I think I'm in LOVE

with my new Realtor, that is.

In just the last few days, he has given me not only the list of 11 houses that fit my criteria, but a few more that are new listings. He has listened to EVERY WORD I have said, even the ones I didn't think I was saying. For example, I mentioned the reason I am looking for a ranch, with 4 beds and laundry on main level, is because I have VERY bad knees, and cannot, CANNOT do stairs, or I will have trouble walking for several days after.

So what does Casey the Magnificent do? He LISTENS, and finds me listings that I want to see, but is sure to exclude RAISED ranches, because he knows I will have to walk up too many steps to get in my house every day.

THAT is the way a Realtor is SUPPOSED to behave!!

Ahhhh......... dh keeps teasing me that I'm in love with another man, whom I haven't even MET. LOL.

The joys of househunting

With an impending move, we thought we'd start house hunting. Should be easy, right? We have a referral for a realtor in the area we are moving to, several conversations back and forth, trying to get her to understand what we're looking for.

She doesn't listen. She sends me listings that are NOT what I asked for. Back and forth several times, then I had my agent here (who refered me to the one down there) talk to her, and set her straight. I put up with strange things, tried to give her chance after chance.

She then appeared to do what I asked, get the listings I asked for, etc. But told me there was ONLY ONE house for sale with my criteria. ONE HOUSE. So I lowered the size requirement. Still only one. So I asked for fewer bedrooms, and she came up with three more. Well, actually *I* came up with one of them. And the ONE she said was available in the higher bedrooms, which I'd also come up with. Out of 4 houses she showed us, I came up with 2 of them.

Wow, what a strange market it is, to not have what we are looking for.

The same nagging feeling that I've had every time I speak with her, was telling me she wasn't being honest. So I called a random Realtor, and asked him to pull all the 4 bed and laundry (all on the same level) in the area.

He came up with 11. In 5 minutes they were emailed to me. 11 houses I would love to go see. One was "the only one", but that still left 10. And that "ONE" is listed by a friend of hers.

That realtor has been fired.

When you LIE to me? It's over, we're done.

Taking something that doesn't belong to you.

My car was stolen.

a few weeks ago, in broad daylight, right in front of our house. DH and I had taken the girls out to breakfast. Someone decided they wanted to go for a joyride, and our car was apparently the best thing for jumping curbs and partying in.

It was found 4 days later - airbags viciously slashed (not removed, SLASHED), rim bent, windshield cracked, car dented, windows yanked of the tracks, stinking to high heaven, ignition punched out, trunk lock punched out, and the transmission and power steering messed up.

Denver PD called to say they'd found it in "good shape with no damage". Begs the question, what exactly does it take for DPD to consider "damage"?????

And they charged me $100 for the impound.

Whatever happened to the golden rule?

I don't know what it is with society these days. When I was a child, we were told that we should say please and thank you. Wipe our mouths, use polite words, and generally avoid a fight, whenever possible.

Now, it's more important to be "politically correct", to buy what you want, whether you can afford it (or need it) or not, to steam your way through life with no regard for anyone else. Duty? Debt to society? What silly notions. Only sillier is personal responsibility. How DARE you tell me I should pay my own bills, care for my own children, clean up my messes, and - horror of horrors - ACT LIKE A RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEING??? How passe - don't you know how out of touch you are? It's FAR more stylish to dress like a hooker, talk like a trucker (apologies to my trucker friends, who have hearts of gold and actually very clean mouths), spend money you don't have, and generally get your won way in everything.

Morals are for morons. WHO needs them? I'm in it for ME, man!

You might think I'm complaining about teenagers. You know, "kids these days". Guess what? They aren't being raised in a vacuum.

Yesterday, on my way to pick MiniMe up from school, I witnessed a soccer mom (complete with kids in the minivan, etc) stick her head out the window to scream epithets and FLIP OFF the car behind her, for politely honking to bring her attention to the green arrow she'd apparently not noticed (and no, I am not the one who honked). I could almost see the spittle flying from her mouth.

The other day, at the grocery store, my path was blocked by a woman who, child on one side of her cart, turned and faced the other side (looking for the child), then, once she knew the child was accounted for, spread her arms across the pathway like a linebacker, squatting to be sure she blocked the space near the floor as well. Then she went for the pies, still blocking the path. I paused, since the store was crowded, and there were people behind me, also trying to get through. I simply smiled, and waited for her to do what she needed to do. This offended her. She barked at me to keep going, and not stand there. I politely said, "That's ok - I can't move, so I'll wait".

"YOU CAN'T MOVE?? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU THAT YOU CAN'T MOVE?!?!?!"
I replied, "well, you are kind of blocking the path". She continued screaming at me, but then the people behind me had all moved away, and those to the left as well, so I was able to turn and leave. All the while this lovely personage screaming at my back. OK, no big deal, she must be having a bad day, I am moving my kids away from her, and continuing my shopping.

As I get around to another part of the store, I hear her voice (still yelling), say to the child, "watch out for that MEAN WOMAN and her CHILDREN" and as she came around the corner to where we were, "OH LOOK, THERE SHE IS!!"

Once again, I turned my children and walked the other way. She was still yelling something at my back.

She's not some "young thing" that didn't know any better, or had been raised in a too-permissive society. No, this woman was easily 60 years old. I'm pretty sure she knew better. Well dressed, hair and makeup done up, etc.

Just goes to show that not only can money not buy happiness, but it also doesn't guarantee class.

You might love to hear stories of Canadian Geese. I think they're full of........

Heading out to drop another installment of Veronica Mars in the mailbox (if you haven't familiarized yourself with the show, you can get it on Netflix - I highly recommend it), I saw a large flock of Canadian Geese in my driveway and yard. I signaled MiniMe to come quickly, to look out the window. So beautiful.

We watched them a while, then I realized the mailman was passing my house, so I rushed out to give him the red envelope. Then I turned around.......

And saw my sidewalk and driveway COVERED with GOOSE POOP. Seriously, folks, my DOG doesn't leave droppings that big. And there were at least three "thank you cards" for every goose I saw.

But really, despite my updates of "what I'v been up to since I last blogged", I am in a very good mood. Really!!