Can I Tell You How Much I Love My Patio?

It is always about this time of year when I start to really appreciate my patio in a way I just can't during the colder months. The sun is shining (at least in Miami where we're parked right now), the weather is warm, there's a lovely breeze -- and I can think of nothing more pleasant than sitting outside, under my awning, enjoying the day. However, RV patios are a bit different than stationary ones, and you have to know what you're doing to keep them in good working order.

Fingertip Files

While organizers love the sight of a clear desk, not all of your paper should be stuck away in a file drawer -- those items that are accessed regularly must be kept handy. But that doesn't mean that you have to suffer with a bunch of disorganized stacks, cluttering up all of your available work surfaces. You can have your cake and eat it too -- easily accessible but still "put away" with a fingertip file!

Paid Maternity Leave? Sure -- If I Can Have 6 Paid Weeks Off To Write A Novel

I have a friend who is pregnant and preparing for her maternity leave. I happen to be working on a book, and I commented to her that I'd love 6 weeks off to do nothing but write. My friend (who is an artist) agreed that the creative process is a lot like childbirth (imagine Athena springing forth from your forehead!) -- and we both decided it's unfair that, as a no-kidder, I wouldn't be given the same paid leave to bring my own "baby" into the world. Discrimination!

It's Hard To Be Spontaneous During High Season!

Matt and I started this year of RVing off in Key West and are slowly heading up the East Coast toward Canada. While it's lovely to be down in the warmth and sun while all of our friends are freezing their butts off in record-breaking snowstorms elsewhere, I will admit that I had forgotten about dealing with "season" in South Florida. But I was appropriately punished by the gods of RV reservations, I have learned my lesson, and I will be much more diligent next time around!

Setting Up Action Files

Some people say that you should only touch a piece of paper once -- I say, impossible! It might take several steps to complete a task, you may need to refer back to that document again and again, and that's okay. But the real trick is keeping track of everything throughout the process. You need a simple and effective paper-flow system that helps prevent misplaced items and lets you get everything done in a timely fashion. Fortunately, I have one to offer!

Ten Steps To Financial Freedom

Financial freedom -- that's the American dream, isn't it? But how many of us actually stand any chance of achieving this grand and glorious goal? Buried in credit card debt, living in houses we can barely afford, spending more than we make and putting nothing away for the future -- I don't see it happening. Financial independence is well within our grasp -- we just have to make a few fundamental shifts in the way we choose between instant gratification and future security.

The Evils Of Required Tipping

I love to eat out -- it is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to experience "local flavor" wherever we travel (as long as you stay away from the tourist traps and go where the natives do.) However I hate, loathe, and resent the requirement that I tip a server. Tipping is supposed to be a reward, but the way the system is set up, you feel as though you HAVE to tip, even if the service is terrible -- otherwise, you're helping to drive some low-wage waitress even deeper into poverty.

The "Fragile" Generation

I was out for a run this week at a nearby park -- I stopped for a break by the playground and watched a few kids trying to kill themselves on the monkey bars while I caught my breath. Very enjoyable -- except for the one mom who hovered over her grade-schooler, squawking like a distressed hen every time the kid made a move. I'm sure that she was just "protecting" him from this dangerous world -- but that poor child is going to grow up paranoid, hypochondriac, and afraid of his own shadow!

Who Needs A Car When You Have A Bike (Or A Moped?)

Matt and I just finished up a two-week stay in Key West -- which I have officially dubbed one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. We camped out over on Stock Island, just across the bridge from Key West proper and a short bike ride from all the fun and sun (and drinking establishments.) I loved pedaling my way along the waterfront and into town -- and I wish that more cities were as easy to navigate without driving that big freaking truck we own!