Saturday - late night

Today was - stay busy all day long day! Slept unbelievably miserably last night, might have gotten 4 hours of sleep.  Got up at 3:55 am, did all the junk I have to do, headed up to the plant, delivered, came back exhausted.  Saw 2 unbelievable accidents on the way up there.

But the thing that really got me was approaching the second accident.  I was just getting passed by a truck that was going at least 75 if not more mph, I was going around 73 when he passed me.  We came up on a trooper that was facing us with his headlights on only, no flashing lights, he was sitting right next to a weigh station sign. I figured he was turning the sign over from closed to open.  

The next thing I know, that truck that had passed me went over the crest of the hill and immediately slammed on his brakes. His entire trailer started sliding sideways - this dude was moving fast, it looked like he was going to slam into the vehicles that were stopped  on the damn highway. Those vehicles had no choice, they were all stopped for whatever was going on ahead. 

The problem was that you didn't see this stopped vehicle nonsense until you hit the crest of that hill. That cop wasn't doing anyone any favors just sitting there like that without his flashers going. It made no sense to me at all, especially where he was sitting looking like he was dealing with the sign, not attempting to warn drivers of impending danger ahead.

It was an absolutely spectacular save by that driver - that truck was sliding sideways AND heading straight for the rear ends of vehicles stopped. There would have been death and destruction occur right in front of me. I was lucky it was him and not me, I was loaded at 79,000 pounds, as soon as I saw him shutting it down, I immediately started shutting mine down and that was before I could even see what was going on.  That person got lucky or blessed, whichever it was, because the entrance to the weigh station was right there, he dove that truck into the scale house ramp, slowed all the way down to what appeared to be about 2 mph.

I would be shocked if he didn't piss or s*** himself after that.  It's hard to describe what that truck was doing, something out of a movie style move that I frankly thought it was impossible for him to pull himself out of.  It took 15 minutes of stop and go to get to where the "action" was.  There were 2 pickups, 3 cars and a detached utility trailer all over the place on both sides of the highway in the trees, ditched and on the shoulder. Both pickups were completely destroyed.  Mangled heaps of metal.

Truck emptied, I started heading back but noticed the run for Monday was gone. I was like, yayyy! I also have Monday off.  NOT. I called dispatch and the manager answered.  For whatever reason, the plant is shutting back down where we load and we are now supposed to load out of.....some town in ......MISSISSIPPI.  NO THANK YOU.  But, he wasn't asking me to do that. I won't drive that pile of trash truck that far, no thanks and no way.  He instead asked me to go to Bossier on Monday, pick up a loaded trailer, deliver it and bring it back over there. Bossier is across the state line maybe 40 miles or a little more from here. 

I'm gonna just have to cut this pretty short for it's late and I"m finally so tired I can't keep my eyes opened - a good thing and I don't have to get up early tomorrow.  We had Friendsgiving tonight and that was what I did after my nap, get up and cook potatoes and make sweet potato casserole.  It was a great dinner, we had it at a church that one of the families father is pastor and owner of.  Not a bad place to have a  get together like that.  LOTS of food and good conversation.

But, as I: said, I'm totally trashed, time to hit the hay.  

 Wednesday - late afternoon

Well, today wasn't horrible I guess. Awfully tired, my sleep is a bit whacked with all of these different hours I keep getting thrown at me. Drove straight to the plant, got a pre loaded trailer and came straight back.  No washout or loading needed, it was a nice break from that for once.  Tomorrow is normal, deliver and come back. 

But, I also went to the eye doctor today.  My vision has been growing worse and I needed to make sure I didn't have glaucoma or some other eye problem.  I don't like going to those things because of the very bright lights they shine into your eyes.  I don't necessarily think that level of luminosity is particularly good for your eyes, but then again, glaucoma is far worse.  

The end result is no glaucoma or macular degeneration at all.  I'm just getting old and my eyes are getting old with me. The doctor had me looking through lenses and asked me if I had considered getting glasses for - all the time, not just reading glasses.  Nope, I can see well enough for driving and reading glasses are ok.  Not great but ok. 

He then had me looking through a series of lenses. At the end of that, he wanted to prove his point to me.  Ok, look through the lenses now. It was a bit blurry.  And now?  Perfect.  He kept doing this and finally told me that the blurry stuff was my regular vision and the perfect vision was with what glasses would do.  Ok, he sold me.  I ended buying a pair of regular glasses and polaroid glasses for driving.  Oh, yes, I have a "mild" cataract and he said if I would wear protective lenses outside that would help keep it from getting worse.  

I thought it nice however that I don't have the really bad stuff, cataracts can be fixed if they get bad enough.  He didn't even suggest that, it's not that bad, yet anyway. 

He sort of mildly scolded me for not having had come for the last 3 years, annual checkups are important. If glaucoma does start up, you can control it if caught early enough. If not? Well I have a family member who can attest to the destruction that glaucoma can do to your eyes, namely one of her eyes is completely dead.  

That out of the way, I can focus on other things.  

________________________

The SUV. It's at the dealership. It's been at the dealership for eight days now.  I called this service dude again - I've made a lot of calls and getting a lot of nothing answers from him.  He tells me the same exact thing we discussed last week: Well we are having trouble finding OEM abs module.  Dude, we discussed this on Friday  and I said fine, let's just fix the noise issue and get the key fobs made.  You're telling me that you have done nothing to this vehicle since Friday? 

I decided not to allow temptation to take over - that would be to give a total, earned earful. I asked to speak to one of the owners.  He said ok, comes back a minute later, well I don't know where he is. I did make a comment to him at that point and after he said something else that came off totally wrong: You are a real piece of work, aren't you? Yes, yes I am was his reply. 

I hung up, called back and asked for the owner. This time? One of the owners got on the phone.  This guy was totally professional, didn't try to pass it off as some sort of "mistake", took ownership of it and said after a lengthy conversation that he would get into the vehicle with his service manager and they would figure out what's wrong.  

He called back an hour and a half later. I got that thing off the rack, we drove the first few feet and could hear the noise, this is going to be easy to find!  They couldn't find it. Next, they put in electronic detection devices next to the issue that the garage said it has.  "We couldn't hear anything coming from that mount and that detection device was right there next to it".  This was another lengthy conversation. They checked the entire front end and said it isn't the body mount but we aren't really sure what it is. It could be a suspension part that is just a little bit off and making that noise.  Ball joints, stabilizer bar, forks, everything all looks good.  

The end of the story? Short of pulling the entire front end suspension off and checking everything and replacing everything, they really don't know what else to do. I give up on it, I"ll live with that noise.  He said yes and I won't charge you any labor because of the way we treated you and the fact you bought the vehicle from us.  Albeit some 8 years ago lol. I tend to keep vehicles until they are completely worn out and really ready for the junk scrap pile.  This one is far from that even with that problem.  

So, I'm getting the new key fobs - which they hadn't even ordered yet after, again, eight  days of sitting there.  He said he would have them brought in by air and would cover the shipping costs, I'm paying for the keying and the work it takes to get them matched to the vehicle.  

And after that, excepting for regular maintenance, I am done fixing things on it.  Taylor said it sounds like the entire body is going to come crashing off of it.  Yeah, no.  A bit of an exaggeration, she's like: "Time to go buy a new one". Oh please nooo.  I'm not doing that, thank you very much. I have enough payments right now, I don't need another 5 year loan on top of that. I will drive it like that. 

At some point, I expect something somewhere in there to break and then it will self-identify.  You need to understand here that pros that have been in the business 30 plus years were looking at it, including one person that ONLY does front end stuff.  

Anyway, unless I find somewhere else to take it where they can tell me what's wrong - I doubt I'm taking it to yet a third shop tho - I'm just live with it until I get sick of it and get rid of it I guess.

