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
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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
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, April 7, 2009
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
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
Monday, April 6, 2009
Trepidation
I was at Subway today - a frequent haunt for me. I have done away with a lot of stuff as far as excesses in my life - I have not done away with the trips to Subway to get a salad. I told the manager that my coworker had been laid off. She said wow - and then commented how he had told her that he was going around submitting resumes all over the place for part-time work. Further stated that he didn't want management to know about it.
Odd. When I decided that I was going to look for a second job, I told management first. "Is there a problem with me looking and maybe finding a part-time job to supplement my income?" - after I lost my OT hours. Nope. Even more odd, to me, because he never said nothing to me about it. We talked a lot about everything.
Uhhh, whatever. The company is desperately looking to find a way to keep the stores open. They have tried to re-negotiate the lease at my branch - the result was an offer of lessor monthly rent payments. Don't know that the offer is enough. Don't know that, in these times, landlords of warehouses should be getting to strict about it. They're going to have to pay the penalty as everyone else is. It was a fairly substantial amount of reduced rent - but not as much as our company demanded. The point? If it isn't low enough, talk about moving to a different building somewhere.
Now, that doesn't bother me greatly - excepting the fact of the amount of material that is sitting at our yard. To move ALL of that? I dunno - 20 truckloads at least. Yes - that's at least 20, 48-foot flatbed trailer-loads loaded to the gills with material. If we have to move, we have to move, I'm in for the game. My only statement was: I hope we have help.
Ummm, I'm done. I did not sleep well last night. I went to bed at 8:30 only to wake up at 10:30. I woke up several times during the night - and - it's just not fun trying to sleep with a brainful of junk that needs to be unloaded somewhere.
I'm hoping I can stay awake this evening for today's episode of 24.
I hope you all are doing - as well as you can depending on your circumstances.
G'nite.
ben
Odd. When I decided that I was going to look for a second job, I told management first. "Is there a problem with me looking and maybe finding a part-time job to supplement my income?" - after I lost my OT hours. Nope. Even more odd, to me, because he never said nothing to me about it. We talked a lot about everything.
Uhhh, whatever. The company is desperately looking to find a way to keep the stores open. They have tried to re-negotiate the lease at my branch - the result was an offer of lessor monthly rent payments. Don't know that the offer is enough. Don't know that, in these times, landlords of warehouses should be getting to strict about it. They're going to have to pay the penalty as everyone else is. It was a fairly substantial amount of reduced rent - but not as much as our company demanded. The point? If it isn't low enough, talk about moving to a different building somewhere.
Now, that doesn't bother me greatly - excepting the fact of the amount of material that is sitting at our yard. To move ALL of that? I dunno - 20 truckloads at least. Yes - that's at least 20, 48-foot flatbed trailer-loads loaded to the gills with material. If we have to move, we have to move, I'm in for the game. My only statement was: I hope we have help.
Ummm, I'm done. I did not sleep well last night. I went to bed at 8:30 only to wake up at 10:30. I woke up several times during the night - and - it's just not fun trying to sleep with a brainful of junk that needs to be unloaded somewhere.
I'm hoping I can stay awake this evening for today's episode of 24.
I hope you all are doing - as well as you can depending on your circumstances.
G'nite.
ben
Monday Morning
It's a strange day here.
My now laid-off co-worker isn't here. Kind of eerie - we got along well and worked side-by-side for a couple of years now. I can't imagine what must be going through his head right now.
The change was certainly justified by the lack of numbers at this store - but it's true at all of our stores right now. I just can't help but think he and a million more like him are going to have an awfully difficult time finding a new job. It's getting pretty scary out there.
I'm definitely getting the gears grinding in my brain: what if the same thing happens to me?
Unemployment line would be first order of business, of course.
After that? I don't really want to think about the potential consequences.
But - I do want to get my old car in running order in case the unthinkable happens.
It needs a new battery, a harmonic balancer and some other, minor repairs.
I'm still considering paying off the 401k loan early and getting that money into a savings account where I can access it in case "something" happens. It's only 3 months away until it's paid off - but a lot can happen in the span of 3 months.
Meanwhile, I'm definitely moving forward with the stuff I'm doing to try and keep energy bills down this coming summer - which is just around the corner.
I just have this sick feeling in my gut this morning that I can't seem to shake. My mind tends to deal with extreme negativity in terms of news received in ways that are shown outwardly in a physical way.
Well, I'm just going to go about my business today and - eventually get over it.
ben
My now laid-off co-worker isn't here. Kind of eerie - we got along well and worked side-by-side for a couple of years now. I can't imagine what must be going through his head right now.
The change was certainly justified by the lack of numbers at this store - but it's true at all of our stores right now. I just can't help but think he and a million more like him are going to have an awfully difficult time finding a new job. It's getting pretty scary out there.
I'm definitely getting the gears grinding in my brain: what if the same thing happens to me?
Unemployment line would be first order of business, of course.
After that? I don't really want to think about the potential consequences.
But - I do want to get my old car in running order in case the unthinkable happens.
It needs a new battery, a harmonic balancer and some other, minor repairs.
I'm still considering paying off the 401k loan early and getting that money into a savings account where I can access it in case "something" happens. It's only 3 months away until it's paid off - but a lot can happen in the span of 3 months.
Meanwhile, I'm definitely moving forward with the stuff I'm doing to try and keep energy bills down this coming summer - which is just around the corner.
I just have this sick feeling in my gut this morning that I can't seem to shake. My mind tends to deal with extreme negativity in terms of news received in ways that are shown outwardly in a physical way.
Well, I'm just going to go about my business today and - eventually get over it.
ben
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Final
Tomorrow marks the first day I have worked at this company I am working at at a store with only 2 people manning it. That isn't a lot of people to take on that much duties. It isn't impossible right now, though - workload has been relatively light. I do figure that my workday will increase in volume to the point that there will be no - inventing things to do - type of scenarios.
I spent the afternoon visiting with people. It is very nice outside and I would far rather spend a weekend outside than sitting indoors. Those of you that are stuck inside during the winter? I do the same thing during the summer. I mean - really - the heat just gets too intense.
I also cemented 2 - 2X3X8 pieces of wood into the ground. I'll be able to hang my first trellis tomorrow or the next day and then work from there.
I'm just - not quite here. I'm still in the ozone about the things going on at work. Undoubtedly, there will be announcements tomorrow about everything that may be going beyond the "staff reduction". I dunno. I'm just happy to be employed right now and at the same time, loving the job I am working at.
Hope you all had a good weekend.
ben
I spent the afternoon visiting with people. It is very nice outside and I would far rather spend a weekend outside than sitting indoors. Those of you that are stuck inside during the winter? I do the same thing during the summer. I mean - really - the heat just gets too intense.
I also cemented 2 - 2X3X8 pieces of wood into the ground. I'll be able to hang my first trellis tomorrow or the next day and then work from there.
I'm just - not quite here. I'm still in the ozone about the things going on at work. Undoubtedly, there will be announcements tomorrow about everything that may be going beyond the "staff reduction". I dunno. I'm just happy to be employed right now and at the same time, loving the job I am working at.
Hope you all had a good weekend.
ben
Sunday
Always lovely to come out to a nice, quiet kitchen and living room. Only other living creatures in the area are dogs laying at my feet : )
My agenda today is nothing too terribly grand. I have to go buy 3 more bags of concrete for the posts I am putting in the ground to hold up the trellises. I decided to concrete them into the ground so I don't have to put the 2X4's too far in. That leaves the post far enough out of the ground to be covering most of the vertical portion of the wall they are intended to cover. Really, the hardest part of this "job" is just putting in the posts. Hanging the trellises will be easy - some wood screws up and down the trellis going into the wood beam and that's it. I will also treat the wood with some stuff I already have to keep it from rotting away too quickly due to the elements.
