I think we are going to have to return to the jobsite so I can rest.

I really had the best intentions when we returned from our Fall work (that lasted until Spring). Get all the needed equipment repairs done while it was fresh on my mind. I think this is going to kill me.

One truck needs very little. It's main repairs are for damage done when a machine operator at the compress dropped a bale on it. It mainly needs to go to the body shop for some cosmetic repair. Nothing major, but it needs to be fixed while it is fresh on all parties minds. (The compress has agreed to pay for the repairs). Problem is, this truck has decided not to start. We had absolutely no problem with it during the season but brought it in and parked it for twenty-four hours and the problem surfaced. It may have been there, but not have been noticeable since the truck was running twenty-four/seven. It took an act of congress just to remove the batteries. We have maintained and charged them and finally found one that will not hold a charge overnight. All of the batteries are Exide's and are twelve to fourteen months old. I am shopping around a for a bargain and if it is good enough I will replace all of them. I would like to have a brand where I know someone who I can "eyeball" if there is a problem. I am afraid the one battery that is bad might have damaged the others. We will see. I guess I could do a consumer test and put all different brands and then record and publish my findings. Hmmmm. Maybe I can get a research grant.

The other truck is another story. Prior to going to the jobsite last Fall I spent almost a month tinkering with stuff. I realize that this little truck has worked it's butt off the last couple of years, but is is amazing the poor maintenance that the drivers have done. From as simple a task as a truck wash to a light lens replacement, these drivers have been pathetic in their attempts. Add to this the fact that many problems are not mechanical in nature but the result of lack of respect and stupidity on the driver's part. From painted windows (I guess this is a Mexican version of window tinting) to leaving screws out of or loose in the dash to letting objects ride on the dash (that ended up falling into the defroster ducts and lodging in the blower motor fan) to hot wiring the radio CD player to a boom box. Some of it is simply unbelievable. I would bet you that at one of these driver's home you when you turn the light on in the bathroom, the toilet flushes.

Probably the most frustrating thing was the stereo. I can understand if a guy spends ten or twelve hours a day alone in a vehicle, he needs his "toons". Early in the season one of the drivers told me he was about to vapor lock because the radio/CD player had quit. I made it a point to go to Midland and pick up an exact replacement. The driver did a swap (I put the remaining screws in it yesterday, thank you) and everything was cool, for a brief while. The next complaint was that the speakers had quit, enter the aforementioned boom box. Upon this driver moving to another truck, the drivers who moved into this truck wired the speakers to a single four inch speaker lying on the truck dash using the fifteen foot speaker wire which was hanging from the ceiling. Yesterday I decided to purchase new speakers and install them myself. I decided against the high end speakers and got a lower mid-range set of speakers. After a couple of hours messing with wiring harnesses I became very frustrated to find that the new speakers did not work. Turns out one of my rocket scientist driver's had a sharp ear and needed to adjust the bass, treble, balance and fade. This is only a two speaker system because there is no bunk or sleeper on this truck but the driver had adjusted the "fade" to the two speakers the system didn't have. Upon that discovery, the old speakers worked. I'm going to write that down, don't take the driver's word for anything (the speakers weren't blown out).

Right now I am awaiting some parts that the dealer had to order in. They should arrive Thursday or Friday. Three more hours and I think I will be done. Half a day on these two and we can bring in the last truck.

I went to Roaring Springs one afternoon earlier in the week. I rode up with a friend who was going to a business there. It was one of the small "stripper" oil mills. (I don't really understand why they call it that, they perform the same task the larger mills do). It was an interesting excursion. I was very impressed with the low number of employees (2) and the use of every part of the product they were milling.

During the trip to Roaring Springs I received a call from one of my former employees. He was telling me that the burr contractor from the Fall jobsite was in the hospital in Abilene and that they would be doing bypass surgery Tuesday morning. Since the hospital he is in is less than a mile from my house I made a dash over there Monday evening. It seems that while were were at the jobsite Ed had an episode but chose not to share it with anyone, including Pearl or Greg (his wife or son). After returning home to Coleman he had a bull get out and he went to retrieve it and had another episode, which he told Pearl about, and they immediately went to the hospital. They determined he had 95% blockage in three arteries and sent him to Abilene for bypass surgery. I had met a couple of his brothers previously, but I got to meet the whole crew. One bright spot was Tuesday afternoon Krl and I went by about the time he was supposed to be out of surgery (which they hadn't even taken him in) and I got to see Milton, the contractor's younger brother. Milt and I used to be pretty good buddies when he worked at the job compound. He has since moved on to bigger and brighter things, but it was a refreshing visit.

The surgery went very well, Greg reported late in the evening, and after about a week in the hospital Ed will be released. He is expected to make a full and complete recovery.

I have to go back to the jobsite either today or tomorrow. (Don't ask me why I think it has to be one of those days). Julio has finally moved into "plant housing" and I can retrieve the last company travel trailer. I am "waiting to exhale". This will be the last scheduled trip out until late June or early July.

It would appear that when I am ready to go to work I will have an opportunity to work on an interesting project. I will know more about it after the seventeenth of this month. My friend I have helped the last couple of years is in the negotiation process with a new company which is coming to town. These negotiations have been going on for several months but it appears to be coming down to the short rows. If it continues to progress, my friend may very well move his operation here depending on the second level negotiations with DCOA. I told him if assistance is available he needs to take advantage of it. The possibilities are tremendous. It will require considerable growth over the next few months which means more equipment, which means more employees, which means more fuel, which means more resources, which means more backing which means,........ lots of paperwork.

Be the real deal.

FATHER, I pray for safe travel. I ask for YOUR total peace. Settle me, calm me. FATHER I lift up Adam and his men. I lift up Memama, Pepa, Addie, Hag, Bets, Jess, Douglas, Jack, B., Lillie, Ashlyn Kate, Dr. Mackie, Jeanine and Ed for YOUR gifts of healing and care. I pray for those sad from loss and ask YOUR comfort for them. I pray for those of us who struggle to follow YOU. I pray for the efforts being made to expand YOUR kingdom. May we proclaim YOU!