And with that, I am outta here.  I want to watch some tv, go get the kids from church, watch some more tv and go to bed. At least I don't have a super early load tomorrow. 

Tuesday - mid afternoon

It's about 20 minutes before the kids get home from school, which reminds me, they wanted me to pick them up from the bus stop. The neighbor's dogs keep getting out, wander around their front yard and the street, the youngest has already been severely attacked previously by one of their dogs (was put down after that) and they want nothing to do with them. I don't blame the kids and I don't understand the adults. One of them is a life long cop. They ALWAYS call us when they think that my dog is doing something they don't like. 

They haven't called in a while tho, but the last time I remember, they were complaining about Obi barking in the middle of the night.  Taylor had to inform them once again that our dogs are not out at night, it is YOUR flipping dog that is barking and keeping you awake!  

Yesterday was an almost repeat at the loading plant as the time before that. I was scheduled for 8 am but when I got there, they told me I was scheduled for 10.  Nope!  We have FOUR loads coming out of there today, there is no way that I am the first load and starting at 10 am.  "Well, we're going to load you anyway".  They always want to let me know about when I'm allegedly early, but there isn't a peep from them when they are - almost always - late in loading MY TRUCK.  Then they don't care.  2 days ago, the truck broke down in my yard. 

Yep.  I turned the truck on, I did my pre trip - got in the truck 10 minutes later and noticed one of the air gauges sitting at 30 psi.  No, no and no.  I revved up the engine for something like minutes.  It went up a little. I turned off the truck and could hear a huge amount of air leaking.  It was the hot line.  I turned the truck back on and then the air pressure actually went down, not up.  

Oh yes, that was Sunday. Nothing like a break down on a Sunday of all days. Amazingly enough, the same dude that has worked on my truck several times now was on call. He got his butt out of bed, came over, figured out the problem, drove to the town 30 miles away that had the part - had to get THAT person out of bed to come open up the store - came back, installed it and I left.  It was a very long day Sunday for I lost 3-1/2 hours on that ordeal.

But do you know what I did when I got my company called and they got the mechanic coming (and told me it would be 90 minutes until he arrives)?  I went home, took off my pants and got right back into bed! Lmao.  I was SOOO tired, this was the uber-early thing where I get up at 3:30 to 4:00 am depending on when I wake up (sometimes I wake up before the alarm goes off).  I slept for over an hour and felt much better.  Got up, played a few games and then figured he should be coming back to the yard with the part by about "now" and sure enough, I got over there and he pulled in shortly after.  

Then there are the guests who were non paying rent.  I booted their asses clean out of my park. I will not listen to people lying to me about paying the rent, they had amply opportunity  and they just weren't going to do it.  Yesterday, she contacts me. I flatly told her if they didn't have that trailer out, I was calling the Sheriff, trespassing you from the property and having a tow truck yank that trailer out of there and over to an impound yard.  This is the same person that puts chewing gum out of her mouth onto the shower stall wall, turns the heat up in there to 84 degrees, parks her car where there used to be grass. I also told her I would be coming over and locking them out of electricity. 

Yes, you can do that on those pedestals, they have a hole where you can close the access panel and lock it shut.  The only way they can get past it is to break it and with the way these people have been acting? I would have defended my property.  No need to say more about that, it didn't get that far, they had that thing out of there yesterday, good riddance. 

I'd rather have an empty lot than have people that aren't paying rent and then try to play you along as if they are going to. I've been doing this rental junk for 20 years now, I have this stuff down pat and I have the Texas laws down about RV parks and what I can and cannot do.  

...one moment while I go retrieve children....there were no dogs out there as there were this morning. Yesterday, 3 of them were wandering around including a Pyrenees.  

Anyway, I forgot to pay the internet company and my website is down lol.  It's like $200 per year.  I don't even know that I need a website at this point considering I'm focusing on long term only.  But,  I will pay the fee and get it back up and running, went to a lot of trouble to get that site going. 

Meanwhile, the father of these kids is in Oklahoma, he got his CDL and now is joining with a mega-carrier. 2 weeks of training and then I think a month out with a  trainer in a truck. Won't be seeing him for a while. The monkey wrench yesterday, today, tomorrow and possibly even Friday?  The mom had jury duty selection yesterday and yes, she got called.  It's some sort of patent dispute and a lot of money at stake.  I don't know the details or the companies for the judge restricted jurors from getting into details with anyone and I didn't want to hear it for I didn't want her to get into some kind of trouble.  

All I know is, she goes in at 8:30 am and didn't get home yesterday until around 7:00 pm.  So, I"m dealing with the kids in the afternoons and this week is easier thankfully.  They have no homework for they have testing all week long.  So, it's chores and get their shit done, yes, but no homework to have to deal with, that can be hellish with kids that either dont' want to do it or can't figure out and understand the content they are attempting to complete.  So, spaghetti is on the menu, it's already made actually, just simmering the sauce nicely to get it cooked in and then turn off the heat for a while and let it cool down and then heat it back up a bit, not too much, after it cools down. 

It's quite delicious if I do say so myself and yes, I am saying so lol.  

As for tomorrow? Well, the loading plant is shutting down for at least 3 days.  I mean, completely shutting down. Truckloads of various giant parts came in yesterday and crews of people to start the process. We brought in 4 trailers to pre load. The trailers are simply dropped on the yard, they have their own trucks and move them to the loading bay to load and then drop again in the yard.  So, I only have to go pick up a loaded trailer and come back to my park. I don't have to do any washouts and I don't have to go through the hassle of getting it loaded.  That saves hours.  I'm just leaving here after the kids are off to school.  I have the tractor detached from the trailer already. 

But, today was already a long day started super early and then getting back? I had to go over to the fix area where I did all that work and check to make sure no sewage was leaking and no water leaks.  I was going to backfill it but I had other things of more priority. Namely, the trench I dug from the septic system to the line where I'm going to put new lots.  The line is open and it's going to rain tomorrow.  I can't have all that water and mud going down inside that sewer pipe, clogging up the pipe and into the septic tanks where it will end up having to be pumped out at no small cost to me. 

I had the parts to put temporary caps on the ends of open pipe, I did not have my sawzall to cut small sections of pipe to stick into the pipe ends and then put caps on them because....my SUV is STILL in the shop.  It's been in there a week now!  I have no idea when it will be finished I just want it back.  It has my tools in it and the title to the truck is in there too, I need to register it in Texas.  I am driving around on expired tags and out of state tags. Yes, I know that's not legal, I was going to do all of that but I realized after searching that the title is in the SUV.  

Whatever. It's insured and I only drive it 4 miles each way to the park to go to work.  

Apparently we are back to the Epstein files and release them and yada yada yada.  Who cares? Politicians are corrupt, do you think you aren't going to find any in that mess? Of course there will be and then what will happen? Probably a lot of heated ire being directed at whoever and then....a bit fat nothing.  I'm more concerned about over taxation.  From ALL levels including property taxes which eat me alive every year and getting worse.  It's ridiculous.  

And a lot of other things that overshadow this Epstein file nonsense.  The man is dead.  

I have no idea when I'm getting back to work on that new lot setup.  I got totally dismayed at the entire situation where i tore out the water line, which tore out the sewer line, which cost me 12 hours of work and a lot of exasperation to repair.  It is holding so there is that, but what a serious PITA.  I'm trying to get myself motivated again, but I fear I'll have to rent a mini ex once again plus a ditch witch for water line going from the main line to the open trench where the sewer line is going into the septic system.  It's probably 30 feet of pipe I'll have to install, I have to find the main line first, this time preferably without tearing it out of the ground? Yes, that.  The trench for the electrical line is almost completely done excepting I had to backfill where the line was torn out to be able to get the mini ex out of there after I dug all of that up to repair it.  

I'm just trying to regroup on that one and get back into "gear" on it.

