Monday Morning Musings

🤔 WHAT’S ON MY MIND?

#PSBlackout. Furious gamers haven’t logged into PlayStation Network (PSN) for over a week due to Sony’s decision to cease production of physical game discs. 

“If buying isn’t owning, then pirating isn’t stealing” has become the latest catch phrase making the rounds, and those that utter it aren’t wrong. Sony’s other recent decision to remove over 500 digitally purchased StudioCanal movies and TV shows from users’ libraries highlights the danger of buying digital media: You’re purchasing a revocable license to stream or download content.

Keep that in mind the next time you buy a movie, TV show, or book from Apple or Amazon.

🧳WHERE I’VE BEEN

GameStop. I’m actively searching for pre-owned Nintendo Switch versions of my favorite PS5 games. Friday’s haul from the location closest to Le Crash Pad included Hot Wheels: Unleashed, Akiba’s Trip: Undead Undressed Director’s Cut, and Stray. 

I also splurged on Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs Villains, which came with Nintendo’s new Game-Key Card instead of a game cartridge. Even though I don’t “own” the game, it won’t lose its functionality since it doesn’t require an Internet connection to access its offline features. I can play against in-person and AI opponents to my heart’s content.

Trading For Tannins: This Week's Wins & Losses

Quick Note: I’m just documenting my weekly stock trading journal and personal performance for informational purposes, not as professional financial advice. Buying and selling stocks is inherently risky, so please check out my full disclaimer and risk warning at the bottom of this post before making any trades.

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🍷 ADAPTING TO CHANGES: PORTFOLIO BALANCES & EXPECTATIONS

The biggest change this week is my portfolio’s transformative 50% baseline value increase, which grants me the luxury of patience. Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) is recovering from a crash, and Oracle Corp (ORCL) has an upcoming earnings call. I’ll wait for an optimal exit point before I execute trades out of those positions.

Gains and losses within 1% of a position’s average cost basis are no longer considered failed trades. For example, this week’s trade of Albemarle Corp (ALB) covers a salad and a paired glass of wine at Meritage — a great way to reframe a nominal gain as a win.

I hope these changes will deliver more consistent results and increased profits. I have a new (to me) winery to explore next week, and a second wine club membership isn’t cheap.

A Random Midweek Picture

While doing my best to endure the hottest weather we've had all year, I played with Darkness on the front yard mulch just before dinner. I stood in the shade and ran her from one end of the yard to the other. One corner is littered with fallen leaves from the neighbor's tree, which gives me a convenient excuse to squeeze the throttle while turning the steering knob hard left or right. If I had the ability to shoot video while keeping a hand free for the camera, Darkness would've given you quite the show yesterday.

Monday Morning Musings

🤔 WHAT’S ON MY MIND?

The weather. We’re under an Extreme Heat Watch all week, and although it doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday morning it’s already hotter than Hades. My sister is on vacation, so I’ll need to think pleasant thoughts of wine tasting and food pairing to survive the week at Le Crash Pad.

🧳WHERE I’VE BEEN (AND WHAT I ENDURED)

I visited Temecula Valley Wine Country to (somewhat) escape the heat and humidity. My visit was almost perfect, save for the digestive distress I suffered from Tuesday night onward. I thought I ate something iffy, but I suspect I picked up a bug from someone forced to work while sick. The good news is I’ve recovered.

Trading For Tannins: This Week's Wins & Losses

Quick Note: I’m just documenting my weekly stock trading journal and personal performance for informational purposes, not as professional financial advice. Buying and selling stocks is inherently risky, so please check out my full disclaimer and risk warning at the bottom of this post before making any trades.

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🍷 WHEN STOCK TRADING BECOMES A REWARDING JOB

My daily routine has changed in ways I never anticipated once I took stock trading seriously. From the moment I rise at six until the market closes at one, I work an estimated three cumulative hours managing my portfolio. Once that closing bell rings, I’m free to enjoy the rest of my day — as I should with any part-time “job” where I’m the boss. 

