Great music

Dear Family and Friends,

This afternoon I had the opportunity to join friends for a concert put on by the choirs of UOP. The first part was done by the little select group and they created a time of magic with beautiful harmonies, soft pure sounds, unusual arrangements and good directing. The larger choir which sang later was also good but the little group created a moment of art that was gratifying to experience.

Today Ken and I got back to walking and the morning was very beautiful. For breakfast I felt like something different so I cut up a Roma tomato that had sat on my counter for about a week so it was really ripe and mixed it with non fat cottage cheese. I heated up a couple Stripples and added in a banana. Then I forgot to eat lunch totally so I did not eat again until much later. Yet I survived just fine.

After the concert the coughing started up and has grown much worse this afternoon and evening. I had to cut my talk with Jerry, my brother, short since I just could not handle talking and coughing. The coughing has generated a huge headache so now that I'm through with an appraisal that was due tomorrow I'm heading to bed. Good old codeine with be my friend tonight so I can sleep.

Magic does not happen every day and I encourage you to reach out and grab it when you can, whether it be a quiet moment in nature, a musical moment, a sunset or even time spent with a work of art, feed the inner soul often.

Love to all,

Tim

The picture is of the sky while driving home on Friday afternoon on our lovely levee road.

An enjoyable Sabbath

Dear Family and Friends,
Its 10 pm, I'm home and savoring the day. When I arrived this morning to pick up Keanna I walked in to see 2 beaming little girls sitting at the breakfast table eating and smiling. Kallie says papa, papa and hands me a piece of partially consumed toast. Keanna is ready to go and has on a matching dress to the dress on her American Girl. So we went to Sabbath School. She had a great time with Sylvia and the boys while she was there. I went to the Financial Peace University Class and continued to learn things, valuable lessons. After Sabbath School we went to McDonalds for Keanna to have a snack and for me to have a mocha so I could wake up. Keanna is a very bright little girl and we had conversations all the way in and then all the way back home about many things. She asked why people describe their children in months and then switch to years. So we figured out how many months she is old, then she posed the question, how many months I was old and we determined that I must be about 800 months old. She thought that was funny. We always discuss Grammy in some manner and she talks about things she remembers and we end the conversation on a positive note about how much her Grammy loved her. Keanna loves to be reminded about how much she is loved. But really don't we all, when people listen to us, pay attention to us, find something to praise us for, well it makes a huge difference in how we see ourselves. I want to commend the whole crew at Sabbath School for the positive Jesus centered program they offer. It is just great and I appreciate what they do for Keanna.
After I delivered Keanna I joined some friends for lunch. It was a happy time with beautiful food and settings. We ate, laughed, shared and it just felt good to be a part of something so special and positive.
Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to a concert at UOP, its choral and I am a total sucker for choral music having sung much of it over the years. And it is just $5.00. Should be great.
I hope each of you found this to be a positive day with love, touching, caring and attentive listening. People reaching people, its the best thing about life.

love

tim

Peace

Good evening
9:45 and I'm slowly unwinding. I slept until 7 today and worked at my desk for most of the day. As the day progressed I began to hear rain drops fall and then the drumbeat became louder and louder. I ventured out to check the mail and sure enough there was a check waiting. That along with what is in the account allowed me to make the house payment this afternoon. What a relief and what a blessing this month has turned out to be. I've also been able to put a bit aside in the savings account in accordance with the class that I'm attending at the church in financial management.
Just now when I opened the computer I discovered that Capital One has made a deposit into the business account paying for yet another appraisal. This is all good news as I try to climb out from under taxes to pay and people I owe.
This has been a pretty challenging week for me on a personal level. Last Sabbath I stayed home and rested the entire day only attending worship services through the christian dish. Then on Sunday I mostly rested. As a result of feeling so poorly I've fallen behind in getting my work completed. It has been a challenge.
Late this afternoon I got word that a property I needed to see in Stockton had a coded lock box. So I left at 4 pm to go see the property. Oh how it rained as I drove and as I neared the location it really started to pour. Well I never like to get soaked. This time I was able to do my measuring from the inside of this very empty house so it all went well. The trusty ladder gave me access to the attic. I completed my work well before the sun started to set. In fact it was setting as I faced it driving home. Gone was the rain and wind and in its place was this burning fireball descending over Mt. Diablo. It was so bright and with the air washed clean by the rain it seemed even brighter than usual.
Lois persuaded me to go to Subway with her and I had a garden burger sub. Gradually the stress and strain of a busy week began to drain away and peace gently slipped in.
Life presents many challenges and at this point operating a small business takes all you have and more to just hold it all together. Every order is important represents another small rung on the ladder of living. What used to take about an hour to write up now takes over two hours due to increased verbiage that is required. Are the reports better now? Perhaps, time will tell.
So my friends and family, we are officially in the weekend and for me that means Sabbath, a time to stop with all the chasing of the elusive rainbow and relax with friends, Sabbath School and eternity.
This evening I'm sending my appreciation and love to all those precious people who touch my life and it improves, has more meaning, feeling like really living.

love

tim

3 kidos in one day!

Dear Family and Friends,
A few minutes ago I called Jason and Jo but Timothy answered the phone. It was so cute and he was anxious to let me know that he wearing big boy pants now. He is so cute and gentle, its fun to hear his little voice over the phone and to see him in my mind.
Around 5:30 I drove to the gym where Keanna has her gymnastics class and played with Kallie, tried to keep up with her and held her high so she could see her sissy. Then since we were all hungry we went to La Via in Bethel Island for dinner. Kallie was so sleepy she did feel like eating so we hurried up and all headed home. Just watching the little ones in action takes all the stress of work away for a bit and reminds one of how much God must love each of us, we certainly love these little kidos we are blessed with.
At 5:50 this morning the phone rang and Ken said, forget the walk, its nasty. Well I decided that in spite of being sleepy and having warm bed calling me back I would come down and go to work so I slapped my huge robe around me, found the fuzzy slippers and came down to the office. I went right to work and 2 hours later I woke from my work, sleeping in the work chair. That was a shock.
Now I'm about to head to bed. Lois just shared that when Ray arrived in San Jose to see his mom who at 90 still insists on living alone he found her on the floor, she is refusing to go to the hospital, does not want to leave the house so poor Ray is stuck there tonight, he is not feeling well and there are no easy answers how to help her through the night. So lets all pray for Ray and his mom tonight.
Take care my friends and family members,

