THE TWENTY-FIRST

The boys turned 21 years old today and I was fortunate enough to see both of them. So, as of today, they can legally drink alcohol, gamble (though they could have played the lottery since 18), own a concealed weapon, buy cannabis, apply for marriage without parental consent and even adopt a child. Despite their newfound privileges, the twins did none of these today. Contrast that with my 21st birthday, when my parents took me to Vegas. There, my mom played at the blackjack table alongside me. I wanted to do the same with Dylan and Tyler but couldn't make it happen.

Dylan tonight with Krispy Kreme donuts, which are a favorite of the boys on birthdays and trips to Costco.

Well, it was 21 years ago today that Dylan broke his amniotic sac at 2:00 am. He and his brother ultimately came out by C-section after 9:00 pm. So, Jenny was in labor for more than 19 hours. Later that night, I was awakened by Dylan's crying in the hospital room where Jenny slept. It was the first time I was ever awakened by a baby. I didn't know what to do to stop the crying, so I pressed the room's emergency button (!) to summon help. It turned out he just needed a diaper change. The nurse taught me how to remove his onesie. I thought his little arms and legs would be really delicate and might fall off if I ever pulled to hard on his clothing. But, I learned that night that babies are surprisingly robust.

One big challenge in the early going was coming up with the boys' names. We knew well before they were born that one of them would be named Tyler. I actually came up with that one, thinking about Mount Tai, whose peak is the highest point in Shandong Province. As such, it is symbolic of birth and renewal. Originally, I thought "Tyson" would be best because the said mountain in Chinese is "Tai Shan". I didn't mind that the name was associated with the boxer but I did mind that it was associated with chicken. So, we landed on "Tyler".

Jenny made the call that even though Tyler was a good name, she felt that it was more appropriate for a little brother than a big one. So, the search was on for the name of the first one out. The name "Karl" made it on our shortlist. But, we decided that, for us, it wasn't a great name for a baby you would snuggle with. I liked the name "Dylan" even though it had an English ring to it. Jenny liked how "Dylan" went with "Tyler". For me, I think the clincher was that my parents, especially my dad, didn't like the name. After decades of doing whatever my parents wanted, it felt good to make a decision with my wife that they didn't support. So, Dylan it was.

Turning 21 on the 21st also made it their golden birthday today. In fact, in military time, Dylan was born at 21:21. I didn't know it before, but apparently it's tradition to give something with a gold theme for someone's golden birthday. And, with it being their 21st birthday, I thought it worthwhile that they learned the value of gold so I got them each a gold coin.

OK, so here is where I go on a tangent: I can't say whether gold is a good investment for then next, say zero to five years. However, it is almost certainly going to perform well in the 10-20 year time horizon. As debt in the US continues to pile up at nearly 2 trillion dollars per year, the interest the government pays surpasses its defense budget. The debt is more than 120% of US GDP. The only way out is to debase the currency by printing dollars out of thin air, which the US government has been doing since it abandoned the gold standard in 1971. I gave Dylan a one-ounce Canadian Maple Leaf which my mom bought me when I was eleven. It cost her $250. The price of an ounce of gold today is now more than $4000. Currency debasing in action. But, the costs of goods and services in terms of gold remain relatively constant with time. Consider: A well-appointed SUV in 2000 cost about 20 ounces of gold. Today, a well-appointed SUV costs about 20 ounces of gold. In ancient Rome, an ounce of gold would buy you 350 loaves of artisan bread. Today, an ounce of gold would buy you 350 loaves of artisan bread. Also in ancient Rome, with an ounce of gold you could purchase a high-quality toga to signify status. Today, with an ounce of gold you can purchase a high-quality suit to signify status.

I showed up at Krispy Kreme in Mountain View at 6:00 am this morning to get donuts for the boys. Krispy Kreme has long been a twins favorite. So, I had donuts in the morning with Tyler, poke for my lunch with him and we wrapped up with New York pizza for dinner. I then drove up to Pleasant Hill to meet up with Dylan for pho. But, wait a second: Doesn't Dylan go to school in Southern California? What was he doing up in Pleasant Hill? You will find out in the next blog post.

Dylan and I tonight in Pleasant Hill