I often have very vivid dreams. They usually combine different areas of my life in some weird way. Perhaps an old college roommate is my boss at a company that I worked for 5 years ago and the office looks like AT's old apartment. You know.. a hodgepodge of memories, usually triggered by something that happened that day or whatever happens to be on my mind.
Well, a few nights ago, I dreamed that I was getting some stuff out of my car (a PT Cruiser). Oprah Winfrey walked by and swiped a beach towel. I was going to chase after her, but decided to let her have it. Then Ross the Intern from the Tonight Show came by and did the same. I also let him keep his towel. Suddenly, both of them were back, trying to steal my car. I woke up in the middle of the night yelling "HELP! HELP ME!!" and nearly scaring poor A.T. to death.
WTF? What on EARTH could this mean? Anyone? Any ideas at all? I just can't get my head around the significance of Ross the Intern and Oprah. ????????
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Rookie Broker Touring
Today Tara (my mentor) and I went out for the Rookie Broker Tour. This means that we would be seeing houses from 9am-4pm, all day, nonstop, all neighborhoods, all price points. We saw condos, TICs and houses from Seacliff to Excelsior. I asked to drive so that I would become more familiar with the roads/routes. I also wanted to make sure that my aggressive, stick-shift wielding, yell-at-pedestrians-who-aren't-looking-for-cars, curse-at-drivers-on-their-cell-phones-making-bad-moves style driving could be successfully toned down to a professional level. After all, I do not want to 1.) scare anyone or 2.) make anyone nauseous. (I wonder where I got that road rage from..hmm.. someone from Boston perhaps?) I think that Tara was so excited to be chauffeured around town that she didn't notice the driving! In any case, I seemed to pass the test. We had a lovely day, meeting agents, seeing great and not-so-great units, exploring the neighborhoods, talking about the market. Tara is getting ready to list a house, and she had 4 other agents come over to look at it and come up with the ideal listing price. I love the fact that Zephyr agents are so willing to help other agents! The best part of today.. no gym. Walking up steps all day is quite a workout in and of itself!
Do these pants make my butt look big?
(Rhetorical question. I know they make my butt look droopy!)
These pant were the result of a leap of faith. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.
A friend of mine had heard about this great tailor that comes to the US (from Thailand) once a year to take your measurements and custom clothing orders. He takes the information back to Thailand, has the suits made there, and mails them to you. They are a fraction of the cost of having them made in the U.S., but still expensive.
As a person embarking upon a new career, and someone who has been working in the super causal technology arena for the past 15 years, I thought this might be a good investment. A business suit perfectly fitted to my body. I can't even imagine! I can't buy a single pair of pants off the rack without having to alter them. Too short. To tight in the booty. Too big in the waist. A shopping *nightmare*.
I was aware of the risk, and quite worried about what would happen if it did NOT fit. How would they fix it? How would they know how *much* too big or small it is? I decided to have faith in the system that others swore by, and run with it. (In retrospect, these were all men who recommended him. Perhaps men's bodies are much easier to fit!?)
After a little over a month of anxious anticipation, the suit arrived! I rushed home to try on my new wardrobe gem. Uh oh. Not so good. Fantastic workmanship. Solid construction. But horrible fit. Shoulders too tight, arms too short, waist too big, butt too big, to name a few. I sent it back with a description of the problem and lots of pictures. (Thanks to photographer AT). I'm giving them once chance to fix it. I hope this works!!!
These pant were the result of a leap of faith. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.
A friend of mine had heard about this great tailor that comes to the US (from Thailand) once a year to take your measurements and custom clothing orders. He takes the information back to Thailand, has the suits made there, and mails them to you. They are a fraction of the cost of having them made in the U.S., but still expensive.
As a person embarking upon a new career, and someone who has been working in the super causal technology arena for the past 15 years, I thought this might be a good investment. A business suit perfectly fitted to my body. I can't even imagine! I can't buy a single pair of pants off the rack without having to alter them. Too short. To tight in the booty. Too big in the waist. A shopping *nightmare*.
I was aware of the risk, and quite worried about what would happen if it did NOT fit. How would they fix it? How would they know how *much* too big or small it is? I decided to have faith in the system that others swore by, and run with it. (In retrospect, these were all men who recommended him. Perhaps men's bodies are much easier to fit!?)
