Friday 5

 

Five random things about this week.

1. We got the game Mastermind, and we've been having fun playing it. Also that is my Valentines tree in the background of the photo.

2. I use the Public app for investing in stocks. I started using it about 2 months ago and I turned $25 into $30 so far. I did not invest in GameStop and I didn't know about the Reddit plan. When the GameStop thing happened yesterday, the clearinghouse (Apex) for Public did shut down trades from 'normal' investors, but not hedge fund investors, for several hours. I want to say about 6.5 hours. Public stated that they disagreed with this decision and they negotiated with Apex to reverse that decision. I realize my $25 investment is beyond comedy, but as a student of economics I 100% disagree with Apex's choice to shut down trades. Incidentally, I also have (paltry) investments through TD Ameritrade and I have an account with e-trade. Public is FAR easier to use than TD Ameritrade. But since I don't have serious money to invest I guess my opinion is limited to a review of the user interface. Public also differs from the hated-on Robinhood app in that they educate and alert buyers when an investment is risky. Mike was impressed with my gain so far and my "strategy" of investing in things that I like and use myself. Which was funny after I saw a blog post headline that said, "Do you really need to be told to invest in Apple and Netflix?"

3. We decided to do a minor remodel on one of our bathrooms because the existing setup promotes a moldy environment. I don't like the fact that we will probably have to use our home equity to pay for the update, but I do not feel like we can afford to allow possible mold. The problem is that the shower leaks, so we need to replace the shower stall, as well as the floor covering. I'm pretty sure the previous homeowners installed the shower just for the purposes of selling the house, but not for functionality.

4. We had a snow day this week. It was pretty for a few hours before it melted.

5. Mike's car broke down and has to get a new radiator. I had to go pick him up about 45 minutes away. It was in the 30s and he had no coat. The tow truck driver was not allowed to let Mike ride with him due to COVID-19 etc. AAA sent him a taxi to take him to Denny's, which honestly was stupid since restaurants are closed. Anyway he was able to walk to a grocery store that was closing in 15 minutes and wait inside until I got there. Really, you need to have a coat when it's 30 degrees out and you drive anywhere at all.