Change in ETA

We've just recently changed our plans for moving back to Chicago! We had originally planned on moving our stuff up to Chicago around July 18th, and coming back down to Richmond until mid August, at which time Christy would move up to Chicago for good. Instead, we will be moving to Chicago the following week (July 26th) and will stay up there permanently. I plan to take the remaining part of my vacation during the first week of August - then fly down to Richmond August 15th to finish out my last two weeks of work, and finally drive our other car up to Wheaton. This change will prevent us from having to stay in an extended stay hotel for three weeks and also keep the kids from traveling back and fourth twice. So I guess everyone has one more week to rest up their back before they move all of our stuff :)

The family is doing well this week. Sammy has gone from taking a step or two, to walking everywhere. It is amazing how quickly young children take a totally new concept and make it business as usual. Certainly something for *old folks* like me to be envious of. Elizabeth continues to evolve as well. She entered a stage in life where she can not obey me, but be clever about it. I dropped a big glass milk jug in the kitchen which shattered. I told her to get in the living room so she would not get cut or track milk everywhere as I cleaned it up. I look over to see her with one toe in the family room, but the rest of her stretched out as far as she could into the kitchen. When I told her again to go into the family room, she said, 'I'm already in the family room daddy....what do you mean?' I think we'll need an extra dose of patience as we enter this stage of toddler-dom.

Well browsing the news this morning, I saw this article about Venezuela. When people started rioting in Venezuela after Chavez took over the airwaves a couple weeks ago, I remember thinking that perhaps his people had finally reached breaking point with the dictator. After dwindling oil profits on poorly thought through & managed social welfare programs (and on himself), and now taking away their freedom of information through airwaves - people were ready for a change. However, reading the above article reminds me that taking away power from a dictator is not always easy. Not only does buying more military give Chavez a chance to rally his population against the US (I'm bad-but looking how bad THEY are....) but it gives him greater control over his people. The article pitches Chavez as a threat against the US, but honestly, what will 53 helicopters, 24 fighters and 100,000 guns do against the US? That would be like a mosquito going after a tank. However, his small military can help him suppress people in or near his country that have differing view points. All this said, it is a constant reminder that in Latin America, things are not always stable. Thankfully Costa Rica has a neutral and fairly stable government; however, the entire region generally dislikes the US (and sometimes rightfully so given our self focused policies) and can change in a hurry.

Anyway....investing tip for this week is Apple. Four years ago my brother-in-law told me that Apple was 'money'. I laughed at him and told him the washed up computer company was nothing. Looking back at my stock returns, maybe (just maybe) I would have been a little better off having a little fruit in my portfolio. This week they are releasing the new i-phone which folks are excited about. I find myself again thinking 'this will never catch on, and who would want to pay 400 dollars for this..' However, I know they will. Don't pay any attention to the analysts who are worried about the bugs that need to be worked out. People will buy this phone, and buy it again if they have to get an updated version. And if I'm smart this time, maybe I'll buy a little Apple.

Until next time...