Tuesday - early afternoon

I got up at 3:50 am, got my stuff done and got busy driving the truck.  They wanted me there early so I could be in and out of there before another driver was to show up.  The problem? Not a problem, just a situation.  The other driver is basically OTR with this run.  He loads, delivers same day, loads delivers, etc.  He wants to do that, more power to him, I do NOT.  And I don't have to, so there is that. 

However...

When I was up there at the receiving plant 2 days ago (Sunday), I was shocked to find both tanks almost completely empty. They were glad to see me! I had no idea we were so far behind.  I was out 5 days sick and then before that, they had me doing the Ennis run and then they had 5 trucks break down all at once.  A driver quit and another driver refuses to do more than 2 loads per week. All well and fine, but if we get into trouble, perhaps his @$$ can help out just a little bit more and keep things afloat. 

But who am I? Just a person that doesn't want to go looking for another job right now because we lost our contract.  Don't read that wrong, we haven't lost the contract but who knows if we're close to doing so? They had to have 3 truckloads delivered up there from another company in the last 2 days because of our dilemma.  

One thing that hasn't made sense to me since I joined this company is the idea that trucks are breaking down but they don't rent tractors to fulfill their obligations? 

Anyway, I am likely working for-ever lol. No, I don't know.  If they can't get some OTR drivers to haul a few loads to get the tanks filled up again, I will be busy until they can get them in.  

One thing that was nice about today and getting done super early? I was back in time to see the boys off to church camp.  It's a camp somewhere south of Houston so at least 4 hour drive from here.  They are on the road now.  I predict the older boy will have an absolute blast and the younger boy will have numerous meltdown over minor, petty or even non-existent stuff. Just hoping they don't call us to come down there and get him.  Put him in time out the rest of the time there, I don't care, just don't make us come get him. 

They know all about him, btw, this isn't something they were going in blindly about.  They had already had a meeting a few months ago about this kid and what they were going to do with him if he goes south in his attitude. It's almost guaranteed he will. He won't get his way about eating, a game, another kid, whatever and he'll have a literal meltdown. Face burning right, feet stomping, mouthy. 

I have addressed him several times quite directly in the last few weeks for I am quite sick of it. Especially the sass and talking back shit.  I let loose on him not too long ago after he started yelling at me, I shut him down.  He freaked out because at that point I was angry. No, I didn't do anything to him, I just had my voice raised considerably and no one was doing anything but hearing me.  Even mom didn't try to stop me.. Why should she? We are all fed up with this boy's attitude.

Yesterday, I told him to do something and he started getting mouthy with me. It was outside in front of the house.  I completely shut him down and spoke right over the top of him telling him to go to his room.  He kept trying to talk over me - he tries to get mom to take sides - which never works but he tries anyway.  Then he'll trash her as well.  An incorrigible child as far as I'm concerned, I'm not tolerating any more of it. I sent him to his room, he went stomping off and whatever. 

He came back out 5 minutes later. I thought I told you to go to your room? I did!  GO BACK, NOW.  Another meltdown, I didn't care.  Stomping.  Blah blah blah.  Eventually I went in and had a short discussion with him and he was good for the rest of the day, amazingly enough.  I can tolerate a lot, but that sass and backtalking I cannot deal with.  There is no way he should be talking to adults like that. 

I finally did it today. I have been contemplating it for several days and I realized that it would be foolish not to do what I did today.  What did I do that was so hard to pull the trigger on? Pay off around 24k in credit card debt.  I reeeeeally didn't want to spend the money mom gave me on that kind of stuff, but I really thought about it.

Some of that stuff would have taken years to pay off and it would have cost far more in interest than paying it off now.  I just felt I was being saddled with debt and I have been really irritated about it lately.  After paying off 5 cards which was most of the debt - there's still a little bit more but it's less than 2k, I'm waiting to see how far the account goes down after all of that hits for I want X amount of cash in the bank,  I felt soooo much better!  It's going to free up over $800 per month in credit card payments, that's no small chunk of change.  

And the other thing is that I will now have tractor payments for 5 years I think it is.  I needed to dump some debt load to be able to easily afford those payments.  I'm back into a budget frenzy. Looking through everything and seeing where I can save some money. For me, Dish Network is a no brainer.  It's over $100 per month and I rarely even watch it anymore. 

I can't believe how much I had racked up in credit card debt. Not just that amount but that other loan paid off a lot of it as well. I still have 4 years on that loan.  But I can't pay that off now, it would leave me with too small amount of money in the bank.  Yes, I have gotten much better with credit cards, I rarely use them now.  They're good to have around, especially with a business, but I have too many of them. If you cancel them, it really hits your credit score and I still have other loan considerations to take into account.

Expanding the park and amenities for the park. I do not have the cash for that - well I can do the front portion that I was already working on, I am referring to the back portion that I got a bid on and if I thought I could get a loan, I - well right now I wouldn't do it.  I am not getting that many calls and tho I do have some people coming in, I just can't justify a loan. I need amenities to draw people in with. A pool and a building.  A large building.  

A building that can be divided up into a laundromat, a tv room, an office, possibly a game room and a c-store. I'm not really sure how I would do it, I have done zero research into it for it's just not in the cards - yet.  

______________

Long interval. Like almost time to go to bed. Fortunately, I don't have to get up at 3:50 am, I do have to get up at 5:30 am but that's a substantial difference in my world.  

Applebee's called me back - I've been going to that one for some 11 years now, service complaint of which they "promised to fix".  I wouldn't make such a complaint at a place I frequent if it weren't bad, like seriously bad.

And the John Deere people called but I didn't feel like talking to them so I just let the call go through.  We'd like to discuss with you your recent purchase...the local store calling tho, not some third party questionnaire group.  

And nothing else. The kids are gone, the house is quiet and that's amazing.