1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vanderkam. I'm a mother of four, 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hart Hunger. 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, practicing physician and blogger. On 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: the side, we are two working parents who love our 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: and time for fun, from figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Welcome to best of both worlds. 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. This is episode one hundred and forty three, 11 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: which is first airing in late April of twenty twenty. 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: It's going to be a conversation between Sarah and me 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 1: today talking about life in general and what we are 14 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: learning from what will have been. It's about six seven 15 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: weeks of quarantine at this point, continuing for a few 16 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: more weeks for sure, but hopefully easing up before too long. So, Sarah, 17 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: what have you been up to in the last weeks 18 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: to well, you know, I hate to use the term 19 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: silver lining because in an event this tragic, I don't 20 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: want to minimize, you know, what's going on for people 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,919 Speaker 1: who are suffering, But the reality is that for many 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: who aren't as directly impacted, there probably have been some 23 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: either pockets of found time or just changes in routine 24 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: that maybe have provided some benefit. And I have been 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: one of those people, even though I've still been practicing healthcare. 26 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: So that's been nice. And I am excited to say 27 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: that I finally was able to launch my blogs newsletter, 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: which was one of my projects for twenty twenty. I 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: really the reason it got done was because I outsourced 30 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: it on that Yeah, because I, number one, don't necessarily 31 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: have tons of extra time right now, and the amount 32 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: of time it would have taken me to figure this 33 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: out was probably a lot. But the amount of time 34 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: that it took Amanda, who I hired to do it, 35 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: to figure it out was probably minimal from her standpoint. 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: But she did a great job. And now I have 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: a whole pop up that comes up and you can 38 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: sign up, and I know how to send out an 39 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: email through Mailchimp, so I'll be sending those out monthly, 40 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: So if you want to check it out, you can 41 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: stop by my bug. Yeah, definitely sign up for that 42 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: and get the extra special Sarah stuff that she's not 43 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 1: sharing with the broader world this secret stuff, secrets Sarah stuff. 44 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: That's awesome. Yeah, well you've been quite busy as well 45 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: from a professional standpoint. Yeah, So I'm now doing two 46 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: daily podcasts. It's complete sort of career pivot here, but yeah, 47 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: two daily podcasts, both Before Breakfast and The New Corner Office. 48 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: The New Corner Office is sharing strategies currently for working 49 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: from home, largely though, as people pivot out of that 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: over the next few months, it's going to be broadly 51 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: about flexible and location independent work. So a lot of 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: people no longer need to be in an office five 53 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: days a week. Perhaps some of these people were working 54 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: in jobs that previously were told needed to be in 55 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: an office five days a week, but we have now 56 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: learned that that is not the case. So this podcast 57 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: is a manual for self directed work. You know, how 58 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: do you thrive in a career when you are more 59 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: in charge of things like hours and task setting and 60 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: all that. I'm also excited to announce I will probably 61 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: people read my blog that we'll have seen this before, 62 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: but I am working on an ebook. Penguin and I 63 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: are have reached a deal that is going to be 64 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: a very quick Turnaround Ebook, also called The New Corner Office, 65 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: about similar topics about how to direct your own career, 66 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: direct your own work, set your own schedule, manage your 67 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: own expectations and accountability and all sorts of things that 68 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: people are needing to learn. It's aimed, we say, it's 69 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: the at the millions who work for home from home 70 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: for the first time during the COVID nineteen pandemic, but 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: can't imagine going back to commuting five days a week 72 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: after this. So that's coming out I think early July. Wow, 73 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: that is a quick turnaround. Oh my goodness, it's April 74 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: right now, So that's that's amazing. But I can kind 75 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: of see why they wanted to push that one out 76 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: of there quickly. Yeah, And I mean we'll come out 77 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: as an ebook first, I mean partly because like, no 78 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: one's in an airport bookstore buying a physical book right now. 79 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: You know, this is the reality of the business book 80 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: market at the moment. But if it gets uptake, we 81 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: might reprint it then as a paperback later on. For instance, 82 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,799 Speaker 1: That's what wound up happening with What the most Successful 83 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: People Do Before Breakfast, which is started its life as 84 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: an ebook many years ago and then came out as 85 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: a paperback after that when there was a market. And 86 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: that's one of the cool things about the technology these 87 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: days is you know, for anyone considering this, you can 88 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: do short ebooks very very quickly. If you do them 89 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: on your own, you can do them almost instantaneously. Going 90 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: through a major publisher, there's a little bit more of 91 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: a lag time, but then you have better distribution, but 92 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: you know, you can test stuff out and without some 93 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 1: of the massive overhead that printing a book and distributing 94 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: it to retail stores entails, So you know, small pivots 95 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: check what's going on something people might consider absolutely well. 96 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: We have one negative piece of change, which is that 97 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: Laura and I had this very exciting international trip planned 98 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: