More: Arizona's Illegal Immigration Law

"If you look or sound foreign, you are going to be subjected to never-ending requests for police to confirm your identity and to confirm your citizenship," said Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, which is exploring legal action.

Really? What evidence is there of this? You cannot challenge something that "may" happen in court, your challenges must be of something that has already occured. Or, if it's a constitutional issue. Do we REALLY believe the Phoenix police department has the time or resources to beging going around asking everyone for their papers? NO, I do not. The whole world is jumping on this bandwagon, I am, most definitely - NOT and so are a LOT of other people just like me. The bandwagon of claiming that racial profiling will occur.

BTW, Hispanics are HARDLY the only illegal aliens in this country OR Arizona for that matter. Look at all the boatloads of Cubans that try to come over here on a regular basis. Look at the containers that come from China and other Asian nations of people looking to get a piece of the American pie. Where is the outcry from the Chinese/Asian community? Admittedly, there are FAR more Hispanic illegals here than any of it, so what? It's already been outlined that law enforcement officers will go through specialized training in order to enforce this law LEGALLY, without violating a person's constitutional rights.

Of course, besides God-given rights, illegal aliens HAVE no constitutional rights in this nation. Note that nowhere in this bill does it say "to only pick on Hispanics, everyone else is okay", yet you would think that it MUST say such verbage for the heat that is coming because of it. The rhetoric continues to pour in. What I find amazing is this representative or senator, whatever he is, that is from our state telling the world to boycott Arizona because of it. This man is condoning hurting the Arizona economy, INCLUDING that of the illegals - so how does THIS help ANYONE in Arizona?

Lol.

Today. Driving all day long, including a trip to Miami, AZ. PERFECT rocks - well they're small boulders, but whatever - for my waterfall in the yard of the place I was at. No, they weren't free, but they're just rocks and didn't cost that much. They are Shiraz, I think it's spelled - absolutely gorgeous. Perfect for a waterfall.

I am going back up there to a different jobsite on Thursday, hopefully there will be time to take my break up there and grab some more "regular" rocks laying around - good stuff though - to shore up the waterfall project. I would like to put this project into high gear this weekend and get this thing going before the searious (spelling intentional) heat gets here and my progress will be greatly slowed.

New tenant paid today. I wasn't expecting it today, so that was totally cool. Other tenant is behind - but only $70 - and is leaving for that training soon. I really don't want to hold that room for her for 2 months if she is not serious about coming back. I don't know that one way or the other. I have had limited interest in the room on a temporary use basis. I also wonder how often these extended training exercises are going to occur and no, this is the first and only time I will do it, after that, she would either have to pay the rent or "move out".

Mother's day coming up. Gotta do something for mom. Almost forgot about it until I saw an internet ad. One time when seeing and ad was a GOOD thing.

Dogs not happy about being left outside during the day because it is heating up. However, the temps are coming WAY down on Thursday, and the holes for a shade area have been started. Not JUST a shade area, but an area with a mister and hopefully finding an cheap old evap cooler somewhere. THAT will keep them sufficiently cool during the summer, cost very little in energy and keep my house "undefiled". The other alternative would be a very long gate in the kitchen to keep them from the rest of the house.

I have almost enough saved up to get the AC fixed in my car. Within the next month I will be having it repaired as I am not a person that likes to work in the heat all day and THEN have to get into a searing hot car and endure that heat all the way home.

Just covering things here. I sat on the east side of my house enjoying the handiwork I have done over there in the last 2 years. The ponds are sitting in the ground - not QUITE where they need to be but still, it was easy to envision water and water plants, a waterfall making soothing sounds and some fish meandering around in the water. The effort will be worth it. When will it be done? Never, apparently, from what I have read, it is an on-going thing that you constantly adjust and move things around and such. But, to pour water in there? Dunno. I think that waterfall is going to be a challenge. I don't HAVE to have it to put water in the pond and I will probably go ahead and fill them up - BUT - I MUST have that bio-filter built and in operation first.

I have definitely decided on building my own - a small version is MUCH cheaper than anything I could find at the stores.

Yup, I'm easily entertained. Give me a project that is alluring to me and I will go for it. Especially cool when the challenge involves just GETTING the stuff to make it happen, which is definitely true in this case. Top that with financial issues and it's a real hoot. On the cheap doesn't have to equate to on the junk.

My neighbor left a little while ago. I will have to take a pic of this situation to give you an idea of what I am having to look at on a daily basis. He bought this giant, 40 foot long RV trailer some time ago. It is parked from the front of his property to almost the middle, along my fence, totally blocking my views of ANYTHING towards the west. I am SURE he said he was either going to get rid of it or move it back to the back of his property when he left. Well, he didn't and I didn't know he was leaving today.

I have his phone number and will be discussing this with him. I refuse to have to be subjected to such a huge eyesore indefinitely. He should know I don't like this kind of junk going on - I can deal with some of it, I have with him for a long time now, but this thing is HUGE and blocks out most anything to the west of me.

Well, amazingly, the day is getting close to done. Long work days do that. It didn't bother me a bit to spend half a day committed to work from the time I left until the time I got home. Wish I could get a LOT more hours like today and yesterday.

Well, time for bed.

G'nite.
ben

Tuesday

I find it quite humorous the rhetoric, slamming and new-found ways to use old phrases. "Arizona The New Nazi State". All Mexicans everywhere, apparently or at least according to these people, are totally against this immigration reform bill that is signed into law.

Now, the state is being boycotted by all kinds of corporations, the City of San Francisco and leaders all over the country decrying this "abusive" law. There is now a petition drive to get a referendum putting the law to ballot.

"Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor who helped write the Arizona legislation, said he anticipated legal challenges and carefully drafted the language. He said the state law is only prohibiting conduct already illegal under federal law."

Of COURSE they knew this thing would be challenged. Note that this professor states that the law only prohibits conduct ALREADY illegal under federal law. Interesting. As the news continues to pour in about this, I continue to be amused. People actually believe the Phoenix police department is going to start going around asking everyone for their papers. If this were an abortion debate, then yes, I would be getting heated up about as I am strictly, totally and staunchly against abortion. You would think this bill that was passed was of the same "caliber" as that, but it is, in reality, just a law making it illegal for illegal immigrants to be in our state. It's ALREADY illegal for them to be here, the part that is getting people riled up is the push to get law enforcement to ask for documentation - WHEN THERE IS REASONABLE SUSPICION TO WARRANT SUCH.

I am supposed to take a trip to Miami today. I dunno if it's going to happen or not. I WANT to go - it would be the last thing on today's agenda and I could stop on the way back, take my 30 minute break and see if I could find some nice rocks for the waterfall. I'm not even sure if I'm still going, though. It's still in our truck routing system, but things can and often-times do change.

