Thread: Stoplight's Account Talk

Originally Posted by PessOptimist

Sad but a fact of life Stoplight. Last time I saw my father he thought I was his younger brother. Big downer. I was not able to be there when he finally passed but my daughter who was said something like "the man who died was no longer my grampa or you father.

Enjoy your trip!

PO

VERY true !!!

Stoplight...

Yeah, I know...All y'all are tired of reading about my "Family", and the Kid !!!

OTOH, some here want to know what's going on !!! So just move along, if you don't want to hear this stuff !!!

So now that our Peru trip is getting closer, we've been in a flurry of emails with the Kid re: what we're gonna do during the 4 days we are with her in Lima...Here's one she sent us, that cracked us up !!!

"I'm picking you up [at the airport]. You will go through a customs scanner and there will be a big door. I will be there, a tall blonde, among many short Peruvians."

I suspect we won't have trouble picking her out !!!

More : "Lunch and Dinner: I am paying the cook downstairs (Maxi) for some meals for you guys. I will just bring it upstairs and you guys can eat in my apartment. She has her own food business out of the house so it isn’t a problem to just add a couple more meals. She generally cooks authentic food so I thought you guys would like to try some of the local food. If not, I can cook whatever you’d like.

Friday : My apartment will be open to you to relax in or organize your things. You will be staying in a room (with a bathroom) on the floor below me, but my apartment is yours. That night there is an Anniversary program at the school, if my students win the music competition they will be in it, but even if it not, I am still required to go anyway. You guys are more than welcome to come if you’d like. There will be songs and speeches in both English and Spanish, but it might be kind of boring. Its up to you.

Monday: I have class starting at 8:30 until 12, with one class later in the afternoon (Mondays are my super easy day). Once again, you are super welcome to come to my class at 10:20-11:50 (4th grade) and help out or just observe. Up to you.

Monday night just chill and prepare for this incredible trip."

Cool stuff !!!

Soooo...Saturday and Sunday, we've developed a list of things we're going to see in Lima together...some of them, she's already seen, but it'll be fun having a local "Tour Guide", and just hanging with her !

Sounds like she's ready for us...maybe !!! We're definitely going to the School program Friday night, and visit her 4th grade class Monday ! Right up the Wife's alley, as a retired 4th grade Teacher !!!


Stoplight...

Sounds like great plans! So much for the kids lesson plan for her class on Monday

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

PO

Originally Posted by PessOptimist

Sounds like great plans! So much for the kids lesson plan for her class on Monday

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

PO

PO,

LOL !!! Yeah...we'll probably screw up ALL of the Kid's lesson plans for the weekend !!! OTOH, here's our comment back to the Kid :

"Perhaps we will be a "curiosity", and your Students (and Parents !) can practice their English on us !!! [and their Spanish on [Wife} Susan !!!]...that will be fun, as will a Monday visit to your 4th grade class...right up Susan's alley !!! [Dean's Note : Wife Susan is a retired 4th Grade Teacher !]

It'll ALL be fun !!!


Stoplight...

All,

With all this market turmoil, and end-of-month dividend postings (not done yet...), I was mucking around in Quicken today....

Just curious to see what "buy-and-hold" stocks in my and the Wife's portfolio had the best ROI (per Quicken) so far, since our buy-in...

The winners are :

My IRA

Dr Pepper/Snapple (DPS) Buy-in 11/7/12 ROI 87.5 %
Brooks Automation (BRKS) Buy-in 12/17/12 ROI 44.9 %

Wife's IRA

Seagate Technology (STX) Buy-in 3/26/12 ROI 106.1 %
Con Agra Foods (CAG) Buy-in 3/26/12 ROI 71.1 %


GEEZ !!! Looks like I was on a roll in 2012 !!!

OTOH, I'll post my stinkers, that I still hold, once I gather up the courage to view THAT screen...


Stoplight...

UGH...

Okay...so I'm leaving out my "mad money" and premium service trades, and the likes of NUGT/DUST and UVXY trades, so my stinkers are my "buy-and-hold" stocks...ROI Losers are :

My IRA

Terra Nitrogen (TNH) buy in 4/1/13 -35.5%
TAL International (TAL) buy in 12/17/12 -27.1

Wife's IRA

BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT) buy in 10/18/13 -29.1

So I sucked at picking winners in 2013 !!!

OTOH, dividends were pretty cool...year to date, per my Excel spreadsheet calcs... ?

THN +4.2%
TAL +8.3 %
BPT +8.0%

Althought their stock prices have crapped, these guys are keeping my investments ahead of my 4% withdrawal rate via dividend payments...go figure !!!


Stoplight...

All,

Like I posted in Ravensfan's thread, I spent some time today, updating our spreadsheets with current stock prices, dividends, and looking at the "Big Picture"...so far, we're okay !

As I noted (as have MANY others on this Board !)...ya gotta have a "Plan", and stick to it !!! THAT'S the hard part !!!

FWIW, as of 1 Sept, our allocation looks like this, as a percentage of our total balance :

Individual stocks : 43%
Bond Mutual funds : 16%
"Income" Mutual Funds : 9%
"Stock" Mutual Funds : 2%
Cash 29% (includes $$ in PRULX and USGNX ; "G" funds ???)
"Mad Money" (trading) 0.5%

Pretty conservative...allows me to withdraw as needed, NOT trade on margin, and weather a few years of downturn and withdrawals before I have to "Sell low..."

Anybody want to offer opinions and/or suggestions for changes ??? I'm "all ears" !!!

Hope YOUR "Plan" is doing okay, too !


Stoplight...

As for me ? Well, the Wife has offered to grill some steaks and asparagus, while I float around in the pool on a hot day !!!

Can't say "No" to THAT !!!


Stoplight...

All,

OMG !!! So we're back from our Peru trip...what a FANTASTIC visit to Lima, with the Kid, and taking her with us, to other places in Peru, that she hasn't had a chance to see !!! The Kid ran us ragged !!! Oh...to be young again !!!

Larcomar...an upscale mall in Lima...NOT "typical" !!!


Larco Mar.jpg


Machu Picchu


Machu Picchu 2.jpg


Machu Picchu 1.jpg




Stoplight...

Very cool. Thanks for sharing and welcome back!

Hi Stoplight! Looks likeyou had an awesome time... Those pics are great!!!! Mountains look so beautiful! Glad to hear you had a fantastic time! And yes... Your niece running you and your wife ragged is a wonderful thing. Welcome back!!