Phil Dunphy

John and I finally went back to the gym last night. Twenty minutes on the recumbent bike was enough to get my lame heart rate going. Yup, back to Square 1! Of course, I was back to using all the gym amenities: sauna, towels, shower, toiletries, hair dryer, etc. Fuck man, our last utility bill was through the roof, so you know I’m playing my game again!

The new tankless water heater is working out so-so, to be honest. I mean, the purpose was to create more space in the master bath, but I guess neither one of us really thought through the part of having a delay in getting hot water. In retrospect, duh: there ain’t no 40 gallons of water kept hot at all times… It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s definitely an adjustment. The delay is maybe 30-40 seconds? maybe a minute?

The plumbers are coming back tomorrow. You see, last week before the install, they ran a pressure test and detected two gas leaks. (See? There WAS a gas leak on the Houseboat!!). At the time, the plumber fixed the big leak outside, but he said the smaller one was behind the old water heater, and he expected the removal of the old tank to make it a moot issue. So after the crew finished up yesterday, I texted the foreman just to be sure: do you need to re-test the gas pressure to make sure the second leak was indeed resolved by removal of the old tank? He said he wasn’t aware there were leaks detected before (poor internal communication) and that yes, they need to test again. That’s the thing with contractors. Bubbey was home the whole time they were here, and he never asked them a single question about it or anything else! I won’t be home again tomorrow, but I’m going to leave post-it notes. Bubs was also supposed to ask about running a water line to the fridge so we can hook up the ice maker.

I got a pretty late start today. Marty was restless last night, and he’s been trembling more than usual. Then his diaper was too loose, so early in the morning, it came off and Marty shit in the kitchen. Ugh. Thankfully though, after cleaning up, I was able to sleep in and wake up when rested.

I did more of my real estate training videos, and then I made Bubs do a photoshoot, so I could mock up my business cards. I’m not very keen on pictures of myself, and I’ve never really had formal/professional headshots taken, but hell, this is the new industry I’m in: the mugshot is standard. So we shot pics all around the house. In the end, Bubbey even whipped out his light diffusers from the garage and had me stand against a blank wall in the living room. With a little bit of Photoshop post-production, ONE pic came out ok. I mean, I am doing my usual Mona Lisa smile (Sorry, but my smile with teeth is AWFUL) and standing with a smug Stanley Roberts stance, but seriously, out of a gabillion pics, this is the best I can do. Now I’m just waiting on that damn license number from the BRE. Arrive in the mail, already! Sheesh!

Through all of this, I can’t help but think of Phil Dunphy in Modern Family. Shit, before you know it, I’m going to have my mug on signs and bus stations and vehicle wrappers all over town. JK! Hopefully, potential clients will see beyond my resting bitch face and give me some business!

 

Square One

OMG, the tasks just never end. Just as I started getting comfy with my newest favorite dog sitter, turns out she’s not available for Christmas. Whatdya know, dog sitters go on vacation too. So this morning, I launched another exhaustive search, inquiring with 11 new sitters. Thankfully two are maybes: I have a call with one this evening and a meet and greet slated with another person for Monday. See? Turns out it’s a good thing I labelled everything all around the house, bc now it’ll be helpful for the newbie.

The good news is that Marty is mostly stabilized. His appetite has been good and his legs are strong enough to carry him in/out of the doggie door and on multiple walks to the park. I’ve even got the bedtime diaper routine down, such that by morning, it’s only filled with urine. Poor Marty: sometimes I hear him use the doggie door in the middle of the night… little does he know, there’s no need to venture outside just to pee in his diaper. Ah well, old habits die hard, right? But dang that thing gets heavy by morning. My poor Marty. Aging sucks boat loads.

