Tuesday 1/11/2011

Tuesday

I had no doubt that the shooting in Tucson, AZ would raise the age old debate over gun control. The question one must answer when starting to talk about "taking away the guns" is, in this particular situation: would gun control have kept a gun and ammo out of this man's hands?

No, no and no. Gun control, if ever implemented, will never work. The black market will sell as many guns as the criminals want or need and there is nothing to dispute that. Since that's the case, the only thing gun control will do is take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens. If you think this society is unsafe now, just take the guns away. Give 'em only to law enforcement and see what happens.

The idea that Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck are responsible for this man's actions is unbelievable bile. I don't listen to Limbaugh, I used to but I got tired of the monotones. I occasoinally listen to Beck, who speaks of peace, not violence and there is nothing I have ever heard coming out of Palin that suggests that if we don't like what our elected officials are doing, we should just go out and shoot them. While we're at it, shoot everyone else around them. It is hard to imagine where these people come up with these ideas, but it is the junk that is being spewed out all over the place.

I'd like to get off the subject, but I find it difficult to do so. The idiots with mouths that have the media attention are spouting off all over the place and it's just short of maddening. If anyone is inflaming the public, THESE people are at fault.

Okay, off the subject. The only good thing I can really do is pray, seek the Lord and ask that His will be done.

Today, I "get" to go down through the area where I keep getting pulled over and getting warnings. I mean, what is going to happen today?....I ask myself. They're "just" warnings, but I know the company doesn't like it. It is usually the case that people that don't drive trucks don't understand what goes on when driving when, the legalities that must constantly be on one's mind while driving one and the consequences of getting pulled over by Highway Patrol when they decide they want to do "an inspection". I have understood for 25 years that if you are pulled over by them, they are going to write you up for SOMETHING. They ALWAYS do.

January 11, 2011 5:56 AM 

Anonymous said...

It's as if they feel they MUST give you a hard time. I dunno, but today I will have my camera on hand. If I get pulled over again, for what I do not know - they just pull you over and the reason is described in the rules: it is implied consent. You are driving a commercial vehicle, you can be pulled over at-will - anyway, I'm probably not going to just sit there and politely take the abuse. Enough is enough. Respectful, yes, but I'm not going to let them roll over me again.

I forgot to call the mortgage company back, so I'm doing that today. I turned in the required documentation. They told me they won't call me, I need to call them. Great, the call will be made and I will either find out what I qualify for, or, at least get the ball rolling. Or, I don't qualify for anything, sorry Mr. BB, you're stuck.

Then, I will have to make the decision as to whether it is worth staying in a home that is around 60k underwater. I keep putting that decision off because I keep trying to get something - anything - ELSE done. They are not giving out principle reductions, I have asked dozens of times, I always ask: are you giving out reductions yet? Just curious, you are going to take more of a loss than that, well not really with federal guarantees I guess, I don't really know how that works especially with an FHA loan - they always tell me no, they aren't. Yet, I don't know that for a fact. I don't ever get beyond the first tier of personnel or at most, the second. I haven't really TRIED to get beyond that.

A seemingly age-old problem that seemingly won't go away. Unfortunately at that.

Not much else in my world currently. I am going to call my now-deceased friend's wife and see if she wants to go to church this Sunday. She said she wanted to, I'll ask and see how she is doing. I doubt very well. 48 years of marriage, their lives were inextricably intertwined with each other on a daily basis. To lose one half of that has to be devastating. Worse, their anniversary is coming up on the 10th of next month. I know the kind of emotion that pulls out in a lady, my mother went through it for YEARS after her last man died of cancer. Anniversary would come around and that particular day was a day of grieving. This will still be quite fresh, gonna have to talk about getting some people around her that day and at least offering support.

As for this entry, it's done and history, cause' my time's a runnin' out.

G'day.

ben

Monday 1/10/2011

Monday

The news is still full of this story of the congresswoman that was shot, but now, the newest angles are that this shooter was a nutcase, basically. This is going to play out for a while. The surgical team/hospital where she is at says they are going to do updates every morning at 10:00 am (Mountain Standard Time) I will be listening for that this morning. 

Onto other things. The winds of change are coming. I'm not talking about the world, the state, politics, I'm referring to myself. I have no idea WHAT, exactly, I can just feel it. I've noted this kind of thinking and feeling in the past and shortly thereafter, something occured or some sort of dramatic change in my life and the direction it is going occured.

No, I'm not a nutcase with a gun about to go whacko, thank you very much. We're not talking death and destruction, or I certainly hope not anyway. You get on one track in life and it goes on for a while and then, the tracks change and you are headed somewhere else, doing something else. That's all. It doesn't necessarily mean anything great. That's all I'm going to say about it in this blog until/if/when something happens.

Watched NFL football yesterday, nothing fantastic going on there. Packers showed early that they might take the win and that's what happened. Steelers next weekend, that's the game I'm interested in - would be cool to see them go another round at a Superbowl - though I'm sure non-Steelers fans don't favor that idea at all, lol. "They already have enough Superbowl rings" is a sentiment I have heard a lot. Yes, but one more would be even nicer!

Here's an interesting one: 2 brothers being deported from Colorado given another year by a judge to remain in the states. They are allegedly illegal aliens. The interesting part is that both of them served in our nation's military during the Vietnam era. Personally, I don't care if you're from the planet Zoid, if you serve in our military and have an honorable discharge, you're a citizen. You gonna pay that kind of price, you deserve to be a citizen. 

Just wandering around the news this morning, the biggest thing on my plate for today is a LOT of work to get done. Several deliveries, several pickups and then another delivery. Should make the day zoom by, which is a good thing.

Speaking of that, work day almost here.

G'day.

ben

Sunday 1/9/2011

It wasn't shocking,exactly, that a House member was shot and almost killed not 100 miles from where I am sitting.  But it was repulsive and maddening to find out a 9 year old girl was also shot and killed in that melee, especially after reading about her life and what she was involved with.  Not that the representative's injury to her head is any less significant, it just makes it that more sickening that this "man" would take out a little kid.  I fully expect the death penalty whenever this gets to court, litigation is over and the jury gives it's verdict.

This situation has engulfed the nation's news - as should be expected.

Onto other things.  One of the large Koi jumped out of the pond last night and was found kaput this morning.  Koi are known to do that.  Why, I have no idea, but it isn't something that surprises me anymore after reading about it all over the internet and talking with people that have had their own fish jumping out.  This one was about 12 inches long and huge.  Not the biggest fellow, though, there are 4 other Koi in that pond that are MUCH larger than this one.  I hope they never take that course of action.

I have been feeling ill all weekend long, but feeling a bit better now.  Getting up for work in the morning is going to be fun, I'm sure.  I have done much of nothing this weekend and glad that I have taken it easy.

