Saturday - late

Got up at 4 am, got up to Gurdon, did the offload and then....

I flushed out the line with water, pressured aired it out.  All well and fine. I have a bucket underneath where the line hooks up to the trailer, you do that for the drips that come out, tho it really doesn't do much so how that bucket gets full of water and resin I have no idea.  The bucket was maybe 5 inches up from the bottom with water tainted with resin, making it red, but definitely just mostly water.  

I pulled the line off, it slipped out of my hands, fell onto the bucket and probably a gallon of that water ended up on  the sheet of plywood they have down there.  We are not talking a big deal here.  I got some kitty litter, sprinkled it on there but reported it to the plant manager.  I said it wasn't a huge spill and just red tainted water, had put down the kitty litter.  He shrugged it off, said fine. 

Then I contacted my manager, who blew the thing up WAY out of proportion. He was acting like I had just dumped an entire truckload of glue onto the ground.  NO, this is just water with the hue of resin color.  It's literally nothing.  Well you are going to have to write out a report and send it to me so I can send it to the rep at the glue factory.  

I didn't feel like arguing with him, whatever, I don't really care.  But then the truth came out as to why he was freaking out.  I am not going to name the names of either plant, but one makes wood products and the other makes the glue to put certain wood products together.  The plant that makes the wood products has allegedly been hounding the other plant to get rid of us and that we are on the verge of losing the account. 

I asked why?  Because of so many late loads.  I forgot to ask him, late loads as in a day late or late as in not showing up on time?  Because I am never late unless, on rare occasion, something happens to the truck like a flat tire keeps me from getting there on time.  I don't know, it was the first I had heard that this was even an issue.  But it's typical for trucking companies and many other types of companies as well. They don't want to tell employees that they may not have a job, tomorrow, the next day, the next week, whenever, because they don't want them to go looking for new jobs and just up and quit.

YET, the companies have no problem sticking it to the employees AFTER the contract is cancelled. The phone call comes: "Sorry, but we have to let you go". You don't get advance notice from THEM, even tho they could have if they had wanted to.  Perhaps some people WILL leave and I wouldn't blame them.  Many would stay and ride it out to see what happens. It might even be the impetus for the employees to not only stick it out, but start going well above and beyond to try and keep their jobs. 

So that kind of threw me into a thought process that has been going on since then.  Perhaps not put in applications, but find the companies I might like to work for beforehand so I am ready in case that does, indeed happen. 

I dunno, but I've just put in 6 straight days of work and all 3 of the days I was at the glue plant, I was held up by them well beyond the appointment time, I always show up early there. They do not care how long we have to wait.  Us showing up late in the day to the wood plant doesn't matter at all. They are almost never so low on glue that they are in jeopardy of having to shut down the massive plant.  It's happened once since I started there that I was on vacation and our company had trucks break down and etc to the point that the plant almost ran out of glue.  

The company screws itself, however, with old junky trucks that are continuously breaking down.  And drivers not treating those old junky trucks with kid gloves.  You can't beat an already beat to death vehicle and expect it to just keep chugging along. We have some pretty bad drivers, tbh. 

Anyway, I'm winding down. It's late, I was playing games with the kids but I am ready to go to sleep now. I'm not going to fret over this company losing the contract.  They will either put me on the Ennis run if that happens or they will just tell me there isn't any more work, sayonara.  Oh, and me spilling some red water isn't going to lose them the contract.  

Tomorrow is church, Monday I allegedly have off, if I do, I will do the bush hogging. I am more motivated now than I have been in a while to get the ball rolling on this expansion project.  Let's move along now!

 Thursday - night

I slept like hell last night.  It was miserable and getting up this morning was agony.  Just one of those nights I couldn't sleep and probably got around 4 hours worth.  But, I just get into a mode while driving, deal with it, get it over with, go home and take a nice nap. Which is exactly what I did.  I actually felt worse after taking a long nap than I did before it. I chalked that up to extreme lack of sleep the previous night.  

Besides counting a bunch of quarters, doing dishes and dealing with a person who was detailing my truck, I did little else the rest of today.  No park related issues at all. The tractor is fixed - I didn't break it - but it needs coolant.  I'm hoping for a better night's sleep tonight so I can go to work, get off and get an hour or two worth of tractor work done on the area where I want to put in a driveway and pads.  

It is going to cost a fortune to build an entirely new driveway out to the street.  I'm calculating 28k for 6 inch deep.  I don't have that much money to spend on a driveway.  My plan will work out, but it will take time.  It's going to be back in spaces off the main driveway at first.  This way, I'm only having to put down gravel for pads, not for pads AND an entirely new driveway.  

I'm already committed to this what with having spent the money on a septic system, I will figure out some way to make something work.  I've got to sit down over there and start making drawings and attempting to come up with a plan so I have something to work with.  '

I dunno, I'm not going to stress over it but I will definitely be doing a lot of thinking and research.  Maybe not so much research, I've already done plenty of that.  

This is where I'm at atm with this expansion project.  It's going to cost a lot to get to the finished product regardless of the fact I am either doing the work myself or farming some of it out to subcontractors - the septic system and the dozer work mostly.  

I dunno, I just can't think right now, I'm too tired.  

 Wednesday - evening

Today was a day off, so I went to bed last night after midnight.  I mean, I was watching a movie and sporadically playing the game, just lost track of time, but didn't much care for I knew I could sleep in, even if I wake up a few times a night.  Who cares, right?  Sleep in until 10:00 am if necessary!

Yeah, I worked all day today.  The phone calls started at 7:45 am and I completely ignored the first one.  I was groggy and had no desire to talk to anyone, let alone my manager.  I knew what he wanted before even talking to him,  I just knew. He has no reason to call me early excepting for one thing.  He called again, leaving a message.  I think it was the third time I answered the phone.  Yes ***** (his name I won't identify here for a myriad of reasons).  That's exactly what I said and it wasn't in a pleasant tone.  

I want my day off. If I am given it, I want it. I make plans, I have things to do - or not do if I so choose. Whatever it is, it gets into your brain, it's a psychological thing: I have tomorrow off, I will do this that and the other thing. It sets in your brain like Jello cooling off in the refrigerator, it solidifies and you become comfortable with it. You are open to some changes, but nothing wild like - going to work. 

And that's exactly what it was.  Again, I knew what he wanted before any words were spoken.  I was so not into it.  He went on and on about some dude calling in and saying he's sick. Yea, who waits until the morning to call in sick? If it's so bad you can't go to work,  you usually (tho definitely not always) know about it the night before. That's when I'm calling in: Hey, I feel like hell, I know I won't be able to get up tomorrow, sorry.  In fact, I tell them as soon as I've figured out that, oh yes, this is bad, I'm not working.  Gives them a chance to find someone. 

I was very grumpy, not just because of having to go to work but because I had gone to bed so late and wasn't sleeping in like  I wanted and needed to.  It was many, many hours later before that wore off and I started to feel like, ok, this day is now tolerable.  As I said, it's mostly a mental thing.  You knew  you didn't have to work and then baam! You had to work. And it threw off the entire schedule.  I was supposed to work tomorrow and Friday and then I would have another weekend off.  Nope.  Now, I am working until Saturday and then off Sunday.

Oh, and no, now that he has put THAT one in place, it's not going to change. At least not for me. The only thing that I would find acceptable changing is if the plant cancelled a load

But it gets worse. It was after 8 am when I talked to him, I didn't actually get on the road until around 9:30 am, WELL beyond any time I normally would start even for 2cd load.  He put that load in my tablet and then later on, he put the Friday load in there. It was the SECOND LOAD AGAIN.  NO NO NO.  I immediately contacted him and flatly told him I wasn't doing a second load after getting the shaft today.  

He's well versed in this stuff, it's his job. Oh, well just be there at 8:00 am!  I thought about that for a second and agreed.  I could get the day done very early and have it over with, have the rest of the day off and all of Sunday.  It means getting up at 4:00 am on Saturday, I can deal with that. Take a nap when I get home type of thing.  I will do it, I don't want to be out mid afternoon Saturday doing this S***.  

The whole situation is still agitating me.  I was thinking about it today: September, next month, marks my 2cd year at this hell hole and also my commitment ends.  I said I would work there 2 years.  I am guessing I will get phone calls sooner or later from corporate.  The recruiter to be more precise.  She had asked over and over for "5 years" and I replied over and over "2 years". I never relented on that one and seeing how people come and go? yeah, that is a long time lmao.