The portfolio’s valuation rose 9% above its baseline due to my recent successes. To fairly compensate myself, I’ve transferred most of those gains into my checking account — enough to cover THREE wine country getaways. Meanwhile, I’ve retained the rest in my portfolio so it can withstand the ebb and flow of holding dividend stocks long-term.

Now that I’ve covered my “paycheck”, we must review…

A Random Getaway Photo

 
Now that I'm traveling again, I've become reacquainted with Wahoo's Fish Tacos. This spicy fish taco platter with brown rice and citrus slaw was my scrumptious dinner last night. I only wish I had one of these a lot closer to Le Crash Pad so I could eat there weekly.

Monday Morning Musings

🤔 WHAT’S ON MY MIND?

The term Return on Time Invested (ROTI). Over the weekend I gave this space Blogger’s equivalent of a BBL after I took a good, hard look at my favorite hobbies: 

Stock trading: My portfolio’s +21.45% Pretax YTD return is outperforming both the Dow Jones (+15.19%) and the S&P 500 (+14.54%), undeniable proof I should take this more seriously.

Writing: The only viable publisher for my sci-fi romance novel is Kindle Direct. Given the current literary landscape, I can’t fathom how I’d make enough in royalties to afford a proper Cabernet Sauvignon.

From an ROTI perspective, stock trading wins hands down. It offers explosive potential for immediate cash flow while my long-term investments continue to do their own thing in the background. Outside of blogging, my writing days are likely over.

🧳WHERE I’VE BEEN

I visited my buddy Jared. My diamond earrings were inspected as required per my lifetime repairs package and there were no issues. I casually looked at watches as I waited, and if it weren’t for the fact I love the ones I already have I would’ve brought one home.

🛍️ WHAT I BOUGHT

The Porch Gods delivered this Anker 140-watt charging station. It rapidly charges my Switch and Samsung tablet simultaneously, and the popup outlets can handle the Surface Pro 11. When paired with optional 100-watt Anker USB-C charging cables it’s the perfect travel companion.

🚙 WHERE I’M GOING

It’s time to pack for another three day/two night wine country getaway! My modest (in size only) wine fridge is nearly full, so there’s no need to shop for reds or whites this trip. When I’m not dining out or monitoring the stock market, I’ll likely pass the time relaxing on a West Elm trundle sofa in air conditioned comfort.

📺 WHAT I WATCHED

The Padres are now hitting their stride, and soon a handful of front line players will return from injury. They're back in the wild card hunt, but can they also catch the Dodgers? I don’t know but it’ll be fun to watch them try — assuming I’m near my TV or tablet when the game’s on.

📚 WHAT I'M READING

I’m wading through Imitation, Volume 9 but that’s not a dig. Most manga volumes run between 150 to 180 pages, but this Korean manwha routinely clocks in at around 300 pages. I tend to immerse myself into the story, so finishing a volume within two reading sessions is impossible.

🎧 WHAT I LISTENED TO

Once in awhile YouTube unearths a hidden gem, and on Saturday night its algorithm gave me Fastway’s “All Fired Up” music video. Even though jet powered, mutated Plymouth ‘Cudas have long since vanished from the drag racing scene, I loved watching them get “all fired up” as they lined up and raced during their song.

🍷 WHAT I PAIRED LAST NIGHT

A 2022 Callaway Special Selection Zinfadel with an Italian sausage sauceless pasta. I made two servings, so guess what I’m having for leftovers tonight?

🏅 THE ANDY BURNHAM AWARD GOES TO…

Dictator Gavin Newsom. His Temu Shinkansen is going bankrupt before it ever departs a station, his wife’s diaper deal stinks like someone ate too much protein and if we need a new car in 2035 our only choices are EVs. Now this wanker has embraced socialism while our state’s homeless population explodes and teenagers use social media to arrange “takeovers” — a fancy term for a crime spree. 

California dreaming? It's more like a nightmare.

