So the snow hurricane yesterday made for quite an interesting morning commute. I had to drudge through at least 8 inches of snow to get to Hoboken Terminal. As I walked through I noted a dearth of trains. I got out to the bus area and noticed there really weren't any buses. I looked at my emails and one of my co-workers sent an email saying the buses in Jersey were not running. So I just hopped onto the PATH. There was a cute guy on there to so it made for a nice ride. The walk to the office was nice and the city is awesome when there is that much snow, few cars and almost no one on the sidewalks. I decided anyone who made it in should be rewarded so I stopped at Dunkin Donuts and got donuts and munchkins.
I knew barely anyone would be in so of course I wore jeans, my hiking boots, a baseball cap and one of my favorite tee shirts. The tee has this demonic angel chick with a large rack and a guitar that looks like a battle axe on the back. The woman who sits next to me commented on how it was a great tee but a bit provocative. The boss piped up "Would you expect anything less?" Ha. When I got home the husband was shocked and stunned that I wore that tee to the office and made a comment about how much the boss must like me to put up with my antics.
Last night we went and saw The Crazies. Great movie! What is even better is it is a remake of a George Romero movie. It was really well shoot- the husband (when he wasn't jumping and screaming like a little girl) kept commenting on the cinematography. Timothy Olyphant is great and actually quite hot. I imagine he will become a big name soon. I will also have to start watching his series on F/X.
After the movie we met up with JD and JW. They picked a place near us here in Jersey City that neither the husband nor I had been to before. It was actually pretty good food and drink. It was fun to catching up with JD and JW. I think the best part though was looking for parking and since most of the street parking not plowed so I just threw the truck into 4 wheel low drive and drove right into the unplowed parking space and looked at the husband and told him we were good for parking.
Tonight we have our friend SP's surprise 40th birthday party. It should be a fun time and it is right across the street so that will make for an easy ride home. Plus neither the husband nor I will have to worry about drinking and driving.
Tomorrow the husband and I will be going to Edison, NJ to take a course to become certified to use recreational jobs. After that I will have to go to a wake. A co-worker's grandmother had died. The husband asked me why I was going and I told him regardless of what feelings I may have for said co-worker, the right thing to do- the compassionate thing- is go to the wake and pay my respects.
The whole health care summit was really a waste of time; reinforcing my belief that only bad managers have summits, idea meetings, etc. The one thing I did take away from it was when some politician said that every year 45,000 people in the United States die from lack of health care. Really? I thought people usually died from old, age, drowning, accidents or violence done to them by others, I doubt any medical examiner every wrote on a death certificate lack of insurance was the cause of death.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
It's a trap!
No gym this morning as I was really sore after the dojo- Kobra Kai never die!- last night. I did notice the bruise on the inside of my forearm was shaping up rather nicely.
There were quite a few cute guys on the bus this morning especially the light brown haired guy reading the WSJ in front of me. I was not wearing my glasses however as it was raining and I have gotten tired of having my glasses covered with rain drops.
Speaking of the weather apparently we are due for what some meteorologists are calling a snow hurricane. We could be subject to wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour. I mentioned that to the husband and he asked if our building (we are on the 17th floor) was built to withstand a hurricane. I told him I don't care about our building, I was more concerned about my office as I am 47 floors up there.
One has to wonder what is going to happen to Greece and their supposed bond coming next week when California has to postpone a $2 billion bond sale that was planned.
Apparently Ole Miss has retired their mascot Colonel Reb. No big deal. What is a big deal is that there is a huge movement to get Admiral Ackbar named as the new mascot. When I read that I think I played the clip of the Admiral yelling it's a trap. It was a big hit on the desk.
There were quite a few cute guys on the bus this morning especially the light brown haired guy reading the WSJ in front of me. I was not wearing my glasses however as it was raining and I have gotten tired of having my glasses covered with rain drops.
Speaking of the weather apparently we are due for what some meteorologists are calling a snow hurricane. We could be subject to wind gusts of 60 to 70 miles per hour. I mentioned that to the husband and he asked if our building (we are on the 17th floor) was built to withstand a hurricane. I told him I don't care about our building, I was more concerned about my office as I am 47 floors up there.
One has to wonder what is going to happen to Greece and their supposed bond coming next week when California has to postpone a $2 billion bond sale that was planned.
Apparently Ole Miss has retired their mascot Colonel Reb. No big deal. What is a big deal is that there is a huge movement to get Admiral Ackbar named as the new mascot. When I read that I think I played the clip of the Admiral yelling it's a trap. It was a big hit on the desk.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Do you like drawerings?
I am kind of getting annoyed with the swim club at the gym. It is supposed to start at 6 AM. It never starts on time. I've come to accept that and live with it. I got to the pool early this morning. got in at 5:55. Just started swimming laps knowing I could get at least 200 yards in before I was even handed at work out. The work outs were not handed out until roughly 6:15. I lost count of laps after I hit 400 yards. No big deal. What annoyed me was one of the older ladies kind of got snippy and said we're about to start the work out. So I stopped and let them all go ahead. They were all using fins today too the fuckers. I stopped after I had swam for 25 minutes. I had to be in the office kind of early anyways and I was just getting annoyed with the attitude.
We had a video conference call with one of our European compliance guys this morning. I know how sometimes Brits get all snippy about propriety and manners and appearance. So I wore a suit today. The guy's name was Simon and all I could think of was that skit on SNL Mike Meyers used to do about the Brit kid in the bath tub and his drawerings.
I loved the story on YHOO today about the woman who claimed her love handles saved her life when she got shoot. Apparently she was an innocent bystander in a shooting in a bar- in Jersey no less. She claimed her love handles saved her life and that is why so is not going to diet anymore. The picture was brilliant as it showed her sitting on her couch in a shirt that was a bit too small and allowed her protective love handles to be seen. I immediately thought she was in the cast of Precious.
Ryan Bedford looks pretty damn hot even with the goofing hair cut he got pranked into getting.
The septic system got inspected yesterday. It failed. I got the report today and it said the system is unsatisfactory. Another item the good widow will have to remedy before we close. The husband feels bad for her but I have no problem being the unemotional, hard ass about all of this.
I had an interesting email exchange tonight with a head of a desk from a major brokerage firm. We got into a discussion of whether or not what helped the U.S. public sector deleverage after WWII was Reg Q. He made the point that you can inflate your way out and delever if interest rates stay below the nominal GDP rate. I said it was only because the government put legal caps on the interest rate so they had no problem doing it. I did not even get into we also then had a currency backed by gold as opposed to our current fiat currency.
Karate was good tonight but I am definitely going to have some bruises. I sparred wit a black belt who is at least my size and weight and goes hard. He is in the process of becoming a junior instructor so he has to I guess. I got some good strikes in and a few good combos. He mentioned I had very good defenses and a few of my strikes actually stunned him. Grappling was not as good, lol. One guy was trying to get an arm bar on and I locked my hands. Of course he used his foot to break the lock and that will result in a bruise on the inside of my forearm- it's already started. Shaman was there too- woof.
We had a video conference call with one of our European compliance guys this morning. I know how sometimes Brits get all snippy about propriety and manners and appearance. So I wore a suit today. The guy's name was Simon and all I could think of was that skit on SNL Mike Meyers used to do about the Brit kid in the bath tub and his drawerings.
I loved the story on YHOO today about the woman who claimed her love handles saved her life when she got shoot. Apparently she was an innocent bystander in a shooting in a bar- in Jersey no less. She claimed her love handles saved her life and that is why so is not going to diet anymore. The picture was brilliant as it showed her sitting on her couch in a shirt that was a bit too small and allowed her protective love handles to be seen. I immediately thought she was in the cast of Precious.
Ryan Bedford looks pretty damn hot even with the goofing hair cut he got pranked into getting.
The septic system got inspected yesterday. It failed. I got the report today and it said the system is unsatisfactory. Another item the good widow will have to remedy before we close. The husband feels bad for her but I have no problem being the unemotional, hard ass about all of this.
I had an interesting email exchange tonight with a head of a desk from a major brokerage firm. We got into a discussion of whether or not what helped the U.S. public sector deleverage after WWII was Reg Q. He made the point that you can inflate your way out and delever if interest rates stay below the nominal GDP rate. I said it was only because the government put legal caps on the interest rate so they had no problem doing it. I did not even get into we also then had a currency backed by gold as opposed to our current fiat currency.
