Greetings to all ...here's hoping this post finds everyone healthy and doing (reasonably) well...
It has been too long, and I am determined to make a dedicated effort to blog more often...promise...really...I have even enlisted several friends and team members to remind me that every blog need not be an immortal treatise like the Magna Carta or the Constitution, or heaven forbid, an endless journey like Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry...
Talking too much already and haven't even yet left the shadow of the first paragraph....ahhh well...more room for improvement in Vince's life...
Thanks to all (ok - most) of the Visions at the Shore homeowners for coming out to Happy Hour at the Clubhouse and sharing some great ideas and thoughts with us...activities and clubs, ideas for the clubhouse and Visions improvements, and some great conversation...it was really a nice time and great for everyone to finally meet some of their neighbors...looking forward to the big Summerfest Clambake next Sunday and the Community pool party on the 22nd of August...
Anyway, today's thought for the day is as follows (and I am paraphrasing)...."One of Mankind's single biggest illusions is the conception that I am Here and You are Out There"....so untrue and nevertheless, such a common thought.
In the global community we are all intertwined, and more closely related in more disparate ways, than ever before...we all rejoice, suffer, laugh, cry, exult, despair, worry, work, love, laugh, stress, grieve, try, fail, succeed, and get up once again to try again...when one stop's thinking that you are different in any meaningful way than anyone else taking up space on our happy little planet, one tends to be more patient, have more clarity and compassion, learn more from one's fellow man or woman...and avoid creating all types of nutty illusions of grandeur in one's own mind...lolol
Just forget all that and remember Google's motto..."Be Nice". Works just about everywhere, in most circumstances...;)
Enough introspection and analysis of deeper issues...on to other fun stuff...virginity and stuff like that.
How are we all virgins...? Simple - Computers! Who knows all the tricks there are to know? No one (but I have a really good one here, so stay with me folks...;)) We are all learning, whether we are 15 or 75...and discovering new things everyday...so ponder that thought when you are feeling smugly superior about the latest trick you learned...remember that you don't know what you don't know...!
Why are we reluctant to try new experiences and risk change - or try something for the first time (thus the allusion to virginity...;))? We are afraid that it will cost money, or cause embarassment because we might be wrong, or we are worried that the time needed to learn something new is too great....so we avoid change, and in a very direct sense, restrict any personal growth....
Time to toss that theory in the recycling bin... (or if you are like me and use the Cooperative Recycling Concept, the ordinary old garbage can...lol)....the only thing we are certain of is that there will always be change, and new things to experience...(like McDonald's serving cappuccino - what's that all about, anyway?)...which leads us to one of the points of this post....
Computer tip for the day: Folders, Folders! and FOLDERS in your email!! How important is this for anyone using email for work?? VITALLY IMPORTANT!.
If you are using MS Outlook, click New, then Folders, then create a new folder in your Inbox with a common category you use repeatedly. There are similar abilities in AOL and other email programs, though I am not as familiar with them. I have folders for all developments that Foxmoor is building (Foxmoor Galloway 88 lots), and subfolders in these for more specific categories (Finance, Construction, Engineering, Advertising). I also have a folder for any category of communication I regularly employ (Marian - Email, Web Stuff - Blog, etc).
Why should you use folders? Simple - to save yourself time. When you receive an email, if you don't immediately work on it, file it in it's happy digital home, so you will know where it is living, when you do get to it. When you send an email out to someone, if there is anything important in your response, COPY YOURSELF WITH THE EMAIL, AND SAVE IT IN THE CORRECT FOLDER so you can find it when you need it in the future, and not do the Email Daze thing, where you just zone out...searching...looking...
It is Truth I speak when I say this one simple idea may save you dozens (possibly hundreds) of hours, each year. Really, really (like Shrek says).
You will not be rooting through hundreds of emails looking for what you remember someone sent you, or how you responded.
An extra bonus is that your Inbox becomes a virtual server for all documents, spreadsheets and letters you send out to anyone - and if your computer goes down, all your files are on a remote server, ready for your use
Enough drivel for the moment...status of the real estate market is steadily improving... the Resort Clubhouse at Visions has been open for 3 months and is getting rave reviews...Foxmoor at Galloway just opened our newest development of 29 homes, next to our 88 lot development, which is almost sold out...great prices, great interest rates, and a lot of the short sale and resale inventory which has been on the market for a while has been sold...
