Lol.
Yesterday.
I got out of the hotel, decided on a particular area of  Interstate where I would stop for the night.
I look on an app, what's available.  It shows the truck stops, but it shows much more than that.

Well, I figured on a Love's truck stop on the Arkansas border - tho not set in stone. That one  gets filled up. No parking spaces. I had several other alternate locations, I just thought I'd figure it out when I got closer. I mean, I was 580 miles off when I started thinking about that. You really have to look in advance nowadays. When Elogs were forced upon us, truckstop parking lots starting filling up at 7:00 pm.

The day dragged on, I have things to keep my mind busy while I'm driving, because it gets very boring.  Excepting for today tho.  I was intentionally run off the road by a FedEx truck who - no known reason. Well I guess I didn't slow down to let him pass? On an Interstate Highway? With a passing lane? I went full blown Fedex on that one.  In fact, that video will gain traction.  You can't run another truck off the road because why?

Well anyway, I was near the end of the day - end of the day means I"m almost out of driving hours - 11 of them - and I see this billboard. Whatever the name of the casino and "truckers welcome". Hey, I'ma trucker! and I love blackjack.  I've been up and down this 75 mile stretch of highway and never saw that billboard.

It sounded like fun! After being in a town on Christmas with nothing open, no restaurants, no socialism, I was ready to engage.  Getting off the Interstate? 5 miles to the casino? Dang, I wasn't prepared for that.  I don't ever go more than a quarter mile to find a place to park.  But this wasn't about parking, I love blackjack.  So  went on down the road and the road? Ended 5 miles later at the casino.

What I didn't understand is the road ends because the Mississippi river? Yeah, that's what's there.  Well there were already  about 10 trucks there - room for 50 more - I pulled up, did my paperwork and then a courtesy shuttle showed up.  I didn't order a courtesy shuttle and neither did I know I was at the Mississippi River and neither did I know I would end up on a boat to play blackjack. Not unusual, Shreveport has boats on the Red River.

I shut off my truck - hey, can you give me a couple of minutes? I need to finish my paperwork - there wasn't a line of cars or trucks coming in there - he said sure, I have nothing else to do.  The driver was the person that informed me that I was going to a boat and that the state has it mandated that casinos must be on the water. Well, I tipped him, might as well, I have this idea that tipping is the way to winning, start the good vibes, walked in there and walked down this long, enclosed corridor.

At least 100 feet long, probably more.  I get in the entrance, looking around for tables. Blackjack tables to be exact. Nothing but thieving slot machines.  I won't put a penny into those things.  If they don't have Blackjack, I won't play anything.  It's the only thing I will gamble on at a casino.  It's more likely to win me money - and have a good time doing it - than anything else there.  Yes, I do go in with the idea of winning money, but it's on the level of $200 to $500, not thousands or getting rich.

Second room - I found an ATM. I didn't have much cash on me, I won't sit down at a table with at least $150 on me.  It's psychological thing.  I won't lose more than $200 before getting up and walking out, either. If I hit $200 loss, I'm gone.

Then, going around, looking for a table. 3 blackjack tables, all full with people standing around them.  I just stood there like a fox looking at prey and waited. I'll get my chance, I thought, and I'm going to win tonight, not lose.  After 20 minutes, a man got up off the table on the either side - 3rd base at that - and I rushed over to fill that seat. Google "Blackjack 3rd base" if you want to understand that.  It basically means you can win or lose for not only yourself, but the entire table.  In many instances, it's very true. A sucky 3rd base player will cause players that have a clue to get up and walk to another table.

_____________

And got caught up in a bit of a scuff with Rene - once again. Blowing up my text messages with this dude that's living over there and..issues.

Anyway, I played that table for about 2 hours.  I was up $400 at one point -  not including tips with house money to the dealer for the good hands - and walked out of there with $250.  Spent the night in their parking lot, drove back to the yard - yesterday as of now - and here I am, 5:00 am, getting ready to go back out again.  I requested it. 

Well now.  I just checked my bank account. $61?  I should have had near a lot more than that with 2 runs on that check. We're on weekly pay now, there's 2 runs that should have shown up on this pay period. 

Have to deal with that later, about last track of time here.  Time go!

Morning after Christmas.
Like, woke up at 5am stuff. 
No particular good reason for it, excepting I had to go unload the truck.
Well, I fell back asleep and here I sit, lol, 45 minutes late and will probably be an hour and a half late.

It's bitterly cold out there and the truck is a piece of ice, basically. I went out, turned it on, put on the defrost on high, set it at it's hottest setting and figured at least 20 minutes before that's going to deal with the ice on the windshield.

I wasn't particularly liking the ice crystals on the ground, either.  It's 27 degrees outside, it never did snow that I can tell.  But I have to go stand out in this nonsense for an hour and a half or more and the only thing I can say is it's a darn good thing I brought all this heavy winter gear with me.  I've got a jacket from Ferguson - yes it's mine, they bought it for me and said I could keep it - but the one I picked out is extra heavy duty.  It will keep you warm at zero degree temps.  But I can't really wear that thing under the fireproof jumpsuit so I'm switching to thermal shirt and a sweatshirt and see if that works.

And more info from home, the place is wicked sick.  I'm not even all that interested in going back there right now.  It's 2 days back anyway tho, perhaps that stuff will pass by then.  Whatever the case, it would be nice simply because of that to get home and turn around and go back out somewhere.

Brownsville would be nice.  I know I always say that, but it's just a good deal. 

Ugh. I'm looking at the truck from my hotel room window - the ABS light is on.  Actually wouldn't care if that truck totally broke down after this delivery and I was stuck somewhere for days and days.  See, with a truck approaching 700k miles, that's always a possibility.  Everything has been running on the engine for all those hours and that stuff doesn't last forever.  Water pumps, alternators, turbo chargers, fuel injectors, fuel pumps, etc etc etc. 

Very likely this truck will have continuing problems with all the miles on it.  And it doesn't have an APU - auxiliary power unit - meaning no other source for power and AC/heat when parked, so the truck would have been running pretty much 24 hours a day when the team that was in it before me was using it. 

Hotel breakfast fare was untouchable. Not surprising in a low budget hotel brand.  The only thing I could take out of there was coffee. What I thought interesting last night was all of these hotels here including the one I'm at are veritable ghost towns.  The Holiday Inn didn't have a single vehicle parked in the parking lot at 10 pm.  And yet, they wanted $130? lol good luck with that.  Hilton Hampton across the street is a much nicer hotel and was cheaper. 

Well, I guess I best get this show on the road.  The truck should at least be getting warm by now. I mean, it takes quite a while for a semi to warm up when it's this cold out side.  The only thing that can help it is to shutter the grill closed, but this truck doesn't have one of those on it.  It stop most of the air coming in from the front to cool the engine, hence the engine heats up faster.  In cold winter weather up north, you will see trucks with blanket looking things covering the entire front grill.  It's simply so the engine can generate more heat, it gets cold in those trucks lol. 

Off to the races. 

My mom.
Wow.
Interesting discussion tonight.
I've thought about this for awhile anyway.
She can't live on her own forever.  She's going to need help.
She made this image up when we were kids.

I eventually saw through the parody of not being able to reach out to others
and tried to correct my course through that.  Parental influence on your early
years is pretty much life long whether anyone wants to admit it or not. 

It was a long battle.  I still have problems reaching out to people if I really, really need
some help.  I have lost faith in most of human kind tho. People are generally selfish in this
current day and age and have very little concern for their fellow man/woman.

There are exceptions of course.  I'm not even sure my view of it is realistic.  It's what I
was raised in. Just like - tho not really coming from my parents - black people are bad.
In various forms.  I was racist as anyone could be at my early ages. But I was fighting
them every day at school, I didn't start those fights and I remember being dragged out into
hall by them frequently.  They beat the shit out of me, to be honest. I couldn't defend myself
against a gang of people.  They hated whites, we hated blacks, that was how it was. 

I spent half a lifetime getting that out of my system as well. God had a lot to do with that.
He created all of these races, all of humankind, the only partiality I see in the Bible is to Jews.
But that isn't a race.  Yet, look at how much they are hated.

Well, she brought it up in a way that I recognized that she had thought about for a while.
I don't even remember how we got there.  It was out of the blue, it had nothing to do with what
we were discussing.  It was things like "I guess I messed up in being too self sufficient" type of things.  "I understand I would be difficult to live with".  I just listened to it before offering a
rather - I dunno - a reply that didn't give any promises but not devoid of hope either.

She would be very difficult to live with.  I was there at her house for 5 days and I can tell ya, after
that period of time, I enjoyed the visit but I was ready to leave.  She has no "bad" traits at all, I can't really say. But her lifestyle and mine are not copacetic for living with each other.  Yet, I would never see her moved to a nursing home. No way. Not unless she wanted that.  And even if she said she wanted that, I would never believe it. 

So now, the reality of my mom growing old enough to the point she needs help.  She has a sound mind, she isn't dull in the head at all. But her strength is obviously giving out.  I watched that when I was there.  Things she could do last time I saw her, she can't do now.  She asks for help but she stops when it's met with a cold shoulder.  It's obvious she needs someone to go over there once a week or a couple of weeks at least and help her do things that she can not longer physically do.

I have such a connection with the family I live with tho.  I really love them as family and as far as I've heard and experienced, they do me as well. 

