They're Leaving?

So, I'm at work this morning, around 9:30 am.  I was done with deliveries for the day, actually.  There wasn't much today which really didn't bother me.  A freight truck came in with about 16 crates and pallets FILLED with material.  I knew what I would be doing for the next several hours, at least.

Well we're trying to get the crates out of there - they were turned sideways and a pallet jack cannot pick up a pallet from the side, whoever loaded that truck like that must have - well anyway, I go get the chains. I have enough chains in the trailer sidebox on my truck to stretch out at least 200 feet.  Then I get a phone call.

First, it was Josie.  My now-passed best friend's wife.  I could not take that call, I was busy and I can only guess how long it would take, so I just let it ring and go to my messages.  Right after that, I get a call from my home phone.  I took that call, I don 't get calls from home unless there is a problem.

Lynnette is on the phone, sobbing and crying and telling me how she had opened the gate and how Sophie- the new doggy - zipped past her from "out of nowhere" and ran down the street.  I didn't have the time for this, I couldn't drop what I was doing and go home and start looking for the dog, I just hoped that the dog would eventually come home like she did last time.  I got off the phone with her quickly, I didn't need to hear this sobbing and crying stuff, though the reason she was sobbing and crying wasn't about the dog directly, ie: it's gone.

It was the last time this happened.  She has let those dogs out by spacing out and not paying attention or just blatently leaving the gate open at least 5 times now.  The last time she did it, I got mad because it was a stupid mistake - she should have learned long before that that you don't leave the get open, not even "just a little bit".  I told her if it ever happened again, they would be leaving.  I said it out of anger, but I never retracted it.  I figured a good motivation for her to pay more attention and keep the freaking gate closed.

She calls back not 5 minutes later, the dog had been caught, brought her home, end of story.  I didn't get into a discussion with her - I was extremely busy at work and I am not paid to stand around talking on cell phones when there is work to be done.  I CAN talk on the phone if I"m sitting  in the truck, waiting to get unloaded, that's legitimate, but not at the yard.  There is always something to do at the yard considering it's a 2 man crew working a rather large facility.

Fast forward to getting off work, wishing my manager and the lady that uses one of the offices to do her work for a different division in our company a Happy Good Friday and happier Easter and go home.  Mark comes out of his bedroom and walks by me.  I say "Hi" loud enough to make sure he hears me.  Nothing.  Doesn't even slow down.  I then observe that they have removed all of their coffee stuff and other things off the small counter top that they had been using all the way up - until now.  I further observed that he apparently has decided not to help out around here at all.  I then see a note from Lynnette - they are moving out but it will take a week or two to get their stuff out of here.

In other words, without even discussing it or even giving me a chance to ease the tension, they flat decide they are moving out because of my past words, apparently.  Which made me angry.  They have been living here getting close to 3 years now and this is how little they think of me?  Unless they change their tones towards me, I am not going to say anything, they can just leave.  I have been in this situation with other tenants before - people who are intent on leaving and acting pissy - I don't even talk to them unless they talk to - or confront - me.  Then all bets are off.

I have absolutely no problem, whatsoever, taking care of the things that need taken care of around here.  Not having them here will mean having to lock the house up, yes.  I will no longer have the peace of mind of having someone watching over the place when I am not here, but I have ONLY treated them well for them to be acting this way to me.  I have made more than enough sacrifice in my personal life to give these people a place to live, it's just sickening.

Whatever.  I'll get over it quickly, unless, of course, they change their tones.  Anyway, after I observe all of the lack of help I had around here today - which I dug into and got done quickly in daily duties - Kyle comes through the door. The ex-heroin addict, ex-con, 18 year old kid that used to hang out with us long ago before he turned to a life of crime, drugs and whatever else.  The brakes on the car he is using were not working right, he says and needs help with putting on new brake pads.  Aiy yai yayyyyyy.  Friday afternoon, weekend here and I have to go install brakes on someone else's car?  Gag.

But, Kyle has turned to the straight and narrow.  He has been working, he is off the drugs and he doesn't live the life of crime anymore.  I had decided not too terribly long ago that as long as he stays on that course, I will help him however I can.  Do you have the new brake pads? No, he has to go get them.  Okay.

30 minutes later he comes back with pads in hand.  Okay, let's go fix the car.  Well, turns out, the car is not HERE, his mother dropped him off.  Gag again.  Fortunately, he lives all of 2 miles away, so I decided to go ahead and help him out.  I did the driver's side first and that was where the problem was and partially still is.  One side was pure metal on metal.  I mean, it had BEEN metal on metal for a while, there was NO brake lining left and the rotor was nicely grooved.

I informed him that he probably should replace the rotor - but not mandatory.  A brake shop obviously wouldn't tell you that, but I can.  I have done it when I didn't have enough money to replace a rotor.  The pad eventually wears into the grooves and though it isn't perfect, it still works.  He didn't have the money for a rotor and I simply told him the pad would not last near as long and the braking would probably be pulling to the left, but, it will work.  He didn't care.  Okay, we replace that.  I get to the other side- yikes. One of the bolts holding the caliper in was on so tight, nothing I could do would budge it.  I asked if he had a hammer - put a wrench on the bolt, hold it tight and pushing down on the wrench and start hitting the wrench with the hammer at the same time.  The vibration usually, eventually, will cause the bolt to break free.

He brings me this piece of junk hammer the broke into pieces after a few good hits on the wrench.  Yeah, whatever.  I put a bar on the socket to get lever and used my LEG to push down on it, not even budging.  I finally gave up on it.  The pads on that side still had good lining on it, actually, so, no biggies. Optimal?  Obviously not.  I told him to get some WD-40 or similar and spray it on the bolt head and another part where it might get in and bring it back Sunday - afternoon I guess - and we will try again.  I will have a REAL hammer this time, I should be able to get it off of there.  Well, I have him pump up the brakes - he has no clue.  NO clue about cars, even something as simple as pumping the brake pressure back up.

Anyway. I come home again.  Gilbert, his brother and cousin are in my living room. The cousin and younger brother are visiting from California, going home tomorrow.  Cool peoples.  Yes, I got extra money for the extra use of electricity and water and such. No biggies on that one.

Next?  Lynnette comes in from wherever she had been at - work I guess.  She says hi in an almost inaudible tone, I gave a hearty hi back, but that was it.

I have no clue.  They don't want to talk, this is obvious.  I will play the "note" game with them.   Or, they will leave while I am in bed or otherwise not here and there we go.

Whatever again.  Another tenant paid today.  I tend to accumulate money in my wallet in this scenario - more than I am comfortable with carrying.

There was church tonight, actually, but events today?  I just didn't go.  I will be going Sunday for sure - hopefully for sure, lol, anyway.

Tomorrow I hope to get some more done on the trailer.

As for now, it's getting close to my bedtime.

ben