Please elaborate on your comment that "The better you understand Bitcoin the less speculative it will seem." I understand it a bit. My impression is that bitcoin as a technological tool, or underpinning of potential future and evolving tools, is real - but that as an investment Bitcoin and other crypto is pure speculation; and that if people are honest the only reason people invest is stew of FOMO and the human fantasy of being able to get rich quick,
Spouse and I mid 60s, good health, me just left my full time gig. We'd leave the heat of central Texas in heartbeat but are choosing to stay put to help her parents. Also one of our kids is here. I will think long and hard about moving away from one of my kids. We are already 4 hour flight from the other one.
And circumstances will change. We'll see.
We lived in Portland for my residency, loved it, would strongly consider going back to the PNW.
I lived this question in the last 2 years. I am a physician who was 1000% committed to my mother's right to live and die where she wanted. She had lived in one house, that my father build, for 64 years. My 2 brothers and I - her only 3 kids - had all moved away, albeit within 4 -5 hour drive. She developed dementia, we made it work in her home for a while. Was very very difficult. Finally the "blast radius" of the dementia (me getting calls from neighbors in the middle of the night that she was calling them, other neighbors telling me she wasn't safe) got to big, and we moved her to an assisted living in Houston, where one of my brothers lived. Was really tough for all involved. Ultimately we moved her again, to the city where I live, and I became primary caretaker.
None of this was easy, most was emotionally draining. It affected the entirety of our lives. But for us, there was never a question that we would do everything we could to keep her comfortable and minimally unhappy. That it would be difficult was a given.
We all experience different models of parenting and family dynamics. I believe those earliest experiences are the main influence on how we think about our obligations.
This and the thread about family estrangement are dancing around the same truth, which is that we have no control. Not over other people, even our beloved kids and relatives; and not over the unfolding of life. Good estate planning (for estates) and good communication (for family matters) can influence the direction things will go, but are far from guarantees. With apologies for ratcheting up the altltude of discourse, one could argue that learning this truth is the the task of life. This reality fuels my gratitude for the many wonderful - and often evanescent - people and moments in my life.
Early in my career I dreamt of buying more precious (read: expensive) antiquarian medical and science books. Think Vesalius, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Have accepted that that would not make me happy.
More recently, a second home back in the Pac NW, where I did my residency. We loved the climate and geography, and don't love our central TX heat. Now we have the money for that, but are tethered to TX by choice because of aging in-laws (who we are happy to help).
I am retiring in October of this year, about 4 mos. Going to get the fancy home espresso machine I have always dreamed of. Have postponed because I anticipated that while working I would not have the time to play with it.
One thing I did splurge on years ago, and am so happy about: For any of you surfers, I had a board made by the then very-much-aging Dale Velzy. About 6 months later, after many handwritten notes from he or his wife, and a few phone calls, my stunning board arrived. Its a 9'6" triple stringer, shaped and finished by Dale. His signature on the board belies his age. It may be one of the last boards he build start to finish before he died. Best $1500 I ever spent.
PS - Curious if any other surfers on this board?
Agree it is a false dichotomy, that - apologies if I am offending anyone - often seems self-congratulatory.
You can never fully know another person's circumstances, and what drives their choices. To paraphrase Morgan Housel, Nobody is crazy.
Buying a new car is a different experience for someone who has never been able to afford one.
First one without my mother, who died in Feb after 3 yrs worsening dementia and debility.
Spent time with my 91 year old MIL. My wife is her only living child. Was nice to celebrate her, and her husband.
Our daughter lives in town so saw her. Son across the country but we spoke. We have great kids.
We are lucky and grateful.
The gyrations taught me that I don't like the gyrations. And I don't need to suffer them. So backing equities to ~50%, cash/treasuries to about 30%. Rest is a ladder of invesco bullet shares (corp). And I am sleeping better. This allocation will work for us. Retiring this year, certainly could increase equity once we get some of our time horizon gets smaller.
Comments
Health and the state of the world (in reaction to the state of our USA) are exactly what I would have guessed, and for good reason.
Post: What Worries You?
Link to comment from August 10, 2025
Please elaborate on your comment that "The better you understand Bitcoin the less speculative it will seem." I understand it a bit. My impression is that bitcoin as a technological tool, or underpinning of potential future and evolving tools, is real - but that as an investment Bitcoin and other crypto is pure speculation; and that if people are honest the only reason people invest is stew of FOMO and the human fantasy of being able to get rich quick,
Post: Supercharging Your Retirement with Crypto: A Wise Move, or a Risky Bet?
