Trips, Traps, and Tribulations

Jeez, I don't even know where to start anymore. I don't have time to email these days, but I'm at least trying to update this some. I have been working insane hours at real estate and still have nothing to show for it. Well, except for the $52 I earned!! A few weeks ago, in class, we were asked to recount a positive experience we had that week, and I had just come from measuring a house (which makes me the equivalent of a rock star, to my class, so it seems...hehe), so I told our CEO about that. I got to pick a prize, and wound up with a $2 bill!! Go me!!

Then, last week, a bunch of us from class went to Algodones to preview the new homes there. It was quite the adventure! I rode up with Jerry, which was a blast because he is as much a conspiracy theorist as I am. Talk about great conversation. It was so interesting to hear his views on things, too, as he's waaaay right, while I am pretty left, but it's amazing how many things we agree on. Fascinating stuff.

So while we were out tooling around Algodones, we happened across some horses that were out of their paddocks. We were both pretty angry because we figured some irresponsible owner was just letting them run free. Weren't we surprised to discover they were the wild horses that Paul studies! Unfortunately, these new houses are encroaching on their territory, and making them more accustomed to people, which is especially worrisome seeing as they're a stone's throw from the expressway. Who knows what'll happen with them.

Also, I had the scare of a lifetime. Part of this house tour involved getting free lunch at each of the houses. Well, one house had sandwiches, which, hungry HITTER than I am, I snapped up. While eating it, it occurred to my horror, that it was extremely likely this thing in my mouth was from Subway. Now, if you don't know by now how disgusting I think Subway is, where have you been? But I REFUSE to eat there, and always have. I've tried it a few times and find it rancid, and not at all appealing, and the smell that hits you as you walk in the door is SO objectionable. I really don't get why they're so popular, as the mere odor makes me ill. So as we left that house, I asked Jerry, terror in my voice, "Was that Subway??" He wasn't sure, but luckily we found out later, it was Quiznos. I figured it probably was something other than subway because the bread wasn't rock hard and I wasn't going bulemic just yet. Boooo, Subway!

The best part about the tour of (overpriced, not that well constructed) homes was, everyone who visited them all gets $50!! So there ya go - I've made $52 at real estate in my first three months. Go me!! :P

In other news, Nate and I went on a mini vacation the weekend before last. I needed to get away, and my theory was that, over Easter, less people would be house hunting (which turned out to be VERY wrong, but oh well - I needed a break). On Friday, we headed down to El Paso, stopping at an AWESOME DQ in Truth or Consequences along the way. Once at El Paso, we made our way to Western Playland, a relatively new location for an old amusement park. We had a great time, getting two new coaster credits (my 349th and 350th!) and getting ill on spin and pukes. Yay! We had dinner at a local fast food place where they really don't care if they get your order right. Grrr. Oh well. And we stayed at a Motel 6 just a mile from the Mexico border! I wish we'd had our passports - it was tempting to go!

On Saturday, we stopped at Franklin Mtns. State Park and did a rather treacherous hike to overlook Mexico. We also saw the border patrol museum, and did lunch at an El Taco Tote. From there we investigated what looked like another amusement park but just ended up being a carnival. D'oh. Then we drove out to Guadalupe Mtns. National Park and did a 4 mile hike there. It was gorgeous!! After that, we tried to make it to Carlsbad Caverns to see the bats, but the park wasn't letting anyone else in when we got there, so we just got a room in Carlsbad, searched high and low for food, wound up eating at a mediocre pizza buffet, and called it a night.

Sunday was crazy!! We started out visiting the Living Desert Museum in Carlsbad, which was fantastic and rivaled the one in Tucson. I could see working there, for sure! Then we drove way out to Sitting Bull Falls State Park and did a hike there. It was desert, but it was so incredibly lush! It was the strangest place to be. Then we headed to Las Cruces where we walked around the campus a bit before heading home. On the way back, Nate got hungry, and since I was ok, I agreed to let him go to Subway. Ewwww. Well, I figured I should eat SOMETHING, so since they now have pizza, I tried one. It was like eating cardboard. I really don't get how that place stays in business. Nothing they have is good, and it smells so rancid. I don't think I'll ever understand it.

