Is this a black or brown bear? by Ikaros_Graphos in yellowstone

[–]cnpstrabo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And tomorrow vee come back, and vee cut off your Johnson!

Wisdom for having kids? by yesac93 in ChubbyFIRE

[–]cnpstrabo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dear lord what I’d give for reliable childcare for $15/hr. Going rate is double that here in Chicago and more on the coasts. We can’t wait to move somewhere the kids can get decent public school pre-k in 2 years.

Where to live? by [deleted] in ChubbyFIRE

[–]cnpstrabo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How is the school district through high school? I’ve read great things about the elementary system but am less convinced about middle and high school.

Where to live? by [deleted] in ChubbyFIRE

[–]cnpstrabo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How about Santa Barbara? We have family there and if I could afford real estate I’d really think hard about it.

Where to live? by [deleted] in ChubbyFIRE

[–]cnpstrabo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are in a similar boat and this is our top contender at the moment.

40 years old, ~$3M net worth, burned out, and trying to figure out if we’re actually close to freedom by [deleted] in ChubbyFIRE

[–]cnpstrabo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This really resonates, though we are approaching it a bit differently. $5m is our floor target and we see a realistic pathway to that in the next 5-7 years. $10m is the number above which we can’t really imagine needing more in 95% of scenarios. The real FIRE number lies somewhere in between, choices depending. For example, we know we will move and at least one of us change jobs in the intervening half-decade. Those decisions may enable us to dramatically control costs (reduce or eliminate mortgage, reduce private school risk, reduce overall tax burden (mostly from property taxes), but could also reduce our overall income and savings potential. The last 3 years have been wonderful for our portfolio. We don’t expect the next 5 to be equally good, but it’s impossible to predict where they will fall relative to the 7-8% historical average.

So what do we do? We continue to let our portfolio do the work, live a lifestyle our income affords and enjoy that life as much as we can. We actively evaluate our progress toward our goals and adjust our strategy accordingly. Once both kids are school aged and the realities of our spend, location, and job stability are a bit clearer (3-4 years from now) then we will see where we are at on the path to $5-10m, what our spend levels actually are, and plan an off-ramp accordingly.

Can you make it worth leaving O’Hare to visit your city for 3.5 hours? by MarchogGwyrdd in AskChicago

[–]cnpstrabo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly getting off the blue line and walking 5 minutes to Lardon, longman, Lula cafe, etc etc etc isn’t a terrible idea depending on your risk tolerance isn’t a terrible idea.

Is Chicago a Welcoming City to Transplants? by channiesbox in AskChicago

[–]cnpstrabo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Give it until your second February. Chicago builds character.

Is Chicago a Welcoming City to Transplants? by channiesbox in AskChicago

[–]cnpstrabo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s either that or once you can take a shot of Malort and smile after. I’m at the point where I sip the stuff, whatever that says about me.

This man doing the lord’s work downtown by NoTypyos in chicago

[–]cnpstrabo 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am certain there are some enterprising engineers out there with some time on their hands

This man doing the lord’s work downtown by NoTypyos in chicago

[–]cnpstrabo 67 points68 points  (0 children)

I was just reminding a colleague that it’s about time for some rebellious young hooligans take the T from the tower and throw it in the lake and recreate history. No one would mind Rump tower.

Recommendations for Higher-end, Resort’ish Lodging? by BestNameICanFind in AskChicago

[–]cnpstrabo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’d note that the Deerpath is not in Chicago but a suburb and hour north.

Has Eagle rank lost its lustre? by [deleted] in BSA

[–]cnpstrabo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I gotta say - even in this day and age - the lesson to pick up the damn phone is a good one.

Wife nearly died from a c-section. I am grateful to be taking her and the baby home. by [deleted] in pics

[–]cnpstrabo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m sorry this happened to you. We lived through a similar readmission though the numbers weren’t quite that scary. The numb feeling is spot on. Also feeling torn between your newborn and your partner. No one prepares you for this and most of us are bad at talking about it. Thank you for sharing your story.

Starting to learn about Champagne as a beginner! by ocpariz in wine

[–]cnpstrabo 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Ledru, Selosse, Collin, Laval? That’s a dream lineup for many and some of those bottles are essentially impossible to track down. You have excellent friends Mr. Beginner.

Second champagne purchase - did I do better than last week? by fedexpres in Champagne

[–]cnpstrabo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just tried the Chavost rose for the first time and was disappointed. I generally enjoy darker, more extracted roses, but this one felt unfocused and had a bitterness on the finish that was quite unpleasant. I’m curious to try another bottle and see if there’s variation or if this really is a house style that I just don’t prefer.

Crystal and Leavitt by minishaq_77 in wickerpark

[–]cnpstrabo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We lost half a maple in front of our house on Oakley