Well, this one is about to be a wrap.  A final day with mom - probably not doing much of anything which is fine by me and then off to the airport around 8:30 pm to take off at 10:45 and arrive in Dallas at 1:55 am.  Foregone conclusion I'm not going to want to drive home at 2:30 am by the time I get my luggage and take the shuttle back to my car at the hotel, so I am going to look for a reduced rate for a hotel on Priceline and Expedia online in a few.  Next trip will be done quite differently.  The hotel the car is at is a nice one, actually,but now that I have incurred unexpected expenses on this trip, I want to keep the price down.  A comfortable bed is all I need and the cheap chains are good enough.

So I figure 3 am before i even get to a hotel, gag.  Really have to slap myself for  the way I did this trip, but then again, there were very few cheap fares left by the time I got "around to it" and that is partly why I chose the late return.  The other returns earlier in the day were much more expensive.  I'll plan the next trip well in advance and get flights that are in the daytime and still get discounted rates.

Well I did it. I got a deal for La Quinta on priceline.  I'm not sure I have ever stayed at one, but I do know that my Great Dane would be welcomed there so I can try it out and see if it's a nice place to stay.  Supposedly they are fairly nice places.  I will try to sleep until around 9 am and then get up and drive home - in the daylight, thank you. The trip to Dallas was at night time and it was raining and the winds were blowing heavily.  Even the taxi driver was commenting on the wind in Dallas and it pushing his taxi around.

So that's it. Doing some laundry, we are going to go to the dollar store - they sell reading glasses here for a buck that you can only find for 10 bucks over there.  I buy as many of them as they have in the magnification that works for me. Last time it was like 8 pairs.  Ummm, but this time I''m getting a case to hold a pair in, they tend to get messed up easily without it.  9 hours from now, a shuttle will arrive at my mom's doorstep, pick me up and take me to the airport.  I'm kinda looking forward to getting back home and seeing my doggy, to be honest.  My agenda here has been accomplished.

As my time here comes to an end, I can say it was well worth the junk I went through to get here.
I must admit that I made a colossal error which cost me pretty good.  I don't know what happened when I ordered those tickets, but I thought I had ordered Southwest airlines.  So I drove to a hotel 2 miles from there, parked the car there for a cheap rate and took their shuttle to the airport.  Only then did I find out that I had not actually paid for flying with Southwest - which gives 2 checked bags for free - I had American Airlines.

I mean, the agent couldn't find my name in the system and asked to see the paperwork I had.  Umm, sir ... pointing at what the paper says. I felt like an utter fool.  I spent $50 on a taxi to get me from DAL to DFW.  I also had to pay a $25 fee for my luggage and will have to pay that on the way back.  I learn from my mistakes.  I have made several trips back and forth now since this all started, havne't made this kind of error at all.  The only consolation I have now is that I found a shuttle that will take me from DFW to the hotel for $10.  I can deal with that.

I really kind of screwed this trip up as far as travel goes.  Going to work, driving home, driving to Dallas, flying to Phoenix, shuttle to mom's, not going to bed until almost 2 am and feeling groggy all the first day I was here.  And going back.  I won't be back in Dallas until very late and considering it will be Sunday and I will have ot go to work the next day?  I don't want to drive 2-1/2 and get home at 3:30 or 4 am.  So now, I am faced with another expense on this trip for getting a hotel.

However.  I can't complain about my time here.  Mom has been  a splendid host.  My presence here has disrupted her daily lifestyle but she is happy that i came.  We spent Wednesday just hanging out and talking.  Thursday I went and got Caleb and brought him out here and he spent the night. Catching up on stuff and he has taken an interest in politics so we discussed that quite a bit while watching the news updates on all of the candidates.  Mom took us to a BBQ house called Famous Daves - it's a local delight, they have some of the best BBQ anywhere.

We all got up today and just hung out.  I took him home at noon - he is leaving on Tuesday and his friends are all asking him to visit - I was glad to have some time with him and so was mom.  She hadn't seen him in quite a while, either.  I then went back to my house and Mark was there. Oh, I went yesterday but he wasn't there, Sophie, my former dog. She stood there staring at me for a while and then apparently recognized who i am and came up to me and I petted her for a bit.  Today, though, I found Mark over there and I spent a couple of hours talking with him.  After that, off to an old friend's house, visited with him for a couple of hours and then back home.

