The Start of Summer

Hey guys. How’s it goin’?

It’s been a while. Every year my blog posting suffers around the start of summer, and every year I seem surprised by that.

We’ve been busy: end of school year fun and excitement, a son’s birthday, and summer travel planning. This summer we’re a little short on camps and whatnot, so I’ve spent some time helping both boys set goals and start work (and yes, each has his very own spreadsheet). Trying to fill two kids’ days with somewhat productive and engaging activities has further deepened my respect for teachers everywhere.

Plus, just like clockwork, a client has surfaced asking for help. My theory is that companies, behind on their goals and conceding that summers are terribly unproductive, finally decide it’s time to bring in a consultant to get stuff done. I’d rather be free during the summer, but at least desperate companies don’t balk at your hourly rate 🙂

So no excuse for my lack of posts, but at least a bit of an explanation.

Interestingly, I’ve added more email subscribers and Twitter followers during my hiatus than I normally add when actively writing. I’m not sure if that’s encouraging or discouraging, though.

Bowing to the demands of a busy summer and two kids out of school, I’ll go ahead and declare my weekly posting schedule is probably going to be more fortnightly. However, to make it up to you, I will ensure that every single post I make is at least double the normal quality. Some of the ideas in the hopper include:

• Teaching your kids one of life’s most important skills
• When and why to pay off your mortgage
• Stock picking contest update (see the 1Q update here)
• When to have a child: a decision framework
• Update on my son’s foray into entrepreneurship
• What I remember from my MBA (VERY different topic than “what I learned”)
• Why no one wants me as a customer
  Plus two potential posts related to our annual trip to Japan:
• Paul’s advanced guide to onsen (Japanese hot springs)
• Arbitrage opportunities while traveling abroad

If you just can’t wait for the wheel of fortune to spin and smile on your favorite, let me know and I’ll try to move it to the front of the queue.

I hope your summer is off to a great start. Thanks as always for reading (and waiting…), and look for a lovingly handcrafted post of near-genius shortly!

Picture courtesy of Julius Silver