Darlings,

Tell me, could a year start out better than this one? Our new President Barack Obama is not only intelligent, articulate, glamorous, and engaging, but, Creampuffs, he can dance! I watched him and his wife, Michelle, dance at least 10 times to the same romantic tune, "At Last," and he never once looked bored, tired, or out of step.

Adding to this excitement, President Obama has put together a "dream team" cabinet that gets me charged up almost as much as the original dream team of U.S. basketball - Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, et al - did when they went to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Back then, I thought I might just faint into my wilted spinach salad if Michael and Charles walked into a restaurant where I was lunching. Today, I feel exactly the same way about President aObama and Rahm Emanuel. Tell me, Kittens, is it just me and every other woman and gay man in America who find Mr. Emanuel so appealing?

Okay, let's get serious, even if only for a moment. The point is the 1992 Olympic dream team filled the world with excitement and wonder. In 2009, President Obama and his team are taking center stage, and an entire world is responding. With enthusiasm. For that I am grateful.

Enough of politics, Crumbcakes, what about real estate. Every year brings about something new. Realtors get restless, they get bored, they maybe need a change of scenery. What better way to do it than to change offices? It's so much easier than changing careers... or spouses... or genders.

Sometimes it's a hop, skip, and a jump. Dave Feldt hopped out of Santa Fe Properties, skipped into Coldwell Banker Trails West for a couple of months, and then jumped over to Sotheby's, where he continues to reside. Lin Nowicki made the first leg of the trip with him, but that's where she stopped, so you can still find her at Coldwell Banker.

Pam Preston hopped out of Sotheby's, skipped ever so briefly to Santa Fe Realty Partners, then jumped into David Barker's office. (Cupcakes, I was going to say arms, just to see if you were paying attention, but that's how rumors get started!) Not only does the Barker Realty office décor fit Pam to a tee, but she loves that Railyard location. The Farmers Market, Tomasita's, the Railyard Restaurant & Saloon, what's not to love about going to work every day when you have those distractions?

Then there are others who just make one big jump. This year we have a whole group of people who apparently like having the words "Santa Fe" connected to their professional identity (branding is the buzz word for this, I think). Jan Hamilton, Cristina Branco, Sam Valencia, Lisa Bybee, Vee Bybee, and Mark Williams ("the mark of distinction" is good branding, too) all jumped at about the same time from Santa Fe Properties to Santa Fe Realty Partners. Darlings, is this like the 100th monkey theory where one just thinks of something, and it then flows into the collective consciousness?

If you're wondering if that jump made a dent in Santa Fe Properties, I can quickly say it did not. The beat always goes on in real estate. Vacated desks were soon filled with Laura Lichtenstein (Barker Realty), Lorin Abbey (Sotheby's), Emily Medvec, Victoria Murphy and Julia Gelbart (Prudential Santa Fe), and Valerie Brier and Kate Prusack (Aldea de Santa Fe).

So there we have it, Sweetpeas. Familiar faces, changing places. A new year, a never-ending hope for a recovering economy. And if I quit talking, I can fit in more photos.

Until next time... Oakley

(Editor's note: Oakley Talbott moonlights as Realtor Merrily Pierson.)