So, yesterday, my friend from the past calls. She had called earlier in the week and asked if I would come over and show her how to use a new chainsaw she had purchased. I decided to go over, why not - though I knew what was in store: cutting up logs for firewood. I got over there and found out the husband - they are divorced - was there for Christmas to visit with the kids.
I mean , really? I was a bit reluctant at the point to stick around, who knows what might be going through a man's mind of his former wife with another dude showing up. Not that I was there to do anything like that. Well, he was amiable enough so I just let it ride. Sat around for awhile looking at all the old photos she - Mary that is - had, some from days I had totally forgotten about. Kids were playing Black Ops with the dad, though the boy was making all kinds of jokes and hilarity.
Well, the day wasn't getting any younger, so I grabbed the chainsaw and headed out back. Mary is on a very tight budget, she got the wood for free from somewhere and is doing whatever she can to keep her expenses down. In this case, it's having a fire going 24 hours a day in her house to keep it warm enough that she doesn't have to turn on the electric heat.
Well, I got that thing fired up and they came out - Mary forcing the teenager to come out even though he didn't want to have anything to do with it - I cut the logs and they started splitting them using a giant steel wedge with a sledge hammer. Lo and behold, about half way through this, an old friend calls Mary. He and Mary were a couple in our teen years, that guy used to be one of my best friends in that day and era.
Mary talks to him for a few minutes, John that is, and then hands the phone to me, not telling him who it is that he would be talking to. I started out the conversation such as it would be in old times. He had no clue at first. My voice is deeper and raspier than it was back then - don't ask cause' I don't know why, it just is - so he didn't recognize my voice. But, Mary threw in "it's WW", one of my old CB handles and he instantly picked up on it. We talked for about half and hour, but I ended the conversation because we weren't done with the wood and apparently no-one else wanted to use the chainsaw. Small saw, kept over-heating on the denser, heavier wood.
Got done with that and went inside. Had some pie, got into all kinds of conversations with everyone there about nothing in general, just having some fun and then finally left. I was invited back next weekend to watch a movie with them. So, a little Christmas Day fun.
No work today and the end of 6 days off, 4 of which were mostly work, work, work. Not that I mind, but I AM glad that there is another 3 day weekend coming up. We will have Monday off for New Year's celebration. I agreed to go back next weekend, btw, it was fun to spend some time with a family and not with just dogs and tenants all the time, lol.
I am doing much of nothing today. I already went out and hit up the after-Christmas stuff. I wanted a particular plant that always comes out at Christmas in the stores and is sold for $39.99 - a price I refuse to pay for a plant - and yes, they had them marked down to $9.99. I am not really going to add more plants to the property at this point excepting if I see something that I really want at a great price. I have enough plants going and they take enough water in the summertime. The City of Phoenix seems to think that the water supply to it's residents is a yearly money grab, raising the rate 5% 2 years in a row, I believe and I really want OUT of this city unless the new mayor is going to do something about it.
I also got another roast - I couldn't resist. A much smaller one. 2 months down the road, maybe 3 - whenever really - get it out of the freezer and cook it.
Done with spending money on Christmas and presents. Went a bit overboard, unfortunately. If I don't spend anything but normal bills, I will be able to bring it back up. I still have to spend some money on that trailer, but it doesn't have to happen right now. I am content with what I have and anyway, I have 3 tenants owing/paying in a week or so. Well, longer in the case of the "homeless" cause she doesn't get her first paycheck until after the first week of January.
Of course, tax return time is coming. I have 4 more days of truck driving to have made it through this entire year without getting any warnings. If I make it, I get the safe driver award which is a full week's paycheck. Meaning I am going to go out of my way to make sure I don't get caught up in any of the "hotspots" ADOT uses to set up portable scales and doing truck inspections. I am not afraid of the weight, it's the inspections that get me going. I just had a mechanic come and fix everything that truck needs fixing with, so if I do get pulled over, I would at least like to hope that there would be no violations found on the truck.
That's it. For now anyway. Mary just messaged me through Facebook, apparently she really wants me to come back over on Saturday. She also wants me to stay up with her and her kids for the ringing in of the New Year. I'm not sure where this is going, but I am not really looking at this point in time, if you know what I mean. I go back and forth with that. Sometimes I am searching, but then I go back to just not wanting to even get involved with anyone. That has to do with the divorce - the amount of hell I went through just never seems to dissipate in the intensity of just how bad it was. Like it happened yesterday.
Well, offa here. Go outside and enjoy some fresh air, sit next to the ponds and listen to the waterfalls, watch the fish, pet my doggies and - enjoy life, really : )
G'day. Hope you all had a great Christmas.
ben