Our branch is having a MUCH better month than previous months in terms of sales and it's only going to go up the rest of this coming work week. That's good news, indeed.

Umm, I woke up this morning to find that Prince - the giant, black Great Dane, had had 2 accidents. 1 on the carpet, the other in the bathroom. Yuck. He woke me up in the middle of the night to go outside - a simple thing to do, really, when all one has to do is open the bedroom door and he lets himself out through the doggie door. Finding THAT on your bathroom floor when about to take a shower? Doesn't exactly give you that "clean" feeling, lol. Which - set me behind today on my pre-work rituals, meaning it's time to get offa here, cause' it's almost 6:00 am.

G'day.

ben

Monday More

I wrote a rather extensive entry about my visit to Walmart today - a place I love to hate but love the deals - at times anyways. It disappeared. It was not in my drafts as I was informed I was not signed in. Hmmm, well how did I write an entry without being signed in? The site did not give me an option to ask that question, much less get an answer for it.

Well there are other things to write about anyway.

Long day at work - wrote about that and some extreme driving challenges in getting a tractor- trailer rig into a place where one was never intended to be driven. No big deal - but today had 3 such occasions which made it unusual and also taxing on mental energy.

I came home today to find 4 holes started for doggy cover in an area where I was discussing it with the trailer tenant guy. He also finished the pond hole that I was working on all weekend. Well almost finished, it needs sand and will need to be levelled and also moved forward a bit to be under the other pond so it will feed into it, but he did a bit of work today.

I was exhausted. I got 3 hours of sleep last night and I worked 9, straight, mentally challenging hours - I only watered a few plants that needed it and came back inside.

The bright point? I am going to Miami tomorrow - up in the mountains. There are plenty of areas to pull over and find some rocks. It will the the "last" run of the day, meaning I will have time to stop, take my 1/2 hour break in finding some rocks if I can find what I am looking for. I did not get a break today - I worked straight through even though, as I relentlessly point out on my blogs, that time is automatically deducted from any day's given time.

This is just a short entry, I am not motivated and I am very tired. I forced myself to stay awake after work and am going to bed a bit early and hope to get at least enough sleep tonight.

ben

Monday/Arizona Immigration Law

There is one provision in the new Immigrantion Bill that AZ has passed I don't agree with much: If a person cannot show proof of citizenship or show they are legally here, they can be jailed up to 6 months, amongst other things.

Let's not jail them and waste even more taxpayer dollars on these people, let's just get RID of them. Deport them, send them back on those big INS busses and be done with it. Alright, if the same person gets caught over and over, then a good deterrence is to make them sit in a prison house somewhere, I suppose. Because, if those people REALLY want to be here, they are just going to attempt to come right back and resume living their illegal life here as they were before.

"The Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking Sunday in New York, said that just as freedom riders battled segregation in the 1960s, he would organize "freedom walkers" to challenge the Arizona bill.

"We will go to Arizona when this bill goes into effect and walk the streets with people who refuse to give identification and force arrest," Sharpton said."

Yes, well "Reverened" Al Sharpton is hardly a beacon of light or even a modicum of truth. I have heard what the man has preached - much of it is heresy. This reverend is actually encouraging people to resist police by refusing to cooperate with what will be the law of the land. Well, Mr. Sharpton, this isn't the slavery issue and this isn't the segregation issue, this is an illegal alien issue that is FAR removed from either of the aforementioned issues.

If they go to the streets as they promise, it is highly doubtful that Phoenix or other area police are even going to ask them for their "papers". The whole idea that people would come here in groves to protest this issue through Sharpton's idea is quite laughable.

This Arizona Representative that is actually going around telling the nation to boycott Arizona is a moron at best. Not only that, but already, apparently, his life has been threatened by some freak of nature - there are more out there I am sure. If 70% of Arizonans are saying this is a good bill, then this rep is isolating himself and his chances of getting re-elected are probably going down the tube. Regardless of what you think of this bill, to tell people, corporations, whatever to stay away from the state you are allegedly serving is outrageous.

Well, whatever. I'm not really getting worked up about this nonsense, let those protestors protest away, it's getting warm here - 95 today - go ahead and walk the streets of Phoenix, if you're coming from out of state and not used to the heat, good luck with that. Actually, it isn't even HOT yet, Mother Nature is just getting a warm-up round going here. I'll let my voting fingers speak for me, I don't need to go out there and act like a circus animal to accomplish - what?

Speaking of temps, it is going to go back up during this week but then by this weekend they are saying the highs will be in the 70's. I'm not ready for 110 degree garbage yet, thank you very much, not that I ever will be, but I would rather summer come on in one, fell swoop than take it's time. Just keep it in the low 80's and then one day, it can just jump to 110. Give me 2 weeks to adjust and I'll be okay, I won't like it, but I've been doing this since I was 10 years old (and can't wait until the day I can get OUT of here!).

Meanwhile, I have been digging away at the holes for my ponds, scouring the net for items that I need and sort of wondering where I'm going to come up with the rocks I need. I emailed the Coconino forest authority to find out if it is REALLY true that it is illegal to take simple rocks from forest land. My mother told me that and I just have a hard time believing it. This Earth is MADE out of rocks!!! There are PLENTY to go around! Lol.

I'm also running ads for the temporary room situation. No REAL takers yet, some inquiries, a couple that said they need 2 months to find a place to live but - no dinero to hold the room. Sorry, Charlie, no money, no room. You can show up the day it is available if it IS still available by then, rent money in hand and have it, otherwise, oh well.

Well, the work day approaches. The semi is still loaded - heavy - from all the pipe I picked up on Friday. I mean HEAVY - it is very near 40 tons. Oh, my mom is considering going back up to her property soon, if I find out her rock statement is false, I may just go up there as well and fill the trunk of my car up with what I need. My car will look like a low rider coming back with all that weight in it, oh well. I am looking for large, flat rocks for the cascading effect on the waterfall. I have specific stuff in mind and I just don't know where to find it around here unless I want to buy it. It would be more fun to find it out in nature and adapt it to use in my waterfall instead of paying for it.

Anyway, I'm outta here.

G'day.

ben

Sunday

So, I went to north Phoenix to pick up this water clarifier.
It was unfortunate that when I got there, there was a piece missing off of it. It is a screw on cap that holds the UV light in place inside of the housing. She just gave it to me - the whole setup - said I could buy another UV light. Yes, I found out, you can, but that plastic screw-on cap is not available. Waste of time? Not sure yet, I wrote the manufacturer and asked if they sell those separately.

