365 in 365: Images 077 to 083

Doubled up on the picture posts this week.  Almost caught up now.  Will make one more before next Sunday and that should get me up-to-date.

No. 077:  03-18-13

St. Paul obliterated by yet another snow storm

No. 078:  03-19-13

The Uptown area of Minneapolis

No. 079:  03-20-13

First day of Spring.  Can't you tell?

No. 080:  03-21-13

The scenery might not look Spring-like, but at least
the daylight lasts longer.

No. 081:  03-22-13 (place holder)

Throwback to Minneapolis' days as a flour mecca

No. 082:  03-23-13 (place holder)

A riverfront map for Minneapolis

No. 083:  03-24-13

G-Bug at another volleyball tournament

365 in 365: Images 070 to 076

Week 11 of pictures.  I really lost the passion during the weekend, so used two photos I took in February.  I hope you enjoy the scroll anyway.

No. 070:  03-11-13 (place holder)

An entrance to some high end apartments on Washington St. in
the North Loop area of Minneapolis

No. 071:  03-12-13

A train yard near the University of MN

No. 072:  03-13-13

The latest "McMansion" on the road around Lake of the Isles
Not crazy about the two-toned sides

No. 073:  03-14-13

Another staple of the downtown St. Paul scene
On a personal note, this date is my sister's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Sis!

No. 074:  03-15-13

Landmark Center across from Rice Park

No. 075:  03-16-13 (place holder)

Father Hennepin Park area of Minneapolis taken from
the Stone Arch Bridge in February

No. 076:  03-17-13 (place holder)

View of Minneapolis from Boom Island, just north of Nicollet Island and
no longer really an island

The Dirty Dozen: SitRep 03-31-13 "The Replacements"

The stock market has been performing surprisingly well since the Sequester first kicked in a few weeks ago.  I have had a cynical view of this success.  I’m sure there are numerous Wall Street types who are left-leaning Democrats, but I imagine most are staunch Republicans.  Now that government funding for public works and support programs are starting to dry up, I envision these One Percenters are exacting their revenge, as if to say, “since my tax dollars aren’t going to help others, I can finally put my money back to work for me.”  Fortunately, this solidly middle-class, part-time blogger has a decent cache of cash in the stock market to also reap the benefits.  I can’t say all my profits will be used to support Democratic causes, but I will donate to them as resources allow; a personal “screw you” to the Koch brothers.

I made one change to my portfolio since the last SitRep.  Out of 267 trading days of owning TECO Energy (TE), I was in the black for nine of them; and the highest profit I saw was $26.64.  I received almost $90 in dividend income from the stock, and if I don’t consider these funds as an out-of-pocket investment, I did make some money when I sold the stock.  As a replacement, I purchased shares of NutriSystem (NTRI).  The price was about half of TE, but offered a Dividend Yield three percentage points better.  I purchased enough shares to receive over 16 more shares over the course of a year in dividend reinvestment and increase my dividend income by $15 every quarter.

I will be making one more replacement after the market opens again on April 1.  My stake in H&R Block (HRB) has been steadily increasing over the last few months, to the point where my investment will not pay me a full reinvested share every quarter.  This is my goal with every stock purchase I make.  On Monday, HRB will pay a dividend, which will be reinvested in the stock.  My plan is to sell HRB and invest in Pitney Bowes (PBI).  The stock is much cheaper and has a 10% dividend yield.  I will be able to purchase enough shares to get 2 reinvested shares from the dividend and increase my dividend revenue another $11 every quarter.  Plus, I will have enough money to invest in another stock.  I could go back to TECO, but I will do some research to find a good paying stock that pays in the first month of the quarter.