where we were just lucky enough that there was a 99 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: reader in a European country that had invited us to 100 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: do a talk, and we were both so excited about that, 101 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: and for me it was like checking off multiple boxes, 102 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: like okay, getting to do a live seminar on this 103 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: kind of stuff, and then also getting to take a 104 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: girl's trip, and we were going to hear some music 105 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: and that's not happening anymore, which is fine, I think 106 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: I'm hoping, very hopeful that maybe this we can like 107 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: you know, keep the event, but just have it in 108 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: a different year perhaps, But that has been one, I guess, 109 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: pivot or change. On the upside, my June is much 110 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: less hectic now. Yes, exactly, mine too, Mine too. Yeah, 111 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: you won't have to like lug a pump on a 112 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: you know, an international flight, although I know you were 113 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: totally gamed to do it, which is amazing. Yes, no, 114 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: I I was gamed to do it. But yeah, we'll 115 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: figure out some other time. And I mean, really like 116 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: everything associated with this thing is over. I mean the 117 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: institution we were going to a shutdown, the music festival 118 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: has been canceled, like the planes aren't going. There's just 119 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: everything is gone. But oh well, you know it will 120 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: come back. It will come back, Yes, it will. Yeah, 121 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: So let's go through our list of things that are 122 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: making us happy right now. So Sarah had that she 123 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: sent me, and I'm a slacker on the notes front. 124 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: I was going to say, for Sarah, Yeah, this is 125 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: unusual because normally a little behind scenes, you know, Laura 126 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: and I send notes back and forth. So I write 127 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: to her and then she'll write to me, and we 128 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: kind of put things together. And this time I gave 129 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: her all of my stuff and her stuff is secret, 130 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: so you know, which is a nice surprise. Reactions will 131 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: be real. Okay, So on my list and I made 132 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,239 Speaker 1: I made two separate lists. I made a things making 133 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: me happy list and I made a things I will 134 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: try to take away from this list. So I'm like 135 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: to hear yours and maybe we'll have to do our 136 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: ad break in the middle of yes somewhere. Oh perfect, perfect, Okay, 137 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: So the things making me happy. My daily checklist is 138 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: keeping me alive, which is like a physical checklist in 139 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: my planner where I put a little dot for each 140 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: of these things that I accomplished, and they include meditation, 141 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: writing a blog post, doing my workout, going outside usually 142 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: for a walk, reading something doesn't matter what but not 143 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: like scrolling online like a book, and doing my nightly skincare, 144 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: which is definitely a ritual now. And yeah, that's provided 145 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: this much needed daily structure, kind of doable goals. I 146 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: actually enjoy all the tasks on that list, so you know, 147 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: that's at least six guaranteed nice things in each day. 148 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: So yeah, I would say that's like making me the 149 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: most happy She put a picture of it on her blog, 150 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: by the way, and one of the humorous says that 151 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: you mentioned, it's like Ben Franklin. It is totally like 152 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: Ben Franklin. If anyone's read the autobiography of Ben Franklin, 153 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: he talks about how he created a chart with you know, 154 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: his thirteen goals, his habits, and they were like thirteen 155 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: virtues or eighty virtues, and then the days of the week, 156 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: and then he would put a check mark for each 157 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: day that he did his thing. So Sarah is exactly 158 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: the same, except it's not temperance, it's skincare. So yes, 159 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: I think I made a joke that I did not 160 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: think Ben Franklin had skincare on his list, But there 161 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: you go. So that's the first thing making me happy. 162 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,439 Speaker 1: And then some of these kind of relate to that. 163 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: But I put going outside with the kids around the 164 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 1: neighborhood as a separate item because we have been able 165 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: to drag them out many nights. Sometimes we have to 166 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: bribe them with like ice cream afterwards, or threat of 167 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: you know, if a kid doesn't go outside, then the 168 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: other kid picks the movie or something like that. But 169 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: it's worked, and it's been really, really nice. I always 170 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: find beautiful things to take pictures of. You know, we're 171 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: noticing it's so you know, COVID cliche, but we are 172 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: noticing more of nature, different birds around the area, trees, 173 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: that kind of a thing. So it's really nice. I 174 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: feel like my kids have actually been slightly better behaved 175 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: than they were prior to this, which is maybe backwards 176 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: from what many might think, but I think it may 177 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: be due to the fact that they can now sleep 178 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: as late as they want, and we know there's you know, 179 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: known links between sleep and behavior, so I think that's 180 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: probably helping to some extent, and it makes me I mean, 181 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 1: we're going to get to this in my other section, 182 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: but like maybe they were a little overscheduled before, so 183 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 1: maybe this has been good. I love not having to 184 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 1: rush in the morning, so that's huge. I can still 185 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: do my morning routine, but then the kids getting up 186 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: after seven is amazing. I like not having any fomo, 187 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: and I guess I didn't really realize I had fomo before, 188 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 1: but maybe it was more like a conflicted feeling like oh, 189 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: if I'm doing this, I'm not doing this, and now 190 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,719 Speaker 1: there's like not that much to do, so I'm very 191 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: peaceful with what I am doing, if that makes sense. 