Interesting day

Today has gone from disaster to success.  Knowing I have trigger finger surgery coming on the 28th and not knowing how it will effect my ability to write report I've been trying to do as much as I can with very little down time, that is social time, relaxing time, even exercising time.

For example today I rose at 5 am, showered and came down to discover my computer had crashed.  A spyware had infected it and turned every file in the entire computer to read only and then hid them all.  Drive C did not work properly, the speed of the hard drive was wrong.  I had planned to write a much needed appraisal for a Milpitas property but that did not happen.  For some reason I had forced myself to do all the research for today's work last night so I was ready on that score.

At around 7 I started peppering my great IT guy with text messages, emails sent from my phone letting him know I needed his help.  He ended up working all day on my computer and managed to restore some of the functions.  Enough I think to get work completed.  He worked from his own home office by remote until my computer cut him off, then he came here and worked for hours.

Meanwhile I say a nice little place in Richmond Annex, a tiny neighborhood that is bordered by freeway 80 and 580.  The homes are cute, nicely maintained and they have views of the bay.  After completing that one I decided to see if I could talk my way into a second Richmond property that I was supposed to see at 4 this afternoon.  So I knocked and explained and the renter was very kind and let me do the work at 10 instead of having to drive back.  Once I was done there I found a Taco Bell for the bathroom and some burritos.  I drove to Oakley to a little but nice development where people paid $700K for homes and they are now selling as short sales for $370.  The home was huge, 3,800sf and it was cold outside, backed to a little lake.  The occupants were the people losing the house but they were very nice to work with.

After I had shot some of the comps I headed for the next Oakley appointment so I could be on time.  Imagine my surprise when the people said, no we cancelled the appraisal, it was news to me and I was irritated.  Eventually I found out they cancelled the appointment at 1:45 but since the person who was the go between had strep throat there was a break in communication.  They agreed to pay me an inspection fee and I moved on.

After shooting the comps for the appraisal of the big house I drove to Kaiser for blood work.  While they are good it still takes time.  Meanwhile I was staying in touch with Jim to see how the computer repair work was progressing.  The blood work went well and they drew out 4 vials, wow I miss that blood!

About an hour later I called the nurse to find out if I could resume taking Glucophage and after wading through several levels of a voice tree I finally talked to a nurse.  Once you get there on the phone they are terrific. Yes I could resume my meds and could they do anything else?  So I told her of the blood sugar levels running too high and that the cough was worse.  She wrote it all up and emailed it to my Doctor.  While I was talking to her I was measuring yet another home here in Discovery Bay, nice place, horrible location, it sides busy Highway 4 and has constant traffic noise.  Who would really want to live there?  I know I have to be fair and objective but,   who would want to live there?

After I finished measuring the house I came home and figured out how the computer was working, pretty good.  Then I remembered that I had intended to drive to Rohnert park and get the spa heater!  So I loaded up and headed out.  The traffic was light, the trip easy and amazingly the spa heater fit in the back of the bug, wow it was tight and close.

Now I'm home and it seems most days are not really boring, lots of challenges, issues, deadlines, travel, medical issues.  And sometimes I get to see my cute little grandchildren, that is the best thing about life.  Jesus has granted me these 4 precious little ones, all different, all bright and all totally fun.

Happy Thanksgiving and love to all,

Tim

Short

Dear Family and Friends,
Beat, going to bed, long day with lots of fun, Keanna was here.  She made grocery list and we went shopping, interesting to see the world from an 8 year old perspective.  Great way to meet grandmothers, they all thought it was cute that we were shopping.  Got yams, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, apples, oranges, asparagus, soft dog food for Starr.

Tonight had dinner with Kallie and Nikki, always fun.

More later, happy Thanksgiving, I'm finding life pretty challenging right now, blood sugar out of control, not enough time to catch my breath it seems.

Love

tim

Checks

After a week, a very dry week income wise today the dam burst.  I went to the bank with a deposit that was larger than many entire months income.  I was humbled, excited and relieved.  One check was the largest I've received in several years and another was the largest that company had ever sent.  So for another month the house payment is made and I can even buy groceries again. 

In the morning I'll be at Nikki's door at 6:30 as Steve is out of town helping a friend and the girls need to get to school, have breakfast and face the day.  Then Keanna will come with me for the day.  I mostly am working in so that should not be a problem.  I hope to get the motorhome to the glass repair guy tomorrow to get that process started.

