Let's Compare Utilities Costs!

Moving can be very exciting...but it can also be a bit of a pain as well. Besides packing and unpacking, there is a long list of details to be handled. Things like choosing a mover, connecting utilities, getting Internet and cable service, or subscribing to newspapers or magazines in a new area can be quite a chore. And if you forget to connect one of the utilities you could be stuck in your new home for several days without that much needed service. To ease the stress of moving and schedule new connections for all of the utilities in one convenient location, simply logon to www.whitefence.com. (click on the Title of this blog entry above!)

You can quickly compare prices for movers, phone, electricity, television, or high-speed Internet. Just select the service you wish to compare (e.g., phone, cable, electric, etc.) or enter your address on the home page, hit search, and within seconds a list of services and prices available in that area will appear. Next, click on the service of your choice to view details and pricing or comparison shop by choosing three providers. Once you determine the provider, select the service plan, complete the requested information, enter the connection date, and within minutes a confirmation will be sent to you.

If you want to change your current provider, simply hit the icon for phone, cable, or internet, select "switch provider", complete the requested information and a list of providers in the local area will appear. Choose the new provider and the service will be changed.

Additionally, on the site you can complete a change of address form, subscribe to local newspapers, and order magazine subscriptions. Moving to a new home should be enjoyable and exciting. Using this tool can help remove a bit of the stress of moving and will also help save valuable time

Let's talk about 2006 Real Estate Sale Prices

Interested in the figures on 2006 Sale Prices in the Portland area?

Average Sale Price / Median Sale Price / Area

$245,400 / $235,500 / North Portland (area 141)
$302,500 / $265,000 / Northeast Portland(area 142)
$266,700 / $234,500 / Southeast Portland (area 143)
$265,200 / $248,000 / Gresham, Troutdale (area 144)
$353,100 / $307,200 / Milwaukie, Clackamas (area 145)
$326,200 / $286,000 / Oregon City, Canby (area 146)
$528,100 / $443,800 / Lake Oswego, West Linn (area 147)
$452,300 / $378,100 / West Portland (area 148)
$397,600 / $359,000 / Northwest Washington County (area 149)
$277,800 / $251,000 / Beaverton, Aloha (area 150)
$356,400 / $322,000 / Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood,Wilsonville
(area 151)
$282,300 / $260,000 / Hillsboro, Forest Grove (area 152)

How does your neighborhood stack up?

If you're looking for a bargain or to pick up a fixer, you might want to check out Southeast, North Portland or the Beav. I have happy clients in all of those neighborhoods - in fact, the last house I sold was in North Beaverton (off Walker Road just West of 217) and it's a darling bungalow on a large corner lot. Sale price? $227,750. He's got a chance to make some good $$ on that one!

Morton Tree Service - such fine people!

I met an expert to look at the root creeping under the foundation at my client's future house. His metaphors made me smile. "Imagine the tree as a man. The major growing took place from birth to twenty years old. This tree is like a 75 year old man. It's still going to grow, but not very much. Cutting that root would be like cutting off a man's leg."

Needless to say, D. is going to keep the tree and the root and just keep an eye on his foundation in the years to come. And he's going to love tha told tree even more, now that he has such a beautiful comparison!

Pomegranates

Do you know how to get the seeds out of a pomegranate? (besides slowly picking them out) For a great tecnique, click on link above to the article on Epicurious...

And then shake up a white cosmopolitan (made with white cranberry juice) and drop a spoonful of pomegranate seeds into the glass for an elegant cocktail!

Small Donation, Big Payoff

This looks like a perfect place to put a few dollars. Like maybe $10 here and $5 there, and watch it add up and make a difference.


Kiva.org allows you to help finance businesses for those who really need it. Zip over to kiva.org (or click on the title of this blog entry above) and see what you can do for someone.

Snow Day Part Deux

Another day at home. Toasty fire, good book, a big pot of chili. Let it snow.

Golden Globe Dresses

My favorite?



Probably JLo.








I also loved this one, though I'm in the minority, it appears.












This dress looked fantastic on stage as Emily Blunt accepted her award. Not as great now that I can see it's basically a short dress over a flowy skirt. Still, she looks awesome. And her boyfriend can really sing!











Favorite acceptance speeches?

Meryl Street
Hugh Laurie
Jennifer Hudson

If you haven't seen Dreamgirls, please do.
My movie list just got longer... next up? The Departed.

One Day Later

Yesterday's garden... parsley still happy in its pot. Heather and primroses and promises of spring.












This morning we awoke to a snowstorm and 6" has fallen. There were cross-country skiiers on the soccer field. Dogs doing crazy donuts. Our dog Boomer couldn't get enough of the snow - as soon as he came in, he cried until I let him go out again. Norris stopped to help the elderly neighbors who were having a tough time wheeling their trash cans to the curb. Traffic was stopped and there were many cars in the ditch on the "S" curve just outside our neighborhood.

Me? I just stayed home and made chili, shoveled the walk, dealt with some paperwork, and had a snow day, one of life's unexpected pleasures.

Roots

Remember Tremors? The 1990 Movie with the big wormy things that chased Kevin Bacon & Fred Ward around the Nevada desert?

I hate to admit it, but at my home inspection today, the inspector found a big root had worked its way under the foundation and it wormed its way into the crawlspace. I could think of nothing other than Tremors! I haven't mentioned the similarities to D. yet, but I'm sure once we figure out how to deal with the root, he'll share the joke with me.

It's still pretty cold here, and I'm sad to hear of the enormous damage done to the citrus and fruit crops in California. Gosh, I hope the vinyards are OK!

I have to share a new recipe. Yesterday I decided to use the brown bananas in the fruit bowl rather than throw them away. I knew there had to be a good recipe out there for a low-fat banana bread, and I found a sugarfree one as well. We're enjoying the bread very much and I hope you do too.

