Contrasts

This morning I was able to complete what I could not last night.  The software people very quickly turned me on for another year at $66 a month and I was able to get the report out the door and to the lender.  Then I left for San Pablo where I discovered a little dump, flat top house with aluminum siding, weeds every place, a place that really needs someone to love it.  Once I was done there I drove to Brentwood to a 3,200 sf home with everything including a grieving widow.  So in one year she lost her marriage and her home, her father died, just very very sad to think of some with three kids going through all that.  The home was perfect, had a nice pool, lots of upgrades and so the contrasts.  Both homes will have a family living within their walls, who knows which one will be happier or more at peace.  The Brentwood home was once worth nearly a million dollars and is now selling for a 1/3 of that price.

This evening in an attempt to get my life back on tract I drove to weight watchers.  Their all new program really looks and sounds good.  This evening I've been playing with the online pages where you put in what you eat and it lets you know how you are doing, they are easier to use than ever and I was encouraged by attending the meeting.  It is standing room only and the speaker is an excellent communicator.  I found just the lift I needed.  The new program is even more friendly to those who love vegetables and fruits and is based on new research that seems to make good sense.

After WW I went to Raley's to get some vegefood and then caught up with Nikki and the girls at gymnastics.  It is always enjoyable to see the girls in action, they are great little people.  And this weekend I think I might venture out in my own motorhome to visit Jason and Jo, to hold little Mia and play with Timothy.  It should be fun.  I think I'll have Keanna Friday night for a sleep over and then take the girls to SS and then leave for MBA afterwards.  Work has slowed enough that I think I can take the time and renew that precious contact with family.

My rep from my loan company sent me an email today saying she was appealing the decision made by the investors and would let me know if she needed anything more paper work wise.  I'm so glad to have a person inside to render assistance.

These days are cold and Ken is forcing me to walk in the morning, can we say freeze.

So good night one and all,

love

tim

Life plods forward

Dear Family and Friends,
Right now I am seeing red.  I was just completing a report that was due out tonight and the software would not work, seemed it expired at midnight.  Of course I sent an email yesterday asking for a new one year agreement, heard nothing so assumed that they had renewed it, wrong.  Man my flash point is fairly low these days, last night when the bread I was baking had finished I took the little loaf out and sliced off a tiny piece to take a bite and managed to bite my tongue, there was blood everywhere and pain like I've not felt many times.  I was so upset and downright angry.  Eventually some mouthwash and a night of sleep calmed the pain.  I think I come by the anger naturally.  Both my mom and dad could really go off if pushed and I can sure feel the anger rise at times.  When things are unsettled like now with the house mortgage process bogged down, Starr so troubled by legs that don't work right and my own inability to get things done when they should be done, well it is easy to get upset.  Yes I know my heart does not need to stress and mostly I can walk away from intense moments after a bit.

I guess it is really disappointing to discover that at my age I'm still so imperfect, so riddled with contradictions and disappointments, I long to have the personality of Jesus, He really cared for people, not all emotional, but did the right thing for their eternal good, He was the master of tough love, oh to be wise and calm, caring and consistent.

I've mostly cranked out work today, went to see on this morning and it turned out to be really nice.  They have just completed a huge rear deck of vinyl material and their water view is excellent.  At one point it would be have worth a lot of money, now not so much and that is the sad side of my job.  Confirming bad news day by day is what I do.

This evening Keanna called to ask if we could do a piece of her homework.  She needed to interview me about my childhood.  We ended up gathering at the pizza parlor and had a great time with Steve, Nikki, Kallie and Keanna.  Food was good, family was even better, Kallie spilled her milk and later her water but they all handled it so calmly, I was very proud of them and of course charmed by little Keanna and Kallie.  Keanna scored big tonight.  She was blowing her quarters in a machine that never gives up its little stuffed toys, just frustrates the kiddos and she grabbed two stuffed creatures and got them both.  She promptly gave one to Kallie and was very happy to beat the machine.  It was a great performance!

Well its bed time since I can't do any more work until I call and get the software reconnected in the morning.

Love to all

Tim

Back in the saddle again

No not on horseback, I'll let Loree handle that duty, back in the work saddle again was what I meant.  As I write the house is filled with the great smells of baking bread, the loaf is just about ready and wow it does smell good.
Ken and I walked in the cold air, then I came back to start work.  To ward off the chill I stoked the fire into action and while I had breakfast it burned bright.  I can't see the fire when I'm working but I could feel it do its job all morning long.
After working for several hours I ventured outside and took the time to get the boat covered properly, now its ready for the next storm with a little light bulb burning under the canvas to keep it dry.  Then Lois and Ray helped me navigate the motorhome into place so I could dump the tanks.  While we were beside the coach Ray had me drill out the rivets holding in the broken awning handle.  Once I came in I went on the internet and found the part, have it ordered and in a few days we'll have that problem solved.
I've managed to work myself back up from the dumps about the loan company and tomorrow will start the process all over again, trying to help them see that if they give me a fighting chance I'll make my house payment even before I pay other things.  Its always been that way for my lifetime, the mortgage payment always came first.
And so a new week is upon us.  I'm thankful for basic health, true I still cough, I have pretty severe pain in the heal of my left foot and I've stopped losing weight, wonder why?

Still there are so many things to be thankful for and people who bless me, I love the kiddos so much and their parents are pretty nice too at times, well actually great!

Love to all and please pray for our friend Carrol who lives in Lodi with her faithful and dedicated husband Bob.  Carrol's other knee is giving out, she is on chemo and they face some challenging decisions this week.  I know they appreciate being remembered in our prayers.

Love to all,

Tim

Good news, bad news

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this evening the motorhome sits quietly in the driveway and is home from its 1600 mile venture to Arizona and back.  Wes and family had a great time and enjoyed the trip very much.  The motorhome performed very well and they are totally happy.  I too am happy that they are back safely after driving through really awful rain and wind.  What was interesting is this time both husband and wife drove the coach.  I don't think it has ever been driven by a woman before and she like driving it a lot. That could be interesting for the future.
So that is my good news, the motorhome is back safely.  The bad news came in the mail today.  A letter from PNC my mortgage company informed me that I did not have enough income to pay my mortgage therefore they were not going to modify the loan payment.  So now I must begin again I guess.  I've sent emails to the two counselors who I met with 2 weeks ago and we'll take it from here.  I have to admit it was a hard hit as I had hoped that all the hard work in getting all the paperwork ready would do the trick.
I've had a wonderful fire burning a lot today enjoying the wood that Jerry brought when he last visited. 
This morning Nikki and Steve allowed me to take the girls to Sabbath School and that was really enjoyable.  I was with Kallie and she really gets into the experience.  It was very very fun to get to have them both in the car and listen to their songs, their comments and their excitement about living.  How they were looking forward to coming home and decorating for Christmas.
This evening I'm made Ramein and a grilled cheese sandwich, I know not so healthy but oh so good.  Now before I head to bed I think I'll venture out one more time to Safeway and get a couple things, paper towels and dishwasher soup.  Just not ready to head to bed yet.