To make this work where I am currently living, we would all have to move.  They would have to sell the house and we would have to move to a much larger place, including a setting with an "inlaw suite" type of thing where mom could have her own place but connected to us and have access to help when she needs it. I have already talked to my friends about moving to a much larger place with land, they aren't opposed to it at all. 

But I would be dragging mom into a place where she knows no-one.  Yet, she just moved last year from one side of the valley clear to the other side - about 60 miles. She doesn't know anyone out there.  She said she did it to move closer to her drive to Payson, and yes I believe that's partially true. But I also believe it's true that she hoped her sons would help her when she needs help. 

I saw my dad in his final days last year. But he had a loving wife that was there for him the entire time. My mom literally has no one like that.  She did have a man in her life that she dearly loved, but he died of cancer.  I guess she never felt the desire to seek out anyone else. 

It wouldn't really be a hard decision for me to have that kind of setup, but I wouldn't be moving in with her. She would have to deal with where I'm at, and the situation I'm in. My friends would probably go along with a much larger house as long as there was help paying the mortgage.  I could really see how this could work out.  I don't necessarily think she's there yet - but the time is coming. 

I'm going to let some time pass on this.  But it's obviously a concern of hers.  Do you want to live in an assisted living place when you grow old? Never or rarely seeing anyone you know?  I think I'd rather die.  I am living with younger people for several reasons, this is one of them. Tho assisted living is, hopefully, a very long ways off. Mostly not living alone. My mom isn't like that. She likes living alone. She has her dog and that's all she needs. She's told me of guys hitting up on her, so I have to believe she could find someone if she really wanted to.

Well, food for thought for me. But as I said, I had already given it thought. She can't do this forever.  At the least, she already needs someone to come help her once a week or so with stuff she can't do. I'm going to give my friends at my house in Phoenix a proposition.  They can take it or leave it and I won't have ill feelings if they leave it, but it's a monetary proposition that will help them immensely. And they already help the elderly in various ways.  They like helping people is what I am saying.

But I kind of don't know about asking them.  They might feel if they say no, they're going to not be welcomed there or whatever thoughts that goes through the mind with such apprehension.  I wouldn't hold it against them at all, they already do enough, but their money factor and my offer would definitely come into play.  People I trust that wouldn't try to take advantage of her. 

This thing will play out.  I dunno how, but it will.  My middle brother wouldn't do it. My oldest brother is retiring next year. Don't really think he'd like that at all.  Like, maybe build a separate dwelling for her on his property.  She has a place to live, but not in anyone's hair.  Just, I need this and that, please. I don't think she'd want to move out here, there are no mountains.  She would lose access to her property up north. But that day is coming anyway. Sooner or later she won't be able to drive and her freedom will be stripped from her. 

Have you ever thought of driving as a freedom? Well, get rid of it for a while and then come back to me about that experience.  When you become reliant on someone else to take you everywhere, your freedom to move about as you please is gone.  Granted the area she lives in has abundant Uber and Lyft and it's pretty reasonable, but going up north? 

I'm just going to wait and see how this plays out, that's all I can say.

Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas everyone!
To the whole world!
Reporting from Defiance, Ohio, where it's rather cold (at least my version of it, in the 30's and dropping rapidly), it is forecast to snow and I'm snug as a rug in a comfy hotel.

There was absolutely no way I was going to get up here on Christmas Day at 4:00pm and sit here in a truck for 14 hours, waiting at an entry gate to a plant.  Just no.  I paid for this room myself, but I get a holiday bonus so that will pay back the room and then some. In fact, I dunno if I'll even leave here to be there at 6 am.

The plant is like 18 miles away, where I'm at now is the closest stop to that place. I did stay once at another hotel in a different town probably 30 miles from here, but I didn't know about this area here until Iphone maps took me out this way once and I was like, well heck, if I ever have to stay again, it will be here!

My plan for getting here at the time I wanted to actually worked out perfectly. The only glitch I had was yesterday evening, the lights went out on the trailer.  My heart sank when I saw that.  This trip would have to work out perfectly to make it worth it getting a hotel up here.  I mean, if I'm arriving and going straight to sleep, I'll just do that in my truck .  I took the electrical pigtail connector apart and walaah, same problem: one line is shorter than the rest, causing tension on that line and eventually pulling it out.  I may just stop somewhere and have that pigtail replaced, the mechanic likes to argue too much. And get a second opinion on those tires.

Anyway, I pushed out 635 miles yesterday and 389 today getting my 1,000 plus mile trip over with and very glad to not be at home right now.  Word came today that sickness has caught the house and I always get whatever they have every time some virus hits everyone.  I mean, a miserable Christmas?  Tho I would have probably gone over to see Rene and visit with her so she wouldn't be alone today.

But, since I'm gone, she has my dogs and those are more than enough for her.  In her world, those dogs are the same as humans.  I don't quite take dog companionship that far, but yes they are fun to have around and they are really family members. 

The only other thing that lingered in my mind was eating.  I called numerous restaurants here today, including Applebee's and Buffalo Wild Wings - both advertising to be open today - neither of them answered their phones. Called a few other places, no answer.  I decided not to chance it, stopped at Petro, went into Iron Skillet where they were having a Christmas feast buffet.  I loaded up a to go box with that stuff and then got a fresh cooked streak and eggs for the road right there and then. I'm very glad I did that.  The only place I saw open was an Asian restaurant and right now, that kind of food is off the menu for me.

Keto diet, you know.  I'm full fledged into Ketosis and I see no good reason to depart from it.  I brought my test strips with me. I've been eating too much, I guess, but it is the holiday. Even tho I'm in ketosis, I'm not really losing much weight.  Probably after the New Year is when I'll get back into not only counting carbs, but also calories. 

So I have my buffet stuff here and will be munching that down a little later.

Meanwhile, my mom sent me some present in the mail, I decided to bring those with me so I'd have something to open here.  Included was a pair of thermal socks - of which I forgot to bring mine with me - I have high dollar socks that keep your feet warm even if they are wet - these are thermals.  I will be using those in the morning.  It's going to be in the 20's from what I am reading.  And then a cool neck thing - I think you put it in the refrigerator and wrap it around your neck when it's hot. 

Well I can use that during the hot summer months. 

And a check.  I won't disclose the amount, but rather surprising.  It will go straight to savings.  Save, save, save is my motto, while still being able to afford some nicer things in life.  Enjoy it while I can, right?  It's been a nice Christmas, really. Not near anyone to have any social time with - that's what I wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings for - I'm not sure why the sites say these places are open. Must either be a company or franchisee option.  Applebee's is allegedly open everywhere, but it's definitely closed.  Just the only thing that didn't quite work out, I really would have liked to sit at a bar and just chat with people.  I'm good at starting up conversations with strangers when I'm in the mood. 

Okay. It's going to snow here tonight, so the forecast says!  I hope so! 

So how are y'all doing today? Did you have a Merry Christmas?

I hope so : )

Saturday night.
Drove out the miles today, got back home, and can't say that I've done much of anything.

I get that way sometimes when I get home from a run. I figure I'll get busy the next day and just wind down the day of arrival to the house.  Especially if it's a late afternoon thing.  If I get home in the morning, I am likely motivated to get some stuff done.  I do have a list for tomorrow, but the thought of working on Christmas will overshadow much of that.

I just want to keep working on the leaves in the back yard - for the exercise part of it and yes for being good neighbors.

_______________________________

Sunday morning.  This day is going to be a waste, so to speak. It will be gone before I knew it started and I will be facing 4 or 5 days on the road.  But I'm going to make the best of it.  Build a fire, rake some leaves. Cook a rib roast, spend my pre Christmas here and then face the music. 

I likely will never do a Thanksgiving deal again.  Christmas is far more important to me than Thanksgiving and the only reason I did it was because I hadn't seen family in so long.  I'm not really regretting it too much, I at least got something accomplished out of this deal, but sacrificing Christmas for 2 hours of Thanksgiving with family? Yeah, no.  Simply not worth it. 

And what's concerning me about this next trip is the weather.  I'm looking at snow showers on Christmas morning at the place I'm going to.  The delivery isn't until the next day but my concern is traveling.  I suppose on Christmas Day the roads should be veritably dead, yes?  I've got a friend in Indianapolis I haven't seen in years, I'm considering stopping there on the way back.  If I'm going to miss Christmas, I might as well try to do something with it.  That is, if my manager will allow me to stay another day out on the road. Just depends on whether she needs that trailer for another run.

Anyway, my breakdown pay check was as much as I thought it would be, didn't have to fight for it. I would have gotten irritated if I had had to.  I dunno, but considering the amount of down time I've had above and beyond breakdown pay, I guess I should count this upcoming trip as a blessing since it's over 2,000 miles total.  I'd rather just do Brownsville runs, but those I get sparingly.  They go to more senior drivers that likely have more say about the runs they get.  I figured if I could do 3 brownsville runs a week, not detention pay at all, just doing the runs, I would make close to 100k per year. 