Other than that - I decided on an impromptu little get-together. Nothing grand, just a few people coming that want to eat. I still have some meat left-over from last weekend and want to use it. Which reminds me - I must get that stuff out of the freezer and start thawing it. There wasn't any great response - maybe 20 emails of which 10 were comments about what I am doing (good comments) and the rest saying they would like to come. Figure half of those won't show so, yes, just a small little gathering.
I also still have sodas leftover, plus some very good potato salad. Meaning I don't have to buy anything, just get it out, cook it and it's done.
Whatever. I have laundry and other duties to do today as well - gonna get at it.
Have a great day!
ben
My agenda today is nothing too terribly grand. I have to go buy 3 more bags of concrete for the posts I am putting in the ground to hold up the trellises. I decided to concrete them into the ground so I don't have to put the 2X4's too far in. That leaves the post far enough out of the ground to be covering most of the vertical portion of the wall they are intended to cover. Really, the hardest part of this "job" is just putting in the posts. Hanging the trellises will be easy - some wood screws up and down the trellis going into the wood beam and that's it. I will also treat the wood with some stuff I already have to keep it from rotting away too quickly due to the elements.
Other than that - I decided on an impromptu little get-together. Nothing grand, just a few people coming that want to eat. I still have some meat left-over from last weekend and want to use it. Which reminds me - I must get that stuff out of the freezer and start thawing it. There wasn't any great response - maybe 20 emails of which 10 were comments about what I am doing (good comments) and the rest saying they would like to come. Figure half of those won't show so, yes, just a small little gathering.
I also still have sodas leftover, plus some very good potato salad. Meaning I don't have to buy anything, just get it out, cook it and it's done.
Whatever. I have laundry and other duties to do today as well - gonna get at it.
Have a great day!
ben
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Afternoon
I sat outside for much of the afternoon.
I dug some holes for the trellises but decided I wanted to coat the 2X4's with some stuff to help preserve it before sinking it into the ground. They won't last forever, but - 5 - 10 years anyway. I also want to cement them into the ground, and I only have 1 bag of cement.
I also discovered that a 4X8 trellis stood upright is perfect for the area it's covering. I have 2 trellises, I will need at least 4 more plus 2X4's - but no hardware besides wood screws.
I'm still pretty dazed about today's revelation at work. There is, undoubtedly, more to come. I won't be "getting over" it this weekend, I will, instead, be thinking about the ramifications. It's not all bad. There is always opportunity. My opportunity is to shine even more - do whatever I can - work my ass off - get good attention versus negative - towards my efforts to make things work. I will be busy at this point. There will be no more boring days, I don't think anyway. Between my driving duties and undoubted new warehousing opportunities, it should get better in terms of day's spent working versus days spent trying to invent things to do.
3 boys laying around sleeping. Are they on drugs? Extremely doubtful. More like they stayed up way too late last night. Michael is vehemently opposed to drug use. My son and J.D. are all on the same page. Probably one of the reasons they hang out - they don't smoke weed like a mass of other kids are doing nowadays and have something in common. I am not naieve - obviously any or all of them could give into. I smoked pot in my teens for 7 years straight - I have a very keen sense of who's smoking. The signs are fairly obvious. No. J.D. is the straightest kid around - he sleeps alot. He comes over here and dozes off frequently. Currently laying on Michael's bed, totally passed out. Michael - currently laying on the couch - sleeping. Caleb - currently in his bedroom - sleeping. Not a normal event, no. But - I observed all 3 of them intently and saw no sign of drug use. I only say that because it is so very rampant - the free flow of drugs - in these parts.
As for me, I'm going to bed early. The day has had enough toll on me. I called my now ex-coworker - he had his cellphone turned off. Can always tell when it goes immediately to voice mail - that or the person is on the phone at the time of the intended call. I left a message and offered my condolences for the loss of his job and my hopes that he will be able to find another in short order. I feel very bad for him. He is married, doesn't have any kids, so - not that bad. His wife works and there is still income. I have listened to him talking about his home life intently for a couple of years now - he could definitely cut out more stuff and still be doing okay. Not that I wish that upon people - but when times get tough, it's time to toughen up. I have to sit here with a hide of alligator at times. The stuff the sometimes comes at me can be hard-to-take.
I mostly just let it bounce off of me and respond according to what the situation dictates. I only say that because I have 3 tenants - equating to strangers - living in here and the mix of personalities goes to all ends of the spectrum. Toughening up means doing things you don't want to do. That's all I'm saying.
And all I'm saying now? I'm heading to my bedroom cause' I want to get some stuff done tomorrow which doesn't leave room for idling around the kitchen.
ben
I dug some holes for the trellises but decided I wanted to coat the 2X4's with some stuff to help preserve it before sinking it into the ground. They won't last forever, but - 5 - 10 years anyway. I also want to cement them into the ground, and I only have 1 bag of cement.
I also discovered that a 4X8 trellis stood upright is perfect for the area it's covering. I have 2 trellises, I will need at least 4 more plus 2X4's - but no hardware besides wood screws.
I'm still pretty dazed about today's revelation at work. There is, undoubtedly, more to come. I won't be "getting over" it this weekend, I will, instead, be thinking about the ramifications. It's not all bad. There is always opportunity. My opportunity is to shine even more - do whatever I can - work my ass off - get good attention versus negative - towards my efforts to make things work. I will be busy at this point. There will be no more boring days, I don't think anyway. Between my driving duties and undoubted new warehousing opportunities, it should get better in terms of day's spent working versus days spent trying to invent things to do.
3 boys laying around sleeping. Are they on drugs? Extremely doubtful. More like they stayed up way too late last night. Michael is vehemently opposed to drug use. My son and J.D. are all on the same page. Probably one of the reasons they hang out - they don't smoke weed like a mass of other kids are doing nowadays and have something in common. I am not naieve - obviously any or all of them could give into. I smoked pot in my teens for 7 years straight - I have a very keen sense of who's smoking. The signs are fairly obvious. No. J.D. is the straightest kid around - he sleeps alot. He comes over here and dozes off frequently. Currently laying on Michael's bed, totally passed out. Michael - currently laying on the couch - sleeping. Caleb - currently in his bedroom - sleeping. Not a normal event, no. But - I observed all 3 of them intently and saw no sign of drug use. I only say that because it is so very rampant - the free flow of drugs - in these parts.
As for me, I'm going to bed early. The day has had enough toll on me. I called my now ex-coworker - he had his cellphone turned off. Can always tell when it goes immediately to voice mail - that or the person is on the phone at the time of the intended call. I left a message and offered my condolences for the loss of his job and my hopes that he will be able to find another in short order. I feel very bad for him. He is married, doesn't have any kids, so - not that bad. His wife works and there is still income. I have listened to him talking about his home life intently for a couple of years now - he could definitely cut out more stuff and still be doing okay. Not that I wish that upon people - but when times get tough, it's time to toughen up. I have to sit here with a hide of alligator at times. The stuff the sometimes comes at me can be hard-to-take.
I mostly just let it bounce off of me and respond according to what the situation dictates. I only say that because I have 3 tenants - equating to strangers - living in here and the mix of personalities goes to all ends of the spectrum. Toughening up means doing things you don't want to do. That's all I'm saying.
