"Oh Robert, you're too much..."

Isn't that really the case? "Too much" is the key phrase here. By the way, I don't know who Robert is. My blogging has really suffered lately; and in turn, so have my avid readers of 0. My deepest apologies. There's much to report.

Trip to California. I went out for a business trip. It was enlightening, fun and a nice getaway (although very exhausting). I found it fascinating that I was able to follow most of what was being discussed, despite my novice real estate status. It was real estate and networking with other real estate folks. Seeing all of these people and hearing their stories, showed me that I was not as sheltered as I have been thinking. It also proved to me that it is possible to do very well financially in this industry. Boy, am I ready for that. Last week was my week back from the seminars. It was a busy week; as I was excited to implement the knowledge I had gained. So much to do and change. In addition, bossman purchased a new system to contain all of our notes, info, etc. A major cut above the system we had been using. Very encouraging as well. While in LA, I was able to spend some quality time w/ friends Scott & Christina; learning all about their new (3 years ago) in the LA area. Christina and I took Saturday afternoon and drove out to Santa Monica. We shopped, ate, chatted (like Christina and I are always able to do; with great ease) and walked the Third Street Promenade. Then we walked the couple of blocks to the beach. It was a nice, life-affirming moment when a scene from the film Point of No Return popped into my head. Take a look @ it if you can; it's the scene where Bridget Fonda arrives in Venice beach and opens the windows of the dumpy house she is about to rent. A breeze rushes past her as the beach and ocean are revealed behind the windows. A Nina Simone (sp?) song starts to play with lyrics along the lines of, "It's a new dawn, a new day". It may be cheesy, but I'm a cheesy guy. At that moment, I made up my mind that it was time for the other half and I to make the move we've been discussing for some time. How is still a big question, but the when has been answered. I've given us a goal to be there by 6-30-08. Scott and Christina have been very successful in their ventures in CA; and they patiently answered all of my many questions about a pending move. They gave me a "soft sell" on living/moving in the LA area. They believe; that if I can conquer Chicago (not that I know it all, but I feel very secure in my knowledge of Chicagoland), I can conquer the LA area. Scott said he found it to be easier than Chicago. My first evening with them, they took me to a restaurant in Hollywood called Doughboy. Who should we be seated next to, but Michael Hitchcock; known by me (and hopefully many of you) as a regular guest star and writer on MADTV and as one of Christopher Guest's stable of actors in such films as Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. I was tempted to get a photo once he got up to leave (not during his meal for Godssake), but in the end, I chickened out. Deep thanks to Scott and Christina for giving me so much info to mull over in my brain. Even though I feel committed to making this move, I now am having some butterflies. The other half and I have deep (but not unbreakable) roots here and have put a great deal of work into our home; and I feel strange about making these things into only memories of the past. I think the fact that I feel so genuinely nervous; proves that we are really going to make this a reality. More info forthcoming on other recent updates. For now, my Memorial Day weekend is coming to a close. The other half has been an avid fan of the Miss Universe Pageant for many years. It starts shortly; so I must prepare to make my own decisions.