Forgetful at times

Dear Family and Friends,

So this morning we walked and it was 33 degrees.  Yes we did notice the temperature and yes we were very glad to get back into warm houses.  But we lived through it just fine and got the nice benefit from the walk and the very fresh air.

Then it was get out the door on time for a 10 am appointment in Tracy.  I saw my most perfect pool ever.  It was just so nicely constructed, in fact the entire property was a real turnkey one.  And in the corner of the living room stood a little grand that was constructed in 1938 circa.  It has recently been restored and what a fine instrument it was.  Once I left the property and started to try to find the comps I discovered the GPS was still on vacation.  In desperation I ended up using the GPS in my phone and it worked great.

At noon I met a gentleman who went with me as we inspected some little homes for an estate and then after seeing these three properties it was time for a food break.  Taco Bell ended up meeting the basic needs and I used the table to plot out all the comp photos I would need for the three properties.  Then it was time to go shooting.  Once they were all done I headed to Brentwood but it was at Taco Bell that I made a startling discovery.  My key ATM/credit card was not in my wallet.  So as one does I began to run the places I had been and might have used the card through my mind.  Eventually I settled on Red Robin in Pleasanton and when I called they confirmed it was in their safe.

My first inclination was to just drive there and get it but duty said I needed to write and email out an appraisal that was due today.  I drove to Brentwood, picked up meds and came home to write.  At 8 pm I was done and emailed the report to the company.  Then I allowed myself the freedom to drive to Pleasanton and retrieve the card.  Traffic was light and I listed to O Riley going over and then talked to friends on the way home.  Well Art and Jerry and suddenly I was home. 

Once inside I hooked up the GPS to the laptop and connected to the web site.  After tweaking and chatting with the computer I went outside and it appears to be working again.  We will see what happens in the morning when I have to go to Bethel Island to see a property on a rush basis first thing in the morning.  Lets hope it works because otherwise it has to be shipped in and who knows how long that can take.  I really love the way it works and I sure miss it when I have to think for myself again.  Us guys can sure get lazy!

So good night, I urgently suggest that you do not get old, other than get you into the movies for a senior rate there are few advantages to age. 

Love to all

Tim

GPS fails, day slows down

Dear Family and Friends,
Well today the unthinkable happened, a machine struck back.  After being parked for a few minutes in the Raley parking lot the GPS froze up and did not work again for the rest of the day.  I really was counting on it to find addresses of newly constructed homes in Brentwood and then guide me to a condo in Pleasanton.  It did not happen.

A few minutes ago instead of going to bed as planned I hooked the unit up to the laptop and downloaded a repair patch software and it appears to be alive again now.  But from now on no more standing on the dash in the sun, I don't think it can handle it and today was NOT hot at all, after all we have snow on the peaks around here. 

However everything worked out, it just took more time to actually have to think and carefully search the maps I had with me.  How easy it is to slip into habits of depending on our machines for everything and usually they come through.

A new week is coming at us like a fast moving freight train.  I was just reading an email from a friend and all the things that are on the agenda, seems to much for a person to accomplish.  I'm seeing several properties tomorrow in Tracy which will be fun, love that little town.

Wishing each of you a good week and I hope you can find spots of job, peace, enlightenment and insight as you race into Monday.

Love to all

Tim

An Excellent Sabbath

Dear Family and Friends,
This morning started off cold and after 15 minutes on the treadmill it was warmer.  I picked up the girls and we went to church.  What a great time we had there, I even got to play piano for the little people division where Kallie attends.  Kim does such a great job week after week with the little ones and seems to have the patience thats needed to keep them all headed the same direction.

This afternoon a friend and I had lunch at Olive Garden in Stockton, then drove up to visit with Bob and Carrol Sorenson at their home in Lodi.  What a great time we had catching up with the adventures of Carrol the super patient.  She is recovering well and in no time will be home again.  She was allowed to be home for the day today but had to go back to the rehab hospital this evening.

This evening we went to the movies.  Its been months since I went to the movies and I always enjoy movies that Adam Shadler are in, tonight's was not different, very funny and while not for children it had lots of funny and enjoyable moments.  The popcorn was great too.

Now I'm back home and ready to get some rest. Friendship is a very precious thing, what a wonderful gift we can receive and bestow on others.

Love

tim

At last the week is over

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this evening I look back on a very busy week.  The extreme blessings of being busy are much enjoyed and appreciated.  In spite of weather that could be pouring one minute and sunny the next I've managed to see homes on the water, homes on a hilltop, tiny cozy condos and ho hum properties.  I've been reviewed, ripped up and did my own share of reviewing and ripping up.  This is really a rather exciting profession, too bad it does not pay like it used to, then it was fun along with exciting.

Starr and I took a breather today and ventured into the front yard.  At that moment the rain had stopped, the wind was blasting and Starr sat and considered for a few minutes then came alive.  She stumbled about and did her business, then started walking to Lois and Ray's house.  This exercise is good for her as she gets little these days.  Her back legs cannot be counted on for stability at all.

I've managed to get little side jobs cared for this week.  My beetle has a new headlight, a little 1012 printer hums on my desk now saving me money on nearly every sheet I print, its letter and the others are legal, legal paper is never on sale and can cost up to $60 a box plus the printer is faster and within arms reach.

Dana just called a few minutes ago.  Dana is Nan's sister who lives in Houston.  She is looking forward to coming for a visit this spring once her school year is over.  It is always a blast when she and family come to visit.  Look out fish, warm up BBQ, make room in the frig.  She and Ronnie are really good in the kitchen.

So now its the weekend,  How will you spend it?  I'll not preach about caring for the one nearest to you, you know the drill.  Would anything be different about this weekend if you knew it was to be your last?  Well yes of course but without going all extreme, do keep in mind that the time you have now is precious, valuable and should be invested in people.

