p.s.

This won't be the last nip/tuck.

More to come down the road....

Cosmetic Surgery

Oh hell no, honey, not for us...

but for the beloved Casa.

She's gonna be changing soon. Not another paint job, no sir...that face lift has already occurred way back when she was the palette of Bicardi Limon. or Sprite.

She's getting some new bones this time.

I think they are pouring the posts today...**crosses fingers**

Yes, it passed the Architectural Review scrutiny...

We wait with fish on our tongues.

(Baited Breath, silly!!)

You'll see.

Always good to change up the Casa Bella in ONE MORE way that hasn't been done yet so that not one of them resembles another in any way, shape, or form, right?

Should be done by the end of November.

**crosses fingers again**

Retail!! Here it comes!

David and Deborah,
I got you something for your closing today...

news about the retail center you so joyously longed for on 183 and 969...

Turns out they did have tenants, they just had to work through red tape with the city. And building is about to commence. Restaurants, coffee shop, dry cleaners, etc.

AND

there is a small bank interested in going into the retail space at the corner of 969 and Agave which would commence the building of the other shops. And that would sure make banking transactions convenient

Which all would make our values increase quite well because if you arrive before the retail, and it comes, you just made some cash in your equity.

Yay.

Hope your closing went well...so excited you finally got in!!!!!!!!!

click click click

strike a pose, agave...

While it's flattering that the pic of our house taken by Agave's graphic designer is used all over the place for advertising, I, by no means, think it's the best of the 'hood. So I decided it was time, as the agave marketing sensei, to ad some new pics to the mix for our ads. All these won't be used, but this was what I was doing if anyone saw me lurking the hood last week. This week I was lurking the 'hood to hand out newsletters. Which, I must say, has become a very pleasurable duty considering I typically have someone open the door when I slip in a newsletter and come out to introduce themselves and chat. Unless of course it's Chuck and Lindas house in which case they invite you in for Lemoncello.

Agatha goes public

http://www.zillow.com/homes/map/5416-Agatha-Cicle-Austin-tx-78724_rb/


David sent me the above link. Our neighborhood has never been listed on zillow (What is your house worth?) but it appears as though they discovered us.

The values are interesting. They apparently greatly favor one side of the street on Agatha to the other, and don't base values entirely on square footage. I haven't quite figured out their method yet.

I wonder if this gives us some idea as to what we're about to see on taxes? Especially since the assessor was just here.

I noticed that for the first time Google maps has "Agatha Circle" now as well...instead of the old street name it used to be: "Tetherland Trail" which is what I still have to program into my gps if I wish to get home from somewhere.

Let it be duly noted... (is the word really "duly"? dually? whatever.)

I'm just putting it in writing that Alex said it didn't seem like we had that many people in our house last Friday and that next time we need to invite more because we missed some favorite people (when it became more of a party than hanging out, accidentally, and she vetoed any further invites from my mouth or typing hand)

So that she will remember this comment, and also how much fun she said it was, it's printed.

Goody. Now ya'll can all come next time. :-)

It was a good test of the house, really when it's a gathering and not a sit down dinner. It passed very well.

Now then, as for those sounds and singing of "Because you're mine, I walk the line..." about 12:30 am. It wasn't any of us. Really.

Must have been the other neighbors.

No, really, I want someone else to have it...

I used to get these things once a month. Now, they are daily. Not sure why that is...there is apparently a rumor overseas that I have far greater funds for them to steal out of my bank account than I actually do. Anyway, I thought the detail in this one was a nice touch, especially the part about being kind enough to ask me to calm down...and needing to bring his wife here for "liver damage treatment"...no specific operation mind you, just some natural herbs in America I guess. (It seemed wrong to write back and say I have a liver tumor that I don't mind at all, what with him sending me the 11 million and all).

(When I was dating the FBI agent I used to have so much fun writing these people back with her contact info at the bureau.)

Who knew how many rich relatives I had in Africa????


FROM THE DESK OF MR MUDA ERIOCY.
THE AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER.
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.




I KNOW THAT THIS EMAIL WILL BE A BIG SURPRISE TO YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO CALM DOWN
AND READ VERY CAREFULLY I HOPED THAT YOU WILL NOT EXPOSE OR BETRAY THIS TRUST AND
CONFIDENT THAT I AM ABOUT TO IMPOSE ON YOU FOR THE MATUAL BENEFIT OF OUR
FAMILIES.. I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE SUM OF (USD11.7
MILLION ) ELEVEN MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED UNITED STATE DOLLARS TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN
10 TO 17 BANKING DAYS.