It is truly a great time to get into the real estate market - interest rates have been this low 1 time in the last 60 years - since 1947 - and with the tax credit, many buyers are jumping in....:):)
Be well...stay healthy..and remember - do unto others as you would have them do unto you..(the Golden Rule)...:)
More soon....
Stay well.
Vincent
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A little humor from the Great Fox - Don't Feel Too Bad If You Have Forgotten Something Recently
Ok, for those of you who are still wondering if I have completely lost my sanity, I absolutely have.
Today, I forgot to put my sandals on and didn't discover I had my little furry ugg-looking house slippers on until I got out of the car in Galloway.
Truly I am not kidding. Now I look like an old smurf, with hat, scarf, dog and furry slippers...lol
It is shaping up to be a wonderful day already...;););)
So take solace, anyone reading this who may have forgotten something minor recently, like shoes, or sanity, or whatever...lolol
At least the weather is beautiful, and we have a homeowner moving into Visions at the Shore (Hi Miriam!!) as well as in Foxmoor at Galloway (Welcome Dan Gambert!)...another closing tomorrow in Galloway (Hello Mr. & Mrs. Howard - who came to our last Solutions 101 Seminar, and were able to buy a new home...;);)
Congratulations to everyone on the team who is going crazy making these closings happen...Thank you James, Jack, Mike, April, Colleen and Marian...without you I wouldn't retain what little sanity I still have...;);)
At least some people still remember to put their shoes (or sandals) on in the morning...lol
Have a great day...;)
GF
Today, I forgot to put my sandals on and didn't discover I had my little furry ugg-looking house slippers on until I got out of the car in Galloway.
Truly I am not kidding. Now I look like an old smurf, with hat, scarf, dog and furry slippers...lol
It is shaping up to be a wonderful day already...;););)
So take solace, anyone reading this who may have forgotten something minor recently, like shoes, or sanity, or whatever...lolol
At least the weather is beautiful, and we have a homeowner moving into Visions at the Shore (Hi Miriam!!) as well as in Foxmoor at Galloway (Welcome Dan Gambert!)...another closing tomorrow in Galloway (Hello Mr. & Mrs. Howard - who came to our last Solutions 101 Seminar, and were able to buy a new home...;);)
Congratulations to everyone on the team who is going crazy making these closings happen...Thank you James, Jack, Mike, April, Colleen and Marian...without you I wouldn't retain what little sanity I still have...;);)
At least some people still remember to put their shoes (or sandals) on in the morning...lol
Have a great day...;)
GF
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Economic Recovery, Birthing Elephants and 'tis a New Year
“Recovery is taking a bit longer than it should, kind of like Mating Elephants…”
There is a joke says something like, “What do economic recovery and mating elephants have in common? The answer is , “It is done at a very high level, it is accomplished with a lot of kicking and screaming and it takes 18 months for anything to happen…”
That thought is eerily similar to our economy (unfortunately)….however there is light at the end of the tunnel, and this time, I don’t think it’s the NJ Transit Express about to run us over again…J It has taken longer than it should, and a sincere thanks to our awful media for making everything continually seem much worse than it was….may the fleas of a thousand camels inhabit your inkpens, and keyboards and other orifices all over you…
I mean, you’re sitting there reading this happy nonsense, and you should be thinking about the fact that in the last month, the government (thank you Hank and Ben! God, I’ll miss Hank Paulson…a brief shining moment of intelligence and capability in the history of the treasury…of course our new president is getting rid of him…makes a lot of sense…;(L ) has added several trillion dollars into our monetary system. Directly and indirectly, commercial banks have been directed to “Go forth and Sow your seeds…JJ…they have, and rates have come down over a full percentage point in the last month.
What does that mean?? If you are considering buying a $300,000 house with a $270,000 mortgage, but were worried about your payment being too high, it just dropped $170 a month. If your buyer couldn’t afford your house at $210,000, with a $190,000 mortgage, because the payment was $115 a month too high, she can now buy your home with the payment they need, and you still get all your money. Ahhh, the magic of playing with the interest rate…helps everyone in the food chain…JJJ
Interest rate drops effectively placed a floor ( a line in the sand, so to speak) in asset values…absolutely artificially low rates (0% - .25% federal funds target rate) cannot last forever while asset values are so low. Either rates or values, or both will definitely move upwards. Most probably in this environment we will see asset values increase slightly more quickly than interest rates in the 6-12 month term, but certainly there will be upward movement in both over the 12-24 month period.
Whatever. The point is to go do something positive. The time is great for it.
