Afternoon offload times make for a long day.  I got there early, but the first truck was still there.  He was there another hour after I got there. I still started unloading earlier than my appointment time but it wasn't really worth it to leave that early to find another truck there.  Didn't get home until after 6:00 pm.  Not the end of the world and at least it was still daylight - that will change as we get further into fall and then winter and it starts getting dark in the 5:00 o'clock range.  

So, when I was completely done - everything put up and put away - I went looking around for whoever to come check my work. I don't really have to do that but they seemed interested in making sure everything was correct.  Not in the office. Not in the production area, back to the office, where are these people?  I decided to just leave, I had everything right, I didn't have any issues leaving. 

I walked outside and remembered that they might be in the tank room.  That's where the product we deliver goes into those giant tanks.  I go in there, crawl around things - it's tight quarters and wasn't really built with mobility in mind, usability was their main goal - and saw something strange on the floor.  A stream of this resin was running.  Like, what? Now I'm fearing I did "something wrong". Went through my brain quickly to figure out that there is nothing I could have done excepting if a tank was overflowing. And if there was a tank overflowing, they are the ones that determined which tank to deliver the product to, I make sure I do that every single time.  

So I start following this stream of resin to it's source. There is a very long, fire-hose type material hose running on the floor from one room to some vats in the back of the other room.  I'm looking and there it is, a hole in the line spewing the stuff all over the place.  Definitely not my fault, this is old equipment and they need to redo all of that. Shouldn't be pipe that stuff on the floor through what amounts to an old fire hose.  

I hurried out of there to find someone - anyone.  Went on the production floor and found a dude operating some sort of control panel with all kinds of dials, buttons and switches on it. Hey! There is resin spewing out of a hole in a hose in the tank room all over the place!  It's not my business to deal with their problems, he asked if I had turned off the valve? What valve?  No! I did my self-appointed duty to find someone and tell them. He set off an alarm, people appeared out of nowhere and were shutting down the production line immediately.  Apparently a pre-planned course of action.  

I stood there for a few seconds taking all of that in.  These people were in a big hurry and they hadn't even checked to see if what I had told them was anything of value. But rest assured, resin shouldn't be spewing out of holes in lines.  It's not a health hazard, the floor is built to divert just such things into holding areas that don't allow anything to get into the ground or down drains and such.  But, I mean, those things can only hold so much liquid.  Anyway, the man came running past me to go into the tank room, I said just letting you know....thank you for letting us know....

I wasn't about to wait for them to check my work after all I had done to try and just find anyone.  I triple checked everything, the last thing I need is to add fuel to the fire by not having something right before I leave.  I am 100% confident that everything I did was correct and the only thing you really have to do is make sure you have all of the valves closed, the air and water turned off and obviously, the hoses disconnected and put away.  

I don't know what became of that, I would guess they turned off whatever valve runs liquid through that line and then did some sort of temporary fix on it. They are shutting the plant down, I found out today, for 15 days for maintenance and repairs.  What a time to have that happen, I just started working out of that plant and they are doing scheduled maintenance.  Gag.  

So, my load tomorrow was cancelled tho I don't know why, that has nothing to do with the maintenance.  Then I called again and asked if I wanted weekend work? No, you said I didn't have to work every weekend, I need Saturday and Sunday off and I emphasized my need to go to Church on Sunday.  That isn't a lie or even an exaggeration of the truth.  I kind of repeated that one several times, perhaps it would get into his head that this particular driver likes his Sundays off to go to church. 

He said, no, it's fine, I did say that and it's ok, I just wanted to be sure.  Ok, thank you.  Another call for  a preload on Friday.  I didn't want to but I said sure!  Lol.  It would be a very long day to go down to Nacogdoches, wash out the tank, down to Lufkin, load and drive clear up to El Dorado. It just takes forever to get to El Dorado.  Anyway, I wanted to be a team player to some extent and refusing to help out isn't really the definition of a team player. I do not consider telling them I don't want to work on weekends part of team playing. These were things I asked about before I ever went to Oregon.  Work one weekend, off the next, I guess I can deal with it tho I really don't want to.  

Yet another call - that preload was also cancelled.  Ok, well this is getting crazy, lol. He then tells me I can bring the truck up on Friday and switch back to my truck - or - I can do that on Monday.  I think he's just trying to find ways for me to make some money, he stated that I would get paid for driving up and switching out trucks.  However, there is no guarantee the truck will be finished on Friday. They ordered parts for the door and haven't received them yet, supposedly coming tomorrow.  

So I dunno about Friday, but maybe.  I was also informed that I would - likely - be training at the Ennis plant.  But, they can't give any definitive yes or no for that scenario apparently changes so frequently, they don't really like to hand out assignments for it until close to the actual delivery date.  So I have no idea what I"m doing next week but I do have at least 3 of the next 4 days off for sure. 

