What is “Rental Ready”? Well, for me it’s making sure the fridge has Pellegrino and bottled “still” water (with a lime, thank you), the pantry has herbal tea and Starbucks, and my kitchen has the correct combination of organic items. See, for me, I’m talking about “Pa- Rental Ready”. Yes folks, the holidays are upon us, and god bless me, my parents will be at my house for four days over Thanksgiving. I ordered my fresh, all natural never-been-frozen turkeys weeks ago from Wild Oats. My husband will deep fry one outside, and I’ll do my “Martha Stewart” best to prepare the other one in some more traditional fashion (this year I’ve selected the Maple-Glazed Turkey from her 2006 holiday menu). The guest bedrooms have fresh sheets, the guest bathroom is stocked with plenty of clean towels. I’ve dusted, touched up, and in some cases scrubbed. The carpets have been professionally cleaned, and not a stitch of anything is out of place (well at least the parts of the house that our dog hasn’t gotten to yet). No, it’s not as bad as it sounds, but I do want everything to be just right for their arrival.

It's back to the rat race. The dust of the holidays has finally settled. All the presents are unwrapped (my favorite this year was the Nike + ipod to go with my ipod Nano), all the food has been eaten (did I really eat all that?), all the relatives have returned safely to their own homes (thank god), all the champagne that helped ring in the new year has been drunk (is that what my headache is from?), and hopefully by now all the "I can't believe he/she/they did that at the office holiday party" gossip has been forgotten. But this year's holiday festivities and escapades passed with something blatantly missing... cold weather and snow! Not that I'm sappy and wished for a white Christmas, but I at least hoped there would be remnants of a previous snow fall on the ground outside my Connecticut home (in case you missed my first post, that's where I live). Or at the very least, I wished it was cold enough to feel like Christmas in New England. Instead, the weather report you see in the title is what is was like from my perch here in the northwest corner of CT on New Year's day.

My husband and I love our dog, Shea. Without shame, we admit that she is spoiled rotten. We buy the expensive dog food and only treats made with all natural ingredients. She sleeps at the foot of our bed. She's the star of our Christmas card each year. We constantly adorn her with kisses and hugs and toys and treats. She has regular play dates with her "friends" (see Vida, pictured below), and we don't blink an eye at the $26 for Doggie Daycare when I go to VT to work. (yes, that is for the day, my husband drops her off in the morning and he picks her up promptly at 6pm). And trust me, we are not alone. The pet industry is a $34 billion dollar market and growing. According to a recent survey, 74% of dog owners consider their pet as a child or family member. Do you think we would go away for the weekend without our furry little friend?

When my husband bought me a remote car starter for Christmas a month ago, I said to him, "I don't need this, it's 40 degrees outside". Well, this morning the practicality and likability of that precious little gizmo immediately shot to #1 on my list! As I drove to Vermont in my warm and cozy heated leather seats, I watched the digital thermometer in my car go from 2 degrees in CT to -6 degrees by the time I got to Killington. I thought to myself, "adios El Nino, winter has arrived"! And certainly, things have begun to look and feel more like winter this past week or so. The tiny mountain (Ski Sundown) near my house was abuz with night skiing as I drove by yesterday, most of the golf courses have finally closed, and I even think I saw someone in my neighborhood trying to use a snow blower for that dusting of snow that fell earlier this week.

It was all hands on deck for the Friday of the President's Weekend holiday. Not only were we completely booked, but as all of you know, Killington had just received a healthy 3+ foot dumping of the white stuff. In classic catch-22 fashion, we were busily about keeping tabs on plowing, sanding, and shoveling. The phones were ringing off the hook on a day that promised to be controlled chaos. But the Wise team got the job done. Every job.

The season's weather pattern delivers yet another blow as a rare Spring Nor'easter hits all of New England. While the brunt of the storm swept through Sunday and Monday, the effects are just beginning to be felt in many areas.

Here is an update on the situation in the Killington area:

Spring has arrived, and summer is not far off. The skiers and other winter vacationers have made their final departures, and the natural wear and tear of these beloved guests once again becomes evident in most of our rental properties. Thus, it’s time to start thinking about a good and thorough deep cleaning for your rental property.The change of the season makes me think about the “difference” in our winter guests versus our summer guests. In the summertime our clientele typically stay with us for extended periods of time; from one month to as many as three.

That was what I asked my friend last summer on our way to Martha's Vineyard. She's the co-captain of our cycling team and we were headed to the Vineyard for an MS Bike Tour. Since my husband only rides things that have motors, I was flyin' solo and wasn't super interested in our accommodations... until I got there and found out it was a vacation rental. Then my interest was piqued of course.

While much of the news the past two days has focused on the President’s visit to Kennebunkport with Russian leader Putin, many of you are probably unaware of another big event that took place the weekend before in Kennebunkport- my mother’s birthday. So before all the camera crews and news reporters descended upon this bustling summer resort town, my husband I (and our dog, Shea) made a weekend visit to my parents’ house to celebrate her special day. She would get angry at me for revealing her age, but let’s just say it was a milestone of sorts and the number ends in a zero. I wanted it to be a unique and special celebration, although my mother is not one for fanfare and big parties where she is the center of attention, and under no circumstances whatsoever is she the “surprise!” type of person.

Well, it's finally here. After all the rumors, speculation, and fanfare that circulated around the sale, purchase, and subsequent new ownership style of Killington, Opening Day has arrived!! And apparently Mother Nature got the memo, because as if on cue, it was snowing in Killington yesterday, and the accumulation got more serious today. Let's just hope this is an indication of a successful snowy winter ahead.So what's been going on in Killington anyway? What's up with the new owners? Why are they doing that? Do you think that will be good or bad for business?