Today is Wednesday, January 12th

Ok so, once again I'm catching up...

Monday, the 10th was a day of checking in with my clients and escrows...and loving my honey.  We both realized that we only had a little time left before the chemo started again so, it was time to just relax and be.

Tuesday, the 11th was a day of disappointment and hope.  My client was finally ready to make his last offer on his dream home and he'd waited too long.  Someone else had jumped ahead of him.  Now it's wait and see if his deal survives since he's in a back up position.  I came home and did what I love to do to take my mind off the present... I cook... so, I made Italian soup, some people call it Italian wedding soup for my honey.  I figured since we'd be traveling to Stanford for the next few days, the soup was an easy favorite to sustain us.  We watched Zeva and the Good Wife and cuddled up for the night.

Directors of SCCAOR

Buddies: Darren, Seth, me, Bill  

We started off Wednesday with scrambled eggs & bacon for my honey while I made sure the inspections were going to start on time at the Castroville ranch.  Next stop Chaminade for my luncheon installation as a Director of the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors.   I missed my installation last year 'cause we were in Grand Cayman Island with Johnny & Shar.  Boy am I glad we went and that we did some fantastic diving...it'll be a long time until we do that again... so,  it was a wonderful event and I even wore stockings!  Had to sneak out a little early in order to make Tracy's apt at Stanford where Tracy began the 2nd round of chemo...  He's also had a spinal tap while I held his head not wanting to look at what the expert Nurse Practitioner, Katie, from Berkeley was actually doing.  I really appreciate the expertise needed to do a medical practitioner's job.  I know that ain't me.  Tracy must stay in a prone position to avoid any complications like headaches and consume lots of liquids....We made it home and bid adieu to a very, very long day.... all he wants is rest now.  

The Gun Debate

Words are very powerful.  
Choose them wisely.  
They inspire or defile.  
Add a gun and you have chaos. 



I awoke today with a feeling of excitement and hope.  The tragedy of Representative Giffords shooting and the killing of all those innocent people has incited a lot of folks to talk about the political rhetoric in our nation and it's also inspired a lot of folks from Arizona to stock up on glocks.  Whaddayathink about that? 


 I'm tired of the debate myself.  I think it's ridiculous for the average gun owner to want a semi automatic with a magazine that holds 10 rounds, let alone 20 or more.  If you're hunting deer, you don't need a semi-automatic.  Why aren't we talking about gun control?  Is the National Rifle Ass. that powerful?  Where is the sanity and truth in the facts?  Why are we as a nation so beholden to the premise that we all should have the right to own a gun?  


Many years ago, I owned a gun.  After a break in and assault of my roommate in my Saratoga home;  I bought a Saturday Night Special.  I learned how to shoot it and I enjoyed target practice.  Then, I put it away in it's gorgeous leather case and promptly forgot about it.... until it was almost used on me.  Then, when it was aimed at a spot on the wall near my head as I slept in order to get my attention... I knew it was time to get rid of it and I did.  That cured me of ever wanting a gun and Tracy feels the same way.  Wake up people!!!

Sunday, January 9th

What a glorious day!!!  After French toast, Tracy & I were catching up on the news as the phone began to ring... We were listening to one of my favorites "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" on our NPR station when we realized that the Chiefs were already battling the Ravens.  Quickly we turned the game on and settled in for another day of wild card games, monitoring our poorly chosen picks albeit very exciting football challenges.  John & Nancy Scannell called for our order from Betty's Burgers.... since we'd barely finished breakfast we decided to split a burger and sweet potato fries.   Just about that time, Jim & Linda called from Hong Kong Chinese and asked if we wanted some War Won Ton soup... well that is my favorite and I couldn't believe how truly blessed we were!!!  Dinner on the way and all I had to do was laundry on this wonderful Sunday....  So, although we couldn't pick a winner to save our lives (one for four wild card games) we totally enjoyed our day of rest.  We caught up with old friends and snuggled in to our slug stations... thoroughly enjoying the day and the chance to just relax....

Today is Saturday, January 8th

OK So, I'm playing catch up as I watch the Saints battle the Seahawks.  We're rooting for the Saints in this wild card game and what a battle it is!  The awful news of the attack on Congresswoman Giffords made me ill.


Political rhetoric must change! We are politically opposed NOT at war. We have disagreements in philosophy but there is NO reason to wield a gun to win your point. Sanity should prevail!!! There should be consequences for the fact that Sarah Palin's website had a target list! Where is the America we all love?

Ok so, my heavily favored Saints just lost to the Seahawks... next stop Indiana.  It's the Payton/ Sanchez contest and oh, what a game it shall be!

Looking back at Thursday..it was a long day of work! Marilyn & I looked at a lot of homes throughout the county; this being our first brokers tour of the new year.  I enjoyed the time although what's plagued me for days is just how much time I should spend away from Tracy.  Knowing that he'll be starting his chemo soon makes me very conscious of my time and where I really need to be. 

