S09.E01: Meri Moving?

[Kohola3]

26 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

Were you able to find the estimated value for the B&B property by chance? 

According to DakotaJustice 

Quote

Public record shows that Meri has a $346k mortgage on the property. Yikes. 

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, DakotaJustice said:

Were you able to find the estimated value for the B&B property by chance? 

Market value for 2017 was $276,000 according to the County Assessor's office.

Edited January 16, 2018 by AZChristian

[DakotaJustice]

41 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Market value for 2017 was $276,000 according to the County Assessor's office.

so she paid more than it was worth and that's not even counting the work she put into it because she did mention she had some stuff done.

[Gothish520]

5 hours ago, Wings said:

That is very inexpensive for the size of that thing.  

I am from MA, where is this Inn?  Sounds perfect. 

The Harbor Light Inn, Marblehead - a wonderful inn, and what a beautiful historic town! We spent four nights there, then stayed at the Salem Waterfront Hotel in Salem for six nights - it was my dream honeymoon!

[Wings]

1 minute ago, Gothish520 said:

The Harbor Light Inn, Marblehead - a wonderful inn, and what a beautiful historic town! We spent four nights there, then stayed at the Salem Waterfront Hotel in Salem for six nights - it was my dream honeymoon!

My ex husband was born and raised there.  They lived on Front St. Love that town .

[DakotaJustice]

10 hours ago, Wings said:

Let's visit the horror movie decor again.  It is so hideous words elude me.  And you know she is not going to change a thing. 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x80b55abcf5ff9ca3%3A0x273f9a159bd6e212!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Fostrovok.ru%2Frooms%2Fvictorias_bed_and_breakfast%2F!5svictoria's bed and breakfast in utah - Google Search&imagekey=!1e1!2shttps%3A%2F%2Fcdn.ostrovok.ru%2Ft%2F1024x768%2Fmec%2Fhotels%2F10000000%2F9180000%2F9174000%2F9173919%2F9173919_15_b.jpg&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi27KqJ1drYAhUV3mMKHZ7oDzgQoioIjAEwCg

So do I.  I don't like bed and breakfast places at all.  Give me a clean motel with cable and a restaurant near by or a hotel room in a city with room service, where no car is needed.  I don't eat breakfast so why pay the extra for that.  

We stayed in a B&B once. Breakfast was stuffed French toast that was over the top sweet and the cream cheese in the center was a bad idea!  Hot cream cheese does not work.  They had no other choices.  Oh and they brewed the coffee with cinnamon.   

I compared the photos on your Google link to the ones on Meri's webpage and it looks like all she really did was paint and put in new bedspreads. Couldn't really make out the floors but since she had her "grand opening" two months after she became the owner she didn't have time to do much. She is even using the same furniture, I guess it was included in the price.

[Gothish520]

Just now, Wings said:

My ex husband was born and raised there.  They lived on Front St. Love that town .

Wow, that's cool! I'm from Connecticut and had never even heard of Marblehead before I started doing research for our honeymoon. We knew we were going to do Salem, but wanted a few days at a smaller town as well. Marblehead and Harbor Light were exactly what I was looking for - a quaint inn located in a picturesque town, 15 minutes from Salem - I'd go back in a heartbeat!

[MrSmith]

16 hours ago, toodles said:

When I saw this on the show, I thought you have got to be kidding.  That neighborhood is a dump.  No way would I pay good money to stay there.  But hey, they have a ghost.   They can market it with a ghost!!!  Yeah, no.

They claim to have a ghost? My interest in genuinely piqued. Where can I find out more about their claims? (Other than actually watching the show, please. That would probably literally kill me.)

[ginger90]

My county assessments are not the  same as market value when buying/selling. I don'tknow how it works elsewhere.  

[Kohola3]

5 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

My county assessments are not the  same as market value when buying/selling. I don'tknow how it works elsewhere.  

Neither are mine.  Mine are half market value.

[DakotaJustice]

1 hour ago, MrSmith said:

They claim to have a ghost? My interest in genuinely piqued. Where can I find out more about their claims? (Other than actually watching the show, please. That would probably literally kill me.)

