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Remembering 9/11: Where were you?
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Dallas | September 11, 2009 7:12 AM | 100 views | No commentsTo quote the Alan Jackson song, "Where were you when the world stopped turning, on that September day?"
Personally, I was at Boeing Aircraft in Corinth (no longer in existence). What started out as a gorgeous morning in North Texas was shattered and our hearts went out to the Northeast. That sickness in the pit of my stomach and that inability to grasp in the mind what the eyes were seeing are sensations I will never forget. This was my generation's Pearl Harbor.
Being at Boeing on that day brought on a sensation, too, that not many can share. It was our planes, the product we helped to build, being used for a purpose for which it was never intended. Not only that, but the aftermath for the company didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. Within minutes of the terrorist attacks I figured out that my facility would not survive this event. The impact on air travel, and the companies that supported air travel, would have ripple effects that would just go on and on, like skipping rocks across a still pond.
My Husband and I shielded our son from this day. We only watched the news after 8pm when our son was tucked in bed asleep. A 5-year old deserves to be a 5-year old. We grieved for those families at convenient times, and stuffed our emotions deep down the rest of the day. I remember taking a break one day at work and just sitting in a conference room, in the dark, crying my eyes out, so that I could then drive with a smiley face to go pick my son up from daycare.
Living and working so close to DFW, the lack of aircraft noise over the coming days was frightful. The world really did feel like it stopped moving. And, when the planes went back up, I prayed for those brave souls who worked for the airlines and figured that if they were brave enough to pilot and operate those planes, then I couldn't let this attack keep me from pushing forward either. A strength that was palpable came upon us, and I have to say that I have never been more proud of America. We weren't Democrats, Republicans, or Independents in the days following 9/11. We were all Americans. We hurt for the families who had lost loved-ones, because they were our family.
4-months of 12-14 hour shifts began immediately after 9/11. I was on the Recovery Team for my facility. Not that it did much good. One week in a room, and the 12 of us had worked every scenario for keeping the plant alive. At the end of the week, we knew the plant would be sold, which it was, and Boeing began phased lay-offs across the board. Imagine your employer rating you A, B, C, or D. Where would you rate? What would be your plan-B for when the layoffs got to you.
My Husband was also on 12-hour shifts after 9/11. He was a police officer, and mandatory overtime became commonplace. How we got through that time, I don't recall. Thank goodness our Son was small, and liked his daycare. There were some days that we barely made it there to pick him up.
Today has nothing to do with real estate. Some days, buying and selling houses can be so trivial. Today is a day to remember the souls lost, the coworkers scattered, the strength of a nation, and the families who will always feel that someone is needlessly missing from their lives. Please say a prayer of remembrance, light a candle, and thank a soldier. Since my Husband went to Iraq to train police officers in 2004, I'll start there. Thanks, Honey. I still well up with pride when I think of the day when you sat me down and said, 'I feel strongly about this. I can be of help. I'm going to Iraq'.
Have a blessed day!
Ronda
Ronda Allen
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
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Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives, and then some...Where to eat in DFW!
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Dallas | August 20, 2009 10:41 AM | 377 views | No commentsMy Husband, Joel, and I are making our way around the Metroplex this Summer, trying out the restaurants we've seen in Dallas and Fort Worth on Guy Fieri's Diner's, Drive-in's, and Dives show on the Food Network. We have been enormously impressed with these places, not all of which we would have given the time of day looking at them from the street. As a Realtor, we eat out from necessity as I work late, or as entertainment - finding unique places to try and enjoying the drives to get there. My favorites are the non-chain restaurants. I like new experiences. Hopefully, there is at least one restaurant on the list below that is new to you, too, and I hope I have inspired you to get out off the beaten path and try new things:
As seen on Triple-D:
Twisted Root Burger Company - as, the owners say, 'If you haven't tried Twisted Root, then you're dumb."
3 locations now - and may I beg the owners to PLEASE come to Prosper!!
2615 Commerce St., Dallas
730 E. Campbell #330, Richardson (walking distance of the Dart Rail Line)
101 S. Oak St., Roanoke
Fred's Texas Cafe
915 Currie St., Fort Worth
Jamaica Gates
1020 W. Arkansas Lane, Arlington
Chef Point Cafe
5901 Watauga Rd., Watauga
Louie's
1839 N. Henderson, Dallas
Avila's
4714 Maple Avenue, Dallas
I'm going to add two more that I think are also not to be missed:
Tim Love's Love Shack Burger in The Fort Worth Stockyards
(Cash only)
110 E. Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth
Cowboy Chow (Sister restaurant to Twisted Root)
2801 Commerce St., Dallas
Now, get on Mapquest and call your significant other for a great night out! Go during the week, when the crowds may be less (don't count on it). If you know of other restaurants (no chains, please) that should be added, just continue the blog string and let's have fun!
