Dear Family and Friends,
So how goes it with you? I'm just back from a whirlwind trip to Brentwood to pick up the bug after yet another very expensive repair visit to Kendall Automotive. Seems Sunday morning when I turned the fan switch on to activate both a flow of air and to turn on the AC the switch failed. It actually broke apart inside the dash. So last evening Lois helped me get the car into Brentwood where we left it. This afternoon Gary called to say $516 would fix it. Seems the simple little rotary switch was a part of a 3 part assembly, of course that part was only available from VW and at a cost of $240. So with labor to disassemble the dash and then replace the part and then reassemble the whole mess the total came to over $500. Ouch! At the time he told me the number on the phone I did not have the total amount. Then the main came and in it was a check to more than cover the costs of the repairs. Of course that check could have helped with medical bills, pg@e bills or any number of other needs. Yet I was grateful to God for its timing. It is a bill that has been owed since last fall and due to the invoices that went out and the kindness of one of my broker friends it was paid.
Since Lois fed me last night I thought it was only fair to feed her tonight. Yes she was kind enough to take me back to get the repaired little bug. When we picked the car up they showed me the air cabin filter that I had them replace at the same time since they had the dash already apart. The filth on the filter was unbelievable, about 2 inches deep and full of dust, dirt, leaves, you name it. How any air got through I have no idea. My advice to you is, have your air cabin filter changed. This was the first change for the bug in its 176,000 miles and it really needed it. Now the air flow is much increased from the dash.
Ken and I walked this morning and then I began to tackle little jobs, like using the vacuum to catch and destroy a huge spider (it had Sharon's name all over it), you see she happens to hate spiders and this one was over 2 inches long. After picking up cob webs in the kitchen, around windows and the living room I turned to the piano. The only really nice item of furniture we owned over the years was a Kauai 6 foot grand piano. For many months it has been the resting place for dozens of family photos and a mound of gathering dust. So in a moment of energy I moved all the photos to the dining table and using Windex cleaned the piano as best I could. It looks so much better and even sounds better. Then on a roll I went outside and mowed the lawn, moved all the paper products from the packages they come in from CostCo to their normal storage place in a cabinet in the garage that Steve got for me several Christmases ago. Then my neighbor Patty came by with her dog bear, she lost Chuck about a year ago and cares for 5 grandchildren on a full time basis at her home. Her life is anything but easy so we had a nice talk. Then it was time for breakfast and a shower. Finally at 11 I started to work and after a few hours completed one appraisal and am working on yet another one.
This evening as Lois and I talked about where to eat I suddenly thought of Grazies which is a locally owned place right in Brentwood. We had great good, I had a little salad and spinach and cheese raviolis and she had a sandwich. It was pleasant and I felt better since she made two trips into Brentwood and at today's' gas prices trips add up.
After dinner I headed over to Longs to pick up meds and that little stop was $80 for two meds, that's my co pay, yikes. Then a quick stop by Jeans to finally give her the check I've had for weeks, not able to cover. She is the sweetest person and has been so helpful in the past few months.
Now I'm back home relaxing in front of this old computer. While I type I'm listening to easy listening from XM radio online. Jim, the faithful miracle worker who keeps the computers working did a quick fix today and now I can listen to XM while doing other things on the computer at the same time, yes just a little thing but such an addition to the quality of life.
Dolly had mailed me a book and I was able to begin to really get into it. What a hopeful and helpful book. It is by the pastor Olstein who has the largest church in the nation. Every page has very positive encouragement to reclaim life, to dream big and to move forward. Its addition to my mix at this time is just right.
I've felt heavy pressure in my chest a number of times today but with the assurance that its probably not my heart I've not let it worry me to much. I'll get in tomorrow for the x ray just to be sure and to find out why the lungs are rattling. I know something is not right, just not sure what it is or what to do about it.
So many little things join together to make the process called life begin to work better. The fact that some money has come in the mail certainly helps grease the basic needs a bit.
Thank you for being such good friends and for being such faithful friends over the past couple years when times were really tough. You helped carry the load and I'm thanking you now and Nan will thank you someday soon when this world as we know it comes to an end and Jesus blesses us with His presence.
So good night my friends, my family
love
tim
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