Leslie's Blog

Richard Price  wrote a post today entitled "A PLACE TO CALL HOME!."  He said "Over the last three years, EXIT Realty Corp. International has donated a total of $875,000, provided hundreds of man-hours and masses of volunteers to Habitat for Humanity (HFH) efforts."

I went to Habitat for Humanity for the link to post with my comment in case any one else was moved to participate.   After that, I returned to the website to see what kind of things people could volunteer for.  You may not be aware that they have Youth Programs:

Habitat Trekkers is for kids 5 - 8 years old.

Habitat Street Team is for young people 9 - 13 years old.

T Squared is for ages 14 - 25.

Collegiate Challenge "Collegiate Challenge is Habitat for Humanity's year-round alternative break program that provides opportunities for students from youth groups, high schools and colleges to spend a week of their school break building a house in partnership with a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in the United States.

A Collegiate Challenge trip may be the best school break trip you will ever have. Not only do you help people in need - it's also fun! You'll have the chance to improve your carpentry skills, connect with new people in a new place and put your faith into action by making a real difference in Habitat for Humanity's work of eliminating substandard housing."

Looks like a great way to get young people introduced to a good cause, learn valuable skills have fun too!

P.S.  They also have a group called "Women Build."  I did find a few affiliates in Washington State.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

There has been so much in the news lately about Afghanistan and the farmers growing poppies.   On wikipedia.com it says "As much as one-third of Afghanistan's GDP comes from growing poppy and illicit drugs including opium and its two derivatives, morphine and heroin, as well as hashish production.^[20] Opium production in Afghanistan has soared to a new record in 2007, with an increase on last year of more than a third, the United Nations has said.^[53] Some 3.3 million Afghans are now involved in producing opium.^[54]"

I have often wondered to myself what a solution would be for this problem.

An Afghan farmer told Army Sgt. Maj. James McDowell that there was an easy way to get him and his fellow farmers to stop growing poppy: Give them saffron bulbs instead. As the most expensive spice in the world, saffron generates nearly as much revenue as poppy, and it takes money out of the hands of drug dealers who work with the Taliban.

If you go to the link on his name you can see the video where he was featured on "CNN Heroes" telling his story.  From there, there is a link that you can go to if you choose to help his cause.

Sgt. Maj. McDowell is one of 18 finalists.  You can meet all of the CNN Finalists here.  There will be An All-Star Tribute," CNN's live global telecast airing Thursday, December 6 at 9 p.m. ET.  A Blue Ribbon Panel of world leaders and luminaries will select one of the three for special recognition.

P.S. I also found a very interesting website called "Afghanistan Online," you may wish to check out for more information about the country.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

Ernie Cabrera responded to my post "What does Our Flag Mean to You?."   It was so heartfelt I wanted to share it with you because it got me to thinking of another post.  Here is what Ernie said:

I was born in the Philippines and immigrated here in 1970 with my mother and the rest of the family.  My father came a year earlier to work and find enough money to get us over.  When I see the American Flag, it reminds me of freedom and hope.   Our whole family became US Citizens and we are proud to be called Americans now.  I think many people who have not come from foreign lands do not fully understand the freedom and hope this country brings. 

So many people around the world want to live and work in America, but we have people who complain too much about what is wrong with America.  I think we need to ask the question, "What is wrong with me, not being happy with what I already have?" We can become anyone we want to be here in the US.  We can fly high and be free!  I love this country and the flag we proudly wave!

What could we do to instill an appreciation for our country and all the bounties it provides?   How do we get back that patriotism, that swelling of the heart we feel when we see an American flag flying above an embassy in a foreign country?  Or see a member of the military in uniform.  Or hear of our country's responses to natural disasters.  It seems to me that it is sort of like dealing with smoking and racism.  We have to now start with the young people.

It brings me back to President Kennedy's famous quote, "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."  We loved it when he said it-many of us "got on board."

I suggest that we could have a mandatory three week community service in order to graduate from grade school and another mandatory six week community service in order to graduate from high school.  For youngsters this could be as simple as helping fill boxes at food banks, spending a few hours cleaning up parks.  For the older group, they could be tutoring young children, working at Habitat for Humanity, helping to teach English to people that are not conversant in English.  The possibilities are endless.

