And the hits just keep on coming...........

Bam, crash, no not batman, it was my bug getting crunched in a collision with a BMW.

Steve and I had just completed an appraisal of a local deep water home.  We were driving back to his house and in a busy intersection we were in the second lane with a UPS truck beside us, we had the green and were up to speed, that is until suddenly there was a beemer in front of us turning against the light.  Crash and crunch was the sounds and the bumper flew off the beemer and parts were everywhere.  My headlight was in the gutter, the fender torn and hanging.  Steve jumped out and started picking up pieces of the beemer's wrecked bumper and caught up with the LADY driver.  I then made a u turn in the street and drove over there as well since my car would still go.  She was so sorry and kept asking for forgiveness, we were all OK and her husband soon arrived.  He was a police officer and we traded info and then went our ways, several of the drivers who had witnessed the wreck stopped to give me their cards or phone numbers in case I needed confirmation that I was in the right, some began to attach her verbally and we urged them to go.

She was in the turn lane, the first car to go when the light turned.  When the light turned green she had her head down working with a book on tape in the seat.  She failed to go and the 5 cars behind her were honking, suddenly she heard the honking and just stomped on the pedal in spite of the fact that the turn light signal was now RED.  I was a bit shaken, not physically but mentally.  I have so much going on, started the day off talking to a new york lawyer about the lawsuit against me, he was on my side and said there were lots of rather silly lawsuits happening now as lenders want to blame someone for the bad loans they made and appraisers have insurance and are easy patsies.  That went well, then there were other calls including a couple from satellite TV installers who were responding to my plea for help with my Christian dish.  But they wanted $150 to come out to get it set correctly.  I'm not paying $150 when the guy from Tracy says he will come for $50, that is if you can get him to call you back ever. 

Keanna arrived about 9:30 and was here for most of the day.  She knew I needed to work and she was very kind, never bothered me and just played, cleaned the fish tank, ate jello and popcorn, watched some TV.  At 2 I emailed the 4 plex appraisal out to the lender after starting at 9 this morning.  Easy money, yea right.
We drove to McDonalds for a happy meal which she ate while we drove to gymnastics.  Then I communicated with clients and watched her as she learned ever more difficult moves.  At the end of the session she had urged 5 stars, a big leap forward.

Then I drove to where Kallie is kept and picked her up, that is always a hoot as she runs over to hug my legs, then scurries to find her shoes, blanket and bag.  We drove home and then Steve and I retraced our steps to see the house.  Yes it was very warm today and neither of us felt like working but money is money so we did it.

This evening I slipped off the Weight Watcher band wagon when Lois said lets go to McDonalds for ice cream.  Oh it was so good, now its time for bed.

I rarely find life boring, lonely perhaps but not boring, with wonderful little kiddos, caring family, great friends and hosts of clients life just keep hopping along.

I'm thankful to our heaven Father for safety today, that we were not injured in any way.

Love to all,

Tim

Its hot

Here we are at 9:25 and the central AC is still cranking tonight and the temp is set at 78, that is warm.  Somehow I thought we were ready for a good fire in the wood stove, wrong!  At least not yet.

Its still a very nice time of year with nice sunsets, gentle breezes and yes some warmth for a few days.

I'm once again looking for orders, its about time to see some new work come in.  We are down to the last order and we are seeing that one tomorrow afternoon.  What a strange time we are in, so different from all prior years where work just kept piling up to keep Steve and me busy, not now.

This evening I noticed there was an overnight mailer on the front porch.  I ripped it open and found a cashier's check for $3,500.  Turns out it is from the dad of the young lady who wants to rent the room, well I think it is a scam somehow but I'm not sure how.  She is supposed to arrive on Oct. 15 but I've learned there is not way I can confirm that the cashiers check is genuine, I learned that several years back when a cashiers check arrived for $15,000 for the Fiero.  I had the check around for a very long time but nothing ever came of it, there was no more contact from the buyers and the bank said the check was bogus.  So here I have this check that could come in very helpful yet I don't dare count on it at all.  So the next few days should be very interesting indeed.  To make matters even more strange the young lady who wants to rent included a photo of herself.  Now why would someone do that so they can rent a room?  Very  confusing.

Well its time to head to bed now, for some reason Starr is barking at my back, perhaps she has decided its time to go to bed, I'm not sure what is in her little mind.  This morning Steve and Keanna came to visit and Keanna started to clean the tank, Taz, their new little rescue puppy was meeting my dogs and suddenly there was life in the house again.  It was great.  Gradually he is moving items from my tank to his tank and eventually he will take the fish there too.  I have a 12 inch spiney starfish that is really interesting and I hope it makes the transition well to Steve's tank.  Once we move the tank then I can finish the paint job Dana started so long again when she was here, she painted and I helped turning the living room and dining room to a pale green but we could not get behind the 92 gallon reef tank so there are still while walls there.  I'm thinking it is time to part with the freezer as well.  I am thinking it is nearly 30 years old now and of course probably uses a lot of energy in the hot garage.  I hardly ever open the door.  Its things like the freezer that can gradually surround a person in essence choking them with expense yet yielding very little to the true quality of life.

This evening I took a break and joined Ray and Lois for discount pizza night.   The salad and olive pizza was great and I have enough for a few more meals.  It was good to catch up on their lives.

Well my friends and family, I'm giving up on this day, slipping it into the history books and anticipating tomorrow, a day when Keanna comes to visit, when we travel to gymnastics class and for a few hours everything seems right with the world again..

Love to all,


tim

Motorhome for rent!

Dear Readers,

Finally it all came together today, I was able to back the motorhome onto the street and with the backdrop of the green ice plant and our mini park I shot the needed photos to list the motorhome with the agency.  That included taking interior photos from every angle and staging everything to look just right.

Mid day I drove it over to Sylvia's so it can be used as an overflow bedroom for her many guests coming from Japan for Kevin's wedding reception.  We tried to put it in the driveway but it covered the sidewalk so its on the street waiting for the guests.  Then Sylvia was nice enough to treat me to lunch at the Thai Cafe, a great place to eat in Tracy.

This evening I went to Weight Watchers mostly to check out the new teacher.  She was great and very helpful.  Of course I was on a bit of a high since I had dropped 2.6 lbs since I was there last.  That was great news for which I am very thankful.

For dinner tonight I decided to do something by design rather than just whatever came to mind when I walked into the kitchen.  I picked a ripe tomato, then baked a small potato in the microwave.  Once it was done I sliced it several times with the ceramic knife, put a pat of real butter on top and then some cottage cheese.  I sliced and re sliced the tomato on the plate and enjoyed the entire meal very much.

