The appraisal was 5k below what we estimated was a good starting point.  I don't really think I"m going to bother contesting it, it is what it is, it's good enough. I'll get 86k instead of 90k.  That works. My plan was if it gave me less than 50k, I wasn't going to do it.  I won't pay off all of my credit card debt, I'll bring it down to a much more manageable level.  Some cards will be completely paid off, others will be brought down to acceptable levels and two loans - one for teeth and another for debt - will also be paid off. They have less than a grand a piece on them and it will free up $320 per month just on those two loans.

Credit card payments will come down a couple of hundred (at least) per month, so I will be doing quite well with getting debt reduced.  While I"m still working this trucking job I will simply continue paying off the cards at around $500 extra per month (on top of the minimum payments) until it is gone.  Well, sort of gone. If you don't use your cards at all, they eventually close the accounts. So, I need to get back into the habit of making purchases on the cards and then paying them off at the end of the month.  

I'm sitting at the loading plant, btw. I hadn't even gotten back from the Stryker trip yesterday and dispatch was sending me a trip for today.  I saw that and thought, this might actually be a good thing. If it's a short trip I can get back on Friday and maybe they will let me off for Christmas. 

Maybe.  There's only two places I will be able to go if I do get a Christmas run. Either Oklahoma or Brownsville. I'm actually, intentionally using up on duty hours right now - instead of being off duty while waiting - to ensure they can't send me on a longer run. Why? Well obviously if they send me out on a run Christmas Day I'm not getting home in time to enjoy anything.  But, I don't want a long trip.  Stryker kind of irritated me having to wait up there 24 hours before finally being offloaded.  

Anyway, driving back by the property on the way home yesterday, there it was....in all of it's creosote covered glory.  A giant telephone pole with a huge transformer on top, lines running off of it, down through conduit, into the ground and over to a large, above-ground meter box.  Lock on the box, I wanted to see this meter. Probably one of those types they can read from a control room somewhere.  It's not one of the smaller poles they typically have up in rural areas and definitely taller and larger diameter - so it appeared on the diameter part anyway - than the rest of the poles. I had to assume it is to hold the extra weight of that transformer up there.  

It was encouraging to see that thing up, finally.  I just need a day or two more off to get trees marked and I'm ready for the land clearing.  A note to those that were asking.  I originally wanted to clear the land myself. But, it's 7 plus acres in front and the trees are very difficult to get out of the ground with those weird root systems they grow.  Cutting them with a chainsaw wasn't going to work, even with a stump grinder, certain of the trees - the gumball trees - would have just started growing back. 

I definitely can't have that.  I can't rent a track hoe - they rent them but only to construction companies with qualified operators and presumably with commercial liability insurance.  I was left with the only choice to get some bids and take the lowest bidder - but still having good reviews.  I rely on reviews to help me make decisions about using a company or not. Just the same, people rely on reviews to decide what RV parks they are going to stay in.  

There will be clean up after tho.  Leaves, junk on the ground, that's all going to be done by hand and finding whosoever to help me out with that. That's a ways down the road, however.  I won't even bother to start that until all of the utilities are installed and the rest is just construction to limited areas.  I will be getting bids on construction of a bath house soon.  And getting a fencing company out there to install a 4 foot chain link fence for a dog park.  I'm still considering the pool...would have to get financed for it as they have specific loans for swimming pools. It's definitely in my thought process. 

But there is so much more to do.  A sign out front.  A business office.  Laundry room with 2 washers and 2 dryers.  A wifi system, getting the internet company to run a line to the property, etc etc etc.  It's a lot to do, but it can only be done in the order that it can be done in. I can't jump to certain things right now until I have the utilities in.  I'm thinking of having gas run to the property to heat the bath house, heat the water for laundry and bath house showers and potentially a water heater for a pool. Gas is cheaper and more efficient.  Gas heaters are a lot more expensive but I think the tradeoff is a good one. 

 I also want to run cable for cable tv.  Too many people complain about parks that don't have it.  I dunno, folks, I'm not trying to please the whole world but it would be dumb to start a new park up without all the current day amenities offered.  I was still surprised to find out on some of the larger motor coaches, they use both the 30 amp and the 50 amp outlets to power their rigs.  That's a lot of electricity and I will have to charge accordingly. I think those class A motor coaches are going to have to pay a few dollars more to offset the electricity usage.  

And I still haven't started an LLC and then a commercial bank account.  As I said, there's a lot to do.  I need to visit with an accountant and find out what I can deduct as business expenses and how to keep the books. I have no plans to do book keeping myself - that is definitely not my forte. Taylor will do that but I want the setup done by a professional to ensure I get maximum deductions.  This is why I don't expect to be able to start up until probably summer.  Or later, who knows.  The sooner the better, yes, but I need to keep my expectations realistic.  I don't even know if I can get a company in to build a bath house any time soon. There is a lot up in the air right now, but I'll work it out one step at a time.

Anyway, after seeing the pole and taking a few pics for my facebook, I headed home.  We left a while later to go to Piney Park - a newly opened park that has walking trails, some huge slides, bouncing thing that is filled up with air - it's kind of like a trampoline. A lot of Christmas lights, Santa Clause, food of course, etc.  

It was fun, but I don't really think it was worth the entry price.  They need to add more to do to make it worth that much money.  It's basically just a glorified walking trail with a lot of Christmas lights and some props plus a few activities for kids. Other than that - they really need to do more work on the place. 

Whatever the case, it was home and then straight to bed for me.  I had already driven 465 miles that day on top of all of that.  And now, should be getting close to the end of loading the trailer, I can get out of here and get on up to Tulsa area.  I have no intentions of getting back today, that would give me a 34 hour reset before Christmas and ruin my hope to be home.  It may not happen anyway, but with full hours, I might very well get sent out somewhere far away.  Without a reset, they simply can't do that.  

It's my way of guaranteeing a day and 3/4's off when I need it.  And right now, I need it. I have to finish marking the trees I want to keep!  I would regret it very much later on down the line if I didn't finish that project in time for the land clearing.  So, even if they send me on yet another trip after this one before doing a reset, they will have no choice but to let me off after that.  

Time is up. Gotta get rollin'!