Wow, it's only been a few days and I'm already blogging again! I promise I won't bore you with work stuff or economics. HA! I'm really bummed because I have to go back to work tomorrow and I'm a little nervous that we may have some mistakes from last week while I was out. My trader called me 5 times while I was at the hospital!! Oh well, it's only peoples' money! HA!
It feels good though sitting here in my recliner, legs kicked up, Sunday Night football game on my new TV in our new entertainment center, Dr. Pepper nearby, and my laptop in my lap...and oh yeah, winning BOTH of my fantasy football games! Also, after all of our company from the weekend left, I spot cleaned the carpet tonight and it looks a little better, so I feel a little more relaxed. Spots on our carpet drive me insane, which by the way, is not very convenient with 4 kids now. I think our next meaningful purchase will be a steam cleaner. Being anal about things can be very good at times, but other times it can drive you crazy.
Caleb watched some of the Cowboys game today with me, so I have officially introduced him to the NFL. I'll give him another few days to get settled in, and then I'll start working on his precision passing and distance. He already can throw his arms up and scream, so I think he's been working on his touchdown celebration dance. Such an overachiever already!
Thanks to Kelly and Alicia for stopping by this evening. It was good to see the both of you again! Alicia, I'll be waiting for your blog address. :) Kelly you don't look prego. Hopefully my directions to Joe's Crab Shack didn't send you to Mexico or somewhere else!
Last week I finished a novel. I don't read books a lot, but I enjoy them when I do. I read a lot of news and sports and economic commentaries, but it may take me 3-6 months to read a book. This most recent book was "The Broker" by John Grisham. I vowed a few years ago to never read a Grisham book again because his endings are so weak. He does good with story and character development, and even builds a good climax, but his endings always leave me feeling like I just wasted the last 3 months. I decided to read "The Broker" because it is set in Italy. I really enjoyed that aspect, but the actual plot was not very impressive. I think Grisham just loves Italy and wanted to write a book about it. Can't blame him. Anyway, now I'm going to try and hurry up and finish the biography of John Nash (the guy in the movie, A Beautiful Mind). I started reading it in June 2003 when Kylie was born. It has been a slow read, mostly because I would go 3-4 months without reading it and then pick it up again. It's been a very interesting book, but when it delves into some of his mathematical and economical theories, or details some his delusional experiences, it gets a little hairy and you have to read (study) some paragraphs 2-3 times. I only have about 60 pages left, so I hope to finish it in the next few weeks. One motivation I have to finish the book is a new book I bought that I'm anxious to start reading. I say new book, but it was actually written in 1978, and I bought it from someone over ebay. It is called "The Roots of Evil" by Norman L. Geisler. It's a christian philosophy book on evil, or maybe it sounds better to say it is a theistic explanation/exploration of evil. People always ask, 'Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people?' This book does a great job of explaining evil. One may say, "If God created all things, and evil is a thing, then God created evil." The book proposes that evil is not a "thing", but a depravation of good. A blind man does not have blindness, but he is instead deprived of sight. It's the absence of something. Another topic the book explores is why God doesn't stop evil, or why he allows it. One could say "God won't let anything bad happen to my spouse, so if I throw this knife at her, God will alter it's course so that it will miss her." Obviously, this is silly, because God isn't in the business of breaking the laws of physics. Of course he can, but can you imagine a world where God constantly intervened against the laws of physics? Anyway, I just realized some of you are probably bored by now, so I'll quit. The book explores many other theistic ideas of evil, and I think it will be very enlightening, so I must hurry and finish the biography of John Nash!! I think it's important to understand evil and where God fits in because it's so easy when times get rough to question why God is allowing something bad to happen.
I've found myself, once again, looking forward to watching Survivor and Apprentice. I think they're both kind of silly to watch, but for some reason, they are the only two shows I watch regularly. Donald Trump is a dork.
9.25.2005
9.21.2005
Twas the night before...
