Well Life with Mustard today would have taken you to Moraga to a lovely home with a pool and worth over a million dollars, then on to Piedmont where the home is probably worth 1.5 million, that one was interesting to measure, a classic home with Craftsman design, then to Berkeley for a brief encounter with a home I've done before and then through traffic over the Bay Bridge, through downtown San Francisco and down to South San Francisco where I inspected my last home of the day, as I left the car I found cold temperatures and fog beginning to surge in.
Once the work day was over at about 7:30 I located a BJ's, a nice place that Nan and I often enjoyed when in southern california, I had a 20 minute wait but the food was great, service was perfect and by 9:45 I was once again on the road. Now I'm home at around 10:45, a trip home listening in rapt silence to a great book by James Burke, its long and its a great read.
So the next stop in this long day is BED.
Good night my friends and family,
Looking forward to Lammerdings coming on Sabbath afternoon this week, will be nice.
Love to all
tim
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Just back from the field at 9 pm
So I started the day with a walk to the park, lots of action there and plenty of dogs for Pooka to be worried about.
Then it was back to shower and work up stuff, at 3:40 I left for Livermore with Marilyn in tow. She sat in the car under a shade tree while I inspected a pretty amazing home, then it was on to Fuddruckers for a garden burger. From there we drove to Fairfield to get an inspection of a tiny condo completed. From there we drove home just arriving now.
The coughing is really awful, seems much worse after I eat.
Tomorrow will be another long day ending at south San Francisco at 6 pm. I guess its very nice to have work and lots of it. I'm loving my weather station so much, its a great addition to my desk and it tells me what is happening outside, next I'll have to get a security system that lets me see outside.
So good night friend and family member, I love you all
Tim
Then it was back to shower and work up stuff, at 3:40 I left for Livermore with Marilyn in tow. She sat in the car under a shade tree while I inspected a pretty amazing home, then it was on to Fuddruckers for a garden burger. From there we drove to Fairfield to get an inspection of a tiny condo completed. From there we drove home just arriving now.
The coughing is really awful, seems much worse after I eat.
Tomorrow will be another long day ending at south San Francisco at 6 pm. I guess its very nice to have work and lots of it. I'm loving my weather station so much, its a great addition to my desk and it tells me what is happening outside, next I'll have to get a security system that lets me see outside.
So good night friend and family member, I love you all
Tim
Monday, August 13, 2012
A very busy and productive day
6 am rise and shine
6:30 begin research for day
8:00 drive motorhome to Antioch for new front spring installation and alignment
8:45 leave Antioch for home to switch cars and drop Marilyn off, much too hot to have her sit in the car.
10: back in Antioch to inspect a home, temperature already hot
11: arrive early for next Antioch appointment, huge house very warm now
12:45 drive to subdivision, discover they are not there until 1
12:50 have lunch at In and Out, cheese sandwich
1:15 Kiper new homes, measure home in very hot weather
2:30 Drive home to do quick work, stop and shoot bathroom photo I missed the other day along the way
3:30 Drive back to Antioch to collect motorhome, Marilyn drives me in Civic, have chance meeting at Starbucks with Steve and girls, great fun to see them
4:00 pick up motorhome, enjoy driving a totally different coach, tracks straight, steering wheen is now straight, ride is smooth and stable, bumps no longer radiate through the steering wheel.
5:30 Leave for Tracy to see ranchette on Durham Ferry Road
6:14 Arrive and discover weather is still hot, property very nice
Owners tell me about home built by two indian brothers just down the street, I've included a photo. Amazing.
This little home has 8 car garages on both sides, a pool in the center of the home and 17 bedrooms.
Pretty amazing home worth several million dollars. I'm pretty glad I don't have to appraise it ever!
So its been a pretty busy day with lots accomplished, yes it is hot and its hard to get ones self in gear to face the heat and measure two story homes which are surrounded by dust, junk, overgrowth but its all in a days work, plus the checks that appear in the mailbox sure help.