Reality? I can't stop working next month. Nowhere near having enough income from the rv park to afford that.  Well, maybe if I didn't have the debt I currently have.  Do I want to continue working at this company? HELL no.  But then again, I don't want to work at any company.  If this subject comes up, I will tell them "more money will keep me around".  I don't really want to start looking for another job, but I did see a local tanker company today that I thought, hmm, what are their hours and days working?  Then I thought, probably horrible, just like everyone else.  

I was contacted when I was 20 minutes out from the park, we are going out to eat, it's been determined to give you the decision where we are going?  I thought El Taco immediately and that was confirmed so that's where we went.  People laugh at the name but they have the best Mexican food in the city, IMO.  There are a LOT of Mexican food restaurants and food trucks in this town, this on is authentic. Not saying the rest aren't, just that these people have it down.  

What else?  Well, I still need to get those weeds chopped down. Maybe tomorrow after work?  

I want to continue to make progress, I already have money dumped into this expansion, let's go! with it.  

The park is full? yes, I guess I've said that recently but I really mean it. I don't have a lot reserved for overnighters now, it's all long term and that's the way it's going to stay unless someone leaves. Then it's overnight until I get it filled again.  I have all but given up on overnight stuff, people just aren't coming and it's a waste of revenue to keep something available that is hardly getting used.

I think I'll end this one now, even tho there is a lot of politics I could discuss, the biggest thing that has gotten my attention is the federal police "takeover" of DC.  And talk of doing the same in LA, Chicago, New York, Boston and who knows where else. ABOUT TIME!  This disgusting takeover of our nations' largest - and democrat controlled and run - cities by thugs, murderers, thieves, robbers, etc is disgusting and outrageous.  We have become acclimated that "this is normal"> The HELL it is.  It doesn't HAVE to be normal. It's all about "Defund the Police" and letting criminals go with little to no bail.  

Trump is reverting this nation back to something it used to be, which in many ways was far better than the nonsense we have going on now. 

But I don't have time to go into my thoughts on that subject and the rest of what Trump is doing, much of which I fully support and agree with.  It's almost 9:00 pm and I'm watching the original Star Trek, lol.

 Saturday - morning

It is Saturday but I just published thursday's unfinished post, lol.

We had a change of plans yesterday at the last minute. We were going to go to the waterpark today, but the lady of the house remembered she had a prior commitment that she couldn't break.  So, it was 10:00 am, yesterday and we just decided the heck with it, let's go today!

about an 80 minute drive over there, we get out of the vehicle and walking over to the ticket window.  Some lady way down at the other end started yelling at the lady, but she was busy talking to her man (I'm not sure I should be putting my friend's names on here so I am trying to remember to discontinue doing that).  I tried to get her attention, then the dude's and back to her - that lady down there is yelling something at you for whatever reason.

The other lady?  4 of her family members were a no show, she had free entry tickets, did we want them?  Does a snake eat rats?  Does Superman fly? We happily took those tickets - which saved me $120 or so and that was all she wrote.

This was not a huge waterpark but it was plenty of fun and the biggest plus? There were not that many people there.  I went down the long, fast, winding tubes until my head started getting dizzy then I headed over to the mini wave pool.  Nothing like I expected at all. A wave pool is a giant pool - at least at other parks I've been to - that sends out very large waves. You get a raft, go all the way out towards where the wave comes out as close as they'll let you get to it and you start paddling like crazy.  

You ride that wave all the way into the shore which is usually at least 100 feet if not much more.  Often times you crash over top of people - but they are standing there expecting it for whatever reason, but I can tell you from experience, if you crash hard enough into a person, they are going to feel it.  

Well, this pool was maybe 50 feet long if that by 30 feet wide and just these little waves being created making more of a nuisance than anything, but we adapted.  Just played Tag You're It!  for an hour, then went around the lazy river, back into the tubes, over to the wave pool but I can tell  ya, I spent more time in the lazy river than anything and pulling trains of people along behind me.

I was exhausted by the time we left there at after 8:00 pm and still feeling it today.  

So, the days were reversed and I am trying to muster the energy to go over and mow the grass over there and maybe try to get some bush hogging done as well. I'm not very energetic after yesterday.   I didn't even get out of bed until 9:00 am after going to bed at 9:30 last night.  I'm glad we reversed the days, I can see trying to go to church today and then get ready for work tomorrow.  No, no, no.  I was exerting quite a bit of energy yesterday pulling those tube trains around.

 Thursday - mid afternoon

Got back from Gurdon and was greeted from the front of the truck a very, very loud, constant noise like something extremely loose.  Whatever it was, it was quite noisy.  I sent a video of it to the mechanic and he called me and asked me where it was coming from? the front of the engine somewhere, I can't tell, it's too noisy.  That engine is already noisy as all get out without whatever is going bad on it.  The have stethoscopes you can use to pinpoint noises, nothing I'm interested in buying. Get a mechanic out here and have them use their tools, this ain't my truck and not my responsibility beyond reporting it and getting the ball rolling.

As for Gurdon, I was second load but slated to be there at 11 am.  I got there at 9:50 am.  I figured if I had to wait, no biggies, I'd be ready to jump on it as soon as the first load driver was done, I could play my game while waiting. 

Instead? There was no truck there.  But I knew gut feeling that whoever was the first load hadn't shown up yet.  I didn't care, got weighed in, got to the delivery shack, hooked up the air pressure line, went inside and got it signed off, came back out and got everything hooked up and got the resin flowing.

It was 10:20 am by the time that was all done and the resin flowing.  Then? The first load truck shows up.  Nosympathy.com, they should have been there an hour and a half ago at the very least.  If they wanted to chat with me, they could certainly get out of their truck and come do so. They did not. New drivers, they don't seem to last long.  It was an hour and a half before I was out of there, shrugs shoulders and moved out of the way once I had everything completed.

The delinquent renter finally paid last night.  I had the boy go over there and get it from her, I owed him some money for doing that dirt work anyway.  She still shorted it $15 and I immediately called her out on it. "Oh I was fixing to get to you about that.." as if somehow I wouldn't catch it.  

I intend on going over to the park tomorrow morning and getting some mowing done and also trying to get a mechanic out there to look at it. That was the end story of that, our mechanic dumped it on me to find someone.  There are plenty of truck mechanics in my town and tomorrow is Friday so it shouldn't be terribly difficult to get someone to come look at it.  

 Tuesday evening

Of course the manager thinks he's somehow doing me a favor by switching things around so he dumps me with 2 load tomorrow. This is nothing unusual for him, I more than half expected it when I checked today.  Like, driving up there, spending the entire day and driving back - that's almost 6 hours of driving  and the rest waiting for the truck to be repaired - is hardly some sort of favor and frankly, the way I was going to do it would have worked quite fine and I would have had first load.  

Turns out, anyway and there is nothing I can do about it, a bit too late now, that what was causing me to fly all over the place every time the truck hit a bump was the shock absorbers on the cab.  Cabs have both air ride and shocks.  Work pretty much like a car suspension.  I thought the air bag retaining nut was gone, but it also turns out the front axle is set up differently for those things than the rear.  Weird. 

Anyway, he pulled those shocks off. They weren't just bad, they were completely separated.  The top wasn't attached at all to the bottom on either of them.  It was basically a trampoline effect.  Hit the floor of the trampoline - hit a bump - you fly up.  Dramatically. It was the straw that broke the camel's back in getting things repaired. The other PITA was the safety release valve on the trailer. It kept going off at 14 PSI when it shouldn't be going off at the lowest 25, but really 30 PSI.  They fixed the door switch for cab lights - it was staying on all the time.

__________________

This is not Tuesday evening now, lol. Just started that one and decided why ditch it to the infernos of everlasting non-published-ness?  That isn't a real word, but you get it.  

It is now Wednesday evening, steaks are on the grill and we are about to eat a fabulous dinner.  Steak, corn on the cob, a little salad and a few potatoes.  Light on the potatoes please, lov'em but they are so stacked with carbs.  Trying to change the way I look at food. An occasional steak I will do for sure. I'm hardly eating beef or pork at all as it stands.

Oh, and this morning? This first load dude didn't show up until 11:00 am.  I was already there and tho I waited quite a while to get loaded, I would have had to wait a LOT longer if I had arrived when he did.  His bad, so sad, don't care, arrive on time and you won't have these problems.  

