Arghh!! I am frustrated!

It seems as though no matter what I do I just can't get a program put together. What hopefully was a dream job seems to be nickel and dime-ing the company, and although it is a down time of the year, it can't continue on. There is too much trying to pull that booger down. Sometime I can't believe how many costs continue on regardless of activity.

My yesterday was filled with a couple of quick trips checking on loads before barricading myself in the office to generate monthly reports. Accident insurance forms, monthly employee roster, monthly tax deposits, updating employee payroll journal. They are all done, moved to Krl's desk for processing and pay next time T. Lyn is here.

I did make one trip to what seems to be becoming my hangout, Kinkos. Those guys are probably thinking about giving me my own cash register code so I can "self serve" myself! Yesterday was a crazy project involving forty-nine copies, and that was about as compacted as I could make it.

Shortly before I left the office for Kinkos, I received a call from KO. After brief casual talk, he asked me if I would be interested in making a quick run to Lubbock. It seems that the core customer for the last few years had gone to a central dispatch and it is very possible it is not working. Apparently they need soda pop in Lubbock and a lot of it quick! The old local dispatch office called KO's office crying for trucks. I was excited, I only needed to check to be sure my local load wasn't going to make and I was game to go. KO told me as soon as I knew if it was a go to call DO and confirm. It probably took me an hour to make my rounds and talk with the loader at Eileen's before I was confident I could go. I called DO and by then the core customer was crawfishing and backing away, they wanted a couple of trucks, not everything DO could throw their way! Dang! KO told me he would see what he could put together for today. I will be hopeful again.

I am torn between what I need to do and what I want to do. I would like to attend Mike Meler's funeral in Bedford today. That is difficult for me because I usually don't do funerals and the few I do, I don't do well. I also realize Mike would understand that if a guy can work he needs to work. I don't know. I suppose I will take it out of my hands and into a more insightful being's, and if it is supposed to happen it will.

As many of you are aware, during our absence this past year, Trc did a rework on our house. Everything was moved out, new paint on the walls and ceiling did most of the magic. The other major contributor was the removal of ALL the carpet and replacing it with tile. The tile was something I didn't really know if I could get used to. Surprisingly, I have fallen in love with tile floors. Clean, cool, neat in appearance. It is also comical when the two youngest pups "cool" down and lay like tadpoles flat on their bellies.

One thing that has amazed me about the tile floors is how every tile is intrinsically linked. My understanding is that when the tile is laid, the tile layer determines a key room and they will cross reference from corner to corner, determining a center. Don't ask me who decided this is how tile is supposed to be laid. I would have probably started in a corner and ended up with the opposite side having a thin sliver, but then that is probably why I am not a tile layer. Back to the story. In our instance, Trc and her assistant determined the key room to be our family room. They determined the true center and set that tile and everything else spins from it, with the exception of the entry way which because of the step down and the door transom there is loss of continuity briefly. As I walk from room to room I am amazed that ultimately the link goes back to the true center. This will showcase the efforts of carpenters or cabinet builders whether the showcase is good or bad. Any deviation to "square" is readily visible referencing the tile lines. This really intrigues me, how intertwined and dependent each tile is on the one laid before. Of course once the tile is set, the mortar will fill the gaps. This is another bumfuzzling thing. The mortar choices are almost endless. Amazing.

I find myself relating my amazement with our tile floor to life. I keep going back to "my center" and I can see how each square has played off the one laid previously. I relate the mortar to "coloring the picture" we have created. It is indicative of who we have become.

FATHER, help me to always use YOU as my true center. Color my life with YOUR majestic strokes!

Memorial day was just that, memorable! Just maybe not for the things you might think.

I don't know why, but I woke up in a destructive mood, so I decided to put it to good use and tear down the hot tub. In the early years the hot tub had been a small piece of paradise at times, but like most things the years wear on it. We have been in this house seventeen years this December and the hot tub was already in place when we took up residence so who knows it's exact age. It had had a couple of major repairs on the power unit, and numerous coats of sealer and stain. Ultimately the gazebo was actually rotting away. Good things can't last forever! I had checked on replacing the power unit and of course it is the major portion of the cost of a new 'tub, especially when the remainder of the unit is suspect.

We are going to forego replacing the hot tub, at least for the near future as the former 'tub location is now ear marked for the future outdoor kitchen. That may not happen this year either. I do know that there are a lot of supplies that have been left over from previous projects that could probably be used to at least do the concrete slab.

I suppose we have a back yard project that is in four stages. #1 was the removal of the hot tub. #2 is the removal of the grandbabies playhouse. (Krl has given it away). #3 the removal of the swingset (which although it is galvanized is rapidly rusting away at crucial points). And #4 begins the reconstruction with the outdoor kitchen cement slab.

We had one man that wanted the wood from the hot tub gazebo along with what firewood we had but no longer wanted. He and his wife came by late and picked up all the firewood and picked through and hauled away the lumber he wanted. Hopefully he will make it by today or tomorrow to dispose of the balance. That just leaves the "tub" for me to haul away.

Roofers arrive today. This is the final portion of Trc's rework on the house. I will be relieved when this is completed. Insurance had authorized the replacement of the roof a couple of years ago and it is paid for. I like that kind of deal, get the work done and not have to pay! The only thing left to do is to put the awning covers on. We are changing our stripes, we are going with a charcoal roof and charcoal awnings!

My honey has converted her part of the back yard into a gorgeous paradise. Lush flowers adorned in their "Sunday best", a couple of bird feeders which keep a steady flow of fowls coming and going. Quite regularly we have squirrels stop by to grab a quick bite or to get a drink from the pool. It is quite a sight when Maple Syrple sees the squirrels and chases them and their chatter as they race along the fence top! Of course in the background you can hear Krl scolding Maple for not being hospitable!

Today. What to do. I plan on making my early rounds to see what loads might be available and then I will know. A distinct possibility is a quick trip to the metroplex to return some lease/rental equipment. Maybe tomorrow.

I do have several office projects to do (Of course!).

Be the real deal!

FATHER, YOU the man!

Two weeks until we leave with Trc and her family for holiday. I think the only reason I am looking forward to it is because I know Krl and the rest of the crew are. Probably the biggest hurdle is the fact that I am on a completely opposite clock from the rest of the crew. I love to wake early and retire early as well. The rest of the crew prefers to sleep until noon and cat around until late. I caught a bit of a conversation between Krl and Trc and Trc was telling Krl that she hoped I would do more this trip than I did on the last one. I sat on this tidbit of information for a couple of weeks and finally I confronted Krl and told her I had one thing to say about it. It is my vacation too, and I will do what I want to do. So there!

Last time we were at the Paradisus, I would wake up about five or five-thirty, grab a book and sit on the beach as the sun peeked over the horizon. It is a magical time, the lights along the sea wall provide enough light to read until the sun takes over. I know, it doesn't do much for my tan. Rapidly the surroundings come alive. Wait staff and cooks are busy readying the restaurants for the morning rush to come. A few guests of the hotel are busy scurrying about as they rush to meet boats for fishing excursions or other day activities. I finally migrate to the grass roof building that houses the largest and busiest restaurant (they have five), I sit down and a waiter will recognize the guest bracelet I am wearing and rush by with a coffee pot which I wave off and request a Coca-Cola Lite instead. I open my book and read as chefs begin to bring large steaming trays of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and hotcakes to the buffet.

Good book, good food. This might be heaven.

After another trip to the beach and a couple hours more of reading I go back and check to see if any of the "group" is stirring. I'm ready for a nap when they are just getting ready to begin their day.

Probably my favorite time of the day is the afternoon squall shower. It seems like it rains every day at the same time. It is a brief reprieve before the heat converts it to a hot steamy sauna.

The first indication that this is not heaven is when Brently begins looking for a Dr. Pepper. Last time when he finally found one, he bought a six pack that cost him over twenty bucks! That's over four dollars a can! We have been joking that maybe we should ship a couple of cases of Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper ahead to be held at the check in desk of the hotel pending our arrival. It might work.

I received a call yesterday from Memama. She was reporting that a cousin's husband had succumbed to injuries he received about ten days ago. His name was Mike Meler and he was married to Nita, their home is in Colleyville. It seems Mike had been driving home from work when he had trouble with his truck, he coasted off the freeway, off the exit ramp, and off the service road. I am not sure, but knowing him I would say he was working on his truck to get it going when another vehicle struck his truck from behind. His neck was broken and he suffered spinal injuries severe enough that doctors told the family he would be paralyzed from the waist down. Saturday night he succumbed to his injuries. He was sixty-one or sixty-two.

Last year at the family reunion golf scramble, I played in a foursome made up of Jack Allen, Michael Joe, Mike and myself. Mike and I shared a cart. In addition, we shared a morning filled with conversation about a wide variety of subjects. Neither of us were gifted golfers, but that didn't stop us. We laughed and joked, bragged on our lucky shots, and cajoled others on their errant ones. We didn't win, and more importantly we didn't care. We were there for the fun and fellowship. And that's how I think I want to remember Mike.

The Memorial weekend races proved to be racy! I think it was one of the better Indy 500's in years and the Coca-Cola 600 was pretty action packed. The favorite came from behind to win Indy while the favorite was demoted to runner-up at Charlotte.

Today is a blank page. Krl's pool is crystal clear and ready. Nearly all of the little odds and ends are completed. The only thing we need to do is get our ice cream freezer canister back from Trc. The grill is at the ready. Hot dogs? 'Burgers? Barbecue? Who knows? We will just go with the flow, see who shows and adjust the program as we need to.

Be the real deal!

FATHER, open my heart.

