My 3-year birthday on Twitter is coming up. ("Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you...") It happens on November 14th to be exact. (Send presents.) And I was thinking I should pop up a few quick thoughts on my tweeting experience these past 1000 (plus) days. And so this is what came to my mind... 3 Things I've Come to Realize in 1000 Days of Tweeting: MORE PEOPLE START AND QUIT THAN KEEP GOING. I think it's mostly because of not knowing what to do and / or not being able to break through what I call the "connection barrier." I remember in school (in Junior High especially) the challenge, if you weren't part of the "in" crowd, to connect in relationships. And then if you were kind of a nerd / had a personality flaw, etc, how much harder it was. Bottom line, I had no idea the wonde... 10/31/2011

(click pictures to enlarge) 10/31/2011

(From earlier this week) I got to work today and there was this bug (mosquito?) flying around in front of my computer monitor. I tried to "clap it" (you know when you put your two hands together in the air trying to smash the thing). They're really good (bugs are) at disappearing when you start trying to "clap them." (Clap, clap.) Where did he go? (Are they considered male or female?) I guess he's letting me write this post and then he'll come back. There's always something that can "bug us" during the day. Isn't it true? Mine just happened to be literal. But sometimes it's just inside of us (the "bug" is) and we carry it around (in our attitude, tone of voice, etc) and, quite frankly, it makes some of us just hard to be around. That's not describing you, is it? He (the bug) is back. G... 10/27/2011

All of the information on this page has been  compiled from the Tuolumne County Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These updates represent not only my listings but the listings the other cooperating Brokers of our Board.Sonora Real Estate Multiple ListingsThe 36 single family Sonora CA Homes listed for sale this week have been on the market an average of 177 days with an average list price of $282,102.19 houses in the Sonora area are in escrow with an average price of$170,711 and an average market time of 111 daysHouses in Escrow 10-26-2011Real Estate Sold in the Sonora Area this WeekAddress                                                        Asking           Sold           %      DOMLot 3 Sunshine Hill                                 $209,990   $216,986   103%   287Lo... 10/26/2011

You know those things that get in the way when you're trying to move forward or get somewhere? I hate those things. I hate "barriers." Except when it's a roadside guard rail to keep you from going over a cliff. That's when I love barriers. I cherish barriers. I can't live without barriers. I hug and kiss barriers. (Well, maybe not that far.) Have you ever noticed the marks on many of guard rails from cars that have scraped or banged in to or bounced off of them? Sure you have.  Have you ever stopped to calculate the lives saved? (Dozens? Hundreds? More?) Could it be that thing (barrier) in your life right now that's "halting your progress" just might be a good thing? You might also be interested in: The Story of the Old Mule You Matter 10/25/2011

When I think of "fragile" I think of an antique vase sitting on the fireplace mantle. When I think of "fragile" I think of a marriage relationship with many hopes and dreams for the future. When I think of "fragile" I think of a a newborn baby held in her daddy's arms. When it's "fragile" we are more careful with it. When it's "fragile" we do everything in our power to protect it. Because it'll break if we don't. (Right?) Because we'll lose it if we're not careful. It's hard to put "fragile" things back together once they're broken / lost / dropped / abused / neglected / stepped on / slung aside / smashed. What's "fragile" in your life that you need to be more careful with? You might also be interested in: You (Still) Matter You Quit 10/24/2011

I sat transfixed as I watched the video (see below) of the news conference on the exotic animal release in Ohio. (Since then the last animal has been accounted for and area secured.) Of course, the authorities made the choice to kill the many tigers, lions, bears, etc., that had been let loose by their owner rather than to capture them. They received numerous death threats because of it. That made me wonder especially as I listened to world-renowned animal expert, Jack Hanna, (the man on the right in the thumbnail) speak of how he once had to go into a lion's cage to retrieve the arm of a 3-year old which had been ripped off from the shoulder down. That scene quite possibly could have been repeated over and over again on the streets and neighborhoods of one American city if the police ... 10/20/2011

All of the information on this page has been  compiled from the Tuolumne County Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These updates represent not only my listings but the listings the other cooperating Brokers of our Board.Sonora Real Estate Multiple ListingsThe 39 single family Sonora CA Homes listed for sale this week have been on the market an average of 169 days with an average list price of $284,694.21 houses in the Sonora area are in escrow with an average price of$181,004 and an average market time of 110 daysHouses in Escrow 10-19-2011Real Estate Sold in the Sonora Area this WeekAddress                                                        Asking           Sold           %      DOM12923 Beckwith Circle                           $319,000   $271,000   85%    15120570 ... 10/19/2011

Everybody likes old photos. (I sure do.) And when you add to that they're from the place you live (or grew up in), it's all the more interesting. A coworker gave me the heads up on the following site: Penny Postcards. When you click on the link you'll be taken to a website that contains "postcard" archives (old photos) from all 50 States. Click on the state of your choice and you'll drill down to choices by County. My personal interest went to 2 States and 3 Counties. Currently I live in Sonora, California and so I especially wanted to see Tuolumne County. Some of my favorite "postcards" here include Strawberry Lake and a Washington Street scene in downtown Sonora. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area I also wanted to see Alameda County. Two of my favorite scenes here are the Clare... 10/18/2011