Well, whatever.  I've got other business schemes running through my brain now. There is a truck washing chain called Blue Beacon. The large trucking companies have national accounts with them.  They are by far the most popular wash stations, but they haven't got near enough locations nationwide to cover the demand.  You go into one and there is almost always a huge line waiting to get their truck washed.  The start up costs of one of those businesses can't be that much. I mean, a chunk of change, yes, but nothing like starting up, say a fast food restaurant.  They are pretty plain, simple and small structures.  The highest portion of the cost of building one is probably all the plumbing needed to supply that much water to that many spray wands going at once.

It's just something I'm going to look into - profit margins, yearly annual income for the owner, etc.  The problem is that they are always located near a major truckstop.  The reason being, at least guessing, is that truckers want to be able to get their truck washed while off duty.  In other words, they're done for the day, they switch the elog off, but they still wait in line for the wash and stay off duty creeping back to the truck stop. That's not how it always happens but they seem to like it being near a major truck stop.  I don't personally care, I just go in them to get the truck washed and leave.

And, I haven't been able to get the truck in until 2 days ago - for almost 2 months.  There is a prime location here near my house where a major trucking lane going north/south and I-20 going east/west. 

Whatever. I tend to muse over things that might push me ahead in the financial department, considering how far I am behind.  Looking at my paycheck tho? The federal government took over $1,100 of it. Just poof, like that, they take my money so they can burn it in spending sprees that they go on endlessly.  They won't even balance the budget, there isn't even any talk about either party discussing balancing the national budget. They simply don't care. 

And let me say here, if progressives get control of the House, Senate and Presidency, our Constitutional Republic is doomed.  It will be a Socialist state with traces of Communism thrown in.  I've paid over $13,000 in federal taxes this year.  That's quite the chunk of change for the government to just take without my consent and then give it to other people that want my money. 

Whatever. Just quite irritating.  Let's just do a 32 trillion health care plan! And an extra 10 trillion for free college education!  It doesn't have to be paid back, it's all the government's word under the fiat system!  You know what's funny?  The interest payments on that debt we have. It's going up and up and up.  I wonder how much of the budget has to be spent on servicing the debt before enough people get pissed enough to force Congress to actually, at the very least, spend no more money than the amount that comes in? Everyone is blaming Trump for spending soooooooo much money, while they conveniently leave out that Democrats were all over that last budget deal and voted it in. 

Derp. 

Well, offa here. 

It's Friday before Christmas. 

I got sent out on a short run today - run an empty trailer to the repair facility in Amarillo and bobtail back.  It's about a thousand miles.  So a day and a half for some decent pay and not too much trouble since I didn't have to load the truck, just take it up there, drop it in the yard and leave.  I'm 140 miles back towards home at this point, where I had to stop due to running out of hours.  

And not wanting to drive anymore, anyway. 

The bad news - for me anyway - came a few hours ago.  I'm scheduled to go on a run on Monday and won't be back until Thursday. Well Thursday at the earliest anyway.  That means I'll be somewhere in Ohio for Christmas, far from home, far from anyone I know and probably not going to like it very much.  But, I made the deal and I'm going to honor it: Take Thanksgiving off and I'll work Christmas.  I figure I'll have to drive around 400 miles on Christmas Day to finish out the trip to get up there and then I have to wait until the next morning to get unloaded.  

I was hoping I could just be home Christmas Day and really not care if I were out before or after it.  I wanted to cook my traditional Standing Rib Roast, of which I have 3 of them in the freezer.  I've heard they still have them on sale, so I'm going to buy a 4th one as well.  

I will end up treating myself to a hotel room if I have enough time to do so.  I intend on pushing myself on Monday to get as far as I can get until I am forced to stop.  And hope that I can get done driving on Christmas Day by mid afternoon.  

Ahh yes, good ole' Super 8.  Defiance, Ohio.  My delivery is in Stryker, Ohio, right up the road from Defiance, but Stryker has literally nothing.  Well there is one hotel but there is no place to park a semi.  I looked once, lol.  There's a Buffalo Wild Wings right up the street from the Super 8, I can get wings in vinegar based hot sauce and stay on my keto diet.  I don't see any good reason to break the diet for a Christmas on the road.  If I were home, different story. Wait, I guess I'd better check and see if it's open on Christmas. There are several other, better places than Super 8 right there, but I remember Super 8 had a huge truck parking lot and I don't remember the rest of them having that.

But I'll wait til I"m up there to see if it's even worth getting a hotel.  Just depends on what time I arrive. To be honest with you, any company that wants you out on the road and a thousand miles from home should probably think about paying for a hotel stay on them for the holiday. They give extra pay for working holidays but it's Christmas, not just any  holiday.  It's the single most important holiday of the year for me.  It always has been. As distant as our family is now, it didn't used to be that way.  Well my oldest brother has always been distant, but we used to have fun at Christmas.

My mom told me the other day her wish was that family would some day get along with each other and we could have time spent together with joy and peace in our hearts.  I didn't say this to her as I didn't want to do anything to kill the moment, but that's likely never going to happen.  My brothers didn't bother to show up to dad's funeral. They don't give a s*** about family. They care about their version of family, I guess, but the brothers and mom? Nahhh. My middle brother especially. What a total jackass he is.  

It's just another day, right? Maybe for other people, not for me.  It's a time to celebrate Christ's birth and be with family and friends. The folks I live with now are my family .  I guess what's really going to be hard about this is that I haven't spent a Christmas away from home in as far back as I can remember.  Every single year, I've been home.  I've cooked a Christmas roast and we've had good times.  

Well whatever. I'll deal with it.  I'm hoping to make it up there for a bit of time to spend with whoever at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Oh yes, their website says they are open on Christmas day, the actual hours, who knows. Why this place? Cause' it's what's there. VERY limited options in that particular area.  It's a small town, some hotels and a few chains have capitalized on it's location right next to a major highway for that region.  

I already let everyone know I'm not going to be home on Christmas.  Might as well get that over with and I did. 

Okay, this wasn't totally unexpected. In fact, I had the feeling it was going to happen, I just was hoping for a different outcome. These plants are open 365 days per year, the stuff we deliver is a vital part of their operations, if they don't have this chemical, they aren't operating.  Somebody has to do it. I know lots of people that work on Christmas, just in my mind it's untouchable.  But it isn't with this company.  The CEO of the company sent out a statement saying he's thankful for all of us who work on holidays.  Blah blah blah.  If you really felt that, then you would give better rewards for having to sacrifice the time  $170 is peanuts, I would gladly give it to someone else to have the off time at home.  You would give everyone a paid hotel, period.  You would do more than lip service.  But that's what millionaire rich people who don't connect with the common man or woman do. They pitch their accolades while they are planning on being in their mansions whenever they please to be in them. 

Don't take that wrong  tho. I am not envious of the rich. They have their own sets of unique problems and I want nothing to do with that.  Lots of temptations to use that money in illicit ways, apparently alot of it in the sexual department. 

Hmm. Switched the map to satellite view.  Hampton Inn is right there, the map view seemed to show it further off. I may consider staying there.  But this is trucking, I have no idea whether I will even make it up there. Especially in a truck that by industry standards has mega miles on it.  

Anyway, I'm going to bed. I will leave as soon as my 10 hours are up and get home as fast as possible. I'll spend whatever time I can at home with my extended family and of course my doggies 

: )

Very nice breakfast this morning even if my choices were limited.  I mean, if I could eat pastries, bananas, other fruit, drink milk, have biscuits and gravy, eat waffles and have hot cocoa, well it would have even been better!  I was just glad to find something there that would agree with Keto - cut  up pork sausage, cheese, spinach, throw some salsa and tobasco sauce on top with a pat of butter and walaah. 

I decided to leave the hotel at 9:45 am.  I didn't figure a trailer would show up before then, but if one was going to show up early enough - before 1 pm at the latest, I would probably make it home today.  When I got to the yard down there, there were 2 other of our trucks sitting there waiting. One of the drivers got this dejected look on his face lol.  He informed me he didn't know I was already there and if I hadn't shown up he would have taken the next trailer to show up!

Well whatever, I could have stayed another day, wouldn't have bothered me. Anyway, he started talking about the slow down.  How he would have made 6 figures this year and was headed that direction until work slowed up.  He already told our manager if work didn't start picking back up, he was going to explore his options - switch to another division or look for another job altogether.  This is like the 6th driver that has said something along those lines. 

Anyway, about that time a trailer showed up, I hooked up to it and took off.  It was 11:15 am, I figured I could make it home tonight but whether I did or not wasn't really all that important.  Not going to be sent out tomorrow, that's for sure.  But then my manager asked me when I was going to be back and what trailer number I had?  Please get it back before morning, lol.  10-4. 

That sealed that, I just drove straight back, only stopping for fuel and stopping at Stripes (a gas station/convenience market, many locations having huge kitchens pumping out mexican food( for my baked half chicken.  It's delicious, it's low calorie and it's no carbs.  Match it with 4 jalapeno peppers of which I ate all 4 and I was quite content.  I get it everytime I'm going down there now. 

Anyway I'm home and this house is freezing, gag.  Had to check my weight even if the totally wrong time of day to do it.  Fully clothed and at this time of day I was almost 230 pounds when I started the diet.  Now it's 212.  But the naked weight, lol, is what interests me and the only "accurate" reading is in the morning.  The thing is, my 34's are loose now.  And getting looser.  I don't know how you can lose fat on this diet and not show a weight reduction, but it's been happening. 

