My birthday - what I did today, a snapshot!

4:30 - woke up to bird song and clear blue skies
5:00 - Updating trading schedules - working out possible opening trades
5:30 - Bath - current bath reading: Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project - not perhaps the most intellectually challenging work but, like many books of this type, with the occasional very thought-provoking insight. Chapter 2 was particularly interesting.
6:00 - Defining opening trades - various entry and exit levels, etc
6:30 - Opening trades placed. Reading an article by Nike Jardine that might have some relevance for my dissertation; "Uses and Abuses of Anachronism in the History of the Sciences", (2000), History of Science, Vol 38
7:00 - To newsagents & breakfast
7:30 - Reading the paper
8:00 - still reading the paper - printing out articles from yesterday's search through the online journal, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Listening to the first Bardo Pond cd, Bufo Alvarius, Amen. Their performance at "Noisenight" in Sydney recently has really impressed me
8:30 - opened my birthday cards, back reading Jardine, listening to the Bardo Pond cd a second time, a huge pile of articles has printed out - maybe 350 pages!
9:00 - Even more articles printing out
9:30 - More trades - first couple made small losses. Crude Oil keeps swinging back and forwards at exactly my stop points - very frustrating.
10:00 - Sorting out the 19 articles I've printed this morning. Planning next reading for dissertation work.
10:30 - Still reading Jardine - Bardo Pond's track "Tantric Porno" is playing
11:00 - Finished Jardine - not an easy article and unclear if of much use. Starting to work through the online version of the journal History of Science for the last time before my access expires later in the year. Need to make the best use of this access. Snack - peanuts and raisins.
11:30 - Still working through the online journal records - now back to 1995
12:00 - Sorting out my next reading pile - next up, Tosh on anachronism. A van parked outside - I thought it was bringing me presents. Sadly it drove off
12:30 - still working on journals
1:00 - just finished reviewing History of Science back to 1961 - listening to a World Cup football match (very poor)
1:30 - Lunch. Two raw carrots, sour cream and chive dip and a yoghurt - three more cards to open and a call from Emma to wish me happy birthday and tell me how the Trinity all-night ball went last night
2:00 - post-lunch lethagy. Reading Gleick's Chaos, my main nighttime read at the moment. No recent trades, small open profits on current trades prior to US opening in 30 mins
2:30 - The US markets equity markets open. Always a bit more volatile, the questions is always whether a freak spike move will trip any stops I have in place. Today the market rises soon after the open but fairly unconvincingly. No stops hit, no money being made either
3:00 - Quick trip to the post office
3:30 - The post-lunch lethagy is starting to lift. I am still reading Gleick - his account of the "discovery" of Feigenbaum's constant. About to start some "real work". Markets continue to drift up in my favour, but not at any great rate. But ok - better than the opposite
4:00 - Re-reading Nick Tosh's "Anachronism and retrospective explanation: in defence of a present-centred history of science", (2003), SHPS.
4:30 - Reading today's Times - an article for Father's Day on young women whose fathers have died. Oddly, every year, as Father's Day approaches, I always find myself missing my dad. Spoke to mum a little while ago - she doesn't seem very well, but nothing specific she wanted to talk about.
5:00 - Hunting for Bardo Pond rarities on the internet. Some items found!
5:30 - Updating trading systems - long uptrend in place since around 10:00am. But maybe about to end. All systems are showing alerts for sells.
6:00 - sells actioned, followed immediately by a small rally - this had better not develop into a big rally!
6:30 - listening to my third Bardo Pond cd of the day - 2003's On the Ellipse
7:00 - The rallying is continuing - much of today's (very small) profit is evaporating. I could really do with a nice 100 pt fall to end the day for both equities and crude. Just beginning to sort out my tea - with Linda out, I have decided to cook myself a nice birthday supper - steak and sauteed potatoes, with an onion, pepper and cream sauce. Then to watch Brazil in the World Cup.
7:30 - a delicious meal with some wine from Corbiere. Now ready for the Brazil match. Stopped out of all trading positions on the rally. Flat day overall.
8:00 - Brazil 0, North Korea 0
8:30 - Brazil 0, North Korea 0
9:00 - Brazil 2, North Korea 0
9:30 - Bored with football - missed the late goal by North Korea. Thinking about the roll out of the new stop loss strategy - a form of reversal stop close to entry points.
10:00 - Cooking Linda's tea - chicken and chorizo rice
10:30 - Watching "House" - season 6 episode 20 - not the greatest episode ever
11:00 - Bedtime for me - Linda stays up reading

Not perhaps the most thrilling birthday!