Thursday. Morning.

Rained half the night, expected but it will be muddy in the area I am trying to work in over there.  The shed is finished excepting getting a piece of plywood for the flooring - I think we have some here at the house.  It took me around 3-1/2 hours to finish that shed yesterday.  I got over there and carefully examined the thing - once again - trying to figure out what I had done wrong in the assembly of it.

I hadn't done anything wrong, it turns out.  I always, carefully, follow instructions on things like this because if you get one little thing wrong, it usually affects the entire setup. What was actually wrong?

There are 3 piece of angle iron that come with the kit.  When you look at the various pics they have to show you how to assemble everything, the angle is facing outwards.  There are multiple pics with it showing these pieces all facing outwards, yes I had my glasses on! lmao

Well, I started thinking, if those were turned nwards, I wonder if the holes would line up? So, I took one off - lots of screws of course holding it in there, turned it around and put a couple of screws in to hold it in place. Walaah. The instructions were wrong..  I ended up turning all 3 around and after that, the assembly worked perfectly and yes, I will take the time to contact the manufacturer and tell them that their instruction booklet is wrong and will lead people far astray. 

That roof will simply not go on there with those 3 pieces assembled the way the instructions show it.  I will be interested to see if the other identical shed will also have the same, faulted instructions in it? One would assume so.

As I stated previously, this whole project seems to be easy enough from the surface.  But complications invariably arise and usually take up way too much time for the imposition provided from whatever that complication may be.  I suspect there will be more.  

Anyway, today I can cut a piece of plywood, get it over there, level off the area, put the plywood down, bring the shed and put it on top of it,  screw it onto the wood and then hopefully, put the water heater in there and get busy with the tasks of putting the rest of this stuff together.  I'm simply going to drill a hole in the side of the shed, get some flexible conduit and run it to the breaker box.  I don't need to worry about the shed moving from wind or something, a 40 gallon heater will hold that thing down quite nicely.

BUT, just in case, I want the flexible stuff.  Actually, I probably should plumb it first.  It will probably need moved around to do that and I don't need to be disconnecting wiring that I just installed.....and yes, I have the wiring, more than I needed for it.  I didn't know how far it would be and I wanted extra, as stated above, for flexibility.  

Even after paying $700 for gravel and other expenditures, my business account is moving up, ,not down.  Yesterday was $1,700 and change worth of deposits.  The next few weeks, there will be more.  I intend on paying myself after I get everyone's rent and get the electric bill paid up - it's $500.  If you think that is high, wait until it shows around $1,700 for one month.  That will be a typical summertime bill if not higher.  Around 3 grand more receipts to be collected and then I'm going to take around 2 grand out of it.  That will keep me floating for a while longer.  Yes, it will be reported, it will show it as a paycheck to myself on quickbooks and a note in the checking account.  I'm not trying to evade the tax man here.  That's a really bad idea....

And I will pay the accountant whatever fee out of the business account as well. Plus, I have quite a bit of money coming in this month beyond the lot rents in terms of people staying for several nights at a time. The campground software only collects the first night's stay, the rest is collected when they show up. I simply go in the system and prompt it to charge the card for the rest of it.  

Which reminds me. HipCamp wants me to post a pic of the tent camping site before they will show it as an option.  They want a pic of each individual site to go with each lot listed.  And this one needs a pic, definitely. It's in the woods and it's a nice area.  Actually a couple of pics.  I put a fire ring there and some firewood for the incoming guest tomorrow. Looks like the rain will be gone by then - but - the severity factor for today has been raised from 1 to 4 - it's a 1-5 scale. Now they are predicting severe storms and tornadoes are "likely".  Wonderful!  We always just love those forecasts!  Gag. 

I'm not in a hurry to go over there today. Not with this weather.  I'm going to go, yes, just not a big hurry. I need to cut that piece of plywood out back before I leave here.  I actually can go over and start installing the electrical boxes if nothing else. I keep saying that - yes - and I keep finding myself bogged down with other stuff.  It's okay, tho. I continue to add outlets.  If I'm going to wire up surveillance cameras, where are they going to get their power from?  An outlet that wouldn't exist, of course, if I hadn't thought about it now.  2 of those indoors and I want an outdoor outlet that I can lock up next to the shed.  That's for my use - only.  That shed is actually going to be loaded up with outlets now that I have thought of everything - or I hope everything anyway.  

2 outlets near the ceiling, an outlet up high were the AC is going to go, an outlet for washing machine, 2 outlets for dryers (future use if needed, an extra one), an oven outlet, a 110 outlet near the oven, an outdoor outlet,  2 switches and wiring to the ceiling for lights, a hidden outlet in case I change my mind about having one in the bathroom. Is that all of it? I feel like I'm forgetting something. There's the outdoor stuff for Hipcampers but I wasn't including that or the hookup for the water heater - that's direct wired from the heater to the box/circuit breaker. 

I guess the day isn't getting any younger, it's that tornado watch with threat level 4 that is sort of making me wonder if I really want to go over there, lol.  I'm in a "hurry" to get this done, but not that much of a hurry.  I don't live in an RV and I can stay in the house if a tornado pops up.  We have had them in the area recently, but none here in town or even right outside of town -where my park is.  One could continue to pray in that direction - please Lord, keep us all safe! Thank you Jesus!

Yes, there will be a "major" trip to Lowe's coming up here, but I want to figure out most everything I need and get rid of these endless trip over there.  It's about 6 or 7 miles each way - just wasting gas.  My vehicle isn't exactly a fuel economical SUV. In fact, it's what these climate change people are targeting in letting out the air in the tires in major cities.  You come out to go to work - your tires are flat.  They allegedly don't damage the tire by puncturing it with something, they "just" let the air out.  These people don't think too much, apparently, about the potential consequences of their actions. Certainly in Texas, where homeowners tend to shoot intruders first and then ask questions later - and mostly get away with it. 

In fact, there's a lot going on in the news now that I watched a bit of it yesterday, that is interesting. Good riddance to mayor Lightfoot!  She is blaming her black skin color for the loss in the primary.  No, ma'am, your incompetence is what go you fired. But these people always have to pull out the race card. They can't possibly admit that they were ineffective leaders.  Democrats in that city primarried her out of the democrat side and of course republicans also got rid of her.  Now there is a democrat who is allegedly a "defund the police" idiot and a Republican running.  

These people apparently haven't quite figured out that defunding the police isn't the answer. Get rid of the police and see a huge uptick in crime.  Get rid of cash bail - same effect. It's these woke people - there aren't really that many of them compared to the rest of the populace - that are given huge platforms by stupid media types to broadcast their delusions to everyone. You are to agree with them without any objections.  The pinnacle of totalitarianism, if they could get rid of the Constitution and gun owners, we would be just another CCP, NK, Cuba, etc.  I feel alot of these people are being controlled by foreign entities - a lot of it being the Chinese Communist Party.  They're buying up our farms, land, businesses, etc.  And we are just letting them do it.  

I am resolved that at some point, this nation is either going to go full Commie or there is going to be a huge civil war and who knows what will happen. In my view, unless God intervenes, it is inevitable.  Biden is again declaring a ban to "assault weapons" "come hell or high water".  I'm afraid you are definitely in for hell if you think you are going to be attempting to take away tens of millions of legally purchased and owned guns from citizens.  The declaration always begs the question: WHO, exactly, is going to come get them?  

I won't go into that again, it just sits there as a roadblock to their intentions. Even if they could get such laws passed or somehow make it an EO, they still have the formidable task of forcing Americans to give up their guns.  

Well, the rain has stopped, actually, even tho the radar shows the entire region covered with rain and severe storms, I'm going over to the property and see if I can get anything done over there. Well, cut that wood first, but you know, try to get something done.

G'day.

 Wasted tired. 

As normal, I woke up in the middle of the night.  And then? I couldn't get back to sleep.  I laid there at least 4 hours wide awake. I know, I should have gotten up and done something, I just didn't want to.  My mind wasn't full of anything, either. 

After that, I had this weird dream where I was put in charge of offerings for a church - I don't know what church, where or even who the people were.  For some reason, I didn't deposit the offerings but I didn't do anything with them either. They just sat in a book somewhere. Then finally, a person spoke up and said something like "when are you going to deposit some money into the account? I haven't seen anything going in there in a long time".  

Then this dude accused me of stealing money from the offerings, called some government agency and "reported me" to them.  Said  I was using the money to take time off from work.  

There is only one time in my life where I was in control of counting offerings and then giving it to the person to deposit it.  It was probably a 6 month gig.  I never stole a dime from that offering plate and trust me, I was completely broke at the time, while I was a volunteer missionary. I went 3 full months without any money at all, not even a single dollar bill during that time.  Somehow, the leader of the group got wind that I was counting the offering and immediately suspected me of stealing from it. He didn't actually say that, but it was glaringly obvious.  

He removed me from that position and put two other people in my place.  

That's what memory that dream brought up.  Dreams can be so strange.  There are things you find yourself doing in some of them that if you wake up from it, you think: I would never do that!  As for the dream, I didn't even have the bank account number to make the deposit and was asking, when someone gives me the account number to deposit it to, I will deposit it! But that didn't explain why I didn't ask for that number before. Yet, I knew in the dream that I didn't intend on taking any of it for myself?  

