Return to Office Mandates

A few years ago I spent 3 months working for a research company and made some good friends. Ultimately the company was not a good fit for me and so I headed back to Sony. Since leaving I have kept in contact with a few of those friends. I reached out to one today that left the research company the same time I did and discovered his return to office (RTO) mandate at the new company has him looking for another job. Fortunately he has until the end of September to find one.

My friend asked me if I am worried about an RTO mandate. I explained that I have an exemption from having to go into an office. I am beginning to understand what a luxury that is now. While I don't mind going to an office, it is a benefit being able to work from home. This is a reminder to me not to take the privilege for granted. This is especially true today as my wife is sick with the stomach flu and I can check on her throughout the day without having to ask for any special favors so I can be at home.

Now let's be honest, between my wife and I, she does a much better job of taking care of me than I do of her. Fortunately with the stomach flu I just need to make sure she is getting plenty of fluids and recouping some of that energy she lost last night praying to the porcelain god. When she explained that she drank a protein shake for breakfast, I reminded her she also needed some carbs to get her energy back. I asked if she wanted a cookie, which she declined. She opted for some high-quality Japanese ramen instead.

COVID 19 caused a lot of companies to re-evaluate their requirements to have employees in the office. Unfortunately the more time passes, the more companies are forgetting the lessons they learned. I know there are a handful of employees gaming the system and not working when they are supposed to but that is more of an exception than a rule. I just wished companies would send out RTO mandates only to those employees that prove they need to be in an office. That would at least keep my buddy from having to find a new job.

Working From Home

My LinkedIn feeds seem to be dominated by news from Amazon that they are making their employees return to work. Needless to say, the employees are not too happy about it. There are theories about how Amazon is going to use the new policy to get rid of surplus employees. Normally a company would layoff those that are not needed. With this new policy they will be able to fire them without severance benefits, saving themselves significant money.

As you can imagine, I think this policy is disappointing. I think that one thing we all learned from COVID-19 is that not everyone is required to be in the office to get work done. It is proven that some people are even more productive working from home as there are not as many distractions at home as there are in the office. I recognize this is not true for everyone.

Fortunately the company I work for is embracing the work-from-home concept. Sony recently sent out an e-mail to a large group of employees talking about how only spending 2 or 3 days in the office has become the new way of working. The e-mail then goes on discussing changes the company is making to reflect this new normal. It is encouraging to me to know that my company is keeping up with new work trends and not trying to enforce policies that make things miserable for everyone.

While there are a lot of employees that thrive working from home, there are also those employees that become less productive. My wife worked with someone that only got about 80% of her work done because of not being in the office. Unfortunately she insisted on traveling around the United States in a recreational vehicle (RV) and so having her come into the office could not be an option. The business owner opted to replace her with someone that now completes 100% of the work assigned. Doing it in the office is not a requirement.

Amazon may lose a lot of quality employees with their new policy. It would be better for them to take a more personalized approach and only require those that need to be in the office to return. Unfortunately that is much more difficult to implement than the blanket policy they have unveiled. I'm glad I didn't take that job at Amazon now.

A Virtual Doctor Visit

Every 6 months I get to visit with my doctor and get a checkup. This morning I got a text from the doctor's office saying that my doctor was ill and wouldn't be in the office today. Instead I had the option of visiting with a physicians assistant or PA about an hour later without the hassle of having to go to the medical clinic. I didn't really have much of a choice as I had a prescription or two that needed refilling. I opted for the virtual visit instead of trying to reschedule.

When I got the text about my doctor being ill, I felt a bit frustrated but understand what happened. When you are a doctor, you get to spend your days seeing sick people. It makes sense that a doctor is more exposed to germs than someone like me that spends all my time in my home office being a hermit. I couldn't be too mad after that realization.

I met with my PA and she had access to all my lab results from my last visit. I am one of those people with perfect health numbers, never mind that they are pharmaceutically enhanced. Of course some of it is due to my constant vigilance to diet and exercise but the net result is my PA felt pleased with my numbers and didn't think it necessary to do anything more than renew prescriptions. That didn't bother me as I didn't feel the need to give a couple tablespoons of blood for lab work. I can wait 6 months.

I wouldn't recommend the virtual doctor visit for everyone. Notice that I meet with my healthcare professional every 6 months and don't mind dropping it back to a yearly visit. I just know that the next time I need to make an appointment, it will be in person and I will have to do the full lab work. It is nice that COVID-19 has made the virtual appointment an option. Before the pandemic, I would have had to reschedule. 