Tomorrow? I dunno.  I need to work, that's what I need to do.  I don't need to be sitting around the house for extended periods.  I've got bills to pay and things I want to do.  I've considered doing Uber or Lyft for some extra money when there's nothing going on.  But I don't really know how much they make.  Or if there's even enough demand around this area to make it worth the hassle.  I guess if it comes to that, it's best to just go look for a new job.

And with that, I'm offa here. It's very late, I just had to have some down time before going to sleep. 

Okay.
I drove all day long yesterday and got down here with plenty of time left on the drive clock. 
Good thing, too, cause' there were no trailers down here to take back up.  My desire for detention pay realized, I didn't ask for a hotel last night even tho I could have.  I spend the night in the truck. I was just plain too tired to go through all the hassle it can be to get them to get me a hotel room. And anyway, the vibration the trucks provides all night long?  Lulls me to sleep and keeps me asleep. 

When I contacted my manager this morning, she informed me there is another person ahead of me - another driver - for whatever trailer may come in.  Cool, I thought, he can have that one and I'll hopefully get some extended detention down here.  Well, I had just arrived back from having a Keto friendly meal at Denny's - all meat and eggs - when the trailer pulled in and then found the other driver in the back lot.

We had an extended conversation.  I initially asked if work was slow for him?  I didn't say "too", just an off the cuff question.  Oh yes, he replied, it's been slow.  So I informed him what the plant workers had told me yesterday about the "loaner" drivers - who need to go back - and the company losing accounts.  But, he was already determined that he was going to go find a job after he comes back from his annual Christmas-New Year's vacation.  He jets off all over the country or takes off to Mazatlan - he's Hispanic and speaks Spanish fluently. 

Interesting conversation, also informed that other drivers were talking about leaving as well.  Fine, they can all leave and then I will have plenty of work!  I won't have to go anywhere and that would be fine by me. Excepting this truck situation. That is the ever-annoying facet of this job, but I need not go into that again since I've discussed it at great length on this blog. 

Well, he decided he was going to go ask the yard manager about when another trailer is coming?  I was going to do that anyway, but sure, be my guest!  The yard manager just smiled and started shaking his head. Nooooo, not today.  He already knows I love detention pay and that waiting is not anything that is deleterious to my way of thinking.  So, I immediately texted my manager: I need a room please, they're not going to have a trailer here until tomorrow - whatever time tomorrow who knows. 

Okay. Getting the hotel room was a 4 hour ordeal that got me more than just a bit irritated.  I don't know what took so long, but after 2 hours of waiting I was ready to just get my own room, pay for it and send the receipt to the company once the trip is over.  They will reimburse legitimate expenses and this one is legitimate.  If we wait in Brownsville, we get a room, just plain and simple.  Well, she said she was "working on it", my manager that is, at the 2 hour mark. It normally doesn't take anything even remotely close to this much time to get a room.  Another hour and I texted here again.  No reply.  I had already headed over to the La Quinta, that is where I mostly stay at company expense.  Sat there for an hour and decided to scrub down the interior of my truck.

I also spent quantitative amounts of time attempting to find a truck wash or a do-it-yourself RV wash in this town so I can wash my filthy truck.  Nothing.  I drove by several, either automated car washes or traditional one where you put endless quarters in to get the truck washed - with no RV bays to pull a tractor into.  I'm serious, my truck is filthy dirty. The wheel rims are black. The things is covered with black road grunge, it's just disgusting. But the company only allows us to use Blue Beacons. They are far and few between and when you do find one, it's usually got a huge line. Case in point was the last trip and going through Houston, there was minimum 40 trucks waiting there to get washed.

There is simply no way I'm going to waste that much time to get a truck washed, even if I do get paid for the sitting time. I want to get the yard or as close to the yard as I can at that point.

Anyway, sitting in the La Quinta parkiing lot, I was ready to leave, go to America's Best Value Inn - a place I've stayed at down here on my own dime and very nice for the money, get it over with and get into a room already!  So I texted her to not bother getting a room, I'll take care of it myself.  That's when she told me the internet has been down.  Look, my manager is a sweet lady. But the truth? Very often fudged to cover herself or the company.  Again, if I weren't making the money I am at this company I would have already left.  If the work picks  up - however that needs to happen either by more contracts, the other companies bowing out or drivers quitting - I will likely stay.  If not, many suggestions for other places to go to work for getting good money as well.

So, after almost 4 hours, I got a text: Residence Inn.  Wait, what?  That's Marrriott! In my view, that's the lap of luxury, pretty much any Marrriott property.  So, to the Residence Inn I went!  Parked in the back - just staying out of the way, you know, us truck drivers and always getting in everyone's way and such.......went to the office and even tho I had a texted copy and paste of the info? Yeah, they hadn't received a crew fax from the company. 

Lol.  I texted my manager again. At this point? I'm done.  4 hour ordeal for a hotel room, whatever the property, it's not worth it. Or was it?  She said  "hang on" after I told her the fax wasn't there.  Sitting down in the dining room, I'm reading a chalkboard sign listing the night's food: BBQ baked chicken.  Hmm, I thought, I could take the skin off, hence ridding it of BBQ sauce and eat the chicken at least.  Maybe the vegetables depending on what they are.  I sat there 30 minutes, just not wanting to drive clear across town to get into another place and then is when the hotel clerk said she'd check me in if I would give her a credit card.  Sure, why not?  I had offered it earlier but the other clerk was not as assertive. 

Now I'm in this amazing room. I don't get to stay in places like this very often. I'm too cheap to pay that much money for a room when I can be comfortable and happy at a place less than half the price.  This is at least 600 square feet.  It's kind of like a kitchenetter, but on steriods.  I mean, nothing you would think of as a cheap junky looking kitchennete.  Even some other hotel brands that have a kitchen set up is nothing near as nice as this.  It has a bedroom - but no wall separating it from the living room, a living room/entertainment area, a kitchen in the corner with a dishwasher, oven, microwave, full sized refrigerator and microwave, cabinets fully stocked with plate, cook and silverware. I'm glad I stuck it out. Tho the room isn't even secured as for payment yet.  My payment will work of course, but that's not how this works.

Anyway, dinner is free I find out.  What is really interesting is looking up this property, they only wanted $104 for the night.  That's incredibly cheap for this place.  Suits walking in and out of here lol.  I'm happy enough now.  I'm guessing I'll get 30 hours of detention pay after their hours deduction and that will tidy this trip up quite nicely. 

Meanwhile, I have no idea what I weigh, but I noticed today that the size 34's I moved down to from 35's are now starting to fall off of me as well.  At my fattest point,  I was bulging out the 35's.  It was either buy 36's or do something drastic.  Turns out drastic works!  I already had these 34's sitting in my dresser, never threw them out in hopes I would someday move back into them. I do not, however, have any 33's.  I'm not going to go out and buy 33's.  34's will have to get awfully loose before I do that.  Not that these aren't loose, without a belt on they fall off my butt.

But still, I'll wait.  I'm going to have to be convinced that I'm actually down to that size and really am staying there before I spend any money on that stuff.  Even then, it will be Walmart $11 specials, lol, until I'm really convinced I'm there.  Of course, 33 is still bigger than what I was most of my adult and a portion of my teen life: 32's.  It isn't in my goal plan. I don't necessarily need to be in 32's again to feel comfortable with the end result. 33's would be nice tho. 

Christmas. I really want to be home.  I want to cook a nice prime rib roast, blow my diet for one day, eat some potatoes and enjoy friends and really, they are my family.  At least that is how we talk to each other and treat each other.  I'm not blood, I've seen such situations go bad before.  I"d love to say this is a forever setup, but - the way this world works?  I just can't.  One thing can go wrong and people get their feelings hurt and nothing is ever the same. I've seen that over and over and over in other people's lives so many times. A bright note, tho, that is usually family treating other family members that way. 

They are wonderful people, that's what I can say.  I love living with them, we have good times and bad.  We suffer through the bad with a lot of humor.  Some of it dark humor, yes.  But we engage each other, push each other, motivate each other.  We make fun of each other, we don't get butt hurt about minor stuff or humor at someone's expense.  As it is, I am easily amused anyway.  I like to keep it that way. Find humor in simple things in life, laugh and not get too upset over things. Except shitty service from companies that you pay good money to have their services. That is a sticking point.  There are times when I wanted to tell some of those people to shove a baseball bat up their @$$ until the barrel end comes out and stamps "Eastman" (brand of baseball bat) on their foreheads. I never took it that far. Instead, when it gets that bad, most of these companies record every conversation now.

Well, I think I'll muse over flights to here and there, ships going hither and thither, trips that I want to take.  Free wifi and all that, not using up data. And, I'm on my new computer.  My friend that told me it doesn't measure up to her standards? Well yeah, maybe for the type of work that she does, but I really just use computers for internet access.  And watching movies off the internet.

I've got 17 more hours of glorious kicking back in a nice hotel. Or home? Or apartment? I dunno, but it's nice. 3 HBO channels.  I'm good : )

Well the dogs were certainly nervous being in this hotel. 
Just a strange surrounding for them I guess.  Addler wants to leave lol.
It's almost 10:30am, I'm leaving soon enough to get home and get my room put back together. 

I'll have to take it apart again eventually to do the baseboards in the dark color we chose for not only my bedroom but also for the dining room and the living room. 

