In and Around the St. Croix Valley

LUV2CUR Plate - An Angelic Addiction

It’s been awhile since I’ve written about my license plate hobby, er, addiction. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the road singing to a Supertramp song on my 70s station, or talking on my cell phone in the middle of a heated real estate negotiation, I see license plates. They pop out at me. Even if I try to focus on speed limit signs or the road ragers to the left, license plates beg me to take notice. I oblige.

 

With some of the more boring ones, I’ll make a sentence out of it, or turn it into an acronym that means something (to me).  TWH – Townhome, I sell them. SSP – South St. Paul, I’m from there. GMA – Got Milk Anyone? Good Morning America! Or, GMA and all I need is the C. How’s that bailout going anyway? 

The vanity plates are much more fun. PATTY. Got that one figured out. She likes her name and she wants you to too. GO4ST. Takes a bit more thinking, but I’d label him a ‘U’ grad and that’s about the biggest thing he’s done in life. Some of them get a bit more complicated and I have to turn down the radio. 10SNE1 – Tennis Anyone? LVB4UDI? Love Before You Die. Poor woman needs to lose some weight. Some even get a little decipher-ably dirty, and once I figure them out, thank goodness no one can see me blushing. Like, LKN4 36D. Uhhuh. Looking for a…. Well you get the picture. I can only say one thing to our Victoria Secret lover, “That should land you a hottie.”

 

As I’ve said before, in my own warped little way, I think these license plates are the angels way of talking to me. I say “angels” but it can be any thing, spirit, God, or a bigger being out there…I just lump them all into calling them angels. I know it’s crazy, and I’ve resigned myself to being crazy. If the angels are talking to me through license plates, what the heck, embrace it! In the words of REO Speedwagon, “Even as I wander, I’m keeping you in sight…..I can’t fight this feeling anymore.”

 

I see PML’s all the time. Those are my dad’s initials…which, hello, means, “Call your dad.” When the angels speak, I listen, and both my dad and I are better for it.

 

Now, if you’re still with me through this insanity (sometimes it’s a lot more fun to live on the insane side of the world), it gets a little sicker. Ever since the angels knew I had picked up on their game, they feed me. Sometimes it gets soooo crazy that I have to chase the car down, and take a picture of the license plate. Those poor drivers think I’m the road rager to their left, when actually, I’m just Annie Leibovitz doing my job. The plates are so unbelievable, whether it’s a humorous coincidence or just pertinent in my life at the moment, ahem, someone up there is talking to me, and having a little fun.

 

The other day I was driving along, pretending to be the lead Swede of my favorite band ABBA singing “I Have A Dream,” when right in front of me was the license plate – MI2GRLZ. I had two of my girls with me in the car so I mention it to them. But, the weird part was, the car right next to MI2GRLZ had the vanity plate that said, R2SONS. Lexus to the left with MI2GRLZ and an Escalade to the right with R2SONS. What are the chances of that?

 

                              

 

Then, as I’m chuckling at the oddness of the plate to plate siblings, I continue with the ABBA lyrics in my favorite song, “I have a dream, to help me through reality….I believe in angels, something good in everything I see.”

Don’t know about you, but that’s good material. So, I got out the camera.

I apologize to Pastor Steve at my church who probably wants to bop me over the head right now, but when they jump out at me like that, they’re boppin’ me over the head!

For the last few weeks I’ve been talking about Twitter, and Twitter.com. I won’t go into it because if I haven’t lost you yet, that should do it. Anyway, we have a contest at work to see who can get the most “Followers” on Twitter. We’re constantly messaging each other to see where we’re all at and what the total count is for each of us. This is big stuff, and there is nothing more fun to me in life than a good contest. From Monopoly to a foot race, I love a game.

 

Yesterday, driving down Radio Drive, singing one of my Queen tunes, “We are the Champions,” I look up, and right in front of me is the license plate, H82LUZE.

Seriously. Photo op.

 

Whether it’s the angels, or something bigger, like I said, it’s a lot more fun to live on this side of the fence.

 

Follow me on Twitter. I hate to lose.

 

Karin Housley is realtor in the St. Croix Valley. Visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.comor 651-430-0400 or on Twitter - KarinHousley. Be sure tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220, listen live at KLBBRadio.com or watch it on Valley Access Ch. 14 or MNSun.com.

