As expected, today was a complete waste of time. The only good that came out of it was earning some money and that is, suspect, the only reason they had us doing this today.  The Gurdon plant is still shut down and apparently isn't going to fire back up until the earliest on the 13th.  As for today? I could have driven up there without any "training", gone to the plant, go to the security shed, get clearance, handed a map, find the loading rack, etc.  

And it took much longer than it should have.  The guy went to the yard for the trailer but spent forever there.  I just know that training always entails things taking much longer than it should, every single time. Tomorrow, if he gets here by 8 as he says he is going to, we "should" be at the Ennis plan by 10:30 am, an hour in the plant and then 2-1/2 hours back.  But if we're before 4 I'd be surprised.   

It's just the way training goes and whatever.  The 13th is another 4 days away and that's not even guaranteed to be the reopening of the Gurdon plant.  I can get used to not driving trucks pretty easily, so yes, it's probably good I'm having to do this.. I have no idea if they are going to want me to do an Ennis run on my own this weekend. I'd prefer not.  

It's raining. It didn't start until quarter of a day after they predicted it would, but it did, indeed, finally start an hour and a half ago.  Enough that I wasn't confident of the man driving that truck back to the back of the driveway to turn around and his lack of confidence in his driving skills, I also didn't feel comfortable with him turning around in the area I created behind the shed for just such purpose.  So I just had him drive through the RV park.  

Deer man called several times today. The dude that is a serious hunter.  He said there is a giant buck that is bedding back there. He was all kinds of excited about it.  He went on and on about how it's a very large deer considering the scrape marks he's making on the white oaks with his horns. I mean, the guy has been hunting all of his life and he seems to know what he's talking about.  He says deer that are this big means they are probably older and highly likely very smart.  His assessment is he's bedded down during the day out of sight and only gets up to forage at night time.  

He also proclaimed it would be very difficult to bag that particular deer.  They are too smart.  His idea is to go to his bedding area and get him running in my direction and I can take the shot.  I deer running at full tilt is going to be extremely difficult to hit, even for a highly experienced shooter.  I'm not highly experienced but a moving target and especially one that moves the speed a deer can go? Next to impossible.  

I dunno. We can try this weekend if I don't have to work. Or even if I do, if I get home in time from these runs I can still go out.  

It's actually 2 weeks before the next reservation shows up for the over night lot. That isn't enough.  I'll take another long term if one shows up and cancel their reservation well in advance.  I've gone back and forth on this issue.  A man showed up this morning asking if I had a lot available? (Hint: all lots were full). Well, I will later on today.  Long - long - story short, he wants to move in December 1st.  Ok, I should have a space available. I say that honestly, not hopefully.  

I never know who is staying for how long.  You just don't turn away potential business that isn't showing for 2 weeks. That 3 day stay is before the end of the month, I can cancel other  1 nighters if I had to, but we're talking a month away for those.  

This whole RV business thing is a juggling act.  Keep the place full constantly, is the obvious goal. Trying to accomplish that feat? Well, good thing I'm starting out small.  Getting valuable experience here.  It's the stuff you get off line, not done on the campground software, that throws you for a loop.  Long term always calls or shows up, they actually could do it online, not a single person has done that.  People calling last minute - do you have a lot for tonight? That isn't difficult tho, you either do or you don't.  It's really the long term stuff that is what I am focused on yet offers the most consternation in trying to determine if I can give them a place on the date they need to show up.  

I'm getting better at it as I go along with it and figure things out, such as the idea that you don't tell anyone that you don't have something available if they are telling you they don't need to move in for 2 weeks.  Somebody is going to leave before then. Sometimes, you have no choice but to turn people away, you try not to do that tho.  

Well, it's not really that late but it's been a long day.  And this driver - really nice guy - but talks ... and talks....and talks....it got to the "agonizing" point.  Just please, can we have some quiet time? He asks me if I wanted to drive at all? No, not really, unless you need me to?  He said something about his disdain for driving at night. I don't really care, if he needed me to drive, pull over and let's get with it. I would have driven much faster than he was going anyway.  Didn't particularly bother me he was going slow, but I envisioned getting home earlier.  

That's enough.  I'm going to watch a little tv, probably won't watch the news tonight, and go to bed. 