On EHarmony this evening a name popped up so I checked into her info.  Wow, she was a knock out and a family physician but she was so spectacular that I didn't even respond to her request for a conversation.  My impression is she is out of my league!  Yet she sure got my attention, very interesting views on life, on service, on family, sounds like an incredible lady.

I spoke to Barb Lammderding this afternoon and discovered that they were involved in a pretty nasty accident, the side of their Honda van was crushed.  While no one was hurt the insurance company decided to just pay them for it instead of fixing it.  So they have purchased a 2005 Honda Odyssey, white with brown leather interior, heated seats and they love it.  I'm so happy for them, glad they came through the accident OK, a lady turned into them while they were stopped, totally her fault.

Life sure moves fast these days.  I'm still reeling from the disappointment of the loan company denial.  I could take retirement money, catch the loan up and save the house but I'm not sure I want to use up my retirement funds to save the house at this point, does not seem to make a lot of sense.

Please pray that God will guide again as He has so many times.  Thank you for doing that.

Love to all,

Tim

Keeping it real

So there was this Friday where everything really clicked.  Meet in Orinda with a client, get a check, see 4 properties in Concord, Orinda,SF and end it up in Fremont, drive home, find checks in the mail box, after all these months finally a payday.

This evening I got to use the new axe I purchased on the way home.  It reduced a couple pieces of wood to bite size kindling which burned perfectly, what a nice evening and just to accomplish something else I tweaked the frig, you see after I last tweaked it the frig side has been running about 23 degees and that tends to freeze nearly everything.  So I decided that I would just put the old part that was keeping it too warm last summer back in and see if with the colder weather and cold nights perhaps the frig would be about righ now.  We will see.

Starr has been sitting with me in the recliner, she loves to spend time with her daddy and is so happy to have me come home after spending a long day in her little bed beside a oil filled heater I borrowed from Steve, keeps the part of the room nice and warm for her.  Its the least I can do.  Also she gets a wet food every morning now and she loves it.

Tomorrow morning we walk and then I get to take the girls to Sabbath School.  Then sometime during the day the motorhome is supposed to be returned, I'll be glad to see it back, I'm anxious to use it again myself.  There is something very subtle that takes place when you rent something out.  It changes the way you feel about it, can't really explain but there is something different.  I think you become more detached from it.  Like I think I could handle it if I had to sell it now.  Still waiting to hear from the lender but I did get a letter from the HUD counselors today with suggestions of what to do while waiting and I'm going to follow that carefully.

Well the Sabbath is here and I'm so very glad to experience it.

Love to all,


Tim

Nice

Dear Family and Friends,
I'm home again after driving to MBA and enjoying a day with Mia and her family.  I actually got to hold her a lot today and she is a really beautiful little lady.  Her tiny hands and big searching eyes, her soft skin and loud vocal renditions made my day.  Jo and Jason are doing a great job with she and Timothy. 
I set no alarm this morning and just climbed out into the cold when I woke.  Having been up late watching DVR offerings the night was great.  I just snuggle in under my two light blankets with Starr clamped to my side.  I roll back and forth until the blankets are wrapped tightly around me, then I just let my body create warmth.  With these super cold nights, at least for California, I keep the doors and windows closed.  The hot shower feels so welcome in the mornings and climbing out remains a challenge in the cool air.

Once I arrived at MBA today I first went to the kids house and I played with the little ones while Jason and Jo finished up on preparing the food.  Jo made many tasty dishes of food which we then transported using the back of my van.  Along with several other families we descended on the fireside room at the gym complex where a fire was roaring and the room was decorated nicely.  There was so much food, it was just amazing.  Everything was good and there were several tasty vegan dishes that seemed to be a big hit with the several families that assembled there.  After we stuffed our bodies with food many played in the gym shooting baskets or kicking soccer balls, there were little people and middle aged people there and all enjoyed playing and socializing.

At around 5 most gave up and headed back to their respective homes.  For the last hour before I left I had Mia sleeping soundly on a pillow on my lap.  It was great just watching her peacefully resting there.  Tomorrow night I'll have many pictures to share.

I missed seeing my other family today.  They spent the afternoon with their adopted family in Tracy and tonight Nikki is camped out somewhere waiting for shopping opportunities somewhere at nearby stores.  Black Friday for me will be spent seeing 4 properties and shooting comps for a couple more places.  I'll be busy and I hope to pick up a check for over a thousand dollars for some estate work.  Now that is my idea of black Friday.

I'm pretty sure you had a great day today.  I'm trying to move my perspective more and more from crisis to greatfulness.  No matter there are many things to be thankful for and to appreciate.  I wait anxiously for word from PNC, my mortgage company, how I hope and pray that they will be able to render  some help in adjustment the amount I pay each month for my house payment..  There are so many that are wrestling with big issues this year and we really need to hold each other up.

So on this special day of thanks I add my thanks for each of you and for what you are doing to lift those around you to know Jesus better, to live caring lives and to move beyond all the push for stuff to touching people with real relationships.
Love

tim

A Good Day

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”


A friend sent this and I wanted to share it.  Seems I have a lot to learn about really being grateful, about enjoying the now instead of regretting the past or dreading the future.
 
My wish is that you would enjoy your time together tomorrow, that you would express how you really feel to those you encounter, that you would fix broken things and strengthen good things, that you would treasure the simple things that are eternal and relegate the stressful things to a less important place in your life for at least one day.
 
I had dinner with a friend this evening, it was a very special time, the food was great, the rushing sweep of the day slowed to a crawl and peace reigned.  Life can keep surprising us if and when we let it happen.
 
Love to all,
Thank you family, friends for your being a part of my life and bringing great meaning to it when I will listen or be aware.
 
tim

The Winter Settles In

Good evening,
Well here it is 9:20 already and due to the very long evenings it seems like bedtime was hours ago.  This morning all the while dreading it I did drive to John Muir in Brentwood.  This outpatient facility was where I had the upper GI.  While they could improve the taste of the barium one has to drink and the crystals were something else the whole process was over in a few minutes and was done on time.  I was having breakfast at Diggers by 9:45. And what a breakfast it was, rye toast, scrambled eggs and a bowl of oatmeal that was huge and perfect.  The decaf even tasted great, now why can't I make coffee that tastes like that in my kitchen.

It was pouring rain outside and the good breakfast helped offset the procedure, a process that yielded no new evidence, they found nothing wrong, that was very disappointing as I had hoped for an answer to the constant coughing.  Well anyway one more thing eliminated from the list.