Anyway, I am so tired right now I don't know if I'm going to be capable of doing anything today.  I am stuck on that shed and it was starting to annoy me yesterday afternoon. There are 2 pieces that go on the top of it for the roof. They attach to either side of the shed and are like a giant v, sloping down, I would assume for rain runoff.  But the holes don't align with holes on the front piece. I'd have to severally angle them in to make them align and you can tell from the pics in the instruction book it isn't supposed to be like that.

I have gone over every single point of the instructions from the beginning to where I'm at now and can't figure it out.  I am not going to waste much more time with it, tho, I will just drill new holes if I have to.  Everything else is lining up exactly where it should be.  Perplexed, it was hot yesterday afternoon when I got to that point and must have wasted half an hour trying to figure it out. I ran out of water and decided to go get some and take a break.

This is the damaged shed, btw, that they replaced for free and  let me keep that one.  I figured I could just put the water heater in that one and nothing else.  It is damaged, most of it is scraped up and unsightly looking.  There are dings in it but nothing to stop me from putting it together.  All the hardware appears to be there as well.  Plus, the metal is thin enough that even if there was damage to any of the panels, I could probably just force it back into shape.

I do not feel bad, at all, about getting the other one for free. First, I left it in the box after seeing the damage and just decided they could have it back.  I paid for new, I want it to look new.  Second, it is damaged and definitely could use a paint job.  But I'm not going to fool with it, just put it together and put it to use. It will be behind the shed anyway.  

I guess I will go over there today before it starts raining and see if I can get the rest of it together. It's holding me up from placing the water heater where I need it, which is holding me up from running wiring.  Ok, I could run the wiring for everything else, but I wanted this done first.  I'd really like to get the other one put together, too, so I can have a place to store my tools.  

I do need to go to the bank and deposit a check with 3 lot rents on it.  And look at my book and see who owes what, when.  Quickbooks is basically doing my accounting for me.  I everything that goes into or out of the business checking accounting automatically gets entered into quickbooks. It's much easier than I thought it would be.  But starting today, since it's the first of March, I'm going to start keeping a paper version of books of everything.  

And yes, it's supposed to rain this afternoon, the forecast has actually stayed the same about that since yesterday. 

Keto.  My size 35 waist pants are falling off my butt now.  When I started this adventure at 232 pounds, naked, my pants were very tight and I was facing either going to 36 or doing something drastic.  I felt the need to do something drastic.  If this continues, I will be back in 34's soon enough.  My belt as well. It was on the last hole before having to get another belt.  

It's now down 3 holes. That's probably a better sign of fat loss than looking at the scale every morning.  It's quite motivating and keeps me focused on making good food choices even when I'm with people - who aren't making good food choices. I'm not judging them, it's just sometimes tempting to eat the pastas, the potatoes, the rice or the cheesecake dessert. But, so far, I haven't given in to it excepting the one, planned cheat day for my birthday 3 weeks ago.

Frankly, that was a huge mistake looking back. I should have just stayed on the diet. It took a week and a half or so to get back down to where I was before I spent that day eating whatever I wanted.  I have a goal to get down to 200 pounds before I do another cheat day - that will be a while.  Or, I could also just do a goal of getting back, comfortably, into size 34's. But it appears I'll hit 34 long before 200 pounds so I probably won't do that and yes, I have all of my 34 pants still.  I fully intended to get back there, I just didn't know when I was going to do it. 

The funny thing is this dude that runs commercials all over the internet including Facebook. He has a program that is defined as "cross-carb".  He goes on and on with technical terms and then he tells you - "Keto doesn't work!" I've written on his comments a few times now that Keto does, indeed work and works very well. It's just a hard diet to follow - but then again, all of them are. If you are on most any diet, you aren't going to be able to eat pizza and eat sugar filled foods. I don't care what you're doing, you'll never lose weight.  

Anyway. I had several calls yesterday about long term. This happens at the end of any given month.  No, sorry. Something might open up soon tho.  I have my 3 short terms and it's going to stay that way for awhile until I decide whether or not it's going to bring in the income those lots need to. And I can't get an adequate picture of that until the shed is completed.  Hence the reason I changed my mind and deciding to go out there today. Tired or not, this work needs to get done.  

I feel like I need to step it up even more than I have been doing in terms of getting work done.  Because these long term people aren't staying forever.  Some of them have said they will be there "a long time" - it is a gas line project in Shreveport that apparently is going to take years to complete.  But others are only there for 3 or 4 months.  I'd like to get all of this stuff done, up and operational to see if my theory is true: people will come once all of that stuff is in place.

That plus the Hipcamp area.  I did spread grass seed all over the place back there yesterday. I was hemming and hawing about it - should I spread it or not? But then I thought, well, if I don't like it, once summer comes, it will all die out anyway.  The point of indecision is whether I am really going to want grass back there or do I want gravel?  My thoughts then said, no, I want a mix of both.  Gravel pads and grass everything else.  The vehicles can make a rut through the grass where they travel through and then I can put gravel there as well. 

Grass. That's going to be a tough one. Come the end of rye grass season, I am going to have to put down Bermuda grass or something similar. It's going to be expensive and far more work.  You don't just throw that seed out, you have to - if you want it to turn out good anyway - aerate the ground and put mulch down as well.  If I go the seed route anyway.  I don't have the money for sod - I wish I did, but that would be truckloads of it.  Just can't do it, not with my current finances. I'm going to pay myself this month for the first time - yes it will be out of the business bank account and yes it will be listed as a paycheck for me.  Appropriate taxes will be taken? Yes, after I go to an accountant and figure out how this is going to work. I'll need to get to that accountant this month and let them decide how to keep my taxes down to as low as possible. 

There is another corporation setup that apparently will reduce my tax burden much more than this LLC setup.  

Anyway, it's 9:00 am and I guess I best get my tired @$$ up out of this chair and get out there. Highly likely there will be a nap this afternoon.  Pretty much guaranteed, really.  It will be raining and I will just take the time to get a 45 minute nap in.  

To be honest, I've been thinking about going back to work quite a lot, since I feel like I will have to.  On the road again.....just can't wait to never be on the road again - lyrics changed lmao.  I'm going to call this banker when I'm a bit clearer minded and see if there is any hope for a construction loan. That will basically determine whether I can just ride this out or have to go back to work. If back to work, I will begin working on paying down debt.  

But, that's not right now. That shed has to be completed first and a few other things. Mostly it's the shed tho, it's a major undertaking, really. Thinking about all of the stuff I have to do, it's almost overwhelming because much of it is stuff I've never done before.  Or haven't done in decades. Giant learning curve. The flip side is saving thousands and thousands of dollars for paying contractors to do it for me.  I don't have that kind of money now and even if I did, these contractors are just too busy, you can't even get them out there to give a quote.

I've tried.

Unless someone else comes along, my next RV short term isn't coming until the 9th.  Yes, I hope some stragglers fall into the place needing an overnight stay.  I have a tent camper coming in on Friday.  I am going to get a fire ring back there and a pile of wood. That's about it tho. I need more picnic tables. Not in the budget, but I do need at least 2 more right now, make that 3.  That's almost $500.  

 Tuesday - morning.

After watching numerous videos of various installation techniques last night, I feel more confident about what I am going to be doing.  However, going over the list this morning? I need more information from the shed itself before going on a buying spree. There are no large ticket items I will be getting, the only thing like that left is the shower stall, toilet and oven.  I'm not buying any of that right now. I am going to continue to search for a cheaper version of a shower stall until I find one.  If I am forced into buying a $400 thing, then so beit. That's probably not that bad considering the price of everything else.  I just don't want to spend that much money on anything right now.  

I just got a notice that I'm "almost all out of data" according to Verizon.  I have this final month of them left and I haven't switched everyone over.  I will correct that about the time I am out of data, it will be removed from the park and sent back to Verizon or taken back to the store.  If I need another T-Mobile unit to better cover everything, so beit. That's still only $100 per month for 2 of them with unlimited data versus 1 at $175 per month with limited data.

Back to the drawing board, I don't know what size pipe the water heater needs. The washer instructions say 3/4 fittings "only" (meaning no 1/2 inch such as the videos I watched suggested) so one would assume that one would use 3/4 inch pipe as well.

However....I haven't opened the water heater box yet nor have I read it's instructions. The only logical thing to do before spending money on items that I may have to return (Lowe's is good about that, anything I end up not needing I simply return with no questions), is put up the water heater shed and put the water heater in there.  And probably will need a sheet of plywood for a floor and a pan for the water heater.  Tho, I'm not really concerned about a water heater that rusts through and starts leaking - it will be outdoors. 

So, I have to go over and put at least one of those sheds together today.  Both of them preferably.  But the one for the heater for sure.  Then I can figure out A: how much wire I will need to run to the breaker box and B: what size and what length of pipe to run to the water heater and then back out of it to the washer and dryer assembly. Yes, the dry takes water for a steam setting it has to eliminate wrinkles, I guess.  

I won't know any of that until I remove the water heater from it's box and I don't want to do that until it's ready to go inside the shed.  Get it in there in it's permanent resting home and out of the way.  There isn't any point to wasting yet another trip to Lowe's until I know what I will need for that setup as well. I'm kind of tired of making endless trips to Lowe's....let's try to get most of it done in one, fell swoop. 

I will also have to cut holes in the shed for cold water in, hot water out - definitely not doing that until I know exactly where I want them cut.  I may end up having to put the water heater in the shed, figuring out everything and then removing it temporarily to get it out of the way.  I say "may", it's more like "will have to". It isn't terribly heavy when it's empty, thankfully. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and Thursday, I don't want it sitting in the rain, thanks. 

