How's the Edgewood Market?

Here are some numbers that I complied to show the difference between February 2010-2011 and February 2011-2012.  Home values are still going down and listing prices are still going down as well.  Take a look at this and let me know if you have any questions.  The NE Edgewood numbers are skewed from a high end home sale that occurred at the beginning of this year out of our office.  Congrats to Dan and Lora Kniffin of the Kniffin Team on that sell.  L) stands for listed price and C) stands for closed price.

iphone 4s

Just got the new iPhone. Kind of amazing how easy it is to use and all of the stuff one can do with it. Like update my blog! A resolution of mine is to keep this going and not slack on it as much. Sorry about that. Here's a pic of Gina and me walking Abbey in the bosque this morning. Happy New Years y'all!

Trouble brewing with Cost Co!

So this happened last Saturday and I was pissed!  The following is a letter that I wrote to Cost Co and their response.  I'm pleased with Cost Co and how they've handled the situation, but tell me what would you do if this happened to you?  Last post I made the comments were shut off, but blogspot should have corrected that issue by now.  Leave a comment on the blog if you feel like it.

The Letter

"Today, May 14, 2011 I headed to a local CostCo to get some weekly shopping done.  I had to work this weekend, so I took off early to get some errands done and I headed to the CostCo on Renaissance Blvd in Albuquerque, NM.  I got there around 6 o’clock and as I was walking in was pointed at by the card checker on duty and was approached by a cart collector and was told that they were closing at 6 and I wasn’t allowed to enter.  They told me “As soon as the door closes, no one is allowed into the store.” The garage entrance door was still open but it was 6 o’clock.  Fair enough I thought there are times set for a reason and If I wasn’t able to make it on time, I’d have to come back on a different day to shop.  I had traveled 50 minutes from out of town to get my shopping done, but I understood why I was turned back.

The upsetting part of why I’m writing this letter is that as I was walking back to my car, there were other shoppers running to get in the store.  I couldn’t help but notice, so I turned to watch them get turned away at the door because they were closed.  The problem was that they weren’t turned back.  They told the card checker that they needed just one thing and were let into the store to shop.  That’s not the most upsetting part of why I’m writing this letter.

I had reconstructive knee surgery (ACL) last week and have been on crutches since then.  I couldn’t help but notice that the members that were allowed in the store didn’t have crutches.  I feel it is obvious that I was turned back and not let in at the last minute because of the crutches and the employees thought that I would take too long and not let them go home on time.  As I was walking back to my car, it just ran through my mind, should I let it be, or do something about it.  I was and still am pissed, so I went back through the exit and asked to see the MOD.

I didn’t get his name, but he did come out to talk to me and was very apologetic.  He offered me to go ahead and shop, but I had a lot to buy and didn’t think that it would be fair to the rest of the staff to hold them up because the two employees up front didn’t want a man in crutches holding up the store.  That’s the same reasoning why I thought it was fair that the store was closing at six and that I would have to come back another day.  But I’ll be damned to think that it’s fair to let certain members in to shop because they can move through the aisles faster than other members. 

He radioed to see who was working the door, but was told that her (Carmen) shift had ended at 6 and was already gone for the day.   We were able to find the cart collector that had talked to me and as I was leaving he was talking to him.  I didn’t stick around for the conversation to be honest.  Maybe my knee was hurting or my head was still spinning from the blatant idiocy of the employees up front.  It wasn’t just bad customer service that I got at CostCo that day, but I’m sure there was some discrimination laws looked over by those employees that day as well.

I’m not one to take pity on myself for physical difficulties; I hurt my knee in a skiing accident and have been taking the proper steps to recovery.  This incident got me thinking of other people that don’t have that road to a full recovery.  It would be sad to think that employees of CostCo have a downward looking attitude towards people with disabilities.  It also got me thinking that there is a Sam Club across the street that is open to 8:30 PM on a Saturday.

I’m not sure if this message will get to anybody that cares, but I figured that it was worth a shot.  Please feel free to contact me anytime 505-553-2366 or via e-mail stuart.seagers@gmail.com

Thank you,

Stuart Seagers"

The Response

"Dear Stuart,

We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale.

Your feedback is very important to us.  We take very seriously any member service issues that occur within our warehouse locations.
We have forwarded your e-mail to the warehouse manager for their review and response.  If you would like to contact a member of the warehouse management staff you can call them directly at the phone number listed under the ‘Locations’ section of our website at www.costco.com
It has always been our policy to treat our members with the utmost respect and consideration.  I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances regarding your experience in our warehouse.

