stx today,comments

Write anything you want, trw. Are those Biddles related to Sydney Barrows Biddle, the madam they nailed years ago? I think that was her name.

Hey Alexandra,how are your house problems progressing (cement)?

trw - I've been trying for a few weeks to get a letter from DPNR stating what we've now learned... that the guy who built my house didn't follow the permitted plans from the original builder, never got new permits, never had any inspections done, didn't get a final occupancy permit, etc. in addition to using bad concrete and covering it up with heavy plaster and not saying a word about all the things he had done wrong during construction. DPNR did check the file and figured this out, but then it took a while to get them to call me back when I left messages asking for this letter. Eventually my husband called and got the woman he had talked to previously and I suspect balled her out a bit because she called me right after and passed the buck by giving me someone else's name and saying to fax that person a letter with the request. I did so within minutes but now more than a week later they claim they never received it and so we sent it again and requested that they call us to verify they received it. No phone call. I'll go drop a copy off in person on Monday. Once we have that letter, my attorney can move forward against the estate and executrix of the guy who caused these problems. I have had a contractor doing tests on the concrete and they brought in specialists who said it's the worst they have ever seen anywhere. So bad they can't even take core samples to send to a lab for tests because the concrete is just crumbled to dust within the plaster coatings. It's a slow process as everything is here, but maybe someday we can arrange a settlement with the guy's estate rather than having to go through a full blown lawsuit. Meanwhile I bought a 1-BDR condo to be able to move into once we get to the point the reconstruction can go forward. I may take shelter there if we get hit by any storms this fall as I wouldn't trust my safety in this house with the concrete situation in those conditions.

Hey Alexandra i picked up the auguat real estate book and the blue moon was listed with 2 different companies,how is that possible and i see andre upped the price for st tropez by 140 thousand dollars

About the Houses magazine ads and finding the same property listed by two different agents.... this sometimes occurs when a property has been listed with one agency and when it expires gets signed up with a new agency. The ad copy for the magazine has to be in a full month before the next magazine comes out and a lot can happen in a month. Sometimes a seller approaches a new agent before their old listing fully expires and the new agent knows he has a listing coming up the next month so puts in the new ad copy but the old agent may still be expecting to get an extension or just doesn't think to remove the ad immediately. If it continues for additional months, this is the kind of thing to bring to the attention of the Board of Realtors for truth in advertising and that sort of thing. A one month situation isn't automatically indicative of wrongdoing on anybody's part. Sometimes a listing agent changes agencies and the property may show up as a listing for both companies temporarily before it all gets sorted out in the transition.

Then, of course, there are situations where properties that sold months and months ago are still actively advertised as for sale in the magazine since some agents are hoping to mine for new buyers by leaving an appealing property in their ad copy to bring in phone calls. This isn't supposed to occur and can be quite upsetting to buyers who rightfully see it as a bait and switch tactic. Again, it does take time to add or remove ad copy, so allow 1-2 magazines after a property sale closes before expecting the ads to completely disappear. I do often have to disappoint buyers who call in asking about a listing I have in the magazine but the property may have a new offer on it since the copy was sent to the publisher or it may be about to close, etc. I pulled a listing out of the August magazine because it was supposed to close in mid-July only to have that sale go haywire so it's now back in the copy for September.

As you mentioned, there is the sometimes the oddity where sellers who can't find a buyer for a property decide that they must not be asking enough and raise their price. I don't really get that mindset unless some serious renovations were completed to explain the higher price.

thanks for all the updates Alexandra,the house thing is really rather worrisome,how many other people are going to have to go through the same thing and buying or having to rent a place while repairs are being done,disrupting lives because of negligence.

i met 2 more young women from this board one last night while i was setting tables for dinner,this couple came walking over to me and i've know the guy since my days in F'sted but her i did'nt know,she walked right up to me and said "are you TRW?"i said yeah and so we talked for awhile,was nice and then this am at work a couple came in to order to go food and the lady pointed at the guest check with my name on it and asked if i was from the message board and i said yes i am and so we talked while we waited for their food order again a very nice time. OK here's some really good news,back in 05 the only thing turnbull managed to accomplish was the signing into law of the animal cruelty bill,well if you read todays papers you read those awlful dog stories,well one of the assistant districts attorneys told me today that on sept 2nd jury selection begins in the case of the dog being beaten with the board and nail,charges have finally been brought against the jerk that did this,those 2 stories were very difficult to read,first the tears start and then the rage sets in, ah you all know what i mean,so then i asked the ADA if i had to stop saying"it's so hot out i'm sweatin like a poodle at michael vicks house" and she burst out laughing and said yes TRW you do,so i said ok.

