Tuesday - morning, semi-early

I don't have to be at the plant in Lufkin until 1:00 pm.  And Lufkin is only 90 miles from here.  I don't have to load the truck, either.  So, I will probably leave here around 10:30 am, stop at Love's and fuel up and perhaps I will be at the plant a little early.  Who knows. I don't need to be with another driver to load since I am not loading the truck.  It's nothing different than the myriad of plants I was in and out of in the last job.  Pull up on the scale, go in the guard shack, tell them I've never been here before, they will know what to do next after I tell them what I'm loading. 

Watching Israel/Hamas war scenario on the news. Nothing has changed, it doesn't appear, since I was watching this stuff yesterday.  Biden's intended trip is, IMO, nothing more than a political stunt.  He'll taunt his "record" of having to go into a war-torn country that is currently in the middle of a war.  I can tell you right now, the person that tops the list or is very near the top for doing something unbelievable like that is Trump. Walking across the demilitarized zone with a relative handful of security agents into an extremely hostile nation.  

Anyway, we still don't have a House Speaker, they are taking a vote this morning?  And apparently there aren't enough votes for Jordan, who is feverishly attempting to make the dissenters happy.  How, I have no idea.  How long do we go on without a Speaker? No idea. 

So, I am going to have to get with the program and get that area behind the shed done so I can pull the truck through there. There is no way I will want to drive that truck back to the back when it rains, it turns into a mud pit back there and I can imagine getting stuck and trying to somehow get it out of there without having to call a tow truck.  The area behind the shed can get wet but it won't turn into a mud pit.  I just need it as a turn around.  

What it means is backfilling about 10 feet of not-too-deep trench that I had made back there to install power lines, that idea is defunct and I gave up on that.  Clear out the brush, not terribly much of that either, cut some branches off of trees, move my trailer to some other location and it "should" be good.  I'm pretty sure there is enough room to basically make a wide U-turn.  I'm not positive about that, but these trailers are only like 42 feet long.  

I'm not necessarily sold on this company yet, they are probably not necessarily sold on me, either.  Once I start offloading without supervision they will probably become more relaxed with my employment there.  I, however, am thinking about working 7 days a week and know that this isn't what i signed up for. But, as always, recruiters lie, leave out important facts that you don't know to ask about and other things that are critical information for a driver to figure out whether he wants to work there or not.  She did tell me about the lower paychecks and I can see that being true with such few miles.

This job is a supplement to my income, not the main source of it.  I already have a full time job doing the RV park - well it's not really full time, but there is enough to do over there.  

The trailer I am pulling has a significant amount of damage to the passenger side. They know about this and apparently aren't going to fix it. I consider it a magnet for troopers to pull me over.  I've been pulled over for damaged trailers before.  And have gotten into arguments with troopers about it.  If it doesn't affect the operation of the trailer or it's safety, it is irrelevant.  But, troopers will still argue about it anyway.

Just a few things that affect my thinking about whether to work for a place - or not.  I will likely start looking for another local job. No rush, but see if anything comes along that is better. Trucking is not a good industry to be in if you're looking for specific hours unless you are willing to trade off money for a more structured lifestyle. It would help if I could get earlier load/offload times, but I'm sure other drivers have that via seniority. I would be off work today, for example, around 1 or 2 this afternoon instead of 5 or 6.  Actually, it may not be that late, I'm just padding it for psychological reasons. If I'm loading at 1:00 pm, it should be over with by 2 and then back to my yard by 4.  So, I say 5 or 6 in case it just doesn't work out that way.  

Well, I'm going to go to the park early.  Get the trailer sealed up, do my tablet work, make sure the thing will fire up, stuff like that.  

G'day

 Long day. Didn't help that I didn't sleep worth a poo bears bad toilet paper. 

It was drive up to the yard, sit there for 3 hours getting acquainted with people and waiting on a mechanic to do his inspection of the truck, 45 miles east to a washout facility to pick up a trailer and then back home.  It's the sleep stuff that gets me. If I don't get a decent night's sleep, I'm just fighting through the day with fatigue and just doing things to keep myself attentive. 

Back to my yard at the property, parked the truck, took note of the fact that I am going to have some serious work to do to make that area behind the shed accessible for turning that truck around, noticed the new dog dung trash can was already completely full and overflowing - that was odd.  I just put that thing out there 2 days ago, actually a day and a half ago.  It's not a huge trash can but to see it that full already? 

So I took the bag out, put it in the big trash can and put a fresh bag in there.  

The New Jersey lady came out of her trailer as I was getting out of my freshly parked truck.  I didn't know you drove big rigs?!  37 years of it. 

Taylor came and picked me up, thankfully, she is in her own hell with that baby causing her constant pain. They are going to induce it with some kind of drug to come out early. Like a few weeks early, but she still has a couple weeks to wait until they can do that.  Home, no dinner, got out the pork chops, made that, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn - simple, quick and filling.  Did dishes, made lunch for tomorrow even tho it's a late start, one more thing nixed off the list of things to do.

Trust me when I say that although that sounds like a lot, and frankly it is, I don't have near the energy to do that every day for the next 11 days that it would take to carry that out on a daily basis.  Because yes, I am to work for 11 more days and then get a weekend off.  I'm pretty sure I can't keep that kind of schedule, but we'll see.  Tomorrow, for example, is just drive to Lufkin, load and come back.  That's not even 4 hours of driving total for the day.  

Today was an oddball because of having to go up there for a trailer and to meet everyone and get the truck looked at.  That won't likely happen again anytime soon.  I very much do not like Arkansas 2 lane highways, only because the speed limits are mostly 55mph.  Feels like you're barely moving.  

And when I got to the wash out place, I didn't know what I was doing and had to ask the workers.  So, you leave that lid open like that? Yes, the inside of the trailer has to dry out.  Oh.  But we can do whatever you want...nooo, no no, I'm learning here, new to washouts, I just needed to know it's okay to drive down the road with that lid opened like that. Yes, they do it all the time.  

The Lufkin trip will not always be as fast as tomorrow should be, that's because you have to take the trailer to a washout before you go to the plant to load.  I won't have to do that since I just picked the trailer up at a washout up in Arkansas.  They suggested that I drive 50-100 miles and then pull over and close everything up.  I didn't do that, I just drove it back to my property and will deal with it in the morning.  I think it's the idea that it should all be closed before you arrive at the shipper.  

I will never have to load trucks, I will likely always have to offload.  Wednesday, I will follow another driver up to the plant in Gurdon to have a one day training session. That should be all it takes.  Actually, I have it down now that I had what they want done explained today. The last part that I was struggling with is easy now.  

They want you to chase out the product with air, water, air just like you would do if you're pumping off. Why? I don't know, it only adds a few minutes to the process, not a big deal... once you get to the final part of air pressure in the delivery line, you just go close the plant valve. You already closed the internal and hand valve on your trailer.  The rest is just putting everything away.  The idea is to get everything out of the delivery line before putting it up at the plant.  The next person comes along and doesn't have a heavy line loaded up with product sitting in there.  Makes sense, but they don't do that at all with the Oregon drivers unless it's a pump off.

I'm learning.  Lots more to learn, there is yet another plant to load at and a different plant to offload at after I get this one down.  Then, it's alternate between the two as dispatch need arises.  The only difference between the offload plants is the other one you have to use your own hose.  Which looks like a true pain because the hose is on a rack mounted to the back of the truck and you have to get that hose way up high to get it over the rack and then strap it down. Those hoses are heavy. 

I think the only thing I'm really objecting to right now is this idea of working 12 days in a row, if you count today, which you would.  And doing that all the time.  12 days on, 2 off? That's a bit much.....BUT...if I"m home a lot that helps.  It sounds like, at least with this Lufkin/gurdon run, that the first day doing Lufkin is a pretty short day and the second day, not a lot more. Gurdon is only 2 hours and 15 minutes from here.  It's up there, deliver, and back. 

Just the first time will take many more hours because I will be with the guy delivering his load and then he will come with me delivering mine.  Same product, same plant, just a training day.  Get this training junk over with and really, this isn't a big deal - I think. Probably gets old doing the same thing over and over, just gotta keep in mind that I have an end game here.

But I can't really determine how the end game plays out until I see a "normal" paycheck.  This next coming paycheck won't be normal because it will be that 2,700 mile trip and a few days from working in Oregon.  

If I'm calculating this correctly - my mind is jumping all over the place right now - it really shouldn't be more than 6-7 hours per day with 8 at most on any given day.  That is nothing in the trucking world.  

Meanwhile, I just had to write an owner's draw check from the business account and pay myself. Yes, I got a nice chunk of change for the first paycheck from this company, but it's almost gone already.  This  was my financial state of affairs that took a huge hit from these excessively high electric bills.  As I said a month ago,  and a few months ago, I knew September was my deadline and that I possibly could make it going into October. I was spot on with that and I had actually predicted that many months before I ever got there.  

So, these new RV'ers hadn't even left yet when I get back today.  They have no idea what they're doing but they definitely enjoyed my park, they told me that in no uncertain terms and the lady said she hadn't slept so well in ages. That's all she did, sleep, take the dogs out to do their thing, back to sleep.  Hey, I ain't judging people's vacations, I'd absolutely love to be able to sleep like that!  

