Thursday

Taking my break at work.
The more thought I give to my current situation, the more evident it is becoming that I am not going to make it through this without taking out another 401k loan.

I'm not exactly chomping at the bit at such an idea, either. You have the option of how many years to pay it back, but - you get too close in the amount of time to pay it off and the payments are pretty high.

Second, it eats into my retirement and does "irrevocable" damage to the account.
But life is slapping me in the face now, not 25 years from now, and there isn't much I can do about it. The fact of the matter is, any kind of financial blow was enough to push me over the edge. Getting rid of Mary - while effecting a marvelous change in the atmosphere of my home, not to mention no more meth being smoked (changes include not having a person up all night long, making all kinds of noise, keeping people awake; not having a line of guys walking in during those all-night episodes; wasteful uses of electricity and water are gone, and a lot more minor things not needful to go into here - but also the fact that she is no longer here to start trouble with other tenants) in my house.

I'm frantically working on getting another renter in there yes - but every day that I don't have one eats into an already extremely-strained budget that couldn't deal with the newest loss of hours at work to begin with.

I am, however, still resolved that I am not going to cave into just anyone coming into my house. If they seem strange, whacko, have serious financial issues, evictions on their record - or I just don't feel right about it, I will not give them a room in my house. One guy said he either will or might come over today to look at it. Giving the wrong person a room just adds another drain to the already full plate.

I'm hopeful today that when I get home from work and check my personal email, there will be more inquiries after placing that ad last night.

The 401k loan is my only backup plan. My dad offered that if I get into a position where I am facing imminent foreclosure, to call him and he would see what he could do. I am definitely NOT wanting to get to that place - that is some serious - back-to-the-wall positioning that I hate to be in - but, really - I'm already there, just still have a cushion in terms of time before foreclosure notices start coming my way.

Anyway, back to work.
ben

More

I've had a phone call and an email already from people interested in the room - amazing the difference that can be made by wording an ad differently and throwing some pics in.
The first guy - works in downtown Phoenix - I'm all of 8 miles away from there.
The second guy is starting a job a the Arizona Grande Resort - that's all of a mile and a half from my house.

Oh, and yes, this woman that was supposed to come twice now and didn't and then was supposed to come today - and didn't - well, I hope she doesn't bother calling me because I am going to politely tell her to bug off. I'm not sure how one does that politely, but I'll find a way.

The second guy - lives in North Phoenix currently which is a LONG ways off from the Arizona Grande. He also wants me to hold the room for 2 weeks, lol, until he gets his first paycheck. Probably this guy isn't going to end up with the room unless there is absolutely no-one else that wants it before then, cause' I don't want to wait that long to get money to start being generated from the rental of the room.

Anyway, hopefully I'll get even more inquiries by tomorrow and maybe get someone in here out of it. Just a little more optimistic now that I've got some leads, even if it's just words on a computer screen or a conversation on the phone.

As for me, I'm trashed - as in tired - and am headed off to bed early.
G'nite!
ben

Wednesday

Took another trip to the Lost Dutchman State Park located just outside of Apache Junction, up against the Superstition Mountains. The park caters mostly to RV-ers but I think there are also camp/tent sites. This time of year? I doubt anyone is tenting out there. The problem with this place? Most certainly NOT designed for semi-trucks. One lane roads that curve around all over the place. I drove down about a 1,000 foot long road - to a dead end where the job-site is. Last time, I was able to pull through and out the other side, this time - not.

I had to back all the way out of there. Fortunately, there was no traffic at all to deal with and it was - an interesting ride anyway, just because of the turns in the road and the fact that there is anywhere from a 2 to 4 foot drop off at any given time on both sides of the road - and the fact that the road is JUST wide enough for the truck to fit on it.

So, allegedly, this lady is coming over today to look at the house. If she does not come this time, I'm blowing her off - this will make the 3rd missed appointment. I will know soon enough - she has Wednesdays off and is supposed to come between 3 and 5 pm. I'll see if the other person still needs a room reserved for him - he's coming to town on the 8th I think he said, if not, I'll run the ad again and continue my search.

I have no idea what the police have done about Mary. I think the guy was going to email her, apparently, to ask about this situation with her taking my Direct TV and remote. Apparently, Mary did not take me seriously when I said I was going to file a report with the Phoenix Police Department. How can you "accidentally" take something like that? You clearly don't own it. Anyway, if this has to be taken to court, I will have a report number to show to the judge to show at least that I was serious enough about it to take this kind of action. I don't know if Mary will lie about taking it or not, to be honest.

Today? 106. Doesn't feel that warm. I think I have gotten pretty good at tricking my mind to tell myself that this isn't that bad, and think what it's going to be like when it's 110 or more. Oh that it wouldn't GET that hot this summer. I mostly say that for the idea of electric bills - the higher the temps - obviously, the more use of AC to keep it cool in here.

I'm still watching with interest the developments of the crashed Airbus. One expert predicts they will never recover the blackboxes. Although that is certainly a possibility, I was just watching Air Crash Investigation of a commercial jet that went down over deep - deep - waters. They located the wreckage and then used some sort of machine that went down to the bottom - the found both boxes and brought them back up. It was thousands and thousands of feet down. I think this expert was basing it on not having the right equipment, but from what I've read, the right equipment is on it's way "as we speak". Certainly the world of aviation - who makes the Airbus, Boeing? - want to find out WHAT, exactly, happened to that plane. Certainly, if there's a flaw with the design or something that needs fixed, whatever it takes to find out the info is worth the price. They ALWAYS spend a lot of time and money on these investigations, I can't see that this one will be any different. I hope they are able to retrieve the boxes and get the data off of them.

In other news, a DPS officer had arrested a drunken driver today and put that individual in the back of his cruiser. Apparently, ANOTHER drunken driver smashed into the back of the cruiser, killing the woman inside of it. So I read, anyway. All I can say is, at least another cop didn't get killed this time. It's happened several times here - an officer is stopped on the side of the freeway, inside of his car, and some bright person smashes into the stopped cruiser, killing or seriously injuring the officer.

I'm ending this one. I ate at Filiberto's this morning - whatever was in that stuff, it is still churning in my stomach. It is not a good feeling with all of that acid - and I don't have anything to take to deal with it. Yuck.
C'ya later.
ben

Tuesday

Another partial Mary post.
I wrote her again today - twice.
The second message was my final notice: Have someone contact me or email me about when she is going to bring back my Direct TV receiver and remote, or I'm calling the police and reporting it as stolen when I get home from work.

