I just walked through the door to my house.  The significance?  I left here at 5:55 am and it is now almost 10:30 pm.  I'm flat worn out.  I mean, I have no intention of getting out of bed before 9:00 am.  Well maybe 8, but certainly nothing earlier than that.

I was exposed to this region's version of hot today and hot it was.  Only 100 degrees but the humidity was very high in Shreveport.  I only had one run today and that was pretty short lived.  The rest of it was working in the heat.  I'm not really complaining, once you start sweating and as long as you keep drinking plenty of fluids, pretty much okay.  Just don't go inside in the AC at all or as little as possible.  But - it does take it out of you.

It's become glaringly obvious that what I am dealing with when it comes to trucks and most of these people is pure and plain ignorance. Not using that word as an insult, just a descriptor of the situation there.  Management has no clue about trucks and what is required.  This is pretty common to find management in charge of a fleet of trucks big or small not really knowing mucho of anything about them. The semi trailer has two serious problems: bald tires and non-functioning brakes.  Well the brakes work, but they are worn out and if you get the truck rolling and then hit the trailer brake bar - nothing happens.  That is a serious violation that would get the truck put out of service.

I brought up the tires today, I will bring up the brakes next week. I am not driving that vehicle next week but that doesn't excuse me from dealing with it because the other drivers - are not.  The "senior" driver said he knew about it for a while now - the brakes and the tires.  He claims he has said something to them about it, but it's clear that one individual in management doesn't want to hear about it and that - is extremely bothersome.  How do you justify putting off having bald tires and non-functioning brakes on a tractor-trailer rig in having it fixed - immediately - when you find out about it?

I've decided that I am going to refuse to drive it until they fix it.  Every other driver should do the same thing.  A DOT official could actually throw a person in jail for knowingly driving a commercial vehicle that is in such a bad state of repair.

Enough of that.  I went to bed late last night before even finishing this entry. Was too tired. Then I got a text at midnight from Josiah - he was heading home from work.  Then another from the tracker at 7:30am. Oh, yes, he has to take the trash out to the curb.  It's - not close to the house.  Then yet another text: I'm leaving.  Where? Gf.  You didn't clear this with me (he asked the other day but didn't specify when) and did you ask your dad (he's supposed to be with him today along with the rest of his bro's/sis's). Uhhh, I forgot.  Now we have a problem.  This went on for a while.  I'll give him credit that his attitude is definitely getting better.  Not that I haven't been telling him repeatedly that if his attitude stays good, he gets more freedoms.  If it goes south, he gets a leash put on him.

Anyway, I am tired.  Just worn out is more like it.  10 hour work days and getting home late, getting up early - taking it's toll on me.  I don't feel like doing anything today, but m'lady's water heater project isn't going to get finished with me sitting over here watching John Wayne movies.  But I am going to finish watching the one I am watching right now before I head over there : ) But no kids, which isn't all that great because I keep them working all day on Saturdays. They have every other day of the week to do much of nothing since it's summertime and they are out of school.

Which reminds me, another problem child  Serious situation.  I am not, unfortunately at this point, there enough to deal with him.  Actually he has serious spiritual issues and this is not something that will go away any time soon as long as the boy (will remain unnamed) doesn't want freedom from it.  Point? Causing mom a lot of grief.  Again, no easy fixes here.

Anyway, enough for now.

G'day.

ben

So yesterday, those kids ended up working all day long versus the day before, where they refused to do anything.
The difference? I told one of them that if they didn't start doing their chores, they would lose the fresly installed satellite; guitars, fish tank and whatever else temporarily until their attitudes changed.
\
I did not go over there yesterday and have pretty much blown off Wednesdays as any day to go there because they go to Wednesday church service and it goes on too late for me.  I can't go over there every day anyway, the fuel use is too much.  It's another 30 plus miles of driving which adds up every week to an already bloated fuel budget.  At some point I will have to decide whether I can bear this schedule at work and if I want to continue with it, because if I do, another mode of transportation that gets much better fuel mileage will be in order.  That would have to be a motorcycle, a thing of which I have mixed feelings about.

Haven't rode a street bike in a couple of decades now.

And let the cranking continue.  Regarding a 16 year old boy who feels it's appropriate to text in ANY situation - at the dinner table; in church during service; while people are talking to him, stuff like that.  So I started in on him about that last night.  Of course he didn't like, what else is new.  I don't care.  I say stuff to total strangers about rude behavior with cell phones - such as holding up a line at a grocery store because they are texting or talking on the phone instead of paying the bill.

There are no easy answers or quick fixes with these boys.  I try not to dump too much on them all at once - there are numerous issues each of them have that if left unchecked will not exactly have them ready to be "productive" citizens in society once they are of age and decide to leave home.  A glaring inability to be able to cope with interpersonal issues is one of the biggest issues in all thre of the teenage boys.  Eruptions into instant anger is the norm for them.  Lashing out and saying hurtful things to people is their modus operandi for even the most petty of things and situations where that kind of outlandish behavior is totally unacceptable given the scenario presented.  As far as these kids are concerned, I did not expect to be able to come into this situation and wave a magic wand and make things all better instantaneously.  In fact, I have wondered if in some cases any kind of reversal could take place at all.  But I will persevere and hope and believe that that isn't the case.

Whatever the case, all of the kids are going over to their dad's on Friday and coming back who knows when, the entire weekend?  No idea.  So no work from them this weekend meaning anything that gets done - will be from me alone.  The wood is finally dry, I think, where the water heater has been leaking so I can sand it down, get as much of the black mold out of there as possible, treat the cracks with more of the liquid that is especially designed to neutralize it, install wood and drywall and then install the heater itself.  She has another water heater in the house, it's not like they've gone without hot water for a week. I figure that finishing that project is pretty much going to take all of Saturday considering the amount of work to be done but finish it I intend on doing.

Finally got my Direct TV to work.  I figured out that the satellite dish that is there is not compatible with my DVR.  I installed my old dish last night and was able to get it up and runing within a short period of time.  I am not the biggest fan of TV, but I do like to watch some here and there, certain shows that I like but mostly movies.  It was nice to finally figure that out and get it going again, especially considering the monthly bill ofr that nonsense which is around the 100 makr because of all the receivers aat teh house in Phoenix.

Well, this entry waxeth long so time to end it.  On my way to work anyway.

G'day.
\
ben

Quick entry.
Tuesday morning, just before leaving for work.
The 3 teenage boys getting into things yesterday while
m'lady was at work.  Even with a "nanny" at home,
though she doesn't expect her to have to deal with some of this
stuff.  I dunno why, that nanny is getting paid pretty good,
deal with some of this, please!  I can only do so much and that
is only when I am there.

One of them broke into her closet, again, stealing candy and money.
2 of them refusing to do anything around the house, not even 10
minutes worth of chores.
I can't go into all of it for a variety of reason, just it's a situation
that I need to put a lot of prayer into and ask God what is next?
Them boys will listen to me - I don't tend to take no for an answer
and I don't put up with the BS.  Just do it, get it over with and keep
the comments to yourself.

Well whatever.  Headed off to work early.  Pretty good drive
coming up to Dallas and wherever else they were going to have
me going today.  That should pretty much eat up the entire work
day, which is why it makes me happy.

G'day.

ben

Mondays can always be really bad days at work.
Today? Bad for the contractor I was delivering to, great for me!
I got to the site - well I had to park the truck in the roadway on a 2 lane highway effectively blocking one direction of travel - got out, talked, they got their machine and then? Found out it had a flat tire. They called the mobile tire repair truck and waited.  And waited. And waited some more.  I called my company, no way am I sitting out there that long without them giving me approval to do so.  Cause' honey? It took 4 hours for those people to get there and fix that tire. I probably slept for an hour and a half sitting in the truck.  It felt good, too.

After all that stuff we did on Saturday, it just got me good.  I was so tired after that day and the work week before it, I still wasn't feeling anything close to rested this morning, even after doing much of nothing yesterday/Sunday. Well I take that back. When I got there yesterday, I cleaned up the kitchen, got the kids working on cleaning up their messes and then went to church.  After church I came back and inspected the mold covered wood to see if it had dried yet - which it had not. That water heater must have been leaking for a long time for that wood to be that saturated.  Oh wait a minute, after church we went to McDonald's and got dollar menu stuff.  Bought a small fish tank for 2 of them on Saturday and then set that up yesterday.  It caught up to me around 1 or 2 so I was invited to go to a bedroom and crash for a while, which I did.  Got up, kids left for dad's house, we went to a restaurant and spent some time alone, without all those kids around.  That was nice : )

Today, after that fiasco at that jobsite, I was sent to the great state of Alabama.  Pick up some HDPE pipe from a distributor's yard and upon returning - late after everyone but one dude had gone home - found out I am taking it to Dallas tomorrow. 384 miles - well probably over 400 apparently Dallas isn't really where it's going, somewhere near there but beyond it - of driving bliss for a round trip.  I'm sorry, HDPE is High Definitely Polyethylene pipe.  It's probably the most durable pipe to be found anywhere on the planet - and the most expensive. I have dropped huge bundles of the stuff off the side of the semi - on purpose - from 10 feet up knowing it won't damage it.  The pipe is fused together with a fusion machine, basically a glorified heat welder.

Didn't go to her house today. Too tired, plus got off late and would have had less time to spend there plus I have to get up early.  I mean, earlier than normal.

