Oshkosh Man Retires To Start New Endeavor

He’ll dive into a second career as the boss of his own landscape that he’s planned to do for .

“I’ve been testing the water to do this for about three years. It’s either jump in or don’t go swimming,” said , who lives in the . “I’m going to enjoy the heck out of this. It’s such a from being inside a factory.”

Starting his , called Seven Oaks Custom Landscape Design, after more than 20 years with Bemis isn’t a short-term endeavor for the 53-year-old .

He has also worked for Copps , and Marc’s Big Boy, where he specialized in cooking breakfast items.

“I would like to work at design until I’m 68 or 69. It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” he said.

said shift work at Bemis was getting more difficult as he got older.

“I thought about doing my and part-time, but it would be difficult to service my customers working every other day at Bemis,” he said. “The advice people told me was ‘Don’t do your part-time because you’ll probably get too frustrated.’”

, who has teamed up for his services through McKay based in Waterloo, is no novice at design.

For years, he’s landscaped the three- at his house.

“My neighbors said I was pretty good at landscaping,” said.

He decided to take at in .
His first class was design.

“The instructors saw some of my work and thought I was good at it,” said. “It’s one thing to have your neighbors tell you about your talents, but when my instructors told me that I was good at it, that made me think about doing it as a job.”

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Thursday, June 5th, 2008

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Board Approves Plan For New Kohl’s Store

The revitalization of Alameda Towne Centre took another step Monday as the approved the makeover of the building that currently houses Mervyn’s .

The renovation will set the stage for a Kohl’s store to open at the site in March, said Mike Corbitt of Realty, which owns and manages the shopping mall.

The new store comes as Borders . is about to open as an anchor store at the mall — earlier this month the bookstore hosted a job fair for the site.

While the idea of a Kohl’s opening has raised a few eyebrows among bloggers and others who say they’d like a more , a sampling of shoppers at the mall on Thursday found most people pleased with it.

“With the economy the way it is, I think it’s a good thing when you have a new business opening,” said 58-year-old Glenn Hendrickson, a retired electrician. “How can people have problems with that? It would be a lot worse if places were closing.”

The design that the board approved Monday does not call for the of the building to undergo a . But a portion of the store floor area — along the east and south sides of the building — will be converted into five smaller shops, eliminating the unbroken wall that currently exists on those sides.

Other changes include expanding the loading dock so that there will be two instead of one, with the entrances to Kohl’s being located on

the north side near the AC Transit bus stop and on the south side facing the interior.

New landscaping, benches and are planned, plus additional .

“I haven’t really shopped at Kohl’s before,” said Alameda resident Dorothy Kirschner, 32, as she was leaving Trader Joe’s. “There just hasn’t been one near where I live. But having one here is a good thing. Landscaping Idea It will give us more choice.”

The changes at the shopping mall have been in the works since at least August 2002, when Realty submitted an to the city that included everything from installing palm trees and the construction of a 7,000-square foot Safeway to securing Trader Joe’s.

It also included the removal of a Chevron service station and the construction of a Walgreens at the same site.

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Friday, May 9th, 2008

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Paris’ most remarkable market streets

Paris is a collection of neighborhoods and, on certain streets, life goes on as if the neighborhood were a country village instead of part of a big city.

Anyone familiar with Rick Steves’ guidebooks knows about rue Cler in the 7th district. A few blocks from the Eiffel Tower, it’s a pedestrian street lined with food shops, cafes and hotels and an outdoor market that takes place mornings and afternoon. Rue Cler has become so popular with Americans, some people call it rue Rick Steves and, as it often happens, many of the shops and restaurants now cater more to tourists than locals.

So where’s the next rue Cler? Right Bank or Left, there are market streets (rues commer%26#231;antes) all over Paris. The stalls are permanent, as opposed to “roving markets” where vendors show up on particular days.

If you’re on the Right Bank near Montmartre, especially on a Sunday, walk or take the Metro to the bottom half of rue des Martyrs, starting at the church of Notre Dame de Lorette, just northeast of Galeries Lafayette and below the Basilica of Sacr%26#233;-Coeur.

This part of the street is closed to cars on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., when families gather to do some shopping and chat with their neighbors. The smell of ripened cheeses is mixed with the scent of fresh oranges and roasting chestnuts coming from the open-air food shops. I didn’t see many other tourists when I walked there last winter, but I did spot a woman holding a dog and three baguettes in her arms stop to sing along with a trio called the Nag ‘Airs. The song was a Corsican folk song called “Tchi Tchi,” and everyone seemed to know it.