Here is an update to how my current portfolio is performing:

First Month of Quarter

B&G Foods (BGS) – Small staple foods manufacturer

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$9.03

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.25

H&R Block (HRB) – Chain store tax preparers

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$13.29

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  3.5

• Reached new 52-week high

Xcel Energy (XEL) – Local power company

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$5.47

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

• Achieved highest profit level on investment 

Crown Crafts, Inc. (CRWS) – Baby cribs and accessories manufacturer

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$0.14

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  13.25

Second Month of Quarter

Paychex (PAYX) – Small paycheck processing company

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$8.28

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

• Reached new 52-week high and achieved highest profit on investment

NutriSystem (NTRI) – Weight loss company

Profit/Loss Per Share:                    -$0.10

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  17.25

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) – Large pharmaceutical manufacturer

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$12.30

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  3.50

• Reached new 52-week high and achieved highest profit on investment

Third Month of Quarter

Hershey Company (HSY) – Large chocolate manufacturer

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$37.54

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  2.25

• Reached new 52-week high and achieved highest profit on investment

Mattel (MAT) – Large toy manufacturer

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$18.10

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

• Achieved highest profit on investment

Waste Management (WM) – Large recycling and waste removal company

Profit/Loss Per Share:                   +$6.65

Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

• Reached new 52-week high and achieved highest profit on investment

New Year's Resolutions: Quarterly Update

Today is March 31st and Easter Sunday.  It also marks the end of a quarter year and I thought this would be a good time to see how I'm tracking to my 2013 New Year's resolutions.

• Post at least 315 pictures for the "365 in 365" project for 2013.  
• Update:  Although I am behind in posting regular weekly updates for my picture project, I do have pictures covering through Saturday.  Of the total 89 pictures, I have used 6 "place holders," so 93% of the pictures were taken on the day they represent.  I was hoping to post over 315 pictures by year end, so I'm on a good pace to meet this goal.
• Make at least 6 posts per month to my "Novel Ideas" blog
• Update:  I have made 22 posts to my blog prior to this one, or an average of more than 7 posts a month.  Doing good so far.
• Lose 11% of my body weight, roughly 2 pounds per month
• Update:  This morning I weighed 219 pounds, which is 6 pounds lighter than at the beginning of the year.  That is an average of 2 pounds per month.  Thumbs up!
• Have +$360 in savings account by year end
• Update:  I've been very good at saving a little bit every paycheck, but the belt has begun to tighten.  I should have +$90 now, but I'm +$50.  The Wifey and I will be getting a decent tax refund this year, so I can get myself back on plan.

American Research Corporation: April 1998 - July 1999

The one and only job I had in downtown Minneapolis was with a small, start-up company located on the 21^st floor of the Rand Tower.  The company attempted to offer marketing services to a select group of attorneys, located in Minnesota, Illinois, and Florida.  Mostly, it collected fees from attorneys to make Quick Reference Guides and other books that were distributed few and far between.  Essentially, it was a cash hole that only stayed afloat by what the employees assumed were the owner’s possession of compromising photos of his bank roller.  I was jettisoned about two months prior to the whole company going under.  Lucky me.

The beginning of the end was when the owner hired a former (and possibly disgraced) Northwest Airlines executive who was charged with improving the efficiencies of the company.  The first step was reducing the floor space the company was using and subleasing the rest.  The remaining portion was refurbished and the executive was able to get his corner office by displaying three employees.  The standard cost-cutting move of reducing headcount soon followed.  I was not one of the first to get cut and was able to stay nearly a whole year after the changes.

A clever clutch of us, although not so clever as to find other employment when the writing was on the wall, found an enjoyable way to pass the time when not busy at work.  We nicknamed the executive “The Pelican” for reasons I’m not quite sure of; although it might have been because of a painting in his office.  Anyway, the Pelican had a tendency to use and reuse odd phrases during business meetings and casual conversations.  We decided to collect a list of “Pelicanisms,” several of which are listed after the jump.

365 in 365: Images 063 to 069

Week 10 of my picture project.  Had to use a place holder for this week.  The weather is starting to warm and I will be getting into my work travel schedule, so I should have opportunity to find images without snow in them.  Appreciate the 30 - 60 seconds of perusal needed to scroll through the pics.

No. 063:  03-04-13

Main building of Metropolitan State University in St. Paul

No. 064:  03-05-13

Bridge crossing to Nicollet Island with Minneapolis in the background

No. 065:  03-06-13

Scariest looking bus ad I've ever seen

No. 066:  03-07-13

Closest St. Paul can come to matching
Philadelphia's Rocky statue, Herb Brooks

No. 067:  03-08-13 (place holder)

Rice Park in St. Paul.  The St. Paul Hotel is in the background

No. 068:  03-09-13

An old Sherwin-Williams location in downtown Mpls

No. 069:  03-10-13

"That's the Mississippi, Russ.  The Mighty Mississip.  Ole Miss.
The Old Man.  Dee-eep river!"