I'm a bit tired again today. Another night where I was awake for several hours in the middle of the night. I really hate having sleep issues.  If I remember, regardless of how well/bad I sleep tonight, I am getting up early and going to the church prayer meeting. It starts at 7:00 am - which means getting up at 6:00 am to shower and have morning coffee.  I am trying to get back into the idea of not just going through life randomly, but having a purpose that is according to God's will. 

Right now? I have no idea what the Lord wants me to do.  I say that a bit sheepishly, I got into this business dramatics and really didn't seek Him about it like I should have.  I need His blessing upon this whole venture. Before I call the banker about an appraisal and potential loan, I'm definitely praying about it first.  Should I even be considering a giant loan? Will it turn out to be profitable?  What should I do next?  My goad was to have this as my retirement income.  But was it God's will for me?  

A little late in the day to be asking that question now that I'm fully entrenched in this matter. Whatever is next, I want to be led by the Lord, not by my mind or my wants/needs/desires.  God is perfectly capable of taking care of all of my needs "according to His riches in glory", as the Bible clearly states.  I've been in dire need of food or basic necessities and I've seen the providing hand of the Lord. Some of it was quite amazing.  Tales from the past...won't go into that right now. I will just say that once you are making good money? It's real easy to get your focus off of the Lord - it's kind of a snare/trap.  Well, it can be anyway.  There is nothing wrong with having some amount of wealth, as long as it doesn't divert your attention and heart from the Lord. 

"The LOVE of money is the root of all evil". Worldly people who don't know the Bible always try to tell Christians "money is the root of all evil". That isn't what the bible says. It says, again: "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil".  If money were evil, we would all be going to hell.  You can have wealth - and you can give it away.  Why not keep it? You can keep it - but you can also help people with it.  That's the heart of the Lord: giving.  And...giving without expecting anything in return. And also...giving without pomp and circumstance. Don't give for recognition and accolades from friends, family or the general public.  Give because you have the heart of the Lord to give.

I'll get off the soapbox - I was talking to myself with that anyway. I tend to remind myself of what God says about how we're to live our lives and compare it to how I am currently living it.  I'll just say this: poor people I have met, especially in Mexico, are some of the happiest people on earth.  They don't care about what's going to happen to their money because they don't have much to begin with.  They aren't laden with the "cares of this life" that wealth can and usually does bring.  

Now then.  I have hardly been watching the news in the last week or so.  I've been busy.  Between the property, home - such as cooking dinner or being with family - or sitting here in my room trying to comprehend how to do whatever next or going to stores, I just haven't been paying that much attention.  I look at the news app here and there.  I'm finding it to be - wonderful.  I don't have to escape politics altogether, but my engagement in discussing it is next to nothing now.  I still do a bit, but not much.  I just know that the "conspiracy theories" about the Wuhan lab are now being admitted to not being conspiracies after all.  That the real reason - which many of my like-minded advocates already knew - was to derail Trump's campaign to win the presidency.  

It was an anti-Trump move by the media to laugh and say no, there was no conspiracy! People believed it, of course.  

Anyway, I am going to have another cup of coffee and get over to the property and start the process of putting together the shed.  

Editing: I'm not sure if I posted this yesterday, I don't think I did. But there is a lady that reserved a tent spot on Roverpass - which is another campground platform online and one that I am set up with.  I only have one tent spot working right now and it's only been used once.  I'm going to put a fire ring back there before her arrival next month, I think it was on the 3rd and also getting another trash can for back there. I had one back there already, but Mark decided to use it for picking up leaves when he was working with me and then I just kept it up there for general trash.  I really need one back there as well.  Anyway, I will get everything set up for her and hope that she enjoys it. She is bringing a border Collie with her as well.  

G'day. 

 I don't know why I didn't think of this before.  Why not accept Hipcampers in whatever they are driving at the RV sites that are available?  I mean, yes, I had them listed for regular RV's, but now? I changed to accepting anything and charging less if they are only using 20 amp outlet.  If it's money in my pocket, come on!  

Disconcerting?  I was going through a preview of the site and it said no water, electricity or sewer at the sites. This is their default setting and I hadn't seen it before - just now actually. There are many pages of script for a Hipcamp park owner to go through, apparently I hadn't scrolled through all of it. Well, that's all changed now and I hope that means I'll start getting more of them in. 

After Lowe's this morning, I spent many hours attempting to nail down exactly what I need to get the laundry going.  It's more than you would think.  For me, it is almost mind-boggling trying to identify everything needed and then get it all written down on paper.  I will be sitting here for however long now that I just got home looking up endless information on installation of this, that and the other thing. 

When you move into a new home, hooking up washing machine and dryer are a matter of connecting the hoses to the existing outlets and plugging it in. In this case, it's the entire thing from the ground up.   

This stuff wears me out much faster than physical labor.  

Lowe's doesn't sell the type of paneling you would need to create your own shower stall.  They have paneling, but not for water applications.  The cheapest shower they had there that is complete (minus faucets, non of them have faucets) is a 30 inch end wall set - that's pretty small - for $299 or a 60 in for $369.  This would be a setup where I would just install a shower curtain, forget the expensive glass and keep it simple.  

They have corner setups but they are much more expensive, even for little itty bitty ones.  

___________

Several hours spent watching videos. Although I knew that drain pipes in a house need vented, I did not know that every drain needs  vent on it. Toilet, sinks, shower, etc.  There are height levels for the washer drain box and P - trap. I had completely forgotten about the need for a P trap for the washer drain.  Actually, it seems that I had it stuck in my brain that it doesn't need one.  Yeah, well once the smell and bugs and flies come in through there then you will remember lmao.  

The dryer wiring was as I had already figure, as well as the water heater and an oven outlet.  However, I thought dryer's needed 50 amp, they only need 30 as well as the water heater. Only the oven will need a 50 amp breaker. It means I already have the outlets for the water heater and the dryer.  I'm running an oven outlet because I will get one in there sooner or later.  

Water line is pretty easy, I figured it would be but I had to check, lol. I had to check everything excepting I didn't get into the toilet installation nor the shower stall installation. I'm not doing that first so I don't need to worry about that. 

There is also detailed instructions that came with the dryer and the washer.  I have been looking at that as well.  I only want to double check the dryer amp requirements for it has a steam setting that you can steam your clothing.  It has a water inlet as well. It may mean it need more amps for the steam, I don't know, haven't gotten that far but I will before I leave the house tomorrow morning to get the rest of the stuff I need for getting the water heater, dryer and washer installed.  

I need to get the wiring from the ground into the box. The will require some conduit and fittings.  I just want it in there, I am not hooking it up yet for it will just be in the way. No, it isn't energized and I won't be energizing it until I get everything in there first.  

There is a lot to do but I had to get my head in order first. Meaning I needed to understand how everything is going to go.  

Well, there's more but I'm burnt out on all this mental stuff. It's almost 9:00 pm and it's time to relax.  

 Monday - morning - not that early.

I was out of it this morning when I initially woke up at 5:30 am.  I just went back to sleep.  Not that I was planning on getting up that early, but a few days in a row of kids waking me up? Well they are in school today and no running around and making all kinds of noise. 

I have a list of things to start on/do today. I am writing lists on paper now. This is old-school versus using the phone with notes.  I like the phone with notes, don't get me wrong, I have passwords and other easily forgettable information on there.  But writing things down? This is what I did my whole life before getting a smart phone.

I just started doing it but I am so much more comfortable and at ease with it. Yes, it means carrying around a notebook, so what? The list is 13 lines long and doesn't even have everything.  Lol.  Of course it would rain today - when there was no mention of rain in the forecast.  

I think I have 20 plus tabs - there's more looking at it lol - for sites looking for a shower stall that won't break the already broken bank. The only thing I found was a site called Alibaba, which I was suspect of at first and then found out it is Chinese. No thanks. FB Marketplace, Lowe's, Craigslist, Home Depot, Google searches with all kinds of results, random websites, a place in Dallas that sells them cheaper - but not cheap.  I'm looking at a glass enclosure for $175. That doesn't include the base.  Most of the stuff being sold are not "kits", they are pieces.

You buy the base, everything is sold separately You buy the glass, the base is sold separately.  You find a kit? It's a grand and I don't think it even includes the faucets.  I was hoping to have a grand at most left for everything.  

I'm just going to see what's available at Lowe's this morning and see if I can buy a base and just sheets of that wall stuff they sell - whatever it's called.  Not buying it today, just need to look.  There are bases for sale on FB Marketplace. 

Lot 11 and 14 were no shows.  They paid one night's stay at the point of reserving the lots.  They lose that money. Industry wide standard.  Parks do this because if people stand nothing to lose, they will make multiple reservations where they "think" they'd like to stay and then make up their minds once they get close.  That day they picked and may not show up might also be a day where someone else was looking.  If you don't charge them, you are definitely out that money.  

I have plenty of reservations in the system for March, but there haven't been any new ones in a few days.  I need more on the short term lots.  I only need a few hundred dollars more of reservations before it equals long term and - they won't use as much electricity as long term since most of them aren't showing up until mid to late afternoon.  With a noon checkout time - if it's just one day - that means you are only seeing 9 or 10 hours worth of electric use versus a long term that is 24 hours worth and some of them are definitely leaving the lights on and AC units on.  

