Happy 4th of July to all the Stateside folks who call the good ole' USA their home and are patriotic. If you are patriotic to some other nation (such as many of the illegals here who claim how much better it is in Mexico than it is to live here), please go to your homeland and stay there, thank you. You can bash the U.S. from THERE, not from our homeland. Bastards.
I have told more than a couple of handfuls of those people where they can go, and it ain't nowhere in the US, I can assure you of that. People that come here, work the jobs, get the money, send it home and then call us a bunch of rich and greedy "white people". As if the entire country only has white people that have any kind of money, or that every person in the U.S. is rich, much less greedy. It aggravates me to no end these people and their disdain of our country and their marked disinterest for integrating into our society. I undoubtedly see a LOT more of this than most other people living in the Phoenix area which is rife with illegals.
Whatever. I am having grilled steak, coleslaw, some kind of vegetable and potatoes in celebration today, screw the diet (for one day, anyway). Actually, when the work contest starts, I am going to go gung-ho on working out and limiting my eating. Not necessarily to win the contest, just to have that kind of motivation to get me going on the last 10 or so pounds that need to be shed, while at the same time, building muscle.
No, changing the subject completely, I am not going to wait in a line to leave a store. When you go into Fry's Electronics and buy something, you know that they are going to attempt to stop you on the way out and put a yellow permanent marker slash on your ticket. It is not a membership club, therefore they do not have the right to detain you if you do not want to be detained, you can simply walk on out the door. They will yell after you, I am waiting for the day when I am "chased" out of the store. My issue is the line that forms to get out of the blooming place. I waited in line to PAY for my merchandise, I am NOT going to wait to get out of there.
So it was today. I walked right on by the line and right out the door and yes, with at least one person yelling "sir, we need to check your receipt". I didn't even look back, I had the receipt clearly visible in my hand and I kept right on walking. It's bad enough that you go into a place and see all of these people at the cashiers pulling out their wallets and purses WELL after the cashier has already rung up the purchases. Did these people forget that they have to pay for the items? NO. Yet, today, here is a guy in a conversation with the attendant who is supposed to be checking receipts. Again, I couldn't care less, I am leaving and that is that.
I did have security rush out of a Walmart store once when I refused to allow the people at the door to see my receipt. This practice apparently has been abandoned by Walmart because all of them I have been in recently DO have people at the exit door but do NOT sit there and try to demand to see my ticket. ALL Walmarts have security looking through multiple cameras all over those stores, let them catch the shoplifters that way, leave ME alone. I turned to the security people and informed them that if they did not leave me alone, I would be calling the police. That was enough for them to turn around and walk away. No threats, no attempt to detain me, they simply do not have the right. Doesn't mean I hate Walmart - though I have had SUBSTANTIAL problems there over the years with customer service "associates", I like the prices, but that isn't enough to make me want to shop there exclusively.
I heard from Caleb (my son) today. He has today off, or at least a part of it, apparently. He said he was totally exhausted from the previous week and had crashed out yesterday, using his free time to sleep. He IS a sound sleeper - that kid can sleep through the noise of bombs going off, I do believe. He said today he was going to spend a few hours off, alone, listening to his music. He also stated they are about half way over for the season. Makes sense, he said they would be going through the first week of August. I didn't hear a single complaint from him about his experience so far up there, though, that's a good thing.
2 tenants are facing eviction. 1 hasn't shown up in at least 8 days and is now 3 days past due on his rent. He called on the 30th and said he would be coming back on the 1st, but that never materialized. I am not going to call him, I posted a Quit or Pay 5-Day Notice on his door on the 2cd and that's that. If he does not "materialize" by the 7th, I am posting a Notice of Abandonment on his door instead of going to court. That will simply make it much cheaper - and must faster - to legally remove his stuff from that room and get it re-rented. Yes, it's another 5 day waiting period, but to evict a person from your house takes about 25 days and costs around $200. Abandonment is free excepting putting his belongings in storage. The fact of the matter is, though, even with an eviction, if a renter does not appear, I STILL legally have to put the person's belongings in storage for a minimum of 30 days before I can get rid of it.
If the renter shows up out of the blue wanting his stuff, he has to pay whatever it cost me to store the stuff upfront. That includes renting the truck: if I pay helpers and the storage cost itself. I can imagine a scenario like that getting pretty ugly, but the days of me waiting for people to pay rent are over. I refuse to continue to be shafted by people who lose their ability - or desire - to pay rent and then put you off for weeks, leaving and not paying anything.
Changing the subject, again. Well not. I wrote that and got caught up in an article.
The 3 day weekend is almost over, I don't feel as if it's been 3 days but that's how it goes and I ............... am going to ask for a week off in August. If I stay home and do nothing, so beit.
G'day.
ben
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Saturday 7/2/2011
9 hours of overtime this week. Yesterday, to keep from getting OT, I would have had to stay home, actually, as I was already 30 minutes over. Instead, I got caught up with a delivery that took almost 3 hours at an Intel plant. After getting done with that, I went back to the yard to find out that a delivery to one of the mines up in the mountains was still on! I reminded my manager how far over I was, he didn't care. Which is fine by me, but he will have to explain it to the Ops manager and maybe even with the General Manager, who explicitly informed me to "watch your hours" some time ago.
I'll take the money and be happy, is all I can say about it, and hope for more!
I'm guessing the news might have a few blips about the heat over here on a nationwide level. Just because of the extreme temps that we have had and now, today, the expect high of anywhere up to 120 degrees. I can only say that my central AC system is working quite well and keeps the house as cool as I want it, which is about 78 degrees. Here's when you know it's going to be hot: the LOW tonight will be 87 degrees, lol.
Gun shop just down the road from me, I am going there in a bit after they open. They are claiming to have some great deals available today (4th of July weekend, people get out of Dodge in these parts instead of staying at home like I do, thusly, I doubt their store is going to be loaded with customers). I want either a 9mm, .40 or .45 caliber handgun - or - a 12 gauge shotgun of some sort and possibly get a .380 - smaller gun that can be hidden easier - if I ever decided to do the concealed carry route. But, mostly, I just want some home protection. I do believe Federal law prohibits commercial drivers from having any kind of firearm in their possession on in their vehicle.
_________________________________________
I checked a bunch of places online, but the one I had intention of going to had numerous good reviews, especially about the knowledge of the associates working there and the best prices. I went. Torn between a handgun or a shotgun, I asked the store guy's opinion. His instantaneous response to "what is the best home protection" was a 12 gauge shotgun. Cheaper than handguns, even a brand new one was only $207 with tax. Yes, I brought it home. Background check cleared instantly. Next up: educate myself on the rules of when you can use lethal force - and when you cannot. If a guy comes barging into my house with a gun drawn, that's pretty obvious.
I know, I have several readers that hate guns. My parents did too, when I was a kid. They wouldn't allow us to even have a BB gun, much less a real shotgun or rifle. My mother did an about face when she started living in Sun City - 55 plus retirement community - and found out how many predators of the aged there are out there. She now owns 3 handguns and I think there is also a shotgun around somewhere. Someone knocks at her door with ill intent, well, won't open the door for them, anyway, but if somehow they got in, well, what they don't see is the handgun in her - hand - loaded and ready to fire. And yes, she goes to the shooting range a couple of times a year. I fully intend on getting a small handgun as well.
I hope I never have to use the thing, at least for self defense purposes. Taking it out somewhere where it's legal to shoot and doing some practice is another situation entirely. Not that you need much practice with a shotgun: aim in the general direction and likely you are going to hit the intended target.
It's 11:00 am and it's already 108 out there, gag.
I have not heard anything from Caleb since a week ago. Allegedly, at least a portion of Saturday is free time for the counselors. So I am hoping he will visit his FB page and make an entry and perhaps send me even a short email. Hey, I used to talk to my parents even when I was on the mission field!
Well, this day is done. Not that much, but enough, it's almost 6:00 pm and I started this entry at somewhere around 7:30 am. I have been fooling with the ponds; had one of the trailer tenants in that couldn't take the heat (95 in that trailer with a swamp cooler); tried to get the oil changed on my car (neighborhood kid, sometimes hard to find); fooled with the new shotgun (no, I did not accidentally discharge it); had the dogs following me in and out, even though I didn't really want them to (large dogs, too hot for them outside); responded to several emails and other minutia.
G'day.
ben
I'll take the money and be happy, is all I can say about it, and hope for more!
I'm guessing the news might have a few blips about the heat over here on a nationwide level. Just because of the extreme temps that we have had and now, today, the expect high of anywhere up to 120 degrees. I can only say that my central AC system is working quite well and keeps the house as cool as I want it, which is about 78 degrees. Here's when you know it's going to be hot: the LOW tonight will be 87 degrees, lol.
Gun shop just down the road from me, I am going there in a bit after they open. They are claiming to have some great deals available today (4th of July weekend, people get out of Dodge in these parts instead of staying at home like I do, thusly, I doubt their store is going to be loaded with customers). I want either a 9mm, .40 or .45 caliber handgun - or - a 12 gauge shotgun of some sort and possibly get a .380 - smaller gun that can be hidden easier - if I ever decided to do the concealed carry route. But, mostly, I just want some home protection. I do believe Federal law prohibits commercial drivers from having any kind of firearm in their possession on in their vehicle.
_________________________________________
I checked a bunch of places online, but the one I had intention of going to had numerous good reviews, especially about the knowledge of the associates working there and the best prices. I went. Torn between a handgun or a shotgun, I asked the store guy's opinion. His instantaneous response to "what is the best home protection" was a 12 gauge shotgun. Cheaper than handguns, even a brand new one was only $207 with tax. Yes, I brought it home. Background check cleared instantly. Next up: educate myself on the rules of when you can use lethal force - and when you cannot. If a guy comes barging into my house with a gun drawn, that's pretty obvious.
I know, I have several readers that hate guns. My parents did too, when I was a kid. They wouldn't allow us to even have a BB gun, much less a real shotgun or rifle. My mother did an about face when she started living in Sun City - 55 plus retirement community - and found out how many predators of the aged there are out there. She now owns 3 handguns and I think there is also a shotgun around somewhere. Someone knocks at her door with ill intent, well, won't open the door for them, anyway, but if somehow they got in, well, what they don't see is the handgun in her - hand - loaded and ready to fire. And yes, she goes to the shooting range a couple of times a year. I fully intend on getting a small handgun as well.
I hope I never have to use the thing, at least for self defense purposes. Taking it out somewhere where it's legal to shoot and doing some practice is another situation entirely. Not that you need much practice with a shotgun: aim in the general direction and likely you are going to hit the intended target.
It's 11:00 am and it's already 108 out there, gag.
I have not heard anything from Caleb since a week ago. Allegedly, at least a portion of Saturday is free time for the counselors. So I am hoping he will visit his FB page and make an entry and perhaps send me even a short email. Hey, I used to talk to my parents even when I was on the mission field!
Well, this day is done. Not that much, but enough, it's almost 6:00 pm and I started this entry at somewhere around 7:30 am. I have been fooling with the ponds; had one of the trailer tenants in that couldn't take the heat (95 in that trailer with a swamp cooler); tried to get the oil changed on my car (neighborhood kid, sometimes hard to find); fooled with the new shotgun (no, I did not accidentally discharge it); had the dogs following me in and out, even though I didn't really want them to (large dogs, too hot for them outside); responded to several emails and other minutia.
G'day.
ben
Friday, July 1, 2011
Friday 7/1/2011
Friday
I have read more forecasts about what the temp is going to be tomorrow that contradict each other - but - in the end? It's just going to be plain hot. The predicted high temp forecasts range from 114 to 120.
There IS one odd thing going on this summer. On the days when we've hit 115/116, the electric usage wasn't as much as I would have expected, considering previous years. I know the cost of electricity hasn't gone DOWN - at ALL.
Therefore, the only logical conclusion is tenants. Whoever was doing whatever in their room, using whatever electrical powered device. Slightly maddening. Yesterday, it got up to 114, but only used $11 worth of electricity. That would have cost more like $15 or 16 during 2 previous years. How do I deal with people using too much electricity when I don't even know what they are doing?
"Millions" of workers are tapping into their 401k's for loans or, if losing their job, cashing them out completely in order to pay bills. Was just reading that.
I have 2 of those loans going. One of them is down to $325 owed, the other is something like $800. The experts, of course, advise against borrowing against your 401k for any reason. I can only say when your back is against the wall and you have no other options, you are going to do what you have to do. Unfortunately, that probably also means paying for it somewhere down the line, even if well down the line.
But, I have read enough of this stuff to cause me to take some action. I raised the amount being taken out. I am considering automatic withdrawal of an additional 2% going into a savings account versus it all going into 401k.
Haven't really made my mind up on that one, but if things keep going the way they have been for the last several weeks, my paychecks will be a bit bigger - by about $100 to $150. Or, possibly, use the raise that I am getting in August to go directly to savings instead of into a checking account. It's only $80 per month, which I could live without since I am living without it now, anyway, and just have it going into savings instead.
Well, I have a mind ful of stuff going on right now, but, it's time to get to work.
G'day.
ben
I have read more forecasts about what the temp is going to be tomorrow that contradict each other - but - in the end? It's just going to be plain hot. The predicted high temp forecasts range from 114 to 120.
There IS one odd thing going on this summer. On the days when we've hit 115/116, the electric usage wasn't as much as I would have expected, considering previous years. I know the cost of electricity hasn't gone DOWN - at ALL.
Therefore, the only logical conclusion is tenants. Whoever was doing whatever in their room, using whatever electrical powered device. Slightly maddening. Yesterday, it got up to 114, but only used $11 worth of electricity. That would have cost more like $15 or 16 during 2 previous years. How do I deal with people using too much electricity when I don't even know what they are doing?
"Millions" of workers are tapping into their 401k's for loans or, if losing their job, cashing them out completely in order to pay bills. Was just reading that.