This evening has been spent talking to a friend and now its time to head to bed.  Ken waits at 6:30 to walk, I dare not miss the appointment.  On a side note several checks brightened my mail box today for which I am very thankful.  How I wish I could deal with the persistent cough, it spoils everything.  The Advair does not seem to be solving it, I think the problem is something we've not yet discovered.

Love to all,

Tim

Call me for rental information, just like a home away from home!

The motorhome is in its best condition since when it was new

Dear Family and Friends,
As I was driving home from seeing two properties today in Fremont and Alameda I decided to call Steve.  I was calling to see when I could pick up the motorhome but was pleasantly surprised to hear his answer.  Dad, its parked in your driveway, what!  Turns out he had no only done a professional job of installing the new Kenwood radio and the speakers but he and Kallie (2 years old) had been cleaning.  He had even been on the roof cleaning, the dash sparkles, the windows are clear, the instrument panel glows and the new radio is just incredible.  It has a tiny remote so one can be anywhere in the motorhome and control the volume, the station selection, turn the CD on or the IPOD.  It lights up beautifully and works great.  He also tackled the control that you switch to select high medium or low speed for the dash AC and located the relay which appears to be high and miss, an easy item to replace.  What he did was nothing short of breath taking and is a huge boost to getting it ready to rent and enjoy.  All I can say is wow, yes Nikki you sure can pick em!
Kallie was so cute this afternoon, she was eating a frozen Popsicle and showing me her blue tongue, then she told me that she helped clean the motorhome, then as I climbed into my bug she told me she loved me.  Coming from a little 2 year old, its music to my ears.

Earlier in the day as I completed the inspection of a quadruplex and was standing at the streets edge three police cruiser roared up with lights flashing, guys jumped out with guns drawn and approached.  Wow, wonder what I did wrong was my first thought!  Turns out one of the young couples who lived upstairs must have had a fight or something, the police were looking for the guy, husband, boyfriend whatever.  A few minutes before I had been in their unit and everything seemed fine.  As I was driving away I saw more cop cars and they had him in handcuffs.  Just a little excitement to mix into a warm but beautiful day.

So once I arrived home I plugged the motorhome into a ground line, turned the AC on and just enjoyed the beautiful sounds from the radio, the clean interior, clipped a few stray threads coming from the carpet edges and prepared to put a new bead of sealer to keep rain water outside.  Now I'm washing all the linen as tomorrow the motorhome goes to Sylvia's for a few days.  It will be an overflow bedroom for guests coming from Japan to enjoy the reception for Kevin and his new bride.  I'm glad it can be used in this manner.

Right now its time to sleep.  After the rather late night last night I intend to sleep well tonight.  Thanks again for your comments regarding the purpose of the blog.  I love to hear from you and you and you.

love

tim

Home at last

Dear Family and Friends,
I'm just in at 12:35 from an evening in Stockton with friends.  We attended a comedy program at the Bob Hope Theater.  I've not experienced anything like this before and while I would probably never go to another evening like this it was very interesting to see on a one time basis.

This morning I joined Ken and LeAnn at a Diabetes Walk in Brentwood and walked 2.8 miles.  It was an enjoyable morning and I ended up with a little pedometer to keep.  It was a very good experience.

Then I went to Nikki and Steve's to keep watch over Kallie as she slept so her parents could go with Keanna to her soccer game.  The next time I saw Keanna she was thrilled with the game and said she almost scored a goal, she was really excited.

I rested a bit this afternoon, made a griller with tomatoes from LeAnn's garden and then drove to Lodi to join friends for dinner at the Graduate and then the performance.

As you might expect at this point I am very very sleepy and tired.

Thank you all for your response to last nights Blog.  I was very grateful to hear some feedback.

Love to all,

Tim

Why do I keep doing this?

Good evening,
I'm often asked why I keep blogging and I'm not sure I have a really significant answer to the question.  For one thing it signals the end of the day for me, a chance to wrap up a bit of the wisdom I've been touched with during the day, a chance to share with people I love and some who love me.  I also hope that from time to time you find your life enhanced by something that is shared.  Perhaps you load is heavy, your hope quotient is fairly low, your opportunities more limited than in the past, perhaps as we share ideas and war stories we will gain strength from each other.
I'm also trying to be transparent with some of the struggles one goes through as they move forward after a life shattering loss.  Grief groups have been vital, the common sharing of triumphs and tragedies, the search for meaning after all hope and normalcy is gone.  Plus the financial element which is certainly not the most important but it remains a reality that must be dealt with.  For some of you its been years since you were concerned about money, others are facing possible ruin right now and you can think of little else.  So I share, not out of victim hood or of victory but just what I go through.  No I don't share everything nor should I.  There are many private areas in a person's life that need to stay protected plus there are family and friend concerns that at time should never be shared.
So I'm doing this partially for me, its sort of like a journal but not really because I often hold back my real thoughts since they are too silly or depressing or not faith building.
Today I've enjoyed a morning of hard work, trying to get a review to be fair, objective and yet reveal flaws in an original report.  There were elements missing in his report so I went ahead and worked them and supplied them to assist underwriting in making their lending decision.  It took a long time, I did not even make minimum wage on this assignment but it is the best I could do and somewhere there is a buyer anxious to move into their new home and that was not possible until underwriting was sure that the value was supported.
After the report was emailed out I spent some time entering checks into the system so I would know who owes me funds and who has paid.
Then I called Steve and asked him how things were going.  I had taken the motorhome to his place this morning and he was working on replacing the radio, fixing the speakers and making it work well.  When I entered the motorhome in the early afternoon it looked as if a bomb had gone off and all the needed tools for radio installation were spread around.  He has everything one needs to do the job right, I am so proud of him and what he can do.  One of the speakers over the bed in the back had never worked and I had been told that a wire was crossed and no repair was possible.  Steve not knowing when to give up, plugged a new speaker in and it worked perfectly, the speaker was blown out.
We then took a quick trip to Tracy to Best Buy where Steve located just the right speakers for the job.  Then on the way home we picked up the wild girls, they were so happy that their mom was coming home.  Once we got to the house Steve hooked up the speakers and the motorhome rocked for the first time.  The new radio was not costly but has a remote control, nice for sitting on the couch and changing the station but also has a USB port so one can plug in a phone or IPOD and play music or recorded books right through the radio.  It works so well.  Steve now has to fashion a plate from plexiglass to hold the new radio in place and it will be done.  Once I can solve the dash blower problem then the major problems of the motorhome are dealt with.  It only blows on high but per the Internet solutions are available, I just have to work on it.
This evening I did a big of cheap shopping at Safeway, but it still came to $50. Then home to unload and unwind from the week.
I'll be glad to know Nikki is home safely from her business trip.  Jason and Jo are enjoying a nice quiet weekend with all the MBA students on home leave and in the morning at 8:30 I'm going to walk for Diabetes in Brentwood, why not, its 3 miles and I'd walk them here anyway.
My advice to you is that you enjoy the weekend, whether rich or poor concentrate on loving people, near and far from you.  Investing in people is never wasted.
I've had a couple chances today and I share them not because I'm good but as an idea starter.  As I was leaving McDonalds with the girls dinner tonight suddenly right in the middle of an intersection an old Bronco sputtered to a stop, the owner jumped out and was trying to push it up a little hill to get it out of the way.  So I jumped out and joined him pushing, it was just enough and we quickly got it out of the way.  Later as I was leaving Safeway I noticed a lady trying to capture her little dogie and get him in the car.  He was just keeping out of reach of her and playing a dangerous game.  Dangerous because a few feet away heavy traffic was thundering by.  So once again I jumped out and ran over and worked with her driving the dog to her until it was concerned enough about me that it went into her arms.  For my valor I got a huge bear hug from her.  Who knew you could meet chicks so easily!!

