The new people already leaving - they've only been there a month and were supposedly staying a while - are moving on to west Texas. Lots and lots of oil activity going on over there.  It is what it is.  I collected the, pro-rated rent from them today.  They are leaving on the 12th.  So I'm facing the potential for 4 spots leaving this month - not a good thing at all.  They were all temporary to begin with, nothing much I can do about it.  I haven't had much interest in the latest go around of facebook ads with the boost that already ended.  

Beyond Facebook and Google, I don't really see much else that can be done to get the word out to people that are looking for long term.  I can only pray and believe more people will show up and stay a while.  I have a 3 nighter coming tomorrow and an 8 nighter coming the 20th for lot 12.  

I got quite a lot of the insulation done today.  It is quite tedious work, especially making the ceiling tiles.  The further towards the other side of the shed I got, the cooler it was staying in there. Still lots to go, I intend on having it 3/4's done - the entire shed that is - by tomorrow. The widths between studs is not uniform - which is kind of weird.  They're usually all the same distance apart. Some of the boards they used are curved so cutting pieces meant putting them over top of where they would go to cut out the insulation for the curve.  And a lot of other things trying to deal with that just made it difficult. 

Not complaining, really, just saying it, like many other things, is taking longer than I hoped for.  I don't even know if I'm going to try to do the drywall in there, but I'd like to get it up on the ceiling. It would help keep the heat out.  I'm not running the AC 24 hours in there. If someone wants to turn it on, be my guest but the thing doesn't get constant use and a waste of electricity to keep it cool in there all the time.  At least for now.  

I threw a bone to the grumpy people today. The maillady stuffed a package into the mailbox, I mean wedged it in there.  I got it out and it was for them.  So, I took it over there, left it on the table and then texted her.  We actually had a texting conversation for once.  It's been a while. I'm not trying to drive them out of there.  They may be grumps but their money is just as green as anyone else's.  

Tomorrow I'm just going to continue on with the insulation, excepting I need a small version of a caulking gun.  I didn't even know they came in 2 sizes, I just picked one up without really thinking about it. The one I picked up is made for giant tubes, the tubes I have are small ones that the big caulking gun round piece won't fit into. I opened a tube up today with a blade and then scraped it onto the insulation with a screwdriver. Yeah, that got old.  

There isn't much else going on right now. The school year is winding down, kids will be out the end of this month I think. Certainly no later than the first week of June.  The vacation is coming up - but still weeks away, not really going to think about that too much except a few new pair of casual pants would be nice or just plain ole' new jeans anyway.  I do think about the airline fiascos I read about frequently now and wonder if there is the possibility of getting bumped off of a flight.  It wouldn't really bother me terribly much if there were perks involved with it.  

 I'm doing everything I can to keep the park full.  But if I don't get at least another long term in there soon, it may not be enough.  It's because I'm fixing to lose probably 3 people who are moving on to new job assignments. I'd rather find local long term than these energy related people, it would be a lot more stable, but they are either unwilling to pay the going rate for a decent park around here or they have old junk trailers that only fit in with trailer-trash parks.  I just saw an old, junky trailer leave and I don't want any of that back regardless of the money. 

People in the park don't like it, I don't like it and the people I got in that junky trailer also were trashy people, not keeping their site clean, not taking care of their dogs, broken windows, open panel doors - ti was a very bad appearance.  Lesson learned - if I'm going to let older units in, I want pictures of the entire thing, not cherry-picked pictures that show the parts of the trailer that are in one piece.  

I see plenty of older trailers that are in excellent condition. This really isn't a trailer issue, it's the people issue. If a person wants a decent looking rig they can make it look nice regardless of age.  If they don't, it seems it's a indicator of what type of person or people that is or they are.  

I have a couple of interested people for renting long term right now, but no commitments. One just said we need to move this weekend and I said, great! I have a spot available!  They didn't say they were going to move in.  That new park that hasn't opened is still on my mind.  Number one, how are they going to fill that place up? They  might attract oil workers from Shreveport, but seeing other parks farther away from town, people don't like it. They like the country feel of park outside of town but they also like to be able to get to town in a few minutes. 

