Friday Friday Friday

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday and so far it looks like a manageable day.

I need to make waffles for breakfast for P. I need to pack P's bag and her car food. I need to stop by an ATM. I need to drop off at school. And, then I can head into the office and fill out my expense report.

Then, the madness begins. And, as long as I can make it until 6PM, I can rest easier knowing I have the weekend ahead of me and the work week behind me.


Cheers!
mouse

P.S.: Last night was solo time with P. It's gotten a lot easier now that she's so independent.

Bi-Weekly, Bi-Monthly Retirement Check

Dear Friends and Family,

Contrary to typical advice, I look at my retirement portfolio frequently. How frequently? Twice-a-month frequently.

Yep. Every two weeks, I take a peek at something or other.

I know. The experts say you should look quarterly, but that seems crazy in today's volatile market. And, while I look every two weeks, I don't make "changes" nearly as frequently. I don't change my holdings every two weeks. I change my expectation on retirement date every two weeks.

Yesterday, was one of my two monthly checks. I have a model I built which takes into account inflation because a dollar today won't be worth a dollar tomorrow. And, while in the short run, it's close enough, in the long run it isn't. I know what I want in today's dollar for retirement, but sad to say, I'm not retiring today. And, fingers crossed, I need my retirement to last longer than today because I'm not planning on dying today, knock on wood.

So, inflation needs to be accounted for. And, because it's easier I enter it monthly. And, then I see if it impacts my retirement date. Sometimes, if it's lower than anticipated I can pull my date in by a month or two. Sometimes, if it's higher than anticipated I need to push my date out by a month or two. It tends to even out, but recently I feel like it pushes out two out of three months and pulls in one out of three months... with a gradual creep in retirement date.

Now, my end of month adjustments tend to be more drastic. A good month could pull retirement in three to six months and a very bad month can push retirement out a year or more. That's the adjustment when I look at how our portfolio performed over the month. The last two months have not been pretty. I'm hoping this month is a prettier picture. We'll see in 11 days.

Well, yesterday, I did my inflation math and looked at the numbers and our retirement dates didn't change. Yeah for us!


Cheers!
mouse

Alone and Okay

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday, my business partner told me that she didn't have the time nor the money to commit to our idea. And, while I'm bummed to be working alone again since I work best as part of a team, I'm okay with the idea as well.

When you're alone, it's easy to make decisions and you don't need to worry about how to split the equity or what if one partner wants out or a million and one other things. So, once we get back from vacation, I'm going to begin the task of filling out the paperwork to begin my own company.

How exciting is that? I don't know about you, but I'm super excited.


Cheers!
mouse

Laundry Therapy

Dear Friends and Family,

By the time I got home yesterday I was sick. And, one symptom of sick, for me, is cold - cold on the inside, cold on the outside, cold to the core.

Knowing I was sick, Mr. mouse sent me upstairs to rest. And, I lay in bed under a pile of blankets trying to warm up. And, I eventually did. And, I feel better now.

Now, why is it called laundry therapy? One of my exes was convinced you could stave off a bad cold by lying under a pile of freshly done laundry. And, instead of being sick for days on end, you'd be able to nip it in the bud. Well, I thought he was crazy at first until I tried it once and now I'm a believer.

It warms you up and it forces you to rest. And, while I now use extra blankets in lieu of laundry, I still practice it whenever something bad hits me.

Thanks, J, for the tip. I owe you much.


Cheers!
mouse

10.17.11: Fall Colds

Dear Friends and Family,

P caught her first cold of the fall season which means I caught my first cold of the fall season. Her runny nose started on Saturday and my sore throat started last night.

Feeling under the weather made for short tempers all around. But, hopefully, we turn that corner and begin to function again before... vacation.

Yes, long awaited, much overdue vacation. What was supposed to be a spring trip to Asia, but then got delayed to a summer trip to some undetermined destination may finally metamorphosis into a fall trip to Italy.

I've determined there's just too much going on. Uh-oh. I know! This is a perfect moment for a Top 3 Update.