However, I have read several web sites today that say using them isn't really all the great for your bio system. Well whatever. Everyone says something different about these ponds and how to keep the water from turning pea soup green. What I did find was a VERY simple to put together filter set up - much easier than some of the other sites had - it's a round plastic tub. Place PVC with fittings in it in order to pump the water to the bottom, which goes through filter media and then back out a hole on the top back into your pond. VERY simple and cheap. Cheap being the operative word. I have a pump - but I am going to use that for the waterfall. I will buy another pump for this setup.

Realistically, I could build the filter and get my ponds up and running without the waterfall. I won't be putting fish into it right away - but I will see about adding some plants. People are selling plants that have overgrown in their ponds for VERY cheap at $2 per plant.

So, a plan for these ponds is slowly coming together. One pond will spill over into the other. How well this is going to work, only time will tell. It may be that I will have to have a bio filter for each pond regardless that one is feeding into the other.

Which means that I better get out there and continue with the digging process, now that I have something that I think I can actually make work, I want to get this sucker up and going!

C'ya later.
ben

More/Ace Hardware

So, the missing tenant that suddenly is no longer missing paid me a portion of the back due rent with the promise to pay the rest Monday. I took it without hesitation. There are reasons, legally, not to take it - but I am not going to worry about that. I take my losses with tenants as they come. I'm also posting ads on Craigslist to fill that room while she's gone.

I have a taker who said they would move in the day it is available - and I said cool if you're serious - but Craigslist is so full of flakes - people who make commitments or say they are coming or whatever and then - nothing. The ads will continue until the day the room is open, available and taken - ie: cash in hand, tenant takes the room. Thank you.

Dug out a piece of rebar that was unearthed during the proces of digging the holes for the ponds. It was in a position where it had to be removed. I had to dig DEEP into the ground to get that thing unstuck. Crazy.

I was at Ace Hardware today to pick up a patch kit for one of the ponds. I ordered it online - cheap, yes, but I couldn't find anything available locally. There were 2 huge tables full of clearance items. The items had already been marked down, now they were half that price. I saw a submersible pump at a ridiculous price. LOW price that is. Yes, I got it. A pond without a pump is basically a glob of green goo. Filter next.

Well, I went to the back after finding that pump to get what I had already paid for - I bought it on the net through Ace site and had them ship it there, keeping shipping costs free. I approached the counter, a man came up to the counter from the back as I was approaching. Behind me came another customer with a sales associate who walked around back and started taking care of his customer.

I moved to a position directly in front of the other guy who was standing there, at the counter, fiddling with some papers. He never acknowledged I was there. Not a single word. I was RIGHT in front of him, 2 feet away. He KNEW I was there, yet he totally ignored me. I stood there for 60 seconds waiting for this man to at least say SOMETHING. He did not and I walked. Went to the front, waited in line to pay for the pump. A lady was handing out popcorn, I asked if the manager was available.

She calls him, doesn't show up. My turn comes to pay for the pump - after several minutes - I pay, still no manager. I decided to wait and see how long it would take for this person to actually meander up to the front and deal with it - but I was also quite annoyed at that point. At Ace Hardware, I have almost ALWAYS encountered smiling employees with great attitudes. They are all about customer service, at least in my dealings with them. Manager shows up 5 minutes later. Low-key, wants to know what's going on. I tell him in a couple of sentences, he asks who it is, I said at that point it doesn't matter and I left. Well, I had asked the lady at the front for the number for the district manager before the store manager had showed up, which, btw, is NOT the general manager of the store.

I am becoming less and less tolerant of forgettable or worse customer service. In this case, definitely worse. I don't GIVE service in such pathetic terms at my work, I expect to receive at least mediocre service wherever I am going. I WANT great service, but as we all know, that is hardly likely at many different types of retail stores these days.

I walked out, called the number, was surprised that anyone answered the phone on a Saturday. It was another Ace store in Tempe where this manager also manages a store. No there, no big deal, figured I wouldn't be able to talk to this person until Monday anyway. Manager wanted to know what is going on, I told him and then asked if how I can get my money back on an internet purchase, he said he could do it, no problem. Showed up - done.

Will I go back to Ace Hardware? Of course, I am thinking this to be a fluke, it is certainly nothing like the 100 other times I've been in there (more than that, I am sure) in my lifetime. Will I get the patch from that store? NO. I have already ordered another one from somewhere else. No big hurry, either. The pond setup will not be ready for water until I get everything needed to keep water flowing and aerated.

The newest tenant, completely changing the subject because I am pretty much already at the "water under the bridge" stage with Ace and the manager apologizing profusely - is bringing her kids here tonight. Should be interesting - if I'm even awake for it, cause' my bedtime is in 1/2 hour and she is working. Her daughter is 3, her son is 7. She sat here today - we were talking - we are both talkers so talking isn't much of a problem - saying how she likes it here, thanked me for letting her in and how much of a release it is to be in a home without all the stress.

That was nice to hear. I don't like living in drama and stress - though tenants sometimes certainly cause such for me. Anyway, she went to work, then to her parent's house to bring her kids here and then - here.

Long break and it's time for me to go to bed.

G'nite.

Disappearing Tenant - Has Reappeared

?????
She went to Alabama. I knew she was leaving, but that was a long time ago! She said she left 5 days ago and got back last night. Okay, I can accept that, but where is the rent? Yes, that is my major concern here.

She JUST came walking through here, I had NO idea she was even here. Almost shocking to even see her come through here.

Anyway, she said she would pay me rent today.

THAT was my biggest concern.

We'll see - later on of course.

Saturday/Fry's Food Stores

I went to cook some chicken that I bought from Fry's Food Stores yesterday - opened the packaged - enough to make a maggot puke. It was rotten, VERY rotten. Use-by date was today, not yesterday. In the last few months, I have either thrown away or cooked and given to the dogs at least 4 packages of stuff that has clearly expired before the use-by date printed on the package.

Well, yesterday, I had had enough of this. Keep throwing away $5/$6/$7 packages of meat and get no use out of it? Bunk. I took that rotten meat up to Fry's in a plastic bag, stood in the customer service line, got up to the front. The woman gasped at the smell before I said anything, but I said it anyway: "Fry's is selling rotten meat. Smell this". She wanted nothing to do with it - neither did anyone within smelling distance. One guy waiting behind me was also grossing out at the smell.

I was not happy, by any means. I was JUST at Fry's not 30 minutes earlier on my way home from work. I had to get in my car, drive up there, go get another package, stand in a long line, etc etc etc. Who wants to do that? But if you don't, you lose the money you spent on the meat and I have already done that several times.

