Thursday, October 25, 2007

I want to be an airborn ranger.

Well, not really. I want to be a Real Estate 'agent'. But then again that would be verbally incorrect. Because in the day of the ever changing 'job title' so too has the term 'Real Estate agent' become extinct. Just as an auto mechanic is preferably a 'performance technician', a credit card customer service rep is now a 'customer excellence assistant', and the janitorial profession has become an art form, so too has the term 'Real Estate agent' become a 'Real Estate licensee'. It doesn't sound right to me and is somewhat disheartening for someone who has always just wanted to become 'an agent'. Now, on the brink of achieiving my dream of an agent, I have been reduced to a licensee! "Hi, I am Greg Phillips, and I will be your licensee on your search for your dream property". Oye. If it was me on the receiving end of that introduction, I would turn and run! Especially if I was looking for the time honored 'agent'. Carol, is this just an Alaskan thing? Or have you also lost your title as 'agent' to a 'licensee'? Should I be moving back to Cali to obtain my dream of agenthood? Honestly, we are only required to take 20 hours of pre-license course here, as opposed to....100 0r s0 there??? Guess you just don't need as much training to sell igloos to Inuits! "Take this 1000 acres of barren, frozen tundra. Your dog team will love stretching out and spanning here". Where is all of this leading? Merely that I started my pre-licensing course this week, and am on my way to obtaining my license....to become a licensee. Excited.....I am. Despite the title travesty, I am on my way to achieving a goal I set when we moved. This is what I have wanted to do, secretly, for a while now. Naturally, I would choose when the market went belly up to do it! But, there is still hope. The market will turn around in time, and I will be seasoned and ready for it when it does. 'Quinn' will be knocking at my door for that dream piece of permafrost. Actually, the market here, is not near as bad as what I have heard of other parts of the nation. A little slow, yes. Prices being reduced a little....not near as severe as in California. Until then I will work diligently at continuing to grow my maintenance business, and pursue my pottery....and boldly pot where no man has potted before... I start next month in fact at a Christmas gift bizarre in Kenai. I have a booth for two days and am spinning wares as we speak!

In other interests, Maryann is lovin her job. It is looking very good that her proverbial move up the ladder will come soon. They are very impressed with her abilities and performance. Our belief is that no later, if not sooner than spring, she will be at the Kenai operations as it is slated to be open by then. It will be alot easier of a drive for her, and less spent nerves for me. Until then, shes enjoyin' the ride, ice or snow....moose or not, and keeps on smilin'! John has been working with me for a few weeks now, and it is looking like he has some other opportunity to continue working for himself, for a much better than minimum wage. I think he would prefer to just retire.....but if I can't neither can he! He has his toy to support now, and all of the joy of bills and the gas it sucks, to contend with. Retirement for him is unlikely anytime soon. He has a hockey game to go to this weekend with the firefighters from his department and fellow Explorers. They have graciously invited me, but I have class until 5:00 that night, and there's a 'hippie' festival in Kenai going on til 7:00 that night which I want to make an appearance at. So who knows if I will make it to the hockey game. But I was honored all the same. However, I remember the last time they invited Maryann to one of their outings, they dressed her up like an umpa lumpa, took her out on a speedboat and flipped it....so they could rescue her..... I think I'll stick with the hippies! Much more passive!!

In still other interests, Maryann once again made the paper. If you recall, a few weeks ago a write up was done on her and her piece that is being shown in the gallery now. Unfortunately this time was not as glamorous. In fact 'she' wasn't in the paper so much as the accident that she held front row seat to on Tuesday. We had snow Monday night and as a result the roads were frozen Tuesday. She was on her way to work that afternoon, the roads still frozen, and was passed rather foolishly by some idiot who was in a hurry. Trouble began when Maryann pulled out her concealed weapon, and blew out the rear tire of the passing.....not my little Maryann! On a serious note, as the idiot passing her came back into her lane after 'the pass', she cut Maryann off due to oncoming traffic, and lost control....(now lets think about this for a moment. Do ya think?!?! The road is frozen....duh!)... did four 360's before slamming head on into an oncoming vehicle who had nothing to do with any of it. Innocent victim. He ended up being airlifted to Anchorage and as of yesterday, when the State Troopers called Maryann regarding the investigation, was in bad condition. The idiot turned out to be a 20 year old girl from Kenai and is in the Soldotna hospital doing fair. Apparently it was very surreal and horrifying for Maryann, as after the crash she heard the girl screaming and as much as she wanted to run over to her, couldn't. Thankfully there were several others who arrived at the same time and aided as much as they could until emergency units arrived. Needless to say, be it California or Alaska, it takes some 'set in' time for people to remember it's winter now and time to slow down. It was an unfortunate parable to the absolute need to think of those around you, and slow down. Hopefully, a parable, not to be spoke at the expense of anothers' life. Of course with Arnold being 75 the other day....who needs to slow down for winter there!

I leave you with a picture I took the other night. This is Alaskan moonshine. It'll get ya lit!
Have a great rest of the week. Oh, and speaking of Carol. Carol, congradulations on your book deal. Gerion wrote us the other day and mentioned it. How exciting! Best of luck for whats to come! Take care.





2 comments:

"Jenks" said...

Wonderful picture. I can't believe you are passing hockey up for a hippie festival. Did we fail at all the attempts to make you hockey fools after all?? ha ha. Think of all the fun you'll be missing.
Tell Maryann I am so thankful that she is okay and will keep the other person in critical in our prayers. How scary and also yet frustrating. The weather has been gorgeous here but then that just makes it easier for all the idiots that do come up for the nicer weather to have the "green light" to drive faster and more wreckless. Thankfully the person who caused the wreck is known and didn't get off scott free.

"Jenks" said...

you've also been tagged. You need to read my blog and get the details and start thinking. :-)