Michael

..........showed up some 45 minutes ago.
Haven't seen him in what, a month and a half?
I had all of these thoughts in that interim that he was gone forever, that I wouldn't have to deal with him coming back and so, I let my guard down, I guess.
He had a big, huge and very disarming smile on his face.

There is a passage of scripture in the Bible that says "love covers a multitude of sins". I just couldn't find it within me to do any of the things that I had thought of doing after he left - without notice - and just disappeared out of our lives. I guess that's what happens when someone lives with you for 5 years, especially if it's a kid - even if not related to you in any way, shape or form.

If Anthony ever showed up like that here, well, it would be a totally different story. Remember that I threw him out of here, he did not leave of his own accord. Not to mention the vandalism and the theft. I would call the police, actually.

Anyway, that's all I can really say about it. I did find out that Anthony spent 3 and a half days in Juvenile Detention and that he hated it. More information came out about JD's little brothers - the 3rd youngest brother in that family is headed towards Juvi as well, at least in Michael's opinion, because he is still smoking pot and they do monthly drug tests.

I can't offer a logical explanation for my lack of acting out what I had thought I would do if he ever returned, emotion sometimes supercedes logic - whether that's a good thing or not - well, I'm a human with a beating heart, not a robot with lubricated joints.

Well, anyway. A man showed up today wanting to rent the room. We talked for a long time - like a couple of hours actually. However, there was a catch to his deal. He gets paid 2 Fridays from now. Asked if I could hold the room. I spent 2 hours speaking to that kid not long ago who insisted he wanted the room and didn't show up on the intended date and no answer at phone number left.

This guy isn't a kid - somewhere in his 30's going through divorce. Actually, when he showed up I thought the police were here. He was in full-fledged security guard gear - but this gear of his makes him look very close to police officer status with the blue uniform and a badge that is pretty convincing and ALL of the gear police have on their belts. A pretty intimidating looking gun in his holster as well - a Glock 9 millimeter something or other. Not well versed in guns (me, that is). I'm not afraid of guns - unless in the wrong hands of course. I did not offer to hold it for him, but did say that the room currently occupied by the temp tenant "probably" would be out of here by the time he wants to move in, anyway. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the guy is out of here before his week's worth of paid rental is up. I have had thoughts of simply trying to make the room more like a hotel room for people coming and going, since I have had several of those in there now.

But that would mean a lot of people in and out of here and exposing myself to more risk, not sure I am really need that. It would simply be nice to get my hours back at work and not need 3 tenants. My search continues.

My 4th drug test today. The place wasn't so full so I didn't have to wait quite as long but I was there 45 minutes anyway. The nurse was especially talkative - probably me, I always get people talking. If I want to, anyway. In fact, the "test" was long over and this individual was yacking away. I found it amusing so I entertained it. I made a few simple comments that - are designed to get people talking once I find something that makes them tick - and that is usually all it takes. Kinda like the pilots over-shooting the airport by 150 miles, he realized he better get back to what he was supposed to be doing.

Oh, the insurance company. I'm going to have trouble with them, I am sure. If they want to put the blame for me on the accident, fine, I already figured that. I simply cannot prove what actually happened because I have absolutely no witnesses to it. I will not, however, tolerate a 20 something (my guess from the pitch of voice, the tone and other clues) talking down to me on the phone. She was god, I was a speck of dust, at least in her eyes. She continuously interrupted me on the phone and announced her superiority over me several times as being "The Adjuster" and I - nothing apparently. Someone forgot to tell her that I am THEIR CUSTOMER and I don't give a rat's @$$ about WHAT they think about their position and how they think they have an ace card over you.

They have NOTHING over you. If they are going to dump you as a customer, they were going to do it anyway, this does NOT give them the right to talk to you like you are a piece of trash. I eventually cut her off and demanded to speak to her manager. Several minutes later, the manager came on and I simply told it like it is. I asked this manager that if these phone conversations are recored, to please listen to that recording and hear how many times this person cuts me off in the middle of a sentence and proclaims her infallibility to me. The manager apologized as I wasn't letting this go. I was then transferred (voluntarily) to another person to take a taped recording of my version of the accident.

