Thursday - evening

Some days, it's enough to make it through a work day and go home.  

The people at lot 1 have left according to Allen. They were there when I was there earlier, apparently they left for Lufkin. They are paid up through the 10th. This is the situation where it was alleged the man is beating on the woman.   That problem just transported itself off of the property and I didn't have to do anything but collect their money when they showed up.  It's ok, I like having Lot 1 open for overnighters. Not getting a lot of that, but there are some reservations in the system. 

Allen is starting his new job on the 10th.  Unless his wife shows up to take his place, I am going to ask him to take the "Park Hosts" sign down. It is pointless to have a lot dedicated to something that doesn't exist.  He's going to be gone 2 weeks at a time, my guess is that they will end up leaving and moving the trailer to wherever he's working.  People can't go to a trailer to inquire about lots or whatever if no one is there.  

I have some leads on other people to move in, I'm thinking get Robert's - the workamper - lot re-rented.  I don't see the coach being worked on any time soon, it can just sit where it's at and I will eventually find someone to work on it.  Things that never happened for $500, Alex.  The riding mower is running again if nothing else.  I'm going to have to go mow lots, that's what I can say.  Allen does some stuff, but he's starting to peter out.  I think these people think I don't pay attention, perhaps they think I'm stupid or that they can just get away with stuff. Allen has been "acting" like he's been busy all day, but I know next to nothing has been getting done.  

It's why I want a person to keep track of the hours they have worked and record what they did during those hours.  I'm going to start that with him if he wants to continue on.  I'll have to figure out what his time is worth per hour for the deduction on rent, but I am not going to go through what I did with Robert again.  What it really is, I'm too small of an operation to need that kind of help. I love it, but I am not there to supervise.  I can't keep track of it.

But, at the same time, when nothing is getting done and the grass is growing tall, that becomes it's own tattle-tale on the person that is supposed to be doing that stuff. The grass between the trailers is tall now and I will do it myself if he won't.  And then, we will have a discussion. You don't want to work, fine, start paying rent.  Take down the sign and you can just be regular guests living here. Or whatever you want to do.  Then again, he did start out well enough, it's worth something for sure.

I just know that I have figured this out.  He hears my truck coming in, it's noisy. I crawl at 4 mph through the park as to not disturb people, but I see him "working" as if he's been "working all day long". No, he hasn't.  I'm going to move the camera discretely so I can see what he's allegedly doing "all day long".  I had the feeling he was trying to pull one over on me.  He did do a little bit of mowing on the riding mower today, but that stuff can wait, I need the trailers mowed out regularly. That's more work. 

Anyway, Lot 1 is vacated, lot 11 is empty but paid for, lot 16 - an alternate spot - may be rented back out. That's where the workamper was. A dude just called about a spot, I told him I do have a 30 amp lot. We talked for a bit but I need to ask him more questions. He wants to move in this weekend, I want to know about how many people are going to live there, how many vehicles, dogs, tell him about the park rules.  Etc.   

 Wednesday

Pretty much sailed through the work day.  The washout didn't take long and they got to loading me at the plant immediately. I was home before 1:00 pm, of which I was very happy for a long time Facebook friend and her daughter - neither of whom I have met in person before - were going to stop by for a quick visit. Traveling through, she had picked her daughter's friend up in Little Rock 3 weeks ago and then took her back to Little Rock yesterday, I believe and coming through our town today.

It was a very wonderful visit. I have not met a lot of people in person from the internet, but all of them that I have met have all been very wonderful people and a joyous time has been had, at least from my perspective. She lives near Houston, so not exactly down the street around the corner, but...

Taylor was here as well. Well of course she was, she only lives here, lol.  But she hung out as well, it's always a pleasure to have Taylor hanging out because everyone instantly likes her.  Anyway, at some point, Taylor is standing there staring at me, giving me a look. I knew exactly what she was thinking without her saying a word.  The friend that stopped is a little younger than me, still very beautiful and a very lovely daughter.  Young - going to be a Junior in High School, very intelligent, has her act together, she will have most of the credits she needs to graduate by the end of this next school year.  

Anyway, I never really thought about the situation with my friend turning into something a bit more than friends. I dunno.  Maybe? I really have put any thoughts of ever getting married again well out of my mind after the last disaster.  I am not going to go into that disaster excepting to say that the person was in seriously depression and I should have known better. Alas, the ideology of wanting something to work out, even when something inside of you is telling you it most certainly will not.

This friend, however, is not in depression, isn't fresh out of marriage, has her act together, has good employment, takes care of her daughter very well, she's a real class act IMO.  So who knows?  There is on thing I will say tho: I am not moving to a big city.  I have had my life long share of that junk, it is definitely not for me, not anymore.  Not to mention I have really set roots here what with my extended family I live with and the business I have created and is going well enough.  

Speaking of that, a lady is moving out today, another one is "moving" in.  He just paid.  It's actually a man who is setting everything up for his son to attend the state college here.  He is buying him a new 5th wheel, I assume setting him up with a nice pickup, I would suspect paying for his college, doing everything a parent can do to help their child succeed.  In other words, the man is quite rich.  I mean, I am not saying anything bad about it, I commend him for trying to give his son the best start in life he can.  A state technical college is absolutely a great way to go about doing that as well, as long as the kid has a good work ethic. Those types of colleges are for working men and women, out in the heat type of stuff, long, grueling hours at times or all the time, depending on the line of work you choose to get into. 

For me? He is saying his son will be staying at the park for a year at least.  Guaranteed income and one more lot that won't have high turnover.  It's the turnover of long term guests that throws things up for a loop.  I've had 2 lots leave in the last few days and I've had 2 people claim those lots right behind them.

I am facing probably 2 more lots worth to replace very soon.  The one monther that I knew wasn't staying long and these weird people at lot 1 that were parking and driving on the grass and letting their dogs run loose. To be frank, I want those people to leave.  They are strange and now I'm being told that several people think that the man is beating on the woman. They heard a lot of screaming and crashing sounds coming from inside the trailer last night.  That isn't necessarily proof that the man is beating the woman, but it is odd behavior to say the least.  No one thinks those people are "right in the head". 

Ok, but have they done anything since they were addressed about the dogs and parking? Any negative interactions with anyone else? No.  Then there isn't anything I can or will try to do about it unless the noise is disrupting anyone from enjoying their peace inside of their trailer.  If there is a strained relationship with abuse going on, I can't do anything about it. Unless someone actually sees the man hitting the woman, what am I supposed to do? I strictly forbid the park manager from addressing them about it, that isn't our place unless it turns publicly ugly.  Then you can call the Sheriff to do a wellness check and tell them the story about hearing the noises and screaming.  I mean, if I see the woman and she has visible bruises, I might be inclined to do something about that. 

I do not like men who hit women.  It is nothing I have ever done and it is nothing a man should be doing to a lady.   I don't care what the beef is, if the relationship is that bad, get out of it.  It is amazing that women do, indeed, stay in such relationships, but apparently studies have been done, lots of them, that say that they get caught up in a relationship to the point they don't feel like they can get out of it. Or they don't want to get out of it, making excuses for the man and thinking it will get better. I've seen this with my own eyes throughout the adult portion of my life.  It takes a support system to help some of these ladies walk away from it and get out of the abusive treatment.

But again, I have no proof that that is what's going on in there, what I am getting tired of is constant drama.  It has been one thing after another.  Gets old.

Well, anyway, they only stayed an hour.  She has to go back to work in the morning, getting up at 4:30 am so yeah, it's 3-1/2 hour drive from here to there and it was already almost 4:00 pm.  I really could have hung out for the rest of the day tbh.  

There isn't much else. The Park Host found a job - he's been broke so I understand why he wants to go back to work. He doesn't want to lose his position as park host, but he'll be gone for 2 weeks at a time. Not much help to me.  I'll have to have him keep track of his hours if that is what he really wants to do, I'm not giving a full month's rent for free if there isn't the working hours to back it up. An hour-appropriate discount, sure.  His wife still hasn't been back and I do wonder if there aren't marital issues going on there.  He says they're fine, that's as far as I wanted to take it.  She is a great worker and I really wanted her to work on the coach after she offered. I'm guessing that isn't going to happen and will think about re-renting that lot.  

Oh, wait.  Yes, there is something else.  It's the yearly 2 week thing where the plant in Lufkin shuts down for 2 weeks and then throws our work into chaos.  The Ennis run is no more, that's what I was doing when it shut down last time.  They were only given that run on a trial basis, but my manager told me the company was outbid by another trucking company and so, they lost the trial run and the contract.  

What does that mean? It means, if I'm going to work the next 2 weeks starting Monday,  I will have to load in Crossett, AR and deliver to Gurdon, AR the same day. Well, ok, it's like a 3 hour drive.  The point is, I come nowhere near my town.  It's just an Arkansas run.  It's another plant that is owned by the same company as the one I go to in Lufkin.

I honestly don't know why they don't just produce the product in Crossett permanently? Not that I want to lose my job, but that makes more sense than having to have it shipped clear from Lufkin.  Much cheaper shipping costs.  I don't get it but I'm not going to try and explore that question, why would I want to? My job relies on going to Lufkin, not going to Crossett. Crossett is a little over 3 hour drive from here.  

