While waiting for our 2nd granddaughter, here’s #1 for #TBT
Posted By RichC on February 20, 2020
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Trading and Investing in Energy has not been the wise move
Posted By RichC on February 19, 2020
Those of us who spend any amount of time investing or trading stocks enjoy the good feeling when we’ve studied and made positive investing moves … but we also tend to ignore the stupid trades. Looking at today’s chart of Exxon $XOM (5.80% annual dividend), there is no way I can positively spin one of my lousy investment decisions. Here’s hoping that admitting my mistake will help prevent “my” tendency to “dollar cost average … causing me to have an unbalanced or poorly diversified portfolio.
I’ve slowly been moving from a portfolio of growth stocks to income stocks … even before reading “The Little Book of Value Investing.” I suspect most people who are nearing retirement age like the idea of building of 
a dividend portfolio and hope for more portfolio stability. Tradition wisdom is that companies who’s profits comes from steady production and consistent sales are ideal. Unfortunately finding well managed companies with “free cash flow” and with a history of raising their dividends is getting more and more challenging.
Traditionally, energy related conglomerates have been the go-to candidates since the world depends on a steady flow of oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, the last 12-months or so of oversupply and depressed economies outside the U.S. have not been good times to hold or buy energy stocks.
Personally I would have been better sticking to a broad based ETF, well managed mutual fund … or in hindsight, holding a few more of the high flying tech stocks (admittedly, I sold $AAPL and most of my $TWTR to buy a basket of individual stocks like $XOM, $CVX, $RDS.B and $BP).
We’re anxiously waiting for BO#2 (Baby Oostra Number 2)
Posted By RichC on February 19, 2020
Although I have not sought Katelyn’s approval to include her rounded “personal coffee table” or her pregnancy photo (cough, cough – one in the same) to MyDesultoryBlog, but I’m boldly going out on a limb by posting it. The longer I post daily, the more I find myself wanting to archive family milestones … as well as showing how impatiently I am waiting on Baby Oostra Number 2 (BO#2) to arrive. FYI, today is her due date!
It is obvious, that I have fully embraced being “Bompa” to Annalyn and love my time with my with her; this likely will only double with a second granddaughter. In sharing this emotion, it also has alerted me to changes in my personal dreams, asperations and plans for retirement (I’m the planner type). I also realize that may not be true for everyone since not every parent or grandparent is the same. We are all different … and that is ok!
I think Deanna Eppers summed it up on a Quora.com question and offered 
some good advice when talking about “kids” and different kinds of people (whether parents or grandparents):
People fall in two camps. One is where they were never “kid” people, but had them anyway. These people manage to raise their children, but all along it wasn’t what they enjoyed. It’s not the children’s fault. Not at all. Rather, many people who would be better off childless, have children and discover they aren’t into kids. I think they enjoy their children as they grow older and finally are adults. This is one set of parents.
So group one just isn’t going to be into their grandchildren. They don’t have it in them, and it’s not the fault of the grand babies at all. Grandma and Grandpa did the kid thing, it wasn’t for them, so they aren’t super interested. It seems sad to me, but people are all wired differently. So don’t take this to heart. Just love on your kids.
The second set of people are the ones who did enjoy having children. They enjoyed every step of the journey; going to ballet lessons, soccer practice, school plays and PTA meetings. They sat by their children as the kids sobbed over to not being invited to a dance, or cried over a betrayal. They helped with Algebra. They were there every step of the way. And now? They want to fully enjoy their freedom.
I see lots of grandparents like this. They want to travel, hang out with friends, and maybe snooze the day away. This is not the time for them to have wild, shrieking kids running around them. That’s okay; it’s where they are in life. These people love their grandchildren, but they don’t want to be around them very much, because they like their life the way it is now. Why go back to being around messy, yelling, funny, wild children?
We’re not all wired the same. I love my grandson, but there are days when I’m glad I’m out of the stage of having little ones. It’s a lot of work!
