This Just Listed Huntingtown Two Story with Finished Basement JUST SOLD in under three weeks! Ask Cheryl Ritchie about upcoming listings!

I’ve discovered two new products that enable me to post my Powerpoint Presentations online so you can see how I market your home  or assist you in finding one now! Visit slideshare.com/goldenresults or issuu.com/goldenresults or more simply, just check blog.goldenresults.com/documents for an overview. You’ll “Retrieve Golden Results with Cheryl.”

The Annual Fourth of July Open House Preceding the Town of Chesapeake Beach Fireworks Celebration was a hit. Almost 200 soda bottles, 3 big hams, and a few pans of potato salad and fruit salad later, everyone seemed to enjoy the fun and firework and festivites by the Chesapeake Bay! I didn’t notice anyone airlifted home by mosquitos, either! Remember, my Annual Wreath Making Party is just five months away! Start looking for cool cuttings!

I just finished breezing thru a few new books over the Holiday. I particularly enjoyed “Twitter Power.” This explains why I have a new background and photo on twitter.com/goldenresults. I also lightly scanned the “Blogging for Dummies” and “Wordpress for Dummies.” There is a “Web Marketing” new 2009 book I am anxious to download on my Kindle but it’s not available yet in this format. Anything that thick is a definite Kindle download! “Social Media Marketing” has five stars so that’s my next Kindle read this coming week! I signed up on facebook to save my name facebook.com/goldenresults today. My Linkedin  account does not seem to have this same feature but you may reach me  directly on on myspace.com/goldenresults. I’d love to hear from you!

Ask to see the Newly Released First Quarter Reports for RE/MAX 100! Click here for details!  I’ve also attached a Podcast discussing the May 2009 housing stats from MRIS which covers Calvert County Southern Maryland Sale and Market Conditions.

I love discovering and using new tech products for my real estate business! Some of my current favorites are:

Snag It-This enables you to copy and paste items you view  on your computer into a jpeg format very easily so you can utilize these images in emails or documents.

Fujitsu Scan Snap Scanner- This allows you to easily scan your contract folders into a pdf file after settlement. It does any size or thickness of paper  plus both sides in color at a rapid fire pace.

Flip Video- This gadget allows you to easily film a home and upload your comments and images into youtube.com

Kindle- I have to mention it….while on the road this is a fabulous way to carry hundreds of books OR download one in 60 seconds for a quick read if you have a few moments between appointments.

Trevor Triever,1994-1997

A Tribute

            Trevor Triever is my true love.He lived and he died a free spirit.I  belonged to him,he did not belong to me. He had a “dog’s life.” He lived on his terms and got away with it.When he wanted to go play on the beach, he’d bark and throw a tantrum until I let him loose. I would chuckle every day as I watched him high tail it with all the speed he could muster to jet propel himself to the beach to play fetch with whomever would cooperate.And if there was not enough participation, he would bark until a log was thrown. If that did not work,he’d steal your shoes or eat your nerf ball or take a bite out of your sandwich to get your attention. It was all about fetching. That’s all he wanted to do.I never quite knew when I walked on the beach to retrieve my bad butt boy what kind of reception I was going to get. Usually it was comments about how great a dog he was and how much fun he was. But then of course there were a few snarls and snickers here and there. I had to enlist aid to capture him after his daily jaunts on the beach this summer. I had a regular brigade of beach folks who would help corner him so I could walk him home. I am grateful that I relaxed the rules this summer and let him play at the beach for hours on end. It was just too hot and he just loved the kids and the beach so much. Not to mention his tantrums drove me nuts when I was trying to stay on the phone and conduct business. Most people would laugh at all the ruckus because they had seen the dogs in my ad and they enjoyed encountering the real deal. He was King of the Beach and how dare another dog enter it while he was up on the porch with Mom. I got the opportunity to purchase a nerf ball this summer when a bedraggled, forlorn young lady walked up to my house and presented me  with what remained of her nerf  ball after Trevor completed chomping on it.