To do any work, I'd just have to stay up there and sleep in the truck.  Yeah, not really into that.  The manager suggested I take PTO time and just don't work.  He's already got 2 volunteers to do the runs and that is all he needs.  Well how convenient. One of the volunteers was hired after I hired on, so if I want to bump him, I can even tho it doesn't sound like the manager wants that to happen.

You see, I didn't even know the company gives out PTO and I have no idea how much I have earned if any.  I will find out tomorrow as that was left up in the air.  I don't want to take 2 weeks off without pay. That isn't going to work. I mean, I could draw a paycheck from the business account if I have to.  So this situation that was presented to me today and the first I had heard about it - last year that 2 week thing was done near the end of the year - is up in the air and oh well, thank you Lord, whatever happens I'll trust in Him.  What else can a person do?  

As it stands, I have delivery tomorrow and then he said he was going to give me a run for Friday to deliver on Saturday and then Sunday off.  

Enough. Getting late.  

 I, uhh, find it strange I guess. People who are married, one of them dies and the other one shows their emotional distress over it. That's not the strange part. The strange part is a month later and they are dolt in love with someone else like the passing of their previous mate never existed.  They are suddenly all happy and the world is all right with them.

I can't and probably won't ever understand that. 

On the same note, I have a friend whose wife died and he has been in such despair for going on 2 years now, you can tell simply from looking at pics of him that he has let caution go to the wind.  He is still crying daily, drinking heavily, I can understand that.  You're married for 30 years, your mate is the entirety of your existence and then that mate is gone . That would mess with me too.

But just changing gears and going on to someone else?  I think people need some counseling after such things occur. Not because they are psychotic, but because they need help walking through their emotions and their thoughts.  I keep saying I might go through another episode of counseling and I might actually do it. My life isn't bad or horrible, I just think it would help me understand what I'm thinking and why I'm thinking it.

Then again, a degree in business from a college would probably help me immensely. Sometimes I feel lost and tho I do ample research, I still don't feel like I have a grasp on it.  I haven't heard anything from the IRS on my tax return and that leaves me uncomfortable. Then today, attempting to deal with the state of Texas Comptroller office.  I try to fill out the fields as best as I can and I have to do Google searches to even understand what some of it is asking.  I don't want or need the government focusing on my for tax purposes. I've tried to be as thorough as possible, doing what they ask for tax purposes, but who knows if I got it right? 

__________

Verizon phone paid off, unlocked and ready to switch.  I was just up that way, not going there again today.  I'll try to get that done tomorrow after work.  I'm already having to pay Verizon another month's worth of service, so no great hurry.  Oh, well I was just up where the T Mobile store is. 

I'm contacting Mark at the house tomorrow - are you sure you are ready to have the internet turned off over there? I will be gleefully happy to rid myself of Cox Communications after they went from $99 per month for unlimited internet to installing "tiers" that have me over $200 per month.  I despise these large corporations for they are always greedy. Cox, Dish Network, Directv, even the smaller companies are upping their prices drastically to the point - who needs it? I want some in-home entertainment for sure, but at the prices they are dictating? They can keep it. 

Try going to 6 Flags with a family of 6 and spending under a grand for the entire day. Good luck.  I mean, if you want to drive there and back the same day and save a hotel stay, okay.  If you don't eat anything at the park and paying $18 for a frigging hotdog, okay.  I'm not joking about that hotdog price. It's a large corporation. Disney far worse.  They charge these prices because rich people don't care and will pay it out and everyone else? Suffers.  Average families can't afford to go to Disneyland or World anymore.  Not to mention the woke factor.  

I'm getting on a rant and I'm quitting.  Let's look at politics.  Nahh, let's not.  Same old s***, different day.

Let's look at the rest of this day?  I'm just relaxing now.  I've done the boat, potential tenants for the park, T Mobile and other things.  I haven't started laundry, I guess I best get busy with that.   

I'm getting offa here and going to watch a movie.                                                               

 Tuesday day-off

The problem is finding the right length shaft with enough thrust that doesn't cost 2 thousand dollars.

I am talking about a trolling motor that will be sufficient for a boat the size of mine that weighs as much as mine does and add the weight of 5 people onto it.  I'm thinking at least 90 pounds of thrust if not more.  Walmart has lots of 28 inch shaft motors, just not long enough.  The warnings are abundant: if you don't buy on with long enough shaft, it obviously is either not going to even go into the water or it will pop out of the water as you are cruising along. 

I also don't want a piece of junk, I want one with a lot of good reviews. Minn Kota is one of the top of the line brands but boy howdy are they also expensive.  Still, I don't want to get stuck in the middle of a lake and have no way to get back to shore.  I've gone the route of buying "cheaper" stuff before in other types of things I am doing and end up having to go back and buy something more expensive because the cheap thing - didn't work.  I don't want to make that mistake here. Most if not all of these companies that build these motors say once you put it into the water, there are no refunds.  

So, I'm just going through seemingly endless web searches attempting to find the right size - which I believe is around 54 inch shaft and at least 90 pounds thrust. We are big heavy people, lol. Okay, we're not that bad but still, you want enough thrust to move the boat at a decent pace.  This and a new cover are the last of the Mohicans on bigger ticket item expenses for this thing.  

__________

Done.  Ordered and gonna be a minute before it gets here.  They don't have what I need at Walmart, they had it online and I wanted to use Walmart for the protection plan. 

And, the State of Texas sent me an email saying they are going to cancel my ability to operate my business. Why? Because of some form I apparently didn't fill out and send in to them. That was a bit disconcerting : )  Form is printed out, I will fill it out today and mail it - today. I have until the 6th of August.  Nothing like a lot of pre-notice to ensure you have time to do it.

If they sent me a letter in the mail, I didn't see it.  It would not be fun to try and get my business authority back, it would cost a lot of money and completely unnecessary. It's a tax thing, but I owe them no taxes so there is that.  In fact, they tell you you don't owe taxes if your total income was below 2.4 something million last year. Yeah, I come nowhere close to that...unfortunately. It would be grand to be taking in millions of dollars per year! I could employ my own tax person to deal with that nonsense and I wouldn't have to worry about it.  My small time operation doesn't warrant the need for such a person and neither could I afford one, at least not if I want to make any kind of money off of this operation.

______

Well that was a PITA. I decided that "expedite" was the operative word for that form, turns out I had to fill out 2 forms and I had to look up a lot of information in order to accurately fill those forms out. Guess it's good I had the day off? Nahh, I could have done it after work.  

I'm guessing my work schedule is the next 4 days starting tomorrow, off Sunday and then work, work, work.  Probably a pretty accurate guess.  

As for everything else? Well, gonna eat something cause I have had nothing today beside a fingerful of last night's dinner, literally it was just what I could pick out with my fingers, it's afternoon and I'm starving.

 Let's take another look at tomorrow.

I'm going to bed here, it's 9:45 pm, and I'm double checking the tablet. I do that often for they change things often.  The manager has taken over dispatching drivers and fired the lady - I didn't think she was horrible, not great, not bad, in the middle I guess, as far as dispatchers go - that was dispatching our runs for usually a week in advance. A nice person if nothing else. 

He, the manager, doesn't do that. He might get 3 runs out at most, which is 6 days, but I have yet to see him go beyond that.  This was my fault this time.  I must have missed the part where I finished this current run today and then had tomorrow off.  I looked 3 times at the tablet before I took it out to Taylor, who was on the porch with James smoking, can you read that?  She gets this look on her face.  The 31st! You have 2 days off! No, just tomorrow but I wanted to confirm that I wasn't having lying eyes.

I know, or I think I know anyway, what the manager is doing. He is having me off tomorrow, work through Saturday and then Sunday off.  That isn't confirmed since I only have the next run to look at, but I suspect that's what he's doing based on previous weeks after he took over.  

I have a whole world of possibilities tomorrow.  That doesn't necessarily mean I'll do anything with it, I just have it available, lol.  I mean, I could retire and do much of nothing, which isn't good for you and you need to stay active in some way, shape or form if you want to live a longer life.  I've seen it far too many times. Retire, die.  Retire, die.  Retire, find something to do? Keep active? Don't die.  It may sound gruesome, but I have witnessed it with my own eyes beyond just reading about it.  Many times over, actually.  Why is my mother still alive? I believe because she goes for walks at least 3 times  a day. 

At her age? That's doing pretty good.  The dog keeps her alive, basically.  Some purpose to live for, something right there, with her.  Take the dog for a walk, she tells herself (I'm guessing of course, but I know for a fact she goes walking several times a day).  She's always intensely loved her dogs and takes care of them meticulously.  I grew up with parents that loved dogs and hence, it carried over to me.  There aren't many dogs that I have disliked, I could name those few dogs tho. The one that tried to kill the 7 year old here (not our dog, next door neighbor's).  The one I adopted that the owner didn't bother to tell me had serious behavioral issues including the desire to kill other dogs.  

I have determined to get the boat going and get it on the lake.  So, I will probably start working towards that end tomorrow. It needs a trolling motor, a couple of batteries, drain the fuel tank and put fresh fuel in it, registration.  Other things I can't think of right now, it's been sitting for quite a while.  Yes, I think the bilge pump wasn't working, they aren't expensive.  You kind of want that feature, if the thing starts taking on water, that's what is your hope that the water will be pumped back out.  I spent a lot of money on that thing, I'd like to use it while it's still hot outside.  

