personal life: A Boston Icon - The Boston Duck Tours
- 05/23/14 10:54 AM
I was in Boston a couple of weeks ago on a whirlwind business trip (Maine and Connecticut) for the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS).
I lived on the Boston area for about 22 years and left in 2005, so it was great fun to spend a little time touring around before I flew back home since my last visit was in 2007.
There are a numnber of icons in Boston - Fenway Park, for sure, the Prudential Tower and Boston Commons, to name a few.
And of course the famous, if not a bit touristy, Duck Boats. Taking a Boston Duck … (11 comments)
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personal life: A Huge Thank You & Tribute to Carlsbad Firefighters & First Responders
- 05/22/14 02:10 PM
A Huge Thank You and Tribute to Carlsbad Firefighters and First Responders
It’s hard to put into words when you need to thank firefighters and first responders who did so much last week when Carlsbad, and other communities, were hit with multiple raging fires with temps at 100 and roaring Santa Ana winds in our drought-ridden neighborhoods.
You can see some of the photos from our fires below.
These photos in a number of hard-hit Carlsbad communities say it best…and I understand the town is planning a big thank you dinner.
I was out of town while the fires … (10 comments)
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personal life: Carlsbad Fires 2014
- 05/15/14 02:13 AM
Carlsbad Fires 2014
It’s hard to put into words the feelings about what’s going on in Carlsbad not far from my home, and an area I know so well, while I am here in DC.
Not where I want to be at the moment.
All started out well yesterday morning with my early morning flight out of LAX to DC, although I almost missed the plane due to traffic. What a shock, upon landing, to see the flurry of emails, texts, photos, and calls about fires that were raging in Carlsbad. Not getting my luggage until much later, … (107 comments)
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personal life: Spring in New England
- 05/09/14 07:30 AM
Spring in New England
Spring in New England is a special time.
And I remember it well from 20+ years of living there, looking forward to Spring EVERY year following the long winters.
I was in New England last week for a couple of CRS events (Portland, ME and New Haven, CT) plus 2 wonderful ActiveRain meet-ups (New Haven, and Canton, MA). Since I was flying in and out of Boston I had the chance to experience spring again as I recalled it – lots of daffodils and tulips (rare in my neck of the woods … (6 comments)
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personal life: Moon Over the Mountains in Palm Springs
- 03/23/14 10:45 AM
We were in Palm Springs, in the California desert, over the weekend for wedding. Visiting with our daughter, son-in-law and the grandkids was a big part of the fun.
The house we were staying at had gorgeous views of the mountains from the yard and the house.
I spied the moon setting over the mountains late Saturday morning and was able to capture a couple of decent photos. It was pretty dramatic in the deep blue sky. So glad I actually was paying atttention instead of being glued to my iPad.
… (5 comments)
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personal life: A High Tech Wedding vs. Low Tech Wedding
- 03/22/14 01:51 PM
High Tech Vs. Low Tech Wedding
No, this has nothing to do with real estate but everything to do with personal life. And that's OK.
But it's a commentary on our technology lives today.
We attended a beautiful wedding yesterday in Palm Springs, in the California desert. The venue was spectacular, as was the weather. The bride is a dear friend of our older daughter's, and she is like a 3rd daughter in our famiy. It was such fun to be part of this special moment, with the grandkids there too.
The officiant, a close friend of the … (8 comments)
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personal life: They Touch Our Lives and We Touch Theirs
- 01/22/14 12:44 AM
They Touch Our Lives and We Touch Theirs
It’s said ours is a people business.
I doubt anyone would dispute that.
While it can be easy to get bogged down in numbers and a multitude of tasks as we assist buyers and sellers to reach the “closing table,” the essence of what we do is helping people, amidst the complexity of life and the swirl of emotions we impact as they move to a new home or out of a current one.
Some transactions are more focused on the process without a great deal of emotion, at least when things … (29 comments)
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personal life: ActiveRainers, Please Help! Urgent!
- 01/08/14 12:25 AM
Nina
Thanks for getting the word out on this sad story - I am happy to reblog. I hope lots of Rainers will respond and participate in sharing this online.
I have been following the story in Brookline (I know that area pretty well from my days in Boston). So sad, and scary, given how cold it is. I cannot imagine how the parents must feel at the moment. It is so heartwarming to see how the Brookline community has been participating to help find this young man, hopefully safely.
Dear ActiveRainers,
I am writing to request your urgent help in … (2 comments)
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personal life: Happy New Year 2014 from Carlsbad
- 01/01/14 01:18 AM
It's hard to believe we are entering another year - the last one passed in a flash. There seems to be more enthusiasm and a more positive outlook as we start 2014, a nice way to start the new year.
I took this photo on one of Carlsbad's beaches near the village several years ago on New Year's Day.
Wishing everyone a year filled with special times with friends and family, and achieving those personal and professional goals that are important to you.
… (11 comments)
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personal life: A Winter Walk on Terramar Beach in Carlsbad
- 12/28/13 08:29 AM
A Winter Walk on Terramar Beach in Carlsbad
Terramar Beach in Carlsbad, less than 2 miles south of Carlsbad Village is my favorite beach, and a beautiful place for a walk.
My daughter, who was visiting for the holidays, and I took a long walk yesterday. The weather was spectacular, as it has been all week, around 70 degrees at 10 in the morning.
Terramar Beach has some amazing cliffs and rock formations, is wide and very flat, and runs below the bluff with some of the most expensive waterfront real estate in Carlsbad, and … (6 comments)
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personal life: Carlsbad Bids Farewell to Fall and Welcomes Winter
- 12/20/13 01:10 PM
Carlsbad Bids Farewell to Fall and Welcomes Winter
Hard to believe the first day of winter is tomorrow.