After a little over a month of anxious anticipation, the suit arrived! I rushed home to try on my new wardrobe gem. Uh oh. Not so good. Fantastic workmanship. Solid construction. But horrible fit. Shoulders too tight, arms too short, waist too big, butt too big, to name a few. I sent it back with a description of the problem and lots of pictures. (Thanks to photographer AT). I'm giving them once chance to fix it. I hope this works!!!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Zephyr: Shameless Self Promotion
Whew! How is it that I haven't even received my real estate license yet, and I go to bed every night stressed out about the huge to-do list that I can barely chisel away at each day? I'll tell you how. There is so much to learn and do! A never-ending supply of research that I feel the need to complete before I get my license! At that point, I'll have to switch into prospecting full gear!
Today was fun. I had my photo shoot this morning. It's a little weird to be fussing over a photo so much, but the darn thing is going to be plastered on every piece of marketing literature I put out there. Business cards, property sheets, websites. I need to find a picture that says I'm warm, open, intelligent, and a savvy business woman. How can a picture say all of that? Below are the 6 "finalist" photos. Yes, I know the one on the top middle looks like I'm drunk and falling over. I wasn't. Well, not during the photo shoot. The picture looked normal before the bottom was cropped off. You see, I was leaning over to pet a cute dog while she was taking the pictures. Kidding! Very likely, but not true in this case.
I also met with the Zephyr marketing manager today to discuss my marketing plan. How exciting! After much deliberation, and several purchases on GoDaddy.com, I finally decided on my new real estate website. This site name will be on my business cards as well as the For Sale signs for my listings, and my Open House signs. Nobody will ever remember how to spell Sherri Shaffer, so I wanted something without my name. Something catchy. Something people would remember without having to write it down. I am going with www.dwellingselling.com! It should be up and running in a week or two, so stay tuned. Do you like it? Accurate description of my career? Yes. Silly? Heck yeah. Memorable? Absolutely!
Tonight I'm going to curl up with the list of Tuesday open houses and a glass of wine. :)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
OomaSitting
Oh, I love the fuzzy dog. I have been looking forward to my weekend of dog-sitting with Ooma for months. Melissa says that this may break me of my adoration for dogs. We’ll see about that! It’s pretty strong.
I started by visiting Ooma, the adorable fuzzy Labradoodle, after work. As I was driving to see her, I found myself speeding. I felt like I was driving to a first date! I couldn't wait to arrive and give her a good scratch. I returned later to spend the night, insistent on being productive and reading some important Tenancy in Common documentation while simultaneously petting her. She promptly put an end to any such thoughts and demanded my full attention.
(soaked canine)
(hand drying)
(clean pooch!)
Overall, a very fun experience. Even if she woke me up and scared me half to death with her middle of the night barky fits, she knew how to cock her head to one side and give me those adorable puppy dog eyes that make me melt and forget how bad she can be!
I started by visiting Ooma, the adorable fuzzy Labradoodle, after work. As I was driving to see her, I found myself speeding. I felt like I was driving to a first date! I couldn't wait to arrive and give her a good scratch. I returned later to spend the night, insistent on being productive and reading some important Tenancy in Common documentation while simultaneously petting her. She promptly put an end to any such thoughts and demanded my full attention.
She decided to wake me up several times to bark and growl, letting me know that the neighbors just arrived home from a night out. How sweet. (ahem). We shared the bed for a good night of sleep.. her with three quarters of it, and me with my measly quarter.
The next day we arose early for our field trip. We picked up my Little Sister, Tania, and headed to Fort Funston for some frolicking in the sun. When I was first matched with Tania almost 5 years ago, she was deathly afraid of dogs. I’m so proud of the progress she has made, as she was Ooma’s primary caretaker during the outing. Except for that whole poop-disposal thing. That’s where she drew the line and I had to stand in. Otherwise, she was the entertainer, ball-thrower, fresh-water-pourer, and leash-walker. Fort Funston is my Happy Place. So many fluffy dogs. Ahhh. Makes me smile just thinking about it.
