The art of consistency is not one I own. This is the second or third post I have attempted in at least as many years! A new leaf turning over? Possibly. 

I think the Election being over has many a soul in relief, and at least as many in severe remorse and outright agony. Take a breath fr three counts, breath out for five.  Don't turn on NPR or Fox for a month and see how you choose to feel in the morning. NOTE: I did say choose...

I recently was sequestered ( Oh no! On a cliff...?) with four of my very conservative friends and brother during the megalopolis storm of the century (hey, it is only 2012 ya'll) on Hatteras Island NC.  We annually take a week to go surf casting and carousing; male bonding at it's best! The difference was we went down to Hatteras (Island with it's ass mooning the Atlantic) knowing that we might see some rain and wind...which turned out to be an understatement. 

We experienced waves in the toilets from the house moving with the wind gusts of 75 mph or better. Ocean waves we estimated at 20 feet or higher but could not really tell what they were because it was absolute bedlam at the beachfront. rain water seeped into any conceivable route inside the house; through closed windows and locked sliding glass doors. The occasional gusts reminded me of the earthquake we had in 2011 as the house would shudder.

We never lost power. We never really lost Internet completely. We had sound side flooding but none that reached our vehicles. Route 12 had feet of water but no businesses were affected. We dodged the wrath of Sandy by a glancing blow 300 + miles from the center of the storm, and we survived in high style.

During the height of the storm we watched a fair amount of TV, football being the focus, but since it was the week prior to the election I got to watch a lot of Fox News - Fair & Balanced ! I normally don't watch the news, Fox or otherwise because it is so biased on way or another. I was surprised once or twice when Fox, outraged at something said or trying desperately to manufacture an October surprise did bring on representatives of both sides of a point.  Were they really equal guns?  I think that was debatable, but they attempted to present both sides. 

By Tuesday the wind had shifted, flattening the ocean and allowing us to fish like we have never fished before...the remaining four days were plentiful, both in fish and friendship.  The five of us caught way over 300 fish off of the beach without needing to move to a different spot.  I felt so grateful to have had this experience without the political rancor (usually friendly) the week often has. We were way too busy just Fishin'.

A Recovering Network Addict

It's Tuesday, and the morning meeting I have attended for 7 years is scheduled to begin. As we go around the table we ernestly try to bring business to our fellow networkers, pieces of paper are passed, questions are raised about passed referreals; coffee and possibly a Krispy Creme donut is consumed. It's a friendly, social group for certain.

I dutifully did my part.

And the question each year arises about weather you are fit to maintain the membership you believe others cherish; will you pay the franchise holder his $325 (or did the yearly cost go up?) to get up and help people you already know to a business referral?

I flunked the process! After 7 years of attending meetings, finding referrals even for people you suspect are not so compitent, I was asked to leave! And was I upset for all of an hour!

Why isn't the concern here...the real question is why the hell did I spend seven years doing this? I can count on one hand the amount of business I was referred. I did a respectable job of bringing in new members, getting my partners business, attending the required awful, by anyones' admonition, TRAINING in how to get and give referrals.

I think we all had a dose of Emporor's Clothes...why would I not want to be a member??? There is $$$$$ value per seat!!!! Guard that like the asset it truely is.

At the end of my tenure with this world wide organization I came to understand that I am responsible for growing my company. Referrals still come, but these are real referrals from past clients, friends and family. Other Realtors from different states send me their clients moving to Virginia. I am grateful for all of these referrals.

I am especially grateful for the time and money I have reclaimed from my former networking group. It's all good and just One Man's Opinion.

Cancel my subscription

Why do I look? The enevelope arrives, looking very perky, but when the contents spill out I smell dead fish...a rotting corpse of an IRA. So, my latest best practice is to smoosh the sides, slip it into the file, slam the drawer shut~unopened. No TUMS required. No doom impending on my watch. I hope this will help you in your dealing with money meltdown 101.

I am admittedly a little long in the tooth compared to many of you, so been there, done that, have the certificates of deposit to prove it. And, lo & behold I survived. Thrived. Recovered and much more.

What is my point? The newspaper arrived and since the murder rate has dropped they need something else to scare the devil out of you with. FORECLOSURES!!!! OHHHH now that's scary!

The article was on the front page, as opposed to the real estate section where few dare to travel.

And it talked about the "F" word as being an equal opportunity tradgedy.

"There are million dollar homes as well as the hundred thousand dollar homes in foreclosure..."

FORECLOSURES UP 463% FROM A YEAR AGO!!!DISASTER LOOMS!

And they neglect to say how few homes where in foreclosure last year, what a "normal" or average amount of foreclosures are per year, or what the total percentage of homeowners are who are paying their mortgages on time to compare. Hmmm. Why is this? And they wonder why we bloggers have started to eat their lunch in the newsrich world we live in.

I regret to report that the Department of Homeland Security has fallen down on the job, unable to stop these terrorists from wreaking havoc on our economy. I am remiss in not telling you that