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