This Little Piggy Goes To Market?

Is it getting so bad he has to raid the Piggy Bank? Well, not really but part of Wendy's mom's assets was a significant stash of fairly ordinary looking coins and a few "silver dollars". Since Wendy is busy dispersing Gene's stuff to the heirs, I thought I'd research coin values.

Hey! There could be "silver in them thar hills". Maybe its time for you to crack open your piggy bank and see what it holds. The value could be more than you think. Click to enlarge the chart below:

The old pennies are worth twice as much as the face value but unless they are old, most of the coins are only money. The real fun starts with pre-1967 coins, Check this out: 

Maybe you should sort out your coins and put them in a safer place for a rainy day?  Don't take them to the coin redeeming machine at the grocery store just yet.

Go Here to see how much money I made for you today and check other currencies.

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Nine Years On eBay.

How many thousands have I spent?

Someday maybe I'll add up all the bills and see how many thousands I have spent on eBay all these years. All in all, I think I've saved a fair amount of money, if only by not paying the GST and PST on most of the items. I have very rarely been asked at customs to pay the taxes. Of course I do have some hefty expenses like the miles driven to my box, the ever rising bridge tolls and the yearly $250 cost of my Port Huron mailbox.  The tolls and the box cost are somewhat offset by the cheaper gas fill-ups and I avoid the 6% Michigan sales tax since the purchases using eBay are usually from out of that state and are exempt. 

In the nine years and all those purchases I can say that most of the items (cameras, computers, gadgets, boat and car parts and other potential garage sale stuff) were exactly as described. I was only disappointed three or four times that I remember, with things that were not what I expected them to be. A very small percentage. I guess I've been lucky but I feel most people are fairly honest and eBay does have a built-in protection through its buyer feedback system.

Even if I never saved a dime I feel good about avoiding the disgustingly oppressive HST (Harper's Screwing Tax) we must endure in Canada. We pay enough income tax that we shouldn't have to be double taxed when we spend our hard-earned money. Anyway, I always enjoy my weekly trips to USA and usually explore other shopping opportunities and eating places while I'm there. 

Of all the items I have bought on eBay, Wendy says the best one in the whole 9 years is her heated toilet seat! (no picture. I'll spare you that experience)

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What Luck! I Missed The Boat.

Here's my Sell Order just before the ship went down later Friday.

On Friday morning I submitted a sell order to unload my 100 CCL (Carnival Cruise Lines) Shares at $35 ea. Since last August I have been buying 100 shares at $30. and selling whenever they hit $35. In so doing I have made nearly $1500 in just a few trades. Pretty good return on my $3000 investment.

The reason for buying the Carnival shares was so I, as a shareholder could participate in their sales promotion which allows a shipboard credit to any shareholder with at least 100 shares. The on-going deal awards $250 for a 14 day or more cruise, $100 for a ten day, and $50 for a 7 day. I figured if I was going to own them anyway I might as well trade a few times and make some money.

Carnival Cruise Line ship Costa Concordia languishes of the coast of Italy. 

My timing couldn't have been better if the order had been filled as ordered (which it wasn't because I missed the boat, the price only hit $34.48) Who could know that later that day one of Carnival's ships, the Costa Concordia would sink.  Ooops!  The 114,500-ton Costa Concordia is the largest ship ever to sink. Hopefully it was well insured like our Phoenix.

The ship hit a rock on its first night out on a 7 day cruise 3200 passengers and 1000 crew aboard.

Being the weekend, I have no way of knowing how this sinking will affect my shares but I'm sure they will be lower on Monday morning. What kind of bad luck is that? Oh well, maybe I can buy more at a bargain, but I really didn't want any more than 100 shares.

There were some deaths and I'm sure many injuries so I shouldn't be so greedy as to worry about my paltry investment, but the coincidence of events was uncanny. What are the chances?

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Hap-hap-hap-py... Six-ty Three!

Born January 12, 1949. 

