Monthly Archives: January 2009

When Life Punches You In The Face, Then Fight Back

After venting about my problems in my last post, today I feel a renewed sense of energy today. For those who know me, they know I can bitch and whine, then I just get back into it. For some reason I feel great today, even with the recent pitfalls. But if you can’t get back up when life punches you in the face you’re not much of a man if you ask me.  Having pitfalls makes me stronger. Every time something like this happens to me, I get back stronger and make even more money.  Maybe that is why I am soo excited? I guess that ‘s the reason I feel revived, because I know I am going to make even more money very soon. It’s a weird cycle in my life, when sh*t happens it ALWAYS works out for the better. It’s strange but oh so true scenario in my life.

Maybe it’s just the way I view life, but things always get better for me after they dip. So let’s get this day started and see how great it will be…  And if you’re the kind of person to look at the dark side of life, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. When you are down and out, how can you possibly move forward? I will tell, YOU CAN’T!  Cry for an hour then work hard after that. Get your spirit back and run with the bulls. Don’t be a wimp, have balls and get it going!

If you’re life is hard, give it the middle finger and tell yourself you can and will succeed. You have no choice but to succeed, it’s you life and you need to control it the way you want it to turn out.  Think of your life as a school  bus and you are the driver. You need to control it, speed up when it’s needed and put the brakes when you have to. If you need to make detour to get to where you are going, then do it.  You are in control of your life, so make damn sure you like the view, if not then change the course of your life.

You have only one life, so live it the way you want to ever single day of it.

jan-29-09-f-u-problems

It’s Time For A Vacation Or I’m Going Postal

Almost end of the month and I am dying to the f*ck out Vancouver now. I need a damn break from the everyday grind. If you knew all the shit I do on a daily basis it might drive you nuts. I am well compensated for everything I do but sometimes the cash doesn’t matter, ok? I’m am not complaining but damn sakes. I feel like I’m running 100 miles per minute, and this blog is basically my punching bag! Maybe I am complaining?!

I post the ads on Craigslist to get renters, people call to view the condo , I show them the place and they are all “very interested”. Some of these idiots are so interested that even when you call them back they will never return your message. I mean come one at least call back and so I changed my mind, instead of leading me on like a naive girl on the first date, f*ck! I doin’t feel bad for charging high rents, with all the games people play I need to be compensated for my B.S.

Then you have my online marketing campaigns, that’s another ball of wax. Let’s just say a vaction is very much needed, before I indeed do go POSTAL. Luckily for me I reinvest all my profit into something STABLE like real estate. That might sound crazy to some of you, but trust me real estate is way more stable than an online income. Don’t even ask! That February 22nd vacation is coming up, and I am more than ready.

Take tonight for instance, I need to go out to the Port Coquitlam condo for the 3rd time this week to show it. I’m thinking that people will see how nice this place and drop the $1525 per month to rent, so I can crawl back in my little hole in East Van and look for the next condo to buy. Any takers?? Ok, it’s time to call tonight’s prospective renters just to make sure they are actually coming.  I have no clue how many people say they are coming but never show up, so I call to confirm first.

jan-28-09-fresh-fruit

fruit platter, for my movie snack

jan-28-09-highway1

Highway 1 underneath Hastings Street (can’t recall name of this tunnel)

jan-28-09-plumbing

Why is there a lock on the toilet plumbing at Renfrew library?

jan-28-09-pop-son

you know who…

Chestnuts & Eggs For Breakfast

Hmm, I’m ready to go postal, lucky I don’t work in  a post office. Snowing again!?! Lucky it’s like 1/2 inch so driving in this white junk is easy. Actually I walk to “work”, which is the Renfrew public library. I basically just steal their heat and use the chair and desk to work at, who needs an office?

Anyways I snapped a few photos of today’s healthy breakfast which consists of roasted chestnuts and 2 boiled eggs with salt on them. I had like 4 chestnuts in the fridge and I had to get rid of them, so why not have them for breakfast right?