THIS MONEY HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR YEARS IN OUR BANK WITHOUT ANY BODY CLAIMING THE
FUND. I WANT THE BANK TO RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEAREST PERSON TO OUR
DECEASED CUSTOMER (THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT) BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER (MR. JIN SUN) WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON MONDAY 31th JULY
2000 ON GHASTLY MOTOR ACCIDENT.AND ALSO I WANT TO USE MY OWN SHARE OF THE FUND TO
TAKE MY WIFE TO ABROAD FOR LIVER DAMAGE TREATMENT.


IN SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT OF THE MONEY,WE AGREE THAT 40% OF THIS FUND WILL BE
FOR YOU INRESPECT OF THE PROVISION YOU MADE BY STANDING IN THE CLAIM AS NEXT OF
KIN,10% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURE DURING THE TRANSACTION THAT WILL
ARISE. I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO INTO OUR BANK ACCOUNT AS AN ABANDONED FUND. SO
THIS IS THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU SO THAT THE BANK CAN RELEASE THE FUND TO
YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. I WILL GIVE YOU THE TEXT OF
APPLICATION CLAIM FORM WHEN I HEAR FROM YOU,HAVE A NICE DAY.

1. NAME IN FULL:.......................
2. ADDRESS:..............................
3. NATIONALITY:......................
4. AGE:.....................................
5. SEX........................................
6. OCCUPATION:......................
7. MARITAL STATUS:............
8. PHONE..................................
9. FAX:........................................

BEST REGARD,

MR MUDA ERIOCY


______________________________________________________Szezon nyitó nyárigumi akciók a www.gumi1.hu portálon!

No, really, honey...we'll just catch up with a couple friends, that's all...low key

This is how it works in Agave. I can't say I don't love it, actually...

Rob and Lori say we need to get together and hang out soon, but that "we love Agave; let's just hang in one of the houses and not go out this time."

So we say come on over...then we chat with Marv and Chris that "it's been too long". Come on over...

But David and Deborah are moving in in a few days and haven't met Rob and Lori...come on, kids!

Well, we can't NOT invite Chuck and Linda, we love 'em...bring it!

Kevin just moved in a couple days ago...I went to the closing and we love him and said "come by and meet your fun neighbors that you haven't met yet!"

But Eva lives right behind Marv and Chris and we haven't seen her since Chuck and Linda's party...come on, Eva!

Of course, at that party Herman and Suzie made us laugh til our faces hurt...we can't do it without them!

so, that's what happens. I am not even half way done with who I want to get to know better and we've already filled up the house and invited 14 people over.

I think we need a rotation list or a bigger house in order to spread love and food to all I really want to. I'd only made a dent when Alex did the "now, that's all though, right? I need to know how much booze to buy" speech.

Party pooper. xoxoxo

I'll hit everyone else up in the near future.

(Problem is, I need to invite all our main squeezes, above...so, you see how it happens each time.)

Should we piss anyone off tonight, slots will open.

sauces, getting sauced...er, that's all I can think of.

I am absolutely positive all the groceries I am about to buy for Friday night is going to make Weight Watchers really happy and extremely positive I'm not anorexic.

Which, really, should be obvious already. But apparently not...and I don't know why. (see preceding post)

When Alex and I went on vacation we rediscovered Hurricanes. Not the windy kind. The kind that make you wanna dance on the table.

So we tested out some recipes last weekend. We think we matched ol Pat O'Briens quite nicely.

And we'll prove it. Friday.

And, speaking of food, Alex is currently acing a manufacturing course. Which is funny because it's the business she owns, but she is getting to play mad scientist right now. Props to you, star pupil. I know you are working hard so I give you public kudos. Pretty soon you'll be able to bottle anything on the planet and keep it fresh for years.

I have no doubt I will be the guinea pig in this though. Alex is the kinda gal who takes milk out of the fridge with a suspicious date and says "smell this"...and, for some reason, I always do. As though her nose won't work. The first time it winds up rancid, she will have one less smell-tester on hand..but so far, I do the honors for whatever reason.

So...I'll probably be eating all-natural products packaged in new natural thingies and sauces and SEEING if they really do stay shelf stable. And she best hope they do.

It's the cross I bear outta love.

Change your height and stick it to The Man.

I dont attend Weight Watchers meetings now, but I do subscribe to their recipes as I love em and, I'll admit it, I'm TOTALLY addicted.