Anyway, I just went incognito to check out my website and book a site.  There is a field you can click that says "view terms and conditions". It says plainly you have to be out by noon unless you call us first and ask if you can stay longer, and then, if the lot isn't going to be used, you can stay until 3:00 pm, after that, you will pay another night's stay. The catch here is this: You must click on the field that says "I have read and agree to the terms and conditions" before you can finish the reservation.  

I said nothing to them. Let some other RV park that is strict about it's rules confront them, I felt it unnecessary considering I didn't have anyone else coming in and they had had such a nice, relaxing stay. Why ruin it for them?  Leave on a negative note? What possible good does that serve?  The only way I would have said something is if someone else came in - for their lot - and called me telling me their lot is already taken. Huh?  

I guess you could call today a productive day, yes it was.  I'm just concerned about the toll it might take having to work every single day for almost 2 weeks, even if it's a light schedule. I'll miss church this coming weekend as well.  Not a fan of that idea at all.  

Oh, there's probably $300 worth of quarters in those machines at the park right now. I opened one up and was shocked to see the thing almost completely full.  I get paid on the 22cd, I think I'll wrap those quarters up, deposit it into my account and give it to James. I own him for the drywall work. I started paying him last paycheck, it would be nice to get him paid up. That way he isn't going to hesitate about asking him to do other stuff as it arises.  I can trust James to do things right.  I don't have to worry whether he'll half-@$$ something, he never does anything without a calculated thought of doing it right the first time regardless of how long it takes him to do it.

I did not pull the quarters out. I had nothing to put them in.  

That's it.  I don't know how I can have all of this energy after doing everything I've done today. I am not tired now that I think about it, hopefully that will change after I get myself into bed and turn something on on the tv.  I don't have to get up early, that's a beautiful thing.  I can only hope I can get a decent amount of sleep tonight.  Like, go to bed at 10:30, get up at 7:00 am, get stuff done, get out of here, get the Lufkin stuff over with.  I should be home between 5:00 and 6:00 pm if my thoughts about how long it should take are correct.

Should be close.  I did a large number of these loads in Oregon, same stuff here as there, over and over.  It's about an hour - hour and 15 from start to finish.  I'm not going with that other guy to do this.  I'm not loading the trailer so it's just a matter of finding the entrance, finding the scale and tell them I have never been in there before, what do I do now? No different than the myriad of different new places I went into with the previous job.  Giant plants, send someone to escort me or give me a map.  

Expect when I arrive to question that I'm at the right place and getting the correct product.  My anxieties about how all of this works are starting to fade.  It's completely new to me, but the training has been good and I've been exposed to it over and over.  The only thing that sucked was the fatigue, lack of sleep and yes, I tell them that when they ask. How was training? I tell them about that horrid bunkhouse, how they can believe that anyone can get a decent night's sleep in that abomination and why they subject new drivers to such nightmarish conditions.

Lol, well, that is probably going to stick with me forever.  When some of the reviews said things like: "Run, don't walk, run from this place" they weren't far off.  You can't expect decent help when you are putting people through such a wretched, vile, nightmarish process.  I'm not 20 years old, thank you very much.  

With that? I bid you a good evening, lol. I'm not depressed about that experience now, I'm still paying for it tho.  I doubt you ever truly get caught up on losing such a large amount of sleep. I told the new manager quite bluntly that I will never stay in that place again.  If there was some reason they wanted me to go back for some training or whatever, it will be a hotel or it will be nothing.

Oh, btw, it's Christmas at Walmart! and a lot of other stores, lmao.

G'nite.  

 There are 3 ways to get to the yard that are truck friendly. All of them add almost 40 miles to the trip.  The ways to get there that are much shorter are not truck friendly, have low bridge weight tolerances and you get busted bad if you're caught overweight going over them.  I don't have any way to get up there legally without having to go through weigh stations.  I despise weigh stations, I normally get green lighted through, but I still don't like going through them.  

Lunch, update logs, fire up the truck, put my boots in the cubbyhole, get the tablet and recharge it, etc.  Getting ready for tomorrow.  All of those logs have to be verified even tho I haven't driven all week long.  You know, FSCMA rules and all.  And troopers.  And the possibility of getting pulled into a scale house. There are several ways up there, but anyh way I choose to go? They are  open more often than not.  

I want everything ready since it's up at 5:00 am, shave, shower, enjoy a cuppa or two and then hit the road.  Just have to get a bag of clothes in the truck. Always must have a least a change of clothes, that just-in-case syndrome where something might happen you don't go home that day.  It's 99.999999999% guaranteed that will happen eventually.  

I will only be going to the yard, meeting people, hopefully getting some things fixed, hooking up to a trailer and going back to the Park.  That's where I intend on parking the truck. There will be no hazmat loads, apparently, so that's acceptable.  You can't leave hazmat unless it's in a locked, gated, fenced, secured yard.  I don't remember if it has to have cameras, but every one of those yards I have ever been in have 24 hour monitoring.  

____________

Monday - early

Up, truck started (barely), getting things ready to go.  Got up early so I could deal with things without being in a rush.  It should just be drive up to the yard, meet/greet, get info about loading and offloading, perhaps a few things fixed on the truck, grab a trailer and leave.  I would say 3 hours up there but who knows.  If that is true, I would then guess around a 9 hour day, home around 3:00 pm.  

We'll see if that fairy tale comes to pass.  On a "normal" day, which starts tomorrow I suppose, I do wonder what a typical day will entail in terms of hours.  I'm going to catch a little news before heading out to see what is up in Israel.

G'day

 Sunday  mid-morning

Been up for quite a while, actually, getting stuff done.  I'm on my last day of freedom before the grind of daily working comes to pass. I can tell right off the dispatcher is going to be a problem.  She came right off as all the host of other trucking dispatchers that don't care about your personal life, you will drive the truck and that will be that.  I don't want to clash with anyone, but I feel like she is going to want me working 7 days a week in perpetuity and that isn't going to happen. I could see possibly working a weekend here and there, but I am not working 7 days a week. They don't even force you to do that in long haul trucking.  

____________

Went to church, over to the park to confirm the 2 night stay had left - which they hadn't. I have a long term coming in today, so that kind of got me going.  Went straight home, pulled up their phone number and called them.  This is the RV Park, what time were y'all planning on leaving today?  He replied he is at the entrance to the driveway and will be hooking up and leaving immediately, he and his wife had gone to breakfast with their student they have at one of the local colleges and were just now returning.

Ok, I thought, breathing a huge sigh of relief. My long term is coming in at 3:00 it was only 12:30, so we're good.  I said no problem then, I have someone coming in at 3:00 so I was getting a little concerned.  I don't have any other empty lots and won't have until tomorrow, unless the other QuickTrip worker is staying. He's due to pay his rent today but he's not home.  I saw him a few days ago, seeing that guy is pretty sporadic.  

I turned the battery charger off this morning to the truck and now, 6 hours later, fired it up.  A little sluggish but that's the way it was when I first got into it in Oregon.  An interior light was left on - the kids got into the thing a week ago and turned the lights on, unbeknownst to me and left them on after they got out.  I saw one of them and turned that off, but yesterday I noticed yet another one on.  Any lights left on in a vehicle, obviously, will eventually wear the battery/ies down.  

I only say all of that because at 6:00 am tomorrow, I will be leaving out of here for the yard in Arkansas. I don't want to be having to fool with jumper cables, battery charger and hoping I can get the thing to fire up.  Presumably, I'm meeting the manager and the dispatcher, hopefully getting some things fixed on the truck, pickup up a trailer, coming home and then loading in Lufkin, I believe it was.  Lufkin is something like an hour and a half from here, so a 10:00 load time is pretty easy.  Come back here, leave the next morning at whatever time I will need to leave to go up somewhere in Arkansas and deliver, then back here, down to Lufkin, etc.  

Then, I will be put on another dedicated run that is similar but is more miles, I believe.  I dunno, but I'm both ready to get started with this and at the same time, ready to just stay home and deal with my park, lmao.  No worries, I'm sure I'll get with the program and get into this situation as much as I can, but I can foresee butting heads about weekend work.  Need not go into that again, I'll deal with it as best as I can without getting myself fired.  Tho, if they express to me that they expect me to work on weekends in contradiction to what the recruiter said, I will be looking for another job.  And good luck to them finding someone like me that is willing to take lessor pay for the home time.  

It's a good problem to have in having a full park and trying to keep it that way. The family backed out, I know because I called them this morning.  I would have had to cancel a man that wanted to come in today if this family was actually coming, but I had this feeling they were not going to follow through.  I texted them twice last night with no reply.  I called them an hour ago and they said no, it's too far away.  It pissed me off, actually, because I was going to cancel the other person coming in, I had to leave them on hold while I figured this out.  