Satuday

Drainage going down the back of my throat half the night last night and now?  Feeling very crappy, indeed.  Hard to breath.  Going to have to buy a "dryer" today in case it happens again tonight - meaning the stuff that helps stop that kind of drainage.  I may even have to go to an Urgent Care center to make sure this isn't going to get carried away.  Not sure about that, our health care plan just changed and I don't know which centers take this insurance.

Cooking the other Standing Rib Roast I bought in November.  Serve with baked potates, peas, salad and gravy.  That will be the end of it.  I am going to buy a lot of chicken for a while now and eat that stuff, made up whatever different kinds of way I can find to make it, besides those recipes I already know.

I dunno, I was going to write up a "normal" entry by my standards, but on second thought, I don't feel like it.  Instead, I am going to go up to the store, buy some medicine and other things I need and probably take it easy this weekend.  Combine feeling sick with the aftermath of a funeral that really has hit me a bit harder than I was at first willing to admit, some down time is in order.

G'day.

ben

The Memorial Service For My Friend

I showed up about 20 minutes early.  I didn't want to miss anything, plus it was about 25 miles from my house and just wanted to make sure I didn't encounter a traffic snarl or something to hold me up.

My now-deceased friend's name is Boe, his son is Boe Jr., who greeted me and brought me up to the front.  I hugged Josie, she was teary-eyed - obviously - said God Bless you and moved back for others to shower attention on her.  This was an outdoor service, they all are there - you can't shoot rifles inside a building, not like THAT anyway.  They have "shelters" where the service is performed. It's open air but it has a cover and cement type benches.

Well, anyway, I started looking at the pics.  I had never seen a pic of my friend when he was young.  There was one of him when he had started in the Marines - at the age of 17.  Boe's daughter, Carla, came up and we were talking.  She said she had wished that they could make a video of the service but no-one has a cam-corder.  No, but I remembered that my digital camera is in the car and I just freshly recharged it.  I ran back to the car, got it out and started deleting videos I had on there.  I wanted to make sure I did not run out of memory space and those videos I had on there were nothing special.  Most of them aren't.

I came back and stood in the back. Boe had a lot of friends, but, there were about 30 people there.  Boe Jr. comes to the back just before the ceremony started and invited me up to the front: Josie wanted me up there and Boe Jr. said his dad would have wanted me there, too.  I was a bit overwhelmed by the honor I was given, but, honestly, Boe and I were VERY close friends.  I didn't expect that, but I followed him to the front and sat down in a bench off to the side.

I was astounded by this military ceremony.  I have seen such on TV, I have never experienced anything like this in person.  It was amazing, beautiful and graceful.  The American Legion personnel were standing up front and they recited a poem and some prayers out of a book.  But it was "automated", these men were there because they wanted to be there, not because they felt compelled, at least, I certainly got that impression.

Meanwhile, about 100 feet away and off to the side of the ramada, is what I will call it, 21 men fell into formation, rifles in hand.  A bugler, standing well off to the side, also fell into formation.

When the 3 up front got done, they motioned for 2 - Marines I guess, I don't know - obviously military - came walking up.  But it wasn't aloof walking.  It was slow and it was purposed.  Walking in graceful, perfected strides, it was a sight to behold.  The came up before the 3 at the front and saluted them.  It was  a slow, fluid movement.  Timed perfectly, the 2 had their hands going up to their forehead and back down in perfect alignment with each other.  One of them took the flag that was next to the urn full of my friend's ashes and slowly, purposefully inspected it, then the 2 turned towards each other as if they were a machine, it was that perfect.

They slowly began to unfold the flag.  My friend loved flags, he was always flying the U.S. flag out in front of his house.  When it was fully unfurled, the 21 men with rifles got into position and at command, fired of a volley - almost exactly at the same time.  Another command, another volley, this time it WAS all at the same time and VERY loud.  The 3rd time the same.  Then, the lone bugler began playing taps.  There was nothing flimsy, unprofessional or monotone about any of this.  His performance on the bugle was perfection as much as anything else there.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

He finished and the 1 holding the flag began methodically folding the flag back up.  Slowly, I mean, there was nothing rushed about any of this.  He wiped off the dust with his white-gloved hand on each fold.  Each fold was meticulously pleated by hand and tucked sharply.  When done, he handed the flag to his comrade, did another very slow and methodic salute, and then walked off the same way he had walked in.  He walked about 50 feet away, stopped, did an about-face and stood there, looking on. You can see this stuff on TV all you want, it is nothing like experiencing it in person.  The other Marine  took the flag, went to Josie, got down on one knee and spoke in a whisper to her.  I have no idea what he said, whatever it was, it was for her and her alone.  I wasn't sitting far away, it was just whispered.  He then got up, saluted her, turned, and walked off the same as he had walked in.

The 3 at the front also departed after one of them declared this was the end of the military rites.  A minister came up as well as a friend, and that was the end of it.

It is one of the most amazing things I have experienced in any recent times.  A little girl, however, wasn't so happy.  That was one of Boe's grand daughters who was balling.  She loved Boe and always wanted to be go to their house to visit.  I went up and hugged Josie and the rest of the family again.  Josie asked if I wanted to come to her house.  Yes, of course.  They treated me like I was a family member.  I'm not going to sit here and say that tears did not flow out of my eyes today.  I was a bit afraid to drive that old car to their house, from north Phoenix to the town of Maricopa, a pretty good drive.

I spent about 5 hours with them.  There was good food, some reminiscing, the little 11 year old girl and her little sister came up to the table after everyone had left.  I mean, it was quite a while before they left, but Josie did not want me to leave with them, so I stayed for several more hours.  We played Uno - lol - and then some other card game I can't remember the name of.  At around 4:15, I finally left.  Josie was tired and so was I - this kind of thing just takes it out of me.

I got home and now have uploaded the video to my computer.  I was not necessarily concerned about what it would turn out like at the time of taking it. I aimed it in the general direction, looked at the screen a few times to make sure it was getting it all in, but I was totally immersed in the moment and that camera wasn't necessarily a priority.  So, when I got a chance to look at it, I was pleasantly surprised that it had turned out as well as it had.  They wanted me to burn a CD of it, but, I can't.  The Kodak digital camera records in .mov and I find out that burning a .mov file to CD?  You have to convert it to a different format. I have spent an hour - more like 2 hours - trying to download free software to make that happen.  On my third download, it actually worked - until I played it.  Sound only, no video.

Normally, I upload my videos to YouTube, I don't try to burn them to CD's, so this was new territory. I haven't got it yet, either.  In fact, I may just take the memory card out of the camera and take it somewhere and pay to have a couple of CD's burned. I'm sure there must be someplace that does that.  I apparently can pay for real player service to burn the CD, but I'm not there yet.  I'll do whatever I have to, of course, to get the thing onto CD, that service I think is $29.99 to do it on my computer.

The day is over.  I'll deal with that tomorrow.  In fact, I'll just take the camera with me to work tomorrow and see if I can find some place that does that and drop it off on the way home.  Or, I may just pay the price and get the upgrade to real player.