Before you pooh pooh the idea, know that some private schools encourage volunteerism and that many colleges look for it when they are admitting students to their schools.

I know that some families already do things to make their children proud to be Americans--I applaud you.   What do you do and what do you suggest?

Don't forget there is a Republican Presidential Debate this evening on CNN--it is from questions submitted from YouTube.  I try to listen to all debates.

P.S.  While I was looking up President Carter for Habitat for Humanity, I ran across his website called "Classroomhelp.com."  It gives a link to find information on every President; also has a link to study guides on different topics relative to history i.e., Teaching about the Core Democratic Values, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and African American History, First Ladies of the United States.

The Kennedy link is from "Brainyquote.com."

I went to Habitat for Humanity,--you may not be aware that they have Youth Programs.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

When I was a kid, I would always pray that the Berlin wall would be torn down and that the two Germanys would be reunited.  This was because my paternal grandparents were from Germany and we still had family there. 

Today, at Annapolis, MD, President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert , and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met and "agreed to immediately launch good-faith, bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues between the two states.”

"The leaders agreed Tuesday on a document that will guide those negotiations, President Bush said. The document does not contain specifics about the contentious issues dividing the Israelis and Palestinians; Rather, it focuses on principles that will guide future talks, such as a commitment to "bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict" and a promise to "propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence."

They gave moving speeches.  Abbas saying "It is time for the circle of blood, violence and occupation to end. It is time for us to look at the future together with confidence and hope. It is time for this tortured land that has been called the land of love and peace to live up to its name."  

“Following Abbas, Olmert said 'negotiations will address all the issues which thus far have been evaded...We will not avoid any subject,...While this will be an extremely difficult process for many of us, it is nevertheless inevitable. I know it.  Many of my people know it. We are ready for it. Speaking directly to the Arabs at the conference, he said: 'It is time to end the boycott and alienation toward the state of Israel, 'referring to Arab nations who do not have relations with Israel."

You can read about this on FoxNews.com “.  Bush ‘Time Is Right, Cause Is Just’ for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.”

CNN.com/world had the story “Israelis, Palestinians agree on framework for peace talks” reported: "An Israeli official attending the U.S.-brokered Mideast summit said Israel is 'ready now for a deal.'  Olmert and Abbas have "very good chemistry," the official said. The two leaders met Monday night to hammer out a statement that could guide peace negotiations but could not come to an agreement.

The official said some of the 40 nations represented at the summit have offered Israel a chilly welcome, but their participation alone is encouraging."

Watching this you could tell that these two leaders really want to put an end to the bloodshed and want peace. 

I bet there are many children praying for the same thing!

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

I went onto CNN.com/rick because I saw one of his stories about an illegal that came over from Mexico and found a little six year old boy that was alone and scared at 3:00 a.m.  The illegal made the choice of staying and giving comfort to the boy until he could get help.  In the morning some hunters came and got help and the illegal was deported.

Rick Sanchez is doing an informal poll of whether the illegal should later be given the opportunity to receive a green card.  While there to vote I saw another on of Rick Sanchez' stories about Thanksgiving pt. 1 and  Thanksgiving pt. 2

It was his own families story about how 50 years ago his father came from Cuba and gradually brought over the rest of his family (he sometimes working three jobs).   His goal was to give his children college educations--which he eventually did.  It did address the issue of his parents being too busy working to learn English.  It is easy to see why.   It is apretty inspiring story.

Does it matter that my Google page rank went for 3 to 0, if when I go google "wallingford condos" my website still shows up high on the page?  The same with Yahoo and MSN.  The Inbound Links aren't bad either.  As I have said in another post that I have spent house working on my ranking.

This is quite perplexing to me! 

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

Well Ben Stein has done it again, he wrote an article entitled "All Play and No Work Makes for a Poor Life" by Ben Stein that held my interest.  He talks about several people he knows that are educated and talented and for various reasons do not or cannot work.  He comes up with an innovative way for helping college students learn a good work ethic before they graduate.