The VIPD testified in front of the Legislature Thursday in support of> the emergency safety center being established in the old La Valee> school. Commissioner James McCall told the senators that he looks> forward to have a permanent police presence in the area.>> The legislature upped the allocation for the build out to 450,000.>> The next step is for the Department of Public Works - who will over> see the renovations and equipping of the location - to convene a> meeting of the three agencies involved - VIPD, Fire Services and EMS -> to discuss their particular needs as it relates to the build-out of> the location. Then PW may have to add additional specifications to the> floor plan that was recently completed. This meeting is anticipated to> be held the week of August 18>> That strategy will be sent to the legislature upon completion. Senator> Dowe, the legislature, as well as Commissioner McCall are committed to> this project.>> Additionally, the day before the legislature meeting, members of VIPD> senior staff including the Commissioner met with Governor John de> Jongh Jr. and gave him an update on the progress of the La Valee> location. The governor is also in complete support of this project.>> In the meantime the aggressive patrols will continue in the LaValee> area. Police have been instructed to get out of their vehicles and> talk to the residents and businesses owners. They have been leaving> completed "security check lists" at businesses that are closed and> residences during their patrols. Many businesses owners and residents> have commented favorable to police about these increased efforts.>> Residents and Businesses who want to participate in the formation or> revitalization of the Neighborhood Watch program are urged to call the> Crime Prevention Unit at 778-2211. The unit is usually out on the> field, so if you don't get a timely answer, call me at 712-6080 and I> will assist in getting Crime Prevention to set up a meeting.>> If anyone reading this post has the inclination to write a favorable> letter to the editor regarding the efforts of the VIPD in the LaValee> area we would appreciate it. People tend to write letters only when> they are concerned about a problem, and when steps are taken to> resolve that problem the urgency to write a public letter diminishes.> However the public should know both the bad and the good. It would> give a good feeling to the entire community to know that police are> working aggressively in "crime hot spots" and other areas around the> island. There is a change in the VIPD, many of us see it. Lets> encourage the officers by public commendation.>> As the Commissioner said to the senators "The VIPD is mandated to> "Serve and Protect" all the people of the Virgin Islands no matter> where they live.>> Melody Rames> Public Information Officer> >

well i have like 3 15-16 years olds in my yard cutting the grass right now and i have no idea who their mother is,i know they live up here but i don't know who they belong to,i think they hit the ex up at the corner store and he told them they could cut the grass,dunno it's his deal, i told them i'd give em a buck to cut down the mango tree to ground level and the man jack tree and they need to haul the brush away into the bush.

well i'm not too terribly impressed with the lawn job,he needs to make them pretty it up a bit before he pays them,just got back from plaza west,needed coffee(11ozcan maxwell house colombian 5.79) and TP (4pack surefine 1.89,just as soft as charmin and 4 bucks less) and i saw that at 7:45 am the drug dealer had already set up shop at the beach,the man does'nt even live up here. there were alot of walkers walking the beast over to the golf course,steven the horse guy was one of them,he's such a nice guy,irish to the core, an ex priest,has never touched alcohol in his life,is one of the first to show with his miniature donkey for community events,as far as i know he and his wife still house sit for agnes nixon the all my children creator,i'd never seen him walking the beast before so i asked him if he needed a ride somewhere and he told me he walks the beast every morning,good for him.

ok how do i preserve the pictures that i have,i've got snapshots all the way back to the 50's

a friend of mine scanned his pics and then put them on a disc. i put a copy of discs and negatives from way back when in a safety deposit box since they don't take up much room and in there they are safer.

Trw, go to ehow.com and search preserving old photos. That web site is excellent for finding out "how to" do everything imaginable.

