You had a lucky escape!

I'll say. Actually the friend wasn't really that friendly. We were from the Tennis Club and eventual next door neighbor. He had a mysterious side all right, kind of guy that was always evasive about the simplest questions as in:

Q. So where were you last night, I knocked your door?

A. Out

Oh, could you be a little more vague.

And yes, he was a Lawyer! Not to stereotype that they are never to be trusted, but...

OK, so if we embark on Operation Investment TO, do we buy:

a) right in the heart of the city-financial district etc.

b) In a prominent suburb

c) Newly built home or 10-15 year old home . I've noticed most Asian immigrants Chinese or Indian worship the new(er) home. Although they are made of cardboard, they think they're better.

The suburb is where I grew up and is 1/2 hour closer to me now and I know the area very well but I'm also no stranger to the heart of the city.

Hey they have some really hip Lofts in the heart of TO. Ex warehouses converted into residential. Any good?

Today was a big election day in all of Mexico- for Governors. And yes PRI took 19 of 21 states.

So my friend was right. Salinas is back and working very hard behind the curtains. PRI will win the Presidential Election next and then be in full control :(

At least the PRI won't be foolish enough to take on the Drug Cartels which has "only" killed 26,000 Mexicans to date.

Here is a link that might be useful: The PRI and Salinas Are Back!

About specific areas you should talk to several local agents, and also consult you own desires. With any investment cynical is a lot harder to guess right on. Choose something you really like and would want to live in (location, structure, etc.--surface finishes don't matter since they change over time). Lofts have all the problems of other kinds of condos. Additionally, most loft apartments nowadays are cheap rather than spacious. That is, they have exposed ductwork, acid washed concrete floors and no more space than a similar apartment. Just fewer walls. That's a far cry from the barely reclaimed industrial spaces that artists moved into in the city centers because they were spacious and cheap, and had lots of windows.

OTOH, if you want to be in a happening or up and coming downtown area, and that's a place where everyone lives in flats, a la Manhattan, then it's okay, as long as you're allowed to rent out units in that building, and that they have a cap on the number of units that can be rented. (I.e., you can rent your unit out, but the Johnny Come Lately's after you can't if the building is a third rental units.) Again, the problem, even so, is that you're at the mercy of the freeholder, or the association, or whoever is in charge of upkeep. With a single family home you have a lot more control over your own destiny, though you also have to put more work into it. Also remember in your search to take into consideration taxes, services, insurance, etc., and get a true picture of relative costs.

Plllog's advice is spot on. The newer "lofts" are really just average apartments with an open floor plan. In the Eastern US a townhome has a strict homeowners association, you own your property and are responsible for exterior maintenance but you must receive approval from the board for changes to the exterior. You do not have to get approval to rent it out as with a condo. A rowhouse is more like a single family home with shared walls. There is a civic association that reports violations to the city and follows up, but cannot legally require any more of you than the city ordinance allows.

We have owned several rental properties over the years and it is a lot of work. Even when the tenants are good, they do not care as much as they would if they owned the property. We had several tenants who "forgot" they did not own the house. One guy was planning to cut an exterior door in the master bedroom wall. He had already drawn the outline on the side of the house when discovered. One family said they wanted to buy the house several times but never made an offer and then were upset to learn they were not homeowners because they paid rent.

As plllog suggests, a minimum maintenance clause is a good idea. We started doing that after getting a $250 plumbing bill for a simple, tenant caused problem.

There is a lot of research involved in such a venture. Best to proceed slowly and figure that everything will cost more and take longer than planned.

Thanks Steff. Phew, sounds like this is going to be a bit of a pain. But all money making always is.

LOL!!! on the the tenants thinking they own it.

Reminds me of my cardinal of lending money:

After you lend someone money, the minute it reaches their hands, they truly believe it is their money and therefore treat it as such. Meaning you have no hope of retrieval.

BTW. I hope everybody had fun in London yesterday for our:

Breakfast at Wimbledon!

I noticed Plllog gorged on the Fish and Chips. Poor girl, I had the de-grease her with Pur-Eh.

It's 40 degrees!

But...Sol, you told me it was CHICKEN!! No wonder I needed to be shot full of epinephrine/adrenaline. STOP TRYING TO POISON ME!!!

It's cold, damp, overcast and dreary, and my head hurts.

