I Retired Early in February 1997

[baumgrenze]

Hi, I'm baumgrenze

That is German for 'timberline.' I chose the name years ago when my feet were still willing to take me above timberline in the High Sierra every summer/autumn.

I'm an immigrant's son. Dad arrived on a ship from Germany (Port:Bremen - Heimat: Stangenbach, earliest mention 779 AD) at age 17 on Labor Day 1929. He was a journeyman baker about to start his 'Wanderjahre' when the chance to use a ticket (indenture to a dairy farmer in Elgin, IL) opened his path here.

I made my career as a PhD synthetic organic chemist, spending most of my years at Zoecon (and its successor owners) in Palo Alto, CA and retired with a brass handshake (shiny but brass) a couple of months shy of my 57th birthday, so I retired early

A financial advisor friend reassured me that my nest egg ought to last and my wife was gainfully employed in software support at HP at the time.

I'm an ultraconservative investor. In the most recent major recession in 2008 all I lost was a steady income stream from Treasury Direct.

My apologies to anyone offended by what they saw in the original last paragraph.

Enough said,
baumgrenze

 

[MuirWannabe]

Herzlich willkommen.

So what’s happened to your feet that prevents you from exploring the majestic Sierra?

But glad you fared well. Most investors who were able to stay the course throughout have come out spectacularly.

Muir

 

[street]

Welcome and interesting life you had.

So being retired for 21 years how has your investments treated you and will you have efficient funding for your expected life time?

What have you done with 21 years of free time?

 

[baumgrenze]

Herzlich willkommen.

So what’s happened to your feet that prevents you from exploring the majestic Sierra?

But glad you fared well. Most investors who were able to stay the course throughout have come out spectacularly.

Muir

Thanks for asking.

The capsules in my feet have been failing for several years. They are the OEM cushions that make weight bearing tolerable. As I approach the completion of my 78th year of life, I'm trying to be more respectful of the body I have left. On top of that, I needed rotator cuff surgery a few years ago. The surgeon was amazed at how little he had to work with; the MRI looked better than the 'reality.' A year later the surgery was 'revised' in the hopes that the repairs could be made to last. I spent the next year learning more exercises from a remarkable PT. The pain level is slowly increasing, but the strength and range-of-motion are still very good. I'm just supposed to be 'respectful' of what I have.

Respectful is my approach to capital as well. My first exposure to the 401-k concept offered very limited opportunities for investment changes. I chose MM funds that some call 'cash.' Over several years I did about as well as others who chose equities. That matched my early 'investment experience' (1967-1970) in Vancouver, BC, where I worked for MacMillan Bloedel Research for 3 years. I broke about even buying 'penny stocks' using tips from older colleagues with more experience. I also made a very conservative equity investment in International Nickel and it did not fare well. On those nights when I do not sleep well, at least I'm not worrying about investments.

You use the name, 'MuirWannabe." My first senior hire at Zoecon was a Stanford PhD from Scots immigrant stock: he has always resembled John Muir physically and in his love of the backcountry. Among all my colleagues, he was the one who eventually got me to try solo backpacking, a 'foolhardy' passtime for father of a young family, so I waited a while.) That said, I managed five week-long trips during my 40's, four of them in serious back-country in early October when I saw no one else for all but the first and last half days. I enjoyed the solitude of time in the back country of the Matterhorn Peak and Mt.Abbot quads, and spent some mornings awakening to the sight of the cover picture on the Time-Life "High Sierra" book (1972).

Thanks for asking,
baumgrenze