So what do you live for?

It seems life goes by so fast that many days have little living in them, there is production of work that will bring a fee eventually, there is inspections and travel to and from these locations, there is taking phone calls and solving problems for clients but as far as joyful living, having time to spend with kiddos and friends and family, days can go by without little meaningful contact.  Its too bad that we are so like little hampsters on the wheel, pushing ever harder and faster but not seeming to reach the destination or goals.

Today was better than usual.  I stepped off the hamster wheel for at least part of the day.  It was a sunny fall day and after we walked Ken helped air up the motorhome tires to their 85 lbs level, then I opened the awning in hopes of power washing some of the stains away, well that did not happen, those stains and mildew are pretty much there for now, I took a can of tire treatment and sprayed the tires with white foam but when I looked again the tires gleamed black and shiny, what a change.  Other than some carpet spot cleaning and good vacuming I think it is about ready.  I'll wash it from top to bottom Tuesday morning and then we hope for the best as the renters arrive about noon to take possession.  Perfect, no far from it but oh so much better than a couple months ago.

This afternoon I drove to Tracy to return the digital converter for the motorhome TVs, it just didn't work with the current antenna and I'm not about to put out $159 for a new antenna right now.

Late this afternoon I settled in and wrote an appraisal which has been emailed in, approved and sent to the client already.  I have more to write but now sleep beckons.  I just did a silly thing.  I had a large mug of mocha ready, sat it down on my desk and promptly tipped it over.  I had hot liquid everywhere, now its is sort of cleaned up, what a mess.

This evening after the appraisal was completed I turned on the porch lights and welcomed the little monsters who were trick or treating.  They were cute and then my own little kiddos arrived.  For them I had pasta and an orange peeled.  I've got a couple photos to share of the girls.

So what do we live for?  To maintain our lifestyle we work and attempt to pay the bills that come with the "good" life.  We try to be helpful to people through our work and our free time.  We try to find a balance between work and play, between worship and exercise, between reaching out to people and letting them reach in to us.

I feel so blessed when I take the time to slow down and consider, outstanding friends, with talents, humor, ideas, support, loving family, all bright, all stubborn, with their own ideas about everything, what a group and how I love them all.

What shall we accomplish this week?  Shall we try to do something good, helpful, caring?  Why not.

Love

Tim

Great day

First off, thanks for the yam and sweet potato ideas, they are great and make me want to go to the kitchen right now to work on them, can't wait.  Thank you everyone for your help.

Ken and I hit the pavement this morning in the semi rain and chill, then I helped Ken for a bit with a project he was working on, it was a man toy so that made it even more fun, the quick breakfast of steel cut oats and off to see Keanna play soccer.  I just can't tell you how much fun it is to watch her scamper around chasing the ball with her braids flying.  What fun and it makes me catch my breath when watching her, you want her to do well so much.

After Keanna I drove to the Tracy SDA church for the worship hour.  While its true I did nap a bit I mostly stayed away to enjoy the worship hour and oh how I love to hear Bernice White play the organ.  She is so smooth and experienced, just great music.

Then it was to Brentwood where the batteries I purchased yesterday had come in.  Now they are installed and how nice they look and how bright the lights glow in the motorhome with the new power source.  Gradually and with many people's help the motorhome has been brought up to date with so many things repaired and now working well.

I had a nice evening with a friend, good eats, tremendous movie and a very enjoyable relaxing time.

Now its bed time and I'm so ready to crash.  Sending love to all

Tim

Friday night at last.

Dear Family and Friends,
Today has been productive, a nice pace for a change and a peaceful day.  I climbed out at 6:15 to a very cold room, no wonder since the doors are wide open to outside.  I quickly showered enjoying the steamy hot water perhaps a minute or two longer than required.  Then it was downstairs to make a cup of coffee which turned out good and start working.  Today that meant prewriting an appraisal that I was to see later in the day.  Then it was time to leave for a local ranchette with 5 acres and a nice layout.  The phone call was from Casey's Auto Body asking that I come in to sign papers so they could get their $4,600 from the insurance company for the work they did to the bug.  I told them that there were two warning lights flashing on the dash.  They said bring it on it and they would see to it.  But wonders of wonders, when I started the car after seeing the ranchette both warning lights were dark and never came on again all day.  I went to the auto body shop, signed the paper and headed to Hayward.  It was total job to be back in my little bug, a car that at 230,000 miles drives solid and smoothly.  Once I arrived I discovered that the owner of the house owned a Odyssey van like mine.  We enjoyed chatting about run flat tires which we both hate and I learned some things from him.  After I completed the appraisal I then drove to Castro Valley to do the driveby report I had already written.  I shot the photos, took at look at the house from the street and then headed back home arriving at 2:30.  The girls came by for a minute which was a nice break and then at 3:25 the report was emailed to the lender on time.  Later I heard it had been accepted without any review complaints.  Then I started to work on the next report that was due but discovered that I had no FHA case number.  No use writing the report without a case number so I did something more fun.

I went out to the motorhome and pulled the two 6 volt batteries.  They were incredibly heavy and I was very glad I had purchased the strap that lets you lift them a little more easily.  I drove to town and purchased two new U2200 Interstate Batteries but they will come in tomorrow.  I think the price was good.  I've seen them for sale at RV stores for $175 a piece and I paid $238 for the two of them so I felt that was pretty good.

I had a few groceries that I wanted but of course I could not find steel cut oats in all of Brentwood, rare little items to be sure.  I picked up fruit and some yams.  Ken told me that yams or sweet potatoes were incredibly good for you so I thought I'd give them a try.  Now to figure out how to cook them without destroying them.  If you have ideas email me at discoapp@comcast.net and share the ideas.

I want to tell you that this has been a pretty nice day.  I've been privileged to have phone calls with Nikki, Jason, Sibyl, Jerry, Art, Timothy and Sylvia today, and all enhanced the day.  It felt good to keep appointments to the minute on time, to get the work done that was supposed to be done, to get money in the mail and to finally buy the batteries that I've hoped to buy for months.

Tomorrow I hope to make it to church to hear our beloved pastor share her message.  Both Kallie and Keanna have a busy morning planned with their mom and dad.

Thank you for being a good sounding board, tonight my own car is back in the garage, my work is pretty much caught up and in order, tomorrow will be a good day, its the Sabbath after all, I have food on my shelves, a warm place to be and I'm feeling better, still coughing but still much better as my body recovers from being on the antibiotics for 10 days.

