Yeah. This dude texts me after 7:00 am telling me they are "loading the trailer".  Okay.  The lunacy with this seller went on literally all day long. The terms, in his mind, on every call, kept changing.  I kept having to bring him back to what we had agreed on.  He kept forgetting - every....single.....time....it got to the ridiculous realm.  

After 6 of these calls? I was aghast.  He wanted me to go up to the bank to get him cash.  He originally wanted the first month's payment but said any payment including check would be fine, so I gave the workers a check for $220 this morning - after they handed me a bill for $4,400.  They didn't speak much English and tho I can speak some Spanish.  

But he called me at the end of the day saying he couldn't possibly take a check? What the Hercules Wonder Woman Sniffing Crack S*** is this?!! I kept my cool, I'm getting a great deal and the end product was very good.  This was several phone calls while he figured out what he was doing.  He didn't actually figure out what he was doing after he made the final call on that round, he thought he had figured it out.  

"Well, they will follow you up to the bank to get cash".  I'm just done with this, succumbed to the idea that this dude has no clue what he is doing on the financial end and agreed to it.  We drove all the way to the bank - 5 miles the wrong direction for that crew - we were still at the property dealing with stuff, lots of stuff to deal with atm - so I didn't have far to go to get to them.  I have left out a LOT of stuff here with this dude and his antics, just way too much to go into.  

So these guys follow me to the bank. I get out $220, they hand me a piece of paper that says "Paid in full" with the description of the work they had done and the amount it cost, the ENTIRE amount, lmao.  Yup, I just paid that sucker in full! LOL! No, I wouldn't try to do that but I thought it was funny. I handed them the cash and left, quickly, because they were counting it as I was leaving and I knew they were going to be like, wait, bruh, there's only $220 here. 

That's because it became obvious these workers had no clue that this was a credit deal and that I didn't have to pay them the full amount.  

I immediately called this guy after I left the parking lot, I figured I would try a "different" approach: Umm, I gave them the cash, $220, I don't think they understand that this deal is on credit.

The man on the other end, this same dude with this ridiculousness going on ALL... DAY....LONG....just start profusely apologizing.  I mean, like 50 times, he just apologized over and over and over.  I'm soooo sorry. I'm sorrrrrrrry.  Yeah, I didn't need to give them anything. No money, just "thanks for the great work!".  They did great work as far as I can see.  I just replied "I have no idea how you are working this".  Because at that point, I didn't.  He apologized - profusely I might add - many more times after that.  I didn't ask him for an apology, but I can tell ya, this dude needs someone with a bit better mind for that kind of stuff to run his operation. He can go catch alligators and bullfrogs.  

I mean, it's done.  That's all I can say. He texted me a pic of a check he's sending me to replace the money I gave those workers.  Just, wow, lol.  

Anyway.

I went over there this morning before they arrived with the boys and the dog in tow. We went for a good walk, they wanted to go and Addler has been cooped up in this house and back yard.  I took the 5 year old back home and then we were going to go back to spend the day working there.  This 7 year old.  Gag.  He not only broke two controllers for game systems, he also used his Nintendo Switch to purchase $50 worth of junk - on my account - yesterday.  Anyway, it started pouring rain.  I knew it was a high chance of rain today. So, I headed to the City water department instead.  

I ended up giving them $2,175 to get water service started. Yes, you read that right: TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS.  A $675 "water tap fee".  So, they charge you to tap into their system even tho they had nothing to do with the contractor who actually did the work.  Then, because it's a "Commercial" operation, they want $1,500 deposit. I'll never get that money back, unless I sell the park and get out of it.  Astonishing, they never said anything about that when I had originally gone in there. The things you find out -because you didn't know and you didn't know and they aren't volunteering any information.  

I just want the water on to check the lines for leaks!  I may have it shut right back off after it's pressured up and left on for a few weeks.  I don't need water over there right now and I don't need a service for something I'm not using.  Just the leaks, folks, just the leaks! I want a secure line that has no issues and the only way to find that out is to pressurize it with water.  

Anyway, after that, I went to the contractor's office and wrote 2 checks that amounted to 43 grand and left there, went to a truckstop that has food, got the boy something and some drinks, back to the property and then started working on this trailer situation. 

That was an hours long ordeal.  

I first took the tarp I had over everything, put that on the ground and then carried all 12 bags of the quickcrete off the trailer, put it on the tarp and then covered it up.  Rain, don't need to lose money on damaged product.  I figured getting rid of 960 pounds of weight off of that trailer would help?  Yeah, the 4 wheeler still struggled with it.  

