Welcome. 👋

Every two weeks, I share my writing on investing, career transitions, meaningful work, parenting, living intentionally, and other topics that engage me.

I'm still trying to figure stuff out.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? See past articles and subscribe here.

Field Notes Edition #2

Welcome to another Field Notes edition of Beyond the Cove. I’m experimenting with some shorter formats that are quicker to write and, hopefully, just as interesting for you to read.

In Field Notes. I’ll share a few small things I noticed lately that made me think, smile, or look twice. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

Let’s see where this takes us.

As always, I welcome any feedback or ideas. Just hit reply.

• First, Some News: I Passed! Nearly 2 months since my traumatic pre-exam check-in, I'm pleased to report it all worked out in the end. I passed the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Level 2 exam and now hold the CAIA designation.

• Extraordinary Customer Service Experience - It's easy to complain, especially when it's about customer service. So, it's with great pleasure that I celebrate an exception. We had a 6-year-old Kohler faucet on an outdoor shower that started to leak, which is exactly what you might expect a 6-year-old outdoor shower faucet to do. I fully expected to order a costly replacement for the mixing valve, but I had to contact support to figure out the replacement model number. In an online chat on the Kohler website, I uploaded a picture of the part, and then, they immediately offered to send me a replacement free of charge. They even covered the shipping! Amazing. The next time I need a new faucet, you can be sure I'll check the Kohler options first.
  ​
• Helpful Questions for Reflections - Reboot's Jerry Colonna shared these three daily prompts on a recent podcast​ episode with Lenny Rachitsky: What am I not saying that needs to be said? What am I saying that's not being heard? What's not being said that I'm not hearing? If you want another one to chew on, Jerry also likes to ask, "How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want?" It's a great episode with other valuable insights too.

​

• Building Ships - Bath, Maine, is one of the world's great shipbuilding towns. That's been true for hundreds of years, and it's still true today. General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works continues to produce massive destroyers for the US Navy. And here's a neat fact: the largest wooden ship ever built, the Wyoming, a 450-foot six-mast schooner, was built at the Percy & Small Shipyard (where the Maine Maritime Museum now sits). The Wyoming was launched on the Kennebec River in 1909. Maybe it's because I've had shipbuilding on my mind that a Construction Physics piece piqued my interest. Brian Potter's How the US Built 5,000 Ships in WWII is an impressive analysis of an extraordinary industrial accomplishment at a critical time.

• The Great Work of Your Life On my 35-minute daily commutes, I've been listening to this audiobook by yoga master Stephen Cope. Using the two-thousand-year-old Bhagavad Gita as the backdrop, Cope describes how historical figures like Susan B. Anthony, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and others found their calling.
  ​
• Street Hoops A few kids in the neighborhood have been playing basketball in the street with a hoop they can roll out of the way when cars come through. It's great to see them having so much fun. But every time I approach, I can only think of the street hockey scene from Wayne's World. Game on! Car! Game on!

​

• Sparks of Joy Sometimes it doesn't take much. Just over the past few days, I've felt a spark from each of the following:
  • Seeing my daughter all dressed up for her senior prom,
  • An unexpected day of warm sunshine (it's been gray and raining for months!),
  • An energizing check-in conversation with a good friend who really listens and asks thoughtful questions,
  • A friend finally landed the job she's been pursuing since November, while another friend had the courage to leave a job that was crushing her soul
  • I expected to find my son gaming online, but instead discovered him soldering a circuit board,
  • A tasty chocolate croissant and espresso at a local bakery for less than the cost of a Starbucks venti latte.

And a Farewell Photo...

​