THIS is why many RV parks require a deposit to hold a lot, a non-refundable deposit and I'm thinking of doing the same thing now.  This lady tried to tell me she "had just now seen my texts from last night". BS and in a pig's eye.  You just now saw texts sent over 15 hours ago?  Please.  I would have lost this other person's business and he has been in the park before. He has a nice looking trailer, he's quiet, doesn't bother anyone, perfect type of people to have in there.  I think the reason this lady "changed" her mind is because I was asking for the condition of the trailer. I forgot to ask when she first called but once I remember it, I wasn't leaving it to chance.  It may very well be they have a trashy looking trailer and that is what really got them to just blow me off.  

I could have directed them to the trailer trash parks nearby if they so needed.  

So, just checking the camera, the 2 nighters just left and this other guy is coming in in about an hour and 15 minutes.  This keeps my park full. Tomorrow, the 3 nighters are leaving and then that lot will be empty.  So currently, just the quik trip dude. I will be going over later to see if he's home again.  I can't see his lot from the camera and I really need to get about 4 more cameras over there to be able to see everything.   

I'm seeing several days of rain next week after this one coming.  Like, if it were true, I could put down the grass seed. It's amazing that there are several patches of rye grass coming up around the place. I put down far too much seed last year, some of it must have gotten into the dirt and waiting for cool temps to come back out?  Rye grass doesn't come back such as Bermuda, it has to be replanted every year. Hence, pain in the butt but the seed is far less expensive than any variety of summer grasses. The price went up, but not that much on the rye grass. $39 instead of the $35 I was paying last year. That's at a local mom and pop feed store, everywhere else is much higher.  

___________

Phone call.  Hey, I'm here at the park but lot 1 is taken!  I look through the camera, who on earth pulled in there? The 2 nighters were already gone, I verified that earlier.  Ugh. I replied I'd be over there in 10 minutes to find out who is doing what there, cause' there isn't anyone else slated to come in today.  Well, lot 2 is open! he says. Ohhhh, ok, the dude at lot 2 moved to lot 1.  We're all good, you can take lot 2 and you won't have to move again.  

Went over there, grabbed my month's rent from him and then lot 1 wanted to get into this long, unbelievable conversation.  I mean, seriously.  Dude.  I finally said I need to go.  It's Sunday afternoon and I have stuff to do. Yup, I up and left lol.  

The QuikTrip dude wasn't home, as usual. Hit and miss with him, I'll keep going over there until I see him.  Actually,  he has until tomorrow noon to either pay or leave.  But if he intends on staying, it's not like he's going to call me or anything.  He'll just stay there until I finally get a hold of him.  

Well, enough of this.  I'm going to relax for a while and then go out and check to see if the truck is going to start.  I kind of think it will now that the lights are off in the thing.  Make some lunch for tomorrow ot take with me and get my computer in the truck - I will be taking the laptop with me in case there is something that needs to be dealt with for the park. There is no smart phone app for the software.

 Saturday - semi early

Got up early, just now getting to blogging.  The kids left with grandma half an hour ago, they'll be gone until next Saturday.  It's some sort of vacation - kids get lots of them nowadays from school - Taylor, James and I will be working and they would have had to pay for day care for them to stay home. Grandma coming was an easy fix, tho I don't know about staying up there an entire week. The youngest starts getting homesick and asking for mommy.  

The trucking company called yesterday.  This time, it was a lady who had an Oregon prefix, so I assumed it was headquarters calling about something. She didn't introduce herself on the phone and I began to wonder if it was a person calling about an RV lot, these people do that a lot.  Instead, she started asking me if I wanted a load for tomorrow?  I was quite hesitant for a number of reasons.  This conversation, however, started out with things other than trucking so I had no clue who she was and only half way into the conversation did she identify herself as my dispatcher and that I should save this number.  

What kind of person calls you in that type of role and doesn't even bother to explain who she is?  The manager was over hearing the conversation and eventually took over the phone call. Why don't we have you come in Monday morning, preferably early and we can meet in person, get the truck fixed and work this out?  Ok, was my reply, Monday was my desired start day anyway.  Providing everything goes ok, the truck will be fixed, I"ll grab a trailer, go home after all of that and then head to Lufkin, I believe, to load and then back to the house.  Then to the facility to offload the next day, rinse, lather, repeat.  

We'll see. I tend to get stressed about new jobs and doing things I haven't done before. In this case, I've done it but only with supervision.  However, there was a twist in this situation, or sounded like one anyway, where you air, water, air at the end instead of just pushing the final amount of product through the hose to the customer's tank.  That procedure was done only for pump offs in Oregon, not for air offs. So I'll be asking direct questions about that when I get up there Monday.  I want to know what the plant and management want of me in this endeavor long before I ever arrive at a plant to offload.  

But, out of memory:  Enter plant, find the tank. Ensure it is the correct tank by matching the numbers and name on the tank with the numbers and name on the paperwork.  Check to ensure the tank has enough room to take an entire truckload.  Open the valve on the top of the tank to let air pressure in.  Put down the mats and the buckets under connection points - which should only be 2, one on the tanker and one on the customer tank.  Hook up the hose, taking the lids off slowly to allow any product to drip into the buckets.  Make sure you put the velcro straps around the arms that hold the lids on - this ensure the arms don't fall back and let the hose come off during offload. 

Hook up the airline.  Go find someone to sign off on everything.  Turn on the air pressure, open the valve on the customer's tank, then on the tanker and let'er rip.  The hose will start cavitating when the tanker is empty.  But leave it do that a minute to ensure the product is all out of there and you also check by lifting up the hose, it should be light.  In fact, you pick up the hose after you start offloading to check the weight of it so you know when you are at the end.  If it's an air, water, air situation, then you close the valves on the tanker.

You hook the air hose up to the bleeder valve where the hose connects to the tanker.  Turn that on for a minute.  Then hook a water hose up to the same valve and turn that on for a few minutes and yes, it does pump water into the customer's tank and they apparently don't care.  Turn off the water, remove the hose and put the air hose back on, pushing any product back through and while you have pressure on, turn off the valve to the customer's tank.  Unhook the air hose and let the pressure out and then unhook the delivery hose at the customer's tank and then the tanker, putting the lids back on and the velcro strap around the arms.  Put their hose away, roll up their air hose and put that away, roll up the water hose and put that away.  

Now you open up the valve where the air line was attached to the tanker to allow pressure to build in the tank and let all of that pressure out.  It comes out through the top, there is no worries of any product coming out.  You can just leave that valve open even driving down the road until it's pressure free, it's just air coming out.  You put their buckets and tarps away and you are done, you can leave.  It's like an hour process.  I forgot, you have to put out the storm drain tarp over the drain if there is one in case of an event.  Event is not something you want to have happen, obviously.  

But I have this down in my mind pretty well, I think about it daily to keep it fresh in my mind and not start forgetting stuff.  I wrote this out to see how much I remember, all of it really. I would have remembered the storm drain thing if I had been there. It's just sequence.  Some places don't allow you on top of the tanker unless they provide a set of stairs, meaning you have to open that valve before you enter the plant.  All of that and more is what I spent 9 days memorizing.  And doing, plus learning how to load, but it turns out we don't load, we only offload.  Loading is actually easier than offloading.  

As for today? Well, the Fire Ant Festival is going on downtown so apparently we are going to go walk around and check everything out.  I'm just going to enjoy my 2 days remaining off and then get up at 5 am Monday, get dressed and ready to go and hopefully go out and turn the truck on.  I have had the battery charger on there now for about 15 hours or longer.  It should fire right up.  

Oh, I have a mother and her kid moving in on Sunday - but I forget to ask her about the condition of her trailer.  People try to pull fast ones on me.  I don't want junk in there.  

Yesterday, I mowed down everything around the fire pit I built last year.  Or was it earlier this year? Well, whenever it was, it took many hours to get all of those weeds down and mulched up.  I just went over and over it while at the same time, I built a huge fire in the thing to burn out all the weeds inside of the fire pit. The firewood almost gone, I saw several black widow spiders in that mess.  I didn't know they had black widows in Texas.  I was being careful, tho and was concerned about snakes.  No snakes, but if a black widow bites you, have fun with that! Been there, done that, bought the farm and sold it. 

I now need to go over and collect money from new rv'ers. They haven't got a clue what they are doing and called me several times yesterday. Lol.  They didn't even know where to buy propane and was asking if I sell it? Nope. I might consider it if I had, say, 100 lots in there.  But with only 16 lots, no. It wouldn't be profitable and the setup isn't cheap.  I'm all about profit right now, get money in.  Well, I've been all about profits, just want to get that business checking account to start building up money in order to save for Phase II of the park.  

Not going into that right now, I've already discussed that at-length in this blog and right now? I'm heading over to see about collecting 2 night's worth of fees. 

G'day

 Friday - early

Not going to get back into the habit of getting up late.  Just too rough to try and start getting up early after you're in that groove.  I didn't need to get up early for anything...my new manager said he would be calling this afternoon.

I take that back, late arrivals last night, I need to go collect money before they take off out of there. 2 trailers showed up yesterday, one at 5: 00 pm and another much later.  The late arrivals called and I just told them to take the space.  We had already agreed to pay up this morning.  So, just before they get out of there quick, I want to get my money.  