Karate was good tonight but I am definitely going to have some bruises. I sparred wit a black belt who is at least my size and weight and goes hard. He is in the process of becoming a junior instructor so he has to I guess. I got some good strikes in and a few good combos. He mentioned I had very good defenses and a few of my strikes actually stunned him. Grappling was not as good, lol. One guy was trying to get an arm bar on and I locked my hands. Of course he used his foot to break the lock and that will result in a bruise on the inside of my forearm- it's already started. Shaman was there too- woof.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Ok, that is not just signaling a change- it is a stealth tightening
I really forgot how much I hate the bike leg of the race until my bike ride this morning. I did a bit over 12 miles in 40 minutes. I think I hate the bike leg because I just find it the most boring part of the race. the swim is the first leg so I'm all hyped up with adrenaline. The run I cheat and wear my iPod so I can listen to my music.
So do we really need some pointdexter from Harvard to tell us that there could be a bunch of sovereign defaults in the near future? I can understand if it was a sociologist who said it as they are masters of sating the obvious but it was a frackin' economist who felt the need to say it.
Some talking head was commenting on real and bitter truths about the economy today on BBRG. Here is the only real and bitter truth we need to know. Our standard of living is going down. We will most likely not be better off than our parents and more than likely not be better off than our grandparents were. Sorry but when we have the kind of easy money party and debt binge we've had for the past twenty years there is no mathematical way more debt can solve the problem.
The marketing guys were in the office today. One of my PMs called me and said they were in his office taping and he just had to be on the phone looking like he was working, lol. Before he hung up he told me he and the other PM would be down at the desk with the video crew to tape a talking with the trader segment. I immediately cleaned the desk up- all the Skoal tins into the drawer, all non-essential papers thrown out. I really cleaned it up but I did of course leave the Chuck Norris book right out int he open along with the two pictures I have on my desk- one of me and the boys at the beach, the other me and the husband snowboarding up in Stowe. I got rid of the dip I had in too, lol. Sadly I had not shaved this morning. Thankfully there was no audio to go with the video.
So, first the Fed ups the discount rate. My bond friend tells me that was just a signaling, not an actual tightening event so not really a policy change per se but a signal that policy will be changing. Today what was done though was a tightening event albeit stealth. The Supplemental Financing Program was started by the Treasury at the behest of the Fed. It was done to help manage reserves. The Fed could not pay interest the reserves. The Fed can legally now pay interest on reserves. The SFP was winding down as it was not needed to help manage reserves anymore and the debt ceiling was getting close to being breached. Well then Congress raises the debt ceiling. N o big deal, the SFP was still winding down. Until today when the Treasury renewed the SFP to the tune of $200 billion. I have to wonder why they did that if the Fed can now pay interest on reserves? Well, if they want to drain reserves they could raise the rate they pay on them. That would be a blatant tightening and not received well. So instead the get the Treasury to renew the SFP. Now the Treasury will be able to continue selling bills on behalf of the Fed and thus drain reserves- voila, tightening...
My bond friend said this is a big deal. He did not make a call on if it is a bad deal as there roughly $1 trillion in reserves out there. The Fed does not want them starting to cause inflation so they need to do something to control them. He is not sure if the Fed will be able to pull this off but as he said it will make for really interesting observations and possibly tragic comedy. I think we really need to party like it's 1938 again.
Last night I had to do laundry to get my gi clean for karate- seep the leg!- tonight. So I figured I'd just do all of it in the super huge, industrial sized, super efficient machines in the building laundry rooms. They only take 30 minutes to wash and 30 to dry. Probably cheaper than using the ones in the apartment. I am in the elevator down to the laundry room. It stops at a floor in between and a guy who looks like my friend PF's twin gets in. The elevator starts moving again and he then starts with "So how are the machines in the laundry rooms?" I gave him my assessment. I think he may have been hitting on me.
So do we really need some pointdexter from Harvard to tell us that there could be a bunch of sovereign defaults in the near future? I can understand if it was a sociologist who said it as they are masters of sating the obvious but it was a frackin' economist who felt the need to say it.
Some talking head was commenting on real and bitter truths about the economy today on BBRG. Here is the only real and bitter truth we need to know. Our standard of living is going down. We will most likely not be better off than our parents and more than likely not be better off than our grandparents were. Sorry but when we have the kind of easy money party and debt binge we've had for the past twenty years there is no mathematical way more debt can solve the problem.
The marketing guys were in the office today. One of my PMs called me and said they were in his office taping and he just had to be on the phone looking like he was working, lol. Before he hung up he told me he and the other PM would be down at the desk with the video crew to tape a talking with the trader segment. I immediately cleaned the desk up- all the Skoal tins into the drawer, all non-essential papers thrown out. I really cleaned it up but I did of course leave the Chuck Norris book right out int he open along with the two pictures I have on my desk- one of me and the boys at the beach, the other me and the husband snowboarding up in Stowe. I got rid of the dip I had in too, lol. Sadly I had not shaved this morning. Thankfully there was no audio to go with the video.
So, first the Fed ups the discount rate. My bond friend tells me that was just a signaling, not an actual tightening event so not really a policy change per se but a signal that policy will be changing. Today what was done though was a tightening event albeit stealth. The Supplemental Financing Program was started by the Treasury at the behest of the Fed. It was done to help manage reserves. The Fed could not pay interest the reserves. The Fed can legally now pay interest on reserves. The SFP was winding down as it was not needed to help manage reserves anymore and the debt ceiling was getting close to being breached. Well then Congress raises the debt ceiling. N o big deal, the SFP was still winding down. Until today when the Treasury renewed the SFP to the tune of $200 billion. I have to wonder why they did that if the Fed can now pay interest on reserves? Well, if they want to drain reserves they could raise the rate they pay on them. That would be a blatant tightening and not received well. So instead the get the Treasury to renew the SFP. Now the Treasury will be able to continue selling bills on behalf of the Fed and thus drain reserves- voila, tightening...
My bond friend said this is a big deal. He did not make a call on if it is a bad deal as there roughly $1 trillion in reserves out there. The Fed does not want them starting to cause inflation so they need to do something to control them. He is not sure if the Fed will be able to pull this off but as he said it will make for really interesting observations and possibly tragic comedy. I think we really need to party like it's 1938 again.
Last night I had to do laundry to get my gi clean for karate- seep the leg!- tonight. So I figured I'd just do all of it in the super huge, industrial sized, super efficient machines in the building laundry rooms. They only take 30 minutes to wash and 30 to dry. Probably cheaper than using the ones in the apartment. I am in the elevator down to the laundry room. It stops at a floor in between and a guy who looks like my friend PF's twin gets in. The elevator starts moving again and he then starts with "So how are the machines in the laundry rooms?" I gave him my assessment. I think he may have been hitting on me.
Monday, February 22, 2010
I played soccer for six years
No gym this morning as I went to bed last night without packing my shit up for the morning. The alarm went off at the right time but I wasn't going to pack everything up and make it to the gym in time so I said screw it. I can make up the swim some other night.
I was stunned to see an Action Comics No.1 in very fine condition sold for $1 million. It makes me wonder how many years before my collection will have a $1 million comic book.
So there is a new FC in New York- even though they will be playing at their new stadium in Newark. I see the stadium all the time driving to central Jersey to pick up the boys. It is really cool. More importantly one of their players is smokin' hot and totally my type- dark hair, dark eyes and Latin. Juan Pablo Angel- he is making me wonder if we should get season tickets.
I saw a new Priceline commercial today that I though was great! It totally referenced the Mirror, Mirror episode of Star Trek. I did not hear the audio to it but it was awesome seeing Kirk and evil Kirk with a goatee.
Speaking of Star Trek I read that Chekov's son is missing. He apparently went to Vancouver for the Olympics and then never caught his flight back. I did not know that he was also a member of the cast of Growing Pains.
I have no problem with the government setting up a regulatory body to guide and/or set prices for individual health insurance. We already have it for some of our vital services- namely electricity and water. I can see the feds setting pricing guidelines for the individual markets but I don't think they should be getting involved in employer provided health insurance. I also still don't understand why the health insurance industry gets an exemption from anti-trust regulations?