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple pants

Have you seen the sales out there? Everything from cars to socks is marked down as much as 95% off the original price. I decided to help boost the economy and headed out to the sales.

 

I spent one whole day at the Mall of America perusing the merchandise, making up my mind to only buy things that were an extreme deal and only items that I really needed. Total time spent in dressing rooms: 3 hours. I never thought that I’d be negotiating with myself over a $3.00 sweater, but I was. “Do I need it? Is the fit perfect? What do I have to wear with it? Does it look like a $3.00 sweater or more like its original price of a $193?”

 

I certainly helped to boost first quarter ’09 sales figures. I came home with a trunk full of bags, and didn’t spend more than $70.00. Seriously, they were giving stuff away.

 

I went to my closet, cut off the tags and started to put my outfits together. Why I bought the purple velvet pants from Ann Taylor was beyond me, but there they were, so I mixed and matched. For the $5.00 price tag, purple velvet was still a stretch for me, but I must have deduced in the third hour of dressing room nakedness that even if I wore them once, it was worth it. I’m sure Sarah Jessica has weak moments too.

 

I wore the purple pants to work the next day with a cute little floral sweater and coordinating scarf thinking I looked pretty put together. Total original cost had I bought my ensemble back in December = $519, today’s price tag = $12.00. “Nobody will know,” I thought, figuring I was the only one out there at the sales.

 

After a short meeting Nick walked into my office and said, “Say Karin, I was going to ask you during the meeting but I got sidetracked, but are those purple pants from Ann Taylor?”

 

Did he just ask that? Nick was a guy, not some DJ spinning chick with a masculine name, nor a fashion buyer for Nordstroms, but a real guy. What was he doing identifying my purple pants by brand? Then on second thought, there was nothing wrong with the Ann Taylor brand, and of course Nick wouldn’t have known about “The Sale,” so I cocked my head and said, “Yes they are Nick! I love Ann Taylor, shop there whenever I need to pick up a few things,” even though I hadn’t been to Ann Taylor in years.

“I saw those pants when I was there,” Nick said, “Weren’t they on the clearance rack for like $5.00 after all the discounts? My wife looked at them and decided to pass.”

 

Many rebuttals came to mind, but instead I went on the offense. “Nick, what kind of guy goes shopping at Ann Taylor? Doesn’t that threaten your masculinity? I think you should keep that little Ann Taylor thing to yourself or you’re going to be the subject of some not so pretty jokes. Can you say Clay Aitkin?”

 

Nick wasn’t embarrassed at all, and continued to discuss my blue light special wardrobe.

 

I did some serious introspection to try to figure out why I cared if a co-worker knew the total cost of my outfit. What was the big deal? Did I look cheap? Was my ego bruised? My image tarnished? Was Nick telling anyone? Or, worse yet, did everyone already know because there was a neon sign flashing across my forehead that said, “Karin’s closet comes from K-Mart.” What was the big deal?

I went home and told my husband, thinking that he’d provide some therapy. “Can you believe Nick at work asked me if these purple pants were $5.00?! The nerve of him. I think he must be gay because first of all, what kind of guy shops at Ann Taylor, and secondly, if they do, who remembers price tags?”

 

“Those pants were $5.00?” my husband asked.

 

“That’s not the point,” I said, “We’re talking about Nick. Do you think everybody knows my pants were $5.00?”

 

“All I’m saying is, those pants look like $5.00. Even if someone doesn’t know how much they are, they don’t look good on you. You overpaid.”

 

This is why God created sisters.

 

I was going to take the $5.00 purple pants off and throw them away, but I was home now, and no one else would be seeing me. I’d prance around the house and prove their worth. I accessorized them with a belt, boosting my look by a few bucks.

 

That night, I got online and thought I’d improve my spirits by iChatting (live video conferencing) with my daughter in California. “Mom, I want you to meet my new friend Holly from Laguna Beach. Say hi to Holly, Mom!”

“Hi Holly,” I said, wishing that I at least would have put on some lip gloss to meet the new friend. “Hang on, Reide,” I said, “I just want to get a glass of water, I’ll be right back.”

 

I got my water, came back to my computer and sat down. “Okay, I’m back. What’s up?”

 

“Hey Mom,” Reide said, with Holly still smiling back at me, “Are those purple pants you have on from Ann Taylor?”

 

What gives?

 

If anyone wants them, I have a pair of purple pants for sale for $2.50. I won’t tell a soul.

