Blogger, oh blogger, where should I begin?

I guess with an apology.

I can't believe it has been since Wednesday since I blogged. Sorry to any of you who checked. I will do better.

Things have been crazy for the last week or so. The gin has had trouble finding their rabbits foot since the maintenance Sunday on the fifth. Anything and everything that you could imagine has been happening. Gin fires, hydraulics, belts, belting, motors, inverters, load sensors, and the list could go on and on. None of these are my responsibility, but all of them affect my requirements for equipmment. We had been feeling like we were just right and then all the sudden we are "over stocked".

We have not been without trouble. Tires, forklifts parts, accidents and brushes with the law, these have been our achile's heel. I would bet that we have had six or eight flats in the past week. Many of these have been reminiscent of our first years on the job. The building that houses the plant is a welded frame construction and it took us years and years to get the yard cleared of all the small remnants of welding rod which were thrown to the ground. Same thing lately, instead of nails or screws puncturing the tires it has been welding rods.

My seed trucks are reduced by two (or were, one replacement came in earlier today). Lupe was attempting to pass a slower vehicle with a trailer just north of Stanton. As he was beginning to go around the vehicle, it began a left turn. Lupe took evasive actions and steered away from the vehicle and trailer into the ditch. It was a wild ride but no one was hurt in either vehicle. Lupe's truck did not fare as well. I fear it is totalled. Lupe's boss was able to send another truck which is the replacement that arrived earlier today.

The other reduction might be a blessing in disquise. My problem driver, Robert, failed to show up for over twenty-four hours. We began a search to try and account for him and or the truck between here and Lubbock. Finally Fred began checking law enforcement agencies and found dear ol' Robert as a guest of the Lyn County Jail. This is the second time he has partaken of their hospitality. I had suspected the Robert had a problem and I had asked some of the other workers to assist me in monitoring him and his behavior. I had three reports that seemed to confirm my suspicions but Saturday afternoon the DPS gave us all the proof we needed. Robert was stopped and arrested for driving while intoxicated. Probably the most difficult part of this job are the employees that you can't watch 24/7 because they are on the road. Luckily Robert only did himself harm. He will now lose his license for a minimum of a year and he will have a permanent mark on his record for the national data base of truck drivers. Luckily Robert was due enough money to repay all the advances he had procurred and still had a dollar and eighty-two cents to apply to the almost nine hundred dollar tow bill for removing the truck from the roadway. As Robert would tell me, I guess now he is able to "kick it" with his buds in the jailhouse.

Not to be unscathed, I had one bale truck driver who quit. Usually he was begging off on the weekends but this time he quit. No notice. "I've hauled my last load." This too was a blessing. This driver was unable to get on the road and go. Whether he was at home sitting at the coffee table or taking forty-five minutes to drop and hook a trailer at the plant, he just was not able to make the wheels turn in a timely manner. To terminate him would have been very delicate so his was a very welcome anouncement when it did come. Actually he had encountered a problem with his clearnance lights and it flustered him. To have driven a truck all his adult life it amazed me that any small problem became large and any large problem became insurmountable. Oh well, thankfully that is behind us.

Today we are ginning some "flex" cotton. Flex cotton contains a gene that is not approved for export so the oil mills will not accept delivery of any loads containing a single seed with this gene. Genetically altered. Who woulda thunk it!

The plant is awaiting the arrival of a load sensor for gin stand number three. Yesterday morning the motor burned up and when they were swapping it out a stange fluid was present in the conduit. Electricians were called in and they checked and re-checked everything, installed the motor and it still wouldn't run. A capacitor was requisitioned from Lubbock and late last night it still wouldn't run. Finally Frankie figured out it was the load sensor and one was located in Mississippi and put on a plane. About one in the morning Frankie engineered a temporary fix to get us more near capacity.

Our morning today was spent dispersing settlements and working on payroll tax deposits.

Yep, it has been a Monday here at the jobsite. Hope it was better wherever you were.

Be the real deal!

FATHER, I have been running with a short fuse. I ask that YOU temper me. I continue to pray for Krl's healing and renewal as well as for me. I ask for safety and YOUR watch and care for Adam and his men in Iraq. I pray for Addie, Memama, Pepa, Hag, Bets, Jess, B., Lillie, Aimee, Jennifer, Ashlyn Kate, Dr. Mackie, Jeanine, Verlin, Brenda, K.C. and Tyler. I lift each of them upo for YOUR gifts of healing. I pray for all of those sad and heavy hearted with loss. I ask YOUR comfort for them. I pray for those of us who struggle to follow YOU. Keep us focused and centered. I pray for our spiritual family and our leaders. I pray for the efforts being made to expand YOUR kingdom. I pray for Richard, Anastacia, James and Terah. May they put their trust in YOU and may they be blessed and their trangressions forgiven. I pray for our prayer partners Jenavene and Susan and am thankful that YOU are a compassionate GOD. Reign in me.