Okay, so I was going through a series of pics posted online and got to one with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup - you know, the stuff that is used to make chocolate milk? This particular bottle says +Calcium at the top above it's name. A close up of the ingredients label shows 0% calcium, lol.
Whatever. 8 hours of work and then vacation. This work week has really dragged, like sucking badly dragging. This is the end of the month and our numbers are wayyyyy down.
Whatever. Work will be the last thing on my mind - actually, I will let it escape my mind almost entirely - for the next 9 days after I get out of there today. I did order some CB antennas for the new truck, found a smoking deal for them on Ebay and they should be here any day now. I may go there on my own time after hours and install those antennas myself and save myself the installation fee. It will mean taking apart numerous things in side that truck and probably a couple hours worth.
Received the title to my car yesterday in the mail. That was it. No 'thank you for being our customer" type of thing from Wells Fargo, the bank I love to hate, just the title and that was it. Not that I minded getting the title, just an observation. It won't be long and all kinds of offers will start pouring in from local dealerships. I don't know how they get that information, perhaps the bank sells it, but I know that when you pay off a car, you start getting offers of "highest trade in allowance", yada yada.
I don't trade in vehicles, car dealers are thieves, you will lose that vehicle and any amount it was worth in their sneaky deals. I have no intention of getting a new or used vehicle in the near future unless the car takes a dive. Even if it does, cheaper to fix it even if a new tranny or something than to buy a new vehicle. I am putting my faith and hope out there that I have a LOT more miles left on that vehicle. Maybe some repairs here and there, well and fine, but right now, I do NOT want to get into another vehicle payment, especially during the hot summer months when my electric bill skyrockets and it's all I could do in the last 5 years to make all the payments and cover electricity bill.
So there. For whatever unexplained reason, my auto insurance premium has come down yet another $25 per month without my asking for it. That's 2 cars and 2 drivers, one car has full coverage and one driver is under the age of 25. That's a pretty good rate for that kind of baggage. I'll take whatever savings I can get. It will be the first month that I won't have to fork out a car payment in a long, looooong, looooooooooong time and that will feel pretty good.
Not to mention a little later on this year, my contract with Verizon will be toast and I am considering moving to a different company for internet service. They can't be any worse than the trouble I"ve had with Verizon. That device doesn't work some of the time and to call Verizon is like calling a dead horse in the middle of a desert without a phone. I tried that once and decided I wasn't up for that challenge. Yet. I did get a new hotspot out of it and the service worked MUCH better after getting it, but still.
Anyway, time to head to work.
G'day.
ben
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Countdown to vacation: 2 full work days, including today.
Though "full" is hardly a good description of work in the last several weeks.
More like "boring". There is only so much cleaning and fill-in-the-gap type of work you can do before you -
have nothing left to do.
And so it has, or has been anyway.
It very well could change next month, who knows. Contractors usually start up new projects at the beginning of a month, in terms of ordering large amounts of materials.
I have not heard back from my dad, apparently he doesn't want discuss his situation further with me. All well and fine, but the "boy who cried wolf" sympathies are going to start to disappear. I will support him, of course, in whatever he may be going through, but reacting to the thought of "my dad's out on the streets" will not occur again unless it actually goes ON for a few days, at least. Which I am sure it will - her kicking him out again. I still don't understand a person that would want to remain in a relationship where the other half has asked you to leave "hundreds" of times, but again, that is not really my business.
I have no idea how much Caleb has raised - if anything beyond what I have given him - for his stint in Hawaii. I haven't asked him yet, either. I don't feel it my place to badger him about it, he has to have his own faith in God for the Lord to come through. I have given 10% towards it - which is about all I could afford anyway - and that's my involvement with it besides praying and believing along with him that the entire $3,500 will, in whatever way, come through. He has sent out a mass of letters all over the place, what the fruit of that labor is, yet to be determined. In reality, he probably could have just gone and gotten a job somewhere and acquired that money in the next couple of months, but he is going to the Salvation Army youth camp instead. They do pay him for that endeavor, I have no idea how much. I also have no idea whether he is planning on saving that money or not - he doesn't really need money up there, they cover his place to sleep and all meals. But, having the kind of discipline it takes to not spend money is another matter entirely.
Whatever the case, another work day en-queue. I can only hope there is enough in the system to keep me busy for 8 hours - definitely no OT in these days until work picks back up again (and frankly, since vacation is 2 days off, I won't care if there IS no OT in the next 2 work periods).
G'day.
ben
Though "full" is hardly a good description of work in the last several weeks.
More like "boring". There is only so much cleaning and fill-in-the-gap type of work you can do before you -
have nothing left to do.
And so it has, or has been anyway.
It very well could change next month, who knows. Contractors usually start up new projects at the beginning of a month, in terms of ordering large amounts of materials.
