Emotional day

Up at 7 this morning and onto the treadmill, got it to work for 16 minutes and then hit the hot shower.

Breakfast of Steel cut oats and brown sugar, then to work

Steve came by and we got a chance to catch up a bit, then I finished my research for the day before leaving for Santa Cruz at 12.  Steve managed to arrive while I was on one of those very traumatic phone calls to the IRS, our lovely government in action.  I've know I needed to make the call and like usual their system hung up on me 3 times each time after holding for 15 minutes or so.  Finally I got through and it went very smoothly.  They restored my monthly agreement seeming glad to do it, probably my record which shows I never miss a payment helps.  So I just cough up several thousand dollars and mail it to Fresno and then pay $500 a month.  What a relief to have a new agreement, the guy could not have been nicer.

The drive down to Santa Cruz took about 1 hour and 40 minutes.  The homeowner was waiting for me when I arrived. When I opened the door of the car I was hit by a blast of windy and very cold air, it was deceptive as inside the car was warm and comfortable, outside the sun was shining brightly but the weather was COLD.

Once I completed the inspection of this little two story detached home then I went to find a Burger King, I was very hungry and on the edges of low blood sugar.  Lunch was perfect though at 3 pm.  Then it was back to locate the comparables and head to CostCo for fuel.  While I was there I loaded up on Blackberries, very cheap right now, strawberries and raspberries, bananas, some very good bread with lower than normal carbs.  It was a great stop.

On the way home I stopped at Best Buys where a very helpful guy not only located the printer and cartridges I wanted but also did a price check on line and cut the cost a few bucks too.

Now I'm home at last, enjoyed some of the new bread and I'm preparing for bed soon.  Tomorrow Steve and I drive to San Rafael where we will take a 4 hour Regulations and Laws Class for continuing education and tour one of the management companies that sometimes gives us work.

I am pleased to report that Timothy is gradually getting a bit better.  Several visits to very helpful doctors and some new meds seem to be doing the trick.  Would you please keep praying for him.  I even pulled out the big guns today.  I wrote to my very special friend Dolly and asked that she pray for Timothy, Dolly seems to have a private number that gets right through, she knows how to pray.

This afternoon as I was listening to one of the books I enjoy hearing while I drive the story came to the point where the main guy was visiting his wife often in the cancer unit and as the book progressed she became more weak and finally passed away while he was with her.  Tears filled my eyes as I was taken back to my last days with Nan and then to the morning when she slipped away.  While the book was fiction it was a vivid reminder of just how one feels as the gradual loss takes place and then the final moment when it happens.  If you have experienced it you know and if you have not then there is no way you could begin to understand, no reason for you to have to, its a horrible wrenching experience and the book captured it pretty well with its words.  Did I regret listing to the book, not at all, tears are often an excellent release and response to a real moment, a real memory.

So I leave you with my urging request once again, please do not let a day pass, this day pass without telling your loved ones how you feel, don't wait, don't feel embarrassed, just spill out your heart, do it while you can and do it often, its the salve of life, the difference between existing and loving.

Love to all

Tim