What a roller coaster week

Good evening,

After a week of mostly downers its nice to sit back and reflect just a bit on the blessings life delivers even in spite of awful events.  In my life time I've faced more terrible moments than most people will ever experience.  Most of them were from the 12 year battle to keep Nan alive, terrible moments when her heart stopped for 5 full minutes and yet she escaped brain damage, each time CT scans would reveal a new group of tumors growing rapidly, those time where we were kicked out of a trail due to tumor growth, those moments after a surgery and as she would wake she would learn what else she had lost to the knife in an effort to save her life, those times when she could no longer do things she had always enjoyed doing, how she hated to give up her freedom to just jump on a plane and go somewhere.  We lived for many years oblivious to severe suffering, felt sort of charmed, there were ups and downs but not life threatening and then the dreaded cancer hit.

The last two days have been very hard to endure.  I had several very difficult and almost impossible appraisals that had to be completed, they could not be put off any longer and they took long grueling hours to complete.  They along with many conditions, revision requests and dozens of phone calls every day kept the week very hectic.  So for Thursday and Friday I did not really leave the house, I just cranked on the stack, is it caught up?  No but I've made tremendous progress.

Last night as I put away the cars the garage door failed, one of the big springs had broken into two pieces.  So this morning I went on the Internet, watched a Utube video of what was involved to replace them and decided I needed to let someone do the job and I would do my job of appraising.  So at 8:05 I was on the phone, my first choice was Contra Costa Door, they are great and a trusted company but they could not get anyone here until Monday.  I respected their honesty.  I found another state wide company and they could have someone here between 1 and 3.  So I went out and wrestled the very heavy door up, probably should not have as my heart did not like it a bit.  I got the door open and locked in place, moved the cars out and at around 3 he arrived.  Instead of the $300 I was hoping for the final bill was $571.  But the door goes up and down so quietly now and very smoothly.  One of the parts that had to be replaced was about $171 from him and Ray says its $20 on Amazon.  Oh well its done and works perfectly.  Just hard to part with the hard earned money.

Today I was able to set up orders, write some very challenging ones, do 3 field reviews and set appointments for next week. Work is continuing to pour in, I could take more if I had the staff to handle it.

I find it very interesting how many companies are letting people go, big ones like Boeing and small mom and pop companies.  There are consequences to decisions made, business owners really don't like to work without making a profit, I would never put on full time staff again.  It will be a very interesting few years and I dread what is going to happen.  I do find it interesting, when Katrina happened the press and Democrats were all over him about his terrible response.  But watch what is happening to those poor people in New York and Jersey,  hardly anything is said in the main stream press, at least not yet about the horrible government inaction, FEMA offices closed, out of water for the weekend, its just the way that government is, its not used to having to perform so does not know how to, not bad people just people who are used to getting by without accomplishing much.  In private business you produce or go broke, in government you just get promoted whether you produce or not.  Its been true in every civilization over time, good people slipping into lazy habits and now the poor people who desperately need help are not getting it. This is making Katrina a bit more understandable.

I'm just waiting for the news media to start to raise questions about the lack of government response, oh wait this time it is democrats messing up so nothing will be said. 

Early in the morning, 7:40, I'll pick up Keanna and take her to soccer practice, then at 9 she plays her final game, yes she is in the championships, just her team and one other, both very good at what they do.  It will be a very exciting game, my heart rate shoots up, that is not good.

Well bed calls,

I think we all need to remember that people matter, not movements, not parties, but people, people and the freedom for them to pursue their dreams, love their children, root for a team at soccer and love each other. 

Love

tim