Its winter alright..

Hi
Bob is right in commenting on the weather, it is winter all the time these days. Today I've spent my time on the road, car turned 160,000 miles and delivered an amazing 50 mpg, first time ever. I believe it was a strong tail wind coming home from Madeira last Friday. 501 miles and 9.9 gallons of diesel. That's more like it.
Ken and I walked this morning and actually enjoyed it, weather was not wet then and the stocking hat had to come off half the way around. Good news on the scales too, now down 10.5 lbs.
First stop was in Palo Alto, perfect older home with a huge Redwood tree guarding the back yard, nice people and decent comps in the 1.5 million range, second stop in Redwood City was totally different, nice little guy would not stop talking the entire time I was there, had parked cars and a large boat, trash piled inside and out, rough condition but new roof and good location near shopping. Probably worth $700,000 or so, after all it was 1011 sf. Yes I know, its an expensive area, very near Stanford University. Then I set the GPS for a place called the Railroad Cafe and it took me for a merry ride but never found the Cafe so I settled for Taco Bell. Then back on the road with the GPS set for Bay Point. I tired of the bickering of talk radio so started the CD player. My brother Jerry purchased a Fiero from me years ago, it had a CD player with about 14 CDs in it. He just returned the CDs the other day and I had loaded some into the player in the bug. So as I drove the hour from Redwood City to Bay Point I listened to music I had not heard in years, first up was the Phantom of the Opera. As the glorious sounds of the music filled the car I was taken back to an enchanted night long ago when Nan, the kids and me flew to LA and then drove to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, where the Oscars are sometimes held, that night it was for the Phantom. We all enjoyed the experience very much and have often talked about it since. Nan was thrilled as she loved the music so much and the entire experience. So as I drove I remembered and started sobbing and driving and sobbing. You know both can be done at the same time quite well and I've learned the sobbing will eventually cease, that is until another glorious song comes on. So I drove and sobbed my way to Bay Point. I was reminded again of how very fortunate our family was to have such a woman with a love for music, good food, travel, shopping and especially for her family, her extended family. Nan was no average person, she excelled at life.
Tanya called today from New York. She and her husband Robert hold the walk for a cure of GIST every year in New York, nan went once and walked the whole way around the 3 mile path skirting the lake raising nearly $10,000 in the process due to your generosity and her dedication. I'm considering going and walking this year to see if I can raise a bit of funds to help with the search for a cure. Last year they raised over $500,000 which was given directly to researchers who are doing the work to find a cure. Tanya has GIST but is doing pretty well at the present time. They are amazing people and a hoot to be around.
After a very cold inspection of the little house in Bay Point I drove to UNO's pizza for soup and a small deep dish pizza. But this time half way through I realized that I was full and saved the rest for another day, that is progress!
Tomorrow morning we walk early, then I go to the Antioch Sutter Hospital for a Pulmonary Function Test. It is reported to be 1.5 hours in length. Then off to SF to inspect a property that has been updated, then back to Oakland to inspect another updated property, then to San Ramon for a driveby appraisal where we guess the condition of the interior and then back to the office. Once again today funds came in the mail, how nice that lenders are remembering our address again. Thank you Lord and also Loree for sending out statements.
My new blue tooth earpiece is not working well so if you call be prepared to hear nothing while I fumble and try to make it work, not good at all! AT&T is supposed to make it right in the morning. We'll see.
How are you doing? I know our thoughts are sure with Carrol as she goes to the clinic for numbers tomorrow. Those visits with doctors never get any easier. Our thoughts, our prayers are with you girl and caretaker Bob too.
So through the rain, the cold, the haze I go, thankful to have work and some purpose in life. How I value your comments to the blog and your individual emails. What you say helps a lot. I think we in the family are all functioning well, going about our daily routines but we all have a Nan sized whole in our hearts that reminds us of what we have lost and how fortunate we had it for the many years she was with us. Yes Nan, we miss you!

love

tim