I have 2 of those loans going. One of them is down to $325 owed, the other is something like $800. The experts, of course, advise against borrowing against your 401k for any reason. I can only say when your back is against the wall and you have no other options, you are going to do what you have to do. Unfortunately, that probably also means paying for it somewhere down the line, even if well down the line.
But, I have read enough of this stuff to cause me to take some action. I raised the amount being taken out. I am considering automatic withdrawal of an additional 2% going into a savings account versus it all going into 401k.
Haven't really made my mind up on that one, but if things keep going the way they have been for the last several weeks, my paychecks will be a bit bigger - by about $100 to $150. Or, possibly, use the raise that I am getting in August to go directly to savings instead of into a checking account. It's only $80 per month, which I could live without since I am living without it now, anyway, and just have it going into savings instead.
Well, I have a mind ful of stuff going on right now, but, it's time to get to work.
G'day.
ben
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Learn From Experience: Plastic Pipe, Time Wasted and Gifts
New truck drivers and some intermediate drivers and even many old-timers simply never learn. Impatience gets you NOWHERE in this particular line of work.
I got back to the shop at 2:00 pm. I wanted to go home. Why? Because it is 1/2 hour past my "normal" time off and that's the only reason. No, not really, I was tired and wanted to go home. I stayed up too late last night with church plus my "normal" awakening in the middle of the night which netted maybe in 5 hours of sleep. I have gotten used to it, but some days it's hard to deal with.
It doesn't happen every day like that, thank God, but it happens often enough.
Now, my information was to pick up a load of C-900, PVC water pipe at the manufacturer's yard in west Phoenix. I got there, talked to the people at will call - they know me by name and we struck it off long ago, never had a problem with them - got my paperwork. Another truck driver wanted to talk. Well, as long as it isn't holding me up, I'm game. I can see out the window of that will call whether the truck is being loaded or not and at that place, I do not have to be out there for them to load it, they get to business as soon as will call calls them - forklift operators - on the walkie talkie.
I talked for a while with this guy, I have no problems striking up a conversation with other truck drivers, I have only been doing it 26 years and experiences in trucking that new drivers or anyone that started past the age of commercial licenses will even believe. No, they usually don't believe me with my stories of the past. But, this guy I was talking to is much older than me and has a few stories of his own.
Regardless, the forklift showed up and it was time to get outside, or in the terminology of some ancient past: book it.
Got the load on, strapped it down tightly, drove the 40 miles back to my branch.
When I arrived, my manager started looking at the paperwork. I had not seen the order that this pipe was on because it had come online after I had left early in the morning, so I had no clue that.......this is not the right pipe. It was DR18 PVC C900 pipe, what I was supposed to get was DR14 PVC C900 pipe. The difference is in the thickness of the walls of the pipe and subsequently, the amount of pressure it can withstand.
The paperwork I had received from the manufacturer showed shipping DR18 pipe, not DR14. I had the right pipe according to their paperwork. Here we go. The contractor where this pipe is going wants this pipe delivered early, along with a bunch of other stuff and that's that.
Yup, I had to leave at after 2:00 pm and go all the way back there, get the wrong pipe unloaded and get the right pipe loaded up.
I wasn't unhappy, I really don't care that much if I don't have something going on after work, but at the same time, I was tired. That's my only sticking point. I get it into my head that I am going home and then find out I have hours worth of driving more to do, well, I have to force myself into another mind-frame and that can take some doing.
That didn't take much. I got out of there quickly and got on the freeway, off that freeway and onto another one, off of that and onto I-10. Is there anyone that has never heard of I-10? It only runs the entire width of the United State of America, from California to Florida. And there is a LOT of truck and bus traffic going through Phoenix on that highway.
So, I am driving along in the fast lane. Yes, I was in the fast lane in a semi because the traffic in the other lanes was going 10 MPH slower than the speed limit and I was easily keeping up with traffic. So along comes this tour bus in the HOV lane, which, of course, is right next to the "fast lane". The driver slowed down right next to me. I'm always checking my mirrors and my load, but that got me going: I immediately checked my load from 3 angles to see if there was something wrong.
What was going on in that bus, I will never know. I didn't even think, at first, to look at the windows of the bus, I don't really care that much. There are people in there, they are in their own world, whatever. The thing that caught my attention was the fact that no matter what speed I was going, that bus sped up or slowed down next to me.
I then felt it. Eyes. I know that feeling, someone is not just watching me, they are staring at me. The height of the passenger level of that bus was in fact, looking down at me. So, they could see everything I was doing in my truck. Which isn't much on a freeway, messing with a few things, usually not changing gears, umm, just driving. I looked over at the windows, they weren't that much higher, just slightly elevated. People staring into the cab of my truck. Fingers, pointing, laughing, all kinds of stuff. I promise, I wasn't doing nasty things in my truck. I was just driving and listening to music.
MUSIC!!! That's it!! Maybe that's it, anyway. I tend to get animated if a good song comes on. You don't have to be on your feet to dance, folks. This just crossed my mind now, that might have been it. Or not, who knows. Whatever the case, it went on for about 15 miles and I ended up getting off the freeway. I will never know.
I got back to the pipe yard and hadn't even got my paperwork done - I am a truck driver, you fill in your time and mileage before you do anything else after stopping - and look up to see a forklift sitting there, waiting to unload the truck. Thank you. No time wasted, I jumped out, un-did the strap, got them off the pipe and he went into a flurry of getting all of that off of the trailer. I start rolling the straps back up. I have to throw them over pipe when it's that high, I can't just take the straps, un-rolled and try to get them over it.
One of the will-call guys comes out on a cart. He's totally cool, but both of them in that will call are always cool. He's got a big smile on his face: Sorry, Ben, for the problem. I smiled back and greeted him and then told him I knew it wasn't his fault. Obviously, the sales rep input the information wrong. No biggies. I threw out: But, I want a steak dinner gift card at, ohhh, maybe Black Angus or Claim Jumpers. He smiled real big again and took off.
Meanwhile, I'm rolling up straps and the forklift dude is done unloading pipe and starts loading the "real" pipe on. The will-call guy is out again. But not for me, another truck. He drives by: "We want recompense, dinner will work!", I shouted, but in jest, we both know that isn't going to happen. Again, I say something similar, he's laughing now. He knows I am messing with him, but in a light-hearted way, this isn't anything serious at all.
One last time, he comes out to count the pipe. But, now I can tell he is embarrassed about this situation. I have been going there for 5-1/2 years and have never had a problem with the wrong pipe being loaded. If the wrong amount of pipe is loaded, either I or they catch it, but it's caught before I leave. The only problem I have ever had is burnt pipe - many contractors will reject it. Arizona sun has that effect on plastic pipe if it's out there too long.
Well, he disappears and I get to getting with strapping, it's getting late and I want to get back to the yard and go home. I get done with strapping and go into the will-call center. You see, he had come out and had me sign the paperwork, but didn't give me a copy of it, which he automatically does. He has NEVER come OUTSIDE to give me paperwork, I always go in there to get it and I might add that doesn't bother me at all. We all have our little realms that we work in, I respect that. He did not, however, give me a copy of the paperwork. You cannot receive into your inventory anything unless you have the paperwork to go along with it.
So, he isn't there. The other guy is, we get into a conversation, albeit short. He calls his partner on the phone, where are you, what's up? He'll back back in a minute, he had gone into the main office. I wait. He shows up, hands me the copies of the paperwork and slips a card into my hand. This was totally unexpected. I didn't even THINK that anything would become of my playing around with him about the dinner, stuff. I looked at the card: a $50 gift card to Sam's Club.
I look up at him, he has this big grin on his face. I'm like, wow! Thank you! I am not accustomed to receiving freebies at work when it comes to our contractors or our vendors, besides vendors showing up to our main branch with food. I am on the clock and getting paid for my time, that is sufficient for me. There are 2 contractors that come to mind,however, that I would like to meet up with in a dark alley or a bar somewhere and knock the teeth out of their heads - yes, not Christian speech at all, but I am at least being honest about it, and yes, if the opportunity came..............well I better not go there.
Ahhhhh, I'm done. It's late - for me, anyway - I am ready to go to sleep. I did offer half of it to my manager, who had to put up with as much earful about it as I did having to deal with the physical aspect of it, he simply said he didn't have a Costco membership. Neither do I, but if you think, for one moment, that that is going to stop me from going on there and using that gift card, think again. It will happen. I will get him his whatever canned nutrition drinks he likes and I will get - dunno. $25, my half, will buy a few things, not much, but it's free and that's that.
G'nite.
ben
I got back to the shop at 2:00 pm. I wanted to go home. Why? Because it is 1/2 hour past my "normal" time off and that's the only reason. No, not really, I was tired and wanted to go home. I stayed up too late last night with church plus my "normal" awakening in the middle of the night which netted maybe in 5 hours of sleep. I have gotten used to it, but some days it's hard to deal with.
It doesn't happen every day like that, thank God, but it happens often enough.
Now, my information was to pick up a load of C-900, PVC water pipe at the manufacturer's yard in west Phoenix. I got there, talked to the people at will call - they know me by name and we struck it off long ago, never had a problem with them - got my paperwork. Another truck driver wanted to talk. Well, as long as it isn't holding me up, I'm game. I can see out the window of that will call whether the truck is being loaded or not and at that place, I do not have to be out there for them to load it, they get to business as soon as will call calls them - forklift operators - on the walkie talkie.
I talked for a while with this guy, I have no problems striking up a conversation with other truck drivers, I have only been doing it 26 years and experiences in trucking that new drivers or anyone that started past the age of commercial licenses will even believe. No, they usually don't believe me with my stories of the past. But, this guy I was talking to is much older than me and has a few stories of his own.
Regardless, the forklift showed up and it was time to get outside, or in the terminology of some ancient past: book it.
Got the load on, strapped it down tightly, drove the 40 miles back to my branch.
When I arrived, my manager started looking at the paperwork. I had not seen the order that this pipe was on because it had come online after I had left early in the morning, so I had no clue that.......this is not the right pipe. It was DR18 PVC C900 pipe, what I was supposed to get was DR14 PVC C900 pipe. The difference is in the thickness of the walls of the pipe and subsequently, the amount of pressure it can withstand.
The paperwork I had received from the manufacturer showed shipping DR18 pipe, not DR14. I had the right pipe according to their paperwork. Here we go. The contractor where this pipe is going wants this pipe delivered early, along with a bunch of other stuff and that's that.
Yup, I had to leave at after 2:00 pm and go all the way back there, get the wrong pipe unloaded and get the right pipe loaded up.
I wasn't unhappy, I really don't care that much if I don't have something going on after work, but at the same time, I was tired. That's my only sticking point. I get it into my head that I am going home and then find out I have hours worth of driving more to do, well, I have to force myself into another mind-frame and that can take some doing.
That didn't take much. I got out of there quickly and got on the freeway, off that freeway and onto another one, off of that and onto I-10. Is there anyone that has never heard of I-10? It only runs the entire width of the United State of America, from California to Florida. And there is a LOT of truck and bus traffic going through Phoenix on that highway.
So, I am driving along in the fast lane. Yes, I was in the fast lane in a semi because the traffic in the other lanes was going 10 MPH slower than the speed limit and I was easily keeping up with traffic. So along comes this tour bus in the HOV lane, which, of course, is right next to the "fast lane". The driver slowed down right next to me. I'm always checking my mirrors and my load, but that got me going: I immediately checked my load from 3 angles to see if there was something wrong.
What was going on in that bus, I will never know. I didn't even think, at first, to look at the windows of the bus, I don't really care that much. There are people in there, they are in their own world, whatever. The thing that caught my attention was the fact that no matter what speed I was going, that bus sped up or slowed down next to me.
I then felt it. Eyes. I know that feeling, someone is not just watching me, they are staring at me. The height of the passenger level of that bus was in fact, looking down at me. So, they could see everything I was doing in my truck. Which isn't much on a freeway, messing with a few things, usually not changing gears, umm, just driving. I looked over at the windows, they weren't that much higher, just slightly elevated. People staring into the cab of my truck. Fingers, pointing, laughing, all kinds of stuff. I promise, I wasn't doing nasty things in my truck. I was just driving and listening to music.
MUSIC!!! That's it!! Maybe that's it, anyway. I tend to get animated if a good song comes on. You don't have to be on your feet to dance, folks. This just crossed my mind now, that might have been it. Or not, who knows. Whatever the case, it went on for about 15 miles and I ended up getting off the freeway. I will never know.
I got back to the pipe yard and hadn't even got my paperwork done - I am a truck driver, you fill in your time and mileage before you do anything else after stopping - and look up to see a forklift sitting there, waiting to unload the truck. Thank you. No time wasted, I jumped out, un-did the strap, got them off the pipe and he went into a flurry of getting all of that off of the trailer. I start rolling the straps back up. I have to throw them over pipe when it's that high, I can't just take the straps, un-rolled and try to get them over it.
One of the will-call guys comes out on a cart. He's totally cool, but both of them in that will call are always cool. He's got a big smile on his face: Sorry, Ben, for the problem. I smiled back and greeted him and then told him I knew it wasn't his fault. Obviously, the sales rep input the information wrong. No biggies. I threw out: But, I want a steak dinner gift card at, ohhh, maybe Black Angus or Claim Jumpers. He smiled real big again and took off.
Meanwhile, I'm rolling up straps and the forklift dude is done unloading pipe and starts loading the "real" pipe on. The will-call guy is out again. But not for me, another truck. He drives by: "We want recompense, dinner will work!", I shouted, but in jest, we both know that isn't going to happen. Again, I say something similar, he's laughing now. He knows I am messing with him, but in a light-hearted way, this isn't anything serious at all.
One last time, he comes out to count the pipe. But, now I can tell he is embarrassed about this situation. I have been going there for 5-1/2 years and have never had a problem with the wrong pipe being loaded. If the wrong amount of pipe is loaded, either I or they catch it, but it's caught before I leave. The only problem I have ever had is burnt pipe - many contractors will reject it. Arizona sun has that effect on plastic pipe if it's out there too long.