Love to all,

Tim

The Raid on the dollars

It started early this morning, after our walk I started right in at the office.  I wanted to quickly deal with the condition of the big one I had completed yesterday.  Now they wanted a bird's eye view map and of course I did not know how to insert one into the report.  So I did the online help with my software people in the south, they came back and said I had to made the plunge into the new 32 bit software and of course that would be $100 for the upgrade, lovely way to start the day.  So I downloaded the software, opened the appraisal and was stopped cold, the computer needed Microsoft Silverline .4 and since my computer had Silverline 2 in it we were at the wall.  The 2 version would not uninstall.  The tech that I pay a monthly fee for was no help at all, he said call your local tech so after several calls I reached Jim.  He took control of my computer from his office and after a few minutes solved the problem completely so I gave him $100 for his time.  He was trying to cover his house payment.  Meanwhile time was passing so at 11:45 I finally was able to deliver the appraisal with the corrected page, what a huge waste of time in the meantime.  Of course by now Brentwood Transmission had called to say they needed a new battery and could I come in and bring a new one to them to install for the bug.  So I drove in, picked up the old battery, went to Napa Auto, found out it was under warranty but of course without a receipt they could do nothing.  So I drove back to Brentwood Transmission and Stan the owner called Rick the owner of Napa and suddenly I was back to Napa and paying just $42 for a new battery, warranty covered the rest.  Back to Brentwood Transmission with the new battery and then back home.  Once home I started writing an appraisal that was due this afternoon but the new software will take some getting used to and it kept failing, that will be solved another day.  Finally I completed the report and headed back to Brentwood and paid Brentwood Transmission $368 for the new starter and who knows what else.  Next stop was the rental car company.  That stop cost me $346 for the $12 a day insurance I had foolishly agreed to when I got the car.  Then a quick ride back to the bug and I started it to leave.  Unfortunately there are now two dash warning indicators on that were not on when I took the car in.  One is a blinking glow plug warning and the other an engine warning.  The car seems to drive nicely and is so shiny.  Loren Dunston will appreciate this, it has a totally new grill, all my broken parts that were held together by plastic ties are gone and two new fog lights along with a new grill are in place.
Finally I headed home afraid to spend any more money, what would hit next?  Fortunately the Lord had provided just enough to cover all this crazy spending the last two days.
So tomorrow is a new day, one with appointments and commitments.
Sending love to all,

Tim
ps  I just got to see Mia, she will be in college before I get there it seems.

A day of challenges but with Joy, Keanna

Dear Family and Friends,
Today the hits just kept on coming, however there were moments of great enjoyment as well.

I finally finished the big one and emailed it out this morning, now they want a birds eye view of the property and the legal records to be included, not even sure how to do that so I'll learn something tomorrow I guess.

I took the motorhome in at 9:30 to see what possible fixes there were for the slide out leaking.  I'm so proud of the owners of Roadrunner RV.  They have moved into a store front with all kinds of RV things for sale and have a very active repair shop as well.  They took a look and said they could fix it with adding a 6 inch wide piece of rubber over the entire leaking area so when the slide is open rain would be kept out.  But I had to run to an appointment. 

When I rang the door bell I was not prepared for who answered.  She was lovely, soft spoken and said she worked at home, her husband also worked at home and has an office on the second floor.  The home was huge, 4,700 sf, perfect in every way and the visit was a great joy.  I'll not forget Amy soon, I told someone I wanted to find one of those just 30 years older!

Once I finished the appraisal it was time to pick up Keanna.  She came running saying hi to many kids.  She was so happy to see me again, its been weeks since I was able to be there, either due to illness or being away or being busy.  We went to McDonalds and got her food, then went to Strawhat where she likes to use quarters to buy little toys from the vending machines.  They had a small cheese pizza made by accident and gave it to me so I had it along with a very nice salad.

Then we raced home and I tweaked things on the motorhome to get ready to take it back to have the repairs done tomorrow morning.  We we got there they decided they could do it today so they put two men on it and did a beautiful job of repairing it.  While I was there I priced batteries and they were $135 each and $66 for installation.  That seemed high so I didn't make that plunge.  After the motorhome was repaired I took Keanna to a school in Oakley where she attended a huge Girl Scouts event.  I was able to leave her there as other mothers were there and Nikki was coming to collect her.

On the way home I stopped at Napa Auto and got battery prices.  By this time I'd taken a call from Brentwood Transmission. They told me that not only did I need to pay for a new starter at $265 but also needed a new battery for $243.  I hit the ceiling.  That is just too much for a battery.  So I was shopping for a replacement battery for the bug and two for the motorhome.  I ended up at another auto parts store I like as they carry Interstate Batteries which I think are amoung the best out there.  There price for the coach batteries was $110 each for two and $120 for the bug.  I'll go back in the morning to get the bug one and later get the two for the motorhome.  No way was I going to pay over $200 for a battery for the bug.  When I talked to Stan the owner he mentioned that they marked their batteries up quite a bit, no kidding.

So every turn today ended up costing more money, money that is very precious and rare.  Yet I am thankful for the work that keeps checks in the mail, another small one came today for which I am very thankful.

Keanna is such a joy to have around.  She enjoyed riding in the motorhome, she said she felt like a queen when we stopped and she got off, funny kiddo and she loved doing her homework and eating her jello at the table as we drove along.  So tonight the big appraisal is completed, the motorhome no longer leaks (I hope), the bug is one day closer to being completed and I had the joy, not, of discovering that I am on the hook for $12 a day insurance for the rental car which is one month tomorrow.  Ouch, a wasted $300+ dollars and no they won't even consider not charging it. Costs a lot to be in an accident even when its not your fault and someone runs a red light.

Love to all,

Tim

John and Karen Cress in town

Dear Family and Friends,
Several friends of John and Karen Cress met tonight at the Golden Corral in Tracy, George and Yvonne Miller hosted the get to gether.  The food was great, always too much, and the fellowship was even better.  John continues to battle bladder cancer and is winning at this point with some really challenges along the way.  Karen continues to work with the conference prodding churches to do a better job caring for members and friends  alike.  They are bright, driven people with a common love for a little grand baby that happens to live under their roof.  They are smitten just like the rest of us with little ones to love and care for.

And speaking of caring for, Keanna is coming to visit tomorrow.  I think I've recovered enough to host her for the afternoon.  It will be great to see her in action again.  In the morning I have an appointment for the motorhome at Road Runner RV.  They have worked on it before.  Ray and I have confirmed that the rear part of the slide has sagged about 1/2 an inch which is enough to open a gap between the seal and the top of the slide allowing water to run in freely instead of run off.  Not a good thing at all.

Steve and I are seeing a house together at 11 and then I pick up Keanna at 12:45. 

Now its time to head to bed.  So I'm sending love to all,  yes the coughing is worse today than yesterday, not sure why.

Love

tim

So long ago and so sweet

You know when I sign in each evening I use a password Jason dreamed up long ago as we were jammed into a Holiday Inn room in Boston.  Every night since and we are now approaching 5 years I've put in that password and was taken back in memory to that night when the family had gathered to be with Mom as she fought for her life. Those were dark dark days and we pulled together to hold each other up, Dana was there from Houston, Sharon was there from the valley, Roxanna was there and when she could come Marilyn was there.  What a time to remember and cherish.  Against huge odds Nan came through and flew home on a Southwest jet surrounded by pillow and blankets the crew supplied.

It all seems so long ago and far away now.  There is a fact of life that when one is in the middle of a crisis there is support from every side but no one can be in crisis forever and eventually the supports subsides as it must.  There are times in my life right now that I could use some support and sometimes it happens and often it does not.  Nothing awful happens other than I am just profoundly sad and question life. 

This morning I made another of those tough calls, I called the lender for my house and reported to them that by Wednesday I'll be submitting new paperwork.  He was kind and gave me a fax number that we can ship it right to them to speed up the process.  I also called and got the Direct TV monthly bill reduced quite a bit.  One wonders what is next, yesterday it was a seriously leaking motorhome and today it was no money in the midst of the campaign mailers. 

This morning Ken and I walked and the weather was pleasant.  I was reminded again of my age by the time I got home.  I showered and went to work after a breakfast of steel cut oats, banana and grainola bits.  I set to work and completed the appraisal for the property with six acres and have that shipped out.  Then I started the big one and I'm just into it now.

For some reason last night was one of those no sleeping nights.  From 12:30 until about 4 this morning I was awake a lot, could it have been Ray's class in how to use a French Press to make good coffee and then drinking 1/2 a cup of coffee at 8 pm.  Wonder if that could have been the problem.