This just strengthens the case to either up the lot rent or meter the lots.  I will likely just up the lot rent to everyone that has their AC units on all day long while not there and if those units compressors are working all the time. You can hear it. When the compressor kicks in or is already on.  I will just stand outside of these trailers and listen for a while. No one's home so it's not creepy or anything.  See if/when the compressor shuts off and when it kicks back in. The money wasted is the money saved.  

Those people will see a $50 per month (at least) increase in their lot rent. If they don't like it, they can certainly try to find some place else cheaper. I'm not sure what the notice time is, probably 30 days.  RV parks are treated much differently than pretty much everything else - much looser on the restrictions and rules imposed.  Hotel in nature - hotels can charge whatever they want whenever they want. In fact, they change their rates throughout the week, I've seen this endlessly. I just don't know if that can translate over to someone who is already staying there.

Most people aren't going to challenge the legality of it anyway. They'll just leave if they don't like it, but I will give them a 30 day notice if I don't do anything else in research.  Maybe by then a lot of this brain-racking stuff will be done with and I can devote more energies to it.  Right now, it's enough to figure out everything for the shed.  

Well, unfortunately, it's almost 10:00 am already.  Just a late start for me today. Still plenty of time to get stuff done.

G'day. 

 A fairly long day.  The boys woke me up this morning - a forbidden thing to do on a Sunday morning, they are not supposed to make noise if they wake up before everyone else - which they always do - and are to either quietly play in their bedroom or sit on the couch and watch tv.  They did neither.  Arguing, yelling, going at it with each other - pretty much what brothers do. 

So, I finally got up, went out there and told them I wasn't sure I was taking them to church today because of it.  

I was rather irritated at that particular point in time and wanted nothing to do with those kids.  

Took a shower, got some coffee in me and then had them profusely apologizing to me.  So I ended up taking them.

Well, the service only lasted an hour but I stayed another 2 hours for a Church 101 thing the pastor does with whosoever will. Usually new attendees but long time people show up as well.  They had free pizza both for the boys in the children's ministry room and for the adults. I had pizza toppings - my diet forbids eating any pizza dough unless it's the low carb kind.  

It was interesting albeit nothing I didn't already know. Basic tenets of Christian faith, I mostly went to see if I could meet new people. The pastor was perplexed when I said I had been going for 6 months.  

And let the problems begin!  First, I receive a complaint about a person parking their pickup truck in the grass. Yup, definite no-no.  I texted that person hours ago - when I drove through the park, it was still parked there.  Yup.  I didn't have time to deal with it, if they are going to openly defy me, it may turn ugly.  How on earth do you park on grass? And they are leaving deep ruts there as well.

Then I got a complaint about a person blaring music at midnight last night. That is a definite no-no and is clearly written in the rules.  The person said they went over and banged on their door to tell them to turn it down - which that person did.  

Then I visited the trash area.  It was overflowing - that's because I haven't received the other container yet, tho the people who piled it up could have put it in a 3rd container I have out there?  But that's not the problem. Someone put a clothes basket full of household garbage in it - not in a plastic bag.  So I had to pick the stuff out of there and put into a giant plastic bag - I keep lots of those handy.  

My rules are going to be changing. Well, they are going to be added to.  In fact, writing this reminded me and I have already updated them, printing them out and will be distributing them to every site.  I am turning business down now, I can afford to lose a person that gets mad if they don't want to live by the rules.  

We spend so much time at church, then getting the trash to the curb, then going to Kroger's for dinner items, well, the day was mostly over.  Kids to school, parents to work and me to the park in the morning.  

I am not letting up on my determination to get this stuff done.  Well, I need to go to Lowe's first now that I have the trailer hitched up to the SUV and get the remaining pipe I need and then back to the park. I'll install that pipe first just to get it over with.  Then a gamut of things that I have already reflected on in previous posts - but the sheds are up there on the priority list.  

I've been bombarded by texts from the people at lot 2. They really want lot 14.  They're decent people and I would rather have 2 pull throughs available.  So they moved over there today.  It's a lot more space. They said they'd be there til June, it isn't permanent.  

I'm considering getting more involved in church activities. Note that I didn't say anything about volunteering, I'm not ready for that yet.  Just that the pastor clarified their schedule.  The Lord's Supper is, of course, about breaking bread but it is also a potluck meal.  They believe when you take Communion, it is a part of a broader experience of eating dinner together.  So they have that twice a week.  I don't know about eating a potluck - that is usually a lot of carb filled stuff but perhaps I could find something, but I do want to take Communion. They don't do it during church services because of their belief that it should include a meal. 

And there are a LOT more groups than what the weekly flyer suggests.  There is also Wednesday morning prayer - it's at 7:00 am, I could probably make that.  Unless I go back to trucking of course.  Just thinking about it for the moment.  I'm just pondering right now.  A stress releaser? Some place to go to get my mind off this business.  I go home and I get to work on things related to business. I leave the house and 90% of the time if not more it's business related.  

I know small business owners are inundated with work, especially the first year and when they first start up, but life can't just be about business.  But yes, everything that needs to be done? It can get a bit overwhelming. It will subside over time when I get certain things done and won't have to do them again.  It's why I'm really pushing myself to get this shed over and done with.  It's the biggest thing right now.  The older couple volunteered to help put more baling wire on the dog park fencing. I completely forgot about it after I started thinking about how to get more business in.  

They're a real help. If I had more lots and income, I would give them a reduced rate.  Just out of the question right now by force of income - or lack of sufficient.  

 It doesn't seem to take long for things to develop.  The people that were supposed to stay 2 nights? No shows and no contact. I have received no email, text or phone calls from them. They're out 1 night's stay.  I won't charge them the 2cd night - I think. I'm going to review the industry standard once again but I think it's make them pay one night non-refundable and then the second/subsequent nights aren't charged until they arrive.  I will close their account and call it good.

The other people coming for one night at lot 11 haven't shown up yet, but it's only 2:15. They are likely just traveling through and planned their trip so they could stop wherever they wanted to. In this case, my park which is the cheapest around in this entire region for a decent park. There are sh**holes that most people want nothing to do with. 

I have 3 trash cans out there now. 1 is the garbage company's trash can - they are supposed to bring another one and the other 2 are much smaller personal cans.  The big one is full, the second biggest one is full but the 3rd one is empty. So I'm hoping it will last through tomorrow and I can drag it all out there Sunday afternoon for Monday morning pickup. 

I measured the hip camp lots.  I knew I had some space, but now I know how much space.  Well there's 2 ways I could do it. One is parallel parking on either side and at the end.  This will give me maximum space and realistically, small vehicles, I could probably get 7 of them in there without crowding.  I plan on doing 5 to start with.  Remember, I already had the bobcat rented for the shed project, it cost me nothing more but some fuel to finish out that lot after having had started it with the mini-ex - which I also primarily rented for the shed project.  

Therefore, the only real money involved here will be to run electric for 20 amp service for the 5 lots.  The wiring will probably cost a bit, the outlets are cheap and a couple of circuit breakers.  I'll put up "Lot 1" signage and mark the lots, but I'm pretty much sold on the parallel parking.  On the east side that means I can have 2 50 foot long lots and on the west side, 2 48 foot long lots.  On the south side, it's about 41 feet. It's actually much longer but there is 41 feet of fairly level space, the rest is a pretty steep grade.  

I'm getting my plan together in my mind, just want to resolve any lingering questions on how I'm going to do this before I start working on it.  

After I get the shed done it won't take long to set up those lots. But I do need to remind myself to get a couple of 50 pound bags of grass seed tomorrow and spread it behind lot 14 and all over the Hipcamp area.  

Right now, for the month of March,  I have $725 worth of overnight/short term bookings enqueue. I need that to go up at by at least $475 to make it worth having those lots available.  Much more would be nice, at 80% occupancy I could leave trucking.  But I'm not counting chickens I don't even have the eggs for, much less to hatch.  Same with HipCamp. Who knows if this will pay off? But you never know until you try.

And as far as the shed goers? I'm pretty much tired of having to trek into the woods to find a place to go to the bathroom. If the toilet never got used by anyone else, it would definitely get it's use from me and the boys.  I don't know what it is about those kids, but every - and I do mean every - time we go over there, one of them has to take a dump.  Why didn't you do that at the house?  We just left there!  Well I didn't know I had to go!! I will highly likely put a small desk in that shed as well.  There will be some space left to put one in and if enough space, I may put a couple of comfy chairs in there as well.

Nothing fancy, of course, an used, definitely - cheap. 

The contractor. That texting went well beyond what I posted in the last post.  He quoted me $6,800 on the smallest septic system he can provide. Gag. That's a lot of money for sewage.  I mean, yes, I spent far more on the Park sewer system as it stands, but this was just to get 4 or 5 more RV lots.  Well, it is what it is.  We also discussed his park he built.  They haven't sold it yet. They were offered $700,000 for it and they turned it down. They have it listed for 1.2 million.  38 lots on 40 acres with a pond and a party barn.  I dunno folks, I don't make up the prices to buy RV lots. Another one I saw today is a 14 space facility listed at $699.000.  See if I could get that much money for my 14 space park? I would be seriously tempted to sell it, take the money and go build another park somewhere else.  Get another 20-40 acres and do it all over again.  