 

 

 

Karin Housley is realtor. To search for homes in the St. CroixValley or anywhere in the Twin Cities, visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.comor 651-430-0400. Be sure tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220, listen live at KLBBRadio.com or watch it on Valley Access Ch. 14 or MNSun.com.

I'm watching "The Tonight Show" from This Day Forward

 

I’m trying to figure out why the recent David Letterman/Sarah Palin headline has me up in arms. Is it because I like Sarah Palin? Or is it because I used to like David Letterman? Is it because I can’t stand the double standard that the media has? Or is it because I think tasteless jokes about women are disgusting? Or finally, is it because as a mother bear, leave our cubs alone.

It’s all of the above, and in case you missed the recent hubbub involving Letterman, let me explain.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was in New York City to receive an award for her advocacy for children with disabilities. She was invited to Sunday's Yankees game by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and she brought along her 14-year old daughter,  Willow.

During his “Late Show” monologue, David Letterman seized the opportunity to again make the Governor Palin the target of his ten minutes. (For the record, The "Late Show" host made 95 jokes about Palin after the election through March 15 - more than Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert combined, according to the Center for Media and Public Affairs.)

“One awkward moment,” he said, “Maybe you heard about it, maybe you saw it on one of the highlight reels – one awkward moment for Sarah Palin during the Yankees game, during the 7^th inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.”

Did he actually think this was funny?

In the days that followed, he came up with the lame excuse that he wasn’t talking about Palin’s 14-year-old daughter, but the older daughter, 18-year-old, Bristol.

Bristol is an unmarried mother. So that makes the joke okay? Did he think making a joke about an 18-year-old getting “knocked-up” during a seventh inning stretch was funny? Besides, who says “knocked-up” but a dirty old pig? Even if he did confuse the two daughters, as only one was at the Yankee game, an apology is needed.

Here’s the transcript from what is being dubbed as an apology.

“We were, as we often do, making jokes about people in the news, and we made some jokes about Sarah Palin and, uh, her, uh, daughter, the 18-year-old girl, who is, uh, her name is, uh, Bristol, that's right. And uh, so then, now they're upset with me….

And keep in mind I can't really defend these. They're just jokes. And it's like with everything. Some jokes are fine. Some jokes are not fine. And, you know, of course we make mistakes left and right. But listen to how upset these people are about the jokes. And when I say 'these people' I mean Gov. Palin and her husband, Todd.

This is on their official website. I gotta get me one of them websites.

The Governor's spokeswoman Meg Stapleton sent these two statements, the first from Todd. Todd is the Governor's husband in Alaska. And Todd says, "Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too." (Mugs and smirks)

Yeah, think about getting yourself a talk show….The next comment comes from Gov. Palin: "Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity...'

I am hardly a celebrity. I'm 62. Yes. (Laughter and applause)

'...aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands - that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contribute to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'" (Laughter and groans)

Now, I'm not necessarily proud of these jokes. I mean, we do stuff all the time, and our objective here is to get a laugh. And thank God, you know, we don't have to go to the Hague and before the World Court to defend them. It's a joke. That's all it's supposed to be. That's what this is.

These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl. I mean, look at my record. It has never happened. I don't think it's funny. I would never think it was funny. I wouldn't put it in a joke.

Here's where you draw the line. Yes, maybe these are questionable because the girl, who actually, excuse me, but was knocked up, is now 18-years-old. So the difference there is 14-years-old and of legal age. Okay, now I can't really defend the joke. I agree... unpleasant, ugly. But I would never, never think that it was funny to use a 14-year-old girl as a joke like this, for God's sakes.

…. So there. I hope I've cleared part of this up.”

 

So many things disgust me about that. Imagine if he had said that about President Obama’s daughters. Remember what happened to Donald Imus after his remarks about the Rutger’s womens basketball team? Letterman’s were not off the cuff jokes, but written, discussed, planned, rehearsed and taped. At any one of those points, the joke could have been pulled, but they were deliberate.

 

I’ve run out of room, so there’s no time to discuss his other flippant joke, "Top Ten Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York- No. 3: ‘Bought makeup from Bloomingdale's to update her 'slutty flight attendant' look.’"

Pig. I’m watching Conan from now on.

 

 

Karin Housley is a local businesswoman and realtor in the St. Croix Valley

. To search for homes in the St. Croix Valleyor anywhere in the Twin Cities, visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.comor 651-430-0400 The Karin Housley Show airs every Saturday morning at10:00 on AM 1220 or at klbbradio.com.

