I was dreading tonight's work. Start the second load at 9 pm?  Gag It's a 24 hour operation on both ends. International Paper never shuts down that I know of and this natural gas company doesn't either.  I got the first load done easily - by 6:30 pm. The second load still 2-1/2 hours off, I asked the plant operator if it would be possible to do it now? Lol.  

I'm only awake because there has to be a wind down period for me before transitioning to bed.

He said, well, if you can do us a favor and move some trailers around?  Sure!  He came out and pointed out what he wanted done and I got to it, got it done quickly and got under a loaded trailer - and got out of there.  I mean, it was still almost midnight before I got back to the hotel here, but it's better than what would have been almost 2 am.  

Not to mention they have me loading tomorrow at noon thirty, that was more reason to want to get back as early as possible.  

Oh by the way, I was informed today that I could stay up here indefinitely.  The other driver has been moaning, groaning, bit****, complaining endlessly about going home.  I'm not near as needy as he is.  Yes I'd like to go home, but not that bad.  He's made himself a nuisance to the boss and I made the disclaimer today that he doesn't necessarily speak for me.  That's when the boss said "you can stay up there as long as you like" - after having had sent us both texts with flight information back to Texas.  

After I told Taylor both that I'm coming home and that I could stay up here as long as I wanted, she said "you could stay another week and make another $2,000!".  Well that threw me for a loop.  I miss my doggies, buy I doubt they are missing me lmao.  The lady that is visiting is staying in my bed and Addler has been sleeping with her every night, I found out today lol. I figured she was sleeping in my room, I didn't figure my dog was sleeping with her. 

I dunno how she can deal with it. He will literally push your ass right out of bed lol.  And he starts this shaking stuff - his whole body just starts moving and grooving while he's sleeping, constant, non-stop once it gets going.  Taylor reported to me that they have given him no human food and it finally appears that he is losing weight.  

Here's my question to myself: Do I stay up here another week, until next Friday?  I'm really thinking about this.  The flight back isn't until Wednesday noon thirty, I think.  Could I stand another week up here, well a little longer than that, but without this whining baby driver in the picture? That would certainly make it more palatable.  There are 2 caveats tho, that I must have: a kitchennette -move out of this hotel and into a kitchenette and go grocery shopping - and not lose my truck that is - I hope - sitting there in the yard in Texas.  

I'm going to make up my mind tomorrow one way or the other and then ask Taylor about the dogs - tho she doesn't really care if I'm there or not, James has been taking care of them - and if it sounds good, I may just ask the manager to cancel the flight and let me stay up here another  - 10 days actually starting tomorrow.  

Wait! This IS Tuesday! Tomorrow the flight leaves at 12:25! What the Hercules was I thinking? It's easy to lost track of time up here.  

Okay I'm getting off of here. I don't even know if they can bow out this close to a flight. 

But I have to think anyway and make a decision.

 Monday morning. I waited until well after the manager's arrival time to work before contacting him. I figured the other driver would have already blown up his phone.  Texted him the question about having to fill out a TDS sheet - Tour Data Sheet, it's a sheet that has spaces for all kinds of information we have to fill out for every trip we take - for every day we have been up here?  

He called back - no, you just need to fill out one TDS for all the days you didn't work or train. I've driven 5 days up here, trained 2 and didn't actually do anything for 3 days.  So, I got that done quickly and sent it back to him. 10 days worth of work in one paycheck will be quite nice.  And then there will be today after that and however many more days we are here. He said "Tuesday or Wednesday" return date, of which I didn't ask he volunteered. Well he best be getting with it if he wants us coming back tomorrow, it's gonna take a minute to get all of my stuff repacked and ready to go.

I have work at 3:00 and that will take me up to 8:00 pm or so.  That's why I'd like to know - now - if we are leaving out tomorrow. But for the sake of a partial nother' paycheck, I wouldn't mind coming back on Wednesday just to get something going for next week.  

Meanwhile, on the group driver's texting, they were all complaining about the 2 drivers that are being constantly sent down to Brownsville.  Those are the 2 newbies.  They aren't that new at this point, it's been 4 or 5 months anyway since they both showed up.  Why they get preferential treatment is unknown, especially considering it appears they are going to be permanent drivers in our system.  They not only need to learn how to unload, they also need to get their share of lower paying runs.  It's almost guaranteed to be a huge mistake in trying to discuss it with the manager, he'll just get mad and dismiss you out of the office.  I haven't done that but others have tried.  

They don't want to address why they are doing that stuff and they won't discuss it with any drivers.  But, you make other drivers upset because they don't get any of the gravy runs. It may be that we will all need to agree to go in separately all within a few day's time or so and speak our grievances.  He can dismiss one person, he can't quite dismiss 8 of us.  Well, he can, but he'll get the message.  We see what's going on, we don't understand why it's going on and we want the story, please.  

The same s*** went on with the previous manager with a couple of preferential treatment of drivers. ATM I'm not planning on saying anything. Perhaps when I get back and if my paychecks suffer from it I'll be tempted to, but even then with extreme reservation.  I've had it pretty easy up here, to be honest.  I just don't like being away from home too long.  After 10 days - I'm on the 11th - I'm getting bored, restless and have plenty of stuff to do at the house.  

I am going to take the pond out of the ground and get rid of it. It rains, the junk from the neighbor's yard uphill of us flows into our yard and fills the pond up with that garbage.  It's never ending and I just can't deal with it. I'm going to get a 6 or 8 foot round stock tank - horse trough - and do the same as I had at my house in Phoenix.  It was a great little pond.  It's 2 feet above ground so I don't have to worry about the rain. Stuff will fall into it from trees but that's easier to clean up.  I'll have to put a screen over it to keep birds from eating the fish, I think I can get James to manufacture something for me.  

They have plans for the back yard - but I know from experience that it requires daily maintenance if you really want something nice back there. That or cut down the trees that dump junk everywhere. That's costs thousands of dollars per tree, pretty sure that's not in the cards.  It's truly a mess back there right now, I clean it up here and there but not enough to keep it looking constantly nice.  Every single time it rains, it needs a mass cleaning.  

Roxie, the skinny little shepherd mix they have tore a raccoon to shreds, as the story was relayed to me, this morning. They let her out, roxie found the thing on the porch and killed it. And James said he found bones from another one in the back yard, apparently that little dog has taken a liking to killing raccoons.  They get into everything and eat the dog food up, good riddance to them.  

But, without major improvements that back yard is doomed to be messy.  The neighbor's yard would have to be blocked off somehow - like diverting the rain water and all the junk in it towards the stream out back.  That would entail having to build a block wall about 75 feet long. Gag.  

I didn't want to poopoo on their party, tho.  If they have the desire to do the upkeep I'll certainly help. But I won't take that burden alone, it's too much work.  

And with that I'm heading out to get lunch, bring it back, eat, take a nap and then get ready for work. 3:00 pm start time today.