Today the plumbing crew came to install our tankless water heater. I’ve used this plumbing company twice before, and they are always clean, neat, and just plain good. The work took most of the day and we had to shut off the water completely, but by 3:30pm, everything was done. I also managed to find a $300 federal tax rebate for our unit! It’s kinda annoying bc every time I ask contractors about energy/appliance rebates, they never know. Sure would be great if vendors tracked that sort of thing, but then again, I suppose it changes so much year to year, it’s easier to just push that responsibility onto the customer. The work did require a puncture through the roof to add a vent, and oddly enough, it rained lightly this afternoon. I’m not worried though. I’m sure the roof wound is all patched up. Next, J will be applying for a permit; after that, we’re going to scout out vanities and contractors for when we knock down the wall and move the toilet. Argh so many details. I can’t even imagine the level of project management involved for G&J’s place where they are remodeling the entire basement, like almost an extra 1000 sf! Plus, they are both working full time with an active toddler and a baby on the way. Ambitious people.

I swung by the real estate office today. Pretty much, I can’t submit any paperwork until that damn license (with the BRE number) arrives in the mail. However, I have started watching the recommended videos, and I also took the Tony Robbins’ DISC profile test (again). Yup, I actually took the test a few years ago: my results this time are different in scale/intensity but essentially the same with regards to rank/priority of the categories. In other words, I have super high D (Dominance), then next highest is I (Interactive), then low and leveled off for S (Stabilizing) and C (Cautious). Here’s a quick summary of my profile. The report is quite fascinating as it also delves into your natural vs. adaptive state (how you behave/perform under stress). Anyway, here’s a breakdown of what my scores reveal for the four categories.

Dominance: Your score shows a very high score on the ‘D’ spectrum.
· You are very decisive and a risk-taker.
· You migrate towards difficult assignments and opportunity for advancement.
· Your approach tends to be forceful and very direct.
· You are a great source of innovation and new solutions, even if radical sometimes.
· You may be perceived as somewhat egocentric by others (i.e., others who you feel are less confident than you).
· You love a good challenge, seek freedom, and look for a lot of variety.

Interactive: Your score shows a high average score on the ‘I’ spectrum.
· You tend to meet new people in a confident and appropriate manner.
· You like democratic not dictatorial relationships on the job.
· People may find you charming to meet and to converse with on a variety of topics.
· You appreciate an open-door policy with both peers and supervisors.
· You present yourself in a poised manner to both small or large groups of people.
· You prefer an environment with ample people contact.

Stabilizing: Your score shows a low average score on the ‘S’ spectrum.
· You respect the established ways, but are open to change when it is deemed necessary.
· You are comfortable acting alone to determine the best course of action.
· You prefer a faster paced environment, but one that is not frantic or chaotic.
· You can multitask fairly well.
· You are flexible enough to deal with change openly and without fear.
· You like being mobile and on the go, but you like a home base to return to from time to time.

Cautious: Your score shows a low average score on the ‘C’ spectrum.
· You are flexible enough to work with or without a lot of structure or order.
· You can easily work independently when it comes to completing tasks and assignments.
· You may be perceived as being non-committal by some when it comes to deciding on how to proceed.
· To you, rules are guidelines, not concrete.
· You prefer to act as your “own person” rather than follow the norm.
· You are persistent in trying to get a message across, even in the midst of resistance.

These are suggestions for me to be more effective: You could be more effective
by:
• Becoming more aware of your approach to others, and it’s impact on others.
• Trying not to over-react.
• Being aware that your level of aggressiveness and tenacity may be off putting to others.
• Having support staff to handle the detail work.
• Reducing your competitive edge when dealing with others who aren’t as competitive as you.
• Becoming more sensitive to the climate or the situation, and adjusting your intensity accordingly.
• Learning to follow as well as you might lead.
• Remembering to negotiate difficult matters in a real-time, face-to-face manner, rather than through electronic means.

Interestingly, I don’t even consider myself competitive, but the other items are pretty spot on. For example, I wanted to negotiate my commission split via email, but Bubbey told me I had to do it in person. Haha.

