The Prosperity Game - Day 49

More gold again today! I've done some research and have found gold bullion from different parts of the world. Today I travel to Austria (in my mind at least!) to happily spend $49000 on these beauties:



This is an Austrian Philharmonic, a legal tender coin in a Euro denomination, although I wouldn't recommend using it to buy something for 100 Euros; whomever you pay with it will be extremely thrilled though! This is a 24-karat gold coin, so it's best to handle it gently, just like the Canadian Maple Leaf from two days ago. I think 49 of these beauties will be just right! I'm just loving my gold collection, and there's plenty more to come! Stay tuned for GOLD FEVER - Round 5! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 48

I'm still going on a gold theme for today, and there is certainly no shortage of bullion to buy! There are so many neat gold coins to own, so I'm continuing my adventure into the gold minted in other countries by traveling to South Africa (financially) with $48000:





This is a golden Krugerrand, a legal tender coin of South Africa. All of the bullion that I've purchased has been legal tender, which means that it does not need to be assayed or melted down to confirm gold content when reselling. This coin, like the American Eagle, contains 1 oz of pure gold, with some additives to make it more durable than pure 24-karat gold, which is soft and dents easily. I'll be purchasing 48 of these today to add to my growing gold collection! I love just pondering in amazement how such a small coin packs such a financial punch! GO GOLD! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 47

Ahh, it feels so good to be buying gold! I've been purchasing American Gold Eagles, but I would like to mix it up a bit and get something a little different, just for a change of pace. So how about some of these for $47000:





This is a Canadian Maple Leaf gold coin, obviously named when you see the reverse side! It is a 24-karat gold coin, meaning that unlike the American Gold Eagle which is 22-karat but contains one ounce of actual gold (so the weight is a little over one ounce), the Canadian Maple Leaf is purely gold through and through. I'll be buying 47 of these today to add to my collection. Let's see tomorrow where else I can find neat gold bullion from!

The Prosperity Game - Day 46

So I've had 45 days of buying lots of neat things so far, and I've spent a total of $1,035,000! That's quite a bit of money! It's been a lot of fun discovering so many new toys out there for me to enjoy. Frankly, though, for the time being I'm toyed-out. I'd like to focus on building an investment portfolio for a while. That would be good fun to do! And if I find a neat toy somewhere along the way, then I'll take a day off of investing and make it mine!

So, today, I'm going for my most favorite investment vehicle:



I'm going to start today with some more American Gold Eagles. I've already purchased 25 coins back on Day 26. Today's price is just a bit below $1000 a coin (ounce of gold), so I'll be buying 46 ounces worth of Eagles, bringing me to a total of 71 ounces. I plan on adding a lot more gold to the collection, but this will be a nice start :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 45

OK, now I'm back to some house renovations! With $45000, I should be able to take care of most everything I've been looking to complete.

First off, I'm going to finish off the basement. I'll add in a bar against the north-facing wall so that I'll have ample storage stage for my collection and plenty of countertop space for people to sit and enjoy. Also a pool table for the room, along with a comfortable couch, love seat, and chair to sit on. I'm going to expand the radio room by about 2 feet to give myself a little extra breathing room there. In the crawl space underneath the family room and the space underneath the basement stairs, I'll be adding in shelving to maximize storage space.

On the first floor, I'll be replacing all of the doors and door jambs. The tile in the foyer, downstairs bathroom, and the hall leading up to the kitchen will be replaced as well. I want to put hardwood flooring in the remainder of the downstairs, including the living room, dining room, and family room. What a nice touch that would make!

On the second floor, I'll again be replacing all of the doors and door jambs again. Up comes the old shaggy carpet with some nice neutral beige carpet. New bathtubs, cabinets, and tile flooring in both the master and main bathrooms with a new sink and fixtures in the master bath.

Have I hit $45000 yet? Well, just in case I haven't, I'll buy some wine to put down in the bar to cover the balance!

The Prosperity Game - Day 44

Did I say something about finishing a basement today? Well, I'll get to that eventually :-) What's the rush? There's still so much else out there to enjoy! I'm happy that in my searching I've found yet another beautiful piece of art that I can add to my collection. $44000 buys me this fascinating painting:



This is a painting titled "Void Dancer" by Aya of StarWheel Mandalas. It is a 6' x 6' acrylic on canvas painting representing Power. I like the colors used in the painting, bright and energetic. I could spend hours just appreciating all of the small detail painted into the pieces of the mandala, so much intricate design! Let's see if this painting gives me power to find more things to spend money on tomorrow! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 43

Ok, I sort of lied. I'm going to skip on basement renovations today because I found something pretty to buy! I love buying beautiful things that I can appreciate. $43000, here ya go:



This is an Acid-Cut Back Vase, "Dragon" pattern, 14 inches high and 8 inches wide. This piece was made around 1925, and was typically intended to be use as a lamp base, as you can tell by the shape! It is currently available from Steuben Glass in New York.