The activity winds down around lunchtime, so plan your visit to snag a table at British-owned Rose Bakery or the Lebanese-owned Bar Commerce for one of the foot-long falafel sandwiches cooked on a sidewalk grill.

If you’re staying in Left Bank neighborhood of Saint Germain des Pr%26#233;s in the 6th district, ride the Metro to Denfert Rochereau, near the Paris Catacombs, and spend some time strolling the pedestrian-only rue Daguerre in the delightfully local 14th district.

You’ll feel as if you’ve stumbled into a lively French village. This street is perfect for browsing old books and postcards or picking up picnic supplies. Best times for the market are morning and late afternoons, when the fish, fruit and cheese-sellers hawk their wares.

Check out the Monoprix on the corner for good prices on French mustards and other gourmet items, then blow a few precious euros at Jeff de Bruges, which specializes in Belgian chocolates. Look across the street and notice the three golden horse heads outlined in red neon above the awning of the butcher shop.

The covered terrace of the Peret Brasserie with its candles and wicker armchairs is the place for people-watching and coffee or a glass of wine as the market winds down in the early evening.

Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or %26#99;%26#112;%26#117;%26#99;%26#99;%26#105;%26#64;%26#115;%26#101;%26#97;%26#116;%26#116;%26#108;%26#101;%26#116;%26#105;%26#109;%26#101;%26#115;%26#46;%26#99;%26#111;%26#109;

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Monday, March 10th, 2008

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Shopping Penney#39;s adds Ralph Lauren

Have you seen the new American Living line from J.C. Penney?

Created for Penney’s by a division of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corp., it includes classic clothing and accessories for men, women and kids. It also includes bedding and luggage. And it accounts for the largest product launch in J.C. Penney history.

Simply put, it’s more of the designer’s preppy interpretation of America that he’s sold for eons at department stores and boutiques bearing the Lauren name.

That means a lot of my favorite plaid! And denim jackets ($100). And striped dress shirts for men ($50). Madras shorts for boys ($38). A darling white cotton sun dress for women ($100).

But of all the clothes, I think the dresses — sun dresses, shirt dresses, dressy black halter dresses — are the best part.

The only aspect of the collection I don’t care for? The distracting eagle-perched-on-the-American-flag logo on the breast of several of the shirts and blouses. I understand that the line is called American Living. I don’t need to be reminded of that by wearing two American icons on my chest.

What’s curious is that J.C. Penney isn’t promoting American Living’s connection to Ralph Lauren. Neither his name nor his face appears in the advertising associated with the line. (Penney’s spokeswoman Merianne Roth said the clothing stands on its own merit and “doesn’t require a face.”)

Which makes me wonder: If shoppers don’t feel the Ralph Lauren connection and its cachet, will they pay the price for the clothing? While American Living is less expensive than Lauren lines, it’s the most expensive clothing line J.C. Penney carries — about 15 percent more than the store’s other offerings.

I’d be thrilled to find a Ralph Lauren dress for $100. But I’d have to think awhile before buying a dress at J.C. Penney for $100, which, in the end, is what Penney’s is selling.

To find a store or to shop online: www.jcp.com

PUCKER UP

My new lipstick, Nourish-mint by Aveda, is supposed to make my lips plumper and healthier. And so far, I’m loving it. It’s set to show up in Aveda stores by today.

The Nourish-mint line uses botanical emollients to do its work, including soy and coconut protein to increase the skin’s collagen production. It comes in 21 full-coverage shades and seven just-a-hint-of-color sheer shades.

An extra bonus?

It smells good because it’s scented with organic spearmint, vanilla, star anise, cinnamon and peppermint oils.

The lipsticks are $14 a tube. To find an Aveda store or shop online: www.aveda.com

BARE ESCENTUALS BOUTIQUES

More good news for make-up mavens!

Bare Escentuals is expanding its boutiques. New stores have opened in Walnut Creek, Calif.; Thousand Oaks, Calif; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Annapolis, Md. And coming soon: Honolulu, Hawaii, and Novi, Mich.

Most of the Bare Escentuals boutiques range in size from 800 to 1,100 square feet.

