Well we're moving on.
The wedding is a go for my son in California - though I had the location wrong, it's not near Oakland it's close to LA, south of it, near the beach. Looks like a beautiful facility, the college that he itnends to go to if he is accepted in. His fiancee' is already in that college and has been there for almost a year now. The only hold up now is a rule they have against having newly inducted students also getting married at the same time. But, the caveat here is that she is already in the program. I don't know how that is going to turn out. Caleb has a lot of friends in high places in that organization, we'll just have to see. I think he finds out next month.
Meanwhile, I need to book a flight to LAX and subsequent transportation to the facility and also hotel stay. Caleb says they have their own version of a hotel on the property, but I don't have any of that information. This endeavor is going to cost me. August is coming quickly. I have to get a suit and tie, not going to go to my son's wedding in casual attire. I'm no part of the ceremony but I want to respect the tradition and honor of the event in proper attire. I haven't had a suit since my house burned down in 2008 and everything burned up with it. In fact, I mostly just have casual attire.
I really don't want to have to drive clear to Dallas to fly out, but the savings in airfare may well be worth it. Flying out of Tyler adds at least $100 to the price plus it's an airline that charges you for any checked in luggage. The problem with driving to Dallas is finding a place to park for free. I know of such a place though it is hardly "safe". It's a giant hotel and you can part there however long and they don't care. My car is old, I doubt it would be a target. Otherwise, parking fees are so high, a person has to consider either flying out of a small airport to the large airport (the parking fee at the small one is very cheap even for overnight). Or, considering taking a Greyhound to dallas (pretty reasonable rate though I hate travelling on those buses, they are rolling nightmares).
Meanwhile, I am attempting to figure out how to go see my dad without busting the bank. Two trips I really need to take in a short period of time from each other. This is money I really don't have right now. I spent far more on that Jeep - which is still sitting in the shop - than I initially expected. I figured a grand, I've given them 2 grand. Now, it's a "project" and a challenge to them. Which is a good thing because I was both unwilling to give them more money but also to let them off the hook. How many other systems could it possibly be? It's either an internal engine problem, or from my guessing, a fuel delivery problem.
Anyway, that extra grand - for nothing so far - was really money I could use now for all of this. Plus, work has yet once again cut our hours back to 8, which I cannot afford to live off of. Well, I can, but it leaves no extra money for anything else. I already have 2 401k loans - they have been paid down substantially now but still over 2 grand a piece. So, paying one off to get some much needed finances isn't in the cards. The plan requires that if you pay one off, you have to wait 30 days to get another one. That's not going to work.
Credit? Dunno. Is it worth it to go into more debt for this? Something I have been thinking about. I have ample amount of credit available on one of my cards. But paying it off is another thing entirely.
It's a dilemma. I'm going to my son's wedding regardless of how I have to pay to get there and stay there.
I have put out a couple of applications at places I would like to work. They are both interested even though I have no specific experience in that kind of hauling. I'm a fast learner, I have the necessary endorsements on my license. I would have to simply make a request upon hire that I can take time off, even if unpaid time, to go to my son's wedding. I'm not getting my hopes up though until they do their back ground checks - a lot of them - and come back and tell me if they have a place for me. They are both large companies with pretty decent benefits - though obviously to gain any kind of vacation time you have to have been there for a while.
So that's where I'm at currently. Facing a few things that I just need to figure out how to handle.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
Sunday.
Tomorrow, I think, the big wigs are coming into town. It will also pretty much decide my fate with that company.
But, I am applying for local tanker gigs already.
Even if they don't fire me or do whatever, I'm moving forward with the idea that the manager isn't going to change, nothing at work is going to change and that it's an untenable situation. The only caveat I would love to get here is a week off, anyway.
Get some time off to recompose, think time, apply for jobs time, etc.
I'll keep my composure regardless of what comes at me, that's all I can say. It's a good ole' boys club, there isn't anything I can do about that. If you haven't been there 20 plus years, you are basically nothing. I seriously am treated - as are others there - like a machine. Input data, tell it what to do, push the start button and off the machine goes. I wouldn't actually mind that if the pay were good enough to compensate.
____________________________
Monday, post-work. Didn't sleep worth crap last night. Maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep and that was it, which caused me to have a headache all day long at work. I felt like going home all day, but the manager isn't speaking to me and I wasn't going to bridge the gap. Screw it. The big wigs were no shows until 4:30 pm, and only one of them showed up. The district manager had a good friend die and the wake was today, etc.
So, showing up that late in the day and having no desire to get into that kind of conversation with that kind of headache going, I just worked until the clock expired, clocked out and got the bleep out of there. Raining all day long to boot, was wet most of thee day even though I had a rain coat on, I didn't have any rain slicks for pants and my boots aren't waterproof. Nothing like working with wet feet in wet socks.
Basically, a miserable day and very happy to be home. Hot meal was waiting for me and I was thankful for that as well. I'm guessing the GM will be there tomorrow since he showed up so late today and this situation will be dealt with - one way or the other.
Even if they don't give me the boot out of there, I'm not sure I can deal with this bs for another 3 months. That's my son's wedding in August and if I find a new job before then, they will have to agree to let me have at least 4 or 5 days off, even if unpaid leave.
Well that's it. I'm toast. I was going to have some report on my job status at that place or the outcome of the meeting, but, not today. Thank God not today. I was/am in no mood to listen to that manager spouting off.
Tomorrow, I think, the big wigs are coming into town. It will also pretty much decide my fate with that company.
But, I am applying for local tanker gigs already.
Even if they don't fire me or do whatever, I'm moving forward with the idea that the manager isn't going to change, nothing at work is going to change and that it's an untenable situation. The only caveat I would love to get here is a week off, anyway.
Get some time off to recompose, think time, apply for jobs time, etc.
I'll keep my composure regardless of what comes at me, that's all I can say. It's a good ole' boys club, there isn't anything I can do about that. If you haven't been there 20 plus years, you are basically nothing. I seriously am treated - as are others there - like a machine. Input data, tell it what to do, push the start button and off the machine goes. I wouldn't actually mind that if the pay were good enough to compensate.
____________________________
Monday, post-work. Didn't sleep worth crap last night. Maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep and that was it, which caused me to have a headache all day long at work. I felt like going home all day, but the manager isn't speaking to me and I wasn't going to bridge the gap. Screw it. The big wigs were no shows until 4:30 pm, and only one of them showed up. The district manager had a good friend die and the wake was today, etc.
So, showing up that late in the day and having no desire to get into that kind of conversation with that kind of headache going, I just worked until the clock expired, clocked out and got the bleep out of there. Raining all day long to boot, was wet most of thee day even though I had a rain coat on, I didn't have any rain slicks for pants and my boots aren't waterproof. Nothing like working with wet feet in wet socks.
Basically, a miserable day and very happy to be home. Hot meal was waiting for me and I was thankful for that as well. I'm guessing the GM will be there tomorrow since he showed up so late today and this situation will be dealt with - one way or the other.
Even if they don't give me the boot out of there, I'm not sure I can deal with this bs for another 3 months. That's my son's wedding in August and if I find a new job before then, they will have to agree to let me have at least 4 or 5 days off, even if unpaid leave.
Well that's it. I'm toast. I was going to have some report on my job status at that place or the outcome of the meeting, but, not today. Thank God not today. I was/am in no mood to listen to that manager spouting off.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
I would like to say that things are going better at work. They are not. Not that I made any claims that it was going to. But today?
Lol.
The manager believes that I should be responsible for someone else's pulling errors, of which I have balked it from the first day he tried to introduce it. How am I responsible for someone else's mistakes? Because you put it on the truck, you should have checked. I should have checked something that had at least 2 people check the order and verify that it was there and then told me that it was good to go? LMAO!
Today. Lol. I have to laugh, because I could get very angry at this point. This manager, who always singles me out for someone else's bullshit - seriously that is the way it goes - started to do the same thing today. 3 fire hydrants were missing, I know because I was pulling the order and looking for them this morning. Good Lord, to go through all of what occurred today would take a lot of writing. Going to try to narrow it down. Skipping a lot of stuff, because I don't have a lot of time, it came down to the manager sending people out all over the place looking for these hydrants at job sites. Everywhere. I mean, 3 different people. Anyway, it came up to a jobsite where I had delivered the material.
But, the paperwork showed that I did not pull the order. Of course not, I'm not going to make those kinds of mistakes. I may make a small mistake very infrequently, but not 3 fire hydrants. That's 2 grand a piece error. Anyway, I got out my phone and started recording He looked at me and asked me what I was doing with my phone? And demanded to look at it. Whether it's right or wrong, what the hell business does this guy have asking me to look at my phone. But, I thought hey, this guy is going to know and there won't be any statements of how he didn't know and in those thoughts, I knew this would go to hell. So I showed him. Well what is that? I'm recording this meeting. Why? Because you are going to get angry, obviously, and I'm going to get it recorded.
Of course, he blew up. Shut the meeting down, told me we were going to his office. Sure, why not? We get outside, he gets on the phone and calls the GM. He is having a literal cow about this. He takes a snipe at me, I started to reply, though not in kind. NO, we are doing this in MY office. Oh really? I replied. YOU started this out HERE. The GM is on the phone with him, hearing whatever he could. I would love to go into the details, but I don't have time. The most important one, though, was when the manager was telling the GM that I had made a pulling error on a ticket. No, I loudly interrupted, I did NOT. He said yes you did, and I said no, I'm not just going to stand here listening to you telling lies to the GM. Yes, I know what the implications of calling your manager a liar is, that doesn't matter to me anymore.