192 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 1: And then finally, I think my last one was it. 193 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: I do not miss wearing work clothes. Obviously, you know 194 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: we still have on camera meetings. I did not dress 195 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: up for this particular one, Laura. Sorry for work ones. 196 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 1: I do try to at least put on makeup and 197 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: like a dark shirt so it looks respectable. But man, 198 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: I like to not spend my money on my work clothes. 199 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: I like to not get dressed in them. Which is 200 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 1: kind of funny because we, you know, recently had a 201 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: fashion focused episode and I'm sure in the future I 202 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: will be ready to delve back into that, but right 203 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: now it's nice to have a break. Yeah, I was 204 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: laughing about that. You talked in that episode with Lannie 205 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: about how you were wearing your fleece with the logo 206 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 1: on it, and I guess you can keep wearing the 207 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: fleece with the logo on it. There is nothing to 208 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: stop you. Actually, now at work, I've been wearing scrubs, 209 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: so it's even more Yeah, that's true. Well, there you go. 210 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: So I guess my thing's making me happy right now. 211 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: We've been going on family walks too, we tend to 212 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 1: do them on weekends. We'll put all of us in 213 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: the car, the minivan goes somewhere, walk on a trail, 214 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: you know, try to be six feet away from other 215 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,559 Speaker 1: people on the trail. So there's some that are way 216 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: too crowded to make work. But others we've been going 217 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: to and the kids grumble every single time about going. 218 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: But I mean they would like to sit there and 219 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: watch TV and eat candy all day. And you know 220 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: that they do a lot of that. I'm not saying 221 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: they don't do that, but getting them out for a 222 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: hike is nice, and while we're walking, they tend to 223 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: enjoy it. I'm happy also that I don't have to 224 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: get kids anywhere at a certain time. I mean, yes, 225 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: I would like them to get out of the house 226 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: at some point. I'm getting a little stir crazy with 227 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: them here and the noise and all that, but it 228 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: is nice to have less of that rushing to get 229 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: out the door. It's nice. I'm happy that I'm not 230 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: timing feedings around going places. That has been a you know, 231 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: I forgot what's sort of stress that was, like do 232 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: I pump? How many ounces have I pumped? In order 233 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: to cover this amount that they might need for when 234 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: I'm gone, and yeah, there's just none of that. I 235 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: just feed them the baby and I don't particularly like driving. 236 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: It's nice that I don't have to drive anywhere. My 237 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: husband does all the grocery shopping. I guess he's decided 238 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,680 Speaker 1: he's going to be the family warrior, going out to 239 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: make that happen. He may enjoy escaping the house. I 240 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: am particularly happy that I am not having to force 241 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: the kids to go to swim practice. I realized that 242 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 1: this was a major source of unhappiness in my life. 243 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: And it's possible that another parent in our family is 244 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: the one who really wants them to do swim and 245 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: yet this other parent was generally not home at four 246 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: point thirty when swim practice happened. So there were some 247 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: bad incentives here that one parent wanted them to go, 248 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: and one parent was to make them go. And now 249 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: that's not happening anymore, and I'm not sure it will 250 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: ever happen again. Family meals also really enjoying that we've 251 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: I mean, we're doing family dinner every night. So yeah, 252 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: those are those are some things I have to say. 253 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: I'll throw in a shout out here. We had talked 254 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: about baby products back in the day. I think we 255 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: did an episode on that back in September, and we 256 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: had talked about the SNeW My sister is also greatly enjoying. 257 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: She actually rented her snow. Rented. Yeah, well, so I 258 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: I'm curious what the rental rates are. I hadn't run 259 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: the numbers, she told me, and I already forget. I 260 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: want to say one fifty a month or two hundred 261 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: a month, something like that. Well, so I got my 262 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: snow on sale. They were doing a post Christmas sale, 263 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: and so when I had the baby a little early, 264 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: I was just in the hospital with him and I 265 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: was like, okay, let me order the snow. It was, 266 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: you know, thirty forty percent off or something like that, 267 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: and so we got one. You know, now, of course 268 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,959 Speaker 1: we don't have the night nanny. So it's it's been 269 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: really good for him sleeping. I think it does often 270 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: get him settled down again, so he like startles awake. 271 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: You know, it has a gas bubble or whatever he 272 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: will it's rocking him and it has the white noise 273 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: and so it soothes him down. And the swaddle is 274 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: part of it too, And you can have children swaddled 275 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: a little longer in the snow because they're clipped in 276 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: that you can't do if you have them in a crib. 277 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: And I think babies do enjoy being swaddled. I mean, 278 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: they may fight when you first put him in it, 279 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: but it makes them calm. So there's a safety thing 280 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: that you can't swaddle them at the point where they 281 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: could potentially roll over. But because they can't roll over 282 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: in the snow with the way the clips are, they 283 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: can be swaddled longer. Anyway, It's not a miracle worker. 