This morning Marilyn and I passed briefly before she left to take the Civic to Lodi Honda for some work. She wanted to be there on time and was there when they opened the gates.
Bob was nice enough to pick her up around 8 and they drove to the mountains for a bit of the game of chance and lunch.
Meanwhile the Civic was getting some routine maintenance that was needed. It turned 131,000 miles today and needed a timing belt, a new water pump, new plugs, valves adjusted and new gasket for value cover, a new timing belt partial cover and an engine mount that had failed. So the bottom line was just under $1,000 but considering this is the first heavy duty maintenance it has needed I'm feeling pretty good about it.
This afternoon I drove it to Brentwood with the girls and the engine seemed so smooth, felt like a sewing machine in terms of smoothness. Keanna had to have stitches removed and her mouth rinsed by the oral surgeon. She is doing very well and managed it all with courage.
Nikki came from work and fighting road work she still got through so I was able to come back home and work. Later Marilyn and I went to Boardwalk for some great food and it was a perfect evening with the cool weather and waterfront setting.
I've just come in from the spa and what a great experience that was, warm water, bright stars and bubbles all around.
This evening at about sunset I made a sudden decision to go out and cut on the branches that are totally filling the side space by the house. So I located my electric chain saw, put some oil in the chain oiler and waded into the branches, the work went really fast and before long I had about half the mess cleaned up. I'll have to find some more time when I can get the rest done and in bags.
Very few orders are crossing my desk these days, I hope that it gets better soon. Got to say its nice to be a bit calmer right now though.
Sending love to all,
Tim
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
A long day but home safe once again
Up at 6, then again at 6:45, that time for real.
Had work to do so got right to it. Out the door it went over the web to its rightful owner. Then I moved on to other work.
Left the house at 1:30 for Alameda and inspected an older home, one that needs updating but is located in the Gold Coast area of Alameda so its selling for over $700,000. Once that one was completed we headed through dense traffic to Danville where we inspected a really nice but much larger home with huge pool and large site. The lady of the house was an appraiser and we enjoyed chatting about our business.
Once we were completed with the comps I decided on a local pizza place, Primo's, it is a great locals place right downtown in Danville and like always the food was really good, in fact too good, I ate way too much.
Now we are home and ready to be home. The bug is very noisy but is running well. When a new rebuilt injector pump comes in then Freddie will switch it out and we will hope it runs quieter. This one has excellent power but is very loud all the time.
Marilyn went with me this afternoon forgoing her book reading for a bit of travel and adventure.
Tomorrow I work in and then pick up the girls at 1:15 from school and I'll have them until 3:40 when we drive to the dentist that worked on Keanna's teeth for a follow up visit. Nikki will pick them up there and then I'll be done with them for the day. It will be fun to see them once again.
Tomorrow morning Marilyn leaves early for Lodi Honda where they will replace the timing belt and water pump. They had the best price by $300. Bob will pick her up and they will head up to Jackson Rancheria for a morning visit. By the time they come back to Lodi the car should be completed.
Well for now I'm wishing each of you a very good night.
Love
Tim
Had work to do so got right to it. Out the door it went over the web to its rightful owner. Then I moved on to other work.
Left the house at 1:30 for Alameda and inspected an older home, one that needs updating but is located in the Gold Coast area of Alameda so its selling for over $700,000. Once that one was completed we headed through dense traffic to Danville where we inspected a really nice but much larger home with huge pool and large site. The lady of the house was an appraiser and we enjoyed chatting about our business.
Once we were completed with the comps I decided on a local pizza place, Primo's, it is a great locals place right downtown in Danville and like always the food was really good, in fact too good, I ate way too much.
Now we are home and ready to be home. The bug is very noisy but is running well. When a new rebuilt injector pump comes in then Freddie will switch it out and we will hope it runs quieter. This one has excellent power but is very loud all the time.
Marilyn went with me this afternoon forgoing her book reading for a bit of travel and adventure.
