Slow Forum Today - What's on Your Mind?

[John W]

Besides the end of the world on Friday OR, if we survive, Christmas next week?

All I want for Christmas is...$795 for class!

[panderson03]

very minimal work being done on the build here in MN. too cold (its officially 'resting season' now)!! thoughts and energies are all focused on getting ready for Christmas and New Years :)

[John W]

Took a walk last night in San Antonio in short sleeve shirt. :)

[panderson03]

I feel very sorry for you. with no built-in 'resting season' some folks end up building continuously. I need a break! the cold weather helps me do that:)

[rreidnauer]

What's on my mind? Well mainly the fiscal cliff thing actually. I've been shuffling my old 401k account to prepare for immediate distribution if they don't get this deal done, triggering the massive tax increases (OK, actually end of tax relief cuts, because it would be too simple to just lower the tax rate) clean across the board for 2013.

If Wikipedia can be trusted, it would be as much as a 17% increase to single earners like myself, and that's simply too large of a risk for me to not prepare for the worst.

(please keep in mind, I've been planning on taking early distribution to pay for my build, so I need to be thinking in the short term. Long term planners probably shouldn't do what I am doing)

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[patrickandbianca]

What's on my mind? Well mainly the fiscal cliff thing actually. I've been shuffling my old 401k account to prepare for immediate distribution if they don't get this deal done, triggering the massive tax increases (OK, actually end of tax relief cuts, because it would be too simple to just lower the tax rate) clean across the board for 2013.

If Wikipedia can be trusted, it would be as much as a 17% increase to single earners like myself, and that's simply too large of a risk for me to not prepare for the worst.

(please keep in mind, I've been planning on taking early distribution to pay for my build, so I need to be thinking in the short term. Long term planners probably shouldn't do what I am doing)

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I have been looking at the news more now than ever. Fiscal cliff, school shooting and now I am on pins and needles waiting to see what lunacy Biden can come up with to assault the Second Amendment.

Patrick

[rocklock]

Rod;
If your 401 is in stock, be sure that you have your stop losses up to date...
Cause we are going over the cliff...

About the stock market... we are at or near an all time high, but our economy is struggling... I believe these two thing will even out... ie something is going to happen (cliff, the euro breaks, somebody bombs Iran, stock market makes a 10% correction or more...).

I am waiting for something to happen, before I reinvest - I'm in cash and treasury bonds now...

I hope I'm wrong, but...

[John W]

I've avoided having any money problems by not having any money.

[rreidnauer]

Yup. All stocks and funds sold off on Tuesday's high, and the whole thing is getting rolled into an IRA for the moment, under cash reserve. I have the option to take full distribution right up until 3PM on the 31st if (or more likely, when) this goes over the cliff.

Wonder how many other million people will be doing the same as I? This could be quite a historical event for the markets. It's just sad that gov't plays these games of uncertainty, forcing individuals into such extreme actions.

I won't even go into the whole "don't let a perfectly good tragedy go to waste" subject. That can get too heated.

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[edkemper]

> I won't even go into the whole "don't let a perfectly good tragedy go to waste" subject. That can get too heated.

On subject? I recently saw a You Tube video with details on an Oregon Mall Shooting. It turns out it was a 20 yo private citizen with a Concealed Carry Permit that influenced the end of the shooting spree limiting the death toll.

Just interesting that the news seems to hide some details when addressing the second amendment.

[rckclmbr428]

I get a sneaky feeling this threads about to get locked.... How about this, but I bought the wife a new to us car (Honda pilot) for Christmas. She has no idea and I'm on pins and needles about giving it to her. I plan on getting up at 3am and getting it (its parked up the road at a neighbors) and putting it in the driveway. I hoping she won't bust me.... The suspense is killing me!

[loghousenut]

The only total surprise gift I have ever been really successful with was the red Vette I got for the Wife on her 49th birthday. The huge red bow makes a didference. Hope you arw able to catch her off guard.

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[ncgator]

Ed,

That is so true. They have a narrative/agenda in the over hyped media and anything that doesn't fit does not get covered. Just look at the ratio of bad to good news (17:1 from Psychology Today) in the mainstream media. I just have a hard time thinking that life in general is really that bad. In the interest of "not going there" any further, I will leave my comments at that.

[ncgator]

Ronnie good luck on the surprise. I am sure she will love the new car.

On a lighter more positive note:) Has anyone got any experience building gingerbread houses? I'm trying to help my daughter and it is kicking my behind. We want to surprise mom.

[patrickandbianca]

Ronnie good luck on the surprise. I am sure she will love the new car.

On a lighter more positive note:) Has anyone got any experience building gingerbread houses? I'm trying to help my daughter and it is kicking my behind. We want to surprise mom.

We just built one yesterday!
It fell over in slow motion 10 minutes after completion. I hope you have better luck!

Patrick

[rckclmbr428]

In west Virginia we build gingerbread trailers, not houses. If only someone would use big pretzels and make a log home... I think I know what me and the 3 yr old are doing tomorrow night....