284 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: It does not put him to sleep, like I can't 285 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: put him in, you know, awake and have it rock 286 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: him to sleep like that still has to kind of 287 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: happen manually, but you know, I do think he sleeps 288 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: a little longer and better than my other kids in 289 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: cribs at that age. So I'll give a shout out 290 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: to it. So enjoying that awesome. Well we'll take a 291 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: quick break and be right back with some things we 292 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: might be taking away from this. All right, Well, we 293 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: are back talking about things we are learning during the 294 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: COVID nineteen pandemic. Things we will take away from this experience. 295 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: So Sarah what have you been learning? Well, I think 296 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: a common theme across a lot of people is that, 297 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: you know, now we're forced to not be doing a lot, 298 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: so it makes us question like if we don't miss 299 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: certain things, then were they worth the time and financial 300 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: commitments in our lives. And I certainly have come out 301 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: on the side where I do think we were doing 302 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: more than we needed to be doing, especially for my 303 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: kids activity standpoint. I mean, I wrote kids' activities are overrated, 304 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: and I don't know if I feel, you know, some kids' 305 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: activities are wonderful, and I know my daughter like has 306 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: really enjoyed her art classes, and actually I told her 307 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: that I may not be sending them to their the 308 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: after school program they were doing, and she in particular 309 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: was not thrilled with that because two of her friends 310 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: go there, so it's become more of a social thing 311 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: for her. So we'll see. I guess I'm feeling like, 312 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: especially now that my kids are getting a little older, 313 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: I don't feel the pressure to have them do things 314 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: that they aren't into doing themselves, like it's not worth it. 315 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: And I even know, like I from my job, I 316 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: kind of see what happens to kids. I've now been 317 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: at it long enough that like, I have some patience. 318 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: I've been following since they're seven and now they're fourteen, 319 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: and like, just because the kid was super you know, 320 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: doing five things and the parents were so excited about 321 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: their ice skinning, gymnastics and swimming at age seven doesn't 322 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: mean they're going to be doing any of those things 323 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: at fourteen. Half the time, at fourteen, they've like quit 324 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: everything and they're like, you know, they just are expressing 325 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 1: their own style, and now they're into like making movies 326 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: or like something totally you know, different. So I guess 327 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: I'm not as excited as I was about trying to 328 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: expose them to everything. If they are interested in something 329 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 1: and they want to do it, that's great. I don't 330 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: think I necessarily push them into things. But it was 331 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: more like I'd be like offering ten different things, and 332 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: in the future I might just be like, Hey, is 333 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,879 Speaker 1: there any one or two things you want me to 334 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: sign you up for this year? And if the answer 335 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: is no, like maybe it can be no. You know, 336 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 1: I'd like them to do one active thing. But if 337 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: Cameron's active thing is like skateboarding in our driveway, like 338 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: maybe that's okay. So I do feel like I will 339 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 1: take away from this a less financial and time investment 340 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: in kids' activities unless the kids specifically express interests in 341 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: those activities. And the only activity I want to put 342 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: Genevieve in is swim lessons because that's a safety thing. 343 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: The second thing is that I can be pretty happy 344 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: spend very little money on doing anything. Like, yes, there 345 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: was an initial like reactionary grief period about things that 346 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 1: were planned and aren't happening, but I'm I don't know, 347 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: like I don't know if maybe it's just like, well, 348 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: I'm happy, because everybody has a baseline of happy and 349 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: you're going to fall into it anyway. And I still 350 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: want to travel, Like it's not like I don't want 351 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: to travel, But I don't know. I guess I don't 352 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: know that we need to spend as much money on things, 353 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: and I'd probably be a little happier continuing down the 354 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,880 Speaker 1: path of like saving a little more that we had 355 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: already started. Honestly, before this pandemic, I had been talking 356 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: a lot about financial independence and not retiring early, but 357 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: kind of getting to a point where work was more optional. 358 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 1: And I still feel very committed to that, and I 359 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: feel like in these uncertain economic times, it's even more 360 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 1: important to be smart and not waste money on things 361 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,119 Speaker 1: that aren't truly bringing me joy. So I guess it's 362 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: been a nice reminder that, like, you know, or even 363 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: in retirement, like how much we have to live on, 364 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: Like I don't need to go to fancy dinner once 365 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: a week. I don't even know that I need like 366 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: a fancy date night, you know, as much as we 367 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: were doing so so just about you know, thoughts about spending. 368 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: Although I did just make a giant skincare order that 369 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: was not cheap, but as we said, that's that's an 370 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,360 Speaker 1: entry on your habit chart, so we have to keep 371 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: up Branklin chart on skincare, like, yeah, you gotta spend there. 