I'm a naturally curious person, so I ask people questions about whatever they are doing. Most people will talk about themselves readily and without hesitation.  It's not just a way to show interest in a person, it's also a way to find out information out of that person that might have relevance to whatever you are doing, or perhaps someone you know doing the same thing and they might be interested to hear such information.

This is how I knew about the new RV park.  Straight from the horse's mouth that built the thing and also knew that they had sold it even tho the realty sites say it's under contract, which could mean anything. 

But the same for the Interstate project coming through here in a couple of years and the same with the alleged status of our town being a hotspot for pipeline workers next year - tho the people I talked to didn't know why it was going to be a hotspot, their companies had informed them as of such. I find it strange that people in the RV park industry around here don't ask such questions of people coming and going out of their parks. It can materially affect their operation  in a good way.  And perhaps get prepared for it. If it really picks up around here, I will be put in a position where I can raise my rates.  Why have a park filled with people paying $425 when I can have it filled with people paying $500?

I went over and collected from the people I should have collected from last night and then collected from the guy that showed up today. He is the boss of a crew of people that go around from town to town where Quik Trips are being built and installs all the networking and security cameras. Important work, I'd say,the heartbeat of a store like that is all of the wiring and electronics that make everything work. Not electrical wiring, but the wiring for cash registers, security cameras, everything that needs it.  

I have some things to do at the park tomorrow - more weeds of course but some stuff I want to get done in the shed.  I hooked a propane bottle up to the RV and the stove started working. Sprayed water/soap mixture on various connections to make sure nothing was leaking.  So, now they can cook.  They've been wanting that quite a lot, can't blame them.  They've been using a microwave and a convection cooker. Better than nothing, but there isn't really anything to replace being able to cook your own meals.  

Winding down with them. I still haven't finished the hot water line - it's probably an hour's worth of work that I will try to complete tomorrow as well. She said it's not a priority because they don't need to take hot showers right now.  Perhaps, I thought, but it will also pump hot water out the sink faucet.  You know, for cleaning your dishes?  

But, the pressure is starting to be relieved on getting things done.  14 lots filled, I need one more long term.  I have to keep at least one open for short term since I have some in there for next month.  Well, there is lot 7 pull through. They should be leaving soon.  Like, tomorrow morning actually. They came in for 8 days, 5 days, another 5 days and that is almost done.  Of course, they can stay as long as they like, lol, but it was a temporary deal where the guy was here for work and not that long.  

I'm always looking for more people.  I don't turn anyone down now unless I absolutely have nothing available.  There are 2 empty lots and lot 7 coming available, no need to turn anyone away. I can deal with the 4 days of reservations on one lot, no need to stop long term coming in because of that.  And that isn't until next month.  

The New Jersey people are behind ... too far behind.  They aren't contacting me, so I will contact them and inform them a minimum amount of money needs to come my way.  If you don't keep on people like that, you won't get anything. Or they'll give you very small amounts that don't add up to anything.  They have to understand that I am not a pushover or playing games.  I don't know if the guy is still working or what, I don't see him at all. They got another car from someone but that car isn't gone much. None of my concern excepting the part about money.  

I left my payment book in the car.  Need to add up what's coming in the rest of this month and see what i can take for myself.  It's a matter of survival at the moment, not just, gee I could use an extra few bucks.  

The trucking company didn't call me back today about moving the orientation date. Not concerned about that, they seriously want me working for them.  Maybe they'll give me the update tomorrow.  There's a couple local places I'm going to fill out full applications for Monday morning. If they perhaps want me to work for them, I'll need to be ready to go to work for them right away. I can't do that this week. They may not - I don't have the particular experience they are looking for.  That won't stop me from trying. These are local jobs that are only in this area, not huge trucking companies with orientations 2,100 miles away.  Truly local job - but it's still long hours. 

I don't really care about orientations being so far away, I guess, just being away from home that long isn't really appealing.