I'm going to get rye grass seed tomorrow if it doesn't rain me out first. There is a 42% chance of rain.  If that happens, I will probably do some tree trimming along the main driveway.  

Also watching this mass shooting on the news in Maine, 22 people dead in 3 separate locations.  A photo of a gunman with what appears to be an AR walking into a bowling alley.  Yikes.  Grainy pic of the rifle in the gunman's hands, but definitely appears to be an AR15, at least to me, they haven't identified the type of gun.  If it IS an AR, there are going to be more calls for banning them.  It will instantly turn into a political agenda, they will deride everyone for saying "thoughts and prayers" to the families and friends of the deceased and it will turn into a shit show.  

Whatever, my thoughts and prayers DO go out to everyone affected by this madness.  

I'm done, I think.  I had people calling for a lot for tonight. They still haven't shown up, it's after 9, they said they wouldn't come in until late and if that would be ok?  Well, yes it's ok, as long as you come down to the shed and take the U turn to get in there.  I had some people come in the wrong way and run over the pedestal on the lot you are taking.   It's not a big deal coming in at night if you go the correct way. There ARE signs.  It isn't left up to the person's guesswork.  I know they haven't shown up yet cause' there isn't a video of them showing them coming in. Lots of videos of vehicles going in, it's a fairly busy place at night.  Daytime it's basically dead, night time there are all kinds of vehicles coming and going.  

 I'm leaving 2-1/2 hours early today for Gurdon.  I was informed by the manager that I could do it, whether that was in perpetuity or not, I don't know, but getting there at noon sounds far more appealing than getting there at 2:00 pm.  If no one is there offloading, there isn't going to be anyone coming after that.  This gets me home at a decent hour versus getting home at 7 or later.  

If I thought I could get away with even earlier, I'd be almost there by now.  I am assuming this other guy that trained me the final day is getting the early spots.  Good for him, I guess, but this late day stuff is going to get old quickly.  

Anyway, I expect to go to the feed/seed store on Saturday, get around 250 pounds of seed and put it down.  Actually, I'm going to need to mow that existing junk down as low to the ground as I can get it.  I dunno, I'll be thinking about that today to figure out what to do.  

As of Monday, allegedly, the daytime high temps are going to come down substantially.  I say allegedly because these forecasters are garbage. You try to plan things according to the weather and at least half the time if not much more, they are wrong.  Often times so far off, it's ridiculous.  

I've got rye grass coming up all over the place from the seed I planted last year.  It isn't enough to give any kind of lush, green covering, but if that stuff can grow without any rain, I'm assuming it's getting it's moisture from dew.  I put down a lot of seed last year, a lot of it washed off, but washed off where? Well, apparently a lot of it got into the ground I guess. I dunno, but it's definitely rye grass and every site I've read says it has to be replanted every year.  

It doesn't like hot weather and will die off quickly.  This is basically my main focus right now for the park -  get it green again on the ground. I already have to mow weeds anyway, might as well be nice, luxurious grass.  I'm just going to have to buy a new mower, I've gotten quite a bit of use out of that one I bought used, but it's having problems firing up.  I think it's a fuel issue and I may very well remove the gas tank, clean it out and see if that fixes it.  It acts like it's being fuel starved.  

It is unbelievable watching this news of students at campuses calling Israel and evil entity for taking the fight back to Hamas.  The Turkish president calls Hamas a "liberation group", apparently attempting to normalize the idea that killing a bunch of innocent civilians is somehow acceptable and the idea of that nation that was attacked fighting back to be somehow evil.  Or students at MIT calling for an intifada, which I had to look up. Basically the eradication of Israel in the Palestine occupied territory.  

Even more amazing is the lack of condemnation from these University officials of these student uprisings that are clearly backing an evil organization that is funded and controlled by Iran, who hates Israel AND America and has made statements to that effect unequivocally clear that they would like both nations eradicated from the earth.  

These are curious times we are living in and I wonder where it's leading.  I can only say that your relationship with the Lord is more important than these things going on in this world. None of this is taking God by surprise.  Peace, inner peace, comes from the Lord, even in the midst of dire situations such as some of these university professors who are Jewish or are taking the side of Israel.  

It is indicative of what these colleges are teaching these students to see these students protesting against Israel.  It is also indicative, in my view, of the anti-God stance, basically atheist, that these students have.  I don't know what kinds of homes they are being brought up in, but if my conversations with a large number of Democrats is any kind of indicator, they are being taught that God is not real.  

Anyway, I need to get ready to leave here. Another day of driving up, offloading and driving back. I don't know about the truck, they haven't contacted me.  The truck that is "in the shop" or allegedly so.  I'm still feeling this company out, but it's become obvious to me that they are cheap and petty.

G'day