In the process of earning brownie points, I hooked up the Netgear wireless router. The company Neatreceipts computer has wireless capabilities and I had no intention of ever putting it on the internet, but plans change, Neatreceipts required online registration with no telephone option. I am so frustrated. At the jobsite I had made one brief, feeble attempt to go wireless with no success. (Other residents of the trailer park are anxious for me to do this as they can and will bear the costs while sharing access). It was too late in the season for me to devote much time to the wireless technology. When I prepared to hook the wireless router up this time I was serious. Luckily the router and the wireless access kit have installation wizards. (Or at least I thought it was lucky). I worked and worked and never could the router and the Neatreceipts computer see each other. The way I had done the network was for a hardwire for my computer into the router hub and then everything else would draw from the wireless network. After what seemed like forever, I dug through a box and found the longest Cat 5 cable with RJ 45 connectors I had and hardwired the scanner computer into the network. Everything was good after I had done this, or so it seemed.

When I tried to get on-line again my computer could not find the server, in fact the other machine couldn't either! I decided since the scanner machine was registered, I would take the router out of the loop and have my machine direct to the broadband modem. Still, there was no connection. Mess with it as I may nothing seemed to correct the problem. Finally I put the router back in line, shut down the computers, unplugged the router and the modem and left them alone for most of the day. (A lack of electricity in their diet should show them who is boss!) Sure enough late Saturday night I came in and brought everything up and on line! Go figure!

Today is my favorite day of the year. 1100 miles of racing. Indy and the Coca Cola 600.

Excellent!

Jeanetta, my sister who I didn't even know until a few years ago, lives outside of Indianapolis and has worked off and on at the Indianapolis Star Newspaper. Each year she subscribes to the May race coverage for me! It is pretty neat to get first hand close up coverage of the greatest spectacle in motorsports. This year an added bonus was a copy of the official race program. This year marks the 90th running of Indy and I can spend a lot of time looking through it as it contains a lot of history and previous programs.

Yesterday afternoon I called Jeanetta, it had been a two or three months since we had last talked. I just wanted to catch thank her for the newspaper subscription and catch up on things. We visited for about an hour and forty-five minutes. It was good to talk with her!

Krl and spent yesterday morning sealing the fence we share with our neighbor to the north. He had recently had all his fences replaced, and although the one we share didn't need replacing (although it deed need some repairs) he chose to replace it for aesthetic value from his perspective (ie... all his fence would look the same.) The neighbor told us that he didn't expect us to share in the costs as his motive was selfish. What a nice guy! He even furnished the sealer for us to do our side of the fence! (What our neighbor didn't think of was the fact that prior to the fence replacement all of Krl's and my fences were the same age. Now we have one new fence and two old ones! I can't take this!) Hah!

We made a brief excursion to Lowe's and Albertson's. We were trying to decide what we are going to grill Monday. It is difficult to know who might stop by on Monday. You can probably bet Kat will want to come over, which means Ln might want to. Last time Ln was here she took the mixer container (filled with strawberry/ banana ice cream) from Krl's ice cream freezer home. It's going to be difficult to make a new batch of ice cream without that!

Krl's pool is ready, bring on the revelers!

Krl is still pushing me to shop for a new grill. I can't justify it yet. I continue to use the company grill from St. Lawrence. There have been several sales on them but I figure by summer's end they may get a lot cheaper. What blows my mind is that grills we had purchased a few years ago for the son-in-laws, were pretty much top of the line at the time and we paid something over three hundred dollars each. Since then the introduction of the stainless steel grill/outdoor kitchens have arrived. Yesterday when I drove by the grill display at Lowe's I noticed the same frill we bought a few years ago now cost just over a hundred dollars!

By the way, I didn't win the outdoor kitchen from United Supermarkets. I really didn't expect to. It was a lot of fun though because last time I was there I filled out an entry slip and drew a map on the back of it for the checker to deliver it to my home!

Well I had better get, Krl's is planting flowers (of course) and I need to get in position for the races!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, bless this long weekend!

What began as an early day h a s s s..... . . . .. ..... lost it's momentum. I got the worm (as in the early bird gets the worm), now what do I do with it?

I was away from the house about a quarter to seven. Stopped in at Mackie D's, then hit the road checking on loads. Nothing at Lockheed, nothing at Eileen's, so I decided to take my burrito and diet coke and check on Memama at the hospital.

The last two days I have been there when her internist made his rounds. I was still there today when her cardiologist came by. The internist said there was not sufficient backup to support his initial belief of pneumonia, that apparently it was just fluid build up around her heart and lungs affecting her respiration. The cardiologist spent some time and told us he was sending Memama home. Turns out between the two doctors, they fine tuned some meds and made some Rx changes that they think will help. After the cardiologist left Memama told me she wished she could sit down with him and just ask him "What kind of shape she was really in?" All the sudden the door opened and the cardiologist walked back in to add to her dismissal instructions. I told him Memama had a question for him and gave her the floor. She asked her question and he told her he felt she did very well for a seventy-six year old woman, she just needed to take care of herself, watch her diet and exercise. That may be the best medicine she has had.

Kat came back to Meme's and Dandy's yesterday afternoon. She swam to her hearts content! Then we ate pizza to our belly's content. Yeehaw! Trc and Ln came to pick her up. Meme sent a freezer of banana strawberry homemade ice cream home with Ln. Today is the last day of school for AISD, so I can brag about the fact that Kat has been accepted for the gifted and talented program at Austin Elementary next year. Way to go Kat!

I am in the office. I have promised Krl 'til she no longer believes me when I say I am going to finish getting her computer up and going. I mean it today. I have a new battery back up charged and ready to go and I have figured out how to network and register the software on-line. I don't know what I am going to do with all those brownie points!

I am trying to decide what I need to do. We have a niece graduating from Sinton High School Friday night and we have a nephew graduating from Highland High School Saturday night. A few years ago Memama had just had her heart surgery so we did a family split in order to cover all the graduations that year. I ended up in Farwell for Shelby's. With Memama just being released from the hospital, you know she isn't up to going to Corpus for the Friday graduation. We discussed this morning whether or not we need to send a family representative to keep Tj from being pissed off at the whole clan.

If I go or if someone else goes I want pictures of Riley. Memama was telling me he got in a fight at school and was suspended for the day and has "on campus suspension" for the remainder of the year. Word is he has a shiner and a swollen nose. Muhammad Teltschik. Naw!!!!!!!!1

Last evening Krl's phone toned. Much to her surprise it was Ollie. She said her mother drove to Big Spring and picked her up yesterday morning. I hope those doctors could evaluate her at seventy miles an hour. One positive thing she told Krl is that the state facility is not somewhere a person would want to go.

Go figure.

Well, I have things to do and brownie points to earn.

Be the real deal.

FATHER, for YOUR love.

Yesterday was one of those days that just keeps on giving. Even long after I had lost interest.

The Ollie saga continues. It is extremely sad when you can't believe anything she tells you. This girl is rapidly becoming a big, BIG, disappointment. In February, Krl had a conversation with Ollie's mom and told her then that we felt it would be in Ollie's best interest to be committed to a facility for evaluation. Mental and physical. You have to understand that every time there is a problem, Ollie blames it on blood sugar, yet she is not interested enough to maintain a diet regiment or medication schedule that would improve her health. We have also known for quite some time that Ollie would rather embellish a story than tell it verbatim.

Yesterday Ollie had called Krl and told her that she was under court order to remain in a lockdown facility. She was threatening to walk out. Late yesterday she called again telling Krl that this would be a quick conversation, a deputy was waiting to take her to Big Spring State Mental Hospital for evaluation. And that was the end of the conversation. Krl tried to call Ollie's mom's phone but now it is blocked requiring an access code.

I keep muddling through all the crapola. For a period of time it seemed as though Ollie wanted to force her mom to make a choice between her or her step-dad. Then it appeared she wanted to siphon off any money she could from anybody. The girl that had boundless drive was now lazy and a parasite. When I wade through the happenings of the past six years I get to a point and bog down. Several years ago Ollie's maternal grandmother, Lou Ann, began a campaign for Brett, a cousin, to rent a room from Ollie while he attended school in Lubbock. Brett is an extremely bright kid book wise, but they haven't made a drug, illegal or prescription that he isn't willing to try (or hasn't tried). Last report I had was about a year ago and Brett's grandmother had enrolled him in a fifteen month drug rehab facility that was extremely pricey. I suppose at some point Lou Ann is going to have to step up and fix the other side of this equation. There will be a reckoning.

Ollie and her step dad haven't gotten along very well in several years. While she was close to her step-grandad, this never filtered through to the next level. Of course when Ollie is grasping for straws she will tell you that losing her step-grandad is what put her in this tail spin. I don't think any of us will ever know how much subsidy Ollie received. From her step-grandad, from her mom and step-dad, or from Krl and me. Personally, I don't want to know how many dollars Krl and I have contributed to this farce. I am afraid it would be staggering. It always began with it being a loan and then somewhere in the vast recesses of Ollie's mind she would decide "They owe me that much".

Krl and I had tried to make one last effort. O.K., it was actually two last efforts. We felt with things as strained as they were at Ollie's mom's house, we needed to help get her away from there. I can only imagine what it was like to have her living there and to be honest I sure don't want her living with us. Hopefully we were helping create some distance that would alleviate some of the tension. Obviously it didn't work. We made one final effort to help Ollie get her medications and some groceries and at that time we told her not to call for "bitch sessions" but to feel welcome to call and tell us how good everything was going.

According to Ollie, at this point her step-dad was a man on a mission. To her it almost seemed at every turn he was waiting to spoil her plans and attempts to put things back together. Realize I take anything Ollie says with a grain of salt, but she says the only time she could make the guy happy was if he needed her to run some reefer for him and her mom. She added that he blamed her for his having to come out of retirement and teach again.

I don't know if we will ever filter through all of it. I am losing interest and just want some distance. I do know it is a shame when you can't tell where the fact ends and the fiction begins.

It is frustrating.

The more enjoyable part of the evening was spent watching Kat swim, the pups play and chase, and watching the Country Music Awards. Where did all these new artist come from? My favorite part of the night was Brooks and Dunn performing I Believe. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Of course Ronnie Dunn goes back to a time when we were all at ACC. I suppose that's another ACC moment.

