ROL: (Re)Opening Day.

ROL (Return On Life) is about engaging in small incremental changes that can have a large positive impact on living life. It is a non-quantitative adaptation of the financial measure ROI (return on investment). This week's ROL is about Opening Day.

source: Wikipedia

This is usually one the best sports weeks of the year. College basketball crowns a champion and the baseball season begins. When Kentucky won the basketball championship Monday night, commentators remarked that Kentucky hadn't won the NCAA b-ball tourney since 1998. Wow, 1998. The last time the Cubs won the World Series, the great grandparents of the 2012 Kentucky Wildcats basketball team hadn't winked at each other yet.

source:Wikipedia

Opening Day. It really does sound regal. Opening Day teaches that no matter what has happened in the past, everything starts fresh. Even if you haven't won a championship in over a century, you have the same opportunity as everyone else to excel. Opening Day also reminds champions that effort is required to remain a champion. Start coasting and pretty soon your long term record is Cub-like (well, maybe not so soon, but do you really want the success rate of the Cubs?)

Life is full of start over opportunities. Pay attention. Act accordingly.

Spring hopes eternal.

Carpe diem.

Where do restart buttons appear in your life? How do you recognize a start again opportunity?

Passover Puzzle Piece.

source: BlingCheese.com

April is Autism Awareness Month. My son Mario has Asperger's Syndrome, placing Mario somewhere on the autism spectrum. One of the many characteristics of an Aspie is extreme rigidity in routine. Aspies can be extremely challenged when  encountering change. The onset of Passover this Friday night will present multiple challenges for Mario and his food routine.

source: Wikipedia

It took a while, but Mario finally got settled in a good breakfast routine. An egg (either scrambled or hard boiled), oatmeal and another starch (usually pancakes or waffles). We don't eat bread or bread-like starches on Passover. For Mario this means no oatmeal, pancakes or waffles for the week of Passover. Additionally, Mario's favorite (daily?) lunch is a PBJ sandwich. Sandwich and Passover go together like... the Cubs and the World Series (opening day is Thursday). Yes, there is matzah. A talented surgeon with the world's most trained hands will merely cripple a sheet of matzah while applying butter. For an Aspie, buttering r nprayers amatzah will likely lead to a crumb encrusted meltdown. There are plenty of foods available, but the only spectrum that applies to Mario is the autism spectrum.

source: Super Mario Wiki

I know how it sounds when parents whine about their lot in life. I love my son and wouldn't trade his challenges for another's challenges. Still, the prospects of a Breakfast Battle Royale with the potential of a redo the next day are daunting. We will survive, as will our Passover traditions. Mario, on the other hand may have a tough week.

Your Help.

My friend Marjorie fell down some stairs and susatined some significant injuries. Please keep Marjorie and her family in your prayers and thoughts.

My 10 Best Days.

My celebrated my daughter's 8th birthday over the weekend, causing me to reflect on the best days I've ever had.

If you're going to watch the video later, allow me to offer a clue: There are no sporting events on the list. I love my Cubs, Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks but no thrilling victory or crushing defeat ever changed the way I felt about the next day's sunrise.

What are the best days in your life? How about the most significant days of your life? Why?

Second Helpings.

Only 15 Weeks Until Pitchers And Catchers Report.

I first posted about the Cubs hiring Theo Epstein in mid-October. Finally, the Cubs officially announced the hire and had a press conference. Then the Cubs hired a few more people and had a few more press conferences. I found it interesting that Epstein talked about system wide changes occurring before results (World Series) will come to be. Imagine that, no such thing as an overnight success.

We're Your Bank And We're Listening, So Long As You're Screaming.

I talked about Bank of America's plan to charge $5/ month for a debit card and the importance of Occupy Wall Street in an October 3rd post.  A month later Bank of America has rescinded the not yet in place monthly fee. All it took was world wide protests and a pile of awful press. I'm sure BOA will find an even more noxious way to recapture those fees. Still the lesson of peaceful persistent protest should not be lost. Also, it's important to remember that prior to showing disgust via the ballot box, calls and faxes to elected officials can be very effective. Let the government know how you feel, on a regular basis. Hell, they work for us (at least in theory). 

It's Still Early Movember.

Finally, I talked about this month being Movember, for Men's Health Awareness, especially prostate cancer awareness. I am growing a mustache (pictures later) to participate in Movember. Still, it takes a while for the mustache to grow in, so I added one to my Twitter avatar. Why not join me? It also gives you the opportunity to tell the man you love most "If you really love me you'll let you doctor stick his finger up your...". Or maybe just suggest it's time for an annual check-up.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.