With that, I'm calling it quits on this particular entry.  I need to cook the noodles and make some garlic bread for the dinner offering.  

 Saturday - night

Yup, been a while since I've posted.  Too busy and then get tired and just don't feel like doing anything.

I got up at 3:30 am today, drove to the washout, over to the plant to find.... pallets full of metal beams occupying the bay where we load and workers putting more and more of it in there.  It was a giant scaffolding setup they were taking down. After sitting there half an hour, I finally got out of the truck, found the loader and asked him how long?  I don't know, you weren't scheduled to be here until 10 and I have no clue how long they are going to take over there.

Yeah, no.  This led to a series of things happening that came very close to me quitting this ridiculous job.  I called my manager.  He doesn't want to be contacted on his days off. I have zero idea what days he has off and I also don't care. That is his job. A terminal manager has a very sucky job.  I don't blow up his phone all the time at all. Only when stuff like this happens and even half the time when stuff like this happens? I still don't call him.

But what is the point of getting up at 3:30 am to come and sit there for hours waiting? NO POINT IN IT AT ALL.  I was irritated mostly because this happens far more often than not.  He said he would call the rep who told him he was already there and would walk out and see what's going on.  He got them to move all of that junk with a forklift and I was getting loaded maybe 10 minutes later. Mind you, I had already been there an hour and 10 minutes and facing who knows how many more hours.  

After that, I contacted my manager text and asked him to verify that Monday is actually a go, this plant rep had forgotten today's, what makes anyone think he remembered Monday?  My manager wrote me a very curt reply to his days off and please contact dispatch and I wrote him a curt reply right back, he can stick it.  THIS IS HIS JOB.  It ended up with him telling me "well if this isn't working out for you, please let me know". A not so subtle way of telling me if I don't like it leave. I said I would let him know and hung up.

I then started looking for local jobs, I am not going to tolerate being treated like this from some dude that is miserable with his life.  But, he called back again and we got into a long discussion.  The problem he has is that I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN HE'S OFF WORK.  If he doesn't let us know, how the hercules are we supposed to deal with him? 

That was today. Tomorrow I am up early again - 3:30 am - and up to Gurdon to deliver but likely without any of these problems.  

He did go into other drivers and how bad they are. I already knew this about those drivers but was a bit surprised he would confide in me such statements for I am also just a driver.  I won't go around telling those people what he said about them - it's all quite true - but he could get into a lot of trouble saying such things.  

Politics.  Ridiculous.  I still can't believe NYC voted in a communist, cop hating, rich despising person who thinks there is no limit to how much people can be taxed who are "wealthy". I'm not going to feel sorry for those residents when the city starts to fall apart. He's talking about replacing the police with some sort of community whatever type of people. Imagine NYC without cops..........

And this government shutdown, the Schumer Shutdown as it is affectionately being called.  The democrats got NOTHING out of it but a lot of angst from people that need their food stamps and air traffic control workers who decided they didn't want to show up for work and even more who decided now is a good time to retire.  

Then you've got Fetterman dissing his own party - he's definitely a moderate but clearly on the dem side of the aisle on certain hot topics. Still, respect for the man standing up against a party that has left it's a large swath of it's constituency in the dust and thinking that the whole nation should go Socialist at least, tho I can only imagine the blood lust for full blown communism and that kind of control over citizens.  A lot of people would die before that happens, too many Americans would not just sit down and take it and neither would a large portions of Sheriffs across the land. No idea how military servicemen/women would deal with it.  

I haven't seen any more of the ire against the 'destruction of the White House' in the last several days if not an entire week now.  They can't stop Trump from doing it and they can't complain about the waste of tax dollars.  They are really making themselves look extremely petty.  They tried to make their last stand about Obamacare subsidies. But, as many have pointed out,, if it was supposed to make health care cheaper, why does it need a bunch of money pumped into it?

And I absolutely adore democrats saying they didn't have any input. I know I've said this in previous posts but it's too precious to me to consider these people who crafted Obamacare that didn't even want to talk to Republicans about it, AT ALL.  It's outrageous amounts of sheer hypocrisy.  They always say we'll forget. Umm, no.  Especially not the catastrophe that Obamacare turned into and I could go into a lot of stories of families being substantially altered in the financials because of it, but why bother? Who cares?  I do but my life doesn't revolve around politics. I watch it a lot, yet, live for it? No.  I do tend to get caught up in Presidential politics when it's that time or hot topics such as abortion.  The rest? I watch with mild enthusiasm, I do love the SCOTUS given the Trump administration so many turnovers of federal judge decisions.  

These judges apparently think they are the President, for they are making decisions that are reserved for the President, not the Judicial branch.  Ok, reserved for the Executive branch.  But can you imagine what is going to happen when the Legislative branch comes back under full democrat power?  We may be in for a very rude transition to policies that will alter our lives and the way we live them in ways we may have never thought of before.

I don't fear what's going to happen, I believe we are approaching the End Times as it stands. I'm not going to go into that right now, either, I don't have a lot of time here, just haven't posted in a while and wanted to put something up.  

As for the park, after I: returned the mini ex I have done nothing more. That screw up I did in pulling up the water line which in turn destroyed the sewer line which in turn caused me 12 hours of work to repair? I just had to walk away from that for a while.  But alas, I need to get out there and fill that in for it's going to get cold again here sooner or later and I need that all covered up.  I have left it open to ensure that if anything isn't right, I can just jump in there and fix it.  Not, dig it all up again and then fix it.  I'd have to rent a machine all over again to get down that far if something goes awry. 

It's been holding this long, it isn't likely to just start leaking for no reason. I also need to fill in at least some of the trench near the septic system where the new stuff is going in so when it rains, it won't fill up the septic system with water.  It sounds worse than it is, there is a tractor sitting there waiting for me to get on it.  Probably Monday after work. 

And there there are the non-paying guests. I contacted them, I went to their door and she promised rent the next day. That was what, 4 days ago? She hasn't been there, her boyfriend has.  I knocked on the door 2 days ago, he wouldn't answer.  Yesterday? I left them a 3 day ejection notice. I do not call it an eviction notice for this is not a tenancy situation. They are guests, not tenants.  They have until Monday afternoon to either pay up or get out and I left detailed statement that I did not have to have a court order - that's according to the local magistrate - I just have to give notice. Notice given, by hand, taped to their door and picture of it taken as well.  

We'll see what happens but something tells me that yes, I'm going to have to get the Sheriffs out there to enforce all of this. That's part of their job, they don't mind doing it, at least not according to the sergeant I spoke with last time I was facing this. 

James leaves tomorrow. He passed his CDL tests, came home for a week and now has already found a job with a major, mega-trucking company.  He is going for orientation in another state for 2 weeks and then he has to go with a trainer for a month, I think he said.  He's going to be on the road all the time for probably the next 2 years. You need 2 years experience before you can get the better jobs.  It's just the way it is. I don't envy him doing this, I've been there done that and frankly ready to hang up the keys forever.  But, I do support him. He wants better for his family and I understand where he's coming from. 

Well, enough.  Up early am, it's starting to get late.  

 Tuesday - mid afternoon

This day has disappeared.  I got up early, got on the road, got up to Gurdon. Found the glue man on the production line -which was completely shut down due to some person spraying water into an electrical cabinet and blowing the circuit breakers - who looked at the COA (certificate of analysis) and then walked off.  I followed him clear to the office where he sat down and said, well, one of these numbers is out of spec.

This is, obviously, not my fault or my problem. Well, it could be my problem if they decide to send the product back to the plant in Lufkin.  WELL over an hour later they had an answer: yes you can unload it. . 

On the way back...

I was in the left lane on a 75 mph highway just  about to pass another truck. I had not been out there long, I stick to the right lane except for when I need to pass someone and I can tell ya, I don't spend a lot of time over there, the truck has balls and it gets up and goes.  But this dude in a truck that shreds documents came flying up behind me - he was going at least 85 - then passed me on the right and just barely squeezed his truck between the right lane rear bumper and my left lane front bumper.  I mean, it was really close.  