One of his partners in that endeavor is also a banker. He told me to call him for an appraisal or he could probably just give me a ballpark over the phone.  Ok! He then said I could probably get financed for expanding the park through him as well. OK!! He's on my list of things to do Monday, he gave me his phone number and I hope he gives me some sort of good word to the man.  I paid all my bills to this contractor immediately after they completed each phase.  I mean, drive up there and pay them in person type of stuff.  I made sure I stayed in his good graces because I knew I would probably need his services again.  So, there is a beacon of hope there, at least, for a sizeable loan - somewhere in the 250-300k range. If I can't get at least 200k I probably won't do it.  I need enough for at least 14 more spaces, a mid-sized swimming pool and I would like some sort of clubhouse structure.  Nothing fancy, again, just something where people can hang out, an office, rentable party space for locals.  

Don't want to get too involved with thinking about that right now, I need a "yes" or "we will look into it but it sounds good" or something like that before I start seriously planning a phase 2. I have phase 2 in my mind already as it stands. 

My Verizon business credit card came in today as well. As with the AMEX card, I will be using it in a limited fashion and paying it off monthly.  The idea, of course, is to build up business credit score. 

I did force myself to go back over. Someone had dumped a bag of trash on top of an already full trash can instead of putting it into a completely empty trash can next to it. ??? I just don't understand people but I am not saying anything about it to anyone, it's not worth it. I'll just deal with it and bite my tongue.  

But while I was over there, it dawned on me to go ahead and measure out the area for Hipcamp, I'm glad I did. It gives me some perspective.  There is ample room for pickups and even medium sized trailers in there. Just no sewer connection or water.  And no 50 or 30 amp electrical service. I'm not trying to drag that crowd in there unless they are just looking for a spot to stay overnight on the cheap. I've been trying to decide what to charge. I was thinking $12 per night, but that is too cheap. I'm going with at least $15. That gives them a 20 amp electrical connection, access to fresh water if they want to fill up their tank on the way in with a "community spigot" and access to the shed with all that will have in it. I think that's more than  a fair deal and should hopefully bring some people in.  I'm going to heavily advertise it, that's for sure.  

Well that's enough.  I am going to log into quickbooks and start scanning more receipts. Fun, fun.

 All of that stuff is done.  I'm burnt out and I'm taking the rest of today and all of Sunday off.  The only thing I'm going to do is go back over there and deal with trash.  

The Hipcamp area is much larger than I originally was going to do it, but it needed enough room for vehicles pulling trailers to be able to maneuver in and out of there.  I think I succeeded - by far - in that regard.  I am rather pleased with the outcome. It's not perfect, but it's definitely going to work.  

Now, there is still a lot of work to do, of course.  I have to go buy more sewer and water pipe for one thing, install it and then I will end up backfilling the rest of that by  hand. Work on it for an hour a day and I'll have it finished in a few days after I start the process. I see no need to wear myself out with what's left for backfilling, it's next to the shed, it's caution-taped off, it isn't in anyone's way and most of it you can't even see from the park to begin with.

I just won't rent that machine again for near $400 for what would be 30 minutes work if that on it and then return it.  

The idea of just planting grass back there is solid.  A natural appeal, that's what hipcampers like for the most part anyway.  A lot cheaper and I will have to mow grass elsewhere as it stands.  That's another expenditure I have been dreading.  A new riding mower isn't cheap, a used one isn't terrible but they always seem to need some kind of work done to it. I don't need or want someone else's project, they can fix it and then sell it.  Or not, but I won't be buying it.

Lot 14 is as done as it's going to get.  I'm not buying another $700 load of gravel but I did scoop some of the new stuff up from the driveway - where it wasn't bad when it rains - and put it over on that pad.  The people that paid for that site never showed up and never called.  Standard policy for the industry - if you aren't showing up, call and tell us. If you don't call or email, you will be charged one night's rental. They had a 2 day stay going.  I don't know, maybe they got hung up somewhere and couldn't make it and perhaps are coming today? If that is the case - a legitimate excuse anyway - it'll just be a one night's charge.

There is another one showing up today and has paid for the night as well. Just one night stay.  After that, I have nothing until the 9th of next month.  I am hoping there will be some overnighters that pop up out of nowhere and reserve spaces.  I am letting the folks on the pull through back into 14 and that will free up a pull through lot.  I'll have 2 pull throughs for overnight stays and one back in - for now.  Until I figure this out - meaning how many of these short term spaces do I really need? ... I'm leaving it like that.  I may figure it out quick, money is a thing and I don't want to leave any on the table if it doesn't pan out to have 3 of them.

Monday I'll go buy the rest of the pipe and then I'll start figuring out the electrical and how I want to bring the drain for the washer and the water for the washer into the building.  I will have another inlet for water at the other end of the shed.  It's going to take some figuring and I'll probably be standing in the plumbing and electrical aisles at Lowe's for quite a while trying to figure what I need to do. It may sound easy enough, but it really isn't lol. A pro that does it all the time would instantaneously know what to get for what applications - I am no pro.  

I'm going to install all of the electrical outlet boxes first, run the wire that I bought for it and then figure out how much more wiring I will need. I am adding a lot more outlets than I originally anticipated.  2 light switches - bathroom and main room, 2 ceiling light fixtures, a 4 outlet setup at the kitchen area, 2 electric dryer hookups, another double set up for 2 washers and an outlet near where the window AC unit is going to go.  I think that's it.  Well I guess an oven also has a 30 amp or 50 amp outlet I'll need to install for that as well.  There will be no electricity in the bathroom. Or, I will run the wiring but won't install an outlet.  I may change my mind and if I do, I don't want ot have to fish wire through walls.  

I'll have to get some insulation and then I'm going to have to frame and drywall the shower area - after I install a shower stall.  Toilet first too, might as well get the hard stuff done first before framing.  Framing is relatively easy, I can also hang drywall, I'm not the greatest at texturing.  

A new kitchen base counter with counter top and sink are well into the $600 plus tax range. 

No thank you.  I will look outside of the area on both craigslist and facebook.  Dallas, for example. Yes, I'll drive to Dallas to save hundreds of dollars. Bigger cities? You can frequently find people who are remodeling their homes that are selling the old stuff cheap.  Take the trailer, pick it up, spend a bit in gas and time but save a ton of money.  And if I have to do that, I'll see if I can find a used bathroom vanity. NO used toilets, tho, they are $100 for base model and that is what I am getting - new.  I just can't and won't deal with a "used toilet".  

Shower stall is also going to be a bit pricey.  It's time to start looking around and see what I can find on the cheap. I don't need expensive, fancy stuff, I need base model, cheap stuff, new or used.  I won't be able to get away without a shower or a toilet, I could save the kitchen for later - tho I really don't want to.  The first priority is to get laundry going. I have most of the stuff already. I need to build the small shed and put the water heater in it and get water lines going to and from it.  So that just reminded me that I need to do a T off of the underground line and run it to the heater.  I'm glad I just thought of that.  

I think I'll build that shed Monday, get the water heater in it and go from there. I want that shed built, it's just laying there in a box and vulnerable. There is no-one driving back there, yet, I just want to build it before anything happens to it. As it stands, I came very close to running over both of them with the Bobcat, gag.  

Maybe I'll build both of them Monday - if you can indeed build 2 of them in 1 day.  I'll need the other one for my tools.  Yes, I think it's prudent to get that out of the way and get it done before anything happens to them. After that I can figure out the water line to the water heater and the washing machine. That 'should' be relatively easy.  Yeah, we all know how that ends up going.

The hardest part is going to be electrical.  I know it, I can feel it and I am just going to face it last.  It's important to get water and drain lines installed first - electrical wiring can be routed around it.  I'm sitting here planning this as I go along, writing this entry.  I have to have a plan and I usually make one and at least try to stick to it.  Sheds, water heater, water line, drain line.  

So, anyway, I can spend today and tomorrow searching for the things I need, and work on paperwork/billing/inputting expenses and sales.  Well, I don't really have to do sales if it's done with credit card online.  That gets deposited automatically into my bank and then Quickbooks automatically adds it to my "paperwork". Pretty cool, actually, for $15 per month.  I just have more receipts for various things going back months that I am working on getting into the system.  It's quite tedious, at least for me.  

I've accomplished a lot in the past 3 days, I'm fairly proud of myself.  It has been a lot of hard work, a lot of physical labor and yes, there's more to go but still, I got a lot done.  

I'm tired. I feel like I could just fall asleep, sitting here in my computer chair. The contractor that built the park just contacted me out of the blue asking what I am charging? I don't know why he was asking that - perhaps for his own park that they may end up having to operate because no one is buying it/not for that much money. I told him my current rates and said I would be raising them eventually, but for right now I'm just trying to get on the map.  

He's a nice guy, he just doesn't communicate very well - he tries to carry too many hats in the company.  He gets so many calls and texts, he says by the end of the day, he's got over 100 missed calls/text messages.  I can understand not getting back to everyone right away - or even at all.  But I did ask him to throw out a number for a house sized septic system.  He hasn't responded lol.  Oh well, I'll keep asking him until I get a number. No, I can't get one right now. It's a goal.  More RV lots is a goal.  Hipcamping is no longer a goal, it's spend more money but get it done.  I'm trying to spend no more than a thousand more dollars on that setup, which is why I need all of that stuff cheap.  