Limited items from the Bare Escentuals line of natural cosmetics are available at stores such as Sephora and Ulta. But it is fabulous to see all the products at the boutiques.

To shop online or for more about Bare Escentuals: www.bareescentuals.com

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Saturday, March 8th, 2008

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From Mount Fuji to manga Pop culture ignites a tourist boom

TOKYO His head wrapped in cloth and wearing black head-to-toe, Michael Studte throws darts, turns somersaults and twirls lassos in a ninja class for foreign tourists in Japan.

“It didn’t seem quite like the normal touristy showy sort of thing,” the 40-year-old information-technology engineer from Perth, Australia, said recently, a little breathless after pushing down a mock opponent.

Foreign visitors have always flocked to old tourist spots in Japan, such as Kyoto, the Sapporo Snow Festival, hot-springs baths and Mount Fuji.

But these days, they’re also checking out new offbeat ways to experience Japan, such as ninja classes, a geeky pop culture in Tokyo’s Akihabara gadget district and animation museums displaying manga, or Japanese-style cartoons.

And they’re coming in record numbers many of them from elsewhere in Asia. Last year, an all-time high 8.34 million foreign tourists visited Japan, up 14 percent from the previous year.

Wooing shoppers

Japan traditionally considered an expensive destination has become cheaper for many because of the recent surges in the euro, Australian dollar and other Asian currencies against the yen, says Junsuke Imai, a government bureaucrat in charge of promoting the $232 billion-a-year tourism industry. The government has set a goal of raising that to $278 billion by 2010, Imai said.

Even Americans, whose dollars have weakened against the yen, are visiting Japan in about the same numbers. The 815,900 visitors last year was unchanged from the previous year.

Eager to accommodate the droves of foreign tourists, Tokyo department stores now employ clerks who speak Korean; put up signs in English and French; and accept Chinese-style debit cards, which were previously rejected.

The number of Japanese stores, restaurants and hotels that accept China Union Pay has jumped 50 percent to about 8,400 from the previous year, partly because of efforts by the government to promote tourism.

“Chinese people easily buy three times what average Japanese buy in one visit,” says Hiroyuki Nemoto, director of Invest Japan Business Support Centers, a government-backed organization.

Department stores are hoping to make up for dropping among Japanese with the stronger buying power of China, South Korea and other Asian nations.

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Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

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Astronomy buffs reach for stars

When you’re a 14-year-old girl, it’s not so hard to show boredom about, well, just about everything.

But there was Katelynn Harper, a ninth-grader at Kentlake High School sporting a punkish look that included black jeans with bleach spots looking at the sky through a telescope.

“That’s … Mars!” she exclaimed with unrestrained glee. It was the first time she’d ever used a telescope.

Through it, what was a bright dot to the naked eye had become a sharp image of the red planet.

Versions of this moment were replayed over and over around Puget Sound in the early evening of Feb. 20, during the total lunar eclipse.

Right about 6 p.m., clouds that had covered the region began drifting away, and it was a beautiful, clear night. It was a great night for area astronomy clubs, and they want to build on that momentum.

People that night were doing something many hadn’t done for a long time: They were looking up at the sky, and marveling at what stargazers through the centuries have seen.

“People’s lives are scheduled around ‘American Idol’ and the boob tube. Their imaginations are starved,” said Dave Ingram, vice president of the Boeing Employees’ Astronomical Society.

His group had set up telescopes at Van Doren’s Landing Park in Kent, 10 acres of serenity away from freeways and suburban sprawl. It was there that Katelynn Harper got to see the stars.

Ingram estimated the astronomy clubs in Western Washington the Boeing club, the Seattle Astronomical Society, the Tacoma Astronomical Society and others have maybe a total of 1,000 members. A star party might attract a dozen or two dozen people.

In this high-tech age, what outer space looks like for many is what they see in digitally created images in movies and video games. It’s ironic that the real thing gets forgotten.

Ingram, a Boeing procurement agent, devotes much of his spare time to telling people about the stars. On a regular basis, the club sets up telescopes at an Albertsons parking lot in Kent.

Even with the parking-lot lights, he said, “We can show you the moon, some bright sky objects. People have never realized they could see them.”

Ingram remembered an elderly man tearing up after looking through the telescope. Half an hour later, said Ingram, the man came back.