Today I've been running loads of wash to clean up the mess left by the leak in the motorhome.  Everything has come out pretty nice and a fan running in the motorhome has dried the carpet back to normal.  I tried to buy used batteries today but they are out and Art is getting me the info for the tires for the front of the coach which I feel need to be replaced for safety sake.  I checked the old batteries today and ended up putting two gallons of water, they were totally dry, I think I'll have to check the new ones much more often or I'll ruin them too.

A few minutes ago Art called, he was on his way home from a golf lesson and he was jazzed about it.  He finally has the time to play being retired and all but he just might not be a golf kind of guy, who knows, at least he gave it a try.

Mid day today I was carrying loads of things to the house from the motorhome and I started to feel faint so just for the fun of it I checked my blood, it was 81, that is the lowest I've been in a long time and I was shocked.  So I had some lunch and felt better in a little while.

I think there are phases of crisis or of being faced with dire circumstances.  You try to do what you can to lift yourself up, you spend a lot of time in talking with God, trying to understand what to do next, you grasp onto any chance to have a conversation with a friend or family member, you check emails often to see if anyone has written and you are tempted to eat as an escape, not that you need to but just for something that brings a mild form of pleasure for a few minutes.  You make no long range plans because everything in between is up in the air, you don't even consider a vacation, how could you pay for it and afford to NOT be working while you were gone so you just labor on pretty much giving up on any hope or thought of joy or solution to one of the big problems.  So you just move forward without much planning.

This evening to break out of the mold for a few minutes I pulled out the belgium waffle maker, mixed up a batch of batter and had a couple waffles, they were great and for a few minutes it seemed like life was enjoyable again.  I also enjoy writing these blog messages, I know that several people do read them from time to time and often the feedback is very meaningful.

Well now its time to turn back to the big appraisal.  It does not write itself.

A special thankyou to George and Yvonne.  On Sabbath he handed me a package and it it were several DVDs of childrens stories, stories I can share with my kiddos.  I was so touched by the thoughtfulness of that act and reminded once again of how good it is to have friends and family who care.

Love to all,

Tim

Rainy sunday

Good evening
I'm finally through tweaking the motorhome.  When I opened the coach up I discovered a rather nasty leak which was pouring water over the couch and all the linen stored underneath, what a mess.  I was at the motorhome to install a set of brackets that hold the table in place, Art picked them up from an RV supply store and now they are properly installed.  I also moved all the food supplies back into the house and brought in boxes of things that were extra in the motorhome, not needed and were taking up space.  So this evening I have a small space heater directed at the wet couch and the carpet below it trying to rid it of the dampness which is always the enemy for tightly closed up motorhomes.

This morning Ken torn me from my warm cozy bed and forced me onto the street to walk in the driving wind, well at least that is one story, actually we mutually agreed to venture out and even though I coughed a lot while I was walking I've coughed much less the rest of the day.  Upon returning from the damp and windy morning I did some quick research and hit the road.  Of course the car was empty, no one to blame but me for that so in Stockton I had to take a quick break and fill it up.

I had an appointment at 10 to inspect a property on Alpine Road east of Stockton.  This old home was located on 6 fully developed acres and it was indeed interesting.  Built in phases over the years the home had wood ceilings, walls and floors, two wood stoves and was sort of charming.  It is owned by a couple that only recently found each other.  He had 600 acres and a new home in England, was here visiting, met his wife and they decided to live in America where she was already established.  They were a quirky couple and very enjoyable to meet.  I spent the next two hours driving 9 comparables located over a 5 mile radius from which I hope I'll be able to create a reasonable appraisal tomorrow.  While I was there I also shot one last sale of a big house to help with the appraisal for the 8400 sf home.  Now tomorrow I must settle down and write these two challenging reports.

After weeks of being totally buried with work I have NO new orders to see now.  How strange it feels to have moved from being buried to a place with no work.  I'm sure the Lord knows exactly what He is doing but I don't have a clue what it  all means.

I'm hoping you have a great week and can let the rain work for you in your lives.

Love

Tim

Kallie goes to Sabbath School

Kallie in the middle of the action at Sabbath School as teacher Kim shares lessons from the lambs.

It was great, to get to see the girls again and take Kallie to Sabbath School.  Keanna had a soccer game and she proudly told me that there were only two more and then she could go back to Sabbath School and see Sylvia.

After Sabbath School we caught some chicken at Burger King where Kallie played her heart out in the structure.  Then we battled to keep her awake as we drove home.  She went right to bed and slept the next two hours while Pappa napped in the recliner under a cozy blanket.  Steve is on a business trip to LA this weekend so I was able to help out with Kallie.  I wore a mask as I did NOT want Kallie to catch this horrible junk I have in my lungs.  No way.

This afternoon I took it sort of easy, figured out what food I would need to get by without spending much and then Ray and I went shopping, bolts at Ace Hardward for the motorhome, a few things at FoodMax and of course then I had to run right home and eat.  This time around I purchased some thin whole wheat buns and tonight I had them in the toaster oven with grated cheddar cheese and then cut fresh tomatoes from Steve and Nikki's garden.  Then I broke all the rules and hat Top Ramein.  I've not had any for over a year and I know is it packed with salt but oh it is good on a cold rainy night.

This evening I've been tweaking the motorhome.  Since we purchased it 8 years ago we have always been annoyed by the sharp edges of the plywood base for the mattress.  They have ruined nylons, torn flesh and just been a pest.  For some time I've thought that if one had a long tube and could cut a solid cut from end to end of the tube and then pushed it onto the plywood edge it would cover the sharp splinters.  Well as I write tonight it is done, it was an amazing difficult job, the tube did not want to open enough to slip over the plywood but it is done and stapled into place.  Then the hinges connected to that same plywood base had come loose from the base so some new bolts with washers solved that problem.  I think I'll get tires on Thursday and a couple batteries earlier in the week.  With everyones help, Ken pumping up tires, Ray fixing the door with graphite, Sylvia cleaning, detailing, sorting, purchasing and organizing the interior is in much better condition and with Art helping put in the new dinette.  Maybe I'm alone so much because my friends are afraid to come around, I'll put them to work.  The motorhome is really taking shape and of course a huge step forward happened when Steve took on the task of installing a new radio, fixed the speakers including two new ones, detailed the dash, the whole front of the motorhome.  Wow!

On November 2 my renters arrive from Lake Tahoe to learn about the motorhome and then drive to San Diego for a week.  How I hope everything works well for them, we are all certainly trying to get it ready.

Tomorrow morning at 10 I see a property in Stockton with 6 acres.  Then I come back home to work on appraisals and tweak the motorhome some more.  Today's mail brought me a check, enough to take the pressure off for now and I'm grateful for it.

Last night was awful, one of those nights when everything just seems to keep crashing into the thinking and sleep would not come but this morning I caught a break.  Ken and I had planned to walk at 7 but he called to tell me it was misty so we both decided that was far too dangerous with my cold, the next thing I knew was phone ringing and it was Nikki telling me Kallie could got to SS.  It was 8:13.  Latest I've slept in a very long time, yea!

Sending wet hugs to all, its raining here tonight and thats just fine with me.

Love

tim

The Experience of Working

The work week has come to an end and when I was standing at the counter at Taco Bell in Brentwood I was watching the people creating fast food.  I thought wow they really work hard to keep up with the demands of us customers, they looked up at the monitors to see what was needed next and then quickly they moved their hands creating the gourmet delights or whatever!

