The Real Estate Blog

Tivo's got a house for rent in Western Mexico. I know you were all looking forward to a really educational -- nay, edifying -- blog, or at least one bursting with suggestions for how to trim your tree and dress up your dogs in holiday gear. I'm sorry to disappoint.

Speaking of disappointment ... The Boys had a sleepover last night (their Christmas jammies are so cute!). Sunny, the elderly female, hasn't awakened yet, but she was awake at some point last night because there is a lump of physical evidence on the carpet. Benji, on the other hand, waited until after his walk this morning to jump on the couch and puke. So far, Mittens has merely requested (and gotten) fish. So everything's going according to history. No disappointment here.

But let's go to Mexico! Here's a lot of information: 3BR, 3BA, fully equipped kitchen, huge dining-social area, giant covered patio, complete laundry, totally furnished (including linens); seven blocks from a beach on the Pacific Ocean in a small fishing and resort village in the state of Jalisco; comes with the services of a caretaker from a nearby mountain village whose uncle owns a great restaurant in town. Rent is paid in full before you go. Get this: it's $800 a month up to six months, which includes utilities except for phone, cable, and internet, which are available. Tivo will rent it by the week (at $200) or all year long. Contact him about it all at tivosesante@yahoo.com or 813-389-3412.

If you haven't been to Google's home page, lately, go now. It started Sunday with a small workshop scene, and details get added every day. I assume it will culminate on Christmas Day. It's like an advent calendar, but not.

If you go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/ you can click on a button there that will move the sponsors to provide food for Pets without Pamperers. At the top of the page, you'll see options for more charitable giving -- for the rain forest and literacy, for instance. Click and give. Yay! Put it in your Favorites and do it every day. I wonder if they can actually keep track of where the clicks are coming from. Could I click ten times in a row? I've never tried it because, really, if it does work, I'd feel guilty. As you know if you read my October blog, I skip The Breast Cancer Site. I click on the others, though.

And now that you working ones probably have Wednesday off, you ought to come check out the Wednesday Midday Market in Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg from eleven to two tomorrow.

Let's see ... any other loose ends? Well, in the spirit of redemption, I made molasses cookies that were edible yesterday.

I've had very few hard-copy Christmas cards this year. That's an easy way to cut down on expenses, isn't it? I still got that Family Newsletter from my uncle's wife (yet not, somehow [in my stubborn brain], my aunt). She writes mostly about her family, which is fine if he's not participating, but she signs the card with their last name. That strikes me as ... what? cold? stupid? In the first place, how many women named Lura do you think I know? In the second place, maybe she should trust that I'd check the return-address sticker if I couldn't figure out who these people are.

On the other hand, the Family Newsletter did not come from Debbie, for the first time in more than a decade, so perhaps this year, I'll whip one out and just send it to her.

I used to think eCards were nonsense, but now I don't. I can spend more time agonizing over the choice than I ever did in a Real Store. 'Cause it's the time that counts, right? Time and thought?

I never think I should send cards to people I see often. I guess if they hear me say Merry Christmas! then they don't need a card. When I make cards, though, I send them to everyone. I think the last card I made was in 2003. Wow. I was home from work because of surgery and after about a month of just sitting and staring, I made some cards. Dang. Time flies. Now I'm home from work because of a different kind of surgery (heh heh) but I don't have the time. Or maybe it's the inclination that's missing.

I've got writers' block on painting those chairs and that table. I cannot think how to start on them. Got any tips?