Rituals

So here goes one more chapter in my obession with blogging.  Do I do this for you?  or me? or for something that we all count on every day?  I am a child of habits, I like routines and want to know what I can count on so doing the blog most anywhere I am comes natural.  Yes, I know I've missed a few nights but never because I'm lazy or just didn't care.  When there is no computer, no signal and no way then I miss doing a blog, otherwise I'm here.

Today has been another whirlwind, walk, breakfast, crank out work, balance new orders, make appointments, snack here and there.  At 3:50 I left so I could make a deposit at the bank before 4 and then be on the road at 4 for San Leandro.

Upon arriving on time I found a very interesting 4 plex.  Once the owner arrived he told me and showed me a lot of points I would have missed.  This building from the 1930s once sat where Freeway 580 is now.  Instead of tearing it down they cut it in two pieces and moved it down a hill, then down the subject street and then up the sloping site to sit it on a new foundation that had thrown together.  In time their work settled and when the present owner purchased it it was leaning 6 inches toward the street and moving slowly toward destruction.  He like many of us men love a challenge.  He has done so much but there is much more to be done to make it liveable.  Only one unit is rented, the rest are gutted and are very sad.  He is so upside down in the building financially that only a miracle would see him ever make any money on it.  The inspection and conversations tool almost two hours and pushed me off schedule badly.

I raced up the freeway to a different neighborhood where I did a field review of someones appraisal.  Once that was done I headed up into the hills and I do mean hills above Piedmont into Montclaire.  I arrived at the subject property early, shot photos of the exterior, then tried to shoot the comps I had selected.  I only got to two before darkness set in.  I went back to the house and shot interior photos and then headed home.  It was 8:45 when I left.

I'm pretty tired tonight and very glad to be heading to bed.  Is the house payment covered?  Not yet but I'm over half way there now with the check from the 4 plex.  I refuse to get hung up in worry since worry never paid any bills but I do feel the dark cloud knowing I am not keeping up right now.  I know about the dark cloud because when I'm through paying the payment I feel as light as air.  Today I heard about yet another appraiser who has given up and moved to a new profession.  This time we lost a really good guy, great appraiser and honest.

This afternoon Marilyn texted me to say that her friend Diane's dad had passed away.  Marilyn is where she belongs, she is a stable force and will be a great help to the family.  Yet it saddened me to think of a family in grief.  I know grief and there is no escape from its clutches.  Only time begins the healing.

Good night all,

love

tim