Pulmonary tests completed

Dear Family and Friends,
I started off this morning by reading comments made to the blog, then some quick prep work for the day, then at 7 Ken and I walked, then shower, then leave on time for hospital. At the hospital a very nice scottish gentleman was assigned to give me the pulmonary capacity test. It started on a bad note for me. As many times as I have seen Nan get stuck for blood work I still am very uneasy about getting stuck. When he announced that this stick was different, he had to stick an artery, well that did not make my day. He was very good and on the second try he got his artery and the blood needed. Then I sat in a chair with a breathing tube in front of me and did as he asked, sometimes a burst of air out, others sudden intake followed by holding, about 20 tests in all repeated over and over again. Then the results were printed out and while he could not officially tell me the results he showed me the numbers, mostly over 100%, in other words I passed fine.
Then it was time to race to SF to inspect an old old house. That went fine, then back to Oakland to inspect some repairs done to a house and then I turned to San Ramon only to find that I had left the file on my desk under some papers so I turned toward Pleasant Hill and had lunch at Red Robin, a place with very good garden burgers, yummy side salad and a strawberry lemonaide. Then satisfied I drove to AT&T where I was given a new blue tooth to try for hands free talking on the phone, then to Jeans, my appraisal writer, then on to home.
The day was beautiful with bright winter sunshine, greening hills, clear air over the city, beautiful music as I played more of the CD's from our past, today it was the 3 tenors concert, wonderful, the carpenters, memorable and a quartet called the Kings Heralds. Great music can lift one and I've enjoyed these CDs so much as I drive, no tears today just joy.
This evening the dogs began to bark so I knew someone was at the door. It was Patty, the woman who invited me to the grief recovery group. I told her how I was turned away and was startled to discover the grief recovery group was taking place at that very moment in the building I was standing outside of last Thursday evening. She has no idea why the woman told me that there was no recovery group there, pretty amazing as I had given up on the group. She said that there is a gentleman in the group who has recently lost his wife and is anxious to meet me and get to talk a bit. So tomorrow night I will try again.
I had a chance to talk to Marilyn today at her home in Rhode Island. They are expecting some snow and are in the middle of winter New England style. She and the family are doing well and she is experiencing some very strong memories as just 2 years ago she lost her beloved Walt. She and Dana are planning to come early June to help Nikki and Steve with the new little one. That is family at its best, filling in for Nan and doing what Nan would have loved to do, help with the new born.
Tomorrow I am heading to the Sacramento area for work. I am so grateful for the new orders which we are seeing. What a blessing they are and they spell hope for the future too with interest rates now much lower refis are beginning to start to wake up.
Today a box of wonderful fruit arrived from Texas. I'll tell you more about that once I get to eat some. Thank you so much.

love

tim
ps the spell checker will not work this evening on the blog so look out for misspelled words!