It’s funny how anything can be “art”, even 5 chestnuts and 2 cracked hard boiled eggs. I guess the macro setting on the Canon camera  has that “magic effect”. It can turn everyday objects into artistic expression. Wow, I almost believed that one myself…

Ok enough on this post, time to get my ass ready for “work”.

ciao,

C.V.

jan-27-09-chestnuts

jan-27-09-eggs

jan-27-09-salt

From Robson To Granville & Back

Today was probably the best day  for weather in Vancouver in the last 2 months, seriously.  It was a bit chilly outside but at least there was no fog, no snow on the roads and it was sunny. It was a great day to get out and wifey and I did just that, we drove downtown and walked Robson to Granville and back. First we stopped at Tim Horton’s to get  a hot beverage, as usual I grabbed a medium sized double double, yum yum. From there we walked to Robson Street where wifey stopped by Aritzia, and yes she bought some stuff. We then walked down to Granville Street, to the Puma shop and back to the truck.

My cell phone rings and it’s Rob, wanting to mee for a cafe. Twenty minutes later we are at  Calabria Bar on Commercial Drive, having a caffe mocha.  We chilled there for maybe an hour or so and then went to my mother in laws for the weekly Italian Sunday dinner. After that I played  landlord (Mr. Roper) interviewing possible tenants (possible deadbeats?) for my Poco condo.  I also stopped and checked out my Burnaby condo that I got possession of on Friday evening. Hopefully the Port Coquitlam condo loft will be rented by tomorrow evening (cross fingers), we will see. After that is set, then I should be able to layoff the landlord duties for a little bit. Until I buy the next one, lol.

And that folks was my Sunday, a little bit of this and a little bit of that…

jan-23-09-cameraguy

took a picture of a guy taking a picture

jan-23-09-couple

Robson Street

jan-24-09-aritzia

Aritzia Robson Street

jan-24-09-bus

Robson Street – dude holdign his kid

jan-24-09-grandma

Grandma walking on Robson Street

jan-24-09-gm-place

Driving  by GM Place on Dunsmuir Bridge downtown Vancouver

jan-24-09-puma

Puma show at Puma store on Granville Street

jan-24-09-puma-rack

Puma store on Granville Street

jan-24-09-backyard

View from my bedroom at night

Espresso Coffee, Condo Keys & Divorces

I snapped a few shots this morning. I got up way too early this morning at 4:59 am, and I couldn’t sleep anymore so I rolled downstairs to my computer dungeon. I did a bit of work on one of my websites, then snapped some pics of my morning espresso, yum, yum……

Sometimes I get up really early but it doesn’t seem to bother me too much. I’m wide awake and don’t feel tired at all.  I try to work a bit, just so I feel like the whole getting up early thing isn’t a complete waste of time.

Anyways today I take possession of the Burnaby 2 bedroom condo I bought in November (tenants already in place)! My realtor drops of the keys at 9 am, I will drive down later to take a peek at the place.

Oh yeah the tenants from the condo in Port Coquitlam (bounced check) are  leaving, after less than 2 months! I guess that can happen if you cheat on your wife, then she finds out and wants a divorce! That sucks for me them big time, I feel bad for the wife. I already posted the ad on Craigslist for the last 3 days and will be having a showing today or tomorrow.  I also  raised the rent $25 to $1525, I may as well get more rent just for the headache of rerenting the loft after such a short period of time. Once a tenant leaves I always raise the rent even $10 (usually $50 to $100 though), it’s another $120 in your pocket in 1 years time right? Hey every dollar counts and adds up.

jan-23-09-espresso1

Freshly brewed espresso on my granite counter top

jan-23-09-espresso2

6:30 am espresso – reflection in granite counter top

jan-23-09-espresso3

6:30 am espresso – reflection in granite counter top

jan-23-east-van-fog

walking towards Renfrew library on  East 22nd Avenue in Vancouver in the fog