The investment..speculation, out right gambling thread

Parent Cafe
7561

<p>See. I can’t even spell Bentley. Lol</p>

7562

<p>So how many thrills have you gotten as a result of the pool? (Let’s see: you almost drowned, and…)</p>

<p>Maybe you should have stuck with the Bentley? :)</p>

<p>(Congrats on your d!)</p>

7563

<p>Thanks…For real…</p>

<p>The first time I jumped in the pool that I paid for and put in was an incredible high. Incredible. My parents had to count pennies. Actually, when I first started trading my wealth was in a coffee can.</p>

<p>Swimming naked in my own pool while a neighborhood tried to watch was a high. Ok. He wasn’t looking at me. Lol</p>

<p>Watching my kids swim was a big high… Not as big a high as the first time I jumped into the pool.</p>

<p>What did you buy for yourself mini that gave you a high?</p>

<p>Edit… I almost drowned in a river on one of my first dates with my future wife.</p>

7564

<p>I just signed up for a membership at the local Y. We get to use the pool and then clean it and keep it warm and provide lifeguards.</p>

7565

<p>Oh, yes! A veena!!! Not my first one, which was chosen for me by my teacher. My second one. A full concert instrument! I got to try it unfinished. I was in love! It was finished badly. But I LOVED it anyway! Oh, did I love it. <a href=“http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_keBP_r7LP6k/TN60iiuepJI/AAAAAAAAAME/ZB_jhm9rNNc/s1600/Image2460.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anuragwatercolor.blogspot.com/2010/11/veena.html&h=1047&w=1480&sz=172&tbnid=PXJYlRQNdXoFkM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=116&zoom=1&usg=__lgJ5uVdKAjrnmWrwRWnoMVhWpiY=&docid=aBWZhpxcbVMBnM&sa=X&ei=-D2YUfHuIs7q0QGIt4CoAQ&ved=0CEcQ9QEwBw&dur=199[/url]”>http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_keBP_r7LP6k/TN60iiuepJI/AAAAAAAAAME/ZB_jhm9rNNc/s1600/Image2460.jpg&imgrefurl=http://anuragwatercolor.blogspot.com/2010/11/veena.html&h=1047&w=1480&sz=172&tbnid=PXJYlRQNdXoFkM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=116&zoom=1&usg=__lgJ5uVdKAjrnmWrwRWnoMVhWpiY=&docid=aBWZhpxcbVMBnM&sa=X&ei=-D2YUfHuIs7q0QGIt4CoAQ&ved=0CEcQ9QEwBw&dur=199&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’m trying hard to think of anything else, but nothing comes to mind. (I’ve never spent much on myself, and certainly nothing that would give me a high, except things that would give me a high, and that’s for another thread.) I got a high last month buying a car…but it was for a friend who really needed it. My wife is the same. We don’t do presents - for birthdays, anniversaries, mothers day or fathers day, Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanzaa or Tamil New Year, and haven’t for 30 years. My wife found a food processor that the Iraqi refugee who lives with us really enjoys, and I like the baklava and bourak that results…</p>

<p>(I understood, and understand, the pool thing…really!)</p>

7566

<p>It was an incredible high. It was a total body and mind experience. My wife had it too.</p>

<p>Now years later, I hated the pool. Echhhh. </p>

<p>Looking back. Now that I don’t own a pool by myself, the pool was worth it. It bas been a positive for all my kids. We had great parties. For my youngest alone, the pool was worth it.</p>

7567

<p>Now I have to look up what a veena is. </p>

<p>Mini, we have some similarities.
I own so little now.
I don’t want any presents. We don’t go crazy on holidays buying stuff. I didn’t buy my kids anything for hanukah… Etc.</p>

7568

<p>What I wouldn’t give, to be a champion swimmer. I hate even putting my head under the water. Very impressive to have ones child do so well.</p>

<p>There are very few possessions that I care about or covet, perhaps I’m wearing the only two that I do… My wedding ring and a necklace from Tel Aviv. But paying so much for education is painful, even if you appreciate the product, unless you are very wealthy.</p>

7569

<p>Now I have two veenas gathering dust. In a room with 114 tomato plants. Also an Irish folk harp (for sale!), a flute, an oboe, couple of violins, and who knows what else?</p>

<p>Every year, I ask for the same birthday present. I want my friends to come to my house and take stuff, and I shouldn’t have to decide what it is they take. Never got it. I’m going to Angie’s List to see whether I can hire a thief.</p>

<p>I am and always have been very wealthy, even when I’ve had no money. Oh, perhaps not the 20 minutes when I was dead, but… (Actually, I was pretty rich then, too, as I had no desires…)</p>

7570

<p>I got no satisfaction paying for the education. My daughter was waffling between Wash and Mich the day before the deadline. I told my daughter, “If you are not sure., let’s fly to Seattle right now. Let’s go. Washington costs 50,000 more so you better be sure”. </p>

<p>My daughter said, “I want to go to Michigan”.</p>

<p>Ok…</p>

<p>I do like Michigan.</p>

7571

<p>And Washington would definitely not be worth more than Michigan, certainly not 50K. No way. I hope she graduates soon. Mine graduates tomorrow, thank God!</p>

7572

<p>My kids didn’t waffle at all, and we could afford them both (thank you, financial aid goddesses), so there wasn’t any drama, and great satisfaction all around.</p>