So that brings us to now. I spent half the day previewing with my classmates - we even saw a house that is currently being rented by some people working on the newest Terminator movie. *SO JEALOUS* It was especially fun since Jerry, Patsy, and I drove together and discussed our conspiracies in great depth. I'm so glad I'm not alone in my thoughts! Whooda thunk it'd be Realtors who have the same ideas as me??

So I better get back to work. Off to the grind I go!!

I Love It!

So today, while driving back from the vet, I saw a bumper sticker that absolutely tickled me, mostly because I'd been saying it all along! It was something so obscure, I was convinced no one else felt this way, but to see it in person just made my day...it was a political plug...

"Picard/Riker 2008"

Lol!! Now, while I probably wouldn't be too keen on having Riker as VP, I've ALWAYS said that if Jean Luc Picard were president, I would feel at ease with the world! And with Data or Jordie as VP, I would be confident all would be right! If only!! It's too bad we can't elect fictional characters for president (although sometimes I think we may have...)

ANYHOO, as I said, we just got back from the vet. We took Jolene in for some issues she's been having, but she's essentially pretty healthy, thankfully. We also took our new cat, Koopa, in for her first check up. We got her last Friday, after her arduous spay (she was pregnant, and none of us knew), and we've left her in the master bedroom to recover away from the other kitties. Well, she developed quite an upper respiratory infection, to the point where she almost couldn't breathe, so we had her checked out. She had an extremely high fever, so she's staying there for the night, on fluids and meds. Poor thing! She is such a doll, and we can't wait to have her all fixed up and back at home.

So that's been life around here lately. This weekend, we did a quick stint up to Santa Fe and Los Alamos, and also played more disc golf at a much greener, more appealing course (which didn't have a huge, rugged ravine in the middle) and saw Bodies Human, the cadaver display at the mall. Good times!

Well, it's off to more prospecting for me!!

New Horizons

Jeez, it's been a long time since I've written here. My real estate classes have been an absolute whirlwind, and I have been hard-pressed to find much time for myself these days. Between classes each day, and prospecting for clients, including weekend open houses, I have been absolutely wiped at days' end. We even had a week and a half off, but I took it upon myself to put together previewing trips for my class. An average of four of us a day would go out looking at houses all over the area, and it was a great experience. Talk about some freaky places!! And some really great ones, too! The best part was that I got to know my classmates even better, and now I'm the go-to girl for just about everything. For some reason, everyone seems to think I know it all! I wish I felt as confident, but I'm sure that'll come with time. In exciting news, I had a prospective buyer contact me after seeing one of my open houses. I re-showed the house, and he and his family are so enamoured by it - the catch is his sister also works at Coldwell Banker, and unless she moves to Texas (as is the plan) before they can afford a down payment, I'm out of luck. It's stuff like that that's frustrating. It seems like everyone knows an agent already. Albuquerque's housing market is actually one of the strongest in the country, which is heartening, but it doesn't help when you're up against many thousands of other realtors. Luckily, this training program will make us more prepared and experienced than most other agents out in the field. I just hope I can be patient enough to put up with this drought before I finally get some successes.

So what else have I been up to in recent weeks? Well, I finally got out horseback riding again! My buddy Paul, a fellow biologist from UNM, rides horses every now and again, and he invited me along. I got a great lesson on tacking a horse, and then we went out riding along the Rio Grande. It felt so great to be back in the saddle again - it's like that's where I am meant to be. I really hope I get to join him in future adventures. It often seems to conflict with open houses, though. Grrr!!