Besides giving practical advice, Mr. Stein is one of my favorite financial advisors and he has given a tip:

Make Your Money Work, Too

By the way, let me say it again: I don't pick stocks for the short term, ever. For the very long term, I think the financials are cheap. If you can devote 10 years to waiting patiently, you may well be happy if you dip your toe into the financial services index, the XLF, right now.

The mortgage crunch won't last forever. The commercial paper problems will end. And we'll always need banks. The best time to buy stocks is when everyone hates them, and that's where the financials are right now. So maybe buy a few dollars' worth of the XLF, don't look at it for 10 years, and then check in with me in 2017.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

I have a brother-in-law that loves to hunt so I was going to send him this link.  Then I decided there maybe some other folks that may find this interesting.  The Seattle Times has an article today entitled "Texas'hog haven gets hellish," written by By Miguel Bustillo of the Los Angeles Times.

It is about Feral boars in Texas that are numbering 2 million are "ransacking the state's farmlands and encroaching on urban areas."  There is now an open season on the animals because they are reproducing so rapidly.  A guy named Joe Paddock is featured as a "Dehoganator" for hire.  Paddock says "bringing down an angry 300-poiund boar takes bravery.  Wounded hogs can turn vengeful.  Men have been gored to death by their 'cutters.' Or razorlike tusks."  This guy is quite the character!

It is just the kind of article my brother-in-law would enjoy-I wouldn't doubt it if he would just jump in his vehicle and head over to Texas as soon as he reads the article.  I am not into hunting personally.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

Each of us looks at the American flag in a different way--from different experiences.   To me it represents freedom.  My Dad was a second generation American that grew up in a German farming community in North Dakota--he learned English in school and always had a heavy accent.  My first husband grew up in an Icelandic farming community in North Dakota and he also learned English in school.  My son's girlfriend's family is from China.  They all ended up in this country because their ancestors came here for better opportunities.  They all contributed in big ways to our society.  I am thankful that America is a "melting pot."  That is what has made America strong!  Frankly, I am happy when people can speak more than one language--I wish I did.  No one knows more than what freedom means than someone that left their homeland for a new life in another country.

On this Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for our freedom that is provided to us by our armed forces.  I wish that we were not involved in this war, but I do respect and honor our armed forces where ever they are serving.  

I am also grateful that my ancestors came here to America--the land of opportunity and the free.  Yes, America has problems, but we have the will, fortitude and the ability to fix them--we are Americans after all!

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

Paige Rausch wrote a thought provoking post "Do you recognize the date November 22, 1963? (Hint: JFK,)" about President Kennedy and his accomplishments.  Paige brought up the fact that Kennedy surrounded himself with the greatest minds to help him.  It got me thinking about how we are listening to the candidates for the position of President of the United States.  What do we want that person to do and whom do we think will be able to do it?

• Bring us peace
• Make us safe
• Unite the country-make us proud-make us stronger
• Make us fiscally sound
• Take care of our wounded soldiers
• Help people to help themselves
• Fix social security
• Make medicine more affordable
• Earn our respect back from other countries

We yearn for a leader we can get behind, someone we can trust and respect and can be proud of.  The candidates need to show and tell us what they can do, not what the other contenders cannot!

P.S.  I do know that this is not Kennedy--it was just an example of a person I would vote for LOL!!

In follow-up to my post from yesterday "Beware of EPFX Machines for Miracle Cures--It is a Hoax--And Still Being Used," The Seattle Times has an article today entitled " Spread of illegal devices causes alarm."  It talks about how U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (Democrat, Bainbridge Island, Washington) "called for a congressional investigation into medical-device manufacturers and operators who use unproven ‘energy medicine' machines to exploit patients."

 "Inslee said his request was in reaction to this week's Seattle Times investigation, ‘Miracle Machines.'  The series revealed how manufacturers and practitioners profit from treating people with unproven machines, some of them potentially dangerous, others illegal.  They have used these devices to misdiagnose diseases and divert critically ill people from life-saving care, while also draining their bank accounts."

Hopefully, something can be done quickly to get these scammers and their machines put away (that is a pun).  I would bet money that The Seattle Times reporters get an award on this.  Their names are Christine Willmsen and Michael J. Berens.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

Last week I drove over to my daughter's to baby-sit my grandson and when ever I turned the corner the dome light would come on for a moment.  The day after that when I would lock the car doors--they would unlock themselves right away.  A couple days after that the dash light wouldn't go out that says that there is a door open.

