This just seems to be my bitching place.

Eric and I create slide shows for memorials, birthdays, etc. Photographers sometimes offer this service; however, we touch up and fix minor (and sometimes not so minor) issues with old pictures, fix the exposure, and generally tell a story with the show. Ours can include photos from a person's entire lifetime, not just one event such as a wedding. (This is what most photographers offer.)

This is not a simple Windows Media or Power Point program we use. It can be timed to music, not just have music in the background. It can be customized in many ways.

Now here is something that gets me. I know a couple of people that keep telling me how he/she can do the same thing in 30 seconds with some obscure shareware or some such thing. IT'S NOT the same. What they are doing is randomizing pictures with music in the background. What we do is create a memory, or bring memories to life. Because this is about the client and helping to make their day as special as possible. Not about doing something as cheaply or simply as possible.

I'm so consistent, yes?

Obviously I'm not when I have so many things to keep up with!

So Eric and I were talking last night and working out how we are going to work with our two 10 year old boys on learning how and why money is spent and how the world works. One of them really gets it. The other, not so much.

So here's what we're going to do. Do you remember on The Cosby Show when Theo wanted to move out and be a model? Cliff and Claire turned their home into a mini 'real-world-experience' for him with a job, an apartment, loans, and stores. We're taking it a step further and stretching the experience out. This will go for a full school year.

We are developing a chance game in which they will get jobs, have bank accounts, pay bills, and make other life choices, such as whether or not to purchase a car or ride the bus. (If the dice tell us the bus even runs close to their home and work.)

We will use some real-world events to determine when money comes out and for what, but also we will make news stories that are sent by email or make videos to deliver the news...these stories might affect their jobs, or their income, or spending habits.

For example...If they choose to have a car, there will be choices about which car to buy. Then they will have choices about insurance, maintenance, etc. Say they choose to have a car, but neglect changing the oil in favor of going to the movies or some other discretionary activity. The chances of the engine locking up increase by 20% or so.

So there are random events, and planned events. I am so looking forward to this!