372 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: And it's a simple pleasure that we can certainly still 373 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: do right now. So I'm enjoying that. Okay, two more 374 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 1: things and then we'll switch gears to you. The third 375 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,479 Speaker 1: one is that I think my job, and I've kind 376 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 1: of spoken about this previously, my job as it stands now, 377 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 1: where I am half program director and half well really 378 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: forty percent clinical because I'm zero point one fte podcaster 379 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: and unpaid from my job standpoint, it has more inherent 380 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: flexibility built in than I currently use. And I don't 381 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: think anyone was keeping track of where I was doing 382 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: certain forms of work. They were keeping track of whether 383 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: I was getting things done. Certainly fact, you know, I 384 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: have some people above me that have actually gotten even 385 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 1: more interested in what all of our daily activities are, 386 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: which is fine because I'm pretty productive and I kind 387 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: of like writing out, hey, I did this and this 388 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: and this and this, but where I do them and 389 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: in what order I do them, and like when my 390 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: break is like no one cares, No one cares. So 391 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 1: I think in the future I will be nicer to 392 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: myself about like, you know, I could take a walk. 393 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: I could even like do a lunch break and maybe 394 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: record a podcast, especially if I'm working somewhere else. You know, 395 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: I can allow myself more flexibility than I currently have. 396 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: That's not to say I'm going to stay home and 397 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: never show up again, but more than I was before, 398 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 1: which was pretty much rigidity. And then the last thing 399 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:44,199 Speaker 1: is I think our organization and many organizations, oh I 400 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: have one more, I forgot about that one I'll get 401 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: to that have too many meetings, So there's a lot 402 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: of standing meetings, a lot of weekly meetings, and now 403 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: that we can't meet in person, I think some of 404 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: the benefit of those was that kind of like, oh, 405 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: we can see each other, like we build those relationships. 406 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 1: But now that they're digital and the relationship building part 407 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 1: just doesn't feel as worthwhile. It just doesn't seem like 408 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: we need to have quite as many and I think 409 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: we need to be more focused and I'm sure this 410 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: is true for a lot of places as to what 411 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: are the goals, what is the takeaway from any giving meeting, 412 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: and to kind of announce that at the beginning. I 413 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: did find that one thing that worked nicely in an 414 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: online meeting yesterday that I was running that was quite long. 415 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: It was like an hour and forty five minutes where 416 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: we were reviewing basically what was going well with our 417 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: residency program and what needed to be fixed, and we 418 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: had a bunch of faculty and several residents on is 419 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: that we had a big word document that everybody was 420 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: able to see on the screen and we were going 421 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,239 Speaker 1: through kind of section bisection, and then as people were 422 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: suggesting things, I was like actionably adding items to the document, 423 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: so I felt like everyone could see the sort of 424 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: tangible building of what we were doing and how it 425 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: was important to have everyone's voice there, and I think 426 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: it went pretty well. So I don't know that we 427 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: would have done that if the meeting had been in person, honestly, 428 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 1: but I felt like it was a nice modality that 429 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: worked pretty well. And finally, the last one is I've 430 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: just become a little bit more flexible with how I 431 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: like to do my planning, which you guys know I'm 432 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: very passionate about, and I might start to try using 433 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 1: an electronic calendar for my primary calendar, which is like 434 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: saying a lot for someone who resisted for a long time. 435 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: But I found that using planners still really helps me 436 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: and I really enjoy it, but I don't necessarily need 437 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 1: that to be where I keep kind of my hard 438 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: calendar landscape. And now that there are so many meetings 439 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: that I have to click through anyway like that are 440 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 1: zoom or WebEx or whatever, having them all in one 441 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: electronic placement actually makes sense. So there you go. That's 442 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: what's my takeaways. Yeah, we've been some interesting things. One 443 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: is on our food waste front. I mean I feel 444 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: like or just waste in general. I feel like I'm 445 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: already kind of stupidly frugal on stuff anyway, and this 446 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:52,479 Speaker 1: is exacerbating some tendencies in that regard. But the you know, 447 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:54,439 Speaker 1: I like making toast out of the heel of the 448 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 1: bread that the kids won't eat, and you know, using 449 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: up the little tubes of conditioner that you have from stuff. 450 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: You know, like, I'll give you a thumbs up on 451 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: the toast and a thumb down thumb's done on the conditioner. Yes, well, 452 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: I'm I'm upping my conditioner game soon, but it's uh, 453 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 1: you know, the the little tubes need to get used 454 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: at some point, and you may as well. You know, 455 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: we're I don't know, use half a paper towel instead 456 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: of a full paper towel. And it's nothing bad about that. Also, 457 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: and we try to limit my husband's trips to the 458 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: grocery store, right that if you say, well we are 459 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 1: not going more than once a week, then you need 460 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: to be a little bit better about using stuff up 461 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: that you have. And so yeah, we've been we've been 462 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: doing that. So that's something we'll probably take away from 463 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: all this. You know, a really sort of experimental mindset 464 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: are like what can I get done at different points 465 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: of time during the day and what can't I get done? 466 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: And I know I'd talked about recording my podcast first 467 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: thing in the morning because that was a time it 468 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: was quiet, And then I've been listening to myself and wow, 469 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: my voice sounds gravelly and gross in the morning. So 470 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: I just I either have to record multiple times to 471 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,439 Speaker 1: get it good enough that I want to send it 472 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 1: out into the world, or it could be much more 473 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,399 Speaker 1: efficient if I, you know, tell the children they need 474 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: to be quiet for twenty minutes and do a couple 475 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: of them and then maybe another twenty minute period some 476 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: other point. I also do them at night if I 477 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 1: can get the baby down, then the house is it's 478 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 1: quiet at nine thirty as it would be at six am. 479 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: Only my voice sounds a lot better at nine thirty 480 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: because it's had a whole day of being warmed up 481 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: versus six am. So just trying things out, and I 482 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: think that sense of, you know, using any time available. 