Will I Ever Need Sick Days

My cold has turned into an ear infection and I am doing my best to fight it without antibiotics. Yesterday I felt pretty good but today I am drained and tired. I must have had a rough night. The net is I don't really feel like going to work. The good news is I don't mind doing work at home. I have 5 online meetings today and I can attend all of them. There are a few other things I need to do and can also get that work done. Basically I can continue to work and don't feel the need to call in sick.

COVID-19 has paved the way for working from home for a lot more people. While I am a special case and am allowed to work from home every day, my colleagues that go to the office frequently are also allowed to work from home several days a week. This was not possible at Sony, where I work, before COVID.

Now I have a mild illness so I don't have a problem trying to work. If I felt worse like I did once with a nasty flu, then I would want to burn a sick day. However for colds or minor illnesses, working from home is sufficient to help me keep up on my work so I don't fall behind. It also saves my time off for those times when I really need it, like exciting adventure vacations.

COVID-19 is Back

Today I awoke feeling a little under the weather. I attended a call last night with some of my colleagues in California and one mentioned how there is a huge COVID-19 surge in the state. Given this information and my recent vacation cruise I figured I would give myself an at-home test. It came back negative and so I will wait 2 days and take another one.

I am a National Geographic subscriber and so every day I get at least one e-mail from them with a number of relevant stories. Today's lead article talked about how COVID-19 is back and starting on Monday, September 25, 2023, the Federal Government will send out 4 new test kits to those that request them. If you think you have been exposed to the virus and start to feel symptoms, Please take a test.

The good news is that all the people who have been vaccinated, received boosters, had COVID-19, or any combination should be fairly safe from getting too sick. Unfortunately it is still possible as shown by the recent upswing in hospitalizations. The best course of action is to avoid exposure but that can be tough when those who are sick don't realize it and share their germs with you.

As for me, I don't have any problem breathing right now. I don't have a fever and I can still taste so I am hoping I just picked up a common cold. I will be sure to set a good example, not go anywhere, and isolate so I don't infect anyone, just to be safe. While nobody wants to get COVID-19, nobody wants to get a cold either.

A New Mobile Phone

 A few weeks ago I wrote about trying to decide if I should get a new mobile phone and use it as a dedicated work phone. As luck would have it, the mobile phone I use as our house phone stopped holding a charge. While it used to go a week or so between charges, it could only go 24 hours. It was time to replace the device. Fortunately I had already done a lot of research and had some good ideas on what to replace it with.

The phone that stopped holding a charge was a very robust demo unit given to me by Sony. I loved that phone as it had one of the best cameras at the time. I took it with me to Fiji and captured some amazing photos that no other phone at the time could match. As that trip took place a year before COVID, phones have improved a lot since then. I also have not taken many photos with that phone since I relegated it to home-phone duty. In fact, I hardly ever answer that phone as the only people that call it are scam artists or telemarketers. It is nice to keep the phone number though as it is the one tied to countless accounts and we do receive important calls on it about twice a year.

I decided to list out all of the features I need in a phone and it wasn't that long. I need the phone to be able make calls, text, work with 5G, and be as cheap as possible. While my carrier offers free phones, that comes with the catch of a service contract for several years. While I doubt I will change wireless companies, I do want to keep that option open. Besides I knew I could find a pretty cheap phone based on previous research.

Next I did an Internet search on cheap Android phones. There is only one option if I needed an iPhone and that is the SE which costs more than I wanted to spend. The search string I used was, "Cheapest smartphones for 2023." I got a nice list and looked a bit more into each of them. Ultimately I decided on the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G 256GB (Unlocked). Best Buy had them on sale for $200 and that is an amazing deal for what you get. It has a very fast processor, 256GB of storage, and a stylus for those times when your finger is just too fat.

So what are the downsides? The phone is massive. It is not quite large enough to be a tablet but it sure isn't small enough to fit in my pants pocket without being uncomfortable when I go to sit down. That is fine though as it technically is our home phone and will stay at the house.

I have had the phone for a couple of weeks now and it is working as expected. There are a number of software updates and they installed flawlessly. I've experimented with the phone to see if I should install my work e-mail and it would work perfectly for that. Now all I need to do is see about loading it with movies and bringing it on a plane so I don't have to rely on the seat-back screen in front of me.

Feeling a Bit Under the Weather

Saturday I started developing a slight cough. It is now Wednesday and I am feeling a bit under the weather. It could be that I keep waking up early and heading to Alta where I spend an hour hiking up the mountain and skiing down. That probably won't help me feel better but I do admit that I feel rather good even during the hike up. Unfortunately my cough has gotten worse.

I have gotten to the point where if I had to go into an office, I would probably opt to work from home so as not to spread my germs and get anyone else sick. I only wish that whomever gave me the cough had done the same. I have a sneaky suspicion though that it came from a family member as I don't really interact with anyone else.