 Thursday - early

Going to Crosset, AR today to "learn how to load" the truck. I don't know why, they load the truck, not the driver.  I can easily go in there without any  help and just sit there and wait for them to - load...the...truck.  Unless there is something I am missing, but I am guessing it's because we've been sitting so long, they want to get us rolling and not thinking about finding another job somewhere.  

I dunno about that, it certainly isn't off the table and hasn't been off the table for a while, but I am not seriously looking for another job, yet.  I have looked, yes, but being very picky about what I would want in another job.  

So, I will be a rider all day today, getting the truck loaded and all day tomorrow, going to the plant to offload, which is where I actually need/want the training.  

Meanwhile, the ex QT worker had his trailer moved and not an hour later, the new people were already in there.  The mom already paid, I think the daughter has kids that she is cut off from or can't have them living with her or something like that.  She has a DWI - who knows what happened there - I think it's on the felony side of the issue.  However, as long as it's not a violent crime, I can take the people in.  Now, is she a real basket case? I dunno, you find out after people move in.  It's a nice trailer, that's what I can say about that.

The NJ lady was moving out yesterday.  But this went on all day long.  And she gave the door code to people that don't live there. One of which went in to use the bathroom.  She came out the bathroom door, made some sort of hand gesture towards the camera then went on this crazy flinging of the arms stuff and then walked out.  I sent that video to Taylor to see if I am being overreacting or if that person looks like she is cranking on meth - Taylor said drugs, lol.  

Like, I really need these people having the door code to my shed with tools and equipment in there.  If they are meth/crack heads, they are probably also thieves. The 2 go hand in hand.  You know that if you have ever been around those types of people.  

Then, late last night, a tenant contacts me and leaves a message saying that the dude that beats on the lady is over there as well. No, no, no.  I just contacted her, I don't care how early it is and asked her if that guy is over there, because if he is, he needs to leave now or I'm calling the police.  I'm done with this situation, over it, they are leaving and he needs to be permanently gone.  

Now, looking at the camera, she has people in there taking showers at 2:00 am.  Unbelievable. No, it won't wake anyone up, the she is far enough away from the trailers, it's the idea that she feels it's ok to just let people that don't live there taking showers and doing whatever the hell they please. And the person has a bag in her hands, did she steal my tools under the sink in the bathroom? I have no idea, but I will be checking when I've over there in a little, the other driver is picking me up from the park since he's driving a truck.  

She's a really nice lady, but this stuff is too much.  

Anyway, the driver said he'd be here "between 7 and 8 am". So that kind of made me get up at 6:00 am to get ready, sit here and drink some coffee and prepare my mind for going back to work.  I need the money and I need to have health care coverage, that is the only thing that motivates me to continue on with this ridiculous job.  

Whatever the case, since she is leaving and the tent lady is incapacitated at the moment, I have no income coming out of that behind-the-shed area now and that will hurt a bit.  I've looked at old trailers, yurt tents, camping tents, building cheap cabins, etc.  A basic cabin would be the best option to building something that someone could live in, we're talking plain Jane, has a toilet, kitchen, electrical outlets, a window AC unit that also has heat and that's about it.  

Or, furnish it as well with a bed, a dresser, a small kitchen table, etc.  

I dunno, just mulling things atm.  Cabins are popular, I get calls for them.  You have anything I can live in? Do you have cabins?  It's a cheaper alternative to staying in expensive hotels.  Even guys making good money, they don't want to have to waste it on $100 plus per night hotel stays.  The decent hotels in my area are as pricey as they are anywhere else.  Holiday Inn, Marriott Fairfield, Hampton Inn, etc, all expensive if you are proposing staying there indefinitely on a work assignment.  I would charge somewhere around $600 per month.  

Lol, it's after 7 and he still hasn't contacted me.  I'm guessing he's on his way and forgot to text me as promised. So, I'm leaving here soon, I don't want to hold him up if he shows up without having had told me in advance that yes, I am on my way, be there in X amount of time.  I need to get my boots, vest, hardhat and safety glasses ready to go.  And see if she has left yet - I don't think that trailer is out of there- and if that dude is over there.  The 4 night stay is leaving this morning, so another lot open, tho it does have some reservations on it, the next one isn't for like a week or longer from today. 

Oh, rain. Yes, it's going to rain. In fact, it should start any time now and basically continue on until tomorrow morning.  So, it will be a fun day driving in the rain! I'm not driving, lol.  Just a passenger today. 

With that, I'm closing this one, getting ready to leave out of here.

G'day.