Monday 1/3/2010 The Passing Of A Friend

Monday

I was sitting in my kitchen last night at the computer, contemplating finishing up an entry for Sunday when my cellphone started ringing. I looked at the name that popped up on the screen: Boe, one of my best friends on the planet.

I answered in my normal way when talking to him but was not greeted by Boe. Instead, it was a lady's voice on the other end of the phone. She wanted to know who I was, which I thought strange to ask a person that you just called. This is ben. She declared that she is Boe's daughter.

I got a bad feeling about this. NO-ONE uses Boe's phone except Boe. She proceeded to tell me that Boe had passed away on New Year's Eve day. It took a minute for that to sink in. The thought of losing one of the few, real friends I have on this earth? About floored me.

She went into the story - he had a heart attack, followed by a stroke. They took him to the hospital but, it was a done deal. This guy was one of those types of people that everyone liked. No-one could hate him. I thought about the life-long pain he had suffered at the hands of a drunken Army Sargeant - the man got into a 10-wheeler, on of those big things the Army uses for personnel and such - put it in reverse and proceed to run over several men sleeping in a tent and also over Boe's leg.

Boe has suffered pain ever since then, some 50 years ago I'm thinking. I thought how he must feel right now, freed from that broken body.

It was a few years ago, something like 2 or 3 I'm guessing, that I started seeing Boe with a Bible in his hand. He started learning scripture and really fell in love with the Lord. It was almost shocking to see that man with a Bible, but it gladdened my heart to see him doing such and, over time, starting to be able to come up with Scripture. I only throw that in there because I know he is with the Lord, which means, at least from my view of it, he is in a FAR better place right now than any of us mortals living here on the earth.

That doesn't help his family, of course, especially his wife. They were married some 40 years. Or more. I'll have to find out. It was a long time, I know that.

I'll never forget the way I came to meet Boe. I was living in that trailer park - he and his family were, too. Some ladies in the park had started a homeowner's association to take on park management which was extremely abusive to everyone. They needed a person to take the president's position and had approached me about it. I wasn't particularly interested. I asked them to find someone else. They told me that I was the only one they knew of that had the guts to stand up to that bastard of a manager.

I had already stood up to him and his threats several times and had not backed down. I took the position, we scheduled a meeting in the main hall and I had flyers sent out to everyone in the park. Boe showed up, standing in the back, talking with another man, basically saying what a crock this meeting was and how it wasn't going to do any good at all.

He wouldn't quiet down when the meeting started, so I had to ask him to tone down or please leave. He made some sort of comment, but by the end of the meeting, he had a different tune. Boe and I started meeting together and going over landlord and tenant rules and regulations as put forth by the state of Arizona. We then started delving into all kinds of legal issues that the park was posing in their actions towards many tenants.

We became really good friends. He was the man that called me on 9/11 - I was sound asleep when he called - and asked if I was "watching this?". What? The TV. I asked what channel. He said ANY channel. Turned it on and there was the first tower smoking with a gaping hole in it. As Boe and I discussed how that POSSIBLY could be an accident - how does a professional airline pilot just somehow not miss a gigantic building? The second jet slammed into the other tower. We then knew there was no accident going on here, this was an act of terrorism. You all remember the skies after that - empty.

But, this is about Boe, not 911. He was a great man. Even in the worst situations, he was able to keep a smile on his face and an upbeat attitude. You can't replace a friend like that, you just can't.

The daughter told me that my name and number weren't in his phone. I said I had called him last time he was over at my place, like 2 or 3 weeks ago and he had saved it. Nope, she said, it was gone and his wife would not have the phone shut off until I called, as they had no other way to contact me. Josie is his wife's name, a beautiful, lovely lady and I'm sure hurting right now. I couldn't talk to her last night, they had given her a sleeping pill to get to sleep because, of course, the grief had overcome her.

It's hard for me just because he was one of the few friends I have left. I mean, I have plenty of acquaintences, lots of - dunno what you label them - half friends - I just don't think we make too many real, close and personal friends in life. I dunno, but the next coming days are certainly going to give me cause to think about all of this going on in my life. I don't take the death of close friends or loved ones very well, I just don't. I have been asked to come to the funeral, of course I will be there, don't know yet what day it's going to be. He is going to be buried in a veteran's type of cemetary somewhere in north Phoenix.

I don't really have anything else to say. I just wanted to pop a hello out to my friend, I know he's up there.

ben

Happy New Year!!! 1/1/2011

I was going to get up last night and ring in the New Year with a glass of champagne and maybe honk the car horn - but -  the alarm didn't go off and I slept right through it.
Oh well, no great loss, but it is a tradition for me.
Anyway, Happy New Years to everyone and may you have a prosperous, healthy and joyful year!

Frost damage.
I covered up all my plants 2 days ago for the impending cold nights.
Friday morning the plants all survived without any damage.
Today? Not so lucky.  Yes, I left everything covered but the still exposed stuff
was damaged.  I would have to have hundreds of sheets, literally, to cover up EVERYTHING.
Anyway, I think there is yet another freeze warning for tonight, so, all sheets and blankets are
staying on the plants for another day and night.

Done.

The ponds are faring better than the plants.  Mainly because I have 2 heaters going in each of them.
The fish look healthy and are swimming around, so I'm hoping there isn't any ill effect going there.  The
temps in both of them as of yesterday evening was 55 degrees, up 5 degrees from the time I plugged all
the heaters back in.  I haven't checked today, but no reason to expect that it's any lower, hopefully up to 60.

Army Reservist has been gone quite a while now- but not unexpected.  I believe she said she was coming back on the 3rd or the 4th, no worries there.
Newest tenant is a day sleeper.  Well, morning to early afternoon sleeper anyway.  No problem when I'm at work, apparently a problem on weekends.  Cause', I'm home and in the middle of broad daylight, I do activities concurrent with the time of day.