Ummm, lots more.  Lots.  I just don't have the energy.  Long days.  Not that I hate it, but my body is worn out.  My mind is saying go to bed even though it's only a little after 8. Whatever the case, I can't write anymore today.

ben

Well, here we are Sunday night, a very long weekend ended.  And then the start of a long work week - definitely not used to 10 hour work days yet, dunno if I ever will.  I mean, I have in the past and I worked 12 hour days for year long ago and even longer hours on the mission field, but once I got used to 8 hours a day I was pretty good with that.  No desire to do much changing of it.

So I dunno. Around 3 o'clock in the after noon and I am ready to go home.  Instead, there are still 2 hours to burn and even if I could get off earlier, I wouldn't be able to do it for sake of my paycheck.

So anyway, went over to m'lady's house on Friday after work, hung out with her, took all 4 boys home with me - they wanted to come over - messed around on video games for awhile, around 11:30 I made them all go to bed.  Josiah wanted to go to bed anyway, he knew I was making him work all day long and he wanted to be able to go over to his GF's house after getting done with everything - a thing of which I never promised him he could do. But he was intent on trying.

So Saturday morning, the Dish Network dude calls me early, he is coming over. Great.  I call her and tell her, she said don't worry she will take care of it. Okay.  Well, when he got there, they had to go into a closet where one of the water heaters is  that has existent cable lines running through.  Kabling.  This is where the mold smell has been coming from.  The hallway floor covered in water and the wat3er heater leaking it out. Upon inspection, black mold everywhere in that huge closet. Drywall, flooring, wood beams, everything. She calls me again, very upset.  Another disaster.  Lots of them have gone on over there - it's an old house and things are wearing out and breaking down.

Well I didn't know it was a mold issue, I just thought it was an old heater that needs replaced that suddenly popped a hole - happens all the time - and needed to shut off water, unhook the thing, clean up the mess and get a new one.  I get up, get moving, get the boys up, get them moving, and we head over there. I see the disaster and gag.  You can't just put a new heater in there, yo have to deal with that mold.  I have been smelling that s*** in there for months. 2 trips before I moved out here I smelled it walking into the door.  There are 2 water heaters in the house so I didn't think about the second one, the first one blew out a while back when I was still in Phoenix and they had to deal with it.  I gave them some pointers but they had to do the work. This is different in that there is black mold everywhere.

Well, draining the water out of an old take is ridiculous. The drain cock didn't work, it wouldn't budge. I beat on it with a hammer - the heater was trashed so who cares if it's destroyed - it still wouldn't budge.  Finally ended up tilting the entire thing over - full of water easily over 350 pounds worth probably more I deal with this kind of weight at the yard all the time - and draining out, yes, 50 gallons of water.

When Josiah and I got that thing out of the house, we then started working on tearing out mold caked dry-wall and the base board and everything we could get out.  Gross.  The smell nauseating.  We got that s*** on our bodies and it wasn't agreeable to me at all, everyone knows that stuff can cause illness. After we got what we thought was everything out, I saw a long stretch of black-mold-covered drywall underneath the air conditioning unit that is also in that closet right next to the water heater.  This is a huge house, even closets that are normally small for a water heater is larger than most people's walk in closets.  I said dang, we have to get that stuff out of there, me being in no mood to get under there and get it out but also not willing to try to force Josiah to get under there, either.

I mean, a person would have to crawl under there on their belly in mold infested water to get at it and tear it out.  Josiah said okay, I'm going in!  He voluntarily crawled in that filth and got that crap out of there so my respect level for him raised considerably considering he was not getting paid and getting nothing out of it. Well, maybe.

THEN, we all left the house. Josiah and Jacob - 14 year old brother - to Josiah's work to get air blowers and a dehumidifier they use to help dry everything out in such situations and the rest of us to Home Depot to get - a lot of stuff. Water heater, fittings, drywall and related tools, plywood, etc etc.  Like almost $700 worth.

Did I mention paint? Yes a marathon day. I wanted that living room painted, or at least as much as could get done.  So when we got back, Josiah had already arrived and had set up the blowers and the humidifier. I told him we got paint, please get busy in the living room while I solder the fittings to get valves on the lines.  So I'm dealing with water lines and he got busy with the dining room. I got the other boys busy as well. It was a work day for ALL of them, not just Josiah.  Josiah I don't need to continually search out and supervise, the others? Yes.

Fast forward through a lot of stuff. I texted Josiah's gf without him know that she could come over if she so pleased and I was cool with it.  He was all kinds of happy that she was coming and I didn't have a problem with that - he worked his ass off and that to me deserves some kind of reward.

More, much more last night with other stuff going on, but I just don't have the time to type it all out.  I wish I did.

Anyway, this morning I headed over to her house. Josiah still in bed, everyone else ready to go to church. I understood exactly what he was feeling.  I was sore and tired this morning after waking up.  It sucked bad.  I just didn't want to do anything, but I did.  Got up, got some coffee, got bathed and all of that and headed over there.  Josiah sent his youngest brother downstairs to ask me if I would let him stay home.

NO. But I went up stairs and told him myself. Time to go to church, get up and get going. Father's day today. Forgot that this morning until church and pastor started talking about it.  Oh, yeah!  Well after worship was over and he got through with his preaching he asked all fathers to stand up. Yup, I have the greatest son on earth, I am proud of him, he is doing so much with his life. Then he called us all down there. Cool I went down. THEN, he asked offspring and wives to come down. Umm, those boys are  not my sons and she isn't yet my wife. Well, I thought, it's okay, I'll just stand here without anyone but I know who my Father is and He is the greatest!

And so it was. Wives and kids came down and stood with their fathers while I was standing alone.  But, I din't have a problem with it. My son is in the Philippines right  now, serving the Lord our God, and that is enough for me.  Full fledged into this a hand slaps me on the back and another on my right arm. Jacob and Josiah.  One rests his arm up against my back and another with hand on my shoulder.  Hey man, we are here with you!  Brought tears to my eyes.  A wow moment.  I found out later that the youth pastor - who was up on the stage he is also a musician - went up to them in the back row area and encouraged them to come and pray with me.  Josiah later confides that he was scared to do it - he doesn't want to come down to altar calls and such, I dunno why I will have to start digging into that, but the fact that they both came down and prayed with me just blew me away.

Well there is more but I am way past my bedtime.

G'nite.

ben

I was dreading this morning.
Electronic transfer of funds from my company to my bank account.
How much would it be?
In fact, I lost some sleep over it last night.
Woke up in the middle of the night and yes, I could have gotten up and come out and got on the computer to assuage my fears - or sit here in panic and wonder what the freak I am going to do if it isn't enough - but I was just plain afraid to.

I knew the 2 hours every single day of OT would cover it, but you pay more taxes on OT than regular time.  I mean, I figured out what they did with my pay.  They reduced the hourly wage to the point that I would still get the same amount of pay with 10 hours as I was with 8.  I had no choice if I wanted to get out here and get a new life started and get rolling with this.  I mean, there are other options, yes, but this was the easiest.  No looking for a new job, already know the job parameters, WELL acquainted with the product and what is expected of me.

To the point of making sure I had a good enough paycheck, I also reduced my 401k contribution around 3 weeks ago to make sure that this paycheck? Would not fall short, because if it did, I would be in a world of hurt.  Well I can safely say that I am not in a world of hurt at this point. In fact, it was over $100 more than I expected.  I'm serious, I was sweating this one bad.  Just part of the unknowns of coming out here.  I didn't know if they were going to give me the extra 2 hours per day for sure - not that I want to work that many hours but to pay the bills I have no choice.

That extra helps pay extra fuel expense.

Well, off to work. Friday! Yay!

ben

It suddenly popped into my mind out of the blue.
I don't need to buy expensive carpet, tile or wood flooring.
Concrete etching, staining and sealing.
I dunno why this didn't come to me before.  Of course.  It is a lot of work but in the end it looks great and is a fraction of the cost of any of those other types listed above.
In other words, a doable proposition.  

Well I don't have to etch it, apparently staining it is pretty good looking too and much less work than etching it.  I dunno yet, not in the position to do any of it.  Hoping to get some more paint and get the dining room done.  It's huge.  All of the bottom floor rooms are huge in the house.  The living room is 1,200 square feet, that's the size of a small home. I mean, I have ideas about that living room, it is way too large and could divide that thing in half and make a movie room out of one half and the other half the extended kitchen/eating area.

I dunno. It's not my house and so making decisions about it is kinda tough.

Regardless, these work hours are really kicking my @$$.  I am not used to a 50 hour work week and I AM used to getting off at 2, not 5 and sometimes even later.

____________________________________________________________

I mean, I think I started this yesterday. Long days, burning the candle at both ends, trying to get adjusted, going to take some time.  Left here at 6am and walked through the door 20 minutes ago - it's 9:30.  Way past my bedtime, but it is what it is at this point.  When I got to m'lady's house today, I was greeted by a lot of kids wanting attention and love.  M'lady too, obviously, lol.  She made the pork chops I took over there the other day and they were delicious.

Then totally by accident - we were sitting on the couch and the kids were just sitting around watching us and talking about everything - something came out that one of the boys had done today.  Because of the nature of what it was and a minor child I just can't go into it on the web.  I can only say that I talked with this person about it as long as I could before I just had to leave, it was getting late and I told him I would continue with him again in the near future.  Prayed with him and that, he said, made him feel peace and he liked that. No, it's not Josiah, he has a range of his own issues but not anything like this.

