Dear Family and Friends
When I finally woke up this morning I took time to simply ask God for work, pretty basic and direct, I didn't demand it because He knows best but I did let Him know of the need I was feeling for work.
Once I was up Starr and I headed for Tracy to do a followup, we had to see into the attic one way or the other. A part time realtor lived nearby and had a huge ladder that could reach 14 feet up the side of the house. So I went there, his wife showed me the ladder and I carried it the block to the house I was inspecting and climbed up up up and until I could see through a wire grate into the attic. I tried to take photos but they did not seem to turn out. The phone told me I had a text and it was an offer so I quickly answered back with the word accept and 15 seconds later I was told I had the order. With relief I loaded the folded ladder in the back of the bug and slowly drove back to where I had picked it up. Now the realtor was home for lunch and took the ladder and we were on our way. While we were getting out of Tracy another text hit and I texted back the word accept after pulling over. I got that one too.
I quickly set up the files and then called on the first one, it was a purchase in Tracy so this evening at 7 I inspected the home and in the morning I'll finish the report. The other one will be seen on Thursday.
Tomorrow is my big day with the dentist. I'm nervous but also thankful that one more dreaded thing is being dealt with. Dr. Clarke reminds me a lot of my friend in Tracy, George who had a local dental practice for years and was trusted by so many in the city. Dentists can really made a difference in people's lives and Dr. Clarke is making a difference in mine.
So now I've come to one of my favorite moments, that is when I finally can let it all go and head to bed. Starr is barking a gentle little bark behind me to let me know she thinks its time to give it up. And a guy should listen when his dog barks, right!
Love to all
Thanks for your prayers, 2 orders is double the total from last week and its only Tuesday!
Tim
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day
Dear Family and Friends,
This day started with a rude alarm and Starr making noises about not wanting to get up so early. I drove to Manteca and helped unload a truck for a new family who are moving from Fresno and we hope will attend the Tracy church. They are fun people and had everything carefully boxed up so moving with the large crew from the church was fast and over by 10:30. We had able direction from our beloved pastor. Here is the incredible crew who helped!
This day started with a rude alarm and Starr making noises about not wanting to get up so early. I drove to Manteca and helped unload a truck for a new family who are moving from Fresno and we hope will attend the Tracy church. They are fun people and had everything carefully boxed up so moving with the large crew from the church was fast and over by 10:30. We had able direction from our beloved pastor. Here is the incredible crew who helped!
Once the moving experience was completed I headed back home where I relaxed, built a fire, watched some really good programs by Dr. McDougall and then a special about Desmond Doss. That was an inspiring hour of TV and filled in the blanks about his life that I did not know. A medic that received the congressional medal of honor, he served with bravery and selflessness saving hundreds of lives in the process.
This evening it was back to Tracy to do a reinspection of a little house that has seen about 10 visits from me since I did the original appraisal. It may need yet another one as I still cannot find a way into the attic. At least I found the FAU/CAC and water heater this time.
Our family met at Olive Garden to celebrate Kallie's birthday and she enjoyed herself very much. We all did and when they came to sing to her she was very quiet and pretty much overwhelmed by it all. She did know what to do with your chocolate sunday!
I'm hoping for orders tomorrow. This kind of vacation is not much fun, sort of like waiting for an execution instead of waiting for joy and happiness.
So sending love to all tonight and thank you Kallie for two really great years and looking forward to another good one with you.
Tim
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Good evening
This afternoon Kallie turned 3 and she seemed to handle it all very well.\
Several of the neighbors both present and past came to spend an enjoyable afternoon with great food, lots of kiddos, nice presents and perfect weather. Nikki and Steve did their typical good job of having everything in order and so everyone enjoyed themselves very much.
Here is Kallie and her cake.
Several of the neighbors both present and past came to spend an enjoyable afternoon with great food, lots of kiddos, nice presents and perfect weather. Nikki and Steve did their typical good job of having everything in order and so everyone enjoyed themselves very much.
Here is Kallie and her cake.
The cake was great as you can see!
The kids played in the back yard, the dogs played nicely with each other and the adults chatted played with their phones and listened to good music.
I've also included a photo of Steve's tank at the present time. It is amazing, better than most tanks you see at an aquarium, hope you can see some of the beauty in the photo.
Now that is some tank.
This morning Starr and I jumped in the bug and drove to Fremont to shoot a photo of the front of a house, the lenders were concerned that the front yard was overgrown, they had a right to be concerned. It is overgrown to the max. So I tried to shoot photos from a different angle and the dear owner had worked to clear some of the foliage away. Then once finished with our job we stopped at TacoBell and Starr had a bit of bean burrito and a cup of water. She seemed to enjoy the trip very much sitting on the seat beside me on her doubled over towel. She liked being patted on the head and would bark a bit up at me from time to time, I think she was saying, this is fun, lets do it again.
Well once again it is time to wind it down for the night. Not sure about tomorrow yet, no work to do so I'll find a project around here to keep me busy. Discovery Bay is filled with guests who come to party and play. Its nice to have them come and enjoy this very nice place.
Love to all
Tim
Such a nice day
Dear Family and Friends,
I've been told that its easier to read the blog if its done in larger type.
Church was great today, our pastor has an excellent delivery of well thought out ideas and makes a biblical passage talk to us. She was in fine form today and for once I didn't even grow sleepy like so many times. Of course sitting in the front row does tend to make one quite visible and obvious.
After the worship hour I drove to Stockton where I met Bob and Carrol for lunch at the good old Olive Garden. We had a merry time and Carrol was so light on her feet, I consider her very amazing, in a two year time span, 2 hits fractures and 2 new knees and she moves smoothly and is quite stable now. We talked about everything, enjoyed the good soup and salad with a bread stick thrown in here and there.
After lunch I wanted to locate a AT&T store as my iphone has stopped sending out emails. I could get them in but could not send them out, since orders sometimes arrive through emails my ability to email out is quite important. As I walked in a young girl met me and solved the problem on the spot. She deleted that Comcast account and then reentered it back in and of course it worked perfectly. No charge, no fuss, just magic.
Once I arrived home I set to work building a fire to ward off the chill, it was windy outside, then enjoyed several programs on the incredible christian dish including over an hour of beautiful scenery with music. It was just outstanding, the vespers at Loma Linda was excellent too. As the evening progressed Nikki dropped by for some items for Kallie's party tomorrow, I made whole wheat pasta with green beans and now I've been watching some episodes of Bones, a program I hold near and dear. Just an excellent program and very interesting.
Now its bed time, Starr is telling me that its time. Tomorrow morning I'll drive to Fremont to take a photo of the front of a house and then drive back home, they will pay me $75 for this trip. The dear owner Cara, has called dozens of times since I inspected her home with concerns and we have become friends. I just hope her loan can close soon as she really needs the money due to her various medical conditions.
Tomorrow little Kallie turns into a 3 year old. She is a brilliant little person with a very strong will, you do not change her mind easily once she has decided, hints of her grammy for sure. Nikki and Steve have just invited the neighbors for a BBQ, keeping it little and local but Kallie will have a good time. This evening I assembled a little doll bunk bed that is so cute, it was fun and surprisingly well made considering it came from some foreign country of course.
So good night to all,
Just a reminder, Jesus is our best friend, our only hope of eternity and our present helper no matter what we face. Important lessons if we are ever to find real lasting happiness and peace.
Love
tim
I've been told that its easier to read the blog if its done in larger type.
Church was great today, our pastor has an excellent delivery of well thought out ideas and makes a biblical passage talk to us. She was in fine form today and for once I didn't even grow sleepy like so many times. Of course sitting in the front row does tend to make one quite visible and obvious.
After the worship hour I drove to Stockton where I met Bob and Carrol for lunch at the good old Olive Garden. We had a merry time and Carrol was so light on her feet, I consider her very amazing, in a two year time span, 2 hits fractures and 2 new knees and she moves smoothly and is quite stable now. We talked about everything, enjoyed the good soup and salad with a bread stick thrown in here and there.
After lunch I wanted to locate a AT&T store as my iphone has stopped sending out emails. I could get them in but could not send them out, since orders sometimes arrive through emails my ability to email out is quite important. As I walked in a young girl met me and solved the problem on the spot. She deleted that Comcast account and then reentered it back in and of course it worked perfectly. No charge, no fuss, just magic.
Once I arrived home I set to work building a fire to ward off the chill, it was windy outside, then enjoyed several programs on the incredible christian dish including over an hour of beautiful scenery with music. It was just outstanding, the vespers at Loma Linda was excellent too. As the evening progressed Nikki dropped by for some items for Kallie's party tomorrow, I made whole wheat pasta with green beans and now I've been watching some episodes of Bones, a program I hold near and dear. Just an excellent program and very interesting.
Now its bed time, Starr is telling me that its time. Tomorrow morning I'll drive to Fremont to take a photo of the front of a house and then drive back home, they will pay me $75 for this trip. The dear owner Cara, has called dozens of times since I inspected her home with concerns and we have become friends. I just hope her loan can close soon as she really needs the money due to her various medical conditions.
Tomorrow little Kallie turns into a 3 year old. She is a brilliant little person with a very strong will, you do not change her mind easily once she has decided, hints of her grammy for sure. Nikki and Steve have just invited the neighbors for a BBQ, keeping it little and local but Kallie will have a good time. This evening I assembled a little doll bunk bed that is so cute, it was fun and surprisingly well made considering it came from some foreign country of course.
So good night to all,
Just a reminder, Jesus is our best friend, our only hope of eternity and our present helper no matter what we face. Important lessons if we are ever to find real lasting happiness and peace.
Love
tim
Friday, May 27, 2011
Helping out
Good evening,
Our weather continues to tease us here, nothing extreme but not that nice either, some wind, some sun, some clouds but a very nice sunset tonight.
It was nice to have the phone ring today and with it came an order, a nice touch to a very slow week work wise. There there were a couple little reinspections too but they pay so little they are not worth doing, but of course you don't have that choice.
This afternoon I was able to conduct the appraisal of a home in Summerset, a 55 and over community in Brentwood. My client had just lost her beloved husband a month ago so we had plenty to talk about. I spent over an hour at the kitchen table just listening and sharing. She is a lovely lady in her 70s who did a great job caring for her husband and had it really rough in the last year. She is coping well and sort of knows the rules, go ahead and do things that bring happiness even if you feel a bit guilty doing them, get out and walk, let time work for you, surround yourself with little ones, take time with your beloved doggie.
They enjoyed traveling in their motorhome and she is comfortable driving it even though its 33 feet long so she may get back on the road. She travels with a couple different RV groups.
I felt very comfortable talking with her and once again realized that I do have gifts that so often lie dormat but are still there. Now I just wish I could make a living doing what I love most, helping people.
Here is hoping that you have a great holiday weekend, that you reach out to people in your circle and spend time with them. I'm convinced that investing in people is about as good as it gets.
So sending love to friend and family alike,
Tim
Our weather continues to tease us here, nothing extreme but not that nice either, some wind, some sun, some clouds but a very nice sunset tonight.
It was nice to have the phone ring today and with it came an order, a nice touch to a very slow week work wise. There there were a couple little reinspections too but they pay so little they are not worth doing, but of course you don't have that choice.
This afternoon I was able to conduct the appraisal of a home in Summerset, a 55 and over community in Brentwood. My client had just lost her beloved husband a month ago so we had plenty to talk about. I spent over an hour at the kitchen table just listening and sharing. She is a lovely lady in her 70s who did a great job caring for her husband and had it really rough in the last year. She is coping well and sort of knows the rules, go ahead and do things that bring happiness even if you feel a bit guilty doing them, get out and walk, let time work for you, surround yourself with little ones, take time with your beloved doggie.
They enjoyed traveling in their motorhome and she is comfortable driving it even though its 33 feet long so she may get back on the road. She travels with a couple different RV groups.
I felt very comfortable talking with her and once again realized that I do have gifts that so often lie dormat but are still there. Now I just wish I could make a living doing what I love most, helping people.
Here is hoping that you have a great holiday weekend, that you reach out to people in your circle and spend time with them. I'm convinced that investing in people is about as good as it gets.