Next door neighbor flags me down after I got home from collecting payments.  What's up? I wanted to tell you this because of what you just went through with Addler. Her large dog - cane corso? - has elbow cancer and is going to die "within 2 months" she was told. Another dog has terminal cancer.  She is losing 2 of 3 dogs in the next few months. You get a dog, you get attached to it, you spend a portion of your life with it and then it dies.  

The boss of the other guy that showed up last week came in today.  I didn't even see him drive in. He picked the last remaining pull through lot, I figured he would, I gave him latitude to take whichever spot he wanted.  He stated he wanted to be next to or as close as possible to his worker. Well, he pulled in next to him.  I was going to collect rent, but the Lenova pile of junk was doing yet another update which usually takes as much as an hour to complete.  The other day, it turned on, off, on, off, on, off and on again before taking forever to load up and actually start working. 

I was appalled that after going through that a few days ago, here we go again!  That guy got set up and left before I came anywhere even remotely close to being able to take a credit card payment.  

I'll catch up with him later.

Meanwhile, I"m pulling weeds - story of my life over there - this time around the doggy park and also cleaning up dog s*** from whoever's dog running around leaving piles everywhere and it's owner not picking them up, when the phone rings.  I immediately recognized it as the trucking company in Oregon.  Same number calls every time, same recruiter.  She is always upbeat, lol. Helllllaaaaaooooooaaaaaaoooooo!  Hi there.  I have a quick question for you.  Okay?  If we could get you in orientation sooner, would you be interested in doing that?  It depends on when you want to do it?  The beginning of September (versus the 17th I think she said last time I talked to her).  Ok.  
Well, I am going into a meeting with the team and I will put it out before them and get back to you, ok? Sure.

Really need to start working sooner than halfway through next month.  I do have 12 of 14 lots filled right now plus the 2 behind the shed - but - I need a job.  I'm not going to pay down debt with that income and I have property tax and insurance payment coming up. I was going to start putting money aside for that, never materialized.  I was doing good just get the bills paid and for several of the last - well most of them actually - 8 months I never received a single paycheck.  I did give myself money last month and a little the month before.  I'll have to give myself money this month or I will go into default on several payments.  

I do have money in the business account and fixing to have more.  So I'll probably write an owner's draw check sometime soon and put that in the personal checking account.  

If they call back with the beginning of September, that's what it's going to be unless I find something better.  Don't make that kind of offer to me and renege on it, please.  

That's it. A few prospects in the offing but nothing concrete yet.

Oh! I did drive over to the new RV park. Signs saying "Grand Opening" and "Now Renting RV's and Cabins". The gate was locked and closed. That was the main entrance.  I went up to the back entrance.  It had changed. Someone is living in a building that is not on the RV property and it just didn't feel right.  There were no signs saying no trespassing and there was no gate, but I still felt uneasy. Took a glance over at the RV park, completely empty. In fact, just dirt and gravel pads.  That's all I needed to see. I can't imagine paying a million dollars for that.  Makes no sense to me at all.  Could buy the land and have that built for you for half that price.  

The business model is solid, however.  There isn't really any great demand for RV parks but there is if you are renting the units you live in.  If I had more money, I'd buy another RV and sell it as well.  Not renting tho. Now that I think of it, not the greatest plan on that new park's part. That leaves them responsible for everything in the RV if it breaks. Ok, Cabins I can see renting, obviously, but not RV's.  

It may well be that I have James build a tiny house from the frame up. He is looking for side work, that is something he could do.  I want things on wheels so it stays non-taxable. Once you put it on the ground and rent it, it's taxable. The only taxes I want to have to pay is income tax. 

Whatever. Nothing like that is going to happen without more money coming in and right now, that's just got to be a job.  And there it is, another inquiry about a lot. I tell him the requested info, he says "I'll be getting back with you".  Maybe he will, maybe he won't lol.  All I know is, if you don't answer that phone when they call, you will never hear from them again.  I answer every phone call nowadays unless it's specifically labeled spam. 

That's it.  Be going back over to the property later on to collect 2 payments.  I have no idea when this new guy will be home, he hasn't called me and he wasn't too interested in close contact when I told him I've been sick.  The other people should be home after 5:00.  