People say I talk too damn much and go off on tangents and I am thinking they might be correct…
Boys and girls, one thing is for certain – this artificial largesse from Guv’mint (from all of us actually – we are funding the bailout, and the stimulus) will not last forever…it’s just too good for all of us down here in the real world…so don’t wait too much longer to do whatever you are thinking of doing.
More on this in a few paragraphs, but in the meantime, some holiday (remember those?) and New Year ramblings…
"tis a New Year, and May it be Healthy and Happy and Prosperous for all...let us all remember that health is the most priceless possession, and its free (or at least the price of a gym membership…lol).
Fond wishes that the Obstructionists and Dooms Mongers who slurk and slither among us, develop itchy rashes and flu symptoms that keep them inside, so the rest of us can look up at the sun and think about how things are actually getting better out there…J
May the Naysayers and Negativitists (I made that word up, by the way…lol) stop being part of the %$*!!$%# problem, and start being part of the %$*!!$%# solution. (Thank you Bruce Willis in Die Hard).
Fortune Magazine has been hosting an excellent writer on their inside back cover for a while and his name is Stanley Bing. Bing is an actual Fortune 500 executive (somewhere), and his bi-weekly page is funny, satirical very accurate and deals with whatever issues most folks are pondering in their cornflakes.
Whether presciently or not, his column of 10/27/08, may mark very close to the depth of consumer confidence, general misery and probably a bunch of stocks, real estate portfolios and dwindled bank accounts. It is entitled “What will happen Next?” and speaks first about the 4 Prophets of Doom – Fear, Anger and Gloom and Panic. It is so good, that I will excerpt and paraphrase a few thoughts from this excellent article for your perusal. You can read the rest online at www.fortune.com. The name of his column is While You Were Out.
“And the land was overrun by Prophets of Doom, the riders of four horses, whose names were Fear and Anger and Gloom and Panic….and these gloomy, mostly pudgy and balding prophets shouted from the rooftops, predicting the end of happiness and the dollar, the onset of starvation, the collapse of markets globally and the hegemony of China. And those who prophesied the worst got the most airtime…
One Hundred Days made their way across the Mobius Strip of time…and some of the people came together and made a choice…to live with those who waited for the end in terror, or to strike out for the future along those who were brave enough, or simply too uninformed (or crazy, like me…VS), to have relinquished all hope for the future…and they chose life…and it is better than the alternative.
And it was the evening and the morning of the first day of the rest of our lives…May it come soon!”
Thank you Stanley Bing. The article was much, much better than my brief sentences. Go read it when you get a chance.
Then you should get out of your chair and get your own elephants birthed….it’s been long enough and the screaming is dying down out there… low interest rates, great prices, and a government who is actually on the ball (albeit a bit late to the dance) and encouraging intelligent, responsible real estate investment…? These conditions can’t last much longer…probably until everyone realizes just how good they are.
You don’t have to wait any longer though. It’s the first day of the rest of your life…make it count.
Regards,
V
There is a joke says something like, “What do economic recovery and mating elephants have in common? The answer is , “It is done at a very high level, it is accomplished with a lot of kicking and screaming and it takes 18 months for anything to happen…”
That thought is eerily similar to our economy (unfortunately)….however there is light at the end of the tunnel, and this time, I don’t think it’s the NJ Transit Express about to run us over again…J It has taken longer than it should, and a sincere thanks to our awful media for making everything continually seem much worse than it was….may the fleas of a thousand camels inhabit your inkpens, and keyboards and other orifices all over you…
I mean, you’re sitting there reading this happy nonsense, and you should be thinking about the fact that in the last month, the government (thank you Hank and Ben! God, I’ll miss Hank Paulson…a brief shining moment of intelligence and capability in the history of the treasury…of course our new president is getting rid of him…makes a lot of sense…;(L ) has added several trillion dollars into our monetary system. Directly and indirectly, commercial banks have been directed to “Go forth and Sow your seeds…JJ…they have, and rates have come down over a full percentage point in the last month.
What does that mean?? If you are considering buying a $300,000 house with a $270,000 mortgage, but were worried about your payment being too high, it just dropped $170 a month. If your buyer couldn’t afford your house at $210,000, with a $190,000 mortgage, because the payment was $115 a month too high, she can now buy your home with the payment they need, and you still get all your money. Ahhh, the magic of playing with the interest rate…helps everyone in the food chain…JJJ
Interest rate drops effectively placed a floor ( a line in the sand, so to speak) in asset values…absolutely artificially low rates (0% - .25% federal funds target rate) cannot last forever while asset values are so low. Either rates or values, or both will definitely move upwards. Most probably in this environment we will see asset values increase slightly more quickly than interest rates in the 6-12 month term, but certainly there will be upward movement in both over the 12-24 month period.