“He had brought four generations of his family. He was hopping around like a 30-year-old,” said Ingram.

On the evening of the lunar eclipse, the moon wasn’t the only attraction.

Besides Mars, there was Saturn and its rings, and then there was the constellation Orion, and Sirius, the brightest star that can be seen in the northern hemisphere.

Shrina Sami, 19, a student at Bellevue Community College, was there with her dad, Dale Lewis.

She’s taking an astronomy class, and is rethinking her original goal of majoring in business and marketing. The stars are calling her.

“I don’t care if it’s snowing; I always make it to my astronomy class,” she said. “There’s a whole lot of existence beyond us. This is nature. It’s beautiful.”

Lewis could only smile at his daughter’s enthusiasm, which now includes getting a telescope she can set up on the roof.

The clubs urge those wanting to purchase a telescope to first attend a few star parties. There are telescopes, and there are telescopes.

“The common telescope you find in a has lots of knobs and switches,” said Jon Bearscove, head of the Seattle Astronomical Society.

“And if you’re talking about someone being introduced to astronomy, and suddenly they’re confronted with all these knobs that they can’t figure out, they get frustrated and the thing ends up in the closet.”

A pair of binoculars is a good start, he said.

Then you can move up to a $300 or $400 telescope, and, if the star passion really gets you, you can move up to something like a 10-inch LX200R Advanced Ritchey-Chretien for $3,700. The latter is a “smart scope” with a computer that automatically aligns stars for you, and has hot keys to find 145,000 celestial objects.

For the 50 curious people who had stopped by the Kent park, the enthusiasm of the astronomy buffs was contagious.

Here was Keith Mackay, 48, a Boeing engineer, with his telescope, explaining his passion:

“It’s about a spiritual experience. I get to see the power of the universe.”

Later, on his Web site, keithmackay.com, he’d write about the evening: “The clouds began to fade and the moon started to tease us through them. It was like watching a flower bloom.

“It was so beautiful with shades of white to turquoise to red. Don’t tell anyone but it put a lump in my throat when it finally revealed itself.”

Here was Jason Snow, 8, with a couple of buddies, Parker Welch, 8, and his brother, Max Welch, 5. They were looking through a telescope and marveling at Saturn.

“It looks weird. It looks like you see in the pictures,” Parker said.

But this was the real thing, and all they had to do was look up.

Erik Lacitis: 206-464-2237 or %26#101;%26#108;%26#97;%26#99;%26#105;%26#116;%26#105;%26#115;%26#64;%26#115;%26#101;%26#97;%26#116;%26#116;%26#108;%26#101;%26#116;%26#105;%26#109;%26#101;%26#115;%26#46;%26#99;%26#111;%26#109;

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Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

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Nordstrom fashions an opening out of style and charity

MIAMI –Retail competition is cutthroat. Consumers are cowering before the impending economic storm. And this summer’s trends may not be compelling enough to persuade shoppers to splurge.

What’s a new to do?

Isn’t it obvious? Hold a fashion show. Turn it into a benefit for charity and entice some of the wealthiest people around. Even better, hold two fashion shows for three charities. All in one!

Nordstrom heralded its arrival at Miami’s Aventura Mall recently with mint mousse for gala-goers and cash for causes. And, for anyone wanting a pair of $300 Bettye Muller peep-toe flats to go with their good conscience, sales associates were at the ready.

“It works both ways,” said philanthropist Monica Heftler, riveting in red Valentino. “It helps the charity and it helps the store.”

The crowd fell squarely into two camps: Benefactors supporting causes on the society circuit, and Nordstrom fans out to do a little damage to their credit cards. Attendance was $125 a head, a bargain by Miami gala standards. Ticket sales totaled $200,000, split among the Junior League of Miami, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis/The Miami Project at the University of Miami, and University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For the occasion, Nordstrom delivered an elaborate stage from its base in Seattle. Jean Paul Gaultier’s nautical-themed runway production for spring/summer `08 served as partial inspiration for the fashion show lineup, said Gregg Andrews, a national fashion director for Nordstrom.

“We took the show-we did the whole shipwrecked pirates thing,” Andrews said. “It just seemed fun.”

For once, blond models were in the minority. Models of various complexions were flown in from different cities so multi-hued South Floridians could see themselves reflected on the stage, Andrews said.

