Ann Hayden's Real Estate Blog

My electricity dilemma has nothing to do with paying or cost.  It has to do with being without it for over 24 hours.  I am experiencing this right now.  I have been without electric since 8 a.m. Sunday morning. 

At first, the power outage was just a minor inconvenience.  We went out for brunch and then left the house for the day.  We came home at 7 p.m. and still no power.  At this point, it has become a real problem.  I have about 35-40 quart of peaches in my freezer I purchased and froze last month.  These are now irreplaceable since peach season is over.  I have meat, breads, cans of juice, veggies, etc. in the freezer.  Then of course we have the refrigerator items.  Both of the refrigerators are full and more than likely most of the items are spoiling.  I wonder does wine keep once it is cold and then warms. 

Not only all of that but cleaning up might be nice....  The water pump does not work without the electric. The dishes are stacking up.  The bathrooms need cleaned.  Flushing is difficult but not impossible since we did not get the pool covered before the storm.  

The Internet does not work without a "little" electric.  Battery powered phones are impossible to use.  Good thing I have a cell phone with a car charger. 

The coolers of ice have nearly melted.  It is likely the milk will spoil.  Then there is the lunch meat and cheese...UGH!

Ameren's recording now says "maybe" by 8 p.m. it will be restored.  If you get to talk to a human being, you are told not until "maybe" 10 p.m.  Last night, the recording said it should be restored by 5 a.m. today.  NOT!  I suppose I will call again later to see what the recording has to say then. 

I miss my electric even though I do not see it.  I take it for granted everyday...  I have even tried to turn on lights even though I know they will not work.  

My electricity dilemma will hopefully be solved soon.  I know there are people out there who lost everything and I feel for them.  But I still WANT MY ELECTRICITY! 

                                Octoberfest Kid Safety Day!

When:  Saturday October 18, 2008

11 until 2 p.m.

Where:  Prudential Select Properties

16442 Village Plaza View Drive

Wildwood, MO  63011

FREE Hot dogs, popcorn and snacks

                         Finger printing and ID cards

                         Fire truck and ambulance

                             Kid's Moonwalk

 FREE!!  Come join in the fun!  Bring your friends, neighbors, anyone who is a child at heart.                       The weather should be cooler and hopefully the rain will stay away.  It will be a great way to spend some time with those little ones in your life.

More info at www.SelectAnn.com

Breaking news:  Wildwood, Missouri City Hall regrettably announces the cancellation of the Wildwood Days Celebration.   The city made the decision to cancel the event due to the rain and field conditions.  Babler State Park officials felt the ground was too saturated to allow the event.

The event was to be held on Saturday September 13, 2008 at Babler State Park.

Unfortunately the event for 2008 will NOT be rescheduled.

However, there will be an October fest/ Kid Safety Day on October 12, 2008

at Prudential Select Properties 16442 Village Plaza View Dr.  Wildwood, MO  

This event is free and open to the public.  For additional information go to:

www.SelectAnn.com

Remembering 9/11....a day that will live on in the history of our nation. I would like to pay tribute to those fallen heroes, those people who thought that fateful day was going to be like any other ordinary day.

We will never know why, why so many had to die.
We will never understand the senseless killing of so many precious people.
Many loved ones were lost on September 11th, 2001.
Friends and family.
Neighbors and co-workers
Moms and Dads.
Brothers and Sisters.
Grandmas and Grandpas.
Many true heroes gave their all to save others.
While the nation watched, the first twin tower burned..........
Everyone held their breath as another plane crashed into the other tower.
There were screams from many.
There was much confusion.
Horrifying images of a nation.
A nation in shock.
A nation in disbelief.

And then, all was silent.
It was as if the world stopped spinning.
Everything was still.
It was as if there was nothing...
But low and behold, survivors emerged.
Survivors from the wreckage.
A little glimmer of hope in a turbulent time.
Our nation pulled together.
We pulled together to help those who lost loved ones.
To search for the ones who thought it was going to be just another day.
Another Tuesday.