Oh, and I can't upload this to youtube.  It is 22 minutes long.  I think there is another online forum that you can upload longer stuff, I don't remember what it is.  I might do that instead.  Or both.  Who knows.

G'nite.

ben

Thursday 1/6/11

Heading out to the funeral in about an hour.  I haven't been to one in several years.  I don't expect to spend much time there, either, long enough to visit with his wife, watch the ceremony and then leave.  His wife will be surrounded by family and I am not going to interfere with that.  The thing is really just his ashes being brought to the cemetary and put into whatever they call those shelters for ashes.  He didn't want to be "spread out" anywhere, instead, his wife expects one day to be beside him in the form of a urn filled with her ashes.

Gruesome, I guess, but death is a real part of our lives.  I am glad that I don't have to do this very often, I can say that.

Anyway, I'm getting my clothes ready and such, so, I'm outta here.
ben

Wednesday

Wednesday

Pretty eiree stuff. A Philippino councilman is taking a photograph of his family on New Year's eve. In the photo, you can see a man behind them to their right with a gun pointed at the councilman's head, who is taking the photo. The man shoots the councilman seconds later and the councilman dies.

It was looking into the eyes of the killer that was the spooky stuff. Never seen a pic like that before.

Anyway, yesterday was my 5-year anniversary with my company. So, my company gives me 13,000 perk points. Sounds like a lot, right? Lol, well, you can't buy a whole lot with it. They have their own, online catalog, it's huge. I was going through it, couldn't find anything I would want, even lower priced stuff still wasn't accessible with the money.

The thought struck my mind, I wonder if they have any hummingbird feeders? I was going to get another one anyway, maybe I can get one for free. Amazingly enough, they had 8 different feeders listed in there and I had enough points to buy the most expensive one, which is a pretty cool looking thing if I do say so myself.

No idea when it's going to arrive, but the catalog is a conundrum of products sold by all kinds of different retailers. This feeder, I found out, is coming from Sears. I haven't been in a Sears store in years. It's amazing they have survived this economy, I thought they weren't doing so well, but I guess they have managed to eek by.

Hmmmph. Well, I was a bit surprised to go into the truck routing system and find all kinds of stuff in there to do today. One order with thousands of feet worth of pipe and a couple of other, much smaller orders.

I'm kind of dreading and looking forward to the funeral tomorrow at the same time. My friend's body has been incinerated, there will just be ashes there tomorrow. As I said before, I'm not very good with death. We all die, yes, but I can fall apart at a funeral pretty easily. I've been to plenty of friend's funerals - especially when I was a teenager watching my friends die all around me. Sounds strange, doesn't it, going to friend's funerals as a teenager - those people that died being teenagers or early 20's themselves. Much of it was painted with hokey, religious junk. It had nothing to do with the real God because those people had nothing to do with the real God and quite honestly, at the time, neither did I. I count myself very fortunate that I have lived this long and that the I found the Lord, or more like it: He found me, before my appointment with death arrives. I hope that appointment isn't too terribly soon, I would like to watch my son growing up, going into his adulthood. My parents didn't help me at all at the age he is going into - perhaps I didn't deserve any help but at the same time it made life extremely difficult. I suppose that's what I needed at the time: a good kick in the ass and a boot out the door. It certainly toughened me up, I can say that for a fact. Living in the back of a station wagon and then progressing to living in various rental rooms until finally going on the mission field after giving my life to the Lord - and THAT in itself is a book's worth of experiences.

And much of what I experienced on the mission field? You wouldn't believe my stories if I told you. A normal person would brush me off and say that didn't happen and it's impossible. Ohhhh, contraire: God IS real and He is still in the miracle-making business, I've seen it time and time again.

That is what the death of anyone close to me does in me: brings out thoughts of God, eternity and where we're headed, cause, Frank and Jane, if you don't know, I can pretty much tell you and it isn't a very pleasant place. It mostly causes me to do a lot of introspection and even a realigning of my life and the direction it is headed in, which this time around? Certainly no lack of those ideas floating around in my head.

Oh, and let me throw this out there: simply because you don't believe that there is a God or a heaven and hell does not, therefore, eliminate the fact that all 3 not only exist, but as real as the air that you can't see but are breathing right now. Jesus Christ - my Lord and My savior - is knocking at the door of your heart. Let Him in, he won't hurt you, he's not a thief or a bandit coming to steal from you.

I'll get off the podium now, haven't been on one in a long time.

The work day is here. I slept very well last night, amazingly enough. I mean, I woke up once and went right back to sleep. That is not a normal thing for me, no, it is not. The newest tenant paid me in full for the entire month. He had given me $100 to start and then the rest yesterday. The Army Reservist is nowhere in sight. It's getting later and later in the month. I'm going to wait until tomorrow - strike that, tomorrow has enough for the day with that funeral - this weekend and if she doesn't show up or at least call, I'm going to have to post the dreaded notices. In this case, a notice of abandonment. I took my frozen Standing Rib Roast that I bought in November on sale out of the freezer. I figure to cook that this weekend. After that, I am going off of red meat for quite a while. Chicken and turkey will be my mainstay, which it normally is anyway, but this holiday season I went overboard with the red meat stuff and you know they say eating too much of that simply isn't good for you. It isn't a New Year's resolution, it is a lifestyle for me. Eat as healthy as possible, which is why I usually, not always but usually, eat my lunch at Subway so I can have the sandwich made to order without all the calorie laden dressings and junk put on to it. I only made one resolution this year: start working out again, which I have started at a slow pace, but never-the-less, I have started.

The stuff about the Lord cannot be a resolution, as resolutions can be easily forgotten and put onto a shelf. No, that is also a lifestyle thing, something you implement because you want to, need to and have to. It is as much a matter of life and death to me as is my beating heart.

With that, I bid you g'day.

ben

Tuesday

Tuesday

The funeral for my friend is on Thursday. It is going to be a full military style thing with 21-gun salute, flag - I have never been to one of those kinds of funerals, don't really know what to expect.

I spoke with Josie (his wife) last night on the phone. She stood there and watched him die as emergency workers tried to save his life. It was simply his time to go. I don't know how else to put it, when it's time, it's time.

I was not a particularly happy person at work yesterday, either. Just because I didn't have time to process all of it. I got the news the night before JUST before going to bed and then get up for work the next morning. Life goes on, yes, still, when you have known a person for some 16 years and became close friends, it isn't something that you just dismiss as if it were a melted Hostess cupcake and throw it in the trash.

Change the tune here, I am not really that much down at this point, he was a good man and he lived a full life, he is with the Lord, it isn't a bad thing where he's at, just the people that are left behind have to deal with the emotional issues of separation and bidding goodbyes.