How in the world did you get 40 degrees? You said it wouldn't actually happen. I heard you!

Oh no,

You poor thing Polly.

I guess this isn't fair is it? It blazing SUN, Thailand HOT, and just amazing!

"I'm Lovin It"

Here is a link that might be useful: To Cheer You Up!

Poor pitiful me. :(

But wait there's more!

Entrepreneurs see opportunity and fill it right?

Well how about my Sunshine Distribution Machine!

It works by harnessing sunshine from areas that have excess to areas that have not. And it makes the whole world a happy sunny place! Migraine free.

Just trying to come up with more ways of paying off the Chateau :)

OK just hold that thought, I'm off to Wegman's in the USA to pick up some cheer up goodies for you and Steff.

That is hotter than it is here today. It's cooler than usual because we just went through four days of rain from Hurricane Alex and now they tell us we have tar balls from Deep Water Horizon on our beach.

Not just any beach either, but Crystal Beach where my family had a house when I was a kid. They sold the house about ten years ago and then I think it was lost to Hurricane Ike two years ago.

Definitely need cheering up and Wegman's will help of course.

The family that was upset about not buying the house had tried to wait us out and hope we got into financial problems so we would give the house away to them. This is the house we live in now and we had to ask them to move out so we could return. We gave them three months notice, but it was still a shock after more than five years of renting the house. They are educated professionals so there should have been no confusion. Had they made a market based offer when they said they would and before we decided to move back, they would be living here now. That was the part they had difficulty with and kept claiming we had had an agreement to sell them the house. Finally our realtor came over and explained the contract to them. Real estate is not fun.

Yeah, and then there's the motorcycle in the living room. But real estate, even with the ups and downs, is a great investment, and one for which you can really feel like you get out of it what you put into it. (Including having a hard head about who you rent to--you want tenants who want to pay you and appreciate living there, not tenants who need a break, and then you still get loopy people like Steff described).

I don't know if it's the same in Canada, but in the U.S. there is no such thing as an oral real estate agreement. Every little thing must be on paper or it's not a contract. Which is why Steff's story is so weird! Like, um, if the contract says "rent to own" you have a sale in progress. If it doesn't, you don't. There's no halfway, and no other agreement. But the one about the guy who was going to cut a door takes the cake!!

First up we have the poor California soul that's no stranger to grey, rain and cloud. Oh did I miss one? COLD.

For her this lovely, SUMMERY, Sandia!

For our Princess of SA we have:

Here is a link that might be useful: Steff's Treat!

Crystal Beach!

Oh my Steff, that is oh so close to me! Shame on you for never dropping by for a SOL or dinner.

It was literally just in the Saturday TO Star as Getaways within 2 hrs of TO.

I made watermelon salsa yesterday. Mild style, since I fed it to my mother. It was even better today.

More of the same crud tomorrow... Including "rain".

Finally some high pressure at the end of the week, but might get muggy. Monsoon a month ahead of time.

Rain in Southern California in the Summertime? The song will definitely need to be rewritten.

News for Solly, a lakefront is not a beach. That is funny that there's a Crystal Beach in TO.

I've got more stories. One couple moved in to rent until closing after we had a signed contract. They decided not to buy the house and tried to use their earnest money as the final rent payment! We sold the house a few months later for thousands more.

We have done well in real estate, but the sale of the house in Houston is probably the last for us.

Oh don't worry Steff you don't have to convince this guy. I'm the ultimate beach snob. I never put my toes into the polluted mystery of Great Lakes water.

But to most people it's sand and it's water so the word beach emerges.

OK I've got one for you. Although it can't touch your story of the lines drawn for the exterior door, this one is a little too close to home. As in my immediate next door neighbor! They park their extra car right on the grass of their front or side lawn. Several when they have guests. Really.

And unlike Polly's suggestion, yes I'm the top house in a very average neighborhood. Will be interesting to see the faces of the neighbors of the asking house price when I decide to sell. Problem was I did not look at the perspective of the street to the town. I looked at it relative to TO. This house was like a mini mansion in TO, so the price was a steal. And since I was not from this City, I'm not in tune with the neighborhoods/reputations. We just loved the house/lot.