Good night all,

Love

tim

Sweating the small stuff

Dear Friends and Family,
This morning for a change of pace we went to the park, Starr was so excited she could hardly cope and Lady was just bouncing off the walls.  I walked slow enough so as not to tire Starr out and she made it the whole way on her own legs.  She did sleep quite a bit the rest of the day though.
When I came back from the walk I quickly had a bowl of cereal, Stripples, a single piece of toast and a banana with soy milk.
This morning found me dealing with items that had been put off, paying little bills now that money has come in and paying off the Marriott account completely, that felt great.  Now I can turn around and sell it when and if the market ever improves or use it for those needed getaways.  It has long been on the list to get paid off freeing up money for more important things.  Mid morning the loan company called.  The lady could not have been more kind and helpful.  She gave me the number of a HUD counselor. Finally I was off the phone with her after stating very clearly I did not intend to lose the house, I just needed a lower payment for a couple years until the economy picked up.  I called the HUD counselor.  Amazingly he was located in a little cabin 20 miles from anyone in Maine.  He was very helpful and quickly determined that the monthly payment based on my current income should be about $1,600 a month instead of $2,600.  He gave me numbers of local non profit credit counselors that will help me submit my information to my lender in a manner that is more likely to be considered seriously.  All in all it was a very helpful experience and left me with peace.  The the manager of the bank I use called to discuss my unhappiness with the mess I learned of yesterday.  She was also very helpful and compromised by reversing most of the charges.  In the process I learned that her husband has been laid off three months ago after working for many years.  He is an electrician, once owned his own business and is scrambling to survive.  It seems to effect nearly everyone right now. 
While the mail brought no new money it did contain a letter from the State Controller.  I had applied to obtain $63 that had sat in the states coffers for years, like a dead letter office.  Phyllis had told me about the money from a search she did on line.  Todays' letter stated that since I owed the state money the $63 was being applied to what I owed.  That was fine with me, made sense.
During the day another order came in for Discovery Bay and they are paying a more reasonable fee of $300.  Another blessing.  This afternoon I did a driveby in Mountain House and tomorrow morning I'll write it up.  Late this afternoon I joined Steve at Keanna's soccer practice so I could take Kallie to the play area and he could focus on Keanna.  Kallie and I had a great time, she is a little scary as she climbs everything in sight, has no fear and smiles through danger.  Then this evening we went to a Mexican place in Brentwood that Steve and I love enjoy, the girls had fun too.  In the early morning I'm taking the motorhome over and Steve is going to tweak the stereo, something he is very good at.
So today was a day of dealing with little stuff that could have major consequences over time.  I'm so grateful for the work I'm receiving, for good health, for this wonderful time of the year and especially for you my friends and family.  Life is rich with you on board.

Love

tim

                                                      Kallie the speed demon hits the slides!

The Wisdom of Keanna

Good evening
The day got several shades of brighter today when Keanna came dashing out the gate at her school.  She was smiles and gladly surrendered her heavy backpack as we walked to the car.  She was full of excitement over the day and very happy to be coming to my house.  By the time we arrived home she had nearly completed her homework and after a few minutes in the house it was done.  I popped corn for her and gave her the one bottle of water I had, a bottle of Fiji water someone had handed me.  She loved it and had it gone by the time we left.  She watched some Clifford on TV and then switched to the laptop where she played games quietly until it was time to leave.

We drove to Brentwood where we walked into a girls scout meeting, there were a lot of people there and I think she was in for a good afternoon.  Debra, family friend, was there with her little girl and agreed to drive Keanna home afterwards.  So I left and stopped at a local branch of Chase Bank, after a nasty encounter with my bank of 25 years today I've decided to look into switching. For one thing my bank charges me $48 a month for my business account.  Chase charges nothing for a business account and has many more features available for its customers so the change is looking better and better.  If you knew how much I dislike change you would know what a huge step this is for me but there comes a time when wasting money just does not make sense anymore, free checks, free checking, free use of the ATM and on and on.  Why did I wait so long is the question.  One nice feature is their bill paying option.  You tell them who to pay and when.  If that date comes up during the month and you are low on funds they let you put it off until you have the funds without a huge charge, also they text you when your account is getting low on money and will also move money from a savings account if you select that option.

Today the mail was very good to me, I was paid for the work I did in August for one of the management companies.  It was larger than I would have imagined and I was so thankful.

Once I was home this evening I drank some water and then headed back to Brentwood for spin class.  Oh it was great.  This time I was able to do much better at keeping up with the young people that surround me on  bikes.  It felt good and the headbands that Marilyn gave me for my birthday came in handy, not one drop of sweat reached my eyes the entire time, it was great, thank you Marilyn.

Upon coming home I visited with Ray and Lois briefly and then made some open face sandwiches in the new toaster oven, topped them with tomatoes from Art and Connies garden.  Then I opened a water melon and enjoyed the sweet fruit.  What a feast.

I feel like I'm on a roll again, not sure why but I do know that I'm taking the full dosage of the new injectable medicine for diabetes this week.  My blood sugar numbers have been great, I mean really great and I'm feeling pretty lean and agile, its nice and of course the weather this time of year is incredible.  Meanwhile I wait to hear the results of the biopsy from my lip.

Now its time to head to bed.  Two orders came in today which is wonderful too.  I'll see on in the morning, the other is next Sunday, turns out I was savoring the large fee, $420 and then I found out its a quadruplex and my normal fee is $750.  That sort of sums up what I'm dealing with these days.

Keanna is a delight, she comes up with such profound comments or questions and it makes you stop and think, her mind is certainly busy as she figures out life.  I've got to say a word about Steve, my son in law.  This week he has the girls full time as Nikki is away on business, in fact this evening she is roughing it at Disneyland, poor thing!!  Steve just takes care of everything, keeps the girls fed and happy and is amazing.