<p>And both schools delivered far more than we could have ever imagined. We are tremendously grateful, and yes, it was a thrill to pay the bills. Actually, my wife wrote all the checks, but I made sure she told me when, so I could do the little happy dance.</p>

7573

<p>Well mini, i looked up veenas.</p>

<p>What is taking you so long to give things away? </p>

<p>After, we sold our house, we rented. My agent wanted to sell me rental insurance. $50,000 coverage. I do own a couple of tvs. I said, “Are you kidding? I have about 10,000 worth of stuff. My wife’s engagement ring is 9,000 of 10,000. I gave everything away.”</p>

<p>The agent couldn’t believe it. This is Marin County. </p>

<p>To be honest, we did buy a place. It is pretty nice but not up to Southern Marin standards. It is nice. We have some furniture.</p>

<p>My sister came over and said, “where is your stuff? It is empty in here.” Lol</p>

<p>“I am and always have been very wealthy, even when I’ve had no money. Oh, perhaps not the 20 minutes when I was dead, but…”</p>

<p>That is my attitude without the dead part. Lol</p>

7574

<p>“What is taking you so long to give things away?”</p>

<p>People keep giving us stuff - they think I know how to put everything to good use.</p>

<p>Somebody gave me two atrocious stone bears for a silent auction. To my shock, they sold. $10. But the person (a friend) did pay for them, but never picked them. Sell them again. So I did, $10 each. The person paid, and never picked them up. I put them out at a silent auction last Tuesday. $20 each. I think they’re gone now, but one never knows…</p>

<p>People give me musical instruments (now I;m on the board of an organization that provides intensive music instruction to at-risk kids, so they are handy - but there weren’t for many years), a first edition signed of Roger Torrey Peterson’s 1934 Guide to Birds (my bird list is pigeon, pigeon, pigeon, and pigeon), weird, awful amateur paintings that a friend painted but was never able to sell in a decade (I not only sold them, but the buyer liked one so much he is using the picture on the cover of his next book), well, you get the picture. </p>

<p>I bless things on their journey.</p>

<p>Anyone got any steel molds for BioSand filter fabrication in Uganda? (By the way, I put that out into the universe, and I think I’m being given one - but I need six. I put that out in my universe of thought on Thursday night. On Friday, in the morning, an Irish group sent me an e-mail - they want to give me enough money for three (they didn’t know about my need._)In the afternoon, a group I haven’t heard from in two years contacted me to say they wanted to put a little money to good work, though they didn’t know where. Thank you.</p>

<p>Now I need three latrines for a school in Nakaseke. Girls are leaving school because they have no place to go to the bathroom. I haven’t materialized that one yet. </p>

<p>They’re coming, though. My world is filled with angels. Not investment, speculation, or gambling. Angels. I’m just moving the energy around.</p>

7575

<p>Michigan was 50,000 more. That is why I told my daughter we would fly to Seattle immediately to make sure her choice wasn’t Wash. I was trying to save 50,000.</p>

<p>Michigan was great for her. The weather sucks.</p>

<p>" Actually, my wife wrote all the checks, but I made sure she told me when, so I could do the little happy dance."</p>

<p>I guess i don’t get this but that is ok. As long as you get it and you do.</p>

<p>I guess you are really doing the dance about the education or opportunities and not about the money.</p>

7576

<p>Sorry mini, I can’t help you there. No steel molds.</p>

7577

<p>“I guess you are really doing the dance about the education or opportunities and not about the money.”</p>

<p>Both! The education and opportunities, and the fact that we could pay for it! (Remember that during my older one’s undergrad years, my wife had an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer, and after that, I died.)</p>

<p>Here’s how we build 'em: <a href=“http://biosandfilters.info/technical/video-how-build-steel-mold[/url]”>http://biosandfilters.info/technical/video-how-build-steel-mold&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>With one of these babies, I can teach people to build one filter a day, to provide enough clean water for a family for 30 years. Pretty cool!</p>

7578

<p>“They’re coming, though. My world is filled with angels. Not investment, speculation, or gambling. Angels.”</p>

<p>I can’t say the same. I am trying to get rid of the negatives of my life. I just dumped a friend of over 40 years. I just had enough negativity. As you know mini, we aren’t living forever. I want to cut as much negativity out of my life as I can; although attitude comes from within. I just don’t want fo surround myself with negatvity anymore.</p>

7579

<p>Ok mini, i edited my post at 8:30. I get the education and opportunities. I u derstand you now.</p>

<p>Ok. I will check out your link.</p>

7580

<p>I figured out, perhaps later than I would have preferred, that if we learn to trust our better natures, people will naturally come to trust us. People have trouble being negative around me (or more likely, I’ve learned not to notice. ;)) Maybe I’m just speculating…:)</p>

<p>We found a Rotary guy in rural Uganda. It turns out, he is also a welder. He is absolutely THRILLED to be making these for us!</p>

<p>(I’m living for a very long time. My wife came to me this morning, amused by the current stock market move and asked when she could retire. “This afternoon,” I said. “You can be a travel nurse, and I’ll split my time between India and Burundi.” Really?" she asked. “Really,” I said. “But do we have enough?” “We’ve always had enough, dear, we just have to decide that we have enough…And ditch the dog.”</p>

<p>As I said, I am very, very wealthy.</p>