Weekend Wrap-Up

• It's almost the end of October and most days my very casual wardrobe still consists of a pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. Speaking of flip flops, my sister told me that recently she's been hearing people refer to them as thongs. Whether that's the new trend or not, I just can't bring myself to utter the word "thong". It sounds so nasty. I'd rather date myself and continue to call the cheap, rubber footwear "flip flops" than gross myself out by calling them "thongs". Even seeing the word in print makes me want to take a shower in bleach. Fun fact: My 65 year old father refers to stereos systems as "Victrolas", a word that I believe dates back to the early 20th century. Not even my grandpa-- his father-- can figure out where he came up with that one.

• My entrepreneurial idea to hold Sunday Open Houses for select real estate agents has proven to be a good one. For whatever reason, many sellers seem to believe that the buyer of their home is going to walk through the door during a Sunday open. Most experienced agents know, however, that the statistics don't back up this belief. This is where I come to the rescue. I have the ability to make everyone happy: The seller is pleased because their house is once again open for any and all to peruse regardless of whether they're even in the market to buy and the agent is happy because they don't have to waste their valuable Sunday on a pointless endeavor. There are just so many listings out there it is hard to make yours stand out from the crowd. It is not a good time to be a seller, but it is a great time to be me. Cha-ching!

• Flashing back to my 20th high school reunion a few weeks ago, one of the weekend's souvenirs was a CD of 80's tunes mixed by the husband of a classmate. I'd skimmed through the list of tracks when it was given to us and thought it was pretty lame (nobody is as good as making mix CD/ tapes as I am, of course), but listening to it tonight as I drove Luka around made me change my mind. I've never been a huge fan of Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me with Science" or "Whip It" by Devo, but I must admit that I rolled down the windows, opened the moon roof, and cranked up the old Victrola when Big Country's "In a Big Country" and Duran Duran's "Rio" came on.

• My baby sister's turning 3o tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I was preparing for the role of "big sis" by carrying a 10 pound bag of potatoes against my shoulder (pretending it was a baby). Happy pre-birthday, E! And remember, ILYN!