Jason turned 33 today, can you believe it, my little baby.  He and Jo had a great day eating out and doing tidepool things with Timothy.  Their school is on break this weekend with all the teens gone home as of today so Jason and Jo get a much needed break.

Well good night all,

Love

tim

The challenge of hope

Good evening friends and family members,
This has been a very long day.  After a really solid night of sleep I woke to walk and then work on finishing an appraisal.  Once that was completed I checked the mail box for money and sure enough a check for $200 arrived.  It was just enough to keep things in the black, thank you!
Mid afternoon I drove to San Jose to see a home for the amazing fee of $200.  The house was very nice, recently purchased and the comparables seem to indicate that the value is probably a little bit higher.  Then I had a nice dinner and drove home arriving a few minutes ago.

So at this point its bedtime.  Tomorrow is Keanna day, Nikki is away on business until Friday night so I may be able to assist Steve a bit more than usual with the girls.  At this point I have no new work to do, no orders, let me tell you that is a very threatening situation as constant work is what keeps bills paid.

I did have one nice call today.  A lady kept her word and called back from the Heinz retirement center.  She called to tell me that the monthly payments from Heinz for Nan's retirement will start at the end of Sept. and that they will retroactively catch the money up.  I'm not sure what to expect but that was better news than I had expected which was to be told there was NO funds coming.

Good night,

Love

tim

Great fall day

Hello Everyone,
Its so nice to finally be winding down the work day which included a bit of recreational time as well.  We walked this morning and I noticed that I was borderline weak, took my blood sugar when I returned to the house and it was 112, that number should not have caused any weakness.  I was very hungry and when I finally went to eat the food tasted great.  I then worked, got a report out and hoped for funds in the mail but today was a dry day, no money so I did a bit of transferring and left for a lunch appointment in Tracy.

This evening I inspected a rental property that was cleaner than most owner properties and enjoyed their little 2 year old boy trying to help with the measuring wheel, what a cutie.

Now I'm home and I've spent the last hour "fixing" mistakes that the reviewer found at the management company.  They are unbelievable in their attention to their way of doing things, several of their suggestions were already in the report, they just didn't read close enough, anyway its a great way to learn about greater detail in the report.  This morning I also had to figure out how to sent the report in two different formats, one was pdf which I'm used to but the other is AI and I'm not so used to that one, well I got it figured out, another good thing to have under the belt learning wise.  I've started a file for the specific instructions for each lender, they are all asking for different things now and that gets confusing.  This way when I start to work for Provident I just pull out their guidelines and follow them to the letter.

This morning I discovered that I had dumped a couple pounds lately, it was nice to see for a change.

Well good night all,

love

tim

On Cruise Control

Dear Family and Friends,
After yesterday and the horrible night of little sleep last night I woke not knowing what to expect.  All the same negative factors that hovered over me during the night were still there and for awhile it was hard to shake the funk, the walk with Ken helped in the cool morning air.  A good stiff shower also helped and a light breakfast got the day started.
First I cleaned the kitchen, the dishwasher was clean so those dishes had to be put away, the counter was piled high so those were loaded and they were just enough to justify running the machine.  With the counters clear I felt better.  A few hours later after reworking a couple reports I decided on a decent lunch.  I opened a can of Salisbury steaks, heated one with brown rice, sliced a fresh tomato from Art and Connie's garden and poured a large glass of no caffeine and no calorie diet coke over lots of ice.  Lunch was great and the ear of corn warmed in the microwave was perfect.  For the sake of learning I opened a package of croissants that I had purchased on a whim awhile back, sure they were out of date but who cares.  I decided to make them in my little toaster oven.  I learned that you don't bake them on a grate, they need a hard surface under them, still they came out tasting great and Starr and I enjoyed them.  I kept half of the little cardboard can in a baggie in the frig, I hope you can do that.
I have to admit I've had several cat naps today in my chair, last night was so awful, I was just awake with every horrible scenario running through my mind and nothing I could do to shake them or just go to sleep.  Finally at some point after 2 am I did fall asleep until the alarm woke me at 6:40 for the walk.  I intend to sleep well tonight.
Late this afternoon I invited Ray and Lois to travel with me to CostCo and PetCo for needed supplies.  We had fun and caught up on the news in each others lives.
So good night my friends and family,  I love you all, we just need to hang together and someday we'll all be through this time of despair, things will get better eventually.

Love

tim

How much can a person take? Well quite a bit I guess.

Dear Family and Friends,
Well it has been quite a day.  I got a call this morning saying I was needed as a friend to help with a crisis and so I've spent the day giving support and encouragement.  I even had to miss Keanna's game but I think she will understand.
When I got home this evening and checked the mail I discovered that the loan company in their great wisdom had denied my request for modification.  Yet they held out the door to reapply.  So I'll do that on Monday.  Having never missed a loan payment in my life until now I need them to give consideration to reducing the monthly payment or I'll just have to let the house go.  I doubt they want the house back and I do know God will guide every day.
Some moments in life are up, some down, right now its sort of down.  I would appreciate your prayers when you read this.

Love to all

tim

Whew, its over

Dear Family and Friends,
Its been quite a week with several really high points along the way.  I enjoyed my time with Keanna this week especially.  She is so bright and wants to know everything, her conversations are amazing and she helps me realize that I am important to someone, that I can be of help to her parents along the way.

I've had about as much work as I can handle this week.  This afternoon I got an email from some company in the east coast asking if I wanted appraisal work.  I responded with a yes, he asked for some documents which I have on PDF, I sent them and later here came my first order.  They pay an amazing $200 for a $400 appraisal and its in San Jose.  The things we do for money.

I'm thankful for friends and for life itself.  I'm glad I have a chance to live my life in a meaningful manner in the future, no matter what takes place I think God can handle it.

Today was biopsy day at Jim's office.  First he shot some pain killer into my lip, do you know how much fun it is to get shot in the lip, well not so much fun, then he scraped and took a plug out.  When I showed him my arm and the new growth there he scraped and plugged that one two so I have two places that sort of hurt tonight, still I'm very glad to have it done.  He also gave me Advair as an experiment to solve the coughing problems, we'll try it for a couple weeks and see if the coughing gets a lot better.  I really appreciated his helping with my problems.

So now its time to go to sleep, Ken says we walk in the morning and then its off to the game to see Keanna in action at soccer at 8:30 in the morning.  Later in the day Pam and I will travel up to Sac to see Shawn graduate at Arco Arena.  I'm so proud of him sticking with his educational program and tomorrow he gets some feed back for all his hard work.

May your sabbath be blessed, love the one you are with.