That isn't happening today cause' Taylor got a new job and I'm simply not going to do it.  She is also going to eventually do the bathroom, but I have decided that I want a different color in there. It has no windows and it's dark.  I want a a bright color to compensate for that. An off-white or I'll just look at pics of bathroom design and see what might be appealing. It's a small bathroom.  They could have put a small window in there if they had wanted to, it has a wall that is on the outside structure.  In fact, my bedroom could have had at least a nice large portrait type of window installed as well. It's got a huge wall that faces out of the north side of the house.

Not sure why whoever did the addition to the house decided to leave out some much needed windows.  Even a small window in the bathroom would make a huge difference. Nothing I'm interested in paying for, knocking out a portion of a wall and correctly installing a window frame is not in my skill set.  I can see paying a thousand dollars for a contractor to do it.  I've spent a little money on the room to make it more appealing, but structural changes is nothing I'm interested in paying for. 

Instead, I will install more lighting in the small bathroom.  I already bought a new ceiling fixture a while back that I have yet to install.  I think I might just do that today once I get the room back in order.  It's really not a hard job since the old one is still there.  Take the old one down, cut the wires, put the new one up, connect the wires, done.  I bet I could have it done in 30 to 45 minutes max. 

Whatever the case, I find myself hoping yet again that the Brownsville run will have me waiting on detention pay down there for at least an over night.  But if not, I only want it a 2 day trip. The last trip was 3 days because the plant was having issues.  It's just not worth it for a few hours of detention.  What would be nicer is if my manager wouldn't have me sitting around quite so much.  I give her credit she was going to send me out yesterday - but that credit is negated because I have notified her 4 times over the last few months that my credentials were going to expire and now - have expired. 

Okay, I guess I better get my little self in gear and get moving. 

Well it's been a long day.
Getting up and facing the reality of having to move everything in my bedroom to the center so Taylor could paint it? Ugh.  Wasn't particularly in the mood to be honest.  But the colors in my room! Disgusting! One wall puke green. That's what I call it anyway, absolutely abhorrent color.  Bright, ugly green.  I've been looking at that for over 2 years, enough was enough.

The other 3 walls were this yellowish, baby throw up color.  Just repulsive.  Black curtains.  Nothing matching in there, that got me motivated.  A huge pain the @$$ though.  It takes far longer to prep a room to paint than it does to actually paint it.  I did all of that, my room in a shambles but cleared out paths all along the walls.  Covered the floor with paper, covered the bed and furniture with plastic and there we go.  The rest up to Taylor, tho repeated requests for this and that.  She wanted me to take the TV down off the wall, not a happening event.

Not by myself anyway. That TV is huge, there is no way I was going to attempt to get it down. I moved it out from the wall as far as the mount would let it go - which is quite a ways actually, she managed to work behind it. I was impressed tho. She painted that whole room in one day.  Considering everything else she was doing, yeah quite the feat. 

Well, after getting that moving around stuff done, I went to hanging Christmas lights. Only got partially the way through that before realizing I should have bought another 50 light stringer of the C-9's when I got them a few weeks ago.  Taylor had gotten 2 walls done at that point and she was ready to go to Walmart, so was I!  Several items, including those lights.  Yup, Walmart didn't have any.  After leaving there over to Lowe's where I had bought the first roll: not only completely out, but a sign already up saying all Christmas decor items 50% off? Already?

It's still 10 days til' Christmas I was shocked to see that sign there.  They did, however, have C-6's so I thought something better than nothing, bought 3 packages of that and a few other things and out of there.  Back to the house, I'm finishing up what I can on Christmas lights, she's finishing up painting - which meant moving even more stuff around.  I accidentally touch a wall she had painted and it was still wet.  Oh wow! I thought, I'm not sleeping in here tonight. 

Yes, that was my first thought. I can't move all my stuff back into place against walls while it's still wet.  I kind of hoped it would dry enough, but it never did.  Temps are cool here, that room doesn't heat as well as the rest of the house and we had the furnace turned to 68 degrees anyway.

So, I sat at the kitchen bar for several hours playing on my new computer and attempting to decide what to do. Cause I could have just slept on the couch,  a thing I hate.  I could have taken the dogs over to the other house, went to work, got the semi, brought it home and spent the night with it running in the driveway, sleeping in there. Or, I could go to a hotel, take the dogs to a dog -friendly hotel and say screw it, I'll just treat myself.  I've treated everyone else lol.  I've bought almost all presents I intend on buying. Family is done, James and Taylor done.  A few friends, done.  Boys - done. 

I'm at the local La Quinta. This is a far superior hotel than the La Quinta in Lufkin.  I mean, just flat out superior.  I love the 10 foot high ceilings. All exterior doors are inside, not facing outside, meaning there are internal hallways here versus that old run down place in Lufkin which has the design of a Motel 6.  Modern, up to date furniture. They have Dish network versus whatever on earth they had at the Lufkin location.   I'm on the 3rd floor.  And yes, I brought my dogs and trotted them right through the door and into the elevator lol.  The current situation is one dog has taken over one bed, the other my bed. The other, on my bed, being Addler of course.  If I'm home, he's near me, lol.  They're going to have to figure it out. I'm taking the pillows off their bed, pull the cover all the way up to to the edge and they can have a bit more room.  And figure it out for themselves, cause' those dogs are not sleeping in my bed tonight. 

Checkout time here is 12:00.  I dunno how long I'm sleeping in the morning, but I certainly don't have to worry about getting up early.  I'll get home, hope the walls are dried enough to put everything back in order and get it done. I have a Brownsville run on Monday.  I'm actually really not happy I couldn't take the Cheniere run today. I would be getting back in the morning and then getting ready for the next run to Brownsville.  I'm going to ask my manager to please send me right back out after I get back. This sitting around stuff is nice I guess for the off time, it totally sucks for paychecks. 

Like, get home from Brownsville and go right back out if possible. If not, sit around for no more than a day and get me back out there.  Or not, if it's not available.  I'm actually wanting a longer run. West Virginia, Ohio or Ilinois.  I'd even take the 7 day Pennsylvania run right now. 

On another note, one benefit of having 2 dogs is that they lick each other's ears.  Gross, I guess in human terms, but perfectly normal in animal world.  My current dogs? Yea, they haven't figured that out.  So the vet told me the other day one of Addler's ears is very much filled with goo and please get some ear cleaner that they would gladly provide and clean them out.  Oh, btw? The vet, the actual animal doctor? Was terrified of Addler.  She had no confidence and hence she came across as a threat to Addler.  The fear was all over her face.  Yes Addler was growling at the assistants taking the blood, but he couldn't bit anyone if he wanted to with that thing on his snout and I was all over him anyway.  The vet? Stood by the door lmao. 

I've actually never seen another large dog while at a vet. The dogs I see are miniatures up to medium sized dogs. 

I was very unimpressed with the vet, but her assistants were fantastic!  I was the one that suggested they muzzle when they started talking about sticking him with needles 3 times. He's not a fan, I told them, he will  growl, just for your own peace of mind, perhaps you want to put one on?  They were all over that lol, but they never flinched at him.  Some of my Danes? Just never fans of the vet.  I could never get a couple of them to "like" any aspect of it besides sniffing other dogs.  I can't force them to like the visit, but I will be in their faces and making them understand they aren't going to be biting anyone that day.  The thing is, Addler has already bitten a person.  Drew blood too.

But I take no responsibility for a person coming up to the house when no-one is there, reaching over the back fence and "invading" a dog's territory he is rightfully protecting. I felt bad for the lady, yes, but I wasn't offering anything on that deal.  You should know better. Or you should have an air about you that the dog innately respects.  Some people have that, many people don't. 

I'm still perplexed at a person taking the role of a Vet and having fear of the animals that person is going to treat.

Well, I'm watching a movie. They have some decent movie channels here.

The spectacle of the Hondurans in the caravan grows in it's absurdity by the day.  Now they are demanding, via the US embassy in Tijuana, for 50k a piece and then they'll go home.  So this is the kind of people we want in the US? More entitlement, put your hands out and let us fill them with cash for doing what, nothing?  Further, these people aren't going to help  our economy in any imagineable way.  They are poor and uneducated.  What contribution are they going to be able to make to an increasingly tech oriented society? Are we going to pay them to go to school, too? 

I feel for the poor and needy, trust me I help them a lot currently, out of my own pocket, not through government entitlement programs. Well I help fund those too through my paychecks.  But there are literally billions of poor and needy in this world, we can't take them all in.  Note how the Venezualans, who are in far worse dire straits than these Hondurans, aren't joining these caravans?  It's been suggested and proven that these caravans have been bought and paid for, these aren't just people wanting some sort of better way of life, this whole thing has been funded by Soros type people and organizations.

I'm beyond sick and tired of identity politcs and virtue signaling from the left. 

______________________

Let's see, it's Friday.  Got 2 texts this morning that the pump is down at the plant.  Meaning, no one is getting loaded.  I'm certainly glad I'm not in the queue to get loaded today.  Although, with that info, I wouldn't even go to the plant. Just wait at home for some word that it's up and running and then head to work.  The truck is not fixed and the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Oh there's something wrong with it alright, lol, that extreme vibration isn't just in my head.  That whole truck shakes. But I don't care. I informed them of the problem, they can send the truck out, something is going to break, hopefully out of town, sit in a hotel and get breakdown pay again.  Mechanic said he checked the Ujoints - but I don't know how he checked them.  Ujoints can look fine from the outside and still be dried out and falling apart on the inside. 

