You know it is going to happen, you just hope that you can orchestrate the timing. WRONG!

I was busy doing computer work, hourly payroll and trying to get a head start on truck and driver settlements, when a knock came on my door. I opened the door and Julio told me in texican (or spantex, if you prefer) he had a problema with the forklift. Hidraawlik, cety, la pipa, it all meant the same to me. Trouble. I came to a stopping point and hopped in my truck hoping for the best. When I arrived it was as bad as it could be. One of the multi-stage mast's hydraulic hoses was leaking oil. This hose is an engineering nightmare. It zags, it zigs, up, down, front, back, you have to be double jointed and psychic to take it off and replace it. I decided to be patient. We have done this before, no reason to rush. An hour and a half later I had the bad hose in my truck and made my way to the farm store to have one fabricated. While I was there I decided if it took that long just to get to it, I probably should go ahead and replace the other half of the set. So I requisitioned another. When I finally began cleaning tools and putting them away, I had been working on it for five hours. The coop farm store has high quality products, the hoses I replaced were single braid while the new hoses are double wire braid. The only problem was that the new hoses were slightly larger than the standard equipment. It was a fight from start to finish! When I had just been done a brief while I noticed Julio had parked the primary machine and gone to the back up, when I went to investigate, I found the new larger hoses had broken the edge from some plastic spools which guide and protect the hoses. I was able to adapt a pair of John Deere stripper parts and got the machine ready to go again. As I was getting ready to go to bed last evening there was another knock. Delfino told me he had a problem with his primary forklift, the hoses were bubbling (weird) and he was going to run the back up machine but he thought it might need a fuel filter. By this time I was sick and tired of messing with forklifts and I told him do his best. I slept with one ear tuned to the door. Finally about five this morning, I slipped out of bed and made my way out of the trailer to check on Delfino. I arrived to find the backup machine stranded in the middle of the loading area and Delfino back on the primary machine (with its bubbling hoses). The bubbling hoses needed only have the slack taken out and clamps re-tightened, then another plastic spool had lost a guiding edge so I reversed it so the hoses would remain on and I took my pliers and broke the one remaining edge of the guide off and it began working properly. Delfino shook his head in amazement that it was such a simple fix. When I directed my attention to the backup machine I found an inline screen that was totally plugged with dirt, grime,and lint. Once I cleaned it up I started the machine and drove it back to its parking place. I did get busy though, I found a fuel filter for the backup and went ahead and installed it, and I have ordered new spools from the OEM for the primary machine. I know, this has been a lot of detail to say I had a crappy day!

Oh well, it was due! After all tomorrow is another day! The remainder of the day will be dedicated to settlements! Tomorrow is a maintenance Sunday and we are hoping to get to go to town. We are getting soooo antsy. We will make it, it is just going to take some discipline.

FATHER, thank YOU for seeing me through yesterday. I am thankful YOU allowed me options to make the repairs so we could continue. I pray for mental, physical and spiritual renewal. Strengthen and guide me. I pray for those needing YOUR healing, I pray for those needing to find YOU. YOU are the power, and all glory is YOURS!