Stoplight's Account Talk

Can't resist...Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (Cusco Catherdral), on Plaza de Armas

...after the rain stopped !!! :smile:



Basilica Cusco.jpg




Stoplight...
 
All,

Okay...so our "mad money" UVXY is KILLING me (again !) :eek:

OTOH, today our "buy-and-hold" Seagate (STX ; 5.68 %), Dr pepper (DPS ; 5.64 %), and DuPont (DD ; 3.33 %) killed it !!! :D

Glad I bought the dip on Seagate !!!

Stoplight...
 
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I keep meaning to ask you if toured that Cathedral? It was beautiful inside. Or go to any of the restaurants I suggested in Cusco?


Hmmm...let me think... :smile:

I'm not sure I remember any restaurants you recommended in Cusco, except the Starbucks, for uploading our pix !!! :smile: That DOESN'T mean you DIDN'T send me something !!! :eek:

But no...we probably didn't...

Yes...our "2 hour tour" of Cusco and the surrounding area DID include the interior of the Cathedral...but they were pretty strict about "No Pictures !!!"

It just so happened...on our 10 hour bus tour to Puno, we stopped at Andahuaylillas, and "San Pedro's Church". Here's something I'd NEVER seen before ! Inside pics were forbidden there, too, BUT they passed out a CD to all the visitors, with TONS of cool pics of the interior !!! Seems that Cusco was ALSO part of their "order", so there are a TON of pics on the CD !!! How cool is THAT ???

Here's the "Main Altar", in Cusco, from that CD...



Stoplight...



Main Alter.jpg
 
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I did send you a few, but I think I was bombarding you with too many suggestions at the time! :D

BTW, cleanup your PM. I've been trying to respond to your earlier message. :smile:
 
Stoplight,

Thanks for stopping by my former account thread. I am glad someone stopped by once in awhile ;)

I think I will just post here instead of creating a new account thread :(

BT

So, today is kind of a neutral day, no significant move up or down... waiting with a small position to see what happens, stop in place!

- RMI
 
LAST Post about the Kid !!! :D

She had a rather tough Thanksgiving...said they don't have a clue about that, in Peru....go figure...she was missing her Family and Friends ! We ralleyed around, and boosted her spirits !!!

So her 1-year contract, teaching, is up...they are begging her to take the next 1-year option, and stay, but the situation is NOT what she was expecting...a long story...she leaves for the US on 17 Dec !!! We'll be glad she's back in the States for Christmas !!! Hope we can hook up with her soon !!!

THANKS to ALL of you that have read my thread, donated to her, and supported her with your thoughts and prayers !!! She TRULY is a Neat Kid, and she appreciates ALL the feedback she's received !

I'm SO thankful that all y'all have embraced her, too !!! :D


Stoplight...
 
LAST Post about the Kid !!! :D

She had a rather tough Thanksgiving...said they don't have a clue about that, in Peru....go figure...she was missing her Family and Friends ! We ralleyed around, and boosted her spirits !!!

So her 1-year contract, teaching, is up...they are begging her to take the next 1-year option, and stay, but the situation is NOT what she was expecting...a long story...she leaves for the US on 17 Dec !!! We'll be glad she's back in the States for Christmas !!! Hope we can hook up with her soon !!!

THANKS to ALL of you that have read my thread, donated to her, and supported her with your thoughts and prayers !!! She TRULY is a Neat Kid, and she appreciates ALL the feedback she's received !

I'm SO thankful that all y'all have embraced her, too !!! :D


Stoplight...

i would say that one year of service faithfully completing her contract in the education of children who have much less opportunity available than we, in conditions many folks would sometimes consider primitive, uncomfortable, even threatening is a substantial sacrifice and enormous commitment.

although i am sure that 'the kid' would be the first to tell you that she got out of it way more than she put in, that is how those things usually go. what strength and depth of experience that must give her to carry forward on her next path, that's something you can hang your hat on. well done.
 
i would say that one year of service faithfully completing her contract in the education of children who have much less opportunity available than we, in conditions many folks would sometimes consider primitive, uncomfortable, even threatening is a substantial sacrifice and enormous commitment.

although i am sure that 'the kid' would be the first to tell you that she got out of it way more than she put in, that is how those things usually go. what strength and depth of experience that must give her to carry forward on her next path, that's something you can hang your hat on. well done.


WOW !!! Thanks, Burro, for a thoughtful post !!! No hat to hang here, though...we're just a minor stop, along her journey !!! :D

You're right...she says she got WAY more out of the whole experience ! OTOH, being the cynic that I am, and from my conversations with her, she also got exposed to the bad side of ADULT human behavior....power struggles, taking advantage of people, etc etc...the heck with the children !

