Deb's Lake Livingston Real Estate & Stuff!

OMG, MY CAT WAS IN A TREE AND CHIVALRY IS NOT DEAD. Here I am. It's almost 1:00 am on what is now Wednesday, March 25, 2009. It's been a long night. About three hours ago I was in a panic. A life or death panic. It was 10:30 pm and I found Desi, my long loved 11 year old cat about 45 feet in the air and stuck in an Oak tree.

Yes, I had noticed he was no where for a few hours and began to call for him and worry about him. Off in the distance I heard this MeowYeowWow...he's verbally gifted. He speaks in syllables. This was a cry of help. With a little craning of my neck I sighted him in an Oak Tree of about 80 feet tall. He was more than half way up and screaming for help. Yikes. What does one do now?

Well, I watched the old movies and they always called the fire department. It was pouring down terrential rain. Boy do I have ... uh, ...moxy? Is that what you call it? I called them.

"Help, my cat's in a tree!"

And you know what? They didn't laugh. They said they would contact the fire department and have them call me. A gentleman by the name of Teddy called me and spoke with a compassion I miss in most people. He was sincere and said he would go to the station, get what he needed and come to help. What a guy! What a refreshingly wonderfully compassionate and caring thing to do! This is our local Riverside Fire Department. Riverside. A small town of about 400 caring and down to earth people.

They have now gained my total respect!

They came with ladders, and truck and boots and all! As it was pouring down rain they accessed that he was about 45 feet in the tree. He was really up there. They were concerned that their ladders couldn't reach him but it didn't stop them one bit.

Joe is the man that scaled the ladder with Teddy holding it. He was fully dressed with gloves so Desi wouldn't scratch him.

He managed to reach the stretch point and Desi was spooked. Off Desi went up and away on a branch that took him higher and higher. Joe was patient and called him, and talked to him, and little by little Desi began to come to him. What a miracle it was.

Desi could tell by Joe's voice that he was there to help. So with the rain pouring down, the lights flashing, me calling kitty, kitty and all flashlights shining on Desi's reflective eyes...he moved towards Joe. Joe was able to grab him by the neck. Hard but with care. Joe drew Desi close to him and began to scale the ladder down to safety.

Step by step, fighting vines, rain, and feeling the steps he made progress. About eight feet from the ground he lost Desi. Joe and Teddy heard him hit the ground or at least the bushes. All I could do was sit down and cry. I was worried about Desi and fearful I would lose my kitty and then found myself worried about Joe that could have fallen trying to save him.

Intensity of the moment is what I felt. Relief, gratitude, gratefulness, blessed and shaken, I tried to tell them how much it meant to me. Desi showed up at the front door like a wet rat and I've never seen him eat so furiously. He was so hungry and grateful to be on the ground.

Joe, you are my hero.

Teddy, you are too.

These two men both showed compassion, caring, giving and bravery with a little cat...

I would trust them with my home, should it burn. God bless you boys. Desi and I are so grateful.

BTW, my lens was sopping wet too. This makes me (officially) an obsessed blogger you know...lol.

Deb

Lake Livingston Real Estate

Dear Diary Members...

Sally "Woo Hoo" Cheeseman is bringing us a fantastic contest. Let's get in on this one and submit a great post on "Spring Cleaning & Fresh Ideas For Changing Times"!

Don't miss this contest!

Remember to post in "Diary of a Realtor" too! I am lucky to have been chosen as one of the judges. I don't want to miss a thing!

Later in the rain~Deb

I try to do my Civil Duty for my state and country and today I did show up for Jury Duty. I have mistakenly "overlooked" summons before and I then felt guilty. Today, Saint Patrick's Day, I succumbed to being sequestered. Yep, I was there.

I learned early in my life that all I have to do is to walk into a court room and I am immediately chosen to serve on the jury. This, I assure you, is not a beneficial trait of a person. I just am a "what do you think? magnet..." yep. People stop me in the grocery store to get my opinion.

I tried everything today. I didn't make eye contact, I fell asleep during the process and I drooled like I use to on the school desk, I stuck my tongue out at the lady that was dismissed and allowed to let my cell phone ring....all to no avail.

I was chosen on the spot.

Why do I dislike this? I have spent time convicting young people just as this young man was for carrying narcotics and it was a felony that holds 5-20 years. Even if a person is guilty of something like this I find it difficult to live with myself after a conviction such as it is.

