Sorry 'bout that!

The New Year is off to a fast start. Busy, busy. Truckers, 'nuff said!

We have been limping along with reduced ranks. Delfino did not return from Mexico until yesterday. He feels optimistic about his wife's health. Baldemar told me he needed to go to Mexico for at least a week. Julio needs to go in a couple of weeks, so it appears the long season is going to require a floater man just to go where I need him. I hired just such a man Wednesday and began training him. Today we threw him in the fray. He is on his own with no more supervision. So far so good.

"Peg Leg" had an accident yesterday in Big Spring. He missed his turn and took the next exit, went all the way down the ramp and then failed to negotiate the turn and ran off into a culvert. DPS would not let him drive. They think he has suffered a stroke. Regardless, "Peg Leg" has no recollection of why he was where he was at and what had actually transpired. The truck suffered some damage but came on out with another pilot at the helm. Ultimately it was abandoned because the water pump went out on its way back in to Sweetwater.

The night drivers had a very poor night Thursday night and combined with Friday's accident there was a backlog of bales to be shipped. I brought in two locals for three loads and then Roscoe sent me three trucks and just before dark we had cleaned it up.

By this morning it was a mess again. It seems as though when you get the night guys caught up they relax and do an less. I am trying to come up with an appropriate penalty to take money away from the guys doing little and giving it as a reward to those who are trying to do their share. (Aka forklift operators). We are double handling so many bales that is may take a reduction in truck pay to get the truck owners to encourage their people to work.

Hurry up Charles! Get well soon. I need some relief!

Kat has been visiting since Tuesday. She and Daely have become buds. One is nine, the other almost seven. Kat has been to Daely's house, Daely has spent time at our trailer. Last night they went to sleep laying in the floor watching television. Today we will meet TRC and send Kat back to Abilene.

One of our last activities before she leaves will be a stop at the County Livestock Show and auction. Since we are official company representatives and since the company is a buyer, we hold tickets to the hospitality room for the noon meal. One festivitie I want to see is the pig scramble. Daely told Kat about it and Kat thinks she wants to participate. Yeah right! Whatever! Fer sure, fer sure!

While it has been a good visit, one extra person and all their stuff sure makes the trailer crowded. Add to this the fourth body visiting and it is even more cramped. I sure know what it feel like to be a minority because I have been the only male in contrast to three females and three female dogs in the trailer!

As per usual, the visit has caused some friction between Krl and I. She is so hungry to see the grandbabies that she is blind to what is going on. Kat is sure enough kin to her oldest sister because she wants to manipulate and dictate to everyone else where, when and what. The other day I asked Meme and Kat if they wanted to ride to town with me to get some forklift parts. Not only did it take forever for you know who to get ready but she took an extra change of clothes. Before we had gone fifteen miles she was telling me that she was going to WalMart and Target and the Mall. She was needing an orange spaghetti strap top! Now I don't know 'bout where you come from but most forklift dealership/service companies don't carry a wide assortment of spaghetti string apparel. Anyhow, as you can well imagine, I was in trouble before we got back to the house. (Even though they did go to Target while I did an errand. I needed some peace and quiet!).

Once we were back at the compound I finished my day out and returned to the trailer. Krl told me that she was putting the finishing touches on supper but I had time to bathe. Once I headed to the bathroom guess who had to beat me in there. What a seven year old does in the bathroom for that long is a mystery to me. Finally I was cleaned up and had my jogs on and was fixing to sit down at the table when Meme told Kat to slide into her chair before me because the dining area was cluttered with Kat's things. Kat kept trying to dictate the timing and I finally sat down and began to eat. Then she wanted in.

Yep, she is a brat! There Meme, I said it!

Lots of office work to do. Year end reporting, W-2's, 1099's, TWC, FUTA, insurance.

Git 'er done! Be the real deal!

FATHER, surround me with YOUR peace. I feel I am at the edge of a fierce storm. I ask safety for Adam and his men in Iraq. I ask for Krl's healing and renewal. I ask for safe travel returning Kat. I pray for Addie, Memama, Pepa, Hag, Bets, Jess, B., Lillie, Aimee, Ashlyn Kate, Dr. Mackie, Jeanine, Hope, K.C., and Tyler. I ask YOUR gifts of healing, YOUR gifts of comfort, YOUR intervention on their behalf. I pray for those hurting from loss. I pray for those of us who struggle to follow YOU. 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. That they would remain true to YOUR path and YOUR way, shunning the ways of the world. I pray for our prayer partners Jenavene and Susan, that we might seek our refuge in YOU. Hide me oh Jehovah!