Other tasks for this week? Bubs is going to do my photoshoot for my business cards and web materials. Argh, I kinda hate pictures of myself but apparently, homebuyers and sellers want to match the name to a face to build trust. Fuck. Phil Dunphy in da house! We’ll see what I come up with.

Back to the Bubble

Seattle was a great time. On Saturday, we hit up the Boeing facility up in Everett. We attended a 90-min Future of Aviation tour. Really. cool. And I’m not even an aviation geek. But we got to see the assembly floors for the 747, 777, and 787 Dreamliner. That carbon fiber, man. It is a game changer: so much lighter and stronger than steel, aluminum, or titanium. Amazing. Seriously, air travel never ceases to blow my mind: I mean, to get hundreds of people up in the air: living, breathing, eating, shitting– and transporting them thousands of miles all over the world- it is freaking magic!! Anyway, I highly recommend the tour.

Overall, our time was spent hanging out, playing board games (three new ones!), walking around, and eating. Yes, LOTS of eating, and John insists that the food in Seattle is better than the Bay Area. Then again, we’ve always felt that Bay Area food is overrated. Among our culinary delights in Seattle:

  • an amazing beef/lamb gyro + baklava dessert from Sultan’s in the university district,
  • doughy-crusted pizza and Italian apps at Mio Posto near G&J’s house,
  • cupcakes from Trophy,
  • yummo fresh doughnuts from Daily Dozen,
  • raw oysters and seafood at Elliott’s Oyster House by the water,
  • Mexican chocolate pie (among others) from A la Mode,
  • an amazing burger (crimini mushrooms and swiss cheese) at Uneeda Burger
  • more doughnuts from Top Pot,
  • vermicelli noodles from Dong Thap noodle shop in Little Saigon

And no, that is not even the comprehensive list. As you can see, the no-gym, carbo-loading theme continued for the entire trip. As for city attractions, well, the weather was wet– intermittent sprinkling but consistent wetness/dampness. We still stopped by some parks– Kerry Park, Washington Park Arboretum, Discovery Park, and Magnolia Park but aside from a longer stroll with Baby O and his parents through the Arboretum, our outdoor time was brief. I imagine the locals are completely undeterred by the cloudy skies and perpetual moisture, but I was pretty much paralyzed without sunshine.

I think the other couple and their kid H had a good time too. We hung out less with them: I think H is maybe on a stricter schedule. I’m not exactly sure. He isn’t quite as well-traveled as Baby O, so maybe the process was just a bit more tiring for them. He’s also in a different growth/development stage where I think he’s a bit more difficult.

The funniest thing is that J and I are the only child-free couple, and yet we were exhausted. J thinks we’re still recovering from our cold (eh, maybe, kinda), but I think it’s just the exposure to constant motion/chatter that causes mental fatigue. Then again, it could be a combination of factors. I’m sure the binging and minimal exercise did not help. Anyway, I’ll have to debrief with J&J to get their thoughts on traveling with the little man. Seemed like they enjoyed the break/escape esp following a very emotionally trying and depressing week (Trumpocalypse and all).

[FAG id=7494]

Regardless, we’re happy to be back in the Bubble. Marty did well again. This new sitter, I’m telling you. I hope she’s always available until the end, bc she has been a Godsend.

What’s on tap this week? We’re heading back to the gym. Also, I’m thrilled to be getting our new tankless water heater installed tomorrow!! J & I have def been pushing our luck with the old 40-gallon. For real. There is all kinds of rust/corrosion/water ponding on the top of it (signaling it’s imminent demise), so I can’t wait to get this old sucker (dated 1998) hauled outta my house! The work should just take a day, so fingers crossed! We removed all the junk (supplies, shelving, shoes, etc.) out of the hallway washer/dryer area to make room for the plumber. He’s supposed to mount the tankless unit on the wall above the dryer, and then he’ll remove the old tank. Phase 2 for us will then involve finding a contractor to bust out part of the wall and then we’re hoping to move the master bath commode to where the water heater sat so as to make room for a larger sink/vanity. We’ll see. I haven’t even contacted any contractors or anything. That’s later. First things first. Gotta remove the exploding bomb!