A Tuesday we will never forget.
A Tuesday we must never forget.

A tribute to the memory of all those lost and those who lost loved ones.
We will Never Forget!

Super building lot in private lake community/subdivision

10 minutes from highway 44, 30 minutes from St.  Louis, MO

Nearly 3/4 acre                           Catawissa, MO                                     $39,900

Lake Serene features a 67+/- acre lake. Here you can enjoy the benefits of a lake without the long drive. Lot owners enjoy picturesque views, boating and fishing. Build your new home here today. According to the subdivision rules, the house you construct must be at least 1250 square feet. This lot is .7 +/acres according to the county tax assessment. This is one of the largest lots in the subdivision. The lot has 75 feet of Cherry Lane road frontage. Make an offer today and get started on building your dream

For more information go to:  SelectAnn.com/80000964

The AR Anns' Adventures is the latest group for Ann/Annes.   

This is the address for anyone named Ann or Anne. Or anyone who knows, is related to, is an associate of, or has the pleasure to work with an Ann/Anne.

Post all your adventures here!  Get out there and have an awesome adventure so you can blog about it here....

Come join in the fun!  http://activerain.com/groups/annsadventures

This group brought to you by Ann Allen and Ann Hayden.

Finally made it to 10,000 points on Active Rain.  This was the goal when I started blogging.  But it has turned into so much more.  I have been getting to know all of you helpful, intelligent people.  Information blooms here, like this rose. 

Technology is ever changing as is our industry.  You either change or get the heck out of the way.

Thank you for all your comments, support, advice, etc...  

Blog on in the Rain!

Last night we went to the ballgame in Baseball Heaven AKA Busch Stadium (for now)..  It seemed as though we showed up, the Brewers showed up and many of their fans but the Cardinals were not there.  Well, they were there physically but they were not playing very well.

They managed to nearly score a run or two but for the most part it was sad.  My mom and her new husband joined us at the new and improved ballpark.  Jim, my new dad,  was not impressed with the stadium.  He recalled how unique the old one was and how much better it was.  I could not hear everything he said over the noise of the crowd.  In St. Louis it does not matter how the Cardinals play, the fans here still cheer them on and get into the game!

I think the Brewers were a little surprised by this.  I know the four Milwaukee fans sitting in front of us took note of our enthusiasm on several occasions during the game.  At one point one of them turned around to us and asked, "Is the weather always like this in August here?"  To which I had to reply yes.  I later told him not really they must have brought the cooler temps with them.  He said, "You are welcome.'  And I had to laugh.  He seemed a very friendly man. 

We are having beautiful weather here in Missouri.  It has been bearable during the day and almost chilly at night.  So being in Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game was a lovely way to spend the evening even though we were disappointed with the outcome of the game.  Better luck next time, Cardinals!

Here is a photo I snapped as we were leaving Baseball Heaven in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Could almost be a postcard.

One might ask how a dog can be a wonder.  Here is my attempt to post about my newest family member, Sparky.  Sparky is a Collie/Shepherd/Husky?? mix.  He was rescued and adopted from the St. Louis Humane Society.  His name at the time of adoption was "Brody".  I did not care for the name but thought I would get used to it.  Well, after about a week of forgetting the dog's name I decided it had to be changed.  I mean who calls a dog "Brody"?  The only Brody I could ever remember was the guy in the Jaws movies.  I did not want to equate calling my dog with the blood thirsty shark!

So we talked about names.  It took nearly 2 days to agree upon a name.  (There was another Sparky in my life when I was a young girl.  He was my Grandma and Grandpa's dog.  He was the best dog.  He would let the grand kids crawl all over him and never ever growl.  He was the ever vigilant protector.  He feared nothing or so the grandchildren thought.  Later when we were older we found out he did have one fear- THUNDER!  The dog hated storms.)  Hands down, I won on the naming of the dog.  He caught on very quickly to his new name.  Since he was a stray, his Humane Society name did not matter to him anyway. 

