Ace Wisdom

There is a fresh pot of chili simmering on the stove.  Chili sounded good after egg rolls, veggie wraps and peanut butter soup experienced during the holidays.

Thank you all for making Grasshopper No.5’s late Christmas party a success.  She was still talking about it when she left on Sunday.  We lucked out with weather during Christmas holidays.

I remember my dentist telling me when I was younger (in my 30’s) that there was no reason I shouldn’t be able to use my permanent teeth for the rest of my life.  Of course there was always the caveat that I needed to take care of my teeth by brushing 6-7 times a day.  Eating healthy foods was part of the deal.  I am 75 years old and have 1 implant and an empty hole where a molar used to rest.  What the hell!

Which brings me to your Mom.  She had a tooth pulled yesterday.  I’m not sure how many permanent teeth she has had replaced but it is quite a few.  Her Mom (Nana) had a partial plate of false teeth at an early age. What the dentist forgot to tell me 45 years ago was heredity has a lot to do with. Actually on the other side of the ledger, Grasshopper No.3 has only had 4-5 cavities his whole life.

No your Mom and I do not have dental insurance.

The Packers are done “dancing”.  I will say they make things interesting.  “Hail Mary passes”.  Overtime.  Bad luck on the toss of a coin.

I see the Milwaukee Brewers are already selling season ticket packages. That’s it?  That is the best we’ve got to look forward to until Spring?  I challenge you to name two players on the Brewers team.

Stay warm!

Love,

Dad

Grasshopper No.2 is headed to Hawaii for a seminar.  Something about required education credits to maintain “active” chiropractic status.  The seminar lasts two days.  Her trip lasts 12 days.  How does that work?

My foray into buying lottery tickets is at an end.  The $1.6 billion PowerBall  is now history.  The winning “Powerball” number was 10.  I had a ticket with 10.  I had nothing else.  I win $4.  It is an example of the poorest investment risks ever.

For those of you with 401(k) retirement accounts, last year you lost 3%. Since the start of January, 2016, you’ve lost another 8% in stock mutual funds.  Do like Scarlet O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind”, worry about it tomorrow.  The law of averages will save you.  Stock Funds average 6-8% growth over a 20 year period.

Just a note on following greatness. When Lombardi retired, he was followed by assistant Phil Bengston.  Nobody remembers Phil.  In the case of Lombardi, how do you follow “God”?  Bo Ryan just retired from coaching the Wisconsin Badger basketball team.  Bo, is a Wisconsin legend. He handed the reins to his assistant, Greg Gard.  Wisconsin has since won 1 game and lost 5.  The prognosis isn’t good.  Again, how do you follow a legend?  How do you improve “perfection”?

I am waiting for financial advice from my advisers vacationing in Texas. Where are they when you need them?

Love,

Dad

 

 

This date, 25 years ago, Grasshopper No.3 married the love of his life. Here is wishing the young couple a very Happy Anniversary.  It is indeed a special milestone.

As you all know, I did not win the Power Ball lottery last Saturday night. Nobody did.  Just to show you how ridiculous the odds are, I had a ticket with 5 picks, a total of 30 numbers. I hit on “one” number out of 30 and I was probably pretty lucky to do that. The prediction is that Wednesday night the “pot” will swell to $1.4 billion (that is with a “b”). Yes I did buy a ticket.  If I win, I don’t want to be called by my first name.  I want to be addressed as “Sir”.

Grasshopper No.5 assisted her best friend with camera work at Lambeau several weeks ago.  Since she is from Minneapolis and the Vikings football team made the playoffs. No.5 was again invited to assist camera work last Sunday (the game was outdoors at Minnesota University).  It turned out to be the 3rd coldest NFL football game in history.  The game was played in below “0” temperatures and -20 F. wind chills. No.5 declined the offer to assist.  Smart, very smart.  Hey, we didn’t raise any dummies.

I hate to jinx the Packers journey to the Super Bowl but here goes.  The Packers will beat Arizona Saturday night and Seattle will beat Carolina setting up a NFC championship game at where else, Lambeau.  The Packers will extract a sort of revenge against Seattle who beat them in unlikely fashion in the playoffs last year.  The Packers will slip into the Super Bowl. Hey, I can dream can’t I.  I’m the same guy who buys a lottery ticket with 300 million to one odds.

Stay warm

Dad

Talk about lousy investments!  PowerBall will total $700 million Saturday night.  The odds of winning are one in 292 million.  The odds of getting struck by an asteroid are better than winning PowerBall.  Buying a ticket is beyond high risk.  It is just plain stupid.  Yep, I bought a ticket this morning.

It has been 10 days since we had “the” 12 inch snow storm.  Our City in it’s infinite wisdom decided to do “clean-up” by re-plowing some of the streets.  This morning my driveway was piled high with wet, sloppy, heavy snow.  And it is raining!  Really?  I’m moving to Texas.