Beyond that, I’m planning to hit up the kw office tomorrow and the rest of this week: I’m submitting my paperwork and kicking off my first 100 days. Woohoo!

Of course, just as I’m ramping up for real estate, I’m also getting a ton of requests for Rover for Thanksgiving. So far, I’ve turned them all down though. Mostly bc the dogs are too young (< 3 y/o) and I don’t want the added stress on Martin. Don’t worry: I’m still hustling via eBay and Craiglist. In fact, a Palo Alto techie is coming by tomorrow to buy J’s old Apple monitor! Yeehaw! More Bubbey bucks! 🙂

Hello Again

Well looks like I skipped a day already for NaBloPoMo. Oops. Our time here in Seattle has felt quite busy. On Friday, we were up early to check out all the downtown sites; unfortunately, we didn’t plan the operating hours at all. For example, we hit up the Chihuly Museum and Space Needle bc Friday was the only clear day in the forecast. When we arrived, the Chihuly place was closed, opening only at 11. So we decided to do a brisk walk downtown to Pike Place Chowder. Then, they were also closed, set to open at 11. So weird: we really expected a major city like Seattle to have more things buzzing by 9am. But our bad. We should have looked that shit up first. Anyway, after walking around tons, we scored our clam chowder and fresh doughnuts then headed back for the glass exhibits. Chihuly was decent: a very doable exhibit, though I kinda felt like having seen his work in Vegas and in Phoenix, the pieces looked very familiar. We were in and out in about 30 minutes. As for the Space Needle, the cloudiness never burned off, so we decided to skip.

For dinner, all of us met up at the Fremont Brewing company. Our old friend D, who has lived in Seattle since 2013, also came out. It was good to see him– the last time was maybe three years ago. He’s at the same company now, but he bought a house and then recently got married. Sadly, his new wife extended her trip in Japan so was unable to join us. But D seemed happy and well. I am pleased to report that all my old disappointments about that friendship are gone now. The friendship was great while it lasted; I mourned its loss years ago, but now things are fine. With my reaching out a month ago, I realized I was actually ok with everything. Life has moved on for sure.

Carbs

Since returning from Asia, J and I have not been to the gym. It’s been ten days too. First it was our colds, then the week-long jetlag, then the nasty ass carpets at home, then the leaking water heater, etc. The bullshit never ever ends. I know, all excuses. I own up to them. Some day we’ll get back on the JCC wagon. Hopefully sooner than later.

In the meantime, we are back in the air. Yup, today was our inaugural Companion pass flight, and already I fucked something up: I mis-entered J’s TSA Pre number, so then he had to go through the regular line. I know, first world problems and all. Fortunately, we still had enough time, but geez what a pain regular security is. If TSA Pre is not indicated on your boarding pass, it doesn’t matter whether you have the number or card or whatever. Tough shit. Regular security line for you. Needless to say, as soon as we got to the gate, J talked to the agent to get that shit fixed pronto.

An interesting thing happened: at the gate, I spotted the former GM of the public agency where I used to work. I immediately went up to him and his wife (I still remembered her name). He didn’t remember me, so I had to jog his memory. Funny thing though: he said he had been tinkering around on the agency website and he just couldn’t find what he was seeking. This whole time he was thinking that I was making the site more confusing and less intuitive. Nah man, it wasn’t me!! Glad I was able to clear my name, right? Anyway, it was a brief but nice little catchup. It’s cool to see retired people still active and traveling and having fun. The conversation was also a good exercise for me to revisit and relight those old connections… My new job is gonna demand that kind of thing from me far more often now…

As for the flight, it was an easy 90 minutes. I conked out and dreamed about hustling to sell houses. 🙂 After we touched down, we putzed around UW and then snuck in a quickie meal (gyro and baklava) at a local Middle Eastern food shop. Wow, a flavorful meal!

