Pleasantly Surprised::)))

Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.....

Just by accident I happened to stumble upon a page in my blog stating statistics.  Never saw it before and imagine the surprise I got when I saw all the different countries viewing my blog.  Needless to say I am pleasantly surprised and a bit shocked (good way).  Some of the countries where I have the most viewers are below......what surprises me more though is that I rarely get many comments on my blog from them.  Most of my comments are mostly from the same people and quite a few come to me privately either via Facebook or my home email.  Thank you for that!

I am happy so many of you read my blog but, it would also be nice if you commented directly on the blog page rather than sending me a personal message.  Don't get me wrong  I enjoy your comments but think it would be great if were left on the comment page of the blog.

I know many of you have told me you are having a hard time commenting using your email address still do not know why...do like what a few have been doing.... comment as anonymous but PLEASE leave your name so at least I know who it is:)

Just a thank you to all of you out there.  I really enjoy writing and hopefully you are also enjoying reading what I write....

Pageviews by Most Viewed Countries:

United States
Ukraine
Taiwan
Portugal
Germany
Norway
Canada
Hong Kong
Iran
Bahamas
United Kingdom

Australia
France
Russia
Brazil
Luxembourg
Spain
Denmark
Sweden
Puerto Rico
India

Just a little sideline.....house hunting almost over.  After seeing tons of condos this weekend and tons of houses as well we have narowed it to a house.  No more beach lifestyle for us in Fort Lauderdale.  Something new awaits us....you know what they say....  Every once in a blue moon, something new comes along that scrambles your preconceptions....this will be very different for both of us but at the same time exciting.  Our main problem is to not get bored in a house:)  Don't get me wrong I have nothing against living in a house it's just that we have always lived in a condo and we really enjoyed all the benefits of that lifestyle....views, waterfront, shops nearby and the sorts:))

Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said......I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.....

The Search Continues.....

  I think we're narrowing it down. But who knows, it may change in the next minute.....wow, there are a lot of properties for sale....

Beach Condo





Nu River Condo



Our search continues....we have looked at houses and condos all over the place.  Now for some more condos in the Broward County area.  We know Las Olas so we will check around there.....much smaller of course.



The Waverly



Waverly Pool Area



Today my blog is picture based on some of the places we will be visiting during the next couple of days....



Nu River View



The Venetian

The Venetian:  is a 15 story luxury condominium ideally situated on a private peninsula off Las Olas Boulevard at the Intercoastal Waterway. It is one block from world famous Fort Lauderdale Beach on Las Olas Circle, just west of the intersection of A1A and Las Olas Boulevard....we once lived there....



Watergarden



We are also looking at a few condos located on the new river in downtown fort Lauderdale as well as a few located on the beach.....





The Palm on the Beach



Moving from a large space into a smaller space will be a challenge especially with all the "crap" we have.  Arvid refers to everything as crap hence the word.  What I would really like is enough closet space for my clothes, shoes and handbags:) that's the ideal set up for me.



The Symphony



Beach Condo



Arvid requires some view and at least 2 covered garage spaces.  For Brutus we would also like a space for him but with this downsizing that is looking not so good...oh well he will just have to sleep with us as he did in Chicago....

Can't wait to find a home ....

 Peace - that was the other name for home....Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.....



















until next time.....

An Amazing Story....

I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.......

The world watched in awe as an amazing story of resuce unfolded for those 33 miners trapped in Chile.  I can almost bet that there was not a single dry eyed person in the room as we all saw these miners being brought up to the surface after being trapped for 69 days (some for 70).....

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_chile_mine_collapse

Both Arvid and I followed the story and we both got caught up in the drama and emotion that was unfolding live....imagine the reaction of their loved ones......

I don't personally know any of these miners nor their families yet when I think of the ordeal they went through and the pain and suffering it caused not only to their loved ones but also entire nations and the pouring out of help coming from all over the world it makes you realize all over again that people are good.  People no matter color, race, nationality nor religion can unite and form a bond in the face of suffering and despair.

Their story has touched me as it has millions of people out there.  It is a reminder to us of how fragile life is and that nothing should ever be taken for granted.  To all I say live your life to the fullest and enjoy each and every moment of it......Life is full of beauty.  Notice it.  Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces.  Smell the rain, and feel the wind.  Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams......

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

until next time....

Movie Time....

The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money...Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.....

This evening we did something relaxing and fun.  For a little while we forgot all about looking for a house.  We went to the movies.  Nothing unusual for most but, for us it is.

We went to this really awesome looking theater...MUVICO.  Looks like a diner from the 60's.

We saw the movie  Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.  We both really enjoyed the movie.   Briefly the movie summarizes like this:  Gordon Gekko (Mike Douglas), fresh from prison, re-emerges into a much harsher financial world than the one he left. He now has to play catch-up and redefine himself in a different era. He has to become relevant again.  But a young, idealistic investment banker learns the hard way that Gekko is still a major manipulator and if there's one place where you can redefine yourself, one place where your relevance is a deal away, it's Wall Street.