Today, I got lucky. I was the 4th person out of about 200 called to sit on the stand to judge a young person. Long story short, we wasted the day taking breaks, getting to know one another in the judges chambers and having lunch, marching back and forth from the jury stand to our "quiet room" and then they called us in for good.....or for bad. Whatever you want to consider it.

The young man decided to plead guilty. The state did not offer him any kind of plea bargain so it was just the young man looking at our eyes and knowing he was guilty to make him succumb to the law. He will be given sentence in mid May.

Will I sleep better tonight? Probably not. With the exception that I don't have to get up quite as early.

God Bless him and all the young people that take the wrong path. The end.

These two thoughts have nothing to do with each other...lol.

Let's all say a prayer for Billie Tutas this evening. Prayer helps everything!

Later in the rain~Deb

I love Lucy, butt...My cousin Nancy and I were walking the authentic brick streets of Newport Indiana when she was 12 years old and I was three years younger. I was much more 10 than 9. I was very grown up. 

Newport Indiana had (and still does have) a population of approximately 400. Believe it or not it was the county seat. This was our city. We walked the tree lined brick laid and cobblestone streets enjoying the blue sky's and the lack of any traffic. I am a lucky person. I have actually existed in a town with no-one. Everyone, (that was important to me) was there yet no cars were in sight. 

There was always a person at the soda fountain to make us a Phosphate. I'm not sure where they came from. They were just there. Smiling and happy to serve us for our 10 cents.

It was a little bit Twilight Zone. 

I would hop on top of a red covered swiveled round bar seat and rest my elbows on a black and white counter top while watching the waitress add green juice, ice and a clear soda to my Phosphate. Then she would place it under a big metal machine and would mix it with a fervor. She would then drop in ice, a cherry and voila...it was a Phosphate.

Nancy and I would sit and talk about everything. Our schools, our boyfriends, our parents and our wanting to spend more time with each other. We would dream of being able to be together always. It wouldn't happen but we stole every minute possible. Nancy was my cousin and I was an only child. Nancy was as close as a sister and I cherish every moment we had together.

We would hop off the bar seats with a smile on our green mouths and head back out to the square. Off to the next store that was the epitomy of perfection for children with money!

OMG, it was the candy isle of the General Store! We were in heaven. Candy, candy everywhere and we could afford a bag of it. We held in our hot little hands at least 20 cents each and this candy was a whole penny a piece. Wow. Heaven in the 1960,s.

I was a bit spoiled because I was an only child and my parents were raising just one. I had a black and white TV (12 inch) in my bedroom. Not many other little girls could say the same.

My favorite show in the world, the one I wouldn't miss, the show I would hang the phone up for and the one I would go to bed for was...I Love Lucy! 

What did Lucy teach me to do?

She, Ricky, Fred and Ethel all smoked cigarettes. My mom and dad smoked. The neighbors smoked. The news men smoked, the commercials were all about dancing cigarettes, Ed Sullivan smoked on camera and so did his guests, Johnny Carson smoked, my teachers smoked. Back then it was simply a way of life.

My purchase at the candy store included a pack of Candy Cigarettes...yes, the adults were ignorant enough to manufacture candy cigarettes for their children. Both my parents smoked...in Indiana...in a car...in the freezing weather...while I was wearing wool and riding in the back seat. 

What does this mean? Oh yeah, an addiction. I breathed second hand smoke from the time I was an infant. I was addicted to nicotine by the time I could speak. Age 1.

I was a smoker before I ever had a cigarette.

I bought the candy cigarettes and I remember laying my head back, taking a fake puff, tasting the sweetness of the sugar, and deciding this was the right thing to do.

They got me before I even knew it. I was brainwashed and hooked.

I can still remember seeing the Marlboro Man the first time ever! He looked so strong and fatherly. The commercial made me think of one of my favorite songs...Home On The Range!

All this was in front of us along with the Saturday morning cartoons.

Yep, cartoons and Marlboro. Dancing cigarettes and men that would rather fight than switch...Hey Mulligan man, Roto Rooter, and Joe Cool, the Camel that taught us that is was cool to smoke and not cool not to smoke. Pure brainwashing.

Thank God we're wising up. Now, take the damn things off the market instead of taxing them obscenely and sending the money straight to the government. Quit preying on others addictions.

Just MHO! And, oh by the way, I DO LOVE LUCY.

