And Also With You

Career Path
Originally uploaded by John and Keturah

Parent (noticing child is weaving erratically while walking to the car): What's going on? If you open your eyes, you'll stop crashing into things.

Child: Nope. I'm using The Force.

New Column: Goodbye Economy, Hello Balance

My latest column for The American Lawyer posits that belt tightening and work life balance can go hand in hand. It's tempting for law firms and other businesses to view balance as a "perk" to be scaled back when trying to cut costs. But done right it's a way to save money now and emerge competitively from the down economy without big cash outlays.

Thanks for all your feedback on these points as I was putting this together, and please let me know what you think.

[Update] Discussion:

• Caryn Tamber, Work-life balance is dead. Long live work-life balance!
• Sarah Randag, What if Firms Thought of Flexible Work Schedules as ‘Balanomics’?
• Sarah Randag, Can Offering Work Flexibility Help a Firm’s Bottom Line?

Refrigerator Box On Steroids

The Llama Cottage control tower/fort and half the airplane squadron are nearly ready for takeoff.  The Cottage (here's Erin Montague's review) is on my Dad and stepmom's property in Mendocino, and rents through the Little River Inn.

Not If You Can Help It

05092008
Originally uploaded by pa1nt

Parent (reading instructions about testing submarine ballast in a sink or tub):  Next, we need to take the sub to your bathroom.

Child:  Why — so I can pee on it??

Volt With Your Hat

Sophie's Baby Hat
Originally uploaded by firepile

Parent: What kind of batteries do we need for the submarine?

Child (examining picture on box): Two double-A's.  And one hat battery.