...there has been an explosion of a tank car; one of many terrorist events unfolding throughout the day for emergency first responders throughout the region.  The tank car was filled with toxic fumes and there have been some injuries at the scene?

You and your family reside in the houses that were in the path of a dangerous vapor cloud of gases from the tank car explosion.  People are running in all direction; a public siren is heard, a loud speaker directing you to the nearest evacuation shelter?  How will you handle it? Are you prepared?

Yesterday morning my daughter and I was one of the many volunteers for the Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Drill which was held at the Maidu Community Center in Roseville.  That was our scenario for the day.  Every Disaster team throughout Placer and Sacramento Counties held a mocked MCI drill or exercise to prepare themselves for the community in situations such as this. 

As volunteers, we were each handed a role to play - from being part of the casualties; to being homeless and needing assistance; to lost connections with family members, etc, etc. (that's my daughter pictured on the left, playing a role as a student separated from her parents looking sad).  At the center of this is the American Red Cross Disaster team who had no idea who will walk into their mocked Evacuation and Shelter Center.  Each ARC member had to compose themselves and set their own fear aside; to calm the community who was coming into the Center in mass quantities; and calm a many disillusioned and hurt victims, all the while connecting them to appropriate channels of the Center for assistance.  Along with them are local firemen, policemen, paramedics and nurses at hand. 

The full chaos that transpired and commotions brought about by the many volunteers (some brought their kids) playing their roles made it so realistic and intense. It was no longer a role play to me.  It became a scary event which has taught me a huge lesson - that this could very well be a reality and being prepared is very important. That amidst a major catastrophe it is important that we all stay calm and become a team, to help each other, to comfort each other, to get us through it all in one piece.  I learned that the very people who are helping are people just like us, who have family members who may have been displaced or lost, and yet they set aside every personal emotion to assist strangers for the good of the community. 

After the drill, all volunteers were bused to the Roseville Fire Training Center where we received a pin and served a bountiful lunch courtesy of the Roseville Fire Department. If you asked me would I do this again, it will be a resounding "YES"!  This drill offered by the City of Roseville took three hours and I recommend everyone partake in one.  Contact your local office to see if they offer it in your City.

Make sure you and your families are prepared for emergency, visit FEMA for a basic guide.  You can also visit the American Red Cross for training and preparedness handbook.

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Tina Farinas is a Real Estate Agent servicing Placer and Sacramento County. 

I am YOUR resource in Short Sale and Foreclosure.

MagnumOne Realty

Cell(916) 208-5718   

email:tina@tinafarinas.com

DRE# 01803153

When all my kids where younger I used to take them to places where I would volunteer my time, just to give them a glimpse of what it feels to give back to the community by volunteering.  All of them used to give me a hard time especially when I am taking them to deliver brown bag full of canned goods and necessary living items to homes of those in need or volunteering to feed the needy in shelters or helping out sort out gifts for children who may otherwise may not receive any gifts for the holiday.  I would even drag them for environmental escapades to clean the environment by picking up litters from different parks or beach areas.

But yesterday my older daughter made me proud.  She started her first day of volunteerism for "Just Between Friends" for a few hours to help out during their pre-sale event.  She was pretty excited being there and helping out with sorting and hanging and helping out shoppers when the event began.  She boasts about being a "personal assistance" to a woman who was shopping for tons of items for her baby.

What is "Just Between Friends"?  They seem to be all over America lately.  They've been featured on ABC News, CNN and other news show.  It is a consignment sale event for children, teens, and moms where you will find recycled gently used clothes, toys, etc. a bargain of a price!  It's usually held at a bigger location set up as a shop versus a garage sale.

How you say does it pertain to community service?   Well, three folds:

• The Sellers of the goods - It puts a little bit more money in their pocket.  We all know the need of that in our current market. 
• The Buyers of the goods - They are able to shop at a bargain price to support the everyday needs of their family.
• Charity support - Whatever they don't sell goes to local charities along with a percentage of the sale.  In this case, they are supporting the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services Mother-Baby program (SFBS).

"Young families need all the help they can get today with the high cost of living." says Shannon Carter, owner of Just Between Friends of Sacramento and Roseville, CA.

So if you happen to be a bargain shopper and loves to help a local charity, go visit them today as they open for the public.  They are at the Placer County Fairgrounds through April 18^th.  The last day is a big bargain day where everything on the floor will be on sale for 50%. 