483 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm already efficient because I think about 484 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: productivity all the time and when is the best time 485 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: for things. But boy, I don't even know what I'm 486 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: going to do with myself when I have eight thirty 487 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 1: to four thirty quiet to nobody around. What am I? 488 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'll have to write war and peace 489 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: or something, because it's going to be it's gonna be crazy. 490 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: Other things will take away. I've been doing a lot 491 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: of Legos. The kids have an hour or so of 492 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: quiet time in their room, screen free quiet time, and 493 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: under duress, they will do it, and they discover that 494 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 1: they like things like Legos. They can also all play together, 495 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: I mean the non baby ones, but the four big 496 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: kids can play together and sort some stuff out. I mean, yes, 497 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 1: there's occasionally fights and violence. The fights I tend to 498 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,399 Speaker 1: just let go. The violence I may intervene depends on 499 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: how bad it is. But they, you know, they have 500 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: to learn this kind of emotional self regulation and that 501 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: if you are stuck with these three playmates for the 502 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 1: foreseeable future, you have to figure out a way to 503 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: play together, and so, you know, shove them all in 504 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: the backyard and let it go as it goes. So 505 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: he may do a little bit more of that. I 506 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: think I already mentioned swim team. Yeah, I am just 507 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: you know, I know that at some point this will 508 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: change and my husband will have to return to working 509 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: in the way he has been working. But I think 510 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 1: that might be somewhat different too. I think that he's 511 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: enjoyed having some time here as well, and I think 512 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: so that may you know, on the margins have a 513 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: few more hours working at home versus other places. So yeah, 514 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: I wonder if maybe he will not have to travel 515 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: as much potentially. Well, it's interesting question because now of 516 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: course that it's not really an option. A lot of 517 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: people who are in professional service firms have figured out 518 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: ways to work with their clients virtually, and the question is, well, 519 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: will the clients still be okay with that once you 520 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: can get on a plane and go see them. And 521 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean, it may be that the 522 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,399 Speaker 1: clients themselves won't be in the office as much and 523 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,239 Speaker 1: so there's less of an impetist to go see them 524 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: at the office if they're working at their houses, and 525 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: you know, then you can all just be virtual. So 526 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think no one's really quite sure 527 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: how it's going. I you know, for the new Corner office, 528 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: I've been interviewing a couple of different people who have 529 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: tips and tricks for working from home, and I've heard 530 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:35,120 Speaker 1: from some business leaders who are like, you know, we 531 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: didn't think remote work would work, which is why we 532 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: didn't do it, because we thought we all needed to 533 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: be there to make things happen. And then with our 534 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: backs against the wall, we had to go virtual. And 535 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: have found that our team members still like each other 536 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: and work with each other, and they still do stuff 537 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: like they're not watching Netflix all day, so you know, 538 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: we still want to come back to the office. But 539 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 1: on the margins, it's they're not going to be saying like, 540 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: you know, yes, you have to absolutely be in your 541 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,679 Speaker 1: seat from eight thirty to five thirty. And because it's not, 542 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: I wonder if I wonder if more companies are going 543 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: to move to like a hybrid model because they're you know, 544 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: it's like there's actually some benefits to not being in 545 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 1: the office sometimes when you do need to do deep 546 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: work now and now when your kids are home, which 547 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: is the situation now, but that's not going to be 548 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 1: true forever. And I almost wonder whether certain firms or 549 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: would be better off saying like, Okay, this is an 550 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: office day, and then Tuesdays are like a home day 551 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: for everyone to get stuff done without bothering each other. 552 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 1: Like there's just all sorts of new possibilities. I think 553 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: it's exciting, no, and I think that could be a 554 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: great hybrid model. So that, yeah, we all work in 555 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: the office three days a week at home two days 556 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: a week, and you know, to make it work, there's 557 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: going to be a little bit less flexibility than if 558 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: people are just kind of completely in charge of their 559 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: own schedules. But I do think that often working remotely 560 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: has an element of pure productivity to it. It's not 561 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: just about work life balance. It's about working in a 562 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: different place where it's impossible to get where it's possible 563 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: to get more done. So yeah, good change. All right, 564 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: Well let's go to our listener question here. So our 565 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: listener says she's been listening to best of both worlds 566 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,959 Speaker 1: since episode one. Thank you, we appreciate it. So her 567 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: question is can we talk a little bit about charitable giving? 