carpe diem and capitalist fish

Today is "Carpe Diem Day" - a day we specially reserve for Fridays.

It is a project day. A and I might tackle a nagging political issue, or write a letter to Congress, or use it as a field trip day.

Lately I've used Carpe Diem Day more and more to talk about money. When I was growing up, no one ever talked to me about money, perhaps because my (mother's) family never had enough around to talk about. So, one of my missions is to give my young man a financial education. We've gone to the ING Cafe, opened a small savings and stock account, and today, to look at an investment property with a broker. The property was in a fish store, with apartments as part of the complex. A "mixed-use" property. It was smelly and there was fish juice everywhere.

I stepped on a puddle of old fish juice on the sidewalk in front, and got it on my shoe and slacks. Ech.

Alexander did not like that the current tenants would leave once the building would be bought. "That's mean. They need to stay here," he asserted. I explained that they were moving their business to a new location, and so they didn't need to use the dwelling part of the property anymore, either. "That's still mean that you would want them out."

So an hour-and-a-half of financial discussions later, Alexander is interested in real estate.

And my slacks smell like a dead carcass.