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!