So sending love to friend and family alike,
Tim
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Sliding along
Dear Family and Friends,
Well this has been a rather casual day. I climbed out of bed when I woke up this morning, no alarms ringing. Then after checking the world on Drudge and my own email accounts I backed the bike out the front door and went for a nice long ride. The morning was perfect, no one was out so I just enjoyed the wind and the ride along the levee. Once I returned I did work creating a better pdf to send people who are interested in renting the motorhome. That took awhile but I think it paid off. Once client has already thanked me for getting her the right forms to fill out. I checked in with a couple potential renters but they both have flaked out on me so now I hope for some new ones to come along.
I created a healthy lunch, sort of a stir fry, enjoyed my weak coffee and worked on the books for the company. Later this afternoon I was able to confirm my one appointment for the week, I might as well be on vacation somewhere enjoyable, of course I do live on a lovely lake with great sunsets.
This evening I went into see Kallie's last swimming lesson, oh she did not want the lesson to end. Then we had dinner together which is always an interesting experience. On Monday Kallie turns 3 and she is very excited about it.
I just hope, pray and cross my fingers that orders will come in soon. This is a pretty unique experience in my 22 year history of appraising properties, no work is very stressful.
So I'm sending love to all tonight,
Tim
Well this has been a rather casual day. I climbed out of bed when I woke up this morning, no alarms ringing. Then after checking the world on Drudge and my own email accounts I backed the bike out the front door and went for a nice long ride. The morning was perfect, no one was out so I just enjoyed the wind and the ride along the levee. Once I returned I did work creating a better pdf to send people who are interested in renting the motorhome. That took awhile but I think it paid off. Once client has already thanked me for getting her the right forms to fill out. I checked in with a couple potential renters but they both have flaked out on me so now I hope for some new ones to come along.
I created a healthy lunch, sort of a stir fry, enjoyed my weak coffee and worked on the books for the company. Later this afternoon I was able to confirm my one appointment for the week, I might as well be on vacation somewhere enjoyable, of course I do live on a lovely lake with great sunsets.
This evening I went into see Kallie's last swimming lesson, oh she did not want the lesson to end. Then we had dinner together which is always an interesting experience. On Monday Kallie turns 3 and she is very excited about it.
I just hope, pray and cross my fingers that orders will come in soon. This is a pretty unique experience in my 22 year history of appraising properties, no work is very stressful.
So I'm sending love to all tonight,
Tim
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
No New Orders!
Good evening,
Its been an interesting day, I'm sure you agree that when one really stops to consider most days are interesting to a degree. The alarm startled me out of bed at 5:45 to a cool room and early morning light. After a hot shower I loaded Starr into her little carrier, a converted laundry basket, and we walked downstairs. I placed her where she always goes, the middle of the family room at the end of her line of little rugs and went for breakfast.
Then it was off to Nikki's for a 6:25 on time arrival. She left for work and I checked out email messages on the iphone. Soon the little voices began to be heard and Kallie appeared with her clothes for the day in her arms and a huge smile. She was ready to live the day. What a beautiful shot in the arm she is. She petted the dogs, gave one a treat, made sure they had food in their bowl and then we discussed breakfast.
A few minutes later Keanna drifted in and with her sense of flair and drama soon turned the morning into an event. We toasted yesterdays left over waffles, made sausages in the microwave, drank milk, broke a banana in two and then I showed them the cuties I had brought with me and they enjoyed them as well. Mandarin oranges for those who have no idea of what cuties are.
No matter what time you begin to move to the car 10 minutes will lapse before we are really driving, it happens with differences but the same outcome every day. I have an improved image of soccer moms, no wonder they drive by race car drivers and push you off the road. They too have had the battle to get everyone into the car on time.
The girls were discussing Kallie's upcoming birthday and becoming three, they sang and made up songs and questioned how good of singers they were and before long I nosed the little bug between two huge SUVs and Keanna raced to school. Then we made the short trip to the sitters, marvelous people who have done such a great job with Kallie. Kallie enjoys holding my hand and then jumping out of the car to see just how far she can go, then she enjoys stepping in the puddle left by the sprinkers and leaving foot prints, she loves to turn back and see where she has come from and then there is that magic moment when she is enveloped into the activities inside and suddenly pappa is alone on the porch. My work is done for the day.
I came home to clean my desk, check the emails about a hundred times hoping for orders, grabbing the mail, taking phone calls and doing the books. At 12:45 I picked Keanna and we splurged at McDonalds for her and then ate at Strawhat Pizza where the salad bar is excellent.
This afternoon she enjoyed the fire, some TV programs, preparing her own brand of cherry drink, that was indeed interesting, smash ripe cherries in a glass, add water and sugar and Pappa has a tasty drink!
At 5 we left, picked up Kallie, drove to the house and Steve was home. The girls were thrilled to see him after his working trip to LA. Then I hurried to spin class, what a workout and how exciting that I lived through it once again. As I was walking out I thought I don't have anywhere I have to be so I'll just do the routine with the weight machines. It was great but I think I can feel it here and there. Once I finally got home I asked Lois and Ray if they could enjoy some cherries and strawberries and we had a nice visit. Lois is progressing so well in her recovery from the fall, the broken bones and the bruises.
This morning just after I got home the phone range and it was the lady from the county. She pleased me by letting me know that she had come by yesterday and seen the motorhome behind the fence and she thought it met the spirit of the ordinance and it met with her approval. That is such a big deal for me, I feel like a victory long denied has finally been won.
So now you know everything I did all day, is this like a long winded tweet? Have not figured out yet why someone would tweet but if it brought me work I would tweet until the cows came home!!
Sending love to all,
Tim
ps A fully thing happened today, going through the mail I say only junk and was about to dump it when a letter from an insurance company made me slightly curious. Turns out that it contained a printed check for $375 for work I recently did. Nan would always open everything, shake out the newspaper adds, just in case a check was hiding inside. Pretty wise of her.
Its been an interesting day, I'm sure you agree that when one really stops to consider most days are interesting to a degree. The alarm startled me out of bed at 5:45 to a cool room and early morning light. After a hot shower I loaded Starr into her little carrier, a converted laundry basket, and we walked downstairs. I placed her where she always goes, the middle of the family room at the end of her line of little rugs and went for breakfast.
Then it was off to Nikki's for a 6:25 on time arrival. She left for work and I checked out email messages on the iphone. Soon the little voices began to be heard and Kallie appeared with her clothes for the day in her arms and a huge smile. She was ready to live the day. What a beautiful shot in the arm she is. She petted the dogs, gave one a treat, made sure they had food in their bowl and then we discussed breakfast.
A few minutes later Keanna drifted in and with her sense of flair and drama soon turned the morning into an event. We toasted yesterdays left over waffles, made sausages in the microwave, drank milk, broke a banana in two and then I showed them the cuties I had brought with me and they enjoyed them as well. Mandarin oranges for those who have no idea of what cuties are.
No matter what time you begin to move to the car 10 minutes will lapse before we are really driving, it happens with differences but the same outcome every day. I have an improved image of soccer moms, no wonder they drive by race car drivers and push you off the road. They too have had the battle to get everyone into the car on time.
The girls were discussing Kallie's upcoming birthday and becoming three, they sang and made up songs and questioned how good of singers they were and before long I nosed the little bug between two huge SUVs and Keanna raced to school. Then we made the short trip to the sitters, marvelous people who have done such a great job with Kallie. Kallie enjoys holding my hand and then jumping out of the car to see just how far she can go, then she enjoys stepping in the puddle left by the sprinkers and leaving foot prints, she loves to turn back and see where she has come from and then there is that magic moment when she is enveloped into the activities inside and suddenly pappa is alone on the porch. My work is done for the day.
I came home to clean my desk, check the emails about a hundred times hoping for orders, grabbing the mail, taking phone calls and doing the books. At 12:45 I picked Keanna and we splurged at McDonalds for her and then ate at Strawhat Pizza where the salad bar is excellent.
This afternoon she enjoyed the fire, some TV programs, preparing her own brand of cherry drink, that was indeed interesting, smash ripe cherries in a glass, add water and sugar and Pappa has a tasty drink!
At 5 we left, picked up Kallie, drove to the house and Steve was home. The girls were thrilled to see him after his working trip to LA. Then I hurried to spin class, what a workout and how exciting that I lived through it once again. As I was walking out I thought I don't have anywhere I have to be so I'll just do the routine with the weight machines. It was great but I think I can feel it here and there. Once I finally got home I asked Lois and Ray if they could enjoy some cherries and strawberries and we had a nice visit. Lois is progressing so well in her recovery from the fall, the broken bones and the bruises.
This morning just after I got home the phone range and it was the lady from the county. She pleased me by letting me know that she had come by yesterday and seen the motorhome behind the fence and she thought it met the spirit of the ordinance and it met with her approval. That is such a big deal for me, I feel like a victory long denied has finally been won.
So now you know everything I did all day, is this like a long winded tweet? Have not figured out yet why someone would tweet but if it brought me work I would tweet until the cows came home!!
Sending love to all,
Tim
ps A fully thing happened today, going through the mail I say only junk and was about to dump it when a letter from an insurance company made me slightly curious. Turns out that it contained a printed check for $375 for work I recently did. Nan would always open everything, shake out the newspaper adds, just in case a check was hiding inside. Pretty wise of her.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Looking better
Well its an interesting life, some days are up and some are down. As I write this evening things are up a bit.
1) the county inspector called this morning and we discussed where the motorhome now is parked and the gates providing some screening in front of it. I think the issue may be solved, not sure yet but it looks good.
2) dental plan is now in effect, I know where I'm heading and trust Dr. Clarke
3) management company that was so slow to pay has come alive, an email this afternoon confirmed that a second check has been cut and will arrive in a few days, that will get me more caught up and will go into savings when it arrives
4) Weight Watchers tonight was a positive experience as I'm down 4.4 pounds.
5) Work is pretty much caught up, just waiting on new orders to come. A new management company called today to ask if I wanted to be on their list, well I guess you know what I said, YES.
And since 5:45 comes early in the morning I'm going to bring this to a close. One thing I've noticed about life without Nan is that the lows seem lower and the highs seem like a huge relief. I think having a loving spouse helps us with a sounding board, a team approach to life and when we go solo then its a much rougher road to manage. Yet God is there!
Sending love to all,
Tim
1) the county inspector called this morning and we discussed where the motorhome now is parked and the gates providing some screening in front of it. I think the issue may be solved, not sure yet but it looks good.
2) dental plan is now in effect, I know where I'm heading and trust Dr. Clarke
3) management company that was so slow to pay has come alive, an email this afternoon confirmed that a second check has been cut and will arrive in a few days, that will get me more caught up and will go into savings when it arrives
4) Weight Watchers tonight was a positive experience as I'm down 4.4 pounds.
5) Work is pretty much caught up, just waiting on new orders to come. A new management company called today to ask if I wanted to be on their list, well I guess you know what I said, YES.
And since 5:45 comes early in the morning I'm going to bring this to a close. One thing I've noticed about life without Nan is that the lows seem lower and the highs seem like a huge relief. I think having a loving spouse helps us with a sounding board, a team approach to life and when we go solo then its a much rougher road to manage. Yet God is there!
Sending love to all,
Tim
Monday, May 23, 2011
Back in the dental chair
Good evening friends and family,
After months, perhaps years of putting off going back to the dentist to face the challenges I finally took the plunge today. Art's dentist, Dr. Calvin Clarke, practices in Hollister and started his practice in 1966, at least that is what I think he said. He and his wife work together in the office and have created a very friendly practice. I get nervous even thinking about going so the trip down was a bit tense. It took 2 hours to reach his office and after filling out some paperwork I went in for Xrays which went remarkable smooth. Then Dr. Clarke took a peek in my mouth and then asked for more Xrays. He showed me that I've had a root canal on an upper tooth, I have no memory of any work being done on an upper tooth but there it was in the pictures.