I'm just trying to down a cup of coffee and get a second cuppa before leaving. Amazingly, everyone is gone as well. James is over cutting pine trees somewhere, Taylor doing work related stuff 2 towns over and the kids are in school. Kids will be gone for a week next week for there will be no one here to watch them and they don't want to pay child care. They will, instead, go to grandma's.  

I'll be busy attempting to adjust to the new lifestyle of trying to juggle a job and a business at the same time. The job sounds pretty easy.  Go up, load, come home, leave home, go unload, come back home. Go up, load, etc.  The manager seems to think it's going to work out that way.  It's got to be that it's too many miles to make an entire trip in one day.  Of which I'm glad or I could envision a very grueling day of driving the entire day plus load/offload.  That's the other part of the equation, you can't force loading or unloading any faster than it goes.  And in my case, it will take longer than normal at first for I will be triple checking everything to make sure I have it all right.  

Whatever the case, my time is about up here. People tend to leave early and tho we agreed, I want my money. I have both lots being refilled again today with people staying for 2 and 3 days. I'm thinking about changing my weekend rates more in line with the RV industry.  People travel to see their kids/students in this town on the weekends.  Why charge them more? Because I can, that's why.  Everyone else in town is much more expensive excepting the trashy parks which no one that has a 150k trailer wants to stay at.  

Anyway, more later. 

 Thursday - semi early

The dog will get me up even if I have decided I would rather sleep in a little. Which I haven't - because of the dog.  He wants out at 7 am if not earlier.  Even if I let him out directly before bed, his internal alarm clock doesn't care, it's time to go.  However, the first thing he does when running outside isn't going pee, it's going to the pond and drinking copious amounts of water. That is our outdoor watering trough for the dogs.  Good water, the fish have gotten used to it.

The online software system was going berserk again, turns out the date set on the software for the length of time the "current" rates were set ran out and people were running into "no rate set for the dates listed".  I haven't checked it in a month, a customer actually called and informed me.  I figured the problem out quickly this time without the software operator's help and have that back up and running.  

Long term left last night, but they told me they were leaving.  The man is being moved to a jobsite that is right next to an RV campground some 30 miles from my park. I can't blame him for moving and frankly, with a family of 4 living in there? Their power usage was highly likely disproportionate to the amount of money they were paying for the lot.  I have raised the rate for that lot and already one of the existing park guests wants it, even at the higher rate.  

That's because their yard will face no one next to them.  It is one of the highly coveted end lots with the passenger side facing the yard which is something like 80 feet wide. I decided I would charge extra for both of those end lots.  The other end lot will probably be leaving soon as well. It has been many months since they moved in there and they were waiting on 3 separate closings on land before they could take possession of the final property they were getting.

Of course, it wasn't just closing. Once they get or probably already have possession of the property, they have to get power lines run to it, water and sewer.  I don't know their plans, I haven't talked to them in a while.  I don't often see them now that the school year started, she is a teacher and I assume the 4 year old is in pre-school.  Or Kindergarten depending on his birth date.  

So, I have 2 lots available now and likely more lots coming available soon.  

Surprise, surprise. The family that left left a glowing review. It was hard to gauge whether they liked it or not, they are very private people and keep to themselves.  Which is fine, I did get the opportunity to speak to the man last month which is when he informed me he was being forced to move.  I was interested in the part of the review where she says her kids loved the walking trails. I never saw them using those trails, lol, I'll have to take her word for it.  

Speaking of those trails, I was trying to think how I could get my mower back to the rear of the property to cut down numerous weeds that have grown.  I don't really know how I can get it back there and be able to get it back out.  Well, I sort of do but the hill is so steep, I wonder if it can make it back up it.  I ran that thing for hours yesterday, yes it needs new blades but it just meant some areas I had to make 2 passes to get it nicely cut down.  

Oh, back to the lots, well I was about to make a new Google note for any potential customers but I got distracted by the new review lol. Probably the best review yet.  

I haven't heard from work and if they don't call me before next week, I'll be fine with that. But, I'll be ready to go to work next week.  If they want me to start sooner, that's fine as well, I'll get with the program and get started with this stuff.  I need to get to a plant and do my own offloading sooner than later anyway so I don't start forgetting stuff. I did take down extensive notes, tho and it's not really rocket science, but there is a sequence to how things need to be done.  

I dunno what else.  I mean, there is always finances and tho they could be better, I'm not terribly concerned about it now that we're heading into much cooler weather. The only cause for concern would be if the park empties out, ie: lose 4 or 5 people without anything coming back into take their place.  The 3 people that came in together is always a concern, I have no idea whether they are happy or unhappy. Asking them doesn't get any kind of direction in how they are thinking. So, at the beginning or near the end of every month, I wonder if I am going to continue receiving that check.  They won't be there forever, obviously, but if they want to leave just because of some "thing" that they want changed and it's something I can accommodate for, I would rather they just tell me.

It's the "you can't please everyone" thing.  Now the people that I had to turn away I wish were on my doorstep asking for a place.  

As for Israel, I guess it shouldn't be unbelievable that there are people in this country that have actual positions of power that are supporting Hamas.  Or that they actually believe that Iran had no part in this. Hamas is clearly an Iranian proxy group and under IRGC direction and control.  I didn't hear Biden's statement that came days after this situation started, but apparently he is actually siding with Israel.  I have no idea where this man's loyalties are, I don't believe he has an original thought.  He is being controlled by handlers who tell him what to say, when and where to say it and even shut him up when he goes off-script. 

One of the biggest arguments is that children are being killed by Israel after you start talking about Hamas targeting civilians.  The difference is critical: Hamas use children and elderly as human shields. Israel is not directly targeting civilians but when you are so evil that you would put human flesh in the path of oncoming missiles, what options does Israel have? The left calls for a cease fire, sorry. I don't blame Israel for wanting to end this situation permanently. The news shows where these Hamas tunnels are - underneath schools and hospitals and areas where civilians reside.  They do that on purpose.  But I can do nothing beyond praying for the peace of Israel.  God will have the final say here, I firmly believe that.  

Anyway, I have stuff to do today and sitting here isn't getting it done.  I'm going to clean up the table for laundry, I have a lot of my stuff on it for I have nowhere else to put it.  I need a large shed to set up shop in.  Tools and supplies.  I have no such thing excepting a very small shed that can't even begin to hold all of my things.  I don't have the money for such venture at the moment, I just keep a lot of it under the table.  But I have half the table taken up with tools and things, I will go through and sort stuff out and get it organized underneath the table. 

It's a bit tacky, I have nowhere else to put these things.  And this is stuff I use, not just junk.   

Well, enough. Need a haircut before I head over there, been over a month since I've had one.  And take a look at the freshly abandoned lot and make sure there aren't any issues with it that need to be dealt with.

G'day

 I spent 7 hours messing around with lawnmowers yesterday.  I ended up spending money on new tires for the riding mower, just one left to go, but it's still holding air.  Those tires aren't cheap.  I also ended up driving clear to Longview to find the right size belt, of which I did - or hoped I did anyway.  

I got back from that trip, put the belt on and it appears as tho it's the correct size.  Loose when not engaged and firm but not too tight when it's engaged.  But at that point, I had only replaced the front tires, trying to get out of this without dumping too much money into the thing, at the same time, trying to get it running to where I won't have to fool with it for a while.  

But, it was obvious one of the rear tires needed replaced and so, I went and bought a tire, took it to the tire shop - I can't bust those tires off of there - got that done and now it's sitting in the back of the vehicle.  I didn't get back there after that yesterday, it was near 4:30 in the afternoon and I was done.  I'm waiting to go over there for the tent lady needs a ride from a repair shop.  Her car's tail lights aren't working, she got stopped for it, got a ticket and that was that. James tried to figure it out, there is a short in the system somewhere and tho he took half the car apart (not literally, of course but he was digging well into it), he couldn't figure it out and declared he didn't have the time to be fooling around with it any further.

Don't blame him at all.  I've let her have a break on rent/payments until she gets that resolved. Otherwise, she has no wheels, can't to go work and I have people living in a unit that isn't paying anything.  It's not like the New Jersey people who don't work at all, she's actually trying.  There is a huge difference and hence my differing viewpoints of these people.  They're both poor but one is trying. I would say the other is not, but the NJ lady has a serious disability with her hands basically fused together, but that dude living with her? Healthy, young, could be working, won't keep a job. If she were alone I would have a different perspective.  

I'm slowly easing myself back into weight lifting again. Nothing grand, just my arm muscles have slowly been wasting away with truck driving that doesn't really demand anything of you. This new job is different, lifting hoses and walking up and down stairs and ladders, but nothing like the flatbed job with Ferguson that had me lifting hundreds of pounds on a daily basis, multiple times per day.

I feel like I  am slowly returning to some semblance of normal in my sleep patterns.  Still far from rested, I wake up now and it's nothing like it used to be and I thought what used to be wasn't all that great.  Again, that orientation and training is nothing I ever want to go through again, not under those types of circumstances anyway.  

So, Republic Services calls anything in the dumpster that goes above the top level of it "overage" and charges you extra.  $67 per pickup.  There are no other players in the area that does dumpster service.  There is one service that local businessmen were trying to get to start service here that is far cheaper, they started the discussion in the local gossip group and many concurred the extremely high prices of Republic, but they never followed up with it.  I tried to get anyone to update, no word.  

