I am by nature an optimist, and I retain my glass-half-full stance on life.

However I see myself as the sort of fellow who is whistling a cheery tune and waving at the neighbours while out front filling sandbags

I feel the same way.

While not quite obsessively (say, six times a week), I go over the State of the Lifeboat:

- no debt
- of the investable capital:
- WEB looks after 55-60% (a quarter of which is in Treasuries, last I heard)
- individual Treasuries 25%, ranging 3 mo to five years
- various international funds around 12%
- personal spending scalable to meet market shocks, but current default around 4.5%, going to around 3-3.5% when SS kicks in in a few years
- we can stay this side of the gate for weeks if necessary, sufficient in water/food/electricity/septic - as I wasn't going to rely on FEMA putting this area at the top of the list, even back when there was a FEMA to putatively rely upon (there are literal sandbags, already full, in the garage. We're not *that* far above the 500 year flood plain. Besides, the dam upstream has no recent inspection report)

Leaving for greener shores a la Jim no longer reasonable for health/family/grandchildren reasons (although Grandpa sutton born in Canada, should they establish a Right of Return <not holding my breath on this one>)

But, y'know, the rest of the genealogy literally goes back to 17th century Virginia & Pennsylvanis, including ggggg etcetera grandparents at Valley Forge (all three musters - the guy stuck it out the entire winter), the Civil War (extensive on both sides, including Gettysburg), Grandpa sutton was gassed @ St Mihiel; Dad's citation for bravery at Kwajalein, signed by Admiral Nimitz, is up on the wall).

They will pry the Consitution out of my cold, dead hands.

Open for constructive suggestions (as long as they don't contain the word 'tontine', Jim :) )

Hope I didn't stray too far from the Berkshire question.

Executive summary: holding tight, and putting my faith in WEB until that seems no longer quite as sensible.

-- sutton