love to all

tim

Whirlwind of a day

Hello
Just in from an outstanding big band concert in Modesto at the Gallo Center. The music was top notch and the singer dancers were excellent too.
I rolled out this morning to try to complete the appraisal for Ross, the high dollar one. I was able to email it to the lender by about 8:45. Since I had an appointment in Manteca at 10 I hustled and arrived nearly on time. Once that inspection was over and the comps shot I drove back to go pick up Keanna. She was very happy as she has been doing so well this year she gets to have a breakfast with the principal for the entire school. She was thrilled.
We enjoyed a great afternoon and then I delivered her to her music class at 4:30. In general I'm feeling better even though I've had a couple really nasty coughing spells.
Ken says we walk in the morning unless there is rain. Then at 11 I'm due for an appointment somewhere. AT this point I can't even remember where I'm going tomorrow.
Sending love to all

tim

Being warm, its a blessing

Dear Family and Friends,
What a dreary day this has been. Ken and I walked this morning and while it was very cold the rain had not started.
I worked in trying to make things happen but all too soon the clock said 1:30, time to leave for an afternoon appointment in Orinda. This time the very nice house was located on a downslope. Everything was overgrown and very wet, muddy and slippery. Yet it worked out fine. The rain sort of slowed while I measured but certainly grew in intensity as I drove home. This book I am listening to is so interesting that the miles just go by without notice. Unfortunately I'm almost at the end of the book which is never fun. This afternoon found me standing in the driving rain loading the last two CDs into my trunk unit which holds 8 CDs. I made quick work of it and then slipped back into a warm car and headed home.
This evening at the club I met Norman. He is a personal trainer and was assigned by the club to do a follow up on how I'm doing after these 4 months have passed. He turned out to be a quiet and very knowledgeable guy. His past experience has been for John Muir in their cardiac rehab unit so he has dealt with people who had to make real changes or die. He introduced me to different machines that will work the same muscle groups I have been tweaking for these last few months. He also dealt with stretching, warmups and showed me more places in the club to enjoy.
Now I'm home to enjoy the evening by writing up an appraisal that was due today. I did not get it completed this morning so I'm back at it now. What a blessing it is to have work and it just keeps coming in. Now if I can just get healthy enough to keep up things will be nicer.

Hoping you are staying warm, being cold is just not fun at all.
Love to all

Tim

A very long day

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Working hard, feeling better

Dear Family and Friends,
Just sent my third appraisal out via email. They used to be so much easier but of course those in the government think they know how things should be done, hence the report gets a lot more complicated and takes longer. I'm glad to have the work, very glad.

Its been a rainy day but I've enjoyed great music for most of the day through the online radio stations, perfect sound quality and great selections of music that is new to me and many pieces that are favorites. To break the monotony I made bread so the house smells wonderful again and I took a break to play the piano for a few minutes, the dogs were very fascinated and a little frightened.

Due to a few calls from friends its not seemed lonely, just a serious get out the work day. I'm gradually feeling better and at 5 I raced to the club and did a less strenuous workout but the crunches are becoming easier now. People are so nice at the club, tonight a guy named Clay came up and asked me if I drove a TDI. Well that is what my diesel engine is called in the bug and he went on to tell me he has a Jetti, loves it and replaced a chip which gave him a boost in power from 90 horses to 120. Its only $300. Well I guess you know that is not going to happen any time soon. Anyway he put his phone number into my phone so I can call and get the web site where they sell all this stuff for VWs.

Now its time for bed. Tomorrow is going to be very long and arduous. I'll go to Richmond, Ross and Fremont tomorrow. They are a long ways from each other. Yet that is where the work is.

Goodnight my friends,
love

tim

A very restful Sabbath

Dear Family and Friends,
This has been one low key day. The alarm went off at 8 this morning and I rose rested and feeling pretty well. I called Nikki later but learned that Steve would care for Kallie, he really didn't want her to end up with Papa's cold.
So I enjoyed my steel cut oats, drank OJ and watched Loma Linda morning services. I rested for hours in the recliner with Starr snuggled in close by. At 1 or so it seemed reasonable to fix some lunch so today's menu had burger and steamed vegetables in light cheese sauce. Half way through the plate I realized that I no longer need huge amounts of food so I boxed the other half and stopped eating. I ventured outside a couple times, once to get the mail and once to do doggie patrol on the back deck.
Mid afternoon Sylvia called to see if she could make a house call. She said she had one question for me, where was I at that moment? When I replied, the recliner, she said I answered correctly and offered to come out to visit the sick. She not only arrived but came in with arms full of yummy things. She made a delicious dinner and watched me eat it, said she was not that hungry, well I was and the food was perfect. She also tidied up in the kitchen a bit, can you imagine that, a woman needing to tidy up a bit in a man's kitchen, seems it does look nicer now, like a whole lot nicer. We talked bread machines and she brought me samples of her last two loaves, oh are they ever good. She never makes the same type of bread twice, always tries new recipes. Well that is more adventure than I can understand since I've made the same recipe many times over.
Since the Olympics were starting at 8 she headed home to Tracy and just did some more heavy sitting with Starr in the recliner. I'm thinking recliners must have a life, a time when they start to give out but so far this one seems to work pretty well for me and its had a lot of use over the past 5 years or so.
I have had a much better day with very few bouts of coughing so I think the day of rest has helped a lot. I was sad to learn that neighbor Ray is ill with a cold and fever. This stuff is no fun at all. Hope he recovers quickly. I "borrowed" two pieces of wood from Ray and Lois today so I could have a fire and that was nice.
Sending love to all,