One of my favorite lines in this movie was "stop telling lies about me and I will stop telling the truth about you".   If you are in the mood for a couple of hours of good entertainmet see the movie....and a good quote for this movie would be....

Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.

until next time...

Tired....Long Days....

A lot of people are tired around here, but I'm not sure we're ready to lie down, stretch out and fall asleep......

I am exhausted.  We have been on the go ever since we got here in Fort Lauderdale.  I sure miss those nice and relaxing days in Chicago.  Somehow our lifestyle in Florida is ALWAYS hectic...to the point of not being fun at times.

The days are long..long..long... when we get to the apartment we just want to sit down and not get up nor talk to anyone.

Hopefully we will soon have a more relaxed pace.  Looking forward to the weekend with hopefully nothing too exhausting and just some time for the two of us to relax and do something fun.....

Our best times are spent with just the 2 of us.  May sound selfish but we have lived alone for so long that when we go out in the weekend we just want to have a nice and peaceful time.

Don't get me wrong we also like going out with friends.....like we did last weekend but after a few hours some people tend to get a little carried away (way too drunk).....this I hate and then we leave.

Right now all we want is a quiet weekend, a good dinner out and a stroll along the beach.  The best part about being in the apartment  we are in is that it's the PERFECT location to EVERYTHING....beach, restaurant, shops etc.  Everything just steps away from us.  Just thinking of this is already making me feel better....:)

The only thing experience teaches you is what you can't do. When you start, you think you can do anything. And then you start to get a little tired......

until next time....

Busy But Having A Great Time....

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game....

Arvid, Brutus and I have now been in Florida for 4 days.  Four days filled with a little of everything...house hunting, furniture hunting, looking for flooring and you name it...we are doing it:)

I have to admit the process of finding a place to call our own has been filled with setbacks, disappointments and at the same time has been exciting....everything combined in one.

Most of our daytime hours are filled  with looking for our new home.  In between we browse furniture stores and in the evenings we stroll along the beach....

Yesterday evening we went to this very nice place on the beach for drinks and appetizers ($$$).....what a great time.

Right now it feels like we are on a vacation.....(Brutus is having a ball as usual).  We are out most of the day and at the beach in the evenings.....life is good and we are loving it.....

Beautiful don't you think?

If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.....

until next time....

12 Celebrity Homes For Sale.....

A lifestyle is what you pay for; a life is what pays you...

Being a realtor, this caught my attention.  Always interesting to see how the "other" side lives....

 Celebrity homes are among the most glamorous and most expensive in today's real estate market and throughout the recession, celebs have had their share of trouble selling high-priced properties.

However, a celebrity listing can carry with it the intangible feature of being the former home of a pop culture personality, adding more allure than a larger pool or additional bedrooms may for a similar high-end home.


Real estate website Zillow compiled for CNBC.com a list of 12 celebrity homes that currently listed for sale, and as it turns out, each property is as unique as the celebrity who is selling.

Michael Jackson

Listing price: $28,995,000
Interior: 17,171 sqft
Bedrooms: 7
Bathrooms: 13


Although the listing price has dropped more than $9 million from 2008, it is also infamously the home where Michael Jackson passed away last year, which could potentially either lure or scare away buyers. Although Jackson did not own the home, he was renting it for a reported $100,000 per month while he rehearshed his "This is It" tour.


This French Chateau is located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles and includes a "glamorous" theater room, wine cellar, elevator, gym, guest house, a pool and expansive gardens on the 1.26 acre property. The home also features 12 fireplaces and an indoor spa.
In order to even view the home, interested buyers must go through an extensive "pre-buying" check, to avoid any paparazzi.

Ricky Martin

Listing price: $18,900,000

Interior: 9,882 sqft

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 7


Singer Ricky Martin's home is listed for just under $19 million in Golden Beach, Florida. The two-story Mediterranean-style estate features a 108-foot stretch of private beach and 29,088 sqft of total land.



Dr. Phil McGraw
Listing price: $16,500,000
Interior: 11,036 sqft
Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 7

Dr. Phil's Hollywood home is currently on the market for a cool $16.5 million. With a prime "north of Sunset" location, this Mediterranean villa is completely walled and gated and features a grand 2-story entry, theater room, gym, billiard room, a 2-bedroom guest house and an outdoor dining room. The estate sits on land measuring approximately 31,360 square feet.


Uma Thurman
Listing price: $14,200,000
Interior: N/A
Bedrooms: 7

Bathrooms: 6.5


For $14.2 million, you could be the owner of the home formerly owned by actress Uma Thurman. Located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, this 5-story apartment features a full-floor master suite, grand parlor, a stylized garden, outdoor cooking area, roof deck and a separate guest apartment. Zillow's estimated monthly mortgage payment on this home comes to $76,623.