Review and Revise.

Some updates on past posts:

Last week, the Cubs were on the verge of hiring Theo Epstein to guide them to their 1st World Series title in over a century and 1st World Series appearance in over 6 decades. 8 days later and so far no press conference. Sports talkers say the hiring will happen. Hopefully these are not the same sports experts whose preseason predictions start with: This is definitely the year the Cubs return to the World Series.

Last month, I shared my opinion about "Up All Night" a new NBC sitcom (without the com). I sacrificed another episode and a half to confirm my earlier conclusion. "Up All Night" is unintentionally unfunny. Looking for laughs? Discover "Whitney". Be forewarned if you find cohabitation sans ceremony personally challenging. Also, the supporting characters are stereotypes and not yet two dimensional. Still, the banter is sharp and the relationship between Whitney and significant other Alex makes a great way to spend a 1/2 hour.

Earlier this week, I posted about an exchange between my daughter, Little Suzy and me. I'm not sure which is my favorite part of the aftermath: Little Suzy's sheer delight in ratting me out to Mommy or the tread marks on my chest after my wife threw me under the bus. "Daddy had you sit in the front seat? Daddy knows better than that. Good for you Suzy." after telling me "It's only a block, no big deal." It may be a man's world but the expiration date is getting closer.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great weekend.

ROL: Cubs Hire Theo Epstein.

ROL (Return on Life) is a qualitative metric modeled on the quantitative metric, ROI (return on investment). The concept behind ROL is to make small incremental changes in habits that generate a disproportionately greater increase in QOL (Quality of Life).

An Introduction.

If you find the world of professional sports as exciting as a collection of belly button lint, you may want to stop reading now. I'm going to be talking baseball. I will eventually get on to other stuff, but I'm starting with baseball. Forewarned is well...forewarned.

Source: Wikipedia

I have a confession. I am a lifelong Cubs fan. Being a Cubs fan involves more disappointment, frustration and embarrassment than and and all the jokes about being a Cubs fan, but according to the news on Wednesday all that disappointment, frustration and embarrassment may be coming to an end. The Cubs are going to hire Theo Epstein, formerly of the Red Sox, as their baseball sherpa. Epstein's mission is to lead the Cubs up baseball's Everest and deliver Cub fans a World Series victory.

Anyone Can Have 
A Bad Century.

Both the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox shared one major distinction for the majority of the 20th century.  Neither team had won the World Series since the end of World War I. Legend has it that both team's World Series droughts were due to a curse.

• The Red Sox had the curse of the Bambino. Before the 1920 season  the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth, baseball's best pitcher to the New York Yankees. Ruth became the greatest home run hitter baseball has ever seen. The Yankees won a bunch of World Series. The Red Sox had to wait until 2004.
• The Cubs have the curse of the billy goat. During the 1945 World Series versus Detroit, Sam Sianis (owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and the billy goat in question) was asked to take his goat and go home, because the goat smelled awful. (I've been in the bleachers in Wrigley Field. The goat gets a bum rap on the smell thing). Sianis, angry due to the eviction, said "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs haven't been to the World Series since.

The Red Sox, cursed due to selling the contract of the eventual greatest baseball player ever. The Cubs, cursed due to the eviction of a future victim of Santeria. Did I mention disappointment, frustration and embarrassment?

Source: Wikipedia

The Red Sox made Theo Epstein General Manager before the 2003 season. The team broke the curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series in 2004. Epstein's baseball acumen regarding key player acquisitions is largely credited with the Red Sox exorcising the baggage associated with jettisoning Babe Ruth. Therefore, Epstein is considered a primary requisite to break the longest running losing streak in professional sports.

Who Doesn't Need An Epstein?

If you watch TV, listen to the radio or pay attention to annoying pop-up ads, everyone is pitching a Theo Epstein. Virility, diet, investing, residual income, complexion and even house cleaning has a one item magic answer. (Anyone have a Roomba?) But Theo Epstein didn't become Theo Epstein by magic. Epstein got a degree from Yale and started at the bottom rung, the PR department of the San Diego Padres. He worked hard, learned his craft and eventually had a hand in the Boston Red Sox winning 2 World Series. In addition to hard work, Epstein is also a success because he is willing to make a tough choice and perhaps be wrong. (Anyone remember John Lackey? Maybe he's selling Roomba's.) So hard work, dedication, discipline and more hard work leads to magic. Go figure.

Note: As I prepare to publish this post, the Cubs have yet to set a press conference to announce the hiring of Theo Epstein. Did I mention disappointment, frustration and embarrassment?