Charlotte

thanks trueblue,but how do i preserve and store the actual photos themselves,the mold and mildew have gotten a couple of them,i know you don't put them in photo albums with the plastic cover pages,could i put them in the freezer,i'd like to be able to archive them in an album so i can see feel and touch them when i'm old and gray and need to relive memories,and i have all of my baby stuff from the early 60's, with no kids or siblings that i was raised with what does one do with this stuff,do i pass it on to my cousins,do i burn it,lol i just don't know what to do with it all,i have stuff from my mothers family that will eventually go to my cousins on that side of the family,i'm just trying to figure out which one of the 16 cousins actually cares about the family history and wants to carry on.

oops - didn't realize you meant the actual photo. a friend of mine is a photographer and he will be coming home from a shoot later today - i will definitely ask him as i need to think about that and know as well. i have some of my grandmother in the 20's and earlier. have you thought about putting them in a small safe that is water and fireproof you can get from kmart? i got one here in the states for about $50.
as for passing things on.......i've often wondered that myself since i am an only child. my thoughts were to go to cousin also but none of them seem to be as sentimental as i am.

well i just tracked down one of my mothers sisters and gave her a call,lol now i have not talked to this woman since my mothers funreal in 85 when i threw her and 2 of her brothers and one of her sisters out the door at the church for discussing ways of getting the exuctorship of my late grandmothers estate away from my stepfather,i was 23 at the time and i tell you what they were alittle shocked at being tossed out of a funreal,but anyway i asked which of her daughters is most interested in preserving the family history and she was quite truthful in that regard told me 2 of her daughters and her son did'nt really care and that her youngest really cares about that stuff,it's so cool she's a farm wife with 2 daughters of her own now. My aunt raised her 3 girls to be farmwives and so they could cook and bake really good pies by the time they were 10 and ride horse tend crops and raise livestock,this is the type of enviroment i spent the first 10 years or so of my life. My aunt sounded so old on the phone and i guess it made me glad that i'll never have to watch my mother get old.

I can tell you my grandparent old albums, which I somehow "inherited" are in great shape. They are the paper kind like today's scrapbooks with photos held into place with those corner mounts. I have tons and, although the paper is fragile, the photos seem perfect. I have mine stored in the old trunk they came in in my dark basement that has pretty stable conditions.

One website (archivalusa.com) recommends storing in a bank safe deposit box where environmental conditions are pretty constant. That's just impractical for me since I have so many photos. Recommended conditions are 68F at 50%RH and dark. Plastic sleeves w/o PVC are good, sandwich bags will work. Or, separating photos with sheets of acid free paper and storing in metal box. I think I might store that metal box in a tightly closed cooler and might add in some silica gel packs.

thanks sunorski,i'm just tired of maintaining all of this stuff and want to pass it on,in the movie leaving las vegas the nicholas cage character just burned it all,i don't really want to do that lol i think every family needs their own version of the smithsonian and or a family historian that will act as a repository for all the family stuff,lol hopefully i've found that because convos with the aunts and uncles just don't do it for me anymore,i had another aunt that had to have a colostomy back in the 80's and so the bf i had at the time went to visit and she was drunk on 5star brandy and carrying on and i was tired of the drama so i said"look aunt barb at least you won't have to buy toilet paper anymore.

well i just read on yahoo that ellen and portia got married,once again why is this news,who truly cares or am i just a non pc homo

I lost what little I had in that line during Marilyn. The only thing left was a studio portrait of my father & I was so mad I just pitched that one. Sure didn't want a pic of that monster.

trw, it would be great if your cuz would take stuff off my hands too 😉 it's in my basement because no one else wants it and no one has the guts to toss it. I can't either . . I love the photos of the people I loved and missed but there's lots of photos of people I never knew. Weird that I cannot seem to toss those, lol.

I thought E&P got married months ago??? It surprised me because I thought they had broken up. Still funny that that type of stuff makes the news, cracks me up almost as much as the ridiculous questions interviewers at the Olympics ask. Some twit asked Michael Phelps (local boy) if he ever imagined winning 8 gold medals. Duh! No, he's been training his butt off to hoping for second

When my Mothers Brother Died, his son, my first cousin made a family album with pictures, dates , times and written stories about each. He brought it to the wake ( my Uncles) had everybody sign it and took a digital picture of everyone and asked for a little essay on our lives today. To say the least my mothers side of the family was not as exciting as my Fathers side. I Think most of my Fathers family pictures were on Wanted Posters from Newfoundland to South America.

lol lizard i wish but mine just had multiple marriages and were drunks starting with my mothers father,all of his children have been to the alter 2-3 times and his divorce was 1917,the donor(my dead father)has been there 5 times and i guess technically i've been there 4 times,buster,greg,brent,tim

lol buster was a cement layer,greg was a catholic priest,brent was a chef and tim was a steelworker,lol and i've always been a waiter

My oldest sister has helped my maternal grandmother and a paternal Aunt with their family tree research and photo archiving, so I won't get stuck with that role. She can have all the old photos of family from generations before I was born. The only photo I've ever thought might be worth holding onto of the really old stuff is one of my great grandfather as a toddler sitting in a farm field with empty boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes lying all round him and his arm stuffed into another box with flakes protruding from his lips and a big smile on his face about it all. Kellogg's might pay a lot for that kind of shot for an ad campaign.