Just Between Friends of Roseville

SPRING/SUMMER KID'S SALE

April 16th

10:00am - 7:00pm

April 17th (new arrivals)

10:00am - 3:00pm

April 18th (50% off sale)

9:00am - 1:00pm

Placer County Fairgrounds

800 All America City Boulevard

Roseville, CA 95678-1564

(916) 786-2023

I went to Kaiser Pharmacy earlier today.  As expected the parking is always full.  Most of the parking is a few feet away from the actual building (Not complaining I enjoy walking) as 60% near the entrance are devoted to the handicap parking.   I dropped my prescription refill and was told it would be about 15 to 20 minute for it to complete. Instead of waiting in the waiting room, I opted to go back to my car and wait there for some quiet time, maybe read a few emails, do a little surfing on my handy dandy Blackberry and enjoy the beautiful sunny day in Roseville.  A few minutes later, a knock on my window and an elderly man stands there gesturing me to roll my window down.  I politely obliged and rolled my window down thinking he is probably lost and need help.  So much for what I thought it would be.

Scenario:

Man:  I've been waiting for a while now, when are you going to pull out?"  (With a frustrated look on his face).

Me:  Sorry Sir, I'm not leaving yet.  I am waiting for my refill at the pharmacy (I always want to be courteous to everyone especially to older people)

Man:  What?!  This is a 60 minute parking space.  You can't wait there!! You need to move!! (Getting more upset with me)

Me: Sir, I haven't been here for 60 minutes.  It's only been 10 minutes.

Man: Can't you see the parking is <expletives> full?!  I want you to move your car so I can <expletives> park my car and get on with my <expletives> business!! (His face turning red, possibly from blood rushing to his head out of anger)

Me:  Sir, not to be rude but I have a right to park here too and it would be to your advantages to move along as you are holding up traffic now and possibly missing your opportunity to park at a better location. (Trying not to laugh and roll my eyes at him)

Man:  You ungrateful <expletives>and more <expletives>!!  (As he walks towards his car)

Now was it all worth it to get upset over a parking space.  I don't think so.  OK, he obviously was NOT having a good day and needed to unload all the frustration out.  Whatever the reason(s) for his attitude, I think it would have best served him to take a deep breath and just relax.  What's the sense in getting your blood pressure up?  All it will do is burst a blood vessel. 

Just as a purchase of a home is a major investment so are the appliances that go in the home. Care and periodic maintenance, as well as proper installation play a big role in performance and longevity of your appliances.  Expect fairly predictable life expectancies on most appliances and small electrical products.  

This is useful information for home buyers and current homeowners.  Just knowing that your microwave is going to die after only 10 years, or if you need to budget for a replacement for your gas range after about 20, helps plan for the inevitable expense. And if you are buying used appliances, it´s a good indicator of how long you can expect a five-year-old top-loading washer to last.

The table below shows some of the common household appliances and its expected life in years.  Information below were found from different resources and intended only as an estimate.

Tina Farinas is a Real Estate Agent servicing Placer and Sacramento County.  She is YOUR resource in Short Sale and Foreclosure.

MagnumOne Realty                      Cell (916) 208-5718                email: tina@tinafarinas.com                   DRE# 01803153

Yesterday afternoon courtesy of our local news my son who got very excited, comes trotting down stairs "MOM!! It's going to snow in Roseville!"  He tells me there was a Winter Storm alert for all of Placer and Sacramento counties.  I just smiled at him thinking he must have heard wrong.  ( can you tell, I don't usually watch the weather news)  I flipped the TV switch and what do you know - he is telling no lie!  The snow was suppose to fall throughout the County early Monday morning after rainfall and a decrease of temperature.

(The last time Placer and Sacramento County was covered in snow was a little over 7 years ago.  To be exact - it happened in January 28, 2002 according to records.   I happen to be in San Jose, CA and in transition to move to the Placer County so we didn't get to experience the fun of "snow coming down."  I don't even think the snow made an appearance in Roseville back then.  I heard the last time it snowed in Roseville, it was well over 30 years ago.)  

I must say I was as excited as my son.  I decided to wait for the snow to fall.  The rain was pouring all over Roseville.  By 1 AM and feeling the temperature outside (I didn't think a temperature of 38 degrees was enough to produce snow), I headed upstairs to go to bed pretty disappointed.  Five minutes later, my husband who had just arrived from work popped his head into the room and said, "You gotta look at this" and proceeded to open my window.  "It is snowing in Roseville!" Of course it was too dark for me to see through the window...

(For those people where a regular dose of snow is more of nuisance than anything, this is a welcoming surprise to a lot of Californians.  Once in a blue moon is ALWAYS good in my book.  Whenever we need a fix of snow, it usually involves an hour and half drive up to Tahoe or Nevada areas.)