Batteries and trolling motor will cost some.  I spent a thousand dollars just installing a new steering system in the thing and putting a new battery in it some 3 years ago? I'll say this, now that I'm that invested in the damn thing, if I have to have the motor rebuilt, that's going to happen as well. Maybe not right now or if I can find a used motor, but it will happen.  

Some person showed up at the park today and wanted to know about moving in.  There are no lots available right now.  Not only that, but the person wants one of the "premium" lots.  The park host has one of them, the other? The people that said they were going to leave after being confronted about their dogs running loose and driving and parking on the grass. The thing is, after that confrontation, they stopped driving on the grass and they don't let their dogs loose.  If they've been living in a trailer in RV parks for any length of time, they would already know that almost every park has the same types of rules.  So are they leaving, is what I was confronted with?

Well how the hell would I know? If people clean up their act, my intervention is over with, they can stay as long as they like.  They are not sociable and I don't invoke myself on people that don't care for unwanted visits. Pay your rent, follow the rules I'm good.  You don't have to talk to anyone in the park if you don't want to, I'm all for freedom and the freedom to have your space.  Which is partially what I said to Allen: I have no idea. After they were confronted, they have been parking on the gravel and their dogs aren't running loose unless there is info about the dogs I don't have.

No, they have complied.  Ok, well I don't go bothering people that don't want to be bothered.  He doesn't quite understand that, but the thing is, he does listen to my wishes about how I want things dealt with and he goes by that, whatever that is.      I'm running a business, I'm not trying to drive people out of there. If I have to, I definitely will, but these people?  Not now. I'm trying to figure out how to ask them if they are staying without it sounding...wrong.  Then again, the man was informed other spots were coming available.  I dunno, if he doesn't want that, that's his choice, I lose enough sleep over nothingness, I'm not losing sleep over people that don't like what I have to offer. It's definitely not a resort park.  It's a quiet little community, the prices are good, the atmosphere is mostly great, but it isn't for everyone.  

Well it's getting late. Even tho I don't have work tomorrow, I don't like staying up to late. My sleep is too messed up as it stands. I force myself to keep a fairly tight sleep schedule excepting on some nights when I have no work the next day.

I can say that I've given it considerable thought and tho I was having sleep problems before I went to Oregon, it is nothing like after I left there.  Near 3 weeks of mostly sleepless nights, I really haven't recovered from that for unknown reasons. My mind went through that experience once again yesterday, I can't explain why I replayed that hellish nightmare, it just started up.  When you go through some horrid experience, you seem to remember every single detail, down to the specifics of things to the time of day or the specifics of everything that was going on around you.  Because it was that bad.  

 Monday - 7:45 am

Late load yesterday, late load today.  Leaving around 9:00 am.  Get me there around 11:30 am, I don't want to get there too early cause there is the possibility of the other driver still being there. Funny he can get his @$$ to the plant at 4:00 am to load but can't get up to the plant to unload by 10:00 am?  I don't get that.  But who am I.

It is what it is, I get one late load per week, some times two.  If I get two, they better not be back to back, because I will say something from now on. Can't do that, switch it with someone else.  4 late days in a row equals getting nothing much of anything done.  

Now that I have another moved in, I'm facing at least 2 more leaving.  If this man with his son needing a place to move into works out, it will only be one lot needed filled and that student will be there a year.  In this business, however, you don't count your chickens before they hatch.  The person has to actually show up...

My take on the mocking of the Last Supper of Christ? My two cents which is probably only worth a penny in this economy is: oh well.  People have been disobeying the Lord and attempting to mock Him for a long, long time now.  I see the people that engaged in that nonsense as people who need Christ.  The Bible tells us not to judge the world for they are already condemned. There is a place for taking issue with people doing certain things, as evidenced by Christ overturning the tables in the temple, but is this one of them?  I don't know.  No one was mocking Christ at the Last Supper.  Well, maybe there was?

Judas Iscariot.  He betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver, telling the "killers" where to find him.  Is that a form of mocking? Well, it's in there somewhere.  Christ knew all about it tho, not like you can deceive the Lord, He knows everything and there is nothing you can hide from Him.  It is a sad state of affairs that the Olympics would allow such nonsense and highly likely knowing what kind of feverish outcry there would be.  So what is the end game? I don't really know, except unbelievers love to make fun of believers in Christ.  I've been exposed to that on the streets of America all over the place when I was doing missionary work.  I had to remember that we fight not against flesh and blood....

And you have to remember that the devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  That pic they are showing endlessly of those people are a portrait of this world and how the world hates God.  "..tho they are in the world, they should not be of it".  I haven't said much about this subject because it's nothing new.  The only difference is it's the latest 15 minutes of fame type of thing on the world stage that everyone is talking about.  Let's discuss praying for those people's souls and all of those whose hearts are far from God. 

So the challenge I offer to my Christian friends that are outraged by this incident is simply this: Offer up prayer and supplication to the Lord of Hosts that He may get a hold of their hearts in whatever way He chooses and bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. 

And I just copied and pasted that and put it on my Facebook page. Why not?  I have lots of Christian friends from all over the world on my friends list.  This page here? Not so much.  It's rather "private". I know it's on the WWW but there really aren't that many people that know about it and that is by design.  I just like to write out my thoughts. I find it useful to understand why I might be thinking the way that I am, read it over and perhaps make decisions or perhaps wait on a thing that is in front of me to do.  Or not do.  I don't mind people reading it, not at all, it's just that I have always like sort of explore what is going on in my mind by writing it out "on paper" so to speak. It also helps if something happens and I need to refresh my memory.

As for today? My agenda is to simply get up to the plant, unload and get back.  I need to get some gasoline for the mowers. Allen is trying to finish up the riding mower. Yes, it's still sitting there like that. For so long, in fact, the battery is dead.  I am feeling much better now and the coughing has died down significantly, to the point I don't need to go to urgent care.  If it continues to go away, it will be one of the shorter-lived chest colds I have ever had, really.

I have no business decisions to make. Tractor, buildings, things are on hold. I am seriously considering putting in a hot tub, I am putting out a request to an insurance provider to see how much that would cost adding it to the insurance portfolio.  I can get a whole setup for around 15k, maybe 20.  The reason I have given up for now on expanding the park is simple: interest rates are still ridiculously high.  But, I may go ahead and try to get a loan through the local bank, at least see if they will lend to me and what terms I might get. I think I asked them if I could get a 125k loan.  They said it's possible, fill out all of this paperwork and then handed me a thick packet of papers.  It's been sitting for quite a while.  

Actually, I could get another building up for around the same monthly payment as I'm making now.  Everyone is always looking for an "office". I don't really have one, I tell them.  Well, I do, here at the house.  What do I need with an office? I don't.  But I do need a storage shed to keep all of my tools and stuff in.  A place to store things in an orderly fashion and easily accessible. I don't have that right now, I am just balking at the idea of having another payment immediately after getting rid of one.

At least, if there is another payment, that it brings in money? Such as a cabin shed that is completely finished?  No decision being made for I have no idea what I should "really" do.  As I have often stated, I find it better to simply wait, put things on hold until I get that feeling that yes, this is the right thing to do, or no, I shouldn't do this at all.  Now that I've gotten rid of Robert and that trailer, I don't really need to run that underground line so I put that on hold as well.  It's just one trailer back there now and the shed stuff.  So far, there are no signs of the system being overloaded.  I think getting rid of that trailer, it will stay that way. 

The other Robert would love to move back there and I would love to accommodate him, but it's 50 amp for his trailer and I'm afraid it's too much draw back there.  

Anyway, it's just another day in paradise, lol.

G'day

It dawned on me today after thinking about what the current electric bill might be that the next bill should be somewhere near or even lower than what I might be seeing now. I say might for I had not even thought to look at the current bill, it isn't due until the 11th.  It's $2,200.  The reason I believe the bill shouldn't be as horrible as my thoughts were taking me is that the last week? We've had storms and it's been cool.  AC units not working so hard to keep trailers cool, less electric usage. 

Anyway, the dude that might or might not show up? showed up about an hour ago. He called from the park.  I looked at the video, huge trailer.  I'm actually not in love with them, they use far more electricity. I mean, I'm not rejecting them, I charge more but I can't charge that much more.  It just seems to me that I should target the 30 amp trailers - smaller and only one AC unit.  How do you target 30 amp? Well, if I really wanted to do that? Just advertise 30 amp only, sorry, we don't have 50 amp here. It's that or just jack the price of 50 amp much higher and if they want it, they can have it, but I suspect they would move on.  I can see charging $500 per month for 50 amp to make decent profit off of them.  I say decent, I didn't say greedy. 

I've changed my thoughts about a pool. I still want one, it's just not doable right now.  Interest rates are jacked up to ridiculous highs.  I'm instead thinking of a large hot tub.  Those are popular year round, even in hot summer.  Much cheaper, the entire setup.  You're talking 10k or so for the actual tub versus 50k or more for the pool. Both need a deck - or - many hot tubs can just sit on a concrete pad.  I dunno, this is still a thought process.  There are other things I am "thinking about".  ATM, however, the coach is in the works.  Well, it's not being worked on ATM and the lady isn't even staying at the park. I was informed she's staying at the "kid's house", wherever that is and why, :I have no idea.

Marital issues?  She hasn't been around in almost a month.  She's very handy, I'd love to see her back lol. 