He put together runway outfits he thought would please the Miami crowd. There was neon Versace, hand-painted Dolce %26 Gabbana and billowing Cavalli-flashy, trendy and tropical, respectively. In one ensemble, a startling gold jacket met with white shorts. Andrews’ personal favorite was a tiered black satin jacket by Michael Kors, paired with a black bathing suit brief - “cabana chic, over-the-top.”

Some at the affair sat passively, savoring champagne with bobbing raspberries, as knitted Missoni dresses floated down the runway. But many headed straight for the fitting rooms, stripping off suits and tugging on dresses.

“We’ve never done this before-buying a ticket for charity, yes-but not for an opening of a store,” said Paula Levy, who was perched by a display of Eric Michael espadrilles. She handed her plastic to a sales associate for a pair of wooden Michael Kors. “I’ve been waiting for over a year for this to open.”

That would be music to Andrews’ ears.

“It’s a very important market for us,” he said earlier, backstage before the fashion show. “This is the biggest event that they’ll see (at Nordstrom) all year.”

It was also possibly the biggest concentration of Miami’s philanthropists that Nordstrom will see all year. Nordstrom is usually compared to Bloomingdale’s-generally more pricey than Macy’s and less so than Saks-and targeting a fad-conscious consumer.

By the elevators, the five-piece band Miguel Cruz %26 Tropical Dreams struck up a mellow Guantanamera. Guests ate salmon and couscous while lounging on banquettes in the shoe department, one of Nordstrom’s boasting points. There, they had a perfect view of patent leather Jimmy Choos and grosgrain Pradas.

A few couples danced. Others were busy upstairs, examining the sleek Dolce %26 Gabbana in-store boutique.

“We want a cure for paralysis,” said Bal Harbour resident Beatrice Clancy, dressed in taupe Dior.

“And this is wonderful, it brings people here. When was the last time we had a wonderful opening for a ?”

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Thursday, February 28th, 2008

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Tips and Tricks for Moving Into your New Home

I have moved many times over the course of my years and have gained some valuable tips and techniques that I pass on to my customers.

When first time home buyers have completed the closing, many times they are often overwhelmed by what occurs next, what to do and how to do it.

Moving into a new home can be a very confusing time for new home owners. Often times new home owners will focus on the immediate obvious tasks of moving and omit or not realize the importance of the little details.

Every one is different and their priorities tend to be focused on what they believe to be of importance. The finer details of a move and some of the tasks of making the transition from one home to another often sneak up on new home owners and make the transition a more tedious stressful affair then it has to be.

With that in mind, I present my customers with a short list of the necessary items they may not think of while they prepare to move into their new home. I provide this information as a service to all home buyers, and welcome additional insights and tips that others have used to make transitioning from one home to another easy, stress free and as enjoyable an experience as possible.

When I begin thinking about the move, I setup an outline and 2 task lists: list of physical items I will need to purchase or obtain for the move as well as a to-do list.

These lists provide me with an accurate measurement of what tasks are left to be accomplished prior to moving day and help me to remember items of importance.

Here is a list of some of the physical items needed for a move:

Boxes

You can never have too many boxes. You can either purchase them from a moving supply store, find them behind department stores, or some movers will also supply a given number of boxes. You will need various sizes and types of boxes for the move: small, medium and large boxes, Wardrobe boxes (these have a cross beam so you can hang clothing items within) etc. I also use boxes of various material types: Cardboard and plastic as an example.

Packing Material

Newspaper, bubble wrap, towels etc. Newspaper can be shredded to protect fragile items from impacts when moved. Bubble wrap I use for the more delicate items including fine china, art work and other fragile knick knacks. Towels I use as box stuffers. Towels are placed inside the walls of boxes to give fragile items such as dishes a cushion from impacts.

Packing and marking Tape and dispenser

It’s always a good idea to seal the boxes. Interlocking the flaps of boxes does not provide enough lock for the box and may open during transfer. I will usually interlock the flaps, and then tape over the seams to secure the box further.

For marking tape I use either the blue painters tape, or white duct tape. I place a strip of tape on everything that is either boxed or wrapped and mark the room in which it belongs.

Twine or rope

I use this material for several reasons: to secure box flaps that may come undone and I always bind books in rope for easy movement. Books in boxes can get very heavy and often times the boxes break or are too heavy to transit. Binding books in rope gives everyone, even small children the ability to pickup a stack and place it in a vehicle. It also saves your back from trying to lift a box full of books!