They DID make it right, though. I won't besmirch them that. I got the new package for free, my money back, PLUS a gift card. I was actually quite surprised. I was in no mood to ask for freebies, I just wanted my meat, go home and cook it. I didn't ASK for my money back or a gift card, I didn't even intone such. In fact, I had half a mind when I walked in there to leave the rotten meat on the meat cooler in the back, grab a "fresh" one and just walk out. But, I figured I might get into trouble for such so I resisted the impulse. It would be nice, though - rotten meat laying out with all the allegedly "good stuff".

I informed them that whoever is working the meat department giving these use-by dates is wrong. It's happened enough times that there is an obvious flaw in their calculation. From the stench of the meat, that stuff I had was probably 2 days into the rotting process. Regardless, I refuse to lose another penny to rotten meat. Although they compensated me, I was still not very happy about having to drive all the way up there after I had just gotten home for the weekend, settling in, thinking about what I might do and attempting to cook some dinner.

End of that story. If you Googled for the Fry's story, that's it, the rest is just my personal, daily stuff. You are welomed to read it, obviously, but just lettin' ya know.

I have several options concerning work around the house for this weekend, I have not decided on which - if any - I am going to do. I am looking daily for pond items for my ponds. Without a pump and filter setup, there will be no water put into them. They aren't quite IN the ground yet, probably 2/3rd's done with the digging. People are selling stuff on Craigslist - just not as cheap as I'm looking for. I have a set up in the back to put together for shade for the dogs for summer. I have several plants in pots that need put in to the ground - just have to decide where to plant them. There is work to be done inside the trailer - but that is on -hold for awhile. Who knows. I usually get a wild-hair and go out and start in on something.

Meanwhile, the missing tenant is still missing. I would have already moved her stuff out of the room on an abandonment notice, but how does a person abandon a nice pick-up truck in excellent condition? She simply isn't here - but WHERE is she? And why hasn't she contacted me? Oh, how I wish I would remember to get people's phone numbers. I have the other 2 tenant's numbers, I don't have hers. I have held off on the notice, but today I am posting it. Whatever her situation is, I can't and won't wait forever for her to either pay the rent or deal with her stuff in getting it out of here. She doesn't have that much things, it won't take much to empty out the room once I gain legal access to it.

Diet? It's going. Yesterday, I ate a plain bagel in the morning. I was at the main branch at work and there were bagels out on the table. I toasted one of them and ate it without any cream cheese or any kind of spread. 8 hours later, I ate a good sized Talapia filet with more broccoli and just some tomato sauce, onions and spices. Quite delicious. That was IT for eating yesterday. I figure that bagel MIGHT have had 250 calories at most. Talapia is VERY low calorie stuff. A 4 ounce filet is around 100 calories. I figure that meal was less than 400 calories. So, yesterday's calorie count - 650. I'm a bit hungry this morning, but not as much as I thought I might be. Yes, my stomach is growling but I have no motivation right now to get up and make food. I might toast a couple of slices of bread - 200 calories just for that - and eat it plain to tide me over until this afternoon when I will decide what I am going to eat. I have plenty of that frozen Talapia and it is QUITE good, I love fish.

Oh, the chicken I got from Fry's? By the time I got back from Fry's, I was disgusted with all of it and just put the chicken in the fridge. I didn't even cook right away my fish dinner, I just put it all out of my mind for a while. I think dieting and eating in general are all, totally in the mind. If you can change your way of thinking about eating, well, it's importance and impulses to eat go way down or even disappear altogether. Yes, you have to eat, no you don't have to eat all day long and no, you don't have to eat all kinds of junk food that is doing nothing but adding fat to your body. Will I be able to last? I'm sort of taking the AA approach to it - one day at a time. Decide each morning to not give in.

For example, I'm sitting here on the computer, Michael has the TV in the living room on. A Dairy Queen commercial comes on. They have Blizzards on sale. Buy one, get the other for - whatever it was 20 cents or something. I LOVE Blizzards. I also steer way clear of eating ice cream. If I eat it 3 times a year, that would be a generous estimate. My favorite is the German Chocolate Blizzard. Because I eat very little sugar, I get a pretty good sugar high if I do eat one.

But, I put that out of my mind. What do I need ONE Blizzard for, much less TWO of them for? My problem in eating is that I like sauces and creams on my dishes. I also make foods that sometimes have high fat content.

Well, whatever. Do what I can and not beat myself up if I blow it somehow.

As for the Arizona Immigration Law - I read about all these inflamed Latinos, yet I talk to Hispanics personally who have NO problem with this law. Sure, there are plenty of Hispanics against it, but there are plenty that AREN'T against it, either. Simply put, a few voices that are getting media coverage are NOT speaking for EVERYONE. Obama wants to put an end to it. Great, Obama, then DO something about the HUGE problem we have in our state!

"It's going to change our lives," said Emilio Almodovar, a 13-year-old American citizen from Phoenix. "We can't walk to school any more. We can't be in the streets anymore without the pigs thinking we're illegal immigrants." This was a great quotation from a punk - juvenile that views cops as pigs. Is THIS the voice of the Latino opposition? ROFL!!!!! Do these people REALLY think the "pigs" are going to start stopping High School students on their way to school? No, I do not view cops as pigs, this was this kid's statement, not mine.

Mexico warned the proposal could affect cross-border relations, with Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa saying her country would have to "consider whether the cooperation agreements that have been developed with Arizona are viable and useful."

Well, dear Mexico, I find YOUR inability to control your own citizens, deal with the drug cartels and your desire to send your people here so they can send BILLIONS of American dollars back to you to be less than useful, too. What's Mexico going to do, stop the "rich" Americans from coming in and spending money over there? Laughable.

This entry has waxed long - I'm ending it.

G'day.

ben

AZ Immigration Bill Signed Into Law

Don't really care if you oppose this bill, if you are here looking for someone who is opposed to it, you came to the wrong place.

The Federal government has neglected our borders far too long. I don't care, either, if the bill is held up eternally in the court system. It is going to do what I figure they designed it to do: force the hand.

I want a secure border, the feds are charged with the responsibility, they have defaulted on it, the Governor of the State of Arizona has asked FIVE times now of Obama to send the National Guard - I DEFINITELY agree with her signing that bill into law.

Obama can no longer ignore this issue, it has raised nationwide fury on both sides of the issue, EXACTLY what this particular issue needed to get Congress to start talking about this issue and DO something about it. When we talk of budget cuts, the LAST thing that should EVER go is the security and safety of our nation's borders.

