Oh what a tangled web we weave.

My forklift operator who did not show yesterday, called.

"Boss. We had a problem when we came to San Antonio for Sunday. My Father and I met my Mother, she had driven from Mercedes (In deep South Texas). We left to go back to the compound and she left, but thirty minutes later she called and told us she had pain and no air. We turned around and went to her, took her to the hospital where they gave her some medication and I drove her home," said Heberto.

"How is your Mom?", I asked.

"She is all right now," he said. "What I am asking now is what do I do, do I still have my job?" he asked.

"If I were you I wouldn't worry about the job, I would worry about my mother," I said. "You need to stay there to be sure she doesn't have another spell, because you will be 600 miles away if you get here and she falls ill again," I said.

"Can I come back to work when?", he asked.

"Plan on being here Friday morning at 7," I told him.

He thinks I am an idiot. Heh! I knew he had borrowed a vehicle from another employee. I had heard through the grapevine that he and his father had told co-workers they would not return until Monday. So, I pushed some buttons. My employee had called the co-worker and told him
he could not return to work until Friday. The co-worker told him he wanted his vehicle back ASAP!

Late yesterday, I was talking on my cell phone sitting on the porch of my trailer when this employee walked by. I waved to him to come over.

"Do we need to begin again?", I asked.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"I mean you weren't where you said you were because you can't go from Mercedes to here in the time since we talked," I told him. "If you lied about that, I doubt your mother was ill," I continued.

"No, I was in Three Rivers," he said.

Confession is good for the soul.

So, he took a hit on his season ending bonus with that escapade.

The plant has not run well since the maintenance Sunday. The machinery is physically giving it up. Shafts breaking, drums failing, belts, flashings, brushes, saws are becoming dull. We have had multiple rib fires in the last week and they are attributing them to wear on the ribs in the gin stands.

Nineteen days says the Eagle Sys this morning.

I am considering making a run to Roscoe to do a few odd and end things to unit 222. the inspection sticker ran out last night and even though we have a five day grace period we need to get it inspected. Yesterday the driver took it in and let them do a preliminary inspection. It has a cracked mirror and needs wiper blades. It shouldn't take long.

We had a norther blow in during the night. It is cooler than in recent days and the wind is rocking the trailer.

Have a day!

FATHER, I confess I am tired. I am spent. I throw myself on your mercies!