At noon I picked up her highness Keanna from day camp and we came back to the house.  She did a variety of things and at 3:45 we went grocery shipping.  She loves to shop, she comes from a long line of shopping women!  Well even Jason likes to shop.

At 5 I took Kallie to her swim lesson.  Now that was great.  Dressed in her little suit and swim diaper she splashed and kicked doing just what her instructor told her to do.  Fun fun watching her have such joy.

After I arrived home I went back out with Ray and Lois for budget pizza night at our local place.  The salad was perfect and the pizza was just wonderful, olive and fresh tomatoes.  Of course I should have stopped at one piece and instead I came home with just 1/2 the pie for later.

Tomorrow is another day in the field, I see this Fremont monster that is the biggest house in the whole area, the owner already told me it appraised for $1,200,000 a few months ago, talk about pressure.

So that was it today, my friend Sharon, who does upper GI's at a Modesto hospital all day long was my guide and when I called her and told her I was covered with blood, she was quiet for a minute and then laughed knowing I was teasing her about the procedure.  I was.  She was right, it was nothing.

Good night all,


love

tim

Upper GI on the horizon

Excuse me if I don't jump up and down about the prospects of tomorrow's procedure.  At 9 am in the morning I'm going to be drinking some stuff that is NOT a chocolate milkshake and then tecs will be watching what happens as it moves down through my upper GI tract.  What we are hoping for is a clue about why I cough so much after I eat or drink.  Could some of the food be slipping into my lungs?

Its been a good day.  I inspected a home this morning which now seems eons of time ago.  Then I had breakfast at the good old Byron Inn, 2 egg omlet with spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms.  It was so good, wish I knew how to create food that good.

Then I came home and went to work and I've been pretty much in this chair all day cranking out work and so very thankful to have work to crank out, yea!

At this time I'm leaving the stage to head to bed, get rest and climb out early and finish this report and ship it on its way.  A nice ranch on 2 acres with a horse barn and other outbuildings and all for just $385,000, last time it sold it was nearly $900,000.  Talk about a bargain.

Good night all and please keep our young families in your prayers, their lives are filled with constant challenges.

Love

tim

Mt. Diablo

Dear Family and Friends,

Suddenly the world opened up before us, we could see for many miles as the sun continued its arc downward through the silver clouds.  Lois had mentioned she would like to travel up Mt Diablo, a nearby mountain of a few thousand feet, and as I worked I became more and more ready to do something else, to live a bit so I called and they both were ready to travel.
It took awhile to find the right road up the mountain and we were not allowed to travel to the top since there was a dusting of snow this morning and the rangers were concerned about slick spots on the tarmac but we got within 2 miles of the summit.  The views of the sun setting were amazing, well here, take a look for yourself.

It was incredibly cold as we stood on the bluff and looked down to the towns spread out below, Walnut Creek, Danville, Diablo, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Dublin, Alamo, Livermore.

As we traveled down the mountain we decided to take the other road home, the one that pointed toward Walnut Creek and sure enough it actually provided us with yet another entrance to the park, one that seemed closer for our next trip up to the summit for a view every direction.

So that was our day, how was yours?

Readers Digest has an excellent article about the power of saying thank you.  I'm into being thankful this week.  In spite of terrible loses that many of us have experienced we yet have an abundance of areas and people we can be thankful for.  I'm thankful for you whether you are a family member or a friend of our family.  How dull life would be without special people who cheer us up, give us advice, pray for us and make life worth living.  And mostly I'm thankful for the good Lord who keeps on caring in spite of mistakes we make.  How I would love to sit on a park bench with Jesus and just get His take on everything in life. Oh to love like He loves, to have His insight, His strength, His understanding.

Love to all

Tim

An interesting day

Dear Family and Friends,
In life we never really know what to expect next.  Let me explain this way.  I met Wes, the person who was renting my motorhome for a week, in Clayton at 12:15.  He was a very pleasant person and quickly learned the ins and outs of the motorhome.  At about 1:30 he drove off planning to attend a birthday party in a nearby neighborhood.  At 5 pm he called to say that when the party was over and he walked out to the coach to leave for his home in San Rafael the key would not open the door and nothing he and his friends did could open the door, the key would not turn the locking part of the door to let it open.  I was set to leave for Tracy to attend Michael Ahn's wedding which was to start at 5:30.  So not sure what to do I went on the internet, searched locksmiths in Concord, found one, got an agreement for him to send a locksmith out to the address and went to the wedding. After the wedding was over I found a message on my phone.  My locksmith had decided he could not keep the appointment and called it off. Wes was still stuck at his friends house.  He called AAA and they said they could do nothing.  I was about to call my service which is run by Good Sam, a motorhome oriented roadside service but Wes told me they had found another locksmith and he was 10 minutes out.
In a few minutes he called back to say that $120 later the door was open and the lock had totally failed , it just wore out.  So I went back into the reception to enjoy the meal when the phone rang again.  It was Wes and he was desperatate.  He said he was driving and there were no dash lights so he could not see how fast he was going.  I talked him through finding a flashlight I keep near the driver's seat and had him shine the light on the dash, he did and he found the control that determines how bright the dash lights are.  Wes is a big guy and his knee had brushed the dial when he was getting in to the seat.  So he was on his way, thank you Lord for working everything out.
There were hundreds of people at the reception and wedding.  I was placed at a table of old friends from my years in Tracy and it was especially good to talk at length with Dr. Royal Aaby, a truly awesome individual.  At the table was Joyce and her new husband Bill, the Hoyts and the Tom and Sharon.  How good to see these really classy people!  The reception was great, the food was perfect, Sylvia was dressed in green in a taylored dress and looked great as she was beaming at the second wedding of her sons this year.  Michael's wife is incredible and Michael looked so happy.
So now its me and Starr, she was waiting in the recliner where I had left her at 5.  She seemed very glad to greet me and was even more pleased to have one of her treats.
It has been a very rainy day today and I've had a fire this morning burning two of my precious logs from Jerry's efforts out in the woods.  What a tremendous fire they made, warm, beautiful and it helped create a peaceful atmosphere.
So now its sleep time,

Love to all and it was so great to see Timothy and Jason at the wedding.  Timothy was a perfect little man the whole time, its easy to be proud of these incredible kiddos.

Tim

Some Rain Must Fall.......

Dear Fellow Travelers,
What a busy day it has been and again the eyes are very bleary and dry.
Today started with a lovely lady removing my stitches.  While I was glad to get them out it really wasn't fun.  As soon as I left Jim's office I drove to the Oakland hills and shot 6 comps for the Wednesday appraisal.  Then I drove down to Fremont and measured an amazingly difficult three story townhome.  Then after completing that assignment I drove up to Castro Valley and did a driveby, an appraisal that does not require you to leave your car, you shoot the subject and the street, then drive the comps and beat it out of there.