He carefully laid out a course of treatment and come June 1 I'll be back in the chair for cleaning, some grinding off rough edges I have for years as a result of a failed surgery to clip little bumps on my vocal cords, they could not get the steel shaft to the right place because my throat is very narrow and in their attempts to force it ended up chipped my front teeth. I'll be getting a crown that I've needed for some time and some other work and the price is very reasonable. He did not find the disaster in my mouth I expected, why do we put off potential bad news when if we face things, just march right in and tackle them often they come out better than expected. I was very relieved to finally select a dentist, one who does much of the work in office instead of farming it out to other specialists. I like that very much.
When I got home I sort of expected to have a notice tacked to my door about the motorhome but there was nothing so either the inspector came back and approved of the motorhome in its place or didn't come at all or will be coming soon. Hard to know which is the real answer.
A very nice surprise was a check in the mail, I only emailed the appraisal in the end of last week, now thats a company I could enjoy working for more often.
My little ladies need me at 6:20 in the morning so I'm heading to bed now!
Thank you Lord for paving the way to problem solving. We are safe when we are in Your hands.
Love
tim
After months, perhaps years of putting off going back to the dentist to face the challenges I finally took the plunge today. Art's dentist, Dr. Calvin Clarke, practices in Hollister and started his practice in 1966, at least that is what I think he said. He and his wife work together in the office and have created a very friendly practice. I get nervous even thinking about going so the trip down was a bit tense. It took 2 hours to reach his office and after filling out some paperwork I went in for Xrays which went remarkable smooth. Then Dr. Clarke took a peek in my mouth and then asked for more Xrays. He showed me that I've had a root canal on an upper tooth, I have no memory of any work being done on an upper tooth but there it was in the pictures.
He carefully laid out a course of treatment and come June 1 I'll be back in the chair for cleaning, some grinding off rough edges I have for years as a result of a failed surgery to clip little bumps on my vocal cords, they could not get the steel shaft to the right place because my throat is very narrow and in their attempts to force it ended up chipped my front teeth. I'll be getting a crown that I've needed for some time and some other work and the price is very reasonable. He did not find the disaster in my mouth I expected, why do we put off potential bad news when if we face things, just march right in and tackle them often they come out better than expected. I was very relieved to finally select a dentist, one who does much of the work in office instead of farming it out to other specialists. I like that very much.
When I got home I sort of expected to have a notice tacked to my door about the motorhome but there was nothing so either the inspector came back and approved of the motorhome in its place or didn't come at all or will be coming soon. Hard to know which is the real answer.
A very nice surprise was a check in the mail, I only emailed the appraisal in the end of last week, now thats a company I could enjoy working for more often.
My little ladies need me at 6:20 in the morning so I'm heading to bed now!
Thank you Lord for paving the way to problem solving. We are safe when we are in Your hands.
Love
tim
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Friends can be a huge help.
This morning just as I was preparing to push my bike out the front door for a ride on the levee the phone rang and it was Art who was parked in my driveway. He had come to visit. As we talked he helped put the new speedometer on the bike and then I shared how much I wanted to get the motorhome parked beside the garage where it used to be parked. We went outside and looked over the mess that needed attention, a volunteer palm tree had grown up, there were two old christmas trees brown with the passing time, piles of building materials and trash in general. Art waded right in, then Ray came along and got involved. Dust flew, the palm tree was cut down and then dug out of the ground, building materials were moved under the back deck, trailers were moved and cans of trash were placed on the street as tomorrow is pickup day. Late this afternoon Ray guided and I moved my ski boat much further back then its ever been before, then we placed the tow dolly against the boat trailer and then I carefully backed in the motorhome, wonder of wonders it fit perfectly and tonight the gates are closed and the motorhome is mostly screened from view from the street. I hope and pray that it will satisfy the inspector who is due back tomorrow. Thanks dear friends for your help.
Mid afternoon today I couple drove out from Moraga to look over the motorhome and test drive it. They liked what they saw and I think a few days in July are going to be rented. It all helps and I'm grateful for this opportunity.
Well since I have to be a Nikki's at 6:30 in the morning I'm going to cut this short and head to bed. Its been a great weekend and I hope you've had a good relaxing weekend as well.
Love
tim
Mid afternoon today I couple drove out from Moraga to look over the motorhome and test drive it. They liked what they saw and I think a few days in July are going to be rented. It all helps and I'm grateful for this opportunity.
Well since I have to be a Nikki's at 6:30 in the morning I'm going to cut this short and head to bed. Its been a great weekend and I hope you've had a good relaxing weekend as well.
Love
tim
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A great morning
So I climbed out this morning, checked the Internet and EHarmony to see who was just going gaga over my profile (no one was) and pulled out the bike. I found my helmet and a little mirror that someone left in the motorhome after one of the rentals. I figured out how to clip it to my glasses and then headed out. The morning was perfect with sunshine, a bit of wind and just the right temperature. I rode down Willow Lake Road to Marina Drive and then to the marina. Then I turned to the levee and rode on the gravel surface to the point where it marks the boating entrance to Discovery Bay. At that point I turned around and there was a really beautiful woman taking her morning walk. I have no idea how old she was but she moved with grace. She was friendly and we chatted a bit before I headed back. There were several women out walking dogs, jogging and just enjoying the morning. Eventually I made it back home and showered, had breakfast of oatmeal and links and dressed for church.
Worship was great today with young people doing the talking, their testimony regarding their just finishing year at Modesto Academy was great. They've had a great year showing that a great set of teachers who are committed to the Lord can really make a huge difference in kids lives. After church was over I had a chance to greet Michael and Beatrice, Sylvia's son and new daughter in law. They are incredibly nice people and seem to enjoy being married very much.
Today Dave, a life time friend, was there in church and announced that he will be moving to Washington State in a very short time, his home is almost sold, escrow is close to closing and our loss will be Washington's gain. He's one of the good guys, brilliant and can fix or solve just about anything. He was one of the first people I had the opportunity to baptize when I first arrived in Tracy so long ago.
This afternoon I took ice cubes to Lois. They don't have a way of creating ice cubes and since she is pretty much confined to her bed since her fall she needs ice to keep her drinks cool. It is the least I can do and I enjoyed chatting with her about her exciting life with cast and all.
I really enjoyed the christian dish programming today. Both Andrews and Loma Linda had excellent services and the music, the orchestra, the pipe organ, well its just exciting to have back in the house again.
So now its good night to all,
Love
tim
Worship was great today with young people doing the talking, their testimony regarding their just finishing year at Modesto Academy was great. They've had a great year showing that a great set of teachers who are committed to the Lord can really make a huge difference in kids lives. After church was over I had a chance to greet Michael and Beatrice, Sylvia's son and new daughter in law. They are incredibly nice people and seem to enjoy being married very much.
Today Dave, a life time friend, was there in church and announced that he will be moving to Washington State in a very short time, his home is almost sold, escrow is close to closing and our loss will be Washington's gain. He's one of the good guys, brilliant and can fix or solve just about anything. He was one of the first people I had the opportunity to baptize when I first arrived in Tracy so long ago.
This afternoon I took ice cubes to Lois. They don't have a way of creating ice cubes and since she is pretty much confined to her bed since her fall she needs ice to keep her drinks cool. It is the least I can do and I enjoyed chatting with her about her exciting life with cast and all.
I really enjoyed the christian dish programming today. Both Andrews and Loma Linda had excellent services and the music, the orchestra, the pipe organ, well its just exciting to have back in the house again.
So now its good night to all,
Love
tim
Friday, May 20, 2011
At last, the weekend!
Dear friends and family
Finally it is Friday evening and things look and feel better.
Keanna came this afternoon. We drove to Brentwood and had burritos at taco bell. We are pleased to find a new item keanna can enjoy. All too soon her mommy called, was on the way so I passed Keanna off and headed home. Once I arrived home I had all these incredible plans of things to do. However only part of the things got done. You know I'm pleased that I moved out of my lethargy and got anything done. First I moved the motorhome to the other side of the drive by to dump the tanks I had forgotten, I carried Starr out to the front yard so she could get some air and have a change of location. Then I cut down some volunteer palm trees that just pop up everywhere and are often in the way, got the boat covered again and borrowed Ray's ladder. Using the little ladder I ventured up onto the roof, you know you think a bit more about bad stuff happening when you live alone, how long before someone would find the body, that sort of thing.
I turned on the receiver for the christian dish and clicked it to signal search, this put out a horrible sound of a bull horn repeating over and over again. Not sure how it would change I just turned it up loud, dialed the cell phone on the house line, answered the cell phone and put it on speaker and headed to the ladder. I took a little wrench with me and once I reached the top I could access two little nuts that held the dish in its position in relationship to the sky. After loosening the nuts I first lifted the dish more toward the sky but the sound stayed the same, then on a whim I let it fall a bit and suddenly I realized that the sound coming from the receiver had changed to an even worse sound. As I entered the house I heard the TV program on and people talking. Mission accomplished. I had a 60% quality reading and a 70% reading of signal strength.
This evening I've enjoyed great music, beautiful nature scenes, a bit of preaching, interviews and some history. Its been great. Once I was inside for the night I made some whole wheat pasta, used a can of low salt and low fat mushroom soup, cooked some peas and enjoyed a very tasty meal. For a drink I used the low sodium V8 I have on hand.
Just now before coming to complete the blog which I started earlier on the iphone I managed to catch a few minutes of Joyce Myers, she is a hoot and has excellent messages of reality in Jesus.
Tomorrow morning having no girls this time I'm going to aim for a nice early morning bike ride down the levee, then to worship with the greatest people on earth in Tracy. Yes a lot of stuff has come my way this week, some of it pretty hard to cope with yet as I look about there are sure others who are facing much tougher challenges. Perhaps you are one of those and I can just say, God never gives up and He sure has His hands full with the mess this world is in.
So lets have a great weekend with a time to worship, fellowship, rest, plan, study and savor life while we have it.
Love to all,
Tim
Finally it is Friday evening and things look and feel better.
Keanna came this afternoon. We drove to Brentwood and had burritos at taco bell. We are pleased to find a new item keanna can enjoy. All too soon her mommy called, was on the way so I passed Keanna off and headed home. Once I arrived home I had all these incredible plans of things to do. However only part of the things got done. You know I'm pleased that I moved out of my lethargy and got anything done. First I moved the motorhome to the other side of the drive by to dump the tanks I had forgotten, I carried Starr out to the front yard so she could get some air and have a change of location. Then I cut down some volunteer palm trees that just pop up everywhere and are often in the way, got the boat covered again and borrowed Ray's ladder. Using the little ladder I ventured up onto the roof, you know you think a bit more about bad stuff happening when you live alone, how long before someone would find the body, that sort of thing.
I turned on the receiver for the christian dish and clicked it to signal search, this put out a horrible sound of a bull horn repeating over and over again. Not sure how it would change I just turned it up loud, dialed the cell phone on the house line, answered the cell phone and put it on speaker and headed to the ladder. I took a little wrench with me and once I reached the top I could access two little nuts that held the dish in its position in relationship to the sky. After loosening the nuts I first lifted the dish more toward the sky but the sound stayed the same, then on a whim I let it fall a bit and suddenly I realized that the sound coming from the receiver had changed to an even worse sound. As I entered the house I heard the TV program on and people talking. Mission accomplished. I had a 60% quality reading and a 70% reading of signal strength.
This evening I've enjoyed great music, beautiful nature scenes, a bit of preaching, interviews and some history. Its been great. Once I was inside for the night I made some whole wheat pasta, used a can of low salt and low fat mushroom soup, cooked some peas and enjoyed a very tasty meal. For a drink I used the low sodium V8 I have on hand.
Just now before coming to complete the blog which I started earlier on the iphone I managed to catch a few minutes of Joyce Myers, she is a hoot and has excellent messages of reality in Jesus.
Tomorrow morning having no girls this time I'm going to aim for a nice early morning bike ride down the levee, then to worship with the greatest people on earth in Tracy. Yes a lot of stuff has come my way this week, some of it pretty hard to cope with yet as I look about there are sure others who are facing much tougher challenges. Perhaps you are one of those and I can just say, God never gives up and He sure has His hands full with the mess this world is in.