Whatever. The point is to go do something positive. The time is great for it.
People say I talk too damn much and go off on tangents and I am thinking they might be correct…
Boys and girls, one thing is for certain – this artificial largesse from Guv’mint (from all of us actually – we are funding the bailout, and the stimulus) will not last forever…it’s just too good for all of us down here in the real world…so don’t wait too much longer to do whatever you are thinking of doing.
More on this in a few paragraphs, but in the meantime, some holiday (remember those?) and New Year ramblings…
"tis a New Year, and May it be Healthy and Happy and Prosperous for all...let us all remember that health is the most priceless possession, and its free (or at least the price of a gym membership…lol).
Fond wishes that the Obstructionists and Dooms Mongers who slurk and slither among us, develop itchy rashes and flu symptoms that keep them inside, so the rest of us can look up at the sun and think about how things are actually getting better out there…J
May the Naysayers and Negativitists (I made that word up, by the way…lol) stop being part of the %$*!!$%# problem, and start being part of the %$*!!$%# solution. (Thank you Bruce Willis in Die Hard).
Fortune Magazine has been hosting an excellent writer on their inside back cover for a while and his name is Stanley Bing. Bing is an actual Fortune 500 executive (somewhere), and his bi-weekly page is funny, satirical very accurate and deals with whatever issues most folks are pondering in their cornflakes.
Whether presciently or not, his column of 10/27/08, may mark very close to the depth of consumer confidence, general misery and probably a bunch of stocks, real estate portfolios and dwindled bank accounts. It is entitled “What will happen Next?” and speaks first about the 4 Prophets of Doom – Fear, Anger and Gloom and Panic. It is so good, that I will excerpt and paraphrase a few thoughts from this excellent article for your perusal. You can read the rest online at www.fortune.com. The name of his column is While You Were Out.
“And the land was overrun by Prophets of Doom, the riders of four horses, whose names were Fear and Anger and Gloom and Panic….and these gloomy, mostly pudgy and balding prophets shouted from the rooftops, predicting the end of happiness and the dollar, the onset of starvation, the collapse of markets globally and the hegemony of China. And those who prophesied the worst got the most airtime…
One Hundred Days made their way across the Mobius Strip of time…and some of the people came together and made a choice…to live with those who waited for the end in terror, or to strike out for the future along those who were brave enough, or simply too uninformed (or crazy, like me…VS), to have relinquished all hope for the future…and they chose life…and it is better than the alternative.
And it was the evening and the morning of the first day of the rest of our lives…May it come soon!”
Thank you Stanley Bing. The article was much, much better than my brief sentences. Go read it when you get a chance.
Then you should get out of your chair and get your own elephants birthed….it’s been long enough and the screaming is dying down out there… low interest rates, great prices, and a government who is actually on the ball (albeit a bit late to the dance) and encouraging intelligent, responsible real estate investment…? These conditions can’t last much longer…probably until everyone realizes just how good they are.
You don’t have to wait any longer though. It’s the first day of the rest of your life…make it count.
Regards,
V
Thursday, November 13, 2008
No Payments until 2010, the Election and What's Happening in the World
Hello out there in BlogLand...;)
Weather generally crappy this week, but brightening Sunday for our Football Stadium Tailgate Party at Visions at the Shore...I know the change of seasons is supposed to be nice, but when it's dark at 5 pm, and you can feel the winter coming, I think how happy the people must be in San Diego, where it is 85 degrees all year.....just perfect except for the earthquake issue...;)
Thought for the Day, "The faintest pencil is better than the sharpest memory." Ben Franklin.
So true - if you don't write it down, it never happened, and you will probably forget it. Write your thoughts, ideas, plans, to-do items, and chores down on a list and cross them off as you finish them.
(FoxBuilder Confession: Since White-Out came out with the tape in the dispenser, I have become addicted to the neat, clean lines, instead of the harsh crossed off items on my lists. Neurotic to be sure, but I am comfortable with my neurosis, and they are mine after all...lol
On to matters near and dear to our hearts...the economy, and more particularly the real estate market.
I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD TIME IT IS TO BUY REAL ESTATE RIGHT NOW!!! Seems that our recent, diligent descent into communism hasn't been without it's murky benefits...believe it or not the commercial banks across the country have come to realize that if they want to keep borrowing money at the incredible rate of 1% from the Fed (incidentally, this rate is actually a negative real interest rate, since inflation is about 2% - a very odd, unsustainable situation) they're supposed to actually lend it back out to folks like you and I, and not just use it to make their balance sheets look pretty.