Million dollar toilet seats in national parks can go by the wayside. Earmarks and all the BS can go right down the tube as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, the State of Arizona has now FORCED the issue with the feds, they have NO CHOICE but to "find" some money and get that fence built, reinstate all the INS agents they let go and whatever else I don't know about that they have done, via budget cuts, to compromise the security of our border. And yes, send the National Freaking Guard, PLEASE. This alone should be enough to turn a LOT of people against the current administration.

Oh, well you don't live in AZ. That's right. You don't have tens or hundreds of thousands of them sucking your local economy dry. It doesn't affect you, therefore, who cares, right?

Will there be abuses? Is the use of stun guns abused by a rogue element of police? Are there police that beat the crap out of innocent people? Have you ever read about a police officer shooting a person down that was unarmed? The question answers itself. It will happen and the media will pounce all over it and attempt to make it the rallying point to get rid of the law. No matter. Just the fact of signing it into law creates a powerful force of energy blasted against the current administration and our reps and senators to get their asses in gear, get to discussing it, get to writing up a bill.

I'm all for it.

Friday

Another work week almost trashed, cashed and done with.

"Health Law To Increase Costs" is the "major" headline this morning.
I sincerely hope that no-one is surprised by that statement. It's going to cost you and I, the people that actually pay for this stuff, a LOT more money for health care in the end. It is NOT going to cost less or the same as Obama, Pelosi, Reid and others spouted during the push to get that bill signed into law.

We're only on the very tip of that money-sucking iceberg, time will tell just how much more it's going to cost all of us. Those rich people who get the best, free healthcare for the rest of their lives that are standing on capitol hill couldn't care less how much it costs us, heyyyy, we got our faces and names going down in the books for history to look back on, yayyyy! That's ALL they care about. I hope something is done to stop this nonsense and that history will look back on them like a bunch of senseless whoremongers, greedy, wanting the spotlight and caring less what the American MAJORITY had to say during the time that thing was pushed through.

I'm still waiting to see what Governor Brewer is going to do with that immigrant bill sitting on her desk. I FULLY support it, btw. People are running amock claiming it's anti-hispanic/Mexican and that it will create racial profiling. Bunk. Law enforcement officials will have training and will have to have a REASON to suspect they are illegal, they are not going to be able to just look at a brown -skinned person and ask for their papers because they are brown and no other reason.

The Federal Government is doing next-to-NOTHING to protect our very borders, that's a FACT, we HAVE to take matters into our own hands if, for no other reason, to get their attention, which by now, I think we have. I still say sign the bill and let the chips fall where they may.

LOTS of stuff going on in this world, but right here in good ole' AZ? We have the nation's attention because of that bill. I hope Gov. Brewer doesn't turn tail and run because of all of the opposition. A poll showed that fully 70% of Arizonans SUPPORT this bill. That is an over-whelming majority. The poll had a error percentage of 4%.

Anyway, Friday is here, 7-1/2 hours of work and then go home for the weekend. Plans? Nothing grand, the same ole' thing of working around the house, get those ponds in the ground, stuff like that. I have some plants sitting around that need planted as well. In fact, I have at least 10 plants right now that need planted that I have accumulated from different places over the last year and a half. Funny how long plants can survive in plastic pots.

Anyway, have a good day, c'yall later.
ben

Stuff

I wonder how many people have opted out of flying - or flying as little as possible - because of all the BS games the airlines are playing? It seems like every week - or sometimes every day - some airline, somewhere, is playing a newly thought-up fee game. Pay to use the toilet? Getting rid of reclining chairs? And then there's one airline's idea that may soon be coming to have standing only passengers.

I hope THAT is a short flight!

A woman that lives in the neighborhood died today. She was in her 30's. Overdose. Drugs run rampant in this neighborhood in a certain mix of people - of all ages, actually. Meth being the drug of choice, it's amazing how grown adults even in their 50's can be addicted to such. My conodolences to whatever family, there is nothing good to be gained out of a situation like this. This neighborhood is quite the mix - a large population of older generation who have lived here 30 plus years; numerous sex offenders; lots of drug users; lots of illegals. Some nice people and some very, very cranky and un-nice people, I have had my run-ins with those that want to bully and try to dominate the neighborhood. I have a rule about that, I will NOT be shoved around in or near the place I live, period.

Got off early today - yes there was work to do but there was nothing to do after I got back and I decided to just leave an hour early. With the manager's blessing, of course. I have all of these vacation hours stacking up and soon even more, getting very near my limit, I figure to use some of them getting off early and next month, I figure to ask for a couple of days off. Haven't decided when, but I am not going to lose vacation hours when I have them coming to me, and if I get to 80, I WILL lose any more hours that are being accrued.

Today's eating - so far - has been an apple and a salad. The salad had one slice of ham, tomatoes, onions, lettuce and light dressing. I am going to have more fish and veggies in a couple of hours and that will be it for today. I've eaten no more than 500 calories worth and the fish dinner will be less than 500 calories. Actually, I will have eaten around 800 calories - considering the exertion I did at work today plus the extreme exertion I did when I came home digging out rocks and dirt, calories consumed will be far outweighed by calories expended. I've gotten FAR more serious about dieting - I will NOT turn into a human pig if I have anything to do with it - and of course - I have EVERYTHING to do with it, as well all do in our own individual case.


Tomorrow's Friday. I have heard nothing from the tenant who has disappeared yet whose truck is still in my driveway and whose room is locked. I have no clue.

I'm going to go through email about the time she moved in - I can't remember if she called me directly from my ad, thereby bypassing email or if she emailed me.

Later.
ben

Thursday

Missing tenant.
That's all I can say about it. She hasn't been back since last Thursday, I believe. I would consider her just gone permanently but her little red truck is parked in my driveway. She is also 7 days past due on the rent. I think she called me initially in setting up an appointment to see the room, so I can't email her to find out what's going on.

40% chance of rain today. Not good for deliveries and there are 3 in the system which will take me all over the east valley. Hopefully the rain doesn't start until later. Rain almost always shuts down most job sites, making a delivery impossible.

So, I put an ad on Craigslist to see if I could drum up some of this stuff for the pond - for cheap of course. A water clarifier was offered for $40. The thing sells for $130 at Home Depot. Keep the pond from getting green, allegedly anyway. No offers on pumps or waterfalls, I am going to keep scouring the ads for such - or figure out how to built my own waterfall with rocks and cement or mortar.

I'm also about to start running ads for the room while the tenant that is already gone - is gone. Strange, yes. I keep asking other people in the house if they have seen her while I'm at work (people do strange things when they owe money and can't pay it, not saying that's her situation, I really don't know until I can speak to her about it) - no is the repeated reply. Meanwhile, the trailer people paid me the $25 yesterday and told me next week they would be up to 3 days late with the next $25. I'm really only interested in them paying for their own utilities, it's not a money making proposition so I just said fine. With the addition of the MasterCool cooler on the trailer - versus an energy-sucking AC unit - I figure $100 per month covers their use of water, hot water and electricity. Oh, and my grill. They use that thing - daily I think.