Nothing. True to my word, I just got off the phone with the Phoenix Police Department. They're going to take the complaint over the phone. I could sue her for the loss - and most certainly I will if it comes to that - but I have 2 prospects for tenancy now and I NEED it NOW, not a month or 2 or whenever the court date is set. If worse comes to worse, I'll have no choice but to buy a used receiver off of Craigslist with remote and then add that stuff to the lawsuit I am going to file against her. Oh, and if I wanted to treat her like she's treated me, I could have her arrested for committing a crime against me per the Order of Protection. I won't even try to do that, but the temptation certainly surfaced if only for a few minutes.

Dad wants me to come down with Caleb - next week! - to go sailing. Can't swing time off that fast. I decided I want to go ahead and take some time off - not too much - but at least a couple of days coupled to a weekend. It's halfway through the year - almost anyway - and I've only taken time off for court and the already-scheduled holidays set by the company. I have tons of vacation time and I want to use at least some of it.

My lady friend wants me to come up - whenever - to meet her. Mother wants me to come up and visit her there. In all 3 cases, accomodations are free. Dad is going to pay for a hotel room, my lady friend has 2 guest bedrooms and mother has a couch in front of her RV. Gasoline, however, is not free, and money is very tight right now. Getting another tenant in here will ease that squeeze considerably.

So far, the freshly transplanted pine tree is looking good. But - give it a couple of weeks and then we'll see what it looks like. Which reminds me - I need to water it right now, like asap after getting done with this entry. Gotta keep it wet/moist.

So I'm going through Fry's today to get a few things. I always pass by the meat department - today I bought 2 more packages of the ground beef that's on sale. I'm walking along and lo and behold - beef tongues!!! GROSS!!! More amazing? One tongue was almost TWENTY FIVE dollars. That's absurd! I figure that tongue - ain't worth anything but to cook, cut up and give to dogs. I had absolutely no clue that stuff is that expensive.

Well I've rambled enough and I wanna take a short nap before going outside and digging a hole for the small tree I've had sitting in a pot - forever.
ben

The Potential Tenant.............

...............DID call. I gave up on her, actually, and was going to write the other person a note about holding the room - for a small deposit. At least a post-dated check if nothing else.
She did NOT say she was coming today. Something allegedly came up with her parents. Tomorrow doesn't work, either. No, Wednesday. Perhaps my good feeling about this is starting to vanish into thin air. I hate to put another potential off for a person that is - continuing to miss appointments. This is twice now. She claims she has Wednesday off and that would work for her. I said okay - I did not say, however, that if she puts me off on Wednesday, I will not be wanting to hear from her again.
Meanwhile, I was outside watering every plant on the property. I did a deep watering this weekend - but it's not enough in this heat. A light watering pretty much every day is necessary.
It started with the pine tree that I planted this weekend. IT must be kept wet. I see no other way for it to survive than to keep it wet for - quite a while actually - until it decides whether it's going to live or die.

I have another tree I bought some time ago that's just sitting in the plastic pot it came in. I have not been able to decide where to plant it. I think a particular naysayer about that kind of tree sort of gave me the idea that putting it anywhere where I want shade in the future may not be a good idea.

However, my senses returned to me. The tree grows a 20 to 30 foot canopy if it survives and grows to maturity. It grows up to 40 feet tall. I did not get that information from the naysayer, I got that information from the tag that came with the tree - which also has a picture of a mature version of it. IF it dies, certainly will be easy enough to dig out since it's not that big and the roots take quite a lot of time to take hold, anyway.

I have therefore decided it belong somewhere near the pine tree I just planted. Since this one has a much smaller trunk, it will go into just before where the driveway meets the wall at a V type of angle. Or perhaps a Y type of angle is more appropriate. That tree should easily survive being planted since it will come out as a whole unit out of the plastic container, unlike the pine tree that was dug out of the ground.

So, the handyman returned my email, asking to see photos of all of it, thusly hoping to make an estimate without actually having to come out. I haven't gotten that far yet - watering plants took priority. Oh, I'm referring to the holes in the wall left behind by Mary, along with accompanying gobs of spackling.

I was amazed to see news of the Airbus going down today. Well, assuming it went down - obviously it went down - apparently into the ocean. The reason being is because I have been watching videos just like that "alleged" crash for several weeks now on YouTube - I do an Air Crash Investigation search and all kinds of stuff comes up. It's a series hosted by National Geographic of commercial aircraft disasters - the crash, the aftermath, the ensuing investigation.

If I had life to do all over again, I would most certainly be a pilot. I would have joined the Air Force after High School and then would have eventually become a commercial jet pilot. That is a line of work that I would find endless pleasure in. I have watched every aspect of it, over and over and over, even the unbelievably long checklists? I would love every moment of it.

I do feel, however, bad for those families that I would have to assume at this point have lost their loved ones on that flight. I can't imagine the horror.........

And then there's the rest of the news, nothing worth wasting my time going into.

I have brats and chicken breast grilling - think I need to tendtoit.
ben

Monday

Slept fairly well last night so I felt good today.
However, at work this morning, something triggered in my mind: I started painting her room yesterday and realized that she has taken my Direct TV receiver and remote control.
I wrote her 2 emails today about getting it back to me - immediately.
No reply.
Just 2 more items to add to the lawsuit list. I have contacted a handyman about getting the drywall repaired properly - my fix jobs don't look too shabby, actually, but her fix jobs are incredibly BAD. She just gobbed spackling over the holes and didn't bother to either smooth it out or sand it down. I have no intention on fixing the stuff - she will have to pay for it.
I started burning - really - when I realized she had taken my receiver and the remote. About $75 worth of electronics plus shipping and handling if ordered from Direct TV's site.
As soon as I get a written estimate of the damages from someone, I'm going to the courthouse and file a lawsuit. She is not responding to any of my demands to fix the walls; pay back-rent or get my electronics back to me. I will not sit on this - at all.
Meanwhile, Ken wrote her via her email address and asked if he could have the dresser. He forwarded her reply to me - which said yes, definitely you can have it. That's all I need - something in writing from her that says it so in case she tries something, I have proof of her approval.