I really enjoyed the story of how the song happened to be written. Interesting.

"I raise my hands,
Bow my head,
finding more and more truths in the words written in red,
learning that there's more to life than what I can see,
I Believe."

Gotta have that CD.

What's on tap for today. Hopefully some hauling. They only got me one load yesterday. With some recent developments I need to subsidize my income but this isn't much subsidy. I was scheduled for a meeting this morning but received an e-mail telling me that I would not be attending. Instead I am supposed to have a call from one of Marcus's staff, provided we can work out a time that is good for both of us.

Of course I can always come back to my desk and do the accident insurance reporting but I am wising up. If I clear the projects from my desk another comes in. Heh, heh. A cluttered desk means no room for new projects!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, I Believe!

Guess what I got in the mail? Another office project! Darn! It's that time of month for the accident insurance report/ wage audit. It won't take long. It just takes time and a little trouble.

Late yesterday I made a quick circle to see if the return load was going to make (meaning be completed). It didn't, but Jeremy and Justin assured me it would be ready this morning when I got there (at 7am.). They stayed true to their word.

While I was making my circle I received a call from Pat. She was doing her sisterly duty and informing all of us siblings that she had just admitted Memama to the hospital. It seems that Sunday night Pat sat beside Memama at Kyle's Baccalaureate and she noticed Memama's accelerated breathing. About 45 per minute. Afterwards she quizzed her about her shortness of breath. They called Memama's cardiologist and they upped her dosage of a diuretic and come Monday morning she was much improved but still not feeling right.

At the hospital they poked and prodded until about eleven pm. The cardiologist came by and said he believed it was either congestive heart failure or possibly viral pneumonia. Memama's internist is leaning toward the pneumonia.

Early this morning I made the one delivery from Lockheed to Eileen's and then went to the hospital to check on Memama. I found her in good spirits, just kind of dozing, working on the word jumble and laying around! Maretha and Donal along with Anna Joyce showed up just as I was preparing to leave, but before I could get gone, an orderly came with a wheel chair to whisk Memama away for more tests.

What goes around comes around! I think they need to be really sure she is sick 'cause she wouldn't let any of us be sick without proof. So there!

Our other entertainment for last evening was the idiot daughter, Merrit. She called bawling and wanting to speak with Krl. I got back on the phone to tell her Krl was coming when she sobbed and told me "I just can't take it any more, I took the whole bottle of my sleeping pills". Immediately I told her, "You are an idiot!" She hung up, so when Krl called she got Merrit's mother on the line at the emergency room with Merrit. It would appear that this is just another prank in a long line of pranks to try to get attention. If a person is serious about suicide you don't call around telling people what you've done. I told them if there was any money left from the last I sent her, to buy her a gun.

It is really a sad situation. There is no one to blame but Merrit. The girl needs serious professional help. I am tired of the lies and deceit.

When I left Memama's hospital today I had two calls. One from Kali and one from Rian. They had talked with their Mom and had been told that Memama probably wasn't going to make it.

This is almost a case of telling the person next to you something and then seeing what it is when it goes around the room. Krl had told Merrit's mom that Merrit is not going to make it without professional help.

After leaving the hospital I ran into KO and the "King of Karoke". KO had his service trailer with him and I asked him if he would mind going by the truck yard with his big compressor and impact to remove the rear cross member from the teal truck frame. When we arrived we found that the nuts Volvo had used are lugs. I am not sure how they work but evidently the sleeve crushes and locks itself on the threads of the bolt. KO said his experience had been they have to be cut off. So much for that project today. Next week I may take it to KO's shop and fix it. We did make a deal on some take off tires that he had been interested in and that I had been commissioned to sell for the company. In fact he bought all sixteen.

I made a big circle on my way home and checked on load progress. None. On to the house. Krl was trying to figure out what she was fixing for supper and discovered regardless of what the menu was she needed to replenish some essential spices requiring a trip to the store. This was all right with me because with the drawing tomorrow, I wanted to enter my name for the outdoor kitchen one more time! Krl had talked with Trc about Kat coming over to swim and decided to call her to tell her we were running a quick errand. When she went to the phone there was no dial tone. We both thought the cordless phone had given up the ghost. I went to the office and grabbed the other phone to switch them out. When I was through there was still no dial tone. A little more background revealed no dial tone in the office for the fax as well. My first question was "Have we paid this bill?" Krl got on the phone and called the phone company and learned it wasn't turned off, a major cable had been cut.

While we were out we went ahead and paid the phone bill.

We made it home with time to spare and as I type Kat is in the pool. She and her Mother have been going to LA weight loss in preparation for the upcoming trip. I was sooo disappointed when she walked in after school without any Bueno chips and queso. I understand she is going to LA weight loss but I'm not!

By the way, meatloaf won the menu battle and it's aroma is filtering through the house. Ummm!

Let's git 'er done!

Be the real deal.

FATHER, work YOUR plan.

As per usual, there continue to be little office tasks that need to be done. It is really annoying! I received a request yesterday from Department of Human Resources wanting pay history for an employee for April and May of 2006. This employee received his last check March 31, 2006. I still got to jump through the hoops!

When I got 'round to leave this morning. I placed the grill assembly for the teal truck in the S-10. I wasn't very confident that Carlos or Jeremy were going to be on their "A" game this morning. I was right. I continued my eastward trek and went to the truck yard. The grill project has been ongoing for a week. The grill originally was secured with some sort of rubber fasteners that would swell when you tightened them. When I removed the grill, there was only one of them and someone had cut slits in the screen in order to put nuts behind the other tabs. I had spent a couple of days just fact finding. What I needed was some sort of anchor that would accommodate a 1/4 inch diameter bolt. Everywhere I went they told me they don't make such an animal. I was pretty dejected when I received the same word from Bible Hardware (the final say in hardware). I began to scheme and fabricate. I did a couple of tests. Krl thought I was nutz. Thursday I went to the truck yard and prepped and installed all fourteen anchors and I glued them in with Gorilla glue. I had decided the longer they bonded before I began working with them, the better. I had even glued rubber grommets on the back of the grill and had glued the protective screen in place as well. This morning I took my cordless drill and began drilling all these inserts with a 3/16th drill bit. Upon completing this I used a 1/4 inch thread chaser and threaded them and gave each one a small dose of threadlok. I put the grill in place and began installing the fourteen bolts. Unbelievable. This worked so well you would think it was the method described in the truck owner handbook. Not a bad way to begin a Monday!

I ran back by the house and visited with Krl for a brief moment and then decided to take on a rogue light attachment on the ceiling fan in our bathroom. I though the light bulb had burned out last night. This morning the light would flicker as I removed the globe. Don't ask me, when I removed the globe the light came on and stayed on. I gently replaced the globe and tip toed from the room.

About this time Carlos called. They had a load for me! Surprise surprise. In fact he told me he had this load and later today there should be a return load as well. I am going to give them until four thirty and then I will make a mad dash to check. I would hate to have work to do when it is hottest and not get it done!

After I made the one load I zig-zagged my way home. I stopped for a vacuum part at the pool supply, went back by the post office and finally on to the house.

When I arrived Krl's friend was helping her work in the yard. Her two youngest children were thoroughly engrossed with Dora the Explorer on the television. I chuckled as I could hear both of them repeating the different words they were asked to recite. Oh to be young ( and know what we know!).

I just finished my last office project of the day. I continue to do battle with the IRS over what they say was a shortage and deposits they deemed to be late. It seems the company I report for, goes through this every year because they have never been a full year employer until 2006. It would appear that seasonal businesses really makes your uncle (the IRS) spazz out. I still thing $582.00 for a $25.00 short pay is a little excessive! I had already submitted an abatement request to set aside the penalty and interest for what they said was late and the company had submitted a money order for the $25.00 shortage with penalty and interest. So nw I have responded to Ogden, Utah twice, received another notice from Ohio (I received it on the same date it was dated, go figure), and now I was instructed to respond to Memphis, Tennessee. It's no wonder they didn't acknowledge my previous response and request!

Oh well, let's go do something simple!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, fill me with YOUR goodness.

2160. That is the official number of Harley Davidson motorcycles that took part in the parade yesterday. I would challenge that number. 2159 is my count because there was one imposter being ridden by a young woman. A dreaded Yamaha! How in the ........ . I am sure to a Harley family that would be the kiss of death, the unforgivable.

$32M+ dollars worth of motorcycles parading through the Key City. Pretty impressive. More impressive was the fact that more than half again of the participants number of motorcyclist chose to watch instead of ride in the parade. Even more impressive was the fact that this number totaled less than half of the estimated number of cyclist visiting in town.

It looked a lot like a spit and shine contest. Add a ton of flags. Many participants dressed for the occasion and you had a recipe for showing their stuff. What better format than a parade. As impressive as the visual was, the audio was more so. The familiar rumble of the Harley's cruising down the street. I almost missed seeing the Honorable Mayor, you had to look closely to recognize him under his shades and doo-rag. He was surrounded by Abilene PD's own motorcycle patrol group as if at any time an attempt might be made on his life. Contrary to rumor, "Norm's" machine did not have training wheels.

While the roar of the HOGS may be fading today as they leave, it will be replaced with the sounds from the Dyess AFB air show! I'm betting many of the HOGS hang around for this.

My Honey is becoming obsessed with her yard and flowerbeds. She is constantly working in them, looking at them, moving planters, pots, pruning, re-potting, nursing and just getting her hands dirty in general. I haven't complained. This is her therapy. Of late one of her projects has been repainting all the tricycle planters, the benches, the bakers rack, the patio furniture, along with anything else that is forest green and sits still too long. Her color of choice has been black. Not glossy, not flat, but semi flat. I have had to scold her when she has painted and the overspray has gotten on the grass. I don't know if Saturday was a boom or a bust, but she ran out of paint. Surprisingly it hasn't required a trip to Lowe's or Walmart. Yet. The other day I had come home early and she was out back working. Painting away. As I walked by the window I tapped on it and she turned to face it and I had to do a double take. I opened the door and told her "You've got freckles!" (Actually it went far past this). She got a sheepish look on her face and told me "I wasn't watching which way the nozzle was pointed." Oh well, we'll call them beauty marks. (I am going to have to hide all the markers before I go to bed so I won't be tempted to "connect" the dots!).