The owner (former owner I mean, the one who sold Meri the home for what appears to be at least $100k more than its actual value) was the one who claimed there was a ghost and immediately Meri's mom said it's so and so from their family. ?

[toodles]

1 hour ago, MrSmith said:

They claim to have a ghost? My interest in genuinely piqued. Where can I find out more about their claims? (Other than actually watching the show, please. That would probably literally kill me.)

Suck it up, buttercup. You need to watch the show.?

Edited January 16, 2018 by toodles

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, MrSmith said:

Where can I find out more about their claims? (Other than actually watching the show, please. That would probably literally kill me.)

Right there wilth you.  I would rather eat ground glass than watch these dysfunctional morons;  I get all I need from these excellent forums.  All the info without ever having to lay eyes on Caveman and his Sheepwives, let alone listen to them.  It's like sticking a pin in my ear.

[Kohola3]

I see that she's listing the Inn on VRBO as a B&B.  There's a close up picture of the cinnamon buns and some really uncomfortable looking furniture.  Unless you want to sit bolt upright, not exactly a warm and cozy looking room.

[ginger90]

Unless it’s just the way that site is set up, it makes it seem like there’s just one bedroom.

And I don’t think the picture of the extra building is a good idea. It makes it seem like that’s where you would be staying.

[suomi]

5 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Unless it’s just the way that site is set up, it makes it seem like there’s just one bedroom.

And I don’t think the picture of the extra building is a good idea. It makes it seem like that’s where you would be staying.

Did you scroll down a ways? I figured that out after awhile with VRBO listings last year: like, if the upper and lower floors of a duplex are available separately each one appears in the other's listing when you scroll down. I had to re-trace a lot of my steps when I was hunting. ITA that the tiny house doesn't belong in the photos, it's misleading.

Sarah's Room/queen bed - sleeps 2 and The Grandma Room/queen bed with 2 twins - sleeps 4 but ...

East Room/king bed - sleeps 3 and Bee Room/king bed - sleeps 3 (???) Wow, packin' 'em in like sardines.

Sarah's Room sounds OK so why not go with Grandma's Room and Bee's Room instead of The Grandma Room and Bee Room (I don't see any sort of bee motif going on in there)?

All are listed as "one night minimum stay." Huh?

*** Innkeepers ***

Name(s) - Meri Brown & Bonnie Barber

Name(s) is superfluous because Innkeepers is the heading. Use an ampersand OR a semi-colon, but not both.

--> &amp <-- is sloppy.

The main website boasts of "antique four-poster beds" but none of the photos on either site display four-posters.

So, whose mother is Bonnie? I guess that got ironed out?

[ginger90]

7 hours ago, suomi said:

Did you scroll down a ways? I figured that out after awhile with VRBO listings last year: like, if the upper and lower floors of a duplex are available separately each one appears in the other's listing when you scroll down. I had to re-trace a lot of my steps when I was hunting. ITA that the tiny house doesn't belong in the photos, it's misleading.

Sarah's Room/queen bed - sleeps 2 and The Grandma Room/queen bed with 2 twins - sleeps 4 but ...

East Room/king bed - sleeps 3 and Bee Room/king bed - sleeps 3 (???) Wow, packin' 'em in like sardines.

Sarah's Room sounds OK so why not go with Grandma's Room and Bee's Room instead of The Grandma Room and Bee Room (I don't see any sort of bee motif going on in there)?

All are listed as "one night minimum stay." Huh?

*** Innkeepers ***

Name(s) - Meri Brown &amp; Bonnie Barber

Name(s) is superfluous because Innkeepers is the heading. Use an ampersand OR a semi-colon, but not both.

--> &amp <-- is sloppy.

The main website boasts of "antique four-poster beds" but none of the photos on either site display four-posters.

So, whose mother is Bonnie? I guess that got ironed out?

It’s Meri’s mom but a google search shows her as Bonnie Ahlstrom , and other results show Barber. Perhaps Ahlstrom is her maiden name? Or did she marry again? No clue !!

[suomi]

Ah, I see. Did Meri at first announce that Christine's mom would be the manager? We heard that, right? Would love to know what happened with that.

