Sunday, June 30, 2024

 Never ending drama I guess.

I was informed after church today that some of my tenants caught a person attempting to dump a large amount of trash in the dumpster who, of course, doesn't live there.  I was asking for a license plate number, they didn't get it.  A black lady driving a white car.  The dumpster is almost full, I emptied out wood and a chair yesterday in order to make more room.  The dumpster is never full like this before Wednesday, if, the only people using it are park guests.  

There is simply no way it gets that filled up with that few people.  I am half tempted to get my chemical gloves out of the truck, go to the dumpster, pull out all of the trash and start sifting through it.  What am I looking for? Mail.  People dump mail without thinking.  Their name and their address.  

Then there is the router.  I installed the thing incorrectly and spent some time trying to fish it out of there.  Finally out, I may have damaged the sim card. Oh, I mean fishing out the sim card, you have to transfer it from the old unit to the new one.  

I guess I'm going to have to go back over there again later, the old one started working again, lol. I get calls all the time and then I get a new one and the old one starts working?

Robert - the workamper - is acting like a d***, I was informed today.  Of course he is.  He lost his opportunity, he could have a good thing going keeping my place up to snuff, but he got lazy.  He didn't want to do anything and now? That opportunity is long gone.  He has been replaced and he knows he's been replaced and there isn't a damned thing he can do about it now.

I take no pleasure in doing things like that, I actually abhor it.  I decided when I started this business that if/when - more like inevitably when - something like this happens? I would make decisions based on the best interest of my business.  Not people's emotions, but my business.  If I don't make any money, what is the point?  I'm not giving 2 people free rent every month, that's a fact.  

Oh, the dumpster. Lost my train of thought.  Well, I've been floating the idea of moving the thing another 200 feet up the driveway. I'm going to call Republic tomorrow and find out if they are okay with that, after describing why I'm doing it.  Going to find the camera that isn't working, get the memory card out of it and put it in my new camera.  I haven't done that because it is morbidly hot out, the humidity is killer here.  

I've been sending money to a Christian ministry in Pakistan for a few years now. Nothing great, $25 here and there, $50 recently.  It's kind of a thing where you wonder if what you are doing is backed by any facts, like: am I sending my money to a scammer?  I couldn't imagine anyone going to the depths of trouble this man has gone to go scam anyone. Scammers are in it for the least amount of effort.  

I sent him a pic of me last year I think and they printed the pic and had the kids holding these printed photos with the words on it: God Bless Brother B!  

He did this again yesterday, but these were much more up close pictures of the people holding the signs. Note that I didn't ask for this and greatly embarrassed, actually, that these children were doing it.  I'm not looking for accolades for my giving from anyone at all. Great is your reward in Heaven, the Bible says, but the Bible also talks about humility and the servant's heard.  I know for a fact that Pakistan is a mostly Muslim country and run by Muslims who hate Christianity. 

I know this from close friends that spent 25 years over in India, having to leave India every 6 months to renew their visa and they would head to Pakistan.  

Well whatever, lol. I'm feeling fine having this wonderful day off.  I still have 6 solid hours before it ends, I sigh and say well, it was nice and then who knows how many days in a row worth of work. 

______________

Went over and installed the new router.  Working fine after a few minutes of setup, I texted everyone the new password. Stood there quite a while with the new park host.  He's very helpful and was helping a lady with a broken sewer line.  They apparently break easily in this heat and covering them is the best option.  She was blaming the workamper, maybe.  Didn't look like any damage from a weedeater tho.  

Over to the dude sitting in this watering trough with his new girlfriend.  Nice lady, they were in this rather small thing all entwined with each other, lol.  I don't insert myself into such things.  Keep them happy to stay there, that's my motto, as long as they aren't doing anything to bother anyone else or degrade the appearance or feel of the park, I don't care.  

It's so humid out there, just standing there I was sweating my @$$ off.  It was crazy hot.  I was informed there "is no other chainsaw in the shed" besides the one already found, but yes, it's still there.  

But it's all done and Im done. Another 3-1/2 hours I go to bed to start the rat race all over again.  Except, I don't get up early tomorrow and right now, I'm fine with that.  

Oh, the new guy also said he could help me build out the rest of the park.  I said I'd love to do that, but..

I started quoting costs and he looked at me in shock.  I have these numbers in my head, they may be inaccurate due to inflation.  I could probably get away with less gravel. I can't do anything about electricity, it's 35k regardless.  8.5k septic.  Another 3 to 4 thousand for water.  I said 60k off the top of my head, just for materials, that doesn't include renting equipment or having a contractor come out to hook up electrical from pole to post.  

I don't have 60k and I don't have the additional funds to add amenities that will bring people in over other parks in the area.  I've got to have something that stands out beyond what I already have.  I'd like to get a pool in there before I get more lots. What I want and what I get? Well who knows. God is good, perhaps money will float out of the sky to pay for all of this.  

Give and it shall be given unto you. I'm not a prosperity preacher, I just know that God can make things happen where everything else has failed or the options available aren't good options (high interest loans).  Did you know that if I installed an above ground pool, partially in the ground, that the decking would cost more than the pool itself? Yeah, I figured it would be like that, I discussed it with a person that built a small park but put in this huge above ground pool and spent the money to put up a huge deck around it.  

I just noticed my manager has me working Monday through Saturday again.  I assume Sunday off. I'll do that 2 weeks in a row but then? Well, I have vacation coming up.  So I might do that again, if he continues to schedule it that way, until vacation.  

Enough. A couple hours left and this day is over. 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Still thinking as you seemingly struggle economically with your park, about your holdings in Phoenix. You have stated your reasons for not wanting to sell or take out an equity loan, but those reasons are preventing you for realizing the dream you were talking about when you were coaching little league before your fire.

when I sold my home in NY, it took two days and I had two offers which were more than the asking price. A lot more in one case. Those days are GONE, at least in NY. I have not checked the real estate market currently in the part of Phoenix where you have property. Have you? Is it stable? Increasing or are prices dropping and homes not selling rapidly? Is there a strong trend in either direction?

These are strengths and assets you already have. Obviously what you do with them is nobody's business but your own, but time is running out to make these kinds of choices. BTW, did you not also buy up a few additional lots locally at or around the time you bought the park? Have they been liquidated and spent already? If not could they fund part of your plans?

BenB said...

Well, Zillow shows it going up and down but a solid 100k could be zapped out of it by selling it. I think anyway, even after realtor's fees. The property is on South Mountain and that is very close to downtown Phoenix, like 10 minutes on a good day. I've heard the traffic is considerably worse, not shocking considering they continue to build everything out. In the last 15 years, they've built HUGE apartment complexes down the main street that is right near my house. It would make more sense, actually, to attempt to suck the rest of the money out of it I can get through HELOC since that money would be tax free. I'm considering it, I just have to get myself into the mindset of yet another loan I'm paying on without additional income coming in at first. And hence, the idea that I really need some more amenities to draw people in. There is no point in having 20 more lots that are all empty? My other properties here, I don't know what they are worth. I know property values have gone up, but these are undeveloped properties, well two of them anyway, in city limits. There isn't a lot of building going on in the city.

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