Mel Gibson
Listing price: $12,750,000
Interior: 5,403 sq ft
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 5.5

On nearly 2.6 acres in Malibu, California, one of Mel Gibson's several highly-priced homes is on the market. After being listed earlier this year at $14.5 million, the home is currently for sale at $12.75 million.

The home features "park-like" grounds, fruit orchards, a lighted tennis court, 3 guest houses, a detached gym, library and a garden cabana.


Carmelo Anthony
Listing price: $9,500,000
Interior: 21,083 sqft
Bedrooms: 8

Bathrooms: 15


Denver Nuggets superstar Carmello Anthony has a high valued piece of real estate on the market. The 21,083 sq ft house is located in Littleton, Colorado in the gated community of Polo Ridge Estates and features a 7 car garage, guest house, home theater, a three-stall barn with a pasture and a 54-foot pool.


Anthony has the chance to opt-out of his contract in 2011 and is expected to test out free agency. When his home was put on the market, it signaled to many in the sports world that he would likely be on the move to a NBA different team.


Nick Lachey
Listing price: $6,800,000
Interior: 4,722 sqft
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4.5

The singer and TV personality purchased this house, which was formerly owned by fashion model Heidi Klum, for $5 million shortly after his highly publicized break up with Jessica Simpson. Since then, he's redecorated the home to be the "ultimate bachelor pad." It sits atop a ridge overlooking Los Angeles and the Pacific ocean.




Ed McMahon
Listing price: $4,600,000
Interior: 7,013 sqft
Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 5.5


Another home in the market is that of the late Ed McMahon, who during the final years of his life struggled with the prospect of foreclosure on this property.


The Mediterranean-style estate is located in a prestigious area of Beverly Hills known as "The Summit" and features imported doors and "meticulously chosen" fireplaces. Sitting on approximately 1/3 of an acre, the home measures approximately 7,013 square feet.


Jerry Garcia
Listing price: $3,995,000
Interior: 7,189 sqft
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6




For ultimate "Deadheads" in the market for a high end home - look no further than this property 35 miles north of San Francisco. Once home to the Greatful Dead's Jerry Garcia, it was the home he owned at the time of his death in 1995.


The home sits on 11 acres with views overlooking Mount Tamalpas, the Pacific Ocean and the skyline of Berkeley, California. The home features a long driveway bordered by palm trees, a theater with an 8'x10' screen, a master bedroom with a private deck and sauna and a 73,000 gallon swimming pool.
For a Grateful Dead enthusiast with nearly $4 million to spare, this home remains on the market.


Pierce Brosnan
Listing price: $3,900,000
Interior: 3,412 sqft
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3.5

Another celebrity looking to unload property is actor Pierce Brosnan. The Malibu home, which is in close proximity to the beach, provides both ocean and mountain views.

The property also features tropical landscaping, while the home has several wide balconies and makes use of a flowing, open floorplan. According to Zillow, Brosnan purchased the home in 1996 for $600,000.


Mary Schmidt Amons
Listing price: $2,350,000
Interior: 15,000 sqft
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 5.5

Although other members of the "Real Housewives" have faced trouble with foreclosure, eviction and jail time, the Washington DC housewife, Mary Schmidt Amons, is listing her Virginia home without the backdrop of financial or legal hardship.


The home is located in the highly desirable Langley Farms neighborhood of McLean, Virginia, and includes a gourmet kitchen, a master suite with a private deck, sun room, library and 4-car garage. This 15,000 sqft home currently is on the market for $2.35 million.


John Wayne
Listing price: $2,263,000
Interior: 4,448 sqft
Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 4.5


That's right, if you want to live like The Duke, you can do so in his former home, located in Newport Beach, California. The property has been listed for about 1 month and has had two previous owners since John Wayne. It last changed hands in 1998 for $895,000.


The house borders the Big Canyon Golf Course, right by the tee for the fourth hole. The home features a two-story living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, parquet floors, marble fireplaces, balconies and a formal dining room with a custom console designed by Wayne himself.
This "Versailles style" home is currently on the market for $2,263,00

So what do you think?
 

I'm living my life, not buying a lifestyle......

Back To The Sunshine State...:)

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right.....

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.....

This past week has been hectic.  Lots of packing and gathering all sorts of papers we need to take back with us to Florida.

Finally the day is here and we will be leaving our home in Chicago until next year.  We are actually excited to be going back to Florida because now we have a goal and this always gives us something to look forward to and something that needs to be done..... right now that would be finding a place to call home again.

We are almost all packed.   Brutus also seems to be getting pretty excited because he just keeps running and running all the time....either he is nervous (doubt it), sad because he thinks we may be leaving him alone again or he has caught on to the excitement of a soon to have new home.  Arvid keeps telling him he will soon be living in a new home in Florida.  He (Brutus) seems happy and relaxed about that:)

We have really had a wonderful summer in Chicago.  Could not have asked for a better place to be in during the summertime.......now all set to head back to the warmth of The Sunshine State and a new place to call home.....



Until next year Chicago.....we have had the time of our lives:)

I'd rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special......

until next year Chicago....