Not my call and certainly not inserting myself into other people's issues.  However, I do need word either way if she's going to repair and fix up the coach.  If she's not, I will head other directions and leave that thing be until I find the right person to do the job.  Other directions are my continued focus on "cabins". They aren't really cabins, that's just what they call them in the RV world. Much of it are sheds, they call them to keep them out of housing designation.  

What I want and what I need aren't that far apart.  I need something finished or very close to it, not just a shell. Finished as in the interiors being completed or certainly much of it done. Electrical, plumbing, flooring, walls, insulation, etc.  It needs to have heating/cooling or a built in area to install it.  It obviously has to have financing. Something finished like that is at least in the 20k territory.  I would pay that much and more to buy one unfinished and then have the interiors installed. Doing it myself would save money, but I am not there right now.  I don't want to do that kind of work atm.  It's enough to run the park and work a trucking job.  

The park host, so far, has been an invaluable tool to keep my head on the right side of sanity.  He deals with stuff I don't want to do.  I just plain don't want to do it and losing a month's worth of lot rent to have it done for me is fine by me, as long as I can keep working.  I say that because no one is granted tomorrow, and even if you get tomorrow, no one is granted the health to be able to do what you want to do tomorrow.  I keep that in mind always, not in fear but as a general way to keep myself in check.   I'm starting to get old and I am starting to need naps.  Not that I haven't always wanted to take naps, especially in trucking, driving 8 hours and getting a 30 minute nap in, now it seems like I need those naps. It isn't unexpected, I've watched many people growing old and the things that happen slowly, over time.

But whatever.  I just wish this inflation s*** would end and the fed would start lowering interest rates.  I need a loan to really move forward.  I can do stuff piece meal, that will take a long time to do it that way.  Now, if I could get a cabin under financing that's basically instant income.  No guarantees, but the local housing market is hot and on fire for places to rent.  And we aren't talking cheap.  I've been watching the market for some time now.  

Anyway, the washout took much longer than necessary.  There is a guy that does washouts on other types of trailers that feels like he needs to get every last bit of anything out of the trailer.  He spends far more time on it than anyone else and it's completely unnecessary and a waste of time.  He carried on almost to the point of having to go a second hour on it, which costs more money.  It's a mixed bag on Sundays, the place is closed but you can call them out 24 hours a day.  I rarely even see this guy, apparently this was his day to be on call.   After that and getting to the plant? They got me in and out of there quickly.  

Anyway, the park is full again, but on Wednesday another lot is vacating. And 2 more potentially vacating.  I have that guy saying he'll move his kid in - or will he? He never called back. People do this stuff all the time.  They say they'll call back, they don't and then...they just show up.  I don't argue with them, of course, but it seems a bit of a chance to just leave the park on hold and hope? that there is something available?  No clue.  I just go with the flow here, or at least I try to. It's the nature of RV parks? Yes, but you are more on the overnight side with people coming and going, not this type of thing where a long term just up and leaves without notice or a long term just shows up without notice. Or they tell you they might be coming, and then 2 weeks later, you hear back from them - at the park.  

I'm not going to feel bad if one of these people shows up and there isn't anything available.  Confirm it or don't, but if you don't, it isn't guaranteed that a lot will be available. When it comes to long term, it's pretty much first come-first served.    

It's starting to get late, I sort of stopped writing on here and ate dinner and tended to other things.  

 Sunday 7:30 am

I'm slowly starting to feel better. These chest colds have always kicked my @$$.  It's nothing new, but they allows pack a serious punch and just take me down for a while.  I've been working the entire time, thusly making the punch even worse. I get home from 7 or 8 hours of trucking and I'm toast, done, wiped out and ready to lay down.

The college kids up and left - I dunno if I reported that last post or not, I don't think so.  There was no advanced notice, it was: "School is over, we're going home!".  You know, while I'm turning some people away because I have no spaces available?  They literally said nothing until they were ready to hook up and leave.  Whatever.  A "dad" called yesterday going in an extremely long explanation of his kid, what the kid is doing, how well behaved he is, the fact that he, the dad, is buying him a brand new trailer and one that will "last for a long time", etc.  

Daddy is rich, I can tell ya that just by that conversation. We're talking a 150k trailer, not some hunting stand type of camper.  The kid will be going to a local college, there are 3 of them here (it still amazes me after living here 10 years that this bitty little town has 3 colleges, one of them is growing exponentially, another was part of a movie of a small town versus Harvard, I think it was, the other is a state college that churns out people who are instantly offered high paying jobs).

He wants to start paying rent on a lot on the 1st, even tho the trailer won't arrive until the 15th.  You got it!  I don't care what they want to do and so far, the college kids have, actually, been the best behaved of anyone.  Speaking of behavior, the park host went around after I told him I was getting disgusted with people parking on the grass and told everyone to get their vehicles off the grass, please and thank you.

And sure enough, people did it, with one threat of moving out.  Bye!  Those people would drive on the grass up to their front door.  Absolutely appalling behavior, as if they just bought that lot.  Even if they had purchased the lot, they would still be under what amounts to HOA rules.  How many people do you see parking on their front lawn?  Not many, hardly ever.  I may lose people, I'll take it over people who feel entitled for some unknown reason to abuse the privilege.  I'm not making money hand over fist here, folks, I'd need a lot more lots to do that.

I am watching the construction of a new RV park about 30 miles up the road, I pass by it every time I go and return from Gurdon.  They put the gravel in which really made it stand out. Stand out, however, as one of the worst set ups I've seen. It's old school setup where they cram as many spaces in as the possibly can in a very small area.  I mean, if you get a trailer in there with slide outs an dyou get another trailer next to it with slide outs - and most trailers being built now have the slide outs, I have to wonder if they could even do it without hitting the neighbor's slideout. 

I don't know who designed the thing, the only thing I can think is maybe they are just going to off cut throat rates.  Even then, having them that close together is very unappealing nowadays.  I've done my own polls and I've seen the stats, people don't want to be crammed in if they're paying. If they aren't paying, they don't care as much, think: truck stops where RV'ers think it's perfectly acceptable to park their rigs in truck parking spaces and then flaunt truckers who complain about it.  You won't find signs at places like Love's Travel Centers saying trucks only, they don't care.  If you go to a big mom and pop place, they very well may enforce trucks only, but those are few and far apart.

Anyway, there is allegedly a man moving in today.  I am not sure tho, he seems to be wishy washy about it, I am not counting on him arriving.  I have the college student spot empty and another is leaving on Wednesday and there is a one monther that should be leaving soon as well.  So just like that, down 3 spaces.  Oh and the people that said "we'll just move". Well move your @SSes out now if you're going to have that attitude, I don't need that s*** in my park.  They don't drive or park on the grass now, however and they aren't letting their dog out to roam freely around the park.  

I'm loosely following politics, it's really a circus act.  I'm amazed that democrats think they are pulling anything over anyone's minds.  Biden was sharp as a tack, now he's stepped down and this person that has no clue what she is doing and certainly has no business being at the helm of the country has been pumped up to the point you'd think she just invented electricity, made all the appliances for your house and you are experiencing the wonders of dishwashers and electric waters heaters all at once.  

And, of course, the left is calling anyone (read: Republicans) that opposes her racist and misogynistic.  Literally, they are doing nothing but using identity politics. She must deserve the position simply because she is black and a woman.  Virtue signaling on steroids.  What I know is, leftists engage in ad hominem attacks regularly online.  You can't have a conversation with them about politics without them attacking you personally.  You bring up something that is factually correct and can be verified with various articles from a myriad of different outlets both left and right leaning and they will still dismiss it, call you names and that's the end of the conversation and yes,  they won!

It's amazing how fast they change the narrative.  Did you see where Biden now wants to impose term limits on Supreme Court justices?  This is a change to the Constitution itself.  He's a self-imposed lame-duck President.  You do know that fully 3/4's of the House and the Senate PLUS 3/4's of states have to vote in the affirmative to ratify a change to the Constitution?  That is, if my memory serves me correctly.  The point is, in this political environment? That is literally impossible, especially with such a ridiculous proposition.  I don't recall Republicans wanting to change the structure of SCOTUS simply because leftist judges were installed?  If I am wrong, feel free to correct me, I don't have the time to look that up right now.  Nor the desire, it's absurd to think because you don't get your way, you are going to start crying like a baby and demand that you get your way! And wanting to impeach 2 of the longer tenured justices because...reasons.  

100 days until the election. What else can go off the rails?  And they are floating Gretchen Whitmer for the VP! You remember this chick? She banned stores "over 50,000 square feet" from selling gardening supplies, saying they are "not necessary" because of the Coronavirus.  You want to talk about Communism, there is a grass roots start to it right there.  Let's tell everyone when to piss and eat while we're at it!

We will become the laughing stock of the world, previous generations will all turn over in their graves at once creating a worldwide earthquake and the end of mankind as we know it. Ok, that might be a wee bit of an exaggeration. Lol.

I just wonder what 4 more years of this chaos will do to our country and what kind of poisonous, toxic, hateful environment we will be living in if Harris wins and ends up with a VP such as Whitmer?  