Movers Wrap

Movers wrap is a large roll of saran wrap like material. I use this to wrap furniture, TV’s and other large items that either don’t fit in a container or require additional protection. It also allows me to add impact protection to the items.

Example: I have a coffee table made of wood , I place rolled towels around the corners then wrap the table with movers wrap. This provides extra padding for the table which lessens the chance of it getting scratched or broke during the move.

Extra light bulbs

I pick up a few extra light bulbs just in case they’re needed. Don’t forget to have a flashlight on hand as well!

New Locks

For safety and security, I change all the locks in the house (front, back and side doors) either before moving day or on moving day. One never knows who has keys to the new home.

You may require additional items on your physical list. Personalize the list to your requirements so you can have any necessary items readily available for your move.

To-do list

My to do list will include all the tasks needed to be accomplished before, during and after the move. This list includes:

Movers/Truck Rental

Some of my moves I have had friends and relatives help with the move. Others, I have hired professional movers. Either way, it is important to make sure all the necessary people and vehicles are scheduled for the correct day of the move.

A few years back, I hired what I thought was a professional moving company (a very well known company) for my move to a new home. The day before the move I had not heard from the company and telephoned to make sure all was well. They told me they had my move scheduled for the following week! I was livid! I had previously verified the date with the company 2 weeks prior! Now I had to rush to find a new moving company for my actual moving day since the family moving into my old home was due to arrive the day after I moved out! Needless to say, I’ll never use that moving company again (nor recommend them) and I always confirm the day of moving with the company twice after my initial contact: 2 weeks before and then again 2 days before the move!

Packing When packing, I always pack first in last out. What I mean is; if you think you are going to require an item quickly during or after the move, place it last in a box or container so it is on top and readily available as you open the container. Likewise, items on the bottom are those that won’t be needed right away.

I always pack by room. I will place several boxes and packing materials in each room and Label the box by the room in which it belongs. In the case of personal rooms, such as children’s rooms include their name on the box. If there are several of the same types of rooms such as offices, I mark them specifically as well. And don’t forget to mark boxes for storage rooms and garages!

I bubble wrap all delicate items before placing them in a box. I also bubble wrap all electronic items to prevent and lessen damage to the item due to shock or impact. I try not to mix rooms in the same box. It is much easier to unpack a room when all the items and boxes for that room are located right there.

I try to move delicate and fragile items myself. Whenever possible, I move the fragile boxes and items prior to the big moving day. When that is not possible, I place these items in my car. I know that moving day will be a rush and to minimize the confusion that day, it’s best for me if fragile items are not part of the rush.

I place comfort and hygiene items in their own small box, tooth brush and paste etc. for easy access.

I also am certain to have one small bag with paper plates, cups and disposable utensils for dinner and lunch the day of the move.

Contact Phone Numbers

I make certain I have called the necessary services prior to the move: Water Company, electric company, Gas company, refuse management company (trash pickup) and have these numbers readily available the day of moving just in case. A real estate agent can and should provide these numbers to you.

Also, if obtaining a new phone number contact the Phone Company and schedule an installation date as close to moving day as possible.

Change of address

Many new home owners often forget or don’t realize the importance of changing your address with the post office. The post office has a package you fill out and can leave with your post person or drop off at the post office. I always make sure this is done so my bills and correspondence can arrive at the new home in a timely manner. The last thing I want is to have bills show up at the new home after their due date!

Get Cash

Moving day is a very hectic day. The last thing I want to happen is to not have enough cash on hand for: tipping the movers, purchasing beverages, lunch and/or dinner etc.

Moving day

Now that I’ve prepared for moving day, I am ready and anxious for the day to arrive. If you are like me, you are excited to start your new life in your new home.

On or before (whenever possible) moving day, I go to the new home and place signs on the entrance to each room. The signs are the descriptions of the room (matching the box descriptions) so the movers will be able to place the appropriate boxes and items in their assigned rooms. Children’s rooms get a sign with their name on it, living room, dining room etc. How I intend to use a room, may not be readily evident. It also allows me to direct the process much easier as the Movers don’t have to ask where to put items.