My goals for this trip have been fulfilled, whatever happens tomorrow is fine and dandy, but I have made my visit and going home is in order.  I am not ashamed to say that I miss my doggy.  I don' think about him all day long or anything, but I know he's missing me and we have started to bond.  I will be more than a bit curious to see what his reaction will be when I finally get home on Sunday.

Anyway, tomorrow I will look on Priceline and others and find something in the lower price range for a hotel that is still decent enough to get a good night's sleep and book it online.

Well that's it.  It's Friday night and it's after 11:00 pm, late enough for  me.

Going to be a long day.
Go to work, a 2-1/2 drive to a jobsite and then that much time back.
That will eat up most of the work day whic is fine.  I would like to leave by 4 if at all possible today...
because....I will still have a lot to get done.  Drive home, finish what I couldn't finish until just before leaving - moving stuff into a room out of Addller's ability to get at it, say goodbye to the giant pup and then drive to Dallas, fly to Phoenix, shuttle to mom's.

Around 2 am, I believe.  Sleep on the airplane or try anyway, it will be night time won't be able to see anything out the windows.

I'm not sure I'm up for this challenge, just not sleeping to well lately but I'm sure there are Starbucks along the way, just gonna have to drink a few strong coffees.

Whatever the case, I'm happy for an opportunity to get back and visit my son just before he leaves for New Zealand!

Gotta git to work.

Hmm. I guess I forgot to hit "send" on the airport parking and never completed the transaction.  I still found a very good deal on parking at a hotel 2 miles away and it has a free shuttle.  There isn't really anything cheap about having to fly out of this area.  You either drive 2-1/2 hours for a cheap price or you pay through the nose to fly out of a local airport.

I'll drive the 2-1/2 hours, thank you and save the $350 plus dollars.  I would have had to pay for airport parking regardless, though if it were the next city over airport landlords likely would have given me a ride.  No ill feel there.  No onto attempting to finally get this shuttle business from PHX to mom's house settled.  You know, it takes a while to find the best deals sometimes. Not always, but a lot of times you realy have to spend a bit of time perusing numerous websites before the "magic" occurs and you find the deal.

My goal was to take a free hotel shuttle to a destination near mom's house, but I am arriving late and I doubt free shuttles will be going that late.  I have some friends I could call for a ride but it's too late to impose on them like that.  So, I'll pay the shuttle fee for round trip - which that particular airport shuttle runs 24 hours a day - and likely I will stay at a hotel anyway for I am really not interested in keeping mom awake til' 1 am for my arrival.  I can stay at a cheap motel near her house, call her for a ride and that will just have to work.

Flying out of Dallas, airport parking fee and shuttle fee I'm at $210.  Add $30 of gas for the drive.  Add $45 for cheap hotel and I'm at $285.  All of that combined is still $200 cheaper than flying out of any airport near hear and I still would have encurred airport parking, shuttle in phoenix and hotel stay if I opt for that.

I'm still a bit peeved about Nathan and his decision to cut off the exhaust muffler and also rolling that 4 wheeler.  The exhuast muffler is going to cost some money to replace,It's noisy and I want it fixed.  I would put on a used muffler if I could find one and save some money.  I haven't tried raising the handlebars back up yet.  Other than those 2 things, though, that 4 wheeler is still in good condition and runs great.  The other one I have ordered the parts for  I replaced some of them but other parts still in transit.  Nothing expensive. U joints, brakes, tie rod ends and a few other minor things.  I just know that if you let things go, more things go wrong because of letting things go.  It's far cheaper to just fix it as soon as things happen.

A Motel 6 for $60.  Gag.  Oops. Mama just told me different, lol.  She has no plans to stay awake but will leave the light and door open (which I think is dangerous for her but she is being stubborn, I won't arrive there until around 2 am).  so I will save the hotel money and take the shuttle directly to her house.  Which is better, actually, for me because going back, when I arrive in Dallas at an ungodly hour, I undoubtedly am not going to want to drive home.  I will spend the motel money then instead.  In fact, I will likely do a priceline or similar when I am at her place and see if I can find a good deal on a decent or even good hotel and treat myself.  I am a fan of Marriots and there is one near DAL.  But, I don't have to have a Marriot, lol, just if the price were right.  Weekends are always more expensive.  Just one of those things, though, at that late of an hour I would rahter have it already booked and an address to drive to from the airport instead of trying to look around.

