Ten Most Important Things to Know Before you die

In an effort to be clever with the titles, but to also share with you the earth shattering tidbits I learned this weekend:

(In no particular order)

Nothing is done (or should be considered done) without measurement. Ie, don't tell me you tried, prove it to me.

Everyone should shop at least once with a personal shopper. At Nordstroms if you're West Coast. At some other crazy expensive secret hideway level of any other department store you never knew had said secret level in any other town beyond the west.

Life is not about assumptions made on a weekend drive. Case in point, we assumed that the place we want to live (off i90) would be closer to work (both of us, off of i90 now) than where we both used to live and now no longer work. Fact of the matter is that the new place is actually farther away (barely) from our current work than our current place. Go figure. It is closer to the new "gaming establishment" though...see the next point.

It is NOT a fact that Blackjack is the best odds (for the player in the house). However, since most folks understand the rules (contrary to that complicated dicey craps table), it is a sure bet that if you're smart and not emotional about it, you can find a good table and walk away up for the night.

There is a difference between crazy and broken-hearted. Most of that difference is in perception, but on rare occassions (like this weekend) we were able to scientifically categorize quite a bit of crazy and half a grip of broken-heartedness. That one is compliments of the super-analytical one during said longer than expected drive out to the new place.

It is crucial to always make time...for drinks, dinner and casual conversation with the un (or under, guess it all depends) employed. You will learn a lot about that thing called perspective mentioned above.

If you have never been in a relationship (any kind of relationship, best friend, lover, parent, child...whatever) where your uncontrollable laughter can cause the other in that relationship to uncontrollably laugh as well, then you have not lived. Bonus points if when you finally spit out the totally not funny thing you were laughing about, you just fall back into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

We're not called "colored" anymore. And I think he prefers that I not call him "whitey" either. We're all just working on it. I know.

Brickbreaker is to Blackberry what Solitaire is to your new (back in 1990) computer. I think I probably drained my life playing way too much solitaire on my computer back in college. And now, with my shiny new blackberry, who needs any of that other crap when I'm big time in Brickbreaker. All that is to say that there is PLENTY in life to suck your time away from doing important things and being in the moment. Try not to cross that fine line between increased productivity and diminishing returns.

Small tokesn of gratitude go so so SO very far. Do it more. Say thank you. say please. Let someone else go first. Do it just because. Feel better about life and yourself when you let go of the bitter places and just move on already. That one is courtesy of the 4 extra minutes gained at the Costco carwash this afternoon. Thanks Ms. Eddie B. Expedition.

Hope your weekend was just as fun!