This morning I heard from Jason. He was in the law library at his school in the downtown district of SF preparing for his first class. Of course he has conflicting thoughts, one does when he ventures out into something so foreign and new. I think we need to all pray for our kids, no matter how old they are, they face challenges we may have never even had to consider but God loves them so much.
So saying I'm sending love to all,
Tim
6:30 begin research for day
8:00 drive motorhome to Antioch for new front spring installation and alignment
8:45 leave Antioch for home to switch cars and drop Marilyn off, much too hot to have her sit in the car.
10: back in Antioch to inspect a home, temperature already hot
11: arrive early for next Antioch appointment, huge house very warm now
12:45 drive to subdivision, discover they are not there until 1
12:50 have lunch at In and Out, cheese sandwich
1:15 Kiper new homes, measure home in very hot weather
2:30 Drive home to do quick work, stop and shoot bathroom photo I missed the other day along the way
3:30 Drive back to Antioch to collect motorhome, Marilyn drives me in Civic, have chance meeting at Starbucks with Steve and girls, great fun to see them
4:00 pick up motorhome, enjoy driving a totally different coach, tracks straight, steering wheen is now straight, ride is smooth and stable, bumps no longer radiate through the steering wheel.
5:30 Leave for Tracy to see ranchette on Durham Ferry Road
6:14 Arrive and discover weather is still hot, property very nice
Owners tell me about home built by two indian brothers just down the street, I've included a photo. Amazing.
This little home has 8 car garages on both sides, a pool in the center of the home and 17 bedrooms.
Pretty amazing home worth several million dollars. I'm pretty glad I don't have to appraise it ever!
So its been a pretty busy day with lots accomplished, yes it is hot and its hard to get ones self in gear to face the heat and measure two story homes which are surrounded by dust, junk, overgrowth but its all in a days work, plus the checks that appear in the mailbox sure help.
This morning I heard from Jason. He was in the law library at his school in the downtown district of SF preparing for his first class. Of course he has conflicting thoughts, one does when he ventures out into something so foreign and new. I think we need to all pray for our kids, no matter how old they are, they face challenges we may have never even had to consider but God loves them so much.
So saying I'm sending love to all,
Tim
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Mellow Sabbath
Well here it is almost bed time once again. Its been very hot outside but then I avoided being outside much.
We started the day watching Keanna playing soccer. What progress, she is playing a good team and they are moving the ball well, she was very involved in mixing it up with other girls for the ball and she got some good kicks in. It was great sitting in the morning sun with Steve, Kallie, Nikki and Marilyn as well as friends sitting next to us.
After breakfast Nikki and the girls left for a busy day of birthday party, visiting relatives and if I know Nikki a bit of shopping. Steve went with us to Nation's for breakfast, food was great. Then we dropped Steve off back home where he and Kevin assembled Kallie's bed, the one we drove down to get in Scots Valley for $100, Steve and Nikki found it on line for $1,000 new, it really does work to shop on line for things.
We have been pretty lazy today with naps and long shows on christian dish with Bill Gather and the Boon Brothers, outstanding music. We tried to discover if the wide screen projection TV we watch is HD or not, after searching on the web we are pretty sure it is not HD after all. But the picture is excellent and thats all that matters to me.
We just came from the Boardwalk, a local eating place located adjacent to the water by the marina. My Gardenburger was excellent.
Tomorrow will be intense. On the agenda is: setting appointments for many properties, writing up several reports, doing a follow up inspection of a local property. Then on Monday the work really starts in ernest.
I am so grateful to God for his continued blessings with plenty of paying work, reliable cars, office equipment that does the job over and over again, a cool office in spite of intense heat outside, there is just a lot that is good about life and oh how I love to see my 4 little kiddos in action. Everyone is totally unique, everyone is precious.
So for now good night to all and thank you Lord for the Sabbath, a day to stop working and enjoy family, nature and friends.
Love
tim
We started the day watching Keanna playing soccer. What progress, she is playing a good team and they are moving the ball well, she was very involved in mixing it up with other girls for the ball and she got some good kicks in. It was great sitting in the morning sun with Steve, Kallie, Nikki and Marilyn as well as friends sitting next to us.
