I think I'm just going to save the quarters from the machines until there is enough there to pay them off.  It will take several months to do that, of course and meanwhile making payments on it, but that will speed up the pay off date and get another $216 a month worth of payments off of the books.  It shows I have 8 more months of payments, not ridiculous really, I just need to dump some payments.  

The shed is still a ways off.  Probably 2 years.  It may very well be I'll just do the same with the machine quarters for the shed.  

Another tenant supposed to show up today - tho I haven't seen him yet, I am going over there in a while to verify.  Need to have it written down what day they show up for payments sake.  

The kids finally left for Arkansas.  The oldest - who was here from Arkansas visiting for two weeks - sat on the couch all day long, pouting.  He wouldn't talk to me or Taylor at all.  The middle brother was lamenting all day long how he didn't want to go.  Too bad.  The youngest was the only one that was talkative and all over the fact that he gets to go to grandma's for a week.  Grandma spoils him and she changes the rules over here when she comes.  

I had a falling out with her today and we didn't talk the rest of the day either. One of them wanted to go with me to the property to deal with a tent camper that had shown up.  So, walking out, I informed her he was going with me. She got a smirk on her face and spouted out: No, he's not.  Oh? Why?  Because I don't get to see them that often and I want them to stay here with me. 

It wasn't that she wanted him there with her. It was the way she was talking down to me and ordering me around as if I were also a child.  Not too many people in this town that have met her like her.  She is crass, bossy and impudent.  Her feelings supersedes everyone else's.  I instantly had had enough of it. She has been doing this forever, I have bit my tongue forever.  Today?

I flatly informed her that they would all be with her for the next 7 days, he is going with me.  That was it, instead of just blasting her as I felt like doing, I just refuted her and left.  We went to the property, met the lady who wants to move in semi-permanently.  We went to the tent site, she approved of it and said if I need any help, her brother could help. I dunno how that setup is going to work, but I do hope they have 2 tents and that these siblings that are in their 40's or 50's aren't actually sleeping in the same tent?  I don't really care that much, but they will be signing an agreement to cover my ass.

I just don't want people claiming squatter's rights.  I have read too much of that going on and that isn't going to be a happening event on my property.  A signed document declaring them as temporary guests that are being allowed the use of the property in exchange for daily payment, tenancy can be revoked at any time.  Or something along those lines.  

And then another guy here on work assignment.  He's working at the same power station that several before him have come in on.  He's coming Sunday, or so he says.  

Anyway, just like that, there is peace and quiet in this house.  It's amazingly wonderful.  It's summer, the kids get too antsy, start squabbling at a moment's notice with each other, fighting, pouting, crying, etc.  I mean, the power being out was the real problem and everyone crammed into 2 bedrooms.  Sometimes the kids would be out in the common areas in the heat playing, most of the time they were in either bedroom and driving adults up the wall.  

I've already started cleanup.  My desk has been cleaned off, the bed linens have been washed and that's it for today.  Tomorrow will be the kitchen, another area in my bedroom and anything left in the front yard.  When James gets back - he's on his way up to Arkansas with his mom/ the grandma and the 3 kids - he says he intends on continuing work on the shed. Good, I will gladly go help him all day long - it will be the worst of it, putting the sheets of drywall up on the ceiling.  Let's get that thing done and over with, I want to get it all cleaned up. 

It will likely be a busy weekend with all of this stuff to do.  I'm heading over to the property in a few minutes to see if these folks have shown up. They paid $100 in advance, I would assume they would be, but who knows. 

Well enough. I got my book up to date on who is where and what.  Didn't fix the campground software yet, I will just wait until a person leaves tomorrow instead of trying to move everything around.  

 Thursday, mid-morning

I didn't get up late per se, but I've had the kids cleaning up their messes. They are leaving today for a week, Taylor went to work, the grandmas is here but I made them completely clean up their room.  We're going to completely clean up this house now that the power emergency is over and their room? No, they can do it, not the adults. The adults didn't make that room dirty.

So, it's clean by my standards but I'm sure Taylor will have them doing other things in there.  Just the main bulk of the ridiculousness has been cleaned up. I'm totally out of sort with the park.  I am going over there in a while and getting my notes straightened out on who is in what lot and for how long.  My reservation system is all in a mess for people have pulled in to whichever space and I have fixed that either.  

But, I need to go there first, lay eyes on everything, write it all down and then fix the reservation system.  I know I have 2 back in lots available. The rest of the lots are taken. But, some of those are only temporary.  I need to fix the reservation system to show which lots will be available when so I can still keep getting reservations in if anyone so chooses.  

We can finally cook in an oven and a stove top again, the days of eating out are one, as far as I"m concerned and I'm going back on my diet now that I can cook what I need to to my specifications.  

But my do we have a lot of cleanup to do. Extension cords laying everywhere, 2 trailers backed up onto the front lawn near the steps, the kitchen a bit dirty, just need general cleanup and get this place spic and span again. I have a bunch of receipts I have to upload to Quickbooks and get that stuff filed away and just general cleanup in my room as well.  Kids were crammed into 2 bedrooms for almost a week, it became pointless to try and keep it the way I like it.  I just tolerated this situation.  

Most of the businesses in our city are powered up and back to normal again. But there are still a lot of houses without power.  We got lucky, but I found out that's because one house on the next street down which is also on the same leg (power) as we are filed a complaint with the State of Texas. They have a special needs child that is listed with the state as such and as such, their power should have been priority to be restored. The child has to have 24 hour monitoring. When the parents aren't at work, they have to have a licensed nurse in there watching the child.