Fortunately the world of COVID made it possible for me to work from home on a regular basis. It is normal to attend meetings using Zoom, WebEx, or Microsoft Teams. Now we just need to take advantage of the technology and not go into work when we are sick. I know that isn't possible for every job but if you can use it, then please do.

What I'd Like to See in the Metaverse

Yesterday I posted about the Metaverse. Today I would like to dive a little deeper and share what I would like to see. Given the recent pandemic we all have learned a lot about our tolerance for staying inside. I recently visited Disneyland and chose the dates I did because it was supposed to be empty. Everyday it was crowded and full to capacity because travel restrictions have lifted and that is what people want to do: visit places they haven't been able to because of COVID-19. I also recently tried to book a trip to Zion National Park as it has been a few years since I have been there. Hotel rates are $600-$700 per night in the town just outside the park because so many people want to visit. In order for me to stay home and spend more time inside, the Metaverse better offer something really special and unique.

I love skiing in the winter and rock climbing in the summer. I also enjoy spending time on my bike or sailing. How can you create a world that has a better experience than the activities I enjoy outside? Let's start with exercise.

Today I went for a beautiful bike ride at lunch. Soon the weather will turn ugly and while I have the equipment to ride outside in the pouring rain, I will probably ride inside on my stationary bicycle. Currently I just put in my ear buds and listen to music. I don't use my over-the-ear headphones because they get all sweaty and nasty. I doubt I would ever put on virtual reality (VR) goggles for the same reason. Perhaps I could set my indoor bike up in front of a TV and bike in a virtual world. I have an unused 60-inch television in my office that I could use for such a purpose. Furthermore it is capable of 3D movies and could create a wonderful indoor biking experience. While that does require glasses, I wear sunglasses on my daily ride and so it wouldn't be that much of a bother. The important thing to remember is that I can't be expected to wear cumbersome goggles while I exercise.

I mentioned how I visited Disneyland a few weeks ago. How much is it worth to me to visit an online version of the park in the Metaverse? Probably not much even though you wouldn't have to wait in line for hours on end to ride the rides. There is something about having the wind in your face and feeling the motion of the roller coaster as you experience Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, or Thunder Mountain Railroad. That would be hard to replicate at home even with smart devices like an Internet-controlled fan or a perfectly timed bucket of water. However the more gentle rides like the Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, or Snow White could become a more magical experience than they are at the theme park. I also would like to see earlier versions of the park. Perhaps even visit the park I remember as a child. I would pay real money to experience opening day at Disneyland which is something only possible in VR.

My daughter has a shirt that says, "Hike the Crimson Canyon of Mars National Park." We have robots on the red planet right now collecting high-quality images of our planetary neighbor. NASA could easily put together a VR experience without the unnecessarily long and dangerous space flight to get there. That is something I would like to see. I would also like to see all of the places in the world that are difficult or dangerous to visit. I have sailed a relatively small boat through several massive storms and I don't want be put in such a dangerous situation again. However I wouldn't mind being able to appreciate the power of Mother Nature from the comfort and safety of my living room.

Unfortunately the visions I am describing do not suit the tastes of all. There are bound to be online destinations that offend in the same way we have websites of the same genres now. As I said yesterday, the Metaverse is here now and so hopefully we can apply some of the same barriers to keep our children from wandering into the dangerous destinations soon to arrive.

Quarantined Again

Friday morning I got up and sat down for my usual breakfast of flavored cardboard also known as Oatmeal. I took a bite and couldn't taste anything. This concerned me and so I tried tasting a number of different foods only to have the same result. The last thing I tried was a stick of wintergreen gum. It tasted like gum that had already been chewed for several hours and had no taste whatsoever.

My new office has had a number of cases of COVID and I figured I picked it up there. So as to not spread it any further, I let people at my office know I was going to stay home instead of joining everyone for a team activity. I then proceeded to adjust my weekend plans to avoid all contact with everyone. That sort of upset me as I wanted to go rock climbing. It is not safe to rock climb alone as you need someone to belay you and so I stayed home.

Fortunately my sense of taste returned later on Friday but I still felt that I needed to follow the CDC guidelines and quarantine myself for the next 7 days. I did take a COVID test only to have it come back negative. I would rather be safe than sorry, especially since the tests are not 100% accurate.

Fortunately we have learned a lot over the past 2 years. My weekend would have been amazingly boring without the technology that allowed me to connect with my family. I spent a lot of time having video calls with my kids and their families. I also met with friends using Zoom and that took a bit of the sting out of being alone. 