Well, he disappears and I get to getting with strapping, it's getting late and I want to get back to the yard and go home. I get done with strapping and go into the will-call center. You see, he had come out and had me sign the paperwork, but didn't give me a copy of it, which he automatically does. He has NEVER come OUTSIDE to give me paperwork, I always go in there to get it and I might add that doesn't bother me at all. We all have our little realms that we work in, I respect that. He did not, however, give me a copy of the paperwork. You cannot receive into your inventory anything unless you have the paperwork to go along with it.
So, he isn't there. The other guy is, we get into a conversation, albeit short. He calls his partner on the phone, where are you, what's up? He'll back back in a minute, he had gone into the main office. I wait. He shows up, hands me the copies of the paperwork and slips a card into my hand. This was totally unexpected. I didn't even THINK that anything would become of my playing around with him about the dinner, stuff. I looked at the card: a $50 gift card to Sam's Club.
I look up at him, he has this big grin on his face. I'm like, wow! Thank you! I am not accustomed to receiving freebies at work when it comes to our contractors or our vendors, besides vendors showing up to our main branch with food. I am on the clock and getting paid for my time, that is sufficient for me. There are 2 contractors that come to mind,however, that I would like to meet up with in a dark alley or a bar somewhere and knock the teeth out of their heads - yes, not Christian speech at all, but I am at least being honest about it, and yes, if the opportunity came..............well I better not go there.
Ahhhhh, I'm done. It's late - for me, anyway - I am ready to go to sleep. I did offer half of it to my manager, who had to put up with as much earful about it as I did having to deal with the physical aspect of it, he simply said he didn't have a Costco membership. Neither do I, but if you think, for one moment, that that is going to stop me from going on there and using that gift card, think again. It will happen. I will get him his whatever canned nutrition drinks he likes and I will get - dunno. $25, my half, will buy a few things, not much, but it's free and that's that.
G'nite.
ben
Thursday 6/30/2011
Thursday
Church.
Yes, I went to church last night. It went on a bit long, too. I didn't leave, though, I stayed until it ended at 9:00pm and didn't waste any time getting out of there, getting home and getting to bed.
I got a bit of a surprise yesterday as I was about to leave work. No, the ops manager did not show up to hand me a pink slip. My manager handed me a white piece of paper and said here.
Okaaaaaay. I open it up and read a one-liner. I says I am receiving a $.55 per hour raise. Uhh, that's not bad, really. In fact, I was surprised I got any kind of raise after all the commotion was started when I was pulled over twice in December for vehicle inspections and given fully 4 warnings: 2 per inspection. Seriously, that information came down from the near the top and went through every level of management until it got to my manager.
Okay, warnings for commercial drivers carry more weight after the initiation of "CSA2010". Some people say they have the same weight as getting an actual ticket itself, I would seriously have to disagree with that assessment. I asked about this new "thing" they have come out with that regulate the trucking industry much more than ever and affects commercial drivers to the point that, well, some companies may have trouble keeping their doors open if DOT comes in and shuts down their fleet.
But, anyway, they are not, allegedly, revoking class A priviledges for warnings. But, warning have a rating system through points. I think I am understanding it correctly that the points stack up against the company and that at some point, if enough points in a specific time period are accrued, DOT can come in and start the beginning levels of "big brotherism".
In some cases, I would assess that yes, some companies need to be watched like a hawk. If drivers in that company are getting into accidents or if the company is having them drive around unsafe equipment, then yes, I agree.
June 30, 2011 6:03 AM
Anonymous said...
But to not get a warning when they pull you over the exception, not the rule. They find one little thing wrong and they write up a warning. The first guy that pulled me over was a 20-something and definitely had the "god" syndrome going. You will bow and worship him, he is the final authority and if you don't, he'll make your life even more miserable.
It usually isn't worth getting into arguments with them, but I did confront him on the "following too closely" statement. NO sir, you weren't even parked in such a position as to SEE what was going on. Back and forth, but I knew it wouldn't help anything, still, I had to make my case.
The second officer that month was an older gentlemen, nice enough, who adamently claimed that the reduced speed limit was clearly posted coming into the construction zone. A trip back through determined that there was NO signage showing a new speed limit. The DOT crews had put up a STAND for the sign, but they never actually got around to putting the sign up itself.
That's when I complained to AZDOT. "Your officers are handing out warnings and tickets for a construction zone with signage that does not exist." The DOT officer that wrote me back said I would have to go through my company to file a formal complaint, but that he was also going to forward that email I sent to him on to AZDOT.
Yes, the signage magically appeared after that. I would laugh, but there is nothing funny about it. No-one was doing their job in that case. The DOT officers weren't looking to see if the signage had been placed - before handing out their invitations and the state of Arizona obviously hadn't done it's job since the new speed limit, which was supposed to be posted, was not.
The thing that really got me in this case is that there were cars speeding by me going at least 10mph faster than I. The officer didn't care about THOSE people who were REALLY speeding.
These are the kinds of things that make DOT officers mostly unliked in the realm of commercial drivers. They give us a hard time and frequently are very disrespectful, even if the driver is respecting them. If it had been a ticket I had been issued, I would have won that one hands down, because when I saw that the signs were down, I would have immediately driven home, got my camera and taken both pictures and a video of it.
Well whatever, the end of month today, although there is usually a big push to get out whatever product we can to bring up our numbers, all of our stores are doing very well this month. Save some for next month, lol.
G'day.
ben
Church.
Yes, I went to church last night. It went on a bit long, too. I didn't leave, though, I stayed until it ended at 9:00pm and didn't waste any time getting out of there, getting home and getting to bed.
I got a bit of a surprise yesterday as I was about to leave work. No, the ops manager did not show up to hand me a pink slip. My manager handed me a white piece of paper and said here.
Okaaaaaay. I open it up and read a one-liner. I says I am receiving a $.55 per hour raise. Uhh, that's not bad, really. In fact, I was surprised I got any kind of raise after all the commotion was started when I was pulled over twice in December for vehicle inspections and given fully 4 warnings: 2 per inspection. Seriously, that information came down from the near the top and went through every level of management until it got to my manager.
Okay, warnings for commercial drivers carry more weight after the initiation of "CSA2010". Some people say they have the same weight as getting an actual ticket itself, I would seriously have to disagree with that assessment. I asked about this new "thing" they have come out with that regulate the trucking industry much more than ever and affects commercial drivers to the point that, well, some companies may have trouble keeping their doors open if DOT comes in and shuts down their fleet.
But, anyway, they are not, allegedly, revoking class A priviledges for warnings. But, warning have a rating system through points. I think I am understanding it correctly that the points stack up against the company and that at some point, if enough points in a specific time period are accrued, DOT can come in and start the beginning levels of "big brotherism".
In some cases, I would assess that yes, some companies need to be watched like a hawk. If drivers in that company are getting into accidents or if the company is having them drive around unsafe equipment, then yes, I agree.
June 30, 2011 6:03 AM
Anonymous said...
But to not get a warning when they pull you over the exception, not the rule. They find one little thing wrong and they write up a warning. The first guy that pulled me over was a 20-something and definitely had the "god" syndrome going. You will bow and worship him, he is the final authority and if you don't, he'll make your life even more miserable.
It usually isn't worth getting into arguments with them, but I did confront him on the "following too closely" statement. NO sir, you weren't even parked in such a position as to SEE what was going on. Back and forth, but I knew it wouldn't help anything, still, I had to make my case.
The second officer that month was an older gentlemen, nice enough, who adamently claimed that the reduced speed limit was clearly posted coming into the construction zone. A trip back through determined that there was NO signage showing a new speed limit. The DOT crews had put up a STAND for the sign, but they never actually got around to putting the sign up itself.
That's when I complained to AZDOT. "Your officers are handing out warnings and tickets for a construction zone with signage that does not exist." The DOT officer that wrote me back said I would have to go through my company to file a formal complaint, but that he was also going to forward that email I sent to him on to AZDOT.
Yes, the signage magically appeared after that. I would laugh, but there is nothing funny about it. No-one was doing their job in that case. The DOT officers weren't looking to see if the signage had been placed - before handing out their invitations and the state of Arizona obviously hadn't done it's job since the new speed limit, which was supposed to be posted, was not.
The thing that really got me in this case is that there were cars speeding by me going at least 10mph faster than I. The officer didn't care about THOSE people who were REALLY speeding.
These are the kinds of things that make DOT officers mostly unliked in the realm of commercial drivers. They give us a hard time and frequently are very disrespectful, even if the driver is respecting them. If it had been a ticket I had been issued, I would have won that one hands down, because when I saw that the signs were down, I would have immediately driven home, got my camera and taken both pictures and a video of it.
Well whatever, the end of month today, although there is usually a big push to get out whatever product we can to bring up our numbers, all of our stores are doing very well this month. Save some for next month, lol.
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday 6/29/2011
Wednesday
Some pretty strange stuff going on out there.
Uhh, but that's pretty normal in this world.
Anyway, the contest at work starts next month on the 11th. It is a body fat contest: which team can shed the most fat, basically.
I'm definitely joining that one. I am down to low 190 pound range. It is taking a while to get there. You know, the "Last Ten Pounds" syndrome? Not a syndrome, but that's what I'm calling it anyway. Takes forever and a lot of perseverence to get it off.
I walked in the house after getting off of work - late, btw - yesterday and saw it. The entire contents of all of those cupboards laying out everywhere.
This was for the roach cleanout, as the pest control company calls it. It's a bit pricey at $150, but they come twice and it has a lifetime guarantee. That's what the dude told me yesterday: lifetime guarantee. I'm not going to turn that guarantee down, but I think that a bit much if you are serious about staying in business, lol.
However, it was 5:00 pm when he left and he said don't put anything back in the cupboards for at least 2 hours.
In case you didn't guess, I didn't put ANYTHING away last night. I was burnt out from 10 straight hours of bust-@$$ work in the heat yesterday and I just said screw it. Lol.
I am exchanging a couple free weeks of rent to the trailer tenants in exchange for cleaning out all the cupboards today and putting the stuff back. They, of course, didn't want to accept the exchange, saying they would do it and still pay rent. Yes, of course, I would probably say the same thing if I were in their position, but, I am not going to ask them to do that much work for nothing.
Gun. Well I have been trying to win an auction for a 9mm, the last one being a Ruger model, but I am not around a computer near the ending of these auctions and therefore don't really have a chance to play the bidding war game.
I did go and price out new guns at a gun shop - not a pawn shop, either - to get an idea of how much they are worth. I'm hardly an expert, here.
Lastly, I was listening to yet another "expert" giving the doom and gloom speech - this went on for an hour and it still wasn't done - on the US, it's financial state of being and his declaration that if the runaway deficit isn't controlled, completely, and soon, we are going to be in a world of hurt. Nothing new here, just a much more detailed explanation of the why's and how's a financial meltdown is going to occur instead of generic statements that really tell you nothing.
I don't know. I don't even look for this stuff. I surf the net and there it is. I have no idea if these so-called expert opinions are going to come to pass. But I do read it with interest. The housing factor is still in chaos and there are still 14 million Americans out of work, that alone is enough to persuade me that yes, something drastic COULD potentially happen.
But, living life in fear of what may happen is generally not the greatest way to live your life, so I won't. I will just continue to read whatever material I find - regardless of the stance of the write of that material - and see if any of it comes to pass. I have plan B, C, D and F in the case of a financial meltdown and facing the potential prospect of getting laid off at work.
But, I hope not to have to go there. We are talking DRASTIC measures that would be less than pleasant, to say the least. Nothing illegal. Oh, church tonight? Dunno yet. Maybe go and leave at 8:30 whether the service is done or not? Again, dunno yet.
G'day.
ben
Some pretty strange stuff going on out there.
Uhh, but that's pretty normal in this world.
Anyway, the contest at work starts next month on the 11th. It is a body fat contest: which team can shed the most fat, basically.
I'm definitely joining that one. I am down to low 190 pound range. It is taking a while to get there. You know, the "Last Ten Pounds" syndrome? Not a syndrome, but that's what I'm calling it anyway. Takes forever and a lot of perseverence to get it off.
I walked in the house after getting off of work - late, btw - yesterday and saw it. The entire contents of all of those cupboards laying out everywhere.
This was for the roach cleanout, as the pest control company calls it. It's a bit pricey at $150, but they come twice and it has a lifetime guarantee. That's what the dude told me yesterday: lifetime guarantee. I'm not going to turn that guarantee down, but I think that a bit much if you are serious about staying in business, lol.
However, it was 5:00 pm when he left and he said don't put anything back in the cupboards for at least 2 hours.
In case you didn't guess, I didn't put ANYTHING away last night. I was burnt out from 10 straight hours of bust-@$$ work in the heat yesterday and I just said screw it. Lol.
I am exchanging a couple free weeks of rent to the trailer tenants in exchange for cleaning out all the cupboards today and putting the stuff back. They, of course, didn't want to accept the exchange, saying they would do it and still pay rent. Yes, of course, I would probably say the same thing if I were in their position, but, I am not going to ask them to do that much work for nothing.
Gun. Well I have been trying to win an auction for a 9mm, the last one being a Ruger model, but I am not around a computer near the ending of these auctions and therefore don't really have a chance to play the bidding war game.
I did go and price out new guns at a gun shop - not a pawn shop, either - to get an idea of how much they are worth. I'm hardly an expert, here.
Lastly, I was listening to yet another "expert" giving the doom and gloom speech - this went on for an hour and it still wasn't done - on the US, it's financial state of being and his declaration that if the runaway deficit isn't controlled, completely, and soon, we are going to be in a world of hurt. Nothing new here, just a much more detailed explanation of the why's and how's a financial meltdown is going to occur instead of generic statements that really tell you nothing.
I don't know. I don't even look for this stuff. I surf the net and there it is. I have no idea if these so-called expert opinions are going to come to pass. But I do read it with interest. The housing factor is still in chaos and there are still 14 million Americans out of work, that alone is enough to persuade me that yes, something drastic COULD potentially happen.