Love to all

Tim

A Good Day

Dear Family and Friends,
Well this has been one of those full days.  30 minutes on the treadmill this morning started things right.  Then a quick breakfast, some research and off to a 10 am appointment.  I would have been on time but I ran into something that makes me so angry.  For some reason they sweep the center medians of major freeways.  Oh they turn it into a major mess.  Instead of a simple sweeper they have a CHP car, two dump trucks, two sweepers and then ahead of them another flat bed truck all putting down the road at about 5 mph.  Of course since they take up two lanes the highway comes to a halt miles back and finally after a huge waste of time you get by.  That along with the obsession to build sound walls by freeways wasting millions of dollars, well that irks me too.

The condo I inspected by really cute, and in perfect condition.  By the time I got there I had gone 560 miles and I needed diesel badly.  So after the inspection I went searching and finally located a station with the precious stuff, $4.09 a gallon and during the day I saw it as high as $4.29.  Here we go again price wise for fuel.  I bought $12 worth and went and shot my comps.  At Starbucks I discovered that a management company had finally gotten their act together and had emailed me an appraisal I was supposed to be reviewing so using the iphone I copied down the addresses I needed.  It saved the day for me.  So I drove to Alameda and did the review, then home to complete an appraisal that was due by 4:30.  At 4:31 I emailed it out!  Then I noticed that another one was also due so I set to work on it and at 8 tonight it was completed.

Now its 11:24 and I'm contemplating going to bed.  It really is time and studies have shown that people who do not get enough rest are much more likely to gain and retain weight.  I can attest to that for sure.

So good night all,

Love

tim

Slammed

How nice to be able to say that.  I've just completed entering orders and its refreshing to have some to put in.  They are for all over like usual, Tracy, Fairfield, Fremont, Discovery Bay, Brentwood.  This is really great news.  Seems just as I'm feeling really awake and well the orders are coming in.  Bring em on, I'm ready.  This afternoon Keanna came to visit.  She did her homework and munched on popcorn and then it was time to take her to a special swimming class she is in this week.  She is going every day but this was my first day to see her in action.  She is a tiny little girl but she sure made the backstroke work for her.  The lane she was swimming in seems so long and the coach seems mean but really it is all good and Keanna really did well.  She stuck with it and was pretty tired at the end but after a long shower she was in good shape again.

This girl has come a long ways and its so enjoyable to see her so capable in the water, yes there were bigger swimmers, faster swimmers but she held her own, did not cry or get distressed, what a little trooper.  She now swims much better than her papa.!

This morning I had to run to Livermore to do a field inspection of a condo located in a nice complex near CostCo.  On the way home it struck me that our local shop might be able to help me with the burned out head light on the bug.  Its amazing I've not gotten a ticket already.  So I stopped just to see when they could fix it and they did it on the spot.  What was amazing was that they pulled the whole light assembly right out of the fender and changed the bulb.  So for $40 I was on my way and street legal.  It was a blessing.  Then this afternoon Keanna wanted to hit CVS for a minute to check out doll stuff.  Wonder where she gets that shopping bug from?  Two days ago I was there and they had NO calendars.  I want a calendar and this year none came in the mail. Well today they had calendars sitting in the isle so Keanna picked a nice one with fuzzy little animals in the pictures.  Just another little thing to getting more organized.

Well its bed time now, its been a great day and with walking at 6 am this morning the day has been long and exhausting.

Love to all,

Tim
pooch get well!

A quick word

Wow, it is suddenly very busy again.  My work comes and goes so fast I can hardly keep up with the changes so tonight I rejoice in some new work, some of it even pays normal fees which is nice.

Gradually I'm feeling better and better.  Weight Watchers was not a happy weigh in tonight.  My jeans have gotten much heavier lately.  Anyway feeling better is key to a lot of things and for that I'm thankful.  I just have to say I sure enjoy hearing from friends during the day, they text, call, email and it makes life move from brown to bright orange, it lightens up my life and I appreciate it.

And Ken says we walk at 6 in the morning so this is going to be real short.  Rest makes a huge difference in how I feel and the more I read and learn the importance of adequate rest becomes more and more to the top of the pile of important things to care for.

So family and friends,

Good night
love

tim

The world is changing fast..

Dear Family and Friends,
Throughout my life I've heard about last day events and often I've heard the words that they would be rapid.  Having lived through the very slowly changing world situations its been hard for me to think of world events happening rapidly.  Now I can see that it can happen.  In a matter of weeks many of the countries in the middle east are in uproar and when oil producing states are in uproar we feel it in our own fuel prices.  Why we are not drilling and producing all the oil we can within our own shores I don't understand but of course that is another subject.  Yet I can see how rapidly the world we know can change before our eyes.  Sylvia was set for a birding trip in Egypt for the very time the country was exploding, the trip was cancelled but she could easily have been there in the middle of it.  I've been to Jordan, walked the streets in the evening, ridden buses out to Petra and now Jordan is experiencing unrest in the streets.  Its tense in Israel, a country that is far from perfect in its treatment of others but finds itself surrounded with hostile neighbors who want to destroy the Jews.

And in our own country a long festering problem of unfunded mandates is now exploding to the surface.  Tonight it is reported that 1/2 of Detroit's schools are going to be closed, high school classes could reach as high as 60 kids.  For too long public officials have just given in to the demands of public servants rather than have a fight. As long as the money flowed things appears OK but now that the money is no longer flowing who is going to honor these generous agreements when there is no money.  Unions have done tremendous good in this country and around the world but at times they are their own worst enemy, always pushing for more benefits, more pay and less hours until the jobs get shipped to another country where labor costs are much lower and suddenly the union does not look so good.  The idea of a union forcing all teachers in a school district to belong, pay huge dues or not work is just wrong.  And then taking the dues and pushing just one political party, the one most likely to give them ever bigger wages and benefits, that seems totally wrong as well.  I was listening to a lady tonight who is a teacher and the school district forced her to pay $700 a year in dues.  She then discovered that that same union was publishing lies and distortions about her husband who was running for public office.  Her money was being used to defame her husband.  When she raised the issue her calls were not returned.  This whole situation is just wrong.