He put the phone down and became infuriated. YOU don't call ME a liar, I can put up with a lot of stuff, but I will not tolerate you calling me a liar. Well, I replied, if you are going to state something that isn't true that you know isn't true, then yes, I'm going to call it a lie. He went storming off. I was amused at his childishness.
_______________________________________________
So now it's the next day. Didn't get to finish that. But today was exactly as I expected it to be. And I don't care anymore. So there is that. I was put out of all trucks and worked the yard all day long. I had a smile on my face and a tune on my lips whistling. It was a beautiful day. I pulled out a large amount of pipe that took 2/3rds of the day to do for an order going to somewhere near Little Rock tomorrow. Of course, all that work and I don't get to take the load, but guess what? I don't care.
Instead, I get into the truck that that driver normally drives - which I have been wanting in for quite a while anyway. I haven't bothered to tell anyone that, most certainly not the manager. I drive the big truck, fine. That little truck gets runs all over the place. He's working all day long, gets more hours because of it and this is the driver that got fired for having TCP in his system. So it's whatever. The manager didn't want anything to do with me today, he is butt hurt that I called him a liar. Well, don't lie to your boss and I won't call you one. Tried to lecture me yesterday on respect. Respect given is respect earned, you have anger problems.
He would have fired me long ago if he had that power. But he doesn't. That's the GM's purview. So, these big wigs are coming up Monday I think they said, not for this situation but now they are going to include it. I'm going to play it totally cool. Low tones, no excited responses to outrageous statements from my manager. I'm going to make myself look like the cool customer and this dude the buffoon that he is. I may very well get let go, though. This "manager" has been here for 30 years. He has a bad reptuation, but apparently alot of hat has been hidden. The GM knew nothing about his history, of which I informed him since he asked. Like bending one of the salesman over backwards on his truck and threatening to beat the s*** out of him.
Hmm, re-reading what I wrote yesterday, I left out the fact that I spoke with the GM on the phone for about an hour. I can read the writing on the wall. I have no problem standing up for myself, regardless of whether anyone else in that place is too afraid to lose their jobs. Is a job that valuable to lose your inner peace over? Or to allow a mortal to inflict such abuse through foul verbiage that you should just sit there and take it? Is there not more to life? We went back and forth on the phone. Bypassing a whole lot of conversation, Well, if one of us has to go, he's been here 30 years and you aren't going to fire a manager. He actually gave me a compliment. You're a great worker, you add a lot to the company I wouldn't want to lose you either. But I dunno if he just felt obliged to say that or what.
Anyway, today was a long day working out there but, it was worth it to show that I would just keep a good spirit about me, deal with multiple customers, pull orders, sweep concrete, all kinds of stuff.
And, my next paycheck is going to suck badly since it's going to be short many OT hours. All because of this man's anger, leading to vindictiveness, leading to retaliation. But if you say that to the GM, no way is he doing that. Lolol. Okay then.
I'm preparing myself for them telling me to get in line whenever this occurs next week instead of him. But, I'm going to prepare myself for this, this weekend. Go through every conceivable thing that could happen, issue that is brought up, "button pushing" that may be brought against me and think through how I'm going to respond. Yes, I have something to prove here whether I stay at that place or not (and most likely not by my own choosing regardless of what they do).
Anyway, I actually have to be at work by around 6:45 am tomorrow, to have the truck leaving the yard at 7:00 am. OT? In this manager's current state of mind? Heck no. Lol, he'll just make me leave earlier. It's juvenile, pathetic and telling of his nature. His is god of that place and you best bow down and worship him. Must be quite humiliating for him not to have firing power. He may get his final revenge next week, who knows. I'm not fretting it at all. If that happens, it means to me it was time to leave.
________________________
Okay well this post has been days in the making. It's now Thursday, was sent home from work at 3:00 pm. Verification that his ire and anger against me about calling him a liar - completely justified since he was, indeed, lying, right in front of me, to his boss on the phone so I heard with my own ears what he was saying - coming from other drivers who are saying he is spouting off at the mouth behind my back about all of this. Which I could care less about, let his pathetic little self spout off. I decided a while ago to start selectively looking for a new job. Meaning, only places I think would be a good fit for me and will provide excellent pay.
If I'm going to switch jobs, might as well bust this up to 70k range. I'm specifically looking for local chemical or gas/fuel hauling. No experience, whatsoever, in that field, but I know it pays well and I am a fast learner. Mostly, I am preparing myself for come what may next week. The regional director is supposedly a laid back man, I'll find out next week I guess. Didn't really ask for a meeting with any of them, but that is forced due to the situation going on here. Remember that my immediate manager does not have firing power.
I got let off early because I started early, btw, but at 8 hours a day with the money I'm making and eliminating OT? No can do. But, the main thing here isn't pay, it's the manager. It's an insufferable situation that needs to be rectified. When the GM starts asking if I would be willing to relocate - well, that isn't really a good sign. It means he knows I do an excellent job but also means that this situation has to have a change. It can't go on like this. I understand that, agree to it completely. I didn't want to admit this with him, but I don't see this situation getting any better. The reason I didn't is because I am hopeful that some artificial band aid will be applied that I can still there a little while long where i can take time off, get paid for it and spend that time devoted to finding a new job and also getting away from that place. It is a toxic environment there.
Well that's enough for this one.
Lol.
The manager believes that I should be responsible for someone else's pulling errors, of which I have balked it from the first day he tried to introduce it. How am I responsible for someone else's mistakes? Because you put it on the truck, you should have checked. I should have checked something that had at least 2 people check the order and verify that it was there and then told me that it was good to go? LMAO!
Today. Lol. I have to laugh, because I could get very angry at this point. This manager, who always singles me out for someone else's bullshit - seriously that is the way it goes - started to do the same thing today. 3 fire hydrants were missing, I know because I was pulling the order and looking for them this morning. Good Lord, to go through all of what occurred today would take a lot of writing. Going to try to narrow it down. Skipping a lot of stuff, because I don't have a lot of time, it came down to the manager sending people out all over the place looking for these hydrants at job sites. Everywhere. I mean, 3 different people. Anyway, it came up to a jobsite where I had delivered the material.
But, the paperwork showed that I did not pull the order. Of course not, I'm not going to make those kinds of mistakes. I may make a small mistake very infrequently, but not 3 fire hydrants. That's 2 grand a piece error. Anyway, I got out my phone and started recording He looked at me and asked me what I was doing with my phone? And demanded to look at it. Whether it's right or wrong, what the hell business does this guy have asking me to look at my phone. But, I thought hey, this guy is going to know and there won't be any statements of how he didn't know and in those thoughts, I knew this would go to hell. So I showed him. Well what is that? I'm recording this meeting. Why? Because you are going to get angry, obviously, and I'm going to get it recorded.
Of course, he blew up. Shut the meeting down, told me we were going to his office. Sure, why not? We get outside, he gets on the phone and calls the GM. He is having a literal cow about this. He takes a snipe at me, I started to reply, though not in kind. NO, we are doing this in MY office. Oh really? I replied. YOU started this out HERE. The GM is on the phone with him, hearing whatever he could. I would love to go into the details, but I don't have time. The most important one, though, was when the manager was telling the GM that I had made a pulling error on a ticket. No, I loudly interrupted, I did NOT. He said yes you did, and I said no, I'm not just going to stand here listening to you telling lies to the GM. Yes, I know what the implications of calling your manager a liar is, that doesn't matter to me anymore.
He put the phone down and became infuriated. YOU don't call ME a liar, I can put up with a lot of stuff, but I will not tolerate you calling me a liar. Well, I replied, if you are going to state something that isn't true that you know isn't true, then yes, I'm going to call it a lie. He went storming off. I was amused at his childishness.
_______________________________________________
So now it's the next day. Didn't get to finish that. But today was exactly as I expected it to be. And I don't care anymore. So there is that. I was put out of all trucks and worked the yard all day long. I had a smile on my face and a tune on my lips whistling. It was a beautiful day. I pulled out a large amount of pipe that took 2/3rds of the day to do for an order going to somewhere near Little Rock tomorrow. Of course, all that work and I don't get to take the load, but guess what? I don't care.
Instead, I get into the truck that that driver normally drives - which I have been wanting in for quite a while anyway. I haven't bothered to tell anyone that, most certainly not the manager. I drive the big truck, fine. That little truck gets runs all over the place. He's working all day long, gets more hours because of it and this is the driver that got fired for having TCP in his system. So it's whatever. The manager didn't want anything to do with me today, he is butt hurt that I called him a liar. Well, don't lie to your boss and I won't call you one. Tried to lecture me yesterday on respect. Respect given is respect earned, you have anger problems.
He would have fired me long ago if he had that power. But he doesn't. That's the GM's purview. So, these big wigs are coming up Monday I think they said, not for this situation but now they are going to include it. I'm going to play it totally cool. Low tones, no excited responses to outrageous statements from my manager. I'm going to make myself look like the cool customer and this dude the buffoon that he is. I may very well get let go, though. This "manager" has been here for 30 years. He has a bad reptuation, but apparently alot of hat has been hidden. The GM knew nothing about his history, of which I informed him since he asked. Like bending one of the salesman over backwards on his truck and threatening to beat the s*** out of him.
