livingoutloud’s blog

timing...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:24:01 -0800

this has been a poor year for blogging in my life. i mean, i'm using this to track events and times in my life and times in my life have just been sucky! so...with the coming of 2009 i hope to be a better blogger. i'm thiking of going back to type pad - but we shall see. it just seems to interface better.

alas - merry christmas to all and a happy new year too.

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gotta love the media...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:24:43 -0800

the below article was in the paper yesterday. it says nothing about chapter 13 or 11 and it doesn't clearly state that the issues are with the smaller of the loans. correct, things are not good - but they are not good everywhere. i am not going to panic or allow the jerks that made comments on the star's website under the article make me feel bad. it's not our fault.

Published: 11.19.2008

Owner of Westin La Paloma, other hotels on verge of default

STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

A Tucson-based investment firm that owns the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa and other area hotels is on the verge of defaulting on its loan of more than $209 million, according to Credit Suisse Group AG.

Transwest Partners/NCH Corp. bought the Westin La Paloma and a second hotel in South Carolina, the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, in December for about $310 million.

Janos and J Bar restaurants at La Paloma are owned independently by Janus and Rebecca Wilder and are not involved in the loan package.

Transwest Partners/NCH Corp. received more than $230 million in financing to purchase the hotels, including $21.5 million from Ashford Hospitality Trust and $209 million from JPMorgan.

The $209 million Westin Portfolio loan was among the 10 largest in a debt offering sold by JPMorgan Chase & Co. on April 30, according to Bloomberg data. The loans were transferred to special servicing because of "imminent default," Credit Suisse analysts said in a note to clients Tuesday citing data from the loans' servicers.

"They are big loans and they went bad fast," said Kent Born, a senior managing director in the commercial lending group at PPM America Inc. in Chicago. "In the current market environment, any negative news is going to cause an outsize reaction."

Messages left Tuesday with Westin La Paloma and Transwest Partners/NCH Corp., were not returned.

Transwest/NCH also has defaulted on its last two debt service payments to Ashford Hospitality Trust, according to a Nov. 7 quarterly Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

The firm owns several hotels in the greater Tucson area, including La Posada Lodge & Casitas, Embassy Suites Tucson-Williams Center and the Doubletree Hotel Tucson at Reid Park, among others.

It's unclear which hotels are backing the Westin loan.

Back in December, Transwest /NCH President Michael Hanson told the Star he was excited about the purchase of Westin La Paloma, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive.

At that time, Hanson said Transwest planned to add about 15,000 square feet to the ballroom and renovate guest rooms.

But hotels and resorts are struggling in a slowing economy that has led customers to curb travel. Bookings growth at Expedia Inc., the world's biggest online travel agency, fell to 7 percent in the third quarter from 21 percent a year earlier.

● Includes information from Bloomberg News and Star reporter Josh Brodesky.

All content copyright © 1999-2008 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited.

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ginger and the funny stuff...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:47:06 -0800

ok...no valley fever for ginger. we wait 2 weeks to see if the limping gets better. if not, x-rays.

through one of the blogs i read i found THIS SITE and the photos below are products from the site...they crack me up!

Changew

Loneliness

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not again

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:39:55 -0800

so we gave ginger a few weeks to stop limping...not playing laser games and chase and such. we took her to the vet this morning. she limps on both sides but really favors the right side and won't stretch it out all the way. she is being tested for valley fever. limping can be a symptom. at such a young age limping is a bit of a concern. she could have some growth issues where tendons and ligaments haven't connected where they are supposed to...this would require surgery. without saying anything outloud i know roger and i are thinking the same thing. we are thinking of pookie - the fact that he had valley fever and allergies - the fact that he died of lung cancer and the fact the setter breeds are prone to lung cancer. we aren't even 6 months from losing pookie - things are sill just under the surface. she is getting so big. she is 46 pounds and with 4 more to go she will officially be a large breed!

wall-e comes out on tuesday.

today is a busy day...vet, puppy class, jewelry party and then nail appointment. a new store opened at tucson mall that i woould lik to go see...SEPHORA!!!