Wisdom for the Class of 2009 - It's Pretty Simple

Listen up Class of 2009, today’s column is for you. As you graduate and begin to navigate the big world, I have a few words of wisdom to share, only because I wish I knew then what I know now. You can take my advice with a grain of salt, or frame it and keep it at the forefront of your brain, but it never hurts to hear it from someone other than your parents.

 

 

First, think big. You have the whole world at your fingertips. Have you always wanted to travel the world? Have you dreamed about becoming a news anchor, an FBI agent or the CEO of 3M? You can! I know it sounds crazy, but you really can do anything you think can. Henry Ford said it best with his quote, “Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re right.” Believe you can.

 

Remember when you were five, and people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Where did those big dreams go? Have you soured a little bit because you’ve grown up and seen that the world is tough place? It might be a little scarier now that you’re smarter, but your big dream is still waiting for you to go out there and get it. Don’t be afraid.

 

When I was 18, I had the big dreams, but I buried them because I was afraid I’d sound like a dork. I wanted to be a writer, a talk-show host AND the CEO of CBS! To be honest, I actually felt a little guilty about thinking that big, so I kept it to myself. I was afraid if I spoke it, people would have thought I was crazy. Go ahead, be crazy, and most importantly, tell the world! What’s the worst that could happen? You’ll sound like a dork and be a huge success?

 

If you’re not sure what your big dream is, let me help. What do you love? Where are your passions? Is it sports? Art? Theater? Math? Fishing? Hunting? Food? Music? Literature? What classes come easy to you in school and that you also enjoy? That’s your passion. Take those gifts that God gave you, (and I know for a fact, he gave each of us something really special), and start there. Yours is unique to you, now run with it.

 

Next, write down all of your dream jobs in line with your passion. Actress, Professional Baseball Player, Airline Pilot, Landscape Architect, Web Designer, Public Relations, Fire Fighter, Video Game Creator, Politician, Medical Sales, Heart Surgeon, Real Estate, Allergist, Veterinarian, Chef, Teacher, Sports Reporter, Lawyer, Fishing Guide, Police Officer, Jewelry Designer, Accountant, Yoga Instructor, Interpreter, Chemist, Civil Engineer, Photographer, Cancer Researcher, Party Planner, Philanthropist, Shoe Designer (still on my list), and keep writing them down.

Then, step two…MAKE A PLAN.

 

How do you get there? Do you need a college degree to do it? Then do it. My advice? Get the degree anyway. Start at a community college if you haven’t already committed to a school (it’s cheaper too). Every single job will be enhanced with a degree. You’ll be smarter, and you’ll get paid more. Even if painting pet rocks is your dream, a little knowledge of how a business runs would be a good thing – and the next thing you know, you’ll be painting mountains.

 

BE SMART. You know exactly what I mean by ‘be smart.’ Don’t drink and drive. Don’t smoke illegal things. Don’t hang out with people who are going nowhere. Be nice. Be honest. Be good to your word. Respect yourself. Respect others. And, always, always, remember that you are representing your family name –keep that family name proud.

 

SAVE YOUR MONEY. Stay away from credit cards. Don’t ever buy anything you can’t afford. Pay cash or don’t buy it. Nobody remembers the millionaire back when he wore the same clothes for five years straight. Do everything you can to come out of college debt free. It’s hard, but again, make that plan. Do you have to get two jobs to make ends meet? A Work/Study program? Research it.

 

Finally, WORK HARD. I guarantee that if you work hard at your plan, in the direction of your big dream, you will achieve it. It’s really that simple.

 

One last thing, HAVE FUN. If you aren’t having fun, then it isn’t your passion. That doesn’t mean life is one big joy ride, but there’s nothing more fun than looking back at the life you’ve created for yourself – by working hard, doing something you love, and because you were smart and made a plan.

 

Congratulations to everyone in the Class of 2009! You have an exciting future ahead of you, make the most of it. Everyone is cheering for you. We can hardly wait to see what amazing things you’re going to accomplish.

 

Now go thank your parents. They had a little something to do with how you got this far.

 

Karin Housley is a local businesswoman and realtor in the St. Croix Valley and

in the Twin Cities, visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.comor 651-430-0400 The Karin Housley Show airs every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220 or at klbbradio.com.