As described on the website:

"This is an example of a double-acid etched vase in which two layers of glass are cased together and acid-etched twice, to reveal both the dark outer layer of the dragon and the inner scroll pattern on the blue. It is both a labor-intensive piece, and a complex design."

I bet I can spend hours admiring this piece and the intricacy of this design! But where to put it? Maybe in the new 4-season room? Or in the renovated finished basement that is coming tomorrow (or someday soon if I find something else beautiful to buy tomorrow!) :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 42

I bought my first house almost two years ago now, back in 2007. It is a great house that I absolutely love! The size is right for me, I love the layout, the front porch, the trees in the yard! I plan on keeping this home for a very long time. So if I'm going to be here a while, why not add some improvements to it? I've got a $42000 budget, so let's start spending it!

First off, I'm going to tear out the original deck that is off of the dining area next to the kitchen. In its place, I'm going to add a 4-season room with ceiling-to-floor windows, with screens on the bottom windows so I can enjoy the breeze flowing through! All of the windows will have shades for privacy and keeping the sunlight out if it happens to be coming too intensely through the trees at certain times of the day. I'm thinking a 12' x 15' room would work out fine. Of course, no 4-season room would be complete without a nice jacuzzi, so I'll be adding one in there. Some nice, comfortable furniture would be great so that I can sit out there and read, or enjoy a cup of coffee. Also a Bose sound system so that I can enjoy whatever recordings I'm listening to.

Then, off of the side of the room, I'm going to build a new deck that runs the remaining length of the house, and have it be 15' wide to match the width of the 4-season room. I'll get a nice grill to put on the deck so I can cook out back. That would be fun!

I don't think that will have used up all of the money, so I'm going to work on the kitchen. Really, I have new appliances that I got when I bought the house, and I'm happy with them, so I don't need anything new there. So I'm going to replace the cabinets and countertops (thinking marble for those), and also replace the linoleum floor with tile. Going to replace the pantry shelving as well to help make more efficient use of the space.

That should take care of this chunk of home improvements for the time being! If there's any money left over, I'll use it for tomorrow's set of renovations! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 41

Musical instruments are really beautiful. Think about how someone originally came up with the idea for the instrument in their mind, envisioning it producing a sound, and then from that idea, crafted a piece that brought their idea to fruition! And not only have many of these people created something that produces beautiful sound, but the instruments themselves are a sight to behold! The craftsmanship required to make them is certainly beyond my understanding where I stand, but I don't need to know about all of that to enjoy the sight of them. For $41000, I can have one in my home:



This is The Art Nouveau concert grand-sized harp, available from Swanson Harp Company in East Boston, MA. It stands 6 feet tall, weighs 88 pounds and is entirely hand-carved by master carver Will Neptune. Won't it look pretty in the house?! I suppose I'll be taking harp lessons along with piano lessons too! Or I'll just find some friends that would like to come over and play it. Maybe the people in the photo?? That sounds like it would be more fun anyways! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 40

I just love Apple products! I feel like the people that create them really care about what they're producing, and strive to give consumers the best that they can imagine. So how can you make Apple products even better? Well, a few days ago I bought a platinum iPhone with diamonds used to make the Apple logo on the back. I really liked the diamonds, so when I saw this beauty for $40000, I couldn't resist!



This is a 1GB iPod Shuffle, coated with diamonds, gold and platinum. I love the aesthetic aspect of it, it's just beautiful to look at, and even if the batteries die out on it, it will still retain most of its value! I doubt I'll ever use it as a Shuffle, but wouldn't it make quite an interesting display piece of technological bling? :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 39

I looked around for things to buy today at the $39000 level. Most of the choices were cars, campers, and mobile homes, with an occasional sprinkling of farm equipment! However, I did find this beautiful piece in the mix that I thought I would enjoy:



This is the Horizon watch, crafted by Marc Newson. It is crafted from platinum and features a single-shell case and sapphire front. I personally just like the design, especially the face of the watch. It's simple, but interesting to look at, and just overall neat! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 38

On Day 28, I mentioned that I had taken up an interest in Cognac and Scotch some years back. I already have a great collection of Scotch at home, from floral Glenlivet to peaty Laphroaig. My most favorite Scotch, though, is Macallan. Even their basic 12-year single malt is just fabulous, and as they increase in the years, it gets even more smooth and refined, with greater depth and subtleties in the taste. The best one I have is a 25-year single malt, but why not go for something even older and grander, something with a finish worth $38000!



