You probably noticed I changed my layout. I thought something more summery was in order, and this definitely is! It might be very girly, but I think it's cute. I love cherry blossoms so it was an instant hit with me :) They're one of my favourite flowers (trees?).
I seriously need to go grocery shopping. I was going to go today but I left it too late, and the grocery stores close early (too early in my opinion) so I would have been getting there just as it closed. I have to make myself go tomorrow!
It's not too late, but I'm pretty tired. I think I'm going to call it a night.
At least once in life, there's always that one person you cross paths with, even if briefly, that seems to be superhuman in terms of being multi-talented and managing all of their many projects at once. In Massachusetts, that person must be Paul McMann. I can't imagine doing half of what he does! McMann is not only a real estate developer who founded his own real estate development company, but seems to be a financial guru as well! In the past he has utilized his knowledge and experience as a financial advisor (did I mention he does that too?!) by teaching finance at college level, as a professer at the very respectable Babson College, a business school located also in Massachusetts. He has also given many seminars and written many articles on the subject of finance.
As if this wasn't ambitious enough, McMann also put his business sense to use with a longtime passion of his, basketball. According to his website, in 1998 he founded a college basketball league named Collegiate Professional Basketball League. During this time, he worked to benefit college basketball by negociating sponsorships for the team so they could carry on with their education while still being able to play basketball.
Presently, McMann continues his work as a real estate developer in Massachusetts and also is a contributing writer.
So there you have it. Paul McMann in a nutshell. I can't imagine juggling so many different careers at once. So kudos to him. To sum Paul McMann up, he's a real estate developer, businessman, entrepreneur, financial advisor, author and philanthropist. Pretty impressive. That would without a doubt look good on a resume! By the time I write this, he'll probably have taken on a new project. To learn more about Paul and his many accomplishments, check out his website.
Sorry for the long absence. I've just been enjoying the spring/summery weather. Lots of flowers are starting to come up which is great to see! There are some beautiful tulips in my garden which a bright, orangey red in colour. They really pop.
After this nice weather, today is dull, dark, and grey. Perhaps there is rain on the way?? I'll write more later! Promise :P
I might sound like a broken record (Okay, I definitely do) but I can't get over this weather. It's not like were right in the middle of Summer, such as late July, but mid April! It's not even technically Summer yet! Right now it is 25.6°C or 78.1° F. I went to the library today and my car was parked for a while, not directly in the sun, and when I returned it was smoldering inside. I even burnt myself on the metal on the seat belt. :( I'm just not used to this yet. It seems only weeks ago it never went above freezing and snowed every other day. In fact, I'm convinced Spring doesn't exist here! There's quite a nice Autumn, then a long Winter, then bam! Summer.
I was so hot I made myself a cold drink from this morning's green tea. It had been steeping for hours so it was quite strong. I watered it down with ice which also cooled it, squeezed lemon juice in and added a small bit of melted honey and sugar to take away the bitterness. It was so good! I should really buy more lemons to make more of it, it was really refreshing.
Wow.. it is 21 degrees today! (70 Fahrenheit) That's probably the warmest it's been so far! Simply beautiful. I walked down to the mailbox just now as an excuse to get outside into this beautiful weather.
My daughter has a science exam tomorrow! On all four subjects! (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology). It isn't until next year it's narrowed down to one specific subject. All I can say is... better her than me!
Recently, while reading a blog I regularly peruse, the author said she had been a victim of The Rank Spank. At first I wasn't sure what she meant. Upon further research however, I learned she was referring to Page Rank. If you aren't sure exactly what Page Rank is all about, it's essentially a ranking system that evaluates how popular your blog is, from 0 to 10, 10 being the most popular. Google, the company behind Page Rank, dropped many bloggers ranks significantly with no real rhyme or reason to it. This event came to be known as The Rank Spank. Google's "reason" for this, it was revealed, is that it simply didn't approve of bloggers using any form of advertising but AdSense, which (surprise, surprise!) is Google's program. So any blogger that dared used anything else, was punished with a decreased Page Rank.
The problem and injustice with this is that many advertisers relied on Page Rank to determine on which blogs their advertisement was likely to get the most traffic, etc. But of course, now Page Rank is notoriously biased and inaccurate because of this unjustified Rank Spank. So many bloggers who up until then had high Page Ranks, began to miss out on advertising opportunities because advertisers still relied on Page Rank despite it's biases.
Thankfully now there is a better ranking system. That accurately and fairly judges how popular a website is. IZEA has introduced RealRank, a system that evaluates blogs based on real data and stats. So websites are ranked accordingly on the amount of traffic, clicks, and visitors they receive. Good for IZEA for saying enough's enough with unsound rankings and bringing a system to the table based on the facts. It's about time, isn't it?
Curious where your blog really ranks? Check out Izea Ranks and see!
So did anyone see the Biggest Loser finale yesterday? I just LOVE seeing the results of their weight loss. It truly is amazing how much they have changed their lives and how different they look. It's a great inspiration, not just for losing weight but conquering any challenge. I was surprised, but very happy for Ali when she won. The first female winner! I was truly amazed at every single contestant though. They all did very well.
I've often contemplated selling some of the many fabrics I've collected over the years. But ebay isn't really my cup of tea. Just because you're not so internet saavy (like myself :P) doesn't mean you can't have an online store. Ashop Commerce offers shopping cart software so merchants can be confident their store's shopping cart simply works, every time. I just tried out their demo admin panel and demo store and it really is ingenious. Even I could do this! It's so simple to both set up your store's shopping cart and have your customers order from it. I really am impressed and if my little store ever did get off the ground, I would definitely use their service. But in the meantime, for anyone who does run an online store, or thinking of starting one, check out their ecommerce software and see how it could help your store!
I gotta say I'm glad and somewhat relieved my school days are finished and over with. Am I alone in feeling like students today are under tremendous pressure in school? I'm all for continuing education, but I hate to see when kids (sorry, TEENAGERS :P) are overworked in school to the point of missing out on just being a kid and actually ridden with anxiety and stress. I guess I just wouldn't be cut out for that much responsibility at such a young age.
When you're buying or selling your home, it's very important that the real estate agency you choose is one you can trust and rely on. Prestige Realty Of North Idaho is an exciting new independent real estate agency in northern Idaho. It must be hard to miss them with their stunning sign, made of granite and 22k gold, standing at 12 feet tall! Though Prestige Realty is a new firm, they already have a lot of history. They're located in a beautiful historical building that thankfully was saved from demolition as a result of their efforts. It would have been a shame to see such a lovely heritage house lost to modern developement.
Experienced agents is also crucial in ensuring that the process of buying or selling your home is one where you feel confident and informed every step of the way. Many agents at Prestige Realty have been in the real estate field for upwards of 20 years!
A very great feature of working with Prestige Realty is that the buyer or seller can receive up to a 10,000 dollar rebate (!) at closing. That would certainly have been a welcome thing when I bought my home a few years back. More information of this fantastic program can be found at Northidahorebates.com.
Prestige Realty is commited to excellent customer service, and give every client their time and and full attention to ensure the best experience and outcome possible while upholding the highest standard of service.
I am extremely impressed with their website. It is very professional, user-friendly and easy to navigate. All the information is layed out in a clear and simple way, avoiding the confusion and frustration of badly designed and vague real estate websites.
So if you are in the north Idaho area I encourage you to check them out when you want to buy or sell real estate. Trust someone who's been there, a great real estate agent makes all the difference! Visit their website listed above or come see them at:
805 E Sherman, Coeur D'Alene Idaho, 83814
and our phone number 208-765-4500
or 1-877-sold-851
