I'm sitting in a parking lot, down the street from the vet. In between deliveries, I ran home today, got Coco, hauled her over to the animal hospital and then went back to work.
The vet called about an hour ago saying her bowels are pretty much all cleared up, but now she is pissing blood. Can't catch a break here, can we? He did an X-ray to determine that there isn't anything in there at this point. So now? Blood panels to see if there is anything going on with her kidneys. If you think that all of this doesn't sound cheap, you would be right. $150 for the blood panels plus a check-up/re-visit fee and who knows whatever else. The vet is hoping it will be a simple matter of giving her antibiotics, but he was hesitant to do that without checking her kidneys first.
Whatever the case, I would like this to be the final visit - for a long time anyway - to the vet for this particular problem and hoping that there isn't going to be some sort of negative result from those blood tests.
I'm pretty much beat at this point. Work yesterday took it all out of me. Now I am getting what appears to be a chest cold and still dealing with this dog. Anyway, I decided to simply wait for the news and hopefully take the dog home rather than go home and then have to go back to the vet's office.
There isn't any other news because I am too tired to even think about anything else excepting that there is the small groups at church tonight, but if I don't catch a second wind here, I won't be going, instead, I will be going to sleep early.
That's it. I'm going to take a nap in the car while waiting as I am so incredibly sleepy right now!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday 2/27/2012
Safe? Their community is safe? Is ANYONE safe in modern-day America? A kid goes on a shooting rampage at a high school in Ohio, kills one and seriously injures more - now another student has been confirmed as having had passed away from the injuries sustained from being shot. When a parent sends a kid off to school, does it cross their mind that yeah, some kid with serious problems or several kids in same dementia are going to show up to school, shoot your kid and he/she isn't going to come home that day?
It's utter and pure insanity. If it was the first time it ever happened you might think a fluke. But it isn't even close to the first time at this point and it seems to be becoming a "norm".
Well whatever. I had to show up to work early this morning which is why there was no entry this morning and I have to show up to work tomorrow early yet again. I worked my freaking @$$ off today for almost 11 hours straight, non-stop and I am tired. I came home to a dog this is still in misery and can't release all the poop stuck up in there. I have given her numerous enemas since I came home, plus mineral oil plus forced her to drink Gatorade. She hasn't eaten since Friday.
She is looking BAD at this point. Her skin is pulled tight against her ribs because she hasn't been eating. She looks like a dog you would see on TV on that show that the animal control people go to and film views of dog that aren't being fed. Well, I have been trying to give her CHICKEN, that is her favorite food on earth and she won't even touch it. I read online from vets it's safe to give dogs Gatorade and I have been giving her doses of that since I got home.
If we weren't slammed to tomorrow at work, I would have already asked to be able to show up late so I can take her to the vet. They said if what I am doing doesn't work, then she will have to be left there for the whole day and will have to have enemas all day long and if necessary, yes, a finger will have to be lodged up in there in the rectum to dislodge the stuff. Gross. It was gross enough for me to get over the enema up the ass bit, I am NOT sticking my finger up a dog's ass, even if there is a plastic glove on it. If Wednesday isn't slammed as well and this thing hasn't relented, I am definitely going to simply tell my manager I will have to show up late - vet offices don't open at 6:00 am that I know of, and that will have to be that.
Ohhh, you can bet that I am not the most joyous person right now. I am giving my dog a couple of aspirins tonight regardless. She is in agony and I cannot just sit around watching it without offering something to help it. I had to get up in the middle of the night last night and get out the carpet cleaning machine - she had dribbled on the carpet in my bedroom. I had left the door ajar but somehow it was shut enough that she couldn't open it and that was the reason that occurred - that dog will NOT do that kind of thing in my house if she is able to get outside. I have given her the last of the enemas today. It will have to wait until tomorrow morning to give her another before work and then whatever needs be done when I get home.
But, I am increasingly concerned about the fact that she hasn't been eating and how long can a dog go without eating ANYTHING? Hence the Gatorade, at least there's something in there to give some kind of energy. It isn't food but it's better than nothing. She is one of the best dogs I have ever had in my entire life and to lose her to something like this would be devastating to me. If you are a person that thinks it's stupid to love your doggies, that's fine, but don't tell ME about it because I will tell you where you can stick it.
Again, I am not in the greatest mood ever after having been pulling orders most of the day and delivering it some of the day - pulling material that is so extremely, unbelievably heavy and just knocks me out and then having to come home and tend to my dog for hours, it's definitely taking a toll on me.
I don't know, sometimes life sucks so incredibly bad.
It's utter and pure insanity. If it was the first time it ever happened you might think a fluke. But it isn't even close to the first time at this point and it seems to be becoming a "norm".
Well whatever. I had to show up to work early this morning which is why there was no entry this morning and I have to show up to work tomorrow early yet again. I worked my freaking @$$ off today for almost 11 hours straight, non-stop and I am tired. I came home to a dog this is still in misery and can't release all the poop stuck up in there. I have given her numerous enemas since I came home, plus mineral oil plus forced her to drink Gatorade. She hasn't eaten since Friday.
She is looking BAD at this point. Her skin is pulled tight against her ribs because she hasn't been eating. She looks like a dog you would see on TV on that show that the animal control people go to and film views of dog that aren't being fed. Well, I have been trying to give her CHICKEN, that is her favorite food on earth and she won't even touch it. I read online from vets it's safe to give dogs Gatorade and I have been giving her doses of that since I got home.
If we weren't slammed to tomorrow at work, I would have already asked to be able to show up late so I can take her to the vet. They said if what I am doing doesn't work, then she will have to be left there for the whole day and will have to have enemas all day long and if necessary, yes, a finger will have to be lodged up in there in the rectum to dislodge the stuff. Gross. It was gross enough for me to get over the enema up the ass bit, I am NOT sticking my finger up a dog's ass, even if there is a plastic glove on it. If Wednesday isn't slammed as well and this thing hasn't relented, I am definitely going to simply tell my manager I will have to show up late - vet offices don't open at 6:00 am that I know of, and that will have to be that.
Ohhh, you can bet that I am not the most joyous person right now. I am giving my dog a couple of aspirins tonight regardless. She is in agony and I cannot just sit around watching it without offering something to help it. I had to get up in the middle of the night last night and get out the carpet cleaning machine - she had dribbled on the carpet in my bedroom. I had left the door ajar but somehow it was shut enough that she couldn't open it and that was the reason that occurred - that dog will NOT do that kind of thing in my house if she is able to get outside. I have given her the last of the enemas today. It will have to wait until tomorrow morning to give her another before work and then whatever needs be done when I get home.
But, I am increasingly concerned about the fact that she hasn't been eating and how long can a dog go without eating ANYTHING? Hence the Gatorade, at least there's something in there to give some kind of energy. It isn't food but it's better than nothing. She is one of the best dogs I have ever had in my entire life and to lose her to something like this would be devastating to me. If you are a person that thinks it's stupid to love your doggies, that's fine, but don't tell ME about it because I will tell you where you can stick it.
Again, I am not in the greatest mood ever after having been pulling orders most of the day and delivering it some of the day - pulling material that is so extremely, unbelievably heavy and just knocks me out and then having to come home and tend to my dog for hours, it's definitely taking a toll on me.
I don't know, sometimes life sucks so incredibly bad.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
I Was Outside...........
.............sitting on a carpet on the concrete with my Catahoula. I had forced her outside because yes, I have given her fully 5 enemas today and we aren't through yet. We will get past this problem regardless of my distaste of having to sit on top of a dog to keep it from getting up and running off and more to the point: having to stick a syringe up a dog's @$$ full of fluid. I have dumped mineral oil down her throat today a couple of times as well as a bit of Gatorade here and there.
I was petting her and she had her head on my lap, completely out of it. I was looking up at the sky. I had forgotten the numbers of contrails to be seen in these parts.
You aren't looking at clouds, you are looking at contrails, plus the rear end of Camelback mountain and not sure if the Southwest Airlines plane that is landing shows up.
My Catahoula. I wouldn't wish what she's going through on anyone.
I was petting her and she had her head on my lap, completely out of it. I was looking up at the sky. I had forgotten the numbers of contrails to be seen in these parts.
My Catahoula. I wouldn't wish what she's going through on anyone.
Church
I guess I should stop going. I go in there with terrible mind battles more often than not and today was no exception.
I don't blame this church I am going to, per-se, I probably really only have myself to blame but whatever.
There isn't much to say about it. I lasted through 1 hour and 10 minutes of worship service, got up and left.
I promised myself that I would at least try the "small groups" and so, I at least try to keep promises to myself, so I will attempt to go on Tuesday evening and see what, if anything, happens. The leader of the small group I signed up for actually came forward and introduced themselves.
Anyway. Coco - my Catahoula - not doing well at all. I broke down. I wasn't about to insert that enema syringe in there with all the fight she puts up, but enough is enough. Took her outside, sat down on top of her and she had no choice. She didn't like it - of course - but tough. I did it again 40 minutes later and will be doing it again another 20 minutes from now and will continue with this until all that gunk comes out of there. I have been dumping mineral oil down her throat. She is gaunt looking, her flash wrapped over her ribs, she is obviously miserable and I can't just not doing something that will help her because she doesn't like it or - it grosses me out as well. When we get past this, I am going to feed her food that will help fatten her back up again. I set freshly cooked chicken out there for her a while ago and she wouldn't touch it.
Another 5 hours of enemas and I hope something happens.
Caleb still not feeling well at all. I am feeding him and getting him fluids, the rest is up to resting and time.
I don't get the use of ATM's, really. If it's your own bank's ATM and you aren't charged a fee, then no biggies. But paying $3 for YOUR money simply because it's coming out of some other bank's ATM machine is outrageous. Rarely, do I use an ATM and now that QuikTrip has my bank's ATM's in every store, much more abundant locations all over the place, I need not use a fee'd ATM. I have never liked the idea of paying money to get = your money. I have done it- yes, but extremely infrequently. A few times at some casinos, a few times on vacation, other than that, never locally.
Convenience costs money, in many cases and it's simply not worth it, much of the time, for me to throw money down the drain that could be going to something else. What got me started on this? A story about ATM's with banks that are charging 3% per transaction, not $3. Difference without a distinction if you're taking out $100, but anything over that? $3 per 100 is basically what that means.
I'll go back to cash only living, having no bank and doing money orders before I am forcefully subjected to outrageous bank fees. At the moment, I have free checking - that because I both have direct deposit and also use my debit card more than 8 times per month. Either of them will get free checking at the bank I am currently using, though I am considering switching to a credit union.
I don't blame this church I am going to, per-se, I probably really only have myself to blame but whatever.
There isn't much to say about it. I lasted through 1 hour and 10 minutes of worship service, got up and left.
I promised myself that I would at least try the "small groups" and so, I at least try to keep promises to myself, so I will attempt to go on Tuesday evening and see what, if anything, happens. The leader of the small group I signed up for actually came forward and introduced themselves.
Anyway. Coco - my Catahoula - not doing well at all. I broke down. I wasn't about to insert that enema syringe in there with all the fight she puts up, but enough is enough. Took her outside, sat down on top of her and she had no choice. She didn't like it - of course - but tough. I did it again 40 minutes later and will be doing it again another 20 minutes from now and will continue with this until all that gunk comes out of there. I have been dumping mineral oil down her throat. She is gaunt looking, her flash wrapped over her ribs, she is obviously miserable and I can't just not doing something that will help her because she doesn't like it or - it grosses me out as well. When we get past this, I am going to feed her food that will help fatten her back up again. I set freshly cooked chicken out there for her a while ago and she wouldn't touch it.
Another 5 hours of enemas and I hope something happens.
Caleb still not feeling well at all. I am feeding him and getting him fluids, the rest is up to resting and time.
I don't get the use of ATM's, really. If it's your own bank's ATM and you aren't charged a fee, then no biggies. But paying $3 for YOUR money simply because it's coming out of some other bank's ATM machine is outrageous. Rarely, do I use an ATM and now that QuikTrip has my bank's ATM's in every store, much more abundant locations all over the place, I need not use a fee'd ATM. I have never liked the idea of paying money to get = your money. I have done it- yes, but extremely infrequently. A few times at some casinos, a few times on vacation, other than that, never locally.