Yes there are 3 rentals around me. Get this. The literal day that we moved in, all that night guys were having a party on their driveway. And yes, the guy had a drum kit there. Absolutely in shock the morning after, I immediately pondered selling the house. Very depressed.

Then I took matters into hand. I walked out the front door, with my cordless phone, stood beside him and his drum kit on the driveway, and said:

"You have the choice right now. Put your drumsticks down or we dial the Police right now. Which do you prefer?" They never played the drums ever again.

The house was eventually raided by Police as a Marijuana grow house and sold. It remains a rental.

If the house is especially unique then it can be attractive to a buyer even if the neighborhood isn't the best. The price need to be right to attract buyers.

LOL at the parking in the yard. That is such a common practice in Texas that cities have recently enacted ordinances against parking on non-paved surfaces. So the homeowners just pave over the whole yard--problem solved!

Ok Polly,

It's kick off time Holland-Uruguay

Good luck, if there was ever an underdog you certainly picked it. The last remaining South American hope!

South American teams have only ever lost twice in a World Cup semi final!

Polly's cards may not be looking so bad.

Unfortunately, the World Cup will remain on the European Continent :(

Yup! Need more parking space? Pave the front yard, with a pretty brick border, and turn it into one big driveway. That's done here too. It probably isn't in O. because they have enough rain, etc., that the lawn doesn't mind so much if you park on it. :)

Traditional L.A. includes downright poor areas with a lot of pride of ownership. There are roaming bands of neighbors, usually older people, who go to the ones with the inoperable cars in the driveway, the way too many people for the size of house, etc., and tell them, "You can't do that here. You have to cut your lawn. This is a respectable neighborhood. You don't want us to call code enforcement on you." Most are renters, some are just slobs, most clean up their acts when just a bit of peer pressure is applied. Doesn't matter if it's the 'hood, the barrio, or a slum, you gotta keep your house looking nice.

BTW, Steff, it's "rain", not rain. That is, the overcast is just so low and heavy it sort of rains itself down. It has occasionally rained in July before though. It did in 1989. And I think it even did last year or the year before. It only happens when Monsoon comes this far North. Usually, it cuts across Mexico to Arizona and doesn't really hit us. I slept through the morning (read during the night) but right now it looks more like muggy July overcast than the November style cold and damp it was the last couple of days. You know like how Eskimos have dozens of ways of describing snow? I'm a connoisseur of overcast.

Steff brings up a good point about tenants as well--never buy a property with tenants in place unless you have an existing lease (the terms of which you like), have signed a new lease with the same tenants going forward, they're paying their rent into escrow both before and after the sale, so that escrow can apportion it correctly to the landload in possession on a particular day, and so that the tenant isn't still sending payment to the old landlord after you take over, and the old landlord turns over all deposits and other monies held on behalf of the tenants to you, also through the escrow.

In other words, it's just easier starting without a tenant. Though, if it's a long term, good tenant, there might be good reason to keep them. Other than that whole they think they own the place thing Steff mentioned.

Also, never, ever, take possession of a house while the old owners aren't 100% out, confirmed by a walk-through inspection that you do yourself before signing over the money, during which you also confirm that any property they were supposed to leave is still there and in good condition (including the half tank of heating oil, window a/c unit, or washing machine--turn them on! And make sure the descriptions, model numbers, serial numbers match what's in your contract). Take pictures, make notes, and close within the hour. The same afternoon you sign and receive the keys, meet the locksmith at the property and change every single lock. Make sure that there aren't any sneak in points that the previous owners or neighborhood kids know, for getting into the garage, the upstairs, or even the backyard. Have a handyman on the spot to take care of them, if any are found.

Delay closing if you have to, to get the old owners and all their stuff out. The agents won't like it. They'd rather drop the troubles on your head. Don't be bullied. Say you'll give them however much time they need to pack up and move before closing, but absolutely no rent backs. They can put their stuff in storage and themselves in a hotel if they're not closed on their new place yet. If they don't have the money for that, or for a bridge loan so they can close on the new first, before their own sale is funded, they can't afford to pay you rent either. Never, ever, do it. Offer them $1000 cash, to be paid after they're clear and you're closed, to get out of your house, which they can use for their in between expenses. It's worth it to you! A lot less money to get them out than suing for specific performance and/or eviction. Plus, we've just learned from Steff not to let them rent first, close later, either, because that means you have renters, not a sale. Steff was able to avoid a lot of grief by reselling for more, but it doesn't always work out that way, and you don't want to be stuck in litigation with people who are in your house.

