One of the refrigerators at the Phoenix property has failed and of course, it comes out of my pocket to replace it.  Just not something I wanted to hear today.  But, Mark found a replacement from an appliance store that sells used appliances and has a 6 month warranty for $350 delivered with old refrigerator removed.  I guess that's a pretty good deal for a used refrigerator, certainly in this current market and inflation hitting literally everything that is for sale new or used.

We've used this appliance store in the past with good results, so I am trusting and hoping this one lasts a while. The other refrigerator I bought a decade or so ago - it broke right off the bat, but an old gentleman came, took it apart, fixed it and said this is good to go for a long time.  And it is still running.

The creek - I went over there with dog in tow and measured it.  6 feet long will cover half the span lmao.  Good thing I went to measure it.  In reality, about 14 feet will nicely cover the span.  I had no idea it was that far apart, it was hard to see with the trees in the way.  So, yeah, they want thousands of dollars for a premade version.  I'm going to have to build on myself I guess, looks like I can buy the materials for around $500.  But I'm not hand carrying all of that to the intended build site, no way.  That ATV will have to be fixed and a trailer to haul all the wood, tools and probably a generator out there to build the thing.  

I'm going to go up and get some grass seed at Lowe's in a bit and get some pricing, I already have the list, I found plans online for a basic walking bridge -- tho I might make it wider and make it heavy duty enough to handle a 4 wheeler as well.  3, 16 foot long, 4x4 beams should do it.  Planks can be thicker wood using large wood screws to hold them in place.  Install some railing and really, I hope anyway, it shouldn't be a terrible night mare of a project. It will take some time, yes, but hopefully not too difficult.  

That's all I've gotten done today.  I was sitting here starving, eating nothing today and past noon, just got up and went up to the store and bought food that has low cholesterol counts and stuff with fiber in it.  Made enough for not only today but also the trip to Brownsville and back up.  I guess I'm just going to have to watch calories so I don't turn into a 350 pound - person.  

Eating a heart-healthy diet

A heart-healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, nuts and nontropical vegetable oils, while limiting red and processed meats, sodium and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages.

Becoming more physically active

A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL cholesterol. Less HDL means there’s less good cholesterol to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries.

Physical activity is important. At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. And you have lots of options: brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or even yard work can fit the bill.

Losing weight

Being overweight or obese tends to raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. But a weight loss of as little as 5% to 10% can help improve cholesterol numbers.

These are the things occupying my mind in the last two days.  If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right. Eating heart healthy, that is.  

And so it is, will be occupying my mind for weeks or months to come.  It takes a while to learn all the things you have to learn about any particular diet. Keto was a long learning curve.  Cholesterol maybe not so much because it's just cutting cholesterol, not all the other stuff that keto has involved with it.  

As for now, I'm going to get ready to go to bed and spend Sunday and Memorial Day - driving.

 So...

The lawnmower worked at least.  Did the front yard yesterday evening.

Getting the ATV over to the property, it was sluggish.  I figured out quickly that the brakes are locked up on it.  I'm not going to fool with the thing - or maybe I will I dunno yet - but likely just take it back to the shop. It isn't uncommon for brakes to lock up after a vehicle has been sitting for a while.  It was rather disappointing tho, the short, few rides we did take were fun at least.  

I'll give that dude one more chance to fix the thing correctly - brakes are something he should have checked knowing how long it's been sitting.  If he screws up again, I will move on. Just have to go two towns over I guess to find someone competent enough to fix the thing.

Now that I have to refocus my entire diet on cholesterol - well - that's a challenge.  There are a lot of foods I have been eating that I will no longer to be able to eat.  Red meats - pork and beef - will be the biggest challenge.  Foods high in soluble fiber apparently are good and a list of them didn't look too bad. I'm still going to keep sugar out of my diet.  No more off day beers and apparently coffee isn't too great for you either, at least if you are drinking too much.

