Special offer

Would the last person out of here tonight turn out the lights! The latest major mergers announced.

By
Real Estate Agent

One of the great joys of working from home:

I get to walk around the house after the others are off to the office and school and turn off all the lights and light switches.  Sometimes I count the number of switches I turn off.  I'm not sure what the record is, but today I got to 11.  TVs talking about the election, make up mirrors, lights, bathroom fans, lamps and various other stuff such as the giant spider-web that we have in the yard for Halloween.

Some reason this brought to mind that song Don Meredith used to sing on Monday Night Football...  That was 40 years ago!  It couldn't be just because the kids left the lights on.    What's going on here?  Why am I humming that one?

Willie Nelson's "The Party's Over"
Turn out the lights
The party's over
They say that
All good things must end
Call it a night
The party's over
And tomorrow starts
The same old thing again

I think I'll start playing this depressing song to wake up everyone in the morning until it sinks in.  Telling a teenager to turn of a light is just like saying, "I dare you to leave it on."  They won't do it, and if you ask them to leave it on, guess what, they'll turn it off and say they were trying to help.

Another perk of working from home:

I just cut on the financial news and heard that the Dow is down some 350 points right now.  That's it.  Mystery solved!  I've about had enough of this kind of news.  We've heard it all week, and I was stuck on Wednesday listening to it at the doctors office for about 2 solid hours.  Plus, I've been listening to Who Moved My Cheese, the book on tape, all about change and how to deal with it.  A lot of folks are being impacted by all of this, not the least of whom (or is it who, I can never keep that one straight) are in the real estate business, mortgage and related fields.  Is the party really over?  For a lot of people, maybe it is - and it's sad.

The TV also had some news of the latest mergers being talked about on Wall Street today.  Without being insensitive to those who are having a hard time now - I've been there before - I'm sharing them with you, believe it or not as an opportunity to end up the week on a positive note.  Then I'm outta here for the day.  Ain't nothing going on and it's raining.  (That sounds like another good country tune.)  That's the best thing about working from home, the hours and the commute, although sometimes my boss is an idiot!

Watch for these consolidations in 2008:
1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge and become: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.


2. PolygramRecords, Warner Bros., and ZestaCrackers join forces and become: Poly Warner Cracker.


3. 3M will merge with Goodyear and become: MMMGood.


4. ZippoManufacturing, AudiMotors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.


5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become: FedUP.


6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.


7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants.


8. Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!


And finally....  9. Victoria 's Secret and Smith & Wesson will merge under the new name: (You make up your own joke. But if you just can't stand it, send me an e-mail & I'll send you the punch line.) 

10.  ActiveRain will merge with Outback Steakhouse, and then we'll have a RainOut.  Or an Active Stake-Out Back in the Rain.  Or a Steakback Outhouse in the Rain.  Oh, the hell with it.

Have a great weekend and Halloween Week!

Ann Allen Hoover
RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL
CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Hey Charlie:  You are quite the witty guy!  How did you come up with this stuff....and what is #9?  If you don't send it to me I will be after you to figure it out!  Good luck to you with your team tomorrow!

Oct 24, 2008 03:18 PM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Thanks Mike,  you'll have to use your imagination on #9! 

Bruce and Mary, that would be too much temptation for me.  I'd be out on that pretty green you have on your website practicing my short game.  Your home office sounds ideal!  Yea, I clean and rinse out the coffee pot every day.  Lake Murray is at about full right now.  But Lake Hartwell is WAY DOWN.  Hope your boaters are careful out there.  What gives with that?

Ann, I got it in from one of my friends who sends stuff all the time.  Most of the stuff is really funny, but can't be used here, like #9... 

Oct 25, 2008 01:45 AM
Greg Gorman
John R Wood Properties - Naples, FL
Naples Florida Real Estate

Thanks for the power outage and the funnies. For the first time in years, we're having to watch we have running in the house. We have gotten to the point of unplugging anything we don't use everyday such as TVs in guest rooms, rechargers, ceiling fans ect. The AC is up to 78 during the day and 80 at night. The electral rates in Florida were just increased 17%! For us and many others, its more now than just turning off the lights. Thanks for sharing & Greetings from Paradise.