Hmm, re-reading what I wrote yesterday, I left out the fact that I spoke with the GM on the phone for about an hour. I can read the writing on the wall. I have no problem standing up for myself, regardless of whether anyone else in that place is too afraid to lose their jobs. Is a job that valuable to lose your inner peace over? Or to allow a mortal to inflict such abuse through foul verbiage that you should just sit there and take it? Is there not more to life? We went back and forth on the phone. Bypassing a whole lot of conversation, Well, if one of us has to go, he's been here 30 years and you aren't going to fire a manager. He actually gave me a compliment. You're a great worker, you add a lot to the company I wouldn't want to lose you either. But I dunno if he just felt obliged to say that or what.
Anyway, today was a long day working out there but, it was worth it to show that I would just keep a good spirit about me, deal with multiple customers, pull orders, sweep concrete, all kinds of stuff.
And, my next paycheck is going to suck badly since it's going to be short many OT hours. All because of this man's anger, leading to vindictiveness, leading to retaliation. But if you say that to the GM, no way is he doing that. Lolol. Okay then.
I'm preparing myself for them telling me to get in line whenever this occurs next week instead of him. But, I'm going to prepare myself for this, this weekend. Go through every conceivable thing that could happen, issue that is brought up, "button pushing" that may be brought against me and think through how I'm going to respond. Yes, I have something to prove here whether I stay at that place or not (and most likely not by my own choosing regardless of what they do).
Anyway, I actually have to be at work by around 6:45 am tomorrow, to have the truck leaving the yard at 7:00 am. OT? In this manager's current state of mind? Heck no. Lol, he'll just make me leave earlier. It's juvenile, pathetic and telling of his nature. His is god of that place and you best bow down and worship him. Must be quite humiliating for him not to have firing power. He may get his final revenge next week, who knows. I'm not fretting it at all. If that happens, it means to me it was time to leave.
________________________
Okay well this post has been days in the making. It's now Thursday, was sent home from work at 3:00 pm. Verification that his ire and anger against me about calling him a liar - completely justified since he was, indeed, lying, right in front of me, to his boss on the phone so I heard with my own ears what he was saying - coming from other drivers who are saying he is spouting off at the mouth behind my back about all of this. Which I could care less about, let his pathetic little self spout off. I decided a while ago to start selectively looking for a new job. Meaning, only places I think would be a good fit for me and will provide excellent pay.
If I'm going to switch jobs, might as well bust this up to 70k range. I'm specifically looking for local chemical or gas/fuel hauling. No experience, whatsoever, in that field, but I know it pays well and I am a fast learner. Mostly, I am preparing myself for come what may next week. The regional director is supposedly a laid back man, I'll find out next week I guess. Didn't really ask for a meeting with any of them, but that is forced due to the situation going on here. Remember that my immediate manager does not have firing power.
I got let off early because I started early, btw, but at 8 hours a day with the money I'm making and eliminating OT? No can do. But, the main thing here isn't pay, it's the manager. It's an insufferable situation that needs to be rectified. When the GM starts asking if I would be willing to relocate - well, that isn't really a good sign. It means he knows I do an excellent job but also means that this situation has to have a change. It can't go on like this. I understand that, agree to it completely. I didn't want to admit this with him, but I don't see this situation getting any better. The reason I didn't is because I am hopeful that some artificial band aid will be applied that I can still there a little while long where i can take time off, get paid for it and spend that time devoted to finding a new job and also getting away from that place. It is a toxic environment there.
Well that's enough for this one.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Saturday and sundry stuff....
I have the house to myself for at least the next 5 days : ) The lady tenant went to meet "internet friends" that she has allegedly known for couple of years. I have actually had several such encounters and they all turned out very well. However, considering how she handles herself and her speech, I have to wonder about this.
The dude went to Dallas to visit his uncle, who is allegedly rich and is going to buy him a set of tires for his truck in return for some sort of labor. No offense to the tenant, but his physical health is horrid, I have no idea how he thinks he can do much of anything. He spend most of his time in a large recliner watching TV. He pays an extra $100 per month on the rent to pay for a very large amount of extra channels on DTV.
But, I am glad to have the place to myself for awhile, no complaints there. Me and the dogs. Could do that for a very long period of time and not get bored with it.
I finally called the shop today that has the Jeep. I had figured them right. They have a very good reputation around town here, including the Sheriff's department who brings their vehicles there for service and repair. I mean, this guy went into a litany of things they have done to try and resolve this problem. All the sensors that whoever had replaced with off-market brands they replaced with OEM. I really don't even remember all that this guy listed off until he got to the cracked head deal. They have been doing online research. I did too before I even had them over, but my research suggested that the computer is probably bad. It also suggested that even brand new computers have issues and don't work right.
I am suspect of a cracked head though. A compression problem would be consistent, at least I would think. How does the thing run fine for 25 miles on a cracked head, then run bad and then turn it off and then it runs fine again? Nah, bro, I am still guessing a fuel suction problem in the fuel tank. Like there is something in there that obstructs the delivery of fuel at any given point. I would be pulling the fuel tank off and inspecting it, but that's me. And since I am now off the hook on paying for all of this experimentation, they can do whatever they want, but taking the head off and having it inspected is a some amount of labor. Still, the head mechanic over there has labeled the thing as a challenge and they say they aren't giving up on it until they figure it out.
Good luck! Please strike the "find the problem" jackpot soon cause my Polaris is all but finished -got the right wheel spacers in today. I think they are anyway, I'll find out tomorrow when I try to install them. The other one I ordered a new sprocket/chain set and I will be jacking that thing up and removing everything I need to to get at that oil drain plug. The kid next door did an oil change or his friends or whoever and stripped the threads. I'm thinking either tapping out a larger hole/thread or insert a helicoil.Not my first rodeo with damaged threads. Just ridiculous that it occurred on a oil drain plug.
So anyway, I put in a bid one used rear fender for the thing for $50. Shipping is $130. Yup, they are making money off the shipping. But, it's still cheaper than much of whatever else I have been able to find. However, the seller had a "free local pickup" option. Yes! Thank you, I'll take that, I thought and paid the $50 for it. The seller accepted the $50 offer and now? Probably not going to like the results. But, it's their deal, perhaps they didn't think anyone would take them up on it. And not, it doesn't cost $130 to send a probably 15 pound plastic fender. Sorry. Now, wait to see what happens.
Work. Well let's see. I come back from a run on Thursday and the manager is standing in the shed with a small group of people. Didn't really think anything about it. I get out of truck and he is facing me, asks to see the ticket. No clue what's going on here, at all. I walk over, hand him the ticket and then he starts in on me. He's just itching to find me doing anything wrong. He is obviously in another one of his anger fits. The problem? I forgot to put a pallet on the truck for the delivery and he wants to know why. Ummm, no, actually, I didn't forget anything. He is standing there demanding that the wrapping station be removed - he wanted it gone. I was ready to quit yet one more time. I am a truck driver, not a parts puller and shrink wrapper. I do all that junk but it isn't in my job description. To shrink wrap a pallet that is sitting on the ground is back breaking, literally. Your back hurts and it's very difficult.
So, he started in on his stupid speech about the pallet and how was it missed? I continued on about the wrapping station. This man doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. When it comes to the actual physical work of getting orders pulled, he is simply and completely ignorant. Add to that an anger problem and add to that knee jerk reactions. On top of that making judgments without facts and what you really have is a blooming idiot. He was getting visibly angrier by the second as I continued to push the wrapping station, interrupting him because why? Because he is a total asshole and I don't give a damn about that place anymore because of him and his bullshit. Sorry for the language but that's how I feel about it.
So, he stops his line of ignorant rhetoric and points at an inside salesman. Go get the wrapping station and bring it back here. The dude goes and gets it, sets it down and now back to this pallet that "is sitting right there". It wasn't sitting right there when I loaded the truck and was shrink wrapping everything. How o you miss this? This dude is so caught up in himself, if you think Trump is a narcissist, this dude has him beat by a country mile. Everything is about him. Anyway, others spoke up since I didn't pull the order - which is what I continued to say over and over. I didn't pull this order, I had no idea this pallet was a part of this order, it wasn't out there with the rest of the pallets. Finally, in his desperate attempt to "catch" me doing something wrong, he said, well, did you ask if that was everything? I always ask if this is everything if I didn't pull the order. Oh, well who did you ask? This dude is a piece of dogshit with legs. I despise working there now. I hate going to work anymore. I'm just trying to last 3 more months until my son has his wedding, take a week and a half off and perhaps never go back to the place, I dunno.
Anyway, I pointed at the warehouse manager - I asked him. Who? Tony - pointing at him. Now, the manager's tones change substantially. So you asked him if that was everything? This is 3 times now that he has asked me the same effing question. YES. Those two are buddy-buddy - good ole' boys club - the manager won't rail on him like he does the rest of us "underlings". After all of that bullshit - calling me out yet again in front of everyone in a fit of anger - he is proven wrong, once again.
So, the next morning - yesterday - I come into work to find the wrapping station planted directly in front of the warehouse. This is their retaliation, to make us bring everything clear over to the warehouse and do it there. But, it's also a safety issue since customers are driving up and parking right next to it all day long. The other "main" driver approached the manager about it, this isn't safe. The manager said it's fine. He said no, this is going to be an issue. Well, I have my own form of retaliation here. Since the warehouse manage says he isn't walking over there any more - where the wrapping station used to be - to check orders, I'm going to start dumping the product right in front of the warehouse. I don't care if it's 15 pallets. That will start a war, but this dude said he isn't walking over there anymore, so fine. I'll block the entire place up with pallets and hydrants and valves and we'll see what happens. It is also only a matter of time before someone backs into a car with on of those huge forklifts and the only thing that anyone will have been able to say is: I told you so.