My brother was an engineer for years for the railroads, had a great union and enjoys a reasonable retirement.  He was treated mostly fair by the union who represented him well.  That is a case of a good union outcome, there are other situations that are not so ideal and in the case of public employees their pay has gotten way out of hand.  To have healthy people retiring at 55 with most of their wages, now retirement to continue for the rest of their lives, there is not enough money in the cities coffers to cover that as time goes by.  My own state of California is a prime example.  With millions of undocumented people here, with rules upon rules squeezing businesses, with high taxes it is no wonder that people are leaving the state by the thousands.  There is little golden left about our state, its so sad to observe.  And yet we elected the same people who got us into the mess again.  What can we expect?  Gov. Brown will try but he was created by the labor unions, they own him and the whole democratic party, its hard to see the way out.

Before I got up this morning I was praying and thinking about my own little world, remembering people, family, friends who need an extra dose of God's blessings and thinking about how God views the world at this time, He must just shake His head with sadness to see the mess we humans have made of things.

Oh that the day coming would come soon, when God says enough.

Good night my family and friends,

I love you all,


Tim

Just not quite right

Thats how I feel, lungs feel heavy and sluggish.  This morning Ken and I walked our little trek in beautiful weather and enjoyed the welcome sunshine.  Then I came back to find the blood sugar was better than it has been but still higher than it should be.  Breakfast was light and tasty and then I began working at the desk.  It seems I mostly moved paper from side to side today, hooked up a third printer, finished up a report and started on a second one and watched several programs on TV.  This evening I enjoyed watching Blue Bloods, a show about the police commissioner in New York, starts Tom Selick and is well written.

During the day I wrestled with the fire trying to get it to consume a huge piece of wood that did not burn on Friday night.  Finally after several attempts I've persuaded it to burn.  What a challenge it was since it took up most of the room in the stove, to find a way to create a hot fire next to it.

I hope to start feeling stronger and better soon. 

So for now its bed time and I wish each and every one of you a very good week of productivity and peace.

Love

tim

Kallie goes to Sabbath School

It was enchanted from the time I picked her up.  Kallie in her little white furry coat was a sight.  Once we were in the car she began to talk and then moved to singing little songs.  I just didn't know 2 year olds could do all this stuff, so fan to be a part of.  Then in Sabbath School she enjoyed the program that Emily led out in.  Kallie told me in her hushed words that the teacher was Lukes Grandmother.  Not sure how she remembered that.

Once we left church she ordered a happy meal.  However all she ended up with was the chocolate milk.  She was not hungry yet.  Once we reached her house she was ready to go to bed.  She walked up the stairs, into her room and laid down and pulled up the blanket over her body.  I did not hear from her again for 3 hours and she was rested and happy.

Tomorrow is a work day, a time to get caught up a bit on properties I have already seen.  Ken and I are walking in the morning at 7:30 so perhaps its time to say good night to all.

Love

tim

Measuring in the rain, what fun!

Dear Family and Friends,
How do they ever do it, I mean appraisers who live in Oregon or Seattle where it rains all the time?  How do they keep on measuring in the rain?  I only have to do it once in a while yet I never really grow used to it.

This afternoon the house was about 3,000 sf and located in Mountain House, sure enough when I pulled up the rain was coming down.  I pulled out the coat and just started in.  The fun really started when I got to the back yard, mud from fence to fence and even worse 2 labs.  They put the labs in kennels but the mud remained and of course one requirement is a photo of the rear of the house taken as the appraiser stands at the back fence so I had to venture out across that sea of mud.  I've done it hundreds of times and never really started loving it.  But before long I was back in the beetle with the heater on high and my shoes steaming with moisture.  The things we do for money and of course this is the one they are paying me a whole $210, used to be $400 for an appraisal of a house like this. Yet I'm grateful to have the work. 

Once the appraisal and the 8 photos were taken of other homes I decided to detour to Olive Garden.  The soup, salad and eggplant were perfect and as I ate I warmed up, it was a perfect ending to a less than perfect day.

I'm fighting something internally, not sure what but the combination of the new Victoza and the different pump for breathing at night seems to have really hit me hard.  Hopefully I'll quickly recover and feel better.  Of course the not knowing what is going to happen with my home and the loan company also weights on me all the time.  How I wish they would give me a fighting chance.  Its in the Lords hands right now, I've done all I can at this point.

So I take miss Kallie to Sabbath School in the morning, Keanna is busy with her mother and Girl Scout things.  Kallie and I will have fun, she loves Sabbath School and her teacher Kim.

Well for now its time to sign off, hit the bed, grab some rest and see if I can wake up feeling better.  Love to all and keep warm, dry and enjoy your down time.

Tim

Winter is still with us

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write my clock reminds me that once again I've overstayed my evening rituals, that I should be in bed sleeping but instead I enjoyed the fire, Starr with me in the recliner and a DVR episode of Bones from a couple weeks ago.  For those of you who enjoy Bones it was an important show, he asked Hannah to marry and she regretfully told him she was not the marrying type.  It was a moving and interesting show.  Starr thought so too.  She was feeling happy because I had remembered to bring her home some delicious new dog food.  I've been experimenting with different kinds of wet food, the last box was a loser.  Had to open a little can every morning and then put up with the very strong odor.  This time its in little pouches and she loved it and there was no odor for me to live with.  I like it already.

I say two homes today, both in the rain, but fortunately our company had seen both of them before years ago so I did not have to measure them over and the time inside was minimal.  What is nice about these appraisals, they have already been paid for, nice!  They are local, extra nice and the tenants were very helpful with the access I needed.

I'm adjusting to living with the new breathing machine and so far its unnerving.  The air pressure is much more intense and I think I'm sleeping deeper but I wake feeling very strange, the lungs actually hurt from all the extra air being pumped in.  Still I'm giving it several days before I decide anything.  Today the very nice lady who set me up at Apria called to see how I was doing, I thought that was nice and I was touched.

Right now I'm heading to bed.  This evening I took time to cook.  Using a fry pan I started with olive oil, then added brown rice, mushrooms and vege burger.  After that cooked I put it on a plate and poured freshly cooked broccoli with cheese sauce over the top.  Over the top of that I added fresh chopped tomatoes.  It turned out to be very tasty.

Good night dear friends and family,

Love

tim

Kiddos brighten the day!