Instead of coming in and cooking (which I never said they couldn't), they seem to like to cook on the grill. All well and fine, but it costs $20 to refill that sucker. I refilled it about 3 weeks ago, there is still gas in it. I have used it 4 times in that period. I like grilling but I don't do it every day, maybe once a week. A tank can last me a good, long time.

Anyway, off to read the news. I noticed Iran is doing their hype and aggrandizement junk in doing more military games. Are we supposed to shudder in fear? South Korea is blaming North Korea for shooting a torpedo at their Navy ship. Now, if they can prove that, what, exactly, is the next step? Most folks would consider that an act of war, doncha think? Our guys and gals would be dragged into such a theatre - seems like we have enough going on right now. The North is denying any involvement.

Well, enough.
Have a great day.
ben

Cafe World Tips 16: Super Stoves - Get Them Without Paying Cash For Them

Obviously, I would think, everyone is going to want your Cafe World kitchen equipped with Super Stoves. I mean, personally, I have been playing long enough now that I am kinda tired of having to go through all the prep work to get a dish cooking.

I got my first stove for free when they first came out with them simply by signing up for it in advance with Cafe World.

When they became available to buy, well, give me a break. Zynga/Cafe World wants $50 CASH - real money - to buy one. That's just unbelievable. What other online game do you know of besides maybe online casino gambling requires you to pay such exorbitant amounts of money to play the game?

Of course, you don't HAVE to have Super Stoves to play, but it would be MUCH nicer.

Well, Zynga came out with the build-your-own-stove option. You have to get X amount of 4 different parts to put the stove together and you can only get those parts from gifting from your neighbors.

Well fortunately, I have a LOT of neighbors and for the first stove, they have given me a helping hand. I completed building the first stove today and will be getting it in a few minutes when my current round of dishes being cooked are done and I can pull out a stove to put that back in.

Unless a hack comes out to get them for nothing - which I am sure the hackers in this world are already trying to do - this is the only way to get them without paying real money for them.

Now, when you want to start building the next stove? Costs you 100,000 - one hundred thousand - gold coins to buy the frame to start building it. No big deal there, I have over 4,000,000 coins in my inventory, I bought that and will start asking neighbors again tomorrow to help me out.

Look, these Super Stoves are a totally awesome addition to the game. As with the spices, they are also going to be hard to acquire. There are STILL people out there that are trying to get all the parts they need to get the spice rack done and get with the spice program (I have an entry on spices and how to effectively use them, just google Cafe World how to use spices effectively and you will find my post).

I have 17 stoves left to go - I imagine months before I have all of them converted to Super Stoves - maybe even longer. Oh well. In the meantime, I will be scouring the internet for any cheats that might come along to get them for free, as what occured with the Spice Racks before Zynga patched the hack and it was gone.

In-General

Pond 1 is at correct depth - not done yet but correct depth.

Didn't start on pond 2.

Today's eating: salad with veggies, no cheese, light dressing.
Fish with various spices, tomato sauce dumped over top and broccoli.

I'm getting better at the eating department. I am cutting out cheese almost altogether - it's very wonderful stuff and is very high fat and calorie stuff as well. Not a good part of a diet.

I have decided that I am going to eat a lot more fish, salads, cut out some of the beef eating and probably stay about where I'm already at with the chicken. Pork - good pork anyway - is usually pretty pricey so I only eat it once in a while.

My manager has some brand new - and pretty awesome workout equipment. He suggested today that we show up early for work and work out. He apparently doesn't have time to do it at home - or more probably - just can't do it for pressures from all sides.

I replied that I am already showing up at 5:30 am, showing up at 5:00 am, 3 times a week would be okay with me. It's always much easier to get a workout program going with someone who is doing it with you.

I will get myself 20 pounds lighter one way or another. I will continue to deprive myself of whatever until I start to see the reversal in a substantial way. I am going about it slowly - the eating department especially. I am finding it much easier to say no to cheese in whatever food I am eating. Which, initially, I thought would be next to impossible.

Dunno, but I am running out of time and I have another entry I want to write plus I am doing a couple of load of laundry, sooooo....
g'nite!
ben

Wednesday

Well I wonder how long it's going to take to get the skies over Europe back to normal? What a menagerie of chaos!

Meanwhile, it was a pleasant read to see American made cars are making a comeback in popularity over Asian made cars. It seems like Toyota is coming out with a fresh, new recall every week!

Then there's the story of the bus driver who crashed into the rear of a pickup truck on I-10 here in good ole' AZ - apparently the driver was driving so erratically that a couple of motorists had called 911 shortly before that horrific crash that killed 3 people. I just amazes me the "quality" of commercial drivers I see coming through this area that are weaving in and out of traffic, speeding, tail-gating, texting and all kinds of other crap.

This new breed of driver? The roadways are not safe, I'll just put it that way.

Whatever the case, the expected high today is 70 degrees - more than 20 degree difference than yesterday's high and supposedly even lower tomorrow. Very nice.

Anyway, I'm outta here as the work day snuck up on me and I have to get moving.

ben

More: Pond

So, I stopped at AutoZone today to get some tire sealant. I had stopped at Home Depot first to see about getting a new tire with wheel - $25. Forget that. Buy a whole new wheelbarrow for $40. I also found a HUGE wheelbarrow - thing is worth $125 minimum - for $25. I did not, however, want to drive that far to get it - way out in the far east valley. Doesn't matter, the tire sealant worked. The guy at Home Depot said if it goes flat again, Harbor Freight sells inner tubes for those tires for $2 plus change.

I get home. The trailer guy has been working on that hole like crazy. He borrowed a big, heavy, thick steel rod from a neighbor and had been hacking away at the dirt/rocks. I started in on it with the shovel and - well we got that hole almost entirely dug for that pond. Amazing. I am going to have it sitting at least inches above ground and then have it pour into the pond that will be below it.

That project is going way faster than I had expected - only because of the help. I spent an hour at it and quit. I don't really have the money to continue on with the project after the ponds are installed, so there is no big hurry. I have a couple of pumps to buy, plus make or buy a waterfall for aeration and a filter to either buy or make.

Those things will undoubtedly take time to find cause' I ain't spending huge money on this. Find people that are selling their stuff cheap - maybe people who are being foreclosed on that want to sell that stuff. I guess that didn't sound right - I don't want to take advantage of a bad situation - sort of - but if they are going to list it on CL, then I will buy it if it's at a good price.