Enough about Mary. It's just seemingly a never-ending pile of crap that gets heaped higher and higher.

Really not much else going on. I am waiting for this potential tenant to stop by or call - well call first, she said anyway. If she doesn't show up today, there is another guy that has written that is definitely interested in the room. I would rather she did stop by - I have a good feeling about it at this point and I think it would be longer term than the guy that wrote that only needs a room for 2 and a half months (but I'll take that over nothing!). I also keep getting the idea that the other female tenant already in here is going to be leaving sooner or later - she is always looking at houses for sale online and I hear her talking about it to whoever about going in on the house in terms of renting rooms or something like that.
It just puts the fire on the feet to get someone else in here quickly.

Anyway, I think I'm going to go in the room and start painting again - I bought a regular roller versus that sponge thing I accidentally bought yesterday - I'll never buy one like that again!

Actually, a wave of fatigue just swept over me - I think I'll go take a nap instead.
ben

Her

We talk daily - either in email; IM's or on the phone.
My phone has unlimited long distance, so calling her doesn't cost me anything.
I have never seen her, I know that from her self descrtiptor she is on the heavy side but has been steadily losing weight for some time.
Her home is situated in the forest, her property adjoins National Forest land.
She has 2 dogs and has a great career.
She has lots and lots of friends.
She determined that she wanted to try and find someone that wasn't related to the company she is working for.
I wrote an ad on Craigslist, she, along with a LOT of other ladies responded.

Hers stood out to me. The reply was genuine. It was long and detailed - nothing different than the way I write and really, what I like to read. I'm into the details of things, and I like reading people's blogs and things that go into details.

We talked at length today - the connection kept getting cut off, there was a storm coming through where she lives and her cell reception cuts out periodically when that happens.

Of course, the inevitable has occured. We want to meet each other in person. I'll take depth of character and personality over looks anyday. Not that I have any clue what she looks like - but I never want to get involved with the wrong person, ever again. I have taken steps to ensure that we get to know each other as much as possible via electronic communications LONG before I ever thought about a meeting in person.

I can't possibly think of going up there and spending a night in a hotel or whatever right now - it would have to be a day trip. Up, visit, back. I have had some pretty miserable results with the CL ladies I've met or talked to online so far - but I feel so much better about the potential here just because of our back and forth communication for a couple of months now.

If you think I've been distracted lately, well, here's a portion of that equation. That with the issues with Mary and the probability that the other lady tenant will be moving out sooner or later - she's trying to buy her own house as far as I can tell. Not that I blame her - if you can get a place and afford it, nice.

Speaking of that, allegedly, within the next half hour or so, the next potential tenant is showing up. The only thing I know so far about this person is she proclaims to be Christian and was going to go to church before coming over here. Fast forward - planted 2 plants, watered them, waiting for this person to arrive: no-show.

BUT, she just called. She said she got caught up after church talking with people and hanging with her son who is with her on the weekends. She now wants to come over tomorrow. I have no other leads right now, just endless emails with people who are half serious but make no commitment to at least come and view the property. That's the way it is with Craigslist - on most things, not just renting out rooms - I've learned to tolerate it. One guy just wrote a while ago saying a garage was a necessary apportionment to his renting out a room, and even agreed to pay more money for the use of it.

I have no garage. I am not building one any time soon. Sorry.
Next?

Oh, and I'm attempting to work out my summer visits to people. My dad - I want to go down there even if I really shouldn't be taking time off of work. I can show up for July 4th weekend if he's open for that and spend a couple of days. I can do an overnight at mom's place and I can now do an overnight at my lady friend's house. NO, it's NOT going to be doing THAT!!! We are both on the SAME page, thank God Almighty. She has guest rooms - she already eluded to that a while back - that I could stay in overnight. I think I would fall in love with the place, if not with her as well - it sounds like a dream property. I'm just a guy - I don't want to grow old alone and I definitely AIN'T gettin' no younger!

Umm, and I pulled out that giant plant today. It has nice looking flowers - but the rest of it looks like a giant weed. It got to the point I couldn't stand looking at it - I now believe it IS a weed - whatever the case, it came right out and I immediately planted one of my potted plants in it's place.

That's it, really. Considering it's almost bedtime, that's definitely it!
G'nite!
ben

The Things That Mary Left

I was assessing the things Mary left behind.
She still has to come for those storage units and the dresser, but it's the rest of the stuff that is intriguing.
Note that Mary was in here, looking at everything, and chose to leave the items.
1. A weaved basket type thing with a blanket in it that Comet, my lil' Rat Terrier loves to sleep in.
2. A dust pan with a long handle on it - like you might see a janitor using to sweep up debris off the floor.
3. Broom
4. A hefty amount of silverware. She declared she was just leaving it for me. The police were standing right there when she said it - I wanted her to take all of her stuff so that there would be no room for - whatever she might start - be she just left it. Lots of spoons, knives, forks and also cutting tools.
5. Several bowls and cups.
6. A Spider plant.
7. A collander - I was going to go buy one when she left, but - she left it in there. It was in the same place as the rest of her kitchen stuff was, so I guess she left it in there for "my" use?
8. Fake flowers. My mother gave me a nice little outdoorsy type of teapot - something you would plant a flower or plant in - a long time ago. One of the few remnants from the fire now almost 2 years ago. Mary had put fake flowers in it - she left the flowers but took the table the flowers were sitting, lol.
9. Over 60 holes in her room's walls. I know that sounds weird to say she "left them behind", but really, that is exactly what she did. As I said before, a few small holes for nails or screws is one thing, this situation is outrageous. Whatever Mary left behind, it most certainly does not equal the amount of money it will cost to have someone come over and fill all of that. And because there is so much of it, I have to believe the only way the wall is going to look right is to retexture it. I can fill the holes with putty or spackling I guess it is, but - it will still look gawdy because all those blank spots will be left without texturing.

I do not have a mud sprayer or an air compressor to spray it with. I have no intention on buying a setup like that, either. The only way I would ever consider doing that is if I had several rental properties. Then one would be prudent to have such machinery in their possession because it would be imminent that a wall would have to be repaired at some point or another. I do believe they sell some sort of texturing that comes in a spray can, however. I dunno, I just don't think it right for her to do all that damage to those walls and not receive the compensation from her that is necessary to have them fixed. OTOH, taking her to court yet AGAIN would be another pain in the butt. And then, I would probably have to garnish her wages to get that money, which would be even more legwork and money out of my pocket. I'm sure that it will cost hundreds of dollars even just using a handyman off of CL to come over and do the job.