I dreaded traffic coming back through Pleasant Hill but today I was blessed with smooth sailing all the way home.  Arriving home about 3:20 I opened the mail, talked to Starr and then left again for a local property.  It was getting dark by the time I completed that appraisal.  The home was large and very nice.

On the way home Nikki asked if I could help with the girls as Steve needed to leave so I gladly picked up Keanna and then Kallie. They like to play at my house, its something different.  I made popcorn and they had Jello too.  Nikki arrived shortly thereafter and later left to feed them a real dinner.  After they left I made some cheese sandwiches using the toaster oven which I covered with thin slices of tomato.  This along with a bowl of soup constituted my dinner.  I also cranked up the wood stove and enjoyed one of the pieces of wood that Jerry had supplied.  It felt good and looked great too burning away.

Now its past time for sleep.  When I went out to take some blankets to the motorhome I found the slide roof leaking badly so I quickly closed it and used large towels to sop up the water.  I guess we have not solved the slide leaking problem after all, the best solution is to keep it closed, it does not leak when it is closed.  I have a heater going in the coach to dry it out as it is being picked up by the renter tomorrow for its trip to Arizona.  What horrible weather to travel in, not fun at all.

I hope you enjoy your weekend, what a great time to cuddle as the rain falls outside.  At least I think I remember doing that at some point in the past!

Love to all,

Tim

Long days

Good evening
As I write Starr is at my feet talking to me, she appears to be in discomfort and has been trying to chew on her back legs to wake them up or make them stop hurting.  It breaks my heart to see her so frail and fragile and it seems she is starting to experience pain.  Its time to look into getting her some pain meds, I just won't have her suffer.  She stays close to me all the time when I'm here and I try to keep her warm and comfortable. 

Another one of those very long days, I started at 7:30 and its now 10 pm and the printer is still going with research for tomorrow's properties.  Today I saw three and wrote two and have now done research for 3 for tomorrow. 

In the morning I get the stitches out of my arm.  I'm ready to be free but not looking forward to it really.  Stitches out at 9:30 and then see a property in Fremont at 11, then a driveby in Castro Valley, then race back to write it up and then see one here in Discovery Bay at 4, then wind it down for the week.

While I'm very thankful for work I could not keep this pace up forever.  When I did this much before I had a team to help, the office people set up files and made appointments, my faithful writer Jean helped with getting them ready to ship out.  Loree kept the files organized, the billing covered and the office organized, now there are piles of files everyplace, just no time to file them away.

I'm looking forward to seeing Mia and Timothy on Thursday for Thanksgiving.  That will be a nice break but I won't have the motorhome this time, it will be in Arizona on a rental week.  Oh well, I can use the income and its good to share.

I'm looking forward to Michael's wedding this weekend.  My kids have had the nicest friends as they grew up and Michael seems like part of the family so seeing him take this step will be wonderful and exciting.  He's getting a great girl and I think they will be super happy.

My eyes are so tired that I've got to give it up and rest now.  Sending love to all, could you pray for my little Starr, I know the Lord knows her and also knows what is wrong with her.

Love to all

Tim

Day by Day

Well here we are again, you sipping your hot drink and waiting anxiously to discover what calamity I fell into today.  Today was good.  I passed on the hike this morning knowing I needed to get a report completed and out and then to prepare for my trip to Oakland.  The traffic was terrible, remind me again of why I take early morning appointments that require passing through impossible traffic, seems one could learn eventually.  Once I got there I found a really interesting little home nestled in the Trestle Glen district, a unique area of Oakland that has so many interesting homes, sloping sites, narrow streets and sustained values.  The home had hardwood floors in perfect condition, clever design features, a little stone patio with little BBQ, the old kind with its own stone chimney.  The owner was a young woman who was working home today from Cisco and she was very interesting.  On the outside of the house plastered on top of the electrical service box was a no nonsense message, do not even think of installing the new kind of meter that can be read from else where.  She revealed she was a programmer and was aware of how sloppy PG&E had been in the entire meter process.  She was having none of it.

After seeing the house I raced back to pick up Keanna and found her full of energy.  She had had a blue day, that is the best behavior you can get at school in her class room and she was happy.  We set the timer so she could do a 5 minute math test, she did all kind of things including downing popcorn, feeding Starr treats and sharing her turkey sandwich with her as well.

Mid afternoon we left to drive to the girl scout function up in Oakley at a place called Pump It Up, a huge building filled with enjoyable bouncy devices for kids.  Then I headed back to Bed Bath and Beyond for my grand entry into shopping.  The couple had registered so it was fun, no wonder Nan enjoyed shopping if it was that easy.

At 5:20 I drove to the club and did the spin class, I forgot just how hard it is and what a sense of success just to be able to walk afterwards.  I was surrounded by beautiful people, ones about 100 years younger than me and they could do all the moves, the teacher Kim who is a knock out in her own right quietly told me to take it easy as I had not been there for awhile.  Heart attacks are so disruptive to a class.  Actually today I was able to do more active things than I've ever done before, somehow my knees seems more able to take the strain.  We'll see how that is in the morning.

So now its once again past bedtime.  Good night all,

Love

Tim

12 hour days again

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.  Its been a long day.
First we walked in the beautiful morning, then I taped up my arm and showered soaking and washing my hair with one hand, not such an easy trick.
Breakfast was excellent, steel cut oats, one vege sausage, one slice of multi grain toast with peanut butter, one banana and a little glass of OJ.
Soon after I hit the road for Santa Clara and with little traffic I arrived nearly on time.  However what I found upon arrival stunned me.  It was a 2 year old home in a 40 year old neighborhood.  They had left two walls standing and "rebuilt the home".  It was amazingly perfect in every way.  He demonstrated his control of the flat screen TV and sound system with his IPad, he could access direct TV, net flicks, his music from Itunes and a whole lot more.  Of course my comps were in adequate and I had left most of them in the printer when I left, but not to let up I just kept pressing onward.  Lois helped me find a Sees candy store nearby and so I traded in one of my precious coupons for a box of nuts and chews, then set direction for San Ramon Regional Hospital where I found Jim doing much better.  His road back will be long and bumpy but he plans to go home on Thursday afternoon this week.
After seeing Jim for a bit I left and using the many backroads got home quickly. I settled down to working and have just emailed the report out.  At 5 pm I made a snap decision to attend weight watchers in Brentwood.  The new leader was tremendous and I was so glad I went.
Now I'm heading to bed.  I'm totally tired, my eyes are sore from driving in all the sunshine but there is a satisfaction in going to bed having done a full days work, none of this 8 hour stuff, no I've worked solid since 7:30 and its now 9:30 so that is 14 hours.  That is enough for this old guy.