The saga of the non-paying "renter" goes on.  She claims to have the money but she keeps pushing the run around endlessly.  I gave here the low-down earlier, I have dealt with people like this and I know how they play. They just keep leading you on and on and on and...on...and..........onnnnn...............

You will be trespassed from the property and the sheriff will be called and I will show them the Texas Statute.  You trailer will be hauled off the property by a tow truck and placed in an impound yard.  Yup, I said that to her and that's because she lied to me multiple times and I have really no reason to believe her now, except now?  Is the time to get rid of her.  

UGG. 

Much later now.  Almost time to go to bed. 

 Tuesday - mid morning

At the yard in El Dorado.  I'll be here a while.  First off, I got a late start.  The alarm was set and it was going off - but it wasn't making any noise.  At 6:00 am I woke up without the aid of the "blaring" alarm and realized instantly that it was much later than it should be.  The light of day clued me in on that.  When I looked at the clock, I jumped out of bed and started my morning routine in a very rushed manner.  

I tried a different route up here, more direct approach but slow speed limits and lots of small towns to go through, definitely the scenic route.  I ended up taking 2 hours and 45 minutes to get here anyway, partially due to a road I was on having a washed out bridge.  Louisiana is notorious for that back in the boonies where old bridges prevail and they are grossly underweighted.  Built back in the days where no heavy trucks were going through there or expected to, you can see bridges with max weights as low as 5 tons.  

They've slowly been replacing them, painstakingly slow.  Oh, yea, the sign for the washed out bridge? Right before the damn bridge lmao.  Had to figure out how to turn around on a narrow 2 lane highway.  Got up here and here were 4 mechanics working on a single 5th wheel plate, trying to dislodge it.  In fact, 5 minutes after I arrived and standing there watching them, they got it off but said they had spent that last 2 and a half hours first trying to get it off of the trailer and then trying to get it off of the truck.

Apparently the driver didn't get under the trailer correctly and the kingpin was barely being held in there.  Catastrophe waiting to happen, if that driver hadn't been up here switching trailers, he might have had a loaded trailer disconnect from the truck while driving down the highway.  

Anyway, they wouldn't have started on my truck before that so getting here a little late wasn't an issue at all.  

Yesterday - crazy.  

First off the dentist office. They took a bunch of x-rays and then said I had no major issues - thankfully - beyond the need for crowns.  Then it was a cleaning - rather painful when the lady was digging that thing down into my gums, but necessary.  She said "If at any time it gets to be too much, i'll back off immediately".  I replied, no, I'll just eat the pain, would rather have it done right.  After that, the dentist came in.  Looked at everything on the x rays and paperwork and then started examining my teeth.  

I knew the idea of putting on 4 crowns would be costly, but what he came back with with crazy.  You're going to need to raise the gap line so the crowns will actually fit on there, which means we would have to replace all the crowns - 13 of them - on the upper row, plus a bridge on the missing tooth, plus gum work, plus we would have to grind down the bottom row.  That was an immediate no for me, they've been grinding my teeth forever, they aren't doing that anymore.

Which was confirmed by him anyway, he said if they get too short, I'm concerned about tooth sensitivity.  You know, when you drink something cold or hot or whatever and you get an unwanted sensation in your tooth or teeth? Yeah, that. No thanks double down now.  The cost wasn't the biggest issue to me, even tho he stated between 10 and 15k.  It's this idea of gum work and grinding already ground down teeth.  

The other option, he stated, was a bridge. I knew he wasn't fixing to tell me dentures, because I'll have none of that either.  I'll pay for implants before I go the dentures route.  I don't want removeable teeth.  A bridge is basically permanent.  He showed me a pic of a man's mouth, but before he showed it, he said he wasn't happy with it but the client was.  I looked and saw no way, no thank you, that looks as fake as the scam phone calls telling you you owe the IRS blah amount of money and if you don't pay now, they're going to come arrest you.  

However, the client had chosen them to look that way. The dentist said he would have opted for far different.  I want my teeth looking natural, not obviously fake.  He said he could do that.  That took 2 hours and I have another appointment to start that process.  They wanted to wait for my insurance to determine how much they would pitch in for that.  As it stands, yesterday's visit was free, thankfully, all of that was covered under insurance.

I went straight home after that, got the dog and went to the vet.  Was there 8 minutes early and still ended up waiting an hour before they got to me.  

There was a dog that had been brought in for an emergency so they pretty much dropped everything to deal with it.  I can empathize with that, if they are overbooking I not only don't empathize, I get pretty vocal about it.  Anyway, they gave him all shots.  Including a dose of heart worm preventative medicine = Heartguard - that is 12 months.  You can get it for shorter duration, and it's extremely expensive regardless, I just forked over the money for 12 months worth, won't have to worry about him getting heartworms. 

They tested him and he came back negative - because I had had them give him the 12 month dosage last time.  The only thing that was out of normal was his ears.  I knew they were doing  something funny so I had them inspect them, the vet said he has yeast infections and they gave drops to put in there once a day for 10 days.  The bill for that visit is what floored me. I was thinking $300-400, the bill was $698.  For shots!  It was the Heartguard. That was $316 alone.  I also got him Bravecto - lots of mosquitos in these parts, I wanted him to be a bit more comfortable outside.  Double dose, double the price.  $160 worth of that stuff and it is only for 3 months.  Still, in 3 months it will be winter time so no need for it.  

Yesterday was busy and the dentist and vet visit were last minute stuff that they got me sneaked in same-day, glad to get it done really. Especially the dog, He was a bit past due for the shots.  

 The park is completely full once again.  A student at a local tech college moved in, he's only there a few months they said, but whatever. I'll take it filled over nothing.  Someone else will leave sooner or later and it's just a constant thing.  The nature of RV parks, people come and go.  That doesn't concern me, it's when I have a lot of empty lots and I'm thinking, why am I expanding?  Oh, yes, because they'll fill back up sooner or later and then I'll be turning people away again, that's why.  

Too late now, I already spent the money on the new septic system, It's a go regardless.  It may be a slow-go, but it's a definitive go.  These things take time and money.  Just the way it is.  I want to get a couple more lots in as fast as I can tho, I need to get that dozer work done and now I have the end of that particular tunnel in sight, at least.  

That new driveway is going to be costly.  Now that I have determined the only real way to go is to create a new driveway all the way to the street, I'm going to have to not only have the gravel all the way to the street, I'm also going to have to lay drainage pipe and create a new entrance.  That will be thousands of dollars in and of itself.  

I don't know where the money for that will come from, not an issue right now.  I can install a couple new lots as back in lots and use existing driveway.  I have no choice, I don't have 20k for gravel right now, or I kind of do but I can't be spending it all on that.  

Diet.  Going well actually.  I'm doing a strict version of keto temporarily.  No heavy amount of fats this time around and I won't be doing it too long.  Just enough to take advantage of being in ketosis and maybe trying to get down to 200 and then switch back to alkaline diet.  Or my version of it anyway.  It was working, just pretty slow.  

I don't know what else?  Oh, I've got 3 days off coming up now.  My manager called to figure out this week, he switched me from having to load today to getting the truck fixed and loading tomorrow, delivering on Thursday and since I basically demanded the entire weekend off? I have 3 days off coming up.  I was perfectly fine with that, even tho the manager was like, well I'm not trying to give you too much time off for your paychecks....no worries at all.  

Since Saturday is going to be taken up and Sunday I pretty much don't do anything unless my job is making me do so, Friday off will be good. I can get the mowing down at the park and try to get the weeds hacked down for the dozer work.  Then I can have the dozer delivered and get the dude out there to smooth it out.  He knows what he's doing, I need to get him over there and tell me what to do to get it dozer ready. I know about the weeds, I have a question about some of the trees I want to take down. 

Would it be better to cut them down with a chainsaw or can you push them over and get the whole thing out and no stumps?  If he can do that, I'll just wrap ribbons around the trees I want to keep and he can spend the day out there getting that job done.  I'm also going to want him to fix a part of the main driveway that is uneven and has humps and dips in it.  

Well that's enough. I'm going to play my game.  

 Monday - morning

Day off.  No way I'm taking that truck up north to get it fixed, it can wait until Wednesday after delivery.  I had thought I was working today but I was wrong and glad I'm not.  