Sparky is a wonder because of the 8 dogs we brought into the "family" area with us, he was the only one to play ball.  I always wanted a dog who was smart enough to play games.  So this did it for me.  Also, he seemed very much at ease with all of us.  We filled out the papers and proceeded to bring him home.  This was a stray dog who thought I was his protector, so he wanted to ride on my lap as I drove the 30+ miles home from the pound.  It was a messy ride.  He was nervous and tried to climb over the seats and children the whole way home.  Needless to say, when we arrived home I was quite content to let him run.  He did not go far and was more than happy to chase and retrieve the ball I threw for him. 

Since Sparky seemed to be an intelligent animal, I decided to teach him some tricks.  The first was to sit and heel.  He did well with both.  Next, I thought, let's try "shake".  He caught on immediately.  He was still having trouble with "come" when called.  So I enlisted the help of a shock collar but I could not bring myself to push the button.  I went back to offering treats as a reward for coming when called, then after a few days, just a great deal of praise and lots of attention. 

My cousin has dogs that do all sorts of tricks.  So inspired by her, I decided he should learn to roll over.  It took all of 2 days for Sparky to learn this one.  He does it on command now but only if you have a treat for him.  He does not even care anymore if it is me commanding him.  All the visitors to our "ranch" thoroughly enjoy this trick.  Our home is not really a ranch but the neighbors have cows and horses so we call it a ranch.

About a week after we rescued Sparky, I let him out before going to bed.  I heard him yipe and proceeded to open the door thinking he was ready to come in.  He did charge into the house nearly knocking me down. It took two seconds for me to realize what had happened.  He had been SKUNKED!  He smelled horrible.

I quickly shut the door and went to the phone to call a couple of experts.  The first said to use tomato juice.  I check the pantry, NONE!  I called another friend.  He said he had viewed a show called Myth Busters recently covering this topic.  Their solution was to wash the animal with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.  I thanked him and got off the phone.

I looked at Sparky a basically black dog and decided I did not want to bleach his fur so I opted to use the baking soda mixed with soap.  I assembled the necessary ingredients and put on a rain suit so I could give an emergency bath.  I quickly found out Sparky does not like water. He almost knocked me down twice during the 30 minute bath.  Finally we were finished and he smelled pretty good.  I brought him in and went to bed. 

Needless to say, Sparky now stays away from those cute little black and white animals.   He has learned they are DANGEROUS! 

This dog is truly a wonder.  He is constantly finding a new way to make us laugh or impress us.  With those ears perked and the nose twitching, Sparky makes us smile and happy he is a part of our family.  Welcome home wonder dog!  We hope to have many years with you.

Just in time for the COLD winter ahead, five low cost ideas to have a "greener" home and save some money on those heating bills.

 1)  Boost insulation. Insulation can settle and lose its fluffiness, reducing the ability to protect against energy loss. Your attic insulation needs to be at least one foot deep.  So spend some dough to bulk up the attic insulation.

 2)  Have a blower test.  Employ an energy auditor to find the areas in which air is escaping. If you plug cracks around windows, doors, pipes and light fixtures with caulk and weather stripping, you can tighten your home. But be aware better sealed homes need better ventilation. A build up of extra moisture and indoor pollutants can create a "sick" building. You may need to add a ventilation system since opening a window can defeat the purpose of sealing the house (loss of heat, etc).

 3)  Seal ductwork. Seal joints and openings around heating/cooling registers with sealant or metal tape (not duct tape). And close registers in areas not occupied regularly.

 4)  Upgrade windows. Windows are a weak spot for conserving energy.  Many states provide incentives to install storm windows, solar glazing for windows (to help control solar heat gain and loss), window films and weather stripping. Also some will subsidize upgrades to new energy-efficient windows. For a list of programs, go to EfficientWindows.org.

 5)  Install fans. Ceiling fans improve air flow and make you feel cooler in hot weather.  Choose Energy Star-rated ones. Attic fans or whole house fans reduce heat build up, making your home cooler.

Now enjoy the snow!