I fully expect that all of you have stopped checking my blog. It has been 16 days since I have last posted. What can I say...I'm not the internet junky I once was. My level of internet-addiction has downgraded from "junky" to "moderate surfer". However, thanks to Josh's comment and my wife's suggestion, I am finally posting a new message. We'll just see how many of you leave a comment!
It is 11pm, the night before we "induct" our son into the Hall of Life. Moments ago, I ask my wife, "So...what are you thinking you'd like to name our son?" I got a laugh and a "I have no idea." I have four names I like: Colin, Michael, Alexander, and Zachary, but I don't know which one I like as a first name and/or middle name. Maybe we'll put the names in a hat and just draw. HA! I guess it may be interesting to some people to finally find out what we will end up naming him. Others probably are rolling their eyes in disbelief at how ridiculous it is to not have a name picked out!
Today was absolutely the busiest and most stressful day at work. I sat at my desk from 8:30 this morning until 8:30 tonight, only getting up a time or two for a brief moment. I knew going in this morning we would most likely hedge our high yield positions with some inverse high yield moves (not that anyone cares, but that allows us to reduce our high yield bond exposure without actually having to sell bonds, thus creating a taxable event), however, our forecasting model this morning showed a significant weakness in equities, so we had to scale back some of our large cap and international postions as well. For those of you still tuned in, I'll give a very brief rundown of what this entails. We have about 900 accounts ($145million) spread out among 25 different custodians, mutual fund companies, and annuity companies. Each one of these 25 companies has between 2 and 10 different allocation styles. Today we made between 2 and 5 exchanges in each of these allocations across all 25 companies. Sound like a lot? Well, it is. My portfolio manager (and boss) gives me new "targets" for each allocation and then I have to decipher what he's wanting to do, calculate the most efficient way to buy and sell to arrive at the new targets, and then delegate these moves to my operations staff, HOPING there are no mistakes along the way. A significant amount of these moves today had an early cutoff of 12pm, so we were racing frantically to get them done, and then some other funds had 2:30 cutoffs, and then the rest at the normal close of market (3pm). My boss was coming in frequently to see how things were going and questioning whether or not we'd finish them all. It was very stressful. A HUGE amount of work to do in so little time. Well, we did not finish, but completed about 85% of them. My Trader will finish the remainder tomorrow while I am at the hospital. Anyway...I know I've lost Alyssa by now so I'll start a new paragraph.
Alyssa, it's still boring, so skip to the next paragraph. If anyone is interested, the reason we reduced our market exposure is actually the result of many things. I personally think the impending hurricane and the 52nd straight rate hike (ok, maybe not that many) is what sent our model over the edge. The last report I saw was that approximately 70% of our oil refineries in the Gulf were closed/evacuated, which obviously reduces oil supply further. Just when we think we are seeing relief in gasoline prices, there is renewed fear of rising oil/gasoline prices. Inflation has also been a recent buzzword in the market commentaries. Barges are still moving slowly along the Mississippi river, straining the supply of grains and other commodities, thus increasing prices (inflation). There's also the fear by some of tax increases to fund the New Orleans recovery, despite the opposing "claims" by the government. It's a little surprising to see Bush creating a "big government" to help control the recovery. A little ironic for a republican who is such a big believer in entrepeneurialism. I love our president and I support the idea of recovery, but I don't know why he hasn't pushed more for privatization. Has anyone heard of any municipal bonds being issued yet?? Anyway...I just pray that hurricane Rita weakens and stays in the southern Gulf, missing as many refineries as possible.
I spent all weekend putting together our new entertainment center for our new 36" tv and surround sound system. I still need to install the rear speakers, but I haven't felt motivated to climb up in the attic and fish wires yet. I have thoroughly enjoyed the TV though! Football is great on the bigger screen, and I know hockey will be too!! With my son!!
