While waiting for prices to drop and my personal assessment of the economy to get completed, I borrowed an old TV from my brother.

Instead of throwing my TV away (the original plan), I figured I had nothing to lose by putting it up on eBay.

“Maybe,” I thought, “there is some tinkerer who will give me $20 bucks for it?”

If it doesn’t sell, I’m no worse off.

The auction was up for a day, when a message came in from a member known only as PRSCSY, who wrote:

I have the same exact TV and it did the same exact thing.

I took the back off and where plug cord plugs into the board there is a 6.3amp slow burn 125/250volt fuse, $1.00 part from radio shack, it DID NOT look burnt out but I changed it just to be in the safe side and the TV till now is serving me well. Let me know if you changed the fuse?

Refusing to believe it was this simple, but hoping it would work, I went to Radio Shack. It was actually $3 (for 4 fuses though), but bottom line,

IT WORKED!!

TV is up and running.

I was flabbergasted. I offered to buy the guy a beer or dinner, whatever.

What motivated him? How did he find it?

Why would he be looking for a TV he already owned?

He simply responded:

I keep track of many different listings on ebay just for fun one of those being mt model of TV and when I read your listing I totally felt your pain.

Told my girl friend about it and she had a good laugh.

Now you'll have to pass on a good deed, LOL

And I will…

Why Aren’t You Funny?

Went up to Albany to visit with various members of the in-law family, including those who live in Israel.

We got there around 7pm on Friday evening. At 9, we were eating dinner and hanging out.

My 4 year old nephew turned to me and said, “Uncle Jeremy, last time I saw you you were really funny, why aren’t you funny now?'”

We cracked up.

“I didn’t know the pressure was on. Let me see what I can do.”

By the end of the next day, I was redeemed.

“How am I doing? Am I funny?”

“Yes! You got your funny back!!”

Sarcasm is Genetic…

My kids call me “Abba,” which is hebrew for Father.

The other day, Paco (3) and Tonka (4.5) were asking for things incessantly…

“Abba, this. Abba, that. Abba, I want cheese. Abba, I want yogurt.”

It was driving me crazy.

Finally, I said, “ok, for the next five minutes, no one says ‘Abba.’ I don’t want to hear it.”

Tonka sits quietly.

Paco looks at me and says,

“Jeremy, can I have some water?”

Wonder where he gets it… :-)

A (brief) Visit from the Fire Department…

Gianni woke up at 5 am and it’s a good thing she did.

The NFO smelled a horrific smell, woke me, and after not being able to determine what it was, we called 911 (got the non emergency number), opened the windows and took the kids outside.

As a taxpayer, I was thrilled by the quick response from the Fire Department, who were here quite quickly in full gear.

I did feel a bit embarrassed, as the house was clearly not burning down (thank God), but they did a thorough check anyway.

The culprit, an overheated ballast in our kitchen that was at 300 degrees F (they have a wicked cool visual thermometer/heat detector) and was melting the plastic.

Paco loved it…he loves fire trucks. The NFO went back to bed and I took the team for a walk around the  neighborhood until 7.

More joys of home ownership.

Epitaph, Take 2 and the Digital Natives

Still could go with the ideas in version 1 of the epitaph, but have another one.

It’s tied to my self-perception as a technology early adopter.

How about this?

“Sent his first email in 1991.”

This came up the other night when I attended an event and was talking with 2 guys who were 23 years old.

The conversation turned to demographics and how I am Gen X and they are (not Gen Y) rather “Digital Natives” or “Millenials.”

One fellow remarked that he knew he was a digital native because when he first started getting interested in girls, he didn’t go home and call them, he IM’d them.

I listed my accomplishments for the guys, who were born the year after we got our first Mac to demonstrate that I could “run with the Digital Natives” crowd, those who grew up online.

Some guys buy Porsches to stay young, I try to get 23 year olds to stand in awe of my techno-street cred!!

Steve Ballmer...Egged

Yes, you read that, correctly.

Check out the video. Crazy.

Movie: We Are Marshall...

Love a good story. Love football. So, We Are Marshall was a perfect match for me.

Seriously, I was choked up and tearing 10 minutes into the flick.

The basic story: Marshall University's football team (almost all of it) dies in a plane crash in 1970 and the town of Huntington, WV (and university) are dedicated.

Matthew McConaughey puts in a solid performance as the coach who is trying to rebuild the program after the devastation.

Good character development, appreciation of why football isn't life's most important thing, but how it can be a part of the healing process.

Definitely recommend it.

Lubavitch Principal in the South Bronx

Someone had sent me an article from NYT about this man, but HT to Mike Eisenberg's blog, here's the video.