Next Chapter

Step 1: Mentally check out of my cubicle job.
Step 2: Clean out my desk.
Step 3: Read 4 Hour Workweek and find Step 4.

We're planning for E's 8th birthday party and she wants a Space Costumed Theme Party. "People can dress up as stars, or comets or planets," she said.
     "How about we just get a Clown who blows up balloons for you?" I asked, jokingly.
     "That's too Old School. I want something unique."

     She plans on being the constellation Aquarius. She's going to wear a white cloth or something with black dots and lines connecting them like the constellation.
     She also noted that the 8 is space related, that space goes on and on and that the 8 on its side is the infinity symbol.
     She turns 8 in three months.

Witches, Sangria and Macbeth

At an engagement party for wife's cousin, E. was helping make the big bowls of sangria. He told E. to put in the ingredients and stir, stir.

As E. was stirring, she said, "This reminds me of the witches in Macbeth;" and proceeded to quote a bit from the play.

For the record: E. is 7 and 1/2; she read the graphic novel version of Macbeth (in plain text) about a month ago.

E. - Aug. 22, 2011

"Grisly" she said, about MacBeth (the graphic novel version).

"Death is an omniscient narrator." -- after reading The Book Thief, Markus Zusak.

I knew she had studied the different narrative types last year (grade 2), but I'm still amazed that she was able to recognize it in different books she is reading.

Her reading speed: she used to finish a book (like Harry Potter or Fablehaven) every other day, but these days she's taking a morning to finish a book that's shorter than HP, something like Dr. Dolittle or View from Saturday (E.L. Konisburg).

E. Log 4

E. was watching Magic School Bus program on PBS and one of the kids said, "I haven't read the Iliad." And E. said, "WHAT?? What? How could she have not read it. It's a classic!" She was genuinely outraged and could not fathom how they could have not read it. She treated it like it was Dr. Seuss.

I finally had to say, "E., you have to realize NOT everyone has read The Iliad. I think most adults haven't read it either."

By the way, E. read the online version of The Iliad for Boys and Girls.

Is it Fun?

That's what the Apple guy asked me after I told him what I did for a living. I hemmed and hawed and gave him an indirect answer, saying that's not creatively fulfilling for me, it's not rocket science, etc.

But if truth be told, No, it's not fun. I guess that's in the subtext. It's really mind-numbing, soul-destroying waste of my life. I can't believe I've been at this cubicle nearly 10 years. And it's not meaningful work either.

I don't need it to be fun, but I do need it to be meaningful -- complex, autonomous, rewards tied to effort. That will make me content and happy.

ISO "Calling"

Looking for the next chapter in my life. Must be my mid-life crisis. I have family, love, money, but I need something else.

I need to dedicate myself to something higher than myself, something outside myself. I have failed at riches, fame and power. I need to find my "calling"; something that has meaning; something that will leave a mark after I'm gone. Something I can dedicate for the rest of my days on this Earth.

Even if I had achieved riches, fame and power, I think I would still be dissatisifed, discontent and would have arrived at this same place. But having failed, I just reached this place quicker.

So the search continues for my Calling. I wish my high school graduation commencement speaker or even my college grad speakers had told me this stuff.

What is my calling in life? Teaching?

G. Update 1

G. - age 3 years, 6 months.

Math -- can count to 20.

Reading -- started teaching her Phonics a few months ago. Not as naturally gifted as her older sister, E. She knows, "the" and "up", "cup," "cat?" At this rate of progress, she should be reading by age 4.

E. Log 3

Forgot to mention, I got Gulliver's Travels (gn) for her and the regular book for myself. She read both.

Math: I couldn't get a straight answer from her teacher. Teacher says they worked on concepts from grades 2 to 6. Over the summer, I have her practicing her Multipulication and Division. Trying to fill in any gaps.

E's Reading Log 2

E's seven years, five months old.

She did eventually read Sir Gawain. She's reading at a 8th/9th grade level. She's entering the 3rd grade in the fall.

In preparation for the National Myth Exam in January 2012, I got her the graphic novels of Athena and Zeus. She's taken to the graphic novel format and I've been getting her serious subjects in that format. So far, she's read the Origin of Species (graphic novel); Evolution (gn); Walden (gn); MacBeth (gn), and Beuwolf (children's picture book and gn forms).

I need to find the Iliad. I forgot that she read Bulfinch's Mythology (the normal adult version) over Spring Break.

Secret Benedict Society series -- she's read the entire series several times.
Percy Jackson series.
Red Pyramid series.
Lost Hero series.
Harry Potter series -- ditto.
Artemis Fowl series -- ditto.
Fablehaven series -- ditto.

I'm not sure what to get her next.

Dream

Must be contagious. I was reading Jiujitsu365 blog about his crazy JJ dreams and then I had one, too last night.

I dreamed my instructor was Jackie Chan! Then my semi-conscious, commonsense piped in with, "That's ridiculous, why would Jackie Chan teach you BJJ?"

And the other half of my semi-conscious answered, "Hey, if he can teach kungfu in Karate Kid, then he can teach you BJJ, awright?"

E's Reading Log 1

E. is now 7 years, one month old. She does read faster than the wife and her old man. She's nearly finished with the 7th and last book of the Harry Potter series.

She's read The Hobbit, the Fellowship of the Ring (1st book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy), all of Roald Dahl's books, Inheritance trilogy, all of the Artemis Fowl books.

I tried to get her to read the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight illustrated book, but it was too scary for her.