Meanwhile, I am watching footage of Israel striking back at Hezbollah in Lebanon.  Apparently Hezbollah fired off a rocket that hit somewhere in Israel and killed 12 children that were playing on a playground.  Imagine the outrage of these idiots that hate Israel - the people in this nation that are anti-jew and anti-israel (and who also hate America as it stands, tho most of them will never outwardly admit it) taking a stand against anyone that supports Israel in it's quest to defend it's own borders.  

The deadliest single attack against Israel since October 7th, I am hearing now.  They're showing a blurred pic of a child laying on the ground, but even blurry, you can see his legs are covered in blood.  

Well, anyway.  There is evil in this world and that's not going to change until you start to see the book of Revelations coming into play. When that happens or if that is going to happen in our lifetimes? I dunno.  "there will be a massive response ot this attack in Lebanon" and questions as to whether that will lead to a broader war.  Well, my guess? Of course it will. Hezbollah is evil, they might as well have the devil as their leader. They are just another extension of Iran the same as Hamas.  Israel, btw, has stated that they are going to take out Iran's nuke capabilities.  Sure sounded that way, anyway, listening to Netanyahu speaking during the speech he gave to Congress.  

You know, we live our lives and experience things like this and wonder, what is the end game of all of this? Well, I have the answer! Just start reading the Bible.  If you believe, you understand. If you don't believe, well, live in ignorance. I can only say that God gives the "peace that passes all understanding".  

I keep thinking "I need to leave now" and then I think, oh, yeah, other drivers who don't show up to appointments on time, which has a cascading effect.  The plant will say screw it and start loading their own trailers and then, when that late driver shows up, they will have to wait for the plant to finish loading the other trailers.  I was out of there at 10:36 am 2 days ago. I have the late load today, which sucks, especially on a Sunday.  I might leave early anyway just to get there and even if I have to wait, I will be en-queue to get loaded as fast as possible.  But still, it makes no sense to show up there before 11:30 am.  

If any of those other drivers were to show up on time regularly, I would already be on the road right now. 

But, I am going to get out of here anyway.  Leave by 9, at the washout by 10:30, over to the plant around 11:45 am.  I won't get home until 4:00 pm at the earliest is my best guess just from historical perspective.  Not that bad, I guess.  Not great but not bad.  2 Sundays in a row of missed church.  Kids haven't been to church in 3 weeks including today, unless mom gets up and takes them.  

And with that, I am getting offa here. Make another cuppa to go, a glass of ice water, maybe stuff something to eat in my mouth and get this day rolling.  I almost called in sick.  Just because I want the day off, lol, and because my sleep has been not-so-great.  

However...bills are calling me.  ONE more payment on that shed and I just keep putting off paying off the phone, I need to get that done.  Pay it off and rid myself of a monthly phone payment that is rather pricey.  Couple those with no more internet service at the house - however they are doing that, more power to them.  They will  have internet there, I just haven't heard how they are going to do it, some other plan that I don't know about because I am not there. Local deals aren't going to show up 1,300 miles away.  I fully look forward to ridding myself of a little over $600 per month in payments.  

G'day

 Friday

Haven't been feeling good, hence the lack of posting. Don't really feel all the great right now, in fact, but I'm sitting at the desk anyway.  Yes, I have worked the last 3 days including today, it's about all I can do to make it through that, get home and sit or lay down. 

The kid that brought this sickness with him from Arkansas was coughing all over the place and I started getting on him about covering his mouth and turning his head, at the very least.  He started arguing at the time that he only had allergies and it wasn't contagious. This boy is, in fact, extremely argumentative about most things when you tell him something else is true and what he has stated is not correct.

He gets offended and either storms out of the room or just starts getting whiny with the arguing nonsense.  Anyway, 2 days later after that conversation and I came down with what he has and then I said something to him again, wherein he stated once again he only has allergies. Well, you are the only sick person I've been around, it's not allergies.  9 times out of 10, he retorts, it's allergies.    WELL THIS TIME IT'S NOT ALLERGIES. 

It was 3 weeks of the 2 kids here going to grandmas, then 2 weeks here, 2 weeks back at grandmas and then a week here.  Basically, the entire summer.  Grandma came and got him today stating he had to be home with his biological mother today.  Maybe all the whining around here will stop, or at least a good portion of it.  Regardless, I am feeling quite miserable and it's likely that I'm going to head over to Urgent Care to see if they can give me some meds to at least make me feel better.  I am just glad that kid shuffling is over, tho there is still 3 weeks or so until school starts.  It's just one of those things that when summer comes near an end, kids start getting cranky and really need  to get back into school again.

The park was full for a little while, but one lady is moving out because she bought her new house and the college kids came and told me today they are leaving - today (no advance notice).  I just happens that way all the time, unfortunately.  I'm just a bit cranky right now so dealing with that stuff isn't high on my list of things I want to do. The things I want to do right now? Nothing. I want to do nothing at all. I don't want my phone blowing up with complaints and I don't want to have to deal with people moving in and out.  But, allegedly, there is a man coming tomorrow to move in so one of those lots will be rerented.  

Actually, neither of them had left when I left after returning back in the truck today.  

So that's where I'm at and watching a little of this nonsense with Biden stepping down and Kamala being inserted.  The problem I have with that is that people actually voted for Biden to be the nominee, no one voted for Kamala.  People are arguing that since she was on the ticket, they were voting for her too. Uhh, no.  Most people aren't voting for the VP pick, they are voting for the person that is going to occupy the Oval Office.  The VP might visit that office but it certainly isn't theirs.  That whole thing should have gone back to Democrat voters to decide for themselves who they want next.  

Of course, the whole thing is ridiculous to begin with. Biden is our man!  he is sharp at a tack!  Now, Kamala is our woman!  Whatever the case, they are both very poor candidates and I doubt she is going to have an easy time winning enough votes to insert her into the White House.  I sincerely hope she does not win.  She was the one that had set up a fund to pay for rioter's bail if they got arrested during the rioting.  She has said anti-Israel statements.  She is a complete tool and I can't imagine her representing this nation to the entire world.  She's also a liar, but I guess that isn't remarkable since most politicians lie.

Well, enough. I can't sit here very long, I'm going to go nap for a while, it's still mid afternoon. I got done early today being back before 1:00 pm.

 Tuesday - 8:00 am

Final day of vacation.  I am going over to the park today and moving the motorhome back to where it was before I moved it for these "workampers" to come in.  A mistake I won't be quick to repeat.  I wasn't really bringing them in for working in the first place, they just wanted it that way and I was too quick to be open to it, like, yes! I could use some help around here. 

Good riddance. That's what I can say about them.  

As for the other people, they are, so far working out fairly well.  He's a little authoritarian with people and I'm going to have to gently try to get him to bring his tones down with people several notches.  Yes, people do stupid and/or selfish things, yes, it is annoying, but also yes: I am running a business and I don't need to be running everyone off.  Neither does he.  Not that he's done that, I just see a tad too much bossiness. Not terrible, but if I don't put it in check, who knows where it may lead to.  Then I'll have another mess to deal with.  

However, people get this from other parks they have stayed at where management just tells people like it is in no uncertain terms and they can like it or leave.  I know this from being in numerous RV 'ers groups and also in several RV park managers/owners groups.  I can be that way as well, but only when I am forced into that position.  For example, I became pretty angry yesterday when I saw beer cans, a beer bottle and an empty cigarette pack laying on the trail in the rear of the property.  My mind went straight to: let's shut these trails down to everyone.  I didn't do that, I just don't understand people doing stuff like that.  I've seen it all my life out in the wilderness where people just chuck their trash on the ground like it's a giant trash can.

I have a trash can back there, located where I was going in and out where I was working on the bridge and such.  I'm going to relocate it to the trail head. At least give the opportunity to put the stuff into the trash.

Speaking of the bridge, the last rain?  Washed out one of the footers and the entire bridge fell on that corner. I'm talking that big bridge.  I was shocked to see it, actually.  I mean, I had that footer well into the ground and away from the creek.  It's why I bought 16 foot long spanners. With as much erosion as what happened, that creek must have been a river going through there. I promise you, the creek is barely a little bit of running water during the summer, no way would I have ever envisioned that much volume of water going through there to get up that high. 

I am not even sure what to do about it.  Get a hydraulic jack out there, I guess, jack the thing up and then figure out a way to put blocks under it. Hmm, thinking about it, I think I'll have to drive some rebar into the ground and pour a concrete footer that won't go anywhere.  I dunno, but I'm going to have to do something about that soon.  You can still walk over the bridge and such, it's just obvious that it's going to start to fall apart if left like that very long.  

What a pain.

There's always something.  Like the person saying there are dog tracks coming from the shower/bathroom, as if someone had given a dog a bath.  

On and on.  I've got eyes in there and I will be reviewing however many days worth of footage to figure out if that person is right in their assertion or if they're seeing things that don't exist.  I do not want people washing their dogs in my shower stall. There is a hose outside, it's warm out, they can wash their dog outside.  That's what I do with my dog.  

Allen's wife is, allegedly, finally coming home today.  She's been gone at least 3 weeks.  Trying to sell a trailer and traveling around doing what else? I have no idea. None of my business and there would have been no way for her to work in that coach before Saturday anyway.  I don't expect her to work in a very hot coach.  

Enough of that. Just daily nonsense.  Not near as ridiculous as the nonsense going on in DC right now.  Biden steps down as the nominee, Harris takes over, Biden disappears and walaah, you have a new nominee, yes I know it's not official yet but it highly likely will be and you have conspiracy theories that Biden is dead because he disappeared.  I doubt Biden is dead but I do wonder about a nation being run by Harris.  

