Up and at 'em!

I can't believe I'm already awake, but then it has been a fitful night!

It was a laid back Sunday on Abilene. I did some quarterly reports, went to the post office, went by the store and got some money orders, home, back to the store and paid some utilities. Watched the water pour off the house as we got our daily quota of rain.

I am afraid that if and when we want to turn our lawn sprinklers back on they may balk. This is basically two years that they have seen limited use. I did replace the controller this year, but the limited action they have seen has been two cycles to water in some fertilizer and insecticide. Oh well.

I read a report this morning about the cotton crop in the valley. While our rains have been a blessing, the report said the valley has been deluged with excessive rainfall. Estimates are that sixty to ninety percent of their crops have been lost or damaged. Cotton has fallen out of the burrs and on the ground, some cotton still in the burrs has become discolored and stained, some even mildewed. Ten percent of the state's cotton production comes from the valley. Last year producers suffered through a drought, this year through excessive rainfall.

If there is a silver lining for these farmers, it would be that they didn't plant all cotton. Many producers diversified and planted milo and corn.

Can you believe it is almost August?

It seems as though monthly statements just went out! Pat and I have sort of streamlined our process. Each month we find something that works just a little better than the month before. Heck, one of these days we may get it all down right!

I may need to find an old classmate of mine. She did some research on dreams when we were in school. Usually I don't or can't remember dreams. At least not on a regular basis. Last night was a dream fest! Come tomorrow I may not remember them but right now I do.

I've always thought it weird the way they say if you dream about money you are really dreaming about sex. If you dream about sex you are really dreaming about money!

I wonder what it means when you dream about work or recreation?

On the equipment project I can't afford to miss a lick. We are on a fine time line. I am hopeful that a couple of hours could see it mobile again. Hydraulics are the hold up right now! If I knew then what I know now I might have chosen a better spot for tearing down the project. Where it is located now I can't begin prep work for paint.

My bad!

I may have to put in some extra time during the week.

Hope your day is a good one!

FATHER, keep me focused and centered.

To each his own!

As I become older and wiser, it has been made known to me that all of us have our individual quirks and remedies. I blog. I use this to vent, but also as a self therapy. As I have often said, I will look back to see where I was at different times in the past.

For my sister Pat's self help therapy, she gardens. Use to she had her garden on one of their farms but wild hogs and one too many run ins with a rattlesnake, she moved her garden to town. I guess they have three lots, side by side. Anyway, she tilled (with Chris's help), smoothed, watered and prepared the ground and finally planted her garden. Corn, squash, beans, peas, okra, tomatoes, onions, and various kinds of peppers. (Bell peppers, jalapenos, chili's and a few of unknown origination.).

I have decided my sister is the gardener from hell! Satan himself could use the peppers to light the fires of Hades! I will select one that I don't think will be too hot, but so far with the bell peppers being the only exception, all the others will make you break out in a sweat. Excellent taste, but they will bring moisture to your brow or even worse, make your scalp sweat!

It kind of reminds me of a former farm hand Eusebio. He never referred to peppers as jalapenos or chilis or habanero. He simply said, "Pepper hot!"

I will say "Pepper mucho caliente, but mucho bueno!"

Thanks to Pat we have enjoyed a wide array of fresh vegetables. I can tell a big difference when we go to the store, we hardly slow on the can good aisles.

After my productive day yesterday, I am one whipped pup. I am so sore. I had actually thought I might go out and hook linkages, but that may have to wait. I may soak in a hot tub, and take the maximum recommended dosage of Tylenol, Advil or Percogesic!

After all the Brickyard 400 is today!

I did run into a problem yesterday when I was coupling the transfer case and transmission. I had four of five bolts in it and started one of the lower bolts and began tightening it with a short hand wrench. It seemed to tighten too quickly, and I backed it out and started again. It never tightened like it should have and I heard a small sound that made me begin to investigate. Closer inspection revealed a broken bolt hole. I retrieved the broken piece and it appeared that very possibly during the rebuilding (Thursday) of the transmission, the builder might have dropped or banged the case very hard. It would have had to happen when the transmission was torn down because the tail shaft would have hit something before the case did. Anyway, it appears the blow was enough to close, pinch, or egg shape the bolt hole and when I inserted the bolt and began tightening it, it broke the outside piece of the bolt hole off. I continued on, hoping the damage was limited to outward and not inward. What amazed me was I wasn't even putting any muscle in it!

But you know my luck!

We'll see!

Hope your day is a good one!

FATHER, abide in me!

Let's catch up a little.

Thursday, my scheduled day off, didn't go any where close to the way I had it mapped. I took the company travel trailer to the shop. I picked up some parts, went to get the hydraulic pump they have been working on for two weeks and it wasn't ready. In fact they were waiting for a part to come in Friday! I went to pickup the transmission and it wasn't ready. They hadn't even started on it, saying their supplier sent them the wrong parts. I was picking it up just about the time I had hoped to have it installed! I went ahead and went to K.O.'s but was unable to install it. I didn't have the muscle and everyone was busy trying to get K.O and his family gone to Fairfield for the weekend!

Friday found me going to work at the parts store! I stopped at the Golden Arches Dinner Club and bought five sausage biscuits! I dropped some paperwork off at Mom and Dad's, they were on their way to pick up Pat and go to Lubbock for an appointment with Dad's cancer doctor and Mom had an appointment with a tax attorney, so they were already in their car and I handed them them paperwork, took two sausage biscuits out for Chris and I, and handed the bag through the window!

Dad got an excellent report from his Cancer doctor. PSA was way down, and the doctor said he believed he had whipped this problem. He told Dad he should begin getting his strength back! Mom's appointment went very well. The tax attorney made no promises but told them he thought he could do them some good.

I sure hope so. Then we can point them in the direction they need to go!

I finished my offer in compromise yesterday. I purchased a cashier's check and put it in the mail, certified return receipt requested. In thirty to sixty days, my IRS problems should be nothing but a memory!

Talk about a crock of butterheads! Thursday I had taken an envelope with cash money and made multiple stops at banks in Abilene to buy a cashiers check. They wouldn't sell me one! I have never dealt with such inept people in all my life. None of them could give me an explanation.

One thing about, I know where I won't be banking in Abilene when this IRS matter is behind me!

I left the house today with a wish list. #1) haircut. Luckily I beat the rush and Nick gave me a good one. By the time I left they had a full house, standing room only! 2) I went to Harbor freight. I had decided to buy a small floor jack to put the transmission back in the equipment project. Once I was there I found something I liked even better. To be serious, I didn't really figure it would work, but I hoped if I threw enough money at the project the transmission would jump in it! Fifty-nine dollars later I was the proud owner of a small transmission jack. Turns out that was a very smart fifty-nine dollars to spend. It worked like a dream! 3) Five hours later I had the transmission and transfer case installed! Now all I lack is a dipstick, hooking up some linkages, and filling the fluids!

Then we'll move on to hydraulics!

By the way, Fairfield got rained out so K.O. is going to Enid, Oklahoma Monday and Chickasha, Oklahoma Tuesday for shows up there!

I got to the house, used the compressed air to blow my clothes off before I walked into the house, stripped down in the utility room and went directly to the shower! I did not collect $200 when I passed go!

Shortly afterward, I emerged a cleansed man! Krl and I hopped in the Exp and went to the grocery store! I even got propane for the grill tomorrow!

I told Krl I needed a day like today. Physical labor that yielded positive results. It was one of those days that went so well I had to make myself quit!

For the record. I have to be in De Leon with the equipment project completed two weeks from today!

I am hopeful I have one more mechanical day and then we will be hitting some high spots and shooting some primer paint!

Tomorrow is the Brickyard 400! I have my chair reserved!

Hope your weekend is a good one!

FATHER, thank YOU for this glorious day!

I'm waiting to exhale. Actually, I am waiting for businesses to open so I can get my day going!

My day looks like this:
1) travel trailer to the shop (nothing major, just a couple of things!).
2) bearing store to get a couple of oil seals.
3) hydraulic shop (for pump)
4) transmission shop to p/u transmission and PTO
5) K.O's shop to install numbers 2,3,4.

I'm going to be hurting tomorrow.

This week has been slower than recent weeks, but I needed that. Of course it may just seem like that, maybe we have become accustomed to life and work in the fast lane. Yet when I am filing the days invoices it becomes evident that we have done more total invoices than we ever have. Of course the dollars remain to be seen!

Last evening I returned to Abilene, stopped by the pharmacy to pick up Krl some night time pain relief and then on to the house. I changed into a "T" shirt and played a quick game of musical vehicles and hooked the RV up so it would be ready to go. (I didn't want to be blocking any of the neighbors this morning when they were trying to get to work!). I rolled up cords and picked up blocks and finally made my way into the house.