I dunno, but the plant pump not working could screw up the entire weekend.  Depends on how long it takes them to get it up and going again.  This is what happens when they start replacing parts in the system as they did last week. 

Well I'll just see what happens with that.  It's raining on and off again. Which sucks. 

Well, now I'm babysitting a sick boy.  Taylor called - the preschool called her.  Fever and not feeling good.  Fortunately that boy is easy to babysit when he's sick. He comes home and sleeps.  Which is what he is doing right now.  Meanwhile, I have dinner going in the crockpot, laundry - 2 loads and on the third - cleaning my room and fixing to go out to the front porch and tackle that project.  It isn't just stringing lights, there is a large volume of "stuff" out there that is making the front of the property look trashy to say the least.

In the meantime, I spent an hour on the phone with Farmers - this deal of trying to get my house insured has turned into a real chore. The bank has it's version of insurance on it and it stinks to put it mildly.  Farmers seem sure they can get this done and it's a little less than half of what the bank is charging me. Note that the bank is only covering the house.  Not the property, not any personal property inside the house.  No liability if someone gets hurt, etc.  So for $1,700 a year I think or is it 6 months? I think a year, I get very little coverage.  I'm expecting Farmers to call back tomorrow with a quote. 

My travel desires are not forgotten either. My good buddy Fin giving me some very helpful advice since he has spent much time traveling all over the world.  I will eventually decide what I want to do next and - probably in 3 or so months, maybe even March - and then do it!

Diet? still on it.  No weight loss but fat loss definitely.  I don't know how that works.  You lose fat but weight remains the same? I remain confident that i will eventually lose all the weight I want to lose.  It doesn't have to happen in three months, it took years for me to get as fat and heavy as I was, tho admittedly the last year at this job it went up very quickly. 

That's it, for now.

I like rain, but I don't like this much of it.  Seems like everytime I'm home, it's raining.  Today was no exception.  Can't rake the yard, which was a goal to at least get started going today.  I am not going to replace the battery in the Jeep - and get soaking wet. It's sitting out in the street I just want to be able to move it and use it.  But no thanks.

Instead, I took Addler to the vet to get rabies shot and other stuff done.  Another nice $300 bill.  I try to stay away from the vet as much as possible because that is always the outcome.  But his tag needed renewed and heart worm injection and examination.  And his claws.  He's running in the dirt all the time, it does nothing to keep his claws short and trim.  But watching them do it, I am sure I can do it from now on, just didn't want to get a bleeding gusher going by cutting too short. 

After that was a burn permit - $25 to burn leaves in your own yard? Pretty outrageous.  The only other option is to fill up 50 giant leaf bags and that is a pain in the rear.  Ridiculous tho.  Shouldn't have to pay for any permit but if you do, $25 is outrageous. 

After that off to the courthouse, wanted to turn in paperwork that absolves you of responsibility if the person that buys your car commits a crime with it or gets into an at fault accident.  Turns out I was supposed to do that online, which I just got finished with.  The guy that bought the thing doesn't even have a driver's license.  That's not my problem, just covering my bases. 

Oh, and hanging Christmas lights.  Haven't done that yet.  It's wet and I'm hoping it will stop raining so I don't have to get wet in order to do so. 

Actually I have a much longer list of stuff still needing to get done, I've had enough for a while. Been moving since 7am and it's now 1:30.  I have no idea whether I'm going out again tomorrow or this weekend, but I'm assuming I will.  Just more cleaning projects tho.

I"m hoping for another Brownsville run or something that doesn't - normally - take more than 2 days, but I'll take whatever . This pay period is done.  I should have a huge check coming next week.  My manager didn't apply the vacation hours I had asked her to, which explains why last paycheck was quite pathetic.  The company gave me a  $400 bonus for what I don't know, no explanation given. I mean, it's nice lol not complaining I didn't think I would be getting any more bonuses after all of this nonsense going on switching to a different company. 

I did find out that some drivers had been sent out to various places around the country to do other work because of the slow down.  My manager said that work is picking up, which is good news.  Anyone, I'm done with this, got more stuff to do.

A relatively quick run. 
The plant changed it's loading time rules - which no one bothered to tell me about - so I arrived way earlier than I needed to.  Once I start the clock on my Quaalcomm, it doesn't stop. 4-1/2 hours wasted at the plant and I knew I wasn't making it down to Brownsville on Monday and subsequently knew that I wouldn't be back until Wednesday- today.

There were 2 empty trailers down there, that's always disappointing.  Especially when you are wasting a 3rd day anyway. 

And, of course, another problem with the truck. This time? Severe vibration to the point the whole truck is shaking at speeds between 35 and 55 mph.  Well, you know, hardly surprising on a vehicle that has almost 700k miles on it.  I'm guessing a U Joint. the thing has half a dozen of them on there.  The tires looked okay as far as separation goes, but they are getting thin as well.  So I wrote it all up.  My manager asked if I didn't want to go out until it's fixed? Uh no.  You can send me out if you like, if the thing breaks I'll be happy to sit at a hotel again lol. 

She isn't actually opposed to that.  Lol.  Well whatever, I reported it.  What I don't want to do is sit around for 10 days doing nothing. 

And today, I saw my check details.  My manager did not put my vacation pay on there.  Lol. I'm not going to say anything about it, there is no point.  I don't want it now after all the time sitting at the hotel, for the next paycheck, I will survive with out it.

And speaking of vacations, the lady friend here announced that she won't be able to go with my overseas.  I had hoped she could after announcing she wanted to, but wasn't necessarily holding out any hope.  I will now proceed to look into going at any date.  I found round trip to Dublin for $500.  Economy class, yes. that would suck.  I mean, I want a window seat if I'm doing that at least.  Hopefully they let you get up and stretch in the aisle on such long flights? 

I have decided I'm more drawn to Ireland than London at the moment. But there is the pesky little detail of the 2 states I haven't been to - Alaska and Hawaii. Or the fact that I have never been on a cruise.  I think my research for the time being is going to be Ireland, where to go, where to stay on the cheap - I'm making money yes but that doesn't mean I want to just flush it down the drain.   So many places to go.  So many things to see. A small bucket list is going to grow.  I think. 

Dreaming is a good thing, I think. Trying to make some of it come true is entirely another. 

I'm going to have to make a decision about work soon enough. Well I don't have to do anything, but if I want to get involved with owning my own truck or not.  Seems so late in life to be attempting anything like this.  It is, actually, but to envision a "retirement" broke and in want is nothing I want to deal with.  Or owning rental properties. I need more education on such things. 

I dunno but I'm going to sleep lol.

Why do some people make shopping for Christmas for them so difficult?
Ask them what they want and they give you a general category with literally thousands of possibilites that span the spectrum of likes - and dislikes.

So you see, I'm not doing the gift card junk.  If this person doesn't like what I get them, they should have just told me what they wanted in the first place. Give me a list of 3 or more of them so whatever I get, it's a sort of surprise.

Don't worry, I'll tell her, I have the receipt.  Which I will.  I'd hope that I could make a lucky guess, but I'd rather a person take something back and get what they want.  Well, I'd rather they specify what they want.

Car is hopefully sold tomorrow.  A couple of people want to get it for the full price. I told them flat out that if they come over here and offer me less, they can turn around and go home.  One of them sent me a pic of hundred dollar bills.

Lol. I could send him a pic back of lots of hundred dollar bills.

__________________

Sunday night. Car sold.  2 people flaked. One of them showed up wanting the car, but no money? How does that work? He said he would buy it Thursday and would I still have it? Umm, I hope not, is the exact words that came out of my mouth. See, I didn't promise him any such thing and he came off as having cash in hand.

The first person - the person I thought really wanted the car - said he was coming up from Lufkin.  I mean, like we already had that part of it down.  Then, when it came time for him to come up here, he cajoled and hawed and hemmed. I'll be leaving "in a minute". I let this go on for hours, actually. Until I asked him if he was actually coming, cause' I want to get rid of this thing today. I have no "love" for this car.

I got 10 years of use out of it, it still runs - quite well actually - It has problems, but running down the road isn't one of them.  I sold it cheap, $700. I put up an ad after these 2 flaked on me-  people that have been asking about it for a week, and then?  I've gotten 100 replies on the ad at least.  50% of them trying to offer me $400 for it? No thanks.  Just no.  I'll donate it before I do that.

Anyway the first person kept putting me off which is when I cut him off. Okay, well I'm moving on to the next person.  Oh well I"m already headed your way!  How many times have I heard that from people on these ads in my life? He wasn't headed anywhere. I ended up having to block him on Facebook - where I had that particular ad and on FB Messenger.  The third person.  I'm coming down to look at it.  Okay. He was 17 miles away, north of my town.  And yes, he showed up.  I let him take the car for a drive.  He was gone a while.

He had all kinds of questions, looked the thing totally over, asked more questions. I didn't blame him, but at the same time? He drove it, he knew this car is in very good shape for the price. He tried to talk me down price, no thanks I said. I can donate this to a charity and get a better tax write off than selling it to anyone.  So he took it.