I'm going to revisit this issue today and see if anyone got anywhere with this.  The other company said if enough businesses would sign up, they would expand service into our region.  I have done whatever I can to reduce expenses, I was okay with the price they were charging but now that I have found out that they are charging that much extra even for a small amount of overage, I'm going to try again.  I haven't had a lot of it going on since those people across the street moved out, but every dollar spent on expenses is less profit for me.  That's the bottom line.

The giant electric bill hit the bank last night after paying it yesterday, ouch.  I've got some payments coming in the next several days that will help, the quiktrip worker never did respond, I'm going to text him again today.  The electric bill will go down more this next billing cycle, but it still stayed warm for a couple of weeks into it. Temps are definitely down now, highs in the low 80's the next few days and then drops to highs in the low 70's after that.  

If I can get that riding mower going this morning, I can spend the day cutting everything down and be done with that for a little while and can face the prospect of going back to work. I don't do the doggy park anymore, that lady does that by her own accord.  However, there is the entire area behind the trailers, the small field behind the shed, the area next to the driveway next to the field (there is a line of trees in between the two) and there is the front by the signs.  

Oh, that riding mower also needs new blades. Just not going to do that right now, will take too much time and it works - not as good as it could - but it works.  The blades aren't particularly expensive, the problem is taking the entire deck off the mower so that it can be brought out from underneath the tractor and turned upside down to work on it.  It's just going to take a day to do it, I can easily predict that right now.  I don't know when they are going to "demand" me going back to work, spending a day on that isn't in the cards right now.  

I'm just sitting here watching continuing coverage of the war in Israel.  I am personally not a fan of wars, I understand why Israel is engaged in it and it's a necessary evil, but it's still sad to see so many people dying.  They put up mothers and fathers of children who have gone missing and they tell the story of how those children ....

....time is up. The tent lady called, she's headed to the shop, I'm picking her up and taking her to her work.

G'day

 Monday

Not particularly early (8:00 am) and I don't really care.  I'll get over there and get with it eventually, I'm just enjoying a quiet house, the peace of my bedroom and drinking my coffee in solitude.  

But yes, it's time to get with it and get that place tidied up, including having to return a drive belt and hopefully get the correct size. I've subsequently determined that it is supposed to be 101 inches long versus the 96 inch long one I bought.  Whatever the cost, I need it and I need it today.  I will be using the push mower to do the lots themselves and that is what I am starting out with. The riding mower is for the land behind the trailers on the west side, the front entryway and other areas where slinging rocks doesn't matter. 

_______________

Never finished that one, it's now Tuesday, semi-early, forcing myself out of bed regardless for I'm sure I won't be getting up late for this job, whenever they force me into it.  Watching rather intently at the evolving situation in Israel and the Gaza strip.  If we can send billions of dollars to a military force in money and equipment to a nation we have no, real, vested interest in, should we not also do so with arguably our top ally?  Well, I don't think it's arguable but apparently others do.

But, I take a different view of Israel for the Jews are, according to the Bible, God's chosen people.  Another item of interest is that RFK Jr just announced he's running as an independent.  He had literally no chance as a Democrat, the Democrat party officials wouldn't even consider him or think about putting up any kind of debates.  At this stage, I don't think Biden is coherent enough to be able to participate in any open dialogue style debates anyway.  Why they want a person running this nation that is obvious cognitive/mental decline, well I know why, it's still unfathomable how they believe their reasoning therefore justifies putting a man who should be sitting on a fishing boat somewhere in keeping him as president of the united states?  

I'm sitting here in my bedroom watching live coverage of ongoing rocket attacks against Israel. I don't know what Israel is doing back at them, just turned the tv on to see what was going on.  The most outrageous part of this is the state department putting up a statement that was quickly taken back down that Israel should cease fire.  Over 1,000 of Israeli citizens killed in these outrageous actions and they are supposed to just eat it? Would the US just sit around and say, oh well, we were just bombed numerous times and the bombing continues on but we should just cease fire? Maybe Biden, I dunno, no sane President would allow that to happen.  

The mower didn't want to start yesterday. The lady with the German Shepherd informed me that she had just used the thing the other day and was working fine. I put fuel in it and I have to assume the fuel is bad.  I'm going to have to drain the tank and put fresh fuel in it. She said I could use her mower, but it wasn't running either. That was easy, just had a completely clogged air filter of which I replaced and went ahead and replaced the spark plug for the fun of it.  

I got half the place done, sans the riding mower of which I went to 3 different places yesterday looking for the correct size belt.  They are out of them. It's not that they don't carry them, they have shelf space for it but they simply don't have them. I will either have to order one online or possibly drive to the larger town 30 miles away. 7 more lots this morning and at least the people's immediate areas will be freshly mowed down.  Oh, I was going to just go buy a new mower yesterday when this lady offered the use of hers. 

I haven't heard from this manager yet and frankly, I don't care if he doesn't call me for at least a few more days.  But I have this feeling a phone call s coming soon, probably today.  Meanwhile, the New Jersey people paid $400 yesterday. Yup, I went straight up to them and demanded money.  Nicely, politely, but yes, "I need money and I need it today".  I'll have some for you shortly, the man replied.

That was an odd reply, I thought but just said ok, thinking I"ll just see how this plays out.  They had a Ford Expedition sitting there, nice vehicle even if older.  It wasn't theirs, they were selling it for someone and the person that bought it showed up 5 minutes after I confronted them, bought the thing and then, yes, they handed me cash.  

So I currently only have one lot owing which is the former Quick Trip worker who hasn't replied to me after I contacted him back.  He isn't home, either, I assume he's busy working and doesn't have time for it.  Pretty much the way things go with some of these workers that get busy and work for X amount of days in a row before getting a few days off.  

"President Biden is set to break his 2 day silence today".  This man has no business running this nation, period.  Apparently Israel is shooting missiles back at them.  I take no pleasure in human suffering on either side of this conflict but Hamas is clearly a terrorist organization, backed by Iran and I find it a little more than just purely coincidental that Biden hands over 8 billion to Iran and then suddenly, they are at war with Israel.

Sorry, but this situation is really capturing my attention for I really want to see what, if anything, we do to help Israel.  

Anyway, I guess I'll drink my second cuppa and get out of here.  

 Sunday over.

One of the Quick Trip people called and said he would be paying for another month. He is no longer with Quick Trip, I found out, he found another job here somewhere and apparently is much happier with it.  Whatever floats his boat. Unfortunately, I wasn't at a computer at the time to take his payment and when I called back, his phone went straight to an "unavailable" message. Try again tomorrow.

One of the other tenants offered to take me to the airport and amazingly, even the kids wanted to go with us.  I don't know.  Maybe they like going for rides, they could have stayed home and played their games.  Wondered if the battery might be dead, vehicle hadn't been started in 3 weeks, but it fired right up as if I had just stopped in the grocery store.  

A couple called wanting a night's stay, of which I happily offered.  I didn't go over to the park today, mostly because I didn't get my vehicle until this afternoon and decided to just wait to go over when those people showed up.  So, yes, it's 9:30 pm, they just showed up 20 minutes ago, paid cash and I looked in dismay at the amount of overgrown grass and weeds.  I'll be out there early tomorrow if I can force my @$$ out of bed. Well, whenever I get up, I'll be out there spending hours mowing grass/weeds.  I thought about getting rye grass seed, we are into that season now, but there is no real rain coming for a while.  

Anyway, the weather is finally nice here so mowing won't wear me down like it does in 100 degree heat.  I have rents to collect and NJ people to confront.  Well, I won't start confrontational, but considering the situation with these people and what's allegedly going on with that "couple", well anyway, I'll just leave it at that.  

It doesn't take particularly late into the night now to get me getting sleepy and ready to go to bed.  

 Sunday

Dog woke me up a couple of times last night, but other than that, sleep was finally good again.  I wonder how long it would take to try and get to the point where I'm feeling like I did before I left on that trip.  One driver over there said "you have sleep deprivation" after I described the nights of sleeplessness because of constant noise.  I didn't disagree with him on that as he went on to say that trainees should be well rested and that they should just put you up at a hotel.  Yeah, well, the nearest hotel being 17 miles away, that probably wouldn't have worked out too well having to be up at 3:30 at the bunkhouse and then be at the fuel pumps at 4:00 - or whatever the day called for, either earlier or later.

I can tell ya I won't want to go back to work. At all.  Not after that.  I didn't say I won't go back to work with them, I just won't want to go back to work.  So, button down the hatches, make some more changes to spending habits and pay off debt. That was the whole purpose of getting this job and I'm hoping I can pay at least a grand per month on debt.  4 cards, specifically, that are "well up there".  I had no way of paying them down with the income being generated by the park and I was still having to use them in cases where something comes up and I had no real money in the bank to be able to afford it.  

I'm going to drag this thing out in case they want me back at work too soon by driving the truck in on-duty mode over to the park today.  I could legitimately do it in off duty mode, but if I do on-duty, it will keep me from getting a 34 reset.  I have like 5 or 6 hours left on the 70 hour clock.  I don't really want to have to do any tricks to keep them from forcing me back into the driver's seat, I just need enough time off to mow the grass/weeds over there and whatever else has to be done beyond that and collecting rents.  