As some of you know for the last three weeks I've done little else than work and sleep.  Anything else has been put on hold, the dishes are hardly ever washed, the dogs get fed when they beg and Lois ended up feeling the cats, they had given up on begging me for food.  I see tonight that they supplemented their diet with a bird, only a few feathers are left!  For some reason several management companies conspired to see if they could bury me and of course the rush came just when I wanted relaxing time with Timothy and Jason and Jo. That was not to be, every hour there I was at the laptop working so gave Timothy short shift, sorry buddy.

Now the wave of work has come to an end.  I see one on Sunday, need to write up that one and two others and then I'm caught up again.  I sort of thought this day would come but now that its here its a strange feeling.  My neck and chest tell me that I could not work at this intensity for very long or something would break inside. Today I've worked since 6:15 this morning and I'm very tired.

Tomorrow morning if I feel decently healthy I'm going to bring Kallie to Sabbath School.  If I can control the coughing so as not to make her ill.  We sure don't want that.  It will be wonderful to do something normal for a change.  Earlier I checked the computer and it looks like well over $5,000 is now owned to me by just one company and there were others that owe as well.  So perhaps someday money will once again come in the mail.  Perhaps.

Anyway tonight I feel tired and like the workers at Taco Bell I too have been busy creating things people want and need, work is just that, its not easy and I could sure use a break but for now I'll just hang in and hope for life again someday.

Good night my friends and enjoy your weekend, love the one you are with.

Tim

Moving forward

Dear Family and Friends,
Why do I feel so alone most of the time?  Just asking, oh could it be because I'm alone all the time, that could be it.  Just sleeping and working for the last few weeks.  At least I'm getting good at cranking out reports and making new friends, sort of, who work at management companies.
This morning I came down and just went to work, with a steaming mug of hot mocca and classical music in the background I settled in to write appraisals and to face some very tough emotional things I needed to do.  So before I could think too much I had the phone ringing for the lawyers office for the FDIC, the ones who are after me for an appraisal done by this office 5 years ago, one that I happen to think we did a good job on.  Someone named Jean answered and was pleasant to talk with.  When I asked if I could have a copy of the appraisal review she said they didn't have it back yet so there was nothing so far to respond to.  She just asked that I supply the name of the E&O company I use and that would satisfy for now.  Mind you her letter to me arrived August 28 and they have no even gotten the review back yet?  Raises lots of questions, mainly I did not get the feeling that my delay was causing any extra problems.  OK one down, then I called my mortgage company but never could get through, the phone line would hold for a bit and then hangup on me so I had to give that one up.
This afternoon I inspected the biggest home I have ever been in.  It is supposed to be over 8,000 sf and is just amazing.  I think the owner is the CEO of a local bank.  Just a few details, each walk behind wet bar, there are three, had a dishwasher, frig, wine frig, disposal.  There are thousands of feet of Travertine tile flooring, the kitchen has granite that must be 5 inches thick and triple scultpured on the edges, the freezer and dishwashers have wood front so just look like cabinets, there are many bedrooms and each has its own patio and bathroom, the living room is two stories high and has walls covered with game trophies, rino's, lions, fox, birds, big game and little game, reminds me of the place Bob and Carrol took me in Rio Vista where the walls are covered with big game animals mounted on the walls.
The owner showed me through and she was so nice and informed.  Her husband in on a committee that meets in Washington several times a year to discuss banking issues.  At the present time there are plenty of issues, duh!  The garage holds 4 cars and has custom wood doors that open like conventional garage doors but do not look like Garage doors at all.  The entire walls have cabinets and the floor glistens with a special treatment.  When you step in the lights come on for you.
It was a really interesting opportunity but now comes the hard part.  Turning my notes and observations into a reasonable appraisal that will stand the scrutiny that a loan this large deserves.  I have her only set of prints with me for a few days.
Well its been a week since any money came in the mail, not so fun because the bills just keep coming in.
My head aches a lot now from the coughing which is still pretty bad.  I just keep going since there is work to do and get written up.  After Stockton and Taco Bell I drove to Mountain House to inspect a more normal sized home.  It was built by Pulte and is a good floor plan, selling for $275,000.  Then on toward home and some pasta with mushroom soup and cottage cheese.  Now slowing down a bit.  I may go to the club yet tonight to do some basic workout and I may not, we will see.
Sending love to all, Jo says Mia is doing great, eats and sleeps, everyone there is feeling better now.  I can't go visit again until I get well and I want that to happen soon.

Love

tim

A quick word

Good evening
As things are very busy now I have virtually no time to kick up and write the blog.  I've got at least another one to get out this evening and its 8:35.  Head aches, coughing in worsening so not sure where I am heading other than to see yet another property.  Perhaps someday they will actually start sending checks for the work completed.
Once Friday night arrives I'll have a chance to catch you up on what has been taking place.  It is so hard to be sick so I'm unable to spend time with Keanna, Kallie, Timothy and now new little Mia.  Thank God for them all.

Love

tim

Exhausted and satisfied

6:15 alarm - shower
6:35 finish appraisal
9:00 leave for Kensington
10:15 arrive Kensington - inspect nice old house - feel the love
12:30 arrive in San Ramonn - inspect tiny senior citizen condo
2:20 arrive in Piedmont for 3:30 appointment, owner accidentally comes home early
4:30 arrive in Fremont to conduct field review of someone elses appraisal - nervous about time
5:05 fight traffic to Campbell
6:05 arrive at Campbell home, shadows are lengthening, yikes, home has pool and spa, surprise, owner works for Nasa, interesting!
7:30 begin trek home, get to talk to some friends and family on the way home
8:45 arrive home, no money in the mail but great deals at Safeway, big deal!
9:00 wade through emails, start to fix conditions, set up new orders

All in all a pretty good day, totally safe, ate lousy food other than the apple and water I started with, no time to stop.

So how was your day?

love

tim
ps  Dr Jim confirms that lab results say no cancer in my lip but there are a few bad cells near my elbow which he will remove Nov. 2.  Just wanted to let you know.

The Soup Hit the Spot

Dear Family and Friends,
The assault continues, if I'm awake I'm working.  This morning I wrote an appraisal, submitted it and then drove to Oakland Hills.  The home I inspected was one built after the fire destroyed the home that had been there.  This one was adobe, perfectly landscaped and decorated and was a real job to inspection.  But by the time I had finished my blood sugar was very low, I could feel it and knew I had to do something.  I ate a little honey and oats bar, meandered all over the hills shooting photos and then set out for home.  In Walnut Creek I decided on a subway for lunch but when I stopped I ended up going next door to a little cafe.  The lady behind the counter was great and pointed me to the vegetable soup.  Turns out they make it right on the spot so I had a bowl of soup and 1/2 a sandwich.  The soup was heavenly, hearty, hot and very tasty.  What a treat, it felt like excellent medicine.
Once I got home there was mounds of work to cope with and a check, a deposit for the motorhome, what timing.
I set to work knowing I had to complete two reports before I leave in the morning to see 5 properties.  They range in location from Kensington, to San Ramon, to Piedmont, to Fremont and then end in Campbell at 5:30.  I hope I feel better tomorrow and can cope with the day.  What am I saying, of course I'll do it and enjoy it.
So good night my friends, I'm off to bed now.