He doesn't actually have a driver's license lol. But that isn't my problem.
I'm canceling insurance on that car today - it's now Monday morning, I think I started this post 2 days ago lol - and then when I get back from this Brownsville run, take the paperwork in that absolves me of any liability if the man crashes the car or whatever might happen.  I have his signature on the paperwork as it stands. 

I got up early this morning - only because someone was making a lot of noise in the house and woke me up.  So, finish the deal, get up, get some coffee, etc etc etc, have some time to sit around and collect my thoughts.  I would have rather slept, but being awakened like that? I wasn't going back to sleep. 

I haven't done any serious driving in what, 12 days? Lol. 

Anyway, the money from the sale of the car will go towards fixing the problems left in the Jeep.  Namely a lug nut that won't come off even after heating it up so we could replace the brakes in it and it needs a new battery.  It also needs the AC compressor replaced but that isn't a priority right now.  I just want it running.  I may get rid of it as well. I haven't decided on that yet.  I just didn't have a need for 3 vehicles and that car...it was time to get rid of it. Almost 11 years of that thing and I was sick of seeing it.  I think I may keep the Jeep as a back up vehicle and who knows, if I ever get into dire financial straits - hopefully not - but if that ever happened and lost the SUV I'd have a vehicle that I own outright. 

Well, it's time to get my stuff together and hit the road.

Today's agenda was to get the new TV up and running. IE: get it mounted on the wall. I had the wall mount installed before I left, but that was as far as I got.  James helped quite a bit, picking that huge TV up and mounting it on the wall by myself? I'm not sure I would have been able to do it. 

The thing needs a soundbar and surround sound added.  Not bad quality sound on the TV but certainly nothing near what it could be.  This was my Christmas gift to myself. 

Next? Get out the new laptop  - the order that I canceled and was verified with a Walmart online manager over the phone that it was canceled- that I got anywhere and yes they took my money.  Actually I may leave it in the box,  once I open it I'm sure there's trouble trying to send it back.  I don't know if I want it or not. I mean, I sort of do but a friend told me this particular brand of laptop can have problems.  I need to do some research on this specific model and then make a decision about calling Walmart back to take this thing back - or just keep it.  It's got the 15 inch screen which is what I'm really missing when I'm out on the road.  Last trip - 7 nights in a hotel.  I was using the notepad with 11 inch screen.

I've basically decided to save save save.  Until I figure out whether I want to start a business or buy property,  it's just a focus on getting money into a savings account.  Since I already have a mortgage, it will take a significant down payment even with good credit.  They'll look at my payment history on that mortgage and that's not going to bear well for me.  It's been over 2 years, but that's still fresh to bankers.  It will take years to save up enough money to get that kind of down money, even with aggressive saving practices.

I missed the property tax auction, I was in Lufkin. I didn't even think about it until something prompted it.  Now I'll just have to wait until the next one, whenever that is.  Meanwhile there are still owner financed properties out there.  No hurry for the wrong place that has no earning's potential.  That's really the only reason I want owner financing - to rent out.  I haven't seen any 50 plus acres lots owner financed.  Rent to own options as well. That may work for the place being rented for Renia when the 1 year lease is up.

It was Donny that got me to just doing whatever to get a place.  They were getting too picky.  It would have served a far better purpose if we would have taken the 4 bedroom house that was a bit cheaper than the one they are in, minus Donny.  I kind of let him take over the search, having no idea what the future was going to bring: Him being thrown out and not in the picture.  A 4 bedroom house I could rent the rooms cheaper and thus much easier to fill the rooms.  It doesn't help, tho, that it's the holidays and people not likely to want to be moving right now.  But thinking about it, I could have at least tried to find a rent to own or an owner finance house.  As it stands, I have no intention on them staying in the current house at the current room rate.  It will either come down $150 per month or we will at least try to find a new place.

I'm likely to eat the utilities at the house this month. I've had a few people say they were coming to look, but they flaked.  The only consolation, I guess, is I've been gone a lot and to pay a kennel to watch 2 dogs for that amount of time would incur much more cost> I haven't given up yet and I think I'm going to advertise a "1st month special" of $250 and then the regular rent after that.  Just to get something to help pay for it. 

And finally, a hot fire.  It's just perfect weather. Just checked for the first time in probably a week: still in ketosis.  Right where it was the last time I checked it.  I'm right at 20 carbs for the day.

Finally home.
The stretch in Lufkin: worth it.
The plant has completely shut down, drivers sitting around doing nothing, who knows when it will fire back up. 
And, we are hiring more drivers? 
That makes absolutely zero sense.  We haven't had enough work as it stands to keep us all busy before this plant shutdown, I don't know what this company is thinking.  They don't think?  Are they expecting some bonanza of new work to pop up? The latest newsletter says they are going after more accounts and new business.

Great! Hire more driers AFTER you get those accounts. BTW, get some new trucks while you're at it.  This old junk we're driving? Sucks. 

Looking ahead today: raining.  I may or may not try to get a fire going, depends on if I can get some dry enough wood from under the top layer in the cord sitting out there.  The kitchen is an absolute total disaster, but I expected that.  I didn't say I wanted to see that, it's just the way it is here. Clean it up? Yup, I'll clean it up for my own sanity. 

But first, a haircut, Lowe's for some paint, Walmart for some wood chips. 

_____________________

And the day is done.  After all of that, I went home, fired up the smoker, got the fire pit going and sat out there alllll the rest of the day and into the night. 

Amazingly, my manager sent me a run. Really was a bit shocked at that.  Considering the numbers of drivers sitting around and the lack of work, I really didn't think I'd be going anywhere for a while.  It's another Brownsville run. Which is quite fine by me and I get the whole weekend off, I don't have to be at the plant until 8:00 am Monday.  I'm not going to go in there with any high hopes of getting in and out.  Without any detention pay on this next run, I"ll still be close to 5k for this next coming pay period.  I'm not bragging or anything, not at all. I know people that make a lot more money lol. It's just that it will help make up for my - $700 net paycheck -  I got today. 

Good thing I didn't go flying off anywhere. I've got that bug, go somewhere.  Not by truck, not by car, by plane!  I really thought I wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, I'm really glad that I am.

This really opens up the idea of getting the rest of my Christmas shopping completed. 

And with that, I'm off to find those gifts.

Home Sweet Home.
Finally.
I couldn't resist talking to other drivers tho once I got to the yard.

An update was necessary.

Drivers sitting there for days now, doing nothing.

The plant shutdown ended up in catastrophe. They replaced a tank and then couldn't get the operation up and running again. Drivers sitting around doing nothing.

This is the reason I said I was glad that I had to sit around doing nothing and getting paid for it.  From what I"m seeing, I'll be off for days and days.  In fact, it would be a good time to fly somewhere. You know? I would love to go play some blackjack in Las Vegas. 

Or drive up to the mountains somewhere. 

Or go camping with the dogs (I have zero camping equipment but I could make do).

Something? 

Sit around the house?

I intend on smoking some meat tomorrow tho. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, I just don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon and I am guessing it's a good time to take advantage of it. I've been through this with this company before and have wasted opportunities to travel because I didn't know. 

The dogs and I had a grand reunion.  Like meeting new doggies lol.  Except they know me and going crazy.  Addler is currently crashed out in my bed.  That is not HIS bed, haha.

I'm keeping this one short. I'm glad to be home.  I'll make a fire in the pit tomorrow, get some smoking wood from Walmart if they have any,  smoke some ribs,  do some cleaning outside. It's raining now and likely continue through the weekend as far as I can tell, but I can get some stuff done. 

Well whatever happens. I''m home. 

I've kind of numbed my mind to resolve that I am down here now, wait it out and I will go home when I  - can go home.  I've been in Lufkin for 7 days now.  It's a hefty chunk of change, I mean, at least for me, serious money.  Including the mileage for this trip, I'm well over 4 grand.  For some reason, I have confidence I"m finally getting out of here today, whereas yesterday I didn't really feel that and yes, that feeling was before I ever called the shop.  I'll be giving them a call in  a couple of hours, if they have the part, then definitely going home. It's only a few hours to finish the job once they get it. 

Honestly, if I had had transportation, I could have driven over to Shreveport and gotten a seal and been back down in much less time than this has all taken.  See, this is why I hated that trip up to PA last year during that blizzard.  I got homesick after about 6 days and thought mostly of going home. Tho that was exacerbated by very extreme, cold weather with a white out, a blizzard, hazardous driving conditions, an old pile of junk truck that wasn't working properly and a trailer that wasn't holding a vacuum seal, thus forcing me to have to dump vapors all the time.  If they wanted to send me up there again, it would be with the stipulation that I drive my truck up there.  This idea of driving junk equipment is for the birds.  I don't consider my truck that great - mileage and constant issues, but it's far better than that piece of shit they had waiting for me when I got up there.

Anyway, tonight/tomorrow is payday.  I would be dreading this one, but I know it's going to suck so I have already dealt with that in my mind.  That's the 12 days off paycheck, with 40 hours of vacation time added to it and one run.  It's not going to amount to much.  If it's a thousand dollars I'll be surprised.  They don't pay near as much for hourly wage for vacation hours as they do for either detention or breakdown pay.  That is perplexing. 