So yeah I'm getting excited about this trip.  I am going to visit an old friend - old as in high school buddy from the late 70's to early 80's.  He ended up in prison at one point but he has completely changed his life, is happily married and was a good friend then and still is now.  No, I'm not going to judge him for his life choices, we all make mistakes, we all probably inentinoally have done things that we knew were wrong and did it anyway.

Today.  Well, I got up, went to a few places around here looking for tires, then to Napa to get my brakes for the big 4 wheeler I had ordered, over to Chili's to eat some  lunch, get a fresh haircut, of which I wasn't happy with even though I tried to get her to cut it the way I wanted it - and then back home to find the next door neighbor kid and his buddies wanting to "talk" to me.  It's always about the 4 wheeler.  The one that is drivable, not the one I have up on jacks waiting on U joints.  I'm not going to let them use that one anymore, I am fixing everything on it and it's mine to use and perhaps the landlords when we finally are able to go out on a riding adventure.  The one they are using now is much more geared for their liking.  Regardless, they were talking baseball of which I am very knowledgeable about and then we got into their world of already having had signed up for a league and starting soon.  Well show me what you got.  What do you know about it? Umm, I coached it for 10 years?  lol.  Ohh, really? Will you teach us?  They ran to the house, got all of their gear, came running back over and then after 2 seconds of watching them - realized they didn't have a clue.

Throwing, pitching, fielding, catching.  Didn't even see the bat swing, we never got that far. They were throwing the ball and trying to catch it to their side instead of getting in front of it. They were waiting for a popup to come down and then try to grab it from the ground instead of running to it and positioning themselves underneath the ball to catch it.  They were standing to the side of a grounder instead of getting in front of it and getting the glove down on the ground.

Y'all afraid of that ball.  NO WE AREN'T!!! Oh, yes, you are.  How do you figure Mr. Ben?  That's what they call me and I do like the respect part of it.  They aren't ghetto talking, foul language mouth filled trash talkers.  Very respectful and that part I can deal with.  You won't get in front of the ball, anytime it's coming at any of ya you move out of the way. Your coach, whoever you end up with, is not going to like that.  At all.  So i just started barking out orders as I used to in Little League since that's what they wanted and they started getting it.  Yeah, you're going to get hit with the ball here and there, that's part of the game, toughen up, deal with it, field or catch the ball, that's. that.  Encouragement was also offered, of course, and they immediately started improving and one of them admitted he "was" afraid but he "isn't" anymore.

Pitching mechanics were non-existent, but I didn't expect anything since they have never been trained.  I am half tempted to take them  out ot the nearest ballfield and start really dealing with them since they are serious about it and want to learn.  For it is a foregone conclusion they have no real batting skills and I have a very good eye and know how to teach batting mechanics.

But right now, it's all about this trip.  Mom "corrected" me on the hotel and that's fine. She decided I am going to drive her Tundra - pretty nice truck thank you very much. Last thing on the agenda is the shuttle to her house since I can eliminate the hotel now.  Well, that's enough for now.

Well, my trip to Phoenix coming up quick.  Leaving after work on Tuessday, coming home, getting my stuff which will already be packed and taking off to Dallas in my car, get there to pre-planned parking with pre-planned shuttle to airport, get to Dallas Love field and take off to Phoenix.  The flight doesn't take off until almost 11:00 pm, so the 3 hour drive there after work plus short stopover at home - for I want to see my doggy and give him a hug and say goodbye - should be easily doable.

I'm doing it that way to save on usage of vacation hours.  Plenty of other things I want to do this year and I don't want to use them all up on this particular visit.  I would like to plan a 4 day trip over there again later on this year which would include a holiday day so I only  use up one paid vacation or floating holiday - or personal day. Memorial Day would cover such a visit, but we'll see.