There is a subtle feeling that creeps in when you don't have enough money to even buy fuel for the car, a quiet despair seeps into your thinking and nearly everything that comes to mind has to be set aside because there is no money to do it.  Before I drove to an appointment this afternoon in Milpitas I raided the bank and found about $7 of coins that I took with me just in case.  Then the mail finally arrived and with it the grip around my chest loosened and things took on a nicer hue.

I have been so blessed this fall with the amount of work that has come in and STeve and I have both benefitted from the work.

This morning at 6:45 I started drinking  banana smoothies, yep, the contrast for the CT scan, then at 7:45 I had yet another one, same delicious taste!  At 8:45 I was in the waiting room at Kaiser and at 9:15 I was still in the waiting room, finally I went in and settled in on the lovely couch in front of the big circle, the CT scanner.  After dropping my drawers and my arm she slipped an iv in and we were set to go.  The whole process only takes 10 minutes but its not really bad and my co pay was just $50, with no credit cards available I wrote a check!  And they took it!

Now I drop by on Wednesday for blood work so I can resume Metaformin, seems what they inject and some drugs can be hard on the liver.  Then sometime soon I see the oncologist and then the surgeon for the trigger finger and then someone else. Great system, love it and I'm thankful to be on board.

Friend Art called a few minutes ago, sounded a bit tired after being in SF for the day with son Matt.  Sometimes it can be a lot of hard work having fun!

Love to all

Tim

The Fires Glow

This morning I just rolled out and into the tennis shoes Roger and Carol provided long ago.  They worked fine but the weather was just a big cold.  It was sunny but about 40 degrees.  Since Ken had not called I just went by myself and I'm glad I did.  There is something about just getting out into fresh air.

Once home I made oatmeal, used my last banana and microwaved a couple Stripples.  With Breakfast out of the way I hit the shower, a time I really enjoy very much.

I came down and set to work after building a fire.  I've kept that fire going all day and what was so nice this morning was the hot coals left from last night.  Using Oak the fire lasts a very long time and the coals soon had the new wood roaring.

I wish I could say I've accomplished a lot today but that would be a lie.  I've filed stacks of files, set up orders, cleared up my desk and written reports, just not as many as I should of by now.  This evening I've been enjoying some past episodes of Bones and was shocked to discover that the main character is quite pregnant.  I think I may have missed some episodes inbetween.

At the point I have all the laundry completed and put away, the sheets on my bed are clean, the dishwasher is running and the kitchen is tidy.  In the morning I start off at 6:45 by drinking a lovely quart of contrast, then at 7:45 I drink a second quart and at 8:45 I have the CT scan.  They hopefully on time I'll check with Steve and perhaps Keanna can come back home with me and Steve can be on his way to see a house in Walnut Creek.  The really nice thing that has happened is that Steve is getting work from his own clients, that has been a very long time dream for me, that Steve would have his own clients, he is just an outstanding appraiser, honest, gentle with the homeowners and a hard worker and to see him get his foot into the door is very exciting.

I woke today to find I was shut out from my main client.  I pay a $10 fee for each order that comes through Appraisal Port, a clearing house and on the 15th I have to pay for the prior month's orders, well this time it was $200, that is I've had 20 orders.  Only problem I did not have $200 in any of my accounts and they had shut me out until I paid on line.  What to do?  I tried a couple credit cards but no go,  finally I put in the business account numbers and it went through.  Now that means I need to find money in the next day to cover the charge but perhaps tomorrow is my lucky day for some funds to show up.  I know by Wednesday I'll get a large check that will set everything right again for awhile.  Its just the inbetween that is costing me overdraft charges right now.  Not fun.

At this point I'm turning in, I don't stay up well anymore, I get tired, sleepy, eyes get scratchy and I just nod off. 

The CT scan tomorrow is of my chest and I hope yet I'm concerned about what they will find.  I would love to be rid of this cough, its been extra bad that last two days, why, I can't put a finger on it after several days of much less coughing.  Why!

Take care and lets work together to have a week of thanksgiving and peace in our lives.  God is so good to us in spite of the challenges we face.  I'm so thankful to have all of you in my life.

Love

tim

Low Key Sabbath

Dear Family and Friends,

I woke early this morning with several financial problems dancing through my mind.  Knowing it was early I dismissed them all and turned over for a bit more sleep.

At 9 I was at the gym to watch Keanna take to the floor in her basketball uniform.  It was so cute watching the little ones scamper around trying to dribble, not fall, not go out of bound.  Only a couple of the girls on each team had enough power to actually shoot a basket but they all tried.  It was great fun to see her in action and Kallie was so full of energy, she can't wait to get on the floor and do her thing.  She will be a force to contend with.