I was standing next to the hummingbird feeder a few days ago when one of them came humming up to the feeder. I was maybe 2 feet away from that feeder and that bird. He became so relaxed he sat on the ledge and perched instead of hovering. I find this fascinating, birds usually want to be nowhere near humans. Well, then, another hummingbird flew to the top of the 6 foot chain link fence and perched there, looking at the feeder with the other bird.

Now it gets dicey. Yet ANOTHER hummingbird zoomed right past the one on the fence, who immediately took off after it. A minute later, it came back and perched on the fence again. What happened next I wish I could have gotten on video: the bird on the fence swooped down on the bird on the feeder, poked it with it's bill and then took off. I heard this little squealing noise come from the "injured" bird who was RIGHT on the tail of that bird, chasing it away.

I don't know if it got revenge or not - they fly so fast they are out of my yard and down the street before you know what's going on. It wasn't 60 seconds later and it was back on the feeder, drinking away.

An amazing thought that these birds are, apparently, territorial, at least over "their" feeder and that they are willing to fight over it!!

My answer may be to get another feeder and locate it somewhere else, maybe on the other side of the house. Feeders are cheap, the mix to make the sugar liquid is cheap, nothing about money here. I would like to hang one right by the sliding door in the kitchen and and see if any of them will visit it.

Politics as usual. That's all I see in any of this. A vote is going to be forced on the repeal of the health care bill. I dunno that that's going to happen, I think it's more of a symbolic act to be used as weaponry in the next elections.

Our company just switched health care providers, going from Cygna to Anthem Blue Cross. I was not particularly happy about the switch, I now have to find a new doctor. I have had the same doctor for a number of years now and he was the kind of person that made a visit not so over-bearing. So, go to Anthem's site, pick a name out of the hat and hope I get a good one? Gag. Our company said it was a cost-reducing measure. Well, I'm glad to have coverage, so I can't complain too much, though the premiums are going up again. Pretty much every year the monthly premium is higher and higher. Can't afford to not have coverage so I pay it regardless of how much it costs. I am also covering my son and probably will be well into his "adult" life. My parents dumped me when I was 19 and I thought that a - petty - thing to do. I will be doing no such thing with my boy - until he find something that gives him his own coverage or if he ends up in the military - I will keep him on my coverage as long as I have coverage to extend to him.

Work day approaches. A couple of small orders in the system.

G'day.

ben

Monday 1/3/2010 The Passing Of A Friend

Monday

I was sitting in my kitchen last night at the computer, contemplating finishing up an entry for Sunday when my cellphone started ringing. I looked at the name that popped up on the screen: Boe, one of my best friends on the planet.

I answered in my normal way when talking to him but was not greeted by Boe. Instead, it was a lady's voice on the other end of the phone. She wanted to know who I was, which I thought strange to ask a person that you just called. This is ben. She declared that she is Boe's daughter.

I got a bad feeling about this. NO-ONE uses Boe's phone except Boe. She proceeded to tell me that Boe had passed away on New Year's Eve day. It took a minute for that to sink in. The thought of losing one of the few, real friends I have on this earth? About floored me.

She went into the story - he had a heart attack, followed by a stroke. They took him to the hospital but, it was a done deal. This guy was one of those types of people that everyone liked. No-one could hate him. I thought about the life-long pain he had suffered at the hands of a drunken Army Sargeant - the man got into a 10-wheeler, on of those big things the Army uses for personnel and such - put it in reverse and proceed to run over several men sleeping in a tent and also over Boe's leg.

Boe has suffered pain ever since then, some 50 years ago I'm thinking. I thought how he must feel right now, freed from that broken body.

It was a few years ago, something like 2 or 3 I'm guessing, that I started seeing Boe with a Bible in his hand. He started learning scripture and really fell in love with the Lord. It was almost shocking to see that man with a Bible, but it gladdened my heart to see him doing such and, over time, starting to be able to come up with Scripture. I only throw that in there because I know he is with the Lord, which means, at least from my view of it, he is in a FAR better place right now than any of us mortals living here on the earth.

That doesn't help his family, of course, especially his wife. They were married some 40 years. Or more. I'll have to find out. It was a long time, I know that.

I'll never forget the way I came to meet Boe. I was living in that trailer park - he and his family were, too. Some ladies in the park had started a homeowner's association to take on park management which was extremely abusive to everyone. They needed a person to take the president's position and had approached me about it. I wasn't particularly interested. I asked them to find someone else. They told me that I was the only one they knew of that had the guts to stand up to that bastard of a manager.

I had already stood up to him and his threats several times and had not backed down. I took the position, we scheduled a meeting in the main hall and I had flyers sent out to everyone in the park. Boe showed up, standing in the back, talking with another man, basically saying what a crock this meeting was and how it wasn't going to do any good at all.

He wouldn't quiet down when the meeting started, so I had to ask him to tone down or please leave. He made some sort of comment, but by the end of the meeting, he had a different tune. Boe and I started meeting together and going over landlord and tenant rules and regulations as put forth by the state of Arizona. We then started delving into all kinds of legal issues that the park was posing in their actions towards many tenants.

We became really good friends. He was the man that called me on 9/11 - I was sound asleep when he called - and asked if I was "watching this?". What? The TV. I asked what channel. He said ANY channel. Turned it on and there was the first tower smoking with a gaping hole in it. As Boe and I discussed how that POSSIBLY could be an accident - how does a professional airline pilot just somehow not miss a gigantic building? The second jet slammed into the other tower. We then knew there was no accident going on here, this was an act of terrorism. You all remember the skies after that - empty.

But, this is about Boe, not 911. He was a great man. Even in the worst situations, he was able to keep a smile on his face and an upbeat attitude. You can't replace a friend like that, you just can't.

The daughter told me that my name and number weren't in his phone. I said I had called him last time he was over at my place, like 2 or 3 weeks ago and he had saved it. Nope, she said, it was gone and his wife would not have the phone shut off until I called, as they had no other way to contact me. Josie is his wife's name, a beautiful, lovely lady and I'm sure hurting right now. I couldn't talk to her last night, they had given her a sleeping pill to get to sleep because, of course, the grief had overcome her.

It's hard for me just because he was one of the few friends I have left. I mean, I have plenty of acquaintences, lots of - dunno what you label them - half friends - I just don't think we make too many real, close and personal friends in life. I dunno, but the next coming days are certainly going to give me cause to think about all of this going on in my life. I don't take the death of close friends or loved ones very well, I just don't. I have been asked to come to the funeral, of course I will be there, don't know yet what day it's going to be. He is going to be buried in a veteran's type of cemetary somewhere in north Phoenix.

I don't really have anything else to say. I just wanted to pop a hello out to my friend, I know he's up there.

ben

Happy New Year!!! 1/1/2011

I was going to get up last night and ring in the New Year with a glass of champagne and maybe honk the car horn - but -  the alarm didn't go off and I slept right through it.
Oh well, no great loss, but it is a tradition for me.
Anyway, Happy New Years to everyone and may you have a prosperous, healthy and joyful year!