One thing to check for, because it has happened here, is are you relaxing and not watching your children, thinking your mom and dad will watch so you can catch a break? My parents and in-laws never did this. I had to watch the kids. (My parents took the kids for weeks in the summer though.) But make sure you are taking charge of your own children around your parents.
Try that and see if things change a bit. Or a lot. And invite the grandparents to go to the park or the zoo or some place fun. Maybe a little mellow, if that’s the issue; if they’re tired out. You’ll know if that’s the case. I hope the grandparents enjoy their grandchildren. You can always bring it up in a non-confrontational way. Try it and see. Maybe clear the air a bit? Maybe not. Use your judgment.
And enjoy your kids! They are yours and while the days drag on, the time really does fly. Enjoy each child for who they are. You’ll wind up friends when they are over 25 or so. And good luck!
Leftover photos: A lousy Valentine’s Day gift & antique miter box
Posted By RichC on February 18, 2020
Here’s a Twofer Tuesday archive from a couple weekend photos on my phone:
First, I tried to use Brenda’s grandfather’s handmade, and well worn, antique miter box to cut a couple pieces of trim .. but ended up using my powered Hitachi sliding miter saw to clean up the cut instead (I did use his chisels to clean up a couple dovetails rabbet and dadoes though).
Second, was a questionable ‘non-romantic’ Valentine’s Day gift that I gave to Brenda: It was a magnetic NatoMounts set-up in her “new to her” 2010 Acura RDX. No doubt it will be appreciated as much as I like mine, but it is probably not the kind of gift husbands should be giving their wives on Valentine’s Day?
Rain delayed 2020 Daytona 500, but still a great pre-race show
Posted By RichC on February 17, 2020
Although watching NASCAR is not the highest priority on our list of things to do, it has been a long time mid-February favorite whether we were home, at the boat or visiting Brenda’s mom and dad years ago in Florida. This year we treated it as a Super Bowl kind of Sunday and were impressed with all the excitement leading up to the race, yet disappointed that there was both a rain delay AND eventual reschedule. I can’t imagine being a fan who plans their vacation down in Florida for Speedweek, expecting to be back home on Monday … and then missing the actual Cup Series race?
The highlight for most supporters of President Donald Trump at the race, was to seeing the president and first lady Melania not only attend to cheers and pride, but to watch the presidential motorcade with “The Beast” (2 of them) paced the field of around the legendary racetrack. How cool was having our president, also the grand marshal, saying “Gentlemen, start your engines.”
After lap 20 or 200 … the leaderboard stands like this: (today’s conclusion will be at 4PM .. we hope!)
EDIT:
An update on the 2020 Daytona 500 after the rain delay and finishing on Monday afternoon and evening. The race was extremely close and filled with wrecks, especially the end. The last lap had full throttle pushing and blocking action which ending with Ryan Newman on his roof and heading to the hospital. The win (second straight and third overall) for Denny Hamlin was a bit subdued after he realized Newman’s car flipped in the air and was struck at 200mph by another car. Thankfully as of this post, Ryan Newman is speaking in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but still in serious condition. It is a reminder that even with all the advancements in safety over the last couple of decades, racing at 200 mph is still a very dangerous sport.
EDIT 2/19/2020: Miraculous! Ryan Newman and his kids.
Music Monday: Be Prepared but be sure to enjoy your life now
Posted By RichC on February 17, 2020
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Woodworking: Jon Peters on biscuit jointers and a great tip
Posted By RichC on February 16, 2020
Although one could spend all day or night watching YouTube advice videos from expert woodworkers, I’ve limited my viewing to a few guys. 
I’m fond of Jon Peters for both the quality of his videos and for the short “focused” tips. In a recent YouTube video, he points out how often he finds himself using his biscuit jointer and gave me an idea for attaching table and bench seat tops that I would not have considered (photos).