Beyond that, I was introduced into the evil game World of Warcraft this past week. I haven't played video games in a looooong time, mostly because I know I get too hooked on it. Well, Nate's pal Robert gave him a trial version of the game, and we're both sucked into it now. I've always loved RPGs, and this is the RPG that never ends!! Now that we have a subscription, it's anyone's guess when I'll do something productive again. :P

And yesterday, Nate and I decided to check out one of ABQ's 4 disc golf courses...I was surprised we even had ONE! This one was hidden on an unassuming road south of the airport, amongst ATV courses and barren land. Set on a very brushy high desert course, we attempted to play despite the incredibly gusty wind. We finally gave up around hole 10 when frustration got the better of us. Each throw would be carried off by the wind right down into the 20 foot deep ravine. Climbing down there was no cup of tea, as there weren't many accessible points, and the prickly tumbleweeds didn't help the descent any. I wonder what it's like in summer when there are rattlesnakes!! EEP!!

Well, I know there's been more going on than that, but it's been a while, and I probably should get back to playing WOW, er, prospecting for clients, that is! I'll try not to be a stranger!

Transitions

It really has been a while since I've written...I've been way too busy to really sit down and work on this. As some of you may know, my last day at UNM was Dec. 21st. I would have liked to have gone home sooner, to save on air fare, but they required me to be there on the last day so I could turn in keys and do all the other bureaucratic necessities that universities are so well known for. Of course, half the places I needed to go to were closed anyway, so I wound up having to go back again today to take care of it all. The last day was nice, though a bit sad. With the aid of Cheryl and Bob, Gabor and I cleaned out our office. We were treated to lunch at Two Fools Tavern by the two of them, and it was a nice time. I still don't know if I'm going to miss UNM...I'll miss the continuing ed, though!

On Saturday, I headed home to Chicago and spent the next two weeks visiting family and friends and having a wonderful time (and eating way too much). I saw nearly everyone I could, so that was nice. I particularly saw a lot of Jeanine, getting our eyebrows threaded, visiting with Jamie and Shantel, and going down to Chambana for a day. Nate also flew in right after Christmas, which was wonderful! We had all sorts of adventures. He joined us on our trip back to U of I, which was a lot of fun, though short. Sadly, we weren't able to meet up with any of the friends we contacted while we were down there, but we made our own fun. We drove all over, from Rantoul to Savoy, seeing what, if anything had changed. It was so weird - I felt so comfortable there, like I'd never left, and yet it was surreal. We visited both malls, hiked the prairie sculpture trail I always enjoyed, went souvenir shopping in campustown, ate at both Za's and Zorba's, as well as the new Flattops Grill...I love the ones in Chicagoland, and this was just as good...leave it to them to open one after I've left! That evening, we did something I'd never done before: we had a bar crawl. This was the ideal time to do so, since there was almost no one around...we had the bars to ourselves! We started out at Legends, where I tried to get their Millennium 99 (is that what it's even called??) which glows...well, I got it, sans the glow stick. Oh well. From there we went to Murphy's where I had a few shots of Dr. McGillicudy's (sp??) peppermint schnapps...sooooo good!! After that we went to Brother's where I tried some concoction on special...it had pineapple in it. From there, we went somewhere just to say we'd been there...Kams!! YETCH!!! I always knew it smelled like vomit when you'd walk by, and I never had a desire to go, although billions of under-aged patrons would render the place a sardine's nightmare. This time, there were only two other patrons, so in we went! The bartender looked surprised to see us (maybe because we're 10 years older than their usual clientelle?), and I had a pre-mixed margarita (Nate had a Jaegermeister - his only deviation from beers all night). It was skeezy and looked like it should have been condemned, but I'm glad to say at least I was able to see the place...too bad C.O.'s was closed.