As soon as I was inside my cell phone rang. It was the chairman of the show I am taking the equipment project to. We had a terrible connection, but after several disconnects, we finally got in places where reception was good and we could talk. He was making sure we were going to show up, I was making sure of insurance concerns and a few other small matters. It continues to be a "go"!

After that I sat back in my chair and made another phone call. My best friend for many years had moved away several years ago. Initially I had his number in his new town but after a few moves we lost contact. Our number is not published and had changed a couple of times (after the fire and after the remodel), so we had not been in contact for several years. Recently I had looked for a mutual friend and while I didn't find him I found another friend of a friend who had had contact since I had. On my second visit with this friend of a friend, it turned out that he had eaten out at a restaurant and my friends daughter happened to be working there. Long story short, the friend of a friend got my friend's telephone number for me!

Last night I made the call. It was just like old times. We spent an hour and a half catching up. It was great! We are hoping to get together in the near future! We exchanged e-mails, and telephone numbers. I told him the only constant for me has been my cell phone number of the last twenty years!

More on this later!

I had better get my day off to a fast start!

Hope yours is a good one!

FATHER, bless this day and my efforts!

One month today since I got the call about Terri.

Not a whole lot of write-able stuff going on right now. Work is work.

I am finding myself needing to put in some road miles, renew a few contacts. Get a few things in the mix.

Krl and I have a short list of things we need to do before the seasonal work, then we have an even shorter list of things we would like to do before the seasonal work.

During lulls yesterday, I woulds spray degreaser/cleaner on the transfer case I had removed from the equipment project. Wash it down, scrape a little, go back to work and then return and repeat the process. I did finally get a wire brush and do a little more cleaning. Finally I grabbed some tools and began to tear it down to replace oil seals.

I had been doing some research on the parts computer with absolutely zero results. I realize the setup I am working on is an extreme heavy duty unit. The parts computer refused to recognize my combination even existed. Usually I can ask it the same questions in a different way and find what I need. Not yesterday. I finally split the transfer case open and removed the three oil seals. Walla! I recorded the seal numbers and began checking stock. Nope! I checked the distribution center in Dallas. One. Houston. One. Oklahoma City. One. Albuquerque. Two.
Problem is, anything other than a Dallas location wouldn't be here until Friday or early next week. Yuk! I'm going to do some more checking today!

Who needs a computer!

When I returned home last evening, Krl had taken left over Sunday roast and made a big pot of stew! When I opened the door I could smell that wonderful aroma of supper simmering on the stove. A large pan of honey sweet cornbread sat cooling on the counter. Uuummm! Sounds like a country boy's dream meal!

In truth, it was probably the best stew Krl has ever cooked, and she is a mean stew cook!

I am finding a few mistakes concerning names in our home. I think I should have been named "Prime", as in real estate. Phooey and Maple Syrple fight to see who gets to sleep next to me. I have no idea why. Maple has turned out to be pretty much my hound and that may be her reason. Phooey is still such a pup she may just like to fuss!

Phooey's name should have been "Billy", as in Billy Goat! She likes nothing better than to catch me reared back in my recliner and she will hop up there and stand on my chest while defiantly looking me in the eye. Add to this the check and clothing she ate and the name would fit! I think she could be the goat on the Aflac advertisement.

Well, like I said. Nothing to really write about. Kind of a blue day, already.

Hope yours is a good one!

FATHER, don't give up on me yet!

That was close.

After Google's acquisition of Blogger a number of changes took place. There was an upgrade and user's were asked to claim their old account by signing up for their new Google account. I did, and therein was the problem. In my haste to blaze through the red tape (I was O.K. with the old blogger) I entered my e-mail address without noticing they already had the .com suffix. Mine is .net. So my e-mail address ended in .net.com/ . Try as I might I couldn't make it take a correction. I guess I fell through the cracks because I had never had a problem. That is until yesterday.

Google finally woke up, asked me repeatedly for my password and finally told me my e-mail address didn't exist, and they denied me access. I was afraid I might lose three years of blogging. Not that it is of monetary value, but I do like to look back and see where I was one year ago, two years ago, or even three. Sometimes it is interesting to see what I thought was important at the time only to learn that it didn't amount to a hill of beans!

By going through a back door with my old blogger account I was able to sign in and FINALLY Google let me make my changes. So after being illegitimate, I am now the real deal!

I went in to work late yesterday. I decided I wanted to begin dropping off pieces at specific repair shops for rebuilding or fabrication. I was at the first stop at seven-thirty. They didn't show until eight. I continued on until my last stop before work was Sonic to pickup breakfast!

I think my little truck was appreciative. It had been down in the suspension since Saturday!

My biggest problem dropping off these pieces is relinquishing control to someone else. I have explained the time frame, I have told them I need to pick up the repaired, rebuilt or newly fabricated pieces Thursday (my day off) but I find I have very little faith. I guess I realize the deadlines are more important to me but mean little to them.

My day today is beginning much the same way. Pick up from a vendor, drop of parts, drop off parts, drive to work. Work, work, work, drive home, sleep fast, do it all over again.

Work was pretty good yesterday. I did have a brief exchange with Chris concerning some pricing. Sometimes it is so frustrating! Just when you think you have made some progress we have a weekend. Then we must figure out how far we backslid over the weekend and begin again! Chris has really caught on to the big ticket items. He will wheel and deal, but when it comes to something as small as a bolt or screw he becomes adamant about computer pricing which is astronomical! In fact, that is one of the reasons we changed vendors for all of our bolts and nuts. I have tried to explain blended costs. I have tried to explain products that draw customers through the door. Yet Chris wants a pre-set margin on every thing that leaves the shelf. Yesterday we had one of our best customers balk at Chris's bolt pricing. I told Chris I would rather break even on the bolts and have this business for a customer on the remaining wide array of products they use, than make them mad or feel like we are gouging them.

I am hopeful that today sees my many friends in the St. Lawrence area get some rain. Last week I had talked with the girls in the office and they were telling me they were beginning to need some precipitation. They have not had the recent rainfall we have enjoyed in the Abilene area.

I visited with one of my seasonal drivers yesterday. He had been driving a truck hauling rock for the many roads being built in the wind farm fields. Of late they had been picking up some work with a local highway project. This particular driver is older. He is seventy-four, and has owned his own trucking business in the past. He is very conscientious, easy on the equipment and usually understands what the job entails. I have been monitoring a problem between this driver and the truck pusher Freddy had hired the end of April. The truck pusher is good, but he is very abrasive, often he suffers from tunnel vision, and his ideal employee is a warm body that doesn't think. Needless to say, the driver and the pusher have had a volatile past. Even to the point of the pusher inviting this older driver out behind the shop to settle it. (Duh!).

Recently the driver had lost an older sister who had raised him along with the rest of the siblings. She hung on for an extended period, comatose in a local hospital. For two weeks this man would put in his day of work, go by his house and shower and change clothes before driving to the hospital and keeping an all night vigil at his sister's bedside until a couple of hours prior to sunrise when he would get a brief sleep prior to reporting for work.

I think the man is worn out!

Regardless, he reported for work, and after one wild goose chase to the wind farm, he reported to the highway project. Once there he discovered a low tire (which he should have discovered prior to leaving the shop) and experienced a problem with his leg that operates the clutch. When he returned to the shop, he and the pusher had words, and the driver gathered his stuff and left.

Of course he was coming to talk with me. We visited and I assured him this would have no affect on his working at the seasonal job site.

After the driver left it wasn't a half hour until the pusher was at my door. Tattling.

Of course it was interesting to see who these guys have been talking to because if you give every person you and they interact with, a statement or piece of information that is unique only to them, you can determine who is trying to stir the pot! (In this case it was once again Trick from the trucking office. Trick you should have been a hair dresser!).

Workplace politics! Yuk!

Any way, I am working on a bull s**t meter.

Before the day was out, things finally settled down.

Memama and Pepa have doctor appointments this morning in Brownwood. I am hopeful the doctors will have some remedies!

I am needing to call Jeanetta to check on her son Billy (my nephew). He had an episode last week that they initially thought was heart related. I am not being negligent, I just think no news is good news!

I talked with "E" yesterday. We seemed to have a pretty good visit. Shop talk! Once again it was raining on the Gulf Coastal Plain! Apparently they are going to have a record milo and cotton crop. The problem may be harvesting it! He is hoping to have his plant ready to rock and roll by the end of the week. Riley was working with him, Wesley was working on a milo harvest crew and Robyn is working at the grain elevator near their house!

Busy, busy! Which is good!

I find it is a recipe for disaster when I don't keep busy!

Let's have a day! We'll call it Toosday!