Dear Family and Friends,
Once again its late but with Barbie and Gerry in Hawaii I know I can write later without incident.  Barbie usually does not go to bed until she reads the blog but she is safely tucked away in Maui this week visiting Michael and Sandy.
Today started on the tred mill after an unusual night.  I was adjusting to a new mask and a new breathing machine.  The machine was set to 12 and my last machine ran at an output of 7.8 so I had a whole lot more air going into my lungs last night, enough that I woke frequently, not sure what was taking place.
This morning was spent in clearing my desk, writing checks, dealing with setting up new orders and at 12:45 I was ready to go pick up Keanna.  She was bursting with energy and did her homework in about 3 seconds and enjoyed her TV programs.  Later in the afternoon she started writing letters and then delivering them to me, we worked on the piano a bit and at 4:45 we picked up Kallie and brought her back to the house.  The girls played, munched and played some more until their mom came to collect them later.

After they left I turned off lights, cooked 2 cups of rice in the rice cooker, made pancakes and then relaxed watching NCIS LA and just now finished off an episode of CSI Las Vegas.

I came across something this afternoon that was printed in a recent Readers Digest and it reminded me so much of my special friend Steve Ahn who we lost to a heart attack about the same time as we lost Nan.  He was a very special person and I'm going to share what was written in the Digest, it makes me think of his special skills in quizzing and listening to people.  Here it is, " remember to be humble.  It's crucial to take a sense of humility into the world.  If your attitude is that only smarter people have something to teach you, your learning opportunities will be very limited.  But if you have a humble eagerness to learn something from everybody, your learning opportunities will be unlimited.  Generally you can be humble only if you feel really good about yourself and want to help those around you feel really good about themselves too.  When we see people acting in an abusive, arrogant, or demeaning manner toward others, their behavior almost always is a symptom of their lack of self-esteem.  They need to put someone else down to feel good about themselves." 1.  Friend Steve had this wonderful way of sitting in a room with a cross section of people, some educated, some not and yet bringing out what each person had to share.  Using questions and observations Steve would draw out interesting bits and pieces of information and in the process make the person he was focusing on really feel heard and understood.  I have seen him do it over and over and it was not an act.  Steve was very interested in learning all he could, no matter who or where, he wanted to know more and in the process he helped a lot of people.
I just wanted to share something that to me was a very special gift, this gift of active caring by listening to another person share their story.  Steve was a very good man and those of us who knew him still miss him, his humor, his quick wit, his boundless inventory of jokes and his deep love of people.

Tomorrow is yet another day, how will we help the human race?  How will I do my part?

Love

tim
1. The Bottom Line on Happiness, Clayton M Christensen, Harvard Business Review  Readers Digest Feb. pg 176

Friendships and relationships, family and friends

Been thinking about how very special a friend is or a close family member, its like a whole different world than the activities that take up most of our time.  We work to make money to pay bills for things we could easily do without if we lived in another culture but everywhere friendship, family and person to person contact is treasured.  Yet we end up spending so little time nurturing and holding dear our relationships.  Now I know the experience of having a long term relationship and then gradually having it slip through my fingers until it was gone.  That experience is heart wrenching and unforgettable yet would it have been better not to have loved, oh never.  When we reach out, touch and relate to another person we take an awful chance.  They might use us and discard us, they might intentionally hurt us or betray us or just ignore us after awhile.  The safest thing to do is not to touch or be touched, just wrap ones self up in self and be totally safe but oh what a loss.

Friendship is a special gift that can be lost, can be built on, can be forgotten only to be rediscovered but it can never be replaced, possessions don't even come close, travel might be rewarding for a time but soon you want to share the experiences with your friends, so they slumber while you show your slides or most recent photos.

I'm no expert on allowing our Lord to be our friend.  But I certainly turn to Him often to seek his guidance, ask for His help and cry out for His comfort and peace.  I'm no saint and it seems as I grow older I'm more and more rebellious to some of the things I used to consider vital and right.  This business called living is not easy, not for sure and not all that much fun in many ways yet friends, family make it livable, joyous and secure.  We exist for other people, yes its clearly defined when there are little people that look to you for love and fun but we do exist for other people, God has little missions for us to be on each day if we will ask Him to point us to the target for that day.

Today has been a good day, well yes there was some money that came in and yes there are several places to put it, like a PG&E bill that would keep the lights and power on for another month, groceries to buy.

Good night to all family and friends,  you really are a special bunch!

Love

tim

Writing in place

Dear Ones,
Today was a day of just staying in the office and writing.  It went well but oh I am so sore in crucial places tonight.  Starr was glad to have me home for the day and talked to me a lot, not sure what she was saying though, could have been bad, not sure.
It was a blustery day here, wind, hints of rain and cold all day.  I managed to write three full reports today which is good but my eyes are pretty wasted now.
I took a break at 7:30 to take the girls some little talking and dancing dolls, their parents seemed so pleased to have noisy dolls added to the mix!  I think I might even get the dolls over here soon.  Oh well.
I've included photos of the valentine Keanna made this evening for me and the one that Timothy created while I was there with his mothers help.
These are so wonderful, the loving creativity of our little ones, its good medicine for the soul.

So I'm heading to bed, so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open now.  But its a good tired, comes with accomplishment, I'm so thankful for the orders, the payments, the life line I'm living with.

Today I heard from Jan.  Jan is Nan's niece who lives in Denver.  She has taken a new job being the director of a very important non profit based in Portland and will be moving there soon  She was such a great friend to us over the years and it will be nice to have her closer, she is even promising to come visit which will be wonderful.  Its always fun when Jan is around, she is so full of ideas and life.

Well its off to bed now,  love to you all

tim

perfect!

Busy Sunday

Dear ones,
Walk with Ken first thing. Then to Oakland to see two homes. After Oakland I went to Livermore to see another home. In betwee I went to Red Robin for lunch. This evening Nikki ask if I could watch girls so they could go out.
So im blogging in iPhone tonight. They should be home pretty soon.
At the same time I'm testing my friend, talking to sister in Ohio and writing the blog. This is some amazing phone. Texting not testing. The phone changes spellings at times which has interesting results!
So I'm wishing each of you a good and blessed week.
Love to all,

Tim

Talk about a great day!