Convenience costs money, in many cases and it's simply not worth it, much of the time, for me to throw money down the drain that could be going to something else. What got me started on this? A story about ATM's with banks that are charging 3% per transaction, not $3. Difference without a distinction if you're taking out $100, but anything over that? $3 per 100 is basically what that means.
I'll go back to cash only living, having no bank and doing money orders before I am forcefully subjected to outrageous bank fees. At the moment, I have free checking - that because I both have direct deposit and also use my debit card more than 8 times per month. Either of them will get free checking at the bank I am currently using, though I am considering switching to a credit union.
Sunday 2/27/2012
I was quite humored when Kyle - a family friend I guess you would call him all of 18 years old - came over here yesterday declaring that he was selling tools for whatever customer and earning $1,500.00 per week. Is it possible? I suppose, but at the same time, he is going to a school of massage therapy to learn how to become a massage therapist which I doubt would earn him that much money. Instead of questioning him on it, I simply told him that he is making more money than I am! He used to hang out with Caleb over here but then got aligned with drug users including heroin addicts and he disappeared off the radar for quite a long time.
He also impregnated a girl and has a baby now. He is off the drugs - though he drinks regularly, still better than being on drugs - and apparently has had a fire lit under his fit to work, work, work and earn money to support the girl and the baby.
Well whatever. Then he offers me a professional massage at the low rate of $1 per minute, lol.
Meanwhile, Caleb got the flu. Probably, I am guessing, from college. I dunno, but I want nothing to do with it. I have been feeding him and giving him plenty of liquids but other than that? Staying away from the boy. He has been sleeping/resting/kicking back for a couple of days now.
Coco - the Catahoula mix - is still plugged up but finally some "stuff" is coming out. Hopefully the mineral oil will work it's way through all of that and all of that will come out - preferably today and get it over with.
I continue to torment myself - well not that bad but you get the picture - with endless articles on the web about baby boomers not having anything or too little saved up for retirement. I know, I have talked about this a lot on this blog, but it keeps it alive and in my face. You can look at 15 or 20 years and say that's a long time, I don't need to be so dramatic about it, but - that isn't that much time and it will be here faster than you know and then kablaam, whatever you have saved, that's it. If you didn't save enough or even save anything, you are screwed. Well I can tell you right now, if I had to retire today, I am screwed.
It takes money to make money - a very true statement mostly - and that is the plan here. I am not going to get enough for retirement simply by means of what I am putting aside in the 401k or even in the bank savings account, it is going to have to be upped substantially. I am changing my mind about that travel trailer that I wanted to trade for a pickup, better to sell it and save the money for that casita I am going to build. I haven't firmly decided on that yet - I have 3 more payments and then I can make a decision.
Anyway, I am going to force myself to church today, meaning I have to leave...........uhhhh...........now, actually.
Later.
ben
He also impregnated a girl and has a baby now. He is off the drugs - though he drinks regularly, still better than being on drugs - and apparently has had a fire lit under his fit to work, work, work and earn money to support the girl and the baby.
Well whatever. Then he offers me a professional massage at the low rate of $1 per minute, lol.
Meanwhile, Caleb got the flu. Probably, I am guessing, from college. I dunno, but I want nothing to do with it. I have been feeding him and giving him plenty of liquids but other than that? Staying away from the boy. He has been sleeping/resting/kicking back for a couple of days now.
Coco - the Catahoula mix - is still plugged up but finally some "stuff" is coming out. Hopefully the mineral oil will work it's way through all of that and all of that will come out - preferably today and get it over with.
I continue to torment myself - well not that bad but you get the picture - with endless articles on the web about baby boomers not having anything or too little saved up for retirement. I know, I have talked about this a lot on this blog, but it keeps it alive and in my face. You can look at 15 or 20 years and say that's a long time, I don't need to be so dramatic about it, but - that isn't that much time and it will be here faster than you know and then kablaam, whatever you have saved, that's it. If you didn't save enough or even save anything, you are screwed. Well I can tell you right now, if I had to retire today, I am screwed.
It takes money to make money - a very true statement mostly - and that is the plan here. I am not going to get enough for retirement simply by means of what I am putting aside in the 401k or even in the bank savings account, it is going to have to be upped substantially. I am changing my mind about that travel trailer that I wanted to trade for a pickup, better to sell it and save the money for that casita I am going to build. I haven't firmly decided on that yet - I have 3 more payments and then I can make a decision.
Anyway, I am going to force myself to church today, meaning I have to leave...........uhhhh...........now, actually.
Later.
ben
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday 2/26/2012
The flu season starts and guess what? Someone here gets the flu. My son, Caleb, to be more precise about the individual.
My Catahoula mix is also not feeling very well. She is plugged up so bad, I was amazed at the x-rays I saw today after I took her into a vet's office. I had hoped whatever was going on would correct itself, but it wasn't.
That's been my day. Vet and dealing with a sick kid.
What else is there? Well, there are a lot of other things, but this is what I am dealing with and for now, that's quite enough, thank you.
ben
My Catahoula mix is also not feeling very well. She is plugged up so bad, I was amazed at the x-rays I saw today after I took her into a vet's office. I had hoped whatever was going on would correct itself, but it wasn't.
That's been my day. Vet and dealing with a sick kid.
What else is there? Well, there are a lot of other things, but this is what I am dealing with and for now, that's quite enough, thank you.
ben
How To Give Your Dog Mineral Oil
I can't believe some of the stuff floating around on the internet. How to give dogs pills by hiding it in food and how to give a dog mineral oil by attempting to coat the dog's food with it.
PLEEEEEEASE!
Get a clue: a dog may be like a member of your family, but when it comes time for medication, let's get real here. It's a DOG, not human infant!!
I took my dog to the vet today because she has been sick for over a week and I had no clue. The vet took x-rays and showed me: she is literally full of - well dog dung to put it nicely. He administered 2 syringes of enemas up her behind and then instructed me to do the same plus give her mineral oil.
He was all over this idea of mixing it with dog food.
Well she isn't eating and I don't do drugs like that with dogs, anyway.
He said to give her 2 shots worth and that's exactly what I did.
This is the easiest and fastest way possible to get this stuff into their system.
Grab the snout. Pull up and back so that the dog's mouth is facing straight up.
I don't mean like yanking the dog around, be gentle of course, but firm.
Hold the snout firmly, I just use my whole hand and get a grip around the snout - with my palm inside her mouth, holding her upper jaw, basically.
Dump the mineral oil in there. The dog has no choice but to swallow it. It was very easy to do this with my dog today and I use the same method to give a dog pills. Excepting I hold snout up with one hand and shove the pill down to the back of the throat with the other hand/fingers, far enough back that the dog has to do the swallow reflex and that's it. Pills and mineral oil down the hatch, took less than 30 seconds and I don't have to sit around attempting to invent some "humane" way to coax an animal to do something it definitely does NOT want to do, end of story.
PLEEEEEEASE!
Get a clue: a dog may be like a member of your family, but when it comes time for medication, let's get real here. It's a DOG, not human infant!!
I took my dog to the vet today because she has been sick for over a week and I had no clue. The vet took x-rays and showed me: she is literally full of - well dog dung to put it nicely. He administered 2 syringes of enemas up her behind and then instructed me to do the same plus give her mineral oil.
He was all over this idea of mixing it with dog food.
Well she isn't eating and I don't do drugs like that with dogs, anyway.
He said to give her 2 shots worth and that's exactly what I did.
This is the easiest and fastest way possible to get this stuff into their system.
Grab the snout. Pull up and back so that the dog's mouth is facing straight up.
I don't mean like yanking the dog around, be gentle of course, but firm.
Hold the snout firmly, I just use my whole hand and get a grip around the snout - with my palm inside her mouth, holding her upper jaw, basically.
Dump the mineral oil in there. The dog has no choice but to swallow it. It was very easy to do this with my dog today and I use the same method to give a dog pills. Excepting I hold snout up with one hand and shove the pill down to the back of the throat with the other hand/fingers, far enough back that the dog has to do the swallow reflex and that's it. Pills and mineral oil down the hatch, took less than 30 seconds and I don't have to sit around attempting to invent some "humane" way to coax an animal to do something it definitely does NOT want to do, end of story.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The SUV
This entire entry is not going to be about this incident.
However. I was cruising along the 101 Freeway, southbound, approaching the Elliot road off-ramp.
I have traveled this stretch of freeway so often in the semi, I know what happens before it happens. I am perched up high, I can see over all the cars ahead of me.
I am going 65mph in a 65 mph freeway. But, I am prepared to shut it down cause' I know that at least the potential is there that the lane I am in is going to come to stop. I am also looking WELL ahead of me, though I always do that anyway.
Sure enough, I get up to this portion of freeway - maybe a 1/4 mile before getting to the off-ramp and I can see 20 cars worth of brake lights, cars going off the side of the road into the emergency lane and your basic chaos and heterdyne situation. I'm already slowing down but the 10 vehicles in front of me don't see what's going on ahead of them - or they simply aren't paying attention - or probably a bit of both. I only had maybe 15,000 pounds on the trailer. 26,000 truck weight equals 41,000 pound or around there in Gross Vehicle Weight.
Well, the SUV in front of me finally sees the vehicle in front of is shutting down, ie: slamming on the brakes and does the same. I can see her/him looking in rear-view and that person does something surprising: he bolts in to the emergency lane. No, not because they were about to run into the vehicle ahead of them - this person's brake slamming avoided that, no. Because, they thought, I was about to run over the top of them. Or at least slam into them and cause' some lifelong problems. Or life-ending.
I was WAY ahead of that game, but I guess it didn't appear that way to that person. They are sitting in the emergency lane for several seconds. I did not attempt to pass, instead, I waited until they saw that I saw what they did. Although it was unnecessary, I did appreciate that once in a blue moon, there is someone that sees the potential for disaster and actually does something about it. Truck drivers basically drive for everyone. Whatever you are doing in front of me, I have already gone through the list of things that you could possibly do, eliminated some of them and waiting and prepared for the worst. It's how I keep out of horrific accidents.
On a somewhat similar note, I already have a voice mail in my phone concerning Monday morning. A huge order for a contractor has come in - after I left of course. I was at 40 hours and that's pretty much what I get - which is better than the 3 years of 35 hours I was getting, so I won't complain. We already have a HUGE order for Monday which I started pulling after I got done with my deliveries. Some 2 hours into pulling it - my manager also pulling this order as well - he gets a call.
Hey dude, I changed the order. Oh. What are you doing? He changed some things and then was going to change even more of it. We're talking around $130,000 worth of orders going to the same place that is going out first thing Monday morning, we are pulling it Friday late morning and trying to get situated for an early morning delivery and this guy comes along and tells us he is changing it.
We both gave up. What is the point of trying to get ahead when the order is changed? I was sent home - my 40 hours were there, though I would have stayed a few hours extra to get it done and ready to go. We have come to the conclusion that it's time to stop pulling orders in advance, this happens so much that we are sick of the garbage. Which will, of course, cause problems. If we aren't pulling orders in advance, then contractors aren't getting product when they want it. Yet, the salesmen are allowing contractors to totally change huge orders at the last minute and then expect us - to somehow accommodate for it even after we have already pulled the order, palletized it and shrink wrapped it, ready to go.
Just time to make a statement: get your orders right the first time and quite giving us "phantom" orders. So, we decided that we will get it done Monday - and it will be LONG after that salesman wanted it done. But to top that, ANOTHER large order was placed in the system after I left, and apparently nothing has been pulled on it. I was left an email to show up early on Monday. You know, I am not going to lose sleep over another person's inability to do their job right. Or to ensure that orders placed by contractors are done correctly the first time.
When you get orders changed over and over and over, time after time, you tend to get to the point where you don't really believe that whatever order is placed in the system? I really what it's going to end up being after all the changes. I am ready to start writing them: "when you are done making changes, please let me know and we will definitely get this order pulled". That notation will be given when the order is placed in our system. I will assume changes are going to be made. This will delay deliveries. But it's necessary at this point. We spent 2 hours pulling this order today and then get a call: I'm making changes to the order.
We're looking at each like, what the freak? You want us to pull 130k worth of orders and have it ready to go for Monday delivery and you are calling us this late in the day and telling us that you are now changing the order?