Dunno. I'll have to sit on that one for a while - if I had to go that far to get compensation for negligent damages, I would also go after her for unpaid rent.

Dunno, but that 401k loan money is starting to look more and more appealing. Get that stuff fixed, and then dump the money into a savings account and let it sit there until this economic crisis is over. I continue to have this same thought, over and over: what if the AC breaks down? I don't have the money to fix it and the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty has expired. Sure, the compressor is covered for 5 years, but there are a LOT of other things that can go wrong with an AC unit. I wouldn't have the money to fix it and - I would have one heckuva BAD situation sitting here. If just about anything else broke - I could replace it and not have too huge a financial disaster going. Well, take that back, anything right now would be teetotalling on the brink of economic disaster. A refrigerator goes out/washer-dryer/water-heater. I also have this pervading thought of what if the car breaks down?

Dunno, but as it stands right now, I could pay the loan off over the phone, have to wait a couple of days for it to clear and then be open for another loan. It would be about a week before the check actually arrived. Yes, I tend to think things out - the what-ifs, the Murphy's laws, the things that go wrong in life that you have absolutely no control over. A week without any of those things listed would be - a nightmare. Certainly the AC. Plan? Right now - pay it off next paycheck. That's this coming Friday. I will only owe like $50 after they deduct the next amount off. Then, if something happens, at least the first step - which is a bridge that would take a while to cross - would already be done. Don't take out a loan - yet - just have it available. Takes 2 days to have that check sitting at your doorstep.

Okay, standing down. That's my plan as I just came up with it and I'm going to pursue it. One thing's for sure, I'm definitely missing that third tenant payment. I'm hopeful that this person will show up today, that no red flags are raised, and that I can get the room occupied, even if at a reduced rate. I'm not going to ask for the full rate with the walls like that.

Oh heck, I guess I should just go out and buy a bunch of spackling - like a gallon bucket, get in there and at least fill in the holes. Ummm, take pics of all of it first.......ummmm.........okay. Sounds like a plan. If the person wants the room, I can have Caleb and Michael take those 3 remaining pieces of furniture out of there, stuff it into the storage shed and it will be ready to go.

????????
Don't ask - I just got to thinking about all of this and logic started kicking in, I think it's logic, anyway.
ben

Sunday

The tree is in the ground. Whether it lives or not - matter of time. Going this morning to get more Vitamin B to put into the ground at it's trunk to help the roots/tree survive the shock. Mom says she's never had luck at having them survive, but I got the whole root ball and I am at least hopeful. Otherwise, it's just a giant Christmas tree in May, dry up, whither away, heaped into the junk pile.

Yesterday was not a particularly productive day for me in terms of weekend projects, I'm hopeful today will be a little different. I finally got a good bite on a person needing a room. In fact, this person appears to be in a bind. I listened to her story - it all sounded well and good - but I had no "instincts" jumping up at me to say yes or no internally. She is allegedly coming over today, which is when I will press the situation and get some details. When people are making up stories, many usually fail the details department. They cut their own throat by going on, and on, and on and finally, the story starts falling apart.

I need the money, yes, but I don't need another nightmare. I would rather let it sit empty until the right person comes along than give into "desperation" and get the wrong person in there that you are then going to have to force to leave, anyway. As it stands, at least a portion of any new rent money coming in is going to have to go to buying some sort of closet set-up - probably from Ikea, as that room has no closet. I could build one, but - it would take too long as I'm not exactly the best carpenter in the world and it would take me a while to get the finished product to my liking. I mean, a closet is nothing more than 2X4's/drywall/door with texturing and trim.

Well, anyway, already started on my Sunday cleaning rituals in scrubbing down the kitchen, sweeping the floor and now off to the mop race.
C'yall later.
ben

Saturday

So, I'm trying to do ANYTHING on this computer today and find everything dragging at a snail's pace.
History/temp files - deleted.
Went to "their" account to see if anything was going on there - nothing.
Decided to start Avast search through all files to see if something snuck through.
That is still running.
Then I went to "Installed Programs" - Actiontec Gateway.
I have no idea what that is, but I have encountered it before. Whatever it does, it slows the entire computer down, this from experience. Took a while to get the thing to come up and get it uninstalled, too. After I finally got it out of there, the system is back up and running again.

I was beginning to wonder if I would have to dump the entire operating system again and start over. That's always lovely - usually takes days to reinstall all my software, settings and such.

Onto other things. I'm watching with extreme curiosity, if nothing else, all the threats that N Korea is making about sending nukes every which way but loose. I'm a firm believer in the Bible, therefore, I have to take into account the book of Revelations, which is the most intriguing book in there, for me anyway. It basically paints the picture of the demise of this earth. The description that a 1/3rd of the earth is going to burn is what captivates me about this situation. Eventually, this world is going to end, at least if you believe the Bible, a guessing man might say that a nuclear war could certainly set a third of this earth on fire. Not that N Korea has any capability of inflicting that much damage - but - they have their allies.

Umm, so I have this hole to go out there and dig. Not really looking forward to that - it will have to be a big hole - but I have to get it done soon or kiss that tree a big goodbye. Certainly worth the attempt to replant it, give it some root shock therapy and see what happens.

My mom is finally back up on her property near the Mogollon Rim. Last year, she was at her house in Sun City, fell, broke her ankle and wasn't able to go up for the rest of the summer. I'm imagining she's loving it up there - and probably being a little more careful, I would hope anyway. I'm going to call her in a little while and bug her about carrying her cell phone with her at all times when she's up there alone. I called her yesterday - she did not have the phone with her and it took a while for her to answer.

If something like that were to happen to her up there, there would be no-one to help her. There are other people living up there, yes, but very doubtful they would happen to see anything. Her property is up off the dirt road - her trailer is well off the road and though you can see it from the road, there is way too much property for someone to just happen along and actually see anything.

