Here we4 go.  Only in Texas?  Some businesses use flashing red and white light like on a cop car apparently to attract business. ......and red lights that seem to take forever.
  Driving through Marashall, TX some beautiful mansion style brick homes. Plus a sign that says Shreveport, 35 miles.  Nice, rainy day, streets empty this early.  I don't think I will mind the work to work so much as I will not be liking having to drive that far to get home and wasting that much time on the road when I could be doing other things.

I left duke at m'lady's place and probably will overnight during the week.  It would add another 20 miles of driving every day to take  him over there every morning and leaving him atmy place is pretty much out of the question.  Not only because a huge chunk of fence that would need repaired but also leaving him there alone for 12 hours at a stretch, he wouldn't do too well. Over at her place a coulpe of other dogs to keep him company when everyone's gone at work and school.

Well, 25 miles of driving to get off of back country roads and onto the Interstate.  Speed limjit of 75 mph and following behind a large group of vehicles going 80, should get this trip over with pretty quick.  Cropssing over state line, speed limit reductecd to 70.  Haven't been in Luisian in decades.  My trips have had me heading west, not east, have had no reason to head east though I have been wanting to go back to the east coast for quite some time now.

The longer this drive is taking, the more I am coming to realize that this is not a permanent solution.  

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Day one over and done with.  10 hours and 18 minutes of work.  Rained all day long but it was nice to be in the rain, farnkly, as it wasn't cold and ti felt nice.  Air cool, though of course summer is coming and they were warning me about the humidity to come. Yes, I know what's coming, I probably won't like it, it will take quite an adjustment period, but I chose this, no-one forced me to come out here, so0 that's that.  All the company vehicles have AC in them at least and it all works.

Nice people at work, only one young-in in his 20';s and like many 20 somethings I encounter, not a very good worker.  Slow, too slow.  Has an iphone in his ear all day long talking to someone.  Just not very productive.  They pulled an order off the printer that was maybe 6 pages long and said how big it was.  Yeah, when I learn where all the stuff is an order that small will be pulled in a couple hours or less. Their entire yard and warehouses are complete and total disasters.  I mean, really, really, reeeeeaaaaaaally bad.  I don't know how they find anything with that kind of disorganization going on. They have all kinds of room in that yard, they could make it much better and much easier.  They have fittings that you use every back in the back and junk you rarely use in the front.

????  Paper and trash and broken pallet stuff everywhere.  I started picking up trash and kept at it here and there when there was time while helping pulling orders as well.  I looked in the 6 wheel truck and it was disgusting.  If they think I am going to just tolerate that s***, they have another thing coming.  Trash laying all over the floorboard, totally filthy and - yes - disgusting.  Then I pointed out a completely broken quarter panel on their semi - I mean the plastic was hanging onto the tires it was so broken up, I"m like, really?!!

Then I found several pallets of fittings that were mixed - that should not have been mixed.  Just unbelievable.  The place is gross.

Anyway, I am finally back home after going to m'lady's place for about 2 hours - that was it for me.  I am totally bushed.  I am not used to 10 hour work days now because we haven't been allowed any overtime for along time.  Here? 10 hours a day, period.  You don't get off early.  Which is fine - I guess - but have to readjust.  Well it isn't just fine, I have to have the 2 hours per day OT or I sink since I took such a pay cut.

But after today and 125 miles of driving to work and then to M'lady's and then back to my place - it's obvious this isn't going to work out.  At least not at this pay.  The fuel is going to cost me a small fortune.  I could shave that back to 94 miles if I didn't go to m'lady's house and I have to probably come to the conclusion that I won't be going over there every day after work.  Basically?  I'll do this for a while, as long as I can handle it and the fuel bill and then I will just go in and ask for a raise.  At least a buck an hour.  2 bucks an hour more like it. Yeah you don't think I'm serious.  I know what I am worth and it ain't what they are paying me.  They think that since I am going to be working 10 hours a day it should be the same as I was making 8 hours a day in Phoenix, I've got news for them.  They are making great GP and AC is really good too so paying me for what I am worth is mandatory, but really, to pay for all this gas.  They don't want to do that, fine, I will find greener pastures closer to my new home.

And with that? It's bedtime. I am beat and time to be off to slumberland.

G'nite.

ben