FATHER, with YOUR help I just might make it!

"Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the LORD my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, I pray the LORD my soul to take!

Two nights now and I have a really weird feeling. Did Freddy and Terri pray this childhood prayer?

I don't feel right. Two nights in a row.

I'll admit it. I am worried, I am concerned. I don't think this is weird after losing a brother and a sister over the course of nineteen days, both while they were sleeping.

I've always said when it is your time it is your time and nothing you can do will change the outcome.

And with that, we'll have a night!

FATHER, YOUR will.

I am so sore. I guess that is one of the disadvantages of working behind a desk and counter most of the week and then one or two days a week "getting physical".

I spent seven hours working on the equipment project! My little work truck is setting very low, loaded way heavier than engineers ever imagined. Let's see. Tool boxes, gas cans, battery pack, hydraulic jack, gear box, hydraulic pump, power take-off, transfer case, converter, and transmission.

Of course as my luck would have it, one item wasn't empty of fluids and tipped over on my way home. I had oil dripping from the bumper of my truck.

I lost count of how many times I crawled under, over, and around the project. I knew it was going to be a messy "tear down" so I chose to do it on the back forty instead of near or in K.O.'s shop. That was a good decision! I had allotted three hours for the project. I invested over double that. I was working without the benefit of cement floors, transmission jacks or over head hoist. I had to improvise.

This project is so compact that I had to remove the exhaust system to drop the transmission down. Yuk! Who designed this?

Oh, that would be me! I guess like other engineers I didn't take into account the possibility that you might have to work on it!

When I finally arrived home I was so filthy I didn't dare attempt to go into the house without getting rid of some of the dirt and grime, and of course I had to deal with the dripping oil. I put down something to catch the rogue liquids, opened my side of the garage, started the air compressor and blew off my clothes, hair and appendages. Hey, my neighbor saw increase in their real estate holdings! I took off my shoes before leaving the garage and stripped down at the washing machine before going directly to the shower!

I have no idea how long I just lingered under the warm shower head. I had begun suffering muscle cramps on the drive in, so as I stood in the shower relaxing, I began replenishing body fluids. I took a refreshment in with me and had a big gatorade waiting for when I exited.

I slipped on a pair of shorts, a "T" and my flip flops and Krl and I headed to the store. With the exception of the reunion groceries it had been two weeks since we went to buy big groceries. We did pretty well. There were some gorgeous ribeyes at the meat market but I just couldn't convince myself of their price. I got a roast instead!

Also as our luck would have it, checking out was an adventure. The clerk mis-coded an item and it showed about triple the price and Krl told them it was wrong or else she didn't want it. The clerk tried to take it out and the register froze. They had to turn it off and reboot. I thought my computer was slow. By the time we left the store we had been in the checkout line forty-five minutes!

We got groceries put away and Krl was so spent she gathered pups and went to bed. I sat in my chair waiting for some tylenol to take effect. Neither of us had eaten lunch or supper. I finally got up and made a sandwich. I did notice this morning that Krl had been up during the night and ate some seafood salad with crackers.

Ten eighteen, I hit the button and headed for bed! By twelve forty-two I was back up!

What's with that?

I did talk with Pat and she said she and Hag had used my elephant gun on her garden! Actually it is a PVC bee gun. You open it up, put your powder inside, put the cap on, pressure it up to a hundred pounds of air pressure, aim and open the gate valve! Instant cloud of the dust you chose! She said the first shot was wayward. Hag didn't take into account the wind direction and wind velocity. After the orientation shot, they got it down and Pat said she was impressed with how thorough a job dusting her plants it had done.

Friday I had told a couple of customers who were exchanging "bee invasion" stories about the plastic pipe bee gun and I think they thought I was spinning yarns. Before they left they were almost in the floor they were laughing so hard!

Thanks Brent, Frankie and Matthew. (They built my version of the bee gun!). Of course they have an industrial strength model they built out of four inch plastic pipe that will shoot a golf ball close to a hundred yards!

I am trying to decide if I want to build one of these and hang it behind the counter at the store.

Well, hope your weekend is going good!

FATHER, thank YOU for allowing me the knowledge and skills to work on things. Thank YOU for the soothing calming therapeutic affect it has on me. I needed that.

Top of the news!

"W" ceded powers to the VP so the President can undergo a colonoscopy procedure today.

My bet is it takes twice as long as for most patients because they will have to determine which end is the appropriate end.

My solution, to be safe do both ends!

I would feel much more comfortable if "W" had ceded power to Laura.

I wish they would give "W" an IQ test at the same time. I am betting after they cleansed his system (for the colonoscopy) he wouldn't have an IQ.

You've heard of dumber than dirt. "W" is dumber, in absence of "poop"!

O.K., enough is enough.

As my luck would have it, a day off (which is filled with lots of to do's) when I could have slept late was a wasted opportunity. Three something in the morning and I was flipping and flopping like a fish out of water! I've just been waiting until I know everyone is up and at 'em where I need to be going.

If I have a productive morning I think I can be back to Saturday errands shortly after noon.

Here are a few signs that summer is nearly over:

Coach and his staff go under contract Monday.

Rian and 3/4 of his family are gone this coming week for their final camp of the summer (#3). He goes under contract next Friday (even though he has been working trying to fill teacher slots through much of the summer).

Even after the extremely wet spring and early summer I am beginning to hear farmers who are wanting a slow gentle general rain for their areas.

I find myself beginning to think about what needs to be done before the move to the seasonal jobsite. We'll probably begin the move in five or six weeks! Yikes!

And finally, we just received our largest electric bill of the year!

Yep, it's gonna get cold before long! And summer will be just a memory.

I had a conversation with Joni yesterday. She was telling me some of the things going on at her work and some changes that will hopefully make it simpler and more convenient for them. I can understand all of them, as we too were presented with two companies doing the same thing but with separate books. Basically this is a conversation that Freddy and I had, over and over. Best thing about the current structure is that it would be very simple to downsize if that decision were made on down the road.

I think I have seen the first sign of gouging by one their vendors after Freddy's death. It would appear their insurance provider is sticking it to them. A year ago insurance ran $100 per vehicle per week (liability and cargo). Last Fall it went to $125. This week it was $150 on the settlement I reviewed.

One of the benefits I have working with multiple companies is that I am able to do a comparison between them. A year ago a similar company charged $104 per week for the same coverages. In June 2007 their charge was $114, and it remains that throughout the current week.

I think Freddy had begun to suspect his insurance provider because he had asked me where other companies were getting their coverages and how they compared.

One of the other companies I work with had used the same insurance provider as Freddy until two years ago and they changed to a local company, citing a lower down payment and lower monthly/weekly payments.

The insurance provider Freddy used is now a third generation working with a third generation after Freddy's passing. I guess the new generation at the insurance vendor doesn't reward longevity like their prior generations did, or maybe they are more greedy!

I had better get. We've covered my pet peeves. Politics and insurance!

Have a good day and a great weekend!

FATHER, create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It's been an interesting week. Hard but interesting.

I am bazzausted. Physically, but more so, mentally. I am spent. I am empty. Stick a fork in me, I am done.

My day off was a wild and wooly one! Lots of stops, lots of meeting different specialists. I did get a few things done and reported back to our hydraulic guru by five in the afternoon. He got the go ahead to do some things he wants to do. Hey it's only money! (And I know where there is a copy machine!).

I woke up this morning, needing to talk to Freddy. It wasn't like just wanting to talk to him. I didn't need anything. I just needed to talk with him.

My heart hurts. It seems that Wilson's funeral kind of laid it open again.

TJ has been heavy on my mind too.

In reality I know things will never be the same again. I just want to understand and accept this as how GOD's master plan is intended to unfold. But it is difficult.

At work, I have figured out that DJ and myself are the conscience of the business. Neither of us was there yesterday and it sure showed today. My desk was trashed. French fries, straws, napkins, food containers, barbecue sauce. The customer counter was in very similar condition. With a twenty-two year old and an eighteen year old working together it was a wreck. I find it very frustrating. I know Chris gets tired of me ranting on him, but he deserves it!

Just when I bragged on the store, it had a brain fart. A year ago Chris had two monster items that sold. That meant that last year's yesterday exceeded by far this year's yesterday and we fell back below the $30K figure. Oh well, we'll just kick it's ass again!

At Wilson's funeral I visited with a few people, who were inquiring as to how our family was doing in the wake of June 2007. I found myself teary, subdued, having difficult talking about everything that has gone on. Then I realized, one of these good people lost her husband in early middle age, another lost her oldest child to an accident at the age of six. They have been where we are. We weren't the support that they have been and are.

FATHER, we continue to struggle.

Is it the weekend yet?