I'm trying to give them all attention, it's hard.  There are 6 of them and they have been neglected by their own father and are craving it badly.  Especially the girls.  It is unnatural, IMO, that a dad neglect his own girls and not want them touching him or getting close to him at all.

Whatever. The day is long and I am exhausted.

ben

Long day at work.  Just unending - which is good actually - makes the clock get to 5 faster, seemingly anyway.  But got off late, even later than the 10 hours and was kinda cranking  about that a bit because I was supposed to get to m'lady's place to go to a restaurant and visit with her sister and her sister's boyfriend that came into town today - on their way to Austin, TX for some huge bike rally that happens on Wednesday.  Well I got back quick enough to head over to Applebee's with everyone and spend a good couple of hours talking with these people.  It was cool, nice folks.

Back to her place but no time, I needed to get home, maybe write up a quick entry and hit the sack. It's already 9:30 and that is well past my bedtime.  But I can get up later, just have to reset the alarm clock and skip my morning ritual of sitting here drinking coffee for a while and catching up on the news.  They want me in a half hour earlier, though, a contractor is out of pipe and is clear on the other side of Louisiana.  So get in early and get out of there and on the road.

Meanwhile, this guy kept calling me about installing Dish Network so I succumbed.  Those kids have never had tv in that house, only in her bedroom which isn't accessible more often than not and even if accessible, they often can't watch tv in there.  She wasn't opposed to me having it installed and it's just basic stuff, so basic nothing will have to be filtered.  There is a lot more to this story - but I don't even want to hear from anyone about how tv isn't a necessity in life.  It may not be, but I grew up with it and as far as I know everyone else I know grew up with it too.  The rest of the story about this is something I am not willing to discuss on the world wide web, so leave it at that.

Josiah - another blowup today.  Just flat plain told him he cannot have his gf over tomorrow all day long.  Not a happening event and I don't need to explain myself, but I did anyway. He had a combined total of 24 hours with that girl last weekend and that was more than enough, plus his junk he pulled on Sunday with her there, which pretty much pissed me off and the reason why I told him NO.  Anyway, he started railing on me and I just cut him off after listening to it for about a minute.  Josiah, if you don't shut your mouth and stop and I mean stop right now, you won't be seeing her at ALL this coming weekend.

That was it.  He stopped because I was dead serious and he knew it.  Not gonna tolerate being disparaged and disrespected by a 16 year old boy.  Told him that, too.

Well that's enough.  I really need to get to bed and hope and pray I get some sleep tonight.  Some nights I do - ----- - others I get 4 or 5 hours of it and that's it.  Pretty long day at work when you are running on 4 hours of sleep.

G'nite.

ben

Days flying by.  Seeing all kinds of interesting and different landscape in Louisiana.  Work is - also - interesting - because of the people that are working there.  One dude is always complaining about the place and constantly threatening to go find another job somewhere else.  Good luck. He's young, has little experience in a truck and has attitude.  Another one is in his 50's I believe, he's pretty cool and then the 3rd dude is in his 40's and doesn't talk much. The guy that runs the counter is in his 60's and has been with the company for over 30 years.  It is interesting that the man runs the counter - but doesn't know how to write up a ticket. 

You know, like to sell stuff? lol.  I get along with all of them to some extent or another, excepting the counter man who I usually can deal with but his blowup last week ticked me off.  Will I stay there?  Probably not, but comjpletely undecided at this point.  I want to see what my first paycheck looks like before making that decision.  Which will occur on Friday.  

The stark reality of the house is that it will take quite some time - and money - to get into decent condition.  I get frowns when I start talking about trying to find stuff used but still in good condition.  The house is huge.  Carpet has been torn out of most of it.  You're talking replacing flooring on a house that is something like 6,500 square feet.  Wood or vinyl flooring probably best in most areas because of all of those kids.  The astronomical amount of money needed to replace all of that is - mind-boggling, at least for me.  THat is one of the biggest issues in the house at the moment.  Another is a dog that poops and pees wherever it pleases, as well as stealing food off the dining room table.  It has never been trained and of course if you don't train a dog, you pay the consequences.  

Then there is the other stuff.  Josiah and his gf.  Constantly pushing it.  Wanting to spend more and more  and more time with her.  I mean entire days where that's all he does: sit with her and talk all day long.  He asked for her to come over tomorrow after having had her over on Sunday and having had been with her all day Friday and when I say all day, I mean from 8:45 am til' past 9 pm.  The problem is his attitude.  Another problem is when he's with her, he does nothing.  He is expected to work around the house just like the rest of the kids. So I just told him no on Wednesday.  Sorry, not a happening event, thanks.  

\

As it stands, he pissed me off on Sunday and that is the reason he isn't getting to see her on Wednesday and likely his future visits are going to be pared back. He IS getting better in the attitude department, but ever so slowly.  He came and sat down next to me last night while I was over there playing the game.  Being all nice and this and that - of course when I said no he got up and stormed off.  Lol.  It's relentless though, the constant asking about seeing gf.  I get tired of it and when he gets mad I pretty much let him have it.

As for the other kids in the house, 2 boys got home from their trip with dad to North Carolina. They had fun, evidently, but I knew the car trip would be hell to pay with those 2 in the same vehicle for that much time.  I was definitely spot on about that one.  They don't like each other, don't want to be around each other, but one of them is MUCH larger than the other one and can basically beat the snot out of him.  One of them wants to come over on Friday - well they all want to do that all the time.  In fact, they ask me to take them home on work nights and then take them back the next morning.  Uhhh, sorry, that just won't work. Leave here half an hour early to do that, no thanks, plus add 20 miles to the trip to work, no thanks.  

Regardless, it came up that the oldest brother - who is in the Navy and the reason they went to NC to visit him - was trash talking mom and also apparently saying s*** about me.  Not that I care, I have never even met the - kid - no sweat off my back.  Her ex and that one going at it about her and then apparently declaring that I could "find a better person", inciting that she is doing heroin.  I can guarantee you that my lady does NOT do narcotics.  She has migraine headache issues and takes Imitrex for that, but that is not a narcotic and they just like to spite her at every turn.  

I did not move out here to go find some other lady, I don't care about all the junk and sometimes exasperration I have to go through with all of this, I am intent on getting that house spruced up and so, I spent the money I have here and there in doing so.  Paint at the moment.  But think about painting that much square footage and the amount of money it will cost just to do that and you get an idea of the hurdles I am facing to get this done.  

Upon that note, I have decided to expand my range for finding stuff to the Dallas area, which is a much larger population and much more likely to find deals even if a 150 to 200 mile drive - one way. If there is a good enough deal and it's worth the drive, then yes.  She has a 15 passenger van with a trailer hitch and a 15 or 20 foot trailer that I can drive over there if need be - if I can find anything at all.  I was thinking of learning how to use that tractor of hers and the brush hog attachment and seeing if I can rent out brush hogging at 40 to 50 bucks an hour.  Sounds expensive but you are talking about operating a tractor and the fuel, wear and tear, tires, hauling the thing over to wherever, etc etc etc.  Easy work, though monotonous, there is a demand for it.  I need extra bucks to get this house done and it will take forever at the rate I am going.  An equity loan on the house would be another idea, but that means more debt.  At the same time, to get that place into shape, especially the main living areas.  

Well I have run out of time, time for the daily trek to Shreveport some 47 miles away from here.  Not that bad, really, just the fuel expense, gas is hardly cheap anymore.  $3.35 per gallon the cheapest I can find it.  Well there are some cheaper places over in LA out of town, but I am not driving 20 miles to go fill up, obviously, but I have seen it as low as $3.20 per gallon.  Which isn't really low.  I need to focus my attention on getting out of the child support.  

Regardless, g'day.

ben

Not much time here,
but got into it with the counter dude yesterday.
He comes walking out to the truck I am trying to strap down and starts barking about why it is taking so long.
Well, cause' I'm trying to remove this strap that is stuck in the groove, the strap needs to be chucked and put in a new one.
F*** that s***, he replies which is when I pretty much let off on him.

The first thing that came to mind - these people don't give a damn about safety.  The second thing is that they aren't drivers and don't care if we get into trouble, it won't affect them. The third thing is we are full blown into the roadside check program that is going on through tomorrow - where they are pulling over commercial vehicles for 72 straight hours.

I was fuming pretty good for a while.  The funny part about this is that this dude hadn't called the customer I was delivering to - I have no freedoms at this place at all, just do what I'm told and that's that, can't even get into the computer system, no juice to get into hardly any programs at all.  Anyway, the dude wasn't answering the phone and it was over half an hour before I could leave anyway.

Whatever.  Thursday.  2 more days of this.  These 10 hour work days are a bit hard to get used to.  I did it at the Chandler branch for a year and a half but that's been a while.  About the time I'm hitting 8 hours on the clock my internal clock telling me it's time to go home!

Time's up, off to work.

G'day.

ben

Long work days mean no time for everything that needs to be done after work.  But, no choice.  Had to get my oil changed and then found out I have a bad wheel bearing.  The mechanic had the car well up off the floor and showed me the play - yikes!  Then he showed me the tire! Whoa! Cords showing! That tire ain't even that old, that bad bearing is eating up tires.  Well I ain't paying them $300 to fix it, I'll buy the wheel hub and install it myself on Saturda6y.  Get a used tire if i can find one tomorrow after work.