Tomorrow I work in and then pick up the girls at 1:15 from school and I'll have them until 3:40 when we drive to the dentist that worked on Keanna's teeth for a follow up visit. Nikki will pick them up there and then I'll be done with them for the day. It will be fun to see them once again.
Tomorrow morning Marilyn leaves early for Lodi Honda where they will replace the timing belt and water pump. They had the best price by $300. Bob will pick her up and they will head up to Jackson Rancheria for a morning visit. By the time they come back to Lodi the car should be completed.
Well for now I'm wishing each of you a very good night.
Love
Tim
Monday, August 5, 2013
A day of challenges
Anybody that creates anything knows there are days that don't go so well.
This morning I was at DMV in Tracy at 8:30 and waltzed right up to the counter since I had an appointment, what a difference that makes as the other line was out the door. I was taken care of promptly and have nearly everything cared for now, the cars are traded, I now own the Civic and Nikki the van, the trailer for the boat is licensed.
I came home to finish the duplex located In Suisun City and shipped it out. Jessy came to help and that was great. In the early afternoon an email informed me that an appraisal I had completed months ago for a little house in a small development a few miles outside of Napa had been rejected the the underwriters and they wanted to fund tomorrow. The question came to my mind, how many months have they been planning to fund and suddenly the day before its a crisis. As I read more from the desk review I could not help feeling there was something more taking place than they were stating. I had written the same basic report I always write and of course I've written about 30,000 of them, now suddenly I had not explained my comp selection well enough, really. I had included 7 comparables in the report, nearly every sale in the entire little development, pretty obvious really.
Anyway I had to try to rewrite the report to satisfy the desk review and lets hope it did the trick. I had to leave and could only take so long on it before hitting the road.
I drove to San Ramon to do a field review of an appraisal and when shooting the comparables I ended up shooting a sale that was just two houses from the house where I was to do an appraisal at 6 pm. I noticed that she was already home though I was an hour early. She graciously let me to the full appraisal and I was on my way to Fremont to do yet another field review. After a quick dinner at Taco Bell I turned for home and the trip was uneventful, I arrived at about 9 pm.
So last night I went to bed at 11:45 and was up at 6 this morning, you got it, I'm tired. I just went out and turned on the spa so I'll soak for a bit and then sleep.
Our weather continues to be terrific, less than 90 and very livable. So tomorrow I'm out in the afternoon, back to Alameda again to see a house at 2:30 and I just got a hard money appraisal order for Danville tomorrow at 4:30 and that one pays cash! Yea
Sending love to all,
Tim
This morning I was at DMV in Tracy at 8:30 and waltzed right up to the counter since I had an appointment, what a difference that makes as the other line was out the door. I was taken care of promptly and have nearly everything cared for now, the cars are traded, I now own the Civic and Nikki the van, the trailer for the boat is licensed.
I came home to finish the duplex located In Suisun City and shipped it out. Jessy came to help and that was great. In the early afternoon an email informed me that an appraisal I had completed months ago for a little house in a small development a few miles outside of Napa had been rejected the the underwriters and they wanted to fund tomorrow. The question came to my mind, how many months have they been planning to fund and suddenly the day before its a crisis. As I read more from the desk review I could not help feeling there was something more taking place than they were stating. I had written the same basic report I always write and of course I've written about 30,000 of them, now suddenly I had not explained my comp selection well enough, really. I had included 7 comparables in the report, nearly every sale in the entire little development, pretty obvious really.
Anyway I had to try to rewrite the report to satisfy the desk review and lets hope it did the trick. I had to leave and could only take so long on it before hitting the road.
I drove to San Ramon to do a field review of an appraisal and when shooting the comparables I ended up shooting a sale that was just two houses from the house where I was to do an appraisal at 6 pm. I noticed that she was already home though I was an hour early. She graciously let me to the full appraisal and I was on my way to Fremont to do yet another field review. After a quick dinner at Taco Bell I turned for home and the trip was uneventful, I arrived at about 9 pm.