Guess what--yesterday it wouldn't start--it would just growl at me.  So, I called AAA and they came over and jumped it. I took it to "Doctor Don's" in Ballard and hoped for the best.

This morning they called and said that my car hasn't been driven enough.  It needs a new battery and maybe an alternator.  

Wow--here we are saving gas by prospecting from home, having a home office--and NOT DRIVING ENOUGH!!!  Well it could have been so much worse.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

The Seattle Times has been having a special report which began with their Sunday issue on November 18, 2007.  It is entitled "A Seattle Times Investigation MIRACLE MACHINES:The 21st-Century Snake Oil."   The first issue talks about a guy named William Nelson (that claimed he held eight doctorates) that "runs a worldwide operation that has sold thousands of energy devices."  They claim they can cure cancer, reduce cholesterol, end allergies, treat cavities, kill parasites and even eliminate AIDS."

"Energy medicine" devices can be as small as a television remote control, or as large as a steamer trunk.  Their operators say the devices work by transmitting radio frequencies or electromagnetic waves through the body, identifying problems, then "zapping" them.

Their claims are a fraud - the 21st-century version of snake oil. But a Seattle Times investigation has discovered that thousands of these unproven devices - many of them illegal or dangerous - are found in hundreds of venues nationwide, from the Puyallup Fair, to health-care clinics in Florida, to an 866-bed regional hospital in Missouri.

"Federal fugitive William Nelson has created a global, multi-million dollar empire began in Colorado during the late 1980s when he sold 139 of his homemade medical devices. Today from Budapest, his sales and training network spans 32 countries."

This is a very lenghty story--on the front pages of the last three issues of The Seattle Times.  But it is well worth reading.  It goes into stories of people that have been duped into thinking they would be "cured" by these EPFX treatments and they actually died.   It discusses how the "U.S. regulatory system has allowed them to flood this nation with an estimated 40,000 devices."

The Monday issue discusses how "Cancer patient Sean Flanagan was suffering from late-stage bone cancer was told by Dr. Brian O'Connell would be able to cure him by using photo luminescence, a form of "energy medicine" using light waves.  O'Connell would take a vial of blood for Seans's body, expose it to ultraviolet light from a device, then inject the treated blood back in a hydrogenperoxide solution.  Two days later Sean was in the hospital with an infection caused by the injection.  Six days after that O'Connell was administering another round of treatment.  He died the next day--six months sooner than his medical doctors had predicted.

Months later, the family saw O'Connell on television, being led away in handcuffs.  He was arrested for practicing medicine without a license.  The Seattle Times has found scores of other "enegy medicine" practitioners are graduates of a multimillion dollar industryh that gives them deceptive credentials.

This article does give information on "how consumers can research medical devices and practitioners, including their training and any disciplinary records."

The Tuesday issue talks about how the "U.S. Food and Drug Administration knows about some of these machines being linked to patients injuries and death, it has never warned the public about the dangers."

Sorry about all of the quotes but this is such a large article that would take too much time to condence in my own words.  I feel it is just too important to not hurry and get it out in front of you.

P.S.  This story has been updated--There is an investigation being conducted:  Beware of EPFX Machines for Miracle Cures--It is a Hoax... Part 2

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

I moved out of Washington State twice (30 years ago).  The first time when my husband had a job transfer to Oregon and the second was when his parents wanted us to come and "take over the farm" in North Dakota.  I was away from Seattle for two years both times.  When we would take driving vacations back to Seattle, I loved seeing the green State signs that would announce "________ miles to Seattle."  The closer we got to Seattle the more signs I would see talking about areas I loved. 

Oregon (by Damascus) was very pretty and the people were nice; but each weekend we would drive back to Seattle with our very young family to see grandma and grandpa and our friends.  We really didn't give Oregon a chance.

North Dakota was a different kind of adventure.  The people there were very friendly and besides "in-laws" I had relatives there too.  I was excited to make the move because I had very fond memories of the time I took the train from Seattle to North Dakota, when I was sixteen, to work on my aunt and uncle's farm and visit my cousins.  It was the best summer I had had. 