This next observation may not interest most of you but I was watching UCLA play Arizona in a college basketball game.  The coach for UCLA is Steve Alford, maybe the greatest shooter of a basketball ever (he played at Indiana and won the 1987 National Championship).  Steve Alford coaches his son, Brice.  Last night with the score tied at 84 against Arizona, Steve chose his son to take a long jump shot as the clock expired.  Brice took the shot.  It arched high.  It was on line.  It swished the net.  UCLA wins.  I can’t imagine how the Dad felt seeing his son make the game winning shot.  I can’t imagine how Brice felt?  Money isn’t everything.

For those trusting informed, highly paid, investment advisors for your 401k’s, your stock mutual funds are already down 5% and one full week of the New Year is not finished.  In fairness, it is going to be a volatile year with lots of “ups and downs”.  Acewisdom predicts the market will be up slightly by the end of the year.  Echoing Aaron Rogers, “relax”.

The Packers will beat Washington on Sunday.

Love,

Dad

 

I do have a New Years Resolution for 2016 (as of this morning).  Any time I hear a political ad on radio or TV, I will immediate switch stations.  My sanity is involved.

Grasshopper No.5 and friend found enough time to visit your Mom and I on Sunday during her journey to Lambeau.  She has never been to the “Catholic Football Cathedral”.  Not only was she going to Lambeau for the Packer-Viking game but she would be down on the field assisting her special friend with camera duties.  She did it!  We have the pictures to prove it.  I haven’t heard the stories about the “cold” yet.

I am a little bit concerned. Grasshopper No.5 has been showing signs of a preference for the Minnesota Vikings.  Our family has never had to deal with a Grasshopper who has “turned”.  I am not absolutely sure but she bears watching.  I don’t even know what the penalty should be for becoming a Vikings fan.  What penalty did Brett Favre get when he went to Minnesota?

Grandson Collin has boasted about his Subaru all wheel drive car for almost a year.  You would think there wasn’t any comparable vehicle. We had a foot of snow last week.  Guess who got stuck in his drive way trying to get to work (to plow snow no less).  I am concerned.  Collin and his bride are expecting their first child in early February.  What if the Subaru breaks down or gets stuck again?

Your Mom and I got to watch the first episode of Downton Abbey, Season 6.  This is the final season of the collapsing Edwardian Aristocracy in the early 1900’s in England.  Good stuff.  The rich people are losing their money and status.  The servants are finding better jobs. I predict that “the inmates will be running the asylum”.

The days keep getting longer.

Love,

Dad

 

Happy New Year!

I am watching the Rose Bowl Parade telecast.  There is nostalgia because in the mid-1950’s, Grandpa George and Nana splurged on a new color TV mounted in large, heavy oak cabinet with hidden speakers complete with a rotary antenna.  Friends and family were invited to watch the Rose Bowl in “living color”.  That is why I married your Mom. I thought her family was rich.  A color TV meant you had money.  Boy did I misjudge that!

A belated Happy Birthday to Grasshopper No.2 who gets younger everyday.  I won’t disclose her age but she got to watch Grandma and Grandpa’s color TV.  Hope your birthday was special.

I understand Grasshopper No.5 is leaving the safe confines of Minneapolis and is scheduled to attend the Green Bay Packer game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night at Lambeau.  The special guy in her life takes photos for the Star Tribune and No.5 is supposed to assist him.  Maybe she is going to hold the camera?  Sunday night is a national game starting at 7:30 PM in 20 degree temperatures. Isn’t love great.

Your Mom and I celebrated New Years with good food, a great movie and our personal toast to the New Year.

Since I met your Mom, we have experienced 61 New Year’s events.

Just a note.  Your retirement accounts will be a disappointment.  2015 ended with the stock market down slightly (-1%) which means you didn’t experience gains in your accounts.  If you add in the expenses of administering your accounts, you probably lost -3%.  Any increase came from your new contributions.

Stay warm!

Love,

Dad

 

 

Our Family Christmas was a lot of fun!  It takes a “lot of stars to align” to make Xmas happen.  The weather must cooperate, family members must be healthy and other commitments must be minimal.  It all came together.

A special toast to your Mom.  The “hostess with the mostest”.  She brings all the pieces together including schedules, decorations, and yep, the food.  She remains special.

It is obvious that your Mom and I need to find a bigger house.  As the extended family continues to grow, we are going to run out of room to host Christmas.

Clearly the food item that was the biggest hit was egg rolls.  If egg rolls remain on the menu, adjustments will have to be made for more pork, chicken and shrimp and less gluten free veggies.  Of course I could get over-ruled on that because nobody ever asks me anyway.

The “gift exchange” was fun.

The most interesting gifts were adult coloring books, mood lights and Star Wars stuff.

Your Mom and I appreciate the “quality of life” gifts.  You will find us at the movies, at our favorite restaurant, the Fireside Theater, or just sitting in a car wash!

Last night was the first snow of the season.  10 inches.  Because this is a heavy vacation week, everything is in slow motion.  A lot of people are off work and public schools are not in session.  Usually by early morning, I hear the drone of snow-blowers from the neighbors.  This morning? Nothing.

My stock in the Packers is slowly losing value.  They a gasping as they limp into the playoffs.

Love,

Dad