Speaking of health insurance I find it kind of funny that the government has gotten pissed about WLP raising rates but has no issue when they want to raise taxes on them. You can't make too much money or we'll tax it so they are our profits.
I have been discussing the possibility of the payroll tax holiday with JW a bit. I think a payroll tax holiday would be ok if it was targeted only to employees. That would put more cash in their pockets and they could either delever their own balance sheets or spend more. Both options would be good for the economy. The reason the employers would still have to pay it is because Medicaid/care and Social Security are still screwed and cutting them off totally would only worsen an already bad situation.
I noticed that Dubai is probably going to default. I read that some source said it is likely that the debt holders will not be made whole. So you have to wonder what will happen with Greece. I also think that once Greece is forced to do something that the markets will move to the next one. The big question is who is the next one? A lot of people think it will be one of the other PIIGS. I personally think it will be a larger fish and it could be the U.K.
I was stunned to see an Action Comics No.1 in very fine condition sold for $1 million. It makes me wonder how many years before my collection will have a $1 million comic book.
So there is a new FC in New York- even though they will be playing at their new stadium in Newark. I see the stadium all the time driving to central Jersey to pick up the boys. It is really cool. More importantly one of their players is smokin' hot and totally my type- dark hair, dark eyes and Latin. Juan Pablo Angel- he is making me wonder if we should get season tickets.
I saw a new Priceline commercial today that I though was great! It totally referenced the Mirror, Mirror episode of Star Trek. I did not hear the audio to it but it was awesome seeing Kirk and evil Kirk with a goatee.
Speaking of Star Trek I read that Chekov's son is missing. He apparently went to Vancouver for the Olympics and then never caught his flight back. I did not know that he was also a member of the cast of Growing Pains.
I have no problem with the government setting up a regulatory body to guide and/or set prices for individual health insurance. We already have it for some of our vital services- namely electricity and water. I can see the feds setting pricing guidelines for the individual markets but I don't think they should be getting involved in employer provided health insurance. I also still don't understand why the health insurance industry gets an exemption from anti-trust regulations?
Speaking of health insurance I find it kind of funny that the government has gotten pissed about WLP raising rates but has no issue when they want to raise taxes on them. You can't make too much money or we'll tax it so they are our profits.
I have been discussing the possibility of the payroll tax holiday with JW a bit. I think a payroll tax holiday would be ok if it was targeted only to employees. That would put more cash in their pockets and they could either delever their own balance sheets or spend more. Both options would be good for the economy. The reason the employers would still have to pay it is because Medicaid/care and Social Security are still screwed and cutting them off totally would only worsen an already bad situation.
I noticed that Dubai is probably going to default. I read that some source said it is likely that the debt holders will not be made whole. So you have to wonder what will happen with Greece. I also think that once Greece is forced to do something that the markets will move to the next one. The big question is who is the next one? A lot of people think it will be one of the other PIIGS. I personally think it will be a larger fish and it could be the U.K.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Those aren't obliques- they're love handles!
Friday morning I got on the bike and was pretty happy with getting almost 10 1/2 mile sin 30 minutes. If I can keep training at this pace I think I may break a hour on the bike leg of the race in June.
Friday night the husband and I had dinner with Mr. Barrett in the city. He was in town for Blow Up- some big, gay party that usually occurs in D.C. but they occasionally host it up here in NYC. He goes with his friends the Prada bears here in the city.
We ate a restaurant near the husband's old apartment that we had had our second date at way back when. It was kind of amusing as the husband at that point had not really 'fessed up to all his friends that he was dating someone. Of course it just so happened that night that about five of his friends walked in and I met them all.
After dinner, Mr. Barrett had some time to kill as all the cool bear events (hell all gay events) don't start until 11:30 at the soonest. We went out to grab some after dinner drinks. We hit Barracuda. Mr. Barrett agreed that the bar has some smokin' hot bartenders. He then proceeded to point out a guy he thought was cute/hot. The husband was all over him. Mr. Barrett made the comment that the guy he thought was hot had nice obliques. The husband said, no those are not obliques, they are love handles. I had to agree with the husband. We then ran into a friend of ours AT. We asked his opinion n the matter and he agreed with us.
We got home at a reasonable hour and hit the hay as I had to go to the dojo- Kobra Kai never die!- in the morning.
I only took one class as I had to be down in central Jersey to attend my oldest son's science fair.
Speaking of my oldest son, not only did he make honor roll for the latest marking period but the kid also was named student of the month! I was shocked beyond all belief when I heard this. By being named student of the month he gets to have a lunch of pizza with the principal and his picture in the local paper. I told his mom to please buy me two copies of the paper when his picture is in it. I am going to frame one and the other I will send to mom and dad for their edification.
His science project was on how nails rust in different liquids. I thought he did a great job but he did not place. I saw some of the ones that did and I may be biased but they all sucked the big one compared to his project.
The boys came home with me. The husband and I took them out for dinner to celebrate our new student of the month in the family. He got to choose and of course he decided on sushi. We hit a great sushi place near our old apartment in uptown Hoboken. He got the love sushi/sashimi for one. It was a massive amount of food and he finished it.
Today we went and saw the Percy Jackson movie. Mr. Barrett had seen it and said it was ok. I sort of disagree. I and the boys have red the series and this movie skipped so much from the book of the same title. As my oldest said if you have not read the book it would be a good movie but if you have red the book it is only ok- barely.
I took the boys back to their mom's house and then came home and made dinner for the husband. I kept it simple and made shrimp scampi over brown rice with some roasted zucchini and tomatoes. As I was making the shrimp scampi I found out we had no parsley- well we did but it was brown and yellow. I improvised buy using dried herbs de Provence. The husband was none for the wiser. The part that makes me chuckle is I used the recipe from the ex-mother-in-law. Dinner was a big hit.
Seriously- who gives a shit about Tiger Woods? The guy really only has one person to apologize to and that is his wife. The world would not stop spinning if he disappeared and yet his ego seems to know no bounds.
I see mortgages hit a new record of foreclosures for the most recent period- again. The Fed is trying it's hardest to pretend it has not changed policy direction but the more I look at it and the more all the talking heads mouth the party line I think we are screwed and everyone should party like it's 1938.
This week appears to be slow for the husband and I on the calendar.
Friday night the husband and I had dinner with Mr. Barrett in the city. He was in town for Blow Up- some big, gay party that usually occurs in D.C. but they occasionally host it up here in NYC. He goes with his friends the Prada bears here in the city.
We ate a restaurant near the husband's old apartment that we had had our second date at way back when. It was kind of amusing as the husband at that point had not really 'fessed up to all his friends that he was dating someone. Of course it just so happened that night that about five of his friends walked in and I met them all.
After dinner, Mr. Barrett had some time to kill as all the cool bear events (hell all gay events) don't start until 11:30 at the soonest. We went out to grab some after dinner drinks. We hit Barracuda. Mr. Barrett agreed that the bar has some smokin' hot bartenders. He then proceeded to point out a guy he thought was cute/hot. The husband was all over him. Mr. Barrett made the comment that the guy he thought was hot had nice obliques. The husband said, no those are not obliques, they are love handles. I had to agree with the husband. We then ran into a friend of ours AT. We asked his opinion n the matter and he agreed with us.
We got home at a reasonable hour and hit the hay as I had to go to the dojo- Kobra Kai never die!- in the morning.
I only took one class as I had to be down in central Jersey to attend my oldest son's science fair.
Speaking of my oldest son, not only did he make honor roll for the latest marking period but the kid also was named student of the month! I was shocked beyond all belief when I heard this. By being named student of the month he gets to have a lunch of pizza with the principal and his picture in the local paper. I told his mom to please buy me two copies of the paper when his picture is in it. I am going to frame one and the other I will send to mom and dad for their edification.
His science project was on how nails rust in different liquids. I thought he did a great job but he did not place. I saw some of the ones that did and I may be biased but they all sucked the big one compared to his project.
The boys came home with me. The husband and I took them out for dinner to celebrate our new student of the month in the family. He got to choose and of course he decided on sushi. We hit a great sushi place near our old apartment in uptown Hoboken. He got the love sushi/sashimi for one. It was a massive amount of food and he finished it.
