Now that was a Monday, and thankfully it is over.

The day began with a missed contact which was supposed to provide me with a ride to pick up the truck that has been in the shop. As it turned out, Krl gave me a ride, twenty-five miles each way, consuming most of her morning. I did a little touch up on the cleaning job in KO's shop and then started #222 to build air. I gave it a final walk around and headed for Abilene. While enroute I did stop to fuel, and gave it another hard look. The drive in was uneventful, thankfully! I don't want to make a mistake as simple as leaving a bolt loose that will come back and bite me (or the company) in the butt (becoming a major expense). I did ask the dispatcher to set up a shakedown run for tomorrow which probably explains why I am up right now. Three hours of sleep and I have awakened going over a mental checklist on the truck. The wait is driving me crazy! Hope for the best!

When I returned home just after lunch time, I resumed my sprinkler project. Actually I guess it was a root project. After another couple hours of chipping away, I could finally make the necessary repairs. By the time I had made two trips to the supply store and built the repair modules, installed them and removed the sprinkler heads and flushed the system it was after five o'clock. Where did my day go?

Krl spent her day bouncing from bookwork/bill paying, to cleaning to cooking. And oh did she cook! Most of the afternoon I could smell the aroma of a masterpiece waifing through the neighborhood! Eat your hearts out! Baked chicken, squash dressing, green bean casserole, yams, and biscuits! Thanksgiving in August. It was delicious. Sad part was, Krl's tummy began bothering her and she didn't even feel like eating. When I was going to bed, she was puttering around in the pool.

I finally responded to our classmate from our disbanded Sunday School class. I didn't want to be rude and not reply, but I wanted to say what I needed to say as tactfully as possible. I do hope it will be received as it was intended. Well, if not what are they going to do? Kick me out of what?

Today's shakedown run is an Ab-FW. I really didn't want to get to much farther away. About the only thing that might have fit better was an Ab-Lubb. I am very antsy about this and will be glad to get it behind me and the truck. The dispatcher asked me if I wanted to do a Ab-Dallas-Longview-Abilene and I declined. The truck revenue would be great but once you get past Dallas you are on the verge of driving off the edge of the earth!

KO had approached me about parking #222 and just driving his truck. With fuel so crazy I suppose I should be glad that is an option but as long as shippers are paying a fuel surcharge it will hopefully come out in the wash.

I think the oil industry is greedy. Maybe we should nationalize it! Exploration, production, pipelines, refineries. Yeah "W", you like big government, let's make it bigger. Have you ever wondered why they came out with cargo pants with all the pockets? It was 'cuz "W's" friends didn't have enough pockets to stuff all their money into!

While I was waiting on parts for #222, I made a few runs on KO's truck. I fueled it twice and shut off the pump at $500.00 each time (because I do remember what the card transaction limits are) and neither time were the tanks full! I think back to the old family business when daily fuel drafts were running $45,000.00 and it gets awful scary when you double that because of price increases. Man that is nutz. It also makes me leary about the company's fall fuel. Last year the high week was $23,000.00.

Several things going on. I am trying to put some numbers together for the company's fall business. It would appear that things are going to be somewhat different out there. As usual, money is an issue and trying to stretch it to and through start up is very tough. Hindsight is twenty-twenty but I am going to have to do better finding off season work for the company in the future or my massive salary could be in jeopardy! Yeah, right, if I thought this was the best they could do I should walk right now! Hopefully I am in it for the long haul and the payoff is somewhere in the future.

Be the real deal. I'm going to see if I can get me a nap before morning!

FATHER, I pray for a safe day, I pray for a good outing for Blacksheep 222 with no problems or complications. I pray for Krl and her health. Fill us with YOU.