Link to comment from August 9, 2025
Spouse and I mid 60s, good health, me just left my full time gig. We'd leave the heat of central Texas in heartbeat but are choosing to stay put to help her parents. Also one of our kids is here. I will think long and hard about moving away from one of my kids. We are already 4 hour flight from the other one. And circumstances will change. We'll see. We lived in Portland for my residency, loved it, would strongly consider going back to the PNW.
Post: Let’s revisit the pros and cons of relocating upon retirement
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
I lived this question in the last 2 years. I am a physician who was 1000% committed to my mother's right to live and die where she wanted. She had lived in one house, that my father build, for 64 years. My 2 brothers and I - her only 3 kids - had all moved away, albeit within 4 -5 hour drive. She developed dementia, we made it work in her home for a while. Was very very difficult. Finally the "blast radius" of the dementia (me getting calls from neighbors in the middle of the night that she was calling them, other neighbors telling me she wasn't safe) got to big, and we moved her to an assisted living in Houston, where one of my brothers lived. Was really tough for all involved. Ultimately we moved her again, to the city where I live, and I became primary caretaker. None of this was easy, most was emotionally draining. It affected the entirety of our lives. But for us, there was never a question that we would do everything we could to keep her comfortable and minimally unhappy. That it would be difficult was a given. We all experience different models of parenting and family dynamics. I believe those earliest experiences are the main influence on how we think about our obligations.
Post: Family Dynamics, Part 3: What Do Adult Children Owe Their Aging Parents?
Link to comment from July 30, 2025
This and the thread about family estrangement are dancing around the same truth, which is that we have no control. Not over other people, even our beloved kids and relatives; and not over the unfolding of life. Good estate planning (for estates) and good communication (for family matters) can influence the direction things will go, but are far from guarantees. With apologies for ratcheting up the altltude of discourse, one could argue that learning this truth is the the task of life. This reality fuels my gratitude for the many wonderful - and often evanescent - people and moments in my life.
Post: Letting Go
Link to comment from July 29, 2025
I use them. My first holding will mature end of this year.
Post: Has anyone used iBonds to build a bond ladder?
Link to comment from July 24, 2025
Early in my career I dreamt of buying more precious (read: expensive) antiquarian medical and science books. Think Vesalius, and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Have accepted that that would not make me happy. More recently, a second home back in the Pac NW, where I did my residency. We loved the climate and geography, and don't love our central TX heat. Now we have the money for that, but are tethered to TX by choice because of aging in-laws (who we are happy to help). I am retiring in October of this year, about 4 mos. Going to get the fancy home espresso machine I have always dreamed of. Have postponed because I anticipated that while working I would not have the time to play with it. One thing I did splurge on years ago, and am so happy about: For any of you surfers, I had a board made by the then very-much-aging Dale Velzy. About 6 months later, after many handwritten notes from he or his wife, and a few phone calls, my stunning board arrived. Its a 9'6" triple stringer, shaped and finished by Dale. His signature on the board belies his age. It may be one of the last boards he build start to finish before he died. Best $1500 I ever spent. PS - Curious if any other surfers on this board?
Post: Dreams I Had
Link to comment from June 3, 2025
Agree it is a false dichotomy, that - apologies if I am offending anyone - often seems self-congratulatory. You can never fully know another person's circumstances, and what drives their choices. To paraphrase Morgan Housel, Nobody is crazy. Buying a new car is a different experience for someone who has never been able to afford one.
Post: Reflecting on life experiences. Money well spent. How about yours?
Link to comment from May 19, 2025
First one without my mother, who died in Feb after 3 yrs worsening dementia and debility. Spent time with my 91 year old MIL. My wife is her only living child. Was nice to celebrate her, and her husband. Our daughter lives in town so saw her. Son across the country but we spoke. We have great kids. We are lucky and grateful.
Post: How was your Mother’s Day?
Link to comment from May 12, 2025
The gyrations taught me that I don't like the gyrations. And I don't need to suffer them. So backing equities to ~50%, cash/treasuries to about 30%. Rest is a ladder of invesco bullet shares (corp). And I am sleeping better. This allocation will work for us. Retiring this year, certainly could increase equity once we get some of our time horizon gets smaller.
Post: Ch-Ch-Changes?
Link to comment from May 6, 2025