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MAY 2019
WELL ... THIS IS A PROBLEM
What To Do When Murphy Strikes
“Well … this is a problem,” is what the text read from my wife with the picture to the right.
than the others. That is what you need to focus on completely. Your brain will automatically try to overwhelm you by thinking about all of the other problems that exist. But you need to worry about and fix the one most burning issue. In this case, the car was useless until that door could be closed, and Anne needed a car by 7 a.m. the next morning. That was the most burning issue: closing the door. I called every mechanic and every autobody shop I could, but they were all closed. I searched for mobile repair companies, but they weren’t responsive. Then, I finally tried to work my friend and family network. In the end, my brother Josh said he could stop by on his way home to see if he could help. The burning issue was addressed. Now I could move on to the next step. 3) Create a backup plan. Now that I knew Josh was in route, I needed to figure out what we would do if he couldn’t get the door closed. Again, Anne needed a car by 7 a.m. the next day. We had to rent a car until I got home. I made some calls, and while the local rental car location was closed, the call center could get some of the paperwork teed up for the next day. Here is the thing about a backup plan: By creating one, you shift from a reactive position to a proactive position. You always want to push to be in a proactive state as quickly as possible because your body will deal with stress that comes up differently when you are in a proactive state. 4) Plan the permanent fix. So, Josh is in route to try to close the door and the rental car is lined up as the backup plan. Now I can work out what to do to actually fix the door. Again, this is a proactive stance. I am assuming Josh will be able to fix it or we will rent a car. The main plan and backup plan to address the
I was in a hotel in Colorado nearly 2,000 miles away. My cousin was getting married the next day, and we decided I would attend solo because of my daughter’s play performance and logistical challenges. (Who said having four kids is easy?) As you can see from the picture, the passenger sliding door to our minivan partially fell off. Luckily, it happened after Anne parked in the garage, so she and the kids were already home. Sadly, she couldn’t close it, rendering the car useless. Our other car was parked at the airport (with the keys inmy pocket) and at the time, all local mechanics, auto body shops, and rental car companies were closed. Murphy’s Law happens the most when I am away fromhome, and Murphy is an expert in bad timing. Whenever Murphy strikes, I find I need to keep my head and work through four stages to get to a good result: 1) Be grateful, 2) Address the most burning issue, 3) Create a backup plan, and 4) Plan the permanent fix. Here’s how we worked through all of those during the minivan incident. 1) Be Grateful. I find being grateful for something, no matter how small, resets the situation and grounds you. In this situation, I was incredibly grateful that the door broke after Anne got home with the kids. If the door had broken when she was picking up the kids from day care or school, the problem would have been much tougher. We were really lucky. Gratitude, even for something very small, frees you to approach the problem with the right mental state.
burning issue are in motion. The
permanent fix is pretty straight forward. I need to get the car to the mechanic so they can fix the door. I don’t need to do more now because I won’t be able to do anything until Monday when I return to Connecticut anyway, but I know what actions need to take place to solve the problem. I used this framework to address the minivan door breaking, but it’s also the systemwe use at Robert C. White & Company when things go wrong at a property we manage. We have had fires, sewer backups, and so many other issues happen at our properties. We use this framework to keep our heads, address the most pressing issue, and get into a proactive stance. I hope it helps you next time Murphy strikes.
Yours in battle against Murphy and his law,
P.S. Josh was able to get the door closed (my hero) so no need to resort to the backup plan. Now I just need to get it repaired next week when I get back. Take that, Murphy!
2) Address the most burning issue. With any problem, there is always one issue more pressing
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PROM SAFETY 4 Tips to Keep Your Child Safe
Seeing gorgeous dresses, fancy suits, corsages, and boutonnieres pop up in advertisements can only mean one thing: Prom season is here! This time of year, teens are busy choosing the perfect dress or suit to wear, finding a date, making dinner reservations, and preparing for an evening of fun and dance. During this exciting time, give your teens a little encouragement and guidance to ensure they have a safe and memorable evening.
