Humility builders

Here is the new garage door I installed this weekend on the "shed." Don't look too hard or too close. It's on. It goes up and it goes down. It looks much better than the one I removed. My skinned knuckles are healing nicely. The project didn't require a trip into town for more parts. Nobody called the police on account of bad language. Still this sort of project is definitely a challenge for me.

I woke up this morning wondering who got the "handy" genes in our family. My dad was very mechanical and my mom was a house painter, furniture restorer and the like.  My brother and sister must have lucked out. I know I didn't inherit one lick of ability in this area. Any project like installing a garage door, repairing a faucet, or putting together a toy raises my humility quotient by at least 100%. 

Which is a good thing.

I find that I get into the most trouble, act the most stupid, and embarrass myself the most when I am thinking too highly of myself. Getting knocked down a notch or two usually makes me a nicer person. At least for a while.  I know this.

Here are a few other humility builders (oxymoron?)

1. Full length mirrors (see below)
2. Stupid typographical errors or just plain awkward writing in work you've made public.
   
3. Chewing somebody out, then getting all the facts, then apologizing.
4. Reading others' writing that is more profound, beautiful and thoughtful than you ever hope to create.
5. Watching yourself on videotape.
6. Having an article rejected by a publisher. Or two. Or three.
   
7. Being taken to task for something you've said by someone you respect.
8. Getting a pointy-haired boss cartoon taped to your door.

There are plenty of others but these come to mind.

Why is it so difficult to be grateful for the things that do us so much good? 

Photo via Ian Jukes. Poster by Motivator.

One in, one out

I thought about Mr. Creosote this morning after getting an e-mail from Miguel Guhlin inviting me to join his Diigo network.

No, Miguel, it wasn't the body shape that triggered the connection.

For those of you who may not know or remember, Mr. Creosote was an archetypal glutton played by Terry Jones in the 1983 Monty Python movie The Meaning of Life. Creosote eats, vomits and eats more until a final mint, as I remember, causes his entire body to horrifically explode.

I am worried that Diigo just might be that final 2.0 mint. At what point does one's social networking time commitment become so consuming that one figuratively explodes?

I am therefore adopting the same rule I apply to adding books to my bookshelves, clothing to my closet and RSS feeds to my reader - for every item I add, I toss one as well.

I believe it to be the only path of sanity and survival. Entirely too much of my life is already taken up by trying to keep up.

So, for those of you who kindly ask me to try something new, please include in your invitation that which you belive I should also dump.

Much obliged.

Oh, I am guessing our classroom teachers feel much the same way I do - if not more so. As technology "pushers," do we ever suggest those things that can be dropped - or only things we think they should be adding?

Tax prep weekend

My mantra this weekend has been:

It's good to have income on which to pay taxes.
It's good to have income on which to pay taxes.
It's good to have income on which to pay taxes.

And it is. While preparing stuff for my tax preparer is a big pain in the patootie, I have always been thankful that I have a good job and a decent income. I am not real crazy about how many of my tax dollars are spent, but I've never grumbled that taxes are too high. Yes, I am one of those LIBERALS who believe that good schools, roads, fire and police protection, taking care of those who can't take care of themselves, etc. are more important than a bigger boat, a fancier vacation or leaving behind a vast inheritance (Sorry, kids).

What has struck me this year as I semble, sort and staple is just how many of my financial records have moved online. Via the Internet, I now get:

• My bank statements, including a record of all my electronic bill paying
• My mortgage information 
• My W9 form from school
• My credit card statements
• My electric and gas bills
• My insurance information

I am not complaining - I LIKE this. (Although it doesn't feel very private.)

My goal for next year's tax prep day might be to be totally paperless. This would mean scanning beau coup receipts, I suppose, but it's doable.

Oh, and is there a portal similar to iGoogle for one's financial dealings?

First 1040 - 1913. 4 pages. According to Professor Perry's interesting post here.