568 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: So you speak often of opportunities that arise with higher incomes, 569 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: and one opportunity that she wants to explore is being 570 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: more financially generous. But she doesn't know where to begin. 571 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: How do you operationalize charity. She didn't grow up in 572 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: a family that prioritize this, and she's not a church goer. 573 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: So she doesn't have much of a framework. How does 574 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: one sort out all the competing factors to decide how 575 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: and to whom to give and how to decide on 576 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: the amount. Her husband and her are oriented towards the 577 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: fire movement to financial independence. They have two kids and 578 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: are thinking they are fire I guess they are fire ish, 579 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: she says, they are financially independent. Are thinking of starting 580 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: with ten percent of our strictly discretionary income. Is it 581 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: better to give locally or do national organizations lots of 582 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: small donations or bigger ones, or lump some directly, or 583 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: to people asking for help? Excited to hear your thoughts, well, 584 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 1: do you want to go first? Well, so I realize 585 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: now that I'm looking at my response that I read 586 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: her a thing wrong. I thought she was saying she 587 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: was donating ten percent of her net, and I was like, damn, 588 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: that is amazing. But she's she's donating a more reasonable 589 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 1: or more probably common one percent or so of the net, 590 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: which is ten percent of their discretionary which is an 591 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: interesting way to look at it. I've never really sat 592 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: down and you know, looked broken down what is quote 593 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 1: discretionary and what isn't and interestingly, I think we're probably 594 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: you know, similar, not to give specific numbers, but something 595 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: like that. I do think that it's probably better to 596 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: give to fewer things with more sizeable amount, just because 597 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 1: you can feel and you can feel like you're making 598 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: more of an impact and don't I don't know. I mean, 599 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: I guess there's not really a scientific reason, although I 600 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: think that every time you're giving, there's going to be 601 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: administrative costs, you know, associated with the giving itself, so 602 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: that if you are on like fifty different charity lists 603 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: and giving ten dollars each, that's not as meaningful than 604 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: giving you know, one big five hundred dollars donation or 605 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: something like that or more. We personally, like our biggest 606 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: thing that we donate to right now is the foundation 607 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 1: that's associated with the hospital that I work at, because 608 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: I know that they do a lot of good for 609 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: the community. So that's and it's just something that's close 610 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: to home for me. But I mean this is also 611 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: still a work in progress for us as well. I 612 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: do think, you know, you have to balance whether you'd 613 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: rather say for retirement versus give now. I think the 614 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: best case scenario would be to have, you know, be 615 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: conservative enough so that we do oversave for retirement and 616 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: then perhaps have even larger chunks that have grown over 617 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,840 Speaker 1: the years to donate when we are, you know, past 618 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: that fire phase because we've allowed the money to sit 619 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: there and grow. But there's no one right way to 620 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 1: do this. I think that if you're thinking about it, 621 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 1: that's probably a great first step, as long as you're 622 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: not just thinking that, you you know, put something into 623 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 1: action each year. And I like the idea of looking 624 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: at a certain person edge of your discretionary I think 625 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: that's a nice way to view it. Yeah, I've, you know, 626 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: over the years, talk to a number of people who 627 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: are giving away larger sums of money just that I've 628 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: interviewed them for various things, and everyone goes through this 629 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: learning phase. It turns out it is harder to give 630 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: significant chunks of money away wisely than you might imagine. 631 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: And so people who do have significant chunks of wealth 632 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, either it's been a slow, steady growth 633 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: or you know, they come into a lot of money 634 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: suddenly with an IPO or a you know, inheritance or whatever, 635 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: but they are or selling a business that you try 636 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,719 Speaker 1: little things, you see what excites you, You see what 637 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:45,880 Speaker 1: seems to make a difference, and then you start making 638 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: bigger bets on those sorts of things. So it's very 639 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: similar to how you might do investing as well, if 640 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: you are also into angel investing, for instance, and making 641 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 1: small bets, seeing what works, what kind of founders you 642 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 1: like to work with, that sort of thing. In general, 643 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: a couple guidelines here. You're better off giving close to 644 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: the place that will use it, so locally or even 645 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: to the local division of a national organization. You're probably 646 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: best off giving places that you are personally involved with 647 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: as well. She said she wasn't a churchgoer, but this 648 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons that houses of worship are 649 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: the most popular places for charitable giving, because you know 650 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,920 Speaker 1: what they do, like you help out with it. You're 651 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,959 Speaker 1: there every week providing accountability. So there's just a lot 652 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 1: of upsides to charitable giving through that. But of course 653 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 1: there's ways to replicate that if you are not religious 654 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 1: as well. She could make a short list of the 655 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: causes that motivate her, pick a small number like three 656 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: tops organizations to give to very generously. Like you said, 657 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: there's transaction costs, so you're better off concentrating your giving 658 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: with those organizations, though, you may be better off giving 659 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: monthly versus annually so that the organizations can manage cash flow, 660 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: although it depends. If they're huge then it doesn't matter. 