So last night I went to bed at 11:45 and was up at 6 this morning, you got it, I'm tired. I just went out and turned on the spa so I'll soak for a bit and then sleep.
Our weather continues to be terrific, less than 90 and very livable. So tomorrow I'm out in the afternoon, back to Alameda again to see a house at 2:30 and I just got a hard money appraisal order for Danville tomorrow at 4:30 and that one pays cash! Yea
Sending love to all,
Tim
Sunday, August 4, 2013
A wretched sunday
This one has been pretty bad, a waste really.
I worked around the house this morning and then drove to Alameda to see a house, the MLS proudly included a notice that there was a lock box key on the house so access was assured. I send an email to the listing agent to confirm and heard nothing back, I called the selling agent and heard nothing so I went. Well there was NO supra key box on the site so that hour trip was a waste.
Then I set my sights on a driveby appraisal in San Rafael and we drove the 50 minutes to reach the property. But there was a security gate and they would not let me in, no matter that I just wanted to do a driveby and shoot photos from the street. They would not let me in, said I had to come back tomorrow when the "office" was open. Well I'm not driving back 100 miles to be denied again and the fee being paid is just $225 anyway. Then as we turned for home traffic was backed up for about 30 minutes due to a fire that had started along side 37 and traffic was at a crawl almost to Vallejo.
Then we went to a Chevy's to eat, I thought I was in a Chillis and knew there was something on the menu to eat, well there was almost nothing for a vegetarian there, sort of bleak and what I did order came on a bed of onions, that was fun! Oh well we are home safely now and I'm thankful for that.
Tomorrow morning I'll be in Tracy at the good old DMV at 8:30 to work out the trade of the Civic for the Van and get it legal. Plus get a license paid for the boat trailer. Hope that works out well.
Also I have to have a duplex appraisal completed in the morning as well. So there will be lots to do.
Sending love to all of you as we move into August.
Tim
I worked around the house this morning and then drove to Alameda to see a house, the MLS proudly included a notice that there was a lock box key on the house so access was assured. I send an email to the listing agent to confirm and heard nothing back, I called the selling agent and heard nothing so I went. Well there was NO supra key box on the site so that hour trip was a waste.
Then I set my sights on a driveby appraisal in San Rafael and we drove the 50 minutes to reach the property. But there was a security gate and they would not let me in, no matter that I just wanted to do a driveby and shoot photos from the street. They would not let me in, said I had to come back tomorrow when the "office" was open. Well I'm not driving back 100 miles to be denied again and the fee being paid is just $225 anyway. Then as we turned for home traffic was backed up for about 30 minutes due to a fire that had started along side 37 and traffic was at a crawl almost to Vallejo.
Then we went to a Chevy's to eat, I thought I was in a Chillis and knew there was something on the menu to eat, well there was almost nothing for a vegetarian there, sort of bleak and what I did order came on a bed of onions, that was fun! Oh well we are home safely now and I'm thankful for that.
Tomorrow morning I'll be in Tracy at the good old DMV at 8:30 to work out the trade of the Civic for the Van and get it legal. Plus get a license paid for the boat trailer. Hope that works out well.
Also I have to have a duplex appraisal completed in the morning as well. So there will be lots to do.
Sending love to all of you as we move into August.
Tim
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Back to Sabbath School this morning
What fun to pick up Kallie and drive to Tracy. Rachel was the teacher today and did a very good job guiding the little ones in learning the story of baby Moses.
After attending Sabbath School Kallie and I visited the Dollar Store for a couple little toys and then we drove to the house, We picked up Marilyn and met up with Bob, Nikki and Keanna at the Olive Garden in Stockton. Great food and even better company. Bob is really taking control of his life and Carrol would be so proud of his accomplishments along the way. What a brave and faithful person he is.