            Trevor died after the fireworks started. He was playing on the beach and doing what he loved best …fetching logs…for  the hour before he died.I also gave him some of the barbecue that Joann and David had brought me.He took off running when the noise started. When I found him he was dead  near Tidewater Treasures.I carried him back all sopping wet and buried him in one of my favorite Holly Hobby Sheets that my Dad had given me as a kid.I buried him with a stick.I had ordered fifty daylilies to be delivered the day after he died. I thought about canceling the order but decided that I wouldn’t be good for anything else anyway.So I planted fifty daylilies over the next two days.It looks really pretty along the porch where he is buried.Suzanne encouraged me to go get one of the puppies at Allison’s the next day.I couldn’t stop sobbing.He was a bad butt. He was high spirited. He was a tease.But I loved him to the bottom of my heart.I cried the whole way to Allison’s. We had just done a puppy photo shoot for my ads a couple of weeks before so I knew Allison had a litter related to Trevor.It was a choice of getting a pup related to Trevor right then,and getting pick of the male litter, or waiting one year  to get a pup related to my boy.

             Trapper Triever is Trevor’s nephew. He is a gentle spirit. He is very calm and very loving.He has a very beautiful face and is very docile. I’m used to a wild one.I go into a cold terror every time he is not in my sight.Then I look down by my feet and see him. He’s so small and so close that I don’t always notice him at first glance. I think he’ll be a Mama’s Boy. I’ve never had that.I’ve had very independent boys.This one is a blonder color and more of a couch potato. I start to walk him for a romp on the beach and he wants to turn around and return to my air conditioned launch pad/work station.He likes the new rawhide bone Chris brought him.He didn’t understand the fuss with the flowers from Accubanc and Chris and Kristine(Max and Louise).He got in his paws in locomotion and dog paddled for the first time today.He does not understand fetch yet but he is persistent enough to drag my purse from one side of the desk to the other.He has both Rattan’s favorite toy, Froggy,and Trevor’s favorite toy,the Snoopy Sneaker,in his own junk pile at my feet.He seems to be giving equal time to both toys now. I believe Max knows what happened to Trevor. I think Max pooped lovingly on his grave that first night.Max was so tentative when he saw me the next day and so cautious with Trapper.Max was a best buddy to Trevor….as much as could be possible for one as headstrong and independent and high spirited as the Triever. They loved to tussle and toss and play fight on the floor while I was working.Trevor had toned down just a little toward the end.He would let me scratch his chin and love him a little. I took  the Fourth of July Weekend off.I am so glad. I spent the whole weekend hanging out with just him. One afternoon I fell asleep with him in my arms. We were listening to Kenny G on my new CD player. It was so peaceful. The last summer of his life was wonderful…and so was the last weekend and so was the last hour. I would often look at him and think of Beauty and the Beast.I knew that if he was the beast he would come back  beautiful because I loved him each and every day in each and every way.

            It’s been enough days now that I’m not crying every moment. Rattan saw my tears;Trevor saw my laughter. How could you not laugh at his antics? He stole shoes,ate toilet paper rolls,chomped on nerf balls, chased logs,and collected  junk piles.He was a big tease. He woke me up at 7:11 each morning with a loud “ruff.”If I didn’t get up quickly enough,he’s steal my newspaper and run around the room with it. Then when I went downstairs,he’d pretend like he didn’t want to go out anymore and make me chase him until I caught him and dragged him out with his back on the floor and his paws up straight  in the air and using all the energy I could muster. He lived on his terms.If he wanted in or wanted out…either way was nonnegotiable. It was up to me to comply or he’d make me miserable until I did. Major perseverance.He got stuck a few times on his rope in the yard around some bushes. He still loved me when I got home and found him dripping wet from the rain. He dug a few holes that I refuse to fill . Instead, I’m planting some special  plants  to remember him and his gullies.He used to eat my flowers and run off with my rag dolls.He was a goof ball in high gear.

