Thursday

Another busy and long day at work.
And a good day for sales, too - almost 40k worth.
Although no more news of continued layoffs - which is a good thing - there was news of some of the trucks being sold off. No need for them since we have gotten rid of some drivers. I think the company mandates that you don't have more trucks than drivers. Duhhh, of course. What I mean is, if you have 5 trucks, but are forced to layoff a driver, you can't keep 5 trucks, you have to sell one of them. So, a semi is getting said goodbye to and 2 10-wheelers.

I dunno. I was just glad to see that there was some sort of actual numbers coming into our store today. The boss had to let go of one delivery - which sucked, but what are you going to do? I'm the only driver and he can't take off - he has to run the store. I'm ALL for taking every single delivery that comes our way. But, I was making a delivery to Williams Gateway Airport and then to a jobsite in Casa Grande, and then back to Phoenix for pickups and then back to the yard. No time for a 3rd delivery. Oh, I forgot about the flat tire on the trailer - had to stop and get that fixed, too.

Anyway, it wasn't bad news about the trucks - our store is keeping the semi so no big deal to me. We couldn't get along without a semi. Sure, there are plenty of smaller deliveries, but there are also plenty of deliveries that only a semi can carry. Perhaps you could make multiple trips with a smaller truck - but then you are dooming yourself to losing money by both having to pay for fuel and man-hours for more than one trip and also possibly losing another delivery because you're caught up trying to get everything to a jobsite in 2 or even 3 deliveries worth. And then there's the 40 foot long pipe we deliver. That simply can't go on a small truck.

It was very cool this morning - which always puzzles me later on in the day - ie: right now because it's very warm and the AC is running.

I guess I'm saying that right now? I'm tired and I think I"m going to take a nap. I could get used to having these busy days again on a permanent basis - the energy spent is awesome!

C'yall later (or tomorrow).
ben

Wednesday

What a day! Downtown to pick up 40 foot sticks of HDPE pipe; Coolidge to deliver it; Florence to deliver yet even more pipe; back downtown to pick up MORE pipe and fittings for a delivery tomorrow.

That cashed the entire day. I have been going since 5:30 this morning and just now am finally able to slow down and take a break.

I'm definitely not complaining. Today's deliveries were small in terms of the money, but tomorrow looks to be a 35k day, which in these times, is quite good. The funny thing about tomorrow's deliveries was the boss's call about it. I had already pulled most of an order for tomorrow - a 20k order - this morning before I left. I can't show up to work and take off anymore in one of the trucks - there are only 2 of us running the store. My boss shows up later than I do, usually at least by an hour-and-a-half while he goes downtown to pick up parts and does whatever running around that needs to be done. So - if there are orders to pull - even for a week away, that's what I will do until the boss gets there and then I take off.

Anyway, he calls and is sounding hesitant about a second order that came through. Close to 15k worth, let's do it. I'm all for saving my job, anyone else? The more money that comes through that store, the greater potential that corporate might keep it open and - I don't get laid off. It also sounded like yet another order might be put into the system for our store tommorrow - as I say, the more the merrier. Get the number to an even minimal level is better than the stuff I've seen for the last 2 months, the lowest numbers that store has put out since it opened, I think.

Well, anyway, I took part of my break time after I made the 2 deliveries and was heading downtown to pick up a roll of fabric in Gilbert. A lady had it advertised on Craigslist. It took me all of 10 minutes to execute that - and I was very happy with the fabric as well. It's a southwest decor and there is enough there to cover at least the entire area of the sliding glass doors - in attaching it to styrofoam sheets. C'mon, styrofoam sheets would like so very tacky, more like trailer trashish, I just wasn't going to do it like that if I didn't have to. I don't even have the styrofoam yet, but I hope to get it in the next week or so. I just can't haul it home on my car - it would tear apart in the wind and try to come off the roof of the car even if I have it tied down well.

Anyway - I have always loved long days at work where there is no time to do anything but keep on moving. The day passes quickly and it's over before you know what happened to it.

Here? Nothing at the moment. My Leopard dog was, for whatever reason, very happy to see me come home today. She was dancing around and jumping up and down and going hot crazy. I thought maybe she had gotten into something, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The weekly grocery ads came today - and I'm gonna kick back and takalookit them.

Hope you all had a great day!
ben

Tuesday

Well, we did a little bit in terms of deliveries today - but hardly enough to say it was a great day in terms of sales. It isn't really affecting anything - yet anyway - in terms of too few people - all 2 of us - in order to get everything done. Costs are continuing to be cut at every corner. I won't be surprised when the free coffee is taken away. I drink a pot a day - regardless of whether it's hot or cold outside. I will either have to buy my own for work if/when that happens - or try to quit altogether. The latter doesn't sound particularly fun.

It's pretty warm outside right now. It's 90 degrees right now and obviously, I have to run the AC in such conditions.

My thoughts are running rampant in the area of how to survive all this mess. I am EVER so tempted to just pay off that loan and then take out as much as I can in a new one. Not so I can blow it, but so I can have some money in case of a dire emergency - such as getting laid off. I hope that doesn't happen, but I certainly have no guarantees. I also need to buy more stuff for outside to block the sun from hitting the house. As warm as it is right now - the sun is greatly heating the kitchen area by ramming it's heat through the sliding glass door. The thermostat is all of 16 feet away from that door, directly in line with it. It's just a waste to let the sun continue to come in like that and not do anything to block it out.

I just have no real direction right now - which is usually a pretty good sign to really seek the Lord and ask for His direction. I don't want to do something that will blow up in my face.

Anyway, I have more but I have been draining myself lately in the thought department and would like to go take a little nap.
Later.
ben