Out of excitement, I ran downstairs flung open the front door and "WOW!" was the word that came out of my mouth.   Snowflakes coming down all over Roseville - I had to take a pause to just admire the beauty! My son (bless his heart) woke up after my little calming experience because his "silly mom" was screaming where's my camera?  I gotta take a picture of this!!  Where's my video? MUST TAKE VIDEO!!  And it is 1:08 AM in the morning.  My son heads outside out of amazement and romps around to catch the snowflakes. The pictures you see are pictures from the front and back of our home as the snow falls.  The snow increased as the early sun morning approaches.  I stayed up long enough to take a few pictures and hoped that the grounds would be covered with snow when I wake up.

Just my luck, my kids were able to indulge the sight of snow up on the roof top and grounds on their way to school.  My granddaughter even had enough to build a "gramma and granddaughter" set of snow people for me before heading to school.  By the time I got around to looking outside, the snow has turned to water :-( 

PLEASE MR SNOW...LET IT SNOW AGAIN!

Would love to see your snow pictures from YOU if you are in the Placer or Sacramento areas.

New on the Market! This beautiful Mediterranean style home is located in a well established and desirable North Point Park area of Natomas. The home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and over 2,800 square feet of living space. Built in 2001 by William Lyon Homes this property shows like new and has designer paint throughout. The very large master suite includes a private bathroom and his and her walk-in closets. The centerpiece of this home is the fully equipped kitchen with cherry wood cabinets and huge pantry. This must see home is perfect for a growing family.

Brokered And Advertised By: MagnumOne Realty

Listing Agent: Tina Farinas, REALTOR®, e-PRO®

Tomorrow is expected to be a beautiful sunny day in Roseville.  As a matter of fact, it will be 83° F just perfect to go out and enjoy the festivities of EARTH DAY!

"CELEBRATE THE EARTH 2009" event will take place at Mahany Regional Park facilities, located on the corner of Woodcreek Oaks Blvd and Pleasant Grove Blvd.  It will start at 10:00AM to 3:00PM.  This event is about bringing community awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.  The event line up is fun filled and educational from adults to kids.

There will be limited parking space at Mahany Park so to avoid congestions, here are some green tips for those who wish to attend:

1.  Take a walk with the family to the park.  It will be a beautiful warm day and what an opportunity to take in the beauty of the earth on your way to the park!

2.  Take the Roseville Transit bus which stops in front of Mahany Park.  All library cardholders rides for FREE.

3.  Bike to the park with your family.  Here's a perk for you if you ride a bike - there will be a FREE bike valet parking!

Hopet to see you there!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARTH!!

This is going to be a festive event.  An excellent way to start the Holidays!  Calling all Rosevillian and neighboring areas - tis time for the annual City's official Tree lighting ceremony in old downtown Roseville.  Feel the small town celebration in a big way!  Last year was filled with surprises including snow.  Who knows what this year will bring!  It is happening this Friday, December 5th beginning at 4PM to 8PM. 

For more information, visit Tree Lighting Ceremony

First, I am thankful for the life I live. God gave me life and the challenges that comes with this is worth its weight in gold.  No matter the hardship it brings, it is still my life and the manner I choose to live it is up to me.

I am thankful for my kids.  Because of them my life has immeasurable meaning.  They give color to my world that sometimes can be so harsh.

I am thankful for my grandchildren.  They are the apple of my eyes.  When I am feeling down, I only have to look into their eyes and happiness becomes a given.  From them, I always have unconditional love.

I am thankful for my husband.  Without him, I am nothing.  Through good times and in bad, he has been there.  No matter how evil I get, he puts up with me.  He has sparked the competitiveness in me that allowed me to overcome the challenges and succeed in my life.

I am thankful for my brothers and sisters. They are to me an important part of my life. In times I needed a lift no words had to be mentioned, they're presence alone makes me whole.

I am thankful for all my nephews and my nieces.  That they have become true to themselves and makes their parents proud.

I am thankful for my Mama.  Without her there will be no ME.  From her, I've learned what it is to truly be a MOM and how special that title is! 

I am thankful for my Papa.  He is the other half that makes ME.  He has shown me the true meaning of what courage is.  To face challenges as it comes and concur it.  To learn from your mistake and move on in the right direction.

Mostly, I am thankful to GOD.  Because He has blessed our family with abundant riches.  Not physical or monetary riches but riches we can carry with us in our hearts forever. 

I am thankful for HIM because he showed us there are such things as miracles.  HE heard our cries and painful prayers during those dark days when we thought we would never be again with Papa. How else does one explain when he brings our Papa back to us and just in time to celebrate a wonderful holiday and possibly more holidays to come!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving...let's all reflect and find the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

It never ceases to amaze me the power GOD has.  When we surrender "THY WILL BE DONE", no matter how bad the situation or how heavy the load - HE whispers peace to calm us and allow us the room to breathe. I just want to give HIM thanks and praise for always being there for me and my family during these difficult times.