Low Fat-Sugar Free Banana Bread

16 servings (one Weight Watcher point per serving)

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cut unsweetened applesauce
1 Cup Splenda Sugar Substitute (I used Splenda Brown Sugar)
2 eggs
1 Cup mashed bananas (I used about 2.5 bananas)
2 tablespoons skim milk or orange juice

Grease loaf pan
Mix all ingredients
Bake in a 350 degree oven 45 minutes
Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanStore at room temperature up to 3 days or in refrigerator up to one week.

Claire went back to Arizona today. She has two really exciting job interviews coming up and we're so anxious to see what happens. We know she'll chose something wonderful and they'll be lucky to have her! (I'm voting for the job that involves trips to Paris and Australia!)

I wish she were here to watch the Golden Globes with me. We always enjoy critiquing the dresses.... I'll have to mention my favorites tomorrow. I am thrilled by Jennifer Hudson's win.

I met a great organizer today. In spite of the fact that I'm not exactly neat, I know where everything is. But I know a few people who could use her talents. I cleaned my closet yesterday and I'm going to have fun dressing now that I've uncovered a bunch of hidden gems. And I have several large bags to donate.

I bought valentines today!

A Cold Saturday

Wow, it was chilly today! Thank goodness for my car's heated seats! What a baby I've become after growing up in Wisconsin!

This morning I spent some time with my book, (I may never finish!) drank lots of coffee with Norris & Claire, and finally decided to head out around noon to look at pants at the GAP. I didn't get pants, but I found two wonderful sweaters on sale for $10 each!

In case you're wondering about the deal I was working on yesterday, we were able to pull it together & D has a new house! I also started working with M - a fun-sounding young condo buyer, who was a referral from Becky. Becky filled me in on her sister, Carrie (they are both clients and such awesome girls) who adpoted a beautiful baby girl from Ethiopia! I got a chance to hear all about it, and perhaps I can share a link to her blog...Maia is a gorgeous 6-month old girl! It's so fun for me to re-connect with my past clients and hear how their lives are going.

Last night I switched gears and tried a new recipe, which turned out to be quite good, and very easy. It was bow-tie pasta with tomato & brie.... here's the details...

While cooking a box of pasta, chop about 2 large, or 3-4 roma tomatoes, 3/4 cup fresh basil, 1/2 small red onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 12 oz brie (in small cubes) ... toss it all in a large pasta bowl with salt & pepper, and when the pasta's done, just stir it all together. The heat melts the brie, warms the tomato, & it's so delicious & quick!

I checked in with Cam and his first week of the trimester at U of O was great - he and Whit have a table tennis class together! He's also taking math, econ, psychology & a business computer class. Sounds like the musician is veering towards business. (yay!)

I'm finally getting used to my new Blackjack phone. It was hard to give up on using a Treo, since all my data was in Palm format, but the new model had such horrible reception that I had to return it. This slim, sleek little Blackjack has already made me forget all about my dear Treo! Converting all my data wasn't too horrible, and now I'm back in business.

Tonight we watched Little Miss Sunshine - what a funny, dark little film. It gives me high hopes for my nephew Scott's movie, which premieres in June at the L.A. Film Festival. Watch for news on Kabluey, starring Scott Prendergast and Lisa Kudrow. It's also a dark comedy, which he wrote, directed and starred in!

Yesterday I signed up to volunteer with the Western Farm Workers Association. I'll help deliver food, clothing & other resources to seasonal and service workers. The goal is to assist workers as farmers are being squeezed by growing competition from overseas. (I remember my mother helping migrant workers in Wisconsin when I was growing up and the crush I had on the cutest one of the boys, Rudy.)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Welcome

I've fiddled around with blogging during the last year, and read my favorites every day, so it's high time I get started with a blog about my little world. There's always something going on in my life, and of course you know I love to talk about myself, so welcome to my premiere post in the blog that's all about me.


Last night we had dinner with a business associate of Norris' and his new, young girlfriend. Claire joined us (she's leaving to go back to Phoenix on Sunday) and we had a nice, cozy dinner at Mingo. ( I had the Mingo salad - a very lemony caesar-like salad and seared scallops over lentils & arugula) The restaurant has 100-year old farm tables and lots of candles, and the best olive oil! It was so delicious and so olivey (imagine that!) that I had to ask what brand it was. It turns out it's their own "marinated" olive oil - they throw in a bunch of olives, bay leaves, rosemary, whole cloves of garlic & a touch of red pepper flakes and marinate it for a while. Then it's strained - it's still cloudy in the decanter - and served with amazing soft, crusty italian bread. I wanted to swipe the bottle. But instead, I'm going to try to make it myself!

Later last night, Cousin Charlie arrived in a hot new Mustang. He'll be visiting family and friends in Portland for 10 days and he's staying in our big, almost empty house. He's tons of fun and we love having him.

I'm working with a very fun new couple who have offered to buy a cute little house on a big corner lot. We're just a smidge apart in the negotiations, and last night we made one more attempt to come together on price. I'm very hopeful that today we'll seal the deal. If not, I get to spend more time with them, which is fine, since this all went very quickly and they're fun!

Today I have to spend at least a couple of hours reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I'm on page 100 of 607 and I need to finish in time for my Book Club meeting on January 25. We have no major weekend plans, though Claire and I rented four movies and I feel like making chili or hearty soup of some sort.

Tonight's dinner: Thai-Style Steak Salad, courtesy of Martha Stewart.


One last thought...

Is it necessary to update my business card photo? It's about nine years old. A crucial nine years. But my hair is the same. So do I need to fess up and get a new photo? Because I don't want to.

Have a fun day!