🤜🏼 WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

Next month’s Suzuka 1000k endurance race. The entry list reads like a who's who of international road racing and Japan’s Super GT. I’m crossing my fingers the race will be streamed gratis on GT World’s YouTube channel.

📋 WHAT I’M PLANNING

Tackling my Nintendo Switch game backlog. I played Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy for the first time this week, and with the latest software updates I can play them hassle free during my upcoming trip. I also have titles like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1&2 and WRC 8 waiting in the wings.

😀 WHAT MADE ME SMILE

The second season of Reincarnated As A Sword debuts on HIDIVE in October. LFG!!!

Trading For Tannins: This Week's Wins & Losses

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post is not financial advice and is for educational and tracking purposes only. I am not a licensed financial advisor. The trades listed below are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. Trading involves significant risk and you can lose money. Always do your own research before investing. Please note that I will not answer questions regarding trades, strategies, or general stock trading. Those questions should always be handled by a licensed financial advisor.

🍷 CELEBRATING A GREEN WEEK

I’m grateful whenever the stars align with my market moves. While I’ll never disclose actual dollar amounts for my gains and losses, I’ll confess this week’s profit taking would’ve comfortably covered two separate three day/two night wine country getaways. (Complete with hotel accommodations, meals and four bottle of premium wine, too!)

More importantly, this week’s activity served as a flawless live demonstration of my core philosophy in action.

• Strategic Reallocation: A series of transactions successfully reallocated capital from a single defensive stock into three unrelated industries, drastically strengthening my portfolio’s backbone. 
• Capital Protection: Another tactical exit allowed me to pocket a nominal gain on a position that experienced a sharp dip immediately following its purchase.
• Loss-Free Execution: Although only three trades resulted in a 5% or greater gain I didn’t incur any losses. 

Regardless of the dollar amount, making money on every sale is the kind of trading week I strive for.

📝 MY CORE TRADING PHILOSOPHY

For new and existing readers, here are the rules that govern how I manage my account positions:

• The Target: I buy and hold a position with the goal of securing a 5% or greater gain before executing a sale.
• The Reality Check: The market never guarantees a return. There’s always a risk an executed sale may generate a gain below my goal, or worse yet, a direct loss of capital.
• The Capital: My trading account represents a small fraction of my net worth. These trades serve as a potential additional revenue stream to complement my other long-term investments.
• The Opportunity Cost: The possibility exists that I can miss out on even greater gains when I execute a sale that meets or exceeds my 5% target.

No human can perfectly time the market — not even me. All I can do is manage my entry and exit points and accept the outcomes. Now that you know how I roll, let’s review this week’s win and losses.

🏦 TRADES EXECUTED THIS WEEK

To maintain strict personal privacy, all individual share quantities and raw dollar values are omitted. Instead, allocations are tracked conceptually by entry targets and realized percentage gains.

Portfolio Purchases (Buys)

• Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) | Acquired during a midday dip ahead of their quarterly earnings announcement.
• PepsiCo (PEP) | A defensive dividend addition to complement my earlier Verizon (VZ) purchase.
• Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) | I doubled my allocation at a lower price point, which  slightly lowered my cost basis.
• Ford (F) | Added a third defensive pillar to my portfolio.
• Cisco Systems (CSCO) | I found an agreeable entry point following a post-earnings dip.
• Salesforce (CRM) | Similar to LITE, I executed this trade during a midday dip ahead of their quarterly earnings announcement.
• Altria Group Inc (MO) | Replaced Verizon (VZ) as part of my defensive strategy.

Portfolio Liquidations (Sells)

• Verizon (VZ), Batch #1 | +2.5% gain | Trimmed 40% of my total position to free up liquid capital.
• Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) | +6.6% gain | Capitalized on a strong post-earnings momentum bounce.
• Western Digital (WDC) | Nominal Gain | A capital protection exit following an immediate post-purchase dip.
• SanDisk (SNDK) | +5.6% gain | Profit-taking triggered by a broader AI sector momentum surge.
• Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) | Nominal Gain | A capital protection exit after flat, sideways price action.
• Verizon (VZ), Batch #2 | +3.8% gain | A secondary trim of my holdings to secure profits.
• PepsiCo (PEP) | +2.3% gain | Strategically trimmed my position to free up liquid capital.
• Verizon (VZ), Final Batch | +5.1% gain | Pocketed an unexpected gain midday today.