"You know like how Eskimos have dozens of ways of describing snow? I'm a connoisseur of overcast."

LOL!!!

Polly-You're like a Rentals Cop. No slipping a quick one by you. Can't you just come here and make the purchase? I'll sign the cheque.

You and Steff can be like the Bouncer(esses) at the front door.

Guess what I was fondling last night?

A BUNNY?!?

No Silly!

Not the Bunny....

And oh boy it just felt sooooo good!

Actually the trip was for an appointment to the Genius Bar for my poor, sick, Macbook :( For the last 2 days I was going ape over no cursor, pointer that always stuck to every window, and deleting letters while I was typing.

So, the Apple Genius found the problem in 30 seconds. Swollen aged battery. The swelling pushed onto the trackpad which meant the trackpad could not activate so the cursor just stayed stuck. Damage $100 for a new battery.

Sad thing is I have this thing up for sale on the Internet for my move up to the 27 inch iMac. But like a car, it cannot be sold unless the bad brakes are replaced etc. etc.

Now the gem. While he fondled my goods, I went over to Mr. Facetime and introduced myself with open hands. The minute I touched it, it was love at first bite, I mean sight. Perfect proportions, and inexplicably not as squarish as it looks. Man beside me, with 3GS in hand agreed the new felt much better. The 3mm less width seems much slimmer. His partner pulled out a new Samsung Omnia and he said if you get a phone get the iphone 4 and don't buy these %###* me too's.

Then came the Apple worker. How do you like this new phone? He told me he's had every version since 07 and by far this is the gem. I quote "Of all the things we sell in the Apple Store, this iphone 4 is my favorite Apple product".

When the guy beside me pulled his 3GS out and we compared, the iPhone 4 Display had a stunning glow like a Plasma Television. It was sooo amazing.

I did Face Time! And "if" girls do computers, they can do it too!

Polly, you know how you're a connoisseur of overcast? Well I'm a connoisseur of ergonomics. And have ditched many an electronic item for not satisfying the touch.

And Polly, am I ever glad I didn't dive into the iPad pool and get soaked because the iPhone4 is really the perfect swimsuit.

July 23, go ahead Apple, make my day.

I'm so glad you're happy! And see! Even when I argue with you, it's for your own good!

A bunny would have been cuddlier though...

About today's Semi Final.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paul The Psychic Octopus!

Hate to say it but I'm 0 for 2 in the Pace "Hand Pick & Win".

What about you guys?

I hope it's not rigged :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Not So Pace

Haven't tried that yet because you have to sign up. I'm tired of signing up for websites. Grumpy day I guess.

It's amazing the what you need to know before you rent out or sell property. We learned a lot the hard way, but never really lost much so it was a good experience overall.

I love that observation about the neighborhoods. We have that same thing here. Even though the houses are small for the number of people who live there they are neat and well kept with lots of flowers out front.

Today's news brings the story of a car theft ring leader arrested in my neighborhood. His gang was stealing SUV's to ship to drug cartels in Mexico. This was an organized crime ring with a set up that included recruiting. He was pulled over for no license plates and he did not have a driver's license on him. This guy was driving around just blocks from my house looking for cars to steal. Fortunately he has been sent to Brownsville to stand trial on other charges because I do not want to think about what could happen if he were jailed here.

Solly, do you really believe that everything will be fine once these guys are able to operate freely with the approval of their government?

I'm with Steff on the Pace. It's a come on for you to give them data. A free jar? For all your private details? I think not!

Scary news, Steff! I know a lot of stolen cars here get shipped out of the country, but super frightening that it's the drug cartels doing it there.

Talk about close to home Steff!

Wow the Drug Cartels even affect quiet little SA.

Now after this incident in your own backyard I can see why you're questioning my reasoning. But. Since Calderon tried to play hero and take on the Cartels, he essentially let tens of thousands of Mexicans die unnecessarily. The Cartels have been in business for god knows how long. It has always been a part of the Mexican society whether right or wrong. As is corruption, political assassinations, human rights abuses, etc. In fact that is the reality of Latin America-except CUBA :)

The Calderon model proved that you cannot, and will not, defeat the Cartels. They are a serious force to be reckoned with. Calderon has sent 25,000 troops to fight them and failed. This is like an American Afghanistan or Vietnam. No number of troops will defeat this well mobilized, highly motivated group.

