No matter how sincere you are when you say “he’s a good kid,” they still frustrate you at times. Teens aren’t concerned with making the right choices. They want to make their choices, even if it means doing something to their own detriment. The worst consequences of such choices are far more preferable to them than saying, “Mom. Dad. You were right.”

Au-Teen has been chomping at the bit to get a job. To a teenager, money = freedom. However, we’re not going to allow him to get a job while his grades languish in sub-mediocrity. Indignation is the ineffective weapon he has chosen to fight this. He’s getting totally creamed in this battle and he doesn’t like it.

His long-held belief that any idiot can get a job bagging groceries is being challenged by two people who supposedly know nothing about life as a teenager. If any idiot can get that job, why should he have to earn better grades in school?

As responsible parents, we cannot allow it. No reasonable adult, with or without children, will refute our stance. Why are we at an impasse? We’re not dealing with a reasonable adult here.

Renee and I backed off just a little to gain some ground. In lieu of tutoring or getting extra help at school, he angrily answered the challenge of improving his grades through independent study.

We usually see reruns of Au-Teen’s histrionics. Today, we saw a new episode. He stormed up to his room and proclaimed, “Alright! You win! I’m a nerd now!”

It’s always exhausting when dealing with teenage melodrama. This time, I couldn’t help but laugh.

View Larger Map

Renee originally posted this early last month. She’s added several new locations to the map since then. Keep your eyes peeled and shout out in the comments below if you find more!

Monday is usually the day to talk about diversity and race. We just finished up a busy weekend which had us out Friday, Saturday and Sunday where we gave our support to some of our closest friends. We need all the time we can get, but to give some to those who would do the same for us.

No, Geek Mom is not a close friend. She is a recent discovery in the blogosphere, thanks to Entre Card. Today, Monday, February 25th, 2008, Geek Mom’s ad is running on my Entre Card Widget.

In the spirit of support, I urge you to take a look at Geek Mom’s bloggerrific site. She is about all things Web 2.0, arts and crafts, being addicted to the Wii, and a fellow Mac user. Monday is the right day to talk up Geek Mom after all. She is half Japanese. Half Asian people totally rock. That opinion comes from personal bias. My daughter is half Asian and she totally rocks.

The best job in the whole world is work-at-home-dad.

I’ve never loved a job so much. I get to spend even more time with my truest of true loves - my 6-month old baby girl. How many work-at-home-dads wish they could be doing something else?

I’m looking for a job. The blogosphere and our other home based business ventures are insanely fun, but I want some consistent cash flow.

It’s great to stay close to the village, gathering nuts, berries, and leaves alongside my wife and children. We’ve planted the seeds in our garden, but we’re not ready for the harvest. In the mean time, I need to venture into the jungle and hunt for some meat to supplement our diets. I have sharpened my spear and I am ready.

What Can You Do?

That’s always the first question people ask. It’s not an easy one to answer. My work experience covers a wide variety of industries, working for companies both large and small I’m a jack-of-all-trades and a master of some.

• I host, maintain, and write content for this blog. WordPress is an easy-to-use blogging platform, but it does require some technical know-how behind the scenes.
• This WordPress theme is largely in its original state, but I have made some modifications to it.
• Are you a master of the obvious? So am I! I love to write.

Not only do you get a writer, we’ll give you a graphic designer too!

But wait! There’s more! If you call within the next 10 minutes, we’ll throw in an administrative assistant! It’s yours to keep, even if you decide to return the blogger and the graphic designer.

It’s all yours for 12 easy installments of $3,995 per month!

Don’t delay! Operators are standing by!

You get all this and more:

• A natural born leader who leads by example.
• Top-notch verbal communication skills.
• High level of proficiency in written communication.
• Ability to select the most effective and appropriate method of communication for each circumstance.
• Extremely organized with a high level of attention to detail.
• 9 years of experience using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• An advanced user of the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat)

87 wordsSpeedtest

What You Can Do

Now that you know what I’m capable of, put your ear to the ground and let me know of available opportunities. If you’re an employer, consider that I have run my own business. I have a greater awareness of the needs of business owners, employees, and customers.

• I have a baby at home. Jobs requiring extensive travel or hazardous conditions are out of the question.
• A good work-life balance is imperative. I perform my best when I’m allowed to have a life.

The Future of 21st Century Dad

What does this mean for the blog? I will likely post on a more relaxed schedule. I don’t know what my days will be like, but this blog has built up some momentum. I’d hate to let my fun (and yours) end.

I’m not the first parent to work two jobs. However, the secondary source of income will need to be on my own terms and my own time. Ideally, every source of income is also a source of enjoyment. Look for the official launch of my freelance photography business soon.

With two work-at-home parents, we rely on multiple streams of income. I’m looking to add one in the form of a full-time job.

Download my Resumes here (PDF format):

• Resume - Graphic Design
• Resume - Administrative