I have been running on fumes this week, and I don't think there is going to be any relief in sight, at least for the next three weeks. I committed to have the equipment project at a show August 11, so now it is deluxe thrash time! As usual, I have to be pressured to get it finished.

I wonder if money were no problem if I would study and budget so much. Currently we are trying to use as many of the drives, couplers, sprockets, sheaves, and pumps as we can to minimize cash outlay (because cash, as always, is at a minimum).

Today is my regularly scheduled day off which means I am meeting with our hydraulic specialist, then hopefully with a transmission builder, and finally beginning to do more dis-assembly so we can begin to re-build.

I think the rebuilding can be limited to re-modeling and only a day or two once we have al the pieces gathered. The big thing is going to be some disc sanding and shooting some gray sander primer. We have decided we will take the equipment "primer gray" to the show.

For the long term I may look into the possiblity of these new "wraps" that I see many businesses using on company vehicles.

At the parts store we have been teasing with crossing historic thresholds. One day we will bust through it, the next day we will backslide. Every day we print an EOD report that gives us a bunch of information. For the day, for the month, for the year to date. Other areas include a comparison of this day last year, last year's month and last year to date. So if we have a poor day (like Monday) and the same day last year was good, we can lose ground on the year to date comparison. Yesterday we busted through the $30K barrier above last year's year to date. Not huge numbers, but I'll take them. Especially since the increase has really started adding up since March or early April. I would sign up for a ten thousand dollar per month increase for the next six months!

I was last to take lunch yesterday. It was done on purpose because I was going to Uncle Wilson's funeral. I ate lunch with Memama, Pepa, and Coach, then we all went to the funeral together.

Uncle Wilson had made and paid for the majority of his funeral arrangements back in 1992. Talk about planning. That would have made him seventy-four when he worked out the rough details. Of course there had to be a few changes. A couple of substitutions in pall bearers were in order as some of his choices left this world prior to him leaving. He not only chose the minister who officiated, he chose the songs.

In something I had never experienced, after the brief graveside service, several songs were sung. Once again, all choices of Uncle Wilson. The first was sung by his granddaughters, one was sung by a great granddaughter accompanied by the granddaughters, and the final song was a congregational singing. It was very special and I know Uncle Wilson had to be pleased.

I was somewhat surprised by the lack of turnout for the funeral but then I really didn't realize the family had been gone since 2003.

One particular piece of information I found interesting was that funeral cost had increased by 306% since 1992. I don't know of anything else that has increased that much in the same time period except fuels.

I know my pay has not increased that much. In fact it has probably decreased since then.

I realized a weird statistic tonight. I have gone to a funeral every twenty days for the last forty days. June 8, June 28, and July 18.

I am ready to break the trend. Once I again found it extremely difficult from a personal standpoint. Just when I think I am making some improvement, someone else dies. Two steps forward, one step back.

Pepa has been having great difficulty getting adjusted to his new medications. He continues to complain about dizziness and yesterday complained that the ground appeared to be like water. We ended up putting him back in the car at the grave site because he had a spell between the car and the grave site. He is supposed to go back to his new internist next week.

I woke up about 1:46 this morning and began working on a letter and putting together a package to fax to a gentleman I have been working with. This is a weird situation where he needed some equipment, yet didn't want to do my program. What time I have devoted to this has been with no compensation because I usually take a small over-ride of the job. I have tried to put interested individuals together and now I am stepping to the side. I am in hopes at some point in the future my contribution will be repaid with other opportunities.

Well, I may try to get a nap before morning now that I have emptied my brain.

Have a day!

Oh FATHER, I need some help here!

I was at work yesterday morning when the phone rang. It was Pepa. "I just was checking on you to be sure you made it home all right", he said. I told him we were home and unloaded Sunday before they left the lake! After a brief lull, he told me "I guess everyone made it home except Uncle Wilson."

I had received a phone call Sunday evening, just after we had finished unloading from the reunion. It was Rian and he called to tell me Uncle Wilson had died.

Actually Uncle Wilson was not an uncle at all, he was a very close family friend. Initially his family lived about a mile from us as a crow flies, but probably three miles by road. Uncle Wilson farmed, and he worked as a ginner at Acme Coop in Roscoe. His brother-in-law "Button" was the gin manager. This was during a day and time that gin employees and mangers were only seasonal employees. In fact, when Button stepped down, Wilson was hired as the first full time manager Acme ever employed. I can remember the small cinder block building that served as a scale house and office, complete with an old Red Coca Cola box that held those precious small glass bottles of ice cold Coke, a bery popular coffee pot, and the all important domino table. The Coop became a regular morning stop for many, patrons and non-patrons, as they began each day.

Wilson was many things. He was a volunteer fireman. Most gin managers were. I can remember going to many situations (I was a volunteer volunteer), and Wilson was always there. He was also renowned as a cook. I have written before about his clear barbecue sauce and his search for just the right mesquite branch to tie a torn scrap of material to mop on his special sauce. Wilson was also known around town for his ability to cook candies. This was made more unique later in life as Wilson was diagnosed as diabetic and could not indulge in his craft. But that didn't keep him from always having a pocket full to share with friends.

Uncle Wilson's family and mine were linked from way back. My grandad was president of the co-op board when they hired Wilson. Our families attended church together, the kids attended school together. Wilson's oldest daughter Barbara was older than we were, but Jimmy Wilson was just older than Freddy and I. Stacey, the youngest daughter, was just younger than Pat. I can remember many occasions that either we would be at their house (after they moved into town) or they spent time at our home.

My grandad was my Dad's very best friend and after my grandad died in 1969, Wilson seemed to step into that role with my Dad. Later they traveled together and were fishing buddies for many years on community excursions sponsored by chemical companies and the local farm supply. They even sunk a boat together one time! When my Mom and Dad took a trip to Vegas to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, they invited Wilson and Dortha to go with them! Wison had an old Desoto car, my dad has an old Plymouth and they often talked of one day taking a trip in these vintage vehicles.

After Wilson retired from the gin manager's post, he farmed full time on a larger scale. Often we would join together to harvest or do other farm functions when one's crop or fields were ready and the other's wasn't.

One peculiar perk that became Wilson's defining trait was that he referred to everyone as "Honey". In fact, many nicknamed him "Honey" for this trait.

At one point in time, Wilson brought Jimmy Wilson back to help with the farm, that was like a reunion as Jimmy and Candy had been living in San Antonio. Wilson began taking a lesser role in their operation. The depressed farm economy made it difficult for a young farmer raising a family and eventually Jimmy Wilson, like myself, found it a necessity to find a more constant source of income. With Jimmy gone, Wilson eventually rented out his land and retired. Just a few years ago, with health becoming an issue, Jimmy and Candy moved Wilson and Dortha to Dallas to live with them. In the past year it became necessary to move them into a care facility.

A while back Wilson summoned Candy to his residence and asked her to write his obituary and stressed that she put 2007 as the year because he knew he was going to die this year. Wilson was 89, and with him, a lot of Roscoe's colorful history has passed.

Reflecting on my conversation with Pepa, I should have argued about his statement that everyone made it home except Uncle Wilson.

Uncle Wilson is the only one who made it home.

FATHER, thank YOU for this man and for his life that touched so many. Bless his family and his extended family of friends. Comfort them as only YOU can.

We survived the weekend!

Krl and I left Abilene before lunch on Friday after we loaded the SUV and the travel trailer in a steady downpour of rain!

By two o'clock we had the trailer unhooked, level and connected to the water and electricity utilities and we headed to town to get a bite of lunch and buy supplies! After stops at Underwood's (it wasn't quite as good as I remembered), Wal-Mart, and Kroger's, we arrived back at the motel/RV park about five-thirty. Already a steady stream of relatives had flowed in.


Reunion weather Friday was excellent. Mild temperature and a constant breeze! High humidity however made it somewhat uncomfortable for a fat boy from West Texas.

This reunion was looked forward to in some ways, but dreaded in others. There were very noticeable voids left by Freddy and Terri's absence. Thankfully, ALL of their families were present, so it did help, knowing their legacy continues on.

I don't guess any event was more difficult than the family church service Sunday morning or the announcements and business meeting that followed. I think it was difficult for nearly all of us.

Sunday afternoon we moved the festivities from Mountain View to Robbie and Jesse's Lake place for a catered noon meal followed by homemade ice cream! The kids enjoyed a final session of swimming and jumping off the top of the boat house before the group began to disperse in forty different directions.

Krl and I weren't the first to leave. I would guess it was near four o'clock in the afternoon when we went back to get the RV. Thankfully we didn't have a very long drive home. By six thirty, we were unhooked and unloaded and the SUV was in the garage!