Frankly, as much as I don't want to, the kitchen area may have to be put on hold for a while.  Hipcampers will come as long as I have a toilet and a shower, the kitchen is an added bonus.  I don't know if it's really mandatory. I did some looking on Hipcamp and saw places that were offering a basic kitchen.  I suppose I could just start out with an oven with stove top. No, that won't work. You can't clean the pots/pans/utensils without a sink.  However, instead of having a base cabinet with a kitchen sink, now that I think of it, I could just have an oven, a small countertop only and a utility sink.  Have pots/pans hanging from hooks on the wall instead of cabinets.  Keep kitchen utensils all in one, revolving-style can. We have one, they work great.  This would cut down 

They are calling it a "rugged tub" and I am looking at the whole setup for $116. That's substantially cheaper than buying a base cabinet, plus a counter top, plus a sink and faucet. Unless I think of something even better, this is probably what I'm going to do.  I'm looking at used electric ovens for $200, one of them as it an actual store and giving a warranty. 

Looks like Home Depot has a complete "industrial" shower - it is glass and it doesn't look shoddy - for $339. But that's just initial searching.  ` 

I've got too much on my mind, time to de-stress. 

Saturday, morning -early.

If that alarm hadn't gone off, guaranteed I'd still be sleeping.  I'm just going to work on the Hipcamp area this morning and then take the machine back.  I was going to work on the front, but I think Hipcamp, being a potential money-maker, takes priority.  

It's going to need some sort of gravel tho. 

The cost of SB2 went up $250, I am not spending that much on a Hipcamp operation.  It is likely I'll go with the other place that quoted $500 for crushed concrete.  Of course, their prices may have gone up as well? 

I'm not doing that today tho.  I could leave it dirt and still rent it out to people who don't particularly care.  That's the Hipcamp group, they end up in all kinds of places that aren't official Rv parks or any other type of business for that matter. A lot of it is people with land that.  I have the land part!  I suppose I could plant grass on the areas where people will park.  Actually I could plant grass on the whole thing and then just drive in and out of there to keep a driveway clear of it.  Grass = $35 per bag - 2 bags would cover it.  

That sounds better, actually and much cheaper.  

I haven't even gotten a riding mower.  Most of the grass I planted grew to a certain height and has just stayed there. It's odd, perhaps it's the layer of clay underneath the top soil?

Well, whatever the case, it's time to get outta here. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have rain forecast for next week.  I'll get a few bags and spread it before then and see what happens.

C'y'all later!

 I graded the heck out of that driveway with that bobcat today.  I mean, I sliced and diced it until the side that is giving problems was well cut down and hopefully deep enough to drain down the hill.  I sat there and thought, I'm doing all this, but it's still going to get  muddy. 

So I called the rock place and had them deliver 15 tons of SB2 gravel. I couldn't justify having that machine and not using it to spread gravel.  However...the driver was awesome.  I told him I just want a couple of inches and he said fine, once the gravel started dumping he took off! He got 200 feet before the bed was empty!  

I can't say I'm pleased about these decisions to spend money, but it had to be done.  I'm actually going to steal some gravel from the far end tomorrow morning and put it over where the backfilling was done on lot 14.  I don't know what to say, the costs have just overwhelmed me. I wonder if I would have even gotten into this thing if I had known the endless things that need to be done before I can call it complete?  

I'm looking at another grand - at least - to finish out the shed with everything I want to do with it.  

But, it is happening.  I have another 6 day rental for one of the short term lots.  And the people that wanted lot 14 that I had decided to use for short term? Forget it.  They can have lot 14 and I will have another pull through site available. Pull through sites are immensely popular with the traveling bunch.  I just wish I had another 14 or even 20 lots.  I'm sure I could fill them up and I'm sure I could live off of that.  Yet, I'm also sure I could make it if the short terms will fill up at least 80%. 

These people are actually using the campground software. It sat idle for so long I had wondered if I had wasted my money and time with it.  

I am driven - I've said this recently but I'll say it again - driven to get this shed fixed up and done.  I have to have these amenities. It's no longer, at least in my mind, might need them, I have to have them. It's an industry-wide standard to have laundry and showers. A kitchen isn't, but that's for a different venue. That isn't RV'ers. These giant 5th wheel RV's have full fledged kitchens in them including an oven.  I mean, I've been in a few now that I've opened the park. Full sized refrigerators, ovens, even an island counter!  They're huge with those slideouts.  

I'm admittedly a bit scatterbrained right now. My mind is all over the place.  I couldn't do a trucking job right now even if I wanted to. I'm glad I can survive at least a couple more months if I really need to. I'm at least another month worth of work here.  The shed will take longer than I expected, I can already tell that.  You start talking about insulation, drywall, electrical wiring and outlets, water, sewer, shower, toilet, kitchen - it's going to take a while folks.  The laundromat will be opened - I hope to have it that way anyway - before everything else is down.  People are wanting it that are staying there.  Great, give me 70 loads per month of wash/dry and I'll have the payments made on it.  

Oh. Well yes, I backfilled almost everything - as much as I could anyway. I would have had to go buy more pipe and I just didn't have time for that. With the price it is to rent one of those machines, you get busy with it.  You don't fool around going to stores, you sit on that machine and use it.  The backfilling took much longer than I expected.  The ditch was deep, it took many, many passes over the various portions of it to get it compacted and leveled. 

I finished the backfilling - in  near 3 hours I think. Maybe less. Then I started leveling out the Hipcamp lot and opening up more room. I'd like 5 spots, please. Got into that and said, wait, that driveway.  I was cutting the side of that driveway and hauling out a lot of dirt/mud. It needed to be removed, not just displaced. I got so involved with that that I just said, screw this, call the dude, have him bring over some gravel.  

Back to the HipCamp lot and I can do a couple more hours worth tomorrow morning before I have to take it back.  You only get 8 hours of use on a machine in any 24 hour period.  Which is why it didn't bother me that Taylor was texting and calling me - I didn't hear any of it, that machine is noisy.  But I did, finally, happen to feel the vibration of my phone after a text message and pulled it out.  She was on her way home, but no way she was making it in time.  Jaxon will be taken back to school if no-one is there to pick him up.  I say it didn't bother me, I mean it didn't bother me to quit and go get the kids. I am always there for her - at least while I'm not driving trucks - if she needs me. Home is 10 minutes away. 

So I got the boys and here I am.  I did end up doing some shoveling today, just to get the dirt underneat some lines going to the shed that I didn't finish yesterday. 

I'm going to be up early again tomorrow morning. This time, the machine is sitting there. Not: this time, it's raining. You know what? From what I could see? It didn't rain over there this morning at all.  If it did it was negligible.

I'm going to sit and think what I want to get done tomorrow morning with that machine. You can get alot done in 3 hours.  

I have no idea if the people that paid in advance showed up for lot 14 today.  ?? I was there all day long and they never showed or called.  I imagine going over there now at almost 6:00 pm and finding them there.  I dunno, but if they are ok with it, I am too. It's a freshly finished construction site. A lot of grass was torn up - expected.  

Anyway, with the way the short terms are going, I'm pretty much sold on keeping at least 3 of them. After I get the folks on one of the pull throughs moved and have 2 pull throughs and one back-in for short term, I think it will get even better.  

Whatever the case, I haven't eaten much today, either. Not by design.  But I'm very hungry right now and I am pretty much decided to eat out. We have nothing thawed from the freezers and there isn't anything to cook in the refrigerator. A nice salmon meal sounds delicious!

 Good ole' Mama Nature.  She knew I had to go rent a machine to backfill the trench.

So what does she done did do?  Rains on everything, of course.  I woke up early today expecting to get up and get out of here.  The next thing I know, I'm hearing the pitter-patter of water falling on my window AC unit. I have no idea what it looks like over there. I'm just sitting here pondering my next move.  

Well, as it stands, I have someone coming in for an overnight stay tomorrow for lot 11. If worse comes to worse, I will give today's visitors lot 11 and tomorrow's visitors. 

I may have little choice.  I will be going over there in a bit, the rain has stopped and I'm giving time for any accumulated water in the trench to sink into the clay.  If it's mostly gone, I will get that machine anyway and get with it.  

Well that's a little bit ridiculous. $335 for 4 hours of the bobcat or $385 for 24 hours?  I just called over there to make sure they have something available. For $50 more? I'm getting the thing for 24 hours.  And I"m waiting a couple of hours to get it. Actually, I'm going to the property first to see if this is even going to be doable today.  The rain has stopped but there are oftentimes vast differences between the amount of rain we get at the house and the amount the property gets.  It's weird.  

I really can't afford this machine.  I have little choice. It would take me a couple of days to backfill that manually and I am already worn out from 2 days of working in that trench.  In fact, I was pretty irritable yesterday after I got home and wasn't feeling all that great.  I feel much better this morning, thankfully.

It's a lot of dirt to do by hand. Too much for me and guaranteed hiring people to help me do it will be almost fruitless.  People want the money, they don't want to work. Covid really messed this nation up in that regard and I wonder if anything will ever return to pre-Covid mentality?  Probably not Not with the media blaring "news" of - well I'm not going into it here. I'm not biased - well I guess I'll take that back.

I am biblically biased, if that makes sense, towards certain things going on in our society that the media and elites are attempting to normalize.  They have weaponized certain terms, phrases and words so that if you speak out against them from a moral standpoint, they label you, come after you, cancel you and dispose of you.  It's an Orwellian world of a relative few people dictating to the rest of society how we should think and act.  If someone gets into my face about that stuff, they are going to get a dose back at them. 

But I mostly find internet arguing useless and many of the people that start the trouble are just trolling, trying to get a reaction.  I did that for years in that political debate group. Thankful to be done with all of that. I am in a small group of people where I occasionally post something that is going on, post my opinion and see what happens.  Not that often, rest assured and definitely not consuming the time it used to. I have a business to create, run, get automated and then quite likely, go back to trucking.  

