My eye lids wanted to get a jump on the day! I suppose my brain did not tell my internal alarm clock that we didn't need to get up at three. I am trainable. Give me two or three days of the same scheduling and I can get in a groove! Doing the can can thing is behind me, at least for a while. My friend tells me that as soon as I finish at St. Lawrence he wants me back. This tells me either (a) I did a good job or (b) I worked cheap or (c) a combination of a and b. My friend has a lot on his plate this coming fall. He is a seasonal manager for a local cooperative, he has his can contract, he has the contract for moving seed, bales, and burrs at the coop gin, and also the ever present move of coke products. We talked for a while yesterday and it makes me wonder how happy he is with where his life and his business have gone. He told me that this isn't what he really wants to do but with a young family he feels putting down some roots necessary. We discussed different views on business, higher fixed cost with no variable costs no surprises, lower fixed costs with many variables many surprises. One man's pain, the other man's relief.

It has been an interesting month. I spent the majority of it on the road between Abilene and Fort Worth. The majority of the road time was in a baby blue Peterbilt. This was really kind of fun. It has been years since I have driven a big rig much. I have decided though that we all are idiots! The things I have observed while going down the road or while sitting in a traffic jam. I have seen anything from people reading the newspaper to reading a hard back book, from being on their palm pilot to having their lap top set up on the console or seat beside them, the ever present cell phone, putting on makeup (even doing the eyeliner or mascara), tying a neck tie, and of course eating fast food ......... in the fast lane. All this done while traveling over seventy miles an hour! Some people have everything down to the minute or second, taking advantage of every traffic snag to dress on the way to work or on the way home, to get undressed. If we have done any of the above or if we have shared the roadways with people doing any of the above, we are idiots indeed!

Today preparations begin in earnest for the St. Lawrence transition. So much to do and so little time to do it. It seems odd that it is all hurry preparing to go to a high pressure job in a laid back community. I look forward to the people, I don't look forward to the long hours of work. But I do like to eat, I like to stay dry when it rains or snows and I like to keep cool when it is hot and warm when it is cold, so I am thankful for the work opportunity!

FATHER, I sure feel scatter brained! Please help me pull it together! I ask YOUR blessings on my efforts as I begin fitting the pieces together. I thank YOU for the safe travel and safe work the past month, I ask the same of YOU for the upcoming work. I ask YOUR guidance and council in choosing suppliers, employees, and sub-contractors. Help me and my team to do good work worthy of the confidence and trust of those that enlisted us. FATHER be with KRL and I as we transition through this time apart. Bless KRL as she deals with her work issues, help me to know how to help her. I continue to ask YOUR blessings on Rene', Carol, Michelle, and Aimee. I continue to ask YOUR healing of them all. I also pray for those in our church family who are ill or hurting, bless them all, comfort them. I ask that YOU lift me, boost me, energize me. Fill me with YOUR spirit. For YOUR love FATHER, I am thankful!