The house hasn't sold and the Real Estate market continues to be in the pits.  It is hard to keep your spirits up, when no one seems to want the house you have loved for 20 years.  A lot of good times were had in this house and it will be missed.  But I will not miss the snow!  I have never been a snow person.  I don't ski, sled, or snow shoe.  It is beautiful as long as I can just enjoy it and don't have to drive in it.  I truly hope this is the last winter I have to shovel snow.  Someone buy our house!  Okay, now that really sounds pathetic.
    Rakkasah was great fun as always.  Spending time with Lucy, Judy, and Mezdulene in the Scheherezade Imports booth is always a blast  for the Two Old Bags.  Chris and I always enjoy our first trip of the year.  We think of it as coming out of our winter hibernation.  This will be the last year at the Richmond Auditorium for Rakkasah, because it is closing down for remodel.  It needs to be remodeled, as does the whole area of town that it sits in.  But there are thoughts of where will things be held next year and how will things change from set up to take down.  The one thing I will not miss is that tilted floor!  By the time you stand at an angle for 5 to 10 hours, you can hardly walk.  Chris is dating a wonderful man, so there is another change.  And, of course, I can't stop talking about moving to Las Vegas!!
    Rakkasah went smooth this year.  No wild and weird acts for everyone to talk about.  I missed Saqra's Showcase, darn.  I didn't know if I would be moving or not, so I didn't dare make plans.  I spent the whole time working and packing, packing and donating, packing and throwing out.
    I also missed Belly Dancer USA contest and that really hurt, because I have so much fun there.  Plus I was supposed to teach a workshop and I had to cancel.  I have never ever canceled a workshop before.  Bill was in Vegas and I just could not leave the dogs.  Boarding them, driving up, and hotel costs, just made it impossible.  Darn.  I swear I will be there in 2008!!!!  
    Bill and I bit yet another bullet and held a huge yard sale.  It was a yard sale for guys.  We sold mostly tools and we had a ton of them.  We did a one day sale.  When you are selling mostly tools, all you have to write in the ad is "TOOLS, Tools, tools" and state the time you will open.  Yeah right.  State the time you will open and then figure that 5 trucks full of guys will show up while you are setting up.  And that is exactly what happened.  We sold antique tools, old tools, beat up tools, tables for tools, boxes of tools, you name it.  So now we only have the tools we will need to do any remodel of the new place in Las Vegas.  We sold 3/4 quarters of the stuff in the big 16' x 24' shed, all the stuff in the wooden shed, and all the stuff in the automotive shed.  One BIG  truckload less to move.