So lets have a great weekend with a time to worship, fellowship, rest, plan, study and savor life while we have it.
Love to all,
Tim
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I've had better days
These sure are depressing days, hows that for a first sentence? Well for me its true as of late.
This afternoon's mail brought a certified letter from my E&O company letting me know they won't be renewing my policy for the next year. They will cover up to August but after that I've got to locate a new insurance company. I'm not sure how tough that is going to be but it was one more hit.
I'm pretty sure my orange and while kitty George has died, he has disappeared over the last few days and when I saw him at a distance last time one of his eyes was stuck shut. I've looked but so far I've not found him anywhere on the place.
I am thankful for an order today from an excellent company called 360 Mortgage. They pay through pay pal and very promptly when the work is completed. I'd not heard from them for months so earlier in the week I dropped an email mentioning I would sure be glad to help out if they had any work in the area and then today the order came in. Plus I managed to be first this afternoon responding to a text message and snagged a second appraisal for Lafayette. Great news indeed.
Ray had to go back to San Jose so Lois is carefully moving about the house on her newly casted foot. I just took ice over and filled her soda containers that need ice to keep the drinks cool. She is in amazing spirits considering the fall broke 4 bones in her foot and her tail bone as well.
I find myself in this state where even though I have time to get extra things done I have no motivation whatsoever to do it. I'm not really sure what is happening right now but its no good. Ken is away to Mexico for 2 weeks so there are no morning walking times.
I am going to see Art's dentist on Monday, that is a huge step for me as I am very uncomfortable in the dentist's chair, afraid really and I have no money to pay the bills that I know will result from the visit yet I can't let things go any longer. At this point I have just one place in my mouth where I can chew and that spot is hurting a bit.
I do not mean to imply that I've lost my faith in God, just am finding it rather tough to act on the faith, I just expect the next shoe to fall all the time. This morning the Marriott time share in Palm Desert, they mailed me papers showing the foreclosure that was taking place. I had heard nothing from them for months and thought it was already gone but now this. Not sure how to respond but I know I won't be parting with any money to save something that I've never used and costs more in dues for the week than most places charge for a week. Besides who knows when the next time I can afford a vacation might come along.
Well on the positive side the weather has turned nicer today, even warm right now.
Sending love to all
Tim
This afternoon's mail brought a certified letter from my E&O company letting me know they won't be renewing my policy for the next year. They will cover up to August but after that I've got to locate a new insurance company. I'm not sure how tough that is going to be but it was one more hit.
I'm pretty sure my orange and while kitty George has died, he has disappeared over the last few days and when I saw him at a distance last time one of his eyes was stuck shut. I've looked but so far I've not found him anywhere on the place.
I am thankful for an order today from an excellent company called 360 Mortgage. They pay through pay pal and very promptly when the work is completed. I'd not heard from them for months so earlier in the week I dropped an email mentioning I would sure be glad to help out if they had any work in the area and then today the order came in. Plus I managed to be first this afternoon responding to a text message and snagged a second appraisal for Lafayette. Great news indeed.
Ray had to go back to San Jose so Lois is carefully moving about the house on her newly casted foot. I just took ice over and filled her soda containers that need ice to keep the drinks cool. She is in amazing spirits considering the fall broke 4 bones in her foot and her tail bone as well.
I find myself in this state where even though I have time to get extra things done I have no motivation whatsoever to do it. I'm not really sure what is happening right now but its no good. Ken is away to Mexico for 2 weeks so there are no morning walking times.
I am going to see Art's dentist on Monday, that is a huge step for me as I am very uncomfortable in the dentist's chair, afraid really and I have no money to pay the bills that I know will result from the visit yet I can't let things go any longer. At this point I have just one place in my mouth where I can chew and that spot is hurting a bit.
I do not mean to imply that I've lost my faith in God, just am finding it rather tough to act on the faith, I just expect the next shoe to fall all the time. This morning the Marriott time share in Palm Desert, they mailed me papers showing the foreclosure that was taking place. I had heard nothing from them for months and thought it was already gone but now this. Not sure how to respond but I know I won't be parting with any money to save something that I've never used and costs more in dues for the week than most places charge for a week. Besides who knows when the next time I can afford a vacation might come along.
Well on the positive side the weather has turned nicer today, even warm right now.
Sending love to all
Tim
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Ups and downs
OK, the ups are interacting with the girls as they struggle from sleep to the breakfast table and then the challenge of getting them into the van on time. Not that its easy, they have strong wills and attempt their own agendas but it is sure interesting to observe. This morning found Kallie sort of on the edge, not sure if she felt better or not and so we walked to the van with her still in her sleeper, but she did not want to walk into the sitters in her pjs so I'm in a parking lot, van back hatch is open, engine is running so warm air is still there and changing Kallie into day clothes, where does it talk about such events in the grandparent handbook? I must have missed that page.
This morning I did the local appraisal and then came back to the office to do some basic book keeping. What I discovered did not please me. The tardy management company who cut a check last Wednesday and confirmed on Friday they were sending it out, well it has not arrived yet. They did email me a list of what was being paid for with the check. So today I took their list and started logging out the appraisals that were being paid. Imagine my shock to discover that the most recent appraisal they were paying for was completed 2 and 1/2 month ago and they were paying for one that I finished in December, 5 months ago. I wrote a long letter (email) to them laying out the problem and asking for someone to contact me and commit to doing better, so far the silence is profound. Then to compound things this afternoon someone from a loan company emailed to ask that I send a paid invoice for an appraisal I did 2 months ago. When I looked it up I've not been paid yet but of course the loan for the buyer can not close until they have confirmation that I've been paid. They did some digging and the buyer paid for the appraisal, paid $450 over 2 months ago with their credit card yet I've not been paid the $270 that they ended up paying me. Something bad is going on and its about to change.
This afternoon Keanna came to visit and after watering her little garden of newly growing seeds, nibbling on a boiled egg, drawing some pretty nice pictures we loaded up and went to Toys R Us where she shopped with her $8.00. Finally she found an item that was very cute that was slashed 50% and ended up buying it with her dimes and quarters. Then we went to Taco Bell where we tried something new, we ordered a burrito with just rice and she loved it. Eventually we made it back home picking up Kallie on the way and Nikki collected her angels later at the house.
This evening I headed to Tracy to do a 2055, a driveway appraisal and then dined at Olive Garden. How I love their salad!
Now its bed time.
Love to all
Tim
This morning I did the local appraisal and then came back to the office to do some basic book keeping. What I discovered did not please me. The tardy management company who cut a check last Wednesday and confirmed on Friday they were sending it out, well it has not arrived yet. They did email me a list of what was being paid for with the check. So today I took their list and started logging out the appraisals that were being paid. Imagine my shock to discover that the most recent appraisal they were paying for was completed 2 and 1/2 month ago and they were paying for one that I finished in December, 5 months ago. I wrote a long letter (email) to them laying out the problem and asking for someone to contact me and commit to doing better, so far the silence is profound. Then to compound things this afternoon someone from a loan company emailed to ask that I send a paid invoice for an appraisal I did 2 months ago. When I looked it up I've not been paid yet but of course the loan for the buyer can not close until they have confirmation that I've been paid. They did some digging and the buyer paid for the appraisal, paid $450 over 2 months ago with their credit card yet I've not been paid the $270 that they ended up paying me. Something bad is going on and its about to change.
This afternoon Keanna came to visit and after watering her little garden of newly growing seeds, nibbling on a boiled egg, drawing some pretty nice pictures we loaded up and went to Toys R Us where she shopped with her $8.00. Finally she found an item that was very cute that was slashed 50% and ended up buying it with her dimes and quarters. Then we went to Taco Bell where we tried something new, we ordered a burrito with just rice and she loved it. Eventually we made it back home picking up Kallie on the way and Nikki collected her angels later at the house.
This evening I headed to Tracy to do a 2055, a driveway appraisal and then dined at Olive Garden. How I love their salad!
Now its bed time.
Love to all
Tim
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Just making it work
Dear Family and Friends,
In case the words are too small I just found the font size changer.
This day has been another laid back one without pressure of work. Since Steve kept Kallie home today and did not go to work himself I had the morning off kiddo wise. At 9 am I pulled up in front of a house in Antioch to test the AC system. Sure enough it worked fine. Then I drove to Lafayette to shoot photos of a back deck that the lender was not comfortable with before. This is the property where deer live in the back yard. When I arrived the lady of the house was down at the creeks edge moving a log that the flood waters had carried down. She is an interesting character, lives in a million dollar plus home, listens to Rush every day and is very articulate regarding her views, is not afraid of physical work and is just at peace with herself. They are about to do a remodel that will cost much more than most homes to build. That is one thing I love about my work, it always changes, I meet some incredible people and lot of needy ones as well.
This morning while I was driving the phone rang and it was someone from Appraisals 4 U, a management company based in Nevada. They wanted someone to do a FHA report in Discovery Bay. Well wonder of wonders it was the same one that yesterday my friend had turned away the appraiser they sent since the guy knew nothing of the area other than he had water skied here. And now this company is asking me to do an appraisal on a property I just appraised for the owners a couple weeks ago. I'm seeing it at 9 in the morning and its two blocks away. Plus they are putting me on their panel and I'll be getting work from them for the area, at least that was their promise.
After I returned from the field I made some lunch, brown rice, asparagus, mushrooms and soy sauce. It came out great and I added some fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese to the dish.
I determined that this evening I'd head back to Weight Watchers and I did enjoy the meeting but was dismayed to discover I was several pounds heavier than I was. I could have guessed that would be the case.
So on the way home I stopped at Safeway and purchased, mandarins, oranges, apples and popcorn and this evening I've had an orange, a mandarin and some popcorn. While I was there I also decided to try out the vending machine for DVDs and found a very compelling story which would have been great except it was severely scratched so kept stopping all the way through. Starr and I sat in the family recliner and enjoyed the evening.
I sincerely hope some orders come in, I've pushed every door I know of and still no work.
So good night friend and family,
It will be a rainy night tonight or so the weather man said.
Love to all
Tim
In case the words are too small I just found the font size changer.
This day has been another laid back one without pressure of work. Since Steve kept Kallie home today and did not go to work himself I had the morning off kiddo wise. At 9 am I pulled up in front of a house in Antioch to test the AC system. Sure enough it worked fine. Then I drove to Lafayette to shoot photos of a back deck that the lender was not comfortable with before. This is the property where deer live in the back yard. When I arrived the lady of the house was down at the creeks edge moving a log that the flood waters had carried down. She is an interesting character, lives in a million dollar plus home, listens to Rush every day and is very articulate regarding her views, is not afraid of physical work and is just at peace with herself. They are about to do a remodel that will cost much more than most homes to build. That is one thing I love about my work, it always changes, I meet some incredible people and lot of needy ones as well.
This morning while I was driving the phone rang and it was someone from Appraisals 4 U, a management company based in Nevada. They wanted someone to do a FHA report in Discovery Bay. Well wonder of wonders it was the same one that yesterday my friend had turned away the appraiser they sent since the guy knew nothing of the area other than he had water skied here. And now this company is asking me to do an appraisal on a property I just appraised for the owners a couple weeks ago. I'm seeing it at 9 in the morning and its two blocks away. Plus they are putting me on their panel and I'll be getting work from them for the area, at least that was their promise.
After I returned from the field I made some lunch, brown rice, asparagus, mushrooms and soy sauce. It came out great and I added some fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese to the dish.
I determined that this evening I'd head back to Weight Watchers and I did enjoy the meeting but was dismayed to discover I was several pounds heavier than I was. I could have guessed that would be the case.
So on the way home I stopped at Safeway and purchased, mandarins, oranges, apples and popcorn and this evening I've had an orange, a mandarin and some popcorn. While I was there I also decided to try out the vending machine for DVDs and found a very compelling story which would have been great except it was severely scratched so kept stopping all the way through. Starr and I sat in the family recliner and enjoyed the evening.
I sincerely hope some orders come in, I've pushed every door I know of and still no work.
So good night friend and family,
It will be a rainy night tonight or so the weather man said.