Friday was a long day of hurry up and wait at Stanford.  It's interesting that what should only take a couple hours can take almost a whole day there.  I'm trying not to complain but I certainly hope that Tracy's treatment will enable us to scoot through starting next week with some priority.  Oh yeah, the news was great!  Tracy's numbers are good enough to start the next phase of his treatment next week.  Wednesday is the day and it will be a long one.  Bruno warned that the next phase is intense.  4 days on and 4 days off for 4-6 weeks and then... well, I sort of clicked off when I heard that it would last for about 2 years. Tracy keyed in on Bruno's comment about "a little spinal tap and radiation" amongst all the next variety of treatments.  It's amazing how much two intelligent people can miss or remember when you're talking about life and death....   I kept trying to determine how long each treatment would take so, I could figure out how to manage scheduling our lives.  It's going to be very interesting!  We're really going to need some help now with driving.  4 consecutive days will be tough when I need and want to continue working.  Bruno says that after the first day it should be a quick hour or so each day.  Only time will tell.  Lots of people have asked how they can help.  I think we're about to find out.  My honey is not crazy about what this entails but he's ready willing and able to bear it.  Bring it on!!!  The Stanford Express starts next week.

Today is Wednesday, January 5th

Amazing amount accomplished today...  yet I felt badly that T was gonna be home alone all day.  I'm always torn between being home with my love and working.  Working at what I love is fun for me, so I try to balance it out and keep my honey happy too.

  The fab four minus one met for a continuing education/coaching session in Scotts Valley and it jazzed me totally... I came back to the office to put another Addendum together and set up a few apts; off to refresh my memory on a Capitola vacation rental ... way too dark and dingy then, finally home to work on my business plan.  Tracy looked lonely and I'm sorry for that.  He's tired of feeling tired.  My baby needs an up and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with him this weekend.

An aide from Sam Farr's Congressional office left a message yesterday that she'd get back with me next week re my Blue Shield issues.  Yahoo!  That restores my faith.

My honey is asleep and I will be too very soon.....

Sunday, Monday & Tuesday, January 2,3 & 4

I finally acknowledge that it's tough sometimes to keep up with this blog.  I get going and other things like Tracy or real estate take precedent and then, I'm faced with either blowing off the days I've missed or trying to do a brief run up.  Today I've chosen to tell the tale.  Doesn't mean I won't blow it off next time but here goes:

Sunday, a day of football ..  I loved seeing the niners kick butt!  Why didn't they bring it earlier in the season? .. and a day to show a home in Capitola and catching up with  adorable clients.  A day of fun and a day of chagrin as I tried to get some work done and the MLS software upgrade wasn't having it.  Tracy was content with only football on his mind.

Monday, a day of working on restructuring deals for success and a trip to Stanford for a GI base line for my honey.  We hope to avoid at least some of the pitfalls of the last chemo regimen.  By seeing the Gastroenterologists now when T is pretty OK and discussing all of the reactions and complications he experienced through the first round; we're hoping to mitigate and perhaps avoid the nasties next time around.  One can only hope and take every precaution possible.  So, really good interaction with Dr. Rhees and Cartwright.  They agreed with us that the issues more likely stemmed from the treatment, not dietary indiscretion.... but we'll probably never get Bruno to agree to that...  They did wholeheartedly agree tho' that going for the cure is paramount and everything else pales in the face of that.  Next stop, Friday with the Madeiros team.

T & Riley

Tuesday, started off without time for breakfast... not even coffee, pushed me off kilter.  It's house cleaning day so, as I was straightening up my office, I realized I had forgotten to do some paperwork so, by the time I finished that all I had time for was a kiss from my honey & I was out the door on the run.  After our sales meeting, the fabulous foursome, Lorraine, Marilyn, Vicki & I had breakfast, exchanged info and agreed to delve into continuing education together.  Valuable insights by bouncing off each other's experiences and with this deep level of trust we all win.  It's great to be a part of  the fabulous four!  A couple errands later, I was able to bounce two complicated deal scenarios around with my broker and then, proceed to the Castroville property that will become a dog lover's paradise very soon.  Barry, Dotti, Joel (a contractor and Barry's best friend) and I wandered around the property for quite awhile and then, came back and signed the counter offer and added a counter offer.  An hour later, we got the deal!  We're a happy family!!!  Home to T and a simple meal and one more two pronged approach to a solution for Janet & Mike.

Mike & Janet on New Year's Day

 I'm pooped but very pleased at an eventful January day...

Today is Saturday, January 1st, 1/1/11

Happy New Year!!!  


Today is the first day of 2011 and the first day of the second decade of the 21st century.  Amazing how time flies...  the next time this phenomenal sequence will hit is 2/2/22... the next time will be 3/3/33... will we be around to see it?  We hope so...


I can't believe I've lived this long... I can remember when I was in my 20's singing along to Hotel California and believing that I was invincible and that life was anything and everything I could imagine... all I had to do was dream it.  My only problem was finding the right mate to live it with me.  I always learned most of my lessons the hard way; so, I started collecting frogs.   My thinking was that I would have to kiss a lot of frogs to find my prince.  It took a lot of adventures and detours to finally find him.  I had almost accepted that I would always enjoy life but I might never find my mate.  And then, Popeye came along.... talk about high maintenance?  He made me laugh and constantly challenged me and thank God, he still does!!!


I look forward to the unfolding of our lives as we begin the next phase...


Happy New Year one and all!!!!

Frog Kisser & Prince & Master Riley

Deanna, Gary & Riley