This evening we went to Safeway for a few things and $90 later we struggled out of the store, I really dislike the rather silly check out system they are forcing on us, the one where you check yourself out, it must have given us bad instructions 25 times while we tried to get our things paid for.
So thankful for decent weather and a wonderful family to be a part of.
Love to all
Tim,
After attending Sabbath School Kallie and I visited the Dollar Store for a couple little toys and then we drove to the house, We picked up Marilyn and met up with Bob, Nikki and Keanna at the Olive Garden in Stockton. Great food and even better company. Bob is really taking control of his life and Carrol would be so proud of his accomplishments along the way. What a brave and faithful person he is.
This evening we went to Safeway for a few things and $90 later we struggled out of the store, I really dislike the rather silly check out system they are forcing on us, the one where you check yourself out, it must have given us bad instructions 25 times while we tried to get our things paid for.
So thankful for decent weather and a wonderful family to be a part of.
Love to all
Tim,
Friday, August 2, 2013
How interesting? Well pretty unusual. I was sitting at my desk this morning doing research when I suddenly discovered that I should have left 30 minutes before to reach San Ramon and the first appointment. I called and we reschedule for 4 pm. Then at 10 I left for Oakland and found a very nice little house in a great neighborhood near Piedmont. Then I drove to Alameda to see a second property. After I left that home I discovered that the clutch was no longer working on the bug. Try as I might it would not go into gear.
Eventually in desperation I discovered that if I turned off the key, mashed the gearshift into 2nd and then started the car it would go but there was no clutch action so shifting became very interesting, yes you can shift without a clutch but there is grinding and lurching. I finished shooting the comps for that property and headed directly to Brentwood, to my VW mechanic, he advised me to try to get there so he could check. All the way home through traffic that ebbed and flowed I kept shifting without a clutch, using the clutch just did not work, the good Lord kept a whole lot of traffic lights green and at last I made it to Brentwood. After racing to the bathroom, a desperate move, Freddie jumped in my car, pushed the clutch pedal a few times and found the clutch to be working perfectly and it has worked perfectly ever since that moment.
My San Ramon lady took pit on me and opted for a Monday at 6:00 appointment and since the bug was now driving perfectly I went to see Pat at Borden Junction who was finishing up on the boat. When I pulled up two guys were trying to get it started but without success. They worked on it for awhile and finally got it to run by spraying lighter fluid directly and continuously into the carb. Eventually better fuel got to the carb and it started to run well. Now I have it home and will put it in the stacks soon where it will be accessible to all of us. Steve has worked so hard on the boat and has it looking very good now. I've picked up some new paddles for it, some new floating seat cushions with handles for throwing to someone in the water, required by law. We'll add the life jackets back into the storage areas, get the horn to blow again, get the second blower to working again and soon be on the water.
This evening after all the excitement of the day and it is very exciting to drive for an hour on the freeway in rush hour traffic without a clutch, we went to Red Robin and had a nice dinner, they gave me a little sundae for my upcoming birthday and the garden burger was free too. It was nice.
Now I'm about to sit in the spa, I'm really ready to do so.
Hope your Sabbath is special, I might take Kallie to Sabbath School in the morning, we'll see. This evening they are enjoying the As in Oakland.
Love to all,
Tim
PS looking forward to lunch with Bob tomorrow at Marie Calendars in Stockton, he has a coupon, Yes!
Eventually in desperation I discovered that if I turned off the key, mashed the gearshift into 2nd and then started the car it would go but there was no clutch action so shifting became very interesting, yes you can shift without a clutch but there is grinding and lurching. I finished shooting the comps for that property and headed directly to Brentwood, to my VW mechanic, he advised me to try to get there so he could check. All the way home through traffic that ebbed and flowed I kept shifting without a clutch, using the clutch just did not work, the good Lord kept a whole lot of traffic lights green and at last I made it to Brentwood. After racing to the bathroom, a desperate move, Freddie jumped in my car, pushed the clutch pedal a few times and found the clutch to be working perfectly and it has worked perfectly ever since that moment.
