I didn't get out of Brownsville yesterday until after 4:00 pm.  I braced myself for the traffic - I knew there would be a lot of it heading north and I wasn't wrong. 2 small towns had traffic backups for miles - took quite a bit of time to get through those places, even with police waving traffic through red lights to keep traffic moving.  At 11:00 pm, I decided to stop, I wasn't about to drive until 4:00 am to get back to the yard.  So a truck stop I knew wouldn't be filled up I stopped at in Rosenberg.  Bed at midnight, much better than bed at 4.  So I don't feel as crappy today as I would have.

After getting back, getting the mechanic to deal with a bolt in a tire on the trailer I pulled up and chatting with some other drivers, I headed straight to the nearest starter shop. The dude hooked it up to a machine of some sort and declared it wasn't working correctly. So, he proceeded to take it apart thinking the brushes would be worn - which they were not when he got them out of there.  He was then stating it's likely the armature, but no guarantees. He then decided to see if he could even find a new starter for it.  It took him quite a while - but I wasn't leaving or getting impatient, if he could deal with this I want to get this over with.  I don't want to have to drive all over town to other starter shops or even go to a marine shop and pay exorbitant prices;.

He finally found it, declared I will probably pay more than the one I found on the internet and gave me a price of $155 plus tax. Well, how big a hurry are you in for this? No hurry, I'd rather get this right than be in a hurry. So, 3 to 4 business days he said it should arrive. That's fine, I said and offered to pay for it on the spot.  Nope, I don't need you to do that. 

But sure enough, his machine verified that the shaft wasn't lifting all the way up when you turn the key to start the engine.  That's what I was observing the one time I finally did get it to work. It was spinning and raised up a little, but not enough to engage the flywheel. It was just relieving to find out for sure from an expert that yes, what you thought was wrong - is wrong. 

I'll get the new starter installed when it arrives, get the thing fired up and let it run awhile.  Maybe quite a while since I have the garden hose attachment to keep the engine cooled.  Just no reason to get in a hurry to get stuck out on the lake.  But first I have to find the dipstick? I've searched all over that engine and can't find one, but the videos I've watched say they all have one. 

Anyway, over to Maria's to get the dogs - and listen to the tale of this new kid she let move in there. I knew there was more to the story than this kid's parents were letting on. He's not really a kid, he's 18, but he is in no wise prepared for adult life and the pressures in life. In fact, he doesn't even care.  His parents are rich, apparently, driving around an Audi suv and paying his way - just paying it for him to be out of their house.  She said he hasn't taken a shower since he moved in there on Friday - it's Tuesday.  He goes to bed late and gets up late. He isn't looking for a job.  He makes messes in the kitchen and doesn't clean up.  Let my dogs out and - they got out alright.  I was pissed about that one.
Gets uppity about being asked to help with taking out the trash and basic household chores. 

Basically, he's as lazy as hell and apparently has lived a golden life with everything handed to him.  Has no sense of responsibility, accountability, work ethic, etc.  So, did the parents coddle him and just not raise him right? Or perhaps were busy with careers and didn't have time for him?  Or what?  Could do lots of speculation, but that's all it would be.  Just about guaranteed that the best - and worst - thing that could possibly happen to him is that he is thrown out on his @$$ into the stark reality of life and let him figure it out.  My mother did that with me when I was 19 - tho i wasn't lazy and I did have a job - she just wanted all of us out of the house.  Including dad lol.  She stormed into my room one day, demanded I leave right then and there, at 10:00 pm, bye or I'm calling the police. 

I now know she could've called the police all she wanted, but they wouldn't have forced me out of there that night.  Not that I'm holding anything against her, probably one of the best things that ever happened. The stark reality of life comes glaring you in the face when you are dealt a hand of cards that all say the same thing: You're screwed, now do something about it. 

But let's make Maria's situation clear: this was all HER decision.  I did not push her at all, in fact, I spoke my reservations about having that kid in there. There must be a reason the parents want him out.  She's pretty unhappy about it, but again, none of this is my doings. I recommended against it and asked about the other people that had inquired about the room.  She said she felt pressured to get the rent paid for for the house.  I just don't do that. I'd rather she find quality people even if it takes a bit longer, people that are self-sufficient and don't need to be led around by the hand and instructed on everything to do.  The kid isn't going to like it there.  Maria is pretty strong willed. She doesn't want to be his mother, at the same time, she isn't going to tolerate him just doing nothing to contribute to the house. 

We'll see what happens. 

I was instructed to "ignore the kitchen" when talking to Taylor today. Lol, I knew what that meant.  Kitchen is trashed.  I sometimes get irritated with it, I usually just grin and bear it and clean it up myself.  But, it's already late, I didn't get home until after 4:00 pm and I'm just ready to sit here and take it easy.  Waiting to see if I have to go back out tomorrow. There weren't many trucks in the yard, but I recall this week's schedule not showing that many loads going out on Tuesday.  I would like the day off to get some stuff done tomorrow. I really can't complain, tho, I spent Sunday in Brownsville in a hotel and not doing that much. It's just that it isn't the same as being at home with the "family" - they're really like family now - and my dogs and my bedroom, 65 inch tv, desk top computer, maybe smoke some meat, etc. 

In fact, I forgot about the pork butt I bought on sale at Kroger's before I left. Sitting there, all big and fat and ready to be put in the smoker : ) I can get the smoker going, get it at a good temp and stick that sucker in there while I go out and get stuff done.  Cause this smoker? Will stay at a constant temp once you get it there. Takes a while to get it that way but once it's there you don't have to worry about it for a while. 

Hollandiase sauce! I had forgotten about this. I used to make it as a 5 year old and in that age range for my dad in the morning. He would eat poached eggs with that sauce, I would make them for him before he went off to work.  I haven't had that sauce since I was a little boy. Something sparked it in my mind today, a different kind of sauce - bernaise - which I have never made.  But now that I thought about this poached eggs and hollandaise, I am quite likely to make some very soon.  It will be a visit to the past and thinking about my dad who is now in Heaven with the Lord.  I have boxes outside in the shed that I want to to go through, there are some writings from my dad in there as well. The sauce brought back childhood memories of my father and then it kind of just kept going in my mind.  I do have some regrets not visiting him more often.  But nothing life shattering, just thoughts that I could have spent more time there. The off-factor were his wives that didn't like us boys and hence, kind of difficult to warm up to a setting where you are clearly not well received. 

Which makes me think it's time to go visit mom. 

Ireland or some other nation where I have to fly over the ocean and use a passport isn't off the list.  Very much in my mind.  I'm going to have so sit down with my manager and get specific permission to go ahead and book a flight somewhere and have her okay it in advance.  I mean, in advance of my actually giving her the dates, for finding good deals can't be based on permission after the fact, it needs to be before. That way, it doesn't matter what day of the week you leave or return. And days of the week? Have become more and more meaningless as to the importance of one over the other, ie: weekends, as they used to have on my mentality and thinking.  The only thing that has changed in my thinking about this is the Ireland is not set in stone. It's a bucket list thing, but not necessarily the first place I would have to visit over the ocean.  I don't have any other destinations in mind, necessarily, just I want to be flexible. There are beautiful, scenic, history laden places all over the world. 

Hurrican Dorian dominating the news and just watched footage of the Bahamas in a place called Marsh Harbor. Homes literally gone, just the pieces of it laying on the ground. HUGE swaths of it. But that's where the hurricane was at 185 mph winds.  Unbelievable devastation there. 

Well that's it for now.