Leslie Bloss, Seattle Real Estate Professional

NBC Sports has just announced that Ken Griffey Jr. is staying for one more year with the Mariners. This really makes me happy. I is what got me started following the Mariners. Can't you still see his smiling face on the front page of the local papers as many of the team members piled on top of him!

What a good role model for young baseball fans!

And I want to say a very big thank you to his family for sharing him with us.

For your real estate needs in Seattle/Eastside and Kent www.LuvSeattle.com

I love to travel and get emails weekly notifying me what discounted airfares, hotels, cruises and entertainment are available. TravelZoo just sent me their this week's "top 20" travel deals. Here are some:

$45-$105 -- Virgin Cuts Fares on All Routes; Fly into March http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/78637188-687463/ Source: Virgin America

$697 -- Hong Kong from Seattle (Roundtrip), incl. Taxes http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/78637188-688978/ Source: Fly.com

$1299 -- Israel 8-Night Escorted Package w/Air http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/78637188-687784/ Source: Gate 1 Travel

For thos of us that love to go to Whistler:

+ Top Ski Destination in Peak Winter Season -

Beyond the Slopes: 2010 Olympics, Bungee Jumps & Apres-Ski

+ Four Seasons Whistler; 3rd Night FREE ... $255

+ Snowmobile and Dinner Package (Reg. $210) ... $169

+ Fly to Vancouver ... $100 & up and more...

Visit http://www.travelzoo.com/destinations/whistler

I do have an interesting story. There once was a company called "Moment's Notice" that would book charter flights for all inclusive trips all over the world at very low cost. Through them my Mother and Dad took a trip to Egypt and cruised up the Nile and another time cruised to Alaska (their all-time favorite cruise).

The most adventuresome trip was when they went to Germany. The plane was supposed to land in Frankfort but because the company had not paid their landing fees the plane landed in Berlin, East Germany. This was in 1972 when being in Berlin could be a scary time. The passenger’s passports were collected and there was a count of the people. And then there was another count and another. It turned out that Mom and Dad and a dual passport and both of their pictures was on one passport. After it got straightened out the passengers were bused to Frankfort. The wheels were actually taken off the plane so there was no getting back through Moment’s Notice.

Mom and Dad did have a great time visiting relatives they had never seen and site-seeing a beautiful country. But they did spend a fare amount of time figuring out how to get back. They ended up telegramming my Dad’s work to get money sent to them from their credit union account. Pan America did fly many people back for free but my folk’s didn’t know about that.

The lady that owned the Moment's Notice company actually went to jail.

I do not want to dissuade you from traveling--it is one of my very favorite things to do!

For your real estate needs in Seattle/Eastside and Kent www.LuvSeattle.com

I was over to help babysit one of my grandsons yesterday while the other was being taken to the doctor by his Dad.

I noticed his voter's ballot on the window sill and asked if it was ready to go. He said "no he hadn't really studied the issues or the people." I have been busy telephoning for both the King County Executive and Mayoral campaigns, and found this disapointing. I will talk to him today--not to persuade but to encourage him to become part of the process.

We in this State have had first hand experience of how important each vote can be. I often think of countries that are dealing with voter fraud and the people that they cannot get elected because of it. Maybe another thing that drives me harder in this is that it took so long for women to get the vote.

On the Washington Women’s History Consortium’s website it says In 1867 the Washington Territorial Legislature passed a law giving the right to vote 'to all white citizens above the age of 21." This law became the rallying point for early women's suffrage advocates who cited the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in conjunction with the law which defined "citizen" as being "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."

This election will be determined by you. You must return your ballot before 8pm to any King County Elections Drop Box across King County or, with postage, mail by the last drop at the Post Office.

You can get a copy of your voter's guide.

Please ask your family members, friends and neighbors to return their ballot. And forward this message to remind others to vote!

P.S. My son-in-law took his ballot to work with him.

For help with your Seattle/Everett/Bellevue/Kent real estate needs: LuvSeattle.com

I just heard it on the radio. The info. from The Boeing Company: Get info here

This could mean many things to the Seattle area. Real Estate may become even more affordable--and houses may be even more difficult to sell. I worked for The Boeing Company for 23 years and many things are just swirling through my mind.

I have been to Charleston, South Carolina and it is a wonderful place.

For help with your Seattle/Everett/Bellevue/Kent real estate needs: LuvSeattle.com

I just read Bob Stewart's post "Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf - Do the right thing (Or Do Something....and QUICK)." It was about an employee of Wells Fargo really screwing up and that Bob was advising the CEO to do something soon so that Wells Fargo could keep it's credibility.

As of this writing Bob has received 146 comments. Well, I have an even bigger story. I have been reading Culture of Corruption, by Michelle Malkin and it discusses the "tax cheats, crooks and cronies" that are in very high ranking positions of our government.

I will tell you that she is a conservative columnist and she was quite active right here writing in Seattle. Some of her biography from her website says "Michelle Malkin began her career in newspaper journalism with the Los Angeles Daily News, where she worked as an editorial writer and weekly columnist from 1992-94. In 1995, Michelle Malkin was named Warren Brookes Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. In 1996, Michelle Malkin joined the editorial board of the Seattle Times, where Michelle Malkin penned editorials and weekly columns for three and a half years. Today, Michelle Malkin's syndicated column appears in over 100 papers nationwide. Michelle Malkin's work has been cited in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Reader's Digest and U.S. News and World Report. Michelle Malkin's freelance work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Weekly Standard and Reason magazine. Michelle Malkin has appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor," "Hannity and Colmes," "The McLaughlin Group" and "20/20," and is currently a Fox News commentator."

But before you delete this--take the time to do a little reading and see where the entanglements are. This is important to all of us. Some of the book is too heated for me but the threads that weave back and forth that lead to big money and promotions of people that really have done wrong is quite scary.

I am just tired of corruption--where ever it is. There seem to be several foxes guarding hen houses. And this too, Mr. Stewart, should have some examination and quickly.