It remains to be seen if I am in trouble today or not. With the NASCAR all star race last evening, which was interrupted multiple times by rain (I got frustrated and went to bed), and with the Indy qualifying coverage late yesterday, Krl said she would cook supper. She was grilling a couple of small steaks she had in the freezer along with bakes, corn and beans. I waited for an hour and a half after she pulled it off the grill to see if she was going to come in from "her" yard to eat before I decided to just go to bed. It's one of those catch 22 deals, either I get in trouble for eating without her or I get in trouble for giving up! I guess to be safe I should have had my supper in bed!

Krl told Trc yesterday that Phooey is here to stay. Trc was not too thrilled. Trc said that Ln had just been asking about her. Meme said Ln can come visit. You cannot believe how big a buds Maple and Phooey have become. They are the Siamese Bobsey twins. Where one goes the other follows, rough and tumble, run and chase! I think both of them would go through some sort of withdrawal if we separated them. Besides, watching them is the only exercise I get!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, I need YOU in today!

Hog heaven.

Bringing home the bacon.

Ham it up.

Hogs.

Harleys!

This weekend is the much anticipated Texas Rally for Harley Davidson owners in Abilene. Over 5000 motorcycles are expected, 2000 of which will participate in the parade this morning. Virtually every where you go, you see these two wheelers. Most are in groups, some small, some large. Helmets, doo-rags, leathers.

With the weekend forecast I figured "Hell's Angels" was coming to town because it is going to be HOT! Just kidding! Some of the bikers attending the rally began arriving Tuesday. Many have set up travel trailers at the fairgrounds, I have seen HOGS being hauled in pickups and on trailers, but most came with a rider astraddle. It seems that no matter where you are you can hear the rumble of the deep throaty engines. Many activities have been planned. There is a Harley display at the Grace Museum, there are road rides that will take the participants to the old Forts situated North and South of Abilene, and of course there is Buffalo Gap and the State Park area. The rides offer a wide variation of surroundings.

This weekend is an opportunity for Abilene to showcase itself to a bigger public. Of late Abilene has been mentioned as a preferred destination for a thirty-six hour get away by a New York writer. Just yesterday Abilene was named to a list of the ten cheapest places to live. Much to my surprise Abilene was selected by the HOGS over San Antonio for this year's rally.

At least it isn't a bunch of dirty old cowboys!

I ran some parts and prepped other parts yesterday. Some things you just can't hurry. I did take time out to take down the temporary construction fence between us and our neighbors. The new fence is in place. I got the bright orange plastic fence on the ground and then Krl and I rolled it up and it will be back in the company storage before anyone misses it! I was trying to get things ready for the lawn guy to come. This is kind of a frill, but with this guys pricing it isn't much more that doing it ourselves, especially with the price of gas! Krl and I will have to make a decision once the company pre-pay runs out. Yesterday the "yard man" brought the "yard wife". They are pretty neat. Krl takes good care of them too. About an hour before their arrival she began making some "cold brew" tea and at half time she took it out to the patio table and they sat down and cooled off, so we got to visit a little. It seems that when they got to our house they broke the pull rope in the John Deere mower and discovered after a call that it is a major project to replace it. Krl pulled out our trusty mower and they got down to business. Krl told them to take our mower and use it until they got theirs fixed (it probably needs to charge the battery anyway). They were planning on going to Stamford over the weekend where their kin folks that work for John Deere live and get their mower fixed. Last evening when they left, they had one more lawn on their Friday schedule.

Yep, seems like nearly everyone I know is beginning to have my kind of luck!

I received a fax yesterday from the negotiator in the metroplex. It was a representation contract along with a payment schedule for fees. This wasn't even close to what we had talked about and agreed on. I sent an e-mail to them pointing out the discrepancies. My biggest fear is getting caught up in the moment and agreeing to something that I can't pull off for the long term duration. (That new car nightmare.) Add to this the fact that I am having to sell whatever program I support to Krl and anyone else who might be involved, when the hard copy comes in it had better darn sure match my verbal version. This didn't. I got pretty bent. Krl was a little more level headed, "He (the negotiator) probably gave it to a secretary and the notes and changes were misplaced and she just did a standard agreement". This morning I had a corrected payment schedule on my desk accompanied by a very unhappy e-mail. Krl tells me that I have to remember these pompous azzes have huge egos. They can have whatever they have, but I am following which way the money is going to flow. They work for us!

And that is today's sermon!

I may grab a quick bath and go to the HOG parade. Our illustrious Grand Potentate, the Honorable Mayor of Abilene, Norm(an) Archibald (my former dorm supervisor) is scheduled to lead the parade. First of all I want to see if he has training wheels on his "mo-mo" and secondly I want to see if it is possible for 2000 bikers to maintain some type of order! You go get 'em Coy!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, rest me well, prepare me for what you have ahead.

Some days a guy or gal just need to pull the covers over their head and hide out.

Yesterday was one of those days.

I left early, trying to get an early start on what I hoped was going to be a productive day. When I told Krl and the houndgirls 'bye, they were all snoozing. Three were on the bed with her. It seems my real estate is very prime in this area and when I get up there is a mad scramble! Krl told me to call her in thirty minutes to be sure she was awake. She and some friends have started a bible study and yesterday was the first day. Actually, I think it is a reason to get together and eat! (Just kidding! But they did have some food. Krl had prepared breakfast burritos, they had fresh fruit, and two different coffee cakes.). Anyhow, I have had questions how this small group will mesh but Krl said it went well. One friend is from down our street and is about Krl's age. The other member is much younger and has recently moved to the area from Colorado. The younger member's husband did the painting for Trc on her project at our home and Krl met "the painter's wife" when she stopped by his work one day. Krl and her immediately hit it off and they have gotten together every week. Lately they had discussed the Bible study possibility, and it was a natural evolution.

When I called Krl to make sure she was awake she told me when she got up to let the houndgirls out, the door knob came off in her hand. I was in hopes that it was just left loose from the project but Krl assured me it wasn't. Why does something like this happen when company is coming over? And they were planning on meeting on the patio! Oh well.

Just a few minutes before Krl's friends were supposed to arrive I cruised by in BS 22 to pick up a tire check I had forgotten. I had made my early morning contact and things didn't look good. Carlos was having a bout with kidney stones or possibly some bladder problem and he was in some pain. He told me the ride from Sweetwater to Abilene was almost more than he could bear. He wasn't optimistic about getting any loads loaded and told me to do whatever else I had to do. I made a phone call and spent the rest of the morning at the tire shop. BS 22 has all new shoes! And since that has happened she hasn't had a load. Typical. I just keep reminiscing about how things began slowly in 2004 and then it wore our butts out towards the end.

My Friday began slowly. I really didn't want to get out of bed. Krl and I had been up until between eleven and midnight last night and my butt was dragging. When I did roll out of bed I did an abbreviated morning and went out the door almost an hour late. When I was walking out a long black Lexus was pulling to the curb in front of the house. They sat for a minute and I began to back out, they went on down the street. I hurried to the intersection but by the time I got there they had disappeared. Not in sight in any direction. Spooky! I made the block and then one block over and never found the car, so I went on. I decided to go through McDonald's drive through and as I was sitting in line, the Lexus crept past again. The windows were so dark I couldn't see who was inside. When I pulled out, they had disappeared again. I remained on my toes but never saw them again. It will sure make you wonder!

When I made the morning circle, my intuition proved to be correct. No loads. I couldn't find Carlos so I went on to Bible hardware to shop for some repair parts and then went on to the truck yard to work on the teal truck grill. I was able to get all my inserts positioned and then I pulled out the secret weapon. Gorilla glue. I left the inserts drying and later today or tomorrow I will go try to complete this project. That will leave the trailer charge valve and the rear cross member to be removed and replace, and checking out the cruise control and this truck should be good to go until it's drive tires arrive, then I would like to have it aligned. It likes to dart a little when you are going down the road. BS 2 needs one bolt in the bumper, a little repair on the electric brake controller, and a cosmetic plate put behind the drivers seat and it will be good to go.

So I am back at the house. I am fixing to get Krl's zodiac pool vacuum and take it to the pool shop. I am thinking the diaphram is just old and brittle and not allowing it to function. The pool man thinks the problem is something else. If I were a betting man I was say he will try to sell me a new one. NNNnnnnnnnnno!

One bit of good news is that the compress is not working tomorrow. I hope to sit back and watch Indy qualifying at some part and then finish me day watching the NASCAR all star race at Charlotte.

Git 'er done!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, use me.

Hoowee!

Hurry up and wait.

It's interesting sitting back and watching the two crew bosses at the two locations I am hauling to and from. I have found that no matter what, you have to wait and let them figure out the program or wait for them to ask for suggestions. I understand, no one wants to be told how things "need to be". Yesterday the "boss" at the north plant asked me to bring him an empty trailer. (I had asked about this Monday). This paid huge dividends as he transferred two loads and probably would have done three if the "boss" at the other warehouse had gotten a trailer unloaded. All day, and the west warehouse crew unloaded fourteen bales.

You gotta think outside the box! The west warehouse boss is a likeable enough guy, but I am beginning to believe he suffers from tunnel vision. He is always busy, but it seems he has a problem doling out responsibility to his underlings. He will figure it out, or the office in Sweetwater will figure it out for him. I would imagine that about Friday or Monday I will receive a call asking me what we need to do to expedite this project.