___________

Wednesday morning. Whatever it is, I've come down with some sort of chest cold with sore throat.  I'm not in the throes of death, lol, so I'm going to work today.  I got from the manager that he doesn't have anyone to take my place today and I've been off 5 days, just going to tough it out, get it done, get home and go to bed.  

 Sunday - late

Vacation over. Didn't post anything the entire time because we were just plain too busy. Got up at 5:15 am Friday, got the Galveston before noon.  We ate at a seafood restaurant which is on the water, there are even docking areas for boats to pull up, get out and eat. After that, over to the main strip.  Up and down there, it was pretty hot out but it was nice.  To the AirBNB house, got situation and then to the beach for a couple of hours.  Back to the house and then to a Chinese restaurant which had great food, back to the house again and then settle in for the evening.

Day 2/Saturday: I got up and made breakfast. 3 meat breakfast casserole, it was a hit.  I mean, I was glad it was a hit because the ingredients cost a bit and it took quite a while to make it.  Double recipe for 18 people. After that we were off to the beach.  I mean, we weren't there even 2 hours, tho and they wanted to go to Galveston for lunch at Rainforest Cafe.  It was great and it was fun, but I wanted to stay in the water, lol, so did most of the kids.  

In fact, I spent more time in the water than anyone, kids included.  The 9 year old was in almost as long as me, but he was getting in and out and I was just enjoying the water.  By the time we got back, there was only 2 hours of daylight left but yes, went back out into the water until sunset and then back to the house for tacos.   

This morning was probably the most interesting part as far as memories go.  Well, first off, we were all in bedrooms and I was in with other adults.  One of them snores heavily and non-stop, all night long.  Friday night to Saturday morning, I might have gotten 4 hours  of sleep, I think it was more like 3.  Last night? No thank you.  I got my ear buds out of the SUV, fully charged thankfully, looked up green noise, found one that says continuous play with black screen for 12 hours, turned that on and turned the sound up until it drowned out the sound of the unbelievably loud snoring.

It canceled it the entire time, I slept 7 hours and I felt good today.

Ok, so we got up this morning, cleaned up, packed and left by 11:00 am.  Over to the beach for one last time getting in the water. This time, it was just me and the kids and they all got out after I saw a jellyfish.  Like, run for your lives! No thanks.  Takes more that to get me out of the water, but yes, I did get out of the water after being in it for about an hour and a half.

You see, I was out there with the 9 year old, pretty far out actually, he was trying to learn how to use a wake board and I was trying to teach him. Took a while but he started getting the hang of it. At some point, I noticed this very large man attempting to get my attention.  He was yelling something and frantically waving his arms.  You don't have to yell at me very long out in the ocean, especially as far out as we were, to get my attention and get me moving.  I don't know what he was saying, but in case it was sharks, I got the boy and we moved quickly towards the man, towards the shore.  

Sure enough, 2 sharks, large fins sticking well out of the water were spotted numerous times near us and actually closer to the shore than we were!  I'm not a beach person, we go infrequently, I don't care what kind of shark it is, I don't want to be anywhere near them. I didn't panic, exactly, but I got the hell out of the water.  These people all came running up to us, sorry we did that but "the sharks seem pissed off this year biting people everywhere" I never saw them, but the man showed the size of the fins sticking out with his hands and I was decidedly not going back into the water. There was a storm coming anyway, plus it was getting late and it was just time to go.  

Over to Taylor where they were hanging out and they had seen the 2 sharks as well.  I don't have any feelings of "I could have died today" and doom and gloom, I'm just glad I don't have a limb bitten off or in a hospital somewhere.  The boy as well.  He was also done and didn't want to get back in.

Is that going to stop from ever going back into the water? Of course not.  Just nice that people were watching and actually went out of their way to get our attention and get us out of harm's way.  

Well, the adventure continued today. James and Taylor wanted to go off on their own, which was fine by me, they wanted some alone time, we were going to head home.  Just wanted to take that ferry across the bay.  On the way to the ferry point, Taylor asked if we wanted to go to that Naval Museum, I took a poll, 3-1, we one.  So, it's raining heavy, we have to drive through residential area - large one - in Galveston to get over to the road that leads to the place. 

Well, we were in  4 inches of water after turning into there, I didn't think much of it. Then 6 inches, 8 inches, then water all the way up to the step rails on my SUV.  I wanted out of there but we were already in the mess. Small cars low to the ground were getting flooded.  One car driving through it opened their doors!  I ended up getting off the road, those people were all freaking out and went down other residential streets that were completely flooded out.  What have we gotten ourselves into?  

I finally made my way out of it and to a major street where all the cars were sitting up against the center median, some cars were broken down, most of them just sitting there. I had to flip a U-ey to get out of there, but we did, indeed, make it back to the road that leads to the naval museum.  The road goes up onto an  elevated highway which takes you out of that flooded mess, I as surprised more people weren't going that way. That elevated highway takes you out of there, I guess they didn't know it was right there.  

We toured an old sub and an old warship, then headed out of there to the ferry. That highway took us there without hardly any water, a little but nothing near the extent of those residential streets.  The ferry was free, amazingly enough.  Operated by TXDOT, they have several of them moving back and forth all day long. I'd never been on one. Just drive onto it, get out once it starts moving and do some sight seeing.  

Met up with James and Taylor at a restaurant on the other side and then we parted ways. They wanted to stay and have a few drinks, I decided we wanted to go home.  The kids in full agreement, they had lots of fun but it was go, go, go the entire time and they were worn out.  Not 30 minutes later, Taylor calls asking if it would be ok if they stayed another night?  Not ready for vacation to be over and just those 2 alone, I thought that was a great idea for them so I readily agreed.  

We're home now, I'm letting the kids play video games for a bit - they weren't allowed to take them on the trip - and then they are going to bed and I'm hopefully going to get as good a night's sleep as I ever get. I can't really complain too much about last night tho, that noise "barrier" worked great and I don't wonder if I should try doing that again even at home?  I might.  There is nothing tomorrow, I have no plans to get up early for anything like we have the last 3 days.  

I wasn't paying hardly any attention to the political chaos going on right now, my mom actually contacted me via text and asked "are you watching this?".  Huh?  Biden dropped out of the race.  I'm not getting into that now, I will catch up on everything tomorrow.  I've only seen that Kamala wants the nomination, lmao, Manchin is talking about running and who knows if this might reinsert JFK into the mix?  

So that's it for now. It's late and I want to go to bed. There are details in the trip I forgot but not going to go there now, time for bed.  

 Friday - early

Lmao.  It got ridiculous last night to the point I just let them know how I felt about the situation and ended my end of the conversation. The "lady" had to have the last words, of course, but what she said had me busting out laughing this morning.  I should transcribe the text here to get the full measure and dose of the influx of a woman's anger about something that if she had the sense of a dead cow, she would understand that what she texted to me? Made her look l like a sluggard, a family full of people that can't be bothered to get up off their @$$ and go out and do something about their situation.

"Today has been the first time I have left the RV since the 4th" was part of the text.  Today is the 19th.  LOLOL. She just admitted they haven't got the motivation of a sloth to do something about their miserable existence.  She said that Allen does nothing but "snitch" to me all the time. Yes, yes indeed he does, I encouraged him to after he started telling the the things he sees and hears. 

Some things I will ask the people involved about, other things I let go.  He's on the same page as me, if I'm letting something go, he doesn't pursue it any further.  "You have to pick your battles" I tell him and also said right now, the battle is to get these people gone.  2 things I will say that annoy me are people throwing cigarette butts all over the place and people parking on the grass.  I'm not sure which one annoys me more, I think it's fairly equal.  But if you start getting into people's faces, you risk the result of losing people and it takes time to replace them.  I had 3 empty lots for several weeks before all of a sudden, they were filled back up again.

I am facing losing at least 2, maybe 3 more right now.  It's just the way it goes, of course, the dynamics of an RV park are much different than what you see in a mobile home park. People love to compare the 2 but in reality, they are nowhere near the same thing.  You can't just hook up to your mobile home and move it the same day to another mobile home park.  Etc, I could go on about the differences but I'm sure you can surmise what I am talking about. 

Anyway, we are leaving soon, just wanted to get something thrown on here.  The Sheriff went to their trailer last night - I don't know why they called them excepting I had told them that if they follow through with their plan to "get their trailer out of there and if they damage that other trailer, it's not their fault" I immediately told them if they do that, I'll call the sheriff out there and give him/her your names.  Apparently they decided they would call the Sheriff on me, I guess? I don't care, I didn't say anything beyond business to them.  

The point was, they decided to leave today instead of Saturday, tomorrow.  I had contacted the owner of the trailer and informed him last week they were planning on moving out Saturday.  Now, these people say they are leaving Friday so I contacted him again, if you don't want your trailer damaged, I'd move it out of their way.  

Drama. Just what I don't need or want. 

Just a few more things.  Watched the speech, well I watched a little bit of it, it was a bit odd they had Trump giving his speech at 10:00 pm last night.  I mean, that's too late for me, I had to go to bed.  But, he gave his rendition of what happened during the assassination attempt. You could see on his face it had affected him greatly. That or he's a great actor, but I don't think he was acting.  They panned to people with tears running down their faces. I'm sure the left will say  that was all staged...whatever. But after that he went on into stuff I"ve heard him say continuously and didn't feel the need to hear it again, I understand his intended policies and have seen him in action already. 