From there, we visited the Firehouse, a new (to us) bar in campustown and Nate had a 40 of beer, while I had some sort of coffee drink...I don't like coffee, but it was alright. After that, we went to La Bamba's to get a "burrito as big as your head" since that is the culture after doing this bar thing. I don't remember it being so great, but oh well. Lastly, Jeanine (the dd) was kind enough to take us to The Office where we topped off the night with a amaretto stone sour (for old time's sake) and a beer for Nate. It was so interesting to see the bar scene - it wasn't something I'd ever done, but I really can't envision going when it's packed to the gills with crazy college kids. This was the best time for it, and I enjoyed it...probably the only time I'll be doing that, though...bars...ick. :P Unless they're tiki bars, of course!!

Hmm, so what else...well, Nate and I went up to Milwaukee after that to visit the Safe House, a spy-themed bar...it was so cool, especially since the place is accessed in an alley and the entrance says "International Exports, Ltd." or something along those lines...you also need a password to get in, and it's riddled with all sorts of fascinating, gimmicky spy stuff inside. I'd tell you more, but I'd have to kill you. ;) Oh, we also saw the art museum and Pabst Mansion...good times!

For New Years Eve, we were going to try to hit a new tiki bar up in Kenosha, but it was way too snowy, so we opted to stay in and watch Roger Rabbit and have Siberian Frosts. It was a pleasant time, and I'm so glad that Nate was there to spend it with me!!

After Nate left, time just flew. I didn't have nearly enough time to do all I wanted, as usual, but it was still nice. At the end of it all, I got to see several of my high school pals, which was a nice topper to a wonderful trip...but now I need a vacation from my vacation!!

Sadly, it was not to be...today I started a new "job." Well, actually it's a training course for Coldwell Banker Legacy. It feels so awkward to wear something other than jeans to work. The teacher looks like she belongs in a soap opera, and ironically, her daughter is actually ON "As the World Turns." We'll see how these things go...I'm currently at the panic and flee stage...it sounds like they expect a 2 year commitment and that, once successful, there's no turning back...I'm not sure I can do that, though...I'm a green-blooded biologist, and I really do feel like a sell out...but it would be nice to be successful one day (and biology isn't ripe for such prospects, sadly). We'll see how this goes!

As for now, I need some rest! Talk to you soon!

"Game"

New Mexico really has become a hot spot for Hollywood film crews. Nate's aunt was an extra in "3:10 to Yuma," "Wild Hogs" was filmed solely in NM, "Brothers" is currently being filmed in Los Alamos, and, unbeknownst to me as I walked amongst the film crews about an hour ago, "Game" is being filmed right here at UNM! Had I known, I would have dressed nicer - maybe I could have been an extra! I guess if real estate doesn't work out, I could always focus on extra-ing! Do I see a new career budding??

Yes Woman??

These last few days have been something of a roller coaster - mostly the first drop and very little airtime. In sad news, I found out that my boss's boss, whom I've never officially met and only knew vaguely, died on Tuesday from brain cancer. I guess we all knew it was coming, but it's still always a shock. He was a highly decorated man, recieving honors from all sorts of biology-related organizations. He was well known in the field, and his contributions have greatly impacted society.

I found out about this Tuesday night while having dinner with Scott, Sarah, Jim, and Nate. Scott assumed I'd heard about it, but it was news to me. Other than that, dinner was really nice - we ate at Yanni's, a fancy Greek place. Conversation flowed as we talked about Sarah and Jim's trip to Mexico and our friend Roberta's upcoming return from Alaska. The drive home was a bit distressing, though, as Nate and I talked about our usual dynamic in social situations (not including this evening, however). I'm already a wreck in most social situations, though I am better with my close friends. I've found a "comfortable" way of dealing with it, though, and tend to hide my shyness by being very friendly and apparently agreeing with everything that people say to the point of going overboard. Now, I guess this is something I never noticed, and that I must have picked up from watching late night talk show hosts or something. I like to ask questions and let the other person talk, responding with head nods and apparently eager agreement. Hearing this threw a wrench into my whole "easy" socializing demeanor. It's something I have to watch out for, and if I find myself doing it, I need to figure out how to get around it without clamming up or saying something that could potentially have me beating myself up all night for sounding "stupid" or "offensive." UGH!! Maybe I just shouldn't socialize at all anymore! This is who I've trained myself to be, and it's a rut I don't know how to get out of. It's spawned from me caring too much about what people think of me, and now I worry that people will think I'm a "yes woman." In fact, this isn't the first time I've been told that! Aurgh, maybe I just shouldn't care what people think, either way and just go with the flow...I wonder how star socializers (which I thought I had the illusion of being at times) work their stuff. Maybe I should just give up and be myself...but that's weird, too, because I'm vastly different with different people. I don't know WHO I am anymore. UGH! So that is the dilemma of the day.