I honked at the dude, it was an extremely dangerous maneuver that was unnecessary but he went zooming off so I just forgot about it.  Until I got to the next town. There he is in the left lane, I am now pulling up beside him in the right lane.  There is traffic both in front of me and this dude.  Well, the truck in front of him takes off from the light, I get up and get rolling.  I'm going through the gears, this dude is camped on the truck in front of him's bumper and I am about to pass this truck.  So what does this dude do?

The same damn thing all over again.  With almost no room whatsoever, he cuts me off, zooms pass the truck and then cuts him off. 

 Saturday - night

The end of the broken lines saga.  Honestly, I just short of begged the contractor to come out and fix my screwup as things weren't getting any better.  A crew of people coming who do this stuff all day long, 5 days a week would easily fix it or even if they had trouble there is a crew, not a single person.  I spent over $300 in parts to give you an idea of what was involved with this situation and I used everything excepting one slip coupler. 

So yesterday morning I picked up where I left off the sunset day before.  I got what I could done and then went to the store again.  I got it all finished. It was quite the maze but there wasn't much to do besides channeling the water line away and I would have had to dig up even more water line and I still don't think that would have helped. They have that water line snuggled up to the sewer line and they crisscross each other, it's a pretty stupid setup. For seasoned contractors and crews, I would think they could have done much better than that. 

I was afraid to turn the water back on.  I felt like it was just going to blow up somewhere.  But, I went to the street, turned it on and came back - to yet another  very large leak that was dumping gallons of water per minute.  I hadn't seen that leak, it was where the water line was coming out of the dirt.  I looked at it and said, ok, I got this.  

BACK TO THE STORE AGAIN. The counter sales agent shook his head and said you should get a contractor.  I countered that I had tried to get him out there.  Anyway, back to the property, install the parts and wait.  You can't just fire up water pressure on a line like that after gluing it together, the glue has to have time to dry and set.  

I went home, let the puppy out, did some stuff and then headed back over there.  Drove straight to the water main meter, turned it on and prayed.  Please, God, please.  I got back over there and found - nothing!  No more leaks!! Forgot to say that when i was going to get the first parts run yesterday, I also took the mini ex back.  I was done with that for now and I didn't want to pay for another day's worth.  They gave me a substantial discount for having to deal with their broken mini ex, of which I didn't break.  Not even closed, turned out to be some relay that needed replaced that they had to order.  

 Thursday - ugh

So, this morning, I:got everything ready to get started and then realized my new sawzall battery is dead.  So, I put it on a charger and then started on the ditch line for the electrical. Doesn't have to be as deep as the sewer and it just isn't as much of a hassle.   

I actually got 300 or more feet done and was almost finished with the ditch digging when.....I snagged a water line.   And before I knew what was going on, it was completely destroyed and water gushing out of the ground some 25 feet away!  

 Not exactly what I needed to happen, I actually didn't know that the water line was running through there.  I thought it was coming at an angle from further up towards the street.  

Oh, did I say I also dug up an active phone line for ATT?  Yes, they had it flagged.....40 feet away with only one flag and no indication which way the the line was going. What nitwit would only put one flag out to tell a construction person the direction of the line? They always put numerous flags out in a row.  I didn't really care about that - but - I want access to that line! This is a random phone line just running through the middle of my property some 500 feet from the roadway. 

Very strange.  Oh, and the other line!  That looks to be possibly fiber optics?  I didn't know what it was excepting it says telecommunications or something like that on the sheath.  Another random line running through the middle of my property?  Pretty strange stuff going on here and how come no one knows about it or has access to this stuff?  :How long has either of those lines been out there and who is getting the benefit from them?  They certainly haven't installed that stuff since I bought property.

Yes, the property has been checked for underground utilities countless times.  What else is lurking under there? I've personally spoken with gas line companies who insist there are no underground lines anywhere near where I'm working, it's all on the edges of the property or through easements and yes, they are CLEARLY marked.  The only electrical lines are mine besides the power poles bringing the power in.  So I think I'm safe from any dangerous utilities. Well, really doesn't matter now, I've done most of the trenching I need to do - but- I didn't finish the line where I am installing the sewer line and I'm not doing that tomorrow.  It's going to have to wait for another day.  I'm burnt out on this, I put in almost 10 hours today 4-1/2 of where were focused on digging out a huge trench to expose the damage to the lines and then...

....and then looking at the weird way they set it up.  The water line is coming out directly underneath and in contact with the sewer line.  

I mean, I was working in sludge, deep thick, mud  so wet that every step, my foot would get stuck in it and took a great deal of effort to pull out.  I was in waterproof boots at that point.  

Honestly, I tried to get the contractor out there to fix it even if it was going to cost thousands of dollars.  But, he couldn't come, his crews were all booked.  I mean, it was replete with getting the mini ex stuck, I didn't leave a way out I finally realized after almost tipping the thing over, I had to go get the tractor and put dirt in for it to travel across.  But, while doing that? The tractor front wheel went into the ditch and the whole thing came very close to rolling over.  One of the back tires was off the ground a foot and a half hanging in the air to give it perspective.  

That was when i started getting rather dismayed. I just wanted help at that point and I couldn't get any.   But, I persisted, had to make 2 trips to the store and then? I couldn't finish.  The sun was going down and I was getting a bad headache.  I don't really work like this anymore and the whole thing was pretty exasperating.  I flat told people in the park I messed up and I didn't know if the water would be back on today.  It isn't.  I'm sorry.  

Muddy, tired, headache, sun going down I just went home.  I'm going to be getting muddy all over again tomorrow but by then, hopefully some of the worst of the watery substance will have drained into the ground.  

I'm tired. I have more of this junk to do tomorrow morning. I'm offa here. 

 Wednesday - morning

A portion of this day is going to be wasted getting one machine out of the way and getting another one.  

Not too happy about that, they should have done this yesterday. 

Meanwhile, a full blown socialist - more like commie - has won the position of mayor in the largest city in the United States.  

You cannot reason with people that have fallen for the propaganda.  Look at history, you ask them to do.  Show a single time that any of that ideology has worked.  No, it brings oppression, hunger and mass killings.  Stalin ring a bell anyone?  

This Mandami guy is anti police, antiSemite, wants government run grocery stores, rent freezes, minimum wage hike to, now get this: $30 per hour!  And more.  

And who is going to fund all of this? Why those greedy, evil rich bastards!  It is a good time to get out of that area.  When you give government that much power, the government has the power to run and ruin your life.  It's still America, however and fortunately, they can only get away with so much. That is, until America itself is run by Communists. 

Look at what California did.  A redistricting proposal won that would give California up to as many as 5 more seats in Congress. This in response to Texas. But already, other red states are following suit.  

And we still have the government shut down going.  Talk of enough democrats caving to secure a win on a CR is surfacing now tho.  That would only temporarily reopen the government, it is not a long term solution.

I dunno, but it's all whacked. 

Anyway, I have to get my coffee, water and get out of here.

G'day

 Tuesday - evening

Around 2:40 this afternoon, the machine just up and quit on me.  In the middle of pulling out a bucket full of dirt, it just went blink, blapz, bloot and nothing.  I tried restarting it, the thing wouldn't even bring up the screen.  

I called the rental place and after much adoo, they informed me they would be coming out tomorrow to fix it. Like, how am I supposed to get anything done? And why not today, it's not even close to their closing time?  But I didn't care that much, that much isn't big enough for the job.  It strains under the pressure of trying to dig through that clay.  I didn't realize it would have that much of an issue with it or I would have just rented the bigger machine and paid them to bring it out there.  