And all I'm saying now? I'm heading to my bedroom cause' I want to get some stuff done tomorrow which doesn't leave room for idling around the kitchen.
ben
Saturday - Layoffs
I JUST got a call from my boss. My boss calling me on a Saturday morning at 11:00am is definitely not a normal thing - I braced myself. But not too much - if I were getting laid-off, they most certainly wouldn't do it over the phone. My company has a lot more class than that, I do believe.
So, I'm thinking - maybe an emergency that needs some material delivered somewhere? Or - the really bad stuff.
It was the really bad stuff. My friend/co-worker was laid off Friday after I left work for the weekend. I kind of had to sit down on that one. 2 reasons: I hate to see him lose his job - his family is already struggling, and 2, because after I listened to my boss, I realized I have just dodged another bullet. Kinda took the wind right out of me. Literally.
I'm really kind of phased and dazed right now. I don't know what to say. My friend and I have talked about the possibility of losing our jobs - the writing was on the wall. I have talked on here - just yesterday or the day before in fact - well it was in regards to the manager's meeting. I knew something was coming down the pike, and here it is. I don't know if anyone else was let go as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happened as well.
So, I'm just sitting here absorbing this. Our store is down to 2 people: my boss and I. The store has to have a driver - they don't operate without one. If one of our stores doesn't have a driver, that's cause that store is being shut down, which hasn't happened yet. I will be taking on alot more responsibility, undoubtedly, in counting freight and putting it away, pulling orders, and doing most everything. The boss is a worker - he won't just dump it all on me, but if we get busy, it could get interesting. Regardless, I'm going to rise to meet the challenge and hopefully continue to prove myself someone worth keeping, if that possiblity exists. The company is going to continue to downsize as the market "adjusts".
I'm glad I got some thing cleared out today, because now? I'm not going to do anything. I'm not sulking, it's more like I bullet just grazed my head and I survived, but now looking at what could have happened. My only response is that I'm a survivalist and I will do whatever I have to - within moral limits - to survive. I don't much care for that word - it has some sort of stigma with me in my mind for whatever reason - but - it's my reality and a lot more people's right now.
Well, anyway, I'm going to kick around the house and try to do some things that might just take all of this off of my mind. Wish me luck with that.
ben
So, I'm thinking - maybe an emergency that needs some material delivered somewhere? Or - the really bad stuff.
It was the really bad stuff. My friend/co-worker was laid off Friday after I left work for the weekend. I kind of had to sit down on that one. 2 reasons: I hate to see him lose his job - his family is already struggling, and 2, because after I listened to my boss, I realized I have just dodged another bullet. Kinda took the wind right out of me. Literally.
I'm really kind of phased and dazed right now. I don't know what to say. My friend and I have talked about the possibility of losing our jobs - the writing was on the wall. I have talked on here - just yesterday or the day before in fact - well it was in regards to the manager's meeting. I knew something was coming down the pike, and here it is. I don't know if anyone else was let go as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happened as well.
So, I'm just sitting here absorbing this. Our store is down to 2 people: my boss and I. The store has to have a driver - they don't operate without one. If one of our stores doesn't have a driver, that's cause that store is being shut down, which hasn't happened yet. I will be taking on alot more responsibility, undoubtedly, in counting freight and putting it away, pulling orders, and doing most everything. The boss is a worker - he won't just dump it all on me, but if we get busy, it could get interesting. Regardless, I'm going to rise to meet the challenge and hopefully continue to prove myself someone worth keeping, if that possiblity exists. The company is going to continue to downsize as the market "adjusts".
I'm glad I got some thing cleared out today, because now? I'm not going to do anything. I'm not sulking, it's more like I bullet just grazed my head and I survived, but now looking at what could have happened. My only response is that I'm a survivalist and I will do whatever I have to - within moral limits - to survive. I don't much care for that word - it has some sort of stigma with me in my mind for whatever reason - but - it's my reality and a lot more people's right now.
Well, anyway, I'm going to kick around the house and try to do some things that might just take all of this off of my mind. Wish me luck with that.
ben
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday
Not a bad day at work. I had to load the semi this morning with 1180 feet of storm drainage pipe and some fittings to go with it and then deliver it to a jobsite in Casa Grande.
This is a new startup, so I hadn't been to this site before.
There was a HUGE problem with the entrance to this place. I got to the site and stopped in the right lane of the street with flashers blinking - very low traffic so no big deal. I look at the entrance - there is NO WAY - ANY vehicle is getting through there besides earth-moving equipment.
A loader operation looks at me and waves me down the street. Oh, okay, there's another entrance. Blaaaaaaahhhhh. The entrance? A friggin' dirt driving with barriers on either side and only wide enough for the truck. I had to swing into oncoming traffic lanes to make that turn. I go down 100 feet and am greeted by a fence with gate.
Problem? Yes. The gate is on the right side of the "road". The road is only barely wide enough for the truck. There IS no room to swing to get the trailer in there. I'm always game for a new challenge, I love that stuff. I got the truck and trailer angled in such a way that I got the truck in there - with less than an inch of space on one side and maybe an inch on the other, it was that tight.
Managers and big bosses were all in a meeting at the main branch today. I could guess what was being discussed and I'm 95% sure my guesses would be correct. I heard a bit of news, but - there is confidentiality in what is being discussed in those meetings, it's not being let out. "Stuff" is coming down the pike, that's a given. I'm bracing myself for whatever is to come. It's just granted that there are going to be more layoffs. I don't wish that on any of my co-workers - or myself - but - it's going to happen. I don't know who, I didn't hear this from anyone, I just feel it. Just like I felt it the last 2 times.
I'm also guessing they're going to be closing down the store in Buckeye. Purely a guess - but unless they get their numbers up out there, it's a given. As I said, I'm bracing myself. Plan B - would be move out of my bedroom, leave the furniture in there and rent out a furnished room for $500 a month. Plan B would include unemployment benefits if it came to that. Plan B would probably work for a while, anyway. Yes, I would be moving into my son's room, and I would be leaving it up to him whether he wanted to continue to come over or not. I will not lose my property without a serious battle first. To lose this property would mean losing the ideal of owning property - probably forever. My entire lifestyle would change dramatically. I would also have to lose the dogs, or at least the Danes and maybe the Dane mix.
I'm not scared - I have been in these places before. But I am apprehensive. There was obviously stuff talked about today in that meeting that is going to affect all of us, somehow. I can't get information that can't be given, so I'm just going to go to work on Monday and hope - I still have a job. As I said, I have been preparing my mind and being for whatever comes my way. Whatever is doled out, I will take it in, and if it's extremely negative - absorb it, dwell it on for a short time - and dump it. I simply can't afford emotion in such an economic atmosphere - certainly when it comes to finances, emotion is on hold. A clear thinking head is the only way through such things, emotion can so greatly taint the way a person thinks. I have been guilty of it in the past, but right now, not.
I will undoubtedly spend my weekend thinking about this. There is not getting around it. The news that another 600 hundred plus thousand jobs were shed last month was hardly anything to get joyous about. It just means the economy is nowhere near coming back to life, regardless of what Bernanke says. My company is no different - they're in survival mode. I am in survival mode. I am putting certain projects on hold and am going to dump at least a couple more hundred bucks into my savings account. The rainy day is coming - I feel it - I want to be at least somewhat prepared for it.
But, I already have those trellises and everything I need to put that stuff together, so I'm definitely going to do that. And the cheapest thing to do for blocking out the sun's hot rays on the west side of the house is the styrofoam, so I'm also going there as well. That wont' cost more than $40 or $50 total, money WELL spent to SAVE money on electricity.