It lends to the idea that if someone could get the city council to build a park IN town, like right along the main highway, they would probably fill up and stay full.  Maybe.  Maybe not, people also like peace and quiet and you definitely wouldn't get that along the main highway, especially with all the trucks roaring through constantly.  That will change - in many years from now - once they build the Interstate and the Loop around the city.  

I really just wonder how that new park - it will open sooner or later - is going to affect mine.  It's too far out of town and they likely won't be able to get high rents there.  No one else can.  Maybe if they turn it into a resort. Right now, it's a park with pads, full hook ups a pond and a large building.  Oh how I wish I could get a pool in my place, it would almost guarantee that my park would remain full constantly.  I'd have to raise my rates but the people that stay would do so for the perks of having a pool.  There are zero parks with a pool in my city's area.  In fact, there are hardly any public pools in the entire region. 

All of this is very perplexing to me and I try not to think too much about it, but last night, in the middle of the night, waking up out of a dead sleep for unknown reasons, those thoughts entered my head and it took a while to eject that thinking.  I can only do what I can do.  I just wonder where all of these people went that were looking for long term when I was telling them no, I don't have any right now and now?  I am getting pretty spartan inquiries comparatively speaking.  

I've got my sites listed with a shower and toilet, but it may be too late.  People start booking summers well in advance.  Laundry is quite important to the long term people.  That is the focus of today, trying to get the ceiling insulation pieces cut and installed and hopefully keep the heat down to a minimum once running the AC. It's starting to get warm here with Saturday slated at 90 degrees high.  If you can imagine trying to be in a laundry room with a ceiling that feels like you could fry eggs on it and an AC unit that can't keep up with it...

That's why my long time friend that has a similar setup informed me that it won't stay cool in there even with AC on high pumping out cold air unless you put insulation in it. I was going to do it anyway, but it sort of ramped up the idea that it "must" be done, rather than "Oh, okay, I'll think about it".  It was 79 degrees out yesterday and it was hot inside that shed.

Talk talk talk, yes, I'm fixing to leave here and go get started on it, I had to buy a ladder yesterday in order to do that.  The little expenses - they are the ones that eat you up.  You start figuring all of it out and you realize you have thousands and thousands of dollars worth of little things.  And I still need a riding mower.  The one I really wanted was finally marked as sold.  I even offered the guy $100 more than what was listed on the ad to get it.  

There are a few listed that look ok and are advertised as good running machines, but they are too far away to risk it.  I don't want to drive 100 miles to get a good unit and find out the thing has serious issues such as smoking engine, oil leaking engine,  poorly running engine, needs new blades, etc.  

Then there is the news.  I loathe to go into any depth of what I am seeing in the media outlets.  I'm just not going to go there, at least not right now.  

I'm both looking forward to going home and sort of not.  I just don't feel like traveling anywhere. I think I'm doing this more out of necessity than anything. Haven't seen mom in 3 plus years and she isn't getting any younger.  None of us are, but she's up there in age.  Still walking the dog every day, still getting around well enough for a person in their 80's. But - yeah- I'd like to ensure I see her while she is still healthy and not be waiting until something goes foul in her body and the end draws near.  I'll do both.  Her lineage has long lives accompanied with it, many living into their late 90's. She has taken very good care of herself for as long as I can remember.  So who knows, but it was time to go, especially considering I am paying nothing for the round trip airfare.  

Several people I want to see as well, my son obviously but old friends as well. Go take a look at the house, but I'm sure it's immaculate as always.  If Mark weren't there taking care of the place I would shut it down and sell it.  Well, right now may not be the best time to be selling houses, who  knows.  The fed is likely to raise the  interest rate again, housing markets are cooling off all over the place and housing prices are coming down.  If Zillow is any accurate definer, my house has shed 55k worth of value over the last several months.  

Well, I guess I best be going to the property and getting this thing started.  It's really quite the pain.  Measure the space to be filled, then mark it on the insulation, cut the insulation and then install it.  But this is going to be additional "pain" because it's on a ladder and it will need glue to help hold it in place.  I am going to make sure I have tight fits that have to be squeezed in there tho, that helps with not having the insulation falling out of place. Still, on the ceiling, it's going to need glue and I will probably end up taping it as well.  And then, adding foam insulation around the cracks.

Off to the races!

G'day