My San Ramon lady took pit on me and opted for a Monday at 6:00 appointment and since the bug was now driving perfectly I went to see Pat at Borden Junction who was finishing up on the boat. When I pulled up two guys were trying to get it started but without success. They worked on it for awhile and finally got it to run by spraying lighter fluid directly and continuously into the carb. Eventually better fuel got to the carb and it started to run well. Now I have it home and will put it in the stacks soon where it will be accessible to all of us. Steve has worked so hard on the boat and has it looking very good now. I've picked up some new paddles for it, some new floating seat cushions with handles for throwing to someone in the water, required by law. We'll add the life jackets back into the storage areas, get the horn to blow again, get the second blower to working again and soon be on the water.
This evening after all the excitement of the day and it is very exciting to drive for an hour on the freeway in rush hour traffic without a clutch, we went to Red Robin and had a nice dinner, they gave me a little sundae for my upcoming birthday and the garden burger was free too. It was nice.
Now I'm about to sit in the spa, I'm really ready to do so.
Hope your Sabbath is special, I might take Kallie to Sabbath School in the morning, we'll see. This evening they are enjoying the As in Oakland.
Love to all,
Tim
PS looking forward to lunch with Bob tomorrow at Marie Calendars in Stockton, he has a coupon, Yes!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
All day long I was sure it was Friday
There are creeping signs that I'm aging fast! From morning on today I mentally decided that it was Friday and only during the afternoon did I discover I was wrong.
This morning I drove to Steve and Nikki's, he had the shiny boat hooked up to the Pilot and so I drove it to Borden Junction, a very good shop with Pat as owner. He was the one that solved the motorhome tank issues a couple years back and he has solved many other things as well over the years. When I spoke to him at 5 today he was nearly ready to jerk the engine so he could do the flywheel. He had found a few other things that needed attention, replacing and repair. He loves boats and he is enjoying this process of getting the boat ready to enjoy on the water. He says he will be completed with it tomorrow which would be so nice.
I've worked in today finishing up reports and setting up new orders. In the morning I'll be in San Ramon, then Oakland and then back to San Ramon for a review, then its off to San Rafael or shall I do that on Sunday? We will see.
Right now I'm just out of the spa, it rose from 77 to 94 in a matter of a few minutes and it felt so nice to sit in the swirling waters, watch the airplanes fly across the sky and see the stars.
This evening Lois, Marilyn and I drove to Tracy to the IHOP and the food was great, the service lagged like it sometimes does but the good food made up for it.
Our weather has been heavenly here lately, cool and comfortable with almost no AC needed which means saved dollars.
Sending my love to all,
Tim
This morning I drove to Steve and Nikki's, he had the shiny boat hooked up to the Pilot and so I drove it to Borden Junction, a very good shop with Pat as owner. He was the one that solved the motorhome tank issues a couple years back and he has solved many other things as well over the years. When I spoke to him at 5 today he was nearly ready to jerk the engine so he could do the flywheel. He had found a few other things that needed attention, replacing and repair. He loves boats and he is enjoying this process of getting the boat ready to enjoy on the water. He says he will be completed with it tomorrow which would be so nice.
I've worked in today finishing up reports and setting up new orders. In the morning I'll be in San Ramon, then Oakland and then back to San Ramon for a review, then its off to San Rafael or shall I do that on Sunday? We will see.
Right now I'm just out of the spa, it rose from 77 to 94 in a matter of a few minutes and it felt so nice to sit in the swirling waters, watch the airplanes fly across the sky and see the stars.
This evening Lois, Marilyn and I drove to Tracy to the IHOP and the food was great, the service lagged like it sometimes does but the good food made up for it.
Our weather has been heavenly here lately, cool and comfortable with almost no AC needed which means saved dollars.
Sending my love to all,
Tim
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