Love to all

Tim

A Long Successful Day

Wow, I just added it up and I've written 5 reports since this time yesterday.  That is some kind of record for me but I'll admit I've been pretty much tied to this chair all day.  I've made tasty meals, went to the club for some brief exercises this evening and hit safeway for some groceries.  Starr needed some extra treats.

Today I've tried to make sure I get lots of water down and it has been a good process.  I've also shipped the needed items to the lady who is dealing with my loan modification attempt along with my fervent prayers that God will see fit to help it happen.  I've scheduled my upper GI for the 23rd.  They say I can drive there and back, no need for someone to drive me, I hope they are right.  Perhaps they can locate the coughing problem cause.  I certainly hope so.

Our weather today was spendid, warm and sunny.  Starr and I have just stayed put in the office cranking out reports.  So thankful to have the work and the opportunity it provides to learn more about the business.  Any time you begin to crank out more work everything become easier and quicker to do.  The mind steps up to the plate it seems and works better.

For now its bedtime.  Ken has not called yet so I don't know if I walk tomorrow or not.  I have an early call down in Santa Clara tomorrow morning so I would not mind skipping the walk. 

Sending my best wishes to everyone out there,

Love

tim
someone is sleeping, she is so precious. What a great addition to the family.

A Working Sunday

Dear Family and Friends,
Where would I be without you?  I mean really, you are a big part of my life.  When one is married and is a loving relationship the two of you can just tuck away from the world and still be whole but after one is alone there is no one person to relate to, much of being human is the interchange of ideas, compliments, course correcting hints like, you are wearing that!, your sox's don't match, you are going to be late and on and on.  Try as I might I can't get Starr to speak up, she just shakes her head and wants a treat.

This afternoon I had one of those rare moments, one where nothing can come of it ever but still here it is.  My second appointment of the day was to see a home in Pleasanton.  I pulled up and saw her in the yard with a huge dog.  I pulled out my wheel, the clipboard and a card and went to the gate.  She was so lovely I could almost not speak.  She was in tights and had been working around the house, her two sons were playing a video game and one had a head set.  I found out later he plays kids all over the world through the Internet, even one of Sara Palin's neighbors in Alaska.  She walked with me while I worked and I learned her father had just died of a sudden heart attack and I got the feeling that she faced her life alone though her husband's name was on the address in legal records and in the order.  She was soft spoken, gentle and moved like a deer.  I'll not forget her soon and of course for ethical reasons I can't follow up it sure was a pleasant experience.  She was just a neat lady, now her house keeping was something else but still it was just living proof that out there somewhere there might be a future relationship, who knows and I know it would take effort which I have little time for these days.  She was blond and really took my breath away.
I just logged everything and found I had 11 to write up and 6 to see.  Well 10 now as I just finished one and shipped it out.  So there is little time to daydream about mothers of 4 children with 3 still living at home, crazy!
This is going to be a great week, Art just called from their southern home in Indio and they are doing well.  They have been hiking every day up some steep mountain that is a challenge to them and they are in great shape.  Always glad to hear that my friends are doing well.

So now its time to crash.  I've been experiencing a little pain in my left foot for a couple of weeks and some numbness in my left foot, leg and arm, not sure what is up.  I need to schedule the barium upper GI and see the cough doctor that Jim referred me to, where do I fit that in?  Oh and the dentist before this tooth really starts hurting, of course that takes money doesn't it.

Love to all,

Tim

Good evening

 Weekends are so nice, something we all look forward to, a chance to dial the stress level back, rest more, talk more, eat better slower and be more human, more alive.

For lunch today I ventured into the Stockton Olive Garden.  Its been so long that I had forgotten just how good the food really is.  The salad was perfect, the bread warm and low calorie, right!, the eggplant parm was just right, even the peach ice tea tasted great.

This evening I faced a task that I've been putting off, mainly this my lawnmower has stopped working and when I got into it I found a broken fuel line but when I replaced the line the lawnmower still won't work, won't even attempt to start so perhaps there is yet another problem, my hands were bleeding and scratched from my brief foray into its inner workings as it was.  So I pushed it aside, gave up and came in for some soup.  Now I'm heading back to the office to write up an appraisal before bedtime.  I know there is something very flawed about working on a Sat. night but that is the name of the game.

Hope your weekend keeps on being special for you and your family.

Love to all,

Ti

So tired, so good

Dear Family and Friends,
I keep getting these really precious photos of Mia and Timothy from Jason on the text in my phone, so cute.

This has been a working day with a variety of tasks.  I started off the day by seeing a  property here in Discovery Bay, a perfect home in every way, I mean really perfect.  On deep water with a huge dock, kitchen has granite and stainless steel, fresh paint, tile nice.  Then on to Richmond where the lender wanted me to just talk my way through the door, well that did not work, white guy talking my way through the door of a black home with just a kid home, his mom was on the phone and was having none of it.  Then it was on through traffic to Oakland.  The home was perfect from a new sidewalk and exquisite landscaping in the front to a perfect interior, decoration was perfect, quiet jazz was playing throughout the home, kitchen was new, floors were perfect, cute little rescue doggie.

Finally the work day had come to an end so then it was time to find San Ramon Region Hospital and visit with my doctor, Jim who had a 12 hour surgery on Tuesday, he said hes been out of it for two days since and only now is awake enough to talk to begin to consider moving about.  His back turned out to be much worse than they expected so they took extra hours to clean it all up, he lost 15 units of blood during surgery but is now on the mends doing better.  Marti has been right by his side with very long days and tired eyes.

From the hospital I took the back roads, this is a hospital that Nan had two huge surgeries in over the years with Dr. Casey doing the work so I know the way very well.  Once I was home the main phone line to the house was messed up so once again I spent some time with the good folks of ACN trying to solve the problem, for the time being it works, yea!

Now its time to relax a bit, yes money came in the mail today, always  a good thing.

I'm very thankful for work on a regular basis, more orders came in today.  Thank you Lord for answering my pleas for work.

Enjoy the Sabbath everyone and love the one you are with with your whole heart.

Love

tim

Another good day.

Dear World,
How can you top this?  I got to have dinner with these two and their driver tonight, what fun to be with these incredible young ladies and hear their wisdom, their jokes, their teasing.  It was a last minute invite and they are often the best kind.  I drove in to meet them and we had a quick bite before Keanna's swimming classes took place.  Kallie rode with me over to the club and she was full of fun and her little comments.  We talked about losing Lady but she knew I still had Starr.

This evening made the rest of the day pale in comparison, you know the excitement of being stuck in traffic over and over again as I tried to get to Fremont this morning and then just the process of finding all the comparables and getting their pictures shot without people coming unglued.  Fun stuff.

