Happy Thanksgiving!

As Charlotte and I sit hear watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV, we wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving!  We are off today for turkey and kimchi at Craig and Kathy’s.  Then, we will have some more desserts at Leah’s.  We are thankful for continued good health (and in these bad economic times, employment).

This picture is my Mom’s favorite from last weekend’s photo shoot with my new camera.  (My favorite is the one that is now my profile picture on Facebook.)  Knowing that it would be on our Christmas card, I liked the green and red background.

We wish that we could also be with our family in Illinois, but we will be there at Christmas!

No More Camera Envy

Earlier this year, we went to my nephew’s first birthday party. I offered to help my brother-in-law take some pictures, and he handed me his brand new SLR digital camera. It was nice – especially the ability to take continuous shots every couple seconds, capturing each expression of my nephew’s face as he ate his birthday cake. I was hooked and instantly had camera envy.

A couple weeks ago, I did a quick search on eBay for SLR cameras, and before I knew it, I had bid on a Canon EOS Rebel XS. My existing camera was having some minor (and probably fixable) issues. My attempts to find an alternative lead me to splurge!

This weekend, I am going to take Charlotte down by the Potomac to a park to take a few snapshots of her. Assuming my amateur photography works out, one of these pictures might become our Christmas card photo. (I apologize in advance to my professional friends – such as Charles Allen, Sally Brewer, and Erin Rexroth – for my masquerading on their turf.). We’ll see how it goes.

Lean But Not Mean

As several of you know, I have lost 20 pounds since early June, settling in around 160 pounds.  When I say that, people often respond that they think that I did not need to lose any weight.  Indeed, my girlfriend has told me that I am too skinny now.  Nonetheless, I am happy with it, as it is nice to feel like I am in shape for a change.

The usual second response is for people to ask how I lost the weight.  Since I am an economist, you will not be surprised that I tackled the issue in a very analytical way.  Each day, I keep a log using FitDay of everything that I eat, ensuring that I do not exceed 2,000 calories.  (FitDay also lets you track calories burned, but I found that to be less reliable.)  The nice thing about this “diet” is that it is not really one.  If I want to eat some junk food, I can, but I simply adjust my other meals accordingly.  In addition to calorie-counting, I continue to work out three times a week.

The truth is, though, that I lost more weight that I set out to.  That should allow me to eat a little more over the holidays while still staying lean.

If Only Every Day Were March 10

Not a single day goes by where Charlotte does not bring up her birthday.  She has been talking about turning five since she turned four.  In picking her up from school, I often overhear her inviting her friends to her Princess party.  (Of course, what she gives, she can also take away.  She has also told me that so-and-so is not invited to her birthday party anymore.  It is funny to watch her use her party as a weapon.)  The challenge to all of this is that Charlotte’s birthday is still four months away!

If only every day were March 10.  Charlotte knows her days of the week, and she can recite every month.  But March 10 could be next week for all she knows.  So, I am going to buy her a calendar and telling her each day what day it is.  Hopefully, this will help her visualize that four months from now is still a while away.  With that said, I do think that it is cute that she is so eager to turn five.  I am also happy that she is already anxious to start kindergarten in August.  (In her mind, though, she starts kindergarten when she turns five.)

Speaking of Charlotte, she has a favorite iPhone app.  She loves Tinkerbell.  Hopefully, she will get the new Tinkerbell movie for Christmas….  In the meantime, I bought her an app called Disney Fairies Fly, where you can get the fairies to fly through various places within Pixie Hollow.  I found it fun myself, and Charlotte is starting to get the hang of it.  Now, she keeps asking me if I brought my phone every time we step into the car.  What was I thinking?

Refocusing My Blog

Today, I will relaunch The Moutray Chronicles focusing more on events and thoughts from my life with Charlotte.  In doing so, I will not discuss professional issues as much as in the past.  While I might occasionally discuss a paper, a speech, or my thoughts on small business economic issues, it will no longer be the primary mission of the blog.

Truth be told, there were some within the SBA who were never thrilled with my blending of personal and professional thoughts.  (The SBA’s Office of Advocacy has its own blog, which I also contribute to from time to time.)  As such, I have not written much on this site since the summer.  I contemplated giving up the site all-together, but decided that I will refocus it instead.  We’ll see how it goes.  Thanks for continuing to follow our chronicles and feel free to provide feedback, if you wish.

Remembering Laura – Two Years Later

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now, the prize awaits me….” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)