[Bmetz34]

In west Virginia we build gingerbread trailers, not houses. If only someone would use big pretzels and make a log home... I think I know what me and the 3 yr old are doing tomorrow night....

1087

Here you go rckclmbr!

[Tom Featherstone]

Good Luck on the surprise Ronnie!

Our 1st winter storm is on going here now. We have about 8-9" so far and still coming. A blessed blast of winter that we so need to harvest our trees this winter to give us the opportunity to build this next year. Dear Santa.........

Merry Christmas to One and All!

[John W]

My wife built chocolate houses for years. The 'glue' was melted chocolate, all different candy on them. Big hit at craft shows. And, MAN, do I HATE craft shows.

I did surprise her with her engagement ring on a New Years Eve coming up on 30 years ago. had to buy her a distraction Christmas present, as she expected I'd propose. That antique pitcher and bowl is now one of her prized possessions. However, when she got it, she thought it was a kiss off gift. Big smiles though, a few days later.

Hmmmm, log house in pretzels....

[panderson03]

if your gingerbread house is all homemade, usually the walls/roof are too soft to hold up to gravity (and all the frosting we use to hold it all together). to make the walls stiffer, we decreased the amount of butter/shortening. Vertical supports on the inside are helpful too (we've used frosting-covered graham crackers stuck to the insides of the walls. some years we just skipped the gingerbread and did ALL the walls/roof with graham crackers :) and decorated the outside with gingerbread people and animals. whatever you do, I'm sure she'll LOVE IT!!!

[rreidnauer]

Hmmmm, log house in pretzels....

Or breadsticks? :o

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[AkChas]

.... The suspense is killing me!

I know the feeling Ronnie! Though the gift I got for my S.O. isn't nearly as big/expensive as a car....I can hardly contain myself, from 'presenting' her, with her present. Fortunately for me though, we're having our "Christmas" tonight, since we're going to have 'real' Christmas with our separate families, in different States.
I REALLY like JUSTA/LHN's idea of a Big Red Bow (nudge-nudge / wink-wink).

I'm sure she'll be amazed and very pleasantly surprised when she finds the Honda Pilot in the drive! (Good choice on vehicle, BTW. That'll be great for getting around in snowy conditions).

Merry Christmas!

[edkemper]

We bought a house for our family Christmas present. Because of the weather, we can't get to it at the moment. Smile

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Remember "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"? Richard Dreyfus daydreams at the table while constructing the tabletop plateau with his mashed potatoes? .......... I've been thinking, the straight pretzel logs with white chocolate bark chinking. I attend class in March so I guess I'll have to wait to figure out the rafters and roof. Believe they may sell as a gingerbread alternative. (-;

[rckclmbr428]

I'm one step ahead, and for the record, this is the first "model" I've built
Completed the walls, rpsls, and ridge pole
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk122/rckclmbr428/20121221_184358.jpg
Roof is on!
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk122/rckclmbr428/20121221_185242.jpg

[StressMan79]

Looks like the back panel of the roof is on upside down...

[sdart]

Wow! The roof panels stay up without rafters or purlins! You should patent that system, Ronnie :)

[rckclmbr428]

Looks like the back panel of the roof is on upside down...

ya that happens when your 3 yr old insists on helping...on a side note, chinking goes a lot faster when you slather a good layer down before setting the log...

[LogHomeFeverDan]

LOL Love it!!!! Oh what the heck....use the obvious moniker........that's SWEET!!!!

[Timberwolf]

...on a side note, chinking goes a lot faster when you slather a good layer down before setting the log...

So THAT'S how you build 'em so fast in the real world. ;)

[rreidnauer]

Looks like the back panel of the roof is on upside down...

Holly cow patties Pete! You have a critical eye for detail. I wouldn't have seen that unless you said something.

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[Brian Damage]

. . . I've been shuffling my old 401k account to prepare for immediate distribution . . . please keep in mind, I've been planning on taking early distribution to pay for my build, so I need to be thinking in the short term. . .

Is there a way to reduce tax withholding from early distribution? I have a 403b that I need to withdraw for a new home and unfortunately, 20% off of that really hurts!

[rreidnauer]

Well with a 401k (and possibly other plans) you can avoid the 10% penalty on the first 10k if used to buy a home (maybe to build a home too?) or other "hardship" reasons. A break on just ten grand isn't much, I know, but at least it's a $1000 in your pocket, and not the gov't.

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[donjuedo]

I thought I just read recently that the exception for a home is for a FIRST home (disappointed). I could be wrong, though. It may be his first, anyway. It's good to check all the rules with a pro first in any case.


Peter

[weedgnr]

I love the pretzel cabin rckclmbr. I made one Christmas 2011-ish and I put in a set of stairs and a "second floor" (actually just a platform) and I made the roofing out pretzel rods cut in half lengthwise. I also closed in the gables with the halved rods. I left half the roof open so you could see my crafstmanship on the stairs. Perhaps I'll post some pics later.