Have a blessed day, fellow Foodies!
Ronda
Ronda Allen - Realtor, Life Coach, and Certified Purchasing Manager
CEO of comingsoonhomes.com
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/comingsoonhomes
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs - Keith Dobbs Team
#1 Office and #3 Team for RE/MAX in the North Texas Region at mid-year 2009
See all the team's listings at: www.keithdobbs.com -
NYTIMES: Breakfast can wait. First stop of the day is online. True.
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Collin County | August 10, 2009 7:34 AM | 87 views | No commentsI got a rude awakening this morning as I logged onto my computer to check social media and email. NYTIMES had a tweet about people logging into the computer now even before breakfast. (great twitter posts at www.twitter.com/nytimes) Guilty as charged. Just this morning, I brought my coffee in to the study and got on both my laptop and my computer (I adore multi-tasking on two computers at once) and got to work at 6am. Email, Twitter and Trulia (now, lovingly referred to as ETT in my house) are my first tasks of the day. It has become my routine while my son is asleep and prior to my Husband leaving for work in the morning. Most days, my phone doesn't ring with real estate business before 8am, although I officially start my workday at 7am. I justify my 6am computer time as 'just getting organized'. Because I follow a few news sources, I equate this to time I used to read the newspaper. These days, I don't EAT breakfast. I ETT breakfast. Is that bad? I really don't think so. It's just different, and a transition that happened without my awareness until I recognized myself in the NYTIMES tweet. It made me realize that we probably have a lot more transitions that will be occuring very slowly and naturally over the next quarter century as these kids we are raising leave home and change the world. They've always known computers. I can remember a day in the not-too-distant past when they didn't exist. It wasn't bad. It was just different.
Have a blessed day!
Ronda
Ronda Allen - Realtor, Life Coach, and Certified Purchasing Manager
CEO of comingsoonhomes.com
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/comingsoonhomes
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs - Keith Dobbs Team
www.keithdobbs.com
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Texans vacationing in the Vail Valley of Colorado
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Collin County | August 3, 2009 11:07 AM | 132 views | No commentsOne distinct advantage to living in Texas, where homes are more affordable, is that we seem to vacation more easily than some folks living in other parts of the country. We try very hard not to be house-poor. One of our favorite places to vacation is in the Vail Valley of Colorado. Vail, Avon, Eagle, Beaver Creek, and Minturn have become a home away from home to our family. Colorado has the mountains that we don't have in Texas, is a great respite from the Texas 100+ Summer days, and has great outdoor activities for the entire family. We prefer the Summer months, but I hear the skiing is great, too. I don't do snow, so I won't ever find out.
We've been visiting the Vail Valley for about 20 years now. Every time we visit, we run in to other Texans. There was one visit, early on, where one of them commented, 'Well, you know what they call a Texan in Colorado, don't you? Land owner." That has held true on every trip.
This visit, our Lakota Jeep tour driver was from Rowlett, TX. And, on the last day in the Vail Valley, I opened up the Vail Daily paper to find Marilee Obermeyer pictured inside. Marilee was my sales rep. with Newcastle Homes when we bought our home in Prosper, TX in 2006. Marilee and her Husband had stayed in Vail Lodge just one week prior to our visit.
We usually add day trips to each visit to the Vail Valley. We've been to Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs, Wolcott, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Golden. Breckenridge was the day trip this visit. What a fun day for the ladies to have a shopping trip while the guys went off 4-wheeling. (the ladies had our 4-wheeling adventure the day before out at Camp Hale. Thanks to Ben at Nova Guides. "Dirt don't hurt!" Always a blast!!)
Vacation condos are a very popular way to see the country. Our's ensures we don't have to settle for a staycation. Next year is Hawaii, and the year after that is Florida. Then, we hope to return again to the Vail Valley before our son is grown and gone to college. After that? Who knows. The beauty of a timeshare is the ability to go where your heart desires.
We toured the Poste Montane Lodge in Beaver Creek this visit to the Vail Valley. This is an Interval International Property, Managed by East West Resorts, LLC. This one has the feel of a chalet in the Swiss Alps. We are very excited to stay there on our next visit. www.postemontane.com.
Have a blessed day!
Ronda
Ronda Allen, C.P.M., Realtor
Certified Purchasing Manager
CEO of comingsoonhomes.com
Keith Dobbs Team
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
www.keithdobbs.com
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Money.com named Keller, TX to Top 10 Places to Live 2009 Edition
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Tarrant County | July 13, 2009 6:59 AM | 157 views | No commentsI noticed this morning on YAHOO that cnnmoney.com picked up on what we local agents have known for years - Keller, TX is a nice place to live. The site ranked Keller #7. Here's what they had to say about Keller:
7. Keller, TX
Top 100 rank: 7
Population: 38,100
Typical single-family house: $300,000
Estimated property taxes: $7,430
Unemployment rate: 5.8%
Pluses: Strong economy, affordable homes
Minuses: Rapid growth, strip mallsLooking for bang for your housing buck? Consider this Dallas/Fort Worth suburb. Home values rose nearly 6% in Keller last year.