Today we went and saw the Percy Jackson movie. Mr. Barrett had seen it and said it was ok. I sort of disagree. I and the boys have red the series and this movie skipped so much from the book of the same title. As my oldest said if you have not read the book it would be a good movie but if you have red the book it is only ok- barely.
I took the boys back to their mom's house and then came home and made dinner for the husband. I kept it simple and made shrimp scampi over brown rice with some roasted zucchini and tomatoes. As I was making the shrimp scampi I found out we had no parsley- well we did but it was brown and yellow. I improvised buy using dried herbs de Provence. The husband was none for the wiser. The part that makes me chuckle is I used the recipe from the ex-mother-in-law. Dinner was a big hit.
Seriously- who gives a shit about Tiger Woods? The guy really only has one person to apologize to and that is his wife. The world would not stop spinning if he disappeared and yet his ego seems to know no bounds.
I see mortgages hit a new record of foreclosures for the most recent period- again. The Fed is trying it's hardest to pretend it has not changed policy direction but the more I look at it and the more all the talking heads mouth the party line I think we are screwed and everyone should party like it's 1938.
This week appears to be slow for the husband and I on the calendar.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Remain calm, all is well...
So I woke up very sore and tired this morning but headed off to the gym anyways. I am glad I did as Full Lower Lip sat next to me on the bus! He is still pretty frackin' hot and I almost stopped playing bridge on my iPod to text the husband but then determined that would be a bit too obvious. He has hair back to Jersey boy faux spiky style. It looks much better than the Gordon Gecko slicked back style he had going for a while there. Best part- his pant leg brushed my sweats- OMG, OMG, OMG! LOL.
The run was not fun this morning. I am continuing with limited to no heel contact even though the husband has chided me for it. I got 3.3 miles done in 30 minutes which is ok. My calves are becoming inured to the discomfort that style of running produces.
I knew it was going to be a long day when I was getting dressed and a button fell off my shirt but I did not feel like looking for it. Then I was doing my coif and realized I did not rinse out the conditioner. Guess what? I said fuck it and put the godddman product in anyhow. Seriously, I am not out to impress anyone at the gym or the office. I then almost bumped into orange toe nails walking out of the locker room as well.
Mr. Barrett is coming to town tomorrow to go to Blow Up. He gets in around 5 PM and is staying with friends up in Harlem. The husband and I are going to meet up with him for drinks and dinner before he goes off to Blow Up as he will have some time to kill. It will be good to see him. The husband has not yet picked a place for our rendezvous.
I have the boys this weekend but it is a bit complicated. My oldest- the one on the honor roll- has a science fair Saturday. Apparently the schedule is that he has to be at the school at 9:30 in the morning to set up his display. He has a hour for that to be done. Then he is to return around 11:30 to give his presentation. That is to wrap up by 1 PM. At 2:30 the fair is opened up to friends and family and that ends at 3:30. The ex called last week and suggested because the schedule is so elaborate it might be easier for all involved for me to just come to the fair at 2:30 and then the boys can come home with me after it is done. I thought about it and decided it was a good game plan.
So Shaman- I overheard his full name at class. I of course google stalked him today. Found him on the tome of mugs too, lol.
Am I the only one who thinks the real problem with the country is that Congress is a bunch of fucks who are not doing their job? Seriously? Isn't their job supposed to be to take care of the finances and write laws? They can't even do that correctly. The President has set up a committee to handle the tough decisions that need to be made. I have some issues with that as it seems yet another encroachment by the Executive branch into the Legislative branch's purview. It also is a way for the President to dodge forcing Congress to do their job- since it appears his main goal is to make sure everyone likes him and thinks he is a great guy. He can also then say that when taxes get raised on EVERYONE that it was not his doing, it was the committee he appointed that made the choices.
So, the Fed goes all Chinese on the markets. After the close they announce they are increasing the discount rate to 75 bps. That is a 75 bps increase by the way since it was effectively zero even though officially it was a range of zero to 50 bps. They then had the balls to say it is not a policy change. Really? I may be a dumb delta one type of guy but it sure as hell seems like a policy change to me. I read after the close some pundit trying to make a distinction that it is a credit policy change not a monetary policy change. Really. Well last I recall what caused all the shit that has hit the fan over the past two years was a credit problem not a monetary problem. Seems to me they are splitting hairs as credit and money are fungible. It will make for a fun day tomorrow since tomorrow is also an options expiration day. Can you say volatility?
I picked up the clothes from the husband's tailor that I dropped off a month ago. The guy did a very good job. I modeled them for the husband when I got home and he approved. One of the items was what I mistakenly called a blazer. The husband corrected me and said it was sport coat. I felt like I was in that scene from The Devil Wears Prada where the protagonist is educated about the difference between blue and cerulean. For the record a blazer is a specific type of sport coat- it is Navy. So all blazers are sport coats but not all sport coats are blazers. I can now die a happy man....
The run was not fun this morning. I am continuing with limited to no heel contact even though the husband has chided me for it. I got 3.3 miles done in 30 minutes which is ok. My calves are becoming inured to the discomfort that style of running produces.
I knew it was going to be a long day when I was getting dressed and a button fell off my shirt but I did not feel like looking for it. Then I was doing my coif and realized I did not rinse out the conditioner. Guess what? I said fuck it and put the godddman product in anyhow. Seriously, I am not out to impress anyone at the gym or the office. I then almost bumped into orange toe nails walking out of the locker room as well.
Mr. Barrett is coming to town tomorrow to go to Blow Up. He gets in around 5 PM and is staying with friends up in Harlem. The husband and I are going to meet up with him for drinks and dinner before he goes off to Blow Up as he will have some time to kill. It will be good to see him. The husband has not yet picked a place for our rendezvous.
I have the boys this weekend but it is a bit complicated. My oldest- the one on the honor roll- has a science fair Saturday. Apparently the schedule is that he has to be at the school at 9:30 in the morning to set up his display. He has a hour for that to be done. Then he is to return around 11:30 to give his presentation. That is to wrap up by 1 PM. At 2:30 the fair is opened up to friends and family and that ends at 3:30. The ex called last week and suggested because the schedule is so elaborate it might be easier for all involved for me to just come to the fair at 2:30 and then the boys can come home with me after it is done. I thought about it and decided it was a good game plan.
So Shaman- I overheard his full name at class. I of course google stalked him today. Found him on the tome of mugs too, lol.
Am I the only one who thinks the real problem with the country is that Congress is a bunch of fucks who are not doing their job? Seriously? Isn't their job supposed to be to take care of the finances and write laws? They can't even do that correctly. The President has set up a committee to handle the tough decisions that need to be made. I have some issues with that as it seems yet another encroachment by the Executive branch into the Legislative branch's purview. It also is a way for the President to dodge forcing Congress to do their job- since it appears his main goal is to make sure everyone likes him and thinks he is a great guy. He can also then say that when taxes get raised on EVERYONE that it was not his doing, it was the committee he appointed that made the choices.
So, the Fed goes all Chinese on the markets. After the close they announce they are increasing the discount rate to 75 bps. That is a 75 bps increase by the way since it was effectively zero even though officially it was a range of zero to 50 bps. They then had the balls to say it is not a policy change. Really? I may be a dumb delta one type of guy but it sure as hell seems like a policy change to me. I read after the close some pundit trying to make a distinction that it is a credit policy change not a monetary policy change. Really. Well last I recall what caused all the shit that has hit the fan over the past two years was a credit problem not a monetary problem. Seems to me they are splitting hairs as credit and money are fungible. It will make for a fun day tomorrow since tomorrow is also an options expiration day. Can you say volatility?
I picked up the clothes from the husband's tailor that I dropped off a month ago. The guy did a very good job. I modeled them for the husband when I got home and he approved. One of the items was what I mistakenly called a blazer. The husband corrected me and said it was sport coat. I felt like I was in that scene from The Devil Wears Prada where the protagonist is educated about the difference between blue and cerulean. For the record a blazer is a specific type of sport coat- it is Navy. So all blazers are sport coats but not all sport coats are blazers. I can now die a happy man....
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Aint no rest for the wicked but money don't grow on trees
I woke up this morning so sore from classes last night I blew off the pool and went back under the covers. I then woke up a bit late and had to rush to the office. No one notable on the bus that caught my eye.