Tim

Friday evening but all is not well

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write I'm experiencing a nasty headache caused by repeated coughing all day. So far the antibiotics have not touched this bug.
Due to the current work load I've not been able to take any breaks today. I went to Stockton this morning to inspect a well kept property, then back to the office to work, then to Brentwood to complete an inspection started last Friday and then back home again. I've been working cranking out reports the rest of the day.
I still hope to be able to care for baby Kallie tomorrow and take her to Sabbath School, a lot will depend on how I feel in the morning.
This afternoon I received a very nice response to the blog, it was encouraging and positive and it helped my day turn brighter. Thank you to the writer.
I have many blessings to remember this week, the illness that has gotten worse sort of gets in the way of production yet there have been bright spots here and there.
It is my desire that you have a wonderful weekend with time spent touching those you love. If you care let it show. A bad economy cannot take away our capacity to love and care for others if we don't let it.

love

tim

At the doctor's office

Well since Kaiser turned me down flat I decided I better get reconnected with the medical system I do enjoy. At 7:30 this morning Dr. Edwards saw me in his office. My weight was down a bit and we went over the drugs I am currently taking. We agreed that I need new blood work so we can see where I stand with the A1C and other factors. He is urging me to take careful measurement of my blood sugar and blood pressure so we can build a reasonable plan. To help with the current illness he gave me samples of an antibiotic I've taken last October. I was pleased with the visit and felt I got back on track again. He found it hard to believe that my health insurance has risen to nearly $1,200 a month. Of course at the moment Blue Cross is backing down from the rate increase for at least a couple months.
After leaving his office I drove to Stockton and in the dense fog did an appraisal. Then I drove to Dixon to see a second property. Once I was completed there I was more than hungry so the GPS located an IHOP and lunch was great.
Upon arriving home I went to work as best I could but the coughing was pretty intense and the resulting headache was miserable. So much so that I missed little Keanna's gymnastics tonight. This evening I've just forced myself to settle down and have just finished the Stockton report I saw this morning. Now its bed time and I'm really ready.
Tomorrow its Stockton again and then Brentwood. Right now I'm enjoying getting orders just out of the blue from people I've never met. They feel like gifts from God each time they happen.
Take care and get ready for the rain.

Its good of you to keep reading. When I write I feel like I'm in a room with a bunch of you just talking, its nice.

love

tim

A plan interrupted

Dear Ones,

We walked, we survived the cold, the shower felt great, the breakfast was OK but when I settled into my work chair with the little heater at my feet all I could do was sleep. Finally I wakened from my slumber and made final preparations for my trip to Foster City. My entire day had been changed, Richmond was put on hold, I found suitable photos for Pacifica so Foster City was it and I had a noon appointment.

As I drove out of Discovery Bay the GPS showed an arrival time of 12:04 and once I reached Highway 580 the time worked down to an on time arrival at noon. That was until I reached the San Mateo Bridge. For the first part of the bridge we were all going 70 or more and then the wall of brake lights began to show. One hour later I left the bridge having finally reached the roll over at the top of the elevated part of the bridge. I've included a photo of the pickup with the blog. What a mess.

Once I knew what was happening I called the realtor and he proved to be a very understanding Christian gentleman. He took advantage of the time to visit CostCo which is nearby and grabbed something to eat. He could not have been any nicer and we enjoyed our time together. As I walked back to the car with my ladder under my arm he said, you sure are a nice guy. I felt the same about him. He shared how he lost his brother last year with a tumor in his stomach and we talked about moving on after experiencing loss.

The weather was so warm over there that I drove around with both windows open to keep some air moving. It felt like 70 degrees.

Once I had my Taco Bell I headed home and encountered very little traffic. But going to Stockton to see a house was out of the question, the day was too far gone and I still had an appraisal to complete and deliver to a new client.

Once the appraisal was completed I rewarded myself with a trip to the club. What fun to use muscles until they burn and complain and then do it again and again. I have noticed that in spite of feeling pretty awful with coughing, headache, sweating, head congestion that the club really gets the blood pumping. Tonight was extra nice as the big screens had the Olympics on and while I would not take the time to watch them at home to do so while working out helps pass the time.

In the morning I see Jim at 7:30. I hope he can provide some assistance that will help me recover from what ails me. After all the weekend is coming up and I have the honor of hosting Kallie on Sabbath. I want to be fit so I can keep up with her.

I'm heading to bed now. Hope your life is on track and that you are having some fun along the way.

love

tim

Denied

Well the news came in the mail, you take medicines, you are too heavy, you have diabetes, sorry, we only exist for healthy people. That was the genius of the letter from Kaiser. I was warned that this would be the outcome. Did it make my day? Well frankly no it did not but continuing to feel really under the weather has not helped much either.
Ken and I walked this morning and that went pretty well but I have continuing bouts of fever, nasal congestion and now the good old cough is starting. Perhaps its time to see Dr. Jim who always seems to know what to do to solve this recurring problem.
The work is so deep right now, of course that will pass but right now all I see causes me angst.
This morning I tackled getting W2s out to my two employees I had last year and am wading through other tax papers attempting to become current. Then I turned to writing an appraisal that was due today. When that was finally completed at 3:30 I left for the 1 hour trip to Modesto, picked up the key and saw a little house that was purchased in January for $59,000 and is now in contract for $105,000. A worthy return on investment I'd say.
On the way home I took a call from Nikki. She invited me to dinner and I readily accepted. That was a nice break in the dour day and I tried to keep my distance from the little ones so they would not get what I've got.
Upon arriving at home I found that one of my lenders had sent a good check, that is always nice.
Tomorrow promises to be a very long day, Richmond, Foster City, Stockton, I just hope I can stay awake, be sharp while I'm driving and make it through the day.
I'd like to tell you the day went great, I'm feeling well and that I'm out of debt, but along with the tooth fairy and Santa Claus that would be a stretch. Last night I could not sleep for hours at a time and took turns sweating and then being cold. It will be nice to get healthy again. I do have things to look forward to and I don't want illness to stand in the way.

