I was looking up something in my blog and came across this post from 2016.  It was in regards to MH refusing to toss any of his professional clothing from the early aughts (that he was obviously never going to wear again).

A snippet from that post:

I doubt the kids will have any use for ties, but I suppose maybe they could divide the ties between the three of them.  Just so that they have a tie in a pinch.

Anyway, I totally forgot that was where we landed.  I can tell you now that MH won't go for it.  While he might agree we have reached financial independence and it's pretty official that he won't have to suck it up and take a tie-wearing job in the future...  He's also very reluctant to give up his stuff.  So I can hear it now.   What if he has some big business meeting for his movie?

Will probably put a pin in this for another couple of years.

In 2016 the kids were pretty young.  I do think that MM(22) has since taken custody of MH's nice shoes.  (He's had a handful of job interviews over the years, and more formal college events to attend.) Who knows, MM(22) might find some of these clothes useful for upcoming job interviews.

MM(22) Mar 2026 'Gifted College Fund': $1,347 (+$5K ROTH)

MM(22) Apr 2026 'Gifted College Fund': $115 (+$5K ROTH)

MM(22) May 2026 'Gifted College Fund': -$0- (+$5K ROTH)

Rent is paid through 6/30.  

I don't anticipate any other college expenses (like tuition or fees), but the lease runs for another month.

MM(22) got me utility numbers for the past 9 months.  I just pulled that from DL's 'college rent fund'.  Because emergency spending has been so crazy this year, I don't want to pull another $1K here or there from our cash (which was Plan A).  My current plan is just to pull from other 'college' savings.  We will dip down below the $12K I wanted to keep for DL.  I may just make it a goal to replenish that at some point this year.  Last I did a calculation, will probably draw that fund down to $11K.  Then I can work on adding $1K back at some point.  Or might just let it go.  I am more viewing that as a 'home maintenance' fund because DL(20) has no interest in moving out during college years.  It's not that I feel he really *needs* the $12K.  It's more that I want to put a plug the money drain.

Graduation will be here in a blink.

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I did pay DL(20)'s tuition but I just don't care enough to do an update.  It's kind of meaningless I suppose, until we figure out financial aid.  By the time we get state grant numbers, I suppose I will know how much will be left in his (gifted) college fund when he graduates.  Then it will be a more interesting update.

White Cloud Poppy

I just got my annual 401K statement.  While I could easily calculate my balance down to the penny, I recall going with a more conservative estimate for my 12/31 numbers.  I was short by $6,000.  (Oops, didn't mean to be quite that conservative). So I adjusted my sidebar today.

I surpassed my first six figures on 12/31/24.  2025 contributions were $6,400.  Employer matched $5,000.  Market gains were $18,000.  It's crazy to me, that I put in the bare minimum of $6,400 (bare minimum to get the full match) and that the other $23,000 was pretty much gravy.  Even if it wasn't a super high stock market return year, there still would be a lot more than just what I put in.

I think this sums up 'efficiency' pretty well.  Also, starting young.  Not this particular account, which I started in my 40s.  But you can imagine how my 'started in my 20s' accounts are doing.

This is the first 401K statement that blew my mind.  But it's the longest I've had an employer retirement plan.  I can see the numbers get more interesting after the first $100K. 

I had a very relaxing week off of work.  

I did not do much of anything, other than a day trip to the coast.  I was planning to visit a more popular stretch of coast but realized at the last minute that the roads were pretty windy and it would probably take 3 hours just to get to our destination (though it's probably just a few miles from where we ended up).  So I went to Plan B.  Which was Sausalito (just north of San Francisco).  We had just been to the hike that I love over there, so I picked out another hike (just a few miles further south).  It wasn't challenging or as long but it was a unique experience.  We went through a one way to tunnel to get to this beach.  There was some WWII installations (we saw abandoned concrete structures).

The birds were just coasting by on the wind.  It was very serene to watch the floating birds.  We mostly had the place to ourselves.  

& we saw the velella velella on the beach.  Another thing I thought was more of a So Cal thing (and have seen lots of pictures of).  But I guess they also wash up on the north shores, in the spring and fall, when the wind patterns change.  The poor guys (related to jellyfish) get stranded on the beach.

It was the first time I had seen in person, but I immediately knew what it was when I saw all the blue glistening in the sand.

We topped off our day with a fancy dinner on the Bay.  The food was okay (not bad) but I felt the pricey dinner was worth it for the view.  

Total cost:  $150 for a splurge-y dinner and $7 parking.  The drive is a little over 90 minutes but somehow we don't have to cross any bridges or pay any tolls.  

Last time we were here on a week day, everything closed up super early.  So we were surprised how much was still open later on a Thursday night.  We originally thought we'd have dinner in Napa, on the way home.

Today is a little more back to reality.  All else being equal, I'd probably just veg out another day or two.  But after delaying many times, DL(20)'s girlfriend is moving in this weekend.  !!  Now the self-imposed 'crazy' can commence.  More immediately, will just by tidying the house (my least favorite thing).  & over the next few weeks I will be assisting the GF with car shopping and with financial things. 

I'll be in chore mode for a couple of days, but I have a spring hike planned for Sunday.