I know their bigger machine will cut right through that stuff, I have used one previously to do that trenching I had to do for the shed, installing the bathroom and the washer.  So, they still have to come out and fix that machine, it's sitting dead in the middle of my trench path and the bucket is sitting down in the trench.  I can't do anything until it's moved out of there.  

But yes, I pretty much wasted 5 hours on that machine getting a lot of nothing done.  I only made it 70 feet, I should have been able to get that entire job done in that much time and moved on to other, smaller projects I have earmarked for it.  2 trenches across driveways to install drainage pipe and trench along the main driveway to create a path for rainwater to travel on instead of just going all over the driveway, destroying the surface while it's doing it.  

It also didn't help that I couldn't find the inlet hole on the septic system. WHY did they backfill all of that in when they KNEW I would need access to that part of it? Why not just leave it open?  I spent at least an hour just trying to find that hole and contacted the contractor who installed it with pictures.  He finally called me and gave me his best guess. I did that and eventually found it.  

Wore me out, digging by hand and getting in and out of that trench for that full 5 hours.   To that end, I was kind of glad the machine broke.  I had an excuse to go home and eat - I ate nothing all day until  I finally got home - and tell them I need the bigger machine. Their "compromise" is that they will "only" charge me for half  a day. It takes like $100 off the bill.  

 Tuesday - morning

Just a quick entry, I'm sitting here drinking coffee, woke up late unfortunately.  I had a rough night and when I finally got back to sleep, well, I can't say I regret being able to sleep in and get myself to feeling a little better than what I would have on a few hours of sleep.  

Having said that, the machine is on hold for me at the rental place, I only said I'd be "in sometime in the morning", no a specific time. They had 3 of those machines sitting out there last I looked anyways.  I may get the bigger one and have them deliver it tho, not sure yet.  I need to look at both of them and see if the smaller one would actually be easier to use, I'm going to have to get in and out of the machine frequently to check the grade.  

Anyway, I am off until Friday late morning so I have plenty of time even with a late start considering it's Tuesday.  They gave me the late load to come back to work to. Not really sure if they have more drivers now or how they swung me having 4 days off, but it's time I really needed away from that job. There are some toxic people you occasionally run into at either plant, mostly the loading plant, who are very unpleasant people and take their authoritative positions far too seriously and also like to micromanage their employees. Beyond that, the attitude is ridiculous.

One of them always has this smug look on his face and took his angst out on me one day not long ago by attempting to make me wait even longer, as much as 8 hours, to get loaded.  I took no great pleasure having him overridden, but it was nice to know if it needs to be done, it's just a phone call away.  Who makes another phone call, who makes another phone call, who speaks to this smug person and tells him he isn't going to make me wait any longer.  

It motivates me to get with this program and get this stuff done, that's what it does.  The sooner I get these - about 17 lots if I'm looking at everything correctly - done, I'll be WELL on my way to financial freedom. Freedom from corporations in particular.  

Well, enough of this. I need to get moving and get busy.

G'day

 Saturday - night

The same as this morning, I will have to get up at 4:00 am to get up to Gurdon in time to beat the other driver per the manager.  I don't ask for these super early runs, they are dumped into my schedule.  I would have to get up at 3 am to get up there and back in time for church.  No.  Well, maybe if I happen to wake up at that time, but I'm not setting my alarm.

Worse? They are replacing telephone poles in our neighborhood, like all of them.  We are the last of the Mohicans, they informed us a few hours ago that tomorrow morning they are going to be doing ours and yes, the power is going to be off for 8 hours. 

We aren't talking Monday through Friday when kids are at school and we are off working. Noooo, they had to choose a Sunday when everyone but me is home and I will be home half way through it.  These are not emergency repairs, there is no good reason to be forcing this issue on us on a day off for most people.  

Live with it. 

 Thursday - late

So I went up to Gurdon today, was unloading and noticed a bunch of suits across the street staring, glaring, watching me.  There were several of them with arms crossed and talking like people who are mid to upper level management in large corporations talk: down their snoots at people they consider lessor and lower than themselves.  

I didn't care as long as they didn't actually say anything to me.  I won't tolerate being treated like trash such as drivers in the trucking industry are treated all over the place.  I can be respectful and even professional while snooting back at them.  It is totally uncalled for and I don't believe any man is better than any other man.  We are all equals in the eyes of God and we are all mere specks of dust.  

I turned my back on them, completely ignored them after that and did my job.  They never said anything to me, I don't know why there were staring at me, I just kind of thought they were going to start trouble for whatever reason.

I was actually in and out of there quickly.  

I got back to town and went to Kroger's and got some food to eat after the fast.  I couldn't do any more, it was close enough to 72 hours, I just had to eat. Started by drinking an entire bottle of chicken bone broth - which was quite delicious and will do that again next time - and then went into having 4 fried eggs, 2 pieces of keto toast and some tomato slices.  Later, I ate a Burger King "low carb" burger.  that's just a burger with no sauces on it and no bun.  It's very low carb and I wanted something good while not breaking ketosis.  

We also went for the third Halloween outing in 3 days in a row.  1st day was the train station, second was the church Fall Fest and today was Trunk or Treat.  They don't want to call it trick or treat around here for this place is loaded with Christians who object to such stuff. An entire street was loaded with people handing out candy for different business and charities.  We got there early so we got done quickly even going through all of them.

After that, the kids wanted to play with the bubbles, so we did that and there it was: the entire area filled with people, 50 people waiting in line so their kid could get a single piece of candy. We were oh so thankful that we got there early.  

I have tomorrow off.  I am going to the property and try to finish the line markings.  I thought to do the first 4 but that doesn't make any sense.  I should do the first 7 worth of trenching even if I don't have the money to do all of them.  I won't try to do all 14, I'm nowhere near financially sound enough right now to pay for all of that material.  I'm trying for 4, I know I said 2 at first and then 3, but 4 would bring in enough money per month that I could quickly add more lots and get it all done faster.  

Basically, the cost of gravel is ridiculous, couple that with the cost of pedestals, the thick underground wiring, the absurdly high cost of water and sewer pipe and it just makes trying to do all 14 or more lots (however many I can fit in there) untenable.  I don't want to go into any more debt with this stuff via credit cards.  I'm working on getting out of cc debt, that's going to take several years.  I mean, I probably could justify the debt via taking the new lot rent payments coming in to pay it off and to some extent, it might make sense.

It's all a business expense, so I don't end up having to pay taxes on that income for it's paying for the property upgrades.  I dunno, I don't want to go there right now, I don't need to go there right now.  

Well, there's more but it's almost 11:00 pm. I want to be able to sleep in a little - like until 8 am - and then get out there after going to Lowe's for more line marking paint and get with it.  Measure everything out, marking the locations of where the pedestals, sewer and water outlets will go, marking the sides of each lot.  I'll need probably 6 more cans of that paint, it doesn't last near as long as I hoped it would.

 Wednesday- evening

Fall has hit.  The temps have cooled and the wind has been blowing giving us a pretty chill real feel temp.  

I am on day 2 of a 3 day fast.  Yesterday was rough, today I was just weak but not particularly hungry (well not yet anyway) and who knows about tomorrow, but I intend on finishing out today and getting at least 3/4 of the way through the hours needed for fasting tomorrow.  The health benefits are what I'm looking for an really need to do the full 72 hours, but I never beat myself up for quitting a little early.  

I've gained considerable amount of weight in the last few years, but in the last several months, the amount of fat has increased to unacceptable quantities.  I may HAVE to go back on keto after this fast just to get rid of the fat, but this time - cut out the fat.  Just keep the carbs low but also keep fat products down.  

Tonight is fall festival at the church. They don't call it Halloween for obvious reasons, mostly because Halloween is really more of a demonic symbolism than anything Christian.  I am taking one of the kids, the other one? Got booted out of church last week. Yup, his behavior is so bad even a church can't deal with him and told him/us that he needs to stay out a week.  I'd say more like a month or more, but that's just my opinion.  Completely rebellious, listens to no one when he doesn't want to, even his own parents.