General manager coming up tomorrow, allegedly, instead of the Monday arrival date originally planned.  I just - have no great hopes for anything.  There isn't any reason to, they put everything off - intentionally I am quite sure - don't give answers and play the "we don't know yet" game.

I was in Monroe, LA today, attempting to get some pipe that was delivered to a jobsite - the city changed the specs and the pipe was rejected - tens of thousands of feet of it - still sitting there.  We come and get it from time to time as we can sell it, we have no responsibility to take all of that back and the pipe company would take it back, but at a great "restock" fee. Anyway, a very inexperienced backhoe operator attempting to pick up these pallets of 40 foot length pipe and put it on the truck. The problem - mud.  I have been around this kind of stuff for a long time, I can tell when a person hasn't been around the equipment they are operating very long.

He kept getting the backhoe stuck.  2 hours to load the truck.  I just sat there and watched it.  I offered suggestions - such as taking a completely different route with the pipe that would have eliminated getting stuck - but he was stubborn. I'm not going to argue with him, but he kept apologizing for how long it was taking.  Just before we were done - finally done - loading it his boss comes driving up - dude, what is taking you so long? I need that backhoe!  Seriously.  I could have loaded that pipe onto the truck in about 15 minutes.  But it's all good.  Take things as they come.  Enjoy as much of life as you can.  Slow right now, getting that run took up 2/3rd's of the day, this dude making it take longer than it should have? Just made it take that much longer to get back to the yard.

That's it.  I'm just trying to find cheap ground transportation from the airport to and from mom's house.  She will not drive into downtown Phoenix.  I very much like the fact that she knows her limitations - very congested in terms of traffic - and even though it will cause me more expense and time, I don't mind at all.  In fact, I will be arriving late and I figure to find a hotel this weekend with a shuttle that will get me close enough to her place and away from all of that congestion that she will be able to come and get me in the morning - or - I can take a bus.

Whatever the case, this will be the weekend just before Caleb leaves for New Zealand.  After that he is going to Hawaii and I just have no idea what the next opportunity might be that I could see him  - so - gotta make the effort. Mama ain't getting no younger either, this life is never predictable.

I'm not sure what I'm doing next with this life, but at least seeing loved ones is always a good idea.

It was a tough decision, actually, to take that 4 wheeler back.  But after time passed and I continue to think about it I came to the conclusion it was the right thing to do.  I had to go over all of that in my mind again after finding out she is going around all over the place trash talking about me and saying things that are just plain garbage.  But it's whatever.

She erroneously believes that I made my decision based on other nonsense she was saying about me before all of this current episode of antics started, which simply isn't true.  I had made up my mind, I just didn't want to contact her.  I don't want to talk to her in any format, whether Facebook messaging, text messaging, phone call whatever.

Getting the thing back and finding it had been rolled and the exhaust cut off was a bit much to take.  Reading her reaction - she couldn't have cared less, didn't bother her at all-- just sealed it.  The thing still runs great but now facing having to replace the exhaust system and likely the handlebars.

The folks here are all over it, let's get a trailer and haul them things out to the open country and go riding!Of course3, things here aren't all flowers and roses, either.  My "cleaning" activities are not going over well in a strange way.  Because - when I see a dirty kitchen, I pretty much just go and clean it  up.  I don't say anything, I don't complain about it, I don't make an issue out of it, I just clean it up and that's that.  So, I did that the other day and there was some backlash.  Apparently, the lady of the house was not happy that he, the man of the house, hadn't done it when he said he would.  I had thought he was going to do it but when I came home the next day and saw the same mess there, I just went and cleaned it all up and that was that.

I mean, it's like 15 minutes and it's done.  Nothing like the disaster going on over at Val's house where it can literally take and hour and a half to clean up the mess (of which she openly states she doesn't care about).  Well, then the mother in law got involved with it - all behind my back this was giong on of which I was totally unaware, and started trash talking about me because ... why?  I cleaned up a kitchen that her son hadn't?  Here's the thing: It doesn't bother me to clean up the kitchen.  I don't care who gets the credit or whatever, it just needs to be done, is there a problem with me doing it?  Apparently so.

Well, last night's mess is still out there and will be there when I get home today and yes, I likley will clean it all up and be done with it.

Oh well.  Time for work.

