Pleasantville and Morning Blow

Walking around Pleasantville (my neighborhood) this past weekend with both kids in tow (the three year old walking with me and the little one in the stroller), I had a very suburban moment when I saw a neighbor, who is probably in his late 30's or early 40's and fairly fit looking, blowing the grass off of his driveway after the obligatory Saturday mow.  He's wearing what all of us suburbanites wear; khaki shorts, an untucked, 15 year old polo shirt with an outdated insignia on the left chest and a baseball hat from when we were both much cooler than we are now.  As he noticed us approaching he slowed down the blowing speed from very slow to essentially an annoying noise maker to make himself look busy which subsequently lowered the decibel level to one that was manageable for conversation.  (Insert pleasantries here.)

After our brief conversation and encounter, one comment he made stuck with me..."just out getting some exercise."  Exercise!!!  Out Getting Some Exercise???!!!!  I just couldn't help think that I am killing myself to shed a pound or two to get off the US Government's obese scale and our neighborhood hair-dryer operator just has to go out for a morning blow.  Is that fair?!  It obviously doesn't matter if its fair; while he blows, I still have to trudge through the darkness, for hours at a time on most mornings, so I can feel less guilty about eating a bagel for breakfast.

This summer break from my planned events is actually making my time busier with logistics.  I'm still interviewing a lot of interesting people from all of the world and look forward to hearing stories of how work, family and life are balanced from places as far off as India.  Please let me know if you have anyone that you think would be a good candidate for an interview.

Also, I've been banned from more websites now.