But, living life in fear of what may happen is generally not the greatest way to live your life, so I won't. I will just continue to read whatever material I find - regardless of the stance of the write of that material - and see if any of it comes to pass. I have plan B, C, D and F in the case of a financial meltdown and facing the potential prospect of getting laid off at work.
But, I hope not to have to go there. We are talking DRASTIC measures that would be less than pleasant, to say the least. Nothing illegal. Oh, church tonight? Dunno yet. Maybe go and leave at 8:30 whether the service is done or not? Again, dunno yet.
G'day.
ben
Tuesday 6/28/2011
Tuesday
So, this is what happens when we leave a REAL threat unchallenged: Iran and it's braggadocious that they can hit US bases in the region with their missiles. The "leadership" in that country needs to be brought down. Here is a real case, at least IMO, where we should have done something LONG ago, when we first found out about their nuclear intentions.
My manager calls me at 9:00 pm last night. I was just about to shut the lights off in my bedroom and go to sleep. Seems that a certain salesman - who is self-exalted and sitting on his man-made throne - called him bitching at him about the "fact" that a set of bolts was not delivered today to a jobsite that I took the delivery to. In other words, he was blaming both of us for messing up a delivery.
I remembered that order and did not remember any 16 inch bolt sets on it. But I wasn't sure. I wasn't exactly sitting around doing nothing yesterday, I got off work late because of the extreme workload and today looks to be another dose of the same.
Well, of course, the first thing I did when I got here to work this morning (after making the coffee, of course), was to check the order. No such bolts on the order.
That guy calls ME again and starts giving me fluff, I am going to shove it right back in his face. I get a bit tired of 20 somethings, arrogant, egotistical and smug, talking S*** to a person that has been there, done htat, and has learned a little about the concept of humility in life. I can only say for the poor soul that sooner or later, he is in for a fall and it is going to be a hard one. Your props that are holding you up will only last so long..........
Today's high is slated to be 115. I have a full day's work today, our truck routing system for today is stacked. Which is why I am eating breakfast and lunch now, it's a given there will not be time for it one the clock starts.
Hmm, well that 3 day weekend coming up is sounding even nicer as the days close in on it.
That said, I am done with this one.
G'day.
ben
So, this is what happens when we leave a REAL threat unchallenged: Iran and it's braggadocious that they can hit US bases in the region with their missiles. The "leadership" in that country needs to be brought down. Here is a real case, at least IMO, where we should have done something LONG ago, when we first found out about their nuclear intentions.
My manager calls me at 9:00 pm last night. I was just about to shut the lights off in my bedroom and go to sleep. Seems that a certain salesman - who is self-exalted and sitting on his man-made throne - called him bitching at him about the "fact" that a set of bolts was not delivered today to a jobsite that I took the delivery to. In other words, he was blaming both of us for messing up a delivery.
I remembered that order and did not remember any 16 inch bolt sets on it. But I wasn't sure. I wasn't exactly sitting around doing nothing yesterday, I got off work late because of the extreme workload and today looks to be another dose of the same.
Well, of course, the first thing I did when I got here to work this morning (after making the coffee, of course), was to check the order. No such bolts on the order.
That guy calls ME again and starts giving me fluff, I am going to shove it right back in his face. I get a bit tired of 20 somethings, arrogant, egotistical and smug, talking S*** to a person that has been there, done htat, and has learned a little about the concept of humility in life. I can only say for the poor soul that sooner or later, he is in for a fall and it is going to be a hard one. Your props that are holding you up will only last so long..........
Today's high is slated to be 115. I have a full day's work today, our truck routing system for today is stacked. Which is why I am eating breakfast and lunch now, it's a given there will not be time for it one the clock starts.
Hmm, well that 3 day weekend coming up is sounding even nicer as the days close in on it.
That said, I am done with this one.
G'day.
ben
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday 6/27/2011
Monday
2 of the ponds were getting a tad warm, so I am now dumping huge chunks of ice in them every morning to keep the temp from getting too high in them.
But, as I was looking into both of those ponds yesterday, something caught my eye: baby fishies! Koi, too. Little itty bitty things scampering around in there looking for morsels of food.
Anyway, one of the pond's temps was closing in on 90 degrees, I'm pretty sure that is a bit warm even for hardy fish that can take higher temps.
My pot roast - took all day and all night to cook. I have NO clue. I mean, this morning it was flaking apart with a fork, the way I like to cook it, but it was in there for 21 hours! Maybe my crock pot needs replacing, dunno, but the liquid was boiling in there this morning, so it must be getting hot enough. I'll say one thing: you put a roast in at 8 am you expect by 5:00 pm to be eating it, which never materialized yesterday.
Oh well. Church yesterday. As normal, I slipped in just before the service started and slipped out just as it was ending. 2 and a half hours worth, mind you. I might have thought about staying longer and seeing if I could chit chat with anyone, but 2-1/2 hours was plenty enough of it for me.
It should come as no surprise to me that this group is going to do their first evangelical outreach to the community in a couple of weeks. I say that because this seems to happen at every church I go to. I don't really feel like I am in the position to do any preaching right now so I am probably going to take a pass on it.
I am also not giving out the information of what I used to do: street preaching/ministering/etc. I don't want to be pressured into doing anything, that kind of information could well lead to such a situation and then? I would probably just leave and stop going to church again. Nice people there, the kind of church I like. Pretty much the beliefs I adhere to, a bit important when considering making any particular church your home.
So, 3 weeks in a row and again I find myself contemplating the Wednesday night service, which the pastor went on about encouraging more people to show up to. Maybe, is what I thought to myself: maybe I will go. I just don't like the idea of a service STARTING at 7:00 pm. Not when you get up at 4:22 am. I suppose I could position myself near the exit door and when such an such a time arrives: about 8:30, I could just leave.
I don't really like getting up in the middle of a service and leaving, though, it seems rude.
So, we're leaving Afghanistan. It wouldn't bother me one iota if we packed up everything RIGHT NOW and got the bleep out of there. I put that war right up there with Vietnam. We may have had a point going in there initially looking for Osama, but that ended quite a while back as they couldn't find him and they thought he had left the country. I don't see the point of us being there, at all. I understand about terrorism, but that stuff is going to exist on this earth regardless.
Not to turn a blind eye to it, at the same time, those people have been killing each other over there for centuries, why involve our men and women in the US military? It may sound cold, but they can do just as good a job of killing themselves over there without our help.
Well whatever. Inventory is over and there is plenty of work to do this morning and .........my pre-work time is almost up.
G'day.
ben
2 of the ponds were getting a tad warm, so I am now dumping huge chunks of ice in them every morning to keep the temp from getting too high in them.
But, as I was looking into both of those ponds yesterday, something caught my eye: baby fishies! Koi, too. Little itty bitty things scampering around in there looking for morsels of food.
Anyway, one of the pond's temps was closing in on 90 degrees, I'm pretty sure that is a bit warm even for hardy fish that can take higher temps.
My pot roast - took all day and all night to cook. I have NO clue. I mean, this morning it was flaking apart with a fork, the way I like to cook it, but it was in there for 21 hours! Maybe my crock pot needs replacing, dunno, but the liquid was boiling in there this morning, so it must be getting hot enough. I'll say one thing: you put a roast in at 8 am you expect by 5:00 pm to be eating it, which never materialized yesterday.
Oh well. Church yesterday. As normal, I slipped in just before the service started and slipped out just as it was ending. 2 and a half hours worth, mind you. I might have thought about staying longer and seeing if I could chit chat with anyone, but 2-1/2 hours was plenty enough of it for me.
It should come as no surprise to me that this group is going to do their first evangelical outreach to the community in a couple of weeks. I say that because this seems to happen at every church I go to. I don't really feel like I am in the position to do any preaching right now so I am probably going to take a pass on it.
I am also not giving out the information of what I used to do: street preaching/ministering/etc. I don't want to be pressured into doing anything, that kind of information could well lead to such a situation and then? I would probably just leave and stop going to church again. Nice people there, the kind of church I like. Pretty much the beliefs I adhere to, a bit important when considering making any particular church your home.
So, 3 weeks in a row and again I find myself contemplating the Wednesday night service, which the pastor went on about encouraging more people to show up to. Maybe, is what I thought to myself: maybe I will go. I just don't like the idea of a service STARTING at 7:00 pm. Not when you get up at 4:22 am. I suppose I could position myself near the exit door and when such an such a time arrives: about 8:30, I could just leave.
I don't really like getting up in the middle of a service and leaving, though, it seems rude.
So, we're leaving Afghanistan. It wouldn't bother me one iota if we packed up everything RIGHT NOW and got the bleep out of there. I put that war right up there with Vietnam. We may have had a point going in there initially looking for Osama, but that ended quite a while back as they couldn't find him and they thought he had left the country. I don't see the point of us being there, at all. I understand about terrorism, but that stuff is going to exist on this earth regardless.
Not to turn a blind eye to it, at the same time, those people have been killing each other over there for centuries, why involve our men and women in the US military? It may sound cold, but they can do just as good a job of killing themselves over there without our help.
Well whatever. Inventory is over and there is plenty of work to do this morning and .........my pre-work time is almost up.
G'day.
ben
Sunday ((Morning)) 6/26/2011
The Sunday morning mind battle is on.
I stayed up too late last night to boot, meaning standing for over an hour isn't all that appealing of an idea, either.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I walked away from this entry, got to business and got to church. Good service today, too. I mean, I guess they are all good services but I particularly liked this one.
It figures, however, that they are just about to do their first, evangelical outreach. I can't seem to go into one of these places and not have that happening. In case you didn't know, I have a lot of experience in evangelizing, coordinating, street preaching, etc etc etc, I just haven't done any in recent memory. I do not feel like I am in any position, whatsoever, however, to be involved in any evangelizing and I will take a pass on it this time. These people don't know my background and history in this particular realm and I am not going to be giving up that information easily.
The only thing I knew earlier when I started writing this entry, is that if I sat around letting my mind wander in useless territory, I would not end up going.
I didn't go this week, but I am giving more weight to the idea of going on Wednesday, just because I like what the subject is going to be about and it probably will speak to my heart and soul. I'm starting to become intrigued by all of this.
Didn't finish this yesterday, it in draft version in my dashboard, posting it anyway.
ben
I stayed up too late last night to boot, meaning standing for over an hour isn't all that appealing of an idea, either.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I walked away from this entry, got to business and got to church. Good service today, too. I mean, I guess they are all good services but I particularly liked this one.
It figures, however, that they are just about to do their first, evangelical outreach. I can't seem to go into one of these places and not have that happening. In case you didn't know, I have a lot of experience in evangelizing, coordinating, street preaching, etc etc etc, I just haven't done any in recent memory. I do not feel like I am in any position, whatsoever, however, to be involved in any evangelizing and I will take a pass on it this time. These people don't know my background and history in this particular realm and I am not going to be giving up that information easily.
The only thing I knew earlier when I started writing this entry, is that if I sat around letting my mind wander in useless territory, I would not end up going.
I didn't go this week, but I am giving more weight to the idea of going on Wednesday, just because I like what the subject is going to be about and it probably will speak to my heart and soul. I'm starting to become intrigued by all of this.
Didn't finish this yesterday, it in draft version in my dashboard, posting it anyway.
ben
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A bit strange to find my son's Facebook page, I didn't know he had one. I knew he had Myspace and other stuff, but not FB. I just read a news article online a few days ago about kids departing post-haste from Myspace and hooking up on FB, though.
Well, you go on someone's FB page and you can find out a lot of things about that person. Mainly, who that person's friends are. I already knew many of them from my Little League coaching days, to see them graduating High School and going off to the various things they are doing is trippy. That is not proper English and frankly, I don't care. Comes from MY teenaged days, and teenaged is not proper English, either, lol.
In one case, one of my assistant coaches son's is one of my son's best friends. That kid is going off to the Army.
I coached a lot of kids in Little League. Beyond that, I was an umpire for 10 years plus was on the Board of Directors. Occasionally, I get called out. "Coach"?!! You see a kid that was a complete - well anyway, a person that needed something more than their parents were giving them in life, putting it mildly, that has somehow at least partially transformed into a normal human being talking to you as if they were your best friend.
Perhaps a person, in some cases anyway, remembers a person that was influential in their life. One such case is the kid working at the theater. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years. He was a cry-baby and would throw temper tantrums in the dugout and on the field. I would make him go sit down in the dugout in any such endeavors and I would not cave in. This went on for quite some time. In fact, the entire season. His parents came up to me at one point and asked why I wasn't putting him at such and such a position.
I am usually brutally honest about things, rather blunt as well, when confronted by people in a hostile or otherwise non-civil manner. I mean, did you see your son throwing a tantrum in the dugout yesterday? Are you saying you didn't HEAR that nonsense going on? The kid, I thought, hated me. But when he called me out by name - baseball name/coach - at the theatre, I didn't even recognize him. He had a huge smile on his face and he had a confidence I certainly didn't recognize, either.
Umm, well this kid going to the Army wasn't a cry-baby, that's for sure. His parents eventually opted out of Little League baseball and became the leaders of the group that supports the JROTC in the High School that their son was going to. JROTC has a lot of activities and necessitates the participation of enough parents to oversee such.
I........uhhhhh............can say that volunteering is a great thing, but, after I got divorced it became a thing of the past. I can honestly say that I have spent tens of thousands of hours of my life in volunteering (that is not an error, I spent 5 years as a full-time missionary, that alone is over 40,000 hours worth if you count it in 24 hours days) in various things that I thought worthwhile and some of it certainly has vivid memories. I am not saying my days as a volunteer are over, hardly the case. Case in point it the neighborhood I am living in. But I have gone into that in the past and not worth going into again, at least not until/if/ever I attempt such.