I then got out a very heavy-duty tow strap, it comes replete with a hitch that goes into your receiver on your vehicle.  You hook the hook end up to your vehicle and you figure out how to loop it around whatever you're pulling.  I was going to pull that entire thing out of there, trailer attached to 4 wheeler - with the front brake set on the 4 wheeler.  Why the brake? Cause the trailer locking cap wouldn't come down on the ball on the 4 wheeler.  Yes, the 4 wheeler has a ball hitch on it.  Without it locked, that trailer could pop off of that 4 wheeler and the 4 wheeler would go careening down that hill and probably be destroyed.  

So I put the SUV in gear and it pulled the whole mess without any problems.  Unfortunately, the trailer was heading towards some small trees. So, I cranked the steering wheel hard left and headed 90 degrees off.  Yeah, it's a heavy duty trailer, it just laughed at me.  You think YOU are going to pull ME sideways? Yes, I DO! We had this argument, back and forth, as I was getting out of the SUV, going to the 4 wheeler, pulling up, back to the SUV - I did this many, many times over.  I finally gave up. Cut down all 5 trees.  Yup.  The property has thousands more, a few small trees isn't going to hurt me.  

Well, it kinda did, that 10 foot tall pine tree was so beautiful.  I got that thing pulled up on level ground, dropped the trailer, pulled the ATV out, pulled the SUV back and hooked up and yes, I drove it down the steep hill. Then the fun really began. 

Why? Because this SUV has some feature - maybe ABS system tho it never showed up on the screen - that shuts off the power to the rear wheels after it starts spinning too much.  Well, first things' first.  I hooked the trailer back up to the ATV and attempted to pull it through the trail way.  Didn't get very far and gave up.  I had exhausted several hours just getting to that point and I was ready to quit.  It became obvious I need a much smaller trailer to do my business around the property with the ATV. Just was hoping I didn't have to spend even more money on another piece of equipment.  

I left the ATV hooked to the trailer - it's not stuck or anything, I just was done with it - got in the SUV, told the boy to hold on and started reversing up the hill - no room to turn around down there.  This was 15 minutes of getting up to whatever point and then having the wheels stop turning - extremely irritating.  I don't know if there's a way to shut that garbage off, but I will definitely be researching it.  I like to thought I'd never get out of there and really thought I'd end up having to have help come and pull me up out of there. 

But, eventually, I got out of it.  We left, noting the progress on the shed and taking another pic of it. I went to both Harbor Freight and Lowe's and found nothing that would work for what I need.  This isn't a want, it's a need. I need something that an SUV can pull, a utility trailer for a utility vehicle.  

There's more, but it's getting late and my full time job calls me.  Another Oklahoma run tomorrow.  I have only been getting sent to Brownsville and Oklahoma for - 2 months now?  I dunno.  There is good and bad here. Good is I am not on the road 3 or more days at a time. Bad is the paychecks aren't as good.  Right now? I'm saying nothing about it.  This bridge thing - okay it's a lot more than I expected to even get the materials to the jobsite.  Literally I could have quite a bit of progress on actually building the bridge by now!  

But I also have a doggy park to build.  The materials are about $600 plus whatever entry way I'm going to put in plus dog cleanup station.  Yes, I'm building that one myself.  It's pretty simple affair - time permitting.  Time is everything.  I have been spending a lot more of my free time working over there and it's going to stay that way for as long as I can see into the future. There is a lot to do.  The weeds out there are irritating me to no end.  I have nothing, yet, to deal with it.  You look at the pics I just posted on my Facebook, for those that have access anyway, there are weeds everywhere. 

Frustrating, I need to deal with it, yet I need a solid answer to it, not a patchwork of paying exorbitant fees to have someone come out and do it for me.  I have no problem doing it myself, I just don't have the machinery to do it with.  I'm thinking rent the bulldozer for a couple of days - ask for 2 days off here in the near future - level all of that ground while destroying all of that vegetation and then plant a lot of grass seed. 

Yup, that's going to wait until fall.  I think anyway, that idea could change, but fall is when I can plant rye grass and rye grass grows easily . I won't have this park going before fall, folks, that's a fact. There is just too much to do and just waiting on the power company will take us into October - probably, my crystal ball is also a bit rusty - as well.  

Anyway, it's bed time and I still haven't found the trailer I need. I want that ordered and on it's way.   I guess not tonight, so I will stop at Home Depot in Longview after this next trip - so on Friday - and see if they have anything.  And try Facebook marketplace, maybe someone has something for sale.  It's a recession, people tend to sell off stuff during a recession.  

G'nite.