So, just watching TV this morning he came out and said the TV noise had awakened him.  Funny, cause' that thing is in the living room and WELL away from the hallway or his room.  I turned it down a bit, but he came back out again.  I gave him a set of earplugs and haven't heard from him since.  I also suggested a box fan for white noise, that will be up to him whether he gets one or not, they aren't expensive and will help us all out quite a lot. I do not make a lot of noise in the  house, anyway, but I don't really want to have to feel hindered in my own home on weekends.  Always a middle ground to be found somewhere.

Thursday 12/30/2010

So, the cold winter storm is here and going to get worse. Yesterday, I was at fry's food stores, they had all of their Christmas stuff at 75% off. I bought 8 strands of C-7 lights at $2.00 per box. No, not for next Christmas, either, although they can certainly be used for that purpose when the time comes around. 

No, they put off heat. Not much heat, but, enough to help fend off the hard freeze that is coming tonight. I will be spending the afternoon out there after work putting up lights and then covering everything I can up with blankets and sheets. A pain, yes, necessary, absolutely. 

I have serious doubts of much work today. There are orders in there but I'm guessing the rain yesterday and overnight will but a stop to any crews doing much of anything but staying home. 

Anyway, I talked to the non-paying to paying tenant yesterday. I had to remind her that she did NOT pay me anything last week, that when she showed up, she talked about everything BUT the rent and that it had completely annoyed me. So, I told her, she is paid up TO this week, but not FOR this week. That took some time for her to understand. I had to further explain that when a person disappears and starts getting way behind on rent, it is only prudent that I will start posting notices. It isn't a PERSONAL thing, just a business matter: pay the rent of please move your belongings out and if you don't, they will be moved out for you, thank you. 

Anyway, the work day is here. I am a bit tired as I woke up in the middle of the night to some crashing noise outside - it is very windy out right now - I dunno what that was all about but it took quite a while to get back to sleep. My poor doggies, I left them out in the cold this morning. Don't care, they sealed their fate the last time when I came home from work and found my coffee table covered in urine.

G'day.

ben

I Deserved A Ticket

I'm cruising down I-10 through Chandler (Arizona) area.  They started a construction project in a spot a couple of weeks ago.  The lanes are not narrowed, they are working in the middle of the freeway and put up those heavy concrete dividers.
The - 4 or 5 times I've been through there - since they started it, I have NOT seen a reduced speed speed limit sign.  I looked.  I really did. Construction sites are autonomous with reduced speeds.  Well, cars were buzzing by me going much faster as I was coming up to that today and STILL did not see any signs, so I zoomed along with them.
I saw the DOT Arizona Highway Patrol pickup sitting there, thought nothing of it.  I slowed down a little bit, but just kept cruising.  Apparently the car drivers didn't see whatever signs were posted, either.  They were going at least 10mph FASTER than me past they ADOT pickup, but I had this feeling.  Sure enough, I see this pickup in my rear view mirror come speeding up behind me, put on his lights, I pull over.

This guy was not your typical Highway Patrol officer.  He was totally laid back, about my age and very cordial.  I see him on the right side walking up to the cab of the tractor - a good thing, I don't much care to see people walking on the driver's side of a car or other vehicle on the sides of these freeways, there are too many stupid drivers out there paying no attention to anything.  They have run over HP officers around these parts in the past.  He opens the door, climbs up, says hello, I already had all kinds of documentation ready and handed to him, but yes, I did greet him.

He didn't say anything about speeding - so I thought maybe there ARE no signs and I didn't miss anything.  Instead, he asks me how long those pipes are on the back of my truck?  20 feet.  This goes on for a while, yes it does, yes it always does.  They want to see things working - lights, this that and the other thing.  If you don't drive trucks and you have never had this special attention, trust me, you aren't missing ANYTHING.

He mozies on back to his pickup, pulls out a tape measure and measures the pipe.  He goes back to his truck, puts up the tape measure and mozies on back to me.  Tells me I need 4 straps on that pipe.  I have 3, the legal amount necessary for that length and weight of pipe.  I mean, the straps I had on there are good for about 10 times the amount of weight I had on there.  No matter, DOT is always right and you sit there and listen to it, cause' - you have no choice.  You can argue with them, yes, and you will get reamed if you do.

I know PLENTY of truck drivers that thought arguing with them is aye okay, whatever dudes.  You can sit there and mouth off all day long, it isn't going to help you in the end.  I was raised to respect law enforcement, I keep to that pretty much.  The end result for those drivers is usually nothing good.  Tickets, fines and points. Pass.

He asks me if I can put another strap on the pipe if I have another strap.  Yes, officer, I can put another strap on there, no problem.  He continues, well it can be a 2 inch strap if you don't have any more other straps.  No , sir, I have plenty of straps and winches to strap them to.  He admonishes me to look out for traffic getting out of the truck - a VERY busy stretch of highway with a speed limit of 65MPH and drivers going much faster than that?  I totally agree.

I throw the strap on there, winch it down tight, done.  Oh, the pipe is 20 feet, 7 inches long.  It's 7 inches into needing a 4th strap.  Sort of.  The reason for excessive straps is that trailers without bulkheads have to add an extra strap.  The third strap I had on there was plenty and I thought was sufficient, but, our paperwork all says that pipe is 20 feet long, not 20 feet 7 inches long.  I have never measured it.  However, I had secured cargo in front of the pipe, by law, eliminates the requirement for the extra strap, so, legally, the third strap should have covered it.

Then comes the bombshell.  The area I was travelling through is a construction zone and is posted at 55mph.  I told him I did not see the signs and I was looking.  How did I miss them?  How did I miss them the 4 times or so that I have been through there since this construction started?  But, I was being totally honest: I did NOT see those signs and no, I'm not looking at freaking test messages while I'm driving.  I have no clue and still don't. Well, I didn't argue it with him, he came up looking for a serial number on the trailer, told me I can just kick back in my truck and he'll be back with me shortly.

