Thursday - semi-early

Finally found sleep last night and took advantage of it. I was going to get up at around 6:00 am this morning, but the aura of sleep overcoming was enough to stay in bed a couple more hours.  When I can get sleep, I will take it regardless of what is going on.  

Ill be taking my first paycheck here in the next couple of days.  The only time I transferred money from business to checking so far is when I made the error of paying the electric bill for the Park out of my personal account.  I noted the transaction and can always back it up with receipts from the power company.  You know, in case of an audit....  I'm going to take $2,500 worth of cash that I have been accumulating and a small amount out of the business checking account, the cash will be recorded in quickbooks as income for the business.  I do have a few people that pay in cash.  I wish they would all pay in check or credit cards.  Just easier to do the books, it goes into the checking account and automatically reported as income.   

I won't be making the power mistake again, that's for sure.  I just don't want to take too much out of the business account until i see what a full month's worth of electric use is.  I have no idea what that will be, last month the park wasn't full until near the end of the month.  

All 3 short term lots will be full this weekend for that square dancing event. It's after this weekend that the amount of short term goes into spartan mode. Like, only 5 days worth and that's in April. There's still 5 days left of February.  I dunno, I'm weighing my options here.  It's hard to wait until I have the laundry room completed to go ahead and fill up one more of the long term.  There will be a long termer leaving next month anyway, or at the end of April for sure. His work will be done and he's moving on to some other state for similar work with the power grid.  

Lot 11 only has one more reservation after this weekend, that would be the lot I would think of renting out.  I could move the sole, one night reservation to one of the pull through lots and start getting that $475 over - nothing.  It's so hard to make that decision, we are going to be entering the traveling time when people are running up and down the roads with their RV's and looking for spots to stay overnight.  I'm likely to pull the trigger, tho, and fill that spot with a long term.  I already have the person in mind.  I'll have to make up my mind soon, it's usually the end of the month when these people are looking to move.  

It just kind of makes sense to put a long term in there when knowing that another long term is going to be leaving in the next month or so.  Some money is better than none.....and besides, HipCamp is my next experiment. 

I've also thought about the contractor's words.  I can get up to 15?  I only have 14.  Why can't I build another lot out of the current septic system? I didn't ask him that yesterday, I just started thinking about it today. I have long term people that are hardly ever there.  They aren't going to be using their restroom facilities that much. In fact, 3 of them were gone for an entire week.  The usage on that system wouldn't be too great adding one more lot. The problem is, where would I put that lot? I will be looking this morning, rest assured. 

But, you know, that laundry thing will probably send that septic system to capacity.  Still, I have to think that one more lot isn't going to overload the system with people gone most of the time - they are using toilets elsewhere.  If I could fit in a smaller lot where I"m thinking I could put one, it would cost me .... around $1,500 worth of materials and mini-ex rental to install the utilities.  The pad could be layered with a 3 or 4 inch layer of rock - another $700.  Looking at $2,200.  It would pay for itself in less than 5 months.  

If I can put a lot in where I"m thinking, the cost wouldn't even be that much. Just as I went off the end of the last lot for power, water and electric for the shed, I would go off the other end for the same for a lot and it wouldn't be that much distance to cover.  I dunno, but I'll get back to that later on today after I take a look and take some measurements.  If long term lot, it increases my gross receipts by $5,700 per year.  That's nothing to shake a stick at.  I can make it a shorter lot - there are plenty of people wanting long term that don't have these super long 5th wheels.  

Well, this morning is a trip to Harbor Freight and if they don't have it, Lowe's.  If they don't have it, I will try the electric supply house in town. It...being a number 7 metric hex key.  I have a set of hex keys, it goes from 6 to 8, skipping 7.  James and Taylor had their own sets and theirs did the same.  I cannot install the neutral or ground wires into that breaker box without it.  I don't know why the hex key sets skip 7 and I don't know why they would use a number 7 in that box considering, apparently, most sets skip that one?  Just a way to make doing the job more difficult? Seriously.  Anymore, manufactures include hex keys with whatever it is you are buying if it needs one.  Not this manufacturer, which would be GE. 

Well whatever, I'll find one, that's for sure and hopefully today, I want to finish that blessed box and be done with it already, dang.  IF I can get that thing done, THEN I can hook up the main lugs from the pedestal and power it up.  With the main circuit breaker in off position, I can then go over and turn that sucker on and hope to high heaven I got everything right.

Rest assured, I was triple checking my connections while hooking up the various outlets.  But, I"m going to check them again, just to be sure.  I'm confident in my work, yes.  You can't screw up those main lugs, they are obvious what they are. 2 hots and a neutral. The neutral is delineated with a yellow line running all the way through it. The ground you get from the grounding rods installed near the breaker box and a separate run for the ground, including that damned number 7 hex key lug.  I am so tired of having to go to stores ...gag.

Well, not that tired, it's just an annoyance that I will be getting over shortly once I power it up. There are other outlets to install, but I can't run those wires until I know where I need them, I won't know where I need them until I get the bathroom built.  That will take a minute.  

Well, the day's wasting away and I need to get busy.

G'day