Friday

So, I was looking at Duke - one of my Great Danes - a little while ago thinking he is taller than 31 inches at the nape of the neck. I measured him a while back but he wasn't standing fully erect. So, I got a hold of his head and got him standing erect - he's 33 inches! And he is ever gaining weight! I picked him up today, I'm guessing a minimum of 140 pounds. The dog is huge, is all I can say about that. Prince - my other Great Dane - is smaller than him and I think he is at 31 inches and probably 15 pounds lighter as well.

Umm, well whatever. I am going on a date in the morning and I hope it turns out at least something memorable if nothing else. As in, we find some kind of common ground to work with and not end up just leaving and saying goodbye and nothing else. I already have a head full of questions and such to talk about, talking is not a problem for me, I have the gift when I need it.

I don't think I posted here that Jeff - the non-paying tenant, left yesterday morning while I was at work. I had no clue. I came home, did my normal things around the house and walked to that end of the house where the tenants are - to check the bathroom - and saw his bedroom door open. Room had been emptied and the keys laying on the bed. I already have the room rented for a week - cash in advance of course - which is good. I used that money today to buy dog food. I have also had a guy that I have talked to 3 times today on the phone.

He wants to get out of the house he's in - renting a garage in a family's house - and into his own bedroom. We had a long discussion on both calls. He sounds interested - but don't they all. I don't normally get that many calls from someone who isn't really serious about it, though. He was telling me he was only paying $250 for the garage. I could tell that he was subtly attempting to get me to come down on my rent price, which is fixed at $375 for that particular room.

I won't budge. The only way I'm going $250 is for work around the house, and most people don't want to do that. But, right now, I can't afford a work for reduced rent situation anyway, and I haven't been offering it. I DID offer bi-monthly payments which make it easier for people to deal with if they are not making much money, and I doubt a co-manager at a Taco Bell is making that much money, but - who knows. I have learned that all of these wonderful phone calls from people are totally meaningless until they're here, sitting at my kitchen table, signing a rental agreement and forking over money. It is at least intriguing that I have had a couple of calls, though, in such a short period of time after posting that ad, and even more odd that it's the middle of the month.

Most people are moving at the end/first of the month. Out of one contract and into another. It would be nice, definitely, to get that room rented out. This guy has a Jack Russell Terrier, purely obnoxious dogs if you ask me, but I like most any dog, just that those things seem to me to be very temperamental. Good thing they are so small. I think big dogs get the stupid spell because if they weren't, they would definitely - have problems in life. Duke is the dumbest, I mean absolutely dumbest dog I have ever owned, and I've owned a lot of dogs. There is one dog I had that came close, but Duke is the Crown Jewel in the Dumb Dog category. But he's totally lovable : )

This is the lure of my ad - that I accept dogs. I have to put that in there because I already HAVE my own dogs and probably a good contingent of people out there that want nothing to do with giant babies also known as Great Danes.

Well, that's really it. It's Friday, I'm home and it's good to be alive.

ben