I figured with the straps, a warning, the speeding - a ticket.  He said I was going 70mph - but I looked when I saw him, I was going 68mph.  In the world of commercial vehicles and licenses, a WORLD of difference.  15mph over the posted limit is enough to have your CDL suspended.  Yes, it is.  I think it's a 60 day suspension, not sure of that, but I think that's what I read.

I dunno, 10 minutes later.  I'm sitting there thinking about what I am going to do about this speeding ticket, you HAVE to fight it in court, regardless.  Especially a charge of going 15mph over.  Bummer, the day is going sour.  He gets in the side of the truck after mozying back up again, has the paperwork in hand, says that no checks, cash or credit cards will be needed.  It didn't register with me at first.  What is he talking about?  He begins to explain what's on the paperwork.  I still am not getting it, because he isn't coming out and saying it.  He says something else that starts me thinking that I am getting warnings, not tickets.  I asked him: You mean you aren't giving me a speeding ticket?  No, he says, just sign on this paperwork and we're done.  

I'm not going to lie and act like some egomaniac by saying I didn't thank him for not giving me a ticket for speeding, especially for that kind of speeding ticket.  I thanked him more than sufficiently, signed the paperwork, he wished me happy holidays, I bid him the same and that was that.

ben

Wednesday

Wednesday
2 more work days - including today - to go before another 3 day weekend.

I left the non-paying tenant a Notice Of Abandonment AND a Quit or Pay notice yesterday. She came "home" overnight, left me a note and left. I'm guessing she probably did a bunch of laundry as well, which really sucks because my power reader is almost out of money. Not that I'm out of money, I got home yesterday and found the thing beeping and $8 left on it.

Which is plenty, unless you have a tenant that thinks electricity is free and use as much of it as possible. 

Anyway, she left me 2 week's rent in the envelope and called it even, saying how confused she is about where I come up with another week's rent owing on top of it. I'm not confused: this week, last week and $75 for the week before. Now, if she is saying she is paid up UNTIL this week, fine, that's true. But, rent is due on the first day of the week, not the first day of next week, thank you.

Regardless, I was happy to receive anything from her, but she did state that she "is sorry you feel I have abandoned the room", yada yada yada. Abandonment notices are for those people tha disappear, in this case for a minimum of 7 days AND are past due in their rent a minimum 10 days. Well, she was gone 8 days up until yesterday and she was 14 days past due in rent. 

This is the trouble with weekly renters who are unemployed but don't want to lose their room. However, I did get the 2 weeks worth of back payments, I am going to call her later as she has requested and we will discuss the legal intentions of posting a Notice of Abandonment when a person completely disappears and is way past due on rent. If she was paid up, she can disappear as long as she wants to, I don't care. Just like the other female tenant who is paid up until the beginning of the year. She has been gone a week. Well, her room is paid up, whether a person wants to live in the room or not is their business, whether they pay the rent for it is mine. In reality, that lady is in Alabama right now visiting kinfolk and I have no idea when she is coming back, but unless it's way past the 1st, she won't be finding abandonment notices on her door. 

A huge storm front is moving through the state (well, since people are visiting this site from around the world, this state would be Arizona and I am in Phoenix), just as predicted. It is supposed to dump a bunch of rain all day long today and then tomorrow night, it's supposed to get very cold (by our standards, anyway). Well, I haven't had to water plants in at least 2 weeks and from the looks of it, I can move that another 2 weeks out. 

The dogs will get their nice little sweatshirt/vest thingies on them tomorrow when it's going to be very cold outside and that will be that. 

Hmmm, well I have a lot to do today, amazingly enough, I just checked the truck routing system. A trip to Queen Creek then to downtown Phoenix and then over to Casa Grande. I am wondering, however, if it's going to stay that way once the rain starts dumping out of the sky.

Anyway, work day is here and I'm done with this one.

G'day.

ben

The BIG News

I've been hearing this all day on the news, you'd think someone had been killed:

COLD BLAST IS COMING THOUGH - or some such thing.

About 2, 2 and a half years ago, a hard freeze hit this area.  It destroyed a lot of trees and plants all over the place.  

They are saying this thing coming through is going to be worse than that one and are warning everyone to cover EVERYTHING up or it's probably not going to come out too well in the end.  

Well, I take such warnings seriously, I have gone to FAR too much work and trouble to plant all of this stuff only to have Mother Nature come along and kill it.  I have enough blankets and sheets that I accumulated from last year to cover just about everything.  I got even more this year I should be able to cover all of it.  My Christmas lights will also help.  If I had big fans, that would help too, but I don't.  

So, Thursday afternoon I am covering everything up and it's going to stay that way for 2 nights in a row, the length of time they are saying the hard freeze conditions will be around.....................and hope whatever I do is enough, cause if it isn't, I'm going to be a very unhappy person if my plants all die or suffer serious freeze damages.  I can deal with some leaves being ruined, but an entire plant?  Gag.  

Tuesday 12/28/2010

Tuesday

I was just reading some pretty bad news for baby boomers. I'm at the end of that one being born in 1964. Statistics were showing that many have not saved enough - or at all - and are retiring early at age 62, therefore not getting the full retirement amount you could get at age 70 through Social Security.

Excuse me, but who the bleep wants to have to work until they're 70 years old? And WHAT, exactly, are you going to be doing at that age in the work force, greeter at Walmart entrances?

I have 16 years until I'm age 62. Guess I better get busy. I had 2% taken out of my paycheck this year - I wasn't going to do anything because of my financial situation, but I just let it ride after my company automatically reinstated it to 2% at the beginning of the year. It's about to break the 5 digit mark. Nothing to get excited about there. If it were about to break the 7 digit mark, woo hooo. 

Further reading had these people saying they are going to work until age 70. Have fun with that. I'm going to up my 401k deductions this coming year since our company is going to reinstate full matching benefits as of January 1st, I believe it is. I'm going to set it at 5% and see what happens. 