The next day we arose early for our field trip. We picked up my Little Sister, Tania, and headed to Fort Funston for some frolicking in the sun. When I was first matched with Tania almost 5 years ago, she was deathly afraid of dogs. I’m so proud of the progress she has made, as she was Ooma’s primary caretaker during the outing. Except for that whole poop-disposal thing. That’s where she drew the line and I had to stand in. Otherwise, she was the entertainer, ball-thrower, fresh-water-pourer, and leash-walker. Fort Funston is my Happy Place. So many fluffy dogs. Ahhh. Makes me smile just thinking about it.
Next, we took the beautiful but dirty dog to get a bath! Pet Food Express lets you wash your own dog on the cheap, so we stopped at the cash register to purchase a token “for two people who have never washed a dog in their lives.” The super friendly guy at the counter sent another employee with us for an orientation. There were several other gorgeous dogs there getting primped.
Tania led Ooma up to the bathing are (unaware of what was going to happen). We linked her collar to the wall, just in case. After careful consideration, we chose the mango shampoo and Tania went to work scrubbing down the very calm and composed puppy! After Tania’s careful and thorough scrubbing, we moved her to the drying station, only to find out that she was NOT going to allow us to blow dry her. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s mostly poodle and didn’t want us to give her a poodle-fro or if she didn’t like the noise. But she said No. No no no no no. So we went back to the counter and asked for a few more towels and did it the old fashioned way.
(going in for the wash)
(scrub a dub dub with mango shampoo)
(soaked canine)
(hand drying)
(clean pooch!)
Oomers and I spent the evening and following day together playing various games, like: ring-around-the-scooter, just-you-try-to-get-me-to-come-inside, I-bet-you-can’t-catch-me-sucker, bark-at-the-neighbors, bark-at-sherri-while-she-is-watching-a-movie, steal-sherri’s-pen and my favorite, refuse-to-pee-because-I-know-it-means-we-will-go-back-inside-right-away.
Overall, a very fun experience. Even if she woke me up and scared me half to death with her middle of the night barky fits, she knew how to cock her head to one side and give me those adorable puppy dog eyes that make me melt and forget how bad she can be!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Zephyr: Week One(half)
Well, I call it a half-week because my new career is.. well.. it's NOT a M-F, 9-5 kind of job.
I started on Tuesday. Tuesday is broker's tour day. That means that all of the new houses on the market all across the city (and those who want extra attention) are held open so that real estate agents from every agency in the city can see them. The tour is organized in such a way that each neighborhood has their houses open during a particular time slot, so you work your way around the city in an orderly fashion. There are hundreds and hundreds of properties open, so it's important to have a good game plan. It's even more important to find a few open houses that are serving food! (What a fantastic way to get the other agents to show up!).
If you have current buyers, this is your opportunity to check out houses they might be interested in before you drag them to the house on Sunday. Better to not waste their time if they require space for a baby grand piano, and the property just doesn't have it! Also, if you have a seller, it's a great time to see what else is for sale in the neighborhood, how nice they look, and how much they are selling their unit for. Since I don't have any customers yet (because the Department of Real Estate is still processing my license application!), I'm using my Tuesdays to explore properties that I think my first customers might want, and also to get an idea of what is on the market. Basically, Tuesdays are spent wearing comfortable shoes and driving around town doing research. No need to hit the gym on Tuesdays. :-)
Wednesday morning is the Zephyr sales meeting. We have breakfast, talk about the market, learn a new tip, have interesting discussions, hear about what people sold that week, and have other agents present their new listings. Then we do another tour of all of the new Zephyr-Agent listings. Vroom vroom around the city again.
Thursday and Friday would normally be spent preparing for the weekend. I spent them preparing my marketing plan, finding a catchy domain name for my website, and reading up on TIC laws and financing. I also set up lots of meeting for next week. My photo shoot for my business card mug shot. My meeting with the marketing guru. And my get-logged-in-to-all-Zephyr-systems meeting. I also determined a neighborhood-research plan. I am familiar with most neighborhoods in the city, after being here for 9 years (!) but there are some that need more investigation. Every Friday I will explore a new area. I also printed out a list of all parking fines from the City of San Francisco. Since I will be driving and parking all day, along with hundreds of other agents, chances are I won't get rock star parking every time. This way, I'll be able to make an educated decision about which type of ticket I get. Hmm. Street cleaning is less than parking by a red curb. But if I don't see the street cleaner coming up the street, I can make it in/out without a ticket (they are easy to spot). I'll take street cleaning violation risk, please!