Love to all
Tim
Monday, May 16, 2011
Kallie is sick
Dear Family and Friends,
This morning when I arrived I found that Kallie was not feeling great. She was coughing, had a drippy nose and announced, I feel sick. So once we had Keanna to school with a waffle still being swallowed as she jumped from the van for the run in the rain to school we drove home and Kallie played here. I turned up the heat to get the house comfortable and she sat in the recliner, watched Manny and his tool box fix the world, watched the little Mouse do his thing, snacked on Strawberries, sipped water and milk and experienced with pullups.
Since I had no current diapers at my house we searched and found left over pullups from Keanna era. Kallie developed a routine, she would announce she needed a diaper, we would go to the stairs and she would ride up in the power chair under my watchful eye, then enter the guest room, turn on the lamp by pulling two strings, then climb in the recliner and jump into the bed, then wiggle herself down to the bottom of the bed where I'd help her change her pullup. Then she would jump down, turn off the lights and announce, we need to save energy and we'd go back downstairs. She loved the routine so much that after a couple dry diapers I told her we had to wait until her mother arrived. Then I let her show her mom the routine, she cracked up.
I'm still waiting for work, no new orders, just fixing stuff I've already done. I do have a new lead on MetLife which is starting to order their appraisal directly through their own panel, they are fed up with management companies like the rest of us are. So tomorrow I'll start to work the angles to get approved with this new panel. Who knows, got to try.
In the morning Steve is caring for the girls and I'm off to reinspect a property that someone else did the original appraisal for, they pay me a whopping $75 to do that, then to Lafayette to shoot one photo of a back deck and for that they pay me a huge sum of $65. Getting rich here. This morning I learned that the company that is so slow to pay and promised to cut a check on Wednesday actually sent it out on Friday. So when it arrives then I can pay the house payment, thank you Lord for that.
So how was your day? I put out the awning on the RV to let it dry out and seconds later the rain started, then it filled with water and was sagging so I dropped a corner and rivers of water came flooding down, it might take another day to get it dry!!
Well good night all,
Love
Tim
This morning when I arrived I found that Kallie was not feeling great. She was coughing, had a drippy nose and announced, I feel sick. So once we had Keanna to school with a waffle still being swallowed as she jumped from the van for the run in the rain to school we drove home and Kallie played here. I turned up the heat to get the house comfortable and she sat in the recliner, watched Manny and his tool box fix the world, watched the little Mouse do his thing, snacked on Strawberries, sipped water and milk and experienced with pullups.
Since I had no current diapers at my house we searched and found left over pullups from Keanna era. Kallie developed a routine, she would announce she needed a diaper, we would go to the stairs and she would ride up in the power chair under my watchful eye, then enter the guest room, turn on the lamp by pulling two strings, then climb in the recliner and jump into the bed, then wiggle herself down to the bottom of the bed where I'd help her change her pullup. Then she would jump down, turn off the lights and announce, we need to save energy and we'd go back downstairs. She loved the routine so much that after a couple dry diapers I told her we had to wait until her mother arrived. Then I let her show her mom the routine, she cracked up.
I'm still waiting for work, no new orders, just fixing stuff I've already done. I do have a new lead on MetLife which is starting to order their appraisal directly through their own panel, they are fed up with management companies like the rest of us are. So tomorrow I'll start to work the angles to get approved with this new panel. Who knows, got to try.
In the morning Steve is caring for the girls and I'm off to reinspect a property that someone else did the original appraisal for, they pay me a whopping $75 to do that, then to Lafayette to shoot one photo of a back deck and for that they pay me a huge sum of $65. Getting rich here. This morning I learned that the company that is so slow to pay and promised to cut a check on Wednesday actually sent it out on Friday. So when it arrives then I can pay the house payment, thank you Lord for that.
So how was your day? I put out the awning on the RV to let it dry out and seconds later the rain started, then it filled with water and was sagging so I dropped a corner and rivers of water came flooding down, it might take another day to get it dry!!
Well good night all,
Love
Tim
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Home again
Wow, what a trip! Check out the photo from the freeway as I was driving home. I was at speed and suddenly traffic stopped, then I noticed that the highway was covered with white, not snow, it was sleet but it was thick and traffic was a mess. 5 minutes later the traffic was moving and clear again.
Last night it rained all night and I felt so sorry for the poor people who were in tents. Some tents held up well but others let the water come right through. Around midnight I felt I should get up and see if anyone needed a dry place to sleep as I had two beds that were not being used but then I remembered that I had not brought a coat along and I knew by the time I did the rounds I would be soaked through so being the caring person I am I rolled over, patted Starr and went back to sleep. This morning I heard some very sad stories of people spending the night in soaking sleeping bags trying to find a dry corner, I think I blew that one badly.
This time I got the boat there safely and without dropping it on the freeway, the kids and some adults enjoyed it yesterday and it was good to have it there. The motorhome behaved perfectly for the whole trip. Fuel was much cheaper at CostCo in Tracy, $3.99 while in Discovery Bay it was $4.17. I think I only used about half of the fuel I put in. On Friday night I pulled in about 8:30 after being stopped for some time on the country road, turns out they were filming a commercial for insurance, lucky me. On Sabbath morning I had a mocha, hot cereal, toast and stripples. Then for lunch I baked three pizzas and cut up fresh tomatos for topping. Lunch was potluck and was great. The worship time culminated in Jessica baptizing 6 people in the very cold lake. In the evening the youth had the service and then people baked various things over the simmering coals. When I went to the motorhome I found I had RV with me and watched that movie from start to finish. What a funny and enjoyable movie. Then the rain started so I pulled in the slide since it leaks when extended. It rained hard all night but this morning only a sprinkle here and there found us so our group breakfast turned out great. I took Belgium Waffles and they were gone in a split second. Becky make some incredible berry topping when really was very good. Everyone pitched in, some were making eggs, other potatos, hot drinks, fruit, all great stuff.
Well now it time to give this a rest, I'm tired and ready to sleep, so is Starr, She has had a big weekend and I think enjoyed herself too.
Love to all,
Tim
Last night it rained all night and I felt so sorry for the poor people who were in tents. Some tents held up well but others let the water come right through. Around midnight I felt I should get up and see if anyone needed a dry place to sleep as I had two beds that were not being used but then I remembered that I had not brought a coat along and I knew by the time I did the rounds I would be soaked through so being the caring person I am I rolled over, patted Starr and went back to sleep. This morning I heard some very sad stories of people spending the night in soaking sleeping bags trying to find a dry corner, I think I blew that one badly.
This time I got the boat there safely and without dropping it on the freeway, the kids and some adults enjoyed it yesterday and it was good to have it there. The motorhome behaved perfectly for the whole trip. Fuel was much cheaper at CostCo in Tracy, $3.99 while in Discovery Bay it was $4.17. I think I only used about half of the fuel I put in. On Friday night I pulled in about 8:30 after being stopped for some time on the country road, turns out they were filming a commercial for insurance, lucky me. On Sabbath morning I had a mocha, hot cereal, toast and stripples. Then for lunch I baked three pizzas and cut up fresh tomatos for topping. Lunch was potluck and was great. The worship time culminated in Jessica baptizing 6 people in the very cold lake. In the evening the youth had the service and then people baked various things over the simmering coals. When I went to the motorhome I found I had RV with me and watched that movie from start to finish. What a funny and enjoyable movie. Then the rain started so I pulled in the slide since it leaks when extended. It rained hard all night but this morning only a sprinkle here and there found us so our group breakfast turned out great. I took Belgium Waffles and they were gone in a split second. Becky make some incredible berry topping when really was very good. Everyone pitched in, some were making eggs, other potatos, hot drinks, fruit, all great stuff.
Well now it time to give this a rest, I'm tired and ready to sleep, so is Starr, She has had a big weekend and I think enjoyed herself too.
Love to all,
Friday, May 13, 2011
It wasn't me
Last night when I started to blog I found the site down and again this morning it was still down for repairs. So I gave up and went to bed.
This morning I've been on race to get my work done, it is now done, then get the paddle boat to the driveway, no small feat and then get it power washer removing snails, spiders and such. Now its ready to load up, my shirt, shorts and shoes are soaked and I'm getting burned but it feels great to do something besides push paper. I'll probably leave in the next hour and have books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, good food and Starr on board. I'll pull the little trailer again this year which holds the paddle boat perfectly. I'm also taking a inflatable raft which I snagged from Pam when she was moving. All to keep the kids enjoying themselves at the lake.
I'll not blog again until Sunday night as there are no cell towers near this little lake.
Sending love to all,
Last night I went to see Keanna's open house for her room. She has done incredible things and won a second place for her art work, nice! I've included a few photos from the event.
Tim
This morning I've been on race to get my work done, it is now done, then get the paddle boat to the driveway, no small feat and then get it power washer removing snails, spiders and such. Now its ready to load up, my shirt, shorts and shoes are soaked and I'm getting burned but it feels great to do something besides push paper. I'll probably leave in the next hour and have books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, good food and Starr on board. I'll pull the little trailer again this year which holds the paddle boat perfectly. I'm also taking a inflatable raft which I snagged from Pam when she was moving. All to keep the kids enjoying themselves at the lake.
I'll not blog again until Sunday night as there are no cell towers near this little lake.
Sending love to all,
Last night I went to see Keanna's open house for her room. She has done incredible things and won a second place for her art work, nice! I've included a few photos from the event.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Remembering............
Each evening as I log in I pause to remember a night so long ago, we were all crammed into the Holiday Inn room with people wanting to feel the AC most sleeping on that side of the room. As some were going to sleep and tiny Keanna was getting to sleep Jason and I huddled over a desk in the corner and he created the first blog, set everything up and got me started on this very long journey. How I appreciated having the kids there and Dana, Sharon, I think Roxanna too. We had returned to the room after spending the day with Nan in ICU, not that she knew we were there, she would not really wake for a few more days but we kept her little room busy all day and watched over her as gradually the blood loss slowed down and her vitals started their very long improvement. It was incredibly wonderful to have family and friends near when Nan was so very ill.
This evening I met a new family who were considering renting the motorhome for a trip that is coming up soon. We ended up spending a couple hours together driving the coach, going over all its features and trying to train them so they would have a great time. They live about 40 minutes away and were eager to take a first hand look at the coach. They really like what they saw and tonight I have a much needed deposit. It could not have come at a better time and I'm thankful for it.
Of course the automatic step decided to not work this evening, not really a problem as I have a step stool I keep for those times when it is cranky.
This morning the girls were in good spirits but everything seemed to take longer than usual which meant that Keanna was almost late for school. Once I was back at the office I picked up the writing process of an appraisal already started and finished it. Then I dealt with conditions from other work I have done recently. Considering that they are paying about 1/2 what we used to make they have stepped up the picky conditions 10 fold. Its almost like they are trying to blow us out of the profession one way or the other.
Something very wonderful happened this morning. When I arrived Steve was outside and had his truck running getting it ready for his trip to Patterson. As I walked up I told him how the monitor for my computer had failed last night and then he disappeared. In a couple minutes he appeared with a Dell monitor, said he had it in the attic and no longer used it. Well it was so overwhelming to me as I was trying to figure out how I could find funds for a new one at CostCo and here he hands me one. It was a very help and I appreciate it with all my heart. It works great and is all set up and helped me get through the day today.
Keanna came this afternoon after her early release from school at 11:45. She did her homework in about a minute, watched some TV, munched popcorn and then found some sewing things of Nan's and started sewing some little pieces of material together. It was so cute as she learned to thread a needle and tie the thread, even finding a tumble to protect her fingers. Very cute.
Please keep my friends Lois and Ray in your prayers. Their life is totally messed up with her fall on my stairs, the breaking of two bones and all. Also please remember Roger Peden as he is just sort of getting by while waiting for answers that so far are not back from the lab. Roger and Carol need our prayers.
Well good night from sunny California,
love
tim
This evening I met a new family who were considering renting the motorhome for a trip that is coming up soon. We ended up spending a couple hours together driving the coach, going over all its features and trying to train them so they would have a great time. They live about 40 minutes away and were eager to take a first hand look at the coach. They really like what they saw and tonight I have a much needed deposit. It could not have come at a better time and I'm thankful for it.
