I'm Not Meant to Be A Gambler or Negotiator

After much back and forth, to and fro, up and down...we have a contract!

It seems as though the shy pottiers finally decided to get on for the ride, and at about 9:15 pm Thursday we had a signed contract in place!

Now begins the nail-biting! As most who have gone through the closing process, the month leading up to the day at the table is wrought with twists and turns. Anything can happen. Things can change. Deals can be broken. Feelings can get hurt.
We are hoping that none of the above occur in the next few weeks leading up to October 27th!

Of course, October is the busiest month of the year for us already. We had trips and events planned months ago before we ever put the house on the market. Every weekend that does not take us out of town has a huge number of animals and horse barns already scheduled. Yikes!

If we can just make it through, there is a beautiful new house waiting for us to spend our holidays in it!

and so it begins

Dang this house thing is so draining! We have been tuned into frenzy mode since Sunday. Frenzy is very tiring and depleting.
Long story short, we have two potential buyers: #1 can't decide whether to get on the pot or off and is pushing my endurance to the Nth degree. Hoping for an offer today from the hesitant pottier. #2 is lowballing us to the point of insult. I mean, really. We all know the dance of negotiation, but coming in at 15K below asking price is insulting. Especially when you know that our house made it to the top of the short list. I shudder to think what he would offer his 2nd or 3rd choice on the list. So we are countering today and hoping for an offer from #1 as well so we can weigh the options a bit.

Its hard not to make it personal when negotiating a price on something as personal as your home. I keep having this feeling that #2 is pushing a bit lower in part due to the fact that he knows two women are on the deed. Maybe he feels like he can push us a bit more. You know, like a car salesman. So hopefully, later today we will be in a different position. We'll see.

In the meantime, I will prepare the house for 'maybe' a 2nd showing for #1. You know, it's just a breeze to prepare and make provisions for the dogs. 'Maybe' she will swing by for a look. Meh.

worthy legacy

Bill Clinton has made better use of his time as a global leader than any former president since Jimmy Carter. These two men have made lasting change and progress in the efforts to recognize this planet as a global community instead of leading with blinders to the rest of the world.
Only a true global leader could affect change the way Bill Clinton did this week. While Bush played middle school playground games with other world leaders, Bill made headway in our efforts to stop/change/reverse our damage to the planet. This article makes me proud to be a Democrat.
I don't give a crap what happens in your bedroom or office, providing it's consensual, if what you accomplish in your job is for the greater good. This is proof of how to use your ties to the wealthy and help others instead of lining your own greedy pockets.

Bush has made it very clear that he is not concerned with what history will say about him, "I won't be around" (squirrely laugh)

two weeks!

Two weeks from today we will be leaving for Chicago to see the premier of "The Pirate Queen"!!

I am so excited! Have I ever mentioned that my best friend, Stephanie J. Block is starring in this debut which goes to Broadway in February 2007? Yeah...we're tight...

The ramp up for this production has been amazing, and includes what I think is a groundbreaking idea. Castcom launched last week and is a way for fans to check up on how things are going with the show, see the actors in candid moments and ultimately, feel a part of the whole production. Random cast members tape little videos of themselves explaining what went on that day, technical settings, rehearsal triumphs and woes... it is very entertaining especially for someone who has tickets on October 6th, 2nd row Orchestra Center. ;)

Check it out!

Supersize your thoughts!

This is an absolutely brilliant site! Sooo much fun!

Here is my billboard filled with my first thoughts:

Go on...play...it is very empowering and at the very least FUN!

circle the wagons!

Hey! Are WE allowed to do this? Providing that he actually leaves the country ever again, can't we stage a coup like Thailand? Fire up the tanks! Circle the White House! We want our country back!

Bento TV

Bento TV

Found this site and thought how funny to watch it everyday and see just how much time this girl has on her hands! I barely have the time or patience for preparing a PBJ, much less cutting little shapes out of seaweed paper!

Oh well, she is having a good time and has found a great way to share her creativity that's for sure! Bento Boxes for everyone!

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday, September 18th, was a huge anniversary that most everyone in the media let go by with hardly a mention. Five years ago, Congress passed a resolution drafted by the Bush Administration stating that we as a country were going after Bin Laden for the events of September 11th. Five years. We are not doing so great on that. In fact, according to Bush, he just doesn't even think about Bin Laden that much.