They have struggled with trying to find a path inward in terms of disciplinary action, nothing works.  Well, some sort of pills work, but that is given to the child in the morning and usually has enough longevity to make it through the school day, but after that? It wears off. 

Anyway, I have delivery tomorrow and then Friday off, working yet another weekend.  Working last weekend apparently paid for the previous entire weekend off, working this weekend apparently pays for the 2 days off coming up next week.  Friday will be spent making sure I have everything ready to dig those trenches.  I may even go get the pipe and see about getting at least some of the sewer pipe installed.  It's much easier to get the pipe ends to insert into each other with the use of a mini ex - but - at the same time - that really means needing a helper and I doubt I'll find anyone that is worth half a shekel in this area to do physical labor, even if I offer $20 per hour.  

It's the reason I won't be doing a 5 day fast this time, what I really wanted to do. I'll need the energy to be able to go through 8 hours of working on a machine out there and maybe longer if needed.  That's why I took 2 days off in case I needed it.  I'll need it for laying pipe if nothing else, I just wanted the assurance that I had enough time to get this project moving along.  Really want to get it done before the bitter cold hits as well.  

I have been watching the news regarding the government shutdown. Not just news, but interviews with both sides. I'm not sorry to say but Democrats have a problem here.  They keep blaming Republicans but they won't sign off on a continuing CR - something they have voted on many, many times in the past and not even that long ago and passed it saying "we can't have the government shut down". They have shifted their talking points repeatedly.  Now they are saying Republicans "refuse" to give SNAP benefits tens of millions of Americans, attempting to not only shift blame but also to cast aspersions and basically intended to make Republicans look like they don't care about "the American people" and have stated it as such.  

Sorry, but anyone following a speck of news knows that Democrats are the people refusing to sign off on the CR and have attempted to couple Obamacare to it.  It doesn't work that way.  At all.  That is a completely separate issue that has nothing to do with the operation of the government or whether federal employees get paid or not.  Their attempts at coupling the two are pure and evil hypocrisy, two facedness and they are just plain liars.  

At some point, which is pretty much when food stamps run out which is going to be what? Saturday?  the "American people" are going to say enough and start demanding Congress open the damn government and deal with it.  I just watch these elected officials playing games with the lives of everyday citizens and wonder how they can live with all of this going on? Well, THEY don't care is the end of that story. The love of money is the root of all evil, whatever they are doing, it has it's roots in riches, power and fame.  I don't know about the fame part, more like infamou

 Tuesday - late morning

After 8 days of working, I finally get a day off and I wasted the morning doing what? sleeping. In fact, the only reason I'm awake now is that my dog was out there barking incessantly.  I finally got out of bed, went out there and yelled at him to shut up!!! and then came back in, decided it was time to get up and now? Drinking a cup of black coffee, no sugar, no creamer, just coffee.

Coffee, or black coffee anyway, is allowed on a fast.  I have started another one today and hoping to make it 3 days at least.  3 days is the minimum where you start getting all the internal benefits of fasting.  5 days is better and 7 even better. But, 5 and 7 days are long times to go without food.  

I dunno, but my sleep has been so bad, today was an excellent day for it to kick in and say, yup, you gonna sleep!  I literally could sleep another 2 hours and think nothing of it, but, I have things I want to get done today.  Drink my coffee and head over to the property and start marking things out.  I think I forgot the paint tho, I'm gonna have to go to Lowe's if I did, first, and get some.  

I'm hoping it will only take a couple of hours and get it over with, I really don't want to spend a day off work to -.....- work.

______________________

 Evening

I spent hours out there beyond going to harbor freight, lowe's and other places.  I got half of it done, amazingly enough I thought it wouldn't even take that long to do ALL of it.  However, I have it outlined in my mind now, it will be easy enough to finish it up before Tuesday of next week. 

-I just had to decide how to run the sewer pipe since it's got a pretty good long way to go from the furthest pedestal to the tanks.  That was the hardest part, digging it out will be even harder. It has to be at a slight incline and I'm no expert at doing that.  1 inch fall per 10 feet if I recall correctly. I'll be watching some videos if there are some available on the subject matter.  Electrical is easy, it doesn't care if it's going up or down or nothing.  Water line the same, under pressure.  Just have to decide where to tap into it.  

It runs along near where the septic tanks are, I will likely tap in there since there will already have to be a trench there anyway.  No, the sewer line is going to be the hard part.  In fact, it just dawned on me that I will have to lay out all the lots for the south side so that I can install sweeping wyes for each lot.  Easier than it sounds, I have all of it dialed in how I want it now, just have to finish marking it.

The sewer line is going to be pricey, too. Talking at least 400 feet.  It's $50 per 20 feet.  Yeah, that's 2 grand just worth of sewer pipe lol. That doesn't include fittings and outlets.  

Anyway, it's getting late and I'm getting offa here.  

 Monday - night

8 straight days of working is over with, I get a single day off tomorrow.  I asked for 2 consecutive days off and I had to force the issue today. I won't get it this week, which is ok, I just need it soon.  If I don't get busy with this project it's just going to have a near 10k septic system in the ground, a power pedestal, a couple grand worth of dirt work and nothing to show for it in terms of income.  I refuse to just let it sit and stagnate, tho the septic system is  concrete vaults, they aren't coming apart any time soon.  Maybe not even my lifetime.  

Anyway, I intend on going out there tomorrow, my day off, and using it to mark everything out.  I need to go buy the marking paint. I have wood stakes and string but I forgot the paint.  I think? I haven't been driving the pickup that that stuff is in because...the tailgate won't open and the bed has a cover on it. I can't get into the bed so I just haven't been driving it until I get it fixed. Going to ask to get a ride back from the shop tomorrow, I want to drop it off and have that tailgate fixed and an engine oil leak.  

I have kind of been putting off marking stuff because i just keep trying to figure out what I want to do with it.  Lots far apart and more appealing? Or lots closer together and less appealing but also not charging as much money for it?  I think, really, closer together.  I think "elite" lots should be in the back.  More level, way far away from the road and very appealing to anyone wanting peace and quiet.  

I'm motivated, it's just I've been working a LOT lately and it wears on me.  The manager said we have a new driving coming in to do our lanes, but he hasn't been released yet.  He's going through the same hell I went through in Oregon. They will keep him there until they are satisfied he knows what he's doing.  For good reason, yes, but they way you are treated there is akin to what one would consider earthly hell.  Well, not that bad of course, but it IS bad.  I NEED that person here, now.  I need more time off, this constant working s*** got old a while back.  I don't care about the paychecks, it's hindering me from getting my goal done, a goal that is getting closer and closer to being realized.  

So I just told him today I need those 2 days off and I don't even try to hide it, at all. I'm expanding my business so I can get out of trucking, YES.  Lord willing of course.  I need to say that because Christians are compelled to say that via  a particular verse in the Bible.  "13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [h]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil."

 It can't get any plainer than that?  I've lived most of my life with the awareness that life can end in a moment's time, without any warning at all. You see it in the news all the time.  Any time I say something about tomorrow or next week, month or year? I always think and almost always say out loud: LORD WILLING.  Cause' if He's not willing? Yea, you get the picture.  

The first thing I need to do tomorrow as far as marking things is to stretch a line down where the driveway will go. It will simply be an extension of the existing driveway so the borders will be easy. But, I need that marked out first so I can mark out my first several lots.  I would reeeeeallllly like to put up 4 lots at first; I just don't want to use all my cash up come even close to doing that.  

