Day Three Working From Home

The kids are on spring break from school this week. And, quite frankly, they will be on spring break for a while after the schools called classes off indefinitely. They will reevaluate the situation every couple of weeks, but they are not expecting any movement on that for six to eight weeks. Last week, they made a decision to have most of us administrative staff folks work from home. So, here I sit with the kids all week.

At first, the thought of working from home seemed great. After all, we are getting ready to move so, during the times I am not working, I could knock out some stuff to get the house ready for sale. It seems like a good idea, right? Boy howdy, it has been quite a few days. Yesterday was non-stop with my phone, now nicknamed "The Trolley" going off until late into the night. Why "The Trolley" you might ask? It is an iPhone with the ding, ding for text messages. So, when it goes off, I incessantly yell, "There's the trolley!" Hey, you have to have fun with some things, right? What I thought would be somewhat relaxing turned into a need to find a better solution. Today, I did just that.

Home Office v1.0

I had been working in the living room. I typically work on homework while I am just relaxing with my wife and watching, nay listening, to the television. Thus, it was a simple thought that I would set up shop in the same place. Let me tell you, it sent me into an anxious fervor for the past couple of days. When I got back to the house this morning after taking care of a work issue, I decided today was the day to change things. I cleaned off the table downstairs and, for now, this is where work and homework will take place. Upstairs is a place to relax; downstairs a place to work. Honestly, it worked. I feel much more relaxed today than I have the past two.

Time will tell if this is the solution. After all, we are only on day three of this teleworking environment. It is much easier to leave the house, go to work, focus on work, and then come home to relax. Bringing work into my sanctuary is something I thought would be easy. Boy, was I in for a complete and utter shock!

COVID-19 and the Financial Markets

Market Update from Robinhood

The financial markets are reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. An email I received this morning from Robinhood shows just how much the market was impacted in the past week alone. And, while President Trump trumpeted the glory of a 2,000 point recovery in the DOW during his address to the nation yesterday, the truth of the matter is that we are likely to see a significant recovery any time soon.

I try not to look at my two investment funds, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and Acorns, too often. After all, they are not brokerage accounts set up for day trading of stocks and bonds. Rather, they are long-term investments. However, I looked at them this morning just to get a sense of where they stand. Let's look at Acorns first, where I have my portfolio set to Moderately Aggressive.

Acorns Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

The Moderately Aggressive portfolio offered by Acorns is billed as ideal for those with a longer-term investment plan and a higher tolerance for risk. As such, it invests heavily in large-company stocks through the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO); 38% to be exact. And, from what I have noticed, VOO appears to be the biggest mover and shaker in the portfolio.

A Dismal 3-Month Return

Looking at my 3-month return on Acorns is, well, pretty scary. I have "lost" 14.38% during that time. And, I say "lost" because I am in it for the long haul. I will not lose any money until I cash out and lick my wounds. With this downturn in the market, I am not panicking and will hang on to see the recovery. My only hope, as a long-term investor, is that it will stay down just a while longer so that I can buy more into this significant drop and reap the benefits when the market recovers; and, it will recover. We say a pretty stiff drop in 2008 during the recession and, well, my TSP account took a nosedive into previously unchartered territory for me. However, I moved much of my investment there into the high-risk sector and ended up recovering very nicely. Coincidentally, I moved a large chunk of it back to a more moderate approach just a couple of months ago; a move I think I am glad I made.

Speaking of TSP, it has also been taking a beating as the market turns down. Looking at my balance as of Friday, March 13, my TSP account is down nearly as much as my Acorns account: 16.3%. Over the course of the past three months, my TSP has "lost" nearly $5,000 in value. Again, it is not lost until I start selling off shares by pulling money out which, since it is a retirement account, I cannot do without paying taxes on it. So, I leave it to sit and wait for the market to recover again. The only thought I have with my TSP right now is, do I move my money back into the high-risk funds in hopes of a great recovery? The problem therein is that we just do not know when the bounce will happen and, like I said previously, the TSP is not a day trading account.