661 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 1: But if they are smaller organizations than monthly cash flow 662 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: tends to be the way to look at it. If 663 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: you can volunteer at these places too, that's great because 664 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: then you get multiple ways of giving and feeling involved 665 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: in the cause and seeing what they really need too 666 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: that you might learn that they need bigger chunks of 667 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: money in February for some reason, and you know, that's 668 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: just the kind of thing that's good to know and 669 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: makes you feel more connected to it. You said your 670 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,479 Speaker 1: biggest donations were to your hospital foundation. Ours, interestingly enough, 671 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: are to Texas A and M University. But the reason 672 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:33,759 Speaker 1: for that is that my husband got a full ride 673 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: there when he was going to college, and I know 674 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: that was very helpful for him. So we have, you know, 675 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 1: I would say, an obligation to pay that back, and 676 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: so we have. So we now have one scholarship that 677 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,320 Speaker 1: we have done with his siblings that was in honor 678 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: of his parents, and then we did one personally, which 679 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:55,879 Speaker 1: is kind of funny. That there is now a Laura 680 00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: Vanderkam Scholarship at Texas A and M me and him, 681 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: but they list either I don't know if they list 682 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: the woman's name first in formal documents on things like this. 683 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:09,920 Speaker 1: But do you get to select who receives it? Do 684 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: you get that hour? No, we give guidelines of who 685 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:16,279 Speaker 1: can you know? So it's it's biochemistry because that's what 686 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: he was a major in. And then there's funds for 687 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: like summer programs and stuff like that too, So it's 688 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 1: kind of fun and they you know, you can meet 689 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: your recipient, like he's gone to events at A and 690 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: M where he's met the first person young person who's 691 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: got the name with the one with his parents' names 692 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 1: on it, and you know, they give us updates on 693 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 1: how it's going, which is kind of fun. You know. 694 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,720 Speaker 1: It's so that I mean, well, we'll do other stuff 695 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,840 Speaker 1: in the future, but this was just one way to 696 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 1: start because it was something where we did have an 697 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: obligation I cure. I like choral music. I give to 698 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: the Young New Yorker's Chorus, which I was involved in 699 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 1: back in New York, and they do a annual competition 700 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,600 Speaker 1: for young composers, so I helped fund their competition where 701 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:04,439 Speaker 1: they commission three new works every year, and I hope 702 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: to do more of that here with my choir in 703 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania as well. All right, so love of the week, Yeah, 704 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 1: ours is I'm sure like many people right now, we 705 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: are having a ritual of weekly takeout from a local 706 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: place every Saturday night. The kids always wanted to be 707 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:23,759 Speaker 1: sushi or pizza. I am trying to get them to 708 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: branch out and I think I've convinced them to do 709 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: tacos this weekend. So yeah, little bright Spot, I have 710 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: not done takeout at all, and it's just one of 711 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: these weird things that take out and delivery of food. 712 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,800 Speaker 1: In my mind, it doesn't exist. And I think what happened. 713 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: I think I've mentioned this on the podcast before. When 714 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: we moved here in twenty eleven, no one was delivering 715 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 1: to our neighborhood and so it was just like, oh 716 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:47,919 Speaker 1: it just you know, we can't do it. We either 717 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,239 Speaker 1: have to send somebody out to get it, which takes 718 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 1: a lot of effort. So no one delivers here except 719 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 1: Domino's Pizza, and I don't really want pizza, so okay, 720 00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: well we just have to cook. That's not the case anymore. 721 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: Like DoorDash comes here, grub Hub, all this stuff, and 722 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 1: so you know, I just need to do more of it. 723 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 1: That's slowly broken down that barrier in my mind of 724 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,359 Speaker 1: money I am not allowed to spend it is It 725 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: is a really lovely pleasure and like I actually find 726 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:19,520 Speaker 1: it if you do it once a week, it's like 727 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 1: it's like the right interval where it doesn't get tiresome. 728 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:25,919 Speaker 1: It's still exciting, but it's really kind of convenient and nice. Yeah, 729 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,279 Speaker 1: so I guess my love of the week is these 730 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:31,839 Speaker 1: peanut butter pretzels from Costco that they're little nuggets they 731 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 1: pretzels on the outside and peanut butter on the insund 732 00:37:34,239 --> 00:37:38,839 Speaker 1: Boy are they good. I eat a lot of them deliciously. 733 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 1: All Right, Well, this has been best of both worlds. 734 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: We've been talking about what we are taking away from 735 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: the coronavirus epidemic, things we are happy about now, trying 736 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,359 Speaker 1: to put a little bit of a silver lining on 737 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,319 Speaker 1: what is really a tough situation. So we will be 738 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:55,399 Speaker 1: back next week with more on making work in life 739 00:37:55,400 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: fit together. Thanks for listening. You can find me Sarah 740 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 1: at the shoebox dot com or at the Underscore Shoebox 741 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: on Instagram, and you can find me Laura at Laura 742 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. This has been the best of both 743 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: worlds podcasts. Please join us next time for more on 744 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: making work and life work together.