I couldn't get my purple shorts on. That was an astounding discovery to make only halfway through our Hawaiian vacation. I tried them on before we left home and they fit. It's not so much that I couldn't get them on exactly as I could not fasten them. There is one sure cure for that. Fewer desserts. More salads.
Besides, some of the desserts are not worth all of the calories. When a server asked me how I liked the apple pie concoction, I told her the truth: You know those apple pies they sell at McDonald's? The kind that are deep-fried, devoid of nutritional value, little fat bombs served in a sleeve? She nodded yes, and a smile spread across her face.
Well, this apple pie was worse than that!
Call me cynical, but I imagine that was a mistake. Because now she'll go running to her boss and proudly announce that they need to make apple pies like those served at McDonald's.
Rather than gripe about fattening desserts that disappoint, I decided it made sense to take up an activity. To learn a new sport. You're never too old to learn something new. In fact, yesterday marked the 6-month countdown to age 60 for me. Paddleboarding looked like a lot of fun. The stand-up padde surfing kind of paddleboading. We signed up for lessons.
First, carrying the board to the beach required a bit of maneuvering. Oooo, look at me carting along this surfboard with one hand like an old pro -- do, do, do, do -- until oopsie daisy, a smidgen of wind caused me to go sideways. I almost bashed a 4-year-old in the head. Man, people were everywhere on the beach. Trying not to smack one of 'em with a board was really difficult.
Once I got it to the shoreline and dropped it on the water, I leaped on it. Grabbed my pole and started to paddle. Except I didn't go anywhere. Didn't move an inch. That's because my rudder was sunk in the sand. After I got moving, I got stuck on the rocks. Pace was paramount, my instructor said, keep paddling before standing up. With my ankle strapped to the board, I struggled to stand. My knees wobbled. My feet felt unsteady -- I heard my instructor yelling: bend your knees.
I plopped back down on the board and paddled my way out of the beach toward the open water. Too many people. Well, I did runover one person who, unfortunately, had a broken leg, so it was like running over 2 people. Of all the snorkelers, I had to pick the one with the broken leg. She was pretty grumpy about it, too.
I tried to stand up again. It was a struggle. I sat down again. Screw this. I was feeling the wave of failure come over me. It was frustrating. Maybe this was one of those things that I just cannot do. Like water ski. I gave up trying to water ski when the skis came off, slapped my legs and bruised me up pretty badly in my teenage years.
Then, I don't know what happened exactly. It was a beautiful day, in the low 80s, high 70s, with relatively calm aqua waters and little wind. Stand-up paddleboarding was a sport I really wanted to learn. North Kona, Hawaii, is the perfect place to do it. Why was I giving in so easily and about to call it quits? I am not a person who is easily defeated, least of all by myself. After all, I am a Sacramento short sale agent -- I triumph over some of the most difficult real estate transactions on the face of the Earth. I can do anything I set my mind to do.
To my astonishment, I stood up, paddled and voila! Found my center of gravity. It arrived out of nowhere, just as I was about to give up. It really is true that each failed attempt puts me one step close to success. Soon, I was buzzing all over the ocean, riding over small waves, moving in unison with the board. I wouldn't say I went so far as to dance, but I put on a presentable performance. For my husband, anyway. Who was back on shore, sitting in the surf with his board. Stand-up paddleboarding was evidently not for him.
I like this sport so much that I might have to buy a rack for my roadster. I don't think a paddleboard will easily fit in the front seat, even with the top down. Stand-up paddleboarding is really a lot of fun!
The moral of this story is if there is something you want to do, go do it. Don't let failure set you back. Maybe that short sale negotiator rejected your short sale. Don't put your tail between your legs and go home. Try again. Analyze what went wrong and fix it. Resubmit. Because your second time or third time could be a charm.
I just closed a short sale yesterday for a seller whose previous short sale fell apart. It fell apart because there was no permit for the family room and the FHA-approved lender would not approve the buyer's loan. We tried for a long time to find an all-cash buyer until a VA buyer came along. We got the property preapproved by the underwriter prior to offer acceptance, and this transaction closed.
Oh, and one more thing: if you're gonna eat a dessert, make sure it is worth the extra calories.
Photo: Elizabeth Weintraub
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
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