After breakfast Nikki and the girls left for a busy day of birthday party, visiting relatives and if I know Nikki a bit of shopping. Steve went with us to Nation's for breakfast, food was great. Then we dropped Steve off back home where he and Kevin assembled Kallie's bed, the one we drove down to get in Scots Valley for $100, Steve and Nikki found it on line for $1,000 new, it really does work to shop on line for things.
We have been pretty lazy today with naps and long shows on christian dish with Bill Gather and the Boon Brothers, outstanding music. We tried to discover if the wide screen projection TV we watch is HD or not, after searching on the web we are pretty sure it is not HD after all. But the picture is excellent and thats all that matters to me.
We just came from the Boardwalk, a local eating place located adjacent to the water by the marina. My Gardenburger was excellent.
Tomorrow will be intense. On the agenda is: setting appointments for many properties, writing up several reports, doing a follow up inspection of a local property. Then on Monday the work really starts in ernest.
I am so grateful to God for his continued blessings with plenty of paying work, reliable cars, office equipment that does the job over and over again, a cool office in spite of intense heat outside, there is just a lot that is good about life and oh how I love to see my 4 little kiddos in action. Everyone is totally unique, everyone is precious.
So for now good night to all and thank you Lord for the Sabbath, a day to stop working and enjoy family, nature and friends.
Love
tim
Friday, August 10, 2012
For a birthday this one sure has been challenging
Dear Family and Friends,
I rolled out at my normal 6 this morning, hit the shower, one of the high points of the day! and then came down to work, I was just through with the research for the South SF home which I was set to see at 10 when the phone let me know that appointment was off for a bit, until Monday. So I continued doing conditions and research until 10 when it was time to leave. I dropped a check off to Steve's front porch and drove to Livermore where I had to purchase some very expensive diesel fuel. Since the car had its new timing belt the mileage has dropped. Today confirmed that I had dropped to 36 from 43, a big hit. Not sure what they changed but its not good.
I arrived at about 12:10 for the Redwood City appraisal and was confronted with a very steeply upsloping site, a driveway so steep that they warn you not to use it unless you have a 4 wheel drive so it was a walk up a very poorly maintained set of rough stairs, I was puffing when I reached the top. Then the house was very chopped up and hard to measure but it was cute and had a killer view of the bay and the airport. The agent who met me was wonderful, she is from Argentina, a lovely professional and we clicked perfectly. She had some comps for me and I shot lots of photos for the report. Then the fun began, for as I walked down I realized that my blood sugar had plummeted, I could barely stand up. I was sweating and shaky, got to the car and quickly ate a oat and nut bar and drank some water. Then I started to drive the comps, they were all over the place on narrow one lane roads, it took well over an hour to get the photos shot and I was shaky and poorly equipped to do what I had to do. Finally I was through and set my sights on Benicia where the next property was located. So that meant working my way through traffic using 280, then 380 and finally 101 up to and through the city, across the bay bridge, up Highway 80, across the bridge at Benicia and finally arrived at the house. Let me tell you the traffic was special in places.
Since the Benicia one was a driveby I worked it as quickly as I could and then drove to Martinez where I had field review to do.
Once that was over I headed home where I picked up the van, marilyn and we drove to Nikki and STeves, we dropped off the bed parts and all rode to UNOs together for my birthday dinner. It was great and my gift was a weather station. I've wanted one for years and I'm thrilled. Plus Nikki got me one of those special cards that just says everything so well and its signed by the girls in their own hand.
All day today I've been receiving messages on the iphone from facebook with people wishing me a happy birthday, its been great, just seeing their faces and hearing from them. Good stuff!
Now I'm heading for bed, Keanna plays Soccer tomorrow morning at 9:30 so that is my next official stop.
So here I am 64 and still kicking, got to admit this has been a tough day, lots of coughing and not feeling all that great but now its bedtime, I'm ready and thankful for friends, family.
Today as I was driving through SF and across the Bay Bridge Jason called and we chatted as I was very near his school, of course he was not there today but still it felt strange to know he comes there every day now.
Love to all
Tim
ps Marilyn got me a very special gift, a case of my favorite coffee, something Green Mountain and its so good!