💡 MY PORTFOLIO STRATEGY: BALANCING THE DIVIDEND BACKBONE

Relying on a steady stream of dividend income is a prudent strategy, but true resilience requires spreading the risk. For example, if a sudden downturn in one sector occurs, other sectors are typically insulated from the shock waves. I now anchor my portfolio with Ford (F), PepsiCo (PEP) and Altria Group Inc (MO) but these defensive adjustments came at a cost. 

• Tax Implications: The liquidations of PEP and VZ shares will incur short-term capital gains taxes.
• Missed Dividends: Because I executed the sells before the companies’ official Ex-Dividend Dates, I do not qualify for dividends on those liquidated shares.

I can’t complain when I now hold stakes in three blue-chip giants whose reliable dividend streams can be reinvested every quarter.

🔔 AFTER HOURS

I currently hold the following open positions as we head into the weekend:

• PepsiCo (PEP)
• Ford (F)
• Cisco Systems (CSCO)
• Salesforce (CRM)
• Altria Group Inc (MO)

🚌 A LESSON LEARNED: AUTOMATED RISK MANAGEMENT

This week marked a major milestone in my trading mechanics when I learned how to place a Sell Stop-Limit order immediately after a trade acquisition to mitigate potential losses.

This tool would’ve made my week a lot less stressful if I had known about this before I bought Western Digital (WDC). Immediately after it’s purchase the price dipped over 5% below my cost basis. Luckily I dodged a bullet when the stock recovered a few sessions later. The moment I realized I could break even, I executed a sale that resulted in a nominal gain.

To ensure this never happens again, I submitted my very first stop-limit orders after buying Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Salesforce (CRM) this morning. If the price dips below a certain dollar amount below my cost basis, an automatic sale will trigger. Now I can execute trades without losing sleep over unforeseen dips.

🤔 A NOT SO RANDOM THOUGHT: MOVING FROM GOOD TO GREAT

While I had a great trading week, I acknowledge I can do better. My overall performance isn’t a concern but I want to deliver more consistent results. 

If I publicly admit I have an affinity for stock trading, then I must also confess a little luck played a role in my wins ever since I traded my first stock years ago. To completely remove luck from the equation I’m actively focusing on three core pillars:

• Read charts properly to spot high-probability entries.
• Understanding market trends rather than fighting against them.
• Anticipate external hazards that can erode market capitalization in real time.

I don’t want to be “good” at this. I want to build a strategy great enough so I’ll never return to the cube farm.

Monday Morning Musings

WHAT’S ON MY MIND

A birthday. Esmae turned 25 over the weekend and I made a special dinner for “us” Saturday night. More on that later…

WHERE I’VE BEEN

It’s no secret I enjoyed a two night stay in Temecula Valley last week but I cannot confirm or deny the rumor my mail is now forwarded to the hotel. 

WHERE I’M GOING

I’m running low on Olio Santo EVOO. Perhaps I’ll grace Williams Sonoma with my presence soon?

WHAT I WATCHED

After a three month break Super GT was back in action at Fuji Speedway. Although my favorite teams fared poorly it was still an enjoyable race to watch on Racer+.

WHAT I READ

While I was on the road I picked up and finished the latest Writer’s Digest issue. I don’t recall reading anything else during the week.

WHAT I LISTENED TO

For unknown reasons I listened to The Eagles Greatest Hits while traveling through Temecula’s rural parts. They sure don’t make music like that anymore.

