Dumb Luck

Yesterday was a day of dumb luck in the markets and life. 

Passing through Richmond, VA last night I just might have found my favorite barbeque joint in years purely by dumb luck. I was in the mood for some food, but not a lot of it as I'd had a big lunch. The idea popped into my head to search for barbeque restaurants on the GPS because I could get some side orders of vegetables and maybe some beans and it would be somewhat healthy. The sum total of my requirements was that the place be right off the highway.

I thought I found a place, but discovered it was long closed, then noticed I was just .3 miles from another place so I went there. From the moment I pulled up in front I knew it was the real deal. It was called Buz and Ned's Real Barbecue and was started by a guy who had cooked barbeque in Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Kansas City, Lexington, and Memphis. That's already quite a resume, but then he met an old timer that was using some recipes that had been handed down for over 150 years and they launched Richmond's definitive barbeque joint, the place that I fell into by dumb luck.

Then there was the real cutie taking orders at the counter who was just perfect. When I asked her if the Fresh Country Greens were collard greens a glorious look of rapture came over her. She curled up against the cash register and her eyes rolled back. "Oh my God, they're so good."

Of course I ordered some, and got some baked beans too. She asked my name for the order, and when the food was ready she announced my name with a breathy, flirty bellow into the microphone that was hilarious. Suddenly I wished that I hadn't ordered take out. Someday I'll go back to this place and try the barbeque and sadly she'll probably be long gone, but chances are those greens won't be. She was so right about them. They were sinfully good.

Dumb luck worked for me in the markets too. I drove all day and didn't touch my positions. The delta of the 158 calls kicked in against the SPXU short and the gain doubled the loss on the short. Today if the market comes in, I'll buy some more time (theta) so I can roll out of the 158 calls. When I get home I can get out of the SPXU and make adjustments.

The pullback overnight looks choppy. I still expect more upside in the coming days. I still have the 1607 Fib target, plus another "special sauce" measurement that yields the exact same number, so I'm holding out for it.

The dumb luck would come to a screeching halt should 1577.56 break.

Dumb luck was working at the hotel last night too. I tried to check in to a Quality Inn, but their internet was down due to a bad storm earlier (which I luckily missed).  The Comfort Inn up the street -- same class of hotel -- had a whopping 50% higher rate. I respectfully balked at the rate at the front desk and instantly got a lower one. After some more chit chat I was upgraded to a "king suite." Hilarious. And to top it off, just down the street was one of my favorite truck stops with the cheapest gas I've seen in a while: $3.15 a gallon.

Today with any luck I'll see Annapolis, Maryland for the first time.  I'll try to smell the roses a little bit and have a day of less driving and more exploring.