I'm adjusting to a quiet house again.  It was so wonderful to have Barb and Gerry here, they are like the world's most pleasant people with ideas, suggestions, loving help and encouragement.  They have been true friends for many years, a very precious treasure.

My physician Jim had surgery on Tuesday, turned out to be 12 hours long and was very tough and go for awhile.  Today he is doing better Deborah reports, she runs the office and was fielding calls during the day.  I think he could use our prayers as he recovers.  At this point he is still in ICU, no fun at all.

And at this point I'm heading to bed, I know its early but I'm tired so this time I will listen to my body and just go crash.  I can always get up early in the morning to work.

Good night

Love

tim

Lammerdings take their leave

Well its quiet again tonight, no Gerry sharing insights or Barbie making great smells in the kitchen.  What a great time they gave me and I hope Gerry gets well soon.  He sure needed the stair chair due to his ankle that is having a hard time healing up.  They were so helpful and wonderful to have around.  They are great examples of Christian love in action.  They just know how to do things, make things happen and are so supportive and loving.  It has been an incredibly wonderful time for me, for Starr too as she begged lots of treats out of them.

I did some field work today, then back to write up one that was due, then picked up Keanna from her Girl Scouts afternoon in Brentwood and transported her to Music Class by way of coming back to DB, buying a snack at McDonalds and then picking up her musical instruments and getting back to the place just on time.  Then it was time for a relaxing whole wheat bagel with butter, a haircut, a meds stop at CVS and finally a trip home.

Last night Ray was able to trap one of the Racoons in his trap and this afternoon at the direction of the animal control office he went to the country and released the big creature.  I've not heard how that went.  I'll be so glad to have them gone for a change and be able to live without having the screen doors ripped up.

Bed time, love to all and thanks Barb and Gerry for everything you did.  Gerry get well quickly.

Love

tim

The renters return

Dear Family and Friends,
Suddenly they were there, Gerry shouted, Tim the motorhome is back and my heart did a little jump.  Had the trip back turned out well, were they still happy with the week, with the rental?

So once again like so many times before I took the walk, this time out through the garage to greet them.  They were smiling and stretching.  Everything went fine, yes they learned many motorhome lessons, like when you plug into the electrical outlet at a RV park be sure to switch the circuit breaker to on, otherwise you are just running off of the batteries in the motorhome and they do run down.  They had made every day an adventure, had ridden many miles on their bikes, Steve's bike rack was a huge winner for them.  And they learned to love driving the coach, so much so that they kept commenting on how much fun it was.

So I returned their deposit and after moving everything back to their Volvo they left.  I finally relaxed.  This was a big dream, one I knew contained risks and will always contain risks but I'm several dollars richer for sharing the motorhome so at least this time it worked out great.

This morning we walked and then Gerry went with me to see a house out in the country on two acres.  The owners are facing the common question, do we sell and take a beating value wise or do we stay for awhile and let the market recover.  Then we drove to the Lakes, I was able to get in to measure the outside of the house that I only saw in darkness last night and then I came home to work. 

This afternoon Barbie made a wonderful meal with cutlets, golden potatoes, veges, fresh tomatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.  I felt like it was thanksgiving, everything was so good and tasty.  I spent the afternoon writing reports and then this evening Gerry slipped out and came home with a carton of sugar free ice cream, wow that was good too.

Here in Discovery Bay it is raining this evening and oh it gets dark so early now, the evenings are long so we've had some time to talk and enjoy.  Last night we had a fire going with my brothers great wood.  When I went to bed I put a new log in and shut the stove down. This morning it was still there ready to explode into flame when I gave it some air so we had a nice fire burning this morning to remove the chill from the air.  Starr has loved having people in the house and I've been lifted and touched by their love and care.  Friends are so special, so life giving, and so capable of putting meaning back into life, that plus getting money nearly every day and today the health insurance hit, all $1,005 of it and amazingly there was enough money in the account to cover it, wow and I have a bunch of money to deposit yet so I do see and feel the blessings.

Tomorrow I see a house in Antioch at 9 and then come back to be ready to pick up her highness at 12:45.  Barb and Gerry are heading home in the late morning, Gerry is working on a sore throat but has been a huge help this week.  Barbie has the faucets gleaming, the sinks white and pretty, the laundry folded no less.

Since I have things to do in the morning early I'll just sign off now and thank each one of you for your participation in my life.

Love

tim

Life is fun with the Lammerdings on board

Dear Ones,
As I write Barbie is reading a Nora Roberts book in the recliner, a small fire is burning in the stove and Gerry is watching something on TV, the game is over, the Matt interview with Bush is over and they are winding down. 
This morning Barbie made some really tasty Belgium Waffles, made from oatmeal and ground up nuts they tasted super good and stayed with me all day.  With peanut butter and applesauce on top they were just great.
Then Barbie tore into the kitchen cleaning everything in sight, did my laundry while Gerry washed my bug and then moved the dog door from the kitchen door to the family room door where Starr needs to be able to come and go.  They have been busy all day and still found time to read and nap.

Meanwhile I've been writing.  In spite of taking time out for lunch at Strawhat where Gerry had sticker shock at the prices I've written 4 reports today, took in some new orders and really had a pretty good day.  This evening I was printing out some reports and discovered that August and September were terrible months for booking fees for work completed but October more than doubled the September amount and there is several thousand that will come in soon for work completed.  Now if we can just convince the mortgage company that I can make the monthly payment providing they lower it some then I'll sleep better again. Oh the joys and challenges of running a small business.

Tomorrow the motorhome comes home from its first rental.  They seem to have enjoyed it a lot and are eager to get back and head home to Tahoe.  Then I have a couple weeks before it goes out again.  Once again I want to thank those people that helped get it ready, Art who helped with the spare tire and the dinette installation, Sylvia who cleaned the interior and equipped the kitchen with the things that are supposed to be there, Steve for installing the new radio and detailing the dash and general cleaning and Ray for getting the door to working better with his trusty graphite. Then there was Ken who provided a way to get the amount of air in the tires to the correct level.  So it took a crew to do it all.

Well its time for bed and it has been an incredibly good day.  The quality of the day was helped a lot by the good grilled cheese sandwiches Gerry made this evening, oh they were so good.

Good night all,

love

tim

Finally a really great day!