So I go in to the meeting place today because all cookbooks went on sale half price.

And, according to my massively overflowing cookbook collection, one can never have too many low-fat cookbooks.

I don't know the leader, who is behind the counter. She asks me my height. (odd, to buy cookbooks, right?)

And...it's official yall....

Hell has frozen over.

She, leans over, kindly discusses what my weight should be and says

(drums please)

I am TOO THIN.

Go sin, go do what ye may...there is no hell. It hath frozen.

I, Alana, at the age of 42, with rambant obesity in America, was just told, to be healthy, I should gain a few. Are you kidding me???

(After 2 fricken years of finally getting on a workout routine & learning to eat right)

As if that's gonna happen. Nope...the goal weight in my head is 5 pounds away. Less--not more. And I will not be foiled.

WTF???

Is Weight Watchers seriously so afriad of lawsuits that they believe I could possibly die of malnourishment tonight in my bed should they allow me to lose any more weight via cookbooks?

I'm no Amy Winehouse, yall. And I am quite sure I'm not so aneroxic that I'm one of those people who BELIEVES I'm not wasting away when I look in the mirror...but everyone else secretly believes I'm dying and whispers behind my back.

Nopers. I'm quite positive that just isn't the case.

So, not to be "beat by the system", I simply changed my height from my real height...to one that is 2 inches shorter on my computer card.

Now I'm ok in their height/weight guidelines. (Whatever fool wrote 'em.)

And I can remain unbanned from the double W.

Turn off the tv and buy a house. Unless you are our neighbors. Then you already did.

one more thing...it's false that no one can get mortgages right now although it's all over the media. So I have to design dislaimer marketing materials about this...If you have a 620 FICO and put at least 3% down, (as long as you aren't self-employed at less than a year or two at your job, depending upon the lender)...no prob...

but the 620 is an FHA loan. 680 otherwise. FHA loans have higher mortgage insurance fees that don't fall off after a few years like conventional loans though so they cost more in the long run so it's best to go the other route if you can. Lenders make more money on FHA loans so not all of them will tell you this but the good ones will. FHA loans may be configured differently in the future but for now...they cost more but are easier to get AND sometimes the only option depending upons score (so if you fail to get a conventional due to score...do try FHA.)

There, that's my good deed for today. Actually, it's purely selfish. I've had to explain it to too many people because of the media. And I'm not a lender. I just play one on marketing pieces. So don't ask me anything else...but on this, I'm informed.

Go buy a house. Unless your FICO score is below 620. Don't listen to the tv. At least not as far as mortgages go.

Also, BusinessWeek this week listed Austin as the number 2 fastest selling spot for houses. (they are on the market for less days then anywhere else in the country except one place, which I THINK was Sunnyvale CA but I could be wrong on that.)

So...we're still good here, yall.

Well, unless they dont pass this bill that is expected to go through today...then lots of banks will close and...well, whole other story then.

But as for today...we're good.

Our garbage man is on crack. Also, my cell is on pesto so call Alex instead.

So we put out the garbage Thursday night. Friday at some point the trash men commeth. But skipped our house. Our bin is full...but not full in a kind of "screw you, that's too full and we aren't picking that up" kinda way. The lid is closed. So Alex calls and they said they'd be by sometime over the weekend but Monday latest. Monday came and went. The trash still simmers in the sun. And, because it's full, we have no option B for putting our trash.

So we call again..."Oh they should have been by by now. I'll put an urgent on it."

Which means we'll have a clean bin for one day...IF they come.

I am testing RealManage, our HOA company. Let's see if they do a drive-by. THEN I have to go before the board (including myself) and explain why I was unable to prevent this.

So here is my disclaimer in writing. Proactive me.

But I vote to let me off the hook. Just sayin'.


Also, back during the movie night Alex and I had a picnic basket. The pesto lid was loose. My cell phone was in the pocket of the basket. It runneth over. (Im clearly experimenting with "eth" words this mornning. So I guess I should have said the trash man is on METH.) Anyhoo, you know those old wave making things that had like blue oil and water in them at Spencer's Gifts and the box would tilt and it would make waves? If you are over 30 you do know, you just may not be picturing it right...they were everywhere. Ok, if not...think lava lamp turned off.

That is what the screen of my cell looks like. I can't get the oil out.

So, til I have a new one, I'm leaving it off. Call Alex.

If it seems I've ignored anyone for the 2 weeks I've had it turned off because the oil began to annoy me and you are pissed off...blame the pesto.