Once moving day arrives, I am on top of my game. All items in the old house are packed and labeled and ready for the movers, all fragile items are loaded into personal vehicles or have already been moved to the new home. I then let the movers do their thing and load the truck. Most professional movers have a system for packing their trucks so I let them do what I hired them to do. Many reputable movers will examine and verify that delicate or fragile items such as televisions etc. are packed and protected appropriately.

For lunch and/or dinner I order something easy to be delivered and don’t forget the drinks. I’ll always pick up some bottled water and sport drinks to keep everyone involved hydrated.

Even though I had a home inspection prior to closing, when I arrive at the new home, I check and make sure every thing still works. I or someone I assign will go around the house and turn on all the lights, use the garage door opener, run the sprinklers (after the movers leave and there is nothing left outside on the lawn), run the dishwasher, dryer and clothes washer and check the pool or spa pump. If there is a problem, now is the time I want to find it.

I also go around the house and acclimate myself to all the various wall switches. Some of the switch uses may not be obvious. If there are allot of switches, I place blue painters’ tape (it doesn’t leave marks and is easy to remove) and mark the switches use until I become familiar with its usage.

If you’re like me, you have pets. I always put the pets in the backyard during the move and while the movers are there. I let the pets get accustomed to their new yard and give them plenty of water and some chew treats to keep them busy. Once the movers have left, I let the pets in the house and give them some time to smell around the home and acclimate themselves. After all, pets are people too!

After moving day

Now that I’m all moved in and begin to unpack, I’ve learned a few handy tips that I hope will help you settle in to your new home with ease:

Put out the welcome mat! If you don’t have one think about getting one to welcome visitors to your new home. It helps your neighbors feel comfortable in welcoming you to the new neighborhood.

Assign weekly family project tasks for maintenance and general upkeep for your new home. Assigning family projects is a great way to motivate children to do chores and give the family some quality time together.

More tips

Here are some handy cleaning tips I’ve learned for the house:

To clean a lavatory bowl: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the bowl and… Let the “real thing” sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers: Fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.

Summary

Moving into a new home, if properly organized before hand can be a great day for everyone involved. Creating lists to prepare for the move, marking items and the rooms in which they belong assist the helpers and make the move much easier. Many times it can also save you money by reducing the time needed to use professional movers.

There are many more events and tasks that can occur prior to moving. Creating a list will help minimize the tasks and items that need to be completed for a move to a new home.

Oh, and don’t forget… You are allowed to paint the walls, hang pictures and shelves and get new carpeting or other floor covering.

After all… It’s YOUR home now!

If you’d like to read other real estate related articles, please visit: Panama City Real Estate.

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Monday, February 25th, 2008

Landscaping Idea No Comments

Travelers flock to Japan as yen weakens

TOKYO –His head wrapped in cloth and wearing black head-to-toe, Michael Studte throws darts, turns summersaults and twirls lassos in a ninja class for foreign tourists in Japan.

“It didn’t seem quite like the normal touristy showy sort of thing,” the 40 year-old information-technology engineer from Perth, Australia, said Wednesday, a little breathless after pushing down a mock opponent.

Foreign visitors have always flocked to old tourist spots in Japan like Kyoto, the Sapporo Snow Festival, hot-springs baths and Mount Fuji.

But these days, they’re also checking out new offbeat ways to experience Japan like ninja classes, a geeky pop culture in Tokyo’s Akihabara gadget district and animation museums displaying manga, or Japanese style cartoons.

And they’re coming in record numbers - many of them from elsewhere in Asia. Last year, an all-time high 8.34 million foreign tourists visited Japan last year, up 14 percent from the previous year.

Japan - traditionally considered an expensive destination - has become cheaper for many because of the recent surges in the euro, Australian dollar and other Asian currencies against the yen, says Junsuke Imai, a government bureaucrat in charge of promoting the $232 billion a year tourism industry. The government has set a goal of raising that to $278 billion by 2010, Imai said.

Even Americans, whose dollars have weakened against the yen, are visiting Japan in about the same numbers. The 815,900 visitors last year was unchanged from the previous year.

Eager to accommodate the droves of foreign tourists, Tokyo department stores now employ clerks who speak Korean, put up signs in English and French, and accept Chinese-style debit cards, which were previously rejected.

The number of Japanese stores, restaurants and hotels that accept a dominant debit card, China Union Pay, has jumped 50 percent to about 8,400 from the previous year, partly because of efforts by the government to promote tourism.