I rolled out at my normal 6 this morning, hit the shower, one of the high points of the day! and then came down to work, I was just through with the research for the South SF home which I was set to see at 10 when the phone let me know that appointment was off for a bit, until Monday. So I continued doing conditions and research until 10 when it was time to leave. I dropped a check off to Steve's front porch and drove to Livermore where I had to purchase some very expensive diesel fuel. Since the car had its new timing belt the mileage has dropped. Today confirmed that I had dropped to 36 from 43, a big hit. Not sure what they changed but its not good.
I arrived at about 12:10 for the Redwood City appraisal and was confronted with a very steeply upsloping site, a driveway so steep that they warn you not to use it unless you have a 4 wheel drive so it was a walk up a very poorly maintained set of rough stairs, I was puffing when I reached the top. Then the house was very chopped up and hard to measure but it was cute and had a killer view of the bay and the airport. The agent who met me was wonderful, she is from Argentina, a lovely professional and we clicked perfectly. She had some comps for me and I shot lots of photos for the report. Then the fun began, for as I walked down I realized that my blood sugar had plummeted, I could barely stand up. I was sweating and shaky, got to the car and quickly ate a oat and nut bar and drank some water. Then I started to drive the comps, they were all over the place on narrow one lane roads, it took well over an hour to get the photos shot and I was shaky and poorly equipped to do what I had to do. Finally I was through and set my sights on Benicia where the next property was located. So that meant working my way through traffic using 280, then 380 and finally 101 up to and through the city, across the bay bridge, up Highway 80, across the bridge at Benicia and finally arrived at the house. Let me tell you the traffic was special in places.
Since the Benicia one was a driveby I worked it as quickly as I could and then drove to Martinez where I had field review to do.
Once that was over I headed home where I picked up the van, marilyn and we drove to Nikki and STeves, we dropped off the bed parts and all rode to UNOs together for my birthday dinner. It was great and my gift was a weather station. I've wanted one for years and I'm thrilled. Plus Nikki got me one of those special cards that just says everything so well and its signed by the girls in their own hand.
All day today I've been receiving messages on the iphone from facebook with people wishing me a happy birthday, its been great, just seeing their faces and hearing from them. Good stuff!
Now I'm heading for bed, Keanna plays Soccer tomorrow morning at 9:30 so that is my next official stop.
So here I am 64 and still kicking, got to admit this has been a tough day, lots of coughing and not feeling all that great but now its bedtime, I'm ready and thankful for friends, family.
Today as I was driving through SF and across the Bay Bridge Jason called and we chatted as I was very near his school, of course he was not there today but still it felt strange to know he comes there every day now.
Love to all
Tim
ps Marilyn got me a very special gift, a case of my favorite coffee, something Green Mountain and its so good!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Cranking out the work, Jason gets started
Good evening
This has been some day. Pooka and I walked this morning and enjoyed the park, she did her normal smelling and I did my breathing deep the morning air.
Then it was a day of writing, doing conditions for people and trying to stay on task for the day. It actually went pretty well. Now I'm kicking back before heading to bed. i guess its been warm today but I've hardly been out.
During the day I heard from Jo that Jason was being inducted into the law school at 5 today. He is well on his way and has his books, he is getting used to the idea of law school. He reports that the law school he is in has a real social conscience.
Today I also learned how to send reports directly out of the appraisal program, always exciting to learn something which means i can still learn at my age. Only took a few steps to figure out. Now I know.
Tomorrow I go to South SF for a 10 am appointment then on to Redwood City. In the afternoon it will be Benicia for a driveby, then tomorrow evening Nikki says we are doing dinner for my birthday. So the day should be fun and exciting.and very tiring.
Good night to all,
Tim
This has been some day. Pooka and I walked this morning and enjoyed the park, she did her normal smelling and I did my breathing deep the morning air.
Then it was a day of writing, doing conditions for people and trying to stay on task for the day. It actually went pretty well. Now I'm kicking back before heading to bed. i guess its been warm today but I've hardly been out.
