Perhaps I should be, but times are too dire to pretend it doesn’t matter who’s in charge.

I’ve voted early, as we can here in North Carolina. There was a long but happy crowd, tempers were upbeat, polling staff were tired but thorough and things went smoothly.

I was with our youngest son who gleefully cast his first ever vote in a presidential race. Obama all the way. He is truly excited about the chance to make a difference.

I voted the same way, and am equally happy to be able to possibly help bring North Carolina into the blue column and maybe make Senator Obama’s victory all but certain.

I’m a real estate agent and it kind of sucks to be one right now. But I know this rough patch will pass. And I’m only inconvenienced - not seriously impacted - by the economic flu with which the country is currently dealing. My kids are smart, happy, safe (one newly married and preparing to buy a house - not from me because they cruelly decided to stay in Tennessee for a while, way on the other side of the mountains from us), my husband’s business is doing well, we are still in love after 28 years, and all is right. So, while real estate is a challenging field in which to make a living right now, I’m fine.

But the country? Not so much. And now’s the time to do something about it. Voting presents us with that chance.

You know, one wonders how things could have gone so terribly wrong so quickly. My theory is that we as fortunate Americans have come to feel that our country will always be fine no matter what. That the momentum of our past successes and the natural resources and expansive talents of many of our citizens will keep things moving in a positive direction.

But that’s just not the case. We have to work at these things. Protect them. Cherish and nurture them. We’ve been glib and wasteful. But it’s not too late.

Vote. I hope you’ll vote for Obama. But either way, take part in the process.

[As an aside, if you want to read a funny bit about the election as it winds down, check this out.]

Tags: politics

These two are wonderful young people, destined for success and happiness. And I say this not as the mother of the bride but as a purely objective observer.

OK. Maybe not 100% objective. But they are indeed great and Hernan and I are thrilled that our daughter, Lindsay, and Patrick found each other.

So thank you for allowing me to indulge myself. And I’d rather write about them than real estate any day!

…..Will have to wait ’cause I’m at the beach. And it’s f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c.

Look at what I get to see when I start my daily walk:

For all of you under snow and ice, come on down to Carolina where, in early March, you can stroll on the beach and the daffodils are already blooming.

More real estate wisdom soon. But for now, I’m chill in the warmth.

I hate to shop. I would rather take a beating than go to the mall. What some people see as sport or therapy I see as punishment.

Not that I’m not a dedicated consumer. Give me a well constructed retail website and a credit card and I’m happy to start listening for the pitter-patter of FedEx delivery feet on my porch.

But while I prefer stealth consumerism to the up close and personal kind, I am too through with catalogs. Daily, our mailbox is pregnant with Land’s End, Chadwick’s, Pottery Barn, Soma, Chico’s, Office Depot and various and sundry vendors wanting our scratch.

Many of these companies will indeed be patronized by us. But enough with the paper.

So, I just signed up for a free account with catalogchoice.org to have delivery of several publications to our home stopped. It was free and pretty easy.

I’ll let you know how well it works.

No real estate news here. Just trying to be your one stop option for all around wisdom….

If I am true and honest with myself, which I try to be at least a couple of times year, I have to say that thinking about my weight has been the most constant and overriding thing in my life. Boyfriends came and went, fashions changed, goals shifted - and so did my flesh.

I was pudgy enough as an adolescent that when the extra padding went from where it shouldn’t have been to where it looked pretty good I couldn’t even enjoy it. I was a size 5 through high school but remained the “plumpest girl in the room” in my mind.

Sheesh! Why do we do this to ourselves?

At any rate, college, more boyfriends, way different fashions, interesting classes and friends - and still I focused on being fat (in my mind).

Over the years, though, I managed to make my perception the reality. Fat, fatter, fattest. I grew, and kept growing. I ended up looking like the Violet Beauregard in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - only a bit less purple. I was HUGE.

Uncool.

One December day, for no reason I can figure out, I dragged my lardy self to the local YMCA, went into the workout room, and strolled on the treadmill for about 10 minutes. Showered. Went home, exhausted but triumphant.

Thus began the incredibly slow process of losing some weight - about 52 pounds to date. There are many, many more to go. But every morning I wake and am better off than I was that morning in December.

Of course, I just heard that Krispy Kreme is going to start serving their doughnuts with ice-cream. ARGHHH!