and I know that old addage to be true in most things in life. It's really because what we knew as home turns out to be something so totally different when we've been away from it for a while. Well, I've been away from ActiveRain for a while...a long while, and now I find myself back at the computer, peering at the screen and trying to align my thoughts in some sort of order that will make sense to anyone who stumbles across my blog in their search for knowledge, comic relief or an escape from something else they'd rather not be doing right now.

Hello ActiveRain readers, my name is Andrew Trevino and I am a blogger...

I feel like I have to introduce myself, like the first day I posted a blog on ActiveRain many, many months ago. No, I'm no newbie, but it's been so long since I've written a blog post that it feels brand new to me. Brand new isn't a bad thing, is it? Maybe it's more like that alcoholic who has beaten their addiction, for now, and is able to stand up and say that they've been clean for 5 months, 21 days, 8 hours and 46 minutes. Yes, I still remember those anxious moments, at 2:38am where I was sitting in bed, my laptop beginning to make my legs uncomfortably sweaty under the covers while artlessly ignoring my wife's almost continuous moaning because my incessant typing and the dull glow of the screen was keeping her awake. I just had to get that post out and then I just had to wait a few minutes to see if my post was worthy of some other blog-addicted writer's comments.

Am I the prodigal son returned to his blogging home? Where's my ring and fatted calf? I guess in a way I am. I did a Google search today and found, not unexpectedly, that I am on the 4th page. Tucked away in no-man's land like the 100,000 other returns on "Realtors in Wilkes-Barre PA". Might as well be the last, right? It's a good thing that I have a steady referral base or I just might be in some serious trouble!!

I haven't checked yet, but I imagine I may have lost a few of those faithful readers who seemed to get something out of my posts day in and day out. For you, I apologize for my extended absence. If you are still there, I'm grateful and I hope to have some worthwhile reading for you soon. In the meantime, bear with me while I get my, ahem, groove back.

It will certainly take me some time to catch up on my old friends' blogs, see what's going on in the lives of those who definitely impacted mine through their writing and figure out what I've been missing since I've been gone. I imagine that my blog will be very "old-school" for all of you. Maybe I should have read a few of yours to see just how old-school I'll appear, but I've never been known for being pragmatic.

I will take some time over the next few days to get back in the groove and update you all on what's been going on in my life over the last few months. A lot has changed...some for the better and some for the worse, but that's life after all. In the meantime, let me assure you of a few things...

1. I am still a Realtor in Wilkes-Barre, PA.I still work with TradeMark Realtors Group and am enjoying a very busy schedule these days. I guess all that work at learning to be a good buyer's agent is paying off. It is a buyer's market after all, so I'm perfectly in my element.  

2. I still own my own Property Management Company. Maybe some of you didn't know that at all, so it may be news to you. My company is called ADT Property Management Company. This company has grown tremendously over the last year, from 7 properties to almost 60 now. If you can imagine, this takes up a lot of my time and is the main reason for my absence. There are only 24 hours in a day, I've found.

3. I have gotten no better at time management, so my start may be as stop and go as that '67 Dodge Dart, with the bad carburetor, I owned many years ago. But, much like that car, I'll manage to keep moving forward as well as I can.

4. I still enjoy writing very much. Well, I think I do. I've learned that you don't always get to do the things you like every day, but I've made it my goal to spend time on this each and every day. So, like pulling the old bike out of the basement each Spring, I will pull out the keyboard and loosen up the typing fingers to put some of the gazillion thoughts that run through my brain each day on the proverbial internet paper that this blog has become.

Oh man, is this becoming a top ten list? I better stop before I get too deep. Anyway, thanks for checking out my blog and bearing with me as I shake the dust off. I hope you have tissues handy and aren't allergic!! I imagine there'll be much more shaking to do before I get it right.

Until next time...