I've had a couple more bites on the room rental - but nothing that has actually solidified into someone moving in here. I have noticed a great swelling of the numbers of rooms for rent on Craigslist. I do not, however, see a lot of it in my area - I will get someone in here eventually, just a matter of time. The strength of my location is it's proximity to a huge area filled with all kinds of industrial plants and businesses. Plus a university not far at all from here. Mostly, the people that have moved in here do so because of the proximity to this particular area of businesses, factories and industrial that they happen to work at. Worried? No. Just waiting.

Plenty to do this weekend - without having to spend money, either. The expenditure of money is not high on my list of things I want to do right now. Only for bills or food, nothing else. The price of fuel is going up and up again. That can only spell even more financial chaos for everyone that is suffering at the hands of unemployment, or people like me that are teetering on the edge. I have an ace in the hole right now, at least - I only owe $87 on the 401k loan. Pay it off and I can get another loan. And right now, that amount would be close to 3k if I really needed it. I am not planning on paying off the $87 early - only if I get into serious financial trouble will I do that. I'm still floating right now - barely. The ship is taking on water, the pumps are pumping it out as fast as it's coming in. Another blow of any kind right now and the ship is going to start to sink. So, thank God I have some kind of backup if it becomes absolutely necessary. My dad is going to send another small check - every bit counts right now. If he does, it will go either to the water bill or more electricity.

Ummm - as for now - I am enjoying coffee and some sort of serenity. My son plays jazz music all night long while he's sleeping, although it's not turned up high, it is enough to break the silence that I love on weekend mornings. Which doesn't matter, I need to get moving and get out there and start digging that hole.

Have a great day!
ben

Heat

The Mary saga likely will never end, or so it will seem.
She writes me an email today telling me her paycheck is being sent to my house, yada yada yada, she's going to call federal authorities if I "do anything with it". Further that she is going to come and take it right out of my mailbox. Lots of threats and BS. I replied that again, I could have her arrested just for contacting me about something that has nothing to do with the room, and for making threats.

Ahhhhhhh, the weekend.
I get to dig a big hole outside somewhere tomorrow and plant that tree - and hope it lives.
I have the place in mind, on the west side of the house. There is nothing in terms of plants there - the only place, really, on the entire property that there isn't - I reserved it for - trees, what else.

I hope to sleep a little better tonight - last night sucked and the night before was just as bad - and get up early enough to beat the heat in terms of digging out the hole for the tree. It's sitting in a huge container of water right now, so I have a little breathing room, but definitely, needs to be planted this weekend.

Still unfinished projects as well - most notably the trellis project, of which I have stalled on cause it's a pain trying to dig holes around the plants and I have been busy, anyway, and also one more window I want to put the foam with material over.

My latest rental ad has resulted in zero replies. Amazing. However, this is the end of month, I am going to write another one and see if I can get some bites. Somebody, somewhere, wants to move out of whatever they're in and into someplace else.

The end of this one, I am so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open.
Just gonna watch a movie - movies - until bedtime and go to bed early - around 8ish.
ben

Friday Morning

Got up early this morning - woke up, wasn't sleeping, might as well get up, get out there and do some early morning watering - really the best time of day to do such a thing.
It was relatively cool this morning as well - low 70's. Local forecasters are calling it unusually warm here - which I don't really buy - it's always warm at the end of May and going into June.

But, they are saying May is going to break a record for the number of days over 100 degrees. That IS unusual for May, I'll give them that.

As for today - just a bunch of running around to do this morning, get off work early cause' I'm over on hours, start the weekend early as well. Which reminds me, gotta get Caleb on the way home today - no school, don't have to go home and then turn around, go get him and then go home again.

Actually a pleasant morning - gotta love that.
C'yall later ......
ben

Thursday

LONG day. I woke up last night and couldn't get back to sleep. I got less than 5 hours of sleep.
I did finally get back to sleep about 45 minutes to an hour before the alarm went off - I was wasted tired.
Forced my @$$ out of bed, took my shower, all that junk, go to work. I wasn't on the clock but I was filling out a performance review of - myself. My company makes everyone do that once a year. I find it VERY difficult to evaluate myself. I mean, isn't that a job best left to your superiors?
Get done with that, sign in - off to the races. 5 deliveries spread out all over the place plus a stop downtown.
I continue to hear, on an almost daily basis, are people that are enthralled by my backing of the truck.
Hey, if I do at least one thing well, I might as well talk about it.
People ask me how I did that? You do something that comes to you in automatic mode, you don't think about it. Construction sites are often either very small, or very large but no room in either case to turn around. You have to back out the way you came in - whether that's 50 feet or a quarter mile.

Well, whatever. I was busting butt all day long - well past the 7-hour maximum that corporate has enacted. It's end of month, our numbers are down, we are going to get out whatever we can and deal with the aftermath later. Today was a $23,000.00 day in terms of sales on the deliveries I made. Tomorrow will have - I think around 10k as well. 3 days in a row will total over 50k, which is pretty good considering the times we are in, and will boost our stores numbers to a bit more acceptable level for month-long sales totals.

Get back to the yard - had to go in for my review with the boss. I will say he gave me a very good review, very heartening to hear and read that. He has to answer the same review fields that I had to, and rate each set of directives.

Anyway, done with that, went home - for 5 minutes - and left. Off to Karen's house - she had some guys dig out that pine tree she was going to give me yesterday. I wanted to get it here and get it into a large container of water, just before it starts dying. So, I put a blanket on the top of my car, put the tree on that, roped it down with 3 ropes. Visited with Karen for a couple of hours - she made some grilled baby-back ribs that were just excellent - had some good conversation.

Headed home. But, I stopped at the Fry's down the road before getting here. I had spoken to the GM of that store yesterday - she said they had some of the chicken breast in and would hold it for me in the cooler until today. Great, I wanted some of that stuff. I go to the meat department, ring the doorbell. I hear the bell ring, I hear a guy in there working, no answer. Ring it again - and again, and again - nothing. I back up to see the guy is spraying something off with a garden hose, apparently couldn't be bothered with customers.

Whatever, I just asked for a manager to go back there, get my meat, I wanted out of there. The manager - not the GM who isn't there that late - opened up a closed lane, gave me an additional $5 off the already low price - I paid $5 and change for 4 large packages of bone-in chicken breast. Worth the stop, I figured - shook the man's hand, thanked him and left.

