3 days off slowly coming to a close.  

My thoughts today have been on the Lord since we went to church but also things going on at the business.  It is all perplexing to me sometimes when I don't know what to do next and I just sit here thinking about it. 

It is always interesting to see a church all but completely fill up for Christian holidays.  You wonder what motivated these people to go to church that otherwise don't normally go?  I'm not bashing them, perhaps they'll get something out of today's message, it's very likely the message these people would expect to hear on an Easter Sunday.  

Went to the park for a short, eyeballing things.  Someone moved my 16 foot stick of wood onto a pad. Why? No clue.  There is a man coming in today for a 3 week stint on that pad, tho he paid for 4 and I told him as such.  

I think I'm going to move the motorcoach out of where it's at and let an older couple come in that wants the spot.  It will cement the need to go ahead and rent the mini-ex and dig out a trench, install the wiring and put in a new breaker box - which I already have both - and get "extra" power out there.  I can put 3 lots on that.  If I have 2 trailers and the entire shed on the other one without it blowing the main breaker, then I can put 3 on the other one. The only reason I say 3 is that I will hook up an additional 30 amp outlet to be able to plug in the coach while it's being worked on.  

In other words, turn on the AC, for I don't expect to really get going on that project until summertime.  120 amp board will sufficiently handle 3 30 amp outlets, maybe even a 4th.  But, that would probably overload the circuit it's being fed through, so 3 will be where it stands and the 3rd will only be on when someone is working in the coach.  I've dumped the money into that coach, I can't turn back now.  It'll be a project, probably cost a few grand, in the end it will be nice, liveable and rented monthly and a caveat that will have to be in writing that I will have access to inspect the inside of it on a monthly basis.  

That thing can be made nice by getting rid of the old setup and completely redoing it.  A new sink/countertop, a new shower and a new toilet setup.  New carpet, a sofa couch, a new bed mattress and it will be good.  Well, I say new: new to that thing anyway.  I will be able to rent it, I'm just not going to do anyone any favors.  Same thing I wanted as before, this time with a down payment, proof of employment and background check.  I'll probably get rid of propane in it and switch to all electric.  I can run a cord for the refrigerator to an outlet and a range top.  No oven. New microwave as well.  

This will take place of building cabins, for now anyway.  I can just about guarantee if I make the place nice enough in there, I can rent it on a monthly basis.  

Meanwhile, I'll rent the space to someone else, get the new electrical setup back there and not have to worry about power issues.  

So, that means I need to come up with a date to do this and take that day off.  I suppose I could wait until I have a random day off, as long as it isn't going to be forever. Of course, that means also hoping the rental company has a mini ex available on that day.  I will have to hand dig the pedestal out, however, that doesn't need to be done the day I'm trenching. Just leave enough extra wire poking out of the ground and get to that when I get to it.  

I'm almost convinced as well to just rent a tractor whenever I need one.  The only thing is, if I need rippers on the box, I can't get one of those from the local rental place, that's a huge drawback.  Talking 30 miles to the next nearest place.  Ok, admittedly I could use a tractor out there, if I owned one, frequently.  

______________

Close to bedtime.  It was a nice day.  I decided to take the dog to the woods and let him run free for a bit.  He loves it there, I think all dogs love it back there.  I'm getting back into the habit of walking, something I sort of let up on because of running a park and driving trucks.  Fact of the matter is, I'm over there pretty much every day, there is no good reason not to take a stroll through the woods, it's only 15 minutes for the trip I make around, it gets the heart pumping and I need the exercise.  I'd rather take the dog, but when I come back from a run, I am not really in the mood to go home, get the dog and then go back there.

I've got early run tomorrow and Tuesday, late run Wednesday and Thursday, early run Friday and Saturday.  Oh, well that's good. I was just thinking earlier how it would be good to work 6 days, off Sunday and then work whatever.  Of course, that is subject to change as always and also subject to whether the truck and trailer .... stay in working condition.  

I've got very little funds in the personal account, but, I don't need to worry about that until tomorrow.  Nothing would go through until Monday night.  I have that money coming in tomorrow and tho I want to use it for  - well I haven't decided yet - some of it can go to keeping me off of taking any more funds out of the business account and tide me over til payday and then, see what we've got.