My goal, still, is in rental properties. Out or reach right now, but not forever. 

Oh, the situation yesterday out front of my house. I was out there doing something, whatever I don't remember, there was a woman walking up and down the street, acting as if she was looking for something. This went on for a few minutes before I asked her if I could her find something - I had never seen her before.

The next thing I know, this woman is on my property, standing next to me, talking to me as if we were friends and had known each other for years. That wasn't the bad part, the bad part is she was REALLY strange. Talking a mile a minute, giggling and laughing at everything, not necessarily the most coherent being I had ever encountered. It was really weird.

Then, one of the neighobhood kids that has been walking the dogs for me came up to take one of them. This woman went berserk. She wanted to take one of my dogs as well. I don't even KNOW this woman, I'm not about to let her just walk off with one of my dogs! This went on for 10 minutes at least. I was out there at that point waiting for the next prospective tenant to show up. 

Well, this guy drives up in his car and I'm trying to get rid of this woman. PLEASE leave now, I finally had to say, I have business to deal with, thank you. She leaves, the guy comes in, I show him the house, we start talking about all kinds of stuff. At the end of it, the kid brings back one of the dogs and this woman follows the kid right through the gate and into my side yard!!! 

She also left the gate open. Oh, it was all too funny to her, I was about to let loose but decided to just politely ask her to leave. You left the gate open. Haahahahahahheeeheheeheheheeehehehheee. 
I looked at her and said there was nothing funny about it, my dogs can get out when you leave the gate open, I was still tempted to tell her to get the bleep off of my property, I just let it go and escorted her out. 

One thing is for sure, that woman is NEVER taking one of my dogs ANYWHERE unless she steals one of them. I have this - bad - feeling that she is going to be back today. I think a bit more bluntness will have to be in order if so. 

Work day is here.

G'day.

ben

New Tenant

A 2-way street.
I have people coming over here, looking at the room.  They say that they are going to look at other homes before making any decisions.
Great, see all the homes you want, I reply, but I am on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you decide you want the room but someone else gets it first after you leave, that's the way it goes.

It takes them by surprise.  It shouldn't.  That person is trying to put me on hold.  Just wait while that person is going to make up their mind, meanwhile, I have 10 other people that are interested in the room.  And, while that person is gone, they think they find a better place and baam, you've held the room for nothing.  Not only have you held it for nothing, you lost all those prospective people plus, probably, it gets past the first of the month and your prospects start thinning out substantially.

So, I tell them up-front, such as the individual that came over here today: I don't hold rooms.  I mean, spent a good 40 minutes with this guy, talking, showing him around, etc etc etc.  He finally said he likes the place, but, he wants to go see another house.  Wonderful.  I don't really say that, I'm thinking it.  You go see that house, I'm never going to hear from you again, I'm moving on.  I gave him an hour.  An hour was up, another guy that called yesterday wanted to come see it.  Please do.  He came right over.  We hit it off from the start.  I didn't have near the connection with the first person.

One thing you want when someone is going to move into your house:  a good feeling about it.  A connection, a "yes, this guy or girl can move in and it will be a good fit" type of thought and feeling.   This guy wanted to see EVERYTHING, including the ponds.  I showed him the ponds, he loved the dogs, wanted me to show him that the TV in "his" room works and that the satellite is hooked up and working.  Yup and yes.

At the end of it, he says he has one more house he wants to look at.  I felt my face "fall", he noticed.  What's up?  "I don't hold rooms".  There is nothing else to say about it.  I do NOT hold rooms.  The phone was literally ringing off the hook while I was talking with him.  I said all of those calls were for the room - which they were.  I can't and won't hold rooms.  No thanks.  I have been there, done that, most of the time it does NOT work out, unless you want to put cash down, the room will be rented to whoever says yes first.

He thought about it for a few minutes and said yes.  This is the place for him, he didn't want to miss a good deal, wanted out of his current situation BADLY, done.  The other guy?  He lost.  He and several others were calling the entire time.  That first guy - I have no sympathy. It's a good deal here, it's a VERY good deal.

You see, it isn't quite the stretch for me to say, nope, not holding rooms, since they are going to sit there and tell me that yup, they're going to go check out other places.  I don't hold it against them, I just don't hold the room FOR them.  That's their choice and I might add they are taking a chance.  Whatever.  Not the first person that has regretted not saying yes right away.

Onto other things.

HAMP.  Home Affordable Modification Program.
I called today.  My lender, that is.  THEY sent me the paperwork out of the blue.  I don't have to fill out all of that paperwork, I did it over the phone with them today.   They ask a lot of questions, just like they did the first time.  Got to the end of it, they want paystubs for 2 months; a letter of hardship and proof of tenant payments.  Well, they had the pay stubs and the letter of hardship within 30 minutes of that call. I sat down and wrote up the same type of hardship letter that I gave them the first time.  Pay stubs were easy enough to get on my company's site.  I don't normally carry tenant contracts around with me, so, lol, I have that to send in.  Oh, I faxed that stuff over to them.

After all of this time, my lender is finally participating in the HAMP program.  NO guarantees, of course, but, I will hold out hope.  My lender is not reducing principle on properties. I have asked 20 times at least, today was no hold-out on that question.  Why should they?  I don't know, I just ask.  I ask for everything.  They can reduce the interest, reduce the payment, lengthen the term of the loan, apparently several things.  I do NOT want the loan extended another 10 years, that is useless.  I mean, it would bring the payments down, but it doesn't help.  I want reduced interest rate, THAT helps.  Bring the monthly payment down another $300 or more, that would be great help.

Is there any credence to $5 per gallon gasoline within 2 years?  I don't know.  This is the latest news story, the "experts" saying that $5 is coming within 2 years and that by the end of the decade there will be rationing.  I dunno.  I just don't know.  Last time they came up with this $5 or even more predictions, it tanked and we were back in the $2 plus change range.  Definitely feeling the bite at near $3.00 per gallon fuel now.