I have money coming in but my personal funds are starting to run out.  Speaking of money coming in, the second recurring monthly lot payment is due from a person and I haven't heard from him. He will be hearing from me shortly: Do I have your permission to run  your credit card?  Some people have given permission in advance, but when it comes to something like that? I want approval.  No one will be able to say I took money without their permission.  

Well that was quick: Yes sir go ahead. Indeed I will, lol.  And done. Next payments - several of them due on the 1st. Even with a $500 electric bill, I will start pulling ahead on the business account quite a bit now.  I'm thinking I need a load of gravel over there today - nothing I can afford but nothing I can afford not to do.  I will try to get the riverrock from the back, first, but if that doesn't work, I have little choice. It's just muddy water on a 40 - 50 foot swath of driveway that just is ugly and gets people's vehicles dirty.  

Still 3 more days until that pull through motorcoach gets out of there.  It's the only one available for short term right now and I'm sort of regretting that. I think I could get more overnight business with 2 of them available and get rid of one of the back in short terms.  The next pull through out of there - which is probably going to be that rail worker - I'm going to go ahead and keep that one open as well as lot 5 pull through and see what happens. Maybe nothing, but there are several upcoming reservations for lot 5 so far.  I may not get as much interest in long term now that I've raised the price back up to $475 a month.  It's just that electric bills are going to eat my finances alive without doing something to mitigate it.  Meters are around $300 a piece.

Yes, that's just the meter.  So near 4 grand to outfit the entire park with them - out of the question.  

Well, it's getting near 8:00 am and the rain stopped about 45 minutes ago. I'm going to go over and see what the damage is. 

I pray the Lord's blessing that I can still get that trench backfilled today!

G'day

 Absolutely exhausted. 

I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to finish today. My arms were aching from shoveling and my legs felt like dead weights.  Wet feet, pants and shirt both from mud/moisture in the trench and sweating profusely - this is serious hard work, no machines involved with this.  

I persevered.  The absolute hardest part was, as I knew it would be, getting the sewer pipe at the correct pitch. It means cutting and gluing together pipe, putting it down in the trench and then using a level.  There was an area where I knew I had dug too deep but it was much deeper than I had originally suspected and I was there shoveling dirt to get the pipe at a good pitch for - hours actually. 

3 hours passed, looking at the clock I was shocked.  I was like, wait a minute, I haven't even started on the water pipe!  But I finally got the sewer pipe as far back as I could go - I actually ran out of pipe but it ended where i wanted it to so no worries.  

The water pipe was a rather involved process as well.  Turn off the water to the park, cut the 2 inch main and start installing fittings and a valve.  After that it was a fairly simple process of attaching 20 foot lengths and making turns and such. Finally getting that finished, I had to let it cure for 2 hours according to the directions.  I am not interested in having to do things twice, so 2 hours it was - but only from where I installed the valve right after where I cut the 2 inch main.  The rest of the pipe I just installed but didn't supply water to.  No need to, I just needed to be able to get the water back on to the park. It's actually NOW that two hours has passed since I started past the valve.  

Anyway, Got the water pipe in, used a couple of caps for temporary measure (just cut them off when I'm ready and attach more pipe) and then got started on the wiring. I guess the hardest part about that was just getting the screws out of the pedestal to feed the wire up in there.  After that little ordeal was accomplished, I was able to just unroll the wire all the way to the breaker box. 

I was sweating it on that one.  I actually ordered an extra 10 feet of wire when I made the order to ensure I had enough wire to make it there. Boy am I glad I did! I got next to the shed and began wondering if I was going to be able to make it to the breaker box?  A big sigh of relief when I got the wire up there and looped it around the box.  Just enough to do the job!

After that? Put everything away, get out of those filthy clothes - yes I brought clean clothes with me to the park, I wasn't going to repeat yesterday driving home like that - and then I saw it was 2 hours.  Turned the water back on at the street, turned off 2 spigots I had opened to help let air out and then went back to my new setup.  Opened the spigot there, lots of air came out but water eventually made it's way through and - no leaks : )

I would have been quite flustered if I would have had to rush up to Lowe's get more fittings and start that all over again.  I went to great pains to make sure everything was cleaned, primered and glued plus waiting the minimum length of time before putting it back under pressure.  In fact, I went to great pains on literally everything. The only thing I need to do tomorrow is situate the wiring a bit better, but that should only take a few minutes.  I'm not going to worry about the sewer pipe, it won't be under pressure and it all looks quite good.  

The point is I need to back fill all of it excepting right at the shed on one side and the rear of it.  I can fill in those trenches and get rid of that liability and also have lot 14 ready for my campers tomorrow.  They already paid, it's in the bank, this is what really pushed me to get this thing done - but it isn't the only reason.  I want to get this shed done and over with and I can tell ya, there's at least a good week if not two or more left of work to go in there. 

_____________

No official dinner tonight, no one felt like cooking, I am feeling better but still just not into doing anything for the rest of the day.  I made myself a sandwich and that was that. 

Meanwhile 25 days worth of reservations have been made for the 3 overnight lots cumulatively.  I would need many more than that to make it equal the amount I can get for long term. But I keep getting more reservations as people are planning long trips and find my rates to be more than desirable.  I'm hoping this pans out to much more reservations.  However, the "mix" of long term and short term apparently needs to be enough to not have your RV park become reclassified as a mobile home park.  I don't want that.  I might want a mobile home park someday, somewhere, but not there, not if at all possible anyway.  Mobile home lot rentals don't really make much more than what I am now with one exception: mobile home parks always make the tenants pay for their own electricity. It is added to the monthly bill.  

Lots of RV parks do that too, I just haven't gotten there yet.  

I'm definitely on the lowest side of charging daily and weekly rates, especially considering these 50 amp hookups. Anything that needs 50 amps is using a lot of power and gobbling up profit. I'm thinking of a modest raise in my nightly rate to help offset that.  Probably go $28 per night and keep it in the 20's range and still make it appear as if people are getting a great deal! lol, they actually are, if you look around, you aren't going to find much in the 20's range that has full hookups and 50/30 amp electrical connections.  

I'm feeling my way through this. Yes, I did ample research.  Yes, I know what I 'should' be getting per night, but it isn't panning out because it's new, it doesn't yet have the other amenities and it only has one google review so far.  I dunno why it's so hard to get google reviews.  

Tomorrow is up early and over to the rental place. They have several bobcats for rent there, hopefully there is one available.  I just can't hand-fill those trenches. There is far too much dirt there.  It will take me less than an hour to back fill everything which will give ample time to go dig up some of that river rock and put it where there is only going to be dirt on the pad on site 14. 

And then, if there's time, I'll use the bucket, extend it all the way down and use it as a blade to make the intended Hipcamp area a bit more leveled. And if there is time after that - I will get more river rock from the back and put some down where the huge mess in the driveway is.  Perhaps the driveway should take precedence over the hipcamp setup.

Or perhaps, I really just need to rent that damn thing for 24 hours and get it all done.  I can blade out the side of the driveway better than with that mini ex and then fill in over where all the mud is with river rock if there is enough rock and get it a little better.  I really need truckloads of gravel - just not in the mix right now.  However, I may just have to eat it and say, nope, I need at least one truckload out here.  

I'll have to make my  mind up quickly, I would need that bobcat to push the gravel where it's needed and get it situated nicely.  It would be a "now or never" thing, or really, not now but sometime in the future.

Anyway, we are going to watch a show on tv together and I'm outta here. 

 My guess of around $500 was spot on.  Electric bills. There are two of them since there are 2 main meters.  Still don't much care for that setup, they could have done a 400 amp main meter and then subbed it if necessary, that way I wouldn't have to get 2 bills with 2 service fees. The bills add up to just a few dollars short of $500.

Summertime, I can expect that to double or even triple, unfortunately.  I knew this going into this, however and I will eat whatever I have to eat.  

I think it adds to the argument of leaving 3 short term spaces open.  Those more than pay for themselves in electric usage and I am starting to lean towards leaving back-in lot 11 open or even asking one of the ones on one of the pull throughs to move their trailer.  However, the power company worker isn't going to be there forever, when he leaves his pull-through will be opened up.  So maybe I should find a tenant for lot 11 and then after a pull through opens up, I will leave that open for travelers.  1 back in space at lot 14 and 2 pull throughs at lots 4 and 5.  AS of the moment, all 3 spaces are generating enough in the next 30 days to pay for one and a half long term rental spaces.  I'll need more bookings to cover the rest, obviously.  I'm pretty frim at this point, however, in raising the monthly rate. I've got people in there, I'm making some money, that was the point.  None of those people save the older couple are "permanent". Even the older couple may leave at some point, who knows?  

Ok, well I got up a few minutes ago and noted the room was pretty dark.  It's daytime, it should be much brighter in here. Opening the blinds and looking out? Very dark skies.  Yet, on the radar, it shows no rain anywhere near us.  I hope so, I have plenty to do today.  I'll have about 6 solid hours for working - and probably getting parts if necessary - before I'll have to quit and go get the boys.  It's Thursday and that's just the way it works.  I don't mind it and it will just motivate me to get the work done.  I have determined after more thinking about it where I want to end the sewer pipe for now - which is basically all the way to the main driveway side of the shed.  I want most of the open trenches covered up and I don't want to rent a machine only to leave a lot of hand back-filling to do.  Makes no sense and I have the time to get it done.  

