Yippee! Another fabulous "Finally Friday".

Am I ready, you bet! This week has been pretty intense. We have had some lax moments but when things revved up, Katey bar the door! Today will be the first week day off from the dedicated "can" run since the build up for Memorial Day and the carry over through the Fourth of July. We were fielding all sorts of requests for "long weekends". Of course anyone wanting to work can haul product loads today. We only have two drivers doing doubles today, one Ab-FW-Waco-AB, the other being a Ab-FW, FW-Ab, Ab-Dal, Dal-Ab. The rest of the guys are doing singles and should have their days done early! They deserve it.

Yesterday's crisis was an accident in Fort Worth. We had been laid back at the office when the call came. A driver had crested a hill and there were cars as far as he could see. Stopped! He was in the inside lane and went left toward the cement barricade and the emergency lane, which was a good move, the problem was he made too hard a cut and hit the barricade. Damage included broken spring hanger bolts, a fiberglass break in the hood, ruined steer tire and wheel, and a bruised ego for the driver. A couple of hours later, a hefty wrecker bill ($$$$), and we had a plan in place to get the driver and the truck back to the fleet shop. I don't know if this driver will be back or not. If not, it won't be his choice. Luckily KO was in Fort Worth and was just a couple of miles away and he was able to go to the site and assess the situation. I was kind of proud of KO, he doesn't handle "situations" well. Fort Worth's finest in blue called a wrecker in to do the tow and the guy who responded will not be a contestant for the congeniality award. After it was all over KO told me it was difficult, but he kept his cool because that wrecker dude was "a fecal orifice". Preliminary investigation reveal that the truck was traveling between fifty and fifty-five miles per hour and the officer commended the driver for avoiding any other vehicles. I guess that is like a consolation award. I have the driver coming in this morning to fill out an accident report. Red tape. The pilot of this crash vehicle had over slept and got a late start. Hmmm. Kind of re-enforces my theory about being in the right place at the right time.

It is officially official. Krl and I had taken the pressure off concerning the reunion at Lake Brownwood and figured if things fell right, fine. If not, fine. Well, everything is fine! We will be home for the weekend. Krl had a really really good day Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday have been the other end of the spectrum. She made the remark that sometimes it appears GOD has a warped sense of humor. If she can have one good day I have hope that she can have another. And then another and then an.......... O.K.!

Chris is flying in from Little Rock for the reunion, it has been about ninety days since he was last in. He is really getting independent. He is currently enrolled in his final course and would probably be done this month but they are waiting for two more students to begin this class. Business Administration. Chris is bringing one of his friends from school, his friend is totally blind. Chris told Pat "Not to worry, I will be his sighted guide for the weekend!" Sounds like maybe school has really mellowed Chris and that he realizes what sight he does enjoy is a blessing. He's turning out to be quite a young man.

I received another call from the contractor that had called last week. He was asking me to forward to him some fuel surcharge options as he was meeting with B.J. yesterday morning. I faxed an updated schedule and then received a call asking me for a practical example of application. When that was done B.J. asked me to come there before next Thursday for a meeting to discuss my job contract. I advised him that one year remained on the current one but he wants to rework it now. I talked with the contractor again after he concluded his meeting and he told me that there is a new mentality out there after the scare of losing the Plant Superintendent and they are wanting to tie everyone up for the next three years. According to what the contractor told me, his tentative agreement calls for an increase five times what I have been hoping for. I am not going to get greedy though, I am not wanting to rework my deal, just tweak it a little. I would rather eat regular than binge! I am excited about this development, I could use some stability in my life!

Krl and I are beginning to make small preparations for the annual pilgrimage. It won't be long. I am thankful for the opportunity and for the developments that have happened that will let Krl be with me this year from the start. I just feel better when I can put the eye ball on her an assess her situation. We have really been laughing about the "culture shock" Maple Syrple is going to go through when we move to the jobsite and she realizes she is a trailer park hound!

I didn't get a report yesterday on Addie. I haven't talked with Kali but Krl and Memama have. Kali has told them that the account of what happened that is written in my blog is not totally accurate but offered no consistent alternatives. All I can say is what I wrote came from Merrit's mouth. We may never know the real story. I continue to catch Merrit in fibs. She told me the dog has been destroyed but it hasn't been. She also failed to tell me that this dog was purchased by her and given to the current owner. The girl seems to have a problem (and telling the truth may be just a small part of it).

No word on Verlin yesterday either. I suppose I will use that old adage that no news is good news!

Word is that Et has cotton at the gin waiting to be ginned. One of his farmers wants to have the first bale down there this year. Problem is after Et arrived at his new job he found that the gin was far from being ready to gin.

When I woke this morning I was greeted with the puzzle for the day. Krl had told me "Before I go to bed I am going to clean out the refrigerator and scrub it down." The puzzle was a maze of shelves and drawers strewn through the kitchen. She did leave me a note, apologizing and saying she couldn't get them back in. Of course the key is sequence. If you start wrong or make a mis-step you cannot tilt and lock (or unlock) the next shelf. I got them all in there and I am hopeful the spacing suits Krl. The rest of the day should be a piece of cake!

Have a weekend on me! Enjoy!

FATHER, please deliver me through this day. Thank YOU for seeing me through the week. I ask for a good day and a blessed weekend. I pray for safe travel for those traveling to and from the reunion. FATHER I thank YOU for Krl and ask YOUR healing and care for her. I pray for Memama, Pepa, Hag, Addie, Verlin, B., Lillie, Aimee, Jennifer, Ashlyn Kate, Jess, Dr. Mackie, and Jeanine. I ask YOUR miracle of healing for them all. I pray for those sad with grief. I pray for those of us who struggle in our walk with YOU, keep us centered. I pray for our spiritual family and our leaders. I pray for the efforts to expand YOUR kingdom. Fill me.