Of course the automatic step decided to not work this evening, not really a problem as I have a step stool I keep for those times when it is cranky.
This morning the girls were in good spirits but everything seemed to take longer than usual which meant that Keanna was almost late for school. Once I was back at the office I picked up the writing process of an appraisal already started and finished it. Then I dealt with conditions from other work I have done recently. Considering that they are paying about 1/2 what we used to make they have stepped up the picky conditions 10 fold. Its almost like they are trying to blow us out of the profession one way or the other.
Something very wonderful happened this morning. When I arrived Steve was outside and had his truck running getting it ready for his trip to Patterson. As I walked up I told him how the monitor for my computer had failed last night and then he disappeared. In a couple minutes he appeared with a Dell monitor, said he had it in the attic and no longer used it. Well it was so overwhelming to me as I was trying to figure out how I could find funds for a new one at CostCo and here he hands me one. It was a very help and I appreciate it with all my heart. It works great and is all set up and helped me get through the day today.
Keanna came this afternoon after her early release from school at 11:45. She did her homework in about a minute, watched some TV, munched popcorn and then found some sewing things of Nan's and started sewing some little pieces of material together. It was so cute as she learned to thread a needle and tie the thread, even finding a tumble to protect her fingers. Very cute.
Please keep my friends Lois and Ray in your prayers. Their life is totally messed up with her fall on my stairs, the breaking of two bones and all. Also please remember Roger Peden as he is just sort of getting by while waiting for answers that so far are not back from the lab. Roger and Carol need our prayers.
Well good night from sunny California,
love
tim
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sitting at the bar just listening
Dear Family and Friends,
This evening on my way home from a Point Richmond appraisal I found my blood sugar plummeting and knowing I was an hour from home I stopped at an Applebees in Pinole. The place was hopping and like usual you can go to the bar and order immediatelly instead of waiting for a lonely booth.
Once I was settled into my place and ordered I began to listen to the world around me, the comments told me there are worlds of behavior and attitudes I know nothing of. On my left was a arab looking young guy who mainly was watching the Sharks on a big overhead screen and the Bulls on yet another TV. To my right were two 20 something ladies discussing men, boyfriends, work and life in general, wow the language even in this public place was pretty incredible, perhaps ladies was the wrong word to describe them.
My vege pizza with spinach, cream, tomato, basil was excellent as it always is, the crust is paper thin, the taste wild. That along with diet coke got me home.
So now its night time, dark and its time like this that it would be nice to have someone who loved you to talk to, to share, to plan, to be reminded that life is worth it. Now I have to admit I had a huge dose of that this morning. The girls were at their best, Kallie was up, happy, busy and Keanna was also up and in good humor. I asked what they wanted for breakfast and was met with, we don't want any. Well I can't let little people go off to school and the sitters with NO breakfast so we tried again. Then I took their order and they ate well. It is so interesting to be around little ones whether it is Mia with her 7 month old movements and smiles or Keanna with her 8 year old concerns and plans. And all the way between everyone has something to offer, something to be excited about. Having a good dose of the little ones the first thing in the morning is a sure fire way to start the day.
Well something very startling just happened! My monitor for the computer just gave up, without any warning, it just started to blink and then seemed to blink less. I thought the video card had failed but I've taken the smaller monitor off Nan's desk and plugged it in and as you can see it works well. Oh well, one more thing that requires money and I'm very short on that stuff right now. I'm trying to keep everything in God's hands and let Him direct but month after month, year after year of living over the edge is taking its toll. I'm not really sure how much more I can cope with, of course what does not coping look like? Its not a good thing when you envy the homeless person, not really.
Well for now its time to rest. Thanks for taking the journey with me for better or worse. Well let me tell you the worse would be having no appraisal to go do so I had this great chance at 5 pm today to inspect a classic home built in the 50s with views of three bridges, a vast expanse of the bay. The lady was a classic too. Though suffering from cancer of the hands, only two fingers left and they are about to go she was up, dressed, makeup on and a really enjoyable lady to talk with.
Love to all,
Tim
This evening on my way home from a Point Richmond appraisal I found my blood sugar plummeting and knowing I was an hour from home I stopped at an Applebees in Pinole. The place was hopping and like usual you can go to the bar and order immediatelly instead of waiting for a lonely booth.
Once I was settled into my place and ordered I began to listen to the world around me, the comments told me there are worlds of behavior and attitudes I know nothing of. On my left was a arab looking young guy who mainly was watching the Sharks on a big overhead screen and the Bulls on yet another TV. To my right were two 20 something ladies discussing men, boyfriends, work and life in general, wow the language even in this public place was pretty incredible, perhaps ladies was the wrong word to describe them.
My vege pizza with spinach, cream, tomato, basil was excellent as it always is, the crust is paper thin, the taste wild. That along with diet coke got me home.
So now its night time, dark and its time like this that it would be nice to have someone who loved you to talk to, to share, to plan, to be reminded that life is worth it. Now I have to admit I had a huge dose of that this morning. The girls were at their best, Kallie was up, happy, busy and Keanna was also up and in good humor. I asked what they wanted for breakfast and was met with, we don't want any. Well I can't let little people go off to school and the sitters with NO breakfast so we tried again. Then I took their order and they ate well. It is so interesting to be around little ones whether it is Mia with her 7 month old movements and smiles or Keanna with her 8 year old concerns and plans. And all the way between everyone has something to offer, something to be excited about. Having a good dose of the little ones the first thing in the morning is a sure fire way to start the day.
Well something very startling just happened! My monitor for the computer just gave up, without any warning, it just started to blink and then seemed to blink less. I thought the video card had failed but I've taken the smaller monitor off Nan's desk and plugged it in and as you can see it works well. Oh well, one more thing that requires money and I'm very short on that stuff right now. I'm trying to keep everything in God's hands and let Him direct but month after month, year after year of living over the edge is taking its toll. I'm not really sure how much more I can cope with, of course what does not coping look like? Its not a good thing when you envy the homeless person, not really.
Well for now its time to rest. Thanks for taking the journey with me for better or worse. Well let me tell you the worse would be having no appraisal to go do so I had this great chance at 5 pm today to inspect a classic home built in the 50s with views of three bridges, a vast expanse of the bay. The lady was a classic too. Though suffering from cancer of the hands, only two fingers left and they are about to go she was up, dressed, makeup on and a really enjoyable lady to talk with.
Love to all,
Tim
Monday, May 9, 2011
Trying
Dear Family and Friends,
I'm just back from Lois and Rays. They came over this evening to help as I worked on the little wheel chair for Starr. Later in the evening Lois slipped on some stairs inside the house and fell hard twisting her ankle, eventually she was able to get up into the walker with wheels but then the walker hit a bad spot in the concrete and she tumbled over taking Ray with her. They both were so brave, just helping each other back up and now Lois is home and safely in her bed. It is so heart wrenching to see someone in pain. Tri level homes are not built for old people and we are all heading that direction.
The rest of the day paled in comparison to the excitement of that last couple hours. The dog wheel chair is coming along nicely but we've not figured it all out yet. Starr is so far not impressed at all but I hope that changes once we get her going in it.
The girls were sweet this morning but Kallie was so sleepy, her favorite word was no, if you've been a parent you'll remember times like that. If fact there are days we all feel like that, not fit for socializing at all. This is teacher appreciate week at the school and Keanna is fully into that. Today she wore her tie dyed shirt from the girl scouts adventure where they created these beautiful shirts. She put her hair back with a Hawaiian tie and was cute as a button. The family went to a Hula festival yesterday and the girls could not stop talking about how much fun they had. So they had a great mothers day.
Well once again I'm looking for orders, I have one to write up tomorrow and one to see and then I'm caught up. At least the managment company that has not cut a check in awhile sent an email. They plan to cut a check this Wednesday, no word on why they are so far behind or what their plan is. Its hard to be loyal and work extra hard for a company that pays as little as it can and takes forever to pay. Even at that they are paying $1800 and owe me a total of $5400. So it will be another month before they pay more. At least this money will nearly make the house payment, praise the dear Lord.
Well for now I'm signing off,
Love to all and please pray for hurting Lois tonight.
Tim
I'm just back from Lois and Rays. They came over this evening to help as I worked on the little wheel chair for Starr. Later in the evening Lois slipped on some stairs inside the house and fell hard twisting her ankle, eventually she was able to get up into the walker with wheels but then the walker hit a bad spot in the concrete and she tumbled over taking Ray with her. They both were so brave, just helping each other back up and now Lois is home and safely in her bed. It is so heart wrenching to see someone in pain. Tri level homes are not built for old people and we are all heading that direction.
The rest of the day paled in comparison to the excitement of that last couple hours. The dog wheel chair is coming along nicely but we've not figured it all out yet. Starr is so far not impressed at all but I hope that changes once we get her going in it.
The girls were sweet this morning but Kallie was so sleepy, her favorite word was no, if you've been a parent you'll remember times like that. If fact there are days we all feel like that, not fit for socializing at all. This is teacher appreciate week at the school and Keanna is fully into that. Today she wore her tie dyed shirt from the girl scouts adventure where they created these beautiful shirts. She put her hair back with a Hawaiian tie and was cute as a button. The family went to a Hula festival yesterday and the girls could not stop talking about how much fun they had. So they had a great mothers day.
Well once again I'm looking for orders, I have one to write up tomorrow and one to see and then I'm caught up. At least the managment company that has not cut a check in awhile sent an email. They plan to cut a check this Wednesday, no word on why they are so far behind or what their plan is. Its hard to be loyal and work extra hard for a company that pays as little as it can and takes forever to pay. Even at that they are paying $1800 and owe me a total of $5400. So it will be another month before they pay more. At least this money will nearly make the house payment, praise the dear Lord.
Well for now I'm signing off,
Love to all and please pray for hurting Lois tonight.
Tim
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Relaxing Sunday
Dear Family and Friends,
Its been a nice cool day and I've used the day to catch up in several ways. First off Ken and I finally were able to walk again this morning. It was actually cold and the wind was blowing but we bravely survived the ordeal and caught up a bit since we've not been walking very much. Ken had the misfortune of having some nasty person borrow his truck plates in the last couple days, can you believe it. He has recovered from his long 50 mile ride last weekend from which he raised nearly $1,000 dollars for the cause.
I found myself napping from time to time in the work chair today and after having a spirited discussion with Lois and Ray I realized that my blood sugar had plummeted. It felt like 70 but was actually 101, still I was glad to discover it back into a normal range again. I had a griller on thin buns and watched the Mentalist while I ate.
I went on EBay and looked at about 20 different designs for doggie wheel chairs and finally started to sketch my own plan. Middle afternoon I left and inspected a local townhome that had sold, then drove on to turn in 5 toner cartridges to Staples which give me credit for turning them in and then used three different coupons to purchase a new router. My old one has been failing many times a day, sometimes 10 or more in one day. I hope the new one settles the problems and so far it seems much quicker than the prior one and more stable.
After Staples I went to Home Depot and lived there for hours as I tried to figure out ahead of time what I would need to create the little wheel chair, an employee named Richard was very helpful, turns out he lost his wife and a few months ago lost their little doggie so he was very motivated to help me make this work. Then driving home I thought of more ideas for making it work well. Of course I got home too late to make it at all tonight. Oh and I also found a chance to visit Trader Joe's. I just love that place, they have such interesting stuff.
So here comes the week like a train at 90 mph, how will we cope with its demands? Can we laugh instead of shoot off our temper? Can we excel when it would be easier to slack off? Can we still learn things at our age?
Well my friend and fellow family member, here we go...........
Love
tim
Its been a nice cool day and I've used the day to catch up in several ways. First off Ken and I finally were able to walk again this morning. It was actually cold and the wind was blowing but we bravely survived the ordeal and caught up a bit since we've not been walking very much. Ken had the misfortune of having some nasty person borrow his truck plates in the last couple days, can you believe it. He has recovered from his long 50 mile ride last weekend from which he raised nearly $1,000 dollars for the cause.