The kids? They were just awakened since we are leaving. I need to get my thermos filled with coffee and things are moving quickly, so, I am out of here!

G'day

 Long day.

Up early, up to the plant, offload, took a little longer than previous loads but nothing serious and then back to the park. More drama, unfortunately, with the workampers.  But that just started half an hour ago. 

Oops, now I get a call from the county, the Sheriff is out there looking for lot 16.  This is an evolving story here, it's been going on for a while as any regular reader knows.  I just don't feel like talking about those people right now, I'm burnt out on them, done with them, happy they are leaving, goodbye. 

Anyway, I left the park and went straight to Walmart.  Ran into the family there, they were buying stuff for the kids for the beach.  I was there replacing the belt that broke this morning.

I can tell ya, it's lots of fun attempting to work a tanker while holding your pants up.  I don't have a second belt, I just buy one and hope it lasts.  After that, all over the store getting stuff.  Off to Great Clips for a haircut, decided to get a cigar for the vacation, over to the bank. I have found that on most trips, there are times when you need cash.  And anyway, the older generation likes cash over cards.  The "system" wants to get rid of cash because you really can't track it.  

Home, I got the dryer going to freshen up the clothes I had dried over night as well as pulling all the stuff out of the vehicle I had bought for the trip.  Some of it is ingredients to make breakfast casserole.  I went from biscuits and gravy to bacon, eggs and potatoes to breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls. I don't feel like biscuits and gravy now, we had that the other day. Delicious but it changed my mind about having it yet again.  

We decided to go out for dinner and yes, I started the cheat days early. Just tonight, not all day.  I'm going through Sunday and then back at Keto.  

Back, got more stuff done and now? Trump just walked up on the stage and started speaking.  

Ending this here. Gonna listen to this and go to bed. 

 Thursday - early

Woke up 45 minutes before the alarm was going to go off, knew I would never be able to get back to sleep so...got up.

Whatever the case, final day before departure.  I was planning on going to the car wash yesterday until the rain hit 3 plus hours before it was "supposed to".  Never-the-less, I did end up going up to the car wash, which was closed, up to the new one and it was still opened.  I didn't want to pay even more for a car wash than the monthly rate I already pay. I took the cheapest wash, which wasn't bad actually and then spent over an hour at the free vacuum. 

All 3 boys in tow, I made them all get out, whether they were going to help would be up to them. Amazingly, the 9 year old decided on his own that he was going to clean the floor mats, which were pretty dirty.  He spent a good 40 minutes scrubbing those things. The other 2? Well, they walked around cleaning the windows, of which at the end I had to go around use paper towels to get them mirror-finish looking.

The SUV has dark tinted windows and if you get those windows cleaned up nice, it looks pretty sharp and not bad for a 13 year old vehicle.  I vacuumed the entire interior, scrubbed it down and used their free cleaning spray.  Didn't know anyone supplied that kind of stuff. Rags, yes, but Windex type cleaner?  Interesting.  The only thing that it is lacking now is carpet cleaning. It's good enough and it looks nice inside that thing again.  

Glad to get that behind me, I don't have a lot left to do today. Well, I take that back, I am allegedly cooking breakfast for everyone on Saturday morning and still have yet to decide what to make.  I was going to make biscuits and gravy. Then I thought, bacon and eggs with cinnamon rolls (easy to make, just pop them out of the tube and into the oven), then I thought well a couple breakfast casseroles and the cinnamon rolls. I'm thinking the casseroles.  They look easy to make and 2 or 3 of them should be able to feed the crowd.  There will be people that won't eat it so I don't have to make too much of it.  Cinnamon rolls will probably be gobbled down, I plan on buying enough to cover that many people and then some.  

The forecast for the Galveston area hasn't changed, it's going to be on and off rain for the entire 3 days we'll be there.  At least there are no hurricanes in the forecast....

As for today?  Just go up to Gurdon, get rid of 45,000 pounds of glue, come back, park the truck and hope that 5 days of sitting isn't going to cause me a lot of headaches. I have thoughts about taking a garden hose when I get back today and at least trying to spray down the interior walls of the tank.  With a pool of water at the bottom to keep it from drying it, it might be enough. I dunno, unless my manager says something, I have no plans to do anything beyond that.  I just don't have the time for it.  It would cost me at least 4 hours to go wash that thing out after delivering today. At least 4 hours.....

It is quite amazing the amount of gaslighting and genuflecting to media types and certain politicians the left rolls out whenever something happens where they have to change the narrative.  There has been zero press conferences from these people in positions of power about the assassination attempt and now there are several of them saying it wasn't that bad, or it was "only glass shrapnel" that hit Trump, attempting to change the conversation to Biden now!  Joy Reid, the piece of work mouthpiece for the American Communist Party (it's what I'm calling it) on MSNBC is comparing Biden having COVID to the attempt on Trump's life!  

I don't believe these people believe the words coming out of their own mouths.  They've been liars so long that speaking forth fictional stories as if they are real is normal to them.  

Back to the trip, I have the entire drive up to and back from Gurdon to think about anything I need to take and not miss something. I have a list, lol.  

As for the Park.  I don't know, I just take it one day at a time over there.  Whatever happens, I try to deal with it and move on.  If undesirables come in, it takes a "minute" to get rid of them. People can put up a good front when coming in, making it appear as if they are totally normal people and then...get them moved in and situated, a very different type of person actually surfaces to the top.  Or people, as in couples, in some cases.  So it was with this workamper and I will be hesitant to ever let that type of situation in again.

Certainly, if someone moves in and they haven't even brought up the subject of working but then do so after they are settled in, I am likely to not budge.  No, there was no agreement or even conversation about that.  I don't need your help, but thanks for offering.  I need to do a better job of attempting to vet some of these people trying to find out their sources of income and attempt to determine whether they have enough to get by or if they are going to become a real PITA with begging people for cigarettes, food, rides, etc.  I don't want those types of people in there, it always turns into a shit-show.  

Well, it's time to go make lunch, get some coffee in the thermos and leave.

G'day

 So a few things.

First, I texted the workampers - are you paying your rent today?  No threats of eviction, just asking their intentions.  We are moving out Saturday.  I let out a yelp of joy. Thank God!  They are leaving and all of their pettiness and bad attitude leaving with them. That is the last of the Mohicans, at least for now. I've dumped all the bad apples that are so rotten they are rotting everything else around them.

That lot will open up and I can move the motorcoach back in there and the lady can start demo and construction work on it.  It will have AC so she doesn't burn up in there, I'm fairly sure she wasn't going to do it anyway without some kind of cooling.  Although I'd love to have the income from that lot, I'd more love to get that thing in tip-top shape and then rent it out.  

Second, a discussion that started up an hour ago with the group. They rented this AirBNB house - 37 miles away from Galveston, lol. It's a beach front - or near it anyway - property, to the south of Galveston.  They were all shocked because they didn't realize it was that far away.  I just wonder about people renting something that expensive without doing their homework first, but I don't really care. I'm going for the beach.  Galveston has the restaurants and we will be going on Friday evening.  

Third, a lot of new developments in the attempted Trump assassination.  A picture of a tall ladder the assassin (he did kill another many so that is his title, assassin) bought allegedly at Home Depot that morning.  A lot more footage of people yelling at police and SS agents that there is a person with a gun on that roof!  There has been no official statement from any of the agencies involved, the only thing so far is Biden giving a statement but SS? FBI? Mayorkas? Nowhere to be found.  Most of the revelations about this incident are coming from civilians who took video footage of it, not from officials.  

The Director of SS is saying the "buck stops here", well she should be fired. She is stating she has no intentions of stepping down.  We were a millimeter away from a dead Trump and this person who, allegedly, has no business even being assigned that position, is defiantly saying she isn't stepping down. Then fire her ass.  I've heard no one saying that this wasn't a royal screwup.   Authorities might try to spin it, but the reality is, there is too much footage from all angles of what occurred.  

And oddly, there has been no calls for gun control from the left.  Note that the assassin was using an AR-15, the kind of "assault weapon" that they have been repeated calling to have banned for years now.  A tad bit strange, don't you think, that they aren't all out there calling for it now? Why not? Well in my view, it's obvious: whether they say it or not, they all wish Trump would have been killed.  It's a total act some of these Trump-hating politicians coming out and denouncing this event and the killer, those same people calling Trump a threat to national security and all the rest of their garbage.  THEY are the dividers, THEY are the threat to our national security.

I had thoughts of doing the interior clean on the SUV tomorrow since it's going to cool down considerably - but - it's also an 83% chance of rain tomorrow, the car washes won't be open. Either do it today at the car wash or do it tomorrow with a vacuum cleaner.  Yeah, I'm opting for today. Just need to vacuum the thing out, scrub some of it down and good to go.  

___________

Well, I guess my plans to vacuum out the SUV after dinner are dashed.  The rain that was supposed to come at 8 pm? It's 5:30 pm and it's pouring. The car washes will close.  Very unfortunate, I have a monthly membership to one of them and the wash and vacuum are free. I guess tomorrow I will be using the home vacuum to do the job for it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Darnit, I should have just gone and gotten it done.