Got home. Task of getting the tree unhooked from the car, finding a suitable container large enough to put the root ball - what's left of it anyway - into so I could fill it with water overnight and probably into Saturday.

Done with that. I'm here, it's almost 9:00 o'clock - where I got the energy to write this energy who knows, I only hope the energy goes away and I go to sleep and STAY that way tonight. I was NOT going to go to Karen's today after the miserable night's sleep I had last night, but I figured that tree would probably die without resurrection if I didn't get it here and get the roots underwater. She had it packed with mud and wet - but - this tree did not have a deep root system, had not been sufficiently watered by whoever had lived in that place before, and is in obvious need of a good dose of water, especially considering being uprooted from the ground.

Somewhere, I have a container of vitamin B which I will also be giving it to help it survive the move. Karen's house? Unbelievably nice - I mean, she paid $31,000 for it - a 3 bedroom place, not huge but PLENTY big enough. New carpet and tile, paint, the owners/bank/whoever had done a lot to it to make it sellable. I'm imagining a huge loss, regardless for whoever owned the property before Karen bought it. A steal in every sense of the word excepting, of course, actually stealing it.

Mary? No more from her. She has closed the channels and is not communicating with me. My last words to her in email were that if she didn't want to deal with me in email, she would be forced to deal with me in front of a judge. I would rather the former, but I just about guarantee the latter. This will not be an eviction case, either, it will be a plain-jane lawsuit. It will take longer, but it will cost less in court costs.

I'm toast, fried and well-done, therefore, I'm gettin' offa this and going to bed.
G'nite.
ben

Drained

I just find going through such things with people such as Mary and the outrageous, unbeievable attitudes and hostility to be more than I can deal with on occasion. I tend to shut down and go to the "cave".
Mary's continued writings are horrendous at best. Her response to the walls in her room and all the holes she made in them was - incredulous.

Because of all that has happened - I am definitely considering suing her. The thing that really eats at me and got me going was her claim to Phoenix police that I had shoved her - equating aggravated assault - equating arrest and jail time. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had not acquired the Order of Protection against her.

I give attest again - and again - and again - to the advantages of having a video surveillance system giving me backup, 24 hours a day, every day, always. No, the cops didn't want to see it. WHY didn't they want to see it, is the question. In my mind - the fact that I so persistently and forcefully asked them to look at it - perhaps that just confirms to them that what I am saying is true and that they don't NEED to see it. Certainly, when I make my case about something, detail is something that is not ambiguous.

IF they had believed her, or had some question of credibility on my part, it would only be logical for the next step to ask to SEE this video surveillance of mine. That CD is in my possession and will remain so - in storage along with all the rest of the documentation, in case Mary EVER brings up anything about this again. Same with the judge, who had no desire to see my video recording of Mary basically committing perjury in the court.

It is not a case of paranoia. Having video surveillance is simply a total, 100% recall of any event that might happen. It is not clouded by human emotion. It's memory is not based on whether it was tired or not - as long as it has electricity and the computer program to run it, it never tires. It it totally unbiased, it shows the scenes as they happen. It can't edit itself while running to make one person look good and another look very bad. It IS what it is. It IS one of the best uses of my financial occupations that I have ever spent, and most certainly, the only regret I MIGHT have is not going for the 8 camera option. But I don't regret that, 4 is sufficient. 8 is better- but costs twice as much and that much more electricity for cameras to run.

Totally changing the subject, Michael apparently is not going home this week. One imagines that it is end of month, food stamps have run out at their house, money is very tight if existent at all, and food is scarce. I have imperical data to back it up - but it has to do with their use of illegal substance, so I will refrain excepting this sentence's inferences - leave it to your imagination, though long-time readers may very well surmise the correct rendition.

I have written a 3rd - and totally different - Craigslist ad for the room. Greatly reduced to accomodate for the situation with the walls - still a nice room and very large. The price is right, guarantee that. Or not.

My ad may change even more after I thought about what I really should have said in it - but - another day. I'll let this one run a couple of days and see what kind of response I might get.

Ummm, I'm tired - repetetive - but I have been driving all day long most every day I am at work now. It is relentless, though I really like that kind of environment. Keeps my mind occupied and keeps me on my toes. We are near end of month - they will be driving to get out every delivery the salesmen can muster to get out of the branches. Tomorrow looks to be a VERY busy day. Couple that with a fuel problem on the semi - I have to keep checking both tanks to make sure they are equalizing. I am trying to burn up the fuel in both tanks to get it down far enough for the mechanic to return and address the problem: faulty fuel indicators in the tanks, apparently a problem that this particular model of truck has had since it's inception.

The problem? The sensors go bad, reading faulty information, and start pumping fuel from one tank to the other - ONE way. Meaning ALL the fuel is trying to pump out of one tank and into the other tank, which doesn't have room for all of that fuel. This problem started on full tanks - I have been driving the thing with the fuel pump disengaged. Remember, this is a semi tractor, not a car, there is much more technology and necessary mechanics engineered into these kinds of vehicles than you will ever find necessary for the common automobile.

A semi truck's gauges and idiot lights will tell you so much more information than that of in a car, it's a totally different realm. Computers on trucks, however, do not equate into the eradication of common sense.

With that, I am going to BED.

G'nite!
ben

Tuesday More

So, I get home from work today and receive a reply from Mary.
Note that the judge ordered us both to communicate via email to come up with a date/time to get her things out of here.
Mary ignored that order and showed up on Sunday regardless.

So, today, Mary writes more hate mail. She is replying to the 3 emails that I wrote her after the court hearing and before she showed up on Sunday.

It is a total waste of time to go into what she said - it was incomprehensible and went into issues that had nothing to do with anything about moving her stuff out.

She did, however, think that she has 30 days to get her stuff out of here!
Ummm - well I responded to it, because her manner of writing is so off-the-wall, you really can't understand WHAT she is trying to say.

Regardless, the woman that is Mary's friend - a person that seems sane and lucent - showed up today - like right now - about 2 hours after the arranged time. That's all I need. 3 pickup trucks and 3 women. No U-haul and no guys to help haul the heavy stuff. They are going to attempt to take everything out of here today (I thing I can only DREAM happens).