1. Trip Planning. If you're going to take vacation, you might as well throw yourself into the planning so that your precious time off is well spent.
2. Survival. I have a conference. Mr. mouse has work meetings. Mr. mouse has a haircut. P has school pictures. Just need to power through.
3. Recuperation. Must get better.

But, when I get back...

1. My weight. I went shopping for clothes for my trip and realized I've got two choices. I can take the time to manage my food and be happy with everything I try on in the store because I look good (this was me, pre-P) or I can let food happen and then join the ranks of people who are looking for the perfect "thing" that makes them look good because the clothes have to hide my myriad flaws. I'm going to really focus on the former.
2. Time with P. Even it it's dropped to number 2, it's still important to me. It's important to spend the time with her. She's only going to be this little for a short while and then she's not going to want to spend every waking moment with Mr. mouse and me.
3. My business idea. Time to get with the lawyer and open the account and get things rolling. I'm so glad graduate school recommendations are over. Three recommendations, three weekends that I could have spent focused on me.

And, then, before I know it November will roll into December will roll into the holidays. Definitely time to focus before things get too far.


Cheers!
mouse

Fantasy Football Take II

Dear Friends and Family,

A team "came available" and there are five of vying for it. I enjoy it, but it's a time sink. I want to win, but I'm not sad when I'm out. Huh.


Cheers!
mouse

The Less Obvious Option

Dear Friends and Family,

I've decided to concede defeat. I am willing to invest $50 a week in help. $50?!?!

I know, it sounds profligate. But, $217 a month (on average) is a small price to pay for my sanity. I cancelled our never used gym memberships. That's $130 a month right there. Then, $20 a week doesn't sound like it's too much to pay for a little more peace.

One option would be for the person to help on the never-ending war. Namely, places like the kitchen island that never seem to be done, or when they get done, I turn around and they get undone on me.

Or, I can get them started on things that once they're done, they stay more-or-less done. An example would be our gate... P's outgrown her gate, but we have it up still... there were thoughts that we might need it again (no, not for a second child, for when friends with toddlers visit) and then there were thoughts that we can sell it either to a friend or on Craigslist and then we just got lazy and it's sitting there. That's something once it's taken care of it's taken care of for good.

I think I'll continue to fight the good fight on the kitchen island front and have my helper take on the one-and-one things.

Now, I just need to find time to find a helper. Add that to the list under whenever or yeah, right. Still, it's nice to imagine the possibility.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Planning

Dear Friends and Family,

Nothing like bad financial news month after month after month to prod a mouse into action. Realizing that stocks and bonds probably will do a lot of ups and downs and not much of anything in the next couple of years, I've been thinking through a different approach.

Step 1: Readjust my expectations on when we'll get to retire. December 2017 just isn't going to happen given The Great Recession. It's more like June 2023 given the current math. That's okay. I just need to manage my expectations.

Step 2: Begin investing the pile of cash we have. Each month we've been saving, but lacking any good options, we've been leaving the money in cash. This time, instead of investing in index funds which probably won't be the answer we need, I'm looking for individual stocks. Yes, I know that's riskier. But, I'm not out there actively trading in odd stocks. I'm looking at companies like Costco and Wal-Mart (neither of which I have purchased, both of which I have looked at).

Step 3: Continue to work on my idea. At best, it's a source of wealth. At worst, it's an intellectual exercise. Hopefully, it'll be cash positive and contribute to our retirement.

Step 4: Look at other ideas. A friend asked if we'd would be interested in investing in his business. We've got a long list of things to look at. But, if at the end of it, it looks interesting, we may.

Step 5: Look at rental properties. Real estate is depressed. Mortgage rates are low. This may be an option if we see something good on the market.

I was super excited about 2017. I'm less excited about 2023. Still, I guess I should consider myself fortunate. Some families when they do the math see a number much larger than 2023 and some families never think to do the math.


