Friday

I was awakened early this morning to the sound of driving round hitting the roof of my house. I had no idea how long it had been going on - but from the looks of my car this morning, not very long. My car was sludged with caked on dirt from a "dirty rain" - which is basically a short-lived rain with dust storms in it's wake and leaving the car - filthy.

Other parts of the valley got hit so hard, all of my deliveries today were cancelled because of flooded jobsites. However, one contractor called back an hour or so after he cancelled it - the sun was shining and the site dried out enough to have a semi come in - over the rocks they put down to drive on - to get unloaded. They were desperate for the pipe.

Right now, the sky to the north is very dark - totally cloud-covered. I started watering my plants but decided to put it off until tomorrow - rain is forecasted and if it's a good, soaking rain, watering my plants right now would be a total waste of water=money down the drain. I watered everything yesterday and the day before, and the high today was only 103, so I can skip a day anyway. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be 99.

I wrote extensively about this next situation on my other blog, but a little here for those that don't go there but always come here ( I LOVE you guys! lol ). A driver was laid off today, and another layoff is probably coming down the pike. The driver that was laid-off has more seniority than I do. Because of several "staff reductions" in the last year and a half, I conclude that seniority his little or nothing to do with management's decisions on who to let go and who to keep.

But, our little party of "keepers" continues to dwindle. I wonder if this company is even going to exist in this area in the near future? It's kinda scary. I'm sending off my first payment towards the 3-month "must pay on time" payments on the house this coming week. I am not waiting, I want that sucker to be there WELL before the due date. I only say that because I'm sending out the money while I have the money to send. Not saying I will get laid off, not even feeling that at all, I'm an optimist in such things and I have worked VERY hard for this company, I believe that work ethic is what has saved me thus far. Reality, however, is reality and one must deal with whatever comes along the way when it comes (hopefully without diving into extreme depths of despair).

So, I am starting the first day of a 6-day off marathon. Or am I? When I heard that news, and thought about the lack of drivers, I figured I best offer to back out of the vacation mode and back into work mode, for the sake of my job if nothing else. Boss said not to worry about it - but then thought about it and said he would let the ops manager know in case it becomes an issue. So I really have no clue whether I will have 6 days off or not, and frankly, with what's going on, it's going to be on the top of my mind whatever happens.

My plans for whatever days off? I am still intent on getting much more done on that drip irrigation system. I have done very little after I got the copper portion of it done as I was just plain sick of hot weather and sitting out in it after working in it all day long became less and less appealing. Really, there's NOTHING appealing about it at all.

I really - like the idea of doing absolutely nothing. My nature doesn't agree with that philosophy and I will find myself doing all kinds of things - but I do believe I will at least find periods of time where I will laze around and be vegetable-like in activities.

Enough for one entry.

G'nite!
ben