They want to charge me $150 for labor and $150 for the part, so eliminate teh labor charge and cut the cost of a wheel hub by at least $25 I am guessing since shops inflate those prices as well and walaah.  Pain in the but, not what I want to spend Saturday doing, but I am not rich and I have to cut corners where I can.  It's 7 pm and I am not even hlaf way home from work.  Was trying to take care of some other business as well.

I was, however, happy to find out what's wrong with the thing.  I have had it into a couple of shops getting oil changes and they never figured this out.  It's been eating up front tires for a while now, though not this bad aor this fast.  I was also glad to see that damaged tire - BEFORE it comes apart and causes a lot of problems.  Not happy, I guess, wrong word, finding junk wrong with your vehicle is hardly afun experience but it is something I can fix, so that's good.

In the world of m'lady and her kids, always something going on.  Josiah texting me today asking for gas money. The kid burned through his paycheck buying clothes and providing his girl with junk food and drinks when she was over on Sunday. He gets paid on Friday but doesn't have enough gas to make it till then to get to work.  School is out for the summer for all of them.  2 of the boys left on a road trip the day after school was out and are with their dad in North Carolina right now. Returning next week. Anyway I'm giong to loan the boy money, ain't giving it to him for nothing and tell him if it happens again, he's on h is own.  One would think saving enough money to pay for gas to get to work would be on the priority list, about the time he figures out he can't make it that will be when it sinks in.

Well anyway. I have to ask about where places are at when I am handed a delivery ticket or a pickup purchase order for anywhere that doesn't have an address on it.  Remember I am working in Cajun country and people talk pretty - interesting - over there.  So this man that works the counter also pretty much tells the drivers where to go.  He says things to me and I just look at him. Huh?  You turn on sheeeeee ellllll street. With considerable Cajun twang mixed with ethnic twang. In other words, unintelligible. Yes, you can figure out what he meant but what I spelled here, but in person? How he speaks? Good luck. Shell street. I asked him to spell it out. Ohhh, okay, thanks.

In reality, I've had that man and everyone else that works out in the yard busting up with laughter.  I don't believe in workplace morbidity, let's have some fun. This dude? Has a belly laugh like you have never heard before.

Time for bed.

Ben

So here we are, Monday, day one of work week done and over with.
I did not finish the last entry but posted it anyway - a lot has transpired since then.
It isn't anything that I will go into on a public forum accessible by anyone, just to say that the issue is resolved and moving on.

There are a lot more issues that need to be resolved and undoubtedly fresh ones will come up as the clock ticks.

But getting a call yesterday that the AC wasn't working at the house - in Phoenix - was too much.  We got to the bottom of it - the blower motor wasn't working.  Well, a blower motor is a lot cheaper than a compressor and all that has to be done installing one, so at least that much of a sigh of relief.  Eventually, after numerous phone calls back and forth and finding out a bunch of other junk going on over there - right after I left - the issue was resolved from the neighbor behind my house who came over and determined that wire was loose on the motor and simply put it back on and that was that. $35.  Not complaining, I know how much a service call is and how much AC companies charge.

Other issues were one tenant wanting to park his tow truck in my driveway and cut down a tree to be able to do so. Thankfully, Mark told him he was neither cutting down the tree nor parking that thing in my driveway, thanks. George apparently turning down the AC during the day.  Also running several computers, monitors, printers, etc etc etc in his room.  He works from home. Had no idea he was running all of that, explains my electric usage.  He's going to have to pay for that electric usage and Mark and Lynnette will have no problem letting him know that. But, he and Susan are at Susan's mom's house basically for the next 2 months so I am not going to concern myself with that right now.

And Mark deposited the rent money today.  So at least they are doing what they said they would: manage the house.  They won't do it like  I did, I hope they don't run anyone off, but it is what it is.

Life here is up and down and all around.  Good, bad and ugly.  All at once.  I don't have time to go into all of it, but I have touched on a lot of it here and there anyway.  The drive to work isn't that bad, the fuel used doing it - IS.

Ex contacted me on FB messaging and also trying to call me - calls I did not answer.  She unfriended me and then blocked me after telling me she didn't want to talk to me anymore - just completely out of the blue.  This is the kind of thing that used to happen in our marriage and it was maddening.  I don't know what changed her mind, I just said fine, I'll talk to you, I didn't cut her off, she cut me off.  It never even crossed my mind to do that, we were being civil with each other and that was good since we are going to be in Heaven for all eternity, might as well learn to get along here.

My son is now in the Philippines.  And island on the southern region of it.  I'm so proud of him.  I just can't put into words the joy my son gives me for the path that he has chosen in serving the Lord our God.

Well that's it, it's a bit past my bedtime and I need to get to bed.

G'nite.

ben

Somewhat came to a head yesterday.
The 16 year old went with me to get stuff for the day's work - and he wanted to spend his money on clothing attire at the mall which I promised him I would take him since he isn't yet allowed to drive anywhere but to work and school.  I ended up taking my car to Discount Tire to get a slow leak fixed - which took an hour. We went to Waffle House and sat down and talked for quite a while and then went back to the shop.  they still weren't done so headed to Home Depot right behind the place for a paint brush we had forgotten to get earlier.

When finally done with that - and realizing they didn't balance the tire so now I have to go back and ask them why they would put a tire back onto a car without balancing it and probably wait another hour to get that done - we headed to the mall.  Had some fun there, his gf told him he should buy pink underwear.  So he's looking at hot pink underwear and yes, I was making jokes and giving him a hard time about it.  He's a good kid, really, with some mixed-up ideas, that mostly attributed to his upbringing.

We finally got home after a couple of hours of all of that and went to work.  He got onto the hallway upstairs that is in a shambles, it was soooo bad.  Kids writing on walls and....well anyway, I went into yet another bathroom and started a huge cleanup process on that, starting with the bathtub. Clogged up drain, had been that way for quite a while.  She has a hand snake but it isn't flexible enough to make a p-trap turn.  She brought up some other device which also didn't work.  Well, so it was back to Home Depot to buy the right kind of hand operated snake to get around the bends in the pipe, this time the 10 year old wanted to go so go we went.

Got back, opened up the drain and spent 3 solid hours attempting to clean that tub and glass doors.  I'll leave it to your imagination to determine how .... dirty.....it was to have to take up half an afternoon just cleaning that one area alone, sans the rest of the bathroom. These are not projects I take much pleasure in because of the grossness of the situation.  Just have to suck it up and get it done.  Scrubbing and scrubbing.  I should have left and gone and gotten some powerful cleaner, because the cleaner I have?  Always does the trick but not this time.  Had to take the doors off the tracks to clean them and then the tracks themselves were filled with....well let's just not go there.

I went out into the hallway and she started cranking on the 16 year old about what he was doing.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  It's quickly becoming apparent that nothing he can do will ever be right in her eyes.  He got pissed and walked off to his bedroom. "I think y'all should finish this job since you don't like anything that I am doing".  In reality, he had busted his ass half the day and did that entire hallway excepting the door frames which need a different kind of paint.  I'm looking at her, a little encouragement.  I went after him and told him he was doing a great job and we would fix the small spills and be done with it.  He got a smile on his face and went back to work.

Later, the idea was floated about getting pizza so I sent boy to pizza store - with mom's blessing to drive there alone - and we stood there and she just went off.  Look at what he did here and there and everywhere.  Not one, single, good word could come out of her mouth of the awesome job, actually, that kid had done.  I was glad he wasn't there to hear all of that.  I had a feeling, quite some time ago, that this was probably what was going on over there - constant railing of the kids - but I had no evidence other than the feeling that this is, indeed, what's going on.

So now what.  Not my kids, no real place to attempt to intervene.  At the same time, I cannot sit there, like the other night, and listen to this stuff going on and on and on.  It grates me, it grinds my innards, I can't stand it.  It's not  just the 16 year old, it's all of the teenagers and sometimes the 10 year old.  The 2 girls are not immune from it but they hardly get much of that kind of treatment.

She wants to know when we are going to get married.  Like a date.  I'm not committing to a date yet.  I'll go insane living in a house with all of that going on, all the time.  Literally, I would pull my hair out and probably just have to leave a lot and go do something outside or leave the property altogether.  No, can't do that.  This needs to be at least semi-fixed before I'm going in there. At first it was the house itself, now it's the house AND the constant fighting that needs reparations.  I got my place to come to for now, it's a nice little abode, I ain't here much but it is still very peaceful and quiet, a place where I can reflect and meditate and think about things without all the background noise.

The problem I have is, how can I deal with these kids and start to try and get them back on the right track when they are constantly in defensive mode? They can't receive anything because they are always on edge about her telling them to do something - constantly and yelling at them that whatever they have done - is always wrong.  I do believe they have learned to tune her out quite a bit and she has to repeat herself over and over and over to get them to do anything.

I dunno.  I'm not giving up, but I feel like I'm at a dead-end right now and there aren't any openings, gates, trampolines to jump on and over the this blockage.  This situation with her kids leaving and never coming back and not wanting anything to do with her will keep playing itself out over and over and over with the rest of them until/if/when something drastic changes it and frankly? That would be her attitude towards them.  Oh, yes, those kids have attitude, bad sometimes, but the change has to start with the adult.  The parent leads, the kids follow.  If the parent leads into a life of constant contention, guaranteed the kids will do the same thing.