On Fridays we get a thick print-out of all of the houses/condos that will be on the following Tuesday's brokers tour. Just to give you an idea of the size. There are approximately 600 properties open next week. Obviously, you need to put some effort into mapping your route!
Saturdays and Sundays are open houses for the public. This is when prospective buyers can look at properties. If I had a buyer customer, I would be driving them around to look at houses that they might be interested in. This week, I spent Saturday with Tania and Ooma, and making a plan for Sunday. I think I will focus on districts 5 & 6 tomorrow. District 6, Central North, is Lower Pacific Heights, Alamo Square, NoPa, Hayes Valley, Western Addition. District 5, Central, is Mission Dolores, Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Twin Peaks, Haight Ashbury, etc. I'm going to be looking at Condo/TIC/Lofts up to $700k.
Mondays are typically filled with faxing offers, making counter offers, tying up loose ends from the weekend.
And once you have something in contract, every day consists of following up with the customer, title company, inspectors, and everyone involved to make sure the deal goes through smoothly!
I a few months, I'll pretty much know every street, every alley, every dead-end road, every hill's elevation. So if you need any directions, call me up. What? You need to know where Uranus is? I can help you with that. I saw a house on Uranus last week. Baaah! Okay, sorry. I couldn't help myself. I do love the scatological humor! And I really did see a house on Uranus, too. It was very nice. I would live on Uranus. Baah. I just can't stop!
So far, I'm loving it. Sure, I have no customers or pay. But I love it! The only problem is going to be making sure that I still get to see Tania on weekends, since I now work 7 days a week!
So, who wants to buy or sell a house with me? ;-)
I started on Tuesday. Tuesday is broker's tour day. That means that all of the new houses on the market all across the city (and those who want extra attention) are held open so that real estate agents from every agency in the city can see them. The tour is organized in such a way that each neighborhood has their houses open during a particular time slot, so you work your way around the city in an orderly fashion. There are hundreds and hundreds of properties open, so it's important to have a good game plan. It's even more important to find a few open houses that are serving food! (What a fantastic way to get the other agents to show up!).
If you have current buyers, this is your opportunity to check out houses they might be interested in before you drag them to the house on Sunday. Better to not waste their time if they require space for a baby grand piano, and the property just doesn't have it! Also, if you have a seller, it's a great time to see what else is for sale in the neighborhood, how nice they look, and how much they are selling their unit for. Since I don't have any customers yet (because the Department of Real Estate is still processing my license application!), I'm using my Tuesdays to explore properties that I think my first customers might want, and also to get an idea of what is on the market. Basically, Tuesdays are spent wearing comfortable shoes and driving around town doing research. No need to hit the gym on Tuesdays. :-)
Wednesday morning is the Zephyr sales meeting. We have breakfast, talk about the market, learn a new tip, have interesting discussions, hear about what people sold that week, and have other agents present their new listings. Then we do another tour of all of the new Zephyr-Agent listings. Vroom vroom around the city again.
Thursday and Friday would normally be spent preparing for the weekend. I spent them preparing my marketing plan, finding a catchy domain name for my website, and reading up on TIC laws and financing. I also set up lots of meeting for next week. My photo shoot for my business card mug shot. My meeting with the marketing guru. And my get-logged-in-to-all-Zephyr-systems meeting. I also determined a neighborhood-research plan. I am familiar with most neighborhoods in the city, after being here for 9 years (!) but there are some that need more investigation. Every Friday I will explore a new area. I also printed out a list of all parking fines from the City of San Francisco. Since I will be driving and parking all day, along with hundreds of other agents, chances are I won't get rock star parking every time. This way, I'll be able to make an educated decision about which type of ticket I get. Hmm. Street cleaning is less than parking by a red curb. But if I don't see the street cleaner coming up the street, I can make it in/out without a ticket (they are easy to spot). I'll take street cleaning violation risk, please!