That's $2,000 worth of meters, a couple grand of wire,  a couple grand of water and sewer pipe and incidentals such as mini ex rental.  Very likely 2 grand per lot.  Maybe more with the gravel.  And this time, I want to put up metal borders along the driveways to keep the rocks from spreading.  I'd far rather do concrete or asphalt - that's a LOT more money.  Maybe someday.......

I'd change the subject and get onto politics, but I  don't want to.  I HAVE received some warnings from people that allegedly "know" stuff that people need to get out of big, blue cities.  They won't cite what they know and it doesn't matter to me, I am gone from the big city life, probably forever.  

Basically, I'm going to try to come up with a figure for 4 lots tomorrow or more to the point, price per lot and see what I can comfortably afford  I am still getting frequent calls for lots, long term.  I don't know if people are being forced into trailers per the high cost of housing or lack of jobs or jobs that pay well or what?  It's not all that tho, I can attest from the people I have living in my park.  ds

Okay, I'll touch on one thing I find both amusing and ridiculous going on in the news.  The Ballroom. If you are following the news, you'll know exactly what I'm referring to.  The left is having a literal meltdown over Trump tearing down the East wing and replacing it with a ballroom. A very pricey ballroom. A ballroom that is described as being "world class" when it is completed.  Something that I believe will complement the WH, not take away from it's grandeur.  

I had the thought: will democrats demand the ballroom be torn down when they eventually reoccupy the WH?  And then, there it was: Swallwell demanding that if anyone wants the democrat nomination, they MUST agree to tear that ballroom down with a wrecking ball the first day in office!  The man isn't particularly intelligent to begin with, many democrat politicians are rather stupid as it stands, but this statement is stupidity.  By that logic, you should also demand the entire White House be torn down for the stain of Trump has infected it with his "Thou King" ism and needs to be completely eradicated, right? 

And then there are the endless reels showing democrats saying the government should never be shut down for any reason! I didn't need to see a reel to know this, I REMEMBER them saying this countless times in the past.  But seeing specific examples was amusing.  But, as always, Democrats defend their hypocrisy by the thinking that the means justifies the end.  What republicans are doing is EVIL! We don't care how we stop them, they MUST be stopped by ANY means! And we are seeing that now to the point of attempted assassinations and assassinations.  

We are living in perilous times and I don't have the answers beyond pointing to God.  God's will WILL be done, that's a fact. The forces of evil will do the things the Bible says they will do.  If you aren't saved, if you don't know Jesus, if you haven't believed in Him for everlasting life, try at least to look into it.  Look at the Bible with objectivity instead of attempting to dismantle it.  There is a God but it takes faith and a portion of faith is given to every man.  

It's getting late, I'm going to bed.  

Editing: My plans may be dashed for tomorrow as there is now a 72% chance of rain where there was a 2-4% chance all the way up until - tonight.  

 Saturday - late afternoon

Up at 3:55 am - just happened to wake up 5 minutes before the alarm was going to off, out the door at 4:25 am and then? I saw the forecast: Rain at 4:45.  Rushed over there, got the truck fired up, the elog going and then...it started to rain. Light rain, big drops tho.  I got out of there as fast as I could and got lucky: beat the rain and stayed ahead of it all the way up there.  

Once in Gurdon, got everything done and then.....it started to rain just as soon as I left.  I don't like driving in the rain but I have no problem doing it, I don't like getting drenched in the rain even worse. As typical, I was wasted tired because I stayed up too late last night.  We went to a haunted house, a lot of jump scares in that place where you go through houses in tight corridors and they have it down. They will jump out at you out of the shadows and there is no way to see them before it happens. They were picking on the kid, lol, he was terrified. 

Anyway, I slept for a n hour and a half this afternoon and felt better after that.  I still have to work tomorrow, I'm assuming this is because I asked for 2 consecutive days off during the week, but they have not confirmed that I am actually getting that this coming week.  I need to know in advance so i can get a mini ex lined up and I need to get out there in advance and lay out the first 3 or 4 lots, get them flagged and then spray paint where the trench will go.  

Wednesday -  night

Took the kids to church at 5:30 - as is customary during the school year and on Wednesday nights.  They were both in good spirits, thought cool, this will be fine.  

Came back 2 hours later. The youngest was sitting on a bench outside of the children's church with a "look" on his face.  It's sort of a cross between a frown, anger and sadness - well, let's put this more clearly: defiance.  I knew instantly without anyone saying anything that he had started his shit with someone, don't know who, but someone and he had gotten into trouble for it. 

Then the ministry leader - she's actually a salaried employee but has a big heart for kids and is over all of it - motioned me over. We had a discussion.  He had not started it with another kid, as I had thought, he was disrespecting the ministry person that was trying to work with him. When I say that, I'm talking about a many with a great  amount of patience and love, a hearing ear, someone that isn't easily put off.

But tonight?  He brought the child to her, the ministry leader and said I can't deal with him, enough of this.  I was not happy, of course and I'm not even the parent.  I then got into a discussion about asking for forgiveness? No, he didn't do that. Do you want to go apologize to him now? No.  Are you sure?  No.  The leader said well, we want him to stay home for a week. Even the church doesn't want him in there! 

I don't blame them either and I also don't blame the parents. I have watched them try every method under the sun from belts to treats, to timeouts to everything you can imagine and none of it, literally nothing works.  He .... doesn't....care.  When we got outside of the church I addressed him directly: Don't even try that on me.  

++++++++++++++++++++++\\

Total distraction and many hours later, it's time to go to bed.

I've been given work through Sunday, unfortunately.  I think it's because I asked for 2 weekdays off in a row either next week or the week after - no specific days excepting not on Mondays.  I need the time to get stuff done for the project.  I can't work this job and get that stuff done at the same time, just not working for me.

Anyway, time for bed. 

 Tuesday - night

I know, I haven't been writing much. Just too much going on what with work and all the bs that has been going on with that, the park tho that hasn't been as bad and then helping out with the kids now that the guy is out again.  He's still trying to get his CDL and then? He's going to be on the road.  He failed the driving test by one thing: he dragged the trailer tandems over a curb and that is an automatic fail.

The reason is simple and valid: If you pull your tandems over a curb in certain places? The tires/wheels will fall into a ditch and the entire trailer will flip over on it's side and pull the tractor over with it, destroying both and potentially doing harm to people and also if there are spills. IN other words, it's something you avoid at all costs. However, I see drivers doing it all the time and they are lucky it isn't in a place where that would happen.  

There has been a lot going on and I don't even remember what I have posted about.  Wow! Just took a look, I haven't posted since I had the truck in the shop and was in a hotel room in Arkansas! Dang!

Well, here's one thing that happened last weekend.  The kids came home from grandma's, also in Arkansas and we left for Tyler.  We went to the hotel, went to the pool, went swimming, then to the gym - they wanted to - then got some food and spent the evening playing games.  Next morning, we got up, played some more video games and then headed to the zoo.

That is where there was going to be a birthday party we had been invited to.  Spent 3 hours there, had a great time both looking at all the animals and also in a private party room there doing the party.  

Yesterday?  Yeah.  I was at the loading plant.  I was 8:00 am load. But, they didn't have me down for 8:00 am, they had me down for the 1:00 pm load.  This is a rather long, involved story I don't feel like going into all of it.  Basically, there is a person there, low level management, that decided I should wait. I figured and found this out after being there 4 hours waiting to get loaded and then, after going to the control room, having this dude tell me that I would have to wait at least another 2 hours. 

Now, these people know that we had 3 trucks loading there yesterday and yes, even after 4 hours, the other 2 hadn't shown up.  That's because they had been running a different run trying to play emergency catch up and they were then yanked from that and put on this detail.  The point here is, all 3 loads going to the same plant and delivering the same product.  This "manager" apparently wanted to teach me a lesson about showing up early arbitrarily. Not, it was on my tablet, I looked again to make sure.  