I had dressed for church so I left the gym but ended up spending time on the playground with the girls pushing them on swings and watching their little antics.  Once I neared Tracy I looked up to discover it was 11:50 and church would be over by the time I arrived.  So I consoled myself by going to Sonic and having a cheese sandwich and ice tea, driving home the scenic way. Once home I went over and visited Ray and Lois and then watched the Christian Dish programing for several hours.  Some of the stuff was b o r i n g.  I really tire of the same old topics repeated on several of the channels but there were good programs with interesting things to say.  One was amazing, Dr. McDougal was on the show along with an author who had written a book about autism.  They had discovered that by changing the diet, removing dairy and gluten the in a few days most of the behavior problems had cleared up and now the boy is 14 and lives a normal life, is an honor student.

This whole diet thing is very  interesting.  Because there is no money to be made in getting people to eating healthy normal stuff from the grocery store it does not get the same play as drugs and fancy medical solutions but I personally am more and more impressed that what we put in is what we become.  How I want to spend a week in Santa Rosa at the live in program Dr. McDougal is having in December but I can't afford it, over a $1,000 for the program, plus hotel room or RV parking plus a week of work lost.  The timing is just not right at this point.

This evening I went out and jammed a bunch of branches into garbage cans to sort of clear up the back yard area.  felt good to do something with my hands thought the pain from the trigger finger was pretty intense.  I had to be careful about lifting too much but I managed to get most of the brush put away.

Is it raining where you are tonight?  My brother reports snow and wind in Weed and oh the storms can be pretty awful up there.  He and Donna were staying put with a nice fire going to keep warm.

Sending love to all,

Tim

And the week winds down

I've just come from tucking the girls, Kallie and Keanna in for the night.  Nikki called to see if I'd watch them while she and Steve went out to have dinner.  Well I jumped at the chance, had no plans other than sit in the recliner, much more fun to observe the girls in action.

Kallie finally went to bed and she read the books to me tonight, an interesting combination of all the cartoon characters in her stories, precious, then she settled in under her soft blankets and I prayed for her and kissed her little head.

Later Keanna decided to turn in and she read to me from a kids Bible I gave her last Christmas.  She says she reads from it every night, her reading is amazing, interesting, varied tones, expression, wow.  I had to stop her and remind her of the first time she told me that she would read the book that night.  Finally she settled in under the softest blanket in the world, just as her mom and day came home.

I've had a busy day, jumped up this morning after sleeping in, 8:30!!  Had breakfast, STeve came by with the dogs who wisely stayed out of the cold water.  Then I drove to Brentwood to see a property, then onto Kaiser to pick up contrast, no one had the prescription, someone had dropped the ball but 30 minutes later I had it in hand.  Then I headed to Tracy to see a place, this one had grandma watching 2 year old twins, we had fun talking grandchildren.  By the time I left Tracy it was time to eat so checking my wallet I found enough to cover soup and salad at Olive Garden.  The food was perfect and I have 2 dollars left.  Now if one or more of my lovely clients would pay up then I'd be back on easy street, right now I'm on the back alley until someone pays up.  Oh well its the Sabbath now, time to move life a different direction.

On Monday morning I have a CT scan, I start drinking the lovely stuff at 6:30, then 7:30 and then the CT scan happens.  I'll have blood work while I'm there too.  On the 28th I'll have hand surgery on the trigger finger.  Today has been a really bad day for coughing once again in spite of all the stuff I'm taking.

Sending love to all

Tim

Work

Through blurry eyes I write, Ken and I walked at 6:30, by 8 I was at my desk and I'm just leaving it now.  During this day I've cranked out a whole lot of work and though I'm tired I've very satisfied with the efforts and the success.  Walking helps so much, it wakes me up, gets things flowing again and I really appreciate Ken urging me to walk.
Tomorrow morning I drop by Kaiser and pick up the contrast I'll need for Monday mornings CT scan, the oncology group want a CT of the chest, they say it is routine when a tumor is found like the one they found by the appendix.  Sure feels strange to be in this new place where I am the one with the tumor.
I am so thankful for so many things tonight and yet have such a yearning for a relationship.  I honestly don't know how I would give it, her, any time though with working like I do. 
Well one thing at a time, right now sleep is my goal, objective and I'm NOT walking tomorrow.  Taking a day off so I can start work early instead.

Sending love to all,

Tim