On Fridays we get a thick print-out of all of the houses/condos that will be on the following Tuesday's brokers tour. Just to give you an idea of the size. There are approximately 600 properties open next week. Obviously, you need to put some effort into mapping your route!
Saturdays and Sundays are open houses for the public. This is when prospective buyers can look at properties. If I had a buyer customer, I would be driving them around to look at houses that they might be interested in. This week, I spent Saturday with Tania and Ooma, and making a plan for Sunday. I think I will focus on districts 5 & 6 tomorrow. District 6, Central North, is Lower Pacific Heights, Alamo Square, NoPa, Hayes Valley, Western Addition. District 5, Central, is Mission Dolores, Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Twin Peaks, Haight Ashbury, etc. I'm going to be looking at Condo/TIC/Lofts up to $700k.
Mondays are typically filled with faxing offers, making counter offers, tying up loose ends from the weekend.
And once you have something in contract, every day consists of following up with the customer, title company, inspectors, and everyone involved to make sure the deal goes through smoothly!
I a few months, I'll pretty much know every street, every alley, every dead-end road, every hill's elevation. So if you need any directions, call me up. What? You need to know where Uranus is? I can help you with that. I saw a house on Uranus last week. Baaah! Okay, sorry. I couldn't help myself. I do love the scatological humor! And I really did see a house on Uranus, too. It was very nice. I would live on Uranus. Baah. I just can't stop!
So far, I'm loving it. Sure, I have no customers or pay. But I love it! The only problem is going to be making sure that I still get to see Tania on weekends, since I now work 7 days a week!
So, who wants to buy or sell a house with me? ;-)
Friday, July 13, 2007
Hire me, please.
The interviewing was fun, but exhausting. My first meeting was with Zephyr's Upper Market office. I have to say that the sales manager there just blew me away. She was energetic, direct, on-point, efficient with her use of the interview time, motivating, and just plain cool. I knew from that moment that I wanted to join her at Zephyr. But of course, I had to interview elsewhere to make sure I was making the right decision.
My other interviews were essentially wasted time. After Zephyr, all other agencies felt corporate, dry, stereotypical, disconnected, traditional. Boring. Some of the people were great, by my overall feel for the other offices was.. well.. the best way that I can describe it is that Zephyr felt like the dot com boom (energy, enthusiasm, self-motivation) and the others felt like the insurance business (zzzzzz). I could be wrong, but I like to follow my gut feeling in matters like these.
The Zephyr sales Manager (whom I will call "D") invited me to join the city-wide Zephyr sales meeting the following day. We had breakfast at 8:30am, followed by the high-energy sales meeting. Then the entire clan of agents caravaned around the city to take a peek at all of the new Zephyr listings that were put on the market that week. I *loved* the cohesiveness of the group. D made sure that I met several new agents so that I could ask them about their first 6 months. She also found someone for me to caravan around the city with. This fabulous agent had a very slow start her first year, but rebounded with a great second year. She was a fantastic resource to let me know what it's like to work there, as well as work for D. Her insight was invaluable! (Plus, she was cool!). I left the sales meeting with: 1.) 100% certainty that this is where I wanted to be and 2.) two really bad blisters on my toes. I made a rookie mistake. Never, EVER wear cute heels on Open House days. There are many stairs to be tackled on these days. Comfort is key. It's certainly not a desk job! (yay!)
Thursday, I went back into Zephyr for a tour of the office where I would be working. D showed me where I WOULD (not “could”) be sitting (sharing an office with a Top Producer, who could be my mentor). I like her style.. Assume The Sale! I participated in the office's weekly meeting. I was concerned about the fact that the next new-agent training wouldn't start till September, but D came prepared with a list of things I could do for my first 8 weeks. Combined with my own personal list, I wouldn't be lacking in the work department! I cannot start representing buyers/sellers until my license is issued by the state (I'm just waiting for them to get through the paperwork now), but I sure will be ready when it is issued. I was once again impressed, but not surprised, by D's preparedness, and uncanny ability to answer my questions before I have voiced them. Yes, this is the place for me. A fun staff. A beautiful office near my home. A lot of interaction with other agents. A fantastic, straight-shooting sales manager. Yes. I'll take it. When can I start?