Meh, oh well.  We have a shop vac now that I think of it, that will work.  It isn't going to rain all day tomorrow. And here comes James, home from work...on his motorcycle....wet.

Ok, well the rain stopped. Maybe it will "go away" and they won't close the car wash? I will call them after dinner.  The thing is, they not only have free vacuum they also have free, clean rags to wipe down everything. That was what I was looking for.

Well, here I am on the cusp of dumping $600 per month in payments.  The shed, Verizon and they are going to take care of internet in the AZ house themselves.  I don't know how or what, I didn't even ask them to, but hey, adding that all up? It's over $600 per month!  Talk about freeing up some finances. The only drawback is I still owe $180 on the phone, so I'll have to pay that off apparently before I can disconnect the service entirely. Definitely have to do that to get the phone unlocked.  

And now I have another one leaving. At the RV Park.  I didn't know they were going to be gone so soon.  They moved to the park to wait it out for purchasing a house and all the title work to go through. They just texted that it should happen a week from now.  I'm not worried about it, per se. I have one guy that wants to move in next month, that's a bit long for this lot and I have a lady saying she wanted to move in - next month as well. I don't really hold lots that long, it's wasted money if I can possibly get it rented sooner. I just tell them I "should" have a lot available by then, that is always based on when people are leaving, not just giving them a story to hope I have something.  

Well, I think dinner is served soon.  I wish the weather forecasters around here could get their act together. You don't expect it to start raining....3 HOURS EARLIER....then what they have predicted. Like, it shows it after 8 and while you're looking at that, it starts pouring. Ridiculous. 

 Wednesday - early

2 more days. Just 2 more days of this driving nonsense and then I can have 4 days off.  

Now that is something to look forward to!

The vehicle was nicely chilled yesterday with just the front AC on without even leaving the park.  I came into the park in the truck, turned the SUV on remotely and then did my post trip.  Got into the SUV and drove over to the park host place where I sat and discussed things for quite a while.  

Getting back into the vehicle, it was nicely cooled inside the entire thing. So, I'm definitely not taking it into the shop today or tomorrow.  Just don't have the time or the desire for it, really. 

Today is the day the lot rent is due from the workamper.  I have no idea what is going to happen, I just know that I will be taking a video of whatever in case they decide to get ugly. Probably drag the host along with me as a witness.  Well, take that back, I'm going to text them first.  I"d rather get things in writing...you owe this today, you were informed you owed this today, do you have the money?  

But I'll give them until this afternoon to contact me first.  Just in case.  Or by some miracle, they actually leave somehow (they don't have a vehicle).  Yeah, not really looking forward to any of this and if they don't have the money and/or aren't leaving, I will wait until I return from vacation to give them the notice.  That way I'm around if "something" happens with them.  

There isn't a lot else I can discuss right now, it's almost time to leave.  I'm just going to get those people out of my mind at least while I'm driving today, just not worth dwelling on it. I'd rather dwell on the Lord and what does He want in this situation?  I do wonder about that.  I might be more on the "okay you can stay a while longer" side of things if the man wasn't so caustic in his attitude.  

That's my real problem with this situation and why I want them out of there versus anything else. 

Anyway, it's a wonderful day and the Lord is still God and is still sitting on His Throne of righteousness and mercy! Thank you Lord!

G'day

 Tuesday  - 7:15 am

The park is full and there are 2 people wanting in next month.  Which works out as one person for sure is only there a month and another, I think, is also leaving next month.  Tomorrow is "do or die day" for the workamper.  Well, he won't die, I'm not talking about violence (old sayings from the past should probably be put into context nowadays for people who have no clue and think, gee, he's talking about killing someone!).  Just they need to pay up or leave.  If they can't pay up, they'll sit there and make a bunch of excuses and then they'll try to turn the narrative back on me, Allen and the park. 

Nope.  They won't get a lot of that type of verbiage out of their mouths before I shut it down.  I didn't even reply to her last message she left on my voicemail at 10:30 at night going off on Allen and telling us how respectful they have been and blah, blahhh, blahhhh.  HE, her husband, has NOT been respectful but she's never around when all of that nonsense occurs.  She hardly ever comes out of that trailer.  Actually, I guess I'd have to deal with it after vacation. I don't want to give them a 3 day notice and then have them going wild in the park while I'm gone.  Bad idea.  I just know they won't have any money, I don't know if they are going to be able to move like they said they were originally before they changed their story and told me how broke they are.

As the saying goes, he's a grown @$$ man, healthy enough to do some kind of work, get off your lazy @$$ and go do something.  My sympathy is over for them, they don't deserve it.  "The man who doesn't work, doesn't eat" or something like that in the book of Proverbs.  I've worked my entire life starting a the age of 10 and was doing chores long before that age.  I still wonder what kind of "empire" I could have built up by now if I had started this RV park project say, 10 years ago? 20?  

I see people complaining that they can't keep their parks full (in the managers/owners groups) and I wonder why they are so rigid on their view of how to run the place?  You have to adapt to a changing market and the market is definitely changing. People are rightfully discussing the fact that the market is becoming oversaturated with RV parks.  They keep building them, people that have no clue about rentals, RV parks or what the market is like in the area they are potentially developing one in.

They get into a million, 2 million dollars worth of debt and mortgage payments and are constantly under the pressure of having that payment to make, that huge payment to make every month.  They get desperate, make decisions out of that desperation and it doesn't work out.  I've read this a lot lately, people buying parks and after a year or 2, throwing in the towel. Or not making any money at all.  Or whatever.  I get offers to buy my park and I laugh at them.  $150k?  The land alone is worth more than that.  They approach me thinking I am also desperate and they get a no thank you back at them.  

The other owners drive through my park at least once  a month. Not like I don't occasionally look at theirs.  I don't go driving through them, I just stop and look.  I haven't done that in a while, tho, I think I will do that maybe next week and see how they're doing. The major competitor flatly told me a month ago they aren't full.  They are in desperation mode because their park was built back in the days of small spots and cram them in mentality.  The bigger units they are building now can hardly make it into the park, much less find a big enough space to park. 

Anyway, I don't have time for that this week.  Late day today, as I am not leaving for another 30 minutes, if I get there too early that other driver will just be there, unloading after showing up late.  I should be able to show up around 10:45 am at the latest and start offloading. Instead, I'm lucky to get started by 11:30 or even noon.  A bit ridiculous, there is nothing I can do about it.  

Today I want to finish out cleaning out the vehicle of stuff and then tomorrow take it to the car wash and spend an hour or longer, however long, vacuuming the entire thing out and wiping it all down.  Today, however, I intend on getting on the Interstate, driving 10 miles one direction and then 10 miles back and see if the AC in the front will cool the entire interior of it. If it does, I'm not bothering with taking it into the shop.  That can wait until I get the truck.  

That has been put off until September - at the earliest.  That came from mom, not me.  Apparently her diagnosis is severe, but not "end of life right now" type of severe.  I suppose I could plan a trip around her birthday.  

Trump's VP pick is JD Vance. I know nothing about him, but I do know that the leftist media instantly went after him and the republican party as a whole.  What a horrible pick! they try to establish with their version of facts.  I have to say that MSNBC is one the vilest, evil, self-serving, biggest propaganda driver and evil media outlets that exists in the US today on the mainstream scale.  If you want to see where a lot of this drivel originates from, just tune into their shows.  

It wouldn't have mattered who Trump picked, the left would have pounced on that person instantaneously regardless of who they are or what they have done.  They are saying Vance wants to raise taxes on the middle class and give breaks to the rich. They say this and other stuff on every election cycle.  It's Biden who is decimating the middle class, which started with Obama's policies.  

Trump came strolling into the RNC last night, he didn't give a speech, I guess he isn't doing that until the 3rd day. 

Ok, well there is nothing else, really, worth discussing. I am likely dumping Verizon altogether at the end of the month and just continue on with T Mobile, It's not near as bad as everyone has said it is. I may have to upgrade the account a bit for the perks I want.  I basically have a business account for T Mobile and a personal account for Verizon. I'll save $192 per month minus any upgrades I may get. Like, probably a new phone.  Couple that with dumping $221 per month or whatever that shed payment is and I'm over $400 per month off the outgoing payments (accounts payable). 

Taking a loan to pay off all credit card debt would save me around $400 per month in payments, but, those payments go on for 6 years.  And the only company that is offering it doesn't have very good reviews. A significant amount of reviews say they ask you for more and more information and at the end, they don't give you the loan.  Why go through that.  I have ideas, so far I haven't followed through with them for the money drain has been significant with doing things around the park and payments up the ying yang.  Losing $400 per month should  be redirected to just paying off some of the debt.  Yet, I find that any money saved is money spent elsewhere.  Things I need to get done that I have put on hold.

That much money saved could make a tractor payment, for one.  These companies are all offering zero interest loans.  The loans go on for 7 or 8 years, that's where I stop.  What if the machine doesn't even last that long? I'm stuck paying on something that doesn't work and is in the junk pile?  It's such a pain renting machines, tho, that's the downside of just renting machinery for whatever work needs done.  I feel like I need to just wait on the Lord and ask Him to provide an answer to this situation.  

Meanwhile, the trees continue to grow....Allen is working on that tho, he has made some good progress. 

Well, time to get ready to leave.

G'day