What is in your cup?

[ProfCrash]

The Puerh ice tea was wonderful. Must make some more. Tomorrow I am going to buy a pound of Earl Grey Cream at Teavana. I plan to use it for ice tea.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

You've come a long way, baby. From unable to walk to Nidan... not bad at all!

Stitchawl

Nidan? As in 2nd Degree Black Belt? Nah, only 1st degree. Plan to get a second black belt in Aikido, or Kali before worrying about a second notch on the first black belt.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'm buying a round for the house. Landlord, a bottle of your best, please.

We sold the condo this afternoon. Paperwork to be done on Monday, closing on Wednesday, we fly Thursday. May the bridges I burn light the way...

Unfortunately, the couple who bought it are Chinese. Culture strikes again. We put the condo up for sale at a nice price, all things considered. Call it 'just a bit above' the going rate for a condo this size, in this neighborhood, etc. The Japanese would never consider making a counter-offer when purchasing a house. Or almost anything, for that matter. But the Chinese are ferocious bargainers. They came back with a counter-offer that would have rocked the socks off of most Japanese... but not off an American who lived in Thailand for 10 years, where ferocious bargaining is the norm for even a taxi ride or a kilo of onions.... We talked, offer, counter, offer, counter, and finally arrived at the exact price I had set in 'my' mind when my wife and I first put the condo up for sale. While I didn't expect anyone to make a counter offer, (I didn't count on anyone other than Japanese buyers... My error.) I figured maybe someone really wanted to be here... maybe buy a place to put mother or father close by, etc.. and made an asking price just a bit higher than what was really expected, planning that if it didn't sell after the first 6 months, we could always come down to the 'real price'... to just what we sold it for today. Thank you, God.





Stitchawl

congrats! what drives me crazy is buyers that are getting fire sale prices and then think it's ok to take another 5-7k off their offer, ESPECIALLY after having been told by their realtor that "seriously! it's a good deal!" I had one couple that I showed over 50 houses to and made 7 offers on their behalf, they just HAD to keep "bargaining" where and when a bargain wasn't appropriate. I just listed a house today that has been on the market with three other brokers, and in all of those listings, the house was only shown four times. twice was me. she kept my business card. this time around she interviewed me and three other realtors, re-interviewed me twice. I had it listed shortly after 9 this morning, got my first call for a showing in LESS than an hour, and another call for a showing later in the morning. what's the difference? she listened to me, did what I advised, and the realtors showing the property know how thorough my research is.

[removed quote and comment of deleted post - moderator]

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

congrats! what drives me crazy is buyers that are getting fire sale prices and then think it's ok to take another 5-7k off their offer, ESPECIALLY after having been told by their realtor that "seriously! it's a good deal!" I had one couple that I showed over 50 houses to and made 7 offers on their behalf, they just HAD to keep "bargaining" where and when a bargain wasn't appropriate. I just listed a house today that has been on the market with three other brokers, and in all of those listings, the house was only shown four times. twice was me. she kept my business card. this time around she interviewed me and three other realtors, re-interviewed me twice. I had it listed shortly after 9 this morning, got my first call for a showing in LESS than an hour, and another call for a showing later in the morning. what's the difference? she listened to me, did what I advised, and the realtors showing the property know how thorough my research is.

You'd love to be a real estate agent here. They don't even open their mouths during a showing. The prospects walk around, often not even fully entering the bedroom or living room. They will stand in the doorway leaning in and looking. We had to almost plead with them to actually enter, and even then they were very apologetic about intruding on personal space. Today, the buyers came back, and offered to buy the last few remaining pieces of furniture that we would have had to PAY to throw away. Now there will be absolutely nothing left for us to do but vacuum and dust before we leave. We tried to give them Felicity's litter box, but they declined... politely.

You know... I've been a Taoist for the past 40 years. But with the way all this has fallen into place so perfectly and so completely, I think I might actually have to start believing that there is a God....

Time for another mug of 'some' tea. The only thing I'm sure of is that it isn't my unbranded Keemun. It could be East India Company's 'Keemun Downy Bud,' Taylor's "English Breakfast" or East India's "Royal Breakfast.." They just taste too similar to be sure. Fortunately, they are all gooood....


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Nidan? As in 2nd Degree Black Belt? Nah, only 1st degree. Plan to get a second black belt in Aikido, or Kali before worrying about a second notch on the first black belt.

Ooops, Sorry... Shodan. I'm just very positive about your future.


Stitchawl

[dreams]

Fresh coffee in my cup (it has cooled down outside) and a bowl of M&M's by my side.

I'm celebrating that I got 4 paper wasp nests taken down. I used high power water spray to knock them down and kept spraying the wasps that were flying around.

[pdurrant]

Congratulations on the sale, Stitchawl. I hope the paperwork and payments go smoothly.

Nothing in my cup at present.

[Bilbo1967]

Lazy lie-in day. Just got up and have tea (Typhoo) in my cup.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by dreams

Fresh coffee in my cup (it has cooled down outside) and a bowl of M&M's by my side.

I'm celebrating that I got 4 paper wasp nests taken down. I used high power water spray to knock them down and kept spraying the wasps that were flying around.

Still would have used much fire... but alas, guess your way worked

[pdurrant]

Coca-cola in my cup.

[VydorScope]

Coffee, Black in a Christmas mug.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Congratulations on the sale, Stitchawl. I hope the paperwork and payments go smoothly.

Thank you. I'm quite confident that everything will go even smoother than expected. The new owners are even asking us to leave some things that would have required us paying to throw out and extensive clean-up afterwards. (The even want the plastic garbage cans!) The bought all the bigger pieces that were remaining, including the light fixtures. Those don't normally come with a Japanese house. They are even hurrying through their end of the money gathering to help us out. If things went any smoother, I'd think God was setting me up for something!

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Still would have used much fire... but alas, guess your way worked

I like the James Bond 'can of hair spray and a Zippo' technique.

Finishing up the last of the tequila... Just a drop or two of rum left, and a bit of Bombay Sapphire. Timing is good...


Stitchawl

[ProfCrash]

Rooibos chocolate mint in my cup. My throat is wonky and my leg hurts. I think I pushed to hard my first week back in the gym.

[cromag]

Okay, I guess my noisy cicadas aren't that bad.

First mug of tea. Then 9 hours on the road.

[dreams]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Still would have used much fire... but alas, guess your way worked

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I like the James Bond 'can of hair spray and a Zippo' technique.

I swear you two sound just like my son. Use fire. Burn them. Did anyone even think about what my poor umbrellas would look like after trying to use fire? Yes, it would have worked, but the umbrellas would have ended up being just sticks in the air.

Originally Posted by cromag

Okay, I guess my noisy cicadas aren't that bad.

First mug of tea. Then 9 hours on the road.

I can only imagine what all those mating cicada sounds are like. I do know that one cricket can drive me crazy. Be safe and have a nice trip.

Morning coffee in my cup after coming in from watering all the citrus trees, flowers, and the garden.