It's occurred to me that success in life is hardly about money. Or fame. The saying that success is what you define it be is well and fine, but not conclusive. Did you live your life WELL? Regardless of whether you were broke or rich. Did you make the right choices? When it counted, did you do the right thing? At the end of the day, can you live with yourself in the life that you have led? You made mistakes. Of course. Sometimes, you outright decided to do the wrong thing. Granted.
This is a release type of blog entry. I must admit that I was not prepared for the complexity of emotion that I have experienced since my son went "off on his own". If you want to talk about a mid-life crisis, this would be the thing that has affected me the most. I have not cared, one iota, about my brothers and their "success" in financial terms. To find wealth and eliminate your family is not success in my book, it is total failure. The end of that line is emptiness.
Probably why I am going back to church is to find myself again. I lost it in divorce and pastoral shunning, but I refuse to let it affect me the rest of my life. I am not going to tell those people, at the church I am trying to get myself into, of my missionary past. I am not going to recount the days of volunteering in the church. I don't want to be pressed for the information, either. It isn't relevant to anyone but, perhaps, the Lord.
Ohhh, I could go on with this, but it is far past my bedtime, almost 11:00pm and I am fully intent on going to church tomorrow. Thankfully, it doesn't start until 10:00am and I did the wash today, clothes are ready.
Well, you go on someone's FB page and you can find out a lot of things about that person. Mainly, who that person's friends are. I already knew many of them from my Little League coaching days, to see them graduating High School and going off to the various things they are doing is trippy. That is not proper English and frankly, I don't care. Comes from MY teenaged days, and teenaged is not proper English, either, lol.
In one case, one of my assistant coaches son's is one of my son's best friends. That kid is going off to the Army.
I coached a lot of kids in Little League. Beyond that, I was an umpire for 10 years plus was on the Board of Directors. Occasionally, I get called out. "Coach"?!! You see a kid that was a complete - well anyway, a person that needed something more than their parents were giving them in life, putting it mildly, that has somehow at least partially transformed into a normal human being talking to you as if they were your best friend.
Perhaps a person, in some cases anyway, remembers a person that was influential in their life. One such case is the kid working at the theater. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years. He was a cry-baby and would throw temper tantrums in the dugout and on the field. I would make him go sit down in the dugout in any such endeavors and I would not cave in. This went on for quite some time. In fact, the entire season. His parents came up to me at one point and asked why I wasn't putting him at such and such a position.
I am usually brutally honest about things, rather blunt as well, when confronted by people in a hostile or otherwise non-civil manner. I mean, did you see your son throwing a tantrum in the dugout yesterday? Are you saying you didn't HEAR that nonsense going on? The kid, I thought, hated me. But when he called me out by name - baseball name/coach - at the theatre, I didn't even recognize him. He had a huge smile on his face and he had a confidence I certainly didn't recognize, either.
Umm, well this kid going to the Army wasn't a cry-baby, that's for sure. His parents eventually opted out of Little League baseball and became the leaders of the group that supports the JROTC in the High School that their son was going to. JROTC has a lot of activities and necessitates the participation of enough parents to oversee such.
I........uhhhhh............can say that volunteering is a great thing, but, after I got divorced it became a thing of the past. I can honestly say that I have spent tens of thousands of hours of my life in volunteering (that is not an error, I spent 5 years as a full-time missionary, that alone is over 40,000 hours worth if you count it in 24 hours days) in various things that I thought worthwhile and some of it certainly has vivid memories. I am not saying my days as a volunteer are over, hardly the case. Case in point it the neighborhood I am living in. But I have gone into that in the past and not worth going into again, at least not until/if/ever I attempt such.
It's occurred to me that success in life is hardly about money. Or fame. The saying that success is what you define it be is well and fine, but not conclusive. Did you live your life WELL? Regardless of whether you were broke or rich. Did you make the right choices? When it counted, did you do the right thing? At the end of the day, can you live with yourself in the life that you have led? You made mistakes. Of course. Sometimes, you outright decided to do the wrong thing. Granted.
This is a release type of blog entry. I must admit that I was not prepared for the complexity of emotion that I have experienced since my son went "off on his own". If you want to talk about a mid-life crisis, this would be the thing that has affected me the most. I have not cared, one iota, about my brothers and their "success" in financial terms. To find wealth and eliminate your family is not success in my book, it is total failure. The end of that line is emptiness.
Probably why I am going back to church is to find myself again. I lost it in divorce and pastoral shunning, but I refuse to let it affect me the rest of my life. I am not going to tell those people, at the church I am trying to get myself into, of my missionary past. I am not going to recount the days of volunteering in the church. I don't want to be pressed for the information, either. It isn't relevant to anyone but, perhaps, the Lord.
Ohhh, I could go on with this, but it is far past my bedtime, almost 11:00pm and I am fully intent on going to church tomorrow. Thankfully, it doesn't start until 10:00am and I did the wash today, clothes are ready.
Saturday 6/25/2011 Camp Pics
So there is going to be a contest at work: who can lose the most fat. Not who can lose the most weight, mind you, the most fat.
That makes a weight loss contest a bit fairer. It is pretty well known that a person that is extremely overweight who decides to lose it - and really goes all out to do so - can dump weight like crazy. If you only have 10 or 15 pounds to shed compared to someone who needs to lose 150 pounds, well, the contest is a joke if it's only about weight.
Well, I'll be all over this one. This will give me the extra added motivation to hit the gym and pump the iron and still go for my mountain walks regardless of hot it is outside. Not sure when the contest is going to start, but I have everything I need to get it going except - an MP3 player. I'm going to have to go to Walmart and get one cheap. Downloading the music is another matter entirely, cross that bridge when I get to it.
Caleb wrote me yesterday. Another fire. This time DPS thinks it started from a trailer being pulled down the highway. A tire went flat, the thing was riding on it's steel rim and the sparks started the fire, or so the theory goes. This one was adjudged to be around 2,000 acres, but they have it fully contained. Only 18 miles from where Caleb is, campers were sent home. A fresh load of them going up today as electricity was restored.
Yes, they and apparently the entire town of Heber was without power for however long. Although a disruption for sure, the temps up there are beautiful and that camp doesn't even have AC that I could see in any of it's buildings. So, the disruption would be in cooking and apparently they had to throw out a lot of food that spoiled because of non functioning refrigeration units.
Well, welcome to camping life. I have camped a good portion of my life in places that are out in the middle of nowhere and yes, definitely without electricity and that done on purpose. Get away from the electronic gadgets for a while and enjoy the peace that God has to offer out in a wooded forest somewhere away from people. You'll be surprised how refreshing and rejuvenating such an experience is - as long as you go fully prepared, lol. Tent, sleeping bag, cushion if hard ground isn't your thing; water jugs; coolers; ice; drinks; lots of food and some snacks; camp oven, on and on. I like to camp, yes, but I'm not an outdoorsman, I want some of the niceties of modern living with me!
It's still early. I was already out there cleaning out a pond filter and also replanting some plants just before it gets boiling hot out there and I don't feel like doing anything. A huge Taro uprooted itself out of it's container and was just floating there. Had to replant it and pulled some of the smaller plants that were growing off the side of it and replanted those as well. The water is not cooling down very much at night, so I am putting large containers of water in my freezer to put into the water during the day. I really need to put a waterfall in the middle of that horse trough which will cool the water quite a bit - I just didn't get that far with it today. I need to go to Home Depot and get some fittings for it for one thing.
Temps are going to get pretty nasty for the rest of this month. High today slated at 109. Yuck.
Some pics of the camp that my son is working at. Click on any pic to enlarge it.
This is their version of a chapel/church. Yes, they do try to get the kids saved, they make no bones about it and it IS the Salvation Army, after all.
My son and I standing on the porch of one of the - dorms I guess, whatever you call it where the campers sleep. Pretty modern type of setup.
What small town doesn't have a local gossip diner? Plenty of restaurants in this little town, but this one stood out because of how small it was and how many cars were in the parking lot. This has got to be the "locals" hangout for sure. Next time I'm up there, I'm going to stop there and eat.
The camp's leader, another young counselor and my son in the cart in front of me, heading to the dorm where Caleb would be staying. They give him his own room away from the campers to sleep in, but not too far away, lol.
View from the entrance to the facility. This place is huge. The building is an office facility plus sleeping quarters for the camp's leader.
To the right of the pic you will see a wooden structure. They have outdoor meetings there and it's also their "bonfire" setup. The forests are under tight clampdown: no open fires, bummer for the campers but good for the forest.
More of the sleeping dorms. Again, the place is huge, lots of buildings all over the place.
Just more dorms.
The last time I saw my son. He was heading into the office facility. Perhaps dad was feeling just a wee tinge of separation "anxiety", but I quickly got over it on the beautiful drive home.
The Rim. It's sort of not much of a drop off there, I should have pulled over and taken a pic of the extreme drop offs, beautiful views included at new extra charge.
No clue. "The Castle". Dilapidated dump. But interesting, lol.
How would you like to have one of THOSE things in your front yard?!! I wish I had had more time, but it was a Sunday, it was closing in on mid afternoon. I would have stopped just to examine those carvings closer and take a look at the price tags, lol.
That's it. I don't know if I'm the one going up there to get him or not when he's done, but that's still well over a month off anyway. Caleb was saying maybe the first week of August is when it shuts down, just before school starts.
ben
That makes a weight loss contest a bit fairer. It is pretty well known that a person that is extremely overweight who decides to lose it - and really goes all out to do so - can dump weight like crazy. If you only have 10 or 15 pounds to shed compared to someone who needs to lose 150 pounds, well, the contest is a joke if it's only about weight.
Well, I'll be all over this one. This will give me the extra added motivation to hit the gym and pump the iron and still go for my mountain walks regardless of hot it is outside. Not sure when the contest is going to start, but I have everything I need to get it going except - an MP3 player. I'm going to have to go to Walmart and get one cheap. Downloading the music is another matter entirely, cross that bridge when I get to it.
Caleb wrote me yesterday. Another fire. This time DPS thinks it started from a trailer being pulled down the highway. A tire went flat, the thing was riding on it's steel rim and the sparks started the fire, or so the theory goes. This one was adjudged to be around 2,000 acres, but they have it fully contained. Only 18 miles from where Caleb is, campers were sent home. A fresh load of them going up today as electricity was restored.
Yes, they and apparently the entire town of Heber was without power for however long. Although a disruption for sure, the temps up there are beautiful and that camp doesn't even have AC that I could see in any of it's buildings. So, the disruption would be in cooking and apparently they had to throw out a lot of food that spoiled because of non functioning refrigeration units.
Well, welcome to camping life. I have camped a good portion of my life in places that are out in the middle of nowhere and yes, definitely without electricity and that done on purpose. Get away from the electronic gadgets for a while and enjoy the peace that God has to offer out in a wooded forest somewhere away from people. You'll be surprised how refreshing and rejuvenating such an experience is - as long as you go fully prepared, lol. Tent, sleeping bag, cushion if hard ground isn't your thing; water jugs; coolers; ice; drinks; lots of food and some snacks; camp oven, on and on. I like to camp, yes, but I'm not an outdoorsman, I want some of the niceties of modern living with me!
It's still early. I was already out there cleaning out a pond filter and also replanting some plants just before it gets boiling hot out there and I don't feel like doing anything. A huge Taro uprooted itself out of it's container and was just floating there. Had to replant it and pulled some of the smaller plants that were growing off the side of it and replanted those as well. The water is not cooling down very much at night, so I am putting large containers of water in my freezer to put into the water during the day. I really need to put a waterfall in the middle of that horse trough which will cool the water quite a bit - I just didn't get that far with it today. I need to go to Home Depot and get some fittings for it for one thing.
Temps are going to get pretty nasty for the rest of this month. High today slated at 109. Yuck.
Some pics of the camp that my son is working at. Click on any pic to enlarge it.
This is their version of a chapel/church. Yes, they do try to get the kids saved, they make no bones about it and it IS the Salvation Army, after all.
My son and I standing on the porch of one of the - dorms I guess, whatever you call it where the campers sleep. Pretty modern type of setup.
What small town doesn't have a local gossip diner? Plenty of restaurants in this little town, but this one stood out because of how small it was and how many cars were in the parking lot. This has got to be the "locals" hangout for sure. Next time I'm up there, I'm going to stop there and eat.
The camp's leader, another young counselor and my son in the cart in front of me, heading to the dorm where Caleb would be staying. They give him his own room away from the campers to sleep in, but not too far away, lol.
View from the entrance to the facility. This place is huge. The building is an office facility plus sleeping quarters for the camp's leader.
To the right of the pic you will see a wooden structure. They have outdoor meetings there and it's also their "bonfire" setup. The forests are under tight clampdown: no open fires, bummer for the campers but good for the forest.
More of the sleeping dorms. Again, the place is huge, lots of buildings all over the place.
Just more dorms.
The last time I saw my son. He was heading into the office facility. Perhaps dad was feeling just a wee tinge of separation "anxiety", but I quickly got over it on the beautiful drive home.
The Rim. It's sort of not much of a drop off there, I should have pulled over and taken a pic of the extreme drop offs, beautiful views included at new extra charge.
No clue. "The Castle". Dilapidated dump. But interesting, lol.
How would you like to have one of THOSE things in your front yard?!! I wish I had had more time, but it was a Sunday, it was closing in on mid afternoon. I would have stopped just to examine those carvings closer and take a look at the price tags, lol.
That's it. I don't know if I'm the one going up there to get him or not when he's done, but that's still well over a month off anyway. Caleb was saying maybe the first week of August is when it shuts down, just before school starts.
ben
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday 6/24/2011
Friday
Came back to the shop yesterday to find one AC unit "barely working", as it was described and the other? Out. Fortunately, the one that is working is also the one that cools the area where I am usually at if I am working on the computer. : )
I guess they are going to replace the other one, even though we are moving out in 3 months. Of course, who wants to sit in the hottest 3 months of the year without AC?
Today is inventory day. I have one delivery and that's it. I do not participate in inventory counts because - headquarters says drivers aren't allowed to do it. I have never heard a reasonable explanation of why, I don't really care to be honest. You work all day today and part of Saturday, but you don't get to keep the hours as you give it up the next week.
