Sometimes I pretend that there’s an audience out there listening. And sometimes you are. Today let’s begin off center. A couple from Marin County arrives at the Pearly Gates. St Peter bows them in with a flourish. First step over the threshold they stop, look at each other and say, in unison, ‘I prefer Ross.”

Marin is special and so is Larry Brackett … here’s a thank you to you, Larry, for your thank you in response to my thank you for the lovely Pinot you and Brennie gave me to mark my 28th year with Frank Howard Allen (ah, it was well-paired for a grand little feast).

Another thank you … Thank you to our ever fast-talking, multi-tasking, multi-texting master techie/Facebook queen, Jennifer ‘amitalkingtoofastforyou?’ Masterson … who guided me to have Styleagent do my website, then folks at Leading Edge with the challenge. “There are people who’ve been blogging for four and five years … you’ll never pass them,” then, two weeks ago, congratulated me with, “4th on the 2nd page …. That’s great.” Then Noreen Smith said, “Your blog is the most read.” Wow!

Blogs work. You’re reading one … but there’s more ….

But first, another thank you … to Google … for listing Frank Howard Allen’s guidemehome2marin as its first unpaid listing on the first page of not one but a pair of Google real estate searches … and, oh, ummm, thank you to You, reader, whoever you are (.2% of the listening audience actually calls in … Ronn Owens, I think).

Strength of the internet: After a few months blogging I’ve closed one ‘blog’ sale: 21 Calle Del Pinos, Stinson Beach …. and am working with three motivated people who have responded to my blogs.

… Every now and again I check out the Google rating of other real estate companies … and I’m always pleased to see dear old/new, century-old independent, now techie Frank Howard Allen way at the top … as it should be with a 26% market share … outpacing you-know-who with 12%.

Title contest … come on now, help me … I recently completed a character, theme and dialogue-driven 55,000 word novel with the working title, A Lucky Man. Here’s a short synopsis:

A Lucky Man is set in a café in a wealthy town in northern California as the barista is beginning a novel about men in the café scene. When personal, political and economic challenges jerk the men up short their interactions evolve from prickly banter and fisticuffs to friendship. 

Now I need a title. Ideas? Then an agent. Ideas?

All this blogging on a day when my sister Suzette flew back to New York after a two week visit … when the Giants had an opportunity to win in the bottom of the 10th against Mateo (Cubs), but Ishikawa got nailed at home plate … after which Burrell hit a deep sac fly … and the Giants won it in the 11th … a day when Subtlady invited me out for yoga and a movie …. and Willie Brown boldly stated that preferential seating is good policy …. point of view: everyone loves being in the company of interesting people.

What better segue: Want to go home shopping? Or, when you have the ultimate compliment to give …. a friend in need of a real estate referral … I’d love to hear from you. But you knew that, didn’t you?

Posted by:  Tom Verkozen