love

Tim

Sick

Report
I'm still here, alive and semi kicking!  I rose this morning at 7:15, showered and had breakfast and found myself behind before I even left for the field.  I arrived at the first appointment to discover it was raining and since I had the rental care there was no coat in the trunk.  Not fun and I felt terrible, coughed the entire hour trip to San Leandro.  The owner was Terrific and gave me hot tea while we talked.  Then I drove to the second appointment and found the owner finally as I was preparing to leave.  He had a stroke about a year ago and does not move too fast.  The property had a great view amenity of the SF, the bay and the vast area below.  They had remodeled everything and even had two steam showers.  By now I really felt rough so I called my special doctor friend Jim Edwards who was on his way to a golf game.  He called in some meds while he was on the course.  What a friend.
So I stopped at CVS and Sandy had the meds ready, I took the first pill in the parking lot and I'm about to take the second one now.  Sylvia had been a great sounding board for me and suggested I take some Tylenol which I did. 
Once home I had soup, orange juice and then settled into the chair before a roaring fire for a few minutes.  Jerry's wood long ago delivered came in great today.  AFter a bit I felt better and have come into the office and worked.  I just sent out an appraisal of a house I saw today and I'll do a couple more in the morning before I leave to see homes tomorrow.
This evening I don't have the fever that hit me last night but the coughing and head pain is very real.  I've had tea all day and a little while ago I had a slice of bread with Laughing Cow cheese, 35 calories a wedge and a tomato from my plants which I sliced very thin to make it last.
I also baked a potato and smothered it will cottage cheese, pinto beans and butter. Talk about good!
Now I'm heading to bed and will sleep until I wake in the morning.  Thank you dear friends and family for your friendly and helpful calls today.
This afternoon Jo and Mia came home from the hospital but Jason and Timothy will have to keep their distance as both are sick, sort of with the same thing I have, no fun and not good for little Mia.  Jo seems to be doing very well and I'm so proud of her and Jason.

Well here comes a new week, are you ready?  I know I'm not mentally.

Love to all,

Tim

Ill

Good evening
As the even progressed I have become more and more ill, a fever has appeared and I have to have a blanket around me to ward off the chills.  Its been a good day with a walk, a soccer game with Keanna running heart little legs off, Kallie telling me I was her best friend, Sylvia driving out and helping me reclaim the motorhome.  She has done incredible work inside, it gleams everywhere and along with what Steve did it has come a long ways.
This afternoon I took a call, it was someone who may want to rent the motorhome Nov 24, that would be so sweet.  Deposit is on its way for the Nov 2 rental.

Good night, feel pretty lousy and have appointments all day tomorrow, bummer.

Love

tim

Home again

Dear Family and Friends,
Our family just got a little bigger and what a joy she is.  She speaks up, eats all the time, sleeps a lot and is a hardy baby.  Timothy was quite in awe of the little lady and talked about her a lot.

Last night he fell asleep on the couch and made it through the night until a phone message came in on my cell at 7 waking him.  We did fine together though many of the normal carefully crafted rules were slightly bent when pappa was in charge.  He was a very helpful little man, selected his clothes each day, taught me how to make the DVD play his special programs, helped me whenever I printed anything at my makeshift office at the dining room table and kept a watchful eye on the men who were cutting down the huge 100 foot high trees in the back area.

This morning I woke knowing I had to get one out by noon or else.  At 11:55 it was emailed to the lender.  The process is pretty amazing.  I wrote the bulk of the report on the laptop including putting the photos in place.  Then I emailed it to my office, took control of my office computer by remote and finished the report up that way and emailed it out.  Since some of the photos I had taken on Wednesday night were pretty dark I went back this afternoon and took some fresh ones just to be ready if the lenders asks. 

Jason came home this morning with a sore throat and helped with Timothy, then I left after I had done all I could work wise.  I wished I could have just stayed put so Jason could stay at the hospital but work and deadlines were calling.  After a quick trip to Art and Connie's where I picked up a part he had ordered for the motorhome I then had to drive back to the Hayward hills to shoot additional photos of comps.  Then I fought traffic all the way home arriving after 5 pm.  It felt good to be home and LeAnn had given the puppies great care.

I'm so thankful that Mia arrived healthy, that Jo is doing so well and that Timothy is ready for his new sister.  God's blessings are the eternal kind and this is certainly one of the great ones.  It will be some picture in the future of the whole family!  This is really a great experience.

Love to all

Tim

Mia Ling Mustard 10/14/2010

She arrived late morning to a very anxious mother and father.  She weighted in at 7 8.6 and was 20.25 inches high, she has a mustard chin, a cute little nose and precious little eyes.  I've included a couple photos taken this afternoon when Timothy met her for the first time.
Now Timothy and I are back at the house.  He fell asleep in the car as we drove back with so much excitement today but when he woke he was suffering an allergy attack.  Those are very scary moments but he helped me get the benedryle out and into him.  Now he is doing fine and watching a DVD about little train engines, one named Thomas.  Nice story and he is mellow now.

I've continued to work as much as possible by remote today and have not really pleased anyone I think.  Oh well another day is coming and I'll just keep on working.  Right now I'm laboring on the quadruplex located in antioch.

Life continues to be very interesting but todays arrival of Mia was a huge blessing.  She will be a wonderful addition to the family.  She seems strong, not very frightened of noises, lights and likes to be held including a moment or two with pappa.

Love to all this evening,  Life is short lets live it well.

Tim

Catching a break

Dear Family and Friends
I'm writing to you from Jason and Jo's dining table.  After an incredible day I'm finally here and so very glad to be through.
The day started at 6 when I jumped up, well actually stumbled up and showered, then took the dogs down and fed them treats.  The blood sugar turned out to be pretty good so I rewarded myself with a mocha.  I started work on the two that had to be completed.  Of course a report from yesterday had been rejected by the company so I had to rework that, it ended up making it stronger and there were other conditions that came in.  I had started packing for my trip from the start of the day, computer bag, breathing machine, toothbrush, few clothes, meds etc.
I had a goal of writing two reports before I left for the 3 pm appointment and at 2:15 I emailed the second report out.  Then I quickly loaded the car, bade the doggies a good bye and drove to Hayward.  As I pulled up my heart sank.  The home was attached to a steeply upsloping site, you know the kind that should never have a house built there at all.  Fortunately he had a floor plan, unfortunately when I looked at the plan later I discovered he did not have the rooms marked at all.  While I had walked through the entire home and shot photos remembering where everything is to be found will be a challenge.  Of course finding comps for this stunning house took forever and that put me late to the Aptos ranch inspection.  So late that I hardly got there before dark.  I shot my photos and then measured in the fog and darkness.  The residents were great, in fact the single mom was drop dead stunning!  Nice extra thrown in.
Once I had the house seen then it was only a 10 minute drive over to MBA and Jason and Jo.  They were just arriving back when I pulled in. 
I was able to fix an appraisal problem by remote when I got here and now I'm ready to relax.  Of course on the way a couple more orders came in, one will pay cash, yes!
Tomorrow morning Jo and Jason have to be at the hospital at 6 am and the baby will arrive around 8.  This is pretty exciting stuff but it feels so strange to be here without Nan.  How she loved the babies, she deserves to be here, we all got robbed.
Well this is my story for tonight and I'm sticking to it.  Tomorrow I'll care for Timothy and we'll got shoot comps, I'll write up a couple reports and in the afternoon perhaps we can go get a peek of the baby.
Lets all pray that Jo will be blessed as she goes through this process tomorrow.

