Ace Wisdom

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

Merry Christmas to all!

Last night was a full moon (on Christmas Eve).  That doesn’t happen again for 19 years.  Santa turned off the bulb on Rudolph’s nose.

I got an early Christmas present.  My favorite son, Grasshopper No.3, and Grandson Collin, invited me to see Star Wars at the local theater on Tuesday.  We had reserved seats.  The seats were luxurious and reclined.  Does it get any better?  Let me see.  Father, Son, Grandson and in the next several months, Great-Grandson.  That has the makings of a four generation picture.

Last night, Christmas Eve, I noticed a long white limousine moving slowly past our house.  I thought maybe my kids had sent it for Mom and myself and it would wisk us off to a great Christmas celebration. Nope.  It kept right on going past our house.  Why would you need a limousine to take you to church?

I will share two memorable Christmas “seasons”.  First, I knew my Grandma Myrna (who was like a 2nd Mom) would probably be alone at Christmas.  I arranged for a local flower shoppe to deliver a single rose every day for two weeks.  Each day there would be a knock on her door and she would be handed a single rose.  She appreciated the roses but seemed somewhat bewildered that someone would do that for her.  I never told her who arranged it.

The second memorable season involved your Mom and Grasshopper No.1, No.2 and No.3 in the early 1970’s.  I borrowed from the song “On the Twelve Days of Christmas”.  Every day for the 12 days preceeding Christmas, I brought your Mom a Christmas gift.  It could be a figurine caroling, a Christmas ornament, or candy canes.  You get the idea.  At first, your Mom was surprised. By the end of 12 days, there would have been a lot of disappointment if I had forgotten the daily gift.  The magical thing that happened was that you three older kids knew about the daily gift and your Mom would actually let you open each wrapped package.  It became a family affair.  It turned out to be a lot of fun. No, there were no partridges in a pear tree.

Enjoy the Season.

Love,

Dad

 

Your Mom saw brown tinted diamonds being promoted on TV.  I’ve been told “absolutely, positively, do not purchase a brown diamond for her at Christmas (or any other time)”.  Whew!  That is a relief. Now I can scratch brown diamonds off my Christmas list.

Today is officially the first day of Winter.  Alas, the days are getting longer.

Grandson Collin has seen “Star Wars” twice already.  I have an invitation to join him and his Dad for viewing No.3.  Star Wars must be good.

Grasshopper No.4 asked me about Roth IRA’s.  I do not know all the intricacies of a Roth.  They were just becoming popular 15 years ago when I retired.  My first choice for a “retirement vehicle” is a company 401(k) where the company matches your contribution. Not only is the money you are setting aside tax deferred but the company is putting in money (free) up to a certain limit usually 3-6% of your income.  After the 401(k) “matching deal”, a Roth IRA would be my next choice.  The Roth makes you contribute “after-tax” dollars (unlike the 401k).  That means Uncle Same taxes your earnings but you are allowed to put those after-tax earnings into a Roth.  The earnings on the Roth are deferred forever.  Forever! That is a really big deal. If you keep pumping in $5000-$6000 per year (maximum allowed annually) and do that for 20-25 years and it grows tax-free for all those years, you might end up filthy rich.  No taxes upon withdrawal.  Filthy rich.  Worth considering.

Christmas Eve is two days away.  Remember it was the Christ Child born in the manger, not Santa Claus.

I wrote my name in the light snow on the mailbox this morning.

Love,

Dad

I understand that all is well in Camelot (Kohler, Wis.).  The union strike is over, Christmas is coming and I’m sure the “Camelotians” are singing Joy to the World.

I’m trying to understand.  People, age 50 and older, are buying guns at a record pace.  Help me!  What is driving this rush to arms?

I try to make smart financial decisions.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.  I bought an HP printer several years ago (on sale) at Sam’s Club for $80.  Great price.  Great print quality. Yesterday I bought 2 new replacement cartridges for $64.  It has dawned on me that I essentially buy the equivalent of a new printer every time I buy ink.  My new goal is find the most efficient, quality printer ink system and focus on “cost per printed sheet”.  Screw the cost of the initial printer.  It turns out to be irrelevant.

