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NOW

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Contractors

Getting building contractors to show up, call back, complete a job or even pick up their tools is an exasperating endeavor. Even when they're with you they're not really paying attention. They're thinking about all the other ongoing jobs they have strung out over the county. When you try to contact them, leaving a message is futile but getting a real person to answer the phone is rare. They're over extended and busy waiting for your deposit to clear so they can pay off the suppliers for the job they did two months ago. It's a fact of life; it's understood, implicit, goes without saying. A priori.

I finally got the well contractor to call back and it only took a month and two calls. Amazingly after the second call he showed up the next day, pulled our well pump out of its 400' hole and had it replaced in 6 hours for $3,127.  A new 5 H.P., 40 gpm well pump on 2" galvanized pipe that should hopefully last 10 years. I'd consider this a successful transaction if not for the fact that I'm waiting for him to call back with information on another well component that he promised. Another "truth" about dealing with contractors is that you're never really done. Loose ends. Ya always have them.

The two 10,000 gallon 1,000 lb water tanks are another on-going project that could easily keep me entertained for the next year or two. They were delivered though, because of rough terrain, we couldn't have them placed on their gravel pads. For now they're laying on their sides waiting for a profound revelation that will provide insight on how to get them to their final resting spots. Eventually the answers will present themselves and they'll probably involve heavy equipment (if not helicopters).

One of two new tanks

THEN

January 15, 1969

Well, it's been a long time since I wrote. I guess I've kind of lost interest over the years.

College hasn't been too hard, at least not after I got used to it. I started in a bad state of mind but lately I've begun to realize how important it is. It's a lot better than high school with much more freedom and time on your hands.  The people are a lot more friendly than the ones in high school though the girl situation is almost as bad. Just the same, I've made no true friends besides casual acquaintances.

This semester I had a three hour break before my last class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  I didn't want to pay the ferry fair to get back to Coronado so I spent those hours in Balboa park studying.  The park has a lot going on below the surface, so to speak.  It's a big hang out for homosexuals and I spent a lot of time seeing them get arrested by undercover cops.  Actually, the homosexuals seem to outnumber the normal people and they really like to hang around the rest rooms.  Once when I went to take a leak, I was followed by two guys who came in and stood at the stalls next to me.  It was really awkward and I got out of there as fast as I could.  I went back to my books at the park bench and when I looked up, one of the guys from the restroom was being led away in hand cuffs.

Bill, after being home for a few weeks, is off to Germany for the rest of his enlistment. Just like the recruiter promised. In a way, that's  good for me because he was beginning to leave me behind socially.  He has more luck with girls than me but his approach is so phony that I don't see how the girls fall for it.  The big thing for him this trip was showing me all the hickies he says he got from a stewardess who spent the night with him. He was obviously bragging and if he meant to make me jealous, he succeeded.

Ron has really been driving me crazy lately.  He's been smoking pot like a banshee and I feel like I've created a monster by introducing him to the stuff. Every time I turn around he's sticking a joint in my face and I'm getting tired of always being stoned on the weekends.  Since I live at home, I have to try to "maintain"  around my parents and that ain't easy.  Some times he comes over and we smoke pot in my room, even when they're home.  That's pretty reckless though, it's always in the evening after they've been having cocktails for hours.  They don't notice a thing.  Sometimes they're out in the kitchen drinking and partying with their friends while Ron and I are in my bedroom getting stoned and listening to loud rock and roll. Strange times.

He did talk me into going to a 'Who' concert and I gotta admit I liked it.  They smashed all their instruments after the last song.