Yes, I talked to the older couple, he apparently wants to do some work.  That means, at least to me, that they want money off of their rent.  Considering it's an alternate spot, I could make that happen if the man actually puts some hours in.  I don't even know what's fair anymore, apparently it's "fair" to pay fast food workers $20 per hour.  You know that there are people with college degrees that make that kind of money. Just crazy, it's all socialism headed straight towards communism.  I fear these people will eventually get their way. 

Or will they? Not anything I want to go into depth here, but I will say there are plenty of armed Americans that probably won't go down without a fight.  Who knows.  I don't know what to think, I may just feel the situation out and see what he wants to do  and perhaps see what he thinks is reasonable.  She asked if the walking trails need attention? Yup.  As well as other things.  I could use the help, I just don't want to actually pay anything, taking money off the rent is much easier.  I won't count those chickens, however, until they hatch. 

Tomorrow I will be disconnecting everything and just move it about 100 feet out of there and into an "alternate, alternate" spot, so to speak.  Clean it up and get it ready for them.  If they don't pan out, it will be open and I will find someone to take it.  

And an odd situation that started this morning.  A man who paid up a month in advance for a 3 week stay - I've written about this previously - called today saying he can't make it.  A few hours later, he texted from another phone saying he's coming. Then called and saying opposite.  And then I texted him - are you coming or are you wanting your money back?  I would have given him 75% of his money back he paid in advance for a reason: to hold the spot.  I have turned several people away......

So then he calls yet again, this time saying "we're here", whoever "we" are, I only knew about him. It's just a 3 week stint so no worries.  Just some of the stuff that happens in this business can be bewildering, people act strangely sometimes.  I know in these instances they are finding somewhere "better" but not telling you that.  Hence the money up front. You pay in advance, you are going to lose some or all of it depending on the circumstances.  

I'm also not sweating it now.  Those farmers moved in a while back, they said they were staying a month.  Or longer. Who knows. But it dawned on me that they paid cash, I forgot to write down the day the moved in and I didn't know how I was going to figure that one out. He had handed me a card so I went through 40 days worth of phone calls, nothing. Then the same on text messages.  My only hope left was the camera.  Did it record them coming in?  Yes! The 4th.  So, I have no idea whether they are staying or going, but at least I am at ease that I know the day they moved in. I have records of overnighters and short stays, I have  a book I keep long term stays recorded in.  

Anyway, enough of this.  5:30 am comes early and I want to go to bed a little earlier than usual - tho - I slept really well last night, thank you Lord.

 Sunday  mid-morning

I just posted Saturday's post - today lol

We went to the Easter Egg Hunt.  The 3 of us sat down at an empty stretch of tables, like 3 tables all pushed together to make probably 20 seats worth.  The boys went to play in the bounce house, I just sat there and just looked at everyone and everything going on.  I have made no effort to try and make friends at this church and still have my reservations about it.  So I just don't go through the effort/energy/mental stuff to do it.  I have friends, lots of friends.  Both here and at home.  

Anyway, after about half an hour, a large group of people sat down at the table.  They left us 2 seats without bothering to ask if any of them were taken.  After a while, one of the boys got up for a second and this group of people immediately stuffed a little girl in his seat, again, not bothering to ask, just take the damn seat and who cares? 

I got up and moved our stuff to the table behind us.  These are church people acting exactly like church people do.  Selfish and self-centered.  I just looked at the people after reseating, they didn't give a damn.  Of course not, this is the way churches act out.  This is why I am not involved in a church.  I volunteered for decades at various churches and on the mission field. I don't regret the mission field at all, the rest of it?  

After quite a while, they announced that all the kids come over to the wall right next to where we were seating.  A lot of kids crammed into the space and then this lady comes and stands with her back right in my face.  Basically, her butt in my face.  I mean, it would have been nice if it had at least been a nice butt to look at, lol, but I digress.  

In both instances, I was very tempted to say something, in fact, they were bite- your-tongues moments.  I don't want to start trouble at church, but then again, how can these people be so rude?  They walk around in their little bubbles, oblivious to everything going on around them and not caring that their actions are negatively affecting other people. 