Thank you,

Kevin
Costco Wholesale Corporation"

I'm not one to dwell on such things, but I thought it was good on Cost Co to give the quick response.  Hopefully something will happen at the store level.  If something does, I'll post it and let ya'll know. 

Wrote this just after surgery, but took a while to publish. Abbey Dog!

Well the past few weeks have been pretty hectic to say the least.  Last Thursday I got the news I was hoping to avoid that I tore my ACL and my meniscus from the skiing accident.  Not much went through my mind when I got the news except, “FIX IT!”   But fix it when?  Now, later, or even later?  I ran dates through my mind.  Kyle and Anna’s engagement party is Memorial Day weekend, after that would have been good, but then I would be having surgery right before Chris and Allison’s wedding.  And the recovery time would seriously get into my fishing time for the summer.  The doc told me he had an opening the week of May 2^nd through the 6^th.  Hell, the sooner the better right?  I had the surgery done 5 days after knowing that I needed it.

It was a fairly easy surgery as far as surgeries goes, so I’ve been told.  I know of friends that are going through a lot worse, so I’m not going to complain much about it.  The nerve block is wearing off as I type, so that’s the only thing that really stinks about it so far.  From here on out I know the pain is going to something good, a full recovery!

The one thing that has surprised me about the surgery is my dog.  My friends and family have been great throughout the process, see the facebook page to confirm that, and I really appreciate my family for helping me with the immediate recovery.  My dog seems to know that something is wrong and she’s going through doggie momma care blues.

From the morning that I woke up, she seemed to be stressed about something.  Ever since I got back to Mom’s house, she’s been at my bedside looking worried, protecting, and extremely bored.  Like she’d rather be doing something else, but she needs to be there just in case something happens.  It’s just something that I noticed since I’ve been bedridden for a few days.  Makes me think that everybody should have a good dog in their life, for the one fact that they will never complain or judge you.  Random thoughts after surgery and some pretty kick ass pain meds!

Do you know who Alex is?

I can’t actually remember the exact date that Alex and I first meet, but I’m going to assume that it was around February of 2007.  Correct me if I’m wrong Alex!  Alex is my little brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program out here in New Mexico.  Around the time that I moved back to New Mexico, I was looking for some type of community service to do.  Not sure what I was wanting exactly, I did some research and found out about BBBS.  I read that the boys in the program were on a waiting list for over a year since there weren't enough male volunteers for the program.  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity help out.  To make a long story short, Alex and I were matched and have been great friends since then.

The progression of Alex’s and my relationship has gone from Big Brother/ Little Brother, to Big Brother/Taller Brother, to just brothers.  We were able to hit it off from the start and it’s been a pleasure to just hang out with him for the past 5 years (if my time recollection is correct).  And that’s all that we do is hang out, talk about what’s on our minds, what’s going on in our separate worlds, and nothing too dramatic.  It’s just not in our personalities to be dramatic to be honest. 

I feel lucky that I’ve been able to see the progression of him becoming his own being over the years.  From the little kid in the 6^th grade, to the over sized kid in middle school, to the soon to be man in high school.  He surprises me constantly on how much of man he has become.  Don’t get me wrong, his is a typical stinky teenager, but he has found who he is and that’s what I see that makes me proud of him and makes we want to write this entry about him. 

The other day, he called to let me know that he had won a merit award in a photography competition.  The photo bug has bitten Alex and I think that it’s something he should pursue further because he’s got a talent when it comes to capturing images.  His photo was going to be put on display at the Albuquerque Art Museum and he wanted to know if I would come and see the exhibit opening.  Of course I went!  I took my good friend Chuck along to see it with Alex and his mom.  Alex get’s along with all of my family and friends, which just goes to show you how much of patient person the guy is. 

His photo in the exhibit it called “Minor Depression” and it was a great shot with nontraditional editing techniques.  Ask Alex, he can fill you in on the editing details of the picture.  There were a lot of good photos in the exhibit, some were over the top, some were abstract, some were boring, and some I think weren’t even photos.  More photo shop edits than real photography.  But Alex’s was more real and meaningful than most of the photos.  I would assume that’s why he got the merit award. 

Anyways, I wanted to let you all know that Alex is a great friend and that he’s got a talent for what he does.  If you are in the old town area and are looking for something to do, please go see the exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum.  I think it’s called “Focus on Youth” and for a New Mexico resident, it’s only $3 for entry to the museum.  Not a bad price if you ask me.   Support the kid, because you’re going to be seeing some great things come from him in the future.  I know I will.