I have not heard back from my dad, apparently he doesn't want discuss his situation further with me. All well and fine, but the "boy who cried wolf" sympathies are going to start to disappear. I will support him, of course, in whatever he may be going through, but reacting to the thought of "my dad's out on the streets" will not occur again unless it actually goes ON for a few days, at least. Which I am sure it will - her kicking him out again. I still don't understand a person that would want to remain in a relationship where the other half has asked you to leave "hundreds" of times, but again, that is not really my business.
I have no idea how much Caleb has raised - if anything beyond what I have given him - for his stint in Hawaii. I haven't asked him yet, either. I don't feel it my place to badger him about it, he has to have his own faith in God for the Lord to come through. I have given 10% towards it - which is about all I could afford anyway - and that's my involvement with it besides praying and believing along with him that the entire $3,500 will, in whatever way, come through. He has sent out a mass of letters all over the place, what the fruit of that labor is, yet to be determined. In reality, he probably could have just gone and gotten a job somewhere and acquired that money in the next couple of months, but he is going to the Salvation Army youth camp instead. They do pay him for that endeavor, I have no idea how much. I also have no idea whether he is planning on saving that money or not - he doesn't really need money up there, they cover his place to sleep and all meals. But, having the kind of discipline it takes to not spend money is another matter entirely.
Whatever the case, another work day en-queue. I can only hope there is enough in the system to keep me busy for 8 hours - definitely no OT in these days until work picks back up again (and frankly, since vacation is 2 days off, I won't care if there IS no OT in the next 2 work periods).
G'day.
ben
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday. Can hardly say work week is "flying" by considering we have very little to do. The days start out with deliveries but peter out by the end. Meaning 8 hours only and that's that.
OH well - and really glad I decided to take off time when I did. 3 more work days including today and I get my week off.
Just gotta get there!
No stunning revelations in this entry, just lamenting about work and the lack of it. Oh, well I am still doing pushups and still doing some bench pressing and stuff. Nothing too intense, just not wanting my body to turn into a giant blob of goo.
That is something that really concerns me as I see my friends and co-workers age - people near my age - and getting considerably heavier as the years pile up behind us. It's so easy to let your body go and just not work out. The next thing you know, you are wearing size 40 pants or larger and having to go to those big and tall men stores to cloth yourself.
No thanks. If at all possible, going to try to remain at least somewhat fit and the only way I know of to do that is to work out. My work outs will continue to grow in duration and intensity as I get back into it.
Anyway, time to be off to work.
ben
OH well - and really glad I decided to take off time when I did. 3 more work days including today and I get my week off.
Just gotta get there!
No stunning revelations in this entry, just lamenting about work and the lack of it. Oh, well I am still doing pushups and still doing some bench pressing and stuff. Nothing too intense, just not wanting my body to turn into a giant blob of goo.
That is something that really concerns me as I see my friends and co-workers age - people near my age - and getting considerably heavier as the years pile up behind us. It's so easy to let your body go and just not work out. The next thing you know, you are wearing size 40 pants or larger and having to go to those big and tall men stores to cloth yourself.
No thanks. If at all possible, going to try to remain at least somewhat fit and the only way I know of to do that is to work out. My work outs will continue to grow in duration and intensity as I get back into it.
Anyway, time to be off to work.
ben
So, Tuesday's Monday.
Just plain tired, woke up in the middle of the night and it took a couple of hours to get back to sleep.
Nothing new there. Perhaps my vacation should just be to get out of Dodge and find a place to kick back, sleep, rest, do nothing. Preferably out of the house. Perhaps something different than the mountain retreat. Though it is nice up there and I have the bedroom in the thing fitted with an extremely comfortable queen sized bed mattress.
This is going to be one of those decide-when-the-time-gets-here type of things. The real point of the vacation is to simply not have to go to work for a week, what I don't or don't do are fairly irrelevant.
As for my dad's situation, he wrote back and said that during the day she kicked him out, he had gone around looking for a home to rent. He was then eating at a grill somewhere when she - his wife - called him up and asked him to come home. She has done this literally "hundreds" of time, according to my dad.
So, he went "home". Personally, I wouldn't call it home where a woman feels it prudent to throw her husband out on a whim's notice whenever - whatever happens - happens - and she decides she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. And nothing makes up for her son intervening in this situation - in a very bad way IMO - and telling my dad it's time for him to leave. That guy can go piss off. A statement I would love to tell that man to his face.
Whatever. Just ranting here, if my dad voluntarily continues to subject himself to this kind of treatment, there isn't anything that I can say or do that will help this situation, he's made his choices and that's that. I have no doubt, however, that some time in the future and probably near future, he will be writing once again to everyone that he's been kicked out.
Rancid sales this month. At work that is. I mean, really low, to the point that OT is pretty much non-existent. 2:00 - 2:30 comes around and I'm off the clock. That is, however, better than the 3 plus years I was required to get off the clock after only 7 hours of work at 1:00 - 1:30. Hopefully sales will pick back up and we can "go to work" again and get at least 10 hours of OT on each paycheck. It helps immensely.
Just plain tired, woke up in the middle of the night and it took a couple of hours to get back to sleep.