So, now I have to really start thinking about a new job. The problem is, how do I get a good reference? It is almost guaranteed he won't give a good reference for me, the man is too vindictive and caught up in himself to give anyone kudos. I am going to have to contact the GM in Phoenix to see if I can use him as a reference. Or move back to Phoenix haha and get my old job back. I left on good terms there.
So that's that. It's Saturday, I slept in this morning and about to go outside and try to finish the big 4 wheeler. I'm almost there. I ordered wheel spacers and they sent me the wrong ones. I sent those back and got credited for them and now have new ones that arrived yesterday on my doorstep. About to go out and find out if they are the right size. I would like t get this project over with, button everything back up and be done with it and move on to the other 4 wheeler that needs work done to it. I can't really do anything until the Jeep is fixed - if it ever does get fixed - but I would like to have these machines ready to go if/when it is. I am actively bidding on other atv's that need work. Buy one cheap, fix it and then have 3 for all of us to go riding. So far no luck, mostly because I have no way to get the machine over here and no one wants to transport it for me. Which kinda sucks because some really good deals have come and gone.
Oh, and the lady friend that owns the house is considering moving back here without the hubby. She hates it over there, she misses her friends and her job says they will hire her back on the spot the day she moves back here. So, she contacted me a few days ago asking how long we have to give these folks to move out? A month, minimum. That's usually the law in any state but also just good practice. You can't expect a person to just go hunt down a new place to live in a few days and get everything set up for moving out, that would be wrong, IMO. I would rather give them at least 2 months since they are on fixed income and moving pretty much leaves them broke. I'll probably help them out when they do have to move. They have indicated they want a place around here, so I may also help them with that. They have no credit at all and anyplace wanting to do credit checks they aren't going to qualify for it. I kinda wish I had the wherewithal to buy a house, there are several of them for sale on this street and the next and they are going cheap enough.
An owner finance situation would be good too, but nothing like that available right now. They have a friend that would move in with them - you need minimum 3 people paying rent to make something like that work. A house would have to be furnished as well. Well not the bedrooms but everything else. But, owner finance would likely want at least 10% down. Out of the question right now..
Oh well. Cross that bridge when it comes. They may change their mind and move out of the area altogether. They also may end up going separate ways. She has "issues" that are life long and aren't going away. She hates men, she told me a while back and she also cannot handle her liquor. She likes to drink but when she overdoes it, she goes haywire. In that sense, the owners moving back here can't happen soon enough. In the sense of eating, though, she cooks all the time and is very good at it.
Well enough of this, I have stuff to do.
The dude went to Dallas to visit his uncle, who is allegedly rich and is going to buy him a set of tires for his truck in return for some sort of labor. No offense to the tenant, but his physical health is horrid, I have no idea how he thinks he can do much of anything. He spend most of his time in a large recliner watching TV. He pays an extra $100 per month on the rent to pay for a very large amount of extra channels on DTV.
But, I am glad to have the place to myself for awhile, no complaints there. Me and the dogs. Could do that for a very long period of time and not get bored with it.
I finally called the shop today that has the Jeep. I had figured them right. They have a very good reputation around town here, including the Sheriff's department who brings their vehicles there for service and repair. I mean, this guy went into a litany of things they have done to try and resolve this problem. All the sensors that whoever had replaced with off-market brands they replaced with OEM. I really don't even remember all that this guy listed off until he got to the cracked head deal. They have been doing online research. I did too before I even had them over, but my research suggested that the computer is probably bad. It also suggested that even brand new computers have issues and don't work right.
I am suspect of a cracked head though. A compression problem would be consistent, at least I would think. How does the thing run fine for 25 miles on a cracked head, then run bad and then turn it off and then it runs fine again? Nah, bro, I am still guessing a fuel suction problem in the fuel tank. Like there is something in there that obstructs the delivery of fuel at any given point. I would be pulling the fuel tank off and inspecting it, but that's me. And since I am now off the hook on paying for all of this experimentation, they can do whatever they want, but taking the head off and having it inspected is a some amount of labor. Still, the head mechanic over there has labeled the thing as a challenge and they say they aren't giving up on it until they figure it out.
Good luck! Please strike the "find the problem" jackpot soon cause my Polaris is all but finished -got the right wheel spacers in today. I think they are anyway, I'll find out tomorrow when I try to install them. The other one I ordered a new sprocket/chain set and I will be jacking that thing up and removing everything I need to to get at that oil drain plug. The kid next door did an oil change or his friends or whoever and stripped the threads. I'm thinking either tapping out a larger hole/thread or insert a helicoil.Not my first rodeo with damaged threads. Just ridiculous that it occurred on a oil drain plug.
So anyway, I put in a bid one used rear fender for the thing for $50. Shipping is $130. Yup, they are making money off the shipping. But, it's still cheaper than much of whatever else I have been able to find. However, the seller had a "free local pickup" option. Yes! Thank you, I'll take that, I thought and paid the $50 for it. The seller accepted the $50 offer and now? Probably not going to like the results. But, it's their deal, perhaps they didn't think anyone would take them up on it. And not, it doesn't cost $130 to send a probably 15 pound plastic fender. Sorry. Now, wait to see what happens.
Work. Well let's see. I come back from a run on Thursday and the manager is standing in the shed with a small group of people. Didn't really think anything about it. I get out of truck and he is facing me, asks to see the ticket. No clue what's going on here, at all. I walk over, hand him the ticket and then he starts in on me. He's just itching to find me doing anything wrong. He is obviously in another one of his anger fits. The problem? I forgot to put a pallet on the truck for the delivery and he wants to know why. Ummm, no, actually, I didn't forget anything. He is standing there demanding that the wrapping station be removed - he wanted it gone. I was ready to quit yet one more time. I am a truck driver, not a parts puller and shrink wrapper. I do all that junk but it isn't in my job description. To shrink wrap a pallet that is sitting on the ground is back breaking, literally. Your back hurts and it's very difficult.
So, he started in on his stupid speech about the pallet and how was it missed? I continued on about the wrapping station. This man doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. When it comes to the actual physical work of getting orders pulled, he is simply and completely ignorant. Add to that an anger problem and add to that knee jerk reactions. On top of that making judgments without facts and what you really have is a blooming idiot. He was getting visibly angrier by the second as I continued to push the wrapping station, interrupting him because why? Because he is a total asshole and I don't give a damn about that place anymore because of him and his bullshit. Sorry for the language but that's how I feel about it.
So, he stops his line of ignorant rhetoric and points at an inside salesman. Go get the wrapping station and bring it back here. The dude goes and gets it, sets it down and now back to this pallet that "is sitting right there". It wasn't sitting right there when I loaded the truck and was shrink wrapping everything. How o you miss this? This dude is so caught up in himself, if you think Trump is a narcissist, this dude has him beat by a country mile. Everything is about him. Anyway, others spoke up since I didn't pull the order - which is what I continued to say over and over. I didn't pull this order, I had no idea this pallet was a part of this order, it wasn't out there with the rest of the pallets. Finally, in his desperate attempt to "catch" me doing something wrong, he said, well, did you ask if that was everything? I always ask if this is everything if I didn't pull the order. Oh, well who did you ask? This dude is a piece of dogshit with legs. I despise working there now. I hate going to work anymore. I'm just trying to last 3 more months until my son has his wedding, take a week and a half off and perhaps never go back to the place, I dunno.
Anyway, I pointed at the warehouse manager - I asked him. Who? Tony - pointing at him. Now, the manager's tones change substantially. So you asked him if that was everything? This is 3 times now that he has asked me the same effing question. YES. Those two are buddy-buddy - good ole' boys club - the manager won't rail on him like he does the rest of us "underlings". After all of that bullshit - calling me out yet again in front of everyone in a fit of anger - he is proven wrong, once again.
So, the next morning - yesterday - I come into work to find the wrapping station planted directly in front of the warehouse. This is their retaliation, to make us bring everything clear over to the warehouse and do it there. But, it's also a safety issue since customers are driving up and parking right next to it all day long. The other "main" driver approached the manager about it, this isn't safe. The manager said it's fine. He said no, this is going to be an issue. Well, I have my own form of retaliation here. Since the warehouse manage says he isn't walking over there any more - where the wrapping station used to be - to check orders, I'm going to start dumping the product right in front of the warehouse. I don't care if it's 15 pallets. That will start a war, but this dude said he isn't walking over there anymore, so fine. I'll block the entire place up with pallets and hydrants and valves and we'll see what happens. It is also only a matter of time before someone backs into a car with on of those huge forklifts and the only thing that anyone will have been able to say is: I told you so.
So, now I have to really start thinking about a new job. The problem is, how do I get a good reference? It is almost guaranteed he won't give a good reference for me, the man is too vindictive and caught up in himself to give anyone kudos. I am going to have to contact the GM in Phoenix to see if I can use him as a reference. Or move back to Phoenix haha and get my old job back. I left on good terms there.
So that's that. It's Saturday, I slept in this morning and about to go outside and try to finish the big 4 wheeler. I'm almost there. I ordered wheel spacers and they sent me the wrong ones. I sent those back and got credited for them and now have new ones that arrived yesterday on my doorstep. About to go out and find out if they are the right size. I would like t get this project over with, button everything back up and be done with it and move on to the other 4 wheeler that needs work done to it. I can't really do anything until the Jeep is fixed - if it ever does get fixed - but I would like to have these machines ready to go if/when it is. I am actively bidding on other atv's that need work. Buy one cheap, fix it and then have 3 for all of us to go riding. So far no luck, mostly because I have no way to get the machine over here and no one wants to transport it for me. Which kinda sucks because some really good deals have come and gone.