The Blain Act was passed today and that is something everyone should be happy for unless you are an addict.
The home inspector sent his report to us today via email. It also had photos and I must say whne he used the term infestation describing the termite issue he was right.
Surprisingly I have been watching a lot of the DIY Network lately. John DeSilva is kind of hot and sexy. The husband has already said he has a hot contractor we can use but I really want to try and do a lot things in the house myself. Just no electrical or plumbing. Assuming the good widow takes care of the termite infestation and other issues the house inspection brought to light.
Cage The Elephant- great band and great album. Definitely check it out, has been getting a lot of play on the iPod recently. Muse is another band I have been listening to a lot as well.
The husband is out to dinner with a business associate tonight. Tomorrow night should be quiet but I have to stop by the tailor and pick up a bunch of stuff I had altered.
I really have nothing intelligent to say about the market action today. Why is it that four day weeks seem a lot longer than five day weeks?
The Blain Act was passed today and that is something everyone should be happy for unless you are an addict.
The home inspector sent his report to us today via email. It also had photos and I must say whne he used the term infestation describing the termite issue he was right.
Surprisingly I have been watching a lot of the DIY Network lately. John DeSilva is kind of hot and sexy. The husband has already said he has a hot contractor we can use but I really want to try and do a lot things in the house myself. Just no electrical or plumbing. Assuming the good widow takes care of the termite infestation and other issues the house inspection brought to light.
Cage The Elephant- great band and great album. Definitely check it out, has been getting a lot of play on the iPod recently. Muse is another band I have been listening to a lot as well.
The husband is out to dinner with a business associate tonight. Tomorrow night should be quiet but I have to stop by the tailor and pick up a bunch of stuff I had altered.
I really have nothing intelligent to say about the market action today. Why is it that four day weeks seem a lot longer than five day weeks?
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
You say crass I say morbidly funny and tasteless
No gym this morning as I did a pretty significant work out yesterday. When I got on the bus though I did notice a damn cute guy in a suit. He sat a few seats in front of me on one of those bench seats that face the aisle so I got a good look at his profile and his mug. Started the day right.
By the time I sat down at the desk it was a frackin' white out. I could not see New Jersey which is often the case in inclement weather but what really got me was I could not even see the building across the street. It was pretty wild.
I was reading the website of the local paper from the hometown and I read abut three fork lifts being stolen. My first though was how the frack do you steal fork lifts? Seriously- is there a big underground market for fork lifts? Are there fork lift chop shops through out the Rust Belt? I was wondering how they actually got them out of there? Apparently they had a tractor trailer waiting to load them on. It sounds like an inside job to me as the keys for the fork lifts were still at the warehouse.
Quick interlude: The husband is watching the Olympics and complaining about why figure skating is on prime time. I explained to him it is the largest draw audience-wise so it gets the best time slots. He just yelled you have to come here and see this outfit. The skater is Johnny Weir and the first thing out of my mouth is he is obviously out. The next comment is his costume would do Jimmy MacElroy proud- right up there with the peacock outfit.
So the cute guy in the compensation department who does the race with us in June got a hair cut. As I was walking by him and another co-worker today I blurt out Faux-hawk!
I read how they have found huge crystals in a cave 900 feet below the ground in Mexico. They say they were created by gypsum being parboiled by magma heated water. I say the whole structure looks eerily like the Crystalline Entity and I think they should destroy the damn thing before it does to us what it did to Omicron Theta...
I love JW. He and I definitely do not agree on what role government should take in peoples lives but we both have twisted senses of humor. He is self-identified as crass. I prefer morbidly funny. It started when he had a post script on an email saying that when he read the title of a news story "Deadly Luge incident" all he could think of was that would be a great name for an indie-alt rock band. I added in it should be fronted by Mama Ganoush. who is Mama Ganoush you ask? Well one night JW and his domestic partner JD were having dinner with us. We got on the topic of drag- I know, shocker for gay guys- and what name would you use? I said I would use Clea Media. JD said Chaka Cohen (he is of Jewish descent). JW's family also hails from the Levant but is not of Jewish descent and said he'd like Mama Ganoush. I can picture the album cover already...
One of the things that makes me nervous about us buying the house is that I keep reading how there is still a huge"shadow" inventory of houses just waiting in the wings. Some estimates are five million. Regardless it makes me wonder if we are early on this trade but we are not doing it to make money; as the husband said we will now have a roof over our heads when we are old, retired queens.
I am getting very nervous about the whole Iran situation. We now have the U.S., France and Russia all getting more hard line in rhetoric. You also have Iran saying the West will "regret" sanctions. I don't see how this will end well.
So the civil unrest is apparently starting in earnest. It seems an office of JPM in Greece was bombed this afternoon NY time. I am not sure it is a sign of things to come but who knows. I stand by my prediction the EU will break apart. I probably am off on timing but the end of 2011 is a good bet.
Two hours at the dojo- sweep the leg!- tonight. The hot guy with the same name as me was there. He has a serious sleeve tattoo I had not noticed before. It is all druidic, tree of life looking. I am just going to refer to him as shaman from now on- no not the former member of Alpha Flight.
By the time I sat down at the desk it was a frackin' white out. I could not see New Jersey which is often the case in inclement weather but what really got me was I could not even see the building across the street. It was pretty wild.
I was reading the website of the local paper from the hometown and I read abut three fork lifts being stolen. My first though was how the frack do you steal fork lifts? Seriously- is there a big underground market for fork lifts? Are there fork lift chop shops through out the Rust Belt? I was wondering how they actually got them out of there? Apparently they had a tractor trailer waiting to load them on. It sounds like an inside job to me as the keys for the fork lifts were still at the warehouse.
Quick interlude: The husband is watching the Olympics and complaining about why figure skating is on prime time. I explained to him it is the largest draw audience-wise so it gets the best time slots. He just yelled you have to come here and see this outfit. The skater is Johnny Weir and the first thing out of my mouth is he is obviously out. The next comment is his costume would do Jimmy MacElroy proud- right up there with the peacock outfit.
So the cute guy in the compensation department who does the race with us in June got a hair cut. As I was walking by him and another co-worker today I blurt out Faux-hawk!
I read how they have found huge crystals in a cave 900 feet below the ground in Mexico. They say they were created by gypsum being parboiled by magma heated water. I say the whole structure looks eerily like the Crystalline Entity and I think they should destroy the damn thing before it does to us what it did to Omicron Theta...
I love JW. He and I definitely do not agree on what role government should take in peoples lives but we both have twisted senses of humor. He is self-identified as crass. I prefer morbidly funny. It started when he had a post script on an email saying that when he read the title of a news story "Deadly Luge incident" all he could think of was that would be a great name for an indie-alt rock band. I added in it should be fronted by Mama Ganoush. who is Mama Ganoush you ask? Well one night JW and his domestic partner JD were having dinner with us. We got on the topic of drag- I know, shocker for gay guys- and what name would you use? I said I would use Clea Media. JD said Chaka Cohen (he is of Jewish descent). JW's family also hails from the Levant but is not of Jewish descent and said he'd like Mama Ganoush. I can picture the album cover already...
One of the things that makes me nervous about us buying the house is that I keep reading how there is still a huge"shadow" inventory of houses just waiting in the wings. Some estimates are five million. Regardless it makes me wonder if we are early on this trade but we are not doing it to make money; as the husband said we will now have a roof over our heads when we are old, retired queens.
I am getting very nervous about the whole Iran situation. We now have the U.S., France and Russia all getting more hard line in rhetoric. You also have Iran saying the West will "regret" sanctions. I don't see how this will end well.
So the civil unrest is apparently starting in earnest. It seems an office of JPM in Greece was bombed this afternoon NY time. I am not sure it is a sign of things to come but who knows. I stand by my prediction the EU will break apart. I probably am off on timing but the end of 2011 is a good bet.
Two hours at the dojo- sweep the leg!- tonight. The hot guy with the same name as me was there. He has a serious sleeve tattoo I had not noticed before. It is all druidic, tree of life looking. I am just going to refer to him as shaman from now on- no not the former member of Alpha Flight.