We were decompressing, and just trying to relax and let the houndgirls reclaim us! We did argue about who smelled worse, Krl or me! I guess Krl did because she bathed first. We ended up eating a simple sandwich before watching a little tele while rocking the little hounds before we went to bed!

It was good to be home.

I needed to take today off just to rest up from my four day weekend!


FATHER, YOU know my needs!

I've been thinking about it and I have decided I am an idiot.

That would explain a lot of things. That would explain how I can identify an idiot so quickly. You know, it takes one to know one!

Krl and I don't do anything the easy way. Don't ask me. We should know better.

We made a decision that we wanted to take one vehicle to the family reunion this year.

Last year we took two vehicles and the company RV we live in during the annual seasonal work. This trailer is set up. It is equipped. All of our things (with the exception of the entertainments center) are already in their place. Silverware. Check. Dishes. Check. Towels and wash cloths. Check. Bedding. Check. Cookware. Check! This trailer also is quipped with a washer and dryer which is a plus, especially if small children are in attendance.

But. (You knew that was coming, didn't you). It is big. I mean really big. When we move it, we usually use one of the company trucks. (As in 18 wheeler). They call it a thirty eight foot RV. When I measure it, I measure it forty feet. When you set it up, it takes a long time. Positioning. Securing. Leveling. Hooking utilities. (It requires a fifty amp electrical hookup which is not nearly as common as the thirty amp RV hookups. Last year we arrived and five hours later, we were still waiting to exhale. We had the campsite from you know where!

Lots of work for a weekend.

Neither myself or the company have a pickup large enough to pull the big trailer. So when we committed to take only one vehicle, it meant taking one of the other travel trailers. Like an idiot, I chose to take one that was purchased in January. I had not even picked it up in six months. Of course the seasonal work is not until September. Krl has worked her butt off getting the trailer ready. We had to buy linens. We will have to take a few pots and pans. I think one sauce pan and one skillet. Maybe a cookie sheet. A couple of place settings of silverware. Measuring cups, and spoons (for homemade ice cream over at coaches house Sunday afternoon. Pillows. Towels. Paper plates, paper towels. Even things like toilet paper! I tell you, there was nothing in this trailer prior to Krl walking in it!

I told Krl yesterday that I guess it has been a good thing. If they cancelled the reunion she and I would go somewhere. And we probably need to go somewhere. However, the main thing this project has done is get us in the correct frame of mind to go to the seasonal jobsite forty-five days down the road. Last year because of the extended work from the previous year, Krl and I never got in that groove. After thirteen years of doing it, I told Krl that it is cyclic. It is almost as if every other year you are ready to go and in between you kind of dread it.

So, don't be calling me unless it is an emergency or for supper!

I kept a running total yesterday. I ran ten errands in addition to doing some mechanical repairs on the RV. Then I spent about three hours or so at K.O.'s removing a gear box and hydraulic pump from the equipment project. It was hot! I have sweated a ton.

Last night when we finally shut the door, it was after nine. Krl cleaned up and went to bed. I ate supper about ten. After a bath, bed at eleven. The little houndgirls were doctoring a few new ow-ies while I went to sleep. Then ............

the dreaded muscle cramps began. With the meds I take, I cannot maintain a potassium level to ward off these cramps. I probably could but it would eat my stomach up. Maybe an IV. I did my Gatorade therapy but stopped short of drinking dill pickle juice. Therein was my mistake.

So if you see someone at a reunion, replenishing body fluids with Gatorade chasers with pickle juice twists, all the while licking salt and taking prescription Potassium. That was me!

One final note, in a rare decision we elected not to take the houndgirls with us this weekend. We have a hound sitter coming to stay with them. While this means taking a few less items with us it may prove difficult to sleep without our cuddle buddies!

They are going to be furious with us!

Have a weekend!

FATHER, I ask safe travel for all those traveling to this family function. May our time together be blessed.

WOW! Big Letters! this was the day from H-E-double L, which is a far cry from H-E-B.

I should have just gone to a charity and emptied my pockets. All I did was spend money. No, actually I was speed spending. Hhhmmm. Now that may be an idea for a new reality series! Everywhere I went I laid out cash.

I couldn't help myself! RV supply, $$$$$. Wal-Mart, $$$$$$$. Dollar General, $$$$$$$. Petsmart $$$$$$$$$. Bed Bath and Beyond, $$$$$$$$$$$. United, $$$$$$$$$$$$. Albertson's, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

I can't wait until I am out of cash because it will be over!

Oh yeah, right!

We are almost ready to hit the road to the family reunion. We aren't packed. We haven't bought groceries. But mentally we are ready. I told Krl that I may go Au naturalle! I don't care. The build up to leaving is whipping us down BAD! We just need to be there so we can catch our breath!

I have reservations about the reunion. I expect it to be difficult. No Fred. No Terri. It is going to be a big adjustment. I am tempted to put a chair in Fred's spot under the shade tree. I will be waiting for a late night knock on the trailer house door for a visit by Terri.

But that chair won't we occupied by Fred. Terri won't be the one knocking on the door. They've gone on to a bigger and better reunion.

I have wondered what things were like in heaven. I can see Memaw and Gan Gan, Grandpa and Gonnie, Aunt Jo, Uncle J, Aunt Dorothy, Mr. Ellis, and a host of others scuddling about getting things in order when Fred arrived. I can also imagine Fred being shocked, but nonetheless helping with preparations for Terri.

And they are are anticipating each of our arrivals.

What a reunion!

And once again, I am feeling selfish for feeling sad.

Oh, to have one more opportunity to do this reunion with FEELING with loved ones that aren't with us anymore.!

But, this weekend is the best opportunity we are going to have.

FATHER, with YOUR help, all of us can get throught this weekend.

Tough week!

Work has definitely been that. Work.

My two co-workers have had their heads up their fruit of the looms this week. I have learned that Chris usually goes through a spell any time he goes off for a weekend. This year it has been Vegas for a wedding in May and Canyon for another one last weekend.

I gave DB a research project and to my knowledge, he never completed it. I had to put him back on it twice. I know there are times I like research project and other times I abhor them. Thing is, it goes with the job. Determination and dedication are what make the difference between a mediocre employee and an exceptional one.

I may take some ADHD medication to work with me this morning.

I know I am venting. It just irritates me when something comes up and everyone else is trying to find ANYTHING else to do, except what needs to be done.

I need some time off.

Which brings me to the company travel trailer. Krl is making tremendous progress. The glass people didn't come back. I don't know what their problem was. The carpet and upholstery people did show and as every time we have used them before they appear to have done a good job.

I noticed that the trash dumpster was over flowing and I had a sinking spell. Krl and Lrn had taken down and thrown away some of the valances from the trailer. I tried to explain that yes, it may need to be re-upholstered but that doesn't mean throw the actual structure away. Just the covering.

I know Krl is frustrated. I know I had a couple of difficult days at work. I don't need to be bombarded with negatives five days in a row. I know the trailer was dirty. I know it has been a job. Let it go.

I should have burned it.

Now we may have to take separate trips just to relax and regroup.

Pat took Hag to the doctor yesterday. He had an encounter with a railcar one of his friends was moving at the elevator. They say he has a deluxe bruise from his knee to this hip. Of course with his history and blood disorder clots are a major concern.

While Pat had him there she asked the doctor to give Hag a physical. Boy was he mad!

Also while they were there the doctor x-rayed Pat's foot/ankle that she thought she had sprained while she was at Sinton. It was broken.

While Pat was in the doctor's office she and the doctor were discussing the similarities between Freddy and Terri's deaths. The doctor immediately turned around and picked the phone up and made a call, scheduling Pat and Hag for a sleep study later this month.

At some point in their pasts, this doctor had treated both Freddy and Terri. He had forwarded records and had discussions with the doctor who did Freddy's sleep study. The doctor told Pat that Freddy had suffered from acute sleep apnea, and that his arrhythmia during his sleep episodes freaked out all the physicians who saw them.

As most people know, Terri had also been diagnosed with sleep apnea prior to her losing a lot of weight.

The revelation of Freddy's situation was news to me, and I think to Pat. While we were aware of the diagnosis, we weren't made aware of how dire the situation was.

The doctor told Pat that she should insist that Coach and I schedule a sleep study immediately.

I would think sleep studies are probably in order for Freddy's kids as well, possibly for Terri's. (Hopefully we will have more complete information on Terri's cause of death). Pending the outcomes of us other siblings, our kids may need studies also.

If we can avoid another tragedy (like losing Freddy and Terri), it would mean something beneficial came from their deaths.

This is scary business.