Humor is just another defense against the universe. ~Mel Brooks Did you hear about the guy that lost his left arm and leg in a car crash? He's all right now. What do you call four bull fighters in quicksand? Quatro sinko. What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic and what kind of lettuce? Sanka and iceberg. And these funnies from jokesandhumor.com all have something in common. Did you notice? Yes, they are all corny. Yes, they make you laugh out loud. (Well, they did me.) No, they weren't used on Comedy Central. (At least, I don't think so.) The something in common that the above humor has is, first of all, they're bad situations (losing your limbs, falling in quicksand, boating on the Titanic) and then, secondly, they're looked at through the eyes of humor. Each of the bad situati... 10/17/2011

Porsche commercial features footage of the Mother Lode. (via Val O's Facebook page) (If you can't see this video, click here.) 10/14/2011

All of the information on this page has been  compiled from the Tuolumne County Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These updates represent not only my listings but the listings the other cooperating Brokers of our Board.Sonora Real Estate Multiple ListingsThe 36 single family Sonora CA Homes listed for sale this week have been on the market an average of 185 days with an average list price of $280,476.22 houses in the Sonora area are in escrow with an average price of$185,635 and an average market time of 104 daysHouses in Escrow 10-12-2011Real Estate Sold in the Sonora Area this WeekAddress                                                        Asking           Sold           %      DOM19968 EVELYN CT                                 $337,500    $330,000    98%  13554 Mon... 10/13/2011

I messed up. (Confession is good for the soul.) It was a social media mistake (my mess up was). And it drew the ire of ~ I need to leave the name of the person(s) out or it will be another (and bigger) mess up. I know, I know. You're wanting to know what the mess up was. Isn't that just like us (me included)? We want the inside scoop. We want to be filled in on the details. But to do that, too, would be another (and bigger) mess up for me because it would point to the folks whose feathers I ruffled, also. The bottom line is we're gonna make mistakes with social media. And if you're gonna reach for any height of influence online (or off) the fact is you're gonna do something wrong from time to time. You're gonna tweet, post a status update, ask a question, publish a blog post, etc., tha... 10/13/2011

In the annals of American history, the survival at Valley Forge ranks among our nation's most memorable. To keep the British at bay, General George Washington decided to house his troops at this Pennsylvania encampment for the winter. They were totally exhausted, ill-equipped, had little provision, became fatally disease-ridden ~ it was literally a strength of will that would see the 12,000 soldiers (less 2,500 that died) through. I expect that many of you reading this post are in a million times better shape than was the case at Valley Forge long ago. We do, however, live in a time of unprecedented challenges. (Don't we?) And they seem to be mounting. And so it's helpful (I think) to understand just how George Washington and his men (the survivors) survived.  It's helpful for us to be... 10/11/2011

(If you can't see this video, click here.) 10/07/2011

I've got the latest Mother Lode market numbers for you to look at today. To begin with, you'll notice the overall sales picture including all sales classes. CLICK HERE to view September 2011 compared to September 2010. CLICK HERE to view January-September 2011 compared to January-September 2010. You'll also want to notice the graphs including the Mother Lode Residential Unit Sales through September 2011 graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 1 on theabove left) along with the Mother Lode Residential Volume Sales graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 2 on the right) and the Mother Lode Residential Average Sales Price graph versus the previous five years (clickable picture 3 on the left below), respectively. (The data used comes from the Tuolumne Multip... 10/06/2011

All of the information on this page has been  compiled from the Tuolumne County Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These updates represent not only my listings but the listings the other cooperating Brokers of our Board.Sonora Real Estate Multiple ListingsThe 37 single family Sonora CA Homes listed for sale this week have been on the market an average of 181 days with an average list price of $291,336.25 houses in the Sonora area are in escrow with an average price of$182,259 and an average market time of 115 daysHouses in Escrow 10-05-2011Real Estate Sold in the Sonora Area this WeekAddress                                                        Asking           Sold           %      DOM68 Green Street                                        $65,400      $50,000     76%   ... 10/05/2011

10 Best Blog Posts Volume 1 eBook 10/05/2011

Lightning fast post meant to make you think... 10 Mistakes People Make When Buying a Home: (what might you add to the list?) 1. Wait too long to make an offer. 2. Purchase a high priced item (car, etc) right before close. 3. Settle for less than the best real estate agent. 4. Aren't honest about their money situation with their loan officer. 5. Think they know better than the professional representing them. 6. Nitpick the process. 7. Seek information from another agent without revealing they're working with someone else. 8. Think they can go it alone without a licensed REALTOR®. 9. Forget that there are no stupid questions. 10. Don't realize their real estate agent is a person, too. BONUS: Masquerade as serious buyers when they are really just lookie loos. You might also be interested ... 10/03/2011

(If you can't see this video, click here.) 09/30/2011