Saturday, February 17, 2024

Saturday - mid morning

I woke up late and thought it grand.  It's cold outside at 38 degrees, my idea of doing anything went out the door and stayed out there.  If it warms up I may go over and get a few things done. Nothing intense or involved, unless I decide to tackle the security system.  I never did install it.  The problem is attempting to install outdoor outlets.  I actually kind of think I should just run a line from the breaker box instead of what I was going to do.

The problem with that?  A lot more wire, wire is quite expensive right now and probably will stay that way. Things have a way of staying up there in price unless demand goes way down.  

Anyway, I'm starting the unenviable task of trying to get the books completely done so I can take a look at taxes for 2023.  Start now, yes.  It's already February and I don't want to wait until the last minute to try and get this stuff done. I will owe money, that's for sure, for I didn't pay taxes on some of the money I took for myself.  I couldn't afford it at the time and I didn't care.  I will, of course, care once I see whatever penalties they assess, but we aren't talking about a lot of money here, hopefully meaning the taxes won't be too great.  

I've at least learned a lot of how to navigate Quickbooks.  It has access to a lot of stuff, including my bank account which is where it matters the most.  

5 days until next paycheck, I'm just hoping with all of this working that I can get a nice paycheck and spend most of it on what else: property taxes.  I'm not going to wait forever, if I have to put some of it on a credit card, I will.  There is no way I'm going to jeopardize the property by having someone else pay the taxes for me and then incur a lot more fees and interest to boot.  

At least I've almost completely stopped using credit cards.  In fact, rarely now and that in extreme situations.  The damage is done, just not going to make it even worse.  

_____________

13 hours later.  I only went out today to do things I needed to do.  Deposit rent money, get a new screensaver and case for my phone.  Went to carwash, not because I needed to but since I have the monthly package and was given the top tier for less than the bottom tier (I made a comment about the carwash on the local facebook gossip page, the owners saw it and rewarded me with such, not even asking my for any of my information, they simply looked my name up on their database and assigned it to me), Hobby Lobby for a piece of felt and then home.  

Home was interesting, there are 7 people here currently - the grandma and the 3rd child - plus 2 more showed up to visit that were here quite a long time. I won't go into details, but I do watch such behavior with entertainment in mind, lol. No, not sexual things, get your mind out of the gutter and nothing illegal.  Just personal stuff.  

And that's that. This day off went by entirely too fast, at least in my mind.  I suspect tomorrow will be the same and Monday is a late load but I'm going to ask the other driver if he's planning on getting up there early, since he doesn't like to get up early, I could beat him up there, get loaded and get out of there and get Monday over with. Plus I have to stop at the yard in El Dorado for IFTA stickers, they are expired on my truck but apparently hold over until March. Yes, March is coming up.  

The yard will take time regardless, it just does. The ABS light is on on the trailer I'm pulling, I'm going to see if they can take a look at it. Usually? Dirt in one of the sensors or one of the sensors failing and needs replaced. Not an elongated repair and their computer should tell them what the specific problem is.  Yes, they use computers on trailers for diagnostics as well.  At least to a limited degree, much of the stuff on trailers is pretty easily diagnosed without anything but your eyes and/or ears.  

It's power trains with all the sensors and electronic junk that you really have to have a computer take the codes that the truck computer is sending out and transfer them into - this is what's wrong with this thing.  

I'm not looking forward to Monday because I have to go to the yard and because this other dude seems to think it's ok to show up 6 hours late for his appointment time. He's a really nice guy and all, but I just have little patience for such things unless there is a legitimate excuse.  Not wanting to get up early is not a legitimate excuse and he should simply ask for the later loading time. 

I was going through some old stuff and found an envelope that was mailed to me - from my Dad. Dad passed away many years ago from Alzheimer's complications. Unfortunately, the note that was in it is gone.  Brought back memories, tho, of his encouraging and uplifting letters he used to send periodically.  I really looked up to him for he was a pastor and he really took his calling seriously. Not a fake Christian acting like something he wasn't, he had his share of problems, don't we all?  The people he served absolutely loved him and that was quite evident at his memorial service where there was a message and then people were asked to get up and speak a word if they wanted to.

A lot of people came to the front and I kind of felt like my input wasn't going to be necessarily that great, but, I felt the nudging inwardly to do it and it did set off a chain of interactions with people afterwards that didn't know who I was, had only heard about his 3 boys but had never met any of us.  So it was very cool and a very good ending, I guess.  His earthly ending was not a great thing and I hate Alzheimer's more than any other disease because it has taken so many relative's lives and because I fear the same thing will hit me.  It's why I started a fasting regimen which allegedly helps with the "brain plague" issue that all Alzheimer's patients have, at least to everything I've read about it and trust me, I've read a lot about it. 

They have apparently started to make some progress in a drug that has shown quite a lot of promise in testing on mice that stops or slows the progress of the disease.  

Well not to dwell on that, I believe my father is in Heaven with the Lord and other relatives and that I have my hope and faith and belief in Christ that I will be with them some day.  

Uhh, well anyway, that's it.  I got what I wanted to get done today: much of nothing. A few small errands with kids in tow - they wanted to come - home and spent the day hanging out with folks. And watching movies. And helping kids playing their games with things they were having difficult getting past.  And cleaning, lots of cleaning in my room, tidying it up. Quickbooks as well, got a good start on that.  I guess I did get some stuff done, it's just that I didn't have to spend the day in a damned truck.  

With that, I bid you a good evening. 

 Friday late-morning Typical morning when there is no work.  It was, I should say, until the new guy called.  "There's nothing wron...