Welcome to Chez Cliff!

An email arrived, from my picky tenants, telling me that water has started to collect underneath the hot water heater.  This hot water heater, by the by, provides hot water to both houses.

When I purchased the house, the inspector said Nixon was still in office when this heater was installed.  He doubted highly it would last long.  The heater works, albeit not efficiently.

It has crossed my mind, more than one time, to replace the hot water heater with a tankless heating system.  Hot Water on demand.

The system takes 15 seconds to heat up.  After that, it super-heats water to the desired temperature.  This has two bonuses: first, hot water does not have to be stored and second it costs less to operate.  The water doesn’t have to be constantly heated.

The price range for these systems starts at $450.  The super deluxe model, complete with cup holder, runs about $800.

Has anyone had any experience with these or known anyone who has?

If there is one piece of advice I would force down everyone’s throat, it would be simply this:

Never hit a ladder on the freeway, going 75 miles per hour.

All I have to say is thank goodness I have a Honda.  If it had been a Mercedes, I would be livid.

Anthony Bourdain said "I believe that inside every chef is a small Chinese man."

This last weekend, my little Chinese man escaped to celebrate the coming New Year.  Chinese Style.

The year is 4075 and I’m the pig.

Every year, a small section of Los Angeles explodes into a festive atmosphere, drawing the asian community together.  The result is one of the largest, and most colorful local parades.  And this all takes place in a two block strip known as Chinatown.

This year’s escort is the Fire Pig.  As one astrologer denotes "The Year of the Fire Pig brings the elements Fire and Water together,
promising an exciting year full of accomplishments and prosperity."

One aspect of the parade, which should be enjoyed by all, is a chance to sample some of the best Chinese food outside of China (maybe New York).  Strolling down one of the many back alleys, one can only determine if a store is a restaurant if it has photos of plates, decorated with food.  The English language ceases to exist, both to the eyes and to the ears.

Seated in a restaurant, which accepts no credit cards, I decided to try something completely new.  Grass Jelly Boba Tea.  Think of ice tea, with sweat cream, jelly beans and leaches.  That’s the appearance of this little cocktail.  That is what was ordered. 

Delicious.

By the by, when I spotted the Boba I realized that this was not a Chinese restaurant.  But it was too late and the hunger had grown out of control.

Wandering inside one of the many Chinese market places, I saw this box that had zero english on it.  Meme pas le francais.  Was it dessert?  No idea.  But for five dollars, it was worth the chance.

And it is goooooood!!  Little rice balls, filled with a slightly sweet peanut nugget.  One is perfect for that sweet spot in the tummy.

To all of you, have a great Chinese new year!

Statistically speaking, how many times does the average person realize the toilet they are currently using won’t work?

Whatever that number is, I bend the scales.

At least once every six months, a toilet won’t work while I’m at the helm.  At home, I would not care.  However, I’m renting a room in someone’s house.  As much as I’d like to feel as a renter, I’m not.  My status is that of a quasi tenant-guest.

Praying to every deity on my prayer speed-dial.  "Oh God please not now!"  But alas, no angel appeared.  I don’t blame them.  Next was Buddha.  His email response "You shouldn’t have had that steak last night."

There is no easy way to tell the host their toilet broke.  After my dismal failure rate, one would think I’m the master at it.  But it doesn’t get any easier.

With any luck, I won’t be breaking anything else less I find myself living in a cardboard box.

Kiyosaki penned this article last month.  I won’t use the term "plagiarize" but he makes some statements that border on thoughts I’ve discussed previously.

Maybe he reads this blog.  He and Donald.

During his article, Kiyosaki tells a quick story about a friend of his, who talks himself out of every deal Kiyosaki recommends.  This obviously is a clear sign that his friend is not really ready to become a real estate investor.

It goes beyond that.

In reading about taking charge of personal finances, the author of the article stated that you can’t gain any ground on your personal finances if you don’t face the truth.  In other words, if you pretend to see only half the financial picture and ignore the other half you can’t make any headway.

It is my belief that it is the same with investing.  But instead of facing the truth, regarding the financial situation, it is facing the truth about the mental situation as well.  To use the colloquialism, they "don’t have their ducks in a row".  That is to say, they truly aren’t ready.

Rather than say they’re not ready, they continue through the charade, through the motions.  Yet everything is always a "bad" deal.  An excuse not to exercise the deal can be found.  Sometimes these people congratulate themselves, from walking away yet again from another bad deal.

A guy I know does this with women.  He will meet all kinds of women, when he’s out with his friends.  When the women invite him to go to a club or back to their room, he tells them "no".  He thrives on telling women "no" to their advances; fighting their "control" over him.  Look where it has got him today: all alone.

Way to put those women in their place!

As long as these people continue to find flaws with all deals, no deals will be made.  Not to be a sourpuss but there is not a deal to be found anywhere that is perfect.  Whether it’s investing in real estate, the stock market or a CD there are flaws to everything.  The real question to be answered is whether one can live with those flaws.  If enough are found, the person walks away from the deal.

Of course for those that are ready, those flaws actually become points of negotiation.  And that’s when the best deals are actually found.