365 Pix in 365 Days for 2015: Images 005 through 011

The coldest weather of the winter descended on Minnesota, coming from the most likely of sources - Canada. The mornings started below zero with wind chills making the air feel somewhere between -25 and -30 degrees.  The upper Midwest wasn't the only area of the country affected, as I read Facebook posts from friends on the East Coast lamenting similar wind chills in New England and two inches of snow falling in Washington, DC, which put the entire area in lock down something fierce.

Having gone toe to toe with the Polar Vortex previously, I have a few survival tips for those who aren't used to such bitter cold.  1.) Invest in a couple pairs of thick, cotton socks; 2.) Under Armor makes for a great first layer when getting dressed; 3.) Keep you head and ears covered; and 4.) The first 20 degree day after the cold snap will feel like a hug. Enjoy it!

Here are the pictures for this week.

Image 005:  01-05-2015

In spite of the bitter cold, you can still see some remarkable sun
rises.  This one is over Beaver Lake near the house.

Image 006:  01-06-2015

I think this is binary code for "weather sucks!"

Image 007:  01-07-2015

About 18 years ago, after I first moved to Minnesota, I attended
a christening at this church for the son of the friend of the woman
who would eventually become my ex-wife.

Image 008:  01-08-2015

One of the new Green Line Light Rail stops in downtown St.Paul.

Image 009:  01-09-2015

Scene of downtown Minneapolis taken from the I-35W on ramp
off of Highway 55.

Image 010:  01-10-2015

Another successfully completed shoveling effort. I think this
is the sixth time since November.

Image 011:  01-11-2015

My "man corner" where I plan to do much of my
blogging.  We don't have enough space for a "man cave."

365 Pix in 365 Days 2015: A New Hope, Images 001 through 004

I intentionally put myself on hiatus from my blog posting and picture taking during the last quarter of the year. I was getting too far behind with my picture posts and I wasn't feeling all that inspired to write anything else. I had looked at the photos I had taken and thought if these aren't interesting to me, they certainly won't be interesting to anyone else. So, like any business with a product in the waning stages of its life cycle, I decided to close shop and retool.

I didn't lose my interest in blogging and from time to time would read some of my posts. The writing was rough in some cases, but I could still elicit a laugh every now and again, and I knew the punchline was coming. Even the picture posts were interesting. I tried to make these more compelling for the reader with my tweet-like, one liner style captions, and some worked and some didn't. For me, the pictures were a reminder of things I had seen and places I had been during the year. Reviewing some of the pictures on my camera I didn't post brought me right back to the day I took them.

I think the chronicling aspect of the photos should be my reason for taking the pictures and making the posts. I was too focused on trying to find something interesting to capture when rarely is there a year when something interesting happens EVERY SINGLE DAY. There are going to be days I spend just doing laundry or other chores and maybe a rainbow stack of folded towels is how I will remember it. Finding something clever to say about it will be the hard part.

So, with a new attitude, a New Year, and maybe eventually a new camera, I'm going to start a new 365 Pictures in 365 Days project.  Third times a charm, right?

Image 001:  01-01-2015

Last year, the shot of choice to ring in the New Year were
"baby Guinness." This year was Fireball whiskey and Manhattans
made from Anejo Patron and Dashfire bitters. The result was a
snow angel made while in my underwear. Batman underwear.

Image 002:  01-02-2015

You heard of crop circles? Minnesota has "lake circles."

Image 003:  01-03-2015

The frozen Mississippi River below downtown St. Paul. This past
June these steps and the park above them were underwater when
the river flooded its banks.

Image 004:  01-04-2015

St. Paul from the east side and the river is still frozen. I was, too,
after taking this picture as the weather dropped to single digits.
I don't think those barges are moving anytime soon.

Polar Vortex II: Vortexalypse Now

Last month was the opener of the firearms deer hunting season. No surprise, I did not participate, as I've found myself lacking when measured against the more rustic of Minnesota citizens. Instead, I took advantage of the relatively warm days of the weekend to prep the yard for winter - i.e. mowing and raking.

Historically, I've loathed raking, even in the postage stamp sized yard we have. We have a large maple tree the dominates the backyard and drops almost a literal shit ton of leaves. Last year, I left piles of leaves around the periphery of the garage with a couple bags worth inside the garage and called it done. The leaves were still frozen to the ground at the end of May when I finally pulled them loose.

I'll have the best manicured dirt patch in all of St. Paul

This year I was determined to do better. The weather was warm, hovering near 40 degrees, and I got an early start to the day. We only had two large brown paper bags from Ace Hardware to fill, so I used an old wicker laundry basket and Ikea bag as extras. When all four totes were full, I loaded the car and took a trip to the local compostery. The first trip was a breeze, but each subsequent one had more and more people dumping their leaves. During my trips, I would listen to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" on MPR. I felt like I was having a typical Minnesotan Fall day.

