The Joys of Moving in Lake Tahoe
[SinglePic not found]Years ago (many years ago,) when I was just beginning a career in real estate, a wise and experienced teacher, Danielle Kennedy, taught that a good Realtor should move every 5 years just to stay in touch with the stress, fear and excitement that our clients will go through during a transaction. Empathy will go a long way into shaping one as a great Realtor. Well, Ms. Kennedy, I am here to say that after moving twice in a year, I am about as empathetic as one can get.
Moving in or out of a home in Lake Tahoe has its own unique qualities. The weather for one! On one hand, I have always been taught that it is a blessing to have rain on moving day. What is it when one has a mixture of sun, rain, snow and wind? You know the adage in Lake Tahoe. ”If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” Here are a few tips that I learned (the hard way.)
1. If you are renting a moving van, book at least a month in advance and call two days in advance to confirm.
2. DO NOT try to take care of a change of address through an online program. Go straight to the post office on Al Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Blvd. and personally ask for the change of address forms, fill them out and hand deliver – at least two weeks in advance.
3. Collect boxes at least a month in advance – there just aren’t that many in Lake Tahoe.
4. Plan of staying at the new location for at least 48 hours to hook up new utilities. Help comes from out of area and the expected time of arrival is something like, “between 8am and 5pm.” Grab a good book and just relax.
5. If you are not tech savvy, find a pro and ask them to just hang with you.
Fortunately, the entire moving experience is a beautiful experience – it’s Lake Tahoe!! How can you miss??
Apre' Ski Party Deluxe
One of the strongest memories of my childhood were the gatherings of friends and family members all coming together with musical instruments (could be just a bongo or a pair of spoons) and belting out songs at the top of their lungs. A hometown hootenanny, if you will. Trust me, other than one uncle who was actually a member of a barbershop quartet (yes, they showed up as well) no one could carry a tune. Never-the less, singing and dancing by all ages lit up the night.
These memories returned in flood stages this past weekend when a few friends and family members of my own decided to visit a local restaurant to hear another friend perform. It was lightly snowing outside, the room was packed with casual diners and soon the music began. And what music! Guitars, fiddles, mandolins, harmonicas (just two musicians) pulled together to present a lively and wide range of tunes. ”What do you want to hear?” encouraged Ike. ”Call ‘em out!” ”Requests” And boy, did they. Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Elton Bishop, Britney Spears (yup) and on and on. Old and new. And before you knew it, the entire audience was singing along at the top of their lungs, sharing in the simple joy of music. Heck, my new young friend Aaron (my guess is age 12ish?) downloaded a Zippo lighter on my IPhone so that I could join in on the waving of the light.
It was a great night. Living and working in Lake Tahoe can be such simple joy.
Winter is Back in Lake Tahoe!
Early morning Lake Tahoe snow
Folks that live in snow country either LOVE it of HATE it. Those that hate it generally look for greener (year round) pastures within a few years. Others love it for about a month and then they HATE it and going looking for those greener pastures (in a seasonal manner.) Those that LOVE the snow learn to ride the roller coaster fresh powder ride. When is it coming? When is it coming? This weather report said that, that weather report said this. When is it coming? AND THEN, we awake to a foot of fresh powder in the yard. Christmas all over again. It’s as if Santa came once more.
Then the frenzy begins. Make those necessary phone calls, rearrange the schedule, grab the skis, (snow shoes, snowmobile – whatever the choice of winter recreation) and GO. OUTDOORS. Winter is back and the Lake Tahoe locals are euphoric. This is why we live here.
"Living the Life" on a Tight Budget in Lake Tahoe
Everyone’s looking for ways to “tighten the belt” these days, and those of us fortunate to live here in Lake Tahoe are no different. We are lucky though. It seems as though most of our friends and associates all migrated to the lake at one time or another with a single purpose in mind – a higher quality of life. There is an appreciation of beauty, joy and an eagerness to tackle a challenge. Being an international resort community presents a few economic challenges. Dining out, going to a performance, etc. can be a bit more expensive than in other areas yet there are alternatives found here that can be invigorating and FREE. And now, folks in Lake Tahoe are engaging in the challenge of finding ways to continue the “finer life” at little expense.
We’ve mentioned the rediscovery of the pot luck in the past. One of our favorite social activities these days is our glorified potluck – the “gourmet dinner club.” Okay – we are not “foodies” per say or culinary experts but we do like good food and even more so, stimulating conversation. These dinners have featured various themes such as food from other countries, regional foods and this year – famous chefs. The host (on a rotating basis) chooses a chef and assigns the various courses. Everyone does their homework and voila – an incredible meal, lively entertainment and NO TIP. Actually, there is a tip – Do this SOON!
Winter Has Arrived in Lake Tahoe
It’s true! We actually live in a postcard. We live in one of those magical snow globes. We live in Paradise. As I take in my daily dose of caffeine this morning and glance out the window, I catch my breath. Golden rays of morning light spread like honey over the newly fallen snow. Lots of newly fallen snow! Why is it that snow and Christmas blend together so beautifully? Everywhere you go in Lake Tahoe, people are happy. The snow is here, the phones are ringing, there is new hope and tradition is underway.
Those waiting for the ski season to begin need to get their gear out of storage. All of the surrounding resorts are open and conditions are blissful. Our son arrived home for the holidays and it was only a matter of hours before he and Don were doing a bit of male bonding in the powder. Sore, unconditioned muscles and big smiles were a shared joy between the generations in our household last night. Check out the photo of Scott took of Don tele-skiing at Kirkwood.
I can’t help but smile as I remember how, come next April, this euphoric goodwill brought on by holiday snowfall will transform to grumbling about enough being enough. Yet for now, winter is here and it is gorgeous. If nowhere else, peace is certainly on the earth surrounding Lake Tahoe.