We learned a lot about ourselves in 2007. Renee and Elliott are both enjoying life as the parents of a new baby girl. Elliott is totally wrapped up in his role as daddy, and Renée provides the “been there, done that” wisdom that has eased the transition.

There has been a surge in advertising for health clubs and weight loss products. If one of your resolutions is to start exercising, avoid crowds at the gym by starting your regimen in February. We don’t wait until January to make resolutions and evaluate our goals. There’s an audience and an occasion for this in January, so here goes.

Our Evolution and Rebirth

Yes, we are the same core people, but part of that core is the work we continue to do on ourselves. In the personal ad that snagged Renée, Elliott wrote that he wanted a partner in personal development. They’ve supported each other in their personal and professional goals over the past two and a half years. “Renée” means “rebirth.” How apropos.

Vision Boards

We gathered up a stack of magazines and invited our friend Nicole over. She and Renee worked on their vision boards all afternoon. Elliott has yet to do his, so the B&H Photo catalog remains intact.

Renée and Nicole took different approaches to their vision boards.

Renée’s board is more visual with a few key words and phrases for emphasis. A contemporary interior is depicted in one clip. Renee overlayed a row of chairs onto that image. The chairs are in scale with the interior depicted in the first clipping. She’s such a designer!

Nicole’s vision board is all about words. She is a writer, so this was a more comfortable approach for her. The words she chose were the changes she wanted to effect moving forward. Both of us think the words she chose are affirming who she really is today.

Like us, Nicole continues to work on herself despite the sincere praises sent her way. Renée once wrote in her diary, “Darn! I only got a 98!” after receiving her grade on a recent test. It was Benjamin Franklin who once said, “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”

If you want to know more about vision boards, there’s the almighty Google.

What is a Dominant Paradigm, and Where Can I Get One?

The business has been through its share of ups and downs. We’re moving away from doing graphic design and web design, and shifting our focus to the blogosphere and those interests we’ve yet to nurture. We will continue to serve our old web design clients and be picky when taking on new ones. Elliott will be pushing the photography more with stock sales, portrait sessions, and events. Renée is committed to finally coming out of the closet as an artist. She is also exploring the idea of becoming a yoga instructor for mothers and their babies. Yes, babies can do yoga too! Ultimately, we are interested in branching out into the vast realm of real estate. With a family base, many friends and a quickly growing market, Knoxville, Tennessee is on our radar for investment property. Renée’s intuition is just too good. All we need is some capital and the real estate listings.

State of the Blog

ReneeAndElliott.com started as a domain name grab. Elliott used to make fun of husbands and wives that have a “we-mail” account. Renée stuck it to him and got an entire website and domain name.

Elliott has really embraced blogging. It ties his interests and his abilities together nicely. He’s doing very well over at 21st Century Dad, having garnered a small but loyal readership in such a short time. Renée’s baby homework has brought her into the world of attachment parenting, baby wearing, and championing breastfeeding. Her writings on those topics are now featured on 21st Century Parenting. We hope to develop the site a resource for parents in the community.

ReneeAndElliott.com started its life as the playground of the “monkey mind” swinging from tree to tree in the forest of thoughts. As we write more, some direction is starting to emerge. However, that is subject to change without notice. Void where prohibited by law. Certain restrictions apply.

We will continue to tweak on the design and the features, like the RSS Feed.

Photo of the Week is in hibernation right now. Elliott is getting a foothold in the Flickr community. We will be sharing more photos soon.

They Call Me the Working Man

Austin celebrated the magical 13th birthday last year, but we suspect he cares more about his 14th birthday. The much-lamented “child labor laws” relax for him. He will be eligible for limited part-time work.

The march of time takes care of one requirement. It’s up to him to keep his grades satisfactory to fulfill the more pressing need. We will support him in this since both our agendas can be served. Austin sees this as a better means to the ends he desires. It closes the gap between wanting and having. There will be valuable lessons better learned through work experience than through his parents. Now we have some real leverage when we assert our desire for him to do better in school.

