Well, well. The Abilene smokers exceeded the needed number of signatures on their recall petition and they met the deadline for turning it in. Now the election office will verify that the names are valid and residents of Abilene.

I don't really expect the petition to do much of anything. They may get a new election but I don't think the results will be any different.

I signed the petition. In fact I signed it the very first day, number six on the list. I'm not a smoker, its been six years now. I signed because I think the process is flawed. I think smokers have just as many rights as non-smokers.

My solution would be this. The city council has taken us back to square one. Moving from there, businesses should be allowed to make their own determination of smoking or non-smoking. If they choose to be a smoking establishment they must have designated areas for smoking and non-smoking. All businesses must prominently display a declaration outside the business and also in the entry, proclaiming their status.

Patrons would determine if they choose to enter the business or not. If a smoker chose to enter a non-smoking establishment they did so voluntarily and accepted the terms. If a non smoker chose to enter a smoking establishment they did so willingly and accepted the terms.

Business owners would be able to make the determination for their own business's welfare. With the current city ordinance some business owners claim they will go out of business. If non smokers are correct these businesses will survive or they were already on the verge of going out prior to the ordinance.

If non smokers boycott establishments that choose to allow smoking it should affect those business's bottom line.

Basically my solution is to make the ordinance one of posting a business status, allowing businesses to choose and then allowing patrons to choose.

May the right choice thrive!

I am often alarmed at how politicians think we must be protected from ourselves. That seems to be opposite of what led people to come to this country.

This mornings newspaper had an article of proposed ordinances, many of which were petty in my opinion. One wanted ten percent of each property to be dedicated to landscaping. Another called for requirements for a ten foot landscaped border between the business and the street.

Another article concerned the Development Corporation of Abilene and their effort to bring businesses and industry to Abilene.

I understand planning and zoning. I understand neighborhood guidelines and requirements. I also know that when I drive to a manufacturer, warehouse or "heavy" commercial business, I do not expect to see or walk through a rose garden.

I sometimes ask myself if I were a large business would I want to locate in Abilene. Maybe ..... maybe not!

I sometimes wonder why certain businesses have chosen not to enter the Abilene area. I guess one benefit of living at the jobsite a large portion of the year allows us to experience other cities of similar size to Abilene. There are definite differences.

I spoke with Pat yesterday, she and Hag had gone to Midland to meet with an attorney. I told them if I had known they were going out there I would have ridden along just to eat at the Cattle Baron! She laughed and said they didn't go there this time, but last time they did. She also informed me that the Cattle Baron has opened a restaurant in Lubbock.

My driver's license expired on my birthday. I had gone by the DPS office twice to renew them and felt I could come back later when I wouldn't have to wait. Yesterday I returned and waited. Over an hour. The line went out their door and curled around the entry way. I decided not to renew the hazmat on my license. I can always add it on. Sixty-eight dollars to renew. For that price I should be entitled to a bigger portion of the highways and bi-ways! I may drive in the middle!

While I was out I did do a few errands. Krl had mentioned that she wanted to see Robin William's Man of the Year. It was released yesterday. I went to three stores before I found it. Of course I was trying to combine my trip and get everything at one stop. I'm not that lucky!

My patient had a bad day! She was very irritable and nothing suited her. She told me she couldn't do this three months. I told her we would do whatever we have to do. I didn't have a good day either. I probably wasn't as understanding and supportive as I should have been. Well, we reset to zero to begin a new day.

I told you that even the eggs were holding their breath in our house, well I sacrificed three of them yesterday. I tried out the new omelet pan. I had cooked some sausage, peppers, onions, and tomatoes and used this mixture along with some cheese for filling! It was the best looking omelet I have ever made. Taste has never been in question. I think my biggest problem in the past had been making them too large with too much filling. Even with scaling it down Krl and I split it.

Well, have a day!

FATHER, help!