A Perfect Day For A Convertible. And For Chutzpah.

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The last few days have been beautiful fall weather, and I can't help but wonder – do you ever miss having your Ferrari convertible?

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Although some days are perfect convertible weather, given I barely drove it the last few years I owned it, averaging less than 50 miles a year, I can honestly say, "No." In fact, I cannot even remember the last time I drove it.

Red's Head assets.rebelmouse.io

I can't help you with that, but I'll never forget the last day we taught at KIPP Houston High School, and you drove it there. You should've seen the student's faces as you were lowering the top on it.

Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Funny thing is I never took the car to KIPP because I did not want anyone to think I was showing off, but I forgot how exciting it is for motorheads to see special cars – whether new or vintage.
assets.rebelmouse.io	I doubt everyone crowding around your car was a motorhead, but they certainly were excited to see your car. Boys AND girls! At the risk of sounding warm and fuzzy, I think the fact you not only drove a Ferrari, but also raced them, gave the girls a feeling of empowerment, that they really can do anything.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	I guess because I always worked in male-dominated industries, I got used to being the "token" woman. Regardless, I never look at things as being gender-specific.
assets.rebelmouse.io	That's because you never look at anything like the rest of the world does, or at least most people do. A perfect example of that is you giving Juan a ride in the Ferrari. I doubt many people would have done that.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	It seemed only fair since he tried to make a "deal" with me the day before – a hand of poker or even a flip of a coin. If he wins, he gets a ride in the Ferrari. If I win, he will be my slave for a day. Giving him a ride in the car was a reward for having the chutzpah to try to make a deal with me. And, in the two years we taught at KIPP, of the over 200 students who took our Personal Finance & Life 101 class, he was the only one ever to do that.
assets.rebelmouse.io	I'll never forget how you also told them that although it may not be the proper definition for the Yiddish word "chutzpah," the real-life definition is "having balls."
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	How else would you explain it?
assets.rebelmouse.io	You should know as many people have used that word to describe you. And it was consistent with the lesson we taught them about how you "confronted" Bob Weinstein (of the movie producing Weinstein Brothers) at a conference in New York. (Granted, it was well before the #MeToo scandal.) You realized you had nothing to lose, not to mention you were well-prepared.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	In most scenarios, if you do not ask for something, you will not receive it. So, what is the risk of asking? Someone may say "no"? The way I see it, you are no worse off than before you asked. So, in reality, there is no downside risk, but there IS upside potential. They may say "yes."
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	True. And I laughed, although I wasn't surprised when everyone else started asking for a ride in the Ferrari!
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Except Juan did not just ask for a ride. He tried to negotiate a deal. He structured it so that there was an upside for me if he lost the bet, which obviously would be the downside for him. But, what impressed me the most was that he was proactive and took a chance, albeit a long shot, to get something he wanted.
assets.rebelmouse.io	And given the smile on his face when you drove off, it obviously paid off. I bet, even though it has been many years, it's something he's never forgotten.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	The lesson or the ride in the Ferrari?
assets.rebelmouse.io	Both. And I will go out on a limb and say I bet many of the kids standing around the car when you told Juan to jump in, and then explained why, may also remember not only that day but the importance of the lesson.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Then, it was a perfect day for a convertible ride.

negotiating skills

Memory Lane

There’s So Much Right … About Typewriters

Photos by Red

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I know you’ll roll your eyes, but it made me smile when I found not one, but two, of Daddy’s typewriters at Mom’s house. It just brought back so many memories.

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I remember the old black one, which is probably long gone, before Daddy “modernized” and got an electric one. I remember taking typing class. And, I remember pulling an all-nighter to write, or technically “type”, my M.B.A. thesis the night before it was due.

red head assets.rebelmouse.io

I still can’t believe you did that. Too bad you couldn’t turn in the handwritten version.

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childhood memories

Memory Lane

Don’t Expect A Compliment From A Sarcastic Sister. But A Sunscreen Reminder Would’ve Been Nice.