Quite encouraging, actually, but a little too fast.

As for everything else, pretty much normal. The Army reservist has been gone for quite a while now - though her pickup is parked in my driveway. She is late on her rent. Supposedly she came home a day ago - didn't know about it - and left again. No clue, different lifestyle, I just want my rent money.

I have been giving my opinion on the absolute, total neglect of definitively dealing with Iran and it's nuke ambitions for some time now. It is obvious Obama has no intention of doing anything about it, or if he does, it will be a toothless, gutless piece of garbage that will only make the Iranian government laugh - publicly and for the whole world to see and hear - that much the harder, longer and loudly at us.

I have more confidence in Israel dealing with them than I do our own - weak-knee'd as it stands now - government. If we don't take it to them, eventually, THEY are going to bring it to OUR doorstep.

ben

Tuesday

Dear U.S. Government:
Why do you continue to impose your will upon the people? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?
When you have a good answer for me that doesn't have 2-steps and other fancy dance moves involved, please reply.
Thanks.
Sincerely,
benb

BTW, I do not add salt to my food - ever. I am always looking at sodium contents on packaged product labels. I do think that many foods have FAR too much sodium content in them and I tend to stay away from such. OR, if I do eat something that has a high sodium content, I make sure that I don't eat anything else that day that has anything but a very low sodium count in it. I go by the percentage of a day's intake, as apparently dictated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Of whom are going to start imposing their will to force companies that produce packaged foods to lower the sodium content. People who like salt?.......will probably just ad MORE to the food. Instead of forcing companies to reduce sodium content, perhaps educating the masses about the potential future problems of massive salt/sodium intake would be better? Yes? I think that at this point, people are starting to get sick of a government - in whichever form - that does not listen to the people that voted/put/assigned them in there.

If they really thing it is a "neglected disease", then that intones that people don't understand the implications of eating too much salt - which is where I would fully supprt the USFDA to start a massive EDUCATION program, as salt is readily available anywhere - people can add as much as they want! It's great if companies are reducing the amount they add to their foods, but this does not eradicate the very real potential of a person simply lifting the salt shaker and adding more.

Me? I put lots of pepper onto foods. On foods that will taste good with it, I also add garlic powder. It doesn't mean you can't eat ANY salt, it just means that Americans are eating far too much of the substance and people are - down the road - dying from it. Well, we all have to die one way or another, I would like to just get my Full Life's Serving of allotted days to live - and hopefully in relative good health at that.

In other benb news, the newest tenant is a cleaner! yayyyy! Really, without asking, she is wiping down counters and doing all kinds of cleaning tasks in the house. I only state in my ad to please clean up after yourself, not that you have to clean up after everyone else. I spend a good deal of time doing cleaning tasks in my house. Well, anyway, it is nice to finally have someone that is of like mind as me - clean when and where necessary - and yes, it's always necessary if it isn't clean, thank you.

She hinted yesterday - a couple of times - about having her dog living there. Showed me pics of her daughter and her boy - and then there was the dog pic. Okay, don't worry, the son and daughter are NOT moving in, I am considering the dog. I usually charge a pet rent for dogs simply because of the problems they can cause. Not all dogs are the same - some are troublemakers, some do nothing. I'm guessing she WOULD have her kids living with her if she could. Anyway, I am consideringt he dog request that wasn't really a request but was a request by the subtle way she put it.

And with that, my work day begins,
c'yall later!
ben

Monday

So, the new tenant is moved in. Or I assume she is, who knows. She was asking, just before I went to bed last night, if she could bring more stuff. In other words, late at night. I simply responded that neither of the other tenants are home, the guy in the room next to you is half deaf (seriously, he IS! - he receives a monthly disability check from the military for damage to his hearing in one ear due to an explosion going off near his head) -- go for it but if the other female comes home, please try to keep the noise levels down.

That's it. Her car is out front, no clue how much stuff she took in there, will probably take a look at video surveillance to see just how much goods this person is introducing into that room. Why? I'm nosy. No, not really, it just seems the more a person has, the more entrenched they are in staying and not going anywhere for a while. That can be a good thing, as long as that person pays their rent on time, every time. She seems like a really sweet gal. I hope that pans out in the near future. She was driving a LONG way to get to work every day, I'll say that - living in north Phoenix and working in west Tempe.

I decided, after transplanting that tree yesterday, to do the "Ground-Breaking Ceremonies" for the first pond. Okay, I just took some orange paint, did an outline of the bottom of the pond, dug out about 6 inches all around and filled it with water. The really good news, though, is that I only have a few plants left to cover on the drip system and it is done - for now. The only thing lacking is installing a timer and having the system turn on and off by itself.

If I want to go out of town this summer, that system is going to have to be installed is all I can say about that. It's about $40 for the timer that can handle that many stations. Actually, those people in the trailer would probably look after it, I just want the thing fully automated. I would prefer the watering to be done just before sunrise. Well, I'm usually at work at that point in time, even if not, I don't have the time to go out there, turn on valves and wait until everything is watered.

I'm not saying the system is useless in it's current form - it's totally awesome, actually. The hardest part about installing this system was trying to figure out how much water - gallons per hour - I would need for each plant. Admittedly, I may still not have that particular part down. I figure there are a couple of small Sissoo trees that will have to have more water than what I am giving them at 2 GPH - it's very simple to change out the emitters - or just add another one and have 2 per tree.

In about a month, my son turns 17. School will almost be out for the summer. He is hopefully getting a job very soon. I need to get him driving more so he can get his driver's license. He's going to need to be able to drive himself to work if he gets a job, because I most certainly do not want to be taxiing him all over the place. That car - my old Buick - will cost around $400 or less to get everything fixed on it and get it up and running. Well, it's already running, just need to get some stuff fixed on it. It only has 139,000 miles, for a Buick, it's just getting started : )

Anyway, one tenant issue down, facing another one soon. The Army reserve gal is leaving for 60 days and I MUST have that tenant income to pay for the high electric bills that are already starting to creep upwards as the daytime temps increase. The ex-Marine is talking moving around August. Cross that bridge when I get to it - unfortunately that room is not furnished and will be harder to rent out.

Anyway, work day approaches - though there is NOTHING in our truck routing system, which kinda sucks. Means finding cleaning chores and such to do around here.

G'day.

ben

Today's Doings

I set out to get most of the emitter stuff done. I installed somewhere around 40 or 50 more of those.

I wanted to get the tree transplanted - done.

I had to both vacuum and the use the carpet cleaner in the new tenant's bedroom. Done.

Decided to get started on digging out the hole for the 1st pond since the tree was removed. Removing the tree was definitely the right thing to do and where I planted it was a much better location than where I originally had it.

