Last trading before our break - ramp up imminent

Last "real" trading days before the three week holiday break. Tuesday and Thursday were very good days leaving me +800 pts for the week in total (250 per market or between 2% and 3% on an unleveraged basis). But it has been a very bumpy ride - for instance, on Thursday, a +120 becomes -200 then becomes +300, down to +150, before ending at +250. Not for the fainthearted

I am very excited about the next blind test (for the three weeks we are away on holiday). My latest ideas cover the final versions of the counter-trend systems I have been working on for the last couple of months. In theory, this should be the last blind testing period. Then I intend to have a final bedding-down trading period at current sizing, then have the first ramp up to a higher trading size. Eight such ramp ups should leave me making a very decent weekly return.

The question of speed of ramp-ups is one I have been thinking about alot after re-reading The Predictors a few months back- the aim is to ramp-up as fast as possible but tempered with the need to continue to get statistical validation. But my conclusion is that what was to have been an 18 month ramp, may now become a 6 month one - such is my confidence in the results so far

Our last bit of packing is taking place with the selection of books - Linda has 12 books, mostly crime thrillers, while I have 9 so far, a mixed bag (as usual) with one or two history books, some science ones, two novels, and so on - plus the usual selection of philosophy magazines from the past year or so.

We also need a selection of movies on the laptop, should we decide to stay in some nights. I have selected around 30 of various genres plus some episodes of the original series of Star Trek! But hopefully we won't want to watch too many

Our front garden has had its finest ever poppy blooms. We are collecting the seed heads for distribution elsewhere in the garden.