I still have 5 days to go and fortunately it is raining outside so I have an excuse to exercise indoors. I also can save gas by working from home and not going to the office 18 miles away. I actually don't feel sick and so I understand why people don't feel the need to quarantine even though they should. I just wish others would have quarantined. If they had, I wouldn't have to do it now.

Is Working From Home Driving Us Crazy?

Friday evening last week I boarded a plane in Lihue, Hawaii and made the disappointing trip home. I spent 5 weeks working from the wonderful tropical island of Kauai and could easily have spent another 5 weeks there. Unfortunately there are a number of duties I have back at home and am back to my old-boring routine of working from home in Utah.

In Hawaii, one of my nightly rituals included spending an hour at the pool and hot tub. Most of the people staying at the condo complex were vacationing and so I got to meet quite a few people. On one evening towards the end of my stay, I met a medical doctor who was in Hawaii for 3 weeks. His wife is also in the medical field and they only get one long break every year that they can use to take a vacation. This year they spent it in Kauai. It surprised him that I was there for 5 weeks. I explained that I didn't need to burn any of my vacation time as I was still working every day. That sparked a conversation about the negative impact of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While I have thrived working from home over the past 16 months, I am actually an anomaly. I don't have any kids at home that like to spend time on conference calls with me nor am I using my bedroom as my office. I have a dedicated office with all of the tools I need to keep working from home. My home office actually rivals my work office, which might explain one of the reasons I am thriving.

While sitting in the hot tub, the doctor and I discussed the various ailments that people are exhibiting because of working from home. He personally has noticed a lot of anxiety disorders. Part of that comes from using one's bedroom as their office. One of the work-from-home seminars I was asked to attend mentioned the problem with that. You start to associate your sleeping area as your work area and when it comes time to go to sleep at night, your mind reverts back to work and it can be difficult to fall asleep as well as stay asleep. Anxiety also arises from concern over dealing with younger children and keeping them entertained. Having a parent dedicated to watching the kids helps but a lot of families require that second income and so parents are juggling kids while trying to work.

Looking at the title of this post, I would say that the answer is definitely, "Yes," for a number of people. Working from home is definitely driving those people crazy. But with most broad statements like that, there are exceptions to the rule. The trick is to do everything you can to minimize the downsides of working from home until you are welcome back at the office. Then be prepared as some of your coworkers only show up at work when necessary.

Changing the Weather

As companies that have allowed everyone to work from home start implementing plans to return to office, they are preparing workers for changes. My own company has started recommending online training about how to prepare for the upcoming adjustments in our work environment. I watched a video this morning about we shouldn't be anxious about things that are out of our control and one of the examples was the weather. Interestingly enough, the weather is one of the things you can change and there are many examples of this around us.

I love winters in Utah because I love to ski. Unfortunately summers are just too hot for my taste. Instead of surviving this summer at home, I opted to get on a plane and spend the last 5 weeks in Hawaii. The average daily high is around 83 degrees Fahrenheit with the low around 72. I also get to see the rain daily, something that doesn't happen very often during the summer in Utah. So while I have not technically changed the weather in Utah, I have changed the weather for me by simply changing my location.

There are other examples of changing the weather. If it is raining, you can always seek shelter to where it is dry. If it is not raining and your lawn or plants need rain, you can water them with sprinklers or other types of irrigation.

How about the cold or the heat? How can you change that? Easy with modern heating and air conditioning systems. I doubt very many people would visit Florida in the summer if it wasn't for air conditioning. I also doubt may people would call Alaska home in the winter without heating systems. Sure you may not be able to change the weather for an entire outdoor area, but you can change it for where you are currently standing or sitting.

Often times you will hear an absolute that isn't really an absolute. Someone may say you can't change the weather when now you know you really can. Don't be afraid to challenge all absolutes as you may discover new ways of doing the impossible.

Work From Home Tips: Daily Exercise

I am a huge fan of daily exercise and enjoyed using my company gym while working from the office. For those that are not familiar with my work setup in the Bay Area, I live on my sailboat during the week. Using the company gym is also how I showered daily. While my marina has a nice shower facility, the one at the office is much better. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I would ride the 3 miles from the marina to the office, use the company gym, and then clean up for the day. That all changed when I started working from home because of COVID-19.

It is impossible for me to look forward to exercise unless it is fun or required transportation. I claim that I have to trick myself into exercise or I won't do it. Skiing is fun and so it is easy to wake up early every morning and spend an hour or so on the ski hill. Sometimes I am up long before lifts even start running so I can hike to the top of the mountain, ski down, and still make an early-morning meeting. Other times I will ski for an hour on the lifts and then rush home to start my day. It helps that Snowbird is only 15 minutes away and that I work California hours so I don't have to be in the office until about 10:30am local time.

