Do too many squats with it in your back pocket and you might go broke.
This is just such a good idea, and I hope it spreads quickly. Everyone needs a helping hand.
Yes, good idea. Depressing too. No headlines about what’s being done to reduce the causes of the problem?
Last night, as the year turned, I asked Inna for her hand in marriage… and she said ‘yes’! 
Also, yesterday, my book was published!
Congratumalations !
Even bigger, more boisterous congratulations!!
!!
Mazel tov!
My nephew just got a new job!
I’m thrilled for a whole lot of reasons. He’s a mechanic and he’s been horribly underpaid and under a restrictive NDA for a long time.
His old company asked if the could counteroffer, but declined when he told them his new salary.
His new job is as a line mechanic ( maintaining production line equipment ) for a large manufacturing company, at a 50% salary increase + a much better benefits package. He deserves it, he’s been making Walmart money for skilled labor for far too long.
There’s another reason I’m happy, though. My nephew is not very political, but as a blue collar worker in a Southern state he’s been exposed to lots of toxic politics at work, and on a few occasions he’s parroted a right wing talking point or two.
When we were talking about the new job over the weekend, he was telling me about the bias training he took as part of his onboarding, how interesting it was and how it had changed his thinking, especially about the culture and behavior at his old workplaces.
And this is, more than anything, why I’m thrilled about his new job!
Hooray!
Weight loss is down 40 pounds since the time I started this thread.
No drugs, just exercise and diet. I also chew slower, eat my veggies first, and take time during my one big meal of the day.
Updates.
- Inna sold a piece of property which has been hanging over her head for years now.
- Proceeds were used to pay off the mortgage. 26 years early!
- Business is now over 6 figures in high-margin revenues, and growing fast. We should easily be @ $150k in recurring revenues by the end of the year, and we are shooting for $200k.
- To that point, we’ve appeared on a couple of podcasts and such.
- In addition, the book is selling about as well as one would expect. But, just as important, it provides us with instant credibility when marketing/selling our services to franchises (point #3, above).
- Sophia figured out a plan to acquire her MBA in urban planning… at ZERO cost to her (and me)!
- I joined a boxing gym.
- Yesterday, we bought our first car together. A 2025 Hyundai Tucson XRT, it was a month-long process where we whittled it down from 20 makes/models to the one.
I enjoy the car shopping process more than most, and Inna enjoyed the fact that I had zero problem saying ‘no’ to all the sales people… until it was time to say ‘yes’. Still did a performative ‘nah, that’s not good enough’ and walked out the door, for which we got what we wanted. Like I told the finance guy as we were writing the check, I didn’t create this oddly-antagonistic car buying system, but if that’s what it is, I’m fine doing my part, lol.
Congrats on all 8 counts!