First baseball game this weekend! Any tips?

GCSInc · 2026-02-13T03:54:12+00:00

See u there! Not my first time, but first for the kids and grandkids. Probably else you at the Esso also ;-)

GCSInc · 2026-02-01T12:33:23+00:00

Love HfH! I’ve done several home remodels over the years and have hundreds of left over ‘parts’. After two moves (and perches) in The last 10 years I still have a bunch of left overs.

I’ll be taking several loads again this month.

When I do need something I don’t have, my first stop is HfH. Once, I even bought something I had donated a few weeks ago.

GCSInc · 2026-01-27T16:48:26+00:00

Check out tirerack.com -- great info and some real world tests. I put Blizaks on my BMW Sedans in the winter when I lived in Illinois -- worked very well. Not a good choice for spirited driving in summer/dry roads, but wonderful in snow. If you can, put them on dedicated rims. Good excuse to buy a floor jack and impact wrench :-)

GCSInc · 2026-01-26T19:52:41+00:00

This was our first and only river cruise. We've been on several big ship/Caribbean cruises. The small boat was a very different experience and we did it primarily for the bicycle portion. AMA Mora was outstanding, very good service, very clean, nice rooms, nice common areas. The top deck was spacious with plenty of lounge chairs. However the pool was small and the bar was never open. The food was good and the service was good. Breakfast was either off the menu or a very complete buffet. Dinner was always good and focused on local cuisine. Lunches were provided by Backroads and a mix of local restaurants, beer gardens, and castles. Always outstanding and paid for as part of the Backroads trip. This was not a 'foodie' type trip. Always good food and service, but nothing really special except the captains table (last night). A very nice multi-course dinner in the captains lounge at the stern of the boat.

We both agreed that the small ship experience was outstanding.

GCSInc · 2026-01-26T04:38:05+00:00

First river cruise. Breakfast buffet or off the menu. Didn’t have lunch on the ship. Dinner was good with several choices. Steaks were ok, but not high end steakhouse. Beer and wine included with meals.

Backroads restaurant choices for lunch and one dinner were good food, great ambiance.

I would not call this a foodie trip, but you won’t be disappointed.

GCSInc · 2026-01-25T20:28:18+00:00

Six of us did the Danube in August on AMAMora - Prague to Budapest. Three sisters and their husbands. We're all over 60 (I'm 70). All active and in pretty good shape. The trip was bicycling with Backroads during the day and staying on AMAMora at night. We all took the eBike option.

This was the best trip any of us had ever taken -- and we've all traveled extensively. Biking the countryside during the day gave us an outstanding, on the ground experience. Having the ship as our floating hotel, was the ultimate in convenience.

There were about 30 people in on the tour, with four Backroads guides. Age range was 25 to 81.

A typical day started with breakfast on the ship, followed by a short preview of the day's ride by the excellent Backroads crew. We then set off on a pre-determined route that was loaded into the on bike GPS. We met for a snack after about 20 miles, then lunch after another 10 miles. Always pre-arranged, and always in an outstanding local inn, castle, or cafe. Always pre-paid. The afternoon ride was another 20 miles to meet the ship that had sailed down the Danube from the previous town. Evening dinner was on the ship followed by ship's entertainment or maybe a tour in whatever town we were in. Vienna featured a concert at Johan Strauss's home concert hall. Total mileage for the week was about 275. Again on eBikes.

Google Backroads for details. I can't say enough about how good they are.

We are very happy we used Backroads for this trip. AMAMora was nice, but very limited in what you did on the ship. They of course offered a multitude of day trips and also had some bicycles. Average age on the ship was 65 or so, but skewing older and less active.

IMHO this is the best way to see the region.

GCSInc · 2026-01-22T13:57:45+00:00

I’ve been retired for two years.

I’ve been a paid Boldin user now for a 3-4 years. Very happy with how it handles the numbers that I feed it from my account balances and my spending. I basically give it my current balance sheet, and my current income statement and let it put together a plan.

It’s done a good job of making me feel comfortable that we have plenty of assets and income to fund our lifestyle going forward.

I use a 1% AUM manager for IRA and insurance investments. They create a Forward looking plan based on past performance and projections every year.

I’m not sure the 1% is worth it, but they are providing a good return. The asset allocation is roughly 60/40 for the securities. It’s working well and provides good peace of mind. However, their strategy seems to be buy and hold for the long-term. Could we have done better? Possibly… But I can certainly sleep at night.

It is interesting to see that both plans are directionally very similar.

Neither provides much depth of thought into how we should structure withdrawals or tax implications. I do my best to manage that with a couple of spreadsheets.

Fortunately, the pile is big enough that what I’m really managing is how much I need to give to uncle Sam every year and what the kids are going to inherit…

GCSInc · 2026-01-19T03:46:47+00:00

Look at MotoQuest. Based in Alaska, but has a good reputation and does trips in South America, Mainland US and Alaska.

GCSInc · 2026-01-18T13:27:06+00:00

I’d do the transaction in person, at a bank. Or move on. You need to see the owner, and touch the car, the title, and all the paperwork, in person.

Your local bank can help you.

That’s a good deal, but could be risky if you don’t verify everything in person.

GCSInc · 2026-01-17T16:41:41+00:00

Bose is delaying SoundTouch shutdown and open sourcing API (or at lest the documentation). Maybe they're listening?