Strange stuff going on all over the place, the front of my house no different.  But, that story is going to have to wait until tomorrow, as I'm tired and I have decided to go to bed an hour early.

G'nite.

ben

Monday 12/27/2010

Monday

So, what do you think?
Should the babies that are born here - referred to as anchor babies, on U.S. soil from parents who are illegal aliens be automatically given citizenship? 

It's an incentive for them to slip over here, illegally, get their kids born here, now they have a "grip" on their own citizenship. I have no idea what the pro and con arguments are going to be in this debate concerning that of which they are taking up in Congress, should be some interesting reading. 

I think Mexico - the main supplier of illegal aliens - should take care of their own people and stop expecting them to come over here so that they can funnel money back over there. In fact, it would be good if Mexico could deal with the extreme violence going on on it's own soil. I can only imagine that many potential U.S. tourist shy away from Mexico at this point in time because of the violence and murder. You couldn't pay me to drive across the border right now.

Whatever. It's the week between Christmas and New Year's, traditionally a lot of people take time off during this interval and traditionally work is very slow. I do have a couple of deliveries today, that from Thursday, I haven't checked again today to see if anything new has popped up. Nope, just checked, just the same stuff that was in there. Well, at least there's SOMETHING to do in there. 

2011 will be a different kind of year for me. My son will turn 18, he will graduate high school and start his trek into adulthood by going off to college. Though, I guess he's not really going "off" anywhere, he's talking about going to a community college in the area and then to ASU, which is about 15 minutes from my house. My mom asked him yesterday where he was going to live while he is doing that, I did not hear the answer. I'm guessing he's going to stay with his mom or I, I don't know that for a fact. He doesn't make enough money to be able to live on his own or with other guys his age in an apartment somewhere. I mean, you get to an age where you sorta want to part ways with your parents. I understand that, I also understand it's hard times we are living in and money is tight and scarce.

Whatever, it will be interesting to see what happens and where this is all going. 

Meanwhile, I am going to apply for HAMP this week and see if I can get the federal stuff going towards my mortgage on the house. My lender told me on the phone some time back they aren't participating in that, now they have sent me the paperwork, lol. Letting the mortgage go for 2 months was a strategic thing - they won't bother to do anything for you unless you are behind on your payments. My property is now around 70k underwater. Something has to give here. I do not want to live in a house that may never see the amount I am paying for it. At the VERY least I want a greatly reduced, permanetly, interest rate. Like at least another 2 full points, if not 3. 

Well, work day is here. 

G'day.

ben

Visit To Mom's

Caleb and I went to mom's today to exchange Christmas gifts and have a bit of lunch.
Always a good visit, but she said that Christmas yesterday without us around (she went to my brother's for Christmas) was quiet.  Too quiet, apparently.  Did I sour the mood by not showing up?  I can't imagine the sparks that might have flown if I HAD shown up and middle brother started junk with me.  I would rather stay home alone with my doggies than do that.

As it stands, my Christmas was excellent and I have no regrets not going over there. I only see my oldest brother once a year - at Christmas, so this year, I didn't see my oldest brother.  The situation with my middle brother?  Maybe we'll work things out by next Christmas.  I do take offense at my brothers shrugging off our dad and I make no bones about it, which is what started this contention in the first place.

I find it inexcusable that year after year, both of them completely ignore my dad's attempts to even start a dialogue with them.  I would rather that they have it out with him than to continue this unbelievable, childish s*** that has been going on for what, 6 years now?  Have it out, get it over with.  But they won't and from the sound of the way my middle brother talks - it's going to stay that way.  So, he got mad at me when I asked him about it.  He said that dad "only sends a card maybe twice a year".  Well what the bleep does he expect?  He emailed him, called him on the phone - to which my brothers wouldn't answer, sent cards, what else is a person supposed to do?

Well, enough of that.  I just get ticked off when I think about it.  Anyway, I DID send my oldest brother and his wife their normal Christmas present of  Omaha Steaks.  They like it, that's good.  They sent some presents for us to open with mother - so - Caleb and I both got $50 gift cards to Best Buy.  Caleb asked me if I wanted his card.  Well, sure, but it's for you.  Caleb got $75 worth of cards to go to Gameworks, THAT is where he is at right NOW.  I probably should have informed him that they have all kinds of cool stuff at Best Buy, well I did try to tell him, but he just said take it.  So I did.  $100 worth.  Best Buy sells Windows 7 software.  It's $199.99.  I'm $100 on the way there.

Spending money on anything but bills and necessities are pretty much on hold right now until I get the room rented out and find out whether I have to evict the non-paying tenant or not.  She got way behind before but then got caught up.  I'm guessing for as little time as she is spending here, she might be thinking of moving out. I am going to give her a good push in that direction or paying up: 5 day notice, will be delivered tomorrow.  Funny thing is, I just got a call from a small family that is looking to rent out 2 rooms.

If you add up expenses on renting out 2 rooms in my house versus renting out an apartment, you come up with my house being a much better deal.  You just don't have total privacy since the house is being shared.  The rent is flat rate, so, you are not spending all the extra money on electricity, laundry, internet, satellite and water/sewer bills.  Plus, with all these people short saleing their homes or getting foreclosed, a lot of bad credit that apartment won't rent to.

Anyway, I just keep running the ad until I get the room rented, however long that takes.

Christmas is over, New Year's to come.  I'm going to make one resolution this year and see how long I keep it.  Again, it's to work out with my free weights.  I do some here and there, the resolution would be for at least 3 times per week.  I would like to get myself in toned condition again.

