Mother’s Day and Other Stuff

Happy Mother’s Day to those of you who are mothers or honor your mothers on this important day.  My two kids—well they are officially adults at 18/2--I gave me flowers, a gift certificate for some much needed personal beautification and did an EPA cleanup.  I was very appreciative.

Since mid-January, I’ve been working full-time plus.  In fact, I cannot remember a busier time in my life than the last 30 days.  Today is the first weekend I’ve had off since March 26.  The days were beginning to run together. I don’t care for that. 

My family has been ‘used’ to having me around.  Though busy 10 hours a day with my stock research and ‘stuff’, it is very different from operating in deadline and outcome oriented days.  I do have to grocery shop.  I’m out of everything. Frankly, doing some mundane chores would be welcome.

I did a dog run yesterday.  I’m sore from lifting crates, pups and dogs.  I had a lovely hound mix riding shotgun.  A very sweet dog who was content to sleep but intent in contact.  So many of these dogs crave the human touch.    My ‘Fit by Fifty’ jag as been compromised by all of this work.  It’s an excuse more than a reason.

My portfolio has done well by my not ‘monitoring’ tick by tick.  I’ve been listening to Gary K more regularly, only because I’m at a client, and I can listen while running payroll and doing other ‘must do’s’ that don’t include concentration.  Concentrated work requires quiet for me:  no music, no TV, no disturbances.  The good news is that I can concentrate for very long periods of time.  That is also the bad news—it’s not good to sit too long.  I’ve had long strings of that this month (15 hour days), and I’m glad to be over that for a small bit of time.

What little time I’m spending on the market, I’m spending by looking at charts.  Here’s a weekly chart of just one of the many charts that are starting to move.

This chart has the characteristics of what you would want to look for….consolidation along a base coupled with volume on an outbreak.  It’s not rocket science, but it sure does seem to be made that way. 

When I started writing this blog almost 3 years ago, I named it The Perplexed Investor, because I was truly perplexed.  I’m much less perplexed now.  But only for the long hours of study and a steady diet of tuition payments.  I feel like I’ve learned life-long investor skills.  Would that I had learned them earlier!

I do know this…one really has to learn this stuff for themselves.  Otherwise, the charlatans and the professionals—oftentimes one of the same—cannot be distinguished.  But, ultimately, one has to depend on themselves—and that means studying.  I still believe the singular best book on the market is Stan Weinstein’s book.  If you master the disciplines in that book. that is all you need to know.  That way, you can find charts like this on your own…and you must know how to read a chart; otherwise, you might as well cross the highway blindfolded.  You don’t take such risks with your person; why should you do it with your money?