This is a bottle of 1926 60-year Macallan. It is beautiful, the culmination of years of care and attention to detail. This is the kind of spirit you savor when you're relaxed so your senses can contemplate the complexity of this work of art. And, no worries about drinking it too quickly. A Scotch of this caliber will have a long enjoyable finish to revel in!

The Prosperity Game - Day 37

I am absolutely in love with my iPhone! Words can't even describe how happy I feel every time I think about this amazing device! It has certainly revolutionized my life, even in ways I have yet to discover. So I currently have two devices now that I use pretty regularly, but I've been contemplating purchasing a third. But this time, I want something that will show how much I really love my iPhone. I want something that makes it look like a million dollars! Well, maybe this isn't a million-dollar look, but it's certainly worth $37000:



This is a platinum iPhone, made from 230 grams of platinum. And to make it extra special, it has an Apple logo encrusted with 53 diamonds! This work-of-art is available from Stuart Hughes. It just makes having an iPhone even more special! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 36

A few days ago, I purchased a 1938 Chevy Sedan. Well, I started thinking about it and realized it would be all lonely by itself in the garage, so I needed to get it a playmate! $36000 later:



This is a 1948 Morgan. It is a 2-tone blue car, hand-assembled on a wood frame. I'll be honest, I don't know much about it yet. I got it just because I liked the blue color and it looked cool, so I'll have to read up on it to know more about its history. I'm sure I'll appreciate it even more then, but in the meantime I bet it'll be fun to ride around in! And my Chevy Sedan won't be alone anymore :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 35

I've been itching for a new toy to play with for a week or so now, something really fun and totally cool. I ran across this and it was a total no-brainer, probably the best $35000 I'll ever spend!



This is a 2005 RAF 2000 GTX FI Gyro Plane, an experimental light sport craft. With a 23-gallon tank, It can fly for around 3 hours cruising at speeds up to 60-70 miles/hour. Guess it would be helpful to know how to fly it too! I'll take some flying lessons and then I'll be up, UP, AND AWAY! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 34

Since I've been expanding my mind to find new ways to spend money, let's go down another interesting path in the Prosperity Game: New York City. What an amazing city to visit. I don't think anyone could ever be bored living in such a busy and happening place. So when visiting the city, why not spend a night in luxury? Would $34000 be enough for a night's stay?

NYC's Most Expensive Room: $34000 Per Night

This article describes a good bit about this room at the Four Season Hotel in New York, and the pictures and accompanying video just about says it all. It sounds like it would make for a very comfortable stay. Why not enjoy a nice skyline view of the city and a butler to take care of all your needs for the day, seems pretty nice to me! Maybe I'll just stay in the room for my entire visit! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 33

I'll be honest, it's been a stretch to find things that I'd like to buy with all of this money lately. Looking around today, I decided to try to expand my interests into a new arena, and it turns out that there are lots of options available, especially for $33000:



This is a watch from Jacob & Co in New York. It has 8.5 carats of diamonds on the bezel. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information about the watch itself on the website for TNS Diamonds, but it looks pretty, so why not get it? I typically don't wear watches, but it might be nice to wear it out on occasion as an accessory to match my clothes. I checked out the Jacob & Co website and they really have some beautiful timepieces, so I think I'll be going back there again to see what else I can find :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 32

Well, I'm back to finding some neat art today. I seem to be gravitating toward nature scenes and mountain, and today is no exception. $32000 brings this beautiful vista into my life:



This work is called, "A Midsummer Evening" by Alfred de Breanski, Sr., a 24" x 36" oil on canvas painting. I love how the mountains slopes fall steeply into the lake below. It feels quiet and peaceful in this place, somewhere nice to hide away in for a spell! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 31

I think today I'll get something a little different, for no other reason than just purely for the fun of it! How about spending $31000 on a blast from the past?



