Home Ownership

Home ownership is not for the faint of heart, mind and soul because a house can suck away your life! "They" were not kidding when they referred to it as a cash cow.

Disclaimer: There are some phrases and idioms that don't make sense in English, but in Spanish they just go. I translate as best as I can, but there are just certain things that cannot be said in English (ooh, idea for another post!).

I was advised that if I were to ever enter the housing market, to buy the most house/land for my dollar. I got over 1400 sq.ft living space and 7500 sq.ft total land. For me, it all equals to a lot of house to clean and a lot of grass to mow. Aside from all the chores, I do love my house. I love getting away from the city and escaping to my home. I can decorate and redecorate as I please (I don't)... where I can knock down a wall (too much dust involved), or paint the walls super-saturated colors (but not too vivid because that is just crazy). A home is also about freedom; the freedom to do with it as you please; the freedom to relax with a cup of coffee on a nice Saturday morning reflecting on the birds and squirrels (as I did this weekend with my 3yr old).

Here are mistakes that we made that I may be able to save you from:

• When you find that house that you think you want, think about it again. Think about the current owners and how they maintained the home while they lived there. Think about the additional work you will need to put into it. I just heard about a man (my roofer, but that is another story) that purchased his home in September 2008 but didn't move in until October 2009 from all the work that needed to be done. A girlfriend did the same thing, she all but leveled the house and started all over again. Why?

Getting off the point for a second: HGTV had a show that allowed potential home buyers to spend the night in a house before they bought it. That is a great idea. You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first; so why should you buy a home without spending time inside it at all hours of the day? All of the visits we made to the house were during the day, never at night, nor did we hear the noises it made (if you are buying it with a person that believes in "other beings" then you need to know if the house makes noises).

• Visit your dream home at different times of the day if possible. Are you going to have to install more lights, add additional outlets for lamps? Old houses, like mine, do not have power in the living room ceiling which means that at night, we have to turn on 2 lamps just to get decent lighting in there and now we are planning on having an electrician come in to add recessed lights to the living room (on a dimmer - yay). All this equals to more money we have to pay out to make our house more comfortable. Good grief!
• Check out other comp. homes in the neighborhood. Most homes in any givien area sells for about the same price - so what do they have that yours doesn't? Compare, compare, compare!
• Go beyond paint! Some homes are staged and that is great, but a lot of others are not. If the home you like is not staged, look beyond the Pepto Bismal pink oil-based painted walls (as I did), look beyond the chair rail that looks like as if it was pegado con saliva (installed with spit as opposed to with nails, screws, etc). Try to figure how you would make it yours and get thee online and get prices from Home Depot & Lowes! You need to know, how much it will all cost you!
• Appliances matter! I was lucky that my very wonderful, significant other is the manager of a retail appliance and furniture store so I was able to get my beautiful Whirlpool Duet washer/dryer for more than 1/2 the cost compared to Sears & Best Buy (yeah!). We also got our range through his job, and both our GE fridge (stainless steel French-door, double bottom drawer freezer) and microhood from another store nearby that we get appliances from at a very low price (I did have to order a piece directly from GE but still paid thousands less if I had gone through regular retail stores). I inherited a washer that didn't wash, it just saturated dirty clothes with water and fabric softner and a dryer that was a hazard to my "new" house.
• Don't go full blast into construction especially if you are living in the house. Not good. The mess and the stress of all that is going on in the house brings tension to your back, shoulders and relationship. Do not pick up a sledge hammer if you do not know the consequences of your demo (also, demo brings BIG messes, and more to clean up).

All homes need some type of update: paint, appliances, new drywall. Be careful and always, always, always save for repairs. You never know! I have a 10K estimate on my roof right now... SMH

~CT

7 Things Your Boss Should Never Say to You (K. Burns)

Those who know me, know that I read everything, especially career items. I am facinated by Human Resources and Business Management (my major) and the all around attitude of "The Boss" or "The Man." I thought that because [some] employers inherited their companies and were not really trained in management, that was the reason they were so... clueless in the way that they managed the staff, but apparently it is as wide spread as Lazy.