There are other things, but I am rather consumed by what's going on at work right now. Then again, so are alot of you/us. Money is so tight, that I am going to switch semi-trailers on Monday instead of them buying new tires for it. They have a trailer sitting there that is not being used and it has very good tires on it. The trailer I'm dragging all over creation right now has tires down to the wear bars. Wear bars are simply a piece of raised rubber stuck in the grooves of the tire. When you get to that bump, your tires are out of DOT specs and if you are caught, your truck will be put out-of-service and you will have to have that vehicle either towed out of there or have the tires replaced right there on the side of the road. I don't really care which trailer I pull, so no big deal to me. As long as it has slider rails for the winches on both sides of the trailer. If it does not (I don't remember on that trailer), it's a huge pain in the @$$ to work with. Maybe see if they could just take the tires off of that trailer and put them on the one I am using now.
Anyway, my son called, it's time to go pick him up and Michael just called wanting to be picked up at the Jack In The Box just down the street from where Caleb is.
Hasta la vista!
ben
This is a new startup, so I hadn't been to this site before.
There was a HUGE problem with the entrance to this place. I got to the site and stopped in the right lane of the street with flashers blinking - very low traffic so no big deal. I look at the entrance - there is NO WAY - ANY vehicle is getting through there besides earth-moving equipment.
A loader operation looks at me and waves me down the street. Oh, okay, there's another entrance. Blaaaaaaahhhhh. The entrance? A friggin' dirt driving with barriers on either side and only wide enough for the truck. I had to swing into oncoming traffic lanes to make that turn. I go down 100 feet and am greeted by a fence with gate.
Problem? Yes. The gate is on the right side of the "road". The road is only barely wide enough for the truck. There IS no room to swing to get the trailer in there. I'm always game for a new challenge, I love that stuff. I got the truck and trailer angled in such a way that I got the truck in there - with less than an inch of space on one side and maybe an inch on the other, it was that tight.
Managers and big bosses were all in a meeting at the main branch today. I could guess what was being discussed and I'm 95% sure my guesses would be correct. I heard a bit of news, but - there is confidentiality in what is being discussed in those meetings, it's not being let out. "Stuff" is coming down the pike, that's a given. I'm bracing myself for whatever is to come. It's just granted that there are going to be more layoffs. I don't wish that on any of my co-workers - or myself - but - it's going to happen. I don't know who, I didn't hear this from anyone, I just feel it. Just like I felt it the last 2 times.
I'm also guessing they're going to be closing down the store in Buckeye. Purely a guess - but unless they get their numbers up out there, it's a given. As I said, I'm bracing myself. Plan B - would be move out of my bedroom, leave the furniture in there and rent out a furnished room for $500 a month. Plan B would include unemployment benefits if it came to that. Plan B would probably work for a while, anyway. Yes, I would be moving into my son's room, and I would be leaving it up to him whether he wanted to continue to come over or not. I will not lose my property without a serious battle first. To lose this property would mean losing the ideal of owning property - probably forever. My entire lifestyle would change dramatically. I would also have to lose the dogs, or at least the Danes and maybe the Dane mix.
I'm not scared - I have been in these places before. But I am apprehensive. There was obviously stuff talked about today in that meeting that is going to affect all of us, somehow. I can't get information that can't be given, so I'm just going to go to work on Monday and hope - I still have a job. As I said, I have been preparing my mind and being for whatever comes my way. Whatever is doled out, I will take it in, and if it's extremely negative - absorb it, dwell it on for a short time - and dump it. I simply can't afford emotion in such an economic atmosphere - certainly when it comes to finances, emotion is on hold. A clear thinking head is the only way through such things, emotion can so greatly taint the way a person thinks. I have been guilty of it in the past, but right now, not.
I will undoubtedly spend my weekend thinking about this. There is not getting around it. The news that another 600 hundred plus thousand jobs were shed last month was hardly anything to get joyous about. It just means the economy is nowhere near coming back to life, regardless of what Bernanke says. My company is no different - they're in survival mode. I am in survival mode. I am putting certain projects on hold and am going to dump at least a couple more hundred bucks into my savings account. The rainy day is coming - I feel it - I want to be at least somewhat prepared for it.
But, I already have those trellises and everything I need to put that stuff together, so I'm definitely going to do that. And the cheapest thing to do for blocking out the sun's hot rays on the west side of the house is the styrofoam, so I'm also going there as well. That wont' cost more than $40 or $50 total, money WELL spent to SAVE money on electricity.
There are other things, but I am rather consumed by what's going on at work right now. Then again, so are alot of you/us. Money is so tight, that I am going to switch semi-trailers on Monday instead of them buying new tires for it. They have a trailer sitting there that is not being used and it has very good tires on it. The trailer I'm dragging all over creation right now has tires down to the wear bars. Wear bars are simply a piece of raised rubber stuck in the grooves of the tire. When you get to that bump, your tires are out of DOT specs and if you are caught, your truck will be put out-of-service and you will have to have that vehicle either towed out of there or have the tires replaced right there on the side of the road. I don't really care which trailer I pull, so no big deal to me. As long as it has slider rails for the winches on both sides of the trailer. If it does not (I don't remember on that trailer), it's a huge pain in the @$$ to work with. Maybe see if they could just take the tires off of that trailer and put them on the one I am using now.
Anyway, my son called, it's time to go pick him up and Michael just called wanting to be picked up at the Jack In The Box just down the street from where Caleb is.
Hasta la vista!
ben
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Thursday
Today was my kind of day - at work that is.
Driving all over the place, delivering this, picking up that - driving the semi.
Of course, not all is rosy out there. The number of idiots driving on the roads in the Phoenix area undoubtedly surpasses the number of sane people behind the wheel. I couldn't tell you how many times I was cut off - extremely cut off - by morons that just HAD to get around the truck - slam on their brakes and then make a right hand turn directly in front of me........or making sudden lane changes in traffic without warning and stuffing their vehicle DIRECTLY in front of the truck.
If those people had any clue how dangerous that is - maybe they wouldn't do it. I would love to see states force people to go through driver training which includes videos and pictures of what happens to vehicles when they cut off trucks ..........and it doesn't turn out too well. I've seen the videos and the pics: trucks that have run clean over the car; trucks whose front axles are buried in the back seat of the car; cars that have been turned literally into a pancake. They don't live through those sorts of things.
Indeed. Tomorrow is Friday and I fully expect rental payments from 2 tenants. Mary already paid hers. Mary also planted the flowers she bought yesterday and they are nice. I offered to pay her back for them - to preclude any future junk - and when that was rejected, I offered to pay half. It's a donation. All well and fine - as long as it doesn't become an issue somewhere down the road. Everyone here is on the bi-weekly payment plan.
I expect problems, however, from one particular tenant who has allegedly been sent home early from work - like every day this week. Today? He's home and offered no explanation. Not that I need one - until it's time to pay the rent, which would be tomorrow. I have become somewhat calloused in the arena of paying rent and paying it on-time - especially considering I collect security deposits from everyone. Don't pay your rent? Homeless shelter is in downtown Phoenix. I don't mean to sound cruel, but I have had enough with people playing games with rental payments.
However, this guy has yet to miss a beat. However again - even if he covers the rent, he will have little left over, I am imagining, to eat with. There is much information I am leaving out here - but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going to start unfolding......and what's already been happening. It's one of the reasons I have 3 tenants in here - when one starts having "financial issues" - I don't have to go into a panic and start wondering how I am going to pay bills. Or get behind on the mortgage. Or whatever.
On another note, my dad sent me yet another $100.00. He sent me an email and told me he would send me money on a regular basis (no, I didn't ask for it, but I certainly won't be turning it down) to help me through this economic crisis. I'm guessing now that I will be receiving a $100.00 check from him every month, since it was a month ago that I received the first one. He has a pension and some other thing that gives him money every month and assuming social security. Again - I'm very happy both my parents are well-off enough that I don't have to worry about them in that aspect.
