So here I set at DFW,  trip from Longview uneventful besides sitting next to a man whose body didn't fit the seat. He asked if he could be switched to one of the rows in front of us that were empty? Oh no, we can't do that, those are upgrade seats.  So even after the flight is seated and no one else coming with several empty they still won't allow people to switch? Unbelievable.  

I said nothing to the man, it was a 37 minute flight, just eat it.  \

However.  The next flight, fully 3 hours from now and yes, I've eaten and done everything I wanted to before sitting down at the 3rd gate now. Just received a text to go back to the previous gate.  3 gate changes, 4 gates total so far. 

Should I walk from gate 37 back to gate 21, or just sit here and think, gee, they might change it again?  I've never seen this many gate changes especially so long before the flight even takes off.    

Oh, well I don't plan on having someone else's body in contact with mine for 4 plus hours the next flight.  I will politely say something to the person if that's that case, if that's even possible in this day age.  

Yup, I"m just going to sit at gate A37 until it's an hour before departure time. If nothing changes before then,  I'll do the walk clear back to gate A21.  

Anyway, I am neither enthused nor aghast at this trip so far. It's just normal now for all kinds of bs.  

 It's good to just get up and act as if you're leaving.  When you aren't really leaving, but all kinds of things start flooding through your mind. Do I have everything? Did I pack everything I need? Did I forget something? 

Why yes, yes I did.  I forgot to take my house keys off of the key ring and leave the keys for the park here in case they are needed for something.  That is done.  I do have a couple of warm clothing items, but the day time temps there are in the 80's so nothing too heavy.  Looks like just evening/night time temps are getting cool. A little cash in case I need it for - something, who knows.  Look at the bank accounts, a bit spartan but that will change in the next coming weeks before the end of the month.  

I'll have to have the new friend check lots 4 and 5 for me daily to see if these people ever showed up.  I haven't heard anything after charging the one dude for a week's rent, of which he is still 4 days behind now.  

I think the laptop has given up the ghost.  I said the same thing for 35 minutes.  So I just pushed the off button until it shut itself off and now? it's actually doing .... something.  It'd be nice if I could just get it to last at least this trip, I doubt it's going to happen. I need to be able to take payments for lot rents and I can't do that with a screwed up laptop.  

Well, it's trying anyway.  Just slower than slow.  Well, maybe I'm luck. The thing is working, just taking forever to do anything.  I clearing of history and cookies and such might speed things up. 

Success.  Maybe the thing will give me the few extra weeks I need out of it after all? No idea, but I'm running with it. 

Concerning. Very concerning.  I've got the campground software up, google finally put up the internet screen and tho it's going slower than a turtle with it's legs cut off, it is working.  I just did everything I need to do on the software for the campground.  Mostly, blocking out access for reservations on lots that are full.  

Well that's it. The thing started functioning normally.  I mean, kinda slow but after all the updates were finally done - a thing this machine does all the time - and deleting history

 Sunday - semi early

Figured I'd better get up and get the day started. Unlike yesterday, starting before 6:00 am, I didn't manage to crawl out of bed until around 7:30.  

Yesterday, the trip to the property was - strange.  The man that wants to do the hunting decided he'd get into his truck run down after us and go with us on a walk.  I did not invite him and I really didn't want him with us.  These are more "private" walks with the dog and the boys.  This dude couldn't handle it, either.  He was dripping in sweat, face covered with sweat droplets as we might have gotten half way through the walk.

He also tried to take over the conversation, which I quickly shut down. He is free to come back here and walk with his dog any time he wants, he doesn't need to take away from my last moments with normal life with the dog and kids before I have to go back to the corporate working life. I suspect this transition is going to be rough.  He was worn out after one pass through the trail and I bid him g'day.  

Back to the trail for a while longer without uninvited guests.  

Over to the shed after all of that. Ladies came swarming out and I ended up dealing with  - stuff. A lot of stuff.  I did a lot of stuff and then I informed them again I'd be "gone awhile". How long will I be gone, I asked myself? Hmmm.  The entire 2 weeks? Find out this place is the dud people have proclaimed it to be and cut out early?  Not really sure.  I'm going with the idea that I'm going to go through the entire process, but there is this reservation inside of me that says, this may not turn out well. 

I have decided to go to church this morning. Out at noon, bring the kids home, grab my stuff and run over to longview.  I'll be there an hour and a half early, ample time to get through that tiny airport security.  And then sit there and wait.   And then to Dallas - and wait 4 hours.   And then direct to Eugene.  Weird that they have a direct flight to Eugene. I wonder what the industry/economic factors are over there to have a direct flight over there.  

It just gets worse. I just checked the tickets.  Middle seats.  I don't sit in middle seats. Why would this person put me in the middle seat? Have you ever sat in the middle seat of a commercial jetliner for several hours? I always sit on a window seat. She didn't even ask, probably because they are so cheap that that was likely the only seats available without paying for upgrades.

Well, upgrades it is.  I paid $34 for the flight from DFW to Eugene on the aisle seat.  There were no window seats available.  Oh well, I'll get out of the seats quicker and actually be able to get up and get moving. Last time, people were sitting in their seats until after everyone ahead of us was well down the aisle and near the exit door.  I just sat there, in my window seat, wondering why these people are just sitting there?   The flight attendants were giving odd looks as well. Most people want to get off the aircraft, not sit there forever. I had never seen such a thing where people were waiting - for what exactly?

I'm used to aisle row people getting up, getting their stuff and standing there waiting until everyone ahead of them starts moving.  If it happens again, I'll be the sole person standing there, I guess, cause' I'm not waiting.  Get off the plane, get my luggage, get in the taxi and go. It will be late and I don't want to linger.  