I texted the NJ people and heard nothing back from them. They are far behind on their rent.  So far that they will be receiving an ultimatum: pay up or leave.  I don't care which at this point, she got money at the end of last month and tho I haven' been there to get any money from them, they also haven't responded to my text messages.  She hasn't tried to contact me, the games are getting old.  Pay up or get out.  Take that old trailer with you as well.  

Well, off to the races. To church and then hopefully to get my vehicle from the airport. 

 Saturday night.

After a very long day, it is finally over.  I am home.  I pulled the truck up in front of the house and the 8 year old came out yelling and jumping up and down.  It was a rather surreal experience walking back into the house. It had been so long.  

The dog remembered me, but we hadn't been together very long, I knew it would be like starting over.  And so it is.   

I just now got into my bedroom after being home several hours.  Had to visit with everyone and the kids wanted me to sit on the couch with them.  

Yes it is good to be home.  I am so tired.  I finally get to sleep in my own bad after 20 days.  It has been a rather horrid experience that I do not ever want to revisit again in my lifetime. It was no vacation, it would have been a lot better if I could have at least got some decent sleep. I have never heard or seen a setup such as the one I have described repeatedly in previous posts about that ridiculous bunk house.  

 Whatever the case, I have no plans for tomorrow, tho I may go to church and will definitely visit my park, I have no gumption to do much of anything beyond collecting rents that are past due. Not the fault of the park tenants that are at that point, I just let some of it go until getting back.  They are only a few days past, it's not like weeks.  

One of them contacted me today declaring she has never been late on her rent and it is due today. Yes, ma'am, but I'm driving right now and I just can't collect today. She seemed on edge about. It's my fault for not getting the rent, I'm not there, no worries.  That seemed to relieve her tensions and so, I will be visiting with her and another person that is acting out a bit too much about dog poop. I think that problem has been resolved, there is no reason for her to carry on like she has been.  

I get it, it's gross, it's nasty to have it laying all over the place, but the man has been set straight about his dog.  Keep an eye on it while it's out, don't let him just poop anywhere and then leave it. That's nasty and not allowed. 

 I don't know what else, I'm so out of it and the drive was so long today.  I just pushed it hard to get it done. They added hundreds of miles to the trip forcing me to take that trailer to the yard.  They didn't need it, it's just waste water. It will get unloaded and stored with a bunch of other totes filled up with that stuff. It isn't hazmat and won't hurt anyone.  

So, off to bed for me and hopefully a good night's sleep. 

 At a truck stop somewhere in southern Kansas. Nice place. However. Not one, not two, but three reefer units parked side by side right next to me after I had gone to bed. The noise was ridiculous. 

I didn’t get enough sleep last night. 

489 miles to El Dorado and then home. 

Plenty to say but I’m not on the computer and I just logged in. 10 minutes and I’m leaving. 

G’day. 

 Friday night.

made it just short of 700 miles, would have gone further but there were no truck parking areas available that were within range of the 55 minutes i had left on the drive clock.  my gps is showing 489 miles left to go to El Dorado at 6 hours and 59 minutes.  however, those are usually some pretty optimistic drive times.  i would add an hour to that and call it accurate.  

8 hours to get there and 2-1/2 hours to get home.  call it 3 hours for the same-said reason.  that taps me out tomorrow with a full 11 hour driving day.  will it actually happen that way? i have no clue, i'm just hoping.  This truck will drive as fast as i want it to. on 75 mph interstates i was going around 73 today.  

i'm at a mom/pop truck stop, there was a parking area 10 miles further down the road, but what is 10 miles? especially when you are weighing between a place with a store and bathroom and a place with - nothing.  

the inverter in this thing doesn't work and this old laptop battery doesn't last long, so type fast and get off of the thing quick.  

i was checking my checking account this morning and surprise, a 2grand paycheck had been deposited.  i have no idea what the gross pay was, but 2 grand is a welcome sight in there.  that literally wipes the pressure right off of me for paying bills, especially the power bill coming up which i was, honestly, sweating.  i knew when i agreed to this hellish ordeal 2-1/2 months ago that by the end of september, i would be draining out my bank accounts for paying everything, but especially that high dollar electric bill.

my prediction was right on the money.  Got into october and here i am, not completely broke without that paycheck but certainly wondering about making it through the month.  i don't have to worry. not only this paycheck but next will be healthy as well with this 2,400 plus mile trip on the books.  

my cow pasture time on the hill this morning talking to people on the phone was hilarious.  i like to make fun of cows, lol. i make noises at them and they look all stop what they are doing and look up.  i make more noises. the calf i spoke about in the last post wasn't none too happy and it's mama was talking to me.  she wasn't particularly concerned but she was making noises back to my noises lol.  i am easily entertained.  i always have been. 

driving a pink truck with barbie as a company id, lmao.  it's hilarious to me, especially with these other trucks pulling up to look in to see the babe driving. i have to wonder if they think i'm gay lol.  it doesn't bother me near as much as people think it should lmao. 

i can tell ya one thing, i felt better today than i have in - 3 weeks.  i slept well last night and it paid off.  i could have driven many more hours if it were legal to do so.  i can only hope that i get as good a sleep tonight as i did last night.  

well, it's after 11 pm, it's time to wind this down and i might want to make a post in the morning, this thing has gone from 54% to  36% in maybe 15 minutes time. it's a priority to get a new laptop, transfer files, destroy this thing and dump it in the trash.  

g'nite

 On my iPhone sitting at IHOP for breakfast/lunch. 

I ended having to stop at a parking area with no facilities last night and no internet access. Although that sounds sucky, reality was I spent 9 hours in bed. Got some decent sleep even next to a highway. 

Not an Interstate but a 2 lane highway shortcut. Well, I really needed to call the new manager for guidance. I need to go home, frankly, how do you want to work this? 

So I walked up a dirt road to get higher elevation and hope for a signal. A calf was wandering down the road with its mama on the other side of the fence. There were no gates to shoo the calf back into or o would have put it into pasture. That highway not far away. 

At the top of the hill I had good reception. Asked the manager, he said bring the trailer to the yard and then bobtail home. 

After that, checked my account. Definitely got my first paycheck, desperately needed money. 

Lunch is over. I gotta get rolling. 

G’day. 

 10:35 am, somewhere in idaho (shift key has now completely broken off on the left side, the main side where i use it so forgive lack of caps on certain words} but not too far into the state.  i drove until 1 am, had 35 minutes left on the 14 hour clock which therefore limits whatever driving hours you may have left to that amount of time.

i was so tired that i just wanted to find a place with available parking. took awhile, but i eventually found this place and very happy that i did. not only ample parking but a very nice restaurant with great food and large portion.  i had a couple of sandwiches yesterday.  this breakfast meal today will last me until dinner time, but if i get hungry, i bought a 6 inch sub at their deli as well plus a very large cup filled with ice and then water and also a bottle of water.  i have a goal to get at least 725 miles behind me today.

orgegon highways are a bit ridiculous with truck speed limits set at 60 mph, even out in the middle of nowhere.  i tend to stick to or stay close to the posted speed limits since i don't want a speeding ticket and i also dont' want to hear from the company about speeding.  however, the second i passed over the state line, the speed limit went up to 80 for cars and 70 for trucks.  i'd like to cruise around 72 mph, so close enough.  

the fatigue plus driving all day must have caught up to me, not to mention having that lovely rumble of the massive engine lulling me to sleep, i slept like a rock. woke up a few times but went right back to sleep.  my head is still not right and i've been awake for an hour now, but that will pass. 

i was dehydrated and the waitress saw that instantly after i was brought a cup of water and just made that disappear in a few seconds. she brought out a giant glass of water which i worked on for a while until i needed more, didn't have to ask her, she brought a pitcher of water out lol  i'm feeling better getting all of that water into me and now i have ample water in the truck.  

anyway, if all goes according to my intended plan, i should be somewhere just north of denver by tonight.  there is pay parking at a couple of truck stop in that area and i will probably just do that.  it's amazing how many truck stops are out here in the middle of nowhere and equally amazing the lack of them north of denver on whatever insterstate that is that heads north out of there.  i feel like i'm going to do much better today having had slept so well.  

i made it almost 600 miles on one fill up and i still have half tanks, they have huge diesel tanks on this truck, this thing is so old that it doesn't have and doesn't have to have DEF tank and bs on it.  Well i guess i better verify the amount of fuel in the tanks by visually inspecting, don't need to be running out of fuel but would like to make it around 300 miles before stopping for diesel.  

With what was collected and other stuff coming in, my checking accounts are now looking much better and i am thankful i have friends to deal with this stuff when i cannot.  i don't know how much this first paycheck is going to be, but considering there should be something like 2 weeks on it, i would like to hope it's a decent amount of money to further fatten my personal account. Transfer back money i borrowed from it to the business account after i get back and pay that rather hefty electric bill, sitting at around $1,800.  i will probably still have a high bill next month since it stayed hot much longer than expected or even forecast.  the temps over there now are nice tho.