tomorrow i'm going to make chili with cornbread and the kids (at least one of them) are coming over to do laundry.

my type 'a' is kicking in and i'm starting to do the list thing for all of the christmas stuff that needs to be done. plus i have ideas percolating in my head on what to do in the backyard.

i still love my wii. i have been able to get back in to it over the past few weeks...slowly. since my b-day i have lost 13.5 pounds. this is great when you consider at least 3 of those months i have been pretty immobile. 2.5 of those were from monday to yesterday. i opened the last balance game...totally zen - it's a focus and steady thing sitting on the balance board. kinda cool. i think i want wii stuff for christmas. but again, that is something i need to analyze to see what things i need verses things i want. there is a biggest loser workout that i think i want to get for it.

so, roger got us hooked on a new animal planet reality series. it's called whale wars and its really a good show. there is a part of me that think these peple are nuts (and they are) but there is another part of me that think part of what they are doing is a great thing. they are WAY more extreme than greenpeace - which has now gone a little more passive in their tactics. i don't agree with the illegal stuff they do, and i would never support them financially because i know they are affiliated with eco-terrorists who insist on burning newly built homes to the ground and such, but i do think the message is a good one - to a degree. again, juping on a japanese whaling ship to possibly spend the rest of your life in a japanese jail...not the smartest way to save whales...if you are in jail you can't stop the whaling!

gotta run.

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not over it...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:19:17 -0800

i'm still not over the results of last tuesday. i'm just not ready to accept it yet. don't like that? deal with it!

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why...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:01:07 -0800

so i am out of pain enough to try to put some of my thoughts in to words...sort of. please note - these are my opinions and i'm not asking for anyone to agree or disagree with me or to tell me why they tink i a wrong or try to enlighten me...i am enlightened.

first let me just say as a single mom of 18 i worked my ASS off to make money and be a successful parent and provide a good life for me and my child. i did that without going to welfare.

second let me say that i am now married and we both work our ASSES off.

first and second being said - why is it ok for soeone to come in and say that because we have worked our ASSES off to get all that we have they are now going to take more from us? really? if i make 20 shells an hour and you make 10 shells an hour and the government takes 10% from each of us - you are paying less because you make less. common math. but oh no...that's not good enough...from this point on i will be giving 25% of my shells and you will be giving 5%.

yes...this make perfect sense. everyone works for the greater good of the greater group. it works...IN SOCIALIST COUNTRIES!!

may anyone who voted for mr. obama who makes less that $120k now not ever make over $120 in the next 4-8 years or you too shall soon find out why this is such a big deal.

oh...and the stock market. anyone wonder why it keeps going down? that would be because those of us who have the shells to play with want our shells - this was not the 'change' we wanted.

looking at the young people who were in our small groups and knowing the parents and families...some of the beliefs coming from the young peope are shocking to me.

change is coming...but i don't see it being a good one.

bring it on...but be prepared for more ranting

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age...

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:03:59 -0800

over did it on saturday

stepped out of bed on sunday and my back let me know that i wasn't doing anything!

came home from work at 11 yesterday because i hurt so bad. stayed home today.

not sure what tomorrow holds.

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update

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:19:45 -0700

we just got done watching expelled - it was really a good movie

i won an award from my last group and got a $200 gratuity - good week!

walked in the jdrf walk today - awsome

puppy class is going well...we haven't been kicked out yet.

i think i'm getting paint for the guest room tomorrow.

scrapping with the group tomorrow as well

my shoulder is feeling somewhat better...i'm hoping we are on the way to a complete recovery.

still sewing quilts although now that i have to wear more flats than heels i'm also hemming pants up...one pair at a time.

going to bed now...

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oj the pumpkin head

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:32:35 -0700

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pookie

nobody@vox.com(livingoutloud) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:49:47 -0700

i miss him so much my heart still aches each night. there isn't a day that goes by that i don't think about him. truly it is the hardest thing i have had to go through yet. he was such a good dog and i wonder if we will ever have another one as special as he was.

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