Tuesday - late evening

The only thing that woke me up this morning was the motorcycle being fired up for James to take off to work.  My alarm was going off but there was no sound.  I was in a very deep sleep when the noise woke me up and my head was pounding.  I could have slept many more hours.  My head never really felt any better until maybe an hour ago, after 14 hours of feeling like this.  I've had this happen before so really didn't think anything of it....until...

The oldest boy's head hurts.  He is feeling very miserable and he has a sore throat.  I do not have a sore throat but I'm wondering if my pounding head is something more than just having had been awakened very wrong.  Not that I'm blaming James, it would have been the same with the alarm clock, it's the deep level of sleep I am referring to.  Others in the house are coughing, not feeling well....may not bode well for this weekend.  Or the kids going to grandma's house all sick.  I'm guessing grandma will take them anyway if the oldest isn't feeling better by the time they have to leave - in 2 days?  I think it's 2 days.

Meanwhile....I drive to Nacogdoches with my head like that, take a little snooze while waiting for the tanker to be cleaned up and then over to Lufkin to load.  I pull in the yard and I get a phone call.  Can you check the annual inspection sticker, we think it's out of date.  I didn't know what the date says on it, you can't read it. Those things never last that long before they become illegible.  

It's an OOS violation.  Out Of Service.  They catch you, they put it out of service and you ain't pulling that trailer until it's inspected again.  You can call someone out to do it on the road, but if there's something wrong that has to be repaired, you may be screwed.  Regardless, I have never thought of those inspections as the driver's responsibility. This is totally on the company you are driving for.  They keep records and obviously someone saw, finally even if 22 days after it had expired, that it needed done.  

It doesn't end there. I now remember the driver who was pulling this trailer saying he had gone to Love's but the wait was long so he didn't get it done.  In other words, they knew about it and this other driver knew about it but it didn't get done.  They told him to get it done so I guess they decided it was done and done.  This driver drove into this month over 2 weeks before he dumped that trailer at the washout and I ended up taking it.  He undoubtedly knew that the tires were low on tread and that one ore more of those tires were vibrating.

Anyway, I pulled the thing to the nearest Love's with a Speedco (shop).  Well, I got there and fueled first.  There were no trucks in the bays in the shop.  So I'm standing there fueling and I get this sinking feeling that if I don't get over there now, other trucks are going to show up and I will have to wait however long.  So, I finished fueling but left the truck parked at the fuel aisle and walked over there.  The tire guy that does the inspections wasn't busy, thankfully  It was only a couple of minutes later and another truck showed up, then another, then another, in 15 minutes time I think 5 of them appeared out of nowhere, just like magic. 

Waiting any longer to get in there would have cost me many more hours of waiting.  It's first come, first served at Love's.  I told them I needed the annual inspection and also said there is a vibration coming from one of the tires, please check them.  The only thing they came up with is that "all of the tires really should be replaced", but that only because it's getting near the minimum tread depth.  You can take trailer tires down to 2/32'ds.  Most of them on there are at 3/32's. They are legal, but it will be soon and they won't be legal.  

I already knew what our shop would say and yup, I was right: You can bring it up here and we'll put tires on it.....yeah, just what I want to do, waste 3-4 hours for something I could have done right here, right now and get it over with and have it done maybe in another hour or so.  Obviously I didn't go up there today, but the trailer passed the inspection so I didn't have to worry about the CMV inspection station right up the road that was, btw, doing inspections.  They had several trucks in there when i drove by, but they had shut off the lights to force you to pull in and I was very glad of that, regardless of the status of the inspection on the truck or the trailer. 

Another thing today was these people that showed up for a 3 day stay. They called saying they were there, where do they go? I told them take lot 1, which is the biggest and nicest lot in the park. Ok, thanks! They pulled in there, I was watching them on the camera.  Oddly, they did not get out.  I sat there and watched for a few minutes and just gave up on it. I would check back later. Instead, they called. Well, we aren't really that far from home so we're just going to drive on through.  Talking as if they were only staying one night and leaving in the morning, but acknowledging that they reserved 3 nights and go ahead and keep the 1st day that they paid for.  I asked them if there was something wrong with the park? Ohh noooo, we just want to go home.  

Ok, they might be telling the truth, but I found that odd considering they were a 3 day stay.  Regardless, I did, indeed, issue them a refund for the first night excepting what I am charged by the CC company and the reservation system.  I could always use the money, obviously, but I can also use the word of mouth people spread around. Oh, well we showed up there, but we decided to go home. They issued us a refund anyway!  Oh, we'll keep that place in mind if we are traveling through and need to stop overnight! 

Stuff like that.  Some things I won't refund, especially in a hostile situation where a person is causing trouble, read: Mark, the drunk.  I don't despise him for being a drunk, I was disgusted by him for his constant vulgarity and vile, foul behavior.  

I haven't heard back from the man whose truck was damaged. I'm sure I will sooner or later and I'm sure I will be eating that bill.  C'est la vie.  And shrugs shoulders while I'm at it. No sense in crying over spilt milk, the money is going to go away and I will give it a hug on the way out.  So to speak.  Nice having you for a little while, c'ya later!

I have come to an agreement with the man that he simply isn't going to be mowing in between the trailers.  He can mow everything else, of which there is plenty to do.  Or, he can go find a job and pay for their space or..they can go find another place to live. Up to them.  

The tent people actually got their space rent caught up. I was amazed by that, but then again, I haven't exactly let them on to believe that I am a softie. They are certainly consuming my resources.  The boy is much more respectful now than he was. I call him a boy, he's actually 19.  The lady is working somewhere, I am not going to even begin to entertain them moving into that coach until I have a long conversation with the lady.  In fact, it would be better, in my view, if they were to find an apartment somewhere.  Or perhaps the local housing authority, they have public housing tho the place always looks full when I drive by there.  

Or perhaps, the 19 year old can go find a job, or at least go to school, do something besides hanging out in the trees all day long.  They are hardly coming into the laundry room now for I got stern with them about making it their second - or first - home.  

Anyway, it's getting late.  I am wondering if I am coming down with something. I dunno, I don't feel bad and the head pain has all but gone away now.  But, I do feel some drainage going down the back of my throat.....Pop some vitamins and minerals at least?  And what's the OTC stuff you can buy at the first sign of a cold or flu? I can't remember the name of it.  

Other things going on in my mind if nowhere else, but I think I am going to go to sleep a few minutes early tonight.