That was the most remarkable thing that weekend. There was such a buzz of nervous energy across the neighborhood. As I raked, I could hear several leaf blowers running in various back yards. The weather forecast warned of a cold front moving in and bringing bitter cold and as much as a foot of snow in some areas. After the last winter, I think people were suffering from a certain PTSD about the Polar Vortex (maybe a new syndrome called PVSD). By my fourth trip to the compost site, I had to wait 15 minutes to get in and dump my leaves. Plus, the piles of leaves grew exponentially, leaving limited room for vehicles to negotiate around each other. I thought it best to call it a day and make one or two final trips on Sunday, after the workers had a chance to re-pile the leaves with the front loader.

I shudder to think how much dog poop is in there
Always wear gloves, kids!

Alas, it was not meant to be. The next day, I brought a load and found there was a line of cars the stretched down the road from the entrance and around the corner. I was half tempted to run onto the curb, put on my blinkers, and dump my leaves over the fence surrounding the compost site; but that would lead to anarchy. So, once again, I have a stack of bags in the garage and one pile next to the fence that will have to wait until Spring to be dumped. Still better than last year.

The last hurrah for our patio until Spring

As for the snow, the Twin Cities area was not hit as bad as others, just a few inches. I did what I could to clear the walkways, but the cold had packed the snow into ice. I was just about to start on my driveway when my shovel broke. The next day I went to buy two more at Menard's, but not only were they almost cleared out of shovels, nearly all of their snowblowers were sold out, too. As I said, people have taken this Polar Vortex a lot more seriously. Since getting my new shovels, we've gotten three more snowfalls and its only the first week of December, not even true Winter. Looks like its going to be a tough year.

"I've seen more marks in my shorts!"

I think I may have used up my allotment of strikes for the month last week as I didn't have much success this week. I did, however, swear profusely and conspicuously flipped off the remaining pins when I missed a spare, which happened a lot. I have to remember its not a sprint, but a marathon and I will probably do much better next week. I couldn't do much worse.

I did have some inter-team competitive fun in the second game. A teammate and I had lead into the tenth frame with two strikes and had the same score. I jokingly said "it's on" and he agreed. I started the tenth with a strike, then rolled a six. The remaining pins were clustered together and I picked up the spare - I would have said 'easily' but nothing came easy that night! My teammate left the tenth open, so I had THAT going for me.

And a clean game still remains elusive as I ruined any chance of getting one by the second frame of each game.

September 18, 2014
Game 1
9/, 9-, X, 63, 8-, 8/, S81, S81, 7/, 81 = 127

Game 2
6/, 9-, 81, 8-, 08, 0/, S81, X, X, X6/ = 156

Game 3
9-, S81, X, 6/, 8-, 8-, 0/, 8-, 9/, 9/8 = 135

Series Total:  418
Series Avg.:  139
Season Avg.: 152
Season Hdcp.: 45

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 104 through 110

Not much to say about this series of mid-April pictures. The weather was cold and dreary, and I felt weak and weary - of ideas for photos. Minnesota did get some more snowfall during that week, so it was pretty much like all of the other previous weeks. I've decided I should take more business trips during these months, just to have new locales to visit for picture posts. Following is what life was like for a week in April in Minnesota.

No. 104:  04-14-2014

Interesting layer effect of the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.

No. 105:  04-15-2014

If this stairwell was in any other major metropolis, there is no
doubt people would be injured in the bottleneck.  For Minnesota,
it works just fine.

No. 106:  04-16-2014

There was some more snowfall on this day.
Rather than take a picture of the snow, I directed
my ire at this chubby bastard.

No. 107:  04-17-2014

I can see my breath form clouds just by looking at this picture!

No. 108:  04-18-2014

A big hole was left in the Minneapolis skyline when the Metrodome
was deflated.  TCF Stadium will be a perfect temporary home for the
Vikings since no one is used to seeing quality football played there.

No. 109:  04-19-2014

The sister city for Minneapolis is Ibaraki, Japan and
this sculpture of a Dotaku bell was commissioned
by the Japanese city.

No. 120:  04-20-2014

I know the significance of this date, and I used it to get high . . .
by standing at the top of this four story escalator at the
Guthrie Theater.  I was tripping my balls off.

Just Dropping Pins And Getting Wins

"They're going down, I'm yelling timber.

They better fall, so I can dance.

It was a night I will remember,

The final score I won't forget."

This past Thursday was the earliest in the season that I bowled a 200 game. The night didn't start well as I threw a first ball into the gutter following a spare and didn't fare much better with my second attempt. I marked pretty well to finish the game above 100 pins, notching 99 at the end of the ninth frame.