I decided to cut the interview process with other agencies short. I had seen enough. Whenever I was in the Zephyr offices my gut screamed "Yes!". So I took it. I start next Tuesday!! D will be out of town, but I have plenty to keep me busy. Looking at houses. Studying contracts. Preparing my marketing plan. Oh yes. Plenty!
I am SO excited I feel like I am going to burst!
Zephyr's Web Site
My other interviews were essentially wasted time. After Zephyr, all other agencies felt corporate, dry, stereotypical, disconnected, traditional. Boring. Some of the people were great, by my overall feel for the other offices was.. well.. the best way that I can describe it is that Zephyr felt like the dot com boom (energy, enthusiasm, self-motivation) and the others felt like the insurance business (zzzzzz). I could be wrong, but I like to follow my gut feeling in matters like these.
The Zephyr sales Manager (whom I will call "D") invited me to join the city-wide Zephyr sales meeting the following day. We had breakfast at 8:30am, followed by the high-energy sales meeting. Then the entire clan of agents caravaned around the city to take a peek at all of the new Zephyr listings that were put on the market that week. I *loved* the cohesiveness of the group. D made sure that I met several new agents so that I could ask them about their first 6 months. She also found someone for me to caravan around the city with. This fabulous agent had a very slow start her first year, but rebounded with a great second year. She was a fantastic resource to let me know what it's like to work there, as well as work for D. Her insight was invaluable! (Plus, she was cool!). I left the sales meeting with: 1.) 100% certainty that this is where I wanted to be and 2.) two really bad blisters on my toes. I made a rookie mistake. Never, EVER wear cute heels on Open House days. There are many stairs to be tackled on these days. Comfort is key. It's certainly not a desk job! (yay!)
Thursday, I went back into Zephyr for a tour of the office where I would be working. D showed me where I WOULD (not “could”) be sitting (sharing an office with a Top Producer, who could be my mentor). I like her style.. Assume The Sale! I participated in the office's weekly meeting. I was concerned about the fact that the next new-agent training wouldn't start till September, but D came prepared with a list of things I could do for my first 8 weeks. Combined with my own personal list, I wouldn't be lacking in the work department! I cannot start representing buyers/sellers until my license is issued by the state (I'm just waiting for them to get through the paperwork now), but I sure will be ready when it is issued. I was once again impressed, but not surprised, by D's preparedness, and uncanny ability to answer my questions before I have voiced them. Yes, this is the place for me. A fun staff. A beautiful office near my home. A lot of interaction with other agents. A fantastic, straight-shooting sales manager. Yes. I'll take it. When can I start?
I decided to cut the interview process with other agencies short. I had seen enough. Whenever I was in the Zephyr offices my gut screamed "Yes!". So I took it. I start next Tuesday!! D will be out of town, but I have plenty to keep me busy. Looking at houses. Studying contracts. Preparing my marketing plan. Oh yes. Plenty!
I am SO excited I feel like I am going to burst!
Zephyr's Web Site
Monday, July 9, 2007
University of Pennsylvania in SF
This week AT's college friends took over San Francisco for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game week. We got to see Susan (from AZ), Noam (from NYC), and their friends Marcy and Amish (sp?) who also happened to go to U Penn.
We took them to a very nice restaurant for dinner. Our favorite Indian restaurant, Pakwan. Where the food is divine, vegetarians and carnivores alike can be appeased, and 6 people can have a feast for $58.
Then we went to Cantina, a fantastic new bar in SF that serves up some of the very best fresh-fruit cocktails. As a cocktail snob, AT has given this place the seal of approval, so you know it must be good!
Later in the week, Noam managed to get some tickets to the Homerun Derby for AT and I. It was a gorgeous sunny day at Pac Bell Park..
Perfect for eating some ball park sausage..
One day I'll get on a kayak and watch the ball game from the cove..
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Boston
What a whirlwind of activity! As usual, our extra-long weekend in Boston was filled with family, friends and food. Here are some of the highlights..