Now? Daily routine - clean up dog crap. I watered plants yesterday but I am going to go out there and water certain plants again. Oh, and the other arguments put in my brain concerning my dad's money: 1. Transfer it to my ING savings account. 2. More Palomino Gold granite. I don't have enough coverage. 3. Dump it onto the power card reader.
I'll be thinking about that for a while before I make a decision - but not a long while. Like - today and possibly into tomorrow. Too many things need done around here.
As for now, I'm signing off of this one and bidding you a good evening.
ben
Driving all over the place, delivering this, picking up that - driving the semi.
Of course, not all is rosy out there. The number of idiots driving on the roads in the Phoenix area undoubtedly surpasses the number of sane people behind the wheel. I couldn't tell you how many times I was cut off - extremely cut off - by morons that just HAD to get around the truck - slam on their brakes and then make a right hand turn directly in front of me........or making sudden lane changes in traffic without warning and stuffing their vehicle DIRECTLY in front of the truck.
If those people had any clue how dangerous that is - maybe they wouldn't do it. I would love to see states force people to go through driver training which includes videos and pictures of what happens to vehicles when they cut off trucks ..........and it doesn't turn out too well. I've seen the videos and the pics: trucks that have run clean over the car; trucks whose front axles are buried in the back seat of the car; cars that have been turned literally into a pancake. They don't live through those sorts of things.
Indeed. Tomorrow is Friday and I fully expect rental payments from 2 tenants. Mary already paid hers. Mary also planted the flowers she bought yesterday and they are nice. I offered to pay her back for them - to preclude any future junk - and when that was rejected, I offered to pay half. It's a donation. All well and fine - as long as it doesn't become an issue somewhere down the road. Everyone here is on the bi-weekly payment plan.
I expect problems, however, from one particular tenant who has allegedly been sent home early from work - like every day this week. Today? He's home and offered no explanation. Not that I need one - until it's time to pay the rent, which would be tomorrow. I have become somewhat calloused in the arena of paying rent and paying it on-time - especially considering I collect security deposits from everyone. Don't pay your rent? Homeless shelter is in downtown Phoenix. I don't mean to sound cruel, but I have had enough with people playing games with rental payments.
However, this guy has yet to miss a beat. However again - even if he covers the rent, he will have little left over, I am imagining, to eat with. There is much information I am leaving out here - but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going to start unfolding......and what's already been happening. It's one of the reasons I have 3 tenants in here - when one starts having "financial issues" - I don't have to go into a panic and start wondering how I am going to pay bills. Or get behind on the mortgage. Or whatever.
On another note, my dad sent me yet another $100.00. He sent me an email and told me he would send me money on a regular basis (no, I didn't ask for it, but I certainly won't be turning it down) to help me through this economic crisis. I'm guessing now that I will be receiving a $100.00 check from him every month, since it was a month ago that I received the first one. He has a pension and some other thing that gives him money every month and assuming social security. Again - I'm very happy both my parents are well-off enough that I don't have to worry about them in that aspect.
Now? Daily routine - clean up dog crap. I watered plants yesterday but I am going to go out there and water certain plants again. Oh, and the other arguments put in my brain concerning my dad's money: 1. Transfer it to my ING savings account. 2. More Palomino Gold granite. I don't have enough coverage. 3. Dump it onto the power card reader.
I'll be thinking about that for a while before I make a decision - but not a long while. Like - today and possibly into tomorrow. Too many things need done around here.
As for now, I'm signing off of this one and bidding you a good evening.
ben
Dear Self...........
..........do you remember the trellises you bought weeks ago now and are sitting out there, waiting for you to install?
Dear Brain:
Oh, yes, I remember that now!
Self: Well, when are you going to GET to DOING that project?
Brain: Ummm, I had totally forgotten about it.
Self: List of things to do this weekend: Trellis installation.
Brain: Well you don't have to be PUSHY about!
Yes - it just totally eluded me - that project I bought the parts for and did nothing with.
I'll be working on that this weekend.
I have other things on the backburner: Have done nothing with this list of names from last weekend - however - I didn't expect to do anything until this weekend.
Anyway - have a great day!
ben
Dear Brain:
Oh, yes, I remember that now!
Self: Well, when are you going to GET to DOING that project?
Brain: Ummm, I had totally forgotten about it.
Self: List of things to do this weekend: Trellis installation.
Brain: Well you don't have to be PUSHY about!
Yes - it just totally eluded me - that project I bought the parts for and did nothing with.
I'll be working on that this weekend.
I have other things on the backburner: Have done nothing with this list of names from last weekend - however - I didn't expect to do anything until this weekend.
Anyway - have a great day!
ben
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wednesday
Don't ask me why, cause' I really don't know - I slept terribly last night.
I was so out of it today, I'm still surprised I made it through work. Especially considering there wasn't much of anything going on. I HATE when I can't sleep.
I came home and passed out for 40 minutes and then forced myself to get up so I wouldn't just sleep for hours and then - have the same problem again tonight.
There isn't much "news" here. Well, there is a problem with a certain tenant that I have written about on here before - and it isn't Mary - who appears to be behaving quite nicely for the time being. A particular person who isn't making enough money to support his "habits" and still eat and such - is therefore - taking other people's food - and such.
Smoking and drinking are vices. These are not things that a person should expect other people to support for them. Well, I'm just not feeling very energetic right now - as I haven't in 2 or 3 days now - so I'll rest it for a later date. Though - the situation is coming to a head.
I suppose, now that I think about it, there are a lot of things going on - but I have absolutely no energy to write about it. I forced myself to do freeweights this afternoon regardless of how I felt - and that pretty much cashed me of energy. I don't really look like I've been working out all that much as far as visual confirmation is concerned - but I have been easing into the freeweights. Eventually the grown muscle will increase the metabolism will burn calories will reduce fat. I have tried dieting - but I have always known that dieting alone doesn't really work that well. You must couple it with exercise, and more specifically - weight training/resistance training is the best - though I totally prefer freeweights over resistance machines any day.
If you look at people that diet and do cardio exercises but don't do any weight/resistance training - well - the comparison to someone that is dieting; weight training and doing cardio workouts is palpable. Not dissing cardio - it's very good for you - but in terms of dumping fat - it's only a piece of the pie.
Anyway, I'm still slowly getting back on track concerning exercise.
As for this day? Done.
G'nite.
ben
I was so out of it today, I'm still surprised I made it through work. Especially considering there wasn't much of anything going on. I HATE when I can't sleep.
I came home and passed out for 40 minutes and then forced myself to get up so I wouldn't just sleep for hours and then - have the same problem again tonight.
There isn't much "news" here. Well, there is a problem with a certain tenant that I have written about on here before - and it isn't Mary - who appears to be behaving quite nicely for the time being. A particular person who isn't making enough money to support his "habits" and still eat and such - is therefore - taking other people's food - and such.
Smoking and drinking are vices. These are not things that a person should expect other people to support for them. Well, I'm just not feeling very energetic right now - as I haven't in 2 or 3 days now - so I'll rest it for a later date. Though - the situation is coming to a head.
I suppose, now that I think about it, there are a lot of things going on - but I have absolutely no energy to write about it. I forced myself to do freeweights this afternoon regardless of how I felt - and that pretty much cashed me of energy. I don't really look like I've been working out all that much as far as visual confirmation is concerned - but I have been easing into the freeweights. Eventually the grown muscle will increase the metabolism will burn calories will reduce fat. I have tried dieting - but I have always known that dieting alone doesn't really work that well. You must couple it with exercise, and more specifically - weight training/resistance training is the best - though I totally prefer freeweights over resistance machines any day.
