Goodbye, dear friend...

R.I.P - Slick (1994-2009)

Today is a very sad day for me. Today I lost a dear companion that has been by my side for nearly 15 years. At some point during the night it appears that Slick suffered a stroke. I found him this morning unable to walk more than a few steps, hips swinging wildly, before collapsing to the floor. He deteriorated rapidly this morning and died in my arms after being given a sedative. I fed slick from a dropper when he was a kitten and I cradled him in the same way then as I did today.

So, today I say...

Goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the time we had together. Thank you for being my constant companion across so many adventures. Thank you for knowing when I could use a little extra companionship and for knowing when I was down. You were a friend as true as any and I will miss you. I hope that at the end of the path you find an endless supply of warm sunny spots in which to nap. Goodbye, dear friend. I will miss you.

Baby, it's cold INSIDE!

Yesterday I met with a buyer at a home that has been vacant since April. For those of you who don't know, it was 8 below zero Monday night/Tuesday morning. By 10am when the buyer and her young son arrived, it was about 20 degrees outside. Yes, 20 is cold, but there are degrees of cold. The winds were calm and the sun was out, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

HOWEVER, the inside of the home was actually colder than it was outside. All of us walked through the house shivering. The next home, a HUD owned home, even worse because the sliding glass doors in the back of the house weren't large enough for the opening. Both panels were about an inch too narrow. So, all the cold air from the night before was still filling the home. I felt so bad for my buyer and her son... what a morning to get out and look at your first homes!

Oh well, just another adventure... and a reminder to always keep "Hotties" hand warmers handy.

Do ducks square dance?

So, I was over at Sloan's Lake the other day and saw what I thought was some pretty quirky behavior from the ducks that were hanging about. The ducks were gathered in little groups and swimming in circles. I tried to take a couple pictures, but it's hard to capture what I saw in a still image. When you look at the pictures, just try to imagine the little groups spinning in circles like a bunch of ferris wheels. I kept listening for the sound of a fiddle and a caller telling someone to dos-i-do (I'm sure that's spelled wrong).

Pygmy goats that think they're dogs?

Today was one of those days that reminds me that you should never say you've seen it all. The moment you have that thought you'll come across some new unexpected surprise.

So, what did I see today that had me shaking my head and chuckling? Two pygmy goats that, as the owner told me, think they're dogs. Apparently these goats were raised with the dogs and bonded with them. So, they try to play with the dogs... by ramming them with their HORNS! You've never seen a dog look less tough than it does when it's dodging horns. It was obvious that they were playing a well known game amongst themselves, but to the newbie onlooker it was quite a spectacle.

I also like that the owner told my buyer's teen-age daughter to just tell the goat to stop if he tried to butt her, but to tell him "...firmly, so he knows you mean it." Will he rollover and fetch too? There were no incidents and everyone enjoyed seeing the animals... and I had another experience to remind me that there are adventures everywhere.

A sure sign I'm spending too much time at Starbucks...

Today, for the first time ever, I walked into my local Starbucks (at the corner of Chambers and Smoky Hill) and the barrista behind the counter looked over at me and confirmed my order before I had even asked...

It's a strange thing, this coffee drinking obsession. When I worked in offices, I was typically one of the only people that didn't drink coffee. It all started to change when I went to work at the corporate offices of a coffee and smoothie franchise. Suddenly I was surrounded by the delicious smell of 100% Kona coffee being brewed.

Eventually I caved and it's been a fast ride ever since. I'm an Americano guy now... something about those 4 wonderful espresso shots and hot water that I just can't resist. So, the next time you're out with me and I'm talking a million miles an hour, take a peek for a cup of coffee... it's probably not far away.

You live where?

Okay, so there's something about living in the Denver area that can be very frustrating. There are quite a few areas - especially as you get Southeast and Southwest of Denver - where cities share zip codes. I happen to be "lucky" enough to live in one of those areas. I'm a proud resident of the Smoky Hill Neighborhood in... wait for it... Centennial! Yes, I said Centennial.

Granted, my neighborhood is very close to the Aurora/Centennial border, but it is in Centennial and my mailing address reflects the same. You're probably saying to yourself, "self, so what?" Well, on more than one occasion I have had issues making web or phone purchases because my zip code automatically defaults to Aurora. Have a navigation device in your vehicle? Don't try to get to my house in Centennial... oh no. You have to either use my zip or enter Aurora. Personally, I'm at the point where I only use zip codes when using my navigation device. Yes, I know it's a minor inconvenience, but it's just one of those things that irks me.

You see some of the same things in the Northern suburbs as well. Every once in a while I suspect it's just a conspiracy to keep us all confused. And I resent that because I don't need any help in that department. LOL!

Shall we wander?

So, I was out with a buyer the other day - if you read my profile you know I'm a Realtor in Denver - and we started discussing blogging. It made me think of some of the mind-boggling things I've seen showing people homes. The discussion started me thinking about blogging about some of my experiences. So dear readers (currently 0), here I am now.

What can you expect from this blog? I'm not sure exactly. You're watching an experiment in progress. Knowing my nature, I'll likely cover a variety of topics including my life as a Realtor.

So, when I ask if you want to wander, consider it fair warning that there will likely be tangents lurking around some of the corners.

So, shall we wander?