Interestingly, the woman who owns the vehicle that cut me off has not attempted to file a claim. I will end up getting the fault for this accident, 99% sure of it. There is nothing I can do about it. A rear-end collision is always your fault regardless of what happened unless you can PROVE what happened. I had thoughts earlier about all these cameras all over the freeway and wondered if maybe there is one there in that particular spot - but it may be too late for that. I doubt they keep tapes on any given spot forever and it has already been 5 days. I don't even know if there is a camera there, but I am going to find out tomorrow. Wish I had thought of it sooner.

That's it. Much more but I cannot write anymore today. I am writing too many entries, too long and I am trying to cut back a little to keep myself from burnout. I may not be successful at it and I may end up disappearing for whatever amount of time - I hope not cause' I really like keeping my journal updated for future reference.

Oh, and one of the main reasons I have not stopped posting here altogether and just post at the other place is simple: I have at least a reasonable assurance that this place is going to be around for a while. I have at least reasonable assurance that the entire site is backed up. I am not dissing the other blog's owners and their intentions, but I do not have the same assurances over there. There are other reasons, but - not worth going into.

G'nite.
ben

Blog Posting

There are times when I sort of phase out of blogging and end up taking several days off or even a few weeks of slowed entries. I am in the middle of one of those phases. It's not that I don't have anything to write about - there are ample subjects going on concurrently in my life at this particular moment in time that make for sufficient writing material.

I just start getting burned out on it and then I realize I better slow down for a little while or real burn-out will occur and I won't write ANYTHING for a long, long time. I am not going away, I have just slowed my entries on both blogs. No big deal. I have other things I am focusing my attention on as well.

Probably something to do with it are money worries - 1 tenant leaving in the next few days, the temporary tenant not staying long - he found a house and is discussing with the owners about renting it and bringing his entire family out here versus having 2 residences, one in Texas and one in Arizona. Judging from the vehicle he drives and the toys he brought with - probably 20 grand worth of dirt bikes in a large utility trailer - he is used to living a pretty decent lifestyle. 2 residences would definitely put a severe hamper on anyone's budget unless, of course, your budget is 6 or 7 figures. It was a stop gap letting the guy in - a weeks worth of rent is better than nothing. I have no idea whether he is only staying a week or maybe more?

I do - allegedly - have another guy coming today sometime this afternoon. He called on Sunday - I figured never to hear from him again even though he said he wanted to visit on Wednesday which is today - I just don't put a lot of faith in Craigslist people saying they are going to do things. Mostly, they don't do anything they say they will. Only when they actually, physically move-in after having had handed you however much money, then I believe it. Even a hand-shake and a verbal commitment is meaningless to these people.

Would it not be better to simply say I am going to keep looking around, I'll get back to you when I decide? That's non-committal. You are not committing to the place, you can just leave and I will know that you are not in the least bit interested in the place, continue searching for a renter, please. People that stand there and look you in the eye and say "Yes, I'll take the room, I'm moving in on such and such a day" and then never show up? Definitely get my goat.

It's cooled off considerably here. Allegedly the high today is somewhere in the 60's. I dunno about that, what I do know is I am going to be driving the truck all over the place today - Casa Grande/Coolidge/Florence/Queen Creek. Far east and south valley area. I was also correct last week about the alcohol test - a breathalyzer is NOT a complete drug test and corporate emailed the ops manager who emailed my manager to tell me that I have to go back in, spend another lovely hour with all those sick people in that cramped room, waiting to give a few ounces of my precious urine. Nice. So, technically, this will be my FOURTH drug test of the year. Nice. I continue to hear this story from people that believe that if they know you are clean, they will "use" you more often to get the test.

Dunno about that, but I do know the work day is almost here and I must get to getting to it.

See you around.
ben