Celebrity Apprentice, March Madness & Lion or Lamb-ness

 

 

 

I don’t want to rain on your parade or snow on your spring, but remember last year when March went out like a lion with the big snowfall? Remember the Twins were hosting the Anaheim Angels on Opening Night 2008 and we got a bunch of the white stuff? We’re approaching that week, so to try and head old man winter off at the pass and beg for the month to go out like a lamb, I’m including a photo of Judith Hansen from Stillwater and her grandson Bennett Friedrich from Afton, the winners of this column’s Snowman Contest ‘09. There. Winter is over. Here’s your snowman, now let’s move on to margarita season. Thanks to everyone who sent in a photo, you never know when they might surface. I picked Grandma Hanson’s and Bennett’s photo mostly because I’m partial to the game of hockey, and I’m feeling a little sorry for those poor Gophers.

<Insert Photo of Snowman Peeps>

Speaking of those poor Gophers – their hockey season ended abruptly this past weekend. Sad ending to an odd year. But, on the bright side, go UMD Bulldogs! I went to the game at the Xcel the other night, as the whole family has become UMD fans through our daughter who attends there. Congratulations to the Bulldogs who won their first ever WCHA Final Five Championship! Short story, the Bulldogs’ goalie’s (Alex Staloch) parents went to high school with me at

South Saint Paul

– Brian Staloch and Cindy Fink Staloch. I spent many days at the Fink house swimming in their pool and listening to their family talk hockey. (You may have heard of Tim and Tom Fink, both great hockey players from SSP. Brian Staloch was a baseball and basketball player.) Good luck to Alex (the tournament’s MVP) and the rest of the Bulldogs in the NCAA Division One Tournament Playoffs that start this weekend. UMD plays

Princeton

on Friday at Mariucci Arena.

<Insert Photo of Karin and Taylor at Xcel>

I wanted to let everyone know that my friend ‘The Hot Dog Guy’, as he is affectionately known around town, is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! He was originally going to open April 1^st, but word on the street is, he was open last weekend during the warm spell. Ten bucks to anyone who builds a snowman in the shape of ‘The Hot Dog Guy’. Chicago Dogs is located at 420 N. Main Street in downtown

Stillwater

and has a fun website (chicagodogsmn.com). According to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (who knew there was one), Americans consume more than 7 Billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Now multiply that by a hundred and it’d be a much more attractive bailout plan.

Looks like Dennis “Freak” Rodman got bailed out on Celebrity Apprentice this past week. (It’s my new addiction, but I hear the marketing classes are watching it at the high school, so it gives my son and me something to talk about.) You really should watch the show, it’s hysterical. I don’t think Mr. Rodman is up to his antics for show, he’s just plain dumb and has some serious issues. Poor Melissa Rivers is never going to get the credit she deserves as long as her mother Joan is still on the show. As recently fired “Deal or No Deal” model, Claudia, said about the Red Carpet Star, “You can definitely tell Melissa is an only child.” Claudia couldn’t quite cut it this week when as Project Manager she couldn’t manage Melissa. One of them had to go, and it was the girl who opens suitcases for a living.  This week’s Celebrity Apprentice had some local ties as a big viewing party was held in downtown

Stillwater

at St. Croix Live. My friend John Adamic is an employee of the video phone company (ACN) that was the business task of the week. If you’re interested in the video phone, contact John at jeadamic@acnrep.com.

And finally, have you read The Shack? Wow.  That’s all I can say. Wow.

Go Bulldogs!

Karin Housley is realtor in the

St. Croix

Valley

. To search for homes in the

St. Croix

Valley

or anywhere in the Twin Cities, visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.com or 651-430-0400. Be sure tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220, listen live at KLBBRadio.com or watch it on Valley Access Ch. 14 or MNSun.com.

Facebook & Twitter

Facebook, Twitter and That First Puff – Beware the Temptations

By: Karin Housley

I have never tried cocaine, marijuana or any drug for that matter. There’s a reason, and not just because they’re illegal. I knew that if I took just one sniff of the stuff, I’d be hooked. You too know who you are, the easily addicted souls. There’s no tipping your toes into the water, it’s all in, and no one ever sees you again. Oreo cookies were one of the first signs of my addictive behavior. Before anyone could say, “A kid’ll eat the middle of an Oreo first….” I’d already finished off a whole row.

