The event last night at midnight that occurred at the Love's travel stop in Lufkin, Texas, had its origins many moons ago.  

You see, when I am headed back to the yard, I always - and I do mean always - plan on stopping at the nearest Love's travel stop to get fuel.  That way, I'm not starting another trip out on empty or half tanks.  I want as close to full fuel tanks as possible so I don't have to worry about that at the beginning of ant trip, regardless of where it's going or how long it's going to take. 

There is method to madness here.  You want to drive at least a half day's worth of miles before you stop anywhere at the beginning of any trip, which means you need to fill up as close to the yard as possible on the previous trip. 

Anyway, I have been stopping at this particular Love's since they built it and opened it up.  Previously, I was using the old Love's in Lufkin - it's much smaller and the entrance to the fuel pumps is funky.  

But, there's been a problem at this Love's I was at last night since shortly after it's inception. 

The fountain soda machine? Is more often broken down than it is working. It's a strange phenomenon that I rarely ever encounter at any other Love's and never as often or as long-stretched-out as this particular location.  

They have a way of mitigating it by sending everyone to the Arby's to get ice and/or drinks.  If the Love's fountain is down - which includes ice - you go into the Arby's which is connected to this Love's and operated by Love's - and you get your drinks there.  Again, I don't get why this machine breaks down and stays broken down for weeks or even months at a time.  

You read that right. It isn't an overnight thing or a couple of days, it goes on for at- minimum weeks. This particular breakdown has been going on for well over a month now.  

Well, I have been informed by Love's employees so many times to go next door and get my ice that I no longer ask them. It's modus-operandi, their machine breaks, you get your ice/drinks form Arby's. Emphasis on ice, I rarely drink soda anymore, I just drink ice water or coffee.  Or both.  

So last night, at midnight - driving until 2:30 am - I stopped to refuel, get some refills and finish the trip out.  Fueled the truck, grabbed my refill cups, went into the store, saw the machine was broken down again - several signs on it indicating as such - headed straight to the Arby's door. Arby's was closed, but that doesn't and shouldn't stop anyone from simply going in to get their fountain drinks.  It never has before, to emphasize.  

I was in there about 15 seconds before this young lady comes to the door and hollers across the empty room: SIR< YOU CANNOT BE IN HERE!!  I looked up at her while finishing the first cup and putting the second one under the ice dispenser.  I said nothing back to her, so she raised her voice even louder, SIRRRR, YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW!!!

Further ignoring her verbally but acknowledging her with a nod of the head, I continued on with finishing up the second cup of ice.  This was rapid fire, I was only doing the ice fill-up for maybe 30 seconds maximum.  She had yelled at me 4 times before a "manager" came - but I was on my way out the door by the time he showed up.

I finally told her that I was almost done, but she had gotten on her radio to summons the manager, who came very quickly.  As I said, by the time he showed up, I was literally walking through the doorway. He said "you can't be in here". I simply replied okay, in a calm voice not looking for an encounter.  

He repeated himself so I just said ok.  He then said: "And if you do it again, I will have to trespass you from the property".  Wait, what?!! That definitely took me by surprise.  I did not reply in kind, I just smiled and said, ok.  Of course, the thought going through my mind was: if they don't want people coming in here, why don't they lock the door? And what the h*** is this dude talking about having me trespassed from their store?  Because I wanted a blipping cup of ice after spending $500 that day?

Love's doesn't do business that way, I can attest to that. Again, I said nothing in return to him, I just acknowledged him.  I went to get my iced coffee - I was tired and I needed something to temporarily wake me up to get the rest of the 82 miles back to the yard AND to drive home after that.  I went up to the counter - this dude was now running the register - again, not getting an attitude with him at all, but he's standing there glaring at me.  

I smiled - I've had a long day, I thought, much longer than him or anything he's gone through dealing with Memorial Day traffic coming back from the Gulf of Mexico in droves and driving like idiots - I was cut off at least 100 times and that is a very conservative estimate.  It was more like hundreds of times, but who cares?  I am mostly used to it besides the ones that cut me off AND brake check me for no apparent reason. Trust me, I stay in the right lane and I do my thing, I stay out of the way.  

He rung my stuff up, I said "thank you!" and he just stood there, staring at me. 

Now, before this one particular person that reads this journal and constantly judges me and finds fault with me says anything, this situation with this Loves and their broken down machine and being told to go to Arby's has been going on at least 2 years.   I don't have to ask anymore, it's the same response, every single time.  So if you have a problem with that, I don't want to hear about it, I really don't. The constant negativity gets quite old.  I was not in a bad mood last night and that dude did not accomplish that in me, either.  The ice coffee woke me up, I drove out the route, drove home and went to bed at 4:00 am. 

But yes, I did contact Love's via their app through a written communication system.  I told them the entire story and then got a reply back a few minutes ago.  A very long email that basically said we are sorry that they operated in such an unprofessional manner and are taking steps to rectify the situation.  Note that I don't want anyone to be fired. They should be trained to deal with customers in a way that isn't egregious, in-your-face and confrontational.  

There isn't in any way, shape or form a situation where the behavior exhibited by these employees and especially a manager is acceptable in any type of business that engages in customer service.  I have no intentions of doing that with my RV park. People can blow up and have a literal cow and I will keep my cool, address them professionally and courteously and at the end of the day, know that I did my best to make it a good outcome.  

Anyway, I had actually put that entirely out of my mind until I saw that email.  I am focused on the property and getting the contractor to get out there and get the job done.  I did not hear from him this afternoon and I got busy with other stuff to the point that I forgot to contact him between the 4 and 5 pm time frame that he said to call him back if I hadn't heard from him by then.  Rest assured I will be calling him tomorrow morning early to see what's going on.  I will probably go out there early anyway to get a good walk in - doctor's orders to get more exercise and I don't mind that, really, just need to get my mindset a bit more adjusted to it.  

If they don't get out there tomorrow and finish it? It's going to rain on Thursday and then we have another indefinite setback.  

The dispatcher is on vacation. Or something, I don't know what, her manager has taken over and sent a group email to all drivers saying that she is taking over for her and that she has 150 drivers so don't call her unless absolutely necessary and no, I did not get a run for tomorrow.  I have no idea why, I actually wanted a run regardless of my view of trucking, I need the money.  I'm not broke, I just have spent a lot on the property for this venture and facing spending a lot more in things that are beyond the construction process.  

Anyway, time to get off of here.