Finally snagged a spot to get Obi - my Great Dane - in to the vet to get him his shots and get his ears looked at.  Probably just need cleaned out and whatever they put in there, drops if I recall correctly, for whatever is ailing him. The dog is in obvious discomfort and he also shakes his head half the night and keeps me awake.  I did not sleep very well last night because of it.  

Well well well. The manager just called and asked me to plan the week.  I said sure, I'm loading tomorrow and delivering on Wednesday and then going to take the truck/trailer to the yard to get stuff fixed.  He said well what if we have you come in tomorrow and get it fixed, load Wednesday and then have 3 days off? Yes, yes and yes.  

This is actually a much better deal for me. I get paid to go up there and get the stuff fixed, get a load and then have 3 luxurious days off. Saturday we are going to a giant indoor water park, end of summer for the kids and we decided to give them a last hurrah to usher them into - the joys of school.  That starts Monday I do believe.  I'll be glad for that, on my days off I can sit in the house in peace and get stuff done without constant this and that from kids.  

Friday I'll devote to the park, Sunday is church day, get back to some sense of normalcy.  

Actually, maybe I can find a dentist to take a look at my teeth on Friday, I need 4 new crowns to replace the disastrous work the previous dentist did. That's a great idea, actually and I'm going to look around for recommendations after I finish this post. Probably just go to the gossip group.  

The other guy in the house quit his job and is waiting on 401k payout.  Then he's going to fix things around the house and end up in some trucking school in Arkansas.  He was going to do this a long time ago but things didn't work out. Now?  Well, he thinks it will make him a lot more money and I wish him success.  He tried to start his own side business but there is a lot of competition around here for the type of work he was doing, even tho it's skilled labor, just a lot of people are doing it.  

Once he leaves, things are going to change around here quit a bit.  He won't be home to help out with the kids, tho his job kept him out late every day anyway - but - he had 3 day weekends.  Not complaining just sort of allowing room in the space of my head for probably a different sort of landscape around here.  It will help they're in school, that's basically most of the day for her - the lady of the house - to get her stuff done. I am usually home in the afternoons when they get home from school so usually it's all covered.  There are friends of family that live like a block away and they are always willing to help out if they are available.

Anyway, I couldn't wait, called a highly recommended dentist office that is literally 2 blocks from my house.  They are, of course, busy so I just left a message, trying to get in on Friday.  If not, I'll make an appointment for 2 or 3 weeks from now and take the day off.  

So now that I have 3 days off, that's going to make this week go by pretty fast.  It's only 3 more days of work and one of them is just take the truck up, sit around picking my nose for 6-8 hours and then go back home. The next morning head over to the washout, to the plant and then deliver the day after that.  I'm all good with that.  

Well, let's go all out today. I've got an appointment, new patient, for a different dentist than the last one who gave me buck teeth.  I'm assuming they'll want to do x rays, cleaning and consultation about how much crowns are going to cost. Not cheap, I already know that, somewhere around a grand per tooth.  I don't like going to dentists, hence I haven't been to one since I had an emergency extraction. Oh, I guess I'll have to get something for that too, probably a bridge.  There is nothing there atm, lol.  It's costly, I'm looking at 5k to do all of that easily.  This time, however, I'll be asking about a warranty or replacement or whatever to understand that I am spending this much money and if one breaks off, then what?  

So, this afternoon is all of a sudden busy. Nothing I wanted to do, things that must be done.  

Tomorrow, I'll get up at 5 am, head up to the yard, be there around 8:30 am, spend however many hours waiting on them to repair everything - they must fix the airbag and the pop off valve and the door switch, the rest is whatever.  

You know what I feel like doing? NOTHING.

 LOL

 Saturday - evening

Up early this morning, got down to Nacogdoches, over to Lufkin and back up to here in about 6-1/2 hours.  That's about as good as it gets.  Work again tomorrow and then Monday off. Tuesday and Wednesday working, presumably Thursday and Friday working as well and then the weekend is off. The weekend is off regardless of what they say, I've already informed them I'm not working next weekend. I didn't ask, I informed them.  It's 4 weekends in a row now and I'm just not doing this. As I said in previous post, I'm not going to just sit here and eat this and not be able to go to church and let junior drivers take precedence over me.  I ate the after-vacation garbage, time to be done.  I ate it this weekend as a good-will gesture for respect but that's it.  

I've got a dozer operator in the park, I remembered, he's allegedly pretty good, so I'm just going to rent a dozer, have it delivered and have him do the work.  This is easier than finding someone and he has an operator's license for dozer work.  

_________________

Just going to do Sunday here. 

Sunday - afternoon

Got up early, went to Gurdon, unloaded, came back, texted the manager and the mechanic there are several things the truck needs done to it, I'll be bringing it in after next load.  

I won't go into the whole list - it's mostly minor stuff - but today I finally got so annoyed with the truck bouncing like a ping pong ball all over the place every time it hits even a small bump, I started doing an exhaustive search for the issue.  

The mechanics couldn't find it, hence it's been like that for a while now. I knew it HAD to be something with the suspension, I just wasn't finding it.  This time, I had an idea pop into my head.  The airbags have a stud on the bottom of the assembly that goes through a metal crossbeam and attaches underneath with a giant screw.  I started checking them and walaah.  One of them broken off.  It was after that that I said no more, let's get all of this fixed.  

I have tomorrow off and then a run on Tuesday, so I can go to the shop on Wednesday after I get done unloading.  

On another front, this person that moved in.  I won't go into all of the details, but she lied to me about having the rent after someone had already pulled the thing over there.  When I finally got her at the door after several attempts, she handed me $85.  Fast forward what, a week later?  And I'm still getting the runaround except today?  I told her to get me the money or get that trailer out of my park.  End of story.  "Oh, I'm sorry I should have been up front with you at the beginning, I don't get paid until the 5th".  

That set me off, but we were texting thankfully or I would have filled her ears with "information" that she wouldn't particularly want to hear.  I did tell her I was annoyed and how many times I've been over there and yes, I'm done with this.  I am giving her til the 5th since it's the 3rd already and I told her if she doesn't have it, be prepared to move the trailer off the lot immediately.  I didn't threaten the Sheriff, but I will if I have to.  

I'm a bit tired, got just short of 6 hours of sleep last night which isn't enough.   I can sleep in tomorrow but I was also annoyed I was working on yet another Sunday.  I don't like Sunday work and dislike it even more when you figure 3 out of the last 4 Sundays I've both worked and missed church.  

 Thursday - night

Late load today, but it was scheduled to pick up at 11 am instead of 1 pm.  Hadn't seen that before, got home at a reasonable time.  I'll be showing up at the plant around 10:30 am tomorrow morning, that should give ample time for the first driver to unload and I'll still get home at a decent hour,  around 2:30 if it works out. 

Day 4 of fasting is now completed as of - right now actually.  I have a chicken broth I started in the crock pot going, 18 hour cooking time.  I'm going to end this tomorrow, I figured on either 5 or 7 days, I'm not going to make it 7 days especially considering I have been scheduled yet another entire weekend to work. If I weren't working, I would probably try going 7.  I'll save 7 for a future date.  I figure in a month or 2 or I'll do another extended fast and will probably do 1 or 2 day fasts in between.  

Oh, speaking of my job, I informed the manager today that I will not be working next weekend, that I have been working entire weekends since I got back from vacation excepting last weekend where I worked Saturday but not Sunday - still weekend work and that after this weekend I'll have worked 4 weekends in a row.  I expected to get some crappy work after vacation, but enough is enough.  I wasn't asking for next weekend off, I was telling him I'm not going to work.  He responded in the affirmative and that he was sorry and would get me back on my normal schedule.  Thank you.  

About time.  He would have just kept doing it unless I had said something.  I just couldn't believe he had dumped me with another weekend of work, I think I have paid them back in crap runs.  The last load up there I was stuck up there 5 hours and it was incredibly hot.  I think the temps have come down at least up there, not here.  

I had a new person move in, but I didn't have time to collect until yesterday.  I stopped by and this person handed me $85.  Uhh, you said you had the $400?  Oh well I"ll have it tomorrow.  She wasn't there today so I contacted her telling her I need my money.  I'll get direct with people when I need to, if they think you are a pushover some people will just walk all over you.  She eventually replied and said she was at the hospital with her father and that she would be back later. I had already been there twice today, I responded I'll be over tomorrow.  