The wait time did give me opportunity to check on a few other things. I am trying to think ahead of the program. BS 22 is going to need tires in a bad way. The drive tires are at the point where they are still usable as casings for re-caps, the steering tires are losing their edge on the inside (which is common on set back axles). BS 222 has better tires, but they are a hodgepodge of mismatched tires. I have taken pricing back to the office but I never saw Trc to get additional input. I have the casings sold, and I have interest from a person in buying the take offs of BS 222 and BS 22's steer tires, if the new tires are approved. Best part is the two identical pieces of equipment would have identical tires and a couple of years down the road it might be possible to mix and match between the two units and buy one set of tires instead of two.

Krl is telling me that she thinks "Phooey" is here to stay! In fact, Krl has been calling, pricing shots and surgery to neuter her. She is a sweet pup and now that Maple Syrple has decided she is not a threat, the two have a lot of fun all day long! It has even perked up the two old black dogs! I think they are afraid to sit still or they will be run over! Maple has always liked toys. In fact, it doesn't matter what we have given her she has taken a shine to it. Now she and Phooey will bait each other by casually walking in front of the other with a toy in tow. And the chase is on.

It would seems that things are very volatile at Trc's house. Brently is spending a tremendous amount of time away from home with his work. Lrn takes this as license to use and abuse everyone else. She and the middle sister got into it and before it was all over, the middle sister was kickin' big sister's butt! To do a take off from big sister, "thas juz a junior high kid whuppin' your hi school azz"! After that ordeal Lrn decided to take it to her Momma. It was then that it became evident what Lrn's plans are for the future. She is going to join the Navy. She's already got that sailor mouth! I keep on thinking if they can only weather another year. Lrn could be a good kid. She just doesn't want to be. Everything starts and ends with Lrn. Nobody else matters, and this is sad. Lrn has always been a manipulator, and in her confrontation with her mother she was making threats to leave and call child protective services. I might call them for her mom! Trc appears to be the one that needs protecting!

Well, I hear Grisham calling!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, please bless this day.

I'm not desirable company lately. Ever since my mid-week visitors last week, my mind has run wild. (So has my nose.) I was granted some relief after talking to Marcus in Dallas, but I guess I need another fix.

Actually I am working on filling out some forms. I am intimidated by some of the numbers size and almost embarrassed by other numbers lack of it. I am concerned that my contact for "our uncle" is a minority with a "chips ahoy" on his shoulder. I suppose I will give it my best shot and then let Marcus and the man upstairs take over.

I had just sat down at my desk early yesterday when my cell phone rang. With a quick glance I could not readily recognize the number on the caller id display.

"Hello", I said.

"D, did you have a good weekend?", the caller inquired.

"No, not really. And today really feels like a Monday', I replied.

Last week I had sent the caller a repair bill for one of the trucks the company had leased that was damaged while unloading at the callers place of employment. My first instinct was that he wanted to discuss or negotiate the bill which had been directly flowed through. The caller caught me off guard when he wanted me to see how quickly I could get a truck or trucker to their local warehouses. I told him within the hour and he was satisfied. I immediately sprang into action. While there are three trucks parked on the yard waiting completion of their leases, two lacked repairs that either I was waiting on parts for or the repair required expertise and or equipment beyond me. In addition to this, all the drivers have been terminated due to the end of the seasonal work. I headed for the yard, but took a route which went by one of this mans warehouses. When I finally found the crew boss, he told me that he and his superiors would have to talk and develop a plan, could I come back after lunch. This was good news because it would enable me to get off my duff and do some things I had been putting off.

I went by and picked up the freshly re-charged fire extinguishers. And that was good. I stopped in a truck shop located just a couple of blocks from the yard to schedule Black Sheep 2 for repairs. Turns out the shop was slow and they wanted Black Sheep immediately. This was good. I went to the yard, coded in the security gate, and began starting trucks. Black Sheep 2, across the compound to the other two and discovered the truck I was wanting out was parked behind the other one, so I started both to build air so they could be moved. Back across the compound, got into BS 2 and drove across the yard and parked. Got into BS 222 and back it out and hooked up a trailer. Got in to BS 22 and backed it out of the building. Back in to BS 222 and drove it and the trailer into the building and parked and locked the truck. Got in BS 2 and coded out of the gate and made the short drive to the shop down the street. The service writer and I filled out the paperwork and I began the walk back to the yard. Once there I parked my "S-10" under the awning, got into BS 22 and headed to KO's to pick up another trailer. Surprisingly, things clicked and I made the circle and was back at the West warehouse as scheduled. I had called Krl, and asked her to pick me up to take me back to get the "S-10". While I was waiting for her to get there I unhooked the KO trailer and began maneuvering a trailer that Roscoe had left at the warehouse from its secluded parking place. As it turns out, when the warehouse got busy shipping, they had taken two forklifts and picked this trailer up and parked it in the most undesirable place, because now the staging area was full! I could hardly see the trailer until I was right on it. A number of thing worked to my advantage, the trailer had a sliding tandem and BS 22 is a short set back axle truck, add to this my truck driving abilities along with a solid dose of luck and I got the trailer out and into a more desirable parking area. Krl arrived and I spoke with Jeremy and he told me they had just received orders to load four trucks so I had time to do what I needed to do. I went to Tye and picked up parts and supplies, then all the way across town to get the "S", loaded up dollie plates, unloaded parts and headed back. On the way I wheeled in to see if Black Sheep 2 had made it inside the shop. Turns out it had and they were almost halfway through with the repairs and the news was good. So far the most major repair had turned out to be a minor, ($100 instead of $600), and the next one on their list was thought to be only a check valve, which was allowing back pressure to build-up. Obviously they didn't know who they were dealing with. I don't have luck like this. I told the mechanic to keep up the good work and headed cross town.

When I arrive at the West warehouse, two trucks were waiting to load. The two trailers I had parked there were still empty. I began unloading dollie plates and doing odds and ends. Finally I was done and went looking for Jeremy, who seems to be the lead at this location. He apologized and told me their shipping list was growing, three more trucks to go. The transfer load I was waiting for would load, but probably around eight in the evening. This is going to take forever at this rate. Jeremy went on to tell me that there would be no-one at the North warehouse to unload the load until in the morning. "So be here at eight tomorrow morning", he said. Obviously this man does know who he is dealing with and what kind of luck I have and expect!

I had not realized how stir crazy I had become until the morning phone call. My heart began to thump and I was ready to rock and roll! I have done this type work before. Two years ago I moved thirty-four thousand three hundred twenty-three bales as a driver for a contractor working for these same people. It was a thirty-six mile (one way) trip, and I did it over and over (do you know how many white stripes are on the road between Sweetwater and Snyder, Texas?). In the beginning, that was a slow process. As deadlines loomed they became more and more focused. I can do this. I need to do this. I need to feel like I am contributing.

I sure am glad I am salaried because if I was on a driver's commission I would have devoted an entire day and not hauled a single load. Sounds like my kind of deal!

Krl and I talked. She may need this as much as I do. Get the old juices flowing! She asked about a driver, I told her I had talked with our "stand by" man. He was interested but has a shoulder problem which hinders him from throwing load straps. If they get to moving lots of loads I might bring him in to drive and I might prep loads. According to the company accident policy (in lieu of worker's comp) I am allowed to be out of the office only twenty-five percent of the time before they will reclass and rate me up. I guess we will do what we have to do!

Turns out when I picked up the trailer at KO's he was thinking about calling me. It seems he is covered up, DO fired one driver and another called in sick. I have the assurance that if my Tuesday doesn't materialize I will have something to do for him! The past couple of years I have helped KO either in the office, on a truck or in the shop during the summer. At the end of last summer I took a leave of absence, but not until I had trained Elizabeth to do the spreadsheets. I have not hung around their office because I didn't want them think I was hounding them for work. As it turns out KO has been trying not to bother me because he didn't know if I was interested. I don't want to live in a truck a week at a time but I don't object to helping a friend out.

I just now realized today is Fred's birthday. I can remember when we were separated by just a couple of years but over time he keeps opening up the margin! Happy Birthday!

It seems that our area is beginning to get a lot of interest as a shipping hub. You can't get any more centrally located without moving North in to cold weather areas. It will be interesting to see the developments by summer's end.

I continue to battle depression over my upcoming meeting. I suppose I am back seat driving again.

I picked up company mail yesterday. In it was a certified letter about 2004 payroll tax deposits. I had mentioned this a couple of weeks ago. This was before I assumed the reporting duties. They are claiming late deposits and a $25 short pay (or deposit). They are now wanting $582 in penalty and interest. Hello? I had responded with a list of employee numbers and date of hire, correlated to tax deposit dates and shown them month by month payments and liability. I told them I could not reconstruct my previous counterpart's exact payroll numbers, nor could I match the IRS numbers that they contend, although I could get to within $4. I did tell them that I felt as though the $25 short pay was valid and had sent a money order for it and the corresponding penalty and interest. Yesterday's correspondence acts as if I had not responded at all. I am hopeful they crossed in the mail, otherwise they are not even addressing the form 843 I had submitted requesting abatement. You know, if I did my job like these people do their job I would be out on my ear. I can make mistakes. They can make mistakes. I can admit mine. I am willing to discuss or voice my views, I believe they have the same rights but don't try to bully me. Show me!

It has been seven weeks since Krl and I returned from the seasonal work. We had invited some of our friends and co-workers to visit us in Abilene. Last week Krl talked with Becky and set a tentative date. June 23. Becky, Kristy (or Krispy as I call her), and Frank, along with their spouses are coming! We are excited. We really miss these guys! Later in the summer Mandy and Daely are supposed to come and spend a weekend with us as well.

If I am going to enjoy any relaxed time with a Grisham book I had better get to it!

Be the real deal.

FATHER, renew me. Help me with my connection. LORD make this day what YOU intend.

I saw a report which said the costs of producing a penny or nickel have exceeded the face value of the coins.

Sounds like my kind of deal.

I think I have been the victim of the networks. If what I have heard is right "W' is going to address the country tonight from seven to eight. Uh-oh, that's into my DOND programming. Maybe NBC will condense his speech into a commercial break.