[Celia Rubenstein]

15 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I see that she's listing the Inn on VRBO as a B&B.  There's a close up picture of the cinnamon buns ...

If you hadn't told me those were cinnamon buns, I'm not sure I would have known what I was looking at.  They don't look very appealing photographed that way. 

I hope Meri re-shoots her pictures in the summer when everything is green and leafed out. All the dead grass and bare branches look sad. 

[MrSmith]

9 hours ago, suomi said:

Name(s) - Meri Brown &amp; Bonnie Barber

Name(s) is superfluous because Innkeepers is the heading. Use an ampersand OR a semi-colon, but not both.

--> &amp <-- is sloppy.

I just thought I would point out that the entire character in HTML is "&amp;". So, they're trying to use only an ampersand. You're right that not correcting the text to account for the mangled ampersand is sloppy. But it's like everything else these people do: half-assed and poorly thought-out.

[Kohola3]

Quote

All are listed as "one night minimum stay." Huh?

No hourly rates for procreative activities? 

[answerphone]

I laughed out loud at the 'one night minimum stay' statement.

The cinnamon roll close up! It could have been a textured carpet or bedspread!

[DakotaJustice]

Barber is Meri's maiden name. 

[DakotaJustice]

22 minutes ago, answerphone said:

I laughed out loud at the 'one night minimum stay' statement.

The cinnamon roll close up! It could have been a textured carpet or bedspread!

It looks like a close up of a tray of Entemann's.

[Quickbeam]

In the photos I keep seeing umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Is that a thing? It looks like they are trying to hide something. 

[TurtlePower]

1 hour ago, answerphone said:

I laughed out loud at the 'one night minimum stay' statement.

The cinnamon roll close up! It could have been a textured carpet or bedspread!

I had to look for a while to figure out what they were! Yuck, too much frosting. Guess she wants everyone's blood sugar to spike. 

[Desert Rat]

1 hour ago, Quickbeam said:

In the photos I keep seeing umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Is that a thing? It looks like they are trying to hide something. 

Isn't it bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?  

[Gothish520]

1 hour ago, TurtlePower said:

I had to look for a while to figure out what they were! Yuck, too much frosting. Guess she wants everyone's blood sugar to spike. 

No such thing as too much frosting! :D

Also, if you're eating a cinnamon bun, my guess is you aren't too worried about your blood sugar to begin with.

32 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Isn't it bad luck to open an umbrella indoors?  

I try not to do it, though I'm not really superstitious. But I figure, better safe than sorry, lol.

I was in a thrift store yesterday where a woman opened up an umbrella to check it out, so it appears some people are unfazed.

[Galloway Cave]

3 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

In the photos I keep seeing umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Is that a thing?

It's a Pintrest thing.

[Kohola3]

29 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

4 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

In the photos I keep seeing umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Is that a thing?

It's a Pintrest thing.

Well, what the hell is that all about?  Another good reason to avoid Pinterest at all costs...

[Galloway Cave]

11 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Well, what the hell is that all about?

That is a question I ask when viewing about 95% of the crap on Pintrest. I have no idea and seriously, who hung the first umbrella up and thought, "Yeah! A trend!" I just googled "Victorian umbrellas ceiling" and all I got was Pintrest pics. I admit I am a hard-core late 19th century decor kinda gal, and I don't recall ever seeing umbrellas hanging open from ceilings in any houses I've toured or books I've read.

[Kohola3]

6 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

"Yeah! A trend!"

All I could think of was the amount of dust they would collect and how often someone would hit their head.  That's just beyond stupid.  But since it's associated with the Brown Clowns....

[Gothish520]

5 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

All I could think of was the amount of dust they would collect and how often someone would hit their head.  That's just beyond stupid. 

Yeah, I don't like it at all. It's not even cute, it just looks wrong.

[AZChristian]

Not to defend Meri . . . but many B&Bs have a two-night or three-night minimum.  I think by saying "one-night minimum" they're letting people know that the multiple-night restriction doesn't apply.

[ChicksDigScars]

I think the umbrellas were the decor from the last owner. On Meri's website, it looks like she's taken them down. Everything seems a little lighter, too. Not so must 1980's dusty rose wallpaper. 