“Chinese people easily buy three times what average Japanese buy in one visit,” says Hiroyuki Nemoto, director of Invest Japan Business Support Centers, a government-backed organization.

Department stores are hoping to make up for dropping among Japanese with the stronger buying power of China, South Korea and other Asian nations.

Visitors from neighboring Asian nations are finding it quicker and easier to travel to Japan to buy European designer items than to go all the way to Europe, said Tatsuya Momose, spokesman for the tony Takashimaya in Tokyo.

“We are so grateful for this,” he said of the flood of Asian shoppers.

The appeal of Japan as a travel destination is mostly its novelty, as Koreans have already traveled a fair amount to the U.S., Europe and China, said Park Yongman, counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Tokyo.

“These days, Japan is seen as the best place to travel,” he said, adding that the changing image of Japan has done wonders.

Young Koreans don’t harbor the bitter memories of Japan’s brutal colonization of the Korean Peninsula before and during World War II. These days, Japan is emerging the perfect spot to enjoy animation, video games, movies and other entertainment, he said.

For the first time ever, the 2.6 million Koreans visiting Japan last year surpassed the 2.2 million Japanese visiting Korea. Adding to the momentum is the strengthening won, up 6 percent against the yen over the last year.

The visitors who paid $139 for the ninja class said they had seen ninja in samurai movies, manga and the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and wanted to try it out.

The travel agency that set up the 2 1/2 hour ninja class, H.I.S. Experience Japan Co., also offers make-your-own-sushi workshops, “taiko” drumming classes, a visit with sumo wrestlers and sake tasting.

Ninja master Masayuki Waki, 49, who was teaching newcomers the art of fleeing grabs and choke holds, acknowledged foreigners were more interested in spirituality and other things Japanese than are most Japanese.

“They are so dedicated,” he said. “People abroad are far more drawn to the sensibilities of survival than are Japanese, who tend to take comforts for granted.”

Jason Chan, 28, an information-technology business analyst from London, who has also visited Spain, Germany and Hong Kong, said he had fun playing ninja.

“I watched the movies, and ninjas are always the ones that get away,” he said. “Generally it’s a misconception that traveling in Japan is really expensive. I actually find it pretty reasonable compared to everywhere else.”

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Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Landscaping Stone No Comments

Remove receipts from rental cars

Dear Heloise: I just read your hint about using a rental car, and I remembered something. When I rented a car several months ago, I was told to keep my receipt in the glove compartment in case of an accident or something.

I found two previous renters’ receipts in there with their full name, address, phone number and Social Security number! When I checked the car back in, I took all of the receipts and destroyed them so the information did not fall into the wrong person’s hands. It would have been so easy to steal someone’s identity! Please remind your readers to make sure they take their receipts when they return the car. %26#151;Jan, via-e-mail

Jan, you were very considerate to destroy the receipts with the personal information on them. Give yourself a pat on the back, because a lot of people wouldn’t have bothered. I say “thank you” for those you helped. %26#151;Heloise

Dear Readers: Here are some handy uses for egg cartons that we came up with at Heloise Central. Hopefully, one of them will be handy for you:

%26#8226; Put small parts in one when assembling an item.

%26#8226; Separate and store earrings in one.

%26#8226; Use as packing material when moving or sending a package.
Story continues below

%26#8226; Keep golf balls organized.

%26#8226; Organize buttons or pins. %26#151;Heloise

Dear Heloise: How many times have you gotten to the grocery store just to realize that the great list of items you need is still on the counter at home?

Try this: After making the list, call your cell phone and read the list of items into a message. At the store, you can retrieve the message and remember everything you need.

This is also a great way to record reminders when you’re out and don’t have a pencil and paper. Just record reminders and then retrieve them when you get home. %26#151;Michael Jones, San Diego

Dear Heloise: My husband washed out an empty laundry-detergent container. He removed the inner spout and then filled it with sand to keep in my car trunk. If I get stuck in snow or on ice, I simply pour some of the sand around each tire. This works great%26#151;not to mention a little extra weight over the axle. %26#151;Eileen, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I have a Sound Off: the loud, pounding music in grocery and department stores. What happened to easy-listening music, which makes shopping more calming and inviting? I get tired of the noise and the inappropriate, even offensive, music that is being played. %26#151;Kathleen Martin, Reading, Pa.

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Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

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