Long before the invention of radios and cellphones, homing pigeons were used to send messages as early as the sixth century. During World War I, war pigeons carried lifesaving messages past enemy lines for the American and French armies, often being wounded in the process. In 1918, Cher Ami, a black check hen used by the U.S. Signal Corps, became the most famous of them all. On Oct. 2, the United States 77th Division was trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, a three- month push by the Allies during the final throes of WorldWar I to force the Germans to surrender. It became the bloodiest battle in U.S. history. For six days, the encircled division endured relentless attacks and suffered heavy casualties, but their orders were clear: don’t retreat and don’t surrender. The division dispatched two homing pigeons with requests for help, but both birds were shot down. When friendly fire began raining down on the 77th, Major Charles White Whittlesey felt he had no choice but to send the last pigeon, Cher Ami. The pigeon’s desperate note read: BRAVE LITTLE CHER AMI The War Pigeon Who Saved the ‘Lost Battalion’ As Cher Ami rose from the brush, she was shot down, to the despair of the watching soldiers. However, after a few seconds, she fought her way back into the air, flew through a torrent of gunfire, and made it to division headquarters 25 miles away. She had been shot in the breast, the eye, and the leg. Because of Cher Ami’s brave flight, 194 of the original 554 men of the 77th Division survived the battle. One month later, WorldWar I came to an end. Cher Ami survived the war as well, thanks to the surgeons who performed emergency surgery on her. One soldier even carved her a little wooden leg. She became a well-known hero to both soldiers and children in the States. For her service in Verdun, the French Army awarded her the Croix de Guerre, and she was inducted into the Racing Pigeon Hall of Fame. Cher Ami finally succumbed to her wounds in June of 1919 and is now on display in the Smithsonian alongside Sergeant Stubby, a terrier who served 18 months on the Western Front. “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.”
CREATE A PLAN
Create a plan for prom night, and make sure everyone knows what it is. Your teen should know and communicate with you what time the dance starts, what time it ends, if they’re going anywhere after, and when they’ll be coming home.
PHONES
Make sure your teen’s phone is completely charged in case they need to reach out to you sometime during the night. Encourage your teen to check in once every few hours, and establish an emergency code to use if they find themselves in trouble.
DRIVING
You and your teen should also have a plan about the modes of transportation, who’s driving, and how many people your teen is going with. Trusting the driver is important. If you’re hesitant about letting your child be driven to prom, find another way. If your teen is driving the family car, confirm that they will be the only person driving the vehicle.
DRESS SAFETY
Make sure your teen is dressed comfortably and appropriately to ensure they have a fun night without any accidents.
Encourage them to wear comfortable shoes that
they can walk and dance in without pain. High heels are fashionable, but they shouldn’t
wear heels so high that they may fall and hurt themselves. Whatever your teen decides to wear should be comfortable and hemmed to the appropriate length based on their height.
By keeping these safety measures in mind, your teen will have a wonderful and safe evening!
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LEARNING TO BE GRATEFUL Some Ways to Help Children Appreciate Their Teachers
DONATING SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 6–10 this year, and there are plenty of ways students of all ages can thank their educators for everything they do. Being a teacher isn’t an easy job, and the people who make it their profession are passionate about helping kids learn. Depending on how old your child is, they may need a parent’s help in showing their appreciation. Here are a few ways parents and children can appreciate teachers together.
Many teachers use their own money to buy school supplies for their classroom. This is just one of the ways teachers go above and beyond on a daily basis, and buying some extra school supplies can help ease that cost. Take your child shopping with you and help them pick out supplies that you know their teacher will appreciate.
THANK-YOU NOTES
This gesture is simple and sweet and can be very thoughtful. Telling a teacher what makes them outstanding can often be just as valuable as a gift. Help your child write an appreciative note and then write one yourself. Teachers often have to maintain the happiness of students, administrators, and parents. Your card could relieve some of the stress of that balancing act and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts.