Whatever the case, it was time to line up over at the very large field where there were thousands of eggs all over the place.  I put these people out of my mind, we came to do the Easter egg "hunt", not get into frivolous altercations with idiots.  After seeing how it panned out last year, I gave both boys the same instructions.  They were at different grade levels of where they would run the same field picking up eggs. I assume they do this so that the younger kids can still get something without the older kids barreling over them and taking everything in sight.

The instructions were simple: Run across the field away from all the people that are going to be crowded together and start picking up eggs over there. By the time the crowd gets to you, you will have an nice amount of eggs in there. Note these are not real eggs, they are the plastic ones that either have candy or toys in them.  It was a bit difficult to watch both boys, they were far apart. I stuck with the younger one, the older knew what to do and he did, indeed, carry out my instructions.

The younger? He ran clear across the field and was just in his own world.  It took him a minute, standing there, before he finally started picking up eggs. I then went and located the older boy, about 100 feet away. He was quite busy filling up his rather large bucket.  By the time the crowd caught up to him, he had a full bucket.  The younger didn't get so many, about half full, he just was doing it his way.  Which is fine.  It was fun, really.  I just ended up putting those people out of my mind, it's why I sit alone at church instead of seeking people out.  I care, but I don't want to be subjected to their foolishness.  I may yet go to one of the adult groups someday, but not today.  

I woke up at around 7:00 am, totally out of it, I just decided to go back to sleep for another hour and a half.  I got some good sleep last night, finally. 

With that, I realized tomorrow is the first and if I wait until the first to pay the rather large property tax bill, it's going to get even larger.  I had to pay the convenience fee of $44, the flip side is paying a much larger fee they will attach as of tomorrow, added onto the fees they already added onto the situation.  My hands were tied, I tried to go in on Friday, I didn't realize they were closed for Easter.  

So, as of now, the property tax is paid and I have until February of next year to come up with the next ridiculous amount. If they try to raise it again, I'm going to have a hearing on it. No lawyer, I'll just do it myself.  $2,700 and change for property taxes on a valuation of $179k is nothing short of outrageous, in my view. We are not some prime property area, their coffers being dried up by the shut down of the rather large coal fired generating plant is not my concern.  Now? The place I used to load out of over in Longview, Texas Eastman, is going to invest another billion plus dollars in building a new addition to their already sprawling plant.

It's in our county so any tax revenues will go to the county. Perhaps that will make these county and school district officials happy.  I'd love to run for one of those positions, I don't want that kind of scrutiny.  Texas lawmakers may indeed do something about property taxes, wait and see. Homestead exemption is the only alternative I have and it's just not in the cards right now - having to build a house.  Actually would love to live over there in a nice house.  It has been discussed, albeit not at length. 

Well, the idea of buying land and building a house on it has been discussed, it was only until recently that we had a conversation about building a house on my property.  It would be building it on the rear 15 acres. Basically, divide the land legally and have 2 properties. One with the RV park and the other for doing with whatever we please.  It would be costly tho.  We would have to have power lines run all the way back there, install a septic system and either have well water or run a line back there from the front as well.  That doesn't include clearing the pad for the house and building the house. I could easily see 200k in a development like that.  

It would take 2 more telephone poles, maybe 3. They'd have to stretch a line clear over the gas easement, but it could be done.  They have one of the lines of my property stretched a very long way.  I haven't measured it but it looks to be at least 200 feet between the poles.  I actually think I could get a loan on it - with a decent down payment of course.  Land also as collateral since it's apparently worth far more than I paid for it.  It's something I have considered but I fear that getting property split up like that is probably pretty costly.  Plus having to add an easement addendum to it - guaranteeing access to rear of property through the front and through the gas easement.  The gas easement has no right to stop me from going across that land or attempting to say I can't add my own access binder to the property description and legal definitions.

Regardless, I did finally find the keys to the coach in the coach. She had them hanging on a hook on the wall in her bedroom. I haven't gone back there, that whole thing is pretty gross right now, there are still lots of bugs in there.  I'm going to gut it, now that I have gotten that far in my thinking with it.  The bathroom, the shower stall, the kitchen area and start all over with used stuff to replace it. Much nicer used stuff. And gain access to the areas where all those bugs and rodents are/were and be able to clean all of that up and then bleach it and sanitize it.  Meanwhile, some people wanted to move into that space, I haven't called them back.  

