I gotta tell you, I’m not all that inspired to write and post my usual drivel this week. But give me a cluttered closet and watch-out…now that’s something I can really dig my hands into! It’s like I’m nesting, but without an egg. Oh man, this week has just felt like one big wedgie.

Really, I’ve checked all the junk drawers and the bottom of my purse, yet I can’t seem to find my vapid imagination anywhere! And come on, how could I with silverware drawers to organize and odd socks to match?

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I need to make sure we’re all up to speed before I get to today’s post. Otherwise, we risk a lot of…”What’s that girl talking about now? Real estate? I didn’t even think she owned a house? Which is true, I don’t own a house, but that’s not the point. The point is I sold real estate. Actually, Ben and I both did, and the damage to our collective brain has been surprisingly minimal. Although, from time to time I need to wipe away drool from Ben’s chin.

Her are the official CliffsNotes for today’s post: I spent five hardworking years crawling over hot coals, on my elbows and knees, also referred to as real estate sales. House data sheets in one hand, a cell phone in another hand, all while holding some client’s hand with the other. Yes, I know that equals three hands, so you can imagine the advantage an eight armed goddess would have selling real estate!

What I could have done with eight hands! I would have had enough hands to do all my real estate stuff plus jab out my eyeballs, my clients’ eyeballs and occasionally shove a hand down my throat, nudging along that wretched feeling. Like when I was three months pregnant, touring twelve plus homes on a ninety-five degree summer day, with some buyer who wasn’t “exactly sure” if they wanted a three bedroom, two full bath, or a three bedroom, two and a half bath. Because you know that third toilet could make ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Oh heck, lets just look at them ALL! And while we’re at it go ahead and throw in some condos!

Anyway, the other day I was watching one of those real estate shows on HGTV. The one with the happy real estate agent and the agreeable buyers. Where the buyers have three homes to chose from…and they like it. THEY LIKE IT. And they thank their agent…Thank you real estate professional for narrowing our choices down to three. We‘re simpletons and could also use your help determining which thumbs to stick up our asses. Seriously, people I take more jeans into the dressing room at the Gap.

So I decided if I ever sold real estate again I’d have a rule sheet for new clients. It would be laminated for easy clean-up of…oh I don’t know…blood, sweat and tears. It would go something like this:

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My parents took the family to Europe after I graduated from high school. We spent four weeks together in a Peugeot 4-door sedan, and to the best of my recollection I bitched and whined our way across the six countries’ borders we crossed. My jet-lag had manifested itself into a, “if I have to bring my own toilet paper into a public restroom one more time I’m writing a letter to the US embassy”, kind of home sickness. Never especially patriotic, I could be found humming the Star Spangle Banner randomly, like when I had to order off foreign menus without pictures.

Given my inability to embrace foreign cultures previously, I should have been somewhat wary to move to a TOTALLY FRIKIN’ FOREIGN culture like Mexico’s. But my travel amnesia must have weakened my resolve, made a decade or so ago in Europe, to never step off US soil again.

Fast forward to this morning.

I can’t even keep track anymore of the number of  “I want to go home” melt-downs, written and performed by me and attended by my long suffering husband. Yes, he nodded, “You are right Meredith, and the country of Mexico is wrong.” A little rest, apologies on my part, and a sandwich later and all’s right where it had all been so wrong only hours ago.

As part of my, “let’s get this day back on track”attitude, after I had abandoned my fight, I thought it would be helpful for me (if not self-indulgent) to list the things I miss about anywhere other than Mexico.Doing errands without dragging along 3 separate English/Spanish translation books.Doing errands without dragging along 3 separate English/Spanish translation books.

  • Doing errands without having to drag along 3 separate English/Spanish translation books.
  • Wearing shirts with sleeves
  • American television
  • Target
  • Ice cream without vegetable oil as the third ingredient
  • Family (the ones who still like me)
  • My best girlfriends
  • My Blackberry
  • My down comforter
  • Old Navy
  • Wearing “dry clean only” clothes
  • Beaujolais Nouveau
  • The ability to argue my point to the deserving pain in the ass, no help, customer service dude at the cell phone counter
  • The ability to access my cell phone voice mail
  • Bacon