When the internet came along, as hard as I tried to resist by keeping my antiquated Mac computer, I was lured into its exciting little trap. I was crazy. I had a library of information at my fingertips and I couldn’t get enough. Up ‘til the wee hours of the morning, and right back on after the kids were in school. It took years of Surfers Anonymous meetings to wean me from my web addiction and I finally got my life back into balance again.

Then, like an alcoholic caught in the middle of the St. Paddy’s Day Parade, everyone around was tempting me to come back. With a devilish smirk they’d ask, “Do you have a Facebook, Karin?” “Do you Twitter?” “Oh Karin, we don’t do business cards, I can just fine you on Facebook can’t I?” “Where’s your profile? How come I can’t find you out there on anything?”

If you’re out of the loop, they were talking about “social media” websites –  sites you can get login, find people and connect with them – people that graduated with you, or a distant relative in

Montana

or the guy that you shared horsey sauce with back when you worked at Arby’s. These temptations were everywhere.

“I’m sorry,” I’d say. “I can’t do Facebook. It scares me. I scare me.”

“But it’s really easy, you can sign up and get an account in seconds,” they’d reply while they dangled the forbidden fruit from their Macbook.

“I’m sure it is,” I’d say, “But I have a family. I have a job and I have a life.”

“Oh, but you should get one, it’ll make all of those things even better!!” These strangers still looked like my real life friends, but they were acting like descendents of Lucifer.

 My head was spinning, my arm was twisted and I felt a gun to my head as I heard them say, “Just take one puff!!”

Hi my name is Karin and I’m a recovering internet addict who fell off the wagon. You can find me buried in Twitter or drowning between the pages of Facebook. I’m embarrassed to say I did it, but I did it.

WARNING: If you have the tendency to eat more than just one Lay’s Potato Chip, or find yourself watching the sun come up every time you go out for a beer, stop here, return to go and do not collect $200. The remaining words will ruin your marriage, your parenting skills will become non-existent and your vocabulary will change by the tweet. For the brave and strong willed, I’ll explain these social media websites briefly, and then you can calculate your next move.

Twitter – it’s the latest rage. Go to Twitter.com and get a handle (it’s okay to combine CB lingo with the new age.) Then, start looking for people you know on Twitter and follow them. On Twitter you “follow” people and they can “follow” you. You read what they type and say (tweet) about what they’re doing right at that moment.

So why on earth would you want to follow anyone, and why would you care what they’re doing? Because it’s fun and addicting, and you have no life, why else?

There are two kinds of people you can follow, celebrities and non-celebrities. I started by following Ellen DeGeneres. Her handle is the TheEllenShow. Ellen tweets whatever is on her mind, like, “Did you see me and George Clooney on ER last night?” Or, “I just had my wife on the show, watch on Monday!” Sounds a little stalker-ish, but they want you to stalk. Matter of fact, Ellen is begging us to stalk. She’s trying to get more followers than MCHammer.

When it comes to following people you know, it’s just as fun. Two of my kids are in college, so I can drop in on whatever they tweet they’re doing. In snippets, I can feel a little bit more a part of their lives without having to hound them via the phone, or beg them for an email. Though reading bits and pieces like, “I’m out celebrating my recent drop of my PoliSci class,” or “I’m the Beer Pong Champion of Duluth!” isn’t always want I want to know. But, religiously, five times a day, I get little tweets as to what my little sheets are up to.

Facebook – on Facebook you can have extended conversations with your peeps. You join Networks of Friends, like St. Olaf College Class of 1980, or Stillwater Area Boys High School Hockey Alumni or Keller Williams Real Estate. It’s there you can write longer quips, catch up on the kids, and exchange business information. It’s the extended conversation over coffee at Starbucks, where Twitter is a quick “hi” and “I’m on my way to the kids’ ballet,” in the grocery store aisle.

It takes some getting used to, the tweeting and twittering because it’s a whole new world, but it’s here to stay and it’s not going away. As much as I prayed to silence the demons, they got to me. They’ll get to you too, and the sooner the better.

Follow me and I’ll follow you. (That’s how we’ll talk.) Bring some wine would ya? I promise we’ll only take one puff.

Karin Housley is realtor in the

St. Croix

Valley

. To search for homes in the

St. Croix

Valley

or anywhere in the Twin Cities, visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.com or 651-430-0400. Be sure tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220, listen live at KLBBRadio.com or watch it on Valley Access Ch. 14 or MNSun.com.

