Almost a month on the jobsite without internet, and I survived. It seemed like I just couldn't find the time to get it set up. Finally I had that as my goal for yesterday.

Last February the jobsite had been approved for DSL service. By the time they got the modem programmed and to us, there were only a couple of weeks left until we packed up and moved home for the off season. We had already paid for dial up so I never installed the DSL. When we left, Krl placed the telephone service and internet service on vacation. When I unpacked the DSL modem (it was still in the box) and hooked it up it didn't work. Thankfully the ISP had good people in their tech support and after a short while we discovered a splitter problem. Once it was replaced we were up and running. Hopefully the e-mail account will follow suit. For those of you insiders, our user name has remained the same as in past years, the remainder of the address has changed to @crcom.net.

While I had called for the recommended, experienced technician, I ended up working with a new, relatively green techie who was very kind, very courteous and extremely knowledgeable. She was excellent. We are very excited to be back on-line with the world. The techie was very surprised that I had everything that came in the package, all the instructions, all the gateways, submasks, and primary and secondary server addresses.

This post comes as we are nearing the halfway mark in the season. We have already processed over twenty-two thousand bales and expectations are in the fifty-thousand range. A far cry from last year but a welcome number considering the dismal crops many of our friends and associates are experiencing. As with each year here were are presented with a new set of challenges. This year has been one of great difficulty in finding qualified drivers. Thankfully my mainstay is back along with another driver I used twelve years ago. These are mature older men who have a tremendous work ethic and take pride in getting the job done. The remainder of my trucking crew finds only one new addition and the on-site crew has been trimmed by one machine operator (I gave him to the plant, they needed him more than I did) and then bolstered by adding Kyle Patrick Henry.

If anyone had told me that Kyle would last past week one, I would have laughed. I think to everyone's amazement he has done well. It has not been without problems, he would much rather do something fun than do what needs to be done, and many of his life lessons are not worked related but personal issues. This is his first opportunity to "live on his own". Krl and I try not to have home over on successive nights, but it is always of interest to him "what Krl fixed for supper". In the beginning he bought bread and baloney by the gross, and finally Krl and I selected some frozen dinners and his personal favorites microwaveable chicken nuggets! Now if we are going to town he will ask us to pick up frozen dinners yet he still refuses to shop for them himself. I think part of it is that he hates to see money come out of his wallet. He would much rather have the ticket deducted from his pay. Parting with cash is almost more than he can bear! We have housing inspections to hopefully make Kyle want to keep a neat and orderly trailer house. Luckily he has not ever been in his trailer when the housing inspector is there, either a note is left or I relay the findings of the inspection. Kyle had a warning last week and since there is a housing crunch, the inspector had me tell him if he didn't shape up there would be a young woman (named Consuella) and her four kids moving in to help with the housekeeping. The are in need of housing and Kyle needs to get some housekeeping done. Kyle is not too keen on the idea. I told him I was going to make an appointment to have his picture made with Consuella and the kids for their Christmas cards. He just wanted to die off. Krl is still doing the math trying to figure out why the number of jeans exceed the number of socks and underwear Kyle leaves for her to launder. Last night I held his feet to the fire, quizzing him and he finally fessed up that he had not been truthful about showering every night. Upon this revelation I sent him to his trailer. This may have been an extremely harsh punishment as he was still trying to watch our television as I closed our front door.

Krl and I did have one good laugh. It seems last time she did Kyle's laundry a pair of her pajamas got mixed in. Kyle wore the top as a work shirt. It was a Victoria Secret jersey t-shirt. He was probably really wondering about the long underwear! Oh well, we didn't have the heart to tell him!

Kyle has voiced to Krl and to some of the truck drivers his desire to go home for a few days. I am trying to figure out how to deal with this. Sunday is a maintenance and he could go home Saturday night and then come back early Monday morning. We'll have to see. I may have to speak with his Mom before making this call.

Load coordination has been a nightmare here this year. The GM was out with hip replacement and the board of directors sold a lot of loads of cottonseed, more than they can ever deliver and now it has fallen in to me to try to make everyone happy. It is near impossible. I had multiple trucks come in this morning and one asked me how long he would have to wait. Ten hours was my reply. Another trucker tried to go around everyone, only to be caught by me and sent to the end of the line. Shame on him. It isn't much fun for me either and it sure doesn't make me very popular. It is a simple concept. We ask that they call twenty-four hours before they want to come for their loads. There are only so many loads we can produce in a day and we have on-site trucks that keep us going at night. Out of seven outside trucks in today, only two were courteous enough to make arrangements. None of these outsiders want to run at night or on the weekends.

I have spent more time this year on a truck than I have in the previous eleven years. Actually that is the easiest simplest thing I do.

Thanks to all who have kept in contact. Maybe we can post on a regular basis now. Keep us in your thoughts.

FATHER, if not for YOU we would have given up long ago. Thank YOU for being so much to so many.