Video surveillance is running and recording, of course. Note that the agreement for these people to come get Mary's things - without Mary present - was witnessed by 2 Phoenix Police officers. Listening to the women that are present, it becomes obvious that these people work with Mary at the University. How Mary gets out of having to help get her own things is - unbelievable, actually. The police can come again and again, according to them anyway.

This will undoubtedly go on for hours - none of Mary's things are packed, and when the ladies walked into the room, they were shocked. There is SO much stuff in there, it's amazing. I could fill more than half a house with the stuff she has crammed in there.

Today at work - busy. All day long. Got off of work 27 minutes late. Tomorrow looks to be more of the same. With all the running around I have to do tomorrow, I will be lucky to get it all done in 7 hours period. That's 7 hours without a break, btw, a break that they automatically take off of my time regardless of whether I actually take one or not.

Loan modifications. I have been contacted by about half a dozen companies - they all want rates that I simply don't care for. $2,000.00; $2,300.00; $2,500.00. They continue to talk about a "lawyer" and how this person is somehow doing the work. BUNK. Lawyers don't do their own paperwork - the menial stuff is left to paralegals and clerks. I asked specifically WHAT, exactly, the lawyer does? I get detailed responses to all of my questions BUT that one.

There are so many scams concerning modifications, I am very leery of it. I called the bank that is owned by the same mother company as my mortgage company, the man said he would call me back. He never did.

I will be calling them again.

Regardless, there is far too much noise going on in here to continue writing this entry with them moving her stuff out of here.
ben

Tuesday

So, Michael's sitting in the living room yesterday, asking about a vacation.
Sure - just come up with about $500 and we'll take a 3 day trip.
Lol.
Mary's friends are again supposed to come today, after I get home from work, to get the rest of her stuff.
Which is good because I have a solid lead on a new roommate.
Got to work early this morning as I like to sit here before clocking in and read the news and such.
Iran sending warships to international waters and North Korea detonating a nuke AND sending two more test missiles - great news!

Pretty nice 4 days off regardless of the excitement in court and the police showing up yet again at my house to let Mary get her things. Got plenty done this weekend, so I don't look at it as a waste.

Anyway, now it's just a 4-day work week - always easier to handle than the entire 5!
Have a great day!
ben

Memorial Day

Just voicing my great respect and giving my thanks to those that have served and are serving in our nation's military. As far as journaling goes, Old Solider comes to mind - as well as a few others.
To those families that have lost loved ones who have gone to Iraq, or Afghanistan - or wherever: Thank You. The loss is inmitigatable - but your country and your fellow countrymen are indebted forever.
I always think of those that went to Vietnam - I see them on the streets everyday. I have talked to many of them - that war messed with their heads, many have not been able to cope.

I think of the great World Wars - imagine what life would be like if Hitler had his way, or Japan was able to finish what they started. You think of how many military personnel lost their lives in those wars. It's a staggering thought. It's even more amazing that Japan is now an ally.

Well, moving on. Mary's friend was supposed to be here at 8:00am to get the rest of Mary's things. A friend I email with back and forth wrote me back this morning and said: "don't hold your breath". Lol.

I have had some interest in the room, but nothing solid so far. Just people interested. I believe it's a bit tighter market out there right now for room rentals - lots of people are doing it. Still, I'm a great location and that alone is usually what ends up landing the next tenant.

Regardless, I assume they are coming for the stuff - if they did not - there is now room in the shed to put the rest of Mary's larger stuff and store it onsight, versus paying to store it offsite. I think so, anyway. Crossing my fingers it doesn't have to go there and that they will show up at "any time now".

I've decided to take the day off. I have been working around the house every day. Lots accomplished - the only thing I am doing outside right now is finishing the slow watering of all the plants. I have a couple of loads of laundry I want to get done, but that's it. Oh how I wish there were a beach near here!

I can't imagine what it might be like to live near the ocean - storms, hurricanes and waterspots with earthquakes thrown in put aside. Oh, and underwater volanoes.
Hmmm, maybe not so great after all!

Have a great day!
ben

Mary

"I'll do it, myyyyyyyyyaaaawwwwyyyyyyy wayyyyy".
As always, Mary does things her own way.
In this case, completely ignoring the directive of the judge.
The judge issued the directive, via a modification of the Order of Protection, that we email each other about when she is to come and get her stuff.

I emailed her 3 times on 3 consecutive days.
She replied NONCE.
She was supposed to show up, originally, at 1:00 pm today with a U-Haul and several people to get her things out of here.
I didn't put it past her to do such a thing without notice, even though a court ordered it.
At 1:30, I figured a done deal - she ain't showing.

Wrong.

At 3:00 pm, the police are at my gate.
I go out there.
I inform them of the judge's directive.
It is, rightfully, left totally up to me.
Get her stuff out of here, that's what my head was screaming at me, and that's what I allowed.

But looking at the pickup, it was quite obvious that was NOT going to suffice.

There was only contention about a coffee cup and silverware. The coffee cup I gave up on - just take it, go ahead, have the coffee cup, I have a dozen more. She said no, I could "have" it, and left it. Silverware? Geeze. I had no clue where mine starts and hers ended. I offered that she could take out what she thought was hers and then I would look at it to see if I agreed with it or not.

She decided to leave ALL of her silverware, at my behest. I countered - you have a lot of stuff in there, go ahead and take what's yours. No. She left all of that stuff. She did, of course, take everything else. No problem there, but her bedroom is STILL - FULL - of her stuff. They took some things out of there, yes, but to look at her room right now? Totally full.

I did not want to have to deal with this tomorrow - I have yet another BBQ planned, this time a Memorial Day get together. Not with strangers, either.

The police asked if they could come, I said no, I have plans, they will have to try some other day. Then Mary's friend asked again - if she and some "male friends" could come without Mary to get the rest of it - no need for police since Mary won't be there. I thought no - again - but my head said - what are you thinking? Get that stuff OUT of here.

So, I said yes, at 8:00 am, you can come over and get the rest of this stuff. I'm already well awake by 8:00 am, and this gives them time to undoubtedly make at least 2 trips, cause' I don't see it happening in one. I was rather critical of them not just renting a U-Haul or similar and getting it over in one fell swoop. It becomes apparent that Mary has blown her money yet again and can't pay for a U-Haul.