Nothing new there. Perhaps my vacation should just be to get out of Dodge and find a place to kick back, sleep, rest, do nothing. Preferably out of the house. Perhaps something different than the mountain retreat. Though it is nice up there and I have the bedroom in the thing fitted with an extremely comfortable queen sized bed mattress.
This is going to be one of those decide-when-the-time-gets-here type of things. The real point of the vacation is to simply not have to go to work for a week, what I don't or don't do are fairly irrelevant.
As for my dad's situation, he wrote back and said that during the day she kicked him out, he had gone around looking for a home to rent. He was then eating at a grill somewhere when she - his wife - called him up and asked him to come home. She has done this literally "hundreds" of time, according to my dad.
So, he went "home". Personally, I wouldn't call it home where a woman feels it prudent to throw her husband out on a whim's notice whenever - whatever happens - happens - and she decides she doesn't want anything to do with him anymore. And nothing makes up for her son intervening in this situation - in a very bad way IMO - and telling my dad it's time for him to leave. That guy can go piss off. A statement I would love to tell that man to his face.
Whatever. Just ranting here, if my dad voluntarily continues to subject himself to this kind of treatment, there isn't anything that I can say or do that will help this situation, he's made his choices and that's that. I have no doubt, however, that some time in the future and probably near future, he will be writing once again to everyone that he's been kicked out.
Rancid sales this month. At work that is. I mean, really low, to the point that OT is pretty much non-existent. 2:00 - 2:30 comes around and I'm off the clock. That is, however, better than the 3 plus years I was required to get off the clock after only 7 hours of work at 1:00 - 1:30. Hopefully sales will pick back up and we can "go to work" again and get at least 10 hours of OT on each paycheck. It helps immensely.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Pissed.
That's my mind at the moment.
I got into the email account that has mostly family stuff going on with it to find an email from my Uncle in Florida.
In that email were the emails previous to it. A LONG series of emails between my dad and his brothers, sisters and whoever else that is on his list.
Reading through all of it, I find out his "wife" has told him to leave once again. At this point, this is not shocking news. I have heard this several times now and personally, I wonder why he has stuck around this long. But, everyone has different ways of dealing with things. I already went through a bad enough marriage, I would definitely not be sticking around for another one if it went that direction and it became obvious over time that nothing was going to heal it.
What got me flaming, however, is the fact that this woman brought one of her sons down for the 3 day weekend to effectively help her throw him out. In one of my dad's emails, I read that she and her son - Rod - were having a loud discussion in the living room about "how bad and awful a husband he is". Right there, while my dad is just in the next room. Then this guy has the balls to come up to my dad - 86 years old - and "inform" him of what is happening here: you are being thrown out. The dude is in his early 50's.
I cannot convey the seething anger that crept into me after reading all of this. What business does that guy have sticking his nose into that situation? What kind of woman would bring her offspring in to do her dirty work for her? This is Arizona, she can't legally just throw him out, the house is community property. He can agree to do so if he wants, but these people are just giving him the shaft and he will like it, apparently, at least according to them.
I wrote my dad and told him I would be more than happy to come down there and help "mitigate" this situation. If he wants to allow himself to be trampled on, then be my guest. If he wants help, I'm all over it. He NEEDS to get out of there, IMO, just the way they are doing it is what is really grinding me. I can pretty much say that a part of my vacation coming up is going to be spent down there helping my dad do whatever needs to be done. He has some sort of realty professional driving him around to help him find a place to live.
It's probably a good idea if I don't get involved with what is going on in that house at the moment, I don't really know if I will be able to contain my emotions in such a situation. If it were just her and him going at it and that's it, that's one thing. I just cannot believe the audacity of bringing one's own son in to literally throw an old man out on the street. If my parents ever asked me to do such a thing, I would absolutely refuse unless it was an extremely abusive situation and even then, I would be very hesitant. I know my dad, he is on the complete opposite end of the "abuse" scale. He is a lifelong Methodist minister, he is well known in the area he lives for his charity work and his giving nature.
Whatever. He hasn't written me back and the tones I had in my email to him probably weren't of such that he would be interested in the "mitigation" help anyway. But, after he finds a place I can help him get settled in and do whatever needs to be done to get the place livable.
And hopefully after getting some time behind me, I can get beyond my own anger and just let it go. It's my family, my kin, that's all, I just can't stand to see such things happening to people, much more to my own dad.
_________________________________
That's it, for that. Just needed to write it out and get it out of me. I can't allow myself to cave into near-barbaric desires to do things that are not a part of a civilized society, not that I would anyway, but just have to deal with the turmoil that occurs within. We are all guilty at some point in our lives of treating others in ways we probably shouldn't have, so it is in this situation. I can only offer my dad help if he wants it and that's that.
That's my mind at the moment.
I got into the email account that has mostly family stuff going on with it to find an email from my Uncle in Florida.
In that email were the emails previous to it. A LONG series of emails between my dad and his brothers, sisters and whoever else that is on his list.