So the weekend is almost here. Next weekend is 3 days off, looking forward to that one. Dunno about this weekend excepting that I will most probably go to church on Sunday morning.
I'm still looking for a handgun, more specifically, some version of a 9mm. They're effective enough and the price tags are better. There are numerous online auctions, but I am looking at a pawn shop's auctions that is just down the road from me. They don't sell their guns in their store, they only sell them online.
Hmm, well I was going to get into something but my time is almost up. It can wait.
G'day.
ben
Came back to the shop yesterday to find one AC unit "barely working", as it was described and the other? Out. Fortunately, the one that is working is also the one that cools the area where I am usually at if I am working on the computer. : )
I guess they are going to replace the other one, even though we are moving out in 3 months. Of course, who wants to sit in the hottest 3 months of the year without AC?
Today is inventory day. I have one delivery and that's it. I do not participate in inventory counts because - headquarters says drivers aren't allowed to do it. I have never heard a reasonable explanation of why, I don't really care to be honest. You work all day today and part of Saturday, but you don't get to keep the hours as you give it up the next week.
So the weekend is almost here. Next weekend is 3 days off, looking forward to that one. Dunno about this weekend excepting that I will most probably go to church on Sunday morning.
I'm still looking for a handgun, more specifically, some version of a 9mm. They're effective enough and the price tags are better. There are numerous online auctions, but I am looking at a pawn shop's auctions that is just down the road from me. They don't sell their guns in their store, they only sell them online.
Hmm, well I was going to get into something but my time is almost up. It can wait.
G'day.
ben
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday 6/23//2011
Thursday
I spoke too soon.
Both AC's in the store I work at are out. I unlocked the door, walked in this morning and was very surprised at how warm it still was in here from yesterday. It is at least somewhat cool this morning so I opened up the entire build to try and cool it back down a bit.
Fortunately for me, there is a slew of things in the truck routing system to do today and the AC in the semi definitely works, I will be working out of my cool office that happens to sit both on air and 18 wheels. Air ride seat; air ride cab; air ride tractor and air ride trailer, to more specific about the riding on air bit.
I was reading with interest the aircraft show in Paris. I'm completely neutral about Airbus, I neither like that company nor dislike it, I just root for Boeing because, of course, it's made in the USA and creates a LOT of jobs over here. Apparently Airbus has scored with it new, fuel economical jet that allegedly gives 15% better fuel efficiency than the Boeing 737.
Boeing, obviously, is going to have to answer to stay competitive, but it hardly means they're going out of business. They received almost 5 billion worth of orders on that 747-8, a plane I hope someday I will get to take a ride in (and not be part of a National Geographic Air Crash Investigation show). Yes, folks, let a plane fly around all over the place for a while, a new type of plane that is, and make sure that it isn't going to be plunging in any oceans or putting deep gouges into the earth from a nose dive into the ground......
Maybe my next vacation should just be an airplane trip to one side of the country and turn around and come back. I haven't flown in years and I really miss it! Okay, a trip to some east coast town, take a few days of touring whatever town and then make the flight back.
June 23, 2011 5:59 AM
Anonymous said...
I don't mean to be a knee-jerk reactor, but several months ago I heard from a variety of sources to "get out of stocks" by summer. I won't be removing all of it, but I am definitely toning it down on the aggressive front as even more doom and gloomers, alleged professionals, are predicting either a double-dip recession or even entering a depression.
The housing situation certainly isn't offering any help in any of it, that's for sure. Which reminds me, I need to make a request at work for my W-2 from 2008. Modify the return and get cash back. Sorta like an ATM, put the paperwork in and get the money back out : )
That reminded me of it because I want to increase my cash "stockpile" in case things get really rough, I have something to fall back on. Not that I don't now, I have hardly been blowing the return I got back from the IRS excepting paying down credit card debt.
Ummm, it's going to be 109 today. It got up to 116 yesterday, at least where I live, usually it gets warmer where I'm at than it does at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, where they apparently take the readings. I'm only 4 or 5 miles from the airport, but at a completely different elevation, which I guess may have something to do with it, I don't know.
Who knows. The new chihuahua? Well, Lynnette and that dog are in love with each other, it was as I thought it would be. I will have no responsibility for that dog excepting I will buy it the dog food and give it it's shots. The dog food bill for a Chihuahua? lol. Buy a 20 pound bag and I bet it will last 2 months.
Umm, the work day is almost here and thank God Almighty for it, because it's WARM in this building!! It has cooled down a bit with the doors open, but this is ridiculous.
Oh, diet: I ate once yesterday. Yup. Just once. It wasn't even that big of a meal. I had a couple of glasses of skim milk, a lot of water and a small amount of M&M's. I admit the cheat, but only because I was hungry at work and there was nothing to eat. After I ate about 8 of those things I quit. Even with that, I did not consume many calories yesterday and I intend on doing that same thing again today, sans the M&M's.
G'day.
ben
I spoke too soon.
Both AC's in the store I work at are out. I unlocked the door, walked in this morning and was very surprised at how warm it still was in here from yesterday. It is at least somewhat cool this morning so I opened up the entire build to try and cool it back down a bit.
Fortunately for me, there is a slew of things in the truck routing system to do today and the AC in the semi definitely works, I will be working out of my cool office that happens to sit both on air and 18 wheels. Air ride seat; air ride cab; air ride tractor and air ride trailer, to more specific about the riding on air bit.
I was reading with interest the aircraft show in Paris. I'm completely neutral about Airbus, I neither like that company nor dislike it, I just root for Boeing because, of course, it's made in the USA and creates a LOT of jobs over here. Apparently Airbus has scored with it new, fuel economical jet that allegedly gives 15% better fuel efficiency than the Boeing 737.
Boeing, obviously, is going to have to answer to stay competitive, but it hardly means they're going out of business. They received almost 5 billion worth of orders on that 747-8, a plane I hope someday I will get to take a ride in (and not be part of a National Geographic Air Crash Investigation show). Yes, folks, let a plane fly around all over the place for a while, a new type of plane that is, and make sure that it isn't going to be plunging in any oceans or putting deep gouges into the earth from a nose dive into the ground......
Maybe my next vacation should just be an airplane trip to one side of the country and turn around and come back. I haven't flown in years and I really miss it! Okay, a trip to some east coast town, take a few days of touring whatever town and then make the flight back.
June 23, 2011 5:59 AM
Anonymous said...
I don't mean to be a knee-jerk reactor, but several months ago I heard from a variety of sources to "get out of stocks" by summer. I won't be removing all of it, but I am definitely toning it down on the aggressive front as even more doom and gloomers, alleged professionals, are predicting either a double-dip recession or even entering a depression.
The housing situation certainly isn't offering any help in any of it, that's for sure. Which reminds me, I need to make a request at work for my W-2 from 2008. Modify the return and get cash back. Sorta like an ATM, put the paperwork in and get the money back out : )
That reminded me of it because I want to increase my cash "stockpile" in case things get really rough, I have something to fall back on. Not that I don't now, I have hardly been blowing the return I got back from the IRS excepting paying down credit card debt.
Ummm, it's going to be 109 today. It got up to 116 yesterday, at least where I live, usually it gets warmer where I'm at than it does at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, where they apparently take the readings. I'm only 4 or 5 miles from the airport, but at a completely different elevation, which I guess may have something to do with it, I don't know.
Who knows. The new chihuahua? Well, Lynnette and that dog are in love with each other, it was as I thought it would be. I will have no responsibility for that dog excepting I will buy it the dog food and give it it's shots. The dog food bill for a Chihuahua? lol. Buy a 20 pound bag and I bet it will last 2 months.
Umm, the work day is almost here and thank God Almighty for it, because it's WARM in this building!! It has cooled down a bit with the doors open, but this is ridiculous.
Oh, diet: I ate once yesterday. Yup. Just once. It wasn't even that big of a meal. I had a couple of glasses of skim milk, a lot of water and a small amount of M&M's. I admit the cheat, but only because I was hungry at work and there was nothing to eat. After I ate about 8 of those things I quit. Even with that, I did not consume many calories yesterday and I intend on doing that same thing again today, sans the M&M's.
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday 6/22/2011
Wednesday
Sooooo.
I'm sitting at home, minding my own business when the guy with the girlfriend and her daughter living there comes in. The daughter? They took back to Tucson this last weekend. Apparently, the girlfriend stayed as well.
This guy comes up with a different story about this kind of thing every time I see him, literally. I am not a big fan.
He can't get approved for his own apartment. Well, he can, but they are dives. Think: Drug dealers; meth users; punks; thieves; gangs. I could go right now and rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $399.00 per month, electric included.
Lol. If you were to see the place you would understand why I am chuckling. A scene right out of that movie where all of New York is made into a giant prison, can't remember the name of it. I'd rather rent an old, disgusting, beat-up mobile home than live in a place like that. Foregone conclusion you better own a handgun if you want to actually rent there and LIVE there. Emphasis on the word live, or more like, staying alive.
He doesn't want any part of that scenario, either. Oh, don't forget about the noise, at a place like that. Like, all night long?
Suddenly, the large bedroom in my house is much more appealing to him than he thought. Ahhh, yes.
Ummm, 113 is the expected high today. In case you didn't know, that's getting pretty warm. This is when I am very glad that I have AC in the house, the car, the semi and the building at work. Yes, I will spend half the day (at least) out in the heat, but I will be able to get back in to a cooler temp after each place I go and cool back down again.
Arizona's fires: Officials are saying that they are going to burn until the rains comes. Well, the rains ain't a comin', yet anyway. Not that time of year, unfortunately. Doesn't mean they won't continue to try to put them out, but the forests are dried up right now and they, again, should all be completely shut down. But that's just one man's opinion. Not too much to ask, though, IMO, since all of these fires were human caused.
Umm, well sales people are already calling and I am not even on the clock yet. Gag. Getting offa here for a few minute early start.
G'day.
ben
Sooooo.
I'm sitting at home, minding my own business when the guy with the girlfriend and her daughter living there comes in. The daughter? They took back to Tucson this last weekend. Apparently, the girlfriend stayed as well.
This guy comes up with a different story about this kind of thing every time I see him, literally. I am not a big fan.
He can't get approved for his own apartment. Well, he can, but they are dives. Think: Drug dealers; meth users; punks; thieves; gangs. I could go right now and rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $399.00 per month, electric included.
Lol. If you were to see the place you would understand why I am chuckling. A scene right out of that movie where all of New York is made into a giant prison, can't remember the name of it. I'd rather rent an old, disgusting, beat-up mobile home than live in a place like that. Foregone conclusion you better own a handgun if you want to actually rent there and LIVE there. Emphasis on the word live, or more like, staying alive.
He doesn't want any part of that scenario, either. Oh, don't forget about the noise, at a place like that. Like, all night long?
Suddenly, the large bedroom in my house is much more appealing to him than he thought. Ahhh, yes.
Ummm, 113 is the expected high today. In case you didn't know, that's getting pretty warm. This is when I am very glad that I have AC in the house, the car, the semi and the building at work. Yes, I will spend half the day (at least) out in the heat, but I will be able to get back in to a cooler temp after each place I go and cool back down again.
Arizona's fires: Officials are saying that they are going to burn until the rains comes. Well, the rains ain't a comin', yet anyway. Not that time of year, unfortunately. Doesn't mean they won't continue to try to put them out, but the forests are dried up right now and they, again, should all be completely shut down. But that's just one man's opinion. Not too much to ask, though, IMO, since all of these fires were human caused.
Umm, well sales people are already calling and I am not even on the clock yet. Gag. Getting offa here for a few minute early start.
G'day.
ben
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
How Hard Can This BE?!!!!
So, I tried renewing my Dane's county licenses online. That was yesterday.
The county has them on record as being unaltered, they charge you WAY more in fees for unaltered dogs.
I am not paying that fee because I shouldn't HAVE to by THEIR own rules.
The site gave me the option to remove the unaltered status, and I went through all of that, but in the end? The unaltered fees wouldn't go away.
I had spoken with someone on the phone about this awhile back, just "check the box" and you don't have to pay the higher fee.
So, today, actually I got home just now, I decided to get this over with. I went TO the county east side animal shelter to pay the fees, get the new tags or whatever they do and be done with it. Nothing doing, apparently.
I told the lady at the counter that I wanted to renew their licenses, had tried online but it wouldn't remove the unaltered status on either of them. She asked me if I had proof that they had been altered. No, but, I replied, I had it done through YOUR (the county's) Big Fix program, surely you can look it up through there if nothing else.
No. She asked me for some other paper which I didn't have and don't have anywhere.
She then asked me if they were outside. I gave her a startled look. "You think I'm going to bring my dogs down here to sit in a hot car in 108 degree temperature outside which will get up to around 135 degrees inside the car?!!". This didn't phase her in the slightest. Well, I can't do anything for you then. I then brought up the phone discussion with the person that told me that I simply had to check the box and that was that, no proof, just my word for it.
Well, you can do that through the MAIL, but you can't do it in PERSON. I can't imagine that there would be anything but a look of disbelief on my face. "What POSSIBLE difference can it make whether I say in a letter that I have had them altered or if I show up, IN PERSON, and TELL you to your FACE that they have been altered?"!!!
She shrugged her shoulders again. I then asked to speak to management, as this woman seemingly had the intelligence of a gnat and the personality of a rock. "We don't have any management here", she curtly replied.
So, these people are taking cash, credit card payments and checks in but there is NO management there, ROFL!!! I felt the heat coming on, I was beginning to get angry with the stupid statements this woman was making and I walked out.
Quest not over, no, but for today it is. I just got done writing them an email and we'll see where that goes. I tried calling but it is already closed. I will have that discussion tomorrow and I doubt at this point that it will be a particularly pleasant conversation, but I'll let them decide whether they want to use some common sense here or just continue to act like a bunch of idiots.