The behind the scenes info on this resolution is even more interesting and not at all surprising. The original draft was written to automatically include an invasion of Iraq with no investigation or proof. Congress had the sense to say no to that, but doesn't that tell you something? Seven days after 9/11 Bush was already trying to quietly sneak the war on Iraq into our plans. We hadn't even begun to go after the man responsible for the attacks and Dumbass is plotting to sneak his pet project in. As we all know, he still got his way. He would have gotten his way no matter what, but the first attempt was so blatant of a farce that the Congress had to work on a better lie.
Every day that passes the world laughs louder and louder. We as a nation are such a joke and our Puppet in Chief and his insane redneck followers are too dumb to see what lasting scars this whole dark age will bring.
Its like when you look at the rings of a tree. Everything is very symmetrical and pretty. Just as nature intended. Then you spy a dark, bumpy area where something has obviously gone wrong. What in the world could have caused such a disturbance in such beauty---a fire. A raging wildfire that left the tree and everything around it scarred forever.

What is wrong with this picture?

I'll tell you what is wrong, besides the ridiculous price at each pump. Each of these was taken on the same day---mere hours apart.
Same gas. Slightly different company.

The one small difference:
The $2.09 gas is in Georgia, about 3 hours outside of Gainesville FL on I-75.







This one is smack dab in Gainesville on I-75 as well. Are we seriously supposed to believe that it is okay to have a 60 cent difference in gas that is being sold in a relatively close area? Now I know we voted for some extra taxes on our gas for a couple of years, but it was only 1-2 cents...not 60!
Alachua County needs to get in touch and at the very least put us at the same prices as Marion County. I can drive 30 minutes outside of Gainesville to the south and pay 20-30 cents less for a gallon of gas.
Something really stinks. Just because it is football season, and fall semester is in, don't punish us with above state average prices. Really makes you want to load up the car and visit Grandma for the holidays, huh?

sneaky

Here is a nice little tip from my favorite consumer watchdog, Clark Howard:

Gas station owners mislabeling gas
"Gas station operators are putting up new signs to try and trick you into paying more for gas, according to the Boston Globe. Stations are branding regular gas as “economy” gas and labeling mid-grade gas as “regular.” So you pull into the pump and may pay an extra 15 or 20 cents a gallon for no reason at all. It’s slimy and underhanded, and it’s going on in the Northeast and in New England. You need to pay attention to the octane level only. So, if you see economy gas, read the octane level. It may be the same number as regular gas. Just don’t pay anymore. And Clark wants to remind you that almost no car out there needs premium gas. Putting regular gas in most cars – including Porsche – is just fine. Don’t spend more than you need to."

wake up!

Has THIS guy been living in a cave since 9/11/01?

Thanks, Steve

You'll be missed

1962-2006

I know, I know,...the peanut butter cups...

Those of you die-hard-middle-of-the-night-closet-Wal Mart-shoppers: Just a little reminder of why they are under such scrutiny. They may have delicious peanut butter cups, but that pales in relation to the way they treat their employees and America for that matter. Thanks to Al Franken's show for this timely story.

It's been a few days since I posted and we can all thank the new Blogger Beta!

Wow! They have really created a new definition for beta testing. The process to post any of my own high quality pictures just got a bit longer due to the changes, so my apologies are in order.

Two weekends ago we spent three nights at the Gaylord Palms Resort in beautiful Kissimmee (wink) for a convention. What a beautiful resort tucked away in Podunk. It is advertised as six acres under glass at a comfortable 72 degrees! Sounds pretty nice for Florida in August! We stayed in the Everglades section of the resort. They also have a Key West area, but I think ours was the prettiest.

These two pics were taken in the Everglades Walk which is located on the lower level of the resort. Hard to believe it is all man made and under a roof! Well done.
We even had our own alligators and turtles to check in on daily in the atrium. Very cool!

Walking to the convention I found this little beauty! Our room was upgraded to a suite which was very nice! We had two big rooms to sprawl out in which made our relaxing between trips to the convention nice. Since we never left the resort, it actually felt like we were on a little vacation!!

Thank goodness she finally quit having those pesky little girls.

Who Knew?

Gainesville Sunrise