Later in the rain~Deb

The search is on for a man that visited a client of mine that claimed to be from the Lending institution that is currently placing her homestead into foreclosure. We will call my client Ruby as I must change the names to protect the innocent! Ruby is in dire need of selling her home as she has dropped behind on payments and cannot get a response from her Lender.

Ruby's Lender is telling her that they have no control over the loss at this point. They say the wheels are in motion and the only way for her to guarantee anything is to send her payment in full. She's panicked.

So, again, this man shows up at her door claiming to be from the Lender. He gives her a line that the Lender was unable to get her on the phone so they paid him to visit her face to face. In the very same conversation he told her that he was a Loss Mitigation Representative and that he had the ability to stop the Lender in their tracks and "make the Lender" work with her.

Wow. This is a convoluted story from the beginning. It gets worse. Ruby then receives a call on her cell phone from the very man that visited her. He begins to tell her that if she would simply pay him $2,200.00 that he would guarantee to save her home. WHAT?

Now, friends...what does this conjure up in your mind? Can you spell S-C-A-M?

Obviously people who are on the verge of losing their life investment and the roof over their heads are a bit vulnerable and confused. Until Ruby explained this to our Team, she was seriously considering handing over the money.

I use to advocate Loss Mitigation till I had a very sour experience with it. When one finds that all their work to save person's home was for naught it takes the joy out of the "almost charity driven" goal. As a Loss Mitigator we were provided with all the individuals personal information down to the loan number and their social security numbers and their current cell phone numbers. If this info falls into the wrong hands it could be the perfect lead in for a scam!

Warn your Peeps!

There is no better target than a person who is hanging on by a thread. If I discover that this is legit I will let you know. Until then, beware.

Later in the rain~Deb

Dear President Obama,

     With all due respect sir I would like to discuss what is truly happening with your promise of "CHANGE" from the view of a Realtor. I do believe your intentions are good. I do believe that you believe what you are telling us. I do believe you want the best for your people and this great United States of America.

     The challenge I feel you have at this moment is a great one. You, sir, are able to draw a document of thousands of pages to help the American people, you are able to dole out trillions of dollars to act as glue to hold this country together, you are able to place moratoriums to postpone the massive loss of homes due to massive loss of jobs and the massive debt this country has incurred. You can talk about health care for the good of all but what good is health care if people are living in the streets?

     Many Realtors are stepping up to help save people who have found themselves struggling to keep their homes. Need I mention that Realtors are hurting too?

     President Obama, my analogy to you is this. You sir are sitting up on Capital Hill and you believe you are handing out the necessary tools to allow the country and economy to correct itself. You're putting the money out there and expecting that it will be well spent for the corrections.

     I beg to differ. You are working from the TOP TO THE BOTTOM. The help sir isn't reaching the bottom. It's the same as placing an iceberg in a drought ridden field and expecting it to melt in time to water the plants that are dieing a mile away!

     You promised help. Lenders won't even answer their calls. One of my clients was told, "she said they really didn't get much money to help and she's not sure if I will qualify." And sir, she is losing her home. She has the means to save it if the lender would work with her. We are being told "NO" in every direction. Do you know what the lenders are doing? Are you aware of the GATE KEEPERS  that won't allow the people to work it out? Have you told the lenders one thing and the public something different?

     Once the flood of houses are sitting in the neighborhoods deteriorating as the owners are pitching a tent down the road, no one will be able to move into the deteriorating houses as they will not qualify under the lenders new and improved "TIGHTENED" GUIDELINES.

     President Obama, again with due respect...it's NOT WORKING. Where is the money going? Why is it not reaching the people? Is the slow drip of the iceberg evaporating before it can provide relief to the ones that need it? Are you holding anyone accountable for the money you are passing out so freely?

     My plea is for you to follow through with your plan by making sure these people get help. If your overall plan is to eliminate Realtors and Lenders all together, it's working. Would you mind sharing with the public what is really happening?

     For heavens sake, WE sent a 90 day warning to Iraq before declaring war...can't you give your own American People a little heads up? Thanks for listening Mr. President.

Sincerely,

Debra A Brooks, Realtor

As I gaze across the water my life flashes before my eyes. Some things I've done very well and others...well, not so great. Nothing ever remains the same it seems. Our lives are like roller coasters at times and putting one foot in front of the other becomes tough at times. I look at the view from one of my listings and wonder what the future will bring. I simply know I still recognize beauty.

Enjoy.