Friday

Another plane crash? DANGGGGG!!
This one was bad, too.
Strange to come out to my computer, get on the net and find this big pic of a house that's engulfed in flames because an aircraft nose-dived into it.

Well, anyway, I'm going to be going outside in a little while and hopefully hooking up that gate to the post. Then figure out where I want the next post, dig that hole, pour that cement and then dig the final hole for the post up against the side of the house. I've determined that I can just grow vines along the entire surface of the fencing and eventually it will be covered up. I have one vine in the perfect spot for one end of the fence, I'm thinking of transplanting another vine away from that shadowed area and put it at the other end.

I went for a LONG hike yesterday. I just about made myself sick climbing up and down those steep mountains. Good workout - yes - and is motivating me to continue on with it. I'm also doing a light workout with the freeweights - I'll get it going on a regular, full-blown routine after I get my body reaccustomed to that kind of workout. Basically a 3-day per week routine that works different muscle groups on each workout. I'm looking for muscle mass right now, not toning - want to get it back on there and get the metabolism going again to get rid of my "fat reserves". I ain't that fat, but - I really don't want any on my body. I want to get my weight back down into the 180's - right now sitting at 200.

If you want to know one of my worst fears - it's that of getting fat as I get older. I know TOO many guys that put on the pounds and do nothing about it until it's so bad, it'll take a year or more for them to lose all of that, and then only if they're REALLY committed to doing it. Obesity is the American Pandemic - and it's killing us, ridding our bodies with all kinds of different diseases, slowing us down and basically making life miserable for a lot of people. The best thing that could happen to America is that McDonalds; Wendy's; Burger-King; Jack-In-The-Box and all the rest of the fat and calorie laden giants of fast-food just GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

I'm telling you - there is a market for people who want fast food that is GOOD for you. I would gladly visit such an establishment if they could make it fast, still be tasty food and reasonably priced. The calorie glutton fast food joints and their pathetic attempts at making "good" food is ridiculous. That junk is STILL laden with calories - and usually fat calories which are the hardest to get off - takes more energy to burn a fat calorie than it does a protein or carbohydrate calorie.

Plus, fat is stubborn, it doesn't LIKE to go away once it's on your body. Heck, I would love to be able to venture into a fast food market with the concept of fast-food without all the fat calories. I just don't know WHAT one could make that would be fast food. Burgers made with lean ground beef and dump the sauces? That would cost - lean ground beef isn't exactly cheap. Well, for me it is - right now Fry's has it on sale for $1.88 per pound - I intend on getting 8 pounds of it today. Yes, there's a limit of 4 - but again, the management of that store told me to go ahead and just buy the first however many of an on-sale product, pay for it, and then start a new sale and pay for the other 4. I've done it many times - though I've gotten some stares from the clerk running the self-service lanes.

No-one has actually tried to stop me - yet. When they do, I'm going to be pointing at a particular member of management and telling whoever that THEY told me I could do it, and the HE does it himself!

Tomorrow - or Monday depending on when she gets her check and gets it cashed - will define whether Mary stays or not. It's all about the money, honey. I have written up a VERY inclusive rental agreement. It's my standard agreement, and then a LOT of very detailed, very, very clear addendums, additions and stipulations are added. I know, I should be getting rid of her - but as I say, if she comes up with the court judgement, the security deposit, this month's rent - and possibly at least a portion of last month's rent - I'm good with it.

IF this crap ever happens again, she will be paying for her own eviction. I've bluntly told her that right to her face. We ARE getting along very well - right now. History - with Mary - shows that the problems begin with rent issues. More specifically, the work-for-reduced-rent scenario.
The new rental agreement includes verbage that ends any past claims of monies owed to her in terms of rent reductions, that no further legal action can or will be taken (against me), that no liens will be placed upon my house/property for any such, and that any friends/acquaintences she has used is her responsibility, and hers alone, to repay, if there is any such repayment necessary.