Then for dinner, we met up with our two couple friends– G&J, who are Seattlelites, and J&J, who flew in from OAK this morning. The neighborhood pizza joint hit just the spot: we had a great time catching up over yummy food. For dessert, Trophy cupcakes! Yup, clearly, the carbo loading has only just begun.

Decency is Dead

After feeling rather motivated yesterday (having decided on my next career step), today I am totally in the dumps. My brain just keeps trying to explain how someone so consistently egregious in so many ways can rise to become President of the United States of America. There is something so viscerally wrong with this picture, and I am in utter despair that the world is broken beyond repair.

A part of me is looking for someone to blame. I am angry. And when I’m pissed off and upset, I revert to my family’s way of fighting… But in the end, I know that identifying a scapegoat doesn’t solve anything. The damage is done, and put simply, decency is dead. At this point, I am questioning humanity: I am feeling suspicious, defiant, and extremely judgmental. So many people made bad decisions yesterday. Ultimately, you just can’t reason with crazy.

Even so, the diplomatic dance began already, with calls for unity, openmindedness, and collaboration. Well, like the Dixie Chics once said, I’m not ready to make nice. At all.

How did she possibly make that concession speech? For one thing, how did she not crumble and lose her shit in despair and defeat and disappointment? Her strength and resilience and poise is beyond what I can truly comprehend…

Sure, like Obama says, the sun will still rise tomorrow, and we’re all on the same side: Team American. Um, yeah no. And yet, in spite of my defiance and refusal to accept and move forward, there are no other options. Are we to hope that Trump reins in his unpresidential behavior and evolves quickly into someone respectable? Um, don’t people say past performance is a strong indicator of future performance? I’m not stupid. His pattern has been consistent and what, all of the sudden, him moving into the White House is going to turn him into an educated, even-tempered, inclusive non-asshole? Yeah right. People say that at Thanksgiving, we’ll all still gather around the feast with our loved ones who voted for Trump. Um, again. Not ready. I agree: in general, politics shouldn’t ruin your relationships, but shit, in the case of Trump… I simply cannot reconcile this. at. all.

The impact is tremendous. Can we expect the Republican Congress and Republican judicial system to keep his executive branch in check? I am skeptical.

I get that the political landscape has and will continue to ebb and flow through cycles. But shit, this decision feels different. This decision feels like a real death blow. A total Game Over. I don’t know that the pendulum will ever come back or recalibrate to center. We’re in a new world order: decency is dead, and it ain’t ever coming back.

Decision 2016

Surprise, surprise, I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was just too damn wired about a gabillion different things. Two pills of Calm Forte didn’t do Jack! Ah well, luckily another restless night didn’t void out today: today was a pretty good day even though this evening the presidential election results still loom over our heads…

I tried a new carpet cleaning service this morning, and the results were superb… even better than the company I used in the past (recommended by a friend). Actually, that service wasn’t that great, to be honest. But yeah, this dude today got all the stains out, so we are back in business! Who knew a little bit of citrus pre-treatment followed by water heated to 230 degrees and applied at very high pressure then extracted would get all the gunk out? Very impressed and all my earlier worries about how to get the house “ready” were way overblown. Dude was able to get underneath the bed without even moving it, and he really didn’t need to move every damn piece of furniture. All came out clean with very little pain or inconvenience!

In the afternoon, I attended a real estate training at the office. It was led by a title company agent who used to work at Nordies for 8 years. She was a calling whiz and so, so personable. We clicked right away (Yes, it helped that she complimented my hair), and she’s offered to meet up in December to introduce me to their services and offerings. Very cool. After that, I waited around for my instructor/coach to discuss an entire list of questions… he ended up getting hogged up by another student, so I hit up the office comptroller instead. She was very pleasant in answering my questions. I think my inquiries actually impressed her, bc she said no one else had ever asked her those questions, about the business model and incentives, etc. And of course, as I had intended from the get go, I ended by making my ask. And whatdya know, I fucking got it, much to Bubbey’s surprise. So, I’ll be signing on with that Santa Clara office… Hee, hee. So nice to wrap up my due diligence (though I still have two calls tomorrow with newbies/his coaching students– I’ll still be able to glean valuable info from them) and arrive at a decision. I feel really good about it.