Monday, February 15, 2010
I am just not really into the Olympics
So last night we watched My Bloody Valentine in 3D. not the original flick but the remake from last year. Dean Winchester (actually the hot actor Jensen Eckles) was in it which was the primary reason for watching it. Dean dressed the same and had the same great hair. It was actually a pretty good remake and the husband and I enjoyed it even if it was an odd way to celebrate Valentine's Day.
This morning we both trained. I got to the gym and swam for 20 minutes, biked for 50 and then ran/walked (mostly walked) for 20. Holy frackin' shit I was exhausted by the end of the workout. I stopped at Jamba Juice in the Port Authority and got a berry protein shake (with whey protein of course none of that sissy soy crap) and drank the whole thing while waiting for the bus.
Nap time when I got home which was nice.
Of course now the Europeans are blaming GS for all of Greece's problems. I also see that certain European intelligence services are now conducting investigations into certain financial actors. Why worry about Iran and their nuclear ambitions and what they are planning to do with all that medical grade uranium.
This week should be interesting again at work.
The husband was of course watching the Olympics and commenting on Jeremy Barrett. I do not think he is that cute but eh husband was raving about him.
This morning we both trained. I got to the gym and swam for 20 minutes, biked for 50 and then ran/walked (mostly walked) for 20. Holy frackin' shit I was exhausted by the end of the workout. I stopped at Jamba Juice in the Port Authority and got a berry protein shake (with whey protein of course none of that sissy soy crap) and drank the whole thing while waiting for the bus.
Nap time when I got home which was nice.
Of course now the Europeans are blaming GS for all of Greece's problems. I also see that certain European intelligence services are now conducting investigations into certain financial actors. Why worry about Iran and their nuclear ambitions and what they are planning to do with all that medical grade uranium.
This week should be interesting again at work.
The husband was of course watching the Olympics and commenting on Jeremy Barrett. I do not think he is that cute but eh husband was raving about him.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Three day weekend?
Thursday morning I slept in later than usual as I figured the gym would not be open due to the mess the snow had left. I had drinks in the bar in the restaurant downstairs with some co-workers and the boss. I told the boss the husband and I were buying a house and gave him the details. His reaction was it is a great move as what we are really buying is land and land is a commodity and he is all about owning hard assets and commodities in the current environment. The husband had drinks and dinner with PJ and ST in the city and they attended some new show of an artist the three of them love.
Friday I biked to get back on my training schedule. I biked ten miles in 30 minutes which I was happy with. Friday at the office was actually kind of busy.
Saturday morning I skipped the dojo- sweep the leg!- and the husband and I discussed the house. Thursday the husband was down there for the house inspection. The inspector said there was termite infestation- his exact phrase. Apparently also there are some cracks in the foundation. I told the husband look, I have been through this before (buying houses) and I am going to be the pragmatic, hard nosed, critical one. I warned him and told him not to take it wrong. I said the good widow is responsible for repairing or remedying all of it. I told him my guess is she will offer a credit- as in reduce the price- instead and we will then take care of the issues. He stressed none of them are deal breakers and I said he is correct as long as the good widow takes care of them all.
I then went to the gym and swam for twenty minutes and then biked for thirty minutes. I got home and went grocery shopping for the ingredients for dessert for the evening. I made my first flour less chocolate cake. I then grabbed a nap while the husband made soup and prepped his other food stuffs for dinner. We had our friend MP over for dinner. She had not seen the new place yet. She loved it and the view was stunning. Dinner was awesome as the husband had made this great cauliflower soup and his chicken poached in olive oil. I served dessert with lemon sorbet.
Today I hit the gym again and biked for twenty minutes and then ran for ten. I hopped in a cab and met the husband and TK downtown for brunch. We then went and saw The Wolfman. Holy crap it was bad. The movie really sucked. I could not believe we watched the whole thing.
We got home and I took a nap. Chinese dinner for Valentine's Day and we are going to watch My Bloody Valentine in 3D.
Tomorrow is Presidents Day and I think I'll sleep in.
Friday I biked to get back on my training schedule. I biked ten miles in 30 minutes which I was happy with. Friday at the office was actually kind of busy.
Saturday morning I skipped the dojo- sweep the leg!- and the husband and I discussed the house. Thursday the husband was down there for the house inspection. The inspector said there was termite infestation- his exact phrase. Apparently also there are some cracks in the foundation. I told the husband look, I have been through this before (buying houses) and I am going to be the pragmatic, hard nosed, critical one. I warned him and told him not to take it wrong. I said the good widow is responsible for repairing or remedying all of it. I told him my guess is she will offer a credit- as in reduce the price- instead and we will then take care of the issues. He stressed none of them are deal breakers and I said he is correct as long as the good widow takes care of them all.
I then went to the gym and swam for twenty minutes and then biked for thirty minutes. I got home and went grocery shopping for the ingredients for dessert for the evening. I made my first flour less chocolate cake. I then grabbed a nap while the husband made soup and prepped his other food stuffs for dinner. We had our friend MP over for dinner. She had not seen the new place yet. She loved it and the view was stunning. Dinner was awesome as the husband had made this great cauliflower soup and his chicken poached in olive oil. I served dessert with lemon sorbet.
Today I hit the gym again and biked for twenty minutes and then ran for ten. I hopped in a cab and met the husband and TK downtown for brunch. We then went and saw The Wolfman. Holy crap it was bad. The movie really sucked. I could not believe we watched the whole thing.
We got home and I took a nap. Chinese dinner for Valentine's Day and we are going to watch My Bloody Valentine in 3D.
Tomorrow is Presidents Day and I think I'll sleep in.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow day
Ok so I was just a bit wrong about the snow- whatever. The boys had a snow day and I got to chat with them in the morning.
The buses were a bit off this morning so I did not make it to the pool in time (I did get to sit next to a hot guy with a nice bag, shoes and jacket though- he has to be a fellow church member, no straight guy would coordinate that well). I decided to run instead. I recalled from a conversation a few weeks ago with a broker and the boss over beers that they way we run now is not natural for us. Landing on the heel cause an inordinate amount of stress all through the body. We were intended to run on toes and balls of feet. It kind of makes sense- I mean I don't think Pheidippides made his famous run in the latest Nikes of Asics Gels. He was wearing sandals or barefoot I bet. I have also read about and actually seen those socks with individual toes made specifically for running.
So I decided to try running with as little heel contact as possible. I ran a bit over 3 miles in 30 minutes- not a bad pace- and it felt pretty good. However I realized when walking up the stairs in the office the impact of running like that is painful on your calves.
The cute sleeveless lawyer was there again doing his usual cardio.
The dojo- sweep the leg!- canceled classes because of the snow. I figured I'd be able to make up my swim after work but the gym also closed early. I am thinking the gym will not be open tomorrow morning in time for me to actually swim but may hit the pool after work.
I really just want this whole damn sovereign issue done. It is getting real tiresome. It also makes for schizophrenic markets which are stressful.
The buses were a bit off this morning so I did not make it to the pool in time (I did get to sit next to a hot guy with a nice bag, shoes and jacket though- he has to be a fellow church member, no straight guy would coordinate that well). I decided to run instead. I recalled from a conversation a few weeks ago with a broker and the boss over beers that they way we run now is not natural for us. Landing on the heel cause an inordinate amount of stress all through the body. We were intended to run on toes and balls of feet. It kind of makes sense- I mean I don't think Pheidippides made his famous run in the latest Nikes of Asics Gels. He was wearing sandals or barefoot I bet. I have also read about and actually seen those socks with individual toes made specifically for running.
So I decided to try running with as little heel contact as possible. I ran a bit over 3 miles in 30 minutes- not a bad pace- and it felt pretty good. However I realized when walking up the stairs in the office the impact of running like that is painful on your calves.
The cute sleeveless lawyer was there again doing his usual cardio.
The dojo- sweep the leg!- canceled classes because of the snow. I figured I'd be able to make up my swim after work but the gym also closed early. I am thinking the gym will not be open tomorrow morning in time for me to actually swim but may hit the pool after work.
I really just want this whole damn sovereign issue done. It is getting real tiresome. It also makes for schizophrenic markets which are stressful.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Weather is like the markets...
So JP came over and watched the Super Bowl with us Sunday. We ordered in pizza and actually watched the game. My favorite add was the Betty White/Snickers ad. We watched The Simpsons at half-time and actually missed the turning point of the game- the onside kick to start the second half.
