Thanks for Coming!!

The Speakeasy we hosted Saturday night was a lot of fun...thanks to all who came; the costumes were fantastic....Once I get the chance to upload the photos I took, I will post a few. Getting to meet more of my neighbors is something I enjoy, and doing so always reminds me of how much I love this neighborhood. I can see perhaps an annual Speakeasy at our house.....
Thanks to all who brought goodies, and all local businesses who contributed gift certificates....
And of course, thank you Tommy and the involvement committee who organized the whole thing.

Silver Lining in Property Value Decline?

I checked my tax assessed value on the Hillsborough County Property Assessor's site (http://www.hcpafl.org/www/index.shtml) and was really shocked to see what my assessed value had dropped to.....I know it's not a sales price, and it's due to flucuation...and in this market, we will not be selling for some time anyway......but as a gauge, it's scary to think houses could lose value this quickly. I won't go into actual numbers.......it's public information, so anyone can access anyone's assessment. My shiny, happy moment was when I did the "Tax Estimator" tool......and I wasn't even accounting for the extra $25K in homestead exemption from the new tax amendment. It made me smile...just a little......and I think if this valuation is still standing when TRIM notices come out this summer, I might even dance that envelope around the living room for a bit.....instead of the usual immediate hiding in a drawer treatment.

Not Much Going On

I have not had much to update; my new job has been keeping me really, really busy, (and so have my kids) so the house has fallen a little to the wayside. We are currently digging out the clutter and polishing the silver (so to speak) in preparation for the Speakeasy Porch Party we are hosting in March. I've done one party before, in JULY, and that's not going to happen again.....you can't keep a poorly insulated old house cool enough with dozens of people walking in and out.
I hope there are some cool costumes; I'm going to check out Sherry's, I got a shirt for my son there he wears while working at the Ren Fest. It's handmade - she is using a seamstress to make period clothing and costumes.....not thrift store cheap, but excellent quality and not as expensive if we had bought the shirt AT the Ren Fest. I don't know if I have the time/money/concentration to put together an actual costume, but I want one of those cute hats!
Our 23rd anniversary is this weekend (married at 12), our daughter's boyfriend is coming the following weekend, then the party is the following weekend. THEN, the immediate neighbors get to behold the spector of a big square carnival house, as we get "tented". Maybe we will stay at the Dutch Motel during this time......
I have also been reading obsessively about extended warranties. Many people think they are a rip off, but use one for one or two major repairs, and they actually do pay for themselves. I am a Saab owner, and anyone who has dealt with these cars, as much as I love them, knows they will have repairs....expensive ones. Saab owners are a little cult like, so it's hard to explain why I am on my 4th.....and this one is a purchase (used) and not a lease as my two previous cars, so I don't have free maintenance. I have decided on Continental. despite possibly the most obnoxious sales model in the universe, they cover costs to the NEW value of your car as opposed to the current value. They all look the same until you star comparing side by side.......they are not cheap either, but I figure I got my car for a couple thousand under book value, so adding this cost in doesn't put me far over that. Still not money I wanted to spend after buying a car.....but a piece of mind is priceless to a constant worrier like me.
So there is a lot of stuff going on for me.....just not outwardly.
We are sanding /putting fresh finish on some of the floors..stinky work. There's a house thing.......

Totally off Topic......

Ok, we all have heard that Comp USA is closing, right? Well, I was looking around in there today and come across a couple of desktops I have coveted before...and now that my current computer is really nearing the end of it's usefulness, I was a little excited to see the reductions in price over there. I am toying with either getting something as inexpensive as I can do with the computing needs I have, or......getting either an HP Touchsmart........which seems really neat or a Sony Vaio all in one (also really neat). They are both marked down enough that they would compete with the less expensive models I was considering; but of course, the less expensive models are...well...less expensive. Any technical gurus out there who can go beyond the "really neat" synopsis and offer some guidance? Trying to be frugal here.....but they're just so...neat!

A Neighborhood in Mourning

Last night started as one of those nights here in the neighborhood that makes you proud to live here. The Dickens Carolers sounded sweet, and neighbors were gathering from all over to hear, and also gather for some sweets at another neighbor's house. What I love about these events is that once you have been here for just a short while, you seem to know almost everyone you pass in some capacity. It's a real neighborhood, as opposed to one thrown together with a homeowners association which forces you to participate in things. These people gather because they like each other, and they all have at least one thing in common; they love Seminole Heights and the history behind it. One of our greatest assets in that department (and many others) was Steve Gluckman. He was the first person I started talking with before I even moved here, he was very welcoming and by the time I met him in person at my first preservation meeting, I felt as though I already knew him. It's hard to say what our neighborhood would have been without him, but fortunately, due to his hard work, we do know what our neighborhood will be in the future because of him. I guess I am grateful I was able to chat with him for one last time last night. Still, it ended all too soon. I am still a bit in shock over Steve's passing, and it will be hard to pass his house without knocking when I am out delivering bread to neighbors for Christmas. But we are all fortunate to have known this man, and we will continue to reap the benefits of his work. Rest in peace, Steve....