Thursday, November 9, 2023

 As expected, today was a complete waste of time. The only good that came out of it was earning some money and that is, suspect, the only reason they had us doing this today.  The Gurdon plant is still shut down and apparently isn't going to fire back up until the earliest on the 13th.  As for today? I could have driven up there without any "training", gone to the plant, go to the security shed, get clearance, handed a map, find the loading rack, etc.  

And it took much longer than it should have.  The guy went to the yard for the trailer but spent forever there.  I just know that training always entails things taking much longer than it should, every single time. Tomorrow, if he gets here by 8 as he says he is going to, we "should" be at the Ennis plan by 10:30 am, an hour in the plant and then 2-1/2 hours back.  But if we're before 4 I'd be surprised.   

It's just the way training goes and whatever.  The 13th is another 4 days away and that's not even guaranteed to be the reopening of the Gurdon plant.  I can get used to not driving trucks pretty easily, so yes, it's probably good I'm having to do this.. I have no idea if they are going to want me to do an Ennis run on my own this weekend. I'd prefer not.  

It's raining. It didn't start until quarter of a day after they predicted it would, but it did, indeed, finally start an hour and a half ago.  Enough that I wasn't confident of the man driving that truck back to the back of the driveway to turn around and his lack of confidence in his driving skills, I also didn't feel comfortable with him turning around in the area I created behind the shed for just such purpose.  So I just had him drive through the RV park.  

Deer man called several times today. The dude that is a serious hunter.  He said there is a giant buck that is bedding back there. He was all kinds of excited about it.  He went on and on about how it's a very large deer considering the scrape marks he's making on the white oaks with his horns. I mean, the guy has been hunting all of his life and he seems to know what he's talking about.  He says deer that are this big means they are probably older and highly likely very smart.  His assessment is he's bedded down during the day out of sight and only gets up to forage at night time.  

He also proclaimed it would be very difficult to bag that particular deer.  They are too smart.  His idea is to go to his bedding area and get him running in my direction and I can take the shot.  I deer running at full tilt is going to be extremely difficult to hit, even for a highly experienced shooter.  I'm not highly experienced but a moving target and especially one that moves the speed a deer can go? Next to impossible.  

I dunno. We can try this weekend if I don't have to work. Or even if I do, if I get home in time from these runs I can still go out.  

It's actually 2 weeks before the next reservation shows up for the over night lot. That isn't enough.  I'll take another long term if one shows up and cancel their reservation well in advance.  I've gone back and forth on this issue.  A man showed up this morning asking if I had a lot available? (Hint: all lots were full). Well, I will later on today.  Long - long - story short, he wants to move in December 1st.  Ok, I should have a space available. I say that honestly, not hopefully.  

I never know who is staying for how long.  You just don't turn away potential business that isn't showing for 2 weeks. That 3 day stay is before the end of the month, I can cancel other  1 nighters if I had to, but we're talking a month away for those.  

This whole RV business thing is a juggling act.  Keep the place full constantly, is the obvious goal. Trying to accomplish that feat? Well, good thing I'm starting out small.  Getting valuable experience here.  It's the stuff you get off line, not done on the campground software, that throws you for a loop.  Long term always calls or shows up, they actually could do it online, not a single person has done that.  People calling last minute - do you have a lot for tonight? That isn't difficult tho, you either do or you don't.  It's really the long term stuff that is what I am focused on yet offers the most consternation in trying to determine if I can give them a place on the date they need to show up.  

I'm getting better at it as I go along with it and figure things out, such as the idea that you don't tell anyone that you don't have something available if they are telling you they don't need to move in for 2 weeks.  Somebody is going to leave before then. Sometimes, you have no choice but to turn people away, you try not to do that tho.  

Well, it's not really that late but it's been a long day.  And this driver - really nice guy - but talks ... and talks....and talks....it got to the "agonizing" point.  Just please, can we have some quiet time? He asks me if I wanted to drive at all? No, not really, unless you need me to?  He said something about his disdain for driving at night. I don't really care, if he needed me to drive, pull over and let's get with it. I would have driven much faster than he was going anyway.  Didn't particularly bother me he was going slow, but I envisioned getting home earlier.  

That's enough.  I'm going to watch a little tv, probably won't watch the news tonight, and go to bed. 






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