My "Finally Friday" became frantic Friday at the office. I had gone in for a half day before leaving to do personal "stuff"

Thursday evening when I left things were top notch. We had a very productive day negotiating the new "can" contract and the other side's chief negotiator was coming to the office to look things over, visit on our turf and then KO was taking him out to eat. When this gentleman arrived he carried the new contracts. They went over them, signed them and enjoyed a light and friendly evening. When KO came into the office Friday he was in the best mood in a long, long while. That is until he checked e-mail. One of the e-mails he received was from the chief negotiator for the other side thanking KO and his family for their hospitality and meal and oh, by the way I am going to withdraw that contract that we signed yesterday! KO nearly went through the roof. Immediately he began accusing me of rigging e-mail to spoof him (I have been guilty of shenanigans before but nothing involving something as serious as this) and then he began to quiz the office manager. Finally he realized we were very somber as we had been copied on the same e-mail. Immediately we began an offensive of blunt (and near offensive) correspondence. Their negotiator was telling us he had over stepped his positions authority and his superiors from Atlanta had collared him and yadda, yadda, yadda! Our e-mails were not obscene or vulgar, no cursing, nothing like that (we are way too professional for that adolescent stuff), but we did put a few pin pricks in this guys ego! ie.: "What's the deal? We were under the impression that we had a signed agreement and now you say no. We thought we were dealing with a mover and shaker who could get things done and whose word was his bond, and now this. We are holding related contracts for annual equipment lease renewals that at this juncture we are not comfortable in signing due to the inability of our counter parts ability to carry through." Basically we were trying to make this guy feel like a pimple our backside and to convey our willingness to walk away from not only negotiations but the job itself. We made a couple of calls and found out some details of changing some freight allowances and it shouldn't be a big deal for this gentleman to "git 'er done" where our agreement will fly by his superiors. KO did tell the guy that he was going to have to give us the half cent from our original request just for mental anguish. Our last report had this negotiator headed to Dallas, his tail tucked between his legs and a cell phone to his ear! If I were a betting man............ By midweek at the latest.

I had a call from the GM concerning the presentation I had made earlier in the week for the other business I consult with. The GM and his board of directors had reviewed and approved it so the one year remaining became a new agreement spanning four. This was doubly good news for me because I will get three or four months of work at the jobsite each year. Its a job and I like to eat.

My afternoon was very productive. I got lots done, saw some people I hadn't seen in a while, and just took a little time for me! I did get by Chris' Napa store to pick up the new A/C compressor for my truck. Thankfully it was under warranty. They are doing a straight replacement, with the exception of the freon and oil charges. I had to give Pat a difficult time about that. Hopefully I will make the swap today and have the faulty part returned to her later in the week. I am currently trying to decide whether to replace the accumulator. If it was a bearing and clutch assembly failure as I suspect, there was no trash forced through the system that would damage the new compressor. If there was internal failure as well, I need to replace the accumulator, and flush the system prior to pulling a vacuum and charging it with freon. I would much rather drive this pickup than work on it.

I did stop by to visit with Memama and Pepa for a minute. Last weekend at the family reunion Pepa had an altercation with an out of control golf cart being piloted by a two year old and the golf cart won. Earlier this week he went in for some x-rays and found that his left foot is broken. Now he is having to wear one of those rigid shoes. Memama had a meeting at Lubbock. Pepa, Pat and Hag went with her. This pertains to some of the never ending parade of festered boils that continue to pop up from the defunct family business. Pray for a suitable solution to this matter. It is amazing to me that state and nationally chartered establishments can be irresponsible in the ethics of conducting business and yet be totally absolved from any responsibility by agencies that look the other way.

Krl and have been dealing with some credit reporting agencies and these folks are out of control. One instance has a company sending Krl something unsolicited, Krl refused delivery and the delivery company refused to return it because the code doesn't authorize payment for return (it did finally disappear from the front porch). The company that sent the unsolicited item told Krl to pay the invoice ($300.00) or it would go on her credit report. (Sounds like extortion to me). She told them if she didn't order it she didn't think that was possible. They told her they could do anything they choose to do. Talk about smart ass! I would like to be like that man on the TV commercial who goes into the company to straighten things out, I would definitely take a large helping of "whoop Azz" for the guy that talked to Krl!

I don't have a whole lot on my plate for today. Lawn, bank, grocery store. Hopefully it will be kicked back. We continue to try to put our next week together. I didn't get home last evening until eight. I had to make a quick trip to the store for Krl and while I was out I picked up Chinese. A week after we went for it we finally got it! Krl is suffering from a terrible, terrible headache. She hasn't classified it as a migraine but I suspect it might be. It can make her eyes tear up. I haven't had too many like that but I can sure sympathize. I don't like it when my sweetie is hurting!

FATHER thank YOU for the week, for YOUR help in seeing us through it. We thank YOU for our victories, and ask that you keep us humble in our celebrations as it is not us but YOU through us that is responsible. May we remain in YOUR favor and be pleasing and acceptable in YOUR sight. Help us to be honorable and fair in our dealings. FATHER I thank YOU for Krl and I pray for her healing and renewal and I ask for relief from her pain. FATHER I lift up Memama, Pepa, Addie, Hag, B., Lillie, Aimee, Jennifer, Ashlyn Kate, Dr. Mackie, Jeanine, and Verlin for YOUR miracle of healing. I pray for a suitable solution to the problem presenting itself to Memama. I ask that all the parties involved will be fair and honest. FATHER I pray for those sad with loss and I ask YOUR comfort and care for them. I pray for those of us who struggle in our walk with YOU. I pray for our spiritual family and our leaders. I pray for the efforts being made to expand YOUR kingdom. FATHER, forgive us when we fall short. Thank YOU for loving us. Bless-ed be YOUR name!