Oh, and the lady friend that owns the house is considering moving back here without the hubby. She hates it over there, she misses her friends and her job says they will hire her back on the spot the day she moves back here. So, she contacted me a few days ago asking how long we have to give these folks to move out? A month, minimum. That's usually the law in any state but also just good practice. You can't expect a person to just go hunt down a new place to live in a few days and get everything set up for moving out, that would be wrong, IMO. I would rather give them at least 2 months since they are on fixed income and moving pretty much leaves them broke. I'll probably help them out when they do have to move. They have indicated they want a place around here, so I may also help them with that. They have no credit at all and anyplace wanting to do credit checks they aren't going to qualify for it. I kinda wish I had the wherewithal to buy a house, there are several of them for sale on this street and the next and they are going cheap enough.
An owner finance situation would be good too, but nothing like that available right now. They have a friend that would move in with them - you need minimum 3 people paying rent to make something like that work. A house would have to be furnished as well. Well not the bedrooms but everything else. But, owner finance would likely want at least 10% down. Out of the question right now..
Oh well. Cross that bridge when it comes. They may change their mind and move out of the area altogether. They also may end up going separate ways. She has "issues" that are life long and aren't going away. She hates men, she told me a while back and she also cannot handle her liquor. She likes to drink but when she overdoes it, she goes haywire. In that sense, the owners moving back here can't happen soon enough. In the sense of eating, though, she cooks all the time and is very good at it.
Well enough of this, I have stuff to do.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
It was an interesting conversation.
My mom texted m this last weekend wanting me to call her. Well I was a bit busy with the homeowner coming to town and coming here first. She just had a baby - 7 weeks old - and she was bringing the newborn for me to see and to see the house and spend some time together. She left Georgia for 3 weeks because hubby went on a work travel scenario in North Carolina.
It was very wonderful to see her and the new addition to the family. Spent the afternoon together. One of her friends came over as well. I really miss them, They became true friends after we were living together for extended period of time. She informed me - again - that I am stuck with them forever. It is truly an amazing feeling to have people that love you more than your own family. Save my mom of course. Well anyway, we - her and I and the baby - went to Chili's and we spent a couple of hours conversing and having a few drinks. That was on Sunday and it was a great day. Really was.
Anyway, I called mom yesterday. She started right in on her proposal. You see, she gave my oldest brother power-of-attorney over her if something happens to her. But, legally, that ends at death. At death, you need an executor of estate. Apparently her lawyer has been advising her about this - there IS no executor of estate and she needs one. In Arizona, the state becomes the executor and that is a hellish nightmare from every account I have read over the years - which are not few.
Well, my middle brother basically went psycho on me earlier this year. I wrote about that here I think, not going to go much into it excepting to say that the rest of the family that saw that thought he was losing his marbles. It was extended text messages in a group setting that were all but telling me I am going to hell, to put it in a way to let the reader understand his rage.
So anyway, she said my oldest brother agreed to her proposal to be the executor of state. I said fine, I trust him. He's successful, already has lots of money, had a financial adviser tell him he could retire now with this current portfolio. I have never seen him as a greedy, self-oriented person. I have seen him as a godless, Christ despising person that is stuck up in his ways and avoids family like the plague. But when it comes to something like this, I don't believe he would go afoul. Of course in the end and when it happens that may not hold water, but I am hopeful since that is what mom obviously wanted and I wasn't going to raise an objection.
However, my oldest brother told her that he was hesitant about taking that position because of one thing. "I'm hesitant to tell you this", she says. Why? I'm wondering and asking. Well, she says, he remembers when you took a corporation to court, the mobile home park with a high profile lawyer and you won. Yes I did. I devoted an extensive amount of my personal time to reading about the rules of the court, going to the library and looking up cases in books that had court cases in them to find the information I needed. I exhausted myself in the brain taking in large quantities of information I had not otherwise been exposed to before. I became educated enough in my own right to take on a lawyer that had office space on the 12th floor in a downtown Phoenix high rise. I'm not exactly saying I beat her because of all of that, but it certainly didn't hurt.
He, my oldest brother, was fearful that I would bring that upon him. I asked mom how even knew about that situation? I don't remember ever telling anyone but mom about what I was doing during that time. She said the same thing, she never remembered me saying that to family and since family doesn't come together but once a year, highly unlikely I would bring that up at Christmas.
I actually found that humorous. My oldest brother, the man who cares about family not and discounts all of us, giving me credence for the win against the park? Actually, it was a win against a Chinese bank that owned the park and hired that lawyer to defend themselves. Sometimes, when you know you're right? You're right and your opposition can pay however much and you still aren't going to lose.
Haha. I had to laugh at that. In fact, it was much more lighthearted conversation than mom expected. I expect my brother to deal with it righteously and if he doesn't, he can expect to get a heap full of trouble in return. But, even that mom said: "the trust includes a provision that is defends itself". Which means, whoever is executioner has no choice but to "behave" and divide it all 3 ways. I never start these conversations. I would rather my mom stay alive and lucid for a long time to come.
Anyway, that reservation that my brother gave only gave me some confidence in agreeing with her. I'm fine with that. You see, if I were the executioner of state, my middle brother would have a cow about it. He is selfish, angry and hateful. When mom hands out some thing of sentimental value, he always goes hog shit crazy over it. "Why did HE get that?". It is an obvious choice, my oldest brother, but I still suspect that when this event occurs, there is still going to be problems with the middle brother. HE may actually start court trouble. Which will cost the inheritance, but I don't think that would bother him. Oh, excepting the cost to HIM to initiate it. Expensive, time consuming and emotionally draining.
So, besides laughing about old times and some of the stuff going on in this neighborhood, that was that on that conversation. `
They came and took my Jeep 2 weeks ago and I have heard nothing back. They are obviously stumped on it and I'm not going to even call them. Let them call me when they figure it out. If they don't, then we will be discussing a refund of my money and they can take the Jeep for themselves. I am not going to voluntarily eat that much money for what amounts to nothing in return. But, so far, I have said nothing like that to them. They were so confident to figure this out, let them figure it out.
It was going to be a backup for my car, which is going into the "mega miles" range, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's in the 160k range and that to me is a lot. I have read about these cars going over 300k. Great, but I am not so confident. I would have rather had a backup vehicle that also serves for recreational purposes than have to go into debt on a new vehicle. I'm driving the wheels off that car. It has numerous issues, but none of it related to mechanical problems, just cosmetics and things that don't need to work for a car to be driven I'm actually quite tired of that thing, I have driven it for many years now, I would like something different, which does not mean new. I think it's been 9 years now on that car.
I'm happy to not have car payments, though, so right now, it's going to stay that way unless the thing has a major breakdown. A minor breakdown, no biggies. The Jeep situation is very disappointing and facing potential litigation. I may not win that one, but then again, they guaranteed me they could fix it. It's not in writing, that's the only problem with that. I am still believing they are interested in finding out what's wrong with it and fixing it. It's a small town and in a conservative community where people still value their word. That is why I have said nothing to them since they took it almost 2 weeks ago. Don't provoke them, let them spend whatever spare time they have attempting to figure out what's wrong with it. I'm at the point where I won't give them any more money though.
The tenants who are friends had it out again 2 nights ago. I had my bedroom door open and they were apparently pushing each other around - but I heard none of it, therefore I didn't know it was going on. It's a long story that I don't want to go into, just not worth that much time typing. But, apparently she assaulted him. She hates men. Yes, that came from her own mouth in a conversation I was having with her over a month ago. She has issues that need counseling. She also cannot handle her liquor - when she gets a hold of a bottle, she drinks to much and then goes berserk. I am thankful for having a phone that also doubles as a video camera, though this wasn't about me? I was still taking video after I was approached by the dude about it and I saw what was going on.
Life is never paradise with tenants, but some of it is just too much. This is why I have attempted to make myself an exemplary tenant when my friends were here occupying their house. Leave a light footprint and don't start a lot of shit and don't complain about too much. If there is something I don't like, I fix it and that's that.
Speaking of fixing things, the Polaris is almost up and running. I was done with it last weekend until I put the tires back on and saw the tierods literally up against the tires. Yup, not just slightly rubbing against them, this is 'damage them to the point of corrupting them' stuff. My unending education on 4 wheelers continues. I found out that many people experience this when they buy larger tires, something that is unexpected. There are 2 options, I found out. Either put in wheel spacers or put on "offset" wheel rims. Upon seemingly endless searching the result was to buy wheel spacers over much more expensive new wheels. I don't I don't need new wheels.
So, I ordered 2 spacers for the front wheels, 1 inch thick. I received them today. 2 spacers, 2 inches thick, much more than I wanted. I kinda think stuff like having wheels protruding from the sides looks stupid. However, the male tenant explained to me today that offset wheels from the front to the back actually help with 4 wheeling through mud in acquiring different tracks and more traction. Oh. Well don't ya know. Learn something new everyday. My search didn't include anything of that nature. Just, how do you compensate for larger tires? I had actually thought of putting on washers before looking it up, but everyone said the same thing about that idea: not! Well, I guess I have to order lug nuts now. Why they don't include them with the spacers or even suggest an option to buy them, no clue.