Well this has been a Sabbath to remember.  Ken and I walked at 6:30 in 39 degree temperature.  At 9 I picked up the girls before driving to our church in Tracy.  Keanna enjoyed a great Sabbath School with Sylvia and Kallie and I went to Kim's class.  Kallie had a busy time doing all the activities that Kim had planned.  Early on she tipped her hand when she asked if we could do snacks next, it was cute.

We drove with Keanna lunching on onion rings and Kallie sipping her chocolate milk.  Then I relinquished the girls into their parents custody and headed home.  I napped in the good old work chair and then picked up a bit around the house, finished putting away the Christmas ornaments and prepared for the evening.

My friend arrived from her home in Antioch and we drove first to the country club in Stockton where I returned a set of plans that I had had for several months for a huge and wonderful home.  Then we met Barb and Gerry at the Spaghetti Factory and in a little while Nikki and the girls joined us.  We really had a very nice time with great food and enjoyable conversation.  Afterwards Barb and Gerry picked up their girl scout cookies from Keanna and headed back to Lincoln.  We drove back to Discovery Bay where we enjoyed the fires glow and Starr made a new friend.

What a joy friendship is, what a blessing family is, people interacting with people, the real meaning of life.  Friendship does not depend on power or money, not on prestige or accomplishments but on something as simple as just listening to one another, learning and appreciating.

So I wish each of you a good night,

Love


Tim

Some Good Days

Dear Family and Friends,
At this moment the entire house smells like freshly baked bread.

And finally this time the loaf filled the entire machine right up to the window.  When I looked in and there was about 30 minutes to go I was thrilled. Finally a decent loaf so what did I do differently?  Well I can't think of a thing.  I did heat the water up a bit and used more than is called for to offset the fact that I use more whole wheat flower than is called for.  The yeast is fast acting and otherwise everything I did was normal.  You know what, I'll just take the bread and enjoy it.  The loaf was so large that I had to cut it into two pieces to get it into the plastic sacks I use to hold it.  Its a nice way to finished up the week.

Tomorrow I have the high honor of taking the girls to Sabbath School in Tracy.  Then we will catch some lunch somewhere and return them to their loving, adoring parents!

In the evening I'm meeting the Lammerdings in Stockton for dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and deliver some girls scout cookies for Keanna.  I'll be joined by a friend and perhaps even Nikki, Steve and the girls.  We will see, it will be very nice to see Barb and Gerry again.  They have been friends for just about forever.

This morning as I was on my way to Brentwood to inspect a house I stopped at Starbucks for a decaf mocha and ran into Therese Hall.  She was the wonderful home health nurse that cared so lovingly for Nan over the last couple years coming to our home several times a week and even more as the need increased.  She was absolutely marvelous in every way and it was great to catch up on her active life.  She is in the process of becoming a nurse practiciner and working in Oakland at the present time.  She is one of those special people that you will never forget as long as you live.  What a huge difference she made in our lives.

Well its time to settle in for the evening. 

Love to all

Tim

Busy Times

Dear Friends and Family,
Just a quick word this evening as suddenly I find myself very busy once again. 

I spent the morning in setting up orders, researching them and completing the relo appraisal, then I headed out to Concord to see a property, then to CostCo which was very nearby for water, peanut butter, etc, then Oakland to see a lovely old property that has been totally updated, those are really fun to see and then I fought traffic attempting to get back to Brentwood before dark.  Nikki warned me and she was right.  So arriving in Brentwood after dark I darted into Red Robin for a garden burger.  They do such a good job and now have a 4 calorie lemonade that is excellent.

Then to Raley's for some Scallops and fresh tomatoes and now I'm home and heading to bed.  Tomorrow will be a big day, have to be in Brentwood early to see that house and then come home and write up at least two, three if I can manage it plus I have another one in Discovery Bay to see and couple in Oakland for Sunday.

The weather was pleasant today and I heard from Jason, they were at the Aquarium enjoying the day and I was so glad they were there but sorry I wasn't there.  But you know I'm very glad to be working once again.  These darn bills just keep coming in the mail and its best to pay them.

Love to all

Tim

Back in business

Good evening
Nice balanced day!  walk at 6:30 in a perfect morning with Ken, solve the remaining problems of the world by 7:30 when the walk is over

See property in Pleasant Hill at 10, arrive on time, great house, nice view and a 914 with a 6 cylinder engine in the garage all decorated with racing stuff.  Beautiful!

Drive back to DB and pick up Keanna at 12:45, arrive early, get treasured parking spot, surrounded by lovely young mothers, tough duty, takes me back to when we were younger.

Keanna and I prepare our own chicken pieces from a huge box we got at CostCo.  Microwaved ones work better than the ones in the toaster oven, Starr is eating those.

Keanna and I travel to Brentwood, find comps and shoot photos, she helps, sharp young eyes.  Then we hit the Dollar Store.  She has a blast and I enjoy watching her count out her money to the penny at the checkout stand, she buys some things for her sister, what a girl.

Drop Keanna off at club and meet Lois and Ray for a burrito, huge and very good. Then home to continue work on a relo due in the morning.  Now its off to bed.  Two orders came in today for which I am very pleased.

Love to all,

Tim

Then the Wind blew

Dear Family and Friends,
Oh how the wind did blow, all night and then all day today.  If something could be blown about last night it was, things crashed, bumped and wiggled all night.  But then I texted Marilyn who lives in Rhode Island and discovered that they too are having winds but with their winds comes a 17 degree temperature, can you imagine getting stuck on a road in 17 degree temperature and then experiencing the severe winds as well.  Oh I shudder as I write.

Today was a low key day here at the mustard acres.  I hunkered down with a roaring fire, Starr sleeping nearby and just looked into this computer monitor all day long.  Seems I spent the majority of the day putting our fires generated by people sitting at desks who were bent on ripping up my work, it happens but I never enjoy it.  And then this afternoon I wrote up the field review for the house I say in Hayward yesterday and within minutes came back a reply, you must move it to a different form in spite of that form being the wrong one, the lender wanted it so I had to comply.  So for the $175 fee I've driven to Hayward, spent two hours driving about taking photos and writing notes and then the afternoon writing up the report only to be told to write it up again on a different form.  Do I sound happy?  Well I'm not totally pleased to be sure.