Lunch at Legal Seafood with Ophelia (AT’s mom). AT used to be a manager at Legal Seafood, so we like to stop in and have some of his favorite foods when we’re back east. This meal featured: fish chowdah, lobster bisque (for me), a clam roll (with clam bellies), bluefish pate, and grape nut pudding. No, they don’t actually have grape nut pudding on the menu anymore, but after AT expressed his disappointment at it’s removal from the menu, the waiter let us in on a little secret.. they have a special stash of it in the kitchen for occasions like this where someone comes looking for it!
Dinner and drinks with Stefan, Sophie, Andrea, Cave, Scott O’Donnell and others at Eastern Standard. It was GREAT to see Scotty O (who used to live in San Francisco) after several years. He’s in Real Estate, so I picked his brain and got some good advice about entering the field. After the group broke up (most of them had to go to work the next day!), AT and I went to Silver Tone (his favorite Boston bar.. his “Cheers”). His favorite bartender, Cedric, moved to Florida (boo), but Michael was! After mixing us delicious cocktails, Michael informed us that Cedric was, in fact, back and Boston and managing a new bar called BeeHive. Obviously, we had to get just “one more” cocktail at BeeHive. After a warm welcome from Cedric & others (AT is unforgettable), we sat at the end of the bar and chatted with a fantastically energetic guy named Newman. Newman is the white version of Jonathan Speed. And we love Speedo. So we hung out with Newman for one MORE cocktail, but then we had to leave so that we could get to New York Pizza before it closed. YUM YUM YUM. We love that NY style pizza.. the real stuff. Not that stuff they serve in SF and CALL New York pizza. Nothing like a great late-night slice of delicious pizza.
AT’s family reunion. Technically, it was Ted & Ruth’s 50th wedding anniversary. But really, the event served to reunite many of the Howe clan. Sadly, many of the West Coast contingent didn’t make it, as all of the flights from the Bay Area were canceled on Thursday and Friday. Thank goodness we left on Wednesday! But it was fun to meet all of the great people that I had heard so much about. The food was tasty, the speeches incredibly moving. I was inspired by all of the tributes to Ted and Ruth. They are two phenomenal people who have made a big impact on everyone from their children to complete strangers. I can only hope that my life will be as meaningful and fulfilling as theirs (I know, for that I’ll need some kids. Hopefully one day!)
Fabulously delicious ice cream from Toscanini’s. For AT? Burnt Vienna Fingers. For me? Ginger Slap Molasses.
Reading my Real Estate Practice book whenever I could sneak it in. (No rest for the unemployed!)
A tasty dinner with Stacey at 647 Tremont. Stacey is here in the States, getting ready for her upcoming wedding to Nelson. (Congratulations!!) Since I won’t get to see Stacey in London on my business trips anymore (boo), it was great to see her Stateside! After dinner, we went back to the BeeHive to see Cedric again, but the bar was packed packed packed. We could have edged our way in, but we all knew that we’re just too old for that stuff! Being packed in like sardines? Having to push your way to the bar to get a cocktail? No thank you! We went next door for a nice, civilized glass of wine.
Watching the huge wild turkey in Stefan’s back yard.
I saw a residential building with the name “Bacon Chambers” prominently displayed above the door. I want to live there. It’s right down the street from “Redneck’s BBQ”
Visiting Cave and Fleur. Cave is AT’s friend from childhood. Fleur is my favorite dog in the world. She’s a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog, and I can’t get enough of her!
Lunch with AT, Ophelia, Arnold and myself. Ophelia whipped up a very SCRUMPTIOUS meal, aptly titled “Ophelia’s Casserole”. It was a delicious meal of ground beef, vegetables, tomatoes, chili powder, and baked with a cornbread topper. YUM. I * must * have this recipe!
Stealing Swedish Fish out of Stefan’s kitchen cabinet. We found his bulk package of the fish on the first day. Jackpot!
Being two of the 11 people on our very-delayed flight home. Receiving first class meals, and our own private rows in the airplane. Getting home a day before our luggage.
Oh, and there’s more. But it’s late and I can’t remember it now.