We all need to face the facts here. The markets are going to be in turmoil over COVID-19 for a while. This virus outbreak is unlike anything most of us have seen in our lifetimes. There have been a couple of large influenza outbreaks globally in the past 100 years, in 1918, 1956-58, and 1968. I am not old, by any means, but I get the feeling that the markets are reflecting a lot of uncertainty with a younger generation who has not seen the effects of something like this on the global economy. That said, I am prepared to sit it out and wait for the long-term to see what happens. I think most of us should. We will recover, just like we have from everything else, and those of us who patiently wait will be rewarded well for doing so; just my personal take on the COVID-19 outbreak and the financial markets.

Thoughts on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Last Thursday, March 5th, a friend in Ohio shared a video on Facebook about the pandemonium of shelves being completely depleted and, interestingly enough, toilet paper. It was a bit later in the evening, around 7:30pm, so I told my wife I would head to Sam's Club just to grab a few supplies; and, ironically, we actually needed toilet paper. So, I headed off to the store.

I was quite surprised when I got to Sam's Club. There was no craziness inside and, as I walked the aisles, I felt that maybe this mass hysteria had somehow skipped over our area. I grabbed the essentials we needed: bread, milk, some meat, and a few other things. Surprisingly, the chicken was extremely picked over while the other meats; pork chops, steak, hamburger, etc. were widely available. Other than that, nothing seemed amiss until I made it to the paper aisle.

When I made it to the paper aisle, which includes paper towels and toilet paper, nearly all of the toilet paper was gone. At this point, I had not even heard about the toilet paper hysteria. So, needless to say, I was taken aback. Here is this large store, shelves stocked full, and the only thing that is nearly completely sold out is, toilet paper? I managed to buy one bundle of Sam's Club's Maker's Mark brand paper which, honestly, is decent toilet paper. With that, we should be set for at least a month. I did not consider shopping for food until I was sitting here Friday night and reading some of the news.

I went to our local Baker's grocery store, part of the Kroger family, mainly to grab just a few things. My plan was to get some Gatorade, cheese, milk, and a few canned goods to make chili and soup a couple of nights over the next week or two. My plan was still intact until I made it to the canned vegetable and canned meat aisle. The shelves were very picked over, so I changed my mind and decided to make this trip one to stock up necessities and food to last us about a month; and, that is just what I did!

So, here we sit, pantry and freezer stocked full, and wait for this COVID-19 concern to resolve itself. Being in the military, I have been directed to stay in the local area and my family, although under the same direction and highly advised not to, could travel to visit family if they wanted to. We were supposed to make a trip together to Kansas next weekend but, well, I cannot go. We are taking this day by day and, with some hope, prayer, and determined healthcare workers, perhaps this will not be as bad as they say. I guess we will see.

I get the concern over this virus. From what I have heard, it spreads very, very fast. We have just had the first confirmed case of community spread here in Nebraska. I have seen people disgruntled over the canceling of events, the postponement of sporting events, and other large gatherings of people. Quite frankly, I do not understand that angst. This, and over viruses, spread through close contact and, well, putting large amounts of people into somewhat confined spaces is not an ideal way to curb the spread.

Am I scared? Not really. I know that there is the possibility of getting sick, just as there is any other day of the week. However, I am happy that community and military leaders are taking steps to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. We will make it through this, it will just take some time. And, if you have to venture out, take appropriate steps to protect yourself from catching this nasty virus. That is how my family and I are approaching it and, hopefully, we will weather this storm without any hiccups.

To close, I would say that, if you are hysterical about this and buying up everything in the stores, step back, take a deep breath, and then relax. As leaders across the country have said, there is no need to buy mass quantities of goods. Should you have enough to last a few weeks? Absolutely. Having a few weeks of food means you do not need to get out and about every couple of days. That will help lessen potential exposure. Then, if you run out, go restock what you need and leave some for the rest of us! Just my thoughts.

Please, try to stay healthy and, if you feel sick, just stay home for a few days. If it doesn't get better, reach out to your doctor and let them know. Let's #FlattenTheCurve!