It's just NOT RIGHT, in her mind, or in mine...but that's ALSO a "Life Lesson" she's learned...unfortunately...

She's now smarter, and can recognize when she, and the kids, are being "played"...

DANG !!! I DON'T want to get on her "bad" side !!! :D


Stoplight...
 
i would say that one year of service faithfully completing her contract in the education of children who have much less opportunity available than we, in conditions many folks would sometimes consider primitive, uncomfortable, even threatening is a substantial sacrifice and enormous commitment.

although i am sure that 'the kid' would be the first to tell you that she got out of it way more than she put in, that is how those things usually go. what strength and depth of experience that must give her to carry forward on her next path, that's something you can hang your hat on. well done.

What he said; except that I'd like to believe that the kids got more out of it. That's the basis of what it means to give service, or to be a good servant. Which, I believe she did, and is.
 
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Wow Stoplight, I know she'll never forget her year there and the life lessons she learned that she didn't know she was going to learn. So on to the next stage in her life, it's bound to get better. As for me and mine, we serve the Lord too. Daughter of one of my cousins is headed to Peru next, to serve for a year. Just dawned on me there may be a connection there. I need to investigate further on my family extended side, I don't get together with the cousins often, much too much geographic distance between here and mid-continent where the cousins live.
 
Starting my EOY re-balance, in light of my interpretation of where we’re at, going forward...

FINALLY sold my “mad money” UVXY that was held since early October...patience, in this case, paid off.... ~ 12% on 2 lots, but what a wild ride !!! This volatility is killing my Buy and Hold portfolio !!! :eek:

Probably will bite the bullet and dump my NUGT, just to clear the books for a new year...

Sold our Pepco (POM) today, after the EOY ex div date...it’s had a nice dividend, and I benefitted from the jump in stock price with the proposed merger with Execlon (EXC),

BUT....EXC paying a much lower dividend, merger running into political headwinds, and what I’m reading sez that a Fed rate increase will hit utilities... Besides, it was one of the few stocks we own that was in the green today !!!

Will look at all my bond holdings tomorrow...


Stoplight...
 
For those following my posts about the Grand-Niece, Sonja, and her 1-year teaching mission in Peru :

I was surprised this morning to get a text from her !!! She was back in the good ole U.S. of A., and was catching her next flight from Florida to Northern Virginia (NOVA), and Fiance James !!! :eek: They'll head for KY, and she'll be "home for Christmas" !!!

I thought she was flying home tomorrow, but the Wife said "Nope..you're a Dumb A.." Guess she's right !!! :D

Sonja cracked me up !!! Said her checked bag was just under the 50 lb limit, but her carry-on weighed 400 lbs !!! :D She said the School did a very nice party for her...I'll be curious to get more details !!! They are gonna MISS that Kid, and vice versa !!!

Anyway...it's good to know she's back in the States...

THANKS TO All who have supported her, in the ways that you did !!!


Stoplight...
 
All,

I'm not comfortable with the way the New Year has started...going to cash in on a few buy-and-hold portions of our portfolio...looking at dividend payment based on my buy-in price, and my ROI (per Quicken).

Sold my last QRVO semiconductor holding...good bye, Little Engine That Did (for me) !!! Sold my tiny Chemours (CC) holding that I got from the spin-off from DuPont...FINALLY bit the bullet and sold all my NUGT...WHEW !!! The loss was huge, but what a relief to get that one off my books !!! "YTD Realized Gains" in Quicken is red, red, red...will NEVER recoup THAT blunder this year !!! :eek:

Oil price killing my BP and BPT...hanging on for now...still paying better than the Credit Union !!! :eek:

Foray into Apple and Disney killing me...but I DID like the new "Star Wars" movie !!! :D

Next target sell is a regional bank, BBT...will probably sell after ex div date in mid-Feb...ROI 15%...

"Stars" of the portfolio have been Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS)...and Con Agra Foods (CAG) ! DPS a 4.3% dividend ; CAG a 3.8% dividend, based on my buy-in price. Time to take some off the table ??? Hmmmm....

Bond funds have been a mixed bag...ROI leader is PRULUX and USIBX...

Sooo...what to do with the cash ??? I'm intrigued by the performance of a PIMCO fund I own...PONDX ; "Income Fund"...pays monthly ; ROI of 15% on my buy-in ; paid 8.3% dividend last year, and 6.2% so far this year...

I hope all y'all make great investment decisions in 2016 !!!


Stoplight...
 
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