During the day I heard from Jo that Jason was being inducted into the law school at 5 today. He is well on his way and has his books, he is getting used to the idea of law school. He reports that the law school he is in has a real social conscience.
Today I also learned how to send reports directly out of the appraisal program, always exciting to learn something which means i can still learn at my age. Only took a few steps to figure out. Now I know.
Tomorrow I go to South SF for a 10 am appointment then on to Redwood City. In the afternoon it will be Benicia for a driveby, then tomorrow evening Nikki says we are doing dinner for my birthday. So the day should be fun and exciting.and very tiring.
Good night to all,
Tim
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Whirlwind day!
It all started at the normal 6 am alarm, up and stager to the alarm clock, turn it off, turn water on hot in the shower, pat the doggies head, check cell phone for messages that came in during the night.
Shower over, down to the desk, do research for the day, do some little helping things for friends who needed to know things about values, write a bit on appraisal and then leave for Pittsburg. Make bank deposit on the way. Arrive on time, OK house, nice new sod, asian owners with little english.
Then to Brentwood and use Supra Key, this little device that looks like a cell phone, you just turn it on, put in a code and point at a lockbox hanging on the front door, the box with the key inside gets the message and opens. Then you have access. Measured a two story home, shot the comps and then headed home.
Picked up Marilyn, address and other needed items and we hit the road for Scots Valley where a nice little bed with a slide and ladder waiting to be picked up. Kallie needs a new bed. The one thing I did not pickup when I left was my iphone. And with that mistake I was out of touch with all my clients and friends, family for the whole afternoon.
We found the address where the bed was without any problem. The owner had waited to take the bed apart until I could see how it went together. So we took the next 45 minutes disassembling the bed. It is cute and well made. Finally we had it all loaded up in the car and headed home.
We stopped by Jason's and ended up having dinner with the family. Jo is in the air flying home from teachers meetings in Nashville. She arrived this evening at around 10 and will be very welcome home by her whole family. Jason spent his second day at school in SF today and is quickly learning the ropes, the needs, the challenges of what he is in for. Their family is going through so much right now, so many changes.
I'm sure Kallie is going to love her new bed when we can get it rebuilt. It is very clever and leave it to Nikki and Steve to find it for a very low price through the internet instead of paying the full price for it new. Good for them!
So now I'm really tired and worn out but very thankful for life, for a safe trip, for lots of work to do and for friends and family.
Love
Tim
please pray for those with special needs this evening, God knows!
Shower over, down to the desk, do research for the day, do some little helping things for friends who needed to know things about values, write a bit on appraisal and then leave for Pittsburg. Make bank deposit on the way. Arrive on time, OK house, nice new sod, asian owners with little english.
Then to Brentwood and use Supra Key, this little device that looks like a cell phone, you just turn it on, put in a code and point at a lockbox hanging on the front door, the box with the key inside gets the message and opens. Then you have access. Measured a two story home, shot the comps and then headed home.
Picked up Marilyn, address and other needed items and we hit the road for Scots Valley where a nice little bed with a slide and ladder waiting to be picked up. Kallie needs a new bed. The one thing I did not pickup when I left was my iphone. And with that mistake I was out of touch with all my clients and friends, family for the whole afternoon.
We found the address where the bed was without any problem. The owner had waited to take the bed apart until I could see how it went together. So we took the next 45 minutes disassembling the bed. It is cute and well made. Finally we had it all loaded up in the car and headed home.
We stopped by Jason's and ended up having dinner with the family. Jo is in the air flying home from teachers meetings in Nashville. She arrived this evening at around 10 and will be very welcome home by her whole family. Jason spent his second day at school in SF today and is quickly learning the ropes, the needs, the challenges of what he is in for. Their family is going through so much right now, so many changes.
I'm sure Kallie is going to love her new bed when we can get it rebuilt. It is very clever and leave it to Nikki and Steve to find it for a very low price through the internet instead of paying the full price for it new. Good for them!
So now I'm really tired and worn out but very thankful for life, for a safe trip, for lots of work to do and for friends and family.
Love
Tim
please pray for those with special needs this evening, God knows!
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