Trivial or Substance

Twin Cities Home Sales is one thing, our local area is another

By: Karin Housley

Last week it was all over the news – Twin Cities Home Sales increase 21% over the same time period last year! The articles and media stories varied slightly but the main theme was the same, “Now is the time to buy! Interest rates are low, selection abounds, and we’re coming out of the slump.”

If you look at where the hype came from, home sales may have jumped in March across the Twin Cities, but the bulk of that was in

Ramsey

County

, not exactly our backyard. Compared with the same month last year, the number of closed sales in March was up 14 percent throughout the 13-county metro area, yet increased a whopping 45 percent in

Ramsey

County

, which tends to skew what’s happening in our neighborhood. 

Sales of foreclosed homes continued to weigh on the region's median sale price, which in March came in at $154,125. That was down 23 percent from the same month last year.

Even so, the March median sale price — the point at which half of all properties sell for more, and half sell for less — represented an improvement over the February median of $150,000, according to the reports. We’re inching our way out.

At the peak of this decade's housing bubble in June 2006, statistics from NorthstarMLS put the median sale price at $236,850 which represented a 35 percent decline from the peak.

Like I’ve said many times, all real estate is local, and as it really stands, overall the Twin Cities homes sales increased in sold units in March ’09 over March, ’08, but in

Washington

and

St. Croix

Counties

it was down more than 17%. That’s a 38% difference within 30 miles.

But real estate is even more local than that. Both counties contains many different cities, and within those cities, many different neighborhoods. It’s that local.

So, let’s dissect it by zip codes, comparing this first quarter of 2009 to first quarter of 2008

Washington

County

(only doing some zips)

55082 – First quarter ’08 – 48 homes sold. First quarter ’09  - 46 homes sold. Less than one percent decline. The average sales price though declined by 18% and the median sale price stayed the same, at $256,500.

55043 -  A decrease in sales from ’08 to ’09 of 40%.

55042 -  A decrease in sales from ’08 to ’09 of 62%.

55047 – Two homes sold in ’08, two homes sold in ’09. Nothing lost, nothing gained.

55001 -  Same for

Afton

, six sold in both time periods.

55125 – This Woodbury zip saw a decrease in sales from ’08 to ’09 of 22%, while it’s counterpart at

55129 – saw an increase of 1% during the same time period.

Across the river in Western Wisconsin, the numbers looked like this:

54016 – 61 homes sold in first quarter of ’08, and only 37 in ’09. A downward swing of 39%.

54025 – Decrease of 58% from 12 homes sold to 5.

54082 – Decrease of 80% from 5 homes sold to 1.

If you were to further dissect each neighborhood, which I don’t have the room to do here in this space, the numbers look different again. In

Liberty

on the

Lake

, from first quarter ’08 to first quarter ’09, there was in increase in homes sales by 50%!

As a whole, our Twin Cities market seems to be coming out of the slump, but the wave travels out from the epicenter. We were slower to head into the downturn, getting our ripple six months after

Ramsey

County

….and the same will happen in this recovery. But, pockets of our two counties have already begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, all real estate is local, what’s happening in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and isn’t always what’s happening in our neck of the woods.

So, bottom line – listen to the media with a grain of salt, and if you really want to know what’s happening in your backyard, call a Realtor®. Shameless plug, I know, but it beats me writing about my new $5.00 purple pants doesn’t it? Anyway, call a realtor, we have these stats at our fingertips and would be happy to share!

Karin Housley is realtor in the

St. Croix

Valley

. Visit her website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at Karin@KarinHousley.com or 651-430-0400. Be sure tune into The Karin Housley Show every Saturday morning at 10:00 on AM 1220, listen live at KLBBRadio.com or watch it on Valley Access Ch. 14 or MNSun.com. Twitter - KarinHousley

Ice Fishing on Lake Jane

Green Bay or Lake Jane, either way, it was cold and only for the crazy

It was so cold this past weekend that no one should have gone outside. Yet, there were a few foolish ones that did brave the elements – case in point, the crowd of crazies congregating in

Green Bay

. But for those of us back here in the Twin Cities, the place to be was next to the fire.

