Friday, August 20, 2010

Things NOT to do in front of potential landlord...

After walking several people through our next door apartment, I've discovered a few mistakes that people make. First, do NOT tell the landlord that the lower level is perfect for letting kids make messes because you can just close the door. As the landlord in this situation, I say, "No. Actually, it's a better idea to clean up those messes." *Smile* Next, do NOT fight with each other. Landlords sharing a wall with renters will NOT enjoy hearing arguments through the wall. Last, do NOT tell landlord that you send your child to a private school, but need help paying for rent. ?? Okay, that one was the worst.

The good news is that we had quite a few people walk through that were excellent candidates! It was rough to decide which family was the best. In the end, we picked the couple that could commit to a year and seemed to be very respectful and responsible. They accepted and we're trying to get the place ready for next week. :D

Monday, August 9, 2010

Avatar: The Last Airbender


Avatar: The Last Airbender is a cartoon series about a world where select people can bend elements. Water, Earth, Fire and Air. They live within these nations (i.e. Fire Nation) and have done so in peace because of the abilities of the Avatar. The Avatar is the only person who can bend all elements, but, perhaps more importantly, is the bridge from the mortal world to the spiritual world. He can speak and receive guidance from the spirits when necessary. He acts as the mediator during times of trial and helps keep peace and order throughout all the nations. This series depicts the events that happen after the Avatar (in hiding for one hundred years) returns to an overzealous Fire Nation who is trying to take over the world and capture the Avatar.

It is so addicting! The story is complex enough to captivate an adult crowd (hence, Dustin and I are hooked, as are some very close friends of ours), but light enough for children to follow along. We watch it every evening and can't get enough!


So, we recently went to see the Hollywood take on this series. It was OK. I was bummed that they didn't follow the story line as well as I hoped and that it was mega-serious, but they did get the main points and expanded on the complexity of the story for a more mature crowd. They also had some fabulously accurate sets. All in all, it was worth watching and I'm excited for the next one.