This is a 1938 Chevy Sedan. Looks pretty neat, I bet it'll be fun to drive around town :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 30

I really like gold... A LOT. The biggest reason is that gold's purchasing power has remained very stable over thousands of years due to many of its unique properties, including scarcity (it's a bit trickier to find than other substances, like silver), ease and precision of divisibility, portability (because of large value per small unit of weight), and its demand due to the sheer beauty of the stuff!

I've owned various amounts of gold over the years. A few days ago, I bought some bullion, and that's usually the form I've held it in, since it's more liquid and therefore easier to sell. But now, since I have $30000 I think I want to delve into different formats, so for today:



I'm getting 32 of these 1 oz bars of gold. It is a little cheaper than buying bullion, and requires assaying when selling (to verify authenticity of the gold content). But I don't plan on selling these beauties anytime soon. I'm gonna keep them all just to look at and marvel over how something that small is worth so much. I really enjoy doing that! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 29

Some time back, I had tried to learn to play the piano. I bought an electronic keyboard and started playing around with it. I made some progress but never took it too seriously. I think it was because it wasn't the real deal... so why not get something worth playing? Will $29000 do the trick? I think it might!



This is a Baldwin SD10 Concert Grand Piano, original list price $108,000 new, now on sale! What a deal! It even comes with the bench, free delivery, and a 10 year warranty. You can't beat a deal like that! I suppose I should start taking lessons now :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 28

A while back, I had taken up an interest in liquor and wanted to learn more about how to mix drinks. Only knowing about Rum and Coke got old after a while, so I started accumulating my own liquor and learned how to make some really neat drinks. Along the way, I took up an interest in Scotch and Cognac, and purchased some neat bottles of what I thought at the time was high-quality spirits. Well, I think today's purchase, at $28000, is higher than any quality I ever imagined and will become the finest bottle in my collection (for now at least)!



This is a bottle of Remy Martin Cognac Black Pearl Louis XIII, a 1.75L magnum. There is a whole website by devoted to this Cognac, and it looks to be quite a special creation! With the smaller 750ml bottle, there were only 786 decanters made, and the website says even less of the magnum size. I bet it's going to have an infinitely long finish! Can't wait for a taste!

The Prosperity Game - Day 27

It's that time of day to spend some more money! At the rate I'm going, I'll have to get some space to create an art gallery to show off all my pieces! Here's another piece to add to the collection, courtesy of the $27000 I just received:



This is called "Healing Temple" by Gilbert Williams, a 23.5" x 17.5" painting. It was the colors, initially, that caught my attention; they really stood out to me. I really appreciate it, but I can't put my finger on just what it is that makes me want to keep staring at it. I still am amazed at how artists can paint the effects they do. Look at how the temple glows, isn't that neat? I'll be enjoying this piece quite a bit, I am certain!

The Prosperity Game - Day 26

Boy, it's a lot of work to spend all this money! I really have to start thinking about what I'm going to do with all of it! Fortunately, it's increasing to amounts where I can start getting some neat stuff, so I'm eagerly awaiting the next few months! In the meantime, why not take today's $26000 and convert it into something that will last a lifetime?



This is a 1 oz American Gold Eagle. It's kind of mind-boggling to me that this one little coin currently costs a little over a thousand dollars! A little gold goes a LONG way! So I'm getting 25 of these coins to hold onto for a while.

That leaves a small chunk of money left over to play with, so I think I'll have a fun night out on the town with some of my friends! A nice dinner, maybe an off-Broadway show that's coming through town and some Columbus night life enjoyment afterwards :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 25

Today I'm armed with $25000 dollars and, as promised, I'm returning to Amazonia Art to get this great painting:



This one is called Amazon, an 9' 3" x 5' oil painting by Claudio Andrade and it's just beautiful! I like all the animals in the painting, and the canopy with the opening! Wouldn't it be great to visit a place like that? :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 24

I was out looking for more art today, but I just didn't find anything that caught my attention. During my search, I happened across something that I would have never thought of on my own, but it looks really fun, so $24000, this is where you're going:



This is a 1999 Balloon Works 8 (105,000 cf) hot air balloon! Doesn't that look like fun?! I would have never thought to get something like that, but think of how neat that would be? I think it would be fun to float over all of the beautiful farm country here in the Midwest and have a nice, relaxing time watching the world down below! Now I need hot air balloon flying lessons! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 23

My purchase yesterday of "Cloud Umbrella" inspired me to take a little trip to go visit the Rockies! I haven't been much into the idea of traveling, but if I get to stay somewhere comfortable for a while where I can bring a lot of my toys with me to play with, I think it could be a great time!