Yeah. That was the end of it. I was ready to spend another couple of hours finishing pulling that order. Now? I will spend Monday morning pulling a completely different order, lol. I am asked to show up at 5:30 am. No problem. Doesn't necessarily mean I will get off early on Monday, but it WILL either add to my hours for that week or I will be getting off early one day.
Meanwhile, it's the weekend. Yes, indeed. Warming up. 80 degrees today. That isn't really hot here, but inside a house with the sun baking down on it? Yes, it will warm up. Inside a car? It was hot inside my car when I left work today and I was running the AC all the way home.
Enough for today.
However. I was cruising along the 101 Freeway, southbound, approaching the Elliot road off-ramp.
I have traveled this stretch of freeway so often in the semi, I know what happens before it happens. I am perched up high, I can see over all the cars ahead of me.
I am going 65mph in a 65 mph freeway. But, I am prepared to shut it down cause' I know that at least the potential is there that the lane I am in is going to come to stop. I am also looking WELL ahead of me, though I always do that anyway.
Sure enough, I get up to this portion of freeway - maybe a 1/4 mile before getting to the off-ramp and I can see 20 cars worth of brake lights, cars going off the side of the road into the emergency lane and your basic chaos and heterdyne situation. I'm already slowing down but the 10 vehicles in front of me don't see what's going on ahead of them - or they simply aren't paying attention - or probably a bit of both. I only had maybe 15,000 pounds on the trailer. 26,000 truck weight equals 41,000 pound or around there in Gross Vehicle Weight.
Well, the SUV in front of me finally sees the vehicle in front of is shutting down, ie: slamming on the brakes and does the same. I can see her/him looking in rear-view and that person does something surprising: he bolts in to the emergency lane. No, not because they were about to run into the vehicle ahead of them - this person's brake slamming avoided that, no. Because, they thought, I was about to run over the top of them. Or at least slam into them and cause' some lifelong problems. Or life-ending.
I was WAY ahead of that game, but I guess it didn't appear that way to that person. They are sitting in the emergency lane for several seconds. I did not attempt to pass, instead, I waited until they saw that I saw what they did. Although it was unnecessary, I did appreciate that once in a blue moon, there is someone that sees the potential for disaster and actually does something about it. Truck drivers basically drive for everyone. Whatever you are doing in front of me, I have already gone through the list of things that you could possibly do, eliminated some of them and waiting and prepared for the worst. It's how I keep out of horrific accidents.
On a somewhat similar note, I already have a voice mail in my phone concerning Monday morning. A huge order for a contractor has come in - after I left of course. I was at 40 hours and that's pretty much what I get - which is better than the 3 years of 35 hours I was getting, so I won't complain. We already have a HUGE order for Monday which I started pulling after I got done with my deliveries. Some 2 hours into pulling it - my manager also pulling this order as well - he gets a call.
Hey dude, I changed the order. Oh. What are you doing? He changed some things and then was going to change even more of it. We're talking around $130,000 worth of orders going to the same place that is going out first thing Monday morning, we are pulling it Friday late morning and trying to get situated for an early morning delivery and this guy comes along and tells us he is changing it.
We both gave up. What is the point of trying to get ahead when the order is changed? I was sent home - my 40 hours were there, though I would have stayed a few hours extra to get it done and ready to go. We have come to the conclusion that it's time to stop pulling orders in advance, this happens so much that we are sick of the garbage. Which will, of course, cause problems. If we aren't pulling orders in advance, then contractors aren't getting product when they want it. Yet, the salesmen are allowing contractors to totally change huge orders at the last minute and then expect us - to somehow accommodate for it even after we have already pulled the order, palletized it and shrink wrapped it, ready to go.
Just time to make a statement: get your orders right the first time and quite giving us "phantom" orders. So, we decided that we will get it done Monday - and it will be LONG after that salesman wanted it done. But to top that, ANOTHER large order was placed in the system after I left, and apparently nothing has been pulled on it. I was left an email to show up early on Monday. You know, I am not going to lose sleep over another person's inability to do their job right. Or to ensure that orders placed by contractors are done correctly the first time.
When you get orders changed over and over and over, time after time, you tend to get to the point where you don't really believe that whatever order is placed in the system? I really what it's going to end up being after all the changes. I am ready to start writing them: "when you are done making changes, please let me know and we will definitely get this order pulled". That notation will be given when the order is placed in our system. I will assume changes are going to be made. This will delay deliveries. But it's necessary at this point. We spent 2 hours pulling this order today and then get a call: I'm making changes to the order.
We're looking at each like, what the freak? You want us to pull 130k worth of orders and have it ready to go for Monday delivery and you are calling us this late in the day and telling us that you are now changing the order?
Yeah. That was the end of it. I was ready to spend another couple of hours finishing pulling that order. Now? I will spend Monday morning pulling a completely different order, lol. I am asked to show up at 5:30 am. No problem. Doesn't necessarily mean I will get off early on Monday, but it WILL either add to my hours for that week or I will be getting off early one day.
Meanwhile, it's the weekend. Yes, indeed. Warming up. 80 degrees today. That isn't really hot here, but inside a house with the sun baking down on it? Yes, it will warm up. Inside a car? It was hot inside my car when I left work today and I was running the AC all the way home.
Enough for today.
The Accident
I was cruising in the semi today on a 2-lane, country road out in farm country.
Yes, they do farm in the desert, believe it or not, mostly through the use of canals bringing the water to the fields.
I'm approaching this intersection and I'm seeing some strange stuff ahead.
There is a smashed up car blocking the lane I am in. I get up to the light and realized this accident must have just happened. Well police showed up right as I pulled up.
The police officer blocks the rest of any access I might have had to get around this vehicle, but there was a good reason why: there was debris all over the road. You wouldn't want to drive over a bumper, glass and other various things laying in the street. I was going to attempt to flip a u-ey in the dirt field on the other side of the street from me - but an apparent witness pulled his vehicle out of the intersection and effectively blocked that passage. I can't back up cause' there are cars behind me.
I literally have nowhere to go. The cop is offering me no help at all - like stop traffic from the opposite direction so I can go in the oncoming lane to get around this mess. Again, that was also understandable, there was still a lady sitting dazed and confused in her vehicle and he was running around attempting to secure the scene. It wasn't that I had an issue with the cops or the situation - it was a BAD accident. The car in front of me was not the only vehicle. There was another vehicle that was smashed into one of the stop light poles - that pole was broken in half and buckled over, the mini-van was smashed so badly, I wondered if there weren't some seriously injured people in that car.
Then, a fire truck comes up behind me and goes in to opposing traffic lane and then? That was the end of the story. There WAS no continuing on. Uhhh, not that I don't have sympathy for the injured, but paramedics and police are on-scene and they don't need my help, I have deliveries to make and one contractor is anxiously waiting on some of what was on my truck. I'm looking around. There is a farm on the other side of the street where the car blocked any idea of a u-turn. I guess I could have gotten out and asked the guy to move, but he was talking to police and I figured that took precedence so I passed on that idea. Well, there IS a very narrow, dirt road - such as the ones you see next to crops on all farms - yes, right next to the corn growing there. One side of the road is corn, the other is a steep drop off.
Yep. I crossed the road, over the embankment, onto the dirt, to the dirt road and drove down that thing until I found a place to cross over the curb, beyond the steep embankment and got myself out of there. Back up to the intersection I had been detained at, made a left hand turn and saw even more closely the damage to that mini van. Yikes!! Made the left hand turn and then - ambulance and another fire truck are heading towards me. Pull over - what IS it with people who do not want to pull over for emergency vehicles anymore? - let them pass and that was the end of that story.
Yes, they do farm in the desert, believe it or not, mostly through the use of canals bringing the water to the fields.
I'm approaching this intersection and I'm seeing some strange stuff ahead.
There is a smashed up car blocking the lane I am in. I get up to the light and realized this accident must have just happened. Well police showed up right as I pulled up.
The police officer blocks the rest of any access I might have had to get around this vehicle, but there was a good reason why: there was debris all over the road. You wouldn't want to drive over a bumper, glass and other various things laying in the street. I was going to attempt to flip a u-ey in the dirt field on the other side of the street from me - but an apparent witness pulled his vehicle out of the intersection and effectively blocked that passage. I can't back up cause' there are cars behind me.
I literally have nowhere to go. The cop is offering me no help at all - like stop traffic from the opposite direction so I can go in the oncoming lane to get around this mess. Again, that was also understandable, there was still a lady sitting dazed and confused in her vehicle and he was running around attempting to secure the scene. It wasn't that I had an issue with the cops or the situation - it was a BAD accident. The car in front of me was not the only vehicle. There was another vehicle that was smashed into one of the stop light poles - that pole was broken in half and buckled over, the mini-van was smashed so badly, I wondered if there weren't some seriously injured people in that car.
Then, a fire truck comes up behind me and goes in to opposing traffic lane and then? That was the end of the story. There WAS no continuing on. Uhhh, not that I don't have sympathy for the injured, but paramedics and police are on-scene and they don't need my help, I have deliveries to make and one contractor is anxiously waiting on some of what was on my truck. I'm looking around. There is a farm on the other side of the street where the car blocked any idea of a u-turn. I guess I could have gotten out and asked the guy to move, but he was talking to police and I figured that took precedence so I passed on that idea. Well, there IS a very narrow, dirt road - such as the ones you see next to crops on all farms - yes, right next to the corn growing there. One side of the road is corn, the other is a steep drop off.
Yep. I crossed the road, over the embankment, onto the dirt, to the dirt road and drove down that thing until I found a place to cross over the curb, beyond the steep embankment and got myself out of there. Back up to the intersection I had been detained at, made a left hand turn and saw even more closely the damage to that mini van. Yikes!! Made the left hand turn and then - ambulance and another fire truck are heading towards me. Pull over - what IS it with people who do not want to pull over for emergency vehicles anymore? - let them pass and that was the end of that story.
Fry's Electronics - Tempe, Arizona Piss Poor Customer Service
I have seen bad press/reviews about Fry's Electronics customer service all over the internet. People bad-mouth the attitudes of the floor associates on a rather frequent basis. Well, I am adding my two cents and agreement to such today.
I had called Verizon to find out what is wrong with this mobile broadband device. After some discussion, the lady stated that the simm card needs to be replaced. Great, how do I get that done? Go into any authorized Verizon outlet and they will replace it for free. Okay, can I take it back to Fry's Electronics, where I purchased the plan/device? Yes, that will work fine.
I put it off until today. I could not get on the internet with that thing at all. It showed that I was in 4g network and that it was pumping out information, but my laptop was showing "no internet service" under the Verizon connection.
So, on the way home from work, a stop at Fry's Electronics. I don't go there much because - yes - I don't much care for the attitudes of much of the sales associates that I encounter. I am not banning the place, especially considering it's less than 2 miles from my house, but isn't my first choice for a place to buy much of anything - or second choice for that matter.
So, I walk in an show the device to a guy standing at a podium near the entrance. No, you don't have to do anything (I asked if I need the thing tagged or something before going in there with it), just go ahead and take it in. Okay. I walk up to the cell phone display which is also where they have these devices. 3 Fry's associates standing there gabbing away, completely ignoring anyone. I patiently waited for a couple of minutes before finally, a black dude comes walking up. I tell him what Verizon told me on the phone.
Well we don't do that here. We are not an authorized dealer. ??? How can you sell Verizon wireless plans and phones if you are not an authorized dealer? was my reply. Well we just can't do that here, he says. I'm sorry, I replied, but and again, how do you sell Verizon phones and service plans/contracts without being an authorized dealer? Because, he replies and getting very short, curt and attempting to engage in what appeared to be a stare-down, we are not an authorized dealer. Well, this is going nowhere fast, especially his unbelievable attitude. How does this guy make any money attempting to sell products with THAT kind of crap going on?
Perhaps he is only paid by the hour. As he absolutely refused to help me, I asked to speak to management. He pointed me towards the door. I looked over at the little counter where they did the paperwork for the contract I signed and said, no, it's over there. No, management is over here and I would rather have them deal with you at this point. Stated in a way that I cannot fully express here, with facial and body movements/tones that most people would find nothing short of outrageous.