Love

Tim

long hours continue

Good evening,
Just a quick message to report another 14 hour day, many reports have been written, more need to be written but new orders have slowed so perhaps I can catch up soon.
We are once again having a warm spell, at least that is what I have heard.  I hardly left the office today other than to race to Oakland, shoot 5 photos and race back, insert them into the report and then email it out.
With the new meds in my system my blood sugar was back to normal this morning, there is a lesson in there, meds are important and should be taken seriously.
This afternoon the auto body shop called with bad news.  They have found some problems with the bug that were not crash related, transmission cables and front wheel boots, both sound expensive.  He was to call me back with an estimate but so far no call back.  Here we go again, one more expense I did not expect.

Well I'm going to start working on yet another appraisal now and when I get sleepy, thats it, I'm going to bed.

I'll write more when I can, my plans for tomorrow have me seeing a property at 2:30 and then heading on down to Aptos to see a farm with three acres and then end up at Jason and Jo's place tomorrow evening.  Then Mia will be born on Thursday and I'll watch Timothy, then on Friday afternoon I'll head back home.  This is all so exciting, a new little human being making her arrival.  Jo says she is kicking just like Timothy did and both of them are saying, oh no, another lively little person!

God is good,

love to all

Tim

A Big Day

So how is your life going?  Now take my life, a couple months ago three orders were about a week's worth, now its different or at least for the present.  I was at 6 properties today starting this morning at 9:10 in the southern part of San Jose, then a second one in that same basic area at 10:30, then I drove to Fremont to meet Steve at 1.  From there it was over to Newark for a 2 pm inspection.  Then back to Fremont for a 3:15 inspection.  Just after I started driving this morning a contact called from Fremont saying that he could see me today after all.  We had settled on Wednesday at 2:30.  So with Steve's help checking data on his Iphone I was able to go ahead and see #6 for the day.  It was a two story and had lots of ins and outs to measure.  Just after I started my pen ran dry, the pencil in my briefcase was out of lead, the sun was starting to move its way down and I guess the normal human reaction is to panic a bit.  I knocked on the door, borrowed a pen and completed the inspection.  Then I found a little shipping store and purchased a pen.  It will be my new best friend.
Once the last Fremont was put to bed I headed home, oh what an adventure that was, through traffic, Niles Canyon Road and finally Vasco.  Once I entered the house the dogs went wild, they wanted to know all about it and in spite of Starrs weakness she was still very pleased I had made it home another day.
Now I'm going to bed.  Tomorrow is going to be an unbelieveable day with so much to do and so little time.  I'm confident that the Lord will guide as He did today.  It felt so good to be back out there working, moving through the routines and then on to the next home.  Steve was a great help and is a careful inspector at the properties.
Jason says they are preparing for the baby and so far they are still shooting for Thursday.  What fun for all of us except Jo, she will be doing all the hurting and working.

So good night friends and family,

Love

tim

Blessed

Dear Family and Friends,
Just a couple days until our family grows with the exciting addition of Mia to the mix.  Of course she will grow to be a Republican and probably rule the world, can't wait.  I think Jo would probably agree with the can't wait part, I know she is really feeling it right now and I thank her for her sacrifice so Mia can join the fun.

While some of you let this day slip through your fingers in leisure and perhaps watching a game or two on the tele I on the other hand was very hard at work.  When someone gives me a chance then I'm going to make the very best of it I can.  Having organized everything last night today was a day of action.  With Ken sleeping in, he was so tired, LeAnn really keeps him busy! I slipped out of bed, took one look at his house and seeing no lights decided that we would not be walking today.  Since I was up I came down and wrote an appraisal, emailed it out and then had breakfast.  My meager grocery purchases yesterday were just enough and it tasted very good.  Then I loaded up the car and headed for Lathrop, a little bedroom town which was hit hard by the bad loans and foreclosures.  Only today I was going to help people prepare for an upcoming bankruptcy and they needed a value for the courts.  The home was lovely and had so many flat screen TVs I could not believe it.  They were watching 3 large screens with football games on each in the family room, there was yet another going in the garage and then each bedroom had a smaller flat screen as well.  Only in America!  Since the inspection was a cash one I left with green in my wallet.  I was excited because now I could afford to get my meds which had been held hostage for over a week!  After a quick stop at home for lunch spent standing on the back deck enjoying the day, the ducks, the geese, the fish jumping, the swans swimming, the gators snapping, wait!  No fish were jumping, no swans in sight and the gators were still in Florida.  You have to go to Lakemont to see swans, right Roger and Carol!
I left for Antioch where I inspected a home that was reported to be trashed by the angry residents who had lost their home.  Well I was pleasantly surprised.  Once I got past the 3 foot high weeds and through the door that had been broken down by thieves I found the granite still in place untouched in the kitchen, the appliances were gone but had been taken out carefully, the carpets were in great shape, the paint was fine, there were little things like the back yard AC condenser was trashed, someone was after copper and there were a few rough spots but mostly it is a nice house and should sell well.  I'm working for the bank on this one.
Then it was on to a 4 plex in the less than ideal part of the city.  This afternoon everything was fine, thugs were on vacation or siesta or something and the inspection went quickly.  How hard is it to measure 4 units that are all the same in size and features.  After driving the comps I headed to CostCo to have some fun.
I was headed there for water and vit. D.  I found both and also discovered some frozen blueberries, 3 pounds of them, some sausages for breakfast, a whole lot of them for a little price and a couple other things, oh yes two dozen eggs for $1.99, I treated them so carefully in hopes that I can get them home and in the frig without smashing them like last time.
On the way home I finally arrived at CVS to discover they had given up and put the meds back on the shelf.  That did not set well but I walked around and calmed down.  They were so nice and took my $57 in cash without batting an eye.  I came home and unloaded the groceries, then proceeded to reload the pill box for the week.  It is finally full for a change, now lets get the blood sugar level down to 100 again.  Ray had some extra meds that I use so he contributed to the cause for which I am very grateful.
Tomorrow morning I start my day at 9 am in San Jose, oh that will be a fun drive for sure!  Then I see another one nearby at 10:30 and then I meet Steve in Fremont to see a 3rd property, then nearby for a 4th and finally at 4:30 for a 5th property.  Do you have any idea of what a blessing that is, its has been many months since I had 5 to do in a whole week!!!  Now we are seeing them in one day.

So I'm trying to stay focused, to work hard, to work smart and to keep calm and just enjoy the blessing of work.  It feels so good to be able to work with Steve again as well.

So for tonight that is all she wrote........

Love


tim
ps  the couple who are renting the motorhome called today to place a deposit, problem is I didn't know how much the deposit is supposed to be, yikes.  One more thing to take care of.