Realtor Greg Gorman & Team Paradise Logo

Oct 25, 2008 03:48 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Charlie, after a really, really goofy day, it was so much fun to read this post!  Thank you.

Oct 25, 2008 10:08 AM
Elizabeth Nieves
The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group - Durham, NC
Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team

How many girls do you have in the house? We have four girls and only one guy. My husband constantly claims injustice...but I say he is blessed! After all...to be surrounded by women who love and adore him...for what more could he ask? This is such a cute post. You've gotta email me the punchline to #9. GBU!

Oct 25, 2008 02:53 PM
Mary Strang
Viroqua, WI

#9 answer could be Victoria 's Secret Wesson?

Oct 26, 2008 02:01 AM
Dale Terry
Yadkinville, NC

Great post, I am still laughing, look forward to seeing more of your humor.  We all need it.

Oct 26, 2008 02:57 AM
David Hubbard
Premier Denver Homes - Highlands Ranch, CO

Good stuff...

Oct 26, 2008 02:59 AM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Greg, sorry to hear about the FL electric rates.  SCE&G in Columbia, SC said they are LOWERING rates soon I think because their costs went down.  Welcome news.  Thanks and have a great week.

Oct 26, 2008 09:35 AM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Thanks Patricia.  Wow, you're right there in Washington.  Tell me, are our SC reps behaving themselves?  Does Washington get covered up with the glut of election news like we seem to, or is it 'business as usual?'

Oct 26, 2008 09:37 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Charlie- you had me going on the mergers (ok... for a few words)... nicely done!

And yes... regarding the home front. My kids were born in a barn... are air conditioning the neighborhood and have never realized that the light switch has a down position. :-)

Oct 26, 2008 09:38 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Charlie- Very cute and clever.  Tell your friend we all enjoyed it.  Oh and put me on the list to email me # 9.  My husband is waiting.

Oct 26, 2008 02:34 PM
Tony Sena
Shelter Realty, Inc - Henderson, NV
Broker/Property Manager

# 5 still has me rolling along with # 9!!!  Very clever....  Thanks for the laugh!

Oct 26, 2008 02:39 PM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Elizabeth, we have two girls and two boys and one grown son who has his own family now.  The boys are STILL outnumbered!  Tell Diego he is blessed beyond belief, but four beautiful girls, one lone guy?  He hasn't got a chance! 

Mary, that's pretty good.  You're trying to get me in trouble, aren't you!

Dale at Home Realty, thank you very much for the compliment!

Emily, Becca, Sidney

Daughter Emily (in middle) & friends Becca and Sidney clowning on Saturday.

Oct 26, 2008 10:58 PM
Caren Wallace
Premier Property Group LLC - Tualatin, OR
Portland Caren Real Estate

Hello Charlie,

What a great chuckle I got from the "mergers". I would love to see more!

All the Best,

Caren

Oct 26, 2008 11:25 PM
Petra Norris
Lakeland Real Estate Group, Inc. - Lakeland, FL
Realtor, Lakeland FL Homes for Sale

Charlie - you have a great sense of humor and for a Monday morning, timing was just right.

Oct 27, 2008 01:48 AM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

David, Thank You!

Chuck, you're right about the switches, mine are exactly the same.  And air-conditioning the outdoors!

Tammy, I'm not sure we should encourage him.  He's bad enough as is!  I'll send to your husband...

Oct 27, 2008 03:57 AM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Tony, I liked #5, too and it about described my mood on Friday!  Thanks.

Caren, Thank you very much.  I'll see what the 'forwarded e-mail gurus' come up with this week!  My friends have the easy jobs, playing on the computer all day, uh, nevermind.

Petra,  Thanks for the note, and yea, the weekend and Monday morning was pretty good timing.  You're the last comment though, maybe everyone is covered up with business this afternoon.  I hope so!

Oct 27, 2008 09:13 AM
Christina Vagnini
Eagle Nationwide Mortgage Company - Summerville, SC
Senior Loan Officer, SC

You should have posted this to the jokes, made me smile thanks :) Gas is down to 2.23 a gallon here wooohooo

Nov 06, 2008 01:56 AM
Charlie Harden
Columbia, SC

Thanks, Christina.  I'm telling you, I'm hoping for under $2 a gallon!  Dream on, dream on....

Nov 06, 2008 05:47 AM