After using my first game as a warm-up, I was in the zone. I marked in my first four frames of the second game, three of them strikes. I missed a spare, struck again, then followed that with knocking down one pin on a first ball. I redeemed myself by sparing the frame, then closed the game by sandwiching my fifth strike between two 7-2 frames to finish at 169.

The third game was when the magic happened. I got strikes in three of the first five frames, the other two being left open (a clean game still elusive to me). I then bowled four straight strikes to have seven in the first nine frames. I started the tenth frame with another strike (a badger), then got a split. I knocked down one of the two remaining pins to finish with a 218. I had a 505 series and 168 series average. My season average now sits at 158. My handicap should be about 35.

September 11, 2014
Game 1
8-, 9/, 03, 7/,6/,6/, 9-, 9-, 72, 8/9 = 118

Game 2
X, 5/, X, X, 72, X, 1/, 72, X, 72 = 169

Game 3
X, X, 72, X, 44, X, X, X, X, SX81 = 218

The Dirty Dozen: SitRep 09-05-2014 "But there is no FUN in Mudville"

Back in mid-July when Mattel (MAT) had its second straight quarter of disappointing results, the stock had dropped by $2.57 per share (6.5%). I remained hopeful the company would bounce back, but the price continued to slide and the reports I read didn't have a lot of positive things to say about Mattel's chances. When the price dropped almost another $2.00 over the course of a month, I knew it was time to sell.

In the meantime, I did some research and thought I found the perfect stock to replace MAT.  Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (FUN - see what I did there in the post title??) was a company that owned and operated a variety of amusement parks, including Valley Fair in Minnesota. The stock price was a little higher than MAT, but the dividend was $.70 per share. I could easily purchase enough shares to get more than one reinvested share per quarter and increase my annual dividend payments. 

I logged onto the former Sharebuilder site (now owned by Capital One) and sold my stake in Mattel. When I tried to execute my trade for FUN, I received a message that Sharebuilder does not allowed trades for Limited Partnerships, which Cedar Fair is. I was forced to go with my second choice, Connecticut Water Service (CTWS). The stock price was about equal to MAT, but the dividend was about a third less. I had more confidence in utilities with the success I've been experiencing with Xcel Energy (XEL) and I liked the tie-in to my childhood home. Since I waited until after the ex-dividend date to sell, I will get the MAT payout along with the CTWS payout in September.

In other news with my portfolio, Waste Management (WM) continues to become more profitable, so much so that the price has outgrown my dividend rate to get a full reinvested share per quarter. In the past, I have sold my stakes in stocks that didn't give me a full share, but I want to take a different approach now. The total value of my Kraft Foods Group (KRFT) stock would allow me to get back into Paychex (PAYX) at a level in line with my growth strategy as well as invest in shares of RR Donnelley (RRD) and increase my stake in Waste Management. This will accomplish three things for me: 1.) Get the full reinvested share with WM every quarter; 2.) increase my annual dividend payments; and 3.) bring to eleven the total number of stocks in my portfolio. I just need to wait until after the ex-dividend date of 10/9/2014 for KRFT before selling and I get its dividend payment.

Here are the results of my current stocks as of 09/05/2014:

First Month of Quarter Payers
B&G Foods (BGS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$4.90
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.75

Kraft (KRFT)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$2.60
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.50

Xcel Energy (XEL)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               +$6.31
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.25

• Reached new 52 week high price and profit level

Crown Crafts (CRWS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               -$0.06
Annual Reinvested Share Pace:  7.00


Second Month of Quarter Payers
PetMed Express (PETS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.89
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  18.75

• Reached new profit level

NutriSystem (NTRI)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$4.05
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  10.00

AT&T (T)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                -$0.14
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.00


Third Month of Quarter Payers
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$1.34
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

Connecticut Water Service (CTWS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.23
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.25

Waste Management (WM)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$14.01
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  3.75

365 in 365 for 2014: Images 097 through 103

If I'm not careful, the weather might just lap me. We've finished the first week of September and already the forecasts are calling for highs in the 50's later this week and overnight temperatures in the 30's. Still warmer than April. September 22nd may be the autumnal equinox, but let's face it, Summer's over.

Not that I'm totally depressed that Fall is almost here. In fact, September and October are my favorite months of the year. I've always had more of a sense of "rebirth" when a new school year started. The weather may be cooler, but pleasant, and you start the month in a new class with a fresh haircut, an updated wardrobe, and a bright eyed hope to the great things you'll accomplish during the year. Then in November, the bottom falls out and you're ready for the holiday break. Once you return, you count the days to Summer like a soldier whose "short" on his tour of duty.

Lucky for me, I've been employed full-time for many years (some of them gainfully) and I mark time differently. It's all about fiscal quarters and fiscal years and September is the end of the next quarter. It also marks my 5th anniversary at my current job. Yeah, September will be a good month; so, here's some pictures from April.