Speaking of, it is 11:40pm and we are getting up at 4am to go to the hospital, so I better sign off and get in bed. Maybe Jenn and I can decide on a name...
Hope all is well and I hope you all leave comments!
It is 11pm, the night before we "induct" our son into the Hall of Life. Moments ago, I ask my wife, "So...what are you thinking you'd like to name our son?" I got a laugh and a "I have no idea." I have four names I like: Colin, Michael, Alexander, and Zachary, but I don't know which one I like as a first name and/or middle name. Maybe we'll put the names in a hat and just draw. HA! I guess it may be interesting to some people to finally find out what we will end up naming him. Others probably are rolling their eyes in disbelief at how ridiculous it is to not have a name picked out!
Today was absolutely the busiest and most stressful day at work. I sat at my desk from 8:30 this morning until 8:30 tonight, only getting up a time or two for a brief moment. I knew going in this morning we would most likely hedge our high yield positions with some inverse high yield moves (not that anyone cares, but that allows us to reduce our high yield bond exposure without actually having to sell bonds, thus creating a taxable event), however, our forecasting model this morning showed a significant weakness in equities, so we had to scale back some of our large cap and international postions as well. For those of you still tuned in, I'll give a very brief rundown of what this entails. We have about 900 accounts ($145million) spread out among 25 different custodians, mutual fund companies, and annuity companies. Each one of these 25 companies has between 2 and 10 different allocation styles. Today we made between 2 and 5 exchanges in each of these allocations across all 25 companies. Sound like a lot? Well, it is. My portfolio manager (and boss) gives me new "targets" for each allocation and then I have to decipher what he's wanting to do, calculate the most efficient way to buy and sell to arrive at the new targets, and then delegate these moves to my operations staff, HOPING there are no mistakes along the way. A significant amount of these moves today had an early cutoff of 12pm, so we were racing frantically to get them done, and then some other funds had 2:30 cutoffs, and then the rest at the normal close of market (3pm). My boss was coming in frequently to see how things were going and questioning whether or not we'd finish them all. It was very stressful. A HUGE amount of work to do in so little time. Well, we did not finish, but completed about 85% of them. My Trader will finish the remainder tomorrow while I am at the hospital. Anyway...I know I've lost Alyssa by now so I'll start a new paragraph.
Alyssa, it's still boring, so skip to the next paragraph. If anyone is interested, the reason we reduced our market exposure is actually the result of many things. I personally think the impending hurricane and the 52nd straight rate hike (ok, maybe not that many) is what sent our model over the edge. The last report I saw was that approximately 70% of our oil refineries in the Gulf were closed/evacuated, which obviously reduces oil supply further. Just when we think we are seeing relief in gasoline prices, there is renewed fear of rising oil/gasoline prices. Inflation has also been a recent buzzword in the market commentaries. Barges are still moving slowly along the Mississippi river, straining the supply of grains and other commodities, thus increasing prices (inflation). There's also the fear by some of tax increases to fund the New Orleans recovery, despite the opposing "claims" by the government. It's a little surprising to see Bush creating a "big government" to help control the recovery. A little ironic for a republican who is such a big believer in entrepeneurialism. I love our president and I support the idea of recovery, but I don't know why he hasn't pushed more for privatization. Has anyone heard of any municipal bonds being issued yet?? Anyway...I just pray that hurricane Rita weakens and stays in the southern Gulf, missing as many refineries as possible.
I spent all weekend putting together our new entertainment center for our new 36" tv and surround sound system. I still need to install the rear speakers, but I haven't felt motivated to climb up in the attic and fish wires yet. I have thoroughly enjoyed the TV though! Football is great on the bigger screen, and I know hockey will be too!! With my son!!
Speaking of, it is 11:40pm and we are getting up at 4am to go to the hospital, so I better sign off and get in bed. Maybe Jenn and I can decide on a name...
Hope all is well and I hope you all leave comments!