Perfectly simple reasoning for anyone working for a living but apparently difficult for the Big Brains to comprehend...but there have been definite signs recently that the retail credit markets are loosening up.
With interest rates as low as they have been since WWII, unemployment at 6.4% (historically near the low end of the scale - remember, folks, that means 93.6% of the people who want to be working are doing so), really low inflation (1.9% - remember the 13%, 14% 1970's anyone?), and incredibly low real asset values, Foxmoor is actively seeking property for acquisition and development, and retail homebuyers have been moving back into the market. I haven't seen values like this in a decade - as long as you keep the TV off, and don't listen to anyone telling you how the sky is falling, it is a buyer's market! Smart Buyers know that...
Anyway. in other news, Foxmoor Homes and Visions at the Shore are rolling out a No Payments until 2010! program across the entire Atlantic County area, over 5 different developments. If preliminary indications are telling, we have a real winner of a structure that helps people sell their old homes, and not worry about a mortgage payment until 2010. We're getting a great response and anticipate the first 7 available homes will be sold within the next several weeks!!
It turns out that the idea of adding $100 a month to your mortgage payment, and saving $18,000 - $20,000 over the next year, seems too much to pass up. We will see in the next few days.
Finally, we are having a Football Stadium Tailgate Party this Sunday with food, music, furnished models, and you are all invited...12:30 - 3 this Sunday in the Shoreview (Penthouse) model in the Atlantic City building. Only 3 homes left in that building - Welcome Lois Sanders!!!! First person to move into the Atlantic City Building and a great lady. Yeah!. Call 609 646 7791 for Colleen.
Stay positive - it's getting better.
Take care everyone...
Fox Builder
Weather generally crappy this week, but brightening Sunday for our Football Stadium Tailgate Party at Visions at the Shore...I know the change of seasons is supposed to be nice, but when it's dark at 5 pm, and you can feel the winter coming, I think how happy the people must be in San Diego, where it is 85 degrees all year.....just perfect except for the earthquake issue...;)
Thought for the Day, "The faintest pencil is better than the sharpest memory." Ben Franklin.
So true - if you don't write it down, it never happened, and you will probably forget it. Write your thoughts, ideas, plans, to-do items, and chores down on a list and cross them off as you finish them.
(FoxBuilder Confession: Since White-Out came out with the tape in the dispenser, I have become addicted to the neat, clean lines, instead of the harsh crossed off items on my lists. Neurotic to be sure, but I am comfortable with my neurosis, and they are mine after all...lol
On to matters near and dear to our hearts...the economy, and more particularly the real estate market.
I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A FUNDAMENTALLY GOOD TIME IT IS TO BUY REAL ESTATE RIGHT NOW!!! Seems that our recent, diligent descent into communism hasn't been without it's murky benefits...believe it or not the commercial banks across the country have come to realize that if they want to keep borrowing money at the incredible rate of 1% from the Fed (incidentally, this rate is actually a negative real interest rate, since inflation is about 2% - a very odd, unsustainable situation) they're supposed to actually lend it back out to folks like you and I, and not just use it to make their balance sheets look pretty.
Perfectly simple reasoning for anyone working for a living but apparently difficult for the Big Brains to comprehend...but there have been definite signs recently that the retail credit markets are loosening up.
With interest rates as low as they have been since WWII, unemployment at 6.4% (historically near the low end of the scale - remember, folks, that means 93.6% of the people who want to be working are doing so), really low inflation (1.9% - remember the 13%, 14% 1970's anyone?), and incredibly low real asset values, Foxmoor is actively seeking property for acquisition and development, and retail homebuyers have been moving back into the market. I haven't seen values like this in a decade - as long as you keep the TV off, and don't listen to anyone telling you how the sky is falling, it is a buyer's market! Smart Buyers know that...
Anyway. in other news, Foxmoor Homes and Visions at the Shore are rolling out a No Payments until 2010! program across the entire Atlantic County area, over 5 different developments. If preliminary indications are telling, we have a real winner of a structure that helps people sell their old homes, and not worry about a mortgage payment until 2010. We're getting a great response and anticipate the first 7 available homes will be sold within the next several weeks!!
It turns out that the idea of adding $100 a month to your mortgage payment, and saving $18,000 - $20,000 over the next year, seems too much to pass up. We will see in the next few days.
