Kyle sent this picture from California of the used car that he purchased today. He has taken a second job as a private chess tutor to help pay for his college tuition (we pay only half to ensure that the kids have skin in the game). The job requires that he travel to his students and therefore provide his own transportation. The gig pays close to $50/hour and there seems to be very high demand in the area for this service. Kyle, always with an entrepreneurial eye to the future, has concluded that parents who can afford these lessons and think them important are probably the shakers and movers of silicon valley. In addition to the excellent pay, he feels he will make extremely valuable networking connections through this job. After consultation with his uncle John, a car enthusiast and expert, Kyle decided to purchase the historically reliable Toyota Camry, a wise choice I believe.

On the home front, I tested a new lens which was waiting for me when I returned from work. It is an extremely light weight 85-400mm telephoto zoom that completes the camera gear that I plan to carry while trekking in Nepal. The 4.5 pound kit will include two DSLR bodies, the aforementioned lens, a 16-35mm wide angle zoom and a 65mm low light prime. A carbon fiber tripod will bring the total weight to 7 pounds, half of what I have typically allocated for photo gear on past treks, a welcome concession to my aging knees.