Another week is history

Dear Family and Friends,
Well here we are with the first week of the new year behind us.  Its been pretty much like the last week of last year, tedium mixed with pleasure, friends, meals, clients, uncertainty, negative weather, positive fireside times and several brushes with exercise.

Today found me in Bethel Island at 8 this morning.  Shooting photos through the fog, helping a nice guy who is trying to buy the family home after his dad died, one friendly sister and one very unfriendly sister, same old story.  Human nature is never as fragile as when there is something free after a death, people show their real colors and sometimes what we see is not that pretty.

As soon as I could get away I raced back to the office and joined a seminar on a confernce call with an expert on doing relocation appraisals.  She was originating from the east coast and was very good at what she does.  It was a great way to spend an hour, pure learning.  After using the same forms which were created in 2003 a new form has been introduced for us to use.  It looks like it was created by a committee, its wordy, more challenging and I'm not sure produces a better result but now I realize the motivation behind the form.  Turns out when a company moves an employee they offer a package to intice them to move.  They promise to purchase the employee's current home if it does not sell in a reasonable time.  It offers the guy or gal a chance to relocate without being stuck with two homes.  The company doing the moving, Frito Lay, ATT&T, GM  has two relocation appraisals done by appraisers who are not allowed to speak to each other at all.  They hope we will be within 5% of each other value wise.  We often are since we are using the same comparable pool but if we are more than 5% apart then they order a third appraisal hoping to bridge the gap.  I love doing these appraisals.  They pay very well and for once they really just want the truth.  What is a value that will get the house sold in 120 days.
The seminar helped fill in some of the gaps in my understanding of what the new form is looking for.
After the seminar was over I turned to other work, submitted new forms to the mortgage company that has my own mortgage.  I'm still trying to get a modification and its been almost 6 months.
At 2:37 I picked up Keanna and after a quick stop at McDonalds for a snack (meal) we came home and went back to work on a desk review of a property in Union City and Keanna played in the family room.
This evening I've been enjoying the fire, the Christian Dish programming and at Sylvia's request I've found out how to reconnect the old VCR so I can tape a special program at 8 in the morning which features someone she knows who used to be a pastor in Northern California.  Reaching back in time I was able to remember how to set the clock and then program the VCR to record both programs she would like to see tomorrow.  Now if all goes well the recorder will come on, record and then wait patiently to be viewed later.  Hope hope!  There is a sea of cables behind my TV, cables from two different dish systems, a DVD player, the VCR, the receiver and a CD changer that holds 250 CDs.  All of that equates to a whole lot of cables all competing for the same space.  Somehow it all works well.\

So having made it through this week I'm ready for Sabbath hours and the calming changes they bring.  I get to bring the girls to Sabbath School in the morning.  Keanna was set to try out for a part in Annie in Brentwood but they could not locate a director yet so the trials have been put off for a bit.

Love to all and please continue to pray for Bob and Carrol as they cope with the aftermath of her fall and broken hip.  They need to know we care and we are sending our prayers and love.

Tim