Ann Hayden's Real Estate Blog

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!

Free Home Buyers Seminar

Date and Time:  Thursday October 2, 2008 7:00 to 9:00p.m.

Place:  Prudential Select Properties

           16442 Village Plaza View Dr

           Wildwood, MO  63011 

Come learn about........

Tax credit for 1st time home buyers, financing, home buying process, etc.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!

For reservations:   call 636-779-1100

                                   email AHayden@psphomes.com

                         Or sign on to www.SelectAnn.com

You missed a gorgeous day!  We had a stompin good time! 

This is a follow up to my invitation to attend the Grape Stomp in Hermann, Missouri.  We made it to Stone Hill Winery at 8:30 a.m.  It was chilly for an August morning in Missouri.  I actually had to wear a jacket to be comfortable. 

We waited in line until 11 a.m. then the registration took place.  Everyone in our group was within the 90 admitted to stomp.  We carried all our picnic items in and proceeded to set the table.  Everyone who walked by commented on the outlay of food and drinks.  We laughed and joked with them saying we had been here before and knew how to have a good time at the stomp.

The normal two minutes of stomping this year did not seem so bad.  Maybe because the weather was not too hot or maybe because we have experience in stomping and knew what to expect. We had a newbie stomping with us.  She did great.  No fear!

All in all everyone in our group had a wonderful time.  Here are some pictures from the event.  Nearly everyone asks how long our feet stay purple, so my daughter thought she would photograph feet in the grapes.  As you can see, the grapes are white. 

Join us next year for a Stompin Good Time!

Have you heard?  We are going to get a break on the deduction for mileage on our taxes for this year.  Yes, that is right, a whole .08 cents more per mile. 

I am happy to have the additional deduction but gas has been expensive all year not just from July 1st to December 31st.  Wouldn't you rather have a share in the profits of Exxon/Mobil?  They only posted $11.8 billion in profits in the second quarter.

So which would you vote for:  mileage deduction break or profit share with Exxon/Mobil?