Last Day, But Still A Week To Go

They packed up all of our stuff today. It is odd to see all of one's stuff in boxes. You look at these nondescript boxes and simultaneously think, "That's it?" and "How do I have so much?" Also, seeing it all packed up makes one feel that it is over. But we don't fly out for five more days. It is like meeting an acquaintance at the super market, saying hello, saying goodbye, and then realizing you're walking down the same isle, but you already said goodbye. So that awkward walk down the grocery store isle is our next five days in Germany.

Packing up all of our things every few years has made me self-conscious about the amount of things I acquire. We acquire many, many things. Even when we try not to. Paper. When one moves, it becomes clear that the digital era has a long way yet to go. Holy smokes, the quantity of useless paper. And just when you think you've purged it all, the school sends home suitcases full of it with your kids of all the super important projects they've worked on all year. So I pluck out a few random items, shove them in a "scrapbook" my kids will have to organize when they are grown and their own kids have moved out, and then throw the rest away.

Living on the American compound has been a mixed bag. I haven't had anything like a German experience, forced as I was to live exclusively with Americans. While it was nice to not have to learn German, on account of learning German is hard, it was pretty embarrassing when I had to confess to Germans that I had lived here for 2 years and could still barely order at McDonalds, where they use all same product names.

I will miss our church community terribly. I cried like a baby on Sunday saying goodbye to our great friends at church. In addition to believing the doctrine, I love being a member of my church because we always have a community wherever we go around the world.

Among those to whom we said a sad goodbye is the angel Elaine Woodford. Henry loves her so.

Annual Totally Awesome Brand Post (Which You Will Think is Boring)

I like brands and branding. From Millward Brown's annual Top 100 brands list (released today), here are my family's interactions with the top brands.

1. Google (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Artificial Intelligence). I am getting to like Google more and more. Previously, I have used their services reluctantly. Now I use them enthusiastically. They have pulled way ahead of Apple in AI. I just uploaded all my photos to Google's service because it automatically makes fun little videos and adds flashing lights to Christmas tree photos (!). This blog is Google-powered. The new "Inbox" version of Gmail is just the best.

2. Apple. I still love Apple. For example, I anxiously await their semi-annual product events (theres one next Monday) with the same anticipation as the Super Bowl. Yes, you read that correctly. I only buy Apple hardware. I'm super bummed that I keep having to put off buying an Apple Watch because of trifling things like braces for my kids. But Apple seems to be losing some of its joyful simplicity. Apple Music is a mess. I'm a subscriber because I am giving Mr. Cook the benefit of the doubt and assuming he will fix it in a subsequent iteration. My patience will not last forever.

3. Microsoft. Microsoft is something I deal with only at work and without the slightest joy. Recent hardware product launches presented some intrigue, but I still feel like Microsoft is for people who want to solve a riddle while Apple is for people who want to use their computer. Really, Microsoft is Excel, Word, and Powerpoint, which are entirely serviceable. I contemplated a PC for the kids because they got it in their heads that PC's are better for gaming and because at some point they should become conversant in the Windows OS dialect.

5. Facebook. I'm a fan. I wonder where Facebook will go in the future, however. I'm not sure how much longer I will remain a fan. The scope of post types I find interesting gets narrower, not wider. But I really like the few kinds of posts that I still like. I love everyone's back-to-school pics of their kids. I love Christmas morning pics. And, of course, there are always cat videos. Which I guess means Facebook will always be popular. Mr. Zuckerberg should invest in cats.

6. Visa. It's on the list because I use it, but I don't know about Millward Brown's methodology here. To me, credit card back stops are a commodity. I do not choose a card because it is Visa or MasterCard. I choose it because of its travel affinity affiliation (e.g. Marriott points or United miles).

7. Amazon. Amazon is the friend of expatriates buying American goods. But I am not passionate about Amazon. I no longer use the Kindle. Amazon Video is useless.

9. McDonalds. I am trying to put together a photo album for Henry's graduation or wedding or something like that of him eating at McDonalds all around the world. I used to sort of apologize for liking McDonalds. I'm just going to own it. McDonalds is a familiar place for our family to feel at home no matter where we are around the world. So I like it.

13. Coca Cola. Katie has abandoned Coke for Dr. Pepper. I still crack one open now and then. But our love affair seems to have ended. Sorry Coke.

