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[wabmester]

The Mester family had lobster tails tonight as well (and steak to boot). * *I broke open a new boxed wine I picked up at Costco today -- a not-too-bad Tindindi Cab. *And in a few hours, we'll watch the fireworks show across the water from us. * Still haven't decided if I'll wake the toddler to catch the show (mom says I have to get her back to sleep if I do).

Many happy market returns!

[Michael]

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to Cut-Throat and all (even the
liberals) .

Cut-Throat, your tradition sounds just right to me.

We spent most of the day celebrating a belated
Christmas with my oldest daughter and my 4 grandchildren (7, 5, 3, and 1). They live out of state.
Their visit was the holiday highlight for me. DW and
I stayed home last night. A nice chardonnay and a
then I began I very excellent book on Gen. G. A. Custer and The Little Bighorn. I have quite a collection
(of books). This is a good one.

Happy to have made it through another year relatively
unscathed, and looking forward to 2005.............

JG

[Martha]

I stayed at work late to sign checks and be around while our accounting department did the heavy lifting. Good year at the firm.

This morning I am starting a week off to just lounge around, read some novels, and maybe go snowmobiling with Mr. Martha. Never managed to arrange the New Orleans trip--couldn't find a seminar.

Have fun Martha! I'm glad you found us here........

JG

[MJ]

Happy New Year to you CT, and everyone else on this board.

Hope you all have a healthy and financially successful one!

MJ

Hello mj! Re. a "financially successful New Year", I finished 2004 with just about the same
net worth as I ended 2003. If can do that again in 2005, I will be satisfied.

JG

[BigMoneyJim]

I had chicken alfredo at Olive Garden and took home some tiramisu for later. I stayed at home by myself (as usual for me...I like quiet reflection on new year's). At midnight I set off a few sparklers and drank a small bottle of real French Champagne.

I forget how much debt I had at the beginning of the year, but it was somewhere at $7k - $10k. That's all paid off, and my investments have grown by $11k (including contributions).

My New Year's resolution is to spend more money on myself. That may sound a bit odd for this board, but I've been restraining myself on large/fun expenditures for 4+ years so much that it's ingrained, and it's a battle within myself to spend a chunk of money. So far I've resisted every urge to buy but keep telling myself it's time to buy something, and I even have a wish list built up over the past year.

EDIT: After posting trouble, forgot to add: "Happy New Year!"

[Spanky]

Just returned from California visiting relatives last night. Went to sleep early.

It was unusual to see thunderstorms in Southern California.

Sub 'Monty Python' for 'Easy Rider', Goose for Lobster, and you have Christmas at our place.

We stayed home and had friends overfor New Year's. There are more fireworks here than any place I've lived on the mainland. It must be the Asian inflluence. Our poor dog was terrified all night. We had to drag him out shaking for his afternoon and especially evening walks.

A happy and healthy 2005 to you all.

[kayelem]

Happy New Years to all (and glad to have found this forum..has made for interesting reading over the holiday!)

We had a pretty tame night...we usually stay in and this was no exception. Menu was salmon with mustard seed (specialty of the house), risotto, healthy vegetable, and champagne, with a little Stilton cheese for dessert.

Entertainment was a movie made for the ER crowd, "Lost in America". I'm new to the board but surely many of you have seen this? I watch it about once a year as I love Albert Brooks, who stars. I can do his speech about the nest egg almost completely now.

I laughed to see that Cut-Throat watched Easy Rider last night...again if you have seen Lost in America its part of a running gag.

Anyway....Happy New Year to All!!!!

Kay

Hello Kay. You know, I am not sure I ever heard of
'Lost in America", but then I am not an Albert Brooks fan
anyway. 'Easy Rider' I have seen. Twice I think. I am a biker and so I was anticipating eagerly. It was okay, but
I doubt I will watch it again. There is no accounting for taste, right?

JG

[kayelem]

Well - I have probably seen the movie too many times....you've got the right movie though.

The main character talks about Easy Rider a lot, and is really the antithesis of those guys. As they are driving the motor home out of LA for the first time, the song Born to Be Wild is playing and Albert Brooks pulls up alongside of a guy on a Harley and gives him a big smile and thumbs up. The motor cycle guy looks over and gives him the finger and then speeds off.

Later, he gets in fight with his wife over what the characters in Easy Rider were really up to with their "nest egg" (i.e. drugs). And later on, he talks his way out of a speeding ticket when his wife tells the cop that her husband has based his life on the movie "Easy Rider" and it turns out to be the cop's favorite movie as well.

I think it comes up a few other times, but those are the main references.....

Quote:

Albert Brooks pulls up alongside of a guy on a Harley and gives him a big smile and thumbs up. The motor cycle guy looks over and gives him the finger and then speeds off.

Yes, now I remember! I'll have to put that on my rental list again!

[MJ]

Unfortunately the wife in "Lost in America" bet the house and lost their ER.

MJ :-/

[kayelem]

Well, yes, they definitly aren't the model of the perfect ER couple!



But when I saw this movie in the 80's I knew it was what I wanted to do (minus the losing it all in Las Vegas part.....)

[MJ]

Quote:

But when I saw this movie in the 80's I knew it was what I wanted to do (minus the losing it all in Las Vegas part.....)

I remember seeing the movie as well but, it didn't seem to give me any ideas about ER. I was in my mid 30's and started my first money making profession in business software programming just a few years earlier. I loved my work and just wasn't thinking about ER, foolish me. Luckily, being cheap frugal by nature, I have been able to save a good part of my inflated salary.

MJ

[JWV]

Had a quiet New Year's Eve with friends at home. Rib roast, garlic potatoes and a very decadent chocolate cake along with some wine sampling.

The kids played their new video games while the adults watched 'The Big Lebowski'. I think you could say he ERd if only he had ever worked! Funny movie but one of those that you either get or don't.

Friends arrived late at our house because they bought a new vehicle-the dealer was making 'Incredible end of year deals'. It improved our New Year because we are putting more into investments than their payments will be. Of course, we drive older cars but I love knowing it costs me very little. Another example of smart people who don't realize they can ER.

Judy

Hello Judy. NYE sounds like BIG FUN at your place

Re. "smart people who don't realize they can ER", here's another angle on this. Some of them may be like me
before the ER lightbulb went on in my head, i.e. they never
really think about it. If they are smart, they must know
instinctively it can be done, but their brains are
occupied elsewhere.

JG