Things change

Dear Family and Friends,
9:20 Sabbath evening, classical music is playing through the Bose speakers and the computer.  The dryer is making its normal loud sounds bringing the end to some loads of wash.  I had an interesting experience earlier in the evening.  In spite of $2,215 coming in in the last 20 hours until it clears the bank I am totally broke.  So out comes the piggy bank for a very selective shopping spree at Safeway.  One quart of milk, two bananas, one loaf of break that was on sale and one little container of fat free half and half.  Of course when I checked out the same credit card came through for me again even though I'm over the limit.  Bless you Visa credit card.  I had $6.20 with me to cover the needed items.
Lately I've been harking back to the many packs of food I have from Jenny Craig that Pam passed on to me.  They are surprisingly good and so quick to prepare.  Rip open a corner of the lid, put in instant hot water, seal and wait for 5 minutes, stir and enjoy.  Tonight it was split pea soup and so good.
This morning I woke feeling much better having decided that the Sabbath hours did not need to be cluttered with the worries of yesterday or tomorrow.
The girls were ready to travel to Sabbath School and just listening to them banter back and forth is a very rewarding experience.  Keanna disappeared and I didn't see her for an hour.  Kallie and I joined 4 other 2 year olds with Emily the teacher today.  She had double duty as Luke, her little two year old grandboy was one of the 5.  She did a great job and the kids all had a wonderful time.
Afterwards Keanna appealed for McDonalds, it is newly remodeled and very nice, so we went and again I sore of sweated the cost factor but the trusty credit card worked, they had their happy meals and played for a long time on the play structure.  Kallie is fearless which is often a problem and results in scratches and scrapes on her knees and arms.
Once I delivered them home to their loving parents and admired the salt water tank that steve has set up I headed home.  Once home I discovered that the mail was good to me today.  One of the main lenders came through with a nice check.  Thank you Lord for the work and the pay.
I've got everything mapped out for the next few days. Steve will helping me on Monday which is so needed.  A couple of the orders turned out to not need my work, one is on hold right now but there are plenty to go around for now, about 18 total orders.  This is in comparison to about 3 a week for the last couple months.  Yes I feel blessed and challenged to do my best, get them seen and completed and feel a touch of success again.
So now its bed time.  My first appointment is in Lathrop tomorrow morning at 10, then there are two in Antioch to see and of course a few to write up as well.

Sending love to all and a special thanks to Judy from Laurelwood days.  She has remained a tremendous friend over the years, a very special person.

Also thinking of Jo as she is dealing with the last few days of Mia inside and very anxious to come out to play!

tim

Its Over

Dear Family and Friends,
I am so relieved to be able to write to you this evening.  Today has been a tough one to live through and I'm very glad to have it behind me now. 

This evening I'm looking forward to taking my little girls to Sabbath School, something totally normal for a change and I'm also looking forward to a bit of a nap in the afternoon.  If you could see my desk with all the orders that keep pouring in you could understand.  My situation is as serious as it was before, then it was a money problem, with 3 orders a week the ship was sinking fast, now with 3 to 5 orders a day coming in I can't begin to keep up with the demands, its a good problem but still causes incredible stress. Of course I don't want to blow it with any of these nice clients who have discovered my services.

When I got home this afternoon from Redwood city and seeing a two unit property there I discovered when I opened the computer that one company pays through paypal and was offering to pay for three reports that we have just completed.  Well that was great news so I went to Paypal and told them to deposit them into the business account, only problem is, it will take 3 to 5 days to do so.  While I could sure use a bit of the money now, tonight, I'll be glad it is coming and what a nice way to be paid, direct deposit into Paypal!

When I got home tonight I discovered that Steve has removed almost all the rock and has taken all but two of the fish, not sure where he has them but he is relentless when he starts a project and it is helpful to me as I will be able to turn off the pumps that run 24 hours a day using valuable energy, yet I miss the tank, with the fish and I know Nan would also miss them.  The tank has provided years of enjoyment of both of us and I just don't have the time or knowledge of how to keep it beautiful like Steve does and Nan did.  So it is just another step in moving on.  I miss my old life so much as the one I live right now is lousy.  If it were not for the kiddos who bring so much job it would be totally a waste of time, long hours of work, never enough income to keep anyone happy, health is slipping, blood sugar has been in the 150s for days now when I get up, never has been there before, I have other health issues too which I'll not go into.

I'm thankful that God has given me work, that He has seen me through another week safely and that its now the Sabbath hours.  Within a few days Mia will join us and that is going to be very exciting for all of us.

Good night my family and friends,

Love

tim

The Pace is intense

Dear Family and Friends,
Its 8:30 and I've just had some dinner and taken the pills I have left.  At this point I'm out of money, the Blue Cross payment was taken today, all $1,005 of it for the month and only $800 came in the mail, that goodness it came.  I was able to shuffle some funds to cover the health insurance but I certainly hope money comes tomorrow in the mail.  When I work this hard and these very long hours I'm looking forward to the payback and soon.
I wrestled with a tough one today, I had to do a rebuttal to a couple of  reviews of an appraisal I had completed in July.  The irony is, they agreed with the value I arrived at, just not the method I used to get there.  They demanded 3 new comps that had closed in the last 90 days and located within 5 miles of the subject property.  There are no such comps.  It was an interesting couple hours trying to battle back to support the report that had already taken many hours to produce.  Now it is with the underwriters so we will see.
After I completed that there was a relocation report to be written for a property in Tracy.  It was due today and it went out but hours later than I would have liked.  Of course there were comp checks for clients, setting up new orders, making appointments.
Later this afternoon I just blew off the office and drove to Hayward, did an inspection of nice little house and then grabbed a burrito on the way home.  It was nice to talk to my brother as I drove and hear about his roaring fire and the walk in the cool weather he took today.
So now its time to start on yet another challenging one which I'll start tonight and complete in the morning before leaving for Oakland at 9 am.

I guess you can probably tell my stress level is pretty high, there are so many things in the mix, getting the motorhome ready to rent, dealing with the mortgage adjustment, dealing with the threat by the FDIC over the 5 year old appraisal, needing to purchase meds but having no money to do so, just little things like that and this afternoon 5 more orders came roaring in.  From Aptos to Stockton and all points in between.  When it rains it certainly pours these days.

Wishing all of you a good night and a good Friday tomorrow.

Love

tim

The pressure is on

Dear Family and Friends,
This will have to be brief tonight.  Today has been a very long day, a day filled accomplishments, Keanna's visit, getting to inspect a property with Son Steve and more orders, try about 4 more today alone.  Between Steve and me three were shipped out today, or was it four?  Problem is, just because you ship it out does not mean it won't come back for revisions, they are all helpful but can be really stressful at the same time.

This new world with plenty of work is very exciting, how I wish they were paying normal fees.  Instead the typical report order has a payment of just $260 connected.  That is less than we charged 10 years ago so trying to get ahead is out of the question but perhaps we can catch up a bit.  I've not had time to submit the new paperwork to the lender on my own loan.

I feel like I'm learning a lot right now by being inundated in the work, I just hope my body can hold up under the stress and long long hours in this chair and on the road.  Getting to see the doctor is out of the question right now or even calling the Blue Cross to see if I can reduce the monthly premium, that takes hours to get through to someone.

So right now I'm heading to bed for a much deserved rest.  Good night and thanks for the prayers that have produced all this new work, it is a huge blessing and will eventually pay off.

Love to all,

Tim

ps  Mia is set to arrive in just a few days, how exciting that will be.

Be careful what you beg for in your prayers..........

I mean it, think twice.  I've been whining and begging for work for months morning and night in my prayers and the flood gates have opened.  It seems every hour another order comes in from Appraisal Port, or Appraiser Loft or 360 Mortgage or Trimavin, wow I have a full board of work right now, so much so that I'm having a hard time getting any personal stuff done, can't even keep up with EHarmony contacts, now that is a heart  breaker, so many women, so little time, rough times.

This afternoon I drove to Ruby Hill, a very upscale development which is carefully guarded by a security group, gates and inspections.  The home was over 5,200 sf and backed to a golf course view.  It was filled with very nice artwork and was in perfect condition throughout.  Not a bad spot anywhere, where there was that signed shirt by Tiger!

It took over an hour just to measure the home but with patience it is now done, the comps are shot and I'm home.  Once arriving at home I took up an appraisal that was needed tomorrow and wrote it tonight and emailed it out a few minutes ago.  Now I'm tired and heading for bed.

