Resting at MBA

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write I am sitting in the motorhome adjacent to Jason and Jo's house here at MBA. I am about 1/4 mile from Monterey Bay and if I listen intently I can hear the waves as they crash on the shore. The temperature has cooled to a point that the furnace is on in the motorhome to cut the chill. The dogs are both sleeping happy and contented that they are on the road again. They love the chance to go in the motorhome no matter where it is going. Today as I was loading food and supplied I insisted they stay in the house until the last minute since the motorhome had been sitting and was very hot. Each time I went out and closed the door in their little anxious faces they would begin to cry and complain. Finally I opened the door indicating that now was the time, they could run to the coach. Well they did and were totally ecstatic to finally be on board. Their fervor quickly dissipated as they felt the temperature. Soon we were on the road and the dash air began to struggle against the ambient temperature of the interior. They made frequent trips to the water dish for sips of cold bottled water and finally settled down on the passenger chair in front of the AC vents that are theirs to enjoy.
I too was ecstatic to be on the road. This has been a very challenging week on many fronts, emotional, physical, financial and at the base of all spiritual. One continually wonders, what does God have in mind for me, or is He still willing to hang in there with a faulty and very human individual, are there missions He has in mind that have not yet crossed my cerebral awareness?
Yet as I took stock this afternoon before leaving the office I counted 7 new orders on the board, some from management companies yet with very decent fees connected, others from individuals that I was unaware of until they called. In spite of my concluding that the world of COD payments was over nearly half are still COD in nature and I'll see immediate payments. So for a week that started with no orders and very little confidence that orders would be materializing here I am with 7 orders, all demanding immediate attention. It is a very calming progression in this process of adjusting to the new mandates from FNMA. Yes there might still be a way to survive financially in spite of the forced changes! And mind you there are at least 200 management companies I've not yet applied to.
On the way to MBA I included an appraisal inspection in San Jose. Now mind you locating a parking place that is long enough for a 29 foot motorhome is always challenging and today's inspection was in a condo project. The parking in and around a high density development is even more of a premium. I've learned though to stay calm and keep your eyes open, drive slowly and don't rule out anything. So after a few blocks there it was, the perfect spot, all I had to do was turn around in the middle of the street and get back to it. Having a TV camera in the back of the coach certainly helps and after a few turns and trys I was parked in my perfect spot. The walk back to the property was only a few blocks and felt good in the breeze cooling air.
What a delight the charming senior citizen owner was. She and her daughter were ready and waiting and full of love and at peace with the world. I asked how long she had lived there and I was shocked to discover that she has made this little condo, 840 Sq.Ft. her home for 33 years. The back yard beamed with dozens of different plants and flowers, there were treasured rocks, stepping stones created as projects and a tall stand of trees between her yard and a busy street nearby. I was made to feel right at home and we conversed as I delineated features and took photographs. All to soon it was time to take my leave and we said good bye.
I dreaded the traffic that was sure to be crammed into the narrow lanes of highway 17 as it winds its way over the mountain range yet I found I had little resistance and in a few minutes I was on the newly updated Highway 1 heading for the last leg of the trip. I had started a conversation with Sharon who was home putting the finishing touches on her house in Texas for Sabbath. We continued our call as I drove over 17, then 1 and I only signed off when I reached San Andreas Road as I knew the cell signal would fail there.
You would chuckle if you saw the dash in the motorhome. I moved over the GPS and I have it to the left attached to the one small piece of dash that will hold the suction. In the middle of the dash I have the XM radio which I had moved from the bug to the coach and next to it is a small device that tells the time of day and the interior temperature or exterior temperature of the motorhome. As I drove everything worked perfectly and I enjoyed the trip down very much. I no longer try to rush when driving the motorhome. It gets much better fuel economy at 55, about 10 miles per gallon and I'm still driving on left over fuel from the church campout of a couple weeks ago.
When I arrived here Jason heard the coach and came out to direct me into place. There is a guy wire that performs an important function for a long power line and phone lines. I hit that wire once and since then I get help driving in to avoid a disaster. Jason guided me right around the wire and now I'm settled in with my awning out, the indoor out door carpet in place, hooked up to their power, water and cable TV.
Timothy was nearing bedtime when I arrived but I got to see him for a little bit. He is no little boy anymore but growing tall and strong. He moves so gracefully and runs from place to place. He has a wonderful mind of his own which of course drives mom and day nuts. Yet we all know he is a very good boy and loved tons and tons.
A minute ago Suzie was able to get a call through to me from her hospital bed at UCSF. She is really suffering as they work to find the right balance of pain control for her. She is also coping with seeing her mom and sister leave to return to Weed today. All in all it was great to talk to her for a minute before the lack of cell signal here moved to squelch our connection.
When I get a chance to get away there is a silent hero who makes these trips possible. LeAnn is an expert on caring for a reef tank as she and Ken had one for years and raised just about every kind of exotic fish and critter that could be had. She is kind enough to come over and make sure my fish are fed, that the water level is correct and tonight was kind enough to come over and turn out the new light. I forgot to turn it off before I left and it is not yet on a timer. What I forgot to tell her was I left the AC on to a high setting so the house would not get too warm and over heat the fish tank.
For the first time in a very long time the office files and accounting is close to being up to date. Loree has been faithfully slaving over the mounds of paper that seem to take on a life of their own when I work alone. It felt good to walk through the lower office today and see most everything in its place. As Sylvia pointed out the other day thanks to helpful people gradually things are fitting into place. Ray helped fix the broken water drain in the wall and now I can do laundry without drowning, the repair person who came to fix the leak but only discovered it but could not fix it instead worked on the dryer removing a huge pile of lint from the long line and now the dryer completes the load in 1 cycle, not 3 or 4. How nice it is to have things work right. Steve installed a new high power light over the reef tank this week and for the first time in years it is lite properly and looks great. How encouraging thanks to his kindness and abilities. Lois has made sure I had some meals this week when I felt so rough, its nice to have someone check up on you when you feel lousy and I'm loaded with banana bread here in the motorhome thanks to her generosity.
This afternoon just before I left an email came in from a company that owes me a great deal of money, nearly $20,000. The email promised that several checks have gone out, that is my way so come Monday I should be able to make payroll. That will be great news too.
I hope you have had a healthy week with joy, good surprises and evidences that God does care for you.
So I send love to all,

Tim