Speaking of temps, the ac in this truck quit working maybe 5 hours into this trip.  thankfully, it's nice out up here and i can just crack the windows.  they will have to fix that and a few other things.  i hope there isn't a problem with telling my new manager, of whom i haven't spoken with in 2 months and surprised he hasn't called me yet since being hired, that i intend on going home.  whether it's take this truck and trailer with me or drop the trailer at his yard and bobtail home or whatever, i AM going home.  and i don't mean for a day or 2 days.  at least 4 if not 5 or 6.  i have a lot of stuff to get caught up on at the park and no trucking company should expect people to stay out for 3 weeks without a decent home time schedule. yes i know it's a day job that gets me home most of the time, that doesn't matter,

i've been gone too long to not have a good  chunk of time to visit and reestablish myself with that dog.  i have no idea how that dog is going to react when i get back there, but i would think by now i'm just another faded memory in his past of people getting him and dumping him. i need to spend some serious time with him and give him the security he needs to not have to start acting out like he has when he sees any of the family members petting the other dog.  he can't stand it and has attacked her twice now

i'd be willing to bet money that when i come back and start lavishing attention on him, that behavior will disappear.  i don't think we are connected that much yet, in fact i'm sure we aren't and it's why i hesitated in getting the dog in the first place, knowing i would have to leave for an extended period of time.  if you would have told me i would be gone 3 weeks, i would have said, oh, well i'll find something else. i fully expected a 2 week stay, not a 17 day stay plus a 4 day trip home.  

well my time is almost up.  this truck has at least run hard without any major issues, for that i'm happy. they have competent mechanics that know what they're doing, but it was a mystery to me why they didn't fix the door, it became clearly obvious that they knew about it after i asked the lead mechanic yesterday, whose response is that the door hinge is probably just old and needs replaced, he knew all about it. 

btw, i'm driving a pink truck and my company id is something close it barbie - not saying what it is on here i don't need trolls getting into my personal business. at a younger age i would be embarrassed to drive this thing, now i don't care, lol.  people can laugh if they want, i'll laugh with them.

oh, did i say that whatever this thing is governed at, it's more than what i even want?

someone said they're governed at 75. yup, old days i drove even faster than that, these days, no thank you.  70-72 is plenty.  i'll get plenty of miles behind me at that speed. 

with that, i have 2 minutes left on the 10 hour rest clock, going to shut this computer  down, put it away and get ready to roll.

g'day

 Wednesday, 8:00 am

I was up much earlier than this, but this stupid laptop decided to once again do yet another update and took at least an hour, probably longer, I just gave up on it and started the process of packing and carrying stuff to the truck, which is about 2 football fields of distance away. 

I dunno, but I finally found the trailer they said has these totes on them, loaded with what? Who knows.  It's going to be at least 2 more hours before I get out of here.  There is the load to be strapped, get situated in the truck and find out about missing paperwork for DOT purposes. There is a registration card in there but there is no insurance and other paperwork.  

I don't really care at this point as long as I get out of here before noon and get rolling down the road AND hopefully not have any problems with the truck or the trailer.  I haven't even inspected the trailer yet.  But it will take half an hour to strap down, at least 20 minutes to inspect the trailer and who knows how long to get proper paperwork.  On top of that, I have to fuel and I likely will have to weigh out after I leave here.  

I still have some stuff to carry over there, but it's the last of it.  Coat, computer, tablet for HOS/load info, a few odds and ends.  I cleaned this place up regardless of how I feel about all of this.  THEY can come in here and vacuum and mop the floors, thanks, I'm not doing that and wash my hands of this place and hopefully never come back here again.  

Meanwhile, we have this circus going on in the House.  McCarthy hs been voted out of speakership role and some dude I never heard of took h is place temporarily and immediately proceeded to kick Pelosi out of her suites that she had in the halls of Congress itself.  How much contention and ridiculousness will occur for them to actually vote in another speaker?  

I'll have plenty of time to listen to the news coming up here, get fully caught up on that and seek out some old you tube channels that I listen to to pass the time while driving. Mr Ballen being one of my favorites He tells eerie stories of events in the past that have actually occurred.  

Anyway, I think I'll end this one, the computer is back up and running, the battery is completely charged so I can make an entry later on today or possibly tomorrow, not sure about that.  

I haven't driven in over a year besides that road test the other day, so this should be interesting. 

G\day.  

 I was so tired this morning when I got into the passenger's seat of the truck, I could barely keep my eyes open.  I was just sitting there thinking about an entire day of working feeling like this.  I couldn't fathom how I was going to make it .

Never-the-less, the trainer came with the trailer we loaded yesterday and we went straight to the plant that I was to do my "final" on . It wasn't a big deal.  I have this stuff memorized. This guy is a good trainer and I wished I could have been with him last week instead of with all of these other people. The other people are good at  what they do, but they aren't training minded.  This guy understands what newbies need to hear, he trains drivers constantly.  

He focused my attention on some things that were important.  Such as opening the customer tank valve before opening any other valves when offloading (pump or air off).  And even more so, when done pumping off, you do not close the customer valve with the pump still running. Shut the pump off first.  You still have air pressure being dumping into the fill line with a separate air hose, the pump doesn't need to be on.  After you shut the pump off, THEN you can close the tank, shut off the air pressure and start dismantling everything.  

Apparently I don't have to load the trailer. I just have to offload. Loading is actually quite a bit easier than offloading, I was loading a truck this morning after we did the "final".  He passed me on the final, said I had a good mind and easily learned and adapted to this type of trailer set up and forcefully told the big wig management at the office the same thing. 

It was good to hear this, because I was having my doubts.  I tried my best to pay attention the last 9 days of truck training and anything I missed, I paid double the attention the next time we were doing it.  I just got through writing a complete set of notes for everything from offloading to loading to steam outs and washouts.  There is a lot of information to remember. It's not rocket science, but you need to remember all of this stuff.  I know I will forget something and now I have complete notes on my phone from start to finish on everything that I was trained on.  

Anyway, it is over. Training is done. As I said this morning, I was going to be done today regardless of the verdict.  I was going to go home regardless of whether I passed or failed. I had no idea whether this guy was going to pass me or not, he wasn't letting on at all. Probably learned behavior after going through hoards of students and some are great and some suck.  

I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, I can't say how horrible this experience has been, solely attributable to the lack of sleep.  We got back to the yard and I started the process of getting out of here.  Fuel card, tablet - has HOS and load info on it both for the company and DOT (troopers and such), more books, assigned the pink Peterbilt, went over and did a thorough inspection of that thing.  It's old school and it's bad @$$.  It's got a huge Caterpillar engine that they just overhauled on the top end, they obviously put new tires on it, new shocks, new airbags and other things.

No oil or air leaks.  Driver door a bit hard to shut.  No mattress - I asked them to put one in please and the western states manager said he'd get them to do that.  They are allegedly fixing and loading a 48 foot flatbed trailer with loaded containers for me to haul back.  I didn't ask them what is in it, my mind is floating around in sleeplessness space right now. 

After everything was done that I know of and chit chat and such over with, I came back here, to this hell-house and tried to take a nap. It lasted probably 30 minutes before people started making excessive noise downstairs.  People came from the RV park and stopped right in front of where my window is, albeit 2 stories, and talking loudly.  Someone else had gone into the laundry room.  I was amazed I even got the 30 minutes worth considering all of that noise.  It helped.  I don't feel quite as cruddy as I did before I took the nap.

I"m basically out of food.  I have some eggs left, ate a disgusting frozen dinner (I bought it, I didn't realize it was going to be gross) and only ate it because I was hungry. I do have some lunch meat left to make sandwiches. But I think a trip to the food truck across the way is in order with a celebratory meal.  They have great food there, just a bit pricey.  

I just can't tell ya how happy I am that I won't have to get up at 2:45, 3:00 or 3:30 am tomorrow morning.  I don't even think this truck is going to be ready to go until tomorrow morning anyway, plus I am out of hours for today.  Well, until 10:00 pm anyway, then I get my full 14 back.  I will NOT be leaving tonight even IF the thing is ready.  I can see getting up around 7:00 am, take a shower, get my stuff packed, get it over there and leaving then.  But the way I feel right now? No way would I even think about leaving tonight. 

So that's it. I no longer have this burden of training on my shoulders, now it's just time to go home,.  Well, right now, it's time to relax and chill because the western region manager said he made a request to have that trailer ready to go no later than 5:00 pm tomorrow. 

I've got - or should have - a paycheck coming on the 7th.  Well probably the 6th since the 7th is Saturday. At least that's the way they described it.  That will start to getting my finances headed in the right direction.  I had to transfer from one account to 2 others today for having otherwise bounced payments that would incur fees as of tonight.  It's just because the money I had coming in was going to one account and I had to wait until it hit the bank before I could transfer anything.  I'm safe there, for now. James went and collected rents as well from a few lots and that money will be waiting to be deposited when I get home, but, with what I already have plus a paycheck I'm going to be fine until then.

I do have a $1,800 electric bill coming up, so yes, I need to get as much money in the business account as I can before then.  I'm not going to worry about it.  I'll have the money and then some.  