I'm thinking that I'd like to go see Montana. I've never been there before and it seems like it would be a great place to go! To make sure I can really have a nice experience and can savor the area at a relaxed pace, I'll be spending 2 months there. Today's $23000 should be ample for an enjoyable stay for the rental home, food and gas! This is where I'll be staying:



It is called "The Old Anderson" and it is a 10,000-acre ranch I found through Mountain Home. The home is located in southwest Montana, and is an hour's drive from Yellowstone National Park. I'll spend some time here and just take it easy, enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty of the landscape, play with the toys I bring with me, and think about what else I'll be buying with all my money! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 22

I just came back from my trip to Massachusetts and took the scenic route through Maryland and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful mountain vistas in the western part of the state. I really have a love for mountains, so when I saw this painting, it was a no-brainer as to what I was going to spend my $22000 on:



This piece is called "Cloud Umbrella" by Linda Tuma Robertson, an 60" x 42" oil painting featured in the Astoria Fine Art gallery in Jackson Hole, WY. I just love the clouds above the mountains in this piece, they are beautiful :-) I'm assuming that these are the Rocky Mountains in the paintings. I have only seen them twice in my life, and the last time was almost 20 years ago. Perhaps I should go see them?.... :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 21

I've really been enjoying all of these art purchases, more than I realized I would. It's been a lot of fun seeing what people have created out there. I'm still feeling enthusiastic about the art, so today's $21000 is going for this piece:



This is an oil painting titled "Life" (9' x 4'6") in a brown frame by Claudio Andrade, available on AmazoniaArt.com. I just love the feel of this painting, I can't describe it, but it just feels great and makes me happy when I look at it! I especially like the two parrots perched on the branch. Claudio has some other fantastic pieces, so I'm sure I'll be back for more!

The Prosperity Game - Day 20

One game that I have grown addicted to, courtesy of my iPhone, is Scrabble. I find myself spending hours playing the game, and watching my vocabulary increase as I learn new combinations of words from the tiles I'm dealt. Even though it's high-tech to play Scrabble on my iPhone, why not play it in even more style? And with $20000 to spend today, this is the best way I can see to take the game to the next level:



The playing board is coated with around 30,000 Swarovski crystals, which is a precision-cut lead-crystal glass used for many luxury items. It weighs around 330 pounds, so I'll have to get a table dedicated for the game! The first word I'm playing on this board is B-L-I-N-G!

The Prosperity Game - Day 19

Whenever I come back to visit the Northeast, I'm always amazed by the beauty of the mountains here. Although I very much enjoy living in the flat farm country of the Midwest for the openness of it, there's something magical about a mountain landscape that has always been enchanting. And apparently, I'm not the only one who feels that way, because I've found an amazing work of art where the mountains have inspired the artist to create a breathtaking vista, one that today's $19000 will gladly purchase:



This work is titled "Grace" by Joseph McGurl. It is an oil on panel painting (18" x 24") of the sun setting behind a craggy mountain. Look at the effect of the light with the setting sun. How do they do that?! People are so talented to be able to recreate such beautiful scenery, and I'm happy to have this hanging in my home now!

The Prosperity Game - Day 18

During my trip here in Massachusetts, I've gotten the chance to pass through places with amazing natural beauty. I think this must be what is inspiring me to find artwork with nature themes. So, armed with $18000 and a need to dispose of it in a fun, joyful way, I've decided to bring this into my experience:



This painting is called "Road to Aspens" by Katherine McNeill. Do I even need to explain why I would want something this beautiful?! It is an original oil painting (54" x 84") of a Rocky Mountain landscape in the fall. When I saw it, I felt like I was walking down the road with a light jacket on, savoring the crisp autumn air, the sound of leaves crunching under my feet with the wind making the Aspen leaves rustle as they swing back and forth in the wind. All of that with a quick glance at the painting! I imagine if I study it for long, I'll paint myself right onto the road itself!

The Prosperity Game - Day 17

I'm liking the idea of being able to buy beautiful art! After yesterday's purchase, I sat for a while and appreciated the painting, and I felt some new interest stirring within me now that this door has been opened. With $17000 today, I decided to look for another piece that piqued my interest. Here's what I found:



This piece is titled "Amber Light" and was painted by Joyce Ortner on a 6x5' canvas. I'm enjoying the ocean theme, and as I look at the painting, I'm feeling a calming feeling wash over me, or is that the waves lapping over me? :-) I love the soothing reds and oranges in the painting, and I can actually feel myself relaxing as I look at it, how neat is that?! Looking forward to more great things to buy for tomorrow!