In the summer, I try to get up and ride a bike. I have a loop that is slightly over 16 miles. It takes me a bit less than an hour and includes a significant amount of climbing. With Snowbird shut down for the summer, I have started riding my bike. I miss the skiing but biking seems to be better for me. I also make sure to get my 10,000 steps in daily. All of this amounts to a significant amount of exercise.

There are a lot of others that frequently used company gyms and working from home has led to the meaning that COVID-19 actually refers to the 19 pounds gained during the pandemic. It also refers to 19 pounds lost for a lucky few people. While I have not lost that much weight, I am down about 10 pounds from my weight before working from home.

Daily exercise is a great way to start your day. It gets the blood flowing and helps clear your mind so you are prepared for the day. Others may find that evening exercise suits them better. The important takeaway is that you shouldn't neglect your physical health while working from home.

Computers in Your Camper

With COVID-19, there are a lot of people that have turned to camping for recreation. While some are content to use a tent, a fair number of people are purchasing recreational vehicles (RV) and heading off on road trips. My wife's brother just sold his house and bought a large camper trailer for just such a trip. My cousin is doing the same thing. I have sort of been bitten by the bug as well. I don't plan to convert a Mercedes  Sprinter van into a camper but I do love seeing what people have done to create their own tiny homes on wheels.

Yesterday I came across a person that built a very nice RV that seems to be a very comfortable home. I admired all of the thought they put into their build. Unfortunately they ended up doubling their budget for the camper but have something that would sell for 10 times what they paid. However while watching the video I noticed that they over engineered their electrical system and could have saved some significant money. Part of the problem is their mentality of how we use electricity at home vs. while camping and I hope to fix some misconceptions with this post.

A lot of the RVs being built are meant to be used off the grid. That means people want to pull into the forest somewhere and not have to connect to any water or electrical hookups. That is a noble goal and requires careful planning. Thinking of only electricity, this requires several solar panels on the roof combined with a large battery bank. The video I saw yesterday did an excellent job. Then things got expensive for no reason.

Electricity in our homes uses alternating current (AC). There are 2 reasons for this. The first is that it is a more efficient way to get electricity from the power station to your home. The second is that it is easier to fuse. While you can fuse direct current (DC) power systems, large voltages can jump across open circuits as that is what lightning does. We build appliances for our home to run using alternating current because that is what is available. Solar panels and batteries output DC and so one should spend a little time thinking about the losses converting DC to AC as there are some.

While our home appliances run on AC most of our home electronics such as televisions and computers actually run on DC. The power supply in your desktop computer converts the AC power into DC and delivers it to all of the components into your computer. If you look at the power brick associated with your laptop, it will tell you how much voltage AC it expects in and how much it delivers to your actual computer in DC voltage.

Jumping back to the video I watched, they had some massive Lithium-Ion batteries connected to a very expensive 3000 watt pure sine-wave inverter. The purpose of the inverter is to convert the 12 Volts from the batteries into 120 Volt AC power. The fact that it is a pure sine wave means that it closely matches the power supplied in your regular home power outlet. Advertisers for inverters like this say that it is better for sensitive electronics. The truth is that most of your computer power supplies are very robust and will easily convert a non-pure sine wave to the necessary DC voltage. What really needs pure sine wave power are things like electrical motors and refrigerators. Another thing to note is that the pure sine-wave inverter is only 90% efficient at optimum load. That means that the best case scenario is that you are wasting 10% of your electricity.

The thing that really disturbed me about the video is seeing that the inverter had several power strips plugged into it only to have every cord convert that AC power back to DC power. There is also power loss converting AC power to DC. It would be much better to run everything in the camper off of DC power and only use the inverter for things that really need AC power. Let's be honest, if you are building a camper you can find most of your appliances and electronic equipment that will run on DC power. Doing so would allow you to use a less expensive inverter and you could also downsize the number of Lithium-Ion batteries required.

So if you find yourself deciding to build your own camper van, pay attention to your electrical needs. There are a number of products that don't need AC power. You can find fans, lights, refrigerators, and many other electrical devices that run on DC power. If you do a bit of research, you can even figure out how to power your laptop and monitors using DC power. This will save you money in the long run and give you more power given your battery and solar charging capacity.

Work From Anywhere

This morning I got up and headed to the gym before work. Now it just happens that my gym is Snowbird Ski Resort and I skied for an hour. Ski resorts are great places to work out as you pretty much social distance and have the benefit of being outdoors. I did take a bit of a risk though and rode a chairlift with a stranger. Don't worry, we wore our face coverings and sat on opposite sides of a 4-person chair.

