08/17/2026
Been a minute since I posted an update, so here's a little catch-up on the last couple weeks!
First, a real estate highlight: I had the pleasure of closing on a beautifully remodeled home in Cottage Grove for an exceptionally nice couple, a military veteran and their first home purchase. Moments like that are exactly why I love this job.
Beyond that, I've been out doing showings and open houses around the metro, plus helping out a few friends along the way. Down on the farm, I hopped in the Bobcat and got my hands dirty building out a new fire pit area, with a couple of the boys on the crew supervising my skid steer work (very helpful, very judgmental).
Speaking of the farm, we celebrated a huge milestone: our alpaca Goldie turned 25! Not a world record, but for an alpaca that's downright ancient, and she's still going strong. Happy birthday to our amazing girl.
Family-wise it's been a mix. One of our daughters lost her beloved dog, Sitka, way too young, and it's been a hard loss. The timing worked out in a small but meaningful way though: she was already scheduled to dog sit Huckleberry, and having his company right now has been a real blessing. Meanwhile I've been on apartment and cat sitting duty for our other daughter, who's off having a great vacation overseas.
Also made sure to get out and vote in the midterms. And we wrapped up the last of our Airbnb chapter, hauling out our belongings after selling the Minneapolis property with our partners. End of an era there.
Balanced it all out with some good food: wings and a pint at Emmet's Irish Pub in Saint Paul, and outstanding tacos at a spot in Stillwater. Also caught up with old friends at a high school classmate's birthday party.
And on the health front, I started a round of back injections to help manage some low back pain, trying that route before surgery becomes the next step.
Lots going on, but grateful for the clients, the people, the pets (and alpacas), and the community. More real estate updates coming soon!