​Since my last post, I got off my butt and put my nose out the door. I saw the world starting to open. Fear is still in the air, but people are less afraid every day.

After watching my savings dwindle over the past year, it is clear that it is time to take the 20 years of experience in events and put it to good use. It's time to reflect on how things were done and pivot to how they are being done today. Times have changed over the last 2 years.

For me, it is about looking and listening to everyone I see and hear, including what people are posting on social media. Are the events of old as popular as they used to be? I don't know. I have been busy learning about the stock market. 

In the past two years, I have been investing, trading, and playing in the stock market, getting up at 5 am each working day and researching, testing, risking, winning, and losing money. This educational period is priceless. How did I do?

In 2020, I rocked the market, almost doubling my portfolio. In 2021, it was flat as I dove into different trading styles: day trading, swing trading, and my current favorite, position trading. 2021 was the year I tried to learn more about the market. March 1, 2021, is when I look at it as a job. In 2022, the market went into a bear market, and I took heavy losses, but still held most of my gains from 2020. Unlike 2020, I kept invested through the bear market. Another learning lesson is in play.

On February 25th, 2015, I started Nomad Market Events, a company dedicated to giving micro-businesses and artists a platform to sell their creations. This is not an online platform; it is real and tactile, meeting people, and selling directly to them old school, in person. It started with Fashion Splash in 2014, and now it is time to pour new energy into it. Nomad Market Events

​Today, I found a hat hanging on a tree as I walked around a lake. It was pink. It was a fitting way to signify the end of one president and the beginning of another. Today will mark the four year anniversary of the Pink hat movement and the woman's march on the U.S.'s capital as the most polarizing president in the History of the U.S. took office. 

Most people might think I am a bit crazy. There is a part of me that will miss his god-given talent, the ability to piss people off. He changed the face of North American politics as we know it. Through his rude and Buligerant not stop attacks on virtually everything and every person that did not follow him, he changed our world for the better by making visible what was hidden. 

Donald Rump enraged millions of women and activated a movement to stand up to abuse and abusers in a way that will last for years to come. Women entered into politics in record numbers, changing the face of congress. By The end of his term, the lower chamber and upper chamber had more women than ever before. 
Canada is moving in the same direction.

 Mr. Rump may be responsible for this, but he doesn't deserve any credit. The credit goes to the women and men that stood up and marched. The glory goes to the courageous who testified. Kudos to the people that stood beside the people that have been abused and supported them to achieve their goals. The real credit goes to every man and woman that posted their stories online and shared how they fought through the emotional strain. 

​The world is in hyper speed when it comes to change. On line schooling has taken huge leaps this year. See your doctor without leaving your house. Cars that don't use gas. Online shopping is the new normal. Camping is the new national past time. The list could go on.
It is times like these that can be inspiring or the exact opposite. Out of all this change in such little time, I try to make an effort to shine some light on the darker areas. Out of all this change in such little time, I keep my eyes, mind and heart open. Out of all this change, unlimited opportunities abound. There are many challenges ahead and to break through those challenges, I will need Confidence, Persistence and Patience.
To build confidence; take time to learn more. To be persistent I need movement and motivation. Take the 1st step and take a risk. Timelines are very important but in times like these, there are headwinds that come from all directions. Patients allow me to wait for the wind to die down without ever taking your eyes off the prize. The Prize, what is the prize? Success!

Will, there be a youth baseball season in 2020, and if so, what does it look like? It would be a shame, Victoria is Hosting the Little League National Championship, and it would be such a waste to lose this opportunity. Our Kids at Layritz have been training for three or more years to get ready for this event if they don't get their chance they will age out. Cancelling this event would be devestating to all the kids and families involved. But it is a possibility. 

I have been coaching as long as my kid has been playing baseball.  Last year was a great year, with our team getting a silver in the BC provincials. Sports in our house are a huge part of our lives as I am sure it is with many. Missing out on sports to save lives is a must at this time, but, boy, it is hard. 

Let's hope we get control of this Virus soon and that baseball season is just delayed and not cancelled. 

​These are tough times, to say the least. If you are self-employed like me and can't make money or even plan to make money because of the lockdown things, look grim. I took a look at my RRSP and wondered how to invest in recouping the losses. I came up with more questions than answers. 

Have we passed the panic stage selloff? Not sure. People are buying up what they seem to think are bargains, but what is a bargain stock at this point? What happened in the past?  What would a market recovery look like?  Take a look back on the last two bear markets. One started in 2001 and lasted until 2003. The other began in 2008 and ended in 2009. The crash of 2020 bear market could last a while and could drop another 20 percent before it is done or may more. These are times never seen before. 

The crash in 2000 saw a drop of 45% from peak to bottom. 2008 saw a 48% drop. Neither crash saw entire cities shut down. Mind you. The banking system was virtually shut down in the US for a moment in time. There is a possibility that the market may drop another 20%. or..... more. Look at the graph above for the Hong Kong flu. It took some time to recover. 

 What will start the recovery after this crash? What companies will be the 1st to lead us out? What companies are generating income from this situation, who is hiring, What companies oversold, and their earnings will not be affected? So many questions and we have time to research. People have lost billons on this crash and some have cash ready to deploy. 

Covid 19 is changing everything. It is the 1st time in my lifetime that the world is so focused is on healing. The world is turning fear and panic into healing and taking care of one another. Humans are resilient beings; I am sure we will recover.  I hope we keep up supporting one another during this time. 

The ​Isla Mujeres is a magical place; It is the only place we have visited tree time in over 20 annual vacations. It has changed a lot over ten years, but it still has its charm.  Condos and new homes are going up all over the island, some being rented out to tourist and others owned. Ten years ago, there were a few cars, and most people used golf carts. Times have changed. 

There are now car ferries from the mainland and lots of taxies. The problem is not only the congestion on busy holiday periods; it is the smell of burning fuel.  The pollution controls on diesel golf carts are none existent, and this should change. Why not make the whole island electric. It could be done over time — my only complaint. 

This Island is Paradise with beautiful warm turquoise waters and super friendly people, The Marina Paraiso Hotel was a peaceful place to bond with the new puppy with a beautiful property. The whole island had good restaurants in all price ranges. A great place to visit and maybe live one day. 

​Our new puppy named Fabio made the long trip home 7 hours flying time and an overnight stay in Vancouver. We found him to be a joy to travel with. He slept most of the ay home. We used the training puppy pads that he used successfully after two days of having him. Smart dog. After seven days of being home, he is showing signs that house training will be short, he just started barking to go outside. 

Of course, everyone asks what type of dog he is, and we are curious about how many different breads he is combined with. All we know for sure is that he has hound in him. Regardless of what he makes up is, he is sensitive and loves to cuddle, making him a good match for our older dog and our family. 

I am fully aware that we can adopt a puppy in our home town of Victoria but there is something intriguing about bringing home a puppy from a foreign land .

The 1st thing to do is make sure your airline will allow you to do it. West Jet allows for pets for an extra charge. We prepaid for both in cabin and cargo pet space because we have know idea what kind or size of dog we are bringing home.

​and so the journey begins.

​lucky that the Vancouver Airport has great places to sit and write.