On the lightest note of yesterday. Pat asked me to let Kyle follow me to Abilene, and to show him how to get to 500 Chestnut Street. He is going there early Friday morning for a day of testing. Then he will return Monday and Tuesday to complete the testing. Kyle is pretty good at remembering where he has been, so this was a pretty good idea his Mom had. Turns out it was the Musgrave Tower located near the court house. We parked and went inside, found the elevator bank and went up to the floor and room that he is to report to Friday. I even let him drive the elevator on the way down.

I guess with Kyle I felt like I had accomplished something positive with my day.

I have dilly-dallied as long as I can. It had been tempting to go in really, really, early and get my day over with before anyone else showed. But I didn't. I'd better get it in gear.

Have a day!

FATHER, I'm really grasping for something here.

Wow. Freddy and TJ are just wearing me out!

O.K. guys, let's do this another way. Instead of me waking up from bad dreams with you in them, I am going to put you in charge of good dreams and good sleep! In fact, I am going to count on you two to be my "angels in the outfield" or whatever you want to call it!

In a lighter moment the other day, Krl and I had been talking and as we passed a large billboard for the megamillion lottery I told Krl, "You'd think Fred and Terri could pull some strings wouldn't you?"

I haven't blogged about my inner psyche the last few days, but it is still struggling. I can be perfectly fine and then something transpires and I am trying to "tear up". I know Krl is going through a lot of the same. An added "unknown" for Krl is that she has a brother who she cannot make contact with. About a month ago she called the police in the town her brother lives in and asked them to check on him. They responded and later reported that he was O.K. and experiencing some telephone problems but would be calling later. He didn't. Further efforts by Krl have yielded the same results.

On a progress note, I have gone to bed the last three nights. Maybe not for a very long time period, but it is an improvement. Hey, where I am at I am grasping for any straws I can find.

So, from this point forward, I am going to try to look at Fred and Terri as "angels in charge", looking out for my greater good. When I sleep. When I work. When I travel. When I play. And yes, even when I buy lotto tickets!

Day three in preparation for the family reunion next week is in the books. I don't know, it may go down to the wire. Krl and I have talked about "a perfect" timeline concerning our departure. For the third day Krl worked cleaning the company trailer. I think at one point she had three vacuum cleaners in there. Big Oreck, Little Oreck, and Shop Vac. I believe I heard her mumble something about "Dave" being a liar. I don't think we'll see Krl on any Oreck ads! In his defense I will say that she did throw away a bagless vacuum that came with the trailer.

Krl has been a cleaning dervish! Give that girl some pine sol, warm water, a little bleach, and a scrub brush and the dirt and filth will run away!

My role in the travel trailer reclamation has been more mechanical. Researching replacement parts, and fixing a few others. I am in hopes that the parts needed will be nothing more than a phone call to by friend Brandon who is a partner at a RV business. I know in the past he has been excellent, whether I had a company trailer in his shop for repairs and replacements or if we were on the jobsite with a problem. Last year he did some troubleshooting from long distance, then mailed me the parts (on an open account) along with detailed instructions on removal and installation. The man is good!

I can vaguely recall last year after the family reunion asking myself if it was really worth it. I would say yes, especially since it was the last one with Fred and Terri. This year our focus is somewhat different. We aren't going to try to take and do everything. We're just going to go with the flow. Minimum groceries (the big meals are catered), one cooler, the ice cream freezer, a couple pairs of shorts and some T-shirts. Flip flops, a swimsuit, a few unawares and a toothbrush! Currently we are not planning on taking the four houndgirls, if we can find a hound sitter. That would eliminate the need for taking our "mini" fencing supplies and any specialized hound equipment. We'll have to see how this goes. Of course the major change would be by changing travel trailers to the current model, it will allow us to take only one vehicle.

I have toyed with the idea of leaving the travel trailer at Coaches or Uncle Jess's place in Brownwood.

Four weeks from Wednesday I have to be at the Peach and Melon festival and I know that is going to be a LATE night and involve a big truck, which poses a problem because Krl doesn't tow and she doesn't drive the big rigs. I am still figuring on this one. I know I am planning on taking the equipment down for the show, about the eighth or ninth of August.

I doubt I will leave anything anywhere. I also doubt Krl will go to the Peach and Melon festival with me because of the hounds.

I guess I am revved and ready for my Monday. Not! I had forgotten how working Saturdays destroys the weekend, especially if you have to drive a hundred miles to and from work. In addition to being on the tired side, I am sore. Too much crawling up, down and around the travel trailer. I'm not alone. Krl is complaining that her leg is really hurting.

I did a little research for Pepa yesterday concerning the jet boat. In 2005 through some odd happenings, the jet boat's discharge outlet was damaged. This didn't allow for reversing and or steering. Last years reunion snuck up on everyone and by the time they remembered the need for repairs, the time frame was too short to get the parts. Pepa has been ahead of the curve and requisitioned parts in May from our friend Mr. Statkus. Saturday Pepa and Jake were putting the jet pump in the boat back together when they discovered one of the control cables needed to be replaced. Even though it was Saturday afternoon and I was off Pepa called me asking if I could get him what he needs from the parts store. Odds are good, but my backup plan involves my internet research I did over Saturday night and Sunday.

The jet boat was purchased when all of us were still at home. Over the years it has been re-upholstered, re-floored and maintained. It's entire life it has been sheltered. By looking at it you would never believe it is thirty-seven years old! The only give away is the basic styling and paint scheme which dates it to the early seventies. It should be featured in a Glastron ad. Last year was the first year in thirty-six that the jet boat didn't attend the reunion. I think it had one of the best attendance records!

While I am talking about the jet boat, anyone who reads this needs to remind me, boat registration. I figure one of my old college mates who is a lake patrolman is nearing retirement but I have never counted on Leroy for bending the rules!

Krl and I were making lists (isn't that the easy part of an activity) and in jest I told her to write down to pick me up an eye patch, just in case Pat and I find a way to swing the sailboat. I also set out a small wooden cutting board that we can use as a plank (as in "walking the plank". Hey, it's small but it's a small boat!). I'm also looking for a skull and cross bones flag! Aarrrgh! Chips ahoy matey!

I just love pirate talk!

I don't expect it to happen this year, and that is O.K.. What if the sailboat experience doesn't live up to our expectations?

I am finding that in hindsight my brain suffered brain fade Saturday at work. At one point during the day, D.B. came to me, telling me we were out of one dollar bills in the cash drawer. I went into the office and a few minutes later returned with the cash bag. After I counted out the money and put it into the drawer, I placed the cash bag under the counter because we were covered up with customers. Guess where the cash bag is? Luckily, I had done a Friday deposit and the bag held very little cash. I'll do better. Chris doesn't allow us to to do this function very often. I guess I can understand why.

I am hungry! We have only had one meal a day Saturday and Sunday. Hot dogs Saturday, but Sunday I treated Krl. Albertson's had king crab legs on for $6.99 a pound. When I was buying a money order at United I picked up a small package of Del Monico steaks. I had never purchased this particular cut of meat, but the small size seemed to fit with the crab legs. Krl threw baked taters in the oven, I cooked the crab legs on the back porch in the turkey fryer and Krl did the steaks and biscuits! Uuummmm! It was very good. I did tell Krl though that if I ate crab legs very often I would get skinny because they are a lot of work! I guess I don't get full, I get tired of cracking and extracting!

Well, I think I will try to get a short nap before morning.

Have a day!

FATHER, without YOU I am nothing.

Yippee!

I am one cool dude! For the first time since late last summer I have air conditioning in my little pickup!

On my regular day off I spent most of my day on the phone talking with potential customers and returning calls to a few people who were looking for equipment and or services. Initially I had planned on being out of the house before noon, as it turned out it was mid-afternoon. My first stop was the local tax assessor collector to get some license tags for big trucks still out on the wheat harvest. I don't really know why I bother going to the Abilene location because I have had only one positive interaction there in almost twenty years. Now, I will admit what I usually need to do is not as simple as re-newing tags on your personal car, but, with one exception the clerks in the local office can't listen long enough to hear what you are needing to do.

I was picking up another month of seasonal tags for two trucks that are leased out and working in counties outside of the county I reside in. The bimbo I was dealing with told me she couldn't register the trucks because I am not a resident of Taylor County. I assured her I was. She asked me where the physical location of the trucks were and I told her one was in Nolan County and the other in Jones County. Once again she told me she could not register the two trucks because I was not a resident of Taylor County. I assured her I was and gave her my address and the number of years I have lived there. The way these clerks look at it and their pea brain interpretation of their ever changing rules, you wouldn't be allowed to drive or operate a vehicle out of the county in which you registered it! Finally I decided I wasn't going to get all upset and ruin the rest of my day, so I told the idiot to give me my paperwork (copies of the previous tag receipts and proof of insurances) and I would go to either Jones County or Nolan County (where I am not a resident) to conduct my business.