Another year has gone by for me as I count my sixty-third birthday. Fortunately everyone here in our family is healthy and doing fine.  Luck of course, has a lot to do with that. I have no big worries so I’d say life is good for me and I have nothing much to complain about.

Someone once said that if everyone around you were to throw their problems in a big pile with the option of trading for someone else's, most people, after seeing the others, would quickly snatch back their own. I don’t need to see them in a pile. I know I’m better off than many and for that I am very truly thankful.

Remember when we were young, birthdays were eagerly welcomed and cause for celebration as we aspired to grow older? There were certain ones that had a greater significance than others - like turning twelve so we could baby-sit, sixteen so we could drive, twenty-one so we could vote and drink, or even turning twenty-five so our car insurance premiums were reduced. We just couldn’t wait, remember?

Then, gradually the birthdays were not welcomed so gleefully. By forty I had the realization that probably over half of them have been frittered away. Fifty was a hard one for me but sixty didn’t bother me as much because maybe I figured that since now I was well over the hill and on the downhill side, I still had my health and my wife and kids and had really not done too badly after all. Now at sixty three I can hardly wait for sixty five when I get my old age pension and free prescriptions. Whoopee!

I really feel that every good year a person gets over sixty is a bonus gift, maybe because my dad died at 65. I guess it’s a good thing really that aging forces a person to appreciate the time he has left, for if one lived forever we’d likely take it all for granted.  Notice I said every “good” year because long life in itself is not the only thing that we should  hope for. The recent passing of Wendy’s mom Gene (87), who had some pretty bad, if not horrible final years, underlines the reality that you must have not only long life but relatively good health at the same time. Of course a little money left over is good too.

Enough ranting. If you’ve wished me a happy birthday, you can rest assured that I am just that - happy. I hope when it’s my turn to wish you a happy birthday that you are as happy as me. Thank you!
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How Do You Park A 38 Foot, 14 Ton Boat In A 24 cm. x 11 cm. Envelope?

Answer:

Well the big cheque came today by courier.  Exactly three weeks since our beloved Phoenix contributed about 800 liters of diesel fuel from her half-full fuel tanks into the flaming inferno and was consumed along with seventy or so other boats and reduced to black smoke, vapour and ashes.  Now I have to figure out what to do. We really haven't missed the boat yet because it's winter and it would normally be out of sight and mind anyway. The big decision is whether to buy another boat to replace her. I know the closer we get to summer, the harder it will be to remain level-headed and financially responsible. There are three options to chose from as far as I can see.

1)  Forget boating and do something else in the summer.  (Easy to say in winter)

2)  Spend the money on another big boat and continue as before.  (Easy to say in summer)

3)  Buy a smaller, more fuel efficient "condo boat" or trailerable runabout.  (Somewhat wimpy)

Right now, with a poor economy and especially with the escalating price of fuel, there are literally thousands of deals on beautiful boats and it is a great temptation to buy another one.  This however is not an economically sound direction as everyone knows a boat is just a hole in the water where you throw your money. Boating of course goes hand-in-glove with the condo in Point Edward. I just don't think I could live there without a boat. This points to another fact. The condo is really another money pit that we only use a few months a year. Maybe I need to unload the whole kit and caboodle and take up something else altogether. Lawn bowling or croquet or... sky-diving?

Stay tuned while I wrestle with, and explore the possibilities.

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Goodbye Gene

Wendy's mom Gene passed away at about 3 am Saturday morning at University Hospital. Wendy was there when she slipped away. She was born January 4, 1925 so that made her 87. Gene's body will be cremated. Actual funeral plans have not been finalized but I anticipate there will be an interment at Howard's grave site at a private memorial at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Springtime with immediate family and closest friends. Goodbye dear Gene, we had a lot of good times and I will always have the great memories.   