When we moved to North Dakota we lived in a farm house in the country and my nearest neighbors were my in-laws about 3/4 of a mile away.  Being a "city girl" it was hard to adjust to the isolation.  The farm was very large and my husband worked six days a week -- even in the winter because they were a potato farm and had spuds to ship out.  And the weather--when you live in Seattle you do not have to worry about driving into the ditch and freezing to death.

My husband was not the only one that was there to take over the farm--there were a few cousins wanting to do that.  We packed up and returned to Seattle and my husband was able to get his original job back in Seattle with no loss of any benefits.

I would do better in both of these places now because of the internet and the ability to keep in touch with people and stimulated with all there is to learn about.

I am saying all of this to suggest that when you are thinking of making a move it is important to check out the areas first.   If you are thinking of retiring to a new city, you may want to rent there for a while first and see how well you like the climate, culture and people.

Most people move within five miles of where they are currently living--usually because they like it there!

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

A lot of us that live in the Pacific Northwest love to get out in nature--whether it be walking along a beach, running or walking around the waterfront or Greenlake, skiing or tramping around in the woods.  I have come up with three groups that offer opportunities to get out and enjoy the parks and volunteer at the same time.

If you are one of the folks that enjoy the woods, you may not have heard of the "Seattle Trails Program."  It "works with volunteers to address the need for trail maintenance, trail construction, and trail development standards." 

If you are interested in volunteering, they give you these options:

Trail Steward (weekly maintenance, gardening/landscaping)
Trailblazer (help keep trails trimmed and neat on a few Saturdays a year)
Events (staff booths, promote, canvass, phone bank, etc.)

Seattle Parks and Recreation has miles of developed and semi-developed trails.  The following is the different parks where they work:

• Camp Long
• Carkeek Park
• Cowen Park
• Dearborn Park
• Discovery Park
• Dr. Jose Rizal Park
• Fauntleroy Park
• Frink Park
• Genesee Park and Playfield
• Golden Garden Park
• Hitt's Hill Park
• Interlaken Park
• Kinnear Park
• Lake People Park (Xacua'bs)
• Lakeridge Park
• Lawton Park
• Leschi-Lake Dell Natural Area
• Licton Springs Park
• Lincoln Park
• Madrona Park
• Martha Washington Park
• Matthews Beach Park
• Mount Baker Park
• Northacres Park
• Northeast Queen Anne Greenbelt
• Puget Park
• Ravenna Park
• Schmitz Preserve Park
• Seward Park
• Warren G. Magnuson Park
• Washington Park and Arboretum
• Westcrest Park

Trails Program is part of the...

Green Seattle Partnership  

GSP Goals

• Restore 2,500 acres of forested parkland in the City of Seattle.
• Create an informed, involved and active community of citizens, City staff, educators, business leaders, and conservationists.
• Ensure sustainability of our forested parklands through proper, long-term maintenance and community stewardship

To achieve these goals, the GSP is undertaking an ambitious fund raising and volunteer recruitment campaign which will accelerate the process of restoring Seattle's forested parkland.

Another place that always can use volunteers is the Washington State Parks Volunteer Program   One example of how people can help is their on their "Annual Events: Extra hands are always needed at once-a-year maintenance events. Many parks celebrate Earth Day in April with cleanups and one-day projects. National Trails Day, the first Saturday in June, offers a chance to help with restoring and improving State Parks trails. All coastal parks take part in Operation Shore Patrol, an annual beach cleanup, the third weekend in September."

The first picture is a park at Union Bay, the second is a "tree hugger" (my grandson) at a Wallingford Park.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

This is a picture of a sunset at Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard area of Seattle.   We do love our boats here!  If you want to see some "up close and personal" the Seattle Boat Show will be Thursday, January 24^th - Saturday, February 2^nd, 2008 "1,000 boats for every budget, designed to meet every recreational need are featured at Qwest Field Event Center, plus another 200 watercraft on the water at South Lake Union for the 2008 Seattle Boat Show. The show, the largest on the West Coast, features a free shuttle service between the two venues. For more information, visit http://www.seattleaboatshow.com/."

