100 Things Every...

The series. One hundred things every man, woman, dad, mom, young person and grandparent should know, do or own.

The flat patio and the wavy one get built the same way above ground. The difference is what happened in the first afternoon.

Build to eleven miles, not thirteen, run most of it slower than feels right, and sort the chafing long before race morning.

The braise goes in the day before, the oven stays free, and you're out of the kitchen before the doorbell goes.

The car at 7:40 in the morning is where most of the damage gets done, and it never feels like criticism at the time.

The first year is mostly logistics, sleep and showing up on time. Do those and the rest gets easier than you expect.

Most new caulk fails because of what happened before the tube was even opened. The order matters more than the technique.

Buy the helmet before the welder, burn a dozen practice beads on scrap, and learn to hear a good weld before you try to see one.

Repair faster than you fight, say the thing out loud, and stop handing your marriage to your children. The unglamorous habits that keep it standing.

Order ten copies of the death certificate. Then learn which decisions can safely wait twelve months, and which can't.

Dating again when the kids are still at home

Practical rules for the timing, the introduction, the ex, and the house — from someone who has watched plenty of people get it wrong.