My brother has been buying, renovating and selling houses for almost 20 years here in Ontario. He began when an accident left him with a small nest egg, after lawyer and court costs. But it was something for a young man to get started in real estate buying. Luckily, he already had some connections and some second hand experience on his side. Our Mother had gotten her start in real estate a couple of years before.

The first property was one he bought jointly. He was the one doing the work, or contracting it out. Along the way he learned a lot and then a lot more. If you have no experience in real estate, house building, property management or at least home inspections, you will be surprised at how much there is involved with buying, renovating and selling a property.

There are even differences in different towns, cities, counties and of course provinces (states) and countries. If you are just starting out, thinking this is a good way to invest your own funds from a pension, or something else, do your research on the local level.

Don't Buy If..

If a house shows signs of trouble with -

• roof
• plumbing
• electric
• foundation

don't think you can buy and sell and still make good money on it. Chances are too good it will become a money pit. Even if you have friends do the work, get your materials at cost and get lucky with everything else... is it really worth going through all of that just to break even, more or less.

Structural Versus Cosmetic

The house you buy can have all kinds of cosmetic problems and still be a good choice. Cosmetic fixer uppers would be structurally sound. If the only thing you really need to fix is the street appeal of a house you are not only lucky, but you found a pretty great deal if the house is priced low for the area it's located in.

Structural problems can include anything from the foundation up to the roof. Structural problems are going to cost you money, usually a lot of it by the time you get the house done. Don't forget to figure in costs for paperwork like permits and having someone come and approve your work for building codes. Also, anything to do with the water and electric will likely need a city inspector coming out. Structure problems are expensive, detailed and take more time to finish before you can consider putting the house on the market.

Also, you must consider the cost of the original house price, factor in the money you will be putting into it and then the amount you will actually hope to get for the resale. If the math doesn't work out in your favour, don't buy the house in the first place.

Watch for Dirty Disasters

Houses which are very dirty can be cleaned up. But, find out about the history of the house. Was it owned by a hoarder, was it a rental property for a long time or was something criminal going on there? Dirt can hide a troubled past which could mean the house won't sell should your real estate person and the perspective buyers look into it.

Also, a house in distress is likely to have structural problems. They certainly are a bigger risk than a house just neglected, a little dumpy or in need of updating.

Things to Check Into Before you Buy

Be aware of market conditions in the area. Are houses selling? There is no point in buying in an area where the real estate market is stagnant.

Look into the financial aspect. Does the house have messy finances from the current owners? Are there liens on the property? Are there any legal disputes involving the house and/or property? What are you getting into if you become the next owner?

If the house is currently rented - have the tenants been notified to move? Do they have a lease? Is that going to be a messy situation you will be left with once the house is in your possession?

Does the house have construction materials which are going to require extra expense to remove and then dispose of - all at your own expense? Think asbestos as an example.

Check with the city - in rural areas a house may be in an area which is being converted from well water to city water (for example). This is a big expense which could be the reason the current owners are trying to sell the house, before the deadline for paying for the change over.

I'm not a piercing fan. Some of it looks nice but some looks too far gone. I've seen stretched ears where the flap of skin is dry and pulled tight. It turns my stomach. The little bit of ear skin left at the edge looks like thin leather about to snap. I can't deal with people who have this - my focus is on their ear rather than what they are trying to tell me. I'm not against body modification, I just don't want to see it when it looks painful or like it's about to require stitches/ surgery to fix it.

Ear stretching seems to be pretty popular. I'm just waiting for it to go to neck stretching next, where they wear more and more metal rings around their throat. I'm sure it will bring back Japanese foot binding too. Someone will need to find a new extreme.

Drive out to some parking lot, some alley, somewhere kind of anonymous and secret... In the car you have packed blankets, maybe a chair, snacks and drinks. You're all set for an evening at the movies. The new and revised and mobile movies are not like the old drive-in movie theatres.

The new drive-in theatres are open air, located in backyards possibly using a home made screen. They may be mobile, appearing in new locations each time. Some of them may be located in theme appropriate locations, like showing horror movies in a cemetery or some spooky, abandoned place.

The guerilla drive-ins are typically free, though donations are gladly accepted.

The backyard cinemas tend to be small business people who also run DJ and other services. (This is how they have the equipment available in many cases).