Tomorrow is the church special service. I am not sure if I am going or not. It doesn't start until 7:00 pm and my guess is that a service starting at 7 probably ain't getting over at 9, meaning getting home late - for me - and getting to bed late - for me anyway. I will have to cross that bridge tomorrow, if I feel like it, I will go, if not I will (hopefully) show up for round 3 of Sunday services.
G'nite.
ben
The county has them on record as being unaltered, they charge you WAY more in fees for unaltered dogs.
I am not paying that fee because I shouldn't HAVE to by THEIR own rules.
The site gave me the option to remove the unaltered status, and I went through all of that, but in the end? The unaltered fees wouldn't go away.
I had spoken with someone on the phone about this awhile back, just "check the box" and you don't have to pay the higher fee.
So, today, actually I got home just now, I decided to get this over with. I went TO the county east side animal shelter to pay the fees, get the new tags or whatever they do and be done with it. Nothing doing, apparently.
I told the lady at the counter that I wanted to renew their licenses, had tried online but it wouldn't remove the unaltered status on either of them. She asked me if I had proof that they had been altered. No, but, I replied, I had it done through YOUR (the county's) Big Fix program, surely you can look it up through there if nothing else.
No. She asked me for some other paper which I didn't have and don't have anywhere.
She then asked me if they were outside. I gave her a startled look. "You think I'm going to bring my dogs down here to sit in a hot car in 108 degree temperature outside which will get up to around 135 degrees inside the car?!!". This didn't phase her in the slightest. Well, I can't do anything for you then. I then brought up the phone discussion with the person that told me that I simply had to check the box and that was that, no proof, just my word for it.
Well, you can do that through the MAIL, but you can't do it in PERSON. I can't imagine that there would be anything but a look of disbelief on my face. "What POSSIBLE difference can it make whether I say in a letter that I have had them altered or if I show up, IN PERSON, and TELL you to your FACE that they have been altered?"!!!
She shrugged her shoulders again. I then asked to speak to management, as this woman seemingly had the intelligence of a gnat and the personality of a rock. "We don't have any management here", she curtly replied.
So, these people are taking cash, credit card payments and checks in but there is NO management there, ROFL!!! I felt the heat coming on, I was beginning to get angry with the stupid statements this woman was making and I walked out.
Quest not over, no, but for today it is. I just got done writing them an email and we'll see where that goes. I tried calling but it is already closed. I will have that discussion tomorrow and I doubt at this point that it will be a particularly pleasant conversation, but I'll let them decide whether they want to use some common sense here or just continue to act like a bunch of idiots.
Tomorrow is the church special service. I am not sure if I am going or not. It doesn't start until 7:00 pm and my guess is that a service starting at 7 probably ain't getting over at 9, meaning getting home late - for me - and getting to bed late - for me anyway. I will have to cross that bridge tomorrow, if I feel like it, I will go, if not I will (hopefully) show up for round 3 of Sunday services.
G'nite.
ben
Tuesday 6/21/2011
Tuesday
Here comes the heat.
108 today, 113 tomorrow.
Electric usage already going up, it will shoot through the roof after it goes past 110.
Which reminds me, I totally forgot about getting a solar sunscreen setup for that kitchen door.
Too much on the brain, I guess, such as the Willow fire, not to be confused with the Wallow fire. Why they would name 2 fires that are currently burning down Arizona forest at the same time with names that are that close together? No clue, but I am sure it will be cause' for confusion.
The Willow fire is burning up on the Mogollon Rim, which is also where my son is at. However, the fire is 25 miles away from him and let's hope this fire is contained quickly and no evacuations will have to take place. My mom called me yesterday asking if she needed to go get Caleb.
Lol. Let's not panic, shall we? I told her I would look up the fire on the internet and see what's going on and make a determination as to whether to even call the camp or just let it go. At this point, it's let it go material. They already have 7 fire crews working on it with bulldozers and a helicopter.
However, I do believe the forests should simply be shut down, at least in Arizona. So far, all of these fires have been started by humans. Take out the human factor and that's the end of the problem. If people can't be responsible with camp fires, don't even allow camping until the rains come.
My search to find a solar water heater setup has ended. I am not paying 4, 5 or even more thousand dollars for solar water heating, regardless of the savings. I found something else that might be intriguing, though:
"Known as hybrids, they have a conventional electric storage heater paired with a heat pump that extracts heat from the air and uses it to help heat the water."
So, that will be what I look into next.
Umm, time is running out. Lots of interruptions going on here as well. A mad salesman who wants to know, basically, why the world doesn't stop when he speaks and everyone doesn't do as he commands.
Hmmm, I'll have to think about for a fraction of a millisecond. Oh, yes, because I don't worship man and especially don't necessarily even want to listen to a person that is so full of himself, the world wouldn't be the same without him around?!!
G'day.
ben
Here comes the heat.
108 today, 113 tomorrow.
Electric usage already going up, it will shoot through the roof after it goes past 110.
Which reminds me, I totally forgot about getting a solar sunscreen setup for that kitchen door.
Too much on the brain, I guess, such as the Willow fire, not to be confused with the Wallow fire. Why they would name 2 fires that are currently burning down Arizona forest at the same time with names that are that close together? No clue, but I am sure it will be cause' for confusion.
The Willow fire is burning up on the Mogollon Rim, which is also where my son is at. However, the fire is 25 miles away from him and let's hope this fire is contained quickly and no evacuations will have to take place. My mom called me yesterday asking if she needed to go get Caleb.
Lol. Let's not panic, shall we? I told her I would look up the fire on the internet and see what's going on and make a determination as to whether to even call the camp or just let it go. At this point, it's let it go material. They already have 7 fire crews working on it with bulldozers and a helicopter.
However, I do believe the forests should simply be shut down, at least in Arizona. So far, all of these fires have been started by humans. Take out the human factor and that's the end of the problem. If people can't be responsible with camp fires, don't even allow camping until the rains come.
My search to find a solar water heater setup has ended. I am not paying 4, 5 or even more thousand dollars for solar water heating, regardless of the savings. I found something else that might be intriguing, though:
"Known as hybrids, they have a conventional electric storage heater paired with a heat pump that extracts heat from the air and uses it to help heat the water."
So, that will be what I look into next.
Umm, time is running out. Lots of interruptions going on here as well. A mad salesman who wants to know, basically, why the world doesn't stop when he speaks and everyone doesn't do as he commands.
Hmmm, I'll have to think about for a fraction of a millisecond. Oh, yes, because I don't worship man and especially don't necessarily even want to listen to a person that is so full of himself, the world wouldn't be the same without him around?!!
G'day.
ben
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday 6/20/2011
Monday
I was speaking rather loudly 2 nights ago with Lynnette, in my kitchen, about a particular tenant that has decided that paying as much as a month late is, somehow, acceptable. I received half the month's later on that night : )
The, uhhh, weather isn't helping with getting these fires out. High winds are never a good thing when it comes to fires.
Just buzzing around here, I am slowly coming to the idea/conclusion that I might go to the special church service on Wednesday.
The end of next week brings a 3 day weekend. I am still attempting to decide what, if anything, I want to do for a vacation this year. Even if I do nothing, I am still going to take a week off, either in July or August, the best time of year to get off of work and either stay inside with AC on or get out of town.
That's it. I am going to read the news and see if anything interesting shows up, such as Governor Perry's quest to get into the presidential race. I don't see "The" contender needed out there to get Obama out. Chris Christie would be my first choice, but he was on yet another show on Sunday stating that he didn't feel he was ready for it yet. Maybe, but the nation needs someone like him to get this out of control spending spree under control.
Whatever the case, there is an order in the truck routing system, meaning something to do this morning and that's a good thing.
G'day.
ben
I was speaking rather loudly 2 nights ago with Lynnette, in my kitchen, about a particular tenant that has decided that paying as much as a month late is, somehow, acceptable. I received half the month's later on that night : )
The, uhhh, weather isn't helping with getting these fires out. High winds are never a good thing when it comes to fires.
Just buzzing around here, I am slowly coming to the idea/conclusion that I might go to the special church service on Wednesday.
The end of next week brings a 3 day weekend. I am still attempting to decide what, if anything, I want to do for a vacation this year. Even if I do nothing, I am still going to take a week off, either in July or August, the best time of year to get off of work and either stay inside with AC on or get out of town.
That's it. I am going to read the news and see if anything interesting shows up, such as Governor Perry's quest to get into the presidential race. I don't see "The" contender needed out there to get Obama out. Chris Christie would be my first choice, but he was on yet another show on Sunday stating that he didn't feel he was ready for it yet. Maybe, but the nation needs someone like him to get this out of control spending spree under control.
Whatever the case, there is an order in the truck routing system, meaning something to do this morning and that's a good thing.
G'day.
ben
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I got an email just a few minutes ago.
My son.
He didn't want to discuss the dead dog - which I don't blame him, I had just written him an email about it since that dog has been in the house since he was 8 years old. He wished me a happy Father's day, said all campers had "been saved" and that he only got a half day off today and it was almost over.
I was happy to get a few lines from him. A short phone call would have been a bit nicer, but I'll take what I can get. Umm, I will say that even when I was traipsing around the country as a missionary, I still called my mother once a week. I got a hold of my dad whenever I could. Call me a momma's boy, but I think it important to stay in contact with whatever family that wants to stay in contact with you. I could not, however, call from Mexico so there were extended periods when I couldn't call home. There was also a lot of problems I found out later that were created by it.
My oldest brother, at one point in time, was very upset with me at a Christmas get-together because his company didn't know where I was and had their "people" out searching for me. This made no sense to me, whatsoever. I had absolutely nothing to do with that company, had never worked for them and therefore had no clue what he was talking about.
The time in reference was a period of an extended period of travelling around Mexico, preaching, where only a few individuals that I knew had a semblance of the general area I was in. I wasn't trying to isolate myself, the circumstances extended themselves to cause that situation to be created. They were, apparently, attempting to find me IN Mexico. Lol. If they had found me, what were they going to do? Tell me to go back to America? I would have told them to bug off.
I don't know how they would have found me. I was in areas without electricity, telephones, cellphones, even running water.
Frankly, I loved those periods of my life doing things like that and I really want to get back into it.
You don't think that I am starting to go back to church again for a calculated reason? My missionary days and the days of doing some fairly wild stuff through the church locally has me longing for such again. I am leading a rather boring existence and it's time to change that. I will undoubtedly be going to church on Wednesday for the special guest speaker. I believe in current day prophecy, mostly because I have operated in such and have seen such first hand.
I have 2 completely conflicting things going on inside of me and it's a battle, to say for sure. It's all about church and the things that happened and the thing that wants to happen in my current attempt to get back into the mainstream of things.
I'm just saying that I am dealing with a great, internal conflict.
The ending of that conflict? Well I'm not there yet. But it should be an interesting ride, if nothing else!
My son.
He didn't want to discuss the dead dog - which I don't blame him, I had just written him an email about it since that dog has been in the house since he was 8 years old. He wished me a happy Father's day, said all campers had "been saved" and that he only got a half day off today and it was almost over.
I was happy to get a few lines from him. A short phone call would have been a bit nicer, but I'll take what I can get. Umm, I will say that even when I was traipsing around the country as a missionary, I still called my mother once a week. I got a hold of my dad whenever I could. Call me a momma's boy, but I think it important to stay in contact with whatever family that wants to stay in contact with you. I could not, however, call from Mexico so there were extended periods when I couldn't call home. There was also a lot of problems I found out later that were created by it.
My oldest brother, at one point in time, was very upset with me at a Christmas get-together because his company didn't know where I was and had their "people" out searching for me. This made no sense to me, whatsoever. I had absolutely nothing to do with that company, had never worked for them and therefore had no clue what he was talking about.
The time in reference was a period of an extended period of travelling around Mexico, preaching, where only a few individuals that I knew had a semblance of the general area I was in. I wasn't trying to isolate myself, the circumstances extended themselves to cause that situation to be created. They were, apparently, attempting to find me IN Mexico. Lol. If they had found me, what were they going to do? Tell me to go back to America? I would have told them to bug off.
I don't know how they would have found me. I was in areas without electricity, telephones, cellphones, even running water.
Frankly, I loved those periods of my life doing things like that and I really want to get back into it.
You don't think that I am starting to go back to church again for a calculated reason? My missionary days and the days of doing some fairly wild stuff through the church locally has me longing for such again. I am leading a rather boring existence and it's time to change that. I will undoubtedly be going to church on Wednesday for the special guest speaker. I believe in current day prophecy, mostly because I have operated in such and have seen such first hand.
I have 2 completely conflicting things going on inside of me and it's a battle, to say for sure. It's all about church and the things that happened and the thing that wants to happen in my current attempt to get back into the mainstream of things.
I'm just saying that I am dealing with a great, internal conflict.
The ending of that conflict? Well I'm not there yet. But it should be an interesting ride, if nothing else!
Church
It was far more of a struggle to actually go into that church today than it was last week. I actually drove past the church, down a residential street, into another one, etc etc etc while going through this ridiculous mind-game/war about church, pastors and the abuse of people in churches, in general.
I forced myself to pull into the parking lot, where I saw with the car idling and AC on, of course, for several minutes before I shut the thing off, got out and walked through the doors.
2 individuals were there, both greeted me warmly. My issue isn't about this church, it is about my history with church and the situation with my ex-wife and my now ex-pastor. It has toyed with my senses about this particular subject for years now.
This whole scenario may sound ridiculous for a reader with a totally unattached sense of view of the situation, but, so it is with all of us in different arenas of life experience: there are issues in all of our lives that we probably have foul memory of and possibly haven't actually passed through the dark tunnel to get to the light at the other end.
I'm somewhere in the darkness of the tunnel and frankly, I don't see the light at the end of it yet, but I figure somewhere along this 4 week commitment of going to church, I might at least see a faint glimpse of it.