Last night we had dinner with PS. She is planning a surprise birthday party for her husband (who I am 99.9% sure does not read this blog so I don't need to worry about spoiling it) and wanted to check out a restaurant she was considering as the caterer. Funny thing is the restaurant was closed. So we had a quick dinner at another restaurant next door and it was pretty damn good.
I got up this morning and biked 9.3 miles in thirty minutes which I am pretty damn please with. There was really cute lawyer too. I assume he was a lawyer as he was wearing a tee shirt (with the sleeves cut off showing off the guns) with the name of a law school. I have seen him a few times before. Short, dark haired and cute.
The markets were just a bit crazy today. The whole Euro sovereign issue is getting close to coming to a head. The thing I am wondering is if Germany is going to pull a B of A- everyone thought B of A was going to rescue Lehman and did a big head fake and saved Merrill instead. I think Germany is more concerned about Spain as I read somewhere they have roughly $240 billion in exposure to Spain and is a much bigger risk to their stability than Greece. So who's to say that Germany doesn't let Greece go and bail out Spain instead?
My oldest sent me a text to let me know he made the honor roll. That is great and I am very proud of him. he of course wanted to know if that means I'd give him the password to my iTunes account. I told him good try but no.
So apparently we here in NYC are going to get walloped with a major snowstorm starting tonight. The schools in the city have been preemptively closed- a day ahead of time! I guess I am of the mindset that the weather is like the markets in that both like to inflict maximum pain on the maximum number of people in the quickest amount of time. And like the markets it only does it when no one is expecting it. So with everyone ready and prepared for it I am thinking it is going to be a big bust. I could be wrong too.
Last night we had dinner with PS. She is planning a surprise birthday party for her husband (who I am 99.9% sure does not read this blog so I don't need to worry about spoiling it) and wanted to check out a restaurant she was considering as the caterer. Funny thing is the restaurant was closed. So we had a quick dinner at another restaurant next door and it was pretty damn good.
I got up this morning and biked 9.3 miles in thirty minutes which I am pretty damn please with. There was really cute lawyer too. I assume he was a lawyer as he was wearing a tee shirt (with the sleeves cut off showing off the guns) with the name of a law school. I have seen him a few times before. Short, dark haired and cute.
The markets were just a bit crazy today. The whole Euro sovereign issue is getting close to coming to a head. The thing I am wondering is if Germany is going to pull a B of A- everyone thought B of A was going to rescue Lehman and did a big head fake and saved Merrill instead. I think Germany is more concerned about Spain as I read somewhere they have roughly $240 billion in exposure to Spain and is a much bigger risk to their stability than Greece. So who's to say that Germany doesn't let Greece go and bail out Spain instead?
My oldest sent me a text to let me know he made the honor roll. That is great and I am very proud of him. he of course wanted to know if that means I'd give him the password to my iTunes account. I told him good try but no.
So apparently we here in NYC are going to get walloped with a major snowstorm starting tonight. The schools in the city have been preemptively closed- a day ahead of time! I guess I am of the mindset that the weather is like the markets in that both like to inflict maximum pain on the maximum number of people in the quickest amount of time. And like the markets it only does it when no one is expecting it. So with everyone ready and prepared for it I am thinking it is going to be a big bust. I could be wrong too.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wow- four years
So four years ago I was at a Super Bowl party hosted by friends. I had just gotten back from a two week vacation (10 days in South Beach followed by 3 days in DC) and was chatting with one of the hosts. He asked me how South Beach was and I told him South Beach was a blast- all Latin, all the time. I then proceeded to declare I would never, ever date a Latin as they were way too much work and too volatile. Fast forward two hours or so and in saunters this hot, Latin number who had clearly had a few cocktails before showing up at the party. He soon finds his way over to me and starts chatting me up. We are getting along fine, flirting shamelessly, etc. He spills his drink (to this day it is not clear if he spilled it or, as he claims, I knocked it out of his hand by mistake) and bends over to clean it up making sure his ass is rubbing against my crotch (subtle wasn't he?). Soon we find ourselves making out int he bathroom like teenagers and I stop and outright ask are we going to have sex or what. He was slightly shocked and said sure. We leave the party and I end up spending the night at his place.
Fast forward four years and we are still going strong, married (or civilly unionized) and buying a house. I would never have guessed it.
For the record I did watch the game and the Steelers won.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, I was talking with the boys last night and I asked my youngest who he thinks will win the Super Bowl and who he wants to win. He asked who was in it this year. I told him the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. He said he thinks and wants the Saints to win. I asked why. "They just sound cooler." was his answer.
I am going to have to say I hope the Saints win as Drew Brees is hotter in my opinion than Payton Manning.
So if everyone is so worried about Greece and the rest of Europe then they should be losing sleep over California and New York.
Fast forward four years and we are still going strong, married (or civilly unionized) and buying a house. I would never have guessed it.
For the record I did watch the game and the Steelers won.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, I was talking with the boys last night and I asked my youngest who he thinks will win the Super Bowl and who he wants to win. He asked who was in it this year. I told him the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. He said he thinks and wants the Saints to win. I asked why. "They just sound cooler." was his answer.
I am going to have to say I hope the Saints win as Drew Brees is hotter in my opinion than Payton Manning.
So if everyone is so worried about Greece and the rest of Europe then they should be losing sleep over California and New York.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink
So seriously- what the frack is going on with the water mains in Jersey City? Again this morning I wake up and here is no water running in the apartment. Granted I was supposed to be going to the pool but I was not in the mood and went back to bed. Of course I woke up in a mad rush, threw my stuff together and caught the bus to get into the gym and shower up. There was a guy in the locker room with his toenails painted orange. What the hell- I mean I am not judging and hey, whatever floats your boat is fine but orange?
So I got into work and there was a story on BBRG titled Bankers Enter Dungeon of Pain. Of course with a title like that I read it. It was about Wall street guys who are getting into professional MMA fighting. It was interesting but the best part was the pictures of one of the guys. I doubt very much he reads the blog so I'll give you his name- John Cholish. You can google search images of him- I did, lol. The thing in the article that caught my eye was how he and his room mate converted the the top floor of their Upper Eastside duplex into a gym to train. I dunno know about you but how many 20somethings do you know who convert the top floor of the duplex they own into a gym? The husband told me not the case are there are tons of dumpy duplexs on the Upper Eastside- just let me dream dammit. Oh and he was a wrestler in college for Big Red.
Funny how now there are quite few Democrats in the House resisting the idea of the jobs tax credit. One Democrat from California said he knows of no business that hires workers for a $5,000 tax credit. They hire workers because they have actual work to do and need people to do it.
I got home and there was a note from the building saying water would be back on some time between 7 and 8 PM. Not a big deal as I was off to the dojo- Kobra Kai never die!- for classes. I got my ass kicked again(but did get to grapple with my man-crush there) and was glad to get home. The water was back on but the hot water would not be ready for a hour or so. so I grabbed a drink of water from the faucet. Fast forward 40 minutes and the husband says the water may not be safe to drink yet. Hello???? Couldn't you have told me that when I walked in from two hours at the dojo- sweep the leg!- and was thirsty as shit?
I have classes again tomorrow night, the husband has drinks early in the evening for the purpose of networking.
So I got into work and there was a story on BBRG titled Bankers Enter Dungeon of Pain. Of course with a title like that I read it. It was about Wall street guys who are getting into professional MMA fighting. It was interesting but the best part was the pictures of one of the guys. I doubt very much he reads the blog so I'll give you his name- John Cholish. You can google search images of him- I did, lol. The thing in the article that caught my eye was how he and his room mate converted the the top floor of their Upper Eastside duplex into a gym to train. I dunno know about you but how many 20somethings do you know who convert the top floor of the duplex they own into a gym? The husband told me not the case are there are tons of dumpy duplexs on the Upper Eastside- just let me dream dammit. Oh and he was a wrestler in college for Big Red.
Funny how now there are quite few Democrats in the House resisting the idea of the jobs tax credit. One Democrat from California said he knows of no business that hires workers for a $5,000 tax credit. They hire workers because they have actual work to do and need people to do it.