Of course, coming home to Election night is a bit unnerving. I went into the day feeling pretty confident: in Hillary, I think we have an amazing candidate, but it’s now 7pm and well, the results are not looking as promising as anticipated. Bubbey is already calling the end of the world… Many of the key states are too close to tell, but you know what? This election is like the real estate license exam. It doesn’t matter what score you get, you just have to pass. Likewise, it doesn’t matter how close the individual states are, Hillary just has to win. And I still believe she will.

On the Cusp

These days I really vacillate between feeling completely overcome by doom and disbelief to feeling some lingering and stubborn kindling of optimism and fire. Tonight we are on the cusp of something historic. Sure, we continue going about our daily routines: I’m thrilled to have carpet cleaners coming first thing tomorrow to get this sty back in shape; I’m going to another real estate training then meeting with the office recruiter; I’ve got more calls slated for the afternoon, a repeat doggie daycare client the next day… nothing ever stops, but tomorrow I will go to bed reassured and proud and happy, knowing that for the first time ever, this country will have a smart and accomplished Madam President come January. I’m with her, and she will win.

I’ve popped two Calm Forte this evening: I look forward to waking up well rested and hopeful for a brand new day ahead.

It’s Gou Time!

Since returning from overseas, I have been on the go. Big. time. John insists that this Powerpill mode was all precipitated by my father’s assertion that he works waaaay harder than I do. I’ll admit, statements like that– albeit true– do rile me up, so yes, that partially lit a fire under my ass. But aside from my father’s remarks, I’ve also been getting super antsy, you know? It’s time to get going full force. After all, I like to hustle!

Since Wednesday, I’ve been in full-on real estate networking/research mode. Then, I’ve also been trying to catch up with friends and you know, get back into the swing of home improvement, activity planning, and dealios. Real estate-wise, a decision on where I’m going to work is coming soon (after I do a tad bit more research and squeeze in some negotiating, of course).

As for my personal life, I am still floating on Cloud 9 with my Southwest Companion Pass. Shit man, I had already scored our Seattle tickets for dirt cheap, but then I called yesterday to inquire if I could refund John’s ticket (for travel credit) and instead use the Companion Pass option. Yesiree! I also learned that his travel credits can be applied towards taxes (~$11.20/flight) on the comp ticket! I know, you don’t really give a shit about the nitty gritty: long story short, we now have three trips on the books where he’s using the deal (over $500 worth!) . I’m going to get addicted to this BOGO travel arrangement big time!

What else. J and I have been talking about upgrading to a tankless water heater, so we can recover some space from the hallway and expand the master bath just a tad. We’re getting estimates from 2-3 plumbers to see what that entails. The timing is just about right too: this week, we noticed leaking/moisture on the top of our existing 40-gallon water heater (dated 1998!!). Yup, at this point we are really playing with fire. And given the last plumbing debacle, we’re kinda pushing our luck. Anyway, the project might have to break down into phases due to the urgency of getting in a new heater… we’ll see.

I’ve also been feeling rather grossed out by our dirty carpets, so I gathered numerous quotes last week for carpet cleaning. I’m planning to schedule a thorough deep cleaning on Tuesday/Wednesday, bc I need to see start seeing some sparkle around here!

Oh, and I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m participating in NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), which is basically an event/movement where bloggers post daily for this month. I’ve done it before. Blogging every day is a good habit for me since it’s essentially my therapy, which you witnessed in full view last month… Stay tuned for more.