So that evening we watched some indie film about a guy eating dinner with some friends (how apropo) and we drank half a bottle of wine. I hadn't yet felt buzzed, so I cracked open some Goldschlagger and drank quite a bit before I felt anything...and then WOW. I passed out, nauseous, and woke up with my first hangover ever (well, that wasn't falsely induced by non-alcoholic champagne)! I wound up taking the day off and sleeping, which was much needed. I'm back today, though, alone in the office again...I better force myself to do some work or it won't happen...

So...Weary...

It has been one heck of a tiresome couple of days. I had to work 13 hours on Sunday, and that about killed me! It really wasn't THAT bad, but it was exhausting. I, along with Gabor, Megan, Bob, and Cheryl, drove a number of EID conference attendees out to see the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I LOVE the Caldera. It's probably my favorite location in the state. But I really needed a weekend, and working on Sunday didn't help. Still, I was lucky enough to have the nicest people in my car: a math professor and his biology student from the University of Idaho (U of I??) and a masters student from Ft. Collins, CO where Jeanine works! Driving stresses me out, so that's probably why I was so exhausted, but being back on the Caldera was worth it. We stopped at some beautiful locations, listening to Bob's informative explanations. It wasn't without adventure, either. We came across a downed tree, and 15 of us helped move it as Bob chainsawed. We also had to contend with some slippery, muddy and icy roads on some precarious mountainsides! Sadly, we didn't see much in the way of wildlife initially, but at the end of our day, we spied a herd of about 100 elk, so we drove over to show them off.

The first time I'd seen the Caldera, Nate drove me past on our way up to Los Alamos. I was pretty nervous, seeing as how it's a gigantic, 14 mile wide volcanic crater that could potentially explode at any time. I was so nervous the first time we went to trap there, too. But the place has grown on me so much that, while down in the crater letting the visitors explore, I just stood out in the grass, contemplating the humongous volcano below, and actually felt so at peace that I wouldn't have minded if the darned thing exploded right there. I was one with the earth, and that would have just made me a permanent fixture to this wonderful place.

So you can see I love the place...so wasn't it exciting when Bob (my current boss, through Dec.) offered me another job, based at the Caldera, starting in May and going through November. He said I'm at the top of his list, so that was really great to hear...we'll have to see, though. I'd have to live there 4 days a week, and I don't know how it's going to mesh with my real estate, much less a book, should I write one. Plus, the 10 hour days sound killer, but apparently I'd get to learn all the plants of the region, and I'd be doing radio telemetry on turkeys and coyotes, so that's awesome! It's definitely something to consider...

Other than that, I've been "working" at the EID (Ecology of Infectious Diseases) conference this week...it had to be the easiest conference to "work." It was so laid back that no one really needed any instruction, and the hotel took care of most of the details. Unfortunately, I was too exhausted to get much out of the presentations, but it was still interesting. It's nice to finally get invited to a conference or two...not that I'd have ever known from GRAD SCHOOL. *grumble, mumble*

Anyway, in sad news, my last rat Flash passed away today...he was so heartbroken after the loss of Geronimo that I think he lost the will to live. I'm just glad he's not suffering anymore. The house just won't be the same without a rat. :(

So that's life 'til now...I have lots of emailing to do and errands to run, but I think I'm just going to pass out!! G'night, all!