Midnight Musings

Reunion non-angst

It just dawned on me last week that I'm heading off to my 15th Harvard Business School reunion this coming weekend. I've been so focused on work and end-of-year school activities that it kinda snuck up on me.

So I had two choices: panic or just make do. I simply don't have enough energy to panic, so I'm making do.

There's the 10 pounds (Ok, maybe it's a bit more) that I should have lost, but realistically, I've got less than a week, so why stress about it? I am what I am, and there's lots of me to love!

I am going through the pre-requisites and got a hair cut (I was overdo any way since it's been 2+ months since my last cut). I have ambitions of getting a brow wax and pedicure before I fly out Wednesday night, but time is getting short.

On the clothing front, I broke down and hit the half-yearly Nordstrom sale today and got a few things, but they are mostly for work, not really appropriate for reunion cocktail parties and galas. I'm going through my closet to find the things I'm most in love with -- and that will requires as little ironing as possible once I hit the ground in Boston.

In all, I'm feeling a bit guilty that I don't have much reunion angst at all -- shouldn't I be stressing a bit more, that I'm going to be seeing these friends/colleagues/potential business partners that I haven't seen in years? But in reality, I'm quite proud that I'm being so blase about it all.

The reason why: I worked at the HBS reunions for three years when I was an undergrad in college. My least favorite reunion class to work with was the 15th year reunion because these alumni were just starting to become VPs, CEOs, and power mongers in their industries -- and were all too eager to make sure their classmates knew how much they had achieved. My favorite classes to work with were the 40+ year reunion classes -- they were thankful just to be alive and seeing their old friends.

in that vein, the thing I'm looking most forward to this reunion is seeing a dear friend who now lives in London. We had our first child within a week of each other, but then have drifted apart because of distance. Hopefully, we'll have a few precious moments to escape and catch up.

So for me, that's going to be what's important about this reunion -- not that I look great or impress the hell out of my classmates with my career achievements, but that I leave at the end of weekend reconnected with people with whom I shared a precious part of my life.

(But it sure would be nice if I could juuuust squeeze in that last minute pedicure!)

Originally posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

It just dawned on me last week that I'm heading off to my 15th Harvard Business School reunion this coming weekend. I've been so focused on work and end-of-year school activities that it kinda snuck up on me.

So I had two choices: panic or just make do. I simply don't have enough energy to panic, so I'm making do.

There's the 10 pounds (Ok, maybe it's a bit more) that I should have lost, but realistically, I've got less than a week, so why stress about it? I am what I am, and there's lots of me to love!

I am going through the pre-requisites and got a hair cut (I was overdo any way since it's been 2+ months since my last cut). I have ambitions of getting a brow wax and pedicure before I fly out Wednesday night, but time is getting short.

My first seder at home

This weekend, I hosted my first seder. This wouldn't be a big deal except for the fact that I'm not Jewish -- and no one in my family is! But I love seders and have been to about a dozen of them over the years -- thanks to opportunities at school, invitations to friends' houses, and once, during a work offsite that occurred over Passover. I love the traditions, the symbolism, the discussions, and of course, the food! And I wanted to share all of this with my family, and especially my children.

So I found a good book on how to run a seder, tapped the deep knowledge of close Jewish friends, and borrowed the haggadahs of a friend who was going to be out of town. The best advice I received -- keep the seder SHORT!

Friday evening saw me dashing around my local Safeway, picking up the staples. But alas, no matzah was to be found anywhere! The helpful store manager dissuaded me from trying other stores -- everything was sold out up and down the Peninsula. His suggestion was to substitute the matzah with gourmet flatbread. Saturday afternoon was spent assembling some great dishes -- a hit with the kids was the Passover "Mac & Cheese". Matzah ball soup was easy and delicious with the help of pre-made, jarred matzah balls and boxed organic broth. But alas, my kugel was absolutely inedible.

As my family (which included brother, sister-in-law and their two kids, in addition to the four of us) sat down for the Passover feast, I was thrilled. I started the seder by blessing the wine and the traditional washing of the hands. We skipped a lot, lingered over Passover story itself, and sped through the Ten Plagues. The formal part of the seder was over in 20 minutes -- a short and sweet introduction that included some thoughtful contributions from the kids on the meaning of Passover.

I didn't stress too much about the seder -- after all, with the exception of my husband, nobody in attendance had been to a seder before! I didn't attempt to do the songs, not even my favorite "Dayenu" although I practiced with the help of online music. I just couldn't bring myself to play the music and have everyone follow along -- it just didn't fit the warm, familial atmosphere I was trying to create.

But despite the shortcomings of my home-grown seder, I consider it a success and we all agreed that it was something we would do again. The best part was that we came away with a greater appreciation for our freedom and for each other and the communities that we live in.

But next time, I'm going to make sure that we invite someone who knows how to sing "Dayneu"!