PLANS FINALIZED:

TALESKI, Gene Gladys (Burch) – At University Hospital on Saturday, January 7, 2012 in her 88th year. Beloved wife of the late Howard Lloyd Taleski (Sept 25, 2006), married 61 years. Loving daughter of the late John and Jennie Burch. Dear mother of Wendy Carroll (Tim), Brad Taleski (Denise) and Doug Taleski (Daphne). Lovingly remembered by her grandchildren Tim, Erin (Jake Sleigh); Mitchell and Colton; Sarah Jane Steele (Calvin) and Doug (Amy Harris). Loving sister of Bill Burch (June), Anne Cook (Ray) and Joan Strang (Ron). Predeceased by brothers Robert (Marion), Mason (Agnes), Doug (Grace), Jack (Betty) and sisters Irene Reed (George), Helen Clements (Wilbert), Edna Mills (Russ) and Dorothy Vollbrecht (Jim). Sister-in-law of the late Art Taleski (Doreen). Gene is survived by many lifelong friends and devoted nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at the WESTVIEW FUNERAL CHAPEL, 709 Wonderland Road North, London on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service. Reception to follow. A family interment will be held at a later date at Woodland Cemetery. Our sincere thanks to the professional, loving, caring and dedicated staff of McCormick Home who took such good care of Mom. In lieu of flowers, a donation to McCormick Home in Gene’s memory would be appreciated. Online condolences at www.westviewfuneralchapel.com

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A Blast From The Past

Wendy poses in front of the Sea Pig at Giant's Tomb Island in Georgian Bay.

 My old friend David emailed me from a cruise ship in the Caribbean yesterday and asked me if I could put some of the old Sea Pig pictures on a CD for him. He was sailing around Antigua on a catamaran and he was reminiscing about our old "catamaran" the Sea Pig.  I dug around and found about 185 pictures about boating and the Sea Pig Era. He replied today from the ship:

Tim

       Amazing pictures that still bring "tears of laughter" to my eyes . -- I have already forwarded them on to the kids who I know will get a kick out of them . - We are cruising up the Bahama Passage back to Fort Lauderdale and it is a beautiful day ending a terrific cruise. -- We will be coming back to the Emerald Princess sometime in March. -- Running out of internet minutes so must close now . -- I will call you Saturday night after we get back and let you know what time we will be in London on Sunday . -- Thanks again for the wonderful memories you brought back to us .

                                                                   Bye for now ---------------------- David

If you look to the column to the left (or you can just CLICK HERE) you will see a link to "Our First Boat - The Sea Pig" I have posted most of the pictures of a slice of my life that I will never forget. My friend David and I were co -owners until we sold her in 1982.  Coincidentally our last boat the Phoenix was built that same year 1982, thirty years ago.  How weird is that? I hope you enjoy these early pictures. 

Here's the blurb I wrote for Flickr.com:

I know they say you can never go back; but if you were lucky enough to have spent some time on the Sea Pig up in Georgian Bay from the late 1960's to the early 1980's, I thought you might enjoy these few dozen pictures.As faded and time worn as some of them are. Bear in mind the pictures were mostly taken by cheap little cameras by extreme amateurs. 
 
The good thing is that in posting them on the internet, the pictures will cease to deteriorate over time. Many of the people in the pictures are no longer with us since they were taken many years ago. To those that do remember the good times we had, please take some time to make your way down memory lane. 

The pictures aren't in any real order since I don't have the dates recorded but if you are like me, the timing isn't that important. Please leave comments if you can add anything to the scene shown or even if you just like the picture. 

Enjoy!

Captain Tim 

When I had lots of hair!

 
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January Streamers

The weather man says we are in for a "more than normal" amount of snow" this winter due to the fact that the Great Lakes are not frozen because of  the mild temperatures. This allows more evaporation off the water and, when the wind and temperatures are right, powerful streamers will develop. When the temperature dropped late yesterday to -10 C the snow began like clockwork.

A big streamer off Lake Huron delivers snow to London

Wendy muses "It's probably good we didn't get all this at Christmas time. People would feel they had to drive in it to be with their families and crashes would have resulted. I wonder how many lives were saved? (with a green Christmas)"

"A table for four with a view please."
"If you don't mind waiting, we'll have to clear one for you."

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Hope you have a...

Havin' a Blast!!! Wish you were here.

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