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Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-17-2006, 11:43 PM   #1
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Been lurking, now be posting

Not sure of forum for this section to introduce me, but here goes.
Age 57 - planned FIRE at 60 1/2
Investments range from buy and hold individual stocks with dividend and capital appreciation, and some company stock, to options trading. Currently no allocation in bonds, and mix of wrappers is IRA, ROTH, 401k, and taxable (largest), along with planned Defined Contribution pension for me, small DB for wife, and SS probably at 66, altough that is still under review. Not the conventional wisdom, but it has held up pretty well for me through bull and bear markets, so I'm either very lucky, or very good - I'll vote for lucky.
RE plans are to sell house, pay off RV motorhome, rent aprtment in Texas to be close to grandkids, and spend 6-8 months on the road in RV. Would like to do the backpack through Europe staying in adult hostels, which a flight attendent told me about; that will take about a year - still working on the DW to go for that one.
Personal - 1 cat that insists on typing on the keyboard, when I'm trying to type, and she keeps misspelling words, 1 daughter and SIL expecting their first, 1 DW - never found a better one - thus I convinced her to keep me around.
Hobbies - Golf, woodworking, some fresh water fishing, computers & electronics, amature radio, and discovering something new that I hadn't done before.

Really enjoyed lurking and learning from the posts, and observing the personalities and styles of the posters. Hope to contribute where I can bring value.

p.s name is a hold over from ealier days of CB radio and the antenna that I used. Or any other story that sounds better to explain it.
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-18-2006, 07:22 AM   #2
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by whitestick
Really enjoyed lurking and learning from the posts, and observing the personalities and styles of the posters. Hope to contribute where I can bring value.
I'd ask for your observations, but . . .

We enjoy RV traveling as well. We spend a lot of the summer in national forest campgrounds in northern Wisconsin, close to home as I still work part time. We are still trying to decide what our winter trip will be this year. Last year we spent about a month on the road, going down to Mississippi, and then along the gulf coast into Florida. We like Mississippi a lot, but don't know if this year we should go because of the hurricane effects. We are thinking instead of going to (gasp) Texas.

Welcome!
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-18-2006, 09:01 AM   #3
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Welcome to the board, WS.

An all-equity portfolio may benefit from luck, but it benefits most from a huge tolerance for volatility... will your asset allocation change in retirement?
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-18-2006, 10:52 PM   #4
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nords
Welcome to the board, WS.

An all-equity portfolio may benefit from luck, but it benefits most from a huge tolerance for volatility... will your asset allocation change in retirement?
I think that IF the pensions hold up, and the SS hold up, then I may make some small changes but not a lot. I have to confess that I do hold a large majority in GE stock. After consulting a couple of financial advisors that tried to convince me I needed to change my allocations to pay them to follow their advice, I did my own research and found that GE is really a diversified investment holding company. Their allocations may not agree percentage wise, with some, but that fact is they do have a serious spread, and they pay some serious bucks for their internal folks to invest in the number 1 or 2 in each class. They have a long term history of solid dividend growth and capital appreciation, so in effect, I am riding their back as a fund picker, with no expense for marketing their shares.
That being said, I would probably change some of my other investments, to look at more options trading. I have posted previously about the methodology that i am following, and her experience in bull and bear is 13.5% consistenly. I have stepped outside of her boundaries right now, and have done far better then that, albeit at higher risk and tolerance as you mentioned. I would probably drop back to her conservative process, but other then that, no I probably won't change much else. I've been burned by so many FA, brokers, and "hot tipsters" that I'll just follow my gut from now on.
Works for me anyway.
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-18-2006, 11:14 PM   #5
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
I'd ask for your observations, but . . .

We enjoy RV traveling as well.* We spend a lot of the summer in national forest campgrounds in northern Wisconsin, close to home as I still work part time.* We are still trying to decide what our winter trip will be this year.* Last year we spent about a month on the road, going down to Mississippi, and then along the gulf coast into Florida.* We like Mississippi a lot, but don't know if this year we should go because of the hurricane effects.* We are thinking instead of going to (gasp) Texas.*

Welcome!
Hi Martha, I really have enjoyed your and Greg's posts - yes I have been lurking for awhile, so I feel like I know a lot you really well.
I personally would have to recommend Texas, as I live just north of Dallas, and I love the weather, and things to do. For a really long trip, you might consider trying to drive the complete border of Texas, which would give you an amazing variety of cultures, sites, foods, and of course interesting people.
For a different trip, I can't wait till I have enough time off to take the 28 day Baja, Cooper Canyon expedition, which after going to the southern tip of the Baja, then ferries across to central Mexico, and comes up the gulf side. I have gone to a couple of the national rallies, and talked to people that have taken some of the fewer days versions, and they have all raved about it.
There is something that is so restfull about driving that big rig. It's totaly unlike driving a car or pickup truck. Seems like I could go for hours longer, but my DW wants to make camp while it's still daylight, so I don't travel too far. I'm looking foward to when I can though.
Good luck and send pictures and reports of your travels, where ever you decide on.
b
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-19-2006, 06:29 AM   #6
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by whitestick

I personally would have to recommend Texas, as I live just north of Dallas, and I love the weather, and things to do. For a really long trip, you might consider trying to drive the complete border of Texas, which would give you an amazing variety of cultures, sites, foods, and of course interesting people.
Do you know what the cell phone access is like following this route? I recently read an article in either Motorhome or Trailer Life about this trip and it sounds interesting. Also, what is the weather like around March?

