Art and Connie sail away

Dear Friends and Family,
Well its just you and me for the next 8 days because Art sailed south to Mexico this afternoon. We spoke as his ship was preparing to embark. He is sailing on the same ship we went on when we went to Alaska several years ago. It was a time just after Nan had had surgery #4 and was in a wheel chair for the first part of the trip. She became so disgusted with my driving of the wheel chair that after a couple days she just go up and walked. She claimed that I hit people's ankles, hit every bump on the deck and was overall a poor driver. some of the claims were true but people tended to move more rapidly after a couple strikes and ships have bumpy surfaces, they really do. We had a great trip and enjoyed our cabin with its full balcony overlooking the shore where little fishing villages doted the landscape and smoke lazily ascended from hundreds of chimneys. It was cold and sometimes rainy but we had a splendid time in spite of it. Sometimes we just curled up under our blankets and watched the sea go by, other times we ventured into the little towns to shop and enjoy the history that unfolded before us.
Today dawned with virtually no work for me to do so I pushed things around on my desk, did value checks and then decided to to a couple commercial inspections in Stockton. They turned out to be more work than full appraisals and yet only pay $90 each. Still $90 is more than nothing. While I was in Stockton I stopped by Bill Whitted's office to have my glasses looked at. A layer of protective coating has peeled partially off and makes seeing out of the the left eye very difficult. I ended up with an appointment for this Thursday and they assured me that at least part of the visit will be covered by my Blue Cross since diabetes is involved and eye exams are required with the disease, required each year and I've not been there for years. Seems I had other things to take care of during the last few years. So in spite of the cost involved I'm going ahead with the visit. It was one of the medical items Dr. Edwards laid out in the first place in January but I've put it off. Diabetes can lead to blindness so the visit is long overdue.
Ken and I walked this morning in spite of a stiff wind and very cold temperatures of between 37 and 40, not cold for our friends in Boston or Conn. or Rhode Island I know but cold for us out here in CA. We made good time in spite of the cold or perhaps because of it. Then the furnace decided to take a day off so it was just cold for most of the day. Well Ken just called to find out if we walk in the morning and of course I said yes so 6:30 comes early again.
This has been a day where just doing anything was a challenge. I know there will be orders again but they are sure not here now. So today was a bust all the way around, no orders and no checks but of course there were the normal bills that always seem to make it through. On the way to Stockton I passed a slow moving truck and then the bug did not act right. I could floor it but the turbo was not kicking in. However later after I had parked the car and was seeing the properties it seems to have healed itself and worked right again. I'm thinking the filter may be getting plugged and when I asked it to work hard passing the truck I sucked up gunk and the filter partially closed. That would be one answer, of course the fact that the fix engine light has been on for well over a year might also have a bearing too. Anyway the balky engine just went with a depressing day. We are coming up on the 4 month mark since we lost Nan and each 4th of the month is a stark reminder of the loss, when someone turned the beautiful lights out on life and now they only glimmer occasionally. Perhaps they will shine again, perhaps not.
I was so thrilled to hear from Deborah today, I think she writes from Benicia and she always has such interesting ways of saying things.
So good night my friends and family, I'm feeling like I need a lot of help and direction from our heavenly Friend and Saviour right now.

love to all,

tim