I just know I have some manual back-filling to do today and that's not really going to be fun.  I should have put some dirt back in there when I was on the mini-ex.  It just didn't look like it was that much to backfill for laying the sewer pipe, didn't really think it would be as bad as it is. I say "bad" as in a lot of energy and a lot of heavy breathing.  The soil is heavy with water/moisture and it's quite a bit of work.  

Anyway, however long it takes, I'll finish the sewer pipe as far as I need to go and then I'll run the water pipe. That will mean turning off the water and oh well.  I notified the older couple last night.  They didn't care, they want the laundry as much as everyone else.  I'm definitely running 2 of each outlet for 2 dryers and 2 washers in case the usage gets to be too much and I find the setup needing more machines.  Right now? No thanks.  I've got enough payments and bills.  

Well, while I'm contemplating all of these things, my morning coffee is luxurious.  It's a nice start to a day that I know is going to be filled with working in a wet trench with lots of mud.  I would just let it dry out and wait, but you know, that pesky deadline. Those people are coming tomorrow afternoon, the lot has to be ready. And Lord willing, it will be!  It may not look so nice with fresh dirt and I am going to have to bring some of that river rock from the back to fill in where there will be a dirt line a foot and a half wide going through the pad itself. But it will be ready.  

Oh. And I was thinking about "too much pitch" for downward travel on the sewer line.  I know there is an issue if you don't have enough pitch, but what about too much? Well, the first site I read says you shouldn't have too much pitch because solids and water can separate leaving the solid sitting inside the pipe and the water long gone.

But then I got onto a plumber's forum and a large number of them said that is an old wive's tale, that is something from the past. Newer pipe is much more slippery - and I've seen old pipe compared to new and that is correct - and it is no longer an issue. I say this because there is a good 20-30 feet where the pitch is probably "more" than it "should" be.  My fears alleviated, I can go about my business lol.  

Well, get a second cup of coffee and head over there.  I have another month, I'm guessing, maybe 2, before I either see some miraculous amount of overnighters coming through saving my butt or I have to go back to driving.  I have been putting it off, obviously and for good reason: I hate trucking.  I dunno if the Hipcamp spots will take off or not? Just no idea. If they don't, I'll advertise them as boondocking sites and charge $15 per night.  That's for regular RV's.  If that doesn't work, I'll turn it into a long term storage place for boats, rv's and what have you. If that doesn't work, then I spend money for nothing lol.  However, I now understand it can take time to get on the map as an RV park, it will likely take time to get on the map as a Hipcamp preferred site for campers.  

I'm still waiting on the appraisal dude to get out there and take a look.  I'm not sure if he's qualified to give an appraisal that a bank will accept, but his site says he's a state certified appraisal expert. He appears to be more in the business of selling homes and property more than anything. 

Oh well, I need to get out of here.

G'day. 

 Another long day. It's going to be like this for a while, but I do reserve Sundays as a day off.  But right now, I have a deadline to meet and I intend on meeting it, rain or not.

And yes, it did rain today.  It rained heavily, in fact and it turned the trench into a mud pit. I got to the property this morning, looked around - gotta pay attention to minutia, I want a clean park free from trash, hoarding and debris.  And I want my damned picnic table back.  I will probably ask James to come help me load it up on the trailer and haul one of them back to the fire pit.  I don't care which one, either, neither of those people asked about simply taking it. In fact, it may just well be the first people.  

Anyway, I laid out the sewer pipe so that I can just grab the next piece in line from inside the trench, no need to climb out every time.  I got everything out I could remember that I would need. I then hunted down the primer and the glue.  I don't know what it is about these bottles of primer, but even with the lid tightly shut? They will still leak out if it's tipped over.

And tipped over it was and empty it was.  It got dark. I looked up at the sky, it was like night time only a few miles away and heading my way.  Rain.  Of course, it's going to rain.  Why not?  Oh! And I was examining the 4 inch sewer pipe end, they actually had installed an female adapter (I don't make these terms up, folks, the industry made these terms up long ago) on the end of the pipe and a plug! Instead of having to cut that all apart, I simply needed to get male adapter that also adapts to the sewer pipe from the PVC Sch40 pipe.  I wondered if I could even find such a creature?

Up to Lowe's.  After much searching, yes indeed, they did have the adapter and it was relatively cheap.  Got some plumber's putty and more glue and primer and a case of paper towels. The trench was wet, muddy and nasty, have to have clean fittings before putting primer and glue on them.

Lowe's is across the street from Chili's and Taylor was already there, so met up for lunch.  I don't eat before noon while dieting anymore. I don't really feel like eating before noon, it's just a habit I've gotten into I guess. But, I was starving and gulped down a hamburger without the bun and a salad minus the croutons.  It rained the entire time I was going to Lowe's, at Lowe's and at Chili's.  

Definitely wondered about getting anything done.  I got back to the property and found the portion of the trench where you start - which is the end of the sewer line for the lots - covered in dirty water. I stood there looking at it for a while. I knew if I were to go down into that trench, my feet would sink well down into that mud even if I get rid of the water.  I was tempted to go home.  But, the deadline got into my mind. I put on my work boots and got down into that mess and yes, my boots sunk down to the ankles.  

Whatever.  Unscrewed the plug, the water drained into it.  Dug down underneath it, installed the adapter and away we go!  I got all the way up to the shed. Not where I wanted to quit at, about 3 lengths of pipe away from getting to that point, but I did get to the shed area.  It took me 3 hours to get to the shed. It's because I had to keep dumping dirt and getting the pipe on an uphill slope. Not a steep slope, but enough to let - stuff - slide down it and water as well without any pooling.  I will be checking the entire length of it with a level again before I call it final.  I don't need to do things twice that can be done right the first time.  I stopped at an area next to the shed where I dug too deep, knew I dug too deep at the time but it was because I was digging a side trench that T's with the main trench to install water line there.  And then there's another one where the sewer line goes. Then around a corner and up to where the electrical line will go to the breaker box. After I get the pipe past the breaker box? I'm going to stop there.  

And I was quite filthy by the time it started getting late and I was out of energy.  

It will take at least half the day tomorrow to get everything installed and to the point where I want it to be.  I am likely going to rent a bobcat for a 4 hour stint, by the time I get that stuff in that trench, I am not going to want to also have to move huge mounds of dirt.  That's machine work and it will cost me around $150 for 4 hours.  In fact, I probably won't do that until Friday morning, I will still have time before those people show up. Check-in time isn't until 1:00 pm.  If they show up before then, they can take lot 11 and that's that.  

I will be able to use the bobcat to do some more dirt work on the driveway as well. I didn't quite get it with the mini-ex as noted today after it had rained.  It dawned on me while contemplating that that I have that river rock that I can't use for the application I used it for. I can scoop a lot of that up with the 
bobcat and put it on the end of the trailer.  I can at least dump some kind of rock on that mess.  I can see that taking a couple of hours.  I can see pushing dirt back into the trench and compacting it with the bobcat taking no more than an hour at most.  It's just not that much work - for a machine with hydraulics.  

In fact, there are lots of things I could do with a bobcat, but I don't want to rent it more than 4 hours.  It's just too much money right now.  

Oh! On all of the lots, there is a sewer outlet. It's a piece of 4 inch PVC sch40 sticking up out of the ground with a female adapter on it and a plug in the adapter.  A person wanting to use it simply removes the plug and puts their sewer hose adapter into the 4 inch sewer adapter.  Well, I was taking it off on lot 14 today, I wanted to look down in there to ensure I wasn't going to be welcomed by a wonderful surprise when I opened up the plug in the adapter that is in the ground.  Nothing there, thankfully - but - the entire adapter just came right off.  

I examined that - they didn't put any glue on it.  I contacted the contractor asking about it.  Is this a fluke? The contractor got offended, acting as if I were accusing him of doing something malicious. No, no, no, I'm trying to understand what y'all did here? He said most people don't use the adapter and so they don't glue it on there.  I was perplexed.  "Well how do you connect a sewer line to a bare, plain-end pipe that has nothing for it to connect to? 

I didn't hear back from him for a while.  He didn't answer the question, he was wrong but didn't want to admit it.  I don't really care, I just wanted to know if they are ALL like that.  If they are, I am gluing them all onto the pipe. Not a single person has tried to pry the adapter off the top of the pipe, NO ONE.  There isn't anything for the sewer adapter to hold onto.  It would just be sitting on there and easily just - fall off and dump poop water all over the place. Gross. 

When I was at Lowe's, they have those RV sewer lines and adapters.  They ALL have threaded ends on them to SCREW INTO THE ADAPTER THAT IS COMING UP OUT OF THE GROUND. However, there are 2 hooks on opposite sides that one could possibly clamp it onto - if the pipe has nubs sticking  out of it for them to grab onto. No, those pipes don't have that.  

I just let it go.  I may very well need his services again - he is the most reputable septic system installer and maintenance company in the entire region.  He said he was sending guys out to glue all of them. No worries, I said, the park is near full and I can glue this one on myself.  He insisted anyway, but I said no, it's really not necessary. I am at lot 14 right now, in a trench, installing pipe with the same glue that would be needed to glue down that adapter.  It all ended well enough. 

Well, I want to watch a The Big Valley rerun that I stated watching last night before I got to sleepy and just shut it off in the middle of the show, lol.  And I have another long day tomorrow to prepare, time to get offa here.