A HOMEMADE MEAL
Making a homemade meal (or dessert) shows teachers that you went the extra mile to appreciate their hard work. You could make a favorite dish of yours or try to find a new recipe online. Either way, encourage your child to help you with the process so that the meal is truly a gift from both of you.
Your children spend several hours a day with their teachers, so fostering relationships with them is vital. Use this day to help your children understand the importance of teachers, to teach them the power of gratitude, and to encourage them to show respect for everyone who helps them in life.
CLASSIC FRENCH OMELET
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by SeriousEats.com
Ingredients
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3 large eggs
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
1. In medium bowl, beat eggs with plastic fork until last traces of white are just mixed in. Season with salt and pepper. 2. In an 8-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter, swirling over medium heat until foamy but not browned. Add eggs, stirring rapidly with fork, while moving skillet to agitate eggs. Break up all curds by scraping bottom of skillet as they form. Stop stirring when eggs are softly scrambled and creamy (but loose enough to come together into a single mass), 1–2 minutes. 3. Using fork, gently spread egg in an even layer around skillet and scrape down any wispy bits around the edges. The top surface should be loose and creamy, but if still liquid, swirl skillet to bring raw egg to the edge where it will set faster. 4. Remove from heat. Tilt skillet up by handle. Using fork, gently roll omelet down over itself until nearly folded in half. Using fork, push omelet to edge of skillet so that the lower edge of egg just begins to overhang. Use fork to fold overhanging edge of egg back over, closing omelet. 5. Turn omelet out onto plate. It should have the seam on bottom.
Solution on page 4
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107 E. MAIN ST., FL2 MERIDEN, CT 06450 860.613.6290
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INSIDE 1
Well... This is a Problem
2
The War Pigeon Who Saved the ‘Lost Battalion’
Prom Safety Tips
3
Teacher Appreciation Week Is Here!
Classic French Omelet
4
Black Gold
BLACK GOLD FOR YOUR GARDEN SOIL
National Learn About Composting Day!
Most people have heard of composting one way or another. Your mom might have kept a bin in the backyard for overripe Halloween pumpkins, yard clippings, and egg shells. You might even have a coworker who boasts about the giant compost pile they use to fertilize their garden and lawn.
vegetable scraps; paper products, including receipts, paper towels, and tissues; wood chips, leaves, and other types of waste that are not categorized as processed food, meats, or fish products in their compost bin. Compost can stabilize gardening soil, keep the soil from contracting diseases, and help the ground retain moisture. WHY DOWE COMPOST? Besides giving gardens and lawns significant nutrients, composting also reduces landfills. According to the United States EPA, “Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up about 30 percent of what we throw away.”Organic material often takes longer to decompose in a landfill due to being wrapped in plastic. The more organic material that is composted, the quicker it can deteriorate. LEARN ABOUT COMPOSTING DAY The best way to recognize this holiday is to learn as much as you can about composting. When you dive in, you’ll discover you can compost materials you never knew you could, including latex balloons and cardboard egg cartons. Once you do your research, you can start your very own compost by dedicating a part of your backyard to disposing of organic matter or by purchasing a compost bin. This article covers the basics of composting, but there’s still plenty more to learn! Head to your local farmers market or botanical garden and talk to the experts about any questions you have — they’ll be sure to give you some great tips.
Whatever your level of composting knowledge may be, there is always more to learn about this popular and extremely beneficial method for handling organic food waste. Luckily, May 29 is National Learn About Composting Day! This day provides a great opportunity to introduce yourself to and begin the conversation about composting if you haven’t already. Below are a few answers to your basic composting questions to get you started. WHAT IS COMPOST? Compost is decomposed organic matter, which is especially good for people who have gardens or aspire to live a sustainable lifestyle. People put coffee grounds;
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