January 3, 2007
Random Notes After Returning from the US
We made the mistake of arriving early in the morning in Portland and suffered killer jet lag as a result. The rule is to arrive at bedtime when traveling long distances, so you can flop right in bed and fall asleep. Portland is farther north than Beijing (43.66 versus 39.54) so the days are shorter, which also makes the time change more difficult. It also rained a lot. I’m trying to start off on a high note. ;-)
The tickets I got from Northwest were a good deal and I planned to use some of my bazillion miles to upgrade us, but was surprised to learn that I couldn’t: the tickets were “un-upgradeable.” Given blackout dates and this new (?) “un-upgradeability,” frequent flier miles are more or less worthless now. Maybe I can donate them to charity. Roundtrip fare from Beijing to Portland (via Narita) was $651.43 per adult and $270.50 for baby. Trans-pacific flights are killer and I don’t want to do them more than once a year (if that). The stewardesses back in steerage class were all bitchy but the gratuitous gay stewards (on both flights) were nice.
Baby T was a very good flier and traveler but as he approaches his second birthday he’s beginning to get a temper. I hope he’s able to regulate it better than his father, who tends to be very calm and patient until he explodes and starts smashing things (however infrequent).
My sister always gives me a couple of investing ideas. She said there’s something called ThermaCare which is apparently wonderful if you’re suffering from menstrual cramps or back pain. I looked into it and it’s a Procter and Gamble (PG) product (already a Baby Portfolio Pick because of Pampers and also because fellow Hamiltonian A.G. Lafley is in charge there).
Her second idea was Victoria’s Secret because of their Ipex bra which she says is the most comfortable bra she’s ever worn. (My wife went right down to the store and bought a couple, and she agrees with my sister that they’re very good.) I’m a big fan of The Limited (LTD) and it’s one of the few retailers I’m willing to invest in.
The visitor center at Mount St. Helens is beautifully done. The Spruce Goose’s new home is also very nice.
What’s the obsession with trans fat? (I told you these were random notes, lol.)
Had an odd experience where all white people suddenly looked alike and even sounded alike. I’ve either spent too much time in China recently or everyone in Lake Oswego looks and sounds alike (a possibility).
Seems that in order to work at Powell’s bookstore you have to have multiple body piercings. I found a very helpful (unpierced) clerk there who located an obscure Ross Thomas book for me. I looked at the Little Book of Value Investing and also Joel Greenblatt’s Little Book and passed on both of them. Anyone who understands value is unwilling to pay $28 for something he can get at the local library.
Since when does a large pizza cost $22? And I couldn’t get out of the grocery without dropping $100. Gas was $2.76 a gallon. I drank a lot of Pinot Noir but didn’t note any names… should have since some of it gave me a headache.
Got less bearish on the newspaper business while there (read a paper (The Oregonian) every day), less bearish on bricks-and-mortar retailers (had a bad experience with tabletools.com since I ordered some Christmas gifts there which arrived either smashed (very badly packed) or the wrong items), and less bearish on GM (rented a Pontiac Vibe which was OK though underpowered).
We forgot our cell phone, but it’s being FedEx’d back to China for only $82. The pain of that charge is slightly muted by our being long-time shareholders of FDX.
I’ll end this long rambling post now. Thanks again for your patience during my absence.
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:59 pm
“Since when does a large pizza cost $22?” - Inflation is alive and well in the States!
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Tom: Yeah, and this was at the local “cheap cheese” dive, not some schmancy place.
January 4th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Yep, it costs me at least $8 for a sandwich and drink now. 2 years ago it cost me $5 for the above and potato chips.
January 4th, 2007 at 8:40 am
You might rethink that stance on GM; the Vibe is basically a Toyota Matrix in drag.
January 4th, 2007 at 9:07 am
dave: They do look similar, don’t they, but I bet the Toyota is more reliable. ;-)
January 4th, 2007 at 9:24 am
thats cheap airfare. my daughter is just home (Socal) from London and was amazed at how clean the Tube is aand how friendly the policemen were. i spend $100 bills like i used to spend $20’s. pretty amazing really!
January 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am
scott: Yeah, I was pretty pleased getting that fare … if I changed either the departure or return dates by a single day it was about 50% more. Airfares are so quirky and untransparent it’s all a crapshoot.
January 4th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
i just wrote an IPEX bra show for Lindsay. You inspired me. It should be hot
January 4th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Hi Chairman, i like your random thoughts and happy new year.
Greeting from Gemany
January 5th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Trans-pacific is hard? You should try NY to New Zealand, or London to NZ. Longest it took me London to NZ was 35 hours in economy without layovers - on a cheap routing that stopped in HK, Sing, Sydney then Auckland.
January 5th, 2007 at 7:27 am
Peter: Thanks, and Happy New Year to you too.
Rod: Yes, I know I’m a wimp, but you’re a masochist. ;-)
January 5th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
The are no “schmancy” pizza places in Portland. They all are mediocre at best.
The Oregonian is a crappy newspaper but my wife reads it daily. I actually prefer the twice weekly freebie Tribune.
Powell’s is a gem. One of the best bookstores in the USA imo, better than Chicago which is my reference point). You can look up a book on the web, and it will tell you whether it is stocked, and shelf the book is on.
PS all of us white people are being cloned these days and we really do look alike.
January 5th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Chris: I was in Lake Oswego and I agree the Oregonian is crap (just like most newspapers) but it’s the only game in town (didn’t see the Tribune, alas).
January 6th, 2007 at 9:56 am
RE: temper The Chairman said:
“I hope he’s able to regulate it better than his father, who tends to be very calm and patient until he explodes and starts smashing things (however infrequent).”
You must be a Taurus. Slow to anger but when it happens; look the hell out.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:33 am
i tried ThermaCare for back pain/tightness after long racquetball tournaments… i am not impressed, not even a little bit.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Todd: I’m an Aries. ;-)
Born2: I’ve never tried it myself, but it apparently works wonders if you’re suffering from menstrual cramps.
January 8th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Where are the good places to get cheap international fares in China? In the US I usually find the best price at one of the small travel agencies in Chinatown for those trans-pacific flights.
January 8th, 2007 at 10:09 am
ping: Right, the best places in the US are the Chinatown travel agencies … I use Expedia first to get a general idea about routes and fares and then go directly to the airlines sites to check their prices (and usually end up buying directly). I should also plug Ctrip.com since I’m a shareholder. ;-)