Wednesday, June 29, 2022

 Ok.

The part for the AC in my SUV has not come in yet - I actually wasn't expecting it to but I had to ask. The shop told me 3 to 4 days, it's been 5 I think.  The reason I didn't expect it is because anything you have to order in this current day and age is going to take a long time to show up.  Blame Covid, the Chinese, supply chain, blame who or whatever, it is what it is.  And what it is is hot and very uncomfortable driving that thing in 90 plus temps.  

The ATV is also not done and the guy couldn't even remember what it needed.  It's been there almost a month, he was supposed to call me back and tell me why it's taking so long fix the blooming thing.  He didn't call back.  No matter, I will be calling him.  I mean, if he can't fix it, I'm take it out of there and find somewhere else to take it to.  

We - Addler and I - went for a nice long walk this morning in the forest.  It was nice to get back there, stretch, get some exercise and refresh myself with the property.  It was nice and cool as well, in the mid 60's earlier, I wanted to get out before the heat started cranking it up into the mid 90's today. 

I have a list of things to do out there and I am going to find a riding mower - used - and hope that it will traverse the trails so I can keep the vegetation mowed down.  Sort of a 4x4 mower? I don't know but I'm going to start looking today.  Actually, I suppose if I found a mower I could build a funky hitch for it and pull a small trailer back there with it.  I would really like to get that bridge started.  It's going to take a while to build it because I am not full time RV park, I'm full time trucker and I only have days off here and there.

Tomorrow I expect to be back on the road.  And I expect to be on the road for a full 70 hour tour - go out on a run, come back, go right back out on another one, etc, until my 70 hours are exhausted. I assume that's why I got today off, I didn't ask for it but she kept telling me yesterday "I need you for thursday and through the holiday".  Fine, I replied, I never said anything about asking for time off at all.  "Several" drivers are off is what I am told and they will need everyone else that isn't off to be running.  I don't know why she felt the need to keep telling me this over and over?  I don't complain at all about any runs I get. The only complaint I will lodge is if she tries the 3 Oklahoma run crap in a row thing on me again.  

There is no need for it and it really isn't fair.  One person gets great runs and another gets crap runs? No.  I do take into account I no longer do Cheniere stuff and several drivers get stuck with that garbage.  I found out my manager never did turn in that ordeal to corporate.  So the only people that know about it is my  manager, his manager and dispatch.  I didn't really care who knew about it, but it does give me more leverage that I don't have some kind of history at a particular place.  No one - and I mean no one - likes going into either of those facilities.  They are anal about rules and they make you wait forever, the pay isn't good and it's a really a waste of time.  

Ok  Well, I have stuff to do today but I haven't decided whether to do anything or not.  Facing elongated days over the road, I may just well enjoy a day off before going back to the grind.  It's still early.  I am assuming the contractor has all of the materials for the project by now.  It doesn't take long to get that stuff, it just sits in a yard somewhere until a customer orders it.  He is waiting on the septic permit - you simply can't start a septic system until the county gives it's approval.  

Hurry up and wait!  

Yup, politics is "interesting" right now, to say the least.  A circus show of varying flavors, nothing I really want to go into now, but obviously abortion is the biggest thing in the news today.  What is being ignored is a potential other blockbuster decision the Supreme Court is deciding.  Virginia v EPA.  Look it up.  It has the potential to determine how much authority and power these ABC government agencies have to enact rules and regulations from unelected bureaucrats who do not (and usually don't) have citizen' best interests as their priorities.  Some readings I have done indicate that if the Court rules in favor of Virginia, it could start a cascade of lawsuits against all the rest of these agencies that lord themselves over us.  The court is basically going to decide whether the EPA has these broad, reaching powers or is most of it something that elected politicians should be deciding?

If they find in favor for Virginia, I expect the trucking industry will take it as a cue to sue FMCSA and DOT for the rules they have put into place from bureaucrats who are placed into position by the President.  For example, Buttigieg is the United States Secretary of Transportation but is completely clueless about any and all of it, not just the trucking industry.  One would expect that they would place people that have the education and expertise to make informed decisions about matters pertaining to the work lives of millions of people - but they don't. It's just a political game, but the citizens that work in the transportation industry suffer. 

Anyway, that story is basically being ignored by main stream media who is on the warpath against the abortion ruling, yet this potential ruling could have such a significant impact on regulatory agencies that it is perplexing that they aren't reporting it. I only found out about it yesterday while perusing the "back" pages of a particular news site.  I looked it up and there were a bunch of stories but mostly from unknown news outlets. 

But, I am elated that the Supreme Court finally saw the Constitutional flaws with the Roe ruling and overturned it.  Pro life people have been dealing with the agony of the deaths of tens of millions of babies over the last 50 years, now it's pro-death people's turn. But not really, the fact that people can still get abortions where states will allow is almost completely ignored by the media, who continues to call abortion a "constitutional right" and that it was overturned.  Uhh, no, you can't just overturn a Constitutional right. It takes 2/3rd's of the House, 2/3rd's of the Senate and 3/4's of the states to ratify and amendments or adjustments to them.  

Good luck finding that kind of agreement.  A constitutional convention of the States could also so it without Congress help.  That also is pretty much out of the question currently.

Anyway, enough, time to decide what to do with the rest of the day.

G'day. 

 Friday late-morning Typical morning when there is no work.  It was, I should say, until the new guy called.  "There's nothing wron...