I usually ask where someone is from and this morning's guest is from the Boston area. He confessed that he hasn't spent much time there though because of COVID-19. Instead he is taking advantage of being able to travel and work from anywhere. This week he is here in Utah and next week he will head up to Big Sky, Montana. I don't think he wants to go back to the way things used to be before this pandemic.

My wife was talking with one of her close friends this evening and the conversation turned to one of the neighborhood kids who recently graduated from college and landed a job in the Los Angeles area. Since he can work from home, he and his wife boarded a plane and are living in Hawaii until he needs to go back to work. He is someone else enjoying the ability to work from anywhere.

My wife's friend asked me where I would like to visit as I am also working from home and have the luxury of going anywhere. I confessed that I am exactly where I want to be and enjoy my morning workouts on the ski hill. Normally I would have been in the Bay Area if not for COVID-19. I hope I don't have to go back to the office as much as I did before the pandemic.

So this brings up the question for you. Do you have the ability to work from home and where would you be? Think about it, you can easily put your home on AirBnB and rent it out while you go live somewhere else. It could be for a short time or it could be longer. You just have to ask yourself if you are where you want to be right now. If not, do something about it.

Ideas for Investing $2000

Recently I opened a Webull trading account and started playing around in the stock market. It has been less than 3 weeks and I have increased my investment by 30%. Part of that is because the overall market is up and part of it is because I guessed and purchased an undervalued stock that is going through the roof right now. The exercise has got me thinking about other investments one could make and that is the inspiration behind today's post.

I chose the amount of $2000 because it is a sum of money that a lot of people can easily raise, especially with a potential new round of stimulus checks. It is also a number that lends itself to smaller investments and not enough for a larger investment such as a home.

I also want to think outside the box. When most people think of investments, they picture the stock market and I want to go beyond that. Yes, it is one option but what other options exist. I doubt I will create an exhaustive list but it should give you some ideas of what will work for you. You may even come up with some better ideas on your own.

The Stock Market - Yes you could do as I have done and invest in the stock market. The problem is that there are thousands of stocks to choose from. What do you invest in? Many investment advisors suggest companies whose brands you use. This is why a lot of people invest in Apple (APPL) and have done quite well over the past years. I saw the run on toilet paper since COVID-19 began and invested in a toilet paper company. Unfortunately that stock has lost value for me. It is only down $2.50 and so I am not too concerned, but it does highlight the fact that you can lose money in the stock market. Let's look at some other ideas that many will find more appealing.

Invest in Yourself - A long time ago I used to work for Oracle Corporation. I had a fair number of shares of stock in them (ORCL) and sold that stock to pay for my college education as I received the stock while I was in high school. I don't regret that choice at all. You could do the same thing with the suggested $2000 and invest it in your own personal learning. It won't come close to paying for a college degree but it may allow you to take the continuing education course that gets you that better paying job. Perhaps there is a skill that you want to learn simply to improve your own quality of life. While it may not reward you monetarily, it will pay you back in other ways.

This brings up investing in your self image. You have to be careful with this one as some people tend to go overboard but it is something to consider. If you work in an office where people dress up, it makes sense to invest in nice clothes. Perhaps your teeth are a bit crooked and you are very self conscious about it. Just be sure that the investment you are making will truly pay you back in some form. Don't use it as an excuse to buy something you don't really need.

I think you are the first area you should look at before other investment opportunities. If you are satisfied with who you are and what you have become, then you can look at other investments.

Invest in Tools - Before you can build a house, you better own a hammer. Not everyone wants to go into construction and there are other tools you may need for your interests. If you want to become a YouTube star, you might need a camera or a computer. You might even be able to get started with a good smartphone. $2000 is a start to help you get going. Just be forewarned that YouTube sensations don't happen overnight and it may be a year or more before you see any repayment of that investment. This is where my 30% in 3 weeks starts to look good.

There are plenty of other examples of purchasing tools that will help you earn money. Right now there are several car manufacturers that are offering 0% loans on new cars. $2000 would be a great down payment that could get you a rental car that you can make available on Turo. I skied with a guy who has a small fleet of Hondas and renting them on Turo is his full-time job. Perhaps you don't like the idea of letting someone drive your car and you dream of becoming a Lyft or Uber driver. A new car would definitely help out especially since both companies have minimum standards for the quality of cars they allow you to drive.

I'm sure there are plenty of other examples of tools purchases but I don't want to go on too long and will leave other ideas up to you.

