Sunday, September 23, 2007

She's ill: Not Lead Poisoned Paint, but GottaStuckaInDaBellyButtonitis


Forget the lead paint, what about hitting your head from near fainting at the thought of something coming out of your kid's belly button?

I am speaking in jest in regards to the lead paint of course, I do realize it is a serious issue, but there are so many things that hurt you and you have to be constantly on the prowl with little ones. Well I am still trying to eliminate those olly-Pay Ocket-pays from our house that were recalled, but I have, naturally missed a few abdomen clothed pieces and magnet shoes here and there. Luckily I have a 16 month old who can sniff out any small piece that may be lodged ANYWHERE. EEEK. You try to be a good parent, but nobody is perfect. I have combed my house for tiny pieces and obviously I missed one.

Okay so my littlest one and I were outside and I was sweeping and she was singing. Slowly wobbling towards the red wagon that holds so dear to her. On her wobbly way back, she turns to me and I near pass out when I look at her. Did she suffer a hernia? What in the heck is under her shirt? There's a belly-button sized projection sticking out from underneath her shirt. No that isn't a belly button? Omg what is that?
I am so paralyzed in all the possibilities I near didn't want to lift her shirt to find what I MIGHT find. My creative brain lends to many ideas some good some very bad.

I am sick to my stomach now thinking of what I might find, I lift her little shirt to check out the ole navel, GASP it is pink. WHy my brain didn't immediately register it as a piece of plastic, I don't know. I was scared to touch it, then I reach in and touch it ... AGGGGH it's hard. I say, okay be a big girl and just pull it out what if this is serious!??! I pull and it makes a uncork noise.

As though, nothing unusual had happened, my daughter saunters off back to the red wagon continuing on her yard duties. I examine it (see attached photo) and I still don't have the slightest clue which doll or body part it belongs to of my older child's. Why couldn't it have been white or purple? How did it fit so perfectly in her B.B. Why did it have to be pink? And why did that un-corking noise have to be so funny. This was a serious moment of fear. I make certain not to laugh out loud as I want to do and make this a funny behavior so I hide around the corner to bust out laughing. Kids are a lot of work, but they sure create the hardest laughs and biggest smiles inside and out. I love you my bambina #2.

BCCause it is the polite thing to do ...


I don't think it is cool to put down people that don't BCC mass emails, not everyone understands e-protocol for mass emails or even knows what that "slot" is for or has it "clicked" on their preferences to make it available on their email composer. I am not perfect either, on occasion I WANT people to know who I sent the email to for varying reasons (to let them know who I sent it to internally with friends and family particularly to avoid duplicates). Involving business and personal groups where they go past 5-8 people, I do my best to BCC. For those of you who don't have the slightest clue what I am typing about, it is Blind Carbon Copy via email. . I have had friends of friends casually take my email to add their mailing list, which is fine because the initial sender should exercise caution when intermingling friends and business. I actually don't mind personal emails so much being open and out, but you NEVER know when somebody my hit reply-all and burn you. Of course this is all hypothetical and I have NEVER had that happen to me (cough cough gag).

Perfect example of a public group emailing without BCC, and I will use pig-latin to disguise who I am speaking of, I enter the oseville-Ray hoto-Phay contest. I get the mass email to 20 or so participants "sorry you get the shiny 'good job on your photo but not' sticker." Which I have no problem with because I thought my photos were beautiful. BUT what I do have a problem with is the person who sent out the "shucks you lost" email sent it "to: everyone." WHAT?! I don't want my name listed out to everyone and strangers grabbing my email possibly? Partially for my ego and second just a big no-no to people you don't know and it involves business. A little email privacy and watch out for unwanted email hijacking! C'mon. Put it in the Monday Morning Meeting People.

Mortgage people, REALTORS®, representatives of various institutions and all people self-employed that have to send group emails for whatever reason, that is fine, but USE the bcc! For polite reasons and for emails getting high-jacked by spammers. I am going to do my best to get better at this, but I thought I would say to those who haven't a clue innocent or not.

That is all I have to say. You may surmise I received a ton of junk email today with 25 to 50+ name lists on way too emails to count today. I do realize the you may claim the irony of a emailing REALTOR® group, but PLEASE note I am not discouraging writing others, I am encouraging BCC for mass emails particularly in related fields.

I feel so much better now. Back to your lives.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Podcasts Baby



Realtor.com is a large forum that funnels nationwide information from listings of REALTORS®. They now have the option, on top of photos, virtual tour links are allowing videos to be uploaded, so we are not only doing the podcasts, we are uploading the same video to Realtor.com. What does this mean? Well if people are demanding that on a search, not everyone is participating in the video game and your home has ONE more LEG up on the competition.

There "videos," which are essentially what podcasts these are (little quicktime videos, but sometimes geared towards iTunes). Podcasts are getting thrown around and used for various purposes, but we use it to assemble photos of the home. It is NOT a virtual tour.

I think they look pretty sharp and we have had great feedback. Owners have been loving them.

And to all and their recent (and not-so recently) thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your referrals. We sincerely appreciate them. That is how our business thrives.

See the sample by clicking here ...

This link may not work for all IE (Internet Explorer) browsers a friendly reminder of the PC and Mac battle and quicktime settings. Go with Firefox instead of IE as your browser. ;-)
Hope you enjoy!

Sometimes it's cool to be a geek?


Okay so I went to the Tech fair, per my hubbie's request because he knew I would enjoy it, and I did. And if you don't know, my background is originally and still is, graphic design. Nice guy initially: "So do you design websites?" Me: "Yep." Becoming an idgit: "I bet it doesn't look as sharp as this ..." Me: "Well actually I think it is better." Idgit: "Are you sure you cannot find a template site you like?" Me: "Nope."

This is why I am not pushy. You never know when someone has a better solution. Provide information and be available.

Okay on to the great parts, the speakers and people I met.

We saw Terry Watson (a Tech savvy Realtor®) speak, and we was by far my favorite. Well mainly because he validated many things that I already do do (do do?? wait what did she just type?). I utilize humor, with good information and try to stay approachable. Don't be afraid to be who you are. So I embrace my inner nerd, yet I find myself amusing still. I do love people and I love being up on new tech tools. Our good friend, Patrick Lieuw helped put on the event and he and many others did a fantastic job. I met a lot of fantastic new people and uh ... I won a PSP! Woo woo. Comcast, you may charge me a lot for merely internet service, but thanks for the Playstation. The booth reps at Comcast, regardless of my now biases towards the situation, ROCKED! Such great upbeat personalities. Thanks ladies and gents and for putting up with my hard core interrogation of how "ON DEMAND" works for Real Estate. Does anyone really use it? WHat do you all think?

Okay enough rambling, here are the cool things I learned that I would like to share with you I learned from the speakers (they were all fantastic) ...

I have a email signature do you? Don't think of your e-signature just in terms of email, think in terms of a blackberry or treo and/or your recipient. Use dashes in your phone number in your signature email and NOT "periods." I never thought of this as I do love "periods" in lieu of dashes in my phone numbers, but it is not functional as I was told for someone that wants to call you directly by accessing your "signature." Cool for stationery, but not email signatures.

A signature is the automated tagline at the end of your email with your important information.

What else did I learn, oh that I need the Jawbone phone set. I hear it is phenomenal.

Oh yes, that IS my daughter in the picture. Anyone familiar with the 2nd Ghostbusters? Remember the baby Oscar, but this is the girl version. She is a great girl, but a wild woman. She wanted to run and be free in this picture. Perhaps dismantle a few booths, pull down some table cloths, eat a few business cards — the usual in the life as a baby Realtor® assistant.