1 more week and kids summer is over.  I discussed today with T about taking them to an giant indoor water park about 60 miles away, of which she replied in the affirmative, let's go!  The man of the house, whom I'll call J, quit his job - I'm not sure how long ago, a few days, a week?  Not long ago.  He was tired of the way they were treating them and he wants to get into the trucking business. Not any of my doings, I don't recommend trucking to anyone for a variety of reasons.  But he's intent on it and I'm not going to try to talk him out of it, he figures to make a lot more money than what he was making at his previous job and I suspect that will definitely be true.

But the real deal was tonight, he came into my room and handed me his phone telling me to read it.  The company he just quit? Is closing down.  Now there's a 6th sense? He was talking about all of the stuff that needs to be done on the house and I definitely agree. I don't want to pay for that kind of stuff for it isn't my house.  I mean, I could see myself adding on to this room by 10 feet to the north side, yet that would cost a small fortune.  

Nope, my money is tied up in this rv park and will be for some time. If I'm buying a pool, it's for the park, we can all use it if we want to - over there.  I do intend on getting a pool, it's just been put on hold until I get more revenue coming in from the park to help pay for the monthly expenses.  As I have stated previously, I have no intention of maintaining it, it will be handled by a service to come and keep the ph levels and chlorine accurate and keep it clean and such.  It makes no business sense to put one in until I am "rolling in the dough", or at least, making a nice sum out of that place and wanting to attract higher paying guests who want access to a pool.  I was quoted 105k for a medium sized one (it's very large) so I think I'll downsize that but I will also shop around. Plenty of pool builders in this region. 

I figured 60-70k is the max I want to spend on one.  Or I could go the cheap route and put in a large above ground pool and have a deck built around it.  Talking 15 - 20 k doing it that way, but I'm not sure about the appearance or the quality.  Maybe if there is a professionally built deck around it.....

I'm not there yet and won't be until I at least get these 14 new lots in.  That is going to take some time and I"m in no huge rush because of the intense heat.  Those 14 lots will be costly and I will have to do it in spurts of 2 or 3.  It's the gravel and electric that is high dollar, can't get around it but it will limit me from attempting to get all 14 done in a short period of time.  I can see 20k in gravel and 15k in electrical alone.  

However, I couldn't even begin to think about starting until I got that septic system in .  One step at a time.  I figure approximately 2k per lot doing it myself.  And then I'll have the extra problem of needing another bathroom.  

Anyway, it's getting late - 10:00 pm - I don't have to get up too early but I'll still need to roll out of bed at 6:30 am.  

 Wednesday - evening

So, today, people at the plant in ?Gurdon were taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion, stroke, etc.  This hot weather isn't playing any games and I want no part of it.  The plant manager was visibly overheated yesterday, I sent him off after he was helping me - thanks for the help! He left immediately, presumably to go iuto his nice cool office and get some relief.

I got my stuff done today and that was that, I haven't been outside for more than a few minutes at a time since then.  Evening time now, I'm sure it's not near as hot out there. 

This company has me working the next 4 days.  I'm going to be telling the manager next week that I want a full weekend off.  This will make 4 weekend work in a row, with 3 of them being both Saturday and Sunday and off.  I don't know what is going on here, but it's going to stop.  I need the work so I'm going to take it, he's setting up my schedule so that I will have to do weekends. I haven't said anything to him about it, hence he thinks he can get away with it.

No more.  Getting ridiculous.  

Fasting got so hard for me today that I had to watch several YouTube videos of doctors walking everyone through 5 days worth of fasting.  The real benefits start tomorrow. Yes, there are physical benefits that have started already, autogaphy should have started yesterday, I'm in full throated ketosis now and other things, but the T cells and other things don't start until the 4th day, which starts for me in about 30 minutes. 

Now that I've made it this far, I fully intend on going 5 full days.  Anything after that would be icing on the cake, but I'm only committing myself to 5 days.  I don't think I can make any more than that.  Since I started that diet maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago, I'm down 13 pounds. I am guessing some of that in the last few days, I dunno, I didn't get new batteries for my scale until today. It shows 215.  I was near 230.  My goal, if attainable which I know it is but it seems daunting, is down to at most 190 pounds. 185 would be better.  

I'm just happy that eating fruits, nuts, vegetables and mostly fish and some chicken/turkey has paid off.  I would like to think my cholesterol levels are also coming down.  I'll have it checked again after I've done 6 months of this.  

Ketosis throws a monkey wrench into the works.  It's highly effective but that wasn't really the goal here.  The goal was an internal reset, the real reset according to 2 doctors I watched starts on the 4th day and continues on into the 5th.  The videos motivated me to stay on the fast and now it's 8:30 pm so it's not going to be a problem finishing the night out without eating, I will be going to bed in an hour.  I'm quite fatigued from this venture, can't wait to start eating again lol.  

Well enough of this.  I am really tired it was just too early to go to bed.  Hoping tomorrow might be better.  I think the problem is ketosis and I'm no longer fat adapted like I used to be and that can really drag you down. Oh, well the conundrum of being in ketosis is whether I want to continue with it after this fast is over?  It would be really restrictive tho, because I am also trying to bring down cholesterol.  It would be a diet of mostly vegetables and meat.  

I'll have to make that decision when I get done fasting, I'm only going to eat some salad, bone broth and soup to break the fast.  You can eat a bunch of stuff when you break a fast, but it is highly inadvisable.  I like the diet I'm on so I am thinking I'll just dump the ketosis.  I like my fruits and bread options as well as the fish and veggies.  We're talking low carb, not ultra low carb such as keto is.  

Oh, brain fog should be clearing up pretty quick here. It hasn't yet, that was another main goal was to get rid of this fogginess.  I think a lot of that is sleep deprivation and the last couple nights, I've slept really well. I figured I would doing an extended fast.  You see? Lots of benefits to fasting, hardly any cons beyond maybe a little muscle loss and obviously being in hunger, that comes and goes.  Just seeing food sets me off. I'm staying out of the kitchen as much as possible, lol.  

 Tuesday - late morning

Slept almost 10 hours.  The benefits of fasting, I guess, you get pretty good and fatigued.  Plus I had a horrible headache yesterday which I can still feel the remnants of, but it's not near as bad.  I guess the headache wasn't only tied to heat, it must have been connected to this fasting as well.  It's day 3 and I'm neither feeling good or bad, not terribly hungry but it's there.  Trying to make it 5 days at least for the health benefits.  That's one of the main reasons of doing this, super health benefits if you can last long enough.  That's the hard part, lol, lasting long enough.  The end is worth it, but getting there is tough.

Going to Lowe's today and then over to the property.  I had a tenant's circuit break go on the blink so I stole one from another outlet yesterday since it wasn't being used but I don't intend on leaving it like that.  This guy had suffered all day long without electricity, so as crappy as I felt, I didn't have a choice but to swap those breakers out.

At least I didn't have the added pain of having to go to Lowe's as well.  I'm going to buy 2 of them this time and keep one as a backup, it's really inconvenient many times to have to go to the store to fix something when you know that those things are going to keep breaking.  And in the middle of a hot summer, it's just not something you can let wait, people want their ac working and I don't blame them.  I don't have a magic ball as to when any given breaker is going to go out, but it's notable that it's always the 30 amp breakers, the 50 amp breakers never seem to quit.  

I've got one lot open and it's been "taken" twice, only to have no one show up.  this is getting old and I have been asking for a deposit, but these people were showing up the same day, or so they said, so I didn't force it.  But, the last one, the guy claimed the spot and said he would be there several hours later only to have him bow out of it - and - I had a call after he claimed it from a person looking for a place. This is why I am considering deposits for holding them at all. First come, first served unless you put $100 down. You lose that $100 if you don't show.  

I had another call yesterday but they wanted a pull through and all of those are filled ATM.  

Anyway, if I can stomach it, I may get on the tractor and brush hog the areas up front to have a dozer come through with.  I need to have that all mowed down first, I am told, before they can come in and do their work.  I honestly would rather fast tho and do that for my own health's sake than get this project moving forward.  It takes time to do these things and so I just haven't been in any huge rush.  At all.  If the temps were cooler I"d probably be out there more and longer. 

As yesterday proved, however, staying out in that incredible heat - humidity driven - just takes it out of me.  

I'm still feeling pretty fatigued as it stands.  I just want that lot available for use in case someone calls, if they want 30 amp, it isn't available.  