If you look at people that diet and do cardio exercises but don't do any weight/resistance training - well - the comparison to someone that is dieting; weight training and doing cardio workouts is palpable. Not dissing cardio - it's very good for you - but in terms of dumping fat - it's only a piece of the pie.
Anyway, I'm still slowly getting back on track concerning exercise.
As for this day? Done.
G'nite.
ben
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Can any computer genius please tell me something about these wireless networks?!...
I have a router sending out the signal to 2 computers in my house. My computer is directly wired - doesn't use the router signal being "sent through the air" to get internet.
The question is, is someone else on one of the computers in my house able to see what I am doing on my computer? This question has been bothering me for some time now, just wondering what the reality of it is. I pay bills and such online and really do not want someone else in here getting access to bank account numbers.
I have a router sending out the signal to 2 computers in my house. My computer is directly wired - doesn't use the router signal being "sent through the air" to get internet.
The question is, is someone else on one of the computers in my house able to see what I am doing on my computer? This question has been bothering me for some time now, just wondering what the reality of it is. I pay bills and such online and really do not want someone else in here getting access to bank account numbers.
Vet takes down flag that is flying UNDER a mexican flag
The video speaks for itself.
A nice day today at work. There was nothing yesterday in the truck routing system for deliveries this morning, but when I got to work, well, totally different story. Long story short- I was all over the place. Phoenix; Valley Farms and Florence. Took most of the day to accomplish. Today is end of month - we're going to get out whatever we can.
Folks, if someone calls you tomorrow and tells you you won a million dollars, or that your car has just been stolen, or whatever - remember - it's April Fool's Day! Lol, I always play tricks on numerous people and usually am quite successful at getting them all riled up - APRIL FOOL'S!!!!
Just thought I'd throw that in there - many people forget about that particular day and then end up on the receiving end of a joke. Knowledge in advance? You could take THEM for a ride and dream up your own counter-offensive. For example, someone calls and tells you your car has just been stolen. "It's okay, I have the car booby-trapped with a bomb. It will detonate shortly and they will not even have the chance to wish that they hadn't fooled with MY car". Something mundane like that.
Anyway, something that has been milling around my head for months now - getting those Danes neutered. I finally found a place that isn't freakin' out of this world for the price: $150 per dog. They have a set price for dogs up to 70 pounds and then a buck per pound after that. The cheapest I found before this? Almost $300 per dog. Just because they are so large. Definitely thinking of how to come up with that money and get Duke done first. Duke has some temperamental issues that I think neutering would take care of.
So - now - I have to come up with a date for a meeting for a potential Neighborhood Association for those individuals that were interested to come over, have a little BBQ, see if we can come to some kind of agreement on forming a board of directors and at least get the thing rolled out.
I'm just going through the list of things here - not gonna take too long on this entry, either.
In fact, I'm pretty much done here.
I have some things I need to get done outside.
ben
The video speaks for itself.
A nice day today at work. There was nothing yesterday in the truck routing system for deliveries this morning, but when I got to work, well, totally different story. Long story short- I was all over the place. Phoenix; Valley Farms and Florence. Took most of the day to accomplish. Today is end of month - we're going to get out whatever we can.
Folks, if someone calls you tomorrow and tells you you won a million dollars, or that your car has just been stolen, or whatever - remember - it's April Fool's Day! Lol, I always play tricks on numerous people and usually am quite successful at getting them all riled up - APRIL FOOL'S!!!!
Just thought I'd throw that in there - many people forget about that particular day and then end up on the receiving end of a joke. Knowledge in advance? You could take THEM for a ride and dream up your own counter-offensive. For example, someone calls and tells you your car has just been stolen. "It's okay, I have the car booby-trapped with a bomb. It will detonate shortly and they will not even have the chance to wish that they hadn't fooled with MY car". Something mundane like that.
Anyway, something that has been milling around my head for months now - getting those Danes neutered. I finally found a place that isn't freakin' out of this world for the price: $150 per dog. They have a set price for dogs up to 70 pounds and then a buck per pound after that. The cheapest I found before this? Almost $300 per dog. Just because they are so large. Definitely thinking of how to come up with that money and get Duke done first. Duke has some temperamental issues that I think neutering would take care of.
So - now - I have to come up with a date for a meeting for a potential Neighborhood Association for those individuals that were interested to come over, have a little BBQ, see if we can come to some kind of agreement on forming a board of directors and at least get the thing rolled out.
I'm just going through the list of things here - not gonna take too long on this entry, either.
In fact, I'm pretty much done here.
I have some things I need to get done outside.
ben
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday
Amazingly, I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. Just reaffirmed to me that having a party like that on a Saturday is a far better idea than doing it on a Sunday.
I called Target today attempting to get them to "fix" the problem that was created by the defective product they sold me. I bought that grill, what - in November? That thing is only 4 months old! Maybe 5, I don't really remember.
Yes, I fixed the problem by buying a new regulator valve for it, but who would expect to have to replace something like that so soon after buying a grill like that? That thing should last next to forever. Target was unyielding. I called corporate - they couldn't have cared less how much trouble their attitude towards helping me with my problem caused in not just selling me a valve - or even giving me one - off a floor model.
I'm not done with that, yet, but I have no desire to follow through with that today. Amana probably has some kind of manufacturer's warranty on it which I will try next. I just couldn't believe Target's apathetic attitude towards a situation that they could have easily fixed without all the attitudinal problems.
Anyway, I was pretty much busy at work all day - driving to Casa Grande, back to the yard, then to northwest Phoenix; then to our main branch near downtown Phoenix and then back to the yard again.
I also decided to give away some of the leftover food. I figured since people donated money for this affair, the only right thing to do is to give it to people that need it. Doesn't take long around these parts to find hungry people.
Anyway, I don't have writer's block, but I'm kinda worn-out and I'm going to go take a kick-back in my bedroom.
C'yall later.
ben
I called Target today attempting to get them to "fix" the problem that was created by the defective product they sold me. I bought that grill, what - in November? That thing is only 4 months old! Maybe 5, I don't really remember.
Yes, I fixed the problem by buying a new regulator valve for it, but who would expect to have to replace something like that so soon after buying a grill like that? That thing should last next to forever. Target was unyielding. I called corporate - they couldn't have cared less how much trouble their attitude towards helping me with my problem caused in not just selling me a valve - or even giving me one - off a floor model.
I'm not done with that, yet, but I have no desire to follow through with that today. Amana probably has some kind of manufacturer's warranty on it which I will try next. I just couldn't believe Target's apathetic attitude towards a situation that they could have easily fixed without all the attitudinal problems.
Anyway, I was pretty much busy at work all day - driving to Casa Grande, back to the yard, then to northwest Phoenix; then to our main branch near downtown Phoenix and then back to the yard again.
I also decided to give away some of the leftover food. I figured since people donated money for this affair, the only right thing to do is to give it to people that need it. Doesn't take long around these parts to find hungry people.
Anyway, I don't have writer's block, but I'm kinda worn-out and I'm going to go take a kick-back in my bedroom.
C'yall later.
ben
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday
About 45 minutes before the party started, I went out to fire up the grill and start cooking chicken. Grill won't start. I had it going earlier full tilt - what the heck? Finally, one little line of flame coming out of one of three burners. Tried to turn on the other two - nothing.