The mobile movies seem to be where the idea started. People keep in touch on an email list, the movie is picked and the location is given out - like a secret society.

How to Start your Own Guerilla Drive In Movie Theatre

• Microfilmmaker Magazine - How to Build a Guerilla Drive-In, Pg.1 of 5

• Creating a Guerilla Drive-in from Scratch

• How to Start Your Own Guerilla Drive-In

What Should you Bring if you Go?

Check with the drive-in people and see if you need to bring anything, but most likely you should pack some essentials:

• Chairs for sitting outdoors.
• Food, snacks and drinks.
• Blankets or a warm jacket.
• A portable radio to hear the audio.
• Your vehicle, or a seat in a vehicle.

MobMov, Backyard Cinemas, Guerilla Drive-ins: Outdoor movie theaters.

• MobMov (Chapters around the World)

• Mobmov Forum

• Flickr: Guerilla Drive-In

• Backyard Theater

• Guerilla Drive-In: West Chester, PA (US)

• Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In (US)

• Phoenix Backyard Cinema (US)

• Hollywood MobMov (US)

• Guerilla Drive-In Victoria (Canada)

• Free outdoor film screenings in Toronto (Canada)

Drive-in Movie Memories

The age of the drive-in movie is passing us by. They plod along like dinosaurs walking into deep, dark pit. I remember going to the drive-in with my family. We had a station wagon and later a huge van with a long seat for each of the four kids. We brought blankets and snuck in our own snacks but still bought more because that was just what you did when you were at the drive-in.

By the end of the first movie we were sleeping. Sometimes I'd get to see part of the second feature. What I remember most about the drive-in theatre was leaving. It was dark, I was sleepy and I liked the feeling of the car going over the hills and valleys of the parking lot as we wound our way out of all the traffic.

Others may think of the drive-in speakers. The times they didn't work. The time you almost (or did) drive away with one. The new drive-ins have you tune in to a radio station now. No need to keep a window down for the speaker and the mosquitoes to get in.

Drive-in Movie History

• Eryl's Angle: The Drive-In, A Forgotten Goldmine | We Eat Films

• Stranded at the Drive-in

• Drive-in Movie Theaters History

• Drive-ins.com

• History of Drive-In Theaters

• Drive-In Theater

• Flickr: Movie Theaters & Drive Ins

• Travels With Steve Swanson

Abandoned, Lost and Forgotten Drive-in Theatres

• A Photo Essay On America's Forgotten Drive-In Theaters | Co.Design: business + innovation + design

• Urban Exploration Resource: Forgotten Drive In - Western NY

• Ohio's Forgotten Drive-In Theaters

• 8 Aesthetically Awesome Abandoned Theaters: Dusty Drive-Ins to Classic Cinemas | WebUrbanist

• Flickr: Drive-in Theaters

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who was just dipping her toes into the social scene on the Internet. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) to be specific because these were the days before blogs and social media became something everyone knew. This young woman was pretty much one of the stereotypical nice girls. She hardly even dated because she was kind of a quiet, serious person and didn't really talk to men. However, getting online and talking to all kinds of people from the comfort of her own home was fun, exciting even. She became an IRC diva. This quiet, serious woman found herself made part of a group on an IRC channel. She had the feeling of belonging and having friends and she liked it. She began to flirt and play just as the others did. Back then IRC was new and talking online was a whole different game for people to learn to play. Many people were using the chat to 'hook up'. Actually, many women were looking for romance and love and many men were looking for a good screw, with something they hoped was female.

So, this quiet, serious young woman met a lot of men online. A group of women in the IRC channel became known for trolling and taunting the men online, those who came into the channel looking for easy women. This young woman was one of the three in the group. The others were Lis and Vix, for short. They had a lot of fun baiting and switching and laughing at the horny trolls.

Then there were the other people in the group, the other regulars. Most evenings they got together and played Truth or Dare in the public channel. The serious, quiet woman had no sexual experience to play the game telling Truth about. So she took the dares, almost every time. She became smart at finding loop holes, or just storytelling her way out of it. A good time was had by all, regardless of whatever Truth or Dares were told.