Ballard is a Scandinavian area on Northwest Seattle that is becoming extremely popular.  People enjoy all the restaurants, shops and parks that are there.  Many condominiums have been built in the last few years and the homes are often getting refurbished.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Ballard, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

These pictures were taken at Gasworks Park that is located in the Wallingford area of Seattle. The address is 2101 N Northlake Way.  People go there for the fabulous view, picnics, kit flying and even weddings.  It also has a play area with a large play barn for kids.  People also go there to view a Fourth of July fireworks display. 

If you live in Wallingford or Fremont you can walk or ride your bike there.   “The Burke-Gilman Trail runs past Gas Works parking lot and follows the Burlington-Northern Railroad 12.5 miles north to Kirkland Log Boom Park.”

This is one of those great places to go to even if it is raining--just get on that rain gear and go!

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

Yesterday the Wallingford Community Senior Center had its Thanksgiving luncheon.  It was a traditional Thanksgiving meal and children from the Meridian School served the meals and cleared the tables--what a nice bunch of kids!

 Mom and I sat next to three women that were members of the University District Senior Center "Hamilton House."  The Hamilton House will be closing soon, for financial reasons, which is really too bad.  This has been the case for other Senior Centers in the Seattle area and our Wallingford Community Senior Center also is having financial problems.  Senior Center's are so good for the communities and the people that join.  Deep friendships are made and through classes, activities and services (i.e. senior wellness clinic, blood pressure checks, hearing screenings etc.)  You can see joy and enthusiasm that would be deeply missed if the center should close.

We had a very nice time visiting with the three women—they were very open and friendly, and I hope they come and join our Senior Center when theirs closes we would be glad to have them.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

While on Vacation in Virginia this summer, I was introduced to the Nintendo WII game.   These are video games that you actually play using either a classic controller or a "Nunchuk," which is something you hold in your hand and wave around like you are actually doing the sport.

The family I was staying with had a 13 year old boy that was playing their games by himself (so he had lots of practice).  They have this huge TV in the basement and it looked pretty fun.  So I asked if I could try it.  We tried tennis-which was not my game.  We tried bowling and that wasn't my game either.  But boxing-YES!!!  I could beat him.  We had the fan blowing on us-because it is very easy to work into a sweat.  I actually had to go sit in my corner after each round.

Michael was very good about teaching me the "tricks" of the sports and didn't mind my winning in one sport.  When his dad called the house I told him "I beat Michael at boxing" there was silence on the other end of the line.  I mentioned it was one of the games on the WII.  Neither parent had played the games themselves.

Forbes.com has an article today entitled "Wii Rules!" by Rachel Rosmarin.   It said:

The $250 kid-friendly console has already been on the market for a year, and more than 13 million are already in the hands of gamers.  "Nintendo (other-otc: NTDOY - news - people ) is making as many Wiis as it can," says IGN GamerMetrics analyst Nick Williams. "There's a limited supply, a continuously high demand." Though Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Xbox 360 sold more units than the Wii in September due to the launch of "Halo 3," analysts predict the Wii will be back on top in October, selling as many as 450,000 units.

The Wii has made headlines for entertaining the elderly at retirement homes and putting motion-based controllers in the hands of many non-gamer moms. But the system has also delighted very young children because of its easy-to-grasp style of play and lack of button manipulations. Many parents, understandably cautious about putting 6-, 4- or even 2-year-olds in front of a videogame console, seem to have warily endorsed the Wii because of its anti-couch potato imperative and shallow learning curve.

These games are going to be hard to find for Christmas because they are much sought after--it is easy to see why.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

If you have never gone on the Seattle Underground Tour, it really is interesting.   Many years ago, I had a group of friends and family meet at my house and we carpooled to Pioneer Square in Seattle.  Here is some of what the website says:

While you roam the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, Tour Guides regale you with humorous stories our pioneers didn't want you to hear. It's history with a twist!

The tour begins with a seated introduction inside Doc Maynard's Public House, a restored 1890s saloon. Then you walk outside through historic Pioneer Square to three different sections of Underground-about three blocks in all.

They do not recommend kids under six years old go.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.