The Prosperity Game - Day 16

So more money has found its way to me! $16000 that needs to be spent. It's getting more challenging to find the typical kinds of electronic things I would buy, as I'm just not finding anything that's getting me interested. There are some things that I would like, but they are going to be for days later on when I have a larger chunk to spend, so I'm waiting on those. After thinking about it, I decided to turn to artwork for a little while since I have never given myself the luxury of buying things purely for their aesthetic value. And there is some great art to buy in this price range, so this is what I found today:



This is an oil painting on canvas by Anthony Casay. I really like the effect of the light in the middle of the painting, how it seems to come out of nowhere and how it illuminates the water below. It's just pretty to look at! Looking forward to finding more beautiful things to purchase this week!

The Prosperity Game - Day 15

I got to spend more time on Mount Greylock today having fun with my radios. I saw a lot of trail signs that forbid using four-wheel ATVs on the trails. $15000 just appeared today and it must be spent! Since ATVs aren't permitted, then how about this:



This is a TankChair, made by TankChair, LLC in Phoenix, AZ. In their own words:

"Tank Chair is a Custom off-road wheelchair that can go anywhere outdoors. Conquers Streams, Mud, Snow, Sand, and Gravel, allowing you to get back to nature, and can also climb up and down stairs."

It's looks like they're made for people who are wheelchair-bound to give them more accessibility to the world, but doesn't it look like a comfy little vehicle for getting around outside? What a fun new way to explore the great outdoors!

The Prosperity Game - Day 14

Today was a fun day, getting to visit with family and going up to my most favorite place in the world, Mount Greylock! It's pretty rural in this part of Massachusetts, with lots of opportunities for off-road driving, especially when you have something smaller than a regular truck. So with $14000 coming my way today, I decided to send it back out into the Universe on these:



These are 2008 Yamaha Raptor 700R SE ATVs. They look like they'd be a lot of fun to take out on 4WD and other trails and paths that aren't very truck-friendly. It'd be neat to be able to explore some of those places and have a fun ride out in the open at the same time! And I thought it'd be more fun to have two so that a friend could join me as well. No need for me to just be enjoying all these good times by myself!

The Prosperity Game - Day 13

I ended up making an unexpected trip back from Massachusetts to visit my family, so I was traveling all day long and didn't get a chance to make my entry. And, of course, while I was traveling, $13000 managed to get into my account! I went Google-surfing to see what this could buy, and found a neat toy that looks like fun:



This is a Sony PMW-EX3 camcorder. It records in 1080i/720p HD onto a SxS flash memory card (up to 32 GB). I hope it comes with a manual, it looks like a LOT of camcorder! It shouldn't be any problem making professional-quality movies now; all I need is something to make a movie about! :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 12

This is going to be a short post today, getting this in just under the wire before midnight. I don't have anything witty to say tonight, but I got my $12000 and decided on getting a place out of town. How can $12000 pay for something like that? Well, it's kind of like my post for Day 6, I'm renting a small little place out of town for the next year, somewhere in the country. Just something simple, a small little ranch around 1000 square feet. I just want some place where I can get away and relax, where it's quiet outside at night and I can see all of the stars in the Milky Way, and where I can gather my thoughts quietly without all the distractions of my regular home. It would make for a nice change in scenery!

At some point later in the year, I'll buy my own place out in the country, but why not get myself started now with something simple and nice since I can afford it! There'll be more money tomorrow, so why not enjoy today? Something simple will be a great place for me to launch more desires about the specifics of what I'd like in my own home away from home!

The Prosperity Game - Day 11

Today was a nice day of relaxing, rediscovering a digital SLR camera and learning how to use Photoshop to harness its power, and a day of contemplation... of how I was going to spend this happy $11000 that just came into my life :-)

Again, I came up short in my head with ideas, so I went Google-surfing for inspiration. Today's purchase is based purely on beauty:



Isn't it pretty?! It's a piece of artwork by David Schwarz being shown at the Foster / White Gallery in Seattle, WA . I'm not sure what all it is, but I like the colors, so I decided to get it :-) I haven't typically purchased pieces of art in the past, as I've usually preferred buying some technology that runs off batteries or electricity. I've been like that since I was a very little kid, but now, since I have this abundance coming in, and I can have all the electronic toys I'd ever want, why not branch out and enjoy something new? In addition to having something beautiful to look at and admire, it also opens my mind to new possibilities and expands my world into something bigger and better. And, did I mention, it's REALLY PRETTY?? :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 10

