Chris and I just returned from an adults-only (AKA no Lauren) trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my second 29th birthday. Or my second 28th birthday (a co-worker once suggested after you turn 29, you start counting backwards).


We left sunny, 70 degree weather yesterday and returned to this:


Yes, I'm actually 30. A thirty-something, which sounds nowhere near as fun as a twenty-something. Twenty-somethings do fun things like go out to trendy night clubs and drink martinis. Thirty-somethings sit at home watching TV after their kids go to bed, worrying about their retirement and whether they'll ever pay off their debt.

I'm usually not very hung up on birthdays, but I've never had a real milestone birthday. Sure, being a legal adult and being able to drink alcohol are great things to celebrate, but 30 just seems bigger for some reason.

So I started reflecting on my life and whether my life at 30 years old is what I thought it would be. Let's see:

--Graduated from college? Check.


--Moved out of parent's house? Check.
--Married? Check.
--Own my own house? Check.


--Kids? Check (sorta, if you don't count the plural).


--Win the lottery? Nope.

Well, 5 out of 6 ain't so bad. But there's still hope, as long as Chris keeps playing the numbers. I guess I can't complain. Here's to spending at least 30 more with all of you.

Reason #362 our electoral process is broken

People across the country were all amped up this week for Super Tuesday, when 24 states held their primaries or caucuses. Given the level of media coverage on Tuesday night, you would have thought it was a national election. Apparently people in Florida, Washington and Texas thought it was, and showed up to vote even though their states' primaries were not held on February 5th. It's no wonder: our election system is FUBAR. MSNBC has a great Q&A on how it all works. There are a total of 62 questions. Granted, some of them are pretty irrelevant to how an actual election works, but still, 62 questions? It should be as simple as:

1. Candidate says, "I am running for president." Campaigning begins (that's another ball of wax).
2. Citizens vote in the (one national) primary to narrow down the candidates for each party. The candidates from each party with the most popular votes win. Now time for the real campaigning.
3. Citizens vote in the national election to determine the winner. The candidate with the most popular votes wins.

I know our founding fathers thought the general population was too dumb, fickle, easily persuaded, etc. to be trusted with directly electing the president. I guess my lead-in kind of affirms that. But that doesn't mean that a system created 200 years ago still makes sense today. The 12th Amendment was passed after the Jefferson/Burr debacle that required 36 votes by the House of Representatives to elect Jefferson president, so we haven't always been idiots who stick to a system just becuase it's always been done that way. (Full disclosure: I really didn't know anything about the Jefferson/Burr thing until I found this site. Great detail pages on Presidential Campaigns and the Electoral College.)

After the last two presidential elections, it's become clear that something needs to change. Any ideas? Mine is already outlined above. May the best man or woman win.

I heard this morning that United Airlines will start charging $25 for your second checked bag. Interesting move, and I'll be keeping track to see how it pays off. More and more airlines are starting to charge for things that used to be free, like snacks and pillows. That's all fine, since I can go without a little bag of snack mix for $2. They're also charging extra for "premium" seats, like the emergency exit row or the bulkhead, or reserving them for their frequent fliers. Again, fine with me since I don't usually need to sit there. These small moves don't really make them that much more extra money, but charging an extra $25 for your second bag can sure add up quickly. Here's my overall problem with their business model: these savings aren't passed on to the customer.

Want to see an airline that does pass them on? Check out Skybus.

Now, I haven't actually flown on Skybus, so I can't vouch for the quality of the experience. But here's what I do know:

--There are a minimum of 10 seats for $10 on each flight. That's right: I can fly from Columbus to LA for $20 round trip if I act quickly enough (like James and Rachel).
--Your first two checked bags cost $5 each.
--In-flight snacks and drinks are available for purchase, and no outside food is allowed.
--There is no customer service phone number. Skybus is an internet-only company. Controversial, yes. Cost-effective, yes.
--If you want to board first, you pay $10 extra.

So let's add this up. I want to fly to LA for a week. On Skybus, if I act quickly enough, it'll add up like this:

--Round trip ticket, non-stop (before taxes): $20
--Two checked bags: $20
--Preferred boarding: $20
--Total: $60

The same trip on United:

--Round trip ticket (with one stop): $240
--Two checked bags: $25
--Preferred boarding: not available to non-frequent fliers
--Total: $265

It's a no-brainer, if you ask me. The fact that Skybus can do this makes me even angrier every time I shell out $275 for a flight to Minneapolis. Why can't everyone do it? The traditional business model is broken, and at least Skybus is trying to do something about it.

Alright, enough ranting for a Tuesday morning. I'll update again after Lauren's doctor appointment on Thursday. She was supposed to go last week but her doctor had a family emergency. Stay tuned...