Cecily Parks

A holiday survival guide for men to keep them out of the doghouse and in the big house for another year.

Men, I've noticed, are by nature challenged when it comes to gift giving. My husband breaks out in a cold sweat three times a year...my birthday, our anniversary and Christmas. Now, he's a big bear of a guy so it's pretty tough to make that happen but on those three little days a year he has a small private break down and usually ends up begging me to take pity on him and just tell him "exactly" I want or to go buy something for myself, wrap it and then feign surprise when I open it up. Which I diligently do "Oh! For me? It's Perfect!"

Why is it so difficult for men to choose the perfect gift? I've been in the stores on Christmas Eve day and the mall is swarming with confused stressed men shuffling store to store all wearing the same panicked deer in the headlights look. In order to make things easier on the entire male population, I have included The Ultimate Guy Rules when shopping for your significant other...

Rule # 1: Appliances. Never ever buy a woman something that needs to be plugged into a wall socket to operate. Items that fall into this category would include toasters, mixers, blenders, vacuums, electric tooth brushes, etc.

Rule # 2: Yard equipment. This falls under the "So No" category. Listed here: hoses, sprinkler heads, lawn mowers, hoes, clippers, etc. In fact, just to be safe, do not enter Home Depot over the holiday and you should be all right. You are allowed to languish in the parking lot and gaze longingly at the building, but that's all. Also, avoid all home improvement sections of major chain stores.

Helpful Hint: If your cart begins to wander towards the plumbing section with reckless abandon and you are unable to control it, immediately relinquish control of the cart to your female companion and head for the frozen food section of the grocery area and wait there until your cart comes to it's senses.

Rule # 3: Listen closely to this one, it could mean life or death (your own)....under no circumstances purchase anything weight related. No thigh masters, ab blasters or gym memberships, no lifetime supplies of Jennie Craig food and absolutely no "hot off the bestseller list" diet books. Please, I'm begging you....this can only end in heartache and pain!

Rule # 4: Never, ever buy us anything you have included on your own personal Christmas list unless you are prepared to receive the silent treatment for the next 364 days when you will get yet another chance to try the shopping game once again. If your list includes a new tool set, a new golf bag, power saw or a newfangled "gotta have" widget then it better not be addressed to us, wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a pretty bow come XMAS morn.

Here is what is on our acceptable gift list: Jewelry (bling), clothing (no Mom jeans or ugly flannel robes), gift cards (Nordstroms, Macy's) at department stores with women's apparel (sorry, Golf World is not a high fashion store for women), personal items, perfume, lingerie (don't get all excited, Frederick's of Hollywood is not really considered lingerie), spa and massage certificates, vacations and jewelry. Oops! Said that one, but it's definitely worth repeating. Bling...bling..bling.

Feel free to print this list out and carry it with you...better safe than sorry. I have empowered you with wisdom passed down through generations of men who faced disgrace and dismemberment by their female counterparts...may the force be with you......now, go forth and shop!

Hello Fellow Rainers:

Please join me in welcoming our newest member, Mike Ronnie. Not only does Mike head up The Ronnie Team with Keller Williams Central Oregon Realty located in Bend, Oregon, he is also an owner of that market center and the Principal Broker/Team Leader.

I had the great privilege and pleasure to work with Mike in Bend, Oregon earlier this year and am excited about the opportunity to network with him here on activerain. Not only do I have a deep respect for Mike and his knowledge of real estate, he's also a heck of a nice guy with a fabulous sense of humor. I have no doubt that Mike will be one of activerain's brightest stars in no time.

Mike and The Ronnie Team bring with them 24+ years of experience in the real estate business. Michael Ronnie has worked for and owned California and Oregon real estate brokerages, an appraisal company with some of the nations largest lenders as clients, conducted sales and marketing of residential resale, new home subdivision sales, development land acquisition, lot sales, build to suit, income properties and sales and leasing of land and farms. The Ronnie Team are consistent award winning top producing Realtors® providing excellent customer service.

Thank you everyone!

Cecily

Why are some Realtor's so hard to get along with? Isn't the ultimate goal to work together to sell the home? We hear a lot of talk about "bulletproofing the transaction" but the issue of a combatant agent on the other end of a transaction never seems to figure into the equation.

As professionals, we don't have to like the other agent but isn't it our job to negotiate on behalf of our client and keep our personal feelings out of the transaction? I have been in this business for years and I am still amazed by the behavior and attitudes of a select few agents within my community. I have always striven to maintain strong relationships with other agents in the area and have not come up against a situation that I couldn't work through. That doesn't mean that I haven't bitten my tongue off a few times over the years.

Recently, a good friend of mine and a great agent had a horrendous deal where the other agent sent her angry demeaning emails, left veiled threatening voice messages on her phone, etc. The absolute worst part was that the agent shared his disdain for my friend with the clients. Needless to say the transaction never got to closing. All the time and effort spent disliking the other agent could have been spent figuring out how to negotiate and resolve minor issues.

Aren't we running a business not a personality contest.