love

tim

Bouncing back

Dear Family and Friends,
This day started pretty rough. Ken coaxed me out into the elements this morning and I felt pretty awful. I remembered a past time when I felt poorly and took the walk and then felt better. This time when we got back I felt pretty rough. A nice long hot shower helped and some oatmeal and an orange started me in the right direction. I did the nasal washing procedure several times during the day, discovered Sudafed and took some pain meds to try to break the fever. As I tried to work I mainly just napped in my chair and accomplished very little. I did fill a 32 ounce glass with hot water and put one of those little packages of lemonade in. That felt like good medicine as it went down.
This afternoon I decided that I was doing well enough to drive to Manteca, about a 30 minute trip, and inspect a new home located in a subdivision. It is over 2,800 sq.ft. and single story. What a nice place and all for just $414,000. What a deal! And like Nikki said, you get to live in Manteca. The sales office guy could not have been more helpful and his assistance was in sharp contrast to the way we've been treated at sales offices in the past. He was a great help. He says they are selling about 3 houses a month and are pleased with that pace!
By the time I headed home I was feeling much better, oh yes I still have to keep the Kleenex box near but I felt more like a human being again. The sun was warm and inviting and the drive was pleasant. Once I got home I felt so positive that I decided to change clothes and go to the club to work out. That was a good experience too and now I'm home, blood pumping and doing better. What I missed this evening was a tenor in concert in Stockton but I was concerned this morning that I might just be sneezing and a nuisance to others. How I hated missing the performance.
So I hope to wake feeling well in the morning and then wade into a very deep stack of appraisals to get written and delivered. Plus due to my extreme genius I will have to return to Pacifica to shoot 5 photos. The camera I use saves the photos on a small chip and even though it holds thousands of pictures there is a point where it becomes full. I did not catch the warning the camera was trying to give me when I was shooting so lost those photos. So I think a trip back to lovely Pacifica is in order sometime soon.
In spite of setbacks life is pretty good, the sun sure helps and I got to hear from Nikki and Jason today. Those calls are so precious, my kids do a great job of staying connected and I appreciate them very much.
Good night all,

love

tim

Ill

Good evening,
This will be brief. I woke this morning to a sore throat and stuffy head. Both symptoms have continued unabated during the day in spite of various things I taken from the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. I've spend much of the day napping in my work chair. Mid day I went to Tracy and was honored to be able to do an appraisal of the Skau's home. I've been visiting that home for the past 30 years or more. What an inspiration they have been during the years with their godly lifestyle and consistent loving friendships. Dan passed a Young's concordance onto me this afternoon and I will treasure it a lot.
On my way home I did a driveby review in Mountain House and was amazed once again at the huge number of homes where values have dropped to less than 50% of 3 years ago.
This evening found me over at the kids and we exchanged valentines and happy wishes. The girls are amazing to this Papa, they play, laugh, climb, hug and are so exciting. I'm so thankful that at this time in their lives I get to have them so near. It is a wonderful blessing and I'm very grateful.
Now its off to bed to try to let sleep do what being up has not done today, make me well.

Love

tim

Musical magic

Dear Family and Friends,
10:50 on the eve of a very diverse and interesting day. I've just come from a concert of the Stockton Symphony which was pure magic. True they were not playing the heavy stuff tonight, it was music from Broadway plays and featured soloists Teri Bibb and Dennis McNeil. She has sung the role of Christine over 1,000 times with the Phantom of the Opera and had such control and beautiful tones throughout, Dennis being a tenor was just as pleasing to hear and the favorites they sang were incredible. All of this with the lush orchestral foundation that did not miss a beat, the brass were great, the strings were lush and solid, all the players were as one under the direction of the conductor, Peter Jaffe. He is lively, humorous and precise in his demands.
It was the kind of evening that turns into an experience in your mind, more than just music or a performance but a fine memory that will age well due to the quality of the event.

Earlier in the day Ken and I walked in the mist and then I quickly showered and picked up Ms Keanna. She enjoyed Sabbath School very much and I enjoyed the financial class I am taking. Then we had lunch at Olive Garden and eventually made our way home. After a brief nap Elder Charles Edwards called. He performed our wedding service and operated the summer camp at Pinecrest where Nan and I met. In fact we drove him up the wall as we quickly developed into an item with faulty reports about our behavior constantly falling on his desk. Lets just say it was a very good summer!

Now I'm just in this afterglow of good music and great friends. In the last few weeks I've been gradually waking from several years of having to suppress so many things due to Nan's illness and the last two years for lack of funds. Frankly I'm growing tired of accepting a dull world with little music, little art, minimal social interaction, a world of no and I can't when the facts show I am not dead or even close to it, that I can sing, still communicate well, know a lot about a whole lot of things, still care deeply about people and their suffering and am totally committed to my three little kidos. I feel like I'm just waking from a long self induced withdrawal from society and from all that created our good life together. I welcome the bright light of morning after the long night of sleep. I just want to thank special friends for challenging me to reconsider my dire judgements about myself. One friend even said, is it time to stop living in the past? Well that makes one think for sure.

Interesting thoughts as I savor the beautiful experience in the concert hall this evening. There is more to life than defeat and grief, there are harmonies, solos, melodies, different voices, rhythms.

Good night all

love

tim

Once again the week comes to an end

Dear Family and Friends,
Here we are at the end of the week finally. Its been a great week in many ways and when I got home this evening I discovered the Capital One has finally settled their book keeping issues and an email said they have deposited funds for 5 appraisals in my account. Of course they reminded me that it could be 2 to 3 days before the money will show. Anyway its nice to know its on the way.
At this point I don't know if Keanna will come with me in the morning or not but Ken has called so we walk at 6:45.
The challenges of life include many ups and downs. Some days seem positive while others contain surprising bouts of negativity. We are pushing forward in spite of many factors beyond our control. I've never seen a more depressed world as small businesses are continuing to drop like flies. There are just not enough dollars to allow anything other than vital purchases, our world has been reduced to must haves, not wants. This week one governor had the courage to freeze spending and of course there are cries from those who are used to living large at the public trough. If we are to see a decent future the spending has to be curtailed in Washington just like we are doing in our own personal lives.
I am thankful for a week with moments of downright happiness.
So the Sabbath is here, let us all relax, draw close to those we care about and celebrate life.