Speculation is that "W" wants to put the national guard along the border with Mexico. One network had a news bite saying "W" would command a national audience. I doubt "W" can command his own bodily function.

What we have here is a conflict between fantasy presidency and reality presidency.

I bet Jeb would like to distance himself from his brother.

I was very disappointed in Survivor Panama. I didn't want either of the finalist to win. In my book Terry was the most deserving. He did what he did against the odds, against the numbers. I suppose if there was any solace for me it was that he voted for Aras (the eventual winner). I liked it when Jeff Probst took a straw pole vote of Danielle against Terry and she still lost.

I wonder if Aras will get his own place now? If I were his folks I would freeload on him! What goes around comes around.

As if I didn't have enough little projects going on, I got another one this weekend. Just over ten years ago, we had to rebuild our backyard fence. One side was taken to the ground with wind gusts, the two remaining sides were "ready" to follow suit but were "propped" up preventing this.

Krl and I built this fence and neighbors laughed about it when we built it. A tornado could come through and all the houses might be blown down but the frame work would remain. If I had a crystal ball ten years ago, I would have named it doppler. Of the three sides, one neighbor didn't contribute anything, money or help (they have since sold the home and moved away, current neighbors still wonder why the fence is a foot inside our property line), another neighbor shared in the cost of materials, the final neighbor shared in the expense and helped install the fence palings.

I guess in parable terms we have a good neighbor, another that likes nice things, and the final neighbor was a parasite.

Our good neighbor came to me Friday evening and told me he was fixing to replace his other two fences. We laughed because ten years ago he had needed to do this. As the conversation progressed he brought it around to the fence we share. What would you think about replacing it? He asked. I told him I had noticed some palings had rotted around the flooring screws that hold them in place. We discussed what we could have done to prolong the life of the materials (sealer, or perhaps siliconing on top of the screw heads). He was contemplating a "scab" repair to get a few more years out of it. I thought about things and after I had to repair our gate (which the lawn service had damaged), I decided another option was to place three new screws per paling (splitting the original screw placement) and we could probably get three to five years more from the existing fence.

The good neighbor finally told me he wanted to replace all the palings, but he didn't want any money or help because it was just cosmetic. He wanted all of his fence to appear the same. I told him we would try to do whatever was fair.

Turns out even though he doesn't want any help I got to do some fencing. He was wanting to have the fence down by Monday morning which meant I had to have something in place to keep our hounds home.

Sounds like my kind of project. Receive a reprieve followed by a punishment.

The temporary fence is in place. The neighborhood is safe from being ravaged by wild poodle hounds.

I suppose next weekend I will get to take it down.

Be the real deal.

FATHER, I don't even know where to begin,.... but YOU do.

As bad as the week was in it's early stages, yesterday it bounced back.

An interesting observation, when you don't care if something arrives or happens, it does and will. I had pretty much scripted my day, and it didn't involve working on equipment or running parts. Last evening when I checked messages, the fire extinguisher project is waiting for me and the truck parts have finally arrived at the dealership. They can wait on me!

Thanks but no thanks, I'm not in the mood!

Actually, Krl and I talked and began scripting our Friday on Thursday. I made a couple of calls and a plan came together.

Krl and I spend so much time gone that we are very hesitant, very reluctant to go or do anything, especially if it involves any distance. Add to this the fact that my sister Pat does double duty. In addition to her school nursing she works at least every other weekend at a nursing home. So maybe, all the stars were aligned just right.

I called Pat and told her what I would like to do. Krl and I would drive from Abilene to Sweetwater and pick up "Ma Allen's" fried chicken, potato salad, squash, green beans, and peach cobbler and surprise Mom with an early Mother's Day celebration. Pat's part in this crime would be to keep Memama occupied so she would be around. We made a pact and decided we would bring others "in" on a strict time line so the secret would be safe. Krl got on the phone and called in our Friday food order.

Friday morning, Krl and I went by Bach's and picked out a plant and a card. We stopped at United (I gotta go there and sign up for my outdoor kitchen) and picked up paper plates, paper towels and wheat bread, then we hit the road. Just as we pulled on the Winter's freeway I called Fred and invited him to lunch, he was going to try to juggle his schedule and make it.

Meanwhile, Pat had asked Memama to go to Snyder with her. Pat was having her hair done and also was looking for some clothes for her Hawaii trip. Memama agreed to accompany her.

I just love it when a plan comes together!

Krl and I made it to Sweetwater and were running early, we had discovered neither of us knew how to make the instant tea that Memama uses, so we stopped in Brookshire's and picked up Lipton "cold brew" and some ice before we ran back to "Ma Allen's".

It was just after eleven and already "Ma" was building a crowd. (If you haven't experienced this, it is worth the trip. These are family style meals and often you won't know anyone sitting at your table.) Since we were "picking up" we had come in the back door. Billy saw us (O.K., I have been here before and he could probably pick me out of a lineup) and immediately they began boxing our order up. In a matter of minutes, we were locked and loaded and on the road for the final eight miles to Roscoe.

When we arrived at Memama and Pepa's house, we sprang into action. It took a few minutes but I finally remembered where Memama keeps all her pitchers, trays and such. One thing we hadn't figured on was that Francis, the woman that cleans house for Memama, was working. Turns out it was no problem, Pat had filled her in and as soon as Pat and Memama left, Francis flipped her normal schedule and did the kitchen/dining room first so we could "paaaarrteee". Krl got her tea to "cold brewing", I began setting the table and Krl got to set the silver wear placements and I finished putting ice in the glasses. We put the food on the table with the exception of the chicken and we left it heating in the oven. When it was all in place I looked at the clock. Eleven forty-five. Excellent. I picked up my cell and called Pepa (he was plowing) and told him to head in if wanted to see me. I had waited to call him until the party was on us so he wouldn't be tempted to "spill the beans". Fred arrived, just prior to noon. Pepa arrived just ahead of Pat and Memama.

Pat and our "honoree" arrived about five minutes late. When they arrived we were watching through the kitchen window and Memama was scoping out all the vehicles. Turns out she thought some of the family friend coaches had met at her house to "car pool" on to Austin and the state track meet. Memama was not happy that there was no order to the parking melee! When she and Pat were coming into the house Pat commented on the beautiful plant on Memama's picnic table. Memama was admiring it with her when she realized this was a new addition. A few more feet and they were in the house and the surprise was sprung! I don't know if I have ever been a party to a surprise party that the honoree was so totally "surprised"!

Kyle Patrick Henry showed up and we had extra place settings, Hag was a little late but that completed our conspiracy group! It was good food. We pigged out and visited a while, just before three, Krl and I left. It was worth the trip.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Once we arrived home we tended to the hounds. They were ready to go out. When they get use to us being home all the time, they don't take every opportunity to "tend to business". Thankfully there were no accidents.

Trc had called and was enroute to pick up our garage sale contributions to the AHS cheerleaders! Lrn had told her Mom she wasn't going to work the garage sale. Her Mom told her different. If you are willing to take the glory (or in this case the spotlite) you'd better be willing to do the work! Thankfully, our garage is a lot closer to being cleaned out!

When I had walked in the house, I picked up the phone and called a tax consultant whose number I had just received. We talked for about an hour and a half. He was very positive, very upbeat. I would love to believe everything he tells me but I am so gun shy that I am using a 50% B.S. filter. When we concluded our conversation I gathered up correspondences and headed to Kinko's. I concentrated what I felt was pertinent to fifty-eight or fifty-nine pages, made the copies, ran back to the house to do a cover letter and package and address the large envelope. Then it was out the door and a dash downtown to the post office (it is the latest pickup in town at eight pm.). While it wasn't eight it was the only option to getting the package gone Friday. I zipped back to the house just in time to get my clothes changed and sit back in my recliner for Deal or No Deal.

And the weekend was on!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, thank YOU for Moms. Thank YOU for salvaging my week. Thank YOU for salvaging me.

Friday. Frieday. I wonder if that is what they really meant?

While this has been a really difficult week, it has had its moments.

The day began looking for repair parts. With no luck. The parts man said one of three pieces is in. The other two pieces show to be in stock at the regional warehouse. Today is eight days waiting. Krl and I ran some errands and stopped by the truck dealership because I knew they had received their stock shipment since we had talked. No luck. When the parts person knows you by sight you can bet either you are a good customer or a pain on the parts counter stool. I just try to continue to be a customer.

Actually the lack of parts has meant some concentrated time for Krl and I, and this week I have needed it.

A large portion of yesterday was dedicated to cell phones. It has been a round robin. This is the only cell phone number I have ever had. Almost sixteen years and I haven't been wooed of dazzled by any of the competition. At some point the family business began paying for my cell phone and after a period had the billing changed to that address. When I left the family business I continued to do some things with and for them, although it was mostly seasonal. Krl's cell phone had been "stacked" on top of mine. When she worked at the family business and I was gone for extended seasonal work, she was the "road mule", running supplies and overnight packages from the office to Abilene and vice versa, the comptroller at that time felt it was important for her to have communication equipment.

Last summer we had discussed splitting all the phones up from the family business account. (Although the business is no longer in place, the cell phone account was). My request was for Krl's, my, Memama's and the Stl. phones to be grouped together and I would take them. Some of the Stl. phones were being used by other people so that never happened.

Krl and I realize that there are better services for the areas we frequent, and recently we had received a pre-approved letter from a service we wanted to check out. Problem was we couldn't change services and keep the same numbers because we did not have the bill! So, what began as a simple task ended up taking the large portion of the day and required thirty-two miles of driving. Best part was Krl and I stopped and ate at Skeet's. When we sat down with the service specialist she pulled up usages for our group of phones. Turns out there were five phones piggy-backed on top of my number. These phones shared the minutes. The service specialist said her Sweetwater counterpart had called saying they had had conversations from my brothers contingent and they had told them when we left, to turn off any remaining phones on that plan. When I looked over the numbers, one that stuck out was Memama's, and it was supposed to be canned! I told the girl to keep it active and to just stack it on top of mine and Krl's. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of phone usage the last three months. Of course Memama would win the miser award, thirty-four minutes in three months. I did not recognize some of the other numbers being turned off. I wonder if there are people still carrying these phones that are no longer working for any tangent of any spin off from the family business? Inquiring minds want to know. The service specialist laughed when she was looking at the old business's plan, she said at one time there were a lot of phones on a lot of programs, I would add that some of them were so old their phone numbers were in Roman numerals!

