It wasn’t until late in the day when our temps finally started rising, which meant we all had to be warmly togged while out this morning and early afternoon. That wind was something else. While holding a door for some deliveries to a home today, I had to bundle up even more because that wind was going right thru me. In spite of our thermometers reading 31 degrees, the windchill had to’ve taken it down into the high teens or lower twenties. I also noticed thin sheets of ice at several curbsides.
Most of my morning was consumed with errands from one end of this City to the other, and when I finally got finished, it was time for a quick stop at Wendy’s to pick up a small chili which was definitely appropriate considering how cold it was. I did mention to one of my sellers that these cold and overcast days are likely having an effect on the mentalities of a number of buyers who’ve been casually looking.
One of this morning’s stops was at a store where one of my old associates works, so after I got what I needed, we spent some time reminiscing over the “old days”, and how our society has changed in general. She’s always been one of the few who can bring out the wickedness in me to the point where we find ourselves one-upping each other with wise cracks. We certainly had ourselves in stitches by the time I left.
Emails, text messages and phone calls consumed nearly my entire afternoon, so it looks like I’m going to be busy in the morning with meetings. I did mention to one of my associates how great it will be for that young Mr. Penning who graduated from Newman, should he get drafted into one of our major league football teams. If he does make it, he’ll have the same struggle most have had with sudden notoriety, and above all, the windfall income. Too many have allowed it to consume them which takes a great toll in the end.
I noticed this morning our City workers out messing with those street sculptures, which means they’ll be dragging some new ones in as their replacements for another year. I’m eternally thankful they didn’t plop one outside my office because that would be one more thing I’d have to shovel snow around. What I really don’t like about some of them, is their having some sharp metal components from which a person could accidentally injure themselves. I can only imagine how many of those RAGBRAI bikers are going to be running into them on the sidewalks while partying in our Downtown, and especially if they’ve had a wee bit too much giggle water.
Just today I noticed another home which was recently listed having gone under contract. When I saw what it was listed at, I just about lost it because I remember that nasty thing from years ago when it was on the threshold of being a tear-down. As much as it wanted to return to the earth, some cockeyed visionary turned it into the prize lip-sticked pig of the County Fair. I can only image the many sins that were covered by all that glitter and gloss. My heart goes out to the person or persons who purchased it. Yikes.
I noticed the mortgage rates are hovering just above five percent and not showing much movement this past week. I normally don’t watch them so closely, but after I read where the Federal Reserve is getting pressured to raise the rates more quickly, our buyers will have to make sure they’ve got updated pre-approvals before they sign offers to buy. One of my listings recently sold by a selling agent, has me a little more concerned because I have a “feeling” she’s on the edge of her debt to income ratio.
I’m getting more worried about our soil warming up because those peppers and tomatoes I have growing indoors are going to have to be planted before they get too big for their small pots. The Magnolia seeds are continuing to sprout which is making me happy, but not sure if only about half of them will germinate, so I’ll only have half the number I was hoping for. I’ll be looking online to see if their seeds have issues with germination. Regardless if no more sprout, there’ll still be plenty to plant in random locations.
While out shopping, I ran into one of the powers that be from St. Paul Lutheran, and glad I did because I wanted to visit with her about several pieces of music which I’m certain very few if any of their members will sing, and mostly because the amount of syncopation. She understood my concerns, so she insisted I call another I know who’s involved in the selection of music, and get them changed-out. I reminded her that if I can’t hear anyone sing, it makes me feel like I’m a soloist which isn’t my bag.
It looks like Putin is lashing out even more now that he’s finding the Ukrainian soldiers putting up a better fight than he expected, because I read where he’s now ordered the gas going to Poland and Bulgaria to be shut off. Thank goodness both of those Countries have generous reserves. There’s no question in my mind he’s also giving the “nod” on making those fires and bombings in Transnistria look like they were created by the Ukrainian army. I don’t know why Moldova doesn’t just take that strip of land back from Russian occupation and be done with it.
One of the videos I watched today just about broke my heart when listening to an interview of an elderly Estonian who lived thru Stalin’s deportation of his family and thousands of others from the Baltic States, out into the far reaches of Siberia. He went on to say he never had the childhood most children have, and now seeing what Putin’s doing to the Ukrainians he’s having shipped to the far reaches of Russia, it’s bringing back all those terrible memories of his years in captivity. He also said he’d never even considered something like that would happen again during his lifetime. So very sad.
Tonight’s One-liner is: It’s hard to interest those who have everything, in those who have nothing.
