Monday

3-day weekends are always nice.
I either mis-heard the temporary tenant or his speech was abiguous - he left yesterday, not next week. 
When I realized he was leaving, I immediately placed an ad in Craigslist - with no response.  So I wrote another one today.  I will write yet another one this evening.  He did enjoy his stay here - I asked a few times if everything was okay. 
I never did learn his story - what was going on with him or what - he didn't offer and it was obvious he didn't want people poking into his personal affairs, so I left it alone.  But, he did say he would keep my number when the need arose again. 

I was playing with mud today.  Mortar mud, that is.  Oh how I wish I could just build the thing - waterfall that is - and get it over with.  It doesn't work that way, at least not how I see it. I have no idea how professionals do it - or if they even do do such a thing in one day. I can't see how without possibly compromising the structural integrity of the project.  Yesterday, I cemented the second tier into place.  Today, I was using mortar mix to smooth over the top of the cement and leak-proof it.  I also put rocks on the sides of the falls and am building it up as I go.  I'm thinking a third tier and that's as high as it goes or NEEDS to go.  It was fun, actually, to mud the thing up. 

My pond acquisitions are over.  Electric use in my house is eating me up.  SRP has had 2 rate increases since last summer, I believe, I think anyway.  I know they just raised it again - 5% increase.  Must be nice to be able to raise rates while the rest of the business world is scrambling to stay alive. That's what happens with semi-monopolies.  There is another power company in town - but - you cannot choose between the 2.  Whatever power company is designated for the area you live in, that's what you get, so in effect, it really is a monopoly. 

The corporation commission regulates the power companies and both of them must go through that governmental agency to get rate increase approval.  The corporation commission just gives it to them without respect for what kind of financial, economic impact and chaos it's going to have on all of us that are struggling.  I will be writing the corporation commission and demand answers, I will also remember what they are doing and have been doing the next election.  I will also be present at any future meetings they will have when SRP will ask for yet another increase. 

Israel.  Israel is being criticized and condemned for the raid on the boats.  We don't have the facts yet, there has not been an investigation, but the world is condemning it.  I wish to high heaven that Obama and his administration would get off the high horse of rebuking Israel and treat them as the steadfast ally that they are.  I don't CARE if they have nuclear weapons, I do not consider Israel a rogue nation that will just set off nukes at their earliest inconvenience with some other nation.  If that were true, Iran would already be history.  To ask them to "come out" and fess up on the fact that they have nuclear warheads and then, sign a treaty to get rid of them while Iran is obviously rushing to get their own nukes - a nation that has a president who has stated repeatedly that Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth - is outrageous.  I find it fortunate that Israel has leadership that isn't going to stand down to the BS dished out to them from every side.

The ponds.  I got off that subject without realizing it. I have been scouring Craigslist and eBay every day for deals.  On Craigslist, if there is a knockout deal on there for pond stuff, you better get it and get it fast, cause' it will disappear in a stone's throw.  This guy - probably desperate for money.  He was practically giving away his stuff.  I mean, I know what this stuff is worth - I have been looking at prices for 2 months now.  He told me $60 for a waterfall. 

This is a big, plastic thing that has a biofilter built into it.  It has a huge lip off the stop.  You bury it in the ground, I'm guessing to the lip point being placed over the edge of the pond.  Water flows into the bottom of the waterfall, goes through the filter, fills up the container and pours out the wide and large lip.  It provides filtering and aeration and probably some amount of cooling in the hot summer.  He wanted $50 for it.  The lowest I have seen them on eBay is $225. I was asking about all kinds of stuff he had out there.  He had, basically, the rest of the stuff I need to have 2 separate pond setups going.  One out front and one on the side of my house.  I ended up getting a pre-filter, bio-filter, waterfall with built-in filter, 2 pumps for $60.  One of the pumps doesn't work.  The other one is a gusher.  That thing must be 1,000 gallons per hour.  Work great for the waterfall I am building.  I shrugged the other pump off, the pump that is working is worth $100 new - at least - by itself. 

I acquired around $600 worth of pond stuff for $60.  I could neither afford it nor afford to pass it up.  As I said, I am done with pond acquisition stuff, I am done, pretty much at this point, with anything other than payings bills and buying food. I have acquired or acquring (still waiting on eBay stuff to arrive) everything through patience, persistence and just plain waiting for deals.  The economy's bad, someone is going to dump their stuff and that's that.  The advent of electric use going WAY up foregoes any further spending on the property.  That coupled with an empty room. 

I have no prospects for the room, but,that stuff always changes at some point or another.  Someone in between housing need a temp place, someone coming into town for an event or visiting relatives - and not wanting to stay with them or pay for a hotel - lots of that stuff comes through this town.  I just hope to be able to capitalize on it.  Ex-marine is paid in full for next month, female tenant is paid up  - almost for this coming week, just short the 3rd room income. 

The robot expedition undersea continues with the BP attempts to shut off the oil.  Now, there is a robot down cutting the pipe.  You can watch it - it's a live feed and I've been watching it for many days now. 
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/homepage/STAGING/local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html
For me? Fascinating stuff.  Wonder how a person gets a job moving a robot around under the ocean. 

Anyway, I just checked the latest mud work on the falls - not even close.  I simply can't do anything out there until tomorrow.

G'day.

ben