Tim

Paying the bills one at a time

Good evening family and friends,
I'm just back from a nice evening, always great to have salad at Olive Garden.  Today was a productive day writing reports, getting them emailed out and taking care of business.
Ken did not walk this morning so I went ahead and walked without him.  It was a beautiful morning and at this point my body is used to the walk so its no special effort, just pleasure.  On the walk I meet people, some of whom I see nearly every day and we exchange greetings.  They have been redoing all our streets in Discovery Bay moving from one street to another as the days pass.  Its a bit of a bother but well worth it to extend the life of the streets for years.
For lunch my visit to the kitchen revealed I had mushrooms, brown rice, lettuce mixture, fresh tomatoes just picked from either Art and Connie's vines or my own vines.  It made for a great lunch. 
Mid day I started sneezing constantly and was pretty sure I was coming down ill again.  I took a sudafed which promises 12 hour relief and started pushing water even harder than I had been.  This evening I feel better.
Tomorrow at 11:30 I have an appointment with Jim Edwards, my physician.  The purpose of the visit is to get a biopsy of my lip.  I was told to do so several months ago by the oral surgeon so I'm finally getting to it.  Not something I'm pleased to be doing at all but I need to know if I have a problem with cancer at that point.
Mostly I'll just be very glad when it is over, the office visit.
Now its time to rest, love to all.

Tim

A Good Afternoon with Ms Keanna

What fun, I mean really what could be better?  She comes bouncing through the gate with a pack on her back that's as big as she is, it rattles from all the toys she has attached to it and she hands it to me, grabs my hand we are off to find the car.  She starts telling me the latest news, about kids at school, about scrapes, about her sister, about mom and dad, I hear it all and smile.

Soon we are at the house and she starts her homework while I start her popcorn and grab a jello for her.  She finds a few more names she can write with the magnetic letters on the compactor and then starts her work.   Soon she is in my office and together we work through a pretty challenging bit of homework.  She is being trained to think, to remember, to spell and I'm impressed.

We leave at 2:15, pick up her music class homework bag at the house and arrive on time for gymnastics.  She quickly changes and then is gone to the other end of the huge room where she does balance beam and other dangerous stuff for the next hour.

Now we are driving across Brentwood to McDonalds, she is hungry and complains that it should take one minute to get there and its been an hour.  We arrive at McDonalds and she orders for me, a fruit smoothie, not a mocha so I acquiesce.  Its good and she enjoys her food but complains about some noisy boys, she wonders where their parents are to let them be so loud.

Now we are driving the last few blocks to Noah's bagels where her music class is held.  She darts into class, gives me a quick hug and I'm free.  So I order some stinky bagels for Lois, garlic and have a more normal one myself.

I'm off to Antioch to see a house that is finally a go, they asked me to rush it, then stopped me in my tracks, now I get to see it.  It is on a court and is very nice, at one point someones dream home, then a nightmare, now a new dream for someone else at half the price.  I measure, inspect the attic, photograph and am on my way, shoot comps, buy diesel and pick up meds at CVS then on home, the remember I needed to shoot local comp photos, yikes it is almost dark, now it is dark, they turn out OK.

Now its bedtime and I just emailed the report out, hope it is OK.

Good night,  being busy is a huge blessing.

Love to all,  Tim

This was the scene as I had my granola this morning, so lovely!

A balmy day at work

Good evening,
I'm so happy right now for reasons that cannot be disclosed, lets just say communication is great. 
This morning we walked in the very cool morning air and without much sunlight, our days are growing shorter rapidly now.  Upon returning I went right to work writing a much needed report.  I made a quick breakfast and returned to work.
Once the report was finished and emailed to Fresno I turned to setting up and researching the new orders.  I ended up at 1:30 in Livermore in front of a huge one story home, mind you this home is over 4,000 Sq.Ft., perfect in every way and selling for over a million dollars.  The agents on both sides met me, that does not happen very often these days.  They were incredibly nice and helpful.
After completing the appraisal and shooting the comparables I headed back by way of Taco Bell.  Once I got home I had only a few minutes until I had to go see yet another house, this one right here in Discovery Bay.  The owners were just great.  They have a nice 38 foot motorhome sitting behind a fence adjacent to their home, they were both in their 80s but so spry and happy.  They just insisted that I take a moment and sip wine with them, well I didn't but I have a standing invitation to come back anytime.  What fun, at 80 and going strong.  That is 18 years from now for me, lots of living to do yet and I intend to do it to the fullest.
After coming back home I made a quick decision to drive to Raley's in Brentwood and get some vege food.  I've not had any for a long time, well Raley's had a huge selection, NOT.  Scallops, Swiss Steaks and Big Franks.  After completing my shopping I ventured over to the club and did a quick workout on the machines, still sore from washing the motorhome on Sunday morning, talk about a workout.
Then I came home to nibble at some of the vege food and now I'm heading to bed.  There were hard financial decisions to be made today and some much appreciated help as well.  My PG&E will be staying on for at least another month, the highest month of the summer is now paid and the Honda payment is paid with a two month extension where I make no car payments until December 1.  Can we say blessings!
Life is certainly exciting, sometimes really bad exciting and other times really good exciting.  I am so thankful to be alive.
Love to all of you and thanks for your prayers, help and good calls.

Tim

What if your dreams came true

For several weeks I've been dreaming of having some orders, suddenly Property Sciences, a management company, has discovered that I exist.  I've had 4 orders since last Thursday, feels exciting and also a bit stressful, every new order seems to come with additional requirements and a lower fee.  The times they are changing.
This morning I rushed out to Bethel Island, shot comparable phots and drove right back to finish up the report and get it to them by 11 am.  My how I love to be busy, productive.  Today was emotional in that I had to deal with people on the phone seeking money, that always really upsets me for awhile.  Yet in the midst of all of it encouragement also happened.  Life is like that.

I went back to Weight Watchers this evening since I'm entitled to this meeting, already been paid for.  Sadly our leader has quit suddenly.  So we had a stand in.  She was very good but it seemed like being abandoned by our usual leader.

I can just see myself now, slim, healthy, fewer drugs needed, buying new smaller clothes.

And on that happy note I'll say good night.

Love

tim

A good day

without bothering you with lots of details I'll just report that today was a very good day. The weather was perfect, the social scene was perfect, I got lots of work done including an early morning washing of the entire motorhome, have not done that in awhile, its a real workout but turned out to be worth it.
Tomorrow is going to be so jammed with deadlines, I'm so thankful that I have work.

Had dinner at Bethel Island tonight with the girls, it was so fun.  Little Kallie dug right into her plate of rice and beans, drank lots of OJ and then water while Keanna cleaned her bowl of rice and enjoyed her pink lemonade.  It was nice to catch up with them after their big weekend.  Oh what fun to have  family so near.