Baby’s First Year

Ariana’s arrival was in the latter half of 2007, so 2008 will bring many of those cherished milestones. We will see her first teeth, witness her first steps, hear her first words, and so much more.

We knew it would change our lives forever. Some changes can be expected, anticipated, and planned for, while others cannot. This is a time of discovery and surprises for the parents too. We are amazed everyday about the joy and fulfillment of sharing life with this new little human.

Now that the Korean population has increased by 0.5 people, Elliott started to explore his own Korean heritage. He has assimilated into American culture so well, other Koreans call him “whitewashed.” We know Twilli will have questions about her own background. She may wonder why she doesn’t look like the other kids at school or why her mommy and daddy look different from each other. She won’t be capable of articulating any of this for a few years, but it’s never too soon.

We are excited to live the blessings that this year shall bring! Please share your expectations for 2008 by leaving a comment.

Public transit gets a bad rap in South Florida. Many people I talk to dismiss it as inconvenient and inadequate. This perception is understandable. The infrastructure was not built with public transit in mind. There are so many good reasons to use public transit. I use it as often as possible. Many of the people who dismiss public transit in South Florida have never taken the bus or the Tri-Rail. I sometimes hear a hint of snobbery when these comments are made:

1. It’s inconvenient
2. The bus doesn’t go where I need to go
3. The buses never run on time

I have taken the bus several times, and have found the above statements to be mostly false, except for number 2. Here is how someone who has actually taken several bus rides will address the above mentioned assertions:

1. “It’s inconvenient.” – Public transit doesn’t run on your schedule, but it has to run on a schedule. This complaint is often rooted in the poor planning skills of the person making the remark.
2. “The bus doesn’t go where I need to go.” – This is partially true. Some areas of Broward County aren’t serviced very well due to suburban sprawl. Generally, the routes thin out as you go farther west. However, the local municipalities here run their own FREE buses to fill in the gaps as best as they can.
3. “The buses never run on time.” – It is remarkable how well they do run on time. The routes and timetables are planned with traffic patterns in mind. When the bus is running ahead of schedule, the driver will make an extended stop to synchronize with the published timetable.

Read more after the jump…

The Limitations of Public Transit

For the sake of thoroughness, I will give some validation to the nay-sayer, albeit with real life experience behind my words. The public transit system here isn’t as robust as it is in other major metropolitan areas. Limitations exist in the timetables and the routes. In many cases, it isn’t a viable solution. Transferring to a different route can leave you waiting for up to 40 minutes for your connecting bus. Some parts of Broward County are not accessible at all.

Why Do People Resist?

Aside from the reasons stated above, most people in South Florida default to their automobiles. It’s just too easy to get in your car. You don’t have to think. God knows too little thinking goes on in Flori-DUH! The suburban landscape is not on a pedestrian scale. It’s designed for cars. We invent many excuses for not using public transit.

There seems to be a perception that “bad” people ride the bus. Most users of public transit simply cannot afford an automobile. A minority are just choosing to ride. None of the above reasons makes a person “bad.”

Public Transit Works For Me

Fortunately, two routes have stops within walking distance of my house, and a third is just over a mile away. Here are the destinations served by those routes:

• Central Terminal and connection to Tri-Rail
• Young Circle in Hollywood
• West Regional Terminal
• The beach!
• Stops along University Drive
• Connection to Miami-Dade’s transit system

The terminals and Young Circle offer connections to several routes. Central terminal is in downtown Fort Lauderdale. If a bus route near your home goes to any of the destinations named above, you’re very well covered.

Your reach is extended even further if you have a bicycle. All Broward County Transit buses are equipped with bicycle racks. Many of the community buses run by each city have them too. As an added bonus, those community buses are free! To take your bike on the Tri-Rail, you will however need to purchase a bicycle permit.