This little fabulous token was retreived today, March 25, 2010 from: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/7-Things-Your-Boss-Should-usnews-1985285145.html?x=0 (yes, I will also blog in APA format thank you very much!)

About 95% of these things I have experienced in my life (I won't say where, because that is just wrong so hush up).

Enjo!!!!

7 Things Your Boss Should Never Say to You

Karen Burns, On Wednesday March 24, 2010, 11:24 am EDT

Last week, I listed seven things employees should never say to bosses. A look at the various comment threads shows that a few bosses out there could also benefit from a review of the basics of good workplace relations--not to mention a quickie refresher of what constitutes good leadership.

[See the best careers for 2010.]

So, bosses, are you listening? Here are seven things you, as a boss, should never say to your employees:

1. "I pay your salary. You have to do what I say." Have you not heard? It's the 21st century. Threats and power plays just do not cut it anymore (and they were always a terrible way to manage). Yes, you pay people's salaries but that doesn't mean you're their lord and master. You are their leader, however. Leaders lead by inspiring, teaching, encouraging, and, yes, serving their employees. Good leaders never need to threaten. So keep your word, set a good example, praise in public, criticize in private, respect your employees' capabilities, give credit where credit is due, learn to delegate, and when you ask for feedback don't forget to respond to it. (Another sentence to be avoided: "Do what I say, not what I do.")

[See 7 things never to say to your boss.]

2. "I don't want to listen to your complaints." Hey, boss, you have this backwards. You do want to listen to employees' complaints. That's part of your job. You should be actively seeking feedback, even negative feedback. It may be annoying, even painful, but that's why you get the big bucks. Complaints point to where your processes and practices need improvement. And even if a problem absolutely can't be helped, allowing your employees to vent can go a long way toward restoring morale and building loyalty.

3. "I was here on Saturday afternoon. Where were you?" This kind of "subtle" pressure to work 24/7 is a good way to burn out your employees. You won't get that much more productivity out of them, and you will destroy morale. You may choose to work seven days a week. That's your call. But your employees shouldn't have to. If you observe that they are working way more than their job descriptions call for, consider that maybe it's because you're overloading them. Look for ways to fix this problem.

[See the 50 worst job interview mistakes.]

4. "Isn't your performance review coming up soon?" Maybe you're trying to motivate an employee to do a better job. Maybe this is just a ham-handed way to remind underlings of who has the power. Who knows. Either way, a statement like this is not only tacky and passive-aggressive, it's ineffective. If you really want to motivate people, consider giving them a stake in the success of your enterprise. Show employees you value them. Let them know what they have to gain by doing a good job. The results may surprise you.

5. "We've always done it this way." Want to crush your employees' initiative? This is a good way. News flash: Your employees may actually have a pretty good idea of how to do their jobs. Maybe they know even more than you. Your job as boss is to encourage them to have the energy and motivation to be innovative. In fact, employees who come up with better ways to do things should be celebrated and rewarded. (Hint: Cash is nice.)

6. "We need to cut costs" (at the same time you are, say, redecorating your office). Nothing breeds resentment more than asking employees to tighten their belts while you, to their eyes, are living it up. Even if the office redecoration can be totally justified in business terms, or the budget for it was a gift from your uncle, it still looks hypocritical and is demoralizing. Being sensitive to other people's feelings is good karma. Leading by example is the best way to lead.

7. "You should work better." Managers need to communication expectations clearly, to give employees the tools they need to do a good job, to set reasonable deadlines, and to offer help if needed. When giving instructions, ask if they understand your instructions. Don't assume. You may not be the stellar communicator you think you are. If your employees are making mistakes, or not performing up to par, consider that maybe it's because you're giving them vague instructions like "you should work better."

The bottom line is that in the workplace respect, a little tact, and a good attitude go both ways.

What do you think? Anything to add?

Please, Thank You, Magic, Magic, Magic, Magic

Hi it's me, Cher, the short, young woman that held the door for you and the other person you were with at that midtown Manhattan (NY) office building today. You didn't say "thank you" and I was looking forward to one because I didn't have to hold the door for you or the lady you were with. But I did nonetheless.