9.05.2005
My 30th Birthday
Saturday was my 30th birthday. I feel so old saying I am 30 years old, but I know 30 is still pretty young. My weight gain and increase in gray hair is actually more troubling than turning 30. I had a great day Saturday! Jenn and I and the girls woke up and drove to Wichita Falls in time for my fantasy football draft at noon. It was another fun and successful draft. I've played in this same league since 1993, but I'm the only one who remains from back in the day, besides my good friend Wendell, who joined the league in 1995. However, over the past 4 years or so, we've had a good return of the same guys each year, and now we finally have a core group of 8 guys (thanks to our addition of Jeff Trimble this year!) who play year after year. This is great because we are building a history and legacy, and lots of fierce rivalries! To those who have never played, you make think it sounds silly, but it's a lot of fun! At the draft, Wendell brought a birthday cake and party blowers and a HUGE party hat for me to wear. It was a fun time!
After the draft, we went to Brian/Kay Chance's house to see them and the Hitchcock's. Dean & Tanya finally came back to the US (now in St. Louis) after being in Turkey for 2 years. It was great to see them and spend some time visiting with them. It was nice to catch up with the Chance's too. I had hoped that Marina and Lucas would have come with them, but they stayed in St. Louis. I was really wanting to hug Marina's neck, after her very scary "bleeding on the brain" incident last year. I guess we'll just have to visit them in St. Louis soon! Tanya put forth a very thoughtful effort in picking out an NFL baby outfit for our son. I guess the more traditional thing would be to pick out a team that you think the recipient supports, but Tanya bought a St. Louis outfit. HA! We razzed her a little, but in all seriousness, I love it! When our son wears his St. Louis Rams outfit, we will think of the Hitchcock's! Really, it means much more than if it were just some Dallas Cowboys outfit or even a Brett Favre outfit! Thanks Tanya (and Dean)!!
We ditched the kids and the 6 of us went to Texas Roadhouse for a nice dinner. I had never eaten there before -it was good! Brian went to the "bathroom", and then coincidentally, about 5 minutes later, about 7-8 servers walk up to our table and bring a saddle on a stand for the birthday to sit on. I tried to refuse, but you never win in those situations, so I played along and sat on the saddle. Of course, I look around and see the very crowded place looking at me as it is being announced that I just turned 30, and lo and behold, there are 2 people I know sitting at the table right next to us, and someone else on the other side of us. Somewhat embarassing, but it was fun.
We went back to the Chance's house and played Scene It the TV version. How Tanya could look at a big pink blog (literally) and know that was Tom Hanks is still a mystery. It was a fun game! Afterwards, the guys watched the TIVO'd A&M game, and with 2 seconds left, and the game on the line, with Clemson lining up for a potential game winning field goal...the recorded program STOPS!! HA! Brian had planned for the possibility though, so we were able to see A&M lose on another recording. Very good game though! I'm sorry for Brian, but I bet a guy at work $25 that UT would beat A&M at the end of the season...so it's fun in that respect to see A&M lose. Anyway, I had a great birthday and have my wife, the Chance's, Hitchcock's, and the OFFL to thank! THANKS!!
Sunday we had a family party for myself and my cousin, Paige, who turned 23 on Sunday. My uncle cooked some VERY GOOD filet mignons. Then today, I went and drolled in Circuit City for an hour, and when I returned, Jenn and the girls had decorated our dining room for a Happy Unbirthday party for me!! It was a very nice surprise!! Since we were busy with other stuff on Saturday, I didn't really get to see the kiddos much on my birthday, so itwas fun to have a little party today. Thanks!!
Probably one day this week I will be using my birthday money to help purchase a new TV. I would love to get the 52" widescreen that is onsale for $900, but I'd rather not go into debt, so I think I will get the 36" RCA. It will be a huge jump up from our current 25" that we've had for almost 10 years! I should have it in time for the first week of NFL football!!