Photo by Iam Anupong on iStock

I’ll never forget the day I was hoping for a compliment from Black – if only I knew then what I know now. Not only about my sister but about skin cancer. Growing up as a fair-skinned (Black would probably say thin-skinned) redhead who spent hours on the golf course before we knew the dangers of sun exposure, I’m now paying the price and having to make frequent visits to the dermatologist to keep the situation under control. And with redheaded daughters, I feel like I’m constantly telling them to make sure to wear their sunscreen, especially on their faces, so they don’t end up like me. But I also have to smile a little since it’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month (there’s even a National Sunscreen Day), which means I’m not the only one nagging them. Although it still would’ve been nice if Black had been a little less sarcastic and a lot more helpful …

I'll never forget the day. It was an "almost" ordinary day out on the golf course with my mom and dad during the heat of a Long Island summer. Now, if "Long Island" conjures up images of stately manors on the North Shore (think "Great Gatsby") or beachfront mansions in the Hamptons (think Robin Leach and his popular show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"), you can put those out of your head. I'm not talking about some fancy country club golf course, just a regular public course.

I loved the game ever since I learned to play as a teenager, and although I never got to play while at college (Wake Forest, which was renowned for its golf program, with its most famous alumni being Arnold Palmer), I'd try to get out as often as possible when I was home. I wasn't a phenomenal player but had a decent game and natural talent. And most of the time, I hit it pretty straight, so one of the things I enjoyed was walking down the middle of the fairway, pulling my clubs along (no fancy golf carts on this course), appreciating the day and the sport.

On one (very rare) occasion, my sister came back to New York to visit, as she moved out of state as soon as she graduated from business school. She also played golf, but unlike me, who relied on natural ability and played for fun, she worked extremely hard at her game, was overly competitive, and played "business golf". The result was that she was a far better player than me, although I was holding my own on that day.

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healthcare

Memory Lane

Celebrating Pets … Silly Names And Unconditional Love

Red's two Labradoodles

Photo taken by Red

If you asked Black about National Pet Month, she’d probably quote you statistics about the number of people who have pets and the health benefits, conveniently “forgetting” what she told Red about unconditional love. But Red would tell you that she celebrates Moo (read the original post to learn about the other “unusual names” of her four-legged family members) every day, letting her know with a hug and a cuddle how much she’s loved.

assets.rebelmouse.io	Well, this month marks 18 years since you changed my life, so I wanted to thank you. Again. For bringing such happiness into the lives of the girls and me, although some heartbreaking sadness, too. But there's nothing like unconditional love.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	OK, but can you tell me what you are talking about?
assets.rebelmouse.io	Do you remember when I moved to Houston after living overseas, and we started going to the Hyatt Hill Country in San Antonio for Memorial Day weekend? You were married to Larry, and his girls were young, and Natasha and Sawyer were even younger. Well, in 2003 you asked me if it was OK if you got us a puppy.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	You had always talked about getting a dog but wanted to have children first. The timing seemed right, but given your allergies, the options were limited. Until I learned about a new breed, well technically a mixed breed, originally developed in Australia to be hypoallergenic guide dogs.
assets.rebelmouse.io	I'll never forget you showing me photos of the most incredibly adorable dogs I'd ever seen. The fact Labradoodles were half standard poodle, which was what I had initially thought we'd get, and half Labrador Retriever was amazing. But only you could find the perfect dog from an article in a business magazine.