Sending love to all,

Tim

They are so cute

Dear Family and Friends,
There they were, at the door, in their little church dresses smiling and ready to give me a hug around the knees.  Keanna and Kallie were ready to go.
They talked, argues, shared and jabbered all the way to Tracy.  Then Keanna went her way and I took Kallie to Kim's class.  Today there were several little kiddos including Luke.  He is the grandson of Loren and Emily Dunston and he is something special, his eyes are incredible and he is obviously a very bright boy, at least Grandma Emily sure thinks so.  Kim had a busy program and the little ones just love it.  They even love snack time.
There is something so profoundly enjoyable about being with the kidos.  I always feel like I'm carrying on for Nan, you got to know how much Nan would have loved being with the kiddos so here I am, for some strange reason I got to stay alive and she didn't so I'd better do the right thing for the kiddos, she is trusting me to care for them.
Although I often keep Sabbath differently than I did in the past I continue to revel in its rest, in its set apart time for relief from the heavy cares of life and I find it very special to walk into the church entry and be greeted by the warm members of the Tracy SDA church.  What a precious bunch of people, not a bad one  in the bunch, just children of God attempting to reflect Him to each other and the community.

Love to all

Tim

Oh the traffic

Good evening
Today I experienced long waits due to terrible traffic accidents.  While waiting the temptation is to grow hot under the collar yet if one just stops and things, if they had been earlier they might be in the middle of the accident ahead instead of just waiting in traffic.
The first was an accident that brought 580 to a crawl and reached from Castro Valley nearly to Pleasanton.  Once I had been in the crawl for awhile I reached for my Thomas guide, found a side road, took it and bypassed the terrible truck burning accident.  This evening at 8:30 I heard that the trucks had just been cleared.  On my way to have dinner in Stockton traffic slowed and then came to a halt.  The cause, a vat used for hauling tomatoes fresh from the field to the cannery had broken its cables and slid to the pavement.  Two little cars were trashed from hitting each other as a result that that huge fiberglass vat coming at them.  It was a mess, one second they are racing along at 70 and then here comes this vat and their lives are changed forever.
We live in a fast world, slowly somewhat by the financial crisis but still a fast moving world.  Are we more loving because we can connect all the time through texting and cell phones?  I doubt it, what will come next that we "must have".  Where it not for relationships what would be worth living for.
Oh heaven seems so far off.

Have a great weekend and make an extra effort to love the one you are with, yes I mean you.

love

tim

Pleasant day

Good evening
Nearly time to go to bed and I'm jazzed about life once again.  Headed down to Gilroy today to pick up a used spare tire for the motorhome, got to have lunch with Art at a tremendous place called Garlic Cafe or something like that.  They made a garlic soup that was some of the best food I've ever eaten.  Wow it was good.  It was great to see Art and Connie and I'm so proud of them both, at how they live their lives and care for each other.  I got the tour of their new 5th wheel trailer, it is tasteful and very beautiful, one could live in there easily.
I came back home by way of San Ramon where additional photos were needed for a report I just completed.  Then using the back road I made my way home.  Unloaded the spare tire from the back of the van and reinstalled it under the motorhome and did a load of towels in the washer.  Lois and I caught a subway sandwich and this evening I've been socializing and doing some work at my desk.
While I was out today two orders came through which was great news.
This morning a possible renter sent an email message and I've talked to her, she will be coming to see the place this weekend at some point.  I continue to work on getting the motorhome ready, I found iRV2, a great web site which allows one to enter their questions and other RV people supply answers.  The dash air of the motorhome only will work on high but several emails have suggested possible fixes that have worked for them in their coaches.  Now that is help I can appreciate a lot.

Good night all,

love

tim

Kallie comes to visit, fun!

Well a lot happened today, all good.  Keanna came to visit and we ended up in the motorhome where I was showing her the dinette.  She wanted to do her homework there so we did.  She loved the new bed and staked our her place for the future.
We drove to gymnastics where I snoozed and she worked hard.  Then we found McDonalds for a late snack and early dinner.  After that we drove to the music class at Noah's bagels and I left her there.  I drove home, washed the van, took it down for a fill up, loaded the spare from the motorhome into the back and prepared for my morning trip down to Gilroy to get a used tire to replace this worn out one.  Art has contacts and the tire is very reasonable in price.
Keanna was in a talkative mood and continues to demonstrate the benefits from being in a home where she is included in adult conversations about real life.  She has an amazing understanding of financial hard times, of the value of money, of the importance of caring and loving family, of doing well at school and being in the part of her classroom that excels in doing good, doing the extra helping things.
This morning after the walk and the shower I write an appraisal for a property in San Ramon.  It was a very challenging one as the subject property is a duet, meaning two homes are connected with a common wall, each is owned by different owners and for all intents and purposes they are just two homes that happen to be connected.  Yet the fact that they are connected means their value is slightly less than fully detached homes.  I could only locate two sales of duets in San Ramon for the 6 months prior to the inspection date.  One was over 2 miles away and the other sold for over 100K more than the subject's contract price.  So it was a challenge to say the least and its going to one of the most picky lenders.
Tonya came today, now Tonya is pretty good looking and is a very hard worker.  She knows how to clean, works steady and produces a really beautiful finished product.  My floors shine this evening, the stove is too clean to use, the sinks are brilliant.  Wow, what a blessing she is.  I told her it was nice to hear a woman clunking around doing stuff instead the silence that usually permeates the whole house.  She said she understood as she has just become single again after being married for 3 years.
I have just spent the last couple hours talking to a friend I met through E Harmony.  No matter what the outcome this is one great lady who is dedicated to her medical profession, her kids and her Lord. 

Love to all,

tim

ps  The Sabbath afternoon day at the lake is not going to happen this week.  Joyce Western let me know that they have a big event planned for the park in Tracy where they give food and water to people who need it.  I don't want to get in the way of that event.  We will plan ahead for another weekend.

A Long Successful Day

Good evening,
The normal routine this morning, then back to complete an appraisal, then a phone call seeking an appraisal for a local property, healthy fee and I got to see it this afternoon.  The people were very nice, the check was good too.  So thankful for this wonderful order.

Went to Weight Watchers tonight since I have a couple weeks on the card I've already paid for, little problem, the meeting was on Monday night, NOT Tuesday.  Nikki clued me in before I walked into an empty room, bummer.

Hardware stop netted me all the parts I need to secure the dinette.  Can't wait.

Thinking of opening my home this Saturday afternoon to those who might enjoy using the paddle boat or just sitting on the back deck and sipping cool drinks, fellowshipping, some popcorn and watching the sun set.  Things are not perfect yet but I think the weather will be positive for an enjoyable time.  Consider yourself invited from about 3 pm on, bring your kids and life jackets to keep them safe.

Maps on request, send an email to timmustard@yahoo.com and I'll email you a map or you can google it.