I ended up doing both. I went to Jones and registered one, with no hassle I might add. I would have registered the other one too but the hussie in Abilene failed to return my proof of insurance. I think she did it on purpose, but that was O.K., I was very near an office where I could pick a copy up. However, I wasn't able to get back in time to register the last truck before the office closed so I when I went to work in Roscoe Friday, I stopped on my way and registered the truck in Nolan County!

On a scale of one to ten I would rate the Abilene, Taylor County office a 10, in negative numbers. If I were to give you a visual sign of that rating it wouldn't look like a -10, it would look like a vertical stick accompanied by a body orifice.

Back to my Thursday. I had made arrangements for a hydraulic guru to come out to look over the piece of equipment that K.O. and I have been working on for three months. We are wanting to make a few changes, but neither of us have the expertise to know what is available. It turned out that K.O. picked the expert up just after five from the hydraulic shop. While they were in route I arrived at K.O.'s shop and decided to change the air conditioner compressor on my little pickup while I was waiting. By the time they arrived I had swapped the compressors and only lacked tightening the bolts, putting the belt on and pulling a vacuum and charging the system with freon. I took a break from the repair to take advantage of the late evening sun-light as our expert had arrived.

The three of us began a visual inspection of what the equipment has, an explanation of what we are needing it to do, and a demonstration of how the current configuration works. Then the game was on, bouncing different scenarios between us. The expert was at a dis-advantage for a brief time period because he was not familiar with the terminology K.O. and I use, but once that hurdle was overcome, he began to throw out options and opinion. In the past I had enlisted the help of an expert who turned out to be only a smooth salesman. The gentleman we met with Thursday was intrigued by the task at hand and the possible ways to meet our goals. He is also very knowledgeable.

Shortly before dark we walked back to K.O.'s shop and completed the repair on my pickup in short order. By the time we finished our discussion and I dropped the expert off at his shop (he is going to put together some firm possibilities in the next few days), when I arrived home, it was almost eleven at night.

Krl was already asleep.

Friday saw me return to work at the parts store. I took Krl's SUV to work so I could pick up the company travel trailer that Krl and I are taking to the family reunion this coming weekend. I thought that was par for the course. I finally get air conditioning in my pickup and I leave it parked at the house. I really don't like taking another vehicle to work because it makes me VERY aware of how gutless and uncomfortable my little thirteen year old truck is on the hundred mile round trip to and from work.

So I did my Friday, and learned that I was going to open the store Saturday. (Chris was gone for a wedding). I did get to leave a little early since I was coming in on Saturday and I drove South of Sweetwater to pickup the company travel trailer. This company trailer was purchased in January but had never been picked up. Of course it is used, but I knew it's history when I made my recommendation to acquire it. With the seasonal jobsite and new possibilities, I am always looking for affordable mobile housing for the crews.

I hooked on to the trailer and secured everything before I made my way to Abilene. I was taking the trailer to our house for Krl and Lrn to clean and ready for next weekend. After arriving home about eight and running several errands, I returned home to unhook the trailer from Krl's SUV, connect the electricity to the trailer, and do a couple of choruses of musical chair vehicle as I shuffled everything around. Krl began removing curtains and doing a hard inspection. By the time we went into the house it was another late night.

I knew the trailer needed a deep cleaning. I guess I didn't convey that adequately to Krl. She has been on my butt about how filthy it is. However, after she got a good day put in on it I can see very marked improvement. In fact she has a carpet cleaner coming Monday to give us a quote on cleaning the carpet and upholstery in the trailer.

Once thing about Krl is she is very good at deep cleaning! And she is in it deep!

The parts store doesn't open until eight on Saturday, which is usually a reprieve for Chris but made no difference to me because of the hour drive to work. (I usually arrive at eight). Saturday the store is open eight to noon. Yesterday would have been crazy on a regular business day. There was a constant flow of traffic in and out of the store and when we closed I had to re-open twice before I got out of town!

By the time I returned to Abilene, it was after two-thirty! Krl was busy cleaning on you know what and I had Saturday errands to run. After four stops, I arrived home at six something. Krl decided we would do something simple for supper, we did hot dogs! Hot diggity!

Until I sat down (and later lay on the couch) I had not realized how badly my feet and legs were hurting. I call it concrete feet. To much time spent on that unforgiving surface! I couldn't even get into NASCAR!

Upside is I am looking at a four day weekend next week! Three of which will be spent at the lake! Yeehaw!

I had a former co-worker come into the parts store on Friday. When he left our previous common job stop, he had thought I was a villain. Obviously, either he has thought it through or come to some more realistic realization. It wasn't a good situation and tough decisions had to be made that affected all of us.

I had noticed this man had a sailboat and that became an ice breaker. I told him that Pat (my sister) and I learned a couple of years ago that we are both fascinated by the prospect of sailing. For some reason the thought of cutting through the water, carried by a breeze with no noise except the ripple of the sail, is extremely appealing. At one point in time we had pursued our dream by bidding on several small sailboats on eBay. We were never successful though. This man in the store told me that there is an ideal "starter" sailboat in the Abilene area. It is a twenty-two foot Catalina sailboat with trailer! It is a little over twice what we had budgeted, so we will have to discuss it further.

I couldn't wait to call Pat (she is in Lubbock for a "girls" weekend with her daughter Steph).

I told Memama about it and she said if we buy it Pat and I would be the most popular people at the family reunion! I told her, "At least as long as we were going with the wind!" It might be a different story once we tried to return to our departure point. Hhhmmmm. I wonder if my cell phone is waterproof? "Hello, yeah, bring the sailboat trailer. No, just follow the direction of the wind until you run out of water!"

Krl told me she thought the sailboat might be very therapeutic for Pat and I.

I am sooo exhausted. I can't believe I am up! Leg cramps! That will do it every time.

Maybe I can find some mindless television channel that will put me back to sleep!

FATHER, surround us with YOUR angels. Heal our hearts.

Our Fourth was laid back. We had to do absolutely nothing and we chose to do very little above what we had too! I made one brief excursion. Three stops on errands, then it was back to the house. I was actually running ahead of myself so far that I had to stop everything I was doing and just mark time. It wasn't too bad, it allowed our afternoon/evening meal to marinate a while longer before it went on the grill.

Actually, while we enjoyed having some time that we weren't pressed to accomplish something, it proved to be a difficult day. I would hear something and look at Krl and she would be teared up, and it worked the other way too. At the point we are at, it is not a good thing to have an idle mind as Freddy and Terri move into it. I keep telling myself how selfish we are being, but my heart doesn't seem to care. I know they are happy to be where they are and I am sure they are together with other friends and relatives.

Krl and I did one positive thing yesterday, we made reservations for next weeks family reunion at Lake Brownwood. This has been an ongoing gathering since about 1966 and has seen it expand from only four rooms in the beginning to taking up the entire motel, plus other rooms in other locations plus travel trailers plus about four lake residences. This is my Mom's immediate family.

I got the phone number of the facility and Krl called them and reserved a hookup for one of the smaller company travel trailers. We told them we weren't bringing the big trailer we brought last year and from what they said I think we will get a more desirable hookup location. Last year we were on the back forty and it was a hike to anything we wanted to do. At least if we get the location we requested we will be near the water.

It would be easy NOT to go this year. BUT, Krl and I discussed it and right now we probably need family and family probably needs us. It won't be easy but it may be one of those necessary steps in healing.

Memama nearly spazzed when I told her the dates for the reunion were July 13 (which is a Friday), 14, and 15. I agree, we don't want to tempt fate.

On Monday past "E" came by the NAPA store briefly. He is a good man. He has a very strong faith. I know if roles were reversed I would not be doing anywhere near as well as he is, because in my present position I am not, with Terri or with Freddy! He has four points of acceptance concerning Terri's death. All I can say is wow!

And we are supposed to be supportive to him.

Today is my regular day off. I am supposed to get with some guys today in dealing with some personal business. Two meetings will be in person and two will be phone contacts. All of these have been "on-going" for several months. I am leery of talking with one contact because the first time I talked with him, Freddy died the next day and the last time I talked with him we lost Terri. Some of the dynamics have changed concerning our talks. In fact on one deal I am only gathering information to make recommendations and then I will hook up the two parties and step to the side.

On a deluxe positively selfish note, I am hoping to put a new A/C compressor on the S-10 I drive to work. I have not had air conditioning any at all this year. I am just thankful it hasn't been too terribly hot. I have been carrying a new compressor around for months.

I am probably going to take Krl's SUV to work tomorrow and bring the travel trailer to the house where she can clean it. Of course as our luck would have it, we have no bed sheets that will fit the beds in this trailer. I may try to borrow some from Memama. I have already begun a mental list of items we need to take out of our regular company trailer for our weekend.