Then this evening I was moving the 5 gallons of water from the reverse osmosis system to the water cooler and heater in my case.  Just as I tipped it onto the stand it slipped and 5 gallons of water gushed all over my wood floors and steps.  So for the next few minutes I scrambled to get that water up off the floor before it ruined the whole floor,  I managed to get it up with the help of two huge towels and repeated trips to the sink to wring them out.  So now I have no water bottle, you see it broke when it hit the floor and no hot water until I solve this latest little problem.

This evening at 5 I decided to skip weight watchers and went to watch Kallie in her swimming lesson.  She is doing very well and loves the class.  Then we moved to the other end of town to the gym where Keanna was in her gymnastics class.  I had a chance to talk to Nikki and bit and to relax with family.  It was great.

Now its bed time and Ken says we walk but if the winds are blowing like this morning I'm NOT going.

Love to all,


Tim

Nice

Dear Family and Friends,
Its 11 and I'm waiting for my new exciting loaf of bread to finish baking.  The entire house smells great, like someone lives here that actually knows something about the kitchen, not!

Today started bright and clear at 7 when I joined the family inside for breakfast.  Jason soon had to leave for work but before he went he made the most delicious cup of java, so good.  Mia was all smiles and Timothy was eating his Cherrios.  We played trains for a little while and then I ventured out to start the process of unhooking water and electrical power, putting in the slide, securing everything so it won't fly and break once the motor home starts down the road.  Then I pulled out the ramps and drove the bug onto the tow dolly and did the final research for the properties I was to see while I still had Jason and Jo's excellent wifi signal.

After I drove out having said good byes to the kiddos and Jo I headed to the nearest gas station.  One has to be careful with about 35 feet of equipment you can't just stop at any station along the way, it has to have enough room.  So I put in $49 work of very expensive gas and headed over Highway 17.  I took it easy the trip over the mountain turned out to be very simple and safe. Then up Highway 85 to Ray and Lois's second home to do an appraisal.  That's when the fun started!  Following the GPS I thought it told me to turn into a side street but once I was well into it I saw the numbers were all wrong.  Then I realized it was a court with no space for me to turn around, remember a tow dolly and a car on the tow dolly.  Unless you are Tom Miller, professional truck driver you just don't back up.  So I unloaded the bug, what else to do.  By this time I was getting better at the steps one needs to take to unload.  Then I backed the motor home and the tow dolly up until I was on the right street.  Ray could hardly contain his amusement at my plight, I found it very funny also.

I was able to quickly measure the property and Ray drove me around to shoot comps and then I loaded the bug up again and was off.  This time I headed for Hayward and about an hour later I found  place in a huge shopping center where I could park and unload once again.  The appraisal I needed to review had finally arrived in the email this morning.  So for the next hour and 1/2 I drove to 9 properties and shot photos, then it was back to the parking lot, load the bug and head home.  I kept thinking how much fun the adventure was, I had long dreamed of camping and using the dolly to do work as well and it was finally happening.  During the day 2 other orders arrived by email into my phone, that was good news.

The trip home was uneventful which is the ideal when driving a motor home and I arrived at about 5:15.  Now everything important that was in the motor home is safely in the house, the tow dolly is put away and I'm ready to go to bed as soon as the bread machine clicks off and beeps.  I almost had a disaster when I was starting to make the bread.  Without thinking I started to pour the 1 and 1/3 cup of water into the machine and then saw the bread basket sitting beside the machine.  I was pouring water directly into the heating and power part of the machine.  I quickly took it to the sink and dumped the water out, dried it as best I could and went ahead.  Now it looks like the machine forgave me as the bread is just about done.

I remember Nan used to become sad at times and when I would quiz her why she would look at me with misty eyes and say, who is going to take care of you if I die?  And I would assure her first of all that she was not going to die and secondly I would be fine, just keep thinking positive thoughts.  But frankly she did have a point, its not been an easy road without her but I think she would be pleased with the things I now know how to do.  This weekend has been really nice, first the happy girls to Sabbath School and then spending the rest of the time with the family at MBA, clear nights, nice sunsets, beautiful children and so many nice moments with Jo and Jason.

When I pulled up in front of the house this evening I just breathed a grateful prayer, thank you Lord for such a safe and wonderful time.  We will never know all the special things our Heavenly Father has done to protect, guide, enhance our lives.  Oh that we could love like that!!

Love to all,


Tim

A Hint of Summer at the Beach

Dear Family and Friends,
Can it get better than this?  A super bowl Sunday with members of the family, a warm balmy day at the beach, a mid day visit with a friend and a beautiful drive back on 152 through the mountains.

Jason sent a text to let me know the "men" were up this morning so I went in and helped Mr. Timothy enjoy his oatmeal.  Jason was busy in the backyard cleaning the BBQ and the porch and Timothy and I went out to watch him work.  He was pretty good at it.

Later in the morning I drove over to Gilroy to see my friend Art and we spent some time.  He is mourning the departure of Connie who has gone to Hawaii for a week with her mother and sisters, so poor Art is all alone with his friends, his restored Nova, his improving golf game and his other pursuits.  He will probably make it throught the week just fine.

On the way back he directed me to 152 which leaves Gilroy a few blocks from his home.  I had not taken that way of getting to Watsonville for years and it is a very lovely drive.  The views from the top of the pass are tremendous and every thing is so green and nice this time of the year.  Arriving back at Monterey Bay Academy the game was about to begin.  Chips and dip were spread out along with some very good root beer, like better than I've ever tasted before.  We enjoyed the game and chatted, took turns holding Mia, Jason was grilling chicken and grillers and we just relaxed.  Before dark Timothy and I took a quick walk to the beach, he is a very nice little stroller and Pappa pushing.  We 4 wheeled all over and he had a blast.  We arrived back with me puffing and he just enjoyed the ride.  It was nearly dark after the stunning sunset over the ocean.

