So this morning I dragged myself out of bed when the alarm went off at 6. All night I had heard the rain pouring and the wind whipping about. Shortly after rising I was on the way and at first there were just sprinkles on the window, then the torrent hit and for an hour I drove in intense rain but once I reached the outskirts of Saint Helena the rain had stopped. Arriving at the very nice property I found the pool man there and the gardener but the house was empty, seems the owner had passed some time ago and while they thought the son lived somewhere nearby they did not know how to reach him so I had to just be content with an external inspection.
The home had a beautiful setting adjacent to a large vineyard and then in the distance the coastal mountain range could be seen. I had written most of the report but needed to drive each one of the 6 comparables and take careful notes on their condition, their setting and appeal. I was through about 10:45 and on the way out of town stopped at the Taylor Refresher, a locally owned place which has served great food for many years, all the way back to when I was in college and I graduated in 1971. I had the best and messiest sandwich I believe I have ever experienced. Filled with cream cheese, fried egg, acocado, tomato and on a thick english muffin it was incredible. But oh so messy, I should have eaten it with a fork.
I had an uneventful trip back with little rain as I was driving. Since it was the middle of the day I had no traffic and arrived home at 12:40. Then I completed the report and emailed it to the client. I've pretty much taken it easy since then. I went to Brentwood to WinCo for groceries and ended up with some beautiful strawberries, huge tomatoes and yummy bananas plus the best 2% cottage cheese around. Ray showed me that in that store it is less expensive to purchase 2 small cartons rather than one large carton, for some reason their pricing is really screwy.
Once home I found I hardly had enough energy to carry the groceries in, just so wasted for some reason. I've coughed all day and been wheezing a lot lately. Plus every time I take the blood test the numbers are very high. Its just depressing. This evening friend Sylvia called and she is such a great person to bounce how you feel off of and get down to earth great advice. She helped a lot as we worked through various things I didn't understand very well.
This evening I've been enjoying Hawaii 50, I just love that show with all the shots of the beautiful places, the clouds, the water and mountains, what a special place. Could I suggest to you that Hawaii is a place that is worth saving your money to visit. While my family has been fortunate to go there often we've learned that it does not need to be expensive. If one can forgo eating meals in high end places by the water's edge then one can eat and get by spending very little money. Its the ticket to get there and back and those prices are down to below $300 if one watches carefully. Hawaii is more than a place to visit, it is a state of mind as well, warm gentle breezes, light showers, huge flowers, bushes, trees, great fruits to eat and little ABC stores all over the place to buy mats for the beach, towels to bring home, nuts to enjoy and of course a calendar.
Well enough with the Hawaii talk, been there, done that and will do it again as soon as possible.
Well tomorrow I'm back on the road again to see a place in Livermore at 11 and then manteca at 3. I'm so thankful for work and I'm praying that God will see fit to bless Steve and I will a whole lot more.
Love to all
Tim
This is a picture Kallie created for me before leaving last night. Notice she uses stamps she found on the work desk along with her own ideas. How I love these creations from a 3 year old artist.
No comments:
Post a Comment