Back in my single days, I would go out to the bars on weekends. There have been times I was not fit to drive. I did the responsible thing and called a cab. The following morning, I took the bus to retrieve my car. Cab fare, a parking ticket, and bus fare sure beats a DUI, risking my life, and the lives of others.

The Benefits of Using Public Transit

For short trips, the cost savings is a wash. For a longer trip, the bus wins. $1.25 can take you up to 20 miles. The last time you got that out of your car, Lyndon B. Johnson was President. Every time we fill up, we think of it as one big recurring expense. Gas is an incremental expense. You burn fuel (and money) while driving, idling your engine, and when starting your car. Every time you take the bus is one more day you can put off filling up your tank. There are many benefits to using public transit:

• Reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions
• Reduce congestion on the roads
• Create and sustain economic opportunities

Here are the benefits that directly affect you:

• Reduce wear and tear on your vehicle
• Eliminate your own risk as a vehicle operator
• You don’t have to pay for parking
• You can read a book or write in your journal
• You can take a catnap
• You can chat with people
• Your older children don’t have to mooch off you as much for transportation
• You don’t have to endure the stress of driving during rush hour
• Some walking is necessary, so you’ll get exercise
• Save money

In many cases, taking the bus does take more time than if you had driven yourself. Also consider the activities that aren’t available to you while you drive. You certainly can’t read a book, write in your journal, or take a catnap while driving. Ironically, you don’t see people talking on cell phones, putting on makeup, or fumbling with fast food while riding the bus.

Using mass transit takes a little effort and planning, but it’s well worth it.

~elliott

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My disdain has been replaced by admiration. The stickers in question are sold by FamilyAboard.com, a business started by a stay-at-home mom. It’s ironic that my sophomoric ridicule was directed at people we share some core values with! Reparations are in order here!

These people have succeeded in having at least one parent stay at home with the children. They are also in our backyard. The phone number on their site is from Miami-Dade County.

The name “Family Aboard” evokes the original “Baby On Board!” signs. As a parent, I see these now as a reminder to drive safe. However, we live in South Florida, the bad driving capital of the United States. The Eva Longoria wannabe in a Hummer yapping away on her pink Razr doesn’t care that you have these cutesy stickers on your car.

Hang up the phone, turn the music down, and drive safely please.

I still haven’t encountered these stickers for sale in person or online. Please leave a comment and tell me where I can find them. Maybe the same store sells those stickers that looks like a baseball or hockey puck has embedded itself in the window. They were cool the first 10 times I saw them.

I promise we’ll do a write-up on the Ikea grand opening soon. The physical exhaustion caused by such an event plus the demands of family life have not yielded us the time to write.

What’s With These Stickers? 

If you live in the suburbs, you’ve seen these stickers. You see them on SUVs and minivans. You are guaranteed to see them at the grocery store, the mall, and obstructing traffic between 2 and 3 pm each weekday.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that these stickers are representative of the driver’s family.
Austin got stuck on calling them “happy people stickers.” At the time, he was 12, and 12 year old boys think that anything besides video games, high speed car chases, and explosions are stupid. He still doesn’t work very hard to hide the disdain in his voice when he speaks of these “happy people stickers.”

Renee and I share this disdain as well, albeit in a milder form with just a dash of cynicism. Don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely all about my family. I love my family. My children are everything to me. But these stickers are perversely pervasive. You see them everywhere. They’re worn with pride like a badge that proclaims to everyone who tailgates you, “I am swayed by marketing and advertising.”

What baffles Renee and me is that despite their widespread use, we have not yet seen such stickers at any of the retail outlets we frequent. If you know where one can find these stickers, I’m dying to know. I would never buy such an item, but I am just that curious about this and a great many other things.

Driving home one night, we were stopped at a red light. Immediately to my left, we see the minivan pictured here. The “happy people” are crammed tightly against each other and they reach halfway across the rear windshield!

Upon closer examination of the photo later, I counted 13 individuals! We were not able to determine what the last two on the right are. We believe they are cats or dogs, but that’s still a lot of kids.