Reading through all of it, I find out his "wife" has told him to leave once again. At this point, this is not shocking news. I have heard this several times now and personally, I wonder why he has stuck around this long. But, everyone has different ways of dealing with things. I already went through a bad enough marriage, I would definitely not be sticking around for another one if it went that direction and it became obvious over time that nothing was going to heal it.
What got me flaming, however, is the fact that this woman brought one of her sons down for the 3 day weekend to effectively help her throw him out. In one of my dad's emails, I read that she and her son - Rod - were having a loud discussion in the living room about "how bad and awful a husband he is". Right there, while my dad is just in the next room. Then this guy has the balls to come up to my dad - 86 years old - and "inform" him of what is happening here: you are being thrown out. The dude is in his early 50's.
I cannot convey the seething anger that crept into me after reading all of this. What business does that guy have sticking his nose into that situation? What kind of woman would bring her offspring in to do her dirty work for her? This is Arizona, she can't legally just throw him out, the house is community property. He can agree to do so if he wants, but these people are just giving him the shaft and he will like it, apparently, at least according to them.
I wrote my dad and told him I would be more than happy to come down there and help "mitigate" this situation. If he wants to allow himself to be trampled on, then be my guest. If he wants help, I'm all over it. He NEEDS to get out of there, IMO, just the way they are doing it is what is really grinding me. I can pretty much say that a part of my vacation coming up is going to be spent down there helping my dad do whatever needs to be done. He has some sort of realty professional driving him around to help him find a place to live.
It's probably a good idea if I don't get involved with what is going on in that house at the moment, I don't really know if I will be able to contain my emotions in such a situation. If it were just her and him going at it and that's it, that's one thing. I just cannot believe the audacity of bringing one's own son in to literally throw an old man out on the street. If my parents ever asked me to do such a thing, I would absolutely refuse unless it was an extremely abusive situation and even then, I would be very hesitant. I know my dad, he is on the complete opposite end of the "abuse" scale. He is a lifelong Methodist minister, he is well known in the area he lives for his charity work and his giving nature.
Whatever. He hasn't written me back and the tones I had in my email to him probably weren't of such that he would be interested in the "mitigation" help anyway. But, after he finds a place I can help him get settled in and do whatever needs to be done to get the place livable.
And hopefully after getting some time behind me, I can get beyond my own anger and just let it go. It's my family, my kin, that's all, I just can't stand to see such things happening to people, much more to my own dad.
_________________________________
That's it, for that. Just needed to write it out and get it out of me. I can't allow myself to cave into near-barbaric desires to do things that are not a part of a civilized society, not that I would anyway, but just have to deal with the turmoil that occurs within. We are all guilty at some point in our lives of treating others in ways we probably shouldn't have, so it is in this situation. I can only offer my dad help if he wants it and that's that.
I started this yesterday and didn't finish it, just posting it and then a new one.
No work tomorrow, then a 4 day work week, then start 9 days off of work.
That's what I'm talking about.
I have not done anything with my front pond in terms of restocking it with fish since whatever happened last summer that caused all the fish in it to die, sans the mosquito eaters which apparently can live through just about anything. The pump died in that pond but I felt no need to replace it since there are no fish in it besides the mosquito eaters and since there ARE mosquito eaters in there, the water won't become a festering grounds for mosquitoes.
Which it hasn't. It doesn't smell bad, either, but that's probably because I have to refill it frequently. It goes down a couple inches, fill it back up. But I decided it was time to get a new pump for it and then decide whether to put fish back into it - or not. Figure to look on Craigslist and start perusing for ponds shutting down. People either give the fish away or sell them very cheap.
What am I going to do with 9 days off? I haven't decided. I am still weighing a trip to LV with all the freebies I can get - or waiting until August when it is planned. I dunno. Tough decision. I will undoubtedly spend a few days up north at mom's property. She won't be there, apparently it's cold and windy up there and has been cold and windy up there since she got up there. I called her today - wanted her to take alookit the sky - Mercury, Jupiter and Comet all aligned in a triangle formation low in the western sky, pretty cool looking and they say will be a long time before you can see that again. I dunno, it might be visible again tomorrow evening as well.
I don't mind the cold, she does. She has to come back and get the roof on her house in Sun City replaced so I will have the place to myself - though she is leaving me a "to-do" list while I am up there, lol.
I believe I will be going to pastor's house tomorrow where everyone has been invited to come and have Memorial Day BBQ. I have read some scathing rebukes from people who are against having BBQ's on Memorial Day, attempting to state that it defeats the purpose of the day. Give me a break. You can be rest assured that if I go to this BBQ, I will be bringing up the subject of past wars and the sacrifices that have been made. There is nothing better I can think of than a group of people coming together for a celebration of the lives that our fallen-war heroes who gave it all for the freedoms we enjoy. This is not something I take lightly and for someone to pass a blanket-judgement? Well, I can only say that I have also been guilty of such concerning other things and I was probably off on those occasions as much as these people are off on this issue.
No work tomorrow, then a 4 day work week, then start 9 days off of work.