I do have several large boxes of photos and albums of photos I have taken in my lifetime. Most are of people I knew through the years and they wouldn't be of any interest to anyone else. I suppose I'll have to sort and consolidate one of these days to at least get all the family photos into one batch. I'll separate sets of pics for my 3 sons to each have some of themselves and eachother. Girlfriends and wives are likely to someday want a few childhood pics of them. I'll save the embarrassing shots for that. lol

Meanwhile I took more photos today, but of the digital kind, during a scuba dive out at Cane Bay. We came across a really pretty spotted eagle ray that we followed around for a while as well as stingrays and the usual complement of fish. I fit in some real estate work in the morning and met with a buyer before going diving and then had lunch at the Full Moon Bar afterwards. Got a few groceries and filled my gas tank and came home to clean dive gear and do some more real estate work online, write an inspection response addendum and a new listing agreement. And now it's time to enjoy the remains of the sunset for a few minutes...

The hurricane hunters left island yesterday and today, heading back up to Biloxi until the next storm system forms up and gets closer. They figure they'll be back sometime next weekend but aren't seeing anything serious building yet.

My last two days in Yerevan were great for the most part, Lake Seven and Hayravank monastery were so beautiful. That evening I went to a sound & light show with dancing water at the main square and stayed out to late, then went back to the hotel and packed. The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn to get a cab to the airport. After the cab driver ripping me off for some 20USD I arrived at the airport and got in line. In line I met some Evangelists from Houston TX, who were preaching the word in Georgia, that got vacated out by the American embassy two days before. It was Grandma & Grampa with there two redhead white-skinned grand daughters, uh, they must have stood out like sore thumbs in Georgia! They informed me I needed a exit visa to leave Armenia, so I left line made them watch my things and went over to the bank and got the visa which cost 35USD. The total cost for the Armenian visa was 85USD entrance and exit visas. When checking-in the manat the counter asked me if my final destination was Paris and I said no, Minneapolis, he replied you don't have a ticket, I said yes I do and it's right there, then he said, where is Minneapolis? Greece? I said no its in the USA. So on his computer screen I helped him look for MSP, there are alot of places my bags could have ended-up. We found it and my bags were sent, I then went shopping at duty free and bought chocolates and cigarettes for gifts. About an hour later we boarded this old lookin' plane, with no name or anything on the outside of it just a small Armenian flag near the back. I had been a little concerned about this flight for some time Armavia (Armenian Airlines) does not have the best safety record, it crashed last year in the Black Sea, killing all pass angers. So I was worried a bit. The flight end-up being fine the food was strange but oddly good. I arrived in Paris, took a bus from one side the airport to the other, got my boardingpass and had 10 minutes to spare before the flight left. On the airplane I sat across the aisle from a father and daughter from Seattle. They began telling me about the their horrible time in Barcelona, Spain, so touristy, so expensive, rude people, we had to fly out of our way to use our FF miles. I was thinking cry me a river! They asked where I had been traveling, and I told them, they quickly stopped whining about Spain... I arrived in MSP 9.5 hours later, US costumes was a breeze (usually they give me a hard time). To my surprise my luggage arrived and so had I. My mother happily greeted me at the costumes exit doors.I must say my trip was great! Yet very challenging. At times there were laughter, frustration, anger, sadness and fear. But, I for sure will return to Croatia (of course), Latvia, Armenia and hopefully someday Georgia. A word of advice to anyone traveling alone to the Caucasus learn some of the languages, the best for all of the countries is Russian. Try not to take taxi cabs they will rip you off. Be cautious of strange foods, they may look good and smell good but they may make you ill later. And always know even if the people seem nice, there are afew who will always take advantage of a foreigner.Yesterday, I started back at work it was great, no one could bring me down, everything was clam and easy. I was looking forward to seeing most people. It went well. Also I was just joking about the comment "those who never emailed me back" on my last email. Thank you all for your concerns, thoughts and or prayers. Everything ended-up working out. My next trip, God willing will be a place where there is a beach, or some sort of tour where I don't need to think about anything.... Later, Chris parts of my friends letter are like the USVI,hahaha