My dad had undergone a vascular arterial bypass surgery on Sept 11th.  It was a suppose to be a maximum two hour surgery that extended to over 11 hours.  There were many complications starting with a ruptured spleen which necessitate removing of the spleen and transfusion.  We didn't get to see him for another two hours after this surgery and when we finally did, he did not look good.  My sisters and I shielded my mom from it afraid that she would not be able to handle his state.  For the first two days, my dad was put to deep sleep to allow him to recover from this long surgery. They started to decrease the medication to put him to sleep on the third day.  I was with him during these times.  He came around, although a bit confused and weak but I was happy to see him talking again.  I felt that he was on his way to recovering and we were all happy.  But twelve hours after they had transferred him from ICU to standard room, he spiked a fever, his white blood count was very high and an emergency surgery had to be done. 

The second surgery extended to four hours, he had sepsis poisoning they said.  Brought on by a dying intestine that they had to remove. They started flushing him with many antibiotics to stunt the sepsis poisoning.  His belly is left open because of the swelling.  I had just came home from staying the night before this second surgery.  My mom was also sent home accompanied by one of my sisters to give her time to rest as well.  That evening I received a call from a number I didn't recognized. I allowed it to go to my voicemail thinking it was not important.  It was followed by another call, this time from my younger sister's cell.  It was alarming call from her as she holds back the tears, "COME BACK, HE IS NOT LOOKING GOOD".

We drove to the hospital fearing the worst as fast as we can.  The thirty minute drive felt like eternity to me and my husband couldn't calm me down.  I was lead to the designated "CRYING ROOM" in the ICU floor when we got there.  All my sisters, brothers, in laws, nieces and nephews were there.  You can see they have been crying.  My older sister was on her way to the hospital with my mom who had just left the hospital a few minutes before the doctors had told one of my sisters that my dad's heart is very weak.  Then there was a "code blue" and they were trying to resuscitate him.  A priest was called in to deliver prayer to my dad and the family.  As the strongest person in the family, I lost it - couldn't figure out what was going on.  So many questions flew in my head.  What had gone wrong?  The priest allowed me to come in to see my dad as he heads over to pray for him but I was stopped by the nurses telling me that I could not come in just yet and escorted me out. The nurse who walked me out said that my dad is in very critical condition with a very weak heart and now being assisted with a breathing tube.

So I returned to the crying room where my mom had just arrived and very upset because she knew something was wrong as all of us had red eyes.  The priest entered the room after he prayed over my dad and prayed with us to ask GOD for mercy and recovery of my dad who was clinging on to his life.  We waited for another hour until the doctors came out and told us that he is still with us but looks like deteriorating.  They didn't know how much damage he had incurred in his brain because of oxygen deprivation due to his heart stopping.  They told us it was a "wait and see" situation at this point.

He had been in deep sleep since the second operation.  They had attempted the third time to bring him into the operating table to clean out any remaining poisoning and close his belly but the swelling is immense that they were unable to do.  Many people prayed for my Papa and our family during all this.  I have spent a majority of my time with my mom in the meditation room of the hospital to ask God for mercy and HIS WILL BE DONE.  Before the fourth visit to surgery, my dad was coming to, recognizing our voice, communicating through lifting his eyebrows.  A neurological test to examine his brain proove no extensive damage.  But as he lays there, many complication begets him - his liver, his kidneys, his blood pressure, his constant tachycardia - all weakening.  There was a possible stroke but really they can't really tell yet until he comes around completely.

They prep him for another attempt to clean and close his wound on his belly and they were able to do close halfway through.  He is still weak but communicating to us.  He has tried to open his eyes and seems to recognize all of us.  Yesterday again, he was brought to surgery (I HOPE FOR THE LAST TIME) to close off his remaining wound.  I saw him after surgery last night.  All the doctors are happy and excited, he is really alert by opening his eyes and communicating to us through his face expressions.  They say it is still a long recovery ahead of him, but he seemed to have bounced back and we are all optimistic about his condition.

For those who offered their support and kept prayer vigils for my dad, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  I believe in the power of MIRACLES and I believe that the good LORD is creating one with my dad.  It is still a ways before he recovers, we are taking baby steps at this point but we feel that he is in the hands of our LORD and only HE can heal him.

Please support me in honor of my DAD by clicking below:

TRAIN TO END STROKE BY THE AMERICAN STROK ASSOCIATION