We gave my dad a German made Elu Biscuit Jointer (purchase by Dewalt in 1994) shortly after he retired in 1992, as he started to add a few tools to his workshop after retiring. I inherited his biscuit jointer and have used it only a few times since DadC’s passing, but I think of him every time use it.
In 1994, DeWalt took over the German wood working power tool producer ELU. DeWalt increased their line of tools using ELU’s technology. As of 2001, DeWalt manufactures and sells more than 200 different power hand tools and 800 accessories. (Wikipedia)
The most common use for the biscuit jointer is to align edge to edge boards instead of using dowels, which is all I’ve ever used it for… but there are a variety of other joints that can be made. An interesting use that Peters demonstrates is using a biscuit slot as a way to attach a table top or bench seat (video below). Hm?
The other great tip he offered up was rather than centering the biscuit, leave a little more space between the biscuit and the surface or top of project so that the slot and biscuit doesn’t telegraph on the finished surface. I would not have thought of that!
When is it time to say goodbye to family pets? #PumpyUmpy
Posted By RichC on February 15, 2020
While emailing my daughter this week about taking her “long living” bunny, Pumpy Umpy to the vet (injury and can’t move his leg), I mentioned that I eventually had to take Tootsie to the Butler County Humane Society as a 
way to prep for her eventual decision. I ended up seeing this “Keep in touch” image when scrolling down on the front page.
Who knows what the right call is for Katelyn’s rabbit, but for me and after several trips to the vet for Tootsie, I decided that being a dog who is deaf (she was a long time – known issue for Australian Cattle Dogs) and being 17 years old and almost blind (hard to find the edge of pool and falls in) was not a happy life. The final failure was that she was no longer able to hold her bowels and likely had colon cancer.
Deafness: Australian Cattle Dogs have been known to suffer from congenital hereditary sensorineural deafness (CHSD), or rather deafness that is inherited rather than acquired through illness. CHSD occurs shortly after birth before the ear canal opens. The exact cause is unknown, but it is believed that an inadequate blood flow to the cochlea results in death of the sensory nervous cells, resulting in total deafness. As the name suggests, CHSD is an inherited disease. Researchers are not yet sure whether the gene carrying CHSD is recessive or dominant, so when looking to adopt an Australian Cattle Dog inquire with the breeder whether deafness runs on either side of their line.
Valentine’s Day is also Single Awareness Day #humor
Posted By RichC on February 14, 2020
Nope … I’m not going to forget Happy Valentine’s Day and have remembered to get something “sweet” for Brenda … although it is a good thing she reminded me earlier in the week with a “be sure to pick up a couple gift cards for the kids” comment. Whew!
I was also reminded by my “single” friend Jeff that Valentine’s Day, February 14th, was on a Friday this year and that we might want to switch out our normal “ever-other-Friday” scheduled lunch (we did). At that moment, I also realized that for all without a significant other, it is Single Awareness Day. 😐
A personal family photo (and video) from 30 years ago #TBT
Posted By RichC on February 13, 2020
Last week, a Jasper, Alberta family photo near a glacier for a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT post, had me sharing a few of my thoughts on climate change. I should have included another photo that had a few more from our family (especially since my sister-in-law, Lynda, just returned home from the Cleveland Clinic). The trip was actually a 40th anniversary present to MomH and DadH (Brenda’s parents) … but the adult kids volunteered to go along too. 😛 So for this week’s TBT, I’ll add that photo … and archive 50-minute long low-quality video pulled from a VHS tape before it is completely degraded.
Lynda, Mark, Ann, Gary, MomH, DadH, Brenda & Rich near Athabasca Glacier
We flew in from Ohio and New York to Calgary, Alberta and headed west to the Canadian Rockies … I can still hear my late brother-in-law Mark singing “climb every mountain” and “the hills are alive, with the sound of music.”
We had a good time hiking and celebrating in Baniff (just as Taylor, Jeff and I did in 2005) and stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – it was nice (personal video for the blog’s digital archive below).
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.