A couple of years ago, whenever anyone talked about buying a house in Bend, I'd say, "Wait a couple of years. Wait a couple of years."
Not that anyone listened.
I stopped saying it, awhile back. (Giving advice is risky; I'd hate anyone to take my advice if it was wrong...)
But it looks today like I could still say, "Wait a couple of years..." and not be too far off the mark...
Housing vacancies are roughly double in Bend from ten years ago.
No rush, folks.
**********
I finally dealt with the sleep disruption of Daylight Savings Time by ignoring that it happened. Instead of going to bed around midnight and getting up at 7:30 or 8:00, I stay up until 1:00 and get up until 8:30 or 9:00. An hour more reading at night, an hour less internet-tubing in the morning.
***********
Fortunately, my brother-in-law ignored the above advice and bought a second home in Mt. Bachelor Village, which means the entire family has a place to come for gathering. All my sibs are coming this weekend. We'll scoop up the patriarch, Dad, and have a wild weekend.
**********
H.Bruce came in to look at the Droplets, which -- I hate to say -- weren't quite as cool as I thought they'd be. But I showed him my favorite figures -- the Potamusses. (Potamii ?) and he bought the last two in stock.
(Little brightly colored hippo's with attitudes....)
He got a green one (Enviro Potamuss?) and a black one with an Anarky symbol.
(Linda says, are you sure he wants everyone to know he's got Potamii? )
I'll risk it.
***********
I had a twelve year old girl in yesterday who didn't know who Marilyn Monroe was.
O.K. I can accept a certain amount of cultural illiteracy; if you talk about Presidents, you should know about Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelts I and II; I'll forgive you Jame Buchanan.
If you're talking about music, you should know about Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Beatles, Elvis; I'll forgive you if you don't know about Rachmaninoff and Little Richard.
If you're talking about Historical Figures, you should know about Napoleon, Caesar, Gandhi, Churchill; I'll forgive you, Hannibal and Attila the Hun.
If you're talking about Hollywood, you should know about Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne; I'll forgive you Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner.
Here's list compiled in 2009, of the top ten cultural icons of the last 50 years. Agree or disagree, (they seem skewed to recent deaths....) you should at least know who they are...
10. Paul Newman
9. Princess Diana
8. The Beatles
7. Oprah Winfrey
6. Mohammad Ali
5. Micheal Jackson
4. Marilyn Monroe
3. Frank Sinatra
2. Madonna
1. Elvis.
Bone up, kids. Or miss all the little references and in jokes for the rest of your life.
**********
On a regular basis, the news media will print an article about some financially struggling family.
I'd feel sympathetic until they'd give the details of income and benefits and the help they are receiving, and often I'd realize they had more money than I did!
I had a similar reaction to the near-retirement couple in the Bulletin today. They have 720K in savings, own a house worth 500K and they live modestly and intend to keep working part-time, at least.
For Gods Sake. Most of the U.S. would kill for that level of retirement; much less the world.
WTF?
Not that anyone listened.
I stopped saying it, awhile back. (Giving advice is risky; I'd hate anyone to take my advice if it was wrong...)
But it looks today like I could still say, "Wait a couple of years..." and not be too far off the mark...
Housing vacancies are roughly double in Bend from ten years ago.
No rush, folks.
**********
I finally dealt with the sleep disruption of Daylight Savings Time by ignoring that it happened. Instead of going to bed around midnight and getting up at 7:30 or 8:00, I stay up until 1:00 and get up until 8:30 or 9:00. An hour more reading at night, an hour less internet-tubing in the morning.
***********
Fortunately, my brother-in-law ignored the above advice and bought a second home in Mt. Bachelor Village, which means the entire family has a place to come for gathering. All my sibs are coming this weekend. We'll scoop up the patriarch, Dad, and have a wild weekend.
**********
H.Bruce came in to look at the Droplets, which -- I hate to say -- weren't quite as cool as I thought they'd be. But I showed him my favorite figures -- the Potamusses. (Potamii ?) and he bought the last two in stock.
(Little brightly colored hippo's with attitudes....)
He got a green one (Enviro Potamuss?) and a black one with an Anarky symbol.
(Linda says, are you sure he wants everyone to know he's got Potamii? )
I'll risk it.
***********
I had a twelve year old girl in yesterday who didn't know who Marilyn Monroe was.
O.K. I can accept a certain amount of cultural illiteracy; if you talk about Presidents, you should know about Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelts I and II; I'll forgive you Jame Buchanan.
If you're talking about music, you should know about Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Beatles, Elvis; I'll forgive you if you don't know about Rachmaninoff and Little Richard.
If you're talking about Historical Figures, you should know about Napoleon, Caesar, Gandhi, Churchill; I'll forgive you, Hannibal and Attila the Hun.
If you're talking about Hollywood, you should know about Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne; I'll forgive you Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner.
Here's list compiled in 2009, of the top ten cultural icons of the last 50 years. Agree or disagree, (they seem skewed to recent deaths....) you should at least know who they are...
10. Paul Newman
9. Princess Diana
8. The Beatles
7. Oprah Winfrey
6. Mohammad Ali
5. Micheal Jackson
4. Marilyn Monroe
3. Frank Sinatra
2. Madonna
1. Elvis.
Bone up, kids. Or miss all the little references and in jokes for the rest of your life.
**********
On a regular basis, the news media will print an article about some financially struggling family.
I'd feel sympathetic until they'd give the details of income and benefits and the help they are receiving, and often I'd realize they had more money than I did!
I had a similar reaction to the near-retirement couple in the Bulletin today. They have 720K in savings, own a house worth 500K and they live modestly and intend to keep working part-time, at least.
For Gods Sake. Most of the U.S. would kill for that level of retirement; much less the world.
WTF?