Dear Everybody,

I started this day off with a mistake.  Nan was in charge of telling me when daylight savings time ended so of course I missed it.  When my alarm went off this morning it was really dark outside and it was raining so I came down and went to work, I soon discovered I was up an hour early but even at the right time it was raining way to hard to enjoy walking.
So I just concentrated on getting appraisal work completed.  I used the time to do MLS searches for all 5 properties I was to see during the day and when I was done I just left.  The roads seemed empty so I drove to Fremont and did a driveby appraisal, then I drove to Hayward to a property up on the hill and did that inspection, it was raining hard but I had measured it before so my time out was short but very wet.
After shooting comps I left for Alameda where I arrived 30 minutes early.  I measured the exterior, knocked a bunch of times and left to shoot the comps.  The owner was stuck in Raider traffic in downtown Oakland but arrived soon after.  I enjoyed my brief time there and then left to locate a bathroom, the need was very urgent and move to the next property which was located near to the Oakland Berkeley border.  Once those comps were shot I headed for Pleasanton and arrived a full hour early.  The owners were home and anxious to get it done. 
So the day I was concerned about even being able to finish was over ahead of time with time enough that I could go to CostCo to get water, fruit, Mocha and other vital items.  Then it was back into the raid and drive on home.
When I pulled in I found that Barbie and Gerry were already here having arrived an hour earlier.  They were settled in and Starr was playing host.
They had brought food from the Spaghetti Factory for me and along with some salad dinner was very nice.  No Gerry is watching football, Barbie is doing her magic in the kitchen.  Can I just share with you that it is totally incredible to have someone here to talk with, laugh with and remember old times.  This is good.
The little bug is doing well these days and handled the rain perfectly all day.  What a joy it is with its 230,000 miles, going strong for now at least, thank you Lord.
This week is promising to be a busy one, there are more properties to see, many reports to get written, bank accounts to juggle and on Tuesday the motorhome comes back from rental.  The renters spoke to me today with an update.  Something blew when she was using the hair dryer, I told her how to pop the breaker back on, they solved the RV problem, a cable was defective and they are continuing to have a super time on their trip.
This afternoon I took a credit card number for the deposit for the next renter for Nov. 20.  I am thankful to see it used and enjoyed.
Well now I'm going to try to get something written before I head to bed but I'm so sleepy, I think I have only a few hours of sleep last night, to bed at midnight the old time and up at 6:30 the old time which was really 5:30 the new time, yikes this gets confusing.

Sending love to all,

Tim

ZZZZZ

yes I'm about asleep.  Its midnight, we walk at 6:30, then I leave to see 5 properties in the Oakland / Hayward area tomorrow, what a blessing to have this kind of work at this time of the year.

Today has been great, got to see Kallie who is not feeling all that well, then stayed with her while she slept for 3 hours, then back home for a bit and then this evening with Keanna to Fall Festival at Tracy.  They did a super job with the games for the kids and all the activities.  Outstanding and George was standing guard over the smors and his fire pit.  Some things just get better with age.

Good night all,

love

tim

Whew, its over

Dear Friends and Family,
This has been some week, great weather, the trauma of losing Lady, the job of incoming checks, the stress of renting the motorhome out for the first time, the constant pressure to get work done quickly for the lenders, the constant coughing and now a very sore arm.

My doctor Jim is set to have major back surgery next Tuesday but wanted to get the cancer cells out of my arm while he was still working.  He called me this morning as I had cancelled the appointment due to work appointments.  I had just completed an appraisal in Oakland so I make a snap decision to drive back to Antioch, about a 30 minute drive for the surgery.  I had no idea of how much flesh I would lose or how many stitches I would receive.  At this moment is starting to hurt more and more.  Jim just kept cutting and cutting, I bled all over and sometimes I could feel pain.  It was not a great experience and he sure took a lot out.  Now I change bandages every day, have to find a way to keep it dry for the next few days when I shower and learn to live with a hurting arm.  I'm glad to have it done.  I also got him to refer me to a specialist for my cough and to schedule a barium upper GI to see what is going on inside, what is triggering the coughing all the time.

When I was through I felt like coming home and crashing but instead I drove back to Martinez and did another house, one that paid cash through a credit card.  With Blue Cross looming ahead on Monday at $1005 I need to raise some cash.  When I got home I discovered that 360 mortgage had deposited a check for $370 into my paypal account.  It was great news.

This afternoon I've been cranking on getting a tough one out the door and its gone finally.

Now to relax and enjoy these calm hours.  I want to thank you for your kindness in writing to me about losing precious dogs over the years.  I know Lady needed to rest, she had become so sick so quickly that there was little anyone could do, why is the key question and I don't have the answer.  Whether she got into something bad to eat, or an organ gave out or a foxtail blew up on the deck and she swallowed it into her little system I don't know or as Keanna thinks, did the Raccoons give her something bad.  We will never know.  I miss her tonight and Starr misses her as well.

So I'll just say good night now,

Love to all

Tim

Its quiet

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this evening the house is even quieter than it used to be.  Starr has searched for Lady all day and stays very close to me, she is just not sure what has happened but is certainly aware of the change.  During the day I kept thinking of moments when Lady would be walking through the mud puddle rather than around it, or jumping off the bed with a might leap, she was quite a doggie.
We walked this morning and then I set to work.  Shortly there after a call came through confirming I could see a house in Manteca for a rush report.  We set it at 1 and so I quickened my pace getting the one done I was working on.  Then I left for Manteca but just before I did I went to the kitchen and discovered my cooling steel cut oatmeal still waiting.  So I ate it like that and it was great.  I made coffee this morning and I'm still getting the hang of it but today it tasted better than before.  I seem to be able to work all morning on just a cup of coffee and no sugar to have to cope with.
This afternoon I drove to Manteca and arrived at the biggest home in the subdivision.  Originally destined to have only large custom homes the builder had relented and sold 1/2 of the lots to someone else who built small tract homes, it ruined the entire subdivision, very sad.  The home I saw was 4,600 sf and it was beautiful in every way.  Very modern design with high ceilings, sleek fixtures and crown molding everywhere the home reeked of class and careful thought.
As I was preparing to leave in our conversation I mentioned that I had been a pastor, she said what church, I told her SDA and she was shocked.  She attends the Manteca SDA church and knows many of the same people I do.
Of course a house of this size and quality needs special comparables and I found very little to use in Manteca.  I ended up using mostly Ripon homes that were very similar to the subject but are located several miles away.  The end appraisal will not be perfect but its the best I can do with the data available.
This evening a condition came in for the huge home in Stockton.  I carefully told everyone involved before I started that the comparables were 18 months old so there would be no surprises.  Now of course the lender wants all new comparables.  Well good luck with that, there are not any to be had.  It will be interesting how this develops.
Tomorrow morning I'm to be in Oakland at 9 or before.  That will be fun to ram my way through traffic once again.  Then back to Martinez and then home to write things up as fast as I can.  No rest for the mildly wicked I guess.

Sending love to all,

Tim

My Precious Lady, too ill to save

Dear Family and Friends,
This evening at 5:30 I watched as Lady was given an overdose of sedative and fell asleep for the last time.