Love

tim

One Great Day

Dear Family and Friends,
As I write this evening I am happy to report that I've had a day in which I felt alive, positive and hopeful. Physically I've not felt this good for a long time. I've got to wonder if dumping the two meds Coreg CR and Actos have enabled me to feel better.
It was mid morning when I realized that I was just feeling good, really good. I skipped a walk this morning, slept in until I woke at 7:30 when the dogs pushed me out of bed and then had a small breakfast of cereal and milk, an orange and my few meds. I then drank a huge glass of water, I mean 64 ounces with a little lemon in it. I worked at my desk for a while, took in two more orders, did research and then prepared to leave for the field.
I asked Lois if she would help me get Nan's old computer going again. We cleared away some things from her desk and started the computer. It moved so slowly at first and a few minutes ago I looked at her outlook express only to discover her last emails in the spring of 97. That was a sobering moment. Lois defragged the computer and did other things to get it moving better. I just did a GEMR.net which tends to clear up the registry. And now I'm writing the blog on it tonight, fun stuff.
You see I want to be able to download books from the library system and to do so the computer needs to have ITunes. For some reason ITunes will not download into my work computer no matter how many times I've tried. To we are going to set this one up to do just that, download books and burn them onto CDs or put them into a IPOD if I ever can afford to buy one. Lois is going to let me borrow hers tomorrow as I have a full day in the field to cope with a books help pass the time.
About noon I left the office for Antioch, Brentwood and saw two properties, reinspected a house that had some problems, went shopping at FoodMax and even self checked myself out. That was a new experience. Did you know every orange has a code on a tiny tag? Well I do now.
When I got home I discovered that a check had arrived from a new management company called Property Sciences. Not only that but about the same time I was opening the check they called to issue a new order for Stockton, I like that, it bodes well for the future.
This evening I asked Lois to go with me to see our little grandchildren at the gymnastics program. She has little Sophie and I of course have Keanna. Kallie was there too so I got to hold her for nearly the whole time which was a blast. She is a delight. Then we went to Staples for a new toner cartridge and then had dinner at UNO's. What a feast, the food was great.
Now I'm home and winding it up for the day. The fact that there was glorious sunshine this afternoon certainly lifted the spirits, the check in the mail, getting Nan's computer working again, lots of things transpired to help this be an up day. I am thankful.
During the middle of the day Timothy called. He is feeling much better than yesterday when he was running a fever all day. It was good to hear his little voice and that of his fathers too.
So good night one and all,
love

tim

Movin on

Dear Family and Friends,
Wednesdays are transition days. I work in the morning and then Keanna comes to visit at 12:45 and we do lunch somewhere and then homework, today we invited Lois to join us and we all went to the park. The sun had broken through and Keanna took a doll and a stuffed puppy, pushed them in the little swings, did some serious swinging herself, did the monkey bars and had a great time. Lois is doing something wonderful for herself right now. Ray obtained a new kind of cigarette substitute that has taste but puts out water vapor. Its an amazing little device and Lois is giving it a try. I know from years of helping people stop smoking when I lived in Tracy that quitting smoking is one of the toughest things a person can tackle and Lois is doing it. Yea!

As the day drew to a close I transported Keanna to Brentwood and to her music class. After I left her there I went to the gym and did my workout routine. It was so busy at that time of day that I had to sort of mix up my normal routine to find machines that were available. I happened to notice that there were quite a few really nice looking ladies working out too. Well its better than looking an empty machines!

After the gym I hit up Starbucks for a decaf mocha with skim milk and stretched that for the next hour. Knowing the budget is tight I purchased just one pack of frozen shrimp to feed the fish. They need to eat something. Now I'm home and relaxing at the computer, have read the emails that have drifted in and have set up a new order for a local purchase in Brentwood, that means in the next few days $450 will arrive in the mail. I'll take it for sure.

Kaiser called again today to ask more questions about the forms I filled out. When a form says have you been treated for Sleep Apnea in the last 3 years but you got your CPAP machine 10 years ago and have not seen the doctor since what is the answer? I said not but explained that I use a CPAP machine. He changed that answer to yes even though I've not seen a health professional about sleeping problems in 10 years. Track questions I guess. I remain hopeful regarding being able to join Kaiser but we will see. I think the odds are against me and so do most of my friends.

Here is hoping that you sleep well, have pleasant dreams and wake in the morning rested and ready for the day!

Love

tim

Will work for food!

Good evening
As I'm finally home and out of traffic I'm here in the office relaxing with the doggies and with soft music playing through the computer.
This morning Ken and I passed on our walk due to lots of rain, it was rough to roll over and pull the covers up. I had more steel cut oats for breakfast and then settled in to log a couple orders and write an appraisal. The work load is gradually diminishing as we get closer to the Nov. 15Th cutoff for FHA appraisal orders from individuals. What will happen to me after that date I do not know. Meanwhile I'm working on getting on approved lists of management companies in hopes that some orders will trickle through.
This afternoon I drove to San Lorenzo and the sun was bright and very welcome. It continued to shine as I inspected the little house which was filled with happy kids and their friends playing and yelling. It was controlled madness. The house has been fixed up a lot but now its owners are close to bankruptcy hence the need for a current appraisal. How I enjoyed the time spent with this friendly little family.
Later as I was driving a phone call came in from Kaiser. They had questions that needed answers on my application. I was informed that it next goes to underwriting for a decision and I'll hear something in the next 10 days or so. That was great news, at least it didn't get lost in the mail and is working its way through the process. Oh how I hope and pray that Kaiser will accept me.
Well now it is bedtime, 9 pm and I'm ready for some rest.
love