From Google to Outlook

I had long been a proponent of Android, scoffing at those who gravitated towards the iPhone and iOS. To me, Android was the better of the two worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed Android until they made some of the simplest settings hard to change, such as silencing your phone. The iPhone has the simplest way: a switch. I was sold!

The transition from Android to iOS was a bit rocky. Having been ingrained in the Google architecture for so long, I had vast amounts of information to transition over; things like files, contacts, and, of course, my daily agenda, the calendar. I wanted all of this to be relatively seamless and, well, it hasn't been.

I use Microsoft Outlook at work. The calendar functionality of it is excellent, so I have no desire to search for anything else. And, yet, Google makes it so hard to incorporate the ability to sync everything with Microsoft. Apple, on the other hand, has made it quite easy; just a simple add-in. That said, I decided it was time to switch to Outlook and utilize my live.com calendar for all of my needs. And, honestly, it works great! The ability to add and remove events from one calendar on one device is excellent. I no longer have to get to a web browser in order to make changes. I am very happy with the move!

2019 Beat the Heat 10K

Doneplete!

This was an awesome race! Another awesome event put on by Freedom Running company! We started behind the Culver's in Bellevue, NE and did an out and back to the east. I will have to say, it was a bit challenging for me, as it is a little flatter and faster to the west (the direction I usually run), so it was a good workout. The great thing about it was the opportunity to work on some mechanics to prepare for my upcoming marathon in September.

While it certainly was not my best 10K effort at 1:03:14, it was still fun. The heat really was not horrible, although my watch gave me an average temperature of 82 degrees. Given the heat I experienced during my marathon attempt last year, that I was completely unprepared for, this was a good conditioning/acclimation run. So, I will take it! Looking forward to more races in preparation for my September marathon goal!

Taking on the Amerithon Challenge!

The Virtual Route

I found the Amerithon Challenge on Facebook yesterday while looking at my feed. It popped up as a suggested link and I checked it out. It is quite a challenge. You can complete it on your own or with a team of up to eight. I may have some friends hop in along the way but, for now, I am going solo. I set my start date as July 1st and logged my running and steps (walking) for the past four days. I am already at 17.88 miles and well on my way to earning the first virtual badge along the way at 25 miles. This should be fun and I am definitely looking forward to completing it!

The Get It All Package

I ordered the Get It All package, which gives you the shirt, map, passport, finishing medal frame, and the pieces for completing each step of the challenge. I am thinking about wearing the shirt for all of the races I participate in, just to show that I am running the race as part of a much larger goal. However, I will have to see how it fits. I ordered the XL size and typically do not like baggy shirts for running, as they rub too much. If it fits alright, then I may just have to show off my goal at each race. I guess we will see!

The First Badge!

This challenge is going to take me a while. It is an investment in making myself better. I ran 246 miles last year and am at 105 miles so far for 2019. So, I have quite a ways to go. However, if I run and walk every day, the small chips will build up to the big, overall goal. And, that's what it is really all about!

2019 Firecracker Flight 5K

Waiting for the Start

Well, this was my third race with Bodies Race Company and, for now, the last for this year. I ran the Sweetheart Shuffle 5K in February (the COLDEST race I've ever run) and the Hero Hustle 5K last month. I am not signed up for any of their other races this year, but we'll see if that changes. They are really fun races. I have a 10K slated for next month, half marathon and marathon in September, and half marathons in October and November. I am also going to run in the Market to Market Relay in October as well. So, I do have a busy running schedule!

My Grand Prize!

The weather for the run was, well, muggy. We had some nice cloud cover, but the temperature was in the mid-70s and the dew point was hanging right there with it. There was a slight breeze. Just enough to keep us cool but not enough to really affect us during the run. The course was actually pretty flat, as we ran along the Little Papillion Creek. The only hills were a few dips where the trail goes under bridges. Otherwise, flat and wide open! Other than the humid conditions, this was a fun race and certainly one I want to run again next year!