Well, my co-worker and her husband gave me a little bag yesterday with some goodies in it, I was afraid they were going to do that and I wanted to take something over there to give in exchange - but I had no clue what to take, so I didn't get anything.  Anyway, there is a cigar in there and I think I'm going to go out and smoke half of it.  Oh, that's another thing.  Not a New Year's resolution, either, just going to cut back on cigars quite a bit after the New Year comes and goes.  At most once per month is all I'm going to allow myself.  I've gotten it up to once per week and I feel that's too much.  I was at once every 3 to 6 months.

Oh, I forgot, my mom: she absolutely LOVES her new TV!  It's a 19 inch flat screed HD LCD TV.  I got it on Black Friday.  She wants to get rid of Satellite TV in favor of - whatever you can get through the air waves.  She has a converter box - we set all of that up.  It works perfectly and there are a LOT more free, local channels available than I expected, one of which mostly shows movies (a think she liked).  Great quality picture, too.  Yeah, I know, 19 inch TV isn't that big, but that's what she wanted and I wouldn't have been able to afford anything bigger.  As it stands, I don't have a flat screen TV or HD myself.  I'm not going to get one, either, until I can afford to get at least a 48 inch version.

My mom is a bit - interesting.  She owns the house she lives in outright.  She only has to pay taxes on it every year.  Her expenses - obviously - aren't going to be that much.  If I could dump the mortgage payment I would feel like I'm rich!! Lol.  To talk to her about finances, though, you'd think she was dirt -poor and broke.  Not withstanding the fact that this year, she bought a pickup truck outright for cash, lol.  Okay, she IS on a budget: she lives off the interest/dividends of her investments.  Still, she refuses to buy herself this kind of stuff - the TV, last year a digital camera - so, I just have to chuckle when I give her this stuff that I KNOW she could afford to buy herself.  Well, it is nice to give her something she wants, anyway.

JD - the "elder" black kid that is still coming over here to use the internet when I'm not on it - well, I left him a Merry Christmas note last night.  Caleb said he was all bummed out cause I didn't leave a gift.  Yes, I thought, the gift is letting him use the internet, isn't that enough?  Oh well, I understand, it sucks to not have money.  I know the feeling all too well.  They don't get much for Christmas.  I thought about Michael and Anthony, pretty much figuring that if their Christmas goes like most of them, they got nothing or very little.  I do believe that this time, they are gone for good.  I have no sympathy.  They are ungrateful freaks of nature.  The best way I can put it without - going into obscenities.  That's about the best adjective to describe those 2: ungrateful.  Their mother was much more giving in her statements to me that I have helped them a lot, yes I have.  For those 2 kids to treat me the way they did when I threw them out of here, good grief.

Whatever the case, I'm going outside. It's absolutely beautiful weather out there.  The dogs?  Are crashed out like it's the middle of the night in front of me.  I mean, laid out, done, cooked, it's over with.  Yet, when I put on my "Farmer Ben Hat" - a gift from an ex-tenant (a great tenant at that) when he left, they KNOW what I am up to, get right up as if they just drank a Jolt cola and are out the door with me.  I'm telling you, though, it's
almost eerie to hear a dog snoring like he's some sort of human.

G'day.

ben

Sunday 12/26/2010

Perfect day yesterday.
The Standing Rib Roast turned out beautifully.
Melt in your mouth steak goodness.
Had to cook it a bit more after pulling it out of the oven, though, for people that don't like rare meat.
Oh well.  I wouldn't dare ruin a piece of meat that delicious and that expensive by over cooking it, but what anyone else wants to do is their business.

I had a lady over today looking at the room for rent.  Nice gal, said she was going to look at several other places and would call me back tomorrow if she wanted it.  Meanwhile, I have several phone calls and emails out to those that contacted me yesterday about the room.  Hopefully I get a taker out one of them.

Going to mom's house in a bit less than an hour.  We have gifts to exchange and I know she wants hers, lol.

Not much else going on.  Tenants are gone.  One of them is going to receive a 5-day notice tomorrow - she is 2 weeks behind on her rent, has hardly been here and doesn't say anything about money when she does come through.  No point in dragging this out forever, she has a place to stay apparently so, let her stay there and let me get someone else in the room.

Oh, another 4 day work-week in-que.  Then it's fully 5 months before another holiday day off.

Anyways, Happy Sunday!

ben

Merry Christmas!

To strangers, friends and family alike, I bid all of you a very wonderful and Merry Christmas!!

In a few hours I am leaving for the Christmas breakfast - do that a couple of hours, head home and cook the nice Standing Rib Roast.

I could kick myself for forgetting to get some horseradish yesterday when I was out and about.  Stores are all closed today except convenience stores - which probably aren't going stock horseradish sauce, lol.

Anyway, not going to go into a long entry here, just wanted to send well wishes and warm greetings to everyone,
hope you all have a great day!

ben

Christmas Eve Shopping

Unbelievable and highly entertaining.
I made several stops today, all over the place.
First was Bashas.  Since I was giving away my Holiday roast and my Standing Rib Roast that I bought last month is in the freezer, well, had to get another one.

It was 10:00am or so and that place was PACKED.   I mean, I know tomorrow a lot of places are going to be closed, but I had no expectation to find that kind of crowd in a grocery store that early.  I go to the back to the meat department  - Standing Rib Roasts out. Ring the buzzer - guy says there are none but they will have some in about an hour as they sent someone to get them.  He then informs me they are going to be small.

No thanks.  I got a ham, though, cause they were on stupid sale and couldn't pass it up.  The line was LONG.  There were no self-serve aisles in that store, so I stood there listening to 2 men babbling away in front of me while a container of carpet fresh stuff was spilling out onto the floor - the guy had it in his hands.  I finally said something, nothing crass, just, umm, do you know you are losing the contents of your container on the floor?  I point to the floor which is covered with the granules.  Oh, they said, thanks for telling us.  Every container we picked up was leaking.  They put that think on the belt and covered the belt with it, too.  Personally, I wouldn't buy something that is losing it's contents, but that's just me.