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pets

DON’T MISS A THING

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Black assets.rebelmouse.io	There was none. I had some notes, but I composed as I typed. It forced me to focus. Especially as that typewriter pre-dated ones with an internal correction tape, which meant I had to manually “white out” mistakes and then type over them or start the page over again.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	Seriously?! And that’s not about how the typewriter worked, it’s about how you wrote your thesis!
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Well, at least Daddy’s home office was in the basement, so you could not hear the constant tap-tap-tap. But, that reminds me of the times I would sneak downstairs to find Daddy up late, typing his engineering reports using the two-finger method. Even before people used the phrase “work-life balance,” he would never miss dinner and having time with us, but sometimes would then go back to work.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	Mommy was always a night owl, and as I got older and stayed up late watching old movies (I think I inherited that gene from her), she’d be on her typewriter in the kitchen working on her lists. I can still hear that distinctive sound.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	And, the ding when you hit the end of the line? Regardless, it explains why you found two typewriters. Mom took Daddy’s hand-me-down.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	Given she was once a secretary, she could fly through those keys. And now that I’m going through all of her things, I smile every time I find one of the seemingly endless lists she made. Some of which were handwritten and some typed. But with her handwriting … thank goodness for the typed lists.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Can you imagine what she would have done if she had a computer? I tried getting her one years ago, but she wanted nothing to do with it.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	Talk about creating a monster. But there’s something, maybe nostalgia, maybe just the fact not everything has to be done in the most modern way, that makes me look at those two typewriters with a smile and new appreciation.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	They are a piece of history, which may explain why there is a National Typewriter Day (June 23). And, typewriters are responsible for the QWERTY keyboard that is still used on our computers and smartphones.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	I never thought about that, although it makes perfect sense. Funny thing is that when Sawyer saw the typewriters, she knew what they were but had never seen one in person. Well, I’m going to keep both typewriters. For now, anyway. Too many memories associated with them. Unless you want the one you used for your thesis.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Not right now, but if we ever decide to get rid of them, we need to do some research as there is an active market for old typewriters. Of course, if Tom Hanks is interested in either of them, I would love to send him one to add to his collection.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	Tom Hanks collects typewriters? How do you know these things?
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	AP News article about “digital burnout”. Apparently, he is an avid typewriter collector. And, it is more than a hobby, as he inspires others to appreciate them.
red head assets.rebelmouse.io	I already did, but now I do even more!

Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Fortune magazine. It was written by Andy Serwer back when he was Managing Editor (he now is Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo! Finance), and you never knew the topic – or angle – of his next piece. Sometimes serious, sometimes amusing, but always astute and worth reading. And, I actually saved that article.
assets.rebelmouse.io	Of course, you did. All I know is that starting with that day in the hotel, I was in love, first with the idea of the Labradoodle, then with the puppy pictures they sent us, and then with her. In fact, from literally the moment you and I picked her up at the airport and then came home and gently placed her next to an unsuspecting Natasha who was asleep on the sofa, she became the most loved member of the family.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	If only people were as good at unconditional love as pets. Anyway, not only are pets a source of love and companionship, but studies – and science – have shown there are proven health benefits .
assets.rebelmouse.io	Well, I don't need a study to tell me how much, over the last 18 years, having Woof, and then Oink and Moo, has meant to the girls and me. And although I still find it upsetting to think of Woof's early passing in 2007, and Oink having left us this past summer still breaks my heart, I'm so grateful for all the memories and love that's still there.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	I do not think we ever forget them. I still remember Mom's family dog, Buttons, a beautiful Irish Setter that Grandma Betty and Poppy Louie would sometimes bring to the house so she could run free in the backyard. She was almost as tall as me, but was very gentle, and always affectionate.
assets.rebelmouse.io	That's funny because our childhood dog, Yenta, was anything but affectionate. I know poodles have a reputation of being proud, and although I loved her, she wasn't the most lovable dog around. I just wanted her to be cuddly, but she wouldn't have any part of it. Instead, if a dog could put their nose up in the air and walk off with a royal air about them, that was her.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	I prefer to think of it as being stubborn. And, independent. Both traits of poodles. And, may explain why she and I got along so well.
assets.rebelmouse.io	No comment. Except to remind pet owners that this is National Pet Month. So, what better time to show your pet how much you love them than to celebrate with them?