That's what I'm talking about.
I have not done anything with my front pond in terms of restocking it with fish since whatever happened last summer that caused all the fish in it to die, sans the mosquito eaters which apparently can live through just about anything. The pump died in that pond but I felt no need to replace it since there are no fish in it besides the mosquito eaters and since there ARE mosquito eaters in there, the water won't become a festering grounds for mosquitoes.
Which it hasn't. It doesn't smell bad, either, but that's probably because I have to refill it frequently. It goes down a couple inches, fill it back up. But I decided it was time to get a new pump for it and then decide whether to put fish back into it - or not. Figure to look on Craigslist and start perusing for ponds shutting down. People either give the fish away or sell them very cheap.
What am I going to do with 9 days off? I haven't decided. I am still weighing a trip to LV with all the freebies I can get - or waiting until August when it is planned. I dunno. Tough decision. I will undoubtedly spend a few days up north at mom's property. She won't be there, apparently it's cold and windy up there and has been cold and windy up there since she got up there. I called her today - wanted her to take alookit the sky - Mercury, Jupiter and Comet all aligned in a triangle formation low in the western sky, pretty cool looking and they say will be a long time before you can see that again. I dunno, it might be visible again tomorrow evening as well.
I don't mind the cold, she does. She has to come back and get the roof on her house in Sun City replaced so I will have the place to myself - though she is leaving me a "to-do" list while I am up there, lol.
I believe I will be going to pastor's house tomorrow where everyone has been invited to come and have Memorial Day BBQ. I have read some scathing rebukes from people who are against having BBQ's on Memorial Day, attempting to state that it defeats the purpose of the day. Give me a break. You can be rest assured that if I go to this BBQ, I will be bringing up the subject of past wars and the sacrifices that have been made. There is nothing better I can think of than a group of people coming together for a celebration of the lives that our fallen-war heroes who gave it all for the freedoms we enjoy. This is not something I take lightly and for someone to pass a blanket-judgement? Well, I can only say that I have also been guilty of such concerning other things and I was probably off on those occasions as much as these people are off on this issue.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Programmable Thermostat
Can I just say before delving into this subject, that it really sucks losing your keen eyesight to age and being forced to wear reading glasses to read any form of fine print? I thought so.
Cause' the instructions that came with this thermostat? About 6 point print. I couldn't read a word of it. All a blur to me. A year ago I could read that, now it's just a done deal. I know, it's a part of growing older, who cares, that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Well it turns out the instruction book that I have is in Spanish. I know some Spanish, yes, but there is no way I am going to attempt to figure out something like this in a language that I don't know that well. Fortunately for me, there are 2 pages in English easily found online from the company that manufactures it.
However, the instruction manual? Ridiculous. Horrendous. I don't know where they get these people from that write up these manuals. Outer Space would be giving them too much. Aliens from another planet would be complementing them. Sludge from the bottom of the ocean would be giving them more credit and intelligence allowance than due.
I read, then re-read, then tried it, then sat down and re-read, until I finally just got on the thermostat panel and experimented until I got it. Screw the manual. The thing is set up into 4 time zones during the day: morning, day, evening and night. I did not set them all the same. I want it cool at night, I don't care in the morning or daytime during the work week and in the evening a mix between the night setting and the rest of them. So, 78, 77 and 76 are my temp ranges and yes, this will save me money during the summer months.
_____________________________________________________
The people the next street over are back at it again. Playing music so loud, you'd think I had a stereo set up in my back yard. This time, however, I was not going to let it go. I called the non-emergency number of the Phoenix Police department and - well anyway. I asked to speak to the sargeant in my district - whoever that is - and apparently several of them so who knows which one you are going to speak to - and got a very unbelievably rude person that continued to interrupt me several times over - and no, I did NOT interrupt her.
After enough of it, I just asked for her supervisor - yet another contentious person who was also prone to interrupting and asking why I called even though I had told her several times over - and then got the head of that department's name. This situation is not going to continue on without some kind of input to the person that is over all of this.
Anyway, a sergeant did eventually call me and at the same time the sergeant called me, Phoenix Police showed up. I pointed to the next street over and asked them to go over there where the source of the noise is coming from. While on the phone with the sergeant about the last time I called - several times over an 8 or 9 hour period starting on the evening of May 4th going on until well into daylight of May 5th - I asked him why, exactly, the police didn't do more than simply ask them to turn it down after the second or third visit there?
This went on and on, but I will say that while I was on the phone, the music was either turned completely off or turned down so low that I couldn't hear it, thanks to them going over there. We ended this call - I was being polite to the man and respectful, I mean, one of their own was just killed the other day in a hit and run situation - which doesn't mean I wouldn't be polite and respectful anyway, I understand they have a stressful job - with him promising to call me back tomorrow afternoon and if they turn the music back up after the police leave, to make sure and call again.
Of course. If I can't sleep because of someone else's noise, I'm going to call. We don't have a HOA here - there ARE advantages to having them and this kind of situation would be one of them - so the only recourse, legally anyway, is to call the police.