So, I put the pond where I wanted it, got some orange spray paint that I bought from work awhile back, sprayed an outline.

Dug out the outline - all the way around - and then filled it up with water. It is VERY difficult to dig out a large hole in this area if the ground is wet, it is freakin' next-to-impossible dry.

It took my 5 days last year to dig out a hole that was approximately 3-1/2 feet in diameter and almost 4 feet deep for that tree I planted. 5 days. I figure as much for just one pond, maybe more for the first.

I am also going to have to find a bunch of good looking rocks for the permiters of both ponds. Dunno about that yet, haven't even started looking. The task at hand is enough: get the ponds in the ground.

I don't even have enough money right now to get the rest of the stuff I will need, so - no big hurry, just want the ponds in before the heat gets worse. I was out there sweating very nicely today, it was very warm in the direct sunlight.

Newest tenant called a while ago and said she was on her way.
She called again and said her dad's truck got a flat and didn't know when she was going to make it with the first load, but sometime "tonight".

I replied no problem - though if after 8:30 pm, she's on her own.

Oh, and I didn't think about this til' today: fill both ponds up most of the way with water and make sure there are no leaks BEFORE putting them into the ground. Leaks are much easier to fix with full access than when they are already in the ground.

That is a day's worth of doings, if I do say so myself. I got a lot accomplished and yes, I'm happy about that. The drip system? I can now say IS almost done. Just a FEW more plants, maybe a handful, and some modifications on setups I already made and I'm done. Guessing another hour's worth of work. I have nothing more than to go to the valves, turn 2 of them on at the same time, and watch plants being watered while I'm sipping sugar-free lemonade. Lol.

Oh, and to get a glimpse of the heat today:
"Temperatures reached the mid-90s on Sunday, and the warm weather got the best of a few firefighters, Caskey said. One rescuer needed an IV and was taken to a hospital for treatment."

Firefighters had been called to rescue an older gentleman who was hiking, fell some 20 plus feet, injured his head and back. When you come out of a nice, cool, spring, there is always an adaptation time to get used to the heat again. I sat out there and forced myself into the midst of it today because - I hate the heat at this point and the only way for me to get accustomed to it each year is to simply go out, in the direct sunlight - with plenty of water of course - work in it and get the idea that yes, this is going to be life for the next 6 or so months.

According to the weather reports, the high temps this coming week are coming back down significantly. I will be totally focusing on getting as much of those holes dug as possible while the getting is good.

Which reminds me, I must get a misting system up for the dogs to help with handling the heat. I have all the materials I need for that project - lumber; dark shade screen; water access; tubing - I only need the misters themselves. I am going to build an overhand off the back fence with the dark sunscreen and install the misters so that the cooling is to be fund underneath that screen. I have a lot of that stuff left, but I wish now that I would have bought more way back when I bought it from a guy that was going out of business and selling it at unbelievably reduced rates.

Oh well. I still think I should have enough to cover everything I want to do out there.

Done for the day.

Good evening.

ben

Pre-Formed Pond

As I continue to ponder how to install these 2 ponds I have acquired, I also decided to take a trip to both Home Depot and Lowe's for some ideas on what is available in accessories and necessities for this setup.

However, even though I have a location picked out - or approximate - I still had no idea how to install 2 ponds that would make it so that one pours into the other.

After looking at picture after picture after picture of such, I finally came to the conclusion that for the best effect, one pond is going to have to be raised slightly higher than the other. Even though I am using pre-formed pond liners, this is going to be quite the challenge for me as I have never even attempted to install anything like this.

It will, however, answer the question as to where I am going to put at least some of the dirt that is dug out of the ground. I will have to build up dirt on the sides of the raised pond with some of that dirt, and if I choose to, I can also use more dirt to build up a waterfall.

Let's just get the ponds in the ground first and then consider waterfalls, pumps, bio-filters and the like. After seeing the price tag of bio-filters, I am definitely going to try to build one myself with some help of one particular site on the net with some people who have been toying with ponds and trying to keep them clear for a couple of decades now.

To the end of getting them installed, I started to move all the landscaping rock out of the way and am watering the tree that needs to be moved heavily. It is a very small tree - maybe 2 feet in heighth, still a "twig", basically, I am hoping it will survive the transplant process. A little vitamin B will help it with shock. I may do that transplant today. Just prepping everything to even start digging is turning into quite the load of work.

I am not, however, deterred, because the eventual outcome will be WELL worth the effort involved.

I am just glad that I am dipping my feet into this unknown by starting with relatively small ponds. When I get it all installed and get plants and a few fish in there and learn how to keep it clean and looking wonderful, THEN I might consider going to a much larger set-up using a liner instead of pre-formed.

But, a larger setup will cost a lot more money and that is a thought for the future. I'm looking at probably a couple of months of install - at the pace I work it anyway - to get it to the "finished" point. That's because I have a lot going on around here, I devote an hour here, a couple hours there to projects such as this until it is done.

Yesterday, I got the half inch line installed for the remaining plants that are not serviced by the drip system. THAT was a pain with all kinds of bends and feeding the line underneath plants and attempting to get it at least a bit underground so that my landscaping rock will not push holes through the tubing. I closed off the end and I powered it up with a full pressurization of water. It held for an hour and that's all I needed to see. I mean, it held pressure for an hour with no visible leaks anywhere in the line, which is about 90 feet long with various 90 degree bends. Meaning several areas where potential leaks could exist.

I have been very pleased at the outcome of the drip system. It is remarkably easy to install, even though at first you definitely have your questions and concerns, and it works QUITE well. It doesn't just save time, it also saves a lot of water. You are applying water to the root zones instead of just using a hose and getting the entire area around the plant wet. A remarkable waste of water in such a situation, I am going green, so-to-speak, with this drip system setup. I have spent more money on it than I thought I would.

I can only add here that I am GLAD that I get employee discount on the entire system or the end-cost of this system would have been nearly quadrupled. Yes, quadrupled, that's the amount of discount I am getting on most every product that I needed for it. I checked the prices at Home Depot and Lowe's, which is where I would have bought the stuff if I had to buy it through normal methods.

Basically, I would have only got one portion of the system up and running at regular prices.

I am headed out there shortly to continue getting more done on the drip system, as it takes precedence over the pond. Though, I will also undoubtedly move all of the landscaping rock out of the way today and probably get that tree transplanted.
OHHHHH gag, I totally forgot - again - to clean that carpet in that room. Well, it'll take half an hour. I can't believe I forgot about that, I got totally absorbed into the world of ponds and it just totally slipped my mind. Off to work!!

G'day.

ben