Info, commentary and musings from Tavia Thomas, REALTOR/Broker about life, events, property, real estate in

the Western North Carolina Smoky Mountains, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska, Canton, Clyde and Haywood County.


Sunday, March 28, 2010

Finally! Enlightenment on the Difference Between a Nerd, a Dork, a Geek and a Dweeb...




Tavia Thomas / Rikki Tikki Tees
764 S. Haywood St • Waynesville, NC 28786 • 828-454-0515 phone • 828-454-0513 fax
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Monday, March 22, 2010

I need an indestructible phone and I think I've found one!: Casio G'zOne...


Verizon has just come out with one of these. I think this may be the best phone for clutzy ole me... I'm not sure if it will withstand being driven over, though, which I did to my poor Treo in February. (It did not survive.) But, I think this one looks very impressive!





Sunday, March 14, 2010

Police hunt 'The Midnight Knitter' wool graffiti bandit


This is just too cool! Check out these bandits' Facebook page and blog... Seems like the kinda thing that might happen in Asheville :) Or Waynesville... A yarn park maybe? Or, how about macramé? Hmmmmm.... I used to love to do that!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Springing Forward in Waynesville, NC

In spite of the bizarre slushy hail battering last night, and sleet/snow showers swirling around the county today (AND in spite of the rumored Farmers' Almanac prediction of 24" of snow at the end of this month...) there are signs in my yard that there really will be a spring season this year! Don't forget to "Spring Forward" your clocks tonight!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Time Lapse Snow in Waynesville

My tripod did get bumped a couple of times. I hope to do better next time. (The way things are going, I'm sure I'll be getting more practice next week...) 

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Posted via email from The Beautiful Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina: A Wonderful Place to Live, Work & Play!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Hot Off the Press: Local Realtor Has Had Enough Snow This Year!

"I'm a Victim of Post Traumatic Snow Syndrome!" I don't know about you, but I'm kinda feeling that way... Of course, I'm thrilled that Cataloochee Ski Area has been getting lots of snow, but I've had quite enough in my own driveway, thank you very much! And, Saturday School is for the birds. Enough is quite enough already. If you feel the same way, one of our snow shirts is a good way to express yourself!
T-shirts are available to purchase online here at RikkiTikkiTees.com. Available in black or royal blue. (Our website and shopping cart is brand new, so please let me know if anything malfunctions.) If you live nearby, you can pick up your order and save shipping charges. Just let us know you're coming, so we'll have your size ready. 

Please visit our website, RikkiTikkiTees.com to see our past work and to learn more about what we do! We'd love to have you "Fan us up" on Facebook and/or Follow us on Twitter...   Posted via email from Rikki Tikki Tees "Hot Off the Press"

Realtor is Viciously Attacked by Rabid Real Estate Exam Day

My throngs of followers have been absolutely clamoring to hear the riveting story of how I got started in real estate (since it's such a rare and unusual profession, I'm sure!) So, here is the first chapter in my Realtor adventures:


Octavia's Terrible Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Exam Day!

I was SO ready for my test, SO prepared! I planned everything carefully--making sure that I had my paperwork submitted in time to snag the first testing slot after the Saturday review class. I had everything together that I needed to bring, including my positive energy mantra bead bracelet. I had my clothes laid out. I had two alarm clocks set. I made sure to get a good workout the day before and I ate well. I was well rested and I was confident. I even had a special CD selected for the trip over--a cool new age flute thing that is very soothing and cheery. I was SO ready. Little did I know, I was about to have a horrible, no good, very bad morning...


It was rainy and horrid outside when I woke up and I could feel a migraine headache coming on. I drove my son Alex to school as usual and came home to get my things together--I had about 20 minute before I had to leave, and I figured if there were EVER a day to use my emergency $20 migraine pill, THIS was it. But, I couldn't find the darn thing anywhere. By the time I gave up looking, it was too late to have a leisurely jolt of caffeine. So, I decided to take the coffee to go, but couldn't find a travel mug--they'd all migrated down to the shop with hubby. I called to b*tch about that and was told that there was a plastic one in the dishwasher--no lid, but at least it would fit snugly in the drink holder.

I gathered all my essentials together--two calculators, reading glasses, my lucky pen, my book, my passport & drivers license for ID, my keys, the cat (who needed to be tossed out) and the coffee. It took some coordination to lock the door and get down our narrow front steps with all that, yet I made it safely, with only minor sloshing. But, as I settled everything into the car, I was about to discover a surprising unpleasantry: The car won't start! (Never mind that it has started every single day for the last 1800 days. Never mind that I had driven it 20 minutes earlier.)

It's dead. Code Black. No signs of life.

And now it's time to leave in order to arrive at the assigned check-in time. I call the shop again, a bit panicky, and hubby Ric dashes home and tries to jump me (the van, I mean.) Nothing. The engine won't even turn over. At this point, I'm several points above "panicky", though not quite to "hysteria." But I'm running out of time. We decide that I'll drive his VW Fox to Asheville, dropping him off at the gas station at the bottom of the hill. He'll walk the rest of the way to work (in the rain, poor guy) to save me about 10 minutes.

We pull into a gas station (he's driving) and as I switch seats, I set my coffee mug on the dash temporarily. But, as soon as I get in the car, there's a break in the traffic and he's motioning me to go. I forget about the coffee and start to pull out. As I shift into first, the coffee mug takes flight, making a perfect arc in the air and dumping 16 ounces of hot coffee on top of my head! I'm blinded and startled--coffee (with loads of cream and sugar) is dripping from my hair into my eyes and all over my glasses and clothes. The steering on the car isn't the power steering that I'm used to, and I lose control of the car, swerving into oncoming traffic. I miss a head on collision with a Chevy Silverado by millimeters. But, I'm lucky (and so is the other guy), and I manage to throw the car into reverse and get myself back into the parking lot. Ric is jogging down the road already, not having seen anything, so I leap out and charge after him, dripping and shrieking all the way. I am officially beyond the "hysterical melt down" point, and everyone at the gas station is quite aware of it!

As Ric drives me back home, I do my very best Lucy Arnez wah-wah imitation: "I wanted to take the test TODAY! Wah Wah... I was ready to take the test TODAY! WAH WAH WAH (and many MANY variations thereof.) Ric realizes that his short term future is looking grim if I don't take that test, so he decides to drive me there himself, at warp speed. I'm too emotionally distraught to even notice how fast he's driving, but I do have one bit of good fortune--I find some wipies in my purse and am able to at least get the coffee out of my bangs and auditory canals.

Miraculously, we made it there, just under the wire. And, in spite of severe Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, I passed! I never did get rid of my headache that day, though, and smelled like a coffee shop until I got home and showered.

Anyway, I guess one can never truly be prepared.