It was obviously the regulator valve - I tapped it. Tapped it again, and again, and again. I'm starting to get very nervous. I run down to Target where I got the grill - they don't sell the regulators separately but they have several of the same model on the floor with the valve. I ask a manager if they would sell me the one off the grill - they can always order another one for it. Nope. Can I speak to the store manager? Store manager comes out - geek looking dude - explains that those models are all for sale.
Great, I said, I don't need a whole new BBQ, I just need the regulator valve with the hose assembly. I further explained 100 people were showing up to my place in less than 30 minutes for a big party, pleeeeeeaaaaassssseeeeee help me. Nope. Wouldn't budge. Informed me to go to Lowe's or Home Depot. I don't have time for that, I need a fix right now! I was not happy with this individual and let him know about it. We rob parts off of things at our place frequently for our customers and just order replacement parts for whatever we took the part off of.
I'm walking out of that store a rather unhappy individual - Home Depot and Lowe's are 6 and 7 miles away consecutively - and would have to go through a lot of traffic and lights to get there. I remembered there's an Ace Hardware in the same strip mall the Target is at and hoped beyond hope that they sell those valves. Sure enough - they had a whole selection of them, and yes, one of them the same as the one on my grill.
Racing back to the house - there is already 20 people there by the time I get there - plus 3 different news medias, lol. A bunch of people showed up from the Craiglist ad and even more people showed up from the flyers I had sent out around my neighborhood. A guy showed up and played some excellent music on electric guitar with amplifiers and all that sort of stuff - he played continuously for 3 hours, only taking a 15 minute break. Very cool. People brought all kinds of great food as well. A tremendous outpouring and a lot of people came.
Anyway, after grilling for a while, I went ahead and started talking with everyone. Got names and addresses of those that came that were interested in getting something going in terms of a neighborhood association - about 15 of them. Quite a lot of interest, it turns out - and a lot of talk about the "other" thing that has been going on, the Neighborhood Watch thing. The guy that runs that thing - which is pretty much non-existent now - is a total control freak. Whatever. Anyway, I informed everyone I would send out a letter to everyone for a day to come over to my place, have a little git-together, and discuss forming the Association - whose name is already supplied by the name of the community we are in - and see what kinds of ideas and desires come up. Many agreed with me about trying to get some landscaping done on properties that have nothing but dirt and weeds.
I still have a lot of meat left-over - going to freeze the beef but I'm cooking up the rest of the chicken later today on the grill. Nothing like BBQ'ed chicken! I figured I over-bought on the meat department, but also figured I would have a well stocked freezer full of stuff for future reference. In all, I think I received about $240 in donations towards the party, plus a lot of food was brought over here. The party was a blast. 2 news medias left without even taking interviews - a "breaking story" they told someone which turned out to be a buy holding someone hostage for ransom but then gave up and - basically turned out to be a dud story, lol. The remaining reporter was there for hours - taking video and yes, they did a story, but on a different network than the first story.
Whatever the case, the party started at 3:00 pm and ended after 8:00. I figured it to be the perfect starting time and a good ending time - I am not a late-night person. There was a group of about 15 people that hung out after everyone else left - the partiers, lol - who stayed for several hours after the festivities had died down.
Will I do it again? Not sure. I think my focus now is going to be on the Association that I would like to see get going around here. Thinking parties for the immediate community on an on-going basis - depending on turnout - is just what the doctor ordered. The blog for that party is still getting numerous hits, so I will probably write up my version of a story for the event on there. Eventually, I will set up a website for the Association - with a lot of help that is, no web-designer here - and let the Craigslist party thing go into fading history.........though I would love to host a Thanksgiving dinner later on this year - provided I'm still employed and still have tenants, the house and all of that - as I have done on a limited basis in the past.
Enough. It was a great party : )
ben
It was obviously the regulator valve - I tapped it. Tapped it again, and again, and again. I'm starting to get very nervous. I run down to Target where I got the grill - they don't sell the regulators separately but they have several of the same model on the floor with the valve. I ask a manager if they would sell me the one off the grill - they can always order another one for it. Nope. Can I speak to the store manager? Store manager comes out - geek looking dude - explains that those models are all for sale.
Great, I said, I don't need a whole new BBQ, I just need the regulator valve with the hose assembly. I further explained 100 people were showing up to my place in less than 30 minutes for a big party, pleeeeeeaaaaassssseeeeee help me. Nope. Wouldn't budge. Informed me to go to Lowe's or Home Depot. I don't have time for that, I need a fix right now! I was not happy with this individual and let him know about it. We rob parts off of things at our place frequently for our customers and just order replacement parts for whatever we took the part off of.
I'm walking out of that store a rather unhappy individual - Home Depot and Lowe's are 6 and 7 miles away consecutively - and would have to go through a lot of traffic and lights to get there. I remembered there's an Ace Hardware in the same strip mall the Target is at and hoped beyond hope that they sell those valves. Sure enough - they had a whole selection of them, and yes, one of them the same as the one on my grill.
Racing back to the house - there is already 20 people there by the time I get there - plus 3 different news medias, lol. A bunch of people showed up from the Craiglist ad and even more people showed up from the flyers I had sent out around my neighborhood. A guy showed up and played some excellent music on electric guitar with amplifiers and all that sort of stuff - he played continuously for 3 hours, only taking a 15 minute break. Very cool. People brought all kinds of great food as well. A tremendous outpouring and a lot of people came.
Anyway, after grilling for a while, I went ahead and started talking with everyone. Got names and addresses of those that came that were interested in getting something going in terms of a neighborhood association - about 15 of them. Quite a lot of interest, it turns out - and a lot of talk about the "other" thing that has been going on, the Neighborhood Watch thing. The guy that runs that thing - which is pretty much non-existent now - is a total control freak. Whatever. Anyway, I informed everyone I would send out a letter to everyone for a day to come over to my place, have a little git-together, and discuss forming the Association - whose name is already supplied by the name of the community we are in - and see what kinds of ideas and desires come up. Many agreed with me about trying to get some landscaping done on properties that have nothing but dirt and weeds.
I still have a lot of meat left-over - going to freeze the beef but I'm cooking up the rest of the chicken later today on the grill. Nothing like BBQ'ed chicken! I figured I over-bought on the meat department, but also figured I would have a well stocked freezer full of stuff for future reference. In all, I think I received about $240 in donations towards the party, plus a lot of food was brought over here. The party was a blast. 2 news medias left without even taking interviews - a "breaking story" they told someone which turned out to be a buy holding someone hostage for ransom but then gave up and - basically turned out to be a dud story, lol. The remaining reporter was there for hours - taking video and yes, they did a story, but on a different network than the first story.
Whatever the case, the party started at 3:00 pm and ended after 8:00. I figured it to be the perfect starting time and a good ending time - I am not a late-night person. There was a group of about 15 people that hung out after everyone else left - the partiers, lol - who stayed for several hours after the festivities had died down.
Will I do it again? Not sure. I think my focus now is going to be on the Association that I would like to see get going around here. Thinking parties for the immediate community on an on-going basis - depending on turnout - is just what the doctor ordered. The blog for that party is still getting numerous hits, so I will probably write up my version of a story for the event on there. Eventually, I will set up a website for the Association - with a lot of help that is, no web-designer here - and let the Craigslist party thing go into fading history.........though I would love to host a Thanksgiving dinner later on this year - provided I'm still employed and still have tenants, the house and all of that - as I have done on a limited basis in the past.
Enough. It was a great party : )
ben
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday
Woke up this morning and started right in on stuff that I didn't finish yesterday. Still more to go - but - fortunately - I have several hours before the party starts. I kinda got a little unsettled that I might not have enough propane in the tank for all of this cooking, so I'm headed out in a bit to get it filled all the way up.
