xpcdoojk

We went to Columbia in May 2022 on a repositioning cruise from Galveston to New Jersey, and on the cruise while on a tour in Cartagena I noticed the woman who does my regular blood donations was there with her husband. What are the odds? Anyway the important point of this post, she was originally planning on going with her sisters and their families, but none of them had passports and were denied boarding in Galveston. She said, some of them had passport cards, but not actual passports. So, it does happen. I do not understand the point of a passport card? jc

I am guessing but they are just now turning these features on after a 2-1/2 year hiatus, and that they picked a date in the future. In 2020 and most of 2021 it didn’t matter how you booked, because nobody was booking shows, etc. I think they are now back to why are we only doing this via an app, that a lot of passengers don’t install, and can’t use, and when they can’t book a show, they show up at customer service unhappy because they couldn’t see, Grease, the Ice show, etc. So, they are opening up other avenues. This is just me deduction. I have no actual knowledge. Just following my inner Sherlock Holmes. jc

I am guessing the magic number is 45 days. Check again on the 3rd and the 4th Airbear. Of course only if your ship is in this special group.😆 jc

Funny, I tried to log in at lunchtime while eating Chinese food in my Jeep Gladiator in a crappy park in the bad side of town from my Ipad. I tried three times and got locked out. 2 hours later I got an email from CC saying my account had been locked because three failed attempts from somewhere in Michigan. I was not using a VPN, and I was definitely not in Michigan. Man they have issues.😆

Said, by someone who thinks they care.😆

Thanks for this thread! I just booked the four entertainment events available, and booked our MTD times around those events! This is the December 10 sailing of the Harmony of the Seas! jc

It is the concierge lounge. When we were on it both times it was closed to D+. both were repositioning cruises on the Ovation. One from Singapore to China and the other a TP. So, I doubt you missed out last cruise. I have not been in the CL on a Quantum class ship, but I am sure the view is way better than the DL. JC

We had 77 between 6:30 and 8. I have a video playing in the upstairs room, witches ghosts and other ghouls. Have projector putting horror pictures on the front door, and the triple garage and the second floor. We quit at 8. Watching the Blues versus king like a bad horror movie where they kill the hot girl jc

Did you see any Orcs, Hobbits, Elves, Dwarfs or Harfoots?

It is generally lit up enough at night to still be able to take pictures. I was able with my Iphone in 2018 when we departed.

Lovely day.

Seasons are different where she is!😉

None, but it was their issue, somehow I am guessing it will mostly all work out. Contracts are set up to protect each party if I show I have done my part of the bargain, I am pretty sure the courts will agree with me, that any action on their part to my detriment will turn out in my favor. Yesterday a train in a theme park that I rode when I was 5 (I am 63) crashed and sent 7 people to a hospital. Should I plan my life around something that happens 1 time in 58 years? I am just going to continue to follow the terms of the contract, and let the chips fall where they may. jc

So, here is a funny story… about credit card declines. I opened a Marriott card recently to take advantage of their points offer (the last of our hotel cards I have restarted now that Covid is not dominating travel), in my wife’s name since it is on our Marriott account. So in order to hit the $3000 in 3 months threshold to get the points, I booked tickets on StubHub to go back to my grad school for basketball games over the Xmas break at UNC. They were not cheap tickets, so after booking the first game I tried to buy more tickets for the next game. Card declined. Fine, switched to my Amex Platinum card tickets secured. Tried to buy something else, declined, a week went buy. I call the 800 number. Yes, you keep declining my charges. (During this time I paid the bill, paid the total balance including the Stubhub purchases figured this would resolve the problem). Wrong!!! The person on the other end will only communicate with my wife who doesn’t pay the bills or create the accounts. So, this morning I pulled out the card and tell her to call the 800 number on the back to talk to them about the holds. they recount all of my failed attempts to use the card. They asked her about each attempted transaction. She said, we have paid for all of the transactions that went thru, why would you not reopen the card? They continued down the list. At the end the card has been reopened. This is Chase, whom when we had a mortgage they were it. Such a Collossal pain. JC

I believe you are correct. Doing a search I think in 2022 you can make $19560. If you exceed that they reduce your social security payment $1 for every $2 you earn. This goes away at FRA, I think. JC

Yes, it increases if you delay it, but you are getting a check for more periods of time (IE more checks) the earlier you retire. Then the present value calculation since there is inflation (and at the moment increasing rapidly) a dollar is worth more today than a dollar 5 years from now. As I mentioned earlier, the key is knowing if you are going to die on which side of say 85, would greatly affect the simple math. I did a spreadsheet and without even considering inflation (since that is a bit of an unknown) that if you live to less than 80 the difference in taking the money at 62 is not that significant compared to taking it at 70. If you die at 69 it is a no-brainer. 🤣 JC

I guess, I need to start sucking up!🤣

If you love what you do, why stop doing it? Money is never the answer to what we want to do. My post is just about the math. The math is easy, if you know when you are going to die, I can tell you exactly what to do to maximize the money. if you love being a doctor, and can’t imagine not doing that…. The calculation is pointless because you have the luxury of winning each and every day by doing your job. I like my job, but I do not love my job. I would far rather be hiking in a national park or riding on the FlowRider while approaching Aruba. So, for me, as my online doctor if you could tell me when I or my beloved DW are going to die, I would be forever grateful for you help with me knowing the right math!🤣 As far as what to do with your practice I deal with my customers who are all independent contractors, and my vendors who generally have a business that is completely based on its existence of their personality and skill set. IE they can’t easily sell the business because without them and in your case without you, the profitability of the business doesn’t exist. In other words you have to find someone to take over your business while paying you for it, and to meet payroll. That is hard. Very hard. jc