             It’s Trapper’s turn now.He does the same antics plus some new ones.He gets inside the water bowl and splish splashes around.Then he stomps around and makes a mess everywhere.He also tugs at my dresses and at the shower curtain.He chews on my telephone and computer wires at my work station. Trevor cried the blues in the morning as a pup until I got him. He was breaking me in and getting me under control. He never did get the concept of “come here.” To him, that meant take off and run in the other direction… “Whoops, Mom is nearby. “ Trapper learned his name and responds already. He was not too fond of the choker and the sit  and the heel command.But this one is learning at seven weeks  or so while I’m stronger than he is.Trevor would make me bodily drag him to get him to do what I wanted. I could not be one of those Mom’s who would say,” Oh no, not my boy.” You could bet your boots, if  there was mischief, Trevor was in it. He made it in the local paper with his buddy Max all on his own. Of course,I bought as many copies as I could. And he got an attitude and spent the night at Kristine’s/Max’s house one weekend while they were on vacation. I was sobbing by the time I found him.I swore I’d never let him out of my sight again.

             But a free spirit is a free spirit. He lived and he died on his terms. He will be forever young. It’s odd, but I was sixth sensy about it. I had picked out the name for my next dog when I got him. The morning of the day he died I had panicked wondering where my favorite pictures of him were…I wanted them in case something ever happened to him.I had pasted a picture of him as a pup that my Mom had found at  Gom’s house in my daytimer by the day he died. And a picture of the creek where he died on the next page.And one of my favorite sayings…”You’re just about as happy as you make up your mind you’re going to be” on the week after he died. I had always sensed he would not live til old age. He will be forever young in my mind and in my heart. He lived life to the fullest and he knew he was loved. He was well cared for  and got whatever he wanted. I gave him all the quality time I could afford. We went on the boardwalk every day around one or two for an hour or so. He would bark at me until I took him for his break.I’d throw logs for as long as I could handle it.His spirit is on the boardwalk. I feel him when I go there. That’s the last place I saw him…he was on the rocks playing with Carmen and Eric and Adam. And he hid under their blanket when the noise started. And he cuddled up to some other folks all soppy wet further down the beach. I  wish I had known how scared he was. In his right mind he would have never left the beach and all those stick throwers and kids and shoes and nerf balls to go thru the woods and get on a highway.His priority was to be in the bay and to be with people.. particularly little people…even if they could only throw the stick a foot or two. It was fine,he’d chase it anyway.Trevor got mad when I put him on a leash after he played logs.He would get vicious all of a sudden with other dogs nearby . It took all of my strength to restrain him. I guess he needed to be in control…or he was mad that they were loose and he was not.

            When I think of Trevor I want to laugh and not cry.I want to laugh about his junk pile and his logs and his tantrums and his tennis balls and his newspaper and magazines and toilet bowl brush and pillows and socks he’d chew.I want to think of the shoes he stole off the beach and the crab buoy he brought home. I even got a letter from the town about my Juvenile Delinquent…and a request that he cease and desist from stealing shoes off the beach. I want to remember all the toilet paper rolls I had to buy and the floors that looked like  I had an indoor sandbox.I want to remember the broken foot from the time we played frisbee and he won. I want to remember his horseshoe crab and his dead fish smell accompanied by this look of complete innocence.I want to remember the way he’d howl to the moon when  he heard a siren…and the way Dorothy would mimic him.I want to remember the holes he dug to China….Trapper tried to dig up my daylilies but he does not quite have the paw power yet…I want to remember what a tease he was and what a bad butt he could be.But mostly I want to remember how much I loved him. For the first time, I know where he is all the time.He’s in my heart and outside my kitchen window.

            Trevor taught me to laugh again.Trevor taught me to enjoy being happy in the moment.He taught me that it’s the small things that make me happy…just being with him and throwing sticks in the Bay on a sunny day.Trevor taught me I could love another pup again.Trevor taught me to love unconditionally.Trevor taught me a lot.

When I walk on the beach in the morning,I throw each and every log in the Bay for him.He is with me always…he is a part of me.   

            I thought about not getting another dog.It is to much loss to deal with. Rattan has only been gone three years. But like Judy said, how could the Golden Girl be without a Golden? Besides, Suzanne encouraged me.And people like David who came to help bury him or Kristine who came to hug me in the middle of the night will always be there.   I have to stop crying.And I want a piece of Trevor with me.So now I have Trapper Tales.I have selected the pictures to display of Trevor by my desk.And I printed the photos of my boy on the porch from my digital camera.I have saved his collar and some fur.And I visit his grave and talk to him.And I’m making a photo album and writing his memorial.