Yet, there was still this other group…a group that braved the cold not because their NFL team was playing an already scheduled, sudden-death playoff game to get into the Super Bowl, but a group that loved their sport just as much. This group traded the warmth and comfort of a roaring fire, warm soup, insulated walls, running water and toilets, for a spot on a frozen lake, to sit over a hole…by choice! These were the stupid ones.

Call me stupid.

Yep. I went ice fishing. Why, I don’t know, but when I was asked, I swear I was enticed by the word ‘beer’. Wishful thinking.  

Truth be told, I was asked by Randy Meier, the former news anchor for KSTP and MSNBC, and current host of Blueprint For Green on KARE 11, to co-host one of his new shows coming later this year, Cook What You Catch. What Randy said he asked was, “Karin, do you want to go ice fishing on Friday for my show?” Yet, what I heard was, “Karin, do you want to go for an ice cold beer and fish fry on Friday after my show?” How does the saying go? Men are from Mars? Either we are worlds apart in our communication skills, (and ideas on how to have fun), or I always have beer on my mind.

But I said yes, and I was going to keep my word. So, I dressed to the nines for the camera, and then met Randy out on

Lake

Jane

in

Lake

Elmo

, along with our fishing guide, Josh Stevenson of Blue Ribbon Bait and Tackle in Oakdale, and Tom Roering of The Wilcraft. The What? The Wilcraft.

You see, we had a bevy of fishing choices available on

Lake

Jane

. We could fish in a single small hole, twelve inches in diameter, in the open tundra, out on the middle of the lake, or we could fish inside the typical wooden ice shack that Mr. Stevenson had transported out onto the ice, or we could fish out of The Wilcraft. The Water, Ice & Land Craft. It floats, has wheels, then pops up a canopy, and becomes and insulated and heated ice shack. Hmmm, guess which one I chose?  www.thewilcraft.com.  

Now mind you, I think Randy was angling this episode of Cook What You Catch to make me out to be some sort of Prima Donna, or Ice Princess, if I may. But I am not from Mars, and I was onto him. Checkmate. As I heard him point out to the camera my matching Coach® boots and coat, furry gloves, lip gloss, etc…  I was catching fish. He was so busy making fun of me and my manicure that he forgot that I was in a heated competition to see who could catch the most fish!

Now, here’s the funny part. Over in The Wilcraft, there were a couple of holes drilled inside our heated trailer, and each of the holes had an ice fishing camera on the end of thick wire, tucked down into the hole – a sort of a colonoscopy camera for the crappies. I was able to watch the action below the hole, on the screen above the hole, to see if any fish were hittin’ on my grub. All I could think was, these cameras in an MSP bathroom would make for a hit reality series. But in fish reality, I felt like I was cheating.

But, as I learned when Josh lured me over to his shack for a cup of Thermos coffee, he too had a heated place, and his version of spying on the fish was a bit different. Instead of cutting a twelve inch hole into the ice, he cut a six foot by two foot,

Helsinki

bath pool, for a pond. He had batted down his hut with a black tarp, so the place was dark, except for the light coming from underneath the fish pool, which was reflecting the light from outside our icehouse. Using this trickery, we were scamming the fish, as they had no clue we had taken the top off their aquarium. Problem was, it almost tricked me a couple of times, and I came within inches of falling in. But, when I finally outsmarted the fins, (and myself), a big Northern swam right into our open aquarium. He played around for awhile, and I finally knew what it felt like to be God, watching Jaws, live. BAM! He took the bait, I yanked the line and I hooked him! I turned around to see that Randy was still outside foraging through my Chanel purse.

Randy and I finally finished up with the ice fishing venture, but we still have to “Cook What We Caught,” so stay tuned. Yet, I have yet to wrap up my thoughts on the crazy, er, stupid people. I’m still frozen. My fingers have curled up, my cheeks have cracked, and I have a nice, big, frost-bitten blister on my lip. (Warning, Bobbi Brown lip gloss doesn’t double as SPF ice-screen.) You have to really really love fishing to head out into below zero temps to chase something that weighs less than a couple of pounds. Then again, I spent Sunday watching another sport where they chased around this leather ball, in below zero temps; but this time, I was smart; I was indoors, with a glass of wine, and adjusting the volume of the big screen TV to drown out the crackling of the roaring fire.  

Karin Housley is a published author, a local businesswoman, and a realtor in the

St. Croix

Valley

. To search for homes anywhere in the Twin Cities, visit Karin’s website at KarinHousley.com or contact her at karin@karinhousley.com or 651-430-0400.