19. Disney. We are a Disney family. We literally live at Disney World. A Disney World timeshare is the only property we own, so we have to use it for our address for state income tax purposes. Madeline still says she wants to be a Disney executive when she grows up. We buy almost all Disney (Marvel and Star Wars included) movies the day they are released on iTunes. And the House of Mouse has been on a killer winning streak of late. So many good movies. The parks have gotten even better.

24. Nike. Nike and I had a falling out this year. They changed my favorite line of running shoe, the Vomero, and the "improved" version no longer fits my foot correctly. Then I went on an expensive shoe experimentation phase trying almost everything Nike had to offer. Out of brand loyalty, I gave them many chances, but nothing works. Also, Nike DriFit gear is among the not so great moisture wicking alternatives available.

28. Toyota. I love my Highlander. And that's all I have to say about that.

54. Colgate. I have a completely irrational loyalty to Colgate toothpaste.

61. Gillette. They are like Nike: I have loved them but they keep making "improvements" that make things worse. The Mach 3 Turbo is a great razor. The Fusion is a more expensive not better razor.

65. PayPal. I cancelled my account a few weeks ago.

85. LinkedIn. I tested the job market a little earlier this year and started to see the utility of LinkedIn. But it is not something I use often.

95. Bank of America. In an unexpected twist, I have no reason to dislike Bank of America this year. They retained my business previously only because of high switching costs. B of A cannot come anywhere near USAA's customer service, but my money is safe and online payments are easy. So there you go.

Other brands I like or use a lot:

• Moleskine. I still can't get all my thoughts into a computer with the same fluidity that I can a piece of paper. So I love having my Moleskine notebook handy at all times for jotting a quick note, making a list (which is sort of like a nervous twitch for me), or drawing a diagram.
• Oakley. Best eyewear. Best customer service.
• Marriott. As my older brother said, they're like the McDonalds of hotels.

Tech Fatigue

I can't decide if I've reached peak tech. Do I have too much or not enough artificial intelligence (AI) in my life? I certainly don't have the correct amount. But I can't decide whether the solution is to scale back or double down. Truth is, AI is the inevitable future my kids will inhabit and I want them to be ahead of, or at least keeping pace with, the curve. However, while it is tempting to accept that constant change is the new normal, so just accept it, AI, like the Sabbath Day, was made for man, not the other way around. I want my AI to give me more time for human interactions. What I really want is for it to clean my house. Sigh.

I bought the kids a Wii U yesterday. It was my early Father's Day gift to myself on their behalf. They'd been asking for it and we had some some extra cash, so why not? Then I remembered why not when I had to spend hours setting up user accounts for each kid and making endless decisions about the nature of online interaction each user would be allowed. I miss the Nintendo 64. I just want to plug in a game and play. I hate online interactions. Clearly I am not the target market for purveyors of gaming consoles because the last thing I want is interactive online play, which is the one thing they all force you to accept. And in case you're thinking there is irony here, no, I do not consider online gaming a "human" interaction.

So this put my mind in a bad place regarding tech. Then I turned on my iMac and was informed that it had to restart to install an update that was not optional. It took 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes I thought about what I was going to do on the computer: type in my journal, which I keep in Evernote, and plan my week, which I do in Google Calendar. By the time the update had loaded, it was clear I could have already completed both tasks with a pen and notebook, which cost somewhat less than the $1,500 I spent on the computer and will soon have to spend again, should I choose to continue digitizing such activities.

Then the new update told me I had to make some new decisions about preferences in Apple Music. And on and on. Cross platform availability, searchable notes, The Doobie Brothers any time I want. These are all great, but am I getting dumber? I barely remember how to write in cursive. I can barely drive without a Garmin. I'm begging my kids to play video games instead of watching YouTube because at least they have to use their brain. Seriously. Read that sentence twice, and then weep.

I suppose the bottom line is that I have take control of this. We have to get strategic about our tech usage. We need to evaluate how technology can enhance our goals (instead of becoming our goals)  and contribute to (rather than distract from) the vision Katie and I have for our family. I need to apply a lot more of my old fashioned intelligence before acquiring or implementing any more of the artificial variety.

Photo Updates

Henry taught his class about sea turtles

Caleb and Katie delivered school supplies to a refugee camp

Maddie celebrated turning 12