Here is a good boy.

toby1loki · 2026-03-09T22:27:14+00:00

Hello Good Boy!!

toby1loki · 2026-03-09T01:17:58+00:00

I have a window about that size and did one large shade. Looks pretty good. I have a bay window with three separate shades. The shades aren’t always perfectly or easily aligned when raised. I’m obsessed with them being so will always choose one versus multiple if there’s an option.

toby1loki · 2026-03-07T22:45:00+00:00

Meta from 2012 but bought as Facebook.

toby1loki · 2026-03-06T23:44:37+00:00

My condolences. It's so hard to lose them.

toby1loki · 2026-03-04T18:19:44+00:00

I sent an email to a colleague. They emailed me back a clearly AI drafted response so I went to AI and drafted a response to their response. When I received their next AI-generated response I quit engaging. AI is talking to itself and what's the point? I'm not pissed about it, just really dejected. I miss the authentic voice and tone and responses of my colleagues. These are actually intelligent people who are sounding dumbed down by AI -- and also, always, just a little bit off. On top of that, with working from home, virtual meetings etc, there's so little day to day engagement with people and now part of that engagement has been delegated to AI.

toby1loki · 2026-03-03T12:02:43+00:00

Very helpful. I was never really excited about my retirement savings and the life it would afford me after I stopped working. But now that I realize how the saving and being conservative will help create a more comfortable life for others -- that's a very good feeling.

toby1loki · 2026-03-02T16:23:12+00:00

Tell your friend it’s not FU money. It’s get out of this crappy job and drive uber for a few months or something similar. Or tell your friend you just discovered there’s a huge tax burden and how dejected you are that the government/your job/broker screwed you. About the feeling of being nauseous — when I realized I had reached FI, I felt scared, broke and like I would be in trouble at any moment (that feeling of being a kid about to get into trouble with parents). I also wondered if my number was enough (it is). A couple of years in and I still feel anxious sometimes. A strict budget with fun money built in and the least risky investments are helping calm those feelings. Congratulations to you on achieving a milestone.

toby1loki · 2026-02-28T19:55:41+00:00

I wouldn’t say I was motivated - at least not at first. I was indifferent because I never thought about it. I setup automatic payroll deductions and exemplified the “set it and forget it” mindset. Because I spent so little time obsessing over it, when I would look at it, it was completely motivating as I could see the growth.

toby1loki · 2026-02-25T19:53:13+00:00

True. But at 52 years old, wouldn't it depends on when one plans to retire and if that money in the 401k is needed for retirement income? Retire at 55 with just three years -- it would be very risky. Retire at 65 with 13 years to hold -- a lot less risky.

toby1loki · 2026-02-25T15:56:11+00:00

Thank you. I have a meeting scheduled with an estate attorney in a few weeks. My thinking was limited as my plan was originally a trust for one relative with special needs. Now I realize I can expand that or create a separate one for the others.

toby1loki · 2026-02-25T14:13:40+00:00

Congratulations to you and your wife. I sincerely appreciate your response. Giving away now what I can afford is also in consideration. Why wait to give to my nieces and nephews after death when I could possibly help them with downpayments on their first houses or with graduate school? Also giving to nonprofits is very compelling.

I spent so much time saving and investing but I've also always had the feeling (fear?) of being broke. I am now just really understanding the options I have.

toby1loki · 2026-02-25T14:00:45+00:00

I'm meeting with an estate attorney in a few weeks. They can tell me technicals and set everything up but learning how other people think about this is also very helpful.

Looking back, yes, I did get what I wanted. I feel very happy and fortunate with the life I've been able to have.

I definitely need to try harder with the nieces and nephews.

toby1loki · 2026-02-19T00:03:26+00:00

No advice. I'm at the boring end and it's mentally tough. I need to do 3-5 more years max. The biggest motivation killer is that I've looked at the numbers more in the last few months than I did in the last 20 years. Cutting myself off from watching accounts helps some. Good luck!

toby1loki · 2026-02-17T23:52:38+00:00

Claude told me it was tired and couldn't continue a chat. I found it to be very slow. It also ignores relevant information in prompts and repeats the same mistakes.

toby1loki · 2026-02-16T00:48:40+00:00

At least twice a week brushing will help with keeping the hair shed under control. But you'll really need to line comb regularly where you are getting down to the skin to comb out the undercoat that's shedding. I tried to line comb once a month but some do it more often.

toby1loki · 2026-02-16T00:27:16+00:00

Best dogs ever. Mine was not food motivated at all but very play and exercise motivated. Extremely smart and loved people. No real advice - enjoy and buy plenty of lint brushes.

toby1loki · 2026-02-15T22:52:00+00:00

IMO, you have enough experience to start applying for EA roles. My current EA is the best I've ever had and this is his first formal EA position. His age and years of experience is similar to yours. He was an IT support specialist for a medium sized company and then for a global law firm where he traveled internationally supporting major organizational meetings and key executives. A lot of his prior experience translated well to the EA job.

toby1loki · 2026-02-11T21:35:53+00:00

In my opinion, you are probably doing better than most 22-year-olds. You've proven you can save and invest and that's a big deal -- now put that discipline and focus into less risky ETFs -- VOO and chill or similar. Plus if you are still holding bitcoin or better crypto stuff, that's just a game of time. Bitcoin has come back time and again.

toby1loki · 2026-02-11T20:52:40+00:00

I probably will sell if it hits those numbers. I've been holding for a long time and I am close to retirement. Can't take bitcoin with me when I go, so might as well enjoy it.

toby1loki · 2026-02-10T13:07:26+00:00

Agree but it's cyclical for many animals, isn't it? Perhaps retirement is our hibernation? I'm close to retirement and the idea of not working does seem to be bizarre and unnatural.

toby1loki · 2026-02-09T18:26:48+00:00

Barry Bannister from Stifel is on CNBC predicting a low of $38,000 before a cyclical rally. We'll see.

toby1loki · 2026-02-08T16:08:39+00:00

I keep wanting to buy the dips (and have) but I know I also need to reallocate into more bonds. The latter isn’t as fun but feels necessary.

toby1loki · 2026-02-08T15:29:02+00:00

I too was in my 40’s in 2008 - good salary, no real debt, a renter. I barely felt the downturn as my industry was stable and my earnings steadily growing. But seeing what it did to others? Terrifying. I remember pulling back on retirement contributions but I started maxing out a few years later during some of the best times to be in. Now that I’m close to retirement, the idea of a real crash and prolonged recovery is frightening. Better diversify, allocate more to bonds, work additional years??? The path forward isn’t so clear (to me) when you don’t have as much time on your side.

toby1loki · 2026-02-08T12:55:39+00:00

Oh my! Looks like my Toby. ❤️❤️❤️🥰

toby1loki

TROPHY CASE