So, with the Salinas PRI delegation now ready to take full control of Mexico, it means Plan B. Which means, like always, you keep the Gov't happy, and we let you do your business. The Cartels in turn make sure that nobody gets hurt unless absolutely necessary. Is it good for the moral fabric of the country? No. Is it good for the safety of the general public? Yes. And the moral issue cannot be judged from the Canadian or American viewpoint since all this is part of Mexican culture for many generations past. In fact it is a part of every country in Latin America.

LOL!!!

Gotta love it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazing!

Right. Let's let the mafia, and the Russian and other ones who are taking the place of the Italians in the same biz, keep on doing what they do because they've been around for 6 generations in this country alone. Never mind that buildings in NY collapse because of substandard materials, never mind that innocent people get caught in the crossfire. Let's let the motorcycle gangs keep on cooking and distributing meth because, after all, when we enforce the law they move into suburban houses and it's okay if they poison the children so long as they don't disturb the neighbors. Let's let the kids with no hope join gangs and create violence, lust for revenge, and destroy rather than build up, because they always have, they're part of society, there are songs about them, and there are always hopeless kids coming up and it's so much easier to let them join gangs than to try to get through to them and show them how to dream and work and achieve. Right. Let's just give up. For that matter, why give to the needy? There have always been needy people. There always will be. So why try to make them a little more comfortable when they're going to need something else tomorrow?

Oh, right. There is no corruption in CUBA because the state has a monopoly on it.

This is the reality of Latin America.

Even as powerful as America is, they have not been able to change Latin America.
So, do we really expect these much less powerful Latin countries to suddenly become morally cleansed?

As long as there is poverty, of which there is no shortage of in Latin America, they will always be in the same predicament. If Drug Cartels can buy judges in Miami (you may recall about 10 years ago), imagine what they can do in their own countries.

Sorry but perhaps I value innocent human lives too much. And I care more about a birthday party of slain teenagers in Ciudad Juarez because the Cartel wanted to prove a point to the Federales. And the parents of all those teenagers will not just point to the Cartels, they'll point to the Americans and Canadians who buy the drugs and create the market for these guys to Supply. Without demand, there is no need for supply.

Yes there can be corruption in the Cuban system and in 2003, the Castro Gov't publicly apprehended Gov't officials involved in drugs and sentenced them to death and or life imprisonment.

On the needy. There are differing philosophies on this. In India, yes mainstream locals often discourage giving to the needy and prescribe to:

If you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day.
But if you teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime.

Amnesty Int'l has figured well over one million people were killed during this Iraq "invasion/forced regime change". Was it worth it? Probably not, if you ask the families of those in Iraqi graves.

With a growing North American demand for Mexican drugs, and a strengthening group of Cartels, where do you draw the line?

The poorest poor folk in the U.S. have real wealth compared to the poor folk in India, but I wasn't talking about giving handouts to the poor. Allow a poor man to fish instead of making a law against it. But to leave someone with a degenerative disease who can barely move or speak to beg or starve is extremely cruel.

I agree that the only way to eliminate drug business is to eliminate demand, but allowing any kind of hyperviolent business, ostensibly legal or illegal, to de facto rule one's own country is sickening. I'm not advoating a U.S. invasion of Mexico. I think Mexico is perfectly capable of mustering the national will to clean herself up. Baby steps. Right now there's been a step back, but there will be steps forward.

Things have improved markedly in Columbia. A big problem in Mexico is that while they were only a conduit between the growers and the users they were happy to turn a blind eye and allow the cartels to enrich them. Now that drug use is a big problem in Mexico, the populace is very unhappy.

You seem to love totalitarianism, whether it's as benevolent as Monaco, or as destructive as the cartels. You're entitled to your opinions.

Though it sounds like you're saying we should all become muslims so that the pseudo-religious terrorists who want to kill us will let us live. Give in and less people will die, right?