Ok.  My laptop?  Is all messed up now.  The ports to plug in the keyboard aren't working.  Click on Google to access the internet a menu pops up instead of the application.  I'm pretty much screwed if I can't get this thing to work, just tried to restart it and see what happens.  I guess it would simply mean I will have to buy a new laptop on any off time over in Eugene, I can't go 2 weeks without one and I don't have time right now to go laptop shopping.  

If one were to believe in omens, one might think, hmm, you are getting some signals that you may just want to find a different job.  I have another laptop but it's so old and it's in worse shape than this one.  Well, there is one in there that needs a new keyboard after I spilled liquid onto it.  

Oh great.  This thing is doing yet another update. This could take an hour.  I should have done this yesterday but I was busy with other stuff.  I dunno, I'm just sitting here scratching my head.  Middle seat.  Why would they even do this?  Sheets. Food.  Dog piss smell in main office.  Trashy trailer park.  Yikes!  

Maybe I can set this thing to default factory settings and see what happens. I'll lose my pics but most of them are stored on this desktop I am using to write this post anyway.  In fact, the important files are on this computer, I don't have hardly any of that stuff on the laptop.  Just didn't think I would want them on that one. 

Then again, maybe I won't have time. 15 minutes and it's still saying "Getting Windows ready, Don't turn off your computer". What is it getting ready for? The apocalypse?  Maybe it's trying to take as much time as it possibly can to set a new record?  Well, I need to get off of here and get busy with thing.

 Saturday - early

Got up early - 6:00 am - to get the day started and get myself into a bit different mode of thinking. Work life for a company isn't the same as work life in your own company.  Pretty much was getting up later, tho not terribly much, but there was really no need to get up at 6:00 am unless I wanted to get outdoor work done before the worst of the heat hit - which is something that definitely happened.  Just not every day.   

I slept well, regardless of the ridiculous dream I was having when I woke up.  

Anyway, I am mostly packed, just waiting for some pants to dry.  This idea that they don't have sheets for their beds irritates me, frankly.  What kind of way is that to bring a new person into a company? And if they are willing to stoop that low - or be that lazy - or whatever their deal is - what else are they willing to skimp on?  Who ever heard in the last couple of decades at least of putting people up into a "house" - whatever that thing she sent a pic of, it isn't a house - instead of just getting them a hotel and rental car? 

So yes, I am having reservations on this deal at this point, but she didn't reveal this sheet-less bedding situation until yesterday. Eating remains to be seen.  But again, who is told to bring their own food by stopping at the grocery store after you leave the airport?  No one, ever.  At least, nothing I have ever experienced.  AT worst, in this weird arrangement, they should have something in the refrigerator waiting for you from a local eatery.  

I'm trying to dismiss all of this out of my mind - and other stuff as well that I read online but who knows?  Sometimes people get upset and they just start blabbing and exaggerating and saying things that are either total falsehoods or are only partial truths.  But then, you start looking at the reviews on the RV park they own next door and that also paints a picture.  LOTS of very negative reviews. Some of it is typical, lots crammed in together, other of it?  Drug land, scum land, etc. But, someone said recently they are upgradin the place and it is "getting better".  ]

Sounds like a long term sh**hole that isn't well run.  They label the manager is an angry woman that doesn't want to talk to anyone. Strangely, however, I was reading a post the other day in the RV managers group and many of them expressed the same type of sentiment.  They say getting too chummy with guests always leads to problems.  Like having them knocking on your door constantly or wanting special privileges.  There were a few that said otherwise, but the majority of them just don't want a lot of interaction with guests. This may be larger parks where there are too many people to consider having too much familiarity with.

I talk to my guests if they want to talk.  It can get a bit too much sometimes.  The dude that wants to hunt deer apparently wants to become my best friend. Another wanted me to stand out in heat/direct sunlight while they are sitting in a motorhome, not in the sunlight and going on forever.  Those people are a bit...different.  

Anyway, this whole situation has turned into some weird, paradoxical situation with sheets, food, intoning not to do checked in baggage, etc.  They didn't come out and say that, I said I would be checking in a bag, there is no way I am packing for 2 weeks in a carry on bag.  This is work and that necessarily means clothing getting dirty, it's not a vacation.  

I have no qualms, if this situation just becomes too weird, getting a taxi, getting a ride to the airport and paying my own way back.  Maybe go visit the beach since it's only 60 miles away and make a mini vacation out of it. Make something good out of it, in other words, instead of foul memory.  I'll just hope that it doesn't come to that, but preparing myself in case it does.  

My clothes are done.  Most of the bag is packed, just have to try on the new jeans and make sure they fit.  Other than that, I have to check my laptop - I didn't replace it yet, it's just an expense I really can't afford right now - and hope it will work. The keyboard quit working - remote keyboard, not the on on the computer itself, so I'm unboxing one that I have had for a while and hope that works.  I don't like using the keyboards on laptops, just very uncomfortable and I'm certainly not going 2 weeks without having the ability to write out my thoughts.  

I don't know how long these days are going to be, but I'll guess 8 hours.  

With most of my packing done, well it will be done soon enough, I can turn my attention to the Park. Go over, check everything out, hope it's all good enough to work for the next 2 weeks, hope nothing breaks, especially electrical stuff and get that off of my mind as well. Think about anything I need to take that I might be forgetting. Mostly, I need my giant notebook with all of the dates everyone pays.  If someone wants to pay in cash, it'll just have to wait or I can ask one of the folks here to go get it.  I think the only cash customer coming up is not due until the 27th.  

The thing I really want to nail down are these 2 trailers from QT workers.  Today, the other one is due to pay as well.  They just really need to show up - today. Or tomorrow morning.