No problem there, I started cutting back on coffee many months ago.  I don't smoke cigars anymore, either. Quit those last year and have had very little temptation to start back up.  They were making me feel "funny" and I didn't like that feeling. Like poison was being injected into my system. 

Exercise will also be a challenge.  I know I need more of it, but as I said yesterday, after 14 hours of work, I don't feel like exercising.  I get my exercise when I'm home, such as today I will be out at the property again, hiking around.  I've been looking for a walking bridge to put over the creek and have found several online. They aren't terrible expensive, I could have an 8 footer delivered to the house and just haul it over there on the trailer once I get the ATV (hopefully) working and pull it on the trailer to the creek in the back. I think the trailer will fit on those trails if being pulled by the ATV.  

It stands to reason that I will need a small trailer to haul things back there anyway, I may just go to harbor freight and get one of those kit trailers.  Put the trailer together, add plywood or planks and go.  I did leave the ATV over at the property - it's hiding in the woods and it is forest green, you'd number 1 have to be searching IN the woods IN that area to find it and then you'd have to really be looking hard, it's in a tuft of foliage that makes it hide quite nicely.  

I've been looking at used 4 wheelers, as with everything else, even old ones are starting out at 3 grand if they are running and 2 grand if they aren't.  Yea, I already have one that needs some work, I don't want to buy something that has issues. Just amazing that even old stuff - we're talking over 20 years old - is going that high.  So yes, it's worth fixing that thing and yes, it's 20 years old. But the motor runs great and no oil smoke coming out of it. 

And a very long conversation with the contractor. I literally blew up his phone with texts yesterday.  I don't know how many I sent, but I wasn't going to just let this thing ride.  Tell me if you can do this project or tell me no, I can't, but tell me! He finally called back.  Said he was driving, didn't even look at the texts because of it and went into a long discussion about how he is having a hard time finding people to work and that right now? "I am driving a rolloff truck because I can't find anyone to drive it for me".  He's offering $25 per hour.  Now that's starting to get closer to my minimum amount.  

I have never driven a rolloff truck - it's one of those trucks you use to haul containers to jobsites and such with, they dump trash into it, you come back with an empty whenever they call and you haul the loaded one to the landfill.  I am confident I could easily learn how to use one of those things. It's nothing more than a cable winch that pulls it up onto the truck, sliding on rails that hold it into place.  

Am I considering it right now? No, not really, the money I get from current job, even when the dispatcher screws me and gives me low paying runs, is more than that job would pay on 40 hours a week.  For example. I am going to Brownsville tomorrow - yup I'm working on another holiday - but that run with detention pay on 2 days worth of driving adds up to more than 5 days worth of 8 hour days.  

Most local jobs just don't pay anything. Now, at $25 per hour, I'd think he could find some help?  If he's giving OT, then I'd consider it. I didn't really ask him about the job, but he brings it up every time we talk and a couple of times it was obvious he was trying to get me to consider it.  The man has been in business 27 years, I think he said, he has an excellent reputation, it's not like his business is failing.  But I suspect if he doesn't find help soon enough, certain portions of his business will go under.  

Anyway, he said that the reason he hadn't come back to my property yet was because there had been forecast of rain and he thought there was 4 to 5 inches coming, hence he moved to another job that was in "sandy soil" that doesn't matter if it's wet or dry.  I really don't think he was making up stories, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that offers petty excuses for things.  It's likely worth the wait to just let him and his crew do it on their time - but I just have to have dates, even ball park, where he's coming. He said he'd be coming next week to finish the mountain of dirt and then he'd give me a quote on the pads and gravel.  

Yeah we haven't even gotten that far. The quotes I have is for the utility installation. The other quotes came after he said he could do the entire job.  I know how much I'm going to be paying for the current dirt work, I have no idea how much the pads and gravel will cost, but I suspect it's going to be in the 15k range.  Maybe higher if the gas operator doesn't put anything down on the road.  I have not, of course, heard back from him and I will be calling him on Monday.  

