And just like that, I became left-handed almost instantaneously. 
Why?  I have no clue what happened, but a muscle or tendon in my right hand was injured - somehow - and my right hand became jolted with stabbing, intense pain with any use at all. 
This was last night - Friday night.  I thought to go an urgent care but none of them were open that late.  The hospital sounded appealing, to be honest, but I decided to go to sleep instead.

I'm back in Brownsville. I was on my way back up Thursday and got notification from my manager that I needed to get back to the yard that night and go back out - down to Brownsville again - the next morning.  Amazing, haven't had that happen in many, many moons.  Back in the "good ole' days" when we were busting @$$ and moving until we ran out of hours.  Perplexing, tho, because there is really not that much going on.  There was no point in going home at 8:00 pm and having to get up at 5:00 to go back to the yard.  I just spent the night in the truck, meaning out at least 4 days on this round. But that's okay, I had 3 full days off in between last run and 2 full days off between the runs before that.

TBH, I really wanted to go home after that last trip and recover.  Like, lay in bed for several days and try to get past this sickness. I don't think it's the flu, it's just a major head cold that has respiratory congestion.  Meaning coughing, hacking, sneezing, runny nose, all that wonderful stuff.  I tried some off brand stuff - that was what was available at the time - and it didn't work. I found some Mucinex and that made me feel much better.

As for the hand?  Attempting to just put on my clothes, pick up a bag, pull my belt through the loop - all major, searing pain jabs going through my hand. I was at the Love's down here all night long, I decided to take a shower - and found a packet of Alieve in the store, figured to at least try some pain reliever.  Yes, it worked.  I mean, the pain isn't completely gone but it is a huge improvement over what it was. Enough that I can even type without pain. So it's muscle or tendon, I'm guessing, not a bone issue.  Just amazing how something like that can affect your whole life if only temporarily.  Alieve is allegedly 12 hours worth of pain relief, I'm hoping that's actually true.  The packet had 2 of them so I can take another one tonight. 

But really, I might go to medical care down here if I have to wait a long time for a trailer to show up.  I want that hand checked out and whatever meds the doc will give me including steroid shot if applicable to ease this respiratory pain.  There's an urgent care opening soon - but I don't know what kind of equipment those places have? Are they able to take xrays? Cause' I figure that's the only way they can find out what's wrong with my hand.  I'm waiting for the yard guy to show up and give me an idea of what to expect today. They normally will bring up 2 trailers on Saturdays - but at what time who knows.  Yesterday I saw one of our trucks pulling up a trailer from down here - he hadn't made it more than 150 miles - at 5:00 pm, so I know they didn't show up until late with trailers. 

When I got down here, there was one empty, but the driver that had left the plant hours before me? Nowhere to be seen.  I dropped my trailer, left.  Figured I come back this morning, if he shows up before me and takes the empty, all fine and well, I'll get the detention pay since I was here.  Sure enough, he was underneath that empty when I came in here. He said he couldn't understand why he couldn't make it all the way down here last night.  A few explanations - don't stop except when you have to.  Get your fuel and take your 30 minute break at the same place so you don't waste time going into 2 separate places.  Drive like a madman - not fast - but stopping for nothing.  Well, a driving fool is the old terminology for it. 

But, the other factor is his truck is slower than mine.  By 3 miles per hour.  In 10 hours of driving, that's a 30 mile difference, enough to possibly explain why he couldn't make it.  Still, even when I was driving that other truck that only went 64 mph, I always made it down here unless something happened.  I think maybe these drivers lose their time in Houston.  Even if you are "sailing" right through there, it's likely they don't keep their trucks up at full speed.  Just weird. Some other drivers say they never make it down here in one day - but those people stop everywhere and take their sweet ole' time.  If that works for them, great, it doesn't work for me. Get the trip over with, don't drag it out longer than you have to, get more home time.

The other house. The "boy" has been sitting on his @$$ for over 2 weeks, I found out yesterday, not looking for a job and not getting any income. He texted me asking me for "more time" to pay his rent when it comes due on the 1st.  I had no knowledge when he texted me that he hadn't been looking for employment, tho it comes as no shock.  I didn't give him a definitive answer - yet - I was extremely cranky being sick and feeling like hell, I just decided to wait until I feel better. I can be pretty crass and unforgiving when I'm feeling like this.  But even after my head cleared up - the thoughts were: Gee, dude, why haven't you been looking for work all this time, instead, sitting at home playing video games?  Why is it it my responsibility to give you some sort of grace period because of your slothfulness?  I'm sick as hell and still putting in 12 to 14 hour days. This kid is perfectly healthy and sitting around doing nothing?

So, his options are A: pay the rent on time. B: pay the rent on time or C: pay at least half the rent and then incur penalties as the state of Texas legally allows for the late portion of it.  He needs a fire lit under his ass and I will be happy to do that.  This kid - he's 18 not really a kid - doesn't know anything. I mean, how to clean a toilet. Load a dishwasher.  Laundry.  Cook.  You hear Maria detailing what goes on over there and you are left dumbfounded after the conversation.  Like the boy was living in a cave his entire life and just emerged a few months ago to find out what adult life is all about?  I'm certainly glad I didn't raise my boy like that. 

The house in Phoenix. They put $100 on the card reader, but they owe $150 more and I'm not letting that go, either. They never asked to "steal" from me, they never mentioned it, they lied about it and I'm on the warpath as far as that situation is concerned.  She knows she isn't going to get away with it any longer.  If she wants to have a discussion about her finances and ask, I might be more giving in my stance.  But she didn't and still hasn't.  She's described her financial situation, but still never asked me for any help with it. I don't figure $250 a month for a place to live with all of those perks is that much to ask. 

I don't know anything about the boat.  It's over at the mechanics. I've been sick, don't really care at the moment.  Not going boating feeling like this, so it's whatever. I'll wait until he contacts me - or until I feel better, whichever comes first and then ask him about it. 

That's it. Yard guy told me another empty coming within a couple of hours. Might make it home tonight.