And, the weather has significantly changed here.  It was beautiful, clear skies with the sun shining almost the entire time I've been down here, now it's overcast with a 40% chance of rain today and 100% chance of rain tomorrow. My town I live in has similar forecast since it's less than 100 miles away - and - because all of this storm stuff always comes in through Houston and then head north northeast.  Right over Lufkin, right over our houses. 

Oh, I guess I haven't reported on the other house.  The lady that moved in last month already left.  She was offered a room in a house of a friend only a few miles from her work over there for $200 per months.  Let's less than half what she was paying at our place and a lot less driving.  I just shrugged my shoulders on that one. I always ask for a couple of weeks advance notice to move, I never get it.  Anyway, December is historically - from my experiences anyway - the worst month to try and rent out a room.  You are very lucky to get anyone that actually has a job and money to pay for the room to come along and take it.  And so is the situation now.  She's been out a week and it's been slim pickings. 

One lady replied to my ad yesterday something like "I don't have any money but I got a job, I'm struggling, can you work with me?". I would love to, but I have bills to pay. I've had these types of people before.  Nothing good ever comes from it.  And I do mean nothing. In fact, in some cases, it goes well over to the other side of, this-person-is-a-nightmare-tenant case that you have to move mountains to get them out of the house.  But another one contacted me yesterday and she has a job.  Another day sleeper with night job type of thing.  Which only works if that person is a heavy sleeper.  And of course the person must either like or be able to tolerate dogs.  The whole purpose of my involvement in that house is to have a place to take my doggies to a person that loves them as much as I do to watch after them.  I mean, how much would it have cost me to put them in a kennel for 8 days? I've been out on this trip since 3 am last thursday,  that's getting close to 8 full days. 

A small fortune, I can guarantee you that.  That's the reason I don't mind eating even a few hundred per month on that house, but right now? It's way too high. With only 2 renters, it only covers the house rent.  The rest of the bills are on me.  Rene has very hard time understanding financial things, she just can't comprehend why I will take anyone that comes along that seems reasonably normal to move in there even for a short period of time.  It's that or I"m shelling out over $400 per month to make up for the gap. After $200, I'm getting antsy.  I feel like I'm paying more than I need to. The option to leave them at home is there, but I would really hate to dump the responsibility for 2, large, attention loving dogs onto them considering they have kids that need mommy and daddy's attention. 

She loves animals tho.  And - today marks the 8th day that I haven't been on a scale and I feel lost lol.  I have no idea if I've gained, lost or stayed at the same weight.  I very much disagree with people that say you should only weigh yourself once a month or once a week. You really have NO idea about your weight and if what you are doing is working or not.

Well, it's 9:20 am, I'll be calling the repair shop in a couple of hours, a bit before I am forced to check out.  Hopefully the part has shown up by then and hopefully they are close to being done with it. 

Watching the funeral of Bush. They're finally to the eulogies.  Quite the grand ceremony, the whole thing.  I actually saw Trump reach a hand to Obama in a friendly gesture.  One wonders what was going on in either man's head considering the heated exchanges the two have had through tweets and the media. The media believes that "could" be the start of an era of healing and bipartisanship and all of that.  Not.  Not happening.  The Trump hate is entrenched. Trump despisers see nothing good in him or what he does.  The ridiculous name calling goes on and on. 

Whatever the case, day 6 in Lufkin and hopefully the final day here. Fixing to call the shop in a few and see if they got the part and if we're still on for today.  Cause' I really, reallllllly want to go home now.  I've been out for 6 days, that's long enough.  I'll make somewhere around $3,600 on this trip - for the miles driven and for the wait here in Lufkin.  I mean, if that part doesn't come in today? I'll have no choice.  Oh heck with it, I'm calling them now.  

They haven't received the part yet.  Gag. FedEx express delivery shows up by 10:00 am I think. It's 11 am now.  I don't even know what to do now.  Ask for another day of hotel?  Take all my stuff and wait somewhere?  I mean, I have too much stuff to just walk around with it tho.  A large bag for clothing and such, a smaller bag for toiletries, a computer bag plus the food I bought.  The  food is half gone at least.  

The problem, of course, is the hotel.  I have to either leave here at noon or have the company get me another day.  That's really up to them, as I just notified my manager what's going on and that there is no guarantee the truck is going to be done, but it's possible it will. Lol.

___________________

Well, giving well advance notice of the dilemma, my manager put it off.  Undoubtedly busy, so the hotel gave me extension til 1 pm.  And more communication with manager who called the repair shop who told her they are having the part tracked down.  Wherever it is, it isn't at the shop.  I would ask them to just let me drive it home - it's just a seal and a very minor leak.  But, our mechanic says he doesn't have the proper tools to be able to install the seal. Here's my problem: I'm stuck outside with all my stuff.  I can't go get my nice hot meal lugging around all this junk unless I get an Uber, it's far too heavy to carry over a mile and I"m just not going to do that. 

I carry all kinds of stuff with me. Between my duffle bag, computer bag and toiletries bag I"m probably lugging at least 40 pounds around.  Im out of clean clothes as well. I had enough to last through today.  This isn't that big of a deal really, I just wanted to go home today and that is looking very much like that's not going to happen.  The repair shop should just order another seal in case the one they did order is never found.  That kind of thing happens, I can testify to that. That way, the seal will definitely be here tomorrow - well hopefully it would anyway - and then they can finish this and I can go home. 

Haha, nope sorry BB boy you aren't going home today  My manager just texted me: part won't be here til tomorrow. I suppose I shouldn't complain. I just did the math, that's another $720 worth of pay.  I'll just have to go find something to do today now that she's getting my room back. I'll be up to 2 weeks worth of normal driving pay at this rate.  She could just put me on the backburner when I get back and not send me out at all considering work is slow. I'll have made my money, let some other driver get their share.

Okay, bowling today?  Or just walk and get some fresh air.  The temps are down but it's very nice outside.  Go get a steak at Logan's roadhouse?  Take in another movie? I dunno, I'll figure it out. It will be a while before my company gets authorization to get me back into a room here.  Oh yes, and my gut! It's visibly decreased since I came into this hotel.  I'm definitely still losing weight - or fat anyway. I wish I could find a scale somewhere!

Well enough of this. I figure the desk clerk will let me back in now.

I'm going stir crazy.  Just here alone, in a motel room, getting cold outside, not much to do.  I could get an uber and go somewhere I guess, maybe even see a movie.  But I'm not going to.  The thing that motivates me right now is the pay.  I verified with my manager about the plant being shut down, but she said "only half a day".  So I guess that means that some trucks at least are getting filled and sent out.
_______________

Day 5 in Lufkin.
I have no idea whether they will have the truck done today ornot, but what is going to happen is my hotel stay ends today. At noon.  It's 8 something am.  So around 10 I'm going to call the shop and see if they think it's going to be done today - or not.  I do not want to pack everything up, go to the shop, wait and then find out I need another night in a hotel.  They should be able to give me a definitive word whether they will have it done or at least a ball park  - yes maybe or probably not.

I'm ready to go home.  Just my mindset as of waking up a while ago, let's get this trip over with. The other mindset is, gee, look at the money you're making sitting around doing nothing. The laundry situation says, gee, you just used your last pair of clean socks.  This was supposed to be a 2 day trip, I planned for at least 6 for "just in case". And, this hotel doesn't have a washer and dryer, the nearest laundromat is 2 and a half miles away, that's pretty lame. Even cheap hotels usually have a washer and dryer at them. This is LaQuinta, a "mid range" hotel brand, tho this is the bottom of the mid range barrel as far as I'm concerned.  I actually asked for this place because it was one of few that looked like it actually had room for a truck.

Yes, there is parking space, but no, getting out of here with a trailer attached is not any truck driver's idea of fun.  Once you pull in, too late! If I ever get stuck in this town again, it's likely that I'm not recommending this hotel.  There is another one up the road - looks like a lower end place - but it's surrounded by restaurants and Walmart is next door.

Meanwhile, it's being reported that Addler is getting grumpy and cranky.  He gets that way when I'm gone too longAfter t3 days he's running to the window looking to see if I'm there, after 4 days he gets cranky, today? It will get worse lol. He spends as much time over there at the other house as he does here, but he's definitely my dog.  He knows that and even tho he likes Rene, it's just not the same. 

And finally, the diet. I've done my best to stay on it while out here.  I think I've succeeded but I haven't been near a scale in 6 days, so I have no clue.  One day I might have gone over on carbs, but I don't think enough to kick me out of ketosis.  I can't  check that because I forgot and left the strips in the truck. I'm having one hot meal a day at least the rest I'm eating out of the refrigerator.  I have no idea whether I'm staying or leaving here today, hence I haven't done the hot meal yet.  In about 30 minutes I'm going to hopefully find out some kind of diagnosis. I called them a little earlier and they just told me to call when it's near checkout time, as they were "doing the diagnostics now", meaning what, they did nothing yesterday?  If I'm staying, I'm getting out of this hotel. End of story on that, spend several hours walking around, going to the mall, whatever, I don't care but I won't spend the entire day in here. 

If I'm leaving, it's about an hour and 40 minutes to the yard. So it doesn't matter what time today I would leave, I'd be home tonight.  I just get really antsy once a deadline approaches and I need an answer.  That would be checkout time at noon here.  They are apparently sticklers for that at this hotel from the way they were talking when I asked yesterday.  Some hotels will give you a few grace hours if you need them.