$760 water bill - 2 months.  Ridiculous and outrageous.  I am on Mark's @$$ to find out why the bill is so high.  I am not there, HE IS.  Get this back down or I am going to have to take actions you may not like. Not something I want to do, but I will if I get shoved into a corner, not even going to mention what that action is, but it would definitely remove that headache out of my life. 

Just losing money now over there. 

Nothing much else, or if there is I can't think of it.  Really feeling it all of a sudden.  I was very glad I had today off, the 3rd day is usually the hardest. 

 Tuesday - late afternoon

Today was a total mess, putting it nicely.  

When I drove into the plant in Gurdon, I was greeted by the site of a giant crane blocking access to the delivery shack.  Great.  I have been around cranes for many decades now, if they are there, they are going to be there for a long time.  I still tried to have them let me pull up and attempt it.  No, was the answer after 15 minutes of waiting.  

So, I waited. And waited ..... and waaaaiiiiittttteeed.  Finally, one of the plant managers came out after several hours asking if I had "unloaded that thing yet?"  NOPE, they won't let me.  

He walks off muttering about getting something done.  Mind you, I had been there over 3 hours waiting at that point.  Then the head manager comes out and says something to which I said yes, I've been waiting for many hours now . He got agitated, not with me but how long this was going on. Finally, an apparent manager drove up of the crane company, he looked at him and pointed at his wrist, motioning there are things to do and time is ticking. 

The man told him to tell me to do whatever I needed to.  I looked at him and said why didn't they say that 3 hours ago?  I pulled the truck up, but way too far.  No worries. I have another 20 foot line on my truck rack. Pulled that down, the plant manager helped me set everything up and walaah.  

Meanwhile, the crane operator and all the crane employees had disappeared inside of an office building. They couldn't have cared less about anyone else, in fact, two of them had been standing in the middle of the driveway, stared over at me and started laughing.  I bit my tongue seriously hard on that one, I would have liked to express myself to them in no uncertain terms, but I withheld.  

It was blazing hot, I mean I was sweating so bad my clothes were soaked.  I eventually got a heat headache and I still have it now, many hours later. Probably doesn't help that I am still fasting, but I know it's a heat headache, have had them before.  

I would have sat there over another hour if they hadn't allowed me to hook up.  I'm telling you, it was all I could do to get home with that horrible headache going on.  I'm sitting here now, in my cool bedroom, resting and this headache will either go away or I'll go to bed and it will disappear by morning.

I remain undaunted by today's mayhem. I am still fasting and now that's it's almost 5:30, it would seem such a ridiculous waste to give into temptations to eat something.  No.  I am having a cup of coffee, no cream or sugar, have been drinking ample amounts of water all day long, that's going to be it.  Oh! Thank you for reminding me, I need to go consume a little salt.  I've been sweating and not replacing electrolytes.  I took a supplement this morning with potassium in it and I had some salt, but I think I need a little more salt. 

________

Miserable headache. I'm not writing anymore, going to go lay down.  

 Tuesday - early

So, I would have had the park full again as of last night but the man claimed he "couldn't get a hold of me" - after we had already discussed earlier in the day that he was coming and taking such and such a lot.  In other words, he found a place better, closer to what he is doing, whatever.  All well and fine, I don't hold that against anyone, but while he was engaging in his disappearing act, I told some other folks on the phone that I was "completely full", anticipating these people's arrival.  

I don't really know what parks are "better" than mine in the area.  Further away, yes, MUCH further away, places with more amenities but they are also places that charge a lot more than I do.  Some people don't care about that, some do.  Most people are either living paycheck to paycheck or they are saving money for whatever - a house usually - and want the cheapest option available..  

I'm on day 2 of a water fast.  No food at all. No drinks with any calories, in fact, it's mostly water and a little coffee with no creamer or sugar - tho I never use sugar anyway.  The goal is autophagy (you can look it up on Google, a lot of research and articles about it) and potentially, stem cell regeneration.  It also can help with the plaque build up in the brain that is typically found in alzheimer's and dementia patients, and a score of other potential benefits.  

I'm no doctor but I've done a lot of reading about it over the years. The science is slowly catching up to the thousands of years long practice of both short and long term fasting.  I summarily dismiss any notion of harm being done by prolonged fasting, I've done it many times in the past.  You mostly just ensure you keep your electrolytes up, which I am doing simply through the ingestion of a small amount of Himalayan salt and a multi-vitamin with essential minerals.  These contribute zero calories to the event and therefore post no risk in inhibiting the desired outcome.  

I'm shooting for 3 full days, but 5 or even 7 days would be optimal.  Just depends on whether I become too weak today and tomorrow.  I've done this before, I know what happens.  The potential health benefits are what are driving me to start a routine of fasting, but especially doing prolonged fasts on a - monthly I'd say - basis.  There is also the "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow after Me" factor, not religion, thanks, more like relationship in following the Lord and seeking Him.  So there are 2 sides to this and they both can have very beneficial outcomes.

Anyway, I just posted on my facebook that I still have one lot available.  I get a lot of views on that page, Facebook sends me notifications frequently.  I have recently started to update it more regularly than I was because of it. If I ever get these additional lots installed, I'm going to need more guests staying at the park.  

I have also decided that the best route to go is to create a completely new driveway leading out to the street instead of attempting to connect it with the main driveway as originally planned.  This will cost more money but it will be a far better setup.  It will mean buying a thousand dollars worth of pipe - 12 inch pipe in a 20 foot length is at least $400 nowadays, an outrageous price but there is no getting around it that I can see - and I'll need 40 feet of pipe.  Dirt to pack it in is free, lol, I have plenty of that and then a thick layer of gravel on the top.  I'll have to remove some trees but those are trees that I am not in love with anyway. I also have that huge tree that is at a 45 degree angles - it's completely rotted out - and needs to come down.  

Just not sure how to get it to come down without endangering my own life and safety, I'll have to go over there and take a much closer look at it and try to figure out a safe way to bring it down.  The tree poses no danger to humans atm, it started falling in a direction which will not have it snapping power lines right next to the area or the street on the other side.  But, it needs to come down, I just don't want to pay thousands of dollars for someone to come do it if I don't have to.

Work calls. I need to get out of here, heading up to Gurdon to deliver and then back at it again tomorrow morning. 

G'day

 Friday - late afternoon

Today - work wise - went by quickly. Was at the washout by 7:50 am and was at the plant at 8:55 am.  I was out of there and back to the park by 12:35 pm.  The only real delay was very elongated wait for highway construction.  15 minutes there and then this lady driving the pilot truck was going 10 mph.  

I have been through here multiple times, they typically go between 30 and 40 - the one lane temporary road is like 5 miles long.  She kept pulling up on the freshly paved asphalt and trying to signal me to come up there, but there were traffic cones nearly in the center of it, I couldn't go up there.  

She finally stopped in the middle of the highway, came up and started telling me that I needed to get behind her. I asked her why she is going so slow? I was also recording it to protect myself in case she tried to say I said "something" - whatever.  She ignored my question so I just asked it again. She then said "you have my permission to video me" to which I replied I don't need your permission.  She went on and on and I finally said let's GO, NOW.  Her lips started moving again - LET's GO, PLEASE! 

Senseless people attempting to tell me how to drive a truck, I was having none of it. I would have been nicer to her but she was quite crass albeit with a big smile on her face.  She also tried to tell me " you can't drive on this portion of the road because your big trucks will ruin the surface".  I had had enough - we have been driving on this stuff for a month since your crews put it down, please just get in  your truck and start driving or I'm going to start calling your company.  

There were literally at least 50 vehicles behind us, we had waited quite a while, it was beyond ridiculous her trying to pull all of this.  

Anyway, up early tomorrow morning and I will deliver this load of glue and then off for the rest of however much is left of Saturday and all of Sunday. I am going to church for the first time in over a month now.  I didn't want to work Saturday either, but that's what they gave me and I just kept my mouth shut about it, Sunday was the important thing. 

_______________

Bedtime.  I was wondering if the pool party was this weekend and my wondering was over with  "Are you going to the pool party tonight?"  Oh yes.  Lots of fun celebrating an 8 turned 9 kid with their family and really most of the group was there.  That's 5 families worth.  Someone rented a pool, not sure who, but there is an app called Swimify and you can rent the use of a pool from a homeowner. Don't know how much it costs.  The people at this place were home but they didn't bother us at all. In fact, I never saw them.  