tim

A pounding

Well good friends and family, this is one for my record books. It started well at 6 this morning in the dark as we walked and gradually warmed up. Then there was steel cut oats in the slow cooker after which I went directly to work. I worked on a SF appraisal and about half the way through got a call which really threw me for a loop, after that was over I discovered that I had lost all the work I had completed for the SF appraisal so I needed to start all over.
At some point around noon I got word that I could run a credit card and collect $450. Well that sounded good so I opened Quick Books Pro but found I had forgotten the new pass word. Nothing I could remember would let me in and I finally in desperation called the help desk. Little did I know it was located in Bombay or in a field someplace foreign. 2 and 1/2 hours later she finally got me back to the place where I could put in a new password. Of course during that time an appraisal became available from AES but I could not get to it to claim it so lost $350 while I waited for extremely poor help. By now the appraisal that was due by noon was only half done and as of now, time to go to bed it is still not completed.
One good thing did happen today, Funds for two appraisals arrived in the mail and when deposited at the bank the grand total was more than enough for the $840 Blue Cross payment for health care. I had thought I had a 3 pm appointment today which was cod but once I called I found out, it is tomorrow. Fun and games.
This evening I had dinner with Pam and Terry. Terry is Pam's cousin who is visiting from Wales and is set to fly back soon. What a delightful man to have a conversation with. He knows many people in politics in England and even knows the current prime minister. So that was fun, then on the way home over our lovely levee road it began to rain and it poured the rest of the way home. I felt a bit guilty at the luxury of being able to drive into a garage and stay dry when I arrived, Guilt or not I stayed dry.
So now its time to rest and put the day behind.
Love and hugs to the worlds nicest people,

Tim

Super sunday

Good evening
Well its 8 pm and the shouting has died down, what an exciting end of the game and how nice that a team that has NEVER won a super bowl win one. Like the owner said as he was accepting the trophy we are back, after Katrina and the hit that state and city has taken to win this when a few years ago they could not even play in their own stadium, well its nice to see momentum swing in their favor. It would be fun to be in New Orleans tonight, its sort of wild in the French Quarter anyway and tonight, well it will be real exciting.
I was actually working out at the gym during most of the game and could catch snippets of it on the flat screens that line the walls. It made the 3 reps of 12 pulls and pushes on the machines go by quickly for a change and tonight I managed a few more of those delightful situps while sitting on the big blue ball, what fun. I'm always glad when I finish and I've not fallen flat on the floor. I can assure you I only do those exercises when the little stretching room is empty of people.
This morning I woke to face the challenge of taking a FHA online class that I need. Lest you think online means easy, well not so fast. At the end of each section there is a lovely quiz and you must get 8 out of the 10 questions correct or you have to take it again. I was impressed again with how sensible the FHA guidelines really are. They are built on the assumption that a buyer will need to buy a home that is safe, secure and functional. Hence the kitchen needs to have all the things one would need to live, a range, a sink, a counter and basic cabinets. The bathrooms need flushing toilets, the lights need to work and the doors need to lock. The roof cannot be leaking and the sidewalks need to be free of trip points. FHA does not care about cosmetic items, if the carpets are worn or the windows have a crack, too bad but if the security bars do not open on a bedroom well that is a safety issue. While they have thousands of rules they all boil down to common sense and are reasonable. Now offset that with the stupid idea that someone you have worked with for 20 years can no longer order an appraisal from you, that it has to go through a middle man that will take 1/3 of the fee and then give the order to the lowest bidder no matter what his or her experience level is, that makes no sense and I can't wait until the HVCC dies an early death. Congress is working on it but big companies like Bank of American, Countrywide, Wells Fargo all have their own management companies and they are raking in a lot of money right out of the appraisers pockets. Can we say, not right!
I continue to watch my work load diminish to a point where I have only one order to do now, period for the whole upcoming week.
I am trying to figure out God's leading and so far I don't have much of a clue, am I just too blind to notice?
I've enjoyed this day and Ray came to visit this morning for awhile. He is a pretty interesting guy and has seen a lot and experienced a lot in his lifetime. He can fix nearly anything and often does. I've got the worlds best neighbors. Ken and LeAnn have been great friends as well as being neighbors for the last 23 years. Think of that, how much younger we all were when our family built the house and we moved in. Lois and Ray check on me every day to see if I'm still doing OK and that feels pretty good. Ken tries to do me in every morning as we walk in the cold and darkness yet it feels strange on those days we don't go. Tomorrow morning he has decreed that we walk at 6 am, can you believe it? 6 am.
I'm so far refusing to meet the challenge of my weight. It stands in the way of everything I hold dear and I'm just stubbornly refusing to change my ways. I just need to take this part of my life and turn it over to a Lord that loves me. At the moment I'm 90 lbs over my ideal weight of 150. That is just crazy. Can you include me in your prayer list. Yes I'm walking, yes I'm going to the club and exercising and both of those behaviors are great but I've got to change what I put in and when I put it in.
So my wonderful family and precious friends here's hoping that your week will be a total success.

Love to every precious one of you,

Tim

A solid Sabbath

Good evening friends and family,
I'm just back from a delightful evening with friends, great food and Mexican train domino's! Fun fun fun.
Today was the second in a series of special programs during Sabbath School on finances, talk about timely for me personally! I feel it is helpful and encouraging.
Our pastor's sermon today was solid as usual. She has a really good communicating style which just works in our precious Tracy church.
After the worship hour I had just enough time for lunch before the memorial service for Mary Alice Skau. So I selected Olive Garden and had a delightful lunch watching people. The service was a time of remembering how special Mary Alice was. Dan and Debbie, her grown children were there and entered into the sharing of precious memories.
A word about Mary Alice. She and Paul came to Tracy many years ago and became pillars of the church. Paul used to preach for me when I had to be away and was both a trained minister and a RN. Mary Alice was also a nurse and worked in central supply at the hospital for many many years. They lived in the same house for over 40 years and had great neighbors, one who spoke today with glowing memories. Mary Alice became paralyzed several years ago but instead of growing bitter or angry she endured with grace and joy. She always had a smile and a soft spoken kind word for all she met. A nice couple of caregivers moved in and took care of her for these last several years. They testified about her kind spirit and how much they will miss her.
As people spoke for her a composite was developed which helped us all to understand more about her life and to admire her even more. I felt the pastor did a masterful job of guiding the service and lifting the Lord up through it all.
So this has been a positive day and when I pulled in a few minutes ago I discovered one check in the mail. While it does not cover the health insurance bill which will hit the bank on Monday and is $840 it will go a long ways. I am very thankful for these funds.

