Need to catch up a little!

Happy Birthday Addie! Big number 9! That was the second of March.

Yesterday, the seventh was Memama's birthday. Happy #77 Mom!

Today, the eighth, is Makai's 28th birthday. Happy Birthday Kali!

Winter has visited us once again. I was hoping all of that was behind us, BUT, it wasn't. Maybe this will be our Easter spell.

It has continued to be wild and wooly here at the compound. I have a couple of drivers on two different trucks who have been problems. One doesn't want to do much and he is taking big time advantage of his friend who helped him get the gig. Now he is wanting to just run two loads a day and then only daylight runs. He isn't aware of it but I am gradually phasing him out.

This man had been on a different truck which has been in the shop and he has been asking me when it was going to be back out. Thing is, since he is wanting to just do two runs a day, I am putting a better driver on there who can do three. I think this will probably make him mad enough to quit.

I had a lease operator (a driver who owns his own truck) who came to me Wednesday afternoon telling me his oldest son had been in an accident in Dallas. They needed one of the parents to come there to help them make a decision about a mangled arm. This man told me he would be back the next day, but he would see if his dad would cover his spot while he was gone. I told the driver to do what he needed to do, but to keep me posted.

Turns out this man didn't go to Dallas Wednesday like he told me, and he never called. I have left him messages and finally gave him a deadline telling him if I didn't hear from him by a certain time I would fill his spot with someone else. Thing is, his inability or unwillingness to communicate caused an unnecessary hardship on the forklift operators and remaining truck drivers. I think I see a stupid tax coming on this man's settlement! I did talk with his brother-in-law who told me not to wait on this man so I sent another driver to get the trailer and he said ALL of my stuff was on the trailer, even the ratchet bar this man had stolen! I guess this guy is the G. Jones of his generation, as long as he has little money in his pocket there is no reason to work!

It makes me upset with myself for even allowing him the opportunity!

Then I had a driver who needed off to go to Houston for a child support hearing Monday. Initially he had asked me to let him off Sunday, then it moved to Saturday. Yesterday he didn't want to haul a load of motes to Lubbock because he needed off. I told him I had just about a belly full of changing parameters. Another driver volunteered to drag the mote load to allow the man needing off opportunity to pull two bale loads before leaving. This driver had made an argument that he would pull only one load because he needed to have a side window replaced. I told him that could be done Monday when he was in court. He hooked up with the truck owner, who should have known better, and didn't come back. When the truck owner called me, I told him he had better saddle up and get here in the drivers place. He did, but of course he was tardy. He was full of baloney when he arrived, telling me the driver was doing exactly what he had told him to do. I told him maybe he needed to be the one paying that driver. Then the owner began telling me how he has had two trucks out here running for me and they have been making him money!

I guess he thinks it just happens! If I set this operation up to make it easy on me, I woul dhave an abundance of trucks and never worry about covering a load. No one would make any money. As it is, it is a pretty good deal for any truck or driver running out here because it is designed and fitted to be profitable for the truck owners and drivers!

The next six weeks cannot go by fast enough!

The GM and I have met twice and decided to let two seed trucks go home. We have drawn down our surplus of seed in the storage warehouse and as before, whenever we get it down he wants to fill it back up. Go figure!

By the end of the coming week, there should just be a handful of gins continuing to run.

The GM did tell me yesterday that if things work out we will shut down the 22nd and 23rd of March for Easter. If things don't work out we will have to run straight through. What he means by "if things work out" is if the employees in the gin agree to come back AFTER Easter.

Many of the employees want to keep working and get through! Krl is in that group. Me, I wouldn't mind having a couple of days off!

I talked with K.O. yesterday and to my surprise he wasn't going to Hobbs, Nm. to the tractor pull. He said he was just too tired to go off like that.

I talked with Rian late yesterday but I didn't ask if he was making the drive out there! At the time of our conversation I was fighting with the self checkout line at WalMart. I think that the self checkout line just makes it more appealing for people to steal! It just isn't worth the hassle!

I had to make a trek to Midland for a few supplies yesterday. While we were there I was needing to do some research in one of our folders so we went to eat. We ended up at Abuello's. It was really good. Much like we remembered it to be in years past. After stops at Petsmart, an RO water station, two auto parts stores (for forklift filters), and WalMart, we were headed home!

It was good just to get away from the compound!

I have finished my reading project, The Secret, yet I find myself backing up and re-reading portions. Here is an excerpt from the final page:

I believe that you're great, that there's something magnificent about you. Regardless of what has happened to you in your life. Regardless of how old or young you think you might be. The moment you begin to "think properly" this something that's within you, this power within you that's greater than the world, it will begin to emerge. It will take over your life. It will feed you. "It will clothe you. It will guide you, protect you, direct you, sustain your very existence. If you let it. Now that is what I know, for sure. ~ Michael Bernard Beckwith~

I like to think there is something magnificent about me. That is kind of inspiring.

Have a great day and weekend. May your life be blessed.

FATHER, thank YOU for making me, me! Bless-ed be your name!