Chris called me and told me he will not be at work tomorrow as he is leaving late today to go to Canyon for a wedding he is going to be in this weekend. I am not sure what this will mean as to who opens at seven tomorrow morning or who is working Saturday. I do know that his Mom is meeting Steph at the airport in Lubbock mid-afternoon tomorrow as they are having a girls weekend.

So, lots of stuff going on, lots of plans up in the air.

I guess I had better get to it.

Have a day!

FATHER, we still need some help here. Heal our hearts!

I haven't had opportunity to watch the television show Power of Ten, but I have enjoyed their advertisements for it. My favorite question, How many Americans think they are smarter than President Bush?

I would change the question to, "How many Americans ARE smarter than "W"?"

My answer, "All of them!"

Just when I think "W" can't do anything else to disappoint the American public, he shows me I was wrong. I don't believe we have ever had a President as arrogant or full of themselves as "W" is. I am hopeful that Congress will take the White House to task, even if it is just over the AG firings. There was a reason our country's founders set up our system of government with three branches. Checks and balances.

Yesterday at the store a customer told me that after the Bush commutation of Scooter Libby's prison time, he (the customer) came to the realization that all of Bush's friends are crooks and they are his friends just in case they need a favor like Scooters.

Makes sense to me!

I guess the thing that is so insulting is that Bush thinks all of us are as stupid as he is. He thinks that since he didn't pardon Scooter, he can explain it away. A pardon would have absolved any record of the conviction and sentence. To commute the sentence only did away with the prison sentence. The record of the conviction survives. Bush's reasoning was that the sentence was too severe. ???? Huh? So now he is judge, jury, executioner and saviour.

Some people live in make believe worlds!

I would guess that all the people I see driving card or trucks with the W04 stickers are in line for a Bush favor.

I would be so ashamed. I am, and I have never voted for the jerk!

This weather is unbelievable for Texas in July. Yesterday we had an hour long downpour that almost flooded the garage part of the store. There is a problem with the drainage away from the building that instead directs runoff to the pit system and eventually backs up in the floor grates and then begins to spread from there! I was pushing water out one of the overhead doors with a broom in each hand when Hag showed up. He brought a sump pump and after a half hour it began gaining on the water!

Last evening after I got home we had two squall showers, one of them pretty heavy. I heard a report that the local area lake which is Abilene's primary source of Abilene's water is now within a foot of being at spillway level. I guess the two year cycle is on an upswing.

Sad part is, we are in the middle. To the West lakes remain very low (Sweetwater is 37 feet below spillway) while to the East residents are cleaning up from flooding at area lakes! Roughly a hundred miles apart as the crow flies.

Some area lakes are being re-opened today after the big rains and flooding. Just in time for the Fourth of July celebrations!

Whatever your plans are for the Fourth, have a safe one!

FATHER, I'm still struggling.

After missing a week of work I am finding I could be a walking testimony to doing daily maintenance of paperwork! I can't believe how far behind I am.

My plan is to get the June statements out and then I will evaluate my work situation. I don't think that I will get it done today. In fact with the holiday, it may be Friday.

It seems that yesterday was another of those days involving lots of research. As it turns out most of the research was of above normal personal interest as it involved an alternator for one of the units I am charged with over-seeing. I may have received some bogus information from a couple of colleagues. One should be in the know, the other seems to always talk a good game but is usually wrong. Late yesterday Hag called me with some "good" information and I was able to determine what I needed, it just happened it was after five, which means it will be probably Friday before it could be shipped in.

This particular truck had been leased out, but due to some developments it was available to Pepa and Hag for the wheat harvest. It seems the business that had it leased, fired the employee who on occasion drove for them for imbibing on the job (thankfully he wasn't in the truck). They have another employee who I would be more comfortable with piloting the truck. As it stands right now, I don't know if we have a continuing agreement or if it has ended.

E and the kids, minus Shelby, spent Sunday night at Memama and Pepa's. They seem to be doing pretty well. I am sure they needed the diversion.

"Coach" called telling Pepa he had made him a doctor's appointment in Brownwood for two-fifteen yesterday. Memama and Pepa have been without an internist since their doctor quit, followed closely by his heir apparent's relocation to another state. Pat had talked with several doctors but had not found anyone who made an impression. That all changed yesterday. The interesting thing is they have different doctors. Pepa's is a man, Memama's is a woman, but Pat is pretty pleased with their thoroughness along with their personalities.

I just don't know about their location.

On a personal note, I guess I need to go and visit Memama and Pepa for a diversion. I seem to be having a difficult time right now dealing with Freddy and Terri's absence. Add to that the difficulties at home and it hasn't been a good situation. I haven't slept very well at all. Just a couple of hours Saturday and Sunday nights, a little better last night. Interesting thing is that if I sleep, it is in my chair or on the couch. I cannot sleep in bed. I am wondering if I have some sub-conscious fear of going to sleep in bed because of the similarities in Freddy and Terri's deaths.

Beats me! I just know I am tired.

Have a day.

FATHER, I pray for YOUR peace.

July?

Well, six days after TJ's death, the Abilene Reporter finally runs the obit. Go figure. As bad as that is, the Sweetwater Reporter hasn't run it yet. I am sure the Roscoe Times will pick it up once it runs in Sweetwater.

Pat said they gave the funeral home five newspapers to run the obit in. Corpus Christi, San Patricio County, Abilene, Sweetwater, and Farwell. I had alerted her to the fact that neither of the West Central Texas newspapers had run it and she and Edwin went back by the funeral home to follow up.

Edwin and the rest of his and Terri's little family are going to take Shelby back to Stephenville today. When they leave, Pat is going to head home as well.

Pat said that she has had some productive time Friday and Saturday. She had twisted her ankle Friday and hasn't been real mobile. She said she has discovered that she makes Robyn very uncomfortable. She asked Robyn to take her out to TJ's friend Robyn's house (who our Robyn is named after) to see if the friend could get Pat in for an x-ray somewhere. Pat said she asked Robyn if there was a problem and Robyn told her that it was the first time she had ever been to her mother's friend's house without her and everywhere she looked she saw her Mom and every time she glimpsed Pat she would think she was going to see TJ. Pat asked Robyn if it would be more comfortable if she took all the Thank You notes and the book and returned to her motel room. Robyn thought that would be best.

Edwin had called early yesterday to check on Memama and Pepa. He had told Memama that Robyn was up and at 'em and meaner than a rattlesnake! Sounds a lot like TJ! That may be why TJ and Robyn's relationship was so volatile. They are too much alike.

Apparently Robyn is already going through the anger part of her grief. All of us would probably feel better if the boys were a little more open with their feelings. We don't have any idea what is going on below the surface and if we don't know, we can't help. It would probably be very advantageous for all of them to go to some sort of grief counseling like what Linda is doing with her kiddos.

Pat told me she continues to be amazed by Edwin's positive outlook. He is quite a man.

Colby had a conversation with Memama while everyone was in Sinton. I'm sure he was trying to console her. He had relayed their conversation to Rian and Rian repeated it to me. So it may not be exact but it is close.

In the course of the conversation, Memama told Colby that she trusts GOD with all of her heart and soul, even after all that has transpired and she is confident that GOD knows what He is doing. But, she thinks it is only fair that HE knows that she is beginning to get pissed off!

And it takes a lot for my Momma to get pissed off!

All of us are getting that way. Thing is, I believe GOD understands.

On a lighter note, I was reading the police blotter for Corpus Christi and ran across a report of a "food hi-jack-er" at a local Whataburger. It seemed that a customer was waiting at the drive thru window and just as the money exchange/food delivery was going to take place, the hi-jack-er ran between the vehicle and the window taking the bag of burgers on the run. The window attendant bumped her elbow on the window and yelled, the manager jumped the counter and took off in hot pursuit of the perp. The perp was reportedly wearing clothes with a UM Hurricane logo, but at last report was still at large.

The odd thing is that Kirb was in town for TJ's funeral and I am sure he would love to have run across the hooligan who was sullying the Hurricanes image!

Maybe the 'Canes need to recruit the fleet footed speedster! He would probably fit right in at Corral Gables. This is probably a recreational activity down there!

My Saturday was spent doing absolutely nothing! And I needed that. Apparently Robyn isn't the only person meaner than a rattlesnake. Krl is pretty hard to get along with too. She can say some really hurtful things. Yesterday she told me she was sorry that it was Terri who died, meaning she would have much preferred it had been me.

Tomorrow is our anniversary but I'm not planning to celebrate because there isn't anything to celebrate! I guess it will be one more day to "tolerate" and another opportunity to check the "tilt" meter.

And with that I would say "Be careful what you wish for!"

FATHER, things sure seem a mess.