This evening we had a desert that was so tasty it lingered on the tongue and all decided to turn in early.  Jason spent hours with his trusty weed eater and was tired from doing that work and Jo was tired since Mia was up several times last night.

I've include a photo we took this evening just before Timothy went to sleep.  Now his going to sleep is no simple process.  First you read several books, then you sing at least 5 songs he knows, then he is tucked in and with Furness, his special little sleeping rag doll he puts his head on the pillow, then there is a song or two more and prayer, then finally he is ready to rest.  Of course there was brushing the teeth, a bath, a bathroom break and other important steps too.  Even a few minutes at the train table is fun too.

I'll load up and leave in the morning so I can get to a 10 am appointment over in San Jose.  Then unless other work arrives I'll head on home.  This has been a great break and so far everything has worked well.  How thankful I am for family, both the family in Discovery and the family here at MBA are so precious to me.  Every member has their own unique contributions to make and they are all very precious to my heart.

Sending love to all,

tim

Chillin at MBA

Dear Family and Friends,
Wow is this great or what!  Just said good night to Timothy again and he is such a dear.  In one day I spent the morning with Keanna and Kallie as we drove to Sabbath School in Tracy, then caught lunch at Burger King, then we drove back and returned them to the custody of their parents.  Once home I loaded the bug onto the tow dolly, ( that took a while) and finally headed out to Monterey Bay Academy.  So here I am writing to you with the distant sound of the surf in the distance, the sky is clear and beautiful and the evening was about 70 degrees.  Wow, this is great.

Timothy and Jason came out to greet me once they realized that I was here.  Timothy had been looking for me all day and would hardly do anything else expecting that I would pop up anytime.  He helped me along with his father level the coach and get the tow dolly off the street.  Then we plugged into the electrical power and Jason ran a hose for water.

I was invited by Timothy to play trains with him so we did, what a cute train set he has and that was a memory I'll have for a long time.  Mia was smiles and displaying those stunning huge round eyes as I got to hold her for a bit.  She is growing and developing fast, too fast really.

I'm just back in the motor home after watching a DVD with Jason and Jo,  George Clooney was the star and the movie was beautiful.  Now I'm back in the coach and after I take Starr out for her little walk we will settle into the queen bed and sleep until Jason calls or texts me in the morning.  Later in the day tomorrow I'll do an appraisal and then come back here to MBA for the night, on Monday morning I'll head out to do more appraisal work on the way home.  The recent repairs I did last Wednesday seem to be holding together, the microwave is still in place so I think I've made progress. 

Tomorrow morning I hope to take a walk to the beach and enjoy the power of the ocean, what an incredible world of beauty God created and even in spite of the huge problems we face God is still in charge.  We just need to remind each other of that all the time.  Can you take a moment this weekend to reach out to loved ones in an extra special way.  You can make the weekend super for someone by a little extra effort on your part.  Do it, you won't be sorry.

Love to all,

Tim

At long last this week comes to an end.

Dear Family and Friends,
Another sunny day here in paradise.  Yea right, paradise might be stretching it just a bit.
This morning instead of walking out in the cold I cranked up the tread mill and did my time in the comfort of my own bedroom.  As bad news emanated from the TV good news filled my body with exercise and deep breathing.  I do think that the cough that so often bothers has been diminished after I added the vapor system to the cpap breathing machine.  I know I've been sleeping really well.  Last night at dinner I had two ice teas and usually that much caffeine would have kept me up, not last night.  I slept well all night and so did Starr.

This morning was time for a good breakfast, sausages, eggs, pancakes and OJ.  It was all good.

I broke down later in the morning and paid the money to have my precious IPOD repaired.  Yes I know I could have purchased a new one for 80 dollars more but I like my ipod and so it is being repaired.  Funny how everyone has an opinion on something like this.  Got to say the majority of opinion was to just go for broke and buy a new one but there comes a time when one has to make their own mind up, its my money so it is being repaired and will be back in my hot little hands in two weeks or less.

Keanna came this afternoon and I was able to give her a little American Girl sewing kit I found last night. We will make some nice things with the kit, should be fun.  She was excited about it.

Since I'm going to see Jason and Jo tomorrow right after I'm finished taking the girls to Sabbath School I spend a bit of time getting the tow dolly out and hooked up to the RV.  Tomorrow I'll just have to drive it on the ramps, lock the straps and drive away.  I'm supposed to be doing an inspection in Boulder Creek but of course Bank of America failed to get the order here today.  I'm also supposed to be doing a driveby review in Hayward on Monday but same thing, so far no appraisal to review.  I hope to be able to do a couple appraisals while I'm down there and will come back Monday sometime.  Its nice to be able to have a home away from home and since there is nothing compelling me to be here Monday morning I'll arrive when the work is completed.

Once again the good Lord has granted us a chance to worship, relax with family, rebuilt relationships and touch nature, what a huge blessing that is.  It makes life come alive, more than marking time and counting steps, life glows.  I think of the pride and joy in Loren and Emily's voices as they talk about Luke, I know how rich my life is to have 4 wonderful little ones to adore.  Tomorrow after Timothy will hear the motorhome's arrival and come out onto the porch saying Pappa.  That is the best music there is.  Someday soon we will arrive in the courts of heaven to meet our majestic Pappa, our loving heavenly Father, oh the joy that will bring.  With all the problems that trouble this world on a daily basis our hearts cry out, soon Lord, soon.

Love to all

Tim

A good day

Dear Family and Friends,

It was really really cold this morning as we walked, the cold air slipped into any crack or opening in our winter clothes and it felt so good to finally turn the final corner and reach the warm interior of the house.

For those of you who have been considering, putting off or think you can't do it, find a friend and start walking, just a block at first, then further, it clears your head, puts you back in touch with your maker and gets you blood flowing.  Consider it and then take the first step, please.

The first house on the agenda was located in Brentwood and had very sweet owners.  They are being moved to Michigan of all places but are thrilled to still have a job.  They are a Christian family, he an engineer and she a teacher.  He was so funny, he kept thinking of more things he should mention to me that he thought might help the value and his wife would roll her eyes.  It was a cute interplay that I'm sure has happened a lot of times before in their marriage.

