When faith and reality collide

So life moves on one plodding day at a time.  Each day I'm looking for a bit of silver in the lining, sometimes I catch it, like when I get to see the kids and the kidos other times not so much.

Today was pretty interesting, the couple I saw in Walnut Creek lived in a lovely home, he confined to a wheel chair and married over 50 years, they were a joy to meet.  Then it was off to a house in Concord that has been rescued and looks great now, ready for buyers.  From Concord a short drive brought me to Hercules where I inspected a very strange home.  It looked like a hotel or a business, three stories high, many small windows but inside it was very liveable as long as you don't mind stairs.  Within a few blocks to the bay the house was a part of a subdivision of rather strange homes on tiny lots and big living areas.  Once I was completed with that one I headed to Emeryville to shoot a comp photo of an empty lot, then on to the Oakland hills were darkness prevented me from finishing my job the other night.  I just kept telling myself, stay the course, hang in there.  There was no time to stop and eat so my meager lunch bucket kept yielding snacks, water, ice tea (no calorie), mocha 100 calories, low calorie string cheese and the last Oats and Honey bar in the car door.

It was nice to get back and since the car was below empty I planned to stop at Safeway and fill with diesel but of course they had that place wrapped in yellow tape and closed down.  Now I have a bug that is very low on fuel. And to complete the day there was NO money in the mailbox.  For a time it seemed that month after month the money would arrive just in time to pay the house payment, this time that is not the case.  So what do I make of it?  Seems this is the time when faith and reality collide. Makes one think real hard and question just about everything.  I don't have any more hours to work and everything I've done for the past two weeks pays about 1/2 of what it used to pay.  The only solice I have is that many appraisers are already gone so when there is work again in the future perhaps things will brighten up a bit.  If I can hold on until then.

On a positive note I woke this morning at 5:05 to hear a creature come through a little hole in the screen of my bedroom slider, run across the room, run into the door that was closed to downstairs and then turn and race back out.  But mr racoon hit the screen with a bang, bounced back and then torn right through it leaving a 3 foot slit in the screen. Talk about a wake up call!  Eventually I did fall back asleep but I felt under seige from the racoons.  They have torn holes in every screen door in the house and are hell bent on coming in.  What next?

Well good night to you all,

love

tim