FULL QUESTION: I'm reading about lots of air travel delays, should I be worried about holiday travel?
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I hate to say this, but I think the answer is yes. My youngest daughter's a freshman at college, and
I was so proud of myself for booking her Thanksgiving and winter break flights months
ago (great prices and schedules on Southwest Airlines). Now, I find myself worried that although she
may have flight reservations, who knows if those flights will get canceled. And, if so, how much advance
notice we'll have. Of course, the worst-case scenario is I could get in the car and get her, but since it's a 12+ hour trip (each way), it might not work for Thanksgiving since she only has a few days off. So, at this point, I'm trying not to freak out (which is my default setting) and just keep my fingers crossed that the flights stay as scheduled. But I'd be very grateful if she only experiences delays vs. cancellation. Meanwhile, she's already prepared for long lines (for everything) at the airport. |
| Actually, I think Red's daughter is doing a better job of
handling the situation, both logistically and, perhaps as important,
mentally. She recognizes there is not
much she can do in terms of delays or cancellations and will deal with it when
and if they occur. And, she already
planned to leave plenty of time to check luggage (I suggested she leave her
guitar at school and just go with carry-on) and go through security. Fortunately, she is booked on a direct flight;
otherwise, she would also be concerned with whether there was sufficient time
between connecting flights.
But, "all of the above" is in terms of getting home for the holidays, and you did not indicate whether that was your situation or whether you were traveling for business or a holiday vacation. In that case, it becomes a risk-reward analysis starting with why you are making the trip. If you decide to travel, besides the flight issues, you should adjust your expectations and be prepared for different service levels than you might have experienced in the past. For example, most hotels now offer limited hotel services, such as housekeeping or restaurant options. And, if you are renting a car, availability is limited and prices have increased dramatically. |
red head
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Black
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So much of what we had to say about March Madness in our 2023 post still holds true … Red’s lack of interest and Black’s love of …
| Until a few years ago, I would have thought March Madness had something to do with Spring Break. I’ve never followed sports (pro or college), but once my younger daughter started playing competitive high school volleyball, and then applied to colleges, I learned all about college sports and division teams. This year, living in the Greater Houston area, I couldn’t help getting caught up in March Madness since the University of Houston was a No. 1 seed. (I hate to admit it, but it’s the same with the Houston Astros. I’m not interested until they make it to the playoffs.) But now that Houston has been eliminated, my only real interest in March Madness is avoiding Houston’s NRG Stadium since that’s where the Final Four playoffs will be held, and the traffic will be, well, madness! |
| I love March Madness. Not because I love the sport but because the statistics are fascinating. (Plus, it is a great name.) The odds of filling out a perfect bracket (correctly predicting all game winners once the March Madness teams are selected) are almost too small to calculate. Out of a record 20 million brackets submitted on ESPN this year, just 37 picked the men’s Final Four. That's 0.000185%. And, this is the first time all four No. 1 seeds were eliminated during the Sweet Sixteen, not even making it to the Elite Eight, let alone the Final Four. Which improves the odds of this being a “Cinderella Story” year. |
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Black assets.rebelmouse.io FULL QUESTION: Asking Again: I love how Red & Black is run by two sisters. Is one of you “the boss”?
We thought this would be the perfect question to rerun on National Boss’s Day. Why? Well, we think the responses below say it all …
| Oh yes, definitely! Without question, that would be Black. In fact, on more than one occasion, I've been known to refer to her as The Boss (and I'm not talking about Bruce Springsteen). It's usually me kidding around and saying something along the lines of "I'll have to check with The Boss." (Even my daughters have heard me refer to their aunt that way, and they've never questioned me, so there must be some agreement, at least in my family, about who's the boss.) To a great extent, it may be because if you were to compare our bios, I don't think my background as a mom prepared me to be a businesswoman, although Black has tried to convince me otherwise. On the other hand, Black's bio makes it painfully obvious she's "all business" so better suited to be "the boss." |
| It depends on how you define "boss." If you are referring to who owns more of the company, I hold 1% more than Red, which technically means I have more"authority". And, I will admit that as the older sister, I have more practice being bossy (especially as she has always tried to avoid conflict), but when it comes to business, I value teamwork. Red has a perspective and background very different than mine (that is an understatement!), but the key is acknowledging that – and learning from one another in order to make the best business decisions. The bottom line is there would be no Red & Black … without Red or without Black. It is truly a partnership. |
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Staying Real … On Social Media?