I said find, let's go. He THEN started to tell my why they are a not an authorized dealer, but I had heard enough of this guy. No, sir, you don't want to deal with me, remember? I don't even want to hear your voice anymore, I will just take this - and your attitude - up with your management. He started spouting off again, which is when I again informed him that I didn't want to hear the sound of his voice at this point. Well, we are at the apparent manager's location and he starts informing me that if I continue, he will have me escorted out of there. ???!!!
That's where he crossed the line. He should have just let it go, I would have just moved on with management and that would have been the end of it. I informed him yet again that I did not want to hear his voice, please discontinue your speech. He then asked me if I had heard what he said? I didn't CARE what he said at that point. I will have LT (whatever that means) escort you out of here right now. He had also stated that I had bared my teeth at him and that he wasn't a dog. Just unbelievable.
With unbelievable good fortune, however, his direct manager was standing RIGHT there when he was threatening to have me removed. I was not hostile or angry in any way, appalled, yes, but I was refraining myself from letting loose on this guy with how I really felt about him. So, completely unphased that a manager is standing there, another threat to have me removed. The manager steps in at this point. He says, this is the manager and I went on to tell her nothing about the reason I went in there but everything about how this guy was treating me. I asked for higher level management, please. She was just a floor supervisor, I wanted this escalated. She said sure and disappeared around a wall for several minutes.
I recognized the manager that came out and knew I had the right person. He went straight to the sales associate and escorted him back towards the cell phone display, his arm around the guy's back. The guy didn't want to leave is the point, apparently he wanted to just continue with his threats. They stopped and started a discussion of which I have no privy to what was being said, though I could imagine. The pudding was in the proof: the supervisor was balking at that dude while expressing her sincere apologies to me for the way that guy had been talking to me. She went on and on about how rude that guy was being and then another floor associate that had also heard it chimed in the same sentiments.
Finally, a situation such as this where the right people witnessed and heard enough of the event to give validity to it. The conversation over there went on for several minutes and then the manager came up, apologized for that man's attitude as well and then we started discussing the problem. Well, I told him the same thing about the simm card. Okay, well let's see what we can do. We headed straight for the counter that the black dude did not want me to go to when I had asked for a manager. I could get one, yes, I find out, but it's going to cost $5 - but then I was told it was actually $3. Well, I was already here, $3 isn't enough for me to want to leave and go find the thing for free at an "authorized" center - which never was explained to me, but is not a moot point.
Turns out they had a whole STACK of simm cards. I start looking over at the black guy who is, of course, completely ignoring me at this point. No, they don't do that here, right? They do it, they just charge you for the new card. Well the charge is so minimal that I didn't even give it a second thought, as I already stated, let's switch it out. Well the whole ordeal of calling Verizon, getting my account, me verifying who I am, authorizing the new card, etc etc etc. I pulled out $5 and the manager stated no, we'll just give it to you for your inconvenience. Okay. In my mind I was thinking: they should offer me 20% off my next purchase. But I said nothing but thank you and he left since I was being taken care of at that point, though he did offer a final apology for the trouble I had encountered.
If I have any consolation in this entire ordeal, it is that that dude got into trouble and with the witnesses? I am guessing he is going to have further problems with this incident. I hope so. How can you treat customers like that? Whatever.
I left the store, got into my car and got out the laptop. The internet came up and started working right away. Good sign, at least, but I was almost home already and had already been fooling with it all day long, had no desire to continue with it. I will fool with it later or even tomorrow as right now? Just chillin' on my desktop computer.
I had called Verizon to find out what is wrong with this mobile broadband device. After some discussion, the lady stated that the simm card needs to be replaced. Great, how do I get that done? Go into any authorized Verizon outlet and they will replace it for free. Okay, can I take it back to Fry's Electronics, where I purchased the plan/device? Yes, that will work fine.
I put it off until today. I could not get on the internet with that thing at all. It showed that I was in 4g network and that it was pumping out information, but my laptop was showing "no internet service" under the Verizon connection.
So, on the way home from work, a stop at Fry's Electronics. I don't go there much because - yes - I don't much care for the attitudes of much of the sales associates that I encounter. I am not banning the place, especially considering it's less than 2 miles from my house, but isn't my first choice for a place to buy much of anything - or second choice for that matter.
So, I walk in an show the device to a guy standing at a podium near the entrance. No, you don't have to do anything (I asked if I need the thing tagged or something before going in there with it), just go ahead and take it in. Okay. I walk up to the cell phone display which is also where they have these devices. 3 Fry's associates standing there gabbing away, completely ignoring anyone. I patiently waited for a couple of minutes before finally, a black dude comes walking up. I tell him what Verizon told me on the phone.
Well we don't do that here. We are not an authorized dealer. ??? How can you sell Verizon wireless plans and phones if you are not an authorized dealer? was my reply. Well we just can't do that here, he says. I'm sorry, I replied, but and again, how do you sell Verizon phones and service plans/contracts without being an authorized dealer? Because, he replies and getting very short, curt and attempting to engage in what appeared to be a stare-down, we are not an authorized dealer. Well, this is going nowhere fast, especially his unbelievable attitude. How does this guy make any money attempting to sell products with THAT kind of crap going on?
Perhaps he is only paid by the hour. As he absolutely refused to help me, I asked to speak to management. He pointed me towards the door. I looked over at the little counter where they did the paperwork for the contract I signed and said, no, it's over there. No, management is over here and I would rather have them deal with you at this point. Stated in a way that I cannot fully express here, with facial and body movements/tones that most people would find nothing short of outrageous.
I said find, let's go. He THEN started to tell my why they are a not an authorized dealer, but I had heard enough of this guy. No, sir, you don't want to deal with me, remember? I don't even want to hear your voice anymore, I will just take this - and your attitude - up with your management. He started spouting off again, which is when I again informed him that I didn't want to hear the sound of his voice at this point. Well, we are at the apparent manager's location and he starts informing me that if I continue, he will have me escorted out of there. ???!!!
That's where he crossed the line. He should have just let it go, I would have just moved on with management and that would have been the end of it. I informed him yet again that I did not want to hear his voice, please discontinue your speech. He then asked me if I had heard what he said? I didn't CARE what he said at that point. I will have LT (whatever that means) escort you out of here right now. He had also stated that I had bared my teeth at him and that he wasn't a dog. Just unbelievable.
With unbelievable good fortune, however, his direct manager was standing RIGHT there when he was threatening to have me removed. I was not hostile or angry in any way, appalled, yes, but I was refraining myself from letting loose on this guy with how I really felt about him. So, completely unphased that a manager is standing there, another threat to have me removed. The manager steps in at this point. He says, this is the manager and I went on to tell her nothing about the reason I went in there but everything about how this guy was treating me. I asked for higher level management, please. She was just a floor supervisor, I wanted this escalated. She said sure and disappeared around a wall for several minutes.
I recognized the manager that came out and knew I had the right person. He went straight to the sales associate and escorted him back towards the cell phone display, his arm around the guy's back. The guy didn't want to leave is the point, apparently he wanted to just continue with his threats. They stopped and started a discussion of which I have no privy to what was being said, though I could imagine. The pudding was in the proof: the supervisor was balking at that dude while expressing her sincere apologies to me for the way that guy had been talking to me. She went on and on about how rude that guy was being and then another floor associate that had also heard it chimed in the same sentiments.
Finally, a situation such as this where the right people witnessed and heard enough of the event to give validity to it. The conversation over there went on for several minutes and then the manager came up, apologized for that man's attitude as well and then we started discussing the problem. Well, I told him the same thing about the simm card. Okay, well let's see what we can do. We headed straight for the counter that the black dude did not want me to go to when I had asked for a manager. I could get one, yes, I find out, but it's going to cost $5 - but then I was told it was actually $3. Well, I was already here, $3 isn't enough for me to want to leave and go find the thing for free at an "authorized" center - which never was explained to me, but is not a moot point.
Turns out they had a whole STACK of simm cards. I start looking over at the black guy who is, of course, completely ignoring me at this point. No, they don't do that here, right? They do it, they just charge you for the new card. Well the charge is so minimal that I didn't even give it a second thought, as I already stated, let's switch it out. Well the whole ordeal of calling Verizon, getting my account, me verifying who I am, authorizing the new card, etc etc etc. I pulled out $5 and the manager stated no, we'll just give it to you for your inconvenience. Okay. In my mind I was thinking: they should offer me 20% off my next purchase. But I said nothing but thank you and he left since I was being taken care of at that point, though he did offer a final apology for the trouble I had encountered.
If I have any consolation in this entire ordeal, it is that that dude got into trouble and with the witnesses? I am guessing he is going to have further problems with this incident. I hope so. How can you treat customers like that? Whatever.
I left the store, got into my car and got out the laptop. The internet came up and started working right away. Good sign, at least, but I was almost home already and had already been fooling with it all day long, had no desire to continue with it. I will fool with it later or even tomorrow as right now? Just chillin' on my desktop computer.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tomorrow's Today
I am going to have to get up early, yet again, for another early delivery tomorrow morning. They want the product at the site by 7:00 am and that's that. Well, imagine what it takes to get a truck loaded, strapped down, get the paperwork ready, the thing fired up, the entire shop opened up to be able to get all of it done, pull the truck out, close down the shop in order to actually LEAVE the yard, much less be there at 7:00 am.
No, you can't show up at 6:30 to be at a site at 7:00 under those conditions. More like, be at work at 5:30 am - and I mean in the door, computer up, signed in and getting paperwork taken care of.
That always, of course, precludes any kind of morning blog entry.
So beit, though with my hours today and starting early tomorrow, I will be leaving early tomorrow as well. Not that it bothers me, also means an early day tomorrow.
Well, I spent too much time attempting to find old friends and acquaintances on Facebook and looky here: time's up!
Later.
ben
No, you can't show up at 6:30 to be at a site at 7:00 under those conditions. More like, be at work at 5:30 am - and I mean in the door, computer up, signed in and getting paperwork taken care of.
That always, of course, precludes any kind of morning blog entry.
So beit, though with my hours today and starting early tomorrow, I will be leaving early tomorrow as well. Not that it bothers me, also means an early day tomorrow.
Well, I spent too much time attempting to find old friends and acquaintances on Facebook and looky here: time's up!
Later.
ben
Thursday 2/23/2012
I was reading how to avoid getting speeding tickets.
I have finagled my way out of several of them over the years.
Once, going 75 in a 55 zone, not realizing how fast I was going.
I engaged the Highway Patrol officer in a discussion about hunting
and camping and after 30 minutes of getting absorbed in that conversation,
the officer basically came back to his job and said: "Oh, well, please slow down
and be safe out here". Yes sir. No ticket, not even a written warning.
Other tickets I have gotten out of the same way, basically. Getting cocky, cranky
or irritable with the officer? Yeah.
Nowadays? With any kind of ticket on my record counting against me, I would
have to go to court and at least try to fight it. Being forced to stay home a day from
work with no pay doesn't exactly sound inviting, but that's exactly what my company
has implement for it's CDL drivers that get any kind of ticket or even just a warning.
That includes in my personal vehicle, not just the semi. Yes, that puts a lot of pressure
on a person while driving. There aren't any perfect drivers out there and everyone makes
mistakes in traffic, that's a fact. It's been 15 months since my last warnings, issued by Arizona
Department of Transportion Highway Patrol and I can't tell you much I do to go out of my
way to avoid them on the highway while driving the semi. Let them pull someone ELSE over
and do inspections. I had one cruising beside me for quite a while the other day, scary, really.
Get pulled over even just for an inspection and almost guaranteed you are going to walk away
with at least some type of warning.
Whatever. I can only do what I can do and if something happens, oh well. I read in the comments
of a news story about professional drivers the other day some dude that stated that truck drivers
are not "professional" drivers but are just drivers like everyone else. I wonder how much of the motoring
public believes that little gem. I invite you to get behind the wheel of 80,000 pounds of truck, drive
it all day, every day, stay out of accidents and do that for years and years. PLEASE do that and then
tell me that truck drivers are not professional drivers. Uh-huh. There are definitely some that are not
professional in their driving or their demeanor, definitely.
Whatever the case, work day is here and I must be off to the races!