Well, I entered the "sanctuary" what they simply refer to as the auditorium and quickly found a seat and sat down. Oh, I will freely admit I timed this out: the service was only a couple of minutes from starting before I got in there. Yet, fully 3 people approached me and called me by name, remembering my name from the week before, that was impressive to me. But I still felt and feel completely out of place and totally uncomfortable there. Which is none of their doings or fault, this is my own issue and I am trying to work through it.
An hour of worship and a bit over an hour of preaching and praying. A card given out to all the dads with a magnetic strip for your refrigerator and a $5 gift card to Starbucks. Okay, I sort of liked that. Did I give in the offering? I don't know that I have ever consciously decided to go into a church service without the intention of giving at least something. Last week, I had my offering out but I wasn't paying attention and they were done with it in less than 2 minutes. This week I did not let the opportunity pass by and I made sure it made it into the basket.
So, I left. The pastor stopped me on my way out. Wasn't really looking for that kind of interaction, either. We exchanged pleasantries and he said he recognized me from somewhere. I also recognized him during the last and this service but could only get a faint glimpse of where I had seen him: on a stage somewhere with a bunch of other pastors and other types of clergy, it was undoubtedly a conference. I haven't been to a conference in at least 7 years, though, so I don't know and he couldn't place it, either.
That was it. I will try and force myself back next week. I might even try to force myself there on Wednesday, when they are having some sort of special speaker in.
My mind was totally off of the Father's Day aspect after church and I had forgotten that I had planned to have a nice steak somewhere, instead coming home and making an open faced chicken platter with gravy. Tasty and didn't even think about the steak until I started writing this entry. No loss. Red meat isn't good for you, right? lol
I haven't heard from Caleb, a bit disappointing considering he's my only child and it is Father's Day. A 2 sentence paragraph in an email would be better than nothing. I called my dad at about 7:30 this morning and we had a nice conversation.
That's it. These last 2 Sunday's of church have been - unbelievably - such an inner, emotional turmoil that I find myself drained at the end of the day rather than rejuvenated after going to an uplifting church service. I'm going to have to get past this, somehow.........
I forced myself to pull into the parking lot, where I saw with the car idling and AC on, of course, for several minutes before I shut the thing off, got out and walked through the doors.
2 individuals were there, both greeted me warmly. My issue isn't about this church, it is about my history with church and the situation with my ex-wife and my now ex-pastor. It has toyed with my senses about this particular subject for years now.
This whole scenario may sound ridiculous for a reader with a totally unattached sense of view of the situation, but, so it is with all of us in different arenas of life experience: there are issues in all of our lives that we probably have foul memory of and possibly haven't actually passed through the dark tunnel to get to the light at the other end.
I'm somewhere in the darkness of the tunnel and frankly, I don't see the light at the end of it yet, but I figure somewhere along this 4 week commitment of going to church, I might at least see a faint glimpse of it.
Well, I entered the "sanctuary" what they simply refer to as the auditorium and quickly found a seat and sat down. Oh, I will freely admit I timed this out: the service was only a couple of minutes from starting before I got in there. Yet, fully 3 people approached me and called me by name, remembering my name from the week before, that was impressive to me. But I still felt and feel completely out of place and totally uncomfortable there. Which is none of their doings or fault, this is my own issue and I am trying to work through it.
An hour of worship and a bit over an hour of preaching and praying. A card given out to all the dads with a magnetic strip for your refrigerator and a $5 gift card to Starbucks. Okay, I sort of liked that. Did I give in the offering? I don't know that I have ever consciously decided to go into a church service without the intention of giving at least something. Last week, I had my offering out but I wasn't paying attention and they were done with it in less than 2 minutes. This week I did not let the opportunity pass by and I made sure it made it into the basket.
So, I left. The pastor stopped me on my way out. Wasn't really looking for that kind of interaction, either. We exchanged pleasantries and he said he recognized me from somewhere. I also recognized him during the last and this service but could only get a faint glimpse of where I had seen him: on a stage somewhere with a bunch of other pastors and other types of clergy, it was undoubtedly a conference. I haven't been to a conference in at least 7 years, though, so I don't know and he couldn't place it, either.
That was it. I will try and force myself back next week. I might even try to force myself there on Wednesday, when they are having some sort of special speaker in.
My mind was totally off of the Father's Day aspect after church and I had forgotten that I had planned to have a nice steak somewhere, instead coming home and making an open faced chicken platter with gravy. Tasty and didn't even think about the steak until I started writing this entry. No loss. Red meat isn't good for you, right? lol
I haven't heard from Caleb, a bit disappointing considering he's my only child and it is Father's Day. A 2 sentence paragraph in an email would be better than nothing. I called my dad at about 7:30 this morning and we had a nice conversation.
That's it. These last 2 Sunday's of church have been - unbelievably - such an inner, emotional turmoil that I find myself drained at the end of the day rather than rejuvenated after going to an uplifting church service. I'm going to have to get past this, somehow.........
Sunday 6/19/2011
Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there who are raising children of whatever age!
Okay, it's not a big holiday, but it's worth noting and giving a moment's time to. I am going to treat myself to a dinner that I would not normally partake of just because. My son turned 18 last month, graduated High School, is working, going to go to college. I think I can say I did my part to help him get there.
One thing of notice that has happened since all the police visits to both mine and my neighbor's house. The barking dogs? I rarely hear them at all now. This has been my complaint since the beginning. It has been my complaint every time the police came over to my house after they were called by these stupid neighbors inventing stories and making up lies to, apparently, get me into trouble with the law.
They put up sheets of galvanized metal, leaned them against their side of the fence and keep their dogs on the other side of the house now. I hardly ever hear a peep out of those dogs at this point. Those people apparently thought I would just back down and "go away" and in the case of a person like me, nothing could be further from the truth.
I am just as entitled to peaceful enjoyment of my property as anyone else and there is NO way that police coming over to my house with attitudes after hearing complete, fabricated lies from my neighbors were then or are going to now intimidate me into backing down. If anything, it just gets me that much more the riled up. I still can't believe those police officers reaching over the gate, removing the lock and entering my back yard. I'm not sure they had the legal right to do that, especially considering there is a doorbell button out there and further that I have come out every single time they have showed up to "discuss" this situation with them. One thing is for sure: they completely stopped both entering my back yard and even coming over here once I called the precinct and complained about what I considered to be borderline police harassment.
The "only" problem left is the 2 idiots down the street: the neighborhood "bully" and his buddy across the street, the 30-something year old still living with his parents and a meth-head. However, even that situation has diminished greatly after I threatened to go to court and get an injunction against both of them. It's quite easy to do, too. I have resolved that if they offer up one more round of bull**** to me, I am going to head down to the JOP's court room and file for injunctions against both of them. Oh, the situation also reduced exponentially after I called the police and told them that the bully had threatened my life over.......cats.
So that's my neighborhood update. The place across the street is up for sale and if history is any proof of sale-ability, it will be in that condition for some time to come. A person with money to spend could buy that property and sit on it until the housing situation recovers -that could be years of course - and then resell the property for 4 or 5 or even more times what they paid for it.
That is, of course, the problem: you would have to sit on that property for probably years before it ever turned a profit. I was mildly interested in it as a rental property, but the house would take too much work to repair it into rentable condition. Only if they were offering a truly smoking deal on the place would I consider buying it.
Another option I have in this neighborhood is to pay up the taxes that some property owners don't pay. After 3 years, you can basically take the property as yours if they don't pay up. If they do pay up, they have to pay you back plus some absurd interest rate. Either way, you get something in return for your "investment".
I called my dad this morning and wished him a happy Father's Day. He sounds like he is doing well and he and his wife are settling into their new living arrangement in Tucson. Tucson is a relatively short drive and I can start visiting them on day trips here and there. Probably about 100 miles from my house, maybe a bit more. The speed limit once you get out of town is 75mph, which you can push to 80 and from what I have seen, DOT won't bother with you. They could, of course, but I haven't experienced that. The point is that I can be there in less than an hour and a half. It is not, however, a "beautiful" drive of any sort. It is nothing but desert from here to there, excepting Picacho Peak, which is an interesting mountain jutting up out of the desert floor that has some history of being the scene of some war conflict, well here is the copied and pasted text:
"Picacho Peak’s most noted historic event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War. This was the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona."
As for my deceased doggy, I am pretty much over it already, usually doesn't take me long to get over the death of a dog, even if I have had it for a decade or more. Lynnette - not so easy. We were discussing getting another small doggy - however, this dog would be their's, not mine and if they ever left, they would either have to take the dog with them or I would find a new home for it. I do not want another 4th doggy. In my current range of dogs, once the 2 Danes die out - just being realistic here - the most dogs I will ever want at one time again is 2. 1 is okay, but when I'm not home, dogs tend to entertain each other instead of getting into trouble digging up things and basically engaging in property destruction out of boredom. If I get a dog from the Humane Society, you can always take it back, even years later, that way I am not stuck with a dog that is not mine and I have never really gotten to know.
Church starts in 45 minutes and yes, I intend on going. I am still not very comfortable with it, at all to be quite honest, but I am making the attempt with as good as attitude as I can muster and hope my mind frame changes about all of it. I promised myself to go 4 consecutive Sundays in a row and unless something happens to change that, I intend on keeping the self-made promise. The church is a 5 minute drive from here and is very lax on dress - people showing up in blue jeans and T shirts. I don't have a problem with others doing that, per-se, but it really isn't my style. I like to dress up for church, but today? Maybe for just one time in my life, I might go in blue jeans but have a nice shirt on.
With that, I bid you a........
G'day.
ben
Okay, it's not a big holiday, but it's worth noting and giving a moment's time to. I am going to treat myself to a dinner that I would not normally partake of just because. My son turned 18 last month, graduated High School, is working, going to go to college. I think I can say I did my part to help him get there.
One thing of notice that has happened since all the police visits to both mine and my neighbor's house. The barking dogs? I rarely hear them at all now. This has been my complaint since the beginning. It has been my complaint every time the police came over to my house after they were called by these stupid neighbors inventing stories and making up lies to, apparently, get me into trouble with the law.
They put up sheets of galvanized metal, leaned them against their side of the fence and keep their dogs on the other side of the house now. I hardly ever hear a peep out of those dogs at this point. Those people apparently thought I would just back down and "go away" and in the case of a person like me, nothing could be further from the truth.
I am just as entitled to peaceful enjoyment of my property as anyone else and there is NO way that police coming over to my house with attitudes after hearing complete, fabricated lies from my neighbors were then or are going to now intimidate me into backing down. If anything, it just gets me that much more the riled up. I still can't believe those police officers reaching over the gate, removing the lock and entering my back yard. I'm not sure they had the legal right to do that, especially considering there is a doorbell button out there and further that I have come out every single time they have showed up to "discuss" this situation with them. One thing is for sure: they completely stopped both entering my back yard and even coming over here once I called the precinct and complained about what I considered to be borderline police harassment.
The "only" problem left is the 2 idiots down the street: the neighborhood "bully" and his buddy across the street, the 30-something year old still living with his parents and a meth-head. However, even that situation has diminished greatly after I threatened to go to court and get an injunction against both of them. It's quite easy to do, too. I have resolved that if they offer up one more round of bull**** to me, I am going to head down to the JOP's court room and file for injunctions against both of them. Oh, the situation also reduced exponentially after I called the police and told them that the bully had threatened my life over.......cats.
So that's my neighborhood update. The place across the street is up for sale and if history is any proof of sale-ability, it will be in that condition for some time to come. A person with money to spend could buy that property and sit on it until the housing situation recovers -that could be years of course - and then resell the property for 4 or 5 or even more times what they paid for it.
That is, of course, the problem: you would have to sit on that property for probably years before it ever turned a profit. I was mildly interested in it as a rental property, but the house would take too much work to repair it into rentable condition. Only if they were offering a truly smoking deal on the place would I consider buying it.
Another option I have in this neighborhood is to pay up the taxes that some property owners don't pay. After 3 years, you can basically take the property as yours if they don't pay up. If they do pay up, they have to pay you back plus some absurd interest rate. Either way, you get something in return for your "investment".
I called my dad this morning and wished him a happy Father's Day. He sounds like he is doing well and he and his wife are settling into their new living arrangement in Tucson. Tucson is a relatively short drive and I can start visiting them on day trips here and there. Probably about 100 miles from my house, maybe a bit more. The speed limit once you get out of town is 75mph, which you can push to 80 and from what I have seen, DOT won't bother with you. They could, of course, but I haven't experienced that. The point is that I can be there in less than an hour and a half. It is not, however, a "beautiful" drive of any sort. It is nothing but desert from here to there, excepting Picacho Peak, which is an interesting mountain jutting up out of the desert floor that has some history of being the scene of some war conflict, well here is the copied and pasted text:
"Picacho Peak’s most noted historic event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War. This was the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona."
As for my deceased doggy, I am pretty much over it already, usually doesn't take me long to get over the death of a dog, even if I have had it for a decade or more. Lynnette - not so easy. We were discussing getting another small doggy - however, this dog would be their's, not mine and if they ever left, they would either have to take the dog with them or I would find a new home for it. I do not want another 4th doggy. In my current range of dogs, once the 2 Danes die out - just being realistic here - the most dogs I will ever want at one time again is 2. 1 is okay, but when I'm not home, dogs tend to entertain each other instead of getting into trouble digging up things and basically engaging in property destruction out of boredom. If I get a dog from the Humane Society, you can always take it back, even years later, that way I am not stuck with a dog that is not mine and I have never really gotten to know.
Church starts in 45 minutes and yes, I intend on going. I am still not very comfortable with it, at all to be quite honest, but I am making the attempt with as good as attitude as I can muster and hope my mind frame changes about all of it. I promised myself to go 4 consecutive Sundays in a row and unless something happens to change that, I intend on keeping the self-made promise. The church is a 5 minute drive from here and is very lax on dress - people showing up in blue jeans and T shirts. I don't have a problem with others doing that, per-se, but it really isn't my style. I like to dress up for church, but today? Maybe for just one time in my life, I might go in blue jeans but have a nice shirt on.
With that, I bid you a........
G'day.
ben
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