Frost damage.
I covered up all my plants 2 days ago for the impending cold nights.
Friday morning the plants all survived without any damage.
Today? Not so lucky.  Yes, I left everything covered but the still exposed stuff
was damaged.  I would have to have hundreds of sheets, literally, to cover up EVERYTHING.
Anyway, I think there is yet another freeze warning for tonight, so, all sheets and blankets are
staying on the plants for another day and night.

Done.

The ponds are faring better than the plants.  Mainly because I have 2 heaters going in each of them.
The fish look healthy and are swimming around, so I'm hoping there isn't any ill effect going there.  The
temps in both of them as of yesterday evening was 55 degrees, up 5 degrees from the time I plugged all
the heaters back in.  I haven't checked today, but no reason to expect that it's any lower, hopefully up to 60.

Army Reservist has been gone quite a while now- but not unexpected.  I believe she said she was coming back on the 3rd or the 4th, no worries there.
Newest tenant is a day sleeper.  Well, morning to early afternoon sleeper anyway.  No problem when I'm at work, apparently a problem on weekends.  Cause', I'm home and in the middle of broad daylight, I do activities concurrent with the time of day.

So, just watching TV this morning he came out and said the TV noise had awakened him.  Funny, cause' that thing is in the living room and WELL away from the hallway or his room.  I turned it down a bit, but he came back out again.  I gave him a set of earplugs and haven't heard from him since.  I also suggested a box fan for white noise, that will be up to him whether he gets one or not, they aren't expensive and will help us all out quite a lot. I do not make a lot of noise in the  house, anyway, but I don't really want to have to feel hindered in my own home on weekends.  Always a middle ground to be found somewhere.

Thursday 12/30/2010

So, the cold winter storm is here and going to get worse. Yesterday, I was at fry's food stores, they had all of their Christmas stuff at 75% off. I bought 8 strands of C-7 lights at $2.00 per box. No, not for next Christmas, either, although they can certainly be used for that purpose when the time comes around. 

No, they put off heat. Not much heat, but, enough to help fend off the hard freeze that is coming tonight. I will be spending the afternoon out there after work putting up lights and then covering everything I can up with blankets and sheets. A pain, yes, necessary, absolutely. 

I have serious doubts of much work today. There are orders in there but I'm guessing the rain yesterday and overnight will but a stop to any crews doing much of anything but staying home. 

Anyway, I talked to the non-paying to paying tenant yesterday. I had to remind her that she did NOT pay me anything last week, that when she showed up, she talked about everything BUT the rent and that it had completely annoyed me. So, I told her, she is paid up TO this week, but not FOR this week. That took some time for her to understand. I had to further explain that when a person disappears and starts getting way behind on rent, it is only prudent that I will start posting notices. It isn't a PERSONAL thing, just a business matter: pay the rent of please move your belongings out and if you don't, they will be moved out for you, thank you. 

Anyway, the work day is here. I am a bit tired as I woke up in the middle of the night to some crashing noise outside - it is very windy out right now - I dunno what that was all about but it took quite a while to get back to sleep. My poor doggies, I left them out in the cold this morning. Don't care, they sealed their fate the last time when I came home from work and found my coffee table covered in urine.

G'day.

ben

I Deserved A Ticket

I'm cruising down I-10 through Chandler (Arizona) area.  They started a construction project in a spot a couple of weeks ago.  The lanes are not narrowed, they are working in the middle of the freeway and put up those heavy concrete dividers.
The - 4 or 5 times I've been through there - since they started it, I have NOT seen a reduced speed speed limit sign.  I looked.  I really did. Construction sites are autonomous with reduced speeds.  Well, cars were buzzing by me going much faster as I was coming up to that today and STILL did not see any signs, so I zoomed along with them.
I saw the DOT Arizona Highway Patrol pickup sitting there, thought nothing of it.  I slowed down a little bit, but just kept cruising.  Apparently the car drivers didn't see whatever signs were posted, either.  They were going at least 10mph FASTER than me past they ADOT pickup, but I had this feeling.  Sure enough, I see this pickup in my rear view mirror come speeding up behind me, put on his lights, I pull over.

This guy was not your typical Highway Patrol officer.  He was totally laid back, about my age and very cordial.  I see him on the right side walking up to the cab of the tractor - a good thing, I don't much care to see people walking on the driver's side of a car or other vehicle on the sides of these freeways, there are too many stupid drivers out there paying no attention to anything.  They have run over HP officers around these parts in the past.  He opens the door, climbs up, says hello, I already had all kinds of documentation ready and handed to him, but yes, I did greet him.

He didn't say anything about speeding - so I thought maybe there ARE no signs and I didn't miss anything.  Instead, he asks me how long those pipes are on the back of my truck?  20 feet.  This goes on for a while, yes it does, yes it always does.  They want to see things working - lights, this that and the other thing.  If you don't drive trucks and you have never had this special attention, trust me, you aren't missing ANYTHING.

He mozies on back to his pickup, pulls out a tape measure and measures the pipe.  He goes back to his truck, puts up the tape measure and mozies on back to me.  Tells me I need 4 straps on that pipe.  I have 3, the legal amount necessary for that length and weight of pipe.  I mean, the straps I had on there are good for about 10 times the amount of weight I had on there.  No matter, DOT is always right and you sit there and listen to it, cause' - you have no choice.  You can argue with them, yes, and you will get reamed if you do.

I know PLENTY of truck drivers that thought arguing with them is aye okay, whatever dudes.  You can sit there and mouth off all day long, it isn't going to help you in the end.  I was raised to respect law enforcement, I keep to that pretty much.  The end result for those drivers is usually nothing good.  Tickets, fines and points. Pass.

He asks me if I can put another strap on the pipe if I have another strap.  Yes, officer, I can put another strap on there, no problem.  He continues, well it can be a 2 inch strap if you don't have any more other straps.  No , sir, I have plenty of straps and winches to strap them to.  He admonishes me to look out for traffic getting out of the truck - a VERY busy stretch of highway with a speed limit of 65MPH and drivers going much faster than that?  I totally agree.

I throw the strap on there, winch it down tight, done.  Oh, the pipe is 20 feet, 7 inches long.  It's 7 inches into needing a 4th strap.  Sort of.  The reason for excessive straps is that trailers without bulkheads have to add an extra strap.  The third strap I had on there was plenty and I thought was sufficient, but, our paperwork all says that pipe is 20 feet long, not 20 feet 7 inches long.  I have never measured it.  However, I had secured cargo in front of the pipe, by law, eliminates the requirement for the extra strap, so, legally, the third strap should have covered it.

Then comes the bombshell.  The area I was travelling through is a construction zone and is posted at 55mph.  I told him I did not see the signs and I was looking.  How did I miss them?  How did I miss them the 4 times or so that I have been through there since this construction started?  But, I was being totally honest: I did NOT see those signs and no, I'm not looking at freaking test messages while I'm driving.  I have no clue and still don't. Well, I didn't argue it with him, he came up looking for a serial number on the trailer, told me I can just kick back in my truck and he'll be back with me shortly.