Good night and I send my love and appreciation to all of you.
Love

Tim

Sprinkles of joy

And so it comes to an end, another week, thank goodness it is over.
This morning I bounded out of bed, perhaps that is a bit optimistic! I slowly came to my feet and waited while the room stopped spinning. I showered and weighed, not a good thing, scales are weighing heavy lately, must be the damp weather or something.
Once I was downstairs I tackled the tough relo appraisal for a nice home in Brentwood. All went well until I did the sketch. For years Nikki did my sketches manually and then faxed them back to me. No matter where she lived she helped me with thousands of sketches of house layouts. Now I do it using a little cad program in the computer and Nikki does much more important work keeping the government honest in how it uses its money, can we say amen to that.
I started the sketch and found my finished product to be about 300 sq.ft smaller than that reported in public record. For the next precious hour I worked over the program trying to figure out where I was wrong. Finally in desperation I emailed my contact with the relo company and asked him if the other appraiser came in low. He replied immediately that the other appraiser came in over 200 sq.ft. below what public record shows. I was so relieved and then proceeded to complete the appraisal. As I was putting the photos into the appraisal a glitch appeared and that cost me 20 minutes. Now I was past the time I had to leave for the Vacaville appointment. Oh the stress level was raging but the appraisal was emailed to the east coast and I hit the road. I also called my contact to report my status and was told to relax, no problem.
The house is located out in the country north of Vacaville and has many fine features. How nice to experience the quiet of being in the country, quiet well except for the goat herd behind the back fence. The little ones were so cute and bleating for their mother.
I started to drive the comps and would you believe it took two hours to complete. When comps are located over a 5 mile radius and you have no way of knowing exactly how their locations relate to each other, well it takes some time. By they I was pretty hungry, breaking out in a sweat which I know means low blood sugar so I ate my backup granola bar and found a Subway in Willows, a tiny town in the middle of no where.
Finally I could turn toward home and I did enjoy driving back. Everything thing is green, water is in the streams, the air smells fresh and I got to talk to Sharon part of the way back. She is holding up well in Texas and feeling pretty sassy like usual.
As I was nearing home Nikki called to see if I could collect the girls so after making a deposit at the bank which by the way brought me into the black, that was until something else came through late this evening and now I'm upside again. Oh that Chevy Chase would send a check.
I picked Keanna and Kallie who were in great spirits and happy to see me. For the next hour I smiled a lot as I watched Kallie play with Barbie dolls, the Barbie airplane, move the 5 gallon water jugs around and eat popcorn.
Finally Kallie approached me and said peepee. That means a diaper change so we headed upstairs to the guest room where we have a supply of diapers and the special wipes. When I removed the diaper I was met with a sight that would knock over a mother of 12. Wow it was a special moment. 5 or 6 wipes later I had her roughly clean and we slapped on a new diaper. Of course Nikki thought this was very funny when she arrived, she would, she managed to miss that one.
This evening I went to Safeway and CVS to pick up meds but since its the beginning of a new year I have a $1,000 deductible to cope with. I had called earlier and discovered that two of the meds that have no generic alternatives were going to be very expensive, one was $178 and the other was $140. Well I don't know the effects of not taking them but I can tell you I won't be taking them for some time, not until money once again appears. That was another first in the forced belt tightening experiences.
Well I smell my loaf of bread that has been baking for a few hours. In about 15 minutes it will ding and I hope for a good loaf of bread. The last loaf was so good, amazingly good really but having the baking bread scent in the house is great.
In the morning Keanna and I will head to church. She will go to her class and I will attend a special seminar on finances. Do you think this is timely?

Love to all

tim

Rain, traffic, long hours

Good evening
It felt good to pull into the garage this evening out of the elements and be home safely one more time. It turned out to be a very long day.
Ken called this morning about 5:55 to let me know it was not raining so we could walk, whoopee! Once we were outside we discovered cold wind but no rain so we walked and before soon we were warm and into it.
Once back I made oatmeal and settled in at the computer to work. With one report out the door I turned my thoughts to the next one that is overdue. At 1:30 I began the process of leaving but it was 1:55 before I pulled out of Discovery Bay. The GPS said my San Francisco destination would appear at 3:05. It took a bit longer due to nasty rain and slow drivers. Going across the Bay Bridge one could feel the wind pushing and pulling on the little car. I always enjoy driving through San Francisco but today the traffic was tight and grumpy.
Once I arrived the house turned out to be wonderful. Set on a hill with a view of the ocean and the city below it had been totally updated just a year ago. Everything was in its place throughout, sort of like my house, NOT. Once I left his front door and was back in the car I relaxed a bit since I had a check in my hand, the check that would finally cover the last of the house payment! So I set out to shoot photos of the comps which were all nearby.
Once that was done and after finding a bathroom I set sail for Mountain View. A little townhouse had just been updated and I needed to confirm the work was completed for Bank of America. So knowing this trip would pay a whopping $75 I set the GPS and got on 280 which just happens to be the most beautiful freeway in the world! It was a pleasant trip at first but then the traffic began to back up and once I was on 101 we came to a crawl. I didn't arrive until 5:45 but was able to shoot the required photos. The property now shown with a new kitchen, new floors, new sunken spotlights and a new ceiling, no more popcorn.
Once that job was completed I was able to head for home. That turned out to be a 2 hour trip with traffic everywhere at a crawl. Since I have a clutch my left leg gets pretty sore after hours of that nonsense. Anyway I'm home safe and sound with missions accomplished.
Tomorrow I head for Vacaville to see a ranch and I hope I get a break in the rain while measuring it, whatever it will be OK. After all its Friday and then the blessed Sabbath once again with rest, friends, kidos and family.
Hoping you are all staying dry, warm and in love with someone.

love

tim

The sun shines through

It was so bright today the sunglasses had to come out! Ken and trudged around the lake at 6:15 and it was not bright then, just damp and cold but once the day broke it was beautiful. The lake shimmered, beams of sunlight crept into all the rooms and the car felt warm.
Keanna came to visit which is always an adventure. This little dynamo pleases the dogs, warms up the laptop, rips through her homework and enlightens me with her newfound wisdom. Sometimes the things that come out are just hilarious and sometimes profound. Needless to say she brightens up my day and life in so many ways.