Lunch at Legal Seafood with Ophelia (AT’s mom). AT used to be a manager at Legal Seafood, so we like to stop in and have some of his favorite foods when we’re back east. This meal featured: fish chowdah, lobster bisque (for me), a clam roll (with clam bellies), bluefish pate, and grape nut pudding. No, they don’t actually have grape nut pudding on the menu anymore, but after AT expressed his disappointment at it’s removal from the menu, the waiter let us in on a little secret.. they have a special stash of it in the kitchen for occasions like this where someone comes looking for it!
Dinner and drinks with Stefan, Sophie, Andrea, Cave, Scott O’Donnell and others at Eastern Standard. It was GREAT to see Scotty O (who used to live in San Francisco) after several years. He’s in Real Estate, so I picked his brain and got some good advice about entering the field. After the group broke up (most of them had to go to work the next day!), AT and I went to Silver Tone (his favorite Boston bar.. his “Cheers”). His favorite bartender, Cedric, moved to Florida (boo), but Michael was! After mixing us delicious cocktails, Michael informed us that Cedric was, in fact, back and Boston and managing a new bar called BeeHive. Obviously, we had to get just “one more” cocktail at BeeHive. After a warm welcome from Cedric & others (AT is unforgettable), we sat at the end of the bar and chatted with a fantastically energetic guy named Newman. Newman is the white version of Jonathan Speed. And we love Speedo. So we hung out with Newman for one MORE cocktail, but then we had to leave so that we could get to New York Pizza before it closed. YUM YUM YUM. We love that NY style pizza.. the real stuff. Not that stuff they serve in SF and CALL New York pizza. Nothing like a great late-night slice of delicious pizza.
AT’s family reunion. Technically, it was Ted & Ruth’s 50th wedding anniversary. But really, the event served to reunite many of the Howe clan. Sadly, many of the West Coast contingent didn’t make it, as all of the flights from the Bay Area were canceled on Thursday and Friday. Thank goodness we left on Wednesday! But it was fun to meet all of the great people that I had heard so much about. The food was tasty, the speeches incredibly moving. I was inspired by all of the tributes to Ted and Ruth. They are two phenomenal people who have made a big impact on everyone from their children to complete strangers. I can only hope that my life will be as meaningful and fulfilling as theirs (I know, for that I’ll need some kids. Hopefully one day!)
Fabulously delicious ice cream from Toscanini’s. For AT? Burnt Vienna Fingers. For me? Ginger Slap Molasses.
Reading my Real Estate Practice book whenever I could sneak it in. (No rest for the unemployed!)
A tasty dinner with Stacey at 647 Tremont. Stacey is here in the States, getting ready for her upcoming wedding to Nelson. (Congratulations!!) Since I won’t get to see Stacey in London on my business trips anymore (boo), it was great to see her Stateside! After dinner, we went back to the BeeHive to see Cedric again, but the bar was packed packed packed. We could have edged our way in, but we all knew that we’re just too old for that stuff! Being packed in like sardines? Having to push your way to the bar to get a cocktail? No thank you! We went next door for a nice, civilized glass of wine.
Watching the huge wild turkey in Stefan’s back yard.
I saw a residential building with the name “Bacon Chambers” prominently displayed above the door. I want to live there. It’s right down the street from “Redneck’s BBQ”
Visiting Cave and Fleur. Cave is AT’s friend from childhood. Fleur is my favorite dog in the world. She’s a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog, and I can’t get enough of her!
Brunch with David and Tawnya (who I met on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Uganda in 1999) and Heather (who I met in San Francisco years ago). We had a lovely meal at their home, and got to meet their two sons. I have been bad at keeping in touch and haven’t seen any of these three in YEARS, so it was fantastic to finally catch up on those lost years!
Lunch with AT, Ophelia, Arnold and myself. Ophelia whipped up a very SCRUMPTIOUS meal, aptly titled “Ophelia’s Casserole”. It was a delicious meal of ground beef, vegetables, tomatoes, chili powder, and baked with a cornbread topper. YUM. I * must * have this recipe!
Stealing Swedish Fish out of Stefan’s kitchen cabinet. We found his bulk package of the fish on the first day. Jackpot!
Being two of the 11 people on our very-delayed flight home. Receiving first class meals, and our own private rows in the airplane. Getting home a day before our luggage.
Oh, and there’s more. But it’s late and I can’t remember it now.
It was a fantastic getaway. Now, back to reality!
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