G'day.
ben
I have finagled my way out of several of them over the years.
Once, going 75 in a 55 zone, not realizing how fast I was going.
I engaged the Highway Patrol officer in a discussion about hunting
and camping and after 30 minutes of getting absorbed in that conversation,
the officer basically came back to his job and said: "Oh, well, please slow down
and be safe out here". Yes sir. No ticket, not even a written warning.
Other tickets I have gotten out of the same way, basically. Getting cocky, cranky
or irritable with the officer? Yeah.
Nowadays? With any kind of ticket on my record counting against me, I would
have to go to court and at least try to fight it. Being forced to stay home a day from
work with no pay doesn't exactly sound inviting, but that's exactly what my company
has implement for it's CDL drivers that get any kind of ticket or even just a warning.
That includes in my personal vehicle, not just the semi. Yes, that puts a lot of pressure
on a person while driving. There aren't any perfect drivers out there and everyone makes
mistakes in traffic, that's a fact. It's been 15 months since my last warnings, issued by Arizona
Department of Transportion Highway Patrol and I can't tell you much I do to go out of my
way to avoid them on the highway while driving the semi. Let them pull someone ELSE over
and do inspections. I had one cruising beside me for quite a while the other day, scary, really.
Get pulled over even just for an inspection and almost guaranteed you are going to walk away
with at least some type of warning.
Whatever. I can only do what I can do and if something happens, oh well. I read in the comments
of a news story about professional drivers the other day some dude that stated that truck drivers
are not "professional" drivers but are just drivers like everyone else. I wonder how much of the motoring
public believes that little gem. I invite you to get behind the wheel of 80,000 pounds of truck, drive
it all day, every day, stay out of accidents and do that for years and years. PLEASE do that and then
tell me that truck drivers are not professional drivers. Uh-huh. There are definitely some that are not
professional in their driving or their demeanor, definitely.
Whatever the case, work day is here and I must be off to the races!
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Wednesday 2/22/2012
I wrote an entire entry this morning, posted it, came home from work today and poof, it was gone. However, it WAS in my dashboard as a draft.
Well, I posted the bloomin' thing, why did it go to a draft instead?
Who cares. I have a hundred drafts in there that will never be posted, that one joins them. I almost always would just rather start over and do another one fresh if enough time has passed, which it definitely has.
My pastor writes me an email to my company email account today (which is no problem, was just a bit surprised to find it in there). Haven't really heard from him in almost 3 weeks now. He asks me how I am doing and such.
I replied that Sunday, I had a splitting headache almost all day long (the truth, thank you) and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Mentioned a few other things that were of no consequence and then stated that I was also having some mind battles, of which I did not elaborate.
He wrote back and talked about the groups and how he thought that would help me out and this and that.
Yes, and I responded. I spoke about cliques and how they are human nature and are also quite prevalent at the church. A few other things as well. Back and forth thing, basically. I pretty much laid it out on the line - but doing it nicely not in a wrathful or vengeance type of way - which he also responded to. I like honesty in conversations, if nothing else, even if it's in a disagreement. It wasn't a nasty thing. I also told him I had been thinking about quitting the church altogether.
We left it at that - agreeing to meet in person on some unnamed day - sort of works out that way with him.
Well whatever. The day is almost over, I got busy with other things. There is nothing new going on in the neighborhood. There isn't much new going on at work, though at the same time, there is always something going on, just nothing that I can or should relate here. I read in the news frequently - and today in fact - about companies that want to look at blogs, Facebook accounts, this and that. Yes, I know that. I have always known that. At work if you are using a company computer? Every keystroke is recorded. Of course. Emails; Instant messages; whatever you are doing in their network or working on the computer - it's all recorded, all of it.
I guess this shouldn't be surprising to anyone that is posting all kinds of junk about their work on whatever social sites such as Facebook or your own, personal blogging site. If it's on the WWW, it's available to anyone, even IF you aren't doing any of it at work, on a work computer.
G'nite.
ben
Well, I posted the bloomin' thing, why did it go to a draft instead?
Who cares. I have a hundred drafts in there that will never be posted, that one joins them. I almost always would just rather start over and do another one fresh if enough time has passed, which it definitely has.
My pastor writes me an email to my company email account today (which is no problem, was just a bit surprised to find it in there). Haven't really heard from him in almost 3 weeks now. He asks me how I am doing and such.
I replied that Sunday, I had a splitting headache almost all day long (the truth, thank you) and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Mentioned a few other things that were of no consequence and then stated that I was also having some mind battles, of which I did not elaborate.
He wrote back and talked about the groups and how he thought that would help me out and this and that.
Yes, and I responded. I spoke about cliques and how they are human nature and are also quite prevalent at the church. A few other things as well. Back and forth thing, basically. I pretty much laid it out on the line - but doing it nicely not in a wrathful or vengeance type of way - which he also responded to. I like honesty in conversations, if nothing else, even if it's in a disagreement. It wasn't a nasty thing. I also told him I had been thinking about quitting the church altogether.
We left it at that - agreeing to meet in person on some unnamed day - sort of works out that way with him.
Well whatever. The day is almost over, I got busy with other things. There is nothing new going on in the neighborhood. There isn't much new going on at work, though at the same time, there is always something going on, just nothing that I can or should relate here. I read in the news frequently - and today in fact - about companies that want to look at blogs, Facebook accounts, this and that. Yes, I know that. I have always known that. At work if you are using a company computer? Every keystroke is recorded. Of course. Emails; Instant messages; whatever you are doing in their network or working on the computer - it's all recorded, all of it.
I guess this shouldn't be surprising to anyone that is posting all kinds of junk about their work on whatever social sites such as Facebook or your own, personal blogging site. If it's on the WWW, it's available to anyone, even IF you aren't doing any of it at work, on a work computer.
G'nite.
ben
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
February 21, 2012
Ummm, I was up and out early this morning, hence no post until now. I got a call late last night that a contractor wanted some pipe out there early in the morning - pipe we didn't even have and would have to go to the manufacturer's to pick up and deliver. Well, best laid plans of man - the salesman ordered the wrong size pipe and it took an hour and a half, sitting there, to fix that problem and get out of there. Then there were other problems along the way. End of story? The 7:30 am to 8:00 am delivery didn't happen until 11:00 am and ther wasn't a bloomin' thing I could do about it.
So, when there is nothing I can do about a problem caused by another person, I definitely don't lose any sleep over it.
Meanwhile, we have in the news, yet again, the notion that gasoline prices are going to rise above $5 per gallon, coming soon to a gas station near you. We've heard this a couple of times in the past now and the last time they said it, prices actually ended up going DOWN, not up.
But, if they are correct in their prediction, then that may put a huge damper in my travelling plans coming this summer. 250 or more miles round trip up to the mountains. Huh. I dunno, not going to worry about it, cross that bridge if/when we get to it. Meanwhile, the other doom and gloomers are predicting the economic melt down to occur within 180 days. A bridge I definitely do not want to cross over, but if we get there, again, what are you going to do. Fret and worry? I don't have enough in my 401k account to really feel any kind of pressure from it. If I had 100k or more in it, yes, that could cause some sleepless nights, this is the real hit they are talking about. The inflation part of it has already started.
The last real hit to 401k accounts definitely took a hit on my account, but not much later, it all came back. Would have have happened if I had a bigger hit and more to regain? I have no idea. But it does reinforce the idea that my savings is not only going to be in a retirement account, it is also going to be in a bank savings account until it gets enough money in it to start investing in whatever I can find that will give a decent return without TOO much risk.
Umm, so whatever. I am tired. That call just before I went to bed last night put my mind into some mode that made it difficult to sleep and then to stay asleep. I was going to go to "small groups" - a thing started this week at church, but I am totally wiped out. I just can't even think of going and sitting through a meeting until 8:30 pm. I fully intend on being in bed by 8:00pm. I have decided to continue on with this church in the hopes that possibly these small meetings will break open some doors of otherwise cliqued people. If that doesn't work - but I will give it ample time - then I will find something else to do with my free time.
The kid that quit the choir because of a song they were "forced" to sing which had the following phrase: ""there is no truth except Allah". Ummm, I have already done my home work on the word Allah and the phrase means "
"
So, when there is nothing I can do about a problem caused by another person, I definitely don't lose any sleep over it.
Meanwhile, we have in the news, yet again, the notion that gasoline prices are going to rise above $5 per gallon, coming soon to a gas station near you. We've heard this a couple of times in the past now and the last time they said it, prices actually ended up going DOWN, not up.
But, if they are correct in their prediction, then that may put a huge damper in my travelling plans coming this summer. 250 or more miles round trip up to the mountains. Huh. I dunno, not going to worry about it, cross that bridge if/when we get to it. Meanwhile, the other doom and gloomers are predicting the economic melt down to occur within 180 days. A bridge I definitely do not want to cross over, but if we get there, again, what are you going to do. Fret and worry? I don't have enough in my 401k account to really feel any kind of pressure from it. If I had 100k or more in it, yes, that could cause some sleepless nights, this is the real hit they are talking about. The inflation part of it has already started.
The last real hit to 401k accounts definitely took a hit on my account, but not much later, it all came back. Would have have happened if I had a bigger hit and more to regain? I have no idea. But it does reinforce the idea that my savings is not only going to be in a retirement account, it is also going to be in a bank savings account until it gets enough money in it to start investing in whatever I can find that will give a decent return without TOO much risk.
Umm, so whatever. I am tired. That call just before I went to bed last night put my mind into some mode that made it difficult to sleep and then to stay asleep. I was going to go to "small groups" - a thing started this week at church, but I am totally wiped out. I just can't even think of going and sitting through a meeting until 8:30 pm. I fully intend on being in bed by 8:00pm. I have decided to continue on with this church in the hopes that possibly these small meetings will break open some doors of otherwise cliqued people. If that doesn't work - but I will give it ample time - then I will find something else to do with my free time.
The kid that quit the choir because of a song they were "forced" to sing which had the following phrase: ""there is no truth except Allah". Ummm, I have already done my home work on the word Allah and the phrase means "
|
Now, I just got that off a dictionary thing off the internet, yes, but I have read and read and read more excerpts than I care to admit to attempt to understand what this word actually means to the people that speak it. If you notice, it also means "God" to Arab Christians and also Jewish Arabs. Okay, it's true that most of Americana hears the word and equates it with the Muslim faith and then equate the term Muslin with hostility, violence and anger, I get that. I have had, as a missionary, my dealings with Muslim missionaries and they were extremely HATEFUL of white people and more so of Christianity. I know, that statement isn't going to set well with some people, but, that is my own, personal experience with it.
I had opportunity to experience wide ranging sets of encounters with all kinds of religions, things you may not even have heard of before. But one thing always remained constant: whenever confronted by Muslims and their version of proselytizing, when I told them I was Christian, that was the end of it. They would get angry and in some cases even start threatening physical violence.
Completely sidetracked. If the song they were singing was a Muslim song and truly was offensive to the kid, just don't sing the song. Ask to sit it out. In this case, quitting doesn't really serve anything very well and his parents should, I believe, have helped him to understand that. Yes, he brought attention to the school and the fact they are, apparently, singing Muslim songs. If it were an atheist and it was a Christian centered song, this thing would have blown up already. Sue the school, whatever. But, still, quitting probably wasn't the best answer. Drawing attention to what they are doing - might have worked better without the Q word being involved.
My two cents.
My search for a queen sized mattress goes on. I can't find anyone - yet - that wants to deliver it. Or if they will deliver it, that wants to do it without charging a freakin' fortune to do so. It so completely sucks not having a pickup truck anymore- I had them for years until that accident and then opted for a 4 door car. Okay, not that bad of a mistake, my big car gets decent gas mileage.
Whatever.
Interlude. My son came out and here we are talking beyond when I wanted to go to bed - by 15 minutes.
Well, not that bad.
Later.
ben
Monday, February 20, 2012
More
I did not finish the discussion I was engaged in this morning and want to get this nailed down.
This regarding the potential situation at my mother's property, up north, in the mountains, in the pines, but with increasing amounts of neighbors.
So, the last time I was up there, the people next to her - a property that had had no-one living on it for decades - was occupied by a retired couple who owned the property and showed up out of the blue and declared this was their permanent retirement home.
