The Changed Self

Watching the stock ticker climb. I fell from 253.53, or thereabouts. Buying one share at a time, the lowest was $206.83. 

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I "zero out" my account to $4,000.00 at the end of each month, or as soon thereafter as I close out any positions. It makes it easy to see how I've done. This month is $540.00 short as I transferred that amount to checking at mid-month.

This was a few dollars higher a few minutes ago. SOXL, as a 3x ETF, is highly volatile. It's early in the day and if I sold now my cash wouldn't "settle" soon enough for me to trade again until Monday; a limitation of low-budget trading.

But then....

From: Where the Wastleand Ends by Theodore Roszak

Cicadas & Scotties

 

It's a Jungian Thing

 

Carl Jung is credited with coining the term "serendipity." The scientists and card-counters'll tell you about odds, but I’ve seen too many “coincidences” to believe in happenstance.

Back in 2020 when hoarding toilet paper was de rigueur, I bought a bidet. It didn’t come with a dryer so I had to get used to a slight dampness “back there.” But it was no biggee.  

Now, after these five-plus years and having gained even more weight (actually, my arms shrank but that’s not politically correct), it’s gotten hard for me to reach my bum.

Back when I was camping I simply poured water over my backside in the manner of other peoples throughout the world. As it turned out, there was, serendipitously, a second, hand-held shower with a hose.

But the diverter wouldn’t turn. It was then our German-named Native-American housekeeper, Wilhelmina, came to the rescue.

She told how as a young girl the children had teased her about her name until she, crying, asked her mom for a different one. She told how her Grandfather took her aside and told how she was named for his mother’s mother, who was a very special woman. And from that, she knew how much she was appreciated.

Proud of my German heritage, I explained how the W (double-u) is pronounced as a V in German. Thus, we have Volksvagon and Verner Heisenburg and Vilhelmina. And Vilhelmina got Maintenance to come and turn the diverter. She said there were only two other rooms that have hoses: 116 and 121.

It's things like this, things not necessarily life-saving but that make a difference, that incline me to believe in serendipity…and maybe guardian angels.

Homeward Bound

I, my new wife and daughter, then 4 1/2, arrived from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in the summer of '76. Since then i'd driven west and back enough to recognize nearly every view and certainly every campsite of which there are only two or three. 

Laguna Pueblo sits perched on a hill overlooking the Rio San Jose - which actually had some water in it. Once an idyllic setting, interstate 40 now lends its presence, a testament to technological superiority.

Nearing Laguna

In the '90s there was a food truck at Laguna that had the best mutton burritos, a delicacy i never chanced upon in either Chicago or San Francisco. Now Laguna touts their burger; it's a White man's food. I've yet to try it.

La Posada

Ms. Cook

Patio Rooms are booked months in advance. Thus, when the front desk clerk said they'd had a cancellation, i knew we had to go. They're on a side where few people go so aside from the next-door neighbors, it's quiet.

A cat, with ears back. Snnnnaaaaaa!

Arrival in Winslow

We had a number of delays so missed our dinner reservation. Fortunately, I packed some leftover chicken, cheese and lettuce. We didn't starve.

Lower Level Coach

When we got there though, the sidewalk was being redone and was really rough. Fortunately, Ron, standing in the dark ahead of us, had a flashlight and came back to rescue us.

Andrea's Yard

Last summer i planted some cantaloupe. It was so phenomenally better than the stores' i ordered some melon & corn seeds from the seed bank in Arizona. 

When i ran out of room i went across the street and asked Andrea, who i'd never met before, if i could plant in her yard. She said yes!

This is a blue collar neighborhood. After a day of work, single women have no interest in landscaping. Andrea's 16-year-old son is too busy. She was willing to let me have at it. I made the sticks out of paint stirrers from Michelle's collection. Artists collect everything.