I figured with the straps, a warning, the speeding - a ticket.  He said I was going 70mph - but I looked when I saw him, I was going 68mph.  In the world of commercial vehicles and licenses, a WORLD of difference.  15mph over the posted limit is enough to have your CDL suspended.  Yes, it is.  I think it's a 60 day suspension, not sure of that, but I think that's what I read.

I dunno, 10 minutes later.  I'm sitting there thinking about what I am going to do about this speeding ticket, you HAVE to fight it in court, regardless.  Especially a charge of going 15mph over.  Bummer, the day is going sour.  He gets in the side of the truck after mozying back up again, has the paperwork in hand, says that no checks, cash or credit cards will be needed.  It didn't register with me at first.  What is he talking about?  He begins to explain what's on the paperwork.  I still am not getting it, because he isn't coming out and saying it.  He says something else that starts me thinking that I am getting warnings, not tickets.  I asked him: You mean you aren't giving me a speeding ticket?  No, he says, just sign on this paperwork and we're done.  

I'm not going to lie and act like some egomaniac by saying I didn't thank him for not giving me a ticket for speeding, especially for that kind of speeding ticket.  I thanked him more than sufficiently, signed the paperwork, he wished me happy holidays, I bid him the same and that was that.

ben

Wednesday

Wednesday
2 more work days - including today - to go before another 3 day weekend.

I left the non-paying tenant a Notice Of Abandonment AND a Quit or Pay notice yesterday. She came "home" overnight, left me a note and left. I'm guessing she probably did a bunch of laundry as well, which really sucks because my power reader is almost out of money. Not that I'm out of money, I got home yesterday and found the thing beeping and $8 left on it.

Which is plenty, unless you have a tenant that thinks electricity is free and use as much of it as possible. 

Anyway, she left me 2 week's rent in the envelope and called it even, saying how confused she is about where I come up with another week's rent owing on top of it. I'm not confused: this week, last week and $75 for the week before. Now, if she is saying she is paid up UNTIL this week, fine, that's true. But, rent is due on the first day of the week, not the first day of next week, thank you.

Regardless, I was happy to receive anything from her, but she did state that she "is sorry you feel I have abandoned the room", yada yada yada. Abandonment notices are for those people tha disappear, in this case for a minimum of 7 days AND are past due in their rent a minimum 10 days. Well, she was gone 8 days up until yesterday and she was 14 days past due in rent. 

This is the trouble with weekly renters who are unemployed but don't want to lose their room. However, I did get the 2 weeks worth of back payments, I am going to call her later as she has requested and we will discuss the legal intentions of posting a Notice of Abandonment when a person completely disappears and is way past due on rent. If she was paid up, she can disappear as long as she wants to, I don't care. Just like the other female tenant who is paid up until the beginning of the year. She has been gone a week. Well, her room is paid up, whether a person wants to live in the room or not is their business, whether they pay the rent for it is mine. In reality, that lady is in Alabama right now visiting kinfolk and I have no idea when she is coming back, but unless it's way past the 1st, she won't be finding abandonment notices on her door. 

A huge storm front is moving through the state (well, since people are visiting this site from around the world, this state would be Arizona and I am in Phoenix), just as predicted. It is supposed to dump a bunch of rain all day long today and then tomorrow night, it's supposed to get very cold (by our standards, anyway). Well, I haven't had to water plants in at least 2 weeks and from the looks of it, I can move that another 2 weeks out. 

The dogs will get their nice little sweatshirt/vest thingies on them tomorrow when it's going to be very cold outside and that will be that. 

Hmmm, well I have a lot to do today, amazingly enough, I just checked the truck routing system. A trip to Queen Creek then to downtown Phoenix and then over to Casa Grande. I am wondering, however, if it's going to stay that way once the rain starts dumping out of the sky.

Anyway, work day is here and I'm done with this one.

G'day.

ben

The BIG News

I've been hearing this all day on the news, you'd think someone had been killed:

COLD BLAST IS COMING THOUGH - or some such thing.

About 2, 2 and a half years ago, a hard freeze hit this area.  It destroyed a lot of trees and plants all over the place.  

They are saying this thing coming through is going to be worse than that one and are warning everyone to cover EVERYTHING up or it's probably not going to come out too well in the end.  

Well, I take such warnings seriously, I have gone to FAR too much work and trouble to plant all of this stuff only to have Mother Nature come along and kill it.  I have enough blankets and sheets that I accumulated from last year to cover just about everything.  I got even more this year I should be able to cover all of it.  My Christmas lights will also help.  If I had big fans, that would help too, but I don't.  

So, Thursday afternoon I am covering everything up and it's going to stay that way for 2 nights in a row, the length of time they are saying the hard freeze conditions will be around.....................and hope whatever I do is enough, cause if it isn't, I'm going to be a very unhappy person if my plants all die or suffer serious freeze damages.  I can deal with some leaves being ruined, but an entire plant?  Gag.  

Tuesday 12/28/2010

Tuesday

I was just reading some pretty bad news for baby boomers. I'm at the end of that one being born in 1964. Statistics were showing that many have not saved enough - or at all - and are retiring early at age 62, therefore not getting the full retirement amount you could get at age 70 through Social Security.

Excuse me, but who the bleep wants to have to work until they're 70 years old? And WHAT, exactly, are you going to be doing at that age in the work force, greeter at Walmart entrances?

I have 16 years until I'm age 62. Guess I better get busy. I had 2% taken out of my paycheck this year - I wasn't going to do anything because of my financial situation, but I just let it ride after my company automatically reinstated it to 2% at the beginning of the year. It's about to break the 5 digit mark. Nothing to get excited about there. If it were about to break the 7 digit mark, woo hooo. 

Further reading had these people saying they are going to work until age 70. Have fun with that. I'm going to up my 401k deductions this coming year since our company is going to reinstate full matching benefits as of January 1st, I believe it is. I'm going to set it at 5% and see what happens. 

My goal, still, is in rental properties. Out or reach right now, but not forever. 

Oh, the situation yesterday out front of my house. I was out there doing something, whatever I don't remember, there was a woman walking up and down the street, acting as if she was looking for something. This went on for a few minutes before I asked her if I could her find something - I had never seen her before.

The next thing I know, this woman is on my property, standing next to me, talking to me as if we were friends and had known each other for years. That wasn't the bad part, the bad part is she was REALLY strange. Talking a mile a minute, giggling and laughing at everything, not necessarily the most coherent being I had ever encountered. It was really weird.

Then, one of the neighobhood kids that has been walking the dogs for me came up to take one of them. This woman went berserk. She wanted to take one of my dogs as well. I don't even KNOW this woman, I'm not about to let her just walk off with one of my dogs! This went on for 10 minutes at least. I was out there at that point waiting for the next prospective tenant to show up. 