Hopefully this has given you some new ideas on what to do with your investment money. Just remember that an investment takes time to mature. Stocks may be down or your YouTube channel may not have the 1000 subscribers to allow you to monetize your content. Hold tight, keep at it, and don't panic. Remember that investment money should not be needed for a year or two. If it is needed before then, don't invest it.

We Learned A Lot in 2020

A lot of people are really down on the year 2020 because of COVID-19 and all of the problems that it created for the world. I'd like to take a different point of view and say that it is a year we learned a lot. Furthermore we also progressed significantly in our technology and ability to work from home. Instead of complaining about 2020, I'd like to point out what we learned.

Most importantly we learned that global pandemics happen and we need to be prepared for them. Nobody complained when the Obama administration depleted our nation's pandemic supplies because we didn't think there was even a remote possibility it would be something we needed to be concerned about. Now we all know that while our healthcare system is significantly better than 100 years ago, it is not foolproof and we do need to worry about overloading it.

We learned that we don't need to be in the office to work. This one is my favorites as I have not had to go into my office since March. I find that I am actually more productive working from home. I also discovered that I don't get nearly as much done around the home as I thought I would when I traveled between Utah and California each week. I do appreciate the extra 6 hours a week I am not commuting by plane though. We have seen video conferencing technology rise to the occasion and get significantly better over the past year. I am thankful for that as I believe that we won't have to spend as much time in the office as we used to.

Some people have been very negatively effected by COVID-19 as they have lost their form of income. With every loss, there has also been a gain. A large number of people have learned how to cook instead of going out every night. Other people have turned to the great outdoors and exercise instead of sedentary forms of recreation. There have also been a number of new job opportunities created because of COVID-19. My neighbor that works in the movie industry has a job monitoring COVID-19 protocols on the movie sets, a job that didn't exist in 2019. Amazon cannot keep pace with the hiring they need to do for all of the online shopping being done. While some think that would be a lousy job, I have a neighbor who is thriving at Amazon and loves working there. Let's also not forget the huge number of people entering the healthcare field because it is now front and center in all of our lives. Always remember that when one door closes, another opens.

Yes, this has been a tough year for us all, but it is something we all have in common. On my way up to the ski hill this morning I heard the radio announcer say that normally a person will suffer through a trial alone. Perhaps family and friends may be there with the person. In 2020, we all suffered together. The entire world did and that has brought us all closer together . . . figuratively of course as we still need to social distance.

What Will Happen to Movie Theaters?

Last night I sat down with my wife and watched Disney's Mulan from the comfort of my own home.  My oldest son joined from his home across the valley and my youngest son did the same from Ohio. We all started the movie at the same time on Disney+ and then texted comments to each other throughout the movie. We are not real big talkers during movies and so we didn't communicate much during the film. This was our first experience with a watch party.

Mulan was an experiment for Disney on how to release films during the COVID-19 pandemic. They spent a lot of money making the film and then had to come up with a way to release the movie and still make money. Unfortunately they also had to compete with their original animated version as well. My sons, their families, and my wife all agree that the original was better. Therefore I don't think it is a fair test to see if releasing a movie for a premium fee is a good way to recoup Disney's investment. We all waited until last night as friends told us not to pay the premium and just wait for it to be free on Disney+. We had thought about paying to watch it earlier but were content to wait. I'm glad we did.

So I have to ask myself if this revenue model would work for other films? I think the answer is yes. I would have gladly paid $20 to see the movie Greyhound. Instead I just signed up for a free trial of Apple TV and got to see it without paying anything. I'm sure I am not the only one willing to pay to see the movie from the comfort of their own home.

So now I have to ask the question, "What will happen to movie theaters after COVID-19?" I much prefer my own home theater to having some kid kick the back of my chair throughout a movie. Large-screen televisions are really inexpensive and anyone can have a spectacular watching experience. Yes there are some like my neighbor who enjoys the theatrical experience but I don't know how big that demographic really is. We will have to see how things shake up next year. Until then, I don't plan to invest much in movie theater chains.

A Day to Celebrate

Yesterday my youngest son had an interview with an engineering firm. They liked him enough that today they gave him a verbal offer followed shortly by a written offer. Furthermore they will provide tuition reimbursement so he can continue working on his masters degree. It is a day to celebrate in our family.

Throughout the long process of constantly looking for a job, he has become discouraged even though he had a plan B and started working on an advanced engineering degree. In our society, our self-worth is often tied to our ability to earn a living and when we lose a job or can't seem to find one, we become depressed. I didn't realize the extent of this until a recent family vacation when I made a comment that upset my son. I said something along the lines of, "There are a lot of jobs out there, you just have to be willing to look for them." I hadn't realized my son was looking but still couldn't find one. I thought he was content to continue his schooling and allow his wife's nursing job to take care of the family expenses. Needless to say he wasn't.