A light moment occurred when Krl and I walked into the cell phone offices. They had two old switchboard stations sitting in their lobby. Krl was taken back many years to when she worked as a telephone operator in Sweetwater and Fort Worth. It makes you stop and think about how far we have come (or how far we have strayed), how impersonal interaction has become (you've lost that human feelin'), and reflect on whether we are better off now than we were then. It was a much simpler time. I could have sat and talked with Krl forever about how the switch boards worked. The hand crank on the lower right, the state of the art headset, the multiple cables and receptacles. As best I could tell the lines were grouped. Probably similar to the old party lines.

I got a call late Thursday that the fire extinguisher project I began a week ago, is near completion. All I have to do is go and pick them up. I'm glad I didn't need them.

I've got a secret, but I can't tell until tomorrow! It's about to eat me up! Heh, heh!

I was excited yesterday. I received notification from the Indianapolis Star that my 2006 Indy 500 coverage order had been received and processed. I will received the newspaper from May 6 through May 30 including and official program from the race! Let me enlighten you. I didn't order it, I never have ordered it. Jeanetta has returned to work at the Star and as in past years that she worked there, she ordered it for me! Thanks! It has been several years since I have received it, during those years I was relegated to the Indy website or other motorsport sources. (To be honest, I enjoy reading the paper from up there, of course if I am totally honest I must tell you if repair parts come in a box stuffed with newspaper I usually spread it out and see where it came from and what was important there!)

Speaking of reading. I am ready for another "Grisham". Since I have returned from the seasonal work I have been re-reading some of his books. It is interesting to see his development as a writer through the books. It is quite common for me to sit down with a new "Grisham" and read it cover to cover in one sitting. Usually I will immediately begin to re-read it at a more leisurely pace. Normally I will read a book per week when I am home. On the jobsite I struggle to read a book each month (in fact this past year I read three books in six months +). Reading is my "great escape".

I visited with Pat yesterday. I wasn't aware but she and Hag are going on Highland's Senior class trip, as sponsors (I know, at first you thought they were rednecks because it sounded like they were in the same grade as their child). Pat said Kyle had been pestering them to sign up. Hag had resisted but one night they were talking and he told Pat to sign them up, around the area there were kids begging parents "not" to go and they had a kid begging them "to" go. Actually I would imagine this will be their cheapest option to ever take a trip to Hawaii. I guess it could also be billed as an empty nest celebration for Pat and Hag. (Waiting to exhale!)

Trc and Kat came by yesterday. They were beaming. They informed us that plans were in place in a month for their family along with Krl and I to go to Mexico for a week. A little business, a lot of pleasure. They had just left the travel agency. Five years ago we had taken a four day trip there and it was a hit. In fact the girls wouldn't hear of any other destination. Best part was, I was no where around when it came money time! Yippee! Actually the travel agent should give me a freebie because when they told him the destination and hotel they wanted, he couldn't find it. Turns out they have changed the name, luckily being the reader I am I had read the entire name on the door and I was able to help bail the agent out. (You'd think they would keep records.)

I received my paperwork from the consultant in Lubbock. I appreciate his prompt attention in returning it. I was very surprised there was no bill with it. Unfortunately, our attorney, also in Lubbock, has not responded to our request for our client escrow accounting and refund. (I wonder if when they are doing their escrow accounting is billable time? Grisham has me watching like a hawk!)

I have the name of another consultant in the Metroplex, so now I have to decide if I open that can of worms today or Monday.

Whatever you decide to do today, do it well!

Be the real deal.

JESUS loves me. And I'm glad.

The week from h, e, double hockey sticks continues.

The failed family business continues to haunt me. Two weeks ago I had been the victim of a barrage of certified mail from the United States Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service. This had to do with payroll tax trust. I forwarded them to a gentleman for him to study and provide advice and hopefully act as a mediator. For almost two weeks this man sat on the correspondence until he called me and told me he wanted money and his time was limited but maybe he could squeeze me in. Long story short, he and I decided to go our separate ways. I have asked him to return all correspondence ASAP along with a bill for services rendered.

Yesterday I was making some pay settlement copies for a former co-worker's SSI application when the door bell rang. When I answered the door, there were two men standing there, they asked me to identify myself, I did, and they produced Id showing they were with the IRS. They wanted to come in, I told them to wait and I would come out. Luckily I had some correspondence from the consultant to prove to them that I was working on talking with them and I was honest and told them that I was seeking representation other than the man I had been corresponding with.

They gave me a sheet of paper with a date and appointment time for me to come in. Two weeks. I told them they can't get blood from a turnip and just to lock me up. They said it will not happen. They will hound me for the rest of my life and make it difficult to work, get credit, or basically function. Thanks. I would love to pay them. Problem is with their fantasy penalty and interest, they now have escalated this to seven figures before you get to the decimal. Anybody got a check I can borrow?

We did a quick verbal interview and they told me they would prefer I didn't spend money on a tax consultant, rather pay it to them. I told them I didn't trust them as far as I could throw them. One of the men proved a year ago that he doesn't mind telling partial truths and getting into gray areas concerning ethics. I reminded him of this (the other man was his boss) and he denied he ever said or did anything that he did. Thankfully I had a witness from the prior meeting and told him I could produce them. His answer was, "I will review my notes."

The verbal question and answer period led them to tell me if I could document what I told them they would classify this as "uncollectable" and it would be reviewed in one year. If this is true, all I have to do is put it all on paper and attend the meeting. The meeting should be short and sweet provided they are telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I was very up front and told them that I saw no reason to bust my butt if they were waiting to slap me down anytime I began to make progress about healing. They told me I had nothing to worry about as long as I cooperated. If I didn't cooperate then they would mess up anything I put together.

Kind of sounds like they were trying to intimidate, doesn't it?

Oh well, my dad has always told me they can't eat you (they just make you think they will).

I had to run to Lowe's and then to storage to get some settlement records for the SSI co-worker. On my way home I stopped by a convenience store and bought a lotto ticket. You have to keep swinging for the fences! (Unfortunately, I am usually swinging a banjo sickle in a fence row!).

This has been the worst week in a while. Thankfully when my strength, faith, and will waiver, Krl is usually strong. This week I have needed that. Krl made the statement after my company had left that "Satan is doing this". She is probably right again. (And she didn't even visit with our visitors).

A blog I read in the past was talking about how tired and frustrated this person was becoming that they could not get things to come together in this person's vocation and life. A reader wrote that when this happens it is because we are trying to make it happen instead of letting GOD work his plan for us. And this is what I am trying to hold on to through this latest trial.

Krl has been busy. With the arrival of hot weather she has been wanting to clip her houndgirls. Unfortunately for our visiting hound Phooey, she was first. Krl had Maple Syrple pegged to be second in the clip line and late Monday night when she began to look for Maple, I had already gone to bed. When Krl came to the bedroom calling for her, Maple was buried beneath the covers and was gingerly trying to hid beneath me. I think she held her breath until Krl left the room!

Tuesday, Maple was apprehended and clipped. Now she is thrilled that is behind her, at least for two or three months. Krl is doing a really short kennel cut and the hounds have to appreciate it! Krl has moved really rapidly and all she lacks is a little clean up clipping on all four of the girls. One more project behind her.

Parts did not come in for the remaining company truck awaiting repairs. This is really frustrating because a week ago the dealer said three days.

It goes without saying that was another short night!

Be the real deal.

FATHER forgive me when I backseat drive. I lay it all at YOUR feet, work YOUR plan.

I feel as though we have been playing musical spots in our bed.

We are keeping one of the grandhounds. I think she is a Pomeranian or Pomeranian cross breed. She was born in February. I really don't know what her official name is. I have heard her called Baby, Foofie, and Fluffy just to name a few. I call her Phooey. Regardless of what you call her she responds.

Probably the one person or one hound who likes this situation least is Maple Syrple. I guess she has forgotten that just a year ago she was the new comer to our home. Maple is very protective of her territory and of Meme and Dandy. I don't think Maple slept night before last because she had to stay up and be sure that Phooey didn't steal our bed.

When we go to bed, a proper order has to be in place. Both of the older dogs are happy to get in their own beds. Maple has to be between Krl and I, which means Phooey has to be on the other side of Krl, out of Maple's sight. Once we start to sleep Maple migrates toward the bottom of the bed and when adequate spacing is there Phooey hops into the middle. I guess I must really be cuddly because she has to be pressed against me. I can move and she moves. It's like playing chess or checkers all night long. Krl will wake just enough to check on pups and she will move over and next thing you know everyone is on my side of the bed and I am clamoring to the very edge! Yesterday I woke with a crick in my back and this morning when I woke I considered hopping out of bed and racing around to the other side to start the cycle again. I may put a camera in there because I wonder if they are all smiling after I get up and leave.

I am hopeful that parts I ordered last week come in today. I think I need some physical therapy. None of the repairs are major but sometimes working with my hands soothes my mind.

One occurrence I did not mention about my day yesterday was the company's insurance agent. Six years ago this man was very impressive. He didn't miss anything you said. This go round has been a totally different experience. He has developed a fake laugh that he uses in every situation and some times it is really offensive and irritating. Apparently his focus has changed from just staying busy and providing a service to money and how much he can get. We have jacked with this Jack for over a month. Krl had put out for quotes in February and finally toward the end of March the agent called wanting us to come in. (Duh, if we have been gone for six months what makes you think we can come in?). Krl told him we would be in around the first of April. She was assured that was no problem (I guess if it keeps him from traveling it is O.K.). Shortly after the first of the month the employees met with the agent and went over coverages to determine what was the best fit. It was at this point that the first wrinkle surfaced and numbers didn't match what had been sent to Krl at the jobsite. We were assured that the numbers on the table were the "good numbers". It was decided to take the weekend and "mull over" the differences. The April quote with the May 1 effective date made it important to make the decisions quickly. Four days after the meeting, I was sent as courier to deliver paperwork and funds for the insurance. I was instructed to ask specifically if the May 1 effective date was still in place and I was assured it was. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that this project was behind us.