And I'm tired of these jackals playing games with the gate.  The next step is going to be sending an email, one email to all 3 companies.  They are going to be informed that when I catch the person/people doing their thing, they will be trespassed from the property, replete with a visit from the county Sheriff and I'm done with asking politely, thanks.  I gave them a chance, that's all I can say.  

So what's next? Well get the quote. He said he doesn't need me to measure out the pads, he will do all of that.  Okay.  I guess I did what I need to do then, measuring out the perimeters of the lots.  I want to go to a building place and see what pricing they have on any of it. It's local and they have what I want.  As with all of them, they have no prices listed on anything. I liken it to a used car lot where they're trying pressure techniques to get you to buy.  Places that engage in that foolery? I just walk out.  There are many of those businesses in the region.  

I think today I will order the bridge. They don't have them at Lowe's, this is all custom stuff you have to have shipped to you.  I suppose I could build my own, but no thanks.  And anyway, the cost of lumber right now, the prices of these bridges I'm looking at are pretty good considering.  

In the future I may buy some heavy lumber and build a bridge separately where I can ride a 4 wheeler over it.  Lay down 3 8X8 or similar sized lumber, attach heavy planks on the top and walaah.  Yes I was looking for a bridge that could also handle a 4 wheeler but they are expensive and that's not really a priority right now.  Wish list type of thing.  Walking bridge is necessary to complete the trail that goes around the back and I can get one that is very nice looking in the $200 range.

Also, the man that is going to do the pics from above with the drone. I'm going to wait until the other trails are done so I can have a pic of all of it and then make a map out of it.  This will be available to anyone that wants one.  

I'm considering starting going back to a gym.  I'm getting serious about this cholesterol stuff, it's nothing you want to fool with.  At least I went to the trouble of finding it out.  I was at the hair stylist yesterday and she asked if they had offered an "Alzheimer's test".  Apparently if you have a history of it in your family lines - which I do, 3 of them I know of - they can give you some kind of test that will somewhat determine if you are going to also get it.  The lady said  it runs in her family and she declined, she said she'd rather not know, lol.  I would have taken it if offered, I didn't know there was such a test or what kind of testing it is.

I can't really think what else I can do at this phase of construction, much of it would be jumping the gun, getting too early a start.  Turning on the water and power would only have me paying a service fee every month for something I am not using. Internet the same, tho that is going to entail having to run a line to my property< I have no idea how far out that is to get an installation so I guess I best call the company and find out.  If it's months, then I'll order it.  If it's weeks, it can wait. 

Do I think this property is going to be done in a few months? NO.  But I am hoping they will have all of this dirt work, pad forming and utility installation done including running the power lines and installing the septic system replete with the sewer lines to each pad.  After they get that done, much of it will be on me to find the appropriate experts in appropriate fields to help me finish everything else. An accountant to set up any taxes I have to pay.  Wifi installation.  The man I already have to finish the website and do the promotion of the park.  Get the building, tho I'm thinking of doing that soon.  I'm going to need it and it's going to cost whatever it's going to cost regardless of when I acquire it - and - it will need to be finished.  Insulation, flooring, electrical, water, sewer line, drywall.  

I could do all of that myself, but my time is limited and I doubt it.  So, getting one sooner than later probably is a better idea and most of these companies will sell them for a small down payment and monthly installments.  Not interested in spending a lot of money, I need to get the dirt and utility stuff done and see what I have left - if anything.  

Anyway.  I'm just not real happy to have to start a completely new type of diet. I really don't think I can incorporate Keto with low cholesterol. I have to learn all the foods that are high in cholesterol and avoid them.  It's an amazingly long list, I am finding out.  Lots of stuff I already don't eat, but also lots of stuff I have been eating on the Keto regimen.  

I literally have no idea what to eat for breakfast today, just starting to learn this stuff, it's only been a day since I found out about the high cholesterol.  Oats, I guess. We don't have any but they say eating a bowl of oatmeal with soluble fiber is a good start to the day.  Not even close to being on a Keto diet, I will succumb to this nonsense and just try to eat small portions and keep track of my calories.

With that, I bid you a good day.