Enough.
Cause' the instructions that came with this thermostat? About 6 point print. I couldn't read a word of it. All a blur to me. A year ago I could read that, now it's just a done deal. I know, it's a part of growing older, who cares, that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Well it turns out the instruction book that I have is in Spanish. I know some Spanish, yes, but there is no way I am going to attempt to figure out something like this in a language that I don't know that well. Fortunately for me, there are 2 pages in English easily found online from the company that manufactures it.
However, the instruction manual? Ridiculous. Horrendous. I don't know where they get these people from that write up these manuals. Outer Space would be giving them too much. Aliens from another planet would be complementing them. Sludge from the bottom of the ocean would be giving them more credit and intelligence allowance than due.
I read, then re-read, then tried it, then sat down and re-read, until I finally just got on the thermostat panel and experimented until I got it. Screw the manual. The thing is set up into 4 time zones during the day: morning, day, evening and night. I did not set them all the same. I want it cool at night, I don't care in the morning or daytime during the work week and in the evening a mix between the night setting and the rest of them. So, 78, 77 and 76 are my temp ranges and yes, this will save me money during the summer months.
_____________________________________________________
The people the next street over are back at it again. Playing music so loud, you'd think I had a stereo set up in my back yard. This time, however, I was not going to let it go. I called the non-emergency number of the Phoenix Police department and - well anyway. I asked to speak to the sargeant in my district - whoever that is - and apparently several of them so who knows which one you are going to speak to - and got a very unbelievably rude person that continued to interrupt me several times over - and no, I did NOT interrupt her.
After enough of it, I just asked for her supervisor - yet another contentious person who was also prone to interrupting and asking why I called even though I had told her several times over - and then got the head of that department's name. This situation is not going to continue on without some kind of input to the person that is over all of this.
Anyway, a sergeant did eventually call me and at the same time the sergeant called me, Phoenix Police showed up. I pointed to the next street over and asked them to go over there where the source of the noise is coming from. While on the phone with the sergeant about the last time I called - several times over an 8 or 9 hour period starting on the evening of May 4th going on until well into daylight of May 5th - I asked him why, exactly, the police didn't do more than simply ask them to turn it down after the second or third visit there?
This went on and on, but I will say that while I was on the phone, the music was either turned completely off or turned down so low that I couldn't hear it, thanks to them going over there. We ended this call - I was being polite to the man and respectful, I mean, one of their own was just killed the other day in a hit and run situation - which doesn't mean I wouldn't be polite and respectful anyway, I understand they have a stressful job - with him promising to call me back tomorrow afternoon and if they turn the music back up after the police leave, to make sure and call again.
Of course. If I can't sleep because of someone else's noise, I'm going to call. We don't have a HOA here - there ARE advantages to having them and this kind of situation would be one of them - so the only recourse, legally anyway, is to call the police.
Enough.
Memorial Day Weekend
So, let's not forget the reason why we have this paid holiday off on Monday: to remember our fallen war heroes that served our nation's military so that the American public can enjoy the great freedoms that we have today. My gratitude and thanks to every one of those individuals, to those who fought and survived and are still with us and to those who are in active military status, regardless of where you are or what you are doing.
Without them, this nation could well be an annexation of Germany or the great state of Japan. Of course there were many other wars and one that is still on-going, but those 2 were the biggest game-changers in American history, sans the Civil War. Hats off to all of our military personnel, everywhere, whether in the grave or still with us and to those families that have had to endure such great hardship in the face of a loved one that will never come home or for those that are out somewhere in this world. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten.
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Just wanted to get that out there. I can't even imagine what this world would be like right now if Hitler had managed to pull it all off or if Japan would have won.
As for this weekend, I have absolutely no plans, whatsoever. I have spent all the money that I intended to spend with that loan and now am down to around what I figured I would have left over after doing all of that. Money well spent, as far as I'm concerned and at least enough of a cushion to deal with come-what-may - hopefully nothing will come what may but who knows.
Well, when I say no plans I suppose that's not entirely true. I just have no grand plans. I am probably taking my son out to see Star Trek today, that if he doesn't get involved with something else. I am definitely going to Home Depot to buy either Ornamec or Grass B Gone - 2 products that allegedly kill grass without killing everything else around it. I am really tired of pulling grass and just having it grow back. Or even watering the areas until they are muddy and digging well down, getting roots and STILL have that stuff grow back. This is one more trick in the arsenal to try. The other trick I am already actively pursuing, but it will be a long time before those ground covering plants will take over all the area that needs it covered. Those plants grow so dense that grass cannot grow up through it.
I am guessing some war movies on some channel on TV, might watch one or two of those. Hopefully some of the classics will be showing.
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Trip to Home Depot completed and initial application of grass killer executed. Applied around plants that if killed, are not mature plants and be replaced without great loss. So, come what may, we'll see what happens. If it kills the grass and it's roots, mission accomplished. If it doesn't kill the shrubs and flowering plants as the bottle directions say it won't, mission success.