It's a wonderful day today with a great bike ride and a big old deposit of $10000 in my account. I'm going to take a little trip back to D-Star land to prepare for some things coming in the future:



The actual items I'm getting are at the bottom of the left-hand column and then the right-hand column. It is an Icom ID-RP2L 06 and 07, which are 10 GHz backbone line transceivers. These will be used to link two independent D-Star systems via RF instead of through the gateway. I figure it would be nice to have two systems on either end of the county here to give great coverage all over the city of Columbus, and this will allow the connection between the two to be seamless. Looking forward to getting the second system purchased and implemented, that will be in the upcoming weeks!

Thoughts on the Prosperity Game

Today is Day 9 of the Prosperity Game, and as of today, I've spent a total of $45,000 dollars. That's a good amount of money! There's a few interesting things that are happening as a result of this.

First off, I'm noticing that I don't have much resistance at all to the idea of having these things. As I acquire new goodies each day, I think about them as if I've really gotten them and I talk with my friends about them as if I have them. It actually feels natural and I don't feel awkward in doing it. I believe that is the intent of the game overall: to just have fun with the imagination part and let the Universe figure out how to bring it to your doorstep.

Secondly, I don't have anything in my mind right at this moment of things that I have a burning desire to purchase. I'm not very excited about fancy cars, vacations, or luxury items; they are not things that I'm yearning for. So I'm having to stretch my thinking a little bit and it's kind of a challenge to find something that I'd like to get. This got me thinking and I realized that...

Third, I can see that my wanting has been mostly based on a idea of limitation, in the sense that I have not really let my wanting go beyond my current reality. This has become obvious to me since I stopped buying D-Star equipment and tried to find something else to purchase. I've felt that, based on the type of income I've received in the past, the D-Star equipment is within my reach, so it's something that I've let my desire grow for, and therefore it was easy to know I wanted all of that equipment. However, going past $5000, I haven't given much thought to things I'd buy because I rarely purchase things that expensive, so I don't even give thought to the possibilities.

I also found that I've been trying to base my purchases on my current living conditions (my house square footage, yard size, etc), so when I've looked at some things, I've thought, "Where would that fit in the house? or driveway??" Or I'll think about the time I'd have to use it based on my current schedule or interests or the lifestyle that I've led up to this time and say, "I'd never get around to using that, it'd just sit around the house and gather dust, why buy it then?" Many of the items above $5000 just haven't fit into anything I've currently lived to date.

So I guess this is where the Prosperity Game gets fun. I've decided after today to just look for fun stuff to get, and not to give any consideration to any of the details of its usage based on my current lifestyle. Whatever I get doesn't have to be anything that I am longing for or yearning for. I can just get it because it's there and it looks neat. After all, there's more and more money coming in every day so why not have fun with it? I think taking this approach will make finding what to get all the easier and more fun!

Let's see where it all goes!

The Prosperity Game - Day 9

Today is a fun day of iPhone programming. Having a great time, making some good progress on my application. I'm actually running out of room on my 2 24-inch displays. Wouldn't it be nice if I had some more space to stretch everything out? Well, since I just received $9000 today, I think this should increase my space:



This is a Pioneer KURO KRF-9000HD projector that has 1080p resolution. That should play movies pretty nicely, and be a nice display for the computer. Actually, I think it would work out great on the MacBook, projecting onto one of the basement walls. At some point I'd like to finish the basement off, so that would make a nice piece of hardware for it :-)

The Prosperity Game - Day 8

A new week, new possibilities, new opportunities, and of course more money! $8000 needs to disappear from my hands, so where should it go? I found something cute that looks like it'll be a lot of fun:



It's a little 3-wheeled truck, made by a company called L & J Trike Engineering Corp. When I visited Thailand and India back in the 90s, there were 3-wheeled vehicles all over the road, mostly as taxis. They were fun to ride in, but I never got a chance to drive one myself (although I think if the drivers got drunk or stoned enough they would let you! :-) ) And it's perfect, this one matches the color of my truck! It'll be like having a little baby brother in the driveway!

The Prosperity Game - Day 7

The weekend is winding down and I'm sitting here with $7000 to spend. I've decided to take a break from the radio stuff for a few days and see what other types of things I can find to buy. It took a little while searching to come up with this one, but I think it will be perfect!