            Trapper is at my side now. I took him to Mark and Kristin’s today to play with Jordan,Luke, and Austin. I could not bear the thought of him being alone all day.I hope he’ll be a chip off the old block.He has a purple collar instead of a blue. Rattan had gold and tan collars.I begged Rattan to look after Trevor Triever. I know he is.They are playing sticks up in heaven and it better be with a little boy because I would be jealous if it was a little girl. I know what that  means. Rattan’s with a little boy fishing and Trevor’s with a little girl to tease and torment me. I love you Trevor Triever and Rattan. You are my best boys.I love you,too, Trapper.You have some big paws to fill.

Cheryl Ritchie RE/MAX 100

301-855-5215 GoldenGirl@GoldenResults.com

“Retrieve Golden Results with Cheryl”

www.GoldenResults.com

Quicken to Quickbooks Agent Conversion Tips: Here’s the outline we developed to convert my real estate business from Quicken to a Quickbooks bookkeeping system.

The Adventures of Riley Rover and Diesel Dog

By Cheryl Ritchie, Mosquito Gulch, Home of Riley Rover

Cheryl Ritchie, GoldenGirl@GoldenResults.com

www.GoldenResults.com

Riley Rover, a twelve month old Golden Retriever Pup, knows one thing for sure. He is King of his Kingdom. This includes the comfy pile of comforters stacked neatly on the front porch, the dog food bowl that’s always filled and refilled for his dining delight, and the endless stack of toys to toss and treasure. Plus, his reign includes this Girl who has a stack of Dog Training Books that don’t seem to do much good. Riley Rover knows he is the Leader of the Pack and nothing, absolutely nothing, is going to make him resign his reign. He is B_A_D and loving every moment of jumping on the Girl, eating her socks, stealing her paper towels, shredding her clothes, and barking when she does not do as he wishes. Not to mention making her totally miserable until she lets him finish the bottom of the ice cream carton.

Well, it was that way until the night Diesel Dog came to visit Mosquito Gulch. Mosquito Gulch is located on the Chesapeake Bay, near the Bay Beach and the Boardwalk. It’s in a little Beachside Town near the edge of nowhere. But we’ll get to that later.

Riley Rover is a pup in a long line of Allison’s Golden Pups. His uncles, Trevor Triever and Trapper Triever , also  belonged to the Girl. Riley Rover was in a puppy litter that had all been sold and claimed by year end. The Girl was heartbroken. She wanted another pup from the same family. Of course, it was Christmastime, so one family decided not to pick up Riley Rover. He had Neurological Problems and the Family wanted their first Golden to be perfect. The Girl just wanted a dog. So Riley Rover unexpectedly ended up with the Girl. She needed a dog and he needed a home, so the two agreed to be together for better or for worse. To the Girl, it sometimes seemed like for worse. But she loved him so.

One cold, cold night in January, Riley Rover started to bark and bark. Then jump and bark. Then twist and bark. Finally, the Girl let him outside on the Porch. On his comforter throne was a dark, shadowy figure that only Riley Rover could see. It was Diesel Dog. On that cold, frozen snowy night, Diesel Dog was a stray who decided to stay. To him, Mosquito Gulch had everything. Food, Water, and Four Paw Deluxe Accommodations.

Riley Rover was delighted. He had everything but he had nothing because he did not have a friend. They romped and tussled and played and ran on the big porch. The Girl could hear the thunderous noise but still could not see Diesel Dog in the dark. Besides, who would be on the Porch on this cold winter eve?

Well, Riley Rover realized the Girl didn’t see Diesel Dog. She was too busy working at her desk. So he barked to come in and barked to come out and eventually with all the commotion the Girl saw the stray who decided to stay. To Diesel Dog, Mosquito Gulch looked like a Resort and Spa. With a bit of a limp, it was a perfect place to perch for the evening. Except it was bitter, bitter cold. Riley Rover wanted his new friend to come indoors for the evening. He knew his friend had a little limp and could not go home in the snow and ice. He knew his friend was cold and hungry. So both Diesel Dog and Riley Rover gave these pitiful, imploring looks to ask the Girl to come inside.

