We had an interesting piece of mail yesterday, but let me preface this story for you.

This is a very unique community. Due to the isolated location, I believe more people volunteer for various services throughout the community.

There is no doctor, no hospital in the county. You are talking an hour drive to seek medical care.

There is an Emergency Medical Service with two locations. One in Garden City, the other in the St. Lawrence community. All of the technicians are volunteers. It is not uncommon at all to see people walk into the office wearing beepers for whatever emergency service they volunteer to.

When the tradegy occurred with Ricardo, the locals responded, began IV's and stabilized him, ultimately making the decision that the severity of Ricardo's injuries would make an ride in the local service's ambulance unlikely, so they summoned care flight.

The Fire Department is volunteer, also with two locations in the afore mentioned communities.

One of the really impressive things is the equipment the have. It is top notch. The county government here is very generous with these volunteer organizations. The local government is always quick to apply for and usually receiver state and federal grants for equipment and or training.

Of course donations play a very important role in operations as well. And therein lies our story today. Each year, as the fiscal year end approaches, we have a list of groups or organizations that we donate to. The Church (although we aren't Catholic), the livestock show, a Memorial scholarship fund named in honor of a youth killed in a car accident a few years back, project graduation (until it fizzled), and of course the Volunteer Fire Department and the Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.

The cheque to the St. Lawrence Emergency Medical Service was picked up and went through three pair of hands before arriving at the President of the Service for deposit. This woman gave birth to a little girl just prior to Christmas and has two little boys six and under at home also. I know her husband, her Mom and step-Dad (I call him a good friend), and her in-laws. They are all "good people".

This woman called me to tell me she had lost the cheque. She was so apologetic. Over and over again. She told me this wasn't like her, that she is a very organized, very responsible person. I joked with her that she couldn't blame this on being pregnant because she isn't any more, but she could blame it on being related to her step-Dad. Very quickly she told me she was a much better businessman than he is!

In the mail I received a page long letter of apology along with twenty-five dollars cash from this woman to cover the cost of a stop payment fee. I feel for this woman. There is nothing I could say that would make her feel any worse. She is beating herself up something terrible.

Krl will replace their check and return the woman's money.

I don't know about you but I'm not too concerned about the cheque. I think if you came into my establishment wanting to cash a cheque made out to the St. Lawrence Emergency Medical Service, I might question you about it. I think the cheque will surface.

Krl and I went to town yesterday. I was going to drop her off at minor emergency to see if she might get some 'scripts that would be more effective. She stuck her head in the door and returned to the expedition telling me she wasn't going to spend all day in there!

We continued on to the mobile phone store and walked right in and to a representatives desk. Turns out they made a claim on both Krl's and my phones. I had an idea what I wanted to replace mine with, but I was told I had no choice. Insurance would dictate what phone I received. Turns out there was a fifty dollar deductible on each phone.

Hhhhmmm. Fifty plus fifty, plus one years premium for each equalling one hundred thirty dollars. Car chargers will not interchange nor will holsters or covers so that is another one hundred twenty-one dollars. We are at three hundred fifty-one dollars. I began to wonder what the phones cost over the counter.

We had already been told we could receive our choice of phone free if we signed a two year contract. Currently we have no contract. We'll pass.

Turns out the phones we received from insurance would have cost us $39.95 each plus the car chargers, holsters and covers for $121. I may have graduated from Roscoe High but I think that would be the better deal.

The phone I wanted would have cost $19.95 each plus the $121. Even better yet.

I think I am going to cancel the insurance because it seems all it guarantees is to empty your pocket a little at a time each month and then go for the jugular when you need to use it.

Everyone has a racket!

I talked to Pat yesterday evening and she told me Hag had the first procedure but they were having a difficult time getting him comfortable due to the two back surgeries he had previously. He was scheduled for a second radiation session at four in the evening and if he still wasn't comfortable they were going to try to do his final one about nine last night and remove the needles.

I haven't talked with her today. Basically all she told me yesterday was the comfort problem and her having to keep him from trying to get up. She did say they kept him much longer than she had anticipated and she was beginning to get concerned when his nurse came to report to her.

We'll hope for the best!

Have a day.

FATHER, bless this day. Bless Hag and Pat.