Saturday - evening

Yesterday.  I got permission to show up early to get loaded at the plant.  I ended up arriving there at 7:35 am, 25 minutes early.  I figured I would show up around then, I don't like showing up on time, I always like to be early.

It's a good thing, too.  The loader person didn't show up, called in sick.  A manager of whom I had gotten into it with not long ago - that was explained in this blog so I'm not going into that again - came out and said no one was there to load the truck, got a big smile on his face and said "I'm going to load it". Thank you! I'm easily able to brush off past bs if the other party is going to take a different path.  

Trucks started coming in.  I got loaded pretty quickly, he knew what he was doing loading the truck, he had no idea how to do the paperwork.  When I got into the control room, he was locked out of his computer and it took a while for him to get into it.  Then he was asking for help.  These managers knew how to do the old software when they were loaders, they have no idea how to do the new software.

In that, I keep hearing about all of these people coming in and how they're going to have to wait.  I was really glad I got in there early for mom couldn't be at the church to get the kids from the church camp.  Someone needed to be there at 12:30 and even tho it took them 45 minutes to do the paperwork. I go to the Pilot in town, it's that or Flying J, we're not allowed to get fuel anywhere else.  Which is stupid but whatever.  I get they want to cut fuel costs but it can cause a lot of problems if something happens, such as...

....the Pilot diesel fuel lanes being completely shut down.  I can tell you something that just hit me right now: I completely forgot about fuel today.

Anyway, on the way back, no fuel just kept going, the truck has large fuel tanks, I get a text: they switched their arrival time to 11:30 am!  Oops. I looked at the clock, and figured I would still be there in plenty of time.  And I was, 40 minutes early.   Those kids were completely worn out. The oldest is STILL laying in bed, only getting out of it a few times today to play with his brother.  His voice is deep as well, you can tell they wore their asses right out, keeping them busy into the night hours. 

I wonder how those adults have that much energy?  Lol.  I guess I did earlier in life, but still, that's a very demanding schedule especially with elementary school aged kids.  

Well, we heard their stories which went on for quite a while - well I heard them first since I picked them up but they didn't hold back with mom either lol.  

Fast forward to today. Up at 5:30 am - well I had to get up at 4 yesterday - up to Gurdon.  Took longer to unload, probably the product was chilled too much, they do that a lot and it ends up taking much longer to offload it.  Back to the yard, it was hot.  The truck was not cool, the air blowing out of the vents was coolish, but certainly not ice cold like you're used to in car ac.  It was uncomfortable and I doubt I"m going to be able to handle it until after the 22cd of July .... It's going to get quite hot and already is.  I need  a cool environment in a truck, otherwise besides being extremely uncomfortable, it also makes me sleepy driving while hot. 

Yup, I'm likely to say something about it this coming week.

Then I get a call.  You are going to be taking the trailer to the washout in Haughton and picking up X trailer that is sitting there. Just a note, the driver said one of the tires "might be bad".  What a load of crap.  So this driver gets away with dumping HIS problem on to ME? WHY DIDN'T HE HAVE THE DAMN TIRE FIXED? It takes hours, usually, to get one single tire replaced.  Stupidity and I said something to the dispatcher - so you are telling me I'm getting dumped with this other driver's problems? I HAVE TO HAVE THE TIRE FIXED, HE GETS AWAY WITH IT? 

Sorry - not sorry.  It's ridiculous.  No one wants to spend that much time in a tire shop, but if you damage one or it is otherwise just worn out, YOU DEAL WITH IT, YOU DON'T DUMP IT ONTO ANOTHER DRIVER. I haven't seen it yet, I'll refrain from saying anything to the manager about it until I see if there is an actual problem. Highly likely there will be, if the driver says "there might be a bad tire on it", that's just his way of saying "I don't want to deal with it".  

As it stands, I completely forgot about fuel today.  It's because I have a habit. I get the truck loaded, drive 3 miles to the Pilot, fill it up and then I don't refill again until I load again.  So today, it never even entered my mind.  The problem? Well, I know from experience I can do a full run and then most of another full run before running out of fuel. I know this because I have done this before lol.  I ran out of fuel going to the fuel station after loading - but - I was lucky. The engine started to die, but I knew if I could get off of that hill I was on, I would level the truck out and the fuel would flow enough to get to the station.

And sure enough, I was right.  In this case, I have to go to Haughton, which is 61 miles.  There is a Pilot there.  I filled the tanks all the way up last fill up - thankfully - so I should have enough fuel to make it there. If not, there is a Flying J near Shreveport, I just don't want to make 2 exit runs off the Interstate, that's time consuming.  As it stands, I'll have to get up at 4 am on Monday morning to get that all done and get to the washout and then to the loading plant on time.  It eats up 2-1/2 hours to have to go get another trailer in Haughton, it's not a quick thing.  

I'm just happy to have tomorrow off. The kids have been asked to get up on the stage in the main auditorium for both services to show off their camp shirts and sing the camp theme song they were singing over there.  So, it means being at church at 9:15 am instead of the 10:45 am I am usually there and also staying 2 services.  However.....I can stay at the first service and then the second service they can do their singing and then we can go home and skip the second service. It's the same message both services, I don't need to hear it twice tho I might stay for the worship on the second service because that's what I really love about church, the worship portion. 

I was going to discuss with this worker we've had over here and now over at my park about doing some work on the expansion today, but looking at it when I was driving in today? I all needs bush hogged. Meaning, cutting the rather tall grass down.  I also need to get on the Bad Boy mower and do  the lots again.

I had a guy move in yesterday and he's going to be long term. I am down to 2 lots and I have someone coming in next weekend to stay a month or two and yet another person saying they will come at some point for long term.  I don't have my overnight software up and running right now, I don't want to deal with it. I have long term and they are living like long term. A lot of them have swings, plants, even a few porches. Overnighters don't like to deal with that stuff, they call it trashy and whatever else. 

I just make sure the people doing that keep their lots clean and tidy, I'm pretty pushy about that.  I'll get right up into people's business if they start getting a trashy lot - clean it up or get out.  

Yes I want the income but I don't want it that much.  I am not operating a trailer trash park, thanks.  

As for now? It's almost 8 pm.  I'm going to play a few games and go to bed around 10.