All well and good. I have no issue with that, it's their property, my mother's days of having almost total solitude are over. That is the way she likes it, btw. She isn't a loner, per-se, but she does like her privacy and peace on her own property. All well and good as well and expected, actually, that you should be able to have peace and privacy on your own property.
She made statements for a long time about the fact that if I wanted to move an RV up there, she would be all for it. I'm family, different story than neighbors. I talk to my mother on the phone at least once a week, we are at least relatively close. Don't see each other that often, but at least we communicate frequently enough.
Also, the last time I was up there, the neighbor next to her neighbor also showed up, out of the blue. He was half done building his cabin. He was yelling at his other neighbor - not in anger but to get his attention since the properties aren't exactly small - for whatever purpose.
But what I saw the entire time I was up there? People that like to make a lot of noise and draw attention to themselves, a thing that I absolutely do NOT want to encounter when I go to the mountains. I did not go to the fence and introduce myself, I had inclination of doing so after the dude got on a Bobcat (small earth-moving machine) with a broken exhaust system, fired it up and making a LOT of noise for what, 2 hours?
I may end up meeting them, but my "guard" will be up. Live in peace, thank you and let's remember this isn't some NFL stadium where you expect to hear a lot of noise, thanks. I don't even want to guess about the dude next to those people ............... I'l be content with an RV that is in good shape and serves my camping needs quite swimmingly. If I were retired and had property up there? Sure, I would want a permanent structure, too. But again, that isn't the problem, is it?
So, I dunno now. I'm sort of having second thoughts about this. Yes, quite the change from everything written up to now, but it sounds like more BS than it's worth. When I go up to the mountains, it's to get AWAY from people and all the s*** that is to be found in the big city. I am not going to act in some way that isn't who I am because it's my mother's property. If some jackass starts a bunch of s***, I am not going to just stand there and take it, as I have said before.
I guess I am too far into this to not follow through with it and at least give it a try, but geeze. I am doing this on my own dime, thank you, not my mother's. What does THAT mean? It means that if I have to, if it doesn't work out, I will just have that trailer dragged off the property and brought back down here and set back into my driveway. It also means that, while I respect my mother, just because it's her property doesn't mean I am going to change who I am or how I respond to stupid people who get in your face.
So, I am going to shed all of that since I am going to go through with this and hope for the best. Here's what I am really afraid of: one of these jackasses is going to come to her property while I am there, start talking their trash to her and I am going to hear it. If you think I am going to stick my hands into my pockets and walk away squeamishly while some bastard is verbally abusing my mother? Yeah. That person will be changing their tone and quickly or that person is going to find out how I feel about them talking to my mother in such a manner.
Hmm, that's enough.
: )
ben
This regarding the potential situation at my mother's property, up north, in the mountains, in the pines, but with increasing amounts of neighbors.
So, the last time I was up there, the people next to her - a property that had had no-one living on it for decades - was occupied by a retired couple who owned the property and showed up out of the blue and declared this was their permanent retirement home.
All well and good. I have no issue with that, it's their property, my mother's days of having almost total solitude are over. That is the way she likes it, btw. She isn't a loner, per-se, but she does like her privacy and peace on her own property. All well and good as well and expected, actually, that you should be able to have peace and privacy on your own property.
She made statements for a long time about the fact that if I wanted to move an RV up there, she would be all for it. I'm family, different story than neighbors. I talk to my mother on the phone at least once a week, we are at least relatively close. Don't see each other that often, but at least we communicate frequently enough.
Also, the last time I was up there, the neighbor next to her neighbor also showed up, out of the blue. He was half done building his cabin. He was yelling at his other neighbor - not in anger but to get his attention since the properties aren't exactly small - for whatever purpose.
But what I saw the entire time I was up there? People that like to make a lot of noise and draw attention to themselves, a thing that I absolutely do NOT want to encounter when I go to the mountains. I did not go to the fence and introduce myself, I had inclination of doing so after the dude got on a Bobcat (small earth-moving machine) with a broken exhaust system, fired it up and making a LOT of noise for what, 2 hours?
I may end up meeting them, but my "guard" will be up. Live in peace, thank you and let's remember this isn't some NFL stadium where you expect to hear a lot of noise, thanks. I don't even want to guess about the dude next to those people ............... I'l be content with an RV that is in good shape and serves my camping needs quite swimmingly. If I were retired and had property up there? Sure, I would want a permanent structure, too. But again, that isn't the problem, is it?
So, I dunno now. I'm sort of having second thoughts about this. Yes, quite the change from everything written up to now, but it sounds like more BS than it's worth. When I go up to the mountains, it's to get AWAY from people and all the s*** that is to be found in the big city. I am not going to act in some way that isn't who I am because it's my mother's property. If some jackass starts a bunch of s***, I am not going to just stand there and take it, as I have said before.
I guess I am too far into this to not follow through with it and at least give it a try, but geeze. I am doing this on my own dime, thank you, not my mother's. What does THAT mean? It means that if I have to, if it doesn't work out, I will just have that trailer dragged off the property and brought back down here and set back into my driveway. It also means that, while I respect my mother, just because it's her property doesn't mean I am going to change who I am or how I respond to stupid people who get in your face.
So, I am going to shed all of that since I am going to go through with this and hope for the best. Here's what I am really afraid of: one of these jackasses is going to come to her property while I am there, start talking their trash to her and I am going to hear it. If you think I am going to stick my hands into my pockets and walk away squeamishly while some bastard is verbally abusing my mother? Yeah. That person will be changing their tone and quickly or that person is going to find out how I feel about them talking to my mother in such a manner.
Hmm, that's enough.
: )
ben
Monday 2/20/2012
Long discussion with mother yesterday, who brought up the subject, not me.
That's because we have already had a couple of discussions about this, but, whatever.
This to do with the kinds of people that are living up "there" now. Apparently, more and more
formerly empty/abandoned properties are being occupied by their owners - who have decided
to go up there and build cabins.
It's getting busy up there, is what she is saying. Which doesn't bother me, there aren't THAT many
properties up there. There is only one of those properties currently for sale, I know, I looked. I
was hoping maybe I could snag one and make payments on it for - 30 years I guess. They want
$250,000 for that property that is unimproved and has no structures of any kind on it. 250k for an
empty property? In a pig's eye. Those properties up there aren't worth that much money. In fact,
I would be willing to be that some of those fancy new cabins will become the subject of short sells.
If we were talking 75k, I would look into it.
She just doesn't want me going up there and starting trouble, since she knows all about my neighbor situation down here. All well and good, but I didn't START the problems here. The situation with 350 man was definitely started by him sticking his nose into my personal business and attempting to tell everyone living here that they would have to move. As much as I told her that, she went on because she knows that if someone starts something with me, I am unlikely to just stand there and have someone s****** on my face and taking it. She is 76 years old and probably doesn't really have the desire or energy to get into such things, but from what I have heard, there have been some residents up there certainly giving her a hard time.
Mostly coming from the HOA, of which she refuses to join and actually went through her lawyer to have a paper of some kind sent to that HOA declaring that she is no part of it and will not BE any part of it. She was there when they started it up and it was started up - quite illegally. There are also rumors that have yet to be factualized that the President of the HOA has taken some of the dues that came in and used it on his own, personal business. THAT most certainly will NOT work for me. But, I have no desire to go up to a nice, cool spot in the mountains to start trouble. It would have to come to me and it would have to actually get in my face for me to even want to get involved in that s***.
She went on further to say that the hold in the ground that is the outhouse is almost filled up. It's been filling up for years. The biggest problem is that there is never any water dumped on it to help break it down. She has a 500 gallon tank of water that she declares lasts her the entire summer. I would suggest that if you emptied out a tank of water into that hole, that stuff would break down and at least even out at the bottom of the hole. I know, gross subject but one that I am apparently going to have to face. The problem, really, is that the ground is so hard and full of rock, she was not able to get the backhoe operator that originally dug the hole to get any deeper than what he had gone. Well, that's simply because he ran into solid rock and to get past that, well, you are going to have to use other methods.
So, I am not really sure the answer to that problem other than to have another hold dug and build another outhouse structure around it. She was going to have a septic system installed, but it was going to cost a truckload of money simply because of the situation with the rocky ground and attempting to dig a hole big enough for the system. She's not really into spending money on such things. Just as she abandoned the idea of building a cabin, or having a modular home brought up, or even having a mobile home installed. She ran into too many "problems" with the sellers. Those problems are the fact that if a seller tells my mother one thing and then comes along and changes the parameters of it, especially anything to do with the money part of what was already agreed upon? She's a goner. No thanks, gets up and walks out. That's what she did with the mobile home dealer that she was going to purchase a new one with - they had the thing all worked out and then they attempted to throw a wrench into it with "more costs". She wouldn't even discuss it with them, she had a contract and that was that.
Instead of pursuing the contract, she just said no thanks after stopping into give them a check one day and left - check in hand.
Lol, that's my mother.
Anyway, have to pursue this topic some other time as..............it's time to go to work!
G'day
ben
That's because we have already had a couple of discussions about this, but, whatever.
This to do with the kinds of people that are living up "there" now. Apparently, more and more
formerly empty/abandoned properties are being occupied by their owners - who have decided
to go up there and build cabins.
It's getting busy up there, is what she is saying. Which doesn't bother me, there aren't THAT many
properties up there. There is only one of those properties currently for sale, I know, I looked. I
was hoping maybe I could snag one and make payments on it for - 30 years I guess. They want
$250,000 for that property that is unimproved and has no structures of any kind on it. 250k for an
empty property? In a pig's eye. Those properties up there aren't worth that much money. In fact,
I would be willing to be that some of those fancy new cabins will become the subject of short sells.
If we were talking 75k, I would look into it.
She just doesn't want me going up there and starting trouble, since she knows all about my neighbor situation down here. All well and good, but I didn't START the problems here. The situation with 350 man was definitely started by him sticking his nose into my personal business and attempting to tell everyone living here that they would have to move. As much as I told her that, she went on because she knows that if someone starts something with me, I am unlikely to just stand there and have someone s****** on my face and taking it. She is 76 years old and probably doesn't really have the desire or energy to get into such things, but from what I have heard, there have been some residents up there certainly giving her a hard time.
Mostly coming from the HOA, of which she refuses to join and actually went through her lawyer to have a paper of some kind sent to that HOA declaring that she is no part of it and will not BE any part of it. She was there when they started it up and it was started up - quite illegally. There are also rumors that have yet to be factualized that the President of the HOA has taken some of the dues that came in and used it on his own, personal business. THAT most certainly will NOT work for me. But, I have no desire to go up to a nice, cool spot in the mountains to start trouble. It would have to come to me and it would have to actually get in my face for me to even want to get involved in that s***.
She went on further to say that the hold in the ground that is the outhouse is almost filled up. It's been filling up for years. The biggest problem is that there is never any water dumped on it to help break it down. She has a 500 gallon tank of water that she declares lasts her the entire summer. I would suggest that if you emptied out a tank of water into that hole, that stuff would break down and at least even out at the bottom of the hole. I know, gross subject but one that I am apparently going to have to face. The problem, really, is that the ground is so hard and full of rock, she was not able to get the backhoe operator that originally dug the hole to get any deeper than what he had gone. Well, that's simply because he ran into solid rock and to get past that, well, you are going to have to use other methods.
So, I am not really sure the answer to that problem other than to have another hold dug and build another outhouse structure around it. She was going to have a septic system installed, but it was going to cost a truckload of money simply because of the situation with the rocky ground and attempting to dig a hole big enough for the system. She's not really into spending money on such things. Just as she abandoned the idea of building a cabin, or having a modular home brought up, or even having a mobile home installed. She ran into too many "problems" with the sellers. Those problems are the fact that if a seller tells my mother one thing and then comes along and changes the parameters of it, especially anything to do with the money part of what was already agreed upon? She's a goner. No thanks, gets up and walks out. That's what she did with the mobile home dealer that she was going to purchase a new one with - they had the thing all worked out and then they attempted to throw a wrench into it with "more costs". She wouldn't even discuss it with them, she had a contract and that was that.
Instead of pursuing the contract, she just said no thanks after stopping into give them a check one day and left - check in hand.
Lol, that's my mother.