WHAT I ATE ON THE ROAD

I felt daring when I ordered the pickled watermelon and pineapple salad at Meritage. When paired with a Wild Yeast Muscat Canelli it was delightfully chaotic. The wine was either agreeable or had its various fruit notes drawn to the forefront depending on what was on your fork. I really want to eat this again soon.

WHAT I ATE AT HOME

For Esmae’s birthday I improvised due to the heat and humidity. I pan fried a seasoned one pound boneless rib eye then diced it into cubes so I’d have leftovers for Sunday night. The steak and side dishes paired wonderfully with a glass of 2017 Callaway OPR Red. 

When you add the cost of a red velvet cake slice this was an $85 home cooked birthday meal. Ara ara!

THE ANDY BURNHAM AWARD GOES TO…

The WNBA. You know it’s a reality TV dumpster fire when you can watch a race war, a gender identity war and live basketball without changing the channel. 

Dishonorable mention: The greedy fuckers at the end of the block that built at least five ADU units without off street parking have ordered exterior siding. We’re now officially one step closer to a crowded street.

WHO DESERVES A FIST BUMP

I was very pleased with the service everywhere I visited during my trip. Perhaps it’s the city’s small town vibe? A sign I need to take a permanent vacation from ADU Hell aka San Diego?

WHAT I’M PLANNING

This trip made me realize I need to travel more often. I’ve already booked two more Temecula Valley stays for September, including for my upcoming birthday.

WHAT MADE ME SMILE

The heat is supposed to ease in a few days, and I’ll be on the road again in another week. I might even make a few sales this week per my prior post.

Trading For Tannins: This Week's Wins & Losses

 

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post is not financial advice and is for educational and tracking purposes only. I am not a licensed financial advisor. The trades listed below are not recommendations to buy or sell any security. Trading involves significant risk and you can lose money. Always do your own research before investing. Please note that I will not answer questions about my trades, strategies, or general stock trading. Please consult a licensed financial advisor. 

I could easily tell you what happened during my latest winery adventure, but I thought I’d do something a little different and give you a peek behind the curtain. I often cite how my trading profits finance my wine club purchases, accommodations and dining but the truth is I’m not living some fake, glamorous life. Stock trading is boring, and sometimes it can be very stressful. While I do well for myself, the reality is I take at least one L for every win.

This past week, I only made a net gain of 0.47% due to my own hubris. I made a big gain on one stock right out of the gate and then I took a few chances I shouldn’t have. At least what I ended up with paid for the wines shown above, and my hope is three stocks I’m holding might pay off next week.

WHAT I BOUGHT

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) @ $243.72. 

• Purchased a few days before their earnings release.

Suja Life (SUJA) @ $6.63. 

• This stock fell 60% intra day, and I thought it could rebound.

Verizon (VZ) @ $46.02. 

• Added to hold a dividend stock in my portfolio.

SanDisk (SNDK) @ $1,286.68. 

• Liked the entry point after the AI sector dropped.

Western Digital (WDC) @ $454.08. 

• Capitalized on the recent tech sector volatility.

Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) @ $222.22. 

• Purchased ahead of next week’s earnings release. Its annual dividend yield also makes it a compelling hold in my portfolio.

WHAT I SOLD

Caterpillar (CAT) @ $928. 

• Pocketed an unexpected 14.6% gain.

Apple (AAPL) @ $302.76. 

• The gain was enough to pay for a vending machine soda.

Suja Life (SUJA) @ $6.28. 

• Exited after the stock lost 5% of its value.

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) @ $237.78. 

• Sold at a 2.44% loss after today’s earnings release after dropping 5% from purchase.

WHAT I’M HOLDING (FOR NOW)

Verizon (VZ)

SanDisk (SNDK)

Western Digital (WDC)

Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG)

My strategy: My current plans for SNDK and WDC are to hold them until I can secure a 5% or greater profit from a future sale. SPG could also be sold under the same conditions, but I’m inclined to hold it and collect the dividends if its price falls. 

Now that I’ve gotten this off my mind, I could use a glass of wine. The only question is which bottle should I open this weekend?