When we don't have the rent issues, we don't have issues, basically - excepting the fight with Justine, the deal with waking up Caleb that one morning and a few other oddiities. The new rental agreement has a provision for the video surveillance, and that by signing the agreement, she acknowledges that video surveillance is being used and that she is giving her consent to it awareness of it's use, 24 hours a day. No rental agreement will be given until cash is handed over to me.

My latest CL ad had quite a number of - women - responding. One guy - who doesn't live here, doesn't have a job and - no thanks. In other words, he's moving in from out-of-state and his mother allegedly is going to pay his rent until he gets a job. In this economy, I wouldn't take it for granted that you will be able to find ANY kind of job out there, save minimum wage junk. I certainly am not going to agree to someone coming in here that has none - I don't take his mother's word as gold, as I don't know the woman or her financial situation and can't deal with her in person, since she lives 5 states away.

I can live with Mary - as long as the "stuff" doesn't resurface. There's always the element of give and take in this kind of situation. Speaking of that, Ken, the other roommate - has literally disappeared. I have no idea where he's at, what he's doing. I haven't seen him in 4 days, I think. Mary said that he told her that he lost some hours at work. He is current on rent and will be until Friday of next week. Meanwhile - quite odd that he isn't here. He has, however, started "dating" a woman he has know for a long time.

The problem is that that woman is MARRIED. I want NOTHING to do with any of that. I don't want that woman's husband to find out where I live. "Gunfight At The BenB Corral" - starts at 12:00. I mean, really, what kind of chances is a person taking in dating a married woman? If I were that husband and found out about it, I would NOT be happy, at all. You know what happens, sometimes, with guys that go into a rage, get a weapon and - easy to figure out the rest. The woman has been here a couple of times, but only short visits. WHERE, exactly, Ken is? I have no clue. He can't be staying with her - the hubby's at home. I'm a little concerned - but - not really my problem. If he disappears permanently - maybe we'll see something about on the local news :(

Ahhh, whatever. I have work to do and I'm going to get to doing it. I'm also going to repost my dog sitting ad - I want to get a couple more regulars, if possible, bringing their doggies over here.

C'ya later and have a great day!
ben

News

So, I dug out a hole back there, poured the cement and installed one of the posts. I then got a phone call - I want to buy a DVR for the living room and then use the regular receiver in there for the third room rental. It was being sold for $60 less than the cost of a new one.

Fortune had it that the person lives 2 blocks from my work. I don't officially get paid until tomorrow, but the boss hands me the check on Thursdays when UPS brings it. I got the DVR and then headed to work. Bossman already knew what I was there for, apparently, as he had the check in hand and directing it my way as I entered his office.

Then came the news. I have been expecting this news for quite a while now. I have - been hoping that a certain portion of this news would be the way I wanted it. The news - is that a driver is being moved back from our store to the Phoenix branch. What I wanted? To NOT be the driver that is being transferred. I FAR prefer working the Chandler store for a myriad of reasons. The other driver - who has seniority on me, is being moved. He does not have seniority on me at the Chandler branch, but my boss doesn't make these decisions, anyway, it's the General Manager and the Ops Manager who come up with these decisions. I pretty much knew from the way my boss was talking that he had intoned to the Ops and Gen that he wanted me there over the other driver.

Not just because I have been there longer, that really doesn't do anything for anyone. It is, I am assuming, because I have learned a lot more of how to operate the Trilogy system than the other driver and I can effectively run the store by myself when the need arises. And the need does arise. Especially when talking in terms of only 3 employees running a store: the boss; my co-worker who basically does all the shipping and receiving paperwork and inventory stuff; and I. It does, however, place a heavier burden on me: If I get sick, calling in is a bit difficult when you're the only driver. I hardly call in sick, anyway. I have to be bedridden, can't move and basically puking or whatever to call in sick. If it's just flu symptoms that I can still walk and be reasonably mobile, I will go to work. Just stay away from people.

