Pirate Again!

Okay, the pegged leg pirate thing is getting old but my 11 year old daughter thinks it is befitting for an amputee so I will go along with it one more year. My side kick husband is a parrot and our 2 yr labradoodle is the Devil Dog. She, of course, is the Goth Fairy Princess.

We had a great time with at Sterling's party in Millbrae and all went well on Hallow's Eve.

Mommy, Look! It's a Robot Woman!

I just got a new leg. My old one wasn't fitting well and getting loose when I worked out at the gym. I wear the new one as just a foot and pipe until it is adjusted just right and then Gary puts on a cosmetic covering.

I have been wearing shorts since it is hot and I am surprise at all the great comments I get from kids-"Look, Mommy, there's a Robot woman!" "Mommy, what happened to that girl's leg!" It's too bad that most parents don't stop to explain but keep them moving and looking away. I find teens and adults from other countries are more likely to just ask me what happened than Americans. A fellow amputee concurred. Cultural differences, I guess.

Most guys want me to keep the leg as it is. They think it is pretty cool looking. Lots of them almost run into me at the grocery store as they try to mentally figure out the technology as they stare. Hell-lo! My eyes are up here! Ha! Ha! I think some tattoos on the cosmetic cover would be more interested than the pipe and foot setup I have now. Hmm....maybe.

At my adjustment visit with Gary, they were trying to get rid of some Police tickets. I scored 2 lawn tix for Elvis Costello and the Police at Shoreline. As we entered we got upgraded seats (maybe I will keep the pipe and foot) and it was a real treat to see a live concert (been a long time). Sting had let his gray hair show. Andy Summer had a thick double chin as he looked down at his guitar. Funny how the older rockers don't bother to hide their age. Sting was fit as every-being a yoga devotee.

As I left the Shambhala Mountain Center ( August of 03) in the Colorado mountains after a 2 week meditation retreat, the big buzz was that Sting was there for a yoga retreat. All the Gen Y were in a tizzy wondering where he was going to be assigned work practice (everyone has assigned "samu-"work practice) so they could be neaby at the same time. Later on I heard that when asked how the retreat went, Sting replied "I never washed so many dishes in all my life."

And yes- I am following the financial crisis- check out my recommendations here:
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Financial Crisis-My Two Cents

I have been fielding clients concerns over the last two weeks so now it's time for me to put in my two cents.

Most of you who have been following me for a long time, know that I have been bitching about the problems in the financial industry since day one. I have never been a big fan of government intervention in business affairs. Compliance is costly, onerous, and sometimes, plain unnecessary. But left to our own oversight, we fail miserably. Greed, dishonorable conduct, and unethical behavior is more the norm than ever before and so (as I gasp) it is time the government needs to step in and say, "What a minute! You have to stop this!"

How they intend to control this craziness, I have no idea. The disease has spread and unless the whole nation starts to "get it", I fear that it will continue- just in a more covert way.

To highlight just a few injustices that I and my clients have experienced over the course of my more than 24 years in the industry:

*After extensive analysis of a real estate transaction, a client goes to sign documents at the escrow company and finds that the loan rate has changed by more than an eighth of a point higher than he was quoted and told he had to close that day or else lose the deal."
This is a common bait and switch loan transction that was happening all the time.

*Client just bought a large life insurance policy from a broker that was backed by a AAA Excellent A.M. Best rated company. The life insurance company goes bankrupt as AM Best rates them AA Superior.
Life insurance ratings companies are useless

*Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bondholders were rubber stamped high bond credit quality ratings that were all a sham to promote more sales and more commissions to large bond brokers"

Clients were told they had to use a certain title company to purchase real estate through their broker, But weren't told that the broker made extra fees by using that title company.

I could go on and on but you get the picture.

And the highest insult to the American people:

The Financial Planning Association and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors sue the Securities Exchange Commission to force all people who call themselves Financial Advisors to disclose how they are compensated---- and loses.

The CEO of Citigroup is forced out of the company because she wanted the Citigroup hedge fund that fraudulantly lost customer's funds to repay every penny back to the customers.

Pimp My Ride

After much research I finally decided on purchasing this bike from www.nycewheels.com. I live close to a lot of things but can't really walk far. My long hikes (8 blocks) while enjoyable at the moment turn into a fiery hip pain at night that needs a double on the rocks (lingo for double tylenol with ice water).

I worried if I could get my leg over and onto this bike even though it is really low to the ground and I just barely can get on with this one. Then since my right foot turns out, my foot kept slipping off the pedal (not good at all). I was a little dismayed until my trainer turned me on to Brian Spears at Advanced Welding in Mountain View. Brian and his crew fashioned me an extended pedal type thing so my foot doesn't fall off so easy and I don't have to risk my life every time I ride. Thanks, Brian!

A big shout out goes to all the messenger boyz in NYC who encouraged me to go for it and try to bike again.

Another big shout out goes to Bert of NYC eWheels who put up with my constant questions about anything and everything concerning ebikes.

Above all, thanks to my husband, Joseph, for letting me shake up his nerves once again with my never ending risky adventures and for making me take all the safety precautions I really should.

Thanks, Guys!

It's a Girl- Again

As summer comes to an end, our activity has spiked up. We are closer to adopting an 11 year old little girl. She currently resides in the Sacramento area and the transition period will be long- (till the end of the year). That's a lot of driving back and forth every weekend- but it is worth it. Thank goodness we still have the camper van and there is a great place on Folsom Lake Recreation area to camp. We can even bring Goldie with us. But the lake is now more like a pond so we have to travel a couple of miles away to Lake Natomas. There will be no windsurfing for me this year LOL! but I look forward to some kayaking and canoeing.

Anyway, if we appear to be super busy, now you will know what we are up to. For those of you who don't know, we did foster care before and was planning on foster-adopt - but a car accident got in the way of our dream and so here we are once again living the dream....even though the dream keeps changing. Wouldn't want you to be bored. LOL!