We don't know that is the reason for sure, but it likely had something to do with it. All I know is, I saw a SWEPCO pickup driving through our neighborhood and then an hour later or however long it was, the power was back on.  It actually stopped at our house and took note of the 2 generators on trailers on the front lawn.  

All of our friends had their power restored before we did, some of them many days ago, so there's no helping them, they don't need any help.  My bank account depleted from all of the gas and eating out.  We are thankful for the church feeding us, tho, it saved us a chunk of change.  If they're doing it again today, we will go for dinner.  There don't stand at the door and ask if you're power is out, they welcome everyone in.  My church is still without power, at least as of yesterday, haven't checked today.

I am fairly certain that if they had had power, they would have done the same as others of these churches.  Yup, their power is still out. The church is located on the same highway my property street is on. Everyone is still saying they don't have power down there. 

Well, it's time to get with it.  So nice to go into the bathroom, hit the switch and the light actually goes on.  Or not have to have the door to my bedroom perpetually closed. The whole house is nicely chilled. And I know I keep saying this, but it will be wonderful to have those kids gone for a week. After the week we've had with everyone going through what we've been going through, the adults definitely need a break from children.  We can have some peace and quiet and go about the business of restoring everything to normal in here without constant nagging and asking questions and such. 

 So...(yesterday, Wednesday)

I get a call earlier. You have any lots available? Yes!  Good, my husband is coming through Gilmer he'll be there in a little while.  Ok, well he can just pull in and take whatever empty lot he likes.  Well what about payment? I'm in the middle of something right now (sweating my ass off while I was doing it), I'll catch up with him later.  These people are apparently not used to hearing that. I don't need payment right away if I'm busy doing something else, I WILL be at their door at some point, they will pay.  I have no doubt about that.  I know my rights as an RV park owner, they show and don't pay, they leave.

So far, no one has ever tried to not pay.  I may run into it some day, but up until now, it's been a non-issue. They pull in, park, hook up. I come by later, they pay, we're good. 

So, they pulled in while another person called.  They live on the street that connects to our road - not the main highway end but the other end where our road crosses the Interstate and ends.  It connects to another county road. That entire road is not serviced by SWEPCO, they are serviced by a rural coop and these people were being told it could be weeks or longer before their power is back up.  They have a travel trailer and say they are tired of paying $75 per day for electricity when they could come to my park and pay much less.  

Makes sense to me.  We've been going between $48 and $90 per day.  I just filled the tanks back up maybe an hour before the power came back on.  I had no choice, it was time to refill, I couldn't bank on the power coming back on, you have no idea when it's going to happen in these dire circumstances.  I can use the fuel in the mowers at the property, James can use it in his welder.  Not like it's going to sit around for a long time and go bad.  

They grumpy texted today as well. They said the area they were sent to, all the RV parks are charging around $1,500 per month. Some with no amenities at all.  Port Sulpher, Louisiana.  Apparently they are building a new power plant down there, which of course would mean bringing in workers from all over the place.  Imagine that, actually building new power plants in this energy hostile environment the White House is creating in this nation.  

I replied that I expect prices to go well up around here when the Interstate starts getting built.  They always bring in a huge amount of crews and those people have to stay somewhere. Some will stay in hotels, yes, but I always see trailer parks filled up and even temporary trailer parking at the job sites themselves.  It was a bit strange to even hear from them again.  I figured they were done with me, lol.

____________________________

5 hours short of 7 days, we finally just got power back on. 20 minutes ago.  We are hoping beyond hope it actually stays on this time. We did shut the generators off, they have been running almost the entire time and need a break.  But, we are not rolling up extension cords, not at all. I am not doing that again and then having the power go back off 20 minutes later.  In fact, I suspect we'll just leave it all like it is all night long.  Or, as far as I am concerned anyway, my extension cord going to my room is staying put.  

And, confirming it's going to take hours for the house to cool down.  It's been on half an hour now and only down 1 and half degrees.  13 degrees to go.  

We'll see if it stays on, it would be wonderful if it did. 

The grandma just showed up as well. I was asking why she was coming here when there is no power on?  It makes literally no sense.  It's hot in the house, there would be 6 people sleeping in that bedroom.  I don't understand her thinking, at all. James can't go back with her until after work tomorrow.  She hit it lucky with the power going back on.  The house will finally be cooled back down after all of this time.  

I keep walking out there to see if it's cooled down yet, lol. The doors have had to been slightly open with all the extension cords, lots of flies in the house, gag.  I was thinking we could just fumigate the common areas of the house and leave for a few hours.  The kids will be gone and we can just go do something, like watch a movie we wanted to see.  

Whatever the case, there will be a major cleanup operation.  And laundry.  Sweeping, cleaning, vacuuming, etc.  Wait til the kids are gone tho.  

The internet is out once again.  IT comes and goes. We went and toured some more of the destruction today.  A mile away, there was an area we hadn't seen that someone told us about. It was insanity.  Trees had fallen and destroyed several houses, fallen and pulled down lines, fallen and snapped telephone poles in half like match sticks.  You just can't describe such things, you have to see it with your own eyes. HUGE trees EVERYWHERE. 

And my property!  I hadn't gone for a hike in the back 15 acres since the storm hit. I had NO idea there would be that kind of destruction back there!  Trees down all over the place, some of them huge trees. I'm going to need to do a cleanup effort back there but with all of that, we're talking days worth of work, maybe weeks.