No. 097: 04-07-2014

Once the ice is off the river, boats are ready for cruises.

No. 098:  04-08-2014

An old trolley line converted to a biking and walking path.

No. 099:  04-09-2014

I just liked the way the fire escape went in a diagonal across
the side of the building.

No. 100:  04-10-2014

Anyone else pick up the late 80's remake of 'The Blob' vibe?

No. 101:  04-11-2014

When the ice melts, the river begins to swell.

No. 102:  04-12-2014

The U of M had a couple big fires near campus. This one took out
some student housing.  Fortunately, no one died.

No. 103:  04-13-2014

A blurry evening shot of the Lowry Street bridge.

The 2014-15 Bowling Season Has Begun!

Don't let the words on the shoes fool you, I own these bad boys!  A nice birthday gift from The Wife to support my interests in health and athleticism.  The start of September means the start of another bowling season.

The lead up to this season has been a little more stressful than others in the past. We had three of the ten teams collapse due to some people leaving the company and the league had a tough time filling the gaps.  There are now eight teams, but in a bit of irony, there are 60 names of people interested in bowling - enough to alley ten teams and half as many again for substitutes and alternates. I'm sure people like the idea of bowling as a fun thing to do every once in a while, especially when the weather gets bad and you're looking for something to do; but the season runs 29 weeks, from September to April, and playing for a league is a huge commitment in time and money. The season is already split into two halves; we might just have two 12 weeks seasons with position and final rounds at the end of each. Just need to make sure we get 40 bowlers for each season.

One of the spots to fill was the Captain of my team. She is still with the company, but in a new role and has a lot of family obligations this year. Since I was handling most of her team duties anyway, transitioning her out didn't take much effort. Finding someone to fill her spot did. We made her and another former co-worker, and current teammate, into alternates, but we needed someone who could bowl more regularly. The Wife got rid of her Thursday night shift, so I asked if she would be interested. I was about to mix my work and my personal life on the one night I get a brief respite from responsibilities at home. We all have to make sacrifices to keep the league going, gang!

I had a very satisfactory start to the bowling season, as I was able to beat my last year's average by a couple of pins.  As always, I've captured my stat line. The Wife did not do as well, and in deference to her, I will not make her scores a matter of public record. I will say we finished two pitchers of beer and a plate of avocado bean dip with chips. I look forward to similar results!

September 4, 2014
Game 1
7/, X, 4-, 9/, 6/, X, 63, 7-, 71, 9- = 126

Game 2
07, 7/, 8/, 9/, 71, 81, X, X, 8/, 7/X = 163

Game 3
9-, 63, 81. 8/, X, 9/, X, 9/, 7/, 6/8 = 158

Series Total:  447
Series Avg.:   149
Est Hdcp.:       43

The Dirty Dozen: SitRep 08-17-2014 "Heading To Full Strength"

I should have made this post on Friday, August 8, when all of my stocks ended up for the day for the first time in months. Unfortunately, these modest upticks didn't come close to making up for the the YTD declines my stocks were experiencing.  Both Mattel and B&G Foods laid eggs for the second time in as many quarters, while Kraft and Nutrisystem had sizable dips, from which they eventually recovered.

On the activity side, Paychex had grown to the point where it could no longer provide a full share every quarter in reinvested dividends (my growth strategy), so I sold my stake to purchase shares in Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF) and AT&T (T). The combination of stocks actually put me ahead of my dividend earnings pace with Paychex.

Recently, Darden Restaurants had sold its Red Lobster business, much to the dismay of an activist investor group, and the stock started to tumble. I sold my stake at a loss in the middle of he decline. The stock has since returned to a level above where I sold it. I exchanged those shares for ones in PetMed Express (PETS) and increased my holdings in Nutrisystem to outpace the dividends from Darden. 

On Friday, I received my first dividend payout from PetMed, which turned into more than four reinvested shares.  Here is how my portfolio looks today:

First Month of Quarter Payers
B&G Foods (BGS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$3.94
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  6.00

• Increased dividend to $.34 per share starting in April

Kraft (KRFT)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.52
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.75

Xcel Energy (XEL)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               +$4.86
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.50

Crown Crafts (CRWS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:               -$0.08
Annual Reinvested Share Pace:  7.00


Second Month of Quarter Payers
PetMed Express (PETS)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.37
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  19.50

NutriSystem (NTRI)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$3.81
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  10.00

AT&T (T)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                -$0.55
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  5.00


Third Month of Quarter Payers
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$0.99
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.50

Mattel (MAT)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$8.85
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  6.00

Waste Management (WM)
Profit/Loss Per Share:                +$12.81
Annual Reinvested Shares Pace:  4.00