Well, this guy drives up in his car and I'm trying to get rid of this woman. PLEASE leave now, I finally had to say, I have business to deal with, thank you. She leaves, the guy comes in, I show him the house, we start talking about all kinds of stuff. At the end of it, the kid brings back one of the dogs and this woman follows the kid right through the gate and into my side yard!!! 

She also left the gate open. Oh, it was all too funny to her, I was about to let loose but decided to just politely ask her to leave. You left the gate open. Haahahahahahheeeheheeheheheeehehehheee. 
I looked at her and said there was nothing funny about it, my dogs can get out when you leave the gate open, I was still tempted to tell her to get the bleep off of my property, I just let it go and escorted her out. 

One thing is for sure, that woman is NEVER taking one of my dogs ANYWHERE unless she steals one of them. I have this - bad - feeling that she is going to be back today. I think a bit more bluntness will have to be in order if so. 

Work day is here.

G'day.

ben

New Tenant

A 2-way street.
I have people coming over here, looking at the room.  They say that they are going to look at other homes before making any decisions.
Great, see all the homes you want, I reply, but I am on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you decide you want the room but someone else gets it first after you leave, that's the way it goes.

It takes them by surprise.  It shouldn't.  That person is trying to put me on hold.  Just wait while that person is going to make up their mind, meanwhile, I have 10 other people that are interested in the room.  And, while that person is gone, they think they find a better place and baam, you've held the room for nothing.  Not only have you held it for nothing, you lost all those prospective people plus, probably, it gets past the first of the month and your prospects start thinning out substantially.

So, I tell them up-front, such as the individual that came over here today: I don't hold rooms.  I mean, spent a good 40 minutes with this guy, talking, showing him around, etc etc etc.  He finally said he likes the place, but, he wants to go see another house.  Wonderful.  I don't really say that, I'm thinking it.  You go see that house, I'm never going to hear from you again, I'm moving on.  I gave him an hour.  An hour was up, another guy that called yesterday wanted to come see it.  Please do.  He came right over.  We hit it off from the start.  I didn't have near the connection with the first person.

One thing you want when someone is going to move into your house:  a good feeling about it.  A connection, a "yes, this guy or girl can move in and it will be a good fit" type of thought and feeling.   This guy wanted to see EVERYTHING, including the ponds.  I showed him the ponds, he loved the dogs, wanted me to show him that the TV in "his" room works and that the satellite is hooked up and working.  Yup and yes.

At the end of it, he says he has one more house he wants to look at.  I felt my face "fall", he noticed.  What's up?  "I don't hold rooms".  There is nothing else to say about it.  I do NOT hold rooms.  The phone was literally ringing off the hook while I was talking with him.  I said all of those calls were for the room - which they were.  I can't and won't hold rooms.  No thanks.  I have been there, done that, most of the time it does NOT work out, unless you want to put cash down, the room will be rented to whoever says yes first.

He thought about it for a few minutes and said yes.  This is the place for him, he didn't want to miss a good deal, wanted out of his current situation BADLY, done.  The other guy?  He lost.  He and several others were calling the entire time.  That first guy - I have no sympathy. It's a good deal here, it's a VERY good deal.

You see, it isn't quite the stretch for me to say, nope, not holding rooms, since they are going to sit there and tell me that yup, they're going to go check out other places.  I don't hold it against them, I just don't hold the room FOR them.  That's their choice and I might add they are taking a chance.  Whatever.  Not the first person that has regretted not saying yes right away.

Onto other things.

HAMP.  Home Affordable Modification Program.
I called today.  My lender, that is.  THEY sent me the paperwork out of the blue.  I don't have to fill out all of that paperwork, I did it over the phone with them today.   They ask a lot of questions, just like they did the first time.  Got to the end of it, they want paystubs for 2 months; a letter of hardship and proof of tenant payments.  Well, they had the pay stubs and the letter of hardship within 30 minutes of that call. I sat down and wrote up the same type of hardship letter that I gave them the first time.  Pay stubs were easy enough to get on my company's site.  I don't normally carry tenant contracts around with me, so, lol, I have that to send in.  Oh, I faxed that stuff over to them.

After all of this time, my lender is finally participating in the HAMP program.  NO guarantees, of course, but, I will hold out hope.  My lender is not reducing principle on properties. I have asked 20 times at least, today was no hold-out on that question.  Why should they?  I don't know, I just ask.  I ask for everything.  They can reduce the interest, reduce the payment, lengthen the term of the loan, apparently several things.  I do NOT want the loan extended another 10 years, that is useless.  I mean, it would bring the payments down, but it doesn't help.  I want reduced interest rate, THAT helps.  Bring the monthly payment down another $300 or more, that would be great help.

Is there any credence to $5 per gallon gasoline within 2 years?  I don't know.  This is the latest news story, the "experts" saying that $5 is coming within 2 years and that by the end of the decade there will be rationing.  I dunno.  I just don't know.  Last time they came up with this $5 or even more predictions, it tanked and we were back in the $2 plus change range.  Definitely feeling the bite at near $3.00 per gallon fuel now.

Strange stuff going on all over the place, the front of my house no different.  But, that story is going to have to wait until tomorrow, as I'm tired and I have decided to go to bed an hour early.

G'nite.

ben

Monday 12/27/2010

Monday

So, what do you think?
Should the babies that are born here - referred to as anchor babies, on U.S. soil from parents who are illegal aliens be automatically given citizenship? 

It's an incentive for them to slip over here, illegally, get their kids born here, now they have a "grip" on their own citizenship. I have no idea what the pro and con arguments are going to be in this debate concerning that of which they are taking up in Congress, should be some interesting reading. 

I think Mexico - the main supplier of illegal aliens - should take care of their own people and stop expecting them to come over here so that they can funnel money back over there. In fact, it would be good if Mexico could deal with the extreme violence going on on it's own soil. I can only imagine that many potential U.S. tourist shy away from Mexico at this point in time because of the violence and murder. You couldn't pay me to drive across the border right now.

Whatever. It's the week between Christmas and New Year's, traditionally a lot of people take time off during this interval and traditionally work is very slow. I do have a couple of deliveries today, that from Thursday, I haven't checked again today to see if anything new has popped up. Nope, just checked, just the same stuff that was in there. Well, at least there's SOMETHING to do in there. 

2011 will be a different kind of year for me. My son will turn 18, he will graduate high school and start his trek into adulthood by going off to college. Though, I guess he's not really going "off" anywhere, he's talking about going to a community college in the area and then to ASU, which is about 15 minutes from my house. My mom asked him yesterday where he was going to live while he is doing that, I did not hear the answer. I'm guessing he's going to stay with his mom or I, I don't know that for a fact. He doesn't make enough money to be able to live on his own or with other guys his age in an apartment somewhere. I mean, you get to an age where you sorta want to part ways with your parents. I understand that, I also understand it's hard times we are living in and money is tight and scarce.