In the pre-Calderon years, Cartels did not make Mexicans change their lives. In fact, Mexico was in a "bubble boom" and they had little effect on ordinary peoples lives. The Peso was at all time historic highs to the US Dollar etc. Yes it was artificial as the Mexican financial collapse proved. But while upper middle class Mexicans were seemingly enjoying new levels of prosperity, they weren't affected by criminals/drug gangs like today. But with the army's war, they have been affected. And I feel sympathy for poor dying Mexican people.

The reason the "totalitarian" model is used by Castro has much to do with America. Since The Revolution, CIA operatives-US Government are/have been trying to overthrow Castro, both militarily (The Bay of Pigs) and covertly. So is it any surprise that such activity would spur a leader to govern any different than the way he does?

In 2004, an ex CIA went public with a recent plan that the US had a full military invasion of the CUBA on the table.

So yes, Castro runs a tight ship because being 90 miles from Miami, he's not too sure who is doing what and why.

As for Monaco, is there really anything wrong with living in a country with absolute safety, cleanliness, respect, and security?

Or would you rather go next door to the beaches of NICE, where all your belongings will disappear before you blink, businesses are owned by Mafias, and you are sure to be robbed at gunpoint? Oh and don't mind the poodle poo when walking?

Yeah, I'll take A for Totalitarian please.

Before we blow the freedom horn too loudly, let's not forget that just last week the Toronto Police Chief secretly pushed through a new law in parliament that allowed greater Police powers for the upcoming "free protests" of the G20 summit.

And Americans certainly won't forget the Bush Administration's arsenal of manipulated laws and violation of personal freedoms.

And yes they were totalitarian because there was absolutely no recourse allowed. It suddenly became the new law because they decided it was.

Whoops I forgot one.

Stephen Harper's Gov't decided that he didn't need to make the findings of an inquiry into alleged torture and abuse of Afghan detainees by Canadian soldiers public. Because he felt so.

BTW. Steff- I got one for you. About a year ago, Canadian police went on this nation wide massive sting operation against the Hell's Angels and rounded them all up on the same day and locked them away with every charge you can imagine.

One of their compounds was only 10 minutes outside of my town.

But this is the good one. I once had a small customer here in my town and when I mentioned to a friend it was my client, I was told that the owner is a brother of the Head of the Hell's Angels. The entire family of 5 brothers were serious criminals with prison time, murder acquittals etc. But quite honestly, had I never heard this story about the history behind my customer's background, I would never have even thought of it, a really nice guy. He even lived around the corner from me!

You make it sound as if these Drug Cartel leaders would be running charity schools for homeless children in Mexico City if they weren't doing drugs. They are criminals and need to be dealt with as such on both sides of the border. No country or community can function if it is permeated with this activity.

San Antonio has been a major distribution point for drugs and human traffic from Mexico for many years so that part is not a big surprise. The nature of the organization and the inclusion of locals speaks of a major escalation in the crime.

The abuses of children and young women are horrendous and that went on even when the Mexican government was cooperating.

An American Consulate worker and her husband were executed in Ciudad Juarez a few months ago apparently because someone disagreed with a Visa she issued and ordered a hit. Her baby son survived the attack and now lives with his grandparents.

No I do not look forward to a change in government in Mexico.

You make it sound as if these Drug Cartel leaders would be running charity schools for homeless children in Mexico City if they weren't doing drugs.

LOL!! Steff.

I think we have to establish something right now. NO Plllog I do not adore or "love destructive cartels". Those are your words and should not be put in my mouth.

Do you really believe your words? You think I, a hard working, peace loving, law abiding Canadian citizen loves ruthless Mexican murderers, who terrorize it's own people and any one who stands in their way? If so, you too are entitled to your opinion but don't be so mean!

I made a simple observation based on raw mathematical numbers. How many innocent Mexican lives were lost before Calderon declared war on the Drug Cartels versus how many lives have been lost after.

I'm sorry but I'm not Salinas and I have no idea how the PRI will approach this. But if history repeats itself, the PRI will be allies of the cartels not enemies. And if so, it will be most unfortunate, again.

And Steff you're right, this is such a sad and hopeless problem and I can fully sympathize in your concern since it is on your doorstep, literally.

By the way, truces between enemies at Gov't levels are not foreign to the world.
As Hamid Karzai made very clear to Washington recently, that any long term stability in Afghanistan can only come after the Taliban is included in government.

So? Any progress? Tiles? Appliances? Stripping? Or are you on vacation?