There was just a little problem. The Girl was afraid to let Diesel Dog inside the warm home. Diesel Dog was a Pit Bull. The Girl was afraid of this dog. But Diesel Dog looked well fed and well loved and Riley Rover was so convincing that the Girl let Diesel Dog stay in the Laundry Room.

Diesel Dog was the perfect guest. He stopped shivering and nestled on his new comforter in the Laundry Room with lots of treats and water. He never barked or complained.

Meanwhile, for the first night in a year, Riley Rover behaved. As in, he really behaved. He knew the Girl had done something extra special because she looked a little afraid of Diesel Dog. Riley Rover went all night without barking or chewing or pulling the Girl’s comforter off the bed. He even went all night without stealing her slippers of trying to pull her socks off while she snoozed. He was almost what you would call a Good Dog.

The next morning, the Girl let Diesel Dog outside. Diesel Dog perched on the comforter for the day. Riley Rover, being a good host, rested under the step so his guest could have the best spot. After a while, Riley Rover decided to heck with that, he would lie on the comforter with his new friend. So when the Girl would look up from her work desk during the day, Riley Rover and Diesel Dog would be lying butt to butt. They nuzzled and snoozed throughout the day.

Diesel Dog showed no signs of going home. But he was a hefty looking, loving, gentle kind of soul who had a family somewhere. There was an Invisible Fence collar but no dog tags so the Girl could not figure out what to do. When the snow and ice cleared, the Girl called the Animal Control Department. But they only kept the dogs three days. They did keep records just in case someone called. The Girl put a dog tag on Riley Rover just to make sure she never, ever lost her B_A_D Golden Pup.

Sure enough, a few hours later, Diesel Dog’s family called the Girl. They were at the Shelter. They had posted signs and gone to shelters and called Vets. It turned out that Diesel Dog was allergic to his collar so it had been temporarily removed. The family arrived and ran up the hill to the Mosquito Gulch Porch and hugged and hugged Diesel Dog. Diesel Dog thumped and wagged and wagged and thumped his tail. His folks and all three children were there to take him home.

There was just one problem. Diesel Dog and Riley Rover had become fast friends. Diesel Dog may have been a Pit Bull that looked scary but he was a gentle soul that thru his shining behavior had shown Riley Rover to be kinder to the Girl who loved him so. The two friends had slept butt to butt for days. They had romped and played and run. The Girl explained to the Family that she had treated Diesel Dog like she would have wanted her dog to be treated. The family promised to return with Diesel for play dates.

So after all the adventure, since the snow and ice had melted, the Girl had to leave for the store to do errands. She knew Riley Rover would miss Diesel Dog. But she did not expect the call saying the Riley Rover was loose in the town. She knew when she got the phone call that something was wrong with Riley Rover. He managed to get loose off his rope on the Porch to go chase after Diesel Dog and bring back his friend. But the Girls’ neighbor saw Riley Rover and brought him home and kept him in her fenced back yard until the Girl got home from shopping. She said she treated the Girl’s dog like she would have wanted her dog treated if the same thing had happened.

So the Girl realized a few things. The Girl realized all God’s creatures deserve a safe place in the storm. Riley Rover knew that already. And that an act of kindness comes back many fold. And that a book is not to be judged by the cover.  Riley Rover knew all that, too. And to always have your pet carefully tagged and chipped. Now Diesel Dog has both chip and tags from the same Neighbor Vet who came out during the snow and ice to check that the stray was okay.

Diesel Dog learned that there’s a new Resort and Spa in town where he is always welcome.

And Riley Rover learned that the Girl isn’t so B_A_D after all.

But, of course, he still barks to finish the bottom of the ice cream carton. As every good dog should.

The End. Cheryl Ritchie 1/30/2009 Mosquito Gulch GoldenGirl@GoldenResults.com 301 855 5215