We're starting to get more and more excited about the arrival of our son. Last week, we decided to name him Zachary Alexander, but now we've decided on Colin Michael. Next week, it could be something completely different. I think we got so burned out trying to think of names, that now it's hard to latch on to something we like. Maybe we'll go to the hospital with a few in mind, and when we see him we'll know what his name should be. We're crossing our fingers for next Thursday as the "induction day". If not then, it will be the 20th...unless he comes sooner on his own. Well this was quite a long post...
After the draft, we went to Brian/Kay Chance's house to see them and the Hitchcock's. Dean & Tanya finally came back to the US (now in St. Louis) after being in Turkey for 2 years. It was great to see them and spend some time visiting with them. It was nice to catch up with the Chance's too. I had hoped that Marina and Lucas would have come with them, but they stayed in St. Louis. I was really wanting to hug Marina's neck, after her very scary "bleeding on the brain" incident last year. I guess we'll just have to visit them in St. Louis soon! Tanya put forth a very thoughtful effort in picking out an NFL baby outfit for our son. I guess the more traditional thing would be to pick out a team that you think the recipient supports, but Tanya bought a St. Louis outfit. HA! We razzed her a little, but in all seriousness, I love it! When our son wears his St. Louis Rams outfit, we will think of the Hitchcock's! Really, it means much more than if it were just some Dallas Cowboys outfit or even a Brett Favre outfit! Thanks Tanya (and Dean)!!
We ditched the kids and the 6 of us went to Texas Roadhouse for a nice dinner. I had never eaten there before -it was good! Brian went to the "bathroom", and then coincidentally, about 5 minutes later, about 7-8 servers walk up to our table and bring a saddle on a stand for the birthday to sit on. I tried to refuse, but you never win in those situations, so I played along and sat on the saddle. Of course, I look around and see the very crowded place looking at me as it is being announced that I just turned 30, and lo and behold, there are 2 people I know sitting at the table right next to us, and someone else on the other side of us. Somewhat embarassing, but it was fun.
We went back to the Chance's house and played Scene It the TV version. How Tanya could look at a big pink blog (literally) and know that was Tom Hanks is still a mystery. It was a fun game! Afterwards, the guys watched the TIVO'd A&M game, and with 2 seconds left, and the game on the line, with Clemson lining up for a potential game winning field goal...the recorded program STOPS!! HA! Brian had planned for the possibility though, so we were able to see A&M lose on another recording. Very good game though! I'm sorry for Brian, but I bet a guy at work $25 that UT would beat A&M at the end of the season...so it's fun in that respect to see A&M lose. Anyway, I had a great birthday and have my wife, the Chance's, Hitchcock's, and the OFFL to thank! THANKS!!
Sunday we had a family party for myself and my cousin, Paige, who turned 23 on Sunday. My uncle cooked some VERY GOOD filet mignons. Then today, I went and drolled in Circuit City for an hour, and when I returned, Jenn and the girls had decorated our dining room for a Happy Unbirthday party for me!! It was a very nice surprise!! Since we were busy with other stuff on Saturday, I didn't really get to see the kiddos much on my birthday, so itwas fun to have a little party today. Thanks!!
Probably one day this week I will be using my birthday money to help purchase a new TV. I would love to get the 52" widescreen that is onsale for $900, but I'd rather not go into debt, so I think I will get the 36" RCA. It will be a huge jump up from our current 25" that we've had for almost 10 years! I should have it in time for the first week of NFL football!!
We're starting to get more and more excited about the arrival of our son. Last week, we decided to name him Zachary Alexander, but now we've decided on Colin Michael. Next week, it could be something completely different. I think we got so burned out trying to think of names, that now it's hard to latch on to something we like. Maybe we'll go to the hospital with a few in mind, and when we see him we'll know what his name should be. We're crossing our fingers for next Thursday as the "induction day". If not then, it will be the 20th...unless he comes sooner on his own. Well this was quite a long post...
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