Just gonna have to write this, even though my interest in blogging is waning.  I am just not living a very eventful life in any way, shape or form right now, there really isn't much to write about.  My views on politics and religion I have been writing in various Facebook groups and other places on the internet as well. I have pretty much just reserved my blogging for things going on in my life or things that interest me and some knowledge I may be able to give.  For example, the dog antibiotics post I wrote on here years ago still gets several hits a day.  

But, anyway, I was able to finally go and get the 4 wheeler today.  That didn't actually happen til' around 3 this afternoon.  My co-worker was called into work this morning and had to drive clear to Monroe with some pipe and fittings for a contractor in need.  Well, I needed to get started on the 4 wheeler I already have.  I put it on jacks, removed a tire and went to work trying to remove the front drive shaft to replace the u joints.  I have never in my life encountered such a stubborn, irritating situation as what that thing confronted me with.  The next door neighbor kid helping me - he has been riding the thing and I pretty much told him he would either help me fix it or he can not ride it anymore. 

There is a roll pin that hold the front yoke in place.  I had to go buy a long punch to try and get it out - but the space in there is so limited that giving a good hard hit with a hammer on the top of the punch was next to impossible.  That kid and I spent hours on it - but I finally got the thing out of there.  In days of old when I had an acetylene torch, I would have had it out of there quick.  Just heat it up good and it would have come right out.  Next, a trip to Napa to try and get a new roll pin - I thought I was going to get the driveshaft off right away and start working on getting the old u-joints out and the new ones in.

But....after taking off the tire, I found the front brake pads completely worn down and the right side tie-rod was also bad.  Which reminds me, Napa neither had the tie-rod nor could order it, I need to find one online.  Excuse this entry while I go find and order one.....yes I know that meant nothing to the reader in terms of time lost, lol, but I did go and order a whole set for the right side.  If I'm going to replace one side of the rod, I might as well replace both and for only 4 bucks more, it's a done deal.

I get started on so many rabbit trails when I am writing posts.....I ordered new brakes pads from Napa and they will be here by next weekend.  But, though they had a large selection of roll pins, they didn't have the size I needed. No biggies, I will either just punch the old one back in or find another one somewhere else.  

Back to the Polaris Magnum 500, the 4 wheeler I was working on.  Yes, we got the pin out but getting the entire driveshaft assembly? Tried for a while but didn't get that thing off of there.  After 45 minutes of trying, that's when I found out I needed to hit the road and head over to Val's place  to get the 4 wheeler - he, my co-worker, was done with the delivery.  We went over there to find the 4 wheeler - had been rolled.  I am still wondering whether that was done intentional or not.  The handl bar is smashed down - but- everything still works.  So maybe an accident that was just never mentioned to anyone by Nathan, I dunno.  There was a bit of spiting going on out there as well.  A guitar I had bought Rachael for a birthday present was out there as well as the electric little 4 wheeler I had bought the girls for a Christmas present.  My shop vac was out there but nothing else I had asked for.  

And after the way she talked to me today in texting, I won't be asking for any of it.  In fact, I don't care if I ever hear from her again.  The idea that this woman was talking to another man before we got divorced.  There are instincts that have stirred within me that I won't speak about on here.  But I won't act on them, either.  Brought back thoughts of what I used to do to people in my teen years.  I just won't allow myself to succumb to such things but the forcefulness of the emotion that arises is hard to put down.  

Well, that is done.  I could post the things she said to me today- but it would get me going again and I don't need that.  I left the guitar there - they can break the thing into pieces and throw it into the trash for all I care, but I am not going to allow them to have that kind of "satisfaction". And what kind of mom would encourage a 10 year old girl to do such a thing?  I am going to eat the cost of ending the Dish Network over there early - 2 year contract that still has 4 months left on it.  $80 to turn it off. I think they own the equipment.  I dunno, these companies change their parameters all the time.  In fact, thanks for reminding me, blog, I am going to call tonight and shut the service off - tonight.  She is ingrateful, paranoid, hateful, vengeful and holds extreme grudges.  I cannot believe the things she said to me today.  