Am enjoying conversations with a friend who lives in Ceres.  Really enjoyable to communicate and learn about another person.

love to all,

Tim

Art the wonder worker

Well Art came to visit, somehow I had forgotten that Art never just comes to chat.  He comes to work, how have I gotten to fortunate to have friends that show up and make things happen, wow.  Art took me to lunch which just happened to end up being a super lunch.  Then we came back and he just said, where do we start?  Well we chose the back deck and tonight it is power washed and fresh for the first time in a long time.  Then he said, well what is next?  So I fed him some fruit salad I had prepared this morning, I fill a Tupperware contained with grapes, strawberries, melon pieces and they are so good.  We feasted on fruit with a bit of low fat whipped cream.
Next Art chose to install the dinette in the motorhome.  It was hot inside when we started but Art does not mind hot, he hardly notices it.  I turned the central AC on and slowly it got better inside.  We unbolted the oak table and took it and the chairs outside, then we moved the dinette pieces into place, then we discovered that the hardware store in town was closed, we needed 30 2 inch wood screws, bolts for the seat belts and other things.  Because of Art we made great progress today and he sent me back into work on an appraisal so I did that while he was slaving outside in the heat.
It feels very good to have so much progress in one day.  I've dreamed of the deck being cleared for sometime and Art took that dream and turned it into reality.
Thank you for reading this evening, what a blessing it is to have friends who care enough to speak up, advise and counsel and step forward to be helpful.  With family and friends like these one is truly rich.

Love

tim

Wow

Good evening
So much to tell!  Ken and I walked our big three and then I determined that I would use the first cool hours to dig out the dinette from the inner recesses of the third car garage.  For those of you who have seen the wall of precious treasures contained there you know that breaking into the inner hidden regions would not be easy, it would take a full assault.  At first I displayed timidity as I moved a few boxes out into the sunshine but eventually I just waded in. Ray came to watch and soon was deeply immersed into the project.  What one finds is a mixture of past painting projects, large amounts of Christmas figures, angels, lights, wrapping paper, decorations, you name it.  There are also large doses of class work for travel classes, boxes of items from each office we have moved from, comfort items to help Nan's suffering from tumor pain, foot warmers, chair massagers, booties, heated blankets powered by 12 volt, medical equipment, bandages, boxes of ostomy supplies, adult diapers, fake Christmas trees, books and boxes of kitchen equipment that Sylvia has ready to sell at a future garage sale.  Finally we arrived at a point where we could extricate the dinette pieces and move them to the motorhome where they will be installed soon.
At this point I had to make a decision.  Would I just cram everything back into the same space or would I sort it box by box to find what could be trashed, saved for a yard sale and saved for personal keeping inside the house.  My trash can which will be collected in the morning is crammed full, that is great news.  I have many empty boxes now and the ones that are full are packed with future yard sale items.  What was the delightful part of the day was coming across memorabilia from past trips, when the kids were young, photos that are so precious of them which I can't wait to share with them.  I came across a huge file of collected items from when Jason ran the Olympic Torch, diplomas for both Nan and myself.  To help keep the project going in the heat of the day I put out the awning on the motorhome and with a cool breeze blowing through I was able to just keep working.
Eventually I had to move the items back into the garage but this time there is a huge stack just waiting for the right time for a yard sale and a smaller stack of paint cans and Christmas things I do plan to keep.  I only made it through half the garage today but its a lot of progress, a lot of discovery's and it feels good to have this much accomplished.
This morning Ken was looking at the switch which has been causing so much trouble in the motorhome, the one that sends a signal to the rear bedroom TV from the DVD or the antenna.  Ken looked closely and discovered that there was a break in the wire, no wonder signal was not getting through so right now I have the switch and a soldering iron on my desk and I'm repairing the break.  A cheap solution to a nasty problem, one more repaired item on the long list.  Yes!
So I am sending best wishes to all of you, enjoy your labor day holiday.  And greetings from our whole family to your family.
Love to all,

Tim
PS  I've been corresponding with an enjoyable lady from Ceres today through E Harmony.  She has a sense of humor that is delightful and a willingness to be honest about her positives and what she perceives as her negatives that is refreshing.  Only the Lord knows the future but I'm enjoying the back and forth of the emails.  She is nurse and assists physicians in some special manner.  I didn't catch it all but she stays busy and has extra shifts this holiday of 15 hours each. 

The Birls Go to Church!

This morning when I walked to the front door at Steve and Nikki's there stood two very cute little girls behind the screen, Papa we are ready to go to church was their greeting.  Nikki had them dressed perfectly and their hair was fixed nicely.
Quickly we loaded up in the little black bug and drove to Tracy to church.  Keanna went to her program and I took Kallie to hers.  Now I'd like to report she came in, sat down and do everything right, well that would be stretching it.  She did pretty well though and Emily and Diane were great with her.  She loved every minute of it including the snack part of the program.
Afterwards we met Nikki who had changed her mind and decided she could not resist a meal at Olive Garden.  We had a great food and the girls were in great spirits.
I left them at their car as they went their way.
I was so sleepy on the way home that I pulled into the Bar at Union Point and slept for awhile.  Finally I made it home and slept some more.  This evening I've been to the club for a good workout and Food Max as well.
Tomorrow I'll work on projects and appraisals and be very thankful for spending time with the special little kiddos today at church and lunch.  They are great kids.

love

tim

At last its Friday evening

Dear Family and Friends,
Just off of E Harmony again, two of the contacts today have been members of my own church, a nice change.  I'm not really sure what to do when I reach a certain point, suppose I will learn more as I go along.

Today was different.  Its warm here and after cleaning up paperwork in the office I ventured out to first see a local property.  What a shock it was.  It just happens to be a home built with the same blue prints used to build my house.  I made some changes to the plans and Gerry Lammerding was kind enough to redraw them so they would meet code yet given us a larger more useful bathroom in our master bedroom.  Here I was standing in from of a home nearly identical to my own.  What was also shocking was this empty home had people still living in it so my planned quick in and out did not work out that way.  Not sure when I'll get to see the inside of this home.  Then I drove onto Oakley where I inspected a home I could easily enjoy living in.  It is smaller than my present home, has a nice corner setting but has a lovely pool and patio in the back yard.  When I was first there the AC would not come on but today they had it repaired and it came right on.
Then I headed home by way of Starbucks for a summer cool drink and stopped at Subway for a 5 inch sandwich.  Once home I worked some more and at 5 I threw in the towel.  In spite of the heat I put on one of the headbands Marilyn had gifted me with at my birthday, picked up tools and went to the back yard where I worked for a couple hours picking up dead branches from a previous trimming.  I filled three garbage cans.  Then I moved onto nailing all the nails that had worked them self loose over the last 22 years in the back deck.  The brought Lois over to see what the racket was about.  She ended up staying and directing the project pointing out ones I had missed.  As the sun set it became cooler and cooler in the winds.  Finally I remembered the rhubarb/strawberry pie I had tucked away and we each had a piece.  Now its time to head to bed. 