So, it's Sunday. I am going over there, we are all piling into the huge van and

So I walk into the shop this morning at work and ask if there are any deliveries.  I'm pretty much out of the loop as far as what is going where at this point.  I just do whatever they want me to do.  The dude says yeah - in  pure Cajun voice - and then shows me on the map.  ??? Well that looks like a pretty long run!  He says yeah it's down there a ways.  2 stops - neither of them close to either other, but well down south.

This run took me on back country roads through small towns and all kinds of scenery. the likes of which I haven't seen in ages.  Narrow, 2 lane highways.  Strange traffic patterns and completely different ways of doing things on the streets than anywhere else I have been. Well, coming around a curve out in the middle of nowhere, I see a semi truck - coming directly at me.  Yup, this guy was completely on the wrong side of the highway for unknown reason and approaching that curve --- and me --- fast.  I was halfway off the road and in the grass before this guy even noticed, apparently, that he was on the wrong side of the road and swerved back into his lane.

I am fairly confident, however, that if I hadn't gotten off the road as fast as I did - I would not be here typing this message right now.  A small truck against a big truck, guess who wins.  I was in the small truck. Well I definitely wouldn't be here writing this message, the thought was whether I would be in this world - or the next.

That run turned out to be 300 miles of driving.

Long day scheduled tomorrow.  Get up, go to stores, go to m'lady's house - work at least 6 hours - and then off on a date with her.  Josiah will stay home and watch the 3 younger kids.  He was unhappy that I told him work tomorrow and then see his GF on Sunday instead of the other way around.  Nope, I said, I want you to work Saturday and get stuff done.  If she's over tomorrow nothing will get done and I won't want to work on Sunday or deal with you working on Sunday, so, so sad, too bad.

Long days.  Taking some getting used to.  Might take a while to get caught up to it.  Like  a long while.
Well whatever.  Pretty good day, actually, even if a long one.  I'm bushed.

G'nite.

ben

Day three of new work. Unsafe, that's what i will call thiat place.  The whole place is a disaster.  That's pretty much a one word way to describe it.  But their trucks and the way they load them.  Yikes.  All kinds of straps with large cuts in them - totally illegal by DOT standards.  Broken fenders and quarter panels and then they load trucks with pallets that are either not shrink wrapped or not sufficientyly wrapped to eliminate the possibility of "load shift", ie: things falling onto the highway.  They don't keep the trucks clean on the inside, just filthy and garbage laying all over.  They are not receptive to new ideas, n ot that I have pushed myself on that, just made on small suggestion and they said no, that wil take too much time.

No, it will save you a lot of time and you won't  have to wrap the pallets the way you are doing now, which is totally inefficient.
Other drivers don't seem to care, in fact, doesn't bother them at all.  But it became apparent why they don't care on several fronts - they don't know DOT regulations and try to argue things that are pure fallacy.  I've been studying these regulations for quite a long time now, not to mention being exposed to other drivers who are "schooled" by DOT getting warnings and tickets for things that most driverse just simply wouldn't know is a violation.

Whatever.  My future at this place is in the air for I refuse to drive unsafe equipment and more to the point, this particular company is all about safety.  This particular branch makes lots and lots of money, no reason to bypass having safe equipment.  This branch is going to get audited by corporate soon, they are going to be in a world of hurt whhen those people come through and start writing up everything that is total BS going on there.  I'mjust really out in limbo here attempting to figure out what's next.

Right now, almost to work and that's what's next in my face for today anyway.  Getting home at 6 everyday isn't all that great, either. That's 5 daysa week where I can't get anything dfone that you would normally do on a weekday during normal business hours at most places.

Well whatever, piock this up later.

G'day.

ben

Here we4 go.  Only in Texas?  Some businesses use flashing red and white light like on a cop car apparently to attract business. ......and red lights that seem to take forever.
  Driving through Marashall, TX some beautiful mansion style brick homes. Plus a sign that says Shreveport, 35 miles.  Nice, rainy day, streets empty this early.  I don't think I will mind the work to work so much as I will not be liking having to drive that far to get home and wasting that much time on the road when I could be doing other things.

I left duke at m'lady's place and probably will overnight during the week.  It would add another 20 miles of driving every day to take  him over there every morning and leaving him atmy place is pretty much out of the question.  Not only because a huge chunk of fence that would need repaired but also leaving him there alone for 12 hours at a stretch, he wouldn't do too well. Over at her place a coulpe of other dogs to keep him company when everyone's gone at work and school.

Well, 25 miles of driving to get off of back country roads and onto the Interstate.  Speed limjit of 75 mph and following behind a large group of vehicles going 80, should get this trip over with pretty quick.  Cropssing over state line, speed limit reductecd to 70.  Haven't been in Luisian in decades.  My trips have had me heading west, not east, have had no reason to head east though I have been wanting to go back to the east coast for quite some time now.

The longer this drive is taking, the more I am coming to realize that this is not a permanent solution.  

____________________________________

Day one over and done with.  10 hours and 18 minutes of work.  Rained all day long but it was nice to be in the rain, farnkly, as it wasn't cold and ti felt nice.  Air cool, though of course summer is coming and they were warning me about the humidity to come. Yes, I know what's coming, I probably won't like it, it will take quite an adjustment period, but I chose this, no-one forced me to come out here, so0 that's that.  All the company vehicles have AC in them at least and it all works.

Nice people at work, only one young-in in his 20';s and like many 20 somethings I encounter, not a very good worker.  Slow, too slow.  Has an iphone in his ear all day long talking to someone.  Just not very productive.  They pulled an order off the printer that was maybe 6 pages long and said how big it was.  Yeah, when I learn where all the stuff is an order that small will be pulled in a couple hours or less. Their entire yard and warehouses are complete and total disasters.  I mean, really, really, reeeeeaaaaaaally bad.  I don't know how they find anything with that kind of disorganization going on. They have all kinds of room in that yard, they could make it much better and much easier.  They have fittings that you use every back in the back and junk you rarely use in the front.

????  Paper and trash and broken pallet stuff everywhere.  I started picking up trash and kept at it here and there when there was time while helping pulling orders as well.  I looked in the 6 wheel truck and it was disgusting.  If they think I am going to just tolerate that s***, they have another thing coming.  Trash laying all over the floorboard, totally filthy and - yes - disgusting.  Then I pointed out a completely broken quarter panel on their semi - I mean the plastic was hanging onto the tires it was so broken up, I"m like, really?!!

Then I found several pallets of fittings that were mixed - that should not have been mixed.  Just unbelievable.  The place is gross.

Anyway, I am finally back home after going to m'lady's place for about 2 hours - that was it for me.  I am totally bushed.  I am not used to 10 hour work days now because we haven't been allowed any overtime for along time.  Here? 10 hours a day, period.  You don't get off early.  Which is fine - I guess - but have to readjust.  Well it isn't just fine, I have to have the 2 hours per day OT or I sink since I took such a pay cut.

But after today and 125 miles of driving to work and then to M'lady's and then back to my place - it's obvious this isn't going to work out.  At least not at this pay.  The fuel is going to cost me a small fortune.  I could shave that back to 94 miles if I didn't go to m'lady's house and I have to probably come to the conclusion that I won't be going over there every day after work.  Basically?  I'll do this for a while, as long as I can handle it and the fuel bill and then I will just go in and ask for a raise.  At least a buck an hour.  2 bucks an hour more like it. Yeah you don't think I'm serious.  I know what I am worth and it ain't what they are paying me.  They think that since I am going to be working 10 hours a day it should be the same as I was making 8 hours a day in Phoenix, I've got news for them.  They are making great GP and AC is really good too so paying me for what I am worth is mandatory, but really, to pay for all this gas.  They don't want to do that, fine, I will find greener pastures closer to my new home.

And with that? It's bedtime. I am beat and time to be off to slumberland.

G'nite.

ben

Good and bad day.  

Good with a couple of the boys, bad with one particular one named Josiah.

These kids simply don't understand what the word clean is and I am going to train them. It may take forever, but that is my agenda and my goal.  There is one that is a big culprit in the disaster-making process, the youngest girl.  She just dumps things whenever she is done and that is that.  The only good thing about it is when she is told to clean up her mess, she doesn't throw a hissy fit and get mouthy, she says yes sir/ma'am and cleans it up.  

She's pretty young.  Josiah.  I told them all they were going to go up and clean their rooms.  I have had them cleaning it up pretty good so we are talking a 5 minute job and it's done.  Josiah had a cow.  Made the youngest boy do most of the work while he stood there texting.  I got on his case and told him to do this and that.  He blew up.  I mean, he blew up to the point of calling me names and insulting me. It was bad.  I bit my tongue and definitely warded off my initial reaction which was to smack him upside the head.  A mouth, arrogant, punk 16 year old talking shit to me.  

In fact, I got so angry that I just talked to m'lady, told her what was going on, had a conversation and then I left.  Not all day, to go get gas.  Long drive to work, don't want to waste time fueling up tomorrow.  13 year old went with me.  Talked to him for quite a while as well.  He also has attitude.   But, he is different.  He is looking for attention.  He hangs out with me all day long when I am over there.  He asks to throw baseball or football, can we do this or that.  Sure why not.  Get on my laptop and look at YouTube videos.  Still hope for him, I think.  Josiah - I think there's still hope, but he has a huge anger problem, he blows up at the tip of a hat and over extremely petty stuff. 

