Sammy's Razor

I know, silly title and I really hate shaving with a passion, but I ran across the term “Occam’s Razor” and had to investigate. He basically was the father of the KISS Principle: keep it simple, stupid. The Latin can be better translated as “don’t introduce multiplicity into simple explanations” although it can be interpreted several, similar ways.

Well, Sammy’s Razor goes like this:

1. When work is slow, you don’t want to spend thousands on improvements and toys
2. When there is too much work, you can’t spend any time on improvements and toys

Yes, this is the old “feast or famine” paradigm that all free-lance workers and consultants have. So work is slow and my wife Lori says “why don’t you go buy a boat, or better yet, build one?” Heck man, everything fun I want to do is at least a thousand bucks: paint the outside of the house, put in a new yard, get a boat, build stairs on the back porch; you get the idea.

So with a mortgage double it used to be, two college-age kids, and tax time, I’m sitting here wondering if there is any cheap fun like fishing. The water is freaking cold, about 65, so I usually just end up with a walk on the beach.

I couldn’t pick a better place to have Sammy’s Razor, though. I think I’ll shave before the big town meeting night … naaaaaw!