Another trip to Fry's - forgot to get several bags of chips and probably a few more sodas too.
Ice run.
Still have 40 or 50 more hamburger patties to make.
Probably waited a little long to start that pork roast. It was MUCH bigger than I thought - the thing takes up the entire slow cooker. Started that at 6:00 am - so by the time the party starts, it's 9 hours worth of cooking, shouldn't take near that long to cook through and be in the "fall apart" stage, especially on high - but - the last couple of roasts I did in there were not near as big as this monster. Hope it's done by party-time is all I can say about that. It only takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes worth of prep to pull the pork apart, get the fat off of it, dump a bottle or more of some of my favorite BBQ sauce into it - and it's ready to go.
3 heads of cabbage worth of coleslaw, lol. That took an hour in itself. Mary made up 40 or more patties last night with her "special" ingredients - which are Russian dressing/honey BBQ sauce and Teriyaki sauce. The rest of the burgers are just going to be plain ole' burgers for those that don't want all the stuff in there.
Pretty much, besides a trip to the store and the propane place and doing some cutting and patty forming - it's ready. Oh, and another person donated more money to the cause! What an amazing thing this is turning out to be.
Ummm, anyway, the race began this morning and I really don't have time to linger here - hope you all have a great Saturday and a wonderful weekend!
ben
Another trip to Fry's - forgot to get several bags of chips and probably a few more sodas too.
Ice run.
Still have 40 or 50 more hamburger patties to make.
Probably waited a little long to start that pork roast. It was MUCH bigger than I thought - the thing takes up the entire slow cooker. Started that at 6:00 am - so by the time the party starts, it's 9 hours worth of cooking, shouldn't take near that long to cook through and be in the "fall apart" stage, especially on high - but - the last couple of roasts I did in there were not near as big as this monster. Hope it's done by party-time is all I can say about that. It only takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes worth of prep to pull the pork apart, get the fat off of it, dump a bottle or more of some of my favorite BBQ sauce into it - and it's ready to go.
3 heads of cabbage worth of coleslaw, lol. That took an hour in itself. Mary made up 40 or more patties last night with her "special" ingredients - which are Russian dressing/honey BBQ sauce and Teriyaki sauce. The rest of the burgers are just going to be plain ole' burgers for those that don't want all the stuff in there.
Pretty much, besides a trip to the store and the propane place and doing some cutting and patty forming - it's ready. Oh, and another person donated more money to the cause! What an amazing thing this is turning out to be.
Ummm, anyway, the race began this morning and I really don't have time to linger here - hope you all have a great Saturday and a wonderful weekend!
ben
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday
This whole party thing is turning into something that has gone to proportions I never even thought of.
Number 1, I had not thought that the news media would be even one iota interested in something like this. Number 2, that they would actually run the story, and number 3 - this story is being run locally all over the nation! That's just plain CRAZY! I'm serious - I'm getting emails from people all over the place about seeing me the news from everywhere!
What's next, Oprah?
Whatever the case, I have enough meat now to feed a small army - just in case a small army's worth of people show up. Literally, I could feed at least 150 people with the brats; hamburger meat; pork and chicken I have been acquiring at sale prices, of course, from various supermarkets.
Today is going to be crazy as well. I have a HUGE thing of coleslaw to make, going to make up 75 hamburger patties in advance; cook the pork and make the pulled pork BBQ; and whatever else - such as more cleaning and such outside. Mary has been a tremendous help in the last few days in that arena in helping with the east side of the house and basically doing things that I - simply won't have time for. I have just about everything I need, I am hoping others will bring what they said they will bring to shore it up. Well, even if no-one brought anything, guaranteed the gut will be full for whoever is going to eat.
The neighborhood association thing is what I need to focus on as well.
Anyway, I will (well, I don't really know) write later - I have to go get Caleb and Michael at Caleb's mom's house, stop at Costco again cause I didn't get enough hamburger buns and stop at Safeway as well for another couple of things worth of chicken.
Wish me luck!
ben
Number 1, I had not thought that the news media would be even one iota interested in something like this. Number 2, that they would actually run the story, and number 3 - this story is being run locally all over the nation! That's just plain CRAZY! I'm serious - I'm getting emails from people all over the place about seeing me the news from everywhere!
What's next, Oprah?
Whatever the case, I have enough meat now to feed a small army - just in case a small army's worth of people show up. Literally, I could feed at least 150 people with the brats; hamburger meat; pork and chicken I have been acquiring at sale prices, of course, from various supermarkets.
Today is going to be crazy as well. I have a HUGE thing of coleslaw to make, going to make up 75 hamburger patties in advance; cook the pork and make the pulled pork BBQ; and whatever else - such as more cleaning and such outside. Mary has been a tremendous help in the last few days in that arena in helping with the east side of the house and basically doing things that I - simply won't have time for. I have just about everything I need, I am hoping others will bring what they said they will bring to shore it up. Well, even if no-one brought anything, guaranteed the gut will be full for whoever is going to eat.
The neighborhood association thing is what I need to focus on as well.
Anyway, I will (well, I don't really know) write later - I have to go get Caleb and Michael at Caleb's mom's house, stop at Costco again cause I didn't get enough hamburger buns and stop at Safeway as well for another couple of things worth of chicken.
Wish me luck!
ben
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday
Ummm.......I'm kind of curious as to the blog I started for the free dinner party as to how all these people from all OVER the place are finding that blog? It isn't just the Phoenix area anymore, the feedjit I put on that blog is showing people viewing it from coast to coast and even Canada! It was a local news story and I doubt it is going to get any further than that - I just don't get it.
Sometimes the internet confounds me as to how things happen through it.
Well, anyway, both Safeway and Bashas are having sales on fresh chicken breast - bone in. Safeway at 99 cents a pound, Bashas at 77 cents per pound. I went to both. I think Safeway meat to be better quality - the Bashas stuff was "previously" frozen, it said on the label - but in actuality, it was still quite frozen and taking it's time thawing.
I'm taking a break from the relentless pace I have been inflicting upon myself. Tomorrow is going to be a marathon of making hamburger patties; cooking a picnic roast, going to yet more stores and getting semi-ready for the party. Since the party doesn't actually start until 3:00 pm, I will have a good portion of the day Saturday to finalize prep for the party. Oh, and I am making more homemade coleslaw - that is quite the endeavor in itself!
Ummm, that's just a short break. I am going back outside in a few minutes to attempt to finish the east side of my house pulling out the constant barrage of weeds that grow coming from my "neighbor's" yard.
Gotta cut this off - too much to do.
ben
Sometimes the internet confounds me as to how things happen through it.
Well, anyway, both Safeway and Bashas are having sales on fresh chicken breast - bone in. Safeway at 99 cents a pound, Bashas at 77 cents per pound. I went to both. I think Safeway meat to be better quality - the Bashas stuff was "previously" frozen, it said on the label - but in actuality, it was still quite frozen and taking it's time thawing.
I'm taking a break from the relentless pace I have been inflicting upon myself. Tomorrow is going to be a marathon of making hamburger patties; cooking a picnic roast, going to yet more stores and getting semi-ready for the party. Since the party doesn't actually start until 3:00 pm, I will have a good portion of the day Saturday to finalize prep for the party. Oh, and I am making more homemade coleslaw - that is quite the endeavor in itself!
Ummm, that's just a short break. I am going back outside in a few minutes to attempt to finish the east side of my house pulling out the constant barrage of weeds that grow coming from my "neighbor's" yard.
Gotta cut this off - too much to do.
ben
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