It is simple economics. I use credit cards that reflect what I like to spend money on. The hotel credit cards and airline credit cards are the least used and most often cancelled. Why, because they have an upfront fee, associated with them. AA Citi cards for example, give you a free checked bag for everyone traveling with me. Usually the DW and I, that saves about $100 per trip. The annual cost of the card is (I think $95). One trip it pays for itself. During covid, I cancelled hers and mine, along with all of our hotel cards. After Covid, I reopened them taking advantage of offers for 50,000 miles or some number of point nights. Hotel cards, offer a free night each year, and a large number of points if you make say $3000 worth of purchases in the first three months. Again, another free night. I use these cards to make the bonus, and when I book a hotel. Other than that they are just there in case I need them. My splurge card is the Amex Centurion card, because I really like their lounges when I travel, there are other perks like OBC for cruises, and paying for Global Entry or TSA Pre check or Clear, etc. I get a $15 a month UBER credit, and some other perks of declining value. I was really PO’d this year when they declared you had to use $3000 a month to get others into the Centurion Lounge. I almost cancelled this extremely costly card, and switched to the new Capital One card or the Admirals lounge version of AA, but I really don’t like their lounges, and I really like the Centurion Lounge. In February, I will probably pay to get her a personal card in order to continue using their lounge. Either that or I will have to use the Platinum card more. It is complicated but simple, if they pass my personal cost benefit analysis I use them if they fail I cancel them. I never use cash…. Except my favorite Chinese lunch restaurant (operated by a Vietnamese family) where they want us to use cash, because they don’t want to pay 3% to the credit card company. I help them out , despite my own personal interest, and pay cash. I am such a humanitarian and all around good guy!🤣 jc

it is easy, if you know when you are going to die, you know when you should collect. O wait, you don’t know when you will die…. I am close to this decision point, and truly it doesn’t really matter when you collect, what matters is when you don’t make income any more. Retiring at 62 or 70 in the USA is the extreme…. If you consider the present value of money, retiring early makes a lot of sense if you are not making a lot of money when you are 62, if you are making a lot of money, the longer you can do that the better. Does that make sense? IE SS is not a big number it is a number that can help you in your older years but if you can make significant income that is more important than how much you will get from SS. Not doing present value, I was shocked at how little difference it makes when you retire for you total benefit. Now if you KNOW you will live to be 100 you should wait til 70 to start withdrawing from SS. If you are going to die at 70 you should take SS at 62. What you don’t know when you are going to die!!! Really…. How can you not know this???😆🤣 If you include present value in your calculation before this year and almost double digit inflation it was slight in favor of retiring older. Now with 10% inflation in the offing retire, now. O, wait, I did mention SS is not the reason to retire. The reason to retire is when you can no longer make significant income. At some point if you are making significant income, you have to say when do I quit and do what I want. Some people rock stars, sports stars, hedge fund managers, etc. Don’t have to make these decisions around SS, but for the rest of us it is a real question. I will continue for now to work, but I want to do so many things, when I am 65 and qualify for Medicare, I will retire shortly there after. So, in short clarity. If you are making a lot money you may want to continue to make a lot of money. If you know you are going to die soon, retire. If you know you will outlive all of your children wait as long as possible. That is the math… all else is just emotions. peace out jc

I have a ton of credit cards. I never carry a balance over. I never pay a late fee. I never pay interest. My TA has an online payment area, exactly like a credit card company/bank has. It is my money, they get their money when it due. I am not giving out short term loans. Scheduling a payment it is just as easy to schedule for the due date as a random 5 days, 3 days, one week etc early payment. My electronic Calendar let’s me know the due dates, and I pay them a couple of times a month along with Cell phone, utility and other bills. Probably takes me an hour to pay all my bills this way. The DW pays all of the bills that are still in the 18th century that require a physical check. If we ever miss a payment it is one of those, where a bill gets lost in the mail. All of the others I know exactly when they are due, and for the rest of time since they are set up as recurring events. I have a credit card for Costco, Sam’s Club, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, AA, United, Discover, Capital One, Amex Platinum card, Amex Blue, Home Depot, Amazon, some department stores (Nordstrom Dillards), and a few I never use, but used to. They all pay me back for purchases in ways that are unique to each. I get 2% minimum back on every purchase I make. My credit rating is almost perfect. JC

Exactly, like I pay any other bill. On the day it is due. I schedule the payment thru my TA, just like I do on a credit card. I schedule it to pay on the due date. JC

We always watch, although our local CBS affiliate is in contract dispute with directv stream so I will have to watch it on Paramount Plus. A bit of a pain. The travel is less ambitious than in the past. Every episode is an elimination leg.

Don’t remember, but bet Jimbo, as many of my other CC friends were at the time, was a NOOTS. jc

Because he is Jimbo??? Always the contrarian except when he shouldn’t be. 🤣 jc