Finally, we are having a Football Stadium Tailgate Party this Sunday with food, music, furnished models, and you are all invited...12:30 - 3 this Sunday in the Shoreview (Penthouse) model in the Atlantic City building. Only 3 homes left in that building - Welcome Lois Sanders!!!! First person to move into the Atlantic City Building and a great lady. Yeah!. Call 609 646 7791 for Colleen.
Stay positive - it's getting better.
Take care everyone...
Fox Builder
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Never Give In - Thank you Winston Churchill
Greetings to my fellow travelers…:)
Spike’s doing fine today if you’re wondering and he will be attending our Fall Fiesta on Sunday from 12-3 at Visions in Absecon…Spike is the fattest Chihuahua in canine history…:)
Weather was typical fall today…blustery, sunny, rainy, windy…all in the same day…hello New Jersey…70 degrees to 38 in one day…:)
Thought for the day…”Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul…” Simone Weil…
or “Cast your bread upon the waters, and thou shalt (eventually) have sandwiches returned to you – maybe even the good kind, with the foccocia bread, olive oil, garlic, proscuitto and sharp provolone with roasted peppers…” I may be paraphrasing slightly…:):)
These two thoughts should encourage us to keep on keeping on towards our goals and dreams…and not listen to all the reasons others think they are impossible…
I always say, “It’s not a question of if we will persevere and win…it is a question of how long it will take, and how much we will suffer.”
For a moment of serious thought, consider the speech Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave at the Harrow School in England, in the darkest days of the Second World War. The most famous segment of his speech was as follows…
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
So it was then, and in the most difficult days throughout history, and so it is now.
It is easy to lie down and rest when you are so close to victory…truly, and unfortunately, it is the most common occurrence.
It is so tempting to be numbed by recent events…and forget that we need a larger house for a growing family, or a smaller house to downsize, or a new home with a basement and garage.
Oddly enough, it’s easy to forget that we are still in a strong Buyer’s market, and what you are supposed to do in a Buyer’s market…..is buy!
Sounds simple right? Along the way, we are swayed and influenced by so many negative influences…we have doubts about the economy, our jobs, inflation, interest rates, who is going to be our next President….and we forget about what’s really important - to never give in and never stop working toward your dreams…
Enough of that deep stuff. You either got the message by now…or are sick of it…lol.
Anyway, we had the second week of Foxmoor Football…great for team building and spending time with great people, but really, really unpleasant physically…:) I was trying quite hard to slide my way out of it (crush of work responsibilities and all that crap) and was reminded that I started this and it wouldn’t be too cool if I only lasted a week…at the end, I was quite happy today…down to 2 pulled muscles, a sore back and a strained pinky (no wine tastings for a while…;)) from the torn hamstring, 4 muscle pulls, and assorted scrapes and bruises from last week. All this so I can get in better shape and live longer…wow…I am thinking I like the shape I’m in right now...:):)
If ever one was in need of comic relief, one could find it at 4 on Tuesdays…sometimes we even last an hour…lol…Thanks Jimmy for guilting me into going today…Thanks Colleen for not showing up (not our fault you wore a skirt to work – you should’ve planned ahead…lol)
Farewell faithful readers…all 3 of you please tune in tomorrow for more ramblings from the edge…:) Comments are appreciated…I feel like Robinson Crusoe sometimes…:)
FoxBuilder
Spike’s doing fine today if you’re wondering and he will be attending our Fall Fiesta on Sunday from 12-3 at Visions in Absecon…Spike is the fattest Chihuahua in canine history…:)
Weather was typical fall today…blustery, sunny, rainy, windy…all in the same day…hello New Jersey…70 degrees to 38 in one day…:)
Thought for the day…”Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul…” Simone Weil…
or “Cast your bread upon the waters, and thou shalt (eventually) have sandwiches returned to you – maybe even the good kind, with the foccocia bread, olive oil, garlic, proscuitto and sharp provolone with roasted peppers…” I may be paraphrasing slightly…:):)
These two thoughts should encourage us to keep on keeping on towards our goals and dreams…and not listen to all the reasons others think they are impossible…
I always say, “It’s not a question of if we will persevere and win…it is a question of how long it will take, and how much we will suffer.”
For a moment of serious thought, consider the speech Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave at the Harrow School in England, in the darkest days of the Second World War. The most famous segment of his speech was as follows…
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
So it was then, and in the most difficult days throughout history, and so it is now.
It is easy to lie down and rest when you are so close to victory…truly, and unfortunately, it is the most common occurrence.