My Queensland Bottle Tree has taken a new twist. Instead of a straight up trunk, it has now sent out multiple stems in angled-up direction with multiple leaves on each stem. I am watering it every day in hopes to see some increased growth this summer growing season.
That's it. I have accomplished some, but not that much today but then again, I didn't set out to much of anything today. I'm only 5 work days away from a full week off from work. Well, make that 9 full days counting 2 weekends. : )
Without them, this nation could well be an annexation of Germany or the great state of Japan. Of course there were many other wars and one that is still on-going, but those 2 were the biggest game-changers in American history, sans the Civil War. Hats off to all of our military personnel, everywhere, whether in the grave or still with us and to those families that have had to endure such great hardship in the face of a loved one that will never come home or for those that are out somewhere in this world. Your sacrifices will never be forgotten.
________________________________________________________
Just wanted to get that out there. I can't even imagine what this world would be like right now if Hitler had managed to pull it all off or if Japan would have won.
As for this weekend, I have absolutely no plans, whatsoever. I have spent all the money that I intended to spend with that loan and now am down to around what I figured I would have left over after doing all of that. Money well spent, as far as I'm concerned and at least enough of a cushion to deal with come-what-may - hopefully nothing will come what may but who knows.
Well, when I say no plans I suppose that's not entirely true. I just have no grand plans. I am probably taking my son out to see Star Trek today, that if he doesn't get involved with something else. I am definitely going to Home Depot to buy either Ornamec or Grass B Gone - 2 products that allegedly kill grass without killing everything else around it. I am really tired of pulling grass and just having it grow back. Or even watering the areas until they are muddy and digging well down, getting roots and STILL have that stuff grow back. This is one more trick in the arsenal to try. The other trick I am already actively pursuing, but it will be a long time before those ground covering plants will take over all the area that needs it covered. Those plants grow so dense that grass cannot grow up through it.
I am guessing some war movies on some channel on TV, might watch one or two of those. Hopefully some of the classics will be showing.
___________________
Trip to Home Depot completed and initial application of grass killer executed. Applied around plants that if killed, are not mature plants and be replaced without great loss. So, come what may, we'll see what happens. If it kills the grass and it's roots, mission accomplished. If it doesn't kill the shrubs and flowering plants as the bottle directions say it won't, mission success.
My Queensland Bottle Tree has taken a new twist. Instead of a straight up trunk, it has now sent out multiple stems in angled-up direction with multiple leaves on each stem. I am watering it every day in hopes to see some increased growth this summer growing season.
That's it. I have accomplished some, but not that much today but then again, I didn't set out to much of anything today. I'm only 5 work days away from a full week off from work. Well, make that 9 full days counting 2 weekends. : )
Francis And Sons Car Wash Company - Steer Clear!!
There is nothing like posting a review of a company on a blog that any Google search will find, so here it is:
"I'll just be blunt here: Francis & Sons car wash near Arizona Avenue and Ray road totally sucks. I took a company vehicle in there to get it washed and get the interior cleaned, they wanted $30 for it. Okay. I specifically asked if they were going to clean the inside of the vehicle to which the supervisor said yes. While waiting for them to get done with it, I asked them about getting the interior of my car detailed - $119 for full service interior detail, but they gave it to me for $100 pre-pay (I would not be bringing it back until the next day). Well, when I went to get the company pickup after they said it was done, the markings they put on the windows were still on it. I looked inside the truck and they had done NOTHING to it. I asked the guy that was "cleaning" it and he said that would have to be an interior detail. No, I said, they told me it was going to be cleaned at least. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked off.
The next day, I bring my car in to leave there for the day while I am at work. They sell me the exterior detail package for half the posted price. Call me a sucker, but the exterior was in needing of a good buffing and wax job as well. Just paid the car off and wanted to get it looking nice again. I come back some 8 hours later, they pull the car up and I started looking at it. The road tar was still all over the bottom of the bottom portions of the car on both sides of it. There were places on the paint where you could see they missed the wax or "sealant" as they called it. I brought this to the guy's attention who started to try and clean the tar off.
At this point, I am starting to get pissed. What kind of place charges $175 for a total interior and exterior detail and doesn't even get the freaking tar off the paint?!! I mean, in terms of complete details, it's a good price compared with most other places, but if it doesn't look any or much different than when you took it in there, it isn't worthy ANYTHING. These people could have cared less. A crew of employees that are about as interested in making the customer happy as a detonated nuclear bomb is about keeping people alive. The attitudes were outrageous. I called for a manager. I showed him spot after spot after spot of tar and asked him what, exactly, they had done to my vehicle - besides giving it a run through the car wash. I point to a huge tar spot and he attempts to claim it was "scratches in the paint". BULLSHIT!!! was my unreserved reply (sorry for the French, but this place utterly pissed me off and I at least will have my say on a forum such s this one and hope that others are spared the grief of spending money at a place that does NOT deserve to be in business). I'm sorry sir, let me take the car and we will buff it out "again". Yeah, right dude, as if you buffed it out the first time.