Thanks for any thoughts you have.

(We also want to do the Copper Canyon trip. Maybe next year.)
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-19-2006, 07:50 AM   #7
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
Do you know what the cell phone access is like following this route? I recently read an article in either Motorhome or Trailer Life about this trip and it sounds interesting. Also, what is the weather like around March?
Oooops! Martha and Whitestick, my apologies. This question wasn't addressed to the board, but to Whitestick. My response has been deleted.

Sorry I butted in...
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-19-2006, 08:00 AM   #8
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
I'd ask for your observations, but . . .

We like Mississippi a lot, but don't know if this year we should go because of the hurricane effects.* We are thinking instead of going to (gasp) Texas.*

Welcome!
Martha, I knew there was something special about you! *You are right, the hurricane messed things up pretty good here in MS, at least in the southern half of the state. Next time you are in our area you might want to try out Pickwick Lake, located in the Northeast corner of the state. Very pretty and good for camping.

http://www.pickwicklakeadventures.com/pickwick.html
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-19-2006, 12:21 PM   #9
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Thanks Dog. Wahoo, I want to know what you deleted!
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Old 01-19-2006, 03:40 PM   #10
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No helmets required for adults in Texas. The unpaved back roads can be traveled by scooter or in my case a Mercury Marquis. Do not travel the park on scooter on other than cut roads. Several people die each year from becoming lost in desert but rarely by cougar attack.

Enter the park from the western entrances, much more scenic. Take a day trip west of park border to Terilingua, Lajita (best place for a room), and on to as far as Redman. The road west is carved out of the canyon wall on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. You may want to continue to Presidio and cross the border to shop in Ojinaga, Mexico (good deals on Tequila - buy any brand with the words 100% agave puro. If you are into the goods and services of 'Boys Town' then Lorado is the best choice for border crossing. Don't bother going all the way to Candeleria.

When you leave check out the Marfa 'lights' (a place of true mystery).

Custom stops and such legal intervention (other than the bridge itself) are usually located an hour or two from the border. There is no where else to drive so they give you enough slack to hang yourself.



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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-21-2006, 01:06 AM   #11
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
Do you know what the cell phone access is like following this route?* I recently read an article in either Motorhome or Trailer Life about this trip and it sounds interesting.* Also,* what is the weather like around March?

Thanks for any thoughts you have.

(We also want to do the Copper Canyon trip.* Maybe next year.)
The cell access, at least for Sprint, which is my only experience, is quite good near most citiess. You can check for coverage at http://www.sprint.com/pcsbusiness/co...towermaps.html and see that in the interior of east texas, like Dallas, Houston, Austin, etc. its not bad. If you hug the borders, the scenario is wilder, but the coverage is pretty sparse. There are some long areas on the texas lousiana border, which is heavy swamp area, and of course the gators don't like cell phones, they have trouble holding them. On the far west side, around the Big Ben area, there are some long areas of no coverage as well. All that being said, a buddy of mine did that trip, and his intention was to enjoy the area, and get back to nature a bit, so he found it quite enjoyable. I suppose if you absolutely must have contact, then a satellite phone would be the way to go.
As to March, for weather, the first caveat is that Texas is so big, that you literaly will have blizards in one area, and sun burns in another, on the same day. In my twenty years in Dallas, I can remember only two years of cold enough to snow weather in March. This year we are having record highs, low 70's in the day and 40-50 at night. in January. Might mean a mid 70-80 degree March, like last year, or it might mean a cold snap to average out the temperatures. I would have to guess that you should plan for 75 degree days, and bring some sweats for evening. Beauty of a moble camper is that if it doesn't meet your liking, just move on to the spot that does. You'll find it over half the time at least somewhere on that route.
Have fun, and I am extremely jealous. If you plan to swing by Dallas, let me know, and you and yours, and me and mine can sample Margaritas.
b
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-21-2006, 07:29 AM   #12
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting

Thanks Whitestick for the information. The big problem traveling in March is getting from northern Minnesota to where we are going. Greg wants to go to Big Bend, but I still need to remain in contact with work.
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Re: Been lurking, now be posting
Old 01-21-2006, 03:56 PM   #13
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Thanks Whitestick for the information.* The big problem traveling in March is getting from northern Minnesota to where we are going.* Greg wants to go to Big Bend, but I still need to remain in contact with work.* *
Best suggestion for that would be to invest in a VOIP setup ala Vonage or AT&T and use the local Internet access at the RV camps - some wired, and maybe even WIFI, although I don't know that for a fact. Many of the campgrounds are now supplying WIFI, but if not, they usually all supply a local phone connection, for a local ISP call, which be used for VOIP over it. Saves the long distance charges anyway. The WIFI option, if available, could allow them to call you as well, pretty much anytime you are connected. World of communication is changing in that regard. You could call forward your current number if you don't want to give it up, to the VOIP number, and have it ring through to you via your computer. There are options to have telephones (they are called handsets, even though most people just refer to them as telephones), instead of using the computer, if you need that kind of interface as well. Those are a little pricier - probably about $150 more then the computer version, but, personally I like the feel of them, and you can add your favorite gadgets to them like speakerphones, local wireless phones, or multiple extensions off a single base unit. So many choices, it just takes money - although it's a lot lower cost then it used to be.
Just an idea for you, if that's what you have to have. Or ...... you could just tell work that you'll check in every other week, and relax and go fishing or enjoy the local environment. That would be my preference, but I do understand.
b
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