I found myself napping from time to time in the work chair today and after having a spirited discussion with Lois and Ray I realized that my blood sugar had plummeted. It felt like 70 but was actually 101, still I was glad to discover it back into a normal range again. I had a griller on thin buns and watched the Mentalist while I ate.
I went on EBay and looked at about 20 different designs for doggie wheel chairs and finally started to sketch my own plan. Middle afternoon I left and inspected a local townhome that had sold, then drove on to turn in 5 toner cartridges to Staples which give me credit for turning them in and then used three different coupons to purchase a new router. My old one has been failing many times a day, sometimes 10 or more in one day. I hope the new one settles the problems and so far it seems much quicker than the prior one and more stable.
After Staples I went to Home Depot and lived there for hours as I tried to figure out ahead of time what I would need to create the little wheel chair, an employee named Richard was very helpful, turns out he lost his wife and a few months ago lost their little doggie so he was very motivated to help me make this work. Then driving home I thought of more ideas for making it work well. Of course I got home too late to make it at all tonight. Oh and I also found a chance to visit Trader Joe's. I just love that place, they have such interesting stuff.
So here comes the week like a train at 90 mph, how will we cope with its demands? Can we laugh instead of shoot off our temper? Can we excel when it would be easier to slack off? Can we still learn things at our age?
Well my friend and fellow family member, here we go...........
Love
tim
Saturday, May 7, 2011
MBA in a day
Good evening,
Just home from a great day with the kiddos by the sea. Timothy was in a great playful mood and I enjoyed spending time with him so much. Mia is a charmer, smiles most of the time, can roll over and move about, sleeps 8 to 9 hours now and the whole family has turned a corner with the additional sleep afforded them now. Jason and Jo are enjoying their new van and Julie, Jo's mom, has been visiting from Denver but goes home tomorrow. That has given her a great chance to catch up and Mia another pair of arms to hold her.
I met them for lunch in Milpitas where we enjoyed super food and then drove to MBA to spend the afternoon. The weather was perfect and the trip without mishap.
Ken has informed me that we are walking tomorrow morning, it will be nice to get back out there.
I am once again reminded what a special part of life is to have family, the little ones with their open smiles, the adult ones with their plans and ideas, seeing both of my families doing so well in spite of a tough world. Everyone of these little ones are totally different and bring a lot of joy to the table.
This morning I caught a program by Joel Olsten, not sure of the spelling and was once again reminded how important it is to laugh and treat life like an opportunity. It was a nice wakeup call to me as this past week has sort of worn me down, financial challenges are so huge, sometimes I feel like the world around me is closing in on me, the friends are few, the opportunities diminished, the weight still clinging to my frame and hope seems a long way off.
So now its time to catch some winks before the walk.
Love to all,
Tim
Just home from a great day with the kiddos by the sea. Timothy was in a great playful mood and I enjoyed spending time with him so much. Mia is a charmer, smiles most of the time, can roll over and move about, sleeps 8 to 9 hours now and the whole family has turned a corner with the additional sleep afforded them now. Jason and Jo are enjoying their new van and Julie, Jo's mom, has been visiting from Denver but goes home tomorrow. That has given her a great chance to catch up and Mia another pair of arms to hold her.
I met them for lunch in Milpitas where we enjoyed super food and then drove to MBA to spend the afternoon. The weather was perfect and the trip without mishap.
Ken has informed me that we are walking tomorrow morning, it will be nice to get back out there.
I am once again reminded what a special part of life is to have family, the little ones with their open smiles, the adult ones with their plans and ideas, seeing both of my families doing so well in spite of a tough world. Everyone of these little ones are totally different and bring a lot of joy to the table.
This morning I caught a program by Joel Olsten, not sure of the spelling and was once again reminded how important it is to laugh and treat life like an opportunity. It was a nice wakeup call to me as this past week has sort of worn me down, financial challenges are so huge, sometimes I feel like the world around me is closing in on me, the friends are few, the opportunities diminished, the weight still clinging to my frame and hope seems a long way off.
So now its time to catch some winks before the walk.
Love to all,
Tim
Friday, May 6, 2011
Friday at last.
As we put another week into the record books we pause to consider, what did we really accomplish? Did we witness any sunsets, taste any new foods, dumps unwanted pounds, encourage someone close by?
During this week we've managed to do away with public enemy #1 but I've got to say having people rejoice and scream into the night over his death makes me very disappointed. In the same manner I was angry when rejoicing broke out in arab countries when 9/11 happened. I just thought we were better than that as a country. Yes its good he has been removed from the world, are we safer? who knows. But at least he won't be master minding any more death and destruction of our country, our citizens. I am troubled when I see us get excited and act like its the 4th of July over his death. I do think we have a right to be proud of our guys and gals who pulled off a really good op, that is encouraging that all the money spent on the military pays off.
And what does it mean to be an American? I think it means something special, not that we are richer or more loaded with possessions, no I hope it means that we have a sense of pulling together for a common good, of helping each other out when needed, of working together to accomplish things. American used to build things but now we just buy junk made in China and we buy it because it is cheaper, so cheap that our citizens could not make a living making something that would compete with the junk. I shudder when I go into WalMart, is there anything made in America even sold there?
This has been a week of challenges for me and mostly as of this evening unmet challenges. I'm still waiting for a huge management company to pay what they have owed for 2 months so I can make my house payment and there are other challenges as well, so many that its almost overwhelming.
I'm always glad to hear from Dolly who write encouragement emails all the time and to talk to Art my long time friend and the almost daily chats with my brother. I'm glad Sylvia is back from traveling, she is a good person to share with and she always encourages me. Of course I've enjoyed the kids this week and tomorrow I'm driving to see Timothy and Mia, my kiddos at MBA. I'm just going for the day, consider this, about $90 to take the motorhome or about $20 to take the bug so Starr and I are venturing out to take the bug for the day.
So dear friends and family,
I'm sending love to all,
Tim
During this week we've managed to do away with public enemy #1 but I've got to say having people rejoice and scream into the night over his death makes me very disappointed. In the same manner I was angry when rejoicing broke out in arab countries when 9/11 happened. I just thought we were better than that as a country. Yes its good he has been removed from the world, are we safer? who knows. But at least he won't be master minding any more death and destruction of our country, our citizens. I am troubled when I see us get excited and act like its the 4th of July over his death. I do think we have a right to be proud of our guys and gals who pulled off a really good op, that is encouraging that all the money spent on the military pays off.
And what does it mean to be an American? I think it means something special, not that we are richer or more loaded with possessions, no I hope it means that we have a sense of pulling together for a common good, of helping each other out when needed, of working together to accomplish things. American used to build things but now we just buy junk made in China and we buy it because it is cheaper, so cheap that our citizens could not make a living making something that would compete with the junk. I shudder when I go into WalMart, is there anything made in America even sold there?
This has been a week of challenges for me and mostly as of this evening unmet challenges. I'm still waiting for a huge management company to pay what they have owed for 2 months so I can make my house payment and there are other challenges as well, so many that its almost overwhelming.
I'm always glad to hear from Dolly who write encouragement emails all the time and to talk to Art my long time friend and the almost daily chats with my brother. I'm glad Sylvia is back from traveling, she is a good person to share with and she always encourages me. Of course I've enjoyed the kids this week and tomorrow I'm driving to see Timothy and Mia, my kiddos at MBA. I'm just going for the day, consider this, about $90 to take the motorhome or about $20 to take the bug so Starr and I are venturing out to take the bug for the day.
So dear friends and family,
I'm sending love to all,
Tim
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Grinding away toward the weekend
Dear Family and Friends
This evening Carol Peden, friend from N. Carolina, sent an update on Roger's condition. Frankly he needs our prayers. He is having some symptoms I've never heard of before and they are very alarming. He is under the care of a great doctor who is proceeding with all kinds of tests but I just wanted to share with you his desire for prayer. Roger and Carol were close friends of ours, we sang in Roger's choir, we have visited them at Lakemont Cottages several times and always enjoyed a great time at Dollywood with them. This was one of Nan's favorite places to go, she loved them so much.
My morning plans changed drastically so I ended up writing a report, then hit the road to San Ramon to shoot two photos, then back to Livermore where I put fuel in the car, this time it was a record breaking 46 miles per gallon. Wow, that takes a bit of the sting out of buying fuel when I can go 600 miles on a tank and that tank costs about $55.
After the fill up it was onto to Discovery Bay where I had an appraisal to do on the golf course. Once that one was done I came home to start work on writing one that needed to go out. It just did, gone and emailed away. For dinner I made a plat of vege burger, brown rice, asparagus and soy sauce. So good and only 2 minutes in the microwave. I made two plates since it was so good.
The girls were precious this morning, Kallie was up and going when I arrived, Keanna took a bit of coaxing to get up and going. We ended up sitting in the car with the slider open as Keanna finished up her breakfast. They throw something new in every morning and I've learning to just go with the flow, keep it upbeat and keep an eye on the clock. My hat is off to Steve who does this every morning week after week without a break.
For now I'm signing off,
Love to all
Tim
This evening Carol Peden, friend from N. Carolina, sent an update on Roger's condition. Frankly he needs our prayers. He is having some symptoms I've never heard of before and they are very alarming. He is under the care of a great doctor who is proceeding with all kinds of tests but I just wanted to share with you his desire for prayer. Roger and Carol were close friends of ours, we sang in Roger's choir, we have visited them at Lakemont Cottages several times and always enjoyed a great time at Dollywood with them. This was one of Nan's favorite places to go, she loved them so much.
My morning plans changed drastically so I ended up writing a report, then hit the road to San Ramon to shoot two photos, then back to Livermore where I put fuel in the car, this time it was a record breaking 46 miles per gallon. Wow, that takes a bit of the sting out of buying fuel when I can go 600 miles on a tank and that tank costs about $55.
After the fill up it was onto to Discovery Bay where I had an appraisal to do on the golf course. Once that one was done I came home to start work on writing one that needed to go out. It just did, gone and emailed away. For dinner I made a plat of vege burger, brown rice, asparagus and soy sauce. So good and only 2 minutes in the microwave. I made two plates since it was so good.
The girls were precious this morning, Kallie was up and going when I arrived, Keanna took a bit of coaxing to get up and going. We ended up sitting in the car with the slider open as Keanna finished up her breakfast. They throw something new in every morning and I've learning to just go with the flow, keep it upbeat and keep an eye on the clock. My hat is off to Steve who does this every morning week after week without a break.
For now I'm signing off,
Love to all
Steamed
Good evening, morning
I'm not sure what is going on tonight but I've just spent the last 40 minutes trying to upload a completed report and over and over again it failed. Finally just now it finally went through. I'm not sure if its the internet or the management company or what but at this time of night its not fun.
The day has been interesting. This morning I got up earlier so I could use the tredmill. Do you think I could find the tennis shoes? Well not for 15 minutes as the searched the home. I finally found them on the back deck where I put them to dry the other day after they stepped into something unpleasant and I had to wash the bottom of the shoe repeatedly. They were out there to dry.
I still had time to get my 30 minutes in and I enjoyed walking and watching geese with their little ones cruise about the lake, the morning was cool and incredible.
After getting the girls placed where they needed to be I turned to office work. One hour was spent learning that there are no better cheaper plans with Anthem Blue Cross so for now I'm stuck with $1,182 a month, ouch! I plan to use the plan as much as I can for that kind of money. That was very disheartening as I need to cut spending drastically but nothing seems to want to cut. I chased down the $150 owed to me by the company that was to fix the ipod but didn't. Finally after nearly an hour of the phone ringing and then music playing a nice guy came on and said he could deal with it today. Lets hope so. I could use the financial infusion about now.
Later this morning I inspected a local place that was showing its age all around but going for only $320,000 on deep water, amazing! That used to be $500K easy. When will it ever stop dropping?
Keanna was out of school early, 12:45 so we did homework and I made a lunch in the fry pan of veges, burger, mushrooms, olive oil and brown rice. It was really good but Keanna thought it was awful, bad smells. After her homework was done, the puzzle finished we drove to Toy R Us to show. She had a little gift certificate and some change. Eventually she gave up on that store and we went to Wal Mart where she finally found something that was to her liking. Then we headed home and I picked up needed meds, $65 later, ouch again.