I don't know if I want another trailer there. I have a guy in a trailer next to the coach, I'm thinking of my options here. Mostly, the electricity setup.  Wondering if I just keep it to one person living back there instead of 2 units, if I would still have to add the electrical line I have been telling myself I need to do and soon before summer heat hits. 

I have also been arguing with myself the actual need for a tractor.  I can rent tractors, I can get one with teeth in it albeit from a neighboring town and having to haul the thing a much longer distance. I need a mini ex for the electrical line and dig a trench for the pipe to go across the driveway, I wouldn't be buying a mini ex anyway.  So, the need for a tractor boils down to the driveway and clearing land for new lots to be added.  

My mind is full of stuff right now.  I'm just waiting to see what my next paycheck is going to be before making any decisions, but I think buying an expensive, brand new tractor is not in the cards and not a good business decision. I don't want a new one anyway, I wanted to see if the dealer had any used ones. Yes, but they are asking ridiculous price for it.  I mean, you might as well buy a brand new one for that much money.

Today - church in queue. I haven't been since 3 Sundays ago, the boys haven't been since 4 Sundays ago.  They went to grandma's and then work has gotten in the way of my taking them or me going.  The ministry worker that runs the children's ministry actually told me they were missing us.  That was a nice offering at least.  

After church, go to the property and decide on this motor coach.  Move it or just leave it. Yes, it would be more money.  Hard to turn down money right now.  Still, I have the income of 15 lots going and that's a fairly nice chunk of change, especially this time of year when electric bills are low and not eating up my profits.  I've been hinting at installing meters and the word is getting around.  Conserve electricity where you can or expect changes.  People may move, I don't know, that's on them.  I don't see the need to pay $150 and higher per lot on electric charges during summer months.  

I think my job earnings are going to dictate my next business decisions and that's why I'm sitting on that money I received earlier this week. Have to be able to work out a business budget, there is a major point in that decision that has to be included in the plan I would like to implement and that is: how much will I be making now?  Net pay. 

Well, I need to take a shower before church and time is running out.

G'day

 Saturday mid-morning

The tractor situation has not changed. I'm not budging and neither are they.  My best bet, I think, would be to find financing to buy a used one on the market from private seller. If a dealership had something reasonable, I would certainly consider it but now that I've contacted Kubota and they have the same pricing, I'm out of there.  There's just no way I'm going to be able to justify to myself paying $425 per month for 7 years.  That's too long.  It is zero interest financing at least, if they could bring it down to around $300 I would go for it.  

Holy Saturday, the church has an Easter egg "hunt" going on at noon.  It's 7,000 eggs and they just lay them out in a big field next to the church. The kids line up, they run out when the word go is yelled and I can guarantee you that in less than 5 minutes, all 7,000 eggs will be picked up and hauled off.  It's one of those things where you need to be there a bit early, definitely not late.  They also provide lunch, probably hot dogs, chips and a drink.  I mean, it's free so I'm not going to complain about it. The kids haven't been in church in nearly a month now.  Just hasn't worked out with me working and 2 Sundays in a row, they were up in Arkansas with their grandparents.  

We did have a card night last night at a friend's house who just had a baby girl.  That was fun, even the kids were behaving for once.  

Oh, the taxes.  Yeah, they were closed yesterday.  I was going to pay online until I saw a $44 "convenience fee".  Screw that fee, I have until Monday and I intend on going in on Monday and paying via check in person. That eliminates that fee.  However, if they find that they can't be open on Monday either, I will just have to eat the fee and pay it online. 

I also already have the money to pay the electric bill which amounted to somewhere around $840 and change, if I recall correctly. Not bad.  It's about as low as it's going to go with that many units in there.  I stand to collect another 4 grand in the next 12 days or so, that will get my business finances pointed in a different direction than what it was.  Basically, the money needs to sit in there for high electric bills are coming.  On the 7th, I will also be finding out about my new pay rate via looking at a paycheck.  

Called planning ahead, last summer I had no idea that the electric bill would go as high as $2,500 in a single month.  Get some money set aside for that so it doesn't catch me by surprise.  I still want to install meters tho.  I've got last month's bill low and probably this month won't be crazy, May will start to see an increase in the bill and then comes June and there it is: super-high electric bills that will carry on for many months.  This is pretty much why I won't get into a high monthly payment for a tractor.