August 31 - 2/3 of the year is practically over. It may be too early to reflect upon the year, but the first 8 months really have been truly a period of changes for me. Good changes, for the most part. The most exciting piece is that we welcomed another nephew into the family in May. It has been 5 years since we had an infant in our house so you can imagine the joy he brings us. 2 of my sisters both bought and sold homes within the past 6 months. And within the past week, I was presented with a promotion at work. So overall, an eventful year, even if I have to summarize it now.
To add to everything, Sept 6 will be my first year wedding anniversary!
Friday, August 20, 2004
Olympics
I love the Olympics. There is so much national pride and individual triumph shown in these games. This, and the fact that they show competition in sports that we normally do not get to see, like swimming, diving, badminton, gymnastics, etc. They're so much fun and excitement to watch. However, out where I live, I do not have access to the NBC channel since I do not have cable. It already sucks that when NBC airs the games on primetime that the results have already been posted due to the time difference between the US and Greece. Even worse if you have to watch the games 1 day behind from recorded tapes. That's what I have been doing. I try hard to avoid hearing the results beforehand but somehow, it always fail. Someone, from the radio or the TV, or just people having casual conversations, will always give it away! But that doesn't stop me from watching. I still love the games, and how much these athletes deserve their moment of glory.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Exodus
This week has been a tough week at work. There were 4 resignations, adding to the 3 that I found out about last week. What is this exodus all about? I can only reason that the job market has picked up and/or people in my company have been simply pushed to the edge with unhappiness that they are determined to leave. Besides layoffs, this is perhaps the biggest exit movement I have seen since I joined the company 4-1/2 years ago. The feeling of seeing so many people jump ship is not a good one.
I do not like to see people leave, and among all, one of them happens to be my ex-boss. My ex-boss and I got along great. We had an unusual relationship - weird if you actually think about it. Because when I still reported to him, I could feel completely comfortable telling him that I am looking for another job outside the company. Or I could tell him how much I hated my work, etc. And he would be understanding and supportive. This type of relationship between a supervisor and his report is something that is hard to come by. So needless to say, I will miss him and everyone else when they're gone.
I do not like to see people leave, and among all, one of them happens to be my ex-boss. My ex-boss and I got along great. We had an unusual relationship - weird if you actually think about it. Because when I still reported to him, I could feel completely comfortable telling him that I am looking for another job outside the company. Or I could tell him how much I hated my work, etc. And he would be understanding and supportive. This type of relationship between a supervisor and his report is something that is hard to come by. So needless to say, I will miss him and everyone else when they're gone.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Net loss
Don't you hate it when you go out of your way to try to save a few bucks here and there but ended up dishing out more money than what you signed up for? So here is what happened. Trying to save some dough on renting DVD's, I went through the trouble of obtaining some discount coupons for a video chain store near my house. The savings on these coupons added up to $12. So what happens next? Well, somehow, someway, one of the videos I rented disappeared. I have no clue as to where it went. I tried to trace back when or where the last time I saw it, held it, touched it. Nope, nothing. My memory failed me. So in order to avoid those late fees from accruing and multiplying expotentially, I confessed to the video store that I lost the DVD. Total charge: $27. Simple math: $12 bucks saved. $27 bucks lost. Net loss of $15 + rental fees. Ok, there is a net loss on the balance sheet. In straight accounting terms, I should close the business and file for bankruptcy. In the case of videos, I should never rent DVDs again if I can't get my head back together.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
Real Estate
Looking out the window of my house, it's hard to believe that today is August 1st. The skies are gray, gloomy, and covered with clouds. In the heart of the summer months, all we get out here along the Coastline are cold and ugly weather. It's a paradox to call this district "Sunset," when the sun never comes out, let alone sets. Ocean beach is literally only 3 blocks away from my house, but I hardly get to use it. The weather is simply too cold to be outdoors.
As bad as the weather is out here, I find it unbelievable that people are still willing to pay big bucks to live out here. The lowest asking price for any house in the Sunset district has risen to half a million. The fixers are actually the only ones with the half a million price tag. Move-in condition houses go at least $600,000. Some ambitious (or greedy?) sellers are even asking for $700,000 for their tiny hut. Sound ridiculous? Well, it's happening. People, for whatever insane reason, are wiling to bid well over the asking price, thus driving up the overall neighborhood cost of homes. Other homes follow suit. As the snowball gets bigger, I can't help but wonder if the real estate bubble will ever explode?
Just a few years ago, practically every conversation evolves around stocks: the Dow, the NASDAQ, the newest IPO, you name it. Everyone had a share of something in the stock market. Now, a few years later, every social conversation involves real estate investments, the housing market, and interest rate. It's scary how everyone is trying to get onto the bandwagon for a joyride in real estate, just as they did in stocks a few years back. When the mass public all decide to grow their money in the same venue of investment, the prices tend to be inflated. Supply and demand: Simple economics. Given all this happening, I will not be surprised when eventually, the housing market will reach its limits. I sure hope the bubble won't "pop" per se, and I myself have my investment in the housing market as well. Hope it will just level off. Yep, level off to a more realistic and reachable level.
As bad as the weather is out here, I find it unbelievable that people are still willing to pay big bucks to live out here. The lowest asking price for any house in the Sunset district has risen to half a million. The fixers are actually the only ones with the half a million price tag. Move-in condition houses go at least $600,000. Some ambitious (or greedy?) sellers are even asking for $700,000 for their tiny hut. Sound ridiculous? Well, it's happening. People, for whatever insane reason, are wiling to bid well over the asking price, thus driving up the overall neighborhood cost of homes. Other homes follow suit. As the snowball gets bigger, I can't help but wonder if the real estate bubble will ever explode?
Just a few years ago, practically every conversation evolves around stocks: the Dow, the NASDAQ, the newest IPO, you name it. Everyone had a share of something in the stock market. Now, a few years later, every social conversation involves real estate investments, the housing market, and interest rate. It's scary how everyone is trying to get onto the bandwagon for a joyride in real estate, just as they did in stocks a few years back. When the mass public all decide to grow their money in the same venue of investment, the prices tend to be inflated. Supply and demand: Simple economics. Given all this happening, I will not be surprised when eventually, the housing market will reach its limits. I sure hope the bubble won't "pop" per se, and I myself have my investment in the housing market as well. Hope it will just level off. Yep, level off to a more realistic and reachable level.
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