Well that isn't everything, but that's enough for tonight : )
My mom texted m this last weekend wanting me to call her. Well I was a bit busy with the homeowner coming to town and coming here first. She just had a baby - 7 weeks old - and she was bringing the newborn for me to see and to see the house and spend some time together. She left Georgia for 3 weeks because hubby went on a work travel scenario in North Carolina.
It was very wonderful to see her and the new addition to the family. Spent the afternoon together. One of her friends came over as well. I really miss them, They became true friends after we were living together for extended period of time. She informed me - again - that I am stuck with them forever. It is truly an amazing feeling to have people that love you more than your own family. Save my mom of course. Well anyway, we - her and I and the baby - went to Chili's and we spent a couple of hours conversing and having a few drinks. That was on Sunday and it was a great day. Really was.
Anyway, I called mom yesterday. She started right in on her proposal. You see, she gave my oldest brother power-of-attorney over her if something happens to her. But, legally, that ends at death. At death, you need an executor of estate. Apparently her lawyer has been advising her about this - there IS no executor of estate and she needs one. In Arizona, the state becomes the executor and that is a hellish nightmare from every account I have read over the years - which are not few.
Well, my middle brother basically went psycho on me earlier this year. I wrote about that here I think, not going to go much into it excepting to say that the rest of the family that saw that thought he was losing his marbles. It was extended text messages in a group setting that were all but telling me I am going to hell, to put it in a way to let the reader understand his rage.
So anyway, she said my oldest brother agreed to her proposal to be the executor of state. I said fine, I trust him. He's successful, already has lots of money, had a financial adviser tell him he could retire now with this current portfolio. I have never seen him as a greedy, self-oriented person. I have seen him as a godless, Christ despising person that is stuck up in his ways and avoids family like the plague. But when it comes to something like this, I don't believe he would go afoul. Of course in the end and when it happens that may not hold water, but I am hopeful since that is what mom obviously wanted and I wasn't going to raise an objection.
However, my oldest brother told her that he was hesitant about taking that position because of one thing. "I'm hesitant to tell you this", she says. Why? I'm wondering and asking. Well, she says, he remembers when you took a corporation to court, the mobile home park with a high profile lawyer and you won. Yes I did. I devoted an extensive amount of my personal time to reading about the rules of the court, going to the library and looking up cases in books that had court cases in them to find the information I needed. I exhausted myself in the brain taking in large quantities of information I had not otherwise been exposed to before. I became educated enough in my own right to take on a lawyer that had office space on the 12th floor in a downtown Phoenix high rise. I'm not exactly saying I beat her because of all of that, but it certainly didn't hurt.
He, my oldest brother, was fearful that I would bring that upon him. I asked mom how even knew about that situation? I don't remember ever telling anyone but mom about what I was doing during that time. She said the same thing, she never remembered me saying that to family and since family doesn't come together but once a year, highly unlikely I would bring that up at Christmas.
I actually found that humorous. My oldest brother, the man who cares about family not and discounts all of us, giving me credence for the win against the park? Actually, it was a win against a Chinese bank that owned the park and hired that lawyer to defend themselves. Sometimes, when you know you're right? You're right and your opposition can pay however much and you still aren't going to lose.
Haha. I had to laugh at that. In fact, it was much more lighthearted conversation than mom expected. I expect my brother to deal with it righteously and if he doesn't, he can expect to get a heap full of trouble in return. But, even that mom said: "the trust includes a provision that is defends itself". Which means, whoever is executioner has no choice but to "behave" and divide it all 3 ways. I never start these conversations. I would rather my mom stay alive and lucid for a long time to come.
Anyway, that reservation that my brother gave only gave me some confidence in agreeing with her. I'm fine with that. You see, if I were the executioner of state, my middle brother would have a cow about it. He is selfish, angry and hateful. When mom hands out some thing of sentimental value, he always goes hog shit crazy over it. "Why did HE get that?". It is an obvious choice, my oldest brother, but I still suspect that when this event occurs, there is still going to be problems with the middle brother. HE may actually start court trouble. Which will cost the inheritance, but I don't think that would bother him. Oh, excepting the cost to HIM to initiate it. Expensive, time consuming and emotionally draining.
So, besides laughing about old times and some of the stuff going on in this neighborhood, that was that on that conversation. `
They came and took my Jeep 2 weeks ago and I have heard nothing back. They are obviously stumped on it and I'm not going to even call them. Let them call me when they figure it out. If they don't, then we will be discussing a refund of my money and they can take the Jeep for themselves. I am not going to voluntarily eat that much money for what amounts to nothing in return. But, so far, I have said nothing like that to them. They were so confident to figure this out, let them figure it out.
It was going to be a backup for my car, which is going into the "mega miles" range, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's in the 160k range and that to me is a lot. I have read about these cars going over 300k. Great, but I am not so confident. I would have rather had a backup vehicle that also serves for recreational purposes than have to go into debt on a new vehicle. I'm driving the wheels off that car. It has numerous issues, but none of it related to mechanical problems, just cosmetics and things that don't need to work for a car to be driven I'm actually quite tired of that thing, I have driven it for many years now, I would like something different, which does not mean new. I think it's been 9 years now on that car.
I'm happy to not have car payments, though, so right now, it's going to stay that way unless the thing has a major breakdown. A minor breakdown, no biggies. The Jeep situation is very disappointing and facing potential litigation. I may not win that one, but then again, they guaranteed me they could fix it. It's not in writing, that's the only problem with that. I am still believing they are interested in finding out what's wrong with it and fixing it. It's a small town and in a conservative community where people still value their word. That is why I have said nothing to them since they took it almost 2 weeks ago. Don't provoke them, let them spend whatever spare time they have attempting to figure out what's wrong with it. I'm at the point where I won't give them any more money though.
The tenants who are friends had it out again 2 nights ago. I had my bedroom door open and they were apparently pushing each other around - but I heard none of it, therefore I didn't know it was going on. It's a long story that I don't want to go into, just not worth that much time typing. But, apparently she assaulted him. She hates men. Yes, that came from her own mouth in a conversation I was having with her over a month ago. She has issues that need counseling. She also cannot handle her liquor - when she gets a hold of a bottle, she drinks to much and then goes berserk. I am thankful for having a phone that also doubles as a video camera, though this wasn't about me? I was still taking video after I was approached by the dude about it and I saw what was going on.
Life is never paradise with tenants, but some of it is just too much. This is why I have attempted to make myself an exemplary tenant when my friends were here occupying their house. Leave a light footprint and don't start a lot of shit and don't complain about too much. If there is something I don't like, I fix it and that's that.
Speaking of fixing things, the Polaris is almost up and running. I was done with it last weekend until I put the tires back on and saw the tierods literally up against the tires. Yup, not just slightly rubbing against them, this is 'damage them to the point of corrupting them' stuff. My unending education on 4 wheelers continues. I found out that many people experience this when they buy larger tires, something that is unexpected. There are 2 options, I found out. Either put in wheel spacers or put on "offset" wheel rims. Upon seemingly endless searching the result was to buy wheel spacers over much more expensive new wheels. I don't I don't need new wheels.
So, I ordered 2 spacers for the front wheels, 1 inch thick. I received them today. 2 spacers, 2 inches thick, much more than I wanted. I kinda think stuff like having wheels protruding from the sides looks stupid. However, the male tenant explained to me today that offset wheels from the front to the back actually help with 4 wheeling through mud in acquiring different tracks and more traction. Oh. Well don't ya know. Learn something new everyday. My search didn't include anything of that nature. Just, how do you compensate for larger tires? I had actually thought of putting on washers before looking it up, but everyone said the same thing about that idea: not! Well, I guess I have to order lug nuts now. Why they don't include them with the spacers or even suggest an option to buy them, no clue.
Well that isn't everything, but that's enough for tonight : )
Sunday, April 23, 2017
My friend (now) the homeowner came by today. She left Georgia to go visit in-laws in Arkansas while hubby is away on extended assignment in North Carolina. She decided to come down here for a visit and bring the 7 week old newborn as well. Well, the boy isn't going anywhere without mama that young and being breast-fed lol.
We visited for several hours at the house, a friend that I also know of hers came over as well. The next door neighbor also stopped by and we had a great conversation. That all ended when Taylor - the lady friend and homeowner - wanted to go to Chili's and we left. Just her and the baby and I. It was a pleasant afternoon and I was wishing they could move back - like now? lol Not that the tenants are bad people but they aren't friends like these folks are. She continued on with her statement that " you are stuck with us forever". I'm not sure how we hit it off so well, but it's nice to have friends that actually care.
Anyway, the Jeep is still in the shop for the third time. It's been there for almost 2 weeks - this time -now. Very disappointing. I could have bought something else with that much money and if they can't figure it out, I'm out a chunk of change. A very large chunk of change at that. I'll part it out before i take a total loss, but that is a lot of work.
Work is the same. Very unhappy people working there. Not just me. Pretty much everyone there. The only happy people are the salesmen, the rest are all stuck in this cycle of whining and complaining about everything that goes on there. Everyone gets talked about behind their backs. Several people are getting up there in years and a couple for sure should be retiring - or so you would think. The warehouse manager is 64 years old. He is guesstimating around 350 pounds - maybe 400 - has a hard time getting around with ankle and foot problems - that probably because he weighs so much and the job requires him to be on his feet much of the day. The manager has toned down his rhetoric quite a lot, at least with me.
