Friday, April 10, 2009

For Whatever Reason...........

..........I haven't really felt like writing much, lately, so I have just done short posts (well, they're short by my standards) and have given minimal information. I think my mind is on overload at this point with the situation at work and wondering on a daily basis if, when I arrive, I will leave in the same condition as I arrived: employed.
It's eating at me and I am losing sleep over it. I have strange dreams at night and wake up sometimes in a panic from the horror of the dream I just awoke out of. It's reminiscent of when my house burned down and I was seeing fire in front of me - visibly seeing something that wasn't there. Having horrific dreams about people burning up and all kinds of aftermath. This isn't near as bad as THAT, but it's bad enough.

It is also self-inflicted. When I wake up out of one of these dreams, I force myself to settle down, empty out my mind, and go back to sleep. The process of pointing fingers at entities, people and corporations isn't worth the energy spent. Though, I certainly look at particular people in the news and wonder. Greed, selfishness and self-centeredness are certainly adjectives that identify the psyche of some of these people.

Regardless, this is my explanation of why I haven't been my normal self on here. I have also been dealing with a certain tenant's "stuff" - which is basically an on-going thing. Get one person dealt with and something pops up with another. Someday, I won't need tenants. That day is not near in the future, that I can see, anyway. What it has done for me, however, is solidify the idea that I could be successful at renting out houses, or even owning a small apartment complex or even a room house. After having so much go on, you tend to gain a certain - view - of things about people living in your rooms and at least for me, tend to get very blunt with people doing things that are totally unacceptable. I have developed a modus operandi that works quite well for me, which 99% of the time starts with a notice given to the offender - or less in-your-face - a notice on the appliance or place that a certain mishap is occuring.

The newest tenant is a real gem in terms of treating my house and respecting it. Were that all people were that way. Mary is good, though, too, she likes a clean place and does her share. It's the 3rd tenant that doesn't much care for cleaning. He's on the line in terms of slobbishness.

Anyway, if I get to the point I don't want to deal with the s***, I end up going to my bedroom, plopping myself on my bed and watching TV with my dogs - who have their issues - but always show me a dog's version of "love". My dogs are always laying in view of me. Not because I make them, but because they want to be able to see what I am doing - for whatever reason I cannot fathom. Tenants have become very wary of disturbing me in my bedroom, mainly because I highly and openly object to it. If I'm in there, it's because I DON'T want to be bothered. People that might have knocked loudly now knock very lightly - and it better be something that needs immediate attention. This is very rare anymore. People walking into my room either with or without knocking without my permission is a past issue. I mean, really. You're laying in your bed, enjoying a show, petting a dog, minding your own business and a tenant comes barging into your bedroom? My reaction is not pretty - I will freely admit that.

Now, for those readers that have been coming here forever and I haven't done any updates - Michael and his family. Michael is undoubtedly going to flunk several, if not all, classes. I really don't know that for a fact, but he has missed far too much school for various "reasons". His mother approves it, gives him permission.
Anthony? ....is doing absolutely nothing but getting stoned all day long and watching TV at his mother's expense. His friend - the kid that burned down the house in exchange for marijuana - is out of jail and is living with them as well. I know these people very well, so I am guessing that there are more people living in that place than is - I don't know the word. I have a count of known people living there: 13 which includes Michael. I don't know if the grandfather is out of jail yet. I do know that always, they end up with various people I have no clue who they are living with them as well. So, I would be very well within reason to expect that at least 15 people are living in a 3 bedroom townhouse.

Michael was forced to start living there again - at Christmas now that I think about it. However, he talks his way into coming over here during the week regardless. He spent all of one night at his family's house this week - the rest was over here. That gives an idea of what must be going on over there. I remember being a teenager - I most certainly wanted my privacy and I definitely did not want everyone getting into my things. Which is non-existent in an environment such as theirs.

Caleb - got 2 D's in school. Which annoyed me greatly. He has his excuses and I summarily reject them. I don't accept the modern-day analysis of - conditions and drugs that correct them and all the bs that the "experts" assess. That shit didn't even exist 30 years ago - you were a lazy ass that didn't want to apply yourself and your parents would make you pay. Think that abusive? Think what you will, I'm old school and I don't accept all this crap of - the endless list of conditions that they have invented to disguise why a person "can't" do something and should be put on some kind of friggin' drug to fix it. Caleb will pay for it, is all I can say about it. Quality time alone in his room without TV or anything else for that matter always helps a person to think about why they are sitting in there with nothing to do - it's much like prison.

Me? Stressed. Definitely. Not helping things, either. Driving a semi is something better done relaxed. I have to force myself into that state of mind and put appropriate music on to help me get there.

More distractions with people/interupions and this is done cause' it's now time to go to bed.

G'nite!
ben

Friday

A truck driver that gets a truck stuck? Not the first time in my life!
I was attempting to turn around at a construction site and - there was about a 1 foot drop off on one side of the truck. I went over that, the frame of the trailer sat right down on one of the tires on the driver's side, the passenger side tires - all of them - weren't even touching the ground!
lol. Fortunately, construction sites have lots of heavy equipment all over the place - got out my chain and a backhoe pulled that sucker right out of the predicament.

I have, however, gotten trucks stuck so bad, that they had to use a bulldozer on one end of the truck and a giant excavator on the other end. I was pulling a belly dump and they were making us drive through thick mud in an open field. Almost every truck was getting stuck.

Anyway, it was all good. This was a fairly busy week - and Monday is more of the same, I already have the semi loaded with 5 different deliveries going all over creation. It will be about a 17k day - not great, but definitely not bad.

Ummm - so - it's Easter weekend and I'm still waiting to find out which day we are celebrating it. Our holiday feasts usually revolve around my middle brother's whacked schedule. If we want him there, we have to accomodate for him, which we always do - and which at least half the time means we don't actually celebrate whatever holiday on the day it's supposed to be celebrated. He's supposed to get his son from his ex-wife - who isn't going to let him have him, even though my bro has court orders showing that he gets him this Easter.

Not worth going into, a long story and it's been going on for years now.

So, I'm reading about pirates who are "not afraid of the Americans" and will "fight them if we have to". ???? ROFL!!! So, a small group of punk pirates are going to take on a Naval warship? What kind of weaponry do you suppose is aimed at that little boat that is holding that captain hostage right now? Enough to blow that thing and everyone on it into nothingness. What an unbelieavbly stupid statement to make. Now, when is the world going to get sick of this s*** and go into that country and establish some sort of government? I figure about the time people start getting killed. That's undoubtedly what it's going to take to get the ire of nations around the world up enough to want to go in and do something about that garbage.

Easter aside - whichever day we celebrate that - I am going to dig out the holes to install the other trellis. I should hopefully have that done by this weekend. I have decided to put trellises up in front of a couple of windows that get tormented by searing heat from the sun glaring through them. Or - if I find something else that has a different look that I can put up in front of it, fine and well. If it's all trellises, then I need 7 more of them.

Anyway, I figure Easter with family and putting in some trellises? That's going to be the extent of my weekend - the rest will be lazing around doing nothing as I am not very motivated at this point.

Today is Good Friday - which I doubt half Americans even know what that means anymore - but, definitely, it is for us, the gentiles of the world of whom can find salvation through Christ for the sacrifice He made at the Cross of Calvary. I am always thanking God for the cross and the death of Christ - without which - I believe anyway - I would be facing a not-so-pleasant eternity. Thank you, thank you Lord! Even more awesome - Easter - His Resurrection!

Have a great - and blessed - day!
ben

 Sunday - early 20 minutes until departure time.  I don't much care for delivery on Sundays for it takes a while to get security to the ...