A little rave about music

     There’s defiantly a song for every situation in life.  At least there is in my life.  I was watching a movie the other night “Elizabethtown” and it reminded me how great a sound track can be.  As odd as it may be, I often relate moods, events, and emotions to music that I have in my library.  Up there in the endless vastness of a brain that I have.  I’d like to think of it being similar to my ipod, 50% full of music and 50% of other random facts to help me survive throughout the day. 

     I was pretty stoked to find a way to attach a playlist to the side of my blog.  It’s a free playlist, so there isn’t a lot of selection of music to choose from, but I’m able to get some good jams into it.  I’ll try to keep the playlist fresh and interesting.  If anyone has some suggestions or a story to any of the songs they hear, please feel free to comment and let me know. 

     One aspect of music that I haven’t been able to enjoy for a while has been live music.  For no reason other than the economics of it.  Which, is a sorry reason looking back on it.  I remember constantly going to concerts in high school and college.  If there was someone playing within a 200 mile radius I wanted to see, I’d scrape the cash together and go see them.  For some reason, I make a crap load more money now, but justify not being able to see live music cause I can’t afford it.  Hummm, that’s actually one of my New Year’s resolutions, to see more live shows.  Recently I went to a show in Santa Fe with Jamie and Pat.  It was an eye opener to me; I really miss a good live show!  The show was Joe Ely, Terry Allan, and Ryan Bingham in a storytellers setting.  Now, not just any live show traveling through town.  Good quality shows that I want to see.  One less night of going out each month, a few less dinners dining out, should afford me the opportunity to go to any concert that I want to see.  Who’s it going to be next?  Someone good I hope. 

Last ski trip to Purgatory

     Pat (my twin brother) and I had passes to Purgatory that we had to use before the end of the season.  This was the last weekend that we had free to head up to Durango and get some skiing in.  It was a great weekend.  The first day the sun was out and the snow wasn't too spring like on the back side.  Tons of good runs were crushed by Pat and I that day. 
     We ended up staying in the cheapest hotel in Durango.  I think it was called the "Spanish Trails Inn" and we were warned by Raymond and Mandy to no stay there, but $40 for two queen beds in a ski town... why the heck not.  I kid you not when we checked into the room there was an overwhelming smell of athletes foot.  It smelt like my gym bad from high school in the middle of wrestling season. Nasty.  Other than that it was just your average hotel, until the upstairs neighbor took a shower.  I started to hear water dripping and then flowing in our bathroom.  I guess the shower pan above us wasn't sealed, so the shower water ran through the ceiling and down through our shower.  Interesting.  I let the front desk guy know when we checked out in the AM and all he could muster was that some people are ass holes and don't close the curtain when they shower... right.  If you need a cheap place to stay in Durango, I recommend Spanish Trails Inn!
     That night Pat and I ate at "Home Slice" pizza recommended by Kyle and Anna.  I tell you what, hippies in Colorado sure know how to make a good pie.  They take their sweet ass time cooking it, but nine times out of ten, it's delicious.  Followed by blood marys at El Rancho, to watch UCONN beat Arizona.  We were pulling for Arizona, oh well.  There were some "native" Coloradoians in a heated discussion on how they were more "native" than the other and how "I like helped my dad build a deck when I was four years old!"  Oh, to have a trust fund and be an alcoholic in a ski town.  Just the sight of a "Colorado Native" bumper sticker makes me want to punch someone in the face.
     The next day of skiing was amazing for spring skiing.  7 inches of fresh powder and snow up till noon.  You'd be skiing around, see a run that hadn't been touched, race back to the top, find that run, and still be the first person to lay tracks that day.  Awesome! 
     After a good lunch at Dante's, Pat and I headed over to lift 8 to get some good bump runs in before our legs turned to jello for the day.  I went on a run that I've been on before, and ended up messing my knee up something bad!  I hit a mogul that wasn't supposed to move, but it did, lost my balance for a sec, fell forward, and heard my knee pop 3 distinct times.  Long story short, I got sledded down the mountain by Brett the ski patrol dude and I haven't been able to walk normal for the rest of the week.  I'm hoping it's just a sprain, but I guess I'll have to see the Doc to be sure.  It sucks for sure, but it's kind of like a milestone for me.  My first major skiing injury!  Hopefully my last for a while.  Enjoy the video of Pat and I skiing.