Wednesday, April 29, 2009

A quiet morning

Nothing happened on the house last night. Our potential buyer couldn't meet with her agent until after work yesterday to plot her next move, which means (I hope) that some new offer was faxed to Ron's (our agent's) office late last night, which would further mean (I hope) that our phone should ring with some news sometime in the next couple of hours. I hesitate to call Ron for fear of making myself a pest, since he's given his solemn promise to call as soon as he hears anything at all. Meanwhile I try to divert my mind, lazing on the computer with Facebook, your blogs, and some music.

My earbuds gave out yesterday, and I didn't buy any new ones in time for this morning's walk, so I was forced to overcome my compulsion to accompany my walk with the morning news. It was actually a pleasant respite. Is it OK with you that I've had it with the swine flu? The media (and I include my beloved NPR) get hold of some bone, any bone, and chew it to dust. Things of relatively little consequence, such as Susan Boyle, get as much attention as others of huge import, such as the world economy. Now come a few flu fatalities in Mexico and we are subjected to wall-to-wall coverage of a non-event. Yesterday, according to a clip on that island of sanity, the Daily Show, the inevitable happened: an intrepid reporter asked somebody if this "pandemic" was the result of bio-terror.

The 24/7 news cycle, with all that air time to fill, has dumbed us down, I hope not irredeemably. Media that could have been great educators have mostly sought the lowest common denominator and merely titillated, entertained, and frightened us. I see no remedy but to avoid it as much as I can. I even turned off the last quarter-hour of my breakfast "Morning Edition" today when they started hopping around Europe reporting on an isolated flu case here, three there. All "mild." Are we too polite to point out that the relatively high number of fatalities in Mexico just may be attributed to the widespread, grinding poverty there, or has that not crosssed the minds of the cosseted 30-something producers who suggest these stories?

Best Buy opens at 10, so until then I can't even listen to my Ipod. I have an hour to kill. I'll scan my skinny Washington Post for some non-flu stories and wait for the rain to start. Maybe push around some of this infernal pollen that's covering every surface.....

7 comments:

Mim said...

Isn't that the truth... the same news over and over and over again.
Off goes the radio and tv news channels on goes the ipod or classical stations. Can't take the incessant news.
And speaking of the skinny WP. Mine was never delivered this morning.
I am about to cancel the WP except for the wknd papers.
I would now if not for my pitiful local paper. THe WP gets skinnier and skinnier.
Hoping for good things on the house this morning!
Did you both sleep ok not knowing anything? That is the hardest part-just waiting.

Ralph said...

I slept remarkably well, last night, Mim, thanks. I think because I was pretty sure we'd hear something this morning,. It's 11 am now. So far still nothing.

Anonymous said...

Is it that we all felt the same way you did? I gave up too. But turned to the humor of the WaPo Sports page online because the continuing saga of Zorn trying his damndest to get rid of sleepy Jason Campbell and can't has become D.C.'s big time gossip. I mean five guys, all gazillionaires, can't find a replacement, nobody wants to get paid big bucks to quarterback the Skins. So guess we stuck again with Campbell who threatens to leave if the coaches even hint at talking to another live Qback. Well, my question is, who would take him? Mr Six Game per season Campbell??? It's hysterical. Hence my cure for the swine flu.

If the clock turns six pm and no word from the Buyers, it usually means they did not like something in the counter offer. Brace thyself.

Ralph said...

Z&M, I may end up becoming one of those long-distance NYT subscribers! The Post is a shadow of its former self.

I finally took the bull by the horns and called Ron around noon. The deal is still very much alive, much to our huge relief. It appears the buyer wants to have several back-and-forths to see what we will accept. Her agent is in the process of reminding her (the buyer) how beautiful the house is and how much she likes it, and telling her it is worth every penny we're asking. Turns out he's talking her offer up, $10K per conversation! The value of experienced agents working the psychology of a sale is amazing.

We hope to know something more tonight, but this buyer is slow, slow, slow. We've already seen that--it took her a total of 5 hours of visiting the house before she even made her offer!

Anonymous said...

I'm going back on a historic house in Rockledge for the fourth time tonight Ralph, same buyers. Owners have put $75,000 in architectural improvements, 2006, and it shows like a storybook property. Everything in it is a HOT button. But the Buyers again, don't feel good about the nationwide market conditions. Not sure why that matters, every local economy is what it is. We started with a verbal a week ago and because we aren't close to what the sellers want now everything has to be in writing. I warned them at noon to get real or the sellers will end up not wanting to sell it to them at all. And so it goes.

Ralph said...

Z&M: Sheesh! You need the patience of Job!

Jude W said...

This was lovely thanks for sharing