Tuesday - midday

I had an agenda for today and I wanted to get it done and over with earlier versus later.  With that in mind, I went to the park around 9 am, took notes of everything I needed, headed to Lowe's and they did, indeed, still have quite a large stock of all the items I wanted in order to protect the pipe and also fittings in order to fix any burst pipe.

It is going to get down to 7 degrees on Monday. They keep changing it, lower and lower.  That is definitely hard freeze territory and I'm not taking a chance with it.  I have already started contacting people - please think about putting the faucets on a slow drip to keep your pipes from freezing. 

I had second thoughts about turning off the water supply for that reason.  If you shut off the water supply but people don't winterize their trailers, there is significant chance of damage to the trailers themselves.  I am not going to be held liable for internal problems caused because people didn't have the foresight to deal with it.  

Back to the park and I got busy.  Got the shed done, then did all 16 outlets for the RV's and also the outlet they installed to deal with the septic system whenever they want to clean it out.  It took 3 plus hours to do all of that and I'm done.  I feel good about that, no more worrying about getting a project done that has a sense of immediate urgency attached to it.  I don't know about working, I don't necessarily want to be driving in 7 degree weather. I noted that in Arkansas, it will be down to 2 degrees.

That creates icing conditions on highways and I do not like driving on ice.  If they schedule me for working that day, I am going to be calling them and letting them know about the extreme cold, the potential for black ice and the fact that I am not going to take responsibility in advance for any adverse incidents that may damage their equipment if they do, indeed, insist on driving in such frigid conditions.  

Further, unless the plant has "hot" product flowing into the tanker while loading it, there is a good chance that the product won't even offload in such cold conditions anyway.  It already takes forever to offload when the internal temp is lower than 50 degrees, I can't imagine what it would be like to try that in 2 degree weather.  Yesterday, the other driver showed up, his internal temp was over 60 while mine was sitting at 40.  The colder the product, the longer it takes to push it out via air pressure.

I am not looking forward to Sunday, Monday or Tuesday if any of those days are going to be working days. Well I'm not working Sunday regardless. I worked last Sunday, I will be getting this Sunday off whether they want to give it to me or not.  That was the conditions the manager set out and I will hold them to it.  Those are good days to stay home and let the bad weather pass.  I'd also like to be around in case any of my piping bursts.  I hope it won't, what with all I just did to insulate them, but that's some pretty cold temperatures coming up.  I checked to make sure I have extra 1 inch pipe - I have 20 feet of that and some 3/4 inch as well.  

That's it for today at the park.  It's chilly outside, the wind is blowing heavily, it's currently 44 degrees with the real feel of 38. It feels colder than that, but after a while of working outside I started to warm up, thankfully.  

Processed another credit card payment and need to go dump some cash into the business account at the bank, the only other pressing matters I had and have to attend to today.  

I'm not saying there isn't more to do over there, I just am not going to get involved with it. Specifically, trying to burn the weeds with a propane torch - a large one.  Everything is still quite wet from yesterday's rain, waste of time and energy to try and burn it without letting some time pass for everything to dry out.  There are some lots that need grass mowed - same thing, I normally do not mow wet grass. It just doesn't work right and I see no need to do that today.

Other things as well that I just don't want to work outside in the cold, only if it's something that is pressing.  

Oh, forgot to say they originally had Monday as snow showers. Then they switched it to rain and now they are listing it as a "wintry mix".  I don't know what it takes to be a forecaster, but apparently it is not an exacting science for not only does the forecast constantly change, they are often times very far off with their predictions.  

It is highly likely that Monday, they will cancel school. It's pretty much standard modus operandi in any winter conditions like that that they cancel school here.  It may be that work cancels out for many or most people as well. The road conditions will likely be horrid and not a good idea for people to even drive to the store, much less driving a truck to Arkansas.  I think I may haul my generator over here as well. I am not going to sit in a frigid cold house when we can simply fire up the generators and plug in the space heaters.  I have 2 of them in my room and I have an extra one at the park.  The power goes out around here so frequently, it's definitely a good idea to be prepared in advance.