I was surprised to hear the lady working the checkout telling customers Merry Christmas instead of this "Happy Holiday" junk.  That was pretty cool.  I wished her the same after I was done.

Drove over to the next Basha's.  Lots of people there, but nothing like the first one.  I walk to the back.  No Standing Rib Roasts out there, either, but, I overheard a gentleman talking to an employee - meat department that is - telling him what he wanted.  Standing Rib Roast.  Okay, then.  I waited until he came back out with a very nice looking roast and asked him if there were any more.  Yup, we just cut them to order.  Great, give me one like what that guy just got.  Nice.

Out of there, onto Walmart.  Needed a new phone cord, one of the dogs destroyed it last night.  Place was packed.  I wandered around, but, I am not buying a lot of presents this year.  My mother, my oldest brother and something for my son, that's it.  After a bit of searching, I found where the cords are.  They were sold out of the 25 foot cords, which is what I needed.  Nevertheless, I'm there, got some dog food and a few other things, got into a line, heard a few people going off, left.  Saw Gamestop in the same strip mall - just what I was looking for - a gift card for Caleb, that's all he's getting from me for Christmas after spending a lot of money to get that old car going so he could start driving.   Not a long line there, but the 2 people that were at the counters were taking FOREVER to make up their mind and buy what they were going to buy.

Over to Fry's electronics.  I wandered around that store looking at everything.  One can dream.  Got a 25 foot phone cord and got out of there.  The line was at least 50 people long, but when there are 30 cash registers going (at least), it isn't a particularly long wait.

Fry's Food Stores.  Made up in my mind that if something went wrong in there, I would just keep it zipped, smile, say Merry Christmas and move on.  Unless, of course, it turned into an incident such as with the meat department person over a year ago that wanted to get into a fistfight................

They didn't have any white dinner rolls left.  Well, they had one bag - it was opened.  I am NOT buying a bag of opened rolls.  The store's general manager - of whom I have had a large number of interactions with but none recently as I gave up on the self-service checkout junk and the terrible service there in reference to asking them to make it WORK - was standing there in the bakery department.  I asked him if there were any of those rolls in the back.  He went back, nothing.  Got the lady running that department and asked her. No.  Funny to be out of dinner rolls the morning before Christmas day, when they are getting nearer to closing time, sure, but it was all day before that was going to happen.

The manager said he would look in a different part of the bakery where they must have had some, nothing there.  Instead, there were pre-packaged rolls, not the store's freshly baked stuff.  Well who cares, I'll take whatever they had.  The lady running the bakery started giving me a rather lengthy description of the different types of rolls that were on those shelves.  Thanks.  I didn't really need an explanation - they're just rolls - but I listened. I then went to get some bacon.  The stuff that was supposed to be on sale was - out.  16 oz Tyson bacon for $1.99.  Great price.  Gone.  They had some other bacon - 12 oz - for the same price.  Less product, but it  was still the best price per ounce left available - I'm having a Cobb salad with my prime rib tomorrow, thanks.

Getting out of there and wishing a lot of people Merry Christmas, I headed to the cigar place.  I wasn't going to have one this weekend but, it's Christmas.  I'm going to stop smoking them for several months - at least.  I just don't need an addiction, a potentially harmful one at that.

Home.  Stuff.  People. Issues.  Empty room that needs rented.  On and on.  The people showed up for the roast, got to talking and I was glad to help them.  My sick neighbor - has pneumonia - finally showed up outside.  He STILL sounded and looked bad.  Talked awhile.  Darkness.  Christmas lights on.  I'm in the Christmas spirit.

Leave out some milk and cookies for Santa?

Lol.

G'nite.

ben

Friday 12/24/2010 Christmas Eve Day

I am going to be out and about today.
I like people watching during the holidays.
Not for "strange" purposes, the entertainment more often than not
is in watching families that are going crazy trying to get everything
done, arguing, pushing, fighting, lol.  Really, it's sometimes just fun
to sit and watch.
I also decided to help a family out this Christmas with a dinner.
I haven't given out food in quite a while, just hasn't really been in
the financial cards to do so, I am sort of making up for that today.
A family is coming to get a roast and some fixings to go along with it
later on today.
That will be the extent of that kind of thing for a while.  There are a
lot of people asking for food help right now, I just can't do too much.
Anyway, just wanted to post a Merry Christmas to everyone.

Thursday 12/23/2010

Thursday

On the cusp of a 3-day weekend.
Usually, we get off early on the day before the holiday day. Basically, crews go home early at construction sites or go out partying, there is no point to staying open.

There are, amazingly, a couple of deliveries in the system, though - but - it rained all night long and I don't wonder if they will all call it a day before the day has even started. I will be finding that out a bit later, still too early to start calling contractors. 

I'm going to a Christmas breakfast at a co-workers house tomorrow. I'm wondering if I should take a gift with me and if so, what, exactly, should I take? Indeed. 

I guess the news of the day is that the tenant I suspected was moving out? Pushed that up much closer than what I expected. He came into the kitchen yesterday, handed me a money order for this week, told me he is moving out. I asked when. "Now". I bluntly asked him if he had EVER heard of a giving a notice in advance? He went into a litany of reasons why he must move, that he had to help out his mother in Alabama with money and this, that and the other thing. 

I then asked him if he was moving in with his girlfriend. Yup. Okay, thought so. Girlfriend has money, principal of a high school in Scottsdale. Nothing I could do, bye. 

I haven't gone in there to look at the aftermath, though I JUST got done painting that room before he moved in what, a few months ago? He hasn't been in my house all that long to begin with. Whatever. I'm bracing myself in case more of this kind of lovely news is coming from any of the other 2 tenants - it has happened that way before where 2 or even 3 are moving out relatively close to the same time.

I started putting up a Craigslist room rental ad while discussing this situation with him. He looked at what I was doing - you are putting up an ad right NOW? Yes, of course I am. What, am I going to sit here and wait until you are completely out? I would have started running an ad if I had had an advance notice of your departure.