The economy is just as healthy. Energy has kept Texas going strong, and major offices of FedEx, Fidelity Investments, and travel company Sabre Holdings lie just outside Keller.
No wonder this town, which boasts immaculate parks and a spanking-new town center, has seen its population triple since 1990. "We keep hearing about this recession," says Tracey Ramirez, 49, a teaching aide in Keller, "but we don't really feel it here."
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That whole Roanoke, Watauga, Keller corridor has really picked up steam in the last few years. Truly great access to Dallas or Fort Worth can only really be accomplished in two locations:
Roanoke/Watauga/Keller
Duncanville/Grand Prairie/Arlington
Energy - particularly the natural gas pockets discovered in our area a few years ago, hold great promise for the financial health of our region. The drilling setups have been minimally intrusive, but tolerable and things seem to go smoothly and quickly.
This is a very pretty part of the Metroplex, with plenty of interesting places to visit. If you are looking for a nice 'Sunday drive' locale, there is lots to see and do.
Have a blessed day!
Ronda
Ronda Allen, C.P.M.
Realtor, Life Coach, and Certified Purchasing Manager
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
www.comingsoonhomes.com
www.keithdobbs.com -
Make the trip to Fort Worth this Summer - it is SO worth an hour's drive!
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Collin County | June 7, 2009 7:04 PM | 90 views | No commentsIf you have never taken a weekend to drive one hour outside of Dallas to Fort Worth, you are missing out on some great memories. The Botanic Garden is so beautiful this time of year! Casa Manana has some great events over the Summer. Just yesterday, my Sister, Robin, and my Mom treated me to 'Always, Patsy Cline!' at Casa Manana as a 43rd birthday present. What a great time! Sally Struthers was phenomenal in this much too short tribute to Patsy Cline.
The Fort Worth Zoo is a wonderful time for young and old. It's shadier, which is a relief in the 90 degree heat we've been having lately. The Fort Worth Science Center was a favorite spot of my son's when he was little. And, the Stockyards are amazing!
Having lived in DFW for 30 years, we've made many trips to Fort Worth. Concerts at Billy Bob's. Anniversary and Valentine's Day dinners at Reata. Shopping trips to Sundance Square. It seems when I want to make a special memory, I head to Fort Worth. Downtown just seems more lively there. One time, for my Husband Joel's birthday, we got tickets on the Tarantula Steam Train from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards, where we had an old-time cowboy chuckwagon steak dinner - complete with cowboy tales and live music - then walked across the street to the rodeo. After the rodeo, we had a lovely time riding the train back to Grapevine. What an incredible night!If you can't remember the last time you went to Fort Worth, or heaven forbid you have never made that trek, it is time to hit Hwy 377 and head West! You'll see how areas like Keller, Watauga, and Roanoke have grown. Be sure to stop in at Babe's in Roanoke or Ponder Steakhouse in Ponder (used to be called Miss Jackson's) for dinner on the way back! Ponder Bank was once robbed by Bonnie&Clyde, and the old corner bank in this one-horse town is up for sale.
I hope you had a great weekend, because I sure did! Thanks, as always, Fort Worth! You're an old friend I hope to visit a few more times this year and every year!!
Have a blessed day!
Ronda
Ronda Allen-Keith Dobbs Team
Realtor and Certified Purchasing Manager
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
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McKinney's Tucker Hill Spring Market Event is Saturday 4/25 9am-1pm!
Posted Under: Quality of Life in Collin County | April 23, 2009 12:35 PM | 119 views | No commentsGo have fun and enjoy a beautiful morning touring model homes, getting great ideas for remodeling your current home, enjoying activities for the kids, getting ideas for container plantings, and enjoying live music. It's time for the Spring Market Event at Tucker Hill, off Hwy 380 in McKinney. The event is being held in the center of the neighborhood. Saxby's Coffee of McKinney, Calloways - plus 3 other nurseries, and other vendors will be present. Tucker Hill's own Flower Lady will be demonstrating container planting designs.
Collin County's KLAK 97.5fm radio will be doing a live remote at 9:30am.
The early bird's get a free flower! (while supplies last)
Sponsored by the McKinney Performing Arts Center
If you've got the kids in the car and are looking for more to do, head down Hwy 380 to the West, take a left at Preston Road and a right on Main Street - and go to the carnival in Frisco this weekend - on Main near Frisco Square. If you reach the North Dallas Tollway, turn around because you somehow missed it - it's visible from Main.
Enjoy a beautiful Spring weekend in North Dallas!
Ronda
Ronda Allen, Realtor and Certified Purchasing Manager
Keith Dobbs Team at RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
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