These New Jersey people apparently think they can skirt paying anything.  I'm willing to throw them out if they don't pay another full month's rent.  James can come collect it.  I don't need them in there using my facilities and just not paying anything.  They get money, they have had money since the 28th and they have offered nothing.  

So, I texted them.  

I don't have anything else right now.  

 Tuesday - 3:00 am

Did I pass their test yesterday? No.  He put it off until today.  No idea, not my show, I don't call the shots. 

Today is it. If I pass, great, I'm leaving. If I don't pass, great, I'm leaving.  I have come to the definitive determination that I am leaving regardless. 16 days of this hellish place, I can' take any more of it.  Sleeplessness, fatigue, constantly tired.

Last night the same old story.  People in the laundry room making all kinds of noise.  You can't sleep through that.  Well, I can't anyway.  

I'm so tired that I really don't even feel like going out in a truck again today.  I just want to get a ride to the airport and fly home.  

It's 3:00 am and there is constant Interstate noise, lots of trucks with loud exhausts is the biggest thing.  

Yes, I'm cranky.  These facilities are like walking through the gates of hell.  If I could sleep at night, I wouldn't be like this at all.  But now I'm facing a very long day on less than 4 hours of sleep. YOU try that for as many days in a row that I've had to do this s***. It's constant moving, there are no breaks but if there were? I wouldn't want it, let's get this junk over with so I can go back.

I'm telling you that today is the last day I'm doing this training.  I'm at the end of the line here, whatever happens, happens and I will deal with it either way.  But I AM going home, whether driving a truck or flying in an airplane.

That's really all I have to say this morning.  

 Monday - very early

It was many hours before I was able to actually go to sleep last night after I went to bed. 

One thing was the revelation that it\s fleas, not bed bugs that have been eating me alive every night in here.  I know this because one of them landed on my Iphone screen.  Then there were people doing aundry below me making a lot of noise.  Clunk, clank, dryer doors being slammed shut, etc.  

Then there is the Interstate.  Constant noise.  Then someone pounded on the front office door again - I have no access to the office and I don't know why someone would be banging on that door . 

So I just laid there awake until it all subsided hours later and now? I might as well not have even bothered to go to bed.  I want out of here.  Badly.  I will be doing my best to impress the man today to get signed off on the paperwork.  

This place sucks and here I am back into sleepless  mode. Probably a bit cranky, wanting my own bed in my own bedroom. I've been 15 days as of today and it's time to get rolling towards home.  

I say that stuff and the realize, of course, that I am at the whims of this company unless I just say screw it, pack my bags and go home on my own, wish them well and I'm outta  here.  Well, I made it this far, I'm certainly not going to do that - yet. 

Well, it's almost 4:00 am now. I've just been sitting here dirnking coffee. I got up earlier than the alarm because I wasn't sleeping.  It happens that way that when I go to bed and things such as noises keep waking me up, I eventually just can't sleep at all.  As I said, I might as well have not gone to bed last night.  The only good thing for today is that I have a coat to mitigate the 45 degree weather currently being shown on the weather channel.

With that, I am offa here. 

Wish me luck.

G'day.

 Back at the bunkhouse.  I decided today I would just sit out in the living room and watch whatever tv is to be had.  There is a small table - very small, nothing you can sit at and a couple of dirty recliners out here.  But, they have Dish and it's got a pretty range of channels on it.  Better than sitting in that bedroom all day.  There is no one else here and I have no idea if they're bringing in another trainee this weekend. If they do, they would show up sometime today  

It's only 12:45.  

I am dreading tomorrow if what I interpreted off of the Friday text correctly that the day will start at 2: 00 am.  I'm not a night owl and certainly don't want to be getting up that early. A bit ridiculous.  If these local drivers like it, great and good for them. I have no intention of starting too early unless they absolutely require it once I get home.  But you know, if it gets me out of here, I'll have a lunch bagged and ready to go.  I bought food at Walmart this morning. Was getting low on lunch stuff. 

It's cold in this house and I have no access to thermostat. Whatever they have it turned to, it's quite cool in here.  Good for sleeping, not so great for daytime hours.  

The dog.  He has started attacking the other dog when she - the other dog - is getting attention.  This isn't shocking, actually. This dog has lost his family, then I came along, started gelling with him and showing him a lot of attention, then I left and have been gone for 2 weeks as of today.  Obviously we can't having this new dog attacking the dog of the house. I do think when I finally get home, I will be able to give him a lot of attention, petting, talking to him, scratching his ears, etc and I think he will get over this.  I don't even know how this dog is going to react when I get home considering it was just a few plus weeks that we had to get to know each other.

I'm watching Gordon Ramsey. Guy has a pretty good potty mouth, but his adventures all over the place are entertaining.  Hoping a decent movie will come on on one of the other channels. _______________________

Many hours and a long nap later.  No word from the trainer. He was texted by dispatch on Friday to give his start time, which he didn't respond to.  So, I texted the group a little while ago requesting start time.  No word.  That was 2-1/2 hours ago.  

 Sunday  Mid-Morning

Got up somewhat early, just to get things done.  Got up, had some of that nice, free, complimentary breakfast with coffee, milk, orange juice, meat and potatoes.  It was very good.  

After that, I made the decision to go get a coat at the nearest Walmart supercenter.  Uber there, Lyft back (I check them both, whichever is cheapest).  They had a decent coat for $22.  That was the cheapest thing they had. Not that you would expect to get a coat for any cheaper than that.                          

Now? It's a little after 9:00 am and I am going to have to leave here by 11.  That's their checkout time. A bit early if I do say so myself, but whatever, I need to get back and get my mind into this frame of thinking that I'm going to have to get up super early tomorrow morning and try to convince this trainer I'm good to go by being able to recite everything from memory.  

Trust me, I've endlessly gone over this entire thing from start to finish in my mind.  Today, once I get back, I will be speaking it out as if I'm talking to someone.  It's one thing to go over it in your mind, quite a different thing to verbalize it.  Once I feel comfortable with that, I'm going to write it all down, step by step and have a training tool in case I get flustered at the racks for whatever reason and have a memory lapse. 

It happens.  

I'm just trying to get out of here, folks, memorizing all of these steps is the only way to do it.  This trainer isn't going to sign me off without seeing that I know certain, major things not to do and to do at the same time.  

So I'm bagging everything up and fixing to get out of here.  I will try Uber and Lyft again, I tried earlier and they had cheaper prices than the taxi service. But, will they actually show up to take me out there? One of the drivers this morning said he couldn't understand why they would turn it down, it's not that far and "I'd rather drive out of town than being stuck in this city all the time".  So who knows.  I'll get everything ready to go and then see if I can get one of them over here.

Back later.  

 Saturday is over for all intents and purposes.  

Went out for a bit, did quite a bit of walking, got some Thai food - spicy chicken curry to be precise - at that - wonderful.

The price of everything here is high.  That was $16 for a meal that probably should have been around $10,   I just ate a blue cheese burger that cost $12.50.  That was the burger only, nothing else and that's all I got.  

Got my laundry done with no problems, no one was using it and no one wanted to use it after I was done.  I know because I checked that laundry room several times today attempting to decide when, exactly, to do it.  One more thing I don't have to do tomorrow. 

I will probably Uber myself to the nearest grocery store tomorrow before checking out of here, get what I think I will need for the next .... well we'll call it 4 days ....and then get a ride back to the A frame house.  I asked the taxi company if they are open on Sundays, yes, we are.  Okay, because I didn't have any luck with Uber or Lyft to get a ride there.  It wouldn't be good to not be able to get back there, lol.  

I need lunch stuff and a few dinners.  And another bottle of unsweet tea.  And whatever else I am not thinking of here.

I miss my new doggie.  I think by the time I get back he's going to have let me go out of his memory banks.  I'll have been gone longer than I've had him or somewhere around the same amount of time.  

I really don't ever want to do this again - taking off for what will amount to 3 weeks. They best not be giving me a hard time about going home for - many days.  Many, many days.  Like 5 to 7 days.  I might go down to 4 but it's not going to be any lower than that.  Sorry, I have stuff to do, y'all kept me out a lot longer than I was informed of, my vehicle is still sitting at an airport, I have thing to do, I'll get with the driving after I get this stuff done, g'day.

Well I miss everything really. Home, the kids, Taylor, James, dog, fish, cats, the feeling of home, the feeling of being home, all of that stuff that makes you feel like you are living a life.  This hotel diversion was very much needed, but it's not home.  If my new doggie was here I probably wouldn't care about much of anything.  

I don't know when checkout is here, but I'll guess  noon and work my day around that appropriately.  I brought the entire suitcase because I had all of those dirty clothes. Today was the last day worth of clean socks I had since the last time I did laundry - a week ago?  

I am, of course, hoping for another good night's sleep. It will be the last for a while. Tomorrow, I can take an afternoon nap - at that "thing" they call a house.  

I know, tomorrow another day off. But, I am ready to get this over with.  I spent quite a bit of time today going over loading and unloading routines in my mind and calling it out.  I'm alone, lol, I can do that without people looking at me funny.