I waited another hour. I sat down inside and an elderly couple came in and sat down next to me, we got into a conversation about this place. The lady stated that the level of customer service and quality had gone down considerably over time. Yeah, I don't know how they did in the past, I can tell you that right now, this place has serious issues.
Well, this guy comes back in and I go out to inspect the car. The "scratches" that that idiot had pointed out before were gone. Gee, didn't know you could buff out such huge scratches - cause' they weren't scratches at all! There was STILL an area on the hood where it was clearly obvious they had not applied the sealant. I gave up. Live and learn. The place is a rotten, the employees could care less, they are going to charge you for services that they do not perform. The only reason I got anything done is because I got mad and got right in that "manager's" face. All the tar was removed on the second time around, but..............
I just left. After inspecting the interior of my vehicle - they did a great job on the carpet cleaning, they did an okay job on the leather seats but they reeked on everything else. Spots where they had missed applying Armor All. Places where dirt had not been removed. Remember, I paid $100 for this interior service of theirs. This was a treat for my car that will only happen once in a while, the rest of the time I take it to self serve car washes and use the vacuums there.
As another review stated, this place does not deserve one star. In fact, they do not deserve to be in business at all. I will never, ever go to a Francis & Son's car wash ANYWHERE ever again. I will take my chances else where or better yet, I'll just go buy my own buffer and all the rest of it and do it myself."
"I'll just be blunt here: Francis & Sons car wash near Arizona Avenue and Ray road totally sucks. I took a company vehicle in there to get it washed and get the interior cleaned, they wanted $30 for it. Okay. I specifically asked if they were going to clean the inside of the vehicle to which the supervisor said yes. While waiting for them to get done with it, I asked them about getting the interior of my car detailed - $119 for full service interior detail, but they gave it to me for $100 pre-pay (I would not be bringing it back until the next day). Well, when I went to get the company pickup after they said it was done, the markings they put on the windows were still on it. I looked inside the truck and they had done NOTHING to it. I asked the guy that was "cleaning" it and he said that would have to be an interior detail. No, I said, they told me it was going to be cleaned at least. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked off.
The next day, I bring my car in to leave there for the day while I am at work. They sell me the exterior detail package for half the posted price. Call me a sucker, but the exterior was in needing of a good buffing and wax job as well. Just paid the car off and wanted to get it looking nice again. I come back some 8 hours later, they pull the car up and I started looking at it. The road tar was still all over the bottom of the bottom portions of the car on both sides of it. There were places on the paint where you could see they missed the wax or "sealant" as they called it. I brought this to the guy's attention who started to try and clean the tar off.
At this point, I am starting to get pissed. What kind of place charges $175 for a total interior and exterior detail and doesn't even get the freaking tar off the paint?!! I mean, in terms of complete details, it's a good price compared with most other places, but if it doesn't look any or much different than when you took it in there, it isn't worthy ANYTHING. These people could have cared less. A crew of employees that are about as interested in making the customer happy as a detonated nuclear bomb is about keeping people alive. The attitudes were outrageous. I called for a manager. I showed him spot after spot after spot of tar and asked him what, exactly, they had done to my vehicle - besides giving it a run through the car wash. I point to a huge tar spot and he attempts to claim it was "scratches in the paint". BULLSHIT!!! was my unreserved reply (sorry for the French, but this place utterly pissed me off and I at least will have my say on a forum such s this one and hope that others are spared the grief of spending money at a place that does NOT deserve to be in business). I'm sorry sir, let me take the car and we will buff it out "again". Yeah, right dude, as if you buffed it out the first time.
I waited another hour. I sat down inside and an elderly couple came in and sat down next to me, we got into a conversation about this place. The lady stated that the level of customer service and quality had gone down considerably over time. Yeah, I don't know how they did in the past, I can tell you that right now, this place has serious issues.
Well, this guy comes back in and I go out to inspect the car. The "scratches" that that idiot had pointed out before were gone. Gee, didn't know you could buff out such huge scratches - cause' they weren't scratches at all! There was STILL an area on the hood where it was clearly obvious they had not applied the sealant. I gave up. Live and learn. The place is a rotten, the employees could care less, they are going to charge you for services that they do not perform. The only reason I got anything done is because I got mad and got right in that "manager's" face. All the tar was removed on the second time around, but..............
I just left. After inspecting the interior of my vehicle - they did a great job on the carpet cleaning, they did an okay job on the leather seats but they reeked on everything else. Spots where they had missed applying Armor All. Places where dirt had not been removed. Remember, I paid $100 for this interior service of theirs. This was a treat for my car that will only happen once in a while, the rest of the time I take it to self serve car washes and use the vacuums there.
As another review stated, this place does not deserve one star. In fact, they do not deserve to be in business at all. I will never, ever go to a Francis & Son's car wash ANYWHERE ever again. I will take my chances else where or better yet, I'll just go buy my own buffer and all the rest of it and do it myself."
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