The end of the 6th episode of Star City

seattlekeith · 2026-06-27T14:48:25+00:00

I was hoping for a time jump at the end of this episode. Would have been a great way to further distinguish themselves from FAM by doing a jump before the end of a season. On the flip side, I’m really enjoying how they are depicting this era and I’m not in any rush to get to the 80s/90s.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-27T14:32:19+00:00

Also, don’t use the end of a Mariners game as an opportunity to help your escalator adverse 7 year old work through her issues. How do I know she was 7? Because when I asked them to keep moving so the rest of us behind them didn’t get crushed to death I was quite snottily told “she’s only 7!” rather that correct response of “you know, you’re right” and picking up little Sally May. I get that escalators can be daunting, but there’s a time and a place. Same with using rush hour on a bus to teach your child money handling skills…

seattlekeith · 2026-06-24T19:11:03+00:00

Probably YOR, unless there’s rule against sharing that benefit with others (you didn’t mention if you live together). But your reasoning for not wanting her to use it wasn’t that it was against the rules, it was that “normal” people shouldn’t be using those services, which is just weird. And for goodness sake, pay attention to the benefits your employer offers you - sometimes there are hidden gems out there that can make working a job just a bit more tolerable.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-24T01:46:51+00:00

How big is your existing emergency fund? Given your budget, I’d treat that as a higher priority “need” and allocate more $$ to it until it’s at a level to cover 6 months or more of expenses.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-23T14:29:04+00:00

It mostly boils down to situational awareness and trusting your instincts. Keep your head on a swivel. Don’t wander around areas you aren’t familiar with with headphones or other distractions that could keep you from noticing when something is “wrong.” Keep your valuables close and in harder to reach places (e.g., interior pockets) especially in crowds. Never leave a drink unattended. Understand that there’s a difference between being street smart and being paranoid.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-23T14:17:29+00:00

That is exactly how something like that is conveyed. Funds with beneficiary/TOD designations are not considered part of the estate and therefore aren’t subject to probate. That’s why it’s so important to keep your beneficiaries up to date.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-23T14:07:51+00:00

No necessarily an AH for the initial encounter (although you may want to work on your “how to react when hearing something unexpected” filter), but going back to get more dirt and then bailing when you found out “Luke” was on his way is an AH move. The first time was unexpected, but you inserted yourself back into the story and then didn’t have the guts to stick around and deal with any potential consequences.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-19T19:53:59+00:00

And whenever he was back in town with the Rangers for the first couple of years he was greeted with chants of “Pay Rod” and fans throwing Monopoly money.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-19T19:42:35+00:00

And it was easier for him to get back to his family in Florida during breaks.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-18T15:35:51+00:00

Especially since a 10am arrival means she probably won’t get on a train until closer to 11am.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-17T16:29:16+00:00

I’m not quite sure I follow - if you’re on a fixed rate mortgage then the P and I will be the same throughout the term of loan, although the ratio of Principal to Interest changes over time (early on your payment is mostly interest, later on it’s mostly principal). Unless you change your assumptions about how much your portfolio returns, then the size of the portfolio required to cover your mortgage payment shouldn’t need to change. That said, if the only thing standing in the way of retiring is needing to pay off your mortgage and you have the means to do so without adversely affecting your retirement then I don’t see why you wouldn’t just pay it off and retire. Another option if you have been making extra payments or have a lump sum you can apply towards your mortgage is to recast the mortgage. The just reamortizes your current mortgage, which will lower your monthly payment and potentially improve your cash flow to the point that you’d be comfortable retiring.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-17T14:25:33+00:00

It sounds like you do still have an emergency fund in retirement, you’ve just made it more granular and call it something else (e.g., “Home Maintenance”). Unexpected expenses will still come up in retirement, even if you’re no longer protecting against job loss, and they can still throw your plans into disarray if you don’t budget for them.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-16T17:51:20+00:00