Lady came into our lives when Jason picked her up at a farm somewhere in the valley and on his way to a convention in LA.  He kept this tiny little scottish terrier puppy with him in the booth he was helping with and charmed visitors to the booth.  Lady was a quiet but strong little bundle of big barks and a super active nose.  Any walk with Lady involved waiting while she smelled everything along the way.  While she lived in the background due to Starr being out front and in charge Lady had her own endearing qualities.  My favorite was her faithful presence at the door to the garage, waiting every night to welcome me home and check out the smells I might bring home, had I seen with other dogs during the day?  Lady would know.  A few days ago Lady started to appear very ill, she could hardly move, would no longer eat and would only drink sips of water.  This evening I had arranged to take her in after I was through caring for Keanna.  The young doctor was kind and laid it out after checking her over, kidneys had failed, liver was failing, heart was beating strongly but blood would not clot, she was very ill and there was no possibility that she would recover.  Whatever had happened was massive, overpowering and was sapping her life.  Clearly she was in distress so I made the decision, she would be put to sleep.  It was very hard to decide and carry out, yes I would be in the room with her stroking her head as she fell asleep for the last time.  The photo I've included is seconds before she died.
How can I explain other than to simply say, another part of my life died today.  Lady has been with us for nearly 13 years and was part of the backdrop for Christmas, Thanksgiving, summers on the deck, times in the paddle boat, motorhome trips to Weed, MBA, anywhere we went they went with us.  I know all of that stuff, life moves on, she was old, just a dog but that does nothing for a breaking heart this afternoon.  Yes I'm familiar with death and dying but it does not get easier.  As so many things are up for grabs in my life each piece of life as I knew it being ripped away is very hard to accept.
Lady lived a very good life, she was never hungry or thirsty, she was safe and loved and she gave so much back to all of us all the time.  How sad Nan would be this evening if she were still here.
Yet in spite of this painful afternoon something unexpected happened after I came home.
As you know I was involved in an accident a couple months ago, I was not at fault and the other insurance company picked up the big tab.  They did not pick up the tab for the insurance for the rental car I had and I was stuck with a $347 bill which was very hard to deal with at the time.  Just one more nasty surprise.  I decided to write a simple letter to the lady that caused the accident just telling her what had happened but not demanding anything from her at all.
Tonight at the front door was a package that was hand delivered, in it was a kind note and a check for $350.  What a lift and what a total shock.  After that with raw emotions I decided to make belgium waffles and then I decided to share them with Ray and Lois, I called, they came and we had a nice meal together.
Now I need to get a report written and then it is off to bed.
Thank you Lord for allowing us all to enjoy Lady for these 12 years.  She has demonstrated true love and devotion often in spite of being ignored or even yelled at.  Lady has been a great blessing to us all.

Love

tim

Sadness

I guess someday I'll be able to write a happy blog again, it won't be tonight.

Last evening I noticed that Lady was moving very slow, Lady is my precious Scottish Terrier given to me on my 50th birthday.  She has lived in the background while Starr takes the lead but Lady is right there when its time to bark or go hiking.  She loves the motorhome and trips to see Jason and Jo.

When I reached down to pat her last night I did more than just pat her head and discovered that she is skin and bones, no wonder the dogs have only been eating 1 cup of food a day between them, Lady has not been eating at all.  She had a rough night and I lifted her down from the bed this morning, the first time, she always jumps.  She has laid around all day.  This morning when I was gassing up the motorhome for the renters I stopped in at Safeway and purchased some soft dog food packages and when I got home she ate the whole little serving while Starr was having hers.  But this evening when I gave her another one she only ate a tiny bit.  Just now I put a little bowl of water in front of her and she started to drink, a good sign.  My frustration is this, I can't afford to take her to the vet and have $500 of tests run.  I don't have the money and yet I makes me feel really guilty considering all the loyalty she has expressed to me over the years.  Lets just say I'm pretty tired of my present situation.

This morning I woke to dedicate time to washing the exterior of the motorhome, vacuum the carpet, make sure little details were in order.  Steve loaned me an outstanding bike rack, I mean this thing is really really nicely built.  So my renters were able to attach their bikes without any trouble to the back of the motorhome.  I was not prepared for the ordeal that followed after they arrived.  Now mind you these are really precious people, they came well prepared and could easily live for a month on what they brought.  There have been some hitches already, the awning broke a little connecting piece as I was showing them how to operate it, he did a little mistake and I did not catch it. And when they spoke to me a bit ago they could not make the TVs work right and when they were putting the slide out some of their stuff had slipped and pushed out the wall of the kitchen, whoops but they enjoyed driving it and are having a good time.  But it took them 4 hours to load up.  It totally blew my schedule for the day, I got sunburned in the process, have a sore throat from explaining everything over and over again.

This evening Lady is pretty low and I would not be surprised to lose her by morning.  When this happens after a 12 year run it hurts, just one more bad thing to happen.

So that has been my day, in between getting the coach ready, buying $100 worth of fuel, trying to help Lady I also fixed a bunch of appraisals, set up many new orders, I think I have about 8 going right now and forgot to eat until this evening.

When stuff does not go well, when you end up hurting the feelings of people you really care about, when your dog is close to death, well its a bit hard to be excited, even when my party finally is winning for a change in the election.  Now our own state is another thing, we are in a horrible mess financially, partially because of huge retirements many of which were approved by Moon bean Brown and the crazy citizens of this state can't put two and two together and elect Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown,  insane, it was their ideas that got us into this mess and we keep them around expecting something different.  Nuts

Love to all,

Tim

A grand experiment

Dear Family and Friends,
Well tomorrow the motorhome goes on a trip without me, it is being rented for a week and I'm as nervous as can be,  I know its in much better condition than it was a couple months ago and as far as I can tell it is in good mechanical condition and is ready for the trip.  I just want everything to go well.

Today Nikki called to let me know Keanna was doing something with her class at school so I grabbed the camcorder and got to see her as she campaigned for her cause, each little group had made a poster for their brand of cookie or chip or cereal, tomorrow all the 2nd graders vote so today was a rally with little speeches.  It was very cute and I was one of about 3 parents, grandparents there.  So just now I'm home from taking the camcorder over and letting Nikki and Steve see the show.  I also came home with Steve's bike rack for the nice people who are using the motorhome, they asked and we provide if we can.

So in the morning I'll wash the motorhome, vacuum for the final time, go fill it up with fuel and propane and then it will be ready.

Today I wrote appraisals, shot photos in the field, made some very yummy meals and never got out of my sweats the whole day.  So a sort of relaxing work day, more orders came in, more rejections came in as well with things to fix along the way.  Fun fun.

Good night my friends and family,

Love

tim