It's a dilemma for me. Right now, I'm attempting to stick it out until August so I can take a week off for my son's wedding. If I'm going to CA, I'm going to be at his wedding but also going to go to the beach and do some things there and enjoy myself. It's kinda taken the place of my hope of finally flying over the ocean. That's about 4 more months, probably can do that as long as the manager doesn't switch back to his old ways. I'm not saying there is anything even remotely close to a 100% improvement, but anything from what it was is a miracle.
I don't really have any great things going on in my life right now. My adventurous days aren't over, just on hold. I think. There are definitely better things I could be doing with my time than what I am doing currently, but the motivation levels aren't that high. It's enough at this moment in time to get to work and back 5 days a week and endure that hell hole until something different comes along.
Anyway, it's almost my bedtime, just haven't written anything in a while.
We visited for several hours at the house, a friend that I also know of hers came over as well. The next door neighbor also stopped by and we had a great conversation. That all ended when Taylor - the lady friend and homeowner - wanted to go to Chili's and we left. Just her and the baby and I. It was a pleasant afternoon and I was wishing they could move back - like now? lol Not that the tenants are bad people but they aren't friends like these folks are. She continued on with her statement that " you are stuck with us forever". I'm not sure how we hit it off so well, but it's nice to have friends that actually care.
Anyway, the Jeep is still in the shop for the third time. It's been there for almost 2 weeks - this time -now. Very disappointing. I could have bought something else with that much money and if they can't figure it out, I'm out a chunk of change. A very large chunk of change at that. I'll part it out before i take a total loss, but that is a lot of work.
Work is the same. Very unhappy people working there. Not just me. Pretty much everyone there. The only happy people are the salesmen, the rest are all stuck in this cycle of whining and complaining about everything that goes on there. Everyone gets talked about behind their backs. Several people are getting up there in years and a couple for sure should be retiring - or so you would think. The warehouse manager is 64 years old. He is guesstimating around 350 pounds - maybe 400 - has a hard time getting around with ankle and foot problems - that probably because he weighs so much and the job requires him to be on his feet much of the day. The manager has toned down his rhetoric quite a lot, at least with me.
It's a dilemma for me. Right now, I'm attempting to stick it out until August so I can take a week off for my son's wedding. If I'm going to CA, I'm going to be at his wedding but also going to go to the beach and do some things there and enjoy myself. It's kinda taken the place of my hope of finally flying over the ocean. That's about 4 more months, probably can do that as long as the manager doesn't switch back to his old ways. I'm not saying there is anything even remotely close to a 100% improvement, but anything from what it was is a miracle.
I don't really have any great things going on in my life right now. My adventurous days aren't over, just on hold. I think. There are definitely better things I could be doing with my time than what I am doing currently, but the motivation levels aren't that high. It's enough at this moment in time to get to work and back 5 days a week and endure that hell hole until something different comes along.
Anyway, it's almost my bedtime, just haven't written anything in a while.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
I've always wondered how I could make some extra money doing something I - mostly - enjoy doing. Fixing other people's ATV"s? Naw. You have to deal with time deadlines and if your fix doesn't work, potentially irate customers. But, what if I bought non-working ATV's and fixed them, resell them and make some profit?
I see them literally on a daily basis on numerous, local, Facebook, for-sale forums. Buy one, fix it at my own pace, resell it. These people are selling them for pennies on the dollar, literally. It doesn't work, no-one wants to pay too much for them, who knows what are getting yourself into. It worked the last time we tried, but now it won't fire up. Probably carburetor. Anyway, now htat I have delved into an elongated repair on my Polaris,
____________________________________________
I started this last week, actually. Just got side-tracked. I'm completely sold on at least trying the idea of buying and reselling ATV's. If they run, they sell around here. I'm in numerous local FB groups and I don't see ATV's not selling - except the ones that don't work. I think it's at least worth a try. Maybe get it going slowly - my experience with ATV's is limited to the two brands I have, but I have found that YouTube has endless videos on repairing - anything on earth actually. This is something I could dabble my feet into without a huge amount of output and see if there is actually a profit to be made in it versus the time spent buying them, fixing them and selling them. And the money spent of course, but time is also valuable.
This isn't something that has to wait for anything - except - my Jeep. They called me on Friday, said it was done and then....said it isn't done, we'll get back to you. I wouldn't be laughing if I were paying for all of this, but my monetary involvement, as far as they're concerned is over, per their statement, unsolicited but glad to hear. They are intent on getting the thing running right come what may. I'm glad they are, I wasn't intent on spending endless money on endless man hours. It's obvious they are fooling with it in between jobs when there is down time. I'm not pushing them at all about this. So, I dunno. It's Wednesday night and I have heard nothing this week yet and I likely won't hear anything until Friday. Or not, who knows?
My gun is done, but it's in the next town over - of which I rarely go to. I'll make a trip over there this weekend. I wanted to get my stuff out of storage with the Jeep and pick up the gun, but I hold out no hopes on the Jeep until they tell me it's fixed. I fear they will tell me they can't fix and I just dumped a bunch of money into a dead horse. Lord PLEASE don't allow that to happen, is my pleading. I may just see if I can shove it all into my car - but I know I can't. The intent of the Jeep and getting a trailer was to be able to haul the 4 wheelers out on fun times and also to haul whatever else I need to haul. If I"ve spent all this money on a vehicle that can't be repaired, I'm going to be a very unhappy person. These people guaranteed that they could get this thing fixed from the first phone call. To the point they came and got it: "Oh yea, we have a guy that can fix anything" to every trip over there, every conversation.
I see them literally on a daily basis on numerous, local, Facebook, for-sale forums. Buy one, fix it at my own pace, resell it. These people are selling them for pennies on the dollar, literally. It doesn't work, no-one wants to pay too much for them, who knows what are getting yourself into. It worked the last time we tried, but now it won't fire up. Probably carburetor. Anyway, now htat I have delved into an elongated repair on my Polaris,
____________________________________________
I started this last week, actually. Just got side-tracked. I'm completely sold on at least trying the idea of buying and reselling ATV's. If they run, they sell around here. I'm in numerous local FB groups and I don't see ATV's not selling - except the ones that don't work. I think it's at least worth a try. Maybe get it going slowly - my experience with ATV's is limited to the two brands I have, but I have found that YouTube has endless videos on repairing - anything on earth actually. This is something I could dabble my feet into without a huge amount of output and see if there is actually a profit to be made in it versus the time spent buying them, fixing them and selling them. And the money spent of course, but time is also valuable.
This isn't something that has to wait for anything - except - my Jeep. They called me on Friday, said it was done and then....said it isn't done, we'll get back to you. I wouldn't be laughing if I were paying for all of this, but my monetary involvement, as far as they're concerned is over, per their statement, unsolicited but glad to hear. They are intent on getting the thing running right come what may. I'm glad they are, I wasn't intent on spending endless money on endless man hours. It's obvious they are fooling with it in between jobs when there is down time. I'm not pushing them at all about this. So, I dunno. It's Wednesday night and I have heard nothing this week yet and I likely won't hear anything until Friday. Or not, who knows?
My gun is done, but it's in the next town over - of which I rarely go to. I'll make a trip over there this weekend. I wanted to get my stuff out of storage with the Jeep and pick up the gun, but I hold out no hopes on the Jeep until they tell me it's fixed. I fear they will tell me they can't fix and I just dumped a bunch of money into a dead horse. Lord PLEASE don't allow that to happen, is my pleading. I may just see if I can shove it all into my car - but I know I can't. The intent of the Jeep and getting a trailer was to be able to haul the 4 wheelers out on fun times and also to haul whatever else I need to haul. If I"ve spent all this money on a vehicle that can't be repaired, I'm going to be a very unhappy person. These people guaranteed that they could get this thing fixed from the first phone call. To the point they came and got it: "Oh yea, we have a guy that can fix anything" to every trip over there, every conversation.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
This is starting to get old.....
Parts. And more parts. And sending the wrong parts back.
The front axles on my Polaris have turned into a huge headache.
They did send the wrong ones, after all, even though the description in the header said it would fit my model.
So, not only do I have to send these things back, I have to pay the shipping for it and I"m sure that isn't cheap for something that heavy.
The thing about it is, there are several different variations of this axle that sellers on ebay and other places are saying will fit my particular model, and no, they won't. I've now become an expert and will be buying the correct set today, probably, meaning again waiting until next weekend to put the blooming thing back together. This has been going on for a while now and yes, I'm starting to get burnt out on it.
The Jeep should be done tomorrow or the next day. Meaning if I had the Polaris running, I could go riding this coming weekend. Instead, I'll be sitting around trying to put they whole mess back together. Of course, I could pull the trigger on another ATV and just go that route.
It's whatever at this point. It will take as long as it takes and oh well. It was, however, rather a let down to come to the understanding that I wouldn't be able to put that side back together - yesterday - and have it done and then pull the other side apart. I think I could do this stuff with my eyes closed now I have done so much of it. In fact, the more I get into it, the more I am convinced that I could do ATV repair on the side. Bearings, axles, U-joints, more bearings, starters, drive belts, brakes, whatever. Not that much different than a car. It's just plain old mechanics and these things have carburetors on them so that makes fuel issues much easier than if they had fuel injection. Although, getting at a carburetor on a 4 wheeler is a job in itself. You have to remove a lot of stuff on one to get at it.
But at this point, I've done all of it. Chains, sprockets, carrier bearings, between the 2 4 wheelers I've gotten my hands dirty in all of it and have had them running again in perfect order after I was done.