Whatever, it will be interesting to see what happens and where this is all going. 

Meanwhile, I am going to apply for HAMP this week and see if I can get the federal stuff going towards my mortgage on the house. My lender told me on the phone some time back they aren't participating in that, now they have sent me the paperwork, lol. Letting the mortgage go for 2 months was a strategic thing - they won't bother to do anything for you unless you are behind on your payments. My property is now around 70k underwater. Something has to give here. I do not want to live in a house that may never see the amount I am paying for it. At the VERY least I want a greatly reduced, permanetly, interest rate. Like at least another 2 full points, if not 3. 

Well, work day is here. 

G'day.

ben

Visit To Mom's

Caleb and I went to mom's today to exchange Christmas gifts and have a bit of lunch.
Always a good visit, but she said that Christmas yesterday without us around (she went to my brother's for Christmas) was quiet.  Too quiet, apparently.  Did I sour the mood by not showing up?  I can't imagine the sparks that might have flown if I HAD shown up and middle brother started junk with me.  I would rather stay home alone with my doggies than do that.

As it stands, my Christmas was excellent and I have no regrets not going over there. I only see my oldest brother once a year - at Christmas, so this year, I didn't see my oldest brother.  The situation with my middle brother?  Maybe we'll work things out by next Christmas.  I do take offense at my brothers shrugging off our dad and I make no bones about it, which is what started this contention in the first place.

I find it inexcusable that year after year, both of them completely ignore my dad's attempts to even start a dialogue with them.  I would rather that they have it out with him than to continue this unbelievable, childish s*** that has been going on for what, 6 years now?  Have it out, get it over with.  But they won't and from the sound of the way my middle brother talks - it's going to stay that way.  So, he got mad at me when I asked him about it.  He said that dad "only sends a card maybe twice a year".  Well what the bleep does he expect?  He emailed him, called him on the phone - to which my brothers wouldn't answer, sent cards, what else is a person supposed to do?

Well, enough of that.  I just get ticked off when I think about it.  Anyway, I DID send my oldest brother and his wife their normal Christmas present of  Omaha Steaks.  They like it, that's good.  They sent some presents for us to open with mother - so - Caleb and I both got $50 gift cards to Best Buy.  Caleb asked me if I wanted his card.  Well, sure, but it's for you.  Caleb got $75 worth of cards to go to Gameworks, THAT is where he is at right NOW.  I probably should have informed him that they have all kinds of cool stuff at Best Buy, well I did try to tell him, but he just said take it.  So I did.  $100 worth.  Best Buy sells Windows 7 software.  It's $199.99.  I'm $100 on the way there.

Spending money on anything but bills and necessities are pretty much on hold right now until I get the room rented out and find out whether I have to evict the non-paying tenant or not.  She got way behind before but then got caught up.  I'm guessing for as little time as she is spending here, she might be thinking of moving out. I am going to give her a good push in that direction or paying up: 5 day notice, will be delivered tomorrow.  Funny thing is, I just got a call from a small family that is looking to rent out 2 rooms.

If you add up expenses on renting out 2 rooms in my house versus renting out an apartment, you come up with my house being a much better deal.  You just don't have total privacy since the house is being shared.  The rent is flat rate, so, you are not spending all the extra money on electricity, laundry, internet, satellite and water/sewer bills.  Plus, with all these people short saleing their homes or getting foreclosed, a lot of bad credit that apartment won't rent to.

Anyway, I just keep running the ad until I get the room rented, however long that takes.

Christmas is over, New Year's to come.  I'm going to make one resolution this year and see how long I keep it.  Again, it's to work out with my free weights.  I do some here and there, the resolution would be for at least 3 times per week.  I would like to get myself in toned condition again.

Well, my co-worker and her husband gave me a little bag yesterday with some goodies in it, I was afraid they were going to do that and I wanted to take something over there to give in exchange - but I had no clue what to take, so I didn't get anything.  Anyway, there is a cigar in there and I think I'm going to go out and smoke half of it.  Oh, that's another thing.  Not a New Year's resolution, either, just going to cut back on cigars quite a bit after the New Year comes and goes.  At most once per month is all I'm going to allow myself.  I've gotten it up to once per week and I feel that's too much.  I was at once every 3 to 6 months.

Oh, I forgot, my mom: she absolutely LOVES her new TV!  It's a 19 inch flat screed HD LCD TV.  I got it on Black Friday.  She wants to get rid of Satellite TV in favor of - whatever you can get through the air waves.  She has a converter box - we set all of that up.  It works perfectly and there are a LOT more free, local channels available than I expected, one of which mostly shows movies (a think she liked).  Great quality picture, too.  Yeah, I know, 19 inch TV isn't that big, but that's what she wanted and I wouldn't have been able to afford anything bigger.  As it stands, I don't have a flat screen TV or HD myself.  I'm not going to get one, either, until I can afford to get at least a 48 inch version.

My mom is a bit - interesting.  She owns the house she lives in outright.  She only has to pay taxes on it every year.  Her expenses - obviously - aren't going to be that much.  If I could dump the mortgage payment I would feel like I'm rich!! Lol.  To talk to her about finances, though, you'd think she was dirt -poor and broke.  Not withstanding the fact that this year, she bought a pickup truck outright for cash, lol.  Okay, she IS on a budget: she lives off the interest/dividends of her investments.  Still, she refuses to buy herself this kind of stuff - the TV, last year a digital camera - so, I just have to chuckle when I give her this stuff that I KNOW she could afford to buy herself.  Well, it is nice to give her something she wants, anyway.

JD - the "elder" black kid that is still coming over here to use the internet when I'm not on it - well, I left him a Merry Christmas note last night.  Caleb said he was all bummed out cause I didn't leave a gift.  Yes, I thought, the gift is letting him use the internet, isn't that enough?  Oh well, I understand, it sucks to not have money.  I know the feeling all too well.  They don't get much for Christmas.  I thought about Michael and Anthony, pretty much figuring that if their Christmas goes like most of them, they got nothing or very little.  I do believe that this time, they are gone for good.  I have no sympathy.  They are ungrateful freaks of nature.  The best way I can put it without - going into obscenities.  That's about the best adjective to describe those 2: ungrateful.  Their mother was much more giving in her statements to me that I have helped them a lot, yes I have.  For those 2 kids to treat me the way they did when I threw them out of here, good grief.

Whatever the case, I'm going outside. It's absolutely beautiful weather out there.  The dogs?  Are crashed out like it's the middle of the night in front of me.  I mean, laid out, done, cooked, it's over with.  Yet, when I put on my "Farmer Ben Hat" - a gift from an ex-tenant (a great tenant at that) when he left, they KNOW what I am up to, get right up as if they just drank a Jolt cola and are out the door with me.  I'm telling you, though, it's
almost eerie to hear a dog snoring like he's some sort of human.

G'day.

ben