Anyway, have to pursue this topic some other time as..............it's time to go to work!
G'day
ben
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday 2/19/2011
I've had this terrible headache since I woke up this morning. Not the first time I have woken up with a headache but it REALLY sucks.
Oh well.
I did not go to church but I have been pulling weeds, anyway.
I gave the pear tree out front a very good, deep watering yesterday.
It has now decided that it's going to send out buds as well. Actually, leaves popped out as of today.
Crazy tree.
I don't hug trees but I do like them. Which doesn't mean I am opposed to cutting them suckers down for the purposes of building houses; making paper goods, furniture and whatever else.
But that's trees from out in the forests, no need to cut down my trees for such purposes.
Just like meat, God put them there for our use, not to worship and try to tell people that it's some how immoral to cut down trees or kill animals for the use of food and clothing.
If anything, they are helping with the polluted air around here.
But I've had enough for one day. I was out at one of the ponds looking into it. The big, black Koi was just hovering there, looking at me. Waiting for food. This went on for several minutes - looking at each other - until I caved in and went into the house and got a bid handful of Koi pellets. Amazing how a big fish can live in a small pond. Is it good for them? Dunno. But they grew that way from being much smaller. I can't help them. Well I can, sell them and have them in larger ponds at someone else's place, but for right now? I am keeping the big ones.
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My favorite aircraft of all time. I have always wanted to fly anywhere, wherever - long flight though - first class. Bucket list thing. I also want to take a trip in a 787. Impossible? Well, I'm not doing that today, but definitely possible. I have only flow in a 747 once, actually, memorable experience for a variety of reasons. I was a kid, number one. Number 2, the plane was maybe 1/8th filled with people. Number 3, the stewardesses didn't care where we sat. Number 4 - I was deathly sick - hives all over my body after getting an injection of Penicillin and thus finding out that I am allergic to Penicillin. I loved that flight even if I was puking and nauseated because of the sickness I was going through. I was a good little puker, though, I made sure it all went into the plastic puke bags and took care of it after done, didn't leave it for the stewardesses to have to deal with, unless you contend that taking out a trash bag full of garbage is dealing with it.
I have always been infatuated with flying and aircraft, especially large aircraft, though I have plenty of flying time - as a passenger - in Cessna's of various sizes. Oh, Piper's as well. Umm, some other brand, too. What is the name of that funky looking, old thing that has propellers in the front and the rear of the fuselage? Got to fly in one of those, too.
Just musing. Places I want to live and things I want to do before my life cycle ends and I start into a different journey : )
Took a trip to Walmart - dog food, 80 pounds worth - and the Chinatown Buffet. Great food : ) I bought 5 styrofoam containers worth: 1 for Caleb; 2 for Mark and Lynnette; 1 for Gilbert - the 20-something tenant who is always giving me food or drink; and of course one for myself. Uhhh, yeah: NONE for the dogs. I bought them a large box of doggy biscuits instead, which they were consuming with great delight I might add.
A couple of pics from the fishing expidition. The white on the rocks is - bird dung. Lol. The other one is Caleb. I may have posted these before, but I am just reminding myself how cool that trip was, out there off the Mexican coast, catching fish and enjoying life.
Mom at Christmas. I challenged her to hold the rifle with her new hat, jacket and boots on, lol.
Never quite got her to do anything that adventurous before!
Whatever the case, a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Oh well.
I did not go to church but I have been pulling weeds, anyway.
I gave the pear tree out front a very good, deep watering yesterday.
It has now decided that it's going to send out buds as well. Actually, leaves popped out as of today.
Crazy tree.
I don't hug trees but I do like them. Which doesn't mean I am opposed to cutting them suckers down for the purposes of building houses; making paper goods, furniture and whatever else.
But that's trees from out in the forests, no need to cut down my trees for such purposes.
Just like meat, God put them there for our use, not to worship and try to tell people that it's some how immoral to cut down trees or kill animals for the use of food and clothing.
If anything, they are helping with the polluted air around here.
But I've had enough for one day. I was out at one of the ponds looking into it. The big, black Koi was just hovering there, looking at me. Waiting for food. This went on for several minutes - looking at each other - until I caved in and went into the house and got a bid handful of Koi pellets. Amazing how a big fish can live in a small pond. Is it good for them? Dunno. But they grew that way from being much smaller. I can't help them. Well I can, sell them and have them in larger ponds at someone else's place, but for right now? I am keeping the big ones.
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My favorite aircraft of all time. I have always wanted to fly anywhere, wherever - long flight though - first class. Bucket list thing. I also want to take a trip in a 787. Impossible? Well, I'm not doing that today, but definitely possible. I have only flow in a 747 once, actually, memorable experience for a variety of reasons. I was a kid, number one. Number 2, the plane was maybe 1/8th filled with people. Number 3, the stewardesses didn't care where we sat. Number 4 - I was deathly sick - hives all over my body after getting an injection of Penicillin and thus finding out that I am allergic to Penicillin. I loved that flight even if I was puking and nauseated because of the sickness I was going through. I was a good little puker, though, I made sure it all went into the plastic puke bags and took care of it after done, didn't leave it for the stewardesses to have to deal with, unless you contend that taking out a trash bag full of garbage is dealing with it.
I have always been infatuated with flying and aircraft, especially large aircraft, though I have plenty of flying time - as a passenger - in Cessna's of various sizes. Oh, Piper's as well. Umm, some other brand, too. What is the name of that funky looking, old thing that has propellers in the front and the rear of the fuselage? Got to fly in one of those, too.
Just musing. Places I want to live and things I want to do before my life cycle ends and I start into a different journey : )
Took a trip to Walmart - dog food, 80 pounds worth - and the Chinatown Buffet. Great food : ) I bought 5 styrofoam containers worth: 1 for Caleb; 2 for Mark and Lynnette; 1 for Gilbert - the 20-something tenant who is always giving me food or drink; and of course one for myself. Uhhh, yeah: NONE for the dogs. I bought them a large box of doggy biscuits instead, which they were consuming with great delight I might add.
Never quite got her to do anything that adventurous before!
Whatever the case, a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
This and That
I'm fighting a mind battle that I may eventually lose.
I took the dive back into the church scene - 8 months ago? I don't know. last year some time.
I was intent on getting back into it to the fullest.
I find myself not wanting to go to church tomorrow and though I may force myself to go, my
mind will probably not change about the situation.
Of course, that's today, who knows about tomorrow - and not going to spend the time going into all of it.
Meanwhile, Caleb is applying to go back up to the mountains and be a staff member at the - internationally known - ministry that has a camp up there that parents send their kids to from all over the country. He undoubtedly will get the gig. I have been getting used to the idea of not having him around since - that's the natural progression of things when it comes to your kids, them growing up and going out on their own. I have no judgments on his choices of what he is doing with his life. There are things I would love to see happen, but that's my opinion and a person - even if your kid - has to make their own choices in life and either reap from them or pay for them. I give input where it is asked for or the opportunity arises.
We have agreed that when he comes back from the mountains, we will go to San Diego again and do the boat/sport fishing trip again. Well, not an agreement, just a conversation that arose out of the conversation of going to do the 2 month gig up in the mountains. We both want to go and we both want to do the overnight trip.
I have bugs in my right eye. I have already been to the doctor once about this almost 3 weeks ago telling me there is nothing there. Uh-huh. My eye is still red after doing their antibiotic drops for 2 weeks. I was reminded of whatever those things are again tonight as I felt something twitching on my eyelashes. I got my reading glasses, went into the bathroom and saw 2 "things" moving around there. I will be going to the doc again tomorrow, I guess, but not the same doc. They don't want to believe me, they can go jump into a lake. I have SEEN the damned things with my own eyes, they are there. They seem to burrow into the eyelashes themselves. Yes folks, not dinner time reading, but a reality that has been going for a month now and not something I am willing to "live with". Good grief. I don't KNOW how they got there or why they are only in one eye and not both.
General manager. He's sick. Not a bad person type of person, I mean sick. He sent out an email explaining why he isn't around and what's going on. Some sort of ulcer condition that he has been attempting to deal with since October of last year. Friday - when he sent out the email - was the first I heard of it. I am not in the "inner loop", of course, since I am not in management. Which did not stop me from sending him a personal reply to his mass email. The email consisted of the fact that I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and would he mind if I put him on a couple of international prayer lists. I have no idea if he's a believer or not, I only know the power of God. I have seen it with my own eyes time and time again, in person, not on TV shows. Well, I have seen the TV shows, but that isn't that qualifying factor here. My own, personal experience is enough for me, which is ample and not limited to just one person or family.
I don't know what his reply, if any, is, because I wrote that out of my company email at work on Friday and left directly after that. He is laid up at home, in pain and apparently is going to have to stay that way for weeks if not months.
Meanwhile, Coco, my Great Dane/Catahoula mix has done something to her rear, left leg. I don't know what, but she is limping and not in good spirits. Wincing occasionally. She is putting pressure on the leg in walking around, but definitely favoring it. I don't know what happened, but I am wondering if it has to do with that kid I have been giving a little money to to walk the dogs here and there. I don't know. I will be asking him about it the next time he comes over. I gave her some aspirin for the pain and she is conked out.
Life and it's continual offerings.
I took the dive back into the church scene - 8 months ago? I don't know. last year some time.
I was intent on getting back into it to the fullest.
I find myself not wanting to go to church tomorrow and though I may force myself to go, my
mind will probably not change about the situation.
Of course, that's today, who knows about tomorrow - and not going to spend the time going into all of it.
Meanwhile, Caleb is applying to go back up to the mountains and be a staff member at the - internationally known - ministry that has a camp up there that parents send their kids to from all over the country. He undoubtedly will get the gig. I have been getting used to the idea of not having him around since - that's the natural progression of things when it comes to your kids, them growing up and going out on their own. I have no judgments on his choices of what he is doing with his life. There are things I would love to see happen, but that's my opinion and a person - even if your kid - has to make their own choices in life and either reap from them or pay for them. I give input where it is asked for or the opportunity arises.
We have agreed that when he comes back from the mountains, we will go to San Diego again and do the boat/sport fishing trip again. Well, not an agreement, just a conversation that arose out of the conversation of going to do the 2 month gig up in the mountains. We both want to go and we both want to do the overnight trip.
I have bugs in my right eye. I have already been to the doctor once about this almost 3 weeks ago telling me there is nothing there. Uh-huh. My eye is still red after doing their antibiotic drops for 2 weeks. I was reminded of whatever those things are again tonight as I felt something twitching on my eyelashes. I got my reading glasses, went into the bathroom and saw 2 "things" moving around there. I will be going to the doc again tomorrow, I guess, but not the same doc. They don't want to believe me, they can go jump into a lake. I have SEEN the damned things with my own eyes, they are there. They seem to burrow into the eyelashes themselves. Yes folks, not dinner time reading, but a reality that has been going for a month now and not something I am willing to "live with". Good grief. I don't KNOW how they got there or why they are only in one eye and not both.
General manager. He's sick. Not a bad person type of person, I mean sick. He sent out an email explaining why he isn't around and what's going on. Some sort of ulcer condition that he has been attempting to deal with since October of last year. Friday - when he sent out the email - was the first I heard of it. I am not in the "inner loop", of course, since I am not in management. Which did not stop me from sending him a personal reply to his mass email. The email consisted of the fact that I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and would he mind if I put him on a couple of international prayer lists. I have no idea if he's a believer or not, I only know the power of God. I have seen it with my own eyes time and time again, in person, not on TV shows. Well, I have seen the TV shows, but that isn't that qualifying factor here. My own, personal experience is enough for me, which is ample and not limited to just one person or family.
I don't know what his reply, if any, is, because I wrote that out of my company email at work on Friday and left directly after that. He is laid up at home, in pain and apparently is going to have to stay that way for weeks if not months.
Meanwhile, Coco, my Great Dane/Catahoula mix has done something to her rear, left leg. I don't know what, but she is limping and not in good spirits. Wincing occasionally. She is putting pressure on the leg in walking around, but definitely favoring it. I don't know what happened, but I am wondering if it has to do with that kid I have been giving a little money to to walk the dogs here and there. I don't know. I will be asking him about it the next time he comes over. I gave her some aspirin for the pain and she is conked out.
