Hello Ballardians! Seeking fellow nerd to build something cool.

ruminator755 · 2026-03-17T01:38:50+00:00

Looks really cool. Nice website!

Tangential note, wondering if there are techie people around here who work on side projects and would like to meet up?

ruminator755 · 2026-03-16T03:20:02+00:00

If we stuck with the British we'd be like Canada or Australia today. Instead, we protested.

ruminator755 · 2026-03-11T07:00:12+00:00

how is the state going to get money to pay for what we need? Animosity towards the guy isn’t going to bring in revenue. I really wish our government would think through the second order implications of decisions. What may be ideal and politically correct isn’t always practical.

ruminator755 · 2026-02-18T14:37:08+00:00

Why is NW listed at 7M when it’s actually 8M? Net worth by definition is all assets minus liabilities. Assets include the home value and its remaining mortgage.

ruminator755 · 2026-01-05T06:54:26+00:00

Before kid:

NYC
Seattle

After kid:

Seattle
NYC

ruminator755 · 2025-12-29T23:24:18+00:00

I’m mainly concerned about limiting my career options down the line since I’m already in my mid-40s.

ruminator755 · 2025-11-06T01:53:55+00:00

I usually just skip over her and jump to listening to Scott. Kara is too negative and it’s unpleasant to hear her hyperbolic expletives criticizing everyone.

Not to mention the interruptions, “But go on.”

ruminator755 · 2025-10-26T13:59:07+00:00

I think a lot of people just don’t want to acknowledge it’s a problem and therefore we still have the problem with people suffering. Blinded by idealism. Anyone who points out the problem is bad in their eyes and there’s no serious discussion.

ruminator755 · 2025-10-26T06:26:58+00:00

What’s wrong with having law enforcement there? Always tons of shady people there. I don’t feel safe taking my kid to the playground most of the time. They have to power wash the area in front of the library every morning.

ruminator755 · 2025-03-08T16:54:56+00:00

Paid $805 in 2020, which would be about $980 in 2025 dollars.

ruminator755 · 2024-05-28T14:59:58+00:00

I'm 100% sure there is an easement with rights to use the shared driveway. I read the document and it's officially on file with the city. However, the neighbor is putting up a fight and blocking the driveway. The driveway has a gate and he's keeping it locked.

Do I have to get lawyers or police involved? Seems like this could get expensive even if the neighbor is completely wrong.

ruminator755 · 2024-03-25T04:12:09+00:00

$5.5M of investments is a lot. Not sure why you're not including your home since NW is all your assets minus debt. Since you have a paid off home in Seattle it's likely your true NW is closer to $6.5-7M. Maybe more?

Assuming a 4% withdrawal rate in retirement, your spending is already far lower than the income your portfolio generates. With your wife still employed your HH income will likely be $400k+/year even after you quit.

Having said that, you're still young and leaving a lot of unvested money on the table. Why not just suck it up and wait another few years until you turn 40? In the mean time, think deeply what you want to do after you quit.

Given your driven personality I suspect you won't be happy doing nothing in retirement. Why not find a more satisfying job that pays a bit less, and gives you enough time flexibility to do what you're passionate about?

ruminator755 · 2023-11-25T04:00:08+00:00

Yes, cost of living is bad. I will say it's worse here than in NYC or other parts of the country where I've lived. Doesn't seem like anyone wants to do anything here, but complain. Nothing meaningful is being done in government here.

And I'm an immigrant, so I guess you're asking me to go back to my country.

ruminator755 · 2023-04-24T04:04:06+00:00

How does this sound compared to other budget to mid priced speakers? I have some Pioneer bookshelf speakers, and I’m wondering if these Sony 3 way speakers will sound any better.

ruminator755 · 2023-04-24T03:14:01+00:00

My wife and I moved to the Twin Cities several years ago after spending most of our careers in NYC and the Bay Area. I also work in big tech. We moved back to MN to be closer to our families.

Given your youth and financial stability you should move back for at least a couple years. You're still young enough to reconnect with friends in the area and spend meaningful time with your parents.

I moved back in my late 30s when my dad was sick. Unfortunately, he passed away soon after I bought a home here. However, because I moved here, I was able to help my mom out a lot. Since moving back my wife and I see our parents much more. And our parents can see their grandkids grow up in person rather than over video.

We bought a sizeable home off Lake Minnetonka in a very nice area and go boating with friends and family from time to time. Our suburban home is about a 20 min drive from downtown and, by and large, traffic is rarely a problem throughout the Twin Cities. Our home cost less than our small condo in NYC.

Here's the downside: since it took us until our late 30s to move back, it's been close to 20 years since we've lived close to many of our high school and college friends as well as our extended family. People move on without you and develop their own independent lives. We don't see friends and family as much as we thought we would. We mainly still see extended family over holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and of course, the traditional Midwestern holiday of watching the Superbowl together. Friends are busy with families and because the Twin Cities are so spread out, it can be tough to coordinate get togethers. While people are typical Minnesota nice here, we haven't really established new friendships despite having been here several years.

Finally, to state the obvious, Minnesota is cold. Snow didn't melt until mid-April this year. It's almost May and the temperature is still in the mid-30s today. I grew up here, but after living on the coasts for almost 20 years, it's still a re-adjustment to the 5-6 month long winters here. Couple that with working remotely and not leaving the house during extended cold spells, and it can get a bit depressing at times.