This evening I eventually started working on an appraisal that was to be out tonight. Just now it finally left my office for theirs.
Its hot here, I mean really hot, not so much fun but certainly beautiful weather for a change.
So sending love to all,
Tim
I'm not sure what is going on tonight but I've just spent the last 40 minutes trying to upload a completed report and over and over again it failed. Finally just now it finally went through. I'm not sure if its the internet or the management company or what but at this time of night its not fun.
The day has been interesting. This morning I got up earlier so I could use the tredmill. Do you think I could find the tennis shoes? Well not for 15 minutes as the searched the home. I finally found them on the back deck where I put them to dry the other day after they stepped into something unpleasant and I had to wash the bottom of the shoe repeatedly. They were out there to dry.
I still had time to get my 30 minutes in and I enjoyed walking and watching geese with their little ones cruise about the lake, the morning was cool and incredible.
After getting the girls placed where they needed to be I turned to office work. One hour was spent learning that there are no better cheaper plans with Anthem Blue Cross so for now I'm stuck with $1,182 a month, ouch! I plan to use the plan as much as I can for that kind of money. That was very disheartening as I need to cut spending drastically but nothing seems to want to cut. I chased down the $150 owed to me by the company that was to fix the ipod but didn't. Finally after nearly an hour of the phone ringing and then music playing a nice guy came on and said he could deal with it today. Lets hope so. I could use the financial infusion about now.
Later this morning I inspected a local place that was showing its age all around but going for only $320,000 on deep water, amazing! That used to be $500K easy. When will it ever stop dropping?
Keanna was out of school early, 12:45 so we did homework and I made a lunch in the fry pan of veges, burger, mushrooms, olive oil and brown rice. It was really good but Keanna thought it was awful, bad smells. After her homework was done, the puzzle finished we drove to Toy R Us to show. She had a little gift certificate and some change. Eventually she gave up on that store and we went to Wal Mart where she finally found something that was to her liking. Then we headed home and I picked up needed meds, $65 later, ouch again.
This evening I eventually started working on an appraisal that was to be out tonight. Just now it finally left my office for theirs.
Its hot here, I mean really hot, not so much fun but certainly beautiful weather for a change.
So sending love to all,
Tim
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
On the Road
Dear Family and Friends,
Kids to school, very pleasant and cooperative, fun and reassuring to know that I can handle these precious part of my remaining life, they are great girls, are so full of fire and spunk, are sleepy, funny, reluctant to drag out of bed and so bright, what a blessing from Almighty God, the human experience, the precious little ones that He grants us.
Once the girls were launched into their day then I regrouped and left for the SF airport where Sylvia Ahn's mother was returning from a mission of mercy to N. Carolina. After being there for a few days to help her ailing sister and husband, both over 90 years old Clea was delighted to be coming home once again. She is just a very fun individual, full of energy, ideas, beliefs and love. What a lady, it was a huge opportunity to get to meet her there and drive her home. She insisted on buying lunch so checking the GPS we found a Nations in Hayward. I learned that Nations makes a wonderful garden burger on whole wheat buns for just $3.95, wow what a find! It was great and she also insisted that we share a strawberry tart that was huge and delicious.
On the way in in quick succession I received two orders from Appraiser Loft. To get the orders one has to respond to a page with the word accept. I can now do that without looking down so I get both orders. One was in Discovery Bay and the other was in San Jose. So while I waited for Clea to make it to the pickup area I called and made appointments for both reports. I ended up driving back to San Jose for a 4:30 appointment, met a great guy in a wheel chair who was doing a reverse mortgage and then ate at Olive Garden, great salad and arrived home about 8:45.
The day was very interesting and it was with great joy that I got to do something to help someone else. It felt wonderful but I was the winner. I got to be on the receiving end of a wonderful ladies wisdom all the way home.
Now I'm heading to bed and plan to get up early enough tomorrow to ride the tred mill before showering which is just before I drive to the kids to wake them and make them breakfast. I have to admit my life is certainly not without stress, I face such financial challenges in the next few days it is almost heart stopping but I am moving forward in faith and doing my very best to create income. Its all I can do.
So Love to all
Tim
Kids to school, very pleasant and cooperative, fun and reassuring to know that I can handle these precious part of my remaining life, they are great girls, are so full of fire and spunk, are sleepy, funny, reluctant to drag out of bed and so bright, what a blessing from Almighty God, the human experience, the precious little ones that He grants us.
Once the girls were launched into their day then I regrouped and left for the SF airport where Sylvia Ahn's mother was returning from a mission of mercy to N. Carolina. After being there for a few days to help her ailing sister and husband, both over 90 years old Clea was delighted to be coming home once again. She is just a very fun individual, full of energy, ideas, beliefs and love. What a lady, it was a huge opportunity to get to meet her there and drive her home. She insisted on buying lunch so checking the GPS we found a Nations in Hayward. I learned that Nations makes a wonderful garden burger on whole wheat buns for just $3.95, wow what a find! It was great and she also insisted that we share a strawberry tart that was huge and delicious.
On the way in in quick succession I received two orders from Appraiser Loft. To get the orders one has to respond to a page with the word accept. I can now do that without looking down so I get both orders. One was in Discovery Bay and the other was in San Jose. So while I waited for Clea to make it to the pickup area I called and made appointments for both reports. I ended up driving back to San Jose for a 4:30 appointment, met a great guy in a wheel chair who was doing a reverse mortgage and then ate at Olive Garden, great salad and arrived home about 8:45.
The day was very interesting and it was with great joy that I got to do something to help someone else. It felt wonderful but I was the winner. I got to be on the receiving end of a wonderful ladies wisdom all the way home.
Now I'm heading to bed and plan to get up early enough tomorrow to ride the tred mill before showering which is just before I drive to the kids to wake them and make them breakfast. I have to admit my life is certainly not without stress, I face such financial challenges in the next few days it is almost heart stopping but I am moving forward in faith and doing my very best to create income. Its all I can do.
So Love to all
Tim
Monday, May 2, 2011
Spring comes to Discovery Bay
It was warm, 86 this afternoon and very welcome. This morning as I drove to see a house in San Ramon instead of running the AC I just let the warm air come through the car, it felt good. We've seen enough rain and cold cloudy days, now the sun shines and is supposed to for the rest of the week.
Keanna had planeted lots of seeds in an egg carton and they are growing, she is thrilled and excited to see the handiwork come to life. She picked the seeds, she planted the seeds and waters them whenever she comes to visit. Its fun to see her go interested. This afternoon after she completed some very hard homework, wow what they expect from a second grader! Well afterwards she pulled out a 100 piece puzzle that was way too hard the last time we tried, well this time in the few minutes we had before she had to leave she already has a lot of it put together.
When I arrived early to the home in San Ramon today I discovered a little asian grandmother to greet me, problem was she did not speak a word of english, not a word so I started measuring the outside and every time I looked back she was somewhere nearby watching and smiling. Finally it came time to go in and she beckoned me to come in, offered slippers from a wall rack and followed me faithfully throughout the home as I shot and measured and wrote comments. Just as I was leaving at 1 pm the owner arrived and we spoke briefly and I assured her that the home was very nice. Then I was gone.
I foolishly accepted a 1 pm appointment today with the husband and then remembered I needed to collect Keanna at 2:35. Well I went early and shot my comps first, then did the house, all 3,400 sf of it and arrived home in time to get the van to pick up Keanna.
Today I found out that the health insurance did not roll back the fee increase so sometime this week they will collect $1,182 from my account for a months worth of coverage. When I waded through the voice tree today at Anthem Blue Cross and was dumped twice the person I finally reached could not discuss plans with me, he did not have the proper license. Great so I'll have to wade through the same miserable tree again tomorrow.
And so life goes, just for fun tonight I planted some more flowers in the front area. I hope they live, these are from from WalMart so no warranty like Lowes on the first flowers.
So good night family and friends,
Love to all
Tim
Keanna had planeted lots of seeds in an egg carton and they are growing, she is thrilled and excited to see the handiwork come to life. She picked the seeds, she planted the seeds and waters them whenever she comes to visit. Its fun to see her go interested. This afternoon after she completed some very hard homework, wow what they expect from a second grader! Well afterwards she pulled out a 100 piece puzzle that was way too hard the last time we tried, well this time in the few minutes we had before she had to leave she already has a lot of it put together.
When I arrived early to the home in San Ramon today I discovered a little asian grandmother to greet me, problem was she did not speak a word of english, not a word so I started measuring the outside and every time I looked back she was somewhere nearby watching and smiling. Finally it came time to go in and she beckoned me to come in, offered slippers from a wall rack and followed me faithfully throughout the home as I shot and measured and wrote comments. Just as I was leaving at 1 pm the owner arrived and we spoke briefly and I assured her that the home was very nice. Then I was gone.
I foolishly accepted a 1 pm appointment today with the husband and then remembered I needed to collect Keanna at 2:35. Well I went early and shot my comps first, then did the house, all 3,400 sf of it and arrived home in time to get the van to pick up Keanna.
Today I found out that the health insurance did not roll back the fee increase so sometime this week they will collect $1,182 from my account for a months worth of coverage. When I waded through the voice tree today at Anthem Blue Cross and was dumped twice the person I finally reached could not discuss plans with me, he did not have the proper license. Great so I'll have to wade through the same miserable tree again tomorrow.
And so life goes, just for fun tonight I planted some more flowers in the front area. I hope they live, these are from from WalMart so no warranty like Lowes on the first flowers.
So good night family and friends,
Love to all
Tim
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Paper work
Dear Family and Friends,
Having sort of caught up with the appraisal writing I spent this day bringing the business accounts up to date. You know how you think oh its just been a month or two since I reconciled and then you really look hard at the books, well the last time I had fully reconciled was November so lets just say there was some data entry to do. I also went through the bill pile, never a fun thing to do. Starr was sitting nearby and was very faithful in keeping an eye on me.
I've really tried to eat healthy today. For breakfast I started with a couple eggs in a bowl with soy milk, then added chopped asparagus, some vege burger and a bit of olive oil. It turned out really great. For lunch I had a griller without bread, a chopped tomato and several leaves from a Romain heart with some low fat salad dressing. It turned out great as well. I tried some decaf instant coffee but that ended up down the drain. This afternoon to break up the monotony I made a huge 50 oz or so smoothie but just used lots of fresh strawberries, frozen blue berries, some soy milk, ice and a banana. It was really refreshing and lasted a long time. Sylvia had found some great straws that are really long enough to use in a very deep cup and it was a pleasant experience sipping on my creation.
During the afternoon I've been getting texts from Jason and Jo as they drove back from a weekend in Yosemite. They said the falls were just incredible, so full of run off from the snow pack.
Well thats it from here, its time to roll the garbage out and head to bed.
Love to all
Tim
Having sort of caught up with the appraisal writing I spent this day bringing the business accounts up to date. You know how you think oh its just been a month or two since I reconciled and then you really look hard at the books, well the last time I had fully reconciled was November so lets just say there was some data entry to do. I also went through the bill pile, never a fun thing to do. Starr was sitting nearby and was very faithful in keeping an eye on me.
I've really tried to eat healthy today. For breakfast I started with a couple eggs in a bowl with soy milk, then added chopped asparagus, some vege burger and a bit of olive oil. It turned out really great. For lunch I had a griller without bread, a chopped tomato and several leaves from a Romain heart with some low fat salad dressing. It turned out great as well. I tried some decaf instant coffee but that ended up down the drain. This afternoon to break up the monotony I made a huge 50 oz or so smoothie but just used lots of fresh strawberries, frozen blue berries, some soy milk, ice and a banana. It was really refreshing and lasted a long time. Sylvia had found some great straws that are really long enough to use in a very deep cup and it was a pleasant experience sipping on my creation.
During the afternoon I've been getting texts from Jason and Jo as they drove back from a weekend in Yosemite. They said the falls were just incredible, so full of run off from the snow pack.
Well thats it from here, its time to roll the garbage out and head to bed.
Love to all
Tim
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