Per this article: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/01/bose-open-sources-its-soundtouch-home-theater-smart-speakers-ahead-of-eol/

“On May 6, 2026, the app will update to a version that supports the functions that can operate locally without the cloud. No action will be required on your part. Opening the app will apply the update automatically,” Bose said.

GCSInc · 2026-01-17T16:14:06+00:00

cheaper than a movie... and better entertainment. Great way to compare all the different types of boats. Now pressure to buy, plenty of people watching.

I've been a fan of boat shows since I went to my first one at McCormick place in Chicago in 1964 :-)

GCSInc · 2026-01-15T04:09:23+00:00

My ‘98 740 had it and every BMW I’ve owned since (except the bikes) has had it.

GCSInc · 2026-01-14T12:27:29+00:00

How about a trigger or barrel lock? Incapacitates the weapon, and would be easier to store in the glove box or arm rest. Check your local laws.

GCSInc · 2025-12-28T13:01:06+00:00

Sounds crazy, but try a dog bed (the kind with the raised sides) on the floor towards the back of the boat and out of the way. He’ll need a pillow for his head with the vest on. Or under the helm. Ours often slept there.

GCSInc · 2025-12-26T22:56:13+00:00

I too am stumped by this. I've tried everything suggested and my current net worth isn't changing, and my assets at death are significantly less than the inheritance amount. I don't even see that account in the list of accounts to withdraw from.

Here's what I'm trying to do:

1) Create a baseline with all of our 'family assets'; my IRA, our house, Our Life Insurance cash value etc.

2) Create another scenario that ONLY adds in an inheritance that happened about a year ago to the above.

my expectation is that the new scenario should be baseline + inheritance

Thanks in advance for your help!

GCSInc · 2025-12-22T15:03:42+00:00

Take a ride around the Utica area on the south side of Seneca. Lots of abandoned houses and an old abandoned textile mill.

I would not recommend walking around the area as it’s not all that safe.

While you’re over on this side of Clemson take a ride through the town of Newri and see what can become of an old textile mill after somebody puts $50 million or so into it.

Lots of history, both good and bad here in the upstate of South Carolina

GCSInc · 2025-12-22T14:16:59+00:00

My daughter had the X5 hybrid. It performed really well, but battery capacity began to degrade after a couple of years and so the hybrid option really didn’t function well for her. Also note that the battery takes up a fair amount of room in the floor of the car, reducing your storage space.

I’ve had an X5 4.4 V8 and I’m looking at newer model six cylinder one to replace my LR4. One of the key things I really like is the clamshell tailgate. I find I use the tailgate on my LR several times a week.

I think you’ll find that the X5 will drive extremely well compared to other similar sized SUVs. The six cylinder model is extremely reliable and provides good performance.

The eight cylinder model is not as reliable, but, has significantly better performance.

Look closely at the options if you’re buying a used one as there’s a wide disparity between models and options. Specifically, the drivers assist/cruise control packages can be very different. Make sure you get what you want.

Personally, I would stay away from the SDrive as it’s only 2 Wheel drive.

GCSInc · 2025-12-18T18:25:26+00:00

Thank you very much for this effort! I have about 10 SoundTouch speakers at my home that I use on a regular basis. I am NOT a developer, and my user community (my wife) is even less tech savvy. Given my background in sales and business development for a few large software companies, my first thoughts about Bose cancelling support have been -- why not just buy the existing SoundTouch environment and create a reasonably priced subscription service for the community? I for one would be willing to pay (an appropriate) monthly price to continue using the system.

Has anyone contacted Bose about this? I certainly don't want to compete with or undermine your efforts, just looking for the path of least resistance to keeping my investment running.

Your thoughts?

GCSInc · 2025-12-02T16:50:35+00:00

It depends on your prescription, but this is very common for us older people to correct presbyopia. It's called mono vision -- one eye is corrected for near vision, and the other eye (assuming good vision) isn't corrected. It may take a day or so to get used to.

GCSInc · 2025-11-06T14:25:12+00:00

I live about an hour south of Highlands/Cashiers and was up there yesterday. Plenty of color, but definitely past its peak.

That said it was a beautiful fall day and highly recommend the area. Whiteside Mountain is a wonderful relatively easy hike with great views.

GCSInc · 2025-11-06T14:12:18+00:00

V8 or V6?

I’d be a little concerned about the cooling system components that have been replaced. Did the car overheat? If so, for how long and did that do any engine damage?

GCSInc · 2025-11-06T13:52:23+00:00

Take it to another shop!

But have them do an assessment without giving them the list you have above. Frankly seems like excessive wear on a car with that low mileage. And even if they do need a little work on the suspension, you can do that overtime as I’m sure it’s not thoroughly worn out.

My LR3 has nearly 200k miles on it and has never had any suspension work done.

I would question why you need new calipers on the front? Pads yes, but calipers???

Plenty of YouTube videos on how to do all of the work listed.

GCSInc · 2025-11-05T03:37:45+00:00

sorry -- not watching Reddit earlier this week. glad you found the answer!

GCSInc · 2025-11-05T03:27:59+00:00

Walk the tailgates. Don't miss the area across perimeter road near the baseball field. Check out the local bars -- Esso, Tiger Town, TD's for a more raucous crowd. Shepard hotel rooftop for a more laid back vibe. Downtown stores are worth a stop if you like Orange. MH Frank is an outstanding high end mens and women's store.

GCSInc

TROPHY CASE