The only drawback was the water was very, very warm. It was more like a hot tub than a cool swimming pool, but we just went with it.  I would love to have a pool at my property and someday I probably will get one built.  But, I want a lot more lots to help pay for it and enough of them to charge and extra premium for those that want to use it. It's not going to be free or included in the price of the lot rent, that's an extra that whoever wants to use it will pay an extra $50 per month (at least) fee for.  

So, if I were to have 56 lots and 20 of them pay the fee, that pretty much pays for the pool's upkeep.  It won't be rented out to any outside parties but there will be occasions where I will block it off for friends/family.  Or, they can just come and use it with everyone else.  

I'm not talking every day or even every week, just every so often.  

Anyway, I don't need to get off on that subject, it is on the goal list, but so is a large building with a full kitchen, office, laundry room, bathrooms with showers and lounge.  I won't even consider getting into that kind of debt until I get everything else done and see what kind of income I am generating first.  Brick and mortar maybe, probably a large - giant - metal building amply insulated and fully decked out with everything listed above.  Still talking some serious money and also the property taxes going up.  But it's the point where I would start charging higher monthly rate - or - charging for electricity separately. 

There's a lot I'd love to do with that business, but it all boils down to money.  

I asked junior to remove the box blade and put the bush hog attachment on the tractor. I didn't even realize he had hauled it off somewhere to do side work.  He asked me if he could use my trailer - of course you can!  

Well that's enough. I need to get to bed. I went to bed WAY too late last night, didn't sleep well and I paid for it today.  Enough of that! 

Thursday - evening

I had the second load today.  Turned out there were actually 3 loads going up there, I didn't know that until a little while ago.  Their system was half full, I can see them wanting more but then again,, they really haven't been ordering as much resin as they need to be to keep it full. 

Anyway, I got pulled into the weigh/inspection station on the Texas side on the way up. This old trooper comes out and says, hold up.  He's on an elevated porch, they can see down into your cab. Best have everything good long before you go in there, lol.  He goes down the steps, starts looking at tires, kicks one of them, comes back up on the porch, tells me I have a low tire, Loves' is the next stop.  

He didn't write me up or even pull me in, just let me go.  I figured I best stop at the Loves' and see what's going on.  Sure enough, the tire was basically flat, just hadn't unsealed from the rim.  2 hour ordeal just getting one tire repaired, but it had to be done.  You get a full load on a bad tire and that tire is going to fail at some point.  And then, you are stuck on the side of the highway instead of at a tire shop.  

It was brutal hot today. Unloading that truck was wicked.  The humidity was soaring and the real feel was 109.  It's not just unloading, the ac in the truck itself doesn't keep blowing cold, you have to shut it off for 15 minutes. I have this down to a science now.  15 minutes no ac, 35 minutes ac. 15/35/15 etc until you get back.  I would complain about it but it forces me to get used to this stifling heat.  

I was looking for a dozer today and found one for rent, actually.  The rental rate isn't terrible at $450 per day, the delivery is $500.  That's drop off and pick up.  I said fine but the dude said well have you contacted so and so? I have no idea who that is.  He sent me his contact info.  I haven't called yet. I realized coming back today I have some work to do before getting a dozer over there. Namely, whacking down some weeds and cutting down some of the sweet gum trees.  Sunday is my next day off and I can guarantee you I won't want to work on Sunday, so I dunno when I'll get it done.  

Oh, and just like that.  People paid for the large lot - the big one I decided to rent instead of keeping for overnighters and another person called from some company saying they are sending their employee tomorrow.  Hopefully the employee takes the back in lot which will leave a regular pull thru open.  I'm probably going to rent that too, tho, I won't intentionally keep it open, it's just losing money. Which reminds me ... there, processed.

I tried to run a stored card a few days ago and it came back declined. The cardholder always says " I don't keep that much in there" and whatever else he goes into.  Yes, but you know you owe rent and you know when it's due, I think but don't say, not trying to start trouble but it gets a bit ridiculous. And another card I tried to run, I just texted that dude and asking him to rectify the situation.  These people are making abundant amounts of money, trust me, they are.  

It's the people that pay without having to even ask that make me happy.  Fighting with people for money gets old and I may change my policy.  Pay up when it's due or face late charges.  

I get back to the park today and the 10 year old calls. Well where are you?  I just got back, what's up? Oh, well we're going to InJapan, are you coming?  I guess?  Am I invited? I shouldn't need to be, I thought, but let's see where this goes. So, he asks his grandma, who is standing there and she tells him no.  "we aren't going to get to see you for 3 months" and on and on.  Which has nothing to do with going out to eat at a restaurant.  He got mad at her.  Later on, just a few minutes ago actually, i was out back installing a new pump on the pond and he comes up: Do you not like grandma?  

He's only 10 years old, so I had to limit my thoughts on an old hag that hates that I have a closer relationship with that kid than she does.  Not my problem and I wouldn't have an issue if it was the other way around.  "That's her issue, not mine, she is the one that doesn't like me, talk to her".  Her actions towards me are how you build resentment in kids.  He loves her, yes, but he isn't near as close to her as he is to me.  

Shrugged shoulders, went to Applebee's alone. 

It is not an impossible thought that I may get the park developed and eventually sell it and leave this area entirely.  I can't have this shit going on forever.  She comes, the whole house is upended, the folks here didn't stop her from saying that shit to the 10 year old regarding me, it's kind of messed up.  They are indebted to her - she paid for a 20k ac unit to be installed and helps them financially in other areas.  I pay for a lot of stuff around here, however and that's because I live here. I pay half the groceries and all of the utility bills along with satellite and internet.  That's gas, electric, water, satellite, internet, groceries and help with other stuff as well. Not like I'm on a free ride here, never wanted to be, I don't live like that.  

But it is grinding on me, getting on my nerves and making me unhappy;. She comes, she takes over, we have clashed several times and I feel like another clashing is just around the corner after this shit today.  Those kids spent 3 weeks with her not long ago.  Not like she doesn't get to see them.  I don't want to have issues with inlaws/relatives of theirs, I don't try to make her unhappy, she's just a miserable person.  She used to say she can't wait for her relative to die off so she can be done with that person.  WTH.  And a lot of other stuff just like that. 

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Much later.  Time to go to bed. Early load tomorrow morning.  Ok, I probably said the "eventually sell it and leave this area entirely" thing out of frustration.  I'm just tired of the treatment, not deserved and I don't treat them like this at all.  

 Monday - evening

It was as high as 115 real feel here today - and it certainly felt like it.  

However, I didn't spend much time outdoors so no biggies.  That's because I didn't even bother to get out of bed until 10:30 am.  The kids weren't out of bed until after 9 am so there is that.  They are going to have to start getting used to getting up early for school coming up soon here. Summer is almost over and I can't wait.  They will have to get up at 5:40 am, spend the day in school and things return to normal. It's been a weird summer as it stands.  I'm ready for it to be over even tho I know hot weather is going to be around for a while.  

I took the kids to the movies to see the new Jurassic World.  It was half boring and half entertaining. Far too many slow spots in it, it didn't have the same feel in many respects to the older versions.  But, it was fun and the day was over rather quickly as I took one of the kids to the guitar practice and then eat dinner and then - nothing. I don't work tomorrow either and I suspect I won't be getting up early tomorrow morning, either.  

I think I'm going to have to find another dozer operator, they are just too busy and tho I prefer to wait, I don't want to wait until the 2cd of never.  I'm not in a huge hurry, tho i do have someone allegedly moving into one of the newly vacated spots on Wednesday. These are the people that have driven through several times, according to them anyway and like my place and want to live there. This is semi-permanent type of thing, retired folks.  It will happen that I will get a lot of calls in a short period of time and I won't have anything for them to move into.  Unless I get with the program. 

Still, I'd like to do this right and if it takes more time, so beit.  I just got my paycheck for the pay period where I was on vacation for 12 days and somehow I managed to get near what I normally get paid.  I mean, I'm not going to complain, I have noticed that my paychecks have been pretty near each other even on pay periods where I didn't work as much.  Regardless, I do not want to go out working in this heat. I'll leave that to younger generations, I will wait for cooler weather if I have to, even if that means a few months down the road. I got the hard part over with: getting that septic installed.  Actually I need to at least get the electricity going to the meter pedestal done now that I think of it. That way I'm ready to go whenever we get to that point. 

