Bittersweet.

After 35 days in the shop the last company truck finally came out yesterday. What the truck went in for was minor, and after several times of arriving to pick it up only to find more wrong than there was when the truck arrived at the shop. Thursday I went to pick up this truck twice. The first time the dash was still pulled out, pieces laying in the floor, wires exposed and dangling. That was when the GM and I talked, and he assured me that it would be ready that day. Later in the day we returned to find accessories that were not functional. No radio, no power windows, no power mirrors! I found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my cool.

But I did. Much to my surprise.

As it turned out, the technicians had removed several fuses during the repair time in the shop and failed to put them back in their proper location. Simple problem, simple fix.

My problem is why didn't they take the time to do it right the first time.

$$$$$$. This shop is a flat rate shop. When you take a vehicle in for a particular repair, they can look in the book and see how many hours that repair requires. This is what you will be billed for. If it takes less time, you pay the book time. If it takes more times, you pay the book time. Theoretically, it puts more possible hours in a day and or week.

The service manager told me they lost their backsides working on BS 222. After looking at the ticket, I don't see how they lost. Maybe they just didn't maximize.

I'd bet there were a bunch of high fives when they saw me leave with the truck.

While I was there yesterday, the service writer was showing me a truck they were doing extensive repairs on. Engine overhaul, remanufactured transmission, rearends, frame rails. He told me that the bill on this particular truck would easily reach sixty-five thousand dollars. He was telling me the pump mounted on the back was worth one hundred fifty thousand dollars. This truck is thirty years old. I told him I think I might have wanted to update the truck and just move the pumping unit.

The service writer just laughed and said he didn't understand spending that kind of money on a two thousand dollar truck either. He went on to say that this particular truck was the business owners first truck and the owner personally drives it. I guess it is a sentimental favorite. He went on to say once this truck arrives on location it would "sit" and work for twenty hours out of every twenty-four.

I guess I'm going to have to remind myself, customers don't pay for pretty!

Krl went with me to pick up the BS 222. We had more musical chair truck moves than you can imagine, but we got it done. We even paid some utility bills while we were out. We did learn one odd thing.

Since Krl and I try to operate on a cash basis, we usually pay the utilities at the local United grocery store. The only utility you can't pay there is the cable bill and as luck would have it one of the bills we were paying was the cable. We decided that rather than make two stops, at United and the cable company, we would go to a check cashing store and make a single stop. Right? Wrong! They took the electric bill payment but couldn't take the cable payment because we recently changed our phone service to the cable service. They can accept cable television payments and cable internet payments but not cable phone payments. Makes no sense to me.

We had to make a second stop at the cable company anyhow!

Hopefully all of us here at the house are feeling some better. The older houndgirls are getting a little spring in their step again. The smaller houndgirls are filled with spit and vinegar, running and chasing. In fact yesterday Krl got so fed up with them she brought them into the office where I was and told me she was tired of their fussing and rough play, and she shut the door. The houndgirls laid down and took a nap. Last night when I was sitting in my chair, Maple was on one side and Phooey was on the other, I told them I couldn't believe their mother would make up stories like that about them!

I know that it was just the calm before the storm.

Just when all the coaching vacancies are filled in the NFL, the Big Tuna bolts for the door. I'm really not surprised, but I doubt you or I will ever know the happenings that led to it. Now that the prospective coaches have been picked over, what will Jerry do? I've seen a short list but don't really like any of them. One name not on it that I would like to see considered is Steve Mariuchi. (sp?) I' don't even know where he is since leaving the Lions. So there it is Jerry, don't bother with calling me.

I've got to get on track to finish all the remaining quarterly and years end reports. I stopped in yesterday to pick up some 1099 miscellaneous income forms. I don't need many but the supply store we went to was out of kilter. Twenty-five multiple part forms were priced at $11.99. I didn't think the company would use near that many so I continued looking and found a package of ten multiple part forms kit, for $15.99. Thing is I didn't need the kit. I already have envelopes.

In a one size fits all world, nothing fits.

On the downside of finishing the reports, when they are done and all the supporting paperwork is filed away, I will have worked my way out of a job, again.

FATHER, I find myself struggling. I need YOU to carry me through.