There were other women in the group, but there were men in the group too. Some became friends, fairly close friends, with the quiet woman (who by this time wasn't really all that quiet during the chat but was still fairly serious). One man in particular became a regular in the group and the serious woman liked him too. They talked, not just in the public chat.

He was married and wanted to divorce his wife. Things were not going well, she wanted out - or seemed to... You know how that story goes. In this case, the serious woman - though she really did like the man - pushed the man to stick with his marriage. She wasn't 100% on her decision, she was kind of lonely and still single and not someone who was out there dating outside of her Internet chat 'dates'. But, being the serious type she was, she did not think she could tell someone to end their marriage, even if she did consider it.

The man offered to come and visit the serious woman. It was a sincere offer, very unlike most offers which she heard from the horny trolls. But, she had her serious way and could not take that step into breaking up a marriage. So, time went on, they still talked and even traded home addresses to send real Christmas cards in the mail. After awhile, a year or so, the chat group broke up, as these transient sort of things will do. Someone had an issue with whoever was in control of the group and people were made to choose sides. Inside this side choosing the group dissolved.

The serious woman lost track of the man after awhile. She lost track of all her friends from the group within a couple of months to a year. She was sad about it but she had met other people and was fine.

A couple of years later she somehow found the man again. He was divorced (or separated) from his wife and living with one of the other women from the group. Not one of the two who had been her game playing friends but one of the women she had talked to in a more human to human way and had actually gotten to know a bit. Sadly, the serious woman was not one of those who saved every online conversation so the details were lost in the vast space of her mind.

The man and the woman both talked to the serious woman, and kept in touch for a short time. Then she lost track of them again as she so often does.

People will sometimes ask if you have regrets. I say no, not really. You can't go back and change things anyway, so what is the point of thinking of anything you regret. However, when I think about it, I do regret not being a little bolder, thinking more about myself than the other woman and what was right and proper in a by-the-book way.

So the moral of the story... don't try to live by rigid standards which you didn't set for yourself.

Just because you prefer life as a loner doesn't mean you can't have some friends and enjoy being with other people, on your own terms and at your own pace. You might even find you like being social once you break the ice and find people you have interests in common with.

There are people who feel being a loner (someone who likes being alone) is awful, like having a plague. Being a loner does not mean there is anything wrong with you, it doesn't mean you are stuck up or snobby just because you're quiet and don't join in with everything.

One way to deal with stress or a lack of energy for socializing is to have a portable distraction. Keep keys in your pocket which you can take out and play with here and there to get your mind off the shyness, unease or impatience you are feeling in the moment. With a little distraction to get your focus off yourself and your feelings you can last longer and have your mind on the conversation.

Chances are you will find something interesting to talk about and that is the best way to keep yourself involved in being social and enjoying it too.

A great way to meet people and get yourself out there in a good way is to develop some hobbies and interests then find others who share the same interests or are involved in the same hobbies. Introverted people tend to enjoy hobbies which are quiet and leave them alone to work or create most of the time.

So, a hobby like photography will work well for you when you are alone - but you can find others who share the interest and will have some social get together You might even find yourself getting more out of it than you expected. People who share your interest will have ideas, resources and opinions which could give you a new outlook and inspiration.

Don't be Quiet About Being a Loner

Don't pretend you're something you aren't. When you meet people and feel a connection or want to keep a connection, let them know you tend to be an introvert rather than the social butterfly type. This way they won't expect you to be at the middle of every social situation, always chatty.

The days or times you do get quiet they will know you aren't being snobby and you have not lost interest in the conversation - you just happen to be the quiet type.

Keep Communication Lines Open

Use all the sources of communication to keep in touch with people: email, phones, getting together in person too. Make sure you give friends all your contact information so they can choose which is the best way to keep in touch with you.

If you are the sort who does not like answering the phone, let people know this is an option but not the best option. Don't leave people expecting they can phone you if you ignore the phone when it rings. Chances are email or social networking online would be a better option for both yourself and the friends you make.

Schedule your Time for Being Social

Decide on the best time for you to be social. Maybe you're a morning person and could get together with friends for a Saturday morning breakfast. If you work all day chances are after work will be your time to unwind and recharge your batteries so that isn't your best time for socializing. Pick a day when you don't have so much public time or work hours. Those days you will have more energy and feel fresher for being with other people.