On the professional front a bill is moving quietly through Congress that would limit or remove the HVCC, that odorous management company system which robs about a third of our fees for which they do absolutely nothing which helps the client, the home owner. They are angry that more and more people are standing up and stating the obvious, that this is the wrong answer to solving the financial crisis so many find themselves in. Of course the huge issue has always been influence over the appraiser, someone with power or funds trying to tell the appraiser how to do his or her job, funny thing is over 1/2 of the appraisers report that they have been pressured by HVCC people to make deals work, nothing has really changed. So there is hope that the HVCC monster can be tamed. Hope is good. There is a subtle thing taking place in the industry across the country. When someone purchases a home and the appraisal is ordered through a management company the appraiser hired is usually the one who will promise to get the work done the quickest and for the lowest fee. There is no requirement for experience or samples of his or her work required. Just how cheap and how quick. Well Mr appraiser working under these conditions certainly is not going to go out of his way to do a complete job, so he just grabs the lowest comps in the area, jams them into the report, cuts the purchase price by thousands of dollars and emails the report in. He does not care that he has just destroyed a purchase by being way below market with his report. So the buyer loses the bid on the house and the house gets sold to someone else who has cash and the buyer begins the whole process over of trying to bid on a house to purchase. Yes he has lost his appraisal fee which is usually over $450 of which about $225 is paid to the appraiser. Now Mr homebuyer must start all over again and bid for a house with the strong chance that the appraiser will once again cut the sales price and destroy the purchase again. It has hurt the industry very bad. The appraiser should carefully study the market and determine what a willing buyer and seller would agree on for a price for the day of the inspection, use comparables that are recent and are similar in quality and condition to the home being appraised. Those appraisers that have enough saved to retire or have a second line of work they can switch to are doing so by the thousands across the country and in a short time there will be a shortage of experienced appraisers but not before many have their lives destroyed. Its a challenging time and the dozens of new rules being forced on loan officers and appraisers are not helping solve anything, government rarely helps when they try to solve problems, the market is much more to be trusted than government.

So these are some of the casual thoughts that run through my mind on a daily basis along with the desire to just be able to pay my basic bills.

This evening after I dropped Keanna off at her music class I visited the little hair salon where Nan used to go and Nikki still does. I think the lady is Amber, anyway she does a great haircut for $12. Then it was to the club to try to stretch out these lazy muscles. Then Lois tempted me to Subway for a wheat and garden burger sandwich which was great!
Now its home to relax with the doggies, write part of a report and hit the hay.

I appreciate my family so much and my extended family of friends and clients. Life has been very good to me in spite of setbacks and losses.

love

tim

moving in place

Hi

As I write this evening I am so tired I can hardly stay awake. For some reason last night was a time of little sleep and a whole lot of taking inventory of my life. Do you ever do that? Try to do a mental clipboard showing those contributions and the failures in hopes they might come close to balancing out. Let me just share that last night I couldn't think of many on the positive side and the negatives just came pouring out of my memory. I know that when you tend to start the process being pretty down and depressed it gets sort of slanted. I'm aware of that but at times like this I know one is supposed to find a new beginning, have an epiphany, see a great light, grab the ladder............ Well it did not happen so at 12:30 I was down in the office desperately thinking of someone I could call and talk to. But of course at that time of night normal sane people are sleeping. Finally at 1:15 I headed back up and this time after a bit of snuggling under the covers I fell asleep. Of course the alarm was there at 6 preparing me for the walk with Ken.

So as I drove to San Pablo this morning it was a sleepy trip. Knowing I was needed back here at 1:30 to witness Keanna in her concert of patriotic songs at the school I remained focussed. After shooting the comps I needed and finally locating diesel I drove quickly to Suisun City for a driveby appraisal. Then it was across blood alley, Highway 12 at a breakneck pace of 45 mph to Rio Vista. I arrived for her concert at 1:22 and the concert started at 1:30. I was able to let her know I was there, see photo above, and then Steve arrived. Keanna was thrilled, Her mommy had warned her that perhaps none of the family would be able to come so her joy was intense when both her daddy and pappa made it. We beamed as she sang.

I've worked in this afternoon after another day with lots of worthless mail but NO checks and this evening Nikki called to let me know she was making dinner, cottage cheese roast, limas, mashed potatoes and some killer lemonaide.

Now I'm home just counting the minutes until I'm in bed and sleeping. I'm that tired.

I sure hope your life has got some thrills in it from time to time because mine is pretty boring from time to time.

Yes I am blessed with so much, maybe it is time to think about the many blessings.

love

tim

Irene is remembered today

Dear Family and Friends,

Irene Wing's service was held today in San Jose. Hundreds of people packed the chapel for a moving service where people from all walks of life spoke sharing amusing and moving accounts of her service, love, spirit and humor. Irene was no push over, she knew how to communicate with little ones and several were there today to speak for her remembering their times in her kindergarten classes. I've included a few photos of Irene that I found as well as a photo of the photo that was given to everyone at the end of the service today. What a loss to the world!

I've also included a couple photos of things that touch my heart. One is of a valentine from Timothy and the green one is a picture Keanna created for me, I'm the one with the curly hair.

Pam came to the service today and spoke recounting how she met Irene in various hospital rooms where she and Irene both had come to cheer up Nan. I felt she spoke for me as I did not trust myself to speak up.

And so life moves forward, this evening Ray and Lois allowed me to join them as they celebrated their anniversary at a local restaurant. It was nice to relax and enjoy good food and great friends.

Tomorrow morning I'm out early as I drive to San Pablo to see a home and then to come back via Suisun City for a driveby appraisal.

Good evening to all,

love

tim