Finally back in full ketosis.
Sometimes I eat stuff while on the road that I'm not sure about the ingredients.  Kind of take a chance. I mean, it just kicks me out temporarily - but that can take days.  Then I feel like I'm wasting my time with the diet cause I'm no longer using fat as the source of energy for my body. That's how this thing works - that's why it's hugely popular and successful - if - you follow the diet and pay attention to ketosis and do the strips to make sure you are in ketosis - and if not - taking remdial steps to get back into it. Otherwise, you might as well just quit and not do the diet at all.  It literally won't work without ketosis, no way can you eat that much fat and expect to lose weight otherwise.

My remedial step is to simply eat nothing but cream cheese for a day or so. Maybe some pork rinds along with it.  It works.  It isn't the greatest thing on earth, but it's not the worst either.  I'm floating around 200 pounds at the moment 199 being the lowest be really just staying around there. Not gaining or losing.  Well I take that back. My size 34's are definitely falling off of me now.  Much looser than they were. I'm going to get a pair of size 33 jeans - I tried last week but accidentally bought size 32's. 

32 is a long way off. I'm not sure I even want to be that skinny again.  I used to be skinny. Toned, yes but not much meat on my bones.  I don't really see that as all that desirable anymore, just want the weight down into the normal range. 

Anyway, it's Sunday, I've done a lot of nothing today. Well I babysitted the kids for several hours.  It's funny, because when mom and dad leave, those two will just hang out with me the entire time.  No crying, no fussing, just happy happy. Then when the parents get home, they're back to fussing and crying lol.  They don't think it's so funny, I tend to rub it in haha.

I have a run to Brownsville tomorrow and I have unanswered questions that I posed to my manager last night. The 5 days with only 1 run thing - and that one run being almost worthless question. And why? If we aren't slow, what's going on here?  She wasn't happy with my questions and I didn't - and don't - care.  And - the rest of the questions - and questions I haven't asked that i will be asking.  I want to know why she is taking some of the actions she is taking, such as hiring more people that we absolutely don't need.  And putting outside drivers over the group's Ethylene drivers. And on and on. I've kept my mouth shut long enough. Other drivers have asked the same questions, but they aren't like me.

I'm not claiming to be anything special, but I don't take half assed responses that don't answer the question at face value. If the company is forcing her to make these moves, then my grief is with people above her head.  If she is somehow arbitrarily making these decisions, then I want to know why she is making those decisions and based on what metrics?  Any way about it, I will find out.  Either from her or from someone above her, at this point it doesn't matter to me.  It's best to stay ithin the chain of command as long as you can - but there is a point where that no longer works.  And be prepared to find alternative employment.  I have a couple of good leads that I would pursue further if it comes to that. 

Anyway, we are having steak for dinner tonight.  It's keto friendly : )

Dogs will be staying home while I'm gone.  Rene told Maria that I would be "paying $150 per week to have a kennel watch my dogs", thus her stance with Maria that she deserves everything I've done for her.  There's one problem with her argument: I could and will be leaving my dogs at home for - ever actually. I'd just give my friends money for the help, but they wouldn't ask for it.  I don't need Rene or Maria or anyone else outside of where I'm at to watch them. It would just mean they would be outside alone all day long - just like millions of other dogs are left outside, all day long, across America.  Nothing unusual about it, not optimal, imo, but certainly not abusive to the pets. 

Rene unblocked me temporarily to send a text about how wrong I am, ,blah blah blah and then blocked me again before I could even send a reply?  Yup, enough.  She can leave today if she likes, no one would miss her. 

Well, it's time to get some stuff done for my trip tomorrow before it gets too late. Daylight savings time kicked in - gag- last night I'm glad I didn't have to get up early this morning. 

Saturday morning.

The waste of a trip yesterday completed, got home same day, which is expect on that particular trip.  It basically pays nothing.  I mean, compared to most everything else we do, it's just a worthless trip that no one wants to take. It's comparable to Cheniere, another plant I love to hate.  And then, I find out I'm not going out again til Monday. So 2 unwanted days off in between trips, yet again.  Brownsville on Monday.  I love being home, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't pay the bills or save up money.  Well, it pays the bills most likely, it just doesn't give anything extra for savings and goal money.

The thing that bothers me is, my manager told me yesterday we "aren't slowed down right now".  Well then why the gaps between runs?  And, of course, they are hiring more people.  Just sheer stupidity.  They hired a guy to "just do Barnsdall" runs.  Really?  My search for a new job continues.  I"m being picky tho.  I don't need another job like this one or the last.  These companies think they are doing you a real favor by paying you 48 cents per miles.  When you tell them you're making a lot more than that, they - well there is silence on the phone.  Even being a driver's market, there are still many companies that need to up their game. They came up to high 40's per miles, but that isn't good enough.

Meanwhile, I'm still searching for a decent, 3 bedroom house in the area with owner financing.  Not an easy task. The houses that I would consider in my price range are dilapidated run down, nasty looking places. If I wouldn't live there, I don't expect anyone else to live there either.   Rotting wood, facades falling off, paint gone, who knows about the roofs of some of these houses.  You certainly wouldn't want to buy a house and find out it needs a new roof installed on it.  That's major money right there.

I'm in no hurry to make the wrong decision.

Rene has gone into full psychotic mode.  She has been having meltdowns on Maria - who finally caved in and started dishing it back out to her.  Outrageous behavior, Rene needs therapy.  Actually she needs Christ. She has been going to church, but I'm not seeing it having any palpable effect. The sooner she leaves the better.

As for today, the Ford dealership is closed.  I guess I"ll take it in Sunday evening and get my Jeep from the other house to use until I get my ride back.  But they said it's half a day repair so it shouldn't take more than being on one run and coming back and getting it.  Still amazed the dealership quoted less money - by hundreds of dollars - than local repair shops.  And with a 2 year warranty, I'm definitely going that route.

Taylor, upon hearing I will be home this weekend, decided that I should help her paint!  I bought the paint some time ago - enough for my room and for the kitchen, living room and dining room. Like, a lot of paint.  She painted my room and now finally decided to get it done in the rest of the house.  I hope she starts on the kitchen first. The colors the previous owners painted the kitchen are - quite an eyesore imo. Red and green.  Just not very appealing.  I'm not really interested in painting today, but I can help her with taping and moving things and whatknot.  The minutia of painting - the stuff you have to do that takes more time than the actual application of the paint itself.

Whatever the case, I have lots of stuff to get done around here - but - it's going to rain.

_______________

I ended up texting my manager.  Why am I not getting the runs?  As of Monday, I texted her, I'll have been out on one, one day trip spanning 5 days.