forget about the middle, but do start with a great beginning and finish it off with a superb punchline

That’s my birthday wisdom. It has nearly always worked.

It helps that I was born in this second half of April. Imagine, a light breeze, trees in full spring swing now...




Forget reasons why you should not do this: get an early morning latte at your favorite café, idle a way a few moments, then finally settle down to get some stuff done.




In the evening, close the computer and go out somewhere special. Who cares if it’s a long drive away. For example, I’m choosing to eat in Chicago. I saw this guy cook on TV. I’ve been curious. Vietnamese-French. Wouldn’t you spend 4 hours on a bus (then cab, then car) to eat a cool meal with your pal of 30 years? Without a doubt.








About the middle. Middles don’t count.Think of it: middle of the semester, middle of the road, I’m in the middle of something! Middle-man, mid-life crisis, don’t put me in the middle! Even midsummer night isn’t really about the middle of the summer, it's about a date in June... give me a break.

Concentrate on the beginning and the end. The rest? It's just filler.