Possible Contract on 513

Wednesday 2/20/2008

FYI,

Well, I get a phone call at 10:00am this morning. It is one of my agents and they have a possible contract on the sale of the house. Is that not fast?

I mentioned earlier, these 2 agents have only had the contract on the house for less than a week. She told me yesterday that the family was going to the bank to see if they qualified for a loan, and apparently they do. They would not call me with a proposal, would they, if the people did not qualify?

Keep your fingers crossed as Jack and I are going to 513 Alice Street and meet the agents there to look over the proposal. Hopefully they are not low balling us just to see just how low we will go?

I will post some news later tonight or tomorrow. Wish us luck...

Jeff the Knutt in the Ham

Sale of Mom's House, 513 Alice St. SW

Monday Febuary 18, 2008: 11:30am

To my friends and casual reader, good morning.

My mom passed away back in December of 2006, and we have had here home up for sale since March or April of 2007. We tried to do the FSBO or sale by owner but with little or no success.

After some months of frustration with the soft market and candidates who whated the house but did not qualify. We had one contract that fell through the day before it was scheduled to close, really discouraging us further.

We then listed it with an agency in Bessemer but with little action on the house. After the 3 months expired, we changed to an 'over the mountain' agency that at the beginning showed lots of interest, then they too failed to have any success. We even gave them an extra month as they had some more promising buyers but that time has now expired with nothing to speak of as to success.

I was delivering some product for my company to a good account of mine in Bessemer and the buyer ask if I had sold mom's home. He said he and his wife worked for an agency in Helena, Al and they lived in McCalla, a suburb of Bessemer and were very familiar with the Bessemer market.

Jack and I met with both agents at mom's home and they had some great ideas in the marketing of mom's home and some ideas on improving some things that would make the house more presentable to walk throughs they might bring in showing it.

We signed the last form needed last Friday and the agent called me Saturday that she had a family to show the house to Sunday. My nephew Brock had been out at 513 that Saturday and Sunday and made some changes they suggested.

The agent's husband called me this morning, not 3 days after signing the papers, and she had a candidate that would like to make a proposal on the house. WoW! Plus, he said his wife had another family to show the house to today and they too looked promising.

Now we get to the nut of selling the house. The banks are closed today so they are going to their bank with the agent to see if they can get the needed loan to make this happen. He said his wife would not take this to the bank unless she was reasonably assured by what they told her that they would qualify as far as their money and credit history is concerned.

This is the first real contract we have had on the home with it being on the market just over a year. Keep all of us in your prayers that this happens. I thought sharing this good news was worth sharing.

Have a Blessed Day!

Jeff

New Glasses Februay 2008

February 16, 2008

Dear friends and family,

How nice it is to have new glasses coming in about a week. I had my annual exam at Eye Care Associates a few days ago and my eyes have changed. This happens as you get old unfortunately.

I am one that is fortunate to have health care insurance that comes most of all my exam and $140.00 on a new pair of glasses and rims every other year. Unfortunately my taste and needs out run the basic price for glass as I have found the the Easy Flex or Flexon to be more comfortable and other features.

I currently have a pair of Easy Flex and they have been great! They are highly flexable and you can 'twist' them or roll over on them and they recover their shape and fit. My eyes checked out OK with all the computer photos looking at my eye health all were good.

I had some high pressure problems about 2 years ago but they never found out just why? This puts you at risk for glacoma so they have checked me about every 4 months to see how I was doing. After the first time with elevated pressure, each test afterwards showed lower pressure and this time it was 14 in both eyes where it was as high as close to 30.

The best news was when they checked my periferal vision, it had actually improved in the areas the high pressure had apparently caused some early lack of sensitivity. The test is putting you in a darkened room and viewing into a darkened tunnel and the computer measures different areas of your vision and whether you can see the tiny dots as they appear in test. Each eye showed improvement compared to the prior tests taken over the last 2 years. Good news!

They had to order the type of frames I choose and they came in Friday. Karen had an appointment that morning at 9:00, so she was there to approve my choice. She too chose a pair of Flexon which had to be ordered, and they too have the same features as my Easy Flex I chose.

So Karen and I will both be in new glasses, new rims, and one's with newer improved features over our current pair. Both of us chose now either a muted silver or gray rim color to more match the change in our hair color. We both have to have bifocals and mine are just a smidge large with 2mm height and 3mm width, increasing my peripheral vision.

We have a new pay plan this year called Flex Pay which is a debit card for all our co-pay on glasses, doctor visits and even a hospital stay when necessary. We looked at the last two years medical expenses and now have a monthly deduction prepaying our expected medical expenses. A nice feature now in controlling your health care cost. We will let you know how this works out as this is our first year in using this with Blue Cross of Alabama.

Hope this note finds everyone well and thinking of you always. Our Nutter, Northcutt, and Baucom extended families are just great and we take care of each other staying in touch and getting together from time to time.

Have a blessed day and weekend and if so moved, leave a comment on my post and feel free to add your comments or a new stories and of course, photos.

Yours for now,

Jeff the Knutt in good old Birmingham, Al USA (the best kept secret in the S/E United States).