May 1 and no policy, no insurance cards. Call to the agent. "No problem, hah, hah, hah!", the agent replied, "the insurance is in effect". When he was told we had some prescriptions that needed to be renewed he told us, "Just pay cash and keep the receipts and insurance will reimburse you. Hah, Hah, Hah!". This is getting old.

Yesterday morning just before I had the early call with the attorney, the phone rang. I rushed to pick it up but by the time I got the phone I was just in time to hear the other party hang up. When I flipped the phone over and hit caller id, I saw the company insurance agent was the caller. I was hopeful that he was calling with good news. I hit the call button and in moments the agent was on line. It was very evident that he would have preferred to talk with anyone but me. Finally he blurted out, "I got an e-mail from the insurance company and they are changing their pricing, I need a signature and more money! Hah, hah, hah!" What a jerk! I asked what the deal was. He responded that it was an April quote. I said yes, they quoted it in April and it was supposed to have a May 1 effective date. "Yeah but ......" and the crawfishing was on. I asked "Is this insurance in effect or not?" He answered "It had a May 1 effective date." Duh, and we had pricing too! I was then informed that he had to have an answer within three days which meant by close of business tomorrow. (It would appear he knew he was in trouble because he waited a day to call).

I finally told the agent I was not the person he needed to discuss this with. He asked why and I told him first of all I could not make the decision for the company or for the other insureds. Second of all, I would want to drive to his home office to pick him up and we would go to the insurance companies south side offices and I would beat the "hell" out of them using him as a club! (Now who is Hah, hah, hah-ing!).

Apparently, a quote is only as good as your agent. Nothing has changed since Krl returned the questionnaires to this agent. The agent points at the company he is using. That might be a part of the problem, but we as consumers need to hold our agents and the companies they represent accountable for what they put out. As long as we don't hold these people's feet to the fire they will continue to be lax, insincere and dishonest.

I told the other employees that my thoughts were to contest this proposed increase and if that doesn't make them revert to the initial quote, then to keep the insurance in effect while commissioning another agent to find new coverage and when it is in place to cancel the hyena jerk and his company that speaks with fork-ed tongue.

As you can tell, I am carrying a lot of baggage over into today.

Be the real deal.

LORD reign in me!

And I thought Monday sucked. IT WAS JUST THE OPENING ACT FOR MY TUESDAY!

Bah humbug!

You know it is going to be a poop filled day when you have talked with an attorney prior to 8:00 AM. (And you aren't married to or living with an attorney).

You know there isn't much hope for the day when you have left a message telling a consultant that he is terminated by 8:30 AM. (O.K. he really offended me by wanting to refer me to a friend and when I refused he told me maybe he could "squeeze me in". Where is the comfort level there?)

Yesterday was spent trying to reconstruct payroll for a client during a pay period prior to me doing the reporting. Your old scrooge uncle (Sam) had sent a notice that there was a $25.89 shortfall in the payroll tax deposits. Now with penalty and interest they want $577.00. I began at seven in the morning and did not take a break from my keyboard or the excel spreadsheets I was building until after two in the afternoon. Try as I might I could not duplicate the payroll reporting of the client or of your uncle. I could get within $25.00 of the client, within $4.00 of your uncle. As close as I could figure this client realistically owes $33.00. I volleyed and now it is in your uncle's court. I sent his papers with notes and dates and now we will find out how much common sense he has.

I completed (or rested) my case just in time to argue with Kat about whether or not she was going to share her after school snack. I think I will have more luck with your uncle in the paragraph above.

Every time I think I am almost out of a job something else comes in. A former co-worker called me asking if I could provide him with copies of his pay settlements for three months in the fall of 2005. This person was the biggest pain in "where your uncle sits down" that you can imagine! He was constantly crossways with other truck drivers and forklift operators. He would park in the yard and then throw the load straps across the parking lot instead of putting them on his trailer. He decided early on that he wanted to work from six-thirty in the morning until three or three thirty in the afternoon and "by golly" everyone else was responsible for making that happen. When you work with machinery, fluctuations in scheduling are going to occur, and they did, which really miffed this man. Just after January 1, 2006 he missed his turn at the interstate and had an accident. DPS would not release him with the truck so the office in Roscoe sent personnel to retrieve both this man and his truck. Turns out he had had a stroke. This co-worker had lost a leg just a couple of years ago, he is a life long bachelor who lived with his mother until she moved to a nursing home and ultimately died, at one time he was a contract carrier who owned his own equipment and lost it. He is a bitter bitter man. My first reaction was "Oh so now you need something", but I refrained. This man had gone to the Roscoe office in February to see what was involved in being re-qualified to drive and while he was sitting there, had another stroke. Despite employees trying to keep him there he left, headed home. The employees called the sheriff's department and they found him "in route" changing a flat tire. After visiting with him they decided to take him to the hospital for evaluation, he was admitted and while he was in the hospital had a series of several more strokes. He is probably lucky to be alive. The state of Texas revoked his commercial license which ultimately revoked his ability to earn a living. The reports he is wanting are for SSI and Medicare qualification. More than likely these reports are in the trash can at the table where he endorsed his pay checks at his bank because every check was accompanied with a settlement, and more than likely his W-2 for 2005 is in a stack of unopened mail at his home. Krl and I will wade through multiple reams of paper and copy and rebuild what he is in need of. "Cuz we are that kind of people".

We got our first graduation announcement yesterday. Kyle Patrick Henry! I was impressed! His penmanship is excellent! I suppose if all of Robyn's credits transferred she will graduate as well. That will leave only two nephews to go. The entire family is getting old.

A portion of today was spent trying to make arrangements for the company to be reimbursed. During the harvest season one of the forklifts at the storage facility either dropped or pushed a bale off and it landed on the truck. Just last week the truck came from the body shop. Krl drove me to pick it up and she had to pay it out. Now it is the guilty party's turn to pay.

Believe it or not, this morning early, I had blogged only to have blogger do it's thing and poop it into cyberspace. Try as I might I could not recover any of the post. I told you what today was going to be like!

You be the real deal!

FATHER, how great YOU are!

What can I say? As Saturdays go, yesterday was very different. Krl was in a tizz, trying to finish her flower beds and flower projects. She had to clean 'cuz "company" is a coming! Refining the menu and then filling it at the grocery store, all the above while leaving adequate time to cook.

Krl had been trying to get hold of Jeanie since late morning. While they had talked in gereral time frame, Krl hadn't told Jeanie exactly what time supper would be. As we were heading to the store I asked Krl to try calling Jeanie once more. No answer. As we began down the street we met Jeanie and we followed her to her driveway. When she hopped out she immediately announced, "Steve said we are going to have to cancel". Krl asked "Why?". and Jeanie replied, "Steve wants to wait until the weather is better!" OoohK!

As we continued to the store, Krl and I were discussing what the weather had to do with the cancellation. Finally we decided that it had nothing to do with it as we were cooking out (but could have cooked on the back porch), but probably had more to do with Steve not feeling very well. He is scheduled for some surgery in mid-June.

We decided not to dwell on the why's of the cancellation, Krl had made preparations for company and when Krl gets ready for company, we're going to have company. I handed the phone over to Krl and she called Trc and invited her and her family over. "I don't know, maybe burgers and hotdogs" she said. "O.K., six-thirty" and hung up the phone. Krl told me that the "cheergirl" and the "prez" already had plans but Trc, Brently and Kat would be here. When Krl and I began through the store I told her, "Let's keep to the original menu, just add some grilled wieners to the list." She agreed and we continued on and made quick work of the shopping. It was a good thing because our checker took her time!

When we returned home, we unloaded the groceries and began putting them up. The final thing we had purchased at the store was some additional potting soil for Krl's final project. As soon as the last grocery item was up, Krl brought her yard cart to the front and I loaded her three hundred pounds of soil into it. (I kind of felt like a parent putting a child in the back yard sand box). At four o'clock I had programmed the oven to begin preheating. After checking it, I began washing "taters" and wrapping them in foil. I retrieved the ice cream freezer from the garage and rinsed it out and laid all the components for Krl's ice cream alongside. I had prepared a time line for everything and shortly Krl came in to begin her part of the meal. At five-forty I told her we needed to have the grill heating, the ice cream going and her corn on the cob needed to be over the heat! Everything progressed almost effortlessly and at six-thirty I was buttering Texas toast while the Bush beans were heating. When Trc, Brently and Kat arrived, it was all ready and waiting! Some steaks, a couple of butterfly pork chops I had found, Earl Campbell sausage, St. Lawrence sausage, beef wieners, baked 'taters, Bush beans, corn on the cob, Texas toast and ice tea. Sounds like a small slice of Texas heaven to me!

Probably one advantage to having family over is the fact that they have lived with you and don't expect everything to be perfect! Last evening was, good food and a good time!

As an added bonus, Kat decided to stay the night with us! She and her Meme are "buds".

If you are in Abilene and go by United on Buffalo Gap, you need to run in there and see the outdoor kitchen they are giving away. It is gorgeous! Krl and Trc have been on me to shop for a new grill but I don't see any need right now, especially since I am going to win this big one from United! (Those that know me and my luck know the only thing I have ever won in my life is the draft lottery!). If you don't enter you can't win so Krl and I register everytime we are in that store.

Finally a calm night for most of the Big Country. I know several of the outlying town have to be tired of being battered. Lots of hail and high winds. Mother Nature has really been in a mood.

Well, let's have a day!

Be the real deal!

FATHER, you are great.