So I spent an hour or more with the 13 year old, it was only going to be 15 or so minutes to go get fuel and come back but I realized I was pretty ticked off and needed more time away from there to get myself under control. Cause' honey, if it had been an adult talking to me like that?  Yeah.  So we went to Walmart and then went to the McDonald's inside the WalMart and had a dollar menu sandwich, realizing I was still fuming, I started to drive home but went to a regular McDonald's instead with this boy - talking about life in general the whole time - had ice cream cones and a cup of coffee and then finally headed back.

But I was fuming all afternoon while Josiah's gf was there.  He knew it too.  When dinner was finally served - brisket - from one of her grass fed cows, the most delicious beef I have ever tasted in my life and I have been to all of the high dollar steak houses and they don't even come close - I was just glaring at him.  I couldn't stop.  I am not accustomed to having teenagers talking like that to me and just getting away with it.  My initial reaction, honestly, when he was mouthing off to me like that was to slap him silly upside the head.  Of course I can't do that to him, but that was what I wanted to do.  He said something - you like like you are about to blow up - I said yeah, we can discuss this in front of everyone if you like.  He got a smirk on his face which pissed me off even more.  Funny, huh? 

Her mom finally came and picked up GF and then?  We had a conversation.  I told him right to his face how it made me feel when he was talking his shit to me and making crude, offensive insults. Told him if it were my own son, well, ask my son when he comes to visit, he'll let ya know how I dealt with him on the rare occasion that he mouthed off - to mom, not me, he knew better than to start that kind of crap with me.  Just laid it on the line: don't ever talk to me like that again.  If you do, there will be immediate consequences.  More to the conversation than that, but the jist of it.  

There are a lot of kids there.  It's a lot to deal with.  I knew this coming in but it is draining.  When you  have a couple that each in their own right are a  handful in themselves and then mix in the rest of them with it - all wanting attention and all needing some kind of correction at some point in the day, some more than others - - - - - - - yup, it takes it out of you.  I don't hate or despise this, but it will take some time to adjust to this new lifestyle.  

I have no idea how I am going to feel tomorrow after a 47 minute drive to and from work plus a 10 hour work day in between, but I intend on going over there for a couple of hours if I am not too exhausted.  Then again, I might just let it go for the first week and try to figure out this new routine and my body and brain need to come into alignment.  I just wish they would start earlier - they start at 7 and I would prefer starting at 6.  Yes go to bed earlier but yes, get off work earlier as well.  

Life changes here to the max.  Lots of them in various venues.  Just riding it out and letting it all play out.  Hopefully not too many months and I will have this down to a routine.  

G'nite.

ben

Last day of work freedom.  Well I've been working pretty much every day anyway excepting yesterday and possibly today. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a completely new routine and probably a lot of adjustment in getting used to it.

Well whatever.
Spent the week cleaning, basically.  Along with a bunch of kids who mad the house that way.
12 man hours cleaning up just the laundry room itself.  The laundry room - though - is huge.  Something like 30X30 in dimension.  And not just laundry; food storage, freezers and refrigerators and all kinds of minutia in there.  Regardless, it was disgusting and the boy that I assigned to go in there and clean it?  Decided that mopping only the exposed parts of the floor and doing nothing else was going to be an acceptable clean job.

Not. so instead of attempting to tell him what to do, I just decided to "lead by example".  But I kept him busy the entire time.

Well, still at the apartment I guess you could call it. Umm, yeah, got up late.  4 kids over here too, playing PS3 and one of them chomping at the bit to get out of here.  That because I gave him permission to have his girlfriend over today, even though he just spent all of yesterday with her.  Whatever, as long as he continues to behave.  Last weekend was a hell with him I don't want repeated and I told him that in no uncertain terms last night.  Trying to drive over here and dealing with this while driving for hours and hours and hours.

Anyway, I'm going to enjoy my last day of work freedom and then back to the grind. Oh and Memorial Day.  My respects to all of those that died for our nation and the remaining freedoms that we enjoy who gave their lives for us to have that privilege.

G'day.

ben

Well a couple days since I last updated.
Scrubbed down a bathroom yesterday, which took - a lot of time - and got nothing done today.
Excepting rounding up the cows in a pen.
I figured out how to get them up from 1,000 feet away and into the pen - make a lot of banging noises and have some feed ready for them every time you do it and eventually - they come a running.

_______________________________________________

Got busy last night.  As I figured, boys would want to be coming over on weekends to hang out and play video games and all of that. I am kinda letting them sleep in a bit here cause' I have a full work day planned out for all of them and I don\t really want to hear about how tired they are all day long.  When I say a full day, btw, I mean a full day.  Each one of them has a laundry list of things to do and I expect them to be done.  Mom is backup - I can't spank them but she can and she does a damn fine job of it.  2 older ones don't need spanking, in fact, only one of them I can think of would have to have threat of spanking.

_______________________________________________

Ummm, so full day done.  Yup, got started on this entry and then got sidetracked, time to leave, over to her house and kablaam.  I'm working and directing 6 kids, do this, that and the other thing.

I give up.  I have tried to get an entry done and I keep getting sidetracked. I am now at my apartment, Sunday night.  Just go through with a rather intense conversation with Josiah about the situation that happened last Saturday - that went on all day long and seemingly had no end and got worse and worse and worse by the hour.  The scenarios included an attempt to grab a gun; jump out of a van going 50 mph, cutting (one's own flesh with a knife) and more.  Have things changed that dramatically since I arrived?  According to him they have and has no such thoughts.  I simply replied that time will tell.

Tomorrow Memorial Day and then - start my new job in Shreveport. How that is going to go is anyone's guess.  But it's the same company, the same division, the same product though different distributors apparently so get used to different manufacturers, the same job description - well actually much less to start with - just drive a truck and deliver the product. No clue.  I am not nervous about it as I have been repeatedly asked.  Maybe I would be at a new company and not know the company's way of doing things and all of that, but here?  Corporate dictates how things are going to go at the local level at all branches.  But, I already know the place is trashed.  It is a veritable hell-hole.

Whatever.  I have 4 kids over here and it's late - every night has been late and that will have to change tomorrow night as I will have to get up early and start 10 hour days. I suppose fortunate that the work day starts at 7 - gives me time to get some coffee and not have to get up too terribly early for a 45 - 50 minute drive.

That's it for now, time to be off to sleep land.

G'nite.

ben

My gas bill is going to go way up and going to putting a lot more miles on the car.  Twenty-two miles of driving to get to her house and back.  But the drive to Shreveport is going to be around one hundred miles round trip per day, five days a week.  I was putting about 130 miles per week on my car, now it's minimum 500 and that's just going to work and back.

That in itself may be enough catalyst to find something closer to home.

The only pic I sent through UPS showed up today - totally trashed.  Glass busted out and pic itself ruined.  This was not the prized dog pic, I brought that in my car, I wasn't about to take a chance with that thing.  No great loss on this pic, really, it is completely replaceable but it's about a $300 pic with the special no glare glass, frame and pic itself.  Fragile written on both sides, do not lay flat printed on the side and the special styrofoam corners installed with the strap to hold them in place.  The styrofoam corners were still intact. The strap still holding them together.  Everything as it should be.

But you could see in the cardboard itself where the cardboard had been smashed by something and yes the glass was shattered into thousands of pieces.  I'm sure the dude or dudette that delivered it must have heard all that noise as they left it there beside the house.  Whatever, it's the reason I didn't ship the dog pic, I figured there would be a good possibility of this happening and that pic is not only a very nice painting or actually appears to be a very elaborate pencil pic, it also holds a lot of sentimental value.  Having some shipping company throwing it around all over the place hardly a palatable thought.
\
UPS coming tomorrow to pick it up and then do their "investigation" and come to their own determination.  If they find anything but for me, there will be no end to the harassment I will give them.  I insured it $250, ;which is fine as long as I get all $250 of it.

As I say, no sentimental loss there, just was a beautiful picture.  I have another one of the same kind at my house in Phoenix,  dunno.

Got up this morning at 3am Phoenix time - 5 am here - trying to force my body into recognizing the time difference and get used to it.  Halfway through the day, though I was toast.  Had to sleep for an hour and a half.  I only got 4 or 5 hours of sleep last night.  I intend on waking up early again in the morning.  I can't be trying this next week and going to work for 10 hours a day, I need to get some kind of routine that is cognizant of what's coming going now.

It was fun though hanging with the 3 little ones.  They love me and I love them, what else can I say.  We went out to the pen at the top of the hill where you corral cows to either load them up on to a trailer and haul them to the butcher's or you hold them up to - in this case - cut their nuts off and turn them into steers.  M"lady has a barrel of feed out there and wanted Josiah to go out there every day to get them to come and eat and get into that pen so this process can be done without a lot of trouble.  Well he hasn't but i did. Those cows were at least 1,000 feet away at the bottom of a hill. All sitting together under the shade of some large trees.