Naturally I got a text about the offer from my son and immediately called to congratulate him. I know how much this means to him and his little family. Sure I wish the job was a bit closer than Ohio but his happiness eclipses my own convenience. Besides I have a ton of frequent flyer miles and have been making sure to see him at least once every month. This month he will fly home for the Holidays and we will be sure to celebrate.

For those that are still looking for jobs during this time of COVID-19 and uncertainty, my heart goes out to you. My son found this job with the help of his wife's-sister's-boyfriend's father. It just goes to show that you should leverage everyone in your social network in your job hunt. You never know where help will come from.

PS5 is Cheap Compared to Skiing

My youngest daughter is a ski instructor at Alta Ski Resort here in Utah. Before lunch I talked with her a bit and she looked into how much she makes per lesson compared with how much the resort makes. It is important this season as there won't be group lessons because of COVID-19. That means she will be giving private lessons all winter long. For an all-day private lesson, Alta Ski School charges $700. Let's not worry about how much of that my daughter will see (not much, if you are wondering). That figure startled her as it did me. I decided that if I was just getting into skiing, I couldn't afford it.

That $700 figure doesn't include ski equipment rentals, lift tickets, or food. So basically, if you need help learning how to ski, plan on dropping $1000 for a single day of skiing. All I can say is, "Wow!"

Now Alta is known as a relatively inexpensive place to ski. When I was in college, I liked Alta because a lift ticket cost so much less than other resorts in the area. Naturally my daughter and I became curious and looked at how much private lessons are at Park City. You can plan on dropping $900 there. We also looked at the most expensive resort in Utah and that is Deer Valley. During peak season, expect to spend over $1100 for private lessons there.

When the PlayStation 5 price was announced, I thought it a bit pricey. Now I realize that I can afford to play video games a lot easier than I can afford to go skiing. For the price of one day of skiing, I can get a PS5 and an XBox Series X. The only problem is finding a store with the new video game consoles.

Video Conferencing Suggestions

I am finishing up my sixth month of working from home and last night found myself trying to decide between 2 different video conference calls. Actually there was a third one I could also have attended but opted not to long before last night. Video conference calls are not just for work either. One of the calls I didn't bother attending was for a personal hobby. I know that families are also holding them in place of getting together and risking the spread of COVID-19.

In the first few weeks of working from home, people tried to continue holding meetings as usual. It didn't take long for insightful organizations to realize one or two changes needed to be made. My company put out some specific guidelines for video conferencing and I think many of them are worth sharing.

One of the benefits of face-to-face meetings is that you get up from your desk and walk to a conference room. If you need to stop and use the restroom, you have the option. You also get a minor change of scenery. With video calls you can schedule them back-to-back all day long and never have to leave your desk. An early suggestion we received is to cut back on the length of meetings. Instead of a 30-minute meeting, make it 25. If it is usually an hour, make it 50 minutes. This will allow people time to gather thoughts between meetings, grab a drink or snack, and take a bio-break if needed. My personal preference is to start meetings on the hour or half-hour and end early. Starting 5 or 10 minutes late is a bit tougher for me as I find myself waiting at my desk for the appointed start time.

Another suggestion we received is to see if we can cut down on the number of meetings being held. Some days are so full of meetings that people don't have the chance to do actual real work. What I have done with my team is remove one of our daily stand-ups each week. For those that don't know, daily stand-ups are short meetings where the team quickly reviews progress of daily work. We have them Monday through Thursday but not on Friday. Should something come up and we need to cancel one of the meetings, we reserve Friday for a make-up, just in case.

Cutting down on the number of meetings also goes along with another suggestion: setting aside one day a week with no meetings, if possible. Unfortunately this is a tough one for some people. My boss has multiple meetings every day and so even though we don't have stand-ups on Friday, he still has meetings. I am one of the fortunate ones that has no meetings on Friday and so I don't have to worry about making sure I am at my desk during specific times throughout the day. I generally use this freedom to actually get stuff done. So far this morning I have taken care of a load of paperwork I haven't had time to get to during the week. I am also making sure to put together this posting during my lunch hour so it doesn't distract from the time I am at work.

There are many other suggestions ranging from what to wear (you don't have to wear pants as long as nobody can see your legs), how to make sure you pay attention (taking notes helps me), and always making sure you are muted unless speaking in the meeting. For those that find themselves attending way too many meetings, you can put together an avatar that will attend your meetings for you. It is a funny read and should put a smile on your face even if it does have one or two issues. Good luck with your next meeting.