Our local dentist must need money for Christmas.  You Mom needs a “replacement tooth”.  Your Dad needs a crown.  Unfortunately, we did not inherit great genetics in the area of teeth.  It couldn’t be that all the Kool-aid, soda and candy eaten as a kid had anything to with it.

Bo Ryan (the UW basketball coach) cleverly arranged abrupt retirement during the season so that UW had no choice but to name his long, long, long time assistant and friend, “interim coach”.  Gary Gard now has his chance.  Under normal circumstances, a coach retires at the end of the basketball season and a search begins for the best candidate available (including consideration of the assistant coach).  Most times the assistant doesn’t get the job. So Bo wins one more game, this time it is the “one upsmanship” game.

Snow flurries this morning.

Love,

Dad

My experience (hence Ace Wisdom) is that recovering from an invasive operation takes longer than you think.  Daughter-in-law Shelby Jr., is recovering from her back operation and is beginning “rehab” exercises.  Whatever the predicted recovery, double it.

I was in the basement yesterday and I heard this strange motor running.  December 14th and my sump pump was running.  The good news is that I just installed a new sump pump.  More good news.  We were getting 2-3 inches of rain, not snow.

I visited my local “costume” shoppe this week.  I rented a Darth Vader outfit for Friday.  The new Star War movie will be released. Yes sir.  I have purchased movie tickets ahead.  People camping out to get the first seats. I have my Darth Vader character.  Add $10 per bucket popcorn.  Does it get any better?

Just a comment of “it”.  Grasshopper No.4 has accused me of having “it” on the golf course.  If you consistently make putts to win a hole or a match, you seem to have “it”.  Sometimes “it” is bigger than one person.  The Green Bay Packers of the 1960’s won 5 NFL football championships in 7 years.  They got lucky bounces, won close games and kicked winning field goals.  Of course they did.  They had “it”. In recent years, the winning Packer tradition seems to have returned. Coach McCarthy resumed the role of “play caller” for the offense on Sunday. Nothing else changed.  The offensive players are the same.  The schemes for passing and running are the same.  The opponent (Dallas) is loaded with talent.  Somehow, someway the Packers executed their game plan and seemed to be in control. The only thing that changed was McCarthy resumed control of the offense.  Could it be that some-thing as simple as “confidence” of the team in McCarthy could define “it”. There seems to be an energy and passion that accompanies “it”.  Life is good with “it”.

Anything ordered for Christmas on-line needs to be in by tomorrow or you might not get it in time.

Love,

Dad

 

The only thing sure in life is death and taxes.  Somebody said that!

RMD.  Required Minimum Distribution.  When you reach 70.5 years of age, you must start taking 4-5% of any 401(k) you had at work. Because the money in the 401(k) was deferred from taxes when you made your contributions, you need to pay taxes when you take take the money out.  Really?  Older people need to pay more taxes!

I was thinking of moving to Alaska because the State gets huge royalties from oil companies.  Over the years, every citizen in Alaska got a check for as high as $10,000 each year.  No State tax.  This year there is a major “oil glut” and oil prices are down.  Royalties have dropped precipitously.  Not only will Alaskans not get cash, they are being asked to pay State taxes.  I feel their pain!

I am sure I let a fortune slip through my fingers as a kid.  I used to collect bubble gum packaged with baseball cards.  Some cards were more valuable than others.  You know.  Ted Williams.  Jackie Robinson.  Duke Snider.  I see that a 1952 Mickey Mantle (rookie season) card just sold for $500,000.  That card may have slipped through my fingers many times.  Who knew?

Packers.  Lambeau.  Sunday.  Rain again.

Love,

Dad

 

 

 

 

Previously, I had indicated that Daughter-in-law Shelby Jr., had back surgery.  She did not have a “cage” bracket inserted.  She had bone chips grafted to vertebrate to replace worn parts.  Serious stuff. Prognosis still good.

I was recently gifted a cluster-puck cookie.  I placed it on the kitchen counter. Some cookie monster absconded with the morsel.

Congratulations to Granddaughter Keely.  She gave birth to a bouncing baby boy on Dec. 6.  I think they named him Jullian Christopher. Now older sister Myla has a brother she can boss around.