Liquor in the front, Poker in the rear

In the beginning of ‘Eight Mile,’ Eminem is seen vomiting in the bathroom from nervousness in anticipation of his rap battle.  I, on the other hand, had the hard boiled eggs with breakfast repeat on me before my impending participation in a Texas Hold’Em poker tournament at the St. Croix Casino.  At least I didn’t leave any evidence on my clothes.  I didn’t want to show any weakness.

This was the sixth time I have participated in a poker tournament; the others being at a bar (where I won $50), at the Tropicana in Las Vegas (where I won $400 in one of the two tournaments I bought into), a WSOP satellite event at Treasure Island in MN (almost placed in the top 50 percentile), and another circuit event at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, IA (where I was 5 seats away from being “in the money”).

I think my touchy stomach is a mix of the anticipation of possibly winning and the uncertain level of disappointment on losing, but mostly involves the anxiety of looking like an asshole.  In previous tournaments I have bet out of turn, folded rather than checked with the big blind, and got confused when changing a large chip for the blind and ante.  So, I’ve looked like a donkey before, but survived it, and I think that knowledge keeps me wanting to play.

This tournament was a $65 buy-in with a $10 fee with the option to re-buy should a player bust before the first break.  Every player received 10K in chips to start and had a chance to add-on another 5K in chips for $20 cash.  There were about 65 different players, but several re-buys drove the prize pool.  First place could have won about $1,500.

365 in 365: Images 056 to 062

My picture project is starting to back-up on me.  Tomorrow will be the end of week 11, and this set of pictures is for Week 9.  Having a typical Minnesota winter this year is making it difficult to find images that aren't almost soul-crushingly dreary.  However, I soldier on.

No. 056:  02-25-13

Either by boat, by car, or by train, there are 
numerous ways to exit St. Paul

No. 057:  02-26-13

Some relics of the past under the Hennepin Ave. Bridge

No. 058:  02-27-13

Lighthouse on Boom Island north of Minneapolis

A Road Runs By It

Friday is casual day at my work and I usually take advantage of the day to take a “casual” commute.  One of my favorite drives is along the Mississippi River Boulevard.  I connect with the road in St. Paul where it is known as Warner Road and Shepard Road and am afforded a lot of picturesque views of the river as I make my way west.  The name change to Mississippi River Boulevard happens at the crossing of Highway 5 and that’s where I met this rafter of wild turkeys (yes, I looked it up).

This wasn’t my only run-in with wild life while traveling on the river road.  This past October, I stopped at an overlook near Lock and Dam No. 1 across from the defunct Ford Ranger Assembly plant to take some pictures of the fall foliage.  After getting a couple shots of a very bright sugar maple, I was returning to my car when I heard an unusual screech.  I looked into the trees on the river side of the road and saw a bald eagle perched on a limb.  I approached him slowly and took a couple pictures.  I watched him for a few minutes and then caught a flash of movement in another tree further down.  There was a second eagle, which I presumed was its mate.

Another time, during the warmer months, I was driving and slowed to a stop before disturbing a red tailed hawk standing in the road.  A rabbit was unsuccessful in crossing the road and the hawk, being a skilled opportunist as well as hunter, was standing over the carcass.  The hawk seemed to be debating his next move.  A car approached from the other side and also stopped a respectful distance away.  Now, with a growing audience, the hawk made a quick decision, grabbed the rabbit in its talons, and took off toward the trees.  I think the rabbit might have been a little too large as the hawk stayed very low to the ground.  As I passed the other driver, we gave each other a “thumbs-up’ to the scene we just witnessed.

One early morning last year, I saw what first looked like a dog come tearing around the corner of the Ford Plant, dash across the street, and ran toward the woody bank of the river.  When it passed my car, I got a better look and realized it was a grey wolf.