Because of you I decided to say "you're welcome" despite your rudeness. That is loads better than what my 3 yr old son would say: he would blatanly tell you, "you didn't say thank you to me." Maybe I need to be more like him or maybe less like me.

Today I looked youngish: all my of curls piled up on top of my head always, the ethnic looking 30 yr old woman who may look like a teenager at times. Yes, that was me!

I am sorry I look like I don't deserve any respect but I do regardless of who or what I look like. It is never too late, you can still become a better person or at least a less rude one.

So the next time that I or anyone holds the door for you please say thank you. It'll only take a second maybe two but, it has the power to turn the last 9 hrs around.

Good night.

What this is... Disclaimer

Disclaimer: I don't mean to offend.

If I did, why do you care so much? Who am I to dictate your feelings? Why give me the power to anger you? I didn't mean to make you mad, or upset you it just happened; probably because you take things way to seriously... they are just my words. This is just my opinion and my mom always had a saying about opininions... that they are just that (it was a bit more crude but you get the point).

I just want to express myself and be the best person, partner, mother, friend and worker I can be. I am a busy person juggling home, work, family and school and this is what I decided to do for me (and for a couple of laughs with you).

Take care, and please feel free to express yourself.

~CT

The Lazy Epidemic

Disclaimer: You are my inspiration. If I witnessed your foolishness directly or indirectly, it is fodder for this blogger. If you are easily offended or feel that I am talking about you, please trust that I am not. My world does not reolve around you. I am sorry that you feel hurt, but I cannot live for you. I need an outlet and this is my way (my way = for me). If you think that I am personally attacking you, please reach out to me and we can discuss the matter between us.

If you can get away with going to work without actually working because they have bad management, then by all means "do you boo boo." Every once in a while you encounter an office of mishap where not much gets done or the amount of worked doled out is uneven. With that being said...

The Lazy Epidemic

There is an epidemic of people who want to get paid, but don't want to work. I know that it is not just in my office, or in my industry; it is widespread across organizations of all types, job titles and tax brackets. I know that there are some employees who fool around because they are just fed up with their working situation. As I mentioned, I can imagine that work is unevenly doled out for whatever reason, but when you walk through the doors at 9am you are expected to work. Yes, a lot of us regular employees (regular = those of us with no stake in the organization) fool around at times; but you (the employee) cannot get upset when the manager/supervisor/employer; the person who signs your checks asks you to work. You are in their employ for 8 hours of the day, and for those hours, a lot of the employers will ask you to work. Most times, the tasks you are entrusted do not require you go above and beyond the call of duty, but sometimes that is what is needed. No one is asking you to perform the "feats of stregnth," but every so often, you are going to have to follow up without being asked to follow up. In order to really complete the task, you are going to have to dig.

Digging is not so bad. And if you are in administration, sometimes you have to dig and actually get busy. I like to be busy at work because it makes my day go faster. My job in particular can become monotonous and boring to the point where I once hit my head on the desk when I dozed off - but that is neither here nor there. The point is, why continue to come to work to only complain about having to work?

I heard on the radio not to long ago (CBS 880am) that for every open position there are 6 qualified candidates for the job. 6! If I were to compete for my job now, it is like competing with the entire office (yes, we are that small).

Times are hard. The cost of gas is once again creeping up, commuting has become more expensive, tolls, crowdedness, so much to endure, but (as much as I hate hearing this and even repeating it) you have be thankful that you are indeed employed. You have to be even more thankful if you work for an organization that pays you every week, on time and in full.

I know that the farm needs to be tended to, the crops can go bad, the animals roam, you have to give a break to your employees in Cafe World or whatever it is you are playing but you have to strategically plan these crops to grow around lunch time, or just before you turn off your computer for the day. As a regular employee (defined above), I hate to be on the side of the company, but as a future business owner, it just isn't right.

I sign off leaving you with this... I am blogging at work. In my defense, I am on lunch.

CT