Life and it's continual offerings.
A Conversation With My Son
I went out to the mailbox a while ago.
Started looking at all of it.
One of them was in a plain, white envelope.
It's sender was the "City of Mesa".
I immediately identified that letter as a photo radar ticket.
I started thinking. You know when you're caught by those
cameras cause' those lights that flash are bright.
But, I don't speed or run red lights through the City of Mesa.
I drive through there frequently in the semi, which is why I am
extra-cautious to make sure I am not breaking any moving-violation
type of laws.
So, I simply couldn't figure that one out.
Brought the mail inside the house, drew a deep breath and
opened the letter. My old Buick. Small type and small pictures,
so I go out the reading glasses. 4 pictures, 2 inches square. One
with the license plate of my old Buick; second with a picture of my
son behind the steering wheel; third with the car just beyond the
crosswalk lines, not even yet turning; 4th about half way through the
intersection.
He is following behind a pickup truck that undoubtedly also got flashed
and sent a notice.
Here's one case where I will say these cameras have an effect. That's my
car with the notice being sent to me. Apparently, whoever reviewed this
thing must have realized that a 48 year old man doesn't quite look like the
person in the picture, who is 18 years old. It is a "notice" to identify the
driver of the vehicle.
Yes, well, the State of Arizona does NOT require you to identify the driver,
however, the picture was troubling. He had obviously entered the intersection
AFTER the light had turned red. I mean, the car was JUST beyond the crosswalk
lines and the arrow on the is clearly visible and clearly - red.
Yes, we had a discussion about this. Driving is a learned skill, even an art. You
don't get that sixth sense about things in driving after a year of driving. Maybe 10
years, I don't really remember when that kicked in, probably after I started driving
semi's to be honest. Whatever the case, the pictures paint a potentially dangerous
situation: your car in the intersection, making a left hand turn while the light has turned
green for traffic heading the opposite direction. A car with an open lane travelling at
45mph slamming into a car turning in front of it?
That was my problem with this. It's extremely dangerous driving and it's inexcusable.
You are risking yours and other's lives in making such a move. It isn't worth it, saving a
few minutes of time. And yes, we had this conversation and yes, I made my view of it
very, very clear.
It is not a ticket, I finally realized after getting past the picture part of it. It was a request
to identify the driver of the vehicle with the statement that you are not required to identify
the driver. I already knew that. I am not going to, either. I hope that our conversation
about getting killed or killing others might have an impact.
I do hope to not receive another notice like that, is all I can say about it.
Started looking at all of it.
One of them was in a plain, white envelope.
It's sender was the "City of Mesa".
I immediately identified that letter as a photo radar ticket.
I started thinking. You know when you're caught by those
cameras cause' those lights that flash are bright.
But, I don't speed or run red lights through the City of Mesa.
I drive through there frequently in the semi, which is why I am
extra-cautious to make sure I am not breaking any moving-violation
type of laws.
So, I simply couldn't figure that one out.
Brought the mail inside the house, drew a deep breath and
opened the letter. My old Buick. Small type and small pictures,
so I go out the reading glasses. 4 pictures, 2 inches square. One
with the license plate of my old Buick; second with a picture of my
son behind the steering wheel; third with the car just beyond the
crosswalk lines, not even yet turning; 4th about half way through the
intersection.
He is following behind a pickup truck that undoubtedly also got flashed
and sent a notice.
Here's one case where I will say these cameras have an effect. That's my
car with the notice being sent to me. Apparently, whoever reviewed this
thing must have realized that a 48 year old man doesn't quite look like the
person in the picture, who is 18 years old. It is a "notice" to identify the
driver of the vehicle.
Yes, well, the State of Arizona does NOT require you to identify the driver,
however, the picture was troubling. He had obviously entered the intersection
AFTER the light had turned red. I mean, the car was JUST beyond the crosswalk
lines and the arrow on the is clearly visible and clearly - red.
Yes, we had a discussion about this. Driving is a learned skill, even an art. You
don't get that sixth sense about things in driving after a year of driving. Maybe 10
years, I don't really remember when that kicked in, probably after I started driving
semi's to be honest. Whatever the case, the pictures paint a potentially dangerous
situation: your car in the intersection, making a left hand turn while the light has turned
green for traffic heading the opposite direction. A car with an open lane travelling at
45mph slamming into a car turning in front of it?
That was my problem with this. It's extremely dangerous driving and it's inexcusable.
You are risking yours and other's lives in making such a move. It isn't worth it, saving a
few minutes of time. And yes, we had this conversation and yes, I made my view of it
very, very clear.
It is not a ticket, I finally realized after getting past the picture part of it. It was a request
to identify the driver of the vehicle with the statement that you are not required to identify
the driver. I already knew that. I am not going to, either. I hope that our conversation
about getting killed or killing others might have an impact.
I do hope to not receive another notice like that, is all I can say about it.
Saturday 2/18/2012
Kinda strange. I went online to pay my new American Express card down to zero. It wouldn't let me. I made the first payment but after that? Not able to do anything. I would rather not have a balance that I know I am going to have to pay down to zero hanging around. I had thought you could just pay it up whenever - I would prefer to pay it down as you use it, but I guess not.
Trailer roof time today. It will require 2 things: a cigar and a couple of beers. Liquid motivation is better than none at all. I have absolutely no desire to get up there and do all that is required to be done to pull off that other roof vent and install a new one. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, in a pig's eye. Those old screws have been in there for 25 years. They have been covered over with coatings of elastomeric roof coating multiple times.
One thing I learned long ago: if you need to re-coat a roof vent like that with more sealant? Best to remove the old sealant, first. And I mean remove it down to the metal type of clean, the same you would do if you were replacing a head gasket on your car's engine. It has to be perfectly clean to make sure that no water can get through there.
THAT is what the pain is all about, thank you very much. Getting all that old crud off of there and trying to remove the old screws.
Much too early right now to do any of that, my front yard plants need watering and since my drip system is screwed up out there, I intend on getting the garden hose and hand watering everything. BTW, my little pond out there is doing quite well and the little fishies in it are seemingly happy. Or not, who knows. They are all small fish in there, the longest being maybe 4 or 5 inches, most of them being more in the 2 inch range. Good start pond for small fish.
On my horse trough pond - which is right outside the east side door of my house (which no-one uses so that's what I put it there) - those fish know me very well. When I come out, they are at or near the surface, waiting for food. When anyone ELSE comes out, they go into hiding. I didn't know fish had that kind of recognition going on.
The other pond is a toss-up. It's in the ground and the fish know who I am, but the bigger fish go hiding. There are so many plants in the pond, it probably obscures the view quite a bit of who is there at the pond's edge. I am still totally into this ponding business, but my idea of building a much larger pond has been put on hold indefinitely. Bigger "fish to fry", no pun intended.
No, I have definitely turned it into a goal now: a guest house. I must get the idea into the operating/functional stage and off of the "sitting there on the shelf in my mind, waiting for something to happen" stage. Whether I stay in this house or not, I am going to move on with that plan. Oh, well there is not going to be any real movement for a while. I will not start that project until I have at least most of the money to be able to finish it.
I'm giving it a year to save up enough to do it right the first time. The concrete pad will be the most expensive thing about the whole affair. Even if I do it myself, it will still be at least $1,000 to $1,500 if you want a good, solid foundation that isn't going to crack.
Kitchen and bath fixtures do not have to be new. I have scored some very nice fixtures in the past that were used but in excellent condition for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
This goal has come forth mostly because I have looked at my retirement savings and where it might be in 20 years and it has come up lacking. I refuse to just sit here, grow old and be broke and poor in my old age, if I indeed, do make it that far.
Of course, another idea would simply be to save up enough money for a good down payment on another house.
Who knows. Savings account is up and functional and getting close to the first one thousand dollar mark. Some of that will disappear, however, when I have that trailer moved up north. I forgot to call Penske, I was going to ask how much to rent a small semi tractor for a day and just pull the thing up there myself. I was quote $300 by the guy who does this as a second job, but I have a feeling he is going to raise that up as he has already raised his rates for pulling locally. But, he is still far cheaper than anyone else I have been able to find.
Now, for one of the final tree plantings that I want for my property. The Queensland Bottle Tree. I finally found some available to be shipped online! You have to buy like 15 of them, I think. I don't want 15 of them, maybe 3 or 4 planted at strategic locations around the house. It's a 20 year deal there. In 20 years, you have a 30 or 40 foot tall tree that has this HUGE trunk with a bottle-shaped appearance. They are awesome looking trees. If I were still at this property in 20 years, those Sissoo trees will be enormous.
I'll be 68 years old in 20 years, so no big hurry to get there : )
Off to do some watering.
G'day.
ben
Trailer roof time today. It will require 2 things: a cigar and a couple of beers. Liquid motivation is better than none at all. I have absolutely no desire to get up there and do all that is required to be done to pull off that other roof vent and install a new one. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, in a pig's eye. Those old screws have been in there for 25 years. They have been covered over with coatings of elastomeric roof coating multiple times.
One thing I learned long ago: if you need to re-coat a roof vent like that with more sealant? Best to remove the old sealant, first. And I mean remove it down to the metal type of clean, the same you would do if you were replacing a head gasket on your car's engine. It has to be perfectly clean to make sure that no water can get through there.
THAT is what the pain is all about, thank you very much. Getting all that old crud off of there and trying to remove the old screws.
Much too early right now to do any of that, my front yard plants need watering and since my drip system is screwed up out there, I intend on getting the garden hose and hand watering everything. BTW, my little pond out there is doing quite well and the little fishies in it are seemingly happy. Or not, who knows. They are all small fish in there, the longest being maybe 4 or 5 inches, most of them being more in the 2 inch range. Good start pond for small fish.
On my horse trough pond - which is right outside the east side door of my house (which no-one uses so that's what I put it there) - those fish know me very well. When I come out, they are at or near the surface, waiting for food. When anyone ELSE comes out, they go into hiding. I didn't know fish had that kind of recognition going on.
The other pond is a toss-up. It's in the ground and the fish know who I am, but the bigger fish go hiding. There are so many plants in the pond, it probably obscures the view quite a bit of who is there at the pond's edge. I am still totally into this ponding business, but my idea of building a much larger pond has been put on hold indefinitely. Bigger "fish to fry", no pun intended.
No, I have definitely turned it into a goal now: a guest house. I must get the idea into the operating/functional stage and off of the "sitting there on the shelf in my mind, waiting for something to happen" stage. Whether I stay in this house or not, I am going to move on with that plan. Oh, well there is not going to be any real movement for a while. I will not start that project until I have at least most of the money to be able to finish it.
I'm giving it a year to save up enough to do it right the first time. The concrete pad will be the most expensive thing about the whole affair. Even if I do it myself, it will still be at least $1,000 to $1,500 if you want a good, solid foundation that isn't going to crack.
Kitchen and bath fixtures do not have to be new. I have scored some very nice fixtures in the past that were used but in excellent condition for a fraction of the cost of buying new.
This goal has come forth mostly because I have looked at my retirement savings and where it might be in 20 years and it has come up lacking. I refuse to just sit here, grow old and be broke and poor in my old age, if I indeed, do make it that far.
Of course, another idea would simply be to save up enough money for a good down payment on another house.
Who knows. Savings account is up and functional and getting close to the first one thousand dollar mark. Some of that will disappear, however, when I have that trailer moved up north. I forgot to call Penske, I was going to ask how much to rent a small semi tractor for a day and just pull the thing up there myself. I was quote $300 by the guy who does this as a second job, but I have a feeling he is going to raise that up as he has already raised his rates for pulling locally. But, he is still far cheaper than anyone else I have been able to find.
Now, for one of the final tree plantings that I want for my property. The Queensland Bottle Tree. I finally found some available to be shipped online! You have to buy like 15 of them, I think. I don't want 15 of them, maybe 3 or 4 planted at strategic locations around the house. It's a 20 year deal there. In 20 years, you have a 30 or 40 foot tall tree that has this HUGE trunk with a bottle-shaped appearance. They are awesome looking trees. If I were still at this property in 20 years, those Sissoo trees will be enormous.
I'll be 68 years old in 20 years, so no big hurry to get there : )
Off to do some watering.
G'day.
ben
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