No, I'm just going to enjoy a few days off after working what I deem to be an excessive amount of days.  I expect - doi't know for sure-  but expect they will have me working 4 days in a row after this is done and then Sunday off. I will be getting Sunday off regardless, that's really not in question, at least not for me.  They know this as well. 

Besides the mess in AZ  there is nothing much new going on.  The mess is the excessive water bill and Mark continuously saying the city is "lying" and blah blah blah.  No, I don't think so. He's got something screwed up and the only way I am apparently going to fix it is to go back to AZ.  He has changed something or something is broken or not operating right or there is a leak somewhere and he just doesn't know it. I've been through this with him on other things before, he'll adamantly claim something and I come to find out his is 100% wrong. 

Why would the city lie?  Such a scandal would make the news and they would be dragged over the coals for it. He claims they aren't reading the meter right. I had the city come out and check it.  Physically, manually check it.  I paid $28 for the privilege and they said he's probably using too much water.  I don't know what to do, but I'll tell ya that I'm tired of dealing with it and would like to just sell it and get it out of my hair forever.  I am not returning to AZ to live and even if I did, I would not return to that neighborhood.  I would still want to sell the house and move into the suburbs.  I don't miss that place at all and I only concern myself with returning for visits to family.

That's about it for now. I'm going to play a few games, watch a movie and eventually go to sleep.   

 Sunday - late night

Why late night? Because it is, lol.  I dunno, I'm about to go to bed but my stomach is churning, indigestion. 

Anyway, just finished another entire weekend of working and today, I was really hating it.  I haven't been to church in what, a month?  The kids haven't been to church in at least 2 months and we need to get back into that.  The manager said he couldn't get anyone to fill this weekend's position, a truck broken down, people sick, his same old excuses.  

In other words, someone wanted to do something and they are taking the weekend off.  Great, but this was the second weekend in a row and the entire weekend spent working.  No thanks.  They will not be having me working this next coming Sunday, that is a fact. The only way I could see that happening is if they give me double pay.  Yes, that is what I would ask for.  I'm not spending my life driving a damn truck and missing everything.  

There is a small silver lining here. I have Monday and Tuesday off. I don't have to get up for work in the morning nor Tuesday.  I guess they think I will then work Wednesday - Saturday.  They are probably guessing right.  I need these 2 days off, I have been grinding every day for the last 12 day save one.  I don't care what company I am working for, when I take a vacation, they make you pay for it afterwards.  Well, I PAID now, thanks.  I will absolutely refuse to work next Sunday unless substantial extra pay is offered. That's the only thing that would motivate me and even that is lacking in lieu of going to church.  

There isn't much else going on, well there is I just don't want to go into everything.  One dude left the park without notice, turns out he moved in with a friend so he moved his trailer out.  I just want to know about it, that's all I ask.  I was turning people away left and right.  Then another dude that is working at the hospital also left without notice.  I don't require a notice per se, it's an rv park, that's what happens. But if you're  long term I really would like the courtesy of a text or something to tell me hey by the way, I am leaving.  No hard feelings from me, it arms me with the info that if someone calls, yes I am going to have another space available. 

Anyway, these people called yesterday and today. They told me they have driven through my park several times and they want to move  in on  Wednesday.  I'm fine with that, I will hold the lot for you.  Turns out, these people are staying at the park where I have been referring people to and they didn't have nice things to say about it.  Well, the lady informed me, there are so many problems, I wanted to speak with the owner and ask him to fix things.  But, the park manager won't tell us who the owner is. 

Oh, I know who he is.  I have his name. She went on to say the lots are so uneven, you have to jack up the wheels really high to get the trailer evened out and then, your trailer rocks and tilts when you are moving around inside of it.  

I see how that dude is doing it now.  As far as opening up all of these parks, he's really cheap.  He isn't even putting gravel down, it's just grass and dirt. When it rains at that particular park, the driveway turns into mud and I've heard that from 2 separate people now.  He has his own equipment so really, it's just buying the land and installing basic utilities.  Gravel is expensive folks, but you can't get away with putting nothing at all down. People will not like it at all.  

Anyway, I drive down my driveway every day and look at that beautiful, unused septic system just sitting there, doing nothing.  I can't force things faster along than what it takes to get things done. Right now, I'm waiting on the contractor to give me a day when he can spare his dozer operator.  He figures a good day should do it. Yes, I agree.  I'll wait a week or two, if he can't swing it I'm going to have to find someone else.  There's plenty around, but if you're going to spend that kind of money, you want to know that you are getting one of the best in the business.

I'm really tired and this writing is making me so sleepy, but I guess that was the point.  Sit down, write a bit and get myself so tired that I just zonk out as soon as my head hits the pillow type of thing. 

Still, it's intriguing that this dude I've been sending people to is running his operations so cheaply.  I don't think I will be recommending anyone from now on.  I don't know of any place around here that I would say, yes, that's the place, go there!  I feel like I would be steering people to places that they aren't going to like and I don't want them holding that against me.  

I can't really think of anything else right now, my mind is telling me "TIME TO GO TO BED!".  I'm going to listen to it and my body and do just that.  

Wednesday - earlyish morning

Wrote the below 3 paragraphs Monday, picking up from there....

I dodged a bullet today.  Lol.  I couldn't take that skid steer back until after work - it was due back this morning.  What was I supposed to do? I just hoped I could talk my way out of  it - not like it was being used today at all. Got back from Lufkin early, around noon actually.  Got that thing loaded onto the trailer and got it back to their place.  Did everything, went into their shop and I was lucky the manager was in. I didn't ask for a manager, but if he's not there, the workers will just adamantly state I owe such and such and tough s***. 

So the dude is like, you know this machine was due back no later than 9 this morning?  Well, no one actually said that to me. In fact, they didn't even tell me it was due back this morning at all. I just knew that from previous rentals.  I just said sorry and he let it go, but for future reference.....

I didn't cost them money at least, there were 2 more skid steers out there.  It would have cost me another $450 if they were to have tried to force me to pay another day.  But then I was asking about renting a mini-ex.  They're expensive, nothing I can do about that.  I have to dig a ditch 3-1/2 feet deep for a few hundred feet for the first 

________________

A roach problem in the bathroom.  Who knows.  Going to have it treated and be done with it.  First day off after 6 straight days of working including the previous entire weekend.  I actually didn't want today off, I would have rather worked through Saturday and have Sunday off.  What are their plans now? Well, if I'm going to guess, I'm going to guess more drivers than work available and they know I'll opt out of the weekend if I'm given the choice.  They've transferred drivers to other routes and brought in 2 new drivers.  

The company has a retention issue and it's obvious why if you've read this blog at all.  

Anyway, I'm going to have to get out there and see if I can finish the job on the dirt work with the tractor of if I'm going to have to spend the 2 grand and have it done - right.  I'm leaning towards the dozer work.  Just because I know the dude that will be out there will do it right and I won't have to worry about it any more at all.  

I haven't a lot to do today but I am going to get some things done. That probably doesn't include tractor work. I'm tired, I want to rest.  I don't like working as much as I have to with this company. It's up early every day, the alternative is up later but get done later.  Which is better? Well, that depends on my mood, lol.  

 Sunday - afternoon

Got up early, drove up to Gurdon, unloaded and went home. Traffic wasn't terrible and not to many idiotic occurrences on the road,  a good day I think. 

Back to the park, the boy hadn't done anything. He said he would "when I get back", whatever that means. I need some more hours out of him on that thing, but, if he doesn't, oh well.  I figure he will tho, he's pretty good at keeping his word about things. 

No church today, obviously, but the boys wanted to go to Applebee's, or weekly ritual after church.  They did not, however, ask their dad who was home and mom wasn't, he was serving lunch when I came in.  Yup, no Applebee's today not that I needed it but then again, I haven't gone out to eat this week anywhere. Even the drive back from Colorado I only bought some deli stuff, no sit down and eat type of thing.

 That's because I don't like wasting time on a trip. I was alone and I wanted to get it over with, eat while driving. Much cheaper, no tipping, we're good.  

Anyway, now it's starting to rain so that may put a literal damper on any dirt work.  I may end up still having to pay to have the area done with a dozer - but it will be much cheaper than original quotes.  4 hours max and they can have that smoothed out. Or, I can pay to have the full day and have them do the driveway as well.