Grasshopper No.4 understands the concept of “need versus want”. When you need something, there isn’t much choice.  When you want something, discretion is involved.  A “want” means spending money somewhat frivolously.  Yesterday I met Alexa.  No.4 brought Alexa home.  She is the person inside an “Echo electronic Wi-Fi” receiver. It looks like a round digital speaker.  Alexa gets placed in a room. She is always “on” (i.e. plugged in).  She is voice activated.  She has direct access to the internet and she can answer almost any question you ask her.  You know!  Alexa, what is the temperature outside?  How do you spell horse-sh–?  Important stuff.  Alexa is a “want”.  I’m waiting for Mr. Frugal (Grasshopper No.4) to explain his unnecessary purchase.  I will say that Alexa loves her master unconditionally which is every guys dream.  She demands nothing. And you can shut her off.  Wait, I’m beginning to understand.

Warm weather.  Lower utility bills.  Yeah!

Love,

Dad

 

If you take a large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, sprinkle peanuts mixed in chocolate over the top and let it cool, you have a great cookie.  It is called the cluster-puck.

Daughter-in-law, Shelby Jr. had back surgery placing a “cage” to support multiple vertebrae in the lower spine.  Anything dealing with the spine is serious.  Prognosis?  Very good.  Here is wishing a speedy recovery.

Grandson Mitchell turns 18 tomorrow.  18 has always been a magic age because you supposedly reach adult status.  Happy Birthday Mitchell.

I watched the struggling Green Bay Packers against Detroit last night on the NFL Thursday night game of the week.  As games go, it was an ugly showing by the Pack.  The offense is dealing with injuries and apparently the receiving core has dementia.  Having said that, somehow, someway the Packers clawed back from a 20-0 deficit and had a chance to win with no time left on the game clock.  It is called a Hail Mary pass.  The quarterback throws the ball (in this case over 60 yards) into the end zone and “pray” your own receiver catches the ball.  Mr. Aaron Rogers threw the ball intending to hit No. 17, Davante Adams in the end zone.  Adams was “covered” but Mr. Richard Rogers slid into the right place at the right time.  Whoa-lah. Touchdown.  Just the way you draw it up.  As Harry Cary, announcer from the Chicago Cubs would say “Packers win, Packers win, Packers win.  Holy Cow!’ The improbable win makes everything right for the next week.  The offense still stinks.  The receiving core needs help. There is a need for a healthy offensive line but right now we are celebrating.  Rodgers to Rodgers.  It must have been divine intervention.

Christmas cards already?

Love,

Dad

Did you know that “if you scratch a man, you will find a little boy”. Who knew?

Your Mom and I went to see “The Hunger Games, Mockingjay, Part 2”.  It was the last installment of the series.  Katniss lives.

I see that Minneapolis got dumped on last night with 8-10 inches of snow. Grasshopper No.5 gets to fight her way to work.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, a Grandson mentioned that his other Grandparent had been notified that his Teamsters retirement pension might be reduced.  I proceeded to talk about unfunded plans, vesting, and the history of the Union sponsored Central States Pension Plan. As I shared my “vast knowledge”, the Grandson stopped me and asked “what is a pension”?  Whoa.  The question is kind of like Lombardi having to slow down and explain “gentlemen, this is a football”.

“What is a pension”?  What a great question.  A pension is a regular monetary payment (not wages) to someone who is retired (or disabled).

Pensions were common in companies years ago.  A company would set aside profits each year for the benefit of employees when they retired in the future.  Based on your years of service and salary at retirement, you could depend getting a monthly pension payment.  A booklet including tables explained what you were entitled too.

Federal, State, and most public service employees are covered by some sort of pension.  You and I, Mr. Taxpayer will pay for the retirement of public service pensions for years.  We will pay, and pay, and pay.

The whole foundation of the pension system is that companies and communities set money aside each year to fund future retirements. There have been numerous bankruptcies of companies and communities (like Detroit) that can’t pay for their pensions.  People that worked for 40-50 years anticipating a pension have either had the pension amount cut or eliminated.  Imagine if that was you!

Here is a scary thought.  Social Security is one big pension plan.

Love,

Dad