Done deal. Dish Network is no longer a monthly bill.  It is shut off over there and I couldn't care less. I just cannot believe this woman's vindictiveness.  Her utter anger.  Her hatred towards life and those that want to enjoy it.  Yes, I am very irritated right now.  I haven't talked to her in a while and it was just unbelievable her tones towards me.  I didn't start anything, I just said I was coming to get the 4 wheeler - which she knew was happening because we talked about it in advance -  and that started it off, that was texting, btw, I won't hold a conversation with her on the phone now.  

I'm trying to take deep breathes and get this out of my system. This is the last time I will ever talk to her.  The only thing left over there is my dog buried in the ground. 

Anyway, we went to a place here called inJapan.  It's allegedly great sushi - which I have never had but have been wanting to try and my co-worker brought it up.  So we went.  Unbelievably horrific service.  I mean, it was so bad.  But I said nothing about it - maybe this situation with Val was weighing on me, I thought, and I am just irritated with everything. Better to keep my mouth shut. But, my co-worker who is a totally laid back person finally said: Horrific service. This is terrible service.

Thank you! The service sucks! I could go into a few paragraphs worth, but one example was when the waitress came up and asked if we wanted more water. Well, who asks if you want more water? just bring it, but I didn't say that.  We both said yes and she acknowledged it.  When she came back, she brought him a fresh cup and brought me - nothing.  I got up and went to the bar to get another cup, I was feeling dehydrated and definitely very thirsty.  The food was good, I'll give it that.  

Back to the house - next door neighbor kid still out there trying to get that drive shaft off of there.  I was done with that, no thanks.  Try again tomorrow. He bets I won't get it off of there with a handshake.  Okee dokee, we'll see.  Well today, he insists.  No, I'll get that thing off of there, but I ain't doing nothing on that again today.  Yes, I will figure out how to get it off of there.  

Anyway, that was my day.  After spending most of the day outside and hearing some crazy noises from Addler - he was right on the other side of the fence from where we were working on the Polaris - I am done.  If my hands hadn't been covered with grease I would have gotten that stuff on video, comical. Regardless, Valerie has a way of making me feel very unhappy.  She puts me into such a bad mood.  I can't even fathom the dude that is with her or what he will eventually go through.  

Whatever.  

I'm going to stop blogging for a while.  Or just post random stuff that has nothing to do with my personal life.  

Or whatever.

So, I text her last night. Almost scary to do so for who knows what kind of reply one is going to get from a person like that.  She apparently wanted to get into a conversation, I did not, not after the last texting we had where she emphatically stated "I really don't want to get into any kind of conversation with you at all".  I have learned that she has a boyfriend and apparently had one long before we got divorced.  It wouldn't really bother me if she had one after the divorce, but before?  Just letting it go, though, I want nothing to do with her at all.  Just get the last thing back from her and lose her number.

Friday morning.  Leaving for work early.  Have to make a delivery near our yard - but then I have to head down to Sulphur to pick up a load of pipe and bring it back. That's going to take all day long.  So, I just want to be at the contractor's site this morning at or before they show up so I can get the stuff off of the truck and get headed south.  It's a long drive because the route there goes through numerous small towns with slow speed limits and lots of cops everywhere to make sure you aren't going over that in-town speed limit.  In fact, the last time I drove down there I saw dozens of cops along the way.

Going down I-49 doesn't work, it takes you too far out of the way.  Anyway, I get my other 4 wheeler back and get a hold of a trailer I can start taking them things out to a place that has trails and have some fun on them.  I have all kinds of parts to replace things on the big one, a project I am going to try to motivate myself to do this weekend.  Next door neighbor kid helping since he has been taking the thing with some friends to a property not far from here and riding it.

Anyway, nothing really new here.  I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, it is what it is.  I'm not really looking for drastic changes right now, though, excepting would like more opportunities at church.  I have some ideas, however, to do something on my own outside of the church.  I dunno yet but sitting around doing nothing isn't particularly appealing to me.  It gets boring.  I get bored of the internet, too. Especially those Facebook political groups.  I was participating in some of them but some of the people in those groups are absolutely - crazy.   There are people out there that just dont' have a clue.  Which is fine but then they come back at you and go into attack mode when you try to give a differing view of something.

Anyway, off to the races.  And off to Phoenix too, pretty soon, to see my son and my mom ; )