Originally posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Happy 42nd Birthday To Me

There. I've done it - made it a matter of record how old I am. There's this long-standing tradition that people -- and women in particular -- don't discuss their age.

It feels great to come clean.

For a while, there was a good reason why I didn't discuss my age -- but it was because I was too young. As a businesswoman trying to establish a career in my 20's, it didn't do to tell clients that I was a 20-something, and on the nearer side to 20 than 30. Even throughout my 30's, I was still deemed "young" by my colleagues -- when asked my age, it was usually followed by a comment like, "But you're so young!"

And then I hit 40 and finally, I felt comfortable discussing my age because it connotes a sense of maturity and experience. . Silly, isn't it. At a time when I've become obsessed with wrinkles around my eyes and white hairs seemingly sprouting in every direction (which I diligently dye), I want to let people know how old I am.

Here's why. I read about politicians and celebrities in the press and their age is usually given in the text. This provides tremendous context about the person -- knowing that Madonna is 49 (and totally rocking) is important.

So as a blogger, businesswoman, parent, community  member, etc. I think it's important for people to know how old I am as it's an essential part of me. Just as it's important to know that I have kids, that I work, and that I live in Silicon Valley. It all provides context to better understand who I am.

As for my weight, fuhgeddaboudit! I'm not THAT secure!

I'm interested in hearing how other SVMoms feel about the "age" issue -- do you feel comfortable telling people how old you are, or do you feel it's nobody's business?

Originally posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

 

Here's why. I read about politicians and celebrities in the press and their age is usually given in the text. This provides tremendous context about the person -- knowing that Madonna is 49 (and totally rocking) is important.

So as a blogger, businesswoman, parent, community  member, etc. I think it's important for people to know how old I am as it's an essential part of me. Just as it's important to know that I have kids, that I work, and that I live in Silicon Valley. It all provides context to better understand who I am.

As for my weight, fuhgeddaboudit! I'm not THAT secure!

I'm interested in hearing how other SVMoms feel about the "age" issue -- do you feel comfortable telling people how old you are, or do you feel it's nobody's business?

Originally posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

 

Happy Birthday LEGO!

Today is the 50th anniversary of the creation of the ubiquitous LEGO brick. Here's a link to a timeline and interesting facts about the Lego break. The most interesting fact: that three eight-stud bricks can be combined in 1,060 ways. That is the crux of what makes LEGO so wonderful -- they don't require instructions, just imagination.

Legos are a staple in our household -- our son (age 9) just repurposed them this weekend to remod a remote control car of his. We're on the second generation of Mindstorm robotics, and I have to admit, my geeky side has played with the set long after the kids are tucked into bed. We even invested in a stack of pink bricks for our daughters years ago so that she could build houses and cars with them. I find pieces them in purses, stuffed between car seats, and wedged into the fibers of my carpets.

And many weekends, when I ask the kids what they want to do, they say, "Go to Legoland", despite the fact that it's an 8+ hour drive away down in San Diego.

As a testament to the longevity of LEGO, my mother-in-law kept stored my husband's LEGO pieces in the attic, and gave them to my son. As I pick the pieces from around my life, I carefully put them all back into the storage box. After all, I want to make sure that my grandkids have LEGO at the ready to inspire their imagination too.

cross posted on svmoms.com

If I Had A Millions Dollars...

When I moved to Silicon Valley five years ago, I sang this song over and over again -- and it usually went "If I had a million dollars....I'd buy a house". Well, I've bought my house and so now, the question is what would I do if I had *another* million dollars?

Let me put this post in context -- I'm sitting in the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, banging out this post, while drinking a beer, noshing on nachos, and hoping that my flight doesn't get any more delayed so that I can put my kids to sleep on a Friday night. So the first thought comes to mind is that if I ever lottery jackpot (which I guiltily play every time I pick up groceries), I would quit my job so that I could stay home with the kids.

But would I?  My kids are in school so I'd have to find something else to do during the day. Maybe I'd work on a political campaign or help out a non-profit. Maybe I'd pull my kids out of school, travel around the world and homeschool them along the way. But then again, I probably wouldn't, which pulls me back to why would I want to "make it big" in the first place?

I find Silicon Valley warped in so many ways, and none more so than the drive to strike it rich. But there's something else -- it's the drive to make a difference. In my line of work, I see many repeat entrepreneurs who have made their riches, but are back in it again, working outrageous hours -- for what? There's something driving us here, something more than the profit motive.

It's part of the reason why I love living here -- the passion with which people pursue their hopes and dreams. And before I get any mushier (the effect of the beer, week of work, or just plain sentiment), let me put down what I would do with a million dollars:

- I'd give half of it away to support my favorite causes
- I'd invest a quarter in new businesses that could multiple the money for even more future investment in good causes
- And I'd spend the rest on family vacations to far flung locales.

So what would you do with your cool millions?

Cross-posted on svmoms.com

When I moved to Silicon Valley five years ago, I sang this song over and over again -- and it usually went "If I had a million dollars....I'd buy a house". Well, I've bought my house and so now, the question is what would I do if I had *another* million dollars?