So, I took a metal object and started banging on a metal rail and at the same time whistling like I would a dog to come a running.  They just stood and laid down there, looking at me.  They were a LONG ways off, really.  I kept banging.  Finally, they all started stirring.  One of them started moving my way all alone.  The rest of them saw that loner heading up - at quite the effort to do so I must add - and started following behind.  Others just stayed down there looking - stupid, lol. I stopped banging and they stopped coming. What?  I didn't ask anyone about the banging, I just wanted to get their attention. Figured if they saw us up there they would equate it with something good to eat.  So I started banging again.  This time, the ones halfway up the hill started their slow pace but the ones at the bottom started a mini-stampede, storming up the side of the hill which got ALL of them going.

They finally got in there and eventually all but 2 of them were in the pen.  I dumped feed and salt out.  I know nothing about cows, don't claim to.  Just know that if they equate me with food, they will come up and come into that pen and when it comes time for castration - 7 of them on Friday - or hauling off to butcher - 2 of them picked out for that - it won't be too much of a hassle to get them in there.

Water Moccassins.  Well went down there with the 3 little ones again today,  had them stand well off and I was going to shoot them things if they were out.  One of them was and I could have taken a shot but I forgot my hearing protection.  This ain't some life or death home invasion situation, I didn't want my ear drums exposed to that much noise without protection and I forgot, so I blew it off.  Don't matter, Josiah is the expert snake killer in that house and he's all over that. He's been killing them things much of his life and has it down to a science.  That's nice but if one of them things gets their fangs into him, he's in for a world of hurt.

Here's half my problem. I just got home from church an hour ago but I have to have wind down time so it's 10:45 here.  My brain/system telling me it's 8:45.  But I haven't been able to get back there to my abode early at all.  I don't have to be over there until 7 tomorrow, so that's enough time to get some sleep if I can even do it. This whole situation has thrown my system into disarray and I have no idea how long it will take to get used to it. Duke is loving it but obviously also taking it's toll on him as well.
So, plenty more I could go into, but not now.  Time to go to bed!

G'nite.

ben

Forgot my gun.
Walked down to the pond to find the dam we had built had been so over run it pretty much destroyed it and that with a lot of concrete and tell rods driven into the ground.  But I know what I did wrong so next try I'll get it right.  Cepting' for one thing.  I'm looking at the dam and darn good thing I didn't step on it cause' my eye caught something coiled up, sitting there frozen, not moving.  Water Moccasin.  I know what they look like, seen enough pics of them.  I would have shot the thing - that's what they do in these parts when they see such snakes - kill them off - but I didn't have my gun with me.

Well it was me and the 3 little ones and I like to get them out of the house and walk around and look at things and just enjoy nature.  They already love doing that so it's all good with all of us.  I just got the kids out of there, come back again with a shotgun and blow the things away - there were two of them visible, Lord only knows if there were more lurking. I am going to have to re-do that entire dam meaning moving all of that stuff but I sure as heck ain't fooling with highly poisonous snakes that can do you a world of hurt in one, swift motion.

We had fun regardless.  Just didn't want to keep little kids around that environment and I would rather go down there alone with ear protection on to shoot them things and for the safety of those kids.

Anyway, we went to Denny's and to Walmart and returned Josiah's tux that he rented for the prom. Due back yesterday, he forgot to take it with him to school to return it and by the time he got home and informed us? Yeah, too late, tux place closed. Today? He was supposed to take the thing back....yup got a text from him after he got to school  - damn, I forgot my tux.

Whatever.  Took it in stride, took the thing back, the lady was nice, said no problem on the late fee, I won't charge it.

Lots and lots and lots of other stuff today as well.
\
So I just pick and choose what I will discuss on the blog, otherwise it will go on forever, which it already does but we're talking FOREVER.

But there is another teenager in the house that his - issues - as well.  I started with him yesterday - clean your room.  Got it about half way done yesterday. He just stops, messes with something, etc etc etc.  Taking forever.  Today? Same thing but this time I went in, sat down on the floor and supervised. I'm gonna get this done regardless of what it takes but when it comes to cleaning a room? Kid better do it.  This one will take off and disappear if you don't just watch him and stay on top of him.

2 hours of this.  He would stop, laugh hysterically and really goofy at something that was either not funny at all or very slightly humorous.  Getting anything done was tantamount to raising the Titanic.
\
I need not go into all of it, just a teenager acting goofy and not wanting to do anything. After it was all done and several hours later, he was out there asking to help.  I had asked m'lady to see if brake lights are working cause' the blinker going 5 times as fast as normal which ususually means a bulb is out. Turns out neither brake light is working and only the center one!  I had him help - and realized after that he is just looking for some attention and he will get it however he can.

Sat and talked with m'lady for a long time outside over freshly cut grass - yes another boy I told to get on lawn tractor and mow down all the grass around the house today.  And another one to finish the project he started yesterday - which coudn't be finished til' today.  The youngest boy I didn't ask to do anything, he worked half the day and I was satisfied with that, time for other boys to step up.

That's it. Just don't feel like writing anymore, it's late here - big issue trying to adjust to two hour time change - 8:30 my time in Phoenix, 10:30 here and I have to get up early - here time - to watch kids while she goes to work.  Just saving her a few hundred dollars on babysitting plus gel time, get to hang out with the kids and start building relationships.

Anyway, I"m done.

G'nite.

ben

Long day.

Got up at 5:45, got over there around 6:40 - had to get everything situated here before I left - got over there, drank some coffee and then  went to work.   Made the 7, 9 and 10 year old work with me for as long as I could keep them going before they started the whining - which was several hours worth. Took them out for chicken, got a haircut, a few other things and then went back to her place and back to work.  It's important to me to make the most of this time this week and do what I can and hopefully but a good dent into this nonsense.  

I mean, wow.  Just amazingly bad.  Where do you start? I always start with the kitchen, but I didn't want to spend ALL day in there so I got a lot done in it and then started on the living room and also re-cleaning the boys bathroom -- I spent hours in there last time scrubbing the entire thing walls, floors, tub, toilet sinks/counter and expected them to keep it clean.  

But I knew that was a fairy tale because I wouldn't be there to enforce that.  That bathroom was amazingly disgusting.  More pubic hairs in the sink, trash and clothes and towels all over the floor, sink disgusting. Gross. I mean, revolting.  I cleaned it up again but my scrubbing last time was so good it still carried over quite a lot to this time, just cleaniing up the s*** laying everywhere.

There are 2 boys there that are definitely of age of having pubes, the 3rd just turned 13 so likely not as much.  I freaking got all over their case.  I then told them if I found that s*** in there again, I was going to put it in a dustpan and I was going to dump it on their beds.  

Well when those older boys got home, I got them all working.  I'm tired and hungry, they said.  Welcome to my world, I replied.  The outside perimeter of the house was so disgusting - household trash EVERYWHERE - that I just told them we are going to clean all of it up today and no-one can go in the house until it's finished. I was with them the entire time, not like I was trying to force them to do it without helping and directing - of which I did both.  Took at least 3 hours to do that.  Yeah, that's 5 people picking up trash for over 3 hours!  

And we got it done.  I'm not saying it's perfect out there, but I told them this is embarrassing!  They agreed.......left me scratching my head. You agree it's disgusting and extremely unappealing but you go ahead and just continue to trash the place out anyway.  After hours of that, in the house and eat dinner. M'lady made a splendid beef dinner that was absolutely delicious. But as teenagers will, they start talking like - teenagers.  You know.  If you don't I mean, stupidity and hormones.  Mouths yapping a mile a minute.  This is what I expect from them, but at the same time, there has to be respect for elders.  She is soooooo raw nerved right now? She can't deal with it.  She got up and left the dinner table after done eating and they were doing their thing, so I just stayed there and was in the mix.

Done with dinner, up to bedrooms.  Clean, clean, clean.  Now.  Not tomorrow, now.  Yup, lots of complaining, didn't care, get in your rooms and clean them up, period.  Yup, I was up there with them because I know how they are. They will disappear or just not do anything if you don't stay on top of them.  

Huge projects.  Garage will take weeks to figure out how to get it set up and organized.  It's just - trashed right now.  Huge laundry/storage room.  QUITE a lot of work to do in there.  Just - priorities.  Gotta figure out what's the biggest priority and that's what we do. That house needs hundreds of dollars of interior house paint - more than that, it's huge and though not all walls painted, still, quite a lot of paint needed.  

That's it in a nutshell. I could go on for another ten paragraphs in greater detail.  I actually had a really good time with the younger 3 kids this morning and early afternoon and it was cool hanging out with the older boys just they are definitely a handful.  Nothing new to me and nothing I can't handle or deal with and if approached in the right way they don't get too terribly mad if at all and are willing to do whatever.  I'm exhausted and past time to go to bed - this 2 hour time difference a bit much. LOSE 2 hours, not gain them.  I have a week to try and adjust. 

G'nite.

ben

Well I am finally here.
Drove nine hundred miles yesterday and three hundred fifty today.
Ate nothing but less than a handful of chips this morning on my way out the hotel, there was absolutely nothing nearby to be able to buy anything so I just go on the road, stopped for fuel and that is ALL I stopped for.
Got here around four thirty = whatever the time zone here is called, no clue actually - hugged held and kissed my hopefully soon bride to be and then went out to eat with her, came back with pizza for the kids, took off over to new dwelling place and spent the last several hours getting moved in and set up over here.