Scottish Kilt and The Queen

I hope you guys and gals are not too embarrassed about my posing this pix taken with the Queen of England? I really don't know if it is real as it as sent to me recently by a friend who knew of my Scottish affiliation. Yes, some do wear nothing under the kilt, but not me. Men's dark briefs are bad enough and remember how to sit and keeping your kilt down is a constant danger.

I'll make this short as it is late and I'll try to post something really interesting Saturday when I have more time to think.

Enjoy your weekend,

Jeff the Knutt in Bham, Al USA

Winter of 2008

February 12, 2008: 8:00am

Hi my casual reader. Hi from Jeff the Knutt in Birmingham, really Vestavia
Hills, Al, USA. I know I am negligent in posting on a timely basis but I
do so only when moved to write something interesting.

My windows in my home are new, the large insulated show case type with wonderful
views of my cirle and neighborhood. The old wooden windows did not offer the
insulation and modern look these 'expensive' replacement windows offer.

I was really amazed at how wonderful these are with insulation that offers a nice
cozy feel no matter what the temperature is outside. Plus, they are large single
panes letting in more light and look great from the street. I have over 1/2 my
windows replaced and now have plans to replace the balance. pause for now, got to
go to work...just my thoughts for right now.

Jeff the Knutt in bham, al

My family in the early 70's.

This is a picture of my kids when Jason was about 4 and Chris about 1. My son Jason sent these to me about a year ago and I just now realized I had these to share. Look at Jeff the Knutt back when I had a little hair and the loud Jacket, much in still with the window pane look. Enjoy,

Jeff the Knutt in B'ham, Al

LOST AND FOUND

LOST AND FOUND

February 2, 2008

Dear friends and family,

How many of you have lost things and beat your brains out trying to figure out where you lost or misplaced? I had something happen over 2 months ago that I felt I would find over time but after much distress, I wrote it off.

I use(d) a Sony 1 Gig Flash drive with my laptop to keep and transfer files and pictures and personal information back and forth from one laptop to the other or take ad information to my warehouse. I had over a year's collection of 'stuff' when one day in December, on about the 5th, it turned up missing. Ugggghh!

I had been to my warehouse, picked up something at the smoke shop in Hoover, visited some friends there and sat on a deep leather sofa enjoying my premium cigar of choice and drinking a diet Coke. When the drive turned up missing, I immediately called all the places I had been and to let me know if something like this turned up in their lost and found department.

Several days later, I visited my warehouse again and the smoke shop and went through the sofa I sat on several days prior and flipped the cushions looking, what I thought was pretty thoroughly. But nothing found, not even a coin or two.

Weeks then months passed and still no luck. I looked at Best Buy and replaced this lost drive with a 2 gig Sandisk and bought Karen and 1 gig for work and my loading pictures we take or you guys share from time to time. I think I really gave up any hope of this lost drive ever showing up until yesterday.

I went by my favorite smoke shop Friday, made a small purchase, and again picked out a different brand of $4.50-$5.50 cigar, and purchased my regular diet Coke and walked in the back. The smoke shop is a partner ship with several owners and one I had not seen in sometime spoke up as soon as I arrived.

"Hey Jeff, have you lost something recently?" "Yes, a Sony Flash Drive". Dave then said "I think I have what you are looking for...He left, walked up front and viola, he handed me my lost drive. Thanks! Dave said he had not seen me and found it in the sofa I described earlier.

Today is Saturday and I looked at the date on one of the excel files and the latest date was 12/2/2007 and today is 2/2/2008, two months lost. I am really happy about this as I really had some personal letter, but not risky stuff that someone might use to steal my identity, which was my worse fear.

If you use a drive like this, make sure you do not have your log on names, password, bank statements, or especially social security numbers that someone might use to steal your identity. I only put the last 4 digits on anything I mail as I make the receiptient look up my social security number I have on file with them.

I'll take a little luck anytime over being not so very smart sometimes. Thank goodness a friend and professional found this and knew immediately who it be belong to. Thanks Dave and Marvin and John as I enjoy your shop and now even more.

If you are in Birmingham next Friday, they have a major cigar manufacturer representative there from 4:00pm to 8:00pm and FREE cigars and wine and finger food. I plan to be there as that is my usual afternoon I have some time.

Jeff the Knutt

PS: As I was leaving, UPS had just delivered a large box and John was putting this away. It contained the FREE cigars for next Friday so come and enjoy with us.

My Son Chris in NYC

My Son Chris in NYC that is gay. I have not talked to Chris in almost 15 years after he moved to NYC and as he says in his book, My Way Out and his painful days living here. I love him and hope he is happy. He too is loved so much and does not realize what he is missing. A father's love is here for him....

Jeff the knutt in Bham, Al

My Colorado Nutters

My Colorado Nutters;

This is my son Jason, Diane,and grandson Rhett. I thought some of you might want to see my life and extended family. I love my kids and sometimes they don't realize it, but that is OK. They are always in my thoughts and prayers at the beginning and closing of each day and maybe that is enough.

Enjoy,

Jeff the Knutt in Bham, Al USA