The objective: get all of it out of here and get that room rented out again. I had 2 stipulations. 1 - the entire thing is video taped by surveillance and that you agree to it, and 2 - no-one in the moving party has any weapongs on them, especially hand guns since Mary has a friend that carries what looks to be a .45 caliper around with him everywhere he goes, including in my house. I had asked Mary a couple of times to tell the dude to check the gun at the curb.

So that's it. The kitchen part is over with - all of her stuff is out of there as well as my storage shed and whatever she had outside plus some stuff from her room. My greatest contention was the kitchen part - the stuff in her room, none of that is mine and I don't NEED to inspect it, as I don't note that anything of mine is missing.

I will be much more aggessively attempting to find a roommate after tomorrow - providing all her stuff is out of there.

Done.
ben

More

Okay, hanging laundry about the 4th load starts to get old. Not the biggest ordeal on earth, but - not exactly Sunday afternoon fun, either.

Also continued the deep watering I started yesterday. Should be completed by the end of the holiday weekend.

Went to Fry's. For me, Fry's Food Stores are becoming notorious for issuing ads with product that they don't have.
This time - 88 cents per pound chicken breast, bone-in. None. Tude Dude was back there, I avoided him like the plague - he gave me a long stare - so - I decided it only fitting to - completely ignore him.

When done with shopping, I asked the guy at the front about when there will be more chicken coming in. I knew the answer before he called the meat department: tomorrow. I decided to ask them to call another Fry's down the road - the man disappeared. When done paying for my stuff, the printer wasn't working and it did not give me my receipt. I ALWAYS check my receipt to make sure the computer hasn't over-charged me. It happens frequently enough that it warrants me to stand at the front of the store and go over the entire receipt.

I ask the lady 3 times to print the receipt - she never does. I finally get word back - no meat at the other store. Now, I really don't take pleasure in making life difficult for these people, but they also should not be luring people into their stores by having these "wonderful" sales for the customer to find NONE of the product on their shelves. I was definitely not the only person back there looking for the chicken - there were 3 other people standing there with rather bewildered looks on their faces - looking at a giant sign that says 88cent chicken breast, bone-in - the sign was planted in the middle of a bunch of whole fryers, there was definitely none of the sale chicken breast anywhere on those shelves.


So, as is my fashion, I ask for the manager. The lady at the front calls for her 5 times. Lol. She then asks for the second in command - of whom I would have rather talked to anyway if I had known he was there. He explains that they have been shorted on all of their chicken orders. I replied that that is the same story I have been hearing every time they have a sale and don't have the sale product. He offers to substitute, I rejected it. I wanted chicken breast with the bones, not the boneless. I think it grills better, and they didn't have another brand on the shelf.

Long story short? Same-o, same-o. One starts thinking at what point do you switch from thinking - Gee, they're just out, I'll get some tomorrow - to - Gee, they're always out, they are doing this on purpose - get people in the store, they will buy something else at a higher price, most people won't go to the trouble of saying something as I do.

Whatever. I wanted to cook the stuff up today for an afternoon BBQ for Caleb - it's his 16th birthday today. Actually, I ended up doing what I just said other people would do - I bought him a fat steak instead and will be grilling that later.

It's an amazing thought that my son is 16 years old. He is my only child - and soon he will be grown up and out of the house. THAT will definitely be strange. At the same time, "only" 2 more years of child support payments. I'm at 4 and a half years of it already. Basically could have bought a car on payments with what I have paid, and then another half of one by the time this is over.

Well, back to the races - I dumped tick killing powder on my bedroom floor - dogs have infested with them and it's been a daily war for over 2 weeks now trying to get rid of them - and it's almost time to vacuum that stuff up.

ben

Sunday

Something seems to kick in internally on Sundays that identifies the circuits within to close and start telling me to clean house.
An impulse that can't be denied, I get moving.
I'm about 1/3rd done - I have a huge list of things I want to get done in here today, as well as more items on the outdoor list as well.

However, I am waiting for the boys to get up to finish the living room. THEY can clean it, and clean it thoroughly.

I have heard nothing back from Mary from the 2 emails that I have sent her inviting her to come get all of her stuff out of here so that I can re-rent that room. I have no intention of waiting forever - she will either come get it or I will put it in storage regardless of the cost. I was thinking a cheaper solution would be to have a container delivered here temporarily - until the time allotted for her to get the stuff expires and then I can simply get rid of it. I do have doubts that I will have to go that far with it - getting rid of it that is - because she most certainly will want all of that back.

They also have those containers they bring, you load it up, and they take it to their storage facility. Just easier, I think than renting a U-Haul and having to unload it again. Just leave it in there. If she NEVER comes for it, have it brought back, unload it, sell it, done.

Anyway, it wouldn't surprise me if she just showed up at the appointed time today without any advance notice - even though she stated in court that she wasn't going to be able to come for whatever reason - she was cut off by the judge and we were allowed no further opportunity to speak. The clerk made up the paperwork, handed it to me and told me to leave immediately, while she went over to Mary and told her to wait a couple of minutes - that's the terms of an Order of Protection, no contact.

Meanwhile, some plants that she transplanted in the front have died. She transplanted them several weeks ago and was not watering them enough. I observed this and started watering them myself, but it was too late. So, I will have to dig those up and think about what I might want to put in it's place. I still have some plants left from the auction that - might - look nice out there, haven't decided yet. Spending money on plants is hardly on the docket of things to do at this point, so, if no plants go in there, I will haul more rocks from the back to the front to cover that bare patch of ground up.

In fact, there is much hauling to do. There are still quite a large number of rocks on the ground in the back and the front could use more of it. So, that's a "fun" project I will at least do some of today as well.

I hung clothes on the lines outside this morning to dry. They were somewhat moist after only 10 minutes out there - the sun is baking that side of the house and those clothes are probably already dry by now. Bring them in, tumbling them on air dry for a few minutes, done. It isn't near the ordeal in hanging them that I thought it might be. I haven't seen either other tenant doing any laundry lately - I am wondering if they are waiting until I'm not here so they can dry their clothes in the dryer.

If it's going to be a sticking point with them, I will not force the issue. I don't think it unreasonable to ask people to help save electricity. But, if they force the issue, I will force back - no laundry to be done between the hours of 10:am and 6:00 pm. Absolutely no good reason to be heating up the house during the daytime.

Ummm, so that's it, for now, as I want to get back to work after taking a little coffee break.
Have a great day!
ben