Cheers!
mouse

10.10.11: Picnic in the Park

Dear Friends and Family,

You couldn't have asked for nicer fall weather. Actually, it was beautiful summer weather with fall colors for a backdrop. Too bad P had a giant bug bite on her eye. Or, maybe that was a good thing. We could enjoy the weekend without Mr. mouse badgering us to take fall photos.

Saturday, P asked if one of her friends was free. He was. And, we met up for a picnic. We ate. We picked crab apples. We blew bubbles. We threw balls. We watched a bird at a pond. We looked at cars. We ran into P's teacher. We lazed in the sun.

Sunday, P went for bagels with Mr. mouse. We went to the park. Then, P played at home while I had lunch with a friend. She went for a walk afterwards with Mr. mouse. And, after her nap, she ate dinner at the table before we all went out for a supermarket run.

And, that was our weekend. Simple. Fun. Nice.

I was talking with a girlfriend over lunch and it reminded me how important life is - how important happiness is. People make choices all of the time. And, there may be a point in the future when I regret the choices I have made. But, for now, I am happy with the choices I have made - balancing work and life so I have my free time, pursuing moderation so my wants do not exceed my means, maintaining simplicity so I can focus on what's important to me.


Cheers!
mouse

Apples, Apples Everywhere

Dear Friends and Family,

Our kitchen island is back out of control. What's on it? And how do I tame it again?

1. P's lunch box: should be on a cart
2. granola bars and cookies: should be in the cabinet
3. pasta: should be in the cabinet, did we lose track while putting groceries away last week?!?!
4. old cookie: should be tossed
5. P's papers: should go in the pile of P's papers
6. P's art work: should get labeled and put away
7. old bagel: should be tossed
8. plastic bag: huh?!?!
9. black cable: WTF?!?!
10. peanut brittle: should be consumed, there's one piece left
11. nougat: should be tossed
12. bills: should be paid and filed
13. 18 or so apples

Apples. This is what gets you in trouble. No home. And, they look so pretty when the island is bare and you first put them on the island. But, then, those sneaky little things give out permission slips and waivers for all sorts of other things to hang out on the island, and before you know it, chaos has consumed the place.

What to do? Can't let things linger. They need to have a home. Then, they can't go and give out a bunch of permission slips.


Cheers!
mouse

RIP Steve Jobs

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, we went out to dinner. We drove home. We drew P's bath. We put P to sleep and Mr. mouse and I went straight to bed. And, this morning I woke up, made my coffee and logged on to see what there was to see... And, of course, realized that Steve Jobs had passed away.

I feel like the world is a little emptier today. He made such a difference in all of our lives. And, it seems a little less human today without him. I've worked in technology. I know where bad product development and bad technology can lead. And, I just think it'll be a little less exciting now.

Well, time to go get ready. And, to remember all the amazing things he did. I must be Irish. We need to celebrate his accomplishments, not be sad at his passing.


Cheers!
mouse

10.05.11: Apple Picking

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a most wonderful weekend.

Saturday was the usual routine. I took P to the bakery and then to breakfast and then to a local grocery store then to the library and then home. I think she enjoys the Saturday morning routine - going out with me every other week while Mr. mouse spends time getting the house cleaned.

Sunday, we finally got out of the house by lunch time and headed out to the apple orchards. P had a great time. We weren't sure how she'd do with it because she doesn't like new experiences. But, she loved the wagon ride, she fed apples to her friend Monkey, she tried to pick up every apple off the ground to take home, she ran, she laughed, she smiled for the camera, she fed me apples, she picked apples off of the trees, she went on the wagon a second time, she ran among the pumpkins. It was a most wonderful trip. I love when P spills over with unbridled happiness.

And, now, it's Wednesday. If you're wondering what's going on and why I've been sporadic, it's because I'm working on a Rubik's cube.

I want to sleep. I want to leave on time. I need to weigh my fruit and measure my milk. And, I've got a bunch of things on my mind - a college recommendation I'm writing, my business plan, a business I'm thinking about investing in, a trip we're taking this month, a trip we're taking next month, and Halloween. Yes, my one brain cell is building up a queue here.


Cheers!
mouse