So love to all,

Tim

Hitting it hard

Dear Family and Friends,
Our walk this morning was interesting.  It was windy, cold and very brisk to say the least.  Once home I started shutting sliding doors to ward off the cold wind.  After a morning of research and setting up orders I left for a mixed use property in Oakland near the Berkeley border.  The little property had a store front office where every wall was at a different angle and a very updated little house behind.  New kitchen, new bathroom, crown moldings, perfect hardwood floors, new paint all added up to a little home in very good condition.
After seeing the house I started the tedious process of finding and photographing the comparable sales.  I ended up shooting photos of 10 properties just to be safe.  None of them are perfect comparables yet perhaps together they will spell out a reasonable basis for finding a value.
Once I was finally through I turned for Dublin and a very little house.  The lady who lived there was so nice and content with a minimalist lifestyle.  She had a very cute little doggies who followed me every step of my inspection just to be sure I was OK.  Meeting her was a pleasure, a very nice lady and a cute little house. 
During the day I took a few calls, one was to request I do an appraisal this weekend for cash, fun stuff, another was to tell me they had heard my plea for more money and suggested a fee of $500 which sounded great to me.  I'll earn it for sure.  Yet another was to see if I could accept an appraisal assignment for a house located in a nearby town of Oakley.  So things are looking somewhat better than in the past.
Now its evening and I've just checked out the emails for the day.  The best one was from Bob.  Carrol, my friend who lives in Lodi just found out her latest cancer numbers were great, that they had dropped a lot since the last blood workup.  What great news for Bob and Carrol.
I received a very nice email from my friend who is on a cruise this week.  I was very amazed that she got an email out from the ship but was pleased to read it and learn she and her daughter are having a super time.
It takes me back to the cruising experiences I 've enjoyed, all of them were great and I loved every minute of them.  I remember a funny moment when we were cruising with Nikki and Steve.  We had only been on the ship for about an hour and we happened to see them.  With the energy of youth they had been every place on the ship and were wondering what they were going to be doing all week.  No relaxing for those two adventurers.  They loved the daily excursions best, diving with manta rays, exploring little towns, taking mini trips.
Good night to all,  at this point in my life I am so busy that I can't begin t see how I can get everything finished that needs to be done.

Love

tim

Hello Again

Dear Family and Friends,
What a great time this afternoon.  A wedding reception was held this afternoon in Tracy at the Ramon Rios Winery for Mr and Mrs Kevin Ahn.  Jason and Timothy drove over for the happy afternoon.  The weather was perfect, cool and comfortable, the food was great, the deserts incredible and the service was very special.  There were many people from Japan including the brides family so the wedding reenactment was a blending of American and Japanese cultures, it was splendid.  Germaine, a friend of Kevin and Jason from the university in Texas led out in the service.  Sylvia looked great and so did her mom.  The entire event went off very smoothly and I believe everyone had a very enjoyable time.  I was honored to be included.

Once the service was over and I went to my rental car I found I had a message waiting.  Get this, it was someone who wants to rent the motorhome for the week beginning Nov. 2.  They are first timers who live in Tahoe, are considering buying a motorhome and wanted to take a trip to San Diego to try out motorhoming.  What a blessing it would be if this really can take place.  I have decided one thing, if they put a deposit down on the motorhome I'm going to purchase new tires, the current ones are 8 years old, much too old to trust in this kind of circumstance.  So it seems all the hard work Steve, Art and I have put into getting it ready just might pay off.  I am thrilled.  But there is some hard work still to be done, new batteries, new tires and got to get that heater/AC fan to work on all speeds, not just high.

Tomorrow I'll walk the three miles with Ken in the cold and perhaps rain, then work in the office for the morning, see two properties in the afternoon, it will be a good day for sure.

Sending love to all, its been a good weekend, hope yours was beneficial too.

Tim

Keanna and Kallie go to Sabbath School

Dear Family and Friends,
This morning I had the high honor of picking these two little angels up and driving them to Sabbath School.  Kallie was having a conversation from the time we entered the car.  The practiced sharing a pig as we traveled, took turns screaming and made the trip go by in a blink.  Of course I had the rental car which was something new for them and they enjoyed that too.
Once we arrived Keanna disappeared instantly into her Sabbath School division and I took Kallie.  We heard singing as we approached and she marched right in and took her seat.  Kim ran a really good program which included marching around waving Jesus flags, holding wooly lambs, putting felt family members on the board, going into a tent shelter pretending to be little lambs, doing a craft and having a snack.  We sang, prayed, shared and learned.  Kallie loved every minute of the whole experience.
Then we met Keanna at the door and went back to their play area where Kallie played with a marble game for awhile and Keanna continued to crank out drawings.  Pat did a great job with Sabbath School in Sylvia's absence.
We next traveled to Burger King where the play area is small enough to not be dangerous to Kallie, the girls enjoyed their lunch making their apple juice boxes disappear in seconds.  I found the vegeburger to be very good as well.
Eventually we made the move to the car and drove home.  Since daddy Steve was not home yet I changed kallie and put her to bed and Keanna played quietly.  Steve came in with new additions to his salt water tank and worked the entire afternoon on it.  Like usual it is beautiful and he became aware of new modular units that can control heating, cooling, salinity, ph, lighting, pumps to create waves, wow there is so much available now.
I eventually made my way home for a little rest before venturing back to Tracy and this evening I found an inexpensive camera that Steve and I can share to get our work done.  Its amazing what one can purchase now for very little money that would have been hundreds of dollars in the good old days 15 years ago.
This was a good NAC day, that means no central air conditioning, a savings of $10 to $20.  I like that.
Tomorrow is a honey do day, the only problem is I have no honey so I have to make the list myself and then comply with it.  There are plenty of things to take care of.
I sincerely hope your weekend is going great for you.  Please remember to love the one you are with, love them with some intensity because otherwise they may not notice they are being loved.  It works that way, once you get used to something its easy to overlook it.  Don't overlook love ever!!!

Don't you love the photo of Keanna and Kallie.  No wonder life is so grand in spite of the challenges we all face.

Love

tim

A Busy Week

Dear Family and Friends,
9:55 and time to pull up the gangplank and cast off into dreamland.
Today was pretty busy and started with me sleeping in until after 7 this morning.  That was great.  Once the day started it never slowed down.
I was glad to see a local property at 9 this morning and then came back to the office to gather pieces of information and data to take with me.  I met a friend in Modesto at 11:45 and enjoyed a wonderful omelet at MiaMias.  After an enjoyable time I left for Stockton, for a credit counseling appointment.  Once I located the office I was led into an office and we worked over the numbers for the next hour.  She was extremely helpful in refining the information that I need to submit to my lender for the house mortgage.  She also determined that for the Citi credit card, the one we used for the trips to Boston, well that one I'll just have to pay on for the next 5 years at a rate of $523 a month.  Not the outcome I wanted but the only one short of declaring bankruptcy that will work. 
Once I left the credit counselor I drove home where I did a bit of research before leaving again for yet another appointment in Fremont.  Arriving there I discovered a very delightful east Indian family with a 4 year old boy who was into everything.  On the way home I caught some dinner and now I'm home ready to go to sleep.  Tomorrow I'll take the girls to Sabbath School after walking with Ken in the morning.
At the present time I have several orders to work with, I am very grateful for them and am anxious to get them seen and written.

So this week I've had a car accident, been out of work and buried with work, continued to cough painfully, endured hot weather but here I am safely through another week.

Love

tim