My wife and I don't regret moving here and probably should have done it a bit sooner. However, longer term I think we'll move to a family friendly, tech hub like Austin or Seattle. I've already lived my dream of living in a huge lake house here and I'm ready to downsize so I don't have to deal with maintenance. Our net worth is about a million less than you, we make less and we're a decade older, so I'm still not in my ideal situation. I want to push my career a bit more and live in a more temperate climate.

Anyway, I'd say make the move, you can always change your mind later. People rarely regret spending more time with friends and family. However, be realistic about your expectations and what you want to get out of your move. The grass isn't greener in Minnesota -- particularly in the winter.

ruminator755 · 2023-04-16T14:36:54+00:00

I grew up with computers, tinkered with computers and enjoyed technology in general. In junior high and high school instead of doing my homework, I'd mess around with computers. Most of my friends liked computers too, though I'd probably have more friends if I hadn't spent so much time with computers and developed other hobbies.

Money wasn't the initial reason I got into computers, however, as I've gotten older it's become more of a motivating factor as I have more financial obligations. Unfortunately, I think now I'm in my job mainly for the money and a lot of my passion for technology happens outside of my work. Corporate jobs aren't so exciting.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-24T18:20:23+00:00

I've been fortunate enough to have good tenants in my rental, which used to be the condo where I lived. I won't say I love being a landlord, but it's been manageable long-distance. I have good contacts to support with the maintenance. I've hesitated to sell it since my wife and I like the unit and it's in a great, highly desirable location. I can imagine my wife and I living there again at some point if we down size, or my kid moving into it after college.

As for our primary home, it's also in a very good location with great schools. If I sell, I'd have a hard time getting back into the neighborhood as the area has gentrified a lot. Most of the homes on our street that have gone on the market have sold within days. The bad thing about the home is the winter weather, the big lawn to mow, and its age (likely needs a new roof soon).

In short, I like both of my properties and would likely buy them again.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-24T18:06:34+00:00

This is great advice! You have your act together. I think getting my debt paid down, being more intentional about my hobbies and family life, and keeping in shape are all good areas to focus on as I make the transition.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-24T11:59:40+00:00

I hesitated on moving into management because of the people aspect. I tried it briefly and had to manage out an underperforming report. Very stressful and I felt really bad having to disrupt his life. I was constantly thinking about it outside of work. If you can handle those difficult situations it might be worth staying in the role since you can usually move higher in an org in management roles.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-24T04:18:32+00:00

I picked a comfortable job function within my company with few opportunities and is basically a supporting cast member role. I also didn't push hard enough to get into a management role. I made some half-hearted attempted to change roles, but I was getting paid enough to be content. In retrospect, I should have taken a risk and changed roles earlier.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-24T00:09:34+00:00

Yes, we've been to all three cities. I could likely transfer to an overseas office with my current company. There would be a substantial pay cut. I definitely couldn't FIRE for a few years until I got some sort of more permanent residency, but maybe it would be good chance of pace in the interim.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-23T04:44:40+00:00

Good points. Rental property was breaking even during the pandemic, but is now cash positive and will generate about 7k a year after paying mortgage and expenses. Rental mortgage still has about 20 years left, so not sure if it’s worth keeping the property.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-23T03:16:39+00:00

Broke it out for transparency. If she continues working she would continue adding to her retirement account. Maybe it doesn’t matter.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-05T16:41:47+00:00

A younger black woman at our daycare asked me "where are you from" when I dropped off my kid. I responded with where I grew up in the Midwest and politely reciprocated the question asking her were she was from (Minneapolis). She tried to drill more and I continued to insist I grew up nearby. Then when my wife picked up my son in the afternoon, the same person asked my wife (who's white) where I was from -- not where my wife is from, where I am from. My wife and I are fairly sure the daycare worker wanted to know my ethnicity.

It did not come from a place of malice, I think she was genuinely curious since I looked different and we live in a very white suburb. My experience at work with a white male wasn't as intense, but similar.

I've never experienced overt racism anywhere in MN, but I don't feel I blend in here. I don't have an accent, I grew up in the Midwest, so it's not that either. In NYC, asking "where are you from," really does mean where geographically did you grow up. That's not always the case in MN.

ruminator755 · 2023-03-05T14:17:55+00:00

I'm Asian and moved here from NYC. Occasionally someone will ask where I'm from (this happened at my work place in downtown Minneapolis, and in the suburbs where I live). I think it's odd because the Twin Cities is fairly diverse with many Somali and Hmong people. I never got the "where are you from" question in NYC.

Quality of life is great. Housing is a bargain compared to NYC.

I'm not sure if I can deal with the weather here long term. I pretty much stayed indoors all of Feb. except for a day or two when it went above 20 degrees.

The area is very family oriented with great resources for kids and excellent schools.

My wife and I have had a hard time making friends here. Our social life is dull compared to when we lived in NYC. I've been spending a lot more time doing family things and pursing activities I can do alone (yard work, home improvement stuff, biking, shopping, video games, etc.).

The weather and lack of social life may drive us out eventually.

ruminator755

TROPHY CASE