Edited January 17, 2018 by ChicksDigScars

[Gothish520]

4 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I think the umbrellas were the decor from the last owner. On Meri's website, it looks like she's taken them down. Everything seems a little lighter, too. Not so must 1980's dusty rose wallpaper. 

Ah, that makes sense - I thought those pictures were the more recent ones. Yes, in the pictures on the current website, the rooms look nicer.

[TurtlePower]

4 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

No such thing as too much frosting! :D

Also, if you're eating a cinnamon bun, my guess is you aren't too worried about your blood sugar to begin with.

I try not to do it, though I'm not really superstitious. But I figure, better safe than sorry, lol.

I was in a thrift store yesterday where a woman opened up an umbrella to check it out, so it appears some people are unfazed.

Lol, my hubby loves frosting.  We playfully feud on this subject! I grew up in a sugar-free household so for me, there is such a thing. Once in a while, I sample something like this and it's usually sickeningly sweet, the sugar overpowers everything. I hope Meri has other options for those wanting a more nutritious option, unless the cinnamon rolls are meant to fuel a 10 mile hike in a nearby national park.

[Gothish520]

30 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

Lol, my hubby loves frosting.  We playfully feud on this subject! I grew up in a sugar-free household so for me, there is such a thing. Once in a while, I sample something like this and it's usually sickeningly sweet, the sugar overpowers everything. I hope Meri has other options for those wanting a more nutritious option, unless the cinnamon rolls are meant to fuel a 10 mile hike in a nearby national park.

Lol gotcha. It's funny, certain things that I used to love I'm finding too sweet as I get older, like cream soda, some candy bars, some ice creams...but I can still eat frosting right out of the can!

[notnowimbusy]

Wow the discussion the women had about whether or not buying the house would allow Meri would be away "too" much.  The more I watched the more I saw three women who were jealous of the freedom Meri has.  They are tied down with their own children, homes, etc., while Meri is free as a bird.   Clearly she doesn't want the role of "on demand" babysitter.  They rarely see each other, despite living in that cul de sac.    They group likes to put it out there that they are ALL moms to the kids, when in reality, they are more like Aunts.   Of course when she gets the house she's going to be away all the time.  Why wouldn't she be?  She said she doesn't see them, except for when absolutely necessary.  She's made it clear that she is not going to get involved in the daily lives of the kids.  She has zero relationship with Kody.  So, I hope she does get the place (and we know she does), and is there all the time.   The three others thought that Meri would fill in full-time, doing anything they wanted (babysit, drive kids to and from school, sports, etc), whenever they wanted.  That bubble burst.  

[Kohola3]

20 minutes ago, notnowimbusy said:

That bubble burst.  

Actually, I think that burst eons ago.  When did we see last see her interacting with the family unless forced to do so?  And then she was in the background ostensibly texting the new luh-vuh.  She checked out once they moved to LV.

[Kyanight]

3 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Actually, I think that burst eons ago.  When did we see last see her interacting with the family unless forced to do so?  And then she was in the background ostensibly texting the new luh-vuh.  She checked out once they moved to LV.

Personally I think she checked out when Kody divorced her to marry Robyn.  She couldn't have more kids... her oldest was leaving the nest... she was nothing but an old babysitter to all of the younger kids.

[DakotaJustice]

3 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I think the umbrellas were the decor from the last owner. On Meri's website, it looks like she's taken them down. Everything seems a little lighter, too. Not so must 1980's dusty rose wallpaper. 

I did a comparison of the rooms that have both previous owner and Meri pix. Her photos look lighter because there's more light coming in through the windows. She took the umbrellas down, got new bedspreads, and moved some things around but the furniture, bedframes, and wallpaper/carpets appear to be unchanged. 

[notnowimbusy]

I think Janelle would be perfectly fine if Meri moved away.  It's Robyn & Christine that seem bent out of shape.  Why don't they just say it? "Hey, just because I was able to have a bunch of kids and am  we're stuck here raising them by ourself, while you get to go off and do what you want".   Interesting nobody brings up when Janelle moved away from the family - bought her own home, and lived away for "several years".   

