Congratulations Cindy!

Another week has passed and we have wandered from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown, eastward along the lake, then south, past the shores of Lakes Huron and Michigan and down to Lansing MI. It is the occasion of my baby sister graduating from law school. And she is graduating Magna Cum Laude, instead of Lawdy How Come? I am very proud! Soon she will take up her assignment as Law Clerk for a federal judge in Baltimore; again, congratulations are in order! And, at some future point, she will even figure out how to complete her application for Obamacare! Even in these slightly more enlightened days, it is still an 18-page document to fill in (or out, seems to mean the same thing!). Of course, factual correctness requires me to note that few of the improvements of Obamacare have yet become active. Even when they do, very little is changing in the tragedy that is healthcare in the USofA... however, that's a rant I often contemplate, but have yet to write! At any rate, she will also deserve further congratulations if she ever completes that successfully; some people take a course on how to effectively complete health care forms!

We have enjoyed a beautiful trip down here. We drove along Superior for about 800 clicks the first day and, after negotiating the border crossing, stopped for the night in northern Michigan at a small place called St. Ignace. It is beautiful there. We were right on the shore of Lake Huron, and our room had only some 50 metres of lawn between us and the beach. Then, on Friday, we completed the trip down through Michigan to Auburn Hills (suburb of Detroit, at the end of Lake Erie). We're located about halfway between the Palace of Auburn Hills (Pistons) and the Silverdome (Lions, although someone tells me the Lions have moved to a new home now.) sports complexes. Tom & Mariette, Viggo & Nancy are also here, so it's good to spend time with them.

We enjoyed the open house at the Thomas M. Cooley law school, where Cindy took her training, and then enjoyed a family banquet at a local restaurant specializing in Indian food. BK would be impressed! Thank you, Daniel & Cindy. It was good to share in the joy of the occasion with you, and the families involved.

Today, we took a short drive west to Lansing, where the main campus of Michigan State University is, for the graduation ceremony. It was another great affair, and I honoured the event with the purchase of a new sports coat. I contend that it is a rather denigrating comment on society that I can become 'socially acceptable' through the purchase of a used jacket from Value Village! (Wendy insists that I not mention the price was $9.99)

Otherwise, it was another terrible week on the markets. There was a slight recovery on Friday just to keep the suckers biting, I suppose. I managed only one sale for the week, and thus have gained another 0.2% on the portfolio, but I also have some holdings that will need some substantial improvements before they can sell. So, it's tough going these days.

Wendy was quite busy with trip preparations, and organizing things at home before we left. Now, she's the full-time navigator, and despite a couple of mishaps with maps, has managed to get us here!

Erin and Kristian are holding down the home fort. Kristian had a small disaster this week, as Sadie (the dog) ate one of his hearing aids. That has now been replaced, but the earpiece is not fitting right, so he's in some discomfort. He is enjoying 'golfball', as he calls it. I take him out with his new clubs—he can barely carry them—across the street to the school yard and he hits my shag tube of balls (24). He's doing well, and it's a delight each time he comes to say, "Papa, golfball." Eric/A and the boys are down from Kenora for this long weekend, so there is plenty of company.

Trav continues as per usual with work, private contracting, and life. He has taken the better route, whether through wisdom or good luck, of avoiding investing in these troubled markets.

And that's about it for this week.