I did three days at the NAPA store. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I have still to be there to spend any substantial time with Pat. It's not like there is a lot to discuss. Mainly I have been trying to play center fielder. I range far and wide! My project the last two days was putting together some specialty inventory orders. Pat and I had discussed it in broad terms and then I went to work. Anytime your are working with brass fittings, you can tie up a butt load of money quickly. I suppose one of my biggest detriments is I spend money as if I were footing the bill. When I was totally through I had trimmed my budget to about half of what I had been given to work with and yet I had been able to expand my list of products.

For the first time I found a problem with an inventory delivery invoice. I don't know how, when, or why, but one item was left off. I find it hard to miss something as large as a battery! I know last week there was a package for a store in Floydada that had been inadvertently left at Chris's store and yet the truck driver would not pick it up and take it to the correct destination. It sat there for over a week!

It has been an interesting project, working with Chris at his store. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Every night, Monday through Friday, a truck runs a route and drops off the store orders from the previous day. It is carefully choreographed, much like the post office only the packages are much bigger and weightier! It seems Wednesday night the man making the delivery had a 55 gallon drum to leave. He usually doesn't open the huge overhead doors, but since he had this over size item he elected to. Before it was all said and done he had a problem with the door and had to call Pat and Hag our about three in the morning. Now the door is disabled and Chris is waiting on an overhead door repairman.

We had a couple of territory representatives in the store the past week. It was interesting visiting with them. The territory sales manager looks like he is about sixteen, walked in wearing jeans and tennis shoes, shirt tail out. Not anything like what I would expect. I have no problem with the jeans or tennis shoes, but I expected a sharp simple NAPA shirt and someone a little older. It turns out he grew up in NAPA stores. His Dad owns several in the Chicago area. The surprising thing was his education. I figured he would have a degree in marketing or business but it turns out he has about the equivalent of an associate degree from a trade school. He told me he is working towards his bachelors degree at the University of Phoenix. I think he was surprised when I commented "The world largest University! University of Phoenix online!" I didn't say this snidely, I just made the comment to let him know I was aware of the university! I suppose that the biggest surprise for me was all the talk when I was going to high school about the "need" or "requirement" more and more employers had for high school diplomas! Later on this changed to College degrees. Now it would appear some companies are bucking the trend for some reasons. Could it be salary? Benefits? I don't know.

Pat and I were talking yesterday, she had come by the store briefly and I shared my lunch with her. She showed me a website that she thinks every high school student needs to visit. It lists all the jobs you could imagine and has a brief description of requirements, salary, benefits and other vital information. I shared with her a web site that lets you go in and compare your salary with others in your area to see if you are making what you should!

Man, the internet sure has made the world small.

I don't know that I am ready for this late season burst of winter! In fact, YUK! I am ready for shorts and T-shirts, sandals and flip flops. I spent about half an hour yesterday bringing plants back inside the house. Then I started meat browning for chili! If there is any good thing about the cold weather it is that I love the foods that go with it! I love chili's, stews, soups and cornbreads! Last nights effort was a quickie. I used canned pinto beans with jalapenos, rotelle, diced green chili's, picante and a multitude of accent seasoning. I got it all in the pot and cooking while Krl fixed Texas honey sweet cornbread, and then I let her season the chili. It definitely had "bite" but it was good!

I sat stew meat out to thaw last night, so at some point I'll get it on. If this cold spell continues I might even make taco soup! I've got to make a note to take inventory of cornbread mixes.

Well, keep warm. Have a good weekend! Happy Easter!

FATHER, thank YOU for a good week. Thank YOU for JESUS!