I got home and there was a note from the building saying water would be back on some time between 7 and 8 PM. Not a big deal as I was off to the dojo- Kobra Kai never die!- for classes. I got my ass kicked again(but did get to grapple with my man-crush there) and was glad to get home. The water was back on but the hot water would not be ready for a hour or so. so I grabbed a drink of water from the faucet. Fast forward 40 minutes and the husband says the water may not be safe to drink yet. Hello???? Couldn't you have told me that when I walked in from two hours at the dojo- sweep the leg!- and was thirsty as shit?
I have classes again tomorrow night, the husband has drinks early in the evening for the purpose of networking.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Breathe, remain calm
Ha- ya gotta love summer interns. The summer intern from this past year wrote up an article in the newsletter for the program that got him his internship. It started off as follows: "I was completely shocked on my first day when I discovered that the normal standards of conservative behavior of professionals in this particular industry were not applicable to this setting..." The boss read it, forwarded it to everyone and loved it. Everyone of course looked at me as the intern had sat next to me for the entire summer. Someone made the comment that maybe this year's intern should sit next to someone else. I said no way as the quiet ones are the dangerous ones.
I emailed the intern and called him out on it. He got all scared and I explained to him not to worry, everyone in our area took it as a compliment.
I read a great quote from Keynes in the WSJ today: It's a mistake to think they are more immoral than politicians." He of course was referring to bankers back in the mid 1930s when he was helping out FDR.
So, apparently the Greeks have come across $40 billion in bad debts. According to some reports they were either hidden or just previously unknown. Semantics one would think but hidden means someone knew about them and was hiding them. Unknown means no one knew about them and they were found. I am going to bet the report calling them hidden is the more accurate report.
I see there is a psychic cat that seems to have a connection to the Grim Reaper. Apparently in a nursing home in Rhode Island there is a cat in the hospital that predicts the patients deaths by going to their rooms and sleeping with them. That is kind of freaky and makes me glad I am a dog person. Some have theorized it has to do with chemicals that dying human cells emit that cats some animals are sensitive to- go figure.
I have been distracted since Sunday morning.
Sunday morning our friends PJ and ST called us to let us know their neighbor is moving. She is an older widow. She asked if they knew anyone who might be interested in buying her house. The husband has admired her house for years and he said sure he'll look at it. So we drove down with the boys and took a gander. The property is great and the house is really quaint. It was built in 1960 by the widow and her husband- he passed away last year apparently. It is a ranch with two bedrooms, one bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, den, basement and two car garage. It has a great bowed picture window in the living room overlooking the front yard. It reminds me a bit of the first house I owned with the ex-wife in northern Jersey where both my sons were born. The yard is fracking huge and on one side there is a 20 acre open space owned by the state, the other side is an empty lot that PJ owns so no one could develop it. The lot is mostly wooded and the back of the property abuts water. My oldest was psyched when he heard that and his first question was can he fish. I told him I am not sure. There is also a small creek running through part of the backyard into and through the woods.
The husband made an offer to the widow before she listed it with an agent. I found out this afternoon that she accepted it! Holy shit! I am both excited and nervous but definitely more excited. I cannot believe it. The funny thing is if four years ago at this time if you had told me I'd be married to a great man and buying a house with him I would have laughed in your face and accused you of being drunk or on drugs or just plain crazy. Funny how life is an adventure.
The word for the next 12-24 months is now frugality (and the husband gets an extra word- patience!). We are not doing the beach this year. We are not doing the race in South Beach we had signed up for back in December. We will be stripping wall paper, painting, cleaning and moving things.
An amazing added benefit is I will now be only 10-15 minutes from my sons on the weekends. We will most likely be spending all of our weekends there getting the house in a condition the husband can deal with. The kitchen needs work but it is no worse than the kitchen we had out at the beach for the past two years. The bathroom is the original- hideous colored tile. The den is great as it has knotty pine panelling with a big picture window overlooking the backyard.
The boys really loved the house too so that will be a big plus. We'll live across the street from our friends PJ and ST and see them much more often as well.
I emailed the intern and called him out on it. He got all scared and I explained to him not to worry, everyone in our area took it as a compliment.
I read a great quote from Keynes in the WSJ today: It's a mistake to think they are more immoral than politicians." He of course was referring to bankers back in the mid 1930s when he was helping out FDR.
So, apparently the Greeks have come across $40 billion in bad debts. According to some reports they were either hidden or just previously unknown. Semantics one would think but hidden means someone knew about them and was hiding them. Unknown means no one knew about them and they were found. I am going to bet the report calling them hidden is the more accurate report.
I see there is a psychic cat that seems to have a connection to the Grim Reaper. Apparently in a nursing home in Rhode Island there is a cat in the hospital that predicts the patients deaths by going to their rooms and sleeping with them. That is kind of freaky and makes me glad I am a dog person. Some have theorized it has to do with chemicals that dying human cells emit that cats some animals are sensitive to- go figure.
I have been distracted since Sunday morning.
Sunday morning our friends PJ and ST called us to let us know their neighbor is moving. She is an older widow. She asked if they knew anyone who might be interested in buying her house. The husband has admired her house for years and he said sure he'll look at it. So we drove down with the boys and took a gander. The property is great and the house is really quaint. It was built in 1960 by the widow and her husband- he passed away last year apparently. It is a ranch with two bedrooms, one bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, den, basement and two car garage. It has a great bowed picture window in the living room overlooking the front yard. It reminds me a bit of the first house I owned with the ex-wife in northern Jersey where both my sons were born. The yard is fracking huge and on one side there is a 20 acre open space owned by the state, the other side is an empty lot that PJ owns so no one could develop it. The lot is mostly wooded and the back of the property abuts water. My oldest was psyched when he heard that and his first question was can he fish. I told him I am not sure. There is also a small creek running through part of the backyard into and through the woods.
The husband made an offer to the widow before she listed it with an agent. I found out this afternoon that she accepted it! Holy shit! I am both excited and nervous but definitely more excited. I cannot believe it. The funny thing is if four years ago at this time if you had told me I'd be married to a great man and buying a house with him I would have laughed in your face and accused you of being drunk or on drugs or just plain crazy. Funny how life is an adventure.
The word for the next 12-24 months is now frugality (and the husband gets an extra word- patience!). We are not doing the beach this year. We are not doing the race in South Beach we had signed up for back in December. We will be stripping wall paper, painting, cleaning and moving things.
An amazing added benefit is I will now be only 10-15 minutes from my sons on the weekends. We will most likely be spending all of our weekends there getting the house in a condition the husband can deal with. The kitchen needs work but it is no worse than the kitchen we had out at the beach for the past two years. The bathroom is the original- hideous colored tile. The den is great as it has knotty pine panelling with a big picture window overlooking the backyard.
The boys really loved the house too so that will be a big plus. We'll live across the street from our friends PJ and ST and see them much more often as well.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Ensemble
I had a dentist appointment today after work. He took out the temp filling he had put in two weeks ago to replace it with a permanent one. He wanted to just pop out the temp and put in the permanent one- without anesthesia! I told him um, no way, shoot me up Doc.
He took out the temp, put in the permanent one but apparently it did not fit perfectly- like I could tell. So he put the temp back in and told me to come back next week. Oh joy.
The best part though was he told me I dress well and used the word ensemble. For the record yes he is gay; only gay men use the word ensemble when describing attire or an outfit. I loved it because many of the women at work tell me I dress well (none of them have used the word ensemble) and the husband laughs and tells me I still dress like a straight guy. To top it all off, the husband has a dentist appointment with him tomorrow and I asked him to tell the husband that I dress well and he liked my ensemble.
It would appear the Volcker Rule will not make it through Congress. I am not altogether shocked as it is not strong on details.
He took out the temp, put in the permanent one but apparently it did not fit perfectly- like I could tell. So he put the temp back in and told me to come back next week. Oh joy.
The best part though was he told me I dress well and used the word ensemble. For the record yes he is gay; only gay men use the word ensemble when describing attire or an outfit. I loved it because many of the women at work tell me I dress well (none of them have used the word ensemble) and the husband laughs and tells me I still dress like a straight guy. To top it all off, the husband has a dentist appointment with him tomorrow and I asked him to tell the husband that I dress well and he liked my ensemble.
It would appear the Volcker Rule will not make it through Congress. I am not altogether shocked as it is not strong on details.
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