This is a Stex 8020T treadmill. I think it would be great to have a treadmill here in the house. It's about the only thing I do now when I go to the gym, so why not save myself the trip there and give myself 24-hour access to something healthy and fun to do. No waiting, no lines, just hop on and walk/jog/run for fun! It has a built-in heart-rate monitor and an incline up to 20 degrees. The treadmills at the gyms I go to only go to 15, so imagine what more of a workout I'll be able to get it! And I have a nice room upstairs here that it would fit perfectly in, so I'm going for it! If I don't like it, I'll just buy a better one tomorrow anyways :-) That's the joy of being prosperous; so many choices available. I love it!

The Prosperity Game - Day 6

Such a beautiful weekend here, with a perfect summer-like day. And doesn't $6000 make it all the better?? It'd be a shame to hold onto the money when there's just more coming tomorrow, so why not spend a little (or a lot)??? :-)

So I've got this great D-Star repeater system, a full-stack, that I've been building. Well, I thought it would be nice to give it a decent, respectable home. So, how about one like this:



This tower is actually here in Columbus in the northeast part of town. I'd be getting a tower close to the house here, right near the intersection of I-270 and I-70 on the west side would be perfect! HT coverage in the house and a nice view down into the city from the top of the "bowl". The antennas will be around the 300 foot level, so I think that would give HT coverage over most of the city and mobile coverage for about a 30-mile radius around the site.

So, I'm not buying the tower with the $6000, but I am leasing space on the tower for a year! I think someone had told me that a monthly rate of $500 would get you a decent tower with a bunch of feedlines on it. Something I need to research more, but it's a good start. Maybe it'll last me more than a year, less than a year, we'll see, but no worries, there's more money on the way.

The Prosperity Game - Day 5

Happy Friday! And what a happy Friday it is indeed being $5000 richer today! So the challenge is on! How shall I spend it all?



I decided I want to have duplexers for the D-Star systems so that if I want to use one antenna for transmit and receive, I can have that option as well as using two antennas. This one is a Sinclair Q201GR-1 6-cavity duplexer for the 144 MHz machine. And...



This is a Sinclair Q3330C-3 duplexer for the 440 MHz system, a 6-cavity unit. I think this will work just fine :-)

So I have to be honest, I could not find pricing on the website, and to be even more honest, I got sidetracked today and forgot to do this until the very last part of Friday, so I couldn't call them for pricing. Based on conversations with other hams, I'm guessing that brand-new duplexers run around $1500. I'll just say $2000 to be on the safe side :-) After all, if it's more than that, I'll just pay the leftover balance another day!

Now, for the toy I was inspired to have that I found yesterday, this is SOOO COOL!



It is an AOR AR-STV wireless video camera receiver. So, here in Columbus, there are traffic cameras all over the city, and many of them are wireless. This receiver will not only be able to receive them, but also will be able to store still photos from the video feeds to an SD memory card! It will also pick up surveillance cameras as well. I think in a city the size of Columbus, I will have ample opportunity to find cameras all over the place to watch! I just think it would be fun to hunt out cameras, it's something else to chase after :-)

That takes care of the $5000, keep bringing it on!

The Prosperity Game - Day 4

Another day, another deposit! $4000 plunked into my account!

ONWARD HO with my D-Star mega-system!



This is an Icom ID-RP4000V 440 MHz D-Star module. Now the majority of D-Star users, including those who use handhelds, can access the repeater. 440 is a great band, allowing for a nice balance of smaller antennas, higher gain, and better penetrability through structures. I wouldn't be able to use my handhelds in the house at all if it wasn't for this band. And what D-Star stack would be complete without:



an Icom IC-RP2000V 144 MHz repeater! Nice to have for more reliable and consistent performance at greater distances. Definitely my choice for mobile operation when getting into fringe areas where obstructions start to eat up signals on 440.

Might as well get antennas for these as well:



I've bought 4 of them, 2 for receive and 2 for transmit in case I decide to split the receive/transmit on the repeaters. If I don't, I have two extra antennas left over to fool around with for other purposes, maybe some APRS digipeaters? We'll see!

Still have a little money left over! I was browsing the web for some goodies, found some that I'll be able to get tomorrow, but for now, let's get something non-radio-related:



I'll give myself a little fun in the iTunes store and build up my music library and applications on my iPhones!

So, it's interesting, I actually had to think about what the last goodie would be! It should get fun once I'm depositing $50000+ in my account. Expanded imagination, here I come!!