Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kindle. Show all posts

Monday, August 23, 2010

Never Say Never

I wrote a few weeks ago that life had sort of run away with me. I had so much I could have posted about but I wasn't sure it was really anything anyone would care about. That continues.

You know that phrase: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." That's me. The more I have to do, the more I get done. I can work at home but sometimes I shouldn't.

In real estate as long as you have a computer and telephone, you can work just about anywhere including your dining room table. When I do, it's not always pretty. There are days when I sit here in my sweats until 1 p.m. without having washed my face or brushed my hair. But I may have negotiated a deal to completion and prepared a sales agreement in that time.

There are days when Paul comes home early and I'm still sitting here. I think he's often wondering if I've actually been working or playing Jungle Jewels. It could be a little of both.

But I digress. I said I never would, but I bought a Kindle. I have been borrowing Pam's for the last year to see if I liked it. Despite being one who likes new gadgets, I put off buying one because I wasn't sure it was worth the investment. The only real issue I had with it is that you have to buy the books. I seldom buy novels. I usually get them from the library.

The average cost for the books on Amazon is $9.99 and it's a breeze to download them, usually in less than a minute. But it's still an expense I wasn't sure I wanted to have.

One problem with library books is that you may wait a long time for a hot book. Depending just how popular the book is, you might be 200 on the waiting list. No such problem with the Kindle. You can also download 50 pages of a book for free to see if you want to buy it.

When the cost of the Kindle dropped dramatically, I figured it was time. I like it, a lot. It's very easy to use and easy to carry. What I like most about it is that it's so comfortable to read with in bed. I read before going to sleep, and I could never get comfortable. I had to keep shifting as I turned a page. With the Kindle I fold back the cover (you buy a cover separately) which makes a little tent, and I can read on my side. Turning the 'page' is just a quick push of a button.

But it's not quite like reading a book. I miss being able to thumb back through the pages. You can go back with the Kindle but the pages are not numbered like a book and finding a particular passage isn't that easy for me.

It has a cool feature that allows you to change the size of the font. There is a progress bar on the bottom of the display which tells you how far you you have read in the book. I find I read quicker on the Kindle. Part of that I attribute to not turning a page. It's a very seamless read. It's not backlit like a computer, and that's supposed to be easier on the eyes. They sell book lights that fit it.

The Kindle is very sleek and compact; easy to take on a plane or slip into your bag to read in the doctor's office. There are lots of other features on it like a dictionary and a way to highlight passages and save them. You can also archive books on Amazon. I can see that might be worthwhile because they are in alphabetical order on the Kindle and scrolling through them after several have been downloaded would be time consuming.

Everything considered, I like it and am glad I finally bought one. As the title says "Never Say Never."

Friday, July 2, 2010

A Little of This, A Little of That

Once again I am tempted to yell "Stop! Let me off this merry-go-round!"

Lately the time has just run away with me. You may notice the gap between my last post and today. Or maybe you didn't. Summer is a busy time for most of us, and I notice many seem to spend less time here.

My real estate business has been keeping me very busy. That's a good thing. In my line of work we often work really hard NOW for commissions LATER.

Last week I spent a lot of time preparing for a presentation to a prospective seller. I was one of three Realtors they asked to speak to about listing their house. A really unique and beautiful "estate," I worked very hard on this and held my breath to hear their decision.

Yay! They chose me. I immediately got busy working on the marketing plan for the property. I am pleased to say that I had it in two multiple listing services, a virtual tour filmed and a dedicated website up in only THREE days! I didn't do this alone. I have a fantastic IT group I work with and an equally fantastic virtual tour company. Everyone worked quickly, and it all came together.

I'll tell you more about the property next week. It's a 12-room Colonial built in 1780. Think about that....it was built just four years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. I am very excited about selling this house, a true piece of history. Stayed tuned, I'll have more later.

Sunday, like lots of people, we are having a cookout with family and friends. We haven't had a Fourth of July party in a long time and I'm looking forward to it. The next couple days will be hectic getting everything ready.

Today I am taking a little time for ME and going to have a pedicure. Although I am addicted to my nail tech and my fingernails, I usually do my own toes. But today I'm going to sit for an hour and be a little pampered.

Oh, and I recently bought a Kindle. I haven't rushed out to buy one before this because I wasn't sure I'd use it, and I was hoping the price would come down. I've been borrowing Pam's occasionally (this time it's been a month....sorry, Pam, I'll return it this weekend) and have decided I like it. Plus the price has come down significantly.

Before I forget, let me suggest that you stop by the blog Pam and I put together a couple months ago...Words of Wisdom. In my humble opinion, today's Blogger of Note is one of the most amazing writers we have featured so far. I don't mean to slight any of our other Bloggers of Note, we were happy to share all of them, but something about Matthew's writing at AbodeOneThree really speaks to me.

I hope all of my American friends here and living as expats have a wonderful Fourth of July and the rest of you have a great weekend! Hope to see you next week.
 

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