In a few hours, Wendy and I will head outside for her final 30 minute run of the Couch to 5k program. She never thought she’d do it, but I always knew she would. I’m looking forward to watching her smile grow the closer we get to the end of the run, which should cover about 2.25 miles. Of course, I’m also looking forward to our date afterward as we celebrate her achievement!

Perhaps there are not three people anywhere around more excited about the opening of 704 than my children. Ever since the boys started skateboarding, they have been talking about how awesome it’ll be to have the ramps at 704’s ramp park open to skate on. When they found out that we need to raise half a million to get it started, they immediately went into entrepreneur mode and tried to think of stuff they could do to help raise money.

Enter their new business. That’s right, at the ripe old ages of 10,10, and 6, Parker, Will, and Sydney have launched “We Help!!!” They cook, clean, wash cars, design posters, even walk your dog. They’ve got it all – homemade business cards, a price sheet, a spiral notebook with “We Help!!! Records” printed on it. The best part? When I got back from my run yesterday, they told me that they’d gotten their first call – an order for 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies for the 7th grade at Park Ridge. How freakin cool is that??

704 can’t be far off when a lot of people get as motivated as that. Thanks, guys! I’m proud of you.

FOXNews.com – Banker Buys $37 Million Apartment After Getting $25 Million Buyout — for Doing Virtually Nothing

So the latest punching bag in the mess that is American economics is 55 year-old Peter Kraus.  He got an executive job at Merrill Lynch right before they got bought out and, after working the position for a matter of days, he got a 25 million dollar buyout.

Of course, everyone’s upset because he got such a big buyout when the company had just gotten a bigger bailout and that he used it to buy something so lavish when so many were losing their jobs and life savings.  I don’t necessarily disagree with that, but I think more people are just upset because they didn’t get paid 25 mil for a week of work, too.

What caught my attention is the fact that he had 25 million dollars cash and still chose to finance 12 million for the apartment.  Stupid.  Typical, stupid American excess.