 The magic of having a house to yourself, even if only temporarily,.

Kid are at school - thank God almighty - parents are at work.  

Early - Tuesday.  I can't imagine the sacks of joy those 2 kids must have been this morning being awakened at 5:40 am after getting up whenever they  please, basically, for the entire summer.  They will both be cranky when they get home today, the youngest especially so.

Anyway, I've ramped up my ... I don't know what they call them. Mini-applications? I am getting all kinds of trucking companies looking for drivers showing up on my facebook feed. You fill out this short thing that prefills anyway and hit send.  Several tanker jobs I hadn't seen before showed up via Facebook spying on my personal activities and attempting to "fill the need" as the bots see fit.

This is the week of the wedding, which occurs on Saturday.  After that, I'm full tilt into finding a new job. Doesn't mean I won't take the one that is slated in Oregon in September, it means that I am looking at every option that comes my way.  Actually, I'm kind of full tilt into it already.  You can get hired today in trucking but you still have to go through an orientation which is usually somewhere far from where you live.

They schedule the next available orientation and off you go!  

I'm feeling much better, btw.  Not 100% but a heckuva lot better than the last what, 7 days? Longer?  Haven't really kept track.  A bit of a cough, still have this itchy feeling but the fever is gone and the icky feeling is almost gone.  Yesterday I was feelin better as well, but I was still getting waves of fatigue hitting me.  

Looks like about 80% of Texas is in some phase of drought.  Amazingly, it lists my county as "none".  It hasn't rained here in a while. Grass everywhere is turning brown.  Walking over our front yard, it's crunchy, like walking on Captain Crunch cereal or something.  It's dying and unless we start watering it, it's not going to make it.  There is no real chance of rain in the next 15 days. I mean, there are very low percentages listed, nothing that would make one think, gee, it's going to rain! 

It just solidifies me not doing anything about grass right now.  I take that back, if I had the money, I would get a well drilled and supply my own water for grass.  The city water is great! Until you look at the bill.  It would cost a small fortune in water bills to start trying to water grass seed 4 times a day or keeping sod wet. I've thought about it tho, doing just a lot or two and seeing what happens.  They want over $200 for a pallet of sod which is enough for maybe one lot.  

I can tell ya that at some point in the future, there is going to be a well drilled. There is plenty of water underground in these parts, there are no restrictions on it if you aren't trying to use it for tap water so basically, after you pay to drill it and have the pipe and pump installed and run your own water lines from it? It's free water, minus the cost of electricity for the pump.  

I guess I need to go get Addler today.  "Addler is back".  That sounded weird when they called and said that. His ashes are back, Addler is gone.  Not really motivated to go get them, just another reminder he is no longer around.  It's still fresh in my mind that this giant dog that used to love to be at my side is gone forever.  

The high today at 92, I'm leaving in a bit to go do work on the lots.  Just cutting down weeds and making it look as presentable as it can look without any grass.  Ok, there are bits of wild grass growing here and there, doesn't really look like anything since it's not a solid sheet of it.  In fact, it just grows in giant clumps and is just another thing to do on the "cut it down" list.  Amazing that stuff isn't dying without being watered.  I don't know what type of grass it is, but it's quite hardy.  

And that's it. Besides the very strange world of politics and endless Trump indictments.  Or the lack of Hunter investigation from the Democrat side or even interest in carrying one out, regardless of the mounting evidence that is showing that Joe Biden sold out his country for millions of dollars.  

Well that and this oddity of this new RV park, the revelation of the two biggest contenders I currently have in town are struggling and the idea that I still have a fighting chance to keep a decent market share of the business.  I'm going to look at this with as much positivity as possible, doesn't help anything to get ultra-negative and get into a 'woe is me' mindset.  

But yes, I do need to drive over there and maybe this morning before I do anything else and see if I can drive in there and take a look. Or whatever I can see from the roadway.  I dunno if they have the place gated and locked.  

Yes, that's a great idea!\

Off to the races.  BTW? I've done 3 of those mini-apps since I started writing this blog entry, lol.