Just something I am considering, though it would be just one more thing to consume my time.
Other things I wish I could talk about, but, it would probably not end well for that person, so I'll keep quiet about that.
However, the kid driver at work is very unhappy there - and likewise management is very unhappy with him and giving him clues he best find greener pastures. He said he has a job offer to operate a refueling truck that goes to jobsite and fuels up heavy machinery making almost $20 per hour and 60 hours per week. Well why wouldn't you take it? Anyway, Friday he said: "if you get a text from me saying it's been nice knowing you, that's the sign that I'm quitting here". Ooookaaaayyyy. Go right ahead. Will give me my hours back and I will be busy all day long.
This week, as it stood, I was stuck in the yard for about 3/4's of it. They now have apparently assigned us to trucks, which is all well and fine, but the semi doesn't always stay busy and some weeks it's barely used at all. That gets kinda boring because there isn't that much to do around the yard. Put stuff away that comes in, cleanup, and that's about it. If this dude quit, that would leave us without a 3rd driver for a while and that would be optimal.
And, the lady tenant is apparently making breakfast without bothering to ask whether anyone wants any. It's nice that she goes to the trouble, but I'm not a big breakfast person, I'm not hungry to be frank. Plus, she makes pancakes - which I can eat every 6 months or so, but not every weekend. The problem is, you say something in a non-confrontational way and she still doesn't get it. Well, she got it from the other tenant who informed her wasting a bunch of food by throwing it out all the time is ridiculous and we need to eat leftovers more often. We had that talk while she was on vacation. The end result is yes, we are eating leftovers much more often and the food waste has gone way down, to the point I can deal with it.
Addler - the Great Dane - is doing quite well, he's such a good doggy. He's so very obedient and ready to please. Of course, I went to the bathroom a while ago and came back to find him occupying half the couch! lol The German Shepherd - Aspyn - is doing good excepting for her habit of jumping the fence and taking off. That has gotten her tied up on a chain or in a kennel while I'm at work. Oh, and speaking of that, the lady tenant has also backed way off of taking "control" of my dogs. That was also beginning to irritate me greatly.
Other than that, just the same old stuff. Saving up money to give to Caleb for his wedding. Waiting to pull the trigger on airfare. Also waiting to hear if I'll have any part of the ceremony. No clue there. Not that I have to, but it would be nice to have some minor role in it. Just because I'm his dad. I'll be happy to go and attend, watch him go off to wherever they are going to go to have their honeymoon and wait for grandbabies lol.
Well, it's Sunday. Beautiful weather. Perfect for riding.
Haven't heard anything from my dad - he doesn't write or call anymore, I have to call him and I'm told he doesn't remember the phone call shortly after calling him. I sent cards for Christmas and heard nothing back. I'm resolved to the fact that he is being taken care of by what are mostly just complete strangers that I have met, spent some time with, but are hostile to us offspring of my dad's. Apparently he was in the hospital in January but nothing so much as a phone call to let me know. I am the only one in my family that is interested in his well being, but it's discouraging that they won't keep in contact at all.
Well, besides the theater that is the world in politics as we know it today, nothing much else going on. Still working on my credit and Fingerhut still playing games with it. They reduced it by $600 - which dug a grave in my credit score and now have raised it up a grand. It's hard to just get rid of a source of credit, it can ding your score as well, but perhaps time to part ways with them. I was going to contact them about this habit of theirs of bumping up the credit and then reducing it. What is that all about? Leave it lower if that's the case, I owe them maybe a hundred dollars, I think my credit line with them is over 3 grand.
I did open up another account - but I won't use it. It's another credit card, it bumps up the amount of available credit was the intended result. I was going to do another but it's too many inquires on my credit score if I keep doing that, which then has a negative impact on my credit. This credit score stuff is fairly perplexing at times. You think you're doing something to help it - and it does - but then something else happens that drops it. I make my payments on time, I am paying it down, don't know what else to do.
Well enough of this. Going to go finish a few projects that I started last weekend.
The front axles on my Polaris have turned into a huge headache.
They did send the wrong ones, after all, even though the description in the header said it would fit my model.
So, not only do I have to send these things back, I have to pay the shipping for it and I"m sure that isn't cheap for something that heavy.
The thing about it is, there are several different variations of this axle that sellers on ebay and other places are saying will fit my particular model, and no, they won't. I've now become an expert and will be buying the correct set today, probably, meaning again waiting until next weekend to put the blooming thing back together. This has been going on for a while now and yes, I'm starting to get burnt out on it.
The Jeep should be done tomorrow or the next day. Meaning if I had the Polaris running, I could go riding this coming weekend. Instead, I'll be sitting around trying to put they whole mess back together. Of course, I could pull the trigger on another ATV and just go that route.
It's whatever at this point. It will take as long as it takes and oh well. It was, however, rather a let down to come to the understanding that I wouldn't be able to put that side back together - yesterday - and have it done and then pull the other side apart. I think I could do this stuff with my eyes closed now I have done so much of it. In fact, the more I get into it, the more I am convinced that I could do ATV repair on the side. Bearings, axles, U-joints, more bearings, starters, drive belts, brakes, whatever. Not that much different than a car. It's just plain old mechanics and these things have carburetors on them so that makes fuel issues much easier than if they had fuel injection. Although, getting at a carburetor on a 4 wheeler is a job in itself. You have to remove a lot of stuff on one to get at it.
But at this point, I've done all of it. Chains, sprockets, carrier bearings, between the 2 4 wheelers I've gotten my hands dirty in all of it and have had them running again in perfect order after I was done.
Just something I am considering, though it would be just one more thing to consume my time.
Other things I wish I could talk about, but, it would probably not end well for that person, so I'll keep quiet about that.
However, the kid driver at work is very unhappy there - and likewise management is very unhappy with him and giving him clues he best find greener pastures. He said he has a job offer to operate a refueling truck that goes to jobsite and fuels up heavy machinery making almost $20 per hour and 60 hours per week. Well why wouldn't you take it? Anyway, Friday he said: "if you get a text from me saying it's been nice knowing you, that's the sign that I'm quitting here". Ooookaaaayyyy. Go right ahead. Will give me my hours back and I will be busy all day long.
This week, as it stood, I was stuck in the yard for about 3/4's of it. They now have apparently assigned us to trucks, which is all well and fine, but the semi doesn't always stay busy and some weeks it's barely used at all. That gets kinda boring because there isn't that much to do around the yard. Put stuff away that comes in, cleanup, and that's about it. If this dude quit, that would leave us without a 3rd driver for a while and that would be optimal.
And, the lady tenant is apparently making breakfast without bothering to ask whether anyone wants any. It's nice that she goes to the trouble, but I'm not a big breakfast person, I'm not hungry to be frank. Plus, she makes pancakes - which I can eat every 6 months or so, but not every weekend. The problem is, you say something in a non-confrontational way and she still doesn't get it. Well, she got it from the other tenant who informed her wasting a bunch of food by throwing it out all the time is ridiculous and we need to eat leftovers more often. We had that talk while she was on vacation. The end result is yes, we are eating leftovers much more often and the food waste has gone way down, to the point I can deal with it.
Addler - the Great Dane - is doing quite well, he's such a good doggy. He's so very obedient and ready to please. Of course, I went to the bathroom a while ago and came back to find him occupying half the couch! lol The German Shepherd - Aspyn - is doing good excepting for her habit of jumping the fence and taking off. That has gotten her tied up on a chain or in a kennel while I'm at work. Oh, and speaking of that, the lady tenant has also backed way off of taking "control" of my dogs. That was also beginning to irritate me greatly.
Other than that, just the same old stuff. Saving up money to give to Caleb for his wedding. Waiting to pull the trigger on airfare. Also waiting to hear if I'll have any part of the ceremony. No clue there. Not that I have to, but it would be nice to have some minor role in it. Just because I'm his dad. I'll be happy to go and attend, watch him go off to wherever they are going to go to have their honeymoon and wait for grandbabies lol.
Well, it's Sunday. Beautiful weather. Perfect for riding.
Haven't heard anything from my dad - he doesn't write or call anymore, I have to call him and I'm told he doesn't remember the phone call shortly after calling him. I sent cards for Christmas and heard nothing back. I'm resolved to the fact that he is being taken care of by what are mostly just complete strangers that I have met, spent some time with, but are hostile to us offspring of my dad's. Apparently he was in the hospital in January but nothing so much as a phone call to let me know. I am the only one in my family that is interested in his well being, but it's discouraging that they won't keep in contact at all.
Well, besides the theater that is the world in politics as we know it today, nothing much else going on. Still working on my credit and Fingerhut still playing games with it. They reduced it by $600 - which dug a grave in my credit score and now have raised it up a grand. It's hard to just get rid of a source of credit, it can ding your score as well, but perhaps time to part ways with them. I was going to contact them about this habit of theirs of bumping up the credit and then reducing it. What is that all about? Leave it lower if that's the case, I owe them maybe a hundred dollars, I think my credit line with them is over 3 grand.
I did open up another account - but I won't use it. It's another credit card, it bumps up the amount of available credit was the intended result. I was going to do another but it's too many inquires on my credit score if I keep doing that, which then has a negative impact on my credit. This credit score stuff is fairly perplexing at times. You think you're doing something to help it - and it does - but then something else happens that drops it. I make my payments on time, I am paying it down, don't know what else to do.
Well enough of this. Going to go finish a few projects that I started last weekend.
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