[Christina]

This thread keeps popping up as having new posts, but I don't see any. Then, the main screen of the forum says a pinata thread was merged with this thread, but I don't see them, either.

Can't get anything to link, ran out of Likes, can't word anything concisely, posts disappearing. Grrrrr, my computer is trying to intervene. Hmmpft.

23 hours ago, notnowimbusy said:

 Interesting nobody brings up when Janelle moved away from the family - bought her own home, and lived away for "several years".   

That's because it's not part of their recreated history. They have been a big, happy family from day one, including Robyn. #BrownFacts

[MarysWetBar]

On 09/01/2018 at 0:13 PM, islandgal140 said:

Christine says "I love Tony" in such a way that if she says it enough time, it will become true. 

 

I don't want Meri off the show per se. It is just that I want her to reach a level of realization that will likely result in her telling Kodi to fuck off, which will naturally lead to her no longer being a part of the Brown family, hence part of the show.  I want her to come to the realization that she isn't about that plig life and in truth never really has been. Admit she's been a scheming bitch to all the wives because she's been miserable since Janelle was added. I want her to realize she got hoisted by her own petard when Kody manipulated her into adding wife #4 Robyn, who outmaneuvered her out of pole position and has formed a better bond with the wives, kids and Kody that she herself could've had if she had been playing chess (like Robyn) and not checkers.  I want Meri to stop looking like a kicked puppy and stop begging for dick.  I want her to admit that she was devastated by the divorce and Kody/Robyn marriage. I want her to admit that she would've left Kody and family for that catfish if he/she/it had turned out to be real. 

It all comes down to I don't think Meri can ever truly be honest with herself. I feel like the biggest hurdle is her religion. She was born into and fully indoctrinated into the plig life. Leaving Kody means literally going to hell to her. 

The twist I'd like to see is Meri and gramma-the shitty purse-maker hooking up in their cozy B&B. Puttering around the grounds in their ugly leggings and sensible shoes..sensuously feeding each other strawberries. One hazy sultry summer day, Pariah the eyebrow slayer turns up unannounced...Meri once more in the bath tub...with gramma.

That's the only way this can all turn around for me. ?

[SometimesBites]

I don't care that the place is in the boonies, and it's cute from the outside. But the rooms are absolutely god-awful. The wallpaper bonanza screams 'IT'S THE MID-1980s AND MY HOUSE IS EARLY-AMERICAN CHARMING!!" The gobs of fake flowers in every freaking room set my teeth on edge, and the carpeting is just butt-ugly. From the outside, there is a strong farm house feel, and I'd expect to see original hardwood floors, light/bright paint on the walls, simple breezy curtains, etc. Leave it to one of the Browns to get a venture so very, very wrong.

Edited January 24, 2018 by SometimesBites

[suomi]

I think about dust because of allergies and (besides the way it looks) my first thought was "There's gotta be decent hardwood under that janky carpet, right?" The flowers and the vine-y/wreath-y crap, gah, dust catchers. I agree, original floors, new paint, white sheers everywhere, shutters where appropriate, No Wallpaper. No more facaca; go light, airy and minimal (while staying in the time period).

[DakotaJustice]

Nothing wrong with preserved floral but those look like the same wreaths the previous owner had in the rooms.  Time to replace with new ones if that's the way she wants to go. 

I'd do solid colors on the linens with throws or folded quilts as accents. 

Bookshelves filled with books of all kinds, with comfortable seating to tempt guests to relax and browse through a well thumbed paperback novel. 

Rip out the carpets and have hardwood floors with area and scatter rugs. 

I'm guessing Meri's budget didn't extend to that. 

[Kohola3]

35 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

I'm guessing Meri's budget didn't extend to that. 

I'm guessing neither Mary's imagination nor desire to do any work extend to that.

[lookeyloo]

Just a thought. I think the carpets need to be changed out. But we of a certain age are cautioned against throw rugs because it is easy enough to trip over them. Which would probably bring a lawsuit. Also carpeting cuts down on noise. There must be a good alternative to what's there without increasing liability or breaking the bank.