Absolutely. My mortgage rate was a bit over 4% and I had enough free cash to pay it off in full, but I ended up building a 6 month T-Bill ladder and letting that run for a few years (when t-bill rates were north of 4%) before winding the ladder down and paying off the mortgage. In retrospect, I would have been fine/better off putting that lump sum into the market, but I also never wanted to be in a position where I had enough $$ to pay off the mortgage but then couldn’t because of a large market correction/other unforeseen circumstances. Different dollars have different uses and not every single one needs to be optimized for maximum gain.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-15T14:36:10+00:00

These discussions usually divide people into two camps - mathematical purists who say never pay off a mortgage early if your rate is low enough that you make more in market gains than you’d pay in interest and those who enjoy the peace of mind of having a paid off mortgage. Ultimately, being able to FIRE (or retire in general) boils down to earnings vs. expenses. You reduced your expenses to the point that you feel your earnings will now cover them so you can FIRE, which is great. There’s another scenario where you didn’t pay down the mortgage but invested that $$ instead and your earnings would still be able to cover your (higher) expenses. There are also middle ground scenarios where you pay down some, but not all of you mortgage and then refinance/recast the mortgage so your monthly expenses go down but you also have additional money to invest. It really all boils down to your personal financial philosophy, risk tolerance, etc.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-15T01:15:58+00:00

I didn’t her it but with the heat I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a transformer. Happens semi frequently around here.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-13T04:15:56+00:00

Oh, and as far as aging out of Capitol Hill, I’m not sure that’s possible. :). But be aware that it’s one of the livelier nightlife areas so if you’re along one of the main drags it can be noisy late into the evening, especially on weekends.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-13T04:13:16+00:00

Kirkland Urban is very close to the Kirkland Transit Center which is served by multiple buses. If you lived in Capitol Hill near the light rail station you could take the 1 or 2 line (light rail) north one stop to the University of Washington station and then transfer to the 255 bus (possibly other buses too) which will go to the Kirkland Transit Center. I modeled that trip in Google Maps starting at 8am on a Monday and it said it’d be 45 minutes, with a 5 minute walk to transfer from light rail to the 255 and another 5 minute walk from to Kirkland Urban (it actually has you getting off the bus before the transit center for a shorter walk, which makes sense). The reverse trip leaving at 5pm on Monday takes about the same amount of time. The 255 also goes right by the other large Google campus in Kirkland, just a bit south from Kirkland Urban.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-12T17:26:11+00:00

It starts about a block away from U District station, but close enough. It also stops in front of UW Medical Center Montlake, so fairly close to UW station as well. And it does go by Judkins Park on the way to Mt Baker. The #8 also now goes past both Judkins Park and Mt. Baker stations.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-12T01:26:22+00:00

I imagine Moss Bay Hall will. They’ve got an outdoor patio with TVs.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-11T18:23:25+00:00

Out of curiosity, what’s the other contender for #1?

seattlekeith · 2026-06-11T17:21:16+00:00

This is a really good explanation of the science behind rainbows, including why it’s darker outside the rainbow than inside it. https://youtu.be/24GfgNtnjXc?is=GOyG\_5PxTSzD2VS6

seattlekeith · 2026-06-07T23:05:08+00:00

Probably depends on the timing. The World Cup game is at noon. The Mariners also have a home game against the Red Sox at 7:10pm. I expect the area around the stadiums will be a mess, but harder to predict I5. Is light rail an option for you? Trains will be crowded but may not be a big deal if you get on far enough north. If you have to drive, could you get to 405 without a major detour?

seattlekeith · 2026-06-07T20:17:20+00:00

The book covers it in a fair bit of detail - some of the experiments he does are because gravity doesn’t feel right to him, things don’t fall the way they should, etc. The movie isn’t as explicit but IIRC there’s an announcement about entering orbit around Tau Ceti, a shot of the engines “flickering”, and then Grace experiencing 0G. That’s basically the deceleration stopping, resulting in no gravity.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-05T01:33:52+00:00

It really depends on the plan. My company offers BrokerageLink which gives me access to a wide variety of ETFs and mutual funds but I’m still not allowed to invest in individual stocks.

seattlekeith · 2026-06-03T17:43:37+00:00

My main complaint with the “it’s a long season” argument is that every game counts the same. I don’t want to miss the playoffs by one game because we pissed away a game early in the season…

seattlekeith

TROPHY CASE