It is so tempting to be numbed by recent events…and forget that we need a larger house for a growing family, or a smaller house to downsize, or a new home with a basement and garage.
Oddly enough, it’s easy to forget that we are still in a strong Buyer’s market, and what you are supposed to do in a Buyer’s market…..is buy!
Sounds simple right? Along the way, we are swayed and influenced by so many negative influences…we have doubts about the economy, our jobs, inflation, interest rates, who is going to be our next President….and we forget about what’s really important - to never give in and never stop working toward your dreams…
Enough of that deep stuff. You either got the message by now…or are sick of it…lol.
Anyway, we had the second week of Foxmoor Football…great for team building and spending time with great people, but really, really unpleasant physically…:) I was trying quite hard to slide my way out of it (crush of work responsibilities and all that crap) and was reminded that I started this and it wouldn’t be too cool if I only lasted a week…at the end, I was quite happy today…down to 2 pulled muscles, a sore back and a strained pinky (no wine tastings for a while…;)) from the torn hamstring, 4 muscle pulls, and assorted scrapes and bruises from last week. All this so I can get in better shape and live longer…wow…I am thinking I like the shape I’m in right now...:):)
If ever one was in need of comic relief, one could find it at 4 on Tuesdays…sometimes we even last an hour…lol…Thanks Jimmy for guilting me into going today…Thanks Colleen for not showing up (not our fault you wore a skirt to work – you should’ve planned ahead…lol)
Farewell faithful readers…all 3 of you please tune in tomorrow for more ramblings from the edge…:) Comments are appreciated…I feel like Robinson Crusoe sometimes…:)
FoxBuilder
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Is it Really Stealing?
Hello...
Thought for the day..."Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplify, simplify..." Thoreau
Isn't that the truth? Remember - no one who loves you will care how much work you got done that day, when you are gone...let's get rid of some of the stupid activities in our lives that waste time for no reason and remember to enjoy the trip...play a little, just like our kids do...;);)
Cloudy, cold, windy, and generally unpleasant today...great day to venture out of one's warm, cozy home....and look for a brand new house! Yeah!
That might be a bit subjective coming from me, but it's still true...;)
Sitting here with my killer attack Chihuaha Spike, pondering some of the deep mysteries of modern life (Spike is pondering when he will get a handout, a walk, or a nap)...and so I shall attempt to shed light on one of them... "Is it really stealing when you take scrap lumber from in front of a home under construction? "
Having been in this business for a decade and a half, I have some thoughts I would like to share with my faithful readers... (currently numbering in the low single digits...lol)
Please note - when the pieces of wood are 3'-4' long, and piled in the front of the driveway neatly in a box, you can be reasonably certain that is scrap, and not only should you take it for your craft projects, but you are saving the environment, since it doesn't have to be discarded and sit in a landfill....:)
However....14' and 16' pieces of 2"x10", engineered trusses and structural paralams are definitely not scrap and are part of the house...lololol...
I mean really folks - does anyone not know that? Having spent a number of years being robbed, I realize most people are well intentioned and won't take what they shouldn't....however, there are always a few bad apples in the bushel... ;)
It's like you leave the house to go to work in the morning, and someone removed the wheel from your car (not just the tire - the whole wheeel)...Sure, you'll get to work eventually, but it is a bit of a pain...:):) So hard building the 2nd floor without the structural support lumber...
Not feeling too inspired this morning, and am hoping for greater words of wisdom later in the day...I may venture out to look at the ocean...or I may stay in and do a press release for our Fall Fiesta next Sunday at Visions (we are having a tarot card/fortune teller lady do readings and donating the proceeds to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission)...or work on the loads of email crap I need to catch up on....
Who else hates email sometimes? Feels like the Sword of Domacles...hanging by a thread over your head...uhhhhhh
I may also do none of these things and read a book...
More later (maybe - but who would notice? Like the tree falling in the forest thing...lolol)
Anyway, get outside and go to the zoo or play with your kids....and stop sitting in front of your computer...it doesn't love you and won't miss you when you're gone...;)
FoxBuilder
Thought for the day..."Our life is frittered away by detail...Simplify, simplify..." Thoreau
Isn't that the truth? Remember - no one who loves you will care how much work you got done that day, when you are gone...let's get rid of some of the stupid activities in our lives that waste time for no reason and remember to enjoy the trip...play a little, just like our kids do...;);)
Cloudy, cold, windy, and generally unpleasant today...great day to venture out of one's warm, cozy home....and look for a brand new house! Yeah!
