Lori Rivero, Realtor Coldwell Banker Realty

Remember the days of RSVP's, returning a phone call after they left a message, picking up the phone to hear the beep of a vm left?  Remember when the cell phone would let you know that someone was on the phone when you called them........ so you could leave a message... and they would call you back.  Remember the basic etiquette of a response? I have learned that people have become such slackers in the department of phone/text/email etiquette. Not only do people not leave messages...... but they use the "missed call" feature of their phone as proof enough they called and therefore deserve a return call.  " Hey, you called me?"... My rule is, no message....... no return call.  If it isn't important enough to leave a brief message... it must not have been important to call me. Let's not start talking about FACETIME.... UGH!  There should be a proper etiquette about calling someone FACETIME.  Don't call before 10:00 a.m. or after 8:00 pm   unl...

Nothing screams health and happiness like a sick person on an airplane! Have you seen the show Fear the Walking Dead???   The prelude to the Walking Dead series?  The zombie apocalypse starts with a cough on the airplane! I flew from St Louis to Charlotte, with an extended layover in Charlotte before leaving to Tampa.  I personally don't mind layovers.... it gives me a chance to grab a bite to eat and people watch.  (Which btw is one of my favorite things to do)  I saw everything from a group of Catholic Priests to a yard of butt crack!  Seriously, when is this butt crack obsession going to end???  Pull up your pants!!! Personally, I don't like to fly.  I am a bit of an anxious flyer...... so I am a little "hyper aware" of my surroundings when flying.  I watch people carefully.... and worry about turbulence.. I hate it! This particular flight from Charlotte to Tampa was full.  People were a bit grumpy because the flight was ...

 In honor of Military Family month..... I thought I would give my perspective of a military brat... and only other brats can truly appreciate all of the fun times we had!  Military families experience a lifestyle that no one else can understand..... once you cross through the gates of a military installation you are now speaking "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot".   You can recite the phonetic alphabet like the best of them.  (that is the language spoken over radio transmissions) It was normal to stop the wherever you were at and whatever you were doing when we heard "colors" over the loud speaker on the Post.  You looked for the flag.. or in the direction of the flag.  Our uniformed parent would get out of the car, to salute and pay respect to our flag. We thought nothing of it when a tank or two... or three would go rolling by us while we were at the school yard.  Often the civilian kids thought that those of us who went to military schools; (DOD) sch...

It's going to be a fun filled 4 days in DisneyWorld with the girls!   I have only been here for one day and I already see the wear and tear of the heat and the excitement kids experience, wearing down their parents! Yesterday I saw a little guy in the pool having an absolute melt down......... you know the one.... throwing his head back... falling to the ground...screaming at the top of his lungs... and both parents standing their looking at each other helplessly......... LOL  What could be wrong?  We are at the Happiest Place on Earth! Tensions run high with parents when they bring kids to the parks........ the combination of heat... miles of walking..... crowds... lines.......crying babies.... strollers ramming your heels...rides that appear scary to little one's causing a minor explosion of tears........... but....... other than that.... to little one's the magic is lost after Mickey walks away... kinda like Santa Claus heading back home after Christmas ...

Very recently I had the pleasure of spending quality time with a friend from High School.  I had not spent quality time with him since 1988......... our lives have changed, we have grown, we have a few more gray hairs than we care to admit...... our stories consist of children, grandchildren, loss and joy. When you get the opportunity to sit down with someone you have not seen in a while........ take the time to turn off your phone and get to know the person in front of you.     It is great to swap the "remember when" stories, and there were lots of them!  Like that time......... at band camp....    It is funny how your mind stops with an image of someone from the last time you saw them.  Of course the beauty of the internet and FaceBook keep us aging in the eyes of everyone we choose to share our lives with.......... but nothing seems to really help the brain grasp that time has lapsed until you see someone again in person.  He ...

We all know the feeling.... that little empty rumble that starts in your stomach... but you are in no position to stop and eat ... yet.  You keep getting interrupted at work... or your staff meeting is taking too long..... and no one brought snacks....... that little empty rumble starts turning into a big rumble. Embarrassing noises...... people look at you funny........ and then it hits......... the subtle headache... the fatigue....... the impatient attitude... the frustration....the I WILL BITE YOUR HEAD OFF IF I DON"T EAT NOW moment. It has obviously become an epidemic that we can all relate too.  You have seen the snickers bars commercials where William Dafoe is Marilyn Monroe until he/she gets her snickers bar to cure the Hangry attitude....  The Jacks Links commercials where the man has a cougar come out of his stomach to grab food... or a wolf out of his stomach at the conference table. I  hate to admit it...... but I am the WORST at th...