The advantage: I will be much busier. Right now, we switch trucks from week to week. The smaller truck gets more deliveries. The semi doesn't get as much because there aren't always semi loads worth of stuff to deliver. I will be responsible for all commercial driving out of our branch. The boss or the other guy can do runs in the pickup truck when necessary - or I can do them if there isn't anything else going on and I'm not tied up in one of the "real" trucks, lol. Longer term readers may remember that the branch I am working at was like this before. I was the only driver for quite a long time before they transferred over the other guy.

The bad news? Probably someone downtown is going to get the axe. According to my boss, anyway. If that's the case, I'm pretty sure of who is going bye-bye. I hate to see anyone losing their job right now - the market is bad, really bad, even for truck drivers. I guess I'll say selfishly that I am very happy it isn't ME getting the pink slip. It may come yet - who knows, but it ain't right now. BenB sighing big sigh of relief.

But - there's this visit from the Western Regional manager. I'm still pretty expectant of some kinds of decisions being made there, as well. WHAT decisions remain to be seen. Common sense dictates that in tough times - and getting tougher - the company is going to go into preservation mode. They've already done that, but I suspect more on the way.

So, anyway, a move has been made. I got my paycheck - it does have the driver award bonus on there. Thank GOD almighty! Right now, that little infusion is a big help. For me, the switch of a driver is good news - I won't have to try to invent things to do. I am quite sure the other driver didn't want to go back to Phoenix - but - at least he didn't lose his job. I kind of feel like I dodged a bullet here....
going outside to check the post I cemented - see if the cement is setting. Probably won't do anything furhter with it until tomorrow. I can hook up the chain link on the portion of fence, and then install a gate on that post. I do this stuff in sections. After installing the gate, I can then identify exactly where the post needs to be for the gate to have a latch that can go onto the other post. Only bummer? Rain expected this weekend. Well, no big deal - I still have the temp fencing up, and the sometimes trouble-maker dog just left. Roscoe, the dog I watch frequently - for money of course - was just picked up by his owner. It was an almost $70 gig. I'll take that money and deal with the dog's little incongruities.

C'ya later.
ben

Fencing

So - I'm having second thoughts on the type of fencing I want to divide my yard. Something about chain link - isn't very appealing to the eye. I have ideas of what I would like back there - something in wood - but, guess I'll have to go ahead and put in the chain link, cause right now, spending money on fencing is hardly on any priority list. Since I already have everything except the 5 posts and some bags of cement, I don't expect to do anything but install that fencing already back there.

A glimpse of why Michael is late every day for school was seen this morning. His mother doesn't come pick him up for school until almost 8:00 o'clock, school starts at 7:45am. Last report card I saw he had 28 absences in his fir period class. They consider it an absence if you're late, even if you show up 2 minutes after the bell.

I think that a good thing - it SHOULD do something for teaching kids and their parents some discipline in life. I mean, you can't just show up to work whenever you want - well most people can't, anyway. I think Michael is going to fail several classes this year because of the lates and the no-shows and also the fact that he is offered make-up work and he doesn't do it. Michael "moved-out" a while back, but has been staying here most nights during the week and all weekends. He's getting his X-Box 360 fixed, I imagine when he gets that thing back, he will be over at his family's house more than he is now. Now? He is "forced" to stick with my Playstation 3.

Anyway, I'm undecided yet what to do with this day off. I had thoughts of installing that fencing, I'm still thinking along those lines, but - feeling rather unmotivated. Digging holes in that ground is very difficult work, I basically hate it. Could spend hours digging out 5 holes for the posts, literally. Where it might take a couple of minutes in good soil - well, the constant hitting of rocks makes it a very drawn out process. Amazing anything can grow in this kind of soil, but so far, all of my plants have shown that they don't really care that much about the soil cause' they're mostly all doing well.

Think I'm going to get outside and start looking at the fence project - what it's going to entail and whether I REALLY want to get involved with that today or not.

Have a great day!
ben