Thankfully Saturday!

I suffered to get to this weekend. It had been a very taxing trying week before Friday and things didn't get any better. I had been so engrossed in my Thursday that I didn't even realize I had been at it for nine hours instead of eight. When Krl called on the telephone I wrapped up the day and made my way home planning on squaring up my long day Thursday, with a short Friday. Didn't happen.

KO and family (short his Mom and Dad) went to the Peach and Melon Festival Truck and Tractor Pull in De Leon Thursday night with two of their three competition vehicles. The third remained at the fleet shop awaiting an engine. Clyde, their engine man has known for two months what the date of the competition was, and he had repeatedly assured them that the engines (two tractor engines and an engine for their rear engine dragster) would all be done before hand. Clyde is a habitual liar. He is good when he can be motivated to work. Problem is no one has found which button to push to motivate him. When Clyde missed the deadline for the third tractor's engine Thursday, he told them to go on and assured them they would have it first thing Friday morning. Wrong. Did I say that Clyde is a habitual liar? KO and company went and competed, running second and fifth. Of course they felt their best tractor was the one that was left at home.

Friday morning I went to the office and was "gettin' 'er done" when KO meandered through the door. He began making calls checking on engines and learned that the third engine was still not completed and was still at Clyde's shop. Did I mention that Clyde is a ...... ! Finally KO went up to the fleet shop to unload the tractors from Thursday nights competition in order to tune and check them. Shortly, he called me and asked me to bring his pickup with service trailer to the shop. When I arrived I found that one of the big rear tires on one of the tractors had gone flat inside the van trailer. After about an hour and a couple of wayward attempts, the tractor was in the shop. We broke down the tire, sent someone to pick up a new tube and KO began tearing apart the carburetor. Finally we went from there and tried to lay out the pieces for the installation of the engine in the third tractor so that things would flow quickly. Then back to the flat repair. We finished it and were getting ready to let the jack down when we heard air. Turned out the new tube was bad so we had to break it down again and repair the tube and put it all together again. Still no engine. Did I say that Clyde is ...... . We finally loaded the two tractors in the trailer and chained them down. We loaded the support vehicle on its trailer and tied it down and then we walked to L & R's house and she fixed us some ice tea. We were dry! By this time it was getting late in the afternoon. Choices were going to have to be made. At five o'clock we unloaded the support vehicle from its trailer and put it inside the large van with the tractors. We broke down the ramps and loaded them and shut the doors. The decision had been made to go with what we had. KO fired up the big blue Pete and everything was ready to hit the road when a small red pickup rolled up with an engine loaded in the bed. At that point any brain cells that KO had, evaporated. He summoned us all to the shop and against our arguments he laid out a plan to work for thirty minutes to see where we were. There were guys on the left, guys on the right, guys on the ground and guys on the front. Air guns were blazing and Clyde was sitting at a workbench working on a carburetor. He didn't offer any apology. Did I say that Clyde is a habitual .......... . At the thirty minute mark we called the track and they were in a rain delay. The decision was made to continue on with the work. By this time the engine was installed and it was down to putting the rocker assemblies, stud girdles, adjusting the valves, installing valve covers, stabbing the distributor, timing the engine and making carb adjustments. Just an hour after its arrival we were trying to fire the new engine. Thing is, about this time the rogue "O" family member that consorts with the "Mc's", called and said the rain delay was over and they were going to being weighing tractors in thirty minutes. The drive down is an hour and a half. KO had rolled the dice and they came up snake eyes. He had two in the hand and sacrificed them for the possibility of a third. He was sure in a poor mood. I told him there was no one to blame in our camp, that Clyde didn't "git 'er done". Lesson learned, we need to go with what we have rather than chase the elusive or hopeful that dance on the fringe. Instead of competing with two vehicles KO and family didn't get to compete at all. They should be ready by Saturday night. When I left after seven we had unloaded the other two competition vehicles and Clyde was tuning on them. L & R had been enroute and were alerted to the new development and they turned back. The sad part was that Friday night was one of the few times that Larry has closed the Better Burger when it wasn't a holiday, so Larry lost out on a night of revenue and still didn't get to go to the tractor pull. DO's wife and daughter had left much earlier in the afternoon to go to the festival. Turns out they were relegated to an evening at the carnival as DO was thrashing with us at the fleet shop.

I had gone off the clock at two-thirty but by the time I was home it was approaching eight. I had to pickup some money and then go out to pick up supper. The past two days were just a reminder of the work that goes on behind the scenes which is rewarded with fifteen seconds in the spotlight as these vehicles go down the track. You gotta love it. Be sure and take the camcorder and make me a tape. I'll watch it from my recliner. Would you move that remote closer to me?

Krl is having a difficult time. Lots of pain and nausea. Keep her in mind. I am extremely concerned.

I had a call from Delfino yesterday. He is so frustrated. For several years he has had the same job on the Gulf Coastal Plain cotton harvest and this year he arrived later than normal expecting it to be available but it wasn't and all the other openings have been filled. I have told him of several job leads, including my brother-in-law, but none of them have worked out. Yesterday he was wanting to borrow money to travel home. This morning he was somewhat optimistic with one job prospect. He will know for sure Monday morning. Thankfully, this has diminished his loan request by almost half. This is good because Krl and I have been hubbing it. I would hate to have to request an advance, to advance him money. The upside is that he is a man of his word and if he receives an advance I do not have to worry about him showing up for the fall work. He was inquiring about his forklift situation for the fall work. When he left, his forklift (in his words) was very sick. I was glad to report that after feeding its mechanic many dollars by the lessor/owner, it was much better and even better news was the equipment lessor was trying to secure him a new forklift. He loves new! He still remembered my joke about if we change to new Tailift (pronounced Tai lift) machines all the operators would have to wear neckties.

I don't want to do anything today. But I need to do lots.

It would appear that the coming week is going to begin tilted off. Some equipment going in for scheduled maintenance is not coming out in time for the Monday schedule. I cringe everytime my phone rings. We'll have to see, but after my Friday at the fleet shop I did stop by my desk to shut down my computer and found a new stack of work. I hope I can begin the work week in the office.

Well, this isn't "gettin' 'er done". Better get. Have yourself a weekend.

FATHER, rest me well and rest me quickly. Thank YOU for seeing me through the past week. I pray for a blessed weekend. I continue to thank YOU for Krl and ask for her healing and renewal. I pray for Addie, Memama, Pepa, Hag, B., Lillie, Aimee, Jennifer, Ashlyn Kate, Jess, Dr. Mackie, Jeanine, Verlin, and S.T., I ask for YOUR gifts of healing for them. I pray for those sad and hurting from loss and I ask YOUR comfort for them. I pray for those of us who struggle to follow YOU, I ask that YOU keep us centered and give us resolve. I pray for our spiritual family and our leaders. I pray for the efforts to expand YOUR kingdom. Thank YOU for watching over me!