Yes, I am exhausted.  I am beyond exhausted, I am just plain dead tired.  This is a really nice little living unit for the money.  A small bedroom with big closet, a full kitchen and living area next to it and a good sized bedroom. It is WAY out in the country.  You would never just happen on this place, that's a fact. I am going to have to get the address cause' I know it is very possible I may get lost trying to find this place on a return trip.  At the same time, it is only ten miles from her house, the drive is on open country roads so sixty mph, it is a twelve minute drive over here.  I know cause' I timed it.

I have yet to meet the owner, she lives in a house about a hundred feet away and is going to come to have me sign lease agreement - month to month - and discuss rules and such.  Well she is getting back home in about half an hour.  I was going to take a nap but now it's too close to her arrival, I'll just stay awake and probably just try to stay awake until around eight and then go to sleep for the night and hope that there isn't anything about this place that I can't get used to for sleeping purposes.

A pleasant surprise I did find was that there already 2 satellite dishes mounted on the rear of the structure.  Dish Network dishes but I have found they will work for Direct TV.  I don't have a TV over here yet but I have my box and that's all I really need besides my remote which is packed away

Well anyway, I'm laying here drowning in fatigue.  But I have to meet this lady and sign whatever and show her a few things about this place that are pre-existing conditions.

____________________________________________________

Lady showed up, looking for more money.  Had no understanding that I had to pay a deposit and then pay rent when I got here.  She wanted a full month from today, I said how about we go pro-rate for the month and then full month starting on the 1st.  I don't ask for deposits for people moving into my house but I don't hold it against her.  So anyway, that didn't take huge bite out of available finances since it is already the 18th.  Her rules, I asked: no smoking or drinking! lol, okay!  No other rules or if there are she didn't mention them cause' I like to know that stuff up front and I like to tell people moving into my house that stuff up front so there are no misunderstandings.

It will be an interesting week because m'lady is working every day this coming week and I will be watching the 3 younger ones plus trying to get stuff done around her house.  The place is a disaster - again.  I cannot believe some of the stuff those kids do in that house. She has no control over them, they simply won't listen to her.  Seriously.  They will just walk off or even stand there and defy her!  That shit is going out the window.  Good luck them getting away with that crap with me.

Several unknown factors going here. including my new work place.  How is that going to pan out.  How will it go over having to drive 45 minutes to and from work plus 10 hours of work a day?  How will the kids respond to my demands to clean up the house and keep it that way? Or discplining them for trashing it? Or implementing new rules since they don't want to listen, such as anything left on the floor will simply disappear?  Just a lot to digest here.  Give me time, I'll sort through it, figure things out, walk through things, etc etc etc.

I intend on spending this week off work going to town on that place and yes, I intend on forcing those kids, even the little ones, to help clean it up I don't care how much fuss/fight/crap they put up, it's gonna be done. Summertime almost here, they ain't gonna be sitting around doing nothing, there will be lists of things to do every day until we get that place straightened out and fixed up. Money will be an issue on the fixing up part, oh well.  We'll do what we can as we can do it. We're talking an almost 7,000 square foot house that needs paint, flooring and a lot of repairs to walls, plumbing, windows, doors, etc etc etc.  It's an older home over 40 years old, but it's brick and it's something I can do given enough time and given good help.  Or bad help turned good, lol.

Enough for now. It's 8:25 Phoenix time but it's 10:25 here and I have to be up at 7 at the latest to be over there in time for her to leave for one of her programming jobs.

G'nite.

ben

So I got up this morning at five thirty, took a shower, got a pot of coffee rolling, started taking stuff from bedroom to kitchen.  It wasn't long before everyone else was out there as well, sitting around laughing and making jokes at me and bidding me a goodbye.  It wasn't really that hard for me, but I know at least a couple of them weren't all that happy to see me leave.

Whatever the case, kept remembering things. I can get a pond going over there pretty quick if I have the stuff to do it with - so yes I brought everything to start a pond except the pond itself.  Then I remembered this morning it would be cool to take some pond plants, not too much cause' who knows if they'll survive the trip and anyway, I had no room in the car.

Shook hands with everyone, George took some pics and posted them on my Facebook wall and yes I was out of there.

Nine hundred miles later I am in a Motel 6 in Abilene, TX.  Just got to the grind and got it going.  Generous speed limits out here - eighty for quite a bit of the interstate outside of civilization.  Spent half the day in the car dealing with - what else - kid issues.  Yup, Josiah and starting trouble today with mom and then mom finally saying no to his gf coming over tomorrow.

And then I was dragged into it.  Josiah contacts me via texting and says we need to talk.  Uhhh, son, I am not a child, don't talk to me that way.  This went on for hours.  While that was going on I had this person following behind me for literally hundreds of miles.  Just interesting.  Something like three hundred miles and then they went off on Interstate ten while I veered off to the twenty.

I am not going into the whole Josiah thing today and with m'lady and all of that, the end of the story he apologized to her some 6 hours later and he still isn't having his gf over tomorrow and tough shit.  Get rid of the attitude and the anger.  His girlfriend had the gall to tell Josiah to tell us today that even though she can't come tomorrow, that still counts as a visit. M'lady ended up calling her mom and letting her know all of this wonderful infromation.

Anyway, it's bedtime. Duke took it as well and an old dog that hates to travel in a car could. I had him out several times stretching, but in the end? I brought him up here into this hotel room, laid out his bedding, he laid down and crashed.  I mean that fast. He is out of it.  I hate to put him through this but what else was I going to do? NOT leave him, that's for sure.  That dog is totally attached to me, I don't think he would live if I had done that to him and anyway, there is no way I would do that to a beloved dog friend!

That's it for today.  About four plus hours of driving tomorrow and this trip willl be done. So no big hurry to get up early! Woohooo!

G'nite.

ben

Well we're talking less than twenty four hours now.
Got off work early.
Fortunately the operations manager was running the store today so I got to say goodbye to him and he bought me lunch, which was cool.  Went over everything at work several times over to make sure I didn't forget anything. Turned in company work phone, uniforms, keys and whatever else, logged out of my computer so no-one can access my company email and all of that.

No, it wasn't hard leaving at all.  I had a few friends there the rest just co-worker stuff.

So here we go. Fill the car up with gas, stop by Goodwill with a bunch of stuff that is in perfect condition, go home and attempt to load the car up with everything. Good luck I am sure but I am going to try,
______________________________________

It is done.
I'm going to bed.  Was going to write more, lots going on but I was working all day getting my car looking like something out of the Beverly Hillbillies the way it is totally loaded up!  lol.

ben

Prized dog picture will fit in car behind driver's sit.  Have it WELL packaged, it will not get damaged. 2 other pics I want I think I will ship UPS, they will also be well packaged though who knows how they will fare ground transportation. Will insure them $250 a piece.  4th I am just going to leave - though that isn't positive yet. If I find time I will get another box and pack and ship it.  It's a about $150 in value.  $15 to ship.  Beautiful pic though.  These 4 pics I have been referring to are large pictures.

Tuesday.  4 days to try and bring this all together. It will be what it will be because Saturday morning? Lord willing?  I intend on leaving. As has become normal for this operation, finding papers seems to be a non-ending event.  I just wish I hadn't got sick - almost a month.  This would have all been done and ready and over with by now.

Whatever the case, found a tenant for Caleb's room - actually Lynnette found the tenant I wanted her to try her hand at it - but I sealed the deal.  She was busy dying her hair when this guy showed up!  Cool dude though, think he'll work out unless he leaves quick - marital problems, wife kicked him out, they live only a few miles away.  He also says he has someone to take George's room, which would be great if there wasn't a lot of searching to find another tenant.  With all of those rooms filled up, this house will pay for itself during the summer including extremely high electric bills which is the goal: not to have to spend anything from my paychecks once I move.

So yeah.  Tried to figure out a stopping point in advance, like a little beyond midway there, so around 700 miles.  Odessa. The price of a hotel in Odessa is outrageous, to put it mildly.  $100 for a Motel 6?!!  I'd sleep in my car before I paid that much money to sleep in a Motel 6!!  They go $39.99 to 50's range around here.  But I did find a deal on priceline for a 3 star hotel at 60 - I almost pulled the trigger.  But I wondered if I would actually make it that far in one day?  I know I CAN, that's not the point.  I haven't been on that long of a road trip in a long, long, time. Maybe I should just drive 500 miles the first and second day and finish it out the third morning.

Unfortunately, I am not going to leave things the way I wanted to, Mark will have to deal with it.  The trash cans are full already and more to throw out.  Though it's not "trash" trash, just stuff that I don't want.  Extra sheets and towels and things like that.

I'll be happy to - have a place to myself for a while to be honest.  I may not be spending a lot of time at it but I will have some privacy from people for however long I stay there and that will be nice.  Just me and Duke. Well actually Duke on weekends, I may leave him over at her house on weekdays so he has a big yard to run in and another dog to hang out with.  I don't really want him spending entire days alone.  He's never had that before and I don't think he would handle that too well. Just like new guy is out here when I am.  Not the end of the world but the lack of quiet time sometimes gets to me.

Well whatever, 4 days!  That's not much time!  Thank God I got that room rented out, though, I needed the extra funds.  Hotel room, leave enough money on power reader to last the rest of the month and a few bills plus gas money.  Kinda cutting this down to the wire on finances, that car ac and getting it fixed was the killer  Otherwise I would be $800 ahead of what I am right now and wouldn't even have to worry about this.

Enough. Time to be off to work.

ben