Also near the Ford Plant is a second overlook to the Hidden Falls – Crosby Farm Regional Park.  I had pulled into the parking lot to get some pictures of the sunset.  I walked toward the stone wall separating the lot and the steep bank of the river and was immediately face-to-face with a doe.  We looked at each other in surprise, as if asking “what are you doing here?”  I had my camera in my jacket pocket and I knew any sudden movement would spook the deer.  I slowly pulled the camera out and took a couple pictures.  The deer never moved.  So, I selected the video feature and recorded about 30 seconds of the deer chewing a leaf.  I slowly backed away from the stone wall and took some pictures of the surrounding countryside and setting sun.  Unfortunately, all that evidence was lost to a computer virus.

My last memorable run-in with wild life was with a pig, who gave me a speeding ticket for going 35 miles per hour in a 25mph zone.  Just kidding!  I mean, I did get a speeding ticket, but I have nothing but respect for our men and women in blue.

As I mentioned before, when not encountering wildlife, there are some amazing vistas to see on the River Road.

365 in 365: Images 049 to 055

Some more pictures from in and around Minnesota.  Wish I could have done something more interesting for Image No. 050, but if you couple it with Image No. 051, you can get a side-by-side comparison of the Twin Cities.  So, this week's pics has THAT going for them.

No. 049:  02-18-13

A St. Paul landmark, the Fitzgerald Theater,
home to The Prairie Home Companion

No. 050:  02-19-13

"Side view" of Minneapolis, taken from 35W entrance ramp

No. 051:  02-20-13

St. Paul on a frigidly cold morning

No. 052:  02-21-13

Mears Park in downtown St. Paul

No. 053:  02-22-13

What am I doing, driving to work in this slop?
Better question, why am I taking a picture while driving 
to work in this slop?

No. 054:  02-23-13

Me with the St. Croix Casino mascot in Turtle Lake, WI

No. 055:  02-24-13

Warmer weather means dangerous icicles dangling from the eaves

Real Boys of Genius

Years ago, when I was visiting my family in Connecticut, my brother explained a little bit about his parenting style.  At the time, his two sons were very young and his attitude about raising them could only be described as laissez faire.  He wasn't a bad dad, in fact he took very good care of his kids, but they could get pretty wild.

His light discipline was his way to prevent them from feeling bad.  He revealed he was constantly reminded of times that were embarrassing or demoralizing for him and he didn't want his boys to feel the same way.  I knew exactly what he meant; I suffer from the same ailment.

One episode that continually burbles from my memory at odd times was when I was in Mrs. Griswold's second grade class.  As I look back now, we were probably doing a segment on the five senses.  We had a guest speaker who would ask for volunteers.  Being an eager child back then, I would raise my hand each time but was denied the chance to shine.  We reached the fifth and final sense and she asked for volunteers.  Undaunted, I raised my hand again and was lucky enough to be selected.

My luck further improved when I saw her reveal a cookie brought from the cafeteria.  I was going to get a treat, too!  She asked my name and then the loaded question, "How can you tell this is a good cookie?"

Instead of defining "good" as either "delicious" or "pleasing," I decided to take the tack of "not evil."

"You should break it apart to see if there are any pins in it," I replied. 

I like to think my answer was influenced because Halloween was approaching and we were drilled to be careful of the candy we eat after Trick-o-Treating.  We were warned there were sickos out there who could put things in candy to hurt little kids.  Even as an eight-year old, I refused to become a statistic. 

What followed were gales of laughter and I can still see clearly in my mind's eye Jeffrey Simmons putting his head in his hands in the front row.  It gets worse. 

“Okay.  But how can you tell if this is a good cookie,” she tried again.  Rather than changing my answer, I assumed she didn’t hear me the first time (ironic as we were learning about the senses) and gave the same answer.  Seeing as this line of questioning was going nowhere, she then whispered "taste."

I realized then what my mistake was and affected a look of epiphany and triumphantly exclaimed, “TASTE!”  She invited me to taste the cookie and I took a bite.  I nodded my approval.  "It's good."  And pin-free.  I ate the rest of the cookie at my desk.

To this day, peanut butter cookies taste like failure.