Dude Can You Bum Me 5 Million Bones Bro?

A man's gotta face his demons. Or at least say hello while passing through the hallway on the way to the bathroom. As fall shifts to winter, I know that as sure as the rains fall in Northern California, I will once again face Demon #256: Work/Life balance. And I'm not here to bore you about my ongoing struggle with this tired issue (too late) but I will say that up until recently I thought I had it beat.

Yeah, I was getting in touch with my inner hippy. Life was good. I was contemplating working less, painting and writing more. The Maybach and pied-à-terre in Manhattan were a distant memory. I could just hang out and eat granola with the kids. I had been freed from my consumer shackles. As a wise man once said, before punching me in the face, the things you own...begin to own you.

Wise.

And then we decided to take a little break. The closest thing to a pause button for parents is the weekend getaway. Sure we brought the kids with us, and sure, it was technically the middle of the week, but did I mention it was just south of Santa Cruz at our friends company beach house?

On the beach.

Private beach.

I breathed in that salty air and gazed upon the shoreline from the gigantic beach house and I said quietly to myself....hmm this is nice. I'll take it. Yeah I'll take it over the granola. Bye kids, dad has to earn a few million dollars as fast as he can. It's been nice knowing you. And before you get all teary eyed and start looking for some good therapy, let me assuage your sorrows by telling you the tale of the Scorpion and the Frog...