Let me put this post in context -- I'm sitting in the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, banging out this post, while drinking a beer, noshing on nachos, and hoping that my flight doesn't get any more delayed so that I can put my kids to sleep on a Friday night. So the first thought comes to mind is that if I ever lottery jackpot (which I guiltily play every time I pick up groceries), I would quit my job so that I could stay home with the kids.

But would I?  My kids are in school so I'd have to find something else to do during the day. Maybe I'd work on a political campaign or help out a non-profit. Maybe I'd pull my kids out of school, travel around the world and homeschool them along the way. But then again, I probably wouldn't, which pulls me back to why would I want to "make it big" in the first place?

I find Silicon Valley warped in so many ways, and none more so than the drive to strike it rich. But there's something else -- it's the drive to make a difference. In my line of work, I see many repeat entrepreneurs who have made their riches, but are back in it again, working outrageous hours -- for what? There's something driving us here, something more than the profit motive.

It's part of the reason why I love living here -- the passion with which people pursue their hopes and dreams. And before I get any mushier (the effect of the beer, week of work, or just plain sentiment), let me put down what I would do with a million dollars:

- I'd give half of it away to support my favorite causes
- I'd invest a quarter in new businesses that could multiple the money for even more future investment in good causes
- And I'd spend the rest on family vacations to far flung locales.

So what would you do with your cool millions?

Cross-posted on svmoms.com

My Google Bag

My first grade daughter has been bringing a swim bag to camp most days this summer -- it was one of those tchotchkes that I got at an industry event. So last weekend she was getting ready to go to a swim birthday party and asked, "Mom, where's my Google bag?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and said, "Honey, it's a Yahoo! bag."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Well, do you know where it is?"

My daughter is your typical Silicon Valley kid who knows how to use the Internet, can type in URLs, and has heard me and my husband talk endlessly about companies like Google and Yahoo!. What struck me dumb was that even though she was carrying around this large purple swim bag emblazoned with Yahoo!'s name on it all summer, she thought it was her Google bag. It's incredible to me that the Google brand carries such weight that it became top of mind for my six year old.

Just to double check, I asked her later if she knew what the difference was between Google and Yahoo. "Yahoo! is the place where you go to play games (she uses Yahooligans)," while "Google is what shows up on your screen when something doesn't work." (Google is the default search engine on the kids' computer so it appears to the side of the Web browser when a page can't be found). My son (a second grader) chimed in that Google was good for finding stuff you needed to know about, while Yahoo! was the place you go to find pictures, play games, and check your email.

So while Yahoo! doesn't appear to be top of mind for my daughter, she definitely has a more positive opinion of Yahoo! than of Google. There's hope yet for Yahoo! to win the mind as well as the heart of my daughter.

New Orleans on my mind

Dan Bigman, an editor at Forbes.com, and a former colleague of mine from my newspaper days, recently published an article on his trip to New Orleans. He went there as a tourist with his wife and shared his impressions. One thing that touched me was this sense that residents are holding their breaths, hoping that people, events, conferences will return.

So I think to myself, would I take a vacation there, especially given all of the various options out there? And I think yes, my husband and I had a fantastic time there Pre-Kids and we'd love to go there again. So now I'm checking out flights and hotels for Mardi Gras - might be a great time to go and enjoy the new New Orleans. It won't be the same, but it will still always be a special place.

You're always welcome to stay with us

A colleague of mine, Shar, stayed with us for two days (hotels were scarce in SF because of Oracle World). Last night, we went out to dinner with my two kids. Katie is completely enamored with Shar, and asked her to stay with us forever. Here's the conversation:

Katie: Can you stay with us forever?

Shar: I think your mom would get tired of me being around all the time.

Katie: (pause) We're around all the time and she's not tired of us.

Gotta love that me-centric viewpoint.

Why a blog?

I've been blogging professionally for almost a year and have been tempted to venture into it on a personal front. And herein begins that adventure!

So why blog?

- I have something to say that I think others might want to hear, be it my mother or just another like-minded person on the other side of the world. I'm often tempted to write about something that I've come across, but realize that the readers of my other blog wouldn't be interested in the cute thing that my kids just did!
- It's a place to try new stuff. Everything from podcasting to actually making money via ads.
- It's a journey into self-discovery. There is something about the discipline of writing that helps develop and the thoughts and ideas that I hold so dear. My hope is that I begin a dialog with others that will push those ideas further.

Just to be *absolutely* clear about what this blog is not. It is not an extension of any other blog or publications that I may write -- especially not the one I write for my current employer. I will not write about technology topics that I would normally write about as part of my job. But I will write about technology -- I'm too much of a geek to stay away from the topic! In any case, all of these ramblings reflect my personal views and should not be associated with any other employer, group, or individual.

And why call this blog "Midnight Musings"? Just check out the time stamp!