Tomorrow I have the high honor of escorting Keanna and Kallie to Sabbath School.  With a two week break from soccer I get to take the girls and I can't wait.  I know they will enjoy it a lot and I think it gives them good messages as they learn the precious bible stories, sing the songs and learn at the feet of Sylvia, Kim, Emily and others.

So good night  one and all.  In spite of all of my trepidations I've made it through yet another week.  These are very tough times for millions of Americans and even those of us with jobs still seem to be struggling in a manner we would never have imagined a couple of years ago.

Love to all,

Tim

Back to work

Dear Family and Friends,
You know you really are dear to me, I love people, I love to get to sit and talk with them or have phone calls.  I am blessed with great family and good friends.
After stomping around the lake this morning Ken and I parted ways.  Today for a change I had a tight schedule so I got to it.  My first stop was in San Ramon.  It was a beautiful home with one side edging to an open area, views of Mt Diablo and other foothills from the back patio.  The interior had been updated and was in perfect condition.  No wonder it is in contract for over $800,000.  Yes homes do sell for that much still if located in the right area and with the right features.  Shooting the comps for that home took some time, many are behind security gates and one has to talk his way through the gates for each comparable.
Then it was off to have lunch with a dear friend who has been in the business forever, well at least 15 years.  We talked until after 1 pm and then she left to go back to work and I left to head back to San Ramon for the second appraisal.  By now it was hot outside and the second home got me a bit warm.  Still I handle heat so much better this year compared to last when I was heavier and had not been walking or to the club as much.  The comps proved to be located all over for this one too and I drove into the driveway after fighting my way through traffic at 6 pm.  Now I'm just back after having a sandwich with Lois at Quisnos in Brentood.  She had coupons that made it less expensive and then she paid so it was a total win for me, thanks Lois.
And now its time to start looking toward bed. Today brought me a new order for Discovery Bay and a followup inspection in Oakley which pays $100.  I'll do both tomorrow.  No its not like the old days where there was enough work to keep STeve and me both busy but some work is trickling in, I am grateful for what there is.
Nikki and Steve did a real service for me, they took the time to research what my Honda Odyssey is currently worth and what a shock, a pleasant one.  It is worth more than twice what I owe on it which was great news.  So if I decide to let it go I could see the loan paid off and several thousand for the savings or to buy a less expensive used car once the bug fails.  Thanks for doing the research Nikki and Steve.
Well one day into my rent a room idea and so far I've not heard anything, bummer.  My house cleaner Tanya is coming next Wednesday which will help whip the house into shape.  I intend to do repair work on the back deck and power wash it down as well over the holiday.

I hope your day went well.  For those of us in California the day was warm, for those on the east coast perhaps a bit windy!

Love to all,

Tim

If this is the ride lets get on board

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this evening my little room AC is cranking away as it is still warm outside.  I'm just in from mowing the lawn and edging it.  A few minutes ago after consulting with a number of people today I placed an add for my guest bedroom on Craigs List.  The listing is free and it allowed me to display 4 phots which I hope will help me find a renter.  I've contacted Tanya the house keeper to do a cleaning, its time anyway and I'll get to work on the back deck, try to make it more appealing.

Today at 12:45 I picked up an excited little girl who had helping on her mind.  Fresh from a terrible experience last night when Steve's fish tank suddenly started to leak a lot of water Keanna was set to be helpful in any way she could.  As she related the experience from last night she said that even Kallie helped soak up water from the flooded floors.  A seam just gave way.  It was a very sad setback for Steve as he has been getting the tank ready for weeks little at a time as he could.  Now what to do.

Keanna knowing my funds were tight did not ask for McDonalds but came home where I had Jello and popcorn for her.  She dove into her homework and I helped a bit.  I was facing a deadline to get a report completed and printed so I could deliver it when I was out this afternoon.  We made the deadline but Keanna helped a lot.  While we were out we ended up at McDonalds between gymnastics and music class.  Once I was in the building the wonderful IPOD came alive with email messages.  Amoung the messages were two appraisal orders from two different management companies.  Keanna looked up and said, pappa I have been praying that you would get work, it was a very special moment and her confident face was a winner.

So when I was through with Keanna and left her at her music class I came home and set up the orders.  I'll see them tomorrow morning and I'm very thankful for the opportunity.  Then its on to lunch with Sherri who has owned a couple mortgage companies over the years and has been a constant friend.  She is still pulling for me with various management companies and she asked for a lunch meeting.  Not only are we friends from business but she was very supportive during the time Nan suffered so much.  Now her precious Bill is failing fast and she knows a day is coming soon when she will face the same reality that I did.  She asked for the meeting wanting to discuss religion.  I view it as a great chance to thank her for all her help, friendship and now a sharing of ideas of how to cope.

This morning I waded into tough territory.  First I called my mortgage company to see if my documents seeking a loan modification had arrived.  Once the computer and the phone connected I was told by a message that my documents were received on August 20.  That was what I wanted to find out so I hung up.  Then I called Blue Cross since the new premium as of October 1st will be $1005 a month.  After being shifted a few times I finally spoke to a plans expert.  Unfortunately they cannot quote any new plan fees until the end of September.  They are busy trying to figure out how the new health plan voted by congress is to be implimented and at this point they have no idea of how to cope with the mess.  She told me to call back at the end of the month and then they might be able to help me.  She did say that if I take a much higher deductible the rate will drop considerably. 

After the Blue Cross it was time to try Citi Credit Card.  I've been noticing that they have not taken the normal $360 payment out that usually comes out of the account every 25th of the month.  Well turns out the plan, a 12 month agreement, has expired.  She said she could not give me a new plan until I missed a payment but she knew they could no longer give a 12 month plan.   She thought they could do something helpful but I'd have to wait until the middle or end of September to try.  As you can see I've been trying to shave monthly expenses whereever I can and I've had some success and expect to find more.

The contract for the motorhome rental came today and it makes great sense.  I plan to proceed with both the rental agreement and fixing up a few loose ends on the motorhome as well.  Either to sell or rent it needs to be in its best condition.

There comes a time when one has to just pick himself or herself up and face the fight again.  I feel I am engaged in the fight now and I'm really ready to enjoy this experience, the experience of facing changes that will only enhance the future, my future.  There are many things I can do to move forward and I'm trying to do them all.  Easy, no way, emotionally draining, absolutely but if it takes having someone living her, a sometimes renting of the motorhome, clipping back on waste in the budget so be it.  Your comments and shared inspirations have been like a transfusion.  Your willingness to engage in discussions sharing ideas and concerns is incredible and affirming.

So my dear friends, thanks for being there and I keep hearing from people I did not know were reading.  Thanks so much.

love

tim
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/roo/1932185298.html