The problem was, after contacting my manager the first time and telling him he needed to make some phone calls RIGHT NOW, is my manager had forgotten to ask the plant rep to get us the 8:00 am time slot.  To really get a grasp on this, this low level manager who decided that I was going to end  up waiting a total of 7 hours to load, is a known a-hole. This coming from another driver who is normally quite level-headed and doesn't even speak like that.  

Anyway, after having long talks with my manager including me, getting extremely annoyed with the waiting,  well I figured they must be getting stuck on my load number, so please give me the first load number, the 10:00 am one, and I will give THAT to them and see what they say.  So i went back in there, they were cranking on me as if I were lying about my load time.  "I don't get up at 3:45 am unless they WANT me to".  I said fine, switch me to the 10:00 am and yes, this a-hole manager was there and he said, well, that's all well and fine, but since we didn't have "that" truck here, we have made other plans, you'll just have to wait.  

NO.  I knew this guy was trying to get my goat, I just walked out on him, outside the doors but plainly visible to this dude standing there staring at me, likely taking great joy in making people unhappy for from what I ended up hearing, this person is a miserable man with no life.  I got out my phone, called my manager and said you need to call our rep and tell that guy to pressure them into getting us loaded and getting me the hell out of here. This is ridiculous!  

After making sure he saw me on the phone, I walked back to my truck,  I wasn't going to entertain another word from that dude.  10 minutes later? The loader comes out, you can back in now!  HAH!!   I figured someone higher than him would be reasonable and see that there is absolutely no reason to make us wait, it's already 2 plus HOURS past the 10:00 am loading time, much more the 8:00 am slot!  

I probably had a smug look on my face and quite intentional later on when I walked in to get my paperwork and he was just standing there staring - glaring? - at me.  He lost his power trip and I was more than happy to see him eat it.  

I will not be taking another 8:00 am load without calling the manager and verifying that he has CONFIRMED that it's ok to show up that early. I don't even ask for that slot, they just dump it on me.  But that was the second time in a row that this has happened. The only difference is, the first time was with a different loader and he didn't ask management for permission, he loaded me after he got the truck he was already working on completely.  

Anyway, I was supposed to have tomorrow off - didn't ask for that either, they just had it in there.  The manager called me and texted me and left messages for me this afternoon.  I didn't answer because I came home tired from getting up so early and needed a nap. It was more like deep sleep,  I slept an hour and a half and had to force myself to get up.  I knew what he wanted before I ever called him back, there is no other reason he blows my phone up like that: to ask me to take a load tomorrow. 

His concession without my asking for one is that I will have Sunday off. Ok!  I didn't need tomorrow off, I do need 2 days in a row off, during the week and I asked him for that today as well as a couple days off next month for the lady of the house has to go to Dallas for a work convention and assuming the man of the house won't be home.  You can't really know what he's going to be doing, likely he'll be in a truck with a trainer driving somewhere with some mega trucking carrier learning the ropes.  

I feel kind of sorry for him, what I have seen? They don't know how to train people to be drivers, they train them to be "steering wheel holders", that's a rather derogatory term given to drivers who really don't know what they are doing.

I have to go to bed in a few minutes so cutting this one short. Have been following the government shut down. Democrats have really dug themselves a hole. They are hypocrites for shutting the government down in the first place.  They are trying to use healthcare as a tool. They desperately want - and need frankly - a win. I have seen the GOP cave on these things before, I hope they do not this time. Republicans have done a good job in conveying the message that they are offering a clean CR and also that Schumer has voted for the same thing 13 times previously.  

Democrats need points, if republicans hold their ground, however, democrats are going to have to cave in sooner or later. Constituents will be none to happy as more and more government services get shut down and the fault laid squarely at their feet, they are the side that is refusing to sign off on the CR, something they have condemned Republicans for many times over in the past. 

Nothing new under the sun or to see here.

Nothing else I can go into, either, not without it eating into my sleep time. 

Monday - evening

Sitting in my hotel room, Hampton Inn, somewhere in Arkansas. Today was a long day.  It wasn't going to be but I was asked to do something once I got the truck up here, got into the shop and was about to go sit in the driver's lounge for most of the day and play games and get on the laptop.  

I popped my head into the office, said hello and then I was thrown the question that obviously they don't expect anyone to say no to:  Will you do me a huge favor?  My thoughts went directly towards them dumping me into some other truck and heading down to Lufkin to load, a long drive and something I definitely didn't want to do.  It turned out to be something like that, excepting it was to take a truck from the yard, cruise over to Crossett, load and bring it back to the yard.  Some other driver would take to somewhere in New Jersey.  

The truck I was put in was infinitely nicer than the pile of junk I have been driving.  It was explained that it was a lease purchase truck, the OO turned it in and moved on.  In other words, no you can't have it, we'll keep you and the other drivers on our detail in junky equipment that breaks down often.  Whatever.  All I knew was?  My truck would be completely fixed today, no ifs and or buts and if it goes into tomorrow, so beit, ya'll can get me a hotel.

I'm at the plant, pull up to the loading bay and sit there and wait before entering it so that one of the workers can guide me in.  They're supposed to be spotters and watch for things.  Things like smoke stacks being too tall to fit under the canopy.  Yup.  I was pulling in, slowly, and bam, kaplaaaam! BANG and I knew instantly that the stacks had hit the canopy.  It didn't damage their canopy at all, the stacks his I- beams, solid, heavy metal.  I spent hours there today, is how I'll just end that.  I eventually got out of there after one of our mechanics came and hit the things with a sledgehammer lmao. 

I got contacted later that yes the truck is done, but we are putting you up in a hotel tonight.  I wouldn't have made it home with the hours I had available.  And, they had more favors. Can you stay tomorrow and go load again at Crossett?  Gag me with a spoon, I reluctantly agreed.  The lady of the house was none to happy to hear I wasn't coming home, she doesn't feel particularly safe there alone at night. But, there is a giant dog that is very protective and there are plenty of firearms that she knows how to use.  

Anyway, I get into the hotel room after going to Brookshire's for deli dinner and find that the thermostat isn't working, the battery is low.  I was not happy, getting grumpy in fact, I'm very tired.  I want to go to sleep early tonight and try to get a decent night's sleep.  `I went back down, they wanted to call maintenance in. Ok, fine. The problem? Maintenance is on call, not at the property.  I was getting a little unhappy but I bit my tongue.  At the end of all of that nonsense, I was given another room. "Did you want to relax a little or are you ok waiting?".  I want to relax, I have literally been going all day long.

Sunday, the kids with dad left for Arkansas and I decided to skip church.  Just didn't feel like going after 10 straight days of working.  I'll do this load tomorrow, which hopefully won't take more than 5 hours, go home and then I have Wednesday off, working Thursday and  Friday, have the weekend off.

I'd go into more and I will edit this post if I feel like it later, but for now? This is enough.  

Nintendo Switch 2 - screen size v original Switch OLAD

 I'm putting this out there for I have seen nothing about this in any review I've read.  The reason I didn't immediately buy the new Nintendo Switch 2 is because they aren't coming out with the OLAD  version until 2027. I wanted the larger screen size and saw no reason to pay that much money for the "normal" version. 

There have been glowing reviews about the Switch 2 everywhere, but nowhere, and I mean nowhere, did I see any reference to it's screen size.  It's important to me for I am getting older and I need as much screen as I can get to be able to play effectively. 

Well, we bought Switch 2's today at Walmart.  I already have the  old version.  I pull the Switch 2 out of the box and was absolutely amazed: The screen size is FAR bigger than even the OLAD!  Why isn't anyone talking about this, this is news!  I have them both sitting side by side right now, transferring the info and there is no comparison, the Switch 2 is a LOT bigger than the OLAD, by far!  

That's it.  I don't even have the system set up yet, I'm working on that now, but to a lot of people, I think this is information they have been looking for.