In some ways we seem to have already been there, with some particularly chilly weather…for SoCal…in the last few weeks.
We can see snow on the distant mountains, and parts of our county experienced snow at the highest elevations, and with near record cold temperatures in some area.
Certainly other parts of the country have experienced significantly cold weather with storms, heavy snow, and everything you would expect at the height of winter. We can't complain.
I often … (8 comments)
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personal life: Our Christmas Holiday Traditions
- 12/15/13 07:15 AM
Our Christmas Holiday Traditions
I really enjoy this time of year, despite having the balance personal and business life which always seems to pack on more to do than at any other time.
As I suspect most of you do, we have a number of time-honored traditions at this time of year, and it wouldn’t feel like the holidays without them.
For 35 years we have been making our German honey lebkuchen cookies, 12 – 15 dozen each year and always made the Thanksgiving weekend.
When our kids were young and while they lived at home … (7 comments)
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personal life: I’m Late to the Party, but Oh What a Party
- 11/01/13 02:48 AM
I’m Late to the Party, but Oh What a Party
I just migrated to an iPhone 5 less than a week ago.
I was a Blackberry user for 9 years in my business, then jumped on the Droid bandwagon about 22 months ago. I thought that change would be harder than it was, especially after being used to the Blackberry key board and all that entails.
It was not a big deal, and easier than I expected.
Oh, there was a learning curve of course, and my normal impatience with new technology – you know, wanting to … (11 comments)
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personal life: My New Office in Carlsbad California
- 10/27/13 01:49 AM
My New Office in Carlsbad California
I have a new office in Carlsbad.
Oh, I am still happily with Solutions Real Estate in our Carlsbad office.
But because of substantial growth (over 60 agents now plus several offices in Arizona in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area) we have moved into new office space in Carlsbad, about 1 mile from the old office at 6005 Hidden Valley Road.
The new office offers plentiful parking, and several conference rooms for meeting with clients if needed. I will still work out of my mobile office (sometimes at home and sometimes on the … (9 comments)
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personal life: What’s so Special About California?
- 10/27/13 12:46 AM
What’s so Special About California?
I really like living in California. It’s been a huge change from many years in New England, but I have no regrets, other than leaving some wonderful friends behind. Boston is a wonderful city and I will always have a fondness for Boston, and New England in general, despite the winters that I grew to despise.
One of the things I really enjoy about living in California is the diversity – of people, food, topography and views, things to do, weather, and more. I even wrote a post about it with a slide show, … (6 comments)
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personal life: A Memorable Visit to Queen’s Bath in Princeville, Kaua’i in Hawai’i
- 10/18/13 12:54 AM
A Memorable Visit to Queen’s Bath in Princeville, Kaua’i in Hawai’i
One of the more memorable adventures of our recent trip to Kaua’i was a trip to Queen’s Bath, not far from the Westin where we stayed.
Like so many of Kaua’i’s beaches, this one (not actually a sandy beach) is a hidden gem, accessed from a small parking area (don’t park anywhere else – you’ll get booted and ticketed) in a beautiful residential neighborhood (yes, of course I checked out the real estate).
The trail is rather steep and often slippery through the woods. We almost … (4 comments)
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personal life: I Forgot to Log In
- 10/17/13 02:21 PM
I Forgot to Log In
I can’t believe I forgot to log in on ActiveRain. I always do. Daily. Never miss, or haven’t for as long as I can remember.
But it happened.
More than once. In fact 5 times while I was on vacation in Kaua’I (more on that later) over the last 9 days.
I went off pledging to myself that I would try to unplug while I was away…something that I am normally not able to do well at all.
I didn’t set a specific goal, but the intent was to NOT check … (7 comments)
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personal life: Visit the Marin Headlands in San Francisco California
- 10/05/13 09:21 AM
Visit the Marin Headlands in San Francisco California
The Marin Headlands are a hilly peninsula immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
The Marin Headlands offer amazing views of the city, San Francisco Bay, the ocean, and bridge, with hiking trails, a challenging road for cyclists and vistas to suit any photographer.
The Marin Headlands are a favorite place of mine to visit outside SF, in addition to Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais (fondly known as Mt. Tam), Rodeo Beach, Point Reyes, and Sausalito.
I never cease to enjoy the … (2 comments)
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personal life: Homestead Restaurant in Oakland California on Piedmont Avenue
- 09/28/13 12:36 PM
Homestead Restaurant in Oakland California on Piedmont Avenue I have a new fave restaurant on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland California.
The San Francisco area has a phenomenal dining scene, which I enjoy testing out whenever I am in town. Across the bay from this west coast dining capital, the Oakland area does itself proud as well in terms of a vibrant restaurant scene. My favorite, to date, is Encuentro at Jack London Square.
Homestead, on Piedmont Avenue, is my new fave.
Opening just recently, August 2013 in fact, Homestead is attracting a loyal following and getting reservations for a table … (6 comments)
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personal life: Lessons Learned on a Personal Journey Across the Country
- 08/27/13 01:52 PM
Lessons Learned on a Personal Journey Across the Country
If you have followed me at all on Facebook in the last couple of weeks you know I took a personal journal across the country.
It wasn’t about me, but about my Mom and her relocation to CA after living in her house for 26 years.
But of course I was intimately involved in getting her to this point over the last couple of years since my sister passed away – working with a REALTOR to get the home sold, and then all the myriad details that anyone goes … (35 comments)
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I was in Boston a couple of weeks ago on a whirlwind business trip (Maine and Connecticut) for the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS).
;)
;)
;)