That might be a bit subjective coming from me, but it's still true...;)
Sitting here with my killer attack Chihuaha Spike, pondering some of the deep mysteries of modern life (Spike is pondering when he will get a handout, a walk, or a nap)...and so I shall attempt to shed light on one of them... "Is it really stealing when you take scrap lumber from in front of a home under construction? "
Having been in this business for a decade and a half, I have some thoughts I would like to share with my faithful readers... (currently numbering in the low single digits...lol)
Please note - when the pieces of wood are 3'-4' long, and piled in the front of the driveway neatly in a box, you can be reasonably certain that is scrap, and not only should you take it for your craft projects, but you are saving the environment, since it doesn't have to be discarded and sit in a landfill....:)
However....14' and 16' pieces of 2"x10", engineered trusses and structural paralams are definitely not scrap and are part of the house...lololol...
I mean really folks - does anyone not know that? Having spent a number of years being robbed, I realize most people are well intentioned and won't take what they shouldn't....however, there are always a few bad apples in the bushel... ;)
It's like you leave the house to go to work in the morning, and someone removed the wheel from your car (not just the tire - the whole wheeel)...Sure, you'll get to work eventually, but it is a bit of a pain...:):) So hard building the 2nd floor without the structural support lumber...
Not feeling too inspired this morning, and am hoping for greater words of wisdom later in the day...I may venture out to look at the ocean...or I may stay in and do a press release for our Fall Fiesta next Sunday at Visions (we are having a tarot card/fortune teller lady do readings and donating the proceeds to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission)...or work on the loads of email crap I need to catch up on....
Who else hates email sometimes? Feels like the Sword of Domacles...hanging by a thread over your head...uhhhhhh
I may also do none of these things and read a book...
More later (maybe - but who would notice? Like the tree falling in the forest thing...lolol)
Anyway, get outside and go to the zoo or play with your kids....and stop sitting in front of your computer...it doesn't love you and won't miss you when you're gone...;)
FoxBuilder
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Too Sensitive to Negativity - Part 2
Oh when I figure Blogger out I am going to be scary...lolol...tried so hard to edit my last post, but gave up and just made this one a continuation of the last...
Continuing on, there is a fine line between negative and realistic...too much "realism" (read: pessimism) can put a damper on anything...really, does anyone think Columbus' peer group thought he was rowing with all oars in the water when he left to sail off the side of the earth?
Yes - sign me up for not wanting to hear things presented badly !! Yes - Tell me good news! Think of the positive side of something first before dumping it on me! Why do otherwise anyway? How much fun is it being negative? Zero.
Optimists and Pessimists have been scientifically proven to be correct equal amounts of time (I may be exaggerating about the scientific part) but Optimists have loads more fun, seem to smile more and have better digestion...lol
Google health as it relates to happiness and find loads and loads of stuff about laughter and a positive attitude being far and away the best medicine for most anything...
Some nice avocado and tomato salad, black olives, spinach and crumbled feta with balsamic vinegar helps a lot too when you're feeling down...lolol
So let's start thinking about the bright, positive side of anything that we are about to spit out into the world...if everyone did that once a day, we might not be in the apathetic morass where we currently find ourselves economically...
Remember - it's not a problem if you can fix it with money.
Comments please. Feeling lonely out here in Blogland...
Regards,
FoxBuilder
Continuing on, there is a fine line between negative and realistic...too much "realism" (read: pessimism) can put a damper on anything...really, does anyone think Columbus' peer group thought he was rowing with all oars in the water when he left to sail off the side of the earth?
Yes - sign me up for not wanting to hear things presented badly !! Yes - Tell me good news! Think of the positive side of something first before dumping it on me! Why do otherwise anyway? How much fun is it being negative? Zero.
Optimists and Pessimists have been scientifically proven to be correct equal amounts of time (I may be exaggerating about the scientific part) but Optimists have loads more fun, seem to smile more and have better digestion...lol
Google health as it relates to happiness and find loads and loads of stuff about laughter and a positive attitude being far and away the best medicine for most anything...
Some nice avocado and tomato salad, black olives, spinach and crumbled feta with balsamic vinegar helps a lot too when you're feeling down...lolol
So let's start thinking about the bright, positive side of anything that we are about to spit out into the world...if everyone did that once a day, we might not be in the apathetic morass where we currently find ourselves economically...
Remember - it's not a problem if you can fix it with money.
Comments please. Feeling lonely out here in Blogland...
Regards,
FoxBuilder
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)