The only good thing is that it is near the end of the month and it is the time of the month when people are looking to move. 

So, with that, I am offa here to go place yet another ad - 2 per day - until the room is rented.

G'day.

ben

Wednesday 12/22/2010

Wednesday

The Car.
I went over to Caleb's mother's house yesterday, go Caleb, went to the shop. My old car sitting there, acting as if nothing had happened. Or so I figured that car would say if it was ascencionate and could talk. 

The mechanic pointed me to a separate building. Okay. This building 150 feet from the shop. Kinda strange layout. I go inside that building and was very surprised at what I saw in there. They might be calling it the shop office, I was calling it a museum. The entire waiting room was lined with objects from the past. An old gas pump - like 50 years old at least - that had been completely rebuilt. Old Coca-Cola pictures - the real thing, not cheap fakes - lined the walls. Old fire hydrants and an OLD oven that looked like it just came off the factory floor. 

The stuff in there was in such incredibly good condition, I forgot what I was in there for a few seconds as I started inspecting everything. But, the mechanic came in. Turns out he is also the owner. He had driven the car several times, had it idling for hours (my over half tank of fuel was now done to a quarter tank, so I pretty much believed that). 

He had ideas - 3 ignition components that he recommended to be changed out if this problem persisted. Of course, he threw in there that one of them was "expensive, though" at $200. 

No idea. Just drive the car and see what happens. I drove it home, drove it to work this morning, nothing. 

Changing the subject, one of my company's credit personnel called me yesterday out of the blue. I don't normally get calls from those people. She was asking me what I am doing on Christmas morning. Nothing spectacular, I replied. Well, why don't you come over and join us for Christmas breakfast? Took me about a half a second to think about it and accept the invitation. This family are really cool people. I have no idea why she invited me, but she also brought a large pot pie for me to work last week, of which I consumed all of it.

No, she isn't single, either, she's happily married and I met her husband at the Christmas party, turns out he is also a truck driver. He hauls a fuel tanker taking gasoline to fuel stations around the Phoenix area. I've heard those drivers make good money. 

Speaking of single, I have been getting a LOT of hits lately on Plenty of Fish. Started talking to a few of them and one of them claims she wants to meet me. That's nice, please tell me something about yourself first! I mean, seriously. Okay, I do have the profile thing that asks you all kinds of questions and comes up with a personality analysis that everyone can see, I wonder about the accuracy of those things, though. Kinda cool to see some ladies taking interest if nothing else. One of them is a cowgirl, claims she is 42 years old and is on the go all the time. She's a pretty thing, looks more like late 20's than early 40's. 

Anyway, I am busying myself with responding to some of them and seeing if any of it might go anywhere. 

Meanwhile, 90% chance of rain today. Usually, that means it IS going to rain. Oh, and now, South Korea has turned on the rhetoric machine towards North Korea and supposedly is going to engage in the largest live-fire drill ever. Stay tuned folks, I'm sure they'll figure out how to get themselves into a real war pretty soon......too bad they are so hell-bent on such and our troops are over there. Then again, something definitely needs to be done about the nuke situation.

But, it's Christmas time. You couldn't tell that by reading the news. You also couldn't tell that by reading numerous online boards that I do with people getting into heated arguments over whether we should be calling it the holiday season or Christmas, Holiday tree or Christmas tree.

Hmmm, well, I have a Christmas tree in my living room to celebrate the Christmas holiday. 

My time's up for today.

Merry Christmas!!!
ben

Tuesday 12/21/2010

Tuesday

I have reason to believe on of my tenants is moving out - without actually saying he's moving out. A rather elongated discussion with Lynn (trailer tenant) yesterday revealed that he was moving a LOT of stuff out of his (the tenant that may be moving out) yesterday. 

This individual told me he was going to hang out with a cousin that is visiting from Alabama and then he was going back to Alabama for Christmas and wouldn't be back until the 4th, I think it was, of next month. I won't be waiting that long to post a notice of abandonment on his door, since he owes me rent for this week. 

Some people are that way, just leave, don't give any kind of notice. It's hard to start running room rental ads when you don't know when, exactly the person is going to completely vacate the room. Hence the need to post an abandonment notice. 

Umm, so, I am bracing myself for the eventuality - maybe very soon, of having a room vacated and having to try and find another tenant. Not a great time for something like this to be happening, but, worse has happened.

Well, work day got here before I knew it.

G'day.

ben

Monday 12/20/2010

Monday
4-day work week, since Christmas falls on a Saturday, Friday is off. So, it's Tuesday already!

My mother wrote me an email yesterday asking if I was coming to Christmas. This apparently isn't going to stop. I told her that I had an exchange with my brother, he's still playing his games, I'm not going to be there. I can stop by the day before or the day after if she'd like. 

My brother doesn't want to deal with his statements that I am evil, "just like dad" - to him that is a bad thing, and other malicious statements that lead me to believe that my presence at a Christmas "celebration" at his house would only turn into a disaster, as I will not just stand there and take his verbal assaults. I would just leave. This, in turn, would ruin Christmas for mother if no-one else, might as well just let the negativity fall in place beforehand. I don't really care one way or the other if I am there or not. In fact, I wish they would just let it go at this point - unless my brother wants to deal with the verbal altercation that occured.

He does not. Apparently, his idea of dealing with something like that is to get out the shovel, dig a hole and bury it, acting as if nothing ever happened. 

Whatever. It's only 3 minutes before work starting time, I was reading a lot of news before getting to this - NK apparently has backed down, Obama is going to face a tough campaign due to redistricting, a pipeline blew up in Mexico because of thieves attempting to steal whatever is going through that pipe, on and on. Even a story about Santa Clause was pretty negative stuff. Bookings are down. Santa charging $200 per hour? That's quite a lot of money, if you ask me, but you didn't.

So, that's it, the work day is here.......
g'day.

ben