Once I completed the inspection of their very nice home I had just enough time to drive to Stockton where I conducted a reinspection of a home that I saw just last week.  This time for a FHA appraisal.  I really like talking to the owner.  He is a former supervisor for the county and a very interesting guy.

Upon driving away temptation drove me to the nearest Starbucks where I purchased not only a decaf mocha but also a walnut brownie.  Talk about good.  I sat in Starbucks and watched a guy go over a very tall waterfall in a Kayak, it was pretty amazing to observe.  The IPHONE played it perfectly and since I was on their wifi I was not using precious minutes.

This evening I decided to go out to a local cafe where a live jazz group was making great music.  I had a very pleasant time with a friend and the food was very good.  I discovered that I had a $10 credit from the last time I was there many months ago.  In fact since that time they have moved to a beautiful new building in Streets of Brentwood, our open air mall.

On the way home the bug warned me it was low on fuel so I stopped at Safeway and paid an amazingly high $3.58 for diesel.  The bug cost nearly $60 to fill.  Wow that hurt.

Now I'm home, just enjoyed watching a new episode of the Mentalist and I'm on my way to bed.  Starr has already let me know she is ready to crash.  If anyone is in need of excellent desserts Keanna is once again selling Girl Scout cookies.  Just let me know if you want some.

So for now I'm signing off and wishing each of you a good evening,

Love

tim

Motor home Repairs

Dear Family and Friends,
After walking this morning I made breakfast and then started a project on the motor home.  For some time the slide has had some problems and the kitchen cabinets tend to rub on the floor, the microwave oven had fallen from its place and I had someone coming at 6 today to inspect it to decide if they wanted to rent the coach to drive to Seattle in the early summer.  Soon I had the driveway full of tools, building materials, screws and Ray even joined in the fun.  We jacked the kitchen up slightly and using much larger bolts secured two sections of the kitchen together, the prior screws had snapped off leaving the pieces to begin to fall apart.  The new bolts did a great job of tying the two sections together and then I worked on installing the microwave oven once again.  I was able to get a tight fit, secure it and found that it works fine.  There the small area under the oven had to be covered and the prior screen piece of wood had shattered.  Ray had some hardwood flooring pieces he had picked up when someone put them out with a sign, free.  Those pieces came in very hand today.  Using a router, a grinder, a chop saw and a saber saw we were able to fashion the piece of wood so it looks custom made.
After Ray left for San Jose I turned my attention to the lower section of the cabinets which are supposed to be supported by a roller which rolls on the floor.  That part had to be totally rebuilt and again using the hard wood pieces I was able to make it strong and now it functions well once again.
At 4 pm I started to vacuum the floors and counter tops, at 5 I started to clean the door, it was covered with graphite and I lined up 6 different cleaning bottles.  The first 4 failed to touch the graphite but the bottle with orange in its name wiped the graphite off like it was just dust.  I discovered new respect for that cleaner.
At about 6:15 the potential renter arrived and looked the coach over.  He is deciding between this one and another one in Fremont so I still might not have a deal.  However this evening someone locally sent in a request to rent, their request comes for days right in the middle of his rental period so once he decides yes or not then I might have a backup renter.  Seems there will be no shortage of renters for the spring and summer months.  That will help a great deal.
Once again as I walked through the coach this evening I relaxed knowing that my hard work had paid off, that the coach was in good shape once more.
I had a nice contact this afternoon from another relocation company asking if I would like to be approved to work for them locally.  I've been approved now and just need to submit some paperwork, that is great news indeed.
So now I'm signing off, Keanna was here today and is such a source of happiness and fun.  She is a great kiddo and so easy to love.

Well 6 am comes early, good night my friends and family,

love

tim

One Day Later, How Things Change

Dear Family and Friends,
Mid morning the phone rang and I could see by the readout it was someone from the Sleep Center.  I tensed as I answered expecting an unpleasant few minutes.  Instead the lady started by apologizing for any unpleasantness their billing might have caused.  She went on to suggest that the Sleep Center would be totally satisfied if I would forward the check from Blue Cross for $398 to them and agree to pay the deductible that I would have been required to pay if Blue Cross had covered the bill.  That part was $350 or so.  Well that was exactly what I had decided I would do even before she called.  She said they would send out a new bill and thanked me for my cooperation.  I was shocked, pleased and dumbfounded.  I had sent an email last evening laying out my concerns about the huge bill of $4,100 and she responded quickly.

Later in the day the orders began to arrive and by night fall 4 orders had come in.  What a huge blessing that was as well.  Now I need to settle down and get to work.

This morning not having heard from Ken about walking I slept in.  But when I crawled out into the chilly room I made a decision.  So I removed all the stored clothing from the Nordic treadmill, slipped my tennis shoes on and clipped the safety device to my shorts and slapped the magnet down on the control panel.  It came to life and started on a program, a program that just happened to be perfect for me, the perfect speed, the perfect slope.  30 minutes later as the program wound down I was warmed up, heart was pumping at about 130, my heel no longer hurt at all and I was excited about the day.  After the shower I carried Starr downstairs, brought baskets of wash down and started them in the washer and decided I didn't need a huge breakfast this morning.  It was Weight Watchers day and I wanted to break the cycle of eating all the time, it has become a habit.  So breakfast was a banana and a no fat yogurt followed by a huge class of water later in the morning, early afternoon I had a second yogurt and a 2 point candy bar from Weight Watchers.

At meeting tonight I had dropped 1.7 pounds in spite of being very bad most of the week.  I was thrilled.  On my way to Weight Watchers which meets in Brentwood at 5 pm I conducted a field review and an inspection of a property here in Discovery Bay.  After the meeting I went to Black Diamond Gymnastics Center and watched Keanna, played with Kallie and then we all went to have a burrito.  It is truly